The True Manner of Knowing Christ Crucified, Title page – To the reader
HONI·SOIT·QVI MAL Y·PENSE
A DECLARATION OF THE TRVE MANner of knowing CHRIST CRVCIFIED.
GALAT. 6. 14.
God forbid that I should reioyce but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ, &c.
Printed by IOHN LEGATE, Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge.
1596.
TO THE READER.
IT is the common sinne of men at this day, and that in the very places of learning, that Christ crucified is not known as he ought. The right knowledge of whome, is not to make often mention of his death and passion, and to call him our Saviour, or to handle the whole mysterie of God incarnate soundly and learnedly, though that be a worthy gift of god: but first of all, by the consideration of the passion to be touched vvith an inward and a lively feeling of our sinnes, for which our Redeemer suffered the pangs of hell, and to grovv to a through dislike of our selves and our lives past for them and from the ground of the heart to purpose a reformation and a conformitie vvith Christ in all good duties that concerne man: secondly in the Passion, as in a myrrour, to behold and in beholding to labour to comprehend the length, the breadth, the height, the depth of the love of the father that gave his ovvne deare sonne to death, and the goodnesse of the sonne that loved his enemies more then himselfe, that our heartes might be rooted and grounded in the same love, and be further inflamed to love God againe.
To further this true manner of knovving Christ crucified, I have penned these feew lines, read them at thy leysure, and have care to put them in practise: othervvise, thou art but an enemie of the crosse of Christ, though thou professe his name never so much.
Ian. 5. 1596. William Perkins.