Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

So that I say godliness doth not take away nature but addeth to it. As you know your riders of horses; when a rider comes to a horse full of mettle; he doth not take away that mettle, he doth not extinguish it, but he endeavours to improve it, in a right way, he fashions it, and brings it under, and makes it of use for the rider. Even so Godliness, when it cometh to a man, if it find much mettle in a man, many excellent virtues which nature hath planted in him: many moral virtues which customs, and education hath added to it: Godliness it casts not away these, but orders them, and breaks them, and subdues them, and makes them serviceable to God, and man.

So that I say godliness doth not take away nature but addeth to it. As you know your riders of horses; when a rider comes to a horse full of mettle; he doth not take away that mettle, he doth not extinguish it, but he endeavours to improve it, in a right way, he fashons it, and brings it under, and makes it of use for the rider. Even so Godliness, when it cometh to a man, if it find much mettle in a man, many excellent vertues which nature hath planted in him: many moral vertues which customs, and education hath edded to it: Godliness it casts not away these, but orders them, and breakes them, and subdues them, and makes them serviceable to God, and man.

So doth the Physician when he comes to his patient, he doth not overthrow all the humours in the body, and extinguish them, but only he corrects them, only he adds to those that are defective, and takes down those that are excessive, and composeth, and helps them into a right frame. Even so doth godliness with nature, it composeth, and ordereth, and addeth to nature, it elevates nature, it puts a higher end upon it, it adds a spiritualness to it. As for example, nature hath made a man to love himself, to love his Children. It is natural affection that hath taught a man to grieve for that which is evil, and obnoxious to himself, when it is upon a man. Godliness now doth but make a right use of this. When nature hath digged a fountain of tears, godliness doth but turn the stream the right way. When nature hath put such a principle in us as love, godliness comes and teacheth us to ⟨p. 244⟩