and that we be sinners and therefore in his iustice though he would he cannot pardon vs our faith findeth out a meane whereby the iustice of God is satisfied to the full also his mercy purchased for vs which is Iesus Christ both God and man to ouercome as he is God all the enimies of our saluation Sathan sinne and death and to suffer as he is man all y ◠paines and tormentes that we had deserued both in body and soule and so presenteth vs in his owne righteousnesse and merits blamelesse before the face of God and maketh vs heyres of his eternall glory This being set downe in fewe wordes is the substance of the gospell he telleth vs by his owne mouthe that no man commeth to the father but by him and S. Paule saieth that in him are all the promises of God yea and amen because he is the waye whereby al the mercyes of God are conueyed vnto vs the father being we pleased in him The vse of which doctrine being rightly applied is very comfortable for first it bringeth vnto vs a comfort that the seuere wrath of God is appeased against vs. Secondly it teacheth that in all our néedes and necessities in all our praiers and thankesgiuing and in the whole course of our conuersation we are to begge the Lords assistance in through his sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ in whome he is pleased and without whose mediation our praiers are abhominable our praises stinck in the nostrells of the father and we our selues are the abiecte and refuse of the world Grounded vpon the promises of God c. This is set downe to shewe whereupon faith taketh hold to wit the promises of God for when we heare out of the word of God what mercy God promiseth vnto them that beléeue in him it is the office of a true faith to apply the same particularly vnto our selues whereby we sée that same yet further veryfied that was spoken before that faith respecteth not our selues nor nothing that is in vs but the promises which God offereth vnto vs in his blessed word and therefore our faith is not to respecte the decrées of mā nor to leane vpon any thing sauing y e word of God only which is the thing whereby faith is wrought strengthened and established in our heartes Sealed in our heartes by the holy Ghost The promises of God are generall offered indifferently to al men both good and bad without exception in the ministery of the word and yet effectuall only to a fewe and therefore here may arise a question how I may assure myne owne soule and cōscience that they be particularly applied vnto me Which is answered thus by doctrine though euery man féeleth best by his owne experience when the word is preached to many we sée that it is effectuall onelie to fewe because in the most it knocketh only in their outward eares moueth them nothing at al but to those few vnto whom it is effectuall God openeth their hearts that they attend vnto the word and as by the same he speaketh through the ministery of man vnto the outward eares so inwardly he preacheth vnto the soule by his holy spirit whereby those words are ingraffed into their hearts they vnfainedly perswaded of them in their soules which spirit doth kéep cōtinual residence in their hearts afterward assuring them of his mercy This S. Paul setteth down saying we haue not receiued y e spirit of bōdage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father y e same spirit witnesseth w e ours that we are the children of God and in an other place it is God which stablisheth vs with you in Christ and hath anointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of his spirite into our heartes hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit This being euident by the word that whomsoeuer God calleth he sealeth with his holy spirit it resteth y ◠euery one of vs examine himselfe how he féeleth himselfe affected in this point whether we can féele this spirite comfort vs at all times and seasons or no. The which triall that it may be the better I will set downe thrée effects of this spirit in them that haue it whereby thou mayest examine thy selfe The first is this whereas we by nature cannot away with or care not for the worde of God because it is to our reason méere folishnes the holy ghost worketh in vs alone of the same to take delight and comfort in hearing and reading of it therefor they are said to be of God y ◠heare his word Which sentence Saint Iohn applieth to the hearing of of the ministers of God preaching the the same worde The second is the fruit that floweth out of this which is comfort by the word and increase of faith with féeling of the working of the same in our hearts for many heare the word and that with some ioy who yet haue little comfort by it for that they cannot applie it to themselues for their particular vse and profit Therefore this is the effect of the holy ghost to be vnfainedly perswaded that all the mercies of God in Iesus Christ promised in his word are as effectuall to me as if they were set downe only to me by name The 3. is a loathing of sinne and a thirsting after godlines whereby we indeuour to leaue sinne and to liue in all obedience of conuersation This Saint Paule setteth downe in expresse wordes saying if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his and if Christ be in you the body is deade because of sin but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake so then these thrée Loue to the word Perswasion of Gods mercyes