A26923:755
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.
§. 32. Yet should we take warning by the example of the Jews Pride, who were so confident that none were saved or beloved but themselves, that they despised the rest of the World, and provoked God to cut them off, and call the Gentiles into higher privileges: So some Christians so trust to their Gospel-Peculiarities, (as the Jews did to their Law) that they despise all the World besides themselves, and can easilier believe that God will damn a thousand millions that never heard the Gospel than one of them, who have no more real Holiness, than many of those whom they despise. But it is our Duty to be thankful both for our excellent Peculiarities, and also for the commoner Mercies unto others.
And I wish the impartial Reader to study, Mal. 1. 10, 11. whether even this be not the sense, [Nor will I accept an Offering at your hand, for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place Incense offered to my name, and a pure Offering: For my name is great among the Heathen, saith the Lord of hosts; but ye have polluted it.] Our Translators have, as Expositors, thrice (at the least) added the future Tense [shall be]. But ⟨p. 201⟩all the old Translations, Syriac, Calde• Paraph. Greek, Latin, &c. put it in the present Tense [is great, is offered.] I do but desire the Reader to study it. It's strange, that all the ancient Churches should misunderstand it. It seems more probable by the Context that the Hebrew Text understood the present Tense (none being expressed.)
And I wish the impartial Reader to study, Mal. 1. 10, 11. whether even this be not the sence, [Nor will I accept an Offering at your hand, for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place Incense offered to my name, and a pure Offering: For my name is great among the Heathen, saith the Lord of hosts; but ye have polluted it.] Our Translators have, as Expositors, thrice (at the least) added the future Tense [shall be]. But