the beginning of the sixt chapter Thirdly E. G. expoundeth walking according to the spirit to be a doing of the good we would Either this is idle or els it soundeth a full abilitie to do the good we would And then I sée well one wilfull maister or Pilot is able to cast away a ship full of men Let those that haue béene hetherto addicted to this man looke better to them selues he hath giuen the ship in this place one notable stroke vpon the rocke of frée will they can not endure many moe before they make shipwracke of faith But he wil proue it I trow that they that walke after the spirite can do what good they would because forsooth the Apostle affirmeth of him selfe in Christ that the law rule or power of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus did free and deliuer him froÌ„ the law rule or power of sinne which before preuailed ouer him vnto death The Reader must be aduertised that this clause which before preuailed ouer him vnto death groweth not vnto the text but is the addition of a presumptuous spirite And whereas he would séeme to borrow it from the places before cited in the 7. of the Rom. he blasphemeth there being no sillable to proue that sinne preuailed ouer Paule vnto death but the flat contrarie And whereas to make the word law in both places the fuller to serue his turne by he setteth to all his strength to stretch it out with these wordes rule or power let him take héed lest the text therby sodenly breaking he receiue some dangerous fall for by rule and power he would haue vs vnderstaÌ„d an absolute rule or vngainsaid iurisdiction which the spirite of regeneratioÌ„ bringeth vs by which sin should be so banished in vs as no more to be able to shew his face wherein he playeth Sathans part with vs to beguile vs w t false allegatioÌ„ of scripture not caring so his sense might stand though he set the scripture at oddes with it selfe For as Sathan tempting Christ to throw him selfe headlong from the Pinacle sollicited him thereunto with It is written he shall giue his angels charge ouer thee they shall hold thee vp in their handes that thou hitte not thy foote against a stone dissembling in the meane time that this must nâ—edes be vnderstoode of an action done in the feare of God a warranted calling the other sense being flatly gainsaide by the place of Deut. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God so in like maner this man in strayning here the text to this his sense would â—aine haue vs not to sée our fréedom by the law of the spirite to be meant in that place a deliuerance from the danger of sinne and death which the law brought vs into before as Paule had proued in y â— 7. chap. 7. 13. verse 6. although the 25. verse of the same chap. which E. G. him selfe alloweth to be spoken of Paule a regenerate man must necessarilie enforce it when as the Apostle saith there Therefore euen I nowe in my minde do serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne For otherwise there is a plaine contradiction betwixt this place and the 2. verse of the 8. chap. if this mans interpretation thereof may stand Well if you will not yet belieue him now he sends you to consider the whole two chapters going before and following after the said 7. chap. And what shall we finde there for his purpose forsooth That the Apostle doth plainely define the regenerate man to bee so dead to sinne as that he can not liue in sinne but in righteousnesse that is as long as he continueth a regenerat man as that he doth leaue the coÌ„mitting or seruing of sinne and he doth serue and do with his members righteousnesse as he before did serue or commit sinne he hath his fruite in holines and not in sinne and the end euerlasting life He is not in the flesh or a carnall man as was Paule before his delinerance froÌ„ the bodie of death but he is in the spirite his bodie of sinne being so deade or mortified in respect of sinne as that he liueth in righteousnesse and doth not the deedes of the flesh Hath anie man heard a more vncertaine answere if this man walke not like a giddie-braine I neuer saw anie He is off and on here and there faine he would speake out and he dare not The Apostle saith he doth plainely define the regenerate man to bee so dead to sinne who lookes not here for a great blow as that he can not liue in sin Is it no better alas poore faintling But you may perceiue his heart was good eueÌ„ to haue striken out his blow at length that it might haue sounded The regenerate hath power not to sin anie more which is y e stroke he must strike if he mean to war against our said assertion but he knew wel inough that then all y e scripturs which there he citeth would haue laid hands on him Again next that he interpreteth coÌ„mitting sinne by seruing sin contrarie wise in the next sentence seruing sinne by committing sinne And at latter end saying He that is in the spirite liueth in righteousnes and doth not the deedes of the flesh he both offereth an inkling to his Disciples to take holde of his meaning and withal cunningly reserueth a vantage to himselfe to wash his hands of the blooude of those he should thereby seduce as Pilate did his handes from the bloud of Christ otherwise he would haue deliuered plainly thus he that is in the spirite liueth in righteousnesse so that he doth not anie deedes of the flesh anie more To haue thus therefore pointed out his fraudulent dealing for the simple soules sakes is answere inough for this place for if I should take anie other course therewith I sée