pro nobis pauper vt illius inopia nos diuites essemus Christe beynge most ryche became poore for vs that by his pouertie and necessitie we may be made riche Fyftly we were in Christe that is in his rebukes and dispisinges for all the mockes scornes repreues and dispisynges with other lyke that Christe suffred was for vs that therby he myght reconsile vs to his father in heuen and promote vs vnto the euerlastynge glorie And therfore as Christe dyd all these for vs so let vs suffer with hym and for our euerlastynge profyte ¶ The .iiii. particle ¶ Of diuerse maners and wayes to remeÌ„bre Christes passion and it is diuided in to .vi. Chapitres howe we may considre Christes passion with a mynde to folowe it Chap. i. ANd that thou may the better bere in mynd our lordes passion thou ought to knowe that a man may behaue hym self in remembrauÌ„ce therof .vi. maner of wayes Fyrst he may considre this passion with a mynd to folowe it Secondly to haue coÌ„passion therof Thyrdly to merueyl therof Fourtly to ioy therof Fyftly to resolue or releÌ„t his herte in to that passion And sextly surely to rest therin so that this imitation or folowyng shal be to the purgation direction of his soule The compassion to the vnion and loue thadmiration or merueylyng shal be to the leuation or lyftyng vp of his mynde the ioy and gladnes to the openynge and dilatation of his herte the relentynge shal be to his perfecte conformation and the rest or quietnes shal be to the perfection of his deuotion Of eche one of these seuene we shall write a lityll so that the paynful passion of our moste louynge sauiour Iesu myght the more rather enflame and kyndle our dull affection and loue illumyne and lyghten our blynde reason or vnderstandynge and also that it myght be the more strongly inprinted in to our sliper meoÌ„ries ¶ Fyrst I say we shuld coÌ„sidre the passion of our sauiour Christe with a mynde to folowe it For the imitation and folowynge of Christe is the most hyghe and perfite religion and rule of a perfite person To folowe Christe I say in his passion and deth by a continuall remeÌ„braunce a louynge and affectuous compassion and by vertuous operation is thexemplar of perfection of all lyfe and treuth so that this passion be our rule and thordre of our liuynge in all our meritorious dedes For Christe is as a boke layd open on the pulpyt of the crosse where as he taught obedience pacience mekenes and charitie for the whiche if we dayly vse and performe them we shal be crowned in eternall felicitie And specyally we shuld lerne here how our sauiour Christe behaued hym self in the chapitre whiche was holden and kept for hym Of the whiche saynt Barnarde speketh sayng Iesus stode before the president inclynynge or bowynge downe his heed speakynge but fewe wordes with a softe voyce a quiete chere or countenaunce lokynge downwarde to the erthe and redy to receyue or beare patiently all rebukes and beatynges which thynges whan we do nat or elles be negligent to do and suffer them how can or may we say that we folowe Christ Truely somoche the more be we desolate of goodnes in how moche we be separate or departed for this exemplar rule our sauiour Iesu We shuld haue a wyl and mynde as moche as is in vs to be dispised of all men deiect troden vnder foote set at nought mocked scorned to be scourged whipped bet and to suffer persecution for Christ and also to be rebuked in our good dedes or werkes for Christe Also we shuld haue a desire to be poore or naked with Christ nothyng couetyng or desiryng and that namely inordinatly but to be fully coÌ„tent with suche pouertie as god sendeth vs. And more ouer it shuld be a greuous payne to vs and moche sharp sorowe to our hert to haue any thynge and that superfluous We shulde abhorre to tast of any delectable and swete thyng rather desiryng to be fed with vyle and bitter meates or drynkes remeÌ„bryng that our sauiour Iesu was so fed at this passion And shortly to conclude we shulde remembre and depely considre what our sauiour Iesu suffred for vs and how he ordered hym selfe in his passyon and paynes that we myght conforme our selfe to hym in asmoche as we may For his passyon shall nat saue vs synners that haue vse of reason except we enforce our self to folowe hym and to conforme our selfe vnto his pacience in some maner or at leest haue a full wyl desyre therunto accordyng to the sayng of the prophet Esay where as the sonne of god complaynethe to his father of suche as wyll nat folowe hym saynge In vacuum laboraui sine causa et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi I haue laboured in vayne without frute or vaynly I haue consumed or wasted my strength for fewe take hede to folowe me Also the prophet Hieremy sayth Frustra conflauit conflator malicie enim illorum non sunt consumpte That is the trier or goldsmyth hath tryed blowen and laboured in vayne for the rust of theyr malice or synne is nat consumed Of the whiche text the glose sayth the onely passion of Christe shall nat saue them except they folowe it in good lyuyng And herto saint Gregory sayth If we serche labour to haue here pleasaunt and delectable thynges What trust we to haue in the lyfe to come he that wyll nat mourne here where as he is as a pilgrem he shall nat ioy in heuen as a cytezen or as of the houshold of heuen Therfore the more thou perceyue thy selfe to abounde in temporal goodes in worldly honour and corporal pleasure or consolation here in this lyfe the more cause hast thou to be heuy and sad for asmoch as thou art farre from the true conformitie and folowyng of Christ and so farre from the coÌ„solation of god wherfore if we wyll reigne with Christe it is necessarie that we suffer for Christ For there is no disciple aboue his maysster Sith therfore we be put in this world as in a felde to feight where as our maister Christe faught strongly vnto y e dethe that sowdiour or person the which here suffereth no beatyngê or wouÌ„des for Christe shall ryghtuously appere in y e world to come vnglorious and without glory or vnworthy rewarde And therfore saint Gregory expouÌ„dyng these wordes of our lord Angusta est via que ducit ad vitam It is a narowe or streit way y t ledeth man to euerlastyng life saith thus It is a strait way y t ledeth to heuen for if we wyl come thider we must liue here in this worlde yet nothyng to haue or to folowe of the coÌ„cupiscence of the worlde to couit nothyng that apperteineth to any other man to gyue forsak our owne goodes to dispise the laudes and praisynges of the world to honour them that dispise vs to forgyue hertly iniuries done to vs
thy drynke that is wyne made pleasaunt with spices And this signifieth y e wine of worldly tribulacioÌ„ or aduersitie whaÌ„ it is ioyned mixte with the meditacion of y e passion of Christe Also we rede in y e boke of y e Machabeis how that kyng Antiochus whan he shuld fight against the Iues he shewed vnto his Olephantes put in theyr sight the blood that is the red colour licour of the grape of y e molbery to thintent y t those Olephantes shulde be prouoked to fight to be the more quicke in bataile In lyke maner the knightê of Christe accordyng to thexample of these Olephantê shuld be animate quickened to suffre paciently all tribulacioÌ„s aduersities whan so euer they here se or remembre the blood passion of Christe whiche was pressed out of his body at his passion as y e wyne is pressed out of the grape Moreouer the prophet Hieremy sayeth Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum Thou good lorde shal gyue vnto them a buckeler or a shelde for theyr hert or soule y t is thy labour passion or deth This buckler or shelde receiueth without any perill vnto y e soule al maner of dartes specially .iii. maner of dartes that is losse of goodes infirmities of the body and contumeliouse or rebukyng worde with this buckeler that is with the feruent meditacion of y e labour paine or passion of Christe a man ouercuÌ„meth almighty god in paciently suffryng his corrections louyng visitatioÌ„s He also ouercuÌ„meth the deuyll in auoidyng his snares temptacioÌ„s And thyrdly he ouercuÌ„meth him selfe in resistyng all carnall mocioÌ„s passioÌ„s of yre or wrath in paciently suffering all infirmities of the body And thus the remembraunce of the passion of Christ doth mitigate thaduersities troubles of suche as be troubled therwith And as ye se y t a litle floode or ryuer doeth lose his name whaÌ„ he is entred into y e see or into a greater water so I like maner al labours paines passioÌ„s coÌ„pared to y e labours paines passion of Christe lese theyr name be nat to be called paines ¶ The .xviii. profite RectoruÌ„ confirmat stabilitatem THe meditacion of y e passion of Christe maketh rightuouse good men stable in faith in good werkes We rede that there is a certayn welle in Englande of this nature that yf a tree be put therin continue there any long space or tyme it is tourned into a stone So spiritually if a christian continue longe in this welle y t is in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the wouÌ„des dethe of christe he shal be tourned into a stone that is he shal be constant stable in all vertue goodnes for thaÌ„ he shal abide fastened with christe vnto y e crosse by pacience Herunto sayth saint Bonauenture O meruelous deth passion of Christe whiche doeth allienate seclude the remembrer from dethe spuÌ„all also eternall nat only that but also it maketh him angelicall nothyng els to consider thynke but Iesu Christe crucified He wyl bere his crosse with Christe so he bereth in his hert Iesu Christe who coÌ„teineth in his haÌ„de power bothe heuyn erthe And so for y e loue of Christ he shal bere most easely suffre pacieÌ„tly al troubles paines He wold be crowned with thornes with Christe for christ christ shal crowne hym with the crowne of glory and so as ye may perceyue suche a feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe doeth greatly stable vs in goodnes ¶ The .xviii. profite Supernovum Placat displicentiam THis meditacion doeth strongly swage pacify y e wrath displeasure of god al his saintê Herunto saith saint Bernard The remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of y e labours paines of my sauiour Iesu doeth erect streÌ„gth me in al aduersities it doth represse me and kepe me iÌ„ al ê“sperites it also gydeth or ledeth me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is now ioy now sorow now pleasur now payne c. This meditacion putteth away all peryls It reconsileth me to y e high iudge of y e worlde whyles it declareth vnto me hym to be very meke mylde here in erthe to whose maiesty all auÌ„gels in heuen do reuerence haue him in reuerent feare Also the same saint entraytyng these wordes of Iob. VtinaÌ„ appeÌ„deren tur petaÌ„ mea quibê° iraÌ„ merui â–ª c saieth thus Good lorde behold y e face of thy son christe whiche was obedient to thy wyll vnto his dethe good lorde let neuer y e printes of his wouÌ„des depart froÌ„ thy sight remeÌ„brauÌ„ce CoÌ„sider good lord what satisfaction he hath done for our synnes to reconsyle vs vnto the. I wold that thou god lorde wold wey and pondre our synnes in a balance with the paynes that thy innocent sonne Iesus suffered for them And then good lorde it shulde well appere that his paynes excedeth our synnes so that thou rather shewe thy mercy vnto vs for the merytes of his passyon then to kepe our synnes in thy remembraunce to reuenge and punysshe them ¶ The .xix profit Terrenorum pessundat vanitatem IT also maketh man to contempne and set at nought the worlde with all the pleasures therof And therfore saynt Paule sayde Mihi mundus crucifixus est et ego mundo The worlde is crucified to me and I to the worlde as if he sayd I dispise the worlde and the worlde dispiseth me Auicen reciteth how that a certen man by stronge ymaginacion that he had ymaginynge him selfe to be a leprouse man therby he was made a leprouse man So in lyke maner yf a man feruently deuoutly coÌ„tinue in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe he may so haue a great sorow in his hert true coÌ„passion of y e passion of Christe so suffre payn with hym so consequently al Worldly pleasure shall be bytter paynfull vnto hym Herunto sayeth saynt Bonauenture Who so feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Iesu he reputeth thynketh hym selfe to be in seruitude bondage misery he doth sygh sorow is in continuall heuynes vnto y e tyme he be all to wasshed or drowned in the blood of Christe so traÌ„sfourmed into his lord crucified yf he be nat kept in the blood of his sauiour he thynketh him selfe no man yea worse thaÌ„ a beast yf he be nat clad with the passion of Christe Therefore who so euer doeth ofte and feruently remembre the passion of Christe he shall lytle regarde the vanities of this worlde and set them at nought ¶ The .xx. profite Viatorum gubernat prosperitateÌ„ THe meditacion of the passyon of Christe doeth gouerne direct men lyuyng in this worlde vnto the lyfe of eternall felicitie For the passion of Christe is the kynges hygh waye the right compendiouse waye to cum to the
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
e passion of Christ And that v. maner of wise First in our vnderstandyng secoÌ„dly in our wyl loue and affection thirdly in our actes and operation fourtly in our pouerty and necessityes fyftly in our reprouynges or dispisinges First I say we shuld fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandyng or reason so that we dilygenly and with attencion fourme our thoughtes accordyngly vnto the paynes passion of Christe Hereunto we be moued by the wordes of the prophet sayng in the person of Christe crucified O vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus O all ye that passe thorough the way of this worlde take hede that is thynke with a diligeÌ„t attent mynde and depely coÌ„sider if there be any sorowe lyke vnto my sorowe And this is done truely and faythfully when the passion of Christ is remeÌ„bred rather with an attent mynde cogitation than with deuotion For cogitation hath his signification name of abidyng tarieng or ellê coÌ„straynynge after some doctours For asmoche as in such cogitatyons whan reason vnderstaÌ„dyng hath nat that gyft grace of knowlege that it wolde haue it is coÌ„strayned to abyde tary reuolue it in his cogitation vnto the tyme y t he hath goteÌ„ some perceyuyng therof And of this coÌ„straynyng speketh saynt Barnarde saynge let the outwarde senses be gathered to gether in one and coÌ„strayned or subdewed vnder the discipline and rule of the good wyll And so kepte vnder with the burden of good werkes and made obedient to the seruice of the spirite that in no meanes they be suffered to come at large at theyr sensuall pleasure Of this diligent kepynge of our thoughtes speketh also our lord in his lawe saynge Caue ne vnquam obliuiscaris domini dei tui qui eduxit te de terra Egipti Beware that thou neuer forget thy lorde god whiche hath delyuered the from the thraldome that thou had in the lande of Egipte that is from the thraldome of the deule by the merites of his glorious passion We may alwayes thynke of this benefite though we can nat at al tymes deuoutly remembre it And therfore to remembre or thynke euer of god we be constrayned by his coÌ„maundement But to remembre hym with deuotion we be nat bounde for deuotion is onely of the speciall grace of god which is nat in our power And therfore we be exhorted taught to continue the remembrauÌ„ce of god and of his coÌ„maundmentes saynge Meditaberis ea sedens in domo tua et ambulans in itinere dormiens atque consurgens er ligabis ea quasi signum in manu tua et mouebunt ante oculos tuos scribesque ea in limine et in ostijs domus tue Thou shalt sayth Moyses in the name of our lorde remembre them that is the coÌ„maundmentes and benefytes of god sittynge in thy house and walkynge in thy iourney slepynge and rysyng or at thy downe lyenge and vp risynge and thou shal tye and fasten them vnto the as a signe or a marke in thy hand and they shal be euer before thyn eyne or syght and thou shalt wrytte them in the postes doores of thy house And though these wordes in the litterall sense ben spoken of the .x. coÌ„maundmentes of god yet we may so moche the more conueniently applye them to the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lord for asmoche as it was more to our profite and comforth that our lord god wolde suffre deth and passion for our redeÌ„pcion than y t he gaue to vs his commauÌ„dmeÌ„tes And also that is the law ordre of y e benefites of god that more that they be ê“fitable to vs the more we shulde remeÌ„bre them Therfore al the articles or particular paines of the passion of our lord shuld be diligeÌ„tly gadred to geder coÌ„mend to memory accordyng to the wordes of our sauiour sayng Colligite fragmenta ne pereant Gather vp to gether the fragmeÌ„tes that is the ê‘ticular paynes of his passion and put theÌ„ to gider as it were in a litel fagot so coÌ„meÌ„de them to memory lesse they perisshe from your herttê by forgetfulnes iÌ„ this maner dyd y e spouse as we rede in the canticles where as she sayd Fasciculus miâ—re dilectus meus michi inter vbera mea commorabitur My dere beloued spouse is to me as a lytell fagot of myrre he shall abyde in my herte memory Saynt Barnarde declarynge this same text sayth in this maner Brethern this hath ben myne accustomable maner fro my firste conuersion I haue ben diligent to gather a lytell fagot of myrre the which I put in to my bosome as a tresure to recoÌ„pence for the great hepe of merites that I shulde haue had but my vnkyndnes to god is suche that I want suche merites and therfore I say I was dilygent to gather to me a lytell fagot of mirre of al the paynes and affliccions of my lord and sauiour Iesu fyrste of his great pouertye necessitye and affliccion or paynes that he suffred in his yong and tender age after that of his great labours that he had in preachynge his fatigation and werynes in goyng about frome cyte to cyte frome towne to towne frome cuntrye to cuntrye his continuall watche in prayer his temptacions in his fastyng his wepynges and teares in compassion of the miserable people the disceites and craftes of the scribes and phariseys that lye in a wayt of hym to take hym in a trype with some defaute in his coÌ„municacyon or speche and laste of the parylles and daungers that he was in amonges his awne nacion frendes of his rebukes mockes scornes dispises spittynges buffetynges betinges scurgyngê with al other that he suffred for our saluacion Of al the whiche is there plentuously made mencion in the foure euangelystes these thinges to remeÌ„bre sayth saint Barnarde I recounted for wisdome In these thynges I set the perfeccion of my iustyce in these stode all my cunnynge knowlege in these I put the ryches of my helth and thaboundaunce of my merites of these somtyme I dranke a draught of holsome bytternes or peynaunce in these agayne I receyued the swete vnction of consolacyon These thynges done strength me also erecte me in aduersityes they represse me and kepe me meke in prosperityes they gyde me and lede me by a sure way in this lyfe where as is nowe sorowe nowe ioye nowe pleasure nowe payne so that Ider nat go out of the ryght way aslonge as I folowe them ¶ Howe we shulde fele Christes passyon in our loue wyll and affeccion The seconde Chapitre SEcondly we shuld fele I sayd the passion of Christ in our wyl desire loue affeccion For this passion which hither to hath ben onely remeÌ„bred in our thoughtes vnderstandynge if we wyl ê“fit it must procede in to our affeccion so that it be nat onely remembred in our thoughtes
