A Treatise upon the Passion by 5 Sir Thomas More Page and line numbers correspond to 10 The Complete Works of St. Thomas More (Yale University Press), volume 13. A complete concordance to this work can be found at www.thomasmorestudies.org/publications.html#Concordance. 15 Spelling standardized, punctuation modernized, and glosses added by Mary Gottschalk ©CTMS 2016 20 Punctuation The only punctuation marks found in the earliest versions of this text are the period, comma, colon, question mark, slash, or “virgule” ( / ), and parentheses. Quotation marks, semicolons, dashes, exclamation points, and italics have been made use of with the goal of making the text more readily 25 understood by present-day readers. As for the suspension points ( … ), these are substitutes for many of More’s slashes. He often used a slash where we would use a comma, a semicolon, a dash, or italics; but he also, quite often, used one to indicate whether a certain phrase was meant to be connected more closely with the one preceding it or with the one following it; to call attention to parallel elements in different phrases; or simply to facilitate serious reflection. He also sometimes used a slash for dramatic purposes— 30 to indicate, perhaps, a coming sly comment, or some possibly surprising conclusion. The evident thoughtfulness with which More punctuated this book leads one to suspect that he anticipated its being often read aloud, and wanted to make sure the reader got the cadence right. He writes as though he were speaking. 2 3 A treatise upon the Passion of Christ (unfinished), made in the Year of our Lord 1534 by Sir Thomas More, Knight, while he was prisoner in the Tower of London. To which he made this title following: A treatise historical containing the bitter Passion of our Savior 5 Christ, after the course and order of the four Evangelists; with an exposition upon their words… taken, for the more part, out of the sayings of sundry good old holy doctors, and beginning at the first assembly of the bishops, the priests, and the seniors of the people… about the contriving of Christ’s death—written in the twenty-sixth chapter of Saint 10 Matthew, the fourteenth of Saint Mark, and in the twenty-second of Saint Luke. And it endeth in the committing of his blessed body into his sepulchre, with the frustrate provision of the Jews about the keeping thereof with soldiers appointed thereto—written in the twenty-seventh of Saint Matthew, the fifteenth of Saint Mark, the twenty-third of Saint Luke, and the nineteenth of Saint John. 15 First, an introduction into the story: Hebrews 13:14 “Non habemus hic civitatem manentem, sed futuram inquirimus”—“We have not here a dwelling-city, but we seek the city that is to come.” If it be, good Christian reader, true—as out of doubt it is even very 20 true—that, as Saint Paul in the afore-rehearsed words saith, we have not here any city to dwell in, but we be seeking for the city that we shall dwell in hereafter: then seemeth me that many men are very far overseen; such men, I mean, as I am (alack!) myself, that so much time and study beset about their night’s 25 lodging here, in passing by the way, and so little remember to labor and provide that they may have some house commodious for their ease, and well-favoredly trimmed to their pleasure, in that place whither once go we shall… and when we come once there, dwell there we shall, and inhabit there, forever. 30 Sir Thomas More wrote no more of this introduction. The First Point: The Fall of Angels The glorious Blessed Trinity… the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 1 made: written 3 made: i.e., gave 5 an exposition: a commentary 6 more: i.e., most 7 old holy doctors: early theologians // at: with 8 bishops: The men referred to in Scripture as high or chief priests. // seniors: elders 11 in: with 12 frustrate: thwarted; rendered ineffectual // keeping: guarding 13 appointed: assigned 19 even very: quite literally 20 afore-rehearsed: above-quoted 22 seemeth: it seems to 23 very far overseen: making a huge mistake 24 beset: expend 26 commodious: serviceable 27 ease: comfort 27 well-favoredly trimmed: handsomely furnished 28 whither once: to which one day 29 inhabit: be inhabitants; have our abode 31 point: point of discussion 4 three distinct and diverse equal and like-mighty Persons, and all three nevertheless one indivisible and undistinct infinite, almighty God, being from before all time eternally established in the infinite perfection of their incomprehensible and undecayable glory… did when it 5 pleased them—not of any necessity, nor for increase of any commodity that their full and perfect and not increasable bliss could receive thereby, but only of their mere liberal