not how a needlesse strife of wordes can be auoided as where no cleare meaning can bee found and I am warned not to answere a foole according to his foolishnesse lest my selfe also become like him I shall méete him more plainely hereafter without these starting holes and that variable monster of often regeneration with him which here he leadeth tyed in the string of a parenthesis and then shall they both féele by the grace of God the strong hand of trueth to encounter them Hitherto I will reduce as fittest for this place the residue of the controuersie concerning the 7. to the Rom. which he as a man that had waged battaile both against trueth and all good order hath bestowed other where He acknowledgeth these sixe reasons to be brought by our side out of the 7. chap. to the Rom. to proue Pauls acknowledging of sinne euen in his regenerate estate namely 1. In that he saith there hee had a will to do well 2. A loue of goodnes 3. A loathing of euil 4. A strife against the flesh 5. A delight in the
in y ◠same verse if your eyes had not dazled you might haue seene that the Apostle after his thankes giuing for his deliuerance from the danger of that same bodie of death against which he had exclamed confesseth that euen then as touching his minde he serued the law of God but in his flesh the law of sinne Which place is as cleare as the sun-shine not onelie to shew the falshood of your first reason against our interpretation of the 7. to the Rom. but also to proue so your great shame the trueth of the generall assertion aforesaide namelie that The regenerate are not free frō sinne Yet these are not all the foiles you receiue by it for it cutteth likewise the throte of your second reason before it haue time to draw one breath of life for where you say Therefore after this he thanketh God in Christ that he was deliuered from that bodie of sinne which made him to doe that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would You would make vs belieue that Paul in this place was a changed man so as he could no more sin vnwillinglie as before which purpose of yours now you sée is preuented and therefore your reason spoilde yet ere I passe I must admonish the Reader to consider of what spirite this sauoureth that in alledging the 25. verse which soundeth thus I thanke my God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now therefore euen I in my minde doe serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of Sinne. He bringeth it out thus He thanketh God in Christ and so cutteth off all the rest but chopping into the roome thereof these wordes that he was deliuered from that bodie of sin which made him to do that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would A sentence I confesse of like length but neither of like nature nor trueth If anie say for E. G. For now I vnderstand he is dead that he added that part not as to haue it taken for the wordes of scripture but the sense of the place I could easely admit that answere were it not for the sakes of some of his sect who as I vnderstand can not read at all and yet are very stiffe in his opinions I know not how they haue béene this way abused Besides it is not comuenient in citing of scripture to sow anie peeces of our owne into it without putting some partition wall betwixt or bringing in the seruant in some differing weed from his maister that the one be not taken for the other of the commers in Moreouer if hee bring those wordes for the meaning of the place yet hee is too impudent and blasphemous presuming to speake directlie against the spirite of God which it is cleare that hee doth when the text saith Paule had yet such an enimie of flesh about him as serued the law of sinne and this man saith Paule was now deliuered from that bodie of sinne as made him do the euil he would not Two thinges in their substance flat contrarie though chaunge of wordes at first would seeme to couer it But lest we should maruaile at this dealing he makes a custome of the matter for the next place he bringeth out of the beginning of the 8. chap. where hee would faine make S. Paule speake according to his humor for whereas the text is There is now therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus which walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirite You must vnderstand it as it is thus paraphrasticallie deliuered by him To them which are in Christ Iesus there is no condemnation or no such bodie of death which is the cause of our condemnation for they walke not after the flesh as he was forced to doe by the law of sinne when as he did the euil he would not and left vndone the good hee would but they walke after the spirite and so doe the good they would His bolonesse here as before whether it sauour of Babilon or no I leaue it to the christian Reader to iudge But three thinges must be obserued and examined wherein beyond al reason warrant he abuseth this place of the Apostle First for the worde condemnation by that he wil haue vnderstoode the bodie of death therein without anie necessitie transforming the effect into the cause as though he would cōpel the holie ghost to speake for his purpose but without all probabilitie both forasmuch as that word is no where vsed in that sense as also this verse repeating the argument of the 5. chap. 1. verse of the same Epistle concerning iustification by faith onely proued by an argument drawne from the effectes toucheth nothing at all that speciall obiection which hee answereth in the latter ende