A Golden Chain

Here I have occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age, even among such as have long lived in the bosom of the Church: & that is this. Men now a days are so far from renewing their faith and repentance, that when they lie sick and are drawing toward death, they must be Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance, as if they had been but of late received into the Church. Whosoever will, but as occasion is offered visit the sick, shall find this to be true which I say. What a shame is this, that when a man hath spent his life and days in the Church for the space of twenty or thirty, or forty years, he should at the very end of all and not before, begin to inquire, what faith, and what repentance is, and how his soul might be saved. This one sin argues the great security of this age, and the great contempt of God and his word. Well, let all men hereafter in time to come, be warned to take heed of this exceeding negligence in matters of salvation, and to use all good means before hand, that they may be able in sickness and in the time of death to put in practise the spiritual exercises of invocation and repentance.

Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age, euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church: & that is this. Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance, that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death, they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance, as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church. Whosoeuer will, but as occasion is offered visit the sicke, shall finde this to bee true which I say. What a shame is this, that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie, or fourtie yeares, he should at the verie ende of all and not before, begin to inquire, what faith, and what repentance is, and howe his soule might bee saued. This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age, and the great contempt of God and his worde. Well, let all men hereafter in time to come, be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation, and to vse all good meanes before hand, that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance.