.P A di T I1. Revèrered .Richir,d Baxter. 345 Cihurth;:mien indifferent, .or one Line reformed in their Common- Prayers. § 212. But when Dr. Pserre could not have leave to cake up his Difpute, he fat upo:rme with. kind Perfualons; antLBifhep Morley (and he) hilt tdd me, that ir was Mange I Ihould make. fuch arftir for other Mens Liberty to forbear kneel- ing inthe a&of Receiving,.:when I profelt my Pelf to rake it to belawful : I told them that they might perceive then, that 1 argued not born Intereft and Opinion ; cbnt fromCharity, and for Love and Peace. They told me that it was we that had filled the Peoples Heads with thefe Scruples, and then when we Ihould difpoffels them of them, we pleaded for their Liberty : IfI would but teach the People better, they would quickly be brought to Obedience, and would neat no Liberty. I toldithe:Bithop, that he was much miltaken, both in Paying that we put theft Scruples into their Heads, and in thinking that my Power with them was fo great, as that I alone could preach them out. He reply'd with great Confidence, that if I would but endeavouringocd earneib to fatisfy them, they would quickly be fatif- Set I told him that he had both before the King, and here, declared that rho Man had written better about the Ceremonies thanI had ; and had producedmy Book : and therefore I- thought he confuted himfelf : For I wrote that Bookbefore the King came in, even in the heat of the Nations Zeal againtt Ceremonies; and how then is it like, that I put thole Scruples into theirHeads when I wrote againft them? . And I.thought Writing was the publickelt manner.of Teaching, where I -fpake to many thoufàndswho could never hear my Voice: How then could helàv that I.wroreFa well, and yet did not teach the People what I wrote ? But .I told him th::t he mnft pardon me, thatin the Pulpit I foundgreater matters to dothan to preach for Ceremonies, andcould never think that tech kind of preaching tend- ed molt to the laving:of Mens Souls. And I many times told him and the relt, that I perceived that it was like to be a great Wrong to us, and a greater to chem- Selves and the Kingdotkt¡uthat they,miftakingly imagined our Powge,to be greater with the People than it is and that they thinkwen addreduce tint at our Plea- fore to Conformity, when it is nofirth matter; and that they imagin that the Godly Beeplerwho :diffenfrom:them, do pin tbein Religion fh ahlvhgfdiy on bur Sleeves, and take upoikalseik,Opinions on truft fromus: Whereas Í allured him, that htvbllfèfftpd,byrEn riencë that fò many of them know why they hold what they hold, atad delirfbiputely for Confcience fake, that if all we Ihould turn and fet agaiitit xhetn,,thetelwould : :lo many Ihoufàndscontinue in their Opinions, As I wouldnqt beàPerfecutob of, orexcommunicate faar;mora than ever their Lordfhips will get by it. But the Bithop expreft more confidenceBill, that I could reclaim them.my.lfBf'ifIweaerbltwilling, and that they ohly followed theOpinions of -their `Siaoheis . I intrented him again to tell me; why then they did not follow nayOpiiaienievhich heehiisfalf Lich I have publilhed in Print.. Hereupon Dr.Pierce would needs lovingly defile that he and I might but go about the Country andpreach 'people tdClonformiiy,.atad he did not doubt but they would quicklybe reduced. y rolil htatiahaefor his part, I knew not howpowerful' This preaching might be, but :coufvleigreúbno filchSuccefs of mine ; and! marvelled why he had not recover- ed all the Country before this Day, havinghad lb many. Years time to have gone af,odt=ùadipreatht then,xo Cor.4ornrity if he would have ulid ic. He anfwered, That he had recovered all his own 1?ar Iaíid5hitll; That if he had done fo by all othetimyahere woad&have been o6!. needof ail-titis' Trouble: Bus I. often told the'Bithliprstidhaim; that theyknew:thatnbdugh.lumák not kneeling so be unlawful, yet I took their Subfcriptions and Oath of canonical :Obedience, :and other things co be tllikultfaL; andFpardeivnsi that they intendeshssesAbatetneets, andconfiquenr- ly thn thely:.intend the:filencing of Me,. aid.alí !that. are of cuy Mind (for all their Commendation of my Writing on that Subje&): And I .aster them then, . how hcah.gohahout to.picdch<fn theft, , when they' have hrft filen_a,lme ? Oc if they woald'befofavourabletoforheàt,ineïitill I hadclonepreaching far their Cere- monies,it was butan-odd kindofmotion for them tomake [tt+me preachforourCeremq- aias fa. long, and tbpmyeb pall never preach more; andan odd Employment for me to undertake, to go abhitt to perivade People toobey them ina Ceremony or two, that are intended Whemthat is done, to fnsb:d me, and ethers to preach the Gofpel, and the Peopleto enjoyytleit Peace upon other Accounts; and no doubt to call us Schilaaa:icks when they dolt., This SPeech they wereotërided at, and faid, that I longue to make them odious,' by reprelenting themas stael, and Perfecurors, as if they intended' to filenieendtoaft out fomany.And it who= of the greateft matters ofOffence againft me, than I foreknew and foretold them what theywere about to do.They faid,thatthis was but to ftir up the Fears of the People,and caufe them to Y y difaf
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=