of the 7. chapter whereby he was occasioned so to handle that conflict of the flesh and the spirite So that then we sée if E. G. would haue taken this worde condemnation in his naturall sense and not malitiously peruerted it as one that would wilfullie runne into the pit he should haue béene so farre off finding his bodie of death in it as that much rather the sunne shine of comfort would appeared vnto him to haue banished the night of dark discomfort that came vpon him in his sicknesse when as this place rather would haue told him there is no condemnation towardes thee if thou be Christes agréeably whereto the spirite saith in the 33. and 34. verses afterwarde who shall laye anie faultes against the elect of God It is God that iustifieth who is hee that shall condemne It is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who sitteth also at the right hand of God and entreateth for vs. The second thing I obserue is concerning these wordes They walke not after the flesh which walking he taketh to be al one with that S. Paule calleth the law of sinne in his members whereas he might aswell haue compared a beast vnto a man for by that other law in his members it is manifest he meant the power of sinne which gate oportunities manie times against him although in his inner man to his might he made resistance as all open eyes may sée both by the opposing of the law in the members to the inner man as also by the whole suite and circumstances of the text Contrariewise in the other place Paule speaketh of the minde giuing obedience to the law of the members which he calleth To walke according to the flesh as when there is no resistance made to sinne So that her◠the holie Ghost speaketh of a whole man willingly going after sin there of a man falling but sometimes through infirmitie also there he sheweth in what respect the law hath a worke of death in our mortal bodies according to the obiection in the 13. verse but here he teacheth a note to know our selues truly iustified by euen our sanctification according to the matters handled from
I perceiue he dreamed of his own disease and so when he wakened told his dreame of others For is not this very sleight and cunning conueyance vpoÌ„ this text in stead of the law of coÌ„mandements to profer vs y e remnant of old Adam yet remaining in the regenerate man but let those admire him whose eies he hath bemisted They whose eyes the Lord hath opened to sée may rather wonder at his impudencie then be deceiued by such shifting If the scriptures could haue lent him but one example for this word law being simplie set down as it is here without anie word of restrainte accompanying it to haue meant the law of the members he might haue had some warrant of this his dealing But a rubbed forehead that can not chaunge colour maketh a hold tongue to vtter anie falshood Before if the Reader do remeÌ„ber whereas we reade in the 1. verse of the 8. ch to the Rom. There is now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus This man expâ—undeth the word condemnation by the bodie of death which Paule spake of before in the 7. chap. 24. verse Here he can make the word law sound the remnant of sin or vnregenerate part which Paule in that place also to the Rom. termeth the law of sin in his members Now if it bee lawfull for a man to vse this libertie namely to interprete termes of scripture onely for his own turne both taking them from their manifest sense and yéelding no proofe thereof by conference of other places then is there no heresie in the world so foule as the diuel in his members cannot find shift inough to maintain by colour of scriptures This considered my answere might be sufficient if I barely denyed his foolish fiction Yet because his friends shal know that I stand by the heape of trueth I will not spare in ansâ—â—ring to fill his measure full To the disproofe therefore of his sense let vs first remoue the doubtfulnesse of his speach and after that the falshoode The doubtfulnesse is in these wordes we shall not then be vnder the law of sin if he vnderstand here such a being vnder as is a willing lying downe and subiection thereunto which Paule forbiddeth and is onely true in the vnregenerate then this makethnothing for him selfe nor against our assertion though we granted him this meaning of that place If so be then we take it to meane as necessity enforceth that as manie as are led by the spirit are no more subiect in anie respect to the remnants of sin but that they may do whatsoeuer good they would then this can not bee the sense of that place because it is flat contrarie to the Apostle both in the verse afore going which I hope is clearely euicted from the aduersaries sense as also in the 1. verse of the 6. chap. where Paule plainely graunteth that euen they that haue the chiefest measures of spirituall graces may also be taken tardie in offences Wherefore if this mans minde had not béene forestalled with corrupt opinions which like the worst melancholie turneth euen those things that be verie coÌ„trarie in their owne nature to the féeding and maintenance of it selfe hee might haue found such a sense of this place as had beene both sutable to that exhortation the Apostle maketh to the Galat. as also well according with euerie point of doctrine which anie where els he teacheth namely that those that are led by the spirite are not vnder the law as touching the guilt and condemnaiion thereof as Rom. 8. 1. in in which respect it is deade Rom. 7. 