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Previous: From The Parson's Tale, paragraph 11: The fourth move to contrition |
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© Librarius
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© Librarius All rights reserved. |
| § 12 The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to contricioun is remembrance of the passioun that oure lord Jhesu Crist suffred for oure synnes. For, as seith Seint Bernard, "whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance of the travailles that oure lord Crist suffred in prechyng; his werynesse in travaillyng, his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe wakynges whan he preyde, hise teeres whan that he weep for pitee of good peple; the wo and the shame and the filthe that men seyden to hym; of the foule spittyng that men spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves that men to hym seyden; of the nayles with whiche he was nayled to the croys, and of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred for my synnes, and no thyng for his gilt." And ye shul understonde that in mannes synne is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce turned up-so-doun. For it is sooth that God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and the body of man been so ordeyned that everich of thise foure thynges sholde have lordshipe over that oother; as thus: God sholde have lordshipe over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee, and sensualitee over the body of man. But soothly, whan man synneth, al this ordre or ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun. And therfore, thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to God, that is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe that it sholde have over sensualitee, and eek over the body of man. And why? For sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun, and by that way leseth resoun the lordshipe over sensualitee and over the body. For right as resoun is rebel to God, right so is bothe sensualitee rebel to resoun and the body also. And certes this disordinaunce and this rebellioun oure lord Jhesu Crist aboghte upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth in which wise. For as muche thanne as resoun is rebel to God, therfore is man worthy to have sorwe and to be deed. This suffred oure lord Jhesu Crist for man, after that he hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned and bounde, so that his blood brast out at every nayl of his handes, as seith Seint Augustyn. And forther over, for as muchel as resoun of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have shame; and this suffred oure lord Jhesu Crist for man, whan they spetten in his visage. And forther over, for as muchel thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore is it worthy the deeth. And this suffred oure Lord Jhesu Crist for man upon the croys where as ther was no part of his body free withouten greet peyne and bitter passioun. And al this suffred Jhesu Crist, that nevere forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd Jhesu in this manere: "to muchel am I peyned for the thynges that I nevere deserved, and to muche defouled for shendshipe that man is worthy to have. And therfore may the synful man wel seye, as seith Seint Bernard, "acursed be the bitternesse of my synne, for which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse." For certes, after the diverse disordinaunces of oure wikkednesses was the passioun of Jhesu Crist ordeyned in diverse thynges, as thus. Certes, synful mannes soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee, and bispet by servage and subjeccioun of synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally. For this disordinaunce of synful man was Jhesu Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of synne and peyne. Thanne was he byscorned, that oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges and of alle thynges. Thanne was his visage, that oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde, in which visage aungels desiren to looke, vileynsly bispet. Thanne was he scourged, that no thyng hadde agilt; and finally, thanne was he crucified and slayn. Thanne was acompliced the word of Ysaye, "he was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled for oure felonies." Now sith that Jhesu Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen and biwayle, that for his synnes goddes sone of hevene sholde al this peyne endure. | § 12 The fifth thing that ought move a man to contrition is remembrance of the passion that our "lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sins. For, as says Saint Bernard, "while I live I shall have remembrance of the difficulties that our Lord Christ suffered in preaching: his weariness in working, his temptations when he fasted, his long vigils when he prayed, his tears when he wept for pity of good people, the woe and the shame and the filth that men said to him, of the foul spitting that men spit in his face, of the buffets that men gave him, of the foul grimaces, and of the insults that men to him said, of the nails with which he was nailed to the cross, and of all the remnant of his passion that he suffered for my sins, and not at all for his guilt." And you shall understand that in man's sin is every manner of order or regulation turned upside down. For it is true that God, and reason, and sensuality, and the body of man are so arranged that every of these four things should have lordship over that other, as thus: God should have lordship over reason, and reason over sensuality, and sensuality over the body of man. But truly, when man sins, all this order or arrangement is turned upside down. And therefore then, forasmuch as the reason of man will not be subject nor obedient to God, that is his lord by right, therefore it loses the lordship that it should have over sensuality, and also over the body of man. And why? For sensuality rebels then against reason, and by that way reason loses the lordship over sensuality and over the body. For just as reason is rebel to God, right so is both sensuality rebel to reason and the body also. And certainly this disorder and this rebellion our Lord Jesus Christ purchased with his precious body very dear, and hearken in which manner. Forasmuch then as reason is rebel to God, therefore is man worthy to have sorrow and to be dead. This suffered our Lord Jesus Christ for man, after he had be betrayed by his disciple, and confined and bound so that his blood burst out at every nail of his hands, as says Saint Augustine. And furthermore, forasmuch as reason of man will not daunt sensuality when it can, therefore is man worthy to have shame; and this suffered our Lord Jesus Christ for man, when they spit in his visage. And furthermore, forasmuch then as the wretched body of man is rebel both to reason and to sensuality, therefore is it worthy of the death. And this suffered our Lord Jesus Christ for man upon the cross, where there was no part of his body free without great pain and bitter suffering. And all this suffered Jesus Christ, who never sinned. And therefore reasonably may be said by Jesus in this manner: "Too much am I pained for the things that I never deserved, and too much defiled by shame that man is worthy to have." And therefore may the sinful man well say, as says Saint Bernard, "Cursed be the bitterness of my sin, for which there must be suffered so much bitterness." For certainly, in accord with the various rebellions of our wickedness was the passion of Jesus Christ ordained in various things. As thus: Certainly sinful man's soul is betrayed by the devil by covetousness of temporal prosperity, and scorned by deceit when he chooses fleshly pleasure; and yet is it tormented by impatience of adversity and spat upon by slavery and subjection of sin; and at the last it is slain finally. For by this disorderliness of sinful man was Jesus Christ first betrayed, and after that was he bound, he who came to unbind us of sin and pain. Then was he scorned, he who only should have been honored in all things and by all things. Then was his visage, that ought to be desired to be seen by all mankind, in which visage angels desire to look, villainously spat upon. Then was he whipped, who in no thing had sinned; and finally, then was he crucified and slain. Then was accomplished the word of Isaiah, "He was wounded for our mideeds and defiled for our felonies." Now since Jesus Christ took upon himself the pain of all our wickedness, much ought sinful man to weep and bewail, that for his sins God's son of heaven should all this pain endure. |
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Next: From The Parson's Tale, paragraph 13: The sixth move to contrition |
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