Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	death_n	life_n	3,302	5	4.8128	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09744	The vvhole sermons of that eloquent diuine, of famous memory; Thomas Playfere, Doctor in Diuinitie Gathered into one vollume, the titles thereof are named in the next page.; Sermons	Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609.; Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609. Path-way to perfection. aut; Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609. Heart's delight. aut; Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609. Power of praier. aut; Playfere, Thomas, 1561?-1609. Sick-man's couch. aut	1623 (1623)	STC 20003; ESTC S105046	300,452	702

à fine that there is another fountaine neere Grenoble a Citie in France which although it haue not hot waters as a Bath yet oftentimes together with bubbles of water it casteth vp flames of fire The fountaine of teares that is in our eies must be like these two fountaines As the Psalmist witnesseth When my sorrow was stirred sayes he my heart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled l Psal. 30.3 When my sorrow was stirred There is the first fountaine My heart was hot within mee There is the Torch lighted And while I was musing There is the other fountaine The fire kindled There is the flame burning Whereupon one sayes fitly Our eies must neither be drowned nor dry m Nec fluant oculi nec ●icci sint Seneca If they want fire they will be drowned If they want water they will be dry Wherefore both weepe not and but weepe both fire and water must goe together that our eyes bee neither drowned nor drye And this is the right moderation wee must keepe in weeping as appeareth in this third part WEEPE NOT BVT WEEPE both together Weepe not for mee but weepe for your selues THe fourth part followeth For Mee Weepe not too much for my death For the death of Christ is the death of Death the death of the Diuell the life of Himselfe the life of Man The reason of all this is his innocencie and righteousnesse which makes first that as the life of Christ is the life of Life so the death of Christ is the death of Death Put the case how you please this is a most certaine truth that the gate of life had neuer bin opened vnto vs if Christ who is the death of Death had not by his death ouercome death a Mors mortis morti mortem nisi morte dedisset coelestis vitae i●nus ●lausa foret Therefore both before his death he threatneth and challengeth death saying b Osee 13.14 O death I will bee thy death and also after his death hee derideth and scorneth death saying c 1 Cor. 15.15 O death thou art but a drone where is now thy sting d Sic Iohannes Pistorius Erasmi Roterodami affinis igni cremandus dixit O mors vbi est tua victoria Aske death any of you I pray and say Death how hast thou lost thy sting how hast thou lost thy strength What is the matter that virgins and very children doe now contemne thee wheras Kings and euen tyrants did before feare thee Death I warrant will answer you that the only cause of this is the death of Christ. Euen as a Bee stinging a dead body takes no hurt but stinging a liue body many times looseth both sting and life together in like manner death so long as it stung mortall men only which were dead in sin was neuer a whit the worse but when it stung Christ once who is life it selfe by and by it lost both sting and strength Therefore as the brasen serpent was so farre from hurting the Israelites that contrariwise it healed them after the same sort death is now so far from hurting any true Israelite that on the other side if affliction as a fiery serpent sting vs or if any thing else hurt vs presently it is helped and redressed by death Those which will needes play the hob-goblins or the night-walking spirits as we call them all the while they speak vnder a hollow vault or leape forth with an vgly vizard vpon their faces they are so terrible that he which thinks himselfe no small man may perhaps bee affrighted with them But if some lusty fellow chance to steppe into one of these and cudgell him wel-fauouredly and pull the vizard from his face then euery boy laughes him to scorne So is it in this matter Death was a terrible bulbeggar and made euery man afraide of him a great while but Christ dying buckled with this bulbeggar and coniured him as I may say out of his hollow vault when as the dead comming out of the graues were seene in Ierusalem and puld the vizard from his face when as he himselfe rising left the linnen clothes which were the vizard of death behinde him Therefore as that Asse called Cumanus Asin●s ietting vp and downe in a Lyons skinne did for a time terrifie his master but afterwards being descried did benefit him very much Semblably death stands now like a silly Asse hauing his Lyons skin pulled ouer his eares and is so farre from terrifying any that it benefits all true Christians because by it they rest from their labour and if they be oppressed with troubles or cares when they come to death they are discharged death as an Asse doth beare these burthens for them O blessed blessed bee our Lord which hath so disarmed death that it cannot do vs any hurt no more then a Bee can which hath no sting nay rather it doth vs much good as the brasen serpent did the Israelites which hath so dismasked death that it cannot make vs afraid no more than a scar-bug can which hath no vizard nay rather as an Asse beareth his masters burthens so death easeth and refresheth vs. This hath Christ done