waite to accuse hym beatynges bondes scourgynges mockes rebukes sclaunders with many other paynes and sorowes as we shewed before so that the glorie of god was be spewed and all defowled with spittynges the iustice of god was contempned the iudge was falsly iudged he that neuer offended was blamed the innocent was accused and sclaundered god was blasphemed Christe was dispysed lyfe was sleyne and therfore the sonne withdrewe and hyd his lyght and the mone waxed blacke and derke These and many other mo paynes suffered paciently our most louynge sauiour Iesus whiche as a meke lambe was led vnto the dethe and he wold nat ones resist his enemyes though with one worde or one thought he myght haue cast downe or drowned all his enemyes in the depest pyt of hell But for whom suffered he all these great paines surely for his most cruell and synfull enemyes for his most wycked seruauntes or bondmen for false tratoures contempners or dispisers of his godly maiestie and for moste vnkynde wretches vnto theyr creatour and maker Syth therfore suche a glorious kyng pure and innocent suffred so many paynes and rebukes for so vile false wycked and most vnkynd caytiues to whom he had exhibite and shewed before that tyme all signes and tokens of benignitye and goodnes Was nat this a wonderous and meruaylous thynge Who may sufficiently meruayl of this thyng to considre and se the most wyse pure myghtie holy and the euerlastynge beautie of glorie of god to suffer so shamfull dethe for so stynkyng carion In all these thynges we may well wonder and meruayl of the great goodnes and charitie of god For he of his infinite charitie made of his owne flesshe and bodye made reed with his owne blode a reclamatorie or a lewer to call vnto his mercy and grace those wylde hawkes and vnkynde people the whiche by inordinate loue to the flesshe and the worlde had taken theyr flyght from the hand and fauour of the noble fawconer our sauiour Iesus Of the which hawkes speketh the prophet Osee saynge Effraim quasi anis auolauit Effraym hath flowen away or taken her flyght as a wylde hawke Effraym is as moche to say by interpretation as augmenta encreasinges and it may wel signifye suche people as here haue theyr pleasure in worldly honours and pastymes and encrease in them Suche people lyke vnto vngentyll or wylde hawkes flye from the hand and fauour or loue of god vnto the caryon of the bodye or of the worlde and fede therof And if they wyl nat be reclaymed vnto y e hand of this fawconer neyther by his callynge or cryenge nor yet by the shewynge of his lewre that is by the remembraunce of his passion and dethe they shal be lefte vnto the power and handes of the rauenar of hell the deuyll Herunto our lorde speaketh by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non fuit qui aspiceret c. I haue called you sayth our lord and ye wold nat come I haue extended my hand shewynge my lewre that is gyuynge my benefytes vnto youe and specyally myne owne precyous bodye and blode but there is none that wyll beholde or regarde it and gyue to me due thankes therfore And it foloweth Ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo And I shall laughe at you whan ye shal be deuoured by the deuyles of hell We myght here also shewe many other occasions of meruaylynge whiche be written in diuerse places of this treatys and specially in the fyrste particle of this parte ¶ How we shuld consydre Christes passyon to reioyse and ioy therin The .iiii. Chap. FOrthly we shulde considre the passion of our lorde to ioy therin For we shuld ioy therof for the redeÌ„ption of mankynde for the reparynge and restorynge of the ruyne and decay of aungelles And also we shuld ioy of the greate charitye and goodnes of god shewed in the sayd passion Fyrste without doubte we ought greatly to reioyse and ioy in our redemption whiche we had by the deth and passion of Christe Who is he I beseche you that wyll nat be ioyfull and gladde of this deth and passion whan he considereth that therby he is redemed from eternal dampnation from the rebuke of synne from the powre of the deuyll and from the miserable paynes of hell Secondly we shuld ioy that y e tall of aungellê is repared by the passion of Christe Surely it may be a greate reioysynge to vs whan we considre that so noble a college as is the companye of aungelles thorough the deth of Christe shal be repared and fulfilled with vs so that of aungelles of men shal be one heerd or flocke vnder one herdmaÌ„ our sauiour Iesu Christ so that they and we may be all one in hym Thirdly we oughte moste specyally to reioyse beholdynge in al the forsayd thynges the great and inestimable charite of our sauiour Iesu Christ our lorde and god Howe or in what thynge myght he haue shewed more clerly or more to our comforth his most benigne goodnes then in his most glorious passion where as he suffered so shamfull sharpe and greuous paynes for the deliueraunce of his enemy and to glorifye hym that was worthy to be punysshed with eternall dethe And therfore scripture sayth Inundationes maris quasi lac sugent et thesauros altissimos arenarum They shal sucke as it were mylke the swellynges or inundations and tempestes of the see and also the depe and hyd treasoures of the sande or grauell By this suckynge is signifyed the confortable swetnes that we haue in the receyuynge of the precious bodye of our lorde the whiche we receyue in the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lord and of the great treasure that was hyd in the manyfolde paynes and sorowes that he suffred before his dethe wherby we were redemed whiche we ought at all tymes to remembre And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Adhereat lingua mea faucibus meis si non meminero tui I wolde my tunge shulde cleue faste to my iawes if I do nat remembre the. Then dothe the tunge cleue fast to the iawes when a man nothynge regardynge spirituall pleasures enforceth hymselfe to folowe worldly or carnall pleasures The swetnes that coÌ„meth in to the soule by receyuynge of the sacrameÌ„t redoundeth in to the iawes or chekes that be wel disposed that is to say it is nat onely comforth to a good soule but also to all the poures of the bodye as the suckynge of the salt water of the see wherby is signified the bitter paynes of Christes passion And these spirituall consolations be the treasures more precious then golde and precious stone Also they be hyd treasures for no man knoweth them but he that receyueth them And as the prophet Dauid sayth they be moche more to be desyred then golde or precious stone and more pleasauÌ„t or swetter then hony or any hony combe For they that be replenysshed with this hyd
lofte or chamber that is in the soule of man eleuate and lyfte vp by feruent deuocion and great by longanimitie broode by the brede of charitie and strawed by the diuersitie of vertues And whan all thynges were prepared in this chambre Iesus dyd entre with his disciples to whom the Pascall lambe rosted was brought furthe And grace sayde or blyssyng made by our lorde they eat it with the iuse of wylde letuâ—e And note that in this soleÌ„pnitie of Pasce there were toure thynges that is the Pascall lambe pure wheat brede without leuyn wyne and the iuse of wylde letuse to signifie that no man might cum worthely to eat of the true lambe the body of Christe without bytternes and compunction of herte for theyr synnes This refection also doeth signifie theternall refection of glory that shal be in the ende of the worlde Than Iesus rysynge from supper his disciples syttynge and eatynge he sayd I haue with a great desyre desyred to eat this Pascall lambe with you before my passion This worde desyre twyse spoken doeth signifie a mynde of two desyres One was y t the olde testament shuld be finished and the new shuld be begun And this was moost his desyre For all the dayes of his lyfe he ranne after vs with a moost feruent desyre of our helthe And we â–ª yf we can nat at sumtyme haue good myndes and desires at the leest let vs haue a wyl to haue y t good desyre accordynge to the sayenge of Dauid Concupiuit anima mea deside rare iustificationes tuas My soule hath couetyd or desyred to desyre thy iustificacions After this Christe toke bread and wyne and gyuynge thankes to god blyssed them and so conuerted the bread into his owne body the wyne into his bloode and gaue it vnto them sayenge take and eat this is my bodye drynke of my bloode And here he shewed his great desyre y t was to cum that is to shede his bloode for our redemption that after the immolacion offeryng of the figuratiue and Pascall lambe shulde folow the oblacion of the very true lambe Iesus Christe And so the olde figures ceassed and all thynges were made new whan that Christ conuertyd and turned bread and wyne into his precyouse body and bloode And here note that in the boke called Exodus there were determined many thynges that were requyred to the eatynge of the figuratiue Pascall lambe whiche also spiritually be requyred to theatynge of the verye true lambe our sauiour Iesus Fyrst it shulde be eaten onely of them that be circumcidyd so shulde we be circumcidyd by the cuttynge away of our olde synfull conuersacion and lyfe Secondely it shulde be eaten with the iuse of wylde letuse signifienge that we shulde haue bytter contricion for our synnes Thyrdly with pure whete breade without leuyn betokenynge the puritie of our conscience without leuyn of fynne Fourthly theyr clothes shulde be gyrded vp signifienge oure chastitie of body soule Fyftely they shulde haue shoes vppon theyr fete betokenynge that our affections shulde be separate from all erthely thynges In a signe also or token herof our lord fyrst wasshed the fete of his disciples before that he gaue to them his body and blood Sixtely they shuld haue staues in theyr handes notynge therby that we shulde diligently kepe our selfe These syxe foresayd condicions ben requyred in vs as concernynge the auoidaunce of vyce and synne And in lyke maner syxe thynges ben requyred in vs yf we wyll worthely receyue the sacrament of the aulter as concernynge the operacion of good werkes and gettynge of vertues Fyrst that it be eaten in one house that is in the vnitie of the chyrche that we be nat diuided from the chyrche by any scisme or heresye Secondly that we take or eat it with our neighbours as many as shall be sufficient to eate it signifienge the loue and concorde with our neighbours Thyrdely that it be nat eaten raw that is withoute the fyre of loue ne yet sodden with water of carnall pleasures but rosted with the fyre of feruent deuocion Fourthly it shulde be eaten hastely betokenyng our feruent desyre and delectacion folowynge Fyftely it shulde be eaten all hole bothe hed fete and the inwarde partes signifieng that we shulde be incorporate vnto Christe with a hole and true fayth beleuynge the diuinitie of Christe whiche is the hed also his humanitie body flesshe whiche is as the fote and also his soule whiche is as the inwarde parte Syxtely they shulde breke no bone of the Paschall lambe signifienge the symple veneracion worshyppynge of this sacrament nat dyuydyng the godhed from the manhode nor the flesshe from the blood for vnder euery parte of the hooste consecrate there is hole Christe bothe god man soule body and blood Wherfore who so euer receiueth the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter vnder the forme of bread only he receyueth hole Christe god and man soule flesshe and blood ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche in the euyn tyde made thy last supper with thy disciples in a greate and large chaumbre strawed and made redye for the and there fedde theym with thy moost sacrate body and bloode make my herte I beseche the a great large chambre prepared for the. Enlarge in it trew fayth hope and charitie Magnifie or make it great with longanimitie pacience mekenes and straw it with all maner of vertues Graunt me lorde that my herte contrite and thus prepared may take and receyue the after my pore maner whom heuyn and erthe are nat able to take and conteyne that by thy grace inhabytance in me I may thynke and performe in dede all thynges pleasyng to the and declyne or auoyde all vyce and synne by perfyte hace of them and so continuynge vnto the ende I may worthely receiue thy preciouse body and blood in the sacrament of the aulter AMEN ¶ The .x. and last particle of this fyrst parte Of the wasshynge of his disciples fete WHan this supper was done and the Paschall lambe eaten and whan the deuyll had put into the herte wyll of Iudas to betraye Christe nat dyrecâ—y mouynge his wyll as the soule moueth the bodye but onely indyrectly by suggestion mouynge and perswadynge hym to betray Christe and he consented thereunto And here note that the deuyll can nat put euyll thoughtes into y e hert of man but onely offre them vnto man which yf the man receyue theym and that appere to the deuyll by sum outewarde sygne or token than the deuyll bloweth at this coole to kynâ—â—e and make the fyre burne that is he ceasseth nat to perswade and moue that man to consent vnto that synne And so it apperech that the deuyll can nat cast a man downe and ouercum hym except the man cast hym selfe fyrste downe and rendre his armour vnto his enemy that is excepte he consent to the suggestyon and mocion of the deuyll This supper I saye done and the Paschall
of Christes passion they shall be so frutyfull that they shall bryng ioye to the aungels in heuyn meryte to the good persones lyuynge in erthe forgyuenes to the synners and great refresshyng and conforte to the soules in purgatorye And this is bycause Christe reputeth and accompteth all thynges done to any of his seruauntes whether it be good or euyll as done to hym selfe And therefore he sayeth in the gospell Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis mihi fecistis What so euer ye haue done to one of the leest of myne ye haue done it to me And in an other place he sayd to his disciples Qui vos recipit me recipit et qui vos spernit me spernit He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me And so our sauiour Christ taketh all our paines and tribulacions committed to hym as I sayd before as his owne and oâ—â—rech them to his father as his owne with lyke effect and fruite as is sayd before Therefore euery good and faythfull person ought moche to ioye in his tribulacions and paynes For what so euer he suffre Christe doeth confesse that he suffreth the same in hym and with hym ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesus Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche at mydnyght thy passion drawynge nygh wolde take vpon the feare heuynes for me moost wretchyd synner graunt me continually faythfully to referre all my tribubulacions heuynes paines vnto the the god of my hert y t thou wolde vouchesafe to bere them with me in the vnion of thy passion and heuynes That so by the merites of thy moost holy passion they myght be made to me fruitfull and profitable Amen ¶ Of the blody swet of Christe The seconde article THe seconde artycle is the flowynge of the bloode of Christe into the erthe by the maner of swet or of the blody swet of Christe flowynge from his bodye into the erthe For the seconde tyme that Christ prayed for anguysshe he swet blood and the aungell descendynge from heuyn aâ—â—ered to hym and conforted hym It foloweth therfore in thâ— gospell Factus in agonia prolixius orabat et factus est sudor eius sicut gutte sanguinis decurrentis in terram Christe was in a great agony and therfore he prolonged his prayer And in this prayer for his great agony his swet was as droppes of bloode runnynge downe from his body into the erthe Here do our doctours say that whan our lorde Iesus Christe dyd so prolong his prayer his most holy hert was greatly enflamed so coÌ„sequently all his hole body most holy most innocent In so moche that thrughe that greate feruour of prayer and his excessyue loue and moost feruent desyre that he had to suffre and to dye for our helth And of the other parte thrugh the vehement angwyssh and agony that he had in his manhode in the remembraunce of his moost greuouse paynes and shamefull dethe that he shulde suffre and thrugh the stronge reluctacion and stryuynge of sensualitie naturally abhorrynge that dethe and therfore myghtely fyghtynge agaynst it for these causes I say the poorys of his body were open and so flowed out the blood for his swet That vehement angwysshe and excessyue loue constreyned the bloode to cum out of the vaynes agaynst nature as Bede sayeth in so moche that many droppes of blood ranne downe by his clothes and fell vpon the erthe The loue of god in the herte of Christe dyd ouercum in that agony his natural feare and the feare of his manhode and so the bloode of Christe so quyckened and conforted by this loue was styrred and moued as yf it wolde haue cum all furthe of the body at that tyme thrugh that excessyue loue as yf he wolde nat or might nat haue abyden the tyme of his dethe appointed whan all that blood shulde be vtterly sheddyd And so I say thrughe this vehement loue the droppes of blood dyd issue and fall from the vaynes of his body And as the inwarde cause of swet after naturall phisiciens is the naturall hete dissoluynge that is hote and moyst in the bodye so the supernaturall cause of this bloody swet myght be the feruent hete and burnynge of his excessyue loue redowndyng from the herte of Christe into al his hole body there dissoluynge the vaporouse moisture Phisiciens also say that it is possible that a man may swet naturally thrugh the vehemeÌ„ce of loue In lyke maner as our doctours say Christe swet blood aboue nature thrugh his vehement feruour of charitie for thaÌ„ the more he approched to his dethe the more he burned in loue for the feruente desyre of our helthe O how bytter and paynefull was this dethe of Christe in it selfe sythe the onely imaginacion therof dyd so greatly chaunge thorder of nature for it drew from all the partes of his bodye droppes of bloode as yf he had swet whiche blody swet shulde signifie and note to vs the helthe of his misticall body that is the catholicall chyrch Hereto sayth saint Bernarde By the erthe moisted with the bloody swet of Christ is signified that erthely men shulde be redemyd by the bloode of Christe By the whiche blood also he shulde reduce vnto lyfe all the worlde ded in synne Woo be to that wretchyd hert that wyll nat be moisted and made softe with this blood or swet Beholde thou wretche the great tribulacion of this most mylde gentyll louynge herte in what angwyssh it was whan all his bodye on euery parte swet blood O thou my stony herte quake and tremble and breke in pecys and moyst thyne iyen with blody teres for as thou mayst se thy creatour and maker is all wet in bloode for the and that with suche plenty that it ranne downe vpon the erthe And surely his body outwardly wolde neuer haue bene so wet with bloode yf his herte inwardly had nat ben broken with sorowe and heuynesse Therefore the prophete sayeth in the persone of Christe Contritum est cor meum in meipso My herte is broken within me The herte of our mooste louynge Iesus thus inwardly broken or cut the outwarde skynne also was broken so that his blood myght abundantly flow out vpon the erthe And this bloody swette was very naturall and true bloode of the moost purest body of Christe But as we sayd before it was nat shed naturally for it is agaynst nature to swet blood ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Doctrines or holsom lessons IN this artycle we may take thre holsum and profytable lessons Fyrste by the apparicion of the aungell c. We be enfourmed that the holy aungelles of god do assyst vs and also conforte vs in our prayers Hereunto sayeth the prophete Dauyd Preuenerunt principes coniuncti psallentibus The prynces or holy aungelles do preuent them that prayse god or praye to hym with theyr helpe and also be ioyned vnto them in theyr praysynges And in an other place he sayeth In
