¶ He goeth for the with the thynge that he beganne in the latter ende of the tyf••c Chapyter, and exhorteth them not to faynt••, but to be stedfast, and pacyent: for so much•• as God is sure in his promesse.
CAPI. VI.
THerfore leuynge the doctryne that per¦tayneth to the begynnyng of Christen [unspec A] men, let vs go forth vnto perfeccyon, not laynge agayne the foundacion of repentaū¦ce from deade worckes and of fayth toward God, baptysynges, of doctryne, and of lay∣inge on of handes, and of resurreccion from death and of eternall iudgement. And so wyl we do * 1.1 If God permitte. ☞ For it can not be that they whiche were once lyghted, and haue tasted of the heauenly gyfte, and were become partakers of the holy Ghost, & haue tasted of the good worde of God, and of the power of the world to come: * 1.2 yf they fall awaye (and as conceruyng them selues crucyfie the sonne of God a fressh, & make a mocke of hym) that they shulde be renued a∣gayne by repentaunce.
For the earth whiche dryncketh in the rayne that commeth oft vpon it, and bryn∣geth [unspec B] forth herbes mete for them that dresse it, receyueth blessynge of God. But that grounde whiche beareth Thornes and bre∣ars, is reproued, and is nye vnto cursynge: whose ende is to be burned. Neuerthelesse [unspec C] (deare frendes) we trust to se bettter of you, and thynges whych accompany saluacion, thoughe we thus speake. For God is not vnryghtuous * 1.3 that he shulde forget youre worke and laboure that procedeth of loue, whyche loue ye shewe in hys name, whyche haue ministred vnto the saintes, and yet mi¦nistre. Yee, and we desyre, that euery one of you shew the same diligence, to the fui stabli¦shynge of hope, euen vnto the ende: that ye faynt not, but be folowers of thē, which tho¦row fayth & pacience receyue the enherytaū¦ce of the promysse.
For when God made promes to Abrahā bycause he had none greater to sweare by * 1.4 he sware by hym self, saying: Surely I wyl blesse the, and multyply the in dede. And so [unspec D] after that he had taried paciētly, he enioyed the promes. For men verely sweare by hym that is greater then them selues, and * 1.5 an othe to confyrme the thynge, is to them an ende of all stryfe. So God wyllynge very aboundauntly to shewe vnto the beyres of promes, the stablenes of hys counsayle, ad∣ded an othe: that by two immutable thyn∣ges (in whyche it was vnpossible that God shulde lye) we myght haue a strong consola¦ciō, which hitherto haue sled, for to hold fast y• hope that is set before vs, whych hope we holde as an ancre of the soule both sure and stedfast, which hopealso entreth in, ito those thynges whiche are within the vayle, where