Simon de Cassia Reynarde de Laudenburg and for the more part taken of Ludolphe carthusience And we shall folowe the processe of the gospell begynnyng this declaracion of the passion where as saynt Iohn theuaÌ„gelist begynneth the passion of Christ that is in the .xviii. chapitre of his euangely And we shall diuide this part into .lxv. articles And euery article shall shew sum notable poynt or payn that Christ suffred And to euery article shal we adde a document or lesson with a prayer which prayers may serue vnto vs for two purposes or causes Fyrst it is as a summary and breue or short recollection or declarynge of all that was wryten in tharticle and also document goynge before Secondly to kyndle the deuocion of the reders whiche deuocion that it may be more encreased all thoo thynges that Christe dyd than suffre shulde be so moche imprynted in our herte and so pleasaunt to vs as yf he had only suffred them for vs and our onely saluacion And for this cause also all the prayers be fourmed and made in the singular nombre to the intent that we may applye them to our selfe As it shall appere hereafter in the same prayers ¶ The fyrst artycle Of the feare and heuynes of Christe THe fyrste artycle of our lordes passion is the voluntary takynge of feare and heuynes For as the euangelyst sayeth Hymno dicto exierunt in montem Oliueti For shortly after that the supper was ended and the deuout sermon the whiche he spake was done than he sayd grace and so they wente vnto the mounte of Oliuete This sermon is wrytten by the Euangelyst IohnÌ„ And immediately after that sermon it foloweth in the begynnynge of the .xviii. Chapytre Hec cum dixisset Iesus Egressus est cum discipulis suis trans torrentem Cedron Whan Iesus had spoken that longe and deuout sermon he went from that house where as he made his supper nat taryenge or abydynge there for Iudas whiche was gone to get a great company of the Iues for to take his maister Christe Our lorde I say wolde nat abyde the cummyng of Iudas in his hoste house lesse paraduenture his hoste or sum of his familie or seruauntes shulde haue ben euyll entreated by the cruell Iues or theyr ministers and seruauntes and therefore he wente thence ouer the ryuer of Cedron To signifie also to vs that no man may attayne and cum to the pleasures and ioye of heuenly paradise except he fyrste passe ouer the ryuer and water of penaunce And so he passyng ouer that ryuer of Cedron cam vnto a lytle vyllage that was at the fore of the mouÌ„t of Oliuet called Gethsemany where as was a garden or orcharde into the whiche he entred with his disciples Gethsemani is as moche to say by interpretacion as Villa pinguedinis The towne of fatnes signifienge thereby that by the mekenes of his passion he wold replenyssh vs with the fatnes of grace and vnction of the holy goost And that he went into the gardeyn doeth signifie that he wolde by his passyon induce vs and brynge vs into the orcharde of vertues and spirituall rychesse And also that the maner of our curacion and redemption shulde corresponde and reaunswere vnto the maner of oure fyrste transgression and perdition whiche toke begynnynge of the synne of oure fyrste father Adam in the orcharde of Paradyse so in lyke maner our reparacion that shulde be made by the passion of Christe shulde haue his begynnynge also in the orcharde And whan they were in this orcharde or garden our lorde sayd to his disciples Sedete hic donec vadam illuc et orem orateque ne intretis in temptationem Syâ— here vnto the tyme I go and praye and praye you that ye be nat ouercum by temptacion It foloweth Et assumpsit secum Petrum Iacobum et Iohannem And he toke with hym Peter Iames and IohnÌ„ And here noteth Simon de Cassia that a persone put in greate agonyes or troubles hathe neede to haue a certeyne trynytye of vertues withoute the whiche trynytye he fyghteth in vayne his prayer is frustrate and his contemplacion of lytle profyte Fyrste he must haue a knowlege of those thynges that he ought to do that is the lyghte of true faythe whereby he knoweth all thynges necessarye for his saluacion The seconde is a debellacyon and trewe supplantynge or subduynge of vyces The thyrde is the assystante grace of the hooly gooste â–ª This trynytie of vertues is noted by these thre appostles Petre Iames and IohnÌ„ And that appereth by the interpretacion of theyr names For Petre is as moche to saye by interpretacion as knowynge and so signifieth the stable knowledge