P A>z. T II. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. i,5 § 68. Yet were there many prudent , pious Men : that feared greatly the ;return of the Prelates, an exafperated Party that had besen before fubdued ; and as they faw that the Fanaticks would bring all to Confu6on under pretend: of promôting Godlinefs, fo they fear'd the enraged Prelatical Party would renew their Pcrfecu- tion, under pretence of Order and Government. And Tome that thought R.Crom- wed's Refignation was not plainand full, did fcrupleit, Whether they were not at prefentobligedto him for though they knew that he had no Original Right, and though the condemned the A&of thofe Men as Treafon, who fet up both his Fa- ther and him, yet when he was fet up, and the Government had been ivelve years in their Hands, and the Houfe ofCommons had fworn Subje&ion to him, they thought it was very doubtful whether they were not obliged to him, as the Polfeffor: And withal, many had alienated the Hearts of Men from the King, making them believe that he was uncertain in his Religion, eg'a. and that the Duke ofTerk was a Papirt, and that they would let .up the revengeful Cavaliers but thefe things were quickly at an end : For many Gentlemen , who had been wish the King in Scotland, efpecially the Earl of Lauderdaile and Colonel Greave: , who were ofReputation with the People, did fpread abroad mighty Commendations of the King, both as ro his Temper and Piety ; whereby the Fears of many at that time were much quieted. 69. As for my felf, I came to London April the r;th, 166o. where I was no fowler arrived but I was accofted by the Earl of Lauderdale( juft then relualed from his tedious Confinement inWindfer- Cattleby the reftor'd Parliament) who having heard born Tome of the Sectarian Party, that my Judgment was that our Obligad- ens to Richard Cromwell were not diffolved, nor could be till another Parliament, or a fuller Renunciation of the Government, took a great deal of pains with me, to fatisfie me in that point. And for the quieting People's Minds that were in no fmall Commotionthrough clandeftine Rumours, he by means of Sir Robert Murray, and the Counters of Bal- ostes then in Frame, procured feveralLetters to be written from thence, full ofhigh Elogiumr of the King, andAffurances of hisfirmnefs in the Proteftant Religion, which he got tranfiated and publifht. Amongothers, one was fent to me from Monfieur Gacho,, a famous pious Preacher at Charenton ; wherein, after an high flrain ofComplements to my felf, he gave a pompous Chara&er of theKing, and affured me, that duringhis Exile he never forbore the Publick Profeflion of the Proteltant Religion, no not even in thofe places where it teemed prejudicial to his Affairs. That he was prefent at Divine Worlhip in the French Churches at Roan and Rachel, though not at Charonton, during his flay at Para; and earneffly prefs'r me to isle my=loft intereft, that the King might be rellored by means of the Presbyterians, cYc. The Letter beinglong, and already publilht, (hall not be here inferted. But I could not forbear making divers Reflel ions, upon the Receipt of fach a Letter as this was. g 70. This Excellent Divine, with divers others, living at a diltance, knew not the Rate of Affairsin England fo well as we that were upon theplace: They knew not how much the Presbyterians had done to bring in theKing, or elfe they would not have thought it needful toufe any Exhortations to themto that end. And they knew not thofe Men, who with the King were tobe reftored, fò well as we did : What the Presbyteriansdid to preferve and reftore theKing, is a thing that we need not go to any Corners or Cabinetsto prove! The Votes for Agreement upon the King's Concellions in the Feof Wight prove it : The Eje&ion and Imprifonmentof molt of the Houle of Commons, and all the Houk of Lords prove it: The Cala- mitous overthrow of two Scottith Armiesprove it. The Death of Mr. Love, with the Imprifonment and Flight ofother London Minifters prove it: The wars in Scotland, and their Conqueft by Cromwell prove it: The Riling ofSir George Booth and his Army'soverthrow prove it a The Surprize of Dublin-Cattle from the Ana- baptifts by Colonel f obn Bridges and others in Ireland, and the Gratulations of Ge- neral Monk in England, theConcurrenceof the Londonnerr, and the Minifters there, the A&ual Preparations of the Reftored Members of the Long Parliament, and the Content of the Council of State left by them, and the Calling in of the King hereupon by the next Parliament, without one contradicting Voice, and finally the Lords and Gentlemen of the King's old Party in all Countreys, addreíling themfelves to the Parliamentarians, and the King's grateful Acknowledgments in his Letters, and his Speeches in Parliament, do all put thisMatter out ofqueftion. Ofwhich I have laid more in myKeyfor Catbalickr. 4 7r.
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