Prayer by all the Ministers at Worcester where they desired me to preach But Weakness and other things hindered me from that Day but to compensate that I enlarged and published the Sermon which I had prepared for them and entitled the Treatise Gildas Salvianus because I imitated Gildas and Salvianus in my Liberty of Speech to the Pastors of the Churches or The reformed Pastor I have very great Cause to be thankful to God for the Success of that Book as hoping many thousand Souls are the better for it in that it prevailed with many Ministers to set upon that Work which I there exhort them to Even from beyond the Seas I have had Letters of Request to direct them how they might bring on that Work according as that Book had convinced them that it was their Duty If God would but reform the Ministry and set them on their Duties zealously and faithfully the People would certainly be reformed All Churches either rise or fall as the Ministry doth rise or fall not in Riches and worldly Grandure but in Knowledge Zeal and Ability for their Work But since Bishops were restored this Book is useless and that Work not medled with § 178. 23. When the part of the Parliament called the Rump or Common-wealth was sitting the Anabaptists Seekers c. flew so high against Tythes and Ministry that it was much feared lest they would have prevailed at last Wherefore I drew up a Petition for the Ministry which is printed under the Name of the Worcestershire Petition which being presented by Coll. Iohn Bridges and Mr. Thomas Foley was accepted with Thanks and seemed to have a considerable tendency to some good Resolutions § 179. But the Sectaries greatly regard against that Petition and one wrote a vehement Invective against it which I answered in a Paper called The Defence of the Worcestershire Petition which by an Over-sight is mained by the want of the Answer to one of the Accusers Queries I knew not what kind of Person he was that I wrote against but it proved to be a Quaker they being just now rising and this being the first of their Books as far as I can remember that I had ever-seen § 180. 24. Presently upon this the Quakers began to make a great Stirr among us and acted the Parts of Men in Raptures and spake in the manner of Men inspired and every where railed against Tythes and Ministers They sent many Papers of Queries to divers Ministers about us And to one of the chief of them I wrote an Answer and gave them as many more Questions to answer entiâ—uling it The Quakers Catechism These Pamphlets being but one or two Days Work were no great Interruption to my better Labours and as they were of small Worth so also of small Cost The same Ministers of our Country that are now silenced are they that the Quakers most vehemently opposed medling little with the rest The marvellous concurrence of Instruments telleth us that one principal Agent doth act them all I have oft asked the Quakers lately why they chose the same Ministers to revile whom all the Drunkards and Swearers rail against And why they cryed out in our Assemblies Come down thou Deceiver thou Hireling thou Dog and now never meddle with the Pastors or Congregations And they answer 1. That these Men sin in the open Light and need none to discover them 2. That the Spirit hath his times both of Severity and of Lenity But the Truth is they knew then they might be bold without any Fear of Suffering by it And now it is time for them to save their Skins they suffer enough for their own Assemblies 181. 25. The great Advancement of the Popish Interest by their secret agency among the Sectaries Seekers Quakers Behmenists c. did make me think it necessary to do something directly against Popery and so I published three Disputations against them one to prove our Religion safe and another to prove their Religion unsafe and a third to shew that they overthrew the Faith by the ill Resolution of their Faith This Book I entituled The safe Religion § 182. 26. About the same time I fell into troublesom Acquaintance with one Clement Writer of Worcester an ancient Man that had long seemed a forward Professor of Religiousness and of a good Conversation but was now perverted to I know not what A Seeker he profest to be but I easily perceived that he was either a jugling Papist or an Infidel but I more suspected the latter He had written a scornful Book against the Ministry called Ius Divinum Presbyterii and after two more against the Scripture and against me one called Fides Divina the other 's Title I remember not His Assertion to me was that no Man is bound to believe in Christ that doth not see confirming Miracles himself with his own Eyes By the Provocations of this Apostate I wrote a Book called The unreasanableness of Infidelity consisting of four Parts The first of the extrinsick Witness of the Spirit by Miracles c. to which I annexed a Disputation against Clement Writer to prove that the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles oblige us to believe that did not see them The Second part was of the intrinsick Witness of the Spirit to Christ and Scripture The Third was of the Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And the Fourth was to repress the Arrogancy of reasoning against Divine Revelations All this was intended but as a Supplement to the Second Part of The Saints Rest where I had pleaded for the Truth of Scripture But this Subject I have since more fully handled in my Reasons of the Christian Religion At the time Mr. Gilbert a learned Minister in Shropshire wrote a Small concise Tractate in Latin as against a Book of Dr. Owen's though his intimate Friend to prove that Christ's Death was not necessary absolutely but of Divine Free Choice and in answer to that Book I wrote a brief Premonition to my Treatise against Infidelity to decide that Controversy § 183. 27. Mr. Tho. Foley being High Sheriff desired me to preach before the Judges which I did on Gal. 6. 16. and enlarged it to a Treatise entituled The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ for Mortification and put an Epistle somewhat large before it to provoke rich Men to good Works § 184. 28. Some Men about this time persuaded me that if I would write a few single Sheets on several Subjects though the Style were not very moving yet it would do more good than larger Volumes because most people will buy and read them who will neither buy nor read the larger Whereupon I wrote first One Sheet against the Quakers containing those Reasons which should satisfie all Sober Men against their way § 185. 29. The Second Sheet I called A Winding Sheet for Popery containing a Summary of Moderate and Effectual Reasons against Popery which single sheet no Papist hitherto hath answered §
eleven Weeks and at the same time the Army being come up from the West lay in siege at Oxford By this time Col. Whalley though Cromwell's Kinsman and Commander of the Trusted Regiment grew odious among the Sectarian Commanders at the Head-quarters for my sake and he was called a Presbyterian though neither he nor I were of that Judgment in several Points And Major Sallowey not omitting to use his industry in the matter to that end when he had brought the City to a necessity of present yielding two days or three before it yielded Col. Rainsboroug was sent from Oxford which was yielded with some Regiments of Foot to Command in Chief partly that he might have the honour of taking the City and partly that he might be Governour there and not Whalley when the City was Surrendred And so when it was yielded Rainsborough was Governour to head and gratifie the Sectaries and settle the City and Country in their way But the Committee of the County were for Whalley and lived in distaste with Rainsborough and the Sectaries prospered there no further than Worcester City it self a Place which deserved such a Judgment but all the Country was free from their Infection § 80. All this while as I had friendly Converse with the sober part so I was still employed with the rest as before in Preaching Conference and Disputing against their Confounding Errours And in all Places where we went the Sectarian Soldiers much infected the Countreys by their Pamphlets and Converse and the People admiring the conquering Army were ready to receive whatsoever they commended to them And it was the way of the Faction to speak what they spake as the Sense of the Army and to make the People believe that whatever Opinion they vented which one of forty in the Army owned not it was the Army's Opinion When we quarter'd at Agmondesham in Buckinghamshire some Sectaries of Chesham had set up a Publick Meeting as for Conference to propagate their Opinions through all the Country and this in the Church by the encouragement of an ignorant Sectarian Lecturer one Bramble whom they had got in while Dr. Crook the Pastor and Mr. Richardson his Curate durst not contradict them When this Publick Talking day came Bethel's Troopers then Capt. Pitchford's with other Sectarian Soldiers must be there to confirm the Chesham Men and make Men believe that the Army was for them And I thought it my Duty to be there also and took divers sober Officers with me to let them see that more of the Army were against them than for them I took the Reading Pew and Pitchford's Cornet and Troopers took the Gallery And there I found a crowded Congregation of poor well-meaning People that came in the Simplicity of their Hearts to be deceived There did the Leader of the Chesham Men begin and afterward Pitchford's Soldiers set in and I alone disputed against them from Morning until almost Night for I knew their trick that if I had but gone out first they would have prated what boasting words they listed when I was gone and made the People believe that they had baffled me or got the best therefore I stayed it out till they first rose and went away The abundance of Nonsense which they uttered that day may partly be seen in Mr. Edward's Gangraena for when I had wrote a Letter of it to a Friend in London that and another were put into Mr. Edward's Book without my Name But some of the sober People of Agmondesham gave me abundance of thanks for that Days work which they said would never be there forgotten And I heard that the Sectaries were so discouraged that they never met there any more I am sure I had much thanks from Dr. Crook and Mr. Richardson who being obnoxious to their displeasure for being for the King durst not open their mouths themselves And after the Conference I talkt with the Lecturer Mr. Bramble or Bramley and found him little wiser than the rest § 81. The great Impediments of the Success of my Endeavours I found were only two 1. The discountenance of Cromwell and the chief Officers of his Mind which kept me a stranger from their Meetings and Councils 2. My incapacity of Speaking to many because Soldiers Quarters are scattered far from one another and I could be but in one Place at once So that one Troop at a time ordinarily and some few more extraordinarily was all that I could speak too The most of the Service I did beyond Whalley's Regiment was by the help of Capt. Lawrence with some of the General 's Regiment and sometimes I had Converse with Major Harrison and some others But I found that if the Army had but had Ministers enough that would have done but such a little as I did all their Plot might have been broken and King Parliament and Religion might have been preserved Therefore I sent abroad to get some more Ministers among them but I could get none Saltmarsh and Dell were the two great Preachers at the Head Quarters only honest and judicious Mr. Edward Bowles kept still with the General At last I got Mr. Cook of Roxhall to come to assist me and the soberer part of the Officers and Soldiers of Whalley's Regiment were willing to pay him out of their own pay And a Month or two he stayed and assisted me but was quickly weary and left them again He was a very worthy humble laborious Man unwearid in preaching but weary when he had not opportunity to preach and weary of the Spirits he had to deal with § 82. All this while though I came not near Cromwell his Designs were visible and I saw him continually acting his part The Lord General suffered him to govern and do all and to choose almost all the Officers of the Army He first made Ireton Commissary General and when any Troop or Company was to be disposed of or any considerable Officer's place was void he was sure to put a Sectary in the place and when the brunt of the War was over he lookt not so much at their Valour as their Opinions So that by degrees he had headed the greatest part of the Army with Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers or Separatists at best and all these he tied together by the point of Liberty of Conscience which was the Common Interest in which they did unite Yet all the sober Party were carried on by his Profession that he only promoted the Universal Interest of the Godly without any distinction or partiality at all But still when a place fell void it was Twenty to one a Sectary had it and if a Godly Man of any other Mind or temper had a mind to leave the Army he would secretly or openly further it Yet did he not openly profess what Opinion he was of himself But the most that he said for any was for Anabaptism and Antinomianism which he usually seemed to own And Harrison who was then great with him was for the
