For then they coulde not bee blamed Zelot Howe the Diuel hath muffled you too keepe yee from seeyng the daunger of eternall damnation which ye are in haue yee neuer hearde that whiche GOD sayth by Moses which S. Paule citeth in the 3. Chap. to the Galath Cursed is euery one whiche abydeth not in all thinges which are written in the booke of the law for to doe them by which yee may see that God with his own mouth doth lay his curse which is daÌ„natioÌ„ vppon euery one which doth breake neuer so litle of the law Ath. GOD is mercifull hee is not so senere as you woulde make him for to bee Zelot Doe ye not thinke that he is a iust and a true God Ath. I must needes thinke so Zelot Do ye thinke that when he hath vttered his iustice that he can by his mercy goe from it and so be sound vn true Nay there bee many of yee which in all thinges crie God is mercifull GOD is mercifull which neuer consider with what conditions GOD hath promised mercy neyther how it may stand with his iustice and trueth ye thinke GOD offereth mercy without exception Ath. If God bee not mercifull wee are but in an euill case Zelot He is a most mercifull and gratious God but yet not vnto any but suche as he hath promised mercy Howe many thousandd there be which are caried headlong to hell with this error which not knowing the iustice and truth of GOD doe blesse them selues where God hath accursed them For these thinges which you haue now vâ—tered are euen of the principall reasons which Satan doth seduce men withall and holde them from the truth They thinke thus I do what I can God hath made me able to doe no better God is mercifull they know not this that God made vs able in our first creation to keepe and obey his will wholly and that although we can now keepe no part of it yet he may iustly accurse and condemne vs vnto eternall fire for transgressing any part of it ye are not as he made ye and therfore ye deceiue your selfe when yee thinke that he requireth no more at your handes then ye are now able for to doe Ye deceiue your selfe when ye think that GOD can be mercifull vnto ye and you liue without repentance Ath. You woulde make a man dispaire if ye would put him out of hope in the mercie of God Zelot I would not bring ye out of hope in the mercy of God but I would bring ye ouâ— of your vaine hope which is not that which wil saue ye but doth harden and blind ye vnto damnation Ath. How can a mans hope and fayth hi God haâ—â—en and blinde him vnto damnation Now a dayes there is nothing among many of ye but damnation damnation It is well that God hath not giuen you power for to condemne 〈…〉 Zelot If it were a true fayth it must needes 〈…〉 them but being a faith which is blinde it blindeth those which haue it and hard â—â—â—h then â—in their sinnes and keepeth them from the seeking after the knowledge of Gods will and stayeth them from returning home vnto God by true repentance because it breadeth this in the hearts of men to thinke and to say we are welynough we 〈…〉 God◠〈…〉 we beleeue as well as the best of them all when as if they were riddâ— out of this notable snare of the. Deuil and brought for to see the wrath of GOD bent against them they woulde then be glad with feare and trembling to seeke after the Lorde in his woorde and to bee afraide to committe those thinges whiche might displease him Where as nowe a man mayâ— crye vntill he rende his throate ag 〈…〉 tâ—â—ir contempt of the Lordes word and agaynst their fowle sinnes before hee iâ— an mooue them at all and why because the deuill hath gotten them within this fortresse GOD is merciful God is merciful And for your other foolish words that there is now nothing but damnation damnation Do ye thinke that men are euer the sooner cast into damnation because they are told of the great danger thereof Ath. I pray yeâ— let me see what good can come thereof Zelot If I shoulde meeâ—e ye by the way and perceiue that yee were going into the way where ye shoulde light among theeues which would murther yee which were most profitable for you if I should tell yee thus ye bee well yee be well or to shewe yee that yee bee in daunger of your life if yee passe that way Ath. That were a wicked part for to let a man goe where he shoulde loose his life and not for to tell him Zelot Wherefore doe yee not see then that those which doe shew ye the daunger of damnation doe it for your profit as well as they which teach ye to auoyde some outwarde daunger If a man tell ye thus goe not that way ye wil be robbed ye wil be killed doth it follow that he will robbe or kill ye because ye say men now vtter damnation and that it is well they haue not power too condemne men And