A20762:2427
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 Of the impediments which arise from evil Ministers.
§. Sect. 2 Of the impediments which arise from euill Ministers.
The other sort of public impediments, whereby the world hindereth us in the ways of godliness, arise from evil Ministers, both in respect of their doctrine, and also their lives and ill examples. In the former respect, the people are much hindered by such insufficient and unconscionable Ministers, as either cannot, or will not instruct them in the duties of a godly life, or else do it not after a right manner. And first, when such blind guides are set over them, as cannot see the way of truth, and much less lead and direct others in it; for when the blind lead the blind, they must 1needs both fall into the ditch, as our Saviour speaketh. Which kind of Ministers are so far from deserving the esteem of true Pastors, that they are unworthy the place of the dogs of the flock, seeing they are dumb, 2and cannot bark and give any warning to the sheep when the Wolfe cometh. Secondly, when such unconscionable Ministers have the charge of souls committed unto them, as having sufficiency of gifts, will not, through negligence and idleness, feed them with the Bread of life, and being more cruel then the Ostriches, or the Dragons (as Jeremiah 3speaketh in another case) will not pull out their breasts, though full of milk, for the feeding of Gods children committed to them, but let them starve and perish for want of nourishment; herein worse then the other, who having dry breasts, cannot (though they would) afford unto them the sincere milk of the Word. Whereas these are so hard-hearted, that