A27004:1124
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 3: Of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION: and First, What it is.
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.
§. 3. But when I grew up to fuller use of Reason, and more distinctly understood what I had generally and darkly received, the power of it did more surprise my mind, and bring me to deeper consideration of spiritual and everlasting things: It humbled me in the sense of my sin and its deserts: and made me think more sensibly of a Saviour: It resolved me for more exact Obedience to God; and increased my love to God: and increased my love to persons and things, sermons, writings, prayers, conference, which relished of plain resolved Godliness.
§. 3. But when I grew up to fuller use of Reason, and more distinctly understood what I had generally and darkly received, the power of it did more surprize my minde, and bring me to deeper consideration of spiritual and everlasting things: It humbled me in the sense of my sin and its deserts: and made me think more sensibly of a Saviour: It resolved me for more exact Obedience to God; and increased my love to God: and increased my love to persons and things, sermons, writings, prayers, conference, which relished of plain resolved Godliness.
§. 4. In all this time I never doubted of the Truth of this Religion; partly retaining my first humane Belief, and partly awed and convinced by the intrinsic evidence of its proper subject, end, and manner; and being taken up about the humbling and reforming study of my self.
§. 4. In all this time I never doubted of the Truth of this Religion; partly retaining my first humane Belief, and partly awed and convinced by the intrinsick evidence of its proper subject, end, and manner; and being taken up about the humbling and reforming study of my self.
§. 5. At last having for many years laboured to compose my mind and life, to the Principles of this Religion, I grew up to see more difficulties in it, than I saw before: And partly by temptations, and partly by an inquisitive mind, which was wounded with uncertainties and could not contemptuously or carelessly cast off the doubts which I was not able to resolve, I resumed afresh the whole inquiry, and resolved to make as faithful a search into the nature and grounds of this Religion, as if I had never been baptized into it.