Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

The LI I E of the Part III: Preached before ( for fome Minihers preached in a great- number of Parifhes at feveral times ) And if fuch a place were found, was it like that there would be Houfes enough found untenanted, to receive fo many Minihers? Or if there were, perhaps the Landlords would be fo much for Prelacy, as to refufe fuchTe- nants, or fo tiinorousas tobeafraid, left by receiving filch, they Should bring them- felvesunder Sufpicion of favouring Non.conformilts, and fo beruined; or fo cave- tous, as knowing their advantage, to askmore for their Houfes, thanpoor Milliners that had hardly anythingleft to fubfift on, could be able to give. Betides that al- moft all Country Houfes are annexed to theParata or Landbelonging to them. And Minihers are ill Farmers, efpecially when they have no Money to Stock their Land. § i i . Yea, they allowed. them not to bekept as common.Beggars, on the Alms of the Parilh ; but when by the Law, every Beggar is, to be brought to the place of hisBirth, or lait abode, and there to bekept on Alms No Minifter mutt come, within five Miles of the Parifh where he ever exercifedhis Miniftry ; nor any than were born. in Cities and Corporations, muft come within five Miles of them,for relief. § i,a. In this ítrait, thofe Minihers that had any Maintenance oftheir own, did find out fome Dwellings in obfcure Villages, or in forne few Market-Towns, which were noCorporations : And thofe that had nothing,did leave theirWivesand Children, andhid themfelvesabroad, andfometimes cane fecretly to thembynight But ( God bringing Good out of Men's Evil ) many refolved to preach themore freely inCities and Corporations till they wentto Prifon : Partly, becaufe they were then in theway oftheir Calling,in whichtheycould-fuffer withthegreater peace ;and partly, becaufe theymight fodo fome good before they fuffered ; andpartly, becaufe the People much defired it, and alto were readier to relieve one that laboured for them, thanone that did nothing but hide himfelf; and partly, becaufewhen they lay in Prifon for preachingthe Gofpcl, both they, andtheir Wives andChildren, were like to find more pity and relief, than ifthey fhould forfake their People, and their Work. Seeing therefore the Qteftion came to this Whether Beggary and Famine to themfelves and Families, with the deferting of? their Callings, and the People's Souls, was to he chofen, or the faithful performance oftheir Work, with a Prifon after, and the People's Compaffion? They thought the latter, the more eligible. § 13. And yet when they had fo chafen, their Straits were great, for the Country was fo impoverilhed; that thofeof thePeople who were, willingto relieve the Minihers, were notable : And molt that were able, were partlytheir Adver- faries, and partly worldly-minded, and ftrait-handed, and unwilling. And, alas! it is not now and then a Shilling, or a Crowngiven (very rarely) whichwill pay H'oufe-Rent, and maintain a Family. Thofe Minihers that were unmarryed, did caGlier bear their Poverty; but it pierceth a Man's Heart to have Children crying, and Sicknefs come upon them for want of wholfomFood, or bydrinkingWater, and tohave nothing to relieve them. And Women areufually letspatient of Suffering than Men; and their Impatience would be more to aHusband thanhis own wants. I heardbut lately, of a good Man, that wasfain to Spinas Women do, toget fome- thing towards his Family's relief ( which could be but little;) and being Melan- choly and Dfeafed, it was but part of the Day that he wasable to dothat: Ano- ther (Mr. Chadwick in Somerfet) for a long time had little but brown Rye Bread and Water for himfelf, his Wife, and many Children, andwhen his Wife was ready to lye in, was to be turned out ofDoor, for not paying Isis Houfe-Rent. But set God did mercifully provide fame Supplies, that few of them either perilhed, or were expofed to fordid'unfeemly Beggary: But fortefewwere tempted againft their former judgments to Conform. § r 4. TheOath impofedon themwas this. I A B, Do Smear, That it is not lawful, upon anypretence whatfoever, to take Arms ágainft the King: And that I do abhor thatTraytórous Pofitfon, oftaking Arms by his Authorit agarnft hes Peifon, or againft thofe that are Cnmmionated by-Him, in purfue -kiteoÎj?lcb Commi/fon: And that I will not at any time-endeavour any alteration of Grttrrntnent, either inChurch or State. The

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=