HOLY weeke.
The cheefe of the Iewes accuse him to Pilat the Gentil (his betrayer, and the Iudge, and the
Iudges wife, testifying in the meane time manifoldly his innocencie:) 20. and persuade the
common people also, not only to preferre the murderer Barabbas, but also to crie, CRVCIFIGE:
(Al, to the reprobation of their whole Nation, and nothing but fulfilling the Scriptures) 27.
After many illusions, 31. he is crucified by the Gentils. 38. But euen then by many wonderful works
he declareth his might, to their confusion. 57. Finally being buried, they to make al sure, set
souldiars to keepe his sepulcher.
1.
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PRIME, or Hora prima, in the Churches Seruice.
GOOD FRIDAY.
*
Mark 15,1.
Luke 23,1.
Iohn 18,28.
AND when morning was come; al the cheefe Priests and Ancients of the People consulted
togeather against Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, that they might put him to death.
2. And they brought him bound and deliuered him to Ponce Pilate the President.
3. Then Iudas that betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned
Repenting him.
Horrour of conscience.
Note how speedily the plague of God falleth after sinne; and specially men must
note what torment of conscience, and desperation often foloweth the sheading of
innocent bloud.
repenting him, returned
the thirtie siluer peeces to the cheefe Priests and Ancients,
4. saying: I haue sinned, betraying iust bloud. But they said: What is that to vs? looke
thou to it.
5. And casting downe the siluer peeces in the temple, he departed: and went and
Hung himself.
Desperation.
If he had rightly repented, notwithstanding his horrible treason, he might haue
obtained mercy: but by hanging himself he tooke away al meanes of mercy and
saluation, because he died finally impenitent.
hanged
himself with an halter.
6. And to the cheefe Priests hauing taken the siluer peeces, said: It is not lawful to
cast them into the
✟
This Corbana was a place about the Temple, which receaued the Peoples guifts, or
offerings. See Mar. 12, v. 42.
Corbana, because it is the price of bloud.
7. And after they had consulted togeather, they brought with them the potter field, to
be a burying place for strangers.
8. For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the
field of bloud, euen to this present day.
9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremie the Prophet, saying:
*
Zach. 11,12.
And
they tooke the thirtie peeces of siluer, the price of the priced, whom they did price of the
children of Israel.
10. And they gaue then into the potter field, as our Lord did appoint to me.
11. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ stood before the President, and the President asked him, saying: Art thou
the King of the Iewes? Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ saith to him: Thou sayest.
12. And when he was accused of the cheefe Priests and Ancients, he answered nothing.
13. Then Pilate saith to him: Doest thou not heare how great testimonies they alleage
against thee?
14. And he answering him not to any word: so that the President did maruel excedingly.
15.
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HORA TERTIA, in the Churches Seruice.
And vpon the solemne day the President had accustomed to release vnto the People one
prisoner, whom they would.
16. And he had then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas.
17. They therfore being gathered togeather, Pilate said: Whom wil you that I release to
you, Barabbas, or Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ that is called Christ?
18. For he knew that for envie they had deliuered him.
19. And as he was sitting in place of iudgement, his wife sent vnto him, saying: Haue
thou nothing to doe with that iust man. For I haue suffred many things this day in my sleep for him.
20. But the cheefe Priests and Ancients persuaded the people, that they should aske
Barabbas, and make Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ away.
21. And the President answering, said to them: Whether wil you of the two be released
vnto you? But they said, Barabbas.
22. Pilate saith to them: What shal I doe then with Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ that is called Christ? They
say al: Let him be crucified.
23. The President said to them: Why what euil hath he done? But they cried the more,
saying: Let him be crucified.
24. And Pilate seeing that he nothing preuailed, but rather tumult was toward; taking
water he washed his hands before the People, saying: I am
Innocent of his bloud.
They that execute lawes against their conscience, are like to Pilate.
Though Pilate was much more innocent then the Iewes, and would have been free
from the murder of our Sauiour, seeking al the meanes that he could (without
offending the People and the Emperours lawes) to dimisse him: Yet he is damned
for being the minister of the Peoples wicked wil against his owne conscience.
