THE IMITATION OF CHRIST Divided into four Books Written in Latin by THOMAS à KEMPIS And the Translations of it Corrected amended by W. P. OXFORD Printed by Leonard Lichfield Printer to the famous Vniversity for Edw. Forrest 1639. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND Father in God WALTER LORD BISHOP OF WINCHESTER Prelate of the Noble order of the GARTER my singular good Lord and Patron Right reverend Father in God and my very singular good Lord. SETting aside more serious studies and being desirous to recreate my selfe with some books of meditation it was my good hap to meet with this litle tract Of the Imitation of Christ And having lookt over some of it I began to admire both the plainnesse and the pythinesse of it being so well fitted to the capacity of the ignorant and yet not unworthy the perusall of the learned insomuch that I finde it to be true by mine own experience that the high cōmendations so many have given of it is not without just cause For I must confesse to the glory of God and mine own comfort that I have profited more in the course of Christianity by the perusall of this one small book of devotion then by turning over many volumes of controversies For I found in it great motives to selfe-deniall humility obedience and devotion to humility in our selves to obedience towards superiors to devotion towards God I then began to enquire whether it were translated or no and I finde it is translated into all languages and into english severall times yet could none of these altogether please me for I perceaved some of them to stick too close to the letter others fly too farre off I have therefore taken a litle paines to fit it to our own language and yet not leave the author too much And because the Author thereof was too much addicted to one side I made bold to leave out that which might offend any Christian palate and have endeavoured that it should look with an equall and unpartiall eye upon all good Christians And it were to be wished that we had more bookes in this kind and that we did especially apply our selves to such kinde of books for men now adaies are immoderatly wedded to their own opinions they labour to dispute well not to live well and delight more in books of controversy to strengthen them on that side they are then in books of devotion to teach them what each good Christian should be So that the admonition of the Apostle was never more seasonable then now Let your moderatiō be known unto all men Phil. 4. 5. That therefore others may be the better encouraged to peruse this so plaine and profitable a booke I have presumed to shelter it under your Lordships gracious protection And to whom could I more fitly dedicate so pious a worke then to your Lordship in whom humility piety and devotion joyned with a singular temper and moderation are so well met together The assured confidence of all these doth give great assurance that you will favourably accept of the weak endeavours of Your Lordships humbly devoted Chaplaine WILLIAM PAGE To the Christian READER ANd to whom should I more fitly cōmend this pious worke of the Imitation of Christ then to thee good Christian Reader whosoever thou art and wheresoever thou dwellest I say wheresoever thou dwellest for nowadaies it is an hard matter to find a good Christian the Prophet bid them run to fro through the streets of Ierusalem and seeke in the broad places thereof if they could finde a man Ier. 5. 1. They were not so much troubled to find out a man as we shall be to find out a Christian. We so busie our selves about Controversies that we forget to be good Christians There was a time indeed when the name was first given at Antioch Act. 11. 26. that it was then well set by but this lasted not long for presently after they fell a sideing amongst themselves and one cryed I am of Paul another I am of Apollos and another I am of Cephas and another I am of Christ and much adoe had S. Paul 1. Cor. 1. 12. to appease these factions for presently after they fell to them againe and have so continued yea and encreased in them even unto this day But Christ is not divided saith the same Apostle neither is this to imitate Christ the God of love and peace who loved us when we were his enemies and the Apostle makes a good inference of imitation upon it 1. Iohn 4. 11. Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another Nay as though there were nothing else required of a good Christian and a follower of Christ our saviour saith Ioh. 13. 15. by this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love one to another Seeing then this is the proper and peculiar badge and cognisance of a disciple of Christ to love his fellow disciples what preface would be fitter here then an introduction to all Christians to be in peace and charity one with another But alas how unwelcome a taske is it to entreat of peace and charity For he that goes about to part a fray in all likelyhood will have blowes on both sides especially where the opposites combatants are fierce and violent he that is eager on any one side shall be sure to finde some fast friends but he that bewaileth the miserable distraction of the whole and doth but set a foote forward to make up the breach will finde few to take his part but shall be sure to have many about his eares And therefore we may observe that presently after our Saviour had said Blessed are the peace-makers Mat. 5. 9. 