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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94087	A vindication of that prudent and honourable knight, Sir Henry Vane, from the lyes and calumnies of Mr. Richard Baxter, minister of Kidderminster. In a monitory letter to the said Mr. Baxter. By a true friend and servant of the Commonwealth of England, &c.	Stubbe, Henry, 1632-1676.	1659 (1659)	Wing S6068; Thomason E985_21; ESTC R203679	15,324	23

A VINDICATION OF That Prudent and Honourable Knight Sir Henry Vane From the LYES and CALUMNIES OF Mr. Richard Baxter Minister of Kidderminster In a MONITORY LETTER to the said Mr. Baxter By a True Friend and Servant of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND c. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but a man of a hasty spirit exalteth folly Prov. 14. 29. LONDON Printed for Livewel Chapman at the Crown in Popes-Head-Alley 1659. A Vindication of that Prudent and Honourable Knight Sir HENRY VANE c. Mr. Baxter AS in the multitude of Words there wants not sin Sect. I Prov. 10 19. so in the multiplicity of Books and Writings there are commonly many gross mistakes calumnies unworthy and unchristian reflections upon the persons and actions of other men perhaps altogether unknown to the Authors of such books I cannot but admire the wise providence of God in suffering you to be whip'd and lashed not without just cause by divers godly learned men in their Writings by whom you are rendered to be one of an Heterodox Judgement levened with Popish Socinian and Arminian Errors of a bold inconsiderate and rash spirit transported with a preposterous Zeal and a busie intermedler with persons and things whereof you have but little judgement or experience So true are these words of Solomon In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride a wherewith they whip and wound themselves I say I cannot but admire the wise providence of God in this when I consider how apt you are to calumniate and de●ract from your Country-men who desire to serve the Lord in sincerity according to their light and knowledge and in their places and stations to promote the Good of all men I hope that worthy Knight Sir Henry Vane whom you have grosly bely'd in a book of yours lately printed * is of such a spirit and temper and would not willingly do wrong to you nor any other man of what Judgement soever Sect. II If you had expected the late Turn wherein much of the power and wisdom of God hath appeared our Enemies themselves being Judges and you your self have taken notice of the providence of God towards the late Protector and therefore m●y well take notice of this I doubt not Sir but you love and tender your self and your own credit and reputation so much that you would have been silent touching Sir Henry Vane and the Vanists as you most vainly and foolishly call them and not have rendered your self by your ●●shness and folly obnoxious to the Law and Justice VVas it not possible for you Mr. Baxter to flatter and fawn upon Mr. Richard Cromwel whom you in your wisdom have compared to wise Solomon as you did his Father to faithful and upright David but you must also asperse and bely your Country-men who would not nor could not sacrifice the Liberties of their dear Native Country to the ambi●ious lusts of men and bow down before that Court-Idol which was erected by a few factious self-interessed persons as you and others have done I dare not say with some of your friends that you have done this according to the true sense and meaning of the Solemn League and Covenant and other Oaths by you taken but rather according to your own foolish humors and those private factious and selfish ends which you and they proposed to your selves in the late Transactions as hoping to supplant all those that obstructed your ambi●ious designes As for that honourable Person whose prudence and parts in the management of State-affairs you are not able to judge of by your Pedantick Syllogisms though you think it worth your time to revile him I presume he looks upon it as below him and his great and weighty imployments to write any thing in his own Vindication he hath other business to look after and not to spend his time about the passionate and rash Scriblings of every byass●d and engaged person and therefore I think it not amisse having more leisure and opportunity not so much from any private or personall respect which I bear to him as my love to the Common wealth and Publick Interest of these Nations which is owned and asserted by him upon just and honest principles to clear up the Innocency of that worthy Knight and to vindic●te him though without his privity and knowledge from your lyes and aspersions that if it be the will of God you may learn Wisdome for time to come and make a publi●k Recanta●ion of that wrong and injury which you have d●ne him and be more advised and prudent in your words and writings Remembring what the Scripture saith Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles b Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words