Upon those words of the Apostle I fear lest that your senses be corrupted from the simplicity,1 which is in Christ even as the serpent deceived Eva, ye labour to prove that the elect shall be deceived for she, say you was the elect of God, and yet she was deceived. In few words I answer that because she was the elect of God, she remained not in that error. we do not deny, but that the simple sheep do sometimes err, and go astray from ⟨p. 286⟩their pastor, that they hear to their great danger the howling of wolves, & do credit, and receive lies for verity, yea & further that sometimes with knowledge, they commit iniquity. But that they are permitted in the same finally, and without redemption to perish, that we constantly deny. for impossible it is that the lively members shall lack participation with the head. Impossible it is that Christs death shall lack his effect, which is the life of those that of his father are committed to his charge, of whom impossible it is, that any shall perish. for the number of our brethren must be complete, nether yet doth it hereof follow, that exhortations & admonitions be superfluous, & vain. for they are the means which the wisdom of God knoweth to be most necessary to stir up our dull senses, which always be ready to lie in a certain security, And therefore the words of our master spoken to his disciples and the admonition of Paul to the Churches in his days doth much profit, comfort, and confirm us: for by the same we are so armed against offences and slanders, which daily do chance, that albeit we see that from amongest our selves arise such as bring in damnable sects. which lead many to perdition, yet we do not therefore detest nor abhor Christs simple verity but being provoked by that fall & dejection of others, with great solicitude and care, we call for the assistance of gods holy spirit in those most miserable and most wicked days.2 That ye affirm us to be lying prophets not sent of God but such as run of our selves, calling to our congregation the people, whom after we provoke to a careless & libertine life, we answer not to you but to our God. Judge us (ô Lord) in this cause according to our innocency, & according to the purity, which thy spirit hath formed in our hearts, destroy all lying lips, and confound thou those, that of malice trouble thy afflicted flock.
Vpon those wordes of the Apostle I feare lest that your senses be corrupted from the simplicitie,1 which is in Christ euen as the serpent deceaued Eua, ye labor to proue that the elect shal be deceaued for she, say you was the elect of God, and yet she was deceaued. In few wordes I answer that becaus she was the •lect of God, she remained not in that error. we do not denie, but that the simple shepe do somtimes erre, and go astray from ⟨p. 286⟩their pastor, that they heare to their great danger the owling of wolues, & do credit, and receaue lies for veritie, yea & further that somtimes with knowledge, they cōmitte iniquitie. But that they are permitted in ye same finally, and without redemption to perish, that we cōstātly denie. for imposible it is that the liuely members shal lack participation with the head. Imposible it is that Christes death shal lack his effect, which is the life of those that of his father are committed to his charge, of whō impossible it is, that any shal perish. for the nombre of our bretheren must be complete, nether yet doth it hereof follow, that exhortaciōs & admonitions be superfluous, & vaine. for they are the meanes which the wisdom of God knoweth to be most necessarie to stirre vp our dul senses, which alwaies be redie to ly in a certen securitie, And therefor the wordes of our master spoken to his disciples and the admonition of Paul to the Churches in his daies doth much profit, comfort, and confirme vs: for by the same we are so armed against offences and sclanders, which daily do chance, that albeit we se that frō amongest our selues arise such as bring in damnable sectes. which lead many to perdition, yet we do not therefor detest nor ahbore Christs simple veritie but being prouoked by that fall & deiection of others, with great solicitude and care, we call for the assistance of gods holie spirit en those most miserable and most wicked daies.2 That ye affirme vs to be lieng prophetes not sēt of God but such as runne of our selues, calling to our cōgregation the people, whom after we prouoke to a careles & libertine life, we answer not to you but to our God. Iudge vs (ô Lord) in this cause according to our innocencie, & according to the puretie, which thy spirit hath formed in our heartes, destroy all lyeng lippes, and confound thou those, that of malice trouble thy afflicted flock.
- 1To the 4. & •.
- 2To the 7
