A26854:105
Richard Baxter his account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of Kidderminster, of the…
Richard Baxter his account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of Kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the Bishop of Worcester to preach within his diocese with the Bishop of Worcester's letter in answer thereunto : and some short animadversions upon the said bishops letter.Richard Baxter his account to his dearly beloved, the inhabitants of Kidderminster, of the causes of his being forbidden by the Bishop of Worcester to preach within his diocess with the Bishop of Worcester's letter in answer thereunto : and some short animadversions upon the said bishops letter.
London printed : s.n., 1662
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Honourable and Worthy Sir,
I Am to thank You for the last piece of Divertisement you gave me, in sending the Bishop of Worcester's Letter, and I wish you would have let me enjoyed the satisfaction I took in reading it, without obliging me to give You my sense upon it: For besides my unwillingness to meddle in a Personal quarrel, it will not, I think, be very safe for any to engage against so angry an Adversary, which I shall be thought to do, though I resolve to speak nothing but Truth in the Character I intend to give of him; And it is briefly this, That, in fewer leaves I never yet read more Passion, which is so very predominant, that his disorderly and abrupt stile doth altogether partake of it; so that the Bishops best way will be, to get his Heat mistaken so Zeal, for else it may justly be accounted something that hath a worse Name, and which, in the Dog-days will be very dangerous.
I Am to thank You for the last piece of Divertisement you gave me, in sending the Bishop of Worcester's Letter, and I wish you would have let me enjoyed the satisfaction I took in reading it, without obliging me to give You my sense upon it: For besides my unwillingness to meddle in a Personal quarrel, it will not, I think, be very safe for any to engage against so angry an Adversary, which I shall be thought to do, though I resolve to speak nothing but Truth in the Character I intend to give of him; And it is briefly this, That, in fewer leaves I never yet read more Passion, which is so very predominant, that his disorderly and abrupt stile doth altogether partake of it; so that the Bishops best way will be, to get his Heat mistaken so Zeal, for else it may justly be accounted something that hath a worse Name, and which, in the Dog-dayes will be very dangerous.
This being, Sir, my Judgement upon the whole Letter, You may well expect that I should make it good, by an Induction from particular instances; but before I do this, I must deal impartially, and assure you, that as to the main Controversy, I think the Bishop hath much the better of Mr. Baxter: For if the Question between them, was as D. Gunning, and Dr. Pearson do attest, such a Command is so evidently lawful, that I shall much wonder if Mr. Baxter did ever dispute it; and till he doth clearly disprove that that was not the thing in Question, I must needs think that he hath much forgot himself in making an Imperfect and Partial Relation.