A20762:193
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 Of the quantity of knowledge, and the divers degrees of it.
§. Sect. 1 Of the quantity of knowledge, and the diuers degrees of it.
The next point to be considered in our knowledge, is the quantity and measure of it; the which is imperfect in the greatest perfection which in this life can be attained. For as the Apostle (though he had received abundance of the Spirit, and such revelations as were not lawful to be uttered) confessed of himself, together with others, We know but in part; and see 1through a glass darkly; and if any man think that he knoweth any thing (namely in perfection) he knoweth nothing as he ought to know. For, we 2walk by faith, and not by sight. And, faith is of things unseen, and not in vision and fruition. Neither can we attain to perfect knowledge, until we attain unto perfect happiness, which is not in this life, but the life to come, when we shall see God face to face, and shall know as we are known; not by the knowledge of faith, which is but by hearing, signs, semblances, and revelations; but of vision, fruition, and most firm experience. ⟨p. 37⟩For the perfection of our knowledge here, consisteth most in the knowledge and acknowledgement of our imperfection, and not in the high degree of quantity, but in the sincerity and truth. The which knowledge discovereth our ignorance, that we may bewail it, and causeth us (not in pride and self-conceit, to content our selves with that we have, but seeing our imperfections) to labour in the use of all good means, after a greater measure, till by attaining to one degree after another, we do in the end obtain, with perfection of knowledge, perfect happiness. But yet in this imperfect knowledge there are divers degrees, which accordingly are diversly required, that they may be acceptable unto God, and sufficient for us and our salvation. First, in respect of the divers times of illumination, for in the twi-light of the Law, when as the Sun was not yet risen, there was not so great a measure of knowledge required, as in the broad day of the Gospel, when as God requireth some proportion between our sight of knowledge, and the light of his truth shining unto us.