be taught to trust in God to be redy to serue youre neghbure to suffre your aduersite pacieÌ„tly to despise y e false Gods seruice for that also haue all y e prophetes al euaÌ„gelistes al apostles taught more thaÌ„ thousande yeres agone They be new doctrines which the Popets disciples sworne seruauÌ„tes haue brought vp within these thre or foure hundreth yeares That which Paul preached to y e Athenians was also counted for newe learnige for they sayde Lo here coÌ„meth he the preacher of new deuels There is nother old nor new God but there is an euerâ—stige God which is which was shal be There is no newe nor olde learnynge of God Gods worde endureth for euer Iesu Christ is yesterdaye to daye he endureth for euer Stycke fast to hys worde and ye shall not be deceaued for hys worde is trewth He hath the wordes of lyfe suffre no doctour no apostle no angell of heauen to drawe you from hym Buylde your house sure vpoÌ„ y e rock Christ that ye maye with stonde all tempestes and assaultes Be not lyghtely turned from the good learnynge whiche ye be taught in the fayth accordynge to the scripture what so euer ye be taught besyde it let that be accursed What can we tell what oure forefathers haue beleued or not What caÌ„ we tell whiche workes he hath imputed theÌ„ for synne or not are we sworne to their fayth are we christened in y e name of our fathers why wil we then abyde by their fayth so earnestly which is vncertayne to vs Is not faith a gyfte of God Perchaunce god hath poured yt also in them we not knowenge whan or who forsomuch as yt is a gyft of God He that beleueth in my sayeth Christ though he dye he shall lyue Her is not promysed yf he abyde by the fayth of hys forefathers Who is so preuy of Gods iudgmeÌ„tes that he knoweth why God suffred the worlde thus longe to coÌ„tinue in this great darknesse It hath chaunced of tymes in the olde testament amonge the Iewes that the trewe Gods seruice and the knoledge of y e lawe was forgotten for a great season so that no man knewe of the lawe nor cremonyes As for the causes hereof or iudgement we wyll referre them to God thankynge hym for hys benefete in restorynge vnto as agayne the pure gospell shall we not brother Lazarus Yee verely brother with all oure hartes I am now thaÌ„ked be God so wel eased in consciencie that I fele no heuynesse nor troubell more at my harte Before was I neuer quiete now wolde I do thys than that nowe wolde I haue thys pylgrymage gone for me than that candell offred which I haue not made you preuy of hethertho I haue also caused oftymes golden masses be sayde for me to optayne health I feare me I haue offended also therin I must make a playne confession to you Timothe What be these golden masses Lazarus They be seperate masses that profyte greatly sayde agaynst pestilence derth and such lyke plages dyseases and vrgeÌ„t grefes They be sayde or songe for y e coÌ„munalty and thereby they optayne golde of them that they be sayde for They haue cost my large sixe pounde seÌ„ce my disase begaÌ„ne though they haue profyted my lytell Timothe I perceaue well ynough ye haue ben a vessell full of superstition ye haue so beÌ„ laden with these pylergnawers sayntes minions as saynt Iames with hys moskelshelles I praye you tell me were ye neuer in the brotherheade of oure ladyes psalter Were ye neuer written in the brotherheade of Caims kynne that is y e foure orders of the popes souldyers Lazarus I haue not named theÌ„ al yet yet I was mynded to haue ben buryed in a graye freres cote to haue ben releast of y e thirde parte of my synnes But now I byd this brablynge fare wel I loth the hearynge of them Shewe me youre mynde of the masles wether a man may cause them to be sayde for hym whan he is in yeopardy seynge Christ hymself hath institute them Timothe I am not aduised that euer I dyd once reade the name of masâ—e in the whole scripture of God I reade of the supper oâ— the lorde which Christ w t his apostles and the apostles with other beleuynge haue kepte and vsed Whan I entende to coÌ„pare the masse and y e supper of our Lorde together I can not perceaue it to be one thynge But