body done for god is reputed as a martirdome and therby somwhat we reanswere vnto the passion of our lord Herunto speaketh saynt Barnard sayng this dayly penaūce and affliction of the body is a certayne kynde of very martirdome and effusion of blode it is a litel more gentyl and nat so hugsome as is tormētes and deth by the swerd or other lyke but it is more paynfull for the cōtinuance therof the other is sone done but this lasteth long This is necessarie profitable for vnperfite persons that be weyke in spirite and nat stronge in fayth and therfore dare nat auenture to suffer martyrdome and deth for Christe but they be content to supply it by this martyrdome that is dayly and continuall penaunce whiche by the continuaunce is more paynfull And thus the deuoute persones do fele in them selfe by theyr outwarde penaunce the passyon of our lord As whan by sharp penaunce they subdue theyr bodies ouer come vyce and all sensuall passions and so continue in this crosse of penaunce with Christe ¶ How we shulde fele Christes passion in our pouertie and other necessites The fourth Chapitre FOurthly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our penury pouertie and other necessities so that remēbrynge the passion of Christe we shulde gladly suffer all pouertie and penurie and neuer to desyre that thynge that is pleasaunt to the bodye for the pleasure therof or takyng any thinge more then very necessitie requyreth saynge with holy Iob Donec deficiam non recedam ab innocentia mea As longe as I lyue I shall nat forsake myn innocencie And though we be in a maner consumed and lost thoroughe hunger and penurye so that we may say with the prophet Dauid Defecit in dolore vita mea My lyfe is consumed thorough sorowe my bodye and my herte also And surely this maner of penurie and necessitie nat onely of meate and drynke but also of all thynges that may be delectable to man is accōpted to good men in this lyfe as a kynde of martyrdome By whiche necessityes if we strongly and gladly bere them for god we satisfye partly to our lord for his passion And herunto speketh saynt Barnard saynge Wylfull pouertie is a certen kynde of martyrdome Almyghty god descendyng from thinestimable riches of heuen and cōmynge in to this worlde wolde nat any of these ryches of this world but cam in so great pouertie that anon as he was borne for his credell he was layde in to a crybbe in a vyle stable with out the towne for his mother culde haue no lodgyng in the cytie Of his pouertie also appereth by his answere that he made to one the whiche sayd that he wold folowe hym where so euer he went And our lord answered and sayd Vulpes foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum recli net Foxis haue cauys or dennys and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of the virgine hath no place wherin to hyde or reste his heed In this necessitie was thapostle Paule as it appereth by his wordes saynge I was in many labours ofte in pryson bette and scourged aboue good ordre very ofte in peryll of dethe in perylles of flodes in perylles of theues in perylles of gentyles in daungers within the cytye in great daūgers also in wyldernes and also in the see in perylles of the false Iues. I was also in labour great miserie in great watch in hūger and thrist in moche abstinēce in cold in nakednes These and many mo dyd thapostle suffer And the mo y t we paciently suffer of these or such lyke the more shal we fele the passion of Christ in our self ¶ How we shuld fele Christes passion in our rebukes and dispisynges The .v. Chap FYftly we ought to fele the passion of Christ in our rebukes and reproues that is with most profoūd mekenes we shulde vtterly dispyse our selfe and thynke our selfe the warst of all other sayng euer in our hertes with mournynge I am gyltye of Christes deth for I am the cause of his deth He suffered for me and I in no thynge reanswere to his benefytes And therfore it is conuenient that we somwhat recompense with a contrite and meke spirite that whiche we can nat or do nat in our warkes or dedes outwarde that as Christe dyd meke hym selfe for vs vnto the deth yea to the most vyle and shamfull deth of the crosse so we shulde meke our selfe as gyltie and culpable for his deth These maner of wayes we shulde fele that Christe suffred for vs for these maner of wayes we were in hym Fyrste we were in his vnderstandyng eternally before the begynnynge of the worlde and so in his mynde that he wyll neuer forget vs. And therfore he sayth by his prophete Esaye Nunquid potest obliuisci mater infantem suum vt non misereatur filio vteri sui Et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui May a naturall mother sayth our lorde by the prophet forget her yonge chylde borne of her owne body and so forget hym that she wyl nat haue any pitie of hym as he myght say Nay And though it so be that she forget hym yet I assure the I wyl neuer forget the. Secondly we were in Christe nat onely in his vnderstandynge or mynde but also in his affection and loue And this appereth wel by his owne wordes spoken by the prophet Hieremy where as he sayth thus In charitate perpetua dilexi te ideo attraxi te miserans tui I haue sayth our lorde loued the in a perpetual charitie and therfore hauyng great compassion on the I haue drawen the to me Thyrdly we were in hym that is in theffecte of his werkes for all that god wrought in this worlde was to the helpe of man And what so euer Christe dyd or suffered in this world was nat for his owne profit but all was for the comforth of man And herunto saynt Barnarde after that he had recoūted or noumbred all the labours and paynes that Christe suffered in this lyfe sayde Who is he that knoweth whether the fruite and profyt of all these labours and paynes redounde or come to my profyt or nat And he answereth and sayth It is all done and gyuen to my profit and comforth For it coulde be gyuen to none other Nat to aungell for he had no nede therof Nat to the deuyll for he myght take no profit therof for he shall neuer ryse from dampnation Also our sauiour toke nat of hym the nature and similitude of aungell nor yet the similitude of the deuyl but he toke the nature of man and that to redeme man Fourthly we were in Christe that is in his pouertie and penurie for all the payne pouertie and miserie that he suffred was for vs. And herunto speaketh saynt Paule sayng Christus cum diues esset factus est
and also to loue them with hert and continually that doth suche wronges vnto vs and to do good to them whiche all our sauiour Christe fulfylled here in this lyfe leauynge example vnto vs to folowe his steppes whiche steppes and examples the more narowe and paynfull or strayt they be in this lyfe the more they shal be ampliate coÌ„fortable ioyful in this lyfe to come And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth In tribulatione dilatasti mihi In tyme of tribulation thou hast opened and spred abrode to me thy consolations and comfortes And therfore the holy seruauntes of god whan they perceyue them selfe to abounde in the prosperities of this worlde then they be very ferefull suspectynge leste that they shuld receyue here in this lyfe the frute and reward of theyr labours fearyng leste that the iustice of god shulde se in them any priuy or lorkynge wounde of synne For the whiche of the ryghtuousnes of god they ought to be dampned And therfore he rewardynge theyr good dedes here in this lyfe with temporall pleasures wyl expel them from y e true inward eternal pleasures ¶ How we may coÌ„sidre the passion of Christ with a mynde to haue compassion therof The .ii.. Chaptre SEcondly we shulde considre the passion of our lord to haue compassion therof that is to say we shulde ofte remeÌ„bre in our hertes his beatynges and woundes mockes and rebukes and euery ymaginyng in ourself what deiection coÌ„tempt sorowe and affliction he suffred in his herte and in his bodye as we sayd before O how then the swetnes and pleasure of aungelles Iesus Christ was replenisshed with great bitternes and sorowe of payne O howe moche that payne dyd greue hym but moche more our vnkyndnes And aboue al dyd greue hym the trouble and affliction of his mother whom he so teÌ„derly dyd loue and agayn was so derely loued of her that for compassion of his payn and dethe she was in a maner as deed or semed to dye In remeÌ„braunce herof we haue great matter and cause to wepe for our synnes were the cause of his passion and deth and also of her compassion and great dolore or heuynes Wherfore to haue coÌ„passion of Christes passion let vs depely and inwardly coÌ„sidre that we were the occasyon of the deth of the onely sone of god we were false tratours vnto hym and so deserued deth but he of his inestimable charitie wolde suffer that shamful deth to deliuer vs from eternall dethe Let this charite his scourginges wouÌ„des mockes rebukes and deth perse the inward depnes of our hert let there be nothynge in vs but that it be anoynted with this coÌ„passion and also be wrapped with sorowe and heuynes for that deth and so we shuld dayly mourne as the louing mother mourneth the deth of her onely and teÌ„derly belouyd sone O how moch ought we to loue hym and to be kynd to hym which suffred so shamful a deth for our redeÌ„ption Therfore let vs studye and labour in all that we may to be associate and ioyned to hym with a most feruent loue For the more feruently we loue hym the more shall we haue compassion of his passion and so this feruent loue and compassion shall so moche encrease to gether and be augmented that they shall brynge vs to the perfection of loue and to the fruition of our louer Wherfore let vs be sory with hym trustynge verely and that without any doubte that if we be founde here to be partakers of his sorowe in sorowynge for his deth and passion we shal be made his felowes and companyons or partakers of his ioy and consolation For surely he that wolde nat hyde his resurrection from Marie Magdalene that with sorowe sought hym he wyll nat denye his glorie to vs that religiously and deuoutly do mourne with hym for his passion And therfore saynt Paule sayth Si tamen compatimur vt et simul glorificemur If we here suffer with Christe we shal be glorified with Christe Also our sauiour Christ saith Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum Blessyd be they that suffer persecution for iustice that is for Christe for they shall haue the kyngdome of heuen And contrarie wyse saynt Austen sayth If thou be excepte from passion and payne that is if thou suffer nat here some payne thou shal be exempte from the nombre of the chylderne of god For as saynt Paule sayth Quem dominus diligit corrigit castigat flagellat autem â—â—ominem filium quem recipit Whom our lorde loueth hym he doth chastyse he correcth euery one of them whom he receyueth to his mercy and fauoure Therfore if ye be nat vnder correction as all the chyldern of god be ye be nat the childerne of god but of the deuyll Hereby ye may perceyue that good lyfe doth nat stand principally in good fare or wel liuynge but rather in paciently sufferyng wronges for Christe though it be a comen prouerbe that he liueth well that feadeth well Sed mentita est iniquitas sibi but carnall men speke carnally and so deceyue them selfe with lyes for as Gerson sayth the more that sensual nature is oppressed and ouercome for god the more grace we receyue our inward man is dayly reformed vnto thimage of god with newe visitations of grace And therfore I may say that man is conformed vnit and incorporate to god by werynge that moste noble and precious garment of payne and passion whiche our sauiour Iesus lorde and maker of all creatures dyd were and suffer in his owne bodye in this lyfe Hereunto sayth saynt Gregore The torment and payne that our lorde suffered gloryfyeth hym bothe inwardelye and outwardelye In vs also it compelleth hym to come to grace that wolde nat come It teacheth and enformeth the ignorant it kepeth vertue it defendeth from sekenes of synne it quyckeneth the dull person it meketh the proude persone it crowneth and rewardeth thinnocent and it stirreth or moueth man to suffer gladly dethe wherby he may come to euerlastynge lyfe Prayses and thankes be to god the father whiche hath gyuen vnto vs the victorie thorowe the deth and passion of his sonne Iesu Christe Amen ¶ Howe we may consydre the passion of Christ with a mynde to meruayl therof The .iii. Chap THyrdly we shulde considre the passion of Christe to meruayl therof It is a wonderous thyng to consydre who suffered what he suffered and for whome he suffered Fyrst I say it is a meruaylous thynge to consydre who suffered It was the sonne of god theternall and onely sonne of god very god and man all good all myghty all wyse the kynge of glorie And what dyd he suffer to be layd and to abyde as an infirme and frayle chylde .ix. monethes in his mothers wombe to be poorly borne to be chased and dryuen in to a straunge couÌ„tre he sufferd hongre thrist heat colde penurie pouertie tempestes stormes persecutions lyenge in
and to the signe of the crosse of the whiche the deuyll is afrayd and by it he is chased away lyke as the dogge is afrayd and fleith away whan he seith a staffe lyfted vp And no meruayll for thorowe the vertue of the passion of Christe the whiche he suffered on the crosse the deuyll was smyten downe and ouercome Herunto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge A voce domini pauebit Assur virga percussus Assur smyten with the rodde of god shall feare the voyce of god Assure is asmoche to say by interpretation as Negotiator a marchaunt that laboureth in many places or labours and it signifieth the deuyll the whiche laboryng and ronnynge about the worlde searcheth whome he myght deuoure he is neuer idle but for as moche as he was ons smyten with the rodde of the crosse in the passion of Christe Therfore he is greatly afrayd whan so euer he seeth the signe of the crosse made of that persone that faythfully calleth on the father on the sonne and on the holy gost saynge In nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti Moreouer lyke as a knyght or any other valiant man ouercome in battel wolde be ashamed to abyde in that chambre or place where as his falle or vaynquesshynge were paynted so the deuyll ouercome thorowe the passion of Christe wyll in no meanys abyde in that soule where as he seeth the passion of Christe lyuely paynted by diligent remembraunce therof ¶ The .v. profit Erroneorum reuocat pusilla nimitatem THe meditation of the passion of Christe doth call agayne those that bene in erroure For Christe hath made a caller or a lewer of his owne bodye dyed made reed with his owne precious blode to call agayne his hawkes the whiche hath flowen away from the hande of the noble man that is the soule of them that haue forsaken Christe by synne or erroure Of whom the prophet Osee sayth Effraim quasi auis auolauit Effraim hath taken his flyght lyke vnto a wylde hawke Effraim is asmoche to say by interpretation as fat or encreased and it signifieth those persons that be encreased and made fatte in worldly and carnall pleasures or in folowynge of theyr owne frowarde wylles and sensuall reasons Suche persons haue taken theyr flyght from the loue of god and if they wyll nat retourne and come agayne to the voyce of the caller or preacher or at the shewynge of his lewer that is at the remembraunce of the passion of Christe he wyll dimysse them leaue them to the rauynous faucououre of hell to the deuyll It is wryten by the prophete Hyeremye that our lorde sayth thus Reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te Thoughe thou haste done neuer so many synnes or folowed all hereses yet retourne to me and I shall receyue the. Also our lorde saythe by the prophete Esay Reuertere ad me ê™ redemi te Retourne to me thou synner or erroneous persone for I haue redemed the and bought the agayne with my precious blode and passion Take hede vnto this callynge and obey therunto for I assure you it is moche perilous and daungerous to withstand it And it apereth wel by the wordes of our lorde spoken by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non erat qui aspiceret ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo I haue called you and ye refused to come to me I haue extendyd my hand with greate gyftes and benefites I haue shewed vnto you my lewer shed my precious