A Sermon verie fruitfull, godly, and learned, vpon thvs sētēce of the Prophet Ezechiell, Lamentationes, Carm

THe Prophet Ezechyell telleth yt hée sawe a booke spread before him,¹ the which was written both within and without, & there was written also in it, Lamentationes, Carmen, et vae, that is to say, lamentation, songe, & woe. This was a wonderfull booke, and much to be merueiled vpon. Much comfortable knowledge and swéetnesse this Prophette gate by this booke, (as he saith in the Chapter next ensuing,² factum est in ore meo sicut mell dulce, thys booke was in my mouthe as swéete as honye. This booke to our purpose may bée taken vnto vs, the Crucifixe, ye which doubtlesse is a merueylous booke, as wée shall shewe héereafter. In the which if wée doe exercise our admiration, wée shall come to wonderfull knowledge. Meruayling was the cause, why that the Philosophers came to so greate knowledge, as they had. They behelde and sawe many wonderfull thynges, and effectes in thys worlde, as the marueylous earthquakes, Thūders, lightnings, Snow, Rayne, & Frostes, blasinng Starres, the Eclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone, and suche other effectes. And those marueylous wonders moued them to search for the causes of the same. And so by dyligent searche and inquisition, they came to great knowledge and cunning, which cunnyng men call Philosophie naturall. But there is an other higher Philosophie which is aboue nature, which is also gottē with marueyling. And this is the verye Philosophie of Christian people. And doubtlesse amongest all other things concerning a christian man, it is a thyng muche marueylous, and most wonderfull, that the sonne of God, for the loue that he had vnto ye soule of man, woulde suffer hym selfe to bée crucified, and so to take vpon him that most vyllanous death vpon the Crosse.³ Of thys the Prophet Abacuck sayeth. Admiramini et obstupescite, quia opus factum est in diebus vestris, quod nemo credet quum narrabitur, marueyle, and wonder you, for a worke is done in your dayes, which when it shall bée shewed, no man will beléeue.

Is it not a wonderfull thyng, that he whych is most to bée dreade and feared, would be in so muche feare, that for verie feare and dreade of payne hée had to suffer, he swet water and bloud.

Is it not a wonderfull thing, that he yt was most inestimable in price, and moste precyous, woulde suffer hys bodie to bée solde for so little a pryce, as for the value of thyrtye pence?

Is it not a wonderfull thyng, that hée that is the Lorde of heauen and earth, and all other creatures, would suffer him selfe to be bound of those vyllaynes wyth ropes lyke a théefe?

Is it not a wonderfull thing that he that hath so great might and power, would suffer him selfe to be taken of his cruell & mortall enimyes, and so led vnto all these paynes?

Is it not a wonderfull thyng, that hée that is the Iudge of all the worlde, woulde thus wrongfullye be iudged?

Is it not a wonderfull thing, that hée yt had in hymall wisedome, would thus bée mocked and reputed as a foole?

Is it not a wonderfull thing, that he that is so strong & mightie, would be made so weake, and féeble, that he fell vnder the wayght and burthen of the Crosse?

Is it not a wonderfull thing, that hée that is the Lord of Angels, would be spytted and bobbed of a sorte of Lorrelles in that moste dispytefull maner?

Is it not a wonderfull thyng, that he that is the Kyng of euerlastyng glorie would suffer his head in mockerie to be crowned with thornes?

Is it not a wonderfull thyng, that he that giueth lyfe to euery creature, would suffer this most shamefull, sorowfull, and so painfull death?

Is it not a wonderfull thing, that he yt is the Lord, and Aucthor of all libertie, woulde thus be bounde with ropes, and nayled hand and foote vnto the Crosse?

Thus who that list with a méeke harte, and a true fayth, to muse and to maruayle of this most wonderfull booke (I say of the Crucifixe) hée shall come to more fruitefull knowledge, then many other which dayly studie vpon their cōmon bookes. This booke may suffice for ye studie of a true christian man, all ye dayes of his life. In this boke he may finde all things that be necessarie to ye health of his soule. Sainct Fraunces coulde passe hys time wt this booke, & was neuer wery thereof, and his great studie was in the compasse of a fewe wordes. Quis tu, et quis ego domine. That is to say, who arte thou Lord, and who an[…]. Thys thought alway dyd run from hym selfe to Christ: And agayne, from Christ vnto hym selfe. And so euer he meruayled of the most excelent noblenesse of Christ, and compared it with hys owne naughtynesse, alwayes meruaylynge that Christ being of so incomparable worthynesse, woulde suffer that moste paynefull death for so vnworthye sinners, which lesson is so playne, and so common, that euerie man (be he neuer so simple,) may somewhat profite in it. And agayne, it is so hygh, that fewe can attayne to reach to the specyall fruite of it. This holie Sainct Fraūces so profited in this lesson, that it caused in hys hearte such a feruent loue, such a deuotion, suche an affection to Christ, that the capitall woundes which he behelde in the handes and féete, and syde of Christ, ware by myracle imprinted in hys owne handes and féete. This thing the B. of R. Innocent and hys Cardinalles dyd sée, and had verye proofe thereof.

The meditation and imagination of this booke was so earnest, and so continuall, that the token of the fiue woundes of Christ, were imprinted and ingraued in thys holy Saynctes bodye. But to this hygh fruite (as I sayde) fewe or none besides him doth attayne. It is a singular gyfte of almightie God, and not common to bée looked for of other persons. Neuerthelesse, who that will exercise this lesson, though he come not to this hygh poynte of perfection, he shall neuerthelesse greatly profite in ye same, and come to a great knowledge both of Christ & of him selfe. A man may easily say & thinke with him selfe (beholding in his hart the Image of ye Crucifixe, who arte thou, and who am I. Thus euerie person both ryche and poore▪ may thinke, not onely in the church here, but in euery other place, and in hys businesse where about hée goeth. Thus the poore laborer maye thinke, when he is at plough earyng hys grounde, and when hée goeth to hys pastures to sée hys Cattayle, or when hée is sittyng at home by hys fire side, or els when he lyeth in hys bed waking and can not sléepe. Likewyse the rich man may do in his businesse that concerneth him. And the poore women also in theyr businesse, whē they be spinning of their rocks, or seruing of their pullen. The ryche weomen also in euerie lawfull occupation that they haue to doe. It is an easie thyng for any man or woman to make these two questions wyth them selfe. O my Lorde that wouldest dye for me vpō a Crosse, how noble and excelent arte thou? & agayne, how wretched and myserable am I? Doubtlesse O thou christian soule, he that hunge for thy sake on ye Crosse, was verelie the sonne of God, as the noble Centurio sayde, when at the death of Christ he sawe so many wonderfull tokens. He saw ye sunne withdrawe his lyght, and the ayre in darkenesse, and felte all the earth tremble and quake, and the stones brake a sunder, then he sayde, vere filius dei erat iste. ⁴ That is to say, verely thys person was the sonne of God. Thinke wt thy self, O christan soule, how great a person he is that is the sonne of God? And thinke againe how vilaynous and how wretched thou art, in cōparison of him. What art thou but asshes, ciuis es, ⁵ and vnto ashes thou shalt returne, et in cinera reuerteris. Abraham which was a man of high perfectiō, yet when he should speake vnto almightie God he sayde, quū sum puluis et ciuis loquar ad dominū, ⁶ that is to say, I am but dust and asshes, and yet I must speake vnto my Lorde. Dauid also sayth,⁷ vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens, that is to saye, man contayneth in him all vanitie. Furthermore Iob speaketh of man saying in this maner,⁸ Qui puasi flos egreditur, et cōteritur, et fugit velut vmbra. Man is lyke a flower, he dooth issue foorth into the worlde, and soone after he is troden downe, and so finally hée passeth lyke a shadowe. Man is but earth and asshes, & shall passe away lyke a shadow, and lyke a méere vanitie.

Contrarywyse Christe, was, is, and euer shalbe, the prince of heauen, the Lorde of Angells, and the creator of all creatures,⁹ Qui fecit coelum et terram et omnia que in eis sunt, ¹⁰ He made heauē and earth & all that is in them. His power is infinit, & most to be dreade, Omnipotens rex, et metuendus nimis. His wisedome is incomprehensible. O altitudo diuitiarum sapientiae et scientiae dei. ¹¹ His greatnesse passeth all measure,¹² Magnus dominus et laudabilis nimis, et magnitudinis eius non est finis. Shortly to saye, when a man hathe spoken or thought all that can be to the prayse of his excellencie, yet he dooth farre passe and surmount all that, as the Scripture sayth,¹³ Glorificantes dominū, quantum cūque poteritis super valebit ad huc et admirabilis magnificentia illius. Now then, O thou sinfull creature, maruell at his excellent worthines, that was thus crucified. And maruell also at thy naughtinesse, for whose loue he was thus crucified. Thus I say dyd the holy sainct Francis, Quis es tu et quis sum ego domine, Who arte thou my Lord so excellent, and who am I, for whome thou wouldest endure all this payne.

