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 vnto ioy and glory euerlasting in the kingdome of God. Here is an example in Adam at the first shewing vnto all men that should come after for euer that nothing is so good as that it may continue commodious and comfortable vnto 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 vnto 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 vnto man but being well vsed to driue and force men vnto 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 vnto man Let vs therfore so abuse nothing as it may drawe and stay vs 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 vs vnto Christe and his Gospell CHAP. III. A briefe exposition of the lawe wherein any man may learne to see and know himselfe THE first setting foorth of the lawe of God vnto man so as in wryting it should procéede thorow out all the worlde was in wildernesse at the mounte Sinai when as the Israelits deliuered out of Egipt through thered sea were assembled and stode round about the lower parts of the mountaine and the Lorde vpon the mountaine in flaming fire smoke cloud storme and thunder presently spake and sayd I am the Lord thy God O mortall man consider with what reuerence loue and diligence thou hearest remembrest and regardest this lawe then pronounced of the eternall God with such terrible sightes and signes and nowe conueyed and commended vnto thy eares and eyes by so many sounding voices and visible letters as make euery worde and iote euerie where most euident and present too be séene and heard of thée for the Lord thy God hath spoken written these words that they shall for euer by letters and voices be brought vnto thine eares and eyes in such sort as thou mayest euer heare and sée and shouldest take and kéep the law of God as a light commending the righteousnesse of God and confounding the vnrighteousnesse of man and as a good tutour or scholemaister to bring man from all presumption of himself towards a sure faith and trust in christ Sée therfore how wonderfully and how plainly the eternal God from the mount Sinai by infinite wordes and wrytings speaketh vnto thée in al places at euery time O mortall man saying I am the Lorde thy God. This shoulde with more thankefull reuerence be hearde and remembred of thée than if all men would say and assure thée that they bee thy freindes their golde thy good their riches thy tresures and that al which is theirs should bée thine For God hath well assured thée of his goodnesse VVhich brought thee out of the lande of Egipt out of the house of bondage These words wel taken applied vnto vs hée of more waighty matter than is the story of the bare letter spoken and referred too the Israelites only For when as these two things the storie in the letter and the mysterie in the full matter be not separated in sunder but ioyned together Then Pharao king of Egipt is also by signification the Diuel prince of darknesse Their passage through the red Sea wherein their enemies were drouned is also our regeneration in baptime wherby our enimies be subdued both fleshly lusts dayly mortified and spirituall powers continually vanquished Manna angels food as raine from the cloudes scattred amongst them is also the true liuely food of the worde of God out of the hart 's of the Preachers plentifully poured amongst vs Riuers of water running out of the stonie rock to refresh them is also abundance of the spirite procéeding from the father and the sonne to replenishe vs and many such matters so couered and closed vnder figures and shadows vnto them as could scarce then be perceiued which be all nowe wythout any straunge colours of darke shadows plainly and plentifully ministred vnto vs Therefore hearing or reading these wordes I am the Lorde thy God whiche brought thee out of the lande of Egipt out of the house of bondage Knowe that the eternal God speaketh vnto thée O mortal man which was by thine own corrupt nature a childe of wrath couered and kept in darknesse to serue in sinne vnder Sathan and art now from thence by gods mercie and grace deliuered and brought into the housholde of God as a Citizen wyth sainctes to serue God in suche holinesse and righteousnesse as is acceptable before him all the dayes of our life For he is the Lord that hath all power and authoritie Hee is thy God that is al gratious goodnesse with excéeding loue and fauour vnto thée which sayeth Thou shalt haue none other Goddes before mee Thou deliuered out of darkenesse of sin and danger of damnation too walke by the light of the truthe in the way of righteousnesse vnto eternall saluation shalte haue shalt honoure or serue beléeue or confesse with prayer thankes or praise none other Goddes which bée all Idols false formes and fashions of creatures craftily counterfeited by diuelishe illusion in mans imagination so that thou shalt not take any such vanitie to be thy god but mee which am in deed of perfit and infinit being and power goodnesse and glorie euen I onely am the liuing God and all others be no Goddes but vaine idols wicked diuels Therfore I giue thée this commaundement as a doctrine and charge for thée to flée from all euils dangers and damnation comming by them that thou mayst haue all good things with life and saluation of me onely And bicause althings at altimes in euery place yea euen the very secrete thoughtes of the heart be euident afore my face Therfore euer be mindefull how by thought word or déede thou dost honour or dyshonor me being euer in my presence euen openly before my face Thou shalte not make vnto thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I the Lorde thy God am a gelous God and visit the sinne of the fathers vppon the children vntoo the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee and shew mercie vntoo thousandes in them that loue mee and kepe my commaundements THOV created and made by the infinit wisedome and goodnesse of God lyke vnto his image and
