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The Bishop of Worcester's Letter to a Friend for Vindication of himself from Mr. Baxter's Calumny.
SIR,
I Have received that Letter of yours, whereby you inform me that Mr. Bazter hath lately written and printed something with such a reflection upon me, that I am obliged to take no∣tice of it.
I thank you for your care of my Reputation, which next to Conscience ought to be the dearest of all things to all men, especially to men of my Profession and Order, who the more they are vilified (whether justly or unjustly) the less good they will be able to doe, especially amongst those that have industriously been prepossessed with prejudice either against their Persons or their Fun∣ctions. This was St. Pauls Case, when there were some that did what they could to make the Corinthians to undervalue his person, that thereby they might discredit his Doctrine, and weaken his Authority, whom therefore he thinks he may without breach of Charity call False Apostles and Deceitful Workers. Nay this was our Saviours own Case, who, whilest he lived here upon the Earth, was ever and anon traduced and slandred by the Scribes and Pharisees, those proud Hy∣pocrites, who were the greatest Pretenders to holinesse, and yet the greatest Seducers of the people, and the grossest falsifyers of Gods Word, that ever were in the world, until these our times, which have brought forth a generation of men (St. John Baptist would have cal∣led them a Generation of Vipers) who in the Art of holy jugling and malicious slandring have out done the Pharisees themselves, and all that went before them; witnesse their so often wresting and pervert∣ing the Scripture in their Sermons to stir up the people to Sedition, and their as often Libelling the King in their Prayers, in order to the making of his Subjects first to hate him, then to fight against him, and at last to take away his Crown, and his Life from him. And is it any wonder that those that are such Enemies to Kings, should not be friends to Bishops? or that one (who hath done what he could to make the late King odious unto his people) should do what he can likewise to make the Pastor odious unto his Flock? to this Flock I