A20762:2425
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 The first public impediment arising from evil Magistrates.
§. Sect. 1 The first publike impediment arising from euill Magistrates.
Unto the impediments which the devil himself directly useth to hinder our proceeding in Christian duties, we will now add those which are cast into our way by the world and the flesh, who join all their forces with him, which are far more powerful and prevalent then his own tentations. The impediments of the world are either public, or private. The former respect superiors, as Magistrates and Ministers; or inferiors, as the people that are under their government. The impediments which oppose a godly life, respecting Magistrates, are chiefly two: the first is, their authority and greatness abused to impiety, as to the discountenancing of virtue and godliness, and the countenancing of vice and sin, the discouraging of the faithful in all good courses, and the heartening of the wicked in their impiety and profaneness. The which is done by their private favours, denied to the one, and imparted to the other; or by their public edicts and laws crying down the sincerity of Religion, and strengthening the sons of Belial in their outrageous wickedness. For the avoiding of which impediments, let us often consider how much better it is to have the favour of God, in which consisteth our life and happiness, and which being permanent and unchangeable, will never forsake us, then the favour of Princes and great men, whose favours are momentany, seeing (as the Psalmist speaketh) their breath being in their 1nostrils, they will sooner return to their dust; and also fickle and mutable, being ready to hate to morrow, whom they love to day; as we see in the example of Haman, and many others. That it is better to have the peace of a good conscience which accompanieth well-doing, then the praise and applause of the greatest Potentates, in our neglect of holy duties. That we shall have little comfort when we are going to hell, though we carry in our hands their Pass or Patent, affording unto us a quiet passage without check or disturbance, no though we have themselves to bear us company, and countenance us in the way. Neither let the laws of evil Magistrates discourage us in Christian duties, seeing we have a superior Law of the supreme King of heaven and earth, whereunto both they and we are bound to yield obedience;