worst. But if they repent not, but still obstinately continue in their wickedness, and perform the desires of the flesh, it is a certain token that there is deceit in their spirit.

No man, therefore, shall be without lusts and desires so long as he liveth in the flesh, and therefore no man shall be free from temptations. Notwithstanding some are tempted one way and some another, according to the difference of persons. One man is assailed with more vehement and grievous motions, as with bitterness and anguish of spirit, blasphemy, distrust, and desperation ; another with more gross temptations, as with fleshly lusts, wrath, envy, covetousness, and such like.

But in

this case, Paul requireth that we walk in the Spirit, and resist the flesh. But whoso obeyeth the flesh, and continueth without the fear of God or remorse of conscience in accomplishing the lusts and desires thereof, let him know, that he pertaineth not unto Christ; and although he brag of the name of a Christian never so much, yet doth he but deceive himself. For they which are of Christ do crucify their flesh with the affections and lusts thereof.

WHO BE RIGHTLY CALLED SAINTS, AND BE SO INDEED.

This place, (as I have also forewarned you by the way,) containeth in it a singular consolation; for it teacheth us, that the saints and most holy men in the world, live not without concupiscence and temptations of the flesh, nor yet without sins. It warneth us therefore to take heed, that we do not as some did of whom God writeth, which laboured to attain to such perfection, that they might be without all feeling of temptations or sins that is to say very stocks or stones.

The like imagination the monks and schoolmen had of their saints, as though they had been very senseless blocks, and without all affections. The Virgin Mary felt great grief and sorrow of spirit when she missed her Son, (Luke ii.) David in the Psalms complaineth that he is almost swallowed up with the excessive sorrow for the

greatness of his temptations and sins. Paul also complaineth that he hath "battles without and terrors within," (2 Cor. vii. 5.); and that, "in his flesh he serveth the law of sin." He saith that he is careful for all the churches, (2 Cor. ix. 28,) and that God shewed great mercy towards him in that he delivered Epaphroditus being at the point of death to life again, lest he should have had sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, the saints of the Papists are like to the stoics, who imagined such wise men as in the world were never yet to be found. And by this foolish and devilish persuasion, which proceeded from the ignorance of this doctrine of Paul, the schoolmen brought both themselves and others without number into horrible desperation.

When I was a monk, I did oftentimes most heartily wish that I might once be so happy as to see the conversation and life of some saint or holy man. But in the meantime, I imagined such a saint as lived in the wilderness, abstaining from meat and drink, and living only with roots of herbs and cold water: and this opinion of those monstrous saints I had learned, not only out of the books of the sophisters and schoolmen, but also out of the books of the fathers. For thus writeth Hierome in a certain place, 'As touching meats and drinks I say nothing: forasmuch as it is excess, that even such as are weak and feeble should use cold water, or eat any sodden thing,' &c. But now in the light of the Gospel, we plainly see who they are whom Christ and his apostles call saints,-not they which live a sole and a single life, or straitly observe days, meats, apparel, and such other things, or in outward appearance do other great and monstrous works, (as we read of many in the lives of the fathers ;) but they which, being called by the sound of the Gospel, and baptized, do believe that they be justified and cleansed by the death of Christ. So Paul everywhere writing to the Christians calleth them holy, and the children and heirs of God, &c. Whosoever then do believe in Christ, whether they be men or women, bond or free, are all saints; not by their own works, but by the works of God which they receive by

faith, as his Word, his sacraments, the passion of Christ, his death, resurrection, victory, and the sending of the Holy Ghost. To conclude, they are saints through such a holiness as they freely receive, not through such a holiness as they themselves have gotten by their own industry, good works, and merits.

So the ministers of the Word, the magistrates of common-weals, parents, children, masters, servants, &c. are true saints; if, first, and before all things, they assure themselves that Christ is their "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption;" secondly, if every one would do his duty in his vocation according to the rule of God's Word, and obey not the flesh, but repress the lust and desire thereof by the Spirit. Now, whereas all be not of like strength to resist temptation, but many infirmities and offences are seen in the most part of men, this nothing hindereth their holiness, so that their sins proceed not of an obstinate wilfulness, but only of frailty and infirmity. For, (as I have said before,) the godly do feel the desires and lusts of the flesh, but they resist them to the end that they accomplish them not. Also, if they at any time unadvisedly fall into sin, yet, notwithstanding, they obtain forgiveness thereof, if by faith in Christ they be raised up again; who would not that we should drive away, but seek out and bring home the straying and lost sheep, &c. Therefore, God forbid that I should straightway judge those which are weak in faith and manners to be profane and unholy, if I see that they love and reverence the Word of God, come to the supper of the Lord, &c. For these God hath received, and counteth them righteous, through the remission of sins;-to him they stand or fall, &c.