Christ by his comming and suffering hath abolished all figures and shadows of sacrifices and ceremonies ouercomming in déede sinne death and damnation and ascending bodily vp into heauen hath sent downe the holie ghost to beare witnesse and work with the preachers of his gospell vpon earth whiche as faithfull messangers of the Lorde earnestly exhorte and humbly beseech men in Christ that they woulde bée reconciled vnto god Wherfore now after sufficient experience and tryall of all things and vtter abolishement of such as nowe might bée euil or vnprofitable God the father of mercie and pitie through the merits meanes of Christ his son by the power and presence of the holie Ghost euer woorking and witnessing with the Ministers of the Gospell doth so mooue and dispose purifie and sanctifie the harts and mindes of men as teacheth and causeth them by fayth to flee dangers of dānation deserued by their owne déedes vnto assurance of saluation in Christes merites They be taught to beleue in God by the sonne the spirite the woorde and messangers of God. I do not meane that they be taught only to say I beléeue as the Church doth or only to say the summe of a good beléefe in an vnknowen language but that as God by the minister of his worde and power of his spirit teacheth so their heartes and minds conceiue their mouthes confesse and the fruites of their charitable works bée agreable in such wise as euery one of them most truly and comfortable doth think and may say with the holie catholike Church I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth I which was by nature a childe of wrath borne and liuing in sinne vnder Sathan in the kingdome of darkenesse nowe of grace through the holy ghost by the immortall séede of Gods worde being newe begotten and new borne vnto the kingdome of God Do beleeue as certainely as of moste sure ground and as throughly as of great triall and experience I do know and trust in god the father almightie that God which is all goodnesse in himselfe hath of his fatherly loue and almightie power made mée his good creature and deer child so that he will for euer be a gracious God and louing father vnto me which is the maker of heauen and earth which hath created and made doth rule and order al things in heauen and earth vnto his honour and glorie and vnto my comfort and cōmoditie For as hée being the Lord ouer all hath declared himself to bée a father vnto me by his promise so I am sure of the inheritance of all being his childe by faith And in Iesus Chryste hys onely sonne our Lorde I haue good knowledge by sure truste in Iesus the Sauioure of his people from their sinnes that I shall bée saued from my sinnes and from all euilles throughe Christ the annointed King priest and prophet that I shall bée a christian that I shal be annointed with grace of Christes spirit to be partaker of the kingly priesthode and godly wisedome of Christ that in such holinesse righteousnesse and godlinesse as is acceptable before him I may offer the sacrifice of my selfe in seruing him al the dayes of my life and haue the crowne of glory with him in his kingdome in the kingdom vnto the which he hath redéemed vs that is of nature and substance vnto God his only sonne making vs his brethren and Gods children by grace and adoption so that wée must take him to be our Lorde obeying the authoritie learning the doctrine and following the example of him as of our onely gouerner scholemaster and pastour VVhich vvas conceyued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Which in taking by the holy Ghost of a pure virgine our flesh vpon him hath purified vs from our sinnes to be sanctified in his righteousnesse VVhich suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Suffered vnder a Iudge the iudgement of death due for our sinnes to purchase for vs of god his father the reward of his righteousnesse to giue vs example and grace to followe his obedience He vvas crucified Bearing the curse of the lawe to get and giue vnto vs the blessing of grace hee Died and vvas buried So that nowe our bodies mindes with him should bée mortified and buried frō sin and not die and damned in sin for hee Descended into hell He suffered all extremitie not onely in bodie but also in soule that we should suffer no more than we might be able to bear and that no paynes or punishment for sinnes should be plagues of vengeance to destroy vs but rather corrections of fatherlie loue to amende vs. The thyrd day