publike causes I sawe there were also many contrarye presidents and that of many worthy men who in like times had stoode in the gap and in the breach against the enemie Moreouer Neh. 4.16.17 I considered this our time to be like that wherof we read in the booke of Neemie wherein because of the often and hot charges of these Samaritanes enuying the raysing vp againe of the new Ierusalem out of the ruines wherin they had ioy to see it we are constrayned so to buylde it as we may stand also redy armed to make head against the enemie and to beate him backe when he shal assayle vs. Which because the learned will see to be no matter of game and striuing for the golden pen but a necessarye seruice of God and his church I hope they will be satisfied better with that which may bee sure for defence then faire for shewe But chieflye this is my hope of all your H. both for the graue wisdome God hath endued you with and for the accustomed fauour you are wont to shewe to all such as to their power doe endeuour faithfully to serue the Lord. As for the enemie I know in deede his malice is bitter and his pen foule and shameful For so both others of them and especially the defendant of the late censure hath notoriously testified in his wicked slaunders of as worthie men as the sunne hath seene anye in this age of their profession But seing it lieth not in vs to make them modest and that we are called in good and il report yea in life and death to serue God his church I willingly commit any iniurie that may be done me by them for his cause to him to whome the punishment thereof appertaineth Iude Epist and who as Enoch prophecied long agoe commeth with thousands of his Saintes to doe iustice vpon them all and to reprooue those which are wicked amongst them of all the deedes which they haue wickedly committed and all the hard speaches which wicked sinners haue spoken against him Wherefore being satisfied for these doubtes and knowing no other sufficient cause to the contrary I haue thought this defence to be my most bounden duetie to almightie God to her most excellent M. to your H. and to this whole state and church Therefore I haue resolued by your LL. good fauour seeing no man els so long time had vndertaken to deale with this Plaintife to maintaine against him to my small power the glory of God in the iust defence of his trueth the honor of the authority I haue named in their most lawfull proceedings against such as vntruely are called Catholiques Thus hauing before your H. most humbly rendred some reson of this my doing I come now to ioyne with mine aduersarie The effecte of this Authours purpose is as he himselfe declareth in the beginning of his booke The answere and hath béene touched before in presenting your LL. with the Epistle intituled of the persecution in Englande with this treatise of his own is to complaine of intollerable extremities vsed agaynst the pretended Catholiques for their only conscience sake as he affirmeth and also to become suter to your Honors in behalfe of their cause that if for the time it may not be receyued as he thinketh it worthy yet at the least it may not be so hardly intreated as hee woulde make the world beleue it hath beene hetherto Which their cause being not of the thinges of this life wherin reason and discourse may trie and discerne but of religion he ought to haue taken his reasons to perswade the religion he would maintaine to bee good out of the holy and sacred bookes of the canonicall scriptures 2. Tim. 3.17 For of these we reade that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation thorow the faith that is in Christ Iesus as the Apostle addeth in the same place they are giuen by inspiration from God to furnish vs and to make vs fully able to instruct in that which is truth and to conuict whatsoeuer agreeth not with it Therefore as in question of mettall the touch stone is called for to shew the good and to discouer the badde so should he haue touched with this true onely touch both our mettall and his that that which is base or fine in eyther religion might haue bene discerned In doubtful controuersies in the law they were commanded to repaire vnto the hie priest into whose brest the Lorde had put Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28.30 whereby he was able to giue aunswere in all causes Christ is our hie Priest and the holy scriptures as being that wisedome of God to be reuealed to vs the Vrim and Thummim whereby we are answered as by Oracle from God in al our controuersies Therefore in this most weightie cause counsell ought to haue bene sought for there where the brest of Christ is open vnto vs and where a perfecter light then that of Vrim Thummim shineth to our most safe direction Esay 