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
imagiue a bodily presence of God too be wyth them at the foote of the mountayne coulde not be contented and comforted with a true spirituall presence of God but were deceiued and plagued for the vaine imagination of a bodily presence Those can haue no cōfortable feeding of the words which be spirite and lyfe at the Lordes supper whiche will haue a wonderfull gasing stocke at a gorgeous Masse Which will desire and imagine Christ to be bodily vpon earth bicause they do not see and knowe by fayth Christes body so glorified in Heauen as causeth his spiritual presence euer to continue most comfortable vnto all the faithfull in any place vpon earth The playne preaching of Gods woorde surely sealed with the Sacramente of the Lordes Supper sheweth and offereth in spirite and truthe to be seene and receyued by faith the body and bloud of Christe glorified in heauen in the forme of man. The strange language secrete whisperings and solemne shew of ceremonies in the masse serue and please the blinde imagination of man in forged vanitie presuming to place the body bloud of Christ vpon the altar there to be honored and sacrificed vnder the forme of breade wine CHAP. VII The euill and daungerous abuses of the good creatures and workes of God. GOd is al truthe and all goodnesse therefore euery thing of gods creation ordinance or institution is true good All men be liers and all the imagination of mannes hearte is nothing but euill therfore man presuming to counterfait the creature and to contrary or amende the ordinaunce and institution of God can deuise and imagine nothing but that which is fained and fantasticall euill and abhominable Some say that they doe not otherwise imagine honor God there but as they be taught and commaunded by their priestes and suche as haue highest authoritie ouer them So mighte the Idolaters in wildernesse with Aaron in Dan and Bethel vnder Ieroboam haue answered For Aaron and Ieroboam did teache and commaund the people to do reuerence ther not as vnto Images or Idols but vnto the God that broughte them out of the land of Egipt Howbeit for all that euer the priest could teach or the king commaund those Images were Idols and all they abhominable Idolatrers which did beléeue that Doctrine of the priest or obey that cōmaundement of the king Wherfore it is not the teaching of prelates nor the commaundement of princes which cā cause Christ to be bodily present after suche sort in any thing as may there be honored as God or that shall excuse any person beléeuing or honouring that which is taughte and commaunded according vnto mannes imagination against the worde of God. They say that Christ said This is my body and Christes saying is Gods worde and not mannes imagination I graūt that Christes saying is gods worde and that he so saide of the bread which he toke and after thankes geuing brake and gaue vnto his Disciples to be eaten in remembrance of him But how agreeth that saying vnto such bread as the prieste taketh and after brethings and blessings lifteth vp and sheweth vnto the people to be honoured and reuerenced in the steade of him The word of God wrongly wrested and not rightly applied is at some times abused to teache Deuilish lies in steade of godly truth The woord written by the spirit of God to raise a man from vnder danger of despaire vnto hope of Goddes helpe vpwardes was wrongly wrested by the Deuill to moue Christ standing vpon the pinacle wilfully to fall downewardes So like wise the woords spoken of Christ vnto his disciples to raise vp their mindes in comfortable remembrance of him glorified in heauen be euil abused of priestes to bring downe his bodily presence amongste them to be sacrificed vpon earth Surely this same saying He shall geue his Angels charge ouer thee c. Which is the woorde of God spoken and applied to raise vp a man frō daungerous sorowes in miseries vnto a comfortable trust in Gods grace and mercies may be abused by the deuil to make a man of presumption in refusing the euident ordinance of God to fall into the danger of tempting god And so such woordes as be good and godly spoken with suche circumstances of Christes supper as teacheth men to keepe a comfortable remembrance of Christes death according vntoo Christes institution may be Diuelishly whispered in suche sorte by the priest at the aulter as shuld séeme to make a bodily presence of Christ to be sacrificed and honored according vnto mannes imagination There is nothing more perillous than to take the woorde or any good gifte of God and to abuse it contrary vnto the will and commaundement of god The vnprofitable seruant which said vp to kéepe safely the talent or treasure of his Lord which was deliuered vnto him to haue bene béestowed in vsurie was by the woorde of his owne mouthe condemned when as he did confesse that he did otherwise keepe the Lords treasure than as the Lord had commaunded And if any man thinke that he may say vnto Christe Lord I knowe that thou did say of the bread and the wine this is my body this is my bloud take eat and drinke in remembrance of mée and therefore haue I euer with suche reuerence honoured them as was due vnto thée surely vnto such a man Christe in conscience wil at some times answer O wicked seruant by these woordes of thine owne mouthe do I condemne thée For thou doest confesse that I bad thée take eate drinke this in remembrance of me why diddest thou then contrary vnto my commaundement imagine this to be kept honored and sacrificed as the bodily presence of me The woordes of Christ be moste true but when as they be pronounced with such circumstances as be moste contrary vnto the custome of the christians then they haue a meaning