374 The L I E E of the LIB. j. but he was loth to meddle in the publicationof it. Nordid I chink it p udence my felt to do it, as knowing theMalice and Power of the Papills. Since this, Dr. Peter Moulin bath in his Anfwer to Pbtlanax Aglime, declared that he is-ready to prove, when Authority will tall him to it that the King's Death and the Change of the Government, was firft propolèd both to the Sorborne; and to the Pope with his Conclave, and contented to and concluded for by both. § 245. Another Book wrote againftme was ( as was thought) by one Tompkins, a young_Manof All- Souls, Son toMr. Tompkins ofWorcefler,and a School-boy there * Since when I lived in that County : He called it The Rebel's Plea ; being a Confutation made Dr. offuch Paffages in.my Holy Commonwealth, as he lean understood and could make . Vat' moll odious. All thefe Men made me think, what one advifed the Papills ro do mop's for the effeâual Confutation of the Proteftants ; viz. Not to difpute or talk with Chaplain. them at all, but to preach every day againft them in the Pulpits tor there they may fpeak without any Contradiâion, and need not fear an Anfwer. § 246. Shortly after our Difpuration at the Savoy, I went to Rickmerfwortb in Hartfordfbire, and preached there but once, upon tl?attb. 22. 12. [Andbe wasfpeeeh- leß]: where I fpake not a word that was any nearer kin to Sedition; or that had a- ny greater tendency to provoke them, than by ;hewing [that wicked men, and the refuters ofgrace, however they may now bave many things tofay to excufe their fin, will at Taff be'peecble6, and dare not 'land to their wickedneßbefore God.] Yet did the Bi- Ihop of Worcefler tell me, when he Blunted me, that the BilhopofLondon had (hew- ed him Letters from one of the Hearers, affuring him that I preached Ceditioully t fo little Security was any Man's Innocency ( that difpleafed the Bilhops) to his Reputation with that Party, who had but one Auditor that dehred to get favour by accufing him. So that a multitudeof fuch Experiences mademe perceive, when I was filenced, that therewas fome Mercy in it, in the midit of Judgment : for I Mould fcarce have preacheda Sermon, nor put up a Prayer to God, whichone or other ( through Malice, or hopeof Favour) would not have been tempted to ac- cafe as guilty of fome heinous Crime : And as Seneca faith, He that bath an Ulcer crietb Oh, if be do but think you touched him. § 247. Shortly after my return to London, I went into Worce'lerfbire , to try whe- ther it were poffble to have any honeft Terms from the Reading Vicar there, that I might preach to my former Flock: But when I had preached twice or thrice, he denied me liberty to preach any more : I offered him to take my Leâure, which he was bound to allow me ( under a Bond of goo 1.) s but he refuted it : I next offered him to behis Curate, and he refufed it: I next offered him to preach for nothing, and he refufed it : And laftly, I defired leave but once to Adminioer the Sacrament to the People, and preach my Farewel Sermon to them ; but he would not content. At laft I underftood that he was direâed by his Superiours to do what he did : But Mr. Baldwin (an able Preacher whom I left there) wasyet permitted. § 248. At that time, my aged Fatherlying in great pain of the Stone and Stran- gury, I went tovilit him (Twenty miles further): And while I was there, Mr. Baldwin came to me, and told me that he alto was forbidden to preach. We re- turned both to Ridderminfler,and having a Leâure at Sheffnel in the way, I preach- ed there, andflayed not tohear the EveningSermon, becaufe I would make hafte to the Bithop. It fell out that my turn at another Leâure was on . the fame day with that at Sbefnal (viz. at Cleibury in Sbropfhire alfo) : Andmany werethere mec in expeâation to hear me : But a Companyof Soldierswere there (as the Country thought, to have apprehended me); who Ihm the Doors againft the Miniftersthat would have preached in my ftead (bringing a Command to the Churchwarden to hinder any one that had notaLicenfe from theBithop ); and the poor People that had comefrom far were fain to go home with grieved hearts. § 249. The next day it was confidently reported that a certain Knight offered the Bilhop his Troopto apprehend me, if I offered to preach And the People diffwaded me from going to theBithop, fuppofing my Liberty in danger. But I went that Morning with Mr. Baldwin, and in the hearing of him and Dr. Warm - ßrp, then Dean of Worceßer, I remembred the Bilhop of his Promife togrant me his Licence, &c. but he refufed me liberty to preaeh in his Dfocefs, though I of- fered him to preach only on the Creed , and the Lord's Prayer and Ten Com- mandments, Catechiftical Principles, and only to fachas had no preaching. But the Difcourfebetween him and meat that time, I have had occalon lince particu- larly
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