without the castels or cities And also he wolde suffer without y e citie to declare shewe vnto vs howe y t the vertue of his passion shuld not be included within the coostes or bouÌ„des of the Iues but that it shuld be knowen to be a comon sacrifice for all the worlde And thyrdly to signifye and shewe to vs that who so wolde haue the effecte and vertue of this passion he muste go forth or go from the worlde at lest in desire affeccyon or loue that is that he haue no inordinate loue to the worlde the gooddes or pleasure therof Wherfore let vs folowe Christe and go vnto hym frome our carnall frendes and worldlye conuersacyon bearynge with hym and for his loue rebukes and sharp paynes And herunto saynt Bernarde sayth Christe suffred his passyon and deth without the citye therfore let vs go to hym from the cytye that is by the contempte of worldlye conuersacyon and that may be done by .iii. maner of wayes In affeccyon or loue that we loue not inordinatly the world In effect dede that we vtterly forsake the worlde both in wyll and also bodye And thyrdlye by profytynge that we desyre and labour to be made one spirite with god For as saynt Gregorie sayth The more that a man is separate from the loue of the worlde the more nygh he is to god This ledyng aboue al the other .viii. of which we spake in the .viii. article was most paynfull and shamefull to Christe and that for many causes and therfore conueniently it maketh a specyall article Fyrst by reason of his rebuke and shame for it was moche shamefull to be led vnto hangynge Secondly for that he was copled and ioyned or led with .ii. theues and mischeuous persons and that was done to his more confusyon shame that the people shulde thynke there was no difference bytwixte Christe and them Thyrdly for the greate noumber of people that se hym and folowed hym and that not onely of men but also of women as the euangelist sayth But they all dyd not folowe hym of one intent and one mynde for some were moche ioyfull of that syght as the moste parte of the Iues. And it is no small payne to a man to behold and se other men and specially his enemyes gladde and ioyfull of his affliccyon and rebuke There were also some that dyd wepe and were sorye for that syght as the blessed woman And also this was moche paynfull to Christ to se his frendes louers in sorowe and heuynes for hym Saint Bernarde describeth this ledynge and procession in this maner folowynge When Christ sayth he was broughte forthe to be ledde vnto his passion there was gathered about hym a greate multitude of people as ye comonly se when theues and murderars be had to hangynge Some went saughynge and some cast clay or durte vpon his most blessed hed and face If Christe loked before hym he sawe them cast durte vpon hym If he loked aboue hym he sawe the heuy tre of the crosse lyenge vpon his necke and greuously oppressed hym If he loke behynd hym he sawe his mother with a great nomber of men and women wepynge and lamentynge for hym And as some doctours do say his most sorowefull mother wolde haue come to hym to haue helpen hym and myght not be suffred the whiche her swete Iesus seynge and consederynge her great heuynes fell downe for sorowe and werynes vnder the crosse And that seynge his moste louynge mother for sorowe she fell to the erth as deade And in the remembraunce of this swonyng there was afterwarde a chapell buylded by the faythful people in the same place in the honor of our lady whiche is called sancta Maria de Spaâ—mo and after this Iesus turnynge hym selfe to the women that wepte sayd Filie Hierusalem nolite flere super me sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros O ye doughters of Hierusalem wepe not vpon me for I take these paynes and deth with my good wyll for it is the wyll and ordinaunce of god my father that I shulde thus dye and also for the great profet y t shall come therof to mankynde for by my deth I wyll ouercome euerlastynge deth but wepe for the cause of my passyon and dethe that is the synnes of the people which cause me to suffer deth by the order of iustice And thus to wepe it is necessarie for you and therfore it foloweth Sed super vosipsas flete et super filios vestros But weape for your selfes and for your chylderne Herin Christ doth not rebuke theyr affeccyon and compassyon that they had to hym but he doth teche them an order howe to wepe that is firste to wepe for them selfe and theyrs for it is a vayne thyng and of no profyt to wepe for the passyon of Christ and therwith to despyse hym with our euyl dedes and lyuyng Also he byddes them that wepe for hym to consider what paynes be lyke to fal vpon them selfe And therfore they shuld wepe for them self and for theyr childern and therfore Christe saythe Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent beate steriles c. For the dayes shall come sayth Christ when they shall say Blessed and happy be the baren and tho that brought forthe no fruyte and those pappes or teates be happye that neuer gaue sucke or mylke then they shall begynne to saye to the mowntes Fal vpon vs and to the hylles Couer vs. And thsi he spake for the tyme of the seage of Hierusalem by the emperours Vaspasyan and Titus his son for then the Iues were in great distresse as it appereth by the histories of Iosephus and Egesippus or els we may say that Christe spake this for the extreme and last day of iudgement And the cause or reason of both these he addeth and sayth Quia si in viridi ligno faciunt in arido quid fiet For sithe so greuous paynes and shamefull despites be done to me whiche am a grene tree florisshyng and quicke in the roote of my diuinitie in the charitie of my manhode in the branches of my vertues in the leeses of good wordes and the fruyte of my good dedes if I say they do these thynges to me that is condempne me to the shamefull deth of the crosse without all iustice what shall they do to the drie tree or stocke that is to the synner whiche wanteth the moisture of grace the fruyte of iustice the grenisse or florisshynge of the conscience what payne thynke you be they worthy to haue O Iesu thou grene tre O our hed O thou glorie of all meake persons O thou cedre of clenlynes Palme of pacyence Olyue of mercy Vyne of gladnes shewe to vs what was done to the And he answering saith this grene tre is pilled or the barke pulled of it is shred lopte it is cut downe and cast vpon the erth Marke this well frendes sith he that came
