The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente

The .xix. Chapter.

[ The texte.] Then Pylate toke Iesus therfore and scourged hym. And the souldiers wound a croune of thornes, and put it on his head. And they did on him a purple garment, and came vnto him, and sayed: Hayle kyng of the Iewes: and they smote hym on the face. Pilate wente furth a∣gayne and sayde vnto them: Behold I bryng hym furthe to you, that ye maye knowe that I fynde no faulte in hym. Then came Iesus furth wearing a croune of thorne, and a roo••e of purple, and he sayeth vnto them: Beholde the man.

AFter that Pilate, the Emperours Lieutenaunt, had also by occasion sente Iesus to Herode, leauyng nothyng vn∣doen eyther to shifte and ridde his handes of hym that was accused, or els to dimisse and sette hym looce as an innocent: when the lorde president (I saye) had thus as∣sayed all wayes▪ and sawe he coulde do no good with the furiouse folkes of the Iewes, he than commaunded Ie∣sus to be scourged, as the maner was at Rome, whiche feat he dyd to assuage theyr furie, and to saue the inno∣centes lyfe. This doen, the souldiers that were in the inner courte, of whome the Iewes had hyred a numbre to serue theyr tyrannye, dyd of theyr owne inuē∣cion adde muche cruel fearcenesse to that vncouth solemne piece of his passion: for when he had bene so scourged and beaten, to mocke hym withall, they putte vpon him a purple garment, and wounde a croune of thorne, and put it on his head, geuyng hym a reede in his hande in stede of a scepter, and byanby castyng hym in the tethe with a kyngdome that he shoulde be desyrous of, who (God wotte) was to see to, an homely, a base, and a contempte persone, they came and kneled vnto him, saying: Hayle king of Iewes. And they spitted vpon his face, and buffeted hym, he beyng Lorde of all thynges and behauing hymselfe moste pacientely and moste coldly in al theyr kynde of mockage, for to teache vs len••∣tye and pacience in aduersitie: vs (I saye) that haue hautye and verye fierce myndes, though yet in dede we be thinges of nought. Sothe it is, that Pilate suffered Iesus thus to be delt withall, because he would with this the mans af∣fliccion, haue appeased the malice of the Iewes: for when the people hathe for a while raged agaynste whom they be sturred, theyr fury ceaseth sodainly, name∣ly, if scornyng be added to the calamitie, and make hym that suffereth, lamen∣table, where before he was hated.

Therfore Pilate the presidente wente furthe vnto them agayne, for to proue yf he coulde mitigate the fiercenes of the meane multitude, and sayeth: Lo, I bryng out the manne vnto you, that ye maye looke your fyll vpon hym, and perceyue howe he hath bene handled for your pleasure, not withstandyng

that I can finde no faulte in him. And so therwith Iesus (at Pilates cōmaun∣dement) cummeth furth as he was appareled, bounde, scourged and beate, bespitted, crowned with a crowne of thorne, and wearyng the purple gar∣ment. And Pilate presented hym, saying: Beholde the man is here.

[ The texte.] When the hye Priestes and ministers sawe hym, they cryed, saying: Crucifie hym, cru∣cifie hym. Pilate sayeth vnto them: Take ye hym, and crucifie hym, for I fynde no cause in hym. The Iewes answered hym: We haue a lawe, and by our lawe he ought to dye, because he made hymselfe the sonne of God. When Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afeard, and went agayne into the iudgemente hall, and sayeth vnto Iesus: whence art thou? but Ie∣sus gaue him no answere.