8.9.10 But this Author that we may know by the testimony of the Prophet Esay that there is no sparke of true light in him leaueth the lawe the testimony and seeketh to humane reason as to a cunning enchantres and as Saul to seeke answere hee goeth from the liuing vnto the deade Heb. 4.12 Ephe. 2.1 for the worde of God is liuing and the sonnes of men are borne deade in their sins But let vs see his reasons such as they are and howsoeuer he would flie the saymasters furnace the subtile weight yet bycause we know there is no other certain way to try what goodnes it may be of that hee bringeth we must make a say of it by the fire of the Lords altar and weigh euery thing by the weightes of his sanctuarie The reasons he bringeth are principally two Reasons vsed to perswade fauor towardes the Romane catholiques whereof the one is of the punishment laide vpon them and the other of the cause wherin they stand He toucheth briefly two other reasons which are of lesse moment rather of complemēt circumstance thē of any great weighte or substance in this question which are of the person of the ende For if it fall out as by Gods grace I vndertake to show that the punishment and the cause is such as that these falsly named Catholiques are dealt with in iustice and that mitigated with great moderation and clemencie then do these with all receaue their answere Yet something I will answere perticularly to these reasons and first to that which is taken of the persons of those who are punished In this he alleadgeth that they are of our owne bloude and Nation The first reason answered and borne subiects of the lande Wherein what doth hee pleade for them that may not be with as good reason brought for all malefactors which the lawe doth punish And to whom els doth the lawe extende but to the borne
the synne of Adam a will in man whereby he is freely and willyngly carried to that he doeth but this will I saie is of it self carried willyngly to no goodnesse but onely and alwaies to euill Therfore beeyng deade in respecte of any good whē after the will chuseth well this worke we teache not to bee of Grace preuentyng and assistyng but to bee wholie the woorke of grace For as if the spirite of life should reenter into a deade man who after should rise and walke and dooe other thynges agreeyng to a liuyng man it can not bee saied these actions proceade partely from the spirit whiche is inspired into him partly from the deade bodie For what helpe or furtheraunce can death bryng to an action of life So also the Spirite of God reenteryng into vs who are borne dead in our synnes and wee after liuyng in some measure the life of GOD by the same spirite it cannot bee saied that our will choosyng to doe that whiche is good or any other naturall facultie dooyng in any measure the will of God that it doeth it partly of it self partly of the spirite inspired into vs but the honor of suche actions is wholy due to that spirite That wee will is of our nature but that our will doeth will that whiche is holy and good is not partly of vs and partly of the Grace assistyng but it is wholie the woorke of Grace Yet is it the goodnesse of God to call it ours that is wrought in him by vs because it is not wrought without vs neither are we as an axe or deade instrument in the Lordes hande but the powers of our naturall soule tendyng of theim selues wholy to that whiche is euill are tourned by the grace and power of God to that whiche is good Whiche doctrine as it is moste true so doeth it giue to God the honour whiche belongeth vnto him Neither is it a hinderaunce to good woorkes that God be acknowledged the onely aucthour and woorker of theim But saieth he more like a Philosopher and naturall man then a Christian and a Diuine except it bee in a mannes power to doe well it must needes vtterly discourage hym from doyng good workes The answere wherof is that those whiche beleeue cannot but bee fruitfull in good woorkes notwithstandyng thei dooe not to the dishonour of GOD arrogate to themselues the praise of thē For as a man that is quickened with a liuyng soule can not but doe the woorkes and actions of a liuyng man so also thei which haue receiued the spirite of Christe whereby thei haue beleeued notwithstandyng thei bee not incoraged by this reason vnto it that of their former deade nature thei are able to heare see or vnderstande yet of the nature of that spirite thei cannot but dooe the actions of that life whiche that spirite doeth quicken and animate thē withall And as a branche of a wilde Oliue taken frō his owne stocke and implanted into a naturall Oliue notwithstandyng that of it self it bring no maner of helpe to beare a right Oliue but rather whatsoeuer power is in it is contrarie therevnto