pyllar and greuously scourged graunt to me that I may pacientlye and gladly beare the scourges of thy fatherly correccyon and neuer to scourge the agayne with my synnes Amen ¶ Howe they put an olde purpur cote vpon Christe The .xxxii. article THe .xxxii. article is the puttynge on of an olde purpull cote for after that Christe was scourged and lowsed from the pyllar they ledde hym so naked and scourged aboute the house to gather vp his clothes which were cast about the house in diuers places by those cruel tormentours and when he hadde founde them and wolde haue put them vpon hym those most wicked saugiours sayd to Pylate Syr this lewde felowe called hym selfe a kynge therfore if it please you we shall aray hym lyke vnto a kynge and so moche scornfullye they brought before hym al the ornamentes coÌ„uenient for a kyng and then these wretches called in all theyr compaigney that they myght mocke Christe asmoche as any of them wolde before that they wolde put hym vnto the deth Pylate paraduenture commaundynge or at leste sufferynge that it shulde so be and that he dyd to mitigate and swage the furie and malicyous mynd of the Iues. Or els as Crisostom sayth The saugiours dyd thus to please the Iues of whom they receyued money Fyrste they put vpon hym a robe of purpull a kynges garment but it was olde to the more confusyon of Christe this garment was conuenient for the bodie of Christe so scurged for it was of red coloure and all his bodye was red with his owne blode And herin was fulfylled the question that the prophet moued in the persons of the angelles saynge Quare rubrum est indumeÌ„tum tuum et vestimen ta tua sicut calcantium in torculari Why is thy clothyng red and thy garmentes as of them that treyd in the presse to the whiche Christe answereth by the same prophet saynge Torcular calcaui solus I alone haue troden in the presse I alone haue suffred the pressure and payne of the crosse of scourgynges and beatynges for the synne of Adam and all mankynde and therfore my bodye whiche is as the garment of my godhed is all red Also this purpull vestment was moche conuenient to Christe for purpull colour is made of the blode or lyquor of a certen fysshe of the see that is called in latyn Murex or conchilium some men call it a Whelke it is a shell fysshe Our sauyour Christe was cladde on good Fryday with .iii. maner of garmentes that is a whyte garment a scarlet robe and a purpull robe to signify that who so euer wylbe of the houshold of Christ he must were the whyte garment of innocentie the reed or scarlet of charitie and obedyence and the purpull of penaunce ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we shulde hyde and couer our synnes with the werkes of charitie for like as Christ scourged and wounded for our synnes wold be couered and clad with a robe of purpull so we shulde couer and hyde our blody werkes that is our synnes with the purple of florisshynge charitie For as saynte Iames sayth Charitie couereth and hydeth the multitude of synnes Or els by the purpull may be noted the remembraunce of the passyon of Christ Herunto it is writen in the canticles of the spouse of god that is the faythfull soule Come capitis eius sicut purpura regis The heyre of her hed be as the purpull of a kynge for the cogitations of our mynde whiche be signifyed by the heyre of oure hed shuld be diligently and continually occupyed in the remembraunce of the paâ—syon of Christ or els aboute other werkes of charitie And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article and to the .vii. other folowynge shulde diligently remember the acte of euery article with the circumstances of the same And praye thus or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be clad in an olde purpull robe to thy dispysynge graunte me continuallye to haue in my mynde or to be clad with the remembraunce of thy passyon and to hyde and couer my synnes with the purpul of charitie Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crowned with thornes The .xxxiii. article THe .xxxiii. article is the puttynge of the crowne of thornes vpon the hed of Christe A kynge shulde haue a deademe or a crowne and for this crowne the saugiours writhed a crowne of thornes thurst it harde vpon his hed as a man shuld put a garlande vpon an other mannes hed And this crowne was of the sharpe russhes of the see whiche hath sharp corners and prickes more sharpe and persynge than thornes This crowne they put vpon his hed with the prickes dounwarde vnto his hed not so moche to hurte hym as to mocke hym therwith though they dyd both mocke hym and also moste greuously payne and hurte hym and herunto sayth saynt Barnarde That godlye hed of Christ was persed vnto the brayne with those thornes in so moche that the blode that ranne from his hed dyd wasshe his forhed chekes all his face and necke In this crowne was .lxxvii. sharp thornes of these thornes it was spoken to Adam Terra spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi The erth shall bryng forth or burgen to the thornes and breers for the erth of our bodye doth burgen and brynge forth many synnes whiche with theyr prickes dothe prycke and wounde our conscience as thornes the bodye Christ toke these thorne and bare them as a crowne of victorie These warryours that haue ouercome theyr enemyes are wonte to beare or weare the armoure of theyr aduersaries subdued in a signe or token of victorie and do greatly reioyse therin So Christe the lambe of god whiche hath ouercome the deuyll and taken away the synnes of the worlde and wolde weare a crowne of thornes vpon his hed in token of his victorie For as I sayd before these thornes were our frute and the badge of our armes therfore Christe wolde weare them It is moche pleasaunt and also desyrous to euery louyng soule to se our kyng with this crowne And herunto the spousesse in her canticles callethe all faythfull soules sayng Egredimini filie sion et videte regem salomonem in diademate c. O ye doughters of syon or faithful soules come forth and se your true kynge Salomon Iesus Christ in his diademe or crowne with the whiche his mother the sinagoge of theÌ„ Iues hath crowned hym or els spiritually his mother charitie hath thus crowned hym For as saynt Barnarde saythe Thy loue O blessed Iesu and our iniquitie made the to be scourged and crowned and nayled to the crosse A figure of this crownyng we rede that Abraham se a shepe or a wether fastned by his hornes amonge the thornes in the whiche visyon he spyrytuallye dyd se Christe crowned with thornes ¶ Here folowe .ii. Lessons THe firste lesson of this article is that we euer bere our synnes by
for me wolde be spoyled of thy clothes and syt naked before y e crosse make me to be spoyled or naked from all worldly thynges that be hynderaunce to my saluacyon that I naked myght folowe thy naked crosse Amen ¶ Howe Christ was layde or spred vpon the Crosse The .xlvi. article THe .xlvi. article is the extensyon of Christe vpon the crosse for after they had taken his clothes frome hym and the crosse was made redy they with greate fury toke Christe from his mother Marie not without her great sorowe wepynge sobbyng they cast hym very harde naked as he was vpon the harde crosse lyeng vpon the erth and so cruelly they spred hym abrode vpon the crosse and drewe out his armes and legges as a cloth is stretched drawen out vpon tenters in somoche they drewe hym so that all his meÌ„bres and ioyntes were in a maner out of theyr proper places Of this speaketh the prophet sayng Funes extenderunt in laqueum These moste cruell tormentours haue extended theyr ropes to make a snare for me And in an other psalme Funes peccatorum circumplexi sunt me The roopes of synners haue compassed me aboute and that so sharplye that all his bones myght be nombred and therfore the same prophet sayth of these tormentours in the persone of Christe Dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They haue nombred all my bones for they dyd prepare the crosse without aduysemeÌ„t or any mesure takynge of the length and brede of Christes body or els they dyd it of pure malice that is to make the holes so far distance to put Christ to the more payne And when Iesus wyllingly prepared hym selfe to lye downe vpon y e crosse those most wicked and cruell tormentours toke hym by the armes violently and cast his most holye and tender bodye vpon the harde crosse in so moche that therby the crowne of thornes was thurste more fast and farther in to his hed and so put hym to extreme payne O thou christen soule beholde the face of thy sauyoure Christe but howe can thou lyft vp thyne eyne vnto his face to beholde his tormentes without teares And howe can thou thynke in thy herte of his most greuous paynes without sorowe and syghyng And consider what tribulation and sorowe he founde when he saught the. And herby ye may perceyue that this extension doth conueniently make a specyall article for therby Christe suffred a great and greuous payne And therfore the churche doth say and synge in a certen hympne Flecte ramos arbor alta tensa laxa viscera c. O thou high tre of the crosse bowe downe thy branches lawce the bowels that be stretched vpon the. c. This extension or stretchynge forth of the bodie of Christe doth also shewe and declare vnto vs the great effusyon of the goodnes of Christe towardes vs whiche procedeth from his highe and infinite charitie that he hathe to vs. By this extension of his armes and membres vppon the crosse he doth shewe y t he loued vs asmoche as he might gyuynge to vs to gette our loue all that he was in hym self and all that he myght do And that whiche he coulde not expresse by worde for his charitie in vnspeakeable he dyd expresse it with this signe and token of his bodye that is in this extensyon and stretchynge oute of his bodye vpon the crosse And hereunto saynte Bernarde sayth Verylye oure sauyour Iesus is a large and a liberall dispenser stewarde or prouysoure whiche hath gyuen to vs his owne flesshe to oure meate and his blode to oure drynke his soule for the pryce of oure redemption hys woundes for oure remedye agaynste temptacyons hys armes for oure refuge and comforth his crosse for oure shelde his herte for a token of loue to vs his water to bathe and wasshe vs his swette for a medicine to vs his nayles for our sauce his crowne of thornes to our ournament his wordes to our instruccyon both his lyfe and deth to our example These be the .xii. fruytes of the tre of lyfe of whiche saynt Iohan speaketh in his apocalipse These also be signifyed by the .xii. breades or looues that were dayly sette vpon the table in the temple of god called mensa propositionis ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld extend and streche forthe all our membres and partes of our body in to the obsequy and seruyce of Christe that is our handes and armes to good werkes our fete in goynge to good and godlye places our kneys to knele in prayer and all our senses to holy exercyse of theyr actes and operacyons so that we may say with the prophet Omnia ossa mea dicent domine quis similis tui Al my bones shall say O lorde who is lyke to the there is none so louynge to vs as thou arte therfore we aught to serue the with all the partes of our bodie And herunto saynt Paule exhorteth vs saynge Obsecro vos vt exhibeatis corpora vestra hostiam viueÌ„tem sanctam c. I beseche you that ye so order your bodies that they may be a quicke or lyuynge hoste holye pleasaunt to god and a reasonable obsequie that all thynges be done reasonably Of this extencyon we may take example in the strynges of a harpe or lute whiche wyll make no sowne good and pleasaunt except they be extended and writhed vp And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article he may extende all his membres and specyally his armes in the maner of a crosse and that outher standyng or lyenge as his deuocyon moueth hym and also extende all the powers of his saule to the laude and prayse of god and pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold be extended vpon the crosse that so cruelly that all thy bones myght be nombred make me to extende all my membres and powers both of soule and bodye vnto thy laude and praysynge Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crucifyed The .xlvii. article THe .xlvii. article is the crucifienge of Christ for our sauiour Iesus wold not onely be extended vpon the crosse but also wolde be fastened and nayled to the crosse to commende vnto vs his indissoluble charitie wherby he dyd stablysshe our helth Therfore after that those cruell tormentours had so stretched Christe vpon the crosse that the veynes and synnouse were greatly and aboue mesure extended and also the ioyntes of the boâ—es out of order then dyd they crucify hym and nayle hym fast to the crosse bothe his handes and fete and that with great harde and grosse nayles whiche were so blunte and grosse that they bracke both skyn and flesshe synnouse and vaynes and also put the ioyntes of the bones out of order And the cause why he wolde be crucifyed is this for asmoche as our firste parent Adam extendynge his handes to the tre that was forbodden to hym and with his fete going
and sorowe hope is the parte that is vpwarde feare is downwarde loue of the ryght syde and sorowe of the lefte parte the roote wherof all these do sprynge is charitye And herunto sayth the apostle In caritate radicati vt possitis comprehendere c. Be ye founded in charitie that ye maye comprehende and clerely se with all sayntes what is the length the brede the hyghte and the depenes In these wordes as saynte Austen sayth and also the glose ordinarye is playnly expressed the figure of the crosse and the misterie therof And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde ofte remember howe Christ dyd hyng bitwixt .ii. theues and remeÌ„bre therwith this lesson pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde be crucified bitwyxt ii theues and wolde be reputed as one of them graunte that my spirite may be crucifyed bitwixt the flessh and the world that I may reste quietely in the in the middle the extremes that is the flesshe and the worlde crucified to me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours diuided Christes garmentes The .liiii. article THe .liiii. article is the diuision of Christes garmentes for when the saugiours had crucified Christe they toke his garmentes deuyded them in to .iiii. partes to euery saugiour one parte for there were iiii hangmen and besydes those .iiii. partes Christ had an other cote that was hole vnsewed or without any seame for it was wouen or knytte Of this cote the saugiours or hang men sayd Non scindamus eam sed sottiamur de ea cuius sit We wyll not cut this cote but cast lottes who shall haue it and herin was fulfylled the scripture whiche sayth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam miserunt sortem The hangmen deuyded to them selfe my garmentes and they cast lottes vpon my garment This was a great abiection and vilanie to Christ as Crisostom saith for they dyd not so to the theues This thyng is onely done to vyle abiecte and condempned persons that haue nothynge but his garmentes And Theophylus sayth they dyd this to the rebuke and shame of Christ and of a wantones as yf they shulde say scornfully bicause he called hym selfe a kynge we wyll haue iche one of vs some of his royall or kynges roobes O meruelous pacyence and dispensacyon of the mercy of Christ whiche is the very lambe of god a shepe or a lambe doth bothe fede and cloth them that clyp hym and sley hym he feades them with his flesshe and body and clotheth them with his flees So our true lambe Iesu Christe dyd cloth those saugiours with his garmentes and also he feades vs daylye in the sacrament of the aulter with his precyous bodye flesshe and blode ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may note that charitie which after saynt Austen is signifyed by the cote without seames can not be deuyded and yet that same charitie doth knytte vertues togyther And also by that same cote is signifyed one holye catholical and