Part 1 › Chapter 4 › Part 1: Directions against UNBELIEF., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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:1707p. 199–200

§. 20. Direct. 17. Mark the great difference between the Christian part of the world, (those that receive ¹Christianity seriously and in sincerity) and all the rest: Those that are farthest from Christianity, are² furthest from piety, honesty, civility or any laudable parts or conversations: Most of them are beastly and ungodly: And the rest are but a little better: And ignorance and brutishness cannot be the perfection of a man. Nay among professed Christians, the multitudes that have but the Name, and hate the Nature and Practice of it, are like Swine or Wolves and some of the worst, near kin to Devils: When all that receive Christianity practically into their hearts and lives, are heavenly and holy, and (in the same measure that they receive it) their sins are all mortified, and they are devoted to God, and possessed with Justice, Charity and Patience to men, and are carried up above this world, and contemn that which the rest do make their felicity and delight. So that if that •e Good which doth Good, ⟨p. 200⟩then is the Goodness of the Christian faith, apparent to all, that have any acquaintance, reason and in partiality to judge.

§. 20. Direct. 17. Mark the great difference between the Christian part of the world, (those that receive ¹Christianity seriously and in sincerity) and all the rest: Those that are farthest from Christianity, are² furthest from piety, honesty, civility or any laudable parts or conversations: Most of them are beastly and ungodly: And the rest are but a little better: And ignorance and bruitishness cannot be the perfection of a man. Nay among professed Christians, the multitudes that have but the Name, and hate the Nature and Practice of it, are like Swine or Wolves and some of the worst, near kin to Devils: When all that receive Christianity practically into their hearts and lives, are heavenly and holy, and (in the same measure that they receive it) their sins are all mortified, and they are devoted to God, and possessed with Justice, Charity and Patience to men, and are carried up above this world, and contemn that which the rest do make their felicity and delight. So that if that •e Good which doth Good, ⟨p. 200⟩then is the Goodness of the Christian faith, apparent to all, that have any acquaintance, reason and in partiality to judge.

1Direct. 17.
2Zeaopho• reporteth Cyrus as sa•ing If all my familiars wrre endued with piety to God, they would […] evil to one an• the and to m•. l. 8.Zeaopho• reporteth Cyrus as sa•ing If all my familiars wrre •ndued with piety to God, they would 〈…〉 evil to one an• the and to m•. l. 8.

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§. 24 Direct. 21. Understand the proper use of holy Scripture, and so how far it is Divine; that so you ¹be not tempted to unbelief, by expecting in it that which never was intended, and then finding your causeless expectations frustrate. It is not so Divine as to the terms, and style, and order, and such modal and circumstantial matters, as if all the exactness might be expected in it, that God could put into a Book: Nor is it intended as a system of Physics, or Logic, or any subservient sciences or arts: But it is an Infallible Revelation of the will of God, for the Government of the Church, and the conducting men to life eternal: And it is ordered and worded so as to partake of such humane infirmity, as yet shall no way impeach the Truth or efficacy of it; but rather make it more suitable to the generality of men, whose infirmity required such a style and manner of handling. So that as a child of God hath a Body from Parents, which yet is of God, but s• of God, as to partake of the infirmities of the parents; or rather as Adam had a body from God, but yet from Earth; and accordingly frail; but a soul more immediately from God, which was more pure and divine; so² Scripture hath its style, and language, and method so from God as to have nothing in it unsuitable to its ends; but not so from God as if he himself had showed in it his own most perfect wisdom to the utmost, and as if there were nothing in it of humane imperfection: But the Truth and Goodness which is the soul of Scripture, is more immediately from God. The style and method of the penmen may be various; but the same soul animateth all the parts. It is no dishonour to the Holy Scriptures, if Cicero be preferred for purity of style, and phrase, and oratory, as for other common uses: But certainly it is to be preferred as to its proper use: that being the best style for an Act of Parliament, which is next to the worst in an Oration. The means are for the end.

§. 24 Direct. 21. Understand the proper use of holy Scripture, and so how far it is Divine; that so you ¹be not tempted to unbelief, by expecting in it that which never was intended, and then finding your causeless expectations frustrate. It is not so Divine as to the terms, and style, and order, and such modal and circumstantial matters, as if all the exactness might be expected in it, that God could put into a Book: Nor is it intended as a system of Physicks, or Logick, or any subservient sciences or arts: But it is an Infallible Revelation of the will of God, for the Government of the Church, and the conducting men to life eternal: And it is ordered and worded so as to partake of such humane infirmity, as yet shall no way impeach the Truth or efficacy of it; but rather make it more suitable to the generality of men, whose infirmity required such a style and manner of handling. So that as a child of God hath a Body from Parents, which yet is of God, but s• of God, as to partake of the infirmities of the parents; or rather as Adam had a body from God, but yet from Earth; and accordingly frail; but a soul more immediately from God, which was more pure and divine; so² Scripture hath its style, and language, and method so from God as to have nothing in it unsuitable to its ends; but not so from God as if he himself had shewed in it his own most perfect wisdom to the utmost, and as if there were nothing in it of humane imperfection: But the Truth and Goodness which is the soul of Scripture, is more immediately from God. The style and method of the penmen may be various; but the same soul animateth all the parts. It is no dishonour to the Holy Scriptures, if Cicero be preferred for purity of style, and phrase, and oratory, as for other common uses: But certainly it is to be preferred as to its proper use: that being the best style for an Act of Parliament, which is next to the worst in an Oration. The means are for the end.

1Direct. 21.
2☞

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§. 28. Direct. 25. The universal wonderful implacable enmity of corrupted man to the holy doctrine ¹and ways and servants of Christ, and the open war which in every Kingdom, and the secret war which in every heart, is kept up between Christ and Satan through the world; with the tendency of every temptation, their violence, constancy, in all ages, to all persons, all making against Christ and Heaven and Holiness, do notoriously declare that the Christian doctrine and life do tend to our salvation, which the Devil so maliciously and uncessantly opposeth. And thus his Temptations give great advantage to the tempted soul against the Tempter. For it is not for nothing that the enemy of our souls makes so much opposition. And that there is such a Devil that thus opposeth Christ and tempteth us, not only sensible Apparitions and Witch-crafts prove, but the too sensible temptations, which by their Matter and Manner, plainly tell us whence they come. Especially when all the world, is formed as into two hostile Armies, the one fighting under Christ, and the other under the Devil; and so have continued since ••in and Abel to this day.

§. 28. Direct. 25. The universal wonderful implacable enmity of corrupted man to the holy doctrine ¹and waies and servants of Christ, and the open war which in every Kingdom, and the secret war which in every heart, is kept up between Christ and Satan through the world; with the tendency of every temptation, their violence, constancie, in all ages, to all persons, all making against Christ and Heaven and Holiness, do notoriously declare that the Christian doctrine and life do tend to our salvation, which the Devil so maliciously and uncessantly opposeth. And thus his Temptations give great advantage to the tempted soul against the Tempter. For it is not for nothing that the enemy of our souls makes so much opposition. And that there is such a Devil that thus opposeth Christ and tempteth us, not only sensible Apparitions and Witch-crafts prove, but the too sensible temptations, which by their Matter and Manner, plainly tell us whence they come. Especially when all the world, is formed as into two hostile Armies, the one fighting under Christ, and the other under the Devil; and so have continued since ••in and Abel to this day.

1Direct. 25.