A27004:1125
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.
§. 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.
§. 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 contemptuosly or carelesly cast off the doubts which I was not able to resolve, I resumed afresh the whole inquiry, and resolved to make as faithfull a search into the nature and grounds of this Religion, as if I had never been baptized into it.
The first thing I studied was, the Matter of Christianity, What it is? and the next was the evidence and certainty of it: of which I shall speak distinctly.