Baxters Aphorisms, Dedication 2
To the truly Vertuous and Religious Lady, Margaret Hildeſley of Hinton, in the County of South-Hampton, the Author wiſheth all Grace and perfections in the LORD JESUS.
Madam,
IT abides (I know) in freſh remembrance with you, by whom, and with what tranſcendent praiſes both of the Worke & its Author the Aphoriſms in this enſuing Tractate examined, were commended to your peruſall, to be an Enchiridion or Manual ſtill in your hand, or rather a Pectorall and Antidote next, your heart to defend it againſt errors and inward Anguiſh. But ſo abundantly hath God enriched you with the knowledg of, and zeale for that pretious Miſtery of Christ, that you quickly ſaw the Misterie of iniquity that lurked in it, therefore caſt it aſide as unprofitable, yea noxious. Yet afterward finding ſome of the Miniſters with whom you had acquaintance, deceived by it, you intreated me to take it, and give you my judgment of the worke, and my exceptions againſt ſome Miſtakes in it. And as the deceit was …urther propagated, ſo you urged me to increaſe my exceptions, and now at length that which was not purpoſed at first is come forth to publique view, an Anſwer to Mr. Brs Aphoriſms. Alas that wee are brought forth in ſuch an Age, wherein the defence of Chriſts cauſe is left to fools and carkaſſes of men, the Learned and potent declin…ng the ſervice; that in the midſt of our Civill, or rather uncivil broyls one againſt another, there ſhould be found ſuch as fall foule with the Grace of God and Merits of Chriſt alſo: that to preach the Goſpel of Chriſt purely, after the example and precepts of Paul and Luther ſhould render a man in the opinion of ſo many, an Heretick; but to follow Arminius and Bellarmine, gets applauſe: that we are forced to ſee men violent and uſing force to ſubvert, not to enter into the Kingdom of Chriſt. If this …reatiſe ſhall by the aſſiſtance of Gods mercy, be in any degree helpfull to cure this Malady, they that finde or ſee the benefit, are bound to praiſe God for you, that by you as a ſpeciall inſtrument inſtigating, it came to ſee the Light. Whatſoever weakneſs there is in it, will redound to the ſhame of the Author, not at all reflect upon you, whoſe deſire it was (could you have attained it) to have had the best Patron employed in the defence of the beſt Cauſe.
I expect that Mr. Br. will come forth, and that ſpeedily with a vehement Reply. But whatſoever he ſaith, I ſhall follow the precept of the Apoſtle, Tit. 3. 10, 11. He hath had a firſt, and two hundred of Admonitions (as they report which come from him) which he laies as heaps of ſand, not anſwering any of them, how ſhould I follow the Apostles precept in not rejecting, in having any thing more to do with him. The preſent Worke had no other relation to him, but as to the undeceiving of the ſimple which had received infection from him. But if my beloved and Reverend Brother in the work of the Lord, which commended to you Mr. Brs Aphoriſms, and hath made it long his work to propagate it through many Counties, yea undertaken in the Weſtern Counties to be the def…nder of all that Mr. Br hath written in that Book (the performance whereof is by many Miniſters there expected) will take it up as his task to Apologize for him, and affirm the Apology (as in his name) ſo to be his owne; I ſhall in deſpight of all infirmities of mind and body, ſo long as breath laſteth, by Gods aſſiſtance Anti-apologize for Chriſt, and that not in ſuch an expreſſion of words as I have uſed to M. Br (whom I look upon as an Impoſtor) but in ſuch a ſpirit of meekneſs and Reverence, as is meet to be uſed towards ſo pious and learned a Divine, who cannot, dares not againſt the light of his conſcience hold any Truth of God in unrighteouſneſs.
The Lord give unto you to keep your station firm in the Light and heat of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, that the ſplendor thereof may more and more ſhine into your underſtanding, and the heat thereof more inflame your affections to the pure Goſpel of Chriſt, that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height: And to know the love of Chriſt, which ſurpaſſeth all knowledg, and be filled with all the fulneſs of God. This is the request of
From my Lodging, Decemb. 24. 1653. MADAM Your humble ſervant and daily Remembrancer at the throne of Grace, J: C: