Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	ghost_n	holy_a	11,216	5	5.5398	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17486	Concerning the true beleefe of a Christian man a most excellent and profitable dialogue, by S.C. Herevnto, besides the marginall notes, declaring the chiefe points of doctrines, there is added a godlye and lightsome prayer, which in certain breefe petitions, comprehendeth the very contents of the vvhole vvorke: vvritten in Latine, by Abraham Fleming Londoner borne. To the right Reuerend Father in Christ, Iohn Bishop of London. Translated out of Latine, by Arthur Golding.; De vera Christiani hominis fide. English.	Wittewronghelus, Jacobus.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607. A godly and fruteful prayer.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606.	1582 (1582)	STC 4301; ESTC S109605	31,186	106

to him alone And yet by the vvay I vvill let passe that cheefe and intire care of yours vvherewith you bee often touched namelye of preferring the bookes of learned men to light by the reading and considering vvhereof your Fatherhoode knovveth that so many as studie them as becommeth them being stayed vp and inlightned vvith right reason and founde iudgement doe gather most plentifull fruite For these resemble not those vvhich in setting forth Book●s doe play the poysoners vvho into their slubbersauces doe put liquerice or of the choysest suger beaten into poulder that they may vvith the lesse lothsomnesse and misliking be conuayed into the stomacke and afterwarde shead themselues into all the conueiaunces of the body so as the vaynes at length maye swel the bovvels burst and finally the vvhole man be killed Naye they be muche more hurtfull then the poysoners vvhiche destroy but only the frame of the body for they infect the very soule killing it vtterly and throvving it headlong into the tormentes of Hell vvhiche shall neuer die nor cease Contraryvvise the vvorkes of the right beleeuers be they little or be they greate yield such profit to the Readers that they grovv euer better but neuer vvoorse euer skilfuller holyer purer perfecter and acceptabler to God The reason vvhereof hath ledde your Fatherhood so to fauour the vvritten Copie of this little Booke vvhich treateth lightsomly of the true faith of a Christian man that among other Bookes whereof the nūber is infinite vvith the superscription of your own hand you haue authorised the same to be printed that it may go abrode and be common in the hands of all such as desire to haue the triall of their faith The vvhich now comming forth vvith a new outward shew if your reuerend Fatherhoode shall vouchsafe to accept vvith the accustomed fauor of your good countenance and to suffer it to rest vnder the shadow of your defense yelding your self to be as Patrone of it considering that the booke is commended inough of it selfe and the vvriter therof vvas notably learned and hath deserued very vvell of the true Religion vvhich vve novv imbrace or as I may vvell say that it shall be the better vvelcome to all such as loue the Christian faith so am I vvell assured that it shall turne to the great benefite of many and besides that though I be sore hindred vvith the great vvaight almost of daylye businesse you shall stirre me vp to take in hande the Translating thereof into Englishe and to make an ende of it euen oute of hand GOD moste gratious and almightye graunte you abundaunce of his heauenly grace shead vppon you the most sweete Oyle of his hol● spirite daylye increase your Honour and lengthen the time of your life that hauing putte the enimies of the Gospell to flight sette foorth his glory inlarged his Church and happily ended your last day you may liue for euer blessedly placed at the right hand of Christ the vnspotted Lambe and firste begotten of the Father So be it Most addicted to your Honor ABRAHAM FLEMING Londoner borne ¶ The Argument of this Dialogue WHat it is to beleeue in God and what wonders are wrought by the power of beleefe be it worldly or diuine and what thinges doe hinder beleefe Also how a man may hate himselfe and by fayth forsake himselfe and kill the deedes of the fleshe The effect of the talke is this That he which beleeueth in God and in his sonne Iesus Christ is able by the power of that beleefe to mortifie his flesh with the lusts therof through the holy Ghost and to serue God in spirite and truth A most excellent and profitable little Booke concerning the true christian faith ¶ The Persons that talke together are Lewis and Frederike Lewis GLadly in good sooth Friende Frederike haue I hearde your talke both yesterday and to day and therby I haue learned many thinges which I knew not before and this is one thing which hath cheefly mooued me that you haue shewed that our Lorde commaundeth not any thing which is vnpossible to be done For I was of beleefe before that as it is cōmonly hearde and taughte Gods commaundements are vnpossible to be obayed Which perswasion to tell you