Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	believe_v	faith_n	2,185	5	5.2251	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14461	The Christian disputations, by Master Peter Viret. Deuided into three partes, dialogue wise: set out with such grace, that it cannot be, but that a man shall take greate pleasure in the reading thereoff. Translated out of French into English, by Iohn Brooke of Ashe; Disputations chrestiennes. English	Viret, Pierre, 1511-1571.; Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Brooke, John, d. 1582.	1579 (1579)	STC 24776; ESTC S119193	490,810	627

colde coniectures Nowe Iesus Christ who is the infallible veritie woulde not that we should builde the articles of our fayth vppon coniectures but vpon the expresse veritie For sith that he and his Apostles doe witnesse that they haue man●fested all that which was necessary to our saluation hath commended to vs so much the loue towards our bretheren it is not lyke to be true but is repugnant to the witnesse of Iesus Christ that they haue spoken vnto vs so obscurely haue giuen vnto vs onely some coniectures of this matter and of the loue that we owe vnto the dead the which the Priestes doe wrest it more then that which is due vnto those that be liuing Hillarius Bicause that Iesus Christ hath spoken so obscurely therefore they would make commentaries gloses for to declare it bicause that it bringeth vnto them more profit Thomas Thou hast opened a place Theophilus of which I would gladly be resolued that is to say of the preaching to the dead For to tell the truth I haue oftentimes dreamed mused after it bicause that I considered y according to the witnesse of the Scripture n●ne can haue saluation but thorowe the faith in Iesus Christ Now if we do compare those which haue knowne Iesus Christ and haue beleeued in him with those which haue not beleeued and which haue neuer hard him speake the number of those here shal be very little in respect of others Wherefore it followeth that there should be a merua●lous number of the damned that the mercy of God shall not be so great as his rigor iudgement Now it is straunge to mans reason to iudge that God will dampne so many chie●●y sith y he hath had as many which haue not known Iesus Christ for want that one hath not shewed him vnto them Wherefore me thinketh that the opinion of those héere is not much out of reason And I would gladly know what places they can haue of the holy Scripture for to proue it for I will accord and agrée almost sooner to that then to the opinion of Purgatory Theophilus Thou hast moued a question the whiche cannot be expressed and absolued in few wordes For we must first declare what knowledge of Iesus Christ is necessary vnto saluation and how it hath bene alwayes preached from the beginning of the world among all people nations And how it hath ben sufficiently manifested vnto the elect for their saluation to the reprobate for their condempnation Insomuch that they are all inexcusable they cannot alledge ignorance sufficient for to excuse them And it is not néedfull that they haue any more preaching after this lyfe But I had rather that we would omit and leaue off that matter vntill an other time that we maye speake more amply of it and better to satisfie the question which is made dayly touching the saluation or dampnation of our predecessors which haue liued in errour and ignoraunce Yet neuerthelesse bicause that the places which we haue accustomed to alledge for y preaching to the dead may also serue to the matter at this present time I am contented y we do entreat of them for to declare that they are not firme inough for to proue the same nor the Limbe nor Purgatory in like manner to which the others would make thē serue But for that that it may be that Eusebus doth put them foorth amongst his defenses it were better that we do delay that matter vntil such time as he bringeth it in by course in following his matter by order or if be do it not thou maist put me in remembrance Thomas Yet neuerthelesse before that Eusebius pursueth the other places that he hath determined to put foorth or open I wil propound vnto him an argument concerning the point of which we haue entreated off that is to say of the remission forgiuenes of sinnes in the other world Whervpon I demaund of thée Eusebius when Iesus Christ did giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen vnto his Church as wel in y person of S. Peter as vnto al y church generally that he declare the power of them of the ecclesiastical ministry hath he not sayd namely That which thou shalt binde in earth shall be bound in heauen that which thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen He sayth not That which thou shalt binde or vnbinde in heauen or in Purgatory or in hell or in the other world or in