The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
An admonition and exhortation, only too loke and trust vntounto the goodnesse and promise of God, & earnestly to desire and pray to see and enioye the kingdome of Christe.
THus dothe the woorde of God in holy Scriptures giuegive good light vntounto the right way from all dangers vntounto the beste assurance of all goodnesse. For the lawe whiche declareth and requireth mans duetie, dothe proue that man being frayle of flesh, tempted of the deuil, & bewitched of the worlde, dothe deserue wrathe and vengeance. And the Gospell bringing gladde tydings of free deliuerance, doth set foorth the mercies and grace of god in Christ vntounto man. And then man by faith doth flée from himself, the deuill, and the world, vntounto all gracious goodnesse in Christe onelyonly. So the kéeping and the walking of the right way, is the continuance and increase of suche fayth as commeth of Gods worde. And fayth yt commeth of Goddes worde, is continued and increased by the forsaking or leauing of other things, to looke and truste onelyonly vntounto the worde and promise of God. So Abraham did forsake his owne kinred and countrey, leauing all reasoning and doubting eyther of prouision amongs straungers, eyther of the barennesse of his own body, and of hys wiues wombe, eyther of the sacrifising of his sonne. I saye Abraham doubting or fearing none of these things, but onelyonly regarding and trusting the word and promise of GOD, was made strong in faith, giuing prayse vntounto God, beyng throughly perswaded, that he whiche had promised was able to performe. So Peter regarding nothing but ye calling of Christ, did come forth of the ship & walke vponupon the waters by a strong & sure fayth: but looking aside at the windes and waues, by a faynte and féeble fayth did sinke downward in danger to be drowned.
Learne therfore all ye that be called and commaunded of Christ to flée from the abhomination of desolation, not to feare, stagger, and doubt for lands and goods, wiues and children, frends or foes, fire or sworde: but be ye strong in fayth, throughly persuaded, that be which hath promised, is able to perform vntounto you in suffring for his cause, that one haire of your heades shall not perish, and that for the losse of any thing here in this present world, ye shall receyue manyfold recompence, and afterwards in the world to come life euerlasting. Surely all your goods, countrey, and kinred, shall not be so muche hurt by the worlde, as blessed of God, when as you in Christes cause for Gods glory, by death, prison, exile, or any manner of persecution bée forced to leaue and cōmend them wholly vntounto the fatherly prouidence of God. But if ye forsake God for louelove of them, then doe yée deserue that God should destroy you, and plage them.
As when the Israelites at Cades were called of God to come forth of the wildernesse into the lande of promise, then they douted and feared so muche the daunger of euils, to their wiues and children, that they refused Gods calling, and God therefore returned them vntounto long trauell, and many troubles in wildernesse, where as their bodies and carkases, all died and perished, their wiues & children were ofte and gréeuously plagued.
And euen so, when as a man is called in witnessing of Gods truth by any deathe, to come spedily out of this world into heauē, then if for feare or louelove of frēdes & goods, hée vtterly wil refuse & deny so to forsake all, & come vntounto God, he shall deserue that God with long wretchednesse in this worlde, shold destroy him, and plage all that is hys.
For in fleeing from spéedie passage by a fierie fagot, which is sodenly ended: hee shal fall in daunger of a fiery feuer, or of some such sicknesse, as shal most miserably consume his body, euer biting and burning by a little & a little to make him to feele long sorowes of life vnderunder a slow deathe. Yea in refusing to come with a courage, beyng louingly called of God vntounto life euerlasting, he runneth in danger to dispaire, when as by fearful death hee shalbe forced to forsake this world, this life, and eueryevery suche thing as hée nowe lyketh and loueth. Many fearing to bée shutte vp in a stinking prison, where as godly men hauehave euer found most swéete consolations of Goddes spirit, doo flée from the truthe, and fall into snares and ban…s of the diuell, drawne with grudge & grief of conscience, vntounto moste vile and filthie seruice of sin, superstition and idolatry. Many also bee so addicte vntounto their owne countrey there abiding in the shadowe of death vnderunder Idolatrie, that they will not desire séek and find the churche of Christ in other places openly assembled in suche sincere profession of Christen Religion, as God dothe blesse and beautifie with the riches and grace of his cléere truth & comfortable countenance. Many knowing and liking the truth inwardly in their mind, yet frame themselues in outwarde apperance to please the world, hauing their owne conscience to witnesse, that in purposing so to please bothe God and man, they can not long escape the iudgement, shame & confusion of vnfaithfull flattering & dissembling bothe with God & man. For in halting vppon both sides, they can not vprightly stand or go with either party: but in bowing vntounto Baal, they fall from God. And hauing good knowledge of God, and yet giuing occasion of offence to the simple that lacke knowlege, they deserue worse than a milstone to be tyed about their necke, and to be drowned in the sea: bycause they seeing vngodlinesse, doe wittingly presume afore the face of God, to bring them selues and others folowing their example in danger of the same that they sée is vngodly, by going to Masse, and pretending a louelove and knowlege vntounto the gospell, they make the simple ignorant to think that the Masse is not vngodly, or that for policye a faythfull Christian may company with the vngodly, at vngodlynesse. A man may hauehave iust occasion to kéepe or change any place, but neuer to yelde or agrée vntounto any euill and vngodly thing. It is not the flying from place to place only, but from the vngodly fashion of this worlde, vntounto newnesse of life that can profite man and please God. So therefore vse all places as may helpe beste, to the amendment of your liues. And where as ye do sée Idolatry mainteined & forced by authoritie, fary not in that countrey, except God hauehave so there prouided for you that ye shall not be forced for feare of man to bowe vntounto Baal, for to flatter & please worldly powers, to heare or say the vngodly Masse. And if ye come forth of youre countrey for louelove of youre pure religion, reste not but in suche places, as hauehave the riche blessings of sincere godly doctrine and discipline.
