A Defense of the Antidote Against Baxters Cure of Church Divisions, Postscript – Letter 2
A POSTSCRIPT.
SIR,
SInce the finiſhing of my Letter to you, I received the two following Papers, the one written by Mrs.— of Worceſter, the other from my Brother Brown, whom you unhandſomly and untruly reflect upon in your laſt Treatiſe; I intreat you to read what they ſay in defence of themſelves, which I have taken liberty without their knowledge to ſend to you, that whatever you doe to me, yet to them you might not deny this juſt ſatisfaction, of making a Recantation for the unſeemly abuſes you have put upon them — Your words are theſe,
Part 2d. p.I intreat you and the Reader to get and read a book publiſhed by Mr. Brown, (as is uncontrouledly affirmed, who lately wrote againſt Mr. Tombes againſt the lawfulneſs of Communion in Pariſh Churches) concerning the experiences and ſtrange work of God on a Gentlewoman in Worceſter, whom I will not name, becauſe yet living, and God may recover her, but is there well known; This Gentlewoman having been long vain, and a conſtant neglecter of publick worſhip, was ſuddenly moved to go into the Church while I was there Preaching on Rom, 6.21. The very Text ſtruck her to the heart; but before the Sermon was done ſhe could hardly forbear crying out in the Congregation: She went home a changed perſon, reſolved for a holy life. But her affection or Paſſion being ſtrong, and her Nature Tender, and her knowledge Small, ſhe quickly thought that the Quakers lived ſtrictlier then we, and fell in among them. At laſt perceiving them vilifie the Miniſtry and the Scripture, her heart ſmote her, and ſhe forſook them, as ſpeaking againſt that which by experience ſhe had found to do her good; and deſiring to ſpeak with me, who lived afarr off, opened thus much to me. But all theſe deep workings and troubles between the ſeveral wayes, did ſo affect her, that ſhe fell into a very ſtrong melancholy; inſomuch that ſhe impoſed ſuch an abſtinence from meat upon her ſelf, that ſhe was much conſumed, and ſo debilitated as to keep her bed, and almoſt famiſhed. Mr. Brown and others were her inſtructers, who were very zealous for the way called The Fifth Monarchy, and having inſtructed her in thoſe opinions, publiſhed the whole ſtory in Print, (which elſe I would not have mentioned) I ſhall ſay nothing of any thing which is otherwiſe known, but deſire the Reader that doth but underſtand what Melancholy is, better than the Writers did, to read that book, and obſerve with ſorrow and pity, what a number of plain effects of melancholy, as to thoughts, and Scriptures; and Actions: are there aſcribed to meer Temptations on one ſide, and to Gods unuſual or notable operations on the other ſide!
Some Paſſages out of Mrs.— of Worceſters Letter to a Friend in London.
Dear Brother,
AS touching Mr. Baxter, I refer you to my Brother Browns Letter unto Mr. Bagſhawe, with this intimation, that as it relates to my ſelf, I am perfectly unconcerned; it is a ſmall matter for me to be judged of mans day; yet I cannot but wonder that one of Mr. Baxters Profeſſion ſhould dare to open his mouth againſt the operations of the Holy Spirit in the Soul, the remembrance of which is ſtill ſweet to me, and cauſeth me to cry out, Oh! how exceeding excellent is thy loving kindneſs, thou God of grace, what was I poor ſilly Nothing, polluted duſt, that thou ſhouldſt chuſe me, bring me to his Foot, give me to find ſhadow againſt the ſcorching beams under Chriſt, and fill me with joy and peace through believing. And if this be the effect of Melancholy; I would tell Mr. Baxter, it is ſuch an effect, as I muſt magnifie the Grace of the Lord for ever for. And this confirms me, that the Lord comforted and lifted up, my loſt, forlorn, caſtdown, and almoſt overwhelmed ſoul, in that uſual path, in which he walks, adminiſtring comfort to his poor benighted ones, viz. the ſealing his love by his ſpirit in a word of promiſe, which I am ſorry Mr. Baxter ſhould be found deriding of. But God will vindicate the work he hath wrought, though men pour contempt upon it, unto whom I commit it: but that Brother Brown was the Author of that book, that I was ſuddenly moved to go to hear Mr. Baxter, that ought of his Sermon had any impreſſion upon me (which I could not attend to, becauſe I was ſo terrified with the words of the Text, Rom. 6.21. that I went away reſolved upon a holy life (when indeed I came into company, thinking thereby to eaſe and deliver my ſelf from the trouble which had ſeized me, which I mention with ſelf abhorrence and admiration of the rich Grace of God) That Brother Browne inſtructed me in the Fifth Monarchy Principle (whereas he then oppoſed it) That I impoſed abſtinence upon my ſelf as to meat (when I would gladly have eaten but durſt not, becauſe I apprehended I had no right to the Creature, being out of Chriſt) This is all Falſe and Untrue, and I am aſtoniſhed that Mr. Baxter ſhould with ſo much confidence affirm theſe things; The Lord Pardon and Humble him.