t 2heLI FEofthe Part III received agroat, as for Preachingthefe elevenyears, but what I have returned (un- lefs I maycall about the fumof ten pounds which forre perfon gave me on parti- cular occafions, and 35 lb. which three gave gave me in the Jail todefraymy Pri- fon-charges, by that name or ten pounds per Ann. which Sergeant Fountain gave me till hedyed, to whom I never Preached, nor was iton that account ) only four pounds I received for Preaching the Merchant's Leaure, and 6 Ib. more was offered messmy due,and fome offeredme fomewhat after a year'sPreaching at Mr. Turner's Church e but I fent it every penny back to them, and refolved ( while it is as it is) to take no moneyfor my.Preaching. r. Becaufe I preachbut in other men's Churches, to people that maintain other Miniftersalready, a. Becaufe I want not, but have togive, when multitudes are in great. neceffity. 3. Becaufe I will be under no temptation by dependence or obligation which may hinder mefrom dealing plain- ly with Dilfentersand Offenders. 4. Becaufe I perceive that, when men's purfes are fought to, it tempteth many to question whether wefincerelyPeek the good of their Souls. On all which Accounts & not ( I think ) from proud difdain, 'I have fo long refuted money for preaching. Andwhereas they fay how much I receivefor my printed books,1 againát this year 1674. profefs that having printed about7o.l3ooks, no one Lord, Knight, or any perfon to whom ( as it's called ) any of them were Dedicated or infcribed, ever offered me a groat, rave the City of Coventry and the Lady Rous, each a piece of Plate of about 4. lb. value : And whereas the fifeenth Book printed is my due from the Bookfeller, which I ufe, for almoft all of them, to give my friends,which amounteth tomany thoufands,I remember not that everyone perfon, noble or ignoble offered me one groat to this day, for any book I gave them. And I mention all this, becaufe I amnot capableofconfuting the malicious calumniators by diftant instances fowell as by my owncafe ; But yet that the Rea- ders may partly conje&ure, at thecafe of many of my Brethren, by my own : who yet neverreceived a groat from my Inheritance or Patrimony (my poor kindred havingmuch more than all :) Were notmalice impudent thefe Apologies were needlefs, for men, that theworld feeth are turned out of all. Yea we ourfelves pay conftantly to the maintenanceof theConformable Ministers, thongwehaveno part our felves. And 1 can truly fay that I haveoffered money tomy old acquaintance, who live filenced ina very r and hard condition, who have ftiffly refuted it becaufe they thought it unlawful they had Bread and Drink, to take money while many of their Brethrenwere iä greater need. And at the fame time while thefeenvious Preachers cryedout againftour Preach ing, and perfwadedmen how fully we were maintained, they laboured for Laws to increafe their felled maintenance, and fome ofthem in my hearing Preachedhow miferableacafe the Clergy were m, were they left to the people's kindnefs and bounty : And yet proclaim our fulnefs, who are left to the kindnefs of chofe few ( who alfo pay fully their Tythes to the Parifh Ministers) who, thefe Envyers fay, are but the fmaller and poorer fort in the Land; which comparatively is true, ( though by this time i thinkthe far greateft part are grown into diflike with the prefent Prelates, who yet cleave to their Church. ) And if their noble; rich, and numerous followerswould leave them in want, were they left to their Charity, it Teems they take their Church'to conflit of men much more covetous, and lets Relit gious and liberalthan our few poor men. S. 261. The Lord's day,before the Parliament was dilfolved, one of thefe Pre- latiftsPreached to them to perfwade them that we are obftinate, andnot to be to= legated, nor cured by any means, but {vengeance urging them to fet Fire to the Fa- got, and teachus by Scourges or Scorpions, and open our eyes with Gall. Yet none, of thefe men -will procure us leave to publifh, or offer toAuthority the Reafons of our Non-conforésity. But this is not thefirft proof that a carnal, worldly, roud, ungodly Clergie, whonever were ferioss in their ownprofefled belief, nor felt the power of what they Preach, have been, in molt Ages of the Church, its greateft plague, and the greatell hinderers of Holinefs and Concord by making their forma- lities and Ceremonies the tet of Holinefs, and theirWorldly Interest and Domi- nation the only cement of Concords And O howmuch hath Satan done againft Chrift's Kingdomin theWorld, byfetting upPaftorsand Rulers Overthe Churches, to fight agàinit Chrift in hisown nameand livery, and to deltroy pietyand peace,by a pretence of promoting them ! S. 262. This forefaid Preacher brings to my remembrance a Silenced Miniltfi
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