Richard Baxter's penitent confession and his necessary vindication in answer to a book called…

I. Though from the first of my remembrance I liked Religious Goodness, and feared sinning since my Father had talked to me of God and Sin and the World to come, yet it was many Years before I was humbled for my Original Sin, or felt much of the need of a Saviour, or understood the Doctrine of the Scripture, but only delighted in the Historical part: And though my Conscience troubled me for a Lie to scape Danger, it did not always keep me from it.

I. Though from the first of my remembrance I liked Religious Goodness, and feared sinning since my Father had talkt to me of God and Sin and the World to come, yet it was many Years before I was humbled for my Original Sin, or felt much of the need of a Saviour, or understood the Doctrine of the Scripture, but only delighted in the Historical part: And though my Conscience troubled me for a Lie to scape Danger, it did not always keep me from it.

II. If the most pleasing Sin be the greatest, the Delight in feigned Histories called Romances, was my great, because my most delightful Sin.

III. Though my Appetite inclined only to the coursest and poorest Diet, yet therein I pleased it foolishly and sinfully to the utter ruin of my Health: which I the rather mention to bid Parents look to their Children's Health in the quality and quantity of their Food, as they love their Life and Comforts. My delightful Diet was so much in Apples, and Pears, and Plumbs, and Cheese that possest my Stomach early with an uncurable excessive Flatulency, and my Veins with remediless Obstructions, and bred so long and violent a Cough, as that brought me into present danger of a Phthisis: To Cure which (after three Years) taking excessively Garlic and flos Sulphuris, inclined me to such a great long continued Bleeding, as exhausted my Natural Heat and Strength.