" Why is this? because they know not what this narrow gate
is; for it is faith, which altogether annihilates or makes a man appear
as nothing in his own eyes, and requires him not to trust in his own
works, but to depend upon the grace of God, and be prepared to leave and
suffer all things. Those holy ones of Cain's progeny think their good
works are the narrow gate; and are not, therefore, extenuated or made
less, whereby they might enter.
When we begin to preach of faith to those that believe altogether in
works, they laugh and hiss at us, and say, "Dost thou count us as Turks
and heathens, whom it behooves now first to learn faith? is there such a
company of priests, monks, and nuns, and is not faith known? who knoweth
not what he ought to believe? even sinners know that." Being after this
sort animated and stirred up, they think themselves abundantly endued
with faith, and that the rest is now to be finished and made perfect by
works. They make so small and slender account of faith, because they are
ignorant what faith is, and that it alone doth justify. They call it
faith, believing those things which they have heard of Christ; this kind
of faith the devils also have, and yet they are not justified.
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