With this sight therefore, whiche had been ynough to haue tamed the crueltie (had it been neuer so great) of wild and rude barbarouse people, the myndes yet of the Iewes were not onely not mollified, but were therewith more set on fyre to finish the thing that they had so farre proceded in. For the bishops were now afeard, leste if he, which had been so horribly & so cruelly tormented, should now haue been let looce, that then the affeccion and mynde of the people, that were already sette on a roare, being once turned on the o∣ther side, the grudge of their extreme great crueltie, might light vpon their owne heades. The bishops therfore & their seruaūtes, with a great stier and shone cryed woodly out, crucifie him, crucifie hym: Pilate perceyuing that there was no hope of pitie to be gotten at their handes by fayre intreatie, he goeth aboute to restrayne and bridle in their fury with feare, & sayth: I am a minister of lawe and iustice, and not a reuēger of other folkes malice: and by lawfull processe to punishe trangressours of the lawe, am I autorisate: I am no butcherly murderer, no bloudshedder of innocēcie. This that hath been doen, was to serue and satisfie your hatred. I will no more be fierce against him that is no noysome persone. And yf he shall algates be crucified, I wyll not haue this my courte of iudgemente distayned & polluted with the bloud of an innocente. Upon your owne perill haue ye the man awaye: and yf it se∣meth good, doe ye crucifie him. I am not wounte to crucifie any but wicked doers. In this man I finde no crime that deserueth the crosse. For there is no likelihode in him of that trayterouse dede whiche is layed to his charge, con∣cerning the kingdome. Nor it is not ynough to accuse a man of a fault, except it be proued to be a matter of certaintie, that is obiected, by sure euidence: specially if it be a cause that concerneth life and death. This whole matter is by no lawful processe hādled, but ruffeled out sediciously. When the Iewes heard Pilate the iudge so frendely and diligently withall, take Iesus parte and defende him, & vtterly thinking it not mete that any waye Iesus should escape, they falsely surmised a cryme whiche might seme to the iudge that was not learned in theyr lawe, a greuouse faulte, saying: Although he had doen none offence against the Emperours lawes, yet haue we a lawe geuen vs of God: which the Emperour also hath left vnto vs: And by the force of this lawe he hath well deserued to dye, because he hath made himselfe the sonne of God, and takyng vpon him the godhead, he did commit blasphemie against God. After that Pilate had heard this, hauyng no ready aunswere to make them, he led Iesus againe into the iudgement hall, & went in himselfe, and talked againe with Iesus, beyng very desyrouse to learne of hym what

a thyng that was wherewith they charged hym, and howe it might bee refelled and auoyded. Therfore, first of all Pilate asketh hym whence he was, to the en∣tent that after he had knowen of what progenie he came, he might haue confu∣ted that, whereas they sayed he was desirouse to be taken for the sonne of God: though in dede among the Gentiles it was both written in Poetes fables, and commonly beleued, that some were taken for halfe goddes, as folkes borne of God and manne. But verily Iesus knowyng that Pilate did assaye all these wayes finally to saue his lyfe, and was not ignoraunte that yet Pilate shoulde afterwarde (when all meanes had bene proued) geue place to the obstinate fu∣rye of the Iewes, Iesus (I saye) woulde make no aunswere at all vnto the pre∣sident, leste he should be thought to haue made any meane howe to get oute of theyr handes, because he would not seme to be compelled to death. And that hi∣therto he made aunswere, was because he would haue recorde of his innocēcie, but his pleasure was to dye willingly and gladly.

[ The texte.] ¶Then sayed Pylate vnto hym: Speakest thou not vnto me? knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee, and haue power to looce thee? Iesus aunswered. Thou couldeste haue no power at all agaynst me, except it were geuen the from aboue: therfore he that dely∣uered me vnto thee, hath the more synne. And frō thence furthe sought Pilate meanes to looce hym, but the Iewes cryed, saying: If thou let hym go, thou arte not Ceasars frende, for whoso∣euer maketh hymselfe a kyng, is agaynst Ceasar. When Pilate heard that saying, he broughte Iesus furth & satte down to geue sentence in a place that is called the pauemēt, but in the He∣brue tōgue Babatha. It was the preparyng daye of Easter, about the sixt houre. And he sayth vnto the Iewes. Behold your kyng They cryed, awaye with him, awaye with hym, crucifye him. Pilate sayeth vnto them: Shall I crucifye your kyng? The hye priestes aunswered: We haue no kyng but Ceasar. Then delyuered he hym vnto them to bee crucifyed.

Pylate meruaylyng at the mans silence standyng in hasarde of his lyfe, consideryng he had the iudge so muche his frende that he dyd prouoke hym to aunswere, saied: Why doest not thou that arte in ieoperdye of lyfe make me an aunswere? knowest thou not that I haue power and auctoritie ouer thee, why∣ther thou shalt lyue or dye? for I am the presidente and chiefe iustice of this re∣gion. And it dependeth vpon my will and pleasure, whether thou shalte be cru∣cified, or quitte and let looce. Unto these woordes Iesus made no suche aun∣swere as the presidente loked for, whiche presidente desyred to be instructed for the defence of Iesus cause, intendyng to bee in steade of a iudge, an aduocate on the defendauntes syde. But because that waye it shoulde somewhat haue appeared that Iesus hadde not bene willyng to haue dyed, he aunswered no suche lyke thyng: But his aunswere was onelye concernyng the power whiche Pylate dyd arrogantelye attribute to hymselfe: signyfying that it was ney∣ther in Pylates power to sette hym at libertie (seyng that the power whiche he had shoulde condescende to the furie of the Iewes,) nor that Pilate hymselfe shoulde be able to doe oughte agaynst hym, excepte he woulde of his owne vo∣luntary wyll, suffer it: of trueth thou hast (sayeth Iesus) power accordyng to mannes lawes, but thou couldest haue no power on me, vnlesse it hadde been permitted thee of him, whose power passeth all mannes power. And in dede thou fauourest innocencie, but yet the naughtines of other ouercummeth thee, and leadeth thee from the righte trade. Wherfore the people of the Iewes, which be the auctours of this my passion and deathe, and that with theyr vio∣lence

