A20187:158
The opening of heaven gatesThe opening of heauen gates
The opening of heaven gates, or The ready way to everlasting life Delivered in a most familiar dialogue, between reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the understanding of the weakest capacity, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.The opening of heauen gates, or The ready way to euerlasting life Deliuered in a most familier dialogue, betweene reason and religion, touching predestination, Gods word, and mans free-will, to the vnderstanding of the weakest capacitie, and the confirming of the more strong. By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God, at South-Shoobery in Essex.
London: printed by G. Eld for John Wright, 1610London: printed by G. Eld for Iohn Wright, 1610
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.
These Gentlemen grounding all their religion upon hoary hairs, which they call Ambassadors of experience, and upon the grave visors of their Fathers, which we account the wisest parts of them, having preferred. ⟨p. 96⟩fancy before faith: and their own humours before the honour of God, brought all the battery of their reasons and arguments against the poor bulwark of your only defence (being a man able to be seduced by the violence of persuasion, or at least to have bin driven to silence that extreme refuge, had not God been present with you in the rescue of his own honour) saying was their not in those days, wherein our religion flourished, a golden and plentiful world? was there not love and Charity? unity of religion? the service of God established by general councils of holy doctors and fathers? how then should not those ways, be the best to serve God, which they observed, and have left under the warrant of sufficient authority to the memory of our present age? have so many wise men bin deceived, so many learned men lived in folly and ignorance? have so many Kings and Emperors slept in blindness of hart and died in the darkness of heresy? Nay hath all Christendom wandered out of the way till now. &c. This threadbare discourse (which they draw out to the ⟨p. 97⟩whole length of a Carterope) is able to bewitch so many, as make reason their jools, even as themselves are bewitched by the wiliness of the devil and their Pope: but let us survey these waterless clouds, and we shall easily perceive them as they be.
These Gentlemen grounding all their religion vpon hoarye hayres, which they call Ambassadors of experience, and vppon the graue visors of their Fathers, which wée accompt the wisest parts of them, hauing preferred. ⟨p. 96⟩fancy before faith: and their owne humors before the honor of God, brought all the battery of their reasons and arguments against the poore bulwarke of your onely defence (being a man able to be seduced by the violence of perswasion, or at least to haue bin driuen to silence that extreame refuge, had not God béene present with you in the reseue of his own honor) saying was their not in those daies, wherein our religion slorished, a goulden and plentifull world? was there not loue and Charity? vnity of religion? the seruice of God established by general counsells of holy doctors and fathers? how then should not those waies, be the best to serue God, which they obserued, and haue left vnder the warrant of sufficient authority to the memory of our present age? haue so many wise men bin deceued, so many learned men liued in folly and ignorance? haue so many Kings and Emperors slept in blindnesse of hart and died in the darkenesse of heresey? Nay hath all Christendome wandred out of the way till now. &c. This thréedbare discourse (which they drawe out to the