being most learned, orthodox, worthy divines, may keep the chair at easier rates, than the wasting of their flesh in unwearied labours to know the truth, and communicate it to the world. And some are angry, who are forward to write, that the booksellers and readers silence not others as well as them. Object. II. Your writings differing from the common judgment, have already caused offence to the godly.'

Answ. 1. To the godly that were of a contrary opinion only. Sores that will not be healed, use to be exasperated by the medicine. 2. It was none but healing, pacificatory writings, that have caused that offence. 3. Have not those dissenters' writings more offended the godly that were against them? They have but one trick, to honour their denial, which more dishonoureth it, even by unsanctifying those that are not of their minds. 4. If God bless me with opportunity and help, I will offend such men much more, by endeavouring further than ever I have done, the quenching of that fire which they are still blowing up; and detecting the folly and mischief of those logomachies by which they militate against love and concord, and inflame and tear the church of God. And let them know that I am about it. But some pastors as well as people, have the weakness to think that all our preachings and writings must be brought under their dominion, and to their bar, by the bare saying that We offend the godly,' that is, those of their opinion, which they falsely call by the name of scandal. 5. But I think they will find little controversy to offend them in this book.

Object. III. You should take more leisure, and take other men's judgment of your writings before you thrust them out so hastily.'

Answ. 1. I have but a little while to live, and therefore must work while it is day. Time will not stay. 2. I do shew them to those that I take to be most judicious, and never refused any man's censure; but it is not many that have leisure to do me so great a kindness. But that I commit them not to the perusal of every objector, is a fault uncurable, by one that never had an amanuensis, and hath but one copy, usually. 3. And if I could do it, how should I

be sure that they would not differ as much among themselves, as they do from me? And my writings would be like the picture which the great painter exposed to the censure of every passenger, and made it ridiculous to all, when he altered all that every one advised him to alter. And, to tell you the truth, I was never yet blamed by one side as not sufficiently pleasing them; but I was blamed also by the contrary side, for coming so near them: and I had not wit enough to know which party of the accusers was the wiser? And therefore am resolved to study to please God and conscience, and to take man-pleasing, when inconsistent, for an impossible and unprofitable work; and to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, whose thoughts all perish as he passeth off the judicature of his stage, to the judicature of God.

Object. IV. Your ecclesiastical cases are dangerously reconciling, tending to abate men's zeal against error.'

Answ. The world hath long enough escaped the danger of peace and reconciliation. It had been well if they had as long escaped the danger of your conceited, orthodox strife, which hath brought in confusion and all evil works. I take it to be a zeal effectively against love, and against unity, and against Christ, which, with the preachers of extremes, goeth under the name of a zeal against error, and for truth.

Object. V. 'Are all these numerous Directions to be found in Scripture? Shew us them in Scripture, or you trouble the church with your own inventions.'

Answ. 1. Are all your sermons in the Scripture? And all the good books of your library in the Scripture? 2. Will you have none but readers in the church, and put down preachers? Sure it is the reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture. 3. Are we not men before we are Christians? And is not the light and law of nature, divine? And was the Scripture written to be instead of reason, or of logic, or other subservient sciences? Or must they not all be sanctified and used for divinity? 4. But I think that as all good commentaries, and sermons, and systems of theology, are in Scripture, so is the Directory here given, and is proved by

the evidence of the very thing discoursed of, or by the plainest texts.

Object. VI. You confound your reader by curiosity of distinctions."

Answ. I. If they are vain or false, shame them by detecting it, or you shame yourselves by blaming them, when you cannot shew the error. Expose not yourselves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion; that is, avoiding knowledge to escape ignorance, or light to escape darkness. 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernicious controversies; and even those that bring in error by vain distinction, must be confuted by better distinguishers, and not by ignorant confounders. I will believe the Holy Ghost, 2 Tim. ii. 14, 15, 16. that logomachy is the plague by which the hearers are subverted, and ungodliness increased; and that orthotomy, or right dividing the Word of Truth is the cure. And Heb. v. 15. Discerning both good and evil, is the work of long and well exercised senses.

Object. VII. Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity, and to the creed? What a toilsome task do you make religion by overdoing? Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions?"

Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for articles of faith. I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity; and more confident that the church will never have peace and concord, till it be so done, as to the test of men's faith and communion. But he that will have no books but his creed and Bible, may follow that sectary, who when he had burnt all his other books as human inventions, at last burnt the Bible, when he grew learned enough to understand, that the translation of that was human too.

2. If men think not all the tools in their shops, and all the furniture of their houses, or the number of their sheep, or cattle, or lands, nor the number of truths received by a learning intellect, &c. to be a trouble and toil, why should they think so of the number of helps to facilitate the practice of their du

ty? If all the books in your libraries make your studies or reli-
gion toilsome, why do you keep them? and do not come to
the vulgar religion, that would hear no more but "Think well,
speak well, and do well,' or 'Love God and your neighbour,
and do as you would be done by.' He that doth this truly,
shall be saved. But there goeth more to the building of a
house, than to say, Lay the foundation, and raise the super-
structure: universals exist not but in individuals; and the
whole consisteth of all the parts.

3. It is not expected that any man remember all these
Directions. Therefore I wrote them, because men cannot
remember them, that they may upon every necessary occa-
sion, go to that which they have present use for, and cannot
otherwise remember.

In sum, to my quarrelsome brethren I have two requests,
1. That instead of their unconscionable, and yet unreformed
custom of backbiting, they would tell me to my face of my
offences by convincing evidence, and not tempt the hearers ✓
to think them envious. And 2. That what I do amiss they
would do better: and not be such as will neither laboriously
serve the church themselves, nor suffer others; and that
they will not be guilty of idleness themselves, nor tempt me
to be a slothful servant, who have so little time to spend;
for I dare not stand before God under that guilt. And that
they will not join with the enemies and resisters of the pub-
lication of the Word of God.

And to the Readers my request is, 1. That whatever for
quantity or quality in this book is an impediment to their
regular, universal obedience, and to a truly holy life, they
would neglect and cast away. 2. But that which is truly
instructing and helpful, they would diligently digest and
practise; and I encourage them by my testimony, that by
long experience I am assured, that this PRACTICAL
RELIGION will afford both to church, state, and conscience,
more certain and more solid peace, than contending dispu-
ters, with all their pretences of orthodoxness and zeal against
errors for the truth, will ever bring, or did ever attain to.

I crave your pardon for this long apology: it is an age

where the objections are not feigned, and where our greatest
and most costly services of God, are charged on us as our
greatest sins; and where at once I am accused of conscience
for doing no more, and of men for doing so much. Being
really

A most unworthy servant of so good a Master,
RICHARD BAXTER,