blode for you and ye wolde nat regarde these thyngê and therfore I shal be glad ioyful of your ê‘dicion ¶ The .vi. profit Flagiciorum dibilitat pronitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth enfeble make weyke and subdue our pronitie and redynes vnto vice And therfore saynt Austen sayth Whan so euer my foule cogitation doth moue me then I ruÌ„ne to the woundes of Christ Whan the flesshe or the sensualytie therof doth oppresse me I ryse agayne thoroughe the remembraunce of the woundes of my lorde god If the fyer of carnal coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce enflame my meÌ„bres it is quenchyd by the remembraunce of the sonne of god Also Origene sayth Suche is the vertue of the crosse that if it be in the syght of man and faythfully holden and kepte in his herte so that feruently and deuoutly that man beholde and remembre the deth and passion of Christe there shall no concupiscence no carnall motion no furie or angre nor any enuy ouercome that persone but sodenly at the presence and syght of that passion all vice and synne shal be chased and dryuen away ¶ The .vii. profit Gaudiorum donat vbertatem IT gyueth vnto man great plentie of spirituall ioy Herevnto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris Ye shall drawe from the profound and depe misterie of the pitie and mercy of god waters that is abundaunce of teares in ioy of deuotion from the wellys and fountayns that is from the woundes of our sauiour Christe the which at one tyme dyd shed furth blode in great abundaunce but now dayly and coÌ„tinually they bryng furth the incessable waters of grace Wherfore the deuout soule restynge in this meditation sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illius quem desideraueram sedi et fructus eius duicis gutturi meo I haue sitten rested me vnder the shadowe of hym whom I desired and his frute is pleasaunt to my mouth and tastynge And therfore Celestine sayth those holy sayntes and seruauntes of god bene dyed in the blode of the most holy that shed his blode for them when they be crucified with Christe crucified that is when they haue compassion of his sorowfull paynes of deth and ioy in his loue and with his ioyfull loue drynkynge his blode and eatynge his flesshe embrasynge or halsynge with great pleasure his crosse and paynfull deth lyekynge and suckyng his woundes entryng in to his most louyng herte that was opened with a spere and naylynge them selfe fast to hym vnseparably with the nayles of true and faythfull loue These persons I say ben dyed colored with the blode of Christ ¶ The .viii. profit Horrorum vitat perpetuitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe oft remembred doth deliuer vs from the paynes of hel And herunto saint Paule sayth Expolians principatus et potestates glosa 〈◊〉 inferni Our sauiour Christ spoilynge the principates and powers of hel of theyr pray that is of Adam Noe Abraham and all other ryghtuous persons brought them to heuen with greate power And therfore who so wyll nat occupy his mynde with the meditation of the passion of Christe it is to be feared of his dampnation For as saynt Gregory sayth The worde of god and specyally of the passion of Christe is the meate and foode of y e soule and as a quasye or seke stomake casteth vp the meat that it receyueth so
iudgementes for he was nat affrayde to do his moost abhominable synnes in the presence sight of god Cum ye all the creatures of god let vs vtterly distroy this person that is holly fully gyueÌ„ to do iniury vnto our lord O thou erthe why doest thou bere vp so wicked a person Thou water why doest y u nat drowne hym Thou ayre why doest y u nat withdraw thy selfe from him Thou fyre why doest thou nat burne hym Thou wylde and rauenous beest why doest thou nat deuoure hym Thou stone why doest thou nat stone hym to dethe O thou hell why doest thou nat swalow vp this moost vnkynde and wretched creature And so furth we might imagin of all the creatures of god and meue them to reuenge the iniury of theyr creatour and maker All this well considered than we shall thynke or saye Alas wretche that I am what shall I do for I haue armed and prouoked agaynst me all thyngê To whom shal I go To whom shall I make my mone I haue done contrary to all thynges I haue contempned and offended my lorde god I haue prouoked his aungels I haue dishonoured his saintes I haue in many wayes displeased my neyghbours And shortly to say the truthe I haue offended all the creatures of god in that that I haue done iniury and contempned god the creatour and maker of them all To whome shal I go for socour that hath made my selfe enemy to god and to all his creatures I know I knowe what I shall do I shall entre into the woundes of my lorde god I shall transfourme my selfe or take vpon me his paynes sorowes and rebukes knowynge for a surety that no creature shall be displeasant or heuy vnto me yf they perceyue that I bere the pryntes of the woundes and sorowes of my lorde Iesu in my soule and body And good brother let vs reduce all these to .iii. poyntes that is to thonour of god to the passion of Christe and to our owne direction and good order that bothe in soule and body Nothynge wyllyng non other desyryng but Iesu Christe and that crucified as saynt Paule sayd Yet in all these thynges so order we our fere that we euer trust in the infinite goodnes of god For his infinite mercy farre excedeth all our malice and iniquity This godly fere is the occasion and begynnynge of humilitie and reuerence of a meruelous ascencion vnto god and of contemplacion For by this feare man is specyally led and brought vnto the superabundaunce of grace wherby he may auoyd all euill and get goodnes and may liue modestly with good maners continently temperatly chastly These .iii. fruites of the holy goost that is modestia that is gentyll behauour in wordes and dedes Continence that is to absteyne from thynges vnlawfull And chastity that is rightely to vse thynges lawfull These thre fruites I say accorde and perteyne to y e gyft of fere Wherfore I may call this fere a Paradise of delites from whence doeth procede abundaunce of all swetenes and pleasure There man is inebriate with a pure swetenes and with a meruelous gladnes he is as it were allienate from hym selfe With an hygh feruent deuocion he slepeth and slumbereth in our lorde And thus to haue the spirite of the fere of god â–ª is to be conuerted into god to do well and with all the desyre and affection of the herte to dispyse all vayn and transitory thynges And therfore to this gyfte of feare correspondeth the fyrst beatitude that is the pouerty of spirite For as saint Austine sayeth The feare of god perteineth to meke men Of the which it is wryten Beati pauperes spiritu Blessed be the pore in spirite that is meke persones For sithe it apperteineth to the feare of god to giue due reuerence vnto god and to be subdued vnto hym that thyng that foloweth of this subiection perteineth to the gyft of feare And in that that a man subdueth hymselfe to god he doeth nat labour to be magnified for any thyng in hym selfe or for that he doeth to any other persone nor yet wyll be magnified therefore but referreth all to god For otherwise he shulde do contrary vnto the perfite subiection vnto god And therfore the prophet Dauid saieth Hii in curribus hii in equis nos autem in nomine domini dei nostri inuocabimus These men do trust or reioice in theyr chariots other reioice in theyr horses But we reioice in y e name of our lorde god And therfore it soloweth y t the gift offere is finally giuen to man for this intent that the holy goost therewith enterynge into the soule shulde giue to vs the vertue of mekenes whiche cureth our wounde of pryde so that the meke person may therby ascende vnto glory of heuyn whiche the proude aungell lost by his pryde And this is it that we sayd before that by the great mekenes and reuerence that our sauiour Iesu had towarde the high maiesty of god the father in his moost blessyd passion men beholdynge remembrynge the same shulde be prouoked vnto lyke mekenes reuerence and honour towardes god accordynge to theyr power as theyr frailtie wolde suffre them that thereby they myght be made apte to repare the order of the thronys ¶ Example of this gyfte of the feare of god The seuenth Chapitre ANd that this gyfte of feare is ofte tymes gyuen vnto suche persones as do feruently remembre the passion of Christe we haue example of the blessed woman of whome we spake before Maria de Ogines It is wryten in the foresayd boke of thistories of Vincent that this blessed woman Marie had the chaste and louynge feare of god and that without doubt thrugh the ofte and feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe as we shewed before And this godly feare was in her herte as an ornamente of her brest or a stomacher wherwith she represseth her hert froÌ„ all vaine thoughtes It was in her mouthe as a brydell to restrayne her tongue This feare of god was in his werke as a pricke or brod to dryue her to labour and kepe her from slouthe and sluggysshnes And in all thynges it was to her as a squyre or rule to order her that she shuld nat excede a due meane This godly fere was in her as a beâ—ome to make clene her herte from all doublenes her mouthe from all falshed and her werkes from all vanitie By the which spirite of feare at length she conceiued so great loue vnto pouertie y t scarcely she wolde kepe or reteyne to her vse those thynges that were very necessary for her And for the loue that she had vnto pouerty she was fully purposed in her mynde to haue departed from her frendes and gone into a straunge cuntrey and there as a vile abiecte person to haue beggyd her lyuynge from dore to dore for goddê sake And for the same purpose she had prepared a
felyng with Christ in hauyng compassion of Christ of his neighbour with Christ Also it hath one sauory knowledge with Christe in duely honouryng god one zele and feruent desyre to the saluacion of mannes soule with Christe and so that soule is in a maner transfourmed into Christ thrugh this gifte of pitie whiche as we sayd before is profitable to all thynges It couetyth thonour of god it expelleth sorowes and troubles from mannes soule it feruently they steth and desyreth the fruite and profite of soules it laboureth that the blood of Christe might take effecte in other persones and it kyndeleth the soule in feruent loue to god and his neighbour Wherefore dere beloued frendes let vs approche hereunto and labour diligently for this gyfte For doubtles this one amonge all other and peraduenture before all other gyftes doeth moost please god I pray you therfore let vs labour to do the wyll and pleasure of god and let vs draw or sucke out of his woundes and syde this gifte of pitie Let vs be all one in our lorde Iesu Christe crucified and let vs requyre se or desyre non other thyng in our neighbour but Iesus Christe crucified So louyng our neighbour that with him we runne at all tymes into the woundes of Christe Nat beholdynge or louynge hym as fayre beautifull stronge or wyse or any other suche lyke vaine and transitory thynges whiche may hinder or withdraw our soule from the loue of god but onely beholdynge and louynge our neighbour as redemyd and bought by the precyouse blood and dethe of our lorde as anointed wasshed with his blood and applied or put to the woundes of Christ by receiuyng the fruit of them Let it nat be sene or thought hard and painefull to vs to suffre great paines or yf nede shulde requyre moost shamefull dethe for our neighbour for whoÌ„ Christ the onely sonne of god suffred moost greuous paynes and the moost shamefull dethe of the crosse Let vs all couet and desire for the profite and helthe of soules all maner of rebukes and dispisynges all afflictions and tourmentes and also to suffre moost vile or shamfull dethe Let euery man be to vs as our owne hert for whom the hert of Christ was perced with a spere Let vs multiply our preachynges and exhortacions good examples prayers fastynges knelynges watche labours also suffre mockes or scornes for the helthe of soules Let this be our office and dayly excercise our glory and ioye and our consolacion euer to offre sum thyng to almighty god for the profite of soules Let nat the ryuer fountaine of teares cease from our iyen for our owne synnes and also for the synnes of other Let vs be content to be saciat and fulfylled with suche wepynges and sorowes in this vale of myserye and teares Let our synnes and also the synnes of our ueighbours hynge euer in our syght nat to iudge or condempne our neighbours but to lament and wepe for them at all tymes nat onely let them be in our syght but also let them entre perce the ynner partes of our hertes Let vs at all tymes and in all places haue our sauyour Christe crucified in our presence Let vs alwayes be feruent and deuout in all honour due to god in the reuerence of holy scrypture and in the loue and compassion of our neyghbours In the whiche thre consysteth the gyfte of pitie This ordre and ascencion in our soule doeth molifie all our hert and sprede it abrood and make it apte to receyue the spyryte of pitie whiche doeth quyet vs set vs in great pleasure and fauour of Christe where as we shall fynde spirituall foode bothe within outwarde that is our moost tendre louer our lorde Iesu Christe the rest or our soules the rewarde of our good dedes that we do thrugh this gyfte of pitie And to this gyfte of pitie doeth corresponde the seconde beatitude Beati mites Blessed the mylde And hereunto saynt Austin sayeth Pitie accordeth and is conuenient vnto mylde persons And as concernynge the fruites of the holy goost these .ii. that is goodnes and benignitie ben directly attributed appropriate vnto this gyfte of pitie but the thyrde y t is called Mansuetudo that is myldenes or geÌ„tilnes perteineth to this gyfte of pitie indyrectly for it taketh away the lettes impedimentes of the actes of pitie And the spirite of pitie is gyuen to man for that his hert shuld be moued kyndled vnto beâ—ignitie so that man vsyng duely this gyfte shuld cum to the same eternall possession heritage y t he wold haue other men cum to And this is it that we sayd before y t by the great compassion pitie mercy y t our sauiour Iesu Christ shewed vpon vs vnto vs on y e crosse we shuld be styred moued kyndled to lyke werkes of pitie accordyng to our power habilitie vnto our neighbour y t thereby we myght be made apt to the restauracion of thorder of archauÌ„gels ¶ Example of this gifte of the spirite of pitie Cha. ix OF this gyfte of pitie we haue example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the sayde boke of the histories of Vincent Where as it is writen that nat only she auoyded all maner of euyll by the gyfte of the feare of god but also by the spyryte of pytye whiche she had withoute doubte by the ofte and feruente remembraunce of the passyon of Christe she was made very feruente and prone or redye to all goodnes She laboured and enforced hyr selfe as farre as hyr power wolde stretche to fulfyll all the werkes of mercy of a great and aboundaunte pytye that was in hyr And aboue all other werkes of pitie she had a feruent desyre to vysyte the sycke and to assyste them in theyr infirmities and also to be present at the deathe and sepulture or buryenge of the ded folkes where she very oft tymes receyued from god great spyrytuall conforte and also thrughe the reuelacion of god knewe many secrete and heuenly mysteryes And this well appered in this history folowynge Vppon a certayne day whan one of the systers of Ogines laboured in the extreme panges of dethe this blessyd woman Maria beynge in hyr celle se in spyryte a great multitude of deuylles about the bed of the sycke syster And as the couent dyd say coÌ„mendacions for the soule of the sayd sycke syster whoÌ„ they thought to haue be ded this holy Mary in a maner forgettynge hyr mylde grauitie sad shamfastnes ran with hast vnto the bed of the sicke systerâ— stryuynge with those wicked spirites nat only dyd resist theÌ„ with hyr feruent prayers but also dyd chase dryue theÌ„ away with hyr mantell or pall as a man wolde chase away the flyes And whan these wycked spyrytes dyd terrybly resyst hyr and alledgyd reasons for them y t this soule shuld perteyn to them than she nat content with theyr importunitie cryed and
