A TREATISE of the right way froÌ„ Danger of Sinne vengeance in this wicked worlde vnto godly wealth and saluation in CHRISTE Made by Th. Leuer and now newly augmented Seene and allowed according to the order appointed clearly and sincerely preached and professed then and there is moste acceptable time and saluation and moste perillous time daunger and damnation moste acceptable tyme and saluation for them that vnderstande beleeue and professe the same truely and most perillous time daunger and damnation for them that neglecte refuse or abuse the same corruptly For the one sorte shall bee taken as children out of a Schoole too enioy their Fathers inheritance the other shall bee taken as beasts out of a pasture vntoo the day of slaughter Those that learne and folowe the will and wisedome of God in the worde of God shal be sure as Gods childreÌ„ to haue al things necessarie and comfortable by Gods prouidence and also to inherite Gods kingdome and those that feede their owne affections in fleshly lustes and in worldly vanities shall bee taken as beastes from the pasture vntoo slaughter from pleasure and pastime worldely vnto payne and perdition eternally Consider therfore how Gods children learne by Gods woorde written in holy Scripture for theire learning so as in reading or hearing of the same they seeke and finde comfort of conscience with suche meditation of the meaning thereof as doothe dayly mortifie their carnall affections All others do eyther vtterly refuse or corruptly abuse the woorde of God euer feeding their carnall affections I say suche as refuse Gods worde do feede their affections in worldely vanities and fleshely lustes and such as abuse Gods worde do feed also their affections in some ceremoniall superstitions or hypocriticall abuse of Gods woorde But Gods children bee all taught of God so too vse the hearing reading and meditation of Gods woorde written in holy Scriptures by inspiration of God taught also as the woorde of faith preached by ministers and preachers sent of God that thereby Gods spirite dothe put good lawes intoo their minds and write them in their heartes And then they feling their myndes illuminated with the truth and theirs hearts inflamed with the sincerity and simplicitie of Gods woorde may boldly and comfortably say that God of his owne good will hath begotten vs by the worde of truthe wee are nowe borne not of blood not of the will of fleshe nor of the will of man but of god VVee are nowe not in the fleshe but in the spirite bycause the spirite of God dwelleth in vs. So then wee are nowe detters not vntoo the fleshe too lyue after the fleshe but vntoo the spirite For if wee shoulde liue after the fleshe wee shoulde die but if wee mortifie the deedes of the bodye by the spirite wee shall lyue Therefore Gods children vse the hearing reading preaching and meditation of Gods woorde not to feede but to kill their carnall lustes All others whether that they doo vtterlye refuse or else accepte and vse the woorde of God yet they doo but feede carnall affections through diuelishe illusions eyther with worldely vanities and fleshely lustes euidently or else with some abuse of Gods woorde colourably and corruptly Of this matter did I wryte a little Booke beyng at Geneua in the time of Queene Maries raigne when I was there by diuerse Englishe men mooued and requested too cause it too bee printed and so then with a lyttle Preface I dyd sende many of those Bookes so printed intoo this Realme of Englande And nowe finding none of those Bookes too be solde in anie place but beeing of some desired too peruse one of them whiche was founde in a freendes hande and putte it too printing agayn with some admonition meete for this tyme I haue â—ritten this Epistle or Preface aduertising and desiring all suche as will reade it so to search the holie Scriptures and their owne consciences that they may see and take occasions to pittie and praye for them selues for all men and especially for the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie and all those that bee in aucthoritie vnder her that wee may liue a peaceable and quiet life with godlynesse and honestie And not too vse suche feeding of their owne affections as causeth suspecting enuying mysliking and mysreporting of others especially of such as be in authoritie for that of such thinges commonly commeth greate daunger and the vtter ouerthrowe of the Churche and Common wealth with all vngodlinesse and iniquitie And seeing that the grace of God that bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared teaching vs that wee forsaking vngodlinesse and worldly lustes shoulde liue soberly righteously and godlily in this presente worlde Therefore lette vs not in feeding our owne worldly and fleshly affections prouoke God vtterly too ouerthrowe but in learning and folowing the will and wisedome of God reuealed and taught in Gods woorde by Gods grace pray and desire God too preserue and prosper our Church and common wealth with the gouernours of the same in Christ Iesu. At London 1571. THOMAS LEVER VNTO Englande wisheth grace mercie and peace of God in Christ. WHEN as I did perceyue that my presence and preaching in Englande should not muche profit then did I take a long iourney or pilgremage vntoo holie places voyde of Images inhabited with good Sainctes nowe liuing whereas in prayer vntoo God studie of the scriptures and councelling with godly lerned men I did euer desire and seeke some way too helpe my natiue countrie And nowe truely if any man or woman belonging vntoo Englande and abyding there or elsewhere will reade this little Booke diligentely they shall see the way howe too please God too profit their countrie too discharge their duetie too comforte their consciences and too tourne all perillous Plagues intoo plentifull prouision of all thinges necessarie and commodious for their countrie beyng Christes Churche for themselues and for all theirs Therfore ô Englande I an Englishe man enuying or hating no person high or lowe riche or poore but of charitie afore God wishing to euery one as too my selfe haue made dedicate and sent this little booke vntoo thee as a token to witnesse my will and acknowledge my duetie towardes thee God graunt that suche thinges as bee well made and ment for thee may be well taken and vsed of thee vnto Gods glorie vntoo thy profit and vntoo the comfort of Christians in Christ. For I take God to witnes that I doo not mean or purpose to charge any maner of persons with any faultes or too threaten them with any plagues but such as their owne conscience shall force them to finde in the lawes and commaundementes of God nor also too flatter any person in forging fayned shifts and refuges but faithfully to teache euery man that plaine way of godly healthe and welthe whiche is conteyned in the common creede in that fayth whiche the holie catholike Churche of Christe doth professe Therfore all my laboure in studie and prayer for thee vntoo God
purchase man fauour with God but onely Chrystes precyous bloud And they onely bée redemed and restored vnto 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 the 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 vnto Christe shall goe vnto the Deuill For as there is no other way vnto the father but by him so what other way so euer any man taketh hée falleth into the handes of the deuill from him 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 vpon 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 vnto 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 vnto the true face and fourme of Christ and his holy Church ▪ as is nothing agréeable vnto that whiche is clearely and comfortably reuealed vnto suche as searche and sée the same in holy scripture And therfore they that 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 vnder 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 vnto perdition when as fewe enter in at the narrow gate vnto saluation Many be called and few be chosen yea God doth choose those whiche the world doth refuse So that it is the plaine path vnto perdition which the greatest nūber and those that haue the moste solemne and séemlie shew afore the face of the worlde keepe by common custome contrary vnto 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 euery 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 vnto Gods word and wil then rather to obéy god than man how high in authoritie soeuer they be which take vpon them so to teache or commaunde Therefore if thou féele authoritie heauie and greuous vnto 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 vnder Roboam were plagued with idolatrie vnder Ieroboam But when as the childe that is corrected or the people that is plaged doth humbly submit himself vnder 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 vnder 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
no holinesse nor nothing holie vnto any man For it is not only the holy ghost in the heart and minde of man that sanctifieth that maketh and kéepeth pure and holy The holy catholicke church I knowe and thinke assuredly that I and all Christians be one church one congregation in suche vnitie of liuely faithe whiche worketh by charitie as dothe euer kéepe vs togither as members of one bodie in Christe although wée be farre asunder by reason of diuers times and places in the worlde and by the holy spirite worde and sacraments of God in this church is such holinesse as doth euer striue and preuaile against vngodlines such holinesse as is the continual purging of men from their sins to furnishe and garnishe them with godly righteousnesse in christ This Church or congregatioÌ„ is so catholike so made one of many so made one mysticall bodie in Christ of many men in all places as is one mannes naturall body of diuers members euery one seuerally hauing their own places and proportions all together ioyned accordingly in one body of one person And so the communion of Sainctes The vnitie of them that be sanctified redemed and deliuered from the seruice of the Diuell the flesh and the worlde to glorifie God in holinesse and righteousnesse is by Christ and in Christ a common comfort and coÌ„moditie vnto al them of euery thing that is good or profitable vnto any of them which although many times they caÌ„not bée séene and perceyued of worldely men nor well knowne one to another yet being all of one faith be euer