A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

Direct. X. Consider, that the witnesses of all these miracles, and all the churches that believed them, were taught by their own doctrine and experience, to forsake all that they had in the world, and to be reproached, hated, and persecuted of all men, and to be as lambs among wolves, in expectation of death; and all this for the hope of that blessedness promised them by a crucified, risen Christ. So that no worldly end could move them to deceive, or willingly to be deceived.

Direct. XI. Consider, how impossible it is in itself, that so many men should agree together to deceive the world, and that for nothing, and at the rate of their own undoing and death: and that they should all agree in the same narratives and doctrines so unanimously: and that none of these should ever confess the deceit, and disgrace the rest. All things well considered, this will appear not only a moral, but a natural impossibility; especially considering their quality and distance, there being thousands in several countries that never saw the faces of the rest, much less could enter a confederacy with them, to deceive the world.

Direct. XII. Consider the certain way by which the doctrine and writings of the apostles, and other evangelical messengers, have been delivered down to us, without any possibility of material alteration. Because the holy Scriptures were not left only to the care of private men, or of the christians of one country, who might have agreed upon corruptions and alterations; but it was made the office of the ordinary ministers to read, and expound, and apply them. And every congregation had one or more of these ministers: and the people received the Scriptures as the law of God, and that by which they must live and be judged, and as their charter for heaven. So that it was not possible for one minister to corrupt the Scripture text, but the rest, with the people, would have quickly reproved him; nor for those of one kingdom to bring all other christians to it throughout the world, without a great deal of consultation and opposition (if at all); which never was recorded to us.

Direct. XIII. Be acquainted as fully as you can with the history of the church, that you may know how the gospel hath been planted, and propagated, and assaulted, and preserved until now: which will much better satisfy you, than general, uncertain talk of others.

Direct. XIV. Judge whether God, being the wise and merciful Governor of the world, would suffer the honestest and obedientest subjects that he hath upon earth, to be deceived in a matter of such importance, by pretence of doctrines and miracles proceeding from himself, and which none but himself (or God by his special grant) is able to do, without disowning them, or giving any sufficient means to the world to discover the deceit.[138] For certainly, he needeth not deceit to govern us. If you say that he permits Mahometanism, I answer, 1. The main, positive doctrine of the Mahometans, for the worshipping of one only God, against idolatry, is true: and the by-fancies of their pretended prophet, are not commended to the world upon the pretence of attesting miracles at all, but upon the affirmation of revelations, without any credible seal or divine attestation, and obtruded on the world by the power of the sword. 2. And God hath given the world sufficient preservatives against them, in the nullity of the proof of them, and the evident foppery of the writings and the things themselves. So that honesty and diligence will easily escape them.

Direct. XV. Observe the supernatural effects of the gospel upon the souls of believers: how it planteth on man the image of the holy God; powerfully subduing both sense and the greatest interest of the flesh, to the will of God; and making men wise and good; and putting an admirable difference between them and all other men. And then judge whether it be not God's seal, having his image first upon itself, which he doth use and honour to be the instrument of imprinting his image upon us.[139]

Direct. XVI. Mark well the certain vanity of all other religions that prevail on the earth. Idolatry and Mahometanism, which openly bear the mark of their own shame, have shared between them almost all the rest of the earth; for mere deism is scarce any where in possession; and Judaism hath no considerable inheritance; and both of them as sensibly confuted by man's corruption, necessity, and desert.

Direct. XVII. Mark the great difference between the christian part of the world, (those that receive christianity seriously and in sincerity,) and all the rest.[140] Those that are furthest from christianity, are furthest from piety, honesty, civility, or any laudable parts or conversations: most of them are beastly and ungodly; and the rest are but a little better: and ignorance and brutishness cannot be the perfection of a man. Nay, among professed christians, the multitudes that have but the name, and hate the nature and practice of it, are like swine or wolves; and some of the worst, near kin to devils. When all that receive christianity practically into their hearts and lives, are heavenly and holy, and (in the same measure that they receive it) their sins are all mortified, and they are devoted to God, and possessed with justice, charity, and patience to men, and are carried up above this world, and contemn that which the rest do make their felicity and delight. So that if that be good which doth good, then is the goodness of the christian faith apparent to all, that have any acquaintance, reason, and impartiality to judge.

Direct. XVIII. Bethink you what you should have been yourselves, if you had not been christians? Yea, what would yet be the consequent if you should fall from the christian faith? Would you not look at the life to come as doubtful? and resolve to take your pleasure in the world, and to gratify the flesh, and to neglect your souls, and to venture upon almost any vice, that seemeth necessary to your carnal ends? Christianity hath cleansed and sanctified you, if you are sanctified: and if (which God forbid!) you should forsake christianity, it is most likely you would quickly show the difference, by your dirty, fleshly, worldly lives.[141]

Direct. XIX. When you see the evidence of divine revelation and authority, it is enough to silence your doubts and cavils about particular words or circumstances. For you know that God is true and infallible; and you know that you are silly, ignorant worms, that are utterly at a loss, when you have not one at hand to open every difficulty to you: and that all arts and sciences seem full of difficulties and contradictions to ignorant, unexperienced novices.