wyth ryghtuousnes Hys death toke awaye synne malediction hys death was the raunsome of them both Hys death destroyed death and ouercame the deuyll whych had the power of death in his subiectioÌ„ Hys death destroyed hell wyth all the damnation therof Thus is death swalowed vp by Christes vic torye thus is hel spoyled for euer Yf any maÌ„ doubt of thys victorye let Christes glorious resurrection declare hym the thynge Yf death coulde not kepe Christ vnder his dominion but that he arose again it is manyfest that hys power was ouercome Yf death be coÌ„quered than must it folowe y t sinne wher fore death was appoynted as the wages must be al so destroyed Yf death and synne be vanished away then is the deuels tyrannye resysted whyche had the power of death and was the author of sinne and the rulet of hell Yf Christe had the victory of them all by the power of hys death and openly proued it by hys valiauÌ„t resurrection as it was not possible for hys great myght to be subdued of them than thys true that Christe dyed for oure synnes and rose agayne for our iustification why may not we that be hys members by true fayth reioyce and boldly saye wyth the prophete Osee the Apostle Paule where is thy darte O death where is thy victory O hell Thankes be vnto God saye they whyche hath gyuen vs the victory by our Lord Christ Iesus Thys myghtye conquest of hys resurrection was not only sygnifyed afore by dyuerse fygures of the olde testa ment as by Sampson whan he slewe the Lyon out of whose mouth came out swetnes and hony and as Dauid bare his fygure whan he delyuered y e lambe out of the Lyons mouth and whan he ouercame slewe the great gyant Goliath and as whan Ionas was swalowed vp of the whales mouth and cast vp agayne on londe to lyue but was also moost clerely prophecied by the prophetes of the olde testament in the newe also confirmed by the Apostles He hath spoyled sayeth saynt Paule rule and power and all the dominion of our spirituall enemyes He hath made a shewe of them openlye and hath triumphed ouer them in hys owne person Thys is the myghty power of the Lorde whome we beleue on By hys death hath he wrought thys victorye for vs and by hys resurrection hathe he purchased euerlastynge lyfe ryghtuousnes for vs. It had not ben ynough to be delyuered by hys death from synne excepte by hys resurrection we had ben endowed wyth ryghtu ousnes And it shulde not auayle vs to be delyueted from death except he had rysen agayne to open for vs the gates of heuen to enter into lyfe euerlastinge And therfore saynte Peter thanketh God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ for hys abundaunt mercy bycause he hath begotteÌ„ vs â—ayeth he vnto a lyuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christe from death to enioye an inheritaunce immortal that shal neuer perysh whych is reserued in heauen for them that be kepte by the power of God thorowe fayth Thus hath hys resurrection wrought for vs lyfe ryghtuousnes He passed thorowe death and hell to put vs in good hope that by hys strength we shall do the same He payde the raunsome of synne that it shulde not be layde to our charge He destroyed the deuell and all hys tyranny and openlye triumphed ouer hym and toke awaye from hym all hys captiues hath raysed set them wyth hymselfe amonges the heauenly cytesins aboue He dyed to destroy the rule of the deuell in vs and rose agayne to sende downe his holy spirite to rule in our hartâ— to endow vs wyth perfyte ryghtuousnes Thus is it true that Dauid songe Veritas de terra orta est iustitia de coelo ê‘spexit The truth of goddes promyse is in erth to man declared or from the earth is the euerla stynge veritie goddes sonne rysen to lyfe the true ryghtuousnes of the holy goost lokynge out of heauen is in moost lyberall larges dealt vpon all the worlde Thus is glorye and prayse reboundinge vp warde to god aboue for hys mercy and truth thus is peace come downe froÌ„ heueÌ„ to meÌ„ of good faithfull hartes â–ª Thus is mercye and veritie as Dauid wryteth met together thus is peace and ryghtuousnes embrasynge and kyssynge themselfe together Yf thou doutest of so great felicitie that is wrought for the O man cal to thy mynde that therfore haste thou receyued into thyne owne possession the euerla stynge veritie our Sauiour Iesus Christe in forme of breade to confirme to thy conscience the truthe of all thys matter Thou hast receyued hym yf in true fayth and repentaunce of harte thou haste receyued hym yf in purpose of amendement thou haste receyued hym for an euerlastinge gage and pledge of thy saluation Thou hast receyued hys body which was oâ—es broken and hys bloud shed for the remission of thy synne thou hast receyued hys body to haue with in the the father the sonne the holy goost to dwell wyth the to endowe the wyth grace to strength the agaynst thy enemyes and to comforte the with theyr presence Thou hast receyued hys bodye to