Part 1 › Chapter 3 › Direction 7 › Section 2: Sect. 2. Directions for Learning of Christ as our Teacher., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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§. 7. Direct. 6. If you will Learn of Christ, you must Learn of his Ministers, whom he hath appointed ¹under him to be the Teachers of his Church. He purposely enableth them, inclineth them, and sendeth them to instruct you: Not to have dominion over your faith, but to be your spiritual Fathers, and the Ministers by whom you believe, as God shall give (ability and success) to every one as he pleases, to plant and water, while God giveth the increase, to open mens eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and to be labourers together with God, whose husbandry and building you are, and to be helpers of your joy. See 2 Cor. 24. Acts 26. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 . & 4. 15. Seeing therefore Christ hath appointed them under him, to be the ordinary Teachers of his Church, he that heareth them (speaking his message) heareth him, and he that despiseth them, despiseth him, Luke 10. 16. And he that saith, I will hear Christ, but not you, doth say in effect to Christ himself, I will not hear thee, nor learn of thee, unless thou wilt dismiss thy Ushers, and teach me immediately thy self.

§. 7. Direct. 6. If you will Learn of Christ, you must Learn of his Ministers, whom he hath appointed ¹under him to be the Teachers of his Church. He purposely enableth them, enclineth them, and sendeth them to instruct you: Not to have dominion over your faith, but to be your spiritual Fathers, and the Ministers by whom you believe, as God shall give (ability and success) to every one as he pleases, to plant and water, while God giveth the encrease, to open mens eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and to be labourers together with God, whose husbandry and building you are, and to be helpers of your joy. See 2 Cor. 24. Acts 26. 17, 18. 1 Cor. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 . & 4. 15. Seeing therefore Christ hath appointed them under him, to be the ordinary Teachers of his Church, he that heareth them (speaking his message) heareth him, and he that despiseth them, despiseth him, Luke 10. 16. And he that saith, I will hear Christ, but not you, doth say in effect to Christ himself, I will not hear thee, nor learn of thee, unless thou wilt dismiss thy Ushers, and teach me immediately thy self.

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§. 8. Direct. 7. Hearken also to the secret Teachings of his Spirit, and your consciences; not as making ¹you any new Law or Duty, or being to you instead of Scriptures or Ministers; but as bringing that truth into your Hearts and practices which Scriptures and Ministers have first brought to your eyes and ears. If you understand not this, how the office of Scripture and Ministers differ from the office of the Spirit and your Consciences, you will be confounded as the Sectaries of these times have been, that separate what God hath joined together, and plead against Scripture or Ministers under pretence of extolling the Spirit, or the Light within them. As your meat must be taken into the stomach, and pass the first concoction, before the second can be performed, and chilification must be before sanguification; so the Scripture and Ministers must bring truth to your eyes and ears, before the Spirit or Conscience bring them to your Hearts and Practice. But they lye dead and uneffectual in your brain or imagination, if you hearken not to the secret teachings of the Spirit and Conscience, which would bring them further. As Christ is the principal Teacher without, and Ministers are but under him; so the Spirit is the principal Teacher within us, and Conscience is but under the Spirit, being excited and informed by it. Those that learn only of Scriptures and Ministers, (by hearing or reading) may become men of Learning and great ability, though they hearken not to the sanctifying teachings of the Spirit, or to their Consciences: But it is only those that hearken first to the Scriptures and Ministers, and next to the Spirit of God, and to their Consciences, that have an inward, sanctifying, saving knowledge, and are they that are said to be Taught of God. Therefore hearken first with your ears, what Christ hath to say to you from without; and then hearken daily and diligently with your hearts, what the Spirit and Conscience say within. For it is their office to preach over all that again to your Hearts, which you have received.

