For so long as faith remaineth, so long doth the Christen religion continue & prosper 1well, but let faith be exiled, & unfaithfulness once invade the hearts of Christen men, & then goeth all to havoc, as we may see in our first parents Adam & Eva, which so long as they believed the word ⟨image 14⟩2of God & walked thereafter, prospered & lived right well, but when they once gave over it, & fell unto incred• lite, believing the words of the crafty serpent, rather then the gentle admonitions of so bounteous a lord, they became subject, bond & thrall to all kind of misery & wretchedness, so that through their unfaithfulness conjoined with like disobedience, 3not they them selves only fell into captivity, but also all their posterity. Now to be made free from this thraldom, & to recover the liberty, which before we lost through disobedient unfaithfulness, the next & most ready way is to believe, as David teacheth here, or else by no means can we come unto God, nor yet please him. For he that cometh to God saith s. Paul, must believe. So 4that if we will come again to God, we must believe. But what shall we believe? certes not only ye god is which ⟨image 15⟩thing the devils also do, but that 5he is a rewarder & beneficial father to them that seek him, as the Apostle teacheth. For although we were dead through sin, & walked after the fashion of this world, even as men altogether ungodly and wholly estranged from all goodness, yet hath God, which is rich in mercy, for his great charity, wherewith he loved us, quickened & made us alive again, yea & that through Christ 6in whom he hath showed the exce• ding abundance & riches of his grace, for whose sake also he is well pleased with man, so that he spared not his own son, but gave him even unto the very death for our sake, that by that one oblation of his most blessed body, an omnisufficient & perpetual sacrifice for ever to endure all alone sufficient, should be offered for them that are sanctified. These things to be true ⟨image 15⟩the holy scriptures show evidently Therefore if we will be of God, and come unto him, we must not only believe ye God is, but that all these things are true, & shall undoubtedly chance unto us, as God hath promised. For the true & christen faith cleaveth fast to the word of God only, & doubteth nothing thereof, as S. Paul saith, faith cometh 7by hearing, & hearing by the word of God.
For so long as fayth remayneth, so longe doth the Christen religion continew & prosper 1well, but let faythe be exiled, & vnfaythfulnes once inuade the har tes of Christen men, & thē goeth all to hauocke, as we maye se in oure fyrst parentes Adam & Eua, which so longe as they beleued the worde ⟨image 14⟩2of God & walked therafter, prospered & liued ryght wel, but wha they once gaue ouer yt, & fel vnto incred• lite, beleuyng the wordes of ye crafty serpente, rather then the gentle admoniciōs of so boūteous a lorde, they became subiecte, bōde & thraul to all kynde of miserye & wretchednes, so that thorow theyr vnfaythfulnes cōioyned wt lyke disobediēce, 3not they them selues only fell into captiuite, but also all theyr posteri te. Nowe to be made free from this thrauldome, & to recouer the libertie, whiche before we loste thorowe disobedient vnfaythfulnes, ye next & moost redye waye is to beleue, as Dauid teachethe here, or els by no menes can we come vnto God, nor yet please hym. For he yt cōmeth to godsayth s. Paule, must beleue. So 4yt if we wyll come agen to God, we must beleue. But what shall we beleue? certes not only ye god is which ⟨image 15⟩thynge the dyuels also do, but that 5he is a rewarder & beneficial father to thē that seke hym, as the Apostle teachethe. For althoughe we were dead thorowe synne, & walked after the fashon of this world, euē as mē altogyther vngodly and whollye estraunged frō all goodnes, yet hath God, which is rytche in mercye, for his great charite, wherwithe he loued vs, quickened & made vs alyue agayne, yea & that thorowe Christ 6in whome he hath shewed the exce• dynge abundance & rytches of hys grace, for whose sake also he is well pleased with man, so that he spared not his owne soune, but gaue hym euen vnto the very deathe for our sake, that by that one oblacion of his moost blyssed body, an omnisufficient & perpetuall sacrifice for euer to endure all alone sufficiente, shoulde be offred for them that are sāctified. These thynges to be true
- 1Mark wellMark wel
- 2G•n. iii.
- 3Roma. v.
- 4Heb. xi.
- 5Jaco. ii. Marc. i. Ephe. ii.Iaco. ii. Marc. i. Ephe. ii.
- 6mat. iii. xvii Marc. i. xi. ii. Pet. i. Joan. iii. Rom. viii. Heb. ix. x. Psal. cix.mat. iii. xvii Marc. i. xi. ii. Pet. i. Ioan. iii. Rom. viii. Heb. ix. x. Psal. cix.
- 7Rom. x.