altogether afore god in one mind as members of one body to haue communion comfort and commodity euery one with al other in Christ their head And as it was sayde they haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them so haue wée always in this holy catholike Church the foundatioÌ„ of the Prophets Apostels Christ being the beade corner stone albeit not their personsin bodily preseÌ„ce yet their examples of liuing and truthe of doctrine in their wrytings so that euer therein wée may sée and perceyue that face and fashion of the holie catholicke Churche which God hath ordayned to be so shewed as moste expedient and sufficient vnto all men at al times and all places The Remission of sinnes In this Church of Christ and companie of Saintes I knowe and receiue freely by fayth forgiuenesse of sins which be so great and gréeuous debts as do deserue death and damnation and as the least of them could neuer haue bene dyscharged but onely by the precious passion and oblation of Christ once for all The resurrection of the body I know and loke that our bodies by sin of man deseruiug death to decay in corruptioÌ„ shall by the might and merite of Christ be raised to receiue glory immortalitie And life euerlasting And finally that bodies and soules in ioy and glory shal liue for euer in the kingdome of god when as we shall receiue our inheritaunce with Christ in whom according vnto Gods promises and our fayth al these things be most sure and certaine that is to say Amen So be it Now thus beleuing and comparing the kingdome of heauen with the pleasures of Paradise and the holinesse of regeneration with the purenesse of creation I finde and féele how that I do get more and better by faith in Christ than that which I did loose by sinne in Adam Yea I haue good vnderstanding and comfortable experience how that God hath concluded al men vnder sin to be mercyful vnto all how that the scripture truely describing declaring the righteousnesse of God and the sinfulnesse of man hath concluded all men vnder their owne sinnes that righteousnesse which coÌ„meth of the faith of Christ might be giuen vnto the beléeuers howe that through the righteousnesse of the lawe and infirmities of mannes flesh God doth make greate aboundance of sinne to appeare in all mens beedes and deseruings that more aboundaunce of grace might bée graunted and giuen by the merits of Christ vnto all that receyue and beleeue the Gospell O blessed be God for the gifte of this beléefe by the which he maketh the losse of the plesures of Paradise through maÌ„s sinne to serue vnto the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen by gods grace And the sinfull sorowes in mans conscience to be coÌ„fortable signes and tokens of sauing health by Christes Phisicke and medicines And all dangers plagues and vengeance for sinne in the world to driue men to assurance of health and wealth by faith in the Lorde There can be nothing so sure certaine as this faith which commeth by hearing of Gods worde which is the worke of Gods spirite whiche is confirmed by the life doctrine and death of al that euer were Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyres to teach and witnesse Gods truth For this faith is not only a knowledge of the grace mercy goodnesse of God but also an assurance of the same vnto mannes self by the word sprite of god So that it is the ground worke stay of al good hope the argument and euideÌ„ce of all such mysteries as be hid and couered from worldlings to be reserued and reueled only vnto Gods children Therefore any man may easely learne to speake these wordes but the goodnesse of God towards maÌ„ by these words signified is such as can not be knowne or perceiued of them which be of bloud or of the will of the Flesh or of the wil of man but only of them whiche be borne of God whiche be priuiledged by Christ to be the children of god For this beléef is not of the fréewill of man â—ut of the holy spirit of God not by keping customes or traditions of men but by hearing the word of God by hearing or reading the glad tidings of the Gospell in such sorte as can not be reueled but onely in Christ of the heauenly father by the holie ghost vnto Gods children The blind eyes of wittie worldlings in séeking for worldely wealth contemning Gods worde can sée and finde in déede nothing but the wrath and vengeance of God in al things and especially in sicknesse plagues wars and losse of any lands or goods but the cleare eyes of faythfull christians by the light of the Gospell seeking the kingdome of god and the righteousnesse therof in all things and especially in losse of anie góodes or suffering any paynes do euer sée the mercifull pitie and tender loue of their heauenly father alwayes keping them vnder the rodde of correction and the crosse of persecution â–ª as his most deare children All Iewish persons wil haue such a Messias as shall make them Princes and prelates in a worldely kingdome faythfull christians haue the sonne of god their Lord and sauior which hath bought and brought them from this world to bee a holie people and kingly priesthode vnto God in his heauenly Hierusalem The Crosse the passion death of Christ is an offence vnto all such