O Christen soule often beholde this booke, and saye with this holy man, Quis es tu et quis sum ego. Marueyle that his inestimable goodnesse would thus dye for so myserable a vanitie. And so maruelinge, thou shalt profyt in a gracious knowledge of Christ, and thy heart shall taste maruelous swéetenesse, and be replenished with a deuoute sauour of his most excelent goodnesse. But you maruell peraduenture why I call ye crucifix a booke? I will now tell you the consideracion why? A booke hath boardes, leaues, lynes, wrytinges, letters booth small and great. Fyrst I saye that a booke hath two boardes: the two boardes of this booke is the two partes of the crosse, for when the booke is opened & spread, the leaues be cowched vpon the boardes. And so the blessed body of Christ was spred vpon the crosse. The leaues of this booke be ye armes, the handes, legges, and féete, with the other members of his most precious and blessed body.

Neuer anye Parchement skynne was more strayghtlye stratched by strength vpon the tentors then was this blessed body vpon ye crosse. These lorells that crucifyed him, drewe by vyolence his moste precious armes, with ropes vnto either braunche of the crosse, that the sinowes burst in sonder, and so nayled his handes fast with spykinge nayles of yron, vnto the crosse. After they stretched his féete lykewyse vnto an other hole beneath in the crosse, and there nayled them with the third nayle thorough bothe his féete. And so they reared vp this body a loft against the sunne, euen as a parchment skinne is sette foorth before the heat of the Sun for to drye. It was set vp a loft to the entent that all the worlde might looke vpon this booke.

This booke was written with in and without. Fyrst within was wrytten but one worde: neuerthelesse this one word compryseth in it, as sayth saint Paule, the whole treasure of al cunning and wisdome partayning vnto God, In quo sunt omnes thesauri sapientiae dei, ¹⁴ in whome are all the treasure of the wisedome of god. Of this worde Saint Iohn speaketh,¹⁵ saying, In principio erat verbum, the word was in ye begynning before all creatures, thys worde is the second person in the godhead, the sonne of God which by the holie Ghost was written in the inward syde of thys parchment. For the Godheade of Christe was couered and hidde vnder the lykenesse of man. The holy Ghost was the penne of almyghtie God the father, He set hys most mightie word vnto the body of Christ, within the wombe of the Uyrgine Marye, and so this booke was written within. For as Sainct Paule sayeth,¹⁶ si cognouissent nunquam dominum gloriae crucifixissent, That is to saye, if they had knowne the sonne of God, whiche was and is the Lorde of euerlasting glorie, they woulde neuer haue crucified hym. They sawe his manhood which was in outwarde sight, but they sawe not hys Godheade whych was couered within the same. The Godhead was the inward syde, and the manhoode was the outwarde syde. Furthermore when a booke is spread, you sée that in the leaues are many lynes drawen. And many letters, some read, some blacke, and some blewe, so in this booke, (the moste blessed bodie of Christ) was drawne many lynes, for it was all to scourged with whippes, so yt euery where ye print of ye cordes of ye scourges, was left behynd, & that in euery place, from ye necke downward vnto the soles of his féete, so yt there was no margent lefte in all thys booke, there was no voyd place, but euery where it was eyther drawne with lynes, or els wryttē with letters, for these scourges fylled not onely his moste precyous bodie with lynes drawne euerie where, but also left many small Letters, some blacke, some blewe, some reade. For the bloud by the vyolence of the schourges sprunge out in euery place. And for bycause no parte of thys booke shoulde bée vnwritten, hys head also was pearsed with sharpe thornes. These cruell Iewes put vpon hys heade a Crowne of thornes, and pressed it downe vpon the same, as harde as they myght presse it by vyolence, beatyng it downe with a strong Réede.¹⁷ Et Arundine percuciebant caput eius. And hys blessed heade so Crowned, they dyd beate it downe with a gadde, or a harde Réede. Thus you perceyue that this booke was full of lynes and small Letters, whyche were of dyuers coulers, (as I sayde) some black, some blewe, some reade, some blewyshe, that is to saye, full of stroakes, and lasshes, where by the skynne was toarne, and rente in a thousande places. Besides these small letters, yet was there also greate Capytall Letters precyouslie illumyned with Roset colour: Roset is a reade colour lyke vnto the coulour of a Rose, which colour that most precyous bloude, whiche issued out of his hands and féete, doeth represent vnto vs, with this most precious blud was illumined the fyue great Capital letters in this wonderful booke. I mean by these capital letters ye great woūds of his body, in his handes, and in hys féete, and in his side.

These fyue great woundes were ingraued with sharpe & vyolēt pennes, that is to say, the sharpe nayles, and the speare. And they doe represent vnto vs the fyue capytall Letters of thys booke. Thus then you maye perceyue what bée the boardes of this booke, and what be the leaues, howe it is written within, and without, howe it is lyned and leathered, and what bée the Letters, as well the small as the great. Now wée shall heare what maner of wryting is contayned in thys booke. But first héere, let vs make our prayer for grace, beséechyng almyghtie God, to gyue vnto our hartes the gracyous lyght of his beames, whereby wée may the more clearely perceiue the writings of this booke, and that they may bring foorth some good fruite to our soules health.

Now you shall heare what wrytings be contayned in thys booke, in the booke which Ezechiel did sée, was written thrée maner of things. Lamē tationes, Carmen, et vae, which is to say, Lamentations, songes, and woe. And the same thrée things, in lyke maner be wrytten in thys booke of the Crucifixe. Fyrst is lamentation, and this verie conuenientlye is written in thys booke of the Crucyfixe. For whosoeuer will ioye wyth Christ, must fyrst sorow with him. And by sorowe and lamentation hée may come vnto ioye: But hée that will not sorrowe and lament wyth Christ héere in thys lyfe, hée shall come fynallye to the place where is euerlastyng woe, I saye woe that shall neuer haue ende. Héere therfore is written all these thrée, lamentation, songe, and woe.

Fyrste then wée will speake of lamentation.

Lamentation aryseth of foure affections, eyther of a great feare, or dreade, or of a great shame, or of some sorrowe, or els of some hatred. When Holophernes with a mightie power was entred into ye countrey of Iurie, & terribly threatned to distroy all before hym, the people were in a greate feare and dreade to be oppressed, and so fell downe before almyghtie God, and with great lamentation, dyd call for hys helpe, omnius populus cetidit in faciē, ¹⁸ adorantes dominum cum lamentatione et fletu, all the people fell on theyr faces, worshyppyng our Lorde with wéepyng and lamentation.

The cause of this lamentation, was the great dreade whych they were in. Héere first then let vs learne to dread, and doubtlesse thou Christian soule, thou mayest héere learne greater matter of dread, then the Iewes then were in. For the Iewes then were onelye in perill of temporall death, thou arte in perill of euerlastyng death.

Consider man how gréeuouslie thou hast sinned: And also behold how gréeuously sinne was reuenged, and punished in the blessed bodye of Christ. And thou shalt anon fynde here great cause and matter of dread. The storyes telleth of Cambises the King of Persia, yt where one of hys Iudges had giuen a false and a wrong iudgement, he depriued him of hys offyce, and made an other in his place their Iudge after him. Furthermore bicause of hys falsehoode he caused him to be slayne, and his skinne to be hanged vp before the place of the commen iudgement, to the entent that this newe Iudge beholdyng ye gréeuous punishment of his predecessor, might beware of falshood, and alway dread to giue any wrong iudgement. In like maner ye Image of the Crucifix is hunge vp in euery Church, to the entent that we may sée how gréeuouslie sinne was punyshed in that moste blessed bodye of our Sauyour Christ Iesu, not for him self, nor for hys owne sinne, but for ours was he thus cruellye intreated, wée were the cause, wée committed the sinne. But yet neuerthelesse he bare the paynes, and burthens of our sinnes vpon his backe.

