192 The LIFE of the Partlll. But when they had taken and fold all, and I borrowed fome Bedding and Ne- reffaries of the Buyer, I was never the quieter : for they threatned to come upon me again and take all as mine, whofefoever it was, which they found in my poffeRon : So that I had no remedy, hut utterly to forfake my Houfe and Goods and all, and take ferret Lodgings diftant in a franger's Houfe. But having a long Leafe of my own Houfe which binds me to pay a great- er' Rent than now it is worth , when-ever I go I muff pay that Rent. The feparation from my Books would have been a greater part of my fmall Afiliélion, but that I found I was near the end both of that Work and Life which needeth Books; and fo 'I eafily let go all : Naked came I into the World, and naked molt I go out. But I never wanted lefs ( what Man can give) than when Men had taken all My old Friends ( and Strangers tome ) were fo Liberal, that Iwas fain to re- fl:rain their Bounty : Their kindnefs was a forer and larger Revenue to me than my own. But God was pleafed quickly to put me paff all fear of Man, and all delire of avoiding fuffering from them by Concealtnent; by laying on me more him- felf than Man can do : Their lmprifonment, with tolerable Health, would have Teemed a Palace to me ; And had they put me to death for filch a Dutyas their Perfecute me , itwould have been a joyful end of my Calamity. But day and night I groan and languifh under God's jolt afflifting hand ; The pain which before only tired my Reins, and toremy Bowels, now alfo fell upon my Blad- der, and 'Carte any part or hour is free. As Waves followWaves in the Tem- peftuous Seas, fo one pain and danger followeth another, in this finful miferable Flefh : I die daily, and yet remain alive : God, in his great Mercy knowing my dulnefs in health and cafe, doth make it much caller to repent and hate my fin, and loath my felf, and contemn the World, and fubmit to the Sentence of death with willingnefs than otherwife it was ever like to have been. O how little is it that wrathful Enemies can do againft us, in comparifon of what our fin, and the Juffice of God can do? And O. how little is it that the belt anda kindeff of Friends can do, for a pained Body, or a guilty finful Soul, in compari- fon of one gracious look or word fromGod. Woebe to him that bath no better help than Man : Andbleffed is he whofe help and hope is in the Lord. But I will here tell the Reader what I had to fay , if I had been allow'd a hearing. The CASE of R.B. §, i9. ¡ $Aving been profecuted as offending againft the Oxford Confining- 11 Act, and finding that my filence may occafon the guilt of frl as underffand not my Cafe , and being by God's hand difabled perfonally to appear and plead it, I ant necellitated to open it by Writing, to undeceive them that miftake it. I. As to the Sense of that Law, I conceive that it reacheth to none but Non - confornùfts ; and that besaufe they are fufpeìed to teach Schifm and Rebellion. For thoughthe body of a Law fometeme extend further than the Title yet when the title containeth both the end of the Law, and the Defcription of the perforas meant (as hear it Both) it is expofitory to the Law , Therefore the words ] all fach] in the third Paragraph, mull mean [ allfilch asaforefaid, viz. Nonconfor- mills ] and not [all fuel) others,] viz. Conformifts : For, r. The Conformifts are fuppofed to be from under the Sufpicion. z. And elfe it may ruin many Churches : If the Curate omit the Liturgy, or part, and the Incumbent Preach, it will be made an Unlawful Affembly, by hhe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=