Second Reply to Baxter, Part 2 · Chapter 1

Second Reply to Baxter · Part 2 · Chapter 1

p. 154CHAP. I. Mr. Baxter's notorious Slanders further made good against him in accusing the Anabaptists for baptizing persons naked.

Sect. 1 IT is true; I did in my Treatise p. 134. (as Mr Baxter sayth) complain of his Injurious charging the Anabaptists for baptizing men and women naked. (in p. 136. of Plain Scripture) without the least colour of proof for the same; and for which I called for due satisfaction.

To which, he gives the following Reply in his own vindication, in p. 281. chapter 5. which he calls Mr D's great calumny refuted: Wherein he doth these things:1 What M. B. saith for his vindication. First, owns The sin of belying others to be Diabolical, unprofitable; and a dreadful kind of folly: 2ly, he professes a hearty willingness to be Impartially examined concerning these things, with a disposition to give satisfaction for the same, if it may appear that he is guilty therein: 3ly, that he takes it to be unlawful to defame any upon doubtful Reports, and will heartily joyn with any in reforming backbiting and rash ungrounded defamation of others. 4ly, doth with much seriousness, as his last words, bespeak the Reader's belief, M.B. now urgeth for his proof common same.that he would not do so unlawful a thing as to belie himself in what he hath to say about it. 5ly, then proceeds, viz. That about ann. 47. or 48. when Anabaptistry began suddenly to be p. 155obtruded with more successful fervency, he being a Neighbour to some of them, and hearing of their practise in other parts of the Land did by common fame understand that some of them baptized naked, some not, and which neither Anabaptist, nor any other, that he can Remember did contradict, till his printing his Book an. 1650. falsly printed. 59. (viz. for two years space) he did then write against both sorts: viz. those that baptized naked, and those that did not; which neither Mr Tombs, nor any body else, from that time to this, have ever denyed, till this Man: appealing therefore to Impartial Reason, whether he that writes 25. or 26. years after, be fitter to be believed in a matter of fact, than Common consent at the present time. And, whether it be lawfull for him to take all sorts then living for Lyars, rather than this one man, that hath writen us such a Book, 25. years after, and who, in a Negative cannot be a competent witness: But if he say, that I writt that of all the Anabaptists, or of most, he would but deceive Men, it being nothing so; It is true, he confesseth, he did not see them Baptize Naked, neither can he prove that there are fornicators, Adulterers, Thieves, and Murderers, in the Nation; yet he presumes, he must be justified in preaching against, and calling to Repentance, the one as well as the other, without Slaunder: (Implying, he had as good ground by common Report and fame for the one, as the other, though he saw neither) and that, though now they may be ashamed of the thing, not continuing to do the same: So was the Donatists as to their self-Murthers; p. 156the Anabaptists as to their Munster-pranks; and Ranters in open Swearing, and whordom, &c. (Insinuating they did most certainly begin so to do as well as others).

So that the substance of what he saith in the proof of the matter of fact, that Anabaptists did Baptize Naked, as, common fame and consent, and that the truth thereof was neither contradicted before he wrote the Book, nor ever since, Either by themselves, or any other, till my Book five or six and twenty years after; Resting yet confident of the verity thereof, and of his due call in detecting and reproving the wickedness. In his contents he saith, As if he had falsly reported that some at that time were baptized naked: To the Impartiall Examination whereof, I also freely joyn Issue with him.

