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
man which resteth in God and is at once with God what that euer betydeth him wether it be in body in goodes in lyfe or death in frendes in name or fame Yee though hys body were grounde all to poulder yet wolde not he gaynsaye it nor departe from God therfore which causeth hym to assaye inwardly thorowe the spyrite of fayth howe swete and good the Lorde is To thys dyenge exhorteth vs scrypture To thys rest and Sabath draweth vs the spyrite of God So much as ye be crucyfyed in the aforesayed sensuall appetyte so much goostly increase gett you in the inwarde man which doth not shrenke for all that nor suffre the crosse to ouercome hym but aprocheth rather nearer pearsynge vnto death wherhy his trust is to gayne lyfe which fayth and hope shall not be gayn sayd as sayeth Paul in the .ii. to the Râ— â–ª Thys vnderstondynge or diuynyte that ye haue herde here is declared vnto you in the scryptures folowenge â–ª Namiy Go forth with Chryst Iesu youre brydegrmoe wythout the tentes of your sensualyte and beare the lowlynes of youre brydegrome with you in youre body vnto death For yf we dye with Chryst we shall also lyue wyth hym yf we suffre w t hym we shal raygne w t hym Ye thanke the father y t he by thys sufferynge hath made you apte to enyoie one parte wyth all sayntes that he hath redemed you from all power of darknesse and set you in the kyngdome of hys beloued sonne thorowe whose bloude we haue obtayned forgeuynge and redemption of synnes Seynge then ye â—e become a party membre of Chryst fulfyll therfore in you that which is wantynge of the passyons of Chryst that the power of God maye abyde in you Lazarus â–ª How shall I vnderstonde that hath not Chryste suffred ynough what 〈◊〉 I fulfyll that is lackynge in his passions seynge there is no parte of 〈…〉 â—ounde from the toppe of the 〈…〉 â—o the â—oâ—e of the 〈…〉 Yt is Paul that sayeth so namely that he dyd fulfyll in hys body that which was lackynge of Chrystes afflyction yee he durst saye also that he dyd beare the markes of Chryst in hys body Which be not the .v. woundes that Francis dreamed to haue receaued in hys handes and fete But they were the markes that he hadde receaued of the scourgynge weerynesse laboure and the crosse that he was fayne to beare paciently for the gospell In which pacience he was sayde to beare Chrystes passion and to receaue hys woundes for Chryst had fyrst boren such payne persecutioÌ„ markes and crosse In so much y t he was drawen out and emptyed w t sufferynge As sayeth Esaye liii Whan we loke vpon hym there shal be no fayrnesse we shall haue no lust vnto hym He shal be the moost symple and despysed of all which yet hath good experience of sorowes and infirmites We shall reken hym so symple and so vyle that we shall hyde oure faces from hym How be it of a treuth he onely taketh awaye oure infyrmyte beareth awaye oure payne So that he myght wel aske wether there were ony payne lyke vnto hys payn For he semed a worme and no man Seynge Chryst the head of y e whole congregation of Chrysten men toke vpon hym to suffre yt was nedefull than that he shulde ascende the hyghest degre to the which greate loue hath dryueÌ„ him that he shulde sanctifye hys congregation beynge pure and wasshed with the fountayne of water in the worde that he shulde gloryfye it hauynge no spot nor wrenkle nor ony such blemysshe but that it shuld be holy and wythout blame The head Chryst suffreth yet dayly in hys membres Thys passion shall he be fayne to suffre till the tyme that he shall haue cast all his enemies vnder his fete That is whan he shall delyuer vp hys kyngdome vnto his father .ii. Corin. xv Who soeuer therfore is crucified with Chryst that is who soeuer slayeth and kylleth his carnall appetites and persueth them hatefully as oure synnes be hatefully persued in Chryst vntill death he doth supple in his body that which is lackynge of Chrystes passyon For Chryst is sayde to suffre that which hys membres do suffre or shall suffre Euen as Chryst sayde to the commune persecutor of the ChrystiaÌ„s Saul Saul I am that Iesus whom thou persecutest How coulde he persecute Iesu which sat at the ryght hande of hys father saue onely in hys membres Lazarus I haue vnderstonde that very well now that it is a passyon which fyrst Christ as head and so all other trewe Chrysten men as membres haue suffered or shall suffer For whan the head is syke than mourne all the membres and whan the membres be dyseased the heade is not well nother Tobyas You haue vnderstonde me well wherfore let it be for you consolation that you be not forsaken alone but that Chryst hymself as head and all Chrystians as members are sufferynge with you In Chrystes communalty is no stryfe nor parcialyte but a communion or felowshyppe of al that is good or badde swete or sowre the one membre careth for another Whan the one suffreth al do suffre whan the one is glorifyed