A26981:328
A paraphrase on the New Testament with notes, doctrinal and practical, by plainness and…A paraphrase on the New Testament with notes, doctrinal and practical, by plainess and…
A paraphrase on the New Testament with notes, doctrinal and practical, by plainness and brevity fitted to the use of religious families, in their daily reading of the Scriptures : and of the younger and poorer sort of scholars and ministers, who want fuller helps : with an advertisement of difficulties in the Revelations / by Richard Baxter.A paraphrase on the New Testament with notes, doctrinal and practical, by plainess and brevity fitted to the use of religious families, in their daily reading of the Scriptures : and of the younger and poorer sort of scholars and ministers, who want fuller helps : with an advertisement of difficulties in the Revelations / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for B. Simmons, 1685
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.
17, 18, 19, 20. As the man is, so will he do. Therefore by the badness of their fruit you may know that they speak not from the Spirit of God.
Note, That Christ giveth us not this Rule to know ordinary Priests and Preachers Doctrine by: For when Rulers and Countries own sound Doctrine, wicked ⟨image 14⟩worldly men will own it for preferment and worldly ends: But it is to try Prophets by, who pretend to the Spirits inspiration: He that is not ruled by the Spirit is not like to be inspired by the Spirit. 2. And tho this hold true as to all wickedness, yet the fruit that Christ specially meaneth, is hurtfulness: As the names of Wolves, Thorns and Thistles show. 3. If a good man speak or do ill, it is because he is not perfectly good, but partly bad. For instance, The Papal Church pretendeth to the infallible guidance of the Spirit when Pope and Councils agree, which is, To Prophetical Inspiration, beyond the mere improvement of thei• own knowledge: How shall we know whether their pretence be true? 1. We find that they cherish ignorance, by forbidding the reading of the Scripture in a known Tongue without a License, and praying in a Tongue not understood: 2. We find that they divide the Christian world by laying its Unity and Peace on impossible terms, even a multitude of their own Canons. 3. We find they are adversaries to Catholic love, by damning all the Christian world save their own Sect, and keeping up their Church and Religion by bloody Doctrines, Inquisitions, and Massacres. 4. And that it is a worldly interest that is thus managed. These being all Wol•ish Thorny hurtful fruits, disprove their pretence to the Spirits infallibility. But it being their interest to be for the Deity, Christianity, and Immortality of Souls, in that they may own the truth. And if the Reformed Churches have had some errors, it is because they are but of imperfect knowledge and reformation.
Note, That Christ giveth us not this Rule to know ordinary Priests and Preachers Doctrine by: For when Rulers and Countreys own sound Doctrine, wiced