A26939:160
How to do good to many, or, The public good is the Christians life…How to do good to many, or, The publick good is the Christians life…
How to do good to many, or, The public good is the Christians life directions and motives to it, intended for an auditory of London citizens, and published for them, for want of leave to preach them / by Richard Baxter.How to do good to many, or, The publick good is the Christians life directions and motives to it, intended for an auditory of London citizens, and published for them, for want of leave to preach them / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Rob. Gibs, 1682
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.
They that prefer those as the most worthy of honour, whom God abhorreth for their wickedness, and hate and oppress those whom God will honour, do show themselves Enemies to him that giveth them all their power: And they that by countenance or practice do teach men to despise the fear of God, and to make light of Drunkenness, Whoredom, Lying, Perjury and such like odious Crimes, do in a sort blaspheme God himself, as if he who exalted them were a lover of Sin, and a hater of his own Laws and Service. There are few Rulers that are unwilling of Power, or to be accounted Great: And do they not know that its a Power to do Good, that God hath given them? And that Obligation to do it, is as essential to their Office as Authority? And that they who govern as the Officers of God, and pretend to be liker him in Greatness, than their Subjects, must also be liker to him in Wisdom and Goodness?
They that prefer those as the most worthy of honour, whom God abhorreth for their wickedness, and hate and oppress those whom God will honour, do shew themselves Enemies to him that giveth them all their power: And they that by countenance or practice do teach men to despise the fear of God, and to make light of Drunkenness, Whoredom, Lying, Perjury and such like odious Crimes, do in a sort blaspheme God himself, as if he who exalted them were a lover of Sin, and a hater of his own Laws and Service. There are few Rulers that are unwilling of Power, or to be accounted Great: And do they not know that its a Power to do Good, that God hath given them? And that Obligation to do it, is as essential to their Office as Authority? And that they who govern as the Officers of God, and pretend to be liker him in Greatness, than their Subjects, must also be liker to him in Wisdom and Goodness?
Woe to that man who abuseth and oppresseth the Just and Faithful in the Name of God, and by pretence of Authority from him to do it. Woe to him that in Gods Name, and as by his Authority countenanceth the wicked whom God abhorreth, and ⟨p. 37⟩under Christs banner fighteth against him. As Christ saith of the Offensive: It were good for that man, that he had never been born,