Ihe Prefsace to the Reader. from Age to ,Age; and the vaft Reaches and Defigns of Providence its all. Could i but. perfwade the Reader to read and paufe upon fore Inftances upon Record in Sacred Writ, as being leaft liable to Exception ( thoughmany might be produced from Ancient and Modern Hiftories) he might thereby at lealt prevent conlderably his being Scandalizedby the many Obloquies that tome from incon- liiderate and malignant Men. What Man of Worth could or did ever yet abfo- lately efcape being traduced by tome or other? See ter. t5. ro. and zo. ro. Neb. z. r9. and 6.6,7. Gen. 39. t4. 1 Sam. 22. z Sam. 16. 3. Amos 7. to, io. Mataf. z6. ht. Ails 2,4. q -- 9. and 18: r 3. Rom. 3.8. If greater Perlons (fuch as `fofepb, Nehemiah, 7eremiah, Daniel, Chrift, and his Apoltles, and David him-. felt, Chrift's Royal Antitype) were traduced by the Sons of Belief, as guiltyof what their Souls abhorr'd fo intimately; what wonder is it to find this Reverend Perlon Mr, Baxter, mifreprefented by the malignity and obloquy of fore; and by the weaknefs, credulity, and miltakesof others ; and thole perhaps excellent Per- fons otherwife, in manifoldrelpects ? Mr. Baxter is chargedby Come as being again!? King Charles the Fir!? in thePie. War, and too much a Fomenter ofit. to this you have his Replys in the Hiftory it felf; and thither I refer the Reader. Hehas been alto traduced by fore, as having kill'd a Man in cold Blood with he8 own bands. From whichScandalous Report he has alfo vindicated himfelf in the following Hiftory. But for the,'Reader's further Satisfy&ion, I will here fubjoyn a Letter from Dr. Alleftree, which is not there inferred ( that I remember ). When a credible Perlon (Mr. y. H.) told Mr. Baxter that the Dolor had formerly laid the like to him ; laying, That he could not think well of 'one that had kill'd a Man in 'cold Blood with his own hands ; Mr. Beater . fufpe&iog that the Dodoes Chair and Reputationmight give credit to this flanderous Report, he wrote to the Doetor, defiring toknow of him whether he reported this or no; affuring him in the fame Letter, that he never Crack any Man in anger, in all his Life,,to his remetn bronce-- -This Letter to the Doctor was dated London, Decemb.S. 1679. Her opon the Dottor returned him the following Anfwert ,SIR, * Mon profeeffmcerely that I cannot recolle!? that ever IPaidInch wordscfyou to M. H. j as it firms he Both affirm I did. But yet Icannot bat acknowledge- it is very pofblu that Irelated (and it may be to bim ) that I bad beardyou kiü'd a Man in coldblood; Ow I very well remember thataboveThirty years fine, at the end ofthe War, I bard that publicklypoke before Company, and with thisfurther, Circumflance , that it wee a Sol- dier who had been a Prifoner fome,hours before. Now this Report relating to theWars, in which Ifear rich things wore nogreat Rarities ; and from rgy very tenderyouth, I baying nor had the leaf? Concernwithyou; nor Iikelybeodof any for the future, did nt therefore apprehendat prelim any concern or occafson ofenquiring whether it were true; oa which, up- on that confident AJvërationUhl make no doubt. And I took fo little thoulbt of laying up the Relation, that Iprotei? toyou, as in the pretence of Almighty God, it er impofble for me, to recover who madeup that Company in which I beard it, or from whore I heard it. And Iwonder bow it came intomy mind tofay that Ihadbeard itfe long afer., Batbow= ever, though it befame cafe to me to believe that the late Difcourfes ofit, do not come f om. my relating, it fo longfine that I have beard it, neither are likely toreceive any confirmation from it, unleß it.be made morepublick than I have made it ; yet I do profeß it es a great afo!?ion to me ro bave ffaken that, though but as a Report, which it liens' was a flander (for fo I believe it uponyourAffeveration) andnot having endeavoured to know whether it werearue. And as I havebegg'd God's forgivenef, fo I heartily_defre you will forgive me. And if Icoulddirei? myfelf to any other way of Satìsfaiion, I vnuld give it. This is, the whole Account Ican giveofthis Matter ; To which Ipall only oddthat I are Eaton-Colledge, SI R, Dec.13. 1679. Your very affectionateServant, Richard 4lliffree. S,ucb
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