euyll kepe our goodnes by pacience and also by fyrme constancye stablenes perseuer and so continue vnto the dethe so at lengthe by our long abydyng receiue therernall rewarde promised vnto vs this I say our lord father omnipotent consideryng dyd open his infinit treasures dyd adourne beautifie his dere beloued doughter Marie no dout for hyr ferueÌ„t continuall remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of Christes passion with the fourth precyouse stone y t is with the gyfte of goostly strengthe so dyd arme hyr agaynst all aduersities or dartes of the enemy that neither she was deiecte cast downe by any trouble or aduersitie nor yet lyfte vp in pryde by any false flatterynge prosperitie One tyme whan she was greuously vexed with the paralisie or palsey in so moche that for great payn she was constreyned to crye knocke vpon hyr brest there was one of hyr familiar frendes a deuout person in a secret place nyghe the whiche herynge and perceyuynge hyr greuouse paynes with great compassion and deuocion prayed for hyr and she by the spiryte of god perceyuyng that by his prayers hyr paynes were minisshed sayd vnto hyr seruynge mayd Go say vnto that man that he cease of his prayers for me for though by his prayers myne infirmitie is releuyd yet thereby I lese the meritâ— that I might haue by pacient sufferauÌ„ce An other tyme whan she was vexed with greuouse paynes or troubles there was one of hyr deuout louers whiche secretly in his hert was very sory and heuy for hyr vexacion and grefe the whiche she knowynge by the reuelacion of god sent hyr mayde vnto hym sayenge Byd hym sorow no more for me For she was more greued or heuy for the sorowes of other persones than of hyr owne infirmities or troubles And nat onely by the spyryte of strengthe she had power to resyste all aduersaryes but also to absteyne for all carnall and wanton desyres This blyssed yonge woman had so subdued dried hyr body betwyxt the two trees of the crosse that is betwyxt the remembraunce of the passion of Christe and beryng hyr own crosse by continuall penaunce that by many yeres byfore hyr dethe she neuer felte the mocions of vnclennes fyrst styrynges in hyr body And thereby she had a greate confydence or boldenes to be in the cumpany of men for she of hyr abundaunt innocency pure simplicitte supposed and thought that all other persones had ben as she was And therefore one tyme whan one of hyr famylyare frendes of a feruente spyrytuall affection that he had to hyr dyd holde hyr faste or wrynge hyr by the hande thoughe for his chaste mynde he thoughte no synne yet as a frayle man thorughe suche touchynge he felte a lytell pleasure sensuall But she nothynge felynge in hyr selfe nor knowynge of his mocions herde a voyce from heuen sayenge in latyn thus Noli me tangere Touche me nat Yet she knew nat what what those wordes ment or signified For our lorde god very mercyfull and benygne hauynge compassion of our frailtie wolde nat rebuke or confounde that man in the presence of that holy woman Yet he wold as a true and faythfull louer kepe the chastitie of his freÌ„de Than the blessed woman sayd to that man I herde a voice sayenge Noli me tangere But what it meaneth I knowe nat And than that man consyderynge the goodnes of god towardes hym made an honest excuse seyng that our lorde wolde nat confounde hym openly and so departed gyuynge thankes to god and kepte hym selfe more warely afterwarde ¶ The gyfte of councell is gyuen to man by the remembraunce of Christes passion The .xiiii. Chapitre BY the feruente and contynuall remembraunce of the passyon of Christe is gyuen to man the spyryte and gyfte of godly councell agaynst our inaduertence and neclygence Whereby in this myserable and daungerouse worlde we may beware of all perylles and dauÌ„gers we may entrepryse and take on hande harde thynges and also do thynges of moost dyffyculty For that persone whiche is crucyfyed with Christe thorughe the feruent meditacion of hys gloryouse passion is styred and rauysshed to do the werkes of supererogacion Whereunto he is nat bounde by the preceptys and commaundementes of god and thereunto he is lyfted vp and louyngely drawen by the spyryte of councell on this maner folowynge Fyrste he remembreth how oure lorde Iesus Christe was obedient to his father and so continued vnto the dethe of the crosse subdued vnto all vilitie subiection derision and manyfolde sorowes and paynes for vs. And in all these onely requyrynge and serchynge his heuenly father honour and glorye and so at last subdued to the most shamefull dethe for our redemptioÌ„ SecoÌ„dly he remeÌ„breth how Christ though he were always pore yet he was most pore whan he â—poiled robbed of all his clothes was put naked vppon the crosse for our synnes And thyrdely he remembreth how he that was moost swete pleasaunt and solace of aungels was replenisshed fylled with all bytternes sorow and payne whan he honge vpon the crosse This very true vynâ—â— our sauiour Iesus Christ was oft tymes cut Fyrst in his incarnacion whan as he was in our nature made of lesse perfection than aungels though by his godly nature he was the creatour maker and glory of aungels and so was in a maner his glory cut from hym with the knyfe or cultre of ignominie for to the fyghte of the worlde he was nat gloryouse but rather he appered vyle and ignominiouse His power was cut with the cultre of derection His pleasure with the knyfe of sorow His rychesse with he knife of pouerty And at last there was cut from hym with the cultre of feare all his frendes and acquaintauÌ„ce so that of all his dere louers there was nat one man to conforte hym in his tribulacions And therefore the prophete sayd in his person Torcular calcaui solus de gentibus non est vir mecum I alone haue trodeÌ„ or laboured in the presse of tribulacion there was nat one man that wolde conforte and helpe me Also the prophete Dauyd sayeth in the person of Christe Improperium expectauit cor meum miseriam et sustinui qui simul contristaretur et non erat et qui consolaretur et non inueni My herte hathe susteyned and suffred rebuke and mysery And I loked yf that any man wolde suffre or be heuy with me and there was none Also I loked yf that any man wolde conforte me I founde non Moreouer he in whom was all treasures of wysdome and knowledge hyd he that was kynge of all kynges and so ryche that he had no nede of any other mannes goodes but of his pleantie gyueth to euery man This wyse and ryche emperoure I say was made so pore that there myght none be founde more pore No nat amonges the foxes of the erthe ne yet amonges the byrdes of the ayre And therfore he sayeth of hym selfe Vulpes
foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet The foxes haue theyr caues or dennes the byrdes of the ayre haue theyr nestys but the son of a vyrgyn hath nat where to hyde or laye his hede He was pore in his natiuitie or byrthe Porer in his lyfe or processe of his lyfe And moost pore vpon the crosse at his deth At his byrthe he was fedde with the vyrgyns mylke and lapped in vyle or pore clothes In the processe of his lyfe he had pore clothynge But oft tymes he wanted meat drynke for his necessary sustenaunce But at his dethe thou shalt fynde hym naked and in extreme thyrste or dryenes excepte thou say that he had vynegre myxte with bytter myrre and gall to quenche his thyrste These thynges well consydered the soule of the person beholdynge and depely remembrynge them is shortely and easely persuaded and moued to folow our sauiour Iesu in lyke thynges so that he may now gladly withdraw him selfe from all worldly honours and desyres of the same from all possession of temporall goodes from all corporall consolacion and pleasure desyrynge with his lorde god all vylenes abiection and derision and to suffre payn in all his hole body that thereby he myght in sum thynge be made conformable to his lord god and so do to hym sum thankfull seruice His appetite and desyre is nat now to please men but rather for the loue and honour of his lorde god to be mocked scorned despised and to be rather hated of them than honoured And therefore all vayne prayse and laudes gyuen to hym ben abhominacion as stynkynge caryon vnto hym for he onely requyreth and desyreth the laudes and prayses of god Vnto that is all his study labour payne That he desyreth with an vnsaciable thyrst In all thynges he onely desyreth thonour of god Nothynge lokynge to hym â—elfe nor regardynge any thynge perteynynge to hym selfe ne yet wyll be bounde to do any thyng but all to gyder with hert and mynde lokynge vnto heuen where as is moost his pleasure And also he desyreth that by his rebukes his lorde god myght be honoured greatly and continually desyrynge thrughe this gyfte of councell bothe to be pore and also despysed and abiecte for the loue of god for as muche as he perceiued bothe these to be in his lorde god crucified And truely he wolde now and euer be naked with Christe vpon the crosse beynge very heuy or sory y t he shuld haue any thynge that myght helpe the pore or els that perteyneth to thonour of god Therfore he forsakynge all superfluitie vseth as few thynges as his necessitie wyll suffre hym so that his pleasure is moche more set to despyse and cast awaye rychesse than to get or multyply it And to speke of corporall delectacions consolacions and pleasures we may truely say that from al these and also from all other consolacion that is nat in god of god or for god he vtterly refuseth them as moche as it is possyble for hym euer askynge and desyrynge to be saciate and fulfylled with bytternes sorow and payne or affliction with his lorde and mayster Christe Wherfore what so euer he perceyued to be pleasaunt vnto his bodye or yet vnto his herte by the whiche he may nat be made conformable vnto the moost blessed woundes and passion of Christe that thynge he abhorreth withdrawynge hym selfe from all thynges thrugh this gyfte of councell wherein he seeth any peryll or daunger lyke to cum to hym And therfore he doeth all thynges with greate deliberacion And also thrughe the sayde gyfte of couÌ„cell he applyeth hym selfe to do all tho thynges wherby thonour of god y e charitie of his neighbour the helth of soules may be in any thynge encreased And for these causes he is ofte tymes solitarie depely considerynge the passion of Christe therin lerchynge the hygh honours of god theternall ryches and heuenly pleasures that the deuout soule therin restynge may haue great ioye Also thereby the bytter soule for the compassion of Christes passion is made swete and pleasaunte And the mynde eleuate and lyfted aboue it selfe is made dronken or is drowned in loue And â—o the soule full of pleasure and lenyng vpon hyr dere beloued restyth hoolly in hyr lorde god And this is it that we sayd before how thrugh the spyryte of councell we auoide all perylles and dauÌ„gers make our selfes sure in the holes of the stone that is in the woundes of Christe to entrepryse great herde and paynefull thynges and also to excercyse the werkes of supererogacioÌ„ as is to loue our enemies and to forgiue them for Christe to gyue all our goodes to pore people for the loue of Christe to the which werkes don by the spiryte of couÌ„cell correspondeth the fyfte beatitude of the whiche Christe sayeth Beati misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur Blessed be y e mercyfull for they shall haue mercy For as saynt Austyn sayeth Councell is accordynge to mercyfull persones for there is but one remedy or meane to be delyuered from all the perylles of this worlde and that is this to forgyue and to gyue Councell is properly and specially to be taken of these thynges that be to cum and that be profytable vnto our ende that is to do the werkes of mercy whiche moost of all corresponde or accorde to the gyfte of councell And therefore saynte Paule sayeth Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Pytye and mercye is profytable to all thynges And thus ye may perceyue that the beatitude of mercye correspondeth to the gyfte of councell Nat that this gyfte of councell doeth produce and brynge furthe the werkes of mercye as his effecte and operacion but that it dyrecteth and orderyth the doer and werker For the spyryte of councell is specially gyuen to man to that intent that he shulde lerne therby to forgyue freely and gladly and also to shew mercy vnto those persons that haue offeÌ„dyd agaynst hym knowynge that yf he so do he shall fynde lyke mercy in our lorde in forgyuynge his synnes done agaynst god as our lorde sayeth in the gospell And this is it that we spake before that men consyderyng and beholdynge the vnspekeable pitie mercy of our lorde that he shewed whan he prayed for them that put him to dethe shulde be moued and styrred to lyke pitie and mercy so made apte to the restauracion of the order of aungelles called vertues O sayeth the prophete Dauid in the persone of Christe Calix-meus inebrians quam peclarus est That is as the glose of saynte Austyn sayeth the cuppe of the blood of our lorde whiche inebritynge the mynde and makynge it dronken in god doeth so cure and heale it that it maketh it forget all vayne delectacion pleasure This dronkennes maketh men sobre This fulnes and plenteousnes maketh men empty and voyde of euyll maners and vyces And therfore the
me I consentynge to y t praise do sell betray Christe for a lytle vayne glory or prayse In lyke maner a man gyuynge to me money or any other thynge so mouyng me to mortall synne he wolde take Christe from me And I consentynge to the same do betray sell Christe And yet neither he by his byenge may reteyne and kepe Christe neither I with my sellynge may kepe Christe with my selfe nor with the byer And so neither Iudas nor the Iues had Christe to theyr saluacion but by that bargayne he was purchased and gotten to vs christians that truely serue Christe Many people in the remembraūce of this sellyng that was made on the wednisday do fast or absteyn frō flesshe for the loue of Christe ¶ Two doctrynes or holsom lessons THe fyrst lesson is that we shulde be well ware that we neuer commytt so abhomynable syn that is to sell our lorde as to bere false wytnes for rewardes or gyftes or in iudgement to denye the truthe that is to selle Christe whiche is verye Iustice and truthe And generally to speke that we neuer sell spirituall thynges for temporall lucre The seconde doctrine is that we paciently suffre to be solde dispised and set at nought for the loue and laude of god sayenge with the prophete Quoniam propter te sustinui obprobrium I haue suffered borne rebuke for the good lorde In consyderynge this article let a man remembre his owne vylenes and whether he hathe solde Christe omyttynge or brekyng his commaundementes for any temporall thynge or vayne loue Remembre also how that whan he hath solde Christe he hathe recouered and gotten hym agayne freely of the mere goodnes of god Remembre furthermore y t Christe is yet to be boughte and that is with charitie or good werkes Therfore bye thou hym with almes And yf thou haue no money or goodes to gyue gyue to hym than thy hert for y t is the thynge whiche he loueth and desyreth aboue all the thynges in the world and therfore he sayeth by the wyse man Fili prebe mihi cor tuum Son gyue to me thy hert and yf thou loue me I wyll loue the. And than pray thus as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche woldest be set at nought and solde of one of thy disciples for a vyle pryce graunte to me that I neuer chaunge the my god and creatour for any transitory thynges and also that I may paciently bere al rebukes and dispisynges for the glory of thy holy name Amen ¶ Of the betrayenge of our lorde The .iiii. article THe .iiii. article is of the treason of Iudas how trayterously he betrayed our lorde Whan the vendition or sellyng was consumate and put in effect In the mean tyme our lorde beynge in his prayers and than thryse cummynge to his disciples at the last tyme he said to them Surgite eamus ecce appropinquauit qui me tradet Arise go we he that shall betray me is nigh at hande In these fewe wordes our lord doeth fyrst enfourme vs to spede vs to spirituall battell or temptacion in this worde aryse Secondly he moueth vs to profyte in good werkes in this worde go we Thyrdely in the other wordes folowynge he moueth vs to awayte at all tymes and houres for temptacion for our enemies be euer redye to tempte vs. It foloweth in the gospell Et adhuc eo loquente Ecce Iudas vnus de duodecim cum accepisset cohortem venit c. Our sauyour Christe yet spekynge to his disciples Loo Iudas one of the .xii. apostles of Christ after that he had taken his money and a great cumpany of souldiers to the numbre of fyue hundreth as Papias sayeth he cam with hym a great numbre of people with lanternes and burnynge brondes with armour swerdes battes and clubbes sent from the prynces of the prestes and pharisies from the scrybes and the seignours of the people Wherof saint Austin sayeth What shulde suche a great people do to seche one person What shulde tho armed men do to seche one man without armour or weapon What shulde they seche hym in the nyghte that was dayly teachynge and that openly in theyr temple This acte was fygured in the fyrst boke of the kynges where as Saule toke thre thousande armed men to seche for Dauyd And note here as maister Lira sayeth that Iudas dyd arme and defende hym selfe fyrst with a great cumpany stronge and of auctoritie and that was agaynste the multitude of the comon people that they shulde nat let hym in his purpose Secondly he cam with great lyghtes that Christe shulde nat escape from hym in the darkenes of the nyght And thyrdly he defendyd hym selfe with armour that yf any body wolde resyst theym they wolde defende them selfe also put the other people a backe And Iudas that promysed to betraye Christe gaue to his cumpany a pryuy token or sygne sayenge Quemcumque osculatus fuero ipse est tenete eum et ducite caute Whom so euer I kisse that same is Christe This he spake that they shuld nat take Iames the lesse for Christe for he was very lyke in face vnto Christe And furthermore Iudas sayd whom I kysse holde hym and lede hym warely For sum of theym thoughte that he wroughte by nygromancie or wytchecrafte For they sayd an other tyme of hym that he caste oute deuylles in the power of Beelzebub the prynce of the deuylles It foloweth in the gospell of saynte Iohn̄ Sciens Iesus omnia que ventura erant super eum processit Iesus knowynge all thynges and aduentures that shulde cum vnto hym wente towardes theym and met with theym that all men myght know that he was taken voluntarilie with his owne wyll And anon Iudas approchynge towardes hym sayde Aue rabi Hayle mayster Et appropinquauit vt oscularetur eum Iudas drewe nygh to the intente that he myght kysse Christe and so he dyd In this poynt there be thre thynges expressed that made this betrayenge moche paynefull or sorowfull vnto Christe One is that it was done by one of his owne disciples The seconde is that he so falsely and trayterousely betrayed Christe with the sygne or token of peace and kysse of loue or frendeshyppe Of the whiche saynt Ambrose sayeth O Iudas thou woundest thy mayster lorde with the token or pledge of loue and thou bryngest hym to dethe with the kysse of familiaritie and frendeshyppe The thyrde was nat lesse paynefull that the false traytoure with his stynkynge mouthe durst touche or kysse that mooste louely and mellifluouse mouthe of Christe the eterne sonne of god If it be paynefull to a man to kysse the mouthe of hym that hathe a stynkynge brethe how moche more was it than paynefull to oure fauyour Christe to take a kysse of that mooste synfull and stynkynge mouthe of Iudas whose herte was replenysshed with the deuyll and all wyckednes And than Iesus sayde vnto hym
Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis ▪ Iudas wylte thou betraye the sonne of a vyrgyn thy mayster vnto the dethe with a kysse or token of peace All traytours vnto truthe feynynge the truthe do vse this same token of frendeshyppe a kysse Also Christe sayde vnto Iudas Amice ad quid venisti Frende for what intente cummest thou He called Iudas frende onely to rebuke hym for his false dissimulacion I do nat remembre that this worde Amice in the vocatyfe case that is O frende is spoken to any one good persone but to euyll persones it is dyuerse and many tymes spoken As is sayde in the gospell of saynte Mathew Amice quomodo huc intrasti c. O frende how dyddest thou entre vnto this feaste nat hauynge a conuenient garment And also in an other place is sayde thus Amice non facso tibi iniuriam O frende I do vnto the non iniurie or wronge And here now at this tyme. O frende wherefore cummest thou As he myghte say Thou kyssest me to the ende to betraye me vnto the dethe To gyue a kysse it is a sygne or token of a frende but thou cummest nat therefore ne to that intente And nat withstandynge that thou haste done cruelly and trayterously agaynste me yet retourne to me and I shall gladly receyue the as a frende to the. And so wolde Christe haue don after all doctours yf he had retourned and bene sorye for his synne and wretchydnes But he was so indurate and so obstinate of herte that none of all these thynges coulde call or reuoke hym agayne or make hym to leue his false and trayterouse purpose and so he kyssed hym A fygure herof we haue in y e seconde boke of kynges Where as y e the false traytoure Ioab toke his cosyn Anasa by the chynne kyssynge hym and sayenge Salue mi frater Haile my brother and so slew hym with that worde Our lorde called Iudas by his propre name to the intent to prouoke hym to grace and nat to myschief but he wolde nat receyue grace O thou innocent lambe Iesu what doest thou in cumpany with that wolfe Iudas that wyll deuoure the. Morally Iudas betokeneth the worlde whiche doeth smyle or laugh vpon vs whan he gyueth to vs ryches at our pleasure Than he kisseth vs whan he gyueth to vs solace and worldly pleasure But than doeth he halse vs whan he gyueth to vs honours and dignities And in all these he deceiueth vs and betrayeth vs into eternall dethe As witnesseth Iob sayenge Ducunt in bonis dies suos et in pūcto ad inferna descēdunt These worldly people lede theyr lyfe here in pleasure and in an instant they descende downe to hell ¶ Here foloweth two lessons THe fyrst lesson Who so euer fayneth to loue his neighbour and secretly worketh euyll agaynst hym he betrayeth his neighboure Whiche false dissimulacion our lorde taketh as done to hym selfe for so he sayeth What so euer ye do to one of my leest seruauntes I take it as done to my selfe The seconde is that we shulde nat hate our aduersaries but louyngly and charitably correcte theym as Christe dyd Iudas ¶ A Prayer O Iesu that suffered thy selfe to be betrayed by a kysse of Iudas graunt to me that I neuer betray the in my selfe nor in my neighbour And also that I neuer deny to myne aduersaries thoffice of loue that is charitie to loue them and to correct them with charitie Amen ¶ Of the takynge of Christe The .v. article THe .v. article is the takyng of Christe Which was done in this maner What tyme the wycked Iudas had kyssed our lorde Iesus knowynge what shuld cum vppon hym self went vnto the cumpanye of the souldiers of the Iues that cam with Iudas sayd vnto them Quem queritis c. Whom seche you And they sayd Iesus of Nazareth And Iesus sayd to thē I am At whiche worde they went backewarde and so fell vnto the grounde backewarde And here note that they that fall backewarde do nat se where they fall Signifienge thereby that they fall from grace into synne from god vnto the deuyll from heuym into hell And here also saynte Austyn sayeth Yf he that cam to be iudged caste his aduersaries downe with one worde what shall he do whan he shall cum to iudge all the worlde Yf he dyd thus whan he came to dye what shall he doo to his enemies whan he shall cum with great power maiestie to reigne in glory for euer Surely he shall than cast his enemies backeward into euerlastynge paynes with this terryble worde Go ye cursed in to euerlastynge fyre And whan his aduersaries the Iues were rysen agayne Iesus sayd agayne vnto them whom seche you whom wolde ye haue And they aunswered Iesus of Nazareth Here was a meruelouse thynge they knewe hym nat nor yet his owne disciple Iudas whiche cam to betray hym And this is as great a signe or token that may be that he was nat taken but at his owne wyll and therefore he gaue theym licence to take hym whā he sayd Si ergo me queritis sinite hos abire Yf ye seche me or wolde haue me suffre these that be with me to departe without hurte or trouble Our lord was diligent to helpe his disciples that they shulde nat be taken that his wordes whiche he sayd the same nyght after supper shuld be true that is Quos dedisti mihi non perdidi ex eis quemquam Father I haue nat lost any of them whom thou haste gyuen to me And so his disciples escaped thrugh the goodnes and power of Christe that afterwarde by them myght be shewed the worde of helth the gospell of Christe thrughout the hole worlde The disciples of Christe seynge and perceyuyng what was lyke to cum to theyr maister Christe sayd vnto Christe Domine si percutimus gladio Maister shall we smyte with the swerde Petre beynge hasty and nat abydynge the aunswere of our lorde drew out his swerde and smote at one of the bysshop seruauntes called Malchus and cut of his ryghte eare To signifie as Origene sayeth that thoughe it be sene or thought that they here the law of god that is onely with the lefte eare for they onely here the shadow and the lettre of the law and nat the truthe and misterie therof Also Petre that cut of this right eare may signifie to vs the faithfull people of the gentiles the whiche in that that they beleuyd in Christe were the cause by occasion that the ryght herynge of the Iues was cut away But yet that same ryght eare was restored agayne by the goodnes of god vnto those Iues that beleuyd in Christe and therefore he touched the eare of that seruant and cured hym shewynge there in dede that whiche he taught before sayenge Bene facite his qui oderunt vos Do good to them that hate you And this he dyd as well for
malycyous Iues. Alas we wretches what shall we do leauynge so gracyouse a father we forsake all our goodes and folowe the and nowe we perceyue for a suerty that we shal be pryued of thy presence and wante thy confortable wordes and dedes for we be assured nowe that the Pharyseys wyll sley the. O howe ofte suppose you dyd they looke backe towardes theyr moost mercyfull mayster seynge and beholdyng with bytter sorowe theyr lorde so cruelly ledde of the malicyouse Iues as we shall declare in the next article ¶ Here foloweth .vi. causes of the fleyng or departynge of Christes disciples OF these disciples the prophet speaketh in the person of our lorde sayenge Dispersa sunt omnia ossa mea All my boones are disperpled or deuyded that is all my apostles whiche as bonys in a mannes bodye shulde haue ben most stronge and yet they are fled and fallen And that for .vi. causes The fyrst cause was that the doctrine of Christe god and man was forgoten then of them and therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Factum est cor meum tanquam cera liquescens so medio ventris mei My herte is made as wax meltynge in the mydle of my body that is My doctrine is vanysshed throughe the heete and fyer of my passyon and that in the myddle of my bely that is in my apostles that be moost nyghe vnto me The seconde cause was the ceasynge of myracles Of the whiche also it folowethe in the forsayde .xxi. psalme Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea My vertue and power is as drye as a shell And that was bycause he suffred hym selfe to be taken and so put to most cruell and shamefull deathe and wolde nat helpe hym selfe and shewe his power as he had done dyuerse tymes before But nowe he wold nat so do therfore his power of in shewynge of myracles semed to be consumed and dryed by the heete and fyere of hys passyon and hereunto speakethe the prophet saynge Ibi abscondita est fortitudo eius There was hyd his power or strength that is in his crosse or passyon And note that the sayde not his power was lost but his strength was hyd in his passyon as we shall declare in the thyrde parte of this treatyse in the .iiii. fruyte The thyrde cause was the silence of Christe for at his passyon he wolde nat speke for hym selfe Therfore saith the prophet Adhesit lingua mea faucibus meis My tong cleuyd faste to my iawes or chekes for he wolde nat speake to his owne excuse and therfore the prophet Esay long before this tyme sayd of hym Quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutescet et non ape riet os suum He shal be as domme as a lambe whan he is shorne and he shall nat open his mouthe And this prophycie was verifyed in Christe as it is playnly wryten in the gospell Et non respondit eâ— ad vllum verbum ita vt miraretur preses Christe answered nat one worde vnto Pylate whiche meruayled moche therof The .iiii. cause was that they were in a maner sure of the deth of Christ but they were in a dispeyre or mistrust of his resurrectioÌ„ And therfore the ê“phet Dauid saith in y e person of Christ Et in puluerem mortis deduxisti me Thou hast brought me in to asshes or in to the dust of deth And this he spake after the opinyon of the Iues. As it appereth in an other psalme Estimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum I am estemed and accompted by the Iues with them that descende in to the lake and pytte of eternall perdition and neuer to retourne agayne The .v. cause was the crueltie of the Iues and therfore the prophet saythe in the persone of Christe Circumdederunt me canes multi Many dogges haue compassed me that is the Iues barkynge and bytynge by detraction as dogges The .vi. cause was the congregation of euyll persones and therfore it foloweth in the psalme Consilium malignantium obfedit me The congregation and counsayle of euyll persones haue obsessed and beseaged me and that very obstinately and fro wardely vnto my deathe Of this compeigney and counsayle speaketh the prophet Dauid in an other psalme sayenge Astiterunt reges terre et principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius Rewlers of the worlde and princes ben cume to gyther in counsayle agaynste our lorde and agaynst his sonne Christe And for these causes the apostles flodde and forsoke our lorde Whereat wonderynge and meruaylynge the prophet Hieremy saythe Quomodo disper si sunt lapides fanctuarij Howe is this that the holy stoones ben disperpled that is the apostles of Christ whiche shulde haue ben as holy stones strong stable firme in the faith loue of Christe but they fled Percutiam pasto rem et dispergentur oues gregis I shall smyte or take the herdeman and the shepe of the flocke shal be disperpled abrode Here folowethe .ii. lessons THe fyrste lesson is that we shulde be well ware that we neuer flye from Christe He flyeth from Christe that for any feare of man or by the temptation of the deule or by any passyon or corrupte affection forsaketh the truthe or iustice for Christe is truth and also iustice And generally in euery mortal or deedly synne a man flieth from god The seconde lesson is this that thoughe these persones that seame to be our frendes or neyghbours and louers flye from vs in the tyme of our aduersytie and necessitye yet lette vs beare it patiently remembrynge that the apostles fled from our sauyour Christe in his aduersitie and trouble ¶ A prayer O Iesu that dyd suffre all thyne electe and chosen disciples to flye from the receyue thou me thy fugitiue seruaunt for thy greate vertue and omnipotent power And suffre me nat to wandre from the thorughe the libertie of my frowarde wiâ—â— Amen ¶ Of the leadynge of Christe The .viii. article THe .viii. article is of his leadynge For after that they had taken and bounde hym and after that his disciples fledde the Iues led Christ towardes the house of Annas As it is in the gospell of IohnÌ„ And this ledynge was moche laborouse and paynefull to Christe Also it was rebukefull and violent It was violent for he was led with a great cumpanye of armed men and theyr captayne with them It was also rebukefull to Christe for he was led with his handes bounde as a thefe or an euyll persone And so the Iues sayde to Pilate Yf this persone that is Christe were nat a malifactour or an euyll doer a myslyuer we wolde nat haue delyuered hym to thy handes and power This ledynge was also laborouse paynfull and sorowfull to hym And that bothe to the herte inwardely and also to the bodye outwardely Fyrste it was sorowfull inwardely For where euer herde you of any man that wolde nat be heuy in hert and
a woman was the first mouer of man vnto synne so a woman compelled the first prynce and prelate of Christes churche to denye Christe openly so that by this exemple the infirmite of Petre myght more clerely appere to hym selfe And this is it that we sayde in the .ix. article that Christ suffred in the house of Annas the denyeng of Petre which was shamefull to Petre and moche paynfull to Christe and that for .vi. causes Fyrste for the multitude of people that were then present for he denyed Christe in the bysshopes palace where as was at that tyme moche people gathered and therfore this synne was moche more greuous than if it had ben done in a pryuate and secrete place Secondly it was the more shamefull to Petre for his slaknes in folowynge Christe for he folowed a farre of thoughe before he had spoken and made his boste that he wolde rather dye then denye hym The thyrde cause was the vylenes of the persone that moued the question vnto Petre for it was a woman nat a noble woman but a seruaunt and other vyle seruantê which was so moche the more to y e rebuke of Petre that he wolde denye his lorde god at theyr questions Fourthly for Petre shortly and lyghtly denyed Christ at one worde of a pore and vyle seruaunt The .v. cause is the periurie and cursynge of Petre for this made his synne moche greuous And therfore sayth Symon de Cassia Petre in his wordê his threfold negation dyd greatly rebuke Christe whiche had chosen so inconstant and vnkynâ—e a person to his disciple and to his chefe apostle c. And sextly the greuousnes of Petre synne dyd appere by his great and coÌ„tinuall wepyng for a great synne requireth great coÌ„trition and penauÌ„ce There be .iii. thynges in this gospel that moued induced Petre vnto penaunce The fyrste is syngynge or crawynge of the cocke The seconde was y e respecte and beholdynge of Christe And the thyrde was y e remembraunce of the wordes that our lorde sayde to Petre at the supper the same nyght that was that Petre shulde denye Christ thryse that nyght before the cocke crawe Our lorde suffred Petre to fall for our example that no man shuld presume of hym selfe seynge that the prynce of thapostles dyd fall And also that no man shuld dispeyre syth that Petre after so greuous a syn was made y e porter of heuyn And thyrdly that Petre shuld lerne to haue coÌ„passion of his subiectê For shortly after he was to be made the chefe prelate of the churche But where dyd Petre deny his mayster Christe Not in y e mount nor in the temple nor yet in his owne house but in the bysshopes palace standyng and warmyng hym selfe by the fyre with the ministres and seruauntê of the bysshoppes What signifyeth this palace or court of the bisshoppe but worldly couuersacyon and maners These ministers signify deuylysshe persons The feare signifyeth carnall concupiscence and desyre who so euer abyde with these companyes he can not wepe and do penaunce for his synnes And therfore it is very daungerous and perilouse to be conuersant in the courtê of prynces for Peter dyd but ones entre in to the palace of 〈◊〉 bisshop and anone he lost the vertu and strength of his soule and also denyed Christe What suppose you wolde he haue done if he had longe continued there I feare that he wolde haue then ben as our preestes be nowe in great mennes houses that is worse in al poyntes than lay men But Peter went thens to do penauÌ„s for there he could do none In lyke maner the sterre that appered to the .iii. kynges in the Est whan they entred in to Hierusalem in to thepalace and court of Herode the sterre vaynysshed from theyr syghte and whan they were departed from thens it appered to them agayne ¶ Here folowe .vi. lessons THe first lesson is this that the prelate of the churche shulde be suche a person as can haue compassyon of the frayltyes and infirmities of his subiectes The seconde is that no man shulde presume of his owne vertue The thyrde is that we shulde resist and with stande synne in the begynnynge for one synne if it be not shortly put a way by penaunce it wyll drawe to it an other synne more greuous exemple herof we haue in Peter which at the first tyme he onely denyed his mayster without ony oth or other wordes And the seconde tyme he denyed hym with an othe And at the thyrde tyme he cursed he sware and also he denyed Christe Here ye may se howe one synne bryngeth in an other synne more greuous than the first The .iiii. lesson is that if we fall in to ony synne though it be but a small synne to our thynkynge and also done of onely frayltye yet for no cause we shulde perseuer and cotynue therin For to perseuer in synne as the glose sayth it gyuethe an encreasynge to the synne For as the wyse man also sayth He that dispyseth or lytyll regardeth small synnes by lytyll and lytyll he shall fall to moche more greuouse synnes The .v. lesson is that no man shulde dispeyre of the mercye of god what so euer synne he hath done but let hym wepe do penauns for his synnes c. The .vi. that we shulde neuer deny Christ who so euer committeth ony mortal synne he denyeth Christ for he consentynge to the deuyll forsaketh Chryste ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche suffred thy selfe to be denyed thrice of y e prince of thy apostles whom also thou mercyfully beholdynge made hym to wepe bytterly for his synne I beseche the beholde me with the eye of thy mercy that I maye worthelye wepe in thy syght for my synnes and that I neuer denye the my lord god neyther in worde nor in dede Amen ¶ Howe our lorde was smyten vpon the cheke The .xi. article THe .xi. article of the smytynge of our lorde for in meane tyme that Peter outward in the courte denyed our lord iii. tymes our sauyour Iesu was in the house present before the bysshop Annas where as Annas moued vnto Christ an vnwyse and folisshe question before and in the audience of all the people that were there present that was of his discyples and of his doctrine and Iesus answered not one worde of his discyples for as at that tyme he could speake no good of theÌ„ for they all had forsaken hym that nyght teachynge vs therby that whan we can nat truely speake ony good of our neyghbours then we shuld kepe silence and speake none euyll of them though we knowe it But to the other question of his doctrine Iesus answered shewynge that it was not euyll nor suspecte but good and holye and that he proueth by the place and the compeyney where and amonge whome he spake it saynge Ego palam locutê° sum mundo c. I spake openly to the people I euer taught in the sinagoges and in the temple where
