The Myrrour or Glasse of Christes Passion ⧠⧠⧠HH The Preface ¶ To the honorable lorde Husey My lorde accordyngly vnto your desyre I haue traÌ„slated your boke put it into our natyue mother tongue as my simple wit and power lernyng wold suffer me And though it be nat so well done as I surely knowe many other myght can haue done it if it wolde haue pleased your lordship to haue deâ—yred theÌ„ and if also it wold haue lyked them to haue taken that labour yet I trust I haue so done that it may be comforth to the readers hearers or at the leste I haue gyuen occasion to ordre to amend and performe that I rudely and barbarously set forward Surely my lorde the chyefe cause of this my labour was for that I thought this boke shulde be moche profytable to the readers and edefyeng to all that wolde diligently hear it And to say the treuth I know no thynge more comfortable to man For amonges all the exercyses that helpe the spirite to obteyne the loue of god and specially to hym y t wolde begyn vse a spiritual lyfe no thynge is thought always more frutful thaÌ„ the continnal meditacion of the passion of our lorde god Iesus Christ for the exercyses of all other spirituall meditacions may be reduced and brought vnto this As by an example If a man desyre to bewayll and weape for his vices and synnes for his vnkyndnes and vilenes if he couit to purge amend his negligence defautes he shall fynde none more vehement and redy meane to pricke hym forwarde to his intent than to remembre the most innoceÌ„t death and passion of his redeamer that is to consyder what bitter paynes he suffred for man to spare and kepe man from payne eternall wherafter Iustice he shulde haue rather dampned man for his synnes And here man may see both the Iustice and also the mercy of god Man may coÌ„syder in hym selfe the great mercy of god in that god wold forgyue and ê‘don hym of his synnes He may also perceiue the iustice of god in his owne synnes whiche god dyd correcte punysshe accordyng to iustice in hym selfe bycause he wold nat suffre theÌ„ vnpunished And thus in this meditacion man may fynde how to weape and mourne for his synnes for the which the son of god was bet wouÌ„dyd and crucified and all that god suffred to cure man of his synnes kepe hym from eternall payne Here may also man bewayle his owne vnkyndnes consyderyng how vnkyndly he rendreth to so faythfull a louer so many yuell dedes contrary to goddes pleasure and also dayly contemptes and despysynges for his tendre loue and kyndnes and for his manyfolde gyftes which man dayly receyueth of hym Morouer this coÌ„templacion of the death of Christ indureth man both to hope and to fear wherby he may be releaued of two temptacyons â—or if the enormitie of his synnes moue any man to dispaire he hathe here in this exercise wherby to put away his synnes and to make satisfactioÌ„ for them he hath here wherof to redeme hiÌ„selfe y t is y e blode deth of his lorde god therfore he nede nat to feare his synnes if he so ordre hym selfe y t he dye with Christ dye I say from synne and ryse in a new lyfe And on the other parte it man be vexed by presumpcion or vayne lyghtnes and myrth without the fear of god he hath here how to abate his vayne myrth coÌ„syderyng how that heueÌ„ was shyt from the moste holy frendes of god by many yeres ye aboue .iiii. thousand yeres and how that the glory of god was denyed to maÌ„ or at the least differred by so many yeres vnto the tyme that our lorde and sauiour Iesus whiche neuer dyd synne suffred death for our synne so that no maÌ„ may come to that glory but by payne thus shall mannes vayne myrth be put downe If peraduenture man be dull and slouthfull to all goodnes where shall he haue a more spedy remedy to pricke forwarde his dulnes than to coÌ„sydre how his lorde god moste pure innocent man suffred so greuouse paynes for hym Some man wold peraduenture exercise him selfe in his owne knowlege and so to come to meknes But I pray you where shall he haue a better occasion therunto thaÌ„ to ponder and way the difformite and great difference of his owne study and labour and shortly the ordre of his hole lyfe and of the labour lyfe of Iesus Christ that is remembre man howe coÌ„trarie thy lyfe is to his wyl pÌ„ceptes how vnlike to his vertues how farre froÌ„ his ensaÌ„ples remeÌ„bre maÌ„ how frayle thou art redy to fal how vnstable in all thy good purposes how vnredy or rather loth to folowe thy lorde howe vnapte to all goodnes As euery man may dayly se in hym selfe Forthermore if maÌ„ wold be enflamed to loue god where may he haue better help than by this exercise for if it be natural to rendre loue for loue and the loue of god was neuer more openly shewed to man than in his redemption that is in the passion and death of our redeamer Christ Iesus it is than manifest that by this remembraunce of his passion a man is moste strongly excited and moued to loue god And if man desyre to be pricked forward in that loue let hym remembre the benefites of god which be as signes tokens of his loue And these benefites most euidently appere in his passion as ye shall more clerely se in this boke At last if man desyre that all his lyfe be continuall and perpetuall prayer and that he wold haue his herte euer lyfted vp to god and his deuotion or feruour euer renewed he shal neuer get it more easly than by the remembraunce of the lyfe and passion of his lorde god for there he may haue in euery worde acte behauiour and paine that Christ spake dyd vsed and suffred how to be compuncte and sory in hert how to be conforted in spirite For in the consyderation of them now he may wepe by compassion Now by gyuyng thankes he may haue swete affections Nowe he may desyre to be confourmed vnto hym and to his wyl Now he may labour and wysshe to be holly transfourmed into hym Thus may man go from one exercise vnto an other to auoyde tediousnes and so euer to be iÌ„ prayer And shortly to coÌ„clude there is no kynde of spirituall exercise but that it may be founde in the lyfe passion of Christ or els by moste pleantuouse fruyte it may be reduced and applied to it And this shall better appere in the fyrst parte of this boke the thyrde ê‘tycle Nowe my lorde I haue shewed what was the pryncypall cause mouyng me to accoÌ„plysh your desyre and if I may perceyue that ye or ony other take profyt therby I shall gyue prayses to god from whom all goodnes commeth and I beseache iour lorship to pray
nat departe thoughe the disciples went from thens for she was so kindled in the fyre of loue she was so burned with a ferueÌ„t desyre she was so wounded with inpacient loue y t nothyng was pleasant to her but onely weapyng So that she myght well saye the wordes of the prophete Dauid Fuerunt mihi lacrime mee panes die ac nocte My teares ware to me my breade or meate bothe by the nyght and the day whan it was sayd to me dayly where is thy god She had lost her mayster whom she loued so syngulerly that besydes hym she could loue no body nor trust to them She was so drowned in his loue he was so moche in her mynde that in a maner she was inseÌ„sible to al other thyngê Whyles she thus weapt for the absence of Christes body she oftymes inclyned and bowed downe her body lokyng in to the sepulcre where as the body was leyd she had lost y e lyfe of her soule therfore she thought it better for her to dye than to lyue for she peraduenture deynge myght fynd hym whome she myght nat fynde lyuyng And thus weapyng I say she loked oftymes into y e graue for as saynt Gregorie sayth It is nat sufficient for a louer to loke ones for the feruour of loue encreaseth the desyre of searchyng or lokyng And at last whan she so loked she dyd se with her bodely yen .ii. Angels sittyng in whyt garmeÌ„tê which sayd to her why dost thou weap thou hast no cause to weape but rather to ioye of Christes Resurrection he is nat here he is arysen Than she supposyng that they ware men and nat Angels sayd to them shewyng the cause of her weapyng they haue takeÌ„ away my lorde and I knowe nat where they haue put hym for she se the stone takeÌ„ away and therfore she thought that somme other body had stollen the body of Christ and borne it to somme other place And whan Mary Magdalen dyd thus contynue in her sorowe and weapynge and nothynge regardynge the Angels her mooste louynge mayster Christe coulde absente hym selfe no lengar from her Than she turned her selfe about that she myght se Iesus for byfore that her backe was towarde hym and that was to signifie y e doutfulnes of her soule for she belyued nat that he was rysen from death vnto lyfe therfore her backe was towarde the face of our lorde But yet for asmoche as she loued hym thoughe she douted of his Resurrection therfore she dyd se hym and dyd nat knowe hym She se hym but nat in his glorious forme or body for as yet she dyd nat belyue that he was rysen And so he appered to her after that maner in his body as he was in her mynde and soule And than Iesus sayd to her Mulier quid ploras quem queris woman why weapest thou whome dost thou seach he doth nat aske this of any ignorance but y t hearyng her answer he myght more conueniently instructe her in the fayth And as saynt Gregory sayth He asked the cause of her sorowe to kyndle and augment or encrease her loue and desyre that whaÌ„ she shuld name hym whom she loued her loue shuld be more ferueÌ„t towardes hym And note here that Iesus appered to her in the likenes of a gardiner that very conueniently For he was to her a spiritual gardyner for he labored to plucke out the thornes and weades of infidelite and vices and to sow and plante in the garden of her soule the grene seades of fayth and vertue by the vertue of his feruent loue Suche office suche operation suche exercise and suche interpretacion of her name is conuenient for begynners or penitentes For it is coÌ„uenient that a penitent vse hym selfe as a gardyner that is that he pull out by the rootes al vices and plante in his soule vertues and also that he haue contricion accordyng to the fyrst interpretacion of this name Maria As we shewed in the chapitre next byfore this And than this blyssed woman as in a maner dronke in loue answered to Iesus as to a gardyner Domine si tu sustulisti eum dicito mihi êªc Syr if thou hast takeÌ„ hym away tell me wher he is that I may go and take hym A meruelous boldnes of this womaÌ„ for she was nat afrayd of y e syght of a deed body and wold also attempte to beare a deed cors the which far passed her power But she thought that she could do it for there is nothyng to hard to a louyng soule And than our lorde Iesus hauyng coÌ„passion of her great sorowe and willyng no lenger to suffre her to weape called her by her proper name Bifore that he called her by a coÌ„meÌ„ name sayng mulier womaÌ„ thaÌ„ she knewe hiÌ„ nat but now whaÌ„ he said Maria furthwith she was turned both hert soule as she was byfore turned iÌ„ body as a good shepe knew y e voice of her and so she reuyued sayd to hym with vnspekable ioy O Raboni O mayster for so she was wont to call hym byfore his passion y u art he whome I saught and anon she ranne to hym and fallynge downe to his feet with great loue and deuocion wold haue embrased them and kyssed them as she was wont to do byfore by an vnperfyte affection to his manhode but our lorde as a spirituall gardyner willyng to plante true fayth in her hert and to lyft vp her soule to his godhed and heuenly thynges sayd to her Noli me tangere touche nat me in that erthly maner with thy bodely handes whome as yet thou hast nat touched with true fayth of hert And so he enstructe her in the true fayth of his godhed and resurrection Let vs now lerne of this Mary to loue Iesus to trust in hym to seache hym without ceasyng to feare none aduersities to receyue no consolacion or coÌ„forth but in Iesus to despise al thynges but Iesus A prayer O Moste swete mayster o moste swete Iesu howe good art thou to them that be clene in hert howe swete art y u to them that loue the. O howe happy ar they that seache the and fynde the howe blyssed ar they that trust in the It is truth that thou louyst all them that loue the thou neuer forsakest them that trust in the lo lord this Mary thy true louer of a good siple mynd she saught the and truly she fouÌ„d the she was not forsaken of the but she had more of the than she looked for I beseach the lorde graunt me to loue the to seache the and to trust in the y t I may deserue to fynde the and to be loued of the and neuer to be forsaken of the. Amen ¶ Howe Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng also present The .vii. Chapitre THe .viii. day of his Resurection our lorde Iesus appered to his disciples Thomas beyng preseÌ„t with them For the fyrst day of his
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
me I consentynge to y t praise do sell betray Christe for a lytle vayne glory or prayse In lyke maner a man gyuynge to me money or any other thynge so mouyng me to mortall synne he wolde take Christe from me And I consentynge to the same do betray sell Christe And yet neither he by his byenge may reteyne and kepe Christe neither I with my sellynge may kepe Christe with my selfe nor with the byer And so neither Iudas nor the Iues had Christe to theyr saluacion but by that bargayne he was purchased and gotten to vs christians that truely serue Christe Many people in the remembraūce of this sellyng that was made on the wednisday do fast or absteyn frō flesshe for the loue of Christe ¶ Two doctrynes or holsom lessons THe fyrst lesson is that we shulde be well ware that we neuer commytt so abhomynable syn that is to sell our lorde as to bere false wytnes for rewardes or gyftes or in iudgement to denye the truthe that is to selle Christe whiche is verye Iustice and truthe And generally to speke that we neuer sell spirituall thynges for temporall lucre The seconde doctrine is that we paciently suffre to be solde dispised and set at nought for the loue and laude of god sayenge with the prophete Quoniam propter te sustinui obprobrium I haue suffered borne rebuke for the good lorde In consyderynge this article let a man remembre his owne vylenes and whether he hathe solde Christe omyttynge or brekyng his commaundementes for any temporall thynge or vayne loue Remembre also how that whan he hath solde Christe he hathe recouered and gotten hym agayne freely of the mere goodnes of god Remembre furthermore y t Christe is yet to be boughte and that is with charitie or good werkes Therfore bye thou hym with almes And yf thou haue no money or goodes to gyue gyue to hym than thy hert for y t is the thynge whiche he loueth and desyreth aboue all the thynges in the world and therfore he sayeth by the wyse man Fili prebe mihi cor tuum Son gyue to me thy hert and yf thou loue me I wyll loue the. And than pray thus as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche woldest be set at nought and solde of one of thy disciples for a vyle pryce graunte to me that I neuer chaunge the my god and creatour for any transitory thynges and also that I may paciently bere al rebukes and dispisynges for the glory of thy holy name Amen ¶ Of the betrayenge of our lorde The .iiii. article THe .iiii. article is of the treason of Iudas how trayterously he betrayed our lorde Whan the vendition or sellyng was consumate and put in effect In the mean tyme our lorde beynge in his prayers and than thryse cummynge to his disciples at the last tyme he said to them Surgite eamus ecce appropinquauit qui me tradet Arise go we he that shall betray me is nigh at hande In these fewe wordes our lord doeth fyrst enfourme vs to spede vs to spirituall battell or temptacion in this worde aryse Secondly he moueth vs to profyte in good werkes in this worde go we Thyrdely in the other wordes folowynge he moueth vs to awayte at all tymes and houres for temptacion for our enemies be euer redye to tempte vs. It foloweth in the gospell Et adhuc eo loquente Ecce Iudas vnus de duodecim cum accepisset cohortem venit c. Our sauyour Christe yet spekynge to his disciples Loo Iudas one of the .xii. apostles of Christ after that he had taken his money and a great cumpany of souldiers to the numbre of fyue hundreth as Papias sayeth he cam with hym a great numbre of people with lanternes and burnynge brondes with armour swerdes battes and clubbes sent from the prynces of the prestes and pharisies from the scrybes and the seignours of the people Wherof saint Austin sayeth What shulde suche a great people do to seche one person What shulde tho armed men do to seche one man without armour or weapon What shulde they seche hym in the nyghte that was dayly teachynge and that openly in theyr temple This acte was fygured in the fyrst boke of the kynges where as Saule toke thre thousande armed men to seche for Dauyd And note here as maister Lira sayeth that Iudas dyd arme and defende hym selfe fyrst with a great cumpany stronge and of auctoritie and that was agaynste the multitude of the comon people that they shulde nat let hym in his purpose Secondly he cam with great lyghtes that Christe shulde nat escape from hym in the darkenes of the nyght And thyrdly he defendyd hym selfe with armour that yf any body wolde resyst theym they wolde defende them selfe also put the other people a backe And Iudas that promysed to betraye Christe gaue to his cumpany a pryuy token or sygne sayenge Quemcumque osculatus fuero ipse est tenete eum et ducite caute Whom so euer I kisse that same is Christe This he spake that they shuld nat take Iames the lesse for Christe for he was very lyke in face vnto Christe And furthermore Iudas sayd whom I kysse holde hym and lede hym warely For sum of theym thoughte that he wroughte by nygromancie or wytchecrafte For they sayd an other tyme of hym that he caste oute deuylles in the power of Beelzebub the prynce of the deuylles It foloweth in the gospell of saynte Iohn̄ Sciens Iesus omnia que ventura erant super eum processit Iesus knowynge all thynges and aduentures that shulde cum vnto hym wente towardes theym and met with theym that all men myght know that he was taken voluntarilie with his owne wyll And anon Iudas approchynge towardes hym sayde Aue rabi Hayle mayster Et appropinquauit vt oscularetur eum Iudas drewe nygh to the intente that he myght kysse Christe and so he dyd In this poynt there be thre thynges expressed that made this betrayenge moche paynefull or sorowfull vnto Christe One is that it was done by one of his owne disciples The seconde is that he so falsely and trayterousely betrayed Christe with the sygne or token of peace and kysse of loue or frendeshyppe Of the whiche saynt Ambrose sayeth O Iudas thou woundest thy mayster lorde with the token or pledge of loue and thou bryngest hym to dethe with the kysse of familiaritie and frendeshyppe The thyrde was nat lesse paynefull that the false traytoure with his stynkynge mouthe durst touche or kysse that mooste louely and mellifluouse mouthe of Christe the eterne sonne of god If it be paynefull to a man to kysse the mouthe of hym that hathe a stynkynge brethe how moche more was it than paynefull to oure fauyour Christe to take a kysse of that mooste synfull and stynkynge mouthe of Iudas whose herte was replenysshed with the deuyll and all wyckednes And than Iesus sayde vnto hym
