Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Frontispiece – Dedication
Vera Effigies RICHARDI BAXTERI Ministri Iesu Christi.
Reliquiae Baxterianae: OR, Mr. RICHARD BAXTERS NARRATIVE OF The most Memorable Passages OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES.
Faithfully Publish'd from his own Original Manuscript, By MATTHEW SYLVESTER.
Mihi quidem nulli satis Eruditi videntur quibus nostra ignota sunt. Cic. de Finib. lib. 1.
Quibus [ergò] rectè dem, non praetermittam—Sic habeto, me, cum illo re saepe communicatâ, de illius ad te sententiâ atque authoritate Scribere— Cic. Epist. 7. ad Lentul. Lib. 1.
LONDON: Printed for T. Parkhurst, I. Robinson, I. Lawrence, and I. Dunton. M DC XC VI.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir Henry Ashhurst Bar.
SIR,
I Am not a little sensible of the great Obligations you laid upon the Reverend Author of this following Narrative, of which neither was his Sense small. 'Tis well known to me and others, how great a Veneration he had for your deceased Father, whom he took to be one of the liveliest Instances and Emblems of Primitive Christianity that ever he was acquainted with. Neither am I ignorant of the very great Respects he deservedly bore to your Self and Family.
The remembrance of your so firm and generous adherence to him, in the Day of his Trial and Distress, seems to me greatly to justifie your Title to the Dedication of this Account of the Person and Labours which you so greatly valued, so publickly own'd. He took your resolute Appearance for him, as a delightful demonstration of your great Respects to his great Master, and for the same Master's sake unto himself. He ventur'd his All for God, and you expos'd your Self for him, to the severely trying Entertainments which he met with in open Court, from Men of Place and Figure in that Day; wherein their indecent Carriages reflected great Honour both on him and you, tho' not a little Disreputation was thereby contracted to themselves.
Had not the Reverend Author plac'd great Confidence in you, so great a Trust as his last Will and Testament repos'd in you, had never been your Lot. To be Executor to two such Excellent Persons, as Mr. Baxter and Mr. Boyle, fixes great Honour upon your Name, and cannot but raise great Expectations in the World from you, of answering that Character which it appears you had obtain'd, with two Persons of so great Eminence. But (Sir) Give me leave to tell you, that the Eye of God is upon you: and that his Claims and Expectations must be answer'd by you. Men judge charitably; but God judges of us as we are indeed. God cannot be deceiv'd; Men may. Pardon me, if I add what he once said to me concerning my own self; Sir, I think I know you, but I am not sure I do. The Word came close to me, and it may possibly be of use to you: it may awaken us both intimately to consider, to whose Iudgment we all must stand.
The Lord fulfil in you and your hopeful Issue, all the good pleasure of his Goodness, and the Work of Faith, Labour of Love, and Patience of Hope with power, so as to heighten and compleat your Faithfulness and Figure in your Generation: This is the Prayer and Hope of,
Right Worshipful, Yours Humbly, Thankfully and faithfully, in the best Services, and fastest Bonds, whilst MATT. SYLVESTER.