Of the onspekabyl passion of Criste, and of three things of the passion alway to be remembrid. Twentieth chapter.
The Boundless Suffering of the God-Man
Julian sees that Christ's divine nature empowers his humanity to suffer more than all people combined, and that the key to understanding the Passion is recognizing the infinite worth of the Sufferer.
And so I saw our Lord Jesus languishing a long time, for the union of the Godhead gave strength to the manhood so that, for love, he could suffer more than all humankind might suffer.1 I don't mean only more pain than all people might suffer, but also that he suffered more pain than all the people of salvation who ever were, from the first beginning to the last day, could tell or fully think through — having regard to the worthiness of the highest, worshipful King and to that shameful, cruel, painful death.2 For he who is highest and most worthy was most fully brought to nothing and most utterly despised.3 For the highest point that may be seen in the Passion is to think and know what he is who suffered.
Christ's Compassionate Suffering for All
Christ's tenderness and strength unite in his willing suffering for every soul, including his sorrow for Mary's grief, and his risen life continues to share our pain, promising that all such pains will become eternal joys.
And in this He partly brought to mind the height and nobility of the glorious Godhead and, with it, the preciousness and the tenderness of the blissful body which are united together, and also the loathing that is in our nature to suffer pain.4 For as much as He was most tender and pure, just so He was most strong and mighty to suffer. And for every person's sin who will be saved He suffered, and every person's sorrow and desolation He saw, and He sorrowed out of kindness and love.5 For as much as our Lady sorrowed for His pains, He suffered as much sorrow for her sorrow — and more, inasmuch as His sweet manhood was worthier in nature.6 For as long as He was capable of suffering, He suffered for us and sorrowed for us.7 And now He is risen and no longer capable of suffering, yet He suffers with us. And as I beheld all this by His grace, I saw that His love for our soul was so strong that He willingly chose it with great desire, and He gently suffered it with glad willingness.8 For the soul that beholds it this way, when it is touched by grace, will truly see that the pains of Christ's Passion surpass all pains — that is to say, those pains that will be turned into everlasting, surpassing joys by the power of Christ's Passion.9
Read the original Middle English
And thus saw I our Lord Jesus langring long tyme, for the onyng of the Godhede gave strength to the manhode for love to suffre more than al man myght suffryn. I mene not allonly more peyne than al men myght suffre, but also that He suffrid more peyne than al men of salvation that ever was from the first begynnyng into the last day myght tellyn or ful thynkyn, havyng regard to the worthynes of the heyest, worshipful kyng, and the shamly, dispitous, peynful dethe. For He that is heyest and worthyest was fullyest nowtyd and utterlyest dispisid. For the heyest poynte that may be sean in the passion is to thynkyn and knowen what He is that suffryd.
And in this He browte a part in mende the heyte and noblyth of the glorius Godhede and, therwith, the pretioushed and the tendernes of the blisfull body which be together onyd, and also the lothhede that is in oure kynd to suffre peyne. For as mech as He was most tender and clene, ryght so He was most strong and myghty to suffir. And for every mannys synne that shall be savid He suffrid, and every manys sorow and desolation He saw, and sorowid for kyndenes and love. For in as mekyl as our Lady sorowid for His peynes, as mekyl He suffrid sorrow for her sorow, and more, in as mekyl as the swete manhode of Hym was worthier in kynd. For as long as He was passible, He suffryd for us and sorowyd for us. And now He is uprysyn and no more passibyl, yet He suffryt with us. And beholdyng al this be His grace, saw that the love of Hym was so strong whych He hath to our soule, that wilfully He ches it with gret desyr and myldly He suffrid it with wel payeyng. For the soule that beholdyth it thus, whan it is touchid be grace, he shal veryly se that the peynys of Crists passion passen al peynys; that is to sey, which peynys shal be turnyd into everlestyng passyng joyes by the vertue of Crists passion.
Notes
- 1 ↩enm 'onyng' rendered as 'union' (the one-ing/joining of the Godhead with the manhood); Julian's technical sense of uniting.
- 2 ↩'men of salvation' kept as 'people of salvation' (those saved / destined for salvation), not flattened to a generic 'everyone'.
- 3 ↩enm 'nowtyd' (noughted) rendered as 'brought to nothing', preserving Julian's language of noughting rather than a softer 'humiliated'.
- 4 ↩ME 'a part in mende' rendered as 'partly to mind' (brought in part / to some degree into mind), continuing the previous section's point about knowing who it is that suffered.
- 5 ↩ME 'kyndenes' kept as 'kindness', with Julian's sense of natural/loving kindness in view rather than mere pleasantness.
- 6 ↩ME 'manhode' retained as 'manhood', Julian's term for Christ's human nature; 'worthier in kynd' = more worthy in nature.
- 7 ↩ME 'passible' rendered as 'capable of suffering' (theological passibility) for Modern Readable clarity.
- 8 ↩ME 'wel payeyng' rendered as 'glad willingness' (gladly / with good will in bearing the cost). Subject 'I' supplied from Julian's first-person narrative frame; source omits explicit subject before 'saw'.
- 9 ↩Relative 'which peynys' taken as clarifying 'al peynys' (the human pains destined to become joy), which Christ's Passion-pains surpass; 'passyng joyes' = surpassing joys; 'vertue' = power/efficacy.
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