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

But truly I durst not put by your Call to my necessary defence. The chief reason is, that as you doubt whether my Books will do more good or hurt, and your Author thinks it would be good that They were all burnt, and the Papists are of the same mind; so I am fully persuaded is the Devil: And till he can get the Conquering Papists or Tories to do it, he will Endeavour to make them as useless as if they were burnt, by rendering them odious for their own faults and for mine. And you tell me that my Enemies will not read them. Now till my Opinion of them be the same with theirs, you cannot expect that I that have spent so great a part of above Seventy five years in writing above an hundred and twenty Books, should be content to lose my Labour and End, and that all Men lose the benefit of them, rather than I shall confute a most impudent Liar. If you say, I over-value them, why do you speak the overvaluing of many of them. That is good that doth Good: About Twelve of them are Translated into the German Tongue; and the Lutherans say They have done good. Some are Translated into French: One into the Language of the New-England Americans by Mr. Eliots. Multitudes say, they have been the means of their Conversion, and more of their Information, Confirmation and Consolation. And the Chief benefit that I expect by them to the World is when I am dead and gone. And can you expect that after so much labour for the Church and Souls, I should so far despise both it and them, as not to think all worthy of a just defence?

But truely I durst not put by your Call to my necessary defence. The chief reason is, that as you doubt whether my Books will do more good or hurt, and your Author thinks it would be good that They were all burnt, and the Papists are of the same mind; so I am fully perswaded is the Devil: And till he can get the Conquering Papists or Tories to do it, he will Endeavour to make them as useless as if they were burnt, by rendering them odious for their own faults and for mine. And you tell me that my Enemies will not read them. Now till my Opinion of them be the same with theirs, you cannot expect that I that have spent so great a part of above Seventy five years in writing above an hundred and twenty Books, should be content to lose my Labour and End, and that all Men lose the benefit of them, rather than I shall confute a most impudent Liar. If you say, I over-value them, why do you speak the overvaluing of many of them. That is good that doth Good: About Twelve of them are Translated into the German Tongue; and the Lutherans say They have done good. Some are Translated into French: One into the Language of the New-England Americans by Mr. Eliots. Multitudes say, they have been the means of their Conversion, and more of their Information, Confirmation and Consolation. And the Chief benefit that I expect by them to the World is when I am dead and gone. And can you expect that after so much labour for the Church and Souls, I should so far despise both it and them, as not to think all worthy of a just defence?