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PRINCETON, N. J.

Collection of Puritan Literature.

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REVIEW and CONCLUSION OF THE

Agianft Mr. BAXTER'S

Palli

OF

CHURCH-DIVISIONS

WHEREIN

Mr. Biter's late Repentance is examined,

All his Immodeft Calumnies confuted,

/ I \ AND'

The Grounds of Separation further cleared.

n/

By EDWARD <BAqSHAW.

Ephraim is joy tied to Idols: let him done. Hof. 4. 17.

Jf I hnild again the things which I defined, J m&& my felf* tranfgrejfor. Gal. 2. 18.

London Printed in the Year s 6 7 1.

An Mvertifcmentto thcGhriftian Reader.

TO prevent all thofe Miftakes, and t^fifundtrfl Endings which Mr* Baxter, in his late Anfwer^ vt*s guilty of : theft are to ttrtifi that l did dtfirt fever al Brethren ( ip, or n. in number) to yM diligently tht following Treat if e, and to, extmimthe Quota- tions9 as I haic cited them out of Mr. Baxters printed Bookj, wjoich thtydid, kM have unanimoufiy attefted under their Hands, that I havbeen wry careful, to repeat, not only his very words, but alfo ( acording to their befl udnerflanding ) his true Meaning* 7his, I thught good to give thee notice ef,Chriftian Reader > that thou maijl k confident as \ dare not^lhavenot wronged Mr* Baxter,*? any Jfrefted, Falfe, or Miftaken juration.

tthM. 16th, i 6 j i.

Edw. Bagfliaw.

ft)

To Mr.

Richard Baxter

Mr. Baxter^

Notwithstanding your angryintimation,tfmyou inten- ded not to anfwerrae, yetit„was eafie to fore-fee ( and accordingly I told you ) that you would not keep your word; for I knew your Pride would put you upon writing, and yowr guilt would neceffitate you to do it; juft in as unbecoming a manner as yeu have dene ; for an ill eanfe muftbe maintained by Calnmny* It fliall not therefore be any part of my concernment to return your unhandfom Language, but I am content to let you enjoy the priviledge of Railing alone : and if there be any of fo eafie a belief, as to take your word, and can imagin I would be (ofoolijh as well as wicked, as in a matter of five or fix fheets of Paper, to pM\(hfonrfcore wtrnths, I will not envy you fuc?i kind of partial Favourers, nor trouble my felf to retlifle their erronioiH apprehend ens: only I (halldefire all that will be at a little pains to confidcr thlfrgs, to judge ferioufly betwixt us, and to determine impartially, whether that proud contempt and folly, which almoft in every line of your laft book accorapanieth your expr<(Ti . ijjdoth not abundantly difcover that your heart was never yet truly humbled, and conkqtsently that %ejentmce you take occafion to mention rneerly Hypocritical and Trittn&ed.

Without entring therefore into other By-matters, which are nothing to the Purpofe of our main. (Sontroverfie , I muft

A z bring

(*)

bring you back tr the Queftion as it was firft designedly handled between us; and that is briefly this, [ Whether Conformity at this day upon Contentious grounds can be defended by my j or at leaf}, with any kind f hone jly contended for by your felf. ] Tbj^ Sirj jj the thing I hrve enquired about, and Iaauft k«:ep you clofe to the Rating of if, for as yon Stand or Fall in the right handling of this, fowill alhourReafonings appear, either Solid and Convincing, orelfe degenerate into a railing and needlefs impertfrie

Sir, Whoever goeth aboutto m;truc"r the World ( bin efpeci- allythf Churches of Chrifl) in fuch a Critical day asihis, had need oe very careful to give ail pofiible fatirfaftion in' two thinj*.* Firft, that he wmethfome thing that is wc xh our know- ing and doth Rot abufe the patience and leifurc ofiiis Readers: Sc:6ndly, That he ddthrtfmfelf (Lew fo much Stability and Ste- d'nefs of judgement, as that he m^y not difcredit his own work, by having that r^lyed upon him, TkoH that teachefi another] Utcheft thou not thy felf ? Inboth riiefe particulars I have already prov'd that you are giofly Defe&ive ^ For. you plead altogether for an Vnelean thing % and that is, for Conformity after a Cove- named for 'Reformation $ and likewife ("which is more abfurd ) this you doe after you have your felf writ fo much ( and to fpeak truth, fo well ) againft aH fuch kind of Communion.

Amongft other things that I charged upon you this was one^ Ifaid, // btwvm* not you to blame the War, and the evil effe&s of it, with fo much bitterntfs : Jince you were as Attive an Jnftrument in promoting of it, as anyone whatfoever. This, Sir, notwithftanding your peremptory denyal, I mult again confirm ; For yon do in your Holy Common-wealth at large juftifie and defend that War, you hyjou didencouragt many thoufands to it,%nd,that you thought when you engaged in it ,you never did Cod that outward fer vice as then : Put all which together, and they fcrve to difcover an Acti- vity which very few did equal, fcarce any could exceed : and it will be a very vain excufc to fay or think you did but Uttle ,becaufe perhaps fome others might do more] for the meafure of every ones Activity in a common caufe, muft be taken from that place which they fill up5v\hich in yo^r Capacity as a /V<r<fc/?frf especially if you fent in Souldiers by Thoufands ) you did as notabiy difchargeas any of the Cjenerals or Parliament Men, who would hav* fignified but httle, had they not had fuch Chaplains to work upon Confci- tnce : I therefore wronged you not by aliening what you former- ly did, but you much wrong the Truth and Goodnefs of your own caufe, ( if indeed you think you ever had it,} by feek-

ing

(3) . ingfo meanly to finde out a Subter>fwg« how you might dif- guife and hide ir.

