A20762:945
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 Gentlemen have no privilege of idleness, and how they should spend their time.
§. Sect. 2 That Gentlemen haue no priuiledge of idlenesse, and how they should spend their time.
As for Gentlemen and those that have attained unto lands and riches, whereby they are able to maintain themselves and their charge; though they are not, in respect that God hath thus advanced them above others, to perform servile works, which were too much baseness, nor to overtoil themselves in bodily labour, which were needless and unprofitable for the Common wealth, by taking from the poor their work, and with it their wages and means of maintenance; yet they are not exempted from such labours and employments, as beseem their place and state. Yea, in all reason, because God hath been so gracious unto them above others, that he hath advanced them to more honourable callings, wherein they may exercise themselves in employments of a more excellent nature, and greater worth with greater ease; and hath richly rewarded them beforehand with such extraordinary pay and bountiful wages, above the rest of their fellows, whose labours are more base and toilsome, less honourable and important; therefore of all others, they should be least idle in this fair, easy, and honourable service, and exceed all others in diligence, as far as they exceed them in these many and rich privileges. And hereof it is that Sodom was so much condemned and fearfully punished; because abounding in all wealth and plenty, they exceeded also in sloth, abusing the blessing of riches and prosperity, to pride, fullness of bread, and 1abundance of idleness. Besides then those religious duties, of praying, hearing the Word, reading, meditating, and such like, in which it becometh Gentlemen and rich men to be most diligent, as having more leisure and better opportunity to perform these exercises, then the poorer sort: there are also many civill duties, in which their time and pains may be profitably employed; As first and chiefly, the duties of Magistracy, if they be furnished with fit gifts for it by God, and called thereunto by superior authority; wherein they are chiefly to aim at Gods glory, and