than be they all glorifyed So great a thynge is the communion of sayntes that we maye glory and reioyce the one in the goodnesse of the other as though they were oure owne By the glory of Chryst shall oure dishonesty be glorifyed And by his fulnes shal we be losed of our pouert his merytes shal put awaye oure mysdedes Who is he now y t is in paine y t wold not be mery seynge man beareth not his synnes or yf he beareth theÌ„ he bearetheÌ„ not alone for he hath Chryst hiÌ„self to helpe hiÌ„ so many chyldren of God Paul sayeth .i. Corinth x. One breade and one body are we many Thys all commeth vpon vs out of the spyrytuall maryage which God oure father hath made wyth hys onely beloued sonne and vs. For thereby are we made one wyth God as man and wyfe are twain in body and all other thynges are commune A chylde is borne vnto vs and a sonne is geueÌ„ vs Esaye .ix. Wherfore he is oure owne Christes victory is oure victory Christes rysynge is oure rysynge Morouer y t which we are we are not of our selues for we haue yeldeth to Christ oure fayth already Paul sayeth .i. Corin. vi Knowe ye not that your body is the temple of y e holy goost Whome you haue of God are not your owne For ye are dearly bought Prayse ye God therfore in your body and in your sprete which are Gods We be deliuered ouer in writinge vnto the lawe of God and hys promises and he is agayne delyuered in wrytinge vnto vs to saluation and welfare The bonde of matrymony must be knowen on both partyes orels is it of none effecte Thus is it resonable y t we beare Chryst in oure body euen as he beareth vs and maketh vs partakers of all hys goodes So that
the Lorde and complayned vnto my God So he herde my voyce out of hys holy temple Learne to take your flyght to the Lorde with Christ whiche beynge man and proued in all thinges that he myght succour them that be teÌ„pted hath done so before Learne to defende youre selues with the weapons of Gods worde for as Christ hath ouercome the deuell so maye you ouercome hym also with all hys suttel wyles To this exhorteth you Paul sayenge to the EphesiaÌ„s the .vi. Put on the armoure of God that ye maye stoÌ„de stedfast agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuell For we wrestle not agaynst fleshe bloude but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst y e rulers of the world of y e darcknesses of this worlde agaynst the sprite of wykednes vnder heaueÌ„ For this cause take ye y e armour of God that ye maye be able to resyst in the euel daye stonde ê‘fecte in all thynges As these enmyes are spirttuall and inuisible euen so haue we no nede of fleshly weapons but the weapons of the spirite which be myghty in God to destroye al stroÌ„ge fenses and holdes of the deuell pearsynge vnto the partynge of body and soule Wherfore put on the shylde of fayth wherwith ye shall queÌ„che the fyrie dartes of the wycked enmy and take y e helmet of saluation and the swearde of the spyrite whiche is the worde of God And praye vnto the Lorde callynge alwaye vpon hys name in the spyrite that ye maye ouercome Sathan the tempter and enmy whiche seketh all aboute euen as a roarynge lyoÌ„ whou he maye deuoure but you must withstonde hym manly in fayth Lazarus You haue opened now the case and shewed me the weapons therwith I maye ouercome myn a foresayed enmyes But seyng I am an vnexpert souldyer y t hath not ben vsed greatly to haÌ„dell such weapon I praye you to seperate my the dartes and arowes of Goddes worde that I may shute euery enmy seuerally namely synne death hell And fyrst shewe my howe to defende my selfe whan my synfull lyfe coÌ„meth to my remeÌ„braunce Tobias I wyll do it gladly but I feare lest I be to tedious for you The sicke ought not to be ouerlonge taried withall I wil rather returne agayne another tyme and procede in thys matter Lazarus No good Toby it is not to tedious for me me thinketh ye be come but now Timothe was .iiii. houres with me yesterday yet semed it me not to be one houre Tobias In the name of God Neuerthelesse yf I be ouerloÌ„ge with you warne me hardely Or yf ye desyre ought I wyll reache it you Lazarus No no go on with youre matter where ye lefte for ye can do me no greater pleasure Tobias As concernynge the fyrst assault that ye shal be assayed with namely youre forepast synnes which shall procure to bringe you in despayre Agaynst them arme you with such scriptures that shewe you how the innocency and rightwysnes of Christ hath put awaye al youre vnrightwesnesse and wyckednesse Euen as God sayeth Esay liii of his sonne Christ thorowe out the whole chap. Cast y e multitude of youre synnes vpon the lambe of God which putteth awaye y e synnes of y e worlde RemeÌ„bre y t God hath closed all vnder vnbeleue that he myght haue mercy on all Take holde vpon the good Samaritane whiche taketh cure of the soule Take your flyght w t the prodigall soÌ„ne vnto your merciful farther though ye be naked seabby ragged for