Monthly Repository. No. CCIX.] MAY, 1823. Letters to and from Richard Baxter. (From the original MSS. in Dr. Williams's Library.) [Vol. XVIII. From R. Baxter to Ambrose Upton, concerning Sir Henry Vane. THE occasion of this letter will be best explained by a passage of Baxter's in his Life and Times. Speaking of Sir H. Vane, he charges him with obscurity, and says, "This obscurity by some was imputed to his not understanding himself; but by others to design, because he could speak plain when he listed: the two courses in which he had most success, and spake most plain, were, his earnest plea for universal liberty of conscience, and against the magistrate's intermeddling with religion, and his teaching his followers to revile the ministry, calling them ordinarily blackcoats, priests and other names which then savoured of reproach; and those gentlemen that adhered to the ministry, they said were priest-ridden. Of my own displeasing him this is the true account. It grieved me to see a poor kingdom thus tost up and down in unquietness, and the ministers made odious and ready to be cast out, and the Reformation trodden under foot, and parliaments and piety made a scorn, and scarce any doubted but he was the principal spring of all. Therefore, being writing against the Papists, coming to vindicate our religion against them, when they impute to us the blood of the king, I fully proved that the Protestants, and particularly the Presbyterians, abhorred it, and suffered greatly for opposing it; and that it was the act of Cromwell's army and the sectaries, among which I named the Vanists as one sort, and I shewed that the Fryers and Jesuits were their deceivers, and under several vizors were dispersed among them; and Mr. Nye having told me that he was long in Italy, I said it was considerable how much of his doctrine their leader brought from Italy; whereas it proved, that he was only in France and Helvetia, upon the borders of Italy, and whereas it was printed from Italy, I had ordered the printer to VOL. XVIII. 2 L correct the topowards Holid, but though the copy was corrected, the impression was not. Hereupon Sir Henry Vane being exceedingly provoked, threatened ine to many, and spake against me in the House, and one Stubbs (that had been whipt in the Convocation House at Oxford) wrote for him a bitter book against me, who from the Vanists afterwards turned a Conformist, since that he turned physician, and was drowned in a small puddle or brook, as he was riding near Bath. "I confess my writing was a means to lessen his reputation, and make men take him for what Cromwell (that better knew him) called him, a juggler; and I wish I had done so much in time. But the whole land rang of his anger and my danger; and all expected my present ruin by him. But to shew him that I was not about recanting, (as his agents would have persuaded me,) I wrote also against his Healing Question, in a Preface before my Holy Commonwealth, and a speedy turn of affairs did tie his hands from executing his wrath upon me. "Upon the king's coming in, he was questioned with others before the Parliament, but seemed to have his life secured. But being brought to the bar, he spoke so boldly in justifying the Parliament's cause, and what he had done, that it exasperated the King, and made him resolve upon his death. When he came to Tower-Hill to die, and would have spoken to the people, he began so resolutely as caused the officers to sound the trumpets and beat the drums, and hinder him from speaking. No man could die with greater appearance of gallant resolution and fearlessness than he did, though before supposed a timorous man: insomuch that the manner of his death procured him more applause than all the actions of his life. And when he was dead his intended speech was printed, and afterwards his opinions more plainly expressed by his friend than by himself. "When he was condemned, some of his friends desired me to come to him, that I might see how far he was from Popery, and in how excellent a temper (thinking I would have asked him forgiveness for doing him wrong): I told them that if he had desired it I would have gone to him; but seeing he did not, I supposed he would take it for an injury; for my conference was not like to be such as would be pleasing to a dying man: for though I never called him a Papist, yet I still supposed he had done the Papists so much service, and this poor nation and religion so much wrong, that we and our posterity are like to have cause and time enough to lament it." * "DEAR BROTHER, "I am very sensible of your spiritual love, that have more care of me than I have of myself. Coll. Birch brought me, a message from Sir H. V. to the same purpose as you speak; and I told him that I am uncapable