know this for certaintie that if God in his woorde doe threaten damnation and the preacher doe not shewe it to the people and teach them howe to auoide the same their blood shall be required at his hande But let vs come backe againe to the former matter to see howe well yee vnderstand your x commaundements I would knowe this of yee whether it be good for men to knowe the lawe seeing it doeth nothing but curse and condemne vs if there were no lawe there coulde be no sinne I speake both of the lawe of nature and of the lawe written and if there were no sinne there coulde bee no condemnation For this cause the lawe is called the ministerie of death and condemnation and it is called the letter which killeth 2. Corinth 3. Seeing it doeth woorke all this what profite can it bring for to know it or why should it be preached Ath. I pray ye tell me you for I am vnlearned and you are learned If it bee as you say I thinke it were good not to preach it if it doe condemne vs. Zelot What a shame is it that a man of your age shoulde haue so little skill as not to knowe to what purpose the lawe serueth It is a token ye vnderstande your x. commaundements well I will tell yee when a man knoweeth the lawe it doeth bring him to see that he is altogether corrupted with sinne both in bodie and soule that he is vnder Gods heauie indignation and 〈…〉 and that in himselfe there is no helpe at all it casteth him into feare and terrour of Gods iudgementes and so inforceth him to seeke for remedie in Christe whom before he did not greatly seeke after For looke how a man which doth not thinke himselfe sicke nor in daunger of sicknesse careth not for a Phisition so he which doeth not knowe his damnable estate by
al other meanes which god hath appointed to strengthen and increase their faith their knowledge their repentance and so farre to growe in grace vntill they come to assurance that God hath chosen them As for the wicked they know of no such faith that a man may atraine to assurance of his election they labour not about anie such matter but continue still in their blinde doubtes setting all vpon hazzard and as for their doing what they can it is nothing they cannot but sinne and therefore be damned howesoeuer they seeme for to do good workes yet before God they are no good workes because they proceede not of faith but from the flesh they are not grafted into the true vine Christ and for that cause can bring forth no fruite Ioh. 15. Ath. If GOD had chosen men before â—â—â— worlde â—o bee saued Wherefore did Christ dye for to saue them If they shoulde bee saued before his death was more then needed Wherefore should men bee taught wherefore should they prayâ— all these are in vaine Zelot You are like vnto a man whiche doeth make strife and debate betweene brethren and friendes you woulde set prayer and teaching and the death of Christ together by the eares with Gods election but doe what yee can all these will agree well together they bee so vnseparably knit in friendship God hath chosen men for to be redeemed in his sonne For the scripture sheweth that we are chosen in Christ He hath chosen men to bee instructed and called by preaching the woord he hath chosen men for to call vpon him and to worship him in holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of their life Ath. Ye speake much of preaching preaching as though it were so needful Can they make the worde of God better then it is Is there not enough set downe in the Bible for men to reade wherefore shoulde they adde more Can not men reade that Is not reading preaching Zelot Now ye seeke new starting holes There is some Colt so wilde that he will trouble halfe a dosen light men of foote for to driue him hee will in at euery gappe turne at euery lane and out at euery gate Euen so I can liken the reasoning with such as you are yee haue so many by shiftes so many cauils so many turninges that ten of the best learned in this lande shall hardly bee able to keepe ye in the way But wee must not leaue yee thus but bring yee into the way againe Preaching is not so needefull they can make the worde of God no better then it is why man they doe not preache for to make the worde better but for to make you better There is enough set downe in the Bible but you vnderstand little enough of it Men may reade it as a great number doe which peruert it and are nothing bettered by it because they seeke not helpe for to vnderstande it Reading say you is preaching Truly then I knowe a man which hath a little daughter that is a trimme Preacher I perceiue our lande is full of Preachers but yet in deede not such as Saint Paule describeth For the little girle