A20762:1118
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
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. 3 How we must deal with those who are openly profane.
§. Sect. 3 How we must deale with those who are openly prophane.
But if our company into which we are come, either by accident or some urgent occasion, be notoriously profane and wicked, who would but 1make a scoff at any speech which savoureth of Religion; our Saviour hath given us this rule for our direction, that we must not cast holy things before dogs, nor pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turning again, all to rent us. Unto which the Wise man hath adjoined another, that we must get our selves out of such company as soon as we can: Go (saith he) from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest 2not in him the lips of knowledge. In the mean time, though we have some society with them, in respect of our persons, yet let us be careful that we have no fellowship with their unfruitful works of darkness, by too much familiarity, applauding their speeches, and blanching over their vices and faults; but if we cannot without danger take liberty of reproving them by direct words, yet let us do it by showing dislike, either by our silence or by our countenance. At least let us give them a real reproof by our contrary example, being (as the Apostle speaketh) blameless and 3harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the middest of a crooked and perverse nation, and shining among them as lights in the world. But if they be so peaceable, that we may conceive any hope of their patience, and that they will hearken unto any good speech, loving admonition, or gentle reproof, we must not neglect it, handling these festered sores with a soft hand, that so they may more quietly endure to have afterwards salves applied which shall be fit for their curing. Neither will it stand with Christian charity to neglect any means, when there is the least hope of doing them good, nor with Christian wisdom to do it after a rough and boisterous manner, proudly and imperiously, with sharp rebukes and bitter reproofs, which like strong medicines in a weak stomach and clogged with corrupt humours, will not stay with them, but will presently be cast up again, before they have had any time to work, and so do them no good for their spiritual cure. But we must use first preparatives and gentle purges, as they are able to bear: