The Oxford Reformers and English Church Principles

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 183 PART THE SECOND THE OXFORD REFORMERS: EXTRACTS FROM THEIR WRITINGS CHAPTER I TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE FAITH Let the Papists go with their long faith; be you content with tho thart faith of the Saints, which is revealed unto us in tho Word of God written. Adieu to all Popish fantasies. Amen (Latimer to Eidley in prison at Oxford). The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul (Ps. cxiz.). This having learn'd, thou hast attained the sum Of Wisdom. . . . Only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith, Add virtue, patience, temperance, add lore, By name to come call'd charity, the soul Of all the rest. Milton. To bring out distinctly the peculiar features of the Church of England and show the Protestant system of Divinity, we cannot do better than take a question raised by the venerable Latimer in one of his sermons: How shall I know that I am in the Book of Life ? For if this question be settled, all minor points will fall into their proper places. How shall I know that I am in the Book of Life ? I answer: There are three special notes whereby you may know the same. The first note is, if you know your sin and feel your own wretchedness, which is a great matter; for the most partof people are so drowned in sin that they no more feel the same . . . but when you know your sins and feel the same, then are they heavy with you, and grieve you. The second point is, faith in Christ?that is, when you believe most steadfastly and undoubtedly that God our Heavenly Father, through His Son, will deliver you from your sins?when yoti believe, I say, that the blood of our Saviour is shed for you for the cleansing and putting away of your sins, and believing this most steadfastly with an unfeigned heart, then you have the seco...