Of the death of such as are not regenerate do suffer for Christ. CHAP. 7.
FOr whosoeuer hee is that beeing not yet regenerate, dyeth for confessing of Christ, it freeth him of his sinne, as wel as if he had receaued the sacrament of * 1.1 Baptisme. For he that said, Vnlesse a man bee borne againe of water, and of the holy spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdome of God, excepteth these else-where, in as generall a saying: whosoeuer confesseth me before men, him will I confesse before my father which is in heauen: And againe. He that looseth his soule for me shall finde it. Hereupon it is that, Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints. For what is more deere, then that death wherein all a mans badnes is abolished, and his good augmented? Those thad die daptized, because they could liue no lon∣ger, are not of that merite that those that die willingly, where as they might haue liued longer, because these had rather die in confessing of Christ, then deny him, and so come to baptisme: (a) Which if they had done, this sacrament wold haue for giuen it, because they denied him for feare of death. For in it euen their (b) villany was forgiuen that murdered Christ. (c) But how cold they loue Christ so dearely as to contemne life for him, but by abounding in the grace of that spirit, that inspireth where it pleaseth? Pretious therefore is the death of those Saints who tooke such gratious hold of the death of Christ that they stuck not to engage their owne soules in the quest of him, and whose death shewed that they made vse of that which before was the punishment of sinne, to the produ∣cing of a greater haruest of glory. But death ought not to seeme good, because it is Gods helpe, and not the owne power that hath made it of such good vse, that beeing once propounded as a penalty laid vpon sinne, it is now elected, as a deliuerance from sinne, and an expiation of sinne, to the crowning of iustice with glorious victory.
L. VIVES.
WHich (a) if] Intimating that no guilt is so great but Baptisme will purge it. (b) The•…•… vil∣lanie] It is like he meanes of some that had holpen to crucifie Christ, and were afterwards conuerted. (c) But how] It could not bee but out of great aboundance of grace that they should loue Christ, as well as those that were baptized already in him.