60 LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. man's hand was against his neighbor. Indeed, inall places where the parliament had not the ascendency, there was no security to the country; "the multitude did what they list." "If any one was noted for a strict and famous preacher, or fora man, ofprecise and pious life, he was either plundered,or abused and in danger of his life. Ifa man did but pray in his family, or were but heard repeat a sermon, or sing a psalm, theypresently cried out, Rebels, round-heads; and all their money and goods that were portable proved guilty, how innocent soever they were themselves. " This it was that filled the armies and garrisons of the parliament with sober, pious men. "Thus, when I was at Coventry, the religious part of my neighbors at Kidderminster, that would fain have lived quietly at home, were forced (the chiefest of them) to be gone. And to Coventry they came ; and some of them, that had any es- tates of their own, lived there on their own charge ; and the rest were fain to take up arms and be garrison soldiers, to get them bread." Under such persecutions, Batter's father, in Shropshire, and all his neighbors that were noted for praying, and hearing sermons, were afflicted. In the hope ofrendering some aid to his father, he was induced to leave Coventry for a few weeks, in company with a party who went to fortify and garrison one of the towns in that county. There he saw some fighting, such as was then going on almost every where. His father he found in prison at Lillshul. Having relieved him, he returned to Coventry after two months' absence. There he settled again in his old habitation and employment, and followed his studies in quietness another year. At Coventry, he says, he had a very judicious auditory, and he records the names of many whom he regarded with particularaffec- tion. There were also in that place, during the period of his resi- dence there, about thirty worthyministers, who, like him, had fled thither for safety from the soldiers and from popular fury. "1 have cause," he adds, "of continual thankfulness to God for the quietness and safety, and sober,wise, religious company, with liber- ty to preach the gospel, which he vouchsafed me in this city, when other places were in the terrorsand flames of war." The garrison, to which he was chaplain, he describes as a com- munity in which there was much of the spirit of devotion, and at the same time no inconsiderable degree of intelligence on religious subjects. Some men of sectarian principles, and of a dividing disposition, gave him plenty of employment. He says he "preach- ed over all the controversies against the Anabaptists first, and then against the Separatists." The Baptists, determined not to be put down by his learning and acuteness, sent abroad for a minister of -amnia
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