A26892:8418
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.
He that should expel a dozen or twenty of the ablest Physicians out of London, and say, the•e are enough left in their steads who may save mens lives as well as they; might, notwithstanding that assertion, be found guilty of the blood of no small numbers. And as men have sometime an averseness to one sort of food, (as good as any to another man), and as this distemper is not laudable; and yet he that would force them to eat nothing else but that which they so abhor were liker to kill them than to cure them, so is it with the souls of many. And there are few who have any spiritual discerning and relish, but have some special sense of what is helpful or hurtful to their souls, in Sermons, Books and Conference, which a stander by is not so fit a judge of as themselves. So that it is clear, that persecution driveth men towards their damnation! And O how sad a case it is, to have the damnation of one soul to answer for! (which is worse than the murdering of many bodies.) Much more to be guilty of the perdition of a multitude!
He that should expell a dozen or twenty of the ablest Physicions out of London, and say, the•e are enough left in their steads who may save mens lives as well as they; might, notwithstanding that assertion, be found guilty of the blood of no small numbers. And as men have sometime an averseness to one sort of food, (as good as any to another man), and as this distemper is not laudable; and yet he that would force them to eat nothing else but that which they so abhor were liker to kill them than to cure them, so is it with the souls of many. And there are few who have any spiritual discerning and relish, but have some special sense of what is helpful or hurtful to their souls, in Sermons, Books and Conference, which a stander by is not so fit a judge of as themselves. So that it is clear, that persecution driveth men towards their damnation! And O how sad a case it is, to have the damnation of one soul to answer for! (which is worse than the murdering of many bodies.) Much more to be guilty of the perdition of a multitude!
§. 12. 5. Persecution is unjustice, and oppression of the innocent! And what a multitude of terrible threatenings against this sin are found throughout the holy Scriptures? Doth a man deserve to be cruelly used, for being faithful to his God, and for preferring him before man? and for being afraid to sin against him? or for doing that which God commandeth him, and that upon pain of greater sufferings, than man can inflict upon him? Is it not his Saviour that hath said, Fear not them that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do: but fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him: Though Christianity was once called a Sect which every where was spoken against,