The Plain Mans Pathway to Heaven, Title page – To the reader
THE PLAINE MANS Path-way to Heauen: Wherein eueryevery man may cleerely ſee, whether he ſhall be ſaued or damned.
Set forth Dialogue-wiſe, for the better vnderunder ſtanding of the ſimple: By ARTHVR DENT, Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Eſſex.
The ninth Impreſſion.
Corrected and amended: with a Table of all the principall matters; and three Prayers neceſſarie to be vſed in priuate families hereunto added.
ZEPH. 3. 5. EueryEvery morning the Lord bringeth his iudgement to light, he faileth not: but the wicked will not learne to be aſhamed.
LONDON Printed for EDVV. BISHOP, and are to be ſolde in Pauls Church-yard, at the ſigne of the Braſen Serpent. 1607.
THE CONTENTS of this Dialogue.
FIrſt, it ſheweth mans miſery in nature, with the meanes of recouery.
Secondly, it ſharply inueigheth againſt the iniquity of the time, and common corruption of the world.
Thirdly, it ſheweth the markes of the children of God, and of the Reprobates, with the apparant ſignes of ſaluation and damnation.
Fourthly, it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life: and how few ſhall enter.
Fiftly, it laieth open the ignorance of the world, with the obiections of the ſame.
Laſt of all, it publiſheth and proclaimeth the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpel, with the abundant mercies of God, to all that repent, beleeue and truly turne vntounto him.
To the right Worſhipfull Sir IVLIVS CAESAR Knight, one of the Maſters of the Requeſts to the Kings Maieſtie, Iudge of the high Court of Admiraltie, and Maſter of S. Catherines: A. D. wiſheth all good things in Chriſt Ieſus.
HAuing finiſhed (Right worſhipfull) and made ready for the Preſſe this little Dialogue: I bethought me (ſith the common maner of all, that write any bookes in this age, is to dedicát the ſame to one or to other of great place) to whom I might dedicate theſe my poore labours. At laſt I did reſolue with my ſelfe, none to be more fit then your worſhip: both in regard of ſome affinity in the fleſh, as alſo becauſe of thoſe manifold good parts, wherewith the Almighty hath endued you. Hauing therefore none other thing to preſent your worſhip withall (in token of a thankfull heart for your curteſies ſhewed towards me) behold, I doe heere ſend vntounto you this third fruite of my labours now publiſhed. Moſt humbly beſeeching you to take it in good worth: not weighing the value of the thing, which is of no value, but the ſimple and good minde and meaning of the giuer. This worke doth ſharply reproue and euict the world of ſinne, and therefore is like to find many deadly enemies, which with cruell hatred will moſt eagerly purſue it vntounto death. Zoilus alſo and his fellowes, I know, will bitterly carpe at it. Therefore it flieth vntounto your Worſhip for protection, and humbly deſireth to take Sanctuary vnderunder your wings. Wherefore I humbly intreat you to take vponupon you the patronage and defence of it: that by your meanes it may be deliuered both from the calumnious obloquies of euill diſpoſed perſons, and alſo from the worlds malignity; ſo as it may take no iniury. And concerning this little volume, the ſumme of the matter of it, you ſhall finde in the Epiſtle to the Reader. As concerning the manner, heere is no great matter in learning, wit, arte, eloquence, or ingenious inuention: (for I hauehave heerein ſpecially reſpected the ignorant and vulgar ſort, whoſe edification I doe chiefely aime at) yet ſomewhat there is, which may concern the learned, & giuegive them ſome contentment. Whatſoeuer it be, I leaue it with your Worſhip, beſeeching you to giuegive it entertainement. And ſo I doe moſt humbly take my leaue: commending both your ſelfe, your good wife, and your whole family to the mercifull protection of the euerliuing God. From South-Shoobery in Eſſex. April. 10. Anno Dom. 1601.
Your Worſhips to command in the Lord, ARTHVR DENT.
THE EPISTLE TO the Reader.
GEntle Reader, ſeeing my little Sermon of Repentance, ſome few yeeres ſince publiſhed, hath beene ſo well accepted of: I hauehave, for thy further good publiſhed this Dialogue, being the third fruit of my labour: wiſhing to it the like ſucceſſe, that God thereby may hauehave the glory, and thou who art the Reader comfort. I hauehave, in one part of this Dialogue, produced ſome of the ancient writers, and ſome of the wiſe Heathen alſo, to teſtifie vponupon their oath in their owne language, and to beare witneſſe of the vglineſſe of ſome vices, which we in this age make light of: which I wiſh may not be offenſiue to any. In other parts of this worke, I do in a manner relinquiſh them. But in this caſe I hauehave in my weake iudgement, thought them to be of ſome good vſe, to ſhew forth thus much: that if we doe not in time repent, forſake our ſinnes, & ſeeke after God, both the auncient Chriſtian fathers (whoſe eies ſaw not that we ſee, nor their eares heard that we heare) yea the very Heathen alſo ſhall riſe vp in iudgement againſt vsus. Let none therefore ſtumble at it. But if any doe, let them remember I am in a Dialogue, not in a Sermon. I write to all of all ſorts: I ſpeake not to ſome few of one ſort. But that which is done herein, is not much more then that of the Apoſtle (As ſome of your own Poets hauehave ſaid, Act. 17.) which is warrantable. One thing, deare Chriſtian, I pray thee let me beg of thee; to wit, that thou wouldeſt not reade two or three leaues of this Booke, and ſo caſt it from thee: but that thou wouldeſt reade it throughout euen to the end. For I do aſſure thee, if there be any thing in it worth the reading, it is beſtowed in the latter part thereof, and moſt of all towards the concluſion. Be not diſcouraged therefore at the harſhneſſe of the beginning: but looke for ſmoother matter in the middeſt, and moſt ſmooth in the percloſe and wind-vp of all. For this Dialogue hath in it, not the nature of a Tragedy, which is begunne with ioy, and ended with ſorrow: but of a Comedie, which is begun with ſorrow, and ended with ioy. This booke medleth not at all with any controuerfies in the Church, or any thing in the ſtate Eccleſiaſticall, but onelyonly entreth into a controuerſie with Sathan and ſinne. It is contriued into ſix principall heads. Firſt, it ſheweth mans miſery in nature, with the meanes of recouery. Secondly, it ſharpely inueigheth againſt the iniquity of the time, and common corruptions of the world. Thirdly, it ſheweth the markes of the children of God, and of the Reprobates; together with the apparant ſignes of ſaluation and damnation. Fourthly, it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life: and how few ſhall enter. Fiftly, it laieth open the ignorance of the world, with the obiections of the ſame. Laſt of all, it publiſheth and proclaimeth the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpell, with the abundant mercy of God, to all that repent, beleeue, and truely turne vntounto him. The Authour of all bleſſing giuegive a bleſſing vntounto it. The God of peace, which brought againe from the dead our Lord Ieſus, the great ſheepeheard of the ſheepe, through the blood of the euerlaſting couenant, make vsus perfect in all good workes, ſanctifie vsus throughout, amend all our imperfections, and keepe vsus blameleſſe vntill the day of his moſt glorious appearing, Amen.
Thine in the Lord, A. D.