who said Cum lotiâ— animi puritatis ad suscipiendum Saccramentum necessariae monumentum fuerit ante Sacramenti institutionem exhiberioportuit Since the washing of the minde was the monument of the purity which was necessary to the receiving of the Sacrament it ought to be used before the institution of the Sacrament Baronius hath a good argument against the innovating Osiander That the Paschall Lambe being to be eaten in haste if Christ had risen from it and washed their feete before the end of that Supper he had broken the Law but he brake not the Law Therefore it was at the second Supper even toward the latter end thereof that Christ by his owne washing of them prapared them by humility unto the receiving of his owne last best and blessed Eucharist being truely called the Supper of the Lord. If I have not guessed rightly at the true cause and just occasion why Christ washed his Apostles feete yet it is most certaine that he washed them which as I said tooke up about another quarter of an houre of their second Supper No man can reasonably thinke that Christ did wash their feete at the Passeover that was soone ended as the washing and wiping was ended Nor may it be thought that Christ would rise from the most sacred Supper of the Eucharist to wash them This derogateth too much from that divine Supper Therefore the second Supper was the fittest time and in it indeede did Christ wash them For how could he wash the feete of twelve of them severally twenty foure feete in all as they continued at Supper in lesse time then a quarter of an houre and wipe them all and well wiped them out of question with that towell wherewith he was girded Ioh. 13.5 weigh that time by the time we should spend our selves if wee were to dispatch such a businesse if we wash but our owne feete and wipe them above a twelfth part of a quarter of an houre quickly slideth away The Prayer O RedeeÌ„mer of mankinde thou wert pleased to wash the feete of thy Apostles even those feete of Iudas among the rest which had trotted before to the high Priests and Elders to betray thee and those which were apt and readie to shed blood even the innocent blood of thee the Lord of life Wash I beseech thee not onely my feete but my hands my head my whole body and especially my heart that I may be wholly purified and fitted to partake of thy blessed mysteries and by them be united to thee my gracious and mercifull Saviour Amen CHAP. XII The Contents of the twelfth Chapter 1. What was Done Sayd the 2. of the 3. quarters of the houre in the Second Supper Christ beginneth to wash his Disciples feete The Scribes booke Commanded frequent washings The Jewes used much water for purifications both Legall Praescribed 2. S. Peter the Primate and Prince of the Apostles Whither S. Peter lay on the Discubitory bed above Christ 3. Whither Christ washed S. Peters feete first of all Whither Judas was washed at all No washing of the feete no partaking of the Eucharist 4. S. Bernards Pedilavium no Sacrament Christs washing his Apostles feete an example of humility Whither Judas were first washed 5. All the Apostles were washed Vncertaine who first It matters not S. Peters Priviledge 6. S. Peters Christs Dialogue Obedience required Iohn the Baptist called a foole Peters double deniall reproved 7. Bodily washing Spirituall washing 8. Christ kist his Apostles feete Even Judas his feete 9. Whither Christ at the second Supper had on a supping garment Whither he had on a Cloake as Barradius 3. Vestments as Euthymius 5. As some others have thought Chrâ—st at his Passion had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. The last Quarter of the seventh houre or the third part of the second Supper What was Done Sayd in it The first passage is Christs Question His Diversion 11. The Titles of Lord Master forbidden to the Apostles The difference betweene Rab and Rabbi Ambition forbidden The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributed to Man God in the Old New Testament How God Man Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord. 12. Washing of feete imports humblenesse of minde Christs Precept Example to be imitated Lorinus his story Christ the most perfect example of all Seneca his advice The difference betweene Exemplar Exemplum Examples move more than Precepts The Worthinesse Vnworthinesse of the Administrant addeth nothing detracteth nothing from the Sacrament 13. Motives to Humility Servants equall to their Masters in participation of Troubles Blessings Servants inferiour to their Masters in Civill Morall Oeconomicall affaires 14. Nor Worders nor Knowers but Doers enjoy happinesse PARAGRAPH 1. NOw let me descend to the things done and sayd in this third quarter of an houre the middle part and second quarter of the three allotted as it were to this second Supper About halfe an houre after fixe our holy humble Saviour beginneth to wash the Disciples feete A little before Christs incarnation there was a booke written by the Scribes in which they commanded frequent washings even in the times of dinner or supper because there were many Legall uncleannesses which came by the very touch of divers things and by which they were uncleane till the Evening Therefore had they store of water alwayes in a readinesse At the Marriage in Cana Iohn 2.6 There were set sixe water-pots of stone after the manner of the purifying of the Iewes Sc. aut