Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…

But yet one thing (seeing I speaking of it before, did shut it up too briefly) remains necessary to be answered more fully. For when they hear the name of direction (though they who read the whole, may easily see what I mean thereby) they demand thus: What? is there any other direction, then the word of God? And is that now at the first made our direction? But what Christian hath not laboured to follow that in all ages, when no such invention as this, nor no such new found out direction, as ye mention, was known? unless perhaps ye have found out any new thing beside the scripture; or, you see that in the Scripture, which none before you saw. I answer, that neither do I urge any other then the word commands,¹ nor arrogate no §Iskill, to teach and guide mens lives, then other of my brethren, who do soundly and conscionably observe in reading the Scriptures, have found out and do teach: and that is, That every day the substance of godliness ought to be practised of every true Christian; and that according to his knowledge, he should holily and religiously endeavour to make the same conscience of his thoughts, words and deeds every day, which at any time or any day he hath done, when he looked best unto them. And because the rules of Gods word, & practises of mens lives do not so commonly & easily meet together; but even among the godly it is much complained of, that they most hardly can fasten upon a good course, and that even the very knowledge of it, for want of plain §Kand daily teaching, is in many places much wanting: therefore I say further, that the frailty and weakness of such doth require, that there be some help ministered to them by such as have experience: and that which is sufficiently taught in the Canonical Scripture, here and there for the directing of them, had need to be gathered together both plainly and plentifully in one Treatise for them, to have it at hand by them, and to read oft, as they shall be able, and ⟨p. 593⟩§Ashall see it necessary: and not to send honest and well disposed Christians, to seek for every instruction which they shall have need of, to every book and chapter of the Bible: which neither God doth enjoin them, neither they could possibly find, though they had leisure, no not one of a thousand, but are to be helped by the sermons and writings of their teachers.