endowe the wyth euerlastyng ryghtuousnes to assure the of euerlastynge blysse and lyfe of thy soule For wyth Christe by true fayth arte thou quyckened agayne sayeth saynt Paule from death of synne to lyfe of grace and in hope translated froÌ„ corporall and euer lastynge death to the euerlastynge lyfe of glorye in heauen where nowe thy conuersation shulde be and thy harte and desyre set Doubte not of the truth of thys matter how great excellent so euer these thyn ges be It becommeth god to do no lytle dedes how impossible so euer they seme to the praye to god that thou mayest haue fayth to perceyue thys greate power of Christes resurrection y t by fayth thou mayest certaynly beleue nothing to be impossible with god Only bringe thou fayth to Christes holy worde and sacrament let thy repentanÌ„ce shewe thy faith let thy purpose of amendement and obedience of thy harte to gods lawe herafter declare thy true beleue Endeuoure thy selfe to saye wyth saynte Paule from henseforth our conuersation is in heuen froÌ„ whence we loke for a sauioure euen the Lorde Iesus Christ whych shall chanÌ„ge our vyle bodyes that they may be fashioned lyke to hys glorious bodye whyche he shal do by the same power wherby he rose froÌ„ death and wherby he shal be able to subdue al thynges vn to hymselfe Thus good christen people for as muche as ye haue herde these so great and excellent benefy tes of Christes myghtye and glorious resurrection howe that he hath raunsomed synne ouercome the deuyll death and hell and hath victoriously obteyned the better hande of them all to make vs fre and saufe from them and knowynge that we be by thys benefyte of hys
resurrection rysen wyth hym by our fayth to lyfe euerlastynge beynge in full suretie of oure hope that we shall haue oure bodyes lykewyse reysed agayn from death to haue them glorifyed in immortalitie and ioyned to hys gloryouse body hauynge in the meane whyle hys holye spirite wythin out hartes as a feaâ—e and pledge of our euerlasting inheritaunce by whose assistence we be replenyshed wyth all ryghteousnes by whose power we shall be able to subdue al our euel affections y t ryse againste the pleasure of God These thynges I saye well coÌ„sydered let vs nowe in the reste of oure lyfe declare our fayth y t we haue to thys moost furtefull article by conformyng vs therunto in rysynge dayly from synne to ryghtousnes and holynes of lyfe For what shall it auayle vs sayeth S. Peter to be escaped and delyuered from y e fylthynes of the worlde thorough the knolege of the Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christe yf we be enâ—augled agayne therwyth be ouercome agayne it had bene better sayeth he neuer to haue knowen the waye of ryghteousnes than after it is knowen and receyued to torne backewarde agayne from the holy coÌ„maundemente of God gyuen vnto vs. For so shall the prouerbe haue place in vs wher it is sayd y e dogge is retorned to hys vomyte agayn and the sowe that was washed to her wallowynge in the myre agayne What a shame were it for vs beynge thus so clerely and frelye washed from oure synne to retorne to the fylthynes therof agayne What a foly were it thus endowed wyth ryghtousnes to loâ—e it agayne What madnes were it to lose the enherytaunce that we be nowe set in for the vyle and transytory pleasure of synne And what an vnkyndnes shulde it be where our Sauiour Christ of hys mercy is come to vs to dwell wythin vs as our geste to dryue hym from vs and to expell hym violentlye out of our soules in stede of hym in whom is all grace and vertue to receyue the vngracyouse spirite of the deuyl the autor of al naughtynes and myschefe How can we fynde in our hartes to shewe such extreme vnkyndnes to Christ which hath now so gently called vs to mercy offered hymselfe vnto vs and he now entered wythin vs. Yea howe dare we be so bolde to renounce the presence of y e father the sonne and the holy goost nowe receyued in thys holy sacrament for where one is there is God al hole in maiestie together w e al his power wyldoÌ„ goodnes feare not I saye the dauÌ„ger peryl of so traytorous a defiance Good christeÌ„ brethreÌ„ systers aduyse your selfe coÌ„syder y e dignitie y t ye be now set in Let not foly lose the thynge y t grace hath so preci ously offered and purchased Let not wylfulnes and blyndnes put out so great lyght that is now shewed vnto you Only take good hartes vnto you and put vpon you all the armoure of God that ye may staÌ„de agaynst your enemyes whych wolde agayne subdue you and brynge you into theyr thraldome RemeÌ„ber ye be bought from your bayne conuersation your fredome purchased neyther wyth golde nor syluer but wyth the price of y e precious bloud of that moost innocent lambe Iesus Christ whych was ordeyned to thys same purpose before the worlde was made but was so declared in the later tyme of grace for your sakes whych by hym haue your fayth in God who hath raysed hym