soule is buried when it pleaseth God to fetch it from thence it is not as though he should make it come forth of the graue and raise it vp againe What is the occasion then that men may haue to flye from this corporall death and to haue it in such horrour Séeing that seperating the soule frō the body setteth the soul out of prison and sendeth it to enioy liberty in heauen there to be made much of in the bosome of Iesus christ and to inioy with him and with all the happy soules the eternall comforts promised and reserued for the elect people of God The body on the other side liethe in the earth as in a bed there to sléep and take his rest at his ease being neuer wake or troubled in his sléepe neither by fearefull dreames nor cares nor feares nor cries noyses or any thing els that maye disquiet the same sléeping there til the day of the resurrection when it shalbe waked by the sound of Gods Trumpet and knit againe to the Soule hauing left behind in the earth his mortality dishonour and weakenesse hauing put on his robes of glory power immortality and corruption Whereby we may sée that it is without curse that men feare so much this corporall death the which doth but seperate for a time the soule from the body for y ◠great profite of the one and of the other For the body is by this meanes out of all daunger not onely of sinne and of the miseries that waite thereuppon but also of all temptation remaining and resting in the earth in certaine hope of the resurrection and of the life euerlasting And although it séeme to be altogether depriued of life lyinge in the earth because that the soule being departed from it leaueth it without any mo uing or féeling and it putrifieth and goeth into earth yet being alwaies accompanied with the spirit and infinit power of God which quickeneth all thinges it is not altogether void of life as Saint Paul saith If the spirite of him which raised Iesus Christ vp from the dead dwell within you He also which hath raised him vp shal also quicken your mortal bodies because of his spirit which dwelleth in you This is the reason why in another place drawing out vnto vs the portrature of the resurrection of our bodies to come he brings in an example of the séede which is cast into the earth the which hath life in it although being in the Garner it semeeh to haue none and holding it in our hands wee cannot iudge but that it is a thinge dead and without life Yet when it is cast into the earth where a man would think the life if it had any would be smothered and taken away it showes it selfe and growes as it were from the rottennesse from whence wee sée the eare commeth which nourisheth and grows afterwards shewing plainely by euident tokens the life that was hidde in it before it was cast in the earth So God in the holy scripture caleth himself the God of Abraham long time after Abrahams death and saith that he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Then it followeth that not only the soule of Abraham which he redeemed by the death of his Sonne is yet liuing since it hath béen seperated from the Body but that the bodye which is partaker of the same redemption which is knit and incorporate to Iesus Christ to be one of his members and hath bene consecrated and sanctified vnto God that he may dwel therin as in his holy Temple is not clean without life although it be putrified in the bowels of the earth For so much as it is alwaies accompanied with the grace of God and iointly with the soule comprised in the euerlasting couenant that hee hath made with his people which couenant is a fountaine and vaine of life not onely to the souls but also the bodies of al the faithfull And if as Saint Iohn saith they bee most happy and blessed which die in the Lord and that no blessednes can be without life we must needes conclude the one of these two things either that no blessednes can come to the body or els if it may come that the body is not depriued and void of all life lying in the earth For although it be putrified and haue no signe of life in it at all yet retayneth it in it selfe as it were a séede and stack which shal appeare at the day of the resurrection when the spirite of God pouring out his infinite vertue on our bodies shal raise them vppe againe and shall make them shine with the glory and brightnes that hee hath promised his elect And euen as in an egge there is a chicken and a certain life which is euidently perceiued when the hen hath heated and hatched it by her heate so immortality and life euerlasting whereof both our soules and bodies are called to bée partakers from the time that we haue receiued the Gospell of Christ which is a worde of life and a séede incorruptible shal shut vp till the last day by the power of our God which shall then make vs newe againe as hee shall doe the Heauens the earth and all other creatures which then shall fully be deliuered from the bondage of corruption Whereof we are also assured by the baptisme that is giuen vs in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost For the water which hath bene poured vpon our bodies whiche the Scripture calleth the lauer of Regeneration is not onely to assure vs that our soules are washt and purged cleane by the bloud of Iesus Christ for the remission of our sinnes but also our bodies And that being both together couered and clad with the righteousnes and innocency of the son of God and besides sanctified by his holye Spirite they are by and by put in possession of life