Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A60683
|
A reply to a letter sent by William Newberry, and William Edmunds to Dr. Fowler by William Smythies, his curate.
|
Smythies, William, d. 1715.
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing S4369; ESTC R13305
|
13,999
|
9
|
Conventicles he cannot say that ever he heard of these Mens Suppressing One tho it may be they have Many and there is no Divine in England but may as well be charged with being a Favourer of Conventicles as He may He hath Written no less than four Books against the Principles of Conventiclers and I never heard any with greater force of Argument expose them from the Pulpit Let that one Book of his Intituled Libertas Evangelica be consulted which was written and Published 1680. when the Fanaticks had the greatest Liberty and let the Doctor be judged of by that Book and whether 't is imaginable he should tack about to them after they were a crusht Party And I wonder what any Man can imagine he can promise to himself by being a Favourer of Conventicles considering his Promctions unless it could be supposed that he loves mischief for the sake of it As to their endeavour to purge the Vestry of ill Men they know in their Consciences that this was no cause of altering the Doctors Countenance towards them but it was their telling that shameful untruth of him at Mr. Secretary Jenkings his Office viz. that he was an encourager of such People in the Vestry and I think he had little reason to be fond of such Men as should thus abuse him There is nothing better known in the Parish than that he had not the least hand in bringing such Men into the Vestry and that they were chosen by the Vestry it self and that in the Doctors absence too and he knowing nothing of it This he made to appear very fully at Mr. Recorders Chamber when these Men began to torment him and likewise he exprest in my hearing the greatest forwardness to have all such put out provided it could be legally done after the Act relating to Vestries was expired and the Recorder was satisfied that it could not be done any otherwise but by perswading them to resign their places And let that Gentleman be asked whether the Doctor did not shew great industry in the management of that Affair As to his endeavours to hinder the Church-Wardens from presenting Dissenters all they said is so false that he appeals to Sir Richard Lloyd and Sir Thomas Exton whether the Contrary did not fully appear in both their Courts Whereas they call Cripplegate a Sanctuary for Phanaticks I am perswaded they do not abound more there than in other great Parishes And every body knows that the Greatness of Parishes is a sufficient encouragement to those People to take Lodgings in them especially when the Laws against them are put in Execution As to the Doctors giving the Sacrament to two Excommunicated persons before Publication which was the only true Article of many that were exhibited against him and which he did not put them upon proving these men might be abundantly satisfied the last Wednesday in the Arches that the Doctor had all the reason in the world to beleive that he did Well in doing this And that he never used more prudence caution in any thing that he ever did They mind the Doctor of suppressing an order appointed to be published for the Presenting of all persons that came not to the Sacrament This was near three years since and the Doctor did but his Duty therein for as the Instrument had no seal so he satisfied his superiours the night before that it was not fit to be read because it would sound strangely in the Church to hear the Church-Wardens publiquely required to do a thing impossible it enjoyning them to Present all that came not that Easter to the Sacrament For if these men say true the Communicants in the Parish are no fewer than 30000. In the Conclusion The Doctor hath a Scoff given him upon the account of two Vindications The First they twit him with is his Book against Bunian But doth it really Offend these great Church-Men that the Doctor should Write against such a great Phanatique and confute his mad Principles But that is the business of that Book called Dirt wiped-off which by the way would have been a very good Title for this Reply The Other was his Vindication of the Demolishing the Picture of the Blessed Trinity which the Doctor declar'd to have been done by the Authority of an Act of Chapter But whereas they intimate that He could bear that in the Seal which he accounted Idolatry in the Glass The Doctor Answers that Seals are never made the Objects of Worship and likewise that it is very hard to discern what it is in the Seal But especially that the changing of the Seal lies not in the power of the Dean and Chapter I am now to speak for my self whom they are pleas'd to salute by the Name of a Grand Informer and a Tale-bearer between the Doctor and his Parishioners and then to tell me that there is not a Curat in England that studies less or usurps more upon his Neighbours I am sorry they are so uncharitably censorious as to think that I have so little regard to the peace of my own Mind or that they should think me so impolitick as to be a Tale-bearer or the Doctor so unworthy as to endure it I have been so far from exasperating him against the Parishioners or them against him that I challenge all Men to produce any one Instance of it These very Men know that I have with all meekness and calmness endeavoured to make them sensible of their Mistakes concerning him as well as of their ill Dealings with him And the Doctor knows what I have done towards a mutual good Understanding That which they say of my studying so little is very disingenuous considering the Concerns of the Parish to be so great that I cannot promise to my self the freedom of one Hour in a day from the necessary performance of my Ministerial Offices abroad If they could have charged me of frequenting ill Houses or keeping ill Company I know they would not have spared the divulging of it I know not what they mean by my usurping upon my Neighbours I challenge them and all Men to produce one Instance of my doing any Man a wilful Injury or denying the worst Enemy I have any reasonable Courtesy It hath been a great satistisfaction to me when any of my Enemies have recommended poor People to me that by my relieving of them it might appear I had no Piques against any Man but that whatever I said which might offend them proceeded from the discharge of a good Conscience That which follows next relates to my Sermons upon Restitution and the occasion of them in which they cast a very false Aspersion upon me The true Account of that Business is as followeth About nine Years since I was desir'd to visit a poor Man who was dying of a Consumption He desir'd my Prayers and that I would give him the Sacrament Upon examination of his past Actions he acknowledged that he had exceedingly wronged a great many Trades-men but had