As wryteth Sainct Peter, Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super ligium crucis. ¹⁹ And therefore when we behold the Image of the Crucifixe in anye place set vp, we should thynke howe gréeuously sinne was punyshed in the body of our sauiour Christ.

And there by learne to dreade the gréeuous punishment of sinne. (Alas) man thynkest thou not, that thys was matter of dreade. This I say, that the verie sonne of God, was for thy sinne put vnto thys cruell death of the Crosse: If thou beléeue not thys, thou arte worse then the dyuylles▪ For as Sainct Iames sayeth, demones credunt et contremiscunt, ²⁰ the diuilles doe beléeue, and tremble. And if thou verely beléeue it, thou mayest thereby thynke and learne howe muche our sauyour and hys father both doeth hate sinne. For sith almightie God the father woulde gyue hys moste dearely beloued sonne vnto suche an horrible death, onely for to quenche and to extincte sinne, thou mayest bée sure that he hateth sinne very much.

Our Sauyour also must néedes hate sinne when hée rather would suffer thys moste vyllanous death, then that sinne shoulde haue domynion vpon our soules, séeyng then that thou knowest that bothe they hate sinne? Howe shouldest thou dreade to receue any sinne into thy soule. If sinne were so displeasant to almighty God the father, that rather then hée would suffer it, he would giue his owne sonne vnto death for the expulsion of it. How much rather now doth it displease him, when his sonne hath suffered death therfore, and yet sinne rayneth neuerthelesse, and more generally then euer it dyd before. Furthermore, if sinne was so greuously punished in him that neuer did sinne, how bytterly shall it be punished in thée O sinfull creature, the which haste done so many great outragious sinnes. Surely wher he hath one nayle in his handes & féete, thou sinfull creature hast deserued one hū dreth. And for euery one thorne, that he suffred in his head, thou hast deserued a thousande. And for euery one lash that he felt of the scourges, thou art worthy to haue innumerable. Who yt déepely considerith this that I haue sayde, and with an earnest study resorteth often to looke vppon this booke I maruell if he doo not fynde here in, great cause and earnest matter of dread.

Here also may euery sinner quicken his sinne, if any be within hist breast, for it is maruell that a sinner can wt out shame beholde this blessed Image? If a sinner call to remembrance his great vnkyndnesse, & repute the same vnkyndenes any maner of vice, I trow that he wylbe much ashamed of his moste vnkynde and vngentle dealing against so louing a Lorde. Say to me thou sinful creature, wilt thou not looke that other men, when thou haste béene vnto them in anye thinge beneficiall, I saye, wylt thou not looke that they shall be kynde and louing vnto thée againe? And if any person be vnkynde vnto thée, wylt thou not rebuke him fully, and lay it vnto his reproofe to make him ashamed thereof? I am suer that thou wylt. Now then let me sée, wher is thy shame? beholde and vew euery part of this blessed body, what payne it endured for thy sake?

Séest thou not his eyes, how they bée fylled with blood and bytter teares? Séest thou not his eares, how they be filled with blasphemous rebukes, and obprobrious words?

His chéeke & necke with buffets, his shoulders with ye burthen of ye crosse? Séest thou not his mouth, how in his dryghnesse they would haue filled it with Asell and Gaule?

Séest thou not, how his backe is payned against the hard Crosse?

Séest thou not his sydes, how they were skourged with sharpe whyps? Séest thou not his armes, how they were strayned by the violence of the ropes?

[…] thou not his handes, how they be nailed iust vnto ye crosse? Séest thou not his legges, how they be wearyed with labour?

Séest thou not his féete, how paynefully they stay and bere vp the wight of his whole body?

O moste vnkinde sinner, all this he suffred for thy sake. No greater kyndes euer was, or could be shewed to thée by any creature, then this which swéete Iesus dyd shewe for thée and for thy sake, & wher is now thy kindenes againe?

No kyndnesse thou canst shewe, but much vnkyndnesse thou haste often shewed vnto him, and yet thou art not ashamed. Alas man where is thy shame? Thincke with thy selfe how many abhominable sinnes thou hast done against his pleasure. I doo a certayne thée that the least of them stryketh him more paynefully vnto the hart then any vnkyndnesse that euer was done vnto thée in all thy lyfe. For as Sainct Barnerd sayth in the person of Christ, when he hath rehersed all ye gréeuous paynes of his passion, he putteth vnto these wordes, Extat interius plauctus pregrauior, quum te ingratum experior, that is to say, but inwardly mourning is much more greuous bicause I perceue thou arte to me so much vnkynd. So many sinnes so much vnkyndnesse. And the more haynous, and the more accustomable that they bée, the more abhominable is thyne vnkyndenesse.

If the least of many of thy sinnes had come to lyght, and to the knowledge of men, thou wouldest haue béene sore ashamed of them, Christ knoweth them, and saw thée doo them, for Omnia vnda et aperta sunt oculis eius, ²¹ All thinges be naked and open before his eyes: and yet thou art not ashamed of all thy vnkinddes.

Alas man, heare what the King and Prophet sayth,²² Tota die verecundia mea cōtra me est, et confusio faciei meae cooperuit me, All the day long my shame is before mée, and my face is couered with confusion. Thus sayd this holy Kinge, when our sauiour as yet had not suffered his passion for him. This high poynte of kindenesse was not as yet shewed vnto this man by our sauiour Christ, and he neuerthelesse was ashamed of his sinne. Thou hast peraduenture done much more outragious sinne, and hast béen much more vnkynde after this his moste wonderfull passion suffered for thy sake, then euer that king was, & that also maketh thy sinne much more horryble. Thou hast after thy promise made vnto him, falsified the same promise and vntruely broken it, by multiplying of many foule and abhominable sinz, & by oftē renewing of ye same Thou dyddest promise once at the sacramēt of baptisme to kéepe thy fayth & trueth vnto thy sauiour, & to forsake the diuel & all his works? An honest man, or an honest woman would be much ashamed to brek their promise, & specially to theyr friend? Albeit the worlde is now full of such lorrells, yt doo no more regard to break their promise, thē for to drīk whē they be drye. How often hast thou broken thy promise? Alas man learn to be ashamed and saye with the Prophet Esdras, Deus meus, cōfundor et erubesco leuare faciem meam quoniam iniquitates nostrae leuatae sunt super caput nostrum, ²³ that is to say, O my god I am confounden and ashamed to lyft vp my face vnto thée, for our sinnes be rysen far aboue our heads. Ye women when there is any black spot in your faces, or any moole in your kerchiues, or any myer vpon your clothes, be you not ashamed? yes forsooth syr? But I shall tell you, where of you ought to be ashamed. Surely if your sowls haue any spots of deadly sinne in them, for when our sauiour so dearely with his most precious bloud, & with all these gréeuous paynes dyd wash and wype, & clense our soules from euery spot of deadly sinne, ye should be much ashamed to defyle them againe? If you be ashamed for a foule myrie shoo, and not of a foule stincking soule, ye make more dearer your shooes, then your soules. If ye be ashamed of a spot in your clothes & haue no shame for many great blots in your soules. What shal I say but Frons meretricis facta est tibi, ²⁴ noluiste erubescere, that is to say, thou hast takē vpon thée the face of a brothell, thou wylt not be ashamed. If yu then depely consider how many shameful blots of sinne be in thy soule, before ye eyes of almightie God, & all the glorious court of heauen, & how by them thou hast vtterly broken thy promise vnto god, & cōmitted so great vnkindnes against this moste louing charitie, that was shewed vnto thée for thy loue & for thy sake by our sauiour on ye crosse I suppose thou shalt fynde matter, & cause of great shame, if any sparkle of honesty be yet left in thy soule? Thirdly thou maist here take matter inough of sorrow, for here your sauiour pitiously cryeth & complayneth of his great sorrowes, saying, O vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite et videte si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus. ²⁵ All ye that passe foorth by, take héede & sée whether any sorrow was euer lyke vnto myne. Alas to sée so noble a man, so gentle, & so innocent, so cruelly intreated in euery parte of his most delicate body. And to here him so pitiously complayninge, who shall not be sory? surely none, except hys hart be harder then any flynte stone or Adamant stone. These same foure poynts alone may suffice to styrre any gentle hart to sorrowe. I say his excelent noblenesse, his innocēcie, the crueltie that he dyd suffer, and his pitious complayning.

If thou saw (O Christiā man) thyne enimie thus mangled and wounded, it might styrre thée to take compassiō vpon him? If thou sawe any Iew or Sarazin thus tormented, it mighte moue thée to pittie? But much rather to sée thy Lord, thy sauiour, and for thy sake thus cruelly entreated, thus with out any pittie crucified, and payned, hanging on a crosse, should moue thée to compassion. For say to me, for whome supposest thou that our sauyour Christe Iesus suffered all those gréeuous paines? surely for thy sinne, Pro impijs Christus mortuus est. ²⁶ For sinners Christ Iesus died, there was no cause but sinne. Thy sinne was the cause of his death. Thy sinne gaue him his deathes wound. O sinful creature, how much cause hast thou for to be sory. For thy sinne was the roote & foūtayne of all his sorrow, & yet thou ceasest not dayly by thy sin to encrese his sorrow. O what floud of teares dyd the blessed Magdalene shed, remembring hir gréeuous sinne. She firste conceiued a great dread in hir soule for hir sinne. Secondly, she was greatly ashamed of hir abhominacyons, with in hir soule, for she regarded much more the inward shame of hir conscience, then ye outward shame of the world. And therfore she let not in the presence of many persons to come to the féete of our sauiour, & to shewe hyr selfe a sinner. And there tooke great sorrow, and wept ful bitterly for hyr sinne. Thus after dread and shame followed hyr sorrow. And when had shée this dread, shame, and sorrow? truely before that our sauiour hung on the crosse? yet she knew not that hir sin was cause & occasion of his most cruell death.

But when shée sawe him hange so painfully on the Crosse, and considered that for hir sin he suffered all the paynes, hir harte was then so full of sorrow that for very payne it myght haue brast.

O thou sinfull creature? If thou can not sorrow, come learne of thys blessed woman, to sorrow for thy sin. Thinke that thy sinne was the cause and occasion of all this payne and sorrow, that thy Lorde and sauiour dyd suffer on the Crosse.

And not onely she giueth ye example of sorrowe, but his blessed mother abundantly thē sorowed at his death. Sainct Iohn sorrowed, Sainct Peter sorrowed and wepte bitterly.²⁷ All the Apostles were in sorrow.

But wherevnto speake I of reasonable creatures, the vnreasonable, and the vnsensible creatures shewes a maner of sorrowe. The earth quaked.²⁸ The mighty stones brast in sunder. The monuments opened, ye dead courses issued out of theyr monuments.

All these were moued with compassion. And onely thou wretched sinner, for whose cause he suffred all this paine and gréeuance, hast no pitie nor compassion vpon him.

(Alas) howe great is thy hardnesse? Howe obstinate is thy harte, that will suffer no pittie to enter in to it? Uerely, thou arte more harder then are the stones? for they were moued by his passyon, so myghtely that they brake in sunder.

Petrae scissae sunt. ²⁹ When then the harde stones, and all the other vnreasonable creatures were thus moued, and stirred to take some compassyon of the paynfull death of Christ, and yet felt no profite by his death.

Thou much rather shouldest be moued, for whose loue he dyd endure all this gréeuous pains. Looke thou therfore vpō this booke, & thou shalt here fynde great cause & matter of sorrow. Fourthly, if thou canst not sorrowe, yet thou maiest here learne to hate. Thou maiste learne to hate sinne, which was cause of all this trouble. It is not for nought that ye scripture sayth,³⁰ Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatū, dentes leonis, dentes eius interficientis animas hominum. Flée from sinne euen as thou wouldest flée from the face of an Adder, for as the téeth of the Lion deuoureth ye body of man, so death doth sleay their soules. Sinne is so odious, and so great an iniury to god, that it was necessary for the recompence of this iniury, yt the sonne of god should suffer this most paineful death of the crosse. Sinne so prouoked almightie god ye father so déeply to displeasure, & wrath, & to take vengance vpon sinners that without the sacrifice of his owne sonne in ye gybbet of the crosse, he wold not be appeased, ne recōciled vnto sinners againe. Sinne so deadly wounded & blotted the soule of man, that with out shedding of ye most precious bloud of our sauiour Christ Iesu, no lyfe could be restored vnto sinners, nor the soules might be washed from the fowle abhominable corruption of sinne.

Sinne so debarreth and shutteth frō sinners ye gates of heauen, that they might not haue béene opened, but only by the merit of this moste bytter passion, & suffering this most painfull torments on the crosse. Sinne set the gates of hell so wyde open, & brought all this world into that daunger, and thraldome of the diuell, that all we should haue béene deuowred of the pyt of hell, vnlesse we had béene raū somed with this most precious treasure, that was shed for vs on ye crosse-O sinful creature hast thou not great cause to hate sinne, that hath brought thée into that miserable cōdicion, that by thy sinne thou hast done, and committed high iniurie against almighty god, and hast prouoked him to vengeaunce. That by thy sinne, thou hast thus mortally wounded thyne owne soule. That by sin, thou haste brought thy selfe into the daunger of the dyuill, and be dampned in hell perpetually. That by thy sinne thou hast shut the gates of heauē against thy selfe. (Alas) man where canst thou fynde greater occasion of hatred.

If thy neyghbour doe vnto thée but a lyght iniurie, thou canst anon hate him, yea, and so hate him, that thou wilt say thou mayest not finde in thy harte to loue him.

Sinne hathe done vnto thée, all these great iniuries, and yet thou loueste sinne and canste not hate it?

(Alas) what madnesse is this? Ioab sayde vnto Kyng Dauid,³¹ dilegis odientes te, et odio habes diligentis te.

Thou loueste them that hate thée, and thou hatest them that loue thée. The same worde may well be sayde vnto euery sinner that followeth the course of sinne. And lykewyse vyce doeth procure the dystruction of sinners, and yet the sinners doe follow after them.

Our sauiour with all grace & vertue procureth ye saluation of sinners, but him they will not heare, nor take any wayes after his counsayle. And this is nothing els but an extreame madnesse, for they should contrarywyse loue our sauiour, that so louingly for theyr weale indured the gréeuous paynes of the Crosse, and hate the diuill and sinne which was the very cause of death.

By thys then you may perceyue that in this booke ye may fynde matter inough of lamentation, sith you may read in this booke so much cause of dread, of shame, of sorrow, and of hatred. And this is the first wryting wherof we promised for to speake.

The secōd writing that I said was also writtē in this booke, was Carmē, that is to say, Songe. Surely if eyther loue or hope, or ioye, or comfort, wil make a soule to sing, here he may take great occasion to sing.

Fyrst here is great matter of loue, and so great, that if any person will eyther gyue hys loue fréely, or els for some certayne pryce sell it, hée that died on the crosse, is best worthy to haue it. If thou search in heauen, & in earth one person vpon whom thou maist best bestowe thy loue. Thou shalt fynde none comparable vnto Christ Iesus, so wyse, so myghty, so gentle, so kynde, so amyable, far passing all other, and there to he is much desirous of thy loue, for when Moyses had rehearsed the great benifites which almightie God had giuen vnto man,³² he sayth, Et nunc audi quid dominus deus tuus requirat a te, nisi vt diligas eū. Now here what thy Lord God dooth require of thy parte, truely but that thou loue him.

So now if thou wylt fréely giue thy loue thou canst not more wysely, nor better bestow it then vpon him which is so excelent and hath all the condicions aboue saide, and there to also is so desirous to haue thy loue.

And if thou wylt sel thy loue, I trow there is none that wyl giue vnto thée more liberally for the same than he hath done. Where shalt thou finde him that wyll shedde one droppe of bloud out of his harte for thy sake. Where shalte thou finde hym that will giue hys owne soule and lyfe for thy loue. There can no more bée asked of any man then that,³³ Maiorem charitatem nemo habet nisi vt animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. No man can shewe greater charitie, then for to put hys owne life in ieopardie for his friendes.

But thou peraduenture wilt say, Syr if he had done this for me alone, I had béene bounde then to haue gyuen him my loue whollye agayne?

Why man arte thou so enuyous, that thou wouldest haue no parteners, of this moste precious deathe with thée, but thine owne selfe? This were a very malicious desire to exclude all other, & specially when thy profite and merite shall not be mynished.

Albeit, there bée neuer so manye besides, that take commoditie there by. I say vnto thée O man, and I assure thée that as fruitefully hée dyed for thée (if thou wilt dispose thy selfe to be partener of this death) as if there […] […] had beene no more, but thy selfe in all thys world. Truth it is, there bée many moe besides thée, that bée parteners of this death. But all they, yea, & if there were a thousand thousande tymes innumerable moe then there be. All that multitude shall nothyng mynish any one crum of merit of this most blessed death belongyng vnto thée. And agayne, if thou take much more fruite thereof, then any one of them, yet shall they take no impayrement, or receyue the lesse bicause thou hast so much.