by his death Hee that felleth a tree vpon which the Sun shineth may well cut the tree but cannot hurt the Sunne He that poureth water vpon Iron which is red hot may well quench the heate but hee cannot hurt the Iron And so Christ the Sun of righteousnesse did driue away the shadow of death and as glowing Iron was too hot and too hard a morsell for death to disgest All the while Adam did eate any other fruit which God gaue him leaue to eate he was nourished by it but when he had tasted of the forbidden tree he perished Right so death had free leaue to deuoure any other man Christ onely excepted but when it went about to destroy Christ then it was destroyed it selfe Those barbarous people called Cannibals which feed only vpon raw flesh especially of men if they happen to eate a peece of roasted meat commonly they surfe● of it and die Euen so the right Canniball the onely deuourer of all mankinde Death I meane tasting of Christs flesh and finding it not to be raw such as it was vsed to eate but wholsome and heauenly meate indeede presently tooke a surfet of it and within three dayes died For euen as when Iudas had receiued a sop at Christs hand anon after his bowels gushed out In like sort death being so saucie as to snatch a sop as it were of Christs flesh and a little bit of his body was by and by like Iudas choaked and strangled with it and faine to yeeld it vp againe when Christ on Easter day reuiued Death I wisse had not beene brought vp so daintily before nor vsed to such manner of meate but alwayes had rauined either with Mithridates daughters vpon the poyson of sin or else with Noahs Crow vpon the

for himselfe Wherefore as in a ballance if there be any ods in the s●ales wee take out of that which is the heauier and put it into that which is the lighter till there be no difference betwixt them So here wee must wey these matters well that wee our selues may be iust weight neither too heauy for our owne misery not too light for Christs mercy Thus did Dauid when hee said to God Hide mee vnder the shadow of thy wings What are Gods wings His Mercy and his Iustice. What are the shadow of his wings Our loue and our feare Our loue is the shadow of his mercy which is his right wing Our feare is the shadow of his Iustice which is his left wing Now seeing hee that is hid vnder the right wing onely may presume because hee hath no feare and hee that is hid vnder the left wing onely may despaire because he hath no loue therefore sayth Dauid Hide me O Lord vnder the shadow not of one wing but of both thy wings That I may neuer despaire while I alwaies loue thy mercy and reioyce for Christ that I may neuer presume while I alwayes feare thy iustice and weepe for my selfe A Quaile the very same Bird which was the Israelites meate in the wildernesse as he flies ouer the sea feeling himselfe begin to be weary lights by the way into the sea Then lying at one side he layes downe one wing vpon the water and holds vp the other wing towards heauen Lest hee should presume to take too long a flight at the first hee we●s one wing Lest hee should despaire of taking a new flight afterwards hee keepes the other wing drie Thus must a Christian man doe When hee layes downe the wing of feare vpon the water to weepe for himselfe then hee must hold vp the wing of loue toward heauen to reioyce for Christ. That his two wings may be answerable to Gods two wings That as God hath two wings the one of Mercie the other of Iustice so hee may haue two wings the one of ioy for Christ the other of sorrow for himselfe Sem I●pheth Noahs godly and dutifull children when they saw their father otherwise then hee should be went backeward and couered him They went backeward that they might not see him themselues they couered him that others might not see him Christ hanging naked vpon the Crosse was the shame of men and the outcast of the people Therefore wee that are the children of God must goe backeward by abhorring them that crucified Christ and yet wee must couer him and hide him euen in our very hearts by remembring and honouring his death and resurrection Lest wee should presume wee must goe backeward for feare and yet lest we should despaire wee must couer him for loue That as God hideth vs vnder the shadow of his wings which are loue and feare loue the shadow of his mercy and feare the shadow of his iustice so we may hide God vnder the shadow of our wings which are ioy and sorrow ioy the shadow of our loue and sorrow the shadow of our feare ioy for Christ and sorrow for our selues To this strange kinde of going backeward the Psalmist alludeth when hee saith to God Thou hast made my feete like Hindes feete A Hinde goeth not still forward in one way but as an auncient father speaketh hee iumpes crosse out of one way into another Saltum habet transuersum Right so a Christians feete must be like Hindes feet He must iumpe crosse from himselfe to Christ and then backe againe from Christ to himselfe Would you see such a Hinde Then mark how Iob footes it That he might not despaire he iumpes crosse from himselfe to Christ and saith a Chap. 33.9 I am cleane without sinne I am Innocent and there is none iniquitie in mee Heere is the mercy of Christ. But that hee might not presume hee iumpes backe againe from Christ to himselfe and saith b Chap. 6.2 O that my griefe were well weighed and that my miseries were laid together in the balance Here is the misery of man Thus must we weigh the mercie of Christ and the misery of man together in the balance and besure as I said