A09466:534
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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There is a third sort called sectaries, who addict themselves to the opinion of some man. These commonly never apply the law or the Gospel to themselves, but their whole meditation, is chiefly in the opinions of him whom they follow. As they that follow Luther, few of them follow his Christian life, they regard not that: but about consubstantiation and ubiquity, about Images and such like trumpery, they infinitely trouble themselves, and all Europe too.
There is a third sort called sectaries, who addict themselues to the opinion of some man. These commonlie neuer applie the law or the Gospell to themselues, but their whole meditation, is chieflie in the opiniōs of him whom they follow. As they that follow Luther, few of them follow his Christiā life, they regard not that: but about consubstantiation and vbiquity, about Images and such like trumperie, they infinitelie trouble themselues, and all Europe too.
And in England there is a schismatical and undiscreet company, that would seem to ⟨p. 262⟩cry out for discipline, their whole talk is of it, and yet they neither know it, nor will be reformed by it, and yet they are enemies to it: as for the law of God, and the promises of the Gospel, they little regard: they maintain vile sins in refusing to hear the reading or the preaching of the word: and this is great contempt of Gods benefits & unthankfulness to him. They are full of pride, thinking themselves to be full, when they are empty: to have all knowledge, when they are ignorant, and had need to be catechized: the poison of Asps is under their lips; they refuse not to speak evil of the blessed servants of God. Well, do they above all things seek the kingdom of God? then let them be sincere seekers of it: which they shall do, if in seeking Christs kingdom they seek the righteousness thereof: unto which they can never come but by the applying of the threatenings of the law, and the comforts of the Gospel to their own consciences. But whereas they seek the one and not the other, they give all men to understand with what spirit they speak.