MarginaliaAn. 1555. Aprill.ariseth, the builder shall suffer losse, that is to say, shall lose his labour and cost: but yet he shalbe saued, if he beyng tried in the fire of persecution, do abyde fast in the fayth.

Wherefore (my beloued) geue diligent heede, Marginalia1. Pet. 2. Marginalia1. Cor. 3.that ye as liuyng stones be builded vpon this sure rocke, and be made a spirituall house and a holy Priesthode 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 cōtinue in the doctrine of the Gospell. Marginalia1. Pet. 2.We are also an holy and royall Priesthode, for to offer vp spirituall sacrifices & oblations: for þ^e sacrifices of the new Testament are spirituall and of three maners.

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MarginaliaThree sortes of Sacrifices of the new testament.The first is, the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuyng, which S. Paule doth call MarginaliaHebr. 13.the fruites of those lippes whiche confesse the name of God.

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

The third is, when we make our body MarginaliaRom. 12.a quicke sacrifice, holy and acceptable vnto God, that is, whē we mortifie and kill our fleshly concupiscences & carnall lustes, & so bring our flesh thorough the helpe of the spirite, vnder the obedience of Gods holy law. This is a sacrifice to God most acceptable, which the Apostle calleth Our reasonable seruyng of God. And let vs be sure, that vnlesse we do now at this present take better heede to our selues, and vse thākefully the grace of God offred to vs by the Gospell preachyng these yeares past, whereby we are induced & brought to the knowledge of the truth: vnlesse, I say, we keepe Christ and his holy word, MarginaliaEphes. 3.dwelling by fayth in þ^e house & temple of our harts, the same thyng that Christ threatneth vnto the Iewes, shall happē vnto vs: MarginaliaMath. 14.that is to witte, the vncleane spirite of ignoraūce, superstition, idolatry, and infidelitie or vnbelief, the mother and head of all vices, whiche by the grace of God was cast out of vs,MarginaliaExhortation to persist in the word of God, and not to abuse it. bryngyng with him seuen other spirites worse then himselfe, shall to our vtter destruction, returne agayne into vs: and so shall we be in a worse case thē euer we were before. Marginalia2. Pet. 2.For if we, after we haue escaped from the filthynes of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, be yet tangled therin agayne and ouercome, then is the latter end worse then the begynnyng: & it had bene 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 then 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 wallowyng in the myre. And thus to cōtinue & perseuer in infidelitie, and to kicke agaynst the manifest and knowen truth, and so to dye without any repētaunce and with a dispayre of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ, is MarginaliaMath. 13.to sinne agaynst the holy Ghost, whiche shall not be forgeuen, neither in this world neither in the worlde 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 concernyng them selues) 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 word, do continue and abyde stedfast in the knowen truth.

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If any therfore fall away from Christ and his word, it is a playne tokē, that they were but dissembling hypocrites, for all their fayre faces outwardly, & neuer beleued truely: as MarginaliaMath. 26. MarginaliaFalling from Christ.Iudas, Symon Magus,  

Demas, Hymeneus, Philetus, and others were, which all fell away from the knowen veritie, and made a mocke of Christ: which S. Paule 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 & passiō vnder their feete. They that are such, can in no wise be renued by repentaunce: for their repentaunce is fleshly, as the repentaunce of Cain, Saule, & Iudas was, which beyng without godly cōfort, breadeth desperation vnto death. These are not of the nūber of the elect: & as S. Iohn doth say: MarginaliaIohn. 2.They wēt out frō vs, but they were not of vs. For if they had bene of vs, they would haue remained with vs vnto the end. Also the Apostle saith in an other place: MarginaliaHeb. 10.If we sinne willyngly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth 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 & open knowen truth, which although they do 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 themselues wholy vnto it: but rather dispise it,

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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 & sinne, remayneth a most horrible and dreadfull iudgemēt. This is that MarginaliaSinne vnto death.sinn vnto death, for whiche Saint Iohn would not that a man should pray.Marginalia1. Iohn. 5.