legalem aut traditionalem aut convivalem either Legall or traditionall or convivall Each water Pot containing two or three firkins a peece non ad potum sed ad lotionem paratae aequales illae hydriae aut vasa aquaria Those water-pots were not prepared for drinking but for washing And in likelihood they had spent some good quantity of that water For Christ commanded them to fill them and they filled them up to the brimme vers 7. And against the Passeover our Saviour did foretell them they should meete a man bearing a pitcher of water Mark 14.13 And when it is sayd He shall shew you a roome furnished among other things it may well be expounded A roome furnished with store of water for they had water alwayes in a readinesse for purifications prescribed by the Elders as well as for legall purifications Ciacconius is of opinion that water was given for their feete at the entrance into the houses yet it was to such as were soule and uncleane for if they were cleane they presently sate downe saith he But Baronius from the Rituall saith the Jewes washed their feete twice at the Paschall Lan be once at the eating of the flesh and once at the eating of unleavened bread Either the Rituall or Baronius confoundeth matters for they are not Paschall Lambe but with unleavened bread first taken Baronius should rather have distinguished two suppers Legalem communem the Paschall and Common Supper then make one Supper of the Lambe another
the other Apostles were prepared and had learned the new doctrine of climbing up to heaven by humblenesse all the rest received the precious Body and Blood of Christ Chrysostome and Euthymius Origen and Leontius saith Maldonate doe thinkē that Christ did first wash Iudas because Iudas had most neede for the sicke have neede of the Physitian more than the sound and whole In which regard Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalen before he appeared to any of his Apostles or to his owne most blessed Mother for certainely Mary Magdalen had beene the greatest sinner and perhaps stood at that instant in most neede of comfort I answer her speeches bewray her to have beene amazed rapted almost besides her selfe Theophilact on Iohn 13. Non primum lavit Petrum quamvis primatum discipulorum gerebat sed forte proditor cum esset impudens inverecundus ante Petrum lotus est Though Peter was Primate of the Apostles he was not first washed but perhaps the shamelesse Traytor put forth himselfe which the other Apostles would not doe and so he was first washed PAR. 5. MY conclusions are concerning this poynt 1. There is no certainty whom Christ washed first 2. It did not make a prerogative to be first washed nor marre it to be washed last 3. All the Apostles were washed even Iudas among them 4. S. Augustines determination that Peter was first washed was most acute and witty yet I thinke the words of the Apostles runne more plainely and unforcedly That Christ had washed some others of the twelve ere he came to Saint Peter for it is not onely said that he began to wash his Disciples feete but also to wipe them with the Towēll wherewith he was girded he did not begin to wipe till he had washed some and so Christ came to S. Peter Lastly S. Peter hath this priviledge that there is not any one particularly expressed or named to be washed but S. Peter onely PAR 6. THe Dialogue betweene S. Peter and our blessed Saviour before Peter yeelded to be washed is this Lord dost thou wash my feete Christ answered What I doe thou knowest not but thou shalt know hereafter thou knowest the matter thou knowest I wash thee but thou knowest not mine intentions And this affordeth one Doctrine necessary for these times Obedience must be performed if required though we know no reason why it is appointed much more when we see reason Cornelius Tacitus Historiae 1. Vbi jubeantur quaerere singulis liceat pereunte obsequio imperium etiam intercidet If it were lawfull for every one to aske a reason of their Superiours commands obedience would perish and Authority would fall to the ground It was spoken by a rude blunt souldier in Lucan at the Garboyles of the civill warre Rheni mihi Caesar in undis Dux erit Hîc socius facinus quos inquinat aquat Caesar my Captaine is at Rhene But in the civill broyles He is my fellow They are like Whom the same sinne befoyles Julius Caesar regarded not the tongues or taunts of his Souldiers so long as he had their armes and swords for him He let fall the strictnesse of discipline and was as a Generall over-familiar with his Souldiers calling them Commilitones fellow-souldiers Augustus disliked him for it yet if it be well weighed Iulius Caesar forbore his souldiers at the time of triumphs and rest more than in the time of warre where he observed most strict discipline A late Writer calleth S. John Baptist a foole for denying to Baptize Christ I say a foole must not judge a wise man and a religious man would finde in the Baptist heavenly humilitie rather than stile it folly But Wisedome is justified of her children Likewise I doubt not of S. Peters holy humble intention either when he refused to be washed or when he accepted of it for till Peter was refractary the second time Christ did not chide him but perhaps because of his double refusall to be washed and because of his selfe-trust he was deserted to deny Christ at his passion thrice PAR. 7. THe other discourse of the Dialogue or the second part is this S. Peter said Thou shalt never wash my feete ver 8. which indeede were words too peremptory from such a servant to such a Master but when Christ replied If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Peter was converted and was not onely like the Sonne in the Gospell who said He would not goe into the Vineyard to worke but after repented and went Matth. 