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Luke. 12. 5.
The text.
But I will shew you whom you shall feare: ∴ Feare him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell.
The note.
The feare of hell also is profitable: contrarie to the Protestants, tea∣ching securitie of saluation, and that feare of hell maketh men hypocrits.
The answer.
Your ordinarie lieng sheweth whom in conditions you resem∣ble, and whose children yeare. What protestant hath taught that the feare of hell is vtterly vnprofitable? We assigne many profits which it bringeth: First, the wicked many times with the feare thereof are terrified and bridled, that they run not so headlong to the execution of their wicked desires, as otherwise they would. Secondly, the elect and chosen children of God being by nature as other men corrupt, are many times at the first by the feare of hell, driuen to séeke Christ their onely remedie and deliuerer. Thirdly, they are strengthened against the feare of man, when they sée the eschewing of bodily death wold bring eternal death. It is manifest therefore that that which you charge vs with, is your malitious collection, and not our doctrine. But our doctrine is, that they which by faith haue power to become the children of God, do shew foorth their obedience of méere loue and reue∣rence to God their father, and that they would so do, though there were no hell to punish disobedience in. And that they who would not shew any obedience, but for feare of hell, are hypocri∣ticall slaues, doing some dutie, not for dutifulnes, but onely for feare of punishment.