and ydle lyfe but that I may euer please the with my good and quyete maners and lyuynge Amen ¶ Howe Pylate dyd shewe Christe scourged vnto the Iues. The .xxxix. article THe .xxxix. article is the shewyng of Christe so pitiouslye arayed vnto the Iues for after that the saugiours had so miserably entreated our sauyour Christe Pylate toke Iesus and went forth vnto the people of the Iues said to theÌ„ Ecce adduco euÌ„ vobis foras vt cognoscatis quia nullaÌ„ iÌ„ eo inuenio causaÌ„ Behold sayd Pilate I bryng him forth to you thus punisshed for your wordes and to certifye you that I fynde no maner of cause of deth in hym therfore he thus correct and punisshed I shall dimisse hym And here sayth Symon de Cassia Pylate sayd that he found no cause of death in Christ wherby he excludeth all crimes from Christe for he bryngeth in an vniuersall negation that is no cryme I fynde in Christ and this he dyd for to shewe his diligeÌ„ce for the deliuerance of Christ And morouer Pylate dyd brynge forth Christe in the same habyt and aray as he was illuded and mocked of the saugiours and that was for the intent that the Iues seing hym so miserably and shamfully arayed shulde cease of theyr malice towardes Christ And also Pylate shewed Christ to the Iues on that maner knowynge that they wolde be very glad to se Christe thus dispysed and punisshed and also supposyng y t therby they content wolde no more speake of his deth for this cause Pylate dyd scourge Christ and shewed hym to the Iues and therfore the euangelist sayth Exiuit ergo Iesus portans spineam coronam et purpureum vestimentum Iesus came forth hauyng a crowne of thornes and a purpull robe and also a rede in his hande for a scepter Behold here a lamentable spectacle Iesus went forth as saynte Austen sayth in a kynges ornamentes not glorious and shynyng in his apparell but full of obprobry and confusyon And therfore Pylate sayd to the Iues Ecce homo Beholde this is a man as yf he shulde haue sayd after saynt Austen If ye haue enuy to hym bycause he called hym selfe a kynge nowe spare hym haue pytie vpon hym for ye nowe se hym lyke to no kynge but shamefullye and miserably deiecte lyke a moste miserable wretch for he scourged crowned with thornes mocked in a kynges ornamentes despysed with many rebukes and bet or smyten with many strokes therfore sith ye se hym thus dispised let 〈◊〉 enuy wax colde or cease But for all these theyr enuy nothynge decreased but rather encreased and waxed more hote and feruent Se howe great is the malice of the Iues that hereby wolde not cease of the procurynge of the deth of Christe theyr obstinate wickednes wold not be relented with mercye And among all the other illusions this was more payne to Christ that is that his deedly enemyes shuld se hym so dispytefully arayed of the saugiours of y e which syght they had no lytyl ioy and yet they were not content with this syght knowyng that Pilate wold haue so delyuered Christ to his libertie but they hauynge no compassion of Christe nor yet coÌ„tent with the excusacyon of Pylate cried out with a lowd voyce and also moued other to crye sayng Crucify hym crucifye hym c. as in the next article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne to haue Christ thus illuded and mocked euermore in our remembraunce so that we neuer vaynly reioyse in our outwarde garment habite or apparel for our lorde god was mocked and scorned in his apparell And specyally religious persons ought to folowe Christe in this thyng for they represent Christ thus illuded and mocked in theyr habyt and tonsure for the habyt of a religiouse person is a vyle thynge despysed and mocked of the worldlye people The tonsure or crowne of the religious person doth represent y e crowne of thornes And also in olde tyme religious men as monkes were wont to beare staues or styckes in theyr handes whiche dyd represente the rede that Christe had in his hande and as Christe disdeyned not to be brought forth and shewed to the Iues in that scornfull habite so religious persons shulde not be ashamed of theyr vyle habit nor to folow Christ which was dispised in this kyngê aray And herunto saynte Paule sayth Spectaculum facti sumus muÌ„do We that despyse the worlde be made a mocken stocke vnto the worlde and neuer so moche as in these dayes our lorde sende vs pacyence and lyghten the soules of the dispysers ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be shewed and presented vnto the Iues in so scornfull and dispitefull aray graunt me to auoyde all ostentation of vayne glorie and to appere before the at thy iudgement in suche aray as shall stande with thy fauour ¶ Howe the Iues dyd crye Crucifye hym crucifye hym The .xl. article THe .xl. article is the cryenge of the Iues to haue Christ crucifyed for when the bisshoppes and the other Iues had sene Christ so scornfully arayed so miserably scourged bet and mocked not content therwith nor yet alowynge the excusacyon of Pylate dyd