Meditations collected and ordered for the vse of the English colledge of Lisbo by the svperiovrs of the same colledge.

THE SIXTH MEDITATION. Our Sauiour is brought before Pilate and Herod.

1. COnsider first, how early in the mor∣ning, the high Priest and the Princes of the Iewes meet in a full counsell, no∣twithstanding their late going to bed; & vvhat to doe, but to satisfie their ovvne malice, & ex∣tinguish the light of the vvorld? so it is, the wic∣ked are farre more vvatchfull and industrious to obtaine their vvicked ends, than the children of God to obtaine theirs. Our Sauiour is againe brought to the barre; the same question asked againe; Si tu es Christus, dic nobis; if thou be Christ, tel vs: and the same answer returned, that he vvas: vvith that, all rose vp against him as a man conuicted by his owne confession: Et

surgens omnis multitudo duxerunt eum ad Pila∣tum. And all the multitude rising vp, led him to Pilate. But vvhy did they carry him to Pilate a Gentile and Roman Gouernour? vvhy did they not stone him themselues for blasphemy, as aftervvard they did S. Steuen? for noe other rea∣son, but their malice, to haue him die on a Crosse, a death so infamous, that they themsel∣ues could not inflict it; a death onely for famous theeues, murderers and malefactours. See by this, their rancour against this most innocent Lambe of God: see how he is hurried away to Pilate's house at the further end of the city, abo∣ue a mile and a quarter; haled thorough the streets vvith showts and cryes; that now all vvas discouered; that he had confessed himselfe a blasphemer, cheat and inchanter; and for that, the vvhole Councell resolued to deliuer him ouer to the Gentiles &c.

Conclude to follow thy Sauiour this third stage to Pilate, and at length count them all, and thou shalt find almost ten miles, that he vvent from thursday euening till friday noone. Take pity of his vvearied limmes; & vvish it lay in thy power to ease him; but aboue all take heed of increasing his paine, by sinne, sloth and in∣gratitude.

2. Consider secondly, how the King of glory, Iudex viuorum & mortuorum, the Iudge of the li∣uing and of the dead, stands bound before a petty Gouernour; and the Princes and chiefe of his owne people stand for his accusers; but behold

the processe: Pilate demands vvhat they haue to say against that man: they thinking to beare all ouer vvith a kind of scorne; Si non esset hic ma∣lefactor, non tibi tradidissemus eum. If he vvere not a malefactour, vve vvould not haue deliue∣red him vp to thee. Wee haue already examined and condemned him, vvhat needst thou aske any more? but vvhen Pilate vvould haue parti∣culars, presently new ones were inuented: this man disquieteth the people; forbids tribute to be pay'd to Cesar, and makes himselfes King of the Iewes. O shameles men! did not he persuade the people to obey euen you, such as you are, because you sate in the chaire of Moyses? did not he command all, Dare quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, to giue the things that are Caesars, to Cae∣san, and payd for himselfe and Peter? did not he fly, when the people vvould haue made him their King? how many stand there present, that can giue you the lie in all these things? But though our Sauiour answered not a word, euen to the great admiration of the President, yet the force of truth is so great, that he beleeued nothing, what they sayd; onely hee stuck at the vvord, King; and asking our Sauiour about it, receiued full satisfaction, and laboured to to free him.

Conclude to imitate thy Sauiour, vvhen thou art falsly accused, to hold thy peace, or to an∣swer briefly and quietly; and hauing done, that, to commit the rest to the diuine prouidence, & force of truth it selfe, vvhich will, in spite of all

her enemies, at length put forth and appeare, to God's glory and thy justification.

3, Consider thirdly, how Pilate seeing the malice of the Iewes, to free himselfe of their importunity, sent our Sauiour away to Herod, as one belonging to his iurisdiction of Galilee. O my soule follow thy Sauiour this fourth stage; see how they hale him againe thorough the streets, vvith shouts and cryes to Herods pala∣ce; vvho vvas most glad of his coming, & soone gaue him audience; asking him a hundred im∣pertinent questions, and offering him no doubt great fauours, if he vvould but doe some mira∣cle before him; for to that end he had long since much desired to see him▪ on the other side the Iewes stood alleadging, all they could inuent, against him, that Herod vvould put him to death; Stabant Principes Sacerdotum & Scribae constanter accusantes eum. The cheefe priests & the Scribes stoode constantly accusing him. But our Sauiour vvould not ansvver one vvord, either to their accusations, as most false, or to Herod's allurements, as most vaine and idle; and he a most bloudy Tyrant, and incestuous adulterer, vvho had killed S. Iohn Baptist, & kept his bro∣thers vvife. Whereat in a rage, Spreuit illum cum exercitu suo, & illusit indutum veste alba. He vvith his armie set him at naught, and he mocked him putting on him a vvhite garment. O you Cherubins of heauen, vvhat thinke you of this? the Eternall Wisedome of God, clothed in a fooles coat, scoffed, kickt and abused for a foole

thorough the vvhole court and streets this one∣ly title vvas vvanting to all the rest, of a sinner, blasphemer, Samaritane, necromantick &c.