he shal receaue you fatherly w t spred out armes and put on you the garment of innoceÌ„ty Though you be lost by reason of synne the Lorde hym selfe seketh after you Though ye go astraye with y e straynge shepe yâ—t doth the good shepehearde take you vpon hys shulder and bringeth you to y e shepetolde HerkeÌ„ how swetely and louengly God calleth you vnto him sayenge Math. xi Come to me al ye that laboure and are laden and I shall ease you of your synnes Remember y e Christ is become oure wysdome ryghtwysnes redemption and sanctification .i. Cor. i. Remember that he is a trew phisicion of oure soules Yf ye were no synner what were Christ nedefull to you yf ye were not wounded ye shulde nede no surgeon A phisicion or surgeoÌ„ is praysed because he doth an excellent cure The kynde naturall worke of Christ is to saue hys people and heale theÌ„ of al their synnes for that is his profession yee he doth yt in dede so y t our vnrightwysnes maketh gods right wysnes be praysed as wytnesseth paul Ro. v. Neuerthelesse wher abuÌ„dauÌ„ce of syn was there was yet more pleÌ„teousnes of grace In that hath god declared hys loue that we whan we were synners Chryst dyed for vs. We shal be so much the more accepted before God in that we be clensed by hys bloude and iustified Happy is that man not he that hath no synne for he that sayeth he hath no synne deceaueth hymselfe and the treuth is not in hym But he is happy to whom synne is rekened no synne The lawe that is the knowledge of oure synne is geuen by Moses but grace and trewe Saluation by Iesus Chryst For he hath anulled the handwrytinge that was contrary to vs and fastened it vpoÌ„ the crosse wherby he hath taken awaye all power of the princes of darknesse Coloss ii and hath triumphed ouer them in hys own personne The hye prest of the olde lawe myght not offre ony offerynge for the peoples synne wythout he had first offred an offeringe for hymselfe and wythout bloudsheddynge was no forgeuenesse But Chryst oure trewe bysshoppe which hath an euerlastyng presthode after the ordynaunce of Melchysedech had no nede to offer for hys synnes for he neuer synned nor he hath not procured forgeuenesse of synnes by the father by ony straunge bloude of oreÌ„ or calues but with hys owne bloude Thus was he vnspotted that hath clensed vs from all vnclennes And seynge we haue thys Iesu that passed the heauens let vs holde oure profession and go boldely vnto the seate of hys grace that we maye receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in the tyme of nede Hebr. v Al the waies of the Lorde are mercy and treuth He promyseth it mercyfully that which he shall geue vs treuly Of thys mercy hath God left and geuen vs the worde of atonemeÌ„t Iesu Chryst Yf ye knowe the same promyser and geuer of mercy treuly then maye ye trust welynough that ye shall optayne forgeuenge and remyssion of synnes Which forgeuenesse you shal also optayne that he be founde trew in his wordes of promyse and that he maye ouercome your synne whan he is iudged of the vngodly to be no Saueour The manheade of Chryst shal couer your mysdedes so that the deuel your accuser shal fynd nothiÌ„g in you blameable Forget w t Paul that which is behinde you couet to that which is before namely to the token of this victory of synne death tocome To
this do y e great ensaÌ„ples of mercy shewed to peter to mary magdalene to y e murtherer serue I wil leaue of dauid of paul many more Submitte your selues rendre you to god confessynge you to suffre worthely and iustly for your synnes that Christ died vniustly Beleue y t in y e despising of Christ is hidde y e godly glory in y e death is hidde y e kyngdoÌ„ of Christ which y e aforesayd murtherer did it shal be sayde vnto you To daye shall ye be w t me in paradise CoÌ„sidre your wyckednesse Christes goodnesse CoÌ„sidre y e damnacion that ye haue deserued and agayn the loue of Christ which hath recoÌ„cyled you by the father This doynge you shal heare w t Mary magdalene Many synnes are forgeueÌ„ you for ye loued many your faith made you safe Peter remeÌ„bred y e wordes of christ bi his lokyng vpoÌ„ hiÌ„ at y e coks croeÌ„g bewayled he his synnes The Lorde almyghty doth now beholde you with this presente syknes and by sendynge of death and perchaunce letteth the souÌ„de of the worde come in youre harte Knoledge your synnes knoledge the trew iudgment of God that he letteth passe vpon youre mysdedes in your sufferynge and he shall not forsake you in youre callynge and mournynge But shall appeare vnto you with a comfortable worde of hys resurreccion which shall make youre conscience lusty and to reioyce in hope of the lyfe to-come as he hath done with Peter Happy are they that wepe with Peter bearynge of very loue the yocke and power of synne in theyr bodyes with greueousnesse for they shal be conforted Thys is the promyse of God y t caÌ„ not lye vnto you nor yet wyll do Loke vpon thys trustynge to it you shall