constrayneth the iudge to condemne an innocent persone, sinne more gre∣uously. When Pilate heard this, and thereby perceyued bothe the modestie and the clearenes of him, that was accused, and that also the malice of the Iewes, yea and his owne indifferencie too, was not vnknowen to the same, & the more Pilate fauoured him, because he sawe that the manne was nothing moued or disquieted, no not with the peryll of death that he stode in: when Pilate cōsidered all this, he wrought al maner waies, that at leaste by some meanes, he might cleare and sette Iesus at libertie. The Iewes perceyuyng thesame, and that the presidente made light of the cryme whiche fyrste was layed against hym concernyng Moses lawe, and that he ceased not to doe all that he coulde, to dimisse Iesus, they fall in hand againe with the first fault, whiche to be neglecte they declare to be daungerous to the iudge hymselfe, and saye therfore. Though it doe not appertaynē vnto the that he hath offen∣ded against our God, certaynly wheras he hath offended against the Empe∣roure, thou haste to doe withall.

Whosoeuer maketh clayme to a kingdome without the Emperours com∣maundement, offendeth in the cryme of lease maiestie, & committeth hye trea∣son: But this felowe maketh himselfe a king, if thou therfore doe let loo••e & acquite him, thou which fauourest his enemy, art not y^• Emperours frendes. After that Pilate had heard the Bishops and Phariseis, that were conspired together against Iesus, & the mayne multitude withal, cry out these wordes aloude, although he was not ignoraunt that they went about a false matter, yet because he sawe well that the malice whiche the priestes and Phariseis bare towarde Iesus could not be appeas••d, and sawe also that the headmen, and the common people were wunderfully consentyng to the sayed grudge, and malice, and all they with one agremēt brute to take away this one mans life: furthermore when Pilate perceiued also Iesus to be (in dede) nothyng fawtie at al, but symple & a poore innocent man, that made no shifte for him∣selfe, and lykewise thought in the meane tyme, howe that vnder Emperours many had been in daungerouse hasarde of very enuy, without any iust cause: And thought too, of himselfe, that he alreadye had sufficiently traueiled a∣gainst the whole conspiracie agreed vpon betwene the noble menne, and the commons, in the defence of one poore mannes innocencie: Pilate (I tell you) vpon these skilles, determined with hymselfe to condescende and satisfie theyr malice, but in suche sorte that in condemning Iesus, he thought withal to get him his pardon and deliueraunce: and begynnyng to speake firste of his owne innocēcie, deriued the grudge of the wicked facte vnto the Iewes, and layed it vpon theyr heades. Nowe than was Iesus therfore brought forth as giltie, when as in condemnyng of hym no kynde of lawfull iudge∣ment was vsed: Pilate sate downe in the place of lawful iudgemēt on hye, to geue sentence, & he sate in a high place to be seen of all folke, and of the height it is called of the Hebrewes Gabatha: the Grekes verily call it Lithostrotos, be∣cause it was paued. For so it behoueth Iesus condemnacion to be solemne, & publike, leste his innocencie should be hidde from any man. For so to be con∣demned was to be quitte and cleared. Iesus was deliuered vp to the crosse, but the iudge gaue sentence vpon the Iewes. And nowe the tyme drewe nye, that according to the maner of the solemne feaste, innocente bloude should be offered in sacrifice for the saluacion of the worlde, for it was the Sabboth

euen, nowe called good fryday, whiche falleth in the Easter feast, aboute the sixt houre. And therfore the Iewes called more vrgently vpō the matter, vn∣wittingly doyng therby seruice to the thyng that God appoynted: that is, to haue this sacrifice made in conueniente tyme and due season. And so than Pi∣late nowe by reason of his Iudiciall garment playnly seen and perceyued of the people, shewed vnto them out of the Iudgemēt place the accused person, to thentente that euen by the sight of hym and his facion, it myght appeare howe vnconueniently the cryme of any cruel autoritie that he should be desi∣rouse of, for his priuate commoditie, was layed against him: who beyng so vexed & troubled, shewed such great quietnes of minde, & so great mildnes. Pilate (I saye) shewed them this person, and sayed: Beholde your kyng. But the Iewes whiche thirsted for nothing els but innocent bloud, cryed: away with hym, away with hym: Crucifie hym. The infamous and reprochefull death pleased well the Iewes, trusting it would come to passe, that y^e shame and reproche of the crosse, would make the name of Iesus odious and dete∣stable, and that there should no manne come after, whiche should professe his name beyng in suche wyse made awaye. Pilate deriding their obstinate mad∣nesse, sayeth: what ({quod}he) shall I doe so great a vilanie vnto your kyng as to nayle hym vnto the Crosse?

