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M. Hardinge.
VVith what face can these Defenders affirme,* 1.1 that they teache the people to walke in good woorkes, whereas beginninge the treatise of woorkes in this presente Apologie, they saie, that wee haue* 1.2 no helpe, or aide in our woorkes, and deedes? For so their Latine woorde Prae∣sidium doothe signifie, whiche in the Englishe, is tourned into Meede. VVhat, Maisters, is this the waie to make menne woorke wel, to tel them before hande, that their woorkes be nothing worth, and that they helpe them neuer a whitte? VVhy then let the Labourers Prouerbe take place, I had ra∣ther plaie for nothinge, then woorke for nothinge.‡ 1.3 Is there any Labourer so madde, as to woorke for nothinge? Firste ye tell the Labourers, that there is no helpe for them in their woorkes, and then ye crie vnto them to laboure:* 1.4 yea forsoothe, as harde as thei liste. Is not this to mocke God and the worlde? VVhereas ye speake to Christian menne, to those that be Baptized, to suche as haue Faithe: Yet ye tel them, they maie woorke as mutche, as they wil,‡ 1.5 but al in vaine, &c. Ergo then, al∣though a liuely Faithe cannot be idle, and somme true Faithe is liuely, yet in an other sense.* 1.6 there is a true Faithe whiche is not liuely, but idle. VVhiche true Faithe shal become liuely and haue great aide in woorkes, if it wel learne to leaue idlenesse, and practise that in will and harte, whiche it beleeueth in vnderstandinge.
But whereas these Defenders woulde no helpe or aide to be in Christian mennes woorkes, that ‡ 1.7 Heresie maie not so escape.* 1.8 Christe beinge demaunded of one, what good he shoulde doo to obteine Euerlastinge life, saide: If thou wilte enter into Life, keepe the Commaundementes. To keepe the Commaundementes is a woorke: to enter into Life is somme helpe to a man. Therefore it is falsely spoken, that in our woorkes there is no helpe for vs. Againe, Christe saithe, VVho so euer forsaketh his house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or landes for my sake, be shal receiue an hundred folde, and shal inherite Life Euerlastinge. S. Paule saithe, God wil render to euery man accordinge to his woorke. To those that seeke for glorie, and honour, and incor∣ruption, accordinge to the sufferance of good woorkes, (he wil render) Life Euerlastinge.