Phi. Let it never grieve you most gentle neighbour to give over unto nature,1 and to depart from this world, at the calling of God. There is a time to be borne,2 and a time to die. We must be as well con tent to die, as we were to live, and as well pleased to leave the world, as we were to come into it.
We are mortal, we therefore must needs die. Let us not bear heavily, ⟨p. 301⟩that necessity importeth. God crea••d us, that we should once die let us not therefore repugn and strive against the good pleasure of God. There shall none other thing chance unto us by death, than that hath heretofore chanced unto our predecessors,3 and shall likewise chance unto our posterity. Who hath lived, that hath not died? Who doth now or shall live, that shall not also taste death? One & the same way must needs be trodden of all Adams posterity. There is no mean to escape. Adam sinned and became mortal.4 All we have sinned also in Adam, therefore all we are made in him mortal and subject unto death. As by one man (saith S. Paul) sin entered into the world, and death by the means of sin? Even so death also went over all men, in so much as all we have sinned.5 ⟨p. 302⟩The reward of sin is death.6 God in deed created man at the beginning to be immortal and not to be destroyed by death, yea after the Image of his own likeness made he him. Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world. The history of Adams fall is known,7 in whom we also fell. Sense that time he & all his posterity have been mortal,8 have died & shall die. We all are now flesh earth,9 dust & ashes. So soon as we be borne, so soon begin we to die. This our life is nothing else then a very passage unto death. Noble and base, pore and rich, fair and foul, well favoured and il favoured, mighty and weak, wise & foolish, fortunate and wretched, ruler and subject, faithful and unfaithful, Christian and Painim, old and young, man, woman and child, every bodily creature that ⟨p. 303⟩liveth on the face of the earth shall die. Whether the life be short or long, the end of it is death. All the holy Patriarchs, Judges, kings, Priests, Prophets, and all other which lived before the coming of Christ, died. John Baptist, Christs mother, & all the disciples of Christ died.
Phi. Let it neuer greue you moost genle neighbour to geue ouer vnto nature,1 and to depart from this worlde, at the callynge of God. There is a time to be borne,2 and a time to die. We must be as wel cō tent to die, as we were to liue, and as wel pleased to leaue the world, as we were to come into it.
We ar mortal, we therfore must nedes die. Let vs not bear heauely, ⟨p. 301⟩that necessitie importeth. God crea••d vs, that we shuld once die let vs not therefore repugne and striue against the good pleasure of God. There shal none other thing chaunce vnto vs by death, than that hathe heretofore chaunced vnto our predecessours,3 and shall likewyse chaunce vnto our posteritie. Who hath lyued, that hath not died? Who doth now or shall liue, that shall not also tast death? One & the same way must nedes be troden of all Adams posteritie. There is no meane to escape. Adam sinned and became mortall.4 All we haue sinned also in Adam, therefore all we are made in him mortall and subiect vnto death. As by one man (saith S. Paule) sinne entred into the worlde, and death by the meanes of sinne? Euē so death also went ouer al men, in so muche as all we haue synned.5 ⟨p. 302⟩The reward of sinne is death.6 God in dede created mā at the beginning to be immortall and not to be destroyed by death, yea after the Image of his owne likenesse made he him. Neuerthelesse thorow enuy of the deuil came death into the world. The history of Adams fal is known,7 in whō we also fel. Sence that time he & all his posteritie haue bene mortall,8 haue died & shal die. We al ar now flesh earth,9 dust & ashes. So sone as we be borne, so sone begin we to die. This our life is nothing els then a very passage vnto death. Noble and base, pore and riche, faire and foule, wel fauoured and il fauoured, mighty and weake, wise & folish, fortunate and wretched, ruler and subiect, faithfull and vnfaithfull, Christian and Painim, old and yong, man, woman and childe, euery bodely creature that
- 1An exhortation to the sick to die willingly.An exhortatiō to the sick to die willingly.
- 2Eccle. iii.
- 3Psal. lxxxix.
- 4Roma. v
- 5Roma. vi.
- 6[…]. ii〈…〉. ii
- 7Gene. iii
- 8John. iiiIohn. iii
- 9Eccle. x