10. he immediatly addeth Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousnesse sake knowing well enough that if a man will undertake to be a peacemaker he must presently prepare to suffer persecution and I know none greater then that of peace-makers in religion for they suffer on all sides either by sharpe and bitter words or by scoffing jeering speeches For although the hot-spurres of these times be at deadly fewde and bitter enmity one with another yet will they like Herod and Pilate joyne together and muster up their forces against those who labour any kind of pacification and desire to be quiet in the land Wee is me saith David Ps. 120. 4. 5 6. that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have mine habitation amongst the tents Kedar my soule hath long dwelt among them that be enemies unto peace I labour for peace but whn I speak unto them thereof they make them ready to Battell Never could the pious and peaceable Christian more truly cry out then now My mothers Children were angry with me Cant. 1. 5. A strange speech to call them Mothers children had it not been a more easy familiar way to say my Brethren or my Sisters were angry with me for so they must be if they were
in the same Kingdome in the same City nay in the same family there are severall Religions or at the least severall opinions about Religion raigning So that what Saint Austine complained of in his time is truly verified in these Epist. 147. Thou seest saith he with how great and miserable distraction Christian houses and families are divided troubled husbands and wives can agree well enough to goe to bed together but they cannot agree to goe to Christs Altar together There they sweare peace one to another but here they can have no peace Parents and children live well enough together in one house of their own but one house of Gods will not hold them both Their desire is that those should succeed them in their own inheritance who yet think they have no inheritance with Christ. Masters servants divide the cōmon Lord and Master of us all who yet took upon him the forme of a servant that so he might free all I say never more fully verified then in these daies For in how many families shall we observe this great division the husband goes to Church and the wife staies at home or the wife goes to Church and the husband staies at home and so between parents and children Masters and servants The father will give his sonne the portion of his land who yet thinks he shall have no portion in the land of the living The great division of the Christian world was first between the East and West Churches and this West hath been since subdivided into the Romā and the reformed Religion So that the division amongst Christians which is considerable is but into three parts the Eastern the Romanist our Reformed All Christian Churches and so farre forth the members of them brethren and sisters and not only Christian Churches but also Catholike Orthodoxe in these points wherein they agree one with another with the Primitive Church Why may it not be with these Churches as it was with those seven Churches of Asia which S. Iohn wrote unto in which there were some things commendable other things amisse they were encouraged in the former and reproved for the latter And although some of them were better then others yet you shall scarce finde one of them to which he doth not say habeo adversus to pauca I have a few things against thee And yet we shall finde that Christ himself was in the midst of all these seaven Churches for he was in the midst of the seaven golden candlesticks Revel 1. 13. and had in his right hand seaven starres Revel 1. 16. For writing to the Church of Ephesus he maketh this one of his attributes Apoc. 21. These things saith he who holdeth the seaven starres in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seaven golden Candlesticks So that our Saviour walked in the midst of all these Churches even in that lukewarme Church of Laodicea which he threatned to spue out of his mouth And let Rome tell us never so much of her infallibility and unerring chaire yet questionlesse there is none of our Churches no not the best of them that our Saviour may not say to her habeo adversus to pauca I have a few things against thee And as those severall Churches though some of them very faulty yet were all severall members of Christ and helped to make up one body so all those Churches though some of them much to blame yet may all help to make up one Chatholique Church and why may it not be so in these Churches I speak of For first they all agree in that one and only foundation of Religion Iesus Christ as the Apostle calleth him No other foundation can any other man lay then that which is laid to wit Iesus Christ and this no doubt is a sure and good foundation and this maketh them to be Christian Churches they are all baptized into Christ and looke to be saved by his sufferings And think not this to be a small matter for S. Paul desired to know nothing else I esteemed not saith he to know any thing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucified and it worked upon his affection as much as upon his understanding God forbid that I should rejoyce saith he save in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6. 