thorow the back-street there were few people there for all were in a tumult in the High-street after some Plumporridge-Priests as M. Culmer used to call them had ended their Sermons But at North gate street some women seeing him ride that day with his Cloak bag behinde him railed at him saying Oh Rogue will not you give Christ his day he was compelled to escape the dirt thrown at him to runne the Gantlet or thorow Purgatory as they call it And on Moonday-morning according to his promise to a friend he returned to Canterbury having heard nothing of their search for him the Saturday before And at North-gate-street there were few people But two women there asked him If he were Mr. Culmer which when they knew Oh Sir said they ride no further for the City-gates are shut and they are all together by the ears and some in Canterbury swore If they had taken you upon Saturday they would have stoned you to death or hanged you But being mindfull of his promise rid on to the midst of Ruttenton-lane but upon better consideration he took this as a warning from God and returned to Forditch where he wrote a Letter to excuse his not coming according to promise and then he rode to Sir James Oxendens where after Dinner the News being seconded of the Rising in Canterbury he and his Sonne being Deputy-Lieutenants sent Orders to raise the trained Bands and a Regiment came from the Wilde of Kent which quelled the Rioters who were many of them carried to Leeds Castle But when Mr. Culmer came to Canterbury at the coming in of those forces a woman in North-gate said Oh Mr Culmer there 's good quarter for you now in Canterbury But I cannot conceive for which of Mr. Culmers good works in Canterbury any there should stone him whose Ministry they enjoyed gratis for many years and where he endeavoured with the hazard of his life to quench their fires in Dover-lane and elswhere and where he hath leaped into a deep whirl-pit and dived to save life and fetched up the party from the bottom when he was Minister at Harbledown as hundreds there know being eye-witnesses thereof But in the year 1648. the Scout and the 500lb man and their Faction One and All All All proved themselves Malignants with a witnesse by their practice and actings in the Kentish Rising wherein divers of them were Commanders and were Sequestred The Scout was a Captain therein Two dayes before the Rising they summoned a meeting at Church to sign the Cavaller-Petition which when Mr. Culmer had read he earnestly disswaded them from subscribing it The Petition cried down Taxes and would have the Army disbanded c. But Mr. Culmer shewed them the necessity of Taxes to defend our selves against the enemies of our Religion lives c. and that wars were chargeable as Physick in sicknesse more chargeable than ordinary Diet and that we were in a Tempest and at such times men throw their goods overboard to save their lives and that these Taxes were not ordinary but upon necessity And that the Kings Taxes of Ship-money c. were made without a Parliament and without necessity and that these illegal pressures were taken away Then one of the chief of the Faction who after was a Commander and an Imprisoner said The Parliament hath taken a Flea out of our bosome and put in a Serpent And Mr Culmer speaking against the disbanding the Souldiers said The Wolves would make peace with the Shepherds upon condition they would hang up their Dogs The Shepherds desirous of peace hung up their Dogs but when the Dogs were gone the Wolves devoured Sheep and Shepherds too And this my father applied shewing that the Army kept us Governours and People from bloudy Wolves in Ireland Papists Atheists c. Many thereupon refused to subscribe but the All All All-man cried out Pen and Ink Then Mr Culmer left them subscribing And the next day Richard Langley of St Laurence Parish a very godly man and active for the State was set upon and put to it to flie for his life and was pursued to Mynster and murdered there upon Thourn-down But the Gentleman Cavalier that sent out the pursuers and furnished them with Horse and Pistols did afterwards cut his own wife in pieces and was hanged at Sandwich This man was a great jeerer at praying by the Spirit a contemner of publick Ordinances a great Incendiary against Mr. Culmer and came to him reviled and berogued him before hundreds of people at a publick meeting in the Tents at Mynster at a muster And Mr. Culmer being at home when the Rising began knew nothing of it or of the murder of Langley untill his servant came home and told him how matters stood and that they were arming in the street to fall upon him and that there was a Court of Guard at Ebbsfleet and at Sarr Whereupon he knowing himself unable to defend himself in his own house presently escaped out before they came to his house And night coming on he went to the River side next Ash and did swim in his cloaths over the River and having left his Boots when he took water he went without shoes on the South of the River till he was past Ebbsfleet where the Court of Guard was on the other side of the River And then he crossed the Haven again nearer Sandwich at a place called Little-joy And who it was shot at him God knoweth but he was fain to play the Dydapper and crossing the Haven again below Sandwich Mr Wade now Gentleman Usher at White-hall can tell more of this Then he travelled bare-foot on the sands to Deal where he had entertainment at Pilot Culmers house whither he came at break of day and there he had a gray Sute and refreshed himself But presently there begun a Tumult before the door against him and they swore They would hang the Round-headed Priest and the Rout increased but by means of Mr Wood a Physician there and his said Kinsman John Culmer and Mr Potter he escaped and got safe to Deal-Castle to Col. Rainsborow which was his intent when he first set out The noble Collonel used him very courteously And Mr â—â—lmer of Sandwich coming newly out of the Isle told Mr. Culmer how his friend Richard Langly lay in his bloud and that they said If they had taken him he should not have died that death and that he had no way to escape them but by swimming And that day the Collonel carried Mr Culmer aboard with him in his Long-boat and put him aboard Captain Nubery in the Hunter Frigot which was then dispatcht for London whither M Culmer came one Saturday night late And the next day he preached in his gray Pilots sute at Mr Whitakers Church called St Mary Bermonsey and incouraged the people to stand fast and cleave to the present Cause c. And when the Lord Fairfax marched into Kent he returned homeward with the Army and came safe to his
