A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian EthicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the
holy Scriptures, than in any other book whatever, so it hath more
power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by
imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so
it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make
the reader more reverent, serious, and divine. Let Scripture be first
and most in your hearts and hands, and other books be used as
subservient to it. The endeavours of the devil and papists to keep it
from you, doth show that it is most necessary and desirable to you.
And when they tell you, that all heretics plead the Scriptures, they
do but tell you, that it is the common rule or law of christians,
which therefore all are fain to pretend; as all lawyers and wranglers
plead the law of the land, be their cause never so bad, and yet the
laws must not be therefore concealed or cast aside: and they do but
tell you, that in their concealment or dishonouring the Scriptures,
they are worse than any of those heretics. When they tell you that
the Scriptures are misunderstood, and abused, and perverted to
maintain men's errors, they might also desire that the sun might be
obscured, because the purblind do mistake, and murderers and robbers
do wickedly by its light; and that the earth might be subverted,
because it bears all evil-doers; and highways stopped up, because men
travel in them to do evil; and food prohibited, because it nourisheth
men's diseases. And when they have told you truly of a law or rule
(whether made by pope or council) which bad men cannot misunderstand,
or break, or abuse and misapply, then hearken to them, and prefer that
law, as that which preventeth the need of any judgment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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