Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

ió6 neLIFE of' the L B. I. that will fee more of this Surprize of Dublin Cattle, may read it as printed by Colonel Bridges in a Ihort Narrative. Had it not been for that A&ion, it is pro- bable that Ireland would have been the Refuge and Randezvouz for the disbanded or fugitive Army, andthat there they would not only have maintained the War, but have itnbodied againft England, andcome over again, with Refolutionsheight- ned by their Warnings. The Reward that Col. Bridges had for this Service was the peacefulTeftimony ofhis Confcienee, and a narrow efcape from beingutterly ruined ; being fired as one that after Edgbill Fight had taken the King's Goods, in ats A&ion of Fourfcore Thoufand pound : But all wasproved falfe, and he being cleared by the Court, did quickly after die ofa Fever at Chefter, and go to a more peaceableand defirable World. § 153. For my own A&ionsand Condition all this time, I have partly Thewed them in the Second Part : How I was called up to London, and what I did there, and with how little Succefs I there continued my Pacificatory Endeavours. When I had lived there afew Weeks, I fell into another fit of Bleeding, which though it was nothing fo great as formerly, yet after my former depauperation by that means and great debility, did weaken me much. Being reftored by the mercy of God, and the helpof Dr. Bates, ( and the mots of a dead man's skull which I had from Dr. Micbletbwait) I went to Mr.Tbomar Foley's Houle, whereI lived (in Ae- flin-Fryars) about a year ; and thence to Dr.Micbtetbwair's Houle in Little Brittain, where I tabled about another year,: and thence to Moorfields, and thence to Ahlon; fromwhich being at the prefent drivenby the Plague, I wait forthe further difpofal of my Almighty and. moll Gracious Lord. § t 54. And now I fhall annex for the Reader's fatisfa&ion, an Account of my Books and Writings, on what occafion they were written, and what I now judgeof them on a review, and after fo much foppofition. § r y S The Books which I have written (and thofe that arewritten againRme) are fo numerous, that I confefs if they plead not to the Reader for themfelves, I cannot eafily excufe my putting the World tofo much trouble. And I was once almolt fain out withmy (elf, when I faw filch abundance ofSermon Books print- ed in Oliver's days, becaufeI concurred with them in over-loading the World. But God was pleafed to keep me fromRepentance by their Succefs; and finte then I am more Impenitent herein than ever, as feeing more of the reafonof God's difpo- fal than I law before. For fince fo many hundred Minilters are filenced, and an Aet is now pall in the Parliament to forbid us coming within five miles of any Ci- ty, Corporation, or Burgefs Town ; and a former A& forbiddeth us (peaking to above four that are not of a Family; and knowing what Perlòns are Minifters in manyof our places, I now biefs God that his poor Servants have the private help of Books, which are the bell Teachers, underGod, that many thoufand Per. Ions have. And whereas there are about FiftyBooks (as I remember) that in whole or in part are written againR me, or tome Palfages inmine; I biefs the Lord that they have not difturbedor difcompofed my mind, nor any more hindered me from' my greater duty, by Replies ; nor beenaltogether unprofitable to me : And thatnone of them, nor all of them, any whit difàbled me from the Service of God by di- minithing my Eftimation with thofethat I have opportunity to ferve, or with the common Readers that may profit by my Labours, but only with the Membersof the feveralFa&ions. Some are writtenagainR me by Quakers, Yams Nayler, andmany others : Some by Clement Writer, and other Seekers and Infidels : Someby Papifts; fome by Ana- baptifts (Mr. Tembes, Frfhers and many others) : fome by Reverend Brethren that underftood notall Points of Doecrine as I did (which-ever of us was in the right ) (as Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Blake, Mr. Burge', Dr. Kendall,&e.) fome by Antinomian,, and fome by Separatifts; and fome by good Men that were but half poffeft with their Opinions, (as Mr. Sires, Mr. Crandon, Mr. Warner, &c.) : fomeby proud im- patient Men ; andfume by the Prelatical Party: fomeby young Men that wanted Preferment, and thought that this was the way to get it ; and fome by obfcure Men thatdefired'to be taken notice of; and fome byFlatterers, that defired to pleafe others on whom they did depend ; andfome by malicious blood- thirfty Ca- lumniators ! fome by fa&ious Temporizers, (as Stubbs, Rogers, Needham, &c.) and abundanceby erroneous impatient Men, that could not endure to be contradietedin their Miftakes.Tomanyof thefe I have returned Anfwers; and that fome others re- main unanfwered, is through the reltraint ofthe Preis. § 156.

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