Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of…Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of…

The first way is,¹ that the Prophet meaneth not, that the people of God shall not fall,² for that is against the Scripture: for, The just man falleth seven times in the day. ³Again, If we say we have no sin in us, we deceive our selves: and the trueth is not in us. Now, whereas sin inseparably dwelleth (as it doeth in all men whilst they live upon the earth) there be faults and falls before God of the mans part, in whom this sin dwelleth: yet God of his ⟨p. 64⟩mercy for the blood and death of Christ,⁴ doeth not account these inseparable sins to be falls: but loveth the person, preserveth him, and will not impute nor lay any of those falls or faults, unto his charge, but in Christ esteem him justified and clean, as though he were of him self so in deed. And thus the Prophet saith, that of Gods part, and by our acceptation into his favour,⁵ through Christ, the faithful falleth not.⁶ That is to say, his sin is not accounted damnable nor laid to his charge, for Christs sake: As Saint Paul writeth to the Romans.⁷

The first way is,¹ that the Prophet meaneth not, that the people of God shal not fal,² for that is against the Scripture: for, The iust man falleth seuen times in the day. ³Againe, If we say we haue no sinne in vs, we deceiue our selues: and the trueth is not in vs. Nowe, whereas sinne inseparably dwelleth (as it doeth in all men whilest they liue vppon the earth) there be faultes and falles before God of the mans part, in whome this sinne dwelleth: yet God of his