A Golden Chain

Timoth. Seeing that you satisfy me in every point so fully, show me I pray you, whether a man may be wicked and have faith, and whether faith entering expelleth wickedness. For I have heard some say, that a man might believe the word of God, and yet be never the better in his life, or holier then before he was.

Timoth. Seeing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully, shew me I pray you, whether a man may be wicked and haue faith, and whether faith entring expelleth wickednesse. For I haue heard some say, that a man might beleeue the word of God, and yet be neuer the better in his life, or holier then before he was.

Euseb. Many there are which when they hear or read of faith, at once they consent thereunto, and have a certain imagination and opinion of faith: as when a man telleth a story, or a thing done in a strange land that pertaineth not to them at all; which yet they believe and tell us a true thing, and this imagination or opinion they call faith. Therefore as soon as they have this imagination or opinion in their hearts, they say, verily, this doctrine seemeth true, I believe it is even so: then they think that the right faith is there; but afterward when they feel in themselves no manner of working of the Spirit, neither the terrible sentence of the Law, and the horrible captivity under Satan, neither can perceive any alteration in themselves, and that any good works follow, but find they are altogether as before, and abide in their old estate, then think they that faith is not sufficient, but that works must be joined with faith to justification: but true faith is only the gift of god, & is mighty in operation, ever working, being full of virtue: it reneweth man, and begetteth him a fresh, altereth him, changeth him, and turneth him altogether, into a new creature and conversation: so that a man shall feel his heart clean changed, and far otherwise disposed then before, and hath power to love that which before he could not but hate, & delighteth in that which before he abhorred, and hateth that which before he could not but love. And it setteth the soul at liberty, and maketh her free to follow the will of God, and is to the soul as health to the body. After that a man is pined with long sickness, the legs can not bear him, he cannot lift up his hands to help him, his taste is corrupt, sugar is bitter in his mouth, his stomach longeth after slubbersauce & swash, at which a whole stomach is ready to cast his gorge: when health cometh she changeth and altereth him clean, giveth him strength in all his members, lust and will to do of his own accord that which before he could not do, neither could suffer that any man should exhort him to do, and hath now lust in wholesome things, and his members are free and at liberty, & have power to do all things of his own accord which belong to a sound and whole man to do. And faith worketh in the same manner, as a tree brings forth fruit of his own accord: