Part Ill. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter, 197 faìd Communion in publick was more freely blamedby the Independents and Ana- baptifts, and fome few hot ScotsMen. And the private Church Meetings were fo much fupprett, and the prifons fo full, that my Confcience began to tell me, that I Ihoeld be guilty, of injuring thetruth, theChurch, and the Soulsand Bodily wel- fare of Thy brethren, if I,thouldby filence harden them againft publick worship. Specially the Cafe of the Countreymoved lne,wherein a great part of the Kingdom; farce two hundred men in a whole Country, can have th'e liberty of any trite ChurchWorfhip, betides Parochial. I remembred the Cafe of the Old Noncon- formilts againft the Brmnni2s, and the Writings of Mr. )". Ball, Paget, Hilderfham, Bradfháw, Gifford, Brightman, Ames, &e. I could not but remember what work the feparating party had made in England and Scotland, inmy days from 1644 till i 66o againft Government, Religionand Concord : I fawwhat I long forefaw, each ex- treme party growing more extreme, and going further ftill fromone another; And fo great. a Change is grown on London, that theTerms which weoffered the Bithops for Concord 166o are now abhorred as Antichriftian : I law multitudes like to be Imprifoned and Ruined for refuting their Duty, as if it were fin, and difgracing, Religion by fathering thefe Errours on it. TheConformifts, teeing the Errour of the Separatifts, derided them all, and were confirmedin the.Juttification of all their Conformity ; thinking that it was but a juft differing from a crazed Companyof Fanaticks: Thofe that imprifoned and ruined both them and the reft of the Noncoaformifts, thought they did God fervice by it, againft an unruly fort of Men : The Common people were made believe that this was the true Com- plexion of all the Diflenters from whatever the Law Commanded. The di- fiance growing wider, and great fufferings increafing hard thoughts of thole by whom Men fuffered, all real Love did feem to be almoft utterly deftroy, ed , and Neighbours dwelt together like unplacable Enemies : And worft of all, Men were frightened to think that they mutt rather give over all Church Worlhip, than they mart Communicate with the heft Miaiftry in- the Parifh Churches ; and fo the main body of the Land would live like Atheifts, who can have no other Church-Worfhip but the Parochial : For the Nohconformifts Churches were in almoft all Countries, fo fupprelled that no confiderable Numbers could enjoy them. And by this means the Papifts were like to have their Wills : The Pro- teftants muft he told that Recufancy is all.their Duties: And going to the Publick Churches a fin : And who can for Ihame drive Papifts to fin ? And if thus they could draw all Proteftants to forfake the Paid Churches, they would like a defeatedCity and Garrifosfd Fort, be open and ready for their poffetlion. And while the Papifts and Maligrants are ftudying hour to caft out áll the Godly Conforming Minifters, that the Ductile remainder might be prepared. for Popery, the feparating part of the Independents and Anabap- tifts, and fome few hot Scotch Presbyterians, go before them, and tell all the People that it is unlawful to hear them, and to own then as Minifters or Churches, and to have Communion with them in the Liturgy or Sacraments. Even whenthe rigour of Profecutors hath brought it to that pats that they mutt have filchor none, as to Church worship. Seeing fomany in prifon, for this Error, to the dilhonourof God, and fo many more like to be ruin'dby it, and the feparating party,by the temptation of fiffering, had fo far prevailed with the molt IIrilt, and zealous Chriltians, that a great Num- berwere of their mind, and the Non-conformable Minifters,whofe judgment was against this reparation, durst not publish their diflikeof it partlybecaufe of Tharp and bitterCenfures of the Separattás,and who took theta for Apoftates or Carnal Temporizers that communicated in publick, and partly for fear of Encouraging Perfecution againft theSepáratilts, and partly for fear of toting all opportunity of teaching them ( andTome that had no hopeof any other friends or maintenance, or Auditors thought they might be gent,. ) On all thefe accounts, I, that had no gatheredChurch, nor lived on the Contribution of any fuels, and was goingout of the worldin pain and Languor, did think that I was fittett tobear men's Cen- times, and to take that reproach on my felf, which mybrethrenwere lets fit to hear, who might live for farther Service. And at the Importunityof the Book- feller , I confented to publifh the Reafons of myCommunicating in the Parilh- Churches, and againft Separation. Which when it was coming out a Manufcript of
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