euerlasting and altogether made frée and deliuered frō the slauery of death which hath no power as we said but onely where sinne raigneth which is the onely cause of death The holy Supper of our Lord in the which taking by faith breade and wine which are giuen vnto vs by the handes of the minister we are receiued to the partaking of the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ and so vnited and incorporate with him that for euer as Saint Iohn saith he dweleth in vs and we in him doth it not assure vs also that being inseperably ioyned with the life and with him that is cause of life wee can neither die either in soule or body by reason of this vniō which is common both to soule and body The death of the body ought not to séeme so hor rible and hideous as it doth vnto others who are frighted as little children with a maske or false vizard For if the mother should come to her childe with a monstruous and vgly face to be séene he would be afraid and
in the sixt Psalme hee saith O Lorde rebuke mee not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy sore displeasure Acknowledging that the anguish and sicknes wherewith hee felt himselfe so grieuously afflicted was the very pricking and working of Gods displeasure whom he knew he had sore offended Hée saith as much in another Psalme Thine arrowes haue light vpon mee and thine hand lieth vpon mee And in the two and thirtie Psalme Thy hand is heauy vpon me daie and night And againe in the 39. Psalme I was dumbe and spake nothing I kept silēce euen from good and my sorrow was more stirred My hart was hot within mee and while I was musing the fire kindled c. Ezechias Iob likewise doo attribute their sicknes to none other but to God And Iob saide that in the very stinch that came from his flesh halfe-rotten and in the multitude of lothsome wormes that issued from his bodie he still beheld but one hand of his Sauiour to touch him to the ende hee might heale him againe with the other The very Heathenish Infidels haue somtimes acknowledged that their Sicknes and diseases procéeded from none other cause but from God who then punished them because of their offences As Pharao and his family in the daies of Abraham the Egyptians in the time of Moyses the Philistians in the time of Samuell when they kept the Arke of Couenant captiue and prisoner in their owne country after they had takē it in the war wherein they vanquished the children of Israell We must then conclude that diseases and generally all afflictions and aduersities doo come from God who dooth nothing but with great iustice and by his heauenly wisedome For all his actions are so well directed that nothing may be found in them but is done with waight number and measure and for great reason although the cause thereof be sometimes vnknowne to vs. As then the Goodnes the Power the Wisdome the Iustice the Equitie Constancy and veritie which appeare in all the works of God are the motiues and causes why we allow of them and praise them So confessing all these vertues in our sicknes and other aduersities which are the handyworke of God and of none other ought we not to take them in good part and to arme our selues with this faith and holy cogitation against the impatience and murmuring of our hart which doth pricke and prouoke vs to stomake and be angry with God yea and sometimes to blaspheme his holy name horribly when he will not doo as we would haue him and fulfill the wicked and disordinate desires of our sinful flesh which if he should do he should become like vnto vs who are but flatterers and dissemblers of our owne vices and abhominations Contrariwise to become holy good and vertuous we must labour to be like vnto him and to submit all our desires and will vnto his wil. For otherwise we are indéed but hipocrites and although that in our praiers wée craue and desire that his will bee done our hart dooth secretly make our mouth bée found a liar and doth by and by tell vs in our eare ha hipocrite that thou art if thou mightest choose thou hadst rather haue thy own wil to be done then Gods will When a man speaketh to vs of Gods prouidence and asketh vs if euery thing that God dooth be good and well done we can tell him by and by it is and so we say to our neighbors friends when we sée them in any anguish or affliction to giue them the best comfort and counsel that we can and for the best and spéediest remedie we tell them then it procéedeth from the prouidence will of God But when it commeth to the point to apply it to our selues we doo as Phisitions who can minister good medicines and giue skilful counsel to others but will follow none themselues Neuertheles there is nothing so néedefull and wholesome for vs as to occupy our selues daily in meditating of the prouidence of God and to acknowledge that it guideth gouerneth and disposeth all thinges to the ende that beholding alwaies the workeman in his workemanship we may by and by like of it and allow it knowing that he letteth nothing go out of his shop before it be throughly polished well trimmed perfect and accomplished as it should be in all points And if we giue such credite to cunning Artificers to accept of their workemanship so soone as we sée their marke shall we doo so great iniury to God as not to allow and estéeme of his workes wherin we sée the markes and prints of his bountie and iustice so euident and apparent to the eies of all men Uery true it is that that which doth come directly from his bountie pleaseth vs