A27004:1064
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.
London: printed by R. White for Fran. Titon, 1667
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 common people have not leisure for so deep and long a search into nature, as a few Philosophers made; nor are they disposed to it. And though reason obligeth them, in so necessary a case, to break through all difficulties, they have not so full use of their reason as to do it.
Obj. But as Christian Teachers do instruct the people in that which they cannot have leisure to search out themselves; so why may not Philosophers, who have leisure for the search, ins;truct the people quickly, who have not leisure to find out the truth without instruction.
Answ. Much might be done, if all men did their best: But, 1. The difficulty is such, that the learned themselves are lamentably imperfect and unsatisfied, (as I shall further show.) 2. Though the vulgar cannot search out the truth without help, yet is it necessary that by help they come to see with their own eyes, and rest not in a humane belief alone; especially when their Teachers are of so many minds, that they know not which of them to believe. To learn the truth in its proper evidence, is very hard to them that have no more than the light of nature.
Answ. Much might be done, if all men did their best: But, 1. The difficulty is such, that the learned themselves are lamentably imperfect and unsatisfi'd, (as I shall further shew.) 2. Though the vulgar cannot search out the truth without help, yet is it necessary that by help they come to see with their own eyes, and rest not in a humane belief alone; especially when their Teachers are of so many minds, that they know not which of them to believe. To learn the truth in its proper evidence, is very hard to them that have no more than the light of nature.