crye Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifye hym crucifye hym they sayd twyse Crucify and that was to shewe theyr feruent desyre that they had to crucifye Christe and also for that they crucifyed hym both in wyl and in werke And as Rabanus sayth It had ben more profitable to theyr soules to haue sayde Miserere mei deus miserere mei Haue mercy vpon me O thou god haue mercy vpon me or els these wordes of the prophet Iohel Parce domine parce populo tuo Spare lorde spare thy people gyue not thyne inheritance in to rebukes and confusion let not the gentiles haue dominion vpon thy people the Iues these prayers had ben more conuenient for them but they were so malicyous that they cryed crucify crucifye hym and when they cryed thus it was the thyrde hour of the day that is .ix. of the clocke after our computation At that houre the Iues dyd crucifye Christ with theyr tongues As saynt Austen sayth and after this exposycyon the wordes of the euangeliste Marcus are to be vnderstanded where as he saythe Erat autem hora tertia et crucifixerunt eum It was y e thyrd hour of the day and the Iues dyd crucifye hym that is with theyr tongues c. openly shewynge therby that the tongues of the Iues were more to be sayd or called the sleyers of Christe than the handes of the saugiours And therfore this crye is conueniently assigned a specyall article of the passion of Christe They asked and cryed to haue Christe crucifyed whiche maner of deth was at that tyme of suche shame and confusion that after a persone ware put to suche a death he shulde neuer be remembred and spoken of agayne but to his euyl and despisyng and in a maner
passion of our sauioure Iesu Christe that by the feruent remembrance of the sayd passion he myght entre into these most depe treasures of the goodnes of god vnto the tyme that soule or mynde be depely entred into Christe crucified and in a maner absorpte drowned thrugh or in the feruent loue of Christe crucified And than that soule shall receiue the gyfte of science know how to order his werkes accordyngly vnto right reason and applie hym selfe vnto the conformitie of Christe And this is it that we sayd in the begynnynge of this chapiter that the gyfte of science moueth a man to lyue iustly truely in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many froward and wicked persones and amonges them to defende his faithe and to haue true compunction in his hert The spirite of science or knowledge is for that intent gyuen vnto man that that spirite enterynge into the herte or soule of man shulde instruct hym in thynges necessary for his saluacion and shulde moue hym to true compunction sorow for his offences that man shulde know that what so euer payne or tribulacion he hath it is for his synnes and if he be pacient for his great profite And what so euer goodnes he hathe it is of the mercy and grace of god And so thereby he shulde lerne to be euer subiect to god and to praise hym in all werkes neuer to murmure against hym but in all thynges and at all tymes to shew mekenes and pacience and euer confesse god to be iust and true in all his werkes and so folow thexample of Christe which is the myrroure of pacience and also the rewarde eternall of the true and meke pacieâ—t Moreouer by the true compunction of herte whiche springeth of mekenes thrugh thoperacion and help of this godly science is swaged the wrathe indignacion of the mynde And contrary wayes wrathe doeth ouercum and spiritually slee the vnwise person that wanteth this gyfte of scyence As whan in aduersitie he is moued or styred and also blynded by the vice of impacience in so muche that he doeth nat know that suche paines and tribulacions as he suffereth cummeth to hym by his owne demerites and synnes Or els whan he is lyfted vp in prosperitie he is so blinded by pryde that he will nat know how that all the goodnes that he hath cummeth of god And lyke as we se in daily experience that after rayne cummeth fayre wedder so after the vertue of true compunction and sorowe for our synnes foloweth the rewarde of consolacion For who so euer wyll freely punyssh hym selfe in this lyfe for the loue of god he shall fynde hereafter a true ioye and gladnes without ende And therfore our sauiour sayth Beaâ—i qui lugent quoniam consolabuntur Blessed be they that wepe and mourne in this lyfe for the loue of god for they shall be conforted And this is the thyrde beatitude whiche correspondeth to the gyfte of science For as saynt Austin sayeth science is accordynge to mourners Right iudgement of creatures or to iudge truely of creatures perteineth vnto the gyfte of science For oftymes men thrugh thoccasion of creatures turne them selfe from god and so commyt greuouse synne as the wyse man sayeth Creature facte sunt in odium muscipulam pedibus insipientium Creatures made of maÌ„ to the seruice of god thrugh the synne of man ben made to the hatred of man and as a trap or a snare to the fete of vnwise men for asmuche as suche men wantynge right iudgemente and knowledge of the creatures do put theyr full confidence and trust in them whiche they shulde haue put in god and so consequently they do synne and lese the true infinite goodnes And this great damage of man is made knowen to man by the right iudgement of creatures whiche he hath by this gyfte of science And therefore coâ—ueniâ—â—tly is the beatitude of mournynge assigned to reaunswere vnto the gyfte of science Whiche graunt vnto vs that moost tender calfe that hynge vpon the crosse for vs. Amen ¶ An example of this gyfte of the spirite of science Chapitre .xi. OF this gifte of discrecion and of science we may haue example in the foresayde blessed woman Maria de Ogines