This dishonor shal redound to the shame & slaunder of all the people whiche haue brought theyr king to the crosse. This voyce of Pilate, although it dyd Iesus no good, yet it disclosed the malice of the Iewes, and forced them to confesse openly, & to knowledge a seruitude, which they hated. The Iewes had desyred and looked for many hundred yeares their Messias, that is to were, a kyng promised of the Prophetes. As for the Emperours kyngdome (wherwith they were sore pressed and ouerlayed) they had spitefully hated: yet that not with standing, being through enuy and hatred waxed wylde, and euen woode, they renounce openly in the face of the worlde, theyr Messias: and acknowlege the Emperour for theyr soueraygne Lorde: We haue (saye they) no kyng but the Emperour. The luste to reuēge was so great, that vn∣constrayned they adiudged themselues to perpetuall bondage, that they might therby vtterly extinguish Iesus, the autor of libertie. Pilate therfore seyng all that he went aboute, disapoynted: committed Iesus vnto them to be crucified at theyr ordre and libertie.

[ The texte.] And they tooke Iesus and led hym awaye, and he bare his crosse, and wente furth into a place whiche is called the place of dead mennes sculles: but in Hebrue Golgotha, where they crucified him: and two other with hym, on euery syde one, and Iesus in the myddes. And Pilate wrote a tytle, and put it on the crosse. The wrytyng was, Iesus of Nazareth kyng of the Iewes. This tytle read many of the Iewes, for the place where Iesus was crucified was ny•• to the citie, and it was written in Hebrue, and Greke and Latyne. Then sayed the hye priestes and Iewes vnto Pilate: wryte not kyng of the Iewes, but that he sayed, I am kyng of the Iewes. Pilate aunswered: What I haue wrytten that haue I wrytten.

The Iewes tooke the deliuerye of Iesus beyng brought out of the place of iudgement, and led him to the place of execucion, which was without the citie, that the place might also aunswer to the figure: For the sacrifice wher∣with the testamēt was consecrate, was offered without the host. Iesus wēt

thither, hauyng yet his garmentes on, to thentent he might be the more shame to them that fauoured hym: and he goeth full mekely bearynge his crosse hym∣selfe. For The Iewes prouided that, leste there shoulde lacke any despyte or reproche. Furthermore, a vyle and a diffamed place was also chosen and ap∣poynted, wherein the maner was to put wyked malefactours to execucion, a place perdye detestable and violated with dead bodyes, whose bones laye sca∣tered here and there all abrode: euen a place that shewed it selfe to what pur∣pose it was dedicate, and of the thyng it had the common name geuen it. For in the Hebrue toung it was called Golgatha, in the Greke toung Cranii topos, in the Latyn toung Caluarie socus, in Englyshe, a place of dead mens sculles: and leste he shoulde not be putte to shame ynoughe, the Iewes procured this also, that other two whiche were openly knowen to be wycked theues) shoulde be crucified with Iesus together, to thentēte that of the felowshippe of them that were for Poffenders, he might lykewyse be thought and taken for an offender: and lyke as they had all one commune punyshemente, so to seme to haue all one commune faulte. But to thentente it might vtterly appere that he was a com∣panyon of theyrs, the Iewes dyd so ordre and place the crosses, that Iesus honge in the myddes, hauyng a thefe hangyng on eyther hand: of hym, howe∣beit the fountayne of all purenes coulde not be polluted with any fylthynes of manne, yea, the fountaine of all glorie is magnified and renoumed with mens reproche. The crosse being afore odyouse, and a thyng of reproche, was made by hym a triumphant signe, wherunto the worlde boweth downe the heade, which aungels do wurshyppe, and deuyls feare it. Iesus being then condem∣ned, founde one whome of a thefe he made a citizen of paradyse: so muche vn∣lykelyhoode was it, that the felowship of punishement shoulde defile hym. And verely, leste there shoulde wante any kynde or apparaunce of iuste and condigne punishmente, euery one had (as the manner was) his title and stile geuen vnto hym, which did describe and declare both the person and the fault. Now then, when Pilate had geuen to the other their titles according to their deseruing, he commaunded that to the crosse of Iesus the Lorde, shoulde bee fastened this ti••le and superscripcion, Iesus of Nazareth the king of the Iewes, euen for this cause truely, that by the very selfe inscripcion, he mighte cause bothe the malyce of the Iewes, and the innocencie of hym that was crucified, to be re∣corded: howbeit this title was not conuenient for him, in respect of the Iewes accusacion: and yet according to that whiche himselfe confessed to the presy∣dent, it was a title moste seming for hym. For truely Iudeus doeth signifie to the Hebrues, confessing. And doubtles he was and is in very dede, a kyng and a setter of all them at libertie, whiche professeth his name: vnto whome he ge∣ueth felowship of the kyngdome of heauen. And to bryng the Bishoppes and the Phariseis into more hatred thereby, Pilate prouided this title to bee writē in thre sundry languages, in Hebrue, in Greke, and in Latine; whereof the first was their owne countrey speache, and the other two tounges (by reason of the great occupying that they had with the Grekes, and the Romaines) was so brought in among them, that some Iewes also knewe the Greke and the La∣tine toung. Therfore it was prouided by the president, that no man neither re∣siaunt there and thesame countreyman, nor straunger and resorter thyther, shoulde be ignoraunt of the title. This title thus wrytten, being odiouse vnto the Phariseis, by reason that the place was muche haunted, and greate was

