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A27016 A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ... / by Richard Baxter. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1662 (1662) Wing B1382; ESTC R6046 353,617 442

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Call your able Pastors to debate it 2. And remember that they have the Scripture and the far greater part of the universal Church and the senses of all the world to confute before they can make good the cause their of ambitious Clergy If you are but sure you know Bread and Wine when you see and feel and smell and taste them then you are at the end of controversie with the Papists Above all see that you maintain the Love of God and a heavenly mind and mortified affections and grow not opinionative superficial or loose in your Religion For he that is heartily of no Religion is prepared to be of any Religion And it is because men are false to the acknowledged Truth that they are given up to make a Religion of deceit and falshood Your fidelity to your King and Countrey obligeth you to do your part to preserve the subjects from a disease so injurious to them Saith Dr. Sherman in his late Account of Faith against the Papist Pres p. 4 5. If Kings would think upon it there mi●●● be no Popes since if Popes could well help it there should be no Kings 5. Take heed of all temptations to turbulency resisting of Authority or other unlawfull means in the obeying of your passions or discontents As God chose most eminently to Glorifie his Power under the Law of Works and the spirit of bondage to fear did much prevail but under the Gospel he hath chosen most eminently to magnifie his Goodness Love and Mercy so accordingly is the impress made upon his servants hearts They are animated by Love for the propagating of Love and therefore must work with Instruments of Love And if we had well learnt the Doctrine and Example of our Lord and made it our work to Love all and to do good to all and hurt to none and with meekness and patience to let any hurt us rather then do any thing for our own defence which is against the Law of Love we should see that Christianity would better thrive when it would be better understood by the practice of the professors Often have I noted that a whole flock of sheep will run away from the smallest dog and yet there is few of them killed by dogs because they are under their Masters care when a Woolf or Fox is pursued by all and few of them suffered to live And oft have I observed that when men that shift for themselves can scarce pass the streets yet children play in the way of Carts and Coaches without hurt while every one takes it for his care to preserve them that cannot take care of and preserve themselves And though the Deer that is within the Park is killed when the Owner please yet he is preserved there from others when the wild and stragling Deer that are abroad are a prey to any man that can catch or kill them He that saveth his life shall lose it and he that loseth it for Christ shall save it The Lord stablish strengthen direct and preserve you to his Kingdom and keep you from the passions of corrupted nature and from the snares and rage of a deceitful and malicious world I beseech you continue yet your prayers for him that desireth no greater advancement in the world than to be The servant of Christ and Helper of your Joy Rich. Baxter June 7. 1662. The Contents Part 1. PReface The contempt of Godliness rebuked pag. 1 Godliness described What it containeth and what I mean by Godliness throughout this Treatise p. 5 Signs of true Godliness p. 14 Directions for such as will be soundly and sincerely godly p. 18 LUke 10 41 42. The design of the Treatise p. 1 The Text explained p. 3 c. 1. Obs Nearest natural relations are not alwayes of one mind in the matters of salvation p. 8 2. Obs When Christ cometh into the house he is presently at work for the hearers souls p. 8 3. Obs When the word is preached we must hear p. 9 4. Obs The humility of Disciples in those times ib. The sense of the Text in seven Doctrines p. 10 Doct. 1. One thing is Needful It is One thing that is absolutely Necessary but they busie themselves about many that neglect this one p. 11 In what respect it is One and but One ibid. How the troubling matters of the world are many p. 13 How far the One thing is Necessary p. 15 Q● Are not other things Needful in their places p. 18 The Application 1. by way of inquiry how you have sought the One thing Necessary p. 20 How a true Christian differeth from all hypocrites p. 22 1. Whatever you have been doing in the world you have but lost your Time if you have not done the One thing Needful p. 25 2. And you have lost all your labour p. 26 3. You have been busily undoing your selves p. 29 4. You have unman'd your selves and lived below your Reason and as beside your wits p. 32 The madness of them that are afraid of being Godly lest it make them mad p. 34 5. You have but abused and lost all your mercies p. 37 38 6. You have neglected Christ his Grace and Spirit p. 40 7. Your hopes and peace are but delusions and irrational p. 41 Use 2. To lament the distracted course of worldlings p. 43 Use 3. Exhortation What course will you take for time to come p. 48 Consider 1. It is Necessity that is pleaded with you p. 51 2. It is but One thing that God hath made Necessary p. 56 3. This One thing is that Good part p. 59 4. This Good part is offered you and you have your choice whether God or the world heaven or earth shall be your portion p. 61 Qu. How is it in our choice have we free-will p. 63 5. If you choose it it shall never be taken from you p. 65 A full confutation of those ungodly ones that deny the Necessity of a holy life p. 69. in 30 Queries Obj. It is not Godliness but your procise way that we call needless The particulars of a holy life examined p. 83. 1. Much preaching and hearing p. 85 2. Reading Scriptures 3. and servent Prayer p. 86 3. Diligent instructing families p. 88 4. The holy observation of the Lords Day justified p. 89 7. Strictness of life in avoiding sin p. 92 8. The rigour of Church Discipline p. 94 Obj. It is but few that are so strict p. 97 The second Part. CHap. 1. Holiness and its fruits are the Best part Wherein the Happiness of Saints consisteth p. 101. Why most men choose it not What is set in the Ballance against it p. 110 The excuses of refusers answered p. 112 Chap. 2. What he must do in reason that will be resolved which is the best part and way And who shall be the judge p. 114 Chap. 3. Twenty Queries for the full conviction of all Rational men that are willing to understand the truth that There is a Life to come of