my soule beholde here howe thy sauyour Iesus entreth vnto his iudgement bounde thurst and many other wayes vexed and all men behelde hym and mockyng hym sayd O Iesu thou art here nowe if thou had ben a prophet thou wolde haue preuyded for this before with many other lyke wordes that those cursed Iues spake then to hym And thus they brought hym bounde and delyuered hym to ponce Pylate the president and hygh iudge of Iury vnder the emperoure of Rome This presentynge vnto Pylate was most greuous of all other vnto Christe fyrste bycause he was presented before that iudge whiche had ful power vnder the emperour to condempne hym vnto the deth Secondly bycause the Iues that presented hym to Pylate dyd presente hym not as to be examyned by Pylate but they delyuered hym vnto Pylate as conuicte and founde gylty by theyr examinacyon and so to be put to y e deth without ony other examinacion or taryeng For they sayd to Pylate If this man were not a mislyuer and so worthy deth we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the. Of this we shall speake more in the next article Thyrdly this presentyng to Pylate was moste greuous to Christe bycause he had ben faty gate and weryed the nyght before many wayes by the crueltye of the Iues and therfore it was moche more payne to hym now to be brought to the iudgement of a pagane and infidele for they brought hym bound to Pylate to be slayne and deuoured by hym whiche was reputed as a dogge amonge the Iues bycause he was a gentyle and not circumcysed as they were ¶ A remembraunce of the mornynge of our Ladye WHen it was publysshed thoroughe out all the cytye of Hierusalem that Iesus was taken and howe that the Iues wolde crucifye hym his moste sorowfull mother the virgine Marye herde therof and so almoste deed for sorowe was led by her systers and other women with vnspeakeable lamentynges wepynges mornynges and syghynges to se her moste derebeloued sonne and so wepynge without ceasyng she sawght hym thorough y e brode stretes and narowe lanes of Hierusalem cryenge and sayenge where is my moste derebeloued sonne where arte thou my most swete Iesu where shal I fynd the who hath taken the from me why may not I dye for the These wordê with other lyke might this most sorowefull mother of Iesu say And whan they came to that place where as they myght se Iesus they seynge hym so bounde so tormented so deformed with theyr spyttynges forsaken of all his disciples dispysed mocked and destitute of all help and solace so shamfully and paynfully with a greate multitude of armed men cruelly led to the tribunall of the wycked Iudge and there to be condempned to the death our ladye with her systers and the other women I saye seynge and considerynge these thynges what heuynes what sorowe and bytternesse were they then fulfylled with it can not be spoken nor expressed by any sentence Also our lorde Iesus seynge and knowynge his mother with the other women in so great sorowe greatly sorowed therof for without doute he had greate compassyon of them and so was greatly greued of this compassyon and most specyally for his most kynd mother for he knewe that her sorowe was almost to the deth as it shall appere in the .lviii. article And as some doctours say there were .xl. seruantes that led Christ from Cayphas house vnto Pylate besydes the greate multitude of people that went with them and there were a thousande passes frome Cayphas house vnto the house of Pylate ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that the secular power is not to be dispised but to be honoured For as saynte Poule sayth there is no power but of god and therfore who so resisteth the power he resisteth the ordinauns of god And therfore as saynt Austen sayth Our lorde god stode before Pylate a gentyle and pagane iudge and spake neuer one word vnreuerently vnto hym So shulde we with reuerence stand before our prelates and iudges though they be not good but euyll and vicyous ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in the firste houre of the day for our helth wolde be presented by the Iues vnto Pylate a pagane iudge graunte to me for the loue of thy name that I dispyse no maner of power but that I may gyue due and worthy honoure to my superiours and to all iudges Amen ¶ Howe the Iues falsely accused Christe before Pylate The .xxii. article THe .xxii. article is the false accusacyon that the Iues made of Christe for whan Christe was brought in to the mote hal and there stode bound before Pylate the iudge the Iues wolde not come in to the mote hall bycause they wolde not be defoyled and made vnclene for that day was theyr Pasch day wherin all the Iues that were clene shulde eate the pure breade that is made of pure where without leuyn and the Iues had this opinyon that yf they came in the house of any gentyle or straunger whiche was not circumcided as they were by that entrance they were made vnclene and so myght not eate of those pure breades vnto suche tyme they were fyrst purifyed And here sayth saynt Austen O wycked blyndnes the Iues feared to entre the house of a straunger bycause they wolde not be contaminate but they feared not to sley theyr innocent brother and also lorde O thou christiane note here howe the Iues kepte them selfe frome all vnclennes that they myghte eate the pure breade of wheate whiche gaue to theym no grace of god for the selfe eatynge moche more then shuldest thou keape thy selfe clenne whiche receyuest the blessed bodye of Chryste the heuenlye breade whiche gyueth to the the eternall lyfe The Iues wolde not entre in to y e iudgmeÌ„t house and thou wylt not auoyd euyl compaigny and tauernes where as oftentymes bene spoken temerary vngodlye iudgementes and also moche blode shedde by false deâ—xaccyons and other wayes Symon de Cassia also sayth here That the Iues of an olde tradycyon and ordynaunce auoyded and shunned the houses of straungers in suche hyghe solempnytyes And so they euer intendynge to suche lyghte and vayne ceremonyes and lytyll regardynge greatter thynges fell in to the deape pytte of greate synnes and Pylate seyng that they wolde not enter in to hym he went forth to them and sayd what accusacyon brynge you agaynst this man And here sayth Symon de Cassya It apperteyneth to the wisdome and iustyce of euery iudge and president not to iudge after the mynde of the accusers excepte theyr accusacyon be probable and true Therfore Pylate wysely dyd inquyre and ordinarylye dyd procede in this cause whan he sayde what accusacyon shewe yow agaynste this man For also by the lawes of the Romaynes no man shulde be condempned to deathe Excepte he be fyrste accused and that proued Also Pylate merueylynge and also moued with displeasure agaynste
we maye take that there be .ii. thynges requyred to the kyngdom of Christ the first is truth y t it be hard and the second is obedience that is y t the truth herd be fulfylled Then Pylate sayd Quid est veritas what is truth Pilate dyd not here inquire the diffinition of truth but what is that vertue of truth thorough whose perticipation and vertue men be taken and made of the kyngdom of god The solution of this question Pylate wold not abyde to here for seynge that he was not of the kyngdom of christ nor wold intricate hym self with spuÌ„all thynges therfore he had no cure or desire to here it and also he cared not for it bycause he shuld shortly coÌ„dempne the truth And also bycause he herd a great murmur trouble of the people without forth feryng some busynes or insureccyon bycause he differred y e deth of Christ so longe and for these causes he hasted hym to the Iues and sayd to them Ego nullam causam inuenio in homine isto I fynde no cause of deth in this man Here as Chrisostom saith Pylate dyd substancyally alledge for christ that he nother knewe or coulde fynd any cause of malice in hym And then the Iues for asmoche as they fayled in theyr proue for wante of resonable causes wolde haue preuayled by theyr multitude cryeng and at laste they brought agaynst hym this accusacyon He hath troubled al the people from Galilee vnto this cytye wyllynge so to aggrauate theyr accusacyon bycause it appared contrarie to the peace of the emperour vnder whome Pylate was the hyghe iudge in Hierusalem that therby Pylate shulde be the more moued agaynst Christe But you wycked Iues howe dyd he moue the people to sedicyon and warre that euer preached and taughte peace and came to make peace bytwixte god and man But spyrytually we maye saye that he moued the people and troubled them frome theyr synfull lyfe by hys holsome monicyon teachynge them the way of vertue and truth Of the whiche mocyon and also trouble the prophete Dauid sayethe Commouisti terram et conturbasti eam Thou hast thou hast moued the erth that is erthly persons and thou hast trobled it that is put them from theyr erthly and synfull lyfe cure and heale good lorde his woundes for he is moued to goodnesse and vertue And Pylate then herynge them speke of Galilee and knowynge that Iesus was of Galilee he sent hym to Herode as ye shall se in the next article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may lerne this lesson that we shulde beware that we accuse not our sauiour Christ falsly or of false-thynges They accuse Christe of false thynges whiche impute or put any false thyng vpon hym as the Iues paganes and heretykes do For the Iues put vpon Christe that he was the naturall sonne of Ioseph the carpenter and that he was a gloton and a drynker of wyne that the deuyll was in hym and that he subuerted the people whiche all were false The paynyms impute to hym that he was a pure man and not god and that it was inpossible that god shuld be incarnate The heritykes put to christ that he had no true bodye but onely a fantasticall body and that he was no very true man but onely apparent c. There be other y t accuse god falsly as these euyl false christians which accuse god as the cause of theyr synnes saynge God hath made me of that compleccyon that I must nedes synne the constellation or coniunccyon of suche planetes or sterres made me to synne and god made the sterres therfore he made me to synne Thou dost falsly impute thy synne to god True it is that god made the sterres and also the of that compleccyon for he create all thynges and they were good But all these can not compell the to synne for it is onely the malice and frowardnes of thy wyll c. Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde remember how he that is the very truth dyd pacyently suffer to be falsly accused for vs that he myght founde and grounde vs in the truthe ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be falsely accused in many false thynges before the iudge Pylate teache me to auoyde the disceyres of wicked men and truly to professe thy faith with good werkes Amen ¶ Howe Christ was sent to Herode The .xxiii. article THe .xxiii. article is the sendynge of Christe to Herode For whan Pylate herde that Iesus was a man of the countrye of Galilee and so vnder the power of Herode whiche was the captayne and the reuler of Galilee vnder the emperour hauynge this occasyon to delyuer his handê of Christe sent hym to herode whiche was the ruler of Galilee and at that tyme he was also in Hierusalem Pylate wyllynge herby to do honour vnto Herode that he beynge the capteyne of Galilee shulde delyuer or condempne Christe beynge a man of his countrye so wyllyng that euery man shulde be examined and iudged of his owne iudge accordyng to the lawes of the Romanes and whan Iesus was thus sent there was a greate coÌ„curse of people folowynge hym O blessed lady Marie howe wente thou in suche a multitude who helped the in that great thronge of people Surely thou was then the example of sorowe and heuynes to all that loueth the or Christe thy sonne and whan Herode dyd se Iesus he had greate ioye therof not that he thought to wynne ony thynge therby but for that he was curious to se a straunge man and suche a man whom he had longe desired to se that is from the decollacyon or behedyng of saint IohnÌ„ the Baptiste for that tyme Christe beganne to preache openly and to do many miracles whiche al Herode herynge was moch desirous to se hym and to se hym shewe some wonderous signe or miracle not for any deuocyon but for curiositie and to proue hym what he coulde do for he thought that Christe had ben a iugler or any gromancyer and for this cause he desired to se no miracle of our sauiour Iesus This sendynge is conueniently accompted amonges the articles of Christes passyon for it is a great displeasure for any man to be sent from one iudge to an other how moch more then was it paynfull to this most swete and innocent lambe our sauyour Iesu Herode asked of Christe many questyons as we shal se in the next article Also there were CC. passes from Pylates house vnto Herodes house by the whiche space bothe goynge and comynge he suffred many despytes and rebukes ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may lerne this lesson that is to suffer pacyeÌ„tly if we be shamfully sent from one iudge to an other for the loue of Christe seynge that our sauyour Iesus was so serued And specially religyous ê‘sons which shuld be the folowers of Christe shulde not be troubled if somtyme for obedience they be sent from
the vnworthy ê‘sons ¶ Howe Christe was despised of Herode The .xxvi. article THe .xxvi. article is of the despeccyon that Herode and his seruauntes dyd to Christ for Herode seyng Christ wolde not shewe any signe or miracle before hym nor speake one word to all his questions nor yet answere to the accusacyons of the Iues for his owne defence He reputed hym to be a fole and to haue no witte or reason And therfore he despysed hym and so dyd all his compeigney and seruauntes Fyrst bycause Christe kepte so stably his silence in no thynge moued to speake though the Iues dyd so falsly accuse hym Secondly Herode dispised Christ bycause he reputed hym a fole or ferefull of the death that the Iues labored to bryng hym vnto or els for that he thought Christe to be presumptuous in his lyuynge and maners and nowe kepte silence bycause he could not defend his owne cause for want of good reason and iustice in his cause And thyrdly he wolde be despysed of Herode for a greate misterie it is a profounde misterie and gyueth to vs a matter of hygh contemplacyon to consider howe the eterne wysdome of god wolde be reputed folisshnes and the infinite power of god wold be taken for infirmitie as of lytyll or of no power so that Christ the sonne of god very god and man wolde be made the obprobry or rebuke of men the abiection and out cast of the people and the mockynge stocke of kynges and great men And in lyke maner nowe a dayes the folowers of Christ be dispysed of euyl men and reputed as foles and that specyally when such euyl persons haue a wicked reuler or heed for comonly suche persons shortlye consent vnto suche a captayn or reuler A comen prouerbe Such a kynge hath suche counsellers lyke seruantes and therfore it was so moch y e more to the obprobry rebuke of Christ that not onely Herode despysed Christe but also al his compaigney and seruantes And in these dayes there be many that dispyse Iesus as Herode dyd lokynge to se signes and miracles nowe whan it is not tyme to shewe signes but rather to do good werkes our lorde sayd of the Iues Habent moisen et prophetas They haue moysen that is the lawe of moyses and the prophetes lette them here them and folowe them And we haue morouer the gospelles and the apostles with the actes and apocalipse and yet we wolde se signes we do not fulfyll the gospell and in lyuynge therafter but rather we desppyse it This despysynge of Christe is conuenieÌ„tly taken for an article of Christes passyon for syth it wold greue any man to se hym self despysed of other men and specyally of great men though he were but symple and an ideote moche more it shulde greue our sauyour Christe whiche was all good omnipotent and most wise to be mocked taken as omnipotent bycause he wolde do no miracle before Herode to be reputed an ideote without knowlege bycause he wolde not answere to hys questions to be accompted as a fole bycause he wold not defende hym selfe agaynst his accusers and not onely they despysed hym in wordes but also in dede puttynge a folys cote vpon Christ as ye shall se