seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes
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
occasyon to accuse hym but Iesus wold not answere he held his speach meakly for he knewe that Cayphas wolde take summe occasion of his answere wherby he wold accuse hym therfore Iesus wold not speake that was not of any displeasure or feare but for a misterie as knowynge that he whiche moued hym to speake dyd it of a crafte and fraude and not to knowe the truthe Also he kepte silence to gyue vs example to contempne the false craftes and disceytes of our aduersaries and therfore he wolde rather strongly keape his silence than to defende his cause without ony profyte And of this silence was spoken longe before that tyme by the prophet Esay Quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutescet c. He shal be as dumbe as a lambe whan he is shorne and he shal not open his mouth to gyue answere And the prophet Dauid saith in the person of Christ I as a deafe man hard not I was as a dumbe man not openynge his mouth And the more that our sauyoure Iesus kepte silence to them that were not worthy his answere the more Cayphas the bisshop beynge in greate furye prouoked Christe to answere And therfore with great indignacyon and inpacyence he said to Christ Adiuro te per deum viuum vt dicas no bis si tu es Christus filius dei I adiure the by the lyuynge god or charge and commaunde the by the vertue of the lyuynge god that thou say vnto vs if thou be Christ the sonne of god lyuynge This adiuracyon Cayphas spake of a false craftie and disceytful mynde and not for to knowe the truthe And therfore saynt Hierom sayth Cayphas dyd adiure Christ by the lyuynge god that for the reuerence of the name of god he shulde answere and speke vnto them not intendyng therby to knowe the truth but to take occasion of his wordes to falsly accuse Christe O what madnes and wickednes was this fyrst they sent to take hym and so they bounde hym as a thefe worthy deth And now they examyn hym not to knowe the truth but rather to fynd some occasion in hym wherby they myghte accuse hym vnto Pylate as worthy death And this adiuracyon was a greuous synne in Caiphas for it perteyneth not to the inferiour so to coniure the superiour without a reasonable cause to say the treuthe This notwithstandynge Christe for the reuerence of the name of god wherwith he was adiured he answered and spake the truth fyrste that they shulde not excuse theym selfe but that they herde hym saye the treuth and also that he wolde not be noted to contēpne the name of god for these causes Iesus answered sayde Tu dixisti ego sum c. Thou hast sayd the truthe I am the sonne of god notwithstandynge I say vnto you that from hensforth or herafter ye shall se the sonne of man that is ye shall se me whome you nowe contempne and shamefully entreate syt on the ryght hand of the vertue of god that is in maiestie and power equall and one with god the father and ye shall se me cume at the day of iudgement in my manhode with great power and maiestie in the clowdes of heuen Than Cayphas whiche before rose vp in a greate furye hearynge this answere was more mad and so cut or rent his garmentes for as Bede sayth whome that furie made ryse from his seate this madnes prouoked hym to cut and rent his vestiment and as Symon de Cassia sayth this cuttynge of his garment doth shewe a folysshe diuisyon in his maners and also the want of the bond of Charitie And in this acte Cayphas dyd also prophicye shewynge and signifyenge by the cuttynge of his garment that the Iues shuld shortly lese theyr dignitye of preesthod which began in Aaron for when he cut his garment or clothyng he made that openly to be sene which before was secreat and so consequently he cut and put from hym the couerynge of the lawe though he knewe it not nor yet intended y t for he onely cut his clothynge that he mygh make his accusacyon agaynst Christe more greuous and to shewe that thynge by his doynge which he spake in his wordes for he sayde that Christe dyd blaspheme god It was a custome and a maner amonges the Iues y t whan they herde any blasphemye spoken agaynst god they wolde cut and rent theyr clothynge or garmentes in token of sorowe and detestacyon of so great a cryme This greuous synne of blasphemy the prynce of preestes Cayphas dyd