P A R T I. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. -73 and FaLtious Fellows were introduced. But this Age hath taught the World how little the Report of Each Men is tobe believed of any others, whofpeak what their Intereft and Malicedo command them ; and by thefe are made ftranggers to the Men they fpeak of, though they dwell among them : For they Convene not with them at all, unlefs in fome wrangling Difpute, when Malice and Pacfron Peek a Whetftone; but they talk only with thofe that talk againfl them , -and eafily be- lieve any falfe Reports, when once they are fo like the Common Enemy that they delire them to be true. But I thanin this Cafe alfo fpeak impartially, neither ju- ftifying what they did miff, nor condemningthem withoutcaufe. And becaufe I have paff it by before, I fhallfay fometbingof the Weflmin/1er Af- fembly here. This Synod was not a Convocation according to the Diocefan way of Government, nor was it called by the Votes of the Miniffers according to the Presbyterian way: But the Parliament not intending to call an Affembly which Ihould pretend a Divine Right tomake obliging Laws or Canons to bind their Brethren, but an Ecclefiaffical Council to be Advifers to themfelves, did think that they belt knew whowere the fitteff togive them Advice, and thereforechofe them allthemfelves. Twowere to be chofen out of each County ; but Tomefew Coun- ties ( I knownot upon what reafon ) hadbut one : I fuppofe it was long of the Parliament Menof thofe Counties. And becaufe they would feem Impartial, and have each Party to have liberty to fpeak, they over and above the number chofe many Epifcopal Divines, even the Learnedett of them in the Land, as Archbilhon Ufher Primate of Ireland, Dr. Holdfwortb, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Wincop, Bifhop Weft- ford, Bithop Prideaux, and manymore. But they would not come, becaufe it was not a Legal Convocation, and becaufe the King declared himfelf againft it: Dr. Dan. Featly and very few more of that Party came : ( But at lait hewas charged with fendingIntelligence to theKing's Quartersat Oxford, ofwhat was done in the Synod and Parliament, andwas imprifoned; which much reflectedon the Parlia- ment, becaufe whatever his Fa&fwere, he was foLearned a Man, as was fufficient to dithonour thofe he fuffered by). The Prolocutor or Moderatorwas Dr. William Twi (a Man very famous for his Scholaftical Wit and Writings in a very fmoorh triumphant Stile) : The'Divines there Congregate were Men of Eminent Learn- ingand Godlinefs, and Minifterial Abilities and Fidelity : And beingnot worthy to be oneof them my felf, I may the morefreely fpeak that Truth which I know even in the Face of Malice and Envy, that, as far as I am able to judge by the In- formationof all Hiftoryof that kind, and byany other Evidences left us, the Chri- fiianWorld, fine the days of the Apoftles, had never a Synod ofmore Excellent Divines (taking one thing with another) than this Synod and the Synod ofDort were. This Affembly was confined by the Parliament to debate only fuch things as they propofed to them: AndmanyLords and Commons were joyned inCommif- faon with them, to fee that they did not go beyond their Commif{con : Six or (e- ven Independants were joynedwith them, that all fades may be heard; of whom five were called theDii fencing Brethren, (Philip Nye, Thomas Goodwyn,5'eremiah Bur- roughs, ghr, Sydracb Sympfon, and WilliamBridge) who joyned with the reit till they had drawn up a Confeffion of Faith, a larger and a shorter Catechifm. But when they came to Church Government, they engaged theminmany long Debates, and kept that Bufinefs as long as poffibly they could undetermined ; and after that kept it fo long unexecuted inalmoft all parts of the Land, faving London and Lan- caJhire, that their Party had time to ffrengthen themfelves in the Army and the Parliament, and hinderthe Executionafterall, and keep the Government deter- mined of, a Stranger to molt of the People of this Land, who knew it but by hearfay, as it was reprefented byReporters. For myown part, as highly as I ho- nour the Men, I am not of their Mind, its every Point of the Government which they would have let up ; andforce words in their Catechifm I could with had been more clear ; andabove all, I could with that the Parliament and their more skil- ful Hand, had done more than was done to heal our Breaches, and hadhit upon the right way either to unite with the Epifcopaland Independants (which was pof- fible, as dictant as they are) or at leali had pitched on the Terms that are fit for Univerfal Concord, and leftall to come in uponchofe Terms that would. But for all this diffent I mutt teffifiemy Love and Honour to the Perlonsof fach great Sin- cerity, andEminent Minifterial Sufficiency, as were Gamier, Vines, Burgeff, White, and the greater part of that Affembly. Among
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