228 The L IFE of:the LIB.I. ' mifunderffanding: but to mifunderfìandScripture, is to make a new Rule ; no .` more than to underffandyour'Councils ): And you know the Scripture is no ` Novelty, but the Weft. Your Rule is Councils and Papal Decrees;. which are ' new, contradictory, and endlefs ; and you never know when you have all, and when your Faith is at its maturity, and no more to be added, under pretence of Determinations. If you dare read my 24th, z5th, and 35th Deed-lion inmy Key,, you may feequickly who are the Novelties : One chief Reafon of my ab: herring Popery, is that I am abfolutely certain of its Novelty. Madam, I muff take the freedom to fay, That whenyourPnefts dare neither Difpute in your hearing, upon all the provoking offers that I made; nor yet will anfwer the Books that I have written, nor yet give you leave to read them, they have imprifoned our Soul in the partiality of a Sett ; and while you are fo unfaithful toyour leIf, if you be mifetable becaufe you would not make ufë of the Remedy, and deluded becaufe you are refolved or obliged from coming ' into the Light, your Friends will have an carter account to make for you before ' God, than your Pelf; as having difcharged their Duty, when you Wilfully re- fufe yours. What you read formerly againlf Popery , before you doubted or ' beard their Fallacies, was as nothing I fuppòfe: for I do not thinkyou obfrved; or remember the Itrefs of the Argumentation which you read. We will have leave to pray foryou, though we cannot have leave to inflru& you; ,and God may hear us, when you will not: which I have zhe more hopes of, becaufe.of the Piety of your Parents, and the Prayers andTears of a tender Mother ponied out for you, and your own well-meaning pious difpoftion : I have known force (filch) Piety bred among us., carried by miftake into their Church ; but little ini- ` daily bred there: Thoughthey pretend that Perlons of Charity and the Spirit of God with us, muff go to them to receive it. I would I knew whether you can fay by true Experience, [ Ífelt no true Love ofGad in my Soil before ; but w foot as I turned Papifl, I did, and have now the Spirit of God, and his Image, which before I never had). Sure the Change ofan Opinion about your Pope and Church is one thing ; and the RenewingGrace, and Love of God, andHeavenly mind- ' ednefs isanother. I fear not your [ Prayer, bringing your Delufions, and Nola- ` try in your Mother'sChamber (as to her Pelf), while fhe walksuprightly with God : Nothing that I find in your Manual, or the Maß- Book, will ever have. that power. e For the Liberty ofyour Religion, which you fay, you hopefor on the Groundsof the King's Declaration, I have no moreto lay, but r. That I never 'loved Cruelty in ' any, and it bath increafed my averfionto Popery, that I ftill obferved that lying and uncharitable cruelty, have been the two Hands by which it makes filcha buffle ! in the World. 2. And that if Italy, Spain, and Auflria , Bavaria, &c. would grant Liberty to Proteffants, we lhould feemore Equality in the Expeetations of it here: but if you get Dominion, as well as Liberty, it will be no Evidenceof the '.Truth and Goodnefs of your Caufe : Our God, our Rule, our Hope, our End and Portion, are thefame in the InquiJition, Prifon and Flames; as in Profperity: ' We have aKingdom that cannot be moved, and Treafaoe that none ban rob us ' of: It is for that, and not for-Worldly Profperity, that we renounce all Senfuali- ' ty, Herehe, Superftition, Idolatry, Tyranny and falfe Worship , and defire in Pure andSpiritual Worlhip, with.Faith and Patience, to wait for. the Coming ' and RighteousJudgment of the Lord. Who with the. Spirit of bù Mouth, and the ' brightnefs of his Coming, will deltroy that wicked One ,- the Son. of Perdition, zTheff z. Madam, London, 701.29. r66o. I refl your Servant for and in the Truth ofChriJi, Rich. Baxter. `Since the Writing of this, I am informed that Mr. Jobnfon is the Perlon that you would have had to Difpute for you : and that did ( now and formerly) Di- ' fpute with Dr. Gunning. If fo, I like your Condition or Religion never the b` r ft
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=