14. that is in Christ crucified Besides this one foundation they all embrace the two Testaments the three Creeds and the foure first generall Councells and many other very materiall points The discord amongst us Christians hath been long agoe objected to us and certainely there hath nothing so much drawn some out of the Church and kept others from comming to the Church as these quarrels amongst our selves Vnto whom I briefly answere If they like not our differences let them joyne with us in those things wherein we agree and that is to be Christians to beleeve in Christ and him crucified and those other principall points whereof I speak and to strive to imitate Christ to their power and then our discords will lesse trouble them It is true we have not all built alike upon this foundation but some no question have built wood and straw as well as silver and gold yet all of us no doubt did strive to imitate Christ as neare as we could both in our doctrine and in our practice and certainly in these superstructures of religion good intentions must goe farre or else it will goe hard with many of us not that they altogether excuse the fault but doubtlesse they take off much from the punishment There is a difference between the East and west Churches in what kinde of bread the Eucharist is to be receaved th◠East receiving in unleavene◠bread the west in leavened And herein though they differ among themselves yet the◠both strive to imitate Christ because the one Church thought our Saviour used then the bread that was leavened the other that which was unleavened Either Church is the lesse blameable because they think both that they follow our Saviours example S. Austin in like manner doth prettily reconcile a difference between some concerning the time how often we should receave the holy Sacrament of the Lords supper for some it seemes in his time thought we were bound to receave the Eucharist every day others but now and then Some saith he Epist. 118. communicate daily others but upon certain daies some will omit no day others will only receive on the Sabbath and the Lords day There is a freedome to be used in both these Some will say we must not daily receive the Sacrament because we ought to select and set apart some daies wherein we must live more carefully and religiously and so come to the Sacrament more worthily and with greater devotion On the other side another tells us yea but if the plague-sore of sinne and violence of the disease be so great and dangerous such soveraigne medicines as these are not to be deferred Of both these saith he
her Mothers Children why then doth she make such an involved speech of it My mothers children were angry with me True indeed though they cannot choose but be her brethren as being her Mothers children yet she doth not she dares not call them brethren for they will not acknowledge it they hate the name of brethren and make themselves professed enemies and therefore she is forced to leave out this loving and affectionate compellation of brethren and say in a kinde of strange phrase My mothers children were angry with me Yet should no man be discouraged from performing so worthy a duty for though there be a perâ—ecution that attends upoÌ„ peace-makers here yet is there a blessing promised them hereafter And seeing our blessed Lord and Master Christ Iesus when he was about to leave his Apostles and Disciples he left unto them this golden legacy Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you O how well would it become us his Priests to be men of peace to write for the peace of Ierusalem to pray for the peace of Ierusalem for they shall prosper that love it Psal. 122. 6. I will begin this exhortation unto peace and Charity from that common name which we all beare in that we are called Christians and doe all pretend to imitate Christ in our doctrine and practice There was a time indeed when this name was much taken notice of and great danger for any man to owne it when they had no other argument then nor any other cause of their cruell persecutions but to heare a man confesse Christianus sum I am a Christian But when these stormes were blown over and the Church began to be in peace this name of Christian was not so much regarded And yet methinks the very name of Christian is not altogether to be contemned for unlesse I am deceived whosoever hath but this appellation may challenge a brotherhood with me for in Scripture I find a brother and a Christian to be the very same so that whosoever is a Christian will necessarily be my brother 1. Cor. 7. 12. 13. If any brother hath a wife saith the Apostle that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away and if the woman hath an husband which believeth not if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him But if the unbelieving depart let him depart a brother or a sister is not in bondage in such cases Where the Apostle plainly sheweth that a brother and a sister are such as are Christians and opposite only to Infidels and unbelievers Neither ought we to take that exhortation of Saint Paul 1. Pet. 2. 