A20187:185
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.
And although they are not ashamed to denounce against us, that we are Libertines and despisers of good works, because we prefer our faith in free justification: be it as far from us to be troubled at those false suggestions, as we are free of that fault, we know & confess, that Gods dearest children, have small feeling of God without righteous doing: therefore we profess that if we see no good works in our hands, if we perceive not that the preaching of the Gospel hath mortified in our concupiscence, and made us to hunger & thirst after righteousness, we have small testimony of Gods election, we may talk till we are weary of our hope and faith in Christ, we may prattle till we are hoarse of the Gospel and our ⟨p. 122⟩profession, and we may defy the Pope and his accomplices to the bottom of hell. But except our selves love the righteousness of God, and we exercise the same, Satan doth feed us forth, with the strength of illusion: for Godliness is not made of talk as books are of leaves nor as woods are of trees, but it is such a holiness as doth clime, from vice to virtue, and from one virtue to another without ceasing.
And although they are not ashamed to denounce against vs, that we are Libertines and despisers of good works, because we preferre our fayth in free iustification: be it as farre from vs to be troubled at those false suggestions, as we are frée of that fault, we know & confesse, that Gods dearest children, haue smal féeling of God without righteous doing: therefore wee professe that if wee sée no good workes in our hands, if we perceiue not that the preaching of the Gospell hath mortified in our concupiscence, and made vs to hunger & thirst after righteousnes, we haue smal testimony of Gods election, we may talk til we are weary of our hope and faith in Christ, we may prattle till we ar hoarse of the Gospell and our ⟨p. 122⟩profession, and we may desie the Pope and his accomplices to the bottome of hell. But except our selues loue the righteousnesse of God, and we exercise the same, Satan doth féed vs forth, with the strength of illusion: for Godlinesse is not made of talke as bookes are of leaues nor as woods are of trées, but it is such a holinesse as doth clime, from vice to vertue, and from one vertue to another without ceasing.