I46 LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. honor of the usurpers than to do worse than they, and destroy the good which they had done." "And, again, I humbly craved that no misrepresentations might cause him to believe, that because some fanatics have been factious and disloyal, therefore the religious peo- ple in his dominions, who are most careful of their souls, are such, though some of them may be dissatisfied about some forms and ceremonies in God's worship, which others use ; and that none of them might go under so ill a character with him, by misreports be- hind their backs, till it were proved of them personally, or they had answered for themselves; for we, that better knew them than those likely to be their accusers, did confidently testify to his majes- ty on their behalf, that they are the resolved enemies ofsedition, re- bellion, disobedience, and divisions ; which the world should see, and their adversaries be convinced of, if his majesty's wisdom and clemency did but remove those occasions of scruple in some points of discipline and worship of God, which give advantage to others tocall all dissenters factious and disobedient, .how loyal and peacea- ble soever. "I, further, humbly craved, that the freedom and plainness of these expressions to his majesty might be pardoned, as being ex- tracted by the present necessity, and encouraged by our revived hopes. I told him also, that it was not for Presbyterians, or any party, as such, that we were speaking, but for the religious part of his subjects as such, than whom no prince on earth had better. I also told him how considerable a_part of the kingdom he would find them to be ; andof what great advantage their union would be to his majesty, xo the people, and to the bishops themselves, and how easily it might be procured by making only things necessary to be the terms of union by the true exercise of church discipline against sin and by notcasting out the faithful ministers that must exercise it, and obtruding unworthy men upon the people ; and how easy it was to avoid the violating of men's solemn vows and cove- nants, without hurt to any others. And, finally, I requested that we might be heard to speak for ourselves, when any accusations were brought against us. These, with some other such things, I then spake, when some of my brethren had spoken first. Mr.. Simeon Ash also spake much to the same purpose, and of all our desires of his majesty's assistance in our desired union. The king gave us not only a free audience, but as gracious an answer as we could expect ; professing his gladness to hear our inclinations to agreement, and his resolution to do his part to bring us together; and that it must not beby bringing one party over to the other, but by abating somewhat on both sides, and meeting in the midway ; and that if it were not accomplished, it should be owing to ourselves and not to him.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=