A20762:1579
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. 1 That we can no otherwise aspire to perfection in Christian duties, then by proceeding by degrees.
The rules of a godly life which respect the matter, form and substance of it, come now to be entreated of. The first whereof is this, that we aspire unto perfection by degrees, and not dream or imagine, that we can the first day, and in the beginning of our conversion attain unto it. For howsoever the Lord is not tied to times and means, but can as soon, and as well perfect the work of our Regeneration, as he did the work of our Creation, wherein he did but say the word, and it was done; and howsoever sometimes, to show the absoluteness and greatness of his wisdom, power and goodness, he maketh quick dispatch of his great work of grace, and causeth some to attain unto a great measure of perfection, by the extraordinary assistance of his holy Spirit, especially such as are converted in their latter times, and having long loitered, are cast behind hand, and have much way to travel, and work to finish, in the very evening of their lives; and some others also whom he sanctifieth from their 1birth and tender youth, to be his greatest lights shining in his Church: yet this is not usual in Gods ordinary course of proceeding, nor much more to be expected of us, then that we should have the stature and strength of men as soon as we are borne, unto which we ordinarily attain by degrees, because we were at once made perfect and complete in the extraordinary work of our Creation. Besides, we have all true saving graces according to the measure and proportion of faith, unto which we ⟨p. 465⟩cannot at once ordinarily attain in any great perfection, both because it self also must hold some proportion with our knowledge, which is not 2suddenly attained, as soon as we are converted, unless we had it before; and also because faith (as we have showed) increaseth by degrees, and we cannot attain unto any great measure and fullness of persuasion, but by much exercise in holy duties, and great experience of Gods love and goodness towards us. We must not then, in the childhood of our Christianity, think that we can attain unto the perfection of old men in Christ, and so accordingly in our words and profession, after a glorious manner take upon us; but we must be content, with the Apostle, whilst