A Brief survey of the old religion which may serve as a guide to all passengers, yet members of the militant church desirous to know & keep, among divers wayes, the old-good-way to Heaven ...

CHAP. XV.

INto the old good-way of verity & sanctity, wherein all must walk that hope for heaven; into the true Church which proposes, professes & maintaines orthodox, Ca∣tholike faith, for matter of beleeving; teaching & perswa∣ding to sincere holynes, for manner of living. Consider this, stand in the wayes, veiw & behold, O all ye passen∣gers, hearken to the voyce behinde you sayng, These are not, this is the way walk in it. Though it be hard to finde, bless God that hath left you meanes & doth still direct you. It is indeed hard to such as travel in the dark night of ignorance, & without a guid, but to such as walk in the day & by the rule, it is easie to be found. Though it be narrow, few walking therein, so pensive & harsh to flesh & blood, yet praise God for sending his Son, to walk in the same way be∣fore

you, to make it open, easie & comfortable; strive yee to enter in at this strait gate, for wide is the eate & broad is the path that leads to destruction & many the•••• the that goe there∣in: but, strait is the gate & narrow is the w••y that ••ead to life & few they be that shall finde it to enter. Beware of false prophets & those deceitfull allurements cast in your way, by the divel, the world & the flesh. Our grand-mother Eve was mislead by giving ear to a seducing spirit. Beleeve not every Spirit, but try them, whether they be of God, whether they speak according to his word, whe e••y the best men in every age have been guided and passed sweetly in the current of that puissant authority, which hath drawn so many ages after it.

To help herein, & for the speedie & comfortable success of those, for whom this discourse is mostly intended, I shall with the Lords assistance labour to proceed in discove∣ring.

First, what hath been & is to this day, by the best & most learned, held to be [the good-old-way] the orthodox Catholike faith, in points f••ndamentall o•• especially necessary, for the matter of right beleeving, agreeable unto Scriptures, Fathers & Councils.

Secondly, what that Godlines & holynes of life is, which hath been taught & practised by all that truely fear God, for the manner of right living. For by a right faith & a holy life, doe men walk the good old way, that leads to rest: one is not, cannot be without the other; nor life eternall without both Heb. 12:14.

Thirdly, amongst many companies now extant; who have & doe walk in the good old-way, according to these with the former directions, & who not? that so we may not mistake a Den of theives for the true Church of God, because they say so; nor the Synagogue of Satan with the whore of Babylon, for the innocent flock & undefiled Spouse of Christ.