Bart III. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 75 § 17o. Upon the Publication of my Book againft Divilons, and the Rumour of my Conforming, the Earl of Lauderdale invited me to fpeak with him : Where he opened to niethe purpofe of takingoff the OathofCanonical Obedience, and all Im poliitions of Conformity in Scotland, fave only that it lhould be necelfary to fit in Presbyteries and Synods with the Bithops and Moderators (there being already no Liturgy, Ceremonies, or Subfcription fave only to the Doderine of the Church:) Hereupon he exprefred his great Kindnefs to ene, and told me he had theKing's Confent to fpeak With me,aodbeing going into Scotland,he offered me what place in Scotland I would choofe; either a Church, or a Colledge in the Univerfity, or a Bifhoprick : And lhortly after, as he went thither, at Barnet he fent for me ; and I gave him the Anfwer following in thefe Papers, betideswhat Igavehim byword to the fame purpofe. But when he came thither, fuch Ads againft. Conventicled were prefently made, as are very well worthy the Reader's ferions Perufal, who would know the trueComplexionof this Age. § 'tit. 21/y. Lord, BEing deeply fenfible of your Lordfhip`s Favours, and in fpecial ofyour Liberal Offers for myEntertainment in : Gotland; I humbly return you my veryhearty Thanks: But thefe Confiderations forbid me to entertain any hopes or further thoughts of fuck a remove. i. The Experience ofmy great Weaknefs and decayof Strength, andparticular-. ly of this laft Winter's Pain, and howmuch worfe I am in Winter than inñuñnner, doth fully perfuade me, That I Ihall live but a littlewhile inScotland; and that in a difabled, ufelefs Condition, rather keeping myBed than thePulpit. a. I am engaged in Writing a Book, which if I could hope to live to finifh, is almoft allthe Service that I expeft to do God and his Church, more in the World, (ALatin Methodus Theologi.e;) And I can hardly hope to live fo long, (it requiring yet near a Years labour more.) Now if I Ihonld go fpend that onehalf Year or Year which Ihould finifh that Work inTravel, and the trouble of filch a Removal; and thenhaving intended Workundone, it would difappoint me of the ends ofmy Life: (For I live only for Work, and therefore lhould remove only for Work, And not for Wealth andHonour, if ever I remove.) 3. If I were there, all that I could hope fof were liberty to Preach the Gofpel of Salvation, and efpecially in fome Vsoiverfity amongyoung Scholars But I,hearthat you have enough already for this Work, that are like to do it better than I can. 4. Í have a Family, and in it a Mother-in-Law ofSo Years of Age, of Honour- able Entrad, and great Worth, whom I muff not negleft, and who cannot Travel. And it is to filch a one as I, fo great a bufinefs to removea Family, and all our Goods, and Books fo far, as deterreth me to thinkof it (havingpaid fodearfor Re- movals thefe 8 Years, as I have done, and being but yefterday fettled in a Horfe which I have newly taken, and that with greattrouble and lofs of time.) And if I Ihouldfind Scotlanddifagree with nie (which I fullyconclude of) to remove all back again. All this concurreth to deprive me ofthis Benefit of your Lordlhip's Favour. But myLord, there are other Fruits of it, which I amnot altogether hopelefs ofRecei- ving. When I am commanded to pray for Kings, and all-in Authority I am allow-. ed the Ambitionof this Preferment (which is all that ever I afpired after) to live a quiet and peaceable Life, in all Godlinefr and Honefty. Diu nimiahabitavit anima mea inter oforespaci,. I amweary of the Noife of contentious Revilers, and haveoft had Thoughts to go into a Foreign hand, if I could find any where I might havea healthful Air, and quietnefs, that I might but Live and Die in peace. When I lit ina Corner, and Kkkka meddle
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=