of the church had moued me. I
answere / as they abuse that sayenge of the holy man /
even so they allege al the scripture and all that they bringe
for them / even in a
false sens. S. Augustine before he was conuerted was
an hethen man
and a philosopher full of worldly wisdome vn to whom
the preachinge of christe is but folishnesse / saith paul .j.
Corin. j. And he disputed
with blynd reasons of wordly wisdome agenst the
christen. Neuerthelesse the ernest liuinge of the christen
acordinge vn to their doctrine and the constant soferinge of
persecucion and aduersite for
their doctrines sake moued him and stered him to
beleue that it was
no vayne doctrine / but that it must nedes be of god
/ in that it had soch power with it. For it happeneth that they
which will not heare the worde at the begynninge / are aftir
warde moued by the holy
conuersation of them that beleue. As Peter warneth
christen wiues that had hethen husbandes that wold not heare
the trueth preached / to liue so godly that they might winne
their hethen husbandes with
holy conuersacion. And Paul saith how knowest thou
christen wife /
whether thou shalt winne thine hethen husbande / with
holy conuersacion ment he. For many are wonne with godly
liuynge / which at the first ether will not heare or can not
beleue. And that is the auctorite that S. Augustine ment. But
if we shall not beleue / tyll the liuynge of the spiritualtie
conuerte vs / we belike to byde longe ynough in vnbeleffe.
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