lesse valewe sithe he hath geueÌ„ vs so riche a treasure Who coÌ„sideringe these inestimable benefit is can be careful heuye false herted hopelesse If many worldis were ageynst vs all the wiked spirites of helleet lose to deuou â—e vs yet is there no perell towerd vs if Chryst be on our parte Thorowe Cryst haue we peace For this his derely beloued sones sake god our father loueth vs. For the preciouse blodis sake of his own innoceÌ„t sone we obtayn remissioÌ„ of al our synnes also victory agenst deathe sataÌ„ For where as synne hath no dominioÌ„ there bere deathe no rule there hath Satan lost his powr What theÌ„ shuld we feare shulde we feare this temporall deathe No. For that is nowe to vs but a sleape reste For Christe hathe so ouercomeâ—â—t that vnto vs whiche be his faithful death is become an ingresse vnto saluacion and lyfe eternall For Christe hath abolesshed and destroyed the body of syn to thenâ—eÌ„t we shuld be led into lyfe Wherfore let vs with constant faith cleaue vnto our lorde Chryst besechinge our father in heueÌ„ for Chrystes sake to augment our faithe Which thinge if we do it so be we salfe without all feare and perell sewer enoughe ageynst all stormye tempestes If our synnes feare and trouble vs let vs sette vp ageynst them the inuincible innoceÌ„cye and infinite rightwysenes of our Lorde Iesus Chryst geuen vs of his father to be our rightwysenes Which once done our sinnes a non vanisshe awaye as dothe waxe ageynst the fyer For Chryst verely is by an holy othe coÌ„stituted of the father to be an euerlastinge kinge preiste whiche for our synnes offred vp him selfe the very sacrifice of our reconciliacion aÌ„d expiacion by the shedinge of his preciouse blode and sitteth on the right hande of the diuine highe maiestye there makinge intercession for vs he beinge our lorde almyghtye all thinges subiecte vnto him bothe aungels and powres celestial at his bek i. Pet. iij. If death feareth vs. Let vs remember Chryst to be our lyfe It is he that once dyed for our synnes and is rysen ayen neuer more to dye It is he that hathe swallowd vp death and hath casten it vnder his fote for euer If aftir this lyfe there were no nother then might we worthely sorowe and feare then were we the moste miserable of all creatures But for asmiche as our lyfe heginneth aftir this is here ended let vs be layd downe in bodye to sleap in the ferme hope of our resurreccion and be neuer afraide to dye Christ our head is rysen we being his bodye and meÌ„bers muste folowe our head Which said I am the resurreccion which is lyfe Who so beleue in me he shall lyue yea although he were dead And all that beleue in me shall neuer dye We verely knowe and beleue the resurreccion of our bodyes and to haue lyfe eternal promised in Chryst and for christes sake And therfore our faith cannot be frustrated For he that beleueth in criste hath lyfe eternall These be crystes owne wordes whiche is the verite and may not lye What nowe can death to vs in his moste furye Uerely nothinge els then for a litle tyme separat our bodies from our soulis so sende owr soulis out of this miserable synfull lyfe combred with all calamites vnto that moste blessed felicite Our bodyes cannot be so vtterly destroyd but they shalbe once restored gloriously vnto our soulis Nether may they slaye our soulis for thei be immortall Thei can not take our bodyes nor soulis out of the haÌ„dis of god Whiche if we be kept in the haÌ„dis of god as in the bosome of our most louing father if we abyde in Cryst Chryste in vs sewerly we shall lyue for euer Chryst thus affirminge My shepe he are my voice I knowe them thei folow me and I geue them euerlastynge lyfe Nether shall they be lost nor noman shall pluk them out of my handis Wherfore let the wiked haithen vnbeleuers be afraid tormeÌ„ted and be with out hope at the syght of dethe which knowe not god in Chryst whiche when they knowe not Chryst to be their very rightwysenes their lyfe their onely sauiour nor beleue not in him thei must nedis abide perisshe in their sinnes in deathe and in eternall dampnacion But we ought not to feare nor to be heauye and tormented in mynde as do thei which haue no hope for we se a beter lyfe aftir this abydinge vs. Whiche the ignorant vnbeleuers in Chryste know not And albeit here for a tyme we passe forthe laid agaynst many perells molested and whetted with diuerse and many greuouse affliccioÌ„s yet at last all the laboriouse myseries of this lyfe passed ouer the glorye of the sonnes of god shall be shewed and declared vpon vs euen as we here vpon erthe haue ben in hope salfe and blessed Nowe we wepe and be heuye but the daye of our gladnes is not farre of in the whiche our Lorde God shall wype awaye the teares from the chekis of vs that beleue in him and shall happely change our heuynes into an infinite perpetuall ioye then to singe this triumphe Death is swallowed vp into victorye Oh deth where is thy stinge Oh hell where is thy victorye Oh