Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.

CHAP. 31.

That we ••e not s••ued by the me∣rit or worthinesse of our owne faith.

ANd 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not men so farre-forth arrogate this faith vn∣to themselues, as they will not knowe that it is giuen of God: according to the saying of the same Apostle in another place, who confesseth that himselfe obtained the mercy of God to make him beleeue: who addeth further in that place, saying, And that also, not of your selues, but it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast of himselfe. And lest there should bee dee∣med any defect of good workes in the faithfull, hee saith againe; For wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, which God hath ordained that wee should walke in. Then are wee therefore

truely made free, when as God hath made vs anewe; that is to say, doeth fashion, or alter, and create vs againe, not as wee are men, which is already done; but that we may become good men, which now hee accomplisheth by his grace: that wee may bee made a new creature in Christ Iesus, according as it is said by Dauid, Create in me, O Lord, a new heart. For, God had al∣ready created his heart, as much as pertaineth to the naturall perfection of the heart of man.