the indifferent to read, and then to iudge.

MarginaliaHerein is nothing conteyned but that which is rightly consonant vnto the Scripture.In the fayth which we haue in Christ, and in Gods promises, finde we mercie, lyfe, fauour, and peace. In the law we finde death, damnation and wrath, moreouer the curse and vengeance of God vpon vs. And it (that is to say, the law) is called of Paule, the ministration of death and damnation. In the law we are proued to be the enemies of God, and that we hate him. For how can we be at peace with God & loue hym, seing we are conceiued and borne vnder the power of the deuill, and are hys possession and kingdome, his captiues and bondmen, and led at his will, and he holdeth our hartes, so that it is impossible for vs to consent to the wyll of God? Much more is it impossible for a man to fulfill the law of hys own strength and power, seing that we are by byrth and nature the heires of eternall damnation. &c.

Marginalia4. Article.4 The law requyreth impossible thynges of vs. Fol. 2.

MarginaliaWhat heresie is in these wordes.Read the place. The lawe, when it commaundeth that thou shalt not luste, geueth thee not power so to doe: but damneth thee because thou canst not so do. If thou wilt therfore bee at peace with God, and loue hym, then must thou turne to the promises and to the Gospell, which is called of Paule the ministration of righteousnes, and of the spirite.Marginalia2. Cor. 3.

Marginalia5. Article.5 The spirite of God turneth vs & our nature, that we do good as naturally as a tree doth bryng forth fruite. Fol. 8.

The place is this: MarginaliaThis place speaking of the operatiō and effecte of fayth conteyneth nothyng but which is mainteinable by the Scripture.The spirite of God accompanieth fayth, and bringeth with her light, wherwith a man beholdeth him self in the law of God, & seeth hys miserable bondage & captiuitie, & hūbleth hym self, & abhorreth him self. She bringeth Gods promises of al good things in Christ. God worketh wyth hys word, and in his word. And as his woord is preached, fayth, rooteth her self in the hartes of the elect: and as fayth entreth, and the word of God is beleued, the power of God looseth the hart from the captiuitie & bondage vnder sinne, and knitteth and coupleth him to God and to the wyll of God, altereth him and chaungeth him cleane, fashioneth and forgeth him a new, geueth him power to loue and to do that which before was impossible for him either to loue or do, and turneth him into a newe nature: so that hee loueth that which he before hated, and hateth that which he before loued, and is cleane altered and chaunged, and contrary disposed, and is knit and coupled fast to Gods will, and naturally bringeth forth good workes: that is to saye, that whych God commaundeth to do, and not thinges of his own imagination: and that doth he of hys own accord, as a tree bryngeth forth fruite of hys own accorde. &c.

Marginalia6. Article.6 Workes do only declare to thee þ^t thou art iustifyed. Fol. 9.

If Tyndall say, that vvorkes do onely declare our iustification, he doth not therby destroye good vvorkes, but onely shevveth the ryght vse and office of good vvorkes to be not to merite our iustification, but rather to testifie a liuely fayth, vvhich onely iustifieth vs. The Article is plaine by the Scripture and S. Paule.

Marginalia7. Article.7 Christ with all his workes dyd not deserue heauen. Fol. 14.

Read the place. All good woorkes muste bee done freely with a single eie, without respect of any thing, so that no profite be soght therby. That cōmaūdeth Christ where he sayth: Free haue you receiued, free geue agayne. MarginaliaMat. 10.For loke as Christ with all hys workes did not Marginalia* He meaneth in hys diuinitie: but in hys humanitie he deserued heauen by hys workes, not only for hym selfe but for vs all.* deserue heauen (for that was hys already) but dyd vs seruice therewith, and neither looked for, nor sought his own profite, but ours, and the honor of God hys father onely: euen so we wyth all our workes, may not seeke our own profit, neither in this world, nor in heauē, but must and ought freely to worke, to honour God wythall, & without all maner of respect, seeke our neyghbours profite, and do hym seruice. &c.

Marginalia8. Article.8 Laboryng by good workes to come to heauen, thou shamest Christes bloud. fol. 17.

MarginaliaTo say that heauen is gottē by our deseruinges, is a popishe heresie and contrary to the Scriptures.Read the place. If thou wouldest obtaine heauē with the merites & deseruings of thine own works, so doest thou wrong, yea and shamest the bloude of Christ, and vnto thee Christ is dead in vaine. Now is the true beleuer heire of god by Christs deseruings, yea & in Christ was predestinate & ordained vnto eternal life before the world begā. And whē the Gospel is preached vnto vs, we beleue the mercy of God, and in beleuing we receiue the spirite of God, which is the earnest of eternal life, & we are in eternall life already, & feele already in our hartes the swetenes thereof, and are ouercome with the kindnes of God and Christ, and therefore loue the wyll of God, and of loue are ready to worke freely, & not to obteine that which is geuen vs freelye, and whereof we are heires alreadye. &c.

Marginalia9. Article.9 Saintes in heauen can not helpe vs thether. fol. 17.

VVhether Sainctes can helpe vs vnto heauen, see the Scriptures, and marke vvell the office of the sonne of God our onely Sauiour & redemer, and thou shalt not neede to seeke any further.

