A27004:328
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.
§. 4. He that doth by authoritative constitution of Duty, oblige Man to obedience, doth make Laws for him, and Govern him by Laws: But God doth by authoritative Constitution of duty, oblige man to obedience: 1Therefore he maketh Laws for him, and ruleth him thereby.
- 1Rerum natura malè administrari non vult: & multorum dominatus & principatus non est utilis: unus ergo sit Princeps. Aristot. lib. • 11. Metaph. c. 10.
The Major is not to be denied; for it only asserteth the Name from the Definition: The authoritative appointment of the Debitum Officii, obliging to obedience, is the definition of Legislation, as to its first and principal act; which ⟨p. 44⟩the appointment of the debitum praemii vel poenae followeth. And I think that the interest of Mankind will not suffer him to be so erroneous as to deny the Minor: I think few will believe that there is no such thing as a Law of Nature made by the God of Nature;1 or that there is no such thing as Duty incumbent on Man from God; and so no such thing as an accusing or excusing Conscience: Few persons will believe, that it is no duty of Parents to nourish their Children, or no crime to murder them: Or that it is no duty for Children to be thankful to their Parents, and to love them, or no sin to hate, or scorn, or kill them: Few Kings will believe, that it is no duty towards God, for their Subjects to obey them, and no crime to rebel or murder them; and that Conscience hath nothing to say against him for such things, that can but scape the judgement and revenge of man: And few Subjects will believe, that it is no crime for a Prince to oppress them, in their liberties, estates and lives: And few neighbours will think that he is innocent before God, who beateth them, or setteth fire on their Houses, or murdereth their children or other Relations. If man be under no duty to God, and if nothing that he can do is a sin against God, what a thing will Man be, and what a Hell will Earth be? Deny the Law of Nature, and you turn men loose to every villainy; and engage the World to destroy it self, and set all as on fire about their ears.