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

The last scandal & offence, whereof I will speak, by which men are hindered from entering into, & proceeding in the duties of a godly life, ariseth from those that make profession of Christianity and sincerity, whether they be private persons, or public, as the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments. The first is that which is given by hypocrites, who making profession of the true Religion, do in their lives deny the power thereof, falling into many gross and grievous sins; especially such as are committed against the second Table, as uniustice and uncharitableness, fraud and deceit, cruelty and oppression, pride and covetousness, falsifying of their covenants and promises: And also by such as profess the truth in sincerity and uprightness of heart, and yet through humane frailty and infirmity, are sometimes over-taken of these and such like sins. Both which cast before the feet of those, who are unregenerate, such stumbling blocks of offence, that they are thereby brought out of love with Gods true Religion, presuming that there is little good in it, when as they discern no better fruits of it in their lives: and so hate not only such professors; but also their profession for their sakes, resolving with themselves, that they will never be of their religion, which is so disgraced in the world by the evil conversation of these seeming forward men. Yea, not only those which are without, are wholly hindered from entering into the course of Christianity, but those also that are already entered, are hereby so discountenanced and disheartened, that they proceed in the ways of godliness, with much discomfort and discouragement. For they are not only hindered from making any profession of Religion more then others, when they see it thus infamed, lest hereby they might seem like unto them, and so bring ⟨p. 782⟩