seynge yt will be to longe to shewe the difference betwene theÌ„ I wyll deferre that vntyll oure nexte metynge As for to answere vnto your question I shall leaue the worde masse vntouched and answere you scripturely w t wordes of the scripture You haue ared of the masse and I shall answere you w t the supper of our lorde The vse of y e supper hath Christ institute for none other intent saue only that the breade of oure Lord shulde be distributed and the chalice of Christes bloude shulde be ministred to euery man in a remembraunce of hym which hath offred hys body vnto death and shed hys bloude for vs for a forgeuenesse of synnes As he sayeth himself As oft as ye shall do thys namely that whyche I do here to youre ensample do yt in the remembraunce of me that is that we shall shewe the death of oure Lorde as Paul sayeth Than do we declare the death of oure Lorde whaÌ„ we preache and shewe vnto the comunalty or coÌ„gregation how christ hath offred hys body vnto death for vs and that because we shulde not remayne in the euerlastynge death and so is he become a death vnto death that we shulde be taken from death vnto lyfe Yf ye now cause the supper of oure Lorde to be vsed for you to such intent as Christ hath ordeyned yt than are you admonished to despyse thys bodely death whiche ye must abyde after youre syknesse and to thyrst the lyfe tocome Now yf ye vse yt to optayne health therby and to abyde longer in thys synfull lyfe than do ye turne the vse of yt and compell Christ to daunse after youre mynstrelsy ye make a game of Christes passion and glorious death whose frute operation ye spurne from you sekynge therin to fulfyll youre sensualite Thynke ye it be not a greate foly and dyshonorynge of God that you wyll haue the passyon of Christ called vpon and remembred for you to optayne bodely health therby or prosperite Is it not a grosse blyndnesse and folyshnesse to requyre y e health of your synfull body of y e death of christ ye ought rather to consyder the slayenge of youre carnall appetite in thys present sufferynge through the crosse that now ye beare wyth Christ because y t through thys sufferynge and deynge wyllyngly ye maye lyue eternaly with christ Ye seke ease and longe lyfe in Christes crosse ye ought rather to seke pacient sufferynge and victory of death What dede is this that ye hyer prestes for golde or syluer to saye preuy masses for you
carnall desyres nor to the seruyce of oure brother But shal I tell you what you ought to haue done Timothe I praye you what Tobias You shulde haue strenghted the deuocioÌ„ of oure vicar with a groat so might you haue optayned him best Timothe It is sure so And that appeared wel last daye by the aldermannes wedowe wheare as it was no nede to bid hym come whan she laye syke for wyth her was he dayly yee vnbydden waytinge for the soull as a carmeraunte doth for the carien and all was to optayne somwhat by testament Be these feders be these pastores Tobias No but rather wolues wherof Ezechiel speketh saynge They haue eateÌ„ the mylke of their floke and with the woll they be clothed but they kepe them not from the wolues My thynketh they be dissemblynge Hypocrites and paynted graues which wyth longe bablinge or seruyce saynge deuoure wedows housen wherfore they shall receaue the greater damnation I thynke also these be the falfe prophetes semynge outwardly shepe But inwardly they be rauenous wolues Timothe Yf these prestes and as they call theÌ„felf religiousmen knewe what a christen dedeyt is to comfort the sorowfull to visite the syke to helpe the poore They shuld preferre the helpynge of them before all other workes For God shall esteme yt which is done to y e least of his as tough it were done to hymselfe But prestes do not regarde yt for they saye they haue ben longe ynough wyth the syke whan they haue ministred the sacramentes Tobias Yf they yett ministred the supper of oure Lorde to the syke dewly teachynge the Christians what Christ hath optayned for vs than myght the pacient geue thankes to God of the victory wherin he hath ouercome death to the beleuynge For that is the saynge of Christ whaÌ„ he sayth As oft as ye do ytt ye shall do ytt in the remembraunce of me which is acordynge to Pauls saynge Whan the death of oure Lorde is shewed But alas they do nought now but onely rehearse y e xii artikles of the fayth sleghtly to the syke And so mynister the sacrament wythout farther instruccioÌ„ of yt thynkynge all thynges to be very well dispached I praye God they haue not of tymes more mynde on the yewel which lyeth perchaunce in the syght than on the necessite of the poore Or that they mynde not more a good testament Tobyas They must be very blynde seynge they make lesse conscience of leauynge the breade of the poore that is Gods worke onbroken than of leauynge theyr masse matins and other seruyce onsayâ—â—e seynge it is hongred so soore for The ChristeÌ„man which is the lyuinge tempel of God must stonde by and abyde tyll the prest hath dispached his matyns or vysited the dead mens graues hath he neuer so great nede Yf Christ had the yongeman which wolde be his disciple to luffre the dead bury the dead and y t he shulde not leaue Goddes worde ondeclared for burieng what shal he saye theÌ„ thinke yow to them which excuse them selfs with theyr rummelynge and mummelynge of matyns euensonge and such lyke popyshenesse that they visyte not the syke or shewe the kyngdome of God where troubell and anguyshe is Tobyas Yt hath not auayleth the yonge man surely that he wolde haue buried y t dead much lesse shal it auayle theÌ„ y t be marked with the beastes marke to leaue theyr neghboure onserued and onregarded Yee Chryst hymself and that with the dedes of charyte which must be preferred before all the works of the lawe and promes acordynge as Chryst sayth that he is Lorde of the Sabbath We also shal be iudged after the declarynge of the dedes of charyte towarde oure neghboure Tymotheus Yt is well sayde surely and accordynge to the gospel Christ also rebuked the scribes iustly for theyr opinion of ceremonies commaundynge them to go and learne what that saynge of God is I wyll mercy and not sacrifyce Tobyas How vnderstonde you that saynge will God haue no sacrifice then which he him self commaunded so earnestly to de obserued here semeth Christ to be contrary to the wyll of hys father Tymotheus I wyll tel yow All sacryfices and burnt offerynges of the lawe were ordeyned and institute vnto the Iewes for none other intent saue onely for theyr sygnifycacions They dyd sygnifie the trew offerynge of Christ to come which out of very pury heate of loue dyd offer hymself vnto death by sheddynge of hys owne bloude for vs poore synners and thus is he become oure trewe and euerlastinge prest Seynge then we haue Christ al other offerynges ceasse and now we are come to the lyght all other shadowes vanishe For Christ is the ende and fulfillinge of the lawe wherfore we nede nomor the lawe with hyr ceremonies and ryghtwesnes as a teacher leadynge vs to Christ yee he onely commeth to the father which hath herd him and is taught of hym For so much then as the Pharises dyd regarde and had confydence more in sacrifyces and workes of y e lawe than they hadde respecte to hym y t was sygnyfyed therby whose dedes of charite also they counted lesse then the ryghtwysnes of the lawe therfore warneth Christ them to learne that God wyll haue mercy and no sacrifyce which he dyd lothe as Esay doth clearly expresse Tobyas You haue declared that very well But what saye ye to this worde of Christ These ought to haue bene done and not leaue the other vndone for oure prestes and lawers vnderstonde hereby that they may rather leaue the workes of mercy vndone than to leaue their mattens pattens masses diriges and such other muÌ„blinges vnsayde Tymotheus With this saynge rebuked Christ the Scribes and Pharises which at that tyme estymed theyr sacryfices feastes tythes and offeringes as hygly as oure Papistes counte masses saynge of seruice worshippinge of sayntes for the moost acceptable workes The tythes were lymited vnto the prestes of the olde lawe and graunted of God in the lawe but seynge they sought theyr deuty so narowly not wyllynge to transgresse the lawe in