rightwell subdue youre enmy synne Lazarus O Lorde geue me thy godly grace that I maye beleue thy holsome worde by y e which my harte may be purifyed of all synfull desyres which are innumerable in me Tobyas Amen God graunte you thesame Lazarus Instructe me now farther good brother how I maye behaue myselfe in y e death tocome whan I begynne to mystrust wether death shall than wholy swalowe my vp Tobyas The nature of the mysbeleuynge is such that they can not beleue there be a rysynge agayne of the flesshe by reason thys bodely death semeth to consume a man wholy and all Wherfore they saye wyth mouth and harte as it is wrytten in the boke of wysedom The tyme of oure lyfe is but short and tedious and whan a maÌ„ is once gone he hath no more ioye nor pleasure nother know we ony man that turneth agayne from death for we are borne of naught and we shal be herafter as though we neuer had bene and so forth Ouer these men that be of such fayth commeth damnation worthely for as they lyue and their opinion is so doth it chaunce also vnto them The gospell is yet wholy hydde vnto them for the God of this worlde hath blynded theyr hartes so that the lyght of the gospell the glory of Christes rysynge can not shyne in theyr hartes Such men were they of AtheÌ„ that sayde of Paul that he was a declarer of new deuels Act. xvii whaÌ„ he declared them Iesu and shewed them of hys resurreccion Of lyke natural blyndnesse dyd it come that they of Athen axed at Paul sayenge Maye not we knowe what new doctryne this is that thou teachest For thou bryngest straunge tydynges in to oure eares We wolde knowe therfore what thys meaneth VpoÌ„ which questyon Paul made a goodly sermon coÌ„cernynge the fayth in Chryst and hys rysynge agayne The mystery of the resurreccioÌ„ of Chryst is the chefe and princypall poynt of our fayth For what shulde it haue had auayled vs that Chryst dyed and suffred for vs yf he hadde not bene rysen agayn This resurreccion of the flesshe that we also abyde in Chryst maye not be rekened a dreame because we se it not For yf we sawe it with oure eyen than were it no fayth for fayth is of thynges inuisible and not apparaunt Wherfore though all men seme to begynne the lyfe and fynishe it agayne in thys present worlde yet are we assured and beleue that we all shall ryse agayne from death in the daye of dome euen as Chryst is rysen first This assuraunce of trew fayth passeth all sureties that can be persuaded by ony sutelty of maÌ„s ymaginacion By this fayth Not by the outward opinion speake we of the resurreccion of flesshe euen as the prophet saieth Psal â–ª â—â—v I beleued and therfore haue I spoken Paul taketh vp this worde speake sayenge .ii. Corin iiii Seynge we haue the same sprite of faith accordinge as it is written I beleued and therfore haue I spoken we also beleue and therfore we speake for we knowe y t he which raysed vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vs vp also by y e meanes of Iesus shall set vs with you it foloweth For y e thinges which are sene are temporall but the thynges which are not sene are eternall Wherfore al that we beleue of god all that we speake of the resurreccion the lyfe tocome semeth not to be so Euen as God hymself and hys honour worshyppe be also inuysyble and not appataunte to be trew vnto such carnall wysemen that haue not receaued the same spryte of the prophete and Paul By the afore sayed sprite of fayth speaketh Paul of the resurreccion saienge The body is sowen here in corrupcion and shall ryse in vncorrupcion Yt is sowen in dyshonoure and it shall ryse agayne in glory Yt is soweÌ„ in weaknesse and shal ryse in poure Yt is sowen a naturall body and shall ryse a spirituall body For flesshe bloude shall not possesse the kyngdom of God and that which is transytory can not possesse eternal heretage Thus must the grane of the flesshy body that is sowen here in eath fyrst dye in the grouÌ„d before it can brynge forth new frute into lyfe euerlastyng which lyfe we do abyde certaynly by fayth in the resurreccion of the flesshe though it appeare impossible vnto vs. For because Chryst is rysen therfore shall we ryse also and not abyde in death For God is no God of the dead but of the lyuenge Abraham Isaac and Iacob Lazarus I wyll graunte it ryght wel that we shal all ryse agayne at the daye of dome nor in that am not I tempted but I am more afrayed of the seconde and eternall death Instructe my agaynst that I pray you that I may perceaue that I feare and drede the seconde death by the reason of my great mysbelefe Tobias Wherto thynke ye the resurreccion of Chryst be stabylisshed with so many tokens and wonders but onely that we shulde stedfastly beleue therin To beleue in the resurreccion of Christ is to beleue that he raygneth and is a kynge and that in his rysynge death and synne be subdued vnto hym Death is the wages of synne Seinge than
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