GLadly in good sooth Friende Frederike, Hee be­ginneth at the dif [...]ficultnes of obay­ing gods healthful cōmaun­dements. haue I hearde your talke both yesterday and to day, and ther­by I haue learned many thinges which I knew not before, and this is one thing which hath cheefly mooued me, that you haue shewed that our Lorde com­maundeth not any thing which is vnpossible to be done. For, I was of beleefe before, that (as it is cō ­monly hearde and taughte) Gods commaundements are vnpossible to be obayed. Which perswasion, (to tell you the truth) hath made [Page] me slowe to obay, so as I neuer strayned my selfe to obay with my whole power.

The lyke hath befalne vn­to me also, and I could neuer yield my selfe truely and earnestly to o­baying, before I beleeued that it was possible to obay.The effe­ [...]tuall po­ [...]er and [...]orce of [...]eleefe. And truelye hereby I haue learned the force of Beleefe, which Beleefe maketh a man desirous & willing to obaye: And desire being afterward mat­ched with power giuen of GOD, bringeth to passe that a man doeth the things which he hath beleeued himselfe to be able to doe, and so he is saued by obaying, as hee was earste vndone by disobeying. And so being led by the spirite of Christ he fulfilleth the rightuousnesse of the lawe,The righ­ [...]uousnes of the law [...]nd why [...]t bea­ [...]eth that [...]ame▪ not walking after the flesh, but liuing after the spirite, whiche righteousnesse is therefore called the righteousnes of the law, [Page] not for that it maketh the beleeuer righteous, but because the law re­quireth it. For the whole perfor­maunce thereof is Christs, because it is brought to passe by his power and spirite, liuing and working in those that are his. The Law then commaundeth, and Christ fulfil­leth, and so the praise is due, not to the commander, but to the perfor­mer. Neuerthelesse it were to smal purpose to beleeue that it is possi­ble to obay God,Beleefe withoute obediēce is dead. vnlesse a man do also know the way how god may be obayed, without the which obe­dience fayth is dead, and without fayth no man canne be saued. But this I would haue you to bee per­swaded of, my Lewis, that the dis­courses both of vs and of al others are (to saye no worse of them) vn­profitable if they trayne vs not to obedience, and to the renewing of the man.

These things are true Fre­derike. Therefore that I may fare somewhat the better by your com­munication, I pray you shewe me by what meane I may attayne to obey God. For inasmuche as you haue shewed me by your talk, that it is possible to be done, I haue conceyued a desire of obeying.

A godly and chri­stian wish concer­ning o­bedience.O my Lewis, would God that I my selfe were rightly obe­dient, to the intent I might leade thee as it were by the hande, to o­bedience. As now it is vnpossible for me to leade you further, then I myselfe haue attayned vnto.

Yet notwithstāding, I be­leeue you haue proceeded further forward then I haue done, & ther­fore I beseech you shew me but as farre as you your selfe are gone.

Willingly will I do that Lewis: but I am afrayde the hardnesse and roughnesse of the [Page] way will scare you from it.

Feare not: I hope I am ready to all things, be they neuer so harde, so I may attayne to the ende that I desire.

I pray God to stablishe this willingnesse of yours, and to bring it throughout to the ende. And therefore to go in hande with the matter, you knowe howe the author of the Epistle to the He­brewes hath written, that with­out faith it is vnpossible to please God.

I know it well.

First of all then you must beleue in God,Beliefe in God is most ne­cessary to the obtei­ning of saluatiō. if you wil be saued.

Procede on then to other things my Frederike, for as con­cerning beliefe, I haue euer from my childhood beleeued in God, & truely I am of opinion, that there are very few (if there be any at al) which beleeue not in God.

In deede it is very easie to be sayd, and so are men commonly perswaded.Manye thinges are easie to be said which are harde to be done. But I feare mee it is sayd rather rashly and of custome, than vpon truth, for the time hath bene, that euen I also haue belee­ued the same, both of my selfe, and of others, but when it came to the triall, then I saw how farre off I was.

Thinke you then that I haue no fayth?

I am not of opinion that you haue no faith Lewis, but I thinke you haue so slender a faith, as it cannot rightly be sayde to be fayth, or saue you. And I praye you be not offended with mee, for in as much as you haue sayde that you are readie to al things, be they neuer so harde, it is meete afore all thinges that you shoulde suffer to haue it shewde, that you want the thing, which you weene you haue [Page] aboundantly,The first [...] waye to the kno [...]ledge of the truth and soothly the first enteraunce to the knowledge of truth, is to vnlearne the vntruth, or else there will be no roome for seede, where all is ouergrowne with weede. Come on therfore: let vs examine your beleefe. I praye you Lewis, when you were a child did you beleeue in your father.

What meane you by be­leeuing in my father?What it is to bee [...]leeue in the fath [...] is shewe [...] by the g [...]thering togethe [...] of certai [...] circum­staunce.

That you tooke him for your father, and depended wholy vpon him.

Yea that I did.

Then if you wanted any thing, as shoes, apparrell, or meat, you resorted to none but him, ney­ther doubted you anye whitte his good will towardes you.

Surely no more then of mine owne.

Againe, if any mishappe befell you, you had your eye vpon [Page] him onely.

Yea verily.

Also if he promised you a­ny thing, you doubted not of his performance.

No more thē if I had had the thing already in my hande.

Then tooke you no thou­ght for his behauiour towardes you, but onely of your owne to­wards him.

You say truely.

Moreouer, if he either cō ­manded you any thing, or did any thing himself wherof you beeing a child knew not y^e reason, or which seemed to you against reason: yet notwithstanding you did it,Howe [...]eedefull [...]bediēce [...]o the fa­ [...]her is, is [...]hewed [...]y ex­ [...]mples. and stoode not skanning doubtfully vpon his doings.

So is it. For vpon a time, when new grapes wer broght in, & he bad me treade vpon them w^t my feete, surely me thought it was [Page] a fonde thing to treade vpon so good & faire grapes, which I had leuer shuld haue bin saued to eate. But because he was my father, I thought he commaunded me not without cause, & therfore I obeied him. Also at another time, when he shredded his vines, and greffed trees, to my seeming was agaynst reason to cut of the boughs which nature had broght forth, & which were likely to haue brought forth fruit. But yet this thought ran al­wais in my mind, Unles this wer good, my father would not do it.

Now let vs come vnto god. You say you beleeue in god the fa­ther, and by that name you call vpon him, saying, Our father which art in heauen, and so forth. Surely it is meete therefore that you should depende vpon him no lesse then you depended vppon your father when you were [Page] a childe.

Yea.

