The triall of truth Containing a plaine and short discovery of the chiefest pointes of the doctrine of the great Antichrist, and of his adherentes the false teachers and heretikes of these last times.

Div. 3.

That hypocrites and vngodly persons are not the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ, which is the con∣gregation of the predestinate.

THe true church is holy, and so are al the true members ther∣of, for that they are vnited and ioyned togither by the bands of one holy and pure spirit. * 1.1 For if the vngodly were members of this church shee were to be called vnholy in respect of them, for that their number is alwaies the greater ••as shee is called * 1.2 holy in respect of the godly, for that they are the better part. Wher¦fore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites, as they seeme onely to be holy, and are not; so they seeme also, but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church. For how can they haue the church to be their mother, which are not

begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer? How can, I say, those bee members of the holy catholicke church, and haue her for their mother, vvho haue not God for their father, who as they honour not God as a father, neither endevour to resemble his image, so he doth not ac∣knowledge them for his sonnes, nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome? And doth not our creede reach vs also, that this holy catholike church of Christ is a commun••on of saintes, who haue in this life remission of sinnes, and shall attaine in the life to come, to a glorious resurrection, and to l••e everlasting? But the wicked & vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman, which are base-borne and bastarde brethren, they haue no part nor portiō in these blessings of God with the sonnes * 1.3 of the free woman, which are the elect & chosen children of God, and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ. Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy ca∣tholike church of Christ, in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impu••e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites: as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high, in assigning her that privi∣ledge that shee cannot erre, and graunting that ability vnto her children, whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉 1.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  Gal. 4. 30.