A14992:126
A care-cloth
A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to advise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to bear them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.A care-cloth: or a treatise of the cumbers and troubles of marriage intended to aduise them that may, to shun them; that may not, well and patiently to beare them. By William Whately, preacher of the word of God in Banbury, in Oxfordshire.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1624
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.
CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and showing the Doctrine.
CHAP. I. Opening the Text, and shewing the Doctrine.
IN this brief precept (to omit all speech of the coherence, because the meaning is plain enough without it) the Apostle delivers a most necessary point of Christian doctrine.1 For the better explanation of his words, we must in them consider three things. An action to be done. The object of this action, and the persons to whom the action appertaineth. The action is, Mortify, or to speak in plain English, Put to death.2 In this phrase the holy Ghost seemeth to allude unto the ancient sacrifices, whereof, so many as consisted ⟨p. 94⟩of things having life, were appointed to be slain by the Priest, afore they were offered up upon the Altar, as a type of our killing the old man, before we can become an acceptable sacrifice unto God. Now to slay sin, is nothing else, but to labour with all our might, utterly to subdue it, that it may have no command, vigour, working, no, nor being in us. It is a constant endeavour of causing our corruptions to cease to stir, to move, or to abide in our hearts, as a dead man is no longer a man, nor can perform the actions of a man, and is said no longer to be amongst men. We must not surcease striving against sin, till we have utterly abolished it; our desire and endeavour must be to use it, as a venomous creature, even to knock it on the head, and make a clean riddance of it. We must not account it sufficient to fine our corruptions (as it were) or to confine them, or to imprison, or to bind them, or to hurt, or to maim them (as some kind of inferior offenders are chastised) but as a capital offender, a mortal enemy, an irreclaimable traitor, we must see execution done upon it, and make a final and an utter dispatch of it.
IN this briefe precept (to omit all speech of the coherence, because the meaning is plaine enough without it) the Apostle deliuers a most necessary point of Christian doctrine.