Then if you want anye thing you flie vnto God alone, and you doubt not at all, but that hee will giue you all thinges bounti­fullye. What?Fleshlye feare, and what it vvorketh where it beareth [...]way. Doubte yee? Why answere you not my Levvis? Con­fesse the truth, and let not fleshlye feare restraine you, which is wont to withholde menne from being known of their vices, because they are afrayde, least [...]e to whom they be to be vttered, shoulde mislike of them as of sinful folke, or make the lesse account of them. But there is no such perrill towarde you at my hande, for I cannot finde in my harte to mislike of any mā for those thinges, which I both see and be­waile in my selfe not long agoe, and I doubte not but are in others also, vnlesse they be come alreadye to their wayes ende, which certesse [Page] we two (that is to say, you and I) haue not yet attaind vnto, neither will I make the lesse accounte of you for confessing the things with your mouth to your Friend, which I am sure you acknowledge al­readie in your heart.

O my Frederike I am a­shamed to be acknowne of it. Ue­rilye I am (yea euen verye sore) a­frayde leaste I should want bread and drinke and such other things, specially when I see I haue but a little money lefte, and no likelye meane at hande whereby to gette new money.

What if you haue youre purse full, or some meane in a rea­dinesse whereby to come by Mo­ney, then you take no thoughte at all, or at least wise your thoughte is the lesse.

It is so.

Ergo, you trust to youre [Page] money, or to your owne pollicie, more then to God.

How be­ [...]efe in God is [...]eglected [...]y tru­ [...]ing too [...]uche to [...]hese trā ­ [...]tory & [...]ightfull [...]hings.Truely it is euen so.

But whē you were a child, you trusted only to your father.

Yea.

Nowthen you see howe you beleue not in God, but in your mony & in your owne policie. Ue­rily I beleeue these things seeme boystous vnto you, in y^t you be not able to deny them, & yet are eyther doutful or ashamed to confesse thē so soone. But inforce your selfe Lewis. Many things ar to be sif­ted out which lye lurking in oure harts, and the very roote must be gone vnto, without y^e plucking vp wherof we cānot be saued. Let vs go on. What say you to aduersitie Lewis? Is your minde nothing troubled at it?

Yes very sore. I can very ill away with it, & besides that, I [Page] seeke all the corners of my wit for worldly help [...]s.

What do you concerning Gods promi­ses?That Gods pro [...]mises de­ceiue no [...] the belie [...]uers. He hath promised to giue all things needful for your life, if you first seeke his kingdome & righte­ousnes. Do you certenly beleeue y^• promise, so as you dout no more of his faithfulnes, thē you did of your fathers when you were a childe?

Alas, I am farre from it.

But if your neighbour Hen­ry Rottenfeeld, a riche man, and (in account of the world) a man of good credite, had promised you three hundred crownes, I am of opinion you were rid of that care for a good sort of yeres.

Yea that I were.

Now God hath promised, not three hundred crownes, but all things that you haue neede of, and yet you distrust him.

O how truely you say.

Lesse therefore do you be­leeue in God, I say not thā in your owne Father, but than in Henrye Rottenfielde.

I am cōpelled to confesse the truth.

[...]wo thin [...]es maye [...]t men [...]om per­ [...]orming [...]heir pro­ [...]ises.And yet men maye starte frō their promises, eyther through vntrustines or for want: whereof none of both can befall vnto God. You therefore by this distruste of yours, doe falsly accuse God, ey­ther of vntrustines, or of wante.

I doe so in deede.

Nowe if you doe thus di­strust of God in the sustenaunce of your body, whiche notwithstan­ding you haue neuer wanted to this houre, can you trust to him for the blessed and endles life whiche you neuer yet tasted of? For consi­der the matter after this sort with your selfe: If a King shoulde now send an Ambassadour vnto you to [Page] adopte you to his sonne, and you beleeued him, how woulde you be­haue your selfe?

Truely what substaunce soeuer I haue, I woulde make no reckoning at all of it, and being here as a Wayfarer in bodye, I shoulde haue my mynde running vpon y^e court: for a much like thing happened to mee when I was a stripling. For whereas I liued in very slender state, I was called into the housholde of a certayne Gentleman of great worship and wealth,Honors chaunge manners, as the cō ­mon pro­uerbe sayth. whervpon I felt my mind so altered, that I thought of none of the thinges whiche I hadde thoughte of before, neyther was I pincht with any further care. In­so much that when my father and my mother were aboute to haue sent me a little money, I sent them worde agayne that thenceforth I shoulde neede no money. What [Page] neede many words? I imagined aforehande in my minde, a kinde of fashion of the buyldings, and of the place, & of the persons among whom I was to dwell, and yet had I neuer seene them.

I beleeue you Lewis. For I myself also haue had experience of the like. But what if you had not beleeued that message?

Surely I had continued in mine olde state still.

And what if a man had seene you abyding in your former state, might he not well haue a­uowed that you beleeued not the message?

Yes, very well.

Howe boūtifull God is to thē that [...]oue him.Now let vs come to the matter. To them that loue God, God hath promised suche good things, as nother eye hath seene, nor eare heard, nor heart of man conceiued. Let vs confesse y^e truth [Page] herealso my Lewis. If we belee­ued this promise throughly, should not our mindes be rauished vp in­to heauen, so as no earthly care might touch vs, and muche lesse trouble vs?

Yes verily.

But nowe when we bee glad of gayne,Proofes or tokens of distrust in God. sory for losse, great­ly greeued and cast downe with reproch, hoyssed vp with honour, and ouerioyed with pleasure, all whiche things are earthly: is it not an apparant proofe that wee beleeue not Gods promises, but sticke stil to y^e earthly inheritance?

Yes that it is.

What if God should pro­mise vs some thing that mighte seeme vnpossible, as when he pro­mised olde Abraham a sonne by Sara beeing old and barren too? Or what if he should commaund vs a thing that might seeme vn­reasonable, [Page] as when he willed the sayd Abrahā to offer vp his sonne in Sacrifice, by which sonne he had promised him an ofspring without number

Surely I am afrayde we would not beleeue him.

Abrahās saith is of necessitie to salua­tion.And yet was Abraham y^e father of the faithfull, so as if we will be saued, we muste haue the fayth of Abraham. And thus muche concerning beleefe in the father.

This (as I take it) is that whi­che they call the historical faith.Now if we come to the sonne, I feare me we muche lesse beleeue in him. For I take not fayth (as a number thinke it) to be a beleuing that Christ hath done and suffered the things which are written of him: for as for that fayth or be­leefe, the very diuels haue it. But I speake of the true, liuely, and mightfull fayth, whiche is able euen to remoue mountaynes, [Page] whereof the Lord speaketh thus, The signes that shal follow those which beleeue,The signs that are peculiar to the beleuers. are these: In my name they shall caste out diuels, speake with new tungs, and driue away serpents: if they drinke any deadly thing, it shal not hurt thē. When they lay their hands vpon sicke folks, the sicke folks shall re­couer. Doo these tokens follow your faith Lewis?

No verily.

Then haue you not fayth.

Why? They deny y^t there is now any neede of myracles.

Nother do I now require any such, nother were they at that time wrought by all beleeuers. For Paule writeth, Do all worke myracles? Haue all the giftes of healing? Doo all speake with toungs? The thing that I re­quire, is the same that Peter re­quireth: Get you strength to your [Page] fayth, sayth he. For needes muste the fayth of any mā or of any time haue strēgth, if it be matched with loue. [...]he force [...]f world­ [...] fayth, [...]nd how [...]onder­ [...]ully it [...]noueth [...]en. Which thing that you maye the easier vnderstand, consider the force of worldly beliefe. A man beleeues that ritches are good, & that it is possible for him to atteine to them by marchaundise. Heere­vpon, leauing oftentimes a very fayre and deare beloued wife, and young children at home, he vnder­takes the vnmeasurable perils of robbers, of wayes, and of seas, and indureth intollerable payns, to fetche the ritches whereon he hath set his beleefe and loue, euen from Taprobane and the Iles of Canarie which are the vttermost partes of the world: and it is his beleefe that purchaseth him this stoutnesse. For vnlesse he beleeued it, he would not doe it. And there­fore it may be sayd that this man [Page] is inriched by beleefe.

What shal we say of Learning, Lewis? The childe beleueth that learning and humane artes are a very goodly thing, & to be sought with all his power. And therevp­pon applying him self to them day and night, he indureth pouertie, colde, and whatsoeuer else, in see­king them with all his might, to the intent he may attayne to the thing which he beleeueth to be good.

Also what do souldiers?He pro­cedeth i [...] shewing the stren [...]gth of the worl [...]ly belef [...] What kinde of calamitie is there which they vndertake not, to obteine ey­ther victory or rewarde? How of­ten watche they all y^e night long: How often are they pinched with hunger? Insomuche that some­times they eate Mice, Rattes, Horses, yea and euen their owne shoes, and afterward make their boast thereof. Whence haue they [Page] so great strength? Whence but of beleefe? For they beleeue the thing which they couet, to be good.

Agayne, what do Hunters? do they not spende oftentimes the whole winter nightes abrode, when the colde is so great that it riueth euen the flintes?

Yea and what do louers? what inconueniences do they not most gladly indure, to y^e intent to please the partie whom they be in loue withall? And still they deeme thē selues happy that they haue suffe­red those things for her sake.

[...]ow [...]ret force [...]orldly [...]eleefe [...]ath euen [...]mong [...]me [...]hole [...]ations.And this force of beleefe is seene, not onely in seuerall persons, but also euen in whole Nations. For whereof comes it that our Ita­lians doo so easily absteine from drunkennes, or that the Swissers are so resolute in battell, that they will rather be slayne, then flee? Euen of this, that they are per­swaded [Page] in themselues, that so they ought to doo. And surely if they perswaded themselues alike in all other vertues, they should excell alyke in all other vertues. Ma­ny other things of the same sorte may be gathered: so great is the power of the beleefe that worketh in them. Therfore let vs examine our fayth, that we may see whe­ther Christes spirite do dwell in vs or no.

Christ telleth vs that they bee blessed whiche doo hunger and thyrst after righteousnesse: and hee commaundeth vs to hoorde vp treasure in heauen. Come on. Doo you feele as great thyrst of righteousnesse; as euer you haue felte at any tyme of water?A trial o [...] Christia [...] faith most wo [...]thy to b [...] obserue Or as greate desire of Gods king­dome, as the couetous man feeleth desire of money? Do you watche day and night to please GOD? [Page] Haue you euer spent a whole yere or twayne in the studie of god­lynes?

Nothing lesse.

Well: what strēgth haue you in suffering of wrongs? If a man strike you on the right cheke, can you turne to him y^e left? Can you blesse him that curseth you? Can you wish well to him that re­uileth you? Can you pray for him that rayleth vpon you? Can you seeke his welfare which practiseth your death?

Soothly I am very farre of from these things.

Where o­bedience [...]s not, [...]here is not faith.Then do you not beleeue in Christ. For if you did you wold obey his commaundementes.

But I neuer referred be­leefe to this obedience.

What maner of thing then did you take fayth to be?

I tooke it to be a trust of [Page] Gods freebestowed mercy, offred vnto vs in Christ.

To what purpose then deeme you Christes commaunde­mentes to serue?

To put vs in mind of our infirmitie, in that we be not able to performe the things which we ought to doe, and so to make vs hang wholly vpon Christ, who hath performed them for vs, and imparteth them vnto vs.