Iuda osculo filium hominis tradis ▪ Iudas wylte thou betraye the sonne of a vyrgyn thy mayster vnto the dethe with a kysse or token of peace All traytours vnto truthe feynynge the truthe do vse this same token of frendeshyppe a kysse Also Christe sayde vnto Iudas Amice ad quid venisti Frende for what intente cummest thou He called Iudas frende onely to rebuke hym for his false dissimulacion I do nat remembre that this worde Amice in the vocatyfe case that is O frende is spoken to any one good persone but to euyll persones it is dyuerse and many tymes spoken As is sayde in the gospell of saynte Mathew Amice quomodo huc intrasti c. O frende how dyddest thou entre vnto this feaste nat hauynge a conuenient garment And also in an other place is sayde thus Amice non facso tibi iniuriam O frende I do vnto the non iniurie or wronge And here now at this tyme. O frende wherefore cummest thou As he myghte say Thou kyssest me to the ende to betraye me vnto the dethe To gyue a kysse it is a sygne or token of a frende but thou cummest nat therefore ne to that intente And nat withstandynge that thou haste done cruelly and trayterously agaynste me yet retourne to me and I shall gladly receyue the as a frende to the. And so wolde Christe haue don after all doctours yf he had retourned and bene sorye for his synne and wretchydnes But he was so indurate and so obstinate of herte that none of all these thynges coulde call or reuoke hym agayne or make hym to leue his false and trayterouse purpose and so he kyssed hym A fygure herof we haue in y e seconde boke of kynges Where as y e the false traytoure Ioab toke his cosyn Anasa by the chynne kyssynge hym and sayenge Salue mi frater Haile my brother and so slew hym with that worde Our lorde called Iudas by his propre name to the intent to prouoke hym to grace and nat to myschief but he wolde nat receyue grace O thou innocent lambe Iesu what doest thou in cumpany with that wolfe Iudas that wyll deuoure the. Morally Iudas betokeneth the worlde whiche doeth smyle or laugh vpon vs whan he gyueth to vs ryches at our pleasure Than he kisseth vs whan he gyueth to vs solace and worldly pleasure But than doeth he halse vs whan he gyueth to vs honours and dignities And in all these he deceiueth vs and betrayeth vs into eternall dethe As witnesseth Iob sayenge Ducunt in bonis dies suos et in pūcto ad inferna descēdunt These worldly people lede theyr lyfe here in pleasure and in an instant they descende downe to hell ¶ Here foloweth two lessons THe fyrst lesson Who so euer fayneth to loue his neighbour and secretly worketh euyll agaynst hym he betrayeth his neighboure Whiche false dissimulacion our lorde taketh as done to hym selfe for so he sayeth What so euer ye do to one of my leest seruauntes I take it as done to my selfe The seconde is that we shulde nat hate our aduersaries but louyngly and charitably correcte theym as Christe dyd Iudas ¶ A Prayer O Iesu that suffered thy selfe to be betrayed by a kysse of Iudas graunt to me that I neuer betray the in my selfe nor in my neighbour And also that I neuer deny to myne aduersaries thoffice of loue that is charitie to loue them and to correct them with charitie Amen ¶ Of the takynge of Christe The .v. article THe .v. article is the takyng of Christe Which was done in this maner What tyme the wycked Iudas had kyssed our lorde Iesus knowynge what shuld cum vppon hym self went vnto the cumpanye of the souldiers of the Iues that cam with Iudas sayd vnto them Quem queritis c. Whom seche you And they sayd Iesus of Nazareth And Iesus sayd to thē I am At whiche worde they went backewarde and so fell vnto the grounde backewarde And here note that they that fall backewarde do nat se where they fall Signifienge thereby that they fall from grace into synne from god vnto the deuyll from heuym into hell And here also saynte Austyn sayeth Yf he that cam to be iudged caste his aduersaries downe with one worde what shall he do whan he shall cum to iudge all the worlde Yf he dyd thus whan he came to dye what shall he doo to his enemies whan he shall cum with great power maiestie to reigne in glory for euer Surely he shall than cast his enemies backeward into euerlastynge paynes with this terryble worde Go ye cursed in to euerlastynge fyre And whan his aduersaries the Iues were rysen agayne Iesus sayd agayne vnto them whom seche you whom wolde ye haue And they aunswered Iesus of Nazareth Here was a meruelouse thynge they knewe hym nat nor yet his owne disciple Iudas whiche cam to betray hym And this is as great a signe or token that may be that he was nat taken but at his owne wyll and therefore he gaue theym licence to take hym whā he sayd Si ergo me queritis sinite hos abire Yf ye seche me or wolde haue me suffre these that be with me to departe without hurte or trouble Our lord was diligent to helpe his disciples that they shulde nat be taken that his wordes whiche he sayd the same nyght after supper shuld be true that is Quos dedisti mihi non perdidi ex eis quemquam Father I haue nat lost any of them whom thou haste gyuen to me And so his disciples escaped thrugh the goodnes and power of Christe that afterwarde by them myght be shewed the worde of helth the gospell of Christe thrughout the hole worlde The disciples of Christe seynge and perceyuyng what was lyke to cum to theyr maister Christe sayd vnto Christe Domine si percutimus gladio Maister shall we smyte with the swerde Petre beynge hasty and nat abydynge the aunswere of our lorde drew out his swerde and smote at one of the bysshop seruauntes called Malchus and cut of his ryghte eare To signifie as Origene sayeth that thoughe it be sene or thought that they here the law of god that is onely with the lefte eare for they onely here the shadow and the lettre of the law and nat the truthe and misterie therof Also Petre that cut of this right eare may signifie to vs the faithfull people of the gentiles the whiche in that that they beleuyd in Christe were the cause by occasion that the ryght herynge of the Iues was cut away But yet that same ryght eare was restored agayne by the goodnes of god vnto those Iues that beleuyd in Christe and therefore he touched the eare of that seruant and cured hym shewynge there in dede that whiche he taught before sayenge Bene facite his qui oderunt vos Do good to them that hate you And this he dyd as well for
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
seache the I knowe not but in heueÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„de therfore swete Iesu my soule to departe fro my body that I may fynde the in heuen where as thou syttes on the ryght hande of thy father in great glory And with these wordes he yelded vp his spirit without any sorowe A prayer O Iesu our crowne and glory whiche rysyng from death dyd ascende vnto the ryght hande of thy father drawe my soule vnto the that I myght feruently seache and desyre y e onely grauÌ„t to me I beseache the that I maye with all my desyre and studye come to that place to the whiche as I stedfastly belyue thou hast ascended And that I beyng here in body may be with the in loue and desyre that my hert may be there where as thou art my loue and treasure moste to be louyd and desyred Drawe me after the that by thy grace I asceÌ„dyng from vertue to vertue may deserue to se the my lorde god in the heuenly Syon Amen ¶ Of the sendyng of the holy ghost The .ix. Chapitre THe L. day after y e Resurrection of Christ and the .x. day after the Ascension that is on wytsonday whan the discyples of Christe were gadred to gether in the place of mount Syon where as he made his supper both men women to the nombre of C.xx or there about there contynuyng in prayer and abydyng the comyng of the holy ghost acordyng to promysse of Christ about the thyrd houre of that same daye there cam sodenly from heuen a wonderfull noyse or sounde as if it had bene the commynge of a great wynde and it fylled all the house and there appered vnto them clouen tonges or dyuyded as they had ben fyre And here note that the gyftes of the holy ghost be not gyuen but to them whiche be gadred to gyther by vnite or one assent in vertue and lyfted vp by desyre vnto heueÌ„ly thynges Also the .vii. gyftes of the holy ghost be conueniently signified or shewed by fyre Fyrst for the holy ghost doth purge lyke as fyre doth and that is by the gyft of feare Secondly as the fyre doth melt so doth the holy ghost by the gyft of pytie Thyrdly he beautyfieth and maketh fayre by the gyfte of science or knowlege Fourthly he strenghtheth by the gyft of strenght Fyftly he lyfteth vp the soule by the gyft of councell Syxtly he doth illumyne or lyghten the soule by the gyft of vnderstandyng And seuently he doth make swete and pleasant by the gyfte of wysdom And all that compaigny ware fylled with the holy ghost and so began to speake dyuers speaches or langages that is whan they spake ony thyng to the glory of god euery nacion ê‘ceyued that speache as theyr owne speache for so it sounded to them and so they spake after the mocion of the holy ghost and as he gaue to theÌ„ vtterauÌ„ce whiche dyuydeth and gyueth his grace to euery person after his wyll and pleasure where he wyl whaÌ„ he wyll asmoche as it pleaseth hym by what maner he wyll and to whome he wyll Peraduenture thou wyll aske this question Syth the ways and operacions of god the holy ghost be vnserchable and can nat be perceyued howe may I knowe that the holy ghost is in me Surely I may greatly coniecture his presence in me by the good mocions of my hert Also I may aduerte and consydre the power of his â—tue in me by that I auoyde all carnall vyces and subdewe al inordinate affections Also I may perceyue his wysdom in me by the ofte discussion of my conscience and rebukyng of my selfe for my synnes Also I may suppose his goodnes and myldnes to rest in me by the amendement of my maners and lyuyng And also by the reformacion renouation of my spirite I may coniecture the same Let euery man looke well in his owne hert If he loue his neyghbour it is a signe that the spirite of god is in hym Also if he loue peace and vnite and that in al the membres of Christes churche through out al the worlde And note here that these signes be taken dyuersly in dyuers degrees of persons For the holy doth inspire he doth enhabite doth replenishe or fulfyll he doth inspire or come to the begynners he doth inhabite the profyters and he doth fulfyll the perfyt ê‘sons The signes or tokens of the holy ghost wherby he is perceyued to inspire the begynners ben iii. after saynt Bernard Fyrst is contricion or sorowe for the synnes paste For the holy ghost hateth the fylth y e syn and wyll not inhabite nor come to that ê‘son that is subdewed to syn Seconde signe is a firme and a sure purpose to beware and auoyde al synne here after and this purpose is nat had without the grace of y e holy ghost assistyng and helâ—yng our infirmite and frayltie Thyrd signe is a diligent redines to do good For the loue of god which is the holy ghost is neuer ydle but always redy to do good There be also .iii. tokens wherby we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth inhabite the profiters that goo forward in vertue Fyrst is the deligent true and ofte examination of his conscience nat onely of mortall synnes but also of veniall synnes for as the grace of the holy ghost is contrary to mortall synne so is the feruour of charite whiche also coÌ„meth of the holy ghost contrary to veniall syn and expelleth it out of the soule that in nothynge he shuld desplease the holy ghost and hynder the soule from the ê“fytyng in vertue The second to keÌ„ is the mynyshyng or subdewyng of the inordinate concupiscence for the more that charite is encresed in the soule of the ê“fyter the more is his soule remoued from the loue of temporall thynges Thyrd signe is the diligent keapyng of the coÌ„maundementes of god which can nat be had without true loue There be also .iii. other signes by the whiche we may coniecture that the holy ghost doth fulfyl the perfyte persoÌ„s Fyrst is the manifestacion or shewyng of the godly truthe For sytghe the holy ghost is the spirit of truth it is his propertie to teache and shewe all truthe necessarie for man and therfore wher he fulfylleth there he sheweth all godly truthe necessarie for that soule Second signe is whan a person feareth nothyng but god for perfyt charite putteth a way all seruile or worldly feare And therfore saynt Paule sayth Vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where as is the spirite of god there is libertie and no vayne feare For liberty can nat stande with y t seruile feare Thyrd signe is whan a maÌ„ of the vehemeÌ„t loue that he hath to god desireth to be desolued and departed from this myserable lyfe and to be with Christ Besyde all these tokens there be other thre wherby a man may coÌ„iecture y t he hath the holy ghost And for this cause the holy ghost appered in .iii. similitudes or lykenes
with me that moch profyt and comforth myght come to them that shal rede this boke and folowe the exercices therof And thus I coÌ„mende you and all youres to the passion of our lorde From Syon the .vi. day of Decembre 1533. ¶ your dayly oratour Iohan Fewterer ✚ ⧠⧠⧠The Prologue ☞ Inspice et fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Exodi 25. D. BEholde and worke accordyngly to the examplar that is shewed vnto the iÌ„ the mounâ— Christ althoughe oftymes in scripture be compared to a mount or so called for the excellency of his moste hyghe perfection yet moste specially in that he was exalted on the crosse in the mount of Caluary he may be called a mount or the excelleÌ„t merit of his moste bitter and sacrate passion In this mount that is in Christ crucified is this day that is by all the tyme of our lyfe shewed vnto vs a glasse or an examplar whome we shuld nat onely beholde but also with moste deligence folowe his steppes for it is nat sufficient to a christian to beholde Christ crucified For so dyd the Iues and also the gentyls his crucifiers But it is required of a Christian y t he lyue and worke accordyngly to the exaÌ„plar shewed to hym in y e mount that is Christe crucified And that is the intent of our fyrst wordes spoken to euery faythful person Beholde and worke accordyngly to the example of Christe crucified Behoâ—de I say hym incorporatyng or depely knittyng his paynfull passion vnto thy hert by inward compassion And worke accordyngly vnto his example vnfaynedly folowyng hym For so saynt Petre teachethe vs sayng Christus passus est pro nobis Christ suffred for vs. This is the fyrst thyng that we shulde diligently beholde with the inwarde ey of our soule Christ crucified And it foloweth Nobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamur vestigia eius Leuyng to vs an example that we myght folowe his steppes In ordryng our lyfe accordyngly to his wyll and example And this is the second thyng belongyng to a christian vnfaynedly and truely to folowe his sauiours example And in these two thynges shall stande the hole suÌ„me of our purpose and of this treatise which be necessary to be ofte remembred vnto the Christian For if the lyues passions of holy sayntes and martyrs be recounted to man to induce hym into deuotion of herte to contricion for his synnes to the loue of god despisyng of the world and patient sufferance or bearyng of tribulations and paynes how moche more than shuld the passion of Christ be remembred and preached whiche is moste holy of al sayntes ye the sanctifier of al sayntes lorde and god ouer al the iudge of quicke the resurrection or reasex of the deed This passion I say shuld be remembred that men hearyng it myght knowe how moche god the father hated synne for the destruction wherof he wold haue the preciouse blode of his moste deare beloued onely son shed vpon the erthe with moste greuouse tormentes and woundes and also that man myght knowe how moche he loued mankynde for whose saluacion he wold gyue his only sonne to so cruell tormentes paynfull death Thyrdly that we should knowe how preciouse and deare a thyng is the kyngdom of heuen which he wold nat open and gyue vnto mankynd but by the preciouse blode and deth of his naturall sonne Iesu Christe And fourthly to declare vnto vs howe moche he soueth and reioyceth in the penaunce of man for the declaration and example wherof he wold his deare byloued sonne to be nayled fast vnto the crosse and spred abrode on y e same as a boke open wherin we myght rede and lerne howe to do penaunce What other thyng do signifie vnto vs his teares or wepyng his sorow his woundes his armes spred abrode and his moste swete and godly wordes but mocioÌ„s and callynges vnto penaunceâ— He hath called vs vnto penauÌ„ce by his worde by his Euangely and moste of all by his holy lyfe and example Therfore behold and loke vpon this examplar glasse loke vpon the face of thy sauiour Christ and worke accordyngly to the exemplar that is shewed to the in the mount of Caluarye And if this spectacle or glasse ought to be beholden at all tymes moche more than it shuld be coÌ„sydered this tyme whaÌ„ the churche remembreth the passion of our sauiour Christe that by the consyderyng therof our soule myght be excited moued to gyue thankes to god for it and also to haue coÌ„passion in our soule of Christ crucified For as almyghty god sayth by his prophet Moises Anima que non fuerit afflicta die hac peribit de populo suo That soule or ê‘son which wyl nat take vpoÌ„ hym some payne affliction or compassion this day or tyme of the passion of our lorde shal peryshe from his people that is shall nat be accompted or taken for a christian Therfore let vs say in signe and token of compassion that whiche saynt Bernard sayd in his mournyng Quis dabit capiti meo aquam c. Who shall grauÌ„t or gyue water vnto me heade or the fountayne and well of teares vnto myne yen that I myght wepe both day and nyght vnto the tyme my lord appere vnto his seruauÌ„t and comfort hym eyther slepyng or wakyng O ye swete teares by whom commeth the plentuouse ryuers of graces O ye deuote teares the aboundaunt fountayne of my helth come into my hert flowe out of myne yen fall vpon my chekes make my mournyng bitter Also in an other place saynt Bernard mouethe vs to the beholdyng of this exaÌ„plar our sauiour crusified saynge in the person of Christ O thou maÌ„ beholde what I suffred for the Se the crosse on the whiche for thy loue I dyed Beholde the nayles wherwith my handes and my fete ware persed and fasâ—ened to the crosse for thy synne Is this no sorowe and payne that I suffered for the And thoughe this outward sorowe payne be moche greuouse yet moche more paynfull it is to me inwardly to se the so vnkynde for whom I suffred all these greuouse tormentes and paynes Wherfore o thou christiaÌ„ behold Christ crucified gyue hym thankes for his kyndnes lesse ê‘aduenture thou mayste hear the rebuke that was spoken vnto .ix. leprose cured by our sauiour Iesu to whose rebuke he sayd Nonne decem mundati sunt et noueÌ„ vbi sunt Was there nat .x. persons cured and but one that was a strauÌ„ger y t gyueth thaÌ„kes for his benefyt receyued wher be y e other .ix. Behold I say Christe crucified remeÌ„bre his kindnes accordyng to y e couÌ„cell of y e wyse maÌ„ sayng Gratiam fide iussoris tui ne obliuiscaris dedit enim pro te animam suam Forget nat y e kyndnes of thy suerte or frende for he hathe gyuen his lyfe for the this shulde be diligently remembred ¶ Here endeth the prologue ¶ The diuision of this
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
