That he might have these keys to open the heavenly Hades to reduced apostates, to penitent, believing, self-devoting sinners, for this it was necessary He should put on man, become obedient to death, even that servile punishment, the death of the cross.—Howe, The Redeemer’s Dominion over the Invisible World.
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloody days again.
Shakespeare, Richard III., act v. sc. 5.
Reign. This is now in the abstract what ‘kingdom’ is in the concrete, but there was no such distinction once between them.
And for a litel glorie veigne,
They lesen God, and eke his reigne.
Romaunt of the Rose, 448.
Rejoice. Formerly used in the sense of to enjoy.
Then was mad pes on this manere, that he and his puple schuld frely rejoyce all the lond of the other side of Seyne.—Capgrave, Chronicle of England, p. 112.