Euen the Apostles them selues trusted to Gods freebesto­wed mercy, and yet they obeyed Christes commaundements.The mar [...] whereat mans sal [...]uation shooteth [...] No­ther do I set saluation in our own obedience, but in Gods free mer­cy. But this I say, that whosoe­uer beleeueth Gods free mercy a­right, obeyeth Christes commaun­dementes. And if a man do be­leeue but Gods free mercy onely, and not also all his commaunde­ments, [Page] threatnings,What things our fore­fathers attayned to by their faith. promises, and sayings whatsoeuer: I saye his fayth is maymed & vnauaylable. For the full and mightie fayth or belief, is that wherby the Saints haue subdued kingdomes, wroght righteousnes, obteined the promi­ses, & done such other things as a­ny man may wonder to thinke of them. For that mā doth not right­ly beleeue in God,The fond and ydle beleef of the Iews. which vpon a rashnesse doth but onely behight himselfe saluation by his free mer­cy, (after which maner the Iewes doo beleeue still yet at this day:) but he which doth so flatly yeelde credite and assent, not to some one peece of Gods sayings and dooings but to al of them: as you haue reported your selfe to haue beleeued your father when you were a child: or as we spake of the couetous and lecherous persons, which haue such a fayth or beleef, [Page] as is not dead and ydle, but effec­tuall and workful, counterfetting the spirite of Christ, and neuer re­sting til it haue obteined the thing that it desired.The workfulnes of Christian faith ap­pereth in charitie. Such a one is the true Christian fayth, which wor­keth through loue: and whosoe­uer hath not such a one, doth false­ly boast him selfe of fayth. There­fore whereas men do commonly chalenge fayth to themselues, and yet liue in all kind of wickednes: they lye, & haue not the true fayth, but a dead one, which is no more worthy of the name of fayth, then a dead man is worthy of the name of a man. That this is not fayth in deede, Christ himselfe sheweth sufficiently when he sayth, that at his comming he shall not finde fayth vppon the earth. And al­so when vnto these whiche saye, Lorde, Lorde, haue we not caste out diuels in thy name? Haue we [Page] not wroughte wonders in thy name? and haste thou not taught in our streetes? He shall say, I know you not, get you hence yee workers of wickednes. Ye see he will admit none for faythfull, but onely the weldoers and the obey­ers. For they be the only persons which haue the true fayth:Who they bee whiche haue the true chri­stiā faith. of whō it is written thus, These are they whiche haue mainteyned Gods commaundementes, and the faith of Iesus. Nowe if you haue not the fayth which maye make you righteous, (that is to say, chaste, lowly, gentle, liberall, and indued with such other of the vertues:) see how farre you be of from bee­ing able to worke the miracles which Christ hath tolde vs should be the signes of fayth.To what purpose bodily miracles are wrou­ght. I require not here bodily myracles, whiche were appoynted to the first tray­ning of the Church vnto fayth: [Page] But the thing that I require, is, that he which beleeueth in Chr [...]st should breede the same vertues in other men, which God hath bred in him: that is to wit, that of drun­kards, he should make them so­ber: of lecherous, chast: of yreful, meeld: and at a word, of vnrigh­teous, righteous. For, to caste out diuels,The di­uels that lurk with in vs: and what is ment by speaking with new tungs. is to cast out the vices of lecherie, couetousnes, wrathful­nes, and such other. Also to speake with new tongs, is to speake with fyrie and burning speach, such as no man can withstande: of which sorte theirs is, whiche speake the things, not which they haue hard, but which they haue seene with their eyes, heard with their eares, and felt with their hands: that is to saye, which they haue printed throughly in their harts, & which they do as verily beleeue, as you do verily beleeue that it is nowe [Page] day,The wor­kes of suche as speake with new tungs. or that anone it shal be night. With suche toungs they be able, truely and effectually to comforte the afflicted, to harten the weak-minded, to releeue them that are in despayre, to strengthen the fee­ble, to counsell the fearefull, and to performe suche other things: which I make farre greater ac­count of, then of the working of outward miracles, and of such as belong but only to the body. If a man haue not these things himself, ne can conuey them into others: I see not by what right he cā claime faith, vnlesse it be the fayth which the diuels haue, who do beleeue that there is a God, & do quake at him.Of the true and iustifying faith, and how mighty it is in working. But I speake of the true and iustifying fayth, which maketh a man partaker of y^e nature of God, and causeth all things to be possi­ble to him. I haue shewed afore, howe great force beleefe hath in [Page] matters of this worlde: and the same is to be seene euen in Religi­on, be it false or true. The Turkes beleeue that wine is not to bee drunke, and therfore they can for­beare wine. The Iewes beleeue that a man ought to absteine from the things which the Law forbid­deth: and therefore they absteine. There are to be found which doo pyne them selues to death with long ouerfasting: some whippe them selues, I say not greeuou­slye, but euen cruelly, till the bloud followe: other some for Religions sake doo take vppon them long pilgrimages,No man doubtes but that all these things ar spoken of the wic­ked be­leefe. wherein they indure beggerie and many other inconueniences and perils. What shall I saye of those whi­che haue gelded them selues? What shall I say of the Circum­cellions, who (as the report go­eth of them) to thintent to become [Page] Martyrs themselues and to make otherfolkes Martyrs with them, fordid themselues by sundry sorts of death, as drowning, burning, and leaping from high places, and perswaded other men to doe the like: all which things they dyd throughly beleeue. For vnlesse they had beleeued y^t those things were to be done, they would not haue done them.By an ar­gument from the lesser to the grea­ter, he sheweth the force of the true fayth. To bee shorte, whatsoeuer thing men beleeue is to be done, they can [indeuer to] do it. Now if their beleefe beeing false, and not onely not grounded vppon Gods commaundement, but also cleane contrary therevn­to, haue notwithstanding suche strength: I pray you what is not that fayth or beleefe able to doe, which is both commaunded and also procured and strengthned by him? shall Gods spirite haue lesse power in man, then the spirite of [Page] Satan? Shall lighte be of lesse force then darknesse? Ye see what force Paules fayth had: Unto this howre (sayth he) we be hun­gry and thyrstie, naked, and buffe­ted, we be tossed and turmoyled, we labour and worke with oure owne handes. Beeing rayled at, we wishe well: beeing vexed, we suffer it, beeing reuyled, we take comfort at it.Paules faith warranted by his owne record. If they be ministers of Christ, much more am I: In la­bour I exceede them, In taking strypes I go beyond them, In be­ing imprisoned I passe them, In death I haue often bin: Of the Iewes I haue fyue times re­ceyued fortye strypes saue one, Thrice haue I bin whipped, Once haue I bin stoned, Thrice haue I suffered shipwracke, Day & night haue I spent in the depe seas, Of­ten haue I iourneyed, Often haue I bin in daunger of Riuers, of [Page] Robbers, of mine owne Coun­treimen, of straung [...]rs, in the Citie, in the wildernes, on the sea, and among false br [...]thren: Often haue I bin tyred with trauel­ling and with watching: often haue I feinted for hunger and thyrst in fasting: often haue I bin a colde for want of clothes.What [...]hing held Paul occupied chiefly & [...]boue all other things. And besides all the other things which dayly distresse me, verily the care of all Churches lyeth vppon me. Who is weakned and I am not the wors at [...]ase for it? who is of­fended and I am not gr [...]eued at it? This is the almightie strength of fayth, Lewis, wherewith he being armed, was inabled to do al things by him which strengt [...]ned him. And if we haue y^e same strēg­th, then surely th [...]r [...] is cause for vs to thinke ou [...]s [...]lues to haue y^e same faith: if not then let vs not beare our selues in hande, y^t we haue the [Page] thing which we wāt, least it befall vnto vs at it doth to y^t man which dreameth y^t he hath found a trea­sure, and when he awaketh he hath not a halfepeny?

O my Frederike,The true faith hath scarce a­ny place in the world. my ima­gination that I abounded in faith is but a dreame: but now beeing wakened by your wordes, I see playnly that I am quite & cleane without it, as the rest of y^e world is. For as for this effectuall po­wer of fayth, I nother finde it in myselfe, nor perceyue it in the world.

That you bee faithlesse, Lewis, it is to be lamented: but that being so, you see yourself to be so, y^t is not only not to be lamēted, but also to be reioyced at, like as a sicknesse is it selfe to be misliked, but the knowledge of the sicknesse is to be well lyked.

By what meane then, or [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] by what medicine maye this my disease of vnbeleefe be cured?

By taking away the im­pedimentes of vnbeleefe.

Which are those?

You haue heard them of me already in my former talkes. Howbeit forasmuch as you haue scantly conceiued them as things that your eares haue not herd of: for our maner is not to be ouerha­stie in bearing words or things a­way which we haue not heard of afore,The impedimentes of fayth shewed by an ar­gument taken frō the court barre, or from a cace in Lawe. I will tell you them more playnly. Giue good heede. What thinke you to be the cause why no man in matters of iustice is ad­mitted too bee a witnesse in his owne cace?

Because all men do loue them selues, and therfore wil euer speake for themselues, or at least­wise neuer agaynst themselues.

You saye rightly. And if [Page] they be not willing to speake a­gainst themselues, nother are they willing to hear any thing against themselues. For the truth that is against them, misliketh them lesse out of another mans mouth, then out of their owne.

It doth so.