the truth hath made me slowe to obay so as I neuer strayned my selfe to obay with my whole power Fred. The lyke hath befalne vnto me also and I could neuer yield my selfe truely and earnestly to obaying before I beleeued that it was possible to obay And truelye hereby I haue learned the force of Beleefe which Beleefe maketh a man desirous willing to obaye And desire being afterward matched with power giuen of GOD bringeth to passe that a man doeth the things which he hath beleeued himselfe to be able to doe and so he is saued by obaying as hee was earste vndone by disobeying And so being led by the spirite of Christ he fulfilleth the rightuousnesse of the lawe not walking after the flesh but liuing after the spirite whiche righteousnesse is therefore called the righteousnes of the law not for that it maketh the beleeuer righteous but because the law requireth it For the whole performaunce thereof is Christs because it is brought to passe by his power and spirite liuing and working in those that are his The Law then commaundeth and Christ fulfilleth and so the praise is due not to the commander but to the performer Neuerthelesse it were to smal purpose to beleeue that it is possible to obay God vnlesse a man do also know the way how god may be obayed without the which obedience fayth is dead and without fayth no man canne be saued But this I would haue you to bee perswaded of my Lewis that the discourses both of vs and of al others are to saye no worse of them vnprofitable if they trayne vs not to obedience and to the renewing of the man Lew. These things are true Frederike Therefore that I may fare somewhat the better by your communication I pray you shewe me by what meane I may attayne to obey God For inasmuche as you haue shewed me by your talk that it is possible to be done I haue conceyued a desire of obeying Fred. O my Lewis would God that I my selfe were rightly obedient to the intent I might leade thee as it were by the hande to obedience As now it is vnpossible for me to leade you further then I myselfe haue attayned vnto Lew. Yet notwithstāding I beleeue you haue proceeded further forward then I haue done therfore I beseech you shew me but as farre as you your selfe are gone Fred. Willingly will I do that Lewis but I am afrayde the hardnesse and roughnesse of the way will scare you from it Lew. Feare not I hope I am ready to all things be they neuer so harde so I may attayne to the ende that I desire Fred. I pray God to stablishe this willingnesse of yours and to bring it throughout to

they ought to doo And surely if they perswaded themselues alike in all other vertues they should excell alyke in all other vertues Many other things of the same sorte may be gathered so great is the power of the beleefe that worketh in them Therfore let vs examine our fayth that we may see whether Christes spirite do dwell in vs or no. Christ telleth vs that they bee blessed whiche doo hunger and thyrst after righteousnesse and hee commaundeth vs to hoorde vp treasure in heauen Come on Doo you feele as great thyrst of righteousnesse as euer you haue felte at any tyme of water Or as greate desire of Gods kingdome as the couetous man feeleth desire of money Do you watche day and night to please GOD Haue you euer spent a whole yere or twayne in the studie of godlynes Levv. Nothing lesse Fred. Well what strēgth haue you in suffering of wrongs If a man strike you on the right cheke can you turne to him y e left Can you blesse him that curseth you Can you wish well to him that reuileth you Can you pray for him that rayleth vpon you Can you seeke his welfare which practiseth your death Lew. Soothly I am very farre of from these things Fred. Then do you not beleeue in Christ. For if you did you wold obey his commaundementes Levv. But I neuer referred beleefe to this obedience Fred. What maner of thing then did you take fayth to be Levv. I tooke it to be a trust of Gods freebestowed mercy offred vnto vs in Christ. Fred. To what purpose then deeme you Christes commaundementes to serue Levv. To put vs in mind of our infirmitie in that we be not able to performe the things which we ought to doe and so to make vs hang wholly vpon Christ who hath performed them for vs and imparteth them vnto vs. Fred. Euen the Apostles them selues trusted to Gods freebestowed mercy and yet they obeyed Christes commaundements Nother do I set saluation in our own obedience but in Gods free mercy But this I say that whosoeuer beleeueth Gods free mercy aright obeyeth Christes commaundementes And if a man do beleeue but Gods free mercy onely and not also all his commaundements threatnings promises and sayings whatsoeuer I saye his fayth is maymed vnauaylable For the full and mightie fayth or belief is that wherby the Saints haue subdued kingdomes wroght righteousnes obteined the promises done such other things as any man may wonder to thinke of them For that mā doth not rightly beleeue in God which vpon a rashnesse doth but onely behight himselfe