The lay-man's religion humbly offerred as a help to a modest enquiry for every man into his own heart : both as being the only means to judge and save himself, and the best way to unite us all against our common enemies.

Title

The lay-man's religion humbly offerred as a help to a modest enquiry for every man into his own heart : both as being the only means to judge and save himself, and the best way to unite us all against our common enemies.

Publication

London :: Printed by Eliz. Holt for Walter Kettilby ...,

1690.

Rights/Permissions

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A49834.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"The lay-man's religion humbly offerred as a help to a modest enquiry for every man into his own heart : both as being the only means to judge and save himself, and the best way to unite us all against our common enemies." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A49834.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 2, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• imprimatur
• THE CONTENTS.
• The Author's Humble Dedication, Ap∣peal, and Address.
• THE LAY-MAN's RELIGION, In an affectionate Epistle to all Mankind.
  • This I shall endeavour to demonstrate in the following Discourse.
  • I shall begin with Self-Love, the Fountain of all Evil, as that which includes all the rest; and in the first place discourse of Avarice, or Inordinate Love of the World.
  • I shall now proceed to speak of the Second; which is, Debauchery and Immorality.
    • Of the Doctrine and Discipline of our National Church: The chief Cause and Continuance of Separation from it, arises from the Scandal of some of our Clergy, and the Immora∣lity of some of our Members; which is the Case of the Gospel it self. The Removal of this Offence, is the pro∣per Medium for Ʋniformity, as the only Means to unite us all against our Common Enemy.
    • Of the great Evil in bad Examples of Magistrates, Parents, and Masters of Families; and from their Neglect in their Duty.
    • But this Reformation must begin from your own Pattern and Example.
  • Now let us consider the Third and last, but the most sublime and subtil sort of Moral Idolatry; or, The great Danger and Evil of Ambition and Worldly Design, under the Vizor of Zeal for Reformation; and of Liberty of Conscience and the great Abuse of it.
• The Result of all which may be this; to put us upon a Modest Enquiry,
  • And here I may, with an humble Confidence, inforce this Argument from the greatest Example, and the most ex∣cellent Pattern; even that of His Sacred Majesty, now in the Throne, the Head of our Government, and Chief of our Communion; whose incomparable Perfections (whe∣ther we consider Him as a Man, or as a Christian) are sufficiently known to the whole World.
• And now, from all, we may (with humble Sub∣mission) draw this most certain Conclusion.
  • To conclude: The ill Management of our Tongue, or the bad Husbandry of our Time, will render the best Religion vain.
  • Of the right Improvement of Time; or, the great Evil of Procrastination, or deferring our Duty.
• POST-SCRIPT.