All 68 The L L'F E of the i'artill diligent to hear, even inprivate, and feem to be defirous of 'Family -heirs, and defiregood Books to read in their Families. And I hear notof one Perfen(or hardly any if one) that fpeakagainst the ftri&en Godlinefs, but 'commonly. rather take part with there that are judged to fear God.Even thevery lens and Ale-hou- fes themfelves do lignifie no Óppofitiòn or ill-s iÍl :.Ili a ward, the willingnefs feem- eth fo great and that ill were theirPaftor, and had time to go to them inprivate, an try, and promote their Knowledge (which comes not at once) I fee no reafon to doubt but GodlinefsMight become thecommon Complexion of the Parifh. I fpeak this to Thew you (if Experience lgnifie any thing with you,) that your feparatingway tendeth toLazinefs, and the grievous hinderance of that.. 'Godlinefs which you feem tobe mote zealousfor than others, and that the way of Reforming Parilh- Churches is not fo hopelefs as you make your felves_ believe' it is,Some one wrote latelyExceptions to Mr. Eliot,uponhis Propofals,in whichhe ask- eth him, [What (hallone, or two, or three iná par do, who ufually are as many in molt, or many Parif/...es as are fit for Communion, &c.) Men firth effrange themfelves from the poor People, whom they Ihould teach with tendernefs, and diligence, and then they think their ignorance of the People ground enough toJudge them ig- norant, and talk of one or two ina Parilh. But Chrift will find many more, I am pan doubt, even Members of his N.tyftical Church than thefe Men can do of the vifble which ismuch larger. Andyou cannotfay; if there be any difference of Succefltes, that it is only from the difference of Perfino, and not of the leve- ral ways : For here where I live were two of theworthien Perlons of your way (Mr. Nye, and Mr. Elford) whofe ability and Piety were beyond all queltion and fo was their great advantage then. But your way is your difadvantage, and Gin-ill's Friends Ihould fufpe& that way of honouring Godlinefs, which tendeth to dimisi'h it, or fupprefs it. non fornefew of the thingsolfenfive to your Brethren, that you may fee wherein our Agreement muff give Satisfaction. The ren I now omit. I had thought to have faid moreof the Reafons why you Ihould heartily pro- mote it. But I will now fay but thefe two things. t. That he'that can confider what the effe&s of our Divilions have been upon Church and State, andthe Lives b£fouie, and the Souls of Thoufands,both of the openly ungodly, and Profelfors, and that knows how great a Reproach they are now toour Profeffìon, andharden- ing of the Wicked, andhinderance to that good evenof the belt, and yet doth not thirty to fee them healed, bath fmallfenfe ofthe interen of Chrift, andSouls. z. Thathe, that confidereth what it was to continue filch Divìfons unheal'd for zoYears, under filchWarnings and Callsto Unity; and to do what we have done againft our felves and others, after fach fmart, and in_fucif a manner to the lilt, is moil dreadfully impenitent, if Repentance do not now make hint zealous for a Cure. And in particular, ifyou, and Mr. Nye, and I, be not extraordinary zealous for this work, there are farce three Men to be found in the World, that will be morehainoufly guilty, and without excufe r (I need not tell you why.) And truly, ifwe have zeal, and yet not skill for fach a Cure, (when all faythat thePeople are willinger thanthePattors) it will be a frame for us tocry outon them, that Silence us: as if fach Shepherds were neceffary to the Flock, that have skillto Wound, and none to Cure. Therefore, as I amheartily glad ofyour forward.:eís and willing- nefs to this Work, pardon me for telling you, I will Nudge of it by the Effe(is. I addrefs my felf to you alone, becaufe I know that Vnderftanding and Expr.enee are great Affinants (to lead on Charity) in this Work; and there is no dealingwith themthat undernánd not the Cafe. And I will hope that theEffe& will flrew, that no Humours ofothers (Men of narrowMinds, and Interelts, and injudiciousPalions) Ihall preval with youagainst fogreat a work ofRepentance, and Loveto Godand Godlinefs, and the Soulsof Men. Again, Pardon thisFreedom ufed by . roar much Hounouring find 'Unworthy Bmtber, Rich. Baxter. too.After"
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=