A20762:1189
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. 2 Of the justice & love which are required in government.
§. Sect. 2 Of the iustice & loue which are required in gouernement.
The things required unto the administration of their government, are justice, and love, the which must be tempered the one with the other, that love may moderate and sweeten justice, and justice may keep love unpartial and upright, lest our actions savouring of nothing but justice, ⟨p. 342⟩seem rigorous, and expose us to hatred; and love not guided nor backed by justice, degenerate into doting fondness, and so expose us to contempt; whereas both rightly mixed the one with the other, will cause reverence and obedience. The which mixture must be used in all our actions towards all under our government, although these virtues are to be exercised diversly, and the one to be more manifested then the other, according to occasion, time, persons, and deserts. For though we ought to love all, yet those especially who excel in Gods graces, and profit most in all religious, Christian, and civill duties; and to such, our love must be most manifested, to encourage them to go on in their good courses, and to draw others to follow their example. The which was Davids practice, as he professeth; who, though he were indifferently just towards all his subjects, yet his love exceeded towards the faithful of the land, and those which walked 1in a perfect way. But especially our love and justice must appear in our rewards and chastisements, which are the main bonds and very sinews of government. We must reward those who deserve well, partly by our words, commending their good actions, which is a great encouragement to well-doing, as the Apostle implieth, when he useth it as a reason to persuade inferiors to their duty; Do that which is good (saith he) and thou shalt have praise of the same; the which, our Saviour will use to 2