the other life and in an other earth but speaketh of this héere in the which the keys haue ben giuen in the which the Euangelical ministry hath his vigor and strength I wil not reiterate that that you said of the forgiuenes of fault paine For al that is against you But me thinketh that the Pope and those that haue receiued the power of him doe verye euill vnderstand their office willing to extend and stretch the power of their keyes pardons and indulgences vnto the other world and vnto the dead which haue their estate a part and seperated from ours and are no more vnder the iudgement of the church which is in earth which hath not to regard but on the liuing Eusebius Alexander of Ales Gabriel Biel haue very wel satisfied y obiectiō For they do answere y the dead ought to be accōpted to be yet vpō the earth as touching y absolutiō or ligatiō binding or vnbinding vntil y they are passed entred into the kingdome of heauen For whilest y the soules are in purgatory they are vpon the earth sith that they are not yet in heauē that they are yet of the Church militant not of y triumphāt Furthermore euen as those which are in the earth are yet in the way and not at the end full marke so are those which are deteined in Purgatory They are in passing for to goe to the countrey as touching the purgation by the which they are purged passe to the country as by y way Although y they are at the ende marke as touching the confirmation For they can no more sinne nor merit Furthermore all the while that they are ayded receiue comfort of the temporall earthly goods by prayers one may well holde accompt them for to be yet of this world sith that they doe communicate with vs of the goods which are there Hillarius He will accompt then of the dead as of the Monkes which are dead to the world in some pointes but not in other some They are dead to the world as to that that they doe serue and profit no person no more then the dead But they are not dead as to eating and drinking and to other carnall workes For in y there is not a people which doe better liue in the world nor which are more of the world Euen so shall it be of the dead They shal be dead to vs for to giue vs

them for suche as they are and they must not any more spare them sith that they woulde waxe worse and empaire if one shoulde kéepe them and the more that one doth thincke to make them méeke and gentle in flattering them they become the more sauage wilde and madde And therefore I thincke that those that are of a good iudgement and which doe consider the thinges according to the truth shall bée constrained to confesse that I flatter to much Although that I doubt not but that one shal finde some which may say of me that which is sayd commonly of the Asse which woulde play wyth his master as hée did sée the dogge doe strikinge him and leaping vpon hym with his féete I am very sure that such playes and games doe not please the king of Babilon and his court and that they will not haue suche Apes excepte they bée otherwise apparelled then that poore Asse was For they haue not accustomed that those little Ladyes dogges which make them sporte and wagge the tayle and which are learned and taught to runne and leape on the Ladyes and Gentlewomen and those pleasaunt Apes and Marmesettes for to make them pastime But the LORD wyll haue none other Apes in his Church then such dullardes as the world iudgeth them which doe playe and iest earnestly and doe goe as they doe intende in all simplicitie without dissemblinge that which ought not to bée dissembled Hée will not haue such lyttle pleasaunt dogges for to bée a delite and pleasure vnto Ladyes but woulde haue good Mastyes and great greyhoundes which are not to be carryed in the sléeue but for to barke and driue awaye the Wolfe from the folde Wherefore if there bee men whiche in laughinge doe bite they doe giue vs to vnderstande that they take no great pleasure by such playes and pastimes but that they woulde haue other pastime and occasion to speake of better matters Yet neuerthelesse they doe shew vnto those which doe loue the pastyme and which take pleasure in them as Democritus hath laughed and scoffed at the follies and dreames of men that it is not nowe néede that they doe séeke any other matter The courte of Antechrist gyueth them ynough and most worthyest to laugh at and in the which one maye better iest wythout offending GOD if one doe it wyth such affection and such modestie as is in these Dialogues Those also which shall bée totter and seuere and which as Heraclitus doe iudge the follies and miseries of men more worthy of wéepinges and lamentations then of laughings and iestinges they shall haue héere matter ynoughe to wéepe séeing the iudgement of GOD which hath bene and is yet vpon the Christian people bicause of our sinnes and despisinge