Wilte thou sée by some example that thys is trueth that I nowe say?

When thou séest a torch lyght in an house where many persons bée, doeth not that torche gyue as muche light to them all, as if there were but one person there? Euery person after the quicknesse of theyr sight, taketh more or lesse profitte of that lyght, then doeth an other, but yet he that taketh more, hyndereth hys fellowes nothyng in so takyng, nor he yt taketh lesse giueth thereby anye occasion for his fellowes to take any more. And if it be thus of the light of a torche, muche rather it is so of the merite of this most gracyous death, and of this most precious blud, which by the reason of the godhead abundauntly suffyseth for the redemption of innumerable soules, were theyr sinnes neuer so many, neuer so horrible, neuer so abhominable. Surely as Sainct Iohn sayth, ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris, ³⁴ non pro nostris tantum sed et totius mundi. Hée was and is a sacrifice abundantly sufficyent, for the sinnes of all this world.

When then for thy sake, & for thy loue, he suffered thys most horryble death, which was so painfull that the onely remembraunce of it made him to sweate bloudy sweate, and that in so great aboundance that it trickled downe by hys syde vnto the ground. If the onely thinking of thys death was so painfull, howe paynefull was the suffring of ye same in déede. Howe might he more euidētly expresse vnto thée, ye loue of his harte, then by thys means. Or what might he more haue done for thy loue, as he saith himself, quid vltra facere debui, et non faci, what myght I further haue done, whiche I did not for thy loue.

Thou mayest then fynde héere in this booke great matter of loue.

Héere is also great matter of hope, & specially to sinners & will vtterly forsake their sinne, and amend theyr liues for Christ Iesu sake. Doubtles for such he suffered this moste bitter death.³⁵ Pro impijs Christus mortuus est, for wicked sinners Iesus Christ dyed. And in an other place, ye same s. Paul sayth.³⁶ Christus Iesus venit in hunc mundū saluos facere peccatores. Christe Iesus came into this world for to saue sinners that will amend theyr lyues.

O christian soule take thou vpon thée, the crosse of pennaunce, and bée crucyfied with him, & then without doubt thou shalt be partener of the the merit of his crucifying, and of his most fruitfull passion.

What shall exclude thée from hys merite?³⁷ Almightie God the father? Nay, qui proprio filio suo non peporcit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum, quomodo non cum illo nobis omnia donauit. He that dyd not spare his own sonne, but gaue him vnto the death for vs all, what shall hée denye vs? what greater euidence canst thou aske? that almightie God the father wil forgiue thy sin, then thys that he would not forsake to giue vnto the death hys own sonne, I say his own most dearly beloued sonne of whom hée sayde, Hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi cō placui. ³⁸ This is my welbeloued sonne in whom is all my pleasure. What greater euydence and proofe mayest thou desire, that he will forgyue thy sinne, then yt he would put this most inestimable Iuell into such a daunger for thy sake, and sende it vnto thys most painfull and shamefull, and sorrowfull death of the Crosse.

But peraduenture thou thynkest that our sauiour bycause thou haste bin so vnkynde vnto him, will not receyue thée vnto his mercy? I say therfore forsake thy sinne, and accuse thy vnkyndnesse, and be sory for it. And doubt not but he will forgiue & forget thyne vnkyndnesse, and receyue thée agayne vnto hys great mercy.

And therfore he sayth by his Prophet Hieremie, when a woman (saith he) is gone from hyr husbande, and hath accompanyed hyr bodye with an other man, will hyr husband receiue hir againe? As who say, that it is not verie lyke, but yet heare what comforte he giueth to a sinner,³⁹ tu autem fornicata es cum amatoribus multis tamen reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te. Neuerthelesse (he sayeth to the soule of a sinner.) Albeit, thou hast forsaken me and playde the brothell with manye other, yet returne thou agayne vnto mée, and I shall receyue thée. But here, thou sinfull soule deceyue not thy selfe. Thou mayest dissemble a returning, and be not in déede returned. And if thou set not thy backe toward all sinne, and turne thy harte fully vnto thy sauiour, thou arte not returned. But bée thou truly returned and doubt not.

Beholde earnestly the maner how thy sauiour Iesu hanged on ye Crosse, and thou shalt sée great cause of hope of his mercy if thou thus returne. Sainct Barnerd sayth. Quis non rapiatur ad […]pem, impetrandique fiduciam, quā do considerat corporis cius dispositionem, caput inclinatum ad osculum, brachia extenta ad amplexandum, manus proforatas ad largiendum, latus opertum ad diligendū pedum confixionem ad manendum nobiscum corporis extensionem ad se nobis totaliter impendendum. Who may not bée rauished to hope and confidence, if he consider ye order of his body, his head bowing downe to offer a kisse, hys armes spreade to embrace vs, hys handes bored thorow to make lyberall giftes, his side opened to shewe vnto vs the loue of his harte, his féete fastened with nayles, that hée shall not starte away but abyde with vs. And all his bodie stretched, forcesing him selfe to giue it wholly vnto vs. Surely O man, he that would thus and after this maner exhibite his bodie vnto thée on the Crosse, (if thou wilt indeuer thée vpon thy parte, hée will not refuse thée, but take thée vnto his mercy.

This most precious bloud yt he shed on the Crosse, cryeth alwayes mercye for sinners, that doe thus rereturne. […] […] And therefore Sainct Paule sayeth.⁴⁰ Accessistis ad sanguinem melius loquentem quam Abel. Ye become, and haue returned you vnto the bloude, that speaketh more graciously, then did the bloude of Abell. The bloud of Abell cryed vengeaunce before almightie God. As almightie God sayd vnto Caine in the booke of Genesis, Sanguis Abell fratris tui clamat ad me vindictam de terra. ⁴¹ The bloude of thy brother Abell crieth vengeaunce in mine eares from the grounde where it is shead.

But the moste precious bloude of our sauiour Iesu Christ cryeth mercy for all sinners that doeth repent. And our sauiour now before ye face of hys father sheweth his woundes, & sheweth his most precious bloud, & ceaseth not to procure mercy for them.

This plainly doeth affyrme ye blessed Apostle Saint Iohn saying in this maner,⁴² filioli hec scribo vobis vt non peccatis, sed et si quis peccauerit aduocatū habemus apud patrem Iesu Christum iustum et ipse, est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris. That is to say, Childrē I write these things vnto you, to the intent that you should not sinne. Neuerthelesse if it fortune any man to sinne, wée haue an aduocate for vs Christ Iesus, before ye face of his father. And he is rightuous, and without sinne, & a verye satisfaction for al our sinnes. Who thē attentiuely doth beholde this Crucifix, & verely beleueth that on the Crosse was payd the raūsom of all sinners, how may he not fully trust that if he aske mercy for his sinnes, they shall be forgiuen him. So that here euery sinner may finde great matter and occasion of hope. In the Crosse is also matter of ioy. Héere is occasion of such excessiue ioy, that a soule which verely tasteth it, can not but highly reioyce in the same. And therfore Sainct Paule did say Mihi autem absit gloriari nisi in cruce domini Iesu Christi, ⁴³ God forbid that I reioyce in any other thing then in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesu Christ. Here doubtlesse is great cause for euerye true Christian man to reioyce, and specially for thrée poyntes.

The first is that by the death of our sauiour on the Crosse, and sheding of his moste precious bloude on the Crosse we be fully reconciled to almighty God, as often as we doe true repentaunce, with a fast purpose of amendement. Thus Saint Paule sayth, ad Col Complacuit per eum reconciliari omnia in ipsum per sanguinem cruicis. It hath pleased God the father, that by his sonne and by his bloud shed on the Crosse all should be reconciled.

But you will aske me what meaneth this word reconciled? It is as much to sai, as to be made attone with almighty God and to be at friendship with hym. As two men when they haue bene at variaunce to be made louers together againe. So the displeasure which he had against vs for our sinne, is taken away. And his great wrath against vs is fully pacified. And where we were by sin the children of the diuell, now we haue recouered to be made againe the children of God, and consequentlye the inheritours of heauen.

O thou Christian man is not here great cause to reioyce.

