Letters that passed between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Tombs concerning the disputeLetters that passed between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Tombes concerning the dispute

For the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter Preacher at Kidderminster, these.

SIR,

MY mistake of your speech being communicated to your self, might be as well excused as your misreciting in your papers the same speech in my paper written before you. In your saying that I have most unworthily and unbrotherly, traduced you four times in public, whereof three in Pulpit, is no truth. After so many told me of your by-slings at me, I was willing Mr. Davis should tell you no truth is so to be suspended as to be lost for peace. What I said about your tenet concerning Magistrates in your Aphorism pag. 273. is no traducing you, if it is a truth. And I shall so take it till you have answered Mr. Gillespy Aaron's Rod bloss. Book 2. ch. 7. What I said about your position, was but the reciting of your own words in your Appendix p. 43. It [the Covenant] is made to the Elect only. When it was given out you would come and reverse all I said, I spake to this effect. If you could say more then others, you dealt not so brotherly with me as I hoped, having desired from you animadversions on some of my papers, and you were earnestly pressed to make known your arguments before I began to preach of the argument, which I thought in charity you would have done to prevent my being misled, and misleading others. Perhaps it was true which was said, that you would hide your weapon till you were to use it. But in this case it was no good rule virtus an dolus? The dust you have raised, I nothing doubt will be wiped away. What spirit you were carried with, appears by the carrying of things, better then by words. My way of preaching, however you judge, befitted a sober man. In handling the question as I was to do, it was meet I should allege mens words and quote the places, their books being in print. It had been scarce the part of a sober man to trouble himself to send privately to every person before I named them. In a word, I acknowledge I have heard many precious truths from you, and received sundry kindnesses for which I thank you. I pray you take it as an office of love from me to tell you, my fears are that you go in a slippery path, if you do as your friends imagine, oppose the present government, and dissenting brethren, likely out of mistaken zeal, and others provocation who will abuse you for their own ends.