of his woorde Insomuch that me thinckes that I haue not written any thing which may bring hurt vnto the Christian religion And though I doe not profite very much yet neuerthelesse there wanted in mée no wyll Wherefore I doe trust that the good men will take all in the beste parte whome onely I feare to offende If the wycked are angrye wythout a cause I will leaue them for such as they are yet I speake neuerthelesse the veritie although they will not take it If the wise and learned cannot much profit it is sufficient for me that the poore ignoraunt people should receiue some fruite Although that such a one doe thincke himselfe very wise and learned that he may yet finde some thing for to learne It is very true that that matter requireth better to be intreated off in Latine then in french For it conteineth things which would haue ben plainer which would haue bene entreated off more briefly the which peraduenture I may be rebuked for ouermuch prolixitie tediousnes But there are many reasons which are the cause The first is for that I am one of those Oratours which know not to enter in talke or begin any matter nor which know not howe to leaue off The second bicause that I doe write most of all for the ignorant and rude people for whom we had néed to chew their meates a little and to declare the matters more grosly y which they cannot vnderstand in one word as those that are wise learned which wil comprehend it very easily as those which haue read the Authours out of whome I haue taken the matter Therefore there is yet an other reason that is that I must vse great circumlocutions and narrations for to expresse and declare that which in Latine or in Greeke myght bee spoken in one woorde For the things are more harde vnto those which haue not read the Greeke and Latine authours But I haue tolde alreadye the causes which haue moued mée to write rather in this language then in an other And if the matter bee worthy to bée put in the Latine tongue if it please the Lorde it may bée done at leasure or it maye moue the heart of some which will do it better Be it as it is it is to mée sufficient so that I doe serue a little the good If I doe offende the Hipocrites I would be contented that they bée offended with mée so that they doe finde better tast in all the other which haue spoken and written of the relygion a great deale better then I and so that they haue them in such honour and reuerence as they ought to haue Also I thinke that none shall finde vnfitte for the matter many of the histories of our time the which I haue set in and mingled among these matters For if it be lawfull to alleage the auncient historyes written by others wherefore should we not speake of that which is done in our time when occasion serueth Sith that so many things do come dailye more worthy of remembraunce then many of those which the auncients haue written Wherefore I haue not estéemed and thoughte that to bée a thinge inconuenient nor vnworthy of remembraunce which we our selues and our fathers are witnesses Also I haue put the quotations of the authours in the margents out of whome I haue taken that which I haue alleaged to the ende it should not appeare that I haue inuented them of mine owne head aswell of the Philosophers Poets Historiographers as Doctors Questionaries Sophisters as of the auncient Doctors of the Church and holy Scriptures FINIS ¶ THE ARGVMENT AND SVMME of the first Dialogue IN this first part and first Dialogue I doe amply entreat of the matters which concerne those that be deceased declaring the errours abuses superstitions which are committed about them and the false and diuerse opinions which haue bene and yet are among men aswel touching the estate of the bodies as of the soules And of hell Limbus patrum and of Purgatorie And how that which the supersticious Christians do about the dead is nothing at all lyke vnto the woord of God but is altogether taken of the Infidells Panims And for to

men after their death to make Drations in their prayse aswell for the consolation and comforte of their parents as for to incitate and moue others vnto vertue by theire examples For that cause they doe rehearse their prowesses their vertues and valyauntnesse And to make an honest mention at sometime for to encourage others to bée vertuous Thucidides witnesseth that the custome to praise the dead did begin among the Greekes by Pericles who was the first that openly made an oration in the prayse of those which were dead in the warre of Peloponense Also among the Romaines Valerius Publicola was the first which after that manner praysed his companion Brutus as witnesseth Titus Liuius Afterwards that custome hath continued among the Gentiles Idolaters If our Priests would serue vs in that stead the thing would be more tollerable although the we