is not apt to teach able to instruct to exhort to conuince not to deuide or cut the worde of God aright nor to open the Mysteries of it If yee leape ouer many of these ditches yee will breake your necke in the ende ye are a very skilfull man when yee take expounding and applying the worde of God for to be adding for ye aske why they should adde Ath Are not men allowed which are but readers euen by the learnedst in the lande Doe yée finde faulte with the Bishoppes or are yee one of those whiche doe not allowe of Bishops for such fellowes there be nowe a dayes Zelot I would ye should know that I am none of those which disalow Bishops when as the worde of God doth set it downe to be a worthie worke it is a very reuerende office exceedingly they are to be blamed which doe contemne it or deface it God hath ordeined the office of Bishops in his Church for to gouerne and feede his people such as would abolish this ordinance of God doe resist God and are enemies vnto the Church of Christ Ath. By my faith I like yée the better for that Zelot I like you neuer the better for your swearing Ath. I am not so precise as too make any account of swearing by my faith Zelot I thinke so for faith is no more account made of then as a packehorse all is laide on his backe Ath. I pray God we may doe no worse and then I hope wee shall doe well enough are you without sinne I doubt not but yee will commit as great offence to GOD as this or euer the weeke bee ended Pull the beame out of your owne eye If euery man woulde looke to himselfe there shoulde not bee so much finding faulte one with an other Zelot Where learne ye that prayer in the scripture The Prophet Dauid Psalme 19. Prayeth to be cleansed from his secrete sinnes although they bee neuer so small Where learned ye to speake after this sorte no woorse and that yee hope then to doe well enough Is it nothing to breake so straight a rule of Christ Doe yee not thinke that children dying in their infancie before they can speake or woorke are damned for lesse sins I speake of such as are not of Gods Church When as they haue onely originall sin You know not from how euil a roote this â—inne doth spring neither doee ye know the foulenesse of sinne and therefore ye cannot tell how much God doth abhorre it condemne it For this cause being as full of filthy vices and prophane sinnes as ye caÌ„ be thrust and of such in deede as God doth curse and hate because they seeme small vnto you ye suppose ye shal do wel ynough What if I haue greater in me or that I shall coÌ„mit greater as you say before the weeke be ended doth that excuse you I haue many secret sinnes in me which I do not see because I do not perfectly vnderstaÌ„d the law of God for these I doe earnestly intreat the Lord to make them knowne vnto me by giuing me more perfect vnderstanding of his will and also to giue me power for to cast them out I haue also many sinnes in mee which I see and knowe that cleane so fast that I cannot vtterly cast them foorth notwithstanding I hate and abhorre them I am wearie of them I fight against them I grone and sigh in my heart with sorowe for them I feele no sweetnesse in them for they are more bitter then Gall vnto my soule I am exceeding glad when I can suppresse them I haue professed and vowed a continuall warre against them and although I preuaile not so farre as to bee vtterly ridde of them yet I labour by meditation in gods worde and by heartie prayer to bring them vnder that they raigne not ouer
is and try whether yee can repent nowe it ye cannot what moueth yee to thinke that yee shalt be able then Ath. I hope I doe repent now and shal doe at the ende Zelot Repentance is a returning home vnto God from all euill vices and corrupte desires which are in the flesh and in the heart To be renued by repentaunce cannot be but where a man is renued in knowledge for that is one part of the image of GOD which must be restored in vs Reade in the 4. Chapter to the Ephe. from the 17. verse forwarde If a man continue in darkenesse he doth not repent He which committeth his foule sinns still although it bee but in the desire of his heart hath not repented He which doth not feele sorrowe and griefe and hath not a broken and contrite heart and a sorowfull spirite hath not repented hee which doth not eschue euill and doe good hath not repented All these are taught by the worde for that is it by whiche wee must clense our wayes and therefore yee may boldly say that he which learneth not out of Gods woorde to repent cannot repent for although if it were possible hee coulde repent for all other sinnes yet this one sinne to set light by the instruction of the Gospell