Of whoÌ„ it is wryten in y e histories of Vincent as foloweth For asmuche as to this blessed woman in auoidyng all euill by the spirite of the feare of god in doynge good by the spirite of pitie was also necessary a warenes a circumspection of discretion therefore almighty god the father of light and knowledge whose vnction and spirite teacheth vs in all thynges necessary dyd illuminate lyghten his doughter Marie with the spirite of godly science And that without doubt was thrugh her continuall and feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion God I sayde gaue to her the gyfte of knowlege that thereby she might know what was to be done and whaÌ„ and what was to be auoided and that all her sacrâ—fices and paines taken for god she might order with discrecion For oftymes vice wyll shew hym selfe to be vertue and euyll oftymes is taken vnder the colour of goodnes And whan we wold auoide one vice oftimes we fall into the contrary vice and therfore this spirite of godly knowledge is necessary for vs. Sumtyme this blessed woman whan she was made one spirite with god was ioyned vnto hym with the glew of feruent loue to hyr great pleasure and swetenes If she herde of the cummynge of straungers to speke with her she wold I say sumtyme with great violence withdrawe her selfe from that great pleasure of contemplacion from the swete halsynges of her spouse Christ lesse that she shuld slaundre those straungers I say she wolde withdraw her mynde from that contemplacion with so great vehemence of sorow that sumtyme she voyded or spytted pure blood that in great quantitie to her great payne and affliction Wyllyng rather so to punisshe her selfe with that great martyrdom than to trouble or vnquyet the peace and quyetnes of her systeren and bretheren and specyally of pylgrymes or strauÌ„gers Yet suÌ„tyme whan she knew thrughe the reuelacion of the holy goost the cummynge of sum straungers a good tyme before they cam she wolde go pryuely into the feldes or woodes nygh vnto her cell and there wolde she hyde her selfe that vnneth or scarcely hyr owne company myght fynde her all thoughe they searched for hyr all the daye And sumtyme contrarye wayes whan she was in slepe yf there cam to hyr pore and symple persons for theyr necessitie or conforte she was sodaynly awaked and compellyd to ryse onely by thoperacion and mouynge of the holy goost whiche than sayd vnto hyr Spede the there is one that abydeth for the to speke with the nat for any curiositie but for very necessitie Moreouer though this blessyd woman with a meruelouse discrecion kept alwayes peace with hyr neighbours and nat onely with them that were good
and vnwysely or gredyly though he wolde take that is necessary yet sumtyme he taketh that is noysum to hym For superfluitie and also corporall pleasure is oftymes lyrkyng and hyd vnder necessitie The thyrde vyce or defaute is a dulnes and slouthefulnes to do good and vertuouse werkes and this is signified by the dowue whiche before she taketh hyr flyght she hath great deliberacion and taryeng turnyng hyr hed on euery syde lokyng rouâ—de about to coÌ„sydre whether she shal flye but oftymes in y e meane tyme she is smytten with a byrdbolt or els taken with the hawke So it fortunyth oftymes vnto ydle slouthful or dull persones The fourthe is a folysshe and inordinate feare that is signified by the shepe which is more folyssh than other bestes In so moche that yf in the tyme of thunderynge she be lefte alone from the flocke and be greate with lambe for folysshe feare she wyll caste vp hyr lambe So folysshe fearefull men for feare of hurtyng of the body or for feare of displeasure of sum persons wyl caste vppe the fruyte of spyrytuall profyte that is leue vndone vertuouse and merytoryouse werkes Where as Christe entreth into the temple all suche vyces ben expelled and that on this maner He maketh a scourge or a whyppe of thre cordes The fyrste is corporall syckenes The seconde is trouble of mynde And the thyrde is spyrytuall admonicion by the instyncte and mocyon of the hooly gooste With this whyppe oure lorde doeth caste out all theyse foure vyces from oure soules And more ouer he tourneth ouer they re chayres or stooles and also all theyr bordes or tables wheron they dyd rest for that they shoulde nat lyghtely or easely cum there in agayne So our lorde caste oute of the soule all the helpe and mouers vnto synne And oure lorde sayde vnto theym whom he droue oute of the Temple It is wrytten by the Prophete Esaye Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur c. My house that is dedycate vnto my honour and name shall be called the house of prayer and nat the house of rape or thefte nor of marchaundyse vayne speache or vayne beholdynge Hereof is gyuen vnto vs a greate confydence or trust that oure prayers shall be herde Wherefore elles wolde he moue vs to pray in his temple excopte he wolde there here oure prayers It foloweth Vos â—ecistâ—s illam spelumcam latronum But ye haue made my Temple a denne of theuys The theuys haue none other sorow or care but onely to gette temporall goodes and howe so euer they may haue or gette theym they regarde ne care nat so that they may haue theym And therefore they hyde theym selfes in pryuye caues or dennys bycause that they wolde nat be taken or perceyuyd It foloweth Et accesserunt ad eum ceci et claudi in templum et sanauit eos After this acte or dede done there came vnto oure sauyoure Iesus Christe into the Temple many blynde men and laâ—e men and incontinently he cured and healed theym And so they were as wytnesses of the voyce and praysynge of the chylderen that with loude voyce cryed in the Temple and sayde vnto oure sauyoure