MY particular Relation to your Honoured Father, my Worthy Patron and Benefactor, as also to Mr. Baxter, the Author of these ensuing Disputations, (whom I cannot but own as a Spiritual Father to me, and the best Friend I had in the World) gives me occasion to prefix your Names to this Book: Not to flatter you (though I truly honour you for your Faithfulness, Courage, and Constancy in asserting the Rights of Religion and Property in opposition to the profane and mercenary designs of such as appeared against them) but that by their Example I may invite you to go on in filling up the measure of your Fathers Virtues, and in following the Counsels of such a Minister of Christ, whose gifts and graces gave him the preeminence amongst his Suffering Brethren, ⟨image 3⟩and made him more than a Bishop even of the first Magnitude to the Inferior Clergy. Your Father is dead long since, and Mr. Baxter is dead also; But the Memory of the Just is blessed, whereas the name of the Wicked shall rot. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. We cannot easily forget such Persons whose good works and great labours for public good, have left them a Name better than of Sons and Daughters. A numerous Posterity is a great Blessing, a Holy Seed much greater, that the Blessing upon both accounts may be entailed upon you and yours to many Generations, is the hearty desire of
MY particular Relation to your Honoured Father, my Worthy Patron and Benefactor, as also to Mr. Baxter, the Author of these ensuing Disputations, (whom I cannot but own as a Spiritual Father to me, and the best Friend I had in the World) gives me occasion to prefix your Names to this Book: Not to flatter you (though I truly honour you for your Faithfulness, Courage, and Constancy in asserting the Rights of Religion and Property in opposition to the prophane and mercenary designs of such as appeared against them) but that by their Example I may invite you to go on in filling up the measure of your Fathers Vertues, and in following the Counsels of such a Minister of Christ, whose gifts and graces gave him the preeminence amongst his Suffering Brethren, ⟨image 3⟩and made him more than a Bishop even of the first Magnitude to the Inferiour Clergy. Your Father is dead long since, and Mr. Baxter is dead also; But the Memory of the Just is blessed, whereas the name of the Wicked shall rot. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. We cannot easily forget such Persons whose good works and great labours for publick good, have left them a Name better than of Sons and Daughters. A numerous Posterity is a great Blessing, a Holy Seed much greater, that the Blessing upon both accounts may be entailed upon you and yours to many Generations, is the hearty desire of