syn where is now thy myght ThaÌ„kes be to our God and father which hath geuen vs the victory by our Lorde Iesus Chryste i. Corin. xv If the feare of dampnacion and perpetuall death shulde vexe vs then let vs remember our selues to haue ben baptyzed into Chryst ingraffed into his death owr synnes buryed in his woundes and rysen with him into glorye and lyfe And so is there no condempnacion as saynt Paul sayth vnto them whiche are thus by faith ingraffed into Iesu cryste which walke not after the flesshe but aftir the spyrite In this our swete and plentuouse vynestok yf we as lyuely faithfull braunches abyd by constant faithe our sinnes are neuer more imputed vnto vs. By this faithe we be made the sonnes of god and the ayers of eternall lyfe euen the felowe ayers with Christe If we haue Chryst in vs by faith we fele him preseÌ„t in our hertes so feare we no condempnacion For Chryst is our lyfe and our sauinge helthe eternall dwellinge in vs ageynst whom nether hell nor death nor synne can preuaile Let vs thefore abyde by constant faith in our sauiour Chryst walkinge in him roted aÌ„d framed vpon him perseueringe in faithe coÌ„stantly cleauinge to him committing our selues hole vnto his goodnes mercye and let vs with hert mouth and lyfe testifye and declare our faith obedience and thankfulnes vnto him for his inestimable ryches of his gospell now geuen vs. What can I more saye We haue our celestiall father our father I say of an infinite clemencie goodnes and mercye which can no lesse forget vs then any erthely father his owne derely
beloued sone or any mother hir owne tendre frutes of hir owne bodye soukinge at hir brests And were it in case that the mother perchaunce might forgete hir yonge lytle infant yet shall our mercifull father neuer forgete vs Isay. xlix We haue a redemer and a delyuerer euen the moste myghtiest Lorde Christe Iesu to whom is geuen all powr in heuen and erthe Whiche raigneth our all he loueth vs he hath taken vs to be his brethern we are his members he hathe deserued for vs all goodnes and all felicite He hath geuen vs the glorye whiche his father gaue him that we shulde be all one in Chryst and in the father as the father and sonne be one out of the whiche vnite all the treasures of the diuine goodnes of rightwysenes lyfe consolacion and helthe be geuen vnto vs. Thorowe owr faith in Christe and for Chrystis sake we are one that is to saye of one consent mynde and felowship with the father and the sonne and the holy goste so that as the sone cannot be diuidid from the father nor the holy gost from them bothe nomore may we beinge the faithfull in Chryste be separated from Cryste For Christe wolde that where so euer him selfe were there shuld we be with him whiche thinge aftir our departure is as certaynly trwe as is him self the verite which so said it prayd for it and obtayned it for vs of his father Furthermore If our faith be yet to weake to apprehende fermely these infinite so riche benefits theÌ„ let vs flye vnto the promises of god which as they be right many so are they the most trwest certayne whiche ought to be depely printed into our hertis neuer to be forgoten â–ª Owr hertis verely are â—o narow and to skant to receyue the greatnes the multitude of these riche tresures aÌ„d goodnes For these benefits be immense and infinite And therfore let vs thus thinke that right great and mighty is he which promiseth these riches to vs aÌ„d that he is the very god him self euen owr god Whiche in and for his owne onely begoten derely beloued sonne hathe he promised vs this lyfe euerlastinge For all the promises of god are made in and for Chrystes sake to be ferme and fast and inuiolable Certayn it is that god sent vs his sonne in that full apoynted tyme as the prophetes had prophecied it â—o fulfyll these his cleare and gloriouse mighty riche promyses This is trwthe For we haue them confirmed aÌ„d sealled wiâ—he his owne spirite of trowthe with his gospel preched and with his owne blode shed in his passion and autorysed with his owne gloriouse resurreccioÌ„ which is owr head and raigneth aboue all both in heuen and in erthe and in hell And howe then maye we his members for whose sake all these things he hath done and suffered â—arye in synne and in deathe There may nothinge more certaynly stablisshe and confirme our myndis our selues to ryse agen immortal bothe in body and soule then the resurreccion of eryste We can haue no fermer nor stronger argument of our resurreccion then the resurreccion of our Lorde Chryst whiche is the most certayn and sewerest The very sonne of god is made man and toke our nature vnto him selfe which willingly not constrayned suffred death for vs vpoÌ„ the crosse But yet he arose ageyne wolde aftir his resurreccion be sene handled his woundes sene and felt herde spekinge and teachinge his disciples eatinge and drinkinge with them of the whiche his re surreccion his disciples were so certayne that aftirward withe their