saluation by his free mercy after which maner the Iewes doo beleeue still yet at this day but he which doth so flatly yeelde credite and assent not to some one peece of Gods sayings and dooings but to al of them as you haue reported your selfe to haue beleeued your father when you were a child or as we spake of the couetous and lecherous persons which haue such a fayth or beleef as is not dead and ydle but effectuall and workful counterfetting the spirite of Christ and neuer resting til it haue obteined the thing that it desired Such a one is the true Christian fayth which worketh through loue and whosoeuer hath not such a one doth falsely boast him selfe of fayth Therefore whereas men do commonly chalenge fayth to themselues and yet liue in all kind of wickednes they lye haue not the true fayth but a dead one which is no more worthy of the name of fayth then a dead man is worthy of the name of a man That this is not fayth in deede Christ himselfe sheweth sufficiently when he sayth that at his comming he shall not finde fayth vppon the earth And also when vnto these whiche saye Lorde Lorde haue we not caste out diuels in thy name Haue we not wroughte wonders in thy name and haste thou not taught in our streetes He shall say I know you not get you hence yee workers of wickednes Ye see he will admit none for faythfull but onely the weldoers and the obeyers For they be the only persons which haue the true fayth of whō it is written thus These are they whiche haue mainteyned Gods commaundementes and the faith of Iesus Nowe if you haue not the fayth which maye make you righteous that is to say chaste lowly gentle liberall and indued with such other of the vertues see how farre you be of from beeing able to worke the miracles which Christ hath tolde vs should be the signes of fayth I require not here bodily myracles whiche were appoynted to the first trayning of the Church vnto fayth But the thing that I require is that he which beleeueth in Chr●st should breede the same vertues in other men which God hath bred in him that is to wit that of drunkards he should make them sober of lecherous chast of yreful meeld and at a word of vnrighteous righteous For to caste out diuels is to cast out the vices of lecherie couetousnes wrathfulnes and such other Also to speake with new tongs is to speake with fyrie and burning speach such as no man can withstande of which sorte theirs is whiche speake the things not which they haue hard but which they haue seene with their eyes heard with their eares and felt with their hands that is to saye which they haue printed throughly in their harts which they do as verily beleeue as you do verily beleeue that it is nowe day or that anone it shal be night With suche toungs they be able truely and effectually to comforte the afflicted to harten the weak-minded to releeue them that are in despayre to strengthen the feeble to counsell the fearefull and to performe suche other things which I make farre greater account of then of the working of outward miracles and of such as belong but only to the body If a man haue not these things himself ne can conuey them into others I see not by what right he cā claime faith vnlesse it be the fayth which the diuels haue who do beleeue that there is a God do quake at him But I speake of the true and iustifying fayth which maketh a man partaker of y e nature of God and causeth all things to be possible to him I haue shewed afore howe great force beleefe hath in matters of this worlde and the same is to be seene euen in Religion be it false or true The Turkes beleeue that wine is not to bee drunke and therfore they can forbeare wine The Iewes beleeue that a man ought to absteine from the things which the Law forbiddeth and therefore they absteine There are to be found which doo pyne them selues to death with long ouerfasting some whippe them selues I say not greeuouslye but euen cruelly till the bloud followe other some for Religions sake doo take vppon them long pilgrimages wherein they indure beggerie and many other inconueniences

refrayne Beholde God threatneth a blowe vnto your soule and yet you refraine not The like I say of all other thinges You be minded to haue to doo with a whore but bicause a boye is by you doo it not Beholde God is present and yet you be not ashamed to do it Do you not nowe make lesse account of Gods presence then of the presence of a boy Or if you forbeare for feare of punishment at mans hande and not as well for feare of Gods punishmente doo you not preferre man before God You are angrye with a man and you woulde fayne cudgell hym but you forbeare for feare of the Magistrate Why forbeare you not as well for feare of God I pray you if you make as great reckoning of God as you doo of men why doth the feare of God beare lesse swaye with you then the feare of men You slaunder your neighbour God seeth the slaunder and yet you doo it neuerthelesse But if men sawe it you woulde not doo it Runne through all things after the same sorte