PART II. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. 383 you] 1 concluded you were wore fcrupulem than others were : and perhaps the manner of your refuting it ( as it appeared to me) might make me thinkyou were not very well plea- fed with the motion t And this it is likely Insightfay, either to my Lord Chancellent or o- thers; though f rioufly Ida not remember that Iflake to my Lord Chancelourat all concern- ing it. But Sir, finceyou giveme now that mode reafon for it ( which by the wily, is no lug reafon in it fèlf, for a Tippet maybe worn without aDegree , though a Hood can- not ; and it is no faame at all to want thefe Formalities, for him that wauteth not the Subfiance ), but, Sir, Ifayfince yougive that realen for your refufäl, I believe you, and jhall correti that .Llrflake in my ¡tif, and endeavour to reítìfse it in others, if any upon this occafion, have mifùnder(toadyeti. In the mean time I Pall defite your charitable Opinion of my fèlf, which I(ball be willing to deferveupan any Opportunity that is offered one to do yoú Service, being, S I R, Your very humble Servant 5o. Earlet. To my honoured Friend Mr. Richard Baxter, Thefe. § 27r. Before this, in November, many worthy Miniflers and others were impri- foned in many Counties ; and among others, diversof my old Neighbours in War- cefterfhire: And that you may fee what Crimes were the occafion, I will tell you the ftory of it. One Mr. Ambrofe Sporty, ( a fober, learned Minil'eer, that load ne- ver owned the Parliament's Coutéor Wars, and was in his Judgment for moderate Epifopacy ) had a wicked Neighbour whom he reproved for Adultery , who bearing him a grudge, thought now he had found a time to (hew it : FIe (or his Confederates for him) framed a Letter asfrom I know not whom, direered to Mr. Sparry, [That loe and Captain Tarrington, fhould be ready with Money and Arms at the time appointed, and that they fhould acquaint Mr. Oafland and Mr. Baxter with it ] : This Letter he pretended that a Man left behind him under a Hedge, who fate down andpull'd outmany Leiters, and put them all up again fave this, and went his ways, (he knew not what he was, nor whether he went). This Letter he bringeth to Sir febn P (the Man that hotly followedfuch work;) Who fent Mr. Sparry, Mr. Oajland, and Captain Torrington to Prifon ! ( This Mr. Oafland was Minifter in Bewdly, a fervent laborious Preacher, who had done Ann- danceofgood in converting ignorant ungodly People). And he had offended Sir Ralph Clare in being againit his EleItion as Burgefs in Parliament for that Town). But who that Mr. Baxter was that the Letter named, they could not refolve ; there being another of the name nearer, and I being in London: But the Men, efpecially Mr. Sporty, lay long in Pailón, and when the Forgery and Injury wasdete&ed, he had much ado to get our. § 272. Mr. Henry Packfon alto our Phyficianat Ridderminfer, and manyof my Neighbours were imprifòned, and werenever told for what to this day : But Mr. Jackfon was fo merry a Man, and they were all fò cheerful there, that I think they were releafed the fooner, becauf it appeared fo fmall a Suffering to them. § 273. Though no one accufed me of any thing, nor fpake a word to meof ir, (being they knew I had long been near a Hundred milesoff) yet did they defame me all over the Land, as guilty of a Plot: and when Men were taken up and lent to Prifon, in other Counties, it was faid to be for Baxter's Plot ; fo eafle was it, and fo neceffary a thingit teemed then, to call fuch filthupon my Name. 5 274. And though through the great Mercy of God, I had long been learning not to overvalue the thoughts of Men, no not fo much as the Reputation of Ho- nett), or Innocency, yet I was fomewhat weariedwith this kind of Life, to he e- very day calumniated, and hear new Slanders railed of nie, and Court and Coun- try ring ofthat, which no Man ever mentioned to my face; and I was oft think- ing to go beyond Sea, that I might find fame place in retired privacy to live and end my days in quiemefs, out of thenoife of a Peace - hating Generation But my Acquaintance thought I might be more fèrviceahlehere, though there I-might live more in quietnefs ; and having not the Vulgar Language of any Couptry, to ena- ble
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