treasure that is with thabundauÌ„t remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the passion of Christ through the plentuousnes therof they speake wordes of swetnes and comforth and ioy in a great iustice for they haue the great plentuousnes of graces And herunto the prophet Esay sayth Gaudete super eam gaudâ—o vniuersi qui lugebatis super eam et vt sugatis et repleamini ab vberibus consolationis eius c. All ye that in tyme past mourned or wept in the coÌ„sideration of the passion of Christ ioy now therof in coÌ„siderynge the great profites that cometh therof sucke them that is depely and inwardly considre them that ye may be replenisshed with the teates or pappes of his consolations And also ye shall mylke those pappys that ye may abouÌ„de in all spirituall pleasure by the consideration of his great glorie In the remembrauÌ„ce of the passion of Christe when we considre his most greuous paynes and how y t we were the cause of them thorowe our vnkyndnes and synnes then we sucke out of it sorowe and heuynes And when we considre what profit comethe therof vnto mankynde then we suck out of it great comforth and ioy And these two be the teetes or pappys of the whiche the prophet Esay speaketh and of the whiche the faythfull people sucke great comforth in receyuynge the sacrament of the bodye of our lorde From these pappys whan they be sucked cometh the mylke of chastitie and puritie of lyfe and also the swetnes of all vertue And when they be milked with our handes that is when nat only we considre the passion of Christe as is before sayd but also in our lyung and werkes we coÌ„forme our self therunto and werke therafter Then we mylke and drawe them and so shal we flowe in thaboundaunce of spirituall pleasures thorough the consolation of the holy gost We myght also here for our purpose bryng in the saynge of our lorde in the gospell where as he sayth Gaudium erit angelis dei in celo super vno peccatore penitentiam agente quam super nonaginta nouem iustis There is more ioy in heuen vnto the aungelles of god vpon one sinner conuerted from synne and doyng true penaunce then of nynety and nyne iust and ryghtuous men that nede no penaunce Who is this one synner but our sauiour Iesu Christe whiche thoughe he were no synner in dede yet he was reputed as the most great sinner and so he wold be reputed and taken for he came to beare our synnes and to do penaunce and to suffer for all our synnes ¶ How we may coÌ„sidre Christes passion to resolue or relent our hertes in to Christe and his passion Chaptre v. FYftly we shulde coÌ„sidre the most blessed passion of our sauiour Christe to resolue and relent our hertes in to our sauiour Christe and in to his passion And that by a perfite transformynge of our selfes in to hym And that is done whan nat only we do folowe that passion haue coÌ„passion therof do meruayll therof and ioy therof But also in a maner the hole man is conuerted in to our lord and sauiour Iesus Christe crucified so that in a maner at all tymes and in all places Christe crucified is present with hym And ferthermore that person is then in his mynde abstract and withdrawen from all thynges and eleuate or lyfted vp aboue all pure creatures and holly conuerted in to his lorde god crucified for vs. But this conuersion and relentynge of our hertes in to Christ crucified can nat coÌ„ueniently be except there be a congruitie or a conuenient proporcion taken of some similitude bytwixt our hertes and the sacrament of the aulter receyued of vs sacramentally or elles spiritually with the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lorde crucified for vs. For as the philosopher sayth that nothynge noryssheth but that whiche is lyke vnto the thyng norysshed Wherfore sith this heuenly and spiritual foode that is the bodye of our lorde doth moche norysshe it folowethe that it must be moche lyke vnto the person norysshed The digestion or norysshyng is then whan the meate is altered and conuerted in to the thyng norisshed And therfore for that the materiall and corporall foode or meate is coÌ„uerted in to that bodye that is fedde it foloweth that the digestion must be both of the meat and of the drynke Herunto it is writen in the first boke of the kyngê Digere paulisper vinum quo mades Digest that wyne that thou hast dronke But in this spirituall meate for asmoche as it is nat tourned in to vs but coÌ„trarie wyse we be coÌ„uerted in to it it foloweth that the digestion must be in vs vnto the similitude of this heuenly and holsome meate And this similitude or congruite of this spirituall meate vnto the person fed standeth in .v. thynges that is in our digestion or conuersion in to this heuenly meate in the similitude of ymage in the coÌ„formitie of nature in the fayrnes or good ordre of our coÌ„uersation and in the takynge of our miserie by paynes in a maner vntollerable And these .v. bene more largely declared by the great clerke and noble doctor called Albertus Magnus in his boke de Eucharistia that he wrote of the sacrament in a chapitre of these same .v. thynges ¶ How we may considre Christes passion to rest our selfes swetely therin Chaptre .vi. SExtly we shulde considre this most blessed passion to reste our selfe moste swetely therin And that is whan our herte as we in the last coÌ„sideration sayd relented coÌ„uerted and transformed in to our lorde crucified doth nat yet cease but with a feruent desyre remembreth the sayd passion entryng mekely and deuoutly in to that hyghe and depe treasure of Christes passion as farre as is possible for man meltynge and relentyng thoroughe loue and feruent deuotion in a maner fayntyng or faylyng in our selfe and restyng in our lorde Christe Iesu crucified for vs. And then in how moche the more we faynt or fayle from our selfe so moche the more we rest and cleue vnto our dearebeloued lord crucified for vs. So that these .ii. that is this rest or cleuyng to our lorde and this feruent deuotion of loue do augment and encrease them selfe in them selfe for the one helpeth the other For as we sayd before the more that our nature is oppressed ouercome and doth languysshe or waxe seke for loue the more it approcheth and draweth nygh vnto her dearebelouyd and the more grace we receyue our inwarde man that is our soule is dayly visited with newe visitations and reformed vnto the ymage of god vnto the tyme that it holly faylynge in it selfe be absorpte and taken in to that feruent chymney of loue of the passion of our moste beloued Iesu and there to rest swetely as the spousesse swetely restynge in the armes or bosome of her dearebeloued spouse the whiche sayth thus in his canticles Adiuro vos filie sion ne euigilare faciatis dilectam donec ipsa velit
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
principates y t be the .vii. order of aungels For as the prophet sayth Factê° est principatus super humerum eius His principalitie kyngdom is made vpon his sholder that is in that he bare the crosse suffred the paines dethe of the crosse he gat his kyngdom so bought it for vs that is the kyngedome of heuyn Also in the passion of Christe apereth the releuacion of archangels that be the .viii. order For by the passyon of Christe we were sufficiently releuyd deliuered a pena et culpa that is both from synne froÌ„ payn due for synne But now yf we synne actually after our baptisme it is conuenient y t we suffre payne temporall for our synne though thrugh the vertue of y e sacramentes of the chyrch theternall payn be coÌ„muted into temporall payne And therfore our lorde sayeth Date eleemosinaÌ„ ecce oiÌ„a muÌ„da suÌ„t vobis Gyue almose and all thynges shal be clensed in you In this passion also shineth the reuelacion and manifest doctryne teachynge of aungels that be called the nynthe order For all the hyd secretes of scripture all the secret misteries of god were reueled made open by the passion of Christe openynge of his herte with the spere And in token hereof at the passion of Christe the veile of the temple was broken or diuided into two partes that all the thyngê that before were secret hyd in the inner sacrate temple might be open and manifestly sene And thus by these forsayd conformities whiche the passion of Christe hath with the orders of aungels it is done most conueniently y t nat onely Christe shuld redeme mankynde but also that he shulde mooste ordinately order dispose repare the ruyne fall of aungels For by the great loue charity which he had in the crosse he kindled the fyre of loue in the hertes of his electe people towardes god and theyr neyghbours that suche as folowed and duely executed that feruent loue were made and yet be made apte to repare the moste hyghe ordre called Seraphin By the true knowledge expressed in that blessed passyon were his electe people illuminate to the hyghe contemplacyon of the knowledge of god and hyghe misteryes that so they may be apte to the reparacyon of the seconde ordre called Cherubym Agayne for his great meaknes and reuerence that Christ had in his blyssed passion towardes the hyghe maiestie of god his electe people were prouoked to lyke meaknes and reuerence and due honoure to be rendred to the hyghe maiestie of god as farâ—e fourthe as theyr frayle nature wolde serue them and so to be apte to y e reparcyon of thordre called Thrones Morouer thorough the example of his great pacyence and obedience vnto the dethe of the crosse for the whiche he was exalted of god as we sayde before he prouoked his electe people to ouercome all vices and concupiscence by labour abstinence and affliccions and to subdue all inordinate appetites vnto reason that no vayne or inordinate thynge shulde haue any domynacyon in them that so they myght be made apte to the reparation of the ordre called Dominationes And so who so euer humbleth hymselfe shal be exalted And so truely to passe ouer all the residue of thordres of aungelles our sauiour Christe in his blyssed passion gaue example vnto his seruauntes to resist and ouercome the suggestyons and temptacyons of the deuyll that they myght be apte to the reparacion of the Potestates Also he gaue vnto them exaÌ„ple of good conuersacion and vertuous operacions that they myght ascend to the ordre of Vertues He gaue them also example so to directe and gouerne theyr outwarde senses and inwarde mocyons and all other thynges that be vnder theyr cure that they might ascend vnto the Principates Morouer he gaue them example so to releue and comforthe the nede and necessities of other persons that be in nede that they myght ascende vnto the ArchauÌ„gelles And lest he gaue them example so to instruct and teache the ignorant that they myght be apte to ascende vnto the ordre of AuÌ„gelles ¶ In the passion of Christe is also conteyned the beatitude of men Chaptre .iii. IT may be declayrede that the true beatytude and blysse or ioye of men is conteyned in the passion of Christe by the same reasons wherby we haue nowe declared that the beautye and perfeccyon of aungelles done shyne in the sayde passyon For to that cleare knoweledge of treuthe whiche appeared in that blissed passion as we sayd afore in thorder of Cherubin correspondeth y e open clere vision of y e godhed y t thelect people of god shall haue in heuyn to saciate beatitie the reasonable or intellectable power of the soule Secondly to y t profouÌ„de mekenes reuerence wherby we sayd that the passion of Christe hathe the perfection of the order of the thrones correspondeth the surety of blysse wherewith the wrathfull power of y e soule comonly called Vis irascibilis is saciate For on whom shall rest continue y e spirite glory of god but vpon the meke person Thyrdely to that excellent charitie y t was shewed at the passion of Christe correspondeth theternall fruicion loue of the deitie wherwith y e wyll reasonable appetite of man shal be fulfilled and this for the beatitude of the soule Now for the .iiii. dowries of the glorified body Fyrst to that high dignitie of presidencie y t our lorde had by his sufferauÌ„ce obedieÌ„ce vnto y e deth for y e which he was exalted to hygh dignity correspondeth in y e glorified body agility wherby he may do what he will Secondly to y t great power streÌ„gth wherby our sauiour ouercam dethe correspondeth impassibilitie that is y t the glorified body shall suffre no payne Thyrdly to that mighty operacion of vertue whereby he drew all thynges to him self correspondeth subtility wherby the glorified body may penetrate all thynges Fourthly to that noblenes or principality for y e whiche the prophet said of Christe Factê° est pricipatê° suê‘ humeruÌ„ eiê° His principalitie or noblenes is made vpoÌ„ his shulder also of this noblenes or clerenes is sayd in the gospell where as christ said to his father Pater clarifica filiuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Father clarify thy son or make knoweÌ„ the noblenes of thy son To this noblenes I say correspoÌ„deth y e fourth dowry of thy glorified body called clerenes for thaÌ„ our bodies shal be clere shyne as y e son so sayeth our lorde in y e gospel TuÌ„c iusti fulgebuÌ„t sicut sol iÌ„ regno patris eoruÌ„ Than after y e generall resurrectioÌ„ y e rightuouse meÌ„ shal be clere shyne as y e son in y e kyngedom of theyr father Furthermore to the office ê‘fectioÌ„ of archaugels auÌ„gels which as we said before were shewed in y e passioÌ„ of criste correspoÌ„deth the beauty or accideÌ„tall glory called iÌ„
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
and vertuouse thoughtes And therefore suche a persone that is thus puryfyed in soule and bodye may trewly order hym selfe to the contemplacyon of god For he neuer lyfteth vppe his syght or iyes vnto vayne thynges Ne hys eares to heare noysome or vnprofytable thynges Nor hys nose to smell swete odours nor smelles Nor hys mouthe to taste delycate thynges Ne yet hys touchynge to feele softe thynges and that inordynately But with all dylygence he kepeth hym selfe bothe inwardely and outwardly so that nowe he shoulde nat be called a seruaunte or bounde but rather a lorde and free For he hathe domynyon ouer hym selfe by subdewynge of all inordynate and sensuall appetytes as muche as a man may haue lordeshyppe ouer hym selfe in thys lyfe And so I say suche a persone for his puritie is mooste apte to receyue the godlye influencys and spyrytuall illustracions For the sonne of Iustyce doeth inhabyte suche a pure and clene soule shynynge in euery corner thereof and lyghtenynge the inwarde partes of the same That is the thre powers of the soule so that he may do all thynges necessarye for his saluacion by the power of the father almyghty He knoweth all thynges by the wysdome of the sonne our sauyoure Christe Iesus and wyll all goodthynges by the goodnes of the hooly gooste These be the thre mansyons or tabernacles that god maketh in the soule of the iuste and pure persone for there he fyndeth nothynge that shulde let or resyste contrarye to hym And so our lorde doeth shyne so longe in that soule vnto suche tyme that soule thorughe that bryghte lyghte and clearenes be absorpte and in a maner as it were drowned or swalowed vppe into god And than the soule so rauysshed and lyfted vp aboue it selfe doeth entre in to the godlye clowde after thys maner cryenge and sayenge thus Et nox illumininatio mea in delitiis meis This nyghte or clowde is my lyghte to my great conforte and pleasure And thus ye may se that the soule by the gyfte or spyryte of strengthe is lyfted vp aboue all feare of perylles of our enemies it feareth nothynge but synne that displeaseth god it is nat subdued to any passion and is redy to excercyse all werkes of strengthe It is nat ouercum by any conflyete or battell in temptacion And all this is opteyned and gotten by the continuall and feruent remembraunce of Christes passion And here vnto saynt Paule sayeth Confortamini in domino et in potentia virtutis eius Ye be conforted in our lorde and in the power of his vertue that is in his passion where as his great power and vertue was shewed Also the prophet Dauid sayeth Ipse dabit virtutem et fortitudineÌ„ plebi sue He shal giue vertue power strength to his people And by his power we haue the vyctorye oure ouer enemies as saynt Paule sayeth Deo gratias qui fecit nos vincere per dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Thankes and praysynges be to god that hath gyuen to vs the vyctory ouer all our enemies by the merytes of our lorde Iesus Christe And in an other place saint Paule sayeth thus Induâ—te vos armatura dei vt possitis stare aduersus inâ—idias diaboli Put vpon you the armoure of god that ye may stande strongly agaynst the disceites and pryuy assautes of the deuyll These be the armours of god and also vnder hym our armoure Let vs take his crowne of thorne for our salet or helmet For our swerde the nayles of his handes For our spurres the nayles that persed his fete For our Iacke or haubergyn the betynges of his body with scourges For our sheld the crosse as our lorde bare it to the mounte of Caluary For our horse the same crosse as Christe dyd hynge and dye thereon With this armoure we shall ouercum the deuyll for thereunto we shall haue strength thrugh the feruent meditacion of the passion of Christe To this gyfte of goostly strength correspondeth the fourthe beatitude that is Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam Blessed be they that hunger and thyrste iustice For as saynt Austyn sayeth Strengthe is conuenient to them that hunger and thyrst iustice for they labour diligently desyrynge to haue ioye and pleasure in and of thynges that be very good and also labourynge to tourne theyr loue from all worldly and vayne thynges And this conueniency doeth also appere in that that this gyfte of strengthe consysteth and standeth in harde thinges of great difficulty as we sayde before It is a greate and an harde thynge that a man shuld nat only do vertuouse werkes which comonly beÌ„ called the werkes of iustice but also that he shulde do them with a feruent and in a maner an insaciable desyre of iustyce whiche is signified by this hungre and thyrst of iustice To this gyfte also of goostly strength correspondeth and accordeth amonges the fruites of the spyryte these two fruites Pacience whiche concerneth the sufferaunce of euyll or payne And longanimitie whiche consysteth in the taryenge or continuall abydynge for the good promyses of god that is eternall glory the rewarde of vertuouse werkes And so this spyryte of strength is gyuen to man that it shulde aryse and lyfte vp the tedyouse wery soule whiche was almoost deiect cast downe by the dayly sufferaunce of euyll and paynes and for beholdynge or abydynge of the good promyses of god And this gyfte so doeth lyfte vp this soule that it opteynynge his formar vertue and strength doeth put away all suche dulnes werynes and also waxeth stronge to the desyre of inwarde swetenes and so consequently to the desyre of eternall pleasure Also this spyryte of strength doeth cause in mannes soule the hunger desyre of iustice so that the soule here in this lyfe feruently desyryng the werkes of iustice may herafter be full saciate with consolacion eternall for his rewarde And to this we sayd before that by thexample of the mekenes pacience of Christe in his passion for the whiche he was exalted and had a name aboue aboue all names as saynt Paule sayeth Men shuld be prouoked and moued to the folowynge of Christe in corporall paynes and afflictions In subduynge all vyce inordinate concupiscencys or desyres In hungerynge thrystynge the werkes of iustice and in hauynge dominion ouer all his appetytes and rewlyng them by ryght reason that they so doynge may be made apte to the reparacion of thorder of the dominacions aungels or heuenly spyrytes so called ¶ Example of this spyryte of strengthe The .xiii. Chapytre VIncent in his hystories sheweth an example of this gyfte of strengthe of the blessed woman Maria de Ogines thus sayenge For as moche as it but lytle auayleth to auoyde euyll by the spyryte of feare and to do good by the spirite of pitie thyrdely by the spyryte of knowledge to haue discrecioÌ„ in all thynges except also by y e spirite of strength we resyst all
foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum reclinet The foxes haue theyr caues or dennes the byrdes of the ayre haue theyr nestys but the son of a vyrgyn hath nat where to hyde or laye his hede He was pore in his natiuitie or byrthe Porer in his lyfe or processe of his lyfe And moost pore vpon the crosse at his deth At his byrthe he was fedde with the vyrgyns mylke and lapped in vyle or pore clothes In the processe of his lyfe he had pore clothynge But oft tymes he wanted meat drynke for his necessary sustenaunce But at his dethe thou shalt fynde hym naked and in extreme thyrste or dryenes excepte thou say that he had vynegre myxte with bytter myrre and gall to quenche his thyrste These thynges well consydered the soule of the person beholdynge and depely remembrynge them is shortely and easely persuaded and moued to folow our sauiour Iesu in lyke thynges so that he may now gladly withdraw him selfe from all worldly honours and desyres of the same from all possession of temporall goodes from all corporall consolacion and pleasure desyrynge with his lorde god all vylenes abiection and derision and to suffre payn in all his hole body that thereby he myght in sum thynge be made conformable to his lord god and so do to hym sum thankfull seruice His appetite and desyre is nat now to please men but rather for the loue and honour of his lorde god to be mocked scorned despised and to be rather hated of them than honoured And therefore all vayne prayse and laudes gyuen to hym ben abhominacion as stynkynge caryon vnto hym for he onely requyreth and desyreth the laudes and prayses of god Vnto that is all his study labour payne That he desyreth with an vnsaciable thyrst In all thynges he onely desyreth thonour of god Nothynge lokynge to hym â—elfe nor regardynge any thynge perteynynge to hym selfe ne yet wyll be bounde to do any thyng but all to gyder with hert and mynde lokynge vnto heuen where as is moost his pleasure And also he desyreth that by his rebukes his lorde god myght be honoured greatly and continually desyrynge thrughe this gyfte of councell bothe to be pore and also despysed and abiecte for the loue of god for as muche as he perceiued bothe these to be in his lorde god crucified And truely he wolde now and euer be naked with Christe vpon the crosse beynge very heuy or sory y t he shuld haue any thynge that myght helpe the pore or els that perteyneth to thonour of god Therfore he forsakynge all superfluitie vseth as few thynges as his necessitie wyll suffre hym so that his pleasure is moche more set to despyse and cast awaye rychesse than to get or multyply it And to speke of corporall delectacions consolacions and pleasures we may truely say that from al these and also from all other consolacion that is nat in god of god or for god he vtterly refuseth them as moche as it is possyble for hym euer askynge and desyrynge to be saciate and fulfylled with bytternes sorow and payne or affliction with his lorde and mayster Christe Wherfore what so euer he perceyued to be pleasaunt vnto his bodye or yet vnto his herte by the whiche he may nat be made conformable vnto the moost blessed woundes and passion of Christe that thynge he abhorreth withdrawynge hym selfe from all thynges thrugh this gyfte of councell wherein he seeth any peryll or daunger lyke to cum to hym And therfore he doeth all thynges with greate deliberacion And also thrughe the sayde gyfte of couÌ„cell he applyeth hym selfe to do all tho thynges wherby thonour of god y e charitie of his neighbour the helth of soules may be in any thynge encreased And for these causes he is ofte tymes solitarie depely considerynge the passion of Christe therin lerchynge the hygh honours of god theternall ryches and heuenly pleasures that the deuout soule therin restynge may haue great ioye Also thereby the bytter soule for the compassion of Christes passion is made swete and pleasaunte And the mynde eleuate and lyfted aboue it selfe is made dronken or is drowned in loue And â—o the soule full of pleasure and lenyng vpon hyr dere beloued restyth hoolly in hyr lorde god And this is it that we sayd before how thrugh the spyryte of councell we auoide all perylles and dauÌ„gers make our selfes sure in the holes of the stone that is in the woundes of Christe to entrepryse great herde and paynefull thynges and also to excercyse the werkes of supererogacioÌ„ as is to loue our enemies and to forgiue them for Christe to gyue all our goodes to pore people for the loue of Christe to the which werkes don by the spiryte of couÌ„cell correspondeth the fyfte beatitude of the whiche Christe sayeth Beati misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur Blessed be y e mercyfull for they shall haue mercy For as saynt Austyn sayeth Councell is accordynge to mercyfull persones for there is but one remedy or meane to be delyuered from all the perylles of this worlde and that is this to forgyue and to gyue Councell is properly and specially to be taken of these thynges that be to cum and that be profytable vnto our ende that is to do the werkes of mercy whiche moost of all corresponde or accorde to the gyfte of councell And therefore saynte Paule sayeth Pietas ad omnia vtilis est Pytye and mercye is profytable to all thynges And thus ye may perceyue that the beatitude of mercye correspondeth to the gyfte of councell Nat that this gyfte of councell doeth produce and brynge furthe the werkes of mercye as his effecte and operacion but that it dyrecteth and orderyth the doer and werker For the spyryte of councell is specially gyuen to man to that intent that he shulde lerne therby to forgyue freely and gladly and also to shew mercy vnto those persons that haue offeÌ„dyd agaynst hym knowynge that yf he so do he shall fynde lyke mercy in our lorde in forgyuynge his synnes done agaynst god as our lorde sayeth in the gospell And this is it that we spake before that men consyderyng and beholdynge the vnspekeable pitie mercy of our lorde that he shewed whan he prayed for them that put him to dethe shulde be moued and styrred to lyke pitie and mercy so made apte to the restauracion of the order of aungelles called vertues O sayeth the prophete Dauid in the persone of Christe Calix-meus inebrians quam peclarus est That is as the glose of saynte Austyn sayeth the cuppe of the blood of our lorde whiche inebritynge the mynde and makynge it dronken in god doeth so cure and heale it that it maketh it forget all vayne delectacion pleasure This dronkennes maketh men sobre This fulnes and plenteousnes maketh men empty and voyde of euyll maners and vyces And therfore the
prophete sayeth that it is preclarus that is moche worthy and noble For besyde the premisses it bryngeth a man to the kyngedom of heuens ¶ Example of this spyryte and gyfte of councell The .xv. Chapitre OF this gyfte of godly councell whiche is gyuen to suche as feruently remembre the passion of Christe we may se an example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the forsayd histories of Vincent whiche speakynge of this holy woman sayeth thus She endued with the spirite of councell wold do nothyng hedlynges nothynge inordinately but she dyd all thynges diligently wysely discretely and with great deliberacion And all though she was inwardely vysyted with the familiar councell of the holy goost and also sufficiently instruct in the holy scripture of god and all by the feruente and continuall remembraunce of the passion of Christe yet for thabundaunt mekenes that was in hyr and that she wolde nat trust to moche to hyr owne wyt and so seme wise in hyr owne sight she vtterly forsoke hyr owne wyll and reason and dysdayned nat to submyt hyr wyll freely gladly to the wyll and councell of other takynge and folowyng theyr mynde and councell This nat withstandynge many of hyr famylyar frendes the whiche had ofte experience of hyr godly wysdom wolde take no great thynge vpon them without hyr councell And that she coulde nat know by mannes wyt or reason after hyr deuout and feruent prayer she had the knowledge thereof by the inspiracion of god One tyme whan one of hyr dere spirituall frendes whiche had a competent pore lyuynge wherewith he was well content so moche the better content for that he lyued quyetly from the turmoiles troubles of the world abstracte and separate from the cumpany of worldly people and all worldly pompe or vanitie This person I say so content and seruyng god in mekenes and deuoute spyryte ▪ was desyred of a noble and great man to be with hym as his maister instructour and councellour he shulde haue all thynges plenteously at his pleasure as meate drynke rayment horse and seruauntes This person after this large offre made asked councel of this blessed womā Mary what he shulde do Than she in no thynge presumynge of hyr owne wyt made hyr herty prayer to god secretely and after hyr deuoute prayers she aunswered to hym and sayde I sawe a great horse prepared for you whiche went or ranne streight way towardes hell I dyd also se a greate company of deuylles ioyenge and shewynge great gladnes thereof Therefore after my councell forsake that offre and continue in that callyng that god hathe called you vnto lesse by suche ambicion worldly pompe ye gyue occasion to the deuyll to drawe you further vnto youre eterne perdicion ¶ By the feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe the gyfte of vnderstandynge is gyuen to man The .xvi. Chapytre THere is also gyuen vnto man thrughe the feruent and continuall remembraunce of the passion of our lorde the gyfte and spyryte of vnderstandynge wherby we know god nat effēcially as he is in him selfe but by collacion comparyson vnto his creatures as by his effectes operacions creatures as it were by sygnes and tokens Also by this gyfte we receyue a lyght and knowledge of those thynges which we se or here of the scripture of god And this knowledge is contrary to that brute sensuall knowledge wherby man onely knoweth and cleueth fast to these outwarde and vayne thynges nothynge regardyng consyderynge or knowynge his owne honour dignitie for he onely consyderyth these visyble and transitory thynges and wyll nat serche to rede or know inwarde thynges that is what he is nat in substaunce but in grace What is his lyuynge vycyouse or vertuouse How great he is in merytes or in the fauour of god where he is that is in this exyle vale of mysery All these thynges considereth the spirituall person and that by the feruent meditacion of Christes passion For he that is crucified with Christ Iesu by the remembraunce of his most blessed passion ▪ doeth ascende vnto the clerenes of knowledge by the spyryte of vnderstandynge on this maner Whan a man doeth feruently and deuoutly remembre and consyder how that the sonne of god wolde suffre so greate paynes for to redeme hym anone he consydereth of what dignitie and noblenes his soule is that it is of an excellēt great dignitie seynge that the sonne of god wolde suffre so shamefull a dethe for the redemption therof And by this consideracion he is animated and moued to consyder and thynke of hyghe and noble thynges For whan he depely considereth that that mooste precyouse blood of Iesu Christe was shed to wasshe his soule from the fylthynes of synne and also that by that moost blessed passion the ruyne and fall of aungels shulde be repared restored with mankynde anon he dysdayneth to remēbre or ones to thynke of these vyle and transitorye thynges but rather he is prouoked moued to beholde and consydre spirituall and heuenly thynges And yf he consydre or beholde these visible thynges it is for that intent that therby he wolde ascende to the cōsideracion of heuenly thynges so that his cōuersacion is principally in heuyn And thā also for asmoche as he seeth Christe crucified and so subdued vnto manyfolde tribulacions and paynes he in this consideracion onely wyllynge to please god recounteth and thynketh all tribulaciōs and paynes to be very lyght and easy for hym to beare Remembrynge also how moche Christe loued hym that wolde be so cruelly and shamefully entreated and slayne for his redemption he feruentely kyndeled in the loue of Christe laboureth to entre in that moost blyssed syde and hert of Christe whiche he knew was opened with a spere for his loue His soule is burnyng in loue as a fyre And therefore with all his herte he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Hereunto he sygheth and wepyth and feruently desyreth that he myghte be all wasshed or drowned in that passion and so hoolly to be transfourmed into his lorde god crucified He reputeth and thinketh hym selfe to be in bondage and mysery except he be preserued and kept by the blood of his redemer He iudgeth hym selfe to be rather more lyke a beeste than a man except he be clad with his lordes passion It is abhominacion to hym to be negligent in the consideracion and remembraunce of so noble a benefite as is the mercyful werke of our redemption and therfore he is euer or at leest hath a wyll to be euer occupied in the meditacion of the sayd passion For as he wold euer continue in the fauoure of god whiche he gate by that passion and redemption so he wold haue euer in his hert and mynde the passion of Christe the pryce of our redemption He reputeth Christe crucified as his lyfe and all his confort or pleasure and therfore he wolde be euer conuersaunt with hym O what sorow what heuynes is
the vertue and operacion of the holy gooste And so the spirite of vnderstaâ—dynge cummynge to the soule of man thrugh the deuout and ofte remembraunce of Christes passion clenseth it and purifieth the inwarde and spirituall syght of man whiche was derked and blynded by the synne of our fyrst parent Adam and also doth cure and heale it with the knowledge of the worde of god as it were with an holsum ointement and doeth make it so pure and lyghtsum that it is apte to receyue or to beholde the clearenes of the deytie Clennes doeth sprynge of the gyfte of vnderstandynge And this clennes bryngeth in the vision or syght of god and therfore Christe sayeth Blessyd be the clene in herte for they shall se And therfore we sayd before that by the truth expressed declared in the moost blessyd passion of Christe men be illuminate thrugh the feruent remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the sayd passion vnto the knowledge of the heuenly and godly truthes that so they may be made apte vnto the reparacion of thorder of Cherubyn For man in his fyrst creacion was so made of god that yf he had nat synned he shulde euer haue ben presente in the contemplacion of his creatoure and maker that man so seynge his lorde god shulde euer haue louyd hym and so louynge hym shulde euer haue cleued fast vnto hym And in so cleuyng fast to hym whiche is immortall he also shuld haue had lyfe euerlastyngly But man for his inobedience was cast from the face fauour of god And by his synne he was blynded with ignorauÌ„ce And he was put from that inward light of coÌ„templacion bycause he inclined his mynde gaue it to erthly desyres And the more depely he gaue hym selfe to the desyre of these vaine transitory thynges the more he forgat the swetenes of heuenly desyres whose taste and knowledge he had lost by his syn And so he was exiled banisshed from Paradise for his synfull conscience and wandred about here in this vale of misery by inordinate concupiscence And also the hert of man whiche fyrste fyxed in the loue of god was than stable permaneÌ„t in louyng onely one thynge that is god was at all tymes one after that it began to slyde vnto vayne worldly desyres it was diuided into as many thinges as thoo thinges that he desyred were dyuers many And so it foloweth consequently that y t mynde which can nat or wyll nat loue y t one thyng y t is very good one in it selfe y t mynde I say can neuer be stable For y e mynde nat fyndyng the ende of his desyre his purpose in those thynges y t he loueth so euer labouryng in vayne desyryng that thyng which he can nat opteyn can neuer rest stably quietly And herof foloweth continuall mouyng without stabilitie labour without rest runnyng without any ende of his runnyng And so the hert is euer vnquyet vnto the tyme it cleue fast by loue vnto one thyng in the which his desyre shall be saciate fully content with pleasure and also he shall haue a sure confidence and trust that that thynge whiche he so loueth shall neuer be taken from hym this shal be by our lorde Iesu Christe whiche is the way truthe and lyfe eternall And therfore he sayth Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad meipsum Whan I shal be exalted vpon the crosse I shall draw all my elect people to my self And this his eternall father promysed vnto hym by the prophet sayenge Ab oriente adducam semen tuum c. That is I shall brynge thy sede and faythfull chyldren or seruantes from the Eest by one parte of the crosse And I shall gader to the from the west by an other arme or parte of the crosse And I shall say vnto Northe Gyue to my sonne his seruauntes by the thyrde parte of the crosse And I shall saye to the Southe parte of the worlde Let nat my sonnes seruantes to cum to hym by the fourthe arme or parte of the crosse Brynge my sonnes or chyldren from farre cuntreys and my doughters from thextreme and vtttermoost partes of the erthe ¶ Example of this gyfte or spyryte of vnderstandynge The .xvii. Chapytre OF this spirite of vnderstandyng whiche is oft tymes gyuen to those that deuoutly remeÌ„bre the passion of Christ we haue example in the sayd hystoryes of Vincent of the ofte named holy woman Maria de Ogines Of whome he sayeth thus â–ª This blessyd doughter of Hierusalem adourned by the feruent remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion with manyfolde vertues illustrate or lyghtenyd with the foresayd gyftes of the holy goost and also hyr herte purified clensed with the gyfte of vnderstandyng she was conuersant in with heuenly thynges For she vtterly excludynge from hyr hert all vayne transitory sensuall faÌ„tasies gat into hyr mynde vniforme vnuariable heuenly imaginacioÌ„s And the more she apê“ched drew nigh vnto thimmutable maiesty of god the more purely these heuenly imaginacions shone in hyr soule And whaÌ„ hyr spirit so purified was kyndled burnynge in the fyre of feruent loue of god she asceÌ„ded into heuen by contemplacion as the fume or smoke of insence or other swete spices doth ascende so walkyng in heuen as it were from place to place euer ascendynge sought about to fynde hym whom she loued god omnipotent And so serchynge she was suÌ„tyme coÌ„forted with y e lilies of vyrgins Now refresshed with thodiferouse swete smellyng roses of the holy martyrs And suÌ„tyme she is venerably or worshipfully receiued of thonorable cuÌ„pany of the apâ—â—les sumtyme she is associate to the cuÌ„pany of aungels Whan she had thus ascendyd froÌ„ degree to degree walked with ioyouse glad mynde thrughe many places of heuenly paradise whan she was a lytle past all these cuÌ„panies she fouÌ„de hym whoÌ„ hyr hert moost feruently desyred there she perfitely restyd And whan she was in this quietnes it pleased our lorde to shew vnto hyr the boke of lyfe wherin whan she loked she perceyued many thynges by the spirite of vnderstandyng whiche afterward whaÌ„ she was cum to hyr selfe she shewed by the spirit of prophecy And so vpoÌ„ a tyme whan the heretikes called Albigenses were greatly multiplied thre yeres before that the people were marked with the signe of the crosse to go fyght against them she sayd that she se many crosses descende from heuen vppon a great multitude of people whiche people moued of god feruent zele that they had to our sauiour crucified intendyng to reuenge the great dishonour of god don by those heretykes cam froÌ„ farre cuntreys And whan they cam to a place called Mons gaudii the mount of ioy there were many of theym slayne by the heretikes And than this blyssed woman though she were in a farre cuntrey from y t place yet she se holy aungels makynge great ioye bearynge the soules of those
