A treatise of justifying righteousness in two books ... : all published instead of a fuller answer to the assaults in Dr. Tullies Justificatio Paulina ... / by Richard Baxter.

§ XX. P. 34. You say [You tremble not in the au∣dience of God and Man to suggest again that hard-fron∣ted Calumny, viz. that I prefer a Majority of Ignorants before a Learned man in his own profession.

Answ. I laid it down as a Rule, that They are not to be preferred: You assault that Rule with bitter ac∣cusations, as if it were unsound (or else to this day I understand you not.) Is it then [a hard-fronted Calumny] to defend it, and to tell you what is con∣tained in the denying of it. The audience of God must be so dreadful to (you and) me, that (without calling you to consider whether the Calumny be not notori∣ously yours) I heartily desire any judicious person to help me to see, that I am here guilty, if it be so. But you add,

[You know not what the Event of all this may be: For suppose now, being drag'd in my Scarlet, (a habit more suitable for him that Triumphs) at the Wheel of your Chariot in the view of all men, I should happen to be degraded and turned out of my literate Society; would it not trouble you? no doubt: but then it might happen to be too late.

Answ. 1. It would trouble me: because (though I know you not) our fame here saith that you are an honest, and very modest man, and those that are Nickna∣med Calvinists prefer you before most others of your rank. But alas, what is Man, and what may Tem∣ptation do?

2. did you think that your Scarlet or Mastership did allow you to write copiously, as you did, against your Neighbour who never medled with you, and made it a crime in him, whom you accuse, to defend himself, and a righteous cause? I see in this age we deal on hard unequal terms with some Men that can but get into Scarlet.

3. You would make your Reader believe by these words that you are really Melancholly, and fear where no fear is. A Reverend Doctor, whose Book hath the Patronage of one of the greatest Bps. of En∣gland writeth against one of no Academical degree, who hath these 13. years and more been judged unworthy to preach to the most ignorant Congrega∣tion in the Land, and by the (Contrived) distin∣ction of Nonconformists from Conformists, goeth un∣der the scorn and hatred of such, as you pretend to be in danger of, and hath himself no security for his liberty in the open Air; that this Learned man in his honour, should conceit that an Answer from this hated person might endanger his degradation and

turning out of his place, is so strange a fancie, as will make your Readers wonder.

4. But whether you are Melancholly or no I know not; but if you are not unrighteous, I know not what unrighteousness is. Will you bear with the diversion of a story?

When the Moors were sentenced to ruin in Spain, one of the Disciples of Valdesso (a Scholar) fell into the displeasure of the Bp. of Toledo: A Neighbour Doctor knowing that the Bps. favour might bestead him—(whether accidentally or contrivedly I know not) hit upon this happy course: The Scho∣lar and he being together in a solemn Convention, the Scholar was taking Tobacco, and the Dr. seeing the smok threw first a Glass of Beer in his face, and cryed Fire, Fire; The Scholar wiped his face, and went on; The Doctor next threw an Ink-bottle in his Face, crying still Fire, Fire; The Scholar being thus blackt, perceived that he was like to be taken for a Moor, and ruined, and he went out and care∣fully wash'd his face: the Doctor charged him open∣ly for affronting him (yea and injuriously calum∣niating him) by the fact: For saith he, there was necessary Cause for what I did: There is no smoak without some fire: that which fired you might next have fired the House, and that the next House, and so have burnt down all the City: and your action intimateth as if I had done causelesly what I did, and done you wrong: The Scholar answered him; I knew not, Sir, that it was unlawful to wash me, but I will take no more Tobacco that I may no more offend you; But if in this frosty weather the thick∣ness of my breath shouid be called smoak may I not wash my face, if you again cast your Ink upon it?

No, saith the Doctor, It is not you, nor any private man that must be judg whether you are on Fire or not, in a publick danger: Must the City be hazarded, if you say that it is not Fire? The Scholar asketh, ma•• I not refer the case to the standers-by, and wash my face if they say, It was no Fire? No, saith the Dr. that is but to call in your Associates to your help, and to add Rebellion and Schism to your diso∣bedience: I perceive what principles you are of. Why then, saith the Scholar, if I must needs be a Moor, my face and I are at your mercy.

But pardon this digression, and let you and I stand to the judgment of any righteous and competent Judge, whether you deal not with me in notorious injustice, so be it the Case be truly stated.

