PA a z II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. X9'7 God bath given Man to bear his Image in thefe Relations, which is in Unity cal- ' ed his Dominion over the bruit Creatures, And in Trinity' containeth, r. That we are their Owners, and they our own. 2. we are their Governors (according to ' their Capacities). ;. We are theirBenefatiors, and theyhave (and had more). de- ' pendance on us, and were made for us as their End, as we were immediately for ' God' asour End. This part of God's Image is partly, not totally loft. The mo- ' rai part is that whichthe Spirit refloreth : The W ifdomof the Mind, the Righte- ` oufnefs or Redtitude of the Will, and the Holinefs and Obedience of the Life. `If we had a right Schemeof Theology (.which I never yet faw) UnityIn Tri. nity would go through the whole Method : It's eafy to follow ita little way, and ' to fee how God's three grand Relations ofOwner, Ruler, andFather or End and - ' chiefGod, and the Correfpondent Relationsin Man, and the mutual Expreliìons `go far in the great parts of Theology: But when werun it up to the Numerous ' and (mall Branches, our narrow Minds are loft in the fearch. But the Day is ' coming when all God's Works of Creation and Providence, and all his Truths ` ¡hall be feen to us ano iatuiru, as a molt entire, perfe& Frame. Pardonmy too ' many words to you 'on this. As for the divineGovernmentby theSaints whichyou mention,I dare not expe& ',fuch great Matters upon Earth, left Iencroach upon the Priviledgeof Heaven, and ' tempt my own Affeetions downwards, and forget that our Kingdom isnot ofthis ` World. Certainly if Chriftianity be the fame thing nowthat iswas at firft, it is `much unfuitable to a reigning State on Earth: Bearing the Crofs, Perfecution, ' Self. denial, &c. foundfomething of another Nature. The Rich will rule in the ' World, and few rich Men will be Saints. He that furveyeth the prefent State of the Earth, and confidereth that fcarcely a fixthPart is Chriftian, and how finali ` a Part of them are reformed, and how (mall apart of them have much of the ` Power of Godlinefs, will be ready to think that Chrift hath called almoft all his ' Chofen, and is ready to forfake theEarth, rather than that he intendeth us fuch ' blelfed Days below as we delire. We ¡hall have what we would, but not in this ` World. As hard as we think God dealeth with us, our King's Dominions are yet ` for the Powerof Godlinefs, the GloryandParadife of the Earth. Succefs tempt- ed force here into reigningExpedtations, and thence into finful A&ions and At- ' tempts, and hardened them in all; but God bath done much already to confute 'them. ThroughFaith and Patience we.muff inherit the Promife. May I know `Chrift crucifiedon Earth, and Chrift glorified in Heaven, I¡hall be happy. Dear ' Sir, the`Lordbe your Support and Strength : I reit Tour Weak Fellow-Servant, Richard Baxter. § .to;. That youmay thebetter underftand theft Letters, and many other fuch Paffages, you muff know that the great Reafon whymy felt, andfotne of my Bre- thren weremade the King's Chaplains (in Title) was that the People ,might think that fuch Men as we were favoured and advanced, and confequently that all that . were like us lhòuld be favoured, and fo might think their Condition happy. And though weourfelves made no doubt but that this was theufe that was to be made of us, and that afterward we Ihould be filenced with the ref) in time, yet we thought that it was not meet to deny their Offer.ThePeopleat London,whowere near, judg- ed as we did, and were not muchdeceived : But thole in the Country that were further off, underftood not how things went above. But efpecially thofe in France and in NewEngland who were yet more remote, were far more deceived by theft Appearances, and the more ready to biefs us in our prefent State, and almoll will it were their own: Infomuch that there grew on a fudden in New-Englanda great Inclination to Epifcopal Government; For many of them fawthe Inconveniencies of Separations, and howmuch their way did tend to Divifions, and they read my Books, and what' I laidagainft both theSouldiers.and Schifmaticks in England; and they thought that the Church- Government herewould have been fach as we were . pleatedwith; fo that there and many other Motives madethem begin to think, of a Conformity : Tillat laft Mr. Norton, with one Mr. BroadJlreer, a Magiftrate, came over and fawhow things went, and thofe in NewEngland heard at lait how we were all filenced and call out : And then theybeganto remember again, that there is fomething befide Schifin to be feared, and that there lyethat perilousan Extreme Qq on
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=