If yée forsake your countrey for Christes cause, doe not leaue Christes Churche, Gods blessings, grace, and chéerful countenance to please Christes enimies. When as God shall sende his messanger in the spirit & power of Helias, then they that halte vponupon both sides, shall bée sharply rebuked, they that be neyther hote nor colde shall bée cast vp, vomited and spued forthe, as moste vngodly and wicked. They that flatter Princes, and mock and persecute prophets and preachers, shall bée in daunger of fire from heauen to destroy them. The priests of Baal shall not escape the rage of the people stirred of zele in seing howe abhominably by them they hauehave of long time ben deceiued, & God dishonored. All suche as bée of the house and kinred, of the kind & conditions of Achab & Iesabell, in getting vnrighteous possessions, in sheding innocēt blood, in vsing and maynteyning idolatrie, shall féele zelous Iehu, executing wrath and vengeaunce of God vppon them, vntounto the third and fourth generation of them. Whē suche as Peter that before a woman was afrayde to confesse Christe, bée so recouered and encouraged by Gods spirite, that boldly they wil charge the chiefe rulers, the high Priestes, and all the people, euen to their faces that they hauehave forsaken and condemned the Gospell of Chryste, whiche is the power of God vntounto saluation of all that do beléeue, and required & taken the masse whiche is the author and maker of sedition & murder of mens soules, then shal ye heare and see that there is no way to escape the wrath and vengeance of God, but by fléeing now from this frowarde and peruerse generation, vntounto that sauing health whiche God in Christe, by the light & ministerie of the Gospel doth shew, send & offer to you.
Therfore now when as God doth shew vntounto you the abhomination of desolation standing in the holie place. When as hée dothe giuegive you warning of vengeance that is cōming: flée from ignorance vntounto knowledge, frō vice vntounto vertue, & from worldlinesse vntounto godlinesse, and loke not backe at the losse of any thing, as the wife of Lot did, and was turned into a salt piller: nor looke not aside at any terrible stormes and raging waues, which might cause you like vntounto Peter to fainte for feare and sinke in worldely wretchednesse, as in the water: but set your eyes and your heartes wholly vponupon the promis and prouision of God, as Abraham did, so shall ye be strong in faith, and take and kéepe the right way euē vntounto the ende. For thou shalt see, finde and féele in leauing or loosing any thing, to take and beare the crosse of Christ, manifold recompence héere, and in the worlde to come lyfe euerlasting: and paynful death vponupon earth, spéedy passage vntounto the ioyes of heauen: in close prison and bonds of the body, libertie of conscience to solace the minde in heauenlie meditation, and in expulsion or fléeing from kindred and countrie, entrance into a christen congregation, garnished with all godlinesse belonging vntounto Christes kingdome. And for the louelove and desire to sée and enioy the restitution and aduauncement of this kingdome rather than of any worldy wealth, vain glory, or tyrannous emperie, do not woorke or wish vengeaunce vntounto other, least that it fall vppon your selues, or else least that of Chryst your earnest zeles be reproued, for that ye do not well knowe your owne minde and spirite: but lamentably looking vponupon the scattered flocke, crie and cal vntounto the father of merciemercy and pitie, that as the Lorde of the haruest, he woulde send forth labourers, faithful pastors, godlie preachers to gather, kéepe and féede the electe people, lambes and children of God, in the holie Churche, kingdome and inheritaunce of Christ.