Heautonaparnumenos

But yet this is not enough: for here some perhaps will fly to Argument, and wonder how all our Religion should be built on Self-denial. What? All of it Anascevasticall, no Catascevasticall part thereof? All tending to Mortification, no part to Vivification? All to doff the Old Man, none do on the New? I look this should be cast in my way, by those qui ad pauca respiciunt. ⟨p. 16⟩But 'tis nothing; These Distinctions are but of divers Notions. not of divers Things: Our Deeds of Mortification are at once Deeds of Vivification: Our putting off the Old Man cannot be without putting on the New: Our Aversion from the Creature, if regular and uniform, is our Conversion unto God. It must needs be so, if God and the Creature be (as to us) [Greek or Hebrew], Contraries without any Mean imaginable betwixt them: for then he that forsakes the Creature must needs betake himself to God: even as he that forsakes the Earth must needs go towards Heaven. As for this present World, it is no other but our Exile, because our Enemies are Masters of it: Our Life is our Pilgrimage, our Journey: Heaven, that is our Country; and our Religion is our Motion from the one to the other. Now this Motion you may term as you please, according to its several Intentions, either a Flight from our Selves, or a Journey unto God; either Self-denial, or Charity; either Hatred of the Creature, or Love of God; it matters not much which of them: The Motion is still the same, whatsoever Name you give it. But, if you join both these together, as our Saviour does in the next verse, and stile this Motion Self-denial for the Love of God, which is no other, but our Self-denial here, in Precept, then all Objection is removed, and you have a complete Epitome of Religion.

But yet this is not enough: for here some perhaps will flie to Argument, and wonder how all our Religion should be built on Self-denyall. What? All of it Anasceuasticall, no Catasceuasticall part thereof? All tending to Mortification, no part to Vivification? All to doffe the Old Man, none doe on the New? I looke this should be cast in my way, by those qui ad pauca respiciunt. ⟨p. 16⟩But 'tis nothing; These Distinctions are but of divers Notions. not of divers Things: Our Deeds of Mortification are at once Deeds of Vivification: Our putting off the Old Man cannot bee without putting on the New: Our Aversion from the Creature, if regular and uniforme, is our Conversion unto God. It must needs be so, if God and the Creature be (as to us) , Contraries without any Meane imaginable betwixt them: for then he that forsakes the Creature must needs betake himselfe to God: even as he that forsakes the Earth must needs goe towards Heaven. As for this present World, it is no other but our Exile, because our Enemies are Masters of it: Our Life is our Pilgrimage, our Journey: Heaven, that is our Countrey; and our Religion is our Motion from the one to the other. Now this Motion you may terme as you please, according to its severall Intentions, either a Flight from our Selves, or a Journey unto God; either Self-denyall, or Charity; either Hatred of the Creature, or Love of God; it matters not much which of them: The Motion is still the same, whatsoever Name you give it. But, if you joyne both these together, as our Saviour does in the next verse, and stile this Motion Selfe-denyall for the Love of God, which is no other, but our Self-denyall here, in Precept, then all Objection is remov'd, and you have a compleat Epitome of Religion.