A27004:757
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.
If God can govern the world without a course of deceit and lying, then the objects of these necessary hopes and fears are true: But God can govern the world without a course of deceit and lying: Ergo.
The Major is evident, because to govern by the hopes and fears of falsehoods, or things that are not, (when those hopes and fears are not only of God, but made necessary to Government) is to govern by deceit and lying: or if it had not been by falsehood uttered, but falsehood permitted,1 the Minor is certain.
The Major is evident, because to govern by the hopes and fears of falshoods, or things that are not, (when those hopes and fears are not only of God, but made necessary to Government) is to govern by deceit and lying: or if it had not been by falshood uttered, but falshood permitted,1 the Minor is certain.
- 1Utiles esse has opiniones quis neget, cum intelligat quam musta firmentur jurejurando: quantae salutis fint faedera religionis; quam multos divini supplicii metus, à scelere revocaret? quamque sancta fit societas civium, inter ipsos Diis immortalibus interpositis, tum judicibus, tum testibus. ☜ Cic. de leg. l. 2. p. 236, 237. Nisi Deus istis te corporis custodiis liberaverit, ad coelum aditus patere non potest. Cic. Somn. Scip.
For if God cannot govern without such a course of deceit, it is either for want of Power, or of Wisdom, or of Goodness; that is, Holiness, and Benignity of Will. But the Omnipotent wanteth not Power, and the Omniscient wanteth not Wisdom, to find out true and suitable means; and he that is Optimus, wanteth neither Holiness to love truth and hate falsehood, nor Benignity to love his Creature: and therefore needeth no such means.