A20762:1052
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
Book 3 › Chapter 25 › Section 5: §. Sect. 5 Of the manifold abuses of our feasting one another.
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.
§. Sect. 5 Of the manifold abuses of our feasting one another.
Unto these we may add the many abuses of these meetings, which are notable means of their dissolution; as because we fail in the main ends of them, not chiefly aiming at our spiritual good, and that we may mutually stir up Gods graces in us by Christian conferences, edify and strengthen one another unto all good duties, and rejoice together in the Lord by setting forth his praises, the which were the ends that the Saints in the Primitive Church propounded to their feasts of love; but for the most part inviting one another to pamper the belly with good cheer, and to please the flesh with carnal pleasures, which leaving behind them a ⟨p. 294⟩sting of conscience, it is no marvel if we take small comfort to meet after this manner often together, seeing the sweet is exceeded by the sour; and keep our hand from tasting of the honey, which endangereth us to be wounded with the sting of sin; and though it be sweet in the mouth, yet is turned in the digestion into bitter choler. And as we fail in our ends of meeting, so also in our carriage, when we are met together, in which regard we justly deserve the Apostles censure, that we come together 1not for the better, but for the worse. For either the time is spent in idle and vain talking, unprofitable discourses, hurtful invitations, to excess in eating and drinking. Or if some religious conference be admitted, yet through pride and want of charity it is often crossed of the main ends. For not being, as we ought, fast linked together in the bond of love, every difference in opinion disjointeth our affections; and wanting charity to bear with one another, and humility to think that we may err as well as our brethren, or patience to wait upon Gods leisure till he be pleased to reveal the truth unto them as well as unto us; and unanimity to walk 2by the same rule, and minae the same thing, whereto we have already attained; we commonly take delight to spend our speech in questions and controversies, and in showing wherein we dissent, rather then wherein we agree, which oftentimes draw men to heat and contention, yea to wrangling and hard speeches, which alienate their hearts, and make them part more cold in love, and remiss in friendship, then when they met together.