and Reformation of life are in all them that haue the holy ghost Thus we sée briefely the particular pointes of of faith set downe out of the word of God Let vs pray The third Sermon of amendment of Life NOw remaineth to speak of the fruites and effectes of the same faith which are wrought by it in the heartes of all them that haue it which be of two sorts inward in the soule and outward in the conuersation inwarde be 1 Remission of sinnes 2. The loue of the Father 3 Promise to be hearde in our praiers All which procéede one out of another Outwarde is godlines in life and conuersation For the first which is remission of sinnes to be the fruite of faith is proued by many places of scripture our Sauiour Iesus Christ hauing a man sicke of the palsey broughte vnto him seing their faith said be of good comforte thy sinnes are forgiuen thée Where we haue to cōsider that not their faith but his owne applied remission of sinnes vnto him S. Paule in a long discourse in that heauenly Epistle written to the Romans concludeth with
and then proued it to be the worke of Iesus Christ whome though they had crucified yet God the father had raysed and had exalted him to bée Lorde and King ouer all thinges both in heauen and earthe The which beyng proued vnto them that he was the very Messia◠whom they had so wickedly crucified they perceiued themselues to bée in daunger of the heauie vengeance of God for it and their feare it wronge in them as is sette downe in the former of these verses In which togither with the latter for our better remembrance wée haue to note these thrée thinges First the effecte that Peters Sermon wrought in the heartes of these Iewes Secondly their care to bée resolued what to doo and lastly Peters counsell vnto them When they heard it that is who he was whom they had so abused and what danger they were in for it it wounded them euen at the very heart and strooke them in a marueilous feare of Gods suddaine vengeance to be powred downe vpon them for their so hainous a facte so horrible murther as to kill the Lord of life from whome all they that euer shall be saued doe receyue their life and saluation Which declareth vnto vs their wonderfull blockishnes and palpable blindnes y ◠they reading the prophesies concerning the Sauiour to come euery Saboth day daily looking for him yet when he commeth do thus behaue themselues towardes him The cause wherereof was for that they dreamed of a worldly King full of pomp glory and Christ being so base and poore they were offended at him much like y e carnall christians of our time who are ashamed of y e basenes of the gospel simplicitie of religion and therefore thinke that it is too meane a thing for mē of great estat honor but we sée y e cōtrarye in Gods word that there is no ioy w tout Christ but sorrow no honor but ignominie no blessednesse but curssednesse howsoeuer it séemeth otherwise to carnall people that iudge fleshly and according to naturall reason and therefore we reade that the greatest dishonour that euer came to the Kings of Iuda and Ierusalem was their negligence in religion and their greatest praise is their care to establish it in sinceritie and therefore how base poore contemptible so euer Christ séeme to flesh blood there is no glory riches nor honor that profiteth excepte it be gouerned by him and directed to his glory We learne further by these Iewes that there is no way in the worlde that can serue to conuert man vnto God vntill the appointed time doo come For they heard Christ often and yet his word was to them as water powred vpon a stone vntill this houre wherein God had determined their conuersion Which doctrine ministreth a double vse vnto vs first to y ◠magistrate that he compell all yea euen the obstinate to the outward exercises of religion for by y ◠meanes it may please God to worke their conuersion Secondly for euery priuate person that is already called yea and the minister of the worde especially to beare with pacience the vnregenerate and not to determine or iudge rashly of their reprobation But still to hope for the time of their conuersion Moreouer in that it is said here that they were pricked in their heartes when they hearde it we learne how néedfull it is for vs to haue the worde of God continually sounding in our eares whereby wée may be rouzed out of the sléepe of sinne For wée are naturally prone to euill and slouthfull in the seruice of Gods worde very dull to goodnesse néeding the goade of Gods threatninges to pricke vs in the sides and to make vs procéede in the feare of the Lorde else wée fréese in our sinnes and if any good motions come in our mindes nowe and then they are choaked and so wée waxe worse worse The consideration hereof made Dauid a Kinge to meditate in the word of God day and nighte and made it his counseller a good example for all greate estates to looke vnto and follow Pricked in their heartes Howe commeth this to passe that Peter speaking onely to the outwarde eares they are sayed to be pricked in their heartes euen by the wonderfull power and Maiestie that God hath printed in his woorde that it shoulde sounde the bottomelesse deapthe of mans moste secrete thoughtes and enter betwéene the soule and the spirite And this effecte it hath in all though it haue a contrarie fruit for the wicked take occasion hereby to be more seuere against the Children of GOD. As we may sée in Pharaoh Achab