And if they be vnwilling to heare those things, truely they be not willing to beleeue them. For no man will willingly beleue y^e things which he is loth to heare of: but all men do easily beleeue the things which they lyke of. As for example.An exā ­ple by the vse of things in commō. If a man should say that y^e goods of Christians ought to be common among them, whe­ther sorte would eazlyest beleeue it, the riche or the poore?

The poore.

Why so?

Because that by y^t match they should not lose, but rather [Page] winne.

What woulde the riche folke do?

Hardly, or not at all ra­ther, would they beleue it, bicause they shuld therby become the poo­rer, which thing they mislike of.

Another example by the deliuering of mens souls▪ &c.What if a man should de­ny that mens soules are deliuered oute of Purgatory by Masses? whether would y^e Cleargie, or the Laytie soonest beleeue it?

Not the Cleargy, because that that opinion would be a di­minishing of their reuenewes.

What if it should be sayd that Usury were vnlawfull for Christians: were it possible to make those beleeue it, which lyue vppon Usury, and become riche by it?

The laste example by the persecution for religion sake.Scarsly.

What if one should teach that men ought not to be put to [Page] death [...]or religion: whether would they soonest beleeue it which are in credite with the Magistrates, & are diuines themselues, & yet are p [...]r [...]e [...]u [...]er [...] of other mē, or atleast­wise willing to persecute them, or the contrary sort?

Th [...] contrary sort. For I know some diuines, who as long as they wanted that authoritie▪ and were troubled for religions sake, taught that men ought not to be molested for religion. And yet the selfe same persons hauing gotten wealthe and authoritie, haue bo [...]h taughte and done the contra [...]ie.

You see then how fayth is hindered by s [...]lfloue,Selfelou [...] is the hi [...]derer of fayth. so as men do not easily beleeue the things that are contrary to their lyking.

I see it playnly.

Let vs cōsider then whe­ther the same cause be not an im­pediment [Page] to our beleefe in Christ. In the doctrine of Christ are hi­stories, promises, and commaun­dementes. As for the histories and promises, almost all men beleeue them, because that in them no du­tie on mans behalfe is required. Nother is there any controuersie among Christians,There is [...]o doubt [...]mong Christiās [...]ōcerning [...]he doo­ [...]ngs of [...]hrist. whither Christ haue done the things whiche are reported of him in the holy Scrip­tures, or whether he haue promi­sed the things that are conteined there. But what is the cause that so fewe beleeue his commaunde­mentes?

Do f [...]wer folke beleeue his commaundementes, then do beleeue his doings and promises?

Doubt you of that? First as touching Gods commaunde­ments, whereas our masters vni­uersally be wont to teache, that they be not set downe to the intent [Page] we should obey them, but to make vs acknowledge our infirmities▪ what else is it then a [...]iscrediting of Gods commaundementes? For seeing our Lord hath sayd, that all things are possible to him that be­leeueth: and Paule sayth he is a­ble to doo all things through him that strengthneth him:What is the cause that so fewe be­leue gods cōmaun­dements. surely that man which not onely obeyeth not Gods commaundementes, but al­so beleeueth that it is vnpossible to obey them, doth not beleue the commaundements aright. Wher­vpon it followeth, that looke how fewe folke obey the commaunde­mentes, so few do beleeue them.

But this saying whiche you allege, namely, that al things are possible to the beleuer, seemeth to be spoken of myracles, and not of obedience.

It is spoken generally of all the works of fayth which I [Page] spake of in alledging that place of the Epistle to the Hebrewes. Tho­rough fayth the Saints conque­red kingdomes, wrought righte­ousnes, &c. For surely, to worke righteousnes is a deede of fayth. Besides this,Not mi­racles but beleefe is neede [...]ull to salua­tion. if Gods wil be that men should through fayth be able to work miracles, which notwith­standing are not of the necessitie of their saluation: muche more is it his will that they should by the same fayth bee able to obey his commaundementes, seeing that without obedience a man can not be saued, and that to obey is not a harder matter then to worke myracles, and yet that to obey belongeth to all beleeuers, wher­as to worke myracles belongeth not to all, as I haue shewed a­fore.

In deede these things are true Frederike, but yet there re­mayneth [Page] one thing whiche I would [...]ayne haue opened vnto me. You sayd euen now that all men beleeue Christes hystories, but not his commaundementes likewise.The be­leuing Christes resurrec [...]tion, ma [...]keth all the rest o [...] his say­ings and doings credible▪ But if they beleeued the whole story of Christ, and special­ly his resurrection: in my opinion they should beleeue all the other things also. For no doubt but if they beleeued that Iesus Christ is risen from the dead, in so doing they should both beleeue that he is the very sonne of God in deede, and moreouer giue credite to all his sayings. In whiche respect Iohn sayde, These thinges are written to the intent yee mighte beleeue that Iesus is the annoyn­ted sonne of God, & that through beleeuing it ye should obteine lite by his nam [...].

Wheras I deny that they beleeue his commaundementes, [Page] I would not haue it so taken,What is [...]ent by [...]ot be­ [...]euing of Christes [...]ōmaun­ [...]ements, [...]nd who [...]hey bee [...]hat offēd [...]n that [...]ehalfe. as though they beleeued not that his commaunding of those thinges was well, and as became y^e sonne of God to do: but that forasmuch as they beleue not that the things which he commaunded to be done are eyther possible or needefull to be done, misconstering them after their owne fancie, and not accor­ding to his mind: I say they be­leeue them not aright. For your better vnderstanding wherof, I will giue you an example. When God hauing brought the children of Israel out of Egipt, commaun­ded them to enter into the land of Canaan, did they beleue that god commaunded it?

Yea verily. Or else they would neuer haue sent Spyes in­to the lande of Canaan.

Why then did they not obey him?

Because they were of opi­nion that the Chananites could not be ouercome,How the Israelites beleeued not God in that they be­leued no [...] his com­maunde­ment. and that God had brought them out of Egypt, not to conquer Canaan, but to pe­rish wretchedly in the wildernes.

Then did they not beleue Gods commandement according to Gods meaning, forasmuche as his meaning was that they should haue inuaded Canaan, & subdued the Chanaanites.

You say the trueth.

Then did they not beleue aright.

No, not aright.

Whether then are they to be called beleuers or vnbeleuers?

Truly by this reason they should be called vnbeleeuers.

