A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
Here note, 1. That primarily these two great principles of faith, God
is true, and this is God's revelation, are not themselves _credenda_,
the material objects of divine faith, but of knowledge. 2. That yet
the result of both is _de fide_, matter of faith. 3. And the same
principles are secondarily _de fide_, as it is that there is a God.
For though they are first to be known by natural evidence, yet when
the Scripture is opened to us, we shall find them there revealed; and
so the same thing may be the object both of knowledge and of faith. 4.
And faith itself is a sort of knowledge; for though human faith have
that uncertainty in its premises, (for the most part,) as forbiddeth
us to say, (properly,) I know this to be true, because such a man said
it; yet divine faith hath that certainty which may make it an
excellent sort of knowledge; as I have proved copiously elsewhere. In
believing man we argue thus, Whatsoever so wise and honest a man
saith, is credible, that is, most likely to be true: but this he
saith; therefore, &c. But in believing God we argue thus, Whatever God
saith is credible, that is, as infallible truth: but this God saith;
therefore, &c. So that the word credible, signifieth not the same
thing in the two arguments; nor are divine faith and human faith the
same.
[Sidenote: To know that the gospel is his word.]
6. The next thing that the preacher hath to teach you, is the proof of
the aforesaid minor proposition (for the major was proved in the proof
of a Deity); and that is thus: The gospel which Christ and his
apostles first preached, and is now delivered in the sacred
Scriptures, is the word, or infallible revelation, of God: but this
doctrine, that Christ, with faith, and repentance, and obedience on
our parts, are the way to life eternal, is the gospel which Christ and
his apostles first preached, &c.; therefore it is the word of God. For
the minor you need not take your teacher's word, if you can read; for
you may see it in the Bible (of which more anon): but the major is
that which all men desire to be assured of, That the gospel is God's
word. And for that, though a belief of your teacher is a help and
good preparatory, yet you are not there to stop, but to use him as a
teacher to show you the truth of it in the proofs: or else you must
take any thing for God's word, which your teacher affirmeth to be
such. And the proof which he will give you, must be some divine
attestation which may be showed to those whom we would convince.
[Sidenote: The Divine attestation of the gospel.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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