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THE scope and ende of this doctrine is, that wee may haue sure comfort both in our life & at our death. And that wee may haue this, wee are especiallie to learne the doctrine of Christianitie. Now the summe of this comfort doth consist in this, that wee are the members of Christ: that is, that we are engraffed into Christ by faith, that he is care∣full of vs: and that by him wee are loued of God, reconciled to God, and conioyned with him. This comfort the diuel goeth about to take from vs after this maner. 1. Thou art a sinner: therefore thou art not acceptable in the sight of God.
Answere. But Christ hath made satisfaction for me with his precious blood. 2. But thou must die the death. Answere. But Christ hath deliuered me from the power of death, and I know that by Christ I shall scape out of the hands of death. 3. But how if thou leese the grace of Christ? For thou maist fall and perish; because it is a long way to heauen. Answere. Christ hath not onely merited his benefites for mee, but also bestoweth them on me, and preserueth them in mee, and giueth mee perseuerance, that I may not fall from grace. 4. But what if these thinges appertaine not vnto thee? and how knowest thou that thou art Christes? Answere. 1. Because I haue the testimonie of the holie Ghost within me. 2. Because the generall pro∣mise appertaineth to all the faithful. If I haue faith there∣fore, that promise appertaineth vnto me. But I know I haue faith by the effectes of faith. 1. Because I haue a will to obey and beleeue God, albeit I am but weake. 2. Because I haue good woorkes, which are signes of true faith. Therefore I haue true faith, and by a consequent, Christ and his bene∣fites appertaine vnto mee.
This comfort is necessarie. 1. For our saluation: that we despaire not. 2. For the woorshipping of God. For that wee may woorship God, wee must come out of sinne and death: not rush into desperation, but bee susteined with a sure comfort vnto the ende. This comfort, though other sectes promise, yet can they not make performance thereof, because their consci∣ence and experience oftentimes goeth against them. The doctrine of the Church alone maketh performance of it, so