Yet of the nature of the right Oliue it cannot beeyng a liuely braunche of it but beare right Oliues Euen so it fareth with vs. Rom. 11. For wee are by nature wilde Oliues and our Sauiour Christe is the true and naturall Oliue Tree into whom beyng grafted by faithe shall we saie it wil neuer beare any fruite excepte the former wilde and sauage nature it had before in his owne stocke maie bee furtheraunce to it No but that nature beyng mortified and altered by the power of the true Oliue we cannot beyng liuely braunches in this Oliue of GOD but we must beare right and kindly fruites accordyng to the nature of the stock wee are receiued into Further as the nature of the spirite whiche wee are vouchsafed doeth leade vs to it so our indeuour is stirred vp herevnto in thākfulnesse vnto God for our saluation whiche he hath assured vnto vs by the power of the spirite giuen vs to the daie of our rededemption Therfore because we owe our selues wholie vnto hym that hath so derely bought vs and so graciously saued vs we are to apply our selues to all good workes wherby God our redemer may be glorified in vs. Whose glory if it be precious in our eyes as it worthely ought to bee more then heauen and earth wee cannot want prouocation to doe those thinges which he hath commaunded Now for the laste poinct of this Article of merite and the reward of heauen we say in deede that the doctrine of Merite and to teach that life euerlasting should be a reward deserued by our good works is a doctrine that maketh voyd in effect the death of Christ The benefite whereof by this meanes shal be onely this to procure vs this fauour with God that vppon condition that we doe suche and suche woorkes that then he will giue vs his Kyngdome for our woorkes sake whiche is a doctrine that of al other doeth moste discouer Antechrist as it is moste opposite to the doctrine and honour of Christe For wee are taught by hym that when wee haue doen all wee can doe wee are to acknowledge that wee are but vnprofitable seruauntes and thei teach that their seruice is worthie a reward and what reward of the kyngdome of heauen the glorie of God and of ioyes euerlastyng and vnspeakeable Thei teache these thynges to bee but a small purchase a little money giuen to their Corban the buildyng of a Monasterie or Abbey for a sort of Idle and Supersticious Friers to abuse the world and thynges many tymes of the iust desert of euerlastyng death to bee the worthie price of Gods kyngdome that is in effect that an Abbey a Seminarie College or suche like should be as muche worthe as the precious bloud of the Soonne of God Thus in deede we teache not nor whatsoeuer should become of all the states of the worlde ought not to teache it beeyng the proude doctrine of that presumpteous Antechriste guiltie of hye treason against the Imperiall state croune and dignitie of the kyng of heauen and earth Whose fauour and grace if we should saie wee had deserued we should account it little worthe and should take from hym his moste due and high honour of our saluation and be moste vnworthie his grace bestowed vpō vs. But saieth he who will be zealous of good workes if there be no reward of them in heauē I aunswere if there were none yet ought wee in thankfulnesse to GOD for our first Creation diligently to applie our selues to dooe his will and obeye his Commaundementes As also all cteatures sett forthe his glory in their kinde notwithstādyng there bee no rewarde promised them in heauen But I saie further that wee doe not teache that there is no reward for good workes but contrariwise that the reward of them is so exceedyng greate in heauen that no good deede shall bee
an obedience to God and to the King Deut. 13. ◠c Deut. 17.5 Likewise the authoritie of the lawe of Moses commaunding to put to death the false Prophet and the Idolater Asa made a statute in his time that whosoeuer did not seeke the Lord vnderstanding therby a renouncing of Idolatrie and a worshipping of the only true God according to his lawe should dy the death Which as it was lawfull then and in them yea duetifull and necessarie euen so vpon like ground is it as lawful duetifull for all Christian Princes now to make like statuts vpō the same warrant for the gouernement of the Nation and people committed to them There is no cause then why hee should make so light of our nationall statuts being the true and liuely vse of the lawe of God by this meanes renewed and recouering his force againe by such proceedinges It appeareth therefore by these reasons that the authoritie is sufficient and strong whereby they are punished yea and such as may well warrant a further proceeding against so many of thē as may be iustly condemned for heretikes that part of the