PAR T L ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. a r and end, out of the Prefs, and wrote fomuchof an Anfwer as I thought it wor- thy, before the publication of it. Mr. Eyre, was a Preacher in Salisbury ofMr. Crandon's Opinion ; who having preached there for Juftification before Faith , (that is, the Juftification of Ele& Infidels) was publickly confuted by Mr. Warren, and Mr. Woodbridge ( a very ju- dicious Minifter of Newbury, who had lived in NewEngland) : Mn Woodbridge printed his Sermon, which very perfpicuoufly opened the Do&rineofJuftification after the method that I had done. Mr. Elves being offended with me asa Partner, gave me fome part of his oppofition, to whom I returned an Anfwer in the end: And a few words to Mr.Caryl who licenfed and approvedMr. Crandon's Book, (for the Antinomians were commonly Independents). No one of all the Parties re- plied to this Book, fave only Mr. Blake to tome part of that which touched him. § i63., 8. Becau(e my Aphorifms had fo provok'd fo many, and the noife was ve- ry loud againft them, to make the Paffages plainer which offended them ( about Juftification, Sanctification, Merit, Punilhment, óc.) I wrote a Book , called The Confegion of my Faith about thole matters : which I gave the World to fave any more of them from mifunderftanding my Aphorifms, and declared my Sufoenfion . ofmy Aphorifms till I Ihould reprint them, intending only to corre& two or three Paffages, and elucidate the refs : But afterward I greatly affe&ed to bring them into a fmall Syftem of Divinity, which having never yet had time towrite, I have omitted the reprinting of them to this day ; (But fome have furrepcitioufly printed them againft my will). In myConfegion I opened the whole Do&tineof Antinomianifm which I oppo- fed,and I brought the Teftimonies of abundance ofourDivines, who giveas much to other Ads betides Faith, in Juftification as I. And Iopened the weaknefs of Dr. Owen's Reafoningsfor Juftificationbefore Faith, in his former Anfwer to me. To which he wrote an Anfwer, annexing it to his Confutation of Biddle and the Cracovian Carechifm (to intimate that I belonged to that Party) that I thought it unfit to make any Reply to it, not only becaufe I had no vacancy from better work, but becaufe the quality of it wasfilch as would unavoidably draw me, if I confuted it, to fpeak fomuch and fo offenfively to the Perlen , as well as the Do- drine, that it would have been a Temptation tothe further weakeningof hisCha- rity, and increafinghis deliireofRevenge: And I thought it my duty ( when the Readers good required me not to write) to forbear replying, and to let him have the laft word, becaufe I had begun with him. And I perceived that the com- mon Malt ofMen againft him and his Book made my Reply the more unnecef- fury. But for all the Writings and Wrath of Men which wereprovoked againft me; I muff here record my Thanks to God for the Succefs of my Controverfal Wri- tings againft the Antinomians : when I was in the Army it was the predominant Infektion : The Books of Dr. Crí, Paul Hofon, Salrmarfb, Cradock, and abundance filch like were the Writings molt applauded; and he was thought no Spiritual Chriftian, but a Legalift that favoured not of Antinomianifm, which was fugared with the Title of Free-grace ; and otherswere thought topreach the Law , and not topreach Chrilt. And I confefs, thedarknefs of many Preachers latheMyfteries ofthe Gofpel, and our common neglect of (tudying and preaching Grace, and Gratitude, andLove, did give occafion to the prevalencyof this Sett, which God no doubt permitted for our good, to review our apprehenfion of chofe Evangeli- cal Graces and Duties which we barely acknowledged, but in our pra&icealmolt over-lookt. But thisSe& that then fo much prevailed, was fo fuddenly aimed ex- tin&, that now they little appear, and make no noife among us at all, nor have done thefemany years ! In which effect chofe ungrateful Controverfal Writings of my own have had fo much hand, as obligeth me to very much Thankfulnefs to God. § 164. About that time having been at London, and preached fome Sermons there, one fcrap ofa Sermon preached in Weftminfler-Abbey to many Members of Parliament, was taken by fome one and printed ; which is nothing but thenaming of a few Dire&ions which I then gave the Parliament Men for Church Reforma- tionand Peace, accordingto the Race ofchofe Times which it was preached in. anOliver Cromwef's time.) § a65. so. Andwhen I was returned home I was follicited by Letters to print many of the Sermons which I had preached in London ; and in fome of them I gratified their defrres: One Sermon which I publifhed was againft Mens making light
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