the same tythinge of mynt comin and anyse they declared theyr couetousnes and fayned loue of the lawe For in that parte of the lawe wherin theyr auauntage dyd consiste they wolde haue no breache but in other chefe pointes of the lawe namely where they were commanÌ„ded by the lawe to offer them selues to the seruyce of theyr neghboure they were as negligent as though it had not pertayned to them Therfore sayeth Chryst Wo vnto yow Scrybes and Pharises ye ypocrytes which tyth mynte anyse and comyn and leaue the wayghtyer matters of the law behynde namely iudgment mercy and fayth These ought to haue bene done and not to leaue the other behynde that is So longe as the lawe hath her course as yet she hath so longe ye maye receaue your dewty of y e tythes yee of anyse mynte and comyn but the dedes of fayth loue and mercy which y e lawe requyreth of you as chefest maye you not leaue vndone but
bitter recepte knowenge and stedfastly belyuynge to optayne health by none other meanes Lazarus As for me surely I wolde rather thanke him drynke hys recepte though it were as bitter as regale yf I knewe to optayne health therby Timothe Lo then nomore ye ought to despise the hyghest physicioÌ„ of your soule nor to refuse hys medycines though they be bytter and paynfull vnto your olde Adam But ye must haue an eye to his promyses ouercome that which is payneful to you wherby neuerthelesse ye be saued Thus haue martyrs ouercome in sufferynge and death for dyenge they sawe the trew lyfe in syknesse and disease of the flesshe they sawe the power of God which is fortyfied and stabylysshed hereby God of hys nature is merciful but that he maye worke hys worke in vs that is to heale to make safe and sounde he doth fyrst a thynge that is straunge to hys nature which semeth vnto vs a token of hatered that is he scourgeth and beateth vs with syknesses and grefe Thus doth God a straunge worke as sayeth Esaye in the .xxviii. chapter that he maye worke hys natural worke By this straunge worke of God that is the chastenynge or scourgynge of the father we lese oure corage goodes bloude health welth and lyuelode and come euen in the myddes of the crosse despysynge and death All thynges appeare here before our flesshly eyes as though we were enemies vnto God and wholy despysed of God and wote not to consyder how he shall delyuer vs. Yet do we perceaue the hande of God inwardly which doth so sustayn vs that we fall not in desâ—ayre mystrusting or mumurynge agaynst God wythout the hande of God it were impossible for vs to stonde the twinklinge of an eye In the ende of the worke do we fyrst perceaue the councell of God than se we that he wyll mayntayne and fede his shepe in his lappe whom he wyll not haue to dye for hunger and dysease He can tempte the ryghtuous and also delyuer them agayne By fayth may we be conquerers of all Fayth is of thynges that be not apparent now where fayth shal haue a place there must such thynges be beleued as be inuysyble Thus is fayth of the lyfe to come chefely contayned and declared in dyenge Thus we beleue that God relyueth vs in kyllynge that he saueth vs and iustyfyeth vs in synnynge that he brengeth vs to heaueÌ„ whaÌ„ he semeth to thrust vs down to hell in that he forsaketh vs and that he healeth vs in oure soule whan the body is vysyted with al maner of syknesses For he hedeth hys mercy vnder hys wrath How wolde haue beleued that God wolde haue dealte so peteousli with hys good frende Iob in takyng awaye all hys best beloued thynges but onely because he was mynded to restore hym all this agayne doubell Let therfore youre eye of fayth preasse vnto saluacion and reioyce though God shewe you not his foreparte that is a chearfull countenaunce as he dyd vnto Peter beynge on the mouÌ„t Thabor but hys hynder parte lyke as he appared vnto Moses For whan this worke of his is past thaÌ„ appeare his fotesteppes WhaÌ„ this chastesynge is past than shall he smyle at you and shew you his fatherly fauoure though in this anger he seme to gerne and loke grymly vpon you Perceaue you this Lazarus I can not perceaue perfectly so much at ones Neuerthelesse