21.29 but out of surplusage of obedience more than was commanded he cried out Lord wash not my feete onely but my hands and my bead Ioh. 13.9 The close before the washing of S. Peter or at the beginning to wash him is in these two poynts He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feete but is cleane every whit ver 10. whence some doe truly collect the Apostles were once washed before viz. before the Paschall Supper began I doubt not but Sensu mystico he aymeth at the Spirituall washing of the soule without which all bodily purification and washing is to little purpose And this sense is made good by the words following Yee are cleane but not all because Christ knew Iudas his soule was defiled with resolutions for the Treason it is said ver 10. Ye are not all cleane here is spirituall uncleanenesse for all the corporall washing and wiping PAR. 8. YEa if we may follow Iustinian in his Booke De Christi agone cap. 3. He opineth That Christ did not onely wash the Apostles feete but kissed them also If so it were what an un-heard of humility did Christ shew to kisse the feete of Iudas which were swift to shed blood even innocent blood even the blood of the Son of God To kisse the rod even the rod which was to be cast into the fire after correction performed To kisse Iudas his feete in a more submissive way though hee knew that Iudas would kisse Christs face and betray him by that kisse Both which compared together doe justly aggravate the sinne of Iudas and subject him to greater damnation to offer the kisse of Treachery unto Christ who offered unto him the kisse of love and humility PARA 9. ANd now by this time or there abouts is exhausted the third part of the sixth houre or more and the middle quarter of the houre spaced for their second Supper I will not grant saith Barradius that Christ had a supping garment for he laid downe his owne garments not the supping garment saith he as if Christ borrowed a supping garment and had none of his owne And there was little honesty or modesty to have a supping garment on his naked body saith he as if hee might not have both his owne clothes and a supping garment also and yet keepe others on for no good Christian will thinke he stripped himselfe to nakednesse when he laid aside his garments Barradius without ground saith Christ had
a cloake Euthymius on Matth. 26. saith some thought Christ had on five Vestments himselfe judgeth he had three That this was at Supper time cannot be proved and is not said At his Passion indeede the Pasmist foretelleth in the plurall number They shall or will divide my garments as it is in the Hebrew Psal 22.18 The 70. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Our Printers of the last Translation have it in the Singular in both places They parted my garment among them and cast lots upon my vesture But because they had parted them indeede it is said Matth. 27.35 as in the time passed They parted his garments in the Plurall casting lots and the Psalmist is divinely cited as speaking first of his ordinary garments secondly of that excellent coate without seame They parted my garments among them there is the Plurall number and upon my vesture did they cast lots and the Singular is meant of the goodly seamelesse coate wrought from the top throughout Ioh. 19.24 PAR. 10. AFter his washing the Apostles resuming his garment and recumbing againe followeth the last quarter the third part of an houre or somewhat over allotted for dispatching the second Supper and it may seeme thus to be spent First with heavenly instruction to his Apostles then with a farther detection of the Traytor Lastly with the subsequent occurrences The first poynt beginneth from Christs question and is continued with his owne diversion re-inforced with holy conclusions from vers 13. to 17. inclusivè The second distinction of time may be from the graduall detection of the Traytor to the last consummation thereof namely from John 13.18 to John the 13.27 inclusivè Lastly the subsequent occurrences are described from verse 28. to verse 31 inclusivè but of these in order What our most sacred Saviour first said to his Apostles after he was againe laid on the discubitory bed is discerned by that he made this Quaere Know you what I have done to you which is not spoken of his action which all knew well enough without asking namely that he had washed them but of his maine ends and intentions to them unknowne even to Peter ugknowne a while why he washed them Then followeth Christs owne Diversion Yee call me Master and Lord and yee say well for so I am Not onely many other times but even at the preparation of the Paschall Lambe he is called Master Matth. 26.18 The Master saith And during that first Supper Iudas said Master is it I vers 25. Also every one of them said Lord is it I ver 22. PAR. 11. THe Apostles were forbid to be called Rabbi or Master and the reason is annexed For one is your Master even Christ Matth. 