A27004:748
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.
3. And all secret villainy would be committed without fear: (secret adulteries, theft, lying, perjury) and common honesty could not be maintained; for every man's self-interest would be his Law, and prevail against all the principles of honesty. And all that men would strive for, would be either to strengthen themselves in their wickedness, that they might be out of fear of humane Justice; or else to hide it from the cognisance of man: Thus would the world be turned into a resemblance of Hell, and men be as much worse than wild beast, as their natures were better which are corrupted, and all would be in wickedness and confusion,1 without the hopes and fears of another life.
3. And all secret villany would be committed without fear: (secret adulteries, theft, lying, perjury) and common honesty could not be maintained; for every man's self-interest would be his Law, and prevail against all the principles of honesty. And all that men would strive for, would be either to strengthen themselves in their wickedness, that they might be out of fear of humane Justice; or else to hide it from the cognisance of man: Thus would the world be turned into a resemblance of Hell, and men be as much worse than wild beast, as their natures were better which are corrupted, and all would be in wickedness and confusion,1 without the hopes and fears of another life.
- 1Thaletis dicta in Laert. sunt, Animas esse immortales. Antiquissimum omnium entium Deus: ingenitus enim est: Pulcherrimum mundus: à Deo enim factus: Maximum locus; capit enim omnia: Veloeissimum Mem; nam per universa discurrit, &c.
Obj. But in all this you argue against experience: Hath there not been Government and order kept up among Heathens? and is there not a Government at this day in all the Kingdoms and Common-wealths throughout the world?