Christe Iesu Hoshiahâ—â— That is as moche to saye Saue vs or make vs safe nowe And oure sauyoure Iesus aunswered vnto theym nat by wordes but by his deedes in curynge and gyuynge helthe vnto the blynde and the lame men As yf he shulde say ye call me a sauyour and desyre helthe of me Loo I as a very sauyoure gyue vnto you helthe The prynces of the preestes and the scrybes that is the lerned men in the lawe of god seynge these great myracles and meruayles and hearyng the chylderen tryenge in the Temple praysyng hym as god they had great indignacion therat and so were greatly moued against hym with enuy 〈◊〉 and malice For comonly euyll and enuyouse men can nat pacyently here the prayse of good men And where as they durst nat lay vyolent handes vppon hym for feare of the people that than fauoured hym nor yet impugne his manifest and open myracles yet they rebuked hym for y t he suffred the people so to reioice in hym and the chylderen also to praise and laude hym as god so openly in the teÌ„ple And so they sayd vnto hym Audis quid isti dicuntur Doest thou here perceyue what these people do say As yf they sayd thou shulde nat suffre suche laude and prayse to be gyuen to the whiche is onely due to god therfore yf thou were an holy iust and good man thou woldest refuse or declyne frome suche glory and prayse And Iesus aunswered sayenge Vtique I here theyr praysynges and ought to here them for this praysyng was preordinate of god longe before this tyme to be gyuen vnto me for so it is wrytten by the Prophete Dauid Ex ore infantium et lactentium perfecisti laudem That is Thou good lorde hast perfourmed the praysyng that thou ordred for thy son to be fulfylled by the mouth or voice of infantes yonge suckynge chyldren ¶ A prayer O Lorde thou made a generall signe or token of thy terrible iudgement whan thou cast out of the temple all byers and sellers with a whyppe made of thre cordes shewynge in thy face or iyen the flame of thy diuinitie I pray and beseche the lorde to graunt me to remembre so to consydre thy terryble presence y t I myghte feare the with an holye feare For thy iudgementes be great and nat to be serched whiche whan I consydre all my bones quake for feare for there is no man lyuynge vpon the erthe that is sure of thy glory but all thynges be reserued as vncerteyn vnto the tyme hereafter to cum that we shulde euer serue the deuoutly vertuously in feare also ioye in the with drede Amen ¶ The .viii. particle Of the dolorouse or sorowfull departyng of our sauiour Iesu from his mother Mary ALthough theuangelystes wryte lytle or no thynge of the heuy departynge of our sauioure Iesus from his mother yet dyuers holy doctours moued of the holy goost haue shewed the same And in especiall these sayntes Austyn Bernarde Anselme and IohaÌ„nes de Capistrano And that in this maner The wednysdaye after that Iudas had made promyse to the Iues that he wolde betraye Christe and delyuer hym into theyr handes he cam into Bethany where as Iesus was with his disciples Christe knew very well that Iudas had solde hym and that nat withstandynge he toke Iudas in his armes kyssed hym whan he cam to Bethany thereby secretely mouynge hym to forsake and leue his maliciouse mynde Also our lady the vyrgyn Mary louyngely and frendely bad hym welcom and asked of hym what he herde of hyr sonne And Iudas sayd euery man speketh good by hym Mary moche louyd Iudas bycause she knewe that he was knowen and in fauour with the prynces of the prestes But yf she had knowen what he
occasyon to accuse hym but Iesus wold not answere he held his speach meakly for he knewe that Cayphas wolde take summe occasion of his answere wherby he wold accuse hym therfore Iesus wold not speake that was not of any displeasure or feare but for a misterie as knowynge that he whiche moued hym to speake dyd it of a crafte and fraude and not to knowe the truthe Also he kepte silence to gyue vs example to contempne the false craftes and disceytes of our aduersaries and therfore he wolde rather strongly keape his silence than to defende his cause without ony profyte And of this silence was spoken longe before that tyme by the prophet Esay Quasi agnus coram tondente se obmutescet c. He shal be as dumbe as a lambe whan he is shorne and he shal not open his mouth to gyue answere And the prophet Dauid saith in the person of Christ I as a deafe man hard not I was as a dumbe man not openynge his mouth And the more that our sauyoure Iesus kepte silence to them that were not worthy his answere the more Cayphas the bisshop beynge in greate furye prouoked Christe to answere And therfore with great indignacyon and inpacyence he said to Christ Adiuro te per deum viuum vt dicas no bis si tu es Christus filius dei I adiure the by the lyuynge god or charge and commaunde the by the vertue of the lyuynge god that thou say vnto vs if thou be Christ the sonne of god lyuynge This adiuracyon Cayphas spake of a false craftie and disceytful mynde and not for to knowe the truthe And therfore saynt Hierom sayth Cayphas dyd adiure Christ by the lyuynge god that for the reuerence of the name of god he shulde answere and speke vnto them not intendyng therby to knowe the truth but to take occasion of his wordes to falsly accuse Christe O what madnes and wickednes was this fyrst they sent to take hym and so they bounde hym as a thefe worthy deth And now they examyn hym not to knowe the truth but rather to fynd some occasion in hym wherby they myghte accuse hym vnto Pylate as worthy death And this adiuracyon was a greuous synne in Caiphas for it perteyneth not to the inferiour so to coniure the superiour without a reasonable cause to say the treuthe This notwithstandynge