And soothly so bee they (Lewis) in very deede. For in the very same place God calleth them vnbeleeuers in these words. How [Page] long will this people spite mee? How long will it be ere they will beleue me, for al y^e miracles which I haue wrought among them? Now, if these be iustly called vn­beleeuers, the same reason lea­deth vs to call the others vnbe­leeuers and distrusters of Chri­stes cōmaundementes, forasmuch as they do no lesse misconster the preceptes of Christ, than the Is­raelites did the commaundemen­tes of God. For Christ hath not wrought fewer miracles to vs, then Moses did to them. Nother doth Christ cōmaund vs lesse ear­nestly to subdue sinne, then God commaunded them to subdue the Cananites. Nother are we lesse spiteful & distristful towards him, if we deny that sinne may be sub­dued, when as he both commaun­deth vs & promiseth vs strength, then they were spitefull and di­strustfull [Page] towards God, in deny­ing it to be possible to ou [...]rcome the Cananites. Nother do we of­fende lesse agaynst the meaning of Christ, when we deny that it is eyther possible for vs, or ment by Christ, that we should do the things which he hath commaun­ded vs to doo, then the Israe­lites offended agaynst the mea­ning of God, when they wrested it another waye then hys open wordes imported. And there­fore in denying them to beleeue Christes commaundementes, I do them no wrong.How the place ta­ken out of Iohn is to be vnder­stood. As touching the place of Iohn by you alleged, it is too bee taken as if a man should haue sayde at that tyme to the Israelites, God hath wrought these miracles for your sakes in Egypt, to the intent you should beleeue and by beleuing enter in­to the r [...]stingplace of Chanaan. [Page] But the cause why all of thē came not there, was not Gods purpose, but their owne hardening of their hartes against him: which thing woulde God were not done in Christ also. But wee see it is so, Howbeit the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes warneth vs, not to do it, citing this saying out of a certain Psalm,Psal. 95.8 To day if ye heare his voyce, harden not your hartes as your forefathers did harden theirs. Therefore to returne agayne to the matter,Selfeloue dazeleth mens eies that they can not see to be­leeue the truth. Whereas these men are wont so diligently to picke out the things to beleeue, which be­long to the office of God, and to refuse the things that perteine to the duetie of man, I praye you what a dealing is it? Gods gra­cious goodnes hath yelded salua­tion to all men: O how gladly is this admitted. But as for that which followeth, namely, to teach [Page] vs to forsake vngodlynesse and worldly lusts, and to liue thriftily, righteously, and godlily in this world, that is a seede which fewe men receiue. Many beleeue that Christ hath so performed y^t poynt, as that we neede not to performe the same. Againe, that the man is blessed to whom the Lorde impu­teth no sinne, is easily beleeued of all men: but as for that which is annexed to it, namely, & in whose hart there is no guyle, that they beleeue to be vnpossible. Likewise it is commonly vaunted with full mouth, that they whiche are in Christ Iesus are not subiect to a­ny condemnation, for it is a very sweete saying: but as for this, VVhich walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite, it is bitter, and of very few beleeued. And (to make few words) men do easily beleue that they shall reape with ioy: but [Page] if you tel them that they must sow with teares, [...]hat is [...]he cause [...]hy false [...]rophets [...]oe easi­ [...] finde [...]redite. they put that sentēce ouer vnto Christ. Herevpon it commeth to passe, that the false prophets because they teach delec­table things, & blaze abrode Gods pleasaunt promises with open mouth do easily find credit: wher­as the true prophets, because they vrge men and make them afraide with threats, and teach the truth seuerely, do beare sway among very fewe, according as Esay cri­eth out, Lord who hath beleeued our preaching? Heereby it appea­reth playnly my Lewis, that self­loue is the let that men beleue not the trueth. And if selfeloue were done away, they would beleeue nothing so easily as the trueth, as who are borne vnto trueth, and do by and by fall in acquayn­taunce with it as a thing of their owne kinne, if there be no impedi­ment [Page] to let it. Therefore if you will rightlye beleeue the trueth, (that is to say, God,) you muste needes put away selfeloue, or ra­ther conceiue a hatred towards your selfe.

Truly Frederik,We must of neces­sitie ha [...]e our selues and not loue our selues. you win me to be of your minde in these things: but it is no smal matter for a man to hate himself. Nother do I see how I may attaine vnto it, or yet perceiue whether it be possi­ble for me to attaine thereto, I am so farre in loue with my selfe.

I know Lewis,Al things be they else neuer so impos­sible, are possible to the power of God. that it is a very hard thing, and passing the strength of man: but in this case we must beare in minde, how that whē Sara beleued not y^t she might breede child, our Lord said of her: Is there any thing which god can not do? The things y^t are vnpossi­ble to man, are possible to God, & wher god is our guide, nothing is [Page] to be despayred of.

How pernicious selfloue is, is she­wed by certayne familiar exāples.I beseech you then shewe me the way to attayne thervnto.

By Gods leaue I will do it: giue eare vnto me. If I had a Seruant in whom I very much delighted, fayrespoken and serui­sable, whiche should prepare me some meates that best liked mine appetite, & with the same meates should mingle poyson to bereeue me of my life, and you who loue me should haue knowledge there­of, what would you doo?

Surely, I would spedily and earnestly giue you warning, that you should not taste of those meates, nor loue that seruant, for that he lay in wayte for your life.

What if I should say that I am delighted with the seruisa­ble behauiour of that seruant, and with y^e sweetnes of his cooquerie?

I would counsel you that [Page] you should not make so great ac­count of your present pleasure, as to loose your life for it.

What if some friende of yours were in loue with a flatte­ring and a peinted harlot, whiche were diseased with the Frenche pockes, and you knew of it: what would you do?

I would make him priuie to her disease, and (to the vtter­most that I could) I would dis­swade him from her companie.

What if he sayde he were delighted with her?

I would tell him that Fi­shes also are delited with baytes:Men are caught with ple­sure as fishes are with an Angle & a bayt, to their vn­doing. but yet that it were folly to pur­chase so small pleasure with so great sorrowes, or rather with death.

What if he should say that he can not but like well of the pleasure?

I would counsell him, that if he could not yet restrayne the desire of his minde, he should at leastwise resist it, and not yeeld to obey it.

But what if he obeyed it for all that?

Then would I think him foolisher then the brute beasts, and worthy of any mischief. For fishes wolues, foxes, puttocks, and such other, be they neuer so hungry, wil neuerthelesse forbeare the bayte, if they spye or mistrust any snare, or any thing wherewith they may be caught.