6. and wee are no more subiect to it Rom. 6. 15. and hereby the Apostle vtterlie remoued all scruple of waâ—t endeuour that might sticke in the Galathians mindes by occasion of his former argument The rest from the 19. to the 21. verse being but a distribution of the effectes of the flesh and making nothing at all for his interpretation of the 17. verse which is the question is therefore idlely here brought in of E. G. to fill vp roome As for the end of the fruites of the flesh there set downe to wit that Adulterers Idolaters drunkardes gluttons c. shall not bee heires of the kingdome of GOD it hath beene of our part so firmely alwaie belieued and taught that the Church of GOD neuer needed the life of E. G. nor of anie such tumultuous spirite on this blasmous manner to vrge it Thus hauing gained this place also to our cause the proud building of frée will and Anabaptistical holines which he foolishlie raised thereupon is fallen and there appeareth therein foundation for nothing els but the humble habitation of Gods children not onely outwardlie laide at with the stormes of worldly calamities but most of all inwardlie assailed with the buffeting temptations of Sathan and rebeilious affections of onr owne remaining nature as that although wee watch and labour against them all the dayes of our life yet shall we be neuer in this life vtterlie rid of them nor yet in such case of abilitie as alwaies and in euerie thing to preuaile against them And therefore in this respect is our redemption obserued to be twofold the one from the cursse of the law and seruitude of sinne which held thereby the other from the coruption of our bodie The first fréeth vs from the rule and iurisdiction of our corrupt nature the second from the verie corrupt nature it selfe By meanes of the first we are so deliuered from our sinfull nature as that we yeelde no more willing obedience therunto it hauing no right ouer vs but do wage continuall battaile against it so as though it sometimes get the vantage preuaile yet we also manie times haue victorie ouer it But by the other we shall haue so full and coÌ„plet deliuerance as that neither anie corruption at all shall be left vnto vs nor yet anie other aduersarie that now by meanes of it take part against vs to annoy vs. Finally the benefit of our first redemptioÌ„ we enioy with great comfort in this life as those that being anoyed yet can neuer be taken anie more or spoiled of our aduersary but the sâ—cond we hold in y e assurance of hope onely it being a thing which as for the excellencie we sigh grone for that we might once fréely worship our redéemer without all impediments of the flesh so we are sure in that day to see it when the sonnes of God shalbe reuealed which is the day that euen all the creatures tures els likewise do long to sée and groane in the expectation of it with vs yea which that holy vessel S. Paul casting all thinges alreadie gained behind him laboured with all contentioÌ„ vnto as one that confessed him selfe whilest he liued here neither to haue attained the marke nor yet to be perfect Out of all which standing on the naturall sense of the verie worde of God what appeareth clearer vnto vs
works of righteousnes haue in their conference vrged you with these places of Paul which you resisting as a man voide of all vnderstanding can make no difference betwéene light and darknes life and death heauen and hell To the fourth place you bring They will aske then from whence came that will to doo well c. Prouing good the former interpretation of the seuenth to the Romans and affording neuer a word for your mōstrous accusation what should I saie but that it is truely verified of you A true witnes deliuereth soules but a deceiuer forgeth lies The fift obiection wherein you saie They make the inuer man and the spirit of Christ all one as it maketh neither too nor fro for your cause so is it a bastard perhaps of your own begetting the Preachers of the Gospell teach it not This man is desperately bent to slaunder that forgeth false obiections to féed the fire of his quarrell If anie your friends E. G. think it not likely that you forged it because you made it no more pregnant for the proofe of your cause let them know that as this argument hath not vertue enough to cleare you of iust suspition though you be suffered to enforce it as far as you can so contrariwise it being exactly weighed in the vnpartiall balance of vpright and circumspect iudgement dooth not onlie point in secret to the forgery but as in certaine cyphres also vncouer the cause and as it were the cogitation of your hart therin For whilest it proueth nothing your accusation but is onlie vsed by you as a plaine song for your furious penne to descant vpon what els appeareth it but some new affected standing wherein you would set to sale other farre fetcht wares of your pelagian heresie All which stuffe the Lord willing shalbe sorted out and examined hereafter in his fitter place Your sixt instance of there peruerting scriptures to teach that wicked doctrine you accuse them of is this That they saie the holie Ghost meaneth him onlie to be the seruant of sin and of the deuill who willingly with delight committeth sin not misliking nor striuing against it If I saie this interpretation were not aright yet it saith neuer a word ne giueth one backe nor winke to witnesse against the teachers thereof the intoilerable accusation which you as one that cannot blush haue laide against them Therefore take vnto you this saying of wise Salomon