crucified let vs begyn at the begynnynge of the Bible and so procede Fyrst where it is sayd In principio creauit deus celū et terram In the begynnyng god hath creat heuen erthe That is to say In his sonne Iesu crucified god hathe restaured repared the nature of aungels and the nature of man It foloweth Dixit deus Fiat lux et facta est lux God sayd I wyll that lyght be made and furthwith it was made That is to saye god wolde that his sonne Iesus shulde be as a light set vpon the crosse to expell put awaye all darkenes of synne and it was don And this light also diuided the night from the day That is synne frō vertue and grace Also this light by his presence causeth the day of grace and vertue And by his absence it is nyght of synne Also Iesus Christe crucified was as the firmament in the middest of the waters diuidynge the waters of temporall and worldly consolacion from the waters of eternall spirituall consolacion Or els diuidynge the waters of mannes wisdom from the waters of godly wysdome Or diuidynge the waters of vice from the waters of grace Or els diuidynge the waters of worldly tribulacion from the waters of heuenly consolacion In Iesu also crucified were gaderyd to gyder all the waters that were vnder the heuen that is he bare all our iniquities and suffred payn for all our synne Therefore in hym were gadered to gyder all the waters so that in hym was a great flode of tribulacions that is of afflictions dispisinges and many other paynes And so by his grace goodnes was our etrhe made drye For before his blessyd passiō we were worthely deputed to all paines eternall tribulacions but now we be deliuered from those eternall paines by the merytes of his moost holy passion Also he was that great depe large broode see of the whiche speaketh the Prophete Dauid and that well appered in his passion Note well here how clerely and manifestly these figures done signifie our lordes passion In lyke maner we may serche thrugh the hole scripture and take what so euer figure we wyll thoughe it appere very farre and diuerse from this passion And yet nat withstandynge we shal perceiue a meruelouse correspondence or a concorde vnto this passion whiche shall cause a swete melodie in our soules whereby our hertes shal be meruelously conforted and it shal make vs to entre into the contemplacion of god godly scriptures yf we diligently serche these figures Let vs consider the figure whan Abraham prepared a fat calfe and moost tender and gaue it vnto the thre aungels that cam to hym that they shulde eate and fede thereof This figure in the vtter apparence of the letter semeth very baren and of litle fruite but yet inwardly it conteineth great swetenes of contemplacion In lyke maner this sayenge Est lignum vite in medio paradisi There is the tree of lyfe in the middle of paradise that is Christe hangynge vpon the crosse in the middle of the chyrche or Christe in the vyrgyn wombe whiche vyrgyn is as a paradise of pleasure Also this figure Eluuius egrediebatur de loco voluptatis A flode or ryuer ranne out of the place of pleasure that is the flode or ryuer of mercy and grace from the syde of Christe And so the foresayd fygure that Abraham dyd gyue that mooste tender calfe to the thre men to eate doeth signifie that god the father of heuyn dyd giue his onely begotten sonne moost tender and moost innocent and full of all vertues and grace to the dethe of the crosse for our synnes And that thre men dyd fede therof doeth signifie that the holy trinitie the father the sonne and the holy goost were fed and satisfied for our transgression by the passion of Christe whiche before that passion were hungry and redy to take vengeaunce to punysshe vs for our synnes And here now we may se the great swetenes and pleasaunt confort of this figure Here by Abraham is vnderstanded god the father and by the moost tender calfe is signified the sonne of god and by these thre men is signified the holy trinitie and yet the father and the sonne be nat dyuers goddes but one god For though they be distincte persons and eche of them is god yet the thre persones ben but one god in trinitie of persones And so I say in this figure appereth the meruelouse and inestimable swetenes that is gyuen vnto the soule that diligently sercheth this figure For where as god in hym selfe was hungry and desirouse to do iustice vpon vs for our synnes he of his infinite benignitie and goodnes dyd and shewed that iustice into hym selfe or vpon hym selfe for els surely that iudgement of iustice had deuoured distroyed vs yf it had fallen vpon vs for there was no pure man that might saciate and satisfie that hūgry appetite of god but onely the sonne of god and man that moost tender calfe whom god the father dyd make redy to meate That is he put hym to suffre all affliction dispisinges mockes beatynges and moost cruell dethe to satisfie his hungry appetite for the great iniury and inobedience that we dyd vnto god What is