of the faythe Iames is interpreted a supplantoure or a subduer And by IohnÌ„ is sygnyfyed the grace of god And withoute this trinitie of vertues all oure laboure is in a maner but loste It foloweth in the gospell Cepit Iesus contristarâ— et mestâ—â— esse Iesus began to be heuye and sadde Marke sayeth Cepit pauere et tedere He began to feare and to be yrkesom or heuye And here is the fyrste poynte or artycle of the passion of our lorde that is feare and heuynes whiche he voluntaryly toke for vs and that in the mooste intense and hyghest degree and this is to be vnderstonde in lyke maner of all other artycles And note here the wordes of the Euangelystes whiche sayeth Cepit Iesus contristaâ—â— c. Iesus began to be heuye They sayâ— nat that he was heuye for than that passion of feare or heuynesse shulde haue had dominion in his soule Whiche was nat trewe for he tooke that feare or heuynesse of his owne voluntarye wyll and that for many causes As for the ruyne or fall of his dyscyples For the blyndenes enuye and perdycyon of the Iues. For the desperacyon and dampnacion of Iudas For the distruction of the citie and temple of Ierusalem And also for the bytternes of his greuouse paines and of the most shamefull dethe that by the vertue of his godhed he knewe before that he shulde suffre it afterwarde And therefore he sayde Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem My soule is heuye vnto the dethe that is My heuynes is so intense and so greate that yf it were any more dethe shuld folow Or els My heuines is such that it shall nat ceaâ—se or leue me vnto the dethe And note how he sayeth vnto the dethe and nat thus My soule is heuye for my dethe For he toke this sorowe and heuynes wylfully for thobedience of his father and saluacion of mankynde And here Simon de Cassia noteth a good lesson that it is moche profitable to preuent heuynes by heuynes that is eternall payn and heuines by temporall heuynes This heuynes in Christe dyd excede all the sorowes and heuynesses of all the men of this worlde for he suffred for all the synnes of all mankynde And therfore he sayeth by the
embrace and halse hym He wolde be pale in face and inclyne his heed downe for feblenes with Christe and Christe cōfortably lyftynge vp his heed doth most swetly kysse hym And therfore saynt Barnarde sayth O good Iesu we beleue and so it is that who so bereth thy crosse he bereth thy glory And he that bereth thy glory he bereth the. And hym y t bereth the thou bereth vpon thy sholdre Thy sholdre is stronge and very hygh for it recheth vnto the fete of the father in heuen aboue all the orders of aungels aboue all principates potestates vertues Thither thou reducest or bryngest agayne the wanderynge shepe that dyd erre from the flocke that is mankynde the whiche by his synne was put out of Paradyse Good lorde I may compasse go about and serche both heauen and erth the see and the lande no where shal I fynde the but in the crosse There thou slepest there thou fedest there thou restest in the hete of the day In this crosse my soule is lyfted vp from the erth and there it gathereth the swete apples vpon the tree of lyfe In this crosse the soule cleuynge fast to her lorde god doth swetely synge and say Susceptor meus es tu gloria mea et exaltans caput meum Thou arte my defēdour my glory and thou exalteth vp my heed that is my soule from the consideration of all vayne transitory thynges vnto the meditacion of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man vpon the crosse O most amyable deth O moste delectable deth of the most noble body of our lorde Iesu Christe from whome I wolde neuer be seperate but in hym to make thre tabernacles one in his handes another in his fete and the thirde in the woūde of his syde There I wyll rest and slepe eate and drynke rede and pray and there I wyll perfourme all my besynes that I haue to do There I shall speake vnto his herte and optayne of hym what so euer is nedeful for me Thus doynge I may folow y e steppes of his most swete mother Marie whose soule y e swerde of sorowe dyd thyrle perse at the deth of her sone If I be thus woūded with Christe I may from hensforth suerly speke to her moue her in al my necessites and she wyl nat denye me bycause she seeth me crucified with her sonne Christe ¶ Here foloweth an example of this exhortation WE may take an example of this exhortation to remēbre the passion of Christ in the boke called Speculum hystoriale Vincentij