A27004:746
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 1 › Chapter 14: That there is a Life of Retribution after this.
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.
And if their interest required them to do another mischief, in order to the public good, (for revenge I suppose them not much inclined to) they would be as Brutus's and would be confident of the success of subtle and concealed enterprises:1 they would no further resist any great temptation to please their appetites in meats and drinks; or their flesh, in lust, or ease, and sports, and gaming, and such vain pastimes, than some other carnal interest contradicting did forbid them. And though naturally some men prefer Knowledge before all worldly pleasures, yet considering how short a time they should be the better for it, and how many toilsome hours they must lay out for it, they would rather let it go, and take up with the ease and pleasure of the flesh. This, I fear, would be their life; for when all the comforts of this life of flesh are laid in the one end of the balance, what should weigh them down but something greater? So that if some little restraint of villainy might be made by lower motives, I ⟨p. 131⟩appeal to the conscience of the Reader, whether he thinks,2 that the fore-proved duties of Resignation, Obedience, and Love to God above all, would ever be performed (by any considerable number at least) if they knew that they had no life to live but this.
And if their interest required them to do another mischief, in order to the publick good, (for revenge I suppose them not much enclined to) they would be as Brutus's and would be confident of the success of subtil and concealed enterprises:1 they would no further resist any great temptation to please their appetites in meats and drinks; or their flesh, in lust, or ease, and sports, and gaming, and such vain pastimes, than some other carnal interest contradicting did forbid them. And though naturally some men prefer Knowledge before all worldly pleasures, yet considering how short a time they should be the better for it, and how many toilsome hours they must lay out for it, they would rather let it go, and take up with the ease and pleasure of the flesh. This, I fear, would be their life; for when all the comforts of this life of flesh are laid in the one end of the ballance, what should weigh them down but something greater? So that if some little restraint of villany might be made by lower motives, I