Gospel will convince you to great Satisfaction as also of what Oppositions and Deâ—iverances and Preservations he met with there And you have here some Taâ—â—s and Informations of his Thoughts and Studies and of his Books and Letters to divers Persons of different Stations and Quality and also of what Pens and Spirits wrote against him He was of such Repute and Figure in his day as that many coveted to see his Face to hear his Voice and to receive his Resolution of weighty Cases of Conscience proposed to him And in all this you will find that verified of him which the Lord Bacon hath deliver'd from his Pen viz. Much Reading makes Men full Much Writing makes them judicious and acute and much Conversation makes them ready I have been amazed to see how hastily he turned over Volumes how intimately he understood them how strangely he retained his Reading and how pertinently he could use it to every proposed Case Men stayed not long for what they wrote to him about and what he wrote was to great satisfaction and to the purpose He wrote his Books with quick dispatch and never but when he thought them needful and his duty then to write them And when as the Reader well considers his Apology for his Books hereafter mentioned let him but seriously weigh what is alledged and accordingly form his Censures His mentioned and recited Casuistical Letters and Books savour at least of Thought and Pains and perhaps the Reader 's patient and attentive minding of both his mention'd Books and Letters will not be loss of time and pains And though through too much haste and heedlesness some few Escapes perhaps Inaccuracies in the beginning may distaste his curious eye yet a very few Pages following will yield him better Entertainment § VII But the great things which are as the Spirit of this History are the Accounts he gives of the Original Springs and Sources of all these Revolutions Distractions and Disasters which happen'd from the Civil Wars betwixt King Charles the First to the Restoration of Charles the Second and whaâ— was Consequent after thereupon to Church and State And here we shall find various and great Occurrences springing from different Principles Tempers and Interests directed to different Ends and resolved into different Events and Issues The Historian endeavours to be faithful candid and severe Nothing of real serviceable Truth would he conceal Nothing but what was influential on and might or did affect the Publick Interest would he expose to Publick View Nothing that might be capable of candid Interpretation or Allay would he severely censure Nothing notoriously criminal and fatal to the Common Good would he pass by without his just Resentments of it and severe Reflections on it As to his immediate Personal acquaintance with or knowledge of the things reported by him I know no further of that than as he himself relates As to what he received from others by Report how far his Information was true or false I know not Indeed I wrote with tender and affectionate respect and reverence to the Doctors Name and Memory to Madam Owen to desire her to send me what she could well attested in favour of the Doctor that I might insert it in the Margent where he is mentioned as having an hand in that Affair at Wallingford House or that I might expunge that passage But this offer being rejected with more contemptuousness and smartness than my Civility deserved I had no more to do than to let that pass upon Record and to rely upon Mr. Baxter's report and the concurrent Testimonies of such as knew the Intreagues of those Times Yet that I might deal uprightly and upon the square I have mention'd this though obiter to testifie my Respects to him with whom I never was but once but I was treated by him then with very great Civility indeed § VIII I cannot deny but it would have been of great advantage to the acceptableness and usefulness of this Book had it's Reverend Author himself revised compleated and corrected it and published it himself I am sure it had ministred more abundantly to my satisfaction for I neither craved nor expected such a Trust and Legacy as his Manuscripts Nor knew I any thing of this his kind purpose and will till two or three days before he dyed My Heart akes exceedingly at every remembrance of my incumbent Trust and at the thoughts of my Account for all at last I am deeply sensible of my inability for such Work even to discouragement and no small Consternation of Spirit I want not apprehensions of the Pardon which I shall need from God and Candour from Men both which I humbly beg for as upon the knee I know the heart and kindness and clemency of my God through Jesus Christ But I know not yet what Men will think speak write concerning me God speak to Men for me or give me Grace and Wisdom to bear and to improve their Censures and Reflections if such things must be my Discipline and Lot Quo quisque est major magis est placabilis ira Et faciles motus mens Generosa capit Corpora Magnanimo satis est prostrasse Leont Pugna suum sinem cum jacet hostis habet At lupus turpes instant Morientibus ursi Et quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est Ovid. Trist. Eleg. iv However let the Reader bear with me if I attempt to obviate what I apprehend most likely for Men to reply and urge upon me by offering these things to serious and impartial Thoughts relating to 1. The Author 2. The Treatise 3. The Publication And 4. My self First the Author 1. He was one who lov'd to see and set things in their clearest and most genuine Light he well considered what sort and size of Evidence and Proof all things were capable of Matters of Sense are evident by their due Appulses on the Senses Matters of Doctrinal Truth by Demonstration Matters of History by credible report and he could consider well how Certainty and Probability differed Nor was he willing to he imposed upon or deceived through Prejudice Laziness Interest or a factious Spirit To say he never was mistaken for undoubtedly he had his Errours and Mistakes some of them retracted and publickly acknowledg'd by him when discern'd is to attribute more to him than any meer Man can say and more than any impartial and severe Student will arrogate to himself I shall never call the Retractation of a discovered Errour or Mistake a Fault but rather a commendable Excellence and I judge it better to argue closely than bitterly to recriminate or traduce Truth needs neither Scoff nor Satyr to defend it 2. This made him so solicitous to leave behind him such an Impartial Account of the History of his Times and of his own Endeavours in his place and day to promote Holiness Truth and Peace 3. He hence observ'd how these great Concerns were either promoted or obstructed and by whom What was
of his publick Ministry in London p. 301. His going to the Archbishop to beg a License p. 302. His Majesty's Commission for the Savoy Conference p. 303. an Account of what past at the Conference p. 305. Exceptions that Mr. Baxter drew up against the Common Prayer at that time p. 308. the Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer that were deliver'd in to the Commissioners p. 316 c. Of the choice of the Convocation and of Mr. Calamy and Mr. Baxter for London p. 333. a further account of the Conference p. 334 c. a Paper then offer'd by Dr. Cosins about a way to terminate the differences with an Answer to it p. 341 c. An Account of the Dispute manag'd in Writing at that time between Dr. Pierson Dr. Gunning Dr. Sparrow and Dr. Pierce and Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb and Mr. Baxter who were deputed for that purpose p. 346 c. A Reply to the Bishops Disputants which was not answer'd p. 350. a Continuation of the Conference p. 356. a Copy of the Part of the Bishops Divines in the Disputation p. 358. A Censure of this Conference and Account of the Managers of it p. 363. of the Ministers going up to the King after the Conference p. 365. the Petition they presented to his Majesty on that occasion p. 366. to which by reason of their Affinity is annexed a Copy of the Concessions that were made by Bishop Usher Bishop Williams Bishop Moreton Bishop Holdsworth and many others in a Committee at Westminster 1641. p. 369. Books written against Mr. Baxter by Mr. Nanfen Dr. Tompkins and others p. 373. He goes to Kidderminster to try if he might be permitted to preach there p. 374. Bishop Morley and his Dean endeavour to set the people there against him p. 375 376. Bp. Morley and Dr. Boreman write against him p. 377. Mr. Bagthaw writes against the Bishop p. 378. Of the surreptitious publication of the Savoy Conference p. 379. other assaults that Mr. Baxter met with p. 380. a false report rau'd of him by Dr. Earls p. 381. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to him on that occasion with his answer to it p. 382. Divers Ministers imprison'd particularly in Worcestershire on occasion of a pretended Conspiracy p. 383. Of BLACK BARTHOLOMEW DAY 1662. wherein so many Ministers were silenc'd p. 384. of the sad consequences of that day p. 385. Mr. Calamy's imprisonment for preaching occasionally after the silencing p. 386. the state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at that time p. 336. the sum of their several Causes and the Reasons of their several ways p. 387 c. Of the King's Declaration Dec. 26. 1662. p. 430. Old Mr. Ashes Death and Character ibid Mr. James Nalton's Death and Character p. 431. How Mr. Baxter and Dr. Bates had like to have been apprehended for going to pray with a sick person p. 431. of the imprisonment of divers Ministers about the Country p. 432. Strange Iudgments of God about this time turn'd by the Devil to his own advantage ibid. Much talk about an Indulgence or a Comprehension in 1663. p. 433. An Answer sent in a Letter to an honourable Person at that time to this Question Whether the way of Comprehension or Indulgence be more desirable p. 434. But the Parliament that then sate considerably added to former rigour p. 435. Mr. Baxter and others go to the Assemblies of the Church of England p. 436. His Answer to the Objections against this practice and Reasons for it p. 438. He retires to Acton p. 440. A Letter to Mr. Baxter from Monsieur Amyraut another from Monsieur Sollicoffer a Switzer which by reason of the Iealousies he was under he thought not fit to answer p. 442. He debates with some ejected Ministers the Case about Communicating sometimes with the Parish Churches in the Sacraments p. 444. A Letter from my Lord Ashley with a special Case about the lawfulness of a Protestant Lady's marrying a Papist in hope of his Conversion with Mr. Baxter's reply p. 445. PART III. Written for the most part in the year 1670. OF the Plague in the year 1665 p. 1. during the Sickness some of the ejected Ministers preach in the City Churches p. 2. at the same time the Five-mile Act was fram'd at Oxford ibid a Censure of the Act p. 3. the reasons of mens refusal to take the Oath imposed by that Act p. 5. Queries upon the Oxford Oath p. 7. further Reflections on it p. 10. Twenty Nonconforming Ministers take this Oath p. 13. a Letter from Dr. Baâ—es to Mr. Baxter about that affair p. 14. of the Dutch War p. 16. of the Fire of London ibid. of the Instruments of the Fire p. 18. The Nonconformists set up seperate publick Meetings p. 19. of the burning of our Ships at Chatham by the Dutch p. 20. the disgrace and banishment of my Lord Chancellour Hide ibid. Sir Orlando Bridgman made Lord Keeper p. 22. the Nonconformists conniv'd at in their Meetings ib. Mr. Baxter sent for to the Lord Keeper about a Toleration and Comprehension p. 23. Proposals then offer'd by Mr. Baxter and others p. 24. the Lord Keeper's Proposals p. 25. Alterations made by Mr. Baxter and his Associates in his Proposals p. 27. falsly pag'd 35. Reasons of these Alterations p. 28. falsly pag'd 36. Alterations of the Liturgy c. then offer'd p. 31. falsly pag'd 39. two new Proposals added and accepted with alterations p. 34. an Address of some Presbyterian Ministers to the King with a Letter of Dr. Manton's to Mr. Baxter about it p. 36. great talk of Liberty at this time but none ensued p. 38. Of the Book call'd A Friendly Debate p. 39. of Parker's Ecclesiastical Policy p. 41. of Dr. Owen's Answer and Parker's Reply p. 42. An Apologue or two familiarly representing the Heats and Feuds of those times p. 43 c. Mr. Baxter's further account of himself while he remain'd at Acton p. 46. of his acquaintance with worthy Sir Matth. Hale p. 47. of the disturbance he receiv'd at Acton p. 48. he is sent to New Prison p. 49. a Narrative of his Case at that time p. 51. the Errours of his Mittimus with an Explication of the Oxford Act p. 56. His Reflections during his imprisonment p. 58. His Release and perplexity thereupon p. 60. His Benefactours while in prison ibid. His bodily weakness ibid. An Account of his Writings since 1665. p. 61. on Account of a Treaty between him and Dr. Owen about an Agreement between the Presbyterians and the Independants p. 61. a Letter of Dr. Owen's to Mr. Baxter about that matter p. 63. Mr. Baxter's Reply to it p. 64. how it was dropp'd p. 69. of his Methodus Theologiae ibid. and some other Writings p. 70. the heat of some of his old people at Kidderminster p. 73. the renewal of the Act against Conventicles p. 74. Dr. Manton's imprisonment ibid. Great offers made to Mr. Baxter by the Earl of Lauderdail if he would go
with him into Scotland Mr. Baxter's Letter to him upon that occasion p. 75. Another Letter of his to the Earl of Lauderdail p. 77. falsly pag'd 93. a Letter of his to Sir Robert Murrey about a Body of Church Discipline for Scotland which was sent to him for his Iudgment about it p. 78. the Affair of the Marquis of Antrim with reference to his Commission from K. Charles 1. p. 83. of Du Moulin's Jugulum Causae and two Books of Dr. Fowler 's p. 85. of Serjeant Fountain's kindness to him p. 86. of Major Blood and his stealing the Crown p. 88. of the shutting up the Exchequer by which Mr. Baxter lost a thousand pounds which he had devoted to charitable uses p. 89. of Fowlis's History of Romish Treasons p. 90. Characters of many of the silenc'd Ministers of Worcestershire Warwickshire in and about London c. from p. 90 to p. 98. the second Dutch War and the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience thereupon p. 99. the different Sentiments of People about the desirableness either of an establisht Toleration or a Comprehension p. 100. Mr. Baxter gets a License p. 102. the Merchants Lecture set up at Pinners-Hall and Mr. Baxter's Accusations for his Sermons there p. 103. Malitious Writings and Accusations of Parker and others ibid. a private Conference between Mr. Baxter and Bp. Gunning p. 104 the Parliament jealous of the growth of Popery p. 106. a private Conference of Mr. Baxter's with Edward Wray Esq. about the Popish Controversies p. 107. Mr. Falkener writes for Conformity p. 108. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to the Earl of Orery about a general Union of all Protestants against Popery with Proposals for that purpose p. 109 c. the Strictures return'd upon these Proposals with the Answers to them from p. 113. to 140. More bitter and malignant Writings against the Nonconformists p. 141. a Paper of Mr. John Humphreys for Comprehension with Indulgence that was distributed among the Parliament men p. 143 c. a great change of Affairs in Scotland p. 147. a Character of Mr. Thomas Gouge the silenc'd Minister of St. Sepulchres p. 147. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to Dr. Good Master of Baliol Colledge in Oxford about some passages in a Book he had lately publish'd p. 148. fresh Accusations whereby Mr. Baxter was assaulted p. 151. a Deliverance when he was preaching over St. James's Market-house p. 152. his success while he preach't there and his opposition p. 153. a Proclamation publish'd to call in the Licenses and require the Execution of the Laws against the Nonconformists ib. false Reports about his preaching at Pinners-Hall p. 154. Mr. Baxter apprehended as a Conventicler p. 155. a difference at Court on occasion of Mr. Baxter's Sufferings p. 156. a private Treaty between Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Tillotson Dr. Bates Dr. Manton Mr. Baxter and Mr. Pool about an Act for Union and Comprehension p. 157. An Act for the Healing and Concord of his Majesty's Subjects in matters of Religion then agreed upon amongst thâ—m p. 158. Petitions Mr. Baxter was then put upon drawing up which were never presented 160. the Case of the City as to the Prosecution of Dissenters p. 165. falsly pag'd 565. an account of his trouble with Sir Thomas Davis ibid. great Debates about the Test in Parliament p. 167. a Censure of it p. 168. a penitent Confession of one of the Informers who had given Mr. Baxter much trouble p. 171. further troubles that he met with and weakness p. 172. a further Account of Sir Matthew Hale p. 175. of Mr. Read's imprisonment p. 176. Of the Additions of the years 1675 1676 1677 1678 c. OF Monsieur Le Blank 's Theses p. 177. of Dr. Jane's Sermon before my Lord Mayor and his Charge against Mr. Baxter ibid. further troubles he met with p. 178. a passage between the Bp. of Exeter and Mr. Sangar ibid. an horrid Lie reported of Mr. Baxter in a Coffee-house about his killing a Tinker the Reporter whereof was brought openly to confess his fault p. 179. Mr. Hollingworth's Sermon against the Nonconformists p. 180. a further passage of Sir Matth. Hale p. 181. Dr. Manton's death p. 182. about the Controversie of Predetermination started amongst the Nonconformists by a Book of Mr. How 's ib. of the Popish Plot and Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's murder c. p. 183. of several of Mr. Baxter's Writings p. 185. of the Writings of Dr. Stillingfleet Mr. Hinkley Mr. Dodwell and others against the Nonconformists p. 187 188. of the deaths of many of his dear Friends p. 189. some further account of Mr. Thomas Gouge p. 190. of his new apprehension and sickness p. 191. an Account of his Case at that time p. 192. the Iudgment of Saunders and Pollixtin about it p. 195. of some other of his Writings p. 196. of a Legacy of 600 l. left by Mr. Robert Mayot of Oxon to be distributed by Mr. Baxter among Sixty ejected Ministers p. 198. a further Account of his sufferings and weakness ibid. p. 199. The Appendix contains these several Pieces following Numb I. A Reply to some Exceptions against the Worcestershire Agreement a large Account whereof is given at the beginning of the second Part of this Narrative and Mr. Baxter's Christian Concord written by a nameless Author supposed to be Dr. Gunning and sent by Dr. Warmestry p. 1. Numb II. Several Letters that pass'd between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Martin Johnson about the Point of Ordination and particularly the necessity of a constant uninterrupted Succession in order to the validity of Ministerial Functions p. 18. Numb III. Several Letters between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Lamb p. 51. Numb IV. Letters and Papers between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Allen p. 67. Numb V. A Letter of Mr. Baxter's to Mr. Long of Exeter p. 108. Numb VI. A Resolution of this Case What 's to be done when the Law of the Land commands persons to go to their Parish Church and Parents require to go to private Meetings p. III Numb VII A Letter of Mr. Baxter's about the Case of Nevil Symmons Bookseller p. 117. Numb VIII Mr. Baxter's general Defence of his accused Writings call'd Seditious and Schismatical p. 119. Numb IX An Act for Concord by Reforming Parish Churches and Regulating the Toleration of Dissenters p. 127. A Letter to the Right Worshipful Sir E. H. about that matter p. 130. Be pleased Candid Reader to correct these Errours in the beginning thus PAge 1. line 29. for and read one and after rest r. and. p. 2. l. 10. after clock r. in the. and l27 dele and. p. 3. l. 35. for being r. bringing me p. 4. l. 28. dele of and l. 40. after knowledge r. was l. 42. for wonder r. wondred p. 6. l. 17. r. that part of Physick p. 8. l. 29. r. usually p. 199. l. 14. for he r. it l. 46. for rejections r. objections The rest as they occur inter legendum for I could not attend the Press and prevent the Errata THE
acquaintance at Court and get some office as being the only rising way I had no mind of his Counsel who had helped me no better before yet because that they knew that he loved me and they had no great inclination to my being a Minister my Parents accepted of his Motion He told them that if I would go up and live a while with Sir Henry Herbert then Master of the Revels he would quickly set me in a rising way I would not be disobedient but went up and stayed at Whiteball with Sir H. H. about a month But I had quickly enough of the Court when I saw a Stage-Play instead of a Sermon on the Lord's-days in the Afternoon and saw what Course was there in fashion and heard little Preaching but what was as to one part against the Puritans I was glad to be gone And at the same time it pleased God that my Mother fell sick and desired my return and so I resolved to bid farewel to those kind of Employments and Expectations While I was in London I fell into Acquaintance with a sober godly understanding Apprentice of Mr. Philemon Stephens the Bookseller whose Name was Humphrey Blunden who is since turned an extraordinary Chymist and got Iacob Behem his Books translated and printed whom I very much loved and who by his Consolatory Letters and Directions for Books did afterwards do me the Offices of an useful Friend § 11. When I was going home again into the Country about Christmas-day the greatest Snow began that hath been in this Age which continued thence till Easter at which some places had it many yards deep and before it was a very hard Frost which necessitated me to Frost-nail my Horse twice or thrice a day On the Road I met a Waggon loaded where I had no passage by but on the side of a bank which as I passed over all my Horses feet split from under him and all the Girths brake and so I was cast just before the Waggon Wheel which had gone over me but that it pleased God that suddenly the Horses stopt without any discernable cause till I was recovered which commanded me to observe the Mercy of my Protector § 12. This mindeth me of some other Dangers and Deliverances which I past over At Seventeen years of Age as I rode out on a great unruly Horse for pleasure which was wont on a sudden to get the Bitt in his Teeth and set on running as I was in a Field of high Ground there being on the other side a Quick-set Hedge a very deep narrow Lane about a Stories height below me suddenly the Horse got the Bridle as aforesaid and set on running and in the midst of his running unexpectedly turned aside and leapt over the top of the Hedge into that deep Lane I was somewhat before him at the Ground and as the Mire saved me from the hurt beneath so it pleased God that the Horse never touched me but he light with two feet on one side of me and two on the other though the place made it marvellous how his feet could fall besides me § 13. While I look back to this it maketh me remember how God at that time did cure my inclination to Gaming About Seventeen years of Age being at Ludlow Castle where many idle Gentlemen had little else to do I had a mind to learn to play at Tables and the best Gamester in the House undertook to teach me As I remember the first or second Game when he had so much the better that it was an hundred to one besides the difference of our skills the standers by laugh'd at me as well as he for not giving it up and told me the Game was lost I knew no more but that it was not lost till all my Table-men were lost and would not give it over till then He told me that he would lay me an hundred to one of it and in good earnest laid me down ten shillings to my six pence As soon as ever the Money was down whereas he told me that there was no possibility of my Game but by one Cast often I had every Cast the same I wished and he had every one according to my desire so that by that time one could go four or five times about the Room his Game was gone which put him in so great an admiration that I took the hint and believed that the Devil had the ruling of the Dice and did it to entice me on to be a Gamester And so I gave him his Ten shillings again and resolved I would never more play at Tables whilst I lived § 14. But to return to the place where I left When I came home from London I found my Mother in extremity of Pain and spent that Winter in the hearing of her Heart-piercing Groans shut up in the great Snow which many that went abroad did perish in till on May the 10th she died At Kiderminster the Town being in want of fire went all to shovel the way over the Heath to Stone-bridge from whence their Coals come and so great and sudden a storm of Snow fell as overwhelmed them so that some perished in it and others saved their Lives by getting into a little Core that standeth on the Heath and others scaped home with much ado § 15. Above a year after the Death of my Mother my Father married a Woman of great Sincerity in the Fear of God Mary the Daughter of Sir Tho. Hunkes whose Holiness Mortification Contempt of the World and fervent Prayer in which she spent a great part of her Life have been so exceeding Exemplary as made her a Special Blessing to our Family an Honour to Religion and an honourable Pattern to those that knew her She lived to be 96 years old § 16. From the Age of 21 till near 23 my Weakness was so great that I expected not to live above a year and my own Soul being under the serious apprehension of the Matters of another World I was exceeding desirous to Communicate those Apprehensions to such ignorant presumptuous careless Sinners as the World aboundeth with But I was in a very great perplexity between my Encouragements and my Discouragements I was conscious of my personal insufficiency for want of that measure of Learning and Experience which so great and high a Work required I knew that the want of Academical Honours and Degrees was like to make me Contemptible with the most and consequently hinder the Success of my Endeavours But yet expecting to be so quickly in another World the great Concernments of miserable Souls did prevail with me against all these Impediments and being conscious of a thirsty desire of Mens Conversion and Salvation and of some competent perswading Faculty of Expression which â—ervent Affections might help to actuate I resolved that if one or two Souls only might be won to God it would easily recompence all the dishonour which for want of Titles I might undergo from Men And
not prejudiced by partiality against this Book my Key for Catholicks have let me know that it hath not been without Success It being indeed a sufficient Armory for to furnish a Protestant to defend his Religion against all the Assaults of the Papists whatsoever and teacheth him how to answers all their Books The second part doth briefly deal with the French and Grotian Party that are for the Supremacy of a Council at least as to the Legislative Power and sheweth that we never had a general Council nor can it be at all expected § 195. 39. But the Book which hath furnished my Enemies with matter of Reviling which none must dare to answer is my Holy Commonwealth The Occasion of it was this when our Pretorian Sectarian Bands had cut all Bonds and Pull'd down all Government and after the Death of the King had twelve Years kept out his Son few Men saw any probability of his Restitution and every self-conceited Fellow was ready to offer his Model for a new Form of Government Mr. Hobbs his Leviathan had pleased many Mr. Tho. White the great Papist had written his Politicks in English for the Interest of the Protector to prove that Subject ought to submit and subject themselves to such a Change And now Mr. Iames Harrington they say by the help of Mr. H. Nevill had written a Book in Folio for a Democracy called Oceana seriously describing a Form near to the Venetian and setting the People upon the Desires of a Change And after this Sir H. Vane and his Party were about their Sectarian Democratical Model which Stubbs defended and Regars and Needham and Mr. Bagshaw had written against Monarchy before In the end of an Epistle before my Book of Crucifying the World I had spoken a few Words against this Innovation and Opposition to Monarchy and having especially touched upon Oceana and Leviathan Mr. Harrington seemed in a Bethelhem Rage for by way of Scorn he printed half a Sheet of foolish Jeers in such Words as Ideots or Drunkards use railing at Ministers as a Pack of Fools and Knaves and by his gibberish Derision persuading Men that we deserved no other Answer than such Scorn and Nonsense as beseemeth Fools And with most insolent Pride he carried it as if neither I nor any Ministers understood at all what Policy was but prated against we knew not what and had presumed to speak against other Mens Art which he was Master of and his Knowledge to such Ideots as we incomprehensible This made me think it fit having given that General hint against his Oceana to give a more particular Charge and withal to give the World and him an Account of my Political Principles and to shew what I held as well as what I denyed which I did in that Book called Political Aphorisms or A Holy Commonwealth as contrary to his Heathenish Commonwealth In which I plead the Cause of Monarchy as better than Democracy and Aristocracy but as under God the Universal Monarch Here Bishop Morley hath his Matter of Charge against me of which one part is that I spake against Unlimited Monarchy because God himself hath limited all Monarchs If I had said that Laws limit Monarchs I might among some men be thought a Traytor and unexcusable but to say that God limiteth Monarchs I thought had never before been chargeable with Treason or opposed by any that believed that there is a God If they are indeed unlimited in respect of God we have many Gods or no God But now it is dangerous to meddle with these matters Most men say now Let God defend himself In the end of this Book is an Appendix concerning the Cause of the Parliaments first War which was thus occasioned Sir Francis Nethersole a Religious Knight who was against the lawfulness of the War on both sides sent his man to me with Letters to advise me to tell Cromwell of his Usurpation and to counsel him to call in the King of which when I had given him satisfaction he sent him against with more Letters and Books to convince me of the unlawfulness of the Parliament's War And others attempting the same at the same time and the Confusions which the Army had brought upon us being such as made me very much disposed to think ill of those beginnings which had no better an end I thought it best to publish my Detestation and Lamentation for those Rebellious Proceedings of the Army which I did as plainly as could be born both in an Epistle to them and in a Meditation in the end and withal to declare the very Truth that hereby I was made suspicious and doubtful of the beginnings or first Cause but yet was not able to answer the Arguments which the Lawyers of the Parliament then gave and which had formerly inclined me to that side I conconfessed that if men Miscarriages and ill Accidents would warrant me to Condemn the beginnings which were for another Cause then I should have condemned them But that being not the way I found my self yet unable to answer the first Reasons and therefore laid them down together desiring the help of others to answer them professing my own suspicion and my daily prayers to God for just satisfaction And this Paper is it that containeth all my Crimes Against this one Tomkins wrote a Book called The Rebels Plea But I wait in silence till God enlighten us In the beginning of this Book having reprehended the Army I answer a Book of Sir Henry Vane's called The Healing Question It was published when Richard Cromwell was pull'd down and Sir H. Vane's New Commonwealth was forming § 196. 40. About the same time one that called himself W. Iohnson but I hear his Name is Mr. Terret a Papist engaged me in a Controversie about the perpetual visibility of the Church which afterwards I published the story of which you have more at large in the following part of this Book In the latter I inserted a Letter of one Thomas Smyth a Papist with my Answer to it which it seemeth occasioned his recovery from them as is manifest in a Letter of Mr. Thomas Stanley his Kinsman a sober godly man in Breadstreet which I by his own consent subjoyned To this Book Mr. Iohnson hath at last replyed and I have since return'd an Answer to him § 197. 41. Having been desired in the time of our Associations to draw up those Terms which all Christian Churches may hold Communion upon I published them though too late for any such use till God give men better minds that the World might see what our Religion and our Terms of Communion were and that if after Ages prove more peaceable they may have some light from those that went before them It consisteth of three parts The first containeth the Christian Religion which all are positively to profess that is Either to subscribe the Scriptures in general and the ancient Creeds in particular or at most The Confession or Articles annexed e.g.
