386 2he ,:L_I FAIpf the ,:'' 1L I B. I. M the Interef of the Church.and Caufd.of Chrift,ihe.Lánd;was prepared for that further Inundation of Calamities,^(by WarAna :Plague,,ançl.;;Scarcity) which hach Mice b oughtit near to Defolation. §z8r. IE-fel('out one day. in Mr. Cdam? Church at. Elldermanbury,that the Preacher filed, and the People delired Mr. Calamy to preach: Which he did up- He was im an confidence, that the A& did not extend to filch an Occafional Sermon ( tome pn[oned L'awyers had told him fo). But for this he Waslent tq Ngy{gate,Jail,where he con - 3,a.4. tinned in the Keeper's Lodgings, many daily,flacking to vilit him,, till the Lord e 56e. zed Bridgman (as is Paid) had given it as his Judgment, Thar.,bie Sermon was not within lmini alai Penalty el the Abt. And Owhat inlulting there was;bythat Party, in the News. J o.s5 book, and in their Difcourfes,.That Calamy that would not be a Brftiop wa, us foil r And whenhis Sermon wasprinted, an Ìnveetive aping him came put,. in Lan. gorge like an Inquilitor, that (hewed a vehement thirlt jor: Broo, d. But pressons in the fight of the Lord, ù the Blood of his holy Ones, :.. Ir282. Abondance more were laid in Jails inmaeiy'Çounties for preaching, and the vexationof the Peoples Souls was increafed. At St. 4Ibans, Mr. fatsnake the ejected Minifter, being delired to preach a.Funeral Sermon.,ra Captain or, Lieute- nant came in with his Piftol charged, and (hot one of rho hearers dead , and the Preacher was lent to Prilon. § z83 . There were many Citizens of London, who had tliea a great Compatriot' on the Minifters, whole Families were utterly deftitnte of. ..Maintenance, and fain they would have relieved them, and had filch a Method,çhat the Citizens ofeach County should help the Minifters of that County : But theydurlt not do it , left it were judged a c;onfpiracy : Wherefore I went for them to the Lord Chancel- lour, and told him plainly of it, thatCompaffron movedthem, but the Sufpicions of thefe Diftempered Times deterred them, and I defined to have his Lordfhip's Judgment, Whether they might venture to be fo charitable without mifinterpreta- tionor danger? And he anfwered, [Aye, Gad. forbid but Menfhouldgsvetheir own aCcerding as their Charity leads them]. And fo having his precanlent ,1 gave it them for Encouragement. But they wouldnot believe that it was.Cordial, and would be any Security to them, and fo they never Muff venture upon fuch a Method which might have made their Charity effeótual ; but a few that were molt willing, did much more than all the rett, and folicited thine of their own Acquaintance,for their Counties Relief. {{84: Andhere I think it meetbefore I proceed, to open the true date of the Conformi(isand Nonconformists in England at this time. I. The Conformiftswere of three forts : 'I, Some of the old Minifters called Presbyterians formerly, that Conformed at BartholomewTide, or after, who had been in poffeflïon before the King came in : Theft were all:, of feveral forts: Come of them werevery able worthy Men , who Conformed did Suhfcrihed upon this Inducement , that the Bithop bid them [Do Thin their ownfence]: And fo they Subfcribed to the Parliament's words, and put their own fence upon them only by word of mouth, or in force by.paper. Some ofthem read Mr. Fullwood's and Stilemae's Books, and could not anfwer them, and tflërefore Conformed: For no Man ventured to put forth a full and fatisfaCtory rlrifwer to them for fear of some (Though fomewhat was written before by Mr. Crrjlos , and"after ly Mr. Cawdry and others ): Some were young raw Men that were never verfed in filch kind of Controverfies : Some were pertwaded of the`Gnfulnefs of the Parliaments War, and thence gathered that the Covenant, be- lt]gg in order to it, was a Rebellious Covenant , and therefore not obligatory : And ätf br`, things they thought were finali. Some had Wives and Children and Pover- iY,'tvhich were great Temptations to them: And molt that I knew, when once they inclined ro Conformity, slidavoid the Company of their Brethren, and never asks' hem what their Reafons-were againft Conformity. 'A'fecondtiòrfof Conforinitts were thofe called Latitudinarians, who were tgo$fy Comlrsrlg mÈn, PI tse f$s or Carte/ians, and many of them Armin an, with fine' Adt?ititins, having mdre charitable Thoughts than others of the Salvation of fleáihensand Infidels, and fumeof them holding the Opinions ofOrigen, about the PfæeXiItence of Souls, &r. Thefe were ingenious Menand Scholars, and of Uni- v f Fffir}}'hciples, and free abhorring at find the Impotitíon of thefe little things,but thíftkfhggthem'not great enough to flick at when Impofed. Of thief; force (with Dgr ara. rhëit'i4.eader) t?ved privately in Colledges and fought not any Prefer- rltt{éñ4S ii he VVbtid ättrldthers (et themflves to rife. Thefo
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