I am not ignorant that you now tell me you Repent, ( and you ought to thank me that I have been a means to bring you to it ) but as if you had long agoe forefeen whether your Temptation* were likely to hurry you, you have very feafonabiy fordlalled and Antidoted, whatever ill ufe may be made of your prefenc Profeflion of Repentance: Your words, became they are very memorable, I have taken pains verbatim to transcribe, as I find them in your Holy Commonwealth pago 486, 4^7. 1 cannot fee, fay you, that I was miftaken in the main caufe, nor dare 1 repent of it, nor forbear the fame, if it were to do again in the fame ftate of things : I foould do all 1 could to prevent fitch a IVar^ but if it could not be prevented, Imuft take the fame fide as thenl did, and my judgement tetteth me that if I fhoulddo otherwifc, J jhould be guilty of Treafon and IDijloyaltie again ft the Sovereign power of the Land, and of perfidio'ufnefs to the Common wealth, &c. And you conclude yet more remarkably, It were too great folly by following ^Accidents that were then unknown, for me to judge of the former Caufe* That which is Calamitous in the event, is -nut always fmful in the Enterprise: Should the change of times make me forget that ftate, that we were formerly in, and change my judgement, by lofing the fence of what then conduced to its Infor- tion, this folly and firgetfulnefs would be the way to a finful, and not to an obedient Repentance, Thus ( as I have already told you ) like Caiaphas9 being High Prieft for that Year* youTrephefied.

Sir, it is pofllble ( tor what may not a little Time , and change offuccefs produce in fo variable an undemanding J that you may once more Repent of your late Repentance • fur you have given in fuch Evidence againft your felf, and laid down fuch convincing Arguments to make us belive your judgement is not yet altered ( although your Pajfwn and Interesl is) that I mufl entreat every ferious Reader, to judge, who hath dealt moft candidly. You, or I, and from whom the greateil ingenuity is to be expv'cled. For ray own parr, I defire to fpeak ii without any bitternefs, upon the raoft exacl and impartial reflexion 1 can make, I cannot fee but your 'Repentance, and Mr. Lee's Recan- tation may hereafter be bound up together in the fame Volume^ and both be held of equal Credit and Authority.

For,S;r,to be feriu$,do you think ir can be looked upon as any tolerable degree of fatisfa&i-^ither to thofe whom you formerly

A 3 deceive!

deceived by Preaching them into s Contentions Difobedicnce,or to thofe who were then ruined and opprefled by it, to tell them now twenty years after,fo flightly,that you are/orr^and t\\n you repent t*l* *-. you baa no more Impartially, and diligently confulted with the befi Lawyers, that were agaimft the Parliaments caufc, for yon knew no Cent raver fie in Devinity about it, but in Politicks and Law, What, Sir ? did you help on to Engage a Nation in Blood, to enter into a Covenant , Proclaim Fafis, make SoUmn A peals to God and yet think nothing of Divinity in fuch a Caufei Oh poor deluJed People of England ! How have thy cPreachersy thy "Baxters thy feeming Boanerges , caufedtheeto erre, and [wallowed up the way cfthyTaths f and after they have led thee into Deep Waters , left thee miferably plunged and floating there to favethemfelvei in their own Cockboats ? Sir, do you think you dial! ever Preach with more Evidence, Warmth, and Zeal any thing in your jifc, than you have already done the N^ctffity^ Jufiice, and Lawfulnejs of this War ; and, that you may know I do not fpeak at ran- dom, particularly when at Glocefter, you preached upotr Curfi ye zJMerczi and now you fay you Repent , do you expeft ever to be believed again ? Did hot youthen think it vifible on which fide Chris? and Rtiigion flood ? and did not you profefs to fee it in the year Fifty nine ( but the year before the Kmg came in ) and are you now become BUndtO Rare Convert ! What Grange changes will love of eafe and fear of fuffering, produce in a (Corrupt and Carnal under/landing?

Sir, I am truly forry I am forced to fpeak thus plainly, but Zeal for the Glory of God which you have obfenred 5 Love to that Can ft of Chr iji , and Non-conformity, which you have defer- tcd j a«d earneilnels of arte&ion to the Souls of my Countrey men, whom you have ab»fed • hath filled r»e wirh a jufl indigna- tion : And pray do not think it fufficiem to tell me a? you do, that you Retrod: your Book \ For fuch childffli Levity doth not at all al- ter Matters of Fall, but leaveth things {till as they formerly were, anddifcoverethyouxmly to be dceplier plurg^cf in the guilt of UnfetlednefV and inftabiljty.

An:! certainly, Sir, ha^i you ever had patience, and allowed your felt T.'rrnc t<> rud over what you have formerly writ, you would havd found our fon^e better Argument to employ your la- bour in, than to petfwane the World to Qenfonnk} now, with thofe very Ahn, IfrV&y, and Thfags which (not a year before their cfUbiiOnneut among u. ) you have thrown h mucb dirt upon, that the very remembrance of themisilill loathfome tons.