Gods rule of reporting and judging of others.And in the first place do say, If he had it only by common fame and Report, as now he tells us, without any knowledg or Experience or known just proof; I would Query with him, Whether by any Law of God or Man, he can Justify such a hainous charge wherein yet he persists with so much confidence and self-justification: for first, Doth not the Lord expresly tell us, Exo. 23.1. Thou shalt not Receive a false report: put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness: (which they do, that take up and publish false Reports) the word is foreign suscipies: The direction being, that we make diligent Enquiry, and by good witness have the the truth of the thing that is told us, confirmed as a Certainty, before we make report of it to p. 157other wherein the Neighbors Name, life, Estate is concerned, as Deut. 17.4.—And it be told thee and thou hast heard of it, and Enquired diligently, and behold it be true, and the thing certain that such an abomination is wrought, &c. Deut. 19.15. One witness shall not rise up against a man for any Iniquity, or for any sin; in any sin that he sinneth, at the Mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be Established. And then in the case of reproaching and bearing of false witness, this is the Excellent Rule worthy to be written in Letters of Gold, Deut. 19.18. And the judges shall make dilligent search, and behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsly against his Brother, then shall you do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his Brother, so shalt thou put the evil away from amongst you. So that it is not common fame, but known approved witnesses, that, according to God's Law, must be the ground of our Receiving, spreading abroad, judging and Reproving our Brethrens Evils; for if that be admitted, Christ Jesus himself would be judged as a Wine-bibber and a Drunkard, a Blasphemer, and one that had a Divel, his followers to be the worst of men, who will have all Evil spoken against them for his Name; And what did not those honourable Worthies, the Waldenses, suffer in this Respect? common fame reputing them the greatest villains in the world, putting out of candles in their Meetings, and committing all manner of wickednesse, &c.

p. 158Mr. B's full consent to these Excellent rules to his own just condemnation.Therefore to this point, before we go further, we will hear what Mr. Baxter himself saith in his Christian Directory, worthy his and our most serious Reflection; p. 156. Fame is too ordinarily a lyar and they shall be Lyars who will be its messenger: How know ye whether the thing you report is true? It is only because a credible person spoke it. But how did that person know it to be true? Might not he take it upon trust, as well as you? And might not he take a person to be credible, that is not? And how commonly doth faction, Interest, Passion, or Credulity make the person Incredible in one thing, who is credible in another, when he hath no such temptation; If you know it not to be true, or there be not sufficient Evidence to prove it, you are guilty of lying and slandering Interpretatively, though it should prove true, because it might have been a Lye for ought you know.

Qu. How far may I censure upon the report of others? p. 157.

Ans. According to the degree of the Credibility of the persons, and Evidence of the Narrative; not simply in themselves, but as compared with all that is to be heard on the contrary part: else you are partial and unjust, and for the evill of rash judging and backbiting, which so much gratifies Satan, destroyes Christian love, yea, the souls of men. Read (saith he,) Math. 7.7. Rom. 14.10.13. Eph. 4.31. 2 Cor. 12.20. Rom. 1.29.30.

Qu. May not I speak that which honest, Religions, credible persons do report, and that in the case of some that Countenance an ill cause, and where dishonor would disable him to do hurt? p. 152.

p. 159Ans. Not, without sufficient Evidence, and sufficient call: you may not belye the Devil, nor wrong the worst man that is, though under the pretence of doing good; God needeth not malice, nor calumnies, nor Injustice to his glory. It is an ill cause that cannot be maintained without such means as that: And when the matter is true, you must have a call to speak it, and you must speak it justly without unrighteous aggravations or hiding the better part, which should make the Case or person truly understood: But yet I must say, a great deal of villany and slaunder is committed upon this plausible pretence, and that there is scarce a more Common Cloak for the most in humane lyes and Calumnies.