owne deathes thei coÌ„firmed it And if Chryst be rysen from death so be we certayn that our synnes be cleâ—sed aÌ„d deathe deuicted Wherfore in the Lorde we ought to reioyse for euer aÌ„d to geue him high thanks immortall for these inestimable immense benefits Let Satan with his wyked whelpes freat fume and gryâ—ne with all his idle emnioâ—s impes whom eternall dampnacion abideth But let vs abyde in the faith of the gospell and so abyde we the lyuely members of Chryste And then where so euer is Chryste there are we also Death cannot pluk vs from Chryste For we are the members of his bodye out of his owne flesshe and bones Ephe. v. But if our ferefull infirme consciences doutinge of these so certayn promiseâ— for that we be all sinners caste awaye all hope thinkinge our selues therfore to haue lost all these benefits promised vs sayinge with owr selues We heare god â—o haue promised vs all these riche benefits but because we so syn dayly aÌ„d fall from him doinge no good thing perfitly we are vnworthei to haue theÌ„ With siche though tis verely satan tempteth and troubleth many a good man But this do I answere That if our rightwysenes and saluacion shuld stande vpon our owne good workes and worthynes then sewerly had we lost in euery minute all these riche benefits of god then might we be vncertay ne of all these promyses and of any remission of our synnes and lyfe eternall if lyfe and remission were promised vs vpoÌ„ siche a coÌ„dicion that is if we fulfill gods preceptis and so by owr good dedis merit our saluacioÌ„ so were we without all hope of saluacioÌ„ For we are euery hower synners and all our beste works are imperfect yea thei be as Isaye saith corrupt sinfull if they shulde be expended tryed in the rigour of gods lawe and exammed at his straight iugement If the hope of our saluacion shulde stande vpon the merits worthines of owr workis we must nedis despeyre neuer to haue peace in our consciences when there is no man so holy and perfit of lyuinge whiche may verely glorye him self at altymes so to haue had fulfilled the lawe as it ought to be fulfilled But prayse be vnto god our moste mercifull father whiche hath so intyrely loued vs for Christes sake that he hath taken our saluacion out of owr owne feble handis aÌ„d hathe set it vpon a sewerer and more certayne foundacion that is to weit euen vpon his mere grace and mercye promysed in Christe our faithe reachinge it vnto Chrystes blode wasshinge away al our sinnes If we beleue this promise so be we iustified absolued saued Nothinge els requireth he of vs concerninge our remission and saluacion then thus to beleue in Chryste euen him selfe by his death to haue obtayned vs remission an lyfe eternall Wherfore when siche temptacions assawte vs then let vs crye for faithe to beleue these promyses in Cryste And suffer not our selues to be thruste from them Of the whiche thus saith Paul For owr faith is the heretage geuen vs that frely of grace and fauour ferme fast and sewer shulde the promise stande vnto all the sead not to it that is of the lawe onely but vnto them that are of the faith of Abraham This is our consolacioÌ„ this is our hope onely Who so reacheth this promyse
perpetuall lyfe We are sewer that our bodyes shall ryse ageyne gloriouse and immortall vnto the whiche gloriouse immortalyte we daily aspire aÌ„d clyme knowinge that this corporall dethe is not els then a nightis sleape to vs that beleue in Chryste and so at laste to be with Christe in ioye bothe body and sowle This faith and hope of any other lyfe aftir this haue not our cruell haithen persewers albeit thei speke it with their lippes and therfore thei feare flye and abhorre dethe so miche But we haue the worde of our Lorde and god that he hathe for vs taken awaye broken and ouercomen the powr and stinge of death This our victoriouse Lorde and destrier of dethe to animate to confirme and to counfort vs in all our perels and calamities saith vnto vs. I tell you my frendes be not afraid of theÌ„ that slaye your bodies aÌ„d then can theâ— do nomore to you But I shall shewe you whoÌ„ ye shall feare feare him whiche aftir he hath slayne your bodyes he hath power to caste bothe bodye and soule into hell fyer There is not so lytle a byrde that diâ—the without our fathers will he hath tolde all the heares of our headis of whiche not one shall be brent without our fathers will And are not we of a rycher pryce then sparows and heares But I shall tâ—ll you saith Chryste Whoso confesse me before men I shall aknowledge him before my father all the aungels in heuen Reioyse ye therfore For I haue ouercomen the worlde and your heuines shall be turned into gladnes which no man shall take from you Chrystis victory is owrs If we beleue in Cryste our faith is the victory that ouercometh the worlde Our persewers thinke to hurte vs miche in killing our bodies and we thinke knowe it therby to haue great lucre as saith Paul Chryste is to me lyfe and death is