Marginalia10. Article.10 To buylde a Churche in the honour of our Lady or any other Saynt, is in vayne: they can not helpe thee: they be not thy frendes. fol. 18.

MarginaliaThe place annexed.Read the place of Tyndall. What buildest thou Churches, foundest Abbeyes, Chauntreis, and Colleges in the honour of Sainctes, to my Mother, Sainct Peter, Paule, and Saintes that be dead, to make of them thy friendes? They neede it not: yea they bee not thy frendes. Thy friendes are thy poore neyghbours, whych neede thy helpe and succour. Then make thy frendes with thy vnrighteous Mammon, MarginaliaOur frendes to be made of wicked Mammon, are ment the poore aliue, and not the Saintes departed.that they may testifie of thy fayth, and that thou mayest know and feele that thy fayth is ryght, and not fayned. &c.

Marginalia11. Article.11. All fleshe is in bondage of sinne, and can not but sinne. fol. 25.

Thys Article is euident inough of it selfe, confirmed by the Scripture, and needeth no other allegations.

Marginalia12. Article.12 Thou canst not be damned without Christ be damned, nor Christ be saued without thou be saued. fol. 27.

MarginaliaThe place annexed.Read the place. A Phisition serueth but for sicke men, and that for such mē as feele their sickenes, & mourne therfore, & long for health. Christ likewise serueth but for sinners only that feele their sinne, and that for such sinners as sorrow & mourne in their hartes for health. MarginaliaThe beleuyng man standing vpon the certeintie of Gods promise, may assure hym selfe of hys saluation, as truly as Christ hym self is saued, and hee can no more then Christ hym selfe, be damned, And although the Scripture doth not vse this phrase of speakyng, yet it importeth no lesse in effecte, by reason of the veritie of Gods promise which impossible it is to faile.Health is the power or strēgth to fulfill the law, or to kepe the cōmaūdements. Now he that longeth for that health, that is to say, for to doe the law of God, is blessed in Christ, and hath a promise that hys lust shall be fulfilled, and that hee shall bee made hole. Blessed are they vvhich hunger and thurst for righteousnes sake (that is, to fulfill the law) for their lust shall be fulfilled. Math. 5.

This longing, and consent of the hart vnto the lawe of God, is the working of the spirite, which God hath poured into thine hart, in earnest that thou mightest bee sure that God will fulfill all his pomises that he hath made thee. It is also the seale & marke which God putteth on all mē that he chuseth vnto euerlasting lyfe. So long as thou seest thy syn, and mournest, and consentest to the law, and longest (though thou be neuer so weake) yet the spirite shall keepe thee in all temptations from desperation, & certifie thyne hart, that God for hys truth, shall deliuer thee and saue thee, yea and by thy good dedes shalt thou be saued, not which thou hast done, but whych Christ hath done for thee. For Christ is thyne, and all hys deedes are thy deedes. Christ is in thee, and thou in hym, knit together inseparablye. Neyther canst thou bee damned except Christ be dāned with thee: neither can Christ be saued, except thou be saued with him. &c. The lyke cōfortable vvords he hath aftervvard. Fol. 38. vvhich are these.

He that desireth mercy, the same feeleth hys own misery & sinne, and mourneth in his hart for to be deliuered, that hee might honour God, & God for his truth must heare him, which saith by the mouth of Christ: Blessed are they that hūger & thurst after righteousnes, for they shall be satisfied. God for his truthes sake, must put the righteousnes of Christ in hym, and wash his vnrighteousnes away in the bloud of Christ. And be the sinner neuer so weake, neuer so feeble & fraile, though he haue sinned neuer so oft & so greuous, yet so lōg as this lust, desire & mourning to be deliuered, remayneth in him, God seeth not hys sinnes, reckeneth them not for his truthes sake & loue to Christ. He is not a sinner in the sight of God, that would be no sinner. He that would be deliuered, hath hys hart loose already. His hart sinneth not, but mourneth, repēteth and consenteth vnto the law and wyll of God, & iustifieth God: that is, beareth record that God which made the law, is righteous & iust. And such an hart trusting in Christes bloud, is accepted for full righteous, and hys weakenes, infirmitie, & frailtie is pardoned, & hys sinnes are not loked vpon, vntyll God put more strength in him, and fulfill his desire. &c.

Marginalia13. Article.13 The cōmaundementes bee gyuen vs not to do thē, but to know our dānation & cal for mercy of god. fol. 28.

MarginaliaThys Article is falsely wrasted out of their wordes, which doe not say that we should not doe the commaundementes, but that we can not doe them.Read the place. If thou vvilte enter into lyfe, keepe the commaundementes. Math. 19. Fyrst remember that when God commaundeth vs to do any thing, hee doth it not therefore, because that we of our selues are able to doe that he commaundeth, but that by the lawe we myght see and know our horrible damnation and captiuitie vnder sinne, and so repent and come to Christ and receaue mercye. &c.

14 Fastyng is onely to auoyde surfet and to tame the body: all other purposes be nought. fol. 36.