A69533:1411
Five disputations of church-government and worship
Five disputations of church-government and worship by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659
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.
§. 33. 3. And far is it from the power of man to obtrude at all upon another any supernatural matters, and Command him to believe them, though but with a humane faith, when he cannot prove that the things are committed to him, nor give men an Evidence of their Credibility. He may not say [Though God revealed not these supernatural matters to me, yet hath he given me Authority to command you to believe them, or made it your duty to believe them, when I speak them, though without Evidence of Credibility.] So that here are three sorts of things about matters of Belief that man may not do. The first is, that he may not Counterfeit a Divine Revelation: and the 2. is, he may not command men to believe his lawful humane testimony, with a faith equal to Divine: and 3. he may not command so much as a humane faith to supernatural assertions which he had no authority to utter. I speak this about mens power in matters of faith, as preparatory to that about worship.
§. 33. 3. And far is it from the power of man to obtrude at all upon another any supernatural matters, and Command him to believe them, though but with a humane faith, when he cannot prove that the things are committed to him, nor give men an Evidence of their Credibility. He may not say [Though God revealed not these supernatural matters to me, yet hath he given me Authority to command you to believe them, or made it your duty to believe them, when I speak them, though without Evidence of Credibility.] So that here are three sorts of things about matters of Belief that man may not do. The first is, that he may not Counterfeit a Divine Revelation: and the 2. is, he may not command men to believe his lawfull humane testimony, with a faith equall to Divine: and 3. he may not command so much as a humane faith to supernatural assertions which he had no authority to utter. I speak this about mens power in matters of faith, as preparatory to that about worship.
§. 34. In like sort, 1. Man may not say [This God hath commanded you in or about his worship] when it is not so: For this were to belie God, and to add to his Law, as if it said that which it doth not say. Here none I hope will gainsay me.