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The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven
The plain mans path-way to heaven Wherein every man may clearly see, whether he shall be saved or damned. Set forth dialogue-wise, for the better understanding of the simple: By Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex. Corrected and amended: with a table of all the principal matters; and three prayers necessary to be used in private families thereunto added.The plaine mans path-way to heauen Wherein euery man may cleerely see, whether he shall be saued or damned. Set forth dialogue-wise, for the better vnderstanding of the simple: By Arthur Dent, preacher of the vvord of God at South-Shoobery in Essex. Corrected and amended: vvith a table of all the principall matters; and three prayers necessarie to be vsed in priuate families thereunto added.
London: printed by Melchiside Bradwood for Edw. Bishop, 1607London: printed by Melchiside Bradwood for Edvv. Bishop, 1607
The plain mans path-way to Heaven.The plaine mans path-way to Heauen.
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.
Phila. Show this, I pray you, more plainly.
Phila. Shew this, I pray you, more plainly.
Theol. We observe this, in all experience: that if a Noble man be a good man, and have many excellent parts in him of courtesy, patience, humility, and love of Religion: yet if he be covetous, the common people will have their eye altogether upon that: and they will say; Such a Noble man, is a very good man, but for one thing: he is exceeding covetous, oppresseth poor men, & dealeth hardly with his tenants, keepeth no house, doth little good in the country where he dwelleth. And this is it that marreth all. Moreover, let a Judge, a Justice, or a Magistrate, be endued with excellent gifts of prudence, policy, temperance, liberality, & knowledge in the law: yet, if they be given to anger, or taking of bribes, oh, how it will grieve them amongst the people! For they will say: He is a worthy man indeed, but there is one thing in him that marreth all: he is an exceeding angry and furious man; he is as angry as a wasp: he ⟨p. 202⟩will be in a pelting chafe for every trifle: he will fret and fume, if you do but blow upon him. And besides this, he is a very corrupt man: he is a great taker of bribes, he loveth well to be bribed: he will do any thing for bribes. Furthermore, if any Preacher be a man of great gifts, the common people will say of him: Oh, he is a worthy man indeed, an excellent Scholar, a profound Divine, a singular man in a Pulpit: but yet, for all that, he hath a shrewd touch which marreth all; he is an exceeding proud man: he is as proud as Lucifer. He hath very great gifts indeed, but I warrant you he knoweth it well enough. For he carrieth his crest very high, and looketh very sternly, and disdainfully upon all other men. He is unmeasurably puffed up with overweening, and thinketh that he toucheth the clouds with his head. Thus therefore we see, how the dead flies mar all: and how some one sin doth disgrace a man, that otherwise doth excel.
Theol. Wée obserue this, in all experience: that if a Noble man be a good man, and haue many excellent parts in him of courtesie, patience, humility, and loue of Religion: yet if hée be couetous, the common people will haue their eye altogether vpon that: and they will say; Such a Noble man, is a very good man, but for one thing: hée is excéeding couetous, oppresseth poore men, & dealeth hardly with his tenants, kéepeth no house, doth little good in the country where he dwelleth. And this is it that marreth all. Moreouer, let a Judge, a Justice, or a Magistrate, bée endued with excellent gifts of prudence, policie, temperance, liberality, & knowledge in the law: yet, if they be giuen to anger, or taking of bribes, oh, how it will grieue them amongst the people! For they will say: Hée is a worthy man indéed, but there is one thing in him that marreth all: he is an exceding angry and furious man; he is as angry as a waspe: he