most contrary vnto the doctrine and commaundement of Christe The giftes of God in all things and especially his sacraments be good and godly but the abuse of them contrary vnto Gods commaundement is diuelish and abhominable The preacher and the coniurer vse bothe the name and the word of God and good praiers howbeit not in like manner nor for one purpose for in beléef behauior and purpose they be cleane cōtrary the one vnto the other There was neuer séene in the world two things so muche contrary the one vnto the other as is the masse the Lordes supper Therefore whatsoeuer is well vsed in the one is euill abused in the other And truely that fault of abuse is no smal offence albeit that which is abused séemeth sometime to be but a little thing For it is a great sin to delight or be occupied in little trifles neglecting or refusing Gods great giftes and benefits in waightie matters So do Priests in their masse abuse gaie garments neglecting the seemely simplicitie of the Lordes supper and therein commit no small sinne preferring their owne imagination vnto Christes institution
is that thou mayest learne to see the dangers of thyne owne deseruings by the lawe of God and to finde and take the right way to gods sauing helth welth kingdome by faith in Christe For euen as God did once driue his people out of Egipt by many greeuous euils to be allured towardes the holy land by moste comfortable promises so dothe hee nowe by many dangers driue thèe from the wickednesse and vengeance in this worlde to be called and guyded by grace vntoo all godly comfort and commodities in Chryste iesu Amen So be it At Geneua 1556. ¶ A Treatise of the way from daunger of Sinne and vengeance in this wicked world vnto godlie wealth and saluation in Christe 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 vnto Chryst. THE Lord bée mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs shewe the light of his countenance on vs 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 loue of earthlie things Nowe is the way the truthe and the life prouided of God and profered vnto men to allure guide bring them through all earthly daungers vnto 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 vnto men seeing them in greatest dangers offring them his exceeding mercies saying Come vnto 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 haue 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 vnto 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 the 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 vnto the saluation of man For the gracious goodnesse of God dothe appeare in al his words and works howbeit towards man sufficiently vnto saluation it can no otherwise be séene and perceiued but by the light of the gospel shewing the 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 vnto vs in this time Therefore to escape from vnder many daungers and to come vnto great comforte to walke in the way of saluatiō promised vnto the fathers and perfourmed vntoo vs shadowed in the lawe and reuealed in the Gospell a man must not sléep in slouthfulnesse vnder 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 mercie 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 giue 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 haue bene necessarie if god had not foreséen vs to haue now come vnder 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 onely 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 vnto the faythfull as causeth all things to bée vnto 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
table where imagerie is not forbidden for ciuile vsage amongs men but that suche may be made kept if abusing of them be auoyded yet of things belonging to the first table where imagerie is forbidden for any vsage in religion or seruice of God all suche imagerie ought vtterly to bée auoyded and abolished Also negligently to heare speake or read the word and name of god or to pray without deuotion yea not to heare reade confesse God and his truth with reuerence diligence praise thanks and prayer so oft as thou may haue occasion is condemned by the third commandement which requireth honour due vnto Gods name The fourth commaundement requireth perfit diligence in all due labours a mind neuer wearied but alwayes delited with godly meditations so as any mā may therby euer finde himselfe faultie both in labor and rest Then doth a man breake the fifth commaundement when as he doth not with all earnest deligence louing obedience obey and maintaine al good orders among men Thou sinnest against the sixth as a murtherer so oft as thou dost not relieue defende euery man that néedeth so muche as thou may by any charitable meanes Thou art gilty as an adulterous person agaynst the seuenth commandement so oft as any filthie lust inflameth thy fleshe And if thy filthy lust be satisfied in any abuse of naturall seede then is thy sin not only a vil◠corruption of nature but also a Sodomiticall abhomination contrary vnto nature If thou liue in idlenesse vpon other mennes labours or do not get righteously and bestow charitably somuch knowledge and comfort meates money and all maner of goods as thou may be able by al honest and godly wayes thou arte then iudged a théefe by the eight commandement If thou make any manner of lies or but faintly and vnfaithfully defende thy neighbors truth and honestie thou art condemned of false witnesse agaynst thy neighbor in the ninth commaundement Finally if in consideration of thy necessitie thou do not onely desire and take as sufficient gods plentie prouided vnto thée but in seing any thing faire or good pertayning vnto thy neyghbor dost couet the profite or pleasure propertie or possession of the same from him vnto thée then dost thou offende afore God against man Yea euery such lust lying in thy heart may bèe perceyued by the tenth commandement to be sin albeit so secret that Paule sayth he should not haue known it but by this commandement which sayth Thou shalt not couet Surely such knowledge of sinne cōmeth by this lawe that when as any man in his owne conscience afore the face of God wil truly measure by the line of this law howe far he is fallen from the righteousnesse acceptable vnto God into sinne abhominably offending God then shall be perceiue that through the infirmitie of his owne flesh he doth fall so farre from al power of frée will from all ablitie to performe fully his duetie vnto God that in him selfe he can haue no hope to escape the rigor of the lawe the letter of the law which killeth curseth and condemneth all faults infirmities and imperfections in man vnto whome God did giue in creation both purenesse and perfection Therfore as in him that presumeth to be iustified by his déedes in doing of this law any impurenesse or imperfectiō is worthily condemned by the righteousnesse contained in the lawe so contrariwise vnto him that féeleth and with fayth in Christe confesseth his owne faultes and infirmities al horrible sinnes and gréeuons crimes shall be graciously pardoned through the mercyfull pitie of the Lorde ouer the lawe So is the lawe a tutour or scholemaster teaching man what he oweth of dutie and forcing him to flée vnto the promise of God in Christ for mercy They therfore vse the law lawfully which learne by it to knowe what man ought to do and performe of dutie and so be made méete and desirous too heare the glad tidings of the gospel of Christ in whome God doth promis and performe vnto man all things freely For the lawe sheweth vnto man death and damnation in all his owne deedes and the gospel allureth man vnto assuraunce of saluation in Christes merites So Adam in Paradise being broughte vnto a perceiuing and féeling of his owne sinfull miseries through the lawe and commaundemente was by the gladde tidinges of the Gospell by the promise in the seede of the woman to breake the heade of the Serpent comforted and called to come by fayth in Christe forth of his owne miseries vnto Gods mercies So the Israelites in wildernesse immediatly after their greuous idolatrie vnto the golden calfe being brought vnder feare of the law vnto a féeling of themselues were recouered with comfort in the promise of a Prophet to be raysed vp of God vnto them of their brethren And continually all the dayes of Iosua the Iudges and the Kings and so forth so oft as by any plagues preachings and threatnings of the lawe they were brought vnto true féeling and confessing of themselues and their owne faultes they euer lerned to flée vnto Gods promises and to finde recouerie in his mercies but when as they followed their owne fantasies flattering themselues then fell they continually from euill vnto worsse sinnes and sorrowes miseries and mischéefs For in continuance of times and lack of grace they lost Iudges Kings and good Gouernours of their owne vtterly they and their countrey were brought into subiection to serue strangers Their temple gods house made to be replenished with riches of godlinesse was turned into a den of theeues which did rob God of his honour and Gods people of muche riches and of all maner of godlinesse and in the place of godly Priestes and true Prophetes false flatterers and ambitious prelates did by many meanes draw men from god vnto themselues from Goddes lawes vnto their traditious to labour in conscience vnder intollerable burdens Wherefore as afore time God had by the crueltie of Pharao driuen them out of Egypt to be allured and led by méeke Moses toward the lande of promise so then at that time did God driue them by those euils frō seruing vnder the letter of the lawe which killeth to be called by Christ at his comming vnto the libertie of the gospell which by the spirit quickneth So all things that be done in the world and truly written in holie Scriptures pertayning to the lawe and the Gospell serue to declare and witnesse that al men be sinners and al their déedes deserue damnation and that God in many thinges sheweth mercy vnto all men and that he also giueth abundance of mercie and grace vnto so many as beleus his pronuse made vnto them in Christ Iesu. CHAP. v. God by the ministerie of the gospell teacheth men to beleue in dede the diuel by common custome teacheth men to say onely that they beleue THE Lorde God in Christ did reconcile the world to himself not charging men with their sinnes but offering vnto them his mercies And
serued as the sworde of God to plague Dauid expulse him Contrarye wyse when as one dothe pyttie and praye for an other then God dothe pardon the faultes and remedye the myseries of bothe As Dauid séeing the people perishe and the angel with the sword of the plague ready to procéede to stryke the citie dyd fall downe in greeuous sorowe confessing his owne faulte and pittifully bewayling and praying for the plagued people so that then Dauids sinne was pardoned the plague among the people ceased and bothe partes of God chearished and comforted Likewise the people after the death of Absalon perceyuing and féeling their owne faulte were gréeued with the expulsion and desired restitution of Dauid their King so as they reuerently receyued him he louingly did pardon them and God graciously did agree and blesse both him and them together in a peasable and prosperous kingdome So surely whensouer men will sorrowe and confesse their owne sinnes pittie and praye for the myseries of other then wyll God forgiue the sinnes remedie the miseries comforte the consciences and blesse and prosper the