he rose againe from the dead The day and time appointed and afore prophecied with victorie ouer Hell Death and Damnation hée rising from the deade did make death a ready and spéedie passage for vs vnto life teaching and strengthning vs to ryse forth of sinne and walke in newnesse of life after him that Ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty And like as the sunne at midday so he in bodily presence lifte vp from the earth into heauen there in glory of Gods maiestie abiding doth from thence shine and shewe his vertue and goodnesse by the power of his spyrite most presently and comfortably vnto all creatures in euery place vpon the earth and as hée ascended bodily into Heauen to replenishe all things euen so in the same bodie From thence he shal come to iudge the quick and dead From heauen whither as he did ascende in the sight of his disciples so from thence in the sighte of all men shall hée come not only in spirite and power as he is at all times in all places but also in his bodie glorified with maiestie as he is nowe in heauen and shall not come from thence vntill the last day when as all men both dead afore and liuing then shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortalitie vnto suche state as shall euer continue either in hel or in heauen according vnto the righteous iudgement of Christe in the which hee shall declare and take all vs that be vnfayned Christians to be the blessed children and heires of God with him in that kingdome which could neuer by any works or merites of any man haue bene deserued or purchased but onely in Christe vnto Christians of the only gracious goodnesse of god hath for euer bene prepared I beleue in the holie Ghost I haue knowledge with sure hope in the holy spirit of God equall with the father and the sonne proceeding from the father and the sonne to sanctifie beautifie Christes Church that I shall be sanctified from all sinnes and endued with all good giftes of grace as God seeth is moste necessarie expediente for mée to edifie and not to destroy Yea I beléeue that by him all Gods creatures be sanctified and made holie vnto all godly men and that without him there can be
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 heaueÌ„ then if for feare or loue of freÌ„des goods hée vtterly wil refuse deny so to forsake all come vnto 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 vnder a slow deathe Yea in refusing to come with a courage beyng louingly called of God vnto life euerlasting he runneth in danger to dispaire when as by fearful death hee shal be forced to forsake this world this life and euery suche thing as hée nowe lyketh and loueth Many fearing to bée shutte vp in a stinking prison where as godly men haue euer found most swéete consolations of Goddes spirit doo flée from the truthe and fall into snares and banâ—s of the diuell drawne with grudge grief of conscience vnto moste vile and filthie seruice of sin superstition and idolatry Many also bee so addicte vnto their owne countrey there abiding in the shadowe of death vnder 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 vnto 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 loue and knowlege vnto 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 haue iust occasion to kéepe or change any place but neuer to yelde or agrée vnto any euill and vngodly thing It is not the flying from place to place only but from the vngodly fashion of this worlde vnto 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 haue so there prouided for you that ye shall not be forced for feare of man to bowe vnto Baal for to flatter please worldly powers to heare or say the vngodly Masse And if ye come forth of youre countrey for loue of youre pure religion reste not but in suche places as haue 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 vpon 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 haue 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 innoceÌ„t blood in vsing and maynteyning idolatrie shall féele zelous Iehu executing wrath and vengeaunce of God vppon them vnto the third and fourth generation of them WheÌ„ 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 haue forsaken and condemned the Gospell of Chryste whiche is the power of God vnto 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 vnto 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 vnto you the abhomination of desolation standing in the holie place When as hée dothe giue you warning of vengeance that is coÌ„ming flée from ignorance vnto knowledge froÌ„ vice vnto vertue from worldlinesse vnto 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 vnto Peter to fainte for feare and sinke in worldely wretchednesse as in the water but set your eyes and your heartes wholly vpon the promis and prouision of God as Abraham did so shall ye be strong in faith and take and kéepe the right way eueÌ„ vnto 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 vpon earth spéedy passage vnto 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 vnto Christes kingdome And for the loue 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 vnto other least that it fall vppon your selues or else least that