the resorte and confluence there, because that Golgatha, the mounte of caluery, was nyghe vnto the citie, and layefull in theyr syght that by casualtie passed by that waye: many Iewes therefore read (I saye) this superscripcion: and sum knewe well the name of Iesus of Nazareth. And howe litle he desyred a∣ny worldly kyngdome, many had tru•• knowledge, whiche had seen hym hyde hymselfe when he shoulde haue been drawen by force to a kyngdome. That ve∣ry kyng whiche was promysed by the prophetes, and whome the Iewes call Messias, was of very truthe loked for among all the Iewes. And althoughe Pilate was ouersene herein, yet vnawares he gaue hym that tytle which dyd moste demonstrate & notise to all folke, who he was that hong vpon the crosse. For of very trueth that selfe kynge of kynges honge there crucifyed, whiche by his deathe, dyd vanquishe the tirannye of the deuyll. Thou oughtest to call it rather the token and banner of victorie, than a crosse. Thoughe all thynge semed full of shame and rebuke to the byshops, scribes, and to the Phariseis, yet this intitleing and superscripcion did greue theyr myndes, because it was more honorablye set out than they woulde haue had it. So great was the de∣syre of the wycked, to abolysh a name to the which onely, all glory of the whole world ought to be geuen. And therefore they treate and common with the pre∣sident of chaungeing the title, and that it should not be written, the king of the Iewes, but that he dyd vsurpe and vniustly take vpon hym that name. But the presydent notwithstandyng that euen then vnawares he dyd pronosticate what should folow, that is to were, that the profession of that healthfull name (whiche the Iewes falsely denyed) should departe thence to the redy beleuyng Gentiles, that is to saye, to the true Iewes in dede: yet (I saye) this notwith∣standing, and that also heretofore he did condescende and folowe theyr malyce, the presydente woulde not alter and chaunge the title, but sayeth: that I haue wrytten, I haue wrytten. For because it was in verie deed to the commoditie and profit of all folke that Christe shoulde be put to death, and agayne also, it was for all mennes weale that his name should be of most fame and renoume thorowe the whole worlde, by the profession whereof, saluacion shoulde bee brought to all folke.

[ The texte.] Than the souldiers when they had crucified Iesus, they toke hys garmentes and made ••ower partes, to euery souldier a parte, and also his coate. The coate was without seame, wrought vpon throughout. They sayed therfore among themselues, let vs not diuide it, but cast lottes for it, who shall haue it. That the scrypture myght be fulfylled, saying: They parted my rayment among them, and for my coate dyd they calle lottes. And the souldiers dyd suche thynges in dede. There stoode by the crosse of Iesus, his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene: when Iesus therfore sawe his mother, and the disciple standyng, whome he loued, he sayeth vnto his mother: Woman, be∣holde thy sonne. Than sayed he to the disciple: Beholde thy mother, and from that houre the disciple toke her for his owne.

Nowe therefore when the Lorde Iesus was nayled (as the maner was) all naked vnto the crosse, and the foresayed superscripcion aboue his heade, the souldiers that crucified hym (accordyng to the vsage) parted among them Iesus garmentes. For this thyng came to them as amendes and reward for theyr paynes taking. And forasmuche as they were fower in noumbre, they so deuided the resydue of his garmentes saue his coate (by cause they were made of soundrye pieces and sowed together) that euery manne had hys parte por∣cionately.

But than his coate or iacket, a garmēt verely whiche was more in∣ner and nere his bodye, no sewed garment, but so wouen from thouer hem to the lower, that beyng leusyd or rypte, it woulde haue been good for nothinge and nought wourth. Therefore y^e souldiers thought good that it shoulde bee kept whole vncut, and that sum one of them shoulde haue the whole iacket to whose lotte it should chaunce. But not withstandynge that the souldiers dyd these thinges of a prophane mynde, and of a worldlye purpose, yet vnawares they fulfylled in their so doyng, the prophecies of the Prophetes, that hereby also he might haue bene knowen to bee he, of whome the holy ghoste had spo∣ken in the Psalmes thus: they haue deuyded myne apparel amonge thē, and caste lottes vpon my garmentes. And these thinges perdye, the souldiers did whiles yet the Lord honge vpon the crosse alyue. But there stoode by y^e crosse of Iesus, Mary his mother, associate with her syster Marye, the daughter of Cleophas, and Marie Magdalene. Therefore Iesus lokynge from y^e crosse vpon his mother, and castynge his iye withall vpon the disciple whom he lo∣ued more familiarly than the reste, to thentente that as (his clothes beyng dis∣tributed) he lefte no worldly substaunce behynde him, so he woulde leaue vpō earthe no worldly or mannes affeccion: Iesus (I saye) turned towardes his mother and sayed: Woman beholde that thy sonne, poyntynge with a nod of his head, and with a wincke of his iye, to the disciple. And turning furthwith to the disciple, sayeth: Beholde thy mother. And verily from that tyme, the sayd disciple bore a very sōnes mynde and affectiō toward the mother of Ie∣sus, and toke the whole charge and care of her.

[ The texte.] After these thinges, Iesus knowyng that all thinges were now perfourmed, that the scripture myght be fulfilled, he sayeth: I thirst. So there stoode a vessell by ful of vine∣gre: therfore they filled a sponge with vinegre, and wounde it about w^t Isope, & putte it to his mouthe. Assone as Iesus receyued of the vynegre, he sayd: it is finished, & bowed his heade, and gaue vp the ghoste.

When these thinges were doen, and Iesus knew that nothing wanted per∣teyning to a lawfull sacrifice, yet to bryng therunto and to accomplyshe the Prophetes saying where he sayeth: They gaue me gall to eate, and when I was thirstye they gaue me vinegre to drinke, he cried from the crosse: I am a∣thirst. For a trueth suche as dye in this kynde of death, are wonte to be sore greued with vehement thirst, by reason that through the woundes of y^e body, the bloude is exhaust and cleane drawē out. And euen this now too, did much proue and declare him to be a very man, & to be oute of doubte, punyshed to his great payne. Now thā a vessel full of vinegre stoode there at hād, which was wont to be reached vp & geuen to thē that were athirste to make them the sooner dye. The souldiers therfore fylled a sponge with vinegre, & woūde it about with ysope, and helde it to his mouthe. But as sone as Iesus had ta∣sted y^e vinegre, he saied: It is finished, signifying that the sacrifice was righ∣tely doen and accomplyshed accordynge to his fathers wyll, and byanby he bowed his héade and gaue vp the ghoste.

[ The texte.] The Iewes therfore bicause it was the preparing of the Sabbothe, that the bodies should not remayne on the crosse on the Sabboth day, for the Sabboth day was an hye day, besought By late that their legges might be brokē, and that they might bee taken downe. Then came the souldiers and brake the legges of the first and of y^e other which

was crucified with him, but whan they came to Iesus, and sawe that he was dead alrea∣dy, they brake not his legges, but one of y^e souldiers with a speare thrust him into y^e syde, and furthwith came there out bloud & water. And he that sawe it bare recorde, & his re∣corde is true, & he knoweth that he sayeth true y^t ye myght beleue also: for these thinges were doen, that the scripture should be fulfilled. Ye shall not breake a bone of him, and a∣gayne another scripture sayeth: They shall looke on hym whome they pearced.

