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

Others it may be have seen a necessity of making farther Progress, and have been groping after it, but have been discouraged at the sight of the thwarting and inconsistent Principles, the Animosities and want of Condescension of different Parties. Others it may be have in their Thoughts overcome this Difficulty, and yet have stuck at one that is less, they have been afraid to be the first Propounders of their conceived Remedy fearing the Entertainment and Success that their charitable Endeavours might find, being more willing to follow than to lead in such a doubtful and unbeaten Path. This Design which you have resolved on will (we hope) convince Men that though we cannot as yet expect that the Lord's House should be so finished that all shall cry, Grace, Grace unto it: Yet that the Building need not wholly to craze, you are the first that have in this public way broken the Ice, and who knows how powerful your Example may be to call Men off from their Contentions and Strivings one against another, by a brotherly Combination to carry on the work of Christ as far as they can with one Shoulder. Whatsoever Advantage others may reap by your Endeavours, we are sure the Advantage that we have by them is double. 1. We, before we had heard of your Book, had undertaken a Work of the like nature: Several of us meeting together to consults about managing the Lord's Work in our Hands, were convinced that for Reformation of our People, more ought to be done by us than bare Preaching, a brotherly Association of Ministers appeared ⟨p. 163⟩to be the likeliest course for the attainment of our Desires, and accordingly was resolved on: And because we knew that many of our Brethr••• the Ministry differed from us, we resolved to draw up several Proposals wherein we and they by a mutual Condescension might agree as Brethren in Love and Peace to carry on the same Work, and therefore required nothing of them but what we proved by the Confessions of the Congregational Brethren (their own Party) to be of less Moment, and not of absolute Necessity. Wherein (we urged) they might and ought to yield for the Churches Peace: But our Endeavours to gain them were frustrated, they were so resolved that they would not so much as read our Proposals and Reasons. We therefore set about the Work our selves, and made some Progress in it;

Others it may be have seen a necessity of making farther Progress, and have been groaping after it, but have been discouraged at the sight of the thwarting and inconsistent Principles, the Animosities and want of Condescention of different Parties. Others it may be have in their Thoughts overcome this Difficulty, and yet have stuck at one that is less, they have been afraid to be the first Propounders of their conceived Remedy fearing the Entertainment and Success that their charitable Endeavours might find, being more willing to follow than to lead in such a doubtful and unbeaten Path. This Design which you have resolved on will (we hope) convince Men that though we cannot as yet expect that the Lord's House should be so finished that all shall cry, Grace, Grace unto it: Yet that the Building need not wholly to crase, you are the first that have in this publick way broken the Ice, and who knows how powerful your Example may be to call Men off from their Contentions and Strivings one against another, by a brotherly Combination to carry on the work of Christ as far as they can with one Shoulder. Whatsoever Advantage others may reap by your Endeavours, we are sure the Advantage that we have by them is double. 1. We, before we had heard of your Book, had undertaken a Work of the like nature: Several of us meeting together to consults about managing the Lord's Work in our Hands, were convinced that for Reformation of our People, more ought to be done by us than bare Preaching, a brotherly Association of Ministers appeared