If thou haue a ritche man to thy father which had loued thée much, and he for thy misdemaner had caste thée out from his fauour, and so thou werte in ieopardie to lose thy enherytaunce, if by meanes of a brother of thine thou mightest be brought into his fauour againe, and be taken for his sonne as thou waste before and restored thereby to thine enheritance, haddeste thou not great cause to be ioyous and reioyce, that by this means, thou hast recouered againe thy fathers loue, with all the commodities belonging vnto the same? In like manner it is of euery sinner, for he by his lewde demainer and by his sinful dealing hath so displeased his father, that he is cast out from the fauour of his father, and is in perrill to lose his inherytaunce, which his most louing father had prouided for hym.

Neuerthelesse his onelye begotten sonne by his inestimable goodnesse and charitie suffering the most painful death of the Crosse, and shedding his most precyous bloude for amendes and recompence of our vngracious dealinge, hath reconcyled vs agayne, and made vs at one with his father, and set vs at a perfecte peace, concorde, and vnytie. And thys is concernynge the fyrste poynte.

The second by the vertue of the crosse, and of his most blessed passyon, ye power of our enymies be much broken, for on the Crosse our sauyour by his death gatt the victory vpō thē, for the which Sainct Paule saide, expolians principatus et potestates traduxit confidenter, triumphans cos in seme tipso. ⁴⁴ Christ Iesus spoiling ye mighty power of the diuill, hath openly detected theyr frauds, and gotten a very triumph of them in his owne person. And therfore nothing is yet more tirrible vnto them, then is the signe of the Crosse. A blessed virgine sainct Christian had suche a confidence in the token of the Crosse, that when shée féelt hyr selfe tempted with hyr ghostly enimy, shée marked hyr selfe with the same token, and at euery temptation shée gatte the better of the diuils. And by this holy token chased thē away, & put euer to flight. Thirdli by the vertue of the crosse, & of this most fruitful death, our hand wryting the which made most against vs, was clerly put out. Whē where was it written? In the booke of our owne conscience, there is no maner of sinne that we doe, but it is written in the booke of our consciēce. And if we repent vs not of the same, & be hartily sory for it before our death, thys booke of our conscience shal be shewed against vs in ye dreadfull day of iudgement. Neuerthelesse if we repent vs and confesse vs, and doe true repentance therfore, then by the vertue of this passion it shall be scraped out of the booke of our conscience. Therfore Sainct Paule calleth sinne our own hand writing,⁴⁵ Deleuit quod aduersū nos erat chirographum decreti quod erat contrarium nobis, et ipsū tulit de medio affigens illud cruci. Christ Iesus (he saith) put out the hande writing of ye decrée whiche was against vs, and so withdrewe it fastning it vnto the Crosse. When thou perceiuest (O sinfull creature) that by the Crosse of Christ, and by that most precious bloud which was shed on the crosse thou art reconciled and made at one with God, and that the power of thine enimies be greatly represt. And fynallly that thy sin which was most against thée was crucified on the same Crosse, so that thou maist clearely sée that héere is great matter of excessiue ioy and to reioyce in the most blessed Crucifix.

Finally in the Crosse is also matter of great comfort, when a person hath deserued a great open shame, & is broght euen to the plunge of the matter, and yet by the meanes of helpe he is deliuered from the same, is not this his deliuerance from this open shame, a comforte vnto hym? yes doubtlesse?

The noble woman Susanna, as the Prophet Daniell telleth,⁴⁶ all be it she was giltlesse, yet for because she woulde not assent to the wretched desyre of two lewde priestes, she was by them wrongfully accused, and put to great shame, for they wrongfully slaundered hir, that she had taken an other man besides hir husband, and that she had committed adulterye. Neuerthelesse, when the matter was tryed by the goodnes of almightye God, and she was clearelye discharged from this terrible occasion, and clearely deliuered frō this shame, it was a great comfort vnto hir.

⁴⁷The blessed Magdalen which by hir wretched liuing had deserud great shāe, yet when she came to our sauiour Christ and wept at his féete, and so by his great mercy was excused of hir shame, hir hart was set at a great rest, & in great cōforte. The woman of whom the gospel telleth, yt was taken in aduoutery by hir enimies & so brought before our sauiour Christ,⁴⁸ & there in his presence, & before al his people, hir shamfull dealing was published, who may think but yt she was sore accō bred with that open shame, but yet whē our souiour had confounded hir enimies and deliuered hir from yt shame, she was restored to much ease and comfort of hyr hart. Why tel I this? Truly to the intent that we may sée great matter of cō fort in the Crosse, for we sinners haue deserued great shame for our abhominable sinne, surelye so great that if we verely knew the greatnes of the shame, that we haue deserued, we might neuer sustaine the remembraunce therof. And yet that moste inestimable goodnesse of Christ by that horyble shame that he suffered on the Crosse, deliuered vs from euerlasting shame. He toke ther vpon hys back all the burthen of our sinne. There wanted no circumstances of horryble shame, for then the death of the Crosse was the most shamefull maner of death, that was put to any villaine. It was thē the most vilanous death to be hāged on ye gebbit of the Crosse. And this was done in no secret place, but high vppon an open mountaine, that all the people might behoulde and looke vppon hym. And he was hāged ther naked & betwéen two théeues as though he were a prince and captaine of misdoers. And against ye feast of Easter, when the most number of people did assemble vnto ye temple of ye Iewes,⁴⁹ nigh vnto the Citie of Ierusalem, that all the people might commodiouslye resort to gase vppon this cruell spectacle. This thing was done also in the open day, for from the midst of the day he thus did hang aliue on the Crosse by the space of thrée howres and more. And al the strangers as they passed foreby did wonder vpon him. The souldiers opprobryously rebuked him. The priests with wordes of derision and mockerye assaulted him. The théeues that honge besides him blasphemed him. Finally al his enimes reioyced in their victorye against him. Alas what creature mighte be more shamefully intreated, then was our sauiour christ Iesus hanging thus on the Crosse. A troth it is, now the Crosse is made honorable by his death, but then as I said,⁵⁰ it was more shameful then anie gibbet or gallows, or any other instrument of death. And moreouer, and besides that he was hanged on the same with the most dispight and villany th[…] could be thought or deuised for any creature to be put vnto. O thou christian soule, Christ Iesus the sonne of God tooke vpon him al this shame, for thy loue, to ye entent that if thou wilt amend thy life, and forsake thy sin and do true penance, thou shalt by his shame be deliuered frō al shame. His shame shall hide thy sins. Hée was there naked and spoyled of all his cloathes, to the intent yt thou shouldest be couered vnder his mantle fro thy shame. And therfore by the prophet Ezechiell he saith, Expādi amittum meum super […], et operui ignominiam tuam. I did spred my mantle vpon thée, and so couered thée from shame. Let euery persō héere think wt them selues what déedes they haue done worthie of great shame, which if they had come to light and bene openlye knowne, thei should haue bene blotted wt opē infamye here in this lyfe, and with out the special mercy of god in the day of iudgement they shoulde thereof haue an open shame before all the world, and fyfally in hell an euerlasting shame. But from al those shames by ye gracious mantle of Christ many bée couered. Hée hath mercifully spred his mantle ouer them, and kept them from those importable shames. Of this couering also the Prophet Dauid sayth, Beati quorum tecta sunt peccata. Blessed are those whose sinnes be couered. O thou sinfull creature, if thou mightst see what shame thou hast deserued for thy sinne, thou shouldest recken this a singular comfort. But thou séest not the abhominacion of thy sin, and therfore thou perceyuest not what shame thou hast deserued. Why doeth a common brothel take no shame of hir abhomination? what is the cause, why that shée regardeth hyr infamye no more? Truely as far as I can iudge, the cause is for that al the light of honestie is quē ched in hyr, shée is so blynded with hyr wretched pleasure that shée is paste all shame, and hath not left in hir one sparke of ye light of honestye, where by shée may value & estéeme ye horriblenesse of hir offences. Shée reputeth more a litle spote in hir kyrchefe, or in hir face, thē a thousād blots of deadly sin in hir soule. But if she had any honesty wtin hir hart to think how foule & abhominable hir lif were, surely she wold be much ashamd of hir self.

Thamar the daughter of King Dauid, whē hir brother Amon wold haue oprest hir,⁵¹ she sayde. Noli facere hanc stulticiam, ego enim ferre non potero opprobrium meum. O my brother saide she, doe not this folly, for this reproch that ye inforce to do vnto me is greater then I may suffer. This woman had some light of honestye, within her brest, whereby she was moued to resist, and to withstande this shamefull déede batwéene hir and hir brother.