Christe for the reuerence of the name of god wherwith he was adiured he answered and spake the truth fyrste that they shulde not excuse theym selfe but that they herde hym saye the treuth and also that he wolde not be noted to contēpne the name of god for these causes Iesus answered sayde Tu dixisti ego sum c. Thou hast sayd the truthe I am the sonne of god notwithstandynge I say vnto you that from hensforth or herafter ye shall se the sonne of man that is ye shall se me whome you nowe contempne and shamefully entreate syt on the ryght hand of the vertue of god that is in maiestie and power equall and one with god the father and ye shall se me cume at the day of iudgement in my manhode with great power and maiestie in the clowdes of heuen Than Cayphas whiche before rose vp in a greate furye hearynge this answere was more mad and so cut or rent his garmentes for as Bede sayth whome that furie made ryse from his seate this madnes prouoked hym to cut and rent his vestiment and as Symon de Cassia sayth this cuttynge of his garment doth shewe a folysshe diuisyon in his maners and also the want of the bond of Charitie And in this acte Cayphas dyd also prophicye shewynge and signifyenge by the cuttynge of his garment that the Iues shuld shortly lese theyr dignitye of preesthod which began in Aaron for when he cut his garment or clothyng he made that openly to be sene which before was secreat and so consequently he cut and put from hym the couerynge of the lawe though he knewe it not nor yet intended y t for he onely cut his clothynge that he mygh make his accusacyon agaynst Christe more greuous and to shewe that thynge by his doynge which he spake in his wordes for he sayde that Christe dyd blaspheme god It was a custome and a maner amonges the Iues y t whan they herde any blasphemye spoken agaynst god they wolde cut and rent theyr clothynge or garmentes in token of sorowe and detestacyon of so great a cryme This greuous synne of blasphemy the prynce of preestes Cayphas dyd impute to Christe saynge Blasphemauit He hathe blasphemed god attributynge and gyuynge that thynge to hym selfe whiche is onely propre to god What nede we of ony other witnes as he myght say we labour in vayne to searche for wytnesse agaynste hym for he hath spoken openly and before al your presence ye haue hard hym speake blasphemye O wreche and prynce full of wyckednesse he spake no blasphemye but the treuth thou dost blaspheme the sonne of god for thou wyll not gyfe that thynge to god that apperteynethe to god thou reputest the essencyall sonne of god to be a pure creature and therfore thy blasphemye shal be with the euermore to thy eternall perdicyon and dampnacyon ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde be pure and clene from all blasphemye both in our selfe and also to other persons in our selfes that we nother do nor say any thynge wherby the name of god shuld be blasphemed in vs or by vs. And also that we moue not ony other persons to blaspheme god And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article let hym in a contrarie maner blysse or prayse god in this or lyke maner Sit nomen domini benedictum c. Blessed be the name of god nowe and euer Amen And also pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd suffer the abhominable synne of blasphemy to be put vpon the kepe me that thy name be neuer blasphemed by me in worde nor in dede and that neuer ony blasphemie or ony other euyl word be spoken or vttered with my mouth ¶ Of the Condempnacyon of Christe The .xv. article THe .xv. article is the condempnacyon of Christe vnto the death Whan Cayphas the prynce of preestes had sayde to his compaigney that were there gathered in counsel ye all haue nowe herd hym speake blasphemy he asked of them what they thought and then they al answering sayd Reus est mortis He is worthy death he hath deserued deth This they sayd that theyr malice shuld be openly knowen and though they dyd not so intende yet it was so done by the permissyon and suffrance of god as many other thynges here spoken and done in these articles And beholde here sayth Symon de Cassia howe iustyce is oppressed vertu put vnder foote and reason vtterly subdued to theyr malice in so moche that all the princes wyse men and seniours dyd
to the Iues Ecce rex vester Behold your kynge before he sayd Beholde a man therby shewynge howe shamefullye and miserably Christ was arayed and that Pylate spake to moue the Iues to compassion And nowe to moue them agayne he sayd scornfully mockynge them behold your kynge as if he shulde saye ye awght to be ashamed that any wyse man shuld perceyue that ye be afrayd that this simple person so vylely abiecte and despised shuld be your kynge but the Iues in nothynge ashamed nor yet moued to pitie cryed Tolle tolle crucifige eum Away with hym hens with hym take hym frome our syght it is deth for vs to loke vpon hym away with hym crucify hym And note here that they dyd crye thrice Crucify hym and in the remembraunce therof we say thryce Agnus dei in the masse Then Pylate scornfully sayd to them Regem vestrum cru cifigam Shall I crucifye your kynge wyllynge therby to rebuke them and make theym ashamed to speake any more therof whom he coulde not moue by the despysynges of Christe but the Iues past all shame answered saynge Non habemus regem nisi cesarem We haue no kyng but the emperour And herby ye may se howe moche the vnkynde Iues desyred the deth of Christe for they to procure his deth wylfully submitted them selfe vnder the subieccyon of the Romaynes the whiche before that tyme they wolde neuer gladly do but rather they were alwayes in a mynde and purpose to rebelle agaynste the emperour for to