vniuersall churche whiche gathereth all faythfull people in to one fayth which churche faith No man ought to deuyde by any scisme or heresye Of this churche speaketh the spouse in his canticles Vna est columba mea vna est perfecta mea My douue that is my spousesse symple as the douue is one my perfecte spousesse is but one and so theyr is but one churche as theyr is but one god one fayth and one baptisme ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde haue thy garmentes deuyded amonges thy crucifiers and wolde haue them cast lottes for thy vnsewed cote that was wouen or knyt and without seames graunt to me to take parte with thy saintes and to folowe theyr examples in the kepynge of thy commaundementes and that I maye euer keape thy charitie in me Amen ¶ Of the writynge of the title aboue Christes heade The .lv. article THe .lv. article is the superscription or wrytynge of the title for Pylate at the desyre of the Iues wrote a title expressynge the cause of Christes deth and this was it Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues as if he shuld say Iesus of Nazareth was crucifyed bycause he is the kynge of the Iues. And this title was writen thus to separate the cause of his deth from the causes of the other .ii. that were crucifyed with hym and that for theyr euyll dedes and lyfe The Iues intended by this title as Theophilus sayth scornfully to rebuke the person of Christ which as they sayd made hym selfe a kyng so that the people passynge by and redynge this title shuld haue no compassion vpon hym but rather rebuke hym as a tyrante that wolde haue vsurped the kyngdome But Pylate wrote not as they wolde haue had hym to write that is that he made hym selfe the kynge of Iues but he wrote playnly that Iesus is the kynge of Iues. And herunto saynt Hierome sayth the Iues of enuy and to scorne Christe dyd speake for the writyngâ—of the title but the vertue and secreate power of god dyd ordre it otherwyse in the herte of Pylate thoughe he were ignorant and wyâ—t not what he dyd as the glose sayth For it was god that procured suche a title to be put aboue Christes heed that therby the Iues myghte knowe that Iesus was theyr kynge and that they culd not auoyde though they slewe hym for that purpose y t they wolde not knowe hym for theyr kynge that notwithstandynge it appered by the title that he was theyr kynge for his kyngdom or dignitie was not lost or hyndred by the deth of the crosse but rather confirmed stablysshed and the more strengthed as Bede saythe Also by this title Pylate commended Christe in .iii. thynges thoughe Pylate dyd not so intende for the deth of Christe was firste the cause of the remission of our synnes and that is noted in this worde Iesus a sauiour Secondly the deth of Christ is the cause meritorious of our grace that we haue aâ—d that is noted in this worde Nazarenus that is as moche to saye as florisshynge for by grace we florisshe in all vertues Thyrdly by the deth of Christe we be made enheritours of the kyngdome of god noted in these wordes Rex iudeorum The kyng of Iues that is of all faithfull people that truely confesse god and by this kyng we all shal be kynges in glorie And when many of the Iues had red this title and perceyued that it was to theyr infamy sclaunder sayd to Pylate Noli scribere râ—x iudeorum sed quia ipse dixit rex sum iudeorum wryte not thus the kynge of Iues but that he sayd I am the kyng of the Iues then Pylate sayd Quod scripsi scripsi That I haue writen I haue writen as if he shuld say It is true that I haue writen and therfore I wyl not chauÌ„ge it I wyll not
shulde loue bodily or carnall pleasures but that as Christ hauyng a mortall body dyd by coÌ„tinual penaunce subdue his body coÌ„tempne all carnall worldly pleasures and was euer ioyned to god by loue so in lyke maner shuld mortal man mortifye his body by continuall penaunce dispise all vayne pleasures and euer erecte or lyfte vp his soule to god and heuenly thynges O the meruaylous blyndnes of man made of two substaunces that is the soule and the body and all thoughe the soule without comparison be moche more noble than the body yet he wyl spend and occupy all his tyme in a maner aboute the prouisyon of his body or in suche thynges as the flesshe desireth and in nothynge regarde his soule as yf he had none or that it were of no value For he wyll neyther fede nor norysshe it nor yet laboure to quiete or rest it in the loue of god thoughe he myght so do with moche more ease swetnes and also pleasure without comparison than to content and saciat the body For god is prest and redy to euery man ye he offereth hym selfe to man yf man he wyl receyue hym Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso c. Behold he sayth I stande at thy dore that is thy herte or soule and knocke yf any person wyl here my voyce and open the dore of his soule vnto me I shall entre therin and suppe with hym and he with me Se thou vnkynde man howe our lorde offereth hymselfe vnto the and requyreth none other pryce of the but the deth of his sonne with thyne obedient herte therfore gladly receyue hym to thy spirituall coÌ„forte All corporall and temporall thynges fle frome man and forsake hym and thoughe with great study anguysshe and payne he labour to get and kepe them yet he shal neuer haue y e ful possession of them to his quietnes excepte he wolde say that he hath the ful possession of them the whiche holly and fully contempneth and dispiseth them all for that person is saciate and contente with the wante of them But wyll ye se a more meruaylous blyndnes of this wretched man The soule of man which is made to thymage of god and the whiche shall neuer be saciate and content but only with god that same soule nat constrayned though partely enclyned and moued by the flesshe wylfully subdeweth her selfe vnto the flesshe redy to fulfyl the vayne pleasures and desyres of the flesshe But she coÌ„tempneth or dispiseth to subdue her self to god though she be continually moued therunto by dayly exhortatyon or preachynge continuall receyuynge of his benefytes and graces and also by inwarde inspirations Ye more ouer she wyll nat do the wyl of god in his owne gyftes that he gyueth to her Truely yf the soule were nat worse or more bestial than any brut beste she wolde loue god aboue all thynges vnto whose ymage she is made And so lytell or nothynge regarde all creatures in comparison of god Wherfore thou soule yf thou wylt loue the flesshe or the body loue none other but the flesshe and the body of Christe whiche was offered for the and for the helth of mankynde on the auter of the crosse Therfore dayly remembre in thy herte his passion For it so remembred in the soule of man is continually offered and presented to the syght of the father omnipotent for our consolation and comforte It is comenly sayd that if any man kyl or slee another man yf that mansleer come afterwarde in the presence of that deed corps or body so that he se it it wyl incontinent blede or voyde at the wounde fresshe blode So yf we wolde beholde with the deuoute eyen of our soule the blode and passion of Christe whom we haue slayne or were the occasyon of his deth nat onely by our original synne but also by our manyfolde actuall synnes we shuld fele or perceyue by spiritual grace of deuotion in our soules howe that by our compassion of his passion his blode flowethe plentuously out of his body and is offered and presented vnto his father for our saluacion and sanctification For yf the nayles that persed his handes and feet were sanctified and called holy by the tochyng of his blessed meÌ„bres how moche more then shulde our reasonable thoughtes whiche cleue fast to Christe crucifyed by continual or ofte remembraunce of his passion be called holy O most delectable passion O most meruaylous deth Meruaylous Ye what may be more meruaylous for this deth doth gyue life it cureth our woundê it maketh blode whyte that is it purifieth and clenseth our soule from the blode of synne Great bitternes and sorowe is ofte times tourned to moche swetenes pleasure The openyng of the syde of Christ ioyneth his herte to our herte The sonne hyd frome vs by the clowdes whan the clowdes be gone and paste it shineth more clerely The fyre quenched is shortlyer or soner kyndeled maketh the greater flame The ignominious and shamfull deth of Christe glorifieth both hym and vs. Christe thristyng vpon the crosse doth inebriate and saciate vs with the drynke and liquore of grace Christe hangyng naked on the crosse clotheth y e ryghtuous persones with the garmentes of vertue His handes nayled to the crosse dothe vnknytte or loose oure handes his feete nayled dothe make vs ronne to vertue Christe yeldynge his spyryte in to the handes of his father dothe inspyre and gyue lyfe of grace And he also spred abrode vpon the crosse doth call vs to heuenly thinges O the wonderfull passyon of Christe the whiche doth alyenate and chaunge the herte and mynde of hym that hath remembraunce and compassion of it For it nat only maketh hym angelical but also diuine and godly For he that coÌ„tinueth by meditation in the tormentes and passion of Christ seeth nat hym selfe bycause he alwayes and onely beholdeth his sauiour Christe crucified This person wolde bere the crosse of Christe with hym and he also bereth in his herte hym which susteynethe both heuen and erthe with whome he may easely susteyne and beare all heuy burdens and paynes This persone also that thus continueth in the mediation of Christe crucifyed wolde be crowned with thornes with Christe and for Christe and he is crowned with the sure hope and truste of the crowne of glory He wolde hynge naked on the crosse with Christe and so shake for colde and he is heated in his soule with the feruent fyre of loue He wolde taste of the bitter and sharpe vynacre and gall with Christe and he drynkethe the wyne of vnspeakable swetenes He wolde be mocked and scorned withe Christe on the crosse and he is honoured of aungelles He wolde be dispysed and forsaken with Christe and our lady hath chosen hym to her sonne He wolde be heuy with Christe and he is conforted He wolde be tormented and scourged with Christe and he is relyued with great ioy gladnes He wold hynge with Christe on the crosse and Christe most swetely doth
but that also the deuotion of the remeÌ„berer be enflamed by loue in his wyl And suerly yf our vnderstandynge do his diligence in the remembraunce of the said passion it shall shortly moue our affection And so the passion of our lord shall nat onely in our cogitacions be remeÌ„bred but also it shal inflame your wyl by compassion pitye Wherunto we be admonysshed by our lord saynge Pone me vt signaculum super cor tuum Put me sayth our lord as a seale vpon thy herte A seale as ye knowe if it be iÌ„prynted in to wax it leaueth in it his image So our lord wolde that his passion shuld be so imprinted in our hertes nat onely be ofte remembraunce but also by deuoute compassion that the prynt and image therof abyde in our affection and feruent desyre so that as Iesus Christe was made reed and blody on the crosse so our deuocion in vs may be made reed and feruent by the vertue of compassion And hereunto we be counselled by the wordes of Moyses saing Sumes de sanguine vituli et pones super coâ—nua altaris That thou shal take of the blode of the calf signifieng the blode of Christe and thou shal put it vpon the corners of the aulter that is vpon thy thoughtê affections with feruent remembrauÌ„ce of the blode of Christe And so we shal fulfyll the admonition of saynt Paule saynge as I sayde before Hoc sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu Feale in your self that Christe Iesu felt And thus we may feele hym in our soule .ii. maner of wayes First by the bitter affection of compassion and that is when we remembre the passion of Christe with so great compassion that it bringeth forth of vs most bytter teares so y t suche a deuoute soule may say with the wise man O mors quam amara est me moria tua O deth howe bitter and sorowfull is thy remeÌ„braunce and specially the remembrauÌ„ce of the deth of Christe Secondly we may feele hym in our hertes or soules by the moste swete and pleasaunt affection of deuotion and that is when we remembre most inwardly depely the great loue and charite of Christ that wolde suffer so greuous paynes and shamefull dethe for so vyle wretches and vnkynde as we be And so this deuout remeÌ„brauÌ„ce bringeth forth of vs most swete teares of deuotion So that we may say that is writen in the boke of Iudith Fontes aquarum ob dulcorati sunt That is the bitter fountayns ben made swete and delectable A figure herof we rede in scripture where as our lord commaunded to Moyses to put a tree that was both longe and bitter in to the water that was so bitter that no man culde drynk therof and so therby the waters were made swet and delectable What is signified by this water but the passion of our lord which is so bitter and paynful that no man may taste therof And by this long and bitter tree is signified the longe and continual remembraunce Whiche if it be ioyned and put to the passion of our lord it shal make it swete and pleasaunt so that the more we taste of it by deuout remeÌ„braunce the more delectable it shal be to vs. And therfore our holy mother the churche sayth in a certen hympne Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinet That is The swete tree of the crosse susteyneth and bereth a swete burden nayled fast with swete nayles For that whiche was most bitter and paynfull to our sauiour Iesu in his passion somtyme is moste delectable and comfortable to vs in our deuoute meditations These two maners of teares that is bitter and swete sprynge out of this deuout affection of the passion of our lorde And hereunto speaketh saynt Barnarde as we sayd a fore In the remeÌ„braunce of the paynes that my sauiour Iesu sufferd for me I drynke somtyme a draught of holsome bitternes And somtyme agayne I receyue the pleasaunt vnction or oyntment of deuoute consolation ¶ Howe we shuld fele Christes passion in our actes and dedes The thyrde Chapitre THyrdly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our effectes and outward operations That lyke as the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion enflameth our affection and loue inwardly so it myght appere be shewed outwardly in our warkes and lyuing Hereunto we be couÌ„seled by the wyse men sayng Prepara foris opus tuum That is to say Suche deuotion as thou haste inwardly conceyued by affection and loue let it be shewed outwardly in thy dedes For as saynt Gregore sayth the dede outwardly done is a sufficient argumeÌ„t or proue of the inwarde loue So by the inwarde loue of man is shewed or knowen his inwarde compassion Also it is writen in the seconde boke of the kynges Omnia que habes in corde tuo fac quoniam dominus tecum est As if he shulde say what so euer good thynge thou hast conceyued in thy hert shewe it outwarde in thy dedes Also it is writen in Exodo Fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Performe in thy lyuynge that goodnes whiche thou receyued of god in thy soule And therfore our lorde sayth to vs in his gospel Si quis vult venire post me abneget semetipsum et tollat crucem suam quotidie If any man wyll be my disciple and cum after me let hym denye hym selfe that is forsake his owne wyl and pleasure and take his own crosse that is put his owne body to payne and that dayly For we must coÌ„tinue in penaunce and so folowe Christe in our lyuyng outwardly and nat onely inwardly and hereto saith saint Paule Ostentionem caritatis vestre ostendite in faciem ecclesie That is shewe your good wyl and charitie openly in the face of the churche that is in our werkes in our dedes And saynt Peter sayth Christus passus est pro nobis relinquens exemplum vt s equamini eum Christ hath suffered paynes and deth for vs gyuynge vs example to folowe hym he doth nat say that we shulde haue a wyll desyre only to folowe hym but he sayth playnly that Christe hath left vnto vs an example that we shulde folowe hym in our dedes in sufferynge paynes as he dyd And then it myght be truely sayd of vs that we fele in our selfe that Christe felte whan he suffere lyke paynes as Christe suffred so that by suche sharpe penaunce and harde laboures our bodyes be subdued and our blode minysshed And so the sayng of scripture may be verifyed in vs Effudit sanguinem belli in pace He hath shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace They do shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace which by sharp penaunce great bodyly labours so subdue theyr bodyes that theyr blode is moche minisshed and theyr face made pale Suche maner of exercises of the
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 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
