That faith the mother of all good works justifieth us before we ca[n] bring…That fayth the mother of all good workes iustifieth us before we ca[n] bringe…

IF any mans work that he hath build upon abide / he shall receive a reward .i. Corint. ij. The circumstance of the same Chapter / that is to were / that which goeth before & that which followeth / declareth plainly what is meant. Paul talketh of learning doctrine or preaching. He saith that he him self hath laid the foundation / which is Jesus Christ: and that no man can lay any other. He exhorteth therefore every man to take head ⟨p. lv⟩what he buildeth upon / and borroweth a similitude of the goldsmith which trieth his metals with fire saying that the fire (that is) the judgement of the scripture / shall try every mans work / that is every mans preaching and doctrine. If any build upon the foundation laid of Paul / I mean Jesus Christ / gold silver or precious stone / which are all one thing and signify true doctrine / which when it is examined the scripture alloweth / then shall he have his reward / that is he shall be sure that his learning is of God / and that God's spirit is in him and that he shall have the reward that Christ hath purchased for him. On the other side if any man build there on timbre / hey or stubble / which are all one and signify doctrine of mans imagination / traditions and fantasies which stand not with Christ when they are examined and judged by the scripture / he shall suffer damage / but shall be saved him self / yet as it were through fire / that is / it shall be painful unto him / that he hath lost his labour / and to see his building perish / not withstanding if he repent and embrace the truth in Christ / he shall obtain mercy & be saved. But if Paul were now a live & would defend his own learning / he should be tried through fire / not through fire of y• judgement of ⟨image 61⟩scripture (for that light men now utterly refuse) but by the popes law and with fire of fagots /