A20762:2274
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. 5 The 1. reason, that we may avoid giving of offence.
§. Sect. 5 The 1. reason, that we may auoid giuing of offence.
And so much of those reasons which respect God. The second sort respect our neighbours, from whom also we may draw divers arguments 1to persuade us to an holy conversation. And first, because we shall, being unblameable, avoid giving unto them any just offence, either by laying stumbling blocks in their way, whereby they should be hindered from the professing of the true Religion, when as they are able to take exceptions to the lives of Professors; or if they be religious, be grieved in their righteous souls, when they see our lives full of blots and blemishes; or make the weak fall by our ill 2example. The which we must carefully avoid, because our Saviour 3pronounceth a fearful woe against those by whom such offences come; and contrariwise, labour with the Apostle, to exercise our selves 4daily in this, that we may have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. Secondly, we may be moved to the practice ⟨p. 699⟩5of all holy duties of a godly life, that we may gain those that are without, to Christ, & to embrace that true Religion which we profess. For if we have our conversation honest among the Gentiles, they seeing our good 6works, will glorify God in the day of their visitation. And this argument the Apostle Peter useth to persuade wives unto their duty, that they which