Parr III, Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. ligious People in Three Kingdoms. And Presbyterians were forced to forbear all Exercife of their way : they Fiurft not meet together (Synodically) milers in a Goal. They could not (ordinarily( be the Paftors of Parilh-Churches, no not for the privatepart of the. Work, being driven fiveMiles from all their former Charges and Auditors, and from every City and Corporation : Which Law, while they durft not (for the molt part of them) obey, they were fain to live privately, as fill flying from a Goal, and to preach to nonebut thofe that fought to them, and thruft in upon them. So that their Congregations were, through neceflity, juft of Independent and Separating Shape, and outward Praftice, though not upon the fame Principles. And the common People (thoughpious) are fo apt to be led by outward palpable Appearances, that they forgot both former Principles, and fad Efeis and Praftices (though fuck as one would think fhould never have been for- gotten, at leaft by then who fufered all thefe Confufions and Calamities as the Fruits:) yea, more than fo, t. the Senfe of our common Faultinefs ; a. and the neceffity of our prefent Concord ; 3. and the hárfhnefs of grating upon fuffering Perfons q.. and the reconciling nature of our common Sufferings; made usthink it unfeafonable and finful (though after ten Years) to tell oneanother never fo gently of our former Faults or to touch upon our differentPrinciples ; but 'owns thought belt to bury all in filence, whiletheFruits of them fpread more, and lea- vened agreat part of the Religious People of the City, yea, of the Land. S 97 And it was a great Advantage to them, that their felefted Members be- ing tyed byCovenants, stuck clofe to them, and the Presbyterians Affemblies (un- lefs they gathered Churches in their way) were but unknown or uncertain People for a great part : And fo the only order feemed to be left in the gathered Churches. - 5 98 And another Advantagewas, That being more than the ref againft the Whops, Liturgies, Ceremonies, and Parifh-Communion, they agreedmuch better with the difpofition and pations of molt of the Religious fufering People. And thofe of us that wereof another mind, and refufed not Parilh-Communion in fome Places and Cafes, were eafily reprefented by them to the People, as luke-warm Temporizers, Men of too large Principles, who fupt the Anti-chrifian Pottage, though we would not eat the Flelh. And a few loch Words behind our backs, wrought more on the-Minds of many, efpecially Of the meaner and weaker fort of People, fhan many of Learned Argument : This weaknefswe cannot deny to their Accufers. § 99. But whoever be the Seft-Maters, it is notorious, That the Prelates (tho' not they only) are the Se&-makers, by driving the poor People by violence, and the vicioufnefs of toomany-of their Inftrumenta, into thefe alienations and extreams (though I corifefs that Men's guilt, in the Days of Liberty of Confcience, muff tlence both Matters and Difciples from ]unifying themfelves.) When I think of our Cafe, and think of Chrift's way of Ming Parables, I am inclined to inferpofe afew. § too. In the Weft-Indies, the Natives make Bread 9f a Rootwhich is poifon, 'till corre@ed, and then it is tolerable Bread: The Europeans had a Controverte with the Indians, and another among themfelves: The Indians faid, That their Roots were the better, becaufe our Wheat confifed of fo many fmall incoherent Grains] and was divifible even unto Atoms : Toprove which, they did grind it to Flower on the Mill, and then triumphing toyed, fee what Duft your Corn is come to ! The Chriftianr faid, that their Wheat was better than theIndian's Roots, as bump more agreeable to the Nature of Man ; and that all ChofeAtoms might be Ce- mented bya skilful handand fermented into a wholfom Mali, and baked intobetter treadthan theirs. On the other fide, in a Place andYear where Engl]-Cornwas fcarce, Tome of the Cbriftiansdid eat of the Indian Bread ; butthe refmaintained that it was unlawful, becaufe the Root had poifon init ; and therefore they would rather live without. The other anfwered them, That the Poifon was eafily fepa- rable from the ref, and a wholfome Bread made of it, though not fo good asours. The Contention increafed, and the Refufers called the other Murderers as per finding Men to eat Poifon :.And the other called them ignorant Self -Murderers, who would famifh themfelves andtheir Families. When the reviling and renfure had continued a while, the Famine grew fo hot, that one halfof the Refiifersdyed, and the ref by pinching hunger anddear -bought Experience, were firf induced to Ffffz" try 43
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