in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde rather wyll to be despysed of euyll persons then to be commended of flaterers As our lorde after saynte Gregorie dyd chose rather to be openly dispised of proude persons then vaynly to be lauded of vnfaythfull persones ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche was contente to be despysed for me of Herode and his compaignye or seruantes graunte me to despyse all worldly pompe for the and not to regarde the despysynge of wicked men for thy loue and for iustyce Amen ¶ Howe Christe was cladde with a whyte garment to his despysyng The .xxvii. article THe .xxvii. article is the mockynge of Christe with a whyte garment whiche was put vpon hym to his great confusyon and shame And here saith Symon de Cassia that this worde albedo that is to saye whitnes is not taken at all tymes in scripture for vertue or to the best parte for somtyme it signifyeth the want of vertues and so this whyt vestment wherwith Herode dyd mocke Christ doth shewe what was Herode and his seruantes or folowers for he and all they were voyde of all the multiplicacitye or varietie and diuersitie of vertues and so theyr mockynge of Christe turned to theyr owne preiudice and to theyr euerlastynge despeccyon and rebuke It is euer knowen to be a greate illusion and mockynge of Chryst when his vertues are forsaken for worldlye pompe whan his teachynges be despysed and all his dedes that he dyd and paynes that he suffred for our loue be no thynge regarded And so dyd Herode here for not onely he despysed hym but also as Luke sayth Illusit indutum veste alba He cladde hym in a whyte cote whiche was taken for a folys cote and so mocked hym in dede to the greate derisyon of Christ for Herode wold haue hym knowen of all people for a fole For it is lyke that that tyme to haue or weare a whyte garment was a signe or token of a fole and it is also very lyke that that whyte garment was lengar than the stature of Christe and so therby thorowe the thurstyng throng of the cruel Iues he was oftymes thrawen downe to the grouÌ„d But thoughe Herode dyd thus aray Christe to his rebuke yet this whyte garment was not without greate misterie as were all the other actes and dedes aboute the passyon of Christ Therfore as saynt Ambrose sayth This whyte garment doth signify the immaculate and innocent passion of Christe for he without spotte of synne dyd beare and suffer payne for all synnes of the worlde whiche whyte garment is signifyed by the albe of the preeste wherin he sayth masse for the vestmentes that the bisshop or preest vseth at masse doth represeÌ„t the hole passion of Christ For our hygh bysshop Christe was cladde in his passyon with all the ornamentes of a bysshop Fyrste he toke his amysse when the Iues couered his face he toke his albe whan Herode cladde hym in this whyte garment he toke his manyple whan the Iues or saugiours bonde his handes but what tyme they lowsed his handes and put a rede in his ryght hande then the corde or bonde dyd remayne vpon his lefte hande and in token herof the preest vseth the maniple vpon the lefte hande or arme he toke his gyrdle when he was bounde aboute the myddle to the pyller he toke his stole when he was bounde by the necke to the pyller he toke his chesyble when the saugiours of Pylate put an olde purpur garment vpon hym he had a crowne of thornes for hys mytour he had a rede in his hand for his crosse he had his glouys for his handes his sandalles for
and ydle lyfe but that I may euer please the with my good and quyete maners and lyuynge Amen ¶ Howe Pylate dyd shewe Christe scourged vnto the Iues. The .xxxix. article THe .xxxix. article is the shewyng of Christe so pitiouslye arayed vnto the Iues for after that the saugiours had so miserably entreated our sauyour Christe Pylate toke Iesus and went forth vnto the people of the Iues said to theÌ„ Ecce adduco euÌ„ vobis foras vt cognoscatis quia nullaÌ„ iÌ„ eo inuenio causaÌ„ Behold sayd Pilate I bryng him forth to you thus punisshed for your wordes and to certifye you that I fynde no maner of cause of deth in hym therfore he thus correct and punisshed I shall dimisse hym And here sayth Symon de Cassia Pylate sayd that he found no cause of death in Christ wherby he excludeth all crimes from Christe for he bryngeth in an vniuersall negation that is no cryme I fynde in Christ and this he dyd for to shewe his diligeÌ„ce for the deliuerance of Christ And morouer Pylate dyd brynge forth Christe in the same habyt and aray as he was illuded and mocked of the saugiours and that was for the intent that the Iues seing hym so miserably and shamfully arayed shulde cease of theyr malice towardes Christ And also Pylate shewed Christ to the Iues on that maner knowynge that they wolde be very glad to se Christe thus dispysed and punisshed and also supposyng y t therby they content wolde no more speake of his deth for this cause Pylate dyd scourge Christ and shewed hym to the Iues and therfore the euangelist sayth Exiuit ergo Iesus portans spineam coronam et purpureum vestimentum Iesus came forth hauyng a crowne of thornes and a purpull robe and also a rede in his hande for a scepter Behold here a lamentable spectacle Iesus went forth as saynte Austen sayth in a kynges ornamentes not glorious and shynyng in his apparell but full of obprobry and confusyon And therfore Pylate sayd to the Iues Ecce homo Beholde this is a man as yf he shulde haue sayd after saynt Austen If ye haue enuy to hym bycause he called hym selfe a kynge nowe spare hym haue pytie vpon hym for ye nowe se hym lyke to no kynge but shamefullye and miserably deiecte lyke a moste miserable wretch for he scourged crowned with thornes mocked in a kynges ornamentes despysed with many rebukes and bet or smyten with many strokes therfore sith ye se hym thus dispised let 〈◊〉 enuy wax colde or cease But for all these theyr enuy nothynge decreased but rather encreased and waxed more hote and feruent Se howe great is the malice of the Iues that hereby wolde not cease of the procurynge of the deth of Christe theyr obstinate wickednes wold not be relented with mercye And among all the other illusions this was more payne to Christ that is that his deedly enemyes shuld se hym so dispytefully arayed of the saugiours of y e which syght they had no lytyl ioy and yet they were not content with this syght knowyng that Pilate wold haue so delyuered Christ to his libertie but they hauynge no compassion of Christe nor yet coÌ„tent with the excusacyon of Pylate cried out with a lowd voyce and also moued other to crye sayng Crucify hym crucifye hym c. as in the next article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne to haue Christ thus illuded and mocked euermore in our remembraunce so that we neuer vaynly reioyse in our outwarde garment habite or apparel for our lorde god was mocked and scorned in his apparell And specyally religious persons ought to folowe Christe in this thyng for they represent Christ thus illuded and mocked in theyr habyt and tonsure for the habyt of a religiouse person is a vyle thynge despysed and mocked of the worldlye people The tonsure or crowne of the religious person doth represent y e crowne of thornes And also in olde tyme religious men as monkes were wont to beare staues or styckes in theyr handes whiche dyd represente the rede that Christe had in his hande and as Christe disdeyned not to be brought forth and shewed to the Iues in that scornfull habite so religious persons shulde not be ashamed of theyr vyle habit nor to folow Christ which was dispised in this kyngê aray And herunto saynte Paule sayth Spectaculum facti sumus muÌ„do We that despyse the worlde be made a mocken stocke vnto the worlde and neuer so moche as in these dayes our lorde sende vs pacyence and lyghten the soules of the dispysers ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be shewed and presented vnto the Iues in so scornfull and dispitefull aray graunt me to auoyde all ostentation of vayne glorie and to appere before the at thy iudgement in suche aray as shall stande with thy fauour ¶ Howe the Iues dyd crye Crucifye hym crucifye hym The .xl. article THe .xl. article is the cryenge of the Iues to haue Christ crucifyed for when the bisshoppes and the other Iues had sene Christ so scornfully arayed so miserably scourged bet and mocked not content therwith nor yet alowynge the excusacyon of Pylate dyd crye Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifye hym crucifye hym they sayd twyse Crucify and that was to shewe theyr feruent desyre that they had to crucifye Christe and also for that they crucifyed hym both in wyl and in werke And as Rabanus sayth It had ben more profitable to theyr soules to haue sayde Miserere mei deus miserere mei Haue mercy vpon me O thou god haue mercy vpon me or els these wordes of the prophet Iohel Parce domine parce populo tuo Spare lorde spare thy people gyue not thyne inheritance in to rebukes and confusion let not the gentiles haue dominion vpon thy people the Iues these prayers had ben more conuenient for them but they were so malicyous that they cryed crucify crucifye hym and when they cryed thus it was the thyrde hour of the day that is .ix. of the clocke after our computation At that houre the Iues dyd crucifye Christ with theyr tongues As saynt Austen sayth and after this exposycyon the wordes of the euangeliste Marcus are to be vnderstanded where as he saythe Erat autem hora tertia et crucifixerunt eum It was y e thyrd hour of the day and the Iues dyd crucifye hym that is with theyr tongues c. openly shewynge therby that the tongues of the Iues were more to be sayd or called the sleyers of Christe than the handes of the saugiours And therfore this crye is conueniently assigned a specyall article of the passion of Christe They asked and cryed to haue Christe crucifyed whiche maner of deth was at that tyme of suche shame and confusion that after a persone ware put to suche a death he shulde neuer be remembred and spoken of agayne but to his euyl and despisyng and in a maner
the breakynge of the golden calfe to turne away the wrath of his father from vs that he shulde not destroye vs. And truely our sauiour Iesus stode in coÌ„fraccyon in breakyng â–ª for thoughe he were brosed and broken in all his bodye yet he dyd not fall downe in soule and mynde but stode stedfastly in perseuerance of good wyll O blessed Iesu in what state do I se the O most swete and amiable Iesu who hath put the to so bitter cruell and odiouse deth O onely sauiour of our olde rotten wouÌ„des who hath brought the not onely to most paynfull but also to suffer moste shameful woundes O most dulce and swete vyne tree O good Iesu is this the fruyte that thy vyneyarde dothe brynge forthe to the whiche thou translated out of Egipte in to a moste pleasaunt and fruytefull soyle and grounde and hathe most paciently taried vnto this day of thy mariage and loked that it shulde haue brought to the swete grapes but it broughte forth thornes for it hath crowned the with thornes these Iues thy vyneyarde haue coÌ„passed the about with the thornes of theyr synnes Beholde to what bitternes and sharpnes this vyne is turned not nowe thy vineyarde but rather a straunger to the for it denyed the cryenge and sayenge Non habemus regem nisi cesarem We haue no kynge but the emperour Therfore these cursed and cruell tylmen haue caste the out of the vyneyarde of the cytye of Hierusalem or els out of theyr compaigney and there haue slayne the not sodenly or out of hande but with a longe tormeÌ„t and payne of the crosse and haue gyuen to the many greuouse woundes with whippynges beatynges scourgynges and at last naylynge the handes and fete to the crosse where as thou suffred .xxvi. strokes with the hamer vpon thy handes and .xxxvi. vp on thy fete in dryuynge in the nayles ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to put and hyde all oure troubles aduersities temptacyons infirmities our synnes and al our paynes dewe for synne in this most swete wound of the first hande of our sauiour Iesu wherwith he toke deth al our miserie and nayled it fast to the crosse In that maner dyd saynt Austen sayng When any fylthy cogitacyons doth inpugne me I runne to the woundes of Christe and I am helped when the flesshe oppresseth me I ryse thorowe the remeÌ„braunce of the woundes of my lorde god when the deuyll doth lye in a wayte of me I flye to the woundes of our lorde and he flyeth from me If carnall concupiscence do moue my bodye that fier of carnall pleasure is extincte by the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of my lord god And this in all myne aduersities and temptacyons I fynde none so sure remedy as the woundes of Christ in these I slepe surely in these I reste without fere and thoughe saynte Austen speake here indifferently of all the woundes of Christe yet properlye we may say that this sure remedye is founde in the wound of this firste or lefte hand of Christe Also it apperteyneth to this wounde that we shulde auoyde all euyll werkes for the loue of god crucifyed for vs. And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article may ofte kysse this wounde of Christe and ofte remeÌ„ber the forsayde woundes of saynt Austen And pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me most wretched wold haue thy left hand digged or boored with a nayle and fastened to the crosse graunt to me that I may euer put and hyde al myne aduersities and temptacyons in the moste swete wound of that left hand and that I may fynde in it a sure and holsome remedye agaynste all maner of tribulacyons Amen ¶ The boorynge or naylynge of the seconde or ryght hande The .xlix. article THe .xlix. article is the naylynge of Christes seconde or ryghte hande wherwith as saynte Hierome sayth he founde lyfe that was lost and perisshed And here by lyfe may be taken and vnderstanded all thynges that perteyne to our helth and saluacyon as afore by deth were vnderstanded synne and all that folowed of synne This lyfe our sauiour Iesus hath gyuen to vs with his second hande And of this gyfte he hathe writen to vs a sure preuilege or dede of gyft writen I saye with his precyous blode not in paper or parchment but in his ryghte hande whiche also he hath sealed for a perpetuall remeÌ„braunce with a sharp nayle persynge his hande as it were with a seale And herunto sayth saynt Peter Maxima et preciosa vobis promissa donauit deus c. Almightie god hath gyuen to you most good and precyous promysses and therby ye may be made lyke vnto god and felowes or partakers of his diuine and godlye nature ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to hyde all our good werkes that our lorde worketh in vs in this wounde of this second hande attributyng them not to ourselfe as that we shuld be the chefe werkers of them but gyuyng all to the goodnes and grace of god praynge and desyrynge his grace that all our negligences and inperfeccyons may be restored performed and fulfylled by this most swete wounde And thus dyd saynte Austen saynge What so euer I want in my selfe as of my selfe I vsurp and take it to me of the bowelles of my lorde Iesus for frome thens floweth mercy plentuously nor there wanteth no hooles or ryuers wherby that mercy myght haue recours to me And therfore I shall euermore prayse the mercyes of our lorde for the woundes of Iesu Christe be full of mercye full of pitie full of swetenes and charitie by these hooles and riuers it is leâ—ull for me to taste howe swete and pleasaunt my lorde my god is And thoughe this is spoken generally of all the woundes of Christe yet specyallye it apperteyneth to the wounde of this seconde or ryght hand And a man to conforme hym self to this article shuld oftymes kysse the wounde of the ryght hande of the crucifix and ofte reuolue in his mynde the forsayde wordes of saynte Austen and praye as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde haue thy ryght hande persed thorowe with a nayle and so fastened to the crosse graunt to me that I may hyde in the most swete wounde of thy ryght hande with thankes al my good werkes that it shal please thy goodnes to worke in me and that all my negligeâ—ces and imperfeccyons may therby be performed and supplyed Amen ¶ The naylynge of the first foote or lefte fote of Christ The .l. article THe .l. article is the naylynge of the first or lefte foote of Christe By feete in scripture ar taken and vnderstanded our affeccyons and desyres with the whiche oure soule goeth which for the more parte be in vs senistrall that is of the left parte euyll or imperfite but in Christe they all be on the ryght syde good and perfyte and therfore Christ by the