there is more hope of a fool then of him And if a man seem to be religious and b●idleth not his tongue this mans religion is in vain Doubtlesse great care and circumspection is to be used in writing Books for thereby the Authours expose themselves to the censures of all men whether they be wise or foolish rash or considerate learned or ignorant of sound or of corrupt judgment whether they be of a virtuous or vitious disposition He that commits any thing to writing saith Seneca gives men a bill of his manners which every Reader may put in suit against him if there be cause for it It is Kingly saith one * I may add that it is Christian-like Sect. III to do well and to be ill spoken of To do good to all men and to be ill spoken of by most men Who among the people of God was a greater lover of his Countrey a more valiant Captain or a more faithfull Governour then Moses yet how was he censured reviled and reproached by the people who continually murmured against him Among the heathens Socrates Photion Aristides Epaminondas and Cato were excellent men famous for their love to their Countrey yet how ungratefully and unworthily were they used And why should we think it strange that this honourable Knight with other worthy Patriots who have appeared against Tyranny both in matters Civil and Religious are reviled by you and your Associates who under pretence of Religion and the Interest of Christ would set up a faction and enslave the Nation It seems you have learned that Machiavilian lesson Calumniate lustily something will ever stick behind If he be a Slanderer who wrongs his neighbours credit either by unjust raising or upholding an evil report against him Surely you have cause to lay your hand upon your heart and to take shame to your self and if this be the mark of those that shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle that they are such as neither raise not take up a reproach against their neighbour Psal. 15. 3. what will become of you Mr. Baxter and where and with whom must you dwell to eternity if God do not humble you for your slanderous and lying

M●rtyrs but their sayings are recorded by Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments 10. This practise of Persecution meerly for Religion hath been likewise disavowed by some of the most learned and famous Princes of Christend●m King James in his Speech in Parliament saith That it is a sure Rule in Divinity That God never leves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed and in his Apology pag. 4. and 60. I have good proof that I intended no persecution against the Papists for conscience sake but onely desired to be secured for civil obedience which for conscience sake they are bound to perform And speaking of the Arch-priest Blackwel he faith It was never his intention to lay any thing to the Arch-priests charge as he never did to any for the cause of conscience The saying of Stephen that wise King of Poland is observable That he was King of men not of consciences a Commander of Bodies not of Souls and that it is one of the three things which God hath kept in his own hands to urge the conscience this or that way and to cause a man to profess a Religion by working it first in his hea●t And the King of Bohemia writeth thus That the success of latter Times wherein sundry opinions have been hatched about the subject of Religion may make one clearly discern with his eye and as it were touch with his finger That according to the verity of holy Scripture and a Maxime heretofore maintained by the antient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no sort to be violated urged or constrained And whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret means the issue hath been pernicious and the cause of great and wonderful innovation in the migh●iest Kingdomes and Countries of CHRISTENDOM I might also reci●e the sayings of those potent and famous Princes CHARLS the Fifth Emperour of Germany Henry the Third and Henry the Fourth Kings of France with other Christian Princes who after many Trials and much experience of men and times grew weary of the practise of Persecution for the cause of Religion as having seen the sad and dreadful effects of it in Christendom And if this practise should be again re-assumed in these poor distracted Nations what can we expect therefrom as the condition of our affairs stands but greater troubles wars and bloodshed then yet we have seen Whereas you Mr. Bax●er●nd other Minister● who I Sect. X could wish were better imployed do endeavour by your Sermons and writings ●o bring an ●dium upon the present Government and Gove●nour● a● i●●hey who have such considerable Estates and inte●est in the Land had a desi●n to pull down the Ministry level me●● E●●●●es and proprie●y and reduce all to ●n An●●chy and confusion because forsooth they think it not meet to fulfil your ambitious lusts and desires I would ●aine know of you whether ever the Godly Ministry of this N●●ion had ●o much incouragement and maintenance allowed ●h●m by any power or authority as they had and may have ●rom the long Parliament Ungrateful men what would you have them do for you will nothing content you unless you may Exercise a Lordly and Tyrannical Domination over the consciences of your Brethren and bring the civil Magistrate under your Girdle to be at your Beck and Command that you may dispose of civil ●ffairs as you please in ordine ad spiritualia Are there not many pretious Godly Ministers now with the Lord no whit inferior to you that would have blessed God for and rejoyced in tha● liberty freedome and incouragement which you enjoy or may enjoy if you will ca●ry your selves as you ought to do under this ●overnment They good men prized their condition though they had but for●y or fifty pounds per annum But many of our Ministers are so peevish and unthankful That they grow weary of and mourn under their mercies and inveigh most bitterly against the famous long Parliament by whose means they have obtained greater incoura●ements and revenues then ever was enjo●ed by men of their parts and principles Is this your kindness to your Ben●factors and do you thus requi●e them for all their good offices Surely it is high time for them to look about them and to have a watchful eye over such men as you are And when it sh●ll please God to bring the●e Nations to a better consistency and to establish an equal and righteous Government by just and good laws ●or the benefit of the whole Community If you or any other party shall go about by promo●i●g a faction to disturbe the peace and orders of the Commonwealth by your words or actions under what p●etence soever Truly Mr Baxter in such a case you will have but little comfort if you be exposed to sufferings for your miscarriages Let no man suffer saith the Apostle as an evil doer or as a busy body in other mens matters but he that suffereth let him suffer as a Christian 1 Pet. 4. 15 16. Is it your desire that Church-Government should be established in this Land why then If it be such a Government as is ●ure Divino you may set it up by the spiritual Sword though you have no assistance from the civil Magistrate The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world and we know that when the Churches of Christ had least countenance from Earthly powers they were best governed and had most beauty unity and order among themselves You and we have the like liberty and opportunity to improve our spiritual weapons and skill But if one party will impose upon another and go about to supplant those that conscientiously differ from them doubtless the Lord who loves and tenders his people under many weaknesses and mistakes will still witness against such an unchristi●n practise That Counsel which is of God shall stand but that which is not shall be brought to nothing To conclude give me leave Sir to propound something to you by way of advise T is true you have to give you your due a pregnant wit and many commendable natural parts and you are fluent in your words and writings But I beseech you be earnest with the Lord to give you true humility and self-denyal and that wisdom which is from above and which is pure and peaceable and easy to be intreated Lean not too much to your own understanding and reasonings Be not high in your own conceit you know who saith that there is more hope of a fool then of a man that is wise in his own conceit Prov. 26. 12. Hence it is that you are so apt to sleight and undervalue others as deserving as your self which your best friends have noted in you and do much complain of Consider and digest your thoughts well before you speak or write Remember what a wise man saith m That the heart of the Righteous studieth to answer and the heart of the wise Teacheth his mouth and addeth learning to his lips A fool uttereth all his mind but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards Look up to God for spiritual strength that you may be crucified to the fame and praise of men upon which Rock many have split themselves who have had as excellent parts and as much seeming piety as Mr. Baxter He that thinketh he knoweth any thing let him know that he knoweth nothing as he ought to know I write this in true love to you and I wish you may accept it accordingly For better are the wounds of a true friend then the kisses of an Enemy FINIS a Prov. 4 3 * K●y of catholiques b Prov. 21. 23. Prov. 29. 20. Jam. 1. 26. * Antisthenes Exod. 23. 2. * K●y of Cathol. pag. 312 313. 3●● 331 335 391 c Job 13. 7. Rom. 3. 7. d Vide Declar of Parliam 〈…〉 Fr●e State March 17. 1648. * See Mr. Tho. Barlowe Mr. Owen Mr. Kendall Mr. Ly●●r● Mr. Burgess Mr. Eyre Mr. Crandon Mr. Warner their Books against Mr. Baxter K●y p●g 312 313. Key pag. 331. Matth. 7. 5. e Aphoris of Justif. p. 70. 78. 82 83. 91. 45. Direction for Comfort afflict Cons● pag. 34 37 38 45 39 42 44 45 47 49 51 c. f Saints●●●rlasting Rest g Ad Scapulam h Hillary Contra Aux●nt i Jerom. in poenit lib 4. in Jerem. k Luth. postil Dom. 1. post Epiph Comment in 1 Pet. 3. m Prov. 15. 24. Prov. 16. 23. Prov. 29. 11.