us because we understand it not If indeed they consented a Word speaking or the writing of their Names is no great Cost or Labour to discover it If they think it too much we might better think our yearly Labour too much for them Relation is the ground of the Duties which they bind to I cannot enter these Relations but by consent nor know them without the Expression of that Consent No Man can be a Member of my Charge in despight of me nor can I make any Man such against his Will I can never marry a Woman that will say you shall do the Office of a Husband to me but I will not tell you whether I take you for my Husband nor promise to be your Wife c. I will not have a Scholar in my School or a Pupil that will say Hither will I come and you shall teach me but I will not tell you whether I will be your Scholar or take you for my Teacher Nor will I have a Patient that will make me give him what Physick he desires and will not say he will take me for his Physician 3. Besides the Office of a Pastor is not only to preach and administer the Sacrament but also to admonish rebuke and exercise some Discipline for the Good of the Church And he that will not profess his consent to these doth not by his partial submitting to the rest shew his consent that I be his Pastor I will be a Pastor to none that will not be under Discipline That were to be a half Pastor and indulge Men in an unruliness and contempt of the Ordinance of Christ If I take more on me than is just or necessary I will gladly hear of it and recant 4. Either they do indeed take us for their Pastors or not If not we do them no Wrong to take them for none of our Charge And then why do they say that their coming to Church proveth it But if they do take us for their Pastors then they owe us more Obedience than the speaking of a Word comes to and when we require them to profess themselves Members of the Church and of our Charge they are bound to obey us unless they can prove it a Sin But if they say we will not obey them in the speaking of such a Word though indeed they did call us their Pastors this were but to contradict themselves and to deny the thing when they give us the Name I desire no such Charge much less such as will give us neither Name nor Thing and yet expect their Wills of us Sir Pardon the Plainness and accept the true Account of my Thoughts from Your Servant Richard Baxter Feb. 2. 1655. § 34 About the same time that we were thus associating in Worcestershire it pleased God stir up the Ministers of Cumberland and Westmorland to the same Course who though they knew not what we had done yet fell upon the same way and agreed on Articles to the same purpose and of the same Sense and Importance as ours were of which Mr. Richard Gilpin one of them a worthy faithful Minister sent me word when he saw our Articles in Print and they also printed theirs to save the writing of many Copies and to excite others to the same way and they found the same readiness to Union among the Brethren as we had done Their Agreement you may find printed our Letters were as followeth Dear Brethren WE salute you in the Lord It was no small reviving to us to behold your Order and mutual Condescentions expressed in your Book of Concord to promote the Reformation of your People in ways of Peace We unfeignedly rejoice on your behalf and thought our selves bound to signifie how grateful and helpful your Endeavours are to us The Scorners of this Age have a long time bent their Tongue as a Bow and dipt their Arrows in Gall and sent forth bitter Accusations and Slanders against all the Ministers of the Gospel calling them Disturbers implacable c. as if the very Esse of a Minister were to contradict and to be averse from Peace Surely your earnest prosecution of Concord will be a standing Confutation of that Charge at least so far as to cut off the Note of Universality from it But that which most affects us is that you are not willing to look upon the gasping Condition of the Church here as idle Spectators or as â—eer Witnesses of her Funeral without trying any Remedy at all and that you do not apprehend your selves to have done all your Duty when you have bewailed her Trouble and complained of her Adversaries Cruelty Sion indeed hath been thrown down to the Ground and hath been covered with a Cloud in the Day of the Lord's Anger and her Adversaries are round about In this Distress she hath spread forth her Hands and hath looked upon her Lovers for Help and that so long that she is ready to say that her Strength and her Hope is perished from the Lord. Now her Sons while they have been consulting how to relieve her have fallen out about the Cure and because they have not been admitted to administer the Physick according to their Minds have neglected to administer any at all because they could not be suffered to do what they would they have forgotten that it was their Duty to do what they might Some have thrown all aside but preaching as it were in a pettish Discontent some have satisfied themselves with administring Cordials without purging the noxious Humours because they thought this necessary and safe though in an unpresbyte and Church Others it may be have seen a necessity of making farther Progress and have been groaping after it but have been discouraged at the sight of the thwarting and inconsistent Principles the Animosities and want of Condescention of different Parties Others it may be have in their Thoughts overcome this Difficulty and yet have stuck at one that is less they have been afraid to be the first Propounders of their conceived Remedy fearing the Entertainment and Success that their charitable Endeavours might find being more willing to follow than to lead in such a doubtful and unbeaten Path. This Design which you have resolved on will we hope convince Men that though we cannot as yet expect that the Lord's House should be so finished that all shall cry Grace Grace unto it Yet that the Building need not wholly to crase you are the first that have in this publick way broken the Ice and who knows how powerful your Example may be to call Men off from their Contentions and Strivings one against another by a brotherly Combination to carry on the work of Christ as far as they can with one Shoulder Whatsoever Advantage others may reap by your Endeavours we are sure the Advantage that we have by them is double 1. We before we had heard of your Book had undertaken a Work of the like nature Several of us meeting together to consults about
Duties will permit I have done my part in urging you and them with my offer till you call me unto more In the mean time Madam may I intreat you to read impartâ—ally and deliberately 1. My little Book called The Trâ—â— Catholick and Catholick Church c. which I shall send or bring you 2. My Preface before the Disputation with Mr. Iohnson and the Letters in the end and the Second Part and then the first 3. My two first Books against Popery The Safe Religion and The Key For your former reading of them before any doubting had made you observe the stress of Arguments is nothing if you will but now read them again impartially after your contrary Conceptions continue a Papist if you can And truly if you will not do thus much for your own Soul because Men engage you to the contrary that dare not appear to make good their own Cause I must be a Witness against you before the Lord that you wilfully resused Instruction and sold your Soul at too cheap a rate I tried when I was last with you to revive your Reason by proposing to you the Infallibility of the Common Senses of all the World and I could not prevail though you had nothing to answer that was not against Common Sense And it is impossible any thing controverted can be brought nearer you or made plainer than to be brought to your Eyes and Taste and Feeling and not yours only but all Mens else Sense goes before Faith Faith is no Faith but upon Supposition of Sense and Understanding if therefore Common Sense be fallible Faith must needs be so But methinks yet I should have hope of reviving your Charity You cannot be a Papist indeed but you must believe that out of their Church that is out of the Pope's Dominions there is no Salvation and consequently no Justification and Charity or saving Grace And is it possible you can so easily believe your religious Father to be in Hell your prudent pious Mother to be void of the Love of God and in a state of Damnation and not only me that am a Stranger to you but all the Millions of better People in the World to be in the same State of Gracelesness and Damnation and all because we believe not that the Pope is Christ's Vicar General or Deputy on Earth and dare not subject our selves to his usurped Dominions When we are ready to protest before the Lord as we shall answer it at his Bar that we would be his Subjects but for Fear of the high Displeasure of the true Head and King of the Church and for fear of sinning and Damning our own Souls And that we are heartily willing to read and study and pray and hear all that can be said for them and some of us read as much of their Writings as of our own and more and would not stick at Cost or Pains or Loss or Shame were it to travail over Land and Sea to find out that they are in the Right if that would do it and they be so indeed But the more we study the more we pray to God for his Assistance the more diligently we search we are the more resolved and convinced that their way as it differeth from ours is false and that they are the most Superstitious Tyrannical Leprous part of the Catholick Church condemning the main Body because they will not be under their abominable Dominion and will not sin as much as they We hold all that was held necessary by the Apostles and the ancient Church and we dare not make a new Faith to our selves as the Papal Sectaries have done Must we renounce both our Sense and Reason and put out the Eye of Natural Understanding and also renounce the Catholick Church and Christian Charity and step into the Throne and pronounce Damnation not only upon all the Saints of God that we have been acquainted with our selves but also on the Body of Christ which he died for even on the far greatest part of the Universal Church and all this because they will not depart from the Word of God to corrupt his Doctrine Discipline and Worship and herein obey an usurping Vice Christ must we do all this or else be judged to Damnation by the Sectaries of Rome For my part I shall be so far from fearing their Sentance that I appeal to Christ whose Body they condemn and I had rather be tortured in their Inquisition and cut as small as Herbs to the Pot and be accounted the odiousest Wretch on Earth than be guilty of being a Papist at all but especially on such hellish Terms as these If the greater part of the Church must be damned as no part of the Church it will be impossible to prove your Sect or Fragment to be the Church any more than any other Christ is the Saviour of his Body Eph. 5. 23 and to him as to its Head it 's subject ver 24. and this Body is that which is sanctified by him ver 26. And by one Spirit all his Members are baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Did you never note where the Unity of the Body is fulliest described that Apostles themselves are made but Members and Christ only the Head 1 Cor. 27 28 29. Eph. 4. 4 5 7 11. There is but one Lord c. but diversity of gifts of whom the Apostles are the chief And when Thousands were added to the Church even such as should be saved Acts 2. 47. what made them Christians but the Baptismal Covenant and what were they Baptized into but into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Peter or Paul baptized none into their own Names nor dare the Pope himself lest his Innovation be too visible Christ hath said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. Did they ever then subject any Baptism to the Bishop of Rome Was the Eunuch Acts 8. subjected to the Pope that only saith I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God and was Baptized If men could not be saved without believing in the Pope and being subject to the Church of Rome how comes it to pass that none of the Apostles preached this necessary Article of Faith Why did they never say You must believe in or be subject to the Pope of Rome or you cannot be saved Would they be so unfaithful as to hide a necessary Article Why did Peter himself Acts 2. by Baptism take Three thousand into the Church without preaching any of this Doctrine to them The Gospel professeth that he that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And now up steps a Man of Rome and presumeth to Reverse the Gospel and say It 's no such matter for all this they shall not be
effectual with none but wicked Men and Hypocrites who dare Sin against their Consciences for fear of Men And is it worth so much ado to bring the Children of the Devil into your Church The third way of Efficacy is but to kill or banish all the Children of God that are not of your Opinion for it is they that dare not Sin against Conscience whatever they suffer And this is but such an Efficacy as the Spanish Inquisition and Queen Mary's Bonfires had to send those to God whom the World is not worthy of You know every Man that is true to his God and his Conscience will never do that which he taketh to be Sin till his Judgment is changed and therefore with such it can be no lower than Blood or Banishment or Imprisonment at least that is the Efficacy which you desire And if no such rigour be too much its pity the French that murthered 30000 or 40000 at their Bartholoâ—â—ew days or as Dr. Peter Moulin saith 100000 within a few Weeks and the Irish that murthered 200000 had not had a better Cause For they took the most effectual way of rigour But when God maketh Inquisition for the Blood of his Servants he will convince Men that such rigour was too much and that their Wrath did not fulfil his Righteousness You shew your Kindness to Men's praying in the Pulple without your Book Make good what you say that such Praying is of no great Antiquity and we will never contradict you more Or if we prove it not the Ancientest way of Praying in the Christian Church we will give you free leave to hang or banish us for not Subscribing to the Common Prayer Book which the Apostles used and which was imposed on the Church for some hundred years But it seems you think that we are beholden to meer Sufferance without Law or Canon for conceived Prayers How long then it will be suffered we know not if we must live by your Patience § 20. It seemeth that our Converse and yours much differ The most that we know or meet with had rather be without the Liturgy and you say That the People generally are well satisfied with it By this time they are of another Mind If it were so we take it for no great honour to it considering what the greater Number are in most places and of what Lives those Persons are of our Parishes and Acquaintance generally or for the most part who are for it Or what those are that are against it and whom for itsâ— sake you desire your effectual rigour may be exercised against The Lord prepare them to undergo it innocently § 21. Doth there need no more to be said for the Ceremonies How little will satisfie some Men's Consciences Lawful Authority hath in other Countreys cast out the same Bishops and Ceremonies which are here received Doth it follow that they are good in one Country and disorderly and undecent in another Or that our Authority only is infallible in judging of them Is not God's Worship perfect without our Ceremonies in its Integrals as well as its Essentials As for Circumstantials when you saw us allow of them you need not plead for them as against us But the Question is whether our Additions be not more then Circumstances § 22. We suppose that you give all to the Cross in Baptism which is