How farr Mr. Baxter hath sinned against the Lord in violating these known Rules given us, and his own declared judgment in the Case (so soundly and Excellently drawn from the Word of God and Common Equity) so unwnrrantably to take up a false scandalous report, upon Common fame without competent Witnesses and enquiring of the accused, and yet to stand so in the justification thereof, is recommended to his conscience and the judicious Reader: But in the next place if we examine his Treatise that first published this calumny, we shall there finde him say more, declaring some other grounds which now he minceth, & would fain extenuate, and which proves but a further aggravation of the crime: he having told us in his 12. Chapter p. 134 of Plain Scripture, what a hainous sin dipping the person all over in cold water was, viz. No less than a breach of the 6th. Commandment, p. 160Thou shalt not kill, concludes his Chapter thus: viz. If Murder be a sin, than dipping Ordinarily in cold water over head in England, is a sin, &c. So having made us Murderers and not to be suffered in the Commonwealth, he proceeds in the next Chapter to render us whoremongers and Adulterers in the managing of our selves in that Ordinance, viz.

whar Mr B. sayth hereof in his plain Scripture proof, &c.My Seventh Argument (sayth he) is also against another wickedness, in their manner of bap…izing, which is their dipping persons naked, as it is very usual with many of them, or next to naked as is usual with the modestest that I have heard of, against which I argue thus: if it be a breach of the 7th Commandment (Thou shalt not commit adultery) Ordinarily to baptize Naked, then it is Intolerable wickedness, and not Gods ordinance. And if they be next to naked, (viz. some clothes on, which he is pleased to tell you) that the modestest of them, us he hath heard, use to do viz. (that being hearsay, the other upon certainty) yet the difference is not great, and the former Inconveniency would in a great measure follow, viz. of Adultery, publick scandals, debauching of the people, turning Gods worship into Contempt, &c. concluding thus, And so I leave the mention of this unsavoury practise; which, were it not necessary to confute, I should not have medled with. But in both these last Cases, (viz. the Murder and Adultery of dipping naked) we dispute not against bare words, but Experiences and known practises; For their naked Baptizing is a known thing, and the wickedness that hath followed on some. So p. 161then here is not common fame and heresy but Experience and knowledge declared to be the Ground of his detection, and reproof of his horrible wickedness. A proof thereof therefore is that w…ch is called for by us from Mr Baxter: for this Experience and knowledg must either be his own, or to be made out by some credible proof upon the Rules before-given by himself, by partyes on both sides, being present face to face, the Accuser and the Accused, without which he cannot possibly be justifyed in the publication of this hainous thing that so much accuseth and calls in Question the good-name, if not the lives, of his brethren.

As to his own knowledg, he tells you, in so many words, he never saw any dipt, either naked or otherwise, p. 283. 284. therefore it mu…t be from some known approved Evidence that must justifie all this positive confidence, and which being call'd for at his hand he now shrinks up, and tells us in this last Piece, he cannot produce any Evidence, but must refer us to common fame, and for which you must take the words of a dying man, that is not long to speak to any man on the earth.

Therefore whether this is not to cover Iniquity with great Impiety, is left to judgment:Mr B. pleads the Anabaptists silence to prove the charg

But, to justify the common fame to be Aut…entick, he proves it by our silence, which gave consent in the case: for, inasmuch as none of themselves have for this 25. or. 26. years, denyed or contradicted the same, it holds for good proof, and therefore he ought to be acquit of the slaunder.

p. 162No good proof and why.To which I say: either this confident, positive, assertion is true or false. If true, yet is not Mr Baxter justifyed by his own Rules before-mentioned; for, a persons silence in the case of defamation will not warrant a judg to condemn an innocent person, upon common fame without due proof. Our Saviour was silent, and held his peace at the false accusations brought in against him; as a sheep before the shearers, not opening his mouth, Math. 27.12.13 14. Some calumnies being so notoriously foolish and unnatural that they refute themselves, whereof this is one.

Those that witness'd against this calumny at first.But, if this prove false, How doth it then remove all his pretences, and bring greater guilt in all respects upon himself, thus covering himself by words of falshood, Job. 21.34. Esa. 28.15. Pro. 10.15.

