Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

Part III. Reverend M,-. Richard Baxter. 149 Conje&ure that his Anfwer will be s. That theRich men whole judgments are for Conformity, are far more Numerous than thofe of another mind, and therefore fitterto promote that work : And there are fo very few that do any thing for the ejeaedMinifters, that faine of them live on brown bread and water, which hin- dereth thefe Gentlemenfrom other kind of Charitable works. t. And I mutt crave your patience ( being confident , by your ancient kindnefs , of your friendly Interpretation) while I tell you , that this day I heard one fay, we can cape&that Dr. Good do make his Scholars no better than himfelf : And what reafon have we tomaintain and breed up Men, to ufeus as he bath done in his late Treatife. I got the book, andwas glad to find much good, and feveral modtrate palfages in it (And I knew you fo well, that Í could not but expert moderation) : But when I perufed thepairages referred to, I could fay no more for them, but that I would write to you, to hear your Anfwerabout them. For I çonfefs they furpriz- ed me - -Tho at the fame time I received many new books of a fanguine Complexi- on from other hands without Admiration. I. The flail pall-age referred to waspag. t o4. [Which are confef/edly things indiffer- ent]. Thisis fpoken indefinitely of thePresbyterians : Where have I lived ? 1 know not one Presbyterian living that divideth from you for any thingwhich he confeifeth indifferent : I crave your Anfwercontaining the proof of this; At leaft to name fomeone of them that we may reprove him. We take conformity to be fo far from indifferent, that we forbear to tell the World thegreatnefs of the Sin which we think to be in it, left Men cannot bear it, and left it Ihould difaffe& thepeople to the Miniltryof the Conformifts. II. Your pag. 156. I pafs by: Themain matter is pag. s 6o. 161. that tho [AU the Nonconform,)is werenot in Almaal Arms againft the King--- -nor did they all as natu- ral Agents cut of bis head ; but morally, that is, 'very.'Wally andwickedy, they hadtheir band flamed-with that Royal blood: For whofoever did Abet theft Sons of Belial in their Rebellions, 7reáforw, Murdersof their King and fellow Subjells, either by contenting to their rillanies, prayingfor their Frofperity, railing God for their Succefles, &c. The Chargeis high : If it be not true. s. Theyare almoftas deeply wronged as you can wrongthere, z. Our Rulersare wronged bybeing fo provoked to abhor them, Si- lenceand Defroy them. 3. Pofterity is wronged bya milinformingHiftory. I. You areton old to bé ignorant, that it wasan Epifcopal and Erallian Parlia- ment of Conformifts, that firft tookup thofe Arms ir, England againft the King : The Members yet living profefs that at that time the knew but one Presbyterian in the Honfeof Commons : Intereft forced or led them to call in the Scots, and Presbytery came inwith them. If you doubt of P, fee the Propofitions to the Ring at Nottingham, wherea Limited Epifcopacy is rue. 11. The Lord Lieutenants that feized on the Miltia were far molt Conformittu, andfcarce any Presbyterians it all. Ill. The General Officers and Colonels of the Eirl of EjJex Army were ten to one Conformifts, and few, if any Presbyterians, fave after, deboilt, Mercenary Scots, if they were fuch, which I know not : And the General Epifcopal himfelf. IV. The Major Generals of the Militia, in the feveral Countries were moldy Conformifts and Scarceany Prebyterians. V. The alfembly at Weftminfer, when theywent thither were all Conformifts, fave about 8 or 9 and theScots Commiffioners, VI. Oneof the two Arch-Billtops was a General in the Parliament'sArmy. VII. Manyof the prefent Conformablewlinifters werein Arms againft the Ring, and fome wrote for his Death, and many of themtook the Covenant and En- gagement

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