17. when he saith love the brotherhood in any narrower sense but that we should love every one that is a Christian not only because he agreeth with me in some opinions concerning religion but I ought to love him in that respect he is a Christian and professeth Christ crucified Neither ought we to love him thus with an ordinary kinde of love in wishing him well and doing him good for so we ought to love and doe good to all but there is a more strict tie of love that lies upon us Christians one to another and therefore although the Apostle wisheth us to doe good to all men yet especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. that is to such as be Christians Were this precept of the Apostle practised as it ought to be there would not be so much uncharitablenesse nor peradventure so much dissention amongst Christians Why can wee not consider one another as united in this blessed name of ChristiaÌ„ and set aside for a time those names of faction and divisionâ— why should wee not rejoyce awhile in those things wherein we agree and not alwaies be wrangling about those things wherein wee differ Of what moment those opinions are wherein we disagree I am not able to determine this I dare be bold to say that the points wherein we are friends are of farre greater consequence then those are wherein wee fall out And yet we so eagerly contend one with another and damne each other to the pit of hell as though our differences were very important our agreement not worth the talking of For my part I should be loath to exclude any visible Christian Church from all hopes of salvation and if I must needs offend I had rather give account to a mercifull God for too much mildnesse and Charity then too much fiercenesse and severity yet I hope to make it appeare that my opinion of Charity shall not exceed the bounds of verity A chiefe cause of the continuance of these dissentions is that men minde not so much the common cause of Christianity as their own particular engagements nor stndy how they may agree one with another as how to uphold the side they are on whereas would they set aside prejudice and partiality and cast an equall eye upon all the Churches they would not spye so many faults abroad and so few at home but would freely confesse there might bee greater concord amongst Christians then now there is No other unity doe I labour for at this time but that of charity that Christians would not for some differences in opinion pronounce such an heavy sentence upon one another as is that of Damnation If God should deale with us as we deale with one another if he should censure us all as we censure one another I know not who should be saved The Papist damning the Protestant and some among us the Papists and both of them any other that shall differ from them both But my hope is and my hearty prayer to God shall be that he would be more mercifull to all these then they are one to another When I consider with my selfe the manifold distractioÌ„s of Christians about Religion and the great fiercenes and violence used on all sides every one thinking his own opinion truest and consequently damning all others that differ from him I could not but call to minde that prophecy of our blessed Saviour Mat. 24. 12. concerning these latter and worser times Because iniquity shall abound saith he the love of many shall waxe cold for although charity of it selfe be of a hot and diffusive nature yet now clean contrary to the nature of it it is in most men grown cold it being the nature of cold to contract and combine to congeale and draw into a narrow roome thus is it now with our charity For whereas like the heat in our naturall bodies it should diffuse it selfe into all the members thereof unto the whole Christian Church yet I know not how it hath taken cold for men contract their love now into a very small compasse and narrow roome that is to no more then to such who jumpe with them in the same opinion about Religion leaving others who differ from them to nothing but death and damnation For not only in severall countries but
let every man take his choice and doe that which he thinks in his conscience he may best and most piously performe for neither of these dishonour the body and blood of our Saviour but rather both of them doe strive to honour this saving Sacrament For Zacheus rejoyced greatly to entertaine our Saviour in his house The Centurion said Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roofe both of these did worship and honour our Saviour though after a diverse and as it were a contrary manner both of them being miserable by reason of sinne both of them obtaining mercy for their sinnes Thus one man to honour Christ dares not receive every day another also to honour Christ dares not omit any day And although these be but petty differences yet why may I not apply it to controversies of greater moment especially seeing that ancient Father S. Salvian lib. 5. de Providentia hath found a good intention in the Arians the most pernitious and most dangerous hereticks accounted that ever have been in the Church They whom we account hereticks saith he account not themselves hereticks for they so much esteeme themselves good Catholikes that they defame us with the note and appellation of heresy That therefore which they be to us the very same are we to them We are certaine that they injure the divine generation in that they say the Sonne is lesse and inferior to the Father They think us likewise injurious to the Father because we make the Sonne equall unto him The true honour of God is amongst us but they think that to be the honour of the Deity to believe as they believe They are undutifull but they think it the greatest duty of their Religion They are impious but they think this to be true piety They erre therefore but they erre with a very good minde and intention not with a hatred but with a good affection towards God verily believing that they honour and love God Although they have not the right Faith yet they notwithstanding think this to be perfect love towards God In what manner they shall bee punished in the day of Iudgement for this very error of false opinion no man can tell but the judge himselfe A good lesson for the hotâ—purres of these times with whom it is a very easy matter to pronounce damnation