Lewis and you shall see that whosoeuer doth more for the loue or feare of men then of God doth beleeue in men rather then in God Levv. O my Frederike my conscience beareth mee witnesse that the things which you say be true and rightfull but thereof springeth a greefe in my hart Fred. Why so did you feele any suche greefe when we treated of Predestination or of Freewill Levv. No none at all Fred. I beleeue you Lewis For knowledge bringeth no greef but rather gladnes as which leaueth the old man vnappayred For although you could skil of al maner of mysteries yet might you serue the diuell euer still But nowe when we deale with y e foresaking of our selues the flesh perceyuing that she must go to wrake for it playeth as Harlots are wont to do when young men giue them ouer They vexe them with the desire of them and try all meanes to holde them still Euen so that Harlot the fleshe which betwitcheth all men with the cup of her vncleannesse as soone as she perceiueth that a man mindeth to giue her the slippe doth vexe him with the desire of her stil and leaueth nothing vnattempted that she maye holde him still Hereof breedeth great greefe according to the greatnes of y e loue towards the fleshe like as if you were to forsake your Countrie looke how much you were in loue with your Countrie so much would it greue you to forgo it And surely sin is our Countrie for in sinne haue our mothers conceiued vs which cannot be forsaken without greef Here is y t Crosse of Christ wherof he him selfe sayth If any man be minded to come after me let him take vp his Crosse and follow me And if any man come vnto me and hate not his father mother wife and children brethren systers yea and euen his owne lyfe so as he be contented to beare his crosse and to folowe me he cannot be my disciple And to the intent you may vnderstande what the hating of a mans self is and what crosse it bringeth with it consider it throughly by the hating of another man If you hated a man deadly how would you be minded towards him or what would you do to him Lew. I would wish him al euil euen from my heart likewise enuie him any good I would be sory for his welfare glad of his aduersitie If a man broght me word of any mischance of his I would reioyce at it both gētly intertein liberally rewarde the messenger with some gifte To be short I would loue mine enimies foes do them good I would hate his friends and do them harme if I could All his sayings and doings would I prye at and take aduantage of them and by all meanes possible yea diuers times euen to mine owne harme would I hurt him Finally I would kill him if I coulde and that not by anye cōmon maner but with the gree●ousest death that could be and I woulde doo what I could to wype the very remembraunce of him out of the world Fred. Now turne this your hatred Lewis towards your selfe for you are a deadly enimy to your self ought to hate your self deadly and not other men who cannot kill you that is to say your soule And therefore you must take paynes to wishe all maner of euill yea and euen death to your selfe that is to wit to your flesh and to enuye her all good things and to be sory for her prosperitie to be glad of her aduersitie And that if any man tell you any thing amisse of your selfe you may reioyce therat in spirit and liberally reward the reporter thereof and to be short that you may deuise and doo all things against your selfe as men are wont to do against those with whom they be at deadly foode that you neuer rest till you haue killed your selfe And forasmuch as no man hath euer yet hated his owne flesh as sayth S. Paule You must first and formost be diuorced from your fleshe that she may no longer be your fleshe but straunge fleshe and in her steede you must place the spirit betwene whom and the flesh there can neuer be any more concord or agreement then betwene fyre water Levv. O my Frederike to tell you the truth me thinks y e things that you speake of are as harde as stone Fred. I beleeue you Lewis and so must it nedes be But be of good chere and begin euen now to loue me in spirite because I am an aduersarie to your flesh For it is for your benefite and you can not be saued so long as your flesh is aliue Wherefore if you will be saued see that ye hate your selfe and forsake your selfe And I will tell you an example of this forsaking If a seruant giue ouer himselfe in bondage to you he abandoneth him selfe that is to say his owne libertie and will thenceforth to follow your will and not his owne Oftentimes when he would sleepe he must watch if his master commaund him when he would goe abrode he must tary at home whē he would play he must work and at a worde he so forgoeth his owne freedome that if he be asked what he will do or what he mindeth to do he must answere what his master listeth at whose appointment he is So we if we belōg to Christ who hath bought vs at a great price are not at oure owne disposition or appoyntment but at Christes and therefore we must doo not what we l●st but what he listeth and worthily For if he beeing the waye and the trueth did notwithstanding so submit his will to the will of his father that he sayde Not my will be done but thine what becommeth it vs to doo which are ouer-couered with errours and leasings Therefore when you be about to be angrye without cause you must restrayne your anger at

