A89499:52
Englands spiritual languishing; with the causes and cureEnglands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure
Englands spiritual languishing; with the causes and cure: discovered in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, on their solemn day of fast, at Margarets Westminster, June 28. 1648. / By Thomas Manton, minister of Stoke-Newington.Englands spirituall languishing; with the causes and cure: discovered in a sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons, on their solemn day of fast, at Margarets Westminster, June 28. 1648. / By Thomas Manton, minister of Stoke-Newington.
London: printed by R. Cotes for John Clarke, 1648
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
I will show you wherein Godliness is decayed. Secondly,
I will shew you wherein Godlinesse is decayed. Secondly,
How it came to pass, what may be the occasions or causes of such a languishing. Thirdly,
How it came to passe, what may be the occasions or causes of such a languishing. Thirdly,
What we shall do to repair it, every one in his place, the people in their way, the Ministry in theirs, and you in that orb and sphere that is proper to you.
What we shall doe to repaire it, every one in his place, the people in their way, the Ministery in theirs, and you in that orbe and spheare that is proper to you.
My first work is to show that godliness is decayed, and wherein; I shall do that the rather, partly that it may help us to put our mouths in the dust, and to lye low in the sense of our shame this day; partly because we are all apt to call our design godliness, every party like the old Rogatians engross it to themselves; for my part I look upon it, as the highest sacrilege and peevishness in the world for men to do so, to measure Religion by their private interest and opinion, and as they thrive more or less in the world, so to judge or cry out of the rising or fall of Religion: private conceits do not deserve so glorious a name, and the godly party is of a larger extent, then to be appropriated or confined within any one Sect and faction; alas! how often do we mistake self-love for zeal, and out of a blind dotage to our own opinions, think Christ standeth or falleth with our private misconceits and interests! It was but a presumptuous arrogance in Nestorius,