before wee make the scales euen and when we weigh the reasons why wee should not weepe for Christ then we must weigh the reasons also why we should weepe for our selues So wee shall find for great cause of ioy in Christ great cause of sorrow in our selues for greater cause of ioy in Christ greater cause of sorrow in our selues for greatest cause of ioy in Christ greatest cause of sorrow in our selues for that which is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ that which is more then all to make vs sorrowfull in our selues The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of Death Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Debora reioyced when Barack put Sisera to flight haue not wee as great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath put death to flight The sinne of man is the life of death Great cause of sorrow in our selues If Anna wept for her barrennesse haue not wee as great cause to weepe seeing wee can conceiue nothing but sorrow and bring forth iniquity vnto death The righteousnesse of Christ is the death of the Diuell Great cause of ioy in Christ. If Iudith reioyced when shee did cut off the head of Holofernes haue not wee great cause to reioyce seeing Christ hath cut off the head of the Diuell The sinne of man is the life of the diuell Greater cause of sorrow in our selues If Thamar wept being defloured by her brother haue not wee greater cause to weepe seeing we commit spirituall incest and adultery daily with the diuell The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of himselfe Greatest cause of ioy in Christ. If Sara laughed when shee heard shee should haue a quicke childe in her dead wombe is not this the greatest cause of laughter which can be vnto vs that Christ liued in death and was most free among the dead and could not see corruption in the graue The sinne of man is the death of himselfe Greatest cause of sorrow in our selues If Agar wept being turned out of Abrahams house is not this the greatest cause of weeping which can be vnto vs that our life is no life because we neuer cease from sinning while wee are heere pilgrimes and strangers exiled and banished out of our fathers house in heauen The righteousnesse of Christ is the life of man This is more then all to make vs ioyfull in Christ. If Queene Ester did reioyce as King Iames doth at this day whom God for his mercies sake euer saue and preserue and let all the people say Amen because he deliuered his people from thraldome and destruction can any thing in the world then make vs more ioyfull then this that we being cursed in our selues are blessed in Christ being embased in our selues are exalted in Christ being

and danger But I am ill aduised to meddle with these things I make no doubt but order will be taken though I hold my peace that hereafter the towne for all such casualties be better prouided Therefo●e here I ende God for his mercie sake grant that neither by too much presuming confidence we may neglect the lawfull meanes nor yet by too much distrusting diffidence wee may vse vnlawfull meanes but that depending vpon thy prouidence O Lord we may diligently follow the workes of our calling and so continually receiue a blessing from thee thorough Iesus Christ to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and glorie now and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at Hampton Court before the Kings Maiestie the 23. day of Septem 1604. 2. COR. 4.17 The momentarie lightnes of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory 2. Pet. 3. SAint Peter foretelleth that some should peruer● S. Pauls Epistles to their owne d●●na●ion Such are they of the Church of Rome Among other places of S. Pauls Epistles they doe notably peruert this For out of that the Apostle saith Affliction worketh glory they endeauour to conclude that the patience of the Saints and other their vertues merit euerlasting life But first the word To worke is very generall and signifieth not onely causes properly so named but also any antecedent though it be but an adiunct or an accident Againe the Apostles words elsewhere are these Rom. 8.18 I suppose that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glorie which shall be reuealed Wherefore they might haue done well to choose some indifferent construction which would haue reconciled both these places together rather then to embrace such an exposition of the one as doth iustle nay quite thrust out the other S. Bernard doth thus saying Via regni non causa regnandi that good workes are not any cause meriting a kingdome but onely a way directing to a kingdome For seeing they are no cause neither haue any correspondence or proportion in them in respect of the glorie to come therefore the Apostle saith The afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory that will be reuealed And yet againe because the possessing of our soules in patience is a way directly tending to the saluation both of our soules bodies therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our afflicton worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall weight of glory To which our Sauiour subscribeth in these words The gate is straight and the way narrowe which leadeth vnto life This straightnesse therefore and narrownesse of affliction is not a cause which deserueth but a gate or a way which leadeth vnto l●●e So in an other place we haue that by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Not by many tribulations no nor by any tribulations we must merit heauen