Ieroboam and the Pharises But the children of God vse meanes assoone as they be touched to amende their liues as did Dauid and Iosias and these Iewes Whereby wée may take good occasion to examine our selues whether wée be the Children of God or no for if the contempt or neglecte of amendemente of our liues argueth as yet no grace to be in vs then the care to amende and the indeuour therevnto indéede is a speciall motion of the spirite which we muste be carefull to cherrish leaste it be quenched and so our estate waxe miserable And said vnto Peter This is the seconde generall parte conteining their care to séeke the righte way to be deliuered from the gulfe of perdition that hanged ouer their heades which is a Note of a true Childe of God for it is the nature of euery man to say when his sinne is reproued that the Preacher sayeth true and that wée shoulde amende but they neuer sette one foote forwarde to putte it in practise onely the Godlie haue that care that when any thing is founde by the word of God to be amisse in them they canne neuer be at quiet vntill they finde oute meanes wherey it may be redressed Lette vs obserue further in them a wonderfull change They had mocked Christ and his doctrine and neuer were at reste till they had killed him they not long before this time did estéeme the Apostles no better then Dronckardes and yet the Lorde in this shorte time so altereth their mindes that they come to them louinglie terming them Men and Brethren which will bée so farre from a wicked man vntouched with Gods spirite that he will rather with Iudas and Achitophel hange himselfe then séeme forsoothe to bée so muche beholdinge to the godly whome hée taketh to be his enimies But if once Gods word take déepe and sound roote in any man it will alter and chaunge him quite from his former wicked mind Whereof wée haue notable examples in the Scriptures Saule wente to Naioth entending to persecute Dauid but God chaunged his minde that he prophesied Paule wente toward Damascus with intente to make hauecke of the Sainctes of God But when he came there hée preached Christe vnto them The Souldiours wente out from the Pharises to take Christe but the Maiestie of his woorde strooke them
is saide if ye had but fayth as a graine of mustard séede should say vnto this mulbery trée pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plante thy selfe in the sea it should euen obey you This kinde of fayth was very rife in the primitiue church when the gospell was to be planted in the whole worlde for God gaue vnto the Apostles power to confirme their doctrine with signes and wonders But afterwarde it ceased only the ordinary confirmation by the preaching of the word remayneth now amōg vs. This fayth hath bene and may be in a man that is a reprobate and cast away for some shall say in the latter day Lord haue not we cast out deuils in thy name to whome it shallbe answered I know ye not departe from me ye workers of iniquitie The strength of Antechrist was foreshewed to be with signes and greate wonders And it is also sayde by our Sauiour himselfe speaking of the last dangerous times that there shall arise false Christes and false Prophets that shall shew great signes and wonders so y ◠if it were possible they should deceiue euen the very elect which we haue séene and dayly doe sée by experience especially in the confirmation of Antechristes kingdome Thirdly faith is taken in the scriptures for that fayth whereby we apprehende the mercy of God to saluation commonly called Iustifiing fayth which so beleueth the word of God to be true that it applieth the whole as profitable to himselfe the threatenings to feare him from sinne and the promises of God in Iesus Christ vnto his owne comfort and consolation and then both to drawe him on to godlynesse in these thrée senses is fayth most commonly vsed in the worde of God The last is that which appertayneth to our purpose whereof we are to speake yet more at large It may be thus desyned Fayth is a certaine knowledge and sure perswasion of the frée fauour of God in Iesus Christ grounded vpon the promises of God in his holy worde and sealed in our hearts by the holy Ghoste This definition containing in it y e whole substance and summe of our fayth is to be enlarged further to the ende that euery parte and parcel thereof may the more plainely be knowen Certaine knowledge This is the beginning and as it were the cause of fayth for as the appostle sayeth he that commeth to God must beléeue that there is a God so he that beleueth must first know what to beleue and learne the doctrine of saluation out of the worde and therfore our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer that he made a little before his passion hath these wordes This is life eternall that they know thée to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The which place though it containe in it fayth also yet it is forcible to prooue that knowledge must goe before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleue that it certainely knoweth and therfore where there is no knowledge there can be no faythe Then let all men iudge what doctrine that was which taught ignorance to be the mother of deuotion and forbid the people the knowledge of the worde of God it was euen to blindfolde our eyes that we might fall into the pitte of perdition before we beware it was to hide the keyes of the kingdome of