Part 1 › Chapter 2 › Direction 15: Direct. 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your so…, A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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§. 2. Ambitious, proud, covetous, licentious, ungodly men, are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice. In a Nation where true Religion is in credit, and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote, some graceless men may join with better, in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine, and holiness of life: And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein; especially in expounding and disputing for the truth: But even there, more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable: They will speak most feelingly, who feel what they speak: And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love, who believe and love God and holiness themselves. They that have life will speak more lively than the dead. And in most places of the world, the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness: Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach: And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates, and make them of their mind: And if they can but get the Sword to favour them, they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere. As it is notorious among the Papists, that the baits of Power, and Honour, and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy, that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion; and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason, and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church, and to the holy Scriptures, they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship, and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them, to sin and to perdition. Take heed of proud and worldly Guides.

§. 2. Ambitious, proud, covetous, licentious, ungodly men, are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice. In a Nation where true Religion is in credit, and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote, some graceless men may joyn with better, in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine, and holiness of life: And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein; especially in expounding and disputing for the truth: But even there, more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable: They will speak most feelingly, who feel what they speak: And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love, who believe and love God and holiness themselves. They that have life will speak more lively than the dead. And in most places of the world, the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness: Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach: And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates, and make them of their mind: And if they can but get the Sword to favour them, they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere. As it is notorious among the Papists, that the baits of Power, and Honour, and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy, that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion; and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason, and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church, and to the holy Scriptures, they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship, and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them, to sin and to perdition. Take heed of proud and worldly Guides.

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§. 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal, that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher: But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in: 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching, to raise your souls to the Love of God, and to ⟨p. 59⟩a holy heavenly life, and are zealous against confessed sins. 3. Such as contradict not the Essential Truths by errors of their own; nor the doctrine of Godliness by wicked malicious applications. 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious tyrannical designs of their own, but deny themselves, and aim at your salvation. 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any singular opinion of their own: it being the prediction of Paul to the Ephesians, Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 6. Such as are judicious with holy zeal, and zealous with judgement. 7. Such as are of experience in the things of God, and not young beginners or Novices in Religion. 8. Such as bear reverence to the judgements of the generality of wise and godly men, and are tender of the Unity of the Church, and not such as would draw you into a Sect or party, to the contempt of other Christians; no not to a party that hath the favour of Rulers and the people to promote them. 9. Such as are gentle, peaceable, and charitable, and not such as burn with hellish malice against their Brethren, nor with an ungodly, or cruel, consuming zeal. 10. Such as not live not sensually and wickedly, contrary to the doctrine which they preach, but show by their lives, that they believe what they say, and feel the power of the truths which they preach.

§. 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal, that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher: But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in: 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching, to raise your souls to the Love of God, and to ⟨p. 59⟩a holy heavenly life, and are zealous against confessed sins. 3. Such as contradict not the Essential Truths by errors of their own; nor the doctrine of Godliness by wicked malicious applications. 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious tyrannical designs of their own, but deny themselves, and aim at your salvation. 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any singular opinion of their own: it being the prediction of Paul to the Ephesians, Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 6. Such as are judicious with holy zeal, and zealous with judgement. 7. Such as are of experience in the things of God, and not young beginners or Novices in Religion. 8. Such as bear reverence to the judgements of the generality of wise and godly men, and are tender of the Unity of the Church, and not such as would draw you into a Sect or party, to the contempt of other Christians; no not to a party that hath the favour of Rulers and the people to promote them. 9. Such as are gentle, peaceable, and charitable, and not such as burn with hellish malice against their Brethren, nor with an ungodly, or cruel, consuming zeal. 10. Such as not live not sensually and wickedly, contrary to the doctrine which they preach, but shew by their lives, that they believe what they say, and feel the power of the truths which they preach.

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§. 4. And your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your salvation, as well¹ as your Teachers. The matter is not so great whom you meet by the way, or travel with, or trade and buy and sell with, as whom you make your intimate, or familiar friends. For such have both the advantage of their interest in your affections, and also the advantage of their nearness and familiarity; and if they have but also the advantage of higher abilities than you, they may be powerful instruments of your good or hurt. If you have a familiar friend that will defend you from error, and help you against temptations, and lovingly reprove your sin, and feelingly speak of God, and the life to come, inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith, and love, and holy experience, the benefit of such a friend may be more to you, than of the learnedst or greatest in the world. How sweetly will their speeches relish of the Spirit, from which they come? How deeply may they pierce a careless heart? How powerfully may they kindle in you, a love and zeal to God and his Commandments? How seasonably may they discover a temptation, prevent your fall, reprove an error, and recover your souls? How faithfully will they watch over you? How profitably will they provoke and put you on? and pray with you fervently when you are cold, and mind you of the Truth and duty, and mercy, which you forget? It is a very great mercy to have a judicious, solid, faithful companion in the way to Heaven.

§. 4. And your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your salvation, as well¹ as your Teachers. The matter is not so great whom you meet by the way, or travell with, or trade and buy and sell with, as whom you make your intimate, or familiar friends. For such have both the advantage of their interest in your affections, and also the advantage of their nearness and familiarity; and if they have but also the advantage of higher abilities than you, they may be powerful instruments of your good or hurt. If you have a familiar friend that will defend you from error, and help you against temptations, and lovingly reprove your sin, and feelingly speak of God, and the life to come, inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith, and love, and holy experience, the benefit of such a friend may be more to you, than of the learnedst or greatest in the world. How sweetly will their speeches relish of the Spirit, from which they come? How deeply may they pierce a careless heart? How powerfully may they kindle in you, a love and zeal to God and his Commandments? How seasonably may they discover a temptation, prevent your fall, reprove an error, and recover your souls? How faithfully will they watch over you? How profitably will they provoke and put you on? and pray with you fervently when you are cold, and mind you of the Truth and duty, and mercy, which you forget? It is a very great mercy to have a judicious, solid, faithful companion in the way to Heaven.

1Imperat (Re•) ut nostrae religionis illorum mensa nullum communem haberent, neque cum Catholicis omino vescerentur. Quae res non ip••s aliquod praestitit beneficium, sed nobis maximum con•ulit lucrum: Nam si sermo •o••m sicut cancer consuevit serpere, quanto magis communis mensa ciborum potuit inquinare, cum dicat Apostolus, cum nefariis nec cibum habere communem. Victor. Utic. p. 418. Magnum virtutis praesidium societas bono•um, socius exemplo excitat, sermone recreat consilio inst•ui•, orationibus adjuvat, autoritate continet, quae omnia so itudini desunt. Jos. Acosta. l. 4. c. 13. Dicunt Stoici Amicitiam solos inter bon•s, quos sibi invicem studiorum similitudo conciliet, posse consistere. Porro amicitiam ipsam societatem quandam esse dicunt omnium quae sunt ad vitam necessaria, cum amicis ut nobismet ipsis utamur: atque ob id amicum eligendum, amicorumque multitudinem ••••er expetenda ponunt: inter malos non posse constare amicitiam. Laert. in Zenone.Imperat (Re•) ut nostrae religionis illorum mensa nullum communem haberent, neque cum Catholicis omino vescerentur. Quae res non ip••s aliquod praestitit beneficium, sed nobis maximum con•ulit lucrum: Nam si sermo •o••m sicut cancer consuevit serpere, quanto magis communis mensa ciborum potuit inquinare, cum dicat Apostolus, cum nefariis nec cibum habere communem. Victor. Utic. p. 418. Magnum virtutis praesidium societas bono•um, socius exemplo excitat, sermone recreat consilio inst•ui•, orationibus adjuvat, autoritate continet, quae omnia so itudini desunt. Ios. Acosta. l. 4. c. 13. Dicunt Stoici Amicitiam solos inter bon•s, quos sibi invicem studiorum similitudo conciliet, posse consistere. Porro amicitiam ipsam societatem quandam esse dicunt omnium quae sunt ad vitam necessaria, cum amicis ut nobismet ipsis utamur: atque ob id amicum eligendum, amicorumque multitudinem er expetenda ponunt: inter malos non posse constare amicitiam. Laert. in Zenone.

