Chap. VIII. The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs.· 67 5 ter by giving a public challenge to the prejbyterians, indepmdents, anabapKing · d · d h d r h d'r · h Charles !I. tifls, and quakers, an appomte t rce ays :o~ t e 11putat10n ; on t e 1670 . firfl: of which his lordlhip went into the pulptt 111 the church, where was~ a conuderable congregation, and charged the former with (edition and rebellion out of their books, but would hear no reply. When the day came to difpute with the quakers, they fummoned their friends, and when the bilhop railed, they paid him in his own coin ; and followed him to his very houfe with repeated lhouts, the birelingjlyeth. The non-conformifi: minifiers did what they could to keep themfelves Dijlrefs if within the compafs of the law; they preached frequently twice a day in th~ ~onconf. large families, with only four fi:rangers, and as many under the age of fix- mmijlcrs. teen as would come; and at other times, in places where people might hear in feveral adjoining houfes; but after all, infinite mifchiefs enfued, families were impoverilhed and divided; friendlhip between neighbours was interrupted; their was a general difiruil: and jealoufy of each other; and fometimes upon little quarrels, fervants would betray their mafi:ers, and throw their affairs into difi:raCtion. Among others that fuffered at this Manton's time was Dr. Manton, who was apprehended on a Lord's day in the after- Life. noon, jufi: as he had done fermon, the door being opened to let a gentle.. man out, the jufiice and his attendants ruihed in and went up fi:airs; they ftayed till the doCtor had ended his prayer, and then writ down the names of the principal perfons prefent, and took the doctors promifc: to come to them at an houfe in the piazza's of CGvent-Garden, where they tendered him the Oxford oath, upon his refufal of which, he was committed prifoner to the Gate-houfe; where he continued till he was releafed by the indulgence. At another time his meeting-houfe in White Hart Yard was broken up; the place was fined forty pounds, and the minifler twenty, which was paid by lord Wha'rton, who was then prefent: They al(o took ·down the names of the hearers, for the benefit of the ju!lices of P-eace and fpiritual courts. The behaviour of the quakers was very extraordinary, and had fome-Courage if thing in it that looked like the fpirit of martyrdom. They met at the tie quakers, fame place and hour as in times of liberty, and when the officers came to ~u~net, P· feiie them, none of them would fi:ir; they went all together to prifon; they 7 · fi:ayed there till they were difmiffed, for they would not petition to be fet at liberty, nor pay the fines fet upon them, nor fo much as the prifon fees. When they were difcharged, they went to their meeting-houfe again, ~1s before; and w~en the doors were lhut up by order, they aifembled 111 great numbers 111 the fi:reet befure the doors, faying, they would not be alhamed, nor afraid to difown their meeting together in a peaceable manner t~ worlhip ~od ; but in imitation of the prophet Daniel, they would do 1t more publicly, becaufe they were forbid. Some called this 4 R 2 obfi:inacy,
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