T-7.7 'If 242 LIVES OF THE PURITANS, suffered from men of opposite principles. In the former situation, his people, from their warm attachment to him, expended fifty pounds to purchase him a library, and performed for him many friendly offices. It is further observed, that " he was sensible of their kindness, and engaged himself by a voluntary promise never to leave them. He had riot continued long in this situation before Mr. Pickering, a reverend and learned divine, minister of Finchingfield, died. 'The fatness of the benefit," it is said, " helped the patron to suitors enow, but, amongst all, our Marshall' was the manwhom his affection made choice of to bestow his presentation upon ; who having unluckily married himself to Wethersfield, knows not what course to take to sue out abill of divorce. The great living, worth £200 a year, is a strong temptation to the holy man's con- cupiscible appetite ; however, Wethersfield holds him to his promise, never to leave them. -A little assembly of divines is -called ; and it is there debated how far Mr. Marshall's promise is obligatory. 'The casuists, knowing his mind before, conclude, that it bound him not to leave them for a lesser salary, but left him at liberty to take a bigger living when he could get it. Indeed, there is no reason why any promise, though ever so solemnly and deliberately made, should stand a perpetual palisado to any godly man's preferment. This decision satisfies his, corvan. For he leaves Wethersfield, and away he goes to Pinching- field. This," it is added, " is the first noted essay that he gave of his fidelity in keeping his promise."* In this partial and curious account of Mr. Marshall, it is also thus observed : " He was as conformable as could be desired, reading divine service, wearing the surplice, re- ceiving and administering the sacrament kneeling; approv- ing, commending, and extolling episcopacyand the liturgy ; observing all the holidays with more than ordinary dili- gence, preaching upon most of them. This he did so long as he had any hopes of rising that way. His ambition was such," says this writer,' I have great reason to believe that he was once an earnest suitor for a deanery, which is the next step to a bishopric ; the loss of which made him turn schismatic. His son-in-lawNye was heard to say, that if they hadmade his father a,bishop, before he had been too far engaged, it might have preventedall the war ; and since he cannot rise so high as a bishop, he will pull the bishops Life of Marshall, p. 5. Edit. 1680.
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