B02626:913
The plain mans path-way to heaven
The plain mans path-way to heaven wherein every man may clearly see whether he shall be saved or damned. / Set forth dialogue-wise for the better understanding of the simple, by Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex.
London: printed by Ja. Young for G. Lathum, 1643
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.
Asun. Is your meaning that men must of necessity frequent preaching of the word? will not bare reading serve the turn?
Asun. Is your meaning that men must of necessity frequent preaching of the word? will not bare reading serve the turne?
Theol. I told you before that reading is good, profitable, and necessary: but yet it is not sufficient. We must not content our selves with that only, but we must go further, and get unto our selves the sound preaching of the Gospel, as the chiefest and most principal means which God hath ordained and sanctified for the saving of men. As Saint Paul saith, when as the world (by wisdom) knew not God, 1in the wisdom of God it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The meaning of it is, that when as men, neither by natural wisdom nor the contemplation of the creatures, could sufficiently attain to the true knowledge of God; the Lord according to his heavenly and infinite wisdom thought of another course, which is, to save men by preaching: ⟨p. 361⟩which the world counteth foolishness. And by the way note, that the preaching of the Word is not a thing of humane invention, but it is Gods own device, & came first from him, & is the next & nearest way to save mens souls. Wise Solomon also in the Book of the Proverbs telleth us, that the preaching of Gods Word (which he calleth Vision, using the word of the Prophets, which called their Sermons Visions) is not a thing that may be spared, or that we may be at our choice whether we have it or no: but he maketh it to be of absolute necessity unto eternal life. For he saith, Where Vision faileth, the people are left naked. So indeed it is in the Original•:2 but the old Translation giveth us the sense thus, Wh re the Word of God is not preached, there the people p rish. Thus you see that Solomon striketh it dead, telling us, that all they which are without Preaching of the Word, are in exceeding great danger of losing their souls. Oh that men could be persuaded of this! Saint Paul also saith,