A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian EconomicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian Economics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
_Direct._ III. You must put much difference between their
different faults, and accordingly suit your reprehensions. Those must
be most severely rebuked that have most wilfulness, and those that are
faulty in matters of greatest weight. Some faults are so much through
mere disability and unavoidable frailty of the flesh, that there is
but little of the will appearing in them. These must be more gently
handled, as deserving more compassion than reproof. Some are habituate
vices, and the whole nature is more desperately depraved than in
others. These must have more than a particular correction. They must
be held to such a course of life, as may be most effectual to destroy
and change those habits. And some there are upright at the heart, and
in the main and most momentous things, are guilty but of some actual
faults; and of these, some more seldom, and some more frequent; and if
you do not prudently diversify your rebukes according to their faults,
you will but harden them, and miss of your ends; for there is a family
justice that must not be overthrown, unless you will overthrow your
families; as there is a more public justice necessary to the public
good.
_Direct._ IV. Be a good husband to your wife, and a good father
to your children, and a good master to your servants, and let love
have dominion in all your government, that your inferiors may easily
find, that it is their interest to obey you. For interest and
self-love are the natural rulers of the world. And it is the most
effectual way to procure obedience or any good, to make men perceive
that it is for their own good, and to engage self-love for you; that
they may see that the benefit is like to be their own. If you do them
no good, but are sour, and uncourteous, and closehanded to them, few
will be ruled by you.
_Direct._ V. If you would be skilful in governing others, learn
first exactly to command yourselves. Can you ever expect to have
others more at your will and government than yourselves? Is he fit to
rule his family in the fear of God and a holy life, who is unholy and
feareth not God himself? Or is he fit to keep them from passion, or
drunkenness, or gluttony, or lust, or any way of sensuality, that
cannot keep himself from it? Will not inferiors despise such reproofs
which are by yourselves contradicted in your lives? You know this true
of wicked preachers; and is it not as true of other governors?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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