upon the very least disagreement in Religion whereas this good Father would not determine any thing concerning these great hereticks the Arians but leaves them to the mercy of the judge not being able to discerne what they did deserve You see that this holy Father findes out a good intention even in these hereticks And if there was a good intention amongst those that were so grossely erroneous why may there not be good intentions found out amongst us also who are not at such great oddes and acknowledged on all sides to have no such dangerous opinions amongst us I speak not this any whit to countenance that opinion of the Arians which is creeping into the Church againe but leave them to stand or fall to their own master and shall in the mean time be perswaded that they goe not against their consciences and so farre forth hit will goe better with them yet with this holy Father not free them from punishment but must referre the manner and measure thereof to the time of judgement Those of the Church of Rome are so impatient of this doctrine that they care not for being saved unlesse they may be saved alone And their writers generally agree upon nothing so much as that out of their Communion there is no Salvation One of their late writers Barckly Paren l. 1. cap. 1 can professe thus We saith he proclaime with the whole Church and we command with Moses that Heaven and Earth would heare us that there is no communion between God and Belia that these Protestants doe so far differ from us in matters of faith that they altogether in vaine expect those mansions of happinesse which are prepared for us And afterwards he saith Hee that dares believe a stubborne and obstinate Protestant can be saved doth by so believing fall from the Catholike Faith And that this is no private or obscure sentence of the Church but that all Catholicks are of the same mind that none of them are ignorant of it nor any can dissemble it unlesse he be an unexpert Divine or for feare or ambition preferres some mens favour before the truth Another of your company Camp rat 10. averres the same with a very great and solemne protestation I call to witnesse saith hee Gods Throne and that tribunall at which I shall â—sand to give an accompt of these my reasons and of whatsoever I have spoken or done that either there is no heaven at all or that it peculiarly and properly belongs unto us I Campian must yee be saved and none but yee what is not heaven able to hold us as well as you Or will our salvation be any disparagement to yours It seemes it will But to come a litle closer to you Is it nothing with you at one breath to throw so many soules headlong to hell for whom Christ died and which is more who are already incorporate into Christ by Baptisme It cost more to redeeme their soules but you will let that alone for ever Our comfort is that though you passe such sentence upon us here yet you are not to be our Iudges hereafter but must your selves come to give an account as well as we peradveÌ„ture of these speeches Account us not men of so desperate and deplored an estate that wee would wittingly and willingly runne into hell why should not out salvation be as deere unto us as yours is unto you or why should you not think us to have as great a care of our salvation as you have of yours For could wee be perswaded that wee were in heresie and that there is no salvation out of your Church how quickly would we fly unto you How gladly would we be entertained by you what means and moans would we make to be members of your society Who can endure such peremptory pronunciations of Iudgment of God's eternal wrath and condemnation upon us before wee come to our hearing And seeing God's mercy is overall his workes who can endure that you should interdict God's mercy and judge what the sentence of the Iudge shall be before the day of iudgment Lib. 1. advers Pelag. So that if God had a mind to spare such sinners as you say we poore Protestants are yet by your verdict and prescription he could not be suffered to doe it as S. Ierome long agoe complained of Critobulus the Pelagian Were we such tares in the field of the Church as you would make the world believe yet if you would imitate Christ Mat. 13. you should let us grow till the harvest lest you plucke up the good corne with us Neither are you thus fierce alone there are some of
puâ—fed up with pride or rely too much upon worldly comforts 16 O how good a conscience would he keep that would not seek after transitory joy who would not entangle himselfe with the affaires of this world 17 O how great peace and quietnesse should he possesse that can cast away all vain-cares and think only upon heavenly things and would place all his hope and confidence in God! 18 No man is worthy of heavenly comfort unlesse he have diligently exercised himselfe in holy compunction 19 If thou desirest true contrition of heart enter into thy closet and shut out all worldly tumult as it is written examine your owne hearts upon your beâ—s and be still 20 In thy closet thou shalt find what abroad thou shalt often loose the more thou visitt thy closet the more thou wilt lik it the lesse thou comest thereunto the more thou wilt loath it 21 If in the beginning of thy amendment thou art content to remain in it and keepe it well it will afterwards be to thee a deare friend and a most pleasant comfort 22 In silence and in quietnesse a devout soule maketh her selfe perfect and learneth the secrets and mysteries of holy Scripture 23 There shee findeth flouds