of returning him a particular answer, till I know the particular words that I am charged with, and their faultiness; which I also must say to you. God forbid that I should be so injurious to my own conscience as not most publicly to recant any passage, which I shall be convinced is injurious_to another in any of my writings. But for the words you mention, I never did directly or indirectly affirm in any book that Sir H. V. had a hand in the King's death, or that he was in Italy (though the latter I was told by Mr. Philip Nye). That liberty for Popery should be woven into our fundamental constitution, is a thing that I shall oppose to the utmost of my weak abilities, whoever be for it; and I will be reconciled to no man's palpable errors. The Vindication is such a bundle of gross untruths, that I look on it as not concerning me. Dear Brother, I am not so destitute of selflove as to refuse any lawful means for my peace, nor I hope so destitute of grace as to deny reparation of any wrong that ever I did any man, so far as I am capable: but if God call me to a more open testimony against the contrivances of these times, (by which I may be disobliged from some obligations to silence that are upon me,) I rest confident that the benefit of it will be greater to the church than my peace could have produced. Oh! is there any hope that a life so often rescued from the pit, and trembling now upon the snuff, might be so happily concluded, as to be a sacrifice to for a sinking church and state, and that the death that is even at the doors might be thus improved? It would be a sufficient recompence for my sufferings, if it were but that Sir H. V.'s doctrine of liberty might, at the entrance, be read by the commentary of his persecution. I am confident suffering in that cause will prove to me as comfortable as preaching, and I doubt not but it will turn to a public good, if God so order it. I rest, "Your thankful Brother, Interpret not this as if I were ambitious of contending or suffering, but as expressing what I think will be fer in this cause. the worst if God shall call me to suf "To Mr. Ambrose Upton, concerning Sir H. Vane." Letters from the Earl (afterwards [Of Lauderdale, whose initial furnished the final letter of the word Cabal, denoting the detested junto who swayed the profligate counsels of Charles II., Bishop Burnet gives the following character: "The Earl of Lauderdale, afterwards made Duke, had been for many years à zealous Covenanter: but in the year fortyseven, he turned to the King's interests; and had continued a prisoner all the while after Worcester fight, where he was taken. He was kept for some years in the Tower of London, in Portland Castle, and in other prisons, till he was set at liberty by those who called home the King. So he went over to Holland. And since he continued so long, aud, con * Reliquiæ Basterianæ, Lib. i. Pt. 1, trary to all men's opinions, in so high pp. 75, 76. a degree of favour and confidence, it may be expected that I should be a little copious in setting out his character; for I knew him very particularly. He made a very ill appearance: he was very big: his hair red, hanging oddly about him his tongue was too big for his mouth, which made him bedew all that he talked to: and his whole manner was rough and boisterous, and very unfit for a court. He was very learned, not only in Latin, in which he was a master, but in Greek and Hebrew. He had read a great deal of divinity, and almost all the historians, ancient and modern : so that he had great materials. He had with these an extraordinary memory, and a copious but unpolished expression. He was a man, as the Duke of Buckingham called him to me, of a blundering understanding. He was haughty beyond expression; abject to those he saw he must stoop to, but imperious to all others. He had a violence of passion that carried him often to fits like madness, in which he had no temper. If he took a thing wrong, it was a vain thing to study to convince him: that would rather provoke him to swear, he would never be of another mind: he was to be let alone and, perhaps, he would have forgot what he had said, and come about of his own accord. He was the coldest friend and the violentest enemy I ever knew: I felt it too much not to know it. He at first seemed to despise wealth; but he delivered himself up afterwards to luxury and sensuality and by that means he ran into a vast expense, and stuck at nothing that was necessary to support it. In his long imprisonment he had great impressions of religion on his mind; but he wore these out so entirely, that scarce any trace of them was left. His great experience in affairs, his ready compliance with every thing that he thought would please the King, and his bold offering at