Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Appendix · Section 3 · Letter 6
Worthy Sir,
I Received yours of the 18th Instant, and was very glad to see you took so well that which I looked on as somewhat rude in my self, and was troubled after the Letter was out of my Hands, that I should give you any occasion of Trouble, by medling so far as in my Letter I had done. As to Advise in the Particulars you mention; I count my self very incompetent for such Consultations, and do know you are so well able to make Judgment in such Cases, that if I should undertake to grati…y your Desire, it would signify little. As for your answering the Vindication, I do acknowledge Your Resolution herein is attended with Difficulties on both Sides. If you do it not, you lye under some Imputation, and it will be taken for granted you cannot vindicate your self. If you attempt it and should not do it to the Satisfaction of Impartial Men, the latter Art would be thought worse than the first, unless you should do it only by way of Apology, shewing by what you were induced so to write, as in your Key you have done. But my thought is you had better never attempt it than not to carry it clearly; and if you do that, I confess it will be more than I did expect.
And on the other hand, whether your Confutation be f…ll or …aint, when it comes abroad, it will provoke both the Principal and his Adherents, many of whom are honest Independants and Anabaptists, prizing him upon a Civil Account (at least in great part) for his great Accomplishments for Civil Affairs, and so indispose them to consider and receive your many worthy Proposals and Directions, tending to gather such as were too much scattered. And how far you may by such a thing exasperate him and his Confederates against not only you, but other Godly Ministers for your sake (the thing you mention) is considerable.
But then again if it shall be supposed that he is that way disposed and in Resolulution ingaged to the length of his aim already, and whether he be or no I cannot say, I would hope otherwise) then it will be considerable whether it will not be a good piece of Service to weaken his Interest so far as relateth to his Counsels about Church Affairs, by discovering his weakness and unfoundness in things of that Nature. And how far your intermedling this way (I mean in relation to his unsoundness) in your own Vindication, may draw on you a Suspicion of Uncharitableness (if you should do it) is hard to say. He is now in place of Power (whether upon better Terms than Nero or those under him will not be the Question;) but how far it would have beseemed a Minister of the Gospel, and publickly to have discovered the then Rulers Unsoundness, would be a Question. I do acknowledge also that a great deal of Care and Tenderness of due belongs to the Reputation of your Person and Name in relation to your place and Office in the Church, as well as it does to another in respect of his place in the Common-wealth. So that if you could heal the Wound which the Author of the Vindication hath endeavoured to make, without wounding the Name, or touching the publick Authority now vested in him (Sir H. V.) I think the case would be clear. But then this I think would be without dispute, that if you find cause to print, that then you carry things with all Christian Sweetness, evidencing your Tenderness to the Names of Men so far as may possibly consist with your Faithfulness to a greater and better Interest. And I have heard the Author of the Vindication blamed by several of Sir H. V. his Friends, for his Edge and Bitterness. The less of that appeared, the more is gained in any Personal Contests: I shall pray the Lord to direct your Thoughts, but do not think my self wise enough to be positive in this Advice. As for that which concerns the Anabaptists Offence, I in…line much to think the safect will be not to meddle in it for the present: And if you think good to Communicate your Knowledge of the Churches of the Anabaptists; their petitioning for Justice to be done upon the late King, I shall as I have Opportunity, acquaint them what you have in readiness to make good your quarrelled Assertion, but that tenderness to them, and Christian Peace, hath for the present bound your Hands.
As for the Author of the Sober Word, whose Name is Mr. Iohn Iackson, …ormerly Grand Treasurer for the Excise, I think from the beginning of it to the Change of Government, and now in Commission for bringing in all Arrears of Excise, &c. you will not need, I think to do any thing publickly, I meeting, him last Night at the Militia (where he and I had occasion to be) I thought good to acquaint him with so much of your Letter as concerned him: And in return he hath promised me a piece of his, which he will desire me to send to you for your further Satisfaction touching him as to be no Jesuitical Designer: I think it's made against the Quakers.
For that which concerns Mr. Tombes his Name, I had heard of it more particularly than you express; and am troubled that so little hath been done by himself towards his own Vindication, unless more hath been done than hath come to my Ear. I question whether he will make it known so as to be communicated to you to be his desire that you should write an Epistle, &c. If he should, a Work of that nature may receive your Countenance and Attestation, if it deserve it, without concerning your self in his Morals. You have (if my Intelligence be right) in your County, and in the County of Gloscester, armed Designes brought almost to the Birth, and are like to put you suddenly into Trouble, if not made Abortive. Endeavours are on foot for Prevention: some Reserve of Horse and new Arms have been made. I believe it concerns you, and such as you, to be mindful of your own Security, by contributing your help towards the Maintenance of the Publick Peace. If things are bad now, I believe they are like to be much worse if a turn should come by the Hand of War. Sir, Narrowness of Opportunity hath produced the too much undigestedness of these Lines. That the Lord may preserve you, and fill you with the Spirit of Wisdom and of Power, is the sincere desire of
Yours faithfully ingaged in true Affection to serve you, Will. Allen. London, Iuly 23. 1659.
To the Reverend and his worthy good Friend Mr. Rich. Baxter in Kidderminster.