the appoyntment of Christ. When you would giue your selfe to voluptuousnes you must absteine and giue your selfe to sorrowing When you would be aduenged of any body you must forgiue him When you woulde doo a man harme you muste doo him good When you woulde laughe you muste weepe When you would sew for honour you must indure shame When you would seeke riches you muste suffer pouertye And to be short you must in suche wise depart from your own will as if you b●e asked what you woulde you maye answere nothing but what Christ listeth And all these things shal you do throgh faith For vnlesse you beleued you would not do them But it is necessary to be vnderstoode what is ment by this sa●ing of S. Paules that we must proceede from fayth to fayth There is a certayne first and vnperfect beleefe whereby a man is moued to renounce hym selfe This beeing once kindled becommeth daylye greater by a mans holding on vntill at length he be come so farre that he doth as certenly beleeue all Gods sayings commandements promises and threatni●gs as you beleeue that the day shall succeede y e night Hence springeth that almightie power of fayth wherthrough it is able to remoue mountaynes so as there is no pride no couetousnes no lechery nor to be short no vice so huge great which that fayth is not able to put away and to plucke vp by the ●oote Howbeit ere euer a man attayne to that strength he is to indure many hard things in the way of his forsaking of him selfe and without such hardnes there is no accesse to be had to that strength like as a figge or a grape can not become sweet except it be first sowre And because I my selfe haue not yet obteined the victorie but doo yet still sweate in the incounter of forsaking my self and as yet am farre of from the garlande I will say no more concerning the victorie that is to say concerning the thing that is vnknowen vnto me but yet as much as I can I will helpe you by Gods grace in y e incounter if you will be my companion Lew. Truely for my parte although my selfe do shudder start backe at it y●t am I caryed with my spirite minde to follow you For I see no other way for a man to be saued but by departing out of his owne nature that he maye put vpon him the nature of Christ and by caring studying striuing and taking paynes to repayre the image wherafter we were created And therefore beseeching God that it may be to his glory mine own saluation henceforth I yeeld my self into this way as a folower of Christ taking god for my guid Fred. And I thank God for this willingnes which he hath giuen you beseeching him to finishe his work which he hath begon in you to bring you to that poynt that ye may at length serue righteousnes as you haue seru●d vnrighteousnes which thin he wil vndoutedly doo except you greeue his spirite and cast it out through your disobediēce Finally of this I will warney ●n that you must haue a riche fayth because you beleeue in him that is riche in doing good For men haue euer sinned in beleeuing vntowardly and more nigardly of Gods gracious goodnes then they ought to do Abraham and Sara were rebuked for laughing as though it had but a matter to be laughed at that God promised them issue when they were both olde and Sara moreou●r barr in Zacharias the father of Iohn Baptist was striken dumbe for a tyme because he beleeued not the Angels words We be commonly more forwarde in folowing the weake beleefe or if I may so terme it the vnbeleef of the godly then in following their full and riche beleefe Why doo we not rather followe those which durst beleeue all things Eliseus durst craue double the spirite of Elias which soothly was a great thing euen by the record of Elias him selfe and yet he obteined it so vnpossible is it for any fayth to be so great but that Gods gracious goodnes and power doo surmount the same All thinges sayth he are possible to the beleeuer Agayne Whatsoeuer yee aske beleeue that you shall obteyne it and yee shall haue it in deede Remember I saye the saying of Elizeus speaking after this maner to the poore woman Borrow oyle-vessels of thy neighbours yea borrow a great sort and the Lord will fill them al full Euen so Lewis let vs do our indeuor that we may haue suche a fayth as maye be able to receiue the greatest good things and let vs be bolde to beleeue that God both can and will bring to passe that we shall loue him alone with our whole heart soule power and strength And he of his owne gracious goodnes will bestowe all things vpon vs much more largely then we can euen thinke for his sonne our Lorde Iesus Christes sake to whom be honour glory and dominion for euer Amen FINIS A godly and fruteful prayer which beeing