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FUrthermore, he that hath this fayth can not sinne, and therfore can not be deceaued with damnable errours. For by this fayth we be (as I sayd) borne of God. Now he that is borne of God can not sinne, for his seed dwel leth in him, & he can not therfore sinne, because he is borne of God. i. Iohn. iij. which seede is the holy ghost that ke∣peth * 1.1 a mans hart from consenting vn∣to sinne. And therfore it is a false con∣clusiō * 1.2 that M. More holdeth, how that a mā may haue a right faith ioyned with all kyndes of abhomination & sinne.
And yet euery member of Christes congregation is a sinner and synneth dayly, some more and some lesse. For it is written. i. Iohn. i. if we say we haue * 1.3 no sinne, we deceaue our selues & the truth is not in vs. And agayne if we say, we haue not sinned, we make hym a liar and his word is not in vs. And Paul Rom. vij. sayth, that good which I would, that do I not, but that euill which I would not, that do I. So it is not I that do it (sayth he) but sinne that dwelleth in me. Thus are we sin∣ners and no sinners. No sinners, if thou looke vnto the profession of our hartes toward the law of God, on our repentaunce and sorow that we haue, both because we haue sinned and also because we be yet full of sinne still, and vnto the promises of mercy in our Sa¦uiour Christ, and vnto our fayth. Sin∣ners are we, if thou loke vnto the frail * 1.4 tie of our flesh, which is as the weake∣nesse of one that is newly recouered out of a great disease, by y• reason wher of our dedes are imperfect. And by the reason wherof also, when occasions be great, we fall into horrible dedes, and the frute of the sinne which remaineth in our mēbers breaketh out. Notwith¦standing yet the spirite leaueth vs not, but rebuketh vs & bryngeth vs home agayne vnto our profession, so that we neuer cast of the yocke of God frō our neckes neither yeld vp our selues vn∣to sinne, for to serue it, but fight a fresh and begyn a new battaile.