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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.
For put case you had a most excellent and sovereign salve, which would cure any wound it were laid unto; yet if you should lock it up in your chest, & never apply it to your wound, what good could it do you? Even so the righteousness & merits of Christ are a spiritual salve, which will cure any wound of the soul: but if we do not apply them to our selves by faith, they can do us no good. You must therefore apply Christ, & all the premises of the Gospel, to your self by faith, & stand fully persuaded, that whatsoever he hath done upon the Cross, he hath done for you particularly. For what is the justifying faith, but a full persuasion of Gods particular love to us in Christ? The general & confused knowledge of Christ & of his Gospel, availeth not to eternal life. Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises: stick fast to Christ, for through him only we have remission of sins, and eternal life. To him all the Prophets give witness (saith S.1 Peter) that through his name, all that believe shall ⟨p. 381⟩receive remission of their sins. Where the Apostle telleth us, that if a grand Jury of prophets were panelled to testify of the way & means to eternal life, they would all with one consent bring in a verdict, that remission of sins & eternal life are only in Christ. Let us hear the fore-man speak, & one or two of the rest, for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand. The Prophet Isaiah saith: He was wounded for our2 transgressions; he was broken for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, & with his stripes we are healed. This great Prophet we see doth plainly affirm, that Christ suffered for our sins & by his suffering we are saved. The Prophet Jeremiah testifieth the same thing, saying; Behold the days come (saith the Lord)3 that I will raise unto David a righteous branch & a king shall reign and prosper, & shall execute judgment & justice in the earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved, & Israel shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby they shall call him; the Lord our righteousness. This Prophet tumpeth with the other. For he saith, that Christ is the righteous branch, & that he is our righteousness, which is all one as if he had said, our sins are pardoned only through him, & through him we are made righteous.