will make still worse then they of Sodome as our Sauiour doth tell vs Math. 11. Ath. Will you condemne those whiche call for mercy at their ende whiche neuer repented before Zelot Wee may not pronounce vppon any one man because GOD onely seeth what is in man But yet wee may boldely goe so farre as the worde of God doeth leade vs and by it wee may see what GOD requireth and what God doeth condemne We may see that the common and generall repentaunce which all professe at their ende is not so muche as a shadowe of true repentaunce repentance cannot be in a man especially vppon a sodaine but he must needes feele a wonderfull chaunge in hym selfe he must needes bee able for to say I haue repented I knowe and feele that I am a newe man and therefore because I knowe most certainely that there is repentaunce in mee I knowe most certainely that I shall be saued for GOD promiseth saluation vnto euerye one whiche doeth repent In the common repentance men feele no such thing But are stil as they may be well enough in doubt of saluation Ath. Shall not all such as call vppon God be heard surely I dare not but thinke they shall Zelot I am sure because the Lorde doth speake it That whosoeuer doth call vppon him shall bee saued But yet yee must put this in that then they must pray in fayth as for the prayers of a wicked man which doth not repent and therefore hath not the true faith they are no prayers before GOD although hee crie lowde or call neuer so often for vnto such the Lorde speaketh in the first Chapter of the Prophete Isaiath When yee stretch forth your handes I will turne away mine eyes from yee Also if yee multiplie your prayer I will not heare Likewise the holy Ghost saieth by Solomon in the Prouerbes that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination And in the same booke it is said He that turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe euen his prayer shall bee abhominable and therefore in the latter ende of the fourth Chapter of Ecclesiastes he aduiseth men when they come into the house of GOD to take heed to their feâ—ete and to bee readier to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles For saith he they knowe not that they do euill Nowe ye shall finde many mâ—n â—rye in their miseries and make great confession of their vngodly life but yet without true repentaunce as it is manifest for so soone as the prosper againe yee shall see them returne to their olde by as if they had truely repented then shoulde it euer continue with them manie that liue in malice so soone as they be daungerously sicke will be readie to aske forgiuenesse and to forgiue all the worlde They knowe it booteth not to beare malice anie longer but so long as they be able to craulle out of their bedde and to stande vppon their legges yee shall see their olde withered malice as it seemed spring a fresh againe which is a strong proofe that they neuer truely repented howsoeuer they thought they did And euen so is it in all other sinnes they seeme vnto men for to repent they aske GOD forgiuenesse but yet the hearte abideth still the same that it was before God there is no chaunge in them before God they haue not put of the sinnefull bodie of the fleshe there is no chaunge in them before God howesoeuer they seeme to be chaunged before men This counterfet repentance maketh men bolde all their life to despise the holy worde of God which shoulde instruct and guide them it causeth them at their ende not to feare the wrath of God noâ— the vengeance to come because they thinke GOD is satisfied with this repentaunce and also because they knowe not their sinnes they suppose that they are but ouer the shoes when as they are drowned in the goulfe of vncleannesse ouer heade and â—ares Ath. God helpe vs if it bée thus how shall poore men doe then Zelot Men must applie them selues all their life to seeke for the knoweledge of GOD to increase in saith and repentaunce that when they come to their ende they may haue a testimonie of conscience that they haue feared God Likewise when yee come to a sicke man and aske howe hee doeth if he can but say as it pleaseth GOD yee aunswere that is enough neighbour holde yee there If he say I haue offended GOD and I praye GOD haue mercie vppon mee there needeth no more as you thinke Yee shoulde teache them the Lawe that they may see howe they haue offended God yee shoulde shewe them the fearefull curse and horrible â—â—â—â—geaâ—â—â—â— due vnto sinne that so they may 〈…〉 ken with remoâ—â—e and sorrowe yee shoulde shewe them also the glad tidings of the Gospell and what Christe offereth vnto the penitent sinner yee shoulde teache them what holines GOD requireth at their hande howe they may come vnto it what promise they haue made vnto GOD of it in baptisme Yee shoulde instruct them in all the principall pointes of the fayth That so they may haue the renewing faith which shal iustifie and saue them Ath. What difference can you shewe betweene those whiche are taught as you woulde haue them and such as haue knowledge they can no more but repent call for mercie and beleeue And this doe they aswell as the other Zelot You thinke there is no difference but there is this difference that the one part doeth beleeue and repent in deede and the other but in woord as our Sauiour Christ Matth. 