Euen as al Officers be, and specially the Iudges and Iuries which execute lawes
of temporal Princes against Catholike men: for al such be guilty of innocent bloud,
and be nothing excused by that they execute other mens will according to the lawes,
which be vniust. For they should rather suffer death them selues, then put an
innocent man to death.
innocent of the bloud of this iust man:
looke you to it.
25. And the whole people answering, said: His bloud be vpon vs, and vpon our children.
26. Then he released to them Barabbas, and hauing scourged Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, deliuered him vnto
them for to be crucified.
27. Then the Presidents souldiars taking Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ into the Palace, gathered togeather vnto
him the whole band:
28.
*
Iohn 19,2.
and stripping him, put a scarlet cloke about him.
29. and platting a crowne of thornes, put it vpon his head, and a reed in his right hand.
And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Haile King of the Iewes.
30. And spitting vpon him, they tooke the reed, and smote his head.
31. And after they had mocked him, they tooke of the cloke from him, and put on him his
owne garments, and led him away to crucifie him.
32. And in going they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take vp his
Crosse.
33.
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HORA SEXTA in the Churches Seruice.
And they came into the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Caluarie.
34. And they gaue him wine to drinke mingled with gal. And when he had tasted, he would not
drinke.
35. And after they had crucified him; they deuided his garments, casting lots; that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, saying:
*
Psa. 21,19.
They deuided my garments among
them; and vpon my vesture they did cast lots.
36. And they sate and watched him.
37. And they put ouer his head his cause written: Tʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴇᴡᴇꜱ.
38. Then were crucified with him two theeues; one on the right hand, and one on the left.
39. And they that passed by, blasphemed him waging their heads,
40. and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the Temple of God and in three daies
doest reedifie it; saue thine owne self:
If thou be the Sonne.
Christ derided in the B. Sacrament, euen as vpon the Crosse.
Maruel not, when thou hearest our Sauiour in the B. Sacrament mocked at, or seest
him abused of wicked men that he straight reuengeth not such blasphemies: or that
he sheweth not him self there visibly and to the senses, when faithles Heretikes
wil say: Let me see him, tast him, &c. for he suffered here the like on the Crosse,
when he might at his wil haue come downe with as much ease as he rose when he was
dead.
if thou be the Sonne of God, come downe from the Crosse.
41. In like manner also the cheefe Priests with the Scribes and Ancients mocking, said:
42. He saued other; himself he can not saue: if he be the King of Israel, let him now come
downe from the Crosse, and we wil beleeue him.
43.
*
Psa. 21,9.
Sap. 2,18.
He trusted in God; let him now deliuer him if he wil: for he said that I am the
Sonne of God.
44. And the self same thing the theeues also that were crucified with him, reproched
him withal.
45. And from the sixt houre there was darkenesse made vpon the whole earth, vntil the
ninth houre.
46. And about the ninth houre Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ cried with a mighty voice, saying:
Eli, Eli, lamma-sabacthani? that is, My God, my God,
Why hast thou forsaken me.
Detestable blasphemie of Caluin. And other Ministers of his schoole.
Beware here of the detestable blasphemie of Caluin and the Caluinists, who thinking
not the bodily death of Christ sufficient, say, that he was also here so forsaken
and abandoned of his Father, that he sustained in soule and conscience, the very
feares and torments of the damned. *Which strange doctrine we find also auouched
in an English Catechisme set forth by R. H. Anno. 1583. in these wordes:
Quest. By what means hath Christ appeased his Father wrath, and ransomed vs?
Answer. By suffering death of the Crosse, and the torment of Hel in soule, and
conscience. Quite contrary to the holie Scriptures, which alwayes attribute
our Redemption to Christs death, and sheding of his most precious bloud, as to
a most sufficient, and onlie ransom for al mankind. Ro. 5,10. Heb. 9,14. 1. Pet.
1,19. 1. Io. 1,7. and in innumerable other places. But Caluin and his Disciples
hold this wicked paradox, to take away the Article of Christs descending into Hel
after his death, saying that his descending was nothing els, but that his soule
(remaining as yet in his bodie) suffered the very paines of Hel vpon the Crosse.
