An epistle to the faithful necessary for all the children of GodAn epistle to the faithfull necessary for all the children of God

Therefore they, that in any respect refuse to confess Christ before men, do bewray them selves to be either faithless, or very faint in faith: and let them urge never so much, that with their inward man they serve god, & carry a love to Christ his truth, they shall find it is no good plea in divinity, neither will ⟨image 8⟩it prove good before God at the general day of account: when all flesh must appear before the just judge, to give a reckoning of their stewardship. As for those to whom the name of God seemeth strange, and are loth to hear of any religion, they are not unlike to Epicures, of whom it is written: that when he saw great contentions amongest the philosophers touching God, he did take (as he thought) a shorter way, & flatly denied God. Of which kind of men I wish withal my heart, there were not over many amongest us. It is a dangerous thing, when men become deriders and mockers of the word, and will scoff and taunt at such as in reverent regard thereof, seek to walk according to the prescript rule, set down by the same: for from them, by little and little, all sense and taste of truth is taken, and they go on in degrees of ungodliness so far, until they show themselves to be such, as do hate the truth, and then are they given over to fulfil their lusts, making their belly their GOD, bestowing their whole life in their own filthy & fleshly pleasure: for they live to serve no other God indeed, and so at length there is with them no truth, no religion, no God, but they make a mock of all religion & truth, and are ⟨image 9⟩given up to believe lies, and to follow vanities, and nothing else. And thus in fine they become so bold, that they deny God, yea they be so cunning in the devils craft, that they do reason against God, and openly profess that Christ his truth is but a fable, as this day giveth fearful examples of too many: The Lord our God reform them, and show them the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto them. And so with grief to think that there should be any such, I leave them. As for you, whom the Lord hath so seasoned by his spirit, that you have learned to be a law to your selves, & do endeavour that one and the self same word, might both teach and rule you, although they give you bynames for so doing:

Therefore they, that in any respect refuse to confesse Christ before men, do bewray them selues to be eyther faithlesse, or very fainte in faith: and let them vrge neuer so much, that with their inward mā they serue god, & cary a loue to Christ his truth, they shal finde it is no good plea in diuinitie, neither will