The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
A perillous path of perdition, to followe the moste part: to obey rather man than God, to resist authoritie vnlawfully, to wishe vengeance, and to lay faults and blames vponupon other vncharitably.
MAny mē lacking grace and good wyll, to searche the scriptures, so as they might fynde, sée and folowe this way of saluation in Christ vntounto God: take that waye which commeth into their imagination by cōmon custome, & followe the most parte of men, which cōmonly kéepe the worste way and furthest from God. For commonly in mans imagination is suche a false fayned fashion of Christe, and his kingdome, as is most vnlike and cōtrary vntounto the true face and fourme of Christ and his holy Church▪ as is nothing agréeable vntounto that whiche is clearely and comfortably reuealed vntounto suche as searche and sée the same in holy scripture. And therfore they yt take Christe and the Churche, as commeth by custome into mannes imagination, doo forsake the foundation of the prophets & the Apostles, Christ beyng the hed corner stone, doe mislyke such example & doctrine of Christ, and his Churche, as is by the Scripture taught vntounto the faithfull.
For they flée from the poore little flocke and crosse of Christe, as from perillous heretikes and mischeuous plagues, & they follow, regard, and reuerence the gretest multitude of priestes and prelates, with moste solemne shewes and ceremonies: as though the kingdom of Christ were a thing full of worldly glory & outwarde holines. So leauing the scriptures, and folowing custome in blinde imagination of Christe and the Church they run vntounto the diuell and damnation in Antichristes kingdome.
They imagin that in folowing the most they shall escape dānation, when as in leauing the best, they forsake saluation. Many were drouned in the floude, when as fewe entred with Noe to be saued in the shippe. Many taried and perisht in the fire, when as fewe followed Lot out of Sodome and Gomor. Many in all places did continue in idolatrie, when as Abraham was called & did go to serue God in a straunge countrey. Of the Israelits which came out of Egipt many deserued to die in wildernesse, and fewe did enter into the lande of promise.
Tenne tribes fell from the kingdome of Dauid into idolatry vnderunder Ieroboam, whē as a few in comparison went from thence to kéepe the lawe and ordinaunce of God at Hierusalem. Many euer finde and take the broade way which leadeth vntounto perdition, when as fewe enter in at the narrow gate vntounto saluation. Many be called and few be chosen: yea & God doth choose those whiche the world doth refuse. So yt it is the plaine path vntounto perdition, which the greatest nū ber, and those that hauehave the moste solemne and séemlie shew afore the face of ye worlde keepe by common custome contrary vntounto Gods commaundement.
Many do imagin that if God work wondersly to set vp any in high authoritie, then whatsoeuer such a one doth commaund, is good and godly. It was a wonderfull work of God to set vp Ieroboam and make hym king of Israell: and yet moste vngodly dyd hée cause his people to commit idolatrie in Dan and Bethell. And when as he was made a king by the wonderful working of God, and caused the people whiche hée was king ouer abhominably to committe idolatry agaynste God: yet euen then in so doing did hée say, and commaunde eueryevery thing in the name of God, as the true honour and seruice of God. But neyther the wonderful worke of God in making him king, nor his owne saying or meaning to establishe that kingdome, coulde make or proue that to be the honor and seruice of Go…, whiche was contrary vntounto the worde and cōmandement of God. O Englande beware and take good héede that thou neyther resist authoritie, nor yet committe idolatrie. For if thou folowing mans imagination take eyther of these two ways, then doest thou perillously procéede towardes perdition, contrary vntounto the commaundement of God in the worde of God. For the woorde of God teacheth neuer to resist authoritie, but euer to pray for al men, and especially for suche as be in authoritie: and yet if any thing bée taught and commaūded cōtrary vntounto Gods word and wil, then rather to obéy god than man, how high in authoritie soeuer they be, which take vponupon them so to teache or commaunde. Therefore if thou féele authoritie heauie and greuous vntounto thée, which surely is Gods ordinance for mans comforte and commoditie, doe not repine & murmure against Gods ordinaunce, but repent and amend thine owne faults, whiche doe cause God to scourge & beat thée with that rod of authoritie, whiche when thou of curst hart by wishing, woord, or déed woldst snap and pull out of Gods handes, then didst thou deserue and cause God to take from thée that rod of his fatherly correction, & poure vppon thée plagues of intollerable vengeance. So the Israelites impaciently refusing the correction of seueritie vnderunder Roboam, were plagued with idolatrie vnderunder Ieroboam. But when as the childe that is corrected, or the people that is plaged, doth humbly submit himself vnderunder the hande of God his heauenly lord & Father, then will God of fatherly affection, cherish his child, spare his people, and caste the rod into the fire, eyther as he did graciously change the hart, and mollifie the minde of Manasses, or else as hée did righteously remoue and destroy the power and person of Nabuchodonosor, of Saul, and of suche other.
Take ye héede and bee warned as well princes as peoples, as wel ye that be in authoritie, as you that bée vnderunder authoritie: for when as the one is punished by the fautes of the other, then cōmonly the vngodlinesse of them that doo suffer, is the cause of the faulte in the other.
