MarginaliaAn. 1555. Aprill.God, to recōpence tribulatiō to thē that trouble vs, & rest to vs that be troubled. For after this life, the godly being deliuered frō their tribulations & paines, shall haue a most quiet and ioyfull rest, where as the wicked and vngodly, contrariwise shalbe tormented for euermore with intollerable and vnspeakable paines, as Christ by the MarginaliaLuke. 16.parable of the rich glutton and wretched Lazarus, doth playnly declare and teach. These ought we to haue before our eyes alwayes, that in tyme of aduersitie and persecution (wherof MarginaliaHebr. 12.all that will be the children of God, shalbe partakers, and wherewith it hath pleased God to put some of vs in vre already) we may stād stedfast in the Lord, & endure euen vnto the ende, that we may bee saued.Marginalia1. Timo. 2. For vnlesse we lyke good warriours of Iesus Christ, will endeuour our selues to please hym who hath chosen vs to be souldiours, and fight the good fight of fayth euen vnto the end, we shall not obteine that crowne of righteousnes, which the Lorde that is a righteous iudge, shall geue to all them that loue his commyng.

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Let vs therfore receiue with mekenes the worde that is graffed in vs,MarginaliaIohn. 2. which is able to saue our soules, and ground our selues on the sure rocke Christ. For (as the Apostle sayth) Marginalia1. Cor. 3.other foundation can no mā lay, besides that which is layd already, which is Iesu Christ. If any man buyld on this foūdation gold, siluer, precious stones, tymber, hay, stubble, euery mans worke shall appeare, for the day shall declare it, and it shalbe shewed in the fire. And the fire shall try euery mans worke what it is. If any mans worke that he hath builded vpon abyde, he shall receiue a reward: if any mans worke burne, he shall suffer losse, but he shalbe safe hym selfe: neuerthelesse yet as it were through fire.

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MarginaliaFier in scripture, what it signifieth.By fire here doth the Apostle vnderstand persecution and trouble, for they which do truely preach and professe the word of God, which is called the word of the crosse, shalbe rayled vpon, abhorred, hated, thrust out of company, persecuted and tryed in the fornace of aduersity, as gold and siluer are tryed in the fire.

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Marginalia1. Cor. 3. MarginaliaMath. 5. Luke. 6. Math. 3. Psalme. 1.By gold, siluer, and precious stones, he vnderstādeth them that in the middes of persecution abide stedfast in the word. By timber, hay, and stubble, are ment such, as in tyme of persecution do fall away from the truth. And when Christ doth purge his flooer with the wynde of aduersity, these scatter away from the face of the earth like lyght chaffe which shalbe burned with vnquencheable fire. MarginaliaThe place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 3. expounded.If they then which do beleue, do in tyme of persecution stand stedfastly in the truth, the builder (I do meane the preacher of the word) shall receiue a reward, and þ^e worke shalbe preserued and saued: but if so be that they go backe and swarue, when persecution ariseth, the builder shall suffer losse, that is to say, shall lose hys labour and cost: but yet he shalbe saued, if he being tryed in the fyre of persecution, do abide fast in the fayth.

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Wherefore (my beloued) geue diligent heede, Marginalia1. Pet. 2. Marginalia2. Corinth. 3.that ye as lyuing stones be builded vpon this sure rocke, and be made a spirituall house and a holy priesthood for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices, acceptable vnto God by Iesus Christ. For we are the true temple of God, and the spirite of God dwelleth in vs, if so be that we continue in the doctrine of the Gospell. Marginalia1. Pet. 2.We are also an holy and royall Priesthode, for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices and oblations: for the sacrifices of the new testament are spirituall and of three maners.

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MarginaliaThree sorts of Sacrifices of the new testament.The first is, the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuing, which S. Paul doth cal MarginaliaHebr. 13.þ^e fruites of those lippes which cōfesse the name of God.

The second, is mercy towards our neyghbours, as the Prophet Osee sayth: MarginaliaOsee. 6.I will haue mercy and not sacrifice. Read the xxv. chapt. of Mathew.

The third is, when we make our body MarginaliaRoma. 12.a quicke sacrifice, holy and acceptable vnto God, that is, when we mortify and kyll our fleshly concupiscences and carnall lustes, and so bring our flesh through the helpe of the spirite, vnder the obedience of Gods holy law. This is a sacrifyce to God most acceptable, which the Apostle calleth our reasonable seruing of God. And let vs be sure, that vnles we do now at thys presēt take better heede to our selues, and vse thankefully the grace of God offred to vs by the Gospell preaching these yeares past, whereby we are induced and brought to the knowledge of the truth: vnlesse, I say, we keepe Christ and hys holy word, MarginaliaEphes. 3.dwelling by fayth in the house and temple of our hartes, the same thyng that Christ threatneth vnto the Iewes, shall happen vnto vs: that is to wytte, the vncleane spirite of ignoraunce, superstition, idolatry, and infidelitie or vnbeliefe,MarginaliaMath. 14. the mother and head of all vices, which by the grace of God was cast out of vs, bringyng

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wyth hym seuen other spirites worse then hymselfe, shall to our vtter destruction, returne agayne into vs: MarginaliaExhortation to persist in the word of God, and not to abuse it.and so shall we be in a worse case then euer we were before. For if we, after we haue escaped from the filthynes of the world through the knowledge of the Lorde & Sauiour Iesus Christ, be yet tangled therein agayne and ouercome, then is the latter end worse then the beginning: & Marginalia2. Pet. 2.it had ben better for vs not to haue knowen the way of righteousnes, then after we haue knowen it, to turne from the holy commaundement geuen vnto vs.