Have

(i)

Have you forgot, Sir, that when the Bijhopt were down, and their calamity might have moved your pity, youthen ti'smpled upon them, and in gtett fcofh upbratdingly told them, Wefet r™€ Dift- that tnofief the ungodly in the land, are the forwardeftfor ywr v ""„'*£ ways, you may have altnofi ail the Blafphimers, and ignorant haters p^n. An. of gedlinefs trtthe Co an trey to vote for yon .and if they durfl again to 1 6<j$. De- ftgktforyou at any time ; and again, I 'k^ow that the common fen ft AkauA t§ efmeft it* at prefer ions in Frdlical Chriftiatntty is againji yeur for- 5 v~*r<* mat ways ofworjhip, and the Sprit of Trophanef* complieth with you ^ p^^ and doteth on yon in ail places that ever i was acquainted with ipref.p.ij. with much moreiailmg Language to the fame pufpufe . And when you do purpofely argue upon this fvbjeel [ Whether it hs necejfary pugtii. or profitable for the right order or peace of the Churches, to reft ere the extruded Eft fcopacy ] you do with much (trengthand yehe- mency handle the 'Wjgative, and among feveral other Arguments, you urge this for one : That Government which graifieth the Devil pap atf* and wicked men is not to be reftored under any pretence of the Order or Teace of the Church • Tint fitch was the 8nghfh Epi fcopacy \ therefore, &c. And in Explication of the \JM%uor9 you enlarge very Emphatically, Who kpoweth not9 fay y ou, for it cannot be denyedy that the generality of the %able of ignorant Terfons^ World- lings, Drnnkareb^ Haters of Gealinefs are very zealous for Epif~ copacy, Whilft multitudes of truly Contentious people have been a- gainft it • *And whosknoweth not that they fetch both their chief Motives from Experience ? The ungodly found that Ttifljops let them keep their [ins and troubled them not with this precifenfs , but rather drove away the*Precife*P re ackers and People, wham th?y Mor- red\ and thofe that difkkfd Epifcopacy^ did it principally en the fame Experience, defer ving they befriended the wicked, at leafi by prefer- ving them from the due Redof Difciplinc.

Mr we muft needs fay we fland amazed, how it is pcfEble, you fhculd fo foon and fo much forget all that you have fai^> and break through the bonds of fuch convincing Arguments •, For our parts, we, that want your eaiinefs and flexibility, are frighted at them, and dare not for our lives meddle with any thing, in the worfhipofGod, which fuch a man as you hath already told us tends to gratifie the Devil and wicked men . And though we have roary other weighty Arguments, yet in this matter we are fainfied with your Authority, and are content to take your word j and ii as yon fay the Gove mm nt and No Difcipline of the Bifrops haih fuch a danegrous ir-fitinc, we mud by withdrawing oir Communion j&czhxs both agan ft n&ihem;and I am confident they

will

C6) will themfclvcs acquit us fsom any crime herein ; For we dare ap. peal to any moderate man of the Epifcopal perfwafion, if they be indeed fuchkindofperfons as you have reprefented them, whe- ther they ought not immediately to befofakenand forbornas to any A&s of Church Communion : We think i\e need not fpend many words in fo clear a cafe,for you have already decided it for us . with much Triumphing and fcorn you thus infulted| former- ly over the Bi/hops, and laid the foundation of all that which we p'geiiy, now Confcienuotly practice ; " 1 tell you, faid you, that which iiS- "I fuppofe you know, That as free a toleration of Praelacy in u England as there is of Presbytery were the likelyeft way to Ci bring you inro perpetual contempt, For we cannot but know, "that befides.afew civil engaged Gentiemen, Minifters, and o- c< thcrs, your main body would confift of thofe, that for their "notorious impiety, fcandal or ignorance, are thought unmeet * for Church Communion by others, and that when you came to " exercifedifcipline on them, they would hate you and flee from "you, as much as ever they did from Puritans, and if you did " indulge them,and not reform them or call them out,your Church <l would be the contempt of the fober part of the World; and u your own fober members would quickly relinquilli it for flume j u For the Ghurch of England ( if you would needs be fo called ) "would be taken for the (ink of all the otherChurches in England: We need fay no more, for whatever may be p!eadid r> the con- trary by others f with whom at prefent wea^e no: iiif'putmg^ yet as to your felf ( with whom our contraverfie is ) i chink no fober perfon, but will fay we are fafficien'Iy fnrmflied with Ar- guments to anfwer the uttermoft youcanuiJedge. For to fall in with that which you aWJinkjf all the other Churches , tojoyn with thofe in Worfliip, who are, as you fay, the contempt of the fober part of the World, and whom aft their fober Members are to relinquifofor (hame^ this mud needs be an mjuftifiable as well as an unbecoming praftce. And therefore do not Jifturb us any more, but let us afone, if you can, to follow that Light in this matter which you your felf once had, and give us leave to tell you, that to the beft of our underftanding; youi : prefent Light is nothing elfc but the con f upon of ' Darfynefs.

