A20762:2710
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 That Gods Commandments bind unto obedience both poor and rich.
§. Sect. 1 That Gods Commandements bind vnto obedience both poore and rich.
The seventh objection is made by those who are afflicted with poverty, and cannot, without much labour and great pains, procure necessaries for the sustaining of their own lives and those that depend upon them. O, say they, we are so miserably poor, that unless we spend our whole time in the works of our callings, we cannot get such a small competency as is sufficient to hold life and soul together, nor food and clothing for our selves, wives, children and families, which we must provide for, unless we would be worse then Infidels, being bound so to do both by the Law of God and nature. And therefore having no spare time to spend in Religious duties, we hope that God will have us excused, and not impute the fault unto us, but to our poverty, which necessarily constraineth us to neglect the duties of his service, which if we had time and leisure, ⟨p. 853⟩like other men, we would willingly perform. To which I answer first, that the Law and commandments of God are given indefinitely and generally unto all men, the poor as well as the rich, and tie all sorts of men equally and indifferently unto obedience, without any exemption or toleration granted to any state and condition. Otherwise, if such excuses might pass for current pay, none would want pretences to slip their necks out of the yoke of obedience, seeing prosperity and plenty, as well as adversity and penury, do not want their several employments, and distractions enow to hinder us from the duties of Gods service, if at least we will yield and give way unto them. Secondly I answer, that the state of poverty being sanctified unto us, is much more fit for the duties of Gods service, then that which floweth with plenty and abundance, as being less subject to many potent vices and corruptions which hinder us in them, as pride and self-love, wrath and insolencie, sloth and idleness, intemperance, insobriety and many others.