as a glasse wherein to sée your selfe if possibly anie prick of remorse maie pearse into you Foolishnes is ioy to him that is destitute of vnderstanding but a man of vnderstanding walketh vprightly And a litle before The mind of the prudent seeketh knowledge but the mouth of fooles is fedde with foolishnes What I can saie to warrant their assertion you shal heare anon after I haue once throughly shewed how honest a man you are of your word Yet or I passe let it be noted in this place that of these six witnesses which you haue indéede not orderlie produced but forcibly haled into the Court to testifie for you not one of them would doo you that fauour as to giue you a good countenance but presentlie turned their backes so soone as the matter was but repeated and in a deepe silence departed Wherefore now at length being somewhat spent of witnesses and hardly distressed in your cause you set forth your selfe to entertaine your iudges partly with the odious repetitiō of your vnproued slaunder and partly with a new craft of subtile insinuation as though our Ministers indéed by an argument of comparison did driue at some such conclusion as you haue enforced vpon them For answere whereunto I must tell you first that whilest you procéed thus you betraie the verie issue of your cause into my hands For whereas in the beginning you knew that our Preachers saide not that in expresse words which you accuse them of and yet charged them still to teach no other thing in effect you grew on then to this point that you would proue it by shewing how they peruert the holie scriptures to that end Hereupon wée haue ioyned our issue hitherto your proofes haue failed and now you fall a shifting as though you would alter your issue So that A wauering minded man is vnconstant in all his waies But I am content to make no gain of this vantage my cause is full so good as that I doubt not to ouerthrow you although I yeld you all those liberties helpes that may any way lawfully be vsed of you in this case Now let vs hear you These men you say do hold That the spirit is in their belieuers though they bee wholy possessed of pride couetousnesse c. because wee see fier may bee raked vnder the ashes and the sap may be in the root of the tree and yet appeare not Which men where be they when heard you it E. G lying is no lawfull helpe I can not graunt it you Or if you heard it not perhaps you might reade it tel vs what writers do so apply that similitude for this he bringeth not a sillable to satisfie vs. O beastlie impudencie O Babilonish pride O palpable impietie But I will stay my selfe in exclaming though this man hath neither stop nor stay in lying But do you perswade your selfe E. G. there are anie so seruilely addicted to your heresie as that they shoulde easely brooke this lothsomnesse of your lying and forgerie for my part though I know as experience of all ages hath confirmed vnto vs that there is no heresie so foule or vgglie but it shal finde too manie fitte subiects to receiue it such is the iust iudgement of God vpon those that rest not them selues in his trueth yet am I in very good hope that this grosse impudencie and apparant sinne of slander which thus raigneth in you throughout all your writing will giue as cleare light as the sunne vnto the consciences of all those that haue anie feeling not onelie that your accusation is without proofe but also that your opinion of the full power of the regenerate man ouer al his waies to absteine from euil and keepe the commandements is besides the falshood of it a verie monster fearefull and venomous not to be approached of anie that would auoide the poysoning of their soules But of this more fully in his place Meane time let euerie faithful brother know this that the ministers of the Churches professing the gospel generallie throughout Christendom I speake not of anie limbes of the diuel in corners do vse this similitude of fire raked vnder the ashes and sap in the rootes of the trees onely in the case of some afflicted conscience and not otherwise As for example there be manie deare children of God that either immediatlie vpon their new begetting to the faith or shortly after in the growing vp of the same God in his wisedom so seeing it good for them are not so daungerously as grieuously for the time
wit that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Hetherto also maketh S. Peters exhortatioÌ„ that we would make our vocation and election sure vnto vs that is confirme our mindes therein by a holie life Of the notes to examine our selues by I haue spoken hertofore more exactly page 75. 76. where are described the seueral fruites of our recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ Briefly like as by good works indéed we acknowledge sanctification and from sanctification ascend to faith as which can bee no more separated then the fire and his light euen so from those sure effects we gather our effectuall calling from that calling we conclude our election and so our predestination in Christ as firme through the infallible connexion of canses effects euen as the throne it self of God is firme vnmoueable here fastening y â— anker of our hope which neuer maketh vs ashamed wée are carried vpward and foorthright stil we fare amids y e tempests of all temptations being euer conquerous through the spirit of God vntill at the last we attaine to the desired glorification His exhortation directed vnto vs wherein hee boasteth to minister sure matter of sounde comfort for our