A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

Name: A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…
Author: Richard Baxter

A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ... / by Richard Baxter.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed by R.W. for Francis Tyton, 1662

[17], 23, 384 [i.e. 374] p. · 179k words · Wing B1382 · ESTC R6046

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Part 2 › Chapter 3: Full proof (in twenty Queries) from Reason it self that there is a Life to come, and H…Part 2 › Chapter 3: Full proof (in twentie Queries) from Reason it self that there is a Life to come, and H…

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.

[ Earlier:532–547 of 1,121

:532p. 148

Quer, 15. I further ask, Whether you would be alone of this brutish Opinion, or would you have all others of your mind? If you would not have others Believe as you do, it seems you think not well of your own opinion but take it to be naught for men to hold. And why should not all men hold it if it were true? But if you would have all of that mind, it were time for you to look about you. Certainly the Law makers would make other Laws then now they do, and men would lead other kind of lives: And what security you would have of your goods; or houses; or lives a week, from the malice or covetousness of others, I cannot imagine. You would not dare to travel by the way, or look out among men: You could not trust your servants, nor your wives, or husbands, because there would be nothing but temporal punishment to restrain them, which cunning might escape. I do not think but you would rather have servants, or neighbours or husband, or wife, that believe a Life to come, then those that do not, if you had tried others but a little while, and seen how little they were to be trusted, and consequently how bad your opinion is.

Quer, 15. I further aske, Whether you would be alone of this brutish Opinion, or would you have all others of your mind? If you would not have others Believe as you do, it seems you think not well of your own opinion but take it to be naught for men to hold. And why should not all men hold it if it were true? But if you would have all of that mind, it were time for you to look about you. Certainly the Law makers would make other Laws then now they do, and men would lead other kind of lives: And what security you would have of your goods; or houses; or lives a week, from the malice or covetousness of others, I cannot imagine. You would not dare to travel by the way, or look out among men: You could not trust your servants, nor your wives, or husbands, because there would be nothing but temporal punishment to restrain them, which cunning might escape. I do not think but you would rather have servants, or neighbours or husband, or wife, that believe a Life to come, then those that do not, if you had tryed others but a little while, and seen how little they were to be trusted, and consequently how bad your opinion is.

:533p. 148–149

Quer. 16. And I would know, Whether you pretend to any honesty and Conscience, or not? If not, you will give us leave to judge of you, and trust you accordingly. If you do, then upon what ground is it possible for you to be honest? If you believe no life to come, you must take your pleasure here on earth for your chiefest happiness: and you cannot believe any proper Government of the world by the Laws, Rewards, and punishment, sufficient to restrain men from their sin. Virtue can be

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Westminster Assembly24

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