The plaine mans path-way to heauen Wherein euery man may cleerely see, whether he shall be saued or damned. Set forth dialogue-wise, for the better vnderstanding of the simple: By Arthur Dent, preacher of the vvord of God at South-Shoobery in Essex. Corrected and amended: vvith a table of all the principall matters; and three prayers necessarie to be vsed in priuate families thereunto added.

THE EPISTLE TO the Reader.

GEntle Reader, seeing my little Sermon of Repentance, some few yeeres since published, hath beene so well accepted of: I haue, for thy further good pub∣lished this Dialogue, being the third fruit of my labour: wishing to it the like successe, that God thereby may haue the glory, and thou who art the Reader comfort. I haue, in one part of this Dialogue, produced some of the ancient writers, and some of the wise Hea∣then also, to testifie vpon their oath in their owne language, and to beare witnesse of the vg∣linesse of some vices, which we in this age make light of: which I wish may not be offensiue to any. In other parts of this worke, I do in a man∣ner relinquish them. But in this case I haue in my weake iudgement, thought them to be of some good vse, to shew forth thus much: that if

we doe not in time repent, forsake our sinnes, & seeke after God, both the auncient Christian fa∣thers (whose eies saw not that we see, nor their eares heard that we heare) yea the very Heathen also shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. Let none therefore stumble at it. But if any doe, let them remember I am in a Dialogue, not in a Sermon. I write to all of all sorts: I speake not to some few of one sort. But that which is done herein, is not much more then that of the Apo∣stle (As some of your own Poets haue said, Act. 17.) which is warrantable. One thing, deare Christi∣an, I pray thee let me beg of thee; to wit, that thou wouldest not reade two or three leaues of this Booke, and so cast it from thee: but that thou wouldest reade it throughout euen to the end. For I do assure thee, if there be any thing in it worth the reading, it is bestowed in the latter part thereof, and most of all towards the con∣clusion. Be not discouraged therefore at the harshnesse of the beginning: but looke for smoother matter in the middest, and most smooth in the perclose and wind-vp of all. For this Dialogue hath in it, not the nature of a Tragedy, which is begunne with ioy, and ended with sorrow: but of a Comedie, which is be∣gun with sorrow, and ended with ioy. This booke medleth not at all with any controuer∣fies in the Church, or any thing in the state Ec∣clesiasticall,

but onely entreth into a contro∣uersie with Sathan and sinne. It is contriued into six principall heads. First, it sheweth mans misery in nature, with the meanes of recouery. Secondly, it sharpely inueigheth against the in∣iquity of the time, and common corruptions of the world. Thirdly, it sheweth the markes of the children of God, and of the Reprobates; toge∣ther with the apparant signes of saluation and damnation. Fourthly, it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life: and how few shall enter. Fiftly, it laieth open the ignorance of the world, with the obiections of the same. Last of all, it publisheth and proclaimeth the sweet pro∣mises of the Gospell, with the abundant mercy of God, to all that repent, beleeue, and truely turne vnto him. The Authour of all blessing giue a blessing vnto it. The God of peace, which brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus, the great sheepeheard of the sheepe, through the blood of the euerlasting couenant, make vs perfect in all good workes, sanctifie vs throughout, amend all our imperfections, and keepe vs blamelesse vntill the day of his most glorious appearing, Amen.

Thine in the Lord, A. D.