23.8 The title Rabbi is held to be given to them who tooke their Masters degree in the Babylonian Academies and Rabbi to them who were declared to be wise men by imposition of hands in Israel Be not ye called so Christ forbids not honour to be given to the Magistrate or to the Doctors but he would not have them ambitious of it and dislikes ambition So Beza on the place assisted by Augustine and Erasmus and indeede he would have his Apostles to be unlike or rather contrary to the ambitious affection of worship and honour and high places and titles which ungraciously reigned in the proud hearts of the Pharisees Concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lord it hath beene ascribed to men both in the Old and New Testament Exod. 33.22 Let not the anger of my Lord waxe hot saith Aaron to Moses And Sarah called Abraham Lord as is witnessed 1 Pet. 3.6 Likewise in the Testament of Grace the Grecians said unto Philip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 12.21 Lord we would see Christ Yet these men not affecting or desiring that great attribute were called so without sinne and the other did without sinne call them so But as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth or expresseth that great most proper name of God Iehovah so may no man give to man nor man accept from man the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord for God alone is the onely Lord absolute perfect supreame a Lord paramount of things that are not as well as of things that are Man is no other at his best than a petty diminitive Lord a Lord needing these things of which hee is Lord a Lord of a little or no time a weake Lord who cannot command a disease to goe from his owne body nor so much as a tree of his to grow A Lord by communication partitipation A Lord that must give account as an Vsu-fructuary to an higher Lord and so a little Lord in small matters a great servant to the greatest Lord indeede not so much a Lord as a slave to his passions Christ as hee is God is Lord and as God and Lord is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 21.15 Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou knowest that I love thee saith S. Peter yea Iudas himselfe questioning Is it I Lord tacitely confesseth him to be God that could search the reynes and judge truely of the thoughts of men S. Thomas divinely confesseth both in one Ioh. 20.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Lord and my God and they all said well herein for Christ is our Master our Lord yea our Lord God PAR. 12. AFter Christ reasoneth thus both from the matter it selfe and from their owne confessions If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feete ye ought to wash one anothers feete Ioh. 13.14 And by the washing of feete he meaneth not onely the bodily washing literally but rather the exceeding humblenesse of mind and the double diligence which we are to exhibite unto our brethren for their good Every superiour must have his heart so prepared that though he command others outwardly he may deserve to himselfe inwardly such Christian humiliation that he preferreth the very inferior whom he commandeth before himselfe and grudge not any servill-seeming base worke to save the soule of a sinner It followeth For I have given you an example shat ye should doe as I have done to you vers 15. The man was healed who cast up his eyes to the fiery brazen Serpent Num 21.8.9 verses and happy is the man that casteth up his eyes to follow and imitate Christ in whatsoever he can that in all businesses to be done first examineth whether they be according to Christs precept or example I have seene them who have the sweet name of Iesus pounced stamped and as it were inlayed in Azure most blew indelibly and as it were cut out on their Armes or printed or graven I have read in Lorinus of one upon whose dead heart was found written and as it were engraven Christ is my love or that effect I am sure he is to be our Example I beseech you be yee followers of me saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 4.16 Yet he sheweth other-where how they must follow
that first whether bodily filth or soule-spots that the out-side of them may be cleane also If Christ had not meant at all that the cups within were full of extortion when his speech was to the Pharisees he would have said ye and not they but he spake in the third person plurall not in the second therefore the very pots and platters were dumbe deafe and finlesse accessories or attestates to the oppression and wrong committed by their owners and masters the Pharisees I am not ascended very high Pedibus de more lotis saith Josephus They were wont to wash their feere PAR. 6. SAint Paul approved those widowes which lodged strangers and washed the feete of the Saints 1 Tim. 1.5 Tertullian ad uxorem 2.4 testifieth that the Christian women did and that their Gentile husbands disliked them because they did aquam sanctorum pedibus offerre Hierome in his Apologet. against Ruffinus propositum nobis est pedes luvare veneratione non merita dissentire we are resolved to wash our feete with worshipping not to boast of our merits Christ himselfe gently did chide Simon the Pharisee for administring no water for his feete Luke 7.44 the rather I thinke for that he was a water-foule Pharisee which sect was over-scrupulous in manifold washings feete commonly are lesse white than mens hands especially in