A20762:65
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 That the practice of Religion and godliness is to be preferred before the theory and bare knowledge of it.
§. Sect. 2 That the practice of Religion and godlinesse is to bee preferred before the theory and bare knowledge of it.
And thus the end of all arts and sciences is the practice of them, and therefore the habit of skill showed in the exercise of the artsman, is much to be preferred, because it is the end of theory and speculation. And as this is to be confessed in all other arts, so cannot it be denied of Divinity and Religion, the practice whereof doth in excellency surmount the knowledge and theory, as being the main end whereunto it tendeth. For to what purpose do men spend their spirits, and tire their wits, in discerning the light of truth, if they do not use the benefit of it to direct them in all their ways? Why do they rise betimes to see the Sun, if they mean to sit idly still and do nothing, which better suiteth with palpable and Egyptian darkness? Why do they with such care and labour, heap up these rich treasures of learning and knowledge, if (miser-like) they only look upon them, and never make use of them for the benefit of themselves and others? Why do they spend their whole lives in sowing the seed, and never reap the crop? or having brought in the harvest, and filled their barns and granaries: what good will all this do them, if they let it there must and mould, and never eat the fruit of their labours? How vain therefore is their practice, who spend all their strength in polemical disputes, to evince error, and find out the truth, if when they have found it, they will not walk in this light, nor let it be the guide of their lives? like herein to foolish boys, who strive for a ball, which when they have gotten with much sweat, and have no competitor to contend further for it, they cast into a corner with careless neglect; or having fought even unto blood, to beat others off a Mole hill, as from a fort of strength, do make no further use of it when they have gotten quiet possession? How fruitless are the labours of such Pastors and Preachers, who spend all their time in painful studies, to barrel up that knowledge, which they mean never to use, propounding no other end of their knowledge but to know, and as though they envied all others their esteemed Jewell, never communicate it by painful preaching unto their people; who through their negligence have no more use of their gifts, then poor neighbours have of a misers treasure, which is fast locked up from them in their barred chests;