that soule is seke that forgetteth the worde of god herde of the preacher But as that person is in peryll of dethe that can nat receyue or kepe his meate so he is in peryll of eternall dethe that doth nat remeÌ„bre and lyue accordyngly to the spiritual food of the soule Also saynt Barnarde sayth It may be thought that that person shal be eternally dampned by the ryghtuous iudgmeÌ„t of god that in this tyme of grace is vnkynde vnto Christes passion and therfore vnworthy the frute therof ¶ The .ix. profit Ingeniorum illuminat ceciâ—atem IT is also an oyntment to oynt the blynde yen of our soule â–ª and herunto sayth IohnÌ„ in his Apocalipse Collirio â—â—â—unge oculos tuos vt videas Anoynte the yene of thy soule with the blode of Christe that thou myghtest se And saynt Barnarde sayth There is nothynge of so great efficacitie and vertue to purge and quycken the syght of our soule as is the continuall and diligent remeÌ„braunce of the woundes and passion of Christ And therfore sayd saynt Paule Non iudicaui me scire aliquid inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et hunc crucifixum I iudged thoght my selfe to knowe nothynge but Iesus Christe crucifyed So saynt Laurence by the signe of y e crosse dyd gyue syght vnto them that were blynde and so coÌ„uerted them vnto the light of the faith ¶ The meditation of the passion of Christe doth gyue vnto the remembrer thre maner of knowledges Fyrst is the knowledge of god for therby we knowe what mercy and charitie he hath to vs Secondly therby we knowe ourselfe for by it we se manifestlie of what dignytie and howe precious our soules be in the syght of god sithe that our sauiour Iesu god and man wolde put hym selfe to the deth for to redeme our soules The thyrde knowledge is of synne for therby we knowe moste manifestlie howe moche god the father dyd hate synne syth for the destruction therof he wolde nat spare his natural and onely sonne but gaue hym to the dethe for to destroy synne ¶ The .x. profit Iustorum letificat mortalitatem IT maketh a man redy and glade to dye And therfore saint Paule bearynge the signes and tokens of the woundes of our lorde Iesu Christe in his bodye sayde Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo mihi viuire Christus est et mori lucrum I couit to be dissolued and separate from this bodye and so to be with Christ I lyue here in Christe and for to magnifie Christe and to dye it shuld be great auauntage and profit to me So saynt Andrew went gladly to the dethe of the crosse saynge Hayle holy crosse take me from the compaigney of mortal men and rendre or gyue me to my maister Christe that he by the myght receyue me that by the bought and redemed me Also I rede how that a certen pagane and tyrante meruaylynge how that the Christians myght suffer so great tormentes and paynes and why they went so gladly vnto the deth It was answered to hym by the brother of saynt Victor howe that they haue the remembraunce of the passion of Christe imprinted in theyr hert and therfore remeÌ„bryng what he suffred for them they with great gladnes suffer all paynes deth for his name and loue And the iudge heryng this answere commauÌ„ded to put hym to deth and after that his bodye to be opened and his hert drawen out and so to be kut and deuided and therin they founde the forme and shappe of the crosse and the crucifix most subtilie and curiously made of synewes and vaynes ¶ The .xi. profit Lesorum reconsiliat contrarietatem THe meditation of the passion of Christ reconsileth enemis and induceth a man to the loue of god and of his neghbor And so our lorde sayde in the gospell Si exaltatus â—ueâ—o a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted from the erth signifienge therby his crucifieng I shall drawe all thynges vnto me by my loue Also saynt Paule sayth Pacificans per sanguinem crucis siue que in terris siue que in celis sunt He dyd reconsile and pacifie by his blode that he shedde on the crosse both those thyngê that were in erth and those that were in heuens He that feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe is all drawen in to the loue of god and in to the loue of his neighbor And therfore saynt Barnard saith O swete Iesu the cuppe of passion that thou dranke for vs doth cause the to be loued of vs aboue all thyngê There is nothynge that moueth vs so moche to the loue of god as the passion of Christe in the whiche he more laboured and suffred more payne and had more contradiction then in the creation of all the worlde For in his passion and the acte of our redemption some dyd contrarie hym in his wordes some dyd ley in a wayt to take hym with a defaut in his actes dedes some dyd scorne mocke hym in his tormentes and paynes and some dyd rebuke hym on the crosse at his dethe Wherfore who so euer feruently doth remembre this passion of Christ is drawen and reuysshed vnto the loue of Christe god man and so coÌ„sequently he is drawen vnto the loue of his neighbor for y e one can nat be had without y e other ¶ The .xii. profit Meritorum recompensat exiguitatem IT also encreaseth our merites herunto speaketh saynt Austen saynge What so euer grace of merites or goodnes that I want I do vsurpe and take it vnto my comforth of the woundes of my sauiour Iesu Christe for great mercy flowethe from hym nor theyr wanteth no conduites by the whiche they may flowe vnto me Those pyâ—pes and conduites ben the woundes of my sauiour Christe whiche be full of mercy ful of pitie swetnes and charitie And hereof we may perceyue fyrst that this meditation suppleyth in vs that grace and those good meritorious dedes whiche other wyse we be negligent to laboure for ¶ Secondely it may appere that there is no penaunce that may be compared to this inwarde and feruente meditation And therfore sayth that greate lerned doctor Albertus Magnus that this meditation is more profitable than that a man shulde fast one hole yere in breade and water or that euery day by one hole yere he shulde say one hole Dauid psalter or if he shulde discipline and scourge hym selfe euery day vnto the effusion of his blode And no meruayll for without the passion of Christe all our actes and dedes ben vnprofitable as sayth the mayster of the sentence Distinc 16. libro tertio ¶ The .xiii. profit NocumeÌ„torum fugat inopinabilitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth preserue a man from many perylles that may come sodenly before we haue any consideration or knowledge of them Herunto it is writen in the Apocalipse that our lorde coÌ„maunded by his aungell to certen aungelles
bag wherein she wold put suche thynges as she shulde receiue of almose a lytle cup wherwith to drynke water or els potage yf she had any gyuen to her also she prepared for her werynge olde clothes and patched garmentes so wolde haue performed these thyngê in dede ne had ben the great instance of her frendes the whiche with many teares and diligent desyres might scarcely withholde her from that purpose Nat withstandyng her good wyll dyd appere in the premisses for she dyd that she might Also she continued in this loue of pouerty which appered in that that she cut hir table clothes or napkyns and also her shetes and gaue the one parte to the pore reseruynge the residue for her selfe And nat only by this feare of god she contempned all worldly riches but also she dispised all worldly honour and glory and all vayne praise of man and that for the great swetenes and pleasure that she had in heuenly thynges And nat onely she wold nat admyt or loke towardes these vanities but also she refused them with abhominacion of herte vtterly abhorred them The loue of Christ was so feruent in her herte that nothynge els was pleasaunt or sauory to her but Christe And moche more ye may se of her mekenes and pouerty in the sayd boke of Vincent historiall ¶ The gyfte of pitie is also gyuen to man by the feruent remembraunce of Christes passion The .viii. Chapitre THe gyfte of pitie is gyuen to man by the continuall and feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe wherwith a man ordereth behaueth hym selfe iustly and deuoutly in the due honoure and worshyppynge of god in due reuerence and intreatynge of holy scripture and in the loue due confortynge of his neighboure In the whiche thre thynges consisteth standeth the gyfte of pitie Whiche pitie as saint Paule sayeth is profitable to all thynges specially against the hardnes and malice of the herte For that persone whiche is crucified with Christe thrugh the feruent remembraunce of his most blessed passion is kyndled with this gifte of pitie vnto the high compassion benignitie and mercy of his neighbour and that on this maner Whan a persone deuoutly and feruently beholdeth in his remembraunce the compassion and mercy that our sauiour Iesu Christe shewed vnto mankinde and specially at his dethe passion as we declared before in the gyfte of feare anon he is moued and kyndeled and his herte is opened towarde his neighboure bought redemyd with the bloode of Christe as we all be I say this man thus considerynge is so kyndeled vnto the loue of his neighboure and that for the loue of his lorde god that he is redy to gyue all that he hathe and hym selfe also with glad mynde for the helthe and saluacion of his neighbour for he considereth that his lorde god suffred dethe with moost greuouse paynes for his sayd neighbour And moreouer as he hath compassion vpon his sauiour Christe hangynge vpon the crosse and that with all his hert so he hath as great inwarde sorowe in his hert vppon his neighbour whiche by his synfull lyuynge forsaketh the conforte that he myght haue by Christes woundes and passion and so in his maner dispiseth the blood and dethe of Christe I say he hath inwardly as great compassion of this person as he wolde haue vpon hym selfe Fyrst he is wounded and greued in his herte for the contempt of his lord god Secondly for the hurt and damage of his neighbour whiche hath forsaken lyfe glory euerlastynge and hathe chosen voluntarily or wylfully eternall dethe dampnacion This good man seeth considereth the contempt of god the blood of Christe dispised and the moost noble creature made to the ymage of god wylfully to go to eternall paynes and therfore his herte melteth thrugh pitie and is relented or resolued by compassion And in like maner as he hath compassion of the hurt of his neighbour so by the same gyfte of pitie he hathe great reioice and gladnes in his soule of the goodnes and spirituall profite of other persons whan he ê‘ceiueth that they order theÌ„ selfe to receiue the fruite profite of the wouÌ„des of Christe with whom he entreth into the same wouÌ„des is made one with theÌ„ He ioyeth with them that be ioyfull of any goodnes He is sory with theÌ„ that be sorowfull for theyr hurt damage He reputeth euery one of his neighbours as hym selfe seynge consideryng y t bothe he his neighbours be create made of our lord god marked dignified with his image redemyd bought with the same blood of Christe ordered to cum to one the same glory And most specially he openeth his hert vnto his neighbour by this gift of pitie for that he seeth considereth his lorde god to be crucified for all people therfore he seeth coÌ„sidereth his lorde god in all people â–ª He requireth sercheth his sauiour crucified in all his neibours He beholdeth him in theÌ„ all after his pore maner He is all giueÌ„ to his neighbour for he is hoolly fully gyueÌ„ to his sauiour crucified O what ioye is it vnto his hert whaÌ„ he seeth his neighbour do due honor vnto his sauiour crucified He hath non enuy therat he is nat displeased therwith he doth nat detract hym or speke euyll of hym he wyll nat let hym nor hynder hym from y t honour by signe worde or dede nor giue hym any occasion to withdraw him from y t honour but hoolly he desireth his neighbours ê“fite abhorreth his hurte or peryll reputyng acceptynge bothe his neighbours hurt or profite as his owne profite or hurt And y t is specially for the loue y t he hath to our lord Iesu Christ the which for the great loue that he had vnto the helthe of mannes soules to the honour of his father he suffred most paynfull shamefull deth of the crosse Wherfore the zele thonour of god the compassion of Christe the inflamacion or kyndelynge of his owne hert hereunto be moost properly to be attended beholden in y e wouÌ„des of Christ for there they be had goteÌ„ And by this gifte of pitie y e hert of man is in a meruelous maner eleuate lifte vp vnto his lorde god For whan a man doeth enforce hym selfe asmuche as he may to conforme hym selfe vnto the pitie and compassion that Christe god and man had and shewed vnto vs whan he suffered the dethe of the crosse than that soule pleaseth god singulerly in so muche that Christe wyll take that soule so comformable to his godly pitie vnto his singuler loue and fauoure vnto his swete enbracynges halsynges kepe y t soule as his dere beloued spouse induce and brynge that soule to perceiue his swete consolacions suche a soule our sauioure loueth asmuche as she loueth hym that soule our lorde draweth to hym for as muche as that soule hath one
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
it to that person whiche is inebriate and drowned in the blood of Christe yf he se his hert enclyned to any other thyng thaÌ„ to Christe crucified Therfore suche a ê‘son disdeyneth to vse any other potion or drynk with pleasure but the blood of Christ whiche hath wasshed hym clene greatly beautified made hym like vnto Christ He knoweth that thrugh the openyng of the syde or hert of Christe his soule is maryed vnto Christe and therfore he wyll euer stande nygh vnto that wounde touchynge felynge his spouse wounded for his loue so he feruently desyreth that he myght be wounded in his herte and therfore he oft tymes layeth his herte vnto those woundes by continuall remembraunce of them and also ioyneth byndeth hym selfe vnto his spouse wouÌ„ded with the indissoluble and continuall or sure bonde of charitie for the wouÌ„des of Christ be as a cellar of wynes new broched whereby our soules may be inebriate or made drunke in charitie And hereunto it is wrytten in the canticles Introduxit me â—ex in cellam vinariam ordinauit in me charitatem The kynge hathe brought me into his wyne cellar that is into the feruent loue remembraunce of his woundes He hathe made me drunke in his loue and charitie Also it is sayd Canticorum 1. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua The kynge hathe brought me into his cellers There shall we sucke hony out of the stone and drynke the moost purest blood of y e grape Christe crucified is this stone also this grape whereof we all may plenteously drynke And therefore he sayeth to his louers Bibite amici et inebriamini Cum drynke frendes hereof at your wyll and be drunke thereof my moost dere frendes Also the spouse Christe sayeth to his spousesse oure soule Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea sponsa vulnerasti cor meum Thou haste wounded my hert for thy loue my syster my spouse thou haste wounded my hert And she agayne wounded with his loue sayeth in lyke maner Vulnerata charitate ego sum ideoque filis Ierusalem nunciate dilecto quia amore langueo I am wouÌ„ded with charitie and therfore ye doughters of Ierusalem shew vnto my dere beloued spouse Christe that I languysshe and am sycke for loue And so the wounded spouses is ioyned to Christe crucified her wounded spouse and wounde is coupled to wouÌ„de that is loue to loue And than also the columbyne blood of the spouse that is of Christe whiche is symple as the downe by the whiche bloode our soule the spousesse of god receyueth hyr spirituall syght This blood I say doeth flow into the wouÌ„des of the spousesse whiche is so wounded by compassion that she hathe of hyr spouse Christ crucified that in a maner she fainteth swowneth for sorow and mylteth or waxeth sycke for the loue of his spouse and so than she swetely resteth in our sauiuor Iesu where she redeth and seeth vnderstandeth and fyndeth what she is of what meryte or dignitye in the loue and fauour of god for whose loue the sonne of god wolde suffre so great and greuouse tourmentes Hereunto speaketh saynte Bernarde O good Iesu thou haste made thy body as a glasse vnto my soule That whiche thou dyd suare openly I suffred pryuely That whiche thou suffred of the ministers of Cayphas openly I suffred of the ministers of wickednes of Sathanas inwardely Thy face was couered and also smyten or buffeted in the house of the prince of prestes and that was to put away the confusion of our ignoraunce and spirituall blyndenes We were sumtyme darknes that was before our baptisme but nowe we walke in the lyght that was set or hanged vp on height vppon the aulter or candelstycke of the crosse and from thence shyneth very bryght vnto our conforte And so Christe by his passion doeth illuminate or lyghten our reason vnderstandynge This is the ointement wherewith as saynt IohnÌ„ sayeth our iyen shulde be anointed that we myght se clerely This is also the rodde wherewith Ionathas toke of the hony and ate thereof and so his iyen were lyghtenyd This is more ouer the gall of the fysshe wherwith Thobie anointed his iyen and so receyued his syght agayne And so Longyne beynge blynde and wasshed with the blood of Christe receyued his syght and was also conuerted to the faythe And so ye may perceyue howe the passion of Christe doeth illuminate our vnderstandyng and gyueth knowledge to meke persons faythfully and deuoutly remeÌ„bryng his passion And this is thrugh the gyft of vnderstandyng to know god by his creatures or in comparyng hym to his creatures as we sayd before And also to be illuminat or lyghtened by the wrytynges and saynges of prophetes in the maner of contemplacion or knowledge of those thynges that be wryten of our lord Iesu Christe whereby man begynneth to retourne to his owne selfe for by this gyfte of vnderstandynge he recouereth his spirituall syght wherby he may se and know his owne honour and dignitie so retourne to his lorde god and se hym as it is possible for man in this lyfe And therefore to this gyfte correspondeth the .vi. beatitude that is Beati mundo corde quoniam ipsi deum videbunt Blessyd be the pure clene in hert for they shall se god And saynt Austen sayeth that the syxt operacion or gyft of the holy goost that is the gyfte of vnderstandynge is conuenient and accordyng to them that be pure in hert For they so clensed made pure may knowe se that whiche the corporall iye or syght can nat se And here note that there be two maners of clennes of the herte One is as a disposicion to the syght of god which is a clensyng of the wyll or affecte from all mordinate affections and this clennes is made or goten by the gyftes and vertues that perteyn to the wyll comonly called Vis anime appetitiua The desyrouse power of the soule There is an other clennes of the hert which is as a complete perfyce clennes whereby god is sene And this is the clennes of the mynde or vnderstandynge purified clensed from all fantasyes errours so that the soule so purified perceyueth the more clerely truely those thynges that be wryten or spoken of god nat onely perceyueth them by corporall fantasies ne yet vnderstandeth them as the peruerse and obstinate heretykes done declare them And this clennes is opteyned or goten by the gyfte of vnderstandyng wherunto correspondeth as I sayd before the .vi. beatitude that is Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se god And faythe or fidelitie one of the fruytes of the spyryt accordeth also hereunto And as ye se that the fruite of the tree is the last thynge and moost delectable or pleasaunt that we haue of the fruitfull tree so be the fruites of y e holy goost the most pleasaunt delectable thynges that cummeth to man by