You may perhaps Object ( though we wonder youflioulddo it ) that were the matter wholly Itft to our own liberty, you could not advifefuch Communion as a thing of choice, but that which you call Authority ( or Magijlracy ) inttrpopngin the cafey We arc no longer left free to our own difpofe, but mufl be obedient in things

lndiWe-

(7)

Indifferm for Confound fake . we will not reply Row much that Romans if. ( upon which you lay the ftrefs of your Argument ) hath been abufcd already by wrefting it to o- ther cafes , but yet we hope (whatever others do ) you will not forget that very Text hath been urged by your felf (no longer fincc then the year 1659. ) to jullifie your Tiding with the Parliament agamft the King, VVhen , fay H0jy Coml you, the Parliament commanded us to obey , and not refiftvealth^ them ; / knew not how to refift and difobey them , without 477- thc violation of that command of God, Romans 13. Let eve- ry foul be fubjett unto the Higher "Power , &c. and without incurring the danger of that Condemnation there threat ned to Refifters . and i thinks none doubt eth but that command obltgeth us to obey the Senate as welt as the Emperor. S'ir> You mn* eafily ice what I could, if I pleaCed, and were malic out, infer from hence, but I fpare you, and without prtflLifc uiat, I (hall only fay that you have already in a- nother place difcharged us, from any Genfcientious fubjecli- on to Mens Commands in the Things of Cod upon the ac- count of that Text. For you fay well and truly, that ]fFirftDijf«. Men who have no Authority over us flj^H pretend Authori-V- ^7' ty from GodJ and go about to exercife it by Ceremonious lm- pofitions , we have the more reafon to fcruple obeying them tvm in things indifferent 5 left we he guilty of eftabUJhing their ufurpation and pretended office in the (church , and fo draw on more evils than we fore fee ,m can remove \ All the difference then between you and us ( if indeed there be a- ny ) lieth in the point of Authority, Which we fay plain- ly, that none upon Earth ( no not an Angel from Hea- ven ) harh over us m the Things of Cjod, that whole pow- er being incommunicably given to our Lord Chris! , who keepech it in his own hands , manageth it with his own Laws, direfteth and influenceth it by his own Spirit, and hath not by any Commiflton that we know of invefted the Tylers of this VVorid with it; fo that though you lightly quit, yet we tee caufe {till to keep our ground \ For we dare not yeild , no not for a Moment , nor ftir in a Cir- cumftance from aflerting that tibertie , which we are com- manded to Maintain , left we forfeit our Lords Right , Partake in other mens /w,andlofmg out hold, never be able to recover it again, when we (hall gave occafion to oppofe

8 iomc

fome new and yet unheard of Impofition.

There reraaineth but one Argument more in this whole Difpute, and that is taken from Idolatry ; Which we fay all Devi fed Worjhip is a Species of; and even this, though you do with much feeming earneltnefs declaim againft it, yet it is appa-enr, you had fome Glimmerings of L'ghta- bout ; Ft ar'cr you had urged many Arguments to prove the unreafoaablcnefs and finftluefs of Prescribing Forms of Fruyer, Preaching , &c. you conclude in tWe Words , F"\D%' " U none of theie, or other Reafun, will allay the Impe- rii? • a flJU, Q,fternper 0f L'ne Proud, but they muft by an U- " furped Legiflauon be making indifferent things become ,: necfTary to other-,, and Domineer over Mens Confcien- " Ces and the Churches of God > we muft leave them to hira, ■l that beisg the Lord and Lawgiver of tie Church, is jea- 11 lous of his Prerogative, and abhorreth Idols, and will " not give his Glory to another : Which expreflion ofe^- bomng Idols, why you (hould ufe, had you not taken e- very mHnmane Impofition to be a kind of Idol, we cannot . Imagine: And therefore pray give us leave to fumme up all together, and to fay freely this, that had we but little to (ay upon this Argument in answer to others, yet wehwe enough for ever to filence you ; and .withal we profefr, that though we do not therefore follow that which we take to be the Truth in this ^oeftion , btcaufe you ^ ce afTerted it before us; \ er we will not therefore peevifhiy difdain and reject it, becaufe you have onwordh • receded from it; but rather we rhankfully own fhegooJneftof God, and admire the gre*t foice wf Truth, thai \ here-

tofore be ftirred up to write fo much fand or which you have n >t' ( that we know or ) yet Repented ) by which you Hand your fclf Self condemned, and that Caufe which y ;u fo cage ly oppofe, fully and compleatly juftiried.

J might here End, fori want your Wordy faculty, and mypurpofe being meerly to confute you, this is already fo fully d^ne, that I need not (ay more upon this Subject; But your bold, and little lefs than %Athetj)ieal arguing a- giinfl the Divine and fclf evidencing Authority of 'he Holy Scripture , requiretfi 1 (hould fpeak fomthirig to it : The Tofuion which you lay down is diretlly contrary to the Doclri.ie of all our Ancient Trot eft am Divine sy and par-

ticu-

(9)