gathered out of the whole Dialogue doth briefly comprehende the chiefe things that are to be obserued therin are there more largely opened Made by Abraham Flemming Londoner borne ALmightie and euerlasting God which vppon vs wretched sinners hast heaped vp many or rather infinit benefites and vpon vs vntamed Hekfars despising the healthfull words of thy commaundements hast bestowed most singuler ornamentes euen the riches of thy grace behold our lowlynes and see how we cast our selues downe in comming to make sute at the throne of thy Maiestie crying for helpe from heauen that we maye be bolde to bring those things to passe which of our owne power we be scarsely or rather vtterly vnable to attempt Let thy sonne Christ the bright light and full wisedome of the father shine vnto vs Let him be our guide and directer let him inlighten our dim harts Let him soften the thing that is hard scoure the thing that is filthy sweeten the thing y t stinketh righten the thing that is crooked lighten the thing that is darke hallowe the thing that is vnholy and finally make whole and perfect in all poyntes the thing that is maymed and vnperfect that by that meanes wee maye at length become the forewarder to performe those things which thy diuine word inioyneth vs and to leaue the things vndone which we bee forbidden to meddle withall Graunt O mercifull God such light of true knowledge as may leade vs foorth righte and make vs to walke without stumbling in the wayes of thy worde Let the true obedience take deepe roote in vs whiche is wonte to bee more acceptable and pleasaunt to thee then any sacrifice Increace in vs that fayth without which we can not please thee Let that fayth bee effectuall and mightie in vs that hauing shaken off all distrust and put away all disobedience we may not onely beginne but also proceede and perseuer a●ter suche a sorte in beleeuing as we may become

and promises Fred. Doubt you of that First as touching Gods commaundements whereas our masters vniuersally be wont to teache that they be not set downe to the intent we should obey them but to make vs acknowledge our infirmities what else is it then a ●iscrediting of Gods commaundementes For seeing our Lord hath sayd that all things are possible to him that beleeueth and Paule sayth he is able to doo all things through him that strengthneth him surely that man which not onely obeyeth not Gods commaundementes but also beleeueth that it is vnpossible to obey them doth not beleue the commaundements aright Whervpon it followeth that looke how fewe folke obey the commaundementes so few do beleeue them Levv. But this saying whiche you allege namely that al things are possible to the beleuer seemeth to be spoken of myracles and not of obedience Fred. It is spoken generally of all the works of fayth which I spake of in alledging that place of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Thorough fayth the Saints conquered kingdomes wrought righteousnes c. For surely to worke righteousnes is a deede of fayth Besides this if Gods wil be that men should through fayth be able to work miracles which notwithstanding are not of the necessitie of their saluation muche more is it his will that they should by the same fayth bee able to obey his commaundementes seeing that without obedience a man can not be saued and that to obey is not a harder matter then to worke myracles and yet that to obey belongeth to all beleeuers wheras to worke myracles belongeth not to all as I haue shewed afore Levv. In deede these things are true Frederike but yet there remayneth one thing whiche I would ●ayne haue opened vnto me You sayd euen now that all men beleeue Christes hystories but not his commaundementes likewise But if they beleeued the whole story of Christ and specially his resurrection in my opinion they should beleeue all the other things also For no doubt but if they beleeued that Iesus Christ is risen from the dead in so doing they should both beleeue that he is the very sonne of God in deede and moreouer giue credite to all his sayings In whiche respect Iohn sayde These thinges are written to the intent yee mighte beleeue that Iesus is the annoynted sonne of God that through beleeuing it ye should obteine lite by his nam● Fred. Wheras I deny that they beleeue his commaundementes I would not haue it so taken as though they beleeued not that his commaunding of those thinges was well and as became y e sonne of God to do but that forasmuch as they beleue not that the things which he commaunded to be done are eyther possible or needefull to be done misconstering them after their owne fancie and not according to his mind I say they beleeue them not aright For your better vnderstanding wherof I will giue you an example When God hauing brought the children of Israel out of Egipt commaunded them to enter into the land of Canaan did they beleue that god commaunded it Lew. Yea verily Or else they would neuer haue sent Spyes into the lande of Canaan Fred. Why then did they