A27004:759
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.
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.
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 falshood, nor Benignity to love his Creature: and therefore needeth no such means.
And he that believeth that God himself doth govern the world by a cheat, even by the hopes and fears of fictions, will sure think it best to imitate his God, and to govern, and trade, and live accordingly.
This argument was à necessitate ad ordinem, the next shall be only from God's actual government.