But it is a sporte an a wonder withall to heare now againe in this case the peruerse religion of the Iewes so farre out of course and mysordred: The Iewes vpon a myscheuous malice, and by wicked meanes, brought with vio∣lence vnto the crosse an innocent, and one that had bene beneficiall vnto them, beyng nothing abashed with the relygion of the feastfull daye, to do so cruel and so vngraciouse a dede, but they were very supersticiouse, and made muche a do about taking the bodies of frō the crosse. They came vnto Pilate, and be∣sought him y^e by his commaundement, the legges of them which were crucifi∣ed, might be broken, to thentent they might the sooner be deade: and then their corpses be taken downe, and had out of the waye, lesse beyng sene, they shoulde violate and breake the feastfull daye. That daye was a solemne greate daye, whiche (of the great apareylyng and fournature of holy adournmētes and dy∣uine seruice) is called of the Grekes, Parasceue, that is to saye, a preparacion. And their holy and solemne Sabbothe daye was nye at hande, vpon whyche daye to worke was a detestable thing. For at this season the men beeynge (ye wote well) very precise in their relygion, after they had finished and accom∣plyshed so horryble an acte, as thoughe the thinge, had been well doen, they bente their myndes to celebrate the sacrifice that was to be offered by Moy∣ses lawe, solemnely and purely, not knowyng that the very true Easter lambe was already offered vp in sacrifice.

Suche a poyson and so pestiferouse a thing is holynesse that consisteth in outwarde and bodily thinges, and hath not holynes and godlynes of herte and mynde, ioyned and annexed vnto it. Nowe therfore Pilate grauntyng them their request, the souldiers brake bothe the theues legges, whome they found yet aliue. And then when they were come to Iesus, because they saw him alreadye deade, and therefore thought it a vayne and superfluous thynge to breake his legges, they lefte them whole vnbroken. For to this ende and pur∣pose were the legges broken, that those whiche hung vpon the crosse, shoulde the sooner gyue vp the ghoste. But among the souldiers stoode a certaine man whiche (for the more certeintie of the Lorde Iesus death) opened his syde with a speare, and immediatly out of the wounde there gushed forth bloude and water, in a great misterye declaryng that his death shoulde washe and cleanse vs from synne, and the same also geue to vs euerlastinge lyfe and saluacion. For baptisme standeth in water, and with water are we baptised. And y^e lyfe of a manne is in the bloude. But it is againste the course of nature for water to runne out of a bodye that is wounded. Howbeit he that sawe the thing with his iyes, testified, and beareth witnes hereof: And we knowe his recorde to bee true. And leste any of you shoulde stande in doubte whether ye maye or no beleue the thing, whiche els mighte seme incredible, I assure you that Iesus himselfe knewe that witnes, to tell trueth.

And althoughe these thinges semed to be doen by chaunce or casualtie, that is to saye, that in stede of breakyng his legges, as the others were, his chaunce

was to haue his side thruste thorowe, yet for all that were they doen by the foresight and prouidence of God, and as his diuine councell disposed, that in this pointe also, theffecte and conclusion of the thing, myght aunswere and a∣gre with the prophecies of the Prophetes. For among other rites and custo∣mes wherwith Moses teacheth in Exodus, that the paske or passouer ought to be obserued and celebrate, he had prescribed euē that thing specially by name, that is to wete, that lambe which was sacrifised, should be so slaine, that no bone of it should be broken: euen thereby notyng and declaryng, that Iesus was the very true phase or passeouer, the figure whereof that Mosaicall lambe did beare, & resembled thesame. For the bloud of this true lambe Ie∣sus, saueth them that beleue in hym from death. And the spirituall eatyng of this lambe, conueyeth vs beeyng made free from the seruitude of Egypte, that is to saye, from the sinfull lustes of the worlde, and from the tyranny of sinne, into an heauenly region. And againe, the holy ghoste speaketh thus by Zacharye: They shall see hym whom they pearsed. For he shall once come with thesame body wherwith he hong on the crosse, though it be alreadye a gloryouse body, yet shall he shewe the printe of the wounde to all folke, and he shall shewe the vnfaythfull, to theyr rebuke, the fountayne that was open all in vayne to them, that would not beleue: with the flowyng and streames wherof, they might haue been cured.

[ The texte.] After this Ioseph of Aramathia, which was a disciple of Iesus, but secretely for feare of the Iewes, besought Pilate that he might take downe the body of Iesus. And Pilate gaue hym licence: he came therfore and tooke downe the body of Iesus. And then came also Nicode∣mus, which at the begynning came to Iesus by night, and brought of myrthe and aloes men∣gled together, aboute an hundred pounde weyght. Then tooke they the body of Iesus, and wounde it in lynnen clothes with odours, as the maner of the Iewes is to bury. And in the place where he was crucified there was a gardeyne, and in the gardeyne a newe sepulchre, wherin was neuer man layed. There layed they Iesus therfore, because of the preparyng of the Sabboth of the Iewes, for the sepulchre was nye at hande.