Conclude vvith thy Sauiour to learne to hold thy peace, vvhen vaine curiosity is the obiect of discourse; and if thou be called foole or idiot for thy paines, looke back vpon Iesus-Christ, and it is impossible it should grieue thee: remember his rule; Non est discipulus super Magistrum, nec seruus super Dominum suum: si patrem familias Beelzebub vocauerunt, quanto magis domesticos eius? The disciple is not aboue the maister, nor the seruant aboue his Lord: if they haue called the good man of the house Beelzebub, hovv much more, them of his houshold?

4. Consider fourthly, how our Sauiour with the new title and liuery of a foole vvas brought back againe to Pilate; and this is the fifth stage; vvherein, no doubt, followed after the B. Vir∣gin accompanied vvith S. John and the other holy vvomen; & vvas present at all vvhat passed hereafter; but in vvhat plight of griefe and sor∣row, let euery pious soule conceiue of it, what shee can; and accompany in spirit and deuotion the mother of God in these passions and fune∣ralls of her onely Sonne; Filius vnicus matris suae. The onlie Sonne of his mother. But Pilate inuented now a new vvay to deliuer him: he had in prison one Barabbas for raising sedition and committing murder in the City a notorious and infamous malefactour; and being to set one free at Easter, vvhom the people should aske,

made sure they vvould neuer aske such a fellow: vvherefore; Quem vultis vobis dimittam? Ba∣rabbam; an Iesum qui dicitur Christus? VVhom vvill you that I release to you, Barabbas, or Iesus that is called Christ? here the principes Sacerdo∣tum & Seniores, the cheefe Priest, and auncients, persuaded the people to aske Barabbas: Quid igitur quoth Pilate, faciam de Iesu? Crucifigatur. VVat shall I doe then vvith Iesus? let him be cru∣eified. O dearest Lambe of God, vvho can con∣ceiue the feeling of thy tender heart, to see thy selfe so reiected and abased by that blind and vn∣gratefull people, after so many benefits, mira∣cles and cures bestowed amongst them? these they vvho vvould haue made thee King, vvho cryed but sunday last, Hosanna in excels••s, bene∣dictus qui venit: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he that cometh: Now worse than Barabbas, Opprobrium hominum & abiectio plebis. A re∣proch of men and out cast of the people.

Conclude neuer more to repine, if any be pre∣ferred before thee in honour, vnderstanding or vertue: for besides that it may be true, euer re∣member that Barrabbas vvas preferred before Christ: begge of him, that he vvill neuer let thee fall into such blindnes and vngratitude of beart, as to praise him in the morning and offend him before night.

5. Consider fifthly, how Pilate vvondered at the vnheard of malice of the chiefe Priests, and blindnes of that people, to preferre such a pu∣blike villaine, as Barabbas, vvho had deserued a

hundred deaths, before Christ, in vvhom nei∣ther he nor they could finde the least colour of a fault; and so, partly out of a naturall honesty, partly because his vvife had vvarned him, Nihil tibi & iusto illi, haue thou nothing to doe vvith that iust man; but chiefly Because God by him, in spite of all his roaring enemies, vvould declare to the vvorld the innocency of his dearest Son∣ne, behold how Pilate and the Jevves contest: they cry: Tolle hunc & dimitte nobis Barabbam; quid enim mali fecit, Dispatch him, and release vs Barabbas: vvhy, vvhat euill hath this man done; quoth Pilate; see, I haue examined him before you, and can find nothing: no nor Herod, as you see, to vvhom I remitted him: Crucifige, crucifige eum, Crucifie, crucifie him: quoth they: but he; Nullam causam mortis inuenio in eo: I find noe cause of death in him: vvhat haue you more to say against him? Corripiam ergo illum & di∣mittam: at illi instabant vocibus magnis postu∣lantes vt crucisigeretur & inualescebant voces eo∣rum. I vvill correct him therfore, and let him goe: but they vvere instant vvith loud voices re∣quiring that he might be crucified, and there voices preuailed. O innocent Lambe, how doe these rauenous vvolues thirst thy bloud? vvas it euer heard, that the Judge should stand vp and protest the innocency of the accused; and the ac∣cusers vvithout shame stand barking like dogs; kill him, kill him, vvithout alleadging of any the least crime?

Conclude with ioy of heart and hearty thanke

to God for the honour he did his Sonne, & thy Sauiour before the face of all his enemies, then vvhen he seemed most forsaken of all: conceiue also a neglect of vvhat the vvorld shall cry a∣gainst thee; and a confidence in God, that he vvill defend thee, if thou ••ee innocent, vvhen thou shalt bee most oppressed.