286 The LIFE of the LIB, .I § 1; 0. Whether this came to the King's Ears, or what elfe it was that caufed it, I know nor, but prefently after the Earl of Lauderdale came to tell me, that I muffcome the next day to the King:Who was pleafed to tell me,that he fent for me only to liignifie his Favour to me: I told him, 1 feared my plain Speeches OCob.zt. whichI thought that Caufe in hand commanded me, might have been difplealing to him : But he told me that he was not offended at the plainnefs or freedom or earneftnefs of them, but only when he thought I was not in the right ; and that for my free Speech he took me tobe the honefter Man. . I fùppofe this Favour camefrom the Bilhops,whohaving notice of what lau pall, did think that now I might ferve their Interelts. § r 3r. The Queftion now is, What we got by procuring this Declaration of the , , King's, and how it was accepted by the People ? r. I thought it no fmallgain, though noneof it Ihouldbe fulfilled , that we had got fo much from the handof a King, to take off prejudice among the People, and abate the violenceof cruel Men, and to Rand on record to Polterity that once fo much was granted us by the King ! for ifever therebe any inclinations to Peace and Charity hereafrer,that whichonce barb beengranted will be eafilier granted again, than that which was never granted before. This Teftimony is more worth than all our labour for it. z. The Minihersand People of the Landthat were concernedin it,had a Twelve months time by. ir, in their MinifterialLiberty, and Maintenance : for this fu(pend- ed theExecution ofthe old Laws whichwere in force againft them , till the new ones were made. 3. We got (whichwasa valuable benefit) the Liberty in our Treaty to (peak for our Caufe under the protelbion of the King's Commiflion, and juftly to flaw our Differences; which elfe would have been fafly Rated to our prejudice, and none might havecontradi&ed them. 4 r 32. But for the fulfillingof it, therewas nothing at all done which the De- claration mentioneth,fave only this yearsSufpenfion of the Law againft us:And fonie Men were fo violent at a diltance in theCountry, that they indiEted Minifers at the Affizes and Semons notwithftanding the Declaration , ffe taking itfor no Sufpiein- on of the Law : which put us on many ungrateful Addres to the King and the Lord Chancellour for their Deliverance: For the Brethren complained to us from all Parts, and thought it our Duty, whohad procured the Declaration, to procure the Execution of it : And whenwe petitioned for them they were commonly de- liveredfrom that Suffering. But as to the Matter of Church-Government mentioned in the Declaration, r. The Power of Godlineßhath been promoted, as the APof Uniformity, and the AO again.'" Conventicler, and the Ejeaing of Igo() Minihers at once, and many Hun- dred before, with much moreto the fame purpofe, exprefs. z. The publick and private Exercifet of Religion, have been encouraged; juft as thofe two forementioned Adis exprefs: Of which toEnglilh-men I need notgive an Expofition. 3. Ofthe applying the Lord': Day wholly to holy Exercifr, without unneceffary Divertifements, I have leaf( tofay ; becaufe in thefe Times we expect only Libertyto do foour Oyes, leaving all others to take their own way : And through God's mercy wehave liber- ty to meditateorpray in our Clofets ; and to pray inour Families, fo therebe not above four others prefent, and to hear Common Prayer and Sermon too in Pub- lick in thofe Parilhes that have a Minifter that can and willpreach: And if others think a Play, or publickGames or Drinking, or Ryoting to be neceffary Divertife- mentr , they cannot conitrain us to the like. 4: That Claufe of not permit- ting infufficient, negligent, fcandalous Minif"er: (for the word [Nomreftdent] could not pats) I believe is, executed according to the Judgment of the Executors : for I fup- pofe they take him that cannot difcern thelawfulnefs of the Subfcriptions, Decla- rations, and Prahtifes of Conformity, aboutOaths, Prelacy and Ceremonies, to be more infufficient for theMiniftry (how learned and able otherwife foever) than an ignorant Reader is. AndI fupppfethey take one that renouncethnot the Ob- ligations of the Vow and Covenant, and Subfcribeth not to Prelacy and Ceremo- nies tobe more fcandalous than a Drunkard or a Whoremonger; and one that negleEìeth any of thfe to be more negligent than he that neither preacheth to his Flock, nor perfonally inftruð them. 4 r;3.
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