A Golden Chain

Persons are of two sorts; some be called, some be uncalled. Persons called are all such to whom God in mercy hath offered the means of salvation, and hath revealed the doctrine of the Gospel in some measure more or less by means either ordinary or extraordinary. All such I think are straightly bound in conscience to believe and obey the gospel. For that word of God whereby men shall be judged in the day of judgement, must first of all bind their consciences in this life, considering absolution and condemnation is according to that which is done in this life: but by the gospel, all men that have been called, shall be judged as Paul saith, Rom. 2.16. God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel. And our Saviour Christ saith, He that believeth hath life everlasting, he which believeth not is already condemned. It remains therefore, that the gospel binds the consciences of such men in this life. By this very point we are all put in mind not to content our selves with this, that we have a liking to the gospel, and do believe it to be true (though many protestants in these our days think it sufficient both in life and death, if they hold that they are to be saved by faith alone in Christ without the merit of mans works) but we must go yet further, and enter into a practise of the doctrine of the Gospel as well as of the precepts of the moral law; knowing that the gospel doeth as well bind conscience as the law, and if it be not obeyed will as well condemn.

Persons are of two sorts; some be called, some be vncalled. Persons called are all such to whome God in mercie hath offered the meanes of saluation, and hath reuealed the doctrine of the Gospell in some measure more or lesse by meanes either ordinarie or extraordinarie. All such I thinke are straightly bound in conscience to beleeue and obey the gospel. For that word of God whereby men shall be iudged in the day of iudgement, must first of all binde their consciences in this life, considering absolution and condemnation is according to that which is done in this life: but by the gospell, all men that haue beene called, shall be iudged as Paul saith, Rom. 2.16. God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ, according to my Gospell. And our Sauiour Christ saith, He that beleeueth hath life euerlasting, hee which beleeueth not is alreadie condemned. It remaines therefore, that the gospell bindes the consciences of such men in this life. By this very point we are all put in minde not to content our selues with this, that we haue a liking to the gospell, and doe beleeue it to bee true (though many protestants in these our daies thinke it sufficient both in life and death, if they hold that they are to be saued by faith alone in Christ without the merit of mans workes) but wee must goe yet further, and enter into a practise of the doctrine of the Gospel as wel as of the precepts of the morall lawe; knowing that the gospel doeth as well bind conscience as the law, and if it be not obeied will as well condemne.