necessary to a Humane Sacrament And this we are ready to try be just Dispute When you say that never was Moral Efficacy ascribed to them you seem to give up all your Cause for by denying this ascribed Efficacy you seem to grant them unlawful if it be so And if it be not so let us bear the blame of wronging them The informing and exciting the dull mind of Man in its duty to God is a Moral Effect from Moral Efficacy But the informing and exciting the dull Mind of Man in its Duty to God is an Effect ascribed to our Ceremonies Ergo a Moral Effect from Moral Efficacy is ascribed to our Ceremonies The major cannot be denied by any Man that knoweth what a Moral Effect and Efficacy is that which worketh not per modum Naturae in genere Causae efficientis naturalis only but per modum objecti vel in genere causae finalis upon the Mind of Man doth work morally but so do our Ceremonies Ergo sure the Arminians that deny all proper Physical Operations of God's Spirit as well as his Word and reduce all to Moral Efficacy will not say that Ceremonies have such a Physical Efficacy more than Moral And if not so the good Effects here mentioned can be from no lower Efficacy than Moral And the minor which must be denied is in the words of the Preface to the Common Prayer Book and therefore undeniable The Word of God it self worketh but moraliter proponendo objectum and so do our Ceremonies § 23. There is a great difference between Sacramental Ceremonies and meer Circumstances which the Reformed Churches keep These we confound not and could have wished you would not Our Cross in Baptism is A dedicating sign saith the Canon or transient Image made in token that this Child shall not be ashamed of Christ crucified but manly fight under his Banner against the Flesh the World and the Devil and continue Christ's faithful Servant and Soldier to his Lives end So that 1. It is a Dedicating Sign performed by the Minister and not by the Person himself as a bare Professing Sign is 2. It engageth the Party in a Relation to Christ as his Soldier and Servant 3. And in the Duties of this Relation against all our Enemies as the Sacramentum Militare doth a Soldier to his General and that in plainer and fuller words than are annexed to Baptism 4. And it is no other than the Covenant of Grace or of Christianity it self which this Sacrament of the Cross doth enter us into as Baptism also doth It is not made a part of Baptism nor called a Sacrament but as far as we can judge made essentially a Humane Sacrament adjoyned to Baptism The Reformed Churches which use the Cross we mean the Lutherans yet use it not in this manner § 24. This is but your unproved Assertion That the Fault was not in the Ceremonies but in the Contenders we are ready to prove the contrary but if it had been true how far are you from Paul's mind expressed Rom. 14. 15. and 1 Cor. 8. You will let your weak Brother perish and spare not so you can but charge the Fault on himself and lay Stumbling-blocks before him and then save him by your effectual rigour by Imprisonment or Punishment § 25. Those seem a few to you that seem many to us Had it been but one hundred such as Cartwright Amesius Bradshaw Parker Hildersham Dod Nicolls Langley Paget Hering Baynes Bates Davenport Hooker Wilson Cotton Norton Shephard Cobbet Word c. they had been enough to have grieved the Souls of many Thousand godly
Antbony Tuckny Dr. in Divinity Iohn Conant Dr. in Divinity William Spurstow Dr. in Divinity Iohn Wallis Dr. in Divinity Thomas Manton Dr. in Divinity Edmund Calamy Batchelour in Divinity Richard Baxter Clerk Arthur Iackson Clerk Thomas Case Samuel Clark Matthew Newcomen Clerks and to our trusâ—y and well-beloved Dr. Earles Dean of Westminster Peter Heylin Dr. in Divinity Iohn Hacket Dr. in Divinity Iohn Barwick Dr. in Divinity Peter Guâ—â—ing Dr. in Divinity Iohn Pierson Dr. in Divinity Thomas Pierce Dr. in Divinity Anthony Sparrow Dr. in Divinity Herbert Thorndike Batchelour in Divinity Thomas Horton Dr. in Divinity Thomas Iacomb Dr. in Divinity William Bates Iohn Rawlinson Clerk William Cooper Clerk Dr. Iohn Lightfoot Dr. Iohn Collins Dr. Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake Clerk Greeting Whereas by our Declaration of the Five and twentieth of October last concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs we did amongst other things express an esteem of the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer and yet since we find some Exceptions made against several things therein we did by our said Declaration declare we would appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the same and to make such Alterations therein as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in the Scripture phrase as near as might be suited to the nature of the several Parts of Worship we therefore in accomplishment of our said Will and Intent and of our continued and constant Care and Study for the Peace and Unity of the Churches within our Dominions and for the removal of all Exceptions and Differences and Occasions of Differences and Exceptions from amongst our good Subjects for or concerning the said Book of Common Prayer or any thing therein contained do by these our Letters Patents require authorize constitute and appoint you the said accepted Archbishop of York Gilbert Bishop of London Iohn Bishop of Durham Iohn Bishop of Rochester Henry Bishop of Chichester Humphrey Bishop of Sarum George Bishop of Worcester Robert Bishop of Lincoln Benjamin Bishop of Peterburgh Bryan Bishop of Chester Richard Bishop of Carlisle Iohn Bishop of Exeter Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas manton Edmund Calamy Richard Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clark and Matthew Newcomen to advise upon and review the said Book of Common Prayer comparing the same with the most ancient Liturgies which have been used in the Church in the primitive and purest Times And to that end to assemble and meet together from time to time and at such times within the space of four Kalender Months now next ensuing in the Masters Lodgings in the Savoy in the Strand in the County of Middlesex or in such other place or places as to you shall be thought fit and convenient to take into your serious and grave Considerations the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and Things in the said Book of Common Prayer contained and to advise and consult upon and about the same and the several Objections and Exceptions which shall now be raised against the fame And if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as by and between you and the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons hereby required and authorized to meet and advise as aforesaid shall be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the giving Satisfaction unto tender Consciences and the restoring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches under our Protection and Government But avoiding as much as may be all unnecessary Alterations of the Forms and Liturgy wherewith the People are already acquainted and have so long received in the Church of England And our will and pleasure is that when you the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons authorized and appointed by these our Letters Patents to meet advise and consult upon about the Premises aforesaid shall have drawn your Consultations to any Resolution and Determination which you shall agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing â—r enlarging the said Book of Common Prayer or any part thereof that then you forthwith certifie and present unto us in Writing under your several Hands the Matters and Things whereupon you shall so determine for our Approbation And to the end the same or so much thereof as shall be approved by us may be established And forasmuch as the said Archbishop and Bishops having several great Charges to attend which we would not dispense with or that the same should be neglected upon any great occasion whatsoever and some of them being of great Age and Infirmities may not be able constantly to attend the Execution of the Service and Authority hereby given and required by us in the Meetings and Consultations aforesaid We Will therefore and do hereby require and authorize you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pierce and Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike to supply the place or places of such of the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich as shall by Age Sickness Infirmity or other occasion be hindred from attending the said Meeting or Consultations That is to say that one of you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pearce Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike shall from time to time supply the Place of each one of them the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich which shall happen to be hindred or to be absent from the said Meeting or Consultations and shall and may advise and consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the Power and Authority before mentioned in and about the Premises as fully and absolutely as such Archbishop or Bishops which shall so happen to be absent should or might do by Vertue of these our Letters Patents or any thing therein contained in case he or they were personally present And whereas in regard of the Distance of some the Infirmities of others the multitude of constant Imployments and other incidental Impediments some of you the said Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas Manton Edmund Calamy Rich. Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clarke and Matthew Newcomen may be hindred from the constant Attendance in the Execution of the Service aforesaid We therefore will and do hereby require and authorize you the said Tho. Horton Thomas Iacomb William Bates Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Iohn Lightfoot Iohn Collins Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake to supply the Place or Places of such the Commissioners last above mentioned as shall by the means aforesaid or any other Occasion be hindred from the said Meeting and Consultations that is to say that one of you the said Thomas Horton Thomas Iacomb William Butes Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Dr.
the same Justices saw that I was thus discharged they were not satisfied to have driven me from Acton but they make a new Mittimus by Counsel as for the same supposed Fault naming the Fourth of Iune as the Day on which I preached and yet not naming any Witness when the Act against Conventicles was expired long before And this Mittimus they put into an Officer's hands in London to bring me not to Clerkenwell but among the Thieves and Murderers to the common Jail at Newgate which was since the Fire which burnt down all the better Rooms the most noisom place that I have heard of except the Tower Dungeon of any Prison in the Land § 132. The next Habitation which God's Providence chose for me was at Totteridge near Barnet where for a Year I was fain with part of my Family separated from the rest to take a few mean Rooms which were so extreamly smoaky and the place withal so cold that I spent the Winter in great pain one quarter of a Year by a sore Sciatica and seldom free from such Anguish § 133. It would trouble the Reader for me to reckon up the many Diseases and Dangers for these ten Years past in or from which God hath delivered me though it be my Duty not to forget to be thankful Seven Months together I was lame with a strange Pain in one Foot Twice delivered from a Bloody Flux a spurious Cataract in my Eye with incessant Webs and Net-works before it hath continued these eight Years without disabling me one Hour from Reading or Writing I have had constant Pains and Languors with incredible Flatulency in Stomach Bowels Sides Back Legs Feet Heart Breast but worst of all either painful Distentions or usually vertiginous or stupifying Conquests of my Brain so that I have rarely one Hour's or quarter of an Hour's ease Yet through God's Mercy I was never one Hour Melancholy and not many Hours in a Week disabled utterly from my Work save that I lost time in the Morning for want of being able to rise early And lately an Ulcer in my Throat with a Tumour of near half a Year's continuance is healed without any means In all which I have found such merciful Disposals of God such suitable Chastisements for my Sin such plain Answers of Prayer as leave me unexcusable if they do me not good Besides many sudden and acuter Sicknesses which God hath delivered me from not here to be numbred his upholding Mercy under such continued weaknesses with tolerable and seldom disabling Pains hath been unvaluable § 134. I am next to give some short account of my Writings since 1665. 1. A small MS. lyeth by me which I wrote in Answer to a Paper which Mr. Caryl of Sussex sent me written by Cressy called now Serenus about Popery § 135. 2 Mr. Yates of Hambden Minister sending me the Copy of a Popish Letter as spread about Oxford under the Mask of one doubting of Christianity and calling the Scholars to a Trial of their Faith in Principles did by the Juggling Fraud and the slightness of it provoke me to write my book called The Reasons of the Christian Religion And the Philosophy of Gassendus and many more besides the Hobbians now prevailing and inclining men to Sadducism induced me to write the Appendix to it about the Immortality of the Soul § 136. 3. Oft Conference with the Lord Chief Baron Hale put those Cases into my mind which occasioned the writing of another short Piece of the Nature and Immortality of the Soul by way of Question and Answer not printed § 137. 4. The great Weaknesses and Passions and Injudiciousness of many Religious Persons and the ill effects and especially perceiving that the Temptations of the Times yea the very Reproofs of the Conformists did but increase them among the separating party caused me to offer a book to be Licensed called Directions to weak Christians how to grow in grace with a second part being Sixty Characters of a Sound Christian with as many of the Weak Christian and the Hyyocrite Which I the rather writ to imprint on men's minds a right apprehension of Christianity and to be as a Confession of our Judgment in this malignant Age when some Conformists would make the World believe that it is some menstruous thing composed of Folly and Sedition which the Nonconformists mean by a Christian and a Godly Man This Book came forth when I was in Prison being long before refused by Mr. Grigg § 138. 5. A Cristian Directory or Summ of Practical Divinity in Folio hath lain finished by me many years and since twice printed § 139. 6. My Bookseller desiring some Additions to my Sermon before the King I added a large Directory of the whole Life of Faith which is its Title which is published § 140. 7. Abundance of Women first and Men next growing at London into separating Principles Some thinking that it was sin to hear a Conformist and more That it is a sin to pray according to the Common Prayer with them and yet more That it is a sin to Communicate with them in the Sacrament And the Conformists abominating their House-Meetings as Schismatical and their Distance and Passions daily increasing even among many to earnest desires of each other's Ruine I thought it my Duty to add another part to my book of Directions to weak Christians being Directions what course they must take to avoid being Dividers or troublers of the Churches The rather because I knew what the Papists and Infidels would gain by our Divisions and of how great necessity it is against them both that the honest moderate part of the Conformists and the Nonconformists be reconciled or at least grow not into mortal Enmity against each other This Book was offered to Mr. Sam. Parker the Archbishop's Chaplain to be Licensed but he refused it and so I purposed to cast it by But near two years after Mr. Grove the Bishop of London's Chaplain without whom I could have had nothing of mine Licensed I think did License it and it was published of which more anon § 141. 8. About this time I heard Dr. Owen talked very yieldingly of a Concord betweent the Independents and Presbyterians which all seemed willing of I had before about 1658. written somewhat in order to Reconciliation and I did by the invitation of his Speeches offer it to Mr. Geo. Griffiths to be considered And near a twelve-month after he gave it me again without taking notice of any thing in it I now resolved to try once more with Dr. Owen And though all our business with each other had been contradiction I thought it my Duty without any thoughts of former things to go to him and be a Seeker of Peace which he seemed to take well and expressed great desires of Concord and also many moderate Concessions and how heartily he would concur in any thing that tended to a good agreement I told him That I must deal freely with him that
