Part II1. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 61 bred ; his upholdingMercy under filch continued weaknelfes, with tolerable, and fcl- domdifabling Pains, hath.beea unvaluable. § 34. I am nèst to give fore Mort account of my Writings fince 1665. i. A fmall MS. lyeth by me, which I wrote in Anfwer to a Paper which Mr. Caryl of Suffix feat me, written by Creffy (called now Serenut) about Popery. § 135. a. Mr. Taw of Hambden, Minilter, fendingme the Copyof a PopilhLet- ter, as fpread about Oxford, under the Mask of one doubting of Chriftianity, and callingthe Scholars to a Trial of their Faith, in Principles, did by the Juggling Fraud, and the flightnefs of it, provoke me to write my book called, The Reafons of the C1rriftian Religion. And the Philofophy of Gaffindur, and many more betides the Hobbians, nowprevailing, and inclining men to Sadducifm, induced me to write the Appendix to it, about the Immortality of theSouL § 136. 3. Oft Conference with theLord Chief Baron Hale, put thole Cafes into my mind, whieh occafroned the writingof another Ihort Piece, of the Nature and Immortality of the Soul, by way of Queftion and Anfwer (not printed.) s t 37. 4. Thegreat Weakneffes, and Paffions, and Injudicioufnefs of many Reli- gious Perfons, and the ill effeEts ; and efpeciallyperceiving that the Temptationsof the Times, yea the veryReproofs of the Conformills, did but increafe them among thefeparating party, caufed me tooffer a book tobe Licenfed, called, Direltiöns to weakChrif fans horn to grow ingrace, with a fecondpart, being Sixty Charalters of a SoundChriftian, with as many of the Weak Chriftian and the H'yocrite ; Which 1 the ratherwrit to imprinton men's mindsa right apprehenfion of Chriftianity, and to be as a Confeffion of our Judgment in this malignant Age, when foine Conformifts would make theWorld believe, that it is fome menftruous thingcompofed of Folly andSedition, which theNonconformifts meanby a Chriftian and a Godly Man. This Book came forthwhen 1was in Prifon, being long before refufed by Mr. Grigg. § 38. g. A Criftian Direliory, orSummof Praaical Divinity in Folio, hath laic{ lnilhedby me, many years; (andfine twice printed. § 139. 6.My Bookfellerdefiring fome Additionstomy Sermon before the King, I added a largeDirectory of thewholeLife of Faih, which is its Title, which ispub- lifhed, , § 140. 7. Abundance of Women firft, and Mennext growingat London, into fe- parating Principles ; Some thinking that it was fin to bear a Conformift ; and more, That it is a fin to pray according to the CommonPrayer with them; and yet more, That it is a fin toCommunicate withthem in the Sacrament : And theCon- formiftsabominating their Houfe-Meetings as Schifmatical ; and their Diltance and Paillons daily increafing, even among many, to earneddelires of each other's Ruine,I thought it myDuty toadd another part tomy book of Direllions to weak Cbriffians, being birelliont what courfethey muff take to avoid beingDividers or troublers of the Churèhes' Therather becaufeI knew what thePapids and Infidelswould gainby ourDivifions, and ofhow great neceflity it is againft themboth, that the honedmo derate partof the Conformilts,and the Nonconformifts, be reconciled or at feat grow not into mortal Enmity againd each other. This Book was offered to Mr. Sam. Parker, the Archbiylop`s Chaplain tobe Licenfed, but he refufed it ; and fo I purpofed tocast it by : Butnear two years after, Mr. Grove, the Bithop of London's Chaplain (without whom I could have hadnothingof mine Licenfed, I think) did Li. cenfe it, and it was publilhed; of whichmoreanon. §141. 8. About this time I heard Dr. Owen talked very yieldingly of a Concord between the Independents and Presbyterians (which all feemed willing of.-) I had before,about 1638. written fomewhat inorder toReconciliation ; and I did (by the , invitationof his Speeches) offer it toMr. Geo. Griffiths to be confidered: And near a twelve-month after he gave it me again, without taking notice of anything in it. I now refolved to try once more.with Dr. Owen: And though all our bufinefs with eachother had beencontradittion; I thought it my Duty without any thoughtsof for- mer things, to go tohim, and be a Seeker of Peace : which he teemed to take well, and espreflèd great delires of Concord, and alfo many moderate Concefftons, and how heartily he would concurin any thing that tended to a goodagreement. I told him, That I mutt deal freelywith hint that whenI thought of what he had done for- merly I was much afraid left one that had been fogreata breaker, would notbe made an Inftrument in healing : But in other Refpefts I thought him the fitted man inEng- landfor thisWork; partly becaufe he could underitandtheCafe, and partly, becaufe his
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