Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

72 IheL1FEoJthe Part III Doarine in it, to revoke the Book, and to d f mn it, and defire the Reader to take it as not Scriptum, and to tell him that I repented ofthe writing of it And fo I did Yet telling him, "That I retraflednone ofthe Doflrine of the firft Part, which was to prove the Monarch of God ; but for thefake of the,;Thole fccmttl Part, 'I repented that I wrote it : For I was refolvedat lean to have that much to fay, againft all that after wrote, and preach'd, andtalk'd againit it, That I have revoked that Book, and thereforeflail not defend it. And the inceflänt bloody Malice of the Reproachers, made me heartily with, on two or threeaccounts, that I had never written it. t. Becaufe it was done juif at thefall of the Government, and was buried in onr ruines, and never, that I know of, did any great good. getaufe I find it beltfor Minitiers, to meddleas little as may be with Matters of Polity, how great foerer their Provo- cations may he : and therefore I with teat I had never written on any filch Subje&. 3. And I repented that I meddled againit Vane and Barrington (which was the fe- Not thatcoact Part) in Defence of Monarchy, feeing that theConfegnents load been no batter, myjudg- and that my Reward hadbeen tobe fitenced, imprifoned, turned out of all, and 'nest a reproached implacably, and inceffantly, as Criminal, and never like to fee an end ihangeo,as ofit He, that had wrote fo little, fo great dif leafure, might be tempted it was for ár P Monarchy. as well as I, tomina that he had fat frill, and let GOD ánd Manalone with Mat- But i am ters of Civil Policy. Though I was not convincedof many Errors in that Book, fo forty that called by tome Arcefers to recant, yet I repented the writing optas an infelicity, and as any wrMen f" that whichdid no goodbut hurt. againft their wills, § 153. Bat becaufe an /'tpendix to that Book had given feveral Reafonsof my and to adhering to the Parliament at firlt, many thought I changed my Judgmentabout the their, dii- fink part of the Parliament'sCaufe : Andthe rather, becaufe I difclaimed the Army's Ple wee. Rebellious Overthrows of Government (as - had always done.). Iknew I could not they revoke the Book, bat thebelie pevilhnefs ofcenforions Profelfors would fall uponme fhouid as a Revolter: And I knew that I could notforbear the fàid Revocation, without chufetheir thofe ill Effetis which I fuppofed greater. .And,sehich was work of all, I had no own Ser- gullible Liberty further to explain my Reafons. vants. § r 54. When my Cureof Church Dïvifions came out, the foher.Partyof Minitiers were reconciled to it ; efpecialfy the Ancienter fort, and thofe that had feen the Evils of Separation : But fome of the London Minifers, who had kept upPublick A lfemblies, thought it firould have been lefs (harp ; and fome thought becaufe they were under the Bithop's Severities, that it was unfeafonabie. For the Truth is, molt Men judged by Fenfe, and take that to begood or bad, which they feel do them good or hurt at the prefent : Andbecaufe the People'sAlienation from the Prelates and Liturgy, and Parilh-Churches, did Poem to makeagainft the Prelates, and to make for theNonçonformift's IatereJt, they thought it not Prudence to gratifie the Prelates fo for as to gain-fay it. And fo they confidered not fromwhencedividing Principles come, and to what they tend, and what a difgrace they are to our Cade, and how oneof our ownErrors will hurt and difparage es more, than all the cruelty of our Adverfaries; and that finful means is feldóm blelled to do good. § t 55. But upon fore-fight of the tendernefs of Profeffors, I had before given my Book to the Pernfal of Mr. ) ohn Corker, my Neighbour, (accounted one of the molt Calm, as well as Judicious Nonconformiks) and hadaltered every Wurd that he wifhed to bealtered : And the fame /haddonebymy very worthyFaitirfo,l Friend, Mr. Richard Fairclovgh, who Perufed it in the Pref, and Ialtered Arnett all that he wifhed to be altered, to take off any Words thatfeemed to be too fnarp. But all did not Gristle theguilty and impatient Readers. § r 56. For when the Book came out, the Separating Party, whohad received before an odious Charaeter of it, did part of them read and interpret it by the Speaacles and Commentaryof their Pallionsand fore Cgn.:eits ;and the molt ofthem would not read it all ;- but took all that they heard for granted : ThehotteS that wasagainft it was Mr. Ed. Ba`fham, a young Man, who hadwritten formerlyagainft Monarchy, had afterward written for me againft Bilhop Nancy; and being of a refolute Roman Spirit, was fent firft to the Tower, and then laid there in the horrid Dungeon (where thedamp calling him mar the Hwmr: ehoids, thePain coaled that Sweat which faved his Life :) Thence he d as ten avedto Southbey-Cauuk, near Poref- mouth, in the Sea, where he lay Prifoner Many Y cars; where Vivafer Pomel (an ho- nek injudicious Zealot of i : ! `) tieing his Companion, he?ghtned him in his Opinions. He

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