When as the people in Israell kindled the fury of God fiercely agaynst thēselues, then Satan had power to persuade Dauid their King to cōmit a great faulte, in numbryng the people, for the whiche GOD did greuously plage them. Whē as Dauid had gréeuousely synned agaynste God in abominable murder and adultery, then the sinfull sedition of the people stirred vp by ambitious Absalon, serued as the sworde of God to plague Dauid, & expulse him. Contrarye wyse, when as one dothe pyttie and praye for an other, then God dothe pardon the faultes, and remedye the myseries of bothe. As Dauid séeing the people perishe, and the angel with the sword of the plague ready to procéede to stryke the citie, dyd fall downe in greeuous sorowe, confessing his owne faulte, and pittifully bewayling and praying for the plagued people: so that then Dauids sinne was pardoned, & the plague among the people ceased, and bothe partes of God chearished and comforted. Likewise the people after the death of Absalon, perceyuing and féeling their owne faulte, were gréeued with the expulsion, and desired restitution of Dauid their King: so as they reuerently receyued him, he louingly did pardon them, and God graciously did agree and blesse both him and them together in a peasable and prosperous kingdome. So surely whensouer men will sorrowe and confesse their owne sinnes, pittie and praye for the myseries of other, then wyll God forgiue the sinnes, remedie the miseries, comforte the consciences, and blesse and prosper the countreyes and kingdomes of such godly persons.
And therfore, all mē had nede to beware of suche vngodly mindes, as desire and delite to sée or heare the mischief and miseries or faultes and euils in other. For all they that hauehave so euil disposed mindes, shal soone be forced to fynde and feele in them selues the same euils whiche they nowe will and wishe vntounto other. No man shoulde imagin bycause hée can finde a faulte in other, that therfore he himself is not giltie: or bycause other bée plagued, that hee shall bée blessed. Adam in Paradise founde faulte with the woman, and the woman with the Serpent, and GOD did not take the faulte of one to be an excuse for an other, but rather as cause of greatter offence, and of more iuste condemnation vntounto them all. The Pharisie did finde faults in the Publican, and had nothyng in hym selfe that coulde please GOD. The Publicane féeling and confessyng his owne faultes obteyned mercye and grace of God. And also note, that those whyche had theyr bloude mixt with sacrifice, beyng cruelly killed of Herode: and those whiche were miserably ouerwhelmed with the fall of a Toure in Siloe, were not the greatest sinners afore God: but ráther shewed as notable examples, to giuegive warning vntounto all men, that if they woulde not repent and amende them selues, beyng then spared, they shoulde perish and be destroyed with suche vengeance and plagues, as they did sée poured vppon those other that then suffered.
So the moates in other mennes eyes should make vsus diligent to pul the beames out of our owne eyes: and the plagues of other mennes punishmentes bée good warnings for vsus of repentance & amendment. But when as menne lightly regarding the good counsel of Gods word, and boldly presumyng vppon false prophecies, and vayne worldly policies, doe imagin that faultes founde in other, make muche for the discharge and prayse of them: and the destruction of other, for the deliuerance or assurance of them: then doe their blynde eyes whiche will not sée and sorowe their owne sinnes, and other mennes miseries, despise the long sufferance and mercifull pacience of God alluring them by al maner of meanes vntounto repentance & amendment: & their hard harts which can not repent, doth heap & store vp against thēselues, the wrath and vengeance of God, in the day of his displeasure, whiche commeth so sore and sodaynly vppon them that they shall fynde no way to auoyde it, nor be able to abyde it.
O Englande take héede. For when God dothe beginne to iudge those that hée of hys house and familye, then doothe hée make ready, and threaten vengeaunce and perdition vntounto suche as bée strangers and enimies vntounto hym, and vntounto his house, hys churche, his Gospell, his truthe. As surely as the Lorde liueth, if thou wilt not soone sée, take good héede, repent and amend, thou shalt not long be without féeling and experience, that carnall libertie sclaundering the Gospell, can bee no couer nor cloake for superstitious Papistrie refusing the Gospell. Nor worldely couetousnesse taking and abusing any landes or goods perteyning vntounto the churche of Christe, and to the common wealth, shall not excuse or defend abhominable idolatrie agaynst the honor of God, and saluation of mens soules. Fayned flatterie to get and kéepethe fauor of man, shall not serue or saue manyfeste and manyfolde periuries from the plague and vengeance of God. Foolishe pittie wéeping for the plages poured vponupon the gréene trée, bearing fruites vntounto the glorie of God in heauen: shall not serue to excuse the hard hearts which can not sorowe for their own sinnes, themselues and their frends, which be dry trées, vessels to be filled with wrath and vengeaunce, fyre brandes to bée burned to kindle and kéepe a continuall fier in hell. Wherefore be warned by gods worde 2. Cor. 6. come from emongs them, and be ye seperated from them, sayeth the Lorde, and touche ye not the vncleane, and I will receiue you, and I will be vntounto you as a father, and ye shall be vntounto me as sonnes and daughters, sayth the Lord almightie.