7he HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. If. C King 11 of them marked with a red crofs, and an infcription over the door, Lord harles • h . f G r: . h n. d . h I 1665 . a"Je nm cy o_n us. ra.1s grew m t e Hreets ; an every n1b t t 1e bell· ~man went IllS rounds with a cart, crying bring out your dead. From LQndon the plague fpread into the neighbouring towns and villages, and conti– nued near three quarters of a year, till it had [wept away almofi one hundred thoufand of the inhabitants. Ejelled miSome of the e!1abli!hed clergy, with a commendable zeal, ventured 11 iflers ven- 1 to continue in their Hations, and preach to their pari!hioners throughout ture to preac' h r f h 1 D nr /k D = D • A" • d publicly. t e cour1e o t e p ague, as r. rr a er, r. n.orton, r. ~v~errtcn, an Baxter's a few others; but mofl: of them fled, and deferted their pari{hes at a Life, part time when their affill:ance was moll: wanted; upon this fome of the ejeCted lii. P· 2 ' minillers ventured to preach in the vacant pulpits, imagining that to extraordinary a cafe would jufbfy their difregard to the laws. The minif– ters who embarked in this fervice, were the reverend Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Chejler, Mr. Janeway, Mr. Turner, Grimes, Franklz:n, and others. The fa(e of death, and the arrows that fled among the people in dark– nefs at noon-day, awakened both preachers and hearers: Many who were at church one day were thrown into their graves the next; the cry of great numbers was, ~vhat )ball we do to be faved? A more awful time England had never feen! Which brings. But it will amaze all pof1erity, that in a time both of war and pefli– them mzder lence, and when the non-conform ill: miniflers were hazarding their lives {~:J;;;ps: in the ferv!ce of th_e fouls of. the dill:reffe? and dying citize_ns of London 0 lb. p. 3· that the pnme mimfler and h1s creatures, m!lead of mournmg for the nation's fim, and meditating a reformation of manners, !hould p~ur out all their vengeance upon the non-conformiil:s, in order to make their condi– tion more infupportable. One would have thought fuch a judgment from heaven, and fuch a generous compafiion in the ejeCted mini11ers, !hould have foftenecl the hearts of their moll: cruel enemies; but the prdbyte.. Eachard, p.rians mull: be cruil1ed, in defiance of the rebukes of providence. Bi(hop !124, Kennet and Mr. Eachard would excufe the minifiry by alledging, that fome of the old Oliverian I!!Jicers were liited in the dutch fervice; which if true, was nothing to the body of the preibyterians, though lord Cla– rendon did what he could to incenfe the parliament, and make them be-. lieve they were in confederacy with the enemies of the government. In L•rd Clahis harangue to the houfe he fays, " their countenances were more ereCt, rendon's . " and more infolen.t fince the beginning of the war than before ; that fPmh for 11 '" they were ready if any misfortune had befallen the king's fleet, " to have brought the war into our fields and houfes. The horrid mur– '' derers of our late royal mafler, have been received into the moll: facred u councils in Holland; and other infamous perfons of our nation, are ad– '' mitted to a fhare in the conduct of their affairs with liberal penfions. Too
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