not obey him Lew. Because they were of opinion that the Chananites could not be ouercome and that God had brought them out of Egypt not to conquer Canaan but to perish wretchedly in the wildernes Fred. Then did they not beleue Gods commandement according to Gods meaning forasmuche as his meaning was that they should haue inuaded Canaan subdued the Chanaanites Lew. You say the trueth Fred. Then did they not beleue aright Levv. No not aright Fred. Whether then are they to be called beleuers or vnbeleuers Levv. Truly by this reason they should be called vnbeleeuers Fred. And soothly so bee they Lewis in very deede For in the very same place God calleth them vnbeleeuers in these words How long will this people spite mee How long will it be ere they will beleue me for al y e miracles which I haue wrought among them Now if these be iustly called vnbeleeuers the same reason leadeth vs to call the others vnbeleeuers and distrusters of Christes cōmaundementes forasmuch as they do no lesse misconster the preceptes of Christ than the Israelites did the commaundementes of God For Christ hath not wrought fewer miracles to vs then Moses did to them Nother doth Christ cōmaund vs lesse earnestly to subdue sinne then God commaunded them to subdue the Cananites Nother are we lesse spiteful distristful towards him if we deny that sinne may be subdued when as he both commaundeth vs promiseth vs strength then they were spitefull and distrustfull towards God in denying it to be possible to ou●rcome the Cananites Nother do we offende lesse agaynst the meaning of Christ when we deny that it is eyther possible for vs or ment by Christ that we should do the things which he hath commaunded vs to doo then the Israelites offended agaynst the meaning of God when they wrested it another waye then hys open wordes imported And therefore in denying them to beleeue Christes commaundementes I do them no wrong As touching the place of Iohn by you alleged it is too bee taken as if a man should haue sayde at that tyme to the Israelites God hath wrought these miracles for your sakes in Egypt to the intent you should beleeue and by beleuing enter into the r●stingplace of Chanaan But the cause why all of thē came not there was not Gods purpose but their owne hardening of their hartes against him which thing woulde God were not done in Christ also But wee see it is so Howbeit the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes warneth vs not to do it citing this saying out of a certain Psalm To day if ye heare his voyce harden not your hartes as your forefathers did harden theirs Therefore to returne agayne to the matter Whereas these men are wont so diligently to picke out the things to beleeue which belong to the office of God and to refuse the things that perteine to the duetie of man I praye you what a dealing is it Gods gracious goodnes hath yelded saluation to all men O how gladly is this admitted But as for that which followeth namely to teach vs to forsake vngodlynesse and worldly lusts and to liue thriftily righteously and godlily in this world that is a seede which fewe men receiue Many beleeue that Christ hath so performed y t poynt as that we neede not to performe the same Againe that the man is blessed to whom the Lorde imputeth no sinne is easily beleeued of all men but as for that which is annexed to it namely in whose hart there is no guyle that they beleeue to be vnpossible Likewise it is commonly vaunted with full mouth that they whiche are in Christ Iesus are not subiect to any condemnation for it is a very sweete saying but as for this

VVhich walke not after the flesh but after the spirite it is bitter and of very few beleeued And to make few words men do easily beleue that they shall reape with ioy but if you tel them that they must sow with teares they put that sentēce ouer vnto Christ. Herevpon it commeth to passe that the false prophets because they teach delectable things blaze abrode Gods pleasaunt promises with open mouth do easily find credit wheras the true prophets because they vrge men and make them afraide with threats and teach the truth seuerely do beare sway among very fewe according as Esay crieth out Lord who hath beleeued our preaching Heereby it appeareth playnly my Lewis that self-loue is the let that men beleue not the trueth And if selfeloue were done away they would beleeue nothing so easily as the trueth as who are borne vnto trueth and do by and by fall in acquayntaunce with it as a thing of their owne kinne if there be no impediment to let it Therefore if you will rightlye beleeue the trueth that is to say God you muste needes put away selfeloue or rather conceiue a hatred towards your selfe Levv. Truly Frederik you win me to be of your minde in these things but it is no smal matter for a man to hate himself Nother do I see how I may attaine vnto it or yet perceiue whether it be possible for me to attaine thereto I am so farre in loue with my selfe Fred. I know Lewis that it is a very hard thing