A Help to True Happiness, Title page – To the reader
A HELPE TO TRVE Happineſſe.
OR A briefe and learned EXPOSITION of the maine and fundamentall Points of Chriſtian Religion.
BY Mr. PAVL BAYNE.
1 PET. 2.2. As new borne Babes deſire the ſincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby.
LONDON, Printed by E. Griffin for W. Bladen and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the Bible, neere the great north doore of Pauls. 1618.
To the Vertuous, and Right Worſhipfull LADY, the Lady Rebecca Romeny.
THis TREATISE falling into my hands by Gods wiſe and gracious diſpenſation, and prouidence, and being thought, not onelyonly by my ſelfe but by diuers others of riper yeares and deeper iudgement, worthy to be publiſhed in print for the common good of many. I hauehave thought good conſidering that the long continued cuſtome of dedicating bookes to Perſons of ſome eminencie in the Church of God, hath gotten the vpper hand to dedicate this little Treatiſe enſuing to your Ladiſhips name.
I hauehave obſerued that among many other reaſons mouing ſuch learned and godly Diuines as hauehave either wouen ſome webbe of their owne ſpinning, or faithfully trauelled in the fruitfull labours of other men to Dedicate their writings: one ſpeciall reaſon hath beene to teſtifie their thankefulneſſe to the parties to whom they dedicate the ſame, by publiſhing their Name both to the preſent age, and to poſteritie for the further encouraging, both of themſelues, and others to proceed in piety and vertue; and eſpecially in patronizing learning and godlineſſe when they ſhall ſee that ſuch a reward remaineth for them euen in this preſent world.
But herein I muſt be very ſparing, conſidering that the neereneſſe of bloud betwixt your Ladiſhip and my ſelfe, will hardly ſuffer mee to ſay the one halfe of that which I might truely ſay, both of your Ladiſhips vertues in generall, and of your ſpeciall and manifold fauours towards me: for which I will rather praiſe GOD, and pray for the continuance and increaſe thereof in the ſecret cloſet of my heart then make any publike proclamation of the ſame in the eares of men.
Thus praying your Ladiſhippe to accept in part of paiment, for your many fauours and kindneſſes, this ſmall mite, which I bring you in another mans coine, with my humble and hearty prayers. &c.
Your Ladiſhips much bounden, and louing Nephew. E. C.
To the Chriſtian Reader, and eſpecially to the religious Houſholder, whoſe deſire and care is, to enforme himſelfe and his family, in that truth which is according to godlineſſe.
THe Apoſtle Paul (a choſen veſſell to Chriſt) carried ſuch an vpright minde and zealous affection to the glory of God,Acts 9.15. and edifying of the body of Chriſt, which is the Church, that although hee doe earneſtly exhort all men to put on the girdle of ſinceritie (a moſt fit & comely ornament for Miniſters of the Goſpell) yet he profeſſed,Eph. 6.14. that he did reioyce and would reioyce in the ſound preaching of Chriſt crucified,Phil. 1.18. though the Preachers thereof were not (all of them) ſo ſincerely affected as they ſhould hauehave beene.Mat. 25.21. Euen ſo our Paul, the Author of this little Commentary (now entred into his Maſters ioy) notwithſtanding for his ſound knowledge in the myſtery of godlineſſe, hee was well able, and for his louelove to the Church of God, very ready to hauehave written a more exact Catechiſme of his owne; or might hauehave choſen ſome other, already extant in print, better digeſted then this: yet obſeruing by the often impreſsions, and by other experience, the large ſpread & good acceptance that theſe few Queſtions & Anſwers found among a number of Chriſtians, hee choſe rather to giuegive light, and to put life to theſe, then in ſo great variety of printed Catechiſmes to forth another of his owne framing.
Wherin (Chriſtian Reader) I doe obſerue a gracious prouidence of God our heauenly Father, towards ſuch as deſire with Cornelius to feare God with all their Houſhold, and to bring vp their young children and ſeruants in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
For by this meanes thou haſt (to vſe the phraſe of the Apoſtle) a patterne of wholſome words,… Tim. 1.13. to direct and help thee to lay open and whet vponupon thy family, theſe breefe and fami-points heere propounded, which though they bee plaine in themſelues, yet by reaſon of the breuitie of them, they are made much more lightſome, eaſie and vſefull, by this moſt plaine and pithy Commentary.
Wherefore I would aduiſe and entreat thee (whoſoeuer thou bee) that haſt already taken a taſte of theſe ſhort Queſtions & Anſwers, which hauehave beene ſo long extant, and ſo often printed and reprinted, that thou wouldeſt now vſe this help, to take a more full draught of them: and thou ſhalt finde (by the bleſsing of God) that the profit wil exceed the pains.
OnelyOnly one thing I would aduertize thee of, touching the deſcription and nature of ſaith, that the firſt Author of theſe ſhort Queſtions and Anſwers, hauing had ſome further cogitation and conference about it, doth thinke that true iuſtifying faith (being the primary grace and glory of a Chriſtian) may bee thus deſcribed; that it is, A beleefe of the Goſpell,What true faith is. whereby a man doth truely reſt and caſt himſelfe vponupon Chriſt alone, for remiſsion of ſinnes and eternall ſaluation, both of ſoule and bodie. Which deſcription, (though there be diuers other, both godly and learned) I take (vnderunder correction) to be moſt pertinent, and fit for the proouing and examining of our ſelues, according to that exhortation of Paul, 2 Cor. 13.5whether we bee in the faith or no (wherin ſtandeth the maine comfort or diſcomfort of eueryevery Chriſtian man or woman in the world) therin notwithſtanding humbly ſubmitting my ſelfe and my opinion, to the cenſure of learned Diuines, and to the iudgement of the Church of God; and eſpecially to that part of Gods Church, which his right hand hath planted in this Land.
Thus moſt humbly & heartily beſeeching the Father of lights,Iam. 1.17. from whom proceedeth eueryevery good giuing and eueryevery perfect gift, to giuegive thee a bleſſing by the good labours of this bleſſed man, I commend thee to the grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, to whom bee all glory and praiſe in the Church for euermore, Amen. From my houſe in the Black-Friers, this 22. of May, 1618.