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
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
conspectu angelorum psallam tibi I shall synge to the or prayse the lorde in the syghte or cumpaignie of aungelles The seconde lesson In that that oure lorde in his age went vnto prayer also continued longer tyme in the same we be instructe in all oure trouble or necessytye to runne vnto prayer And the more that oure necessytye is the more to continue our prayer The thyrde doctrine is taken of this pryncypall article is this that in our prayer we shuld be so feruent and intent thereunto that thrugh the vehemence of our intencion and feruour of our deuocion we shuld swet as it were bloode by conformynge our selfe to the passion of Christe by the feruour of our loue vnto god Hereunto sayeth the glose Ad Romanos 8. That that charitie whiche is in vs by the grace of the holy goost that same doeth mourne that same charitie doeth pray for vs. And agaynst this charitie he that gaue it can nat shyt his eares Moreouer that charitie doeth mourne and pray vnto it droppe blood And that is whan deuocion is so feruently kyndeled in the herte that for the loue of god yf nede requyred he wolde nat be afrayd to shed his blood And therefore pray ye deuoutly and hertely in the maner folowyng or in any other lyke maner after your deuocion ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in thy long prayer wolde be conforted of the aungell and in thy agony swet meruelously droppes of blood graūt to me by the vertue of thy prayer that thy hooly aungell myghte euer assyst me in my prayer and conforte me that I restynge in the swete remembraunce of thy moost bytter passion myght deuoutly swet the droppes of teares for thy bloode in thy syghte and knowledge Amen ¶ Of the vendition or sellynge of our lorde The thyrde article ⧠THe thyrde article is the sellynge of our lorde Whiche sellynge though it began and was promysed before the other two articles that we haue spoken of as whā Iudas went to the prynces of the preestes sayenge to them What wyll ye giue to me and I shal gyue hym in to your handes Whiche was done vpon the wednysday as we sayd before in the fyrst part of this boke At whiche tyme this contracte was than begun promysed As saynt Luke sayeth Pacti sunt ei pecuniam dare et ipse Iudas spopondit The Iues dyd couenaunde and promise to gyue hym money and Iudas promised to fulfyll his sayenge Though I say this sellynge was begun vppon the wednysdaye yet it was nat perfourmed vnto the tyme that Iudas went from our lorde and his apostles after supper vppon the thurseday in the night vnto the prynces of the Iues and there receyued his money that is thyrty pennys of syluer and so was that sellynge perfourmed and this article appered in effecte And it is conuenient that this sellynge be numbred amonges the poyntes of Christes passion for therby he suffered great dispisynge What is nat a great rebuke dispisynge to Christe that he whiche is moost noble and good and of infinite goodnes in whom be all treasures of wysdom knowledge hyd whiche is also lorde of all lordes and kynge aboue all kynges to be estemed and solde for so vyle a pryce Also the sorow of Christe was moche encreased in that that he was solde so vilely of his owne disciple of one of those twelue whom he dyd chose singulerly amonges all the world to be his apostels and messangers And of this the prophet greatly complaineth in the person of Christe sayenge Si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi sustinuissem vtique Yf myne enemye had dyspysed me I shulde quietely haue suffered and borne it And in an other psalme Etenim homo pacis mee in quo speraui qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem O or truely the man of my peace that pretendyd loue and peace to me in whom I trusted for he kept all the mony that we had for the necessities of me myn apostles and also for to releue the pore people whiche eat my bread meat sat at the meat with me This man and pretense frende I say hathe magnyfyed agaynste me his supplantacion his pryuye and mooste craftye treason He craftely and deceytefully hathe trayterously betrayed me and solde me O vnwyse and moost wretchyd and vnhappy marchaunt who hath lerned or taughte the suche marchaundyse that thou shouldest put the pryce of thy marchaundyse to the wyll of the byers that the byer shulde make the pryce thereof Whan a thynge is folde yf it be thoughte precyouse or of any greate valoure the marchaunte that sellyth it wyll nat put the pryce of the same in the arbytremente or wyll of the byer that he shulde make the pryce at his pleasure But yf the seller or marchaunt set lytle or nought by the thyng that he selleth than he regardeth nat yf the byer make the pryce And so dyd Iudas whan he solde our sauioure Iesu Christe For he sayd to the Iues Quid vultis mihi dare et ego eum vobis tradam What wyll ye gyue to me and I shall betray hym and gyue hym into your handes and power As yf he sayd Make what pryce ye wyll and I shall fulfyll your wyll O moost wycked crueltie O moost craftye wyckednes The creature sellyth his creatoure and maker The dyscyple his mayster the seruaunte his lorde the famylyar his moost dere frende There be many now a dayes lyke vnto Iudas which wyl sell forsake iustice for temporall lucre so they sell god that is very iustice So do all they that commyt symony which sell the grace of god or y e sacramentes of the chyrche or els spirituall thynges for temporall thinges As thoo prelates iudges that sell the true iust sentēce that is whiche wyll nat gyue the iust true sentence without rewardes Also thoo religiouse persons prestes y t wyll nat pray say masse or ministre the sacramentes without money All these with suche other be lyke vnto Iudas say with hym though nat in wordes yet in dedes what wyl ye gyue to me I shal betray Christ gyue hym to you Of these maner of persons it is wryten by the Prophete Micheas Principes eius in muneribus iudicabant et sacerdotes eius in mercede docebant The prynces and iudges dyd iudge for gyftes the prestes taught for rewardes And note that the syn of simony is nat onely in the seller but also in the byer or receyuer And so nat onely Iudas dyd synne in the sellyng of Christe but also the Iues in byeng of hym That person doeth bye Christe of me which gyuyng to me any temporall thyng taketh Christ frō me As yf a flaterer wold falsly cōmende praise me where as I am nat worthy by the whiche laude and prayse my hert is exalted in pryde he taketh Christ fro
vyne Who is he that doeth nat se and consyder the bondes wherewith this oure vyne tree was bounde He was bounde with seuen bondes The fyrste sayeth saynt Bernarde I trow was his obedience whereby he was obedient to his father vnto the death of the crosse He dyd also obey to his mother Marie and to his father putatiue Ioseph As saynt Luke sayth Venit Nazareth et erat subditus illis Iesus came to Nazareth with mary and Ioseph and was obedient to them He was also obedient vnto the emperour paynge tribute vnto hym The second bonde was the wombe of the virgyn Marie Hereunto the churche syngeth of our lady in a certen respond whom the heuens coulde nat take thou virgyn hath conteyned hym in thy wombe The thyrde bonde was his cradell bondes or the cryb wherin he was layde as saynt Luke sayth The .iiii. bonde was this bonde wherwith he was bounde whan he was taken O howe rughe and harde were these bondes of these moste cruell Iues wherwith they bonde that most mylde lambe Iesus Christe O good Iesu I considre and se with the eyen of my soule the swete lorde bounde with moost harde ropes and drawen as a thefe to the house of the prynce of preestes I se this good lorde and I abhorre it and also moche meruayle thereat and so meruaylynge I shulde faynte and also dye for sorowe but that manifestly I knowe that thou was fyrste bounde in thy herte with the bondes of loue and charitie whiche louyngly dyd drawe the to suffer gladely these outwarde bondes The fyrste bonde was that wherwith he was fastyned to the pyllar whan he was scourged of the whiche we shall speake hereafter The syxte bonde was the crowne of thornes wherewith his heed was faste bounde as we shall declare hereafter The seuenthe bonde were the nayles that nayled his handes and feete faste vnto the crosse Or elles we may saye after saynte Birgitte in her reuelations that this seuenthe bonde was that corde and rope wherwith they drewe his arme and his feete so that all the ioyntes of his body were dissolued for fyrste they nayled his ryghte hande and then they drewe the left hand with a rope vnto the hoole that was made before for that hande And in lyke maner they drewe his feete so that al his veynes and synewes brast and all his ioyntes loosed so that a man myght nombre all his bones as the prophet Dauid sayth And this payne was so great greuous that the lyfe myght nat continue with it in any other man but Christe preserued his lyfe vnto suche tyme it pleased hym to yelde vp his spirit into y e handes of his father therfore he said Potestatē habeo ponēdi āam meā nemo tollit eā a me I haue power to gyue vp my soule at my pleasure Also no man may take my life frō me but I shall forsake it at my wyll and at my wyll take it agayne Our sauyour Iesu thus taken and bounden al his disciples forsakynge hym for feare fledde from hym as we shall declare in the nexte article ¶ Here foloweth .iii. lessons THe first lesson is our lord wolde be bounde bycause that he wold loose the bōdes of our synnes Secondly he wold be bounde for that he wolde bynde vs to hym with the bonde of charite He is the same bonde of charitie wherwith our soule is bounden to god He is signifyed by the reed coorde or lyne whiche Raab tyed in the wyndowe of hyr house for a sure signe or token that she and al hyrs shulde be saued at the destruction of Hiericho So surely euery faythfull soule corrupte by the olde synne of Adam and so signifyed by Raab that is comonly noted for a comen woman yf this soule be regenerate by the fayth of Christ and haue this reed corde tyed in the wyndowe of hyr inwarde house by the whiche the lyght of god entrethe in to hyr soule without doubte suche a soule hath a sure token of hyr health for suche a soule is so tyed vnto god and god vnto hyr that she can nat lyghtly be separat from god This is also the corde or rope wherwith our lord was tyed vnto the pillar whiche without doubte was reed for it was made reed with the holy blode of Christ This is also that lyne or corde wherwith Paule was so surely fastened to Christe that nothyng myght depart hym from Christ Nother tribulation ne anguish nor hungre nor nakednes persecution nor swerde and shortly to speake no creature myght departe hym from the charite of Christ The thyrde lesson is that we shuld so bynde all our membres and specyally our tonge with the cordes of the preceptes of god that she shulde nat be loosed vnto any thynge contrarie to the wyll of god or his commaundementes ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wold be bounde with the handes of wycked men I beseche the loose the bondes of my synnes and so bynde me to the with the bondes of thy preceptes that neuer the membres of my body nor the powers of my soule be loosed and at lybertie to do any thynge contrarie to thy wyll Amen ¶ Of the fleynge or departynge away of the disciples of Christe The .vii. article THe .vii. article is of the departyng awaye or fleyng of the disciples of Christe Of the whiche it is wryten in the gospel thus Tunc omnes relicto eo fugerunt Whan Iesus was taken then all his disciples lefte hym and fled from hym This fleynge and departyng was no lytell payne to Christe And therfore this article is nombred with the other articles of his passion for specyally he was sory for this maner of departynge And of this departynge speaketh Iob in the person of Christ sayenge Fratres mei elongauerunt a me et no ti mei quasi aliem recesserunt a me My bretherne haue gone farre from me and myne aquayntance or knowen disciples as straungers hath forsaken me And in a token or remembraunce of this forsakyng the aulters on shire thursday be bared for all theyr ornamentes be taken awaye and the aulter lefte naked and bare Christ is this aulter and the apostles be the ornamentes whiche fled from Christ and left hym alone in the hādes of his enemies Our lorde was heuy and sory of this departyng of his discyples nat for hym selfe but for them that they were so sclaundered in hym Of this sorowe saynt Ierome saythe It is nat to be beleued that this departynge was without greate anguysshe and heuynes of the herte of Christe and also it was nat without greate mornynge and wepynge of the apostles For I can nat thynke that after they se that cruell compeigney take and bynde our sauiour Iesu theyr most louynge maister but that they wept and said with greate sorowe O moost benygne maystre more swete or pleasaunte than all hoony It is moche sorowfull to vs to se the so cruelly entreated of the
of the deule or counsaile of any wicked person but that I may be leade by the holy spirite vnto all thynges that shal be pleasaunt vnto the. Amen How Christ was presented vnto Annas The .ix. article THe .ix. article is of the presentynge of Christe vnto Annas For after they had brought Christ vnto the golden gate of Hierusalem nat without his great payne for one drewe hym by his garmeÌ„t another by the necke and the thirde by the heire of his heed they brought him fyrste vnto Annas bycause his house was in the way and they thought that they shulde haue ben rebuked if they had ouerpassed hym for as moche as he was father in lawe vnto Caiphas whiche was the high bisshop for that yere And therfore they first presented Christ vnto Annas willyng therby to honore Annas and also to reioyse of that great acte whiche they had done in takyng of Christe for as the wise man saith Letantur impij cum malefecerint c. Wicked men be glad whan they do euyl and they reioyse in their most mischeuous dedes Also they first preseÌ„ted Christ vnto Annas bycause that lesse defaut shulde be founde and put in Caiphas for the condempnation of Christ seinge that Christ was also condeÌ„pned of suche a wise sage and also high bisshop as Annas was In this house of Annas our lorde suffred .iii. thynges moche paynfull to hym The fyrste was the horrible denyenge of Petre. The seconde was the indiscrete question of the bisshop And the thirde was the myghty stroke that the seruaunte gaue to hym vpon hys face First he suffred the denyenge of Petre whiche was horrible and also paynful to Christ for .vi. causes that is for the multitude of people that were present at that denyenge second was bycause Petre was so slacke to folowe his maister c. these causes and the other .iiii. shal be declared in the next article ¶ Here foloweth a lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we shuld not be moche afrayed to be presented before a seculer iudge for the loue and fayth of Christe and to â—uâ—re for Christe for therby cometh greate grace to man Therfore our lorde sayd to his disciples Whan your enemyes shal betray you and present you vnto y e great iudges of the worlde be nat afrayed nor to studiouse what ye shall saye it shal be gyuen to you at that tyme by the spirite of god what ye shall saye And this is noted in this article in that that Annas is as moche to say by interpretation as deuotion Not that Annas nor any temporall iudge may gyue to that person whome he iudgethe any grace or deuotion but for as moche as those holye persones suffre greate wronges of suche iudges the goodnes of god gyueth to those that paciently suffre iniuryes his grace for all grace is of god And hereunto the wyse man sayth Audi tacens et pro reuerentia accidet tibi bona gratia Here thou obey patiently and for thy reuerence good grace shal come to the. And that a man myght conforme hym selfe vnto this article he shulde remembre howe reuerently and paciently our lorde and sauyour Iesus stode then before Annas the Iues. And then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde be first led and presented vnto the bysshop Annas graunt to me that I neuer feare to be ledde or presented for thy name and faythe before any tiraunte or seculer iudge of this worlde And also that thy grace ryght reason haue euer the dominion in me that I may lerne to present all myne actes willes and desyres vnto the examination of right reason before that I do them in dede thy grace at all tymes beynge assistant vnto me Amen ¶ Of the denyenge of Petre. The .x. article THe .x. article is of y e denyeng of Petre what tyme Iesus was led to the house of Annas Petre folowed a farre of to se the ende what they wolde do with Christ There folowed also Iohan whiche was well aquaynted with the bysshopes seruauntes and knowen to the bysshop and therfore he entred in with the other Iues into the bysshopes palace but Petre abode without And then IohnÌ„ spake to the maide that kept the doore to let Petre come in And whan she se Petre she sayd to hym NuÌ„ quid et tu ex discipulis es hominibê° istius Art thou nat of the disciples of this man that is of Christe And Petre sayd I am nat The wordes of this mayden myght seme more to be spoken for compassyon of Christe and to admonysshe Petre to bewarre of suche compeigney as was then within in the courte rather then to betraye Petre for she se hym verye fearfull he was so afrayed that he denyed Christ to be his maister The ministres and seruauntes stode at the coolys or fyre and warmed themself and Peter stode amonges them And then a nother mayden said This felawe was with Iesu and the compeigney that was there sayd truely he is one of them for he is a Galilee that is a man of the contreth of Galilee Then Petre denyed it with an othe and sayd I knowe nat that man After that by the space of one houre the compeigney sayd to Petre agayne veryly thou arte one of them and specyally one persone cosen to Malchus whose eare Petre smote of sayd to Petre Dyd nat I se the in the garthen or orcharde with Iesu And than Peter began to sweare to curse and banne and sayd I neuer knewe this man of whom ye speake and furthwith the cocke dyd synge or crawe And then our lorde turned hym and behelde Petre. And Petre remembrynge the sayenges of Christe before how that he shulde thryse denye hym before the cocke craw he went furth of the bisshopes palace or court and wepte full bytterly And here sayth saynt Hierome Petre myght no longer abyde in derknes for the lyght of the mercyes of god dyd shyne vpon hym and therfore he wepte And Petre after this had euer in vse custome to stande in prayer and wepe from the fyrst cocke crawe vnto the sonne rysynge in the remembraunce of his thryse denyenge of Christe Also he bare alwaye with hym a sudarie to wype awaye the teares that continually fell from his eyen for his synne And for the same synne he wepte so moche that his face seamed to be aduste and burned with the teares And therfore he deserued to haue forgyuenes both of his synne of the payne due for his synne This threfolde negation of Petre was no lytel payne vnto our sauiour Iesu for it greued hym very moche to heare se howe his owne chefe apostle whom he had ordred to be called a stone wherupon he wolde founde and buylde his churche to se hym I say so openly and so shamefully thryse to denye his own mayster Christ that at the voyce of one mayden or woman And note here that as
