Ig the L 1 FE of the Part III who made Works of Charity a great part of thebufinefsof his Life,) was made the Treafurer : Andonce a Fortnight they called a great Numberof the needytogether, to receive their Alms. I went oncewithMr. Alkali to his Meeting, to give them an Exhortation and Counfel, as he gavethemAlms, and fawmore can e, than I was fenfì- ble of before,-to be thankful to God, that I never much needed relief fromo thers. § 36. It was not the leaft obfervable thing in the time ofthe Fire, and after, con- fidering the late Wars, and the multitudes ofdisbanded Soldiers? and the great grief and difcontent of the Londoners, for the Silencing and Banilhrng of their Paftors that yet there were heard in the time of their Calamity, no pafGonate Words of difcontent or dilhonour againít their Governours, even when their Enemies had fo oft accufed them of feditious Inclinations, and whenExtremity mightpoffibly have made them defperate. § 37. But, yet alas! the Effeft of all there dreadful Judgments was not fuch as might have been hoped forAbut ftill one Party caft all theCaufe uponanother, and the twoExtreams didlook moreat each other's Faults than at their own. Therewas no confefling the Sin of Perfecution, or Electing ChriE's Minifters by the one fide, but they jultified their ways, and hated thofe that differed from them, as much as ever : There was no lamenting the CorporationPERJURY by the Citizens that had taken the Declaration and Oath, and hadfucceeded themthat wereput out, be. caufe they feared an Oath. There was no lamenting former Scandals, Rebellions, or Divifions, by the other Extreme ; but the Dividers cryedout its long of the Per- fecutors, and the perfecuters cryedout, its long of the Schifmaticks, and it is God's jolt Judgment on the City, that bathbeen fo much againft the Kingand the Bithops ; and God wouldnot pardon them tho the Kingdid: So that whileeach fide called the other to repentance they didboth fly from repentance more andmore : Andif there were not between thema fober party, that lamented finmolt but wereguiltyof leaft. We fhould fee noPrognofticks ofany thing but utter defolation. § 38. Thegreat talk at this timewas, Whowerethe burners of the City? And there came in fo many Teftimonies to prove that it was the plotted weapon of the Papifts, as miffed the Parliament themíelves to appoint a Committee to enquire after it, andreceiveinformation : Whereupon a Frenchman (proved a Papift at lait, tho the prodigal Son ofa French Proteltant) confeft openly and conftantly to the lait, that he began thefire,hired to it by another French PapiJt(a debauch'd fellow)that was gone : The Man wasfent through all the ruines, and (hewed them truly the houle which he fired(where it began), which then the Neighbours themfelves could not eafily have done. For which he was tryed at the Sellions? and upon his confiant Confefon was condemned and hanged. Sir Robert Brooks being Chairman of theCommittee, abun- dance of Teftimonies were received ; that in many parts of the City men were feen to call fire balls into thehoules ; and forne ftrangers taken with fiery materialsis their pockets; and force that were taken firing houfes were brought to the Guard of Soldi- diem, and to the Duke of Tork, and never heard of afterward : Withmore Inch mat- ter out of the Countrey where DiversPapijts foretoldthe fire; And tile Teftimonies were lhortly after Printed, which is the reafon why I give them to you no more par - cularly. And many ftories go about with very credible and undenied Reports, that be not in the Printed papers: As that of Sir Francis Peter (a Jefüited Papift) who had Lodgings in Holborn, next to a houlethat had flood empty fine theplague : Where a finoak breaking out, caufed the Lord Cravan and the Lord AJtleyto leek to quench the fire ; but theywere fain tobreak open Sir Francis Peter's Doors, becaufe he would not let them in: And afterward he defended hisftayerswith his fword, and wounded oneMan before they could apprehend him And they found between the two houles uponthe Glitters, a fire kindled with bed-mats and Inch like things, which they put out : But the matterwas filenced and no more Paid of it. In Shropflire a Papift came toSir ThomasWolrich, and took his Oath that one of the Pendrils brethren that had hid the King after Worcefter flight, had told him before, that Londonwould be thortly burnt. Many other filch teftimonies were given in ; but it came to nothing ; and Sir Robert Brooks the Chairman of theCommitteee, went fhortly after intoFrance, and as he wasferryed overa River wasdrowned (with his Rinfinan) and thebufinefs medled withno more. Sò that the'difcontented Citizens feared not to accule the Courtiers, as the factors of the Pa:ifts in the plot ; the rather becaufe that fume cryed out re- joycingly, Now the Eebelllons City is ruined, the King is abfolate, and was never King indeed till now. put of the rest I referyou to thePrinted papers. §39.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=