A26892:47
A Christian Directory
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.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith. I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity; and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord, till it be so done, as to the test of mens Faith and Communion. But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible, may follow that Sectary, who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions, at last burnt the Bible, when he grew Learned enough to understand, that the translation of that was Humane too.
2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops, and all the Furniture of their Houses, or the number of their Sheep, or Cattle, or Lands, nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect, &c. to be a trouble and toil, why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty? If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome, why do you keep them? and do not come to the Vulgar Religion, that would hear no more but [Think well, speak well, and do well], or [Love God and your neighbour, and do as you would be done by]. He that doth this truly, shall be saved: But there goeth more to the building of a house, than to say, Lay the foundation, and raise the superstructure: Universals exist not but in individuals; and the whole consisteth of all the parts.
3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions. Therefore I wrote them, because men cannot remember them, that they may upon every necessary occasion, go to that which they have present use for, and cannot otherwise remember.