whatsoever we have in outward things, we should communicate it to others, according to the quantity of their wants & our abundance. So shall we be members not only of the natural, but also of the mystical body of Christ. There is yet another end, Seeing there is such a nature in the creatures, that the outward things have suffered many injuries, before they became good food, as the corn being cut down in it per•ite age, pressed out of the husks with the flail, loosing all his entrails with the violence of the Mill, and after passing through the parching heat of the Oven, is made1 good bread: so the flesh of Jesus Christ went under many pains, and the blood of Christ as the grape in it most flourishing estate was pressed out of the veins, and sustained hard passions, and shall nothing of us then suffer with him? Because we cannot wreak our anger on the Jews, as Pontius Pilate, as Caiaphas, and the rest, for that they are dead and gone, and2 yet to say the trueth, they were no more the crucifiers of Christ than the nails, the cross or the hammer, but it was our sins which did crucify him, it was our vile thoughts, our corrupt speeches, and our own sins which did set Caiaphas, Pilate and Judas, on work, and they were but our servants and hirelings in the action of his crucifying. Therefore as we would wreak our anger on them, seeing they I say, were but hired, and we have the things in our selves, which did chiefly crucify him, let us do that despite to our sins, let us arraign them, let us crucify them, let us nail them to the cross, let us kill them, & bury them for ever. This is that, whereon we should spend our choler, and let us beware of crucifying of Christ again, which thing though it cannot be indeed, because all the Deputies & high Priests are gone, yet we may be truly said to crucify him again, when we bereaving him of the fruits of his death, put new passions of grief upon him. For though it was no grief to Christ to dye, so he might enjoy the thing he died for; yet to loose the fruits of his torments, this doth in a second degree torment him. This is an active crucifying, now comes in a passive crucifying. And this is a cup not of the Communion (for that needs the son of thunder, the child of Zebedeus) but it is the cup of the cross, whereof he himself did drink:
whatsoeuer we haue in outward things, we should communicate it to others, according to the quantity of their wants & our aboundance. So shall we be members not onely of the naturall, but also of the mysticall bodie of Christ. There is yet another ende, Seeing there is such a nature in the creatures, that the outward things haue suffered many iniuries, before they became good food, as the corne being cut down in it per•ite age, pressed out of the huskes with the flaile, loosing all his intralles with the violence of the Mill, and after passing through the parching heate of the Ouen, is made1 good bread: so the flesh of Iesus Christ went vnder many paines, and the blood of Christ as the grape in it most flourishing estate was pressed out of the veines, and sustained hard passions, and shall nothing of vs then suffer with him? Because we cannot wreake ouranger on the Iewes, as Pontius Pilate, as Caiphas, and the rest, for that they are dead and gone, and2 yet to say the trueth, they were no more the crucifiers of Christ than the nailes, the crosse or the hāmer, but it was our sins which did crucifie him, it was our vile thoughts, our corrupt speeches, and our own sins which did set Caiphas, Pilate and Iudas, on worke, and they were but our seruants and hirelings in the action of his crucifying. Therefore as we would wreake our anger on them, seeing they I say, were but hired, and we haue the things in our selues, which did chiefly crucifie him, let vs doe that despite to our sins, let vs arraigne thē, let vs crucifie them, let vs naile them to the crosse, let vs kill them, & burie them for euer. This is that, wheron we should spend our choler, and let vs beware of crucifying of Christ againe, which thing though it cannot be indeede, because all the Deputies & high Priests are gone, yet we may be truely saide to crucifie him againe, when we bereauing him of the fruits of his death, put new passions of griefe vpō him. For though it was no grief to Christ to dye, so he might enioy the thing he died for; yet to loose the fruits of his torments, this doth in a second degree torment him. This is an actiue crucifying, now comes in a passiue crucifying. And this is a cuppe not of the Communion (for that needs the sonne of thunder, the child of Zebedeus) but it is the cuppe of the crosse, whereof he himselfe did drink:
- 1Simile.
- 2The Jews did no more crucify Christ then the nails, the cross and the hammer, but our sins. Zach. 12. 10. 11.The Iewes did no more crucifie Christ then the nayles, the crosse and the hammer, but our sins. Zach. 12. 10. 11.
