A27004:788
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 now the consequence is proved in what is said before: If it should by common Reason and Nature be made all mens duty in the World, to seek to attain a happiness which is not to be attained, and to scape a misery which ⟨p. 140⟩never was or will be unto any, and this with the chiefest care and labour of their lives, then the whole life of Man should be vanity and a lie: Nature should have formed him for mere delusion, to tire him out in following that which is not: The World should not only be totally governed by deceit, but formed principally for such a life: And whereas indeed it is the Worldling that pursueth vanity, and spendeth his life in a dream or show; this opinion would make mens wisdom, and honesty, and piety, to be the vanity, dream and show. But none of this can be imputed to the most wise and gracious God: He need not set up a false deceitful hope or fear before his Creatures to keep them in obedience; nor hath he appointed their lives for so vain a work.
3. And now the consequence is proved in what is said before: If it should by common Reason and Nature be made all mens duty in the World, to seek to attain a happiness which is not to be attained, and to scape a misery which ⟨p. 140⟩never was or will be unto any, and this with the chiefest care and labour of their lives, then the whole life of Man should be vanity and a lie: Nature should have formed him for meer delusion, to tire him out in following that which is not: The World should not only be totally governed by deceit, but formed principally for such a life: And whereas indeed it is the Worldling that pursueth vanity, and spendeth his life in a dream or shew; this opinion would make mens wisdom, and honesty, and piety, to be the vanity, dream and shew. But none of this can be imputed to the most wise and gracious God: He need not set up a false deceitfull hope or fear before his Creatures to keep them in obedience; nor hath he appointed their lives for so vain a work.