Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the ancient…Light broke forth in Wales, expelling darkness, or, The Englishman's love to the antient…

Answ. This has been urged before, and I have already answered it, only I shall add a Passage or two of Martin Luther's.

Paul therefore concludeth with this Sentence (saith he) They which are of Faith, are the Children of Abraham: That Corporal Birth, or Carnal Seed makes not the Children of Abraham before God. As if he would say, there is none before God accounted as the Child of this Abraham (who is the Servant of God, whom God hath chosen and made righteous by Faith) through Carnal Generation, but such Children must be given before God as he was a Father, but he was a Father of Faith, was justified and pleased God; not because he could beget Children after the Flesh, not because he had Circumcision under the Law, but because he believed in God. He therefore that will be a Child of the believing Abraham, must also himself believe, or else he is not a Child of the Elect, the believing and the justified Abraham, but only the begetting Abraham, which is nothing else but a Man, conceived, born and wrapped in Sin, without the Forgiveness of Sin, without Faith, without the Holy Ghost, as another Man is, and therefore condemned: such also are the Children carnally begotten of him, having nothing in them like unto their Father, but Flesh and Blood, Sin and Death; therefore these are all damned. This glorious boasting then we are the Seed of Abraham, is to no purpose. Thus far, and much more to the same purpose he excellently debates upon.

Paul therefore concludeth with this Sentence (saith he) They which are of Faith, are the Children of Abraham: That Corporal Birth, or Carnal Seed makes not the Children of Abraham before God. As if he would say, there is none before God accounted as the Child of this Abraham (who is the Servant of God, whom God hath chosen and made righteous by Faith) through Carnal Generation, but such Children must be given before God as he was a Father, but he was a Father of Faith, was justified and pleased God; not because he could beget Children after the Flesh, not because he had Circumcision under the Law, but because he believed in God. He therefore that will be a Child of the believing Abraham, must also himself believe, or else he is not a Child of the Elect, the believing and the justified Abraham, but only the begetting Abraham, which is nothing else but a Man, conceived, born and wrapt in Sin, without the Forgiveness of Sin, without Faith, without the Holy Ghost, as another Man is, and therefore condemned: such also are the Children carnally begotten of him, having nothing in them like unto their Father, but Flesh and Blood, Sin and Death; therefore these are all damned. This glorious boasting then we are the Seed of Abraham, is to no purpose. Thus far, and much more to the same purpose he excellently debates upon.