ticularly to that of the Firfl Rt formers t and befides is the very Poundationof xhefyman ( that is of the Jntichrffian Church ; Foryotffayrpla-wly (as Andradim^ Stapkton, B4- larmine, and others, the worft 'Defenders of the Trent ?itr- l8J^ Council do ) that the S*// evidencidg Light ef Scripture is not Efficient , without humane Help and Teftimony to ma\e us know -every Canonic all Book font the Apocryphal ', Xt c. And you inflance Particularly in Solomon % Proverbs, onto^-P -6x* which our Saviour himfeif and his Apoflles have witnefled as to a ^Divine Writing: And befides jn defence of this, you urge an Argument, of a more impious fenfe and found, than ever I read in any but your feif; And 1 think that 'BelUrwinevm medeft , and but a Tnflsr to you ; " Ma- s^.p,^. <c homer, fay you, and his followers ( more numerous C?c tf than the Chriftians ) pretend that Mahomets name was in c' Gofpel of John, as the Paraclete or Comforter, promi- ¥ fed by Chrift , and that the Chriitians have blotted it " out, and altered the Writings of the Gofpel : and how u (hall we difprove them but by Hiftorical evidence : To which I (hall only reply in ftaort, that if matters between them and us muft be brought to this ilTue , tABum eft 5 We have nothing fubftantial to plead , and h is not cje^'s but Man'% Word that muft be taken, we having no certain nor infallible xttyai left us, to difcern and know the voice of Scripture by ; I might urge what Whitaker , Chamier, and others have rcplycd , but I fhaN content my felf with what I find .briefly, yet fully dated, by that Judicious and Weightie Writer Mr, HUderfham, whofe name in other cafes ( particularly that of Conformity where you think he fnaketh for you) you pretend great Reverence to. Indeed the Testimony of the Church, faith he, doth first encline us to think that the Scripture is the Word of (jod, and maketh us willing to hear and read it 5 but after we by hearing and reading it attain to further certainty and ajfurance : <c Forj0hu^ "God himfelf fpeaketh to us in the Scripture, Lukf 1.79. 1*0.7*. <c Hebrews 1 -i. and thaHb clearly and evidently, that the cc Faithful are undoubtedly afTured that it is he that fpeak- " eth. that it is indeed his Word ; and they can fay , as " Cant. 2. 8* h is the voice of my behvtd. This is pro- <l imlVd to the Faithful , I fa. 52. 6. They fliall know in f that day, that 1 am he that fpeaketh, behold it is 1; and

•Bi "'hbn

(-{•J

« John 7. 17. [f *>y *m» n>*7/ <& to'/ *#//, fc* /HmM frww

<c of the t>oftriney whether it be of (jod% or whether IfpeaJ^

fc of my felf $ And indeed if we could not now, be

" undoubiedly certain, that is indeed Gods Word, the Cafe

• of the Church were worfc now , than it was when God

ct fpake to his people in Vtfions and Dreams; For they

•• were without any exrernal Teftiraony from Men, fully

" affurcd then, that it was the Lord himfclf indeed that

cc fpake unto them ; Nay it is Certain that we may be

cc more fure that God fpeaks to us in his Word , then

<c they could be of his fpeaking unto them in Vifions %

11 2 "Peter I. 19. We have alfo a more fure Word of Pro*

\* phefie.

Thus far that worthy Writer, who afTcrteth no more in fubftance, than what is the unanimous judgement of Calvin, Lather , and aH our nyimient Protefl.mt Divines 5 and I wonder while you tax. another of Falfaod, you fliould ven- ture thus to reproach their Memory, as if they held with you; wken .not one of them, bat fomc few bold In- novators of late ( like your felf ) did ever aflVrt that Opi- nion } which overthroweth andiazcth to ground the whole Protectant caufe , as tending wholly to enthrone Tradition, and to advance the Authority of fjvlen in the things of God.

I know you bear your felf very high upon what you have already writ in defence ( as you call it ) of Scrip- page 16. «« 1 And you do infolcntly teH us . I know of no man living in this age that hath written fo much ( 1 fay not fo well) for the things in Queftion , Scripture and Chriftianity as I have done: To which Boaft I reply. Firft, fomc have written large Books, and pretended great earneftnefs for many things, on purpofc that they might attacjueand fet upon them afterwards with greater advantage 5 Thus Co-far Vanins wrote a very learned Book againft Atheifm th mgh it was his own profefled and avoiwed Impiety, in defence of which afterwards he defperatiy died. Secondly, give rae leeve to ask you , to what purpofe is all this Vfafle* *r who hath required this *t your Hands f And why do

VOn

you undertake a Needle] $, as well as an Iwpoflible TaskJ That is to reconcile Religion to Natural Reafon ? to bring down the Things of God unto the undciiianding of Man j which is in effet to fay you do not believe tbcm w be Tremendons MyftcrUs Thirdly, Me thinks you fhou'.d be frighted by the dreadful fails of thofe prettndedly Rational men that went th'is way before you, from follow- ing after their bold and daring Example. Socims, a man of no little Reafon, proceeded fo far as to deny the Di» vinity of Chrift ; And Cjrotwt, who wrote as learned- ly on the Trurh of Chriftian Reifgion a* any, yec him- feli died of none, or if as you fay he died * Papift, itpref, t0 was worfe than none : So that I may fay of thric Rx-five Difp. tional Arguings what the Apoftle him concerning meais, They have not profited thofc that walked in them. Laftly,/^ j, ~ This J mult teitihe from my own Experience, and leave it as a warning to all , in whom the Itch of curious Enquiry is not yet healed, that had not 1 learn'd the Truth of Chriftian Religion from better A guments , and a more Certain way of Rcafoning than any your Bo ik* afford, 1 hadftiil been plunged in the depths of Athoifm\ and I look upon your whole Difcourfe about the Na~ sure, Being, 3nd Purees of Cjod, the immortality of th* Sonly and i he reward of the Life toctme ( which you pre- tend to found uponT^atHral Reafon) to be fo far from the Gogency of Demonflrationy and the Evidence ot Ra- tional Light, that fuck kind of Difcourfcs ferve muchra* ther to Teach, then to preferve from Unbelief, while they give Corrupt Reafon leave to argue,, and juftifieit felf, againft that which is accounted the weaknefs and fimplicity of believing. 1 look upon it as found Doct- rine, and fo I held it long before 1 read it in Mr. HiU derjham, <c That this glory is due to Chrift and to " tiira alone to believe him upon his Word, evenyfl^4 " without the Teftimony or Authority of any man, left. 31! " yea though we fee no Reafon for it, yea though it " feera never fo contrary to our own Reafon : we (Hurt 4< in this cafe be like Pythagoras his Schollars, a.J fo €l reft in that «'»?•* i?u ^ when once we hear Thus faith £ the Lord, this mull fuffice us inilead of , all Reaions3>

here

X.

