The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

Herein is love, not that we loved him, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a reconciliation for our sins. Saint Paul also saith, Christ, when we were yet of no strength, dyed for us being ungodly. ¹Doubtless a man will scarce dye for a righteous man. Peradventure some one durst dye for him of whom they have received good. But god setteth out his love towards us, in that he sent Christ to dye for us when we were yet void of all goodness. This and such other comparisons ⟨p. 361⟩doth the Apostle use, to amplify and set forth the tender mercy & great goodness of God, declared towards mankind, in sending down a saviour from heaven, even Christ the Lord. Which one benefit among all other, is so great & wonderful, that neither tongue can well express it, neither heart think it, much less give sufficient thanks to god for it. But here is a great controversy between us and the Jews, whether the same Jesus which was borne of the virgin Mary, be the true Messiah and true saviour of the world, so long promised & prophesied of before. They, as they are and have ben always, proud & stiff necked, would never acknowledge him until this day, but have looked and gaped for another to come. They have this fond imagination in their heads, that Messiah shall come, not as Christ did, like a poor pilgrim and simple soul riding upon an Ass: But like a baliaunt and mighty king in great royalty & honour. Not as Christ did, with a few fishermen, and men of small estimation in the world: but with a great army of strong men, with a great train of wise & noble men, as knights, Lords, Earls, Dukes, Princes, & so forth. Neither do they think that their Messiah shall slanderously suffer death, as Christ did: but that he shall stoutly conquer and manfully subdue all his enemies, and finally obtain such a kingdom on earth, as never was seen from the beginning. While they feign unto them selves after this sort a Messiah of their own brain, they deceive them selves, and account Christ as an abject & fool of the world.

Herein is loue, not that we loued him, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes. Saint Paul also sayth, Christ, when we were yet of no strength, dyed for vs being vngodlye. ¹Doubtlesse a man wyll scarse dye for a ryghteous man. Peraduenture some one durst dye for him of whom they haue receaued good. But god setteth out his loue towardes vs, in that he sent Christe to dye for vs when we were yet voyde of all goodnesse. This and such other comparisons