A SAINT OR A BRUTE The Certain Necessity and Excellency of Holiness c. So plainly proved and urgently applyed as by the blessing of God may convince and save the miserable impenitent ungodly Sensualists if they will not let the Devil hinder them from a sober and serious reading and considering To be Communicated by the Charitable that desire the Conversion and Salvation of souls while the Patience of God and the day of Grace and Hope continue By Richard Baxter The First Part Shewing the Necessity of Holiness LONDON Printed by R. W. for Francis Tyton at the three daggers in Fleet-street and Nevil Simmons Bookseller at Kederminster Anno Dom. 1662. To my dearly beloved Friends the Inhabitants of Kederminster in Worcestershire and my late Auditors in the City of London Confirming Grace with Patience Love and Peace be multiplyed Dear Friends ONce more through the great mercy of God I have liberty to send you a Preacher for your private families which may speak to you truly and plainly though not elegantly when I cannot and when I lie silent in the dust I take it for no small mercy that I have been so much employed about the Great and Necessary things in despight of all the malice of Satan who would have entangled me and taken up my time in personal vindications and barren controversies As I never knew that I had one enemy in the world that ever was acquainted with me so those that know me disswading me from Apologies against the accusations of those that know me not have spared my time for better work Though there is about fifty writings in whole or part against me published by Infidels Seekers Familists Enthusiasts Quakers Papists Antinomians Levellers Covenant-breakers State-subverters Church-dividers besides impatient dissenting Brethren and Dependants that took it for the rising way I yet find no cause as to the present age and those that know me to be at any great care or pains for a defence while malicious lyes do but make men wonder that wrinkled Envy should be so mad as to come so naked on the Stage and shew her ugly deformities to the world and could not stay at least till Wit had helpt her to a Cloak I was also when I first intended Writing under another temptation being of their mind that thought that nothing should be made publike but what a man had first laid out his choicest art upon I thought to have acquainted the world with nothing but what was the work of Time and Diligence But my conscience soon told me that there was too much of Pride and Selfishness in this and that Humility and Self-denyal required me to lay by the affectation of that stile and spare that industrie which tended but to advance my name with men when it hindred the main work and crost my end And Providence drawing forth some popular unpolished Discourses and giving them success beyond my expectation did thereby rebuke my selfish thoughts and satisfie me that the Truths of God do perform their work more by their Divine Authority and proper Evidence and material Excellency than by any ornaments of fleshly wisdom and as Seneca saith though I will not despise an elegant Physicion yet will I not think my self much the happyer for his adding eloquence to his healing art Being encouraged then by Reason and Experience I venture these popular Sermons into the world and especially for the use of you my late Auditors that heard them I bless God that when more worthy Labourers are fain to weep over their obstinate unprofitable unthankful people and some are driven away by their injuries and put to shake off the dust of their feet against them I am rather forced to weep over my own unthankful heart that did not sufficiently value the mercy of a faithful flock who parted with me rather as the Ephesians with Paul Acts 20. and who have lived according to this Plain and Necessary doctrine which they have received Among whom Papists that perswade men that our doctrine tendeth to divisions can find no divisions or sects Who have constantly disowned both the Ambitious usurpations which have shaken the Kingdom and the Factions Censoriousness and cruel violence in the Church which Pride hath generated and nourished in this trying Age. Among whom I have enjoyed so very large a proportion of mercy in the liberty of so long an exercise of my Ministry with so unusual advantage and success that I must be disingenuously unthankfull if I should murmure and repine at the present restraining hand of God But I must say with David 2 Sam. 15. 25. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me the Ark and habitation There or elswhere use me in his service But if he say I have no delight in thee behold here I am let him do to me as it seemeth good unto him And now with this Treatise let me leave you these few seasonable requests 1. Be faithful to your faithful Pastors Think not that you can live in order and safety without their Ministry When you can attend their publike Ministry Refuse not their more private help Read well my two sheets for the Ministry Where the lawful Pastor is there the Church is Be not either impiously indifferent in your worshipping of God or peevishly quarrelsom with what is commanded or practised by others nor disobedient to Authority in lawful things 2. Maintain still your antient Love and Unity and Peace among yourselves and improve your company and converse to the advantage of your souls Be daily interlocutory preachers to one another Speak as the Oracles of God and Preach by a holy patient harmless charitable and heavenly life This kind of Preaching none can silence but your own corruptions 3. Improve the profitable books which are among you 1. Read them frequently and reverently and seriously to your families when you have called them together and prayed for Gods blessing 2. Carry them abroad with you and when you fall into company where you cannot better spend your time read to them some seasonable passages of such writings 3. Give or Lend them to those that need and want either Purses or Hearts to provide them and get them to promise you to read them and enquire after the success By such improvement Books may become such Seconds or Substi●utes to publike preaching as that they may not be the least support of Religion and means to mens edification and salvation 4. Make special and diligent provision to satisfie your selves and others against Popery which is like to be none of the least of your temptations To this end I pray you read well the single sheet against Popery which I published and give of them abroad to others where there is need Read also my other books against it My Safe Religion and Key for Catholicks and Dispute with Mr. Johnson and Dr. Challoners Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam And when their sophistry puzzleth you 1.