agre in one sentence to condemne to deth the rightuous person And there was not one that wolde speake for the innocent that wolde defende hym excuse hym or requyre respyt of that he myght answere or defend hym selfe but all they condempned hym as worthy deth where as Christe spake onely the treuth And note here the merueylouse folysshenes or rather madnes of this bisshop howe he syttynge in the place of a iudge dyd peruerte the ordre of iustyce and of the lawe Fyrst he gaue sentence of blasphemy agaynst Christe and after that he asked counsell of suche as satte in examinacyon with hym sayeng what thynke you in this cause and they sayd Reus est mortis He is worthy death Suche a iudge hath suche counsellers they were the accusers of Christe they discussed and examined his cause and they also gaue sentence and all contrarie to the order of the lawe They sayd he is gyltye and worthy death It Christ had blasphemed as they said that he dyd they had then sayd treuthe for who so euer dyd blaspheme the name of god by the lawe he shulde suffer death for he shulde be stoned to death But for asmoche as Christe dyd not so in dede as they sayd therfore theyr sentence was false and wycked And therfore this condempnacion of Christ vnto the death is conueniently nombred amonges the articles of Christes passyon for what man is there that wyll not be heuy and sory to be falsly condeÌ„pned vnto deth how moche then shulde Christe be sory beynge moste innocent and the lyfe of all lyuynge creatures to be condempned vnto so shameful a death of the crosse and that by those persons whome he came to saue and helpe ¶ Here folowe ii lessons OF this article we may take .ii. lessons Fyrst that this voyce of the Iues Reus est mortis He is worthy death whiche was spoken of Christ most innocent that this voyce I say neuer rest or be founde in our hertes and mouthes Nor that it at ony tyme be truely veryfyed in vs as it may be of euery persone that committeth deedly synne for of euery suche person it maye be truly spoken He is worthy death The seconde is that if at any tyme we be persued and also condempned to the deth falsely innocently or without iustyce and for the name of Christe that we be not troubled but rather glad and ioyefull remembrynge as Christ sayth that our reward shal be great and plentuous in heuen if we here paciently suffer for Christe and than pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche feared not the Wycked voyce of the most cruell Iues when they sayd of the Reus est mortis He is worthy deth and pacyently dyd suffer the same for me most wretche kepe and preserue me that I neuer be founde worthye eternall deth in thy syght Amen ¶ Of the buffetynge or smytyng in the necke of Christ The .xvi. article THe .xvi. article is the beatynge or smytynge of christ in the necke with theyr fystes for whan Iesus hadde confessed hym selfe to be the sonne of god whiche the Iues toke for the most blasphemy that might be then all the compeyney that were present fel vpon hym lyke mad men rebukynge and mockynge hym some dyd spytte in his face and some dyd smyte hym in the necke with theyr fystes as saynt Mathewe sayth Comonly suche persones as be taken for foolys or vyle persons and dispysed be so smyten in the necke Therfore in that that the Iues bet Christ with theyr fystes in the necke there is not so moche intended in this article the payne that then he suffred as the coÌ„tumely and dispisynge for that they that tyme reputed hym as a foole and a vyle person for therby he was mocked scorned and blasphemed and therfore they also pinched nipped him and pulled hym by the chekes by the heyre of his berde whiche all he suffred pacyently and so was fulfylled the sayenge of the prophyt whiche sayd in the person of Christ Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus I offer my body pacyently to them that smote it and my chekes to them that pynched them And these laste wordes some men expounde them of the rentynge and tearynge of Christes chekes with the sharpe nayles of the most cruell Iues and some doctours declare them of the pullynge of Christes heyre out from his berde whether of these be true or that both be true whiche I rather suppose I may well se and ê‘ceyue that the cursed handes of the most cruell Iues were not saciate with smytyng beatyng spyttyng in that most swete face of our sauiour Iesu but also they rent his beautious face with theyr nayles pluckyng out the heyre frome hys berde and as Symon de Cassia saith This smytyng in y e neck may signifye vnder a misterie the obstinate malice of the Iues wherby they coÌ„tinually curse our fayth whiche ioyneth vs vnto god and also it signifieth the crueltie of the paganes which coÌ„tinually labored by theyr tyrannie to distroy cut away our fayth For the pagans before y t they were coÌ„uerted to the faith they put to deth as many faythfull people as they might get Colaphus is properly called a beetyng in the necke with y e fyst Nowe spuÌ„ally our faith is called the necke of the church for asmoch as it ioyneth the hed the body togyther that is christians be ioyned to christ by fayth and this faith shulde be strong as the necke and therfore in the canticles it is compared to the towre of Dauid which was very stronge Our sauiour Iesus was smyten in the necke .xl. tymes in the house of Cayphas and there were gathered in this counsell of the Iues agaynste Christe lxxvii Iues. ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we be well ware that we neuer beate Christ in the necke as saynte Bede sayth All false christians that confesse Christe in worde and denye hym in theyr lyuyng they beat Christ in the necke for Colaphus is that stroke that is gyuen byhynde a man They also do beate Christe in the necke that prefer theyr owne honor and glorie before the glory of Christe And also they that sclaunder theyr neyghbour byhynde his backe And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article he may gyue hym selfe a clap in the necke in the remembraunce of all Christes strokes and then praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde be smytten by the cruell Iues in the necke for my loue graunt to me that I may so confesse the my lorde god with my mouthe that I neuer do contrarye thy preceptes in my dedes Amen ¶ Of the spittyng in Christes face The .xvii. article THe .xvii. article is of y e spittyng in Christê face whan al the Iues had accused Christ as worthy to dye then they dyd spytte in his face as in a persone most vyle abiecte and
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
not wyllynge to differ hys deth and also fearynge lesse that Pylate shulde reuoke his sentence bycause he shewed hym selfe to haue a good wyll to delyuer Christ from deth therfore they constrayned a straunge man that passed by them called Symon Cireneus to beare the crosse after Iesus Not moued as the glose sayth of any pitye or mercye towardes Christ but that he myght the soner come to his death And also that it myght appere that Iesus was not god seynge that he was so feble weyke a man that he was not able to beare that crosse as sayth saynt Austen And this Symon was not a Iue or of the chylderne of Israell but a pylgryme a straunger of the Sirenys that is a cytye in the countrie of Libia And in this man was veryfyed the saynge of the prophet Dauid Popu lus queÌ„ non cognoui seruiuit mihi The people that I haue not knowen hath done seruice to me And though the iues put this labour that is to beare the crosse after Iesus vnto this Symon as to a vyle person despysed amongê them yet it was not done without great misterie for as the glose sayth Beholde and note here that no Iue or Ebrewe but a straunger a gentyle is subdued to the obprobry and crosse of Christe to shewe that the plentuousnes of grace of the sacramentes or misteries of the lawe shulde departe from the Iues vnto the gentyles Symon is as moche to say by interpretation as obedient and Cireneus is interpreted here 's that is an heyre And therfore by this man may be well noted all good christians conuerted frome the erroure of gentilitie vnto Christe whiche somtyme ware as pylgryms or straungers vnto the lawe and preceptes of god but by theyr faith and obedyence vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god they were made of the housholde of god and his heyres and also coenheritours with Christe And thus bearynge his crosse they brought hym to Golgotha c. as in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson IN this article we christians maye lerne to beare the crosse after Iesus for as the glose sayth Firste Christe beareth the crosse for he suffred first afterwarde it was put to Symon Cireneus to beare it after Christ for we ought to folowe the steppes of Christ for Symon dyd folowe we and not go before Christ And herunto our lord sayth in the gospell Si quis vult venire post me tollat crucem suam quotidie et sequatur me If any man wyll come after me lette hym take his owne crosse dayly and folowe me And here be noted thre thynges necessary for hym that wyl folowe Christ Fyrst that he beare it voluntarylye and not compelled agaynst his wyll and therfore he sayth If any man wyll come after me notynge therby that it muste be of his owne wyll Seconde that he beare his owne propre crosse and therfore he sayth let hym take his owne crosse Thyrde that it be done for the glorie of god and not for vayne glorie and therfore he sayth and folowe me do it to my honour and for my loue And by this crosse here is noted the purpose of godly and vertuouse lyfe so that the hole lyfe of a christiane whiche lyueth after the gospell of Christ may be called a crosse and a martirdome And this crosse is to be dayly borne after Christe and for the loue of Christe Fyrste in our hert by remeÌ„braunce and compassion In our mouth by ofte and deuoute thankes And in our bodie by discreate chastysyng and subduynge of the same that so we myght reanswere gyue thankes vnto our sauiour in hert worde and dede Herby ye may se that loue without this crosse nor yet this crosse without loue may deserue any laude or prayse in thought worde nor dede But that crosse is hyghely to be praysed whiche is ioyned with loue whiche loue also the same crosse doth brynge in In this state was saynt Paule whiche sayd of hymselfe Christo con fixus sum cruci I am fastened to the crosse for the loue of Christ In this crosse fyrst our flesshe or body is fastened with the nayles of feare and hexunto the prophet Dauid sayth CoÌ„fige timore tuâ—o carnes meas Fasten or nayle faste my flesshe with thy feare Secondly our spirite muste be fastened with the nayles of loue And thyrdly our outwarde senses with the nayles of disciplyne and rigour or payne And herunto the wyse man sayth Verba sapien cium quasi stimuli et quasi claui in altum confixi The wordes of wyse men be as pryckes or broddes and as nayles fastened in the profunditie of our senses Fourthly our handes must be nayled with the nayles of laboure And therfore the wyse man sayth Quodcunque potest manus tua instanter operare Werke diligently what so euer good thy handes may werke Herby it doth clerely appere that that person sheweth hym selfe manifestly to haue no true loue whiche wyll not prepare and gyue hym selfe to harde and paynfull thynges for his louer O howe gladlye ought the christians to take and beare his crosse syth he is taught and moued therunto by nature and also by crafte Naturally the byrdes when they flye in the ayre they vse the signe of the crosse for theyr hed and theyr tayle and theyr winges abrode make a crosse and so in theyr flyenge they take theyr crosse In lyke maner a man swymmynge takes his crosse The shyppe goyng vpon the see maketh the signe of the crosse Also a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remeÌ„ber with how great charitie Christ bare his crosse for vs and of what heuynes it was to hym seynge that all the synnes of the worlde was put vpon his crosse whiche all this swete and mylde lambe whome he went to be offered dyd beare vpon his shoulders Also a man may ymagyne in hym selfe as if he bare the crosse of Christe with hym as Symon Cireneus dyd and so pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde beare thy heuy crosse vpon thyne owne shulders make me wilfully and gladlye to take the crosse of penance and streyter lyfe and to beare it daylye after the and for thy loue Amen ¶ Howe Christ was led vnto Golgoltha that is the mount of Caluarie The .xliiii. article THe .xliiii. article is the ledynge of Christe vnto Golgotha there to be crucifyed for after that they had layde the crosse vpon Christes shulders and there tyed it fast As saynt Iohan sayth Eduxerunt eum They led hym out of the citie Fyrste to fulfyll the fygures of the lawe For it was commaunded in the lawe that the calfe and the gote whiche were oâ—red in the moste solempne sacrifice for the expiation and purifyeng of the people that they shulde be buryed without the castelles or the habitacyons of men So Christe whiche is the sacrifice for the expiation and redeÌ„ption of all man kynde shulde suffer deth
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
corrupte the trueth thoughe ye loue falshed And thoughe Pylate spake thus not knowynge the truth that he sayd yet that same was prophecied before by the prophet Dauid in the lvii psalme which speaketh of the passyon of Christ and diuers other before whiche haue this title or inscription Ne corrumpas tituli inscriptionem Destroy not or chaunge not the inscription of the title And therfore saynt Gregorie sayth this tytle was immutable not for that Pylate wrote it but for that the truthe sayde I am the kynge of Iues that is of the faythfull people and of suche as confesse knowlege god to be theyr lorde ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that whan so euer we be inpugned or troubled by the deuyll lette vs flye to this title and lay it agaynst hym that is Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues whiche is called the title of tryumphe or victorie for it manifestlye expressethe the victorie of Christe that he had agaynst the deuyll And therfore the deuyl perceyuynge this title fyxed vpon the crosse moued the Iues to requyre of Pylate that it myghte be chaunged but Pylate wold not as we sayd before And amonges all the actes of the passyon of Christe the deuyll most abhorreth and fereth this victorious title â–ª as the deuyll shewed and confessed to a certen deuoute persone by compulsyon in a certen visyon ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be diffamed scornfully with the superscripcyon of the victorious title graunt to me that I may strongly lyfe and teyght vnder the banner and victorious title Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum That my ghostlye enemyes afrayde by the syght or hearynge therof shuld not darre to come nyghe vnto me Amen The illusyon and mockynge of Christe crucifyed The .lvi. article THe .lvi. article is the mockynge of Christe crucified and here note that Christe was .viii. tymes mocked on good fryday Firste was in the house of Cayphas â— Seconde in the house of Herode Thyrde in the motehall of Pylate And the other v. was when Christe was vpon the crosse the first of them and the .iiii. in order was in the superscription of the title of y t which we spake in the last article an other was done of the men that passed by there as Christ was hyngynge vpon the crosse The thyrd was done by the princes scribes and seniours of the Iues. The .iiii. was done by the saugiours and of these .iii. last we shall speake in this present article Of the first of these .iii. which is the .v. in order the euangelist sayth Pretereuntes blasphemabant eum The people that passed by that waye dyd blaspheme Christe and this they dyd for .iii. causes as sayth Symon de Cassia First for theyr blyndnes and ignorance or want of knowlege of the truth and no meruell though they that passed by dyd blaspheme hym for they dyd not tarye or abyde to se and knowe the inuisible truthe so the Iues do passe by and do not abyde in the knowlege or searchynge of the scripture that therin they myghte fynde and knowe Christe thoughe Christe sayde to them Scrutamini scripturas Searche your scriptures for they beare witnes of me Secondly this was done spoken to shewe theyr incoÌ„stancy or instabilitie in good werkes for they passyng by do leaue or do not continue in good werkes before god as in meditacyon prayers werkes of charitie for the pure loue of god and so they pray not to god that he wolde lyghten theyr vnderstandyng that they myght fynde the founten of truth thoughe for a lytyll tyme they pray yet they do not continue for they be pretereuntes that is passyng by and not abydynge in any goodnes And thyrdly they shewe herby that they receyue not the prophet of his redemption for they passe by hym whome they haue crucifyed so that nother they haue compassyon of Christes paynes and passyon nor yet wyll take parte of the fruyte of our redemption which we haue by Christes passyon for they abyde not with hym but passe by mouyng or shakynge theyr heades vpon hym as if they had the palsey or trimblynge in theyr membres These .ii. last causes do morally toche those christians that wyll not gyue them to prayer to good werkes wherby they mighte obteyne the knowledge and the loue of god and also those that wyll not remember the passyon of Christe and therfore leese the fruyte therof for they passe by without fruyte mouynge theyr heades and saynge Vah qui destruis teÌ„plum dei et in triduo reedificas illud salua temetipsum Vah is an interiection of displeasur or of derisyon and vpbraydynge as they myght saye A strawe for the that wyll destroy the temple and in thre dayes buylde it agayne these folisshe people vsed or spake the same wordes that those false witnes spake before in Cayphas house O sayde they scornynge Christ if thou coulde do that that is destroy the temple and buylde it agayne in .iii. dayes why doste not thou saue thy selfe if thou be the sonne of god descende from the crosse and saue thy selfe And not onely those that passed by dyd thus blaspheme Christ but also the princes of the prestes mockynge hym with the scribes and seniours dyd say Alios saluos â—ecit seipsum non potest saluum facere And this is the seconde illusion of this article and the .vi. in order these princes and seniours sayde he saued other but he can not saue hym selfe And in these wordes as saynt Bede sayth they confesse thoughe they dyd not so intende that Christe saued other and so theyr owne sentence condempned them for if he saued other he mighte also haue saued hym selfe if it had pleased hym The seniours sayd farther Si rex israel est descendat nunc de cruce et credimus ei If he be the kyng of Israell let hym descende from the crosse where as he is fast nayled and then we wyll beleue to hym To these folisshe and blasphemous wordes as holy pope Leo saith all the elementes and in a maner all creatures make answere and with one senteÌ„ce condempne you for heuen erth the sonne the mone the sterres declaryng you to be vnworthy theyr ministery and seruyce do shew to all the worlde your malicyous blyndnes that wold not knowe your creatour and kynge and that they shewed I say by a terrible and ferefull erthquayke and by the eclipse of the sonne contrarie to the order of nature and with many other merueyles as we shall shewe herafter in the thyrde parte Morouer the scribes sayd Si filius dei es descende de cruce If thou be the son of god descende from the crosse I say to you ye shulde haue sayde thus bycause thou arte the sonne of god therfore thou wylte not descende from the crosse for thou was incarnate and toke our nature for that thou woldest be crucified and suffer deth for