(12)

here we muft reft and fatiifie our felves. This is cal- I c led the Obedience of Faith, Roro. §6. 26. Yea this <c is the firft and chief Obedience that God requi- " reth of us: The firft work of his Grace in us is " to fubdue our Reafon, z Cor. 1 o. j. Till we have ct attained to this fimplicity , we lhall never be wife " unto Salvation; nor come to any comfortable Cer- " taintie in the matters of Religion. The fame wor- :u thy Author goeth on, this ferves, faith he , to re- " prove the Difpnter of this World , of whom the A- <c poftlefpeaks 1 Cor . 1.20. Where isthe Difputer of this li World? fuch as will receive no more in Religion " then they can fee Reafon for , Scripture will not " ferve their turn, they mutt have Reafon ; Bur, faith cc he, it is a dangererous thing not to reft in ihe Au- <c thority of the Scriptures, not to count it »#«'*-%«' ; ,c For there be many truths of God revealed in the " Word, which are fuch Mifteries, as it is not pofiible <c for Man by Reafcn and by Light of Nature to con- c< ceive 5 Nay , indeed the whole Doclrine of the Gof- " pel is fo, 1 Cor. 2. 7. 1 7ime 3. 16. Yea, the m re <c a man exceMeth in Natural Reafon and Underfhnding, <c the more unable (ball he be to conceive them, Hgm* ■« 8.7. The VVifdom of the Fle(h is enmity to god: It <c is God alone that by the fupernatural Light of his " Spirit, revealeth thofe things, Mat. 16. 17. And God M will reveal it to none but to thofe that are Meek and " Humble; to none that havefach high conceit ofthera- " felves, and attribute fo much to their own Reafon, " Tfalm if. 9. The Meek^witt he teach his way. I have at large repeated this paffsge of that truly judicious and excellent Writer, becaufe he fpeaketh fuuably both to Scripture, and to what every Perfon trjly enlightened can witnefs to; But to (hew how much you differ, both from him and others of our foundeft Divines in this point, and to make a full difcovery of your fpirit and temper, I lliall compare it with a quite contrary paf- •Jhuttbef which fo'me years ago I read, and much

Souls Im- f • r if <c * r l t ■ r r

mortality. ™ ** r] y°ur *€l*' * *mrv l^ere u a Fort r'J over~

P=g«4^1. M W'f* » an^ overdoing Divines , who will tcti their foU

11 lomys

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" lower i in private, where there is none to eontradift " staffs, that the Method of this Treatife is perverfe, at li appealing too winch toT^atnral Light, and over- valuing u Humane %ea[on: and thatlfhould have done no more u bur briefly tell men, that all that which God fpeaks tc in his word is true, and that Propria Luee it is evi- f< dent that the Scripture is the Word of God, and " that to all Gods Eletl he will give his Spirit, to cauie " them to difcern it, and that thus much alcne had been " better than all thefe Difputes and Reafonings ; But " thefe Over -wifejmen who neednoReafon for their Re- c* ligion and judge accordingly of others, and think that " thofe men who reft not in the Authority of Jefus " Chrift, fhouM reft in theirs, are many of them fo well- * acquainted with me as not to expeft that I fhould " trouble them in their way or Reafon againft ihem-

« aj much as 1 am add^led to fcribiing,

" 1 can quietly difmifs this fort of men without the La- " bour-oi opening their ignorance. Thus you, who are, if compared to them, but a jfyjh and Injolent Serihler% became you have nothing to do, but are at leifure to be a Vdwrninvu- Tnfier, dare with your breath blow upon, and feek to tUft the Credit of all thefe worthy weigh- ty Writes ('whom you call Over-wtfe, and Overdo- ing ^Divinei) fuch as Calvin, Trefton, Hilderjham, Per- kins, dec. whom I quoaied before, as if they were all but Bubbles for you to play with, and blow up and down at your n'eafure •, but their Name, and Dcelrine (hall live and fiourifh, when yours ihall wither, as not being able to endure the Fiery Tryal . So far therefore, as I can by Entreaties cr Example prevail with any, I 60 earneftly warn all persons truly fearing God, that they be not deceived by Names, nor take any thing up- on truft from a commonly Received and Miftaken Re- putation: For it I underfland any thing of the true na- ture of Religion, your writings do contain that fecret Leaven, which will fowre and infeel the Mind of an unwary Reader, with fuch Erronious Apprchenfions, and Mif-corcetts of the Truth, that nothing but a new and thorough Ccnverfion will be able to recover them ; For>

laying

laying your Foundation in the Corrupt Will of ty^fa» and building your Superftruclure in the Carnal Vnder- ftaudwg, you leave no room for true Holintfs and Mor- tification^ but the Root of fin which iieth within, re- maincth untouched , and Carnal Prefumption, or at the bed Doubting ( if not 'Defpair ) will be the utmoft that fuch Principles can pcflijly end in, or lead unto : J frail therefore here leave off, and for the ptefent (if not for ever,) end any farther Comroverfie with you, as being one of whom 1 cannot (ay ( what you do of T*gei6. nlc afrer ail your virulence ) that J am upright in the tSMain 5 For I hold you are altogether Rotten and Vn- found in the tJMain* and fo much the more incurable, in that you have greatly finned, and turned ^corner, fine* your Admonition.