no wyse man wolde gladlye or lyghtely lese that thynge whiche he bought so derely with his owne preciouse blood yf he might with any iustice or ryghtfully kepe it And so considerynge these she conceyueth in hyr selfe a hope and trust of forgiuenes And thaÌ„ she maketh hyr supplicacion prayer to god for his fauour grace promyseth to make amendes for hyr offences synnes as farre as it is possible for hyr to do ThaÌ„ she beholdeth considereth his house that our Salomon hathe made that is hyr owne body soule how hyr soule is made to that intent that it shulde be the house temple of the holy goost Also she coÌ„sidereth how gloryous goodly this house was made that is to thimage similitude of god And how vylely shamefully she hath defoiled it by hyr owne synne And so she beginneth to haue wonder maruell of the great mercy of god that so mercyfully wolde spare the synfull soule Secondly she beholdeth y e meates of his table or borde that is she coÌ„sidereth how mercifully he doeth nouryssh fede synners with his benefites though indede they be nat worthy to haue the bread that they eate Thyrdly our synfull Saba considereth his ministers seruantes that is she seeth how all creatures were create and made of god for to do seruyce vnto man and how they contynue they obedience and seruyce vnto man though man be inobedient vnto his lorde god creatour maker and so for his inobedience and synne vnworthy the seruice of any creature Fourthely she considereth theyr vestures and garmentes that is how mercyfully our lorde hytherto hath hyd and couered the priuy sinnes of our synfull soule though all thynges ben open to his syght and knowledge Fyftely she seynge his buttlers doeth consyder howe benignely our lorde god doeth byrle and gyue to vs the wyne of contricion and deuocion And therefore the prophete Dauid sayeth Potasti nos vino compunctionis Thou haste gyuen vs to drynke the wyne of compunction and sorow for our synnes Syxtely she beholdeth the oblacions that our Salomon doeth dayly offre that is how Christ offred hym selfe freely vpon the aulter of the crosse for our synnes and how the same body and bloode is dayly offered in the chyrche for our spirituall conforte And this oblacion excedeth all the other benefites of god gyuen to man And thus our quene Saba our synnefull soule hauynge the iyen of hyr wysdome in hyr hede Christe that is beholdynge and depely considerynge all the premisses she faynted and hyr spyryte fayled hyr She had no spyryte that is of synne iniquitie for that hath now lefte hyr And bicause now the holy spirite of god hath entred into that soule the wycked and vnclene spirite is expelled and put away And now finally as Salomon gaue to the quene of Saba many great precyouse gyftes so our kyng that hath wrought our saluacion in the myddest of the erth doeth gyue vnto the soule depely remeÌ„bryng the premisses great treasures of knowledge wysdom of vertue grace that moche more thaÌ„ she deserueth or asketh For whan a man inwardly considereth how he y t was most myghty of power was so dispiteously troden vnder fote for our synnes He that was most wyse was deluded mocked as a fole He that was best and all full of goodnes was replenisshed with the bytternes of sorow And he that was moost rightuouse to be coÌ„dempned to the moost shamefull dethe Whan a man I say coÌ„sidereth all these thynges anon the mynde aryseth into a greate meruell admiracion of y e worthynes noblenes of god wonderynge meruelynge of the great benignitie charitie of god towardes vs moost wretched and vnworthy seruauntes And than begynneth the mynde with a ferueâ—ent desyre and burnynge loue to be kyndled towardes our lorde god And the spirituall taste of our affection in a meruelouse maner is made moche pleasant and swete and our appetyte is wonderfully refresshed And so all our inwarde man is in a maner alienate lyfte vp from hymself and quietly doeth rest in our lorde Iesu O a meruelouse thynge and neuer herde or sene before that is that vnspeakable swetenes shuld be founde in the moost bytternes The moost bytter bytternes of our dere beloued sauioure Iesu is meruelously turned in our louynge mynde into a swetenes y t can nat be expressed rauysshyng and takynge into it the hole spirite of man so that that swetenes ones tasted all carnall and worldly pleasure waxeth all vnsauory and is excluded And in this swetenes is the speculacion or wysdom of the person contemplatynge beholdynge our lordes passion made perfite For herin he ioyneth putteth to gydre the hyghe inenarrable swetenes that he feleth in the consideracion beholdyng of that infinite goodnes of god that it wolde please hym to suffre so vyle a dethe for vs with that inestimable bytternes that he felte or feleth in hauynge compassion of the paynes sorowes of his lorde Iesu crucified And note here that that bytternes of compassion of Christes passion doeth gader in vnyt the mynde of man And thadmiracion or wonderful consideracion of the great goodnes of god in the same passion doeth eleuate lyft vp the mynd so vnit and gadred in offre it holly vnto god And for asmoche as therin is founde perceyued an vnspekable bytternes with an vnspekable swetenes therfore the mynd of the person that beholdeth considereth this wondereth at it so is alienated from hym selfe rauisshed aboue hym selfe lyke as yf he were all drunke he falleth vnto his lorde god where than the soule melted with loue thrughe the beholdynge of thinestimable charitie loue of god is made as moost pure golde purified in the hore furneys And in the consideracion of y e most excellent benignitie goodnes of god the soule is anointed made fat with the moost pleasant oyle of grace It also obumbrate shadowed with that 〈◊〉 of iustice is made moost shynynge The soule also clensed and gadred in with that great bytternes is abstract withdraweÌ„ from all bytternes sorow That soule beholden receyued of god all good is made all godly so at last it is absorpt and rauysshed with an vnspekable ioye meruelouse swetenes And the spousesse doeth reste swetely with hyr spouse and amonges those pleasaunte and swete enbracynges she may than sucke and drynke of the fountaynes of our sauiour the lyuely waters and true wysdome And here note that it perteyneth to this gyfte of wysdom nat onely to beholde consyder godly heuenly thynges but also to rule and order the actes and operacions of man In the whiche direction and order fyrst it aperteyneth to auoyde all euyll vyce that be contrary vnto trew wysdome And therfore the feare of god is called the begynnyng of wysdom for asmuche as it causeth a man to auoyde all euyll and synne The last thynge perteynynge
to wysdom or the ende of wysdom is to reduce all thynges to a due order and ende and this perteyneth to peace For as saynte Austyn sayeth Peace is a tranquilitie of order that is whan all thynges ben brought to a quyet due order And therfore conueniently correspondeth to this gyft of wysdom the .vii. beatitude that Christe speaketh of sayenge Beati pacifici quoniam filii dei vocabuÌ„tur Blessed be the peacefull that make peace for they shall be called the chylderen of god And saynt Austyn sayeth wysdome is agreynge and acordynge to the peacefull In whom is no contrary mouyng or rebellyng but his mouinges ben subdued obedient to reason Sapientia is called a sauory scieÌ„ce so he hath his name a sapore of y e sapour sauour or taste as whan the mynde is touched with the taste of inwarde swetenes he doeth gader in hym selfe all hole by desyre to rest therin lesse yf y e mynde shuld wandre in y e coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of outward thingê it shuld shortly be dissolued by inordinat plesure of y e body or of y e world therfore he gadreth hym self all inward for within he hath that thynge in whome is all his delectacion and pleasure And therefore the spyryte of wysdom whan he toucheth the herte with his swetenes he tempereth outwardly the feruour hete of concupiscence so the concupiscence subdued he maketh peace inwardly to thintent that the mynd of man so hoolly gadred into that inwarde ioye myght fully and perfitely be refourmed vnto thymage of god And therfore it is wryten Blessed be the peacefull for they shall be called the chylderen of god And that for as muche as they haue the similitude of the naturall and onely sonne of god As saint Paule sayth Quos presciuit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui Our lorde hath predestinate and knowen before his chyldren here in erthe to be coÌ„forme or made lyke vnto thymage of his naturall sonne whiche is called Sapientia generata The eternally begotten wysdome of the father And so herby ye may perceyue that those persons whiche receyue the gyfte of wysdom by the deuout and continuall meditacion of Christes passion attayne to be the chyldren of god And this is it that we sayd before that the great charitie of god that apered in the passion of Christ shulde kyndle the fyre of loue to wardes god theyr neighbours in the hertes of all them that deuoutly remembre the same passioÌ„ that thereby they myght be made apte vnto the reparacion of the order of aungelles called Seraphin ¶ Here foloweth an example of this spirite of wysdom The .xix. Chapytre EXample of this spyryte or gyfte of wysdome we rede in the hystoryes of Vincente whiche wrytynge the lyfe of the ofte named Maris de Ogines sayeth in this maner Hyr herte thrughe the remembraunce of Christes passion was inwardely fulfylled with the spyryte of wysdome whereby hyr wordes were very swete confortable and all hyr werkes were made fatte or pleasant with a meruelouse swetenes of the spirituall vnction or ointement She was meke in herte mylde in hyr countenaunce swete in hyr wordes pleasaunt in all hyr werkes and drunken in charitie One tyme whan she had lyen thre days coÌ„tinually in hyr bed there restynge mooste swetely with hyr spouse Iesus Christe hyr ioye and sweatenes was so vehemente that she knewe nat how the tyme passed and so she supposed that she had scarcely lyen the tenthe parte of one quarter of an houre She had many meâ—uelouse and dyuers affections vnto our lord Sumtyme she was very hungery for god and sumtyme meruelouse thyrsty and drye for god And the more she had hym or felte hym the more her desyre dyd encrease And whan he wolde departe from hyr than she was sorowfull than she cryed and desyred hym to remayne and continue with hyr sumtyme she wolde enbrace and hold hym fast in her armes that he shuld nat departe from her and with many teares beseched hym that he wolde shew hym selfe more ofte tymes to hyr Sumtyme by thre days or more as it was sene to hyr he appered to hyr as a lytle chylde lyenge betwyxt hyr brestys whom she enbraced and halsed and hyd hym that he shulde nat be sene of other persons and so she lay kyssyng and playenge with hym as with a chylde Sumtyme he appered as a mylde lambe layeng his hed in her lappe Sumtyme our sauioure appered to hyr as a dowue to conforte hyr Sumtyme she se hym as a shepe or a wedder with a bright sterre in his forehed goynge about the chyrche to vysyte and conforte his seruauntes as she thought And in dyuerse solempne festes of our lorde he appered in dyuerse maners accordyngly vnto the feest As on ChristeÌ„masse day he appered to hyr as a chyld suckyng his mothers brestes or lyenge in y e cradell and than hyr affections was ordered to hym as to a chylde and so accordynge to dyuers apparicions she had dyuerse affections and so thrughout all the festes of the yere In the feeste of the Purificacion of our lady comonly called Candylmas day she se our blyssed lady offre hyr sonne in the Temple and how Simeon toke hym in his armes And in this vision she had no lesse ioye than yf she had ben present at the sayd oblacion whan it was actually don in the Temple of Ierusalem And in the procession of this same feest whan hyr candell was extyncte and without lyght by a long space of tyme sodeynly there cam a great and most clere lyght from heuen dyd light hyr taper or candell On good fryday he appered to hyr as crucifyed and hangynge vpon the crosse but very seldome he appered to hyr on this maner bicause she coulde nat beholde it hyr sorow was so great that she was ofte thereby in peryll of dethe And whan any solempne feest by the course of the yere drew nygh suÌ„tyme viii dayes before that feest she felt in hyr soule a great ioy And so she had diuersities of affections accordynge to the diuersitie of feestes after the course of the yere She se also sumtyme as it were bryght beames cummynge from thymage of the crucifixe dyrectly vnto hyr and so entred into hyr hert And in all these thyngê she had great delectacion pleasure hyr spirit was meruelously coÌ„forted therwith This blessed woman also was moche wery of this miserable life also was in a maner coÌ„tinually sicke for y e ferueÌ„t loue that she had to god coÌ„tinuall desire to be in his presence with him in eternall felicitie But yet in al these desires werynes of this exyle or worlde she had one singuler speciall confort remedie to refressh hyr in this vale of misery vnto suche tyme she might cum vnto that she moost desyred that is she had the heuenly Manna aungels food the sacrament of the auter the very body blood of hyr
dere beloued spouse Iesu Christe This was hyr continuall confort in all hyr troubles She lerned by experience in this worlde that whiche Christe sayd in his gospell Nisi manducaueritis carnem filii hominis et biberitis eius saguineÌ„ non habebitis vitam in vobis That is Except y t ye eat the flessh of the sonne of a vyrgyn drynke his blood ye shal nat haue lyfe in you Nor this sayenge was sene to hyr very harde or vnreasonable as it was to the Iues but rather very swete pleasaunt For in this holy MaÌ„na she founde all pleasure all delectable sauour tast by y e receyuyng therof nat onely in hyr soule but also it was to hyr mouthe as swete as hony And nat only she had this great confort in the receyuyng of this most blyssed sacrameÌ„t but also in the syght therof And therfore after the tyme that y e preest had sayd maâ—se she desyred hym to leue the chaleys bare vncouered vpon the auter to thintent that she seynge it myght haue more perfyte mynde of the blood and passion of Christe Many other exaÌ„ples ye may se in the forsayd boke of this blessed womaÌ„ ¶ The .vi. particle Of the settynge of our lorde vpon the asse and vpon hyr foole or colte MAny misteries prophecies were spoken writen by the holy prophetes which were fulfylled by our sauiour Iesu Christe One of them we shall shewe vnto you in this chapitre how it was fulfylled in Christ Whan y e tyme drew nigh that our sauiour Iesus had determyned to redeme the worlde with his precyouse bloode that was the feast of Pasche at whiche feaste the Paschall lambe shulde be offered accordynge to thordinauÌ„ce of god our sauiour Iesu as the very true lambe signified by the other laÌ„be wold also voluntarily approche cum nigh vnto y e place of his passion where as he wolde be offred for the redemption of man In that dede shewynge that he was moost redy to obey vnto the wyll of his father and to meke hym to the most shamefull moost painefull dethe for our saluacion And what tyme it pleased his goodnes to take this iourney we may mekely byleue that our lady moued of hyr motherly affection wold haue withdrawen hym reteyned hym from that iourney And in lyke maner his disciples as we may suppose persuaded hym to the same but he had other wyse disposed for all our saluacion Wherfore in goyng towardê Hierusalem he went by the mount of Oliuet to signifie y t onely of pitie mercy nat of necessitie he cam to his passioÌ„ This mount as saint Hierom sayeth is called the mouÌ„t of Oliuet for asmoche as there dyd grow many Oliues of the which is made bothe creme oile by y t oile y e light of y e lampe is norisshed And so it may be called y e mount of oile creme of light that to signifie the .iii. effectes of Christes passioÌ„ y e is In y e oile is signified mercy forgyuenes In creme is signified y e vnction of grace And by the light is noted y e lyght of eternall glory And these effectes we haue by y e merites of Christes passion FroÌ„ this mount he sent .ii. of his apostles signifieng the .ii. generall coÌ„mauÌ„dementes of loue wherby all mankynde is absolued from syn y t is thou shalt loue thy lorde god with all thy herte c. The seconde is y u shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe By these .ii. preceptes yf they beÌ„ truely kept all syn is expelled all iustice is performed And he sayd vnto his .ii. apostles go vnto y t castell that is against you that is before your face at y e fote of y e mount of Sion He sayd y t that castell was against them or contrary to theÌ„ that was true for there they suffred moche coÌ„tradiction many rebukes also betynges as it is wryten in thactes of thapostles And there ye shall fynde an asse tyed hyr foole or colt with hyr the which colt was neuer ryden lawse theÌ„ bryng theÌ„ to me Spiritually this castell signifieth y e world The disciples signifieth the preachers For the worlde is euer contrary to y e prechers The worlde loueth foloweth ryches honours vayne pleasures CoÌ„trary the prechers do preche pouerty abiection penauÌ„ce The asse for hir folisshnes signifieth y e people of y e Iues. And y e colte y t was wilde wanton signifieth y e gentiles for theyr ê“nitie to syn custom of y e same The asse is a beest vnclene rude folyssh weike in hyr former partê though she be strong behynd These bestes were bouÌ„de So was all mankynde before y e cummynge of Christ bounde in the euyll custom of syn whiche bonde is mooste stronge of all other For where as other bondes whan they be olde they putrifie and so cum to noughte but this bonde of synne the longer it continueth the stronger it is There was neuer man that sat vppon this colte for the gentyles were neuer subdued to any reasonable law gyuen by god Lawse them by your godlye and heuenly doctrine from theyr errours synnes and brynge them to me enformed in true faythe vertuouse maners that they lawsed from the bondes of theyr synnes myght folow me in godly lyuynge And whan our lorde shuld haue rydden vpon this asse or hyr colte his disciples cast or put theyr garmentes vpon these beestes signifienge that our sauiour Iesu wolde nat reste or sytte vppon the naked soule excepte it fyrste be clad and coueryd with the doctryne and vertuouse maners of thexaposles Morally by this asse may be signified our body whiche is dull or rude folysshe vnclene weake before y t is to spirituall and heuenly thynges and stronge behynde that is to temporall and vayne thynges And by the colte may be signified our carnall affection and vayn desyre And these bestes ben tyed with inordinate pleasures But we must lawse them by the feare of god and prepare them with morall vertues and worthy fruites of penaunce that our lorde may rest syt vpon them so that eche one of vs myght say with the Prophete Vt iumentuÌ„ factus sum apud te I am made as a beest vnto the redy to bere y e therefore lay vppon vs what bourden it shall please the and we shall bere it And contrary wyse let vs here what saynte Paule sayth to vs Empti estis precio magno portate Christum in corpore vestro Ye be bought with a great and dere pryce therefore bere Christe in 〈◊〉 bodies paciently sufferynge his visitacion in authynges By those that brought this asse hyr colt vnto Christ may be signified those penitentes whiche do offre brynge theyr bodies to god by due mortificacion and theyr soules by true contricion As the bodye is signified by the asse so may the synfull soule be signified by the colte