heauen so that they neyther entered them selues neyther suffered others to enter But blessed be God who of his great and infinite mercy hath eased vs of that burthen and granted vnto vs his holy word The which albeit many amonge vs do little estéeme because their consciences are seared with a hote yron that they cannot sée the necessity of it And therefore doe loath the hearing of the same preached yet we know that fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And albeit it was to the Iewes a stumbling blocke and the Grecians foolishnesse and is now to the supersticious Papist Heresie and to the conceited wise man of the worlde néedelesse or too base for him to meddle withall yet it then was and now is and euer shall be to them that beleue the power of God to saluation and that by preaching the which must make vs if we haue any loue to our owne soules health or desire of fayth to meditate in the worde of God day and night and to loue and like it aboue any profite or pleasure this knowledge must be certain for knowledge being the ground work of fayth if it be vnstable the building cannot stande sure which certeinty standeth in these two poyntes first to be perswaded of the vndoubted truth of Gods word and secondly of the absolute sufficiencie thereof not to néede any traditions of men to make it perfect for so much as it is euery waie perfect it self These two things are duely to be considered and so much the rather for that Sathan fighteth to shake them both laying the truth of the word vpon the approbation and allowance of men and foysting dreames and fancies of idle brayned persons into it to consūmate the perfection of the same Sure perswasion This is the substance and nature of fayth which doeth arise by the working of Gods spirite with the worde out of the knowledge of the same that hereby we are not only perswaded of the truth of his worde but also beleue vndoubtedly without wauering to be partakers of the mercies of God in Iesus Christ. The names that the holy Ghost ascribeth vnto this fayth in the doctrine of the apostles be notable to proue the same not to be wauering but sure and certaine it is called a ground or foundation a stedfaste fayth and assurance of fayth without wauering a full assurance an anchor of our soule both sure and stedfast which comparison is notable for as the anchor though the shippe be tossed moued with the waues and tempests yet it is still safe and holdeth fast euen so faith what troubles or trials so euer befal vnto the godly in this world doth neuer let go his hold that it hath in Iesus Christ but cleaueth vnto him and dependeth vpon his mercy in all extremities and so the Children of God féeling the comfort of Gods grace and hauing a sure hope of the performance of Gods promises vnto them are certaine and sure to be saued The which doctrine Satan hath euer laboured and doth greatlie at this day labour to darken and extinguish affirming it pride and presumption to dare be so bold as to be assured of saluation Which thing is true if the certainty therof stoode any way in man himselfe who is naturally filled with al sinne and incredulity but while they take their markes amisse they greatly dishonour God For marke this well God promiseth in his worde eternall life to all that beleue thou sayest thou beleuest and I say so too thou art not sure to be saued and I say that I
meaning to set before them as in a glasse their estate by nature and wherevnto he had brought them sayeth thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite I found thée in the wast and roaring wildernesse and led thée about and taughte thée and kept thée as the apple of myne eye As the Eagle stirreth vp hir neast flootereth ouer hir birds stretcheth out hir winges taketh them and beareth them on hir winges so I alone led thee saieth the Lord All which being sette downe in earthly tearmes vnto them as was his manner for their instruction are more plainely exhibited vnto vs which are in effect thus much Wée are conceiued and borne in sinne by nature the children of wrath the bondslaues of Sathan and hejres of Hell which state of ours the mercifull father of heauen pittiyng rather then we should perish hath sent his deare and only son Iesus to take on him our nature to suffer y e paine that we haue deserued and thereby not only hath fréed vs from condemnation but purchased for vs eternall saluation in the kingdome of heauen whereby in the meane whyle all that we doe which of it selfe is stincking in the nostrills of the Lord is accepted being in any measure good and his creatures which before were accursed vnto vs and for vs are blessed sanctified to our comforte The which so oft as we consider it must make vs very carefull to shew our selues thanckefull vnto our good and mercifull God and carefullye to glorifie him with that obedience that he hath prescribed vnto vs in his holy blessed worde Unto which the holy ghost doth often times take occasion to exhort vs I beséech you bretheren by the mercyes of God that you giue vp your bodies a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God and fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be you changed in your shape by the renewing of your minds And in an other place I pray you that ye walke worthy of that vocation where vnto ye are called for ye were darkenes but nowe ye are light in the Lord walke as it becommeth the children