And that it is notoriously so, is my next work to demonstrate to you. Know therefore that his Treatise that brought forth this accusation was printed in 1650. or 1651. and after that 3. Impressions more; four in all, in five years space. And in the year 1652. Samuel Fisher Mr Fisher.printed his book, called, Anti-Rantism in folio, a Book not unknown to Mr. Baxter: Because you'l find in his poor Students-Library, part. 3. p. 926. amongst the Catalogue of Polemical writings, he adviseth the buying of, Fishers Book against Infants Baptism to acquaint him with the Nature of the controversy; so that he cannot plead Ignorance to the Book. And that that Book did complain in a high manner of this hainous Calumny of Mr. Baxter, let the Reader p. 163Judge and let Mr. Baxter blash to Read, viz. Having in some pages of his book (going before what followeth) given a recital, word for word, of Mr. Baxters 12th. and 13th. Chapter of the before-mentioned Treatise, contayning several pages, viz. That about Murder and Adultery; and given a judicious return to each, doth in p. 410. thus express himself.

Good Lord! how is the practise of the truth made a Reproach unto thy people, and a division daily? for, I have heard the defaming of many, Report (say they) and we will report it, possess the Pulpit, and make the Priest believe it, and then all the Country shall ring out, and the people be soon Diabolized into the faith of it. But hear, ye rude reproachers of the people that are reprovers of the ways, whereby you run a whoring from the Lord; you shall not prevaile by such slights, such plausible pretences; you shall be greatly ashamed, you shall not prosper, and unless you repent of belying the truth of God, your Everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. It is too bad, to be credulous to flying reports, worse so violently to vent them, worst of all malevolently to Invent them: I dare not say, nor dare I deem Mr. Baxter to be guilty of the last, but of the two first I cannot clear him; sith that I perceive he takes it for a truth, that we ordinarily Dip naked, and thereupon disputes against it, as our usuall practise: And then, not confidently only, but of a certain, relates to the whole world, that it is no bare word, nor any doubtful thing, but an experience, a known practise: If he can clear himself he hath leave to do it for me, who also summons p. 164him in the name of Christ Jesus, whose true Disciples he hath done such despite to, (the Lord keep him from dispiting the spirit of Grace, the people of whose love are the people of his wrath) to prove it our practise, Ordinarily to dip naked, yea to produce but one instance of any women or maids that ever he saw dipt naked in all his days, & I will abate him much of that I now accuse him of, in the Court of my Conscience. But if he say, as indeed he does in effect, that he never saw any dipt at all, whilst (p. 134.) he sayes, that all that ever he saw baptized, had water powred on them: how can he say Expertus loquor, it is his experience, he having never so much as seen such a thing unless it were upon the Brazen-fac't front of Featley's book, where he falsly, feignedly and filthily describes men and women dipping in that fashion; and there I believe he hath experienced it: or if he only hath it from the mouths of such as heard it from the mouths of others that never saw it, but receive it by Tradition as well as he, and that Originally too from the mouths of some that made it (and in such a manner very likely it was first bruted; for I am perswaded there was never such a thing done in England unless by some Arch-Knave, and arrant whore in way of Mockage to the Gospel, which is rather a glory then a shame to Christ his truth) then let M. Baxter hear the blame of his blinde blaspheming the people of the Everliving God.

