PA KT II. Reverend Mr. R,iChàrcl. Baxter. and what is the Wickednefsthat he is guilty of? Yet was I never quettioned to this day before a Magiffrate. Nor do my Adverfaries charge me with any perlòn- at wrong to them ; nor did they ever Accule me of any Herefie, nor much con- temn my Judgment, nor ever accule my Life ( but for preaching where another had been Sequeltred that was an infislficient Reader, and for preaching to theSol- diers of the Parliament; though none of them knew my Bufinefs there, nor the Sat vice.that I did them): Thefè are all the Crimes, betides my Writings, that Lever knew they charged my Life with. But Envy and. Carnal. Intereft`was fo deflitate of a Mask, that they everywhere openly confef ed the Catiié.for whieh they ended ,: - voured my Defamation and Deftrudtion; elpecially the Bifhopk that let all on work : s. As one Caule was their ownover -valuing ofmy Parts, which they made account I.would employ against them. z. Another wasthat they thought-the Re- putation of.my blamelefs Life, would add to my ability to deferve them. g. Ano- ther was, that they thought my Intereff in the People to be far greater than indeed it was. 4 But the principal of all was, my Conference before the King and at the Savoy ; in both which it fell out that hilltop Morley and I' were the bufieft Talkers (except Dr. Gunning), and that it was my lot to contradict him, whowas not foable either to bear, or feem to bear it,as I thought at leak hisHonour would have inffru&ed him to be. ç. And toy refufing aBilhoprick increafed the indigna- tion : And Colonel Birch that firff came to offer it me, told me; that they would ruine us, if we reuded ic:. Yet did. I purpofely forbear ever mentioning it, onall occafions.. 6. And it was not the leali Cauf, that my being for Primitive .Epií copacy, and not for Presbytery , and being not fo tar from them in frime other Points of Doctrine and Worship, as many Nonconformifts are they thought I was the abler to undermine them. 7. And another Caulè was, that they judged of the rest of my Talk and Life, by my Conference atthe Savoy, not knowingthat I took that to be my prelent Duty, which Fidelity to the King and Church com- manded me, faithfully to do, whoever wasdifpleafed by it : and that when that time was over, I took it to be my Duty, to live as peaceably as any Subject in the Land, and nor to ufe myTongue or Pen againft the Government which the King was pleafed to appoint, however I difallowed it. Thus have I found the old laying true, That Reconcilers ufe tobe hated on both fides, and to put their hand in-the Clifr, which clolèthupon them and hnilheth them.. § 269. The next tithe I went to theLord Chancellour ( about the NewEeglanel Corporation) after the Bilhopof Worceller's Anger and Invelhive Book, he enter, tamed me with his ufual Condefcenlion and Courtefie, but with fomechiding Lan- guage,that I would meddle with Dr. Morley to provoke him : which when I had briefly fpake to, he followed on his Reprehenfton thus, [ Was it a bandfome thing of Mr. Baxter, to ffieakfo tofo mild a Man as Dr. Earles, Clerk of the King's Clofet, as when he offeredyou a Tippet when youpreachedbefore the King, to turn away inlions, and fay, Pie none ofyour Toyes ? Would not a fairer Anfwer have been better ?] I replyed to him, That I Bill perceived more and more the truth of what I told the Bithops, what Confequents would follow the Continuance of unhealed Fa &ions : and what ufage we mutt expeft however we lived, and how little Innocency would do to our vindication ! I told him that I never fpake any fuch word as he mentioned, nor ever had fuch a thought in my heart, nor no more fcrupled to wear a Tip- pet than to fit on a Cufhion: But I thanked his Lordlhip, that by the benefit of his free Reprehenfion 1 came to underftand how much I had been wronged by this Report to his Majefiy, above a year before I heard of it ; and might never have heard of it but by him ; and told him that it was juft thus in other Matters : And I truly told him, that I was unfeignedly thankful to his Lordlhip, that would reprove me for that to my face, which others only whifpered behind my back, where I had opportunityto defend my felt. § aqo,' Hereupon I wrote this following Letter to Dr. Earle, ( a mild and quiet Man) who was fine Bithop of Wercefler , and afterwards Bilhop of Sahf- bury. Reverend
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