Wherefore, with great rejoicing I give thanks to God, for that he hath abundantly, and above measure, granted that unto me which I so earnestly desired of him when I was a monk; for he hath given unto me the grace to see, not one, but many saints; yea, an infinite number of true saints; not such as the sophisters have devised, but such as Christ himself and his apostles do describe. Of the which number I assure myself to be

one. For I am baptized, and I do believe, that Christ is my Lord, by his death hath redeemed and delivered me from all my sins, and hath given to me eternal righteousness and holiness. And let him be holden accursed, whosoever shall not give this honour unto Christ, to believe, that by his death, his Word, &c. he is justified and sanctified.

Wherefore, rejecting this foolish and wicked opinion concerning the name of saints, (which in the time of Popery and ignorance we thought to pertain only to the saints which are in heaven and in earth, and to the hermits and monks which did certain great and strange works,) let us now learn, by the holy Scriptures, that all they which faithfully believe in Christ are saints. The world hath in great admiration the holiness of Benedict, Gregory, Bernard, Francis, and such like; because it heareth that they have done in outward appearance, and in the judgment of the world, certain great and excellent works. Doubtless Hilary, Cyrill, Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine and others were saints also, which lived not so strait and severe a life as they did, but were conversant amongst men, and did eat common meats, drank wine, and used cleanly and comely apparel; so that in a manner, there was no difference between them and other honest men, as touching the common custom and the use of things necessary for this life, and yet were they to be preferred far above the other. These men taught the doctrine and faith of Christ sincerely and purely, without any superstition; they resisted heretics, they purged the church from innumerable errors, their company and familiarity was comfortable to many, and especially to those which were afflicted and heavyWord of God. For they did not withdraw themselves hearted, whom they raised up and comforted by the from the company of men, but they executed their offices even where most resort of people was. Contrarithe faith, but also were themselves the authors and first wise, the other, not only taught many things contrary to inventors of many superstitions, errors, abominable ceremonies, and wicked worshippings. Therefore, except

at the hour of death, they laid hold of Christ and reposed their whole trust in his death and victory, their strait and painful life availed them nothing at all.

These things sufficiently declare, who be the true saints indeed, and which is to be called a holy life; not the life of those which lurk in caves and dens, which make their bodies lean with fasting, which wear hair, and do other like things with this persuasion and trust, that they shall have singular reward in heaven above all other Christians; but of those which be baptized and believe in Christ, which put off the old man with his works, but not at once; for concupiscence and lust remaineth in them so long as they live, the feeling whereof doth hurt them nothing at all, if they suffer it not to reign in them, but subdue it to the Spirit.

This doctrine bringeth great consolation to godly minds, that when they feel these darts of the flesh wherewith Satan assaileth the Spirit, they should not despair; as it happeneth to many in the Papacy, which thought that they ought to feel no concupiscence of the flesh; whereas notwithstanding, Hierome, Gregory, Benedict, Bernard, and others, (whom the Monks set before them as a perfect example of chastity and of all Christian virtues,) could never come so far as to feel no concupiscence or lust of the flesh. Yea they felt it, and that very strongly. Which thing they acknowledge and plainly confess in divers places of their books.

Therefore, we rightly confess in the articles of our belief, that we believe there is a holy church.' For it is invisible, dwelling in Spirit, in a place that none can attain unto; and therefore, her holiness cannot be seen, for God doth so hide her and cover her with infirmities, with sins, with errors, with divers forms of the cross and offences, that according to the judgment of reason, it is no where to be seen. They that are ignorant of this, when they see the infirmity and sins of those which are baptized, which have the Word and believe it, are byand-by offended, and judge them not to pertain to the church. And in the meanwhile, they dream that the hermits and monks, and such other shavelings are the