154 The L I F E of the Partin. to Afcertain the Execution ; and I mutt here alfo be the firft that mutt be Ac- cuied. s. 278. A title before the King had Recalled his Licenfes, knowing on what Accufations theywould proceed, according to the Aft of Uniformity; I did to Obviate the Accufation, deliver, in Words and Writing, this following Profefli- _. on, [Though when I began to Preach in this place, I publsckly pQrofeffed , That it wok the notorious Neceffity of the People, who are more than the Pari:A- Church can hold; which moved me thereunto and that we Meet not in Oppofition to, orSeparation from the Publick Churches; yet perceiving that by-fome we are reifunderflood, I repeat the fame Profeffon : And that we Meet not under colouror pretence of any Religions Exercifè in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Praliice of the Church of England: And that were I able, .1 would accordingly Readily Self.] For the underítauding of this , it molt be known , r. That being my Self unable both to Read and Preach, I had an Afflltant, who daily Read the Scripture-Sentences , the 95th Pfalm , the Pfatms for the Day the two Chapters for the 'Day, Singing the Pfalms appointed for Hymns , Ming the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Decalogue ; all which is the Greatest part of the Liturgy , though nene of the. Common Prayers were ufed. z. That I forbear the efe of much of the Common Prayer, which I think lawful and good, meerly becaufe many of the Nonconformifts could not bear it. 3. That tine Aft againft Conventicler u- nifiseth none but' [thofe that meet on colour or ptetence of any Religious Exercifee in other manner than according to the Liturgy and radice of the Church ofEngland. ] 4. That my Judgment was, that my Meeting was not fuch, and that I broke no Law : And therefore I made this open Profesfion, as Preparatory tomy An- fwer before the Magittrate ; not expeflmg that any fach means fhoeld free me from fuffering in the lean degree, but that it Mould conduce to the clearingof myCade when I Suffered. But, upon this Paper, thofe that are unable, or un- willing to fufpend their Cenfures, till they underhand the Cade and that can- not underftand Words in their plain and proper fignification, but according to their own Preconceptions, did prefently divulge, all over the Land, many faire Reports of it andme : The Separatists gave out prefently, That I had Conform - ed, and openly declared myAfrent and Confent, b'r. And fo confidently did they affirm it, that almoít all theCity believed it : ThePrelatifts again took the Report from them, and their own wdlingoefs that fo it Mould be, and reported the fame thing : Inone Epifcopal City they gave Thanks inP ;lick that I Con- formed : In many Counties, their News was, That I moil certainly Conformed, and was thereupon tohave aBifh®prick ( which, if I fhould, I had done foolilh- ly in lofingThirteen years Lordship and Profit, and then taking it when I am dying.) This was divulged by the Conforming., to fortifie their Party in the Conceits oftheir Innecency, and by the Separatists, in Spleen and Quarrelfome Zeal! But confident Lyingwas too common with both. And yet the next day, or the next day Pave one, Letters fled abroad on the contrary, that I was fent to Gaol for notConformin . §. 279. Not long before this, having Preached at Pincers-Hall for Love and Peace, divers falfe Reports went currant among the Separatists, and from them to other Nonconformilts, that I Preached againft theImputation of Christ's Righte- oufnefs,and for Jnitification byour own Righteoufnefs, and that thePapifts and Proteltants differ but in Words, dye. So that I was conftrained topublifh the truth of the Cafe, in a Meet of Paper, called, An Appeal to the Light. Which , though it evinced the falfhood of their Reports, and no one Man did everafter juftifie them, that ever I couldhear of, yet' did they perfevere in their General Accufation ; and I had Letters from feveral Countries, that the London Accufers had Written to them, that I had both in the Sermon, and in that Paper, called, AnAppeal to theLight, done more to flrengthen Popery than ever was done by any Pa- ,pifls. This was the reward of all my Labours, from the Separating Indepen- dents. $. talo. So finAlly ready areMen to receive falfe Reports,that many of faber Principles, and forceof my molt intimate Friends,believed them, andwere ready to fecond the Defamation : But when-ever they came to me, and debated the Cafe, and heard me fpeak, every Man ofthem confelfed their Error, and Mifun- derftanding. The fecret fomenters of the Accufing Reports and quarrels, did it with factPrivacy and Caution as befeensed Wife Men : But the open Back- biters
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=