8o The LIFE of the enough off, and I difowned it andmade a contrary Covenant with the People: But I durft not till this for my ownvindication, left the Towns-men Mould be cal- led to an account for theSequeftration to their undoing; though I knew them to be honen and jui in the Diftributión of it. And indeed though (which they knew not ) the Matter of Fait was falfe, by which they proved me fo vile a Per- fon, yet I was the lets careful fo to clear my felf as I might, becaufe I take it to be a thing as ¡unifiableas to eat Bread, if I had taken the Sequeftration ; becaufe the man's own Fundamental Right (as it was a thingConfecrated to God) was null, he being fo infuffipient as notto beowned fora Miniher : As I have great reafon, by all the trial I made ofhim, to think that he underhoodnot the SubftanceofRe- ligion, the common Catechifmor Creed, fo he was unable to teach the People thevery SubPantials of Chrihianity. Once a quarter hefcrapt a few words toge. ther, which hefo faidover as to move pity in his Auditors; but woe to the Peo- ple that have no other Parlorthen fuch as he : And God's Right being the fire in Dedicated Things, and the Law alto annexing them to the Office for the Work's fake, and for the fake the Peoples Souls, he that cannot at all do the Work, and fo is uncapable of the Office, can have no Title to the Place and Mainte_ nance. And I cannot believe that the PeoplesSouls mutt be all untaught and fa- crificed to his pretended Legal Right. And another Pallor they werenot like to have without the Maintenance, unlefs they could have got one that had an Efate of his own, and would go on warfare at his own Charges, or could live without Food and Raiment: for thePeoplesPoverty difabled them frommaintaining him: If it had been but a Phyfician's or Surgeon's Placein an Hofpital, which a meer Ignoramus had got for his life, I think to let the People perifla , for fear of difpof- fefling him of his Place and Pay, hadbeen to be righteous over much, and chari- table over little : And the fifth part was allowed them for their Wives, though they did nothing for it. And yet this ignorant man was not difpoffelt by force, but by the Power then in poffellion; even by Parliamentary Power, when the Lords ( who are the higheft Judicature) fate as well as the Commons, by the King's Law: Andhe was talk out on Articlesfworn for Infufftciency and Scandal. And yet this was done by others, before I came near them : And muff the place be void of a Teacher, becaufe the Parliament would not give the Maintenance to a man that knew not what the Work of a Pallor was. 129. Betides this ignorant Vicar, there was a Chappel in the Parifia, where was an old Curate as ignorant as he, that had long lived upon Ten pound a year andunlawful Marriages, and wasa Drunkard, and a Railer, and the Scorn of the . Country : I know not how to keep him from reading, ( for I judged it a Sin to tolerate him in any Sacred Office). I got an Augmentationfor the Place, and of an honen Preacher to inftruit them, and let this fcandalous Fellow keep his for- user Stipend of Ten pound, for nothing, and yet could never keep him from for- cing hitnfelf uponthe People to read, nor from unlawful Marriages, till a little before Death did call him to his account. I have Examined him about the familiar Points of Religion, and he couldnot fay halffomuch to use as I have heard a child fay. And the e two in this Parifh were not all : In one of the next Parithes, called The Rock, there were two Chappels, where the poor ignorant Curate of one got his living with cutting Faggots, and the other with making Ropes : Their Abili- ties being anfwerable totheir Studies and Employments. § t ;o. In my Labours at Kidderminfler after my return, I did all under lan- guiíhingWeaknefs, being feldoman hour free from pain. Of which I (hall give a brief Accounttogether, as an addition to the general one foregoing, that I may not be oft upon it; mentioning only tome of thofe paffages in which God's Mercy moll affeeced me. Many a time have I been brought very low, and received the Stentence of Death in my felf, when my poor, honnit, prayingNeighbours have met, and up- on their Falling and earners Prayers I have been recovered. Once when I had continued weak three Weeks, and was unable to go abroad, the very day that they prayedfor me, beingGood-Friday, I recovered, and was able to Preach and Adminiher the Sacrament the next Lord's Day; and was betterafter it: (It being the firft time that ever I adminiftred it): And ever after that whatever Weaknefswas upon me, when I had (after Preaching) adminiltred that Sacrament-to many hun- dred People, I. was much revivedand eared ofmy Infirmities. Another
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