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…

And in these revelations sometime he showed them his hands, his feet, and his side, and bad them touch him, that they should not take him for a ghost or a spirit. Sometime he also did eat with them, but ever he was talking with them of the everlasting kingdom of God, to assure the trueth of his resurrection. For then he opened their understanding, that they might perceive the scriptures, & ¹said unto them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, & to rise from death the third day, and that there should be preached openly in his name, penance and remission of sins ⟨p. 386⟩to all the nations of the world. Ye see (good Christian people) how necessary this article of our faith is, seeing it was proved of Christ him self by such evident reasons and tokens, by so long time and space. Now therefore as our saviour was diligent for our comfort and instruction to declare it: so let us be as ready in our belief to receive it to our comfort & instruction. As he dyed not for him self, no more did he rise again for him self. He was dead (saith Saint Paul) for our sins, and rose again for our justification. O most comfortable word, evermore to be borne in remembrance. He dyed (saith he) to put away sin, he arose again to endow us with righteousness. His death took away sin & malediction, his death was the ransom of them both, his death destroyed death, & overcame the devil, which had the power of death in his subjection, his death destroyed hell, with all the damnation thereof. Thus is death swallowed up by Christs victory, thus is hell spoiled for ever. If any man doubt of this victory, let Christs glorious resurrection declare him the thing. If death could ²not keep Christ under his dominion and power, but that he arose again, it is manifest that his power was overcome. If death be conquered, then must it follow that sin wherefore death was appointed as the wages, must be also destroyed. If death & sin be vanished away, then is the devils tyranny vanished, which had the power of death, and was the author & brewer of sin, and the ruler of hell.

And in these reuelations somtime he shewed them his handes, his feete, and his side, and bad them touch him, that they shoulde not take hym for a ghost or a spirite. Somtyme he also dyd eate with them, but euer he was talkyng with them of the euerlastyng kyngdome of God, to assure the trueth of his resurrection. For then he opened their vnderstandyng, that they myght perceaue the scriptures, &