lambe eaten whan the deuyll had moued Iudas to betraye Christe and he consented to the same than Iesus knowynge as god that his father had gyuen and taken into his handes and power all thynges also his enemy and traytour Iudas and the Iues his persuers yet to shew and declare his great pytie to leue to vs an example of his perfyte mekenes he wolde nat fulfyll or take vppon hym the power or myghte of god or offyce of a lorde but rather the offyce and roume of a seruaunte He dyd meke hym selfe to be a seruaunt for he cam to do seruice and nat to receyue the seruyce of other And therefore he arose frome his supper of the Paschall lambe wyllynge than to wasshe the fete of his dyscyples there beynge and so causyng water to be brought vnto hym he put of his outwarde garmentes gyrdyd hym selfe with a lynen clothe Than he put the water into a basen with his owne handes and so charitably so honestly and so seruiceably prepared he cam to wasshe his disciples fete that were defoiled with the claye and durte of the erthe for they wente bare foâ—ed And so he wasshed theyr fete wyped them with the clothe wherwith he was gyrte and thus he fulfylled the office of mekenes And whan he came to Petre he wolde nat suffre hym to wasshe his fete but sayd thou â—halâ—e neuer wasshe my fete And Iesus sayde Yf I wasshe nat thy fete thou shalte haue no parte of my blysse with me Than Petre fearynge this sentence sayd â–ª Wasshe good lorde nat onely my fete but also my handes and my hed And Iesus sayd He that is wasshed he nedeth no more to wasshe but his fete for than he is all clene What this signifieth ye shall know afterwarde It foloweth in the gospell of Iohn Ye be now clene for I haue wasshed you but ye all be nat clene This he spake for Iudas that shuld betray hym that same nyghte and therefore he was nat clene There be two thynges specially whereby a man is made clene from synne that is almose dede and charitie Iudas had nat the fyrst for he was a thefe and toke vnto his owne vse suche thynges as shulde haue be gyuen to the pore Also he betrayed his innocent maister contrarye vnto charitie and so Iudas was nat clene O thou chrystyan consyder here dylygentely euery poynte of this wasshynge for they be full of mekenes and loue Beholde what is done for it is very deuoute Here the hyghe maiestie of god and mekenes of the maister dyd enclyne bow hym selfe downe to the fete of pore fysshers He knelyd on his knees and bowed his hede before his disciples syttynge and so wasshed theyr fete with his owne handes dyd also drye them and kysse them all Beholde here the exemplar of all myldenes and mekenes the creatoure and maker of all creatures the fearefull iudge of bothe quycke and deade knelynge here before the fete nat onely of his louynge disciples but also before the fete of the false traytoure Iudas O thou man lerne here of thy lorde for he is bothe meke in herte and gentyll in his conuersacion Be thou confounded of thy hyghe mynde Arte thou nat asshamed of thy pryde and impacience He that is syttynge aboue the high order of auÌ„gels called Cherubyn wassheth the fete of his enemy traytour and thou erthe dust asshes cley exaltest thy selfe thynkest great thynges of thy selfe Consider diligently how our lorde inciteth moueth vs by his examples also by his wordes vnto mekenes Therfore after that he wasshed his disciples fete shewyng thereâ—â— to vs an example of great mekenes he sayd to vs Exempâ—um dedi vobis vt quemadmodum ego feci vobis ita et vos faciatis I haue gyuen to you an example that as I haue done to you so ye shulde do And also he sayde in an other place Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde Lerne of me for I am mylde in conuersacion and meke in herte And in this he kept a conuenient maner of teachynge For as saynt Luke sayeth Cepit lesus facere et docere Iesus began fyrste to lyue and do well and after that he dyd teache other to do the same Spiritually by this outwarde wasshynge of the fete oure lorde dyd note the inwarde clennes of our spirituall fete which be our loue and aâ—â—ections For these spirituall fete do bere vs where so euer we go froÌ„ our selfe or without vs. And as our bodyly fete hath ofte tymes nede of wasshynge so oure spirituall fete For thoughe we be hoolly clene wasshed by the sacrament of Baptym in so moche that yf we kepe that innocency and clennes that we by that sacrament receyue vnto our dethe we be sure to go to heuyn without any other wasshyng Yet for asmoche as there is very few or non that kepe that puritie of theyr baptysme after that they cum to the yeres of discrecion but y t oftymes they fall in one thyng or other that thrughe the fraile condicion of our mortall nature so that they defoile theyr fete with worldly vayne or carnall affectioÌ„s therfore it is necessary y t they oft wassh theyr fete with coÌ„fession teres of coÌ„tricion For who so euer after his baptym do fall to syn be nat wasshed with y e water of penauÌ„ce he shall haue no parte with Iesu in his glory By this wasshyng of y e fete our lord also doeth note the clennes of our spirituall fete whiche specially is required in the receiuing of the blessed body of our lord And therfore he dyd wasshe the fete of his disciples before he gaue to them his gloriouse body blood to signifie y t spirituall clennes is requyred in the due receyuynge of the sacrament of the aulter ¶ A prayer O Mylde Iesu and the exemplar of very mekenes whiche wasshed the fete of thy disciples I aske and also beseche the lorde purge clense thou myne affections that I so purified in bothe fete kyndled with a double charitie that is with the loue of god and of my neighboure I might surely cum to the my puryfyer and clenser Kepe me clene good lorde vnto the ende of my dayes and clense me frome all spottes of synnes that all my negligencys and also synnes forgotten myne enemyes confounded and rebuked might go fro me at the houre of my dethe whiche specially wyll lye in awayte of me at that houre Directe and order my fete lorde in to the waye of peace that I delyuered from the handes and power of all myne enemies myght blesse prayse the with all they electe seruantes world without ende AMEN ¶ Here endeth the Proheme or fyrste part of this treatyse And here begynneth the seconde parte called the execucion THexecucion of this glasse shal be asentenciouse declaracion of our lordes passion approbate taken of many holy doctours As of saynte Hierom sayntes Augustine Bernarde
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
sene naked and so moche the more ashamed then all other chast virgyns be in how moch that his honesty and chastitye excelled without comparison the clennes of all other virgyns And whan Iesus was thus naked Pylate toke hym to the saugiours to be scourged as ye shall se in the next article And note here that one doctor sayth that Christ was thryes scourged Fyrste with roddes bycause he dyd trouble and moue the people and there he had .xl. strokes saue one accordynge to the commaundement of the lawe Secondly with rushys of the see whiche be more sharp than thornes and this beatynge was bycause he had preached and taught a newe doctrine And here he was scourged as Heliodore was by the angelles of whome we rede in the seconde boke of the Machabeis Thyrdlye they scourged hym with whyppes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as Christe had his garmentes pulled of his bdye and was stryped naked so shulde we put of our olde synfull cote and lyfe and make open and naked our coÌ„science before god and his minister our curate by pure and playne confession of all our synnes auoyde all cloke and colour of excusacyon for al thynges ben open and naked before the syght of god And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article shulde remember howe miserably and with howe moch iniurie and shame Christe was strypt naked and his clothes violentlye pulled of hym And praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold haue thy clothes pulled violentlye of thy backe and wolde be strypt naked to be scourged graunt to me that I may caste of from me myne olde synfull cote or lyfe with al his operations by true pure and playne confession of all my synnes and that I neuer apere in thy syght naked from vertues Amen ¶ Howe Christe was scourged The .xxxi. article THe .xxxi. article is the scourgynge of Christe For when Iesus was so strypt naked Pylate delyuered hym to the saugiours The gospell sayth Apprehendit illum Pilatus et flagellauit Pylate toke Christe and scourged hym that is Pliate made hym to be scourged of his saugiours that the Iues as saynt Austen sayth sacyate and content with those his paynes and rebukes shulde desyre no more his death And so he that dyd lowse them that were bounde our sauiour Iesus was bounde fast to a pyllar whiche was so great and thycke that his armes his handes myght nat compas it And therfore the saugiours corrupt by mony drewe out his armes with harde cordes that all the vaynes of his armes appered out to the extremitie And then those saugiours called in all theyr compaigney and our sauiour Iesus so bounde and naked they bette so cruelly with roddes knotted whyppes and thorny rushes of the see that they dyd teare the flesh and drewe it away so that his bones ware sene bare and also greate gobettes and pecys of the flesshe hange vpon the scourges and whyppes There stode naked before all the people the most louely yonge man eligant and sham fast beautious aboue all other men speakynge not one worde but as meake as a lambe dyd suffer pacyently the harde sharppe and paynfull beatynges of those most vyle cruell tormentours That most innocent and tender flesshe most pure and most fayre the floure of all mankynde was replete and full of strokes blomes woundes and brosers he was wounded thorow out all his moste holye bodye so that fro the toppe of the hed vnto the sole of his foote there was none hole skynne That noble and precyous blode of his ranne from euery parte of his bodye the cruell tormentours added plage vpon plage and heped wounde vppon wounde brosynge vpon brosynge blode vpon blode vnto the tyme that both the cruell tormentours and also the beholders were wery of smiâ—ynge and seynge and so he was commaunded to be lowsed from the pyllar And here sayth saynte Barnarde that the tormentours dyd on s lowse Iesus and bounde hym agayne turnynge his backe to the pyllar and bounde his handes aboue his heed that they myght scourge hym vpon bely breste and also his face and so they spared no place of his most tender bodye whose crueltye coÌ„syderynge some of the pagans there standynge and beholdynge this sorowfull scourgynge ranne to our lorde and bracke the ropes and so dyd lowse hym and those cruell tormeÌ„tours not saciate with that scourgyng pulled the heyre of his most blessed berde and also of his heed wherin was fulfylled the prophecye of Esay Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus which auctoritie we declared before in the .xvi. article ¶ But howe many plages or woundes our sauyour Iesus had at this scourgynge it can not be knowen but by reuelacyon for they were in a maner innumerable forsythe scripture sayth Pro mensura peccati erit plagarum modus After the measure of the synne shal be the measure of the beatynges or plages and Christe was scourged for our synnes whiche be innumerable therfore his plages and woundes muste be innumerable And that noted the prophet whan he sayde of Christe A planta pedis vsque ad verticem capitis non est in eo sanitas Frome the toppe of his hed vnto the sole of his fote there was no hoole parte in hym As saynte Hierom sayth Christe wolde be scourged that therby he might deliuer vs from perpetual scourgyngê As a louynge mother seynge the father beatynge her sonne wyl runne bytwixt the rodde her sonne with her armes spred abrode and receyue the strokes to defende her sonne from that beatynge so dyd Christe for vs and therin was verifyed the saynge of the prophet that he spake of Christe sayenge Disciplina pacis nostre super eum et liuore eius sanati sumus The disciplyne of our peace dyd lyght vpon hym that is the beatynges which we deserued for our synnes and were not punysshed for them but lyued in peace and pleasure these beatynges I say dyd fall vpon Christ and so by his woundes we were made hole And after that Iesus was thus scurged they mocked hym in many thynges as it shal appere in diuers articles folowynge ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld gladly suffer y e scourges of god so that euery one of vs might say truely with the prophet Ego in flagella paratus sum I am prepared and redy to receyue beatynges And that is conuenient For syth the onely sonne of god was redye to receyue vpon his owne bodye beatynges and scourgynges for our synnes and that at the obedience of god his father moche more then shulde we that be but the adoptyue chylderne of god be redy to suffer gladly the scourges of our father in heuen whiche he by hym selfe or by his ministres doth mercyfully sende to vs for our amendement ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be bounde to a
mocke hym and in this they made theyr mockyng more to the despisyng of Christ for before where as they dyd worshyp and reuerence to hym as to god and dyd salute hym as a kynge nowe they smote hym to his dispite shame And this smytyng is not that of which we spake before in y e .xi. article for that was in the house of Annas and thys was in the motehall of Pylate also that was but one stroke whiche one of the ministers called Malcus dyd gyue to Christ here were many strokes gyuen by diuers men to Christ Thyrdly a Ieâ—e dyd gyue that stroke but the saugiours gentiles dyd gyue these Fourthly y t stroke was gyuen to reuenge y e answere y t Christe made to y e bisshop Annas but these were gyuen onely to mocke Christ And therfore this smytyng doth conueniently make a specyall article diuers from the other and after this they dyd spyr in his face as ye shall se in in the next article The lessone we may take as in y e .xi. article ¶ A prayer O Iesu which wold be smyten of the saugiours for me make me euer to lande and prayse the both in word and dede and also that the dedes of other men thoughe they be euyll maye euer torne to my good and profyte Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours dyd spytte in the face of Christ The .xxxvii. article THe .xxxvii. article is the spyttynge of the saugiours in the face of Christe whiche dyd moche aggrauate all theyr actes done before for what can be more vylanye to man than to spyt in his face as dyd the saugiours in Christes face lyke vyle and lewde persons And herby ye may perceyue that thoughe these persons ben called in laten milites whiche comonly in englysshe we cal knyghtes yet they were not knyghtes that is gentyll and noble men that be called also in laten Equites aurati and that is for theyr golden spurres for such gentyll men and noble persons wolde mocke no good man nor spytte in his face nor yet crucifye hym and take his garmentes whiche properly perteyneth to hangmen and tormentours But these be called Milites after the olde custome seruantes fotemen or saugiours as it appereth in the lyfe actes and gestes of Iulius Cesar where as Milites ben called fotemen seruynge or hyred men that feyght on foot and the knyghtes ben called horsmen These bene called Milites not for theyr noblenes but for theyr strength For comonly those saugiours were stronge in bodye and redye to all euyll And of these speaketh Theophilus sayenge The vayne glorie of these saugyours in these mockynges euer reioysynge in the inordynate rebukynges of other done shewe what they be that is vyle and lewde persons for the more parte of them and this article is distincte from the .xvii. article for that was done in the house of Cayphas before the Iues and of the Iues but this spyttynge was in the motehall of Pylate done by the saugiours before