haue the word of God sufficient inough for to merte moue vs vnto vertue honestie But they serue vs to none other ende but to ease and the greatest thoeues and vsurers are those vnto whom they doe the greatest honours and giue the greatest prayses and doe bury them with greatest magnificence But if any poore man doe bye that hath not readye money scant and with muche a doe shall hee haue one Priest sor to beare him companye nor one scant to ringe the lyttle bell Theophilus There is no doubt but the the auncient Christians bicause the some were come of the Iewes some of y panims haue yet hept many of the manners and customes that they vsed in their countryes the which yet neuerthelesse they haue chaunged into a better vse For the Iewes and Panims had many things which of thēselues might be tollerable and to serue to some kinde of honestie and cluilitie if the supersticion and the foolish opinions had bene taken away In the auncient Churche when that any faythfull man was dead béeing constant in the fayth of Iesus Christ and that he made a goodly confession in his death they vsed to make a commemoration to the congregation for to incite and stirre vp others to such faithe and constantnesse and chiefely when he hath bene killed by the Tyrants and that he hath bene the true martir of Iesus Christ in the mids of his torments hath constantlye confessed the truthe and hath witnessed it by his death and sealed it by his bloude For that cause the Notaryes and Protonotaryes were constituted and appoynted who were charged to write truely and after the truth the Ecclesiasticull historyes the lyues and dooings of the holy Martirs true seruaunts of God for the edification of the Church and congregation for at certein times they made commemoration vnto the Congregation of the fayth and constantnesse of the Martirs for to comforte and for tesie the poore faythfull in the middes of the persecutions that they suffered for Iesus Christ to the ende that after the example of the Martirs they shoulde prepare themselues rather to dye valyantly for the witnesse of the truth then to renounce and forsake it And the Dration and Sermon that Saint Ambrose made for the Emperour Theodosius after that he was dead tended to none other ende And when the good auncient byshops praysed after that sorte the good seruants of God that had faithfully trauailed in his worke vyneyard they did go about no other thing by that meanes but to edifie the congregation with good examples euen as the holy prophets and Apostles haue described vnto vs the holy scriptures the liues and actes of holy men which haue bene called of God for to instruct and teach vs by their example This manner of doing was not altogether to be despised and it might be practised to ediflcation if sathan the enemie vnto all goodnesse had not altogether conuerted and turned it into superstition Idolatry and blasphemie as wee see and proue it dayely For from those beginninges the Prothonotaries are descended whome wée haue yet at this present time who keepe onelye the name without exercising the office For to what ende doe they serue vs Hillatius To hunt after and so laye wayte for benefyces What woulde you they shoulde doe woulde you haue them to wrytte and register the lyues of our Popes Cardinals Byshoppes Priests and Moonkes They will leaue the charge of that vnto the Lutheriaus whiche are their protonotaries for to describe and paint out the legend of such saints and Martyrs of Venus rather then of Iesus Christe For theyr lyfe and conuersation is so holy that they had rather that men woulde neuer speake of it and that the remembraunce thereoff shoulde bée altogether defaced and forgotten Yet I thincke that they rendered no greate thanckes vnto Platine who hathe wrytten so muche althoughe that he tourned the sayest side outwardes as nigh as hée coulde Theophilus Thys is yet the leaste faulte of the Prothonotaries But from that same fountayne is risen and sprong vp the errour of inuocation of Saints of feasts wanderings blessings relycks pilgrimages and all other Idolatry and supersticions which men do commit dayly about the Saints For wheras in the auncient Church men did but onely make mention of the lyfe faith and constantnesse of the Martirs and Saynts when the people assembled themselues in the Ecclesiasticall assemblyes without inuocating or praying to the Saynts but onely vnto God Afterwards in processe of time the supersticious and Idolatrous Christians haue made of the Saynts Gods and haue dedicated to them Feasts Temples Aultars and Chappell 's And haue begonne to sing Himnes and supersticious songs in their honour prayse after the same manner as the Panims and Idolaters did to their Binges and Emperours when they Ca●onized them And are not content to preach their lyues and Legende as the