A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

§. 1 The first reme∣die, is to auoid ignorance, and labour after knowledge.

BY that which hath beene said in the former Chapter, it may manifestly appeare, that the sinne of carnall secu∣ritie is out of measure sinfull, a capitall euill, and most dangerous disease of the soule, which is more heartily to be abhorred, and more carefully to be auoided, then the plague, leprosie, or corporall lethargie. But, for as much as it is not sufficient that we see the manifold mischiefs of this Spirituall sick∣nesse, and thereby bee mooued to hate it, and earnestly to desire to be freed from it; vnlesse wee also know by what meanes our desire may be satisfied: I will in the next place propound the preseruatiues, which may keepe vs from this disease, and the medicines which may cure and recouer vs if we be alreadie fallen into it. First, then if we would be cured of this Spirituall lethargie, we must imitate skilfull Physici∣ans, who to effect a perfect cure, doe labour chiefly to take away the causes of the sickenesse, and withall to strengthen and confirme the affected part, that being expulsed they may be able to keep them from re-entring. Which not being obserued, there can be no perfect cure, but the Patient will be readie, vpon the next distemper of heat, cold, or misdiet, to relapse dangerously into his former disease. And if we would take away these malignant and poisonous streames of carnall securitie, it will be to little purpose to lade and emptie them in the current, vnlesse we damme and stop vp the Well-head and Fountaine from which the Spring. To which end, we will propound them in the same order wherein they were formerly handled. And first, if wee would be freed from carnall securitie, wee must labour to come out of our naturall ignorance, and to haue our minds illightned with the knowledge of God, and of those attributes, whereby his true feare is wrought in our hearts, as his omnipotent power, omniscient wise∣dome, omnipresence, iustice, trueth, mercie, goodnesse, and the rest. For there are scarce any that are ignorant of these, who are not whol∣ly possessed with carnall securitie; neither doth it make them watch∣full and fearefull to be compassed about with desperate dangers, be∣cause liuing in the blindnesse of ignorance, and in such palpable dark∣nesse as obscureth all things, they want both light and sight to see and apprehend them.

Notes

• Ibi maximè o∣portet obseruare peccatum vbi nasci solet. Hie∣ronym.