and to what they tend and what a disgrace they are to our Cause and how one of our own Errors will hurt and disparage us more than all the cruelty of our Adversaries and that sinful means is seldom blessed to do good § 155. But upon fore-fight of the tenderness of Professors I had before given my Book to the Perusal of Mr. Iohn Corbet my Neighbour accounted one of the most Calm as well as Judicious Nonconformists and had altered every Word that he wished to be altered And the same I had done by my very worthy Faithful Friend Mr. Richard Fairclough who Perused it in the Press and I altered almost all that he wished to be altered to take off any Words that seemed to be too sharp But all did not satisfie the guilty and impatient Readers § 156. For when the Book came out the Separating Party who had received before an odious Character of it did part of them read and interpret it by the Spectacles and Commentary of their Passions and fore Conceits and the most of them would not read it all but took all that they heard for granted The hottest that was against it was Mr. Ed. Bagshaw a young Man who had written formerly against Monarchy had afterward written for me againsâ— Bishop Morley and being of a resolute Roman Spirit was sent first to the Tower and then laid there in the horrid Dungeon where the damp casting him into the Haemorrhoids the Pain caused that Sweat which saved his Life Thence he was removed to Southbâ—y-Castle near Portsmouth in the Sea where he lay Prisoner many Years where Vivasor Powel an honest injudicious Zealot of Wales being his Companion heightned him in his Opinions He wrote against me a Pamphlet so full of Untruths and Spleen and so little pertinent to the Cause as that I never met with a Man that called for an Answer to it But yet the ill Principles of it made me think that it needed an Answer which I wrote But I found that Party grown so tender expecting little but to be applauded for their Godliness and to be flattered while they expected that others should be most sharply dealt with and indeed to be so utterly impatient of that Language in a Confutation which had any suitableness to the desert of their Writings that I purposed to give over all Controversial Writings with them or any other without great necessity And the rather because my own Stile is apt to be guilty of too much freedom and sharpness in Disputings § 157. The next to Mr. Bagshaw now again in Prison for not taking the Oath of Allegiance it self who behind my Back did most revile my Book was Dr. Owen whether out of Design or Judgement I cannot tell but ordinarily he spake very bitterly of it but never wrote to me a Word against it He also divulged his dissent from the Proposals for Concord which I offered him though he would say no more against them to my self than what I have before expressed § 158. At this time also one Hinkley of Norfield near Worcester-shire desiring to be taken notice of wrote a virulent Book against the Nonconformists and particularly some Falshoods against me and a vehement Invitation to me to publish the Reasons of my Nonconformity when he could not be so utterly ignorant as not to know that I could never get such an Apology Licensed and that the Law forbad me to Print it unlicensed and that he himself taketh it for a Sin to break that Law But such impudent Persons were still clamouring against us § 159. By this time my own old Flock at Kiderminster began some of them to Censure me For when the Bishop and Deans and many of their Curates had preached long to make the People think me a Deceiver as if this had been the only way to their Salvation the People were hereby so much alienated from them that they took them for Men unreasonable and little better than mad insomuch as that they grew more alienated from Prelacy than ever Also while they continued to repeat Sermons in their Houses together many of them were laid long in Jayls among Thieves and common Malefactors which increased their Exasperations yet more They continued their Meetings whilst their Goods were Seised on and they were Fined and Punished again and again These Sufferings so increased their Aversation that my Book against Church-Divisions coming out at such a time and a Preface which I put before a Book of Dr. Bryan's in which I do but excuse his Speaking against Separation they were many of them offended at it as unseasonable and judging by feeling Interest and Passion were angry with me for strengthening the Hands of Persecutors as they call it whereas if I had called the Bishops all that 's nought I am confident they would not have blamed me And they that fell out with the Bishops for casting me out and speaking ill of me were some of them ready to speak ill of me if not to cast me off because I did but persuade them of the Lawfulness of Communicating in their Parish-Church with a Conformable Minister in the Liturgy § 160. At this time as is said the old reading Vicar dying it was cast on me to chuse the next But the Religious People who were the main Body of the Town and Parish would not so much as chuse a Man when they might have had their choice no nor so much as write or send one word to one about it lest they should seem to consent to his Conformity or to be obliged to him in his Office Whereupon I also refused to meddle in the Choice and the rather because some of the malignant slanderous Prelatists who write of me as Durel L'strange and many others have done would in likelyhood have said that I contracted for some Commodity to my self and because Mr. Foley the Patron was a truly honest Religious Man who I knew would make the best choice he could § 161. When he had chosen them a Minister whom they themselves commended for an honest Man and a good Preacher and rather wished him than another I wrote a Letter to them to advise them to join with the said Minister in Prayers and Sacrament because I had before advised them not to own the Ministry of Mr. Dance for his utter incapacity and insufficiency but if ever they had a tolerable Man to own him and Communicate with him And because he was the best that the Patron by their Consent could chuse and for many Reasons which I gave them But their Sufferings had so far alienated them from the Prelates that the very rumour of this Letter was talkt of as my Book against Divisions was so that it was never so much as read to them § 162. And here it is worth the nothing how far Interest secretly swayeth the Judgments of the best A few Ministers who have a more taking way of Preaching than the rest and being more moving and affectionate are
them as we could and not to hold any Communion with any that did Conform having Printed his Third Reviling Libel against me called for my Third Reply which I Entitled The Church told of c. But being Printed without License Lestrange the Searcher Surprized part of it in the Press there being lately greater Penalties laid on them that Print without License than ever before And about the Day that it came out Mr. Bagshaw died a Prisoner though not in Prison Which made it grievous to me to think that I must seem to write against the Dead While we wrangle here in the dark we are dying and passing to the World that will decide all our Controversies And the safest Passage thither is by peaceable Holiness § 196. About Ian. 1. the King caused his Exchequer to be shut up So that whereas a multitude of Merchants and others had put their Money into the Banker's hands and the Bankers lent it to the King and the King gave Order to pay out no more of it of a Year the murmur and complaint in the City was very great that their Estates should be as they called it so surprized And the rather because it being supposed â—o be in order to the Assisting of the French in a War against the Dutch they took a Year to be equal to perpetuity and the stop to be a loss of all seeing Wars use to increase Necessities and not to supply them And among others all the Money and Estate except 10 l. per Ann. for 11 or 12 Years that I had in the World of my own not given away to others whom Charity commanded me to give it to for their Maintenance before was there which indeed was not my own which I will mention to Counsel any Man that would do good to do it speedily and with all their might I had got in all my Life the just Sum of 1000 l. Having no Child I devoted almost all of it to a Charitable Use a Free-School c. I used my best and ablest Friends for 7 Years with all the Skill and Industry I could to help me to some Purchase of House or Land to lay it out on that it might be accordingly setled And though there were never more Sellers I could never by all these Friends hear of any that Reason could encourage a Man to lay it out on as secure and a tolerable Bargain So that I told them I did perceive the Devil's Resistance of it and did verily suspect that he would prevail and I should never settle but it would be lost So hard is it to do any good when a Man is fully resolved that divers such Observations verily confirm me That there are Devils that keep up a War against Goodness in the World § 197. The great Preparations of the French to invade the Vnited Provinces and of the English to assist them do make now the Protestants Hearts to tremble and to think that the Low Countries will be Conquered and with them the Protestant Cause deeply endangered Though their vicious worldly Lives deserve God's Judgments on themselves yet they are a great part of the Protestants Humane Strength But the Issue must expound God's purposes without which Men's Designs are vain § 198. This Year a new Play-House being built in Salisbury-Court in Fleet-Street called the Duke of York's the Lord Mayor as is said desired of the King that it might not be the Youth of the City being already so corrupted by Sensual Pleasures but he obtained not his desire And this Ian. 1671. the King's Play-House in Drury Lane took Fire and was burnt down but not alone for about fifty or sixty Houses adjoyning by Fire and blowing up accompanied it § 199. A Stranger calling himself Sam. Herbert wrote me a Letter against the Christian Religion and the Scriptures as charging them with Contradictions and urged me to answer them which I did And his Name inviting my memory I adjoyned an Answer to the Strength of a Book heretofore written by Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury some-time Ambassador in France the Author of the History of Henry VII called de Veritate being the most powerful Assault against the Christian Religion placing all the Religion that 's certain in the Common or Natural Notices I entitled the Book More Reasons for the Christian Religion and none against it Or a Second Appendix to the Reason for the Christian Religion § 200. The foresaid Mr. Hinkley by his impertinent Answer to my former Letters extorted from me a large Reply but when I was sending it him in Writing I heard that he intended to Print some scraps of it with his Papers the better to put them off Whereupon I sent him word he should not have them till he satisfied me that he would not so abuse them c. The rather because 1. The Subject of them was much to prove that the War was raised in England by an Episcopal Parliament jealous of other Episcopal Men as to Popery and Propriety 2. And it was so much against Diocesanes and their new Oaths as would much displease them 3. And in a sharper stile than was fit for publick View And as to the first Reason I was afraid lest any Papists would lay hold of it to make any Princes that already hate the the Non-conformists and Presbyterians to hate the Conformists and Prelatists also and so to seem themselves the most Loyal And I had rather they hated and cast off the Non-conformists alone than both This mindeth me to add that § 201. About a Year ago one Henry Fowlis Son to Sir David Fowlis an Oxford Man who had wrote against the Presbyterians with as filthy a Language almost as a man in his Wits could do having written also against the Papists His Book after his Death was Printed in a large Folio so opening the Principles and Practices of Papists against Kings their Lives and Kingdoms by multitudes of most express Citatioâ—s from their own Writers that the like hath not before been done by any Man nor is there extant such another Collection on that Subject though he left out the Irish Massacre But whereas the way of the Papists is to make a grievous Complaint against any Book that is written effectually against them as injurious as they did against Pet. Moulin's Answer to Philanax Anglicus and against Dr. Stillingfleet's late Book or the contrary this Book being copious true Citations and History is so terrible to them that their method is to say nothing of it but endeavour to keep it unknown for of late they have left the disputing way and bend all their endeavours to creep into Houses and pervert Persons in secret but especially to insinuate into the Houses and Fantiliarity of all the Rulers of the World where they can be received § 202. The Death of some the worthy Labours and great Sufferings of others maketh me remember that the just characterizing of some of the Ministers of Christ that now suffered for not
