firme (without doubt against their own
conscience)

[[The cloke of them that deny true religion.]]

that ther is no neade at all of the outward and daungerus
confession among the aduersaries of the religion of the
gospell / they do wrast the ordinaunces of Godd to make a cloke
for their malice. And they saye / that Godd will not haue holy
mariages broken / or that the honor due vnto parents shuld be
vndoone / that Godd will not haue the gouernment of polities or
howsholds disturbed / and to be short that he will not haue a
mans death and destruction. For what encrease shall happen to
the glorie of God by the vnrecouerable miserie of me and my
houshold? what profyt shuld come of my chaynes / or of my
pouertie vnto my neighburr? And who is it that knowith not that
all thinges which we do are to be referred to the glorie of
Godd / and to the profit of our neighburr? Yea and if I be
burned / or cast into exile for the confession of the gospell /
do I not take miself awaie from myne by deathe / before my tyme?
Do I not throw all myn with me into extreme pouertie and
beggerie? And then after all by goodes be loste I am compelled to
be burdenus vnto others. The towardlynes of my Sonnes shalbe
brought in daunger. The chastitie or my wyfe and doughters
shalbe brought into hazarde. For they being pressed with most
hard necessitie shall learne by euell artes to gett necessaries
for their lyfe. And who will thincke that Godd doth allowe theise
thinges? who doth so mutche commend the faith of mariage / the
godly bringing vp of children / and an howshold wel ordered /
that Paule his apostle fearith not to saye,

[[1. Timo. 5.]]

That if ony prouide not for his and specially for theim of his
houshold / the same hathe denied the faith / and is worse than an
infidell. Wherfor les I shuld be constrayned to confession / and
so denie the faithe / I retayne faith in my harte / and by
holding my peace I do dissemble for a tyme / I do not vtterly
denye nor throw awaye all Religion. All theise thinges (I say)
they do most wickedly wraste against their naturall and godlye
sense / to defend their desires / and to retayne their wordly
commodities.

[[Confession is necessarie]]

But against all theis we do sett the sentence of our lord and
Sauiour Iesus Christe / which is neither darcke nor doutfull /
that by it all the subtilties of theise mene maye at ones be
confuted / and vanishe awaye. In the gospell of Mathewe he
confirmi