A26892:8571
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.
Part 4 › Chapter 14: Directions against soul-murder, and partaking of other mens sins.
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.
§. 3. 3. By bringing the persons of the most religious into hatred, by such false applications, reflections, or secret insinuations, or open calumnies: Making men believe that they are all but Hypocrites, or Schismatics, or seditious, or fanatical self-conceited persons! Which is usually done either by impudent slanders raised against some particular men, and so reflected on the rest; or by the advantage of factions, controversies or Civil Wars; or by the falls of any professors, or the crimes of Hypocrites: whereupon they would make the World believe, that they are all alike; As if all Christs family were to be judged of by Peters fall, or Judas falsehood. And the odious representation of Godly men doth greatly prevail to keep others from Godliness, and is one of the Devils most successful means, for the damnation of multitudes of souls.
§. 3. 3. By bringing the persons of the most religious into hatred, by such false applications, reflections, or secret insinuations, or open calumnies: Making men believe that they are all but Hypocrites, or Schismaticks, or seditious, or fanatical self-conceited persons! Which is usually done either by impudent slanders raised against some particular men, and so reflected on the rest; or by the advantage of factions, controversies or Civil Wars; or by the falls of any professours, or the crimes of Hypocrites: whereupon they would make the World believe, that they are all alike; As if all Christs family were to be judged of by Peters fall, or Iudas falshood. And the odious representation of Godly men doth greatly prevail to keep others from Godliness, and is one of the Devils most successful means, for the damnation of multitudes of souls.
§. 4. 4. The disgrace of the persons of the Preachers of the Gospel, doth greatly further mens damnation. For when the people think their Teachers to be Hypocrites, Covetous, Proud, and secretly as bad as others, they are very like to think accordingly of their doctrine, and that all strict Religion is but hypocrisy, or at least to refuse their help and counsels. Even Plutarch noted, that [It so comes to pass, that we entertain not virtue, nor are •apt into a desire of imitating it, unless we highly honour and love the person in whom it is discerned.] And if they see or think the Preacher to be himself of a loose and careless and licentious life, they will think that the like is very excusable in themselves; and that his doctrine is but a form of speech, which his office bindeth him to say; but is no more to be regarded by them, than by himself.