PANT I: Reverend Mr, Richard Baxter. .5i nerals and Whalleysand Rich's Regiments of Horfe, and in the newplaced Officers in manyof the reff). I perceived that they took the Kingfor a Tyrant and an Enemy , and really intended abfolutely to matter him, or to ruine him ; and that they thoughtif they might fight againft him, they might kill or conquer him ; and ifthey might :con- suer, they were never more to truft him further than he was in their power ; and Mat they thought it folly toirritate him either by Wars or Contradietions in Par- liament, if fo be they muff needs take him fortheir King, and trail himwiththeir Lives when they had thus difpleafed him. They faid, What were the Lordsof Eng- land but William the Conquerour's Colonels? or theBarons but his Majors ? or the Knights but hisCaptains ? They plainly chewed me , that they thought God's Providence wouldcat) the Trait of Religion andthe Kingdom upon them as Con- querours : They made nothing ofall the moll wife and godly in the Armies and Garrifons, that were not of their way. Per farant nefas , by Law or without it, theywere refolved to take down, not onlyBithops, and Liturgy, and Ceremonies, but all that did withlland their way. Theywere far from thinking of a moderate Epifcopacy, or of any healing way between the Epifcopal and the Presbyterians They molt honoured the Separatiris, Anabaptifts, and Antinomiansi but Cromwell and his Counciltook on them to joys themfelves to no Party, but to be for the Liberty ofali. Two forts I perceivedthey did focommonly and bitterly fpeak a- gainft, that it was done inmeer defign to make them odious to theSoldiers, and to all the Land ; and that was r, The Soro, andwith themall Presbyteriansbut efpecially the Minifters; whom they call Priefls and Prie(lbyters, and Drivines, and the Diffemby-men, and fach like. z. The Committees of the feveral Counties, and all the Soldiers that were un- der them that were not of their Mind and Way. Some orthodoxCaptains of the Army did partlyacquaint me with all this, and I heard much ofit from the Mouths of the leading Sectaries themfelves. This ftruckme to thevery Heart , and made me Fear that England was loft bychore that it had taken for its Chiefeft Friends. 4 74' Upon this I began to blame bothother Minifters and my felf. I faw that it was the Minifters that had loft all, by forfaking the Army, and betaking themfelves toan eaher and quieter way of Life. When the Earl of Efex went out firft, each Regiment had anable Preacher, but at Edgbill Fight almoft all of them went home, and as the Sectaries increafed, theywere the more averfe to go into the Army : Its true, that I believe now they had little Invitation, and its true that they mutt look for little Welcome and great Contempt and Oppoutition, betides all otherDifficulties and Dangers: But it is as true,that their Worth and Labour in a patient Pelf-denying way, had been like to have preferved molt of the Army, and to have defeated the Contrivancesof the Sectaries, and to have faved the King, the Parliament and the Land. And if it had brought Reproach upon them from the Malitious, (who called them MilitaryLevines) the Good which they had done would have wiped off that blot, much better than the contrary courfe would do. And I reprehended my felf alfo, who had before rejectedan Invitation from Cromwell : When he lay at Cambridge long before with that famous Troopwhich he began his Army with, his Officers purpofed to make their Troop a gathered Church, and they all fubfcribed an Invitation to me to be their Pallor, and fens it me to Coventry I fent them a Denial, reproving their.Attempt, and told them wherein my Judgment was againft the Lawfulnefs and Convenience of theirway, and fo Iheard no more from them : And afterward meetingCromwell at Leicefler he expollulated with'me for denying them. Thefe very men that then invitedme to be their Pallor, were the Men that afterwards headed mach of the Army, and forceof them werethe forwardelt in all our Changes ; which made me wills that I had gone among them, however it had been interpreted; for then all the Fire was inone Spark. § 74. When I had informed my felfto my forrow of the Rate of the Army, Capt. Evanfon (oneof my Orthodox Informers) defired me yet to come to their Regiment, telling me that it was the moll religious, molt valiant, moll fuccesful of all the Army, but in as much danger as any one whatfoever. I was lothto leave my Studies, and Friends, and Quicmefs atCoventry, to go into an Army fo contra- ry to my Judgment : but I thought the Publick Good commanded me, and fo I gave him forceEncouragement : whereupon he told his Colonel (Whalley) who Hz alfo
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