Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

Parr III Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 185 ed to make themfelves odious to the Land, they could have found out nomore ef- feaual way, than by Firing, Murder, and Plotting to kill the King: All London at this day is in fuch fear of them, that they are fain to keep up private Watches in all ftreets (betides the Common ones) to fave their houfes from firing : Yea, while they find that it increafeth a hatred of them, and whilemany of them are already hanged, they ftill go on ; which theweth either their confidence in Foreign Aid, or their utter infatuation. § 36. Upon Eager day the King diffoived his privy Cduncil, and fettled it a new, confiftingof 3o men (molt of the old ones) the Earl of Shaftsbuty being Prei,- dent, to the great joy of the People then, tho inceall is changed. § 37. On the 27th of Afril. 1679. Tho it was the Lord's Day the Parliament Sate, excited by Stubbes his Confeflion that theFiring Plot went on, and the French were to invade us, and the Proteftants tobe murdered by ;June 28,, and they voted that the Duke of York's declaring himfelf a Papift was the caufeof all our dangers by thefe Plots, and fent to the Lords to concur in the fame Vote. § 38. But the. King that week by himfelf and theChancellour acquainted them, that he íhouldconfent to any thing reafonable to fecure the Proteltant Religion, not alienating the Crown from the Line of Succelfon, and Particularly that he would confent that till the Succefrour Ihould take the Teft, he fitoald exercife no Aas of Government,.bat-the Parliament inbeing fnould continue, or if none then were,that, which lair was, fhould be in power, and exercife all the Government in the Name of the King.] This offer took ninth with many ; but moft raid that it fignifyed nothing. For Papifts have eafily Difpenfations to take any Telts or Oaths, and Queen Mary's cafe Ihewed how Parliaments will ferve the Prince's will. § 39 Divers Pápifts turned from them to the Proteftants, upon the Deteecion of their wickednefs and bloody Principles and minds : And amoig others Mr. Hutchinfon, that called himfelf Berry, againft whom I lately wrote. He firft wrote for the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and after forfook them feemingly for a time. § 4o. When I had written nay Book againft Mr. Gale's Treatife forPredetermi- nation, and was intending to Print it, the good man fell rick of a Confumption, and I thought it meet to fufpend the publication ; left 1 Ihould grieve him and in- creafehis ficknefs, of which he dyed. And that I might not obfcnre God's Provi- denceabout fin, I wrote and preached two Sermons to Phew what great and excellent things God doth in theWorld by the occaionof Man's in : Andverily it is wonder- ful toobferve that ; in England, all Parties (Prelatical firft Independents, Anabap- t hs, efpeciallyPapifts, have beenbrought downby themfelves, and not by the wit and ftrength of -their Enemies, and we can hardly difcern any footsteps of any of our own Endeavours, wit or power in any of our bate Deliverances, but our Enemies wickednefs and bloody Deigns have been theoccafion of almolt all. Yea, the Presbyterians themfelves have fuffered moreby the dividing effeas of their own Covenant, and theirunskilfnlnefs in healing theDiviions between them and the Independents and Anabaptiks, and the Epifcopal, than byany ftrength that brought them down ; tho rite men's wrath Lath troden them as in the dirt. § 45. aniogall lChriftianChiurches.: Treatife of the parts. only Of the Nature and R fonsrof Union and Concord. 2. Of the true and only Terms. 3. Of the Nature of Schifra, and the falfe. Terns on which the Church will never unite. § 42. Two years ago by the Confent of many Minihers I Printed one Writing called the Judgment of Nonconformifts, contenting the Parts or Office of Reafon in Religion ; which having good acceptance, by the fame Men's confent, I yielded to the Printing of three more, one of the difference between Grace andMorality Another called the Nonconformitts Judgment about things indifferent commanled by Authority : And another What Nonconformity is not, difclaiming feveral falfe Im- putations ; Towhich I added a 4th of Scandal. But when they were Printed fome of our Political friendsin Parliamentand elfe where, were againft the publilhing of - them, raying, they would increafeour firfferings by exafperating, or offend force Seaaries that diflike force words : And fo I was put to pay (231.) for the printing of them and firpprefs them. § 43 I wrote alfo Divers Treatifes of Nonconformity : Oneopening their cafe by a multitude of Qpere's : Another by way of Hiftory and Affertion fpecially A a a a a v°indicáf-

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