A27004:773
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.
Answ. 1. To the similitude: Either the Sun is a rational free Agent, or not. If it be, it is either the chief Agent, or a dependent Instrument: If it were the first (as it is not) I should owe my self totally to it,1 in the exercise of all the powers given me, as is aforesaid: And if it gave me such Desires, I might suppose it was not in vain. But if it give me nothing but as an Instrument or dependent Cause, I owe it nothing but in subserviency to the first Cause: But in such subserviency, if God had commanded me to love and honour it, as a Lover of Mankind, and a Rational Benefactor, and had placed any of my duty or felicity, in seeking perfection in that love and honour; I should obey him; and expect an answerable benefit: But if it be no intelligent Agent, or I cannot know that it is so, then I can owe it no other respect but what is due to a natural Instrument of God.
Answ. 1. To the similitude: Either the Sun is a rational free Agent, or not. If it be, it is either the chief Agent, or a dependent Instrument: If it were the first (as it is not) I should owe my self totally to it,1 in the exercise of all the powers given me, as is aforesaid: And if it gave me such Desires, I might suppose it was not in vain. But if it give me nothing but as an Instrument or dependent Cause, I owe it nothing but in subserviency to the first Cause: But in such subserviency, if God had commanded me to love and honour it, as a Lover of Mankinde, and a Rational Benefactor, and had placed any of my duty or felicity, in seeking perfection in that love and honour; I should obey him; and expect an answerable benefit: But if it be no intelligent Agent, or I cannot know that it is so, then I can owe it no other respect but what is due to a natural Instrument of God.
- 1It is a most improbable thing, that God would give up all the best men in the World to deceit, in so great a matter, and them that are most faithful to the Truth, and would save all the Epicures, Drunkards, Fornicators, proud and perjured Atheists, from this error, if it were an error, to believe a life to come.It is a most improbable thing, that God would give up all the best men in the World to deceit, in so great a matter, and them that are most faithfull to the Truth, and would save all the Epicures, Drunkards, Fornicators, proud and perjured Athiests, from this error, if it were an error, to believe a life to come.