A20762:558
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
Book 2 › Chapter 10 › Section 1: §. Sect. 1 Of the excellency of charity.
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 Of the excellency of charity.
And thus have I showed what is that charity both towards our selves and our neighbours, which is required in the second Table: In the next place I will set down some reasons which may move us to embrace it, all which will reduce unto these their heads, the excellency, utility, and necessity of it. The excellency of this charity herein appeareth, in that our Saviour Christ maketh it the sum of all other duties and virtues required in the second 1Table; so that if we have charity, we have all moral virtues; if that be wanting, we are destitute of them all. Yea, the Apostles, not without the direction of his holy Spirit, do seem to go further, making this charity the epitome and sum of the whole Law; He that loveth another (saith 2Paul) hath fulfilled the Law. If ye fulfil the royal Law (saith James) according to the Scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self, ye do well. Where either by a Synecdoche of the whole for the part, we are, as some do, to understand the second Table only, or because true obedience to ⟨p. 141⟩it, doth necessarily infer our obedience to the first, in that it is an inseparable fruit and undoubted sign of it, it may not unfitly comprehend our total obedience to the whole Law. Secondly, in that the Apostle preferreth 3it before those chief and fundamental virtues, Faith and Hope, and that both, because if we consider them merely in themselves, it is of a more excellent nature, and also in respect of the extent, both of latitude and time; for whereas they respect our selves only and our own salvation, this extendeth to the good and salvation of many others: and whereas they continue only for this life, charity attaineth to its greatest perfection in the life to come, and shall ever remain as a principal part of our everlasting joys. And thus also the Apostle Peter commendeth charity unto us above all other duties; Above all things (saith he) have fervent