THese thynges do I wryte, my lytle children, not that synne should be cōmitted the more licenciouslye vpon truste of the mercye that is ordayned, but that no man shoulde synne at all, as muche as in vs lyeth. After that Christ hath once for∣geuen vs all oure transgressions, it is requisite for vs to applie al our studious endeuours to this ende, that we may kepe innocēcie vndefiled. And yet if it chaunce vs to slide backe agayne into any sinne, ther is no cause why we should despayre of forgeuenes, we haue God ētreteable, & with him we haue a louing patrone & a trusty, who being the sonne, obteyneth whatsoeuer he wyll of the father, and wisheth harty∣lye wel vnto vs: which gaue himselfe to saue vs, so that we do vtterly and from the botome of our heartes mislike our selues, and geue our diligence agayne to better. He alone hath nothing to be pardoned of, and he it is that maketh intercession for the synnes of his membres, and reconcfleth the fa∣ther (whiche is offended) vnto vs, and causeth hym to bee mercyfull vnto vs: & not vnto vs onely, which haue now embraced hs doctrine, but also vn∣to all mankynde vniuersally, yf they with a syncere hearte confesse themsel∣ues to be sinners, and purpose to leade an innocente lyfe, and so purposed go on forward, and kepe it substauncially. For baptisme doeth not make vs free from the obseruacion of Moses law for that purpose, that we shoulde synne afterwarde licencious••y without punishement, but that we shoulde more fi••mely stycke to the loue of the Gospell, whiche causeth more to bee done of the wyllynge, than so many lawes of Moses gette perforce of the cōstrayned. He cōmaunded many thinges in a smal rowme, that cōmaūded men to loue their neighbours, euen as he dyd vs. He driueth not vs to loue hym agayne, but he enticeth vs, he prouoketh vs, he kindleth vs. Whosoe∣uer knoweth God aryght, cannot chose but loue hym behemētly. For euery one that professeth God with hys mouthe, knoweth not God: but he that is kyndled with the flame of gospellyke charitie, and doeth wyllynglye and gladly, that whiche he dyd perfitely before, that we do good euen vnto our enemies, and that for the saluacion of our neyghbour we wyll not stycke to stād in daūger of our life, he declareth hymselfe to know god. But & if a mā make hys boaste, that he knoweth god, in that, that he beinge taught hys principles hath learned the misteries of the fayth, in that beinge baptised he hath professed his name, neither for al that foloweth the example of his charitie, he is a lyar, neither hath he yet fully learned to knowe God, in as∣muche as god is not knowen, excepte faythe be garnyshed with charitie. And whosoeuer is a lyar, Christ whiche is the very trueth selfe, dwelleth not in hym: and whosoeuer hath not Christ dwellyng in hym, is not a liue∣ly membre of his body. Faith without loue is a vayne matter and a deade. To bee short, loue is not idle, it omitteth none of those thynges, that it knoweth be acceptable vnto hym whō it loueth. Christ sayd he would not acknowlage hym to be his disciple, that woulde not take vp his crosse and folow hym, walkyng in y• foresteppes of perfite charitie. Therfore he that obserueth his saying, declareth in dede that he holdeth fast the perfi••e and ryght euangelical charitie. By trial herof we shal know, that we are in his body, & that we haue receyued hys spirit. Wherto doest y• make thy vaunt, as a mēbre of Christe, in that thou art through baptisme receyued into the flock of christiās? It is not an idle professiō, it is a not fine fingred professiō.