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

Ans. A downright Lie: I never had any thing to do for them or with them. Another sort called Commissioners for Approbation that were to judge of Men for Institution upon Presentations, would have had me to assist them, and I utterly refused it: But at last they got a trick, that when a Man was presented that they would not approve, and yet would not incur the blame of rejecting him, they named three Country Ministers near him, and said, If those approved him they would accept him: Three or four times they named me, and I refused to meddle in it: Till three Ministers that were Episcopal and Royalists, against the Parliament told me, They should lose their Livings if I refused them; and only for them did I deny my self to do this Office. And now this Man makes it my crime to help his Party to Benefices: I never put out or rejected one of his Party. He dealeth with me just as Dr. Pierce did: When I desired to reconcile the Religious sort to the Ignorant multitude whom the Conformists had made their Church, I was still met with the objection, (that they had nothing but the name ⟨p. 66⟩and accidents of Christians; that they scarce ever spake of God, or Christ, or the Life to come, unless in jest, or at the saying of their Service; that they never prayed in their Families; that multitudes of them were common Swearers, Liars, Drunkards, &c. To keep them from censuring the Conformists and their Churches over-much, and separating groundlessly. I told them how some foul Sins that have got advantage by Custom may stand with some degrees of Grace. And what doth this Doctor but turn this to my own reproach, as if I was for vicious Looseness, and had described not theirs, but my own Communicants; whenas, without this charitable Lenitive, I doubt it is above half the Conformable Laity that we must have turned from the Sacrament, and so have maimed the Church of England.

Ans. A downright Lie: I never had any thing to do for them or with them. Another sort called Commissioners for Approbation that were to judge of Men for Institution upon Presentations, would have had me to assist them, and I utterly refused it: But at last they got a trick, that when a Man was presented that they would not approve, and yet would not incur the blame of rejecting him, they named three Countrey Ministers near him, and said, If those approved him they would accept him: Three or four times they named me, and I refused to meddle in it: Till three Ministers that were Episcopal and Royalists, against the Parliament told me, They should lose their Livings if I refused them; and only for them did I deny my self to do this Office. And now this Man makes it my crime to help his Party to Benefices: I never put out or rejected one of his Party. He dealeth with me just as Dr. Pearce did: When I desired to reconcile the Religious sort to the Ignorant multitude whom the Conformists had made their Church, I was still met with the objection, (that they had nothing but the name