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

My Lord, YOUR great Favour and Condescension encourages me to give you more of my Sense of the Business which your Lordship was pleased to propound. I was till I saw the Declaration, much dejected, and resolved against a Bishopric as unlawful. But finding there more than on Octob. 22. his Majesty granted us (in the Pastor's Consent, &c. the Rural Dean with the whole Ministry enabled to exercise as much persuasive Pastoral Power as I could desire (who believe the Church hath no other kind of Power, unless communicated from the Magistrate) Subscription abated in the Universities, &c.) And finding such happy Concessions in the great point of Parochial Power and Discipline, and in the Liturgy and Ceremonies, &c. my Soul rejoiced in thankfulness to God and his Instruments, and my Conscience presently told me it was my Duty, to do my best with my self and others as for as I had Interest and Opportunity, to suppress all sinful Discontents; and having competent Materials now put into my Hands, (without which I could have done nothing) to persuade all my Brethren to Thankfulness, and obedient Submission to the Government. And being raised to some joyful hopes of seeing the Beginnings of a happy Union, I shall crave your Lordship's Pardon for presuming to tell you what farther endeavours will be necessary to accomplish it; 1. If your Lordship will endeavour to get this Declaration pass into an Act. 2. If you will speedily procure a Commission to the Persons that are (equally) to be deputed to that work, to review the Common-Prayer-Book, according to the Declaration. 3. If you will further effectually the Restoration of able, faithful Ministers (who have and will have great Interest in the sober part of the People) to a settled station of Service in the Church, who are lately removed. 4. If you will open some way for the ejection of the insufficient, scandalous and unable. 5. If you will put as many of our Persuasion as you can into Bishoprics (if it may be, more than three.) 6. If you will desire the Bishops to place some of them in inferior Places of trust; especially Rural Deanries, which is a Station suitable to us, in that it hath no Salary or Maintenance, nor coercive Power, but that simple, pastoral persuasive Power which we desire: This much will set us all in joint.

My Lord, YOUR great Favour and Condescention encourages me to give you more of my Sense of the Business which your Lordship was pleased to propound. I was till I saw the Declaration, much dejected, and resolved against a Bishoprick as unlawful. But finding there more than on Octob. 22. his Majesty granted us (in the Pastor's Consent, &c. the Rural Dean with the whole Ministry enabled to exercise as much persuasive Pastoral Power as I could desire (who believe the Church hath no other kind of Power, unless communicated from the Magistrate) Subscription abated in the Universities, &c.) And finding such happy Concessions in the great point of Parochial Power and Discipline, and in the Liturgy and Ceremonies, &c. my Soul rejoiced in thankfulness to God and his Instruments, and my Conscience presently told me it was my Duty, to do my best with my self and others as for as I had Interest and Opportunity, to suppress all sinful Discontents; and having competent Materials now put into my Hands, (without which I could have done nothing) to persuade all my Brethren to Thankfulness, and obedient Submission to the Government. And being raised to some joyful hopes of seeing the Beginnings of a happy Union, I shall crave your Lordship's Pardon for presuming to tell you what farther endeavours will be necessary to accomplish it; 1. If your Lordship will endeavour to get this Declaration pass into an