teares for he wepte Thyrde he offred his prayers for them with great sheddynge of teares and also a myghtye or great voyce or crye Of this prayer saynt Bernarde sayth Christ scourged with whippes crowned with thornes crucifyed and nayled with greate grosse nayles fylled with rebukes forgettynge all these sorowes sayde Father forgyue them Frome this charitable lorde cometh great mercy to our bodyes and moche more to our soules O good Iesu howe moche is thy mercye stablysshed vpon wicked men And howe greate is the multitude of the swetenes of thy mercy for thou shalte make vs that feruently desire the to drinke of the plentuous ryuer of thy swetenes and pleasure Also the same saynte Bernarde sayth who and of what kynde is that person which in all his tribulations and tormentes wolde not ones open hys mouthe to compleyne or to excuse hym selfe to threat or to curse his cruell aduersaryes and aboue all this at last he opened hys mouthe and spake for his enemyes a blessed worde suche a word as hathe not ben harde frome the begynnynge of the worlde that is Father forgyue them O my soule haste thou euer sene any man so myld so pacyent so charytable Consider what quietnes pacyence and charitie was hyd in that most swete brest and hart he wolde not shewe his iniuries he regarded not his paynes he wolde not speake of his rebukes but he had compassyon of theym of whome he suffred these thynges he cured theym that wounded hym he procured life for them that slewe hym and said Father forgyue them O my soule hyde or put vp this most swete worde of Christ in the treasor of thy hert that as oâ—te as thy enemyes be cruell agaynst the thou mayst remembre the abundance of this swetenes of blessed Iesu and so to lay or put this worde and prayer of Iesu as a shelde for thy defence agaynst the assaultes of thyne enemyes thy spouse and lorde Iesus doth praye for his crucifyers shalt not thou pray for thy detractours let vs yet repete this prayer father sayth Iesus forgyue them what name is this father It is a name of naturall loue Chylderne when they wolde haue any thynge or greatly desyre a thyng they be wont to name theyr father to reduce vnto his mynde the naturall loue that fathers haue vnto theyr chylderne that therby they myght the more shortly haue theyr desyre So our sauyour Iesus pitious and mercifull pacyence and of moche compassion good and louynge to all persons though he knewe that he was euer harde in his peticyons to his father yet to shewe vnto vs with howe great affeccyon and desyre we shulde pray for our enemyes in his prayer he put that name of loue Father as if he shulde say I beseche the for thy fatherly loue in whiche loue we be one to here my prayer and to forgyue them that crucifye me Knowe the loue of thy sonne that thou mayst forgyue myne enemyes Also saynt Hierome sayth Al these illusyons and scornes or mockynges ware done to Christe by the mocyon of the deules whiche an one as Christ was crucifyed they beganne to perceyue and feele the vertue of the crosse and so thought that they shulde lese theyr greate power and therfore they laboured instantelye that Christe shulde descende downe from the crosse But Iesus knowynge theyr falshed and crafte wolde continue vpon the crosse vnto his death that therby he myghte destroye death and subdue the deuyll O moste gentyll Iesu howe greate was here thy pacyence ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne that when we be in depe contemplation in good operation or els in religion we shuld not descende or leaue them for any rebukynges mockynges or scornynges of any persons but continue and pacyently beare suche despysynges for the loue of Christe as Christ for our loue dyd pacyently beare all the forsayd rebukes and for our example wolde not descende from the crosse but there continued vnto his deth and this was figured in the boke of iudges where as the vyne tre sayd vnto the other trees that wolde haue had the vyne to come to them and to haue ben theyr kynge Nunquid possum de serere vinum meum quod letificat deum et homines c. It is conuenient for me to forsake my wyne that conforteth both god men and come to you to be your kynge Nay I wyll not In lyke maner sayd the olyue tree and the figge tree So our very true vyne tree that sayth Ego sum vitis vera I am a true vyne tree wold not leaue the fruyte of his passion that gladdeth both god angel and man and come of the crosse to be promoted amongê y e Iues. ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me crucifyed wolde be mocked and despysed with many rebukefull wordes and yet wolde so charitably pray for thy crucifiers make me that I neuer descend from my religyon or any good werke for no suggestion of the deuyll or despysynges of man but that I may continually perseuer in thy loue and that I may for thy loue forgyue all them that do or saye any euyll to me or agaynste me and that I maye euermore praye hertely for them Amen ¶ Howe the thefe of the lefte hande rebuked Christe The .lvii. article THe .lvii. article is the rebukynge that the thefe spake to Christe for one of the theues that were hanged with Christ that is he on the left syde of Christ began to rebuke Christ sayng Si tu es xpÌ„s salua temetipsum et nos If thou be Christe the sonne of god saue thy selfe and also vs. This was the .viii. mockynge of the whiche we spake in the last article and this was more rebuke to Christe than the other thre declared in the laste article bycause so vyle a persone wretched and condempned to deth and furthwith shulde suffer deth for his owne synnes and myslyuynge wold thus so shamefully rebuke the auctor of lyfe And therfore this rebuke is coÌ„ueniently made a special article But the other thefe hering hym speake so loudly dyd sharply blame hym saynge Neque tu times deum qui in eadem dampnatione es c. Dost not thou feare god that arte condempned to deth as well as he is and we be worthely and iustlye condempned to deth for we suffer worthy paines for our sinnes but he neuer dyd euyll Of this saynge saynt Austen merueylynge sayth who taught this thefe to say thus but he the sonne of god that hange by hym Christe was hanged nyghe to this thefe but he was more nyghe in his herte and therfore he turned hym selfe to Iesus and sayd Memento mei domine dum veneris in regnum tuum Remember me lorde when thou shalte come in to thy kyngdome and then Iesus spake his seconde worde vpon the crosse sayng Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso Trulye I saye to the this daye thou shalte be with me in
our lord Iesu in the begynnyng of his passion after his last supper did wyllyngly take so great heauines that he his selfe sayd vnto his disciples Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem My soule is heuy vnto the death And this heuines he toke vpon hym that by it which he suffred īnocently he myght take frome vs that euerlastyng heuines which we had deseruyd for our synnes and also that he myght gyue to vs eternal ioy and gladnes Also we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually subdued vnder y e power and thraldom of the dyuell and so to be committed to the eternall prison of hell But our lorde in his blessyd passion suffred hym selfe to be taken prisonar that he by his sufferyng innocently that captiuitie myght therby delyuer vs from the power and captiuitie of the dyuell and also preserue vs from that most darke prison of hell and restore vs vnto the libertie of the childerne of god Moreouer we by our synnes deseruyd to be perpetually associate and accōpanyed with the dyuels and other dampned soulys Agaynst this our sauiour Iesu wold be associat with theuys and wold be accompted as one of thē that he myght bye vs from the cumpaygnie of dampned soulys and from the feloweshyp of dyuels and so to make vs the chyldern of god and felowes of aūgells He to whom al the glorie of heuyn doth serue and which only of hym selfe is all beautie and glorie wold suffre shamys rebukes and mockynges that he myght redeme vs from confusion and etarnall derision of dyuels and theyr rebukes and also that he myght reuoke and bryng vs agayne to the glorie of heuyn which we lost by our synne He that onely hath power to louce and bynde of his great mercy wold be bounde for vs that he myght louce vs from the bondes of our synnes and from al the paynes y t we deseruyd by our synnes And at last he suffred death innocently that by his death he myght destroy our eternall death and also gyue to vs eternall lyfe in glory And thus ye may vnder stonde of all other paynes of Christe For vniuersally to speake ther was no thyng vayne no thyng vnprofitable ī al his passion but euery payne that he suffred was ordenyd to take away from vs sum perpetuall euyll that we had deseruyd by our synnes and to merite and gyue to vs sum eternal goodnes that we had lost by our synne And therfore saynt Austen sayth Christ suffreth to my profit he is heuy for me he soroweth to my cōforth And the cause of these is this for he hath louyd vs eternally and hath desired to be louyd of vs agayne for loue can nat be recompensyd but by loue And hereunto also saynt Bernard sayth Myght nat our creatoure and maker repare his creature agayne or redeme hym without that gret difficulty hard paynes of his passion Yes he myght haue done it without payne if it had so pleased hym But he wold rather do it with his great iniurie and payne to wyn the loue of man and to gyue hym many and great causes of loue For this great difficultie and greuouse paynes that he suffred for our redemption shuld moue that person to gyue hym thankes which lityll regardyd the werke of his creasion bicause it was done so easly What thynke you sayd the vnkynd man of his creacion I was create and made lyghtly and frely without any payne or labour of my creatour and maker he onely spake the worde and I was creat as al other thynges ware So the wicked vnkyndnes of man lytyll regardyng the werke of his creasion shewed there matter of vnkyndnes where he shulde haue taken cause of loue But now the mouth of those wicked men be stopped For now it is more clere than the lyght what payne and labour thy lord god had o vnkynd man for thy redempcion Of a lorde he becam a seruant where he was riche he was made poore he beyng god toke vpon hym a mortall body and the son of god despised nat for the to be made y e son of man Remembre therfore thou vnkynd man though thou were made of nought yet thou wart nat redemyd of nought In .vi. dayes god made all the worlde and the o thou man amonges them all But .xxxiii. yere he labored continually with great paynes to werke thy health and saluacion What laboure had he in soueryng the incommodities of our nature as hunger thyrst heat colde and suche other What temptacions of the deuyll what slaunders rebukes despisynges mockynges beatynges with many greuouse paynes and at last most paynefull and shamefull death Therfore thou man be no more vnkynd but loue and thanke god and haue compassion of thy creatoure redemar and sauiour Amen ¶ How Christe descendyd vnto the helles The thyrd Chapitre AFter that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirit and so was deed furthwith his soule vnit and knyt or ioyned vnto the godhed descendyd vnto the helles vnto the holy fathers that were there in prison and there stode with them Of this descension Damascen sayth thus The soule of Christe ioyned to his godhed descendyd vnto the helles that as he had bifore comforted them that were in the world aboue the erth so he myght shyne and comforte them that sat in darknes and in the shadowe of death He descendyd to comforte the holy faythers to glad them and to glorifie them For as shortly as he presentyd hym selfe to them they dyd se his godhed and so then they ware in paradise that is they had the clere syght of the godhed which is ioy and lyfe eternall Of this descension also saynt Austen in a certen sermon sayth thus Anon as Christe had gyuen vp his spirit his soule knyt to his godhed discendyd to y e deapnes of helles And whan he was cum to y t place of derkenes as a victoriouse captayne shynyng and terrible tho wicked hell houndes and legions of derknes beholdyng hym begane to enquire and say From whens cam this person so strong so terrible so shinyng and gloriouse That worlde which hath bene euer subdued to vs dyd neuer sende to vs such a deed person He neuer sent to vs suche gestes before this tyme. What is he that so boldly entreth in to our iurisdiction And nat onely he doth nat fear our tormentes but moreouer he dothe louce other frome our bondes Beholde and see howe they whiche ware wonte to weape and more ouer vnder oure tormentes nowe they rebuke vs and vpbrayde vs of theyr deliueraunce and saluacion And nat onely they in nothynge feare vs but moreouer they threten vs. There was neuer deed men so proud stubbourne borne agayst vs as these be Nor neuer myght any persones in captiuitie be so glad and ioyfull as these be O thou Lucifer our captayne why wold y u bryng this person vnto our place All thy myrth is paste all thy ioy is turned in to
difficultie vnto all goodnes and vertue therfore it is necessary that these profiters haue the dominion or ladishippe ouer theyr owne passions and that by reason so that they gyue no place vnto temptacions And through this stryfe or wrastlyng whan reason hath the dominion ouer sensualitie vertues be generate and gotten The state of contemplatiue and perfite persons is signified by Mary Salome which was the mother of Iames the more and of Iohan the euangelist This woman asked of Christ his kyngdome for her sonnys So perfite and contemplatiue ê‘sons ar chefely occupied about the kyngdom of god for they haue in them selfe the kyngdom of god and here do partely taste therof And hereunto Salome is called by interpretacion peacefull For there is no peace to man in this lyfe but in contemplacion And hereunto accordeth the thyrd interpretacion of this name Maria that is illuminate and therfore it may be sayd to euery contemplatiue person Surge illuminate Hierusalem quia venit lumen tuum Arise thou perfite soule and receyue lyght for thy lyght cummyth And also iche one of these thre Maries had theyr oyntmentes as ye may se in Ludolphe de Vita xâ—i 2. parte But if any person moue this question why our blessyd Ladie dyd nat go to visite Christes sepulcre as the thre other Maries dyd Herunto we may assigne thre causes Fyrst for the mother of Christe myght nat se the sepulcre of her son without great sorâ—â— and specially beyng so lately buried Second cause for she had weapt so moche the Friday and Saterday before and brought her selfe so lowe that she myght nat susteyne and suffre that laboure And hereunto sayth saynt Bernard The blessyd virgyn Marie was so feble weake that she was brought home from the crosse as halfe deed Third cause for y e forsayd women thought that the bodie of Christe was then liyng in his sepulcre and therfore they wold haue anoynted as of old custom haue ben vsed his bodie to preserue it frome corruption where as this gloriouse virgyn knewe that it shuld neuer corropte and that he was risen from death to life immortall or els shortly shuld rise And therfore she went nat with them But she sat in a secret place alone very feble and weake in all the powers of her bodie for she had greatly tormentyd her selfe with great sorowe watche and abstinence from that tyme y t she hard say that her onely and dere belouyd son was taken and scourged and afterwarde when she se hym crucified smytyng and knockyng with her delicate handes vpon her tendre breste And thus I say very feble sat alone in contemplacion and prayer and also weapyng for those misteries and paynes that her son had suffred And as she was thus in prayer and swete teares of deuotion sodenly her son Iesus cam and apperyd to her in most white clothes of glorie and in the newnes of his resurrection beautiouse and gloriouse with a glad and louely chere comfortyng his desolate and heuy mother And therwith she knelyng downe worshipped hym and then risyng vp with teares and vnspeakable ioy embraced hym and then all the bitternes of her sorowe was torned in to ioy and comforth After this they both setyng to gether our Ladie besily and curiously be held hym in his face handes and feet and in al his bodie whither he had the printes and sygnes of his woundes searchynge and askyng whether all his paynes and sorowe were clene paste and gon from hym And he sayd yea my worshipful mother all my sorowes and paynes be now past and gon and shall neuer retorne agayne to me O with how great ioy thynke you was then that blessyd Lady repleat When she se and beheld her son immortall and impassible and nat onely that he shuld liue euermore but also that he had the perpetuall dominion ouer heuen and erth and all creatures in them And so they louyngly and pleasantly commynyg and talkyng to gether made a great ioyfull pasch or solempne feast And though of this fyrst aperyng vnto his mother there be nothyng written in the gospels yet we do godly beleaue that Iesus fyrst appered vnto his mother Mary For so it was conuenyent as doctours don say that he shuld so do and that he shuld fyrste conforth and glad his mother by his resurrection which louyd hym aboue all other persones Also bycause she had more sorow of his death than any other had it was seamyng and worthy that he shuld fyrst comforthe her And the church of Rome dothe seame to approue this same for fyrste in the mornynge of Ester daye she maketh a solempne stacion at the churche of our Lady called our Lady the more Maria maior Mary the more Herby notyng that Christ dyd fyrst appere vnto his mother And where the euangelist sayth that Christe dyd fyrste appere vnto Mary Magdalen is to be vnderstondyd of these apperynges wherby he wold proue his resurrection For he apperyd fyrst of al vnto his mother nat for that he wolde therby proue his resurreccion but for to comforth and glad her with his presence and do his dutie and honour her as his mother A prayer O Mary the mother of god most graciouse virgyn comfortar of al desolate persons callyng and criyng vnto the I beseche the for that gret ioy wherby thou was coÌ„forted when thou knowest that thy son Iesus Christe was risen y e thyrd day from death vnto lyfe immortall impassible that thou wold be a comfortar of my soule that what tyme I shall arise both in body and soule at the last day of iudgement and there appere before that same son of thyn Iesus Christ and there to rendre myne accompte of al my thoughtes wordes and deades it wold please thy motherly pitie to healpe me that by the o blessyd mother and vigyn I myght escape the sentence of eternall dampnacion and graciously to cum to the euerlastynge ioy and glorie with all the electe and chosen people of god Amen ¶ How Iesu apperyd to Mary Magdalen The syxte Chapitre MAry Magdalen ful of bitternes sorow burning in loue and nat knowyng what she shuld do for w tout her maister Christ she myght nat lyue and wher he was buried she fonde hym nat and where to search for him she knew nat Wherfore of great feruore constancy she stode as if she had ben amaised for the vehemence of her loue wold nother suffre her to sit ne yet to lye therfore she stode without in the garden byfore the holy sepulcre weapyng lamentyng for her lorde Her hert was so feruently kyndled in loue she was moued with so great pytie drawen with so myghty and strong bondes of charitie that forgotten her owne infirmitie and frayltie she was nat withdrawen and letted frome the visitynge of Christes sepulcre for the darknes of the mournyng nor yet for the crueltie of the Iues but rather she abode there weapyng and searchyng for her lorde She wold
