A26923:722
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1691
Chapter 16: Of the State of Heathens and others, that have not the Gospel.
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. Here they use first to consider of the number, viz. 1. That it is not past the sixth part of the World that are called Christians. 2. That the far greatest part of these (perhaps twenty to one) have not competent means to understand what that Christianity is which giveth them their name, and which, as to the name, they profess. The Circassians, Mengrelians, and other Georgians, the Armenians, the Muscovites, the Cossacks, the most of the Greeks and Abassines, yea, and Papists, besides the Copts, Syrians, Nestorians, Jacob•tes, Maronites, Christians of St. Thomas, &c. and too many Protestants are bred up in so great ignorance, that multitudes of them never are sufficiently taught to understand the Essentials of the Christian Religion which they (nominally) profess; and therefore ⟨p. 190⟩are really much in the case of common Heathens.
§. 3. Here they use first to consider of the number, viz. 1. That it is not past the sixth part of the World that are called Christians. 2. That the far greatest part of these (perhaps twenty to one) have not competent means to understand what that Christianity is which giveth them their name, and which, as to the name, they profess. The Circassians, Mengrelians, and other Georgians, the Armenians, the Muscovites, the Cossacks, the most of the Greeks and Abassines, yea, and Papists, besides the Copties, Syrians, Nestorians, Iacob•tes, Maronites, Christians of St. Thomus, &c. and too many Protestants are bred up in so great ignorance, that multitudes of them never are sufficiently taught to understand the Essentials of the Christian Religion which they (nominally) profess; and therefore ⟨p. 190⟩are really much in the case of common Heathens.
§. 4. 2. They consider their impossibility of being saved: For it is not only morally (by Vice) but naturally impossible to believe that which was never heard, read or understood: So that their Damnation seemeth unavoidable, especially to such as live in the vast Countries of America, and much of Africa and Asia, that are quite out of the reach of any Instructions for the Christian Faith.