15. alleadgeth the saying of God by his Prophete This people drawe neere mee with their mouth and honour me with their lippes but
Ath. Would yée make me beléeue that God doeth require that men shoulde leaue their businesse when they be poore and haue charge of children and giue themselues to reaping and hearing of preachinges Would yée haue him let his children sterue Zelot God doth not require that men should leaue their businesse but as they haue times to seeke for the thinges of the body so also are there times for to seeke for heauenly thinges God hath not made men for this life but for the worlde to come He hath set the promises of eternall life before them that seeke thē painfully in his worde men must not be as bruite beastes all for the belly Ath. What if there bee no preaching where a man dwelleth Zelot What if there be within three or foure mile Ath. Shall hée runne thrée or foure mile after that Zelot Yee goe about three or foure mile to the market for to prouide meate for the carion body but yee woulde not allowe a man vppon that daye whiche is the market day for the foode of the soule to goe halfe so farre Yee are the children of the worlde earth wormes those whiche labour for the meate which perisheth but will not laboure for the meate whiche indureth for euer Iohn 6. Yee loue the worlde and the things which are in the world and therfore as Saint Iohn sayth in his first Epistle The loue of the Father is not in ye ye cannot serue God and Mammon Ath. Let them runne that will when I see them agree better together then I wil heare them when they cannot agree among themselues they are vnwise which hearken vnto them Zelot Ye might be a counsellour for your graue wisedome who is able to aunsweare you in this matter when yee dash forth so strong an argument grounded vpon so great reason and infallible principles but I pray ye what woulde ye haue done if ye had liued in the time of Ieremie the prophet and also of other Prophets when there were the Priestes and the rulers in the temple with many which tooke vpon thē to be prophets and to speake in the name of the Lord set against a few of Gods messēgers What would yee haue doone when Christ preached and the Pharisees and Priestes and all the learned against him Would yee not haue hearde Paule because he disagreed with the false Apostles The Scriptures haue foretolde that there shall be heresies sectes and false teachers in the Churche euen to the worldes ende Your great skill hath taught yee to make so good a choyce of the time when yee wil heare and to take so long a day for I warrant yee it will not be two weekes before the day of doome Ye shoulde speake plainely and say Yee neuer meane for to heare and that ye woulde wishe all other for to bee of the same minde and then ye shoulde be little troubled with Gods woord Crie out against the preachers but let your meaning be against preaching it selfe The Diuel is a very skilfull woorkeman he doth not teach his schollers to say fie vpon Gods woorde but to finde excuses how to shift themselues from hearing the same Ath. If they woulde teache men howe to beleeue better then I coulde be content for to saye as you saye But they woulde driue men into dispayre and bring them out of beliefe with the feare of damnation Zelot This wedge hath been driuen often enough alreadie neuerthelesse because yee are so knottie and crabbed a peece to cleeue I will giue it one blowe more the matter is hainously taken that men preache sharpely in reprehending the vices whiche nowe raine They are nowe saide to preach nothing but the Lawe which in deede cannot conuert a man from vngodlynesse but of it selfe is the strength of sinne they are saide to be murtherers because they preache but the dead letter whiche doeth kill No doubt whosoeuer doth preache no more but the Lawe and so damnation is no minister of Christ But here lyeth all the matter men woulde be flattered and soothed in their sinnes they are loth for to here of any iudgement of God against