hot countries or with labouring or wayfaring men and smell worse than their hands doe Thou O Pharisee hast beene so farre from washing and wiping of my feete that thou hast not afforded mee water cold water the cheapest of all dishes to wash or linnen to wipe them but this woman hath drawne water hot water from the fountaine of her eyes and hath washed my feete with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head using her tresses in stead of a Napkin PAR. 7. ABraham and Lot onely afforded water but washed not the feete of their guests Let a little water I pray thee be fetched and wash your feete Gen. 18.4 even ye your owne selves and I will fetch a morsell of bread so Gen. 19.2 Lot wisheth the Angels in mens shapes to wash their feete the Levite and his wife washed their owne feete Judg. 19.21 The washing of our feete conduceth to health cleanelinesse and recovery of strength and was next in goodnesse to a Bathe saith Montanus Josephs Brethren had water given them but they washed their owne feete Gen. 43.24 Abrahams servant and the men that were with them had water given them to wash their feete Aaron and his sonnes were to wash their owne feete Exod. 30.19 So did both they and Moses Exod. 40.31 It was a dainty complement of her who complemented once before her betters when so cunningly shee bespake a reversion 1 Sam. 25.31 even of Abigail the Super-witted Abigail upon the pleasing message to be Davids wife to bow her selfe on her face to the earth and to say ver 41. Let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feete of the servants of my Lord It was a Courtly ayre and blew sweete from Carmel and the humblest temptation that I have heard of but for all that fayre semblance I remember not that ever any in the old Testament were wont to wash their guests feete or of travellers that the Apostles had washed before their beginning to eate the Paschall-Lambe some parts or others of their bodies is probable enough from Christs saying to Peter Ioh. 13.10 Hee that is washed neede not save to wash his feete these words were spoke at the second Supper and it seemeth they were washed before and if reference be not had to their Baptismall Regeneration the words ran fairest for their first washing ordinarily practised before the passeover was eaten though commonly the Iewes washed againe at the beginning of their second Supper of which God willing hereafter PAR. 8. THe great sinner I thinke began this kinde of humility and was the first recorded in holy Writ that washed anothers feete the Saviour the onely Saviour of the world first fully accomplished that Ceremony by washing the feete of many even of all his Disciples and even of awicked Judas among the rest Heliodorus being the Greeke Sir Philip Sidney or that noble knight the English Heliodorus lib. 2. Aethiop Hist Haec lavabat pedes pâ—lverem abstergebat she washed my feete and wiped away the dust Eusebius 3.15 Calceamenta quoque pedibus tentabat educere quae nunquam nisi â religiosis resolvi consueverunt non solùm pedibus de more lotis sed totis etiam nonnullis corporibus that is they did not onely wash their feete as the usance was but some of them did also wash their whole bodies saith Josephus PAR 9. THat bathing was used for cleanelinesse none but slovens will deny you shall finde it used to that end 2 Sam. 11.2 and Neh. 4.23 But of this hereafter against the much-erring Peterius that it was appointed to Naaman by an especiall command to a religious purpose is apparant 2 King 5 10. Wash in Iordan seven times and thy flesh shall come againe to thee and thou shalt be cleane cleane from the inherent and cutaneall harme that there were also divers Legall or Leviticall Purtfications by water is evidenced Heb. 9.10 but that bathing of their whole bodies was used by the Iewes before the beginning of their feasts or at them I cannot finde though it be probable that some superstltious precise ones might voluntarily take up such a fashion which Iosephus seemeth to point at or it might bee done by some in the latter times of the Emperours for the Romans were wont to bathe ere they feasted but this custome sprang up after Iewish Bathings In Plantus his dayes they washed both their hands and feete Plautus in Persa Act. 5. scena 1. Hoc age accumbe date aquam manibus apponite mensam goe to sit downe give us some water some body for our hands set dinner on the Table and scen 2. Locus hie Tuus est hic accumbe ferte aquam pedibus praebe T is puer this is your place sit you here bring some water for our feete you sirra boy as Baronius well amends it the Graecians did so with more cost Plutarch in Phocions life relateth that Phocion found in his friends house choyce bathes of wine and odoriferous spices to wash the feete of their fellow-feasters and taxeth it for prodigality They did not onely wash but anoynt themselves at feasts Athenaeus lib. 15. saith the Athenians were wont to annoint the feete of delicate Persons the Romanes had to most parts of their bodies appropriate especiall and curious oyntments Baccarimum Aegyptium Phoenicium Nardinum Nar do vina merebere saith Horace in his invitation of Virgill to a feast Garm lib. 4. od 12. that is I will requite thy Nard so fine With a whole tearse of Campaigne wine Never doe we reade that Christ in his life used naturall or artificiall sweete odours but at feasts that oyntment of pure or