Part 1H. Reverend Mr. Richard t3áxter. 163 I.li. To the King's mofi Excellent Majeffy, The humble Profef - lion of Gratitude and Subjel`tton or fore Eje£ted Silenced *Minifters of Chrift, on the behalf ofthemfelues and many others. . May it pleafe Your. Majefy, 1 7E Your Majefty's Subje&s, Dedicated to theSacred Office, from which we V V muff not Perfidiously and Sacrilegionfly alienateour felves, once ( vainly) hoped that the Eftablilhed PublickMiniffry might have received Men' of our Size ofScience and Confcience, till all the Churches had been furnished with Wifer Better Men: But God ( for our Sins and Trial ) and. Men ( we know not why ) have otherwife decreed. We choofe not this Calling ( nor our ceftly Nonconformity ) as the way of Wealth orWorldly Honour ; Nor ever expe t- ed that God Ihould make us a Golden-Bridge to Heaven ; Nor defile to be Lords over God's Flock or Rule them by Conliraint, remembring who faid, E But withyou it fhai not be fa : ] Gain is not ourGodlinefs, or Church-Glory, but Godli- nefs our Gain; We like not Dives's Choice fo well as Mary's; But yet could gladly have efcaped both Lazarus and Martha's (traits, and have ferved God without diftralion: We. have Flesh that is not in lovewith Suffering, nor am- bitious to live on Alms: It is Divine Relief that muff keep thofe Men's Con- fciences from a timerous or treacherousfurrender, which are befieged by Sixteen years Povertyand Reproach, and from the Propbanenefs of felling their Birtb-right for a Morfel: But ( though Senfsbility of our Brethren's Sufferings, be not Im- patient Murmuring, yet) it is a more Grievous Burden, which conftraineth us at laft to Speak viz, That fo great a part of our matureft Age (in which by the experience ofgood and evil,-our own and others, we Ihould have been far wirer andfitter toferve God in his Church than we were in unexperienced Youth) Ihould. be fo far loft asit hach been, as to theWork to which we were Ordained : That ( Unheard) we Ihouldbe fuppofedfoErroneous, or Criminal as that no Punilh- ment of our Bodies can give fatisfaftion without the fuffering ofthe Souls of Men, byour forbearingto Preach the Word of Life ! That while with grieved Souls we muff fee the fad Divifions and Sidings that Prevail, and the doleful advanta- ges that Satan hereby gectech , for theruine ofPiety Love andPeace , and the increafe of Atheifm Infidelity and Malicioufnefs , and Confu!ion , and every evil work., andate told fo loudly, by our notorious Necefliity, that all our Endea- vours conlunmt wouldbe too little : When we have forefeen and foretold all this, and ufed our moltearneft Requests and Endeavours to have prevented it We mutt yet be defamed byTongues and Prefs, as the Authors and Fomenters of it, and as men of Unfociable and unruly humours, andof Unpeaceable Schifmatical and fedi- tious Principles; Thatbeing thus rendered odious, we are made uncapableofPub- lick or Private ufeto Multitudes, whofe Lives declare their need of help. That many whom we muft lonour and reverence are hereby drawn into the guilt of Calumny and Injury to the Church, as well as to us, whole Cafe and Reafons ( as to the New Conformity ) they never underfrood , or heard. That fo many Men's minds, and Zeal and Parts should be fo ill imployed on all fides, ai tobe taking in the bleeding Wounds which theyare obliged to the uttermoft of their Diligence to heal i 'That while Preachers are againft Preachers, and Hea- venly Love and Joy is turned into Envying and Strife ;, We fhould go for the Men that blow the Coals,and rob Your Ma!efty ofthe Honourand Joy of Ruling an Unanimous Miniftery, and a Peaceable, Loyal, Unfufpetted People ; We muff not be guilty of fetting fo light by Your Illajefty's Intereft, and Two judgment of us, and Favour tous, and the Intereft of the Church, and the People's Souls, as to remain ftiü filent under all this. And, with greatest reverence ofGod, we muff profefs, That if the faithful fearch of our Confciences fhould Thew us, that all this is coi- fed by any felf-feeking, or wilifulnefs of ours; and that we were not frill wil- ling, at the deareft rate ( exceptfinning,which is no way toPeace) to chofe theft Wounds, but preferred any 'Worldly Interest before the Peace and Harmonyof Souls, we fhould take it to be Kin to yudas's Sin, and fhould tremble to think, Xxxx a how
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