The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Chapter 1 – Chapter 2
Chapter. I.
This time filleth the worlde full of daungerous euils too driue men from the worlde, and most comfortably offereth the beste way too allure them vntounto Chryst.
THE Lord bée mercifull vntounto vsus, and blesse vsus, & shewe the light of his countenance on vsus, so that we may know and kéepe his way vpō erth, with speedy passage intoheauen. For nowe doth sinfull wretchednesse, diuelishe darkenesse, and daungerous vengeance ouerflow the face of the whole erth, to driue them from desire and louelove of earthlie things. Nowe is the way, the truthe and the life prouided of God, and profered vntounto men, to allure, guide, & bring them through all earthly daungers vntounto heauenly ioyes. Nowe bee the euill dayes and perillous times: and nowe is the day of saluation, the acceptable time. For euen nowe God calleth most earnestly vntounto men, seeing them in greatest dangers, offring them his exceeding mercies, saying: Come vntounto me all ye that trauayle and be burdened, and I shall ease and refresh you. Come nowe when as I do call, walke nowe while yée hauehave light. Now is the world worthily condemned to bée vtterly destroyed, bycause that lighte is come into the worlde, & men louing worldly darkenesse more than godly light, doe refuse gods mercies, and prouoke Gods vengeance. Nowe is suche calling and crying to enter with Chryst the bridegrome into the chamber of comfort, as thretneth the shortly shutting vp of the gates of grace, against al them which will not come when as they bée called, but tarrie to take their partes and portions with hypocrites in outwarde darkenesse, which is for the Diuell and his angels prouided. Nowe the prince of darkenesse knowing his time to bée shorte▪ doeth moste furiously rage to destroy man: and God therfore seing man in greatest danger and necessitie, doth nowe most euidently offer his sauing health vntounto man, in the face of Iesus Chryste his sonne. Not in the face of Chrysts bodie, which is falsly fygured in colours & caruings, but in the face of Chrystes conuersation and doctrine, whiche is so truely, and clearly reuealed in holie Scriptures, that it can not be couered and hid frō any mā, but alonly frō them, whose faithlesse vnderstanding ye prince of this worlde hathe so blinded, that they can not nor will not beholde the cleere light of the Gospell of the glorie of Christe most comfortably shining vntounto the saluation of man. For the gracious goodnesse of God dothe appeare in al his words, and works, howbeit towards man sufficiently vntounto saluation it can no otherwise be séene and perceiued, but by the light of the gospel shewing ye face of Christe God and man, the fauour and grace of God towards man, in the déedes and doctrine of Christ Iesu, whiche is the way, the life and the truth, which is by the gospell so shewed and set forth before al men, as maketh most to the shamefull confusion and vtter perdition of them that wil refuse it, and to the exceeding comforte & assured saluation of them that do receiue it. For the same sorte of sins which caused sundrie plages in sundry places afore times, bée altogether fully flowing into this wicked worlde at this time, and the same saluation that was promised vntoo the fathers, witnessed by the lawe and the Prophetes, signifyed by sacrifices, sealed by sacraments, and shadowed in ceremonies afore time: is nowe playnly and plentifully by the light of the Gospell, through power of gods spirit presented and profered vntounto vsus in this time. Therefore to escape from vnderunder many daungers, and to come vntounto great comforte, to walke in the way of saluatiō promised vntounto the fathers, and perfourmed vntoo vsus, shadowed in the lawe, and reuealed in the Gospell, a man must not sléep in slouthfulnesse vnderunder dangers, nor trust and stay in the signes and shadowes of sacrifices and ceremonies, nor in the letter of the lawe, nor in the persons of Prophets and preachers: but vse al these things as meanes to make him mindfull of Chryst only, in whome by fayth man may euer finde and obtayne merciemercy and grace, help & comfort plētifully. For be that feleth by fayth howe that the Father hathe giuen Christ his déere sonne to die for mā, he shal finde by experience, howe that God hathe made, and doth guide and giuegive all creatures as is best for the necessitie & commoditie of man. And as the wonderfull wisedome of god doth neuer make any prouisiō but such as is necessarie, so the great mercifull goodnesse of God doeth euer prouide sufficiente succour for all them that be in danger of extremitie. Therfore God hath nowe sent the light of the gospell, so clearly and openly abolishing sinne, shadowes and figures, as is sufficient to put away any manner of darknesse, & as shoulde not hauehave bene necessarie, if god had not foreséen vsus to hauehave now come vnderunder many moe & greater dangers, at this our time, thā other men did in their times.
CHAP. II.
The light of the Gospell sheweth comfortable commodities in all things.
THERE is but one way of saluation in Chryst onelyonly, and that hath euer béen at diuers times diuersly reuealed, as God hath forseene to bée moste expedient and necessary. And this saluation can not be gotten by mans workes, in kéeping of the lawe, but it is fréely giuen by Gods grace to the beleuers of the Gospell. The righteousnesse of the lawe of God is so heauie a yoake by reason of the infirmitie of mans flesh, as no man is able too beare: the glad tidings of the gospell of Christ by reason of the grace of god be so cléere and comfortable vntounto the faythfull, as causeth all things to bée vntounto them pleasant and profitable. So Abraham hearing and beléeuing the promise in his séed, which was the glad tydings in Chryst to come, felt no losse nor lacke, neyther of his natiue countrie & kinred from whence hée was called, neither of bis deare sonne which was commaunded to be sacrifised, but had great abundance of all riches, with a sure promise of blessed succession, and large landes of possession, and was by imputation of righteousnesse taken and named to be the friende of God, and the father of the faythful. So Adam whiche did not by any abilitie of free will perfitly obey Gods commaundement to continue in the pleasures of Paradise: did (by hearing and beleuing the glad tidings that the séed of the woman should break the head of the Serpent) escape al danger of sinne and damnation, thorow al temptations, troubles and trauels in this world, vntounto ioy and glory euerlasting in the kingdome of God.
Here is an example in Adam at the first, shewing vntounto all men that should come after for euer, that nothing is so good as that it may continue commodious and comfortable vntounto man without fayth in Christ by the light of the Gospel, nor nothing so euyl, but that it shall serue by the grace of God vntounto the profit and plesure of them that beleue in Christ according to the gospel. Yea the righteous lawe of God, which is a heauie yoke, charging man with more than he is able to beare, declaring sinne and working wrath, when it is separated from the gospel & fayth in Christe, bringeth cursing, death and damnation vntounto man: but being well vsed, to driue and force men vntounto the comforte and perfectiō of the gospel by fayth in Christ, it is both holy and righteous in it self, and also good and profitable vntounto man. Let vsus therfore so abuse nothing, as it may drawe and stay vsus from faith in Christ and the libertie of his Gospell: but so rightely vse the law and al things, as they may best further and bring vsus vntounto Christe and his Gospell.