countreyes and kingdomes of such godly persons And therfore all mē had nede to beware of suche vngodly mindes as desire and delite to sée or heare the mischief and miseries or faultes and euils in other For all they that haue so euil disposed mindes shal soone be forced to fynde and feele in them selues the same euils whiche they nowe will and wishe vnto other No man shoulde imagin bycause hée can finde a faulte in other that therfore he himself is not giltie or bycause other bée plagued that hee shall bée blessed Adam in Paradise founde faulte with the woman and the woman with the Serpent and GOD did not take the faulte of one to be an excuse for an other but rather as cause of greatter offence and of more iuste condemnation vnto them all The Pharisie did finde faults in the Publican and had nothyng in hym selfe that coulde please god The Publicane féeling and confessyng his owne faultes obteyned mercye and grace of god And also note that those whyche had theyr bloude mixt with sacrifice beyng cruelly killed of Herode and those whiche were miserably ouerwhelmed with the fall of a Toure in Siloe were not the greatest sinners afore God but ráther shewed as notable examples to giue warning vnto all men that if they woulde not repent and amende them selues beyng then spared they shoulde perish and be destroyed with suche vengeance and plagues as they did sée poured vppon those other that then suffered So the moates in other mennes eyes should make vs diligent to pul the beames out of our owne eyes and the plagues of other mennes punishmentes bée good warnings for vs of repentance amendment But when as menne lightly regarding the good counsel of Gods word and boldly presumyng vppon false prophecies and vayne worldly policies doe imagin that faultes founde in other make muche for the discharge and prayse of them and the destruction of other for the deliuerance or assurance of them then doe their blynde eyes whiche will not sée and sorowe their owne sinnes and other mennes miseries despise the long sufferance and mercifull pacience of God alluring them by al maner of meanes vnto repentance amendment their hard harts which can not repent doth heap store vp against thēselues the wrath and vengeance of God in the day of his displeasure whiche commeth so sore and sodaynly vppon them that they shall fynde no way to auoyde it nor be able to abyde it O Englande take héede For when God dothe beginne to iudge those that hée of hys house and familye then doothe hée make ready and threaten vengeaunce and perdition vnto suche as bée strangers and enimies vnto hym and vnto his house hys churche his Gospell his truthe As surely as the Lorde liueth if thou wilt not soone sée take good héede repent and amend thou shalt not long be without féeling and experience that carnall libertie sclaundering the Gospell can bee no couer nor cloake for superstitious Papistrie refusing the Gospell Nor worldely couetousnesse taking and abusing any landes or goods perteyning vnto the churche of Christe and to the common wealth shall not excuse or defend abhominable idolatrie agaynst the honor of God and saluation of mens soules Fayned flatterie to get and kéepethe fauor of man shall not serue or saue manyfeste and manyfolde periuries from the plague and vengeance of god Foolishe pittie wéeping for the plages poured vpon the gréene trée bearing fruites vnto the glorie of God in heauen shall not serue to excuse the hard hearts which can not sorowe for their own sinnes themselues and their frends which be dry trées vessels to be filled with wrath and vengeaunce fyre brandes to bée burned to kindle and kéepe a continuall fier in hell Wherefore be warned by gods worde 2. Cor. 6. come from emongs them and be ye seperated from them sayeth the Lorde and touche ye not the vncleane and I will receiue you and I will be vnto you as a father and ye shall be vnto me as sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almightie CHAP. X. The best way for euery man to sorrow for his owne sinnes to pitie other mennes miseries and altogether in vnitie of Faythe and Charitie too call and truste vntoo God for mercie and grace in Christ. O Englishman womā who or where so euer thou arte behold sée how the merciful goodnesse of god by many euils miseries and daungers doth driue théefrō hope trust in thy self in man or in any worldly thing that he may the better by the light of the Gospell allure and winne thée vnto his mercie grace and saluation in Christ Iesu. Thou mayst learne by the law of God and experience of all ages that there is nothing of mannes minde and imagination but the euill of sinfull abhomination The woorde of God doothe witnesse that what ceremonies sacrifice or seruice any man at any time did of theyr owne zeale and deuotion deuise to honour and please God was in déede superstitious idolatrie and abhomination afore god Thou maist see by the light of the Gospell through the power and presence of Gods spirite spred and preched in euery place that such shadowes figures in sacrifices and ceremonies yea suche bodily presence of Christes humanitie vppon earth as God ordeyned to serue in their time and place be nowe 〈◊〉 terly abolished as vnprofitable for that they could not haue continued or bene renued but that the cléere lyght of the Gospel should by them be sore blemished and hindered Nowe by the grace of the holy Ghoste sent and come to declare teache and witnesse the truthe of God in playne preaching of the Gospel thou mayest heare sée and perceiue the world so reproued and rebuked of sinne of righteousnesse and iudgement as maketh it playne and euident that suche horrible sinnes as seuerally in certaine times did euer prouoke some sore plagues and vengeance