wickednesse and as they bee like vnto the people of the Iewes when the Prophetes were sent vnto them corrupt and corrupting themselues and grudging againste the Messengers of God when they threatened vengeance and willing them not to preache so but to preache pleasunt thinges euen so are there nowe whiche lay pillowes vnder their elbowes and preache peace peace when all is corrupt in their liues and therefore there can bee no peace Hee whiche shall reade the Prophetes shall finde the state of the Churche then and ours nowe in all these thinges verie like First all foule vices ouer slowing as among vs Secondly the people presuming vppon their blinde faith and counterfet repentaunce and hypocriticall prayers as they doe nowe Thirdely the Prophetes sent of God exceeding sharpely reproouing them and denouncing the iudgementes of God against them Fourthly the people repining there at and thinking them selues hardely dealte withall desiring to bee more tenderly handeled as to heare pleasaunt thinges and to haue them prophesie of wine and strong drinke Lastly certaine Preachers sit for the turne healing vp and smoothing vp all with sweete woordes and telling them all is well all is well Hee which doeth but lightly reade ouer the Prophetes and cannot finde all these thinges is but a simple man In like manner he whiche doeth dwell among vs at this day and perceiueth no such matters is but a straunger Ath. Naye you that are precise Puritans doe finde faulte where there is none you condemne men for euery trifle Whereas ye are but men and haue your infirmities as well as other yet yee woulde make your selues as holye as Angels Zelot I abhorre the errour of the Catheristes or Puritans I confesse that I am loden with corruptions if that be your meaning to charge mee with that opinion which is wicked and diuelishe But if yee take the name Puritane for one which hath more care to obey God then the common sort and therefore laboureth to keepe himselfe pure and vnspotted of the worlde as Saint Iames speaketh then looke to it that yee be not founde among those which reuile not men but God If ye meane by precise men those which are so scrupulous as to make sinne where there is none as your wordes doe playnely shewe then doe I vtterly renounce that name for to be called precise and I disalowe such fond persons whosoeuer they bee But I knowe you meane those which walke precisely as Saint Paule willeth and doe take heede to their waies not condemning men but admonishing them not in trifles but in waightie matters although you count them trifles The commaundementes of God at the least some of them are but trifles with you You see not nor consider how greate the Lorde God is and therefore ye dare affirme diuers sinnes done against him to be but trifling and small ye measure not sinne with a
will a little trie because ye bragge so stoutly howe well yee beleeue Ye beleeue Christ was crucified and suffred vpon the Crosse but are yee able for to prooue that yee beleeue in Christ crucified Ath. I say I doe are you able for to disprooue me Zelot Sinne is not slaine in ye therfore ye do not Ath. Howe prooue yée that sinne is not slaine in mee Zelot Because it doth raigne in ye therfore it is aliue Ath. I knowe not what yee meane by that Zelot Yee are ledde by sinne ye delight in it ye haue not mortified the lusts and concupiscences of the same And therefore yee haue not learned Christ as S. Paule speaketh Ephesians 4. Ye haue not put of the old man and put on the new man The death and passion of Christ hath not slaine sinne in yee for to beleeue in Christ crucified is for to be crucified with him as the Apostles doe teach in sundry places The reason is this Christe was not crucified for to slay sinne in him self for he had none but in his members which are ioyned and knit vnto him by faith in them the force power of his death doth shew it selfe nowe he which hath not this worke of the death of Christ in him that hee feeleth himselfe crucified concerning the body of sinne his faith in the passion of Christ is but a dead faith and cannot saue him This is the cause why S. Paule faith Rom. 8. That those which are in Christ walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite S. Iohn saith 1. Epistle cha 3. Ye know that he was made manifest to take away our sinnes in him was no sinne Whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not he that sinneth hath not seene him nor knowne him Ath. Then by that reason yee woulde prooue that all that beleeue in Christ are perfect without sinne I thinke all are sinners Zelot Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not 1. Iohn 3. 