A20762:1221
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 That we must use the blessings of prosperity for the common good of Church and Commonwealth.
§. Sect. 2 That we must vse the blessings of prosperity for the common good of Church and Commonwealth.
Fourthly, if we would rightly use our prosperity and Gods temporal blessings, we must therein, not only respect our own particular, but also the common good of the Church and Common wealth, and the private good of all our neighbours. The former, by paying cheerfully all seasements and tributes, which are lawfully imposed, all rights and duties which belong to all superiors in either of them, and by offering also our free-will oblation, and voluntary contributions towards any public service, out of our great plenty, either for the better effecting of it, or for the easing of those, who by reason of their weak estates are not so able as we to bear the burden. The latter, by exercising our bounty and Christian charity in alms-deeds, and in doing the works of mercy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting and relieving the poor that are sick and imprisoned. To which end, let us consider that God hath given unto us our plenty and greater store, not as unto absolute Lords, to spend it how we list, but as unto Stewards, for the good also of our fellow servants, who shall be called unto account, if we have been faithful in thus employing them, and have given to every one in the household their due portion; that where God hath given much, there he will also require much, and that they who by his bounty have much goods and exceed in riches, do also much good (and as the Apostle speaketh) Be rich in good works, ready to 1distribute, and willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Finally, let us consider that they are not so much to be valued in their own excellency, or the present profit which they bring unto us, seeing these commodities have so many discommodities, that it is hard to say whether exceed; but as they are the great instruments of well-doing, and (as it were) spacious fields, in which our bounty and charity are not confined in narrow limits, but may take large liberty to walk abroad, and to exercise themselves unto full contentment. Whereby as we are enabled to do good unto many, so most of all to our selves; seeing for the present we purchase of them their best jewels at low rates, even their love, hearts, and fervent prayers, for some poor pittance of earthly trifles;