of lighte being a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a veculiar people that ye should shewe forth the vertue of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueylous light considering that for this ende we are deliuered from the hands of our enimies that we might serue him without feare all the dayes of our life in holinesse and righteousnes before him contrariwise if we haue not this care and doe not thus indeuour to serue him what doe we surely no better then did the Phariseis that persecuted Christ and Iudas that betraied him and the souldiours that nailed him on the crosse for we crucifie him againe and make a mocke of him The which thing I would to God y ◠all they would consider that haue no care but how to excell in sinne no study but how so defraud no delight but how to become the most singular and notorious sinners as extortioners vsurers ruffians blasphemers and such like whose whole ioy is in this that their most mischeuous practises may take place for the satisfiing of their owne most diuelish desires without either respect of God or the Deuil yea and all they likewise that séeme to be of a better stampe seruing the Lord with the fancies of their owne braine and caruing oute for him so much as they thinke good without any regard or eye vnto his will and commādement whose gold will proue copper and their siluer wil be tryed to be drosse when they shalbe fined in the fornace of Gods iudgementes Thirdly the consideration of our calling is also in y ◠word of God set downe as a reason to induce vs to godlinesse And what is it Truly if we be of the number of Gods children we are citizens with the Saincts and of the houshold of God and we knowe y e whosoeuer will not obey y ◠will of a gouernour of a house in this world he turneth him out at y e dores as an vnfit persō to abide in y e societie of seruāts dare we professe to be the houshold seruantes of God disobey him not scaring that he wil cast vs out of his family We are not called to vncleannesse but to holines so if our life be vnpure we deny our calling shut our selues from among Gods children we are said to be temples for God to dwel in wil God dwel with sinfullnesse can he abide to be in an vncleane and vnholy habitation no God is light and in him is no darknesse God is pure and cannot match with the polluted heart And therefore let vs assure our selues y ◠without reformation of life we haue not y ◠spirit of Christ. Whosoeuer hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his but is a reprobate and cast away ready to be throwne into the fire of condemnatiō Fourthly our baptisme must moue vs to godlinesse for by it we brag our selues to be Christians but all that are baptised with the outward baptisme haue not put on Christ but they onely y e are baptised with him into his death that as he died rose againe vnto righteousnes so should we dye vnto sinne rise againe vnto newnesse of life For if we he graffed with him into the similitude of his death euen so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne may be destroyed that hence forth we should not serue sinne Read the whole sixte to the Romans and consider of it and if you finde not the same worke in you at the least in some measure that is there set downe assure your selues you haue not yet learned Christ aright neither do expresse the fruite of your baptisme in your conuersation but rather haue gotten an outward shewe of godlinesse and deny the power thereof from which all true Christians are commanded to turn away Lastly the Lord who in iustice might compell vs and giue vs nothing hath set downe vnto them that liue godly a reward that whatsoeuer we doe in his name that is in a true faithe with care to obey him and set forth his praise though it be worth nothing in it selfe to deserue any thing yet wée shall haue our reward which is increase and augmentation of our ioyes in the kingdome of heauen and therefore the Lord saith by the mouth of the Prophet that they which be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament but they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres A doctrine very néedfull to be vrged because of the lazines of Christians in practise of their profession And as this is true in the godly that the greater obedience they shewe the greater shall be their glory So on the other side in the
wicked the more heynous their sinnes be the more intollerable shal their tormēts be which is to be laid very often before their eyes for it is the common speach of godlesse persons if I be damned then what maketh it the matter what I doe I may giue ouer my selfe to fullfill my lust in all pointes But let them know this that as it was said to the pharyseis that they should receiue the greater damnation so shal it be vnto thée thy offences shall be punished according to the quantity thereof And therefore though thou art no otherwise perswaded but y ◠thou shalt come into condemation yet feare to haue it multiplied vnto thee for the least torment wil be more then thou shalt be able to beare Thus we sée that the holy ghost in the scripture exhorteth vs by weighing the commandement of God by considering the manifolde blessings of God offered to vs in Christ by the looking into the nature of our calling by calling to mind the ende of our baptisme and lastly by viewing the reward that God hath laid vp to bestowe vpon them that serue