goodness—create, of nothing, the noble, high, beautiful nature of angels, to make some creatures partners of the Creator’s goodness. And albeit that in that 10 excellent company of angels all were not of like perfection, but ordinately divided into diverse orders and degrees, the higher in excellence of nature far surmounting the lower: yet did the lowest far pass and excel the natural state that mankind afterward had in its creation. But yet had not the angels 15 forthwith in their creation given unto them the perfect bliss, heaven, nor were forthwith endowed with the very fruition and plain beholding of the glorious Trinity, but were left in the hand of their own free will and liberty… either, with help of God’s grace, by turning to God with laud and thanks for that they had already of his gift, 20 to be received by grace unto that glory… or else, willingly declining from grace and turning themselves from God, as graceless caitiffs frowardly to fall into wretchedness. For if they had once already had the very sight of God at that time… in such wise as the glorious company of angels and saved souls blessedly have it now, the 25 heavenly beholding thereof must needs have been so delectable and so joyful unto them, and so should have pierced and fulfilled them thoroughly with sweetness, that it should not have left any place in them for any contrarious appetite or affection to enter. But now standing thus, in the liberty of themselves… with those excellent, beauteous 30 gifts of their nature, and being by grace moved to turn unto God and love him, and give him condign thanks, for the same: great multitude followed that instinct of grace and so did—and were of God therefore exalted into the clear sight of the Godhead, and by grace 1 like-mighty: equally powerful 2 one: i.e., one same 2 undistinct: undifferentiated (in divinity) 4 incomprehensible: illimitable; boundless 4 undecayable: incorruptible / undiminishable 6 commodity: good; benefit 7 mere: sheer // liberal: generous; bountiful // of: out of 8 noble: magnificent 9 partners: partakers 10 excellent: lofty; exalted // like: the same 11 ordinately: in an ordered sequence // orders: classes // degrees: ranks 12 surmounting: transcending 13 pass: surpass 15, 16 forthwith: right away 16 fruition: satisfying enjoyment 19 laud: praise // that: what // gift: giving 20 willingly declining: deliberately turning aside 21 from: i.e., away from 21 graceless caitiffs: depraved villains 22 frowardly: perversely // once: ever 26 pierced: penetrated // fulfilled: satisfied 28 contrarious: oppositional 28 appetite: interest / longing // affection: inclination 31 condign: fitting 31 the same: i.e., those excellent, beauteous natural gifts of theirs 31–32 great multitude: a great number (of them) 32 instinct: prompting 32 were of: were by 33 Godhead: Supreme Being 5 confirmed and established in the full surety of joyful, perfect bliss and everlasting glory. Lucifer, on the other side, an angel of excellent brightness, willingly letting slip the grace and aid of God… wherewith he was 5 stirred to look upward, unto his Maker, began in such wise to look downward, upon himself, and so far forth to delight and dote in the regarding and beholding of his own beauty, that albeit he well wist he had a Maker infinitely far above him… yet thought he himself meet to be his match! And as wise as he was of nature, yet pride 10 made him so frantic… that he boasted that he would be God’s Isaiah 14:13–14 fellow in deed, saying unto himself, “In caelum conscendam, super astra Dei. Exaltabo solium meum, et sedebo in monte testamenti, in lateribus aquilonis. Ascendam super altitudinem nubium: similis ero Altissimo”—“I will ascend into the heavens, 15 above the stars of God. I will exalt my seat, and will sit in the hill of the testament, in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the height of the clouds… and I will be like unto the Highest.” But, as he used this blasphemous presumption in his mind against the great majesty of God, he was suddenly cast out… and 20 thrown down, with an infinite number of the like traitorous angels, as the prophet Isaiah toucheth him in these words: Isaiah 14:12 “Quomodo cecidisti de caelo, Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris! Corruisti in terram!”—“How art thou fallen out of the heavens, Lucifer, that sprang in the morning! Thou art fallen 25 Isaiah 14:15 into the earth!” And afterward he saith, “Veruntamen, ad infernum detraheris, in profundum laci”— “Howbeit, thou shalt be drawn down into hell—into the depth of the lake!” These words, with others, the prophet Isaiah rehearseth (in the fourteenth chapter) in resembling the fall of Nebuchadnezzar 30 unto the ruin of Lucifer.