A26892:8546
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.
All drunken, covetous, ambitious, sensual, unclean Christians, are Hypocrites and not Christians indeed. And these Hypocrites can quietly live a worldly fleshly life, and never lament their own hypocrisy, nor their perfidious violating their Baptismal Vow: But if one that seemeth diligent for his soul prove an Hypocrite, or fall into any scandalous sin, here they presently make an outcry; not to call the man from his sin, but to make a godly diligent life seem odious to all, by telling men, These are your godly men? It is Godliness that they quarrel with, while they pretend only to find fault with sin. Why else do not you find fault with the same sin equally in all? Or at least persuade men by such examples to be less sinful, and more watchful, and not to be less religious and more loose. Tell me truly of any one that is more against sin than God, or any thing more contrary to it than Godliness and true Religion, or any men that do more against it than the most Religious, and then I will join with you in preferring those. Till then remember how you condemn your selves, when you condemn them that are better than your selves.
All drunken, covetous, ambitious, sensual, unclean Christians, are Hypocrites and not Christians indeed. And these Hypocrites can quietly live a worldly fleshly life, and never lament their own hypocrisie, nor their perfidious violating their Baptismal Vow: But if one that seemeth diligent for his soul prove an Hypocrite, or fall into any scandalous sin, here they presently make an ou•cry; not to call the man from his sin, but to make a godly diligent life seem odious to all, by telling men, These are your godly men? It is Godliness that they quarrel with, while they pretend only to find fault with sin. Why else do not you find fault with the same sin equally in all? Or at least perswade men by such examples to be less sinful, and more watchful, and not to be less religious and more loose. Tell me truly of any one that is more against sin than God, or any thing more contrary to it than Godliness and true Religion, or any men that do more against it than the most Religious, and then I will joyn with you in preferring those. Till then remember how you condemn your selves, when you condemn them that are better than your selves.