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§. 5. But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly, with ribaldry or idle stories, with Oaths and Curses, with furious words, or scorns and jeers against the godly, or with the Sophistry of deceivers, is it likely this should leave a pleasant or wholesome relish on your minds? Is it likely that the effect should not be seen, in your lean or leprous hearts and lives, as well as the effects of an infected or unwholesome air or diet, will be seen upon your diseased bodies? He is ungodly that liketh such company best: And he is proud and presumptuous that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it, in confidence that he shall receive no hurt: And he is careless of himself, that will not cautiously avoid it: And few that long converse with such, come off without some notable loss; except when we live with such, as Lot did in Sodom, grieving for their sin and misery; or as Christ conversed with publicans and sinners, with a holy zeal and diligence to convert and save them, or as those that have not liberty, who bear that which they have not power to avoid.

§. 5. But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly, with ribaldry or idle stories, with Oaths and Curses, with furious words, or scorns and jears against the godly, or with the Sophistry of deceivers, is it likely this should leave a pleasant or wholsome relish on your minds? Is it likely that the effect should not be seen, in your lean or leprous hearts and lives, as well as the effects of an infected or unwholsome air or diet, will be seen upon your diseased bodies? He is ungodly that liketh such company best: And he is proud and presumptuous that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it, in confidence that he shall receive no hurt: And he is careless of himself, that will not cautelously avoid it: And few that long converse with such, come off without some notable loss; except when we live with such, as Lot did in Sodom, grieving for their sin and misery; or as Christ conversed with publicans and sinners, with a holy zeal and diligence to convert and save them, or as those that have not liberty, who bear that which they have not power to avoid.

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§. 1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the Holy Scriptures, than in any other Book whatever, so it hath more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting it self upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make the Reader more reverent, serious and Divine. Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands, and other Books be used as subservient to it. The endeavours of the Devil and Papists to keep it from you, doth show that it is most necessary and desirable to you. And when they tell you, that all Heretics plead the Scriptures, they do but tell you, that it is the common Rule or Law of Christians, which therefore all are fain to pretend: As all Lawyers and wranglers plead the Laws of the Land, be their cause never so bad, and yet the Laws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside: And they do but tell you, that in their concealment or dishonouring the Scriptures, they are worse than any of those Heretics. When they tell you that the Scriptures are misunderstood and abused, and perverted to maintain mens errors, they might also desire that the Sun might be obscured, because the purblind do mistake, and Murderers and Robbers do wickedly by its light: And that the earth might be subverted because it bears all evil doers; and High-ways stopped up because men travel in them to do evil: And food prohibited, because it nourisheth mens diseases. And when they have told you truly of a Law or Rule (whether made by Pope or Council) which bad men cannot misunderstand or break, or abuse and misapply, than hearken to them and prefer that Law, as that which preventeth the need of any judgement.

§. 1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the Holy Scriptures, than in any other Book whatever, so it hath more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting it self upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make the Reader more reverent, serious and Divine. Let Scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands, and other Books be used as subservient to it. The endeavours of the Devil and Papists to keep it from you, doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you. And when they tell you, that all Hereticks plead the Scriptures, they do but tell you, that it is the common Rule or Law of Christians, which therefore all are fain to pretend: As all Lawyers and wranglers plead the Laws of the Land, be their cause never so bad, and yet the Laws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside: And they do but tell you, that in their concealment or dishonouring the Scriptures, they are worse than any of those Hereticks. When they tell you that the Scriptures are misunderstood and abused, and perverted to maintain mens errors, they might also desire that the Sun might be obscured, because the purblind do mistake, and Murderers and Robbers do wickedly by its light: And that the earth might be subverted because it bears all evil doers; and High-wayes stopt up because men travell in them to do evil: And food prohibited, because it nourisheth mens diseases. And when they have told you truly of a Law or Rule (whether made by Pope or Council) which bad men cannot misunderstand or break, or abuse and misapply, than hearken to them and prefer that Law, as that which preventeth the need of any judgement.

