Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 34 About the same time that we were thus associating in Worcestershire, it pleased God stir up the Ministers of Cumberland, and Westmorland to the same Course; who though they knew not what we had done, yet fell upon the same way, and agreed on Articles to the same purpose and of the same Sense and Importance as ours were; of which Mr. Richard Gilpin (one of them, a worthy faithful Minister) sent me word, when he saw our Articles in Print; and they also printed theirs (to save the writing of many Copies, and to excite others to the same way) and they found the same readiness to Union among the Brethren as we had done.

Their Agreement you may find printed; our Letters were as followeth: Dear Brethren, WE salute you in the Lord: It was no small reviving to us to behold your Order and mutual Condescensions (expressed in your Book of Concord) to promote the Reformation of your People in ways of Peace. We unfeignedly rejoice on your behalf; and thought our selves bound to signify how grateful and helpful your Endeavours are to us. The Scorners of this Age have a long time bent their Tongue as a Bow, and dipped their Arrows in Gall, and sent forth bitter Accusations and Slanders against all the Ministers of the Gospel, calling them Disturbers, implacable, &c. as if the very Esse of a Minister were to contradict, and to be averse from Peace. Surely your earnest prosecution of Concord will be a standing Confutation of that Charge, at least so far as to cut off the Note of Universality from it: But that which most affects us is, that you are not willing to look upon the gasping Condition of the Church here, as idle Spectators, or as •eer Witnesses of her Funeral without trying any Remedy at all, and that you do not apprehend your selves to have done all your Duty, when you have bewailed her Trouble, and complained of her Adversaries Cruelty. Zion indeed hath been thrown down to the Ground, and hath been covered with a Cloud in the Day of the Lord's Anger, and her Adversaries are round about: In this Distress she hath spread forth her Hands, and hath looked upon her Lovers for Help, and that so long, that she is ready to say, that her Strength and her Hope is perished from the Lord. Now her Sons while they have been consulting how to relieve her have fallen out about the Cure, and because they have not been admitted to administer the Physic according to their Minds, have neglected to administer any at all; because they could not be suffered to do what they would, they have forgotten that it was their Duty to do what they might. Some have thrown all aside but preaching, as it were in a pettish Discontent; some have satisfied themselves with administering Cordials, without purging the noxious Humours, because they thought this necessary and safe though in an unpresbyte and Church.