I perceaue that in youre wordes there is a Godly vnderstoÌ„dynge though I can not comprehend so much at once Therfore I desyre you to declare me more earnestly and sleghtly which waye oure synnes be mortyfyed in vs by the crosse and sufferynge Tymotheus I wyll do yt gladly Whatsoeuer a man loueth besyde God that is hys Idoll therfore is yt nedefull to declare what thynges we sett stoare by besyde God that we myght endeuoure vs the better to fulfyll the fyrst commaundement wherin we are commaunded to loue God with all oure harte power and vnderstondynge Some leane to much to temporall possessions which be withdrawen from them as a pelowe from vnder a mans heade by extorcion with the fyre by warre or by some other losse that hys hart beatt the more lyberte to be turned wholy to God Another hath hys carnal affeccion fyxed to sore vpon hys wyfe chyldren father and mother or frendes These false goddes be withdraweÌ„ from them whan they suffre ether in theyr name or fame goodes or bloude or whan they be taken from them by death to rydde a man of hys carnall affection and to open to a man hys infydelyte that God may possesse the harte wholy and alone lyke a gelous louer The thyrde is wanton and full of pleasure he setteth great stoare by hymself by reason of hys bewty strength honesty wysdome puyssaunce vnto such sendeth God troubell anguysshe sykenesse sores onwholsoÌ„nesse or folysshenesse to the intent y t he myght se how that all flesshe is nothynge but hey and all his glory as the grasse of the felde the grasse wythereth and the flore faydeth Lazarus I can not perceaue yet that God receaueth vs in scourginge al we flye strokes Tymotheus Your mysbeleue is the cause of flyenge which Paul rebuketh in the .xii. to the Hebrews saynge Bretheren haue ye forgotten the consolacion which speaketh vnto you as vnto chyldren saynge My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of the Lorde nother faynte whan thou arte rebuked of hym for whom the Lorde loueth hym he chasteneth Yee he scourgeth euery sonne that he receaueth Yf ye suffre hys chastesynge he offreth hym selfe vnto you as vnto hys beloued sonne What sonne is he whom hys father doth not chastyse Yf ye be farre from the chastenynge which is comune to all chyldren then be ye no chyldren but bastardes Also yf we haue hadde carnall fathers of whome we stode greatly iÌ„ awe which chastysed vs how much more shal we be obedyent vnto the father of spretes and shall lyue by hym Oure carnall fathers haue taught and enfourmed vs after theyr best mynde and that for a lytle season But thys father of oures teacheth and chastyseth vs for oure profyte that he maye make vs partakers of hys holynesse All thys present chastysynge semeth to be nothynge yoyfull but sorowfull but herafter she geueth a quyete frute reward vnto them which be proued therby Are not these sayenges comfortable vnto them that be in payne punyshment is dewe vnto synne and wythout synne is noman lyuynge wherfore good Lazarus receaue all that is sent vnto you and suffre though it be greueous Be pacyent in youre depressynge For as golde and syluer be tried in the fyre so is man tried in the fornace of temptacion Therfore scrypture exhorteth vs to estyme it aboue all other frutes And there is no frute so trewe as yf we be proued by many folde temptacions knowenge that temptacion in faith bryngeth forth the frutes of pacience Beholde all the martyrs and chyldren of God in theyr sufferynge and let theyr constant fayth be an
perceaued welynough that temptacion was a sure token that he shulde be counted in the nombre of the ryghtwyse The which Raphael the angell declared openly sayenge And because thou wast accepte and beloued of God yt was necessary that temptation shulde trye the. Thus haue they that pleased God euer den proued for eure comforte that we also shulde not despayre whan ony troubell is sent to vs of oure welbeloued fathers hande The carnall wyt can not perceaue nor comprehende that trouble is profytable and a tryall of our fayth but as sone as they get ony troubell they be offended with the workes of god sayenge to all the ryghteous that suffre as Iobs wyfe dyd Do ye yet continue in your perfectnesse Curse god dye As though they wolde laye It is playn now that he is no god that thus scourgeth you and vtterly forsaketh why do ye trust hym yet Saye much good of hī that bryngeth death vpon you for he is as worthy of youre blessynge as a wylfull murthurer to be saued Shrenk frō hym denye hym and remembre ye be mortall and that with thys lyfe ye passe all yeopardyes trust ye yet to optayne good thynges of youre Lorde These and such lyke wordes enspyreth oure wyfe sensualite into oure myndes whan we be assaulted of troubel For as than doth not the flesshe knowe nor fele that god vnder correction and vnder the shyne of hys wrath hath hydde louely countenaunce and couereth y e trew lyfe in death The frendes of the afore sayde Iob also were offended through hys great mysery sayenge Whan dyd euer the innocent perysshe whan were the ryghtwyse destroyed Call loke wether ther be ony body now to geue you an answer of the hope that ye had in the Lorde Turne ye to ony of the sayntes and beholde wyther such lyke dyd happen vnto them Now se ye how the vngodly frendes which take parte with oure flesshe iudge oure acceptabelnes to God by these worldly prosperytes Beholde how carnall wyt estemeth that for a curse which fayth receaueth as a godly reioycynge The frendes that loued Toby after the flesshe dyd also mock the good man he beynge blynde euen as those that vnderstonde nor the worke of pacyence and the glory of the crosse sayenge Where is thy hope for the which thou hast done almes and buryed the dead this is the rewarde that ye haue for doenge good But herken how Tobyas rebuked them sayenge Saye not so for we are the chyldren of holy men and loke for the lyfe which God shall geue vnto them that neuer turne theyr beleue from hym Beholde thys stronge fayth of Tobyas wyth such an answer shall ye shoue and auoyde the wycked in speracion of Sathan that alwaye entyseth you sayenge Are ye wytlesse that ye loke for remissyon of synnes by the bloude of Chryste and loke for the lyfe by death Ye shal be deceaued for who is rysen from death Do not ye se how the fayth of youre Chryst is denyed Yf he loued you as ye thynke wolde not he do you good Yf he were a trewe sauyoure and trew god he wolde not suffre you to lye here thus he wolde not ordre you thus I counsell you to let thys Chryst go what haue ye to wyth hym seynge he doth you no good he doth onely fraye you wyth hell and lyfe tocome herewyth wolde he fayne lede you as wyth a lyne It is not as he maketh you beleue Eate drink and be mery satle youre harte vpon a swete grounde as yt was yesterdaye so shall it also be now Lette vs eate and drynke for what shall we haue more tomorowe must we dye Be not abashed with the folysshe fayth of Christ I can accōlyshe al youre desyre here on earth Do not ye se how my sorte is exalted in the worlde and lyue at ease they be welthy of ryches they haue many frendes theyr houses be wythout care and they be not scourged theyr cattell encrease theyr flocke multiplyeth theyr chyldren playe and be mery they play on instrumentes What do ye gayne vnder the banner of the poore wreched naked disfygured and crucyfyed Chryst saue onely pouerty anguysshe and cōtinuall crosse Lo How hys discyples go by the stretes wyth sore hyles the be fooles and nygardes they be not able to geue a mouse a meales meate and whan they haue lōge ynough serued theyr master obeyenge hys commaundementes at the last they be hewē chopped stykt burnt drowned or come to such lyke shamfull ende what victory hath he thē gotten Where do ye se him rise agayne where se you the swearde shrenke from hym The fyre consumeth hym and water ouerwhelmeth hym where abydeth hys God that shall not forsake him in y e poynt of death Lazarus Ah brother how shal be able to escape these snares of the suttel fynde Verely such temptations haue of tymes made me so doubtfull and perplexe of harte y t I wyste not wyther to shifte me self Yf God hadde not sustayned me I myght haue ben fallen into despayre and ben choked in myn vnbleue I haue bē oft