teares for he wepte Thyrde he offred his prayers for them with great sheddynge of teares and also a myghtye or great voyce or crye Of this prayer saynt Bernarde sayth Christ scourged with whippes crowned with thornes crucifyed and nayled with greate grosse nayles fylled with rebukes forgettynge all these sorowes sayde Father forgyue them Frome this charitable lorde cometh great mercy to our bodyes and moche more to our soules O good Iesu howe moche is thy mercye stablysshed vpon wicked men And howe greate is the multitude of the swetenes of thy mercy for thou shalte make vs that feruently desire the to drinke of the plentuous ryuer of thy swetenes and pleasure Also the same saynte Bernarde sayth who and of what kynde is that person which in all his tribulations and tormentes wolde not ones open hys mouthe to compleyne or to excuse hym selfe to threat or to curse his cruell aduersaryes and aboue all this at last he opened hys mouthe and spake for his enemyes a blessed worde suche a word as hathe not ben harde frome the begynnynge of the worlde that is Father forgyue them O my soule haste thou euer sene any man so myld so pacyent so charytable Consider what quietnes pacyence and charitie was hyd in that most swete brest and hart he wolde not shewe his iniuries he regarded not his paynes he wolde not speake of his rebukes but he had compassyon of theym of whome he suffred these thynges he cured theym that wounded hym he procured life for them that slewe hym and said Father forgyue them O my soule hyde or put vp this most swete worde of Christ in the treasor of thy hert that as oâ—te as thy enemyes be cruell agaynst the thou mayst remembre the abundance of this swetenes of blessed Iesu and so to lay or put this worde and prayer of Iesu as a shelde for thy defence agaynst the assaultes of thyne enemyes thy spouse and lorde Iesus doth praye for his crucifyers shalt not thou pray for thy detractours let vs yet repete this prayer father sayth Iesus forgyue them what name is this father It is a name of naturall loue Chylderne when they wolde haue any thynge or greatly desyre a thyng they be wont to name theyr father to reduce vnto his mynde the naturall loue that fathers haue vnto theyr chylderne that therby they myght the more shortly haue theyr desyre So our sauyour Iesus pitious and mercifull pacyence and of moche compassion good and louynge to all persons though he knewe that he was euer harde in his peticyons to his father yet to shewe vnto vs with howe great affeccyon and desyre we shulde pray for our enemyes in his prayer he put that name of loue Father as if he shulde say I beseche the for thy fatherly loue in whiche loue we be one to here my prayer and to forgyue them that crucifye me Knowe the loue of thy sonne that thou mayst forgyue myne enemyes Also saynt Hierome sayth Al these illusyons and scornes or mockynges ware done to Christe by the mocyon of the deules whiche an one as Christ was crucifyed they beganne to perceyue and feele the vertue of the crosse and so thought that they shulde lese theyr greate power and therfore they laboured instantelye that Christe shulde descende downe from the crosse But Iesus knowynge theyr falshed and crafte wolde continue vpon the crosse vnto his death that therby he myghte destroye death and subdue the deuyll O moste gentyll Iesu howe greate was here thy pacyence ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that when we be in depe contemplation in good operation or els in religion we shuld not descende or leaue them for any rebukynges mockynges or scornynges of any persons but continue and pacyently beare suche despysynges for the loue of Christe as Christ for our loue dyd pacyently beare all the forsayd rebukes and for our example wolde not descende from the crosse but there continued vnto his deth and this was figured in the boke of iudges where as the vyne tre sayd vnto the other trees that wolde haue had the vyne to come to them and to haue ben theyr kynge Nunquid possum de serere vinum meum quod letificat deum et homines c. It is conuenient for me to forsake my wyne that conforteth both god men and come to you to be your kynge Nay I wyll not In lyke maner sayd the olyue tree and the figge tree So our very true vyne tree that sayth Ego sum vitis vera I am a true vyne tree wold not leaue the fruyte of his passion that gladdeth both god angel and man and come of the crosse to be promoted amongê y e Iues. ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me crucifyed wolde be mocked and despysed with many rebukefull wordes and yet wolde so charitably pray for thy crucifiers make me that I neuer descend from my religyon or any good werke for no suggestion of the deuyll or despysynges of man but that I may continually perseuer in thy loue and that I may for thy loue forgyue all them that do or saye any euyll to me or agaynste me and that I maye euermore praye hertely for them Amen ¶ Howe the thefe of the lefte hande rebuked Christe The .lvii. article THe .lvii. article is the rebukynge that the thefe spake to Christe for one of the theues that were hanged with Christ that is he on the left syde of Christ began to rebuke Christ sayng Si tu es xpÌ„s salua temetipsum et nos If thou be Christe the sonne of god saue thy selfe and also vs. This was the .viii. mockynge of the whiche we spake in the last article and this was more rebuke to Christe than the other thre declared in the laste article bycause so vyle a persone wretched and condempned to deth and furthwith shulde suffer deth for his owne synnes and myslyuynge wold thus so shamefully rebuke the auctor of lyfe And therfore this rebuke is coÌ„ueniently made a special article But the other thefe hering hym speake so loudly dyd sharply blame hym saynge Neque tu times deum qui in eadem dampnatione es c. Dost not thou feare god that arte condempned to deth as well as he is and we be worthely and iustlye condempned to deth for we suffer worthy paines for our sinnes but he neuer dyd euyll Of this saynge saynt Austen merueylynge sayth who taught this thefe to say thus but he the sonne of god that hange by hym Christe was hanged nyghe to this thefe but he was more nyghe in his herte and therfore he turned hym selfe to Iesus and sayd Memento mei domine dum veneris in regnum tuum Remember me lorde when thou shalte come in to thy kyngdome and then Iesus spake his seconde worde vpon the crosse sayng Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso Trulye I saye to the this daye thou shalte be with me in
spryngeth in y e myddest of paradise whiche doth make frutefull the deuoute hertes and plentiously doth watre all the world This is the doore that was made in the side of the arke of Noe by the which dyd entre all tho bestes men that ware sauyd from the vnyuersall flode Studie and laboure therfore with all thy diligence to haue a recourse vnto the holes of this stone and vnto the caue or den in this stony wall both now in this life and also at thy death there to rest and hide thy selfe that thou myght escape the daunger of the wode lion the deuyl and also that thou myght fynde there plentiouse pasture and fode to thy eternall comforth ¶ And here note that Christ dyd shedde his blode .v. tymes this day for vs. Fyrst in his prayer when he swet blode Second in his scourgyng Thyrd in his crownyng with thornys Fourth in his naylyng to the crosse and. Fyfth in the openyng of his syde as ye haue herde before ¶ Here folow .ii. Lessons FYrste lesson of this article is this that whan we be deade with Christe from the worlde and from all synne then also we shuld be wounded in our hert with the spere of charitie so that we myght say with y e spouse in her canticles Vulnerata charitate ego sum I am wounded with y e spere of charitie Saynt Austen also desired to be wounded with this spere sayng I besech the my lord and kyng my most swete Iesu for thy moste holye wondes which thou suffered vpon the crosse for our health from y e which that most preciouse blode ran out wherwith we be redemyd I besech the I saye to wounde this my synfull soule for the which it pleasyd the to dye Wounde it I besech the with the fiery dart of thy most myghtie loue and charitie Nayle fast my hert to the with the nayle or dart of thy loue that my soule may say vnto the I am wounded with charitie and so sore wounded that from this wounde of thy loue there myght runne the full riuers of teares both nyght and day both of coÌ„tricion compassion and deuocion Smyte I beseach the good Iesu this moste hard flynt my soule with the myghty and sharpe spear of thy loue that it may myghtilie entre in to y e inwardnes or deapnes of my hard hart The second lesson is that we shuld receyue the sacramentes of the churche with that intent and deuocion as if they cam then from the syde and hert of our lorde for that wounde of his syde was as the doore wherby y e sacramentes of the churche com from Christ to vs. For as of the syde of our fyrst Adam sleapynge his wyfe Eua was formed and made so of y e syde of our second Adam that is Christ sleapyng by death vpon the crosse was formed the churche the spouse of Christ By this wouÌ„de as by a dore of loue saynt Austen dyd entre when he sayde Longyne hath openyd to me the syde of Christ with a spear and I haue entred therin and there I surely and quietly reast The nayles and the spear crie to me that I am truly reconsiled to Christ if I loue hym ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wold haue y e syde of thy deed bodie openyd from whens cam plentye of blode and watre for our health comforth wounde I beseach the my hert with the spear of thy charitie y t I may worthely receyue thy sacrameÌ„tes which flowed out of that thy most holie syde Amen ¶ How the bodie of Christ was taken downe of the crosse the .lxiiii. Article THe .lxiiii. article is the takyng downe of Christes bodie from the crosse For after that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirite vpon y e crosse that was about the ix houre of the day the bodie of Christ hang styll vpon the crosse vnto euensong tyme and there abode and taried our blessid ladie and other .iii. women sittyng by the crosse and not knowyng what to doo they wold haue taken downe the bodye and haue buried it but they had no strenght therunto nor yet such instrumentes as ware necessarie for that purpose And to departe leuyng the bodie vpon the crosse they durste not and there to tary or abide y e nyght drawyng nygh they myght not Behold and considre thou deuote soule in what proplexitie they be in and haue compassion on them with all thy herte And as they sat thus in troble and heuines there cam Ioseph of y e citie of Aromathya somtyme called Ramatha where as Helchana and Anna the parentes of the prophet Samuell dwellyd This Ioseph was a riche man and of noble blode and also he was a senatour and had great office in y e courte of the emperour a good man in hym selfe and in y e syght of god iuste to his neyghbour a disciple of Christ but secreate for feare of the Iues he had a truste to come to the kyngdome of god for he dyd in no thyng consent to the cowncell and those maliciouse actes of the Iues. And as saynt Hierom sayth y e fyrst psalme was made of hym Beatus vir c. This holie Ioseph strenghthed thorow theffusion of Christes blode all feare set a part went boldly vnto Pilate not fearyng the malice of the Iues nor yet the powre of Pilate and asked of hym the bodie of Iesu for a great treasure for he preferryd that bodye aboue all erthly treasures though they be neuer so preciouse Pilate meruelyd that Iesus was so soon deed and called to hym a capten of an hundreth men and asked of hym if Iesus ware deed and whan he knew the treuth by that capteyn he gaue the bodie to Ioseph And then Ioseph bought a fayre lynyn clothe for to wrap Christê bodie therin And so Ioseph came not now as a secreat and preuy disciple of Christ but an open disciple of Iesu And also there cam with hym Nichodemus which bifore tyme cam priuely vnto Iesus in the nyght for feare of the Iues but now all feare set a parte he cam with Ioseph and brought with hym of myrre and aloes about an huÌ„dreth pownde weight to anoynt and dresse the bodie of Christ before his buriyng And when they cam nyghe to the place where Christ hang they kneled down and dyd worship our lorde And our ladie perceyuyng that they cam to take downe her soÌ„nys bodie as risyng froÌ„ death her spirit began to quicken and so our ladie receyuyd them at theyr coÌ„myng reuerently And furthwith they prepared them selfe to take down the bodye and our ladie healped as moch as she myght One drewe the nayles out of his handes an other susteyned the bodie that it shulde not fall downe our Lady standyng lifted vp her armes on heyght redy to receyue the body when it shuld com downe and as shortly as she myght touche hym she drew his heade and his handes vpon her sorowfull breste embrasyng and ofte
garden of paradise that was prepared of god for our fyrst parentes in the este part of the worlde This new sepulcre also was conuenient for our new Adam that his buriyng myght reanswear to his incarnacion For when he was incarnate he was put in to the wombe of a virgyne where neuer man was before nor shuld be after hym and so was he put in a new graue where as neuer man was put before Also he was buried in an other maÌ„nys sepulcre for he had none of his owne nor wold haue For he y t came to gyue hym selfe to the comforthe of man wolde haue no erthly thyng propre to hym selfe It was not conuenieÌ„t for hym that cam to gyue vs heuenly thynges that he shulde labour for any propertie in erthly thynges and therfore he made poore for vs from his natiuytie vnto his death dyd kepe a poore liâ—e and free from all propertie in worldly thynges He was also buried in a sepulcre of stone this stone signified Christ vpon the which stone is stablished y e sure foundacion of our faith Also he was buried in a stone for many misteries This is the stone that gaue watres plentiously vnto the people of god in the desert This is the stone that gaue furth riuers of oyle vnto Iob. This is the stone vpon the which a man is exalted and fixed in the tribulacions and anguishes of his hert to his great comforth and defence if he cum therto by sure fayth This is the stone that is the refuge and comforth vnto penitent synners that be full of prickes that is contricion for theyr synnes as the hurchen is full of prickes This is also the stone agaynste or vnto the which the yong spryng of our synnes be caste and all to crushed and broken or destroyed that is our euyll cogitacions at the begynnyng of them or fyrst mocion before they encrease in vs they shuld be cast agaynst this stone remembring the death and burying of Christ and so auoyde and destroy them In to this stone they put the body of Christ which was the lorde and gyuer of lyfe And when they had buried hym then Ioseph rolled or put to the dore of the sepulcre a great stone and so departed As Simon de Cassia saith this stone put to the doore of the sepulcre doth signifie the infidelitie of the Iues and the hardnes of theyr hertes for nother they wold cease from theyr euyll workes nor yet leaue theyr obstinate and froward hertes This stone was put to the seâ—ulcre by y e handes of men but it was remouyd by aungelles to signifie that by his owne euyll deades a mam may fall to obstinacie and heardnes of hert But that can nat be remouyd but by the pouer and vertue of god If the question be mouyd why this article is nombred among the articles of the passion of Christe seyth Christe beynge deed suffred no payne therby It may be answeryd that one of the miseries of our corrupt nature is that the body will putrifie after the death and therfore it must be buryed And though this reason haue no place in Christ for his body shuld neuer haue ben putretfied as the prophet sayth Non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem Thou shall not suffre thy holie sonne to see the putrefaction of his bodie yet for asmoche as the Iues had brought this body of Christ to that coÌ„dicion that it seamed necessarie to bury it and also that the Iues wolde nat haue ben otherwise contenâ— excepte it had ben buried therfore it is coÌ„ueniently accompted as an artycle And also for that there folowed this buriyng .ii. great thynges that is the lameÌ„tacion and mournyng of our Lady and the other women and also y e watche and keapyng of the sepulcre Fyrst I say for the lamentacion of the blessyd virgyn and other women by whose lamentacions ware fulfylled the lamentacions that the prophet Hieremy wrote vpon the death of the good kyng Iosias The sorowful mother of god myght fyrst direct her wordes to the father of heuyn and say Alas my lord god why hast thou gyuen to me a son to die so miserably and so to leaue me behynd hym al desolate and ful of sorowe and heuines c Secondly she myght speake to Gabriel y e archaungell O Gabriell where is the glad tidynges that thou shewed to me I fynde no ioy but most bitter sorow Thyrdly she myght speake to Iohan the euangeliste and to other women that ware with her and say if ye loue me if ye haue any compassion of me I charge you that ye bury me with hym These and other like this sorowful mother myght haue sayd The second thyng that folowyd this buriyng was the watche and keapyng of the sepulcre by the saugiours And hereof the euangelist sayth thus Altera autem die que est post parasceuem dixerunt principes sacerdotum et pharisei ad Pilatum Domine recordati sumus ê™ seductor ille c. The next day after good friday the princes of pristes and the phariseis cam to Pilate and sayd Lord or sir we remembre that this deceyuer sayd whyle he was yet aliue After .iii. dayes I wyll arise agayne Commaunde therfore that the sepulcre be made sure and keapt vnto the thyrd day lesse paraduenture his disciples come and stele hym a waye and say to the people that he is arisen from death And then the laste erroure shal be worse than the fyrst This the Iues dyd fyrst to shewe the malice of theyr hertes And therefore Symon de Cassia sayth This is a great iniquitie of men a great enuy of the Iues that they do nat cease to persue and falsly accuse y e innocent deed callyng Christ after his death a deceyuer and that also they spake before the iudge which had prouyd the contrarie they had don to moche before in y t they falsly accused hym in many thyngê and moreouerby theyr importune clamoures and criynges had made hym to be coÌ„dempned vnto a most shameful death Secondly they dyd thus for theyr owne excusacioÌ„ For as y e same Simon de Cas sayth It is y e coÌ„dicion of an enuiouse ê‘son euer to speke euyl of that person whom he hateth and though he haue slayne or hurte that person whom he so hateth yet he wyll neuer speake of hym but with obprobriouse and euyl wordes that therby he may be Iudged to be good and ryghtuouse for asmoch as he ê‘se weth that person that was euyll and vnryghtuouse and so he cloketh hideth and coloreth his enuy by false crymes that he putteth vpon the innocent But for al that the conscience of such euyl persones be euer more in feare for they knowe that they do euyll but bycause they wyll not haue theyr malyce knowen they cease nat to falsly accuse theyr enymy also after his death And so theys false Iues euer repete theyr false accusacions bycause