Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Direflions foryou~g Students. 5 . It is but few men that are born with an acumen fit for Wridngs and Controverfies ; Thofe few mutt read the more: to be fir for it : The rcfi may rake up with fuch Preparations as they have ufe for, and cxercife them, viz. in the Pafioral ovcrfight of the A~cks, and propagating plain and nccefTary truths : And rherdore though I am one that have been thought to burden mens underfiandings with Methods, diftintlions, directions and controvcrfies, it is but few that I perfwade ro ufe them, and am as much as any for mofi mens adhering to plain fundamentals, and truths of daily ufe, and Love and honour thofc that go no further, and are fa'ithful in this work : fo be it lhey have not the Pride to rh-ink that they know mOre than they do, and to wrangle againtl that which they underlland not, and fet not the ChUrch on fire as ancient Ignorance did; bv accufing rho{!: of Hcrefie that knew more than them{elvcs, ":hen they got.but the Throne or th~ Mtj9r Vote-. . 6. That though I ch~<fly commena Syllemes of Thcologte, I know not one whofe method fatif– fieth me, as well agreeing with Scripture, and rhe matter ( clfe I had not troubled my felf fo mucb to feek a right method, and propofe what I found ) : And I think no common Method rliOre genuine, than theirs t~at cxpot!nd the Ctced, Lords Prayer, and Dec•loguc, and the Sacraments, as the fum of all. 7 • I mention none of my own Writ_ings; for ~t. will feem· vanity: But) as many as they arc, I wrote none which I thought nccdlcfs at the t1me of wrmng them. 8. Though none lhould have fo great fitnefs for the holy education of Children and Government of I-~arnilies 2s Minifiers, yet fogreat is the workof Ovcrfccing the flock, requiring more time and parts than all that we have, and fo %teat are the matters of our fiudics and labours, requiring our to· .tal and moll fcrious thoughts that I carnefity advife all that can poffibly to live fingle and without a family, 1ell they marr their work by a divided mind: For nunquam bem fit, quod fit pr.e~octupato animo, faith Hicrvme truly. The whole man, and whole time is -all too little ln fo great a work. ,,, The End of the third T 0 M E. "' 1. ~~~ • .i.! A 11\ r .tf 1;. ,\ 11 ,, 1 "~... n , ... J • ~l tn ,~,~ If. I/•

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