him to liue godlie in this present world nowe let vs lay them vnto our owne heartes and consciences and sée whether we haue not iust cause to bid battaile to Satā to striue against our owne lustes and corrupt affections and let vs be more carefull thē heretofore we haue béene Let vs not delight in any thing that may displease so louing and mercifull a father But let vs make an ende of our saluation with feare and trembling Thus much for the first part of the definition of Obedience that it is an earnest indeuour to obey the Lawes of God this is the thing we must indeuor to doe which we are allwayes to haue an eye vnto These lawes are set downe briefely in the first and second table The summe whereof standeth in these two pointes first that we séeke to set forth the glory of God according as he prescribeth in the first table a thing commonly knowen to all men but practised of very few for we think if we doe any thing that may séeme to tend neuer so little towards Gods glory that we haue done a glorious worke But marke this wel the Lord requireth not onely of thée to séeke his glory in thy selfe by worshipping him in spirit and truth by sanctifiing his holy name thy selfe to the obseruation of his Saboath but also to thy power to séeke it according to thy calling in others The magistrate to establish and defend true religion and maintaine it by holy discipline warranted by the word The minister to teach instruct and exhort the priuat man also in his calling to vse all lawfull meanes for the aduancement of the same The second table containeth the outward godlinesse that we must shewe forth in the world for the benefit one of another Which we sée very little practised for it is euident vnto the sight of all men to the great griefe of them that feare God how some be altogither set vpon treacherous rebellion conspiracies others on malitious murther enyuing hate others on fornication vncleanenesse with all allurementes to the same as pride banquetting surfetting and dronkennesse with all lewde and vnchast gestures that can be others bent to extort and wring out of mens handes their owne proper possessions and goods by forging by extremitie of lawe by deceyuing and by that foule canker vsury and what not I ceasse to speake of the particular pettie sinnes wherewith men doe so swarme and so customably liue in that they estéeme them to be no sinnes the least whereof deserueth eternall condemnation both in body and soule and yet all these be Christians and say they haue faith but I say of them and that by the warrant of Gods owne worde that if they had the least sparke of faith in the worlde these things would be reformed for it is vnpossible for a man to haue faith but therewithall is the spirit of God But where the spirit is there can be no delight in sinne no such carelesnesse to reformation as appeareth and therefore examine thy selfe and be not deceiued presume not of the mercy of God and stil abide in sinne for then be sure thou shalt find no place to repentance though thou séeke it with teares Then séeke the Lord while he may be found put not of from day to day for suddainely commeth the wrath of the Lord and in his anger he will consume thee Then let vs without prolonging amende And fulfill That is a strife must be in vs against all lets that may hinder vs to be in all pointes perfect and that in such a perfection as by the word of God is not to be found fault withall though it be true that we cannot attaine therevnto in this life yet we must not faint nor be weary but goe on still forget that which is behinde and looke at that which is before neuer casting our eyes aside vpon any baite of sinne in this world but euer goe on in striuing for this perfection all the dayes of our life In which course least we should be discouraged we are to knowe that we are neuer able to attaine to that perfection in this life because of our wretched and sinfull nature because of the clogges of sinne that doe so hang on vs and the remnantes of old Adam that sticke so in the fleshe that it can neuer be wholly cleare therof The which we finde to be in the Apostle S. Paule who had a lawe in his members striuing against the lawe of the spirit leading him captiue vnto the lawe of sinne Whereby it commeth to passe as our fauiour saith y ◠when we haue done al that euer we cā we are vnprofitable seruāts and therefore we are taught to say dayly forgiue vs our sinnes which doctrine sheweth forth diuers most necessary vses as first it sheweth the workes of supererogation imagined by y ◠papistes to be a méere doctrine of an idle braine flatte contrary to the trueth of God and blasphemous against Christes passion Secondly displayeth the diuelish error of that pestiferous secte the family of loue who hold that a man may liue without sinne and therefore accounteth it a note of imperfection to praye so that none may be of the number of their illuminated Elders vntill they be of that perfection and yet we read that the Apostles praied not only when they were weakelings as they fondly affirme but after Christes aseension and the descending of the holy Ghost And therefore for the censuring of their heresie and our owne perswasion let vs say with S. Iohn if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs for we make God a lyer But if we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteonsnes Thirdly it is an excéeding comfort to