Eastry and the 500lb man spake against Mr Culmer a long time Then Sir Edward replyed saying He had heard him patiently and all was in their own commendations but nothing alledged against Mr Culmer but said he when you have said all Mr Culmer hath lent more voluntarily to the State than all your Parish besides his personall actings pray trouble us no more with your clamours till you have cause And afterwards Sir Edward Boys hearing of some potent agents which they had procured against Mr Culmer at Westminster wrote a Letter as followeth To the Honourable Committee of the House of Commons assembled in Parliament for plundered Ministers present these Honoured Sirs I and many of the Deputy Lieutenants of Kent have heretofore written earnestly unto you in Mr Richard Culmers behalf whom you have since setled in the Vicarage of Mynster in the Isle of Thanet in Kent for which I amongst others heartily thank you Some of which Parish being men of note for Religion and activeness in the common Cause have this day been with me earnestly moving me to be a means that he may be upheld and continued there against a few violent opposers who having begun to oppose him endeavour to make good their own wills and acts and leave no stone unremoved to that purpose although I have once and again shewed my dislike upon good grounds I doubt not but when you understand the truth of things you will be sensible of this cause which is of great concernment and will be such a president if his enemies prevail as will be of very ill consequence and I am certified that there is no such cordiall opposition in the most of the Parish as is pretended but if two or three would surcease all were at an end his life and Doctrine being such that it hath prevailed already with divers I shall not trouble you further only I intreat this honorable Assembly to continue him there untill be shall give just cause to be removed or outed in a Legall way which I presume to crave at your hands for him that in the worst times suffered under the tyranny of the Archbishop and for a man which to my knowledg hath been most famously active for the Parliament many wayes from the first of these distractions and for a man so well attested as he is by so many godly Ministers and others So I rest Your humble servant Edward Boys Dover Castle this 27th of January 1644. A little after this when Mr Culmer had ended his morning Sermon at Mynster on the Sabbath day one R. H. came crouding up to his desk door and clamoured saying Neighbours You that have set your hands against Mr Culmer for a more abler man pray stand to it against him we have had no Communion this blessed Nativity nor Prayers all this Christmas Holydayes Whereupon one or two clamoured but Mr Culmer went out presently and the afternoon Sermon being ended the clamourer came and cried out as in the morning then a chief man of the Parish cryed all all and the clamourer said aloud in the Church to the forenamed Scout who was of another Parish and then present Captain I hope you will joyn with us The Scout answered aloud in the Church saying I will both ride and write but Mr Culmer soon left them clamouring and talking Not long after that they raised a slander against him that he said they were Malignauts which I have often heard him say they meerly forged against him and that he only said he knew it was a plot of Malignants to incense them against him Upon this the 500lb man and some others went to the Committee of the County at Alesford and there accused him of that saying which they indeed had forged for their own ends to strengthen themselves to get a Certificate from that Committee That some of them being of the Trayned bands did advance towards Arundell and that they conceived them to be no Malignants The Certificate was drawn up by the Clerk of that Committee and upon debate about it Colonel Blunt said I see you have cloathed Mr Culmers opposers but you send him away stark naked one Mr Culmer I dwell far from him yet I have observed his activeness in the common Cause and once I made a Speech in the Lords House and he presently made another there to good purpose What say you Gentlemen of East-Kent who are his neighbours Whereupon they cloathed Mr Culmer so well with Commendations that his adversaries were unwilling to make use of their Certificate A little after that Mr Culmer was advised to call the Parishioners together after evening Sermon and to read his Certificates unto them which he did accordingly But so soon as they were read the 500lb man clamoured saying Mr Culmer Mr Culmer Now the people have heard your papers they are as much against you as ever they were if you be not speak ho whereupon only one man J. W. spake he cried out all all all all Then the 500lb man and some others spake against Mr Culmer to incense the people against him The 500lb man fell a jeering him about his little flock at Mynster because he had mentioned that day Fear not little flock And one accused him saying Mr Culmer you make dissention in the Parish you say when you begin your Sermons you that fear God hearken to the Word of God as if some in the Parish did fear God and some in the Parish did not fear God and so you divide the Parish and set us all at difference Another cried out Mr Culmer you may preach but you get no Tythes of me but by Law if you can come by them by Law so it is Nor of me but by Law said another c. Then said one Mr Culmer you gave thanks for a Lye for taking of Scarborow Castle which is not yet taken But Mr. Culmer did indeed give thanks for the taking of Scarborow Town and regayning of Weymouth Then the clamourer J. W. said he would take his Oath on it although it was false which he would so attest against Mr. Culmer But J. W. that so clamoured all all and offered to swear falsly about a week after being drunk fell in his drunken reel under the wheels of a wagon laden with 1500 house-tyles and was crushed to death vomiting up his bloud at his throat and mouth God is known by the judgments which he executeth But some notwithstanding continued after that to revile Mr. Culmer publikely calling him devillish roundheadid Priest and Ha Blew Dick the devil break your neck and roaring out of the Alehouse window as he went by You sirra Jack Priest c. And some came of purpose from other Parishes to jeer the Priest and affronted him at his door in such a manner as is unfit to be named much less committed to paper And because he used not the Service-Book they called it the Round-headed kinde of Service Come will you hear the Roundheaded kinde of Christning too
said Although I have nothing against M. Culmer which the Articles will reach yet I will denl somewhere else against him for words he hