[1] Mr. Baxter tells us, he met with several eminent christians that magnified the good they had received by that book. And particularly he relates a remarkable passage, in his book against the "Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction," p. 539, 540. He says, that when he was twenty-one years of age, at a private meeting of some ministers and christians in Shrewsbury, (where were present Mr. Cradock, Mr. Richard Symonds, and Mr. Fawler, who was afterwards cast out at St. Bride's, in 1662,) Mr. Symonds took occasion to speak of some pious women, who were in great doubt as to the sincerity of their conversion, because they knew not the time and means and manner of it; and thereupon desired any that were willing to open the case as to themselves, to satisfy such persons. Among these, there were two others, viz. Mr. Fawler, and Mr. Michael Old, who gave the same account as Mr. Baxter did: viz. that after many convictions and a love to piety, the first lively motion that awakened their souls to a serious resolved care of their salvation, was the reading of this book of Bunny's "Of Resolution."
[2] See his large Life, Part I. p. 306.
[3] The gentleman that compiled the third volume of the "Complete History of England," quoting that part of the Abridgement of Mr. Baxter's Life, where this is mentioned, declares, p. 312, that "that part of the relation as to the offer of a chapel, is known to be false." This appearing a direct contradiction to Mr. Baxter's relation of a matter of fact, in which himself was immediately concerned, troubled many; the rather because it seemed to strike at the credit of his whole history. Mr. Baxter had not only asserted in the History of his Life, p. 179, that he was encouraged by Dr. Tillotson to make the offer of the chapel, and that it was accepted to his great satisfaction; but he had mentioned it in several of his works that were published in his life-time; and particularly in his Breviate of the Life of his Wife, he, p. 57, says, that Dr. Lloyd and the parishioners accepted of it for their public worship, and that he and his wife asked them no more rent, than they were to pay for the ground; and the room over for a vestry, at £5, asking no advantage for all the money laid out on the building. Which was never known to be contradicted, till this history was published. Application therefore was made to the compiler of that third volume, in a respectful way, and he was requested to signify upon what grounds this was charged as a falsity. Hereupon he, like a gentleman, a christian, and a divine, frankly offered to consult my Lord Bishop of Worcester upon the matter, who was the person immediately concerned with Mr. Baxter; and his Lordship when consulted was pleased to declare that Mr. Baxter, being disturbed in his meeting-house in Oxenden Street, by the king's drums, which Mr. Secretary Coventry caused to be beat under the windows, made an offer of letting it to the parish of St. Martin's for a tabernacle, at the rent of £40 a year; and that his Lordship hearing it, said he liked it well; and that thereupon Mr. Baxter came to him himself, and upon his proposing the same thing to him, he acquainted the vestry, and they took it upon those terms. This account is here published for the clearing of that matter, with due thanks to his Lordship for his frankness, and to the gentleman that consulted him, for his most obliging readiness to do justice to truth.
[4] See his "True History of Councils enlarged and defended," p. 5.
[5] See Mr. Janeway's Life, p. 6.
[6] Noverint universi quod præsens opusculum non aggredior, ut fidelium auribus propbanas aliquas vocum ingeram novitates, sed ut innocenter et sobrie de altissimo, &c. Ockam de Sacram. Alt. prolog. In zelo domus Domini, nunc persolvo debitum, vile quidem, sed fidele ut puto, et animum quibusque egregiis, Christi tyronibus: grave vero et importabile apostatis insipientibus: quorum priores ni fallor, cum lachrymis forte quæ ex Dei charitate profluunt, alii cum tristitia, sed quæ ex indignatione et pusillanimitate deprehensæ conscientiæ extorquetur, illud excipiunt. Gildas Prolog. Excid.
[7] Habet, inquies, Britannia rectores, habet speculatores: Quid tu negando mutiri disponis? Habet, inquam habet, si non ultra, non citra numerum: sed quia inclinati tanto pondere sunt pressi, idcirco spatium respirandi non habent. Præoccupabant igitur se mutuo talibus objectionibus, &c. Gildas ib.
[8] Duæ sunt viæ, duplicesque cursus animorum e corpore exeuntium. Nam qui se vitiis humanis contaminarunt et libidinibus se tradiderunt, iis devium quoddam iter est, seclusum à concilio deorum. Qui autem se integros castosque servarunt, quibusque fuit minima cum corporibus contagio, suntque in corporibus humanis vitam imitati deorum, iis ad illos à quibus sunt profecti, facile patet reditus. Soc. in Cic. 1. Tusc. Qui recte et honeste curriculum vivendi à natura datum confecerit, ad astra facilè revertetur: Non qui aut immoderatè, aut intemperanter vixerit. Cicero de Univers. Improbo bene esse non potest. Id Par. Quod si inest in hominum genere, mens, fides, virtus, concordia, unde hæc in terras nisi à superis diffluere potuerunt? cumque sit in nobis consilium, ratio, prudentia, necesse est deos hæc ipsa habere majora: Nec habere solum, sed etiam his uti in optimis et maximis rebus. Cicero de Nat. Deor. l. 2. p. 76. Quod si pœna, si metus supplicii, non ipsa turpitudo, deterret ab injuriosa facinorosaque vita, nemo est injustus: at incauti potius habendi sunt improbi. Callidi, non boni sunt, qui utilitate tantum, non ipso honesto, ut boni viri sint, moventur. Cicero de Leg. l. 1. p. 289. Ut nihil interest, utrum nemo valeat, an nemo possit valere; sic non intelligo quid intersit, utrum nemo sit sapiens, an nemo esse possit. Cic. de Nat. Deor. l. 3. p. 138. Cicero was afraid to speak what he knew of the Unity of the Eternal God, the Maker of all: Illum quasi parentem hujus universitatis invenire, difficile; et cum inveniris, indicare in vulgus nefas. Lib. de Univers. p. 2. And the same he saith, Lib. 2. de Nat. Deor.
[9] Vult Deus quodammodo pati vim; et hoc summæ est beneficentiæ, ut ad benefaciendum se pulsari solicitarique velit. Jos. Acosta, l. 4. c. 12. p. 396.
[10] Leg. Danielis Episcop. Epist. ad Bonif. Mogunt. inter Epist. Bonif. 67. de Methodo convertendi Paganos.