[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ As for hys dygressyon of mans fre wyll, I wyll not greatlye wrestle with hym. But thys one thynge I maye saye, [Sidenote: Ioan. 8.] that yf the sone of God delyuer vs, then are we verye free. [Sidenote: 2. Cor. 3.] And where the spyryte of God is, there is fredome. I meane not fredome to do what you wyll; but fredome [Sidenote: Rom. 6.] frō synne, that we maye be the saruaūtes of ryghtuousnes. But yf we haue not the spyryte of Christe, then wyll I saye with S. Austen, [Sidenote: Augustinus de spiritu & litera.] that our fre wyll is wretched, and can do nought but synne. And as towchynge suche textes of repugnaunce, yf they be so dyffuse that mans reason (which is the lyght of hys vnderstōdyng) can not attayne to set them together, then were you beste to make thē none artycles of our faythe. For I thynke as manye as are necessarye vnto our salvacyon, are conteyned in the Crede, which I thynke euery mā beleueth: I beseche you laye no bygger burthen vpon vs then those faythfull Fathers ded, which thought that suffycyent. And then I am sure, we shulde haue fewer heretykes. For I neuer harde of heretycke that euer helde agaynste any artycle of our Crede, but all that ye dyffame by thys name, are onelye put to death, because they saye that we are not bounde to beleue euerye poynte that the lawes and tyrannye of the cleargye alowe and maynteyne, which thynge how true it is (blessed be God) is meatelye well knowen alreadye. For els had I and many mo bene deade before thys daye. [Sidenote: More.] ❧ I wote well that many good folke haue vsed in thys matter manye frutefull examples. As of one face beholden in dyuerse glasses, and in euerye peace of one glasse broken in to twentye, ād of one worde comynge whole to an hundreth eares at ones: and the syght of one lytle eye presently beholdynge an whole greate contrye at ones, with a thousande suche meruelles mo: suche as those that see thē daylye done (and therfore meruell not at thē) shall yet neuer be able, no not this yonge man hym selfe, to geue suche a reason by what meane they maye be done, but that he maye haue suche repugnaunce layde agaynste it, that he shalbe fayne in conclusyon (for the chefe and moste euydent reason) to saye, that the cause of all those thynges, is because God that hath so caused them to be done, is almyghtye of hym selfe, and maye do what hym lyste.