from death hath gyuen hym glorye that you shulde haue your fayth and hope to ward god Therfore as ye haue hytherto folowed y e vayne lustes of your myndes and so displeased god to the dauÌ„ger of your soules now lyke obedieÌ„t chyldren thus purifyed by faythe gyue youre selues to walke that waye whych god moueth you to that ye maye receyue the ende of your faith the saluation of your soules And as ye haue gyuen your bodyes to vnryghtuousnes to synne after synne nowe gyue youre selfe to ryghtuousnes to be sanctifyed therin Yf ye delyte in thys artycle of youre faythe that Christ is rysen agayne from death to lyfe So folow you the exemple of hys resurrection as S. Paul exhorteth vs sayng As we be buryed with Christ by our baptisme into death so let vs dayly dye to sinne mortifynge and kyllynge the euell desyres and motions therof And as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ death by the glory of the father so let vs ryse to a new lyfe walke coÌ„tinually therin that we may lykewyse as natural chyldren lyue a coÌ„uersacion to moue men to glorifie our father whych is in heuen Yf we then be rysen w t Christe by oure fayth to the hope of euerlastynge lyfe so let vs ryse also wyth Christ after hys exemple to a new lyfe leue our olde We shal then be truly rysen yf we seke for thynges that be heuenly yf we haue our affection vpoÌ„ thynges y t be aboue and not on thynges that be on erth Yf ye desyre to know what these erthly thynges be whych ye shuld put of and what be the heuenly thynges aboue that ye shulde seke and ensue S. Paule in y e epistle to the Collossians declareth whan he exhorteth vs thus Mortifie your erthly meÌ„bers and olde affections of synne as fornication vnclennes vnnaturall lust euell concupiscence and couetousnes whyche is worshippynge of ydols for whych thynges the wrath of God is wont to fal on the chyldren of vnbeleue In whyche thynges ones ye walked whan ye lyued in them but nowe put ye also awaye from you wrathe tearsenes maliciousnes cursed speakynge fylthye speakynge out of your mouthes Lye not one to an other that the olde man wyth hys workes be put of and the newe put on These be the earthly thynges whych saynt Paule moueth you to caste from you to plucke your hartes from For in folowynge these ye declare your selues earthly and worldly These be the frutes of the earthly Adam These shulde ye dayly kyll by good diligence in wythstandynge the desyres of them that ye myghte ryse to ryghtuousnes Let your affection from henceforth be set on heuenly thynges Sue and serch for mercy kyndnes mekenes paciens forbearynge one another and for gyuynge one another Yf any man haue quarell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so do ye Yf these and such other heuenly vertues ye ensue in the residue of your lyfe ye shall shewe playnly that ye be rysen wyth Christ and that ye be the heauenly chyldren of youre father in heauen froÌ„ whom as froÌ„ the gyuer commeth these graces gyftes Ye shall proue by thys maner that your coÌ„uersacion is in heuen where your hope is and not on earth folowing the beastly appetites of the flesh Ye must consyder that ye be therfore clensed renewed that ye shulde from henceforth serue God in holynes ryghtuous nes all the dayes of your lyues that ye may targue wyth
the beginnyng of the world by the father of heuen to whome with the sonne and holy goost be glorye and prayse eternally The Gospell on the thyrde sondaye after Ester The. xvi chapter of Ihon. Thargument ☞ Of the spiritual raigne kyngdom of Christ. IEsus sayd to â—is disciples After a whylâ— ye shal not se me and agayne after a whyle ye 〈…〉 me â—or I go to the father Then sayd some of hys disciples betwene themselues what is thys that he sayeth vnto vs after whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a whyle ye shall se me and that I go to the father They sayd therfore what is this that he sayeth after a whyle we can not tell what he sayeth Iesus perceaued that they wolde aske hym and sayd vnto them Ye enquyre of thys betwene youre selues because I sayd after a whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a whyle ye shall se me Verely verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and la ment but contrary wyse the worlde shall reioyse Ye shall sorowe but your sorowe shalbe turned to ioye A woman whan she trauayleth hath sorowe because her houre is come But as sone as she is de lyuered of the chylde she remeÌ„breth nomore the anguysh for ioy that a maÌ„ is borne into the world And ye now therfore haue sorow but I wyl se you agayne and your hertes shal reioyse and your ioye shall no man take from you IN the Gospell of thys present daye good christeÌ„ people it is fyrst to be consydered marked how Christ sheweth hys louynge disciples of hys crosse and passion that he shulde suffre for the redemption of the worlde and also of hys moost glorious vprysynge agayne from