Without him / our life is miserable / the which we can not continue the least moment but we shall heap upon our selves / a perpetual malediction. And yet we are nothing a shamed for the winning of a few days / for this feeble life / to refuse the eternal kingdom / and to separate our selves from him / by whose power we are continued in this life. If a man should examine the most unlearned / yea those whose wit is so dazed / and whose life so voluptuous / that they be most like to brute beasts / what manner of life is appointed them / they durst not say plainly and openly / that it should consist only in eating / drinking & sleeping, ⟨image 45⟩For they know that they are created to a better / worthier and more higher thing: which is nothing ells / but to serve and honour god with all kind of honour / and to suffer our selves as good children / to be ordered and ruled by our most benign father / that after the end of this frail & unsure life / we may be received in to his eternal heritage. In the appointing and winning of this end / consisteth the chefest and greatest point of our felicity / yea all the whole weight of ever lasting life. But when we carry our minds and thoughts an other way / & do snatch fast hold of this present life worse then a thou sand deaths / what excuse can we have? For / to live and be ignorant of the causes wherefore we live / is unnatural. But to forsake the causes wherefore we live here / for the desire & love to prolong our life as it were for three days in this deceitful world / and to be separated from god the author of life / is such a bewitching and furious madness / that j know not with what words we ought to express and show it. But what so ever knowledge we have / and how so ever our life is appointed / for so much as not with standing the persecutions are no less & bitter / let us consider how & by what means the Christian men may confirm them selves ⟨image 45⟩in patience / and so strength then their minds / that they may constantly ventre to danger their life for gods truth. This same text which we have recited / being well understood may bring us to that indifferency of mind / yea to that willingness / that we shall not refuse to suffer death for gods name. Let us go forth of the city / saith the apostle / after the lord Christ / bearing his opprobrie.
Without him / our lyfe is miserable / the whiche we can not continew the least moment but we shall heap vpon our selves / a perpetual malediction. And yet we ar nothing a shamed for the winning of a few daies / for this feble lyfe / to refuse the eternall kingdom / and to separate our selves from him / by whos power we ar continewed in this lyfe. Yf a man shold examine the most vnlearned / yea thos whos witt is so dased / and whos lyfe so voluptuouse / that they be most lyke to brute beasts / what maner of lyfe is apoynted them / they durst not say plainly and openly / that it shold cōnsiste ōlye in eating / drēking & sleapīg, ⟨image 45⟩For thei know that thei ar created to a better / wort hier and more higher thing: which is nothing ells / but to serve and honour god with al kīd of honour / and to suffer our selves as good children / to be ordred and rueled by our most bening father / that after the end of this fraill & vnsure life / we may be receaved in to his eternal heretage. In the apointing and winning of this end / consisteth the chefest and greatest point of our felicitie / yea al the wholl weight of ever lasting lyfe. But when we carrye our mīds and thoughts an other waye / & do snatch fast hold of this present lyfe worse then a thow sand deathes / what excuse can we have? For / to lyve and be ignoraunt of the causes wherfor we lyve / is vnnatural. But to forsake the causes wherfore we lyve here / for the desier & love to prolong our lyfe as it were for thre daies in this deceatful world / and to be separated from god the author of lyfe / is soche a bewitching and furiouse madnes / yt j know not with what words we ought to express and shew it. But what so ever knowlege we have / and how so ever our lyfe is apointed / for so moche as not with standing the persequutions ar no less & bitter / let vs cōsidre how & by what meās the Christian men may confirm them selves ⟨image 45⟩in patiencye / and so strengh then their minds / that thei may constantly vētre to daūger their lyfe for gods truth. This same text which we have recited / being wel vndrestonded may brīg vs to that indifferencye of minde / yea to that willingnes / that we shall not refuse to suffre death for gods name. Let vs go forth of the cytie / saith the apostle / after the lord Christe / bering his opprobrie.