that Bicause we offended hym shuld he so iudge condēpne him self so suffre paine for our synne He was offended by vs that nat withstandyng he was iudged by vs in vs and for vs. And so Christe beynge one person in two natures that is bothe god and man He was offended in his godly nature as god and iudged or condempned for our synnes in his manhode So that the godhede was offended and he in his manhode suffered And bycause in one persone he was bothe god and man therefore we may truely say that we dyd offende hym and yet he suffred for vs and so he was bothe offended and also iudged and condempned And that is more to be marueiled after the dethe of this calfe the sonne of god where as we were worthy to want all his confort goodnes for asmuche as we had condempned hym and put hym to most shamefull dethe this moost benigne and mercifull lorde forgettynge in a maner the tyme past also all our malyce dyd conforte vs and dayly doeth with his manifolde graces We dyd euyll to hym and he doeth good to vs. We slew hym and he gyueth spirituall lyfe to vs. We put hym to the dethe and gyueth to vs hym selfe to our spirituall foode Herein we may se the great merueiles of god hyd and couered in the holy scripture Here in this calfe of Abraham we may receiue meruelous refection of spirituall science if we serche diligently the same And so in like maner of many other figures in holy scripture wherein the soule mynde of man ought to be eleuate and lyfted vp by this gyfte of science and knowledge of suche figures correspondynge or signifienge the moost blessyd
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
waite to accuse hym beatynges bondes scourgynges mockes rebukes sclaunders with many other paynes and sorowes as we shewed before so that the glorie of god was be spewed and all defowled with spittynges the iustice of god was contempned the iudge was falsly iudged he that neuer offended was blamed the innocent was accused and sclaundered god was blasphemed Christe was dispysed lyfe was sleyne and therfore the sonne withdrewe and hyd his lyght and the mone waxed blacke and derke These and many other mo paynes suffered paciently our most louynge sauiour Iesus whiche as a meke lambe was led vnto the dethe and he wold nat ones resist his enemyes though with one worde or one thought he myght haue cast downe or drowned all his enemyes in the depest pyt of hell But for whom suffered he all these great paines surely for his most cruell and synfull enemyes for his most wycked seruauntes or bondmen for false tratoures contempners or dispisers of his godly maiestie and for moste vnkynde wretches vnto theyr creatour and maker Syth therfore suche a glorious kyng pure and innocent suffred so many paynes and rebukes for so vile false wycked and most vnkynd caytiues to whom he had exhibite and shewed before that tyme all signes and tokens of benignitye and goodnes Was nat this a wonderous and meruaylous thynge Who may sufficiently meruayl of this thyng to considre and se the most wyse pure myghtie holy and the euerlastynge beautie of glorie of god to suffer so shamfull dethe for so stynkyng carion In all these thynges we may well wonder and meruayl of the great goodnes and charitie of god For he of his infinite charitie made of his owne flesshe and bodye made reed with his owne blode a reclamatorie or a lewer to call vnto his mercy and grace those wylde hawkes and vnkynde people the whiche by inordinate loue to the flesshe and the worlde had taken theyr flyght from the hand and fauour of the noble fawconer our sauiour Iesus Of the which hawkes speketh the prophet Osee saynge Effraim quasi anis auolauit Effraym hath flowen away or taken her flyght as a wylde hawke Effraym is as moche to say by interpretation as augmenta encreasinges and it may wel signifye suche people as here haue theyr pleasure in worldly honours and pastymes and encrease in them Suche people lyke vnto vngentyll or wylde hawkes flye from the hand and fauour or loue of god vnto the caryon of the bodye or of the worlde and fede therof And if they wyl nat be reclaymed vnto y e hand of this fawconer neyther by his callynge or cryenge nor yet by the shewynge of his lewre that is by the remembraunce of his passion and dethe they shal be lefte vnto the power and handes of the rauenar of hell the deuyll Herunto our lorde speaketh by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non fuit qui aspiceret c. I haue called you sayth our lord and ye wold nat come I haue extended my hand shewynge my lewre that is gyuynge my benefytes vnto youe and specyally myne owne precyous bodye and blode but there is none that wyll beholde or regarde it and gyue to me due thankes therfore And it foloweth Ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo And I shall laughe at you whan ye shal be deuoured by the deuyles of hell We myght here also shewe many other occasions of meruaylynge whiche be written in diuerse places