HOLY weeke.
The cheefe of the Iewes accuse him to Pilate the Gentil. 6. And (he seeking to deliuer him)
they persuade the common people (who hitherto were alwaies ready to defend him) not only to
preferre the murderer Barabbas, but also to crie Crucifige (to the reprobation of the whole
Nation,) 16. After many illusions, 20. he is crucified by the Gentils. 29. which the Iewes seing,
doe triumph as if they had now the victorie. 33. But euen then by many wonderful workes he declareth
his might, 42. and finally is buried honourably.
1.
⋮
GOOD FRIDAY.
*
Mat. 27,1.
Luke 23,1.
Iohn 18,28.
AND forthwith in the morning the cheefe Priests with the Ancients and the Scribes &
the whole Councel, consulting together, binding Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ led & deliuered him to Pilate
2. And Pilate asked him: Art thou the King of the Iewes? but he answering, said to
him: Thou saiest,
3. And the cheefe Priests accused him in many things.
4. And Pilate againe asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? see in how great things
they accuse thee.
5. But Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answered nothing more; so that Pilate marueled.
6. And vpon the festiual day he was wont to release vnto them one of the prisoners
whomsoeuer they had demanded.
7. And there was one called Barabbas, which was put in prison with seditious persons,
who in a sedition had committed murder.
8. And when the multitude was come vp, they began to require, according as alwayes he
did vnto them.
9. And Pilate answered them, and said: Wil you that I release to you the King of the
Iewes?
10. For he knew that the cheefe Priests for enuy had deliuered him.
11. But the
Cheefe Priests.
The Priests of the old Testament.
Heretikes abuse the ignorant People with these naughtie Priests of the old Testament,
to make that name odious, & to discredit the Priests of Christ in the new Testament.
But for these Priests, thou mayst not maruel that they are so busy against Christ,
*partly because they were such as were intruded by the secular power of the Roman
Emperour, and from yeare to yeare by bribery and frendship, not by succession according
to the Law of Moyses; partly because the time was now come when the old Priesthood of
Aaron should cease, and the new begin according to the order of Melchisedech: and for
these causes God suffered their former priuileges of wisedom and iudgement and
discretion to decay in these later vsurpers, and that according to the prophet saying:
**The Law shal perish from the Priest and counsul from the Ancients.
The Priesthod of the new Testament.
But the
Priesthod of the new Testament is to continue vnto the end of the world, and hath
(as being the principal part of the Church) the assistance of the Holy Ghost for euer
promised, to teach it al truth; and for Peter the cheefe Priest thereof vnder Christ,
our Sauiour prayed, That his faith should not faile: and to the rest also he said:
***He that heareth you, heareth me.
*Euseb. Ec. Hist. li. 5 c. 6. ex Ioseph.
**Ezech. 7,26. Iohn 16,13.
***Luke 22, and 10.
cheefe Priests moued the people, that he should release Barabbas rather
to them.
12. And Pilate againe answering, said to them: What wil you then that I doe to the
King of the Iewes?
13. But they againe cried: Crucifie him.
14. And Pilate saith to them: Why, what euil hath he done? But they cried the more:
Crucifie him.
15. And Pilate willing
To satisfie the people.
Executing lawes against innocents.
Pilate should haue suffered death, rather then by other mens prouocation or
commandement haue executed an innocent: as a Christian iudge should rather
suffer al extremitie, then giue sentence of death against a Catholike man for
his faith.
to satisfie the people, released to them Barabbas, and deliuered
Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, hauing whipped him, for to be crucified.
16.
*
Iohn 19,2.
And the souldiars led him into the court of the Palace, and they cal together the
whole band:
17. and they clothe him in purple, and platting a crowne of thornes, they put it vpon
him.
18. And they began to salute him: Haile King of the Iewes.
19. And they smote his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing the knees,
they adored him.
20. And after they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple, and put on him his
owne garments, and they lead him forth to crucifie him.
21. And they forced a certaine man that passed by, Simon a Cyrenéan comming from the
countrie, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to take vp his crosse.
22. And they bring him into the place Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place
of Caluarie.
23. And they gaue him to drinke wine mingled with myrrhe; and he tooke it not.
24. And crucifying him, they deuided his garments, casting lots vpon them, who
should take which.
25. And it was the third houre, and they crucified him.
26. And the title of his cause was superscribed, Kɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴇᴡᴇꜱ.
27. And with him they crucifie two theeues; one on the right hand, and an other on his
left.
28. And the Scripture was fulfilled that saith:
*
Isai. 53,12.
And with the wicked he was reputed.
29. And they that passed by, blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah,
✟
'thou that destroiest'
he that
destroieth the Temple, and in three daies
✟
'buildest'
buildeth it:
30.
✟
So Heretikes say of the B. Sacrament, If it be Christ, let him saue him self
from al iniuries.
saue thy self, comming downe from the crosse.
31. In like manner also the cheefe Priests mocking said with the Scribes one to an
other: He saued others, himself he can not saue.
32. Let Christ the King of Israel come downe now from the crosse that we may see and
beleeue. And they that were crucified with him, railed at him.
33. And when it was the sixt houre, there was made darknes vpon the whole earth vntil
the ninth houre.
34. And at the ninth houre Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ cried out with a mightie voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi,
lamma-sabacthani? Which is being interpreted,
*
Psa. 21,1.
My God, my God, why hast thou
✟
See (Mat. c. 27, 46) the blasphemous exposition of Caluin and his folowers,
and take heed therof.
forsaken me?
35. And certaine of the standers about hearing, said: Behold, he calleth Elias.
36. And one running and filling a spunge with vinegre, and putting it about a reed,
gaue him drinke, saying: Let be, let vs see it Elias come to take him downe.
37. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ putting forth a mightie voice, gaue vp the ghost.
38. And the vele of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottome.
39. And the Centurion that stood ouer against him, seeing that so crying he had giuen
vp the ghost, said: In deed this man was the Sonne of God.
40. And there were also women looking on a farre off: among whom was Marie Magdalene,
and Marie the mother of Iames the lesse, and of Ioseph, and Salôme;
41. and when he was in Galilee, they followed him, and ministred to him, and many other
women that came vp together with him to Hierusalem.
42. And when euening was now come (because it was the Parasceue, which is the
Sabboth-eue)
43. came Ioseph of Arimathæa a noble Senatour, who himself also was expecting the
Kingdom of God; and he went in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
44. But Pilate marueled if he were now dead. And sending for the Centurion,
asked him if he were now dead.
45. And when he vnderstood by the Centurion, he gaue the body to Ioseph.
46. And Ioseph
Buying sindon.
Religious duty toward the bodies of Christ and his Saints.
This dutie done to Christes body after his departure, was exceeding meritorious,
and is therfore by holy writ so often commended for an example to faithful men,
to vse al honour and deuotion towards the bodies of Saints and holy Persons.
buying sindon, and taking him downe, wrapped him in the sindon, and laid
him in a monument, that was hewed out of a rock. And he roled a stone to the doore of the monument.
47. And Marie Magdalene and Marie of Ioseph beheld where he was laid.