A Christian Directory

Name: A Christian Directory
Author: Richard Baxter

A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673

[35], 929, [5], 214 p., [1] leaf of plates : port. · 1.2M words · Wing B1219 · ESTC R21847

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Part 1 › Chapter 2 › Direction 3: Direct. 3. Labour to understand the true Method of Divinity, and see Truths in their see…Part 1 › Chapter 2 › Direction 3: Direct. 3. LAbour to understand the true Method of Divinity, and see Truths in their se…

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:442–457 of 9,947

:442p. 39

Divinity is a curious well composed frame. As it is not enough that you have all the parts of your Watch or Clock; but you must see that every part be in its proper place, or else it will not go, or answer its end: so it is not enough that you know the several parts of Divinity or duty, unless you know them in their true order and place. You may be confounded before you are aware, and led into many dangerous errors, by mistaking the Order of several Truths: And you may be misguided into heinous sins, by mistaking the Degrees and Order of Duties? As when duties of Piety and Charity seem to be competitors: And when you think that the commands of men contradict the commands of God; and when the substance and the circumstances or modes of duty are in question before you as inconsistent: or when the means seemeth to cease to be a means, by crossing of the end: and in abundance of such cases, you cannot easily conceive what a snare it may prove to you, to be ignorant of the Methods and Ranks of duty.

:443p. 39

§. 2. Object. If that he so, what man can choose but be confounded in his Religion, when there be so few that observe any Method at all, and few that agree in Method, and none that hath published a Scheme or Method so exact and clear, as to be commonly approved by Divines themselves. What then can ignorant Christians do?

:444p. 39–40

Answ. Divinity is like a Tree that hath one Trunk, and thence a few greater arms or boughs, and¹ thence a thousand smaller branches: Or like the veins, or nerves, or arteries in the body, that have first one or few trunks divided into more, and those into a few more, and those into more, till they multiply at last into more than can easily be seen or numbered. Now it is easy for any man to begin at the chief trunk, and to discern the first divisions, and the next, though not to comprehend the number and order of all the extreme and smaller branches. So is it in Divinity: It is not very hard to begin at the Unity of the Eternal God-head, and see there a Trinity of Persons, and of Primary attributes, and of Relations; and to arise to the principal attributes and works of God as in these Relations, and to the Relations of man to God, and to the great Duties of these Relations; to discern Gods Covenants and chiefest Laws, and the duty of man in obedience thereto, and the Judgement of God in the execution of his sanctions: though yet many particular truths be not understood. And he that beginneth and proceedeth as he ought, doth know methodically so much as he knoweth:

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

A Christian Directory

Direct. 4. Begin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them¹ have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 4. BEgin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them¹ have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 5. BE very thankful for the great mercy of your Conversion: but yet overvalue not your¹ first degrees of knowledge or holiness: but remember that you are yet but in your infancy, and must expect your growth and ripeness as the consequent of Time and Diligence.

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

Direct. 4. Begin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them1 have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 4. BEgin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them1 have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 5. BE very thankful for the great mercy of your Conversion: but yet overvalue not your1 first degrees of knowledge or holiness: but remember that you are yet but in your infancy, and must expect your growth and ripeness as the consequent of Time and Diligence.

Transcription key

Direct. 4. Begin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them¹ have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 4. BEgin not too early with Controversies in Religion: and when you come to them, let them¹ have but their due proportion of your time and zeal: But live daily upon these certain, great substantials, which all Christians are agreed in.

Direct. 5. BE very thankful for the great mercy of your Conversion: but yet overvalue not your¹ first degrees of knowledge or holiness: but remember that you are yet but in your infancy, and must expect your growth and ripeness as the consequent of Time and Diligence.