A26951:420
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
Part 2 › Chapter 7: The means of making known all this infallibly to us.
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.
The question then which remaineth is, How we receive all this infallibly from the subsequent Ages or Churches to this day? The answer to which is, still by the same way, with yet greater advantages in some respects, though less in others. As 1. We have the humane testimony of all our ancestors, and of many of our enemies. 2. We have greater evidence of natural certainty, that they could not possibly meet or plot together to deceive us. 3. We have still the supernatural divine attestation (though rarely of miracles, yet) of those more necessary and noble operations of the Spirit, in the sanctification of all true Believers; which Spirit accompanieth and worketh by the doctrine which from our ancestors we have received.
More distinctly observe all these conjunct means of our full reception of our Religion.
1. The very Being of the Christians and Churches, is a testimony to us that they believed and received this Religion. For what maketh them Christians and Churches but the receiving of it?
2. The ordinance of Baptism, is a notable tradition of it. For all that ever were made Christians, have been baptized: And Baptism is nothing but the solemn initiation of persons into this Religion, by a vowed consent to it, as summarily there expressed in the Christian Covenant. And this was used to be openly done.