§. 8. Direct. 7. Hearken also to the secret Teachings of his Spirit, and your consciences; not as makeing ¹you any new Law or Duty, or being to you instead of Scriptures or Ministers; but as bringing that truth into your Hearts and practices which Scriptures and Ministers have first brought to your eyes and ears. If you understand not this, how the office of Scripture and Ministers differ from the office of the Spirit and your Consciences, you will be confounded as the Sectaries of these times have been, that separate what God hath joyned together, and plead against Scripture or Ministers under pretence of extolling the Spirit, or the Light within them. As your meat must be taken into the stomach, and pass the first concoction, before the second can be performed, and chilification must be before sanguification; so the Scripture and Ministers must bring truth to your eyes and ears, before the Spirit or Conscience bring them to your Hearts and Practice. But they lye dead and uneffectual in your brain or imagination, if you hearken not to the secret teachings of the Spirit and Conscience, which would bring them further. As Christ is the principal Teacher without, and Ministers are but under him; so the Spirit is the principal Teacher within us, and Conscience is but under the Spirit, being excited and informed by it. Those that learn only of Scriptures and Ministers, (by hearing or reading) may become men of Learning and great ability, though they hearken not to the sanctifying teachings of the Spirit, or to their Consciences: But it is only those that hearken first to the Scriptures and Ministers, and next to the Spirit of God, and to their Consciences, that have an inward, sanctifying, saving knowledge, and are they that are said to be Taught of God. Therefore hearken first with your ears, what Christ hath to say to you from without; and then hearken daily and diligently with your hearts, what the Spirit and Conscience say within. For it is their office to preach over all that again to your Hearts, which you have received.

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§. 9. Direct. 8. It being the office of the present ordinary Ministry, only to expound and apply the doctrine ¹of Christ already recorded in the Scriptures, believe not any man, that contradicteth this recorded ⟨p. 94⟩doctrine, what Reason, Authority •r Revelation soever he pretend. Isa. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to these, it is because there is no Light in them. No Reason can be Reason indeed that is pretended against the Reason of the Creator and God of Reason. Authority pretended against the Highest Authority of God, is no Authority: God never gave Authority to any against himself▪; nor to deceive mens souls; nor to dispense with the Law of Christ; nor to warrant men to sin against him; nor to make any supplements to his Law or Doctrine. The Apostles had their² Power only to edification, but not to destruction. There is no Revelation from God that is contrary to his own Revelation already delivered as his perfect Law and Rule unto the Church, and therefore none supplemental to it. If an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven (per possibile vel impossibile) shall Evangelize to us besides what is Evangelized, and we have received, he must be held accursed. Gal. 1. 6, 7, 8.

§. 9. Direct. 8. It being the office of the present ordinary Ministry, only to expound and apply the doctrine ¹of Christ already recorded in the Scriptures, believe not any man, that contradicteth this recorded ⟨p. 94⟩doctrine, what Reason, Authority •r Revelation soever he pretend. Isa. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testim•ny: if they speak not according to these, it is because there is no Light in them. No Reason can be Reason indeed that is pretended against the Reason of the Creator and God of Reason. Authority pretended against the Highest Authority of God, is no Authority: God never gave Authority to any against himself▪; nor to deceive mens souls; nor to dispense with the Law of Christ; nor to warrant men to sin against him; nor to make any supplements to his Law or Doctrine. The Apostles had their² Power only to •di•ication, but not to destruction. There is no Revelation from God that is contrary to his own Revelation already delivered as his perfect Law and Rule unto the Church, and therefore none supplemental to it. If an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven (per possibile vel impossibile) shall Evangelize to us besides what is Evangelized, and we have received, he must be held accursed. Gal. 1. 6, 7, 8.

