An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That the worcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of their own worthines vnto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfill the lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / but they adde. That men can do more goode worcks thẽ the lawe of Godd requirirth. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / to preache the gospell frely / mẽ are not commaunded by ony expres cõmaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatly defend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that
The afflictiõs of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie / which shalbe shewed vppon vs. He speakith heare of the best kind of worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche man dothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breaking of theis two comaundementes.
Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with all thy soule / and with all they mighte: lykewise of the same other commaundemente.
Thou shalte not luste / Ther is none amõg mortall mẽ / that dyd euer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe:
that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe the floures of a woman. And Christe wolde haue vs all / yea euen the blessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye /
Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne.
Iohn saythe. And if we saie we haue no synne / we do deceyue our selues.
This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuall synnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing more then we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles / and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preach the gospell frelie / do more thẽ the law cõmaundeth / as I sayde: But this is not true / for they which haue the powre to liue a sole and chaste lyfe / ãd do know that in this kinde of lyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in the preachinge of the gospell of Christe thẽ otherwise. They are bownde to take it on thẽ ãd to lyue in it. For if they do yt not / it is certeyne that they loue not God with all their harte / bycause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that they mighte do / to the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like is to be saide of thẽ / which mighte preache the gospell frelye / and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdõ of Godd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothe thincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holie scripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with an obstinate mynde they are heretikes.