the most desperate counsels, gained him such an interest in the King, that no attempt against him, nor complaint of him, could ever shake it, till a decay of strength and understanding forced him to let go his hold. He was in his principles much against Popery and arbitrary government: and yet by a fatal train of passions and interests, he made way for the former, and had almost established the latter. : And, whereas some by a smooth deportment made the first beginnings of tyranny less discernible and unacceptable, he, by the fury of his behaviour, heightened the severity of his ministry, which was liker the cruelty of an Inquisition than the legality of justice. With all this he was a Presbyterian, and retained his aversion to King Charles I., and his party to his death." *] LETTER I. "Reverend and much-honoured Sir, "Last week I received yours of the 19th July; all the trouble I shall now give you, as to my outward condition, shall be only to tell you, that you need not apprehend your application did me any hurt, for that person is so earnestly engaged against me, (if I be not misinformed,) that nothing can take him off, nor set him more eagerly on. It is a great comfort to me that you did consider me so much, and I am sure it can do no hurt. I pray God forgive him, and I hope (by God's grace) I shall never entertain the least revengeful thought against him, but labour patiently to submit to what the Lord shall do in relation to me, knowing that all shall work together for good. My portion is not here, it is above the reach of sequestration, and the meditations of it may easily sweeten what can befal me in the way. "Your notion concerning Papists, in relation to the Catholic Church, is certainly right, and the only way to deal with them; for if we limit the Catholic Church to Protestants only, how can we avoid that charge of uncharitable schism which they are deeply guilty of? I am glad you do proceed to unmask that generation more and more, and if I could serve you in providing but straw to such a building, I should think my time well employed. You tell me you are promised a translation of Moulin, Of the Novelty of Popery. As for Blondel, De Primatu,' it is a folio book (I have it in my library beyond sea; for my library is safe, and that is all hath scaped): to translate it all is too great a 140. Life and Times, 8vo. 1809, I. 139, work for me to undertake; neither do I ever mean to trouble the world with any of my scribblings, and least of all with translations, (which is ordinarily but the spoiling of good books; the robbing of others without enriching one's-self); but if you will appoint me any chapters of it which may be of use to you, or any point handled in it, I shall most willing ly translate them faithfully at least, and as well as I can, and send them sheet by sheet to you. The whole work, I think, will not be of use to you; therefore you may know the contents of any who hath and understands the book. Then be pleased to set me my task, and I shall speedily go about it. It will be to me no more trouble than to read; for I can read or write English out of French with as much ease as read or write English. If, therefore, I can thus serve you in this or any other French or Italian book, command me freely; for Spanish books I shall also make a shift. This offer is no compliment, for I shall be most really pleased to be employed by you. By being thus an amanuensis to you, I shall be more useful than any other way I can propose; besides, my respects to you are so real, and so above all compliment, that it shall be a great satisfaction to me in this or any other way to witness myself, Sir, a true honourer of you, and "Your most affectionate, real friend and servant, "Windsor Castle, 17th August, 1658. "At Kiderminster." LETTER II. "Windsor Castle, 20th Sept. 1658. "Reverend and much-honoured, "Yours of the 7th came to my hands on Thursday the 16th late; and the diligence I have used since to procure the book, in order to my obeying you, hath been the reason of my delaying my answer. Friday was spent in seeking for the book at Eton, and I was amazed not to find it in some good libraries, especially seeing one of the owners of a very good one does understand French. On Saturday early I employed a servant to seek at London, who was as unsuccessful that day as I have been here. In Paul's Church-yard it was not to be found ready bound. Always he hath this morning borrowed it for me, and I have it here; it is Mr. Bates' book. As the choice you have made of me to do you this inconsiderable service was an effect of your justice, (because my time may indeed better be spared,) so give me leave to understand it as an effect of your friendship to me. And if you suffer by the choice by my not