The person whom you assaulted is one, that at∣tempted (with success) the subversion of Antino∣mianism and the clearing of truth; their Ignorance of which was the Cause of their other Errours. But having let fall, (for want of use in writing) some incongruous words (as Covenant for Law, &c.) and that somewhat often, and some excepting a∣gainst the Book, he craved their animaversions, and promised to suspend the Book till it were corrected; and purposely wrote a far greater Volumn in expli∣cation of what was dark, and defence of what was wrongfully accused, and many other Volumns of full defence: No man answereth any of these: but after twenty years, or thereabout, (though I protested in print against any that would write against the A∣phorisms, without regard to the said Explications) you publish your Confutation of part of those Apho∣risms, and that with most notorious untruth, charg¦ing me to deny all Imputation of Christs Righteousness,

when I had there profest the Contrary, and taking no notice of any after-explication or defence, and parallelling me with Bellarmine, if not with Here∣ticks or Infidels (for I suppose you take the denyers of all Imputation to be little better.) This Book you publish without the least provocation with other quarrels, dedicating it to that R. Rd. B. who first si∣lenced me; (as if I must go write over again all the Explications and Defences I had before written, because you (that are bound to accuse me) are not bound to read them:) and this you do against one that at that time had been about 13 years silenced, ejected, and deprived of all Ministerial maintenance, and of almost all his own personal Estate, desiring no greater preferment than leave to have preached for nothing, where is notorious necessity, could I have obtained it, sometimes laid in the common Jail among Malefactors, for preaching in my own house, and dwelling within five miles of it: after fi∣ned at forty pound a Sermon for preaching for no∣thing; looking when my Books and Bed are taken from me by distress, though I live in constant pain and langour, the Constable but yesterday coming to have distrained for sixty pound for two Sermons; hunted and hurryed about to Justices at the will of any ignorant—Agent of—that will be an In∣former, and even fain to keep my doors daily lockt, if it may be to save my Books a while: Yet the ex∣citing of wroth by publick Calumny against one so low already, and under the persecuting wrath of your friends, was no fault, no injustice in you at all! (nor indeed did I much feel it.)

But for me who am thus publickly by visible Ca∣lumny traduced, truly to tell you where you mistake,

and how you wrong Gods Church and Truth more than me, and if also I offer peaceably to wash my own face, this is hard fronted Calumny, dragging a Doctor in Scarlet at the Wheels of my Chariot, which might occasion his degrading and turning out, &c.

This over-tenderness of your honour as to other mens words, (and too little care of the means of it, as to your own) hath a cause that it concerneth you to find out. Had you the tenth part as many Books written against you, as are against me (by Quakers, Seekers, Infidels, Antinomians, Millenaries, Ana∣baptists, Separatists, Semi-separatists, Papists, Pseu∣do-Tilenus, Diocesans, Conformists, and many E∣nemies of Peace, (to whom it was not I, but your self that joyned you) it would have hardened you into some more patience. If you will needs be militant you must expect replies: And he that will injuriously speak to the World what he should not speak, must look to hear what he would not hear. But you add;

Sir, the Name and Quality of a DOCTOR and Master of a Literate Society, might have been treated more civilly by you.

Answ. 1. I am ready to ask you forgiveness for any word that any impartial man (yea or your Reverend Brethren of that Academy themselves, whom I will allow to be somewhat partial for you) shall notifie to me to be uncivil or any way injuri∣ous. 2. But to be free with you, neither Doctor∣ship, Mastership nor Scarlet will Priviledg you to fight against Truth, Right, and Peace, and to vent gross mistakes, and by gross untruths in matter of fact, such as is your [Omnem ludibrio habet imputationem] to abuse your poor Brethren, and keep the long-consuming

flàmes still burning, by false representing those as Popish, and I know not what, who speak not as unaptly as your self, and all this without con∣tradiction. Were you a Bp. my Body and Estate might be in your power, but Truth, Justice and the Love of Christians, and the Churches peace, should not be cowardly betrayed by me on pretense of re∣verence to your Name and Quality. I am heartily desirous that for ORDER-sake the Name and Honour of my Superiours may be very reverently u∣sed. But if they will think that Errour Injustice, and Confusion must take sanctuary under bare Ecclesia∣stical or Academical Names and robes, they will find themselves mistaken: Truth and Honesty will con∣quer when they pass through Smithfield flames: Prisons confine them not; Death kills them not; No siege will force an honest Conscience by famine to give up. He that cannot endure the sight of his own excrements must not dish them up to another mans Table, lest they be sent him back again. And more freedom is allowed against Peace-Breakers in Frays and Wars, than towards men that are in a qui∣eter sort of Controversie.