Part 111. Reverend LVlr.Richard Baxter. .1. 53, §. 2.44. A perfon unknown profeffing Infidelity ( but wbether an Infidel, or a jugling Papist, I know not ) feat me a Manufcript, called Examen Scri tur e, charg- mg Scripture with Immorality, Falfhoods,and Contradictions, fromthe beginning to the end , andwith teeming Serioufnefsand Refpeftfulnefsimportunedme to An- fwer him. I was in .fo great pain and weaknefs ( and engaged inother work ) that I fenthim word that I had not time or ftrength for fo long a Work.. He felebted. about a Dozen Inflances, and defired my Anfwer' to them I,. gave hintan Anfwer tothem , and to fome of hisGeneral aecuftions; but told him, That the rational Order to be followed by a Loverof Truth, is first to confider of the proofs brought for Chriftianity , before we come to the Objeaions aganll it : And 1 proved to him, that Chriftianitywas proved truemanyyears before any of theNesv Tenement was Written , and that fo it may be`Rill provedby one that doubted of fome words of the Scripture ; and therefore the true order is, to try the truthof the Chr:ftian Religion tint, and the perfect Verity of all the Scriptures afterwards.' And therefore Importuned him firth to Anfwer my Book , .called, The Reafons of the Chrtftian Religion ; and then if I lived , I would anfwer his Accufations. But I could not at all prevail with him but he ftill infilted on my Anfwering of .his.. Charge. And half a year ( or more) after , he fent me a Reply to the Anfwer which I had heftily givenhim: Andthough hebefore profeffed, that none in the Worldbut I and his fervant knewof it yet accidentally, by fpeechwith Dr. Stil , l£ng feet , I understood that the fame Al. S. was feat to him : Therefore I feat him the Reply tomine ; and defired him, feting hefted more ftrength and leifure;, to anfwer alltogether for himfelf and me, and then I need not do the fame. §. 275. It pleafed God to give me marvellous great Encouragement in my Preaching at St. yames's: TheCrack having frightened away molt of the Richer fort (fpeically the Women,) moftof theCongregation were young men, of the molt capable age who heard with very great Attention , andmany that hadnot cometo Church of many years , received fo much, and manifested fogreata Change (fome Papilla, and Diversothers returning publickThanks toGod for their Con- verliion) as made allmy Charge and Trouble eafe to me. Among all the Popish, nude and ignorant People who were Inhabitants of thofeparts, wehad fcarce.any that opened their mouths aganft us , and that did not fpeak well of the Preaching ofthe Word, among them ; though when I came firth thither, the molt knowing Inhabitants attiredme, that force of the fame perfons wilht my Death ; Among the ruder fort , a common Reformation was notifyed in the place; in their Con- , verfation as well as in their Judgments. §, 276. But Satan, the Enemy of God artd Souls did quickly ufe divers means tohinder me : t. ByPerfecution a. By theCharges of the work , and 3. By the troublefome Clamoursof force that weretoomuch inclined to Separatión. And firth a fellow,that made aTrade of being an Informer, accufed me to Sir William Poultney, a Janice near, upon the AR againit Couventïcles : Sir William dealt fr. wifely and fairly in the bufiriefs, as fruftrated the Informer's firth attempts (who offered his Oath againfç me,) And before he could make a fecond Attempt; Mt.David Lloyd(the Earl of 5t.Albañs Bayliff) and other Inhabitants,fofearch'oaf- ter the quality of the Informer, and profecuted him (to fecure the Parifh from his Chargeof Children.) as made him fly, and appear no more. I that had been the firth Silenced, and the firth fent to Gaol, upon the Oxford-AR of Confine- Meat, was the firft profecuted upon the AR of Conventicles,after the Parliament's Condemning the King's Declaration and Licenfes to Preach. §. 277. But thortly after the Storm grewmuch gfeater : Thegreat Meiners ofState had newConfoitations: The Duke of Lauderdail, the Lord Treafurer,: (SirThomas Osborne, madeEarl of Danby,) The LordKeeper ( Sir HeneageFisch) the Bifhop of Winchefter (Dr: Morley): and the Bilaopof Salisbury (Dr.Ward,)&c: were the Men that the World talk't of, as the Doers of the Bufinefs : The fire thing, that appeared, was, ThatHis'Majefty called the Bithops up to London, to give him Advice what was to be done for the fecuring of Religion dc. The Bifhops, after divers Meetings and Delays, (the faid Duke, and Lord Treafurer, being appointed to meet with them_,) at laft Advifed theKing to recall His Li= çenfes, and pet the Laws in Execution. Which was done by a Declaration and Proclamation, Declaring the Licenfes long fine void, and requiring the &men E. on,of the Laws againft Papilla ( moth largely mentioned) and Conventicles. No {bunt was this Proclamation publilhed,but fpecial Informers were feeonWork. Haan. fa
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