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§. 10. Direct. 9. Come not to Learn of Christ with self▪conceitedness, pride, or confidence in your prejudice ¹and errors: but as little Children, with humble, teachable, tractable minds. Christ is no Teacher for those that in their own eyes are wise enough already: unless it be first to teach them to become fools (in their own esteem, because they are so indeed) that they may be wise. 1 Cor. 3. 18. They that are prepossessed with false opinions, and resolve that they will never be persuaded of the contrary, are unmeet to be Scholars in the School of Christ. He resisteth the proud, but giveth more grace unto the ²humble. Men that have a high conceit of their own understandings, and think they can easily know truth from falsehood as soon as they hear it, and come not to learn, but to censure what they hear or read, as being able presently to judge of all, these are fitter for the School of the Prince of Pride, and Father of lies and error, than for the School of Christ. Except Conversion make men as little children, that come not to ca•p and cavil, but to learn, they are not meet for the Kingdom of Christ. Matth. 18. 3. John 3. 3, 5. Know how blind and ignorant you are, and how dull of learning, and humbly beg of the Heavenly Teacher, that he will accept you, and illuminate you; and give up your understandings absolutely to be informed by him, and your Hearts to be the Tables in which his Spirit shall write his Law, Believing his doctrine upon the bare account of his infallible Veracity, and resolving to obey it, and this is to be the Disciples of Christ indeed, and such as shall be taught of God.

§. 10. Direct. 9. Come not to Learn of Christ with self▪conceitedness, pride, or confidence in your prejudice ¹and errors: but as little Children, with humble, teachable, tractable minds. Christ is no Teacher for those that in their own eyes are wise enough already: unless it be first to teach them to become fools (in their own esteem, because they are so indeed) that they may be wise. 1 Cor. 3. 18. They that are prepossessed with false opinions, and resolve that they will never be perswaded of the contrary, are unmeet to be Scholars in the School of Christ. He resisteth the proud, but giveth more grace unto the ²humble. Men that have a high conceit of their own understandings, and think they can easily know truth from falshood as soon as they hear it, and come not to learn, but to censure what they hear or read, as being able presently to judge of all, these are fitter for the School of the Prince of Pride, and Father of lyes and error, than for the School of Christ. Except Conversion make men as little children, that come not to ca•p and cavil, but to learn, they are not meet for the Kingdom of Christ. Matth. 18. 3. John 3. 3, 5. Know how blind and ignorant you are, and how dull of learning, and humbly beg of the Heavenly Teacher, that he will accept you, and illuminate you; and give up your understandings absolutely to be informed by him, and your Hearts to be the Tables in which his Spirit shall write his Law, Believing his doctrine upon the bare account of his infallible Veracity, and resolving to obey it, and this is to be the Disciples of Christ indeed, and such as shall be taught of God.

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§. 11. Direct. 10. Come to the School of Christ with honest willing hearts, that Love the truth, and ¹•ain would know it, that they may obey it; and not with false and biassed hearts, which secretly hinder the understanding from entertaining the truth, because they love it not, as being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest. The word that was received into Honest hearts, was it that was as the seed that brought forth plentifully. Matth. 13. 23. When the Heart saith unfeignedly, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth; Teach me to know and do thy will; God will not leave such a Learner in the dark. Most of the damnable ignorance and error of the world, is from a wicked heart, that perceiveth that the Truth of God is against their fleshly interest and lusts, and therefore is unwilling to obey it, and unwilling to believe it, lest it torment them, because they disobey it. A will that's secretly poisoned with the Love of the world, or of any sinful lusts and pleasures, is the most potent impediment to the believing of the truth.

§. 11. Direct. 10. Come to the School of Christ with honest willing hearts, that Love the truth, and ¹•ain would know it, that they may obey it; and not with false and byassed hearts, which secretly hinder the understanding from entertaining the truth, because they love it not, as being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest. The word that was received into Honest hearts, was it that was as the seed that brought forth plentifully. Matth. 13. 23. When the Heart saith unfeignedly, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth; Teach me to know and do thy will; God will not leave such a Learner in the dark. Most of the damnable ignorance and error of the world, is from a wicked heart, that perceiveth that the Truth of God is against their fleshly interest and lusts, and therefore is unwilling to obey it, and unwilling to believe it, lest it torment them, because they disobey it. A will that's secretly poysoned with the Love of the world, or of any sinful lusts and pleasures, is the most potent impediment to the believing of the truth.

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