of this treatys and specially in the fyrste particle of this parte ¶ How we shuld consydre Christes passyon to reioyse and ioy therin The .iiii. Chap. FOrthly we shulde considre the passion of our lorde to ioy therin For we shuld ioy therof for the redeÌ„ption of mankynde for the reparynge and restorynge of the ruyne and decay of aungelles And also we shuld ioy of the greate charitye and goodnes of god shewed in the sayd passion Fyrste without doubte we ought greatly to reioyse and ioy in our redemption whiche we had by the deth and passion of Christe Who is he I beseche you that wyll nat be ioyfull and gladde of this deth and passion whan he considereth that therby he is redemed from eternal dampnation from the rebuke of synne from the powre of the deuyll and from the miserable paynes of hell Secondly we shuld ioy that y e tall of aungellê is repared by the passion of Christe Surely it may be a greate reioysynge to vs whan we considre that so noble a college as is the companye of aungelles thorough the deth of Christe shal be repared and fulfilled with vs so that of aungelles of men shal be one heerd or flocke vnder one herdmaÌ„ our sauiour Iesu Christ so that they and we may be all one in hym Thirdly we oughte moste specyally to reioyse beholdynge in al the forsayd thynges the great and inestimable charite of our sauiour Iesu Christ our lorde and god Howe or in what thynge myght he haue shewed more clerly or more to our comforth his most benigne goodnes then in his most glorious passion where as he suffered so shamfull sharpe and greuous paynes for the deliueraunce of his enemy and to glorifye hym that was worthy to be punysshed with eternall dethe And therfore scripture sayth Inundationes maris quasi lac sugent et thesauros altissimos arenarum They shal sucke as it were mylke the swellynges or inundations and tempestes of the see and also the depe and hyd treasoures of the sande or grauell By this suckynge is signifyed the confortable swetnes that we haue in the receyuynge of the precious bodye of our lorde the whiche we receyue in the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lord and of the great treasure that was hyd in the manyfolde paynes and sorowes that he suffred before his dethe wherby we were redemed whiche we ought at all tymes to remembre And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Adhereat lingua mea faucibus meis si non meminero tui I wolde my tunge shulde cleue faste to my iawes if I do nat remembre the. Then dothe the tunge cleue fast to the iawes when a man nothynge regardynge spirituall pleasures enforceth hymselfe to folowe worldly or carnall pleasures The swetnes that coÌ„meth in to the soule by receyuynge of the sacrameÌ„t redoundeth in to the iawes or chekes that be wel disposed that is to say it is nat onely comforth to a good soule but also to all the poures of the bodye as the suckynge of the salt water of the see wherby is signified the bitter paynes of Christes passion And these spirituall consolations be the treasures more precious then golde and precious stone Also they be hyd treasures for no man knoweth them but he that receyueth them And as the prophet Dauid sayth they be moche more to be desyred then golde or precious stone and more pleasauÌ„t or swetter then hony or any hony combe For they that be replenysshed with this hyd
the vnworthy ê‘sons ¶ Howe Christe was despised of Herode The .xxvi. article THe .xxvi. article is of the despeccyon that Herode and his seruauntes dyd to Christ for Herode seyng Christ wolde not shewe any signe or miracle before hym nor speake one word to all his questions nor yet answere to the accusacyons of the Iues for his owne defence He reputed hym to be a fole and to haue no witte or reason And therfore he despysed hym and so dyd all his compeigney and seruauntes Fyrst bycause Christe kepte so stably his silence in no thynge moued to speake though the Iues dyd so falsly accuse hym Secondly Herode dispised Christ bycause he reputed hym a fole or ferefull of the death that the Iues labored to bryng hym vnto or els for that he thought Christe to be presumptuous in his lyuynge and maners and nowe kepte silence bycause he could not defend his owne cause for want of good reason and iustice in his cause And thyrdly he wolde be despysed of Herode for a greate misterie it is a profounde misterie and gyueth to vs a matter of hygh contemplacyon to consider howe the eterne wysdome of god wolde be reputed folisshnes and the infinite power of god wold be taken for infirmitie as of lytyll or of no power so that Christ the sonne of god very god and man wolde be made the obprobry or rebuke of men the abiection and out cast of the people and the mockynge stocke of kynges and great men And in lyke maner nowe a dayes the folowers of Christ be dispysed of euyl men and reputed as foles and that specyally when such euyl persons haue a wicked reuler or heed for comonly suche persons