Dr. Tillotson to offer him my Chappel in Oxenden-Street for Publick Worship which he accepted to my great Satisfaction and now there is constant Preaching there Be it by Conformists or Nonconformists I rejoice that Christ is Preached to the people in that Parish whom ten or twenty such Chapels cannot hold § 8. About March 1677. fell out a trifling business which I will mention lest the fable pass for truth when I am dead At a Coffee-House in Fuller's Rents where many Papists and Protestants used to meet together one Mr. Dyet Son to old Sir Richard Dyet Chief Justice in the North and Brother to a deceased dear Friend of mine the some-time Wife of my old dear friend Colonel Sylvanus Tailor one that profest himself no Papist but was their Familiar said openly That I had killed a Man with my own hand in cold blood that it was a Tinker at my door that because he beat his Kettle and disturbed me in my Studies I went down and Pistol'd him One Mr. Peters occasioned this wrath by oft challenging in vain the Papists to dispute with me or answer my Books against them Mr. Peters told Mr. Dyet That this was so shameless a slander that he should answer it Mr. Dyet told him That a hundred Witnesses would testifie that it was true and I was tryed for my Life at Worcester for it To be short Mr. Peters ceased not till he brought Mr. Dyet to come to my Chamber and confest his fault and ask me forgiveness and with him came one Mr. Tasbrook an emiment sober prudent Papist I told him that these usages to such as I and far worse were so ordinary and I had long suffered so much more than words that it must be no difficulty to me to forgive them to any man but especially to one whose Relations had been my dearest Friends and he was one of the first Gentlemen that ever shewed so much ingenuity as so to confess and ask forgiveness he told me He would hereafter confess and un-say it and Vindicate me as openly as he had wronged me I told him to excuse him that perhaps he had that Story from his late Pastor at St. Giles's Dr. Boreman who had Printed it that such a thing was Reported but I never heard before the particulars of the Fable Shortly after at the same Coffee-house Mr. Dyet openly confess'd his Fault and an Ancient Lawyer one Mr. Giffard a Papist Son to old Dr. Giffard the Papist Physician as is said and Brother to the Lady Abergaveny was Angry at it and made Mr. Dyet a weak Man that would make such a Confession Mr. Peters answered him Sir Would you have a Gentleman so disingenuous as not to right one that he hath so wronged Mr. Giffard answered That the thing was True and he would prove it by an Hundred Witnesses Mr. Peters offered him a great Wager that he would never prove it by any but urging him hard he refused the Wager He next offered that they would lay down but five Guinea's to be laid on 't on an Entertainment there by him that lost the Wager He refused that also Whereupon Mr. Peters told him He would cause my friends if I would not my self to call him to justifie it in Westminster-Hall referring the Judgment of Equity to the Company The Papist Gentlemen that were present it 's like considering that the Calumny when opened publickly would be a Slur upon their Party Voted That if Mr. Giffard would not confess his Fault they would disown him out of their Company and so he was constrained to yield but would not come to my Chamber to confess it to me Mr. Peters moderated the business and it was agreed that he should do it there He would do it only before his own Party Mr. Peters said Not so for they might hereafter deny it So it was agreed That also before Mr. Peters and Captain Edmund Hambden he should confess his Fault and ask forgiveness which he did § 9. Near this time my Book called A Key for Catholicks was to be Reprinted In the Preface to the first Impression I had mentioned with Praise the Earl of Lauderdale as then Prisoner by Cromwell in Windsor-Castle from whom I had many Pious and Learned Letters and where he had so much Read over all my Books that he remembred them better as I thought than I did my self Had I now left out that mention of him it would have seem'd an Injurious Recantation of my kindness and to mention him now a Duke as then a Prisoner was unmeet The King used him as his special Counsellour and Favourite The Parliament had set themselves against him He still professed great kindness to me and I had reason to believe it was without dissembling 1. Because he was accounted by all to be rather a too rough Adversary than a Flatteter of one so low as I. 2. Because he spake the same for me behind my back that he did to my face And I had then a New Piece against Transubstantiation to add to my Book which being desirous it should be Read I thought best to joyn it with the other and prefix before both an Epistle to the Duke in which I said not a word of him but Truth And I did it the rather that his Name might draw some Great Ones to Read at least that Epistle if not the short Additional Tractate in which I thought I said enough to open the Shame of Popery But the Indignation that Men had against the Duke made some blame me as keeping up the Reputation of one whom Multitudes thought very ill of Whereas â—owned none of his Faults and did nothing that I could well avoid for the aforesaid Reasons Long after this he professed his Kindness to me and told me I should never want while he was able and humbly intreated me to accept Twenty Guinea's from him which I did § 10. After this one Mr. Hutchinson another of the Disputants with Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Wray's Friend one that had revolted to Popery in Cambridge long ago having pious Parents and Relations Wrote two Books for Popery one for Transubstantiation and another in which he made the Church of England Conformists to be Men of no Conscience or Religion but that all Seriousness and Conscience was in the Papist and Puritan and sought to flatter the Puritans as he call'd them into kindness to the Papists as united in Conscience which others had not I Answered these Books and after fell acquainted with Mr. Hutchinson but could never get Reply from him or Dispute § 11. Two old Friends that I had a hand heretofore in turning from Anabaptistry and Separation Mr. Tho. Lamb and William Allen that followed Iohn Goodwin and after became Pastors of an Anabiptist Church though but Tradesmen fell on Writing against Separation more strongly than any of the Conformable Clergy But in Sense of their old Errour run now into the other Extreme especially Mr. Lamb and Wrote against our gathering
Being an able judicious faithful man and one that lamented the intemperance of many self conceited Ministers and people that on pretence of vindicating free grace and providence and of opposing Arminianism greatly corrupted the Christian Doctrin and Schismatically oppugned Christian love and concord hereticating and making odious all that spake not as erroniously as themselves many of the Independents inclining to half Antinomianism suggested suspicions against Dr. Manton Dr. Bates Mr. Howe and my self and such others as if we were half Arminians On which occasion I Preached two Sermons on the words in Iude They speak evil of what they understand not Which perhaps may be published § 18. This year 1678. dyed Mr. Gabriel Sanger a Reverend faithful Nonconformist sometimes Minister at Martin's in the fields And this day on which I write this I Preached the Funeral of Mr. Stubbs a holy Excellent Man which perhaps may be published if it can be licensed § 16. Mr. Long of Exeter wrote a book against the Non-conformists as Schismaticks on pretense of confuting Mr. Hale's book of Schism and in the end cited a great deal of my writings against Schism and let fall divers passages which occasioned me to write the Letter to him which is inserted in the Appendix No. 5. § 29. Some young Gentlemen wrote me a Letter desiring me publickly to resolve this Case The King Laws and Canons command us to joyn in the publick Parish-Churches and forbid us to joyn in private Meetings or unallowed with Non-conformists Our parents command us to joyn with Non-conformists in their Meetings and forbid us to hear the Conformists in publick which yet we think lawful which of these must we obey I answered the Case in the Pulpit and drew it up in writing and have inserted it among other papers with the end No. 6. § 21. My Bookseller Nevil Simons broke which occasioned a clamour against me as if I had taken too much money of him for my books When before it was thought he had been one of the richest by my means and I supposed I had freely given him in meer charity the gains of above 500 pounds if not above 1000 pounds Whereupon I wrote a Letter to a Friend in my own necessary Vindication which see also at the end No. 7. § 22. The controversie of Predetermination of the acts of sin was unhappily shared this year among the Non-conformists on the occasion of a sober modest book of Mr. How 's to Mr. Boil against an objection of Atheistical men And two honest self-conceited Non-conformists Mr. Dauson and Mr. Gale wrote against him unworthily And just-now a second book of Mr. Gale's is come out wholly for Predetermination superficially and inperficially touching many things but throughly handling nothing falsely reporting the sense of Augustin or at least of Prosper and Fulgentius and notoriously of Iansenius c. and passing divers inconsiderable reflections on some words in my Cath. Theol. Especially opposing Strangius and the excellent Theses of Le Blank with no strength or regardable Argument Which inclineth me because he writeth in English to publish an old Disput in English against Predetermination to sin written 20 years ago and thought not fit to be published in English but that an antidote against the porson of Mr. Gale's Book and the scandal that falls by it on the Nonconformists is made necessary Mr. Gale fell sick and I supprest my answer lest it should grieve him And he then dyed § 23. A paper from Mr. Polehill an excellent learned Gentleman occasioned the answer which perhaps may be published § 24. Continued backbitings about my Judgment concerning justification occasioned me to write the summ of it in two or three sheets with the solution of above thirty controversies unhappily rais'd about it § 25. One Mr. Wilson of Lancashire long importuned me by a friend to write somewhat against needless Law-suits and for the way of voluntary reference and arbitration which I did in a Sermon on 1 Cor. 6. Is there not a wise Man among you which is lost by the Bookseller § 26. I wrote an Answer to Mr. Iohnson Alias Terret his Rejoynder against my book of the Churche's visibility But Mr. Iane the Bishop of London's Chaplain refused to License it But at last when the Papists grew odious he Licensed it and my Methodus Theologiae And the former is Printed but by the Bookseller's means in a Character scarce legible § 27. About Oct. 1678. Fell out the murder of Sir Edmond Berry Godfrey which made a very great change in England One Dr. Titus Oats had discovered a Plot of the Papists of which he wrote out the particulars very largely telling how they fired the City and contriving to bring the Kingdom to Popery and in order thereto to kill the King He named the Lords Jesuits Priests and others that were the chief contrivers and said that he himself had delivered to several of the Lord 's their Commissions that the Lord Bellasis was to be General the Lord Peter Lieutenant General and the Lord Stafford Major General the Lord Powis Lord Chancellor and the Lord Arundel of Warder the chief to be Lord Treasurer He told who were to be Arch Bishops Bishops c. And at what Meetings and by whom and when all was contrived and who were designed to kill the King He first opened all this to Dr. Tongue and both of them to the King and Council He mentioned a multitude of Letters which he himself had carried and seen or heard read that contained all these contrivances But because his father and he had once been Anabaptists and when the Bishops prevailed turned to be Conformable Ministers and afterward he the Son turned Papist and confessed that he long had gone on with them under many Oaths of Secrecy many thought that a man of so little Conscience was not to be believed But his Confessions were received by some Justices of the Peace and none more forward in the Search than Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey an Able Honest and diligent Justice While he was following this Work he was suddenly missing and could not be heard of Three or Four Days after he was found kill'd near Marybone-Park It was plainly found that he was murthered The Parliament took the Alarm upon it and Oates was now believed And indeed all his large Confessions in every part agreed to admiration Hereupon the King Proclaimed Pardon and Reward to any that would confess or discover the Murder One Mr. Bedlow that had fled to Bristow began and confessed that he knew of it and who did it and named some of the Men the Place and Time It was at the Queen's House called Somerset-House by Fitz-Gerald and Kelley Two Papist Priests and Four others Berry the Porter Green Pranse and Hill The Priests fled Pronse Berry Green and Hill were taken Pranse first confest all and discovered the rest aforesaid more than Bedlow knew of and all the Circumstances and how he was carried away and by whom
men at a Meeting being assaulted defended themselves and so were many drawn into resistance of the Magistrate and were destroyed § 50. There came from among the Papists more and more Converts that detected the Plot against Religion and the King After Oates Bedlow Everard Dugdale â—ranse came Ienrison a Gentleman of Gray-Inn Smyth a Priest and others But nothing stopt them more than a Plot discovered to have turned all the odium on the Presbyterians and Protestant Adversaries of Popery They hired one Dangerfield to manage the matter but by the industry of Colonel Mansel who was to have been first accused and Sir William Waller the Plot was fully detected to have forged a Plot as of the Presbyterians or Dissenters and many great Lords And Dangerfield confest all and continueth a stedfast Convert and Protestant to this day § 51. But my unfitness and the Torrent of late Matter here stops me from proceeding to insert the the History of this Age It is done and like to be done so copiously by others that these shreds will be of small signification Every year of late hath afforded matter for a Volume of Lamentations Only that Posterity may not be deluded by Credulity I shall truly tell them That Lying most Impudently in Print against the most notorious Evidence of Truth in the vending of cruel Malice against Men of Conscience and the fear of God is become so ordinary a Trade as that its like with Men of Experience ere long to pass for a good Conclusion Dictum vel scriptum est a Malignis Ergo falsum est Many of the Malignant Clergy and Laity especially Le Strange the Observator and such others do with so great Confidence publish the most Notorious Falshoods that I must confess it hath greatly depressed my Esteem of most History and of Humane Nature If other Historians be like some of these Times their Assertions when-ever they speak of such as they distaste are to be Read as Hebrew backward and are so far from signifying Truth that many for one are downright Lies It 's no wonder Perjury is grown so common when the most Impudent Lying hath so prepared the way § 52. Having published a Confutation of Mr. Danvers about Infant-baptism one Mr. Hut binson an Anabaptist in a reproachful Letter called me to review what I had written on that Subject And in a few sheets I published it called A Review of my thoughts of Infant-Baptism which I think for the brevity and perspicuity fittest for the use of ordinary doubters of that point And Mr. Barret hath contracted my other Books of it in certain Quaere's § 53. The act restraining the Press being expired I published a Book that lay by me to open the case of Nonconformity called A Plea for Peace which greatly offended many Conformists tho I ventured no farther but to name the things that we durst not conform to Even the same Men that had long called out to us to tell them what we desired and said We had nothing to say could not bear it The Bishop of Ely Dr. Gunning told me He would petition Authority to command us to give the reasons of our Nonconformity and not thus keep up a Schism and give no reason for it The Bishop of London Dr. Compton told me That the King took us to be not sincere for not giving the reasons of our dissent I told them both it was a strange Expectation from Men that had so fully given their reason against the old Conformity in our Reply and could get no Answer and when their own Laws would Excommunicate Imprison and Ruin us for doing any such thing as they demanded But I would begg it on my knees and return them most hearty thanks if they would but procure us leave to do it Yet when it was but half done it greatly provoked them And they Wrote and said That without the least provocation I had assaulted them Whereas I only named what we stuck at professing to accuse none of them And they thought Seventeen years Silencing Prosecuting Imprisoning Accusations of Parliament men Prelates Priests and People and all their Calls What would you have Why do you not tell us what you stick at to be no provocation Yea Bishops and Doctors had long told Great Men That I my self