The chief of the Jews accuse him to Pilate the Gentile (his betrayer, and the Judge, and the Judge’s wife, testifying in the meantime manifoldly his innocence): (20) and persuade the common People also, not only to prefer the murderer Barabbas, but also to cry, Crucifige (All, to the reprobation of their whole Nation, and nothing but fulfilling the Scriptures). (27) After many illusions, (31) he is crucified by the Gentiles. (38) Which the Jews seeing, do triumph as if they had now the victory. (45) But even then by many wonderful works he declareth his might, to their confusion. (57) Finally being buried, they to make all sure, set soldiers to keep his sepulchre.
AND when morning was come, all the chief Priests and Ancients of the People consulted together against Jesus, that they might put him to death. 2And they brought him bound and delivered him to Ponce Pilate the President.
3Then Judas that betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned • repenting him, returned the thirty silver pieces to the chief Priests and Ancients, 4saying: I have sinned, betraying just blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. 5And casting down the silver pieces in the temple, he departed: and went and • hanged himself with a halter. 6And the chief Priests having taken the silver pieces, said: It is not lawful to cast them into the [a] Corbana, because it is the price of blood. 7And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter’s field, to be a burying place for strangers. 8For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this present day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet, saying: And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the priced, whom they did price of the children of Israel. 10And they gave them into the potter’s field, as our Lord did appoint to me.
11And Jesus stood before the President, and the President asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus saith to him: Thou sayest. 12And when he was accused of the chief Priests and Ancients, he answered nothing. 13Then Pilate saith to him: Doest thou not hear how great testimonies they allege against thee? 14And he answered him not to any word: so that the President did marvel exceedingly.
15And upon the solemn day the President had accustomed to release unto the People one prisoner, whom they would. 16And he had then a notorious prisoner, that was called Barabbas. 17They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: whom will you that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? 18For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19And as he was sitting in place of judgement, his wife sent unto him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with that just man. For I have suffered many things this day in my sleep for him. 20But the chief Priests and Ancients persuaded the People, that they should ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. 21And the President answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said, Barabbas. 22Pilate saith to them, What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. 23The President said to them: why what evil hath he done? But they cried the more, saying: Let him be crucified. 24And Pilate seeing that he nothing prevailed, but rather tumult was toward; taking water he washed his hands before the People, saying: I am • innocent of the blood of this just man: look you to it. 25And the whole People answering, said: His blood be upon us, and upon our children. 26Then he released to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them for to be crucified.
27Then the President’s soldiers taking Jesus into the Palace, gathered together unto him the whole band: 28 * and stripping him, put a scarlet cloak about him, 29and plaiting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail King of the Jews. 30And spitting upon him, they took the reed, and smote his head. 31And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him. 32And in going they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his Cross. 33And they came into the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. 34And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink.
35And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they did cast lots. 36And they sat and watched him. 37And they put over his head his cause written, This is Jesus the king of the jews. 38Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand, and one on the left. 39And they that passed by, blasphemed him wagging their heads, 40and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the Temple of God and in three days doest re-edify it; save thine own self: • if thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross. 41In like manner also the chief Priests with the Scribes and Ancients mocking, said: 42He saved other; himself he can not save: if he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the Cross, and we will believe him. 43 * He trusted in God; let him now deliver him if he will: for he said that I am the Son of God. 44And the self same thing the thieves also that were crucified with him, reproached him withal.
45And from the sixth hour there was darkness made upon the whole earth, until the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a mighty voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lamma-sabacthani? that is, My God, my God, • why hast thou forsaken me? 47And certain that stood there and heard, said: He calleth Elias. 48And incontinent one of them running, took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar; and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49And other said: Let be, let us see whether Elias come to deliver him. 50And Jesus again crying with a mighty voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And behold the veil of the Temple was rent in two pieces, from the top even to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent, 52and the graves were opened: and many bodies of the Saints that had slept, rose. 53And they going forth out of the graves after his Resurrection, came into the holy city; and appeared to many. 54And the Centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earth-quake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.
55And there were there many women afar off which had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 57And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Disciple to Jesus. 58He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. 59And Joseph taking the body, • wrapped it in clean sindon, 60and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way. 61And there was there Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.
62And the next day, which is after the Parasceve, the chief Priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, 63saying: Sir, we have remembered, that that seducer said yet living, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore the sepulchre to be kept until the third day; lest perhaps his Disciples come, and steal him, and say to the People, he is risen from the dead: and the last error shall be worse than the first. 65Pilate said to them: You have a guard: go, guard it as you know. 66And they departing, made the sepulchre sure: sealing up the stone, with watchmen.
Footnotes
- ↑ This Corbana was a place about the Temple, which received the People’s gifts, or offerings. See Mar. 12:42.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XXVII.
↑ 3. Repenting him.) Note how speedily the plague of God falleth after sin; and specially men must note what torment of conscience, and desperation often followeth the shedding of innocent blood.