impute to Christe saynge Blasphemauit He hathe blasphemed god attributynge and gyuynge that thynge to hym selfe whiche is onely propre to god What nede we of ony other witnes as he myght say we labour in vayne to searche for wytnesse agaynste hym for he hath spoken openly and before al your presence ye haue hard hym speake blasphemye O wreche and prynce full of wyckednesse he spake no blasphemye but the treuth thou dost blaspheme the sonne of god for thou wyll not gyfe that thynge to god that apperteynethe to god thou reputest the essencyall sonne of god to be a pure creature and therfore thy blasphemye shal be with the euermore to thy eternall perdicyon and dampnacyon ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde be pure and clene from all blasphemye both in our selfe and also to other persons in our selfes that we nother do nor say any thynge wherby the name of god shuld be blasphemed in vs or by vs. And also that we moue not ony other persons to blaspheme god And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article let hym in a contrarie maner blysse or prayse god in this or lyke maner Sit nomen domini benedictum c. Blessed be the name of god nowe and euer Amen And also pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd suffer the abhominable synne of blasphemy to be put vpon the kepe me that thy name be neuer blasphemed by me in worde nor in dede and that neuer ony blasphemie or ony other euyl word be spoken or vttered with my mouth ¶ Of the Condempnacyon of Christe The .xv. article THe .xv. article is the condempnacyon of Christe vnto the death Whan Cayphas the prynce of preestes had sayde to his compaigney that were there gathered in counsel ye all haue nowe herd hym speake blasphemy he asked of them what they thought and then they al answering sayd Reus est mortis He is worthy death he hath deserued deth This they sayd that theyr malice shuld be openly knowen and though they dyd not so intende yet it was so done by the permissyon and suffrance of god as many other thynges here spoken and done in these articles And beholde here sayth Symon de Cassia howe iustyce is oppressed vertu put vnder foote and reason vtterly subdued to theyr malice in so moche that all the princes wyse men and seniours dyd
the Iues that they of theyr owne auctoritye wolde bynde Christe nor yet conuicte before the iudge thoughte that they hadde some greate cause agaynst Christe and therfore he asked of them what cause they layde agynste hym And then they answered Si non esset hic malefactor non tibi tradidissemus eum If this persone were not a mysordred lyuer we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the As if they hadde sayde after Symon de Cassya we be not moued of enuye nor yet styrrede of haytred Nor yet we haue bene hastye in this dede before that we delyuered hym to the we dyscussed hys cause we se his euyll dedes we knowe his myscheuous tongue there is nothynge that compellethe vs to delyuer hym vnto the to be iudged coÌ„dempned by the but his euyl dedes Also addyng this we haue examined him in our wise and lerned counsell and there we haue founde hym worthy to dye wherfore it is not nedeful to haue any further examinacyon Thus these malicyous Iues dyd iustify them self before the iuge that they myght the more spedely coÌ„dempne the innocent Pilate soÌ„what moued or despleased with theyr answere bicause he knew that they accused Christ for enuy onely that they had to Christe and therfore thynkyng that they wold not shewe what cause they had against hym for bycause he had offended against theyr law therfore I sayd Pilate wold not punish him but remitted hym to theyr punisshmeÌ„t which was onely to be beaten not to inner deth And so Pylate sayd to them Accipite eum vos et secuÌ„dum legem vestram iudicate eum Take you christ and iudge him after your lawe as if he shuld say If your examinacyon be sufficient then iudge you hym and condempne hym for I wyll condempne no man without a cause proued before me And this also he spake mockynge them for he knewe well that they myght condempne no man to deth then the Iues sayd to hym Nobis non licet interficere quemquam we may sley no man for that auctoritie was taken from them by the emperour of Rome And here sayth saynte Austen If he be so a mischeuous person as ye say why may