A01278:137
Of the preparation to the cross, and to death and of the comfort under…Of the preparation to the crosse, and to deathe and of the comforte vnder…
Of the preparation to the cross, and to death and of the comfort under the cross and death, two books very fruitful for devout people to read, translated from latin to english, by Richard Tracy.Of the preparation to the crosse, and to deathe and of the comforte vnder the crosse and death, two bokes very fruictefull for deuoute people to rede, translated from latyn to englysshe, by Rycharde Tracy.
Londini : In ædibus Thomæ Bertheleti typis impress. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum, Anno. M.D.XL. 1540Londini : In ædibus Thomæ Bertheleti typis impress. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, Anno. M.D.XL. 1540
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
¶Baptism is a comfort in the point of death. Cap. vi.
¶Baptisme is a comforte in the poynte of deathe. Cap. vi.
SUCH as be at the point of death, ought to take comfort and be strong, in that they know, they carry with them both letter and token, which is baptism: where by their death is incorporate with the death of Christ, and that it is not their death, but the death of Christ. Wherefore let them surely trust, that they shall overcome, ⟨image 79⟩as the death of Christ hath overcome. For baptism is a sure token of the passing over from death to life. And as we know surely, that Christ passed through death to life: So let us not doubt, but that we shall surely pass through death to life. Christ hath overcome sin and death: Let us nothing doubt, but that we shall overcome sin & death. Sin shall not bear rule over you.1 a Figure of this thing was the passing over the see, which was the passing over from death to life. So in baptism we receive a token of death: that by death of the body, we might trust surely to come to the true life. In baptism Pharaoh, with all his host, did lye under foot to us, that is, through faith in the word of promise: we ⟨image 79⟩have escaped the tyranny of the prince of darkness, with all vices: so that the lord will not impute them to us, nor they can not take away from us the entree or going in to the kingdom of heaven. But yet not withstanding, sin dwelling in our flesh, doth not rest in the mean time, to assault us, that is, unclean affections, which must be put away with daily mortifying of the fleshly desires, until our baptism be fully complete and finished in death. So greatly the hope of all christen men doth stand in baptism, and so beginneth from death: that death to us is winning, that is, an entrance to life.2