11.1, . r Part III. 1Zezierend Mr. Richard Bàxter. 191 to Preach occafionaìly, and yet for fo doing was Excommunicate even in Wales while he was doing all this good. ). Hefereed God thus to a healthful age ( Seven- ty four or f venty fix,) I never faw him fad, but always chearful. About a fort- night before he dyed he told methat fometime in the night fome fatal trouble came to his heart, he knew not what ; And without ficknefs, or pain, or ,tear of death, they heard him in his Ileep give a groan, and hewas dead. O how holyand blelfed a Life, and how eahea Death ? S. 74. Finding the Snccefs of my FamilyDialogue I wrote a fecond part i6Si and t682, called The Catechifing of HouJhoulds teaching Houlholders how to in- Aral their Families, Expounding, First, the Law of Nature : Secondly, The Evi- dence ofthe Gofpel : Thirdly,the Creed : Fourthly,the Lord's Prayer : Fifthly, the Commandments : Sixthly, the Miniftry: Seventhly, Baptifm : Eighthly, the Lord's Supper. It is fuited to thofe that are Pall the. common little Catechifin ; And I think thefe two Family-books to be of the greateft Common ufe of any that 1 have publilhed : If Houihoulders would'but do their parts in reading good books to their Houfholds, it might be a great Supply where the Miniftry is defeftive and no Miniftry will ferve fufficiently without Men's own Endeavours for them - felves and families. .. fig. Having been for retirement in the Countrey fromquly till Auguft iq, 1682, returning ingreat weaknefs, I was able only to Preach twice, of which the lift was in myufual Lefture in Neroftreet, and it fell out to be. Augufk24. juIt that day twenty year, that I ( and near Two thoùfand more)' had been by Lbw forbidden to Preach any more. I was fenfible of God's wonderful mercy that had kept fd many of usTwenty years in fomuch Liberty and Peace, while fo many fevere Lawswere in force againft us, and fo great a number were round about us, who wanted neither malice nor power to aff is us. And fo, I took that day my leave of the Pulpit and publick Work, in a thankful Congregation. And it is like indeed to be mylaft. §. 76. But after this when I had ceafed Preaching, I was ( being newly rifen from Extremity of pain) fuddenly furprized in my houfe by a poor violent In- former, and many Conflables and Officers, who rulht in and apprehended me, and ferved on me oneWarrant to, feize on my perfon for comingwithin five miles of a Corporation, and fivemore Warrants, to diftrain for an Hundred and ninty pounds, for five Sermons. They call my Servants into fears, and were about to takeall my Books and Goods, andI contentedly Went with them towards the Jultice tobe fent to Jail, and left my houfe to their will : But Dr. Thomas Cox, meeting me, forced me in again to nay Couch and bed, and went to five Juftices and took hisOath ( without my knowledge) that I could not go toPrifon without danger of Death : Upon that the Juftices delayed a day till they could fpeak with the King, and told himwhat the Dolor had fworn ; and the King contented, that at theprefent imprifonment should be foiborn, that I might die at home. But they Executed all their Warrants onmy Books and Goods; even thebed that I lay lick bn, and fold their all : and fome friends paid them as much money as they were prized at,which I repayed, and was fain to fend them away. The Warrant against my perfon wasfigned by Mr. Parrey and Mr. Phillips : The five Warrantsagainft my Goods by Sir lames Smith and Sir dames Butcher: And I had never the leaft notice of any accufation, or who were the Accufers or Witneffes, much lefs did I receive anySummons to appear, or anfwer for my felf, or ever taw the Juftices or Accufers. But the Juftice that fign'dthe Warrants for Execution raid thatthe two Hilton folicited him for them, and oneBudge led the Gonflables that diftreined But though I fent the Juftice the written Deeds which proved that the Goods were noneof mine ( nor everwere) andfent two Witnefies whofe hands were to thofe Conveyances, I offered their Oaths of it, andalto proved that the books I had many years agoalienated to my kinfman, this fignified nothing to them, but they feized and fold all neverthelefs And both.patience; and prudence forbad us totrie theTitle at Law, when we anew what Charges had been lately madeof ultices, and Juries, and how others, had been ufed If they had taken only my Cloak they fhould have had my Coat alto, and if they had taken me on one Cheek t would have turned the other : for I knew thecafe wasfuch that he that will not tut up one blow, one wrong or Iland'er; fliall friar two, yea many snore. Itut
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