A20762:637
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.
CAP. I.
That the duties of a godly life ought daily and constantly to be performed, and not by fits and spurts only.
That the duties of a godly life ought daily and constantly to be performed, and not by fits and spurts onely.
§. Sect. 1 That the duties contained in the former Book, are to be performed daily and constantly upon every fit occasion.
§. Sect. 1 That the duties contained in the former Booke, are to be performed daily and constantly vpon euery fit occasion.
AND thus have we entreated of the duties which are to be performed of all those who desire to lead a godly and Christian life. Now we are to show how all these duties of piety, righteousness, and sobriety, are to be daily and continually exercised of us, so far forth as our callings and occasions, means and opportunity will suffer and enable us. Neither is it possible that all these duties should be performed by every man, seeing divers of them are appropriate to divers persons, sexes, and callings; in which respect, the subject is not tied to perform the duties of the Prince, nor the Prince of the subject; the husband of the wife, nor the wife of the husband, &c. nor yet that all duties, common to all Christians, should be performed every day, seeing many times we want fit objects to exercise them upon, as also convenient time and leisure, ability and opportunity. But this is required of us, that at no time we commit any thing against the holy Law of God, or think that any time, company, or other circumstance, can make sin seasonable; nor yet omit any of the former duties, when God requireth them at our hands, giving us fit objects, occasions, means, and ability to perform them: And that not only some spare time be allotted to these Christian duties, taking liberty to spend the remainder of our days after our own sinful lusts, or in the unlawful and base service of the world, and the prince thereof, for the worthless hire of earthly vanities; but we must be wholly taken up of them, and be still exercised in the practice of some one or other of them, as shall be most convenient, and