had said That it was only things inconvenient and not things sinful which I refused to Conform to Whereas I had given them in the Description of Eight Particular things in the old Conformity which I undertook to prove sinful and at the Savoy began with one of them And in the Petition for Peace offered our Oaths that we would refuse Conformity to nothing but what we took to be sin And now when I told them what the Sins were O what a common Storm did it raise among them When Heathens would have let Men speak for themselves before they are Condemned its Criminal in us to do it Seventeen years after § 54. Dr. Stillingfleet being made Dean of Pauls was put on as the most plausible Writer to begin the assault against us which he did in a printed Sermon proving me and such Others Schismaticks and Separatists To which I gave an answer which I thought satisfactory Dr. Owen and Mr. Alsoy also answered him To all which be wrote some what like a Reply § 55. Against this I Wrote a second Defence which he never answered § 56. One Mr. Cheny an honest weak Melancholy-Man wrote against my Plea for Peace to which I Published an Answer § 57. One Mr. Hinkley Wrote against me long ago which occasioned some Letters betwixt us and now he Published his Part and put me to publish mine which I did with an Answer to a Book called Reflexions c. and another called The Impleader and a Re-joynder to Mr. Cheny-Long of Exeter was one of them § 58. Because a Book called The Counterminer Le Strange and many others endeavoured still as their Chief Work to perswade Rulers and all that we cherished Principles of Rebellion and were preparing for Treason Sedition or a War I much desired openly to publish our Principles about Government and Obedience but our Wise Parliament-Gentlemen were against it saying You can publish nothing so truly or warily but Men will draw Venom out of it and make use of it against you But having been thus stopt many years it satisfied not my Conscience and I published all in a Book called A second Plea for Peace And it hath had the strange fate of Being Unanswered to this day nor can I get them to take notice of it Though it was feared it would have been but â—ewel to their Malice for some ill effect I added to it The Nonconformists Iudgment about things indifferent about Scandal The difference between Grace and Morality and what Nonconformity is not § 59. Upon Mr. H. Dodwell's provocation I published a Treatise of Episcopacy that had lain long by me which fully openeth our Judgment about the difference between
the old Episcopacy and our new Diocesans and Answereth almost all the Chief Writers which have Written for such Prelacy specially Bishop Downance Dr. Hammond Saravia Spalatensis Setavius c. I think I may freely say it is Elaborate and had it not done somewhat effectually in the undertaken cause some one or other would have answered it ere now It makes me admire that my Cathol Theology our Reformed Liturgy my Second Plea for Peace that I say not the first also and this Treatise of Episcopaoy could never 〈◊〉 an Answer from any of these fierce Accusing Men when as it is the Subjects of these Four which are the Controversies of the Age and Rage by these Man so much insisted on But I have since found some Explication about the English Diâ—cesanes necessary which the Separatists forced me to publish by misunderstanding me § 60. Mr. Hinkley grew more moderate and Wrote me a Reconciling Letter but Long of Exceter if Fame misreport not the Anonimous Author Wrote so fierce a Book to prove me out of my own Writings to be one of the worst Men living on Earth full of Falshoods and old â—â—â—racted Lines and half Sentences that I never saw any like it And being overwhelmed with Work and Weakness and Pains and having least zeal to defend a Person so bad as I know my self to be I yet never Answered him it being none of the matter in Controversie whether I be good or bad God be Merciful to me a Sinner § 61. I published also an Apology for the Nonconformists Preaching proving it their duty to Preach though forbidden while they can And Answering a Multitude of Objectors against them Fowlis Morley Cunning Parker Patrick Druell Saywell Ashton Good Dodwell c. With Reasons to prove that the honest Conformists should be for our Preaching § 62. I published a few Sheets called A Moral Prognostication what will befall the Curches as gathered only from Moral Causes § 63. Because the accusation of Schism is it that maketh all the noise against the Nonconformists in the Mouths of their Persecuâ—ors I Wrote a few Sheets called A search for the English Schismatick comparing the Principles and Practices of both Parties and leaving it to the 〈◊〉 to Judge who is the Schismatick shewing that the Prelatists have in the Canons ipso facto Excommunicated all Nobility Gentry Clergy and People who do but affirm that there is any thing sinful in their Liturgy Ceremonies or Church 〈◊〉 even to the lowest Officer And their Laws cast 〈◊〉 of the Ministery into Goals and then they call us Schismaticks for not 〈◊〉 to their Churches Yea though we come to them constantly as I have 〈◊〉 if we will not give over Preaching our selves when the parishes I lived in Lad 〈◊〉 Fifty thousand the other Twenty thousand Souls in it more than can come within the Church-doors This Book also and my Prognostication and which I most valued my True and only way of Vniversal Concord were Railed at but never Answered that I know of no more than those fore-mentioned § 64. One Mr. Morrice Chaplain to Arch-bishop Sandcroft Wrote a Learned and Virulent Book against my Abstract of the History of Bishops and Councils and against a small Book of Mr. David Clerkson against the Antiquity of Diocesancs To this Mr. Clerkson and I conjoyned our Answers In mine â— Epitomixed Iob Ludolphus History of Habassia in the Preface and I think sufficiently Vindicated my History of Councils and so think they that were greatly taken with Mr. Morrice's book till they saw the Answer And Mr. Clerkson hath shewn himself so much better acquainted with Church History than they that whether they will attempt to answer his Testimonies and mine in my Treatise of Episcopacy which disprove the Antiquity of Diocesanes or will trust only to possession power and noise I know not § 65. Mr. H. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock by publick accusation called me out to publish a Book called An Answer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock confuting an Vniversal Humane Church-Sovereignty Aristocratical and Monâ—â—chical as Church-Tyranny and Popery and defending Dr. Isaac Barrow's Excellent Treatise against it For Dr. Tillotson had newly Published this Excellent Post humous-Treatise and Sherlock quarrel'd with it In this I confuted Mr. Dodwell's Treatise of Schism and many of his Letters and Conferences with me which I think he will pass by lest his own Reply should make those know him who read not mine § 66. In a short time I was called with a grieved heart to Preach and Publish many Funeral Sermons on the Death of many Excellent Saints Mr. Stubbes went first that Humble Holy Serious Preacher long a blessing to Gloucestershire and Somersetshire and other parts and lastly to London I had great reason to lament my particular Loss of so holy a friend who oft told me That for very many years he never went to God by solemn Prayer without a particular remembrance of me but of him before Next died Mrs. Coxe Wife to Dr. Thomas Coxe now President of the Colledge of Physicians a Woman of such admirable composure of Humble Seriâ—â—â— Godliness meekness patience exactness of Speech and all behaviour and great Charity that all that I have said in her Funeral Sermon is much short of her worth Next died my most intire Friend Alderman Henry Asâ—â—rst commonly taken for the most exemplary Saint that was of publick notice in this City so sound in Judgment of such admirable Meekness Patience Universal Charity Studious of Good Works and large therein that we know not where to find his Equal Yet though such a Holy Man of a strong Body God 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 by the terrible Disease of the Stone in the Bladder And in 〈…〉 to be Cut and two broken Stones taken out by Thirty pieces and more with admirable patience And when the Wound was almost â—â—aled he was fain to be Cut again of a third Stone that was left behind and after much 〈◊〉 and patience died with great peace and quietness of Mind and hath left behind him the perfume of a most honoured Name and the Memorials of a most exemplary Life to be imitated by all his Descendents Next my dear Friend Mr. Iohn Corbet of just the like tâ—mper of Body and Soul having endured at Chichester many years Torment of the same Disease coming up to be 〈◊〉 died before they could Cut him and had just three 〈…〉 in his Bladder at Mr. Ashurst's were his worth is known in Gloucester 〈◊〉 London and by his Writings to the Land to be beyond what I have published of him in his Funeral Sermon He having lived in my House before and greatly honoâ—red by my Wife She got not long after his exâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Wife 〈◊〉 to Dr. Twiss to be her Companion but enjoyed that comfort 〈…〉 while which I have longer enjoyed § 67. Near the same time died my Father's second Wife Mery the Daughter of Sir Thomas 〈◊〉 and sister to Sir 〈…〉 in the Waâ—s Her
to Day I should be an Infidel to Morrow Besides the plainness of Scripture against it But that this Author is no Dullard is apparent by his ingenuous Writing I meet with few that err so far that write in so clear and judicious a Stile So that I still profess be he what he will I much value the clearness of the Author Being then in a necesity of Judging him either lamentably weak and worse or else to be one that thinks better than he writes Reason and Charity commanded me to judge the latter to be more likely And that likelihood is all that I have asserted But if he had rather that I judged much worse of him viz. that he hath as contemptible Thoughts of the Kingdom and Design of Christ as he expresseth if I may know his Mind I shall consent Will you do me the Favour as to tell me his Name To your other Objections 1. Not Infidels but yet all Christians with us that deny Infant Baptism are commonly called Anabaptists and in that Sense I did intend it But so as that I distinguish between Anabaptists and meer Anabaptists some are only Anabaptists and those I distinguish from other Parties of their Mind some are Anabaptists and more and those are commonly denominated from the greatest Differences The greater Error in the Denomination is to carry it before the less And yet E. G. a Quaker pleading against Infant-Baptism ceaseth not to be an Anabaptist because he is a Quaker but yet is to be entituled from the worst And this distinguished from meer Anabaptists This all know is the common Custom of Speech and a Man should not be well understood that departs from it 2. An after owning proveth guilty though not Agents But I know well of abundance in the Army more than you mention that pleaded against Infant Baptism before and I can easily prove that even the best that ever I knew of the Anabaptist Churches petitioned for Justice on the King and laboured for Hands from others to it I am loath to Name Men publickly and stir in this least it occasion Offence But I intreat you freely give me your Advice in it I purposed not to have answered Stubs's Vindication and the Ministers commonly were the Cause by dissuading me saying none regarded it and that I should exasperate Sir H. V. against them all for my sake But now I am told that some very honest Anabaptists take it for granted that I have written Untruths of Sir H. V. and that I owe him a Recantation and they question History that speaks against them for my sake Hereupon I have changed my purpose and writ a plain Confutation of Stubs's Vindication Now I crave your Advice in Three Things 1. Whether indeed it be best publish the Answer I have prepared or not supposing it true and satisfactory 2. Whether I were best take any Notice of the Offence of the Author of the Sober Word and say as much to him only as I have here done 3. Whether I were best take notice of the Anabaptists Offence I pray deal freely with me and if it may be by the next Post for I shall delay for your Advice because you know the Minds of these People better than I. My own Thoughts are 1. To publish that against Stubs as necessary 2. To say nothing about the Anabaptists because I must name Pastors and People that petitioned for the King's Death and such things that are utterly unsavoury to me and unseasonable and will increase Displeasure and I had rather bear their Displeasure as it is than increase it 3. And as to the Sober Word I am indifferent I received yours but a little before Mr. Lambe's Departure but my own Thoughts had led me to harp on the same String that you directed me to I was very glad to find you jealous of that Extreme that is in it self much worse than Anabaptism in our Thoughts that dissent from both But I hope yet that he hath no liking of Popery or Formality but only Charity for the Men. I told him not of any thing concerning him in your Letters but only afterwards I told him that I heard Mr. Gunning judged him of his Mind but told him nothing whence I had it As to Mr. Tombes Book I shall much refer it to your Advice 1. I resolved not to meddle with it unless he signify his Desire for it would be an abuse of him to meddle with his Works without his Consent I should not take it well my self nor unless I first see the printed Sheets which we ordinarily see before we write Epistles but on these two Suppositions I should do it not only willingly but gladly 1. Because I would further any Work against Popery that is sollid and am troubled that no more turn their Studies and Labours that way 2. Because I would have the World see that Mr. Tombes and I can agree against the common Adversary and for the common Truths But one thing only a little scruples me which I charge you to conceal from him and all Men A great Scandal hath been long raised of him by Collonel Clieve who about two Years ago put it by Letters into my Hands and I caused Mr. Tombes to have the Knowledge of it but otherwise stifled it as well as I fairly could But now Collonel Clieve hath made it very publick and told it the Commissioners for Approbation who greatly resent it c. If you know not of it you shall know no more for me Now whether under the heat of this Scandal the prefacing to his Book will savour well and do more good or harm is a thing that I am willing to be advised and ruled by you in supposing that he desires the thing and hears not of this my Scruple which you should not have heard from me but that it 's publick My Confidence of your Fidelity makes me thus free and bold with you O Brother Must we be all divided in this Day of Peril when we are ready to be assaulted by the common Enemy O pray and strive for Love and Unity and if my Ignorance and Rashness hath done any thing against it pray that I may have Pardon and more Grace I rest Yours unfeignedly Rich. Baxter July 18. 1659. To my Loving Friend Mr. William Allen in London Worthy Sir I Received yours of the 18th Instant and was very glad to see you took so well that which I looked on as somewhat rude in my self and was troubled after the Letter was out of my Hands that I should give you any occasion of Trouble by medling so far as in my Letter I had done As to Advise in the Particulars you mention I count my self very incompetent for such Consultations and do know you are so well able to make Judgment in such Cases that if I should undertake to gratiâ—y your Desire it would signify little As for your answering the Vindication I do acknowledge Your Resolution herein is attended with Difficulties