With such a renunciation of the truth must be interteyned much vntruth* 1.1 (saith Mr Ber.) as first thou must beleeve their way to be the truth of God, then condemne our Church as a false Church: when themselves have publi∣shed that the differences betwixt vs and them are but corruptions. N••w corruptions, do not make a false Church but a corrupt Church, a•• corrupti∣ons in a man make but a corrupt, but no false man.
If we beare witnes of our selves our witnes is not true,* 1.2 but if the word of God beare witnes with vs, and against you, it must stand. And for the advauntage which you suppose you have gayned at vs, where we acknowledge our differences to be onely your corruptions, it will nothing at all enrich you, or bet∣ter your Church: For there are corruptions essentiall, and in the very causes constitutive, matter, & forme aswell as els where: there are corruptions which eat out the very heart of a thing, as well as such as hinder the working onely, or steyn the work. And we may truely say of all the abhominable doctrines and devises in Rome, that they are but so many corruptions of those pure truthes, & ho∣ly ordinances which that Church at the first received from Christ the Lord.
And for your similitude of a man, whom you say corruptions make not a false man, but a corrupt man, you are deceived in it, whether you consider a man naturally or morally. Naturally, what is death but the corruption of the man? as generatio & corruptio are opposed. And what is rottennes but the corruption of the body? Now these do more then make a corrupt man, or corrupt body, they do de∣stroy the very being. But consider a man morally (as in the case of religion he must be considered) & then morall corruptions & vi∣ces