of teares wherein shee may every night wash and clense her selfe that she may be so much the more familiar with her Creator by how much the farther off she liveth from all worldly disquiet 24 Who so therefore withdrawâ—th himselfe from his acquaintance and friends God and his holy Angels will draw neere â—nto him 25 It is better to live privately and to have regard to himselfe then to neglect himselfe and his owne salvation though he could worke miracles 26 It is very commendable in a religious person seldome to goe abroad to be unwilling either to see or to be seen 27 Why art thoâ— willing and desirous to see that which is unlawfull for thee to have and injoy for the world passeth away and the lusts thereof 28 Our sensuall desires draw us to â—oave abroad but when the pleasure is past what carriest thou home with thee but a grieved conscience and distracted mind 29 A merry going out bringeth commonly a mournfull returne home and a joyfull evening makes many times a sad morning 30 So all carnall joy hath a pleasant entrance but in the end it bites like an Adder and stings like a Cockatrice 31 What canst thou see elsewhere which thou canst not see here behold here are heaven and earth and all the Elements for of these are all things created 32 What canst thou see any where that can long continue under the sun thou thâ—nkest perchance to satiate thy selfe and have thy fill but thou shalt never attaine it 33 Shoâ—ldst thou see all things present before thine eyes it were but a vaine and unprofitable sight lift up thine eyes to God in the highest and pray him to pardon all thy sinnes and infirmities 34 Leave vain things to the vain and doe thou give heed to that which God commandeth shut the doore upon thy selfe and call unto thee Iesus thy Beloved 35 Stay with him in thy closet for thou shalt not find so great peace any where else hadst thou not gone abroad and hearkned to idle rumours thou hadst lived more at hearts-ease 36 And seeing thou delightest sometimes to heare newes it is fit thou suffer for it some unquietnesse and trouble of mind CHAP. XXI Of compunction of Heart IF thou wilt any thing come forward keepe thy selfe alwaies in the feare of God and yeeld not too much scope to liberty 2 Keepe in awe all thy senses under the severe rod of Discipline and give not thy selfe over to foolish mirth 3 Give thy selfe to compunction of heart and thou shalt find much devotion therein compunction bringeth much good which dissolutenesse is wont quickly to destroy 4 A wonder it is that any man can heartily rejoyce in this life if he duly consider his banishment and throughly weight the many perils wherewith his soule is invironed 5 The levity of our minds and the litle care we have of our faults makes us insensible of the sorrowes of our soules 6 But we often vainly laugh when we should justly weepe the service and feare of God is the truest liberty and a good conscience a continuall feast 7 Happy is he that can avoid all cause of distraction and recollect himselfe to the union of holy compunction 8 Happy is he that can cast away from himselfe all that may defile his conscience or any way grieve or burthen it 9 Bestirre thy selfe like a man one custome overcomes another if thou canst forbeare medling in other mens matters they likewise shall not have to doe with thine 10 Busie not thy selfe in matters which appertaine to others neither doe thou meddle at all with the affaires of thy betters 11 Still have an eye to thy selfe first and be sure more especially to instruct thy selfe before all thy loving friends 12 If thou hast not the favour of men be not grieved at it but take this to heart because thou dost not carry thy selfe so warily and circumspectly as it becometh the servant of God and a devout religious man 13 It is better oftentimes and more secure that a man hath not consolations in this life especially such as are consonant to our carnall desires 14 But that we have not all or very seldome tasted divine consolation we may thank our selves because we seeke not after inward compunction as having not altogether forsaken outward vanities 15 Know that thou art unworthy of divine consolation and that thouhast deserved much tribulation 16 When a man hath perfect contrition then is the whole world grievous and loathsome unto him 17 A good man never wanteth matter of mourning for whether he consider his owne or his neighbours estate he knowes that none liveth here without great tribulation 18 And by how much a man looks narrowly into himselfe by so much he sees greater cause of lamentation 29 Our sinnes and wickednesses wherein we lye weltring doe minister unto us so much matter of sorrow and compunction that we can seldome apply our selves to heavenly contemplations 20 Didst thou but as often think with thy selfe how soone thou maist die as how long thou maist live there is no question but thou wouldst more earnestly labour thine amendment 21 If thou but let the paines that hereafter are to be endured sink deeply into thy heart I belieeve thou wouldst willingly undergoe any labour or sorrow in this world and not be afraid of the greatest severity 22 But because we doe not take these things to heart and as yet love those things only that delight us this makes us so dull and key-cold in Religion 23 If our body be amisse we may thank our selves for it it is often our decay and want of spirit which makes our miserable body so easily complain 24 Pray therefore unto the Lord with alll humility that he will vouchsafe to give thee the