A Romane woman also, whose name was Lucretia, whom by force & againste hir wil in the absence of hir husband, one mā called Sextus Tarquinius, had abused hir, albeit the thinge was […], yet she was there of so muche as[…]amed in hir owne mind that she might not beare the shame. But when hir husband came home, she tooke a knife and in his presēce slew hir selfe. This noble woman had the light of honesty in hir soule, she sawe how abhominable a thing it was to commit adultery. But a brothell hath in hir no spark of honesty wherby she can take any shame, nor she doth not consider the foule abhomynacion of, hir wretched life, and therefore she is shamles. And in like maner euery sinner, yt lacketh ye light of faith, neither considereth ye greatnes of his sinne, nor the presence of almightye God, which looketh vpon the same. He regardeth nothing the blessed Angels the which doth behold the[…] abhominable conscience, to their great discomfort, nor the deuilles his mortal enimies which be ful ioyous of his shameful demainer. If the sinner clearely considered al these thinges, (as they be matter in very déed) he would be doubtlesse greatly ashamed of him selfe, and in a great discomforte. Neuerthelesse a penitent soule, yt is sore prest and wrong with vtter shame, lyke as was the womē of whō I spake before I meane Susanna and Mary Magdalen, & the woman that was apprehended in aduoutry. I say such a soule being holdē in such distresse of shame, and cōsidering that by the approbrious and shamefull death, which our sauiour did suffer on ye Crosse. He that deliuered all true penitēt sinners, from the shame which he deserued for their sinne, and that he there by tooke all their sinne in hys owne necke, hath great cause (as me séemeth) to take a wonderful comforte in the most blessed Crosse. So yt here also (as I said) is great matter & cause of very comfort, & of solace incomparable. Wherefore to conclude my tale as touching this second writing, if eyther loue, or hope, or ioy, or comfort wil make vs sing. Here in thys booke of the Crucifixe is great occasion of song. If thou first truly lament with Christ, thou shalt after ioyfully sing with him, and eche of these shal induce other, hatred of sinne shall bring into thy harte the loue of Christ, dreade shall bring in hope, sorow shal bring in ioy. And shame here taken for thy sin, shal bringe into thy soule perpetuall comfort. And thus much I haue sayde for the second writing.

The thyrde wrytinge that is written in this booke, I sayde is ve, that is to say wo, ve betokeneth in scriptures euerlasting dampnation. And doubtlesse this woe may such sinners here reade, that neither wil lament, nor sing with Christ on the Crosse, as hée said vnto the Iews Cecinimus vobis et non saltastis, lamentauimus vobis et non planxistis, that is to saye,⁵² we sunge vnto you, and you sorrowed not. And soone after the Gospell telleth, that he reprochfully spake vnto ye cities, to ye whiche he had shewed many great myracles. And they for all that did no maner of pennaunce for theyr sinne, to such there he tirribly threatneth saying, Vae tibi Corozaine, Vae tibi Bethsaida, ⁵³ wo shal be to thée Bethsaida, by thys we maye learne that such whiche will not stir in them selues these affections aboue rehearsed, whereby they may lament, or els singe with Christ on the Crosse they shall come to euerlasting woe.

I say who that will not stir in theyr hartes, dreade, shame, sorrowe, and hatred, of theyr sinne, and so truely lament with Iesu, eyther els quicken in theyr hartes loue, hope, reioysing, and comfort and so singe with Iesu, doubtlesse they shall come to the wo of euerlasting dampnation, which woe is the thirde writinge that as we sayde before is written on the Crosse.

Behold O thou christian soule ye extreme paines, yt our sauiour suffered on ye crosse, for thy sinne. And if thou wilte not by such aflictions, as I now haue rehearsed enforce thy selfe to be made parteiner of ye same paines in this lyfe, thou shalte in the life to come endure like manner of paines and that euerlastingly where he suffered them on the Crosse for a time. Let vs therefore déepely consider what paines he did endure & suffer on ye crosse. The first, when he was crucified he was spoyled and made naked of al his clothes. And so violently throwne downe vppon the hard tymber, and his handes & féete cruelly digged in with nailes, as he sayeth in the 21. Psalme. Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos, ⁵⁴ they haue digged my handes and my féete, this he suffered for thy sinne O sinfull creature, and if thou wilt not amend thy life be times, thou shalt be spoyled of all thy clothes, and so cast downe into hell, vpon a more painefull couch, then was the Crosse. The Prophet Esay saith vnto such a sinner. Subtus te seruatur timea et opera mentum tuum verinis. ⁵⁵ The mothes that shall teare and gnaw thy body, shall lie vnder thée acd the burninge wormes and serpents shal sprale aboue thée & dig away part of thy body. O think what an horrible paine it were for to lye in a bed full of snakes, adders, and todes, créepinge and sprawling, and byting, and pinching thée on euery parte.

The seconde, when our sauiour was reared vp aloft on the Crosse, that same hanging there was very paynefull vnto him, O what payne was it vnto that most delicate and tender bodye of hys to hange so longe in that tormentrye. But where he did hange here but for a time, if yu amende not thy life, thou sh[…] hang in the gibbet of hell for euermore. For be thou well assured that if thou shalt suffer for thine owne sinne in hell, thou shalte suffer a more gréeuous tormentry then he dyd, & that without seasing. For as it is sayd in the Apocalipses, fumus tormentorum ascendet in secula seculorum, ⁵⁶ the smoke of the tormentries of that place shall ascende by innumerable worlds, that is to say without ende. The tormentes which he suffered on the Crosse, was the nayles, the thornes, the rops, the schourges, the speare. But ye torments that thou shalt suffer, shal a thousande folde passe them. Looke howe far the mallice and wit of the diuils passeth the mallice and witte of the Iewes, so farre excéede the engynes which the diuilles haue cōceiued and forged for the dampned soules to be tormented. Aboue them that ye Iewes maliciously deuysed agaynst our sauiour Christ. The thyrd, our sauiour endured an extreme heate, & feruour, when he for the great afflictiō & […] agony whiche he did suffer, was cō strained for yt gréeuous anguish to sweat water & blud. But this heat is nothing to ye heat of the burnyng fyre of hell which neuer shall be quenched, Ignis ille non extinguetur, As the gospell sayth, that fyre shall neuer be quenched. The Prophet Esay sayeth, Quis ex vobis poterit habitare cum ardoribus sempiternis which of you may continually inhabite with the heates that neuer shal cease.

O sinfull creature thinke with thy self ye largenes of these two wordes. Euer and neuer, thinke with thy self howe paynefull it shall be euer to be in that brenning fyre, and neuer to be released of thy payne.

If thou shouldest be compelled to lye but one sennight vpon a softe featherbed, I suppose thou wouldest be weary thereof. But how weary shalt thou be euer to lye stewing and brenning without ceasing.

The fourth, our sauiour Christ endured also colde not onely for his nakednesse, but also when his naturall heate by death, lefte his bodye. But the dampned sinner shal endure in hell a more excessyue colde. Iob sayth of such, transibunt ab aquis niuis ad calorem nimirem, they shall be shyfred out of ye colde snow brought into the outragious heates. O Iesus, a tender hand wherin ye froste and snowe it hath bene made extreme colde and sodenly is brought into the heate of the fier, it féeleth a greater payne, but nothynge comparable vnto that shyfting from that colde into that heate whych is in hell.

The fift, our sauior in his crosse hard blasphemous & opprobrious words, and much insultinge of his enimies against him, which doubtles was very paynefull vnto him. But the damned sinners shall in hel heare nothīg els but continual outcryes, opprobrious insulting, blasphemes of the diuells and other that be dampned. Blasphemabunt deum caeli doloribus, they shall blaspheme the god of heauen for continuall paine and sorrowes. And they shall sée before their faces continually the most horrible and ireful countenaūce of their immortal enimies the diuells.