Or, if he know indeed that such a thing as baptizing maids and wome… naked, hath been done in serious wise by any persons: I further challenge him p. 165to make some proof of it, and to print the names of such men as have done it and such Maids and women that have suffred themselves to be dippt naked, and the names of such Credible Eye-witnesses as will testify it as in the sight of God, which if he can (though I shall not give place to him thereupon, so as to be satisfied thereby for his over-lasting in asserting it to be our practice to dipp naked, or for Condemning and denominating a whole party, much more their cause by the defects and abuses of some persons whom the cause disclayms; for then there were Twelve Devils because one among the Twelve, and then what an Augaean stable is your Church of England, by many members of which, Notorious Roguery is committed every hour?) yet I shall satisfy him so farr as to undertake, that the Church or Churches where such are, shall declare every such person as hath wrought such abomination, incommunicable without solemn Repentance for that sordid practice, or be themselves Incommunicable by all other Churches. But I believe he cannot do it. And if he cannot prove it to be our Ordinary known practise to dipp naked, That in the name of the Lord Jesus before whom he and I shall shortly both appear I entreat him, who as concerning zeal yet persecutes the Church of God, and powrs out Reproach upon them, that of an ignorant Saul he would become a searching, a seeing, a preaching Paul, of the faith which he hitherto destroys, &c. So now let all the world judge whether here was not one that besides my self within this 25. years deny'd and contradicted this malicious calumny and slaunder. I finde also that in the year 1653. that Henry p. 166Hagger in his book called The Foundation of the Font uncovered (in Answer to this calumny of Anabaptists baptizing naked,2. M. Haggars witnesse against it. which Mr B. calls their breach of the 7th Commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery, and therefore is intolerable wickednesse and not Gods ordinance) sayth thus, p. 101, 102.

I am sure, it is an intolerable wickedness in Mr B. and a breach of the 9. Commandment, which sayth, Thou shalt not beare false witness against thy Neighbour, for him to say, we baptize People naked: And which till Mr B. prove, he doth but wickedly labour by saying all manner of evil on us falsly, to cast durt upon the truth of Christ. This book of Mr Haggars was (as a near Relation of his tells me) sent to Mr B. upon the publication thereof.

3. Mr. Tombes his witness against it.And 3dly Whereas Mr, B. sayth, that though Mr Tombes answer'd his book, yet he never deny'd the truth of the thing, p. 282: I desire, the Reader may take notice, what truth there is in that his positive assertion, and whether he did not give a sober and substantial witness against this horrid scandal also.

For you will find Mr Tombes in his Praecursor, (written An. 1651. the next year or the same year after Mr B's.) taking notice of the hainous charge of Murder and Adultery (in breach of the 6. and 7. Commandment he layes upon the Anabaptist for baptizing naked in cold water;) doth in p. 92. deny what Mr B. had sayd, and justifyes dipping as used by the Anabaptists: Telling us, that their baptizings were seemly with coverings p. 167fit to be quickly put off, when they came out of the water, and with meet provision for health of the person: And that there was no inconvenient thing done by them, either as to health or modesty; going in a penitent form, in course habits, not without grave company, nor staying a minute in the water.

And further as to the danger of Murder suggested, he sayth; It is refuted by frequent Experience of aged weak persons, men and women, baptized in cold stormy times, in the open air, in cold running water, without detriment to their health; Concluding, That he cannot therefore be of opinion, that the ordinary practise of baptizing, by dipping the whole body in cold water openly or privately, is either a breach of the 6. or 7. Command, unless he condemn Christ and his Apostles as appoynting and practising a rite contrary to Gods Commandments.

And as to his satyrical, he had almost said (as well he might) scurrilous quibs, he would let them pass. And in p. 26. reckons that of baptizing maids naked among his prophane bitter passages, savouring more of a heathen Satyrist then a Christian preachers zealous spirit. So that here we have a witness against him an. 51. by M. Tombes. 52. by Sam. Fisher, and 53. by Henry Hagger. And whether from all that hath been sayd to detect Mr Baxters many Evils contracted herein, we should not reasonably expect now some proof of his Integrity in giving the satisfaction promised, viz. For this sin of belying others, which he owns to be such a Diabolical, unprofitable, and p. 168dreadful kinde of folly; is left to his Conscience, in Sect. 2 the sight of God and all men; only this further would I recommend to him to help on his repentance herein, viz. That he having rendred us such Murderers and not fit to live for practising that way and Order, which his own mouth and pen has since own'd to be the very order and way that Christ appointed and primitive Saints practised; That he will consult the Rule and his own Conscience, what further satisfaction he ought to give us; for that also, and which for the better help of his memory I shall give in the following contradictory Scheme.