displeased with God seynge all thynges prospered so well with them and I with them that be lyke me stroue agaynst the moone and seuē starres labourynge and toylinge cōmynge out of the one crosse into another My thought yf I were god I wolde haue ordered the game other wyse Timothe Verely brother the deuyll wyth his fleshly pleasures which he layeth before mē to entyce them hath a pleasaunt begynnynge as a bye charged with hony but in y e ende is there a stynge Yf ye behold y e lustes of the fleshe before with the heithē than be they very pleasaunt in the eye as a fayre woman trymly deckte but yf hyr bake be turned than is it all horrible what ye se Thys is the brode lusty waye wherof Christ speaketh sayenge that many walke it yt but she bringeth to eternal dānation The chyldrē of thys worlde y t lyue so welthy passe theyr tyme in yoie it is trew but what foloweth sodēly they go downe to hell sayeth Iob. xxi dauid psal lxxii sayeth y t he also was nye ouercome with beholdīge of y e worldly men and was nye ouercome of the tēptacion of welth as we all be somtyme sayenge My fete that be the thoughtes where with the hart moueth were almoost gone my steppes were neare sleded And why I was greued at the wyked to se the vngodly in such prospyte For they are in no parell of death but stonde fast as a palace They come in no mysfortune lyke other men nother are they plaged lyke other folke c. Wherfore brother I exhorte you not to be moued at such inspirynges of the deuell be not greued not offended with y e vngodly for ye shall se theyr ende how that they shall wyther lyke hey and decaye as flores in the felde Be renewed in the Lorde and he shal accomplishe the desyres of youre harte Say alwaye with
we be clensed by the sheddynge of the bloude of christ we are also assured of death which els shulde haue folowed death Therfore all those that be yet mysbeleuynge sad and heuy harted and walke before God in bytternesse they be yet in synne And because they beleue not the resurreccion of Chryst therfore can not they reioyce in Chryst nor come to ony hope of the lyfe tocome Herken how royally the resurreccion of Chryst is set forth vnto vs in scripture Paul sayeth in the .x. chap. to the Romanes Yf thou knowlegest Iesu with thy mouth that he is the Lorde and beleuest in thyne harte that God hath raysed hym vp from the dead thou shalt be saued Yf ye dye in Chryst ye shall also ryse in him and lyue foreuer lyke as he now lyueth eternally For God hath begotten vs agayne vnto a lyuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Chryst from the dead .i. Petri. i. Whā that which is mortall in you shall haue put on all immortalyte by the departynge of death than shal death be swalowed vp in the victory For Chryst hath ouercome hym by his death which had the lordshyppe in this worlde by the disobedience of Adam as Chryst sayeth hymselfe The prynce of this worlde is come but in me hath he nought For so much than as Christ beynge y e trew sede of Eua hath destroyed and brused the serpentes heade that is death wherby the serpent raygned myghtely vpon all mankynde then maie ye now hardely triūphe inwardely sayeng Death where is the stynge o hel where is thy glory praysed be god which hath geuen vs victory by Iesu Christe Lyke as it was impossible that Christ not shulde please god in his ryghtwesnes euē so is it impossible we shulde not please God by fayth in Christ Thys confirmeth Christ sayenge The father loueth you for you loued me Of this misery of the resurreccion hyd lyfe coulde I brynge you forth manye scripturely reasons and ensamples but I fear lest it wyl be to tedious for you beynge syke Lazarus No brother fear not I loue so well to hear y e ensamples of scrypture whych teache vs how lyfe is hyd in death Tobias We haue many figures ensāples in y e scripture which teach and declare vnto vs that lyfe is fyrst declared in dyenge Whan the lorde God had fyrst created Adam our father he caused hym to slepe that out of the slepers syde he might make a lyuynge creature namly Heua to be a helpe vnto man Gene. ii the whiche also he dyd Lo how straunge seme