Resurrection he appered to his disciples what tyme Thomas was there absent And whan Thomas was comme to theyr compaigney the disciples sayd to hym Vidimus dominum we haue sene our lorde and oure mayster and than Thomas sayd excepte I see the sygnes or the pryntes of the nayles in his handes and put my fynger in the holes and also put my hande into his syde I wyl nat belyue These wordes ware nat spoken of any malyce but rather of ignorance and of a great sorowe heuynes for that he had nat sene our lorde and therfore his louyng and godly maister Iesus wold nat leaue his louyng discyple in that blyndnes and heuynes but for to comforth hym and for to reforme his fayth it pleased hym to appere agayne Therfore whan his discyples ware gadred to gyther in y e mount of Syon where as he kept his mauÌ„dy or supper and also Thomas beyng with them the good shepherd and herdman Iesus diligent to comforth his lytell small flock cam vnto them the gates dores and wyndowes beyng shyt and so stode in the myddest of them that he myght be sene of them all and sayd to them Pax vobis Peace be to you And note here that there can neuer be peace in a comynalty except the prelate be in the myddest so that he be nat enclyned more to one part than to the other A pillar can neuer susteyne and bear vp the house if it be set nygh to y e wal and nat in the myddest and therfore the erth which is set in y e myddest of the world is vnmoueable to signifie that euery prelate or herde shulde nat be moued by any parcialite more to one persone than to an other Our lorde Iesus dyd oftymes shewe peace vnto his disciples dyd also coÌ„mend it and perswade them to haue it for without peace we can nat haue god the prophete to witnes whaÌ„ he sayth In pace factus est locus eius His place and abydyng is in peace Than Iesus said to Thomas Infer digitum tuuÌ„ huc et vide manus meas Put in thy fynger here se my haÌ„des put forth thy hande and thurst it in to my syde and be nat vnfaythfull but belyue Than Thomas toyched the signes of Christes wouÌ„des so byleued nat onely with his hert but also confessed it with his mouthe and sayd Dominus meus et deus meus Thou art my lorde after thy humanite for thou hast redemed me with thy preciouse blode thou art my god in thy diuinite for thou hast create me I doute in nothynge nowe but I am sure that thou art rysen from death to lyfe Than Iesus said to hym Quia vidisti me Thoma cre didisti beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt Thomas thou dost belyue bycause thou hast sene me blyssed be they that belyue and haue not sene In these wordes is not only affirmed the fayth of Thomas but also our fayth is moche commended and blessed and the errour of the heretikes confounded which sayd y t Christ had no true body And here se the goodnes and mercy of oure lorde howe that he wolde appere and shewe hym selfe with his woundes to saue one soule Also note here that the infinite wysdome and goodnes of god suffred Thomas to doute that the resurrection of Christ shuld be prouyd by euident and manyfest argumeÌ„tê or signes therfore Thomas douted y t we shuld not dout Herunto sayth saynt Gregory It was not of chaunce but of the ordynauÌ„ce of god that y e welbeloued disciple of Christ Thomas was absent whan Christ dyd fyrst appere that he hearyng of his resurrection shulde dowte he so dowtyng shuld feale and touche the places of the woundes of Christ and so fealyng shuld beleaue and that to expell al dowtfulnes from our hertes And so in fealynge or puttynge in his hande into the syde of Christe he cured in vs the woundes of our infidelite Also the incredulite or doutfulnes of Thomas dyd more profyt vs vnto oure faythe that the prompte and redy beleaue of the other disciples for by his dowtyng and fealyng our mynd is stablyshed in fayth all dowtes set a parte Mary Magdalen dyd lesse profyt to me by her swyft redy fayth than Thomas by his longe dowtyng for he touched the pryntes of his woundes and vtterly expelled from my soule the wounde of doutfulnes Our lorde of his great goodnes reserued the pryntes or signes of his woundes in his body after his resurrection Not for that he could not cure theÌ„ for he y t destroyed the power of death myght also haue cured put away those signes of death if it had pleased hym but he wold reserue them for dyuers causes Fyrst to confirme our fayth as ye se in Thomas Secondly for to shewe to his father whan he wyl pray for vs. And thyrdly to shewe them at the day of dome to the daÌ„pned people to theyr confusion And these tokens of his woundes ware in no thynge to the deformitie of his glorious body but rather as Crisostom sayth to his great beautie for they shone more bryght than the sonne And as saynt Austen sayth the tokens of the wouÌ„des that holy sayntes haue suffred here for Christe shall in heuen appere in theyr bodyes not to theyr deformite but to theyr glory as a starre in the firmament as a presiouse stone in a rynge as a flowre in the medowe ond as the red colour in a rose which be to the fairnes and beauty of these thynges and so be tho pryntes of theyr woundes in theyr bodyes to theyr glory and dignitie O thou louyng soule behold now thy lorde and consydre his wonte goodnes meaknes and feruent loue howe he sheweth his woundes to Thomas and to his other disciples to put away all blyndnes ignorauÌ„ce froÌ„ theyr soules for theyr profyt and oures also Our lorde stode there with them a lytel whyle speakyng comfortable wordes of y e kyngdom of glory And his disciples stode with hym iÌ„ great gladnes hearyng his godly wordes beholdyng his face full of fauour beauty and glory Beholde them howe they stande about hym And stande thou reuereÌ„tly with ioy beholdyng them a far of if paraduenture our lord moued of pytie and mercy wyl cause the to be called thoughe thou of thy selfe be not worthy that compaygny At last Iesus sayd vnto them that they shuld goo into Galile and there he wold appere vnto them accordyng vnto his promisse And so he blessed them and departed froÌ„ them And they remayned in great comforth but yet moche desyrous to se hym agayne A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe which shewed vnto Thomas y t douted of thy resurrection the places of the nayles and the spear hathe reuoked hym from errour by the puttynge in of his fynger into the holes of thy haÌ„des and of his hande into thy syde grauÌ„t to me that I hauyng euer the
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
Fyrst in the lykenes of a douue and that was at the baptisme of Christ In the lykenes al so of a clowde whan Christ was transfygured in the mounte And in lyknes of fyre vpon the disciples on Wytsonday Fyrste signe I say wherby we may knowe or coniecture the presence of the holy ghost by his grace is the abouÌ„idaunce of teares and that is noted by the apperyng of y e holy ghost in y e lykenes of a clowd For as the south wynd blowyng the clowdes be resolued into ruyne so by the coÌ„myng of the holy ghost our hertes relent into teares The seconde signe is the forgeuyng of iniuries or wronges done agaynst vs and therfore the holy ghost appered in the lykenes of a doue that wanteth his gall Thyrd signe is the desyre of heuenly thynges and therfore the holy ghost appered in y e lyknes of fyre whiche euer ascendeth vp ward so the holy ghost makethe our hertes assende vpwarde by desyre of heuenly thynges which thynges if thou desyre thou muste forsake and despyâ—e all vayne pleasures of the fleshe or of the worlde And herunto saynt Gregory sayth If we put awaye the pleasures of the fleshe we shall shortly fynde that thyng whiche is pleasant to the spirite Also spirituall persons or carnall may be knowen by the wordes of the Apostle sayng Qui secundum carnem sunt que carnis sunt sapiunt êªc they that be carnall loue carnal pleasures and spiritual ê‘sons loue spirituall and heuenly desyres But than specially a man is knowen to be spirituall if he as sone as shortly and asmoch wyl auoyde that place and compaigney where he maye be hurted or hyndred in spirite as he wyll do y t place where he may be hurted in body Also if he as gladly wyll heare speake of spiritual thynges as of the profytes of the body Thyrdly if he be as diligent to procure for his soule as the carnall man for his body A prayer O Iesu the gyuer of all gyftes whiche sent the holy ghost vnto thy disciples in the lykenes of fyre I praye and beseache the O moste mercyfull lorde that I thoughe moste vnworthy myght receyue to my perpetuall helth by thy grace those gyftes whiche thy disciples receyued of thy onely beautiouse goodnes and sende vpon vs good lorde thy seruantes y e spirite of thy charite and loue and peace whiche myght vysite and comforth our hertes â–ª purge them from vyces lyghten them with vertues bynd vs in the bondes of peace and loue illuminate vs with the lyght of thy knowlege and inflame vs with the fyre of thy charite forgyue vs our synnes and bryng vs to lyfe euerlastyng Amen Of the Assumpcion and prayse of our glorious Lady The .x. Chapitre AFter the sendyng of the holy vpon the disciples the blyssed virgyn the mother of Iesus aslong as she lyued dyd remayne in the mount of Syon O ye christians I beseache you if ye haue any pitie or compassion in you consyder what sorowe she had how she was cruciate with loue how she burned iÌ„ great desyre whaÌ„ she remeÌ„bred and reuolued in her mynde al such thynges as she had hard seen and knoweÌ„ of her most swete son Iesus And nowe to speake of her assumpcion this is the true and vndoutfull sentence We beleaue that she was assumpte and exalted aboue all the ordres of aungels though we were sumtyme ignorant whether she was assumpte in soule onely or els both in body and soule But the church nowe meakly and godly beleuith that she is assumpte both in soule and body And as we beleaue aungels ware present to honoure her both at her death buriyng and also assumpcion and all the court of heuyn dyd greatly ioy therof For it is to be beleauyd y t all the court of heuyn with theyr cumpaigneys in ordre cam gloriously to mete the mother of god and compassed her all about with a meruealouse lyght and so brought her vp with great praysynges and spirituall longes vnto the trone which was prepared and ordeyned for her byfore the creacion of the worlde And no doute therof all that blessyd cumpaigney of heuenly Hierusalem then reioysed w t an vnspeakable gladnes then was comforted with an in estimable charitie and then ioyed with a meruealouse gratulacion and reioysyng for that feast of this blessyd virgyns assumpcion which is but ones in the yere celebrate with vs is to them a continual feast and ioy And nat without cause for as saynt Hierom sayth our lorde Iesu the sauiour of all cam with great glory and met with his mother and with greate ioy to all the court of heuyn dyd set her in a gloriouse trone nygh vnto hym selfe O thou gloriouse Lady what may I say more Who so laboreth to considre and declare the inmensitie and hudghnes of thy grace and glory his tonge faileth his wit wanteth and his reason can nat com therto For as all sayntes in heuyn by thy glorification be inestimably beautified and gladded so al creatures vpon erth be vnspeakably exalted by the same glorificacion For as god by his power creatynge and makyng al creatures is the father and lord ouer al so our blessyd Lady by her merites repayryng all thynges is the mother and Lady of all And as almyghtie god the father dyd generate of his owne godlie substance his eterne son by whome he hath gyuen lyfe and begynnyng to all thynges so blessyd Mary conceyuyd and bare hym of her owne body which restored all thynges vnto the beautie and fayrnes of theyr fyrste condicion And as there is no thyng made or hath his beyng but by the son of god so ther is no thynge condempned forsaken or put to etarnall dampnacion but that person whome Christe absolueth frome her sauiour or whome she dothe nat fauoure or defende Who is he that considerynge these thynges with a ryght sense or wit and a pure hert may fully know or perceyue thexcellency of this Lady by whom the world is erecte and raysed vp with vnspeakable grace from so great a fall and decay Therfore we leauyng tho thynges that can nat be searched and knowen by our naturall reason let vs labour to opteyn by prayers that we may deserue to get that in holsom and fruyteful effecte which we can nat perceiue by our vnder standyng Hereby we may perceiue that it is vnpossible that any person shuld be dampned that is truly turned to her and whome she fauoreth and beholdeth She is the mother of Christe that is our iustifier and also she is the mother of them that shal be iustified She is the mother of the sauiour and of them that shal be sauyd How therfore may we despeire seth our health or our dampnacion dependeth of the wyl of our good brother pitiful mother Shall our good brother suffre his bretherne to perishe eternally whom he hath redemyd so derely Or may our pitifull mother suffre her chyldren to be dampned whose reademar she bare in
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
praysynges shall aske when they dyd any such thynge to hym And Christe shall say to them truly I say to you as ofte as ye dyd any of these thynges vnto one of these my leste bredren ye dyd it to me Tho be his bredren that fulfyll the wyll of his father in heuyn they be also called the leste for that they be meke and in this life abiecte or dispised And note here that though we spake here but of .vi. werkes of mercy that is bicause there be no mo remembred by our sauiour Christ in the gospell of Mathewe yet we say coÌ„monly that there be .vii. werkes of mercy and truth it is for the .vii. is to bury the deed bodyes which is taken of the boke of Toby for he vsed the same to his great rewarde and our example And these .vii. werkes be conteyned in this verse Visito poto cibo tego redimo colligo condo So that euery word noteth one werke of mercy The fyrst worde Visito noteth the visityng of them that be seke Second Poto to gyue drynke to y e thristy Thyrd Cibo to fede the hungry Fourth Tego to couer the naked Fyfth Redimo to redeame the prisoner Syxt Colligo to lodge the harborles Seuenth Condo to bury the deed Also the iudge shall say to them that be on y e lefte hand Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum c. Depart from me you cursed people in to euerlastynge fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and his aungelles I was hungry and ye wold nat feade me I was thristy and ye gaue me no drynke and so all the other .vi. forsaid werkes of mercy Then the euyll men shall answere Lord when dyd we se the hungry thristy naked seke herborles or in prison and we haue nat conforted the Then our lord shall say when ye wold nat do these thynges to one of these onys ye wold nat do it to me And here note that this question mouyd by the good or euyll persons doth nat procede of any ignorance for the iuste and good persons shal know that y e werkes of mercy done to the membres of Christe in his name and for his loue he reputeth those good dedes as done to hym selfe also they know that they shall haue a great reward therby And in like maner the euyll persons shall knowe that they shal be dampned for the contrary And therfore they asked nat that question of any ignoraÌ„ce but it is a question of great admiration and meruell for y e greatnes of grace and glorie whiche shal be gyuen to the iuste people for those good werkes and also for the intollerable myserie and payne that shall fall vpon the euyll persons for theyr hardnes and vnmercifulnes And so hard iudgement without mercy shal be done to hym that wold shewe or do no mercy What shall they deserue that steale and rauishe other mennys goodes sythe they be eternally dampned which wyll nat gyue theyr owne goodes in almosse If the vnmerciful people shal suffre so greuouse paynes what shall they suffre that be cruell And note here as Crisostom sayth that the payne of euyll persons is euerlastyng and so is the rewarde of good men For as eternall synnes don passe for y e acte or doyng after that they be don but yet there remayneth the gylt or offence towardes god which shal be punished So good werkes don for the loue of god don passe to speake of the acte or dede but yet they remayne in theyr merite so to be rewardyd of god Also saynt Hierom sayth thou wyse reader attende and remeÌ„bre diligently that both the paynes of hell be eternall and also the glorie of heuyn for that life shall haue no feare of decay or death And therfore the euangelist sayth that the euyll men shall go to eternall fyre and the iuste men to euerlastynge life and ioy of heuyn which was prepared for them byfore the begynnynge of the worlde for therunto they ware predestinate And note wele here that the predestination of god is nat the necessarie cause of thy saluation For the predestination of god is euer condicionally that there is no thyng predestinate but vnder som coÌ„dicion as it was predestinate that the worlde shulde be sauid but that was by the death of the son of god and by the watre of baptisme so that they wold receyue it and liue therafter Also all good and iuste men be predestinate to glorie eternall yet with this condicion if they contine we in true fayth charitie humilitie or meknes pacience mercie pitie with other vertues the operacion of them whom our lord doth predestinate to life euerlastyng he seeth knoweth byfore that they shal haue such vertues as if in his predestinacion he myght say to them I do predestinate you to glorie if ye haue such vertues if ye keape my commaundimentes c. Who so wyll nat keape goddes commaundymentes wyl nat continue in fayth with charitie and good werkes c. he shall nat com to the end of predestinacion that is to the glory of heuyn for he wyl nat keape the condicion therof Therfore do nat ouermoch attend and trust to the predestinacion of god which thou knowes nat but rather attend to the wordes of god which thou heris and knowis For as god is true and can nat be chaungeable so his wordes be true and can nat be chaunged But let vs here what be those wordes of god The prophet Ezechiel sayth in the person of god Nolo mortem impij sed vt conuertatur a via sua et viuat Si autem impius egerit poenitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis et custodierit omnia precepta mea vita viuet I wyll nat sayth almyghty god the deth of a synner but rather that he be conuertyd from his syn and liue in grace for if the synner do penaunce or be sory for all his synnes that he hath don keape all my preceptes and do true iudgement and iustice he shalliue here in grace he shall nat dye eternally Also he sayth Qui crediderit et baptisatus fuerit saluuus erit He that beleuith and is baptised and so continueth in that true fayth and promise made at his baptisme he shal be saued Also he sayth Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata If thou wylt cum to lyfe euerlastyng keape the commaundimentes And in an other place Christ sayth Si dimiseritis homnibus pecata eorum dimittet vobis pater meê° pecata vestra If ye forgyue to other men theyr offensis don to you my heuenly father shall forgyue to you your synnes In these wordes and many other lyke standeth our predestinacion to lyfe or our reprouyng to death euer lastyng And loke for none other predestinacion If thou keape these saynges of god thou shal be sure Therfore say nat as many vnwyse persons say I am predestinate of god to be