A26892:6870
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. And if it were not that a dead hearted formal people by speaking the Responses carelessly and hypocritically do bring them into disgrace with many that see the necessity of seriousness, I think few good people would be against them now. If all the serious zealous Christians in the assembly speak the same words in a serious manner, there will appear nothing in them that should give offence. If in the fullness of their hearts, the people should break out into such words of prayer or confession or praise, it would be taken for an extraordinary pang of zeal; and were it unusual, it would take exceedingly. But the better any thing is, the more loathsome it appeareth when it is mortified by hypocrisy and dead formality, and turned into a mockery, or an affected scenical act. But it is here the duty of every Christian to labour to restore the Life and spirit to the words, that they may again be used in a serious and holy manner as heretofore.
6. And if it were not that a dead hearted formal people by speaking the Responses carelesly and hypocritically do bring them into disgrace with many that see the necessity of seriousness, I think few good people would be against them now. If all the serious zealous Christians in the assembly speak the same words in a serious manner, there will appear nothing in them that should give offence. If in the fulness of their hearts, the people should breakout into such words of prayer or confession or praise, it would be taken for an extraordinary pang of zeal; and were it unusual, it would take exceedingly. But the better any thing is, the more loathsome it appeareth when it is mortified by hypocrisie and dead formality, and turned into a mockery, or an affected scenical act. But it is here the duty of every Christian to labour to restore the Life and spirit to the words, that they may again be used in a serious and holy manner as heretofore.
7. Those that would have private men pray and prophesy in public, as warranted by 1 Cor. 14. [Ye may all speak, &c.] do much contradict themselves, if they say also that▪ Lay man may say nothing but Amen.