haue theyr libertye And here note that this article was more greuous to Christe then any of the other before for here he was broughte to his iudgement and his accusars moste cruelly dyd crye away with hym hange hym vpon the gallowes c. where as all the other were done and spoken the iudge not syttynge in iudgemente And then Pylate seynge that that he myght in no thyng profyte to the delyueraunce of Chrste called for water c. as shall appere in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to iudge oure selfe in our owne soule and conscience as Christe was iudged for vs that therby we myghte auoyde the strayte iudgemente of god For as saynte Paule saythe If we here iudge our selfe we shall not be Iudged ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in the syxte houre of the day wold for me most wretched sinner be presented before the iudge syttyng in iudgement graunt to me so to iudge my selfe in my selfe of all my synnes by the testymonie or witnes of myne owne conscience and also pacyentlye to suffer thy iudgemente in all aduersities that I may in suerty appere in thy laste and terrible iudgement Amen ¶ Howe Christe was condempned The .xlii. article THe .xlii. article is the condempnacyon of Christ by the sentence of the iudge for Pylate seynge that he in nothyng profyted for the delyuerance of Christ but that more busines was made for as the glose sayth The Iues reputed to Pylate treason and rebellion agaynst the emperour he was anone ouercome by feare aÌ„d swerued from the way of treuth and iustice But fyrst he toke water and wasshed hys handes sayng Innocens ego sum a sanguine iusti huius vos videritis I am innocent of the blode and deth of this iust person Pylate toke water and wasshed his handes accordyng to the sayeng of the ê“phet Lauabo inter innocentes manus meas I shal wassh my handes among the innocentes but he sayd to the Iues Vos videritis Loke you to your parte coÌ„sider what shal be your syn I am the minister of the lawe take good hede whom ye offer to me to be slayne for I must gyue sentence after your sayngê and not after my knoledge and mynde and therfore this synne shal be imputed to you and not to me And then all the people of the Iues answered and sayd Sanguis eiê° super nos et super filios nostros His blode fall vpon vs vpon our childern This sayng for the wordes is very good most ê“fitable to man saluacyon for it is greatly to be desired that the blode of Christ fal vpon vs to wassh vs from all fylth of synne accordyng to the sayng of saynt Iohan Dilexit nos et lauit nos a peccatis nostris in sanguine suo Christe hath loued vs wasshed vs frome our synnes in his blode But the Iues spake these wordes with an other intent for they desyred y t the vengeance of his blode and deth shulde fall vpon them and vpon theyr children and so it doth vnto this day y t is almost xv huÌ„dreth yeres so shal coÌ„tinue as saint Hierom saith nygh vnto the ende of the worlde And so pylate thought he had sayd before and declared Christ to be innocent and so to be delyuered yet nowe wyllyng to please the Iues and sacysfye theyr cryengê and fulfyll theyr wyl dyd y t thyng which was not plesyng to god and accordynge to iustyce Also fearynge that he shulde haue bene accused of treason agaynst the emperour Also supposynge no great peryll or daunger though he condempned to deth this pore innocent person specyally considerynge that no man spake or intreated for hym al this considered I say Pylate gaue sentence and iudged Christe for that he wolde haue ben a kyng contrarie to the precepte of the emperour to be hanged vpon y e crosse or crucifyed and this sentence was agaynst all iustyce and also agaynste his owne knowledge for he knewe Christe to be innocent in this cause and all other And thus he gaue most cruel sentence agaynste the innocent in whome was no cause of deth And so by his iudgement and power of the emperoure he betoke Iesus vnto the Iues that he shulde be crucifyed And note here that the euangelist sayth not Vt crucifigereÌ„t euÌ„ sed vt crucifigeretur That the Iues shulde crucifye Christe but that he shulde be crucified by the auctoritie of the iudge but he sayth that Pylate betoke Iesus vnto the Iues to shewe that they were the cause of his deth though they wolde not haue had it so taken for Pylate wold not haue gyuen this sentence but onely for that he se that he coulde none otherwyse please and content the Iues. But what was the forme and the wordes of the sentence it is not shewed in the gospelles but in the euangely of Nichodeme it is writen howe that Pylate gaue sentence in these wordes folowyng Gens tua comprobauit te regem propterea precipio te primum flagellari secundum principum statuta deinde 〈◊〉 cruce leuari Thy people haue affermed the to be a kynge therfore I commaunde the first to be scourged accordyngly to the ordynauÌ„ces and statutes of the princes of Rome and after that to be hanged vpon the crosse Beholde here howe the moste innocente lambe Christe dyd chose to be dampned for