Cannon lawe standing now as well in force as it did in the time of their tirannie and giuing vs that power against them which they neuer could haue of it lawfully against vs whom they could neuer conuict of any error And thus much for answere to the authoritie whereupon both our proceedings are grounded being the first of the two reasons he alledgeth Now come we to the other argumēt which is of the difference of the cause betwene them vs the principall poynt of all this treatise Foure Reasons of the aduersary for their cause The difference hee noteth is in foure poyntes whereof two which are the antiquitie and vniuersallitie of their faith he doth but lightly touch by the way the other two of vnitie and pollicie he discourseth off more at larg Whose steps because I haue bound my selfe to follow somewhat I must answere to the former before I proceede to the other two wherein hee seemeth to haue more confidence Our faith saith he is the only Religion of our forefathers Answere to the 1. which is Antiquity in England To this I answere First it is not true and then if it were yet it can be no suffycient reason for thē nor against our cause For the first it appeareth by the resistāce which the auncyent Britons made to Austen the Monke the Pope of Romes Messenger or Nuntio hither and the whole discourse of that Story Which sheweth that they which were before the Conquest receaued neither his Supremacy nor his faith that frō the beginning of Christianity in the lande to that time the religion had bene free from most of their corruptions Their trāsubstantiatiō the Saxons which after preuailed belieued not as appeareth by a sermon found written in the Saxon tongue appointed in their time to be vttred vnto the people at Easter before the Communion and published now in print by authority to all the world for proofe thereof But I put the case our Forefathers had neuer had other Religion in England were this a suffycient reason to prooue it good If it be then many supersticious abhominations of the Heathen may be iustified and acknowledged good Religion The cursed false worship of Mahomet in Asia hath contynued as long as the Idolatrous superstition of the Church of Roome yet were it vtterly impertinent for the posteritie liuing this day in those partes to alleadge this reason that it is the onely religion of their forefathers in Asia When the Apostles came preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles they had bene a people in the ages generations before that time in respect of the true knowledge of religiō neglected not regarded of God Act. 17.30 hauing in a maner frō the beginning of the world which was 4000. yeares continued in their Idolatrie Yet was this no sufficient cause to continue in it still and despise the Gospell as a newe faith Which though it had not beene vouchsafed thē before yet was more auncient then their wicked superstitions Contrariwise it was fit for them the longer they had lyen in darkenesse and in the vale of the shadowe of death with so much more ioy to see and beholde the Sunne when it beganne to rise in their countries Euen so notwithstanding it were true that darkenes had couered this lande in all the time of our forefathers yet now that we their children haue the fauour to see this glorious Sunne to rise in our horizon and to see his comming forth like the comming forth of a Bridegrome out of his chamber Psa 19.5 or of some worthy knight and Champion setting out to runne his course Should we loue darkenes more thē light refuse the riches of gods mercy most fréely bountifully bestowed vpō vs. Nay we ought rather to celebrate the goodnes of god towardes vs with euerlasting prayses for that he hath reuealed to vs the misterie hidden from so many ages and vnknowne so long to the world as it is nowe reuealed and our owne happinesse whose eyes doe see the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israell whose eares do heare the wisedome that is greater then Salamons Thinges which in deede many of our forefathers especially in some late hundred yeares haue not sene nor heard and wee nowe by the grace of God doe see and heare them The same may be saide of their generallitie namely that first it is not true Answere to the 2. generallitie that this their faith was left vs by the generall consent of all Christendome and then that generality in it selfe sufficeth not to proue religion good For the first it is manifest by the holy scriptures that the Apostles who as it appeareth by their writinges preached the doctrine which wee professe neuer taught their superstition hauing left vs no one poynt of all that which is properly their faith and wherein they differ from vs. The auncient fathers testify I speake of the most