art III. IZevereind Mr. R ichárd Baxter. People, for the Teachingwhich they had loft, or the fear of the great and final Reckoning, affeft the Hearts of the Prelatifts, or ftop them in their way. The chief Promoters of this among the Clergy, were faid to be the Atch-bilhop of Canterbury,andDr. Seth-Ward, the BithopofSalisbury : And oneof the greateft Ad- verfaries of it in the Lord's Houfe, was the very Honourable Earl of Southampton, Lord Treafurer of England ; . a Man that had ever adhered to the King, but under- Stood the intereft of his Country, and of Humanity. It is without Contradi&ion Reported, that he faid, No honeJEMan wouldtake that bath. TheLord Chancellor Hide alfo, and the reft of the Leaders of that mind and way, promoted it, and eafily procured it to pafs the Hodes, notwithftanding all that was Paid againft it. § S. By this Adt theCafe ofthe Minifters wasmadefo hard, that many thought themfelves neceffitated to break it, not only by the neceffityoftheir office, but bya natural impoffibilityof keeping it, unlefsthey fhould murder themfelves and their Families. t. As to a moral Neceffity, as they durft not be fo Sacrilegious as todefert the Sacred Office wholly, to which they wereconfecrated . (which would be worfe than /mantas and Sapphira's Alienating their devoted Money ) fo they couldhardly ex- ercife any part oftheir Office, iftheydid obey this Adt. For, i. The Cities and Corporations arc the molt confiderahle part of the Kingdom, andalfo had, for the molt part, the greateff need of help ; partly, becanfe ofthe numeroufnefs of the People : For in many Parilhes in London, the fourth part (nay in force the tenth part) cannot be contained in the publick Temples, ifthey came, fo as to hear what is faid. Partly alfo, becaufe Ilion Corporations having fmailer Maintenance than the Rural Parifhes, are worfe provided for by the Conformifs : And every where the privateWork ofOver-fight, andMinifterial Help, is through theirNumbers, greater than many Minifters can perform; and it is a work that I never yet knew one Prelatilt well perform, to my remembrance; and few of then meddle with it at all, any farther than to read CommonPrayer force time to a dying Man, ifany one of a Multitude delire it. 2. Many ofthem had Paftoral Charges in Cities and Corporations, from the obli- gation ofwhich they take not themfelves tobe well releafed, by the bare prohibition of Man, while their Peoples needs and delires continue, and where theirplaces are füpplyed with Men fo ignorant and vicious, as to he un-meet for filch a charge of . Souls : And it muff be more than theWill ofMan, that mutt warrant them to fly and forfake their Flocks, to which they had a lawful Call, and to leave their Souls to thole notorious Perils, as in very many placesthey mutt do. 3. And in the ref ofthe Land, where can a Minifter labourwith advantage, but withthofe that know him, and areknown of him,and haveformerly profited byhim, and will affordhimEntertainment? 4. Ifit be lawful to defert the Souls ofall Cities and Corporations andall other Parifhes where-ever we preach'd, it will follow thatit is lawful todefert all thereff, and fo facrilegioufly todefert ouroffice. S. Chriftfaith, When they perfecute you in one City, fly to anothei. Therefore we are notobliged to defect themall, as loon as we arecommanded. 6, The Preaching of Chrift's Apoftles, and of all his Minifters, for30o Years, wasagainft thewill ofthe Princes, andRulers óf the Countries where they preached: And yet they plantedChurches, and ordained Elders principally in all theCities where they came, and would rather fuller lmprifonment andDeath, thantodefert themany further, thanby flying from one to another. § 9. 2. But natural neceffityalfo conftrained many: For many had Wives, and many Children to maintain, and had not one Penny of yearly Revenue,, nor any thing but the Gifts ofcharitable People to maintain them : And if they had a poor Cottage to live in; and no Money to pay their Rent, nor to buyFire, Food, or Cloathing, they had much lefs enough to take another Houfe, and payfor there- moval of their Goods far off, and the Charges ofa new Settlement ; and there to dwell among Strangers, far from thole whofe Charity relieved them, was but to turn their Families to famifh, which Is more inhumane, than to fee a Brother have need, and to that up theBowels of our compalion from him, which yet is contrary to theLove ofGod. $ t o. And indeed, in many Countries, it washard to find many places which were not within five Miles of tonic Corporation, or of force place where we had A a a a z Preached
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