ve enspired, are rapt vnto the pleasures of this world, and plainely distrust the promisses of eternal lyfe. Christ dyed for our offences, and rose agayn to make vs sure of the immortalitie to come. In the meane tyme, after hys exaumple, you also being engraffed to Christ through baptisme, are dead to your sinnes and wickednes: wherein as long as you liued vngodly, you were dead in dede, for asmuche as you had affyaunce in nothing, but noysome shadowes of good thinges, wherwith this worlde for a tyme disceaueth suche, as wantyng the spirite of God, are lead by the spirite of Satan, whose tirannye in the meane while is permitted ouer this lower element. His spirit (I say) and he himselfe setteth out as it were his own power in them, that hauing no trust in the pro∣misses of the Gospell, set theyr whole felicitie in visible and transitory thinges: and geue no eare to God the father, that allureth them to true felicitie, but had leauer serue that wieked cruell maister, whome in tymes past you serued, and not you alone, but all we also. For albeit the law restrayned vs from the wur∣shipping of Images, yet our lyfe was altogether defyled with noysome lustes of corporall thynges, by the enforcemente whereof, we passed of the tyme, not doyng those thynges, whiche the holy ghoste commaunded, but those that our owne mynde, geuen to filthie affectes, bad vs doe. By reason wherof it came to passe, that like as they, which are encorporated to Christe through fayth, ap∣pertayne to the enheritaunce, that is promised to obedient children: euen so we as disobedient children, should haue belonged to a ferre contrary enheritaunce: that is to say, we should haue becomen the companions of hym, to whome we had ioyned our selues. That death is eternal, that is appoynted to the wicked. Wherunto we also were subiect, asmuche as other, touchyng our owne state, and condicion. We had addicted ourselues vnto it of our owne free choice, but it was not in our power to wynde vs agayne out of that most miserable serui∣tude. Nowe you haue heard of our death, now you haue harde of our destruc∣cion, but whereof commeth lyfe, whereof commeth saluacyon? Truely not of our desertes, nor yet by the benefite of Moses lawe. Whence than? Surely of the free largesse of God the father, whose bounteousnesse and louyng affection is so plenteous and so exceadingly great to mankyndewarde, that he hath not onely not punished vs according to our desertes, but also whan we were dead by reason of our sinnes, he hath called vs agayne to lyfe together with Christ. This I say, was not of our deseruing, but came of free gyft. And he hath not only called vs agayne to lyfe with hys sonne, but also he hath caryed vs vp frō these thinges yt are benethe, vnto the thinges that are in heauē, & there hath pla∣ced vs through Christ Ies{us}: by whō we haue indifferētly together whatsoeuer he (our head) hath: & do possesse now in hope, all yt we shal shortly after possesse in very dede. Thus it was his wil, that at the resurreccion, whan his promis∣ses shal euidently appeare, he may declare his most aboūdant liberalitie, which it pleased hi of his free goodnes to powre vpō vs, not for our own good dedes sakes, but for the merites of Ies{us} Christ. For the thing is often to be rehearsed, yt ought to be fixed moste depely in your hartes. It cūmeth of fre grace, I say, that you haue obteined saluacion, from the destrucciō, wherin ye were tangled: lest ye should folow the error of some of the Iewes; which thinke to be saued for obseruing the prescriptes of Moses law. You are endebted for your salua∣cion to fayth, wherby ye beleued the gospell, & yet you may not brag of faith, as though it come of your selfe. Christ loued you first, & hauing drawen you to himselfe, he hath geuen you power, that you should loue hym agayne.