Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

li7hich-many fail into on, pretenceofavoidingPapery. ibefeech you L. y, whether it benot neceflàry thatyou fpeedily repent of ail them foliow'ng fins r. Vdhat a flume is it for one that would be taken for a Religious Inan to be to Ignorant as you are, and nobetter know the truthof Chrift, from the 'errors ofPopery,.. than ( it àppeareth.) you do z. What a fin for one fo Ignarant to be fo rafb and bold in venturing to 'judge. of that which, he underftandeth not 3. What a fin is it for one foIgnorant to be fo, proud of his pretend- edknowledge, as to venture to defame his Teachers for contradii bins him in his erroneous conceits? Have you ftudiedthefe things as long and hard as t have ;donee or are you fire thatyou have done it more impartially, and that God hath illuminated you to much more as your confidence would' Import,: 4. What an .unchriftian crime is it, to make lyes and carry them abroad of your Teachers, and thenbeforced to confefs, that it was the failing of your memory as to what you heard r g. What a fin is it tobe a backbiter? Neither you, not any one of your quality did ever come tomy face either to know my meaning, or to hear, what I had to fay, nor to reprove my fin, or convince me of my error. 6. Is not unrighteoufnefs a fin, in your judging and reports, as it is in publick Judgements t' Should not a manbe heard before he be condemned t' efpecially aMinifter of Chriftt 7. What, a `in is it to receive falfe reports from others, and encourage backbiters whom you should rebuke and frown away r 8. What .a heinous fin is it thus to deftroy the Hearers fouls, and as thofe that have the Plague, to carry your infeétion from houleto houle, and kill mens Love, and breed in them falfe conceits and bitter injurious thoughts of others 9. What a fin is it with fuch unthankfulnefs to requite Chrifts fer- vants that fpend their dayes, and ftrength, and eftates in labouring for . mens good t When I take noneof your money, when I have thefe twelve yearspreached: (asI had liberty) freely without hire ; when I had been put onto plead the Nan-conforrnifts Caufe in the coftlieft circumftances, and to bear the greateft odium for it ; when I was I think the firft that was filenced On fuch accounts ; when I have been twelve or fourteen years deprived ofallEcclefiaflical maintenance; when I re fufed .a Bifhoprick; when I have laboured in Writings and other dutiesto the confuming of my flefh in daily and hourly pain and weaknefs, and now look every Sermon for my lath, and am ready to appear before my Judge: to be to thevery laft thus calumniated and reviled by pievifn se= claries, would be a fad reward, were your favour my reward ! But is this jufl or grateful r or shall the unrighteous and unthankful be accounted the belt men? I know I could have been one of thehigheft inyour favour and applaufe, if I would have humoured and followed you : But I had ra- ther that God fhould keep me from your honour, than buy it at fo dear a rate. to. And is it no fin thus to hinder the fuccefs of our labours, bymaking- us odious or frCfpecledby them that fhould profit by us:' s I. Is it not hypocrifie, to cry out of theBifhops for filencing us, whenyou thew that you would fain do it your lelves t Would not you 'fleece me now if it were in your power t Yea, I doubt not but when I die, fomeof you will rejoyce and fay, that God did it in judgement on, aa. And

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