P A II T L ReverendMr. Richard Baxter: § 186. o. The third Sheet was called [ One Sheet for the Miniftry, againft the Ma- of lignants all forts j; containing chofeReafons forthe prefent Miniftry which thew the greatnefs of the Sinof thofe that fet againft them. It was intended then a. gainft the Quakers and other Seetarian Enemies to the Miniftry : but is as ufeful for thefe Times, and againft thofe that on other pretences hate, and fi!enee, and fupprefs them ; and might cell their Confciences what they do. § r 87. 3r. Thefourth Sheet I called [ ASecond Sheet for the Miniftry ] ; being a Defenceof their Office as continued, againft the Seekers, who pretend that the Miniftry is ceafed and loft : And it may ferre againft the Papifts that queftion our Call for want of a Succeffron ; and all their Spawn of Sectaries that are í}i11 fet- ting themfelves againft theMimicry, (and againft theSacred Scriptures). g t 88. 32. Mr. William Moorford being chofen Bayliff of Riderminfter, defired me to write him down a few brief Inflrulions for the dueExecution of his Office of Magiftracy, that he might fo pafs it as to have Comfort and not Trouble in the Review ; which having done, conidering how many Mayors, and Bayliffs, and Countrey Jufticesneeded it as well as he, I printed it in an openSheet to flick upon a Wall, Entituled, Direítians for yaftices of Peace, efpecialy in Corporations ; for tbe.Difcharge oftheir Duties to God ; (fuited to thofe Times.) g 189. 33. Mr. Yoko Dory having (pent thirty Years in Endeavours to recon- cile the Lutherans andCalvanlfls, was now going over Sea again upon that Work, and defired the Judgment of ourAlfociation how it Ihouldbefuccesfully expedited; which at their deliire I drew up more largelyin Latin, and morebriefly in Englifh: The Englilh Letter he printed, as my Letter to Mr. Airy for Pacification. § 190. 14. About that time Mr. Jonathan Harmer of Devanfhire wrote a Trea- tife for Confirmation, as the molt expedient means to reform our Churches, and re- concile all that difagreeabout the Qualification of ChurchMembers : I liked the Defign fo well ( having before written forit in my Treatifeof Baptifm) that be- ing requefted, I put a large Epiftle before it; and after that, when tome Brethren defired me to produce more ScriptureProof for it than he had done, I wrote a (mall Treatifecalled, [Confirmation andHeftauration the neceffary means to Reformation and Reconciliation.] But the times changed before it could be much prahifed. g 19r. 35. Sergeant Sbepbard, an honett Lawyer, wrote a littleBook of Sincerity andHypocrify ; and in the end of it Mr. Tho. Barlow (afterwardBithop of Lincoln) wrote (without his Name) an Appendix in Confutationof a fuppofed Opinion of mine, that SavingGrace differeth not Specie but Grada from Common Grace : To which I replied in a tort Difcourfe called [ Of Saving Faith, &c. ] I had mot highly valued the Author whom I wrote again}, long before, for his Six Exerci- cations in the end of Sebibler's Metaphyfscks: But in his Attempt againft me, he came quite belowhimfelf, as Imade manifeft; and he refolved tomake no Anfwer to it. In this Tra&ate the Printer plaid his part fe fhamefully, that the Book is fcarcely to be undertood. g 192. 36. Being greatly apprehenfive of the Commonnefs and Danger of the Sin of Selfifhnefs, as the Summ andRoot ofall pofitive Evil, I preached manySer- mons againt it ; and at the Requeftof fome Friends I publilhed them, entituled, A Treatife of Self-denial ; which found better acceptance than mot of my other, but yet prevented not the ruineof Church and State, and Millions of Souls by that Sin. g 193. 37. After that Ipublilhed, FiveDifputationsaboutChurch-Government, in order to the Reconciliation ofthe differing Parties In the firt I proved that the Englifh Diocefane Prelacy is intollerable ( which none hash anfwered) : In thefe- .cond I have proved the Validity of the Ordination then exercifedwithout Dioce- fans in England (which no Man path anfwered, though many have urged Men to be re-ordained ). In the third I proved that there are divers forts of Epifco- pacy lawful and deferable. In the fourth and fifth I Thew the lawfulnessof fome Ceremonies and of a Liturgy, and what is unlawful here. This Book being publilhed when Bifhops, Liturgy and Ceremonies weremot de- cryed and oppofed, was of good ufe to declare my Judgment when the King came in; for if I had faid as much then, I had been judged but a Temporizer : But as it was effeátual to fettle many in a Moderation, to it made abundanceof Conformits afterwards (or was pretended at leaf to give them Satisfa6tion ) : Though it never medled with the greateft Parts of Conformity ( Renouncing Vows, Affent and Content to all things in three Books, cicy) ; and though it un- answerably confuted our Prelacy and Re-ordination, and confequently the Renun- ciation of the Vow againft Prelacy ; and oppofed the Crofs in Baptifm. But ,Sic vitant 117
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