Wheras indeed his descending was in soule (parting forth of the bodie) into that
place, where the Fathers of the Old Testament were detained, expecting his communing
to deliuer them (and that with triumph, and not in paine,) as is proued by the
Scriptures, and manie ancient Fathers, in the Annotations vpon S. Luke. c. 16,22.
Act. 2,27. 1. Pet. 3,19. and in other places. And concerning the true sense of
these wordes: Why hast thou forsaken me? as wel by conferring them with
other holie Scriptures, as by the vniforme consent of the ancient Fathers, our
Sauiour would signifie hereby, that his paines (being now so long on the Crosse,
and readie to die) were very great; and therfore according to the infirmitie of his
humane nature, for very anguish (as before in the garden he sweat bloud, when he was
but toward his Passion) he saith, he was forsaken, for two causes. First because it
was the wil of God not to deliuer him, but that he should die. Secondly, because his
diuine nature did so represse itself for the time, that he felt no comfort thereof
at al, but was left to die in extreme paines as a mere man. Yea destitute of such
consolation, as his holie Martyrs commonly haue in their last agonie. See Origen,
Tract. 35. in Mat. S. Hilarie li. 10. de Trinit. S. Leo 17. de Passione S. Bede and
others vpon this place.
*Catech. Calu. & Instit. l. 2. 16, 5. 10.
why hast thou forsaken me?
47. And certaine that stood there and heard, said: He calleth Elias.
48. And incontinent one of them running, tooke a sponge, & filled it with vinegre; and
put it on a reed, and gaue him to drinke.
49. And other said: Let be, let vs see whether Elias come to deliuer him.
50.
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HORA NONA in the Churches Seruice.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ againe crying with a mighty voice, yealded vp the ghost.
51. And behold the vele of the Temple was rent in two peeces, from the top euen to the
botome, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent,
52. And the graues were opened: and many bodies of the Saints that had slept, rose.
53. And they going forth out of the graues after his Resurrection, came into the holy
citie; and appeared to many.
54. And the Centurion and they that were with him watching Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, haying seen the earth-quake
and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: In deed this was the Sonne of God.
55. And there were there many women a farre of which had folowed Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ from Galilee,
ministring vnto him:
56. among whom was Marie Magdalene, and Marie the mother of Iames and Ioseph, and the
mother of the Sonnes of Zebedee.
57.
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HORA VESPERARVM, or Euensong.
And when it was euening, there came a certaine rich man of Arimathæa, named Ioseph,
who also himself was Disciple to Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
58. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ. Then Pilate commanded that the body
should be deliuered.
59.
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HORA COMPLETORII, or, Complin.
And Ioseph taking the body,
Wrapped.
Reuerent vsing of our Lords Body.
This honour and duty done to Christs body being dead, was maruelous grateful
and meritorious. *And this wrapping of it in cleane sindon may signifie by S. Hierom,
that the body of our Lord is to be wrapped not in gold, pretious stones, and silke,
but in pure linnen.
Corporals.
And so in the whole Church it is obserued by **S. Siluesters constitution, that the
Corporal whereupon our Lordes body lieth on the Altar, must be pure and plaine
linnen.
*S. Hier. in hunc locum.
**to. I. Concil.
wrapt it in cleane sindon,
60. & laid it in his owne new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he roled
a great stone to the doore of the monument, & went his way.
61. And there was there Marie Magdalene, & the other Marie sitting ouer against the
sepulchre.
62.
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SATVRDAY called Sabbatum sanctum.
And the next day, which is after the Parasceue, the cheefe Priests and the Pharisees
came togeather to Pilate,
63. saying: Sir, we haue remembred, that that seducer said yet liuing, After three dayes
I wil rise againe.
64. Command therfore the sepulchre to be kept vntil the third day; lest perhaps his
Disciples come, and steale him, & say to the people, he is risen from the dead: and the last errour
shal be worse then the first.
65. Pilate said to them: You haue a gard: goe, gard it as you know.
66. And they deprating, made the sepulchre sure; sealing vp the stone, with watchmen.