A26951:265
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb. 11, 1, formerly preached before His Majesty, and published by his command, with another added for the fuller application : the second is instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith : the third is directions how to live by faith, or how to exercise it upon all occasions / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1670
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.
6. Understand the different sorts of Evidence, which are requisite to the different matters in the holy Scriptures. The matters of fact require historical evidence (which yet is made infallible by additional miracles.) The miracles which were wrought to confirm our history, are brought to our knowledge only by other history. The Doctrines which are evident in nature, have further evidence of supernatural revelation, only to help us whose natural fight is much obscured. But it is the supernatural Doctrines, Precepts and Promises, which of themselves require supernatural revelation, to make them credible to man.
6. Ʋnderstand the different sorts of Evidence, which are requisite to the different matters in the holy Scriptures. The matters of fact require historical evidence (which yet is made infallible by additional miracles.) The miracles which were wrought to confirm our history, are brought to our knowledge only by other history. The Doctrines which are evident in nature, have further evidence of supernatural revelation, only to help us whose natural fight is much obscured. But it is the supernatural Doctrines, Precepts and Promises, which of themselves require supernatural revelation, to make them credible to man.
7. Mistake not the true Use and End of the holy Scriptures.
7. Mistake not the true Ʋse and End of the holy Scriptures.
1. Think not that the Gospel as written was the first Constitutive or Governing Law of Christ, for the Christian Churches. The Churches were constituted, and the Orders, and Offices, and Government of it settled, and exercised very many years together, before any part of the New Testament was written to them; much more before the writing of the whole. The Apostles had long before taught them what was commanded them by Christ; and had settled them in the order appointed by the Holy Ghost: And therefore you are not to look for the first determination of such doctrines or orders in the Scripture as made thereby; but only for the Records of what was done and established before: For the Apostles being to leave the world, did know the slipperiness of the memory of man, and the danger of changing and corrupting the Christian Doctrine and Orders, if there were not left a sure record of it: And therefore they did that for the sake of posterity.