Thefe being my mod ferious thoughts of all your Works , I do willingly pafs by letter Matters, which yet afford me fulricicnt ground of Exception , fuch are-

Fir ft, Your Abfurd , and Infigmficant way of fpea\^ *«£, although I have already reproved you for it; as when

p you talk of a Rajh and Carolefiy uttered Vntruth, which

is Trivatively voluntary ( that is where the VKdl omits its office) Where I am much to feek, what can be meant by Privatively voluntary, or how any action can be done where the Vftll omits its office. Adde to this, your 6i(- courfe of a rtceiviug Obediential Tower in a Carnal Wt ll9

P*&tlS9* which receiving Power you call a Pajfive Power: where the Coir-roesu and Explication is much harder than the Texr. Laftly yTo urge no more your faying that by Corrup- tion and impofitisn barely feemeth to be meant fuch F§r- maliter quoM Allum without including the degree of the

/«£'i34. Matter. Sir, Thefe, and the iikeexprcflions, though you and the Schools call them Difimcleons, yet indeed are no- thing tlfebur Learned Ifyn fence \ Which although they may not other wife have much hurt in them, yet they are

thofe

thofe Bigfadtittg words of Vanity] which are \ the ufu&T Language of Falfe Teachers , and one of the Marks whichy i*5 fore-told, by which they may be known, 2 iW. 2.

Secondly , I might except agiinfl your fcornful trifling with things, that are moil facred, and feriousj as when you fay, / am verily perfwaded if Chrifi came f^fp-pure^l nally and vifibly to demand it , the King him/elf would yeild up his Crown to him • and I am as verily perfwa- ded the Turcot Pope would do fo too 5 which yet at prelent I do not look upon as any great commendati- on to either of them* And btiides , had ever the Ter- ror of that D*y of the Lord fell upon you, and did'you in fpirit believe and apprehend how dreadful that C*p~ pearance would be, you would not have (pake fo like thofe Mockers, who deride the Promife of his coming.

Thirdly , I might juftly blame your fcarce Tolerable Sophiflry, afld Fallacious way of arguing, fit only fos Boyes and Children } as when you pretend to know no difference in point of Impofition, between one that ufeth a Form of his own , and he that is Imfofed upon to ufe^' }*9* always the Form of another.: Whereas, in the one cafe,120* the hearer is at perfect libertie how far and how often he will joyn . In the other he is always tied up, and mull either joyn in fuch a Pre fcript Form of Words or none at all: and this he knoweth before- hand, which ma» keth the difference vaftly Difproportionable.

Lafllyr Give me leave to wonder, fince the Apoftle maketh it fo dangerous a fign of a proud, diftempered mind to dote about Queftions, 1 Tim. 6. /how it * comes to pafs that you io ifrangely delighc in; asking of them ; efpechllyj in matters where Faith alone mutt give the Iaft vSolutiotf; and therefore to all your twenty bold Queries .sbsut the Scripture, take this general An- fwer^hat when you have fatisfied me you did not fin greatly in railing tuch Mills and Doubts about them, and when you can g;ve me fecurity that you will not be af- king me twenty Questions more, I will endeavour your fa- tisfaclron. G Icon-

(*6)

I conclude therefore,with this Short but Trot Charatteroi your felf and your late work, that you have writ neither with ih*\ (jravity, which became your t^ge \ with that Sobriety^ which became your Profeffwn\ nor that Modeflj which became any tolerable Education •, and fince you io much forget your felf, I rauft tell you, that that Pcrfon, whom you (o infolently defpife, is ( to lay no more ) that your beft, your Equal; but what he reckoneth he might Glory in, as fomeofhis outward Advantages above you, he willingly waveth, as chufing rather to glory in this, as God hath chofen him a Poor defpifed Publican ( as one born out of due time) together with thofe Womtn and *Boyei whom you contemn, to cry Hofanna to the Lords Cbrift, and to bear witnefs unto that very Truth, and at that very time of the Day, when you a Learned Scribe and Pharifec ( under the Notion of 'Repenting ) have moft unworthily betrayed and deferted it.

FareweL

From my Prifvn by New- gate, 9th m. tfh Am 1671.

Edward Bagjhaw*

APotf-

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POST-SCRIPT

C0NTEIN1NG

An ADVERTISEMENT to the

CHRISTIAN READER.

IN Anfwer to Mr. 'Baxters Poft fcript, I have this to fay briefly, That I have read and confidered *h°feS!^' Words of his, IheUrd Trotettor did Prudently, Piwfly, \ ' Faitlofnliy to his hnmortal Hononr\ exercife the Govern- V Vnent • And I flill think that Mr. Baxter could Rot be ferious, if he meant them of Richard Cromwell , who loft the Government, before he was well fetled in it , and never did any thing ( that I have heard of ) to deferve fo large a Chara&er.- But fmce Mr 'Baxter is pleafed to affirm that he intended him, I (hall not be Critical in another mans words, but take it for grant- ed that indeed it was fo; But then 1 (hall defire to be fatisfied in two things, Firft, what is become of Mr. Baxters jRepentaxce ; For when I urged that patfage to him ? as fpoken of Oliver he tells me in one part of his Book , / thanks you for calling me to review thofo Words , and do freely declare that I do ta\e them to be unmeet, and that I do mfeignedly Repent of them 5 and yet in the (£oncluiion he complaineth that he too rajh-