the workes of God to be in oure ymagination Adam slepeth and is in the figure of death for slepe is very well compared vnto death and of him cōmeth the lyfe vnto Eua lykwyse also in oure dyenge appeareth oure lyfe fyrst wyth Christ Death of y e Christians is called in scripture a slepe or a peaceable rest Lazarus rested in the bosome of Abraham Steuen the fyrst martyr dyd slepe in the Lorde whan he was stoned Is it not cōfortable that the holy goost doth call oure dyenge here but a slepe or a rest Steuen dyd slepe in the Lorde that is he is departed hence with a suete rest and ease at the harte wherin he felt no paynfulnesse at the harte as a mā y t slepeth a naturall slepe slepeth without ony passion or felynge of y e same That death is not paynfull to the beleuenge cōmeth of Christes death The soul of a Christian beynge full of the lyuynge worde of God feleth not death nor regardeth it more than though she were paynted on the wall which appeared by the apostles y t wente meryly from the iudgmēt seates because they were founde worthy to suffre for the name of Iesu Act. v. Another ensample is this What tyme as God had cōmaūded Abraham to offre hys only sōne Isaac he wente thre dayes iourney vpō the word of God leauenge his owne vnderstondynge and wyt yeldynge himself wholy in the handes of God so that in y e meane season was Isaac dead and forgotten For Abraham was fully determyned to offre hys sonne vpon the hyll which he sawe afar of on the thyrde daye But finally whan Isaac was nearest vnto death and Abrahā drew the swearde to smyte hym thā was the sonne wholy in y e harte of hys father and fully delyuered vnto death Where Abraham now sawe the death of his sonne in lyftynge vp y e swearde there appeared vnto him the life of his sonne for the swearde was stayed by the angel of the which he was not ware dat it shulde happē After this ensāple also was Christ rekened dead of the whole worlde what tyme as he laye in the graue But on the thyrde daye he rose agayne shewenge hymselfe alyue This wyse shall it be wyth vs. Death semeth to take vs wholy and put vs out of mans remembraunce but thā shall fyrst oure lyfe appeare accordinge as Paul sayeth Youre lyfe is hyd wyth Christ in God Farthermore you rede that Moses was cōmaunded Nume xxi whan a greate multitude of the people was slayne with the venymous serpentes because of their murmuringe agaynste God to set vp a brasen serpent in a token that whose behelde it shulbe recouer and lyue whiche also chaunched What is the meanynge of thys Christ Iesu is signifyed by this brasen serpent which beynge lyfted from the earth and hāged vpō y e crosse as a treue tokē of forgeuenesse that whose beholdynge hym with the eyen of fayth and sure confidēce and hope to optayne health maye be healed and relyue agayne in the soule be he neuer so sore wounded and bytten with the venyme of synne Thys is yt that Christ also sayde Iohn iii. And lyke as Moses lyft vp the serpent in the wyldernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lyft vp that whosoeuer beleueth in him shulde not perishe but haue euerlastynge lyfe Take this figure to youre doctrine good brother You lye here bitten of the serpentes your synnes whiche haue kylled with bytynge oure forefathers with all their progeny For by the enuy and venym of the deuyll is death come in the whole worlde Wherfore beholde now your saueoure on y e crosse Beholde the lyō of the kynred of Iuda that hath ouercome all Beholde this serpent as a sure tokē of the good wil of God to you warde ye nede not to feare death for it geueth you lyfe Ionas the prophet was rekened for dead what tyme as he laye thre dayes in the whals belly dead drouned But afterwarde was he alyue againe shewed y e Niniuytes for he was sustaineth from death by god which relyued hym agayne By this Ionas is Chryst also fygured wytnessynge it hys owne selfe in the gospel to assure vs that we shall also ryse with him agayne yf we abyde stedfastly beleuynge vnto the ende What more assuraunce can ye haue of God than that he hath not spared hys owne sonne but hath geuen hym ouer vnto death for vs