A27004:1103
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
Part 2 › Chapter 2: Of the several Religions which are in the world.
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.
At this day through the world, they are that sort of men ⟨p. 200⟩that are likest unto Beasts,1 except some few at Siam, China, the Indian Banians, the Japonians, the Ethnic Persians, and a few more. The greatest deformity of Nature is among them: the least of sound knowledge, true policy, civility and piety is among them. Abominable wickedness doth no where so much abound. So that if the doctrine and judgment of these may be judged of by the effect, it is most insufficient to heal the diseased world, and reduce man to holiness, sobriety and honesty.
At this day through the world, they are that sort of men ⟨p. 200⟩that are likest unto Beasts,1 except some few at Siam, China, the Indian Bannians, the Japonians, the Ethnick Persians, and a few more. The greatest deformity of Nature is among them: the least of sound knowledge, true policy, civility and piety is among them. Abominable wickedness doth no where so much abound. So that if the doctrin and judgment of these may be judged of by the effect, it is most insufficient to heal the diseased world, and reduce man to holiness, sobriety and honesty.
- 1Sed nescio quomodo, nil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo Philosophorum. Cic. Divinat. l. 2. p. 183.
§. 6. I find that these few among the Heathens who attain to more knowledge in the things which concern man's duty and happiness than the rest, do commonly destroy all again by the mixture of some dot•ges and impious conceits.