and passing the strength of man but in this case we must beare in minde how that whē Sara beleued not y t she might breede child our Lord said of her Is there any thing which god can not do The things y t are vnpossible to man are possible to God wher god is our guide nothing is to be despayred of Lew. I beseech you then shewe me the way to attayne thervnto Fred. By Gods leaue I will do it giue eare vnto me If I had a Seruant in whom I very much delighted fayrespoken and seruisable whiche should prepare me some meates that best liked mine appetite with the same meates should mingle poyson to bereeue me of my life and you who loue me should haue knowledge thereof what would you doo Levv. Surely I would spedily and earnestly giue you warning that you should not taste of those meates nor loue that seruant for that he lay in wayte for your life Fred. What if I should say that I am delighted with the seruisable behauiour of that seruant and with y e sweetnes of his cooquerie Lew. I would counsel you that you should not make so great account of your present pleasure as to loose your life for it Fred. What if some friende of yours were in loue with a flattering and a peinted harlot whiche were diseased with the Frenche pockes and you knew of it what would you do Levv. I would make him priuie to her disease and to the vttermost that I could I would disswade him from her companie Fred. What if he sayde he were delighted with her Lew. I would tell him that Fishes also are delited with baytes but yet that it were folly to purchase so small pleasure with so great sorrowes or rather with death Fred. What if he should say that he can not but like well of the pleasure Levv. I would counsell him that if he could not yet restrayne the desire of his minde he should at leastwise resist it and not yeeld to obey it Fred. But what if he obeyed it for all that Lew. Then would I think him foolisher then the brute beasts and worthy of any mischief For fishes wolues foxes puttocks and such other be they neuer so hungry wil neuerthelesse forbeare the bayte if they spye or mistrust any snare or any thing wherewith they may be caught Fred. You saye trueth Lewis Thus then standeth y e case Euery mans own flesh is as a Harlot as Iudas termeth it in his Epistle yea and a peinted harlot which with her inticements fayrefawnings doth allure delight egge the man to sinne hold him down in sinne and at length throw him headlong into death of the soule And man beeing ignorant of the poyson imbraceth the pleasures yeelds himself ouer to them Now commeth in truth as a friend vnto him warneth him that y e wages of sinne is death declaring vnto him that his flesh whom he tooke to haue bin his friend is his deadly enimie Therefore if thou desire to be saued thou must beleue that thou hast not a more noysome enimie to thee then thy selfe that is to say thē thy flesh or thy lustfulnes that as thou hast hitherto loued it thou must hencefoorth hate it and resist it because it is noysome and deadly And although thou canst not ridde away her allurements out of hande as in deede thou canst not for they sticke fast to thee the trueth wyll saye vnto thee as it sayde in olde tyme vnto Moyses Go thy waye into Egypt for it lyeth in thee to doo that and I will bee with thy mouth and I will inable thee to do that which thou canst not do Euen so Lewis the trueth sayth vnto thee as now Do thou what thou a●t able and God will inable thee to do that whiche thou canst not do As for exāples sake Thou sittest at a well furnished table and hast eaten ynough already to refresh thy powers and to staunch hunger Now there is brought in some delicate dishe made to prouoke gluttony withall By and by thy flesh is tempted with it and putteth suche an imagination as this in thy head This is a fine dish if I eate of it I shall receiue pleasure by it But the spirite striueth against the flesh and warneth thee thus beware Lewis that thou yeelde not vnto voluptuousnes for voluptuousnes is a poysoner For first it calleth away thy minde from God than the which there can be no greater mischiefe For seeing that no man can serue two masters thou canst not serue both voluptuousnes and god because voluptuousnes ouerwhelmeth the minde beareth it downe to the ground and separateth it from God Besides this it also hurteth the body with surfetting insomuche that although thou haddest no soule yet oughtest thou to absteine from superfluitie euen for thy bodies sake I require not now that you should not be tempted with the inticements of the flesh but that you should not obey them And whereas you alledge that you can not but obey them you be easily disproued For if a man would giue you a floren to absteine from the sayde dishe would you not absteine Yes And will you not absteine by reason of the trueth Do you not hereby bewray that the truth beareth lesse sway with you then one floren Or if some man shoulde threaten that he would giue you a blow on the eare if you refrayned not surely you would