of certayne singuler persones whiche had this special grace We rede there that in the partes of the Dioces called Leodin̄ a noble deuout preest called Iacobus de Vitriaco the whiche afterwarde was the bysshop of Tusculane and cardinall and this holy man se there diuerse women of so meruaylous affection and so feruent in the loue of god through the continuall remēbraunce of the passion of Christe that by that feruent loue and desyre they were so seke that by many yeres they coulde nat ryse out of theyr beddes but very seldome hauynge none other cause of sekenes or disease but onely the said feruent loue For their hertes by y e continuall remembraunce of the infinite charite of god shewed in the passion of Christe were so relented by that meditation that the more that they were cōforted in soule the more seke weyke they were in theyr bodyes saynge cryeng in herte though for shame they durst nat speke in wordes the sayng of the spouse in the canticles Fulcite me floribus stipate me malis quia amore langueo Comforte me with flowres strength me with apples or other frutes for I am seke or languysshe for loue And in some of these women a meruaylous thyng it myght be perceyued sensibly howe that whan theyr soule in a maner melted throughe the vehemence of loue theyr chekes and the coloure of them sensibly fayded and fel away In other of them throughe the swete consolations that they receyued in theyr soules there redoūded in to their mouthes a pleasaunt taste as if it had ben of hony or other swete meat and that they felte sensibly And so it retresshed them both corporally and spiritually and this taste also moued them to swete teares and preserued or kepte theyr hertes in deuotion Some of them also receyued so great grace of wepynge in deuotion that as ofte as god was in theyr herte by remembraunce of his goodnes so ofte the ryuers of teares flowed from theyr eyen by inward deuotion so that the steppes or pryntes of the teares dyd afterwarde appere in theyr chekes thorough the custome of wepynge And here note a meruaylous thyng that the wepyng or teares dyd nat hurt their brayne or heed as it doth comenly in al other persones but rather in them it comforted theyr myndes with a full plentuous deuotion It made swete or pleasaūt theyr spirites with a swete vnction of grace It meruaylously refresshed their bodyes and it gladded al y e hole cōgregation of y e seruaūtes of god there ¶ More ouer we rede in the same boke of an holy and deuoute woman called Maria de Ogines of whome the forsayde mayster Iacobus de Vitriaco beynge in great feruoure of deuotion cryed with a lowde voyce vnto almyghty god sayng O lord god thou arte very good to them that trusteth in the thou arte faythfull to thy seruauntes that truste and abyde thy promisses Thy hand mayde good lord hath dispised and forsaken for thy loue thonour of the worlde with all the pleasures of the same and thou accordyngly vnto thy promisse in scripture hath rendred and gyuen to her an hundreth tymes more in this worlde and also euerlastyng lyfe in the kyngdome of glorye The fyrst fruites or begynnynge of her loue to the was the remembraunce of thy crosse passion and deth For on a certayne day when she preuented with thy grace and mercyfully visited by the considered the great benefites whiche thou of thyn vnspeakable goodnes shewed vnto man kynde in workynge our redemption she founde or opteyned so great grace of compunction and suche abundaunce or copye of teares in thy crosse and passion that we myght haue traced or folowed her thorowe the churche by her teares that fel on y e groūde from her And of a longe tyme after that she had this swete visitation and grace of teares she myght neyther see nor beholde the ymage of the crucifix nor yet speke or here other speke of the passion of Christe but forthwith she fel in swowne Wherfore that she might somwhat tempre and abate that great passion and sorowe and restrayne thaboundaunce of her wepynge she lefte the consideration of thumanite or manheed of Christe and tourned her mynde holly to the meditation of the maiestye and godheed of Christe that in his eternitye and inpassibilytye she myght fynde some consolation and comforth But where she thought and laboured to haue
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
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
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
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