The Obedience of a Christian Man

For the holy Apostle Paul sayeth / ye Corinthians are our Pistle / which is understand and red of all men / in that ye are known how that ye are the pistle of Christ ministered by us and written: not with ink (as Moses law) but with the sprite of the living God: not in tables of stone (as the ten commandments) but in the fleshy tables of the heart / as who should say / we write not a deed law with ink & in parchment / nor grave that which damned you in tables of stone: but preach you that which bringeth the sprite of life unto your breasts / which sprite ⟨image 135⟩writeth and graveth the law of love in your hearts and giveth you lust to do the will of God. And furthermore / saith he our ablenes cometh of God which hath made us able to minister the new testament / not of the letter (that is to say not of the law) but of the sprite. For the letter (that is to say the law) killeth: but the sprite giveth life (that is to say the sprite of God which entereth your hearts when ye believe the glad tidings that are preached you in Christ / quickeneth your hearts and giveth you life & lust and maketh you to do of love and of your own accord with out compulsion / that which the law compelled you to do and damned you because ye could not do with love and lust and naturally. This seest thou that the letter signifieth not the literal sense and the sprite the spiritual sense. And Rom. ij. useth Paul this term litera for the law. And Ro. vij. where he setteth it so plain / that if the great wrath of God had not blinded them they could never have stumbled at it.

For the holy Apostel Paul sayeth / ye Corinthians are oure Pistle / which is vnderstonde and red of all men / in that ye are knowē how that ye are ye pistle of Christ ministred by vs and written: not with ynke (as Moyses lawe) but with the sprite of the lyvinge God: not in tables of stone (as the ten commaundmētes) but in the fleshy tables of ye herte / as who shulde saye / we write not a deed law with ynke & in parchemente / ner grave that which damned you in tables of stone: but preach you yt which bringeth the sprite of lyfe vnto youre brestes / which sprite ⟨image 135⟩writeth and graveth the lawe of love in youre hertes and geveth you lust to doo the will of God. And forthermoare / sayth he oure ablenes cometh of God which hath made vs able to mynistre the new testament / not of the letter (that is to saye not of the law) but of the sprite. For ye letter (that is to saye the law) kylleth: but ye sprite geveth lyfe (that is to saye the sprite of God which entereth youre hertes when ye beleve the glad tydinges that are preached you in Christe / quickeneth youre hertes and geveth you lyfe & lust and maketh you to do of love and of youre awne accorde with out compulsiō / yt which the law compelled you to doo and damned you because ye coulde not doo with love and lust and naturally. This seist thou that the letter signifieth not the literall sence and the sprite the spirituall sence. And Rom. ij. vseth Paul this terme litera for the law. And Ro. vij. where he setteh it so playne / that if the great wrath of God had not blynded them they coude never have stombled at it.