And so nowe his death beyng already certayne, and himselfe founde dead by the experience of many, it behoued furthermore that his buryall should many wayes confyrme the belefe of the resurreccion. And as Christe would (perdie) his whole life to be base and of a lowe porte, so he would that his buriall should be honorable, and of a great maiestie, not intendyng therby to teache vs to be carefull of a sepulchre, but to thentent that those thinges once accomplyshed, whiche concerned the abasyng of hymselfe and the whole mi∣nistery thereof, he might make a waye to the honour and prayse of his resur∣reccion. And in very dede the honour whiche is geuen to a manne alyue, is not without either suspicion or daunger, but the honour whiche voluntarily we geue to the dead, is a sure wytnes of prowes, goodnes, and vertue. Nowe therfore Ioseph beyng a manne of honour and of great power, & substaunce, an Aramathian▪ borne, which sayed Ioseph was a disciple of Iesus, but not openly knowen so to be for feare of the Iewes, which had made a lawe that whosoeuer did openly confesse himselfe to be Iesus disciple, thesame person should be caste out of the Synagoge: Ioseph (I saye) came vnto Pilate to whom he was well knowen, and desyreth licence of hym, to take downe Ie∣sus body from the crosse: when Pilate had tried whether that he were dead or not, he was content withal. Therfore Ioseph went his way to the crosse,

and toke downe the dead corps. In the meane season, as one to helpe furthe with those thinges and doynges, that pertayne to the funerals: euen Nicode∣mus also, cummeth thither, a man among the Phariseis of a notable estima∣cion and dignitie: and he also being a secrete disciple of Iesus, which had be∣fore that tyme come to Iesus in the night, because he myght so beste auoyde the displeasure and grudge of the Phariseis, as was before rehersed. These menne knowyng that death commonly maketh an ende of hatred, trustyng vpon the presidentes fauour, enterprysed h••ely to honoure the dead, with whom (whiles he liued) they durst not talke openly. Nicodemus (of trueth) brought with him an oyntment of myrrhe & aloes ming••ed together aboute an hundred pounde weyght, so muche as, was sufficient to sweten the bodye, and honorably to preserue it from corrupcion. They now therfore ioyntely together with one common seruice, anointed Iesus body being takē downe, on euery parte with pleasaunte and swete sauerye spices, and when they had well imbrued the corps with the odours, thei woūd it in linnen clothes, that the oyntmēt should not runne of from the body. For the maner of the Iewes is, after this sorte to bury, leste the bodies should corrupte and putrefie. And verily they did this honour to the Lord Iesus as to a wurthy mā, and one that was throughly good: and againe, they thus honoured him to then∣tent no man should thynke that he dyed for any cryme or faulte. For as yet, they had no hyer opinion of hym, but that he was an innocent good man and loued of god, whose name and memory ought to haue this honour doen vnto it, that is to saye, to be remembred as one that was enuied for his vertue e∣uen to the death, a thyng that vsually hapneth in maner to moste beste menne. Moreouer this preparacion and great a doe was euen there finished, leste a∣ny man myght supect that the body had been chaunged. And agayne the Lord was buried then in a garden, nye to the place of the crosse. In the garden was a new sepulchre lately made out of an harde thicke stone, wherin was neuer man layed. And albeit these thinges were supposed to be doen by casualtie, yet they made much for the fayth of the resurreccion. For the sepulchre could not seme to be digged vp with vndermynyng, becau••e it was cutte out of an whole sounde vnholowe rocke of stone, nor none other could be thought to haue risen out of it, in whiche he only was la••ed. But yet Ioseph and Nico∣deme did not this in respecte of his resurrecciō, for in dede they had no hope that he should rise againe, but they were moued thus to doe with a Iewishe deuocion, for religion sake of the feastfull day. For in dede it was the Iewes Easter day euen, and therfore the Sabboth prouoked and setforwarde this dede. In which Sabboth day it was not lawful for them to worke. Wher∣fore leste the body should be vnburied, or the buriall be to slender, and with to small honour doen, they ryd the thyng out of hande, and layed hym in the sepulchre that was nexte vnto them. Also furthermore, euen the diligence of the Iewes, serued for the belefe of his resurreccion that should be. For after that the Iewes had obteined of Pilate kepers for the sepulchre, & had pro∣cured that it should be watched and attended vpon, leste any body should se∣cretly steale a waye the dead corps, they not contente therewith, close vp the mouthe of the sepulchre, with a great stone, and seale it, when they hadde so doen: so that on euery side the malice of the Iewes, succeded and came to the glory of Christ, whose name they went about vtterly to destroy and abolish.

Notes

• Hayle king of the Iew∣es.
• Whoso ma∣keth hym∣selfe a kyng is against Ceasar.
• It was the preparyng daye of Easter a∣boute the si••te houre.
• The wry∣tyng was Iesus of Nazareth &c.
• One of the souldiers thrust him into y^e syde, and furth •••• came there out wat••r and bloude.