reliefe as though all our Ministers doo comfort vs amisse as it receiued proportion and forme from the prince of pride who maketh his instruments surpassing all others in the height of their owne conceit so the matter of it is as a waight of lead specially for the afflicted conscience to sinke it downe to hell For when the soule now alreadie humbled and brused with the sense and burden of sin shall receiue this newes that there is no allowed harboure for her safe comfort and reioycing til shée can attain to that stately abilitie of standing as neuer more to commit anie thing y â— shée knoweth to be sinne to what extremitie shall shée bée brought hereby How shal she auoyd the iawes of hell and dispaire especially hauing alreadie before her eyes the terrible experience of her own impotencie And he that standeth firmest can herein finde no comfort séeing no certaintie is granâ—â—d him so long as his conscience can tell him of any sin for this man saith plainly That condemnation abideth for him so long vntill he haue by Christ all the workes of the deuill so loosed in him that he sin not Which wordes shew more fully the reach of his meaning if they be wayed with that which a litle after he vttereth Wee may be bold by the example of Christs Apostle to affirme that no violeÌ„ce either heauenly or earthly no death no persecution no swoord no power or force whatsoeuer shalbe able to separat vs from the loue of God in our Lord Iesus Christ that is shalbe able to force vs to sin wittingly Here his wholesome glose vpon the text telleth the reader how little grace was in the man Besides a child cannot be deceiued that readeth y â— place but must sée that there the Apostle speaketh of the loue not wherewith we loue God but wherewith God loueth vs in Christ Iesu Now in that hée hath framed it thus for his purpose it declareth that I haue not charged him amisse hitherto in saying he affirmeth the regenerate man to haue a full absolute power to withstand sin Which as I haue by the grace of God plentifully confuted heretofore so yet can I not but by this flat place presse him moreouer and that worthely with these his owne absurdities and contradictions First if the regenerate mans abilitie be so great that nothing can constraine him to sin then it should folow that he cannot sin wittingly at anie time for S. Paul plainely inough teacheth that his will is euer to dâ—â— that hee knoweth God hath commanded him and euerie one of vs féeleth this most certainly in his owne experieÌ„ce to be true Secondly if this doctrine stand then election is alwaies at one staie with the regenerate his perseuerance neuer faileth vtterly the spirit cannot quite be put out and so that fayre puppie often regeneration néedeth no other violence then such as the hand of him that begot it bringeth here vnto it And to conclude thus we see in true consequence al other foundations in his booke rased to the ground for the establishing of this own browne paper building of mans absolute abilitie which hauing now alreadie put the fire of Gods word vnto it sufficeth me here to behold the flame thereof The-scriptures which he wringeth will not yeelde him one drop of liquor to quench it He faileth still in this common fallation to toke that for simply and in all respects which is meant but in a measure and in some respects So for the place of the Philippians because Paule saide he was able by Christ to behaue him selfe in all states of life whether in fulnes or hunger aboundance or scarcitie this man wil vnderstand it of euery actioÌ„ throughout Paules life of an absolute power to performe the same euen as he would In like sorte dealeth he with the other two places 1. Cor. 4. 4. and 2. Tim. 4. 18. In both which Paule speaketh concerning the offices and dueties of his Apostleship I know nothing by my selfe And The Lord shall deliuer me from euil worke For concerning the perticuler actions and practise of all his life these places of his franke confession shall for euer stand vntouched I do not the good that I would but the euil that I would not And I haue not yet attained the marke nor am not perfect Beside what soeuer may be saide for Paules holie life yet hee reasoneth absurdlie froÌ„ him to vs as if he should haue said A man can carrie a hundreth waight therefore a childe can do the same The 1. Ioh. 5. 4. hurteth his cause for the beginning of the verse is whosoeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the world which we acknowledge namely the worke to be a doing euen from the first day of our effectuall calling The other part of the verse is and this is the victorie which hath ouercome the world to wit our faith wherin if his eies had serued him he might haue séene that our present victory is placed not in actuall but in imputatiue righteousnesse onely that is in such righteousnesse as wee haue in Christ by faith which surely should not be if we had here an absolute power And whereas he saith there is nothing so hard or strong which by Christ we shall not be able to performe ouercome he saith trueth but the question is not betwéene vs what we shalbe able or how much we shall attaine vnto finally But whether our strength be at full to do good and our power absolute in this life therevnto I haue graunted before not onely an imputation but also an inchoation of inherent righteousnesse in all that are truely sanctified which though it be not in like measure with euerie one yet is it in a true measure in the weakest and such as hath continual