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

When Vane was thus laid by, he wrote his Book called The retired Man's Meditations, wherein the best part of his Opinions are so expressed, as will make but few Men his Disciples: His Healing Question is more plainly written.

When Cromwell was dead, he got Sir Arthur Haselrigge to be his close Adherent on Civil Accounts, and got the Rump set up again, and a Council of State, and got the Power much into his own Hands. When he was in the height of his power he set upon the forming of a new Commonwealth, and with some of his Adherents drew up the model, which was for popular Government; but so that Men of his Confidence must be the People.

When Cromwell was dead, he got Sir Arthur Haselrigge to be his close Adherent on Civil Accounts, and got the Rump set up again, and a Council of State, and got the Power much into his own Hands. When he was in the height of his power he set upon the forming of a new Commonwealth, and with some of his Adherants drew up the model, which was for popular Government; but so that Men of his Confidence must be the People.

Of my own displeasing him this is the true Account: It grieved me to see a poor Kingdom thus tossed up and down in Unquietness, and the Ministers made odious and ready to be cast out, and a Reformation trodden under Foot, and Parliaments and Piety made a Scorn, and scarce any doubted but he was the principal Spring of all: Therefore, being writing against the Papists, coming to vindicate our Religion against them, when they impute to us the Blood of the King, I fully proved ⟨p. 76⟩that the Protestants, and particularly the Presbyterians abhorred it, and suffered greatly for opposing it; and that it was the Act of Cromwell's Army and the Sectaries, among which I named the Vanists as one Sort, and I showed that the Fryers and Jesuits were their Deceivers, and under several Visors were dispersed among them; and Mr. Nigh having told me that he was long in Italy, I said, it was considerable how much of his Doctrine their Leader brought from Italy; whereas it proved that he was only in France and Helvetia upon the Borders of Italy, and whereas it was printed from Italy, I had ordered the Printer to correct it [fromwards Italy] but though the Copy was corrected, the Impression was not: Hereupon Sir Henry Vane being exceedingly provoked, threatened me to many, and spake against me in the House, and one Stubs (that had been whipped in the Convocation House at Oxford) wrote for him a bitter Book against me, who from a Vanist afterwards turned a Conformist, since that he turned Physician, and was drowned in a small Puddle or Brook as he was riding near the Bath.