to me lucre And albeit our flesshe be infirme and weake yet a godly mynde in his inwarde man desyereth with Paul to be dissolued out of this miserable sinfull worlde and to be with Chryste For Christe hath so promised me to be where so euer him silf is and hath obtayned it me bi his prayer of his father What now can all the antichristeÌ„ vngodly do ageynste vs verely nothing at all vnto our hurte thei can not take faithe and Chryste from our hertis they may with violence kut out our tongues but from our hertis may they not take our faithe our profession and praise of crystis glorye And yet what so euer they do it is by the sufferance of god for our saluacion and into their owne dampnacion They may take awaye our corporall transitory goodis whiche we set not miche vp seinge for theÌ„ god geueth vs goodis eternall and celestiall They kyll our bodyes but thei sende our soules into the handis of our heueÌ„ly father and make our dethe preciouse in the syght of god WheÌ„ their deathes shall be moste horrible and terrible to departe from so many pleasures into perpetuall tormentinges Wherfore Paul exhorting vs vnto constancye biddeth vs to helpe eche other with prayers that we might with a manly faith fight in the gospels quarell beinge not afraid of our aduersaries Unto whom that at is to them the cause of their owne perdicion the same is vnto vs the cause of our saluacion yea aÌ„d that of god When our aduersaries and persewers thinke to slaye vs thei slaye them selues bodye aÌ„d soule withe the death of euerlastinge dampnacion Is not this then a miserable an execrable powr at whiche our persewers enioye and reioyse so detestably into their owne euerlastinge destruccion dampnacion This is sewer that all the faithfull departed coÌ„stantly professinge Chryst lyue with him nowe in ioye But where be now the enimies of Chryst and the persewers of the crystiaÌ„s Where is decius whiche so cruelly persecuted the exystians Where is Dioclesiane whiche proclamed all holy bokis to be brent all that professed Chri ste to be cruelly slayne where be now Ua lerius Maximinianus Maximius Lucinius Iulianus where is Aurelius cesar with al the other tiraunts And if we shul de descende into our dayes we might aske where be nowe the popes cardinals bisshops withe their coniured papistike complices ageynst the gospell and Bible to be brought in traÌ„slated into Englisshe where are they that brent so many newe testaments at Pauls crosse and so many lerned men trwe crystianes which preched and professed constantly gods holy worde where is Thomas wolsaye cardiuall bisshop of Yorke where is Iohan stokesley bisshop of London where is west of Ely fox of Herforde doctour London all the abbots priours fryers commissaâ—ies Syr Thomas More aÌ„d Iohan Fissher bisshop of Rochester withe all the cloysters and abbeys monkes and preistes which haue these xvi yeres persequuted the gospell Are they not all whiche beleued not the gospell condempned with Satan and his aungels vnto euerlastinge dampnacion nowe lyinge in moste greuouse tormentinges what hurt then did their transitorye persecucion and crosse to the martires of god Ageyne what nowe profiteth them their transitory pleasure in kyllinge and burninge the pore innocent lombes of Chryst Are thei not now tormented in hell in perpetuall fyer for burning gods worde and the professours therof Thei labored by temporall death to pluke pore men from god and his gospell facinge and fering them in their courtes and ingement seates vnder their canopeis but shortely cometh the great terrible daye in which thei muste all stande before the iugement seat of Cryste in great feare and tremblinge dead for anxt and heuines there to receyue their generall and laste sentence of eteruall dampnacioÌ„ both in bodyes and soulis Then shall it be verifyed of vs bothe whiche is wryten The souls of the iuste are in the handis of god and the tormeÌ„ts of death shall not touche them Thei apered to the eyes of the folisshe vngodly to haue dyed and their death to haue had ben an heuey payne but they went quyetly into relte And albeit before men they suffered torments yet was their hope full of immortalyâ—e Their â—exacion was to them a swete crosse for they had ample benefits For God tempted them and fownd them worthei for him selfe Then shall the rightwyse stand in great constancye before their oppressers reuylets WhoÌ„ when they beholde they shall be smyten with soden great feare and be astonned at their soden saluacioÌ„ Then they touched with penance and wailinge for anguishe of mynde shal thus saye with theÌ„ selues Is not this he whom we once laughed to skorne iested vpon him coÌ„tumeliously foles that we were then our selfs had weÌ„t his lyfe to haue ben madnes and to haue dyed an heretique And see he is nowmbred emonge the sonnes of god haninge his reward emonge the rightwyse We we our selues then erred froÌ„ the way of trwthe the lyhht of the trwe forme of iustificacion did