auncient of them such partes of Christendome as they liued and taught in to haue belieued no such faith The Stories of the Church make mention of Christian Churches in Asia and in Afrike and some partes of Europe also which neuer receyued the faith of the Church of Roome that is that which is properly the Romish faith and wherein it dissenteth from vs as neyther their supremacie nor Idolatrie nor sundrie such other poyntes which are the beautie and crowne of popery Therefore it is vntrue that they haue it left them by a general cōsent Further all generalitie in it selfe is not sufficient to iustify a matter of faith What hath bene and yet is more generall in the world then Mahometisme and Paganisme which yet Christian men for all the generalitie of it do worthily according to Gods worde detest and abhorre The general consent of the whole Church I meane of all the holy assemblies
the greatest transgression of the one with the greatest breache of the other and so likewise in the reste keepyng a due rate and equalitie of sinnes that are matched together Therefore notwithstandyng wee esteeme not sinne light but all in their natures mortall and deadly yet wee make a great difference of sinnes Wherefore if thei vnderstoode by this distinction no other matter but to make a difference that some should bee greater then others thei haue no cause to striue with vs. And for this what commoditie it maie bryng to a cōmon weale we are in the blessing of God to looke for it this beyng our doctrine But thei vnderstande it farre otherwise as appeareth by the Counsell of Trent and by this aucthour For bothe determine mortal to be suche as by their natures and in iustice deserue euerlastyng death wherein we also agree But the poinct of variaunce is in this that thei saie all sinnes are not mortall but that there are sinnes whiche in iustice are not to bee punished with euerlastyng death whiche kinde of sinne thei call veniall Not vnderstandyng that God for Christes sake doeth forgiue it those whiche beleeue for so wee graunt that al are veniall For to the beleeuer all shall be forgiuen and there shall be no imputation of any sinne but takyng it in this sense which I haue declared in which I deny any sinne to be veniall affirme all to be mortall whiche our doctrine is groūded vpon the worde of God For this is generall of all sinne whiche the Apostle without exception of any saieth that the paine of sinne is death meanyng euerlastyng as it appeareth there by the mention of life euerlastyng life in the same place And thus the Apostle taught according to the lawe wherin it is saied expressely cursed bee he that abideth not in all that is commaunded in this Lawe But saieth he though your doctrine bee true yet doeth it not stande with good pollcie whiche is to kepe men in vertue and honestie as ours doth Because if al be mortall who will striue against sinne whereas admittyng all not to bee mortall though a man be caried into a veniall sinne yet would he striue to refraine from mortall consideryng it bringeth damnatiō And though this Romane doctrine be false yet doeth it more incourage men to striue against sinne But I saie this is to reason like an Atheiste For as I haue often saied before there can be no doctrine fit to procure the blessing of God to any state whervpon dependeth the wealth peace and honour of euery people and common wealth but only that which is of God And therfore whatsoeuer he maie suppose in our or their doctrine to bee for or against a state the truthe muste needes bee that all thynges reckened and in the ende it can neuer proue a good doctrine for any state that God hath not taught nor that vnproffitable whiche he hath deliuered vs. But I saie further that our doctrine in the Nature of the doctrine it self is more to restrainyng frō vice then that of theirs For what greater incouragement can there bee in all good reason and pollicie to sinne then impietie what stronger restraint then greeuous punishement Therfore their doctrine whiche teacheth so many sinnes negligences and ignoraunces not to bee in the iustice of the Lawe of God guiltie of death must needes hereby giue incouragement to continue in ignoraunce in negligences and other suche like offences But ours whiche truely teacheth the wrathe of God and euerlastyng death to depende vpon it muste needes bee more forceble to stirre vp all men to be carefull to auoide to the vttermoste of the grace thei haue receiued all maner of sinne and if the lesse muche more the greater whiche haue more greeuous condemnation But he and the rest of these Romanists in faith in allegiaunce suppose by makyng all sinnes to be punished with death that all are taught to be equall whiche is nothyng so For that death