The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
All good things bee giuen of God vntounto man in Christ, seene by the light of the Gospell, and receyued by Fayth.
CHriste by his owne perfecte obedience, oblatiō & sacrifice once for all, hath purchased of God vntounto them yt beléeue truly in him suche forgiuenes of sins, such bearing with infirmities, & such gracious goodnesse, yt they shall not bée charged for not fulfilling the lawe, beyng a yoke to heauie to be borne of mans infirmitie, but they shal be commēded, and rewarded as kéepers of Gods commaundement by reason of Faith, that woorketh by charitie: he hathe so abolisht sacrifices & ceremonies, that now vntounto the Faithfull there remaineth no darknesse vnderunder shadowes and figures, but great abundance of most comfortable light in spirit and truthe. For whē as he had put awaye and abolished figures and shadows fully and clerely performing the truth in bodily presence, then did hée in body ascende from the earth to bée glorified in heauen, so as all Faithfull in eueryevery place vppon earth might hauehave a more comfortable and commodious presence of Chryste with them in spirite, than coulde hauehave continued vntounto some men in any one place in body.
So nowe the mercifull goodnesse of God, is in many things by many meanes so signified, as after a sort it might bée spied and perceiued: but in Christe only so promysed and perfourmed, and by preaching of the Gospell through power of the spirite so reuealed & offered, as vntounto saluation it may be receyued and enioyed.
Seing therfore, that it hath pleased God to graunt & giuegive vntounto man in Christe, after suche sorte all treasures, man can hauehave no néede, nor shuld not hauehave any will or desire to take any thing either of any other persō, or els after any other sort or fashion. For it is an abhominable contempt of God to disdain any thing fréely offred of him, & to seke or desire the same or a worse to be gotten and purchased of any other. It is a spitefull mocking of Christe, to say, that any thing may be graunted and gotten by some other meane, which Christ did purchase and buy with his precious bloud: as though Christe had not so well and wisely bestowed hys bloodsheding, as some other might hauehave bestowed some meaner thing. Some men imagin that they néed not for eueryevery thing to call vponupon Christ, and that they shoulde not themselues presume to pray vntounto God, but rather humble them selues in praying to saincts, to be mediators for them vntounto god. These mens presumptuous arrogancie is abhominable afore the face of God, for that they wil not know themselues to be so vile and sinfull, that none other can bée able, or méete to bring them vntounto God, or by anie meane to purchase vntounto them any thing of GOD, but onelyonly Christe by his precious bloud. They doe imagine after a worldelie fashion, GOD to be like a proud Prince, whiche woulde hauehave suters to speake vntounto his seruants: and so in iudging of God contrary vntounto al examples & doctrine in Gods word, they dare not take the way in at the dore, by the which all faithful be called and receiued as Gods fréendes, but in bold and blinde presumption, to climbe ouer otherwayes, deserue to bée repulsed and throwē downe, as despisers of Gods grace, breakers of his ordinances, and traytours vntounto his maiesty. For god is robbed of his honor due to his maiesty, by such as presume contrary to the truth of his holie word to iudge him like vntounto proud princes of this wicked worlde. And saincts departing from hence, be not put in office and placed afore God to bee hearers and offerers of men and their prayers. For onelyonly Christe, whiche is the dore of grace, euer standing open vntounto all faythfull, is sufficient to bée mediatour between God and mā in this matter of prayer, to bring & present men and their prayers afore the face of GOD. And so Paul 1. Timoth. 2. witnesseth, whereas hée speaking of prayer, sayeth: There is one God, and one mediator betwixt God and man, euen the man Christe Iesus. Nothing that is good can be giuen of any but of God onelyonly. God gyueth nothing by force but by fauour. Nothing can purchase man fauour with God, but onelyonly Chrystes precyous bloud. And they onelyonly bée redemed and restored vntounto Gods fauour by Iesu Christes bloud, whiche faythfully receyue Chrystes Gospell. Therefore to séeke or looke for remission of any sins, for any gracious gifts, or for any good thing of any other than of God, or by any other mean than by faith in Christ, according to ye gospel of christ, is an vnthākfull refusing of the liuing god, of his gracious goodnesse, and of sauing health in Christe, to deserue by so doyng, vengeance with the worlde, & damnation with diuels.
For they that will forsake mercy, shall not escape vengeaunce, they that will not come vntounto Christe, shall goe vntounto the Deuill. For as there is no other way vntounto the father, but by him, so what other way so euer any man taketh, hée falleth into the handes of the deuill from him.