auncients did but haue added vnto it fables and lyes and haue made to them Masses in such sort that for one supper of Iesus Christ we haue more then thrée hundreth nullyons of Masses all contrary and differinge the one from the other By that meanes the Prophecie the preaching of the worde of God the Supper of Iesus Christ Prayers and Ecclesiasticall assemblyes and the true commemoration of the Saints are altogether abolyshed in such sorte that there is nothing but that it is altogether peruerted and tourned into more greater superstition and Idolatry then euer it was among the Panims As much happened about the other faythful that dye which are not counted for Canomsed Saynts For as on the one side they are giuen to inuocat pray to the Saynts whom they beléeue to bée in Heauen Euen so on the other side they giue themselues to praye for the deade whom they thinke to haue yet neede of their prayers and good deedes for to helpe them and to prepare the waye to Heauen ●● steede of the simple commemoration y they did in y auncient Chruch without vsing praiers for the health of their soules but

now Eusebius There is no doubt of it Theophilus Sith that it is so tell mée what soules went thether For eyther it must bée altogether emptie and voide or else it must be that some went thether eyther those of the elect faithfull or those of the Infidels and reprobate Now I do not thinke that thou wilt say that the Purgatory was for the Infidels and reprobate Eusebius One may so iudge by that which is written of the wicked rich man. Theophilus Sith then that hell was for the reprobate it followeth then necessarily that the soules of the elect shoulde goe into Purgatorye If it hée so to what ende serueth the Limbe For you doe saye that all the Patriarches Prophetes and true faythfull whiche are departed out of this worlde before the death and passion of Iesus Christe were there kepte and deteyned and they coulde not goe into Paradise vntyll such time as Iesus Christe had satysfied for them Wherefore I doe conclude accordinge to your doctrine eyther that the Limbe and Purgatorye were all one place and lodginge or else that the one of them two was voyde and supers●uous or that there was but one or for to speake the truth neyther the one nor the other For if the Limbe were for to receiue the faythfull that dyed in the fayth of the promyse made vnto Abraham what néede was there anye more of Purgatorye bad they not Purgatorye suffycient inough in the Limbes Were they not sufficientlye tormented to bée excluded from Paradise and depryued from the ioyes thereoff and from the fruytion of the glorye of GOD as you doe affirme For what more greater torment can a faythfull man haue then to bee depryued from suche a good thinge That is not onely a Purgatorye but a very hell Eusebius I do know that in hearing thée speake that thou which wouldest teache others art yet in greater ignoraunce and that thou vnderstandest verye euyll this matter The Limbe then was for those which were in such estate as those are nowe which haue finished their penaunce and haue made entire and whole satisfaction for their sinnes in this world which doe go strayght waye into Paradyse sauinge that those there cannot yet enter bicause that the doore was shutte vntyll that Iesus Christ came to open it and to breake the gates of Hell. Theophilus Wherefore was the Purgatorye Had it in it yet a certeyne other sorte of soules and of an other condytion then those which went into the Limbes Eusebius Yea. For thou mayst well vnderstande that all the faythfull which haue procéeded and bene before the comminge of our Lorde Iesus Christe haue not all of them bene so holy and so perfect as the Patriarches and Prophetes Wherefore it were no reason that incontinently after they are deade they shoulde receyue as much felicytie as they wythout they doe first accomplishe and ende their penaunce in Purgatorye and satysfie for their sinnes the which they haue not done in thys world as the holy Patriarches and Prophets haue done or otherwyse GOD shoulde not bée iuste For what reason is it that hée whiche hath lyued in all viees and sinnes all the time of this lyfe vntyll the laste tyme of hys death in whiche gée hath had repentaunce of hys sinnes and hath asked mercye of God shoulde haue no more gréeuous punishment but should receiue as great reward as he which al his life time hath serued God faithfully and hath alwayes lyued in holynesse righteousnesse and innocencie Theophilus Take héede thou doe not blaspheme God and doe imurye vnto his grace and mercye For I doe greatly feare but that thou wilt bée like vnto the brother of the prodigall childe who was enuious against his brother and murmured against his father béeing angrye at the gentle receiuing and of the grace and fauour that hee dyd vnto