PART II. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. 24.9 pies, our Differences in all other things would quickly be at an End The great Controverfies between the Hypocrite and the true Chriftian, whether we lhould be ferious in the Pra&ice of the Religion which we commonly profefs? bath troubled England more than any other : None being more hated and deridedas Puritans, than thofe that will make Religion their Bufinefs, and make itpredominant in their Hearts andLives, while others that hate them, take it up in cuftom, for Fashion; or in jeft, andufe it only in Subferviency to the Will of Man and their Worldly Ends, and honour it with Complements, and paint the Skin while they.ftab the Heart. Reconcile this Difference, andmolt others will be reconciled. g 3. Whether this lignifieany Repentance for the voluminoús Reproaches which manyofyou have written against thole youcall Puritans, your Amendment will interpret. That you will giveus Liberty in our Family-Duties alone is a Courte- fy that you cannot well deny a Papilt or a Mahometan, becaúfeyou have thereno Witneffes of what they do ; and yet we lhall take our selvesbeholden for it, fo low are our Expe&ations. But is thereno Duty thatprivate Chriftians oweto one another, for the furthering their Salvation, but only for their feveral Families? why maynot thofe that on the Lord's Day repeat a Sermon iii their Families, ad- mit áNeighbour - Family to be prefent,' which is not able fo tohelp tllendelves? A great partof the Families among the Poor are compofed of Poch as can neither write nor read, and therefore know not how to fpend the Lord's Day when they are out of theCongregation : And a Sermon forgotten will hardly be fo well pra- &ifed as if it were remembred ; and the Ignorant will hardly remember it if they never hear it but once. At least methinks it should be anEncouragement to you, when you have fludied what tofay to the People (rather than matter of Offence ). to feethem fo far value ir, as to deliire tofallen it in their Memories. And if feve- ral Families join alto in the Pinging of Plain's ofPraife to God, and calling on him fora Slefling on the Minifter and themfelves, is this a Crime ? when perhapsmolt of thofe Families either cannot pray at all, or not with fuch cheerful Advantage, by themfelves: If you are againft filch mutual Helps as thefe, you are againft the Benefit of the Peoples Souls : The Lord pity the Flocks that have fuch Paftors. if you are not againft them, why are you againft our Defires of encouragement in them ? Havethe Laws of the Landfecured any of there tous againftyour Canons? Ifthey have, why have fomanyFamilies-formerly been undone, for filchExerci- fes as thefe? andfor falling and praying together for the Pardon of their Sins? To deal freely with you, we are conftrained fo well to know with whom we have to do, that our Bufinefs is torequell you of the Clergy, not to provoke the Law-gi- vers to make any Law againft this : That it may not becomea Crime to Men, to pray together, and provoke one another to Love, and to goodWorks i when it is no Crime to talk, and play, and drink, and feast together. And that it may be no Crime to repeat a Sermon together, unlefsyou refolve that they shall hear none which is worth their repeating and remembring. And whereas you fpeak ofopen- ing a Gap to Salaries for private Conventicles, and the evil Confequents to the State, we onlydefre you to avoidalto the clierifhingofIgnorance and Prophane- nefs, and fupprefs all Se&aries, and fpare not, in a way thatwill not fupprefs the means of Knowledgeand Godlinefs. As you will not forbid all praying or preach- ing, left we Ihould have Se&arìan Prayers or Sermons, fo let not all the People of the Land be prohibited filch Afliftance toeach others Souls, as Nature and Scrip- ture oblige them to, and all for fear of the Meetings of Se&aries : We thought the Cautions in our Petition were fufñcient, when weconfined it Subjedivey to thou ofourFlocks, andOb'ePtively to their Dutiesof exhorting andprovokingone another to Love and to good Works, and of building up one another in their molt holy Faith. Andonly by religions peaceable means offurtheringiach other in the ways ofeternal Life: And for theOrder r They being not oppofete to Cburcb.Afmblies (but fubordirtate ) nor refufng the Guidance and Iufpellion of their Pastors.( whomay be fometime with them and prefcribe them their Work and Way, and direct their A&ions) and be- ing rcjonflble for what they do or fay (their Doors being open there will not want Witneffes againft them, if they do amifs ). And is not all this enough to fecure you againft the Fear of Se&cries, unlefs all fuch Helps and mutual Comforts befor- bidden to all that are no Se&aries. This is but as the Papists do in another Cafe, when they deny People Liberty to read the Scriptures left they make Men Here- ticks or Se&aries. And for the Danger of the Stare, cannot Men plot againft it in Ale-houles, or Taverns, or Fields, or under Pretence of Horse-Races, Hunting, Bowles, or other Occafions, but only underpretence ofWorlhipping God ? Ifthey may, why are notall Men forbiddento feast, or bowl, or hunt, &e. left Se&aries K k make
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