but by many tribulations as by a gate or way wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen And in this sense S. Paul sayes The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glory But now though this sentence doe not confirme any Popish error yet it doth excellently comfort any distressed and afflicted For it exhorteth vs to be patient in all afflictions and that for foure reasons The two first drawn from the nature of our affliction the two last from the nature of that glorie which shal be the reward of our affliction The first is because our affliction is momentarie the second because our affliction is light the third because our glorie shall be eternall yea surpassing eternal the fourth because our glorie shall bee weightie exceeding waightie And therefore hee saith The momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall waight of glorie I need not here make any Apologie for my selfe not yet render any reason why I discourse of pouertie before the rich of affliction before those that are euery way flourishing Mv L. Almner Bishop Wa●●on vpon these words The poore man● dayes are alwayes euill Prou. 1● 15 This point was cleared so reuerently and so learnedly of late in this high presence that I am sure it must needes bee yet well remembred Certainely though ye haue not beene afflicted heretofore neither are at this time yet beeing men yet may be hereafter Wherefore it is not amisse that we all learne the doctrine of patience in tribulation Partly that we may be more thankefull to God if hitherto we haue not beene afflicted and plagued like other men Partly that if any time of affliction happen hereafter as any greife any losse any sicknes or such like we may be prepared aforehand and as it were armed with patience to endure it For the momentarie lightnesse of our affliction worketh vs a surpassing exceeding eternall w●ight of glory First our affliction is momentary 〈◊〉 sai's Eucherius Nihil est magnum re quod breue tempore Nothing is of great ●mportance which is of small cōtinuance Now our whole life is very short What is our life Iam 4.14 saith S. Iames It is a vapour which for a time appeareth but anon after vanisheth away Therefore saith the Prophet Psal. 56. ● O Lord thou knowest my life as it is in the Septuagint but as it is in the Hebrewe Thou knowest my flitting And therefore seeing our whole life is but a vapour or a flitting certenly our afflictions which are all comprised within the compasse of this life must needes be much more momentary All affliction as the Apostle writeth Heb. 12.11 for the presēt seemeth not to be ioyous but greiuous but afterward it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby He saith not that affliction is but that it seemeth to be So that affliction seemeth to be one thing and is indeede an other It seemeth to be greiuous it is indeed ioyous it seemeth to be troublesome it is indeede comfortable it seemeth to be long and tedious it is indeede momentary and short Euen as God himselfe determineth this matter for a moment Esa 54 8. saith he in mine anger for a little season haue I hid my face from you but in euerlasting mercy will I turne vnto you againe That we should not doubt of this doctrine he redoubles the promise for a moment for little season Psal. 30.6 Therefore the Princely Prophet say's plainly Heauines may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning As the two Angels then that came to Lot log'd with him for a night Gen. 19.2 and when they had dispatch't their errand went away in the morning so afflictions which are the Angels or the messengers of God God sendeth afflictions to doe an errand vnto vs to tell vs we forget God we forget our selues wee are too proud too selfe conceited and such like and when they haue said as they were bod then presently they are gone

will I speake that I may take breath m Iob. 3● 19 As Elibu then kept silence some while euen from good wordes though it were paine and griefe to him but at the last the fire kindling and his heart beeing hotte within him spake with his tongue n Psal. 39.3 so the spirit of God in all the elect of God is like wine put into a bottle which will haue a vent to spurge out or els it will burst the bottle or like fire rakte vp in embers which will haue a passage to burne out or els it wil consume the whole house o 1. Ioh. 2.9 And therefore Saint Iohn likewise saith Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne for his seede remaineth in him neither can he sinne because hee is borne of God Marke yee this well The Apostle thinketh it not enough to say Hee doth not sinne but addeth moreouer He cannot sinne What is that To witte presumptuously without feare hee doth not sinne and desperately without remorse he can not sinne He can not sin I say presumptuously as Pharaoh did desperately as Caine did malitiously as Iudas did blasphemously as Iudas did He cannot hee cannot sinne thus Why so Because the seede of God remaineth still in him And what is the seede of God It is the spirit of God of which S. Paul saide euen now The spirit lusteth against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the same thing that yee would Yee doe not sinne nay yee cannot sinne as the flesh would haue you ye cannot doe the same things that ye would but yee doe nay ye can not choose but doe manie times as the seede of God remaining in you and as the spirit of God lusting in you would haue you So that this is a legall kinde of preaching to say Take heede you sinne not yee may happen so