A27016:662
A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…
A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Francis Tyton, 1662
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
7. Yea this is not all, but your words do tend to Brutishness it self. Pagans did believe (for the most part) a life after this. And Julian that Apostate Infidel himself doth prescribe to all his Idols Priests a very strict and Religious life, according to the Religion which he owned; and professeth that all care and temperance and piety should be used to please God, and obtain the happiness to come. And shall men called Christians take the very Infidels for Puritans, and be worse then Heathens? If we have not another life to look after, then what are we but beasts that perish? If you think that you die like beasts, call your selves beasts, and never more own the name of men. If you are not beasts but men, that have you souls to save or lose, to be happy or miserable for ever. And is it not worth all our care & labour to look after them?
7. Yea this is not all, but your words do tend to Brutishness it self. Pagans did believe (for the most part) a life after this. And Julian that Apostate Infidel himself doth prescribe to all his Idols Priests a very strict and Religious life, according to the Religion which he owned; and professeth that all care and temperance and piety should be used to please God, and obtain the happiness to come. And shall men called Christians take the very Infidels for Puritanes, and be worse then Heathens? If we have not another life to look after, then what are we but beasts that perish? If you think that you die like beasts, call your selves beasts, and never more own the name of men. If you are not beasts but men, that have you souls to save or lose, to be happy or miserable for ever. And is it not worth all our care & labour to look after them?
8. Another reason why I will never believe you, that the world was better when there was less preaching and Religion, is because you speak against the very end and nature of preaching and Religion. For the word of God is written and preached to this very end, to make men better. And is that the way to undo the world, to persuade them to amend! O Impudent malignant tongues! What doth the word of God speak against but sin! Doth it anywhere speak against any thing that is Good? or doth ⟨p. 187⟩