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Who shal seperate vs from the loue of god? Shall tribulacion, or anguishe, or perse∣cucion, or hunger, either nakednes, either perill, either swearde? As it is written: for thy sake are we kylled all daye long, and are coumpted as sheepe appoynted to be slayne. Neuerthelesse, in all these thynges we ouercome through hym that loued vs.
For I am sure, that neither death, neyther lyfe, neither angels, nor rule, neither power, neither thinges present, neither thinges to come, neither height, neither loweth, neither any other creature shalbe able to depart vs, from the loue of god, which is in Christ Ie∣su our Lorde.
Synce therfore the father hath thorough the death of his sonne forgi∣uen vs al oure gyltes and offences, sythe his sonne so tenderly loueth vs, why shoulde men hencefurthe feare the deuyll, or any man the diuels mi∣nister, either accusyng vs, or condemnyng? Considering also with howe many benefites and speciall gages of loue we are bounde both to god & Christ, who is he, that shal plucke & withdraw vs awaye from louyng thē agayne, whiche so tenderly loue vs? Shall any storme of worldly aduer∣sitie do it? Shall any affliccion or distresse? Shal hunger or nakeones? Shal ieopardy of drownyng, or any lyke peryl chaūcyng after lyke sort? Shal persecucion of the wycked, or the bloudy swearde of death? For that suche thynges should in this worlde happē to innocentes, the holy psalme wryter Dauid lightened with the spirite of god, long before sawe, what tyme he sayde, that for thy sake o Lorde are we kylled al daye long, and coumpted as sheepe appoynted to be slayne. Al these troubles, thoughe they seme greuouse, cause yet is there none, why they ought to make vs a frayd. Chaunce maye they to vs in dede, but yet oppresse vs they can not Yea (I saye) the more vehemētly they trouble vs, the more shal they bothe strengthen oure burnyng charitie to Christward, and Christes also to vs, because we at al tymes departe hauyng the vpper hand, not through any strength and power of oure owne, but through his defence, whome we are bounde to thanke for altogether. Nor wil he, whiche in suche sorte loueth vs, suffer vs to be ouerthrowen, nor we vpon remembraunce of his goodnes towarde vs through any assaultes of aduersities shrinke from louyng hym agayne. But yet haue I rehearsed vnto you but lyghte and common mattiers, but harken a bolder saying, and suche wherof my selfe am moste certaine, and am moste certaynly persuaded in. More cause were there to feare suche ieopardies as hang ouer oure heade by reason of creatures, whiche can not be seene, as euil spirites, whiche yet neuer∣thelesse assault mennes soules and not only their bodies, whom yf we but once regarde not & despise, the ieopardies of the other can not make vs a fearde. Nor in this haue we any cause to feare, seyng that neither meane power of aungels, of muche more myght yet than is any man, no neither the chief aungels, whiche order is called a rule and power neither anye heyght or depnes, that is to saye, whether the same inuade vs frō aboue, or from beneth, whither it be with a coloure of honestie or not, yea though wonders were shewed from heauen, or els threatnynges from hell put vs in feare, neither thinges present, neither yet to come, whether we be put in feare of present ieopardyes, or in ieopardy of the life to come: briefly, what soeuer els befall anye where here in earthly thinges, whether it maye be sene, or not, be it neuer so strong and mightie, yet shal it not be able to de∣uide vs from that charitie, wherbye we are knyt to god throughe Iesus Christe his sonne.
Who shal se∣parate vs frō the loue of god?
Neuertheles in al the••e thī¦ges w•• ouer∣cum through hym that lo¦ued vs.
Neyther heighte, nor loweth. &c.