A10945:302
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…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
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.
And to go forward, who doth not know, that when some certainty of §Dsalvation is attained of men, yet for all that, in as much as it is but weak, that they have many heart griefs for this, that they see they have a long wearisome pilgrimage to go thorough; and little knowledge and persuasion of any great guiding of them through all the fears and difficulties of it?1 Pity therefore the distressed estate of Gods poor people, ye shepherds of his flock. Although this is but one point of many which ye are to teach them: and arm your selves with that mind, which was in the Apostle:2 who saw it meet as long as he should abide in this tabernacle, to put the people in mind of all things necessary to salvation from day to day, though they knew and were stablished in them. And let me with your patience, say one thing more to you, which if ye will §Ebe advised by me, will be much to your own benefit, and of those that hear you. Above all things, seek to have that your own and effectually wrought in your selves, which you teach the people (for you know that the Physicians who practise by experience, are best able to deal with their patients). Especially in this matter of faith, labour to be more exercised: how you have use of it, in believing for your own parts, either precepts or promises, and content not your selves with bare knowledge of the truth. And so doing, ye shall ⟨p. 84⟩make good gain of that which you shall teach, if your hearers should not:§F and yet such teaching, while ye be sure that it hath done your selves much good, shall set such an edge on your doctrine by your more lively, cheerful, and powerful delivering of it, that it shall far more easily procure an appetite in the people to receive it, as they did in John Baptists time with greediness,3 and as it were with violence; and so, that if they be not brought to the true practise of Christianity by it, they will not be brought to it by any other teaching.