.=_s 4,36 The LIFE of the L I B. I. 42e. /Old now came in the Peoples Trial, as well as the Minihers: While the Danger and Sufferings lay on the Minihers alone, the People werevery cou- ragions, and exhorted them to nand k out, and Preach till they went toPrifon: But when it came to be their own Cafe,they were as venturous till they were once Surprized and Imprifoned ; but then their Judgmentswere.muchaltered, and (hey ,that cenfured Minihersbefore as Cowardly , because they preached not publickly whatever followed, did now think that it was better to preach often in fecret to a few, than but once or twice in publick to many ; and that Secrecy was no inwhen it tended to the furtherance of the Workof the Gofpel,and to the Churches Good: Efpecially the Rich were as cautelous as theMinifters. But yet their Meetings were fo ordinary, and fo well known, that it greatly tended to the Jailor's Commo- dity. § 430. It was a great Strait that People were in, especially that dwellnear any bufie Officer, or malicious Enemy ( as whoBoth not ?) Many durit not pray -in their Families, if above four Perfons came in to dine with them. Ina Gentleman's Houfe it is ordinary for more than four, of Visitors, Neighbours, Meffengers, or one fort or other, to bemolt or many days at Dinner with them : and then ma- ny durit not go toPrayer, and fome durst fcarce crave a Bleffing on their Meat, or give God thanks for it : Some thought they might venture if they withdrew into anotherRoom, and left theStrangers by themfelves: But others laid, It is all one if they be but in the fame Houfe, though out of hearing, when it cometh to theJudgment of the Junices. In Louisa, where the Houfes are contiguous, force thought if they were in feveral Hodes, and heard one another through the Wall or a Window, it would avoid the Law : But others faid , It is all in vain while the Juaice is Judge whether it was a Meeting or no. Great Lawyers faid, If you come on a vise or bulinefs, though you be prefent at Prayer or Sermon, it is no breach of the Law, becaufe you met not [en pretence of aReligious Exercife ] : But thofe that tried them faid, Such Words are but Wind when the Junices come to judge you. § 4;r. And herethe Fanaticks called Quakers did greatly relieve the fober Peo- ple fora time : for they were fo refolute, and gloried in their Conaancy and Suf. ferings, that they affembled openly (at the Bull and Mouth near dlderfgate) and were dragged away daily to the Common Jail ; and yet defined not, but the rea came the next day nevertheless: So that the Jail at Newgare was filled with them. Abundance of them diedin Prifon, andyet they continued their Affem- blies Hill ! And the poor deluded Souls would fometimesmeet only to fit Dill in Silence (when, as they Paid, theSpirit did not fpeak) : And it was a great Que- Dion, Whether this Silence was a Religions Exercife not allowed by the Liturgy, Ice. And once uponfome fuch Reafonsas thefe, when they were tried at the Seffions in order to a Banithment, the Jury acquitted them ;,but were grievoufly threat- ned forit. After that anotherJurydid acquit them, and force of them were fined and imprifoned for it. But thus the Quakers foemployed Sir R. B. and the other Searchers and Profecutors, that theyhad the lets leifure to look after the Meetings of Soberer men ; which was much totheir prefentcafe. § 432. And now the Divifions, or rather the Cenfures of the Non-conforming People againi their Minihers and one another, began to increase : which was long foreseen, but could not be avoided, and I that had incurred fo much the dif- pleafureof the Prelates, and all their Party, by pleading for the Peace of the Non-conformins, did fall under moreof their difpleafure than any one man be fides, as far as I could learn : And with me they joyned Dr. Bates, because we went to the Publick Affemblies, and alfo to the Common Prayer, even to the begin- ning of it : Not that they thought worfe of us than of others ; but that they thought that our Example would do more harm: For I mull bear them witnefs, thatin the mida of all their Cenfures of-my Judgment and Anions, they never Confuted my Affenions and Intentions, nor abated their Charitable Enimation of me in the main. And of the leading Prelates I had fo much fa- vour in their hottelt Indignation , that they thought what I did againl their In- terell was only in obedience to my Catfcience. So that I fee by experience, that hethat is impartially and fincerelyfor Truthand Peace and Piety, againit all Fa- &ions, (hall havehis Honesty acknowledged by thefeveral Fanions, whichhis Ani. ons, as crofi to their Intereft, are detefted : Whereas he that joyneth with one of the Palliates, (hall have both his Perfon and Anions condemned by the other, though hilParey may applaud both. §433.
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