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For it is thē happened vnto vs accordyng to the true prouerbe: MarginaliaPro. 26.the dogge is tourned to hys vomite agayne, and the sowe that was washed, to wallowing in the mire. And thus to continue and perseuer in infidelitie, and to kicke against the manifest and knowen truth, and so to dye wythout any repentaunce and wyth a dispayre of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ, is MarginaliaMath. 13.to sinne agaynst the holy Ghost, which shall not be forgeuen, neyther in thys world neyther in the world to come. For it is not possible (sayth S. PaulMarginaliaHeb. 6.) that they which were once lighted, and haue tasted of the heauenly gift, and haue tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the world to come: if they fall away, should be renued agayne by repentaunce, for as much as they haue (as concerning themselues) crucified the sonne of God agayne, makyng a mockyng of hym. MarginaliaThe place of the Heb. 6. expounded.S. Paules meanyng in thys place is: that they that beleue truely and vnfaynedly Gods worde, doe continue and abyde stedfast in the knowen truth.

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If any therfore fall away from Christ and hys word, it is a playne token, that they were but dissemblyng hypocrites, for all their fayre faces outwardly, and neuer beleued truly: as MarginaliaMath. 26. MarginaliaFalling from Christ.Iudas, Simon Magus,  

Demas, Hymeneus, Philetus, and others were, which all fell away from the knowen veritie, and made a mocke of Christ: which S. Paul doth call here, to crucifie Christ anew,MarginaliaTo crucifie Christ a new, what it is.because that they turnyng to their old vomite agayne, did most blasphemously tread the benefites of Christes death and passion vnder their feete. They that are such, can in no wise bee renued by repentaunce: for their repentaunce is fleshly, as the repentaunce of Cain, Saule, and Iudas was, which beyng without godly comfort, breadeth desperation vnto death.

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These are not of the nūber of the elect: and as S. Iohn doth say: MarginaliaIohn. 2.They went out from vs, but they were not of vs. For if they had bene of vs, they would haue remayned with vs vnto the ende. Also the Apostle sayth in an other place: MarginaliaHebr. 10.If we sinne willingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth, there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne, but a fearefull looking for iudgemēt and violent fire, which shall deuoure the aduersaries.

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They sinne willyngly, MarginaliaRom. 1.which of a set malice and purpose do withhold the truth in vnrightousnes and liyng, MarginaliaWilfull kicking agaynst the open knowen truth.kickyng agaynst the manifest and open knowen truth, which although they doe perfectly know that in all the world there is none other sacrifice for sinne, but onely that omnisufficient sacrifice of Christes death: yet notwithstandyng, they will not commit them selues wholy vnto it: but rather despise it, allowing other sacrifices for sinne, inuented by the imagination of man (as we see by dayly experience) vnto whom, if they abyde still in their wickednes and sinne, remayneth a most horrible and dreadfull iudgement. This is that MarginaliaSinne vnto death.sinne vnto death, for which Saint Iohn would not that a man should pray.

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Marginalia1. Iohn. 5.Wherfore my dearely beloued in Christ, let vs (on whō the endes of the world are come) Marginalia1. Cor. 10.take diligent hede vnto our selues, that now in these last & perilous times, in the which the deuill is come downe, MarginaliaApoca. 21.and hath great wrath because hee knoweth his tyme is but short, and wherof the Prophetes, MarginaliaMath. 24.Christ, and the Apostles haue so much spoken and geuen vs so earnest forewarnyng: MarginaliaRom. 1.we withhold not the truth in vnrighteousnes, beleuing, doyng, or speakyng any thyng against our knowledge and conscience, or without fayth. For if we do so, for what soeuer cause it be, it is a wilfull and obstinate infidelitie, and a sinne vnto death: As our Sauiour Christ sayth:MarginaliaIohn. 8. If ye beleue not, ye shall dye in your sinnes. For vnles we MarginaliaPhil. 2.hold fast the worde of lyfe, both beleuyng it, and also MarginaliaMath. 3.bryngyng forth fruite worthy of repentaunce, we shal with MarginaliaThe fruitles figtree. MarginaliaLucke. 13.the vnprofitable figge tree, which did but cumber the ground, be cut downe, and our talent taken from vs and geuen vnto an other that shall put it to a better vse: and we through our owne vnthankefulnes put from the mercy of God, shall neuer be able to pay our debtes:MarginaliaMath. 18. that is to say, we shal altogether be lost and vndone. MarginaliaHeb. 6.For the earth that drinketh in rayne that commeth oft vppon it, and bryngeth forth herbes meete for them that dresse it, recei-

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