9. Ath. Is there any man which can saye that hee is without sinne Zelot Not one which liueth in this flesh Ath. Then yee are contrarie vnto your selfe for euen nowe yee sayde That whosoeuer abideth in Christ sinneth not and hée which is borne of God sinneth not and now ye confesse that all are sinners so long as they liue Zelot I am not contrarie vnto my selfe but your blindnesse causeth ye for to thinke so Looke in the Epistle to the Romaines Chapter 7. and there ye shall find how S. Paule coupleth both these things together in himselfe which you iudge to bee so coutrary that by no meanes they may be founde in one man together at one time He confesseth that there was a lawe in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and leading him captiue to the law of sinne And yet a litle before in the same Chapter hee saieth That he did not commit the euill but sinne which dwelt in him The reason which he maketh is that hee did consent vnto the law and would haue doone the good but he did the euill which he hated To make the matter plaine thus it is Saint Paule was regenerate but yet not in full perfection for the remnaunt of sinne did abide in him that which the part regenerate did or coueted to doe or consented vnto that he saith he did and that which the corruption which did still remaine in him forced him for to doe that he saith he did not but sinne which dwelled in him Hee doth esteeme himselfe in the part regenerate he counteth the remnaunts of the old man to be but as excrements or as a dead carion which did abide in him and anoy him His delight and desire was vppon the good he hated the euill and therefore when he did sinne because it was against his consent and against his will it was no obedience which hee gaue vnto it he did not therefore serue sinne neyther did sin raygne ouer him but exercise a certayne â—iranny ouer him which he coulde not speake of Ath. I know not what yée meane when yée haue saide what yée can all must bee sinners Zelot Yee may very easily perswade me to beleeue that ye know not what I meane If your fiue wits were fifteene they woulde helpe nothing in this case Because ye know not what this meaneth yee know not what faith in Christ crucifyed meaneth ye know not what repentaunce meaneth yee can see no difference of sinners all are sinners say you and the death of Christ is that whiche saueth not considering that the death of Christ first killeth those whom it maketh aliue For this cause men are greatlye ouershot oftentimes when they come vnto a sicke man they thinke if he say I beleeue Christe died for my sinnes and shed his blood for me that then all is aswell as may be If it were faith in deed in the blood of Christ they must needes be in good case for al that beleeue in him shalbe saued But they stay vpon a bare fantasie which is a dead weak faith not making them to feele the power of the death of Christe Ignoraunce is so deepely setled in mens mindes that let a man be neuer so wicked neuer so far from true knowledge of God if he can make but some general coÌ„fession they neuer looke further And because they see almost all howesoeuer they liue find this it maketh them also to be carelesse and neuer for to thinke of the newe birth of which Christe speaketh when he sayeth vnto Nicodemus except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God This newe byrth is shut out at the doores therefore no doubt God doth shutte them out of his kingdome which make no account of it Ath. Make your selfe neuer so skilfull yet yée cannot tell which man God saueth and which he condemneth Zelot It is not the will of God that wee should take vpon vs for to pronounce vppon any man and to say he is damned because we must leaue the secrete counsell of God vnto himselfe who is not bounde vnto vs to giue any account of his doings But I pray yee let vs a litle consider howe this headlesse bolte of yours is shotte foorth against true godlynesse Thus you reason no man can tell who are saued and who are damned therefore we are not for to care for tryall of our faith and repentance and that therfore the rules which are giuen in the word of God in these points are nothing worth Euery man may searche and know in him selfe whether he be in good case or not and we ought euery one for to trie our selues by that whiche the woord teacheth so plentifully I woulde wishe yee to consider what the cause is why the greatest multitude goe to destruction euen because they knowe not these thinges therefore see not the great danger which they be in but can boldly beare themselues in haÌ„d that they shall doe well enough Manye doe laugh euen in the middest of destruction I meane