The LIFE of the LIB.1. 4_ 9. And our private Meetings were a marvellous help to the propagating of God- linefs among them : for thereby Truths that flipt away were recalled, and the fe- rioufnefs of the Peoples minds renewed "; and good delires cherifhed ; and hereby their knowledge was much increafed; and here the younger fort learned to pray, by frequent hearing others : And hereI had opportunity to know their Cafe: for ifany were touched and awakened in publick, I Ihould prefently fee him drop in to our private Meetings: Hereby alfo idle meetings and lofs of time was prevent- ed. And fo far were we from being by this in danger ofSchifm or Divifions,that it was the principal means to prevent them : For here I was ufually prefènt . with them, anfwering their Doubts, and filencing Obje&ions, and moderating them in all. And fame Private. Meetings I found they were exceeding much inclined to : -and if I had not allowed them filch as were las ful and profitable, they wouldhave been ready to run rofuch as were unlawful and hurtful : And by encouraging them here in the fit exercife of their parts, in Repetition, Prayer , and asking Quefti. ons, I kept them from inclining to the diforderly exercife'of them, as-the Seftaries do. We had no Meetings inoppoltion to the Publick Meetings ; but all in tub - ordination to them ; and tinder my over-fight and guidance ; which proved a way profitable to all. Io. Another thing which advantaged us was Tome publick Difputations which we had withGainfayers, which very much confirmed the People : The Quakers would fain have got entertainment and let up a Meeting in. the Town ( and fre- quently railed at me in the Congregation ) : But when I had once given them leave to meet in the Church, for a Difpute, and before the People, had opened their deceits and shame, none would entertain them more, nor did they get one Profelyte among us. Before that, Mr. yobs, Tombes being Le&urer of Bewdley,two miles off us, ( who was reputed the moil Learned and able Anabaptift in England) we kept fair Correfpondence for a long time, and I fludioully avoided all Debates withhim about Infant Baptifin ; till at lait he forced me to it as I shall Phew fur- ther anon , And after one days Difpute with him of Bewdley, my Hearers were more felled, and thecourfe of his Infedion Dopt. How mean !never my- own Abilities were, yet I had Dill the advantageof a good Caule, and thereby eafily o- pened the vanity of all Pretenders, Deceivers and Dividers that came among us. r r. Another advantage was the great honefty and diligence, of my Affiliants : When I came &(t to Kidderminfler after the Wars, I -found Mr. Rickard Sergeant there received as their Preacher; whom they took in a Cafe of Necellity when they could get no other: I found him very honeft,hut of no extraordinary Learn- ing, and of no taking utterance, fo that tome that were more for Learning than for ferions Piety, would have had me taken in his Dead a very grave , ancient Do- dot- ofDivinity, who had a moil promifingPretence, and tolerable Delivery, and reverend Name, and withal was my Kinfman : But I found atlaft that he had no relifh- offerions Godlinefs, nor Colid Learning or Knowledge in Divinity, but 'tole Sermons out of printed Books, and fa them offwith a grave Delivery. But Mr. Sergeant fo increafed in Ability, that he became a folid Preacher, and of fo great Prudence in Practical Cafes, that I know few therein go beyond him ; but none at all do I know that excelleth him in Meeknefs,Humrlity,Self- denial and Diligence. No Childever teemed more humble: No Interdit of his own, either ofEftate or Reputation, did everteem toflop him in his Duty : No Labour did he ever refute which I could put him to : When I put him to travel over the Parilh ( which is near ao miles about) from Houfe to Houle to Catechize andInflru& eachFamily, he never grudged or teemed once unwilling. He preached at a Chappel above two nailer off one half the day, and in theTown the other, and never murmured. I never heard of the Man or Woman in all thatTown and Parifh , that ever laid, This Fault he did; This Word he fpake amitagainit me ; This Wrong he didme; nor ever one that once found fault with him (fave once one man upon a Ihorc mil1ake, for being out of theway when he fhould have baptized a Child) : This admirable blamglefnefs of Lifemuch furthered our work : And when he was remo- ved two miles from us, I got Mr. Humphrey Waldern to fucceed him, who was very much like him, and carried on his work. r a. Another Advantage was the Pretence and Countenance ofhoneft Mires of Peace: Colonel yobs, Bridges, a prudent , pious Gentleman, was Patron of the Church, and lived in theParifh, and was a Jubilee of Peace : And a Bailiff and Jullice wereAnnually chofen in the Corporation, who ordinarily weregodlymeta, and always filth as wouldbe thought to, and were ready to rife theirAuthority ti) fupprefs
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