You saye trueth Lewis. Thus then standeth y^e case.Euerye mannes own flesh is a Har­lot, of whom he warneth men to take ve [...]ry good heede. Euery mans own flesh is as a Harlot (as Iudas termeth it in his Epistle,) yea and a peinted harlot, which with her inticements & fayrefaw­nings, doth allure, delight, & egge the man to sinne, & hold him down [Page] in sinne, and at length throw him headlong into death of the soule. And man beeing ignorant of the poyson, imbraceth the pleasures & yeelds himself ouer to them. Now commeth in truth as a friend vnto him, & warneth him that y^e wages of sinne is death, declaring vnto him that his flesh whom he tooke to haue bin his friend, is his dead­ly enimie.Moste wholso [...] counsai [...] and wo [...]thy to b [...] followe [...] Therefore if thou desire to be saued, thou must beleue that thou hast not a more noysome eni­mie to thee then thy selfe, that is to say, thē thy flesh, or thy lustfulnes, & that as thou hast hitherto loued it, thou must hencefoorth hate it and resist it, because it is noysome and deadly. And although thou canst not ridde away her allure­ments out of hande, as in deede thou canst not, for they sticke fast to thee: the trueth wyll saye vnto thee, as it sayde in olde tyme [Page] vnto Moyses, Go thy waye into Egypt (for it lyeth in thee to doo that,) and I will bee with thy mouth, and I will inable thee to do that which thou canst not do. Euen so Lewis, the trueth sayth vnto thee as now: Do thou what thou a [...]t able, and God will ina­ble thee to do that whiche thou canst not do.A very fit example, and not [...]o be pas­ [...]ed light­ [...]y ouer. As for exāples sake. Thou sittest at a well furnished table, and hast eaten ynough al­ready to refresh thy powers and to staunch hunger. Now there is brought in some delicate dishe, made to prouoke gluttony with­all. By and by thy flesh is tempted with it, and putteth suche an ima­gination as this in thy head: This is a fine dish, if I eate of it I shall receiue pleasure by it. But the spi­rite striueth against the flesh, and warneth thee thus: beware Le­wis that thou yeelde not vnto vo­luptuousnes, [Page] for voluptuousnes is a poysoner.The incō parable harmes that co [...] of plea­sure. For first it calleth away thy minde from God, than the which there can be no greater mischiefe. For seeing that no man can serue two masters, thou canst not serue both voluptuousnes and god, because voluptuousnes ouer­whelmeth the minde, beareth it downe to the ground, and sepa­rateth it from God. Besides this, it also hurteth the body with sur­fetting, insomuche that although thou haddest no soule, yet oughtest thou to absteine from superfluitie, euen for thy bodies sake. I re­quire not now that you should not be tempted with the inticements of the flesh, but that you should not obey them. And whereas you alledge that you can not but obey them, you be easily disproued. For if a man would giue you a floren to absteine from the sayde dishe, [Page] would you not absteine? [Yes.] And will you not absteine by rea­son of the trueth? Do you not hereby bewray, that the truth bea­reth lesse sway with you then one floren? Or if some man shoulde threaten that he would giue you a blow on the eare if you refrayned not: surely you would refrayne. Beholde God threatneth a blowe vnto your soule, and yet you re­fraine not. The like I say of all other thinges.The pre­posterous prefer­ring of the feare of world­ly punish­ment be­fore the feare of Gods wrath & venge­aunce. You be minded to haue to doo with a whore▪ but bi­cause a boye is by, you doo it not. Beholde, God is present, and yet you be not ashamed to do it. Do you not nowe make lesse account of Gods presence then of the pre­sence of a boy? Or if you forbeare for feare of punishment at mans hande, and not as well for feare of Gods punishmente: doo you not preferre man before God? [Page] You are angrye with a man, and you woulde fayne cudgell hym, but you forbeare for feare of the Magistrate: Why forbeare you not as well for feare of God? I pray you, if you make as great reckoning of God, as you doo of men, why doth the feare of God beare lesse swaye with you then the feare of men? You slaunder your neighbour: God seeth the slaunder, and yet you doo it ne­uerthelesse. But if men sawe it, you woulde not doo it.The con­clusion gathered of the thinges going a­ [...]ore. Runne through all things after the same sorte Lewis, and you shall see that whosoeuer doth more for the loue or feare of men, then of God, doth beleeue in men, rather then in God.

O my Frederike, my con­science beareth mee witnesse, that the things which you say, be [Page] true and rightfull: but thereof springeth a greefe in my hart.

Why so? did you feele a­ny suche greefe when we treated of Predestination or of Freewill?

No, none at all.

I beleeue you Lewis. For knowledge bringeth no greef, but rather gladnes, as which leaueth the old man vnappayred.The kno­wing of many, yea or of all things is no let but that men may serue the Diuell. For al­though you could skil of al maner of mysteries, yet might you serue the diuell euer still. But nowe when we deale with y^e foresaking of our selues, the flesh perceyuing that she must go to wrake for it, playeth as Harlots are wont to do when young men giue them ouer. They vexe them with the desire of them, and try all meanes to holde them still. Euen so that Harlot the fleshe, which betwit­cheth all men with the cup of her vncleannesse, as soone as she per­ceiueth [Page] that a man mindeth to giue her the slippe, doth vexe him with the desire of her stil, and lea­ueth nothing vnattempted, that she maye holde him still. Hereof breedeth great greefe, according to the greatnes of y^e loue towards the fleshe, like as if you were to forsake your Countrie, looke how much you were in loue with your Countrie, so much would it greue you to forgo it.Sinne be [...]ing our natiue Countri [...] cannot be forsaken without greefe to vs. And surely sin is our Countrie, (for in sinne haue our mothers conceiued vs) which cannot be forsaken without greef. Here is y^t Crosse of Christ, wherof he him selfe sayth, If any man be minded to come after me, let him take vp his Crosse and follow me. And if any man come vnto me and hate not his father & mother, wife and children, brethren & sy­sters, yea and euen his owne lyfe, so as he be contented to beare his [Page] crosse and to folowe me, he cannot be my disciple. [...]e will [...]arne to [...]e oure [...]es, we [...]ust me­ [...]re it by [...]re ha­ [...]ng of o­ [...]er men. And to the intent you may vnderstande what the hating of a mans self is, and what crosse it bringeth with it, consider it throughly by the hating of ano­ther man. If you hated a man deadly, how would you be min­ded towards him? or what would you do to him?

I would wish him al euil euen from my heart, & likewise en­uie him any good, I would be sory for his welfare, & glad of his ad­uersitie. If a man broght me word of any mischance of his, I would reioyce at it, & both gētly intertein & liberally rewarde the messenger with some gifte. To be short, I would loue mine enimies foes & do them good, & I would hate his friends and do them harme if I could. All his sayings and doings would I prye at, and take aduan­tage [Page] of them, and by all meanes possible (yea diuers times euen to mine owne harme) would I hurt him. Finally, I would kill him if I coulde, and that not by anye cōmon maner, but with the gree­ [...]ousest death that could be: and I woulde doo what I could to wype the very remembraunce of him out of the world.

Now turne this your ha­tred Lewis, towards your selfe: for you are a deadly enimy to your self,Euery mā is a dead­ly enemy to him­selfe: and how such an enemy is to bee delt with. & ought to hate your self dead­ly, and not other men, who cannot kill you, that is to say, your soule. And therefore you must take pay­nes to wishe all maner of euill, yea and euen death, to your selfe, that is to wit, to your flesh, and to en­uye her all good things, and to be sory for her prosperitie, & to be glad of her aduersitie. And that if any man tell you any thing amisse of [Page] your selfe, you may reioyce therat in spirit, and liberally reward the reporter thereof: and (to be short) that you may deuise and doo all things against your selfe, as men are wont to do against those with whom they be at deadly foode, & that you neuer rest till you haue killed your selfe.The flesh and the spirit are cleane contraries and f [...]ght full but one a­gainst a­nother. And forasmuch as no man hath euer yet hated his owne flesh, (as sayth S. Paule.) You must first and formost be di­uorced from your fleshe, that she may no longer be your fleshe, but straunge fleshe: and in her steede you must place the spirit, betwene whom and the flesh there can ne­uer be any more concord or agree­ment, then betwene fyre & water.

