A26892:473
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.
6. It will make you over confident of all your own opinions, and stiff in all your own conceits: ⟨p. 43⟩Too like him, Prov. 14. 16. The fool rageth and is confident. How many and many a time have I heard a man that understood not what he talked off, and could scarce speak sense, to plead for his opinion so confidently, as to scorn and pity the wisest contradictor, when his ignorance and phrenetick confidence and rage, did make him a real object of pity, to men of ordinary understandings. There is a kind of madness in this disease, that will not leave you wit enough to know that you are mad.
6. It will make you over confident of all your own opinions, and stiff in all your own conceits: ⟨p. 43⟩Too like him, Prov. 14. 16. The fool rageth and is confident. How many and many a time have I heard a man that understood not what he talkt off, and could scarce speak sense, to plead for his opinion so confidently, as to scorn and pitty the wisest contradictor, when his ignorance and phrenetick confidence and rage, did make him a real object of pitty, to men of ordinary understandings. There is a kind of madness in this disease, that will not leave you wit enough to know that you are mad.
6. It will make you also very censorious of others: This ignorant Pride will make you think other mens knowledge to be ignorance, if thou be not just of your fond opinions; and other mens graces to be none, if they be not of your mind and way. None are so ready as such to censure those that are better than themselves, or that they have no acquaintance with, as being but Civil moral men, or being erroneous or deluded: It's a very loathsome thing to hear, an ignorant self-conceited fellow to talk of those that are an hundred times wiser and much better than himself, as Magisterially with a proud compassion or contempt, as if he were indeed the wise man, that knoweth not what he saith.