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§. 2. The Writings of Divines are nothing else but a preaching the Gospel to the eye, as the voice preacheth it to the ear. Vocal preaching hath the preeminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the Congregations which attend it: This way the Milk cometh warmest from the breast. But Books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able Preacher when you have but a mean one to hear. Every Congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful Preachers: but every single person may read the Books of the most powerful and judicious; Preachers may be silenced or banished, when Books may be at hand: Books may be kept at a smaller charge than Preachers: We may choose Books which treat of that very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the Preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day and hour: when we can have Sermons but seldom, and at set times. If Sermons be forgotten, they are gone. But a Book we may read over and over till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good Books are a very great mercy to the world: The Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve his Doctrine and Laws to the Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere Verbal Tradition, which might have made as many Controversies about the very terms, as there be memories or persons to be the preservers and reporters.

§. 2. The Writings of Divines are nothing else but a preaching the Gospel to the eye, as the voice preacheth it to the ear. Vocal preaching hath the preheminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the Congregations which attend it: This way the Milk cometh warmest from the breast. But Books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able Preacher when you have but a mean one to hear. Every Congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful Preachers: but every single person may read the Books of the most powerful and judicious; Preachers may be silenced or banished, when Books may be at hand: Books may be kept at a smaller charge than Preachers: We may choose Books which treat of that very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the Preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day and hour: when we can have Sermons but seldom, and at set times. If Sermons be forgotten, they are gone. But a Book we may read over and over till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good Books are a very great mercy to the world: The Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve his Doctrine and Laws to the Church, as knowing how easie and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of meer Verbal Tradition, which might have made as many Controversies about the very terms, as there be memories or persons to be the preservers and reporters.

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§. 3. You have need of a judicious Teacher at hand, to direct you what Books to use or to refuse. For among Good Books there are some very good that are sound and lively: and some are good, but mean, and weak, and somewhat dull: and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautious injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle, than edify the weak. I am loth to name any of these later sorts, (of which abundance have come forth of late): But to the young beginner in Religion, I may be bold to recommend (next to a sound Catechism) Mr. Rutherfords Letters, Mr. Robert Bolton's Works, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Whateleyes, Mr. Ball of Faith, Dr. Prestons, Dr. Sibbes, Mr. Hildershams, Mr. Pinks Sermons, Mr. Jo. Rogers, Mr. Rich. Rogers, Mr. Ri. Allen's Mr. Gurnall, Mr. Swinnocke, Mr. Jos. Simonds: And to stablish you against Popery, Dr. Challoners Credo Eccles. Cathol. Dr. Field of the Church, Dr. Whites Way to the Church, with the Defence, Bishop Ushers Answer to the Jesuit; and Chillingworth, with Drelincourt's Summary. And for right Principles about Redemption, &c. Mr. Trumans Great Propitiation; and of Natural and Moral Impotency; and ⟨p. 61⟩Mr. William Fenner of Wilful Impenitency, Mr. Hotchkis of Forgiveness of Sin. To pass by many other excellent ones, that I may not name too many.

§. 3. You have need of a judicious Teacher at hand, to direct you what Books to use or to refuse. For among Good Books there are some very good that are sound and lively: and some are good, but mean, and weak, and somewhat dull: and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautelous injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle, than edifie the weak. I am loth to name any of these later sorts, (of which abundance have come forth of late): But to the young beginner in Religion, I may be bold to recommend (next to a sound Catechism) Mr. Rutherfords Letters, Mr. Robert Boltons Works, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Whateleyes, Mr. Ball of Faith, Dr. Prestons, Dr. Sibbes, Mr. Hildershams, Mr. Pinkes Sermons, Mr. Io. Rogers, Mr. Rich. Rogers, Mr. Ri. Allen's Mr. Gurnall, Mr. Swinnocke, Mr. Ios. Simonds: And to stablish you against Popery, Dr. Challoners Credo Eccles. Cathol. Dr. Field of the Church, Dr. Whites Way to the Church, with the Defence, Bishop Ushers Answer to the Jesuite; and Chillingworth, with Drelincourts Summary. And for right Principles about Redemption, &c. Mr. Trumans Great Propitiation; and of Natural and Moral Impotency; and ⟨p. 61⟩Mr. William Fenner of Wilful Impenitency, Mr. Hotchkis of Forgiveness of Sin. To pass by many other excellent ones, that I may not name too many.