shortlye consent vnto suche a captayn or reuler A comen prouerbe Such a kynge hath suche counsellers lyke seruantes and therfore it was so moch y e more to the obprobry rebuke of Christ that not onely Herode despysed Christe but also al his compaigney and seruantes And in these dayes there be many that dispyse Iesus as Herode dyd lokynge to se signes and miracles nowe whan it is not tyme to shewe signes but rather to do good werkes our lorde sayd of the Iues Habent moisen et prophetas They haue moysen that is the lawe of moyses and the prophetes lette them here them and folowe them And we haue morouer the gospelles and the apostles with the actes and apocalipse and yet we wolde se signes we do not fulfyll the gospell and in lyuynge therafter but rather we desppyse it This despysynge of Christe is conuenieÌ„tly taken for an article of Christes passyon for syth it wold greue any man to se hym self despysed of other men and specyally of great men though he were but symple and an ideote moche more it shulde greue our sauyour Christe whiche was all good omnipotent and most wise to be mocked taken as omnipotent bycause he wolde do no miracle before Herode to be reputed an ideote without knowlege bycause he wolde not answere to hys questions to be accompted as a fole bycause he wold not defende hym selfe agaynst his accusers and not onely they despysed hym in wordes but also in dede puttynge a folys cote vpon Christ as ye shall se in the nexte article ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shulde rather wyll to be despysed of euyll persons then to be commended of flaterers As our lorde after saynte Gregorie dyd chose rather to be openly dispised of proude persons then vaynly to be lauded of vnfaythfull persones ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche was contente to be despysed for me of Herode and his compaignye or seruantes graunte me to despyse all worldly pompe for the and not to regarde the despysynge of wicked men for thy loue and for iustyce Amen ¶ Howe Christe was cladde with a whyte garment to his despysyng The .xxvii. article THe .xxvii. article is the mockynge of Christe with a whyte garment whiche was put vpon hym to his great confusyon and shame And here saith Symon de Cassia that this worde albedo that is to saye whitnes is not taken at all tymes in scripture for vertue or to the best parte for somtyme it signifyeth the want of vertues and so this whyt vestment wherwith Herode dyd mocke Christ doth shewe what was Herode and his seruantes or folowers for he and all they were voyde of all the multiplicacitye or varietie and diuersitie of vertues and so theyr mockynge of Christe turned to theyr owne preiudice and to theyr euerlastynge despeccyon and rebuke It is euer knowen to be a greate illusion and mockynge of Chryst when his vertues are forsaken for worldlye pompe whan his teachynges be despysed and all his dedes that he dyd and paynes that he suffred for our loue be no thynge regarded And so dyd Herode here for not onely he despysed hym but also as Luke sayth Illusit indutum veste alba He cladde hym in a whyte cote whiche was taken for a folys cote and so mocked hym in dede to the greate derisyon of Christ for Herode wold haue hym knowen of all people for a fole For it is lyke that that tyme to haue or weare a whyte garment was a signe or token of a fole and it is also very lyke that that whyte garment was lengar than the stature of Christe and so therby thorowe the thurstyng throng of the cruel Iues he was oftymes thrawen downe to the grouÌ„d But thoughe Herode dyd thus aray Christe to his rebuke yet this whyte garment was not without greate misterie as were all the other actes and dedes aboute the passyon of Christ Therfore as saynt Ambrose sayth This whyte garment doth signify the immaculate and innocent passion of Christe for he without spotte of synne dyd beare and suffer payne for all synnes of the worlde whiche whyte garment is signifyed by the albe of the preeste wherin he sayth masse for the vestmentes that the bisshop or preest vseth at masse doth represeÌ„t the hole passion of Christ For our hygh bysshop Christe was cladde in his passyon with all the ornamentes of a bysshop Fyrste he toke his amysse when the Iues couered his face he toke his albe whan Herode cladde hym in this whyte garment he toke his manyple whan the Iues or saugiours bonde his handes but what tyme they lowsed his handes and put a rede in his ryght hande then the corde or bonde dyd remayne vpon his lefte hande and in token herof the preest vseth the maniple vpon the lefte hande or arme he toke his gyrdle when he was bounde aboute the myddle to the pyller he toke his stole when he was bounde by the necke to the pyller he toke his chesyble when the saugiours of Pylate put an olde purpur garment vpon hym he had a crowne of thornes for hys mytour he had a rede in his hand for his crosse he had his glouys for his handes his sandalles for