his sonne whome he had recoured béeing reduced and brought into the right way or least that thou be one of the companions of thē which were hired to work in the vineyard which did murmure against the good man of the house bicause y he did giue as much wages vnto those whom he called at the eleuenth houre a little before night for to work in his vineyard as vnto those whō hée appointed from the morning which haue borne the burthen and heate of the day Wherfore dost thou not accuse our Lord Iesus Christ who hath aunswered vnto that poore theefe who dyd hange vppon the Crosse ●●yth him This daye shalt thou bée with mée in Paradise What good déedes had hée done before Art thou enuious of the grace which God doth vnto the poore sinners Eusebius God forbid But we must vnderstand that as God is mercifull so is hée righteous And if the théefe which was crucified with Iesus Christ had had that priuiledge it followeth not therefore that all haue the lyke or that they ought to haue it For as the lawe makers doe say the priuiledges of a fewe are not common lawes to all men Theophilus If that théefe hath receiued so greate goodnesse by one singular priuiledge I doe aunswere vnto thée further that none is saued but by priuiledge For all wée haue meryted eternall dampnation of our nature Inasmuch then as wée be saued that is thorow a singular priuiledge which is giuen of God vnto the elect by Iesus Christ which is not common vnto the reprobate Eusebius There is yet an other reason wherefore that théese went straight into Paradise wythout passinge by the fire and the paines of Purgatorye that is bicause that he had alreadye done his penaunce in this world and hath satisfied for his sinnes Theophilus What penaunce or satisfaction coulde hée haue made For the theftes and murthers for which hée was hanged on the Gybet Eusebius But it was the paine that hée endured and suffered and the death that he hath receiued for his demerites Theophilus As much did his companion suffer which was hanged on the left hande but yet neuerthelesse his torments haue serued him nothing at all and hée dyd not heare such promise of Iesus Christ as the other Eusebius Bicause that hée dyd not take his death and torment quyetly and patientlye and hath not beléeued in Iesus Christe and demaunded pardon of hys sinnes as his companion did Theophilus Thou alwayes commest vnto my compt and thou shalt hée compelled to confesse that there is nothinge which was the cause of his saluation but the faith which he had in Iesus Christ and the mercy of God which hée hath obteyned by the same without that that God had regard neither to his dignitie or worthinesse nor vnto his workes but vnto Iesus Christe his sonne for whose loue he hath pardoned him not for the forment and death which the théese hath suffred and the satisfaction that he could doe vnto him but for the forment death and passion which Iesus Christ hath suffred the satisfaction that he hath made for him the which

faire and a goodly péece of worke But wée must bring it to the touchstone the which shall not be after our owne iudgement but according to the same of GOD who is the iudge of vs and of our workes Therefore saith he that the day shall declare it and that the fire shall trye what euerye mannes worke shall bée He calleth the day of the Lord all tymes in which hée manifes●eth his presence vnto men by any manner of wayes the which he doth chiefely by the manifestation of his truth and reuelation of his Gospell By the fire although that in the Scripture it be many times taken for the temptacions and tribulations yet neuertheles it agréeth best héere to the sence meaning of the Apostle to take the fire for the towchstone which procéedeth of the holy Ghost which is the true fire which consumeth all doctrine inuented by men the which cannot abyde the spirituall towchstone but vanisheth away assoone as one proueth the spirites whether they be of God or not Asmuch happeneth of all the workes procéeding of such doctrine the which cannot beare the iudgement of god But to the contrary it happeneth to the truth as to the faith the which euen as the golde becommeth more fairer and sheweth it selfe more pure when it is tryed and examined in that furnayce and approcheth néerer of that spirituall iudgement And therefore when the word of the Lorde is manifest by the vertue of the holy Ghost then all things are reuealed We shall know what worke we haue made whether it hath any ●ault in it or not and whether we haue lost our time or whether we be worthy of a reward If we haue not buylded a matter agréeing to the foundation when the truth the iudgement of the spirit of god presseth our conscience or that the temptations also and the afflictions doe compasse vs rounde about wée are compelled to condempne our worke and we shall proue