is not like vnto this whiche is of the naturall soule and bodie and of the life of the naturall man but it is a deadly castyng out of the presence and fauour of God with whom onely is life that which in deede and truth maie be so called for the comforte that is in it whereas the other is suche a life as some which liue in it wishe rather for death and would digge for it As Iob speaketh if thei might finde it and desire that the Moūtaines might couer them and the Hilles hide them from the wrath of God liyng vppon them Therfore if it be possible for men in the naturall death of the bodie to deuise greate difference of tormentes so as notwithstandyng all suffer death yet one maie endure without comparison greater tormentes in it then an other How much more in this case both by the natur of the death which thei suffer and by the almightie power of God is it possible that notwithstandyng all sinnes bee punished with death yet there should be sundrie kindes of that death the tormentes of the one to bee in comparison in them selues alwaies horrible more easie and tollerable then an other Which our Sauiour Christ expressely teacheth speaking of the punishment of Sodom and suche as should with contempt refuse the Gospell Wherefore that beyng an offence of their ignoraunce not of our doctrine it is not to bee imputed vnto it And so notwithstandyng any thyng is saied by hym or can bee saied by any to the contrary our doctrine in this point is most fit and strong for the restraint of sinne and their impunitie moste daungerous by incouragement to smaller offences to draw men also in tyme to the easier committyng of the greater Besides in this their doctrine it is to be noted that thei teache the sprincklyng with a little Holly water to be sufficient to take awaie those sinnes whereby the precious death of our Sauiour Christ is in this behalfe made of none effect For if thei bee not mortall sinnes the punishment whereof in the iustice of God is death then Christ dyed not for them and if he did then it followeth bothe that thei are mortall and death the rewarde and stipende of them and also that the guilt of them can not bee otherwise washed out but with the true Yssope sprincklyng vs with the most precious bloud of the sonne of God whiche purgeth all our sinnes The second poinct in this nineth Article is of the doctrine of cōcupiscence which he saieth that we affirme to be truely sinne euen in the regenerate and thei saie in the regenerate that is as this man affirmeth it in Christians after Baptisme as if al that are washed with the water of Baptisme are also borne againe whiche is no more true then that all receiuyng the Lordes Supper should receiue also the Spirite of Christ which the Apostle denyeth to be no sinne except that concupiscence bee consented vnto I acknowledge this to be our doctrine whiche
to bee agreeable to the Scriptures it appeareth by this that whatsoeuer the lawe forbiddeth is sinne for of the lawe is the knowledge of sinne but this concupiscence is forbidden by the lawe This the Aduersarie will not graunt but I proue it thus There are but two cōcupiscences forbidden one with consent and an other with out whereof that whiche is with consent is forbidden in the former commaundements Which appeareth by the expositiō of the seuenth Commaundement by our Sauiour Christ in the sixth of Matthewe who sheweth the lustyng after a Woman in harte that is with consent to be Adultery and the breache of the seuenth Commaundement Therefore it followeth the other is forbidden in the last And in deede if the same concupiscence were forbidden in the former and no other in this then should there not bee tenne Preceptes and Commaundementes but onely nine This also the Apostle teacheth who declareth how harde it was for hym to finde the height and depth the length and breadth of the corruption that is in the nature of man till he rightly vnderstood this Commaundement For thereby he plainely sheweth the moste secrete poyson of our nature to bee discouered by this Which can be no other then the very continuall springyng and wellyng vp of vnlawfull lustes euen before the harte resolutely agree vnto them Otherwise ther might bee in vs a motion and a power not standyng with the loue of GOD nor of our Neighbour without offence to GOD. Whiche can not bee the Lawe requiryng of vs that perfect holinesse of nature wherein we were created And surely if the Apostle had not esteemed this rebellion in his nature to bee sinne and mortall sinne he would neuer haue cōplained so greeuously of his estate in respect of it both in other places as he doth and especially in the seuenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romaines in a greate parte of it and in the ende