LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER 145 faithful pastors, nor ignorant, scándalous, unworthy ones obtruded on them. "I presumed totell him, that the peoplewe spoke for were such as were contented with an interest in heaven, and 'the liberty and advantages of the gospel to promote it; and that if these were taken from them, and they were deprived of their faithful pastors, and liberty of worshiping God, they would take themselves as undone in this world, whatever plenty else they should enjoy ; and the hearts of his most faithful subjects, who hoped for his help, would even be broken; and we doubted not but his majesty desired to govern a people made happy by him, and not a broken -hearted people, who took themselves to be undone by the loss of that which is dearer to them than all the riches of the world. I presumed to tell him, that the late usurpers that were over us, so well under- stood their own interest, that, to promote it, they had found the way ofdoing good to be the most effectual means ; and had placed and encouraged many thousand faithful ministers in the church, even such as detested their usurpation; and so far had they attain- edTeir ends hereby, that it was the principal means of their inte- rest in the people, and the good opinion that many had conceived ofthem; and those of them that had taken the contrary course had thereby broken themselves in pieces. Wherefore, I humbly crav- ed his majesty, that, as he was our lawful king, in whom all his people were prepared to centre, so he would be pleased to under- take this 'blessed work of promoting their holiness and concord ; for it was not faction or disobedience which we desired him to indulge ; and that he would never suffer himselfto be tempted to undo the good which Cromwell, or any other, had done, because they ,were usurpers that did it; or discountenance a faithful ministry,, because his enemies had set them up ; but that he would rather outgo them in doing good, and opposing and rejecting the ignorant and ungod- ly, of what opinion orparty soever; for the people whose cáuse we recommended to him, had their eyes on him as theofficer of God, to defend them in the possession ofthe helps of their salvation ; which ifhe were pleased to vouchsafe them, their estates and lives would be cheerfully offered to his service. "And I humbly besought him that he would never suffer his subjects to be tempted to have favorable thoughts of the late usurp- ers, by seeing the vice indulged which they suppressed, or the godly ministers of the gospel discountenanced whom they encourag- ed; for the common people, are apt to judge of governors by the effects, even by the good or evil which they feel, and theywill take him to be the best governor who doth themmost good, and him to be theworst who doth themmost hurt. Andall his enemies could not teach him a more effectual way to restore. the reputation and vet. 1. 19
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