doing it so well, I must appeal to that friendship for a pardon; seeing, I assure you, I do undertake it as willingly as any friend you have, I shall do it as well as I can, and by God's assistance I shall endeavour to give you his sense faithfully. I have been looking on his preface, and I find him apologise for his translating Bartheve, King, (where an Emperor is meant,) and iɛpɛvg, sacerdot. This way will be more tolerable in me, and therefore I mean to take it, that is, not to trouble myself nor you with polishing the English of it, but squarely to give you the author's true meaning in any intelligible word which suits it best, and which first venerit in buccam. Neither will I spare the English language more than Blondel hath done the French: where he renders Sacerdot, I will do so too, (for I am sure it is as good English as it is French); in a word, I write for you; if I make it intelligible to you, I hope you will excuse me if I do not care for polishing my English. Before I saw the book I did intend to have followed your method, but now I will do quite contrary. For in the last place you desire an account of the sum of the contents; and seeing I find it well printed, Í will in the first place translate the send to London translated this week. contents, which I shall, God willing, And while I am expecting what chapters or sections you will choose as most proper for the purpose, I shall be going on in satisfying your other two queries. But when you have the contents, I shall entreat you to pitch on the sections which you are most curious to be satisfied in, and I shall do them first. Be confident I shall be as diligent as I can, and therefore I shall wish you may not put out your book till you have what you desire out of Blondel. Spare not my pains, and use nothing to me like compliment; I am a plain man, and be assured of this great truth, that I honour you so really, that I am hugely pleased to do you service, and I will vie with any body in my respects to you. Nay, I intend more; there is a French book, in two volumes, folio, entitled, 'Of the Liberties of the Gallican Church;' it is above twelve years since I saw it, but I have heard it exceedingly commended; and if I be not mistaken, there are many authentic testimonies in it against the Pope's usurped power. It was written, as I remember, by a French President, and when I was a dealer in books, (for now I am but for small ware,) it was very dear, which spoke it much esteemed. I have also sent to London for those two volumes, and at idle hours I shall run over the contents of them, and acquaint you with them. For I desire that you may have all the helps you can before your book comes out; you may expect answers, and therefore do not hasten. Pardon me if I be not so quick as you expect, and believe it I shall strive to conquer my natural laziness. "I have read your answser to Pierce, wherein you fully satisfy me of Grotius being a Papist. I was at Paris acquainted with Grotius; he was there Embassador for Sweden in the year 1637, and though I was then very young, yet some visits passed among us. My discourse with him was only in Humanities, but I remember well he was then esteemed such a Papist as you call Cassandrian, and so did Cordesius esteem him, who was a priest. The owner of that great library, now printed in his name, with him I was also acquainted: he was a great admirer of Grotius, an eminent enemy to Jesuits, and a moderate French Papist. This opposition of Mr. Pierce makes me expect you will have more from that sort of men; and therefore to justify what you say of the new-fashioned bishops of this isle, I shall desire you to send for a book entitled, Considerationes Modestæ et Pacificæ Controversiarum, per Gul. Forbesium, S. T. D. Episcopum Edinburgensem. It is newly printed at London. In it you will see Popery enough, if the defending images, prayer for dead, a new-fashioned purgatory and the mass to be a propitiatory sacrifice for living and dead, if these be Popery. I have looked but an hour into it. It is set out by an excommunicate Scots Bishop, now living in Edinburgh under the shadow of the English army. If you be called on any more, this book will help to justify your charge. I intended to have told you how I have escaped a very uneasy remove lately, but this is too long already. Be pleased to tell me how I shall address your papers to you; and direct mine to be left with Peter Cuninghame, at his house in Duke Street, near Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, and they will come safe, Í hope, and speedily to, Sir, 66 "Your true friend and servant, LAUDERDAILL. "To the Reverend my muchhonoured Friend, "Mr. Richard Baxter, "Minister of the Gospel LETTER III. "You shall here receive the con- 1st. |