↑ 5. Hung himself.) If he had rightly repented, notwithstanding his horrible treason, he might have obtained mercy: but by hanging himself he took away all means of mercy and salvation, because he died finally impenitent.
↑ 24. Innocent of his blood.) Though Pilate was much more innocent than the Jews, and would have been free from the murder of our Saviour, seeking all the means that he could (without offending the People and the Emperor’s laws) to dismiss him: Yet he is damned for being the minister of the People’s wicked will against his own conscience. Even as all Officers be, and specially the Judges and Juries which execute laws of temporal Princes against Catholic men: for all such be guilty of innocent blood, and be nothing excused by that they execute other men’s will according to the laws, which be unjust. For they should rather suffer death themselves, than put an innocent man to death.
↑ 40. If thou be the Son.) Marvel not, when thou hearest our Saviour in the Bl. Sacrament mocked at, or see him abused of wicked men that he straight revengeth not such blasphemies: or that he showeth not himself there visibly and to the senses, when faithless Heretics will say: Let me see him, taste him &c., for he suffered here the like on the Cross, when he might at his will have come down with as much ease as he rose when he was dead.
↑ 46. Why hast thou forsaken me.) Beware here of the detestable blasphemy of Calvin and the Calvinists, 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 soul and conscience, the very fears and torments of the damned. Which strange doctrine we find also avouched in an English Catechism set forth by R. H., Anno. 1583, in these words: Quest. By what means hath Christ appeased his Father’s wrath, and ransomed us? Answer. By suffering death of the Cross, and the torment of Hell in soul, and conscience. Quite contrary to the holy Scriptures, which always attribute our Redemption to Christ’s death, and shedding of his most precious blood, as to a most sufficient, and only ransom for all mankind, Rom. 5,10., Heb. 9, 14., 1 Pet. 1, 19., 1 Joh. 1, 7., and in innumerable other places. But Calvin and his Disciples hold this wicked paradox, to take away the Article of Christ’s descending into Hell after his death, saying that his descending was nothing else, but that his soul (remaining as yet in his body) suffered the very pains of Hell upon the Cross. Whereas indeed his descending was in soul (parting forth of the body) into that place, where the Fathers of the Old Testament were detained, expecting his communing to deliver them (and that with triumph, and not in pain,) as is proved by the Scriptures, and many ancient Fathers, in the Annotations upon St. Luke. 16:22, Act. 2:27, 1 Pet. 3:19, and in other places. And concerning the true sense of these words: Why hast thou forsaken me? as well by conferring them with other holy Scriptures, as by the uniform consent of the ancient Fathers, our Saviour would signify hereby, that his pains (being now so long on the Cross, and ready to die) were very great; and therefore according to the infirmity of his human nature, for very anguish (as before in the garden he sweat blood, when he was but toward his Passion) he saith, he was forsaken, for two causes. First because it was the will of God not to deliver him, but that he should die. Secondly, because his divine nature did so repress itself for the time, that he felt no comfort thereof at all, but was left to die in extreme pains as a mere man. Yea destitute of such consolation, as his holy Martyrs commonly have in their last agony. See Origen Tract. 35 in Mat, St. Hilary lib. 10 de Trinit, St. Leo 17 de Passione, St. Bede and others upon this place.
↑ 59. Wrapped.) This honour and duty done to Christ’s body being dead, was marvellous grateful and meritorious. And this wrapping of it in clean sindon may signify by St. Jerom, that the body of our Lord is to be wrapped not in gold, precious stones, and silk, but in pure linen. And so in the whole Church it is observed by * St. Silvester’s constitution, that the Corporal whereupon our Lord’s body lieth on the Altar, must be pure and plain linen.
Margin Notes
- 1. PRIME, or Hora prima, in the Church’s Service. GOOD friday.
- 15. HORA TERTIA, in the Church’s Service.
- 33. HORA sexta in the Church’s Service.
- 50. HORA nona in the Church’s Service.
- 57. HORA Vesperarum, or Evensong.
- 58. HORA Completorii, or Complin.
- 62. SATURDAY called Sabbatum sanctum.
- annot. 3. Horror of conscience.
- annot. 5. Desperation.
- annot. 24. They that execute laws against their conscience, are like to Pilate.
- annot. 40. Christ derided in the Bl. Sacrament, even as upon the Cross.
- annot. 46. Detestable blasphemy of Calvin. And other Ministers of his school.
- annot. 59. Reverent using of our Lord’s Body.
- annot. 59. Corporals.
Margin References
- 1. Mar. 15, 1. Luc. 23, 1. Joh. 18, 28.
- 9. Zac. 11:12.
- 28. Joh. 19:2.
- 35. Psal. 21:19.
- 43. Psal. 21:9. Sap. 2:18.
- annot. 46. Catech. Calv. & Instit. lib. 2. 16, 5. 10.
- annot. 59. St. Jer. in hunc locum.
- annot. 59. * to. I. Concil.