ye not sley hym if ye may not sley hym for your solempne feeste of pasche why do ye crye and saye crucifye hym crucifye hym Pylate perceyuing by theyr wordes that they wold not be coÌ„tent with any small punisshement of Chryste but that they wolde haue hym slayne he wolde nedes heare the cause why he shulde dye And then they perceyued that Pylate was angrye began to accuse Chryste falsely in many thynges of the whiche onelye thre we rede in Luke And so the Iues sayde Hunc inuenimus subuertentem gentem nostram c. we founde thys persone subuertynge our people from our lawe Also forbyddyng the peple to pay tribute to the emperoure And saynge hym selfe to be Chryste and our kynge But these accusacyons were al false And therfore they sayde Inuenimus we haue founde hym for that was onely in theyr owne malicyous hartes for it was not truthe in dede but onelye theyr owne ymagynacyon and inuencyon For he whiche came to fulfyll the lawe and not to breke it dyd not subuert the people from y e lawe Nor he dyd not subuert them but rather coÌ„uerted them to goodnes whom he taught y e truth nor he dyd forbyd y e people to pay tribute to y e emperour for he said openly pay or reÌ„der tho thyngê to y e emperour whiche be his and gyue to god that apperteyneth to hym â–ª And also he payd tribute for hym selfe and also for Peter and where he sayd hym selfe to be Christe the kynge he sayd truthe but yet he wolde not take vpon hym his kyngdome in this worlde and so he was falsely accused and that not withstandynge he wolde not answere one worde for his excuse And therfore Pylate sayd to hym Non audis quanta aduersum te dicunt testimonia Doyst not thou heare what and howe many accusacyons they brynge agaynst the And Iesus answeredâ— not one word in the presence of the Iues in so moche that Pylate moche merueyled therat And specyally seynge that the Iues vnresonably and with great turmoyle and with importunitye requyred his death but Christ for all that wolde not answer remembrynge the sayenge of the wyseman Vbi non est auditus non effundes sermonem Speake not where as is no conuenient audience Then Pylate entred in to the motehall bycause he myght more quietely examyn hym frome the turmoyle and noyse of the people and there lityll regardynge the firste accusacyon whiche was concernyng theyr lawe nor yet the seconde accusacyon for he reputed that to be false for parauenture he had hard before howe Christ said gyue to the emperour that is his therfore he onely examined hym in the thyrde cause saynge Tu es â—ex iudeorum Arte thou the kyng of Iues as if he shulde say is it true that the Iues saye of the that thou woldest vsurpe and take vpon the the name of a kynge contrarie to the decree and statute of the emperour of Rome for the emperour had taken froÌ„ the Iues y e name of a kyngdome that they shulde haue no kyng and that was to breke theyr pryde and to take from them all occasyon of rebellyon Then Iesus said to Pylate A temetipso hoc dicis an alii tibi dixeruÌ„t de me Spekes thou this of thyne own mynd or other persons haue spoken this to the of me shewyng by these wordes y t Pylate dyd not folowe the order of y e lawe as if he shuld say if thou knowe y t I haue taken vpon me the name of a kyng shew openly y e signes or actes of my rebellyon if onely thou herest this of oder ê‘sons make ordynary inquisition cause theÌ„ to bryng in witnes Then pylate answered I am no Iue and therfore I speke it not of my self thy people thy bisshoppê haue delyuered y e vnto me whiche shulde defeÌ„ce the but it semeth that y u hast greatly offeÌ„ded theÌ„ that they so obstinatly do accuse the what hast y u done Iesus answered RegnuÌ„ meuÌ„ noÌ„ est de hoc muÌ„do my kyngdom is not of this world so he denyes not to be a kyng for he is y e kyng of kingê and lorde of lordes if my kyngdome were of this worlde my ministres and seruantes wolde feyght for me defend me then Pylate said Ergo thou arte a kynge And Iesus answered Tu dicis Thou sayst so as if he sayd it is as thou sayst for I am a kynge and that thou shuldest knowe the condicyon of my kyngdome for that cause I was borne temporally into this worlde and for that cause I came into this worlde that I might bere testimony and witnes to the truthe and who so euer is the chylde or louer of truth he hereth my voyce Of these wordes