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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 tymes, in the which the deuill is come downe, MarginaliaApoca. 22.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 geuē vs so earnest forewarnyng: MarginaliaRom. 1.wee withhold not the truth in vnrighteousnes, beleuyng, doyng, or speakyng anye thynge 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, & also MarginaliaMath. 3.bryngyng forth fruite worthy of repentaunce, wee shall with MarginaliaThe fruitles figtree.the vnprofitable figge tree, which dyd but cumber the ground, be cut down,MarginaliaLuke. 13. and our talent taken from vs & 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, wee shall altogether be lost and vndone. MarginaliaHeb. 6.For the earth that drynketh in rayne that commeth oft vpō it, and bryngeth foorth herbes meete for thē that dresse it, receiueth blessing of God. But that ground that beareth thornes & brears is reproued, and is nighe vnto cursyng, whose end is to be burned.

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Neuertheles deare frendes, we trust to see better of you and thynges which accompany saluation, and that MarginaliaThe good ground.ye being that good ground, watred wyth þ^e moystnes of Gods word plenteously preached amongest you, wyll with a good hart heare the worde of God and keepe it, bryngyng foorth fruit with pacience.MarginaliaLuke. 8. And be none of those forgetfull and hypocritish hearers,MarginaliaIames. 1. whiche although they heare the worde yet the Deuill commeth, and catcheth away that which was sowē in the hart:MarginaliaMath. 13. eyther hauing no roote in them selues, endure but a season, and as soone as tribulation or persecution aryseth because of the word, by and by they are offended: eyther with the cares of thys world & deceitfulnes of riches choke the worde, and so are vnfruitfull. Read the parable of the sower, and amonge other thynges note and marke, MarginaliaThe most part of the hearers of Gods word are but hipocrites.that þ^e most part of the hearers of Gods worde are but hypocrytes and heare the word without any fruite or profite, yea onely to their greater condemnation: for onely the fourth part of þ^e seede doth bryng forth fruite. Therfore let not vs that be Ministers, or professours, and followers of Gods word, be discouraged, though that very few do geue credite, and follow the doctrine of the Gospell, and be saued.

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Whosoeuer therfore hath eares to heare, let him heare: for MarginaliaTo hym that hath, it shalbe geuen, and how?whosoeuer hath, to him shal be geuē, and he shall haue aboundaunce: but who soeuer hath not frō him shall bee taken away euen that he hath: that is to say, they that haue a desyre of righteousnes and of the truth, shal be more & more illuminated of God, on the contrary part, they that do not couet after righteousnes and truth, are more hardened & blynded, though they seeme vnto thē selues most wyse. For god doth here follow an example of a louyng father, which when hee seeth that fatherly loue and correction doth not helpe towardes his children, vseth an other way. MarginaliaExample of Gods dealing with stubburne children.Hee ceaseth to bee beneficiall vnto them, & to minister vnto them fatherly correction: hee geueth them ouer vnto them selues, sufferyng them to lyue as they lust them selues.

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But wee trust to see better of you (my dearely beloued) and that ye lyke very MarginaliaHeb. 6. Math. 8.Gadarenites, for feare to lose your worldly substance or other delites of thys life, wil not banish away Christ and his gospell from amongest you: but that ye with al diligence of minde wil receiue þ^e word of God, taught you by MarginaliaActes. 14. 2. Tim. 1.such ministers, as now when persecution ariseth because of the worde, Marginalia2. Tim. 2.are not ashamed of the testimonye of our Lord Iesus, but are content to suffer aduersitye with the Gospell, and therein to suffer trouble as euil doers, euen vnto bondes. And if ye refuse thus to do, MarginaliaActes. 18.your own bloud will be vppon your owne heades. And as ye haue had plenteous preachyng of the Gospell, more then other haue had: MarginaliaThe more preaching with lesse following draweth greater vengaunce at Gods hand.so shall ye be sure if ye repent not, and bryng forth fruites worthy of repentaunce, to be sorer plaged, & to receiue greater vengeaunce at Gods hand, then others, and the kyngdome of god shall bee taken from you, and be geuen to an other nation, which will bryng forth the fruites therof.

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Wherefore my dearely beloued in Christ, take good heede to your selues, and ponder well in your mindes, how fearefull and horrible a thyng it is to fall into the hādes of the liuyng God. And see that ye receaue not the woorde of God in vayne, but continually labour in fayth, and declare your fayth by your good workes, which are infallible witnesses of the true iustifiyng faith, which is neuer idle, but worketh

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