298 The LIFE ofthe LIB. I. on the other fide. But they havein their Synodpaff fouae fuch moderating Con. cluuons about Baptifm and conftant Synods, as have ended moll of the Diffe en- ces between them and the moderate Presbyterians. § ry r. I am next to infert forne Bufineffes of my own, which fell in at this fame time. When I had refufed a Bilhoprick, I did it on fuch Reafons as offended not the Lord Chancellor; and therefore inffead of it, I prefumed to crave his Favour to reflore nie to preach to my People at. Kidderminfler again ; front whence I had been calf out ( whenmany hundredsof others were eleéted ) upon the Refforation of all them that had been fequeffred. It was but a Vicaridge, and theVicar was a poor unlearned, ignorant, filly Reader, that little underflood what Chriflianity and the Articles of his Creed did fignifie ; but once a Quarter he Paid fomething, which he called a Sermon, which made him the Pity or Laughter of the People. This Man being unable to preach him(elf, kept always a Curate under him to preach : Before the Wars I had Preached there only as a Le&urer, and he was bound in a Bond of Soo I. to pay me 6o 1. per An. and afterward he was fequeffred, as is before (efficiently declared ; my People were fo dear to me, and I to them, that I would have been with them upon the lowelf lawful Terms : Some laughed at me for refufinga Bifhoprick, and petitioning to be a readingVicar's Curate, But I had little Hopes of fo good a Condition, at leali for any cenfiderable time. § t Sa. The Ruler of the Vicar, and all the Buftnefs there was, Sir Ralph Clare, anold Man, and an old Courtier, who carried it towards me all the time I was therewith great Civility and Refpe&, and fent mea Purfe of Money whenI went away ( but I refdfèd it). But his Zeal againff all that ftrupled Ceremonies, or that would not preach for Prelacy, and Conformity, &c. was fo much greater than his Refpe&s'to me, that he was the principal Caufe of my Removal ( though he has not owned itto this Day : I fuppofehethought that when I was farenough off, he could fo far rule the Town as to reduce thePeople to hisway. But he lit- tle knew ( nor others of that Temper ) how firm confcientious Men are to the Matters of their everlafting Intereff, and how little MensAuthority can do again(' the Authority cf. God, with thole that are unfeignedly fubje& to him. Openly he feemed to he for my Return (at firft ) that he might not offend the People; and the Lord Chancellor feenred very forward in it ; and all the Difficulty was, how to provide fome other Place for theold Vicar (Mr. Dance ). that he might be no lofer by the Change : And it wasfo contrived, that all muff feem forward in it, except the Vicar; the King hitnfelf mull be engaged in it; the Lord Chancellor earnef'ly preffeth it ; Sir Ralph Clare is willing, and very defirous of it ; and the Vicar is willing; if he maybut be recompenced with as good a Place (from which I received hut qo 1. per Annam heretofore ) : Either all defire ir, or none desire it. But the Hindrance was, that among all the Livings and Prebendaries of England, there was none fit for the poor Vicar : A Prebend he mull not have, becaufe he was infu(ficient ; and yet he is ('ill thought Efficient to be the Pallor of This wea- near g000 Souls. The Lord Chancellor to make the Bufinefs certain, will engage honed tun hindelf for a valuable ffi end to the Vicar, and his own Steward muff be com- fay, l p mended to pay it him : What couldbe defired more? But the poor Vicar was to how bard anfwer him, that this was no fecurity to him ; his Lordlhip might withhold that I1Y tuadea Stipend at his Pleafure, and then where was his Maintenance ? give him but a le- per to let go gal Title of any thing of equal value, and he would refign (and the Patron was the Place. my fare and intimate Friend ). But no fuch thing was to be had ; and fo Mr.Dance mull keep his Place. § r S 3. Though I requefted not any Preferment of them, but this, yet even for this, I relolved I would never be importunate : I only nominated it as the Favour which I defired, when there Offers in general invited me to askmore: and then I told them that if it were any way inconvenient to them, I would not requell it of them. Andatthe very firft I defired, that if they thought it bell for the Vicar to keephis Place, I was willingto take the Le&ure, which by his Bond was fecured to me, and was Ifill my Right; or if that were denied me, I would be his Curate while the King's Declarationftood in force. But none of thefe could beaccepted, with Men that were fo exceeding willing. Inthe end it appeared, that twoKnights oftheCountry, Sir Ralph Clare, and Sir john Packington, whowere very great with Dr. Morley, newly made Bithop of Woreefler, had made him believe, that my ln- tereft was fo great, and I could do fo much with Minifters and People in that Country,: that unlefs I would bind my felf to promote their Caufe and Party, I was not fit to be there And this Bithop ( being greaten of any Man with theLord Chancellor) man obnruet my Return to my ancient. Flock. At Ian Sir Ralph Clare
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