¶ Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignoraunt, how that our fathers were all vn∣der the cloude, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptised vnder Moses in the cloude, and in the sea, and did all eate of one spiritual meate, and did al drinke of one ma∣ner of spiritual drinke. And they dranke of that spiritual rocke that folowed them, which rocke was Christ. But in many of them had god no delight. For they were ouerthrowen in the wildernes.
NOwe draweth all this my tale to teache, that toward that∣taynyng of the price of wealth euerlasting, men shoulde not thinke it sufficient, that through baptisme they are become of Christes houshold: or because they through his benefite being deliuered from the tirannie of sin, are restored agayn to fredome, onles they hencefurth kepe themselfe cleare and innocent from fylthie desyres and lustes. Euery man gene∣rally is baptized, but euery man shal not generally receiue one rewarde. Ther∣fore brethren I would not that ye should be ignoraunt of that which is writ∣ten in our bokes, that our elders, what tyme they were escaped the tirannie of Pharao, Moses being their capitain, were all with a cloude cast ouer them by the mightie power of god, defended from the heate of the sunne, and that al e∣qually went on fote through ye sea deuided: so that what gift soeuer is through Christ geuen vnto vs, the same in maner was among them done before. Bap∣tisme, through Christ as chiefe doer, deliuereth vs from the tirannie of sin: and they, whyles vnder the gouernannce of Moses, beeyng couered with a cloude passed ouer the sea, which at the stryking of Moses rod stode a sunder, were af∣ter a certain sorte baptized, therein long before figuring our baptisme. Again as many of vs, as are through baptisme purged, are equally nouryshed with the foode of Christes blessed body and drinke al of his misticall cup. Likewise dyd all they eate of manna sente downe vnto them from heauen, and al dranke indifferently of the water, which Moses with the stroke of hys rod caused to spring out of a rocke. Nor it is to be supposed, that such thinges were done af∣ter ye common sort or by chaūce, but Christ among them at that time darkely began the same matier, which he hath in vs now plainly & truely perfourmed. From Christ rained downe that manna, and by the mightie power of Christe, whiche is with his alway present, was the drie and barain rocke made to geue out water plentiously. Briefly Christ it was, which vouchsalued to endue his children, with such great & honorable benefites. This honor and benefite was commenly geuen to them all, but yet all came not to that place whither theyr purposed iourney was. Nothyng aduauntaged them to escape out of Egipte, if they caried furthe Egipte with them: nothyng auauntaged it them to shake of and to bee rydde of theyr oulde bondage, yf they afterwarde beecame more slauishelye bonde to fylthye desyres, than they beefore were subiecte