to loose your faith to loose all the iustifying grace which God hath giuen vs to be for euer excluded out of the Kingdome of heauen This is to be sayde to vassals to drudges to slaues not to sonnes To sons this may bee better sayde p Heb. 12.5 vobis vt filijs Take heed yee sinne not God hath adopted you giuen you the earnest of his spirite q 2 Cor. 5.5 Therefore grieue not this sweete spirite whereby yee are sealed vp to the day of redemption r Eph. 4.30 If yee be louing children indeed though there were no hel to feare no heauen to hope for no torments to dread no rewards to expect yet wee will obey your good father be the sorrow-fullest Creatures in the world if you haue but once displeased him onely for the meere loue yee beate towards him and for the vnspeakeable loue hee hath shewed towardes you s Diligenti deū sufficit ei placere quem diligit quam nulla maior expeteuda est rem●●etatio quom ipsa dilectio Leo Magnus Serm. 7 de Ieiunio For if he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for you whē ye were his enemies t Rom. 5.10 now you are sons and such deare sonnes in his dearest Sonne u Eph. 1.6 what duty will you denie him what loyaltie will you grudge him what heartie thankefulnesse and good will is there which you will not afford him what faithful honour and seruice is there which you will not yeeld him In one word ye holie ones of God I speake now to you all beloued he which stands much vpon this obiection hath no faith no repentance no iustifying grace at all in him For the faithfull will neuer make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious bloud a cloake to couer their wickednesse x 1. Pet. 2.19 but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse y Luk. 1.74 Liberamur vt seruiam●s ei Neyther will they at any time reason thus z Rom. 6.15 VVe will sinne because wee are not vnder the Law but vnder grace nor yet thus a Rom. 6.2 We will continue in sinne that grace may abound but alwaies thus b Rom. 6.11 By that wee are deade to sinne wee gather that wee are aliue to God or else thus c Tit. 2.11 The grace of God hath appeared teaching vs to deny vngodlines and worldlie lusts Thus you see then howe the regenerate man euerie new acte of sinne must be bewailed by a new acte of Repentance For God wil not forgiue me except I repeut no more then I am bound to tell my brother I forgiue him except hee tell me He repents Naaman must wash himselfe seauen times before he can bee cleane the Angell of Ephesus must rise from his fall and doe the first workes or else his Candlesticke shall bee remoued the Church of Corinth though it bee neuer so Holie yet by sinne violating Gods loue must oftentimes bee reconciled anew euen king Dauid in this place though he were a man according to Gods own heart yet before Nathan would absolue him he was faine to crie Pecc●●● and before God would forgiue him he was faine to confesse his wickednes and to water his couch with his teares The second note is That a great act of sinne must be bewailed with a greate acte of Repentance I meane not that anie paine or griefe of ours can make satisfaction for the least of our sinnes or that one contrition can be any cause of remission but onelie that where sinne hath abounded there sorrowe shol●d abound also that Grace may superabound at the last d 5. Rom. 10. The Schoolmen shewe heere that great griefe may bee considered two waies According to a mans appretiation and according to his intension e Vide Bellar. de P●●itentia libro 2 ● 11 As the Patriarke Iacob in his intension did lament his sonne Ioseph whom he thought to be dead more pittifully then he did any sin that we read of f Gen. 37.34 but in the appretiation or estimation which hee had of the ●aynousnesse of sinne certainly he would rather haue lost tenne sonnes then once haue sinned against God Therfore howsoeuer in intention sorrow for sinne bee none of the greatest yet in appretiation they would euer haue it excessiue But we neede not borrow such vncoth wordes of the Schoolemen to expresse our meaning if we can tel how to vse those words which we haue of our owne For if wee looke narrowly into this place wee shall see that the Prophet Dauid is both waies in the highest degree sorrowfull First by how much the more dearely he esteemed Gods loue and friendshippe then the health of his body by so much the more is hee grieued that that is violated then that this is endangered And yet againe how intensiuelie and bitterlie he bewaileth not so much the sicknesse of his bodie as the cause thereof the sinne of his soule appeareth in that he tris●eth not but washeth his bed and water●●● his couch with his

our good freinds doe now earnestly desire to bee made partakers of our peace What doe I speake of men The very heauen the elements and this so seasonable haruest An. 1604. such as hath not been knowne if one may take any gesse by these outward things doe plainely declare that God is now with vs purposeth to power out his blessings and benefits most abundantly vpon vs. Nothing then remaineth but that as God is with vs so we labour to be with God And as S. Peter admonisheth vs make our election sure by faith and good workes liuing soberly vprightly and godly in this present world That so we may feare no cruelty of man no misery of the world no entisements of the flesh no terrors of the deuill but in all these things may bee more then conquerours assuring our selues that if God be with vs nothing can be against vs. Which that it may be so God graunt for Iesus Christs sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and euermore Amen Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Ioue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs that nothing may be against vs this day and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED at the Court at Whitehall March 10. 