that that which we estéeme to be of some waight and importaunce is nothing at all and that in which we put our hope and trust cannot serue vs neither confirme nor assure our consciences Eusebius But how are we saued by the fire if our workes are lost and by the same consumed Theophilus The Apostle declareth it sufficiently himself if we do marke of what people he speaketh He speaketh not of Hereticks Apostates seducers and false Prophets which teach false doctrine contrary to the faith and which are seperated from Iesus Christ and from his body which is the Church by their infidelytie and peruersitie But he speaketh of the Masons and buylders of the Churche that is to say of Euangelycall Pastors and Ministers which haue not forsaken the foundation nor y head which is Iesus Christ that is to say which haue not tourned themselues from the principall poynts and articles of the Christian religion and from the saith in Iesus Christ and from things necessary to saluation But haue mingled some of their inuentions and traditions amongst the doctrine of the Gospell and haue fayled in some lyttle and small things which are not very daungerous Those then to whom such things shall happen shall receyue domage and losse For their wor●e and that which they haue added to it of theirs shall perish and shall haue no more profite then if they were altogether dispossessed of them But they shal haue rather shame and confusion for them Yet neuerthelesse they shall be saued but as by the fire not their fault their errors and ignoraunce and their buildings buylded without the word of God may be agréea●le to God But bicause of the foundation which they haue holden and kept and of the head of which they remayne members and of the faith which abideth in them shall be purged and delyuered from error and ignoraunce by that fire of the holy Ghost with which they shall bée illuminated But yet neuerthelesse héerein men will liken him vnto a foolish buylder which shall buyld vpon a good and sure foundation of stone and a rocke a house or buylding of wood ●●ye chasse and stubble which thinke to haue made a goodly péece of worke and knowes not his fault vntill that he séeth that the fire bath taken and consumed it altogether Then he knoweth by experience that be hath lost his time and the cost and expences that he hath bestowed about it and that be is forced to beginne his buylding a new ●● though he had neuer put his hand vnto it sauing that th● shame and the losse abideth with him We call our selues all Christians and doe confesse that there is but one foundation and one head Iesus Christ But although that in that behalfe we doe all agrée yet neuertheles when they come to buylde vpon that foundation all shall not be found good Masons For many will be Masters before they haue bene good schollers and apprentices and will not follow the rule and the instruction of the master Masons well expert and cunning in their mistery and occupation but thincking to make some fairer thing doe buylde after their owne fantasie They doe preach or heare the Gospell and will serue god after their affection and as they thinke good And thincking to make some faire péece of worke they marre it altogether But they doe not know it by and by vntill such time as the fire of the Gospell and of the spirite of God which is the true Iudge and the truth reuealed vnto men destroyeth all the goodly outwarde appearaunce and maketh it to be séene such as it is and not such as it appeareth outwarde As wée sée by experience in the Moonkish sectes and in many other ceremonyes superstitions Idolatryes and workes inuented of menne in which wee doe glorye and boaste our selues and thinke that we haue done mough for to merite foure Paradises and for to make God to be in our debte But when the Gospell is purely preached which beateth down all error all vayne supersticion and mans trust then we shall know our fault and be ashamed of that of which we thinke to be much estéemed Or when God sendeth vnto vs some great affliction temptation and aduersitie that his iudgement presseth vs that he examineth and prourth our woorkes as the fire proueth and tryeth the golde in the furnayce Then we shall know our hypocrisie folly vanitie and false religion the which wée doe not thinke but to be pure godlynesse and righteousnesse And as the holy Apostle esteeming as dongue all that which before wée estéemed as golde But forasmuch as wée haue not renounced and forsaken Iesus Christ nor the fayth which wée haue in him wee are not altogether lost thorow the fault that we haue committed but it happened vnto vs euen so as vnto him which hath escaped the fire But he hath yet neuertholesse lost his house and all that which was in it bicause that it was not buylded with good stuffe and could saue but his body all naked