This withall must not be forgotten, That Mr B. makes dipping with some garments on, which he calls next to naked, not to be much different from quite naked, and that all the Inconveniencyes thereof, (viz. of being baptized naked) would follow; so that he now owning this way of dipping over-head in water to represent the death and burial with Christ, to be according to Christ's Command, doth, in effect, say, that Christ hath enjoyned, and the saints and primitive Churches practised that (as he hath published in Print and not yet repented of) which is no less than Murder and Fornication, and to violate the 6th. and 7. Commandement. And what greater blasphemy and contradiction can one well be guilty of? The Reader is also desired to take notice, that Mr B. leans so much upon his own vindication and justification in this particular, That he makes it the great ground of writing p. 170this his last book against us, as you'l find his own words in his preface import, viz. Had not M. D. laid a necessity upon me, I had silently past over all his vain Reasonings, and all his accusations of my writings, and all his falsifications of Authors; Had he not called me so loud to repent of slandering some for being baptized naked. And when I found it my duty to speak to that, I thought it fit to say some what of the rest. Therefore, may not what he has sayd of the rest, which is, it seems, in his esteem, the lesser, be judged by what he hath sayd to this the greater?

M. B's notorious slander of Sit H.V. and the Vanists, as saith Dr Stubbs.And the better to further Repentance in Mr B. for this too much, I fear, reigning corruption of false accusing and calumniating persons and partyes he hath a prejudice to; I must remember him of another old story, that upon this occasion may not be unprofitable to be remarkt to him, calling alowd for satisfaction from him, which is relating to the slaunderous calumny he published of Sir H. Vane, and the Vanists in his Key to Catholicks; and which I finde urged upon him by two learned men, in whose words I shall express it. The first is, what I finde in Dr. Stubbs his letter to him in vindication of Sir Henry, who charges Mr B. to have published two Notorious falshoods about him, The first was, that he had his hand in chief in the Kings death. And the 2d, that he was a Jesuite, and had been in Italy.

To the first, he sayth thus, p. 4. 6. Whereas you Impudently tell the world in your late railing b…ok, viz. Key of Catholicks p. 312. 13. 30. 31. That Sir H. Vane and the Vanists and levellers p. 171put the King to death being chief Agents therein, 1. Of putting the King to death.and that Sir Hen. was the Master of the game, and that he and his followers were no better than Papists and Jesuites: And having thus vented your self in a vain and frothy discourse, wherein perhaps you think you have sufficiently Answered the Papists, & vindicated the Protestant party touching the Kings death, by these manifest and gross untruths, as if it were lawful for you to speak wickedly for God, and to lye for his glory, Job. 31.7. Rom. 3.7. Did you ever see the faee of this Gentlman, whom you have so frequently reproached (neither Minister nor man-like)? or, at least, did you ever speak a word with him, either to know his judgment concerning the proceedings against the late King, or his principles in matters of Religion? I am confident, you did not know him. Neither had you ever any conference with him. Know therefore, that this is a manifest untruth, reflecting no small disparadgment upon the Ministry, which for my part I honour and Reverence as a precious Ordinance of Christ, and am heartily sorry, that you and others should bring the same into contempt, by your bitterness, factiousness and ambitious designes and practises. That honourable Gentleman (whom you calumniate, and from whom I believe you never received the least Injury, was not free to Act in Parliament nor in the High Court of Iustice, upon the Garbling of the house by the Army, and the Triall of the King by Commissioners; but did thereupon (as I remember) retire and sequester himself from publick Imployment, being not fully satisfied (at that time) of the proceedings of the Parliament and p. 172Army, and therefore How could this Gentleman have a chief hand in the death of the King? It concerns every man (and much more Ministers of the Gospel) to write the truth both in a Logical and Moral consideration; and to speak no otherwise then (he knows) the thing is; and not to utter an untruth, though he be Ignorant of it; whosoever loveth and maketh a lye, shall not Inherit the Kingdome of Heaven, Rev. 22.15. And the Apostle exhorts us to put away Lying and every man to speak truth to his Neighbour, Eph. 4.25.