better then that which procéedeth from his rigour iustice as is séene in the workes of Nature some séeme more pleasant and delectable then other some the day is more comfortable to vs then the night the sommer more pleasant then the winter the sunshine and cleare weather maketh vs a great deale gladder then the blacke pitchy darke rainy and stormy season dooth So when God smileth vpon vs and sheweth vs the light of his countenance and by his milde and gratious dealing towards vs dooth cherish and make much of vs embracing vs with his mercy on euery side multiplying without cease his graces vpon vs and euery day endewing vs with some new benefit as the Prophet saith that without doubt is farre more acceptable vnto vs then when he sheweth vs his sterne and frowning lookes makes vs feele the rigor of his wrath and the sting of his Iustice. Did not Dauid take greater pleasure in hearing the goodly large promises that God made vnto him to establish him in his kingdome and to giue it to him and to his children for euer to giue him victory ouer all his enemies the which were as thicke in euery corner as the dust in the market place to make his fame and renowne to flie and resownde in all quarters amongst strange Nations to heare God with his owne mouth say that hée had found him a man after his own hart to consider how God tooke and chose him euen from his shéepe to exalt him aboue all the houses of Israel and how God did as it were degrade altogether the house of Saul to enrich and adorne him with their spoiles hauing none other reason to doo all this for him but of his méere grace and good will I aske you then whether these so great and euident tokens of the bountie and mercy of God towards him were not farre easier to be disgested then the grieuous reproches that he made him of his ingratitude after his fall And the fearefull threatnings that he vsed to discouer and publish openly all his offence to make murthers and bloodshed abound in his house and that the honour of his wiues should
in the perfect tranquilitie of our soules and in the full satisfaction of all our desires The which vaine men séeke in vaine to haue in this life in the transitorie trashe and treasure of this present world There is yet one thing more which should make vs embrace death willingly when our houre is come which is that it doth set vs in possession of all the goods that Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs. For while we liue in this worlde wee are not saued as the Apostle sayth but by hope onely But when by death wée departe from hence then wee inioy lyfe euerlasting and that pleasure which is so greate that neyther eie eare vnderstanding or heart of man may conceiue or apprehende the greatnesse thereof It was a ioyfull thing I thinke for the people of Israel after theyr long and irkesome slauerie wherein they were detayned in Aegypt after so long wandering and many vnhappie reencounters that they had in the deserts of Arabia for fortie yeeres together when at the last they sawe themselues arryued at the bankes of Iordaine and had but to passe ouer the riuer to enter into the possession of the lande that GOD had promised to their Fathers which they had so long waited for before A young man that hath béene many yeeres warde vnder a rigorous and seuere Tutor who hath misused him and dealt verie hardly with him kéeping him short of those things which were necessary for him hath he not great cause to reioyce séeing the date of his wardship to draw out when he shall haue all his goods at his owne pleasure and hee at no mans controlment anie more The children that descende of anie noble family that are brought vp vnder the king or in the house of anie greate Prince or Signiour to waite vpon them being brought vp vnder the hand and correction of a sharpe and curst squire who doth kéep them in with a seuere and rigorous discipline are not they ful glad when they are out of their waiting office frée from the feare and seruilitie wherein they were so long rigorously detained The young maidens that haue all their youth bin straitly kept within their fathers and mothers doore they reioyce greatly when they heare they shall be maried a great deale more when they are betrothed but their greatest pleasuxe and ioy is when they are maried and giuen into the hands of an husband whome they loue and lyke well of For so they haue their hearts desire Wee also that here on earth by the preaching of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and by faith which wee haue fixed in his promises haue as it were betrothed our selues vnto him what cause shall we haue to reioyce when our soules departing frō our bodies shall mount vp into the heauens to espouse him and there to solemnize the feastifal daie of our mariage with such ioy and gladnes as shall neuer haue end and neuer be interrupted or troubled neither by death disease or anie other accident that euer may bechance Then wil our spouse comming before vs saie vnto vs that which is written in the Canticles Come he ther my sweete one enter into the closet of thy loue The winter is passed so are also the raine the snow the haile the cold and frost and all the sharpe and bitter season which thou hast bene faine to endure hetherto with great paine and sorow And nowe the spring into the which thou art entered shal endure for euer and the pleasures that shee bringeth with her shall neuer haue anie ende Enter then my sweet one into the ioy and rest of the Lorde Then