her virginall wombe Nay suerly if we wyll forsake our syn and cum faythfully to them Therfore let vs wretches ioy with y e holy spirites and soules in heuen and with al creatures as moch as we may and let vs study and labour to laude and prayse so gloriouse so mercifull a mother and virgyne as far as our infirme frayle nature wyl suffre The assumpcion of this gloriouse virgyn was figured in the old lawe when as the arke of god was translate in to the house of kynge Dauid At which tyme kynge Dauid dyd harpe and daunce before the arke of god and so brought it in to his house with great ioy It was also figured in the mother of Salomon for whom he made a trone next vnto his trone and set her therin sayng aske of me what thou wilt It is nat conuenient or seamyng for me to deny it to the. Also it was figured by the woman which saynt Iohan speaketh of in his reuelacions sayng Signum magnum apparuit in celo Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus eius c. A great signe apperyd in heuyn A woman clad or coueryd with the son and the mone vnder her feet and a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heade This woman signifieth our Lady which when she was assumpte vnto heuyn was clade or compassyd about with the son that is with the glorie of the diuinitie of Christe The mone was vnder her feet for she despised the world and worldly thynges signified by the mutable mone She had a crowne of .xii. sterres vpon her heed for the .xii. apostles ware present at her death or elles It signifieth her vnspeakeable glory For these consideracions all men shulde crie and call vnto our lady Mary shuld name Mary shulde loue her aboue all other creatures Both yong and olde man and woman euery profession shulde diligently call vpon Mary When by our syn we haue offendyd god the highe kynge of glorie when we haue lost the cumpaigney of all holie aungelles and sayntes in heuyn when also we be greuouse and moch paynfull to our selfe know nat what to do and whether to go for helpe then this onely remedy haue we wretched synners that we may lifte vp our ien of our soule and body vnto the o mercifull mother Mary for counsell and healpe Therfore o pitifull Lady intend to vs that we may receyue that profitte and effecte for the which our Lord god was made man in thy most chaste wombe and so liuyd here amonges men and at last suffred death for the health and saluacion of man To the blessyd Mary we commende vs procure for vs and defend vs that we do nat perish euerlastyngly Amen A prayer O Lord the gyuer of ioy the graunter of solace the diligent releuer of the desolate person the chaser away of all heuines and sorowe which haste gladdyd make ioyfull the most blessed virgyn Mary thy mother the glasse of thy maiestie the solace of aūgelles the ymage of thy goodnes the begynner of our helth thou hast gladdyd her I say w t manyfold ioyes both ī heuen and in erth I beseach the graunt to me thy suppliant that I which presume to com trustely and faythfully to her as to the well and fountayne of ioy in all my sorowes trobles may by her merites and prayers feale and receyue the effecte of her prayers and comforth in this present life and finally to cum to that ineffable ioy to y e which she assūpte ioyeth with y e eternally in heuyns Amen ¶ Of the last iudgement and of the cummyng of the Iudge to the same the .xi. Chapiter WE reade in scripture of .ii. cōmynges of Christe Fyrst is past that was when he cam to be cum man and in our nature of his manhod suffred death for y e redempcion of man Seconde shal be when he shall com to iudge all man kynd And the condycions of the iudge in this commynge be contrary vnto his condycions in his fyrst commyng for then he cam in great meaknes with the cōpaignye and felowshyp of very poore people his apostles and in his propre infirmitie and feblenes But contrarywyse to y e iudgement he shall cum in great power and maiestie with the compaigney of angelles and in his great dignitie as a iudge Herunto Beda sayth He that fyrst cam in the forme and meakenes of a seruant to be iudged and also condempned shall here after com to iudge the worlde in the great maiestie of his deitie And that shal be manifestly and openly nat hid in a mortal body as byfore that tho persons that contempned hym in his humilitie and mortalitie shuld now know hym in his power and maiestie And then he shall syt vpon the seet of his maiestie And there shall all people be gadred byfore him as byfore theyr iudge And he shal separate and diuide them a sondre as the herd man diuideth the shepe from y e gootes In the day tyme he keapeth them to gedre in y e pasture but in the euyntyde he doth seuer them a sondre So in this present life both the good persons and also y e euyll ben fedde to gedre in the church militante but in the euyntyde of death or of the worlde Christe shall seauer the good from the euyll as shepe fro the gootes In the shepe is vnderstand the innocency of good men for theyr simplicitie myldnes and fruytfulnes And in the gootes is noted the frowardnes of euyll men for theyr filthynes stynche stubbernes and barennes And Christe shall set the shepe or good men on his ryght syde and the gootes on his lefte syde that by the same orderyng in the ryght or left syde euery person may knowe to whom mercy shal be shewyd and to whom eternall payne remayneth And the good men be conueniently set on the ryght hand for they at theyr death ware founde on the ryght part that is hauynge charitie and good workes And the euyll men also be conueniētly set on the left hande for they wolde nat folow the ryght parte by doyng of good werkes for y e loue of god Tho be on the lefte part which here loue temporall vayne thynges Tho be on the ryght parte which here loue eternall thynges And then shall Christe recounte and remembre the werkes of mercy vnto the good men on the ryght hande whiche they dyd to Christe in his membres and so shal say thus Venite benedicti patris mei c. Com ye belssyd chylderne of my father possesse and receyue ye the kyngdom prepared for you byfore the begynnyng of the world I was hungry and ye fedde me I was thristy and ye gaue me drynke I was without lodgyng and ye harbored me I was seake and ye dyd visite me I was in prison and ye cam to me I was naked and ye clothed me Then the good and iuste persones as fliynge theyr owne commendacions and