criyng Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Their doctrine beyng contrarie hath no maner of grounde in the Scripture For as for the first of Iames it is plaine he speaketh of suche a sinne as sheweth it self in an open and outward act to be sinne As for S. Austine though his authoritie nor any other Fathers maie be sufficient to warrant any doctrine to be of God yet takyng hym alleadged not for any suche purpose but as a witnesse of the doctrine taught and receiued in the Churche at his tyme I graunt he so writeth of concupiscence as except his writynges be well examined and conferred together a man would thinke he were of the opinion of our Aduersarie But beyng examined it will be found that his iudgemēt is with vs namely that this concupiscence is truely sinne and that he so taught the church in his tyme as it appeareth in sondrie places What discommoditte then can it bee to a Commonwealth to haue the people truely taught to knowe the greate corruption of our nature or what benefitt can it bee that thei should not vnderstand their wretched estate Surely none but this that for wāt of this thei should bee puffed vp in a pride of their owne free will and good workes and so not to regarde the inestimable benefitt and comforte of the death of Christ The Aduersarie alleadgeth in deede that if it be so that a man sinne euen without consent that then a man is discouraged to make resistaunce for that no man saith he wil striue against that whiche he can not auoyde that is about the resistaunce of mortall sinne whiche he can not auoyde if concupiscence be sinne and euery sinne be mortall I aunswere not withstandyng bothe these be true as thei are most true that yet the courage of resistaunce is not hereby taken awaie For the Apostle that confessed and taught bothe though he founde it a tedious combate and sweate in a maner water and bloud vnder his Harnesse so as he complained sometymes that he sawe a lawe in his members leading in captiuitie the lawe of his mynde and in this regarde cried O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death desiryng hereby as it were the ende of his warfare Yet did he not therfore giue ouer the fielde and yeeld hym self to sinne Naie rather the newe or the yong man whiche God had begotten in hym by his spirite valiauntly behaued himself in the battell oftentymes puttyng his aduersarie to the flight and by faithe assuryng hymself of the victorie in Christ Iesu And euen as a worthie knight and Champiō is not discouraged with the valure of his enemie but rather reioyceth in it knowyng his victorie shall be the greater So thei that are not cowardes in this spirituall warre but valiant in Christ their noble courage is so much the more stirred vp as thei see their enemie to be great and mightie that the honor of their victorie and triumphe in Christ maie be the greater Wherby it appeareth that our doctrine can in no sorte bee any hinderaunce to vertue or incouragemēt to vice But theirs must needes bee a great breeder of vice and extinguisher of vertue whiche perswadeth men that that is no sinne whiche is in deede sinne For hereby thei neglect the first motions and open the first doore and entraunce freely vnto sinne which it were the best spirituall pollicie to resist in the beginnyng whereof thei must needes be carefull which know it to be sinne and the other secure and carelesse whiche take it to bee no synne Therefore not ours but their doctrine openeth a wide gate to synne whiche is yet greatly enlarged by that he addeth in the ende of this Article that no man will striue against that whiche he can not auoyde For if this be so and that it is most euident that while we liue we can not amende this rebellion of our corrupt nature to the law of God then his councell is that all mē giue ouer striuing any more against sinne seeing they cannot with all their stryuing auoyd it But we are otherwise taught that tho we can not auoyde that sinne dwell in our mortall bodies yet to striue that it doe not raigne nor exercise Dominion ouer vs but that we striue againste it euen to bloud as the Apostle sayth and euen vnto death In the tenth place 10 Of reward of good and euill works in this life in the world to come comparison is made betweene our doctrine and theirs in the punishment of sinne in this life in the world to come and the reward of holines in heauen For the first he affirmeth that we say only faith in Christ is necessary for the obtaining of the forgiuenesse of sinne and this he sayth is an easie point How easie it is may appeare in the example of Abraham who was to beleeue that of his dead body there should spring children like the starres of heauen for multitude and that he should haue a seed in whome