The vi. our sauiour wept on ye crosse for ye sinnes of other, as s. Paul saith, cū clamore et lachimis, ⁵⁷ with crying & teres but the damned sinners that would not here wepe wt Christ, such teares as might washe theyr sinnes, shall wepe in hell for theyr owne sinnes, such teares as shall skalde theyr bodies, and yet they shalbe neuer the better. Ibi erit flectus et stridor dentium, Ther shal be wéeping & gnashing of teeth,⁵⁸ the smoke of ye Fyer shal make them for to wéepe, & the coldenesse of the snow shal make their téeth for to gnashe, & chytter in theyr heades. Yea and that is more merueilous, neither the colde shall attemper the heate, nor contrarywyse, the heate shall attemper the colde, but eyther of them shall encrease the violence of the other. Euen as in the forge of a Smith, the colde water when it is cast into the Fyer, causeth the Fyer to be much more fearse and violent. The seuēth, our sauiour on the crosse had extrem drighnes, for ye which he cōplained & said, Scitio, I am dry, And no maruell though he wer dry, after so much payne and trauayle, after so much bléeding & sweting, wherby no moisture almost was left in his bodi. But howe vnmeasurable drighnesse shall ye dampned soules endure in the fyre of hell? The rich glutton yt was buried in hel teacheth vs what drighnesse is there, for he would haue gyuen all this worlde to haue had one drop of water or lycour to haue refreshed his tongue, that was made so drye with the flame of that fyre.

The eight, our sauiour on ye crosse had much sorrow and heauinesse. If he for the onely remembrance of the paine for to come was in so great an agony that he sweat water & bloud, who can expresse or think what sorrow and heauinesse he suffred when all the paynes were present, & presently did oppresse hym. Neuerthelesse euery dampned person, by the reason of their continuall and euerlasting paynes shall haue muche more sorrow and heauinesse, for the which it is writtē in the booke of Sapience, penitentiam Agentes et pretristitia spiritus gementes, they verely lamentably repent them selues, and for extreame heauinesse of spirite mourne and sorrowe, thinking, for howe briefe and transitory pleasures, they loste the ioyes euerlasting, and gate ye paynes that euer shall endure.

The ninth, our sauiour on ye crosse did suffer muche infamy and shame. And specially to deliuer (as I said all sinners that would amēd thē selues, and forsake their sinne,) from euerlasting shame. But such as will not, shall suffer theyr owne shame, as they haue deserued. The true penytent soule shall bée sacyate with perpetuall glory, But he that will not repent him selfe shall haue perpetuall shame and infamy.

Almightie God sayeth, to suche by his Prophet Naum, Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua. I wil make open all thy shamefulnesse and euill dealyng in thine owne face. And the Prophet Hieremy sayeth, saturabitur opprobrijs ▪ he shall bée sacyate with opprobryous shame.

The tenth, aboue all other paynes that our sauyour dyd suffer on the Crosse, was to be desolate of all comforte, yea of his father, and to bée as a person forsaken of almightie God, and destitute of all help and succour, for the which hée sore complayneth on his Crosse, crying vnto his father Deus meus Deus meus, vt quid dereliquistī me, O my God, O my God, why hast thou forsakē me. But this forsaking was but for a season, for within a short time after, he was raised again to immortall glory. But the dampned sinners which shall be punished for their owne sinnes in hell, shall euer be forsaken, and fully be depryued, not onely from all ioye & comforte, but from that moste glorious sighte of the face of almighty God, wherein standeth all blessednesse and consummation of all comforte. And this shall more pinche the dampned soules, then all the other tormentes of hell besides. For the which Chrisostome sayth. Ego autem multo grauiores cruciatus duco, quam gehenuam, remoueri et ab duci ab illa gloria. I think (saith he) that to be remoued and cast out from that euerlastyng glory, is more gréeuous torments then all the other paynes of hell.

Fynally, our sauiour on the crosse, suffered the paynes of death for our sinnes, whereby wée had deserued death. And therfore he suffered death to deliuer vs from the death of sinne. Neuerthelesse he remayned no long tyme in the bondes of death. But the dampned sinner that must paye his owne debtes in hell, shal suffer euerlasting death, not so that the sinners shal haue no lyfe nor féeling in them, but bycause that they shall be euer as though they were in the extreme paynes of death, and yet they shall haue no perfecte sense of the paynes, and neuer dye. The paynes shall be to them so vyolent, that they shall perish a thousand tymes, and desire cō tinually for to dye, but death shal flie away from them, desiderabunt mori et mors fugie ab eis, they shal desire death, and death shall fly from them. O Iesu in what myserie shall they be in, that euer shall couet death, and neuer may fully dye.

The Prophet Dauid speaking of their payne sayeth. Mors depascet eos, which words may haue thrée senses, one is that death shall bée their pastour and heardman, hée shall order them, and leade them to theyr pastures. In hell is two pastures, the one is all full of snow, the other full of fyre, for the whiche Iobe sayeth, Ad calorem nimium transient ab aquis niuium, they shal walke from the snow vnto the fyre. And agayne from the fyre vnto the snow, this may be one sense, an other may be this, they shal be the continuall meate of death, as ye sée in the pastures, where ye shéepe féede. They croppe the grasse euer as it ryseth and kéepeth it lowe, and so the grasse is euer in eatyng, and neuer full eaten.

In lyke maner death shall continually croppe the dampned persons in hell. And he shall euer be gnawyng and eating vpon them, and yet they shall neuer be fully consumed. The third sense may be this, death shall be theyr continuall meate, for they shall euer long and desire for to dye, they shal euer aboue all other things couet to haue death, and their desire shall alway be a lyke freshe and feruent. An other comforte and refresshing besides this, they shall haue none, but whatsoeuer the sense of these wordes be, thou mayest well perceyue by them. O thou christian soule) that if thou shalt come to that place to pay thy debtes of thine own sinnes, it shall bée to gréeuous and to importable for thée to sustayne, for as I sayde, looke any maner of paine that our sauiour Christ suffered on the crosse for all our sinnes. If wée be not before our death by such affections (as I before did rehearse) made perteyners of his sufferyng, we shall suffer all the same paynes in hel perpetually.

And therefore it is a troth, we may read in the booke of the Crucifix great matter of woe, whiche is the thyrde wryting that we had to speake off. Now thou sinful creature, haue oftē before thyne eyes thys wonderfull booke which as I sayde is wrytten within and with out. In the which also thou mayest reade thrée maner of wrytings, that is to say, lamentation, song, and wo. If thou wilt begin to lament with Iesu, thou shalt therby come to sing with him. And therby thou shalt be made so fully parteiner of his passion, that the debtes of thy sinnes shall be throughly payde, and that thou shalt escape euerlasting woe. But if thou doe refuse this remedy, and follow the desires of thys world, and of the fleshe, be thou well assured that then thou shalt pay thine owne debtes amongest the diuils in hell, with euerlasting woe. From the which he defend vs, that for our loue as this day suffered on the Crosse, his most paynfull and sorrowfull death, our sauiour Christ Iesus. Amen.

Memoria crucifixi: vitia crucifigit. Grego Quecumque momorderit astucia sathanae aspiciat Christum inligno pendentē August

Ize. 2. ↩
Eze. 3. ↩
Abac. 1. Act. 13. ↩
[…]at. 27. ↩
Gene. 3. ↩
Gene. 18. ↩
Psal. 38. ↩
Iob. 14. ↩
Act. […] ↩
Psal. 145. ↩
Rom. 11. ↩
Psal. 47. Psal. 144. ↩
Excle. 43. ↩
Col. 2. ↩
Iohn. 1. ↩
1. Cor. 2[…]
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Mat. 2[…] ↩
Iudith. 4. ↩
1. Peter. 2▪
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[…]cob. 2. ↩
Heb. 4▪ ↩
Psal. 43. ↩
[…]. Esdr[…]ea. 8 ↩
Iere. 3. ↩
Lamen. Hier. ca. 1. ↩
Rom. […] ↩
Luke. 2. ↩
Math. 27 ↩
Math. 27. ↩
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[…]. Reg. 19. ↩
[…] 10. ↩
Iohn. 1[…]. ↩
1. Iohn. 2[…]
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Rom. 5. ↩
1. Tim. 1.
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Rom. 8. ↩
1. Pet. […].
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Hiere. 3. ↩
Hebr. 12. ↩
Gen. 4. ↩
[…]. Iohn. 2. ↩
Gala. […]. ↩
Col. 2[…] ↩
Col. 2. ↩
Daniel. 17. ↩
Luke. 7. ↩
Psal. 21 ↩
Ezech. 16. ↩
Psalm. 31. ↩
2 Reg▪ 13. ↩
Mat. […]. ↩
Mat. 11. ↩
Io. […]. ↩
Esay. 14. ↩
Apoca. 14. ↩
Heb. 5. ↩
Math. 22. ↩

Chapter 16 of 16

A Sermon verie fruitfull, godly, and learned, vpon thvs sētēce of the Prophet Ezechiell, Lamentationes, Carm

Footnotes