A29096:65
The good old way, or, An excellent and profitable treatise of repentance made
The good old way, or, An excellent and profitable treatise of repentance made by John Bradford in the year 1553. Now published with two prefaces relating the life of the author, and the excellency of the work.The good old way, or, An excellent and profitable treatise of repentance made by John Bradford in the yeare 1553. Now published with two prefaces relating the life of the author, and the excellencey of the worke.
London: printed by Leon. Lichfield, 1652
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.
And this is one of the differences between Gods Law and mans Law; that of this (man's law I mean) I am not condemnable, so long as I observe outwardly the same. But Gods Law goeth to the root and to the heart, condemning ⟨p. 23⟩me for the inward motion, although outwardly I live most holily. As for example; if I kill no man, though in my heart I hate, man's law condemneth me not: but otherwise doth Gods Law. And why? for it seeth the root from whence the evil doth spring. If hatred were taken out of the heart, then loftiness in looks, detraction in tongue, and murder by hand, could never ensue. If lusting were out of the heart, curiosity in countenance, wantonness in words, loathsome boldness in body would not appear.
And this is one of the differences betweene Gods Law and mans Law; that of this (man's law I meane) I am not condemnable, so long as I observe outwardly the same. But Gods Law goeth to the roote and to the heart, condemning ⟨p. 23⟩me for the inward motion, although outwardly I live most holily. As for example; if I kill no man, though in my heart I hate, man's law condemneth me not: but otherwise doth Gods Law. And why? for it seeth the root from whence the evill doth spring. If hatred were taken out of the heart, then loftinesse in lookes, detraction in tongue, and murther by hand, could never ensue. If lusting were out of the heart, curiosity in countenance, wantonnesse in words, loathsome boldnesse in body would not appeare.
In that therefore this outward evil springs out of the inward corruption. 1seeing Gods Law also is a law of liberty, as saith St James, and spiritual as saith St Paul, 2perfectly and spiritually it is to be understood, if we will truly come to the knowledge of our sins. For of this inward corruption, reason knoweth little or nothing. I had not known (saith Paul) that lusting (which to reason, and to them which are guided only by reason, is thought but a triste) I had not known (saith he) this lusting to have been sin, if the Law had