O my Frederike, to tell you the truth, me thinks y^e things that you speake of are as harde as stone.

I beleeue you Lewis, and [Page] so must it nedes be. But be of good chere, and begin euen now to loue me in spirite, because I am an ad­uersarie to your flesh. For it is for your benefite, and you can not be saued so long as your flesh is aliue. Wherefore if you will be saued, see that ye hate your selfe, and forsake your selfe.A famili [...]ar exāpl [...] whereby he goeth about to teache a man ho [...] to for­sake him selfe. And I will tell you an example of this forsaking. If a seruant giue ouer himselfe in bon­dage to you, he abandoneth him selfe, that is to say, his owne liber­tie and will, thenceforth to follow your will and not his owne. Of­tentimes when he would sleepe, he must watch if his master com­maund him: when he would goe abrode, he must tary at home: whē he would play, he must work: and (at a worde) he so forgoeth his owne freedome, that if he be asked what he will do, or what he min­deth to do, he must answere, what [Page] his master listeth, at whose ap­pointment he is. So we (if we be­lōg to Christ, who hath bought vs at a great price,) are not at oure owne disposition or appoyntment, but at Christes: and therefore we must doo, not what we l [...]st, but what he listeth, and worthily. For if he, beeing the waye and the trueth, did notwithstanding so submit his will to the will of his father, that he sayde, Not my will be done, but thine: what becom­meth it vs to doo,A triacle agaynst the diue­lish lustes of the flesh▪ and the insti­gatiōs of the [...]ic­ked will, to re­s [...]rain thē withall. which are ouer-couered with errours and lea­sings? Therefore when you be a­bout to be angrye without cause, you must restrayne your anger at the appoyntment of Christ. When you would giue your selfe to vo­luptuousnes, you must absteine, and giue your selfe to sorrowing. When you would be aduenged of any body, you must forgiue him. [Page] When you woulde doo a man harme, you muste doo him good. When you woulde laughe, you muste weepe. When you would sew for honour, you must indure shame. When you would seeke ri­ches, you muste suffer pouertye. And (to be short) you must in suche wise depart from your own will: as if you b [...]e asked what you woulde, you maye answere, no­thing but what Christ listeth.That to the bele­uer all things seme they neuer so high, harde, or aboue our power, are not­withstan­ding eas [...] to be done. And all these things shal you do throgh faith. For vnlesse you beleued, you would not do them. But it is ne­cessary to be vnderstoode what is ment by this sa [...]ing of S. Paules, that we must proceede from fayth to fayth. There is a certayne first and vnperfect beleefe, whereby a man is moued to renounce hym selfe. This beeing once kindled, becommeth daylye greater by a mans holding on, vntill at length [Page] he be come so farre, that he doth as certenly beleeue all Gods say­ings commandements, promises, and threatni [...]gs: as you beleeue that the day shall succeede y^e night. Hence springeth that almightie power of fayth, wherthrough it is able to remoue mountaynes, so as there is no pride, no couetousnes, no lechery, nor (to be short) no vice so huge & great, which that fayth is not able to put away, and to plucke vp by the [...]oote. Howbeit, ere euer a man attayne to that strength, he is to indure many hard things in the way of his for­saking of him selfe, and without such hardnes, there is no accesse to be had to that strength, like as a figge or a grape can not become sweet, except it be first sowre. And because I my selfe haue not yet obteined the victorie, but doo yet still sweate in the incounter of for­saking [Page] my self, and as yet am farre of from the garlande: I will say no more concerning the victorie, that is to say, concerning the thing that is vnknowen vnto me: but yet as much as I can I will helpe you (by Gods grace) in y^e incoun­ter, if you will be my companion.

Truely for my parte, al­though my selfe do shudder & start backe at it, y [...]t am I caryed with my spirite & minde to follow you. For I see no other way for a man to be saued,There is but onlye one right waye to the atteinment of saluation but by departing out of his owne nature, that he maye put vpon him the nature of Christ, and by caring, studying, striuing, and taking paynes to repayre the image wherafter we were crea­ted. And therefore beseeching God that it may be to his glory & mine own saluation, henceforth I yeeld my self into this way as a folower of Christ, taking god for my guid.

And I thank God for this willingnes which he hath giuen you, beseeching him to finishe his work which he hath begon in you, & to bring you to that poynt, that ye may at length serue righteous­nes as you haue seru [...]d vnrighte­ousnes, which thin he wil vndou­tedly doo, except you greeue his spirite and cast it out through your disobediēce.Mē must [...]ot con­ [...]eiue p [...]rely & [...]iga [...]dly, [...] [...]rge [...]y and a­ [...]undant­ [...]y o [...] gods [...]acious goodnes. Finally of this I will warney [...]n, that you must haue a riche fayth, because you beleeue in him that is riche in doing good. For men haue euer sinned in belee­uing vntowardly, and more ni­gardly of Gods gracious good­nes, then they ought to do. Abra­ham and Sara were rebuked for laughing, as though it had but a matter to be laughed at, that God promised them issue when they were both olde, and Sara moreou [...]r barr. in. Zacharias the [Page] father of Iohn Baptist was stri­ken dumbe for a tyme, because he beleeued not the Angels words. We be commonly more forwarde in folowing the weake beleefe (or if I may so terme it) the vnbeleef of the godly, then in following their full and riche beleefe. Why doo we not rather followe those which durst beleeue all things? Eliseus durst craue double the spi­rite of Elias,We can not ask [...] so largely at God hand, bu [...] that his bountie will sur­moūt it. (which soothly was a great thing euen by the record of Elias him selfe) and yet he ob­teined it: so vnpossible is it for any fayth to be so great, but that Gods gracious goodnes and po­wer doo surmount the same. All thinges (sayth he) are possible to the beleeuer. Agayne, Whatsoeuer yee aske, beleeue that you shall obteyne it, and yee shall haue it in deede. Remember (I saye) the saying of Elizeus, speaking [Page] after this maner to the poore wo­man: Borrow oyle-vessels of thy neighbours, yea borrow a great sort, and the Lord will fill them al full. Euen so Lewis, let vs do our indeuor that we may haue suche a fayth, as maye be able to receiue the greatest good things, and let vs be bolde to beleeue that God both can and will bring to passe, that we shall loue him alone with our whole heart, soule, power, and strength. [...]od will [...]aunt vs [...] good [...]ings for [...]hristes [...]ke. And he of his owne gra­cious goodnes will bestowe all things vpon vs, much more large­ly then we can euen thinke, for his sonne our Lorde Iesus Chri­stes sake, to whom be honour, glory, and dominion for euer. Amen.