¶ We read sens the tyme of Christes deeth/ of virgins that have bene brought vnto the comẽstues/ and theye defyled/ and of martyrs that haue bene bounde and hores haue abvsed their bodyes. Why? The iudgemẽtes of god are bottõlesse. Soch thinges chaunced partely for ensamples/ partely God thorow synne healeth synne Pryde can nether be healed nor yet appere but thorow soch horrible deades. Paraduenture they were of y^e popes secte ãd reioysed fleshly/ thinkinge that heaven came by deades and not by Christ/ and that the outwarde dead iustyfyed them & made them holy and not the inward spirite receeved by fayth and the consent of the harte vnto the law of god. ¶ As thou readeste therfore thinke that every sillable pertayneth to thyne awne silf/ and sucke out the pithe of the scripture/ and arme thy silf ageynst all assaultes. Firste note with stronge faith the power of god in creatinge all of nought Then marke the grevous fall of Adam and of vs all in him/ thorow the light regardĩge of the commaundement of god. In the .iii. Chapitre God turneth him vnto Abel and then to his offeringe/ but not to Cain and his offeringe. Where thou seest that though the deades of the evel apere outwardly as gloryous as the deades of the good: yet in the sight of god which loketh on the harte/ the deade is good because of the man/ and not the man good because of his deade. In the vj. God sendeth Noe to preach to the weked and geueth them space to repent: they wax hard herted/ God bringeth them to nought And yet saveth Noe: even by the same water by which he destroyed them. Marke also what folowed the pryde of the buyldinge of the toure of Babel Consydre how God sendeth forth Abrahã out of his awne contre in to a strange lande full of weked people/ and gave him but a bare promesse with him that he wold blesse him and defende him. Abraham beleved: and that worde saued and delyuered him in all parelles: so that we se/ how that mannes life is not mayntayned by bred onlye (as Christe sayeth) but moch rather by belevinge the promyses of god. Behold how soberly and how circũspectly both Abraham and also Isaac behaue them selves amõge the infideles. Abraham byeth that which might have ben geven him for nought/ to cutte of occasions. Isaac when his welles which he had digged were taken from him/ geveth rowme and resisteth not. More over they creand sowe and fede their catell/ and make confederacyons/ ãd take perpetuall truce/ and do all outward thinges: Even as they do which have no faith/ for god hath not made vs to be ydle in this world Every man must worke godly and truly to the vttmoste of the power that god hath geven him: and yet not truste therin: but in goddes worde or promesse: and god will worke with vs and bringe that we do to good effecte. And thẽ when oure power will extend no further/ goddes promesses wyll worke all alone