shall bée fulfilled the saying of the Prophet They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy They went weeping and caried precious seede but they shall returne with ioy and bring their sheues with them So béeing out of our wardshippe and taken from vnder the hande and discipline of our Tutor wee shall bée set at full lybertie and in possession of that inheritance that GOD our good Father hath promised vs and appointed vs when hee adopted vs for his children and heyres of the inheritance of eternall life and of the kingdome of heauen which wée may well hope for whilest wée are héere but to saie or thinke what it is it is impossible for anie tongue or eloquence bée it neuer so singular for the greatnesse thereof farre passeth all humane capacitie Man hauing built this fortresse agaynst the feare that the sicke man may haue of death wee must also set downe some thing agaynst the feare of the deuill who is Emperour of the kingdome of death For he is the enemie that giues the last assault that plants all his artillerie and employes all his engins agaynst vs to make vs yéelde But we being vnder the defence and safegarde of our shepheard who is carefull and vigilant to kéep vs and stronger to defend vs than this rauening woulfe or furious lyon can bée to assaile vs we ought not to feare at all For who can take vs out of his handes seeing that hee and his Father who is greater then all are but one essence power glorie and maiestie We are then assured that as there is no subtiltie or fetche that can surprise or goe beyonde his wisedome so is there no force sufficient to encounter with his puissance Let vs kéep our selues then vnder the shadowe of his wings and assure our selues that hee will keepe vs safe that neither the deuills nor anie other creature shall bee able to hurt vs as the Prophet saith Who so dwelleth in the secrete of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the almightie I will saie vnto the Lorde O mine hope and my fortresse He is my God in him will I trust And after that he had named some dangers by the which he assured the faithful they could neuer bée hurt in the end he commeth to the deuils the ancient and mortall enemies of mankinde and speaketh on this wise Thou shalt walke vpon the Lion Aspe the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread vnder feete Because thou hast loued me therefore wil I deliuer thee I will exalte thee because thou hast knowen my name c. Where we may beholde the victory which he doth promise vs of the deuilles And the example of the Apostles vnto whome Christ gaue power ouer deuils so that they were constrained to acknowledge the power that hee had giuen the Apostles ouer them obeying vnto those things that they did command in his name may put vs in good securitie that fighting against them so that we be furnished with the same weapons that they were that is to saie with faith and the word of God we shall bee sure to haue the victory of them and by the buckler of our faith to breake off their firie dartes Your aduer sarie the deuil saith Saint Peter walketh as a Lion roring round about you seeking whom hee may deuoure to whom you
his disciples in the forme of praier that hée gaue vnto his disciples where he teacheth them to demaunde nothing but their dayly bread Condemning thereby all delicacies excesses licorousnes wantonnes sumptuousnesse riot and all other vaine superffuities of this world for the worlde as it is corrupted and excessiue in all things doth not thinke it selfe riche but in superfluous things only but the children of God must be contented with thinges néedfull for the bodie must thinke themselues rich when they haue but crustes of Barly bread or a few little fishes roasted as our sauiour Iesus Christ and his disciples had or a little cake baked in the cynders as Elias had or Locusts as Iohn Baptist had to nourish himselfe withall and to cloath himselfe with a rugge coate made of Cammelles haire In anie case they must possesse riches and must not suffer themselues to bée possessed by them They must rule ouer them and not be in subiection to them To conclude whether God giue them anie or whether he take them awaie they must be as ready to leaue them and to blesse and praise the name of God as well for the one as for the other as that good man Iob did The thirde concupiscence that is in the world and is the most dangerous of all is the concupiscence of the flesh which Salomon setteth downe at length in the booke of the Preacher to shew y â— it is most vsual and the verie spring from whence all other vanities doe flowe For there are few men in the world or none at all who séeke not the pleasure and contentment of the flesh Some delight in building sumptuous houses to continue their names for euer as the Prophet Dauid sayth They thinke their houses and habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their landes by theyr names But man shall not continue in honour hee is lyke the beastes that die Some take great pleasure in hauing goodly gardens orchards closes and fine smooth allies bordered rounde about with roses and swéete flowers to haue shadowe and freshe aire in the Summer Some in clothing themselues gorgeously others doe spende almost all the daie in combing and curling their haire in beholding theyr faces in glasses in setting theyr ruffes in perfuming themselues many delyght to haue their houses furnished with riche and sumptuous houshold-stuffe to adorne their halles and parlers with