6 The L I F Lof t/e Partl ChriftianBifhops, that call thetifelves thePaftors and Fathers of the Church, fhould 1 .t is on fnch Terms as thefe, when Alts 28. ult. Paul preached in his own Houfe, to as many as came to him, none forbidding him, oven under Heathens, c'rc. And if the Reader be fo happy, as to live in Days of the Churches Peace, andLiberty, and Rcforntation,,-lae will be apt to cenfuse us for yieldingto filch hard Terms as here we do : Who if he had been in the time and placewith us, and feen that we could have the Got-pc' upon no other Terms, he would pity rather than cenfure the Ghutehes and us. § 8 i. Nay, how joyfully would ( I believe 14oe of) the Nonconformabie Mi- nifters of England (at leaft ) have yielded to there Terms, if they could have got them. But, alas ! all this labourwas in vain : For the active Prelates andPrelatifts fo far prevailed, . that as foon as ever the Parliament met, without any delay they took notice, That there was a rumour abroad of fonie Motions or AB tobe offered, for Comprehenfon or Indulgence i and voted, That no Man Ihonld bring in filch an Aet into the Houfe; and fo they prévcnted all talk or motion of fach athing; and -the Lord Keeper that had called us, and fet us on work; himfelf turned that way, and talk'dafter, as if heunderftood us not. § 82. In April, t 668. Dr. Creighton, Dean of Wells, the molt famous, loquacious, ready-tongu'd Preacher of the Court, who was ufed to preach Calvin to Hell and the Calvinrfts to the Gallows; and by his fcornfnl revilings and jefts, to 1etthe Court on a Laughter, was fuddenly, in the Pulpit,(without any ficknefs) furprized with Afonifhment, worfethan Dr. South, the Oxford-Orator, had been before him; and when he had repeated a Sentence over and over, and was fo confounded, that hecould go nofurther at all, he was fain, to all Men's wonder, to come down.And his cafe was more wonderful than aimoft any other Man's, being not only a fluent. extemporate Speaker, but one that was never known to want words, efpecially to exprefs his Satyrical or bloody Thoughts. § 83. In °uly Mr. Taverner, late Minifter of Vxbridge, was. fentenc'd to New- gate-Goal,for Teaching a few Children at Brainford ; but paying his Fineprevented it: And Mr. Button of Brainford, (amoft humble, worthy, godly Man, that never was in Orders, or a Preacher, but. had been Canon of Cfirif 's Church in Oxford, and Orator to the Univerfty) was fent to Goal, for Teaching two Knight'sSons in his Houfe, havingnot taken the Oxford-Oath, by one Rofs a Jnffice (a Scot, that was Library-Keeper at üveftminfter) and fome other puffices : And -many of his Neigh- bours of Brainford were font to the fame Prifon, for worfhipping God, in private, together; where they all lay many Months (fit as I remember.) And I namethefe, becanfe they were my Neighbours; but many Countries had the like nfage. Yea, Bithop Crofts,that hadpretended great Moderation,fentMr.Woodward,a.werthy fìlen- ced Minifter of HerefordJhire, to Goal for fax Months. Some were imprifoned upon the Oxford-fit, and fonie on the A& againit Conventicler. § 84. Lt September, Col. Philips (a Courtier of theBed-chamber, and my next Neighbour, who fpake me fair) complained to the King of me for Preachingtó great numbers : butthe King put it by, and nothing was done, at that time. §. -8g. About this tinie Dr. Manton ( being neareft the Court, and of great Name among the Presbyterians, and being heard by many of great Quality)' was told by Sir pohn Babor, That the Kingwas much inclined to favour the Non-confor- rei t.r, and that an Addrefs now would be accepted, and that the Addrefs muff be a thankful Acknowledgment of the Clemency of his Majefty's Government, and the Liberty which we thereby enjoy, ami. Accordingly they drew upan Addrefs of Thankfgiving, and I was invited to jo)a in the prefenting of it (hut notin the Pen- nine; for I had marr'd their Matter oft enough :) Bait I was both fckand unwilling, having been,oft enough imployeci in vain : But I told them only of my ficknefs. And fo Dr. Manton, Dr. Bates, Dr. ) acombe, and Mr. Ennie, prefented it : what accep- ranee it had with the King, and what lie faid to them, this Letter of Dr. Manton's will tell yca . But theCopy ofthe Acknowledgment I cannot giveyou; for I never Iliac it, nor fought to feeit, that I remember, for I perceived what it aimed at. Pr.
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