death to lyfe And furthermore how and in what wyse by hys vprysyng or resurrection he shulde coÌ„mence hys raigne and haue accesse to hys father And assuredly the preachyng and fore shewynge hereof was ryght necessary to the Apostles of Christ to be often made and dryuen into theyr heades For the flesh as Christe sayeth hymselfe is weake and agayne the articles of oure religion be suche that they surmount the sklender capacitie of mans wyt neyther can they easely be perceyued Thys is the cause why Christ lyke a faythful mayster neuer ceaseth to dryue into hys disciples heades the suÌ„me coÌ„tent of our fayth to thintent he myght fully execute thoffice that he came for Now thys is hys sentence and mynde whych he declareth to hys disciples Wythin a lytle whyle O you my louynge scholers and disciples I shalbe betrayed vnto the Iues as I haue often tymes heretofore shewed vn to you that I shulde be condemned scourged bobbed and at last nayled to the crosse And for asmuch as euen lyke as Ionas was in the whales bely thre dayes and thre nyghtes I must in lykewyse be buryed in the grounde for the space of thre dayes and thre nyghtes Therfore for a lytle whyle in dede ye shall not se me But agayne after a lytle whyle that is to wyt the thyrde daye after whan I shall ryse agayne ye shall verely se me how be it that shall not be longe for I must awaye to my father and begyn w t hym my spirituall raygne Lo my deare frendes w t such wordes Christe teacheth hys apostles what maner thyng his kyngdoÌ„ shuld be how y e coÌ„myng is to y e same Assuredly y e kingdoÌ„ or raigne of Christ is none other thynge thaÌ„ that Christ hath coÌ„quered the world syn death sataÌ„ hell furthermore hath taken of his father all power both in heuen and in erth in such sort as hensforth he is to be y e most puissaunt and mighty kinge ouer the mount Sion leading and gouernyng his subiectes with the holy spi rite of comforte Into this his kingdom it behoued hym to entre by the crosse by sheding of his mooste precious bloude and by death euen as the prophete Dauid longe before had prophecied of him sayeng he shall drynke of the floude in the waye and therefore he shall lyft vp his heade Now this spirituall kingdome was not moche knowne to his apostles For they thought rather that the kingdom of Christ shulde haue ben a worldly and an outwarde kyngdome whych thinge they styl loked for vntyl the spirite was gyuen them whych taught them the knowlege herof and how they ought to come vnto it and to gette it and how to perseuer and continue in the same If we therfore good brethren and systers be lykewise mynded to entre into thys kingdome and by Christ to vanquysh synne death Satan and hel we must nedes acknowledge and take Christ for oure Lorde and sauiour for our kinge and hyghe bishop fastelye beleuing that we be reconciled and made at one agayne with the father of heuen by his bloude and in suffering and doinge the thinges that Paule speaketh where he sayth If we shall suffer togither with him we shall also reigne with him Seconde we haue here good people an exemple of oure ignoraunce and blyndnesse and that in thapostles For loke how lytle they attayned the mystery of the gospell wythout the holy goost so lytle can we also attayne by oure owne powers to iustice or soule health But harkeÌ„ your selues out of the very texte the rudenes or ignoraunce of the appostles Christ had shewed them that after a litle whyle they shulde not se hun agayhe after a lytle whyle they shulde se him agayne for he muste go to hys father This must nedes be vnderstande of his death and resurrection and of his spiritual kyngdome For assuredly to go to his father is nothinge elles but to fulfyll all thynges as it is declared in the. v. chapi to the Ephesians and by hys holye gooste to exalte gloryfie saue mankynde or to speake the wordes of y e prophete dona dare hominibus to gyue gyftes to men But I praye you how do thapostles vnderstande thys They talke and conferre w t themselues what meaneth that he sayeth after a whyle ye shall nâ—â— se me and agayn after a whyle ye shal se me we knowe not saye they what he speketh Lo my frendes the apostles do here confesse theyr ignoraunce and that they atteyne not to y e wordes that he spake albert he had spokeÌ„ often tymes before of hys crosse deathe and resurrection vnto them Wherfore I do not a lytle wonder what these men meane whyche fyghte so strongly for the defence of theyr owne naturall and caâ—â—tall power syth they se here so manyfestly y e the apostles themselues whyche had Christe so moâ—h conuersaunt anionges them coulde not by theyr owne mere power before the holy gooste came vnto them vnderstande the spirituall kyngdome of Christe So that it manifestly appeareth that while they woll be doctours and teachers of other they be them selues full of all blyndenes and ignoraunce Thys therfore is the suâ—â—ine and effecte of thys