goodly hanginges of Tapistrie with faire painted Tables with costly séelings of beds with exquisite couertures with chaines of golde and the richest imbrodery that they may find with bedsteads of Iuorie and abundance of siluer and golde plate Others woulde haue their tables couered with the rarest most dainety dishes that might bee gotten for money and the finest robes that might be come by to dresse season their meate Some delight to passe their time in good companie to laugh and be merrie to dance to leape and to do the things which are not decent to bee written or named And what is all this but the markes monuments and trophees of the excesse dissolution and vanitie of Christians And we may saie of these as it was said of the golden image that Phryne a famous strumpet in Athens caused to bee erected in the midst of the Citie with this goodly superscription Heere are the triumphes and spoiles of the dissolute infamous and lasciuious Greekes That was done then but in one onely Citie of Gréece to taxe the licentious lyuing of the Citizens But at this present daie amongst vs Christians there is no house in the Cities no village in the Countrie where we may not beholde the armouries of the worlde and of this vncleane spirite who is Prince thereof set vp euen vpon the blessed Sabboth daie which God hath reserued to him selfe that in the same all the world shoulde thinke vpon nothing else but sanctifieng and blessing his holy name But GOD knowes of the seuen dayes in the wéeke there is none so much prophaned and blasphemed as the Sabboth daie which now séems to be made for to inuent pastime for the deuil for the lusts of our flesh dancing feasting and such other disportes as the flesh and the deuill desire Who can then with any reason be sory for these pleasures wheÌ„ they take their leaue of vs the which bring nothing with them but shame and dishonour spoile and losse of goods thousands of diseases both to the soule and bodie ruines and desolation of whole famylies Countries and Kingdomes contempt of vertue and all honestie hatred of God all true religion both which these swines haue such in horror y â— by their good wil they woulde neuer heare anie talke of God or religion They doe not onely make vs dul blockish and effeminate but also make vs like to bruite beastes and bring vs oftentimes to our destruction Let vs then take héede not to bee seduced by theyr flatterie and faire face Their beautie that is apparant outwardly is alluring and deceiueth them who taketh not héede of the poyson that lyeth secretly hid vnderneath As the silly bird fish are caught with the hooke enticed vnto it and deceiued by a baite which couereth the same Let vs then take héede vnto them behinde and not before as Aristotle most wisely doth admonishe vs for as pleasures before séeme as fayre as Syrens but if you looke behinde them they drawe after them a long taile of an vgly serpent the verie sight wherof would make a man afeard Is anie man able to count the floudes of mischiefes and miseries that are arriued vnto vs by that little pleasure that our first parents had in eating the forbidden fruite What was the cause that God who is so patient and so slow to anger sent that great deluge of waters by the which he defaced euerie lyuing soule from the face of the earth reseruing aliue but onely Noe and his familie and the liuing things that hee tooke with him into the Arke Were not the filthie fornications that did raigne at that time among men who tooke all women maids which pleased theÌ„ to vse them neglecting the order and honestie which God had coÌ„manded in instituting the holy SacrameÌ„t of maryage in the beginning of the world the occasion of that so horrible and fearfull iudgement of God What was the cause semblably of the subuersion and vtter ouerthrowe of Sodome and Gomorrha but their infamous abhominations and filthie pleasures that they tooke in banquetting and all kinde of excesse Wherefore was God so angrie with his people in the wildernesse where at once he made thrée and twentie thousand die and a great number beside but because of the filthie abhominations that they committed with the Madâ—…anites And the Quailes that they had to satisfie their gluttish appetite wherof God would eternize the memorie commanding the place where they had liued so delicatly to be called The sepulchre of Concupiscence What fell out afterward in the house and
cannot stande steadfast one minute of an houre strengthen vs by thy holy spirite and so arme vs with thy spiritull giftes and graces that wée may constantly perseuere in the faith without the which it is not possible to please thée Strengthen vs then day by daie in the same faith whereof we will make confefsion vnto thée with heart and mouth saying I beleeue in God the Father c. Then may they looke howe the sicke person doth vsing gracious and Christian spéeches vnto him but if no signe of amendement appeare soone after they may find out a fit timeâ—…to aske of him if he would willingly heere to speake of God and to heare his worde whilest hée is in perfect sense and memorie then may they beginne this little Catechisme which followeth A SHORT CAtechisme to refresh the memorie of the sick person in points of Christianitie and to make him chieflie vnderstand the mysterie of our Redemption The Minister N. BRother euerie man who knoweth himselfe well and séeth of what condition and qualitie hee is must surely confesse that albeit he be created after the image and