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iy btUivtd me ; For upon perufal be finds it moft Noto- rious that be fpike it not of Oliver but of bis Son\ at which he wipeth his tJMouth and thinks all is very well; But may not this be expefted as likely to; be the ilTte of all Mr. Baxter $ c\]xr Repentance, that upon fecund thoughts he will complain he was too rafh and hafty in it. Secondly, I v uld Fain know by what Proprie- ty of fpeech, K can affirm as he doth thac Oliver Crom- well was guilty of tnoft Perfidious Treafon and 'HtbtUion , and be hiwfdf an unquejl)(mMe Vfurprr ; and yet own and allow his Son to be & Tious , Prude ,fHl Go-

vernour P Was not. Rickird his lathers Succefir, and did not he fucceed him in his SinfeU Vfarpatian ? and can Mr. Baxter continue t i iftifie fuch words ( which muft be accounted either r ;wn right railing againft the one, or fordid Fiattery tu. the other > and yrt hold him- felt Innocent .'

Aj for the Oath of Allegiance, wjtic'i I am in Tri- fon for refufing, and Mr. Baxter I perceive pleads for, and wou'd fain engage all the NonConformifts to be Defenders of, I mud needs fay, that if 1 underftood that X)atb in no ftrifter a fenfe, and had as many 2s§» fiinttions to eluJe the true meaning and force of it, as Mr. 'Baxter hath lately found out about the Covenant , 1 nvght perhaps be induced t> take h too ; But 1 bfefs God , 1 dare not Trifle with Oaths \ For I look upen one that is once deliberately S.vorn to be *lv*ayes £r<ft:y Obliged j and where the Name of Cjad is ired to make a Tye.facred, 1 think thar. Reverence is due to it, that we are not afterwards to mine* Matters , bat bound to go unto the utmotl Latitude that the words will bear, tor the Advantage of thr Pjrty unto whom we dre Sworn: This being my fenfe of f.\ry Oath, I mufl take leave freely to profefs that in this oi.iA ilegiancc, I do not underftand the meaning of Crown attd 'Dignity, for ifthofe words fignifie ( asi verily believe they doj The Laws in being (for fo both Sr. Orlando Bridgemtn and Dr. Sander fon have interpreted thenO then I can- not fwear to Defend them \ For fome of thofc Laws

( and

(19) ( and particola ;ly thofc about Conformity ) I daily break, and which is mare, think I a"m bound in Conference to <Jo ifo : And though I mould erre and be miilaken in the Crjund* of fach a Pratlcr, yet every one knowcth, and Dr. Satrdtrfon haih fully ftated ic, t'.ia: «/e» an Erro >ir 9HS Conference doth alwayes oblige not to do any thing fa gainfi the IHftates of it. More I could fay , but t vo Arguments again! t ihis Oath I have already pub'idly urged at the Bar, in which I have not yet received any fatisfecli on.

One is that I am required to fay, VfHoich Oath lac- knowledge by good and full Authority to be Lawfully Ad- minifired to we • which I am To far from being able to fwear, that on the contrary, I am fully fatisfyed, this Ojth was to me mod unlawfully adminifired : The de- fjgn and end of the Oath ( which was to cUfcovcr and to fnpprefs Tofifti Recufants ) and many other Legal Gircumitances having not beenat all obfeivcd.

Another Exception which I urged was, ;hal I am to fay, Ihis Recognition 1 wa\e heartily y willingly ," &c. Which word Willingly beirg then under an ur d e force ( deteined a Prifoner after 1 was acquitted by a Jury } and to take that Oath as the Condition of obtaining my Liberty ( unto vvhich I looked upon my felf, as ha- ving a jult tiile b. fore J } dqrft' not fay f o , unlefs I would direclly have fworii a lye, and afce. wards releived my felf by (onie rocten DiflhUion.

Thefe were fome of my Reafons, which I pleaded at the "Barr, and whatever Mr. "Baxter thinks of them £-wiio-. undervalued moft mens judgement but, his ownj yet they are ft ill of weight to me, and at that time they were judged fo confidence by thofe thar 'heard them, that the Juftice who pafled Sentence upon me, faid pub- lick Iy in toe hearing of many Witneffes , {7hat he did not ' doubt, but I refufed the Oath out of Confciencc and front a good *P finable j wherein, though he did ill to condemn one whom he judged Innocent, yet he was more jiift and

Gens-

(/enerbui then Mr. Bdxter> who calleth me Brotbtr, and yet ufeth me as 8dom did Ifracl • not fearing co adde what weight he can to make my 2?onds heavier, and fo far as his Cenfure can prevail, feeking to leave me with- out the common Relief ot Calamity , Pity. But the Lord will certainly judge between him and me, with whom I leave my Cattfe, and the IfTue of this whole Controver- fie ; who hath already in his Word, and will in due time by his Works decide, who are mod to be approved for Integrity, whether thofe who are content to endure the utmoft Extremity, rather than deny the Truth, or depart from a well taken up Refolution $ or fuchwhoare, li\t Reeds, Jhakenxvith every Wind, and fcruple not to change their Judgement, For, and Againft things,, as the ilream of outward fuccefs doth guide and influence them. There being no other vifible Reafon why M\ 'Baxter (hould at this day, profefshis Repentance, for what ha fo fliffly held and defended before, but only that Argument of the <Z*l.6.io.JevfijhCorformiftsofo\d, That he may not be Terfccated by the Qrofs of thrift, in which yet, as the ApofUe did, fo every True Chnitian ought to Glory.

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