Penitent Confession and Vindication in Answer to a Book, Title page – Dedication
RICHARD BAXTER's Penitent Confeſsion, And His Neceſſary VINDICATION, In Anſwer to a BOOK, called, The Second Part of the Miſchiefs of Separation, Written by an Unnamed Author. With a PREFACE to Mr. Cantianus D Minimis, in Anſwer to his LETTER which extorted this Publication.
Pſal. 32. 5.
I ſaid, I will confeſs my tranſgreſſions to the Lord, and thou forgaveſt the iniquity of my ſin.
Pſal. 19. 12, 13.
Who can underſtand his Errours? Cleanſe thou me from ſecret faults. Keep back thy Servant alſo from preſumptuous ſins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then ſhall I be upright, and I ſhall be innocent from the great tranſgreſſion.
John 8. 44, 45.
Ye are of your Father the Devil, and the Luſts of your Father you will do: He was a Murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, becauſe there is no truth in him: When he ſpeaketh a Lie he ſpeaketh of his own; for he is a Liar and the Father of it. And becauſe I tell you the truth ye believe me not.
Iſa. 5. 20.
Woe to them that call Evil Good, and Good Evil: That put darkneſs for light, and light for darkneſs, that put bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for bitter.
Prov. 24. 24.
He that ſaith to the wicked, Thou art Righteous, him ſhall the People Curſe, Nations ſhall abhor him. (Sharp words.)
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide near Mercers Chapel. 1691.
For the very Reverend Dr. Edward Stilling fleet, Lord Biſhop of the Dioceſs of Worceſter.
Reverend Sir,
SUppoſing the Book which I anſwer as injurious to you, as to me, I judge it meet to propoſe to you this Opportunity of your own Vindication: Or if I be herein mistaken, to crave your help for my own Conviction. Your former Accuſation of ſuch as I, of the heinous Sin of Schiſm, or Separation, I confeſs I anſwered in a manner that required your Patience: If it was too free, and provoking, I beg your pardon, and do not Juſtifie it. My Reaſons were, 1. That I thought, that to take ſuch as I for Schiſmaticks, or Separatists, was a great hardening and ſtrengthening of the real Separatiſts, when my Character, and ſuch others, ſhould ſeem to be theirs; and if we were falſly accuſed, they ſhould ſeem to be ſo too.
2. Becauſe I knew how much your Authority, and just Reputation, would add, as a Whet-ſtone, to the keenneſs of their Zeal who thought us unmeet to live out of the common Goals.
3. Becauſe I knew (whatever is ſaid against it) how great a Loſs it would be to Souls, to have all ſilenced Ministers give over preaching to any more than four; and what Sacrilege we ſhould be guilty of, to give over our Miniſtery, which we were vowed to, and to be baniſhed five Miles from all Corporations, or there to avoid all publick worſhiping of God.
And your Pacificatory Accommodation, ſo earneſtly reſtraining Parents (without excepting the Nobility) from chuſing School-maſters for their own Children, ſeemed to one to be an unſufferable Overthrow of that Family Government which is of Divine Inſtitution, antecedent to Regal, and moſt literally required in the Fifth Commandment.
Theſe Reaſons carrying me to Earneſtneſs, I perceive the Conceit or Suſpition is too common, that your Exaſperation was the Spring both of Dr. Morrice's Defence of you, and of this Book, which is commonly famed to be written by Mr. Long of Exeter, a Member of the Repreſentative Church of England, (of whom I will not ſay, as Biſhop Morley of me, Ex uno omnes.) This Concest is increaſed by the Title of his Book, the ſame with yours, as The Second Part; and by your Collocutor's Title, [The Army-Chaplain;] and ſuch other Circumstances.
For my part, I take it for my duty to believe, that you abhor ſuch a Fardel of malicious, impudent Lyes: And that he that hath written ſo many excellent Books (of which, I thankfully acknowledge the Receipt of many, as your Gift) will by no Temptation be poyſoned to the Approbation of ſo venomous a Label.
But if I ſhould be in any part mistaken, and while you own not the manner of his Writing, you ſhould own the main Cauſe, or Accuſation, I humbly and earnestly beg, that before I dye (if it may be) you will afford me that help of Conviction and Repentance which may be expected from a Man of Learning, Piety and Truth, and the now Biſhop of that Dioceſs where the ſurviving part of my only Flock (that ever I had) remain; among whom you may learn more of the falſhood of this Man's Accuſations.
And as I cannot but think, that the preſent Neceſſity (brought about by God's Providence, without us) will engage a Man of your Knowledge and Temper to uſe your Interest and Parts to the uttermost, both in Parliament and Convocation, for the ſtrengthening of this Nation and Church by Concord and neceſſary Amendment, and unlocking the …oors of the Pariſh-Churches to the Lovers of Unity and Peace. So Acquaintance enableth me to be confident (that though ſuch as I are paſt having our part in ſuch a Bleſſing on Earth, yet) a great number of young Preachers will be ready, joyfully to accept of any lawful Terms for ſo good an End, who now ſerve God on Terms of S…lfdenial, and are Men of greater Orthodoxneſs, Piety, Learning, and skilful, powerful Preaching, than you would have believed our Nonconformists Schools would have brought forth. And if that bleſſed Day may haſten, I doubt not but thoſe of the ſuffering Miniſters that have overlived their long Silencing, Impriſonments, and Diſtreſſes, will gladly do as Joſeph, forgive the Envy and Injuries of their Brethren and Afflicters; obſerving how much of the Hand of God was in the Over-ruling of all, and making uſe of that Sin which he did neither cauſe nor juſtifie.
Sir, As the Importunity of Cantianus, with many others, drew me to publiſh this Writing, which I once caſt by, as never to have been ſeen; ſo the opportune Occaſion of my deſiring your own Vindication, or your help for my Conviction, hath cauſed this Addreſs to you, from
Jun. 13. 1691. A willing Learner, And Penitent, Ri. Baxter.