likenesse of God yet that he is conceiued and borne in the sinâ—…e of olde Adam and so made a poore and miserable sinner ignorant vnconstant and full of all iniquitie and by consequent subiect to all miseries afflictions and aduersities and finally to death Of all which sinne is the cause the which God wil not suffer to bee vnpunished but afflicteth vs therfore daily and doth plague and punishe vs in this worlde least hée should condemne vs with the worlde Wherefore déere brother N. haue patience in your sicknesse and affliction and you shall possesse your soule in spirituall ioy Confesse your sinne and accuse your selfe before the maiestie of Godvnto whome you must cast vp your eyes to contemplate him by faith confessing your faith with heart and mouth before all this assistance of your faithfull Brethren For it is written With the heart man beléeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Hearken then to these questions that I shall demand of you and answere to them faithfully according to the vnderstanding that God hath giuen you But if you cannot answere by reason of your féeblenesse I will answere for you and it shall suffice vs verie well to vnderstande your meaning and the constancie of your faith in the which you must liue and die Nowe I must first aske you wherefore and to what end were you created in this world The Sicke To know God The Minister Was it necessarie for you to know God S. Yea verily for séeing that he is my soueraigne God without the knowledge of him sure I had béene more miserable then the brute beastes M. Séeing that you know God you know well that he is power wisedom and infinite bountie one God in thrée persons the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost The onely God that A braham Isaac and Iacob haue worshipped in spirit and truth The onely eternall God who hath created heauen and earth and all thinges therein contained Is not the knowledge that you haue of God such S. Yes M. But so simple knowledge of God is it sufficient to bring you to life euerlasting S. Uery hardly For it is life euerlasting to confesse and to know one onely God and him whom hee hath sent his onely Sonne for euer our Lorde Iesus Christ. M. Wherefore is it necessarie for you to confesse and know the Lorde Iesus Christ S. Because I must recouer in Iesus Christ all that I lost in my selfe by the sinne of old Adam in the which I was borne and conceiued therefore it was méete for my saluation that Iesus Christ verie God and verie man inuesting our flesh should giue me of his grace and fauour againe that which I had lost in Adam M. Uerie well saide And therefore was Iesus Christ conceiued of the holy Ghost and borne of the virgin Mary to purge and sancttifie you but you for your part were conceiued and borne in sinne and of sinfull parents Wherefore you must confesse that without Iesus Christ you had remained a poore and miserable sinner iudged to eternall death S. So in déed I had But I firmely belieue and confesse that this good Iesus Christ hath reconciled mee to God his Father M. But how hath he reconciled you to God the Father S. By his death and passion in shedding of his most precious bloude for to deliuer mee from euerlasting paines This good GOD Iesus Christ hath suffered for mee vnder Pontius Pilate manie afflictions iniuries and tribulations This Iesus Christ was crucified for mee as one accursed vppon the trée of the Crosse to deliuer mee from the eternall cursse vnto the which Adam had made me subiect This my Sauiour Iesus Christ was verily buried to burie with him all my sinnes to the ende that they shoulde not bee imputed vnto mee before God This is my Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ who descended into hell suffering an extreame anguish and pangue for the time to deliuer mee from eternall paines of hell M. All this that you haue now confessed of Iesus Christ is it sufficient to saue you S. No for the holie scriptures must bee in all thinges fulfilled For what had this profited mee that Iesus Christ was borne crucified dead and buried and gone downe into hell onely for mée and if hée had not rose againe Wherefore I belieue and confesse that my Lord my heade and Sauiour Iesus Christ is risen from the dead to make me rise againe with him as one of his little members into euerlasting life M. Consequentle it is writen that he is ascended vp into heauen sitting now at the right hand of God his Father But what profit get you by his ascention S. My Lord my heade and Sauiour Iesus Christ is ascended vp into heauen to make me ascend after him for where the head is the members are also and I constantly belieue that sitting at the right hand of God his Father he is mine aduocate intercessor and mediator towards him assuring me that nothing may hurt me he being both mine aduocat and Iudge Wherefore I néede not to feare the day of his iudgement when he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead for I belieue and confesse with a stedfast beliefe that there is no iudgement or 〈◊〉 for them that are faithfull members in Iesus Christ. M. Who hath giuen you the grace to vnderstand and doe these things S. It is by the grace of the holy Ghost one onely God with the Father and the Sonne by whom wee receiue all these gifts and graces which are offered vnto vs in Iesus Christ. M. Séeing y â— you haue already coÌ„fessed y â— you are one of y e meÌ„bers of Iesus Chrst it followeth then that you are incorporate also into his church the which you