2. That Sir H. was in Italy, & brought dangerous opinions from thenee.The other slaunderous false accusation was, That the Papists are strong in England under the Mask of the Vanists, whereof you make him the Ringleader: That he was in Italy and brought from thence most wicked and corrupt Opinions; Another palpable untruth (which a meer Moral man, much more a true Christian, would be ashamed of): he never sojourned in Italy in all his life, and therefore could bring from thence neither sound nor corrupt Doctrine, nor is he willing that his eldest son should travel beyond the seas, lest his youth should be leavened with Corrupt opinions and Customs and practises of forreign popish Countries; so much is he inlove with them. Iudge now Mr B. whether you in this passage of y…ur book faithfully discharged your duty towards your Neighbour, and have done the same to him, which you would have another to have done to you.

Dr Pierce reproving Mr B. for this slander.And to this purpose, Dr. Pierce in his Pre-advertisement saith, I hope his calumnies of Grotius and the Episcopal Divines, will now obtain the less credit with his most credulous admirers, for that he p. 173hath powred out the same (and a great deal worse) against a person of great remark amongst the Counsellors of State: the Vane or Vainists (for he is pleased to speak in both Dialects) are made the burden of his Invective, in his Key for Catholicks. Who sayth, that the Parliament should have been awaked to a wise and Godly Iealousy of the Counsells and designes of him that was in New-England the Master of the Game, and to have carefully searched how much of his Doctrines and designes were from heaven, and how much of them he brought with him from Italy, or, at least, was begotten by the progenitor of Monsters. And lest his Reader should be to seek on whom he fastens such ugly Calumnies, he frequently nameth, p. 319. 329. 335. Sir Hen. Vane, neither regarding the Quality, or learned parts of that Knight, nor any the least Reverence or care of truth. Sir Hen. whom he supposeth, p. 331. to have br…ught Corrupt opinions out of Italy, was, in truth, as appears, never there, and further sayth, I cannot tell what judgment that learned Gentleman may be of, but he hath this Commendation as well as Grotius, That he is ah…ed by M. Baxter beyond all measure; which story we shall conclude in Dr Stubbs Dr Stubbs his solemn application to Mr B.his serious words, which I desire Mr B. may lay to heart, p. 4. If he be a slaunderer who wrongs his Neighbours credit, either by unjust raising or upholding an evil report against him; surely you have cause to lay your hand upon your heart …d to tak… shame to your self: And if this be the mark of those that shall dwell in the L…rd's Tabernacle, that they are such that neither raise nor take up a repro…ch p. 174against their Neighbour, Psal, 15.3. What will become of you Mr B. and where and with whom must you dwell to Eternity; if God do not humble you for your slaunderous and lying tongue and Pen? It may be Mr B. will tell you, he had this upon common fame too, but concerning report upon such evidence, Mr B. hath already judged; but to prevent his alligation of never being admonished hereof I have given you his two Monitors. But it is probable, he will say, this was long since, and why should such old stories be rip't up? To which; we must tell him what the Maxim of the law is, viz. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi: If a man be Indited 20. or 30. years after the fact supposed to be committed, for Felony, Murther or Treason, if he doth not acquit himself by good Evidence upon the tryal, he dyes for it. But, however it holds good in the Laws of men, to be sure it is firm in Gods laws, That, if Repentance and satisfaction be not made to the Neighbour for such Immoralityes here, God will take the vengeance and satisfaction to his justice hereafter; which with the 15. Psal. before-minded, Math. 5.22. and 1 Jo. 3.15. will be worthy of his most serious consideration; Whosoever is Angry with his Brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, &c. Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer, and we know that no Murderer hath eternal life abiding in hi….