1598. IOHN 20.27 After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and bee not faithlesse but faithfull OVr blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body for foure causes First to approoue his resurrection secondly to appease his Father thirdly to confound his enemies fourthly to comfort his friends After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithles but faithfull The first cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his body is to approoue his resurrection When Iacobs children told him saying Ioseph is yet aliue his heart failed and he beleeued them not but as soone as he saw the chariots which were sent for him by and by his spirit reuiued and he said I haue enough Gen. 4● 28 Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue In like manner when the Disciples said to Thomas we haue seene the Lord he beleeued them not but nowe that hee beholdeth Christs glorious wounds the triumphant tokens of his victorie and the chariots as I may say whereby we are with Elias carried vp into heauen he confesseth indeede that Christ is risen againe and that the true Ioseph is yet aliue Io● 11.4 Euen as Anna seeing that spaniell cōming homeward which went forth with her sonne at the first knew certainely that her sonne Tobias himselfe was not farre off but followed immediately after so Thomas seeing those wounds in Christ which accompanied him to his graue knew assuredly that no other body was risen againe but onely the very selfe same body of Christ which was buried S. Peter beeing brought out of prison by an Angel went forth with to the house of Marie Act. 12.14 where knocking and calling to get in a maiden named Rhode before euer she sawe him knewe him by his voice And although they that were within tolde her she wist not what she said yet shee still constantly affirmed it was none other but he Christs rising out of the graue was as strange as Peters deliuerance out of prison the rowling away of the stone as strange as the opening of the yron gate And ●lbeit Thomas was not so forward as Rhode to know Christ by his voice when he said Peace bee vnto you yet as soone as Christ tooke him by the hand and shew'd hi●● his side he made no more doubts but presently beleeued For if Pr●tog●●●s seeing but a little line drawne in ● table k●ewe straightwaies it was Ap●lles doing whome he had neuer seene Plin. lib. 35. c. 10 how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ seeing not onely one line but very many lines yea whole pictures of his passion and of his r●surrection in his head in his hands in his side in his feete When King Arthurs bodie was taken vp somewhat more then sixe hundred yeares after his death Stow pag. 61. it was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the prints of ●enne seuerall wounds which appeared in his sk●ll Christ our King who did ouercome death could likewise if it had pleased him haue quite and cleane defaced and abolished all the markes of death Neuerthelesse as at his transfiguration he shewed Peter Iames and Iohn the signes of immortalitie in his bodie which was then mortall so here contrariwise at his resurrection he sheweth Thomas the signes of mortalitie in his bodie which is now immortall That he and all we might vndoubtedly confesse that though they perhaps might bee deceiued in King Arthurs bodie yet we can neuer be deceiued so long as we beleeue that the very same body of Christ which in Golgotha the place of dead mens skuls was wounded from top to toe and put to death for vs is now risen again from death to life Euen as King Alexanders stagges were knowne a hundred yeares together Plin. l. 8. c. 32. by those golden collars which by the kings commandement were put about their necks so much more might Thomas know Christ by his wounds which were as a comly ornament to his head and as chaines vnto his necke we also when we preach the resurrection of Christ preach no other thing but that which we haue heard which we haue seen with our eies which we haue looked vpon and our hands haue handled of the word of life Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall historie writeth that Athanasius beeing accused by one Ian●●● to haue killed Arsenius and after to haue cut off his hand that he might vse it to magick and sorcerie cleared himselfe notably of this slander Hauing by good happe found out Arsenius who lay hid for the nonce hee brought him before the Co●ncel of Tyrus and there asked his accuser whether hee euer knew Arsenius or no He answered yes Then Athanasius called him forth with his hands couered vnder his cloake and turning vp the one side of his cloak● shewed them one of his hands And when most men surmised lib. 1. c. ●1 that th' other hand at least wise was cut off Athanasius without any more ado casteth vp the other side of his cloake and sheweth the second hand saying You see Arsenius hath two hands now let mine accuser shewe you the place where the third hand was cut-off Christs case was euen almost the same Hee was thought by some to be quite dead and gone But Thomas seeing those very hands of his which were nailed to the crosse acknowledgeth that this our brother was dead and is aliue againe was lost and is found