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

Yea, though they thought themselves the most understanding and conscientious People of the Land, yet did the Gang of them seldom stick at any thing which seemed to promote their Cause; but whatever their Faction in the Army did, they pleaded for it and approved it: If they pulled down the Parliament, imprisoned the godly faithful Members, killed the King, if they cast out the Rump, if they chose a Little Parliament of their own, if they set up Cromwell, if they set up his Son and pulled him down again, if they sought to obtrude Agreements on the People, if they one Week set up a Council of State, and if another Week the Rump were restored, if they sought to take down Tithes and Parish-Ministers, to the utter Confusion of the State of Religion in the Land; in all these the Anabaptists, and many of the Independents in the Three Kingdoms followed them; and even their Pastors were ready to lead them to consent.

Yea, though they thought themselves the most understanding and consciencious People of the Land, yet did the Gang of them seldom stick at any thing which seemed to promote their Cause; but whatever their Faction in the Army did, they pleaded for it and approved it: If they pull'd down the Parliament, imprison'd the godly faithful Members, killed the King, if they cast out the Rump, if they chose a Little Parliament of their own, if they set up Cromwell, if they set up his Son and pull'd him down again, if they sought to obtrude Agreements on the People, if they one Week set up a Council of State, and if another Week the Rump were restored, if they sought to take down Tythes and Parish-Ministers, to the utter Confusion of the State of Religion in the Land; in all these the Anabaptists, and many of the Independants in the Three Kingdoms followed them; and even their Pastors were ready to lead them to consent.

And all this began but in unwarrantable Separations, and too much aggravating the Faults of the Churches and Common People, and Common Prayer Book and Ministry; which indeed were none of them without Faults to be lamented and reformed: But they thought that because it needed Amendment, it required their obstinate Separation, and that they were allowed to make odious any thing that was amiss; and because it was faulty, if any Man had rebuked them for belying it, and making it far more faulty than it was, instead of confessing their Sin, they called their Reprover a Pleader for Antichrist or Baal; every Error in the Mode of the Common Worship they had no fitter Name for, than Idolatry, Popery, Antichristianism, Superstition, Will-worship, &c. when in the mean time, many of their own Prayers were full of Carnal Passion, Selfishness, Faction, Disorder, vain Repetitions, unsound and loathsome Expressions, and their Doctrine full of Errors and Confusion; and these Beams in their own Eyes were matter of no Offence to them: They would not communicate with that Church where ignorant Persons or Swearers were tolerated (though they themselves never did their Part to have them cast out, but looked the Ministers should do all without them); but without any scruple they would communicate with them that had broke their Vow and Covenant with God and Man, and rebelled against both King, Parliament, and