Pylate and all the compaygney Those were the spyttynges of the Iues but these ware of the gentiles and after this they smote Christe vpon the hed with a rede as ye shall se in the next article The lesson as in the .xvii. article ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me dyd suffer the vyle saugiours to spyt in thy most beautious face graunt to me that I neuer polute or defoyle thy face in the sacrament of the aulteâ— by my vnworthy receyuynge therof and that I neuer defoyle my conscience with vnciene thoughtes Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours smote Christ vpon the hed with a rede The .xxxviii. article THe .xxxviii. article is the smytynge vpon Christes hed with a rede for his more payne and confusion for vyle and stoborne persons are wonte to be smyten with a staffe as bestes be And also they smote Christ vpon the hed with a rede to make y e crowne of thornes to go farther into his hed And here note that y e redes in those partes ben great and grosse as bygge or great as a staffe wherwith we beate dogges The cruell saugiours smote Christ vpon the hed with a rede to his more rebuke shame as if they shulde say O thou vyle lewed felowe why woldest thou make thy selfe a kyng and here they ordred Christe as theues and mansleyers be ordred with vs for oftymes they be manycled to shewe and confesse what they haue done and the harder they thurste the manycles y e more it is to theyr payn and in lyke maner here they smote Christê hed that was crowned with thornes and y t to put hym to more payne They smote with a rede that hed whiche is ferefull to all deuyls reuerent to all the vertues angelles of heuen the most blessed hed of Christe which is to be worshypped of all sayntes for euer from y e which hed cometh all blessyng and grace not onely into our berde but also into the hem of our garmentes that is not onely in to y e holy apostles martyrs which be as the berde of Christe But also his blessynge and grace descendeth in to all the membres of the churche thoughe they be but of verye small perfeccyon all they that be the chylderne of god receyue this influens O ye wretches howe fereful and terrible shall that hed apere to you at the day of iudgement whiche nowe ye be not afrayd to smyte And with that smytyng the blode ranne downe from his hed vpon his necke forehed and face and so he appered lyke vnto a lepre for the â—pyttynges mixted with that blode made hym lyke vnto a lepre And then Pylate wente forth to the Iues. c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we be well ware that we smyte not Christê hed with a rede as they do whiche impugne or denye his godhed saynge that Christe is not god Also they smyte Christe vpon the hed whiche by theyr vayne and ydle lyfe offende Christe that is our hed from whom cometh as we said before the influence of grace in to al his membres wherby his membres haue their liuelye operations and this hed hath gyuen to vs example of al our werkes Wherfore in euery tyme that we haue any oportunitie to do any good the ydle person that wyl not do that good worke doth in a maner smyte Christe vpon the hed so that by that smytynge and the prickynge of the thornes the blode runneth from his hed and nothynge to theyr comforth And this it is y t Christ nowe soroweth and is pricked vnto the sheddynge of blode for our ydylnes for he seeth that his examples do not fructifye in vs for we wyll take no payne for Christe nor do good werkes after his examples ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde haue thy noble and precyous hed smyten with a rede for me grauÌ„t to me that I neuer offend the our hed with my vayne
wounde of his first or left fote that dyd cure and heale oure euyll cogitacyons affeccyons Scripture speakyng of our olde and corrupt man sayth Cuncta cogitatio cordis humani prona est ad malum omni tempore All the cogitacyon and desyre of mannes herte is prone and redy to euyll at all tymes But nowe of man renewed and healed by Christe may be veryfyed this sayenge of the wyseman Desiderium iustorum omne bonum The desyre of iuste men is all good Of these iust men also speaketh the prophet Ezechiell saynge Pedes eorum pedes recti The feete of them be ryght feete for the affeccyons and desyres of good men be not croked frowarde or turned to euyll and that is by the efficacitye and vertue of this wounde of the first or lefte foote of Christe ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as ofte as we be impugned with euyll cogitacyons affeccyons or vayne desyres we shulde forthwith flye vnto the wounde of this foote of Christ for from thens as from a most pure and holsom foūteyn there floweth to vs an holsom medicine wherwith all the fylthe of our cogitacyons all our corrupte affeccyons and desyres and breuely all our euyl and synne is wasshed and so purified and healed This perceyued wele saynt Austen in hym self when he sayde in his contemplation those wordes that be writen in the lesson of the .xlviii. article A man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde oftymes kysse the wounde of the lefte foote of Christ with the remembraunce of this lesson and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wolde haue thy moste holye feete persed with a great grosse hard nayle and so to be fastened vnto the crosse graunt to me y t when so euer I am impugned or troubled with euyl cogitations sinistrall affeccyons and desyres I may runne to the wounde of thy left foote and there to fynde and receyue holsome medicynes for my saluacyon Amen ¶ The naylynge of the seconde or ryght foote of Christ The .li. article THe .li. article is the nailyng of the right foot of Christ By the wounde of this foote our good desyres which of them selfe be feble and imperfyte be strengthed and made perfit For as saynt Paule sayth We be not sufficyent of ourselfe as of our awne vertue to thynke any good thynge but our sufficiencye therin is of god wherfore thoughe our cogitacyons wylles affeccyons desyres be somtyme good of theyr owne kynde and nature yet they be of no value or merit in the syght of god excepte they be dyed or put in the blode of the feet of Christe therfore the prophet sayth Vt intinguatur pes tu us in sauguine Thy foot or affeccyon must he dyed and put in the blode of Christe or els all is without fruyte of eternall rewarde And herunto sayth the glose vpon these wordes Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos They haue delued or digged my handes and my feete he sayth not Transfixerunt or vulnerauerunt They hath nayled or wounded but foderunt they haue delued or digged for the erth that is delued is apte to brynge forth fruyte So Christ digged in his handes and fete brought to vs the fruyt of lyfe and no meruell for he ranne after vs all the dayes of his lyfe with great thyrst and moste feruent desyre of our health ▪ ¶ A Lesson IN this article we lerne how to offre and to put al our good thoughtes wylles affeccyons and desyres into the frutfull wound of the ryght foote of Christ and that with great thankes ioynynge our desyres vnto his desyres at all tymes as it ware by a louynge kysse that therby they myghte be performed and so myght brynge forth good fruyte So Mary Magdalene dyd kysse the feet of Iesu and therby she receyued so plentuouse frute that all her affeccyon and loue were turned in to teares of contricyon compassion and deuocyon and if at somtyme we can not haue good desyres at the lest let vs haue a wyll to haue good desyres as Dauyd sayth My soule hath coueted to desyre thy iustificacyons at all tymes and if we so do then god shall accepte our wyll for a dede A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may oftymes kysse the wounde of the righte foote of the crucifix with the remembraunce of this lesson and then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd make a founteyne of thy grace sprynge to vs from the holsom and most swete woūde of thy right foote graunt to me that I may fasten and ioyne all my good desyres to that same thy wounde with a louely kysse and to make them conformable and agreynge to thy holy desyres Amen ¶ Howe the crosse with Christe vpon it was raysed vp The .lii. article THe .lii. article is the areyryng vp or lyftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse for after some doctours Christe was nayled to the crosse the crosse lyeng vpon the erth and after that he was nayled therunto they lyfted hym vp with the crosse and this lyftyng vp and puttynge of the crosse in to the stamp or fote that was fixed in the erth was one of the most greuous paynes of Christ and that was bycause all the weyght of his bodye dyd rest vpon hys handes and fete nayled and therfore when they had areysed vp the crosse and put it downe with violence in to the stampe or foote it dyd so shake the bodye that it rent the woundes of his handes feet in so moche that greate plenty or ryuers of blode dyd flowe or runne out of those woundes and founteynes of our sauiour O blessed Iesu howe swetly and pleasantly was thou conuersant with men Howe greate gyftes dyd thou gyue to men and that in most abundance howe harde and sharpe paynes haste thou suffred for them thou haste suffred harde wordes harder strokes and beatynges and most harde tormentes of the crosse and that in euery parte of thy bodye Man was seake in his heade that is in his intention that is when he dyd any thynge for an euyll intent whiche intention is as it were the heade of the soule Man was also seake in hys handes when he dyd euyll werkes or imperfyte he was also seke in his fete when he had vnclene affeccyons and desyres he was seake in his herte for he had euyl and vayne cocitacyons he was also seake in his hole bodye for he lyued a worldly lyfe after the pleasures of the worlde and of the bodye And for these causes good Iesu thou wolde be wounded first in the heade that thou myght cure all our euyll and peruerse intencyons thou wold be woūded in thy hādes to heale al our sinful remisse operations In thy fete to purge all our vnclene worldly affeccyons thou wolde be wounded in thy hert to clense all our euyll and vayne cogitacyons And also thou wolde be scourged and wounded
thus for his manhod whiche then seamed to be forsaken of god for it was subdued to intollerable paynes and most shamefull deth Christ was lefte in great paynes that therby and for those paynes we myghte be conforted of god It was done by a greate miracle that the glorie whiche was in the hygher porcyon of the soule of Chryste dyd not descende and redounde in to lawer parte of the soule but was suspended and letted so that the lawer parte suffred all paynes asmoche as is possible any creature to suffer without death for it was hollye lefte to it selfe without all comforthe whiche was not in the holye martirs in theyr martirdom and deth for the comforth that they hadde in the hygher porcyon of theyr soule dyd redownde vnto theyr senses so that theyr martyrdome and paynes was no greate payne to theym but with greate ioye they suffred them as it appereth in the lyues of saynt Laurence Vincente and many other But oure sauyoure Iesus hadde none suche consolation in his senses no helpe of any persone but all lefte to suffer what so euer was put to hym and that to the extremitie And therfore he compleynethe hym selfe to be forsaken of god whiche myghte not in dede be lefte of god for the godhed was euer ioyned bothe to the soule and also to the bodye but this he spake for vs for he knewe that many of his electe membres shulde come to so greate tribulation that it shuld seame to them that they were vtterly forsaken of god Now blessed be our dearbeloued and moste mercyfull sauioure Iesus whiche fyrst in his awne bodye for vs and nowe also in vs and with vs it pleaseth hym to suffer our tribulation for the tribulation that we suffer for iustyce and for god he reputeth it as hys awne tribulation for he saith Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with the good person in his trouble and that is that we shulde more surelye and faythfully truste in hym This payne when he sayd hym selfe to be forsaken of god was moste greuous payne to hym aboue al the other for without this leauyng there shuld haue ben no payne for who so is consorted by god there is no torment that can be paynfull to hym Christe sayde twyes My god and that was to shewe the vehemence of his sorowe both in soule and in bodye And herunto saynt Bonauenture sayth He cryed with a great voyce for he felte great sorowe and specyally for the great vnkyndnes of man for though he suffred for al man kynde yet there were very few present there that toke fruyte therof at that tyme as the thefe that hange on the ryghte hande and the glorious virgyne that was full heuye there by the crosse so that our lorde myght wele say why haue I so vaynly and with out fruyte subdued my selfe to so many great paynes and to deth O blessed lady what sorowe had thou when thou harde thy sonne crye so He cryed also with a great voyce for the synne was great whiche was the cause of all that miserie those paynes and deth For as saynt Ambrose saith He wepte and sorowed for the synne and miserie of them whose nature he had taken ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to haue a recourse to our lorde in all our tribulations and by our prayer compleyne and shewe to hym our desolation that it wolde please hym to beholde our troubles and helpe vs for so our sauyour Christ in his troubles and sorowes cryed vnto god his father saynge My god my god why hast thou forsaken me whiche as the glose ordinarie sayth was not onely a compleynte but also a prayer as it appereth in the psalme of the whiche these wordes be taken for there it is sayd thus Deus deus meus respice in me quare c. O god my god beholde me why hast thou forsaken me Also saynte Paule speakynge of the prayer of Christe seameth to speake of this prayer saynge Qui in diebus carnis sue preces cum clamore valido et lacrimis offerens exauditus est pro sua reuerentia Oure sauiour Iesus in the dayes and tyme of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and with teares was harde for his reuerence ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe the sonne of the lyuyng god whiche at the .ix. houre of the day for me most wretched hyngynge vpon the crosse cryed to thy father with a great voyce sayng He li heli lamahazastani That is My god my god why haste thou forsaken me graunt to me that in all my trouble and anguysshe I may cry to the my lorde god with the greate voyce of my herte that so thou neuer suffer me to be reproued as lefte and forsaken of thy mercy Amen ¶ Howe they gaue hym to drynke vinegre or asell The .lx. article THe .lx. article is the drynkynge of vineger for Iesus after all the forsayd paynes and labours beynge thurstye or drye for then all that was written of Chryste in the lawe of Moyses or in the prophetes ware fulfylled excepte one that was writen in the psalme In siti mea potauerūt me aceto In my thyrste they gaue to me vineger to drynke therfore Iesus to fulfyll all the scripture he sayde I am drye Not so to be vnderstande that Iesus therfore was thirsty and therfore they gaue to hym vineger to drynke bycause it was so wryten before by the prophet but bycause god knewe longe before that Chryste shulde be drye and also that the Iues or the saugiours shulde gyue hym vineger to drynke therfore our lord wold haue it writen by the prophet and so in this thirst of Christ that scripture was fulfylled and so in lyke maner vnderstande all the other propheties of Christ Christe sayd Sitio I thyrste And this was his .v. worde that he spake on the crosse for after his longe and continuall labour and payne had all the nyght before and also that same day vnto .iii. of the clocke at after none also for his effusyon and sheddynge of so moche blode and for hangynge so longe vpon the crosse in the heate of the day it was no meruell thoughe he ware drye and of this the prophet also sayth in the person of Christe Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea et lingua mea adhesit faucibus meis My vertue or strength of my body was as dry as a shell and my tonge clyued fast to my chekes for drynes and therfore he myght wele saye Sitio I thrist For they that be let blode be more drye then other men but our sauyoure Iesus was let blode that daye both in scourgyng beatyng crownyng with thornes and crucifyeng besydes his sweatyng therfore it was no meruell if he were drye Saynte Bernarde entreatyng this article sayth O good Iesu why dost thou crye and say Sitio I am thristy Dost not thou knowe that thyne aduersaryes wyl ministre and gyue
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath
gyuen to vs the victorie ouer death by our lorde Iesu Christe And note here after summe doctours that the same houre that our fyrste adam dyd synne our seconde adam Chryste gaue vp his spirite and so the same houre that the fyrste adam by his synne subdewed hym selfe and al his posteritie to death the same houre this second adam by his death distroyed death eternall so that none of his electe chylderne shal be subdued there vnto And the same houre that paradise was shyt frome our fyrste adam the same houre Christe openyd paradyse to vs. ¶ A compassion and a contemplacion of the death of Christe SAynt Bernard entreatynge this artycle sayth on this maner I am sory and haue coÌ„passion vpon y e my lorde kyng mayster and father yea my good brother and most belouyd Iesu more amyable and to belouyd aboue all women whose arowe or dart hath not turne backward thyne arowes ben very sharpe thy doctrine is valiant and myghtie thy sermon and worde is quicke and leuely of moche efficacitie and vertue more persynge than any two edged swerd entryng thorough euen to the deuidyng a sonder the soule the spirite Also thy shyld neuer declined from the batell for thou haste crowned vs with the shylde of thy grace and of thy good wyll The spear of thy prayers neuer turned bac void for y u prayed for thy enemies y t they shuld not perish How more then dost thou praye for thy fryndes and saruauntes Thou art stronger than the lion yea thou art y e lion of the tribue or stocke of Iuda that haste ouercumme the raumpyng lion that runnyth all ouer searchyng whom he myght deuoure Thou art more swyfte than the egle For thou as a giant had great ioy to runne in the waye to fulfyll the misterie of thy incarnation vnto the tyme y t thou as an egle dyd prouoke thy byrdes to flye Thou spred the wynges of thyne armes abrode vpon y e crosse and fliyng ouer vs thou toke vs lefted vs vp and bare vs vpon thy sholders with greate strenght vnto thy holie habitacle vnto the houshold of thy father where for the fedyng of thy shepe and draÌ„me that was loste and by thy passion founde agayne thou madest a great feast and ioyfull to thy fryndes and neyghboures thy holy aungels makyng to them greate ioy for the conuersion of a penitent synner And though thou be suche a myghtie and noble ê‘son yet thou wast condempned vnto the most shamefull death and so thy spirite commendyd in to the handes of thy father and thy heade enclined and bowed downe thou gaue vp thy spirite O all ye that desyre to ioy in our lorde cumme I beseach you and sorowe with me Take hede and behold our myghtye and strong Dauid how he is all to rent with wheppys behold hym whom we most desire and whom the aungelles desire to behold how he is slayn in our batell Wher is thy red rosy colour where is thy beautie where shall thou fynde fayrnes in thy broused bodye Behold our dayes haue decayed and fayled the dayes I say of our most benigne Iesu which onely is the day without all derknes And his bones haue waxed drye as a fier brande he is cut downe as the grasse and his hart hath wydred away he was lyfted vpon the crosse and very greuously hurt and broused And though he was thus shamefully and vilenously arayed outwardly yet he kepte his beautie and fayrnes in wardly Therfore faynt not for hym in thy trobles for the Iues and gentylles that see this person hangyng vpon the crosse which in hym selfe was more beautyouse than all the chylderne of men they I say onely beholdyng outward thynges see hym hauyng nother beautie ne yet fairnes for his face was more lyke to a lepre than a clene man and all the disposicion of his bodie was then very deforme and foule to beholde yet of that deformytie of our redemar dyd essew and flew out the price of our beautie of our inwarde beautie I mean In parte we haue shewed vnto you now the deformitie blaknes or fowlnes of the bodie of moste amyable Iesu but his inward beautie there is no man that can declare for in him restith and inhabiteth the hole diuinitie or godhed let vs therfore be contented to be deformed in our bodie outwardly with our sauiour Iesu shamefully deformed let vs conforme our selfe in our bodye to the body of our true vine Christ that he myght reforme the body of our mortalitie vnto the bodie of his clernes and glorification O death most to be belouyd O passion of Christ most to be desired O meruelouse misteries what is more meruelouse thaÌ„ that death shuld gyue lyfe wondes shuld cure and heale blode shuld purifie and that sorowe shuld enflame and kyndle loue The openyng of his syde doth cople ioyne hert vnto hert Also what is more meruelouse than that the sonne in the eclipse or darked by clowdes shuld shyne more clere and bryght the fier extincte doth more enflame and kyndle the hert the shameful passion doth glorifie and make gloriouse thirst or drines maketh one dronke Nakydnes doth cloth with the garmentes of vertue the handes fast nayled doth louce vs his feet nayled done make vs to ruÌ„ne Christ yeldyng his spirit doth gyue to vs lyfe he diyng vpon the tree doth call vs to heuen the sonne of god is lead to death he is smiten buffetid and beat that is our victorie he is crowned with thornys that cam to breake the thornys of our synnes he was bownd that lowseth them that be bounde he was hanged vpon a tree that reyseth them that be fallen downe the well of lyfe hath vinegre offeryd to hym for his drynke health is wounded lyfe dieth pitie is scourged for the synner wisdom is mocked lyke a fole treuth is slayne as a lier Iustice is dapned for a wicked person mercy is vexed for an infidell swetnes is made dronke with gall life is deade for the deed man All this is the sayng of faynt Austen By the premisses ye may perceyue that Christe suffred death he iuste and ryghtuouse for vs vnryghtuouse he suffred death for vniuste persons by vniuste persones with vniuste persons for vniuste causes and vnder vniuste iudges and also with vniuste paynes and tormentes Beholde therfore thou deuote soule in to the face of thy sauiour Christ and see in hym how he dyd beare and suffre the payne of the crosse that thou shuld folow hym in bearyng the crosse his bodie was naked for our example that we shuld make our confession openly or plainly and nakedly to our gostlyfather without all clokyng or hydyng and excusyng of our synnes his armes was spred abrode vpon the crosse redy to embrace the in a token that he wyl gladly receyue the vnto his grace if thou forsake thy synne he was fast nailed both in handes and feet that thou shuld perseuer and continue in his
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
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
sygnifie a thyng in the misticall body of our sauiour Christe that is that the bonys of this misticall body which be the perfite men shuld nat be broken or ouercum by iÌ„pacience in any tribulacion or aduersite but that they shulde continue and abyde vnsuperable redy to suffre all thynges vnto the death And though sumtyme they be ouercum in body that ther body is taken and put to prison and paynes yet in mynde and good maners they be neuer ouercum nor broken And therefore they brake nat Christes legges But one of the sawgiours with a speare dyd thrust Christ to the hert and furth with there cam out watre and blode This man was claled Longius and he dyd thus for the pleasure of the Iues which wold be certified of his death This Longyne was then a cruell and a wicked man but afterward he was conuerted and dyed an holy martyr It is sayd that his syght was very feble and as the blode ran downe by the speare from the hert of Christe by chaunche it toched his yen and furthwith he had his syght clerly and so he beleauyd in Christe lefte his sawgiourshyppe and enstructe by the apostles in the fayth of Christ he leuyd an holie monasticall lyue by the space of .xxxviii. yeares in the citie of Cesary in the county of Capadoce and after that he had coÌ„uerted moche peopâ—e to the fayth of Christ by his holie word and good example at last he was put to death for the fayth of Christe And that watre and blode cam out of the syde of Christe it was done for .iii. causes Fyrst for the multiplicacion of myracles It was a boue nature and a very myracle that pure and very blode and pure and very watre shuld com out of any deed bodie And note here that this blod and watre cam not myxte to gether but fyrst very pure blod and after that very pure watre As Symon de Cassia sayth Secondly it was done for the vertue of the sacramentes For of this wounde they had theyr efficacitie and vertue And herunto saynt Austen sayth super Iohannem the euangelist vsed here a very good and a discreat terme sayng Aperuit latus eius Non percussit nec vulnerauit Saynt Iohan sayth that the sawgiour with his spear dyd open the syde of Christ he doth nat say that he smote or wondyd it but opened it that he myght shew that that wounde was as the dore of lyfe from whens all sacramentes haue theyr vertue as we sayd in the .lxiii. article with out the which sacramentes no man may entre in to y e eterne life specially if they may be had Thyrdly this was done to enflame our loue And herunto saynt Austen sayth One of the sawgioures dyd open Christes syde with a speare that by y t open wounde we myght se and know the loue that Christ had in his hert to vs and so therby loue hym the more strongly and faythfully ¶ The .ix. Myracle THe .ix. Myracle was the buriyng of Christ for it was a meruelouse rare and a thyng neuer hard or seen that a person so vilely and rebukfully hangyd vpon the crosse as Christ was shuld be so honorally buryed of great and deuote persons as he was Of this buriyng saynt Iohan sayth Post hec rogauit Pilatum Ioseph ab Aromathia c. After that Christ was deed Ioseph of Aromathy desired Pylate to graunt and gyue to hym the bodie of Iesu This peticion he made for iiii cauâ—es Fyrst for as Crisostome sayth Ioseph supposed that the malice of y e Iues that they had agaynst Christ had ben endyd seyng that they had crucified hym and therfore he went boldly to Pylate and asked y e body Secondly bycause of his familiarytie that he had with Christ for he was the disciple of Christ thoughe then it was nat openly knowen Thyrdly Ioseph was a good man and therfore he fearyd nat to do a good dede Of his goodnes Symon de Casia sayth We may nat iustly reproue this Ioseph in any thyng whome so seriously the euangelist Luke commendith sayng Ecce vir nomine Ioseph qui erat de curio vir bonus et iustus Hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum c. Behold saith Luke a man called Ioseph which was a noble man worldly for he was of the ordre of the court or of the councell of the emperour a good man to god iuste to his neighboures This Ioseph dyd nat consent to the counsell and actes or deades of y e Iues agaynst Christ he dwellyd in Aromathy a citie of Iurie and he trusted also and wayted for the kyngdom of god Som sayth he was decurio bycause he was a captayne ouer .x. men And this office agreith to a mistery for he keapt the .x. commaundementes of god and thus for his goodnes he was bolde to aske of Pylate the body of Iesus Forthly it was for his dignytie for as we sayd before he was a noble man and riche and well accept with Pylate and therfore he went the more boldly to Pylate where as a poore mean man durst nat be so bolde And therfore we may say that it was done of the prouision of god that Ioseph shuld haue that riches and noblenes wherby he myght the more honorably burye the body of our sauiour Iesu c. Of this we spake in the .lxiiii. artycle ¶ The .x. Myracle THe .x. Myracle or meruell was the watche keapyng of the sepulcre for y e Iues desyred of Pylate that they myght haue sawgiours to watch and keape the sepulcre which was a rare and a meruelouse thyng that he which was put to so vile and shamefull death shuld be keapt and watched And note that I do nat take a Myracle here properly and in his most propre significacion but largely as euery rare and vn wonte thyng y t is meruelouse may be called so a myracle And of this maruell we spake sufficiently in the .lxv. article of the second parte Of other myracles that ware shewed that tyme ye shal se hereafter in the treates of Bernardyne of the .xii. merulouse frutes of the tree of life and of the wonderouse misteries of the most holye crosse Also ye haue lyke myracles in the fyrst parte of this boke in the fyrst chapiter of the .v. particle c. ¶ Why Christ wold suffre so many and such greiuouse paynes for vs. Capi. ii HEre sum doctours assygne diuerse reasons as it ware by a manere of recapitulation or rehersynge of suche thynges as haue ben spoken byfore of the passion of our lord sayng that Christ suffred so many and so greuouse paynes for vs for that that he wold by euery one of them take from vs som euyll and gyue to vs som good thyng Which thyng is to be diligently attendyd and strongly also continually to be infixed and prynted in our hert We deseruyd by our synnes eternall heuines agaynst the which
remembraunce of thy woundes and passion may expeÌ„d and put in my fynger and hand that is what so euer good werk or discreacion be in me I may put it in and expende it all holl in thy seruice to thy honour And that I may confesse with Thomas that thou art my lorde whiche hath bought me with thy preciouse blode and my god which hath creat made me And that whiche thou sayd byfore of our fayth that blyssed be they whiche haue not sene and yet beleaue I may haue experieÌ„ce therof in my selfe and that by thy grace I may be founde blyssed in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the Ascencion of our lorde The .viii. Chapitre OVr lorde Iesus knowyng that the tyme was come that he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father he wold shewe that not onely he loued his chosen people in this lyfe or whan he was mortall but also y t he loued them vnto the ende or for euer more and therfore he said to them Vado parare vobis locum I go to prepare a place for you in heuyn yet byfore that he went he wold coÌ„fort them and take his leaue of them And therfore he appered to them in the mownt of Syon in that place where as he made his supper byfore his passion for as they ware sittyng and eatyng in that place with our blyssed lady and other frendes of our lorde he appered to them and dyd eate with them byfore his Ascencion as wel for a signe or tokeÌ„ of his special loue to his disciples as to ê“ue his resurrection And after y t they had eaten he brought them all forth not with hande but with his worde and byddyng and so they went from Hierusalem vnto Bethany and than he had them go vnto the mownt of Oliuete there they shuld se hym ascende and so he departed and vanished froÌ„ theyr syght And at y e mownt of Oliuete he appered to them agayne And than some of his disciples sayd to hym Domine si in tempore hoc restitues regnum Israel Shalt thou lorde restore at this tyme the kyngdome of Israel that is wyll thou now delyuer the Iues from the subiection of the Romays c. our lorde answered It apê‘teyneth not to you to knowe tho secreat tymes or thinges that my father hath in his onely power And so after that Christ had spoken certen thynges to theyr instruction and also comforthe he kyssed ych one of them for as saynt Ambrose sayeth he left to them y e token of peace that is he kyssed them and so byddyng them fare wel he lyfted vp his handes to offre them all to his father and blyssed them gyuynge them grace and strenght to defend them from theyr enemyes and also to werk good and godly werkes and so he asceÌ„ded And thaÌ„ his mother and his disciples seyng hym eleuate and lyfted vp in to heuen fell downe prostrate and worshypped hym And for his departyng they could not refrayne them selfe from weapyng and yet they had great ioy and comforth in that they se hym so gloriously ascende And than there came and met hym all the ordres of Angels reuerently and in ordre by dyuers compaygnyes and ordres there was not one but that he cam and dyd his deutye to his lorde god And inclynyng to hym with all reuerence they wayted vpon hym with Hympnes and songes of ioy vnspeakable For as the prophete Dauid sayth Ascendlt deus in iubilo Christ god and man ascended in great songes of ioy which is to be referred not onely to the great ioy of the Angels but also to the ioy of the holy soules redeamed by the passion of Christ and asceÌ„dyng with hym with a wonderfull ioye It folowed in the psalme Et do minus in voce tube And our lord asceÌ„ded in the voyce of the truÌ„pe And this is to be referred to the sowne and voyce of the prechyng of the apostles whiche preachyng was than enioyned and commaundyd to them our lorde sayng to them Euntes in munduÌ„ vniuersum predicate euangelium omni creature Go ye through out all the world and preache my gospell to euery nacion Whan thus both the angelles and blessed soules dyd syng our lorde ioynyng his handes to gyther deuotely and lyftyng them vp streyght byfore his brest ascendyd with a cloude vnder his feet And so al the blyssed soules reuerently ascendyd with hym Nowe for asmoche as all the actes of our redempcion ware complete in the ascencion of Christ therfore that day is worthely acompted as a hyghe and a great ioyfull day For it is the moste solempne feast of our sauiour Iesus for that day he began to sit on the ryght hand of his father in his humanite and so toke rest of all the labour and payne that he suffred in this worlde It is also the propre feast of al blessed spirites in heuyn for than began theyr ruyne and decay to be repayred It is also the feast of patriarches and prophetes and of all holy soules for that day they fyrst entred into the kyngdome of glorie It is morouer the feast of our lady for asmoche as than she saw her sonne Iesus very god and man ascend vp vnto heuen with great glory in the same fleshe and body that he toke of her Yet that day is properly our feast for than our nature was fyrste exalted aboue the heuyns and so man that byfore was lost was that daye brought agayne by our sauiour Iesus vnto the kyngdome of heuyn and vnto the compaigney of angelles Therfore let vs now ascende in hert and mynde that whan tyme shall come that we be called from this worlde we may ascende in soule and after the generall resurrection ascende both in soule and body Christ dyd ascende and withdrawe from vs his corporall â—sence to prouoke our affection and loue and that we shulde desyre to be with hym with all our herte And therfore as the Apostle sayth Quae sursum sunt queramus quae sursum sunt sapiamus Let vs serch and labour to knowe tho thynges that be in heuyn and to tast or loue the same Let vs flye all worldly and vayne desyres let no thyng transytory please vs or content vs whiche haue our father aboue in heuyn And though we be here in body and also vse these temporal thyngê for the fraylty and infirmitie of our body yet let vs go to god by our loue and desyre as we reade of a certeyn deuote knyght whiche with great deuocion went vnto Hierusalem to visite al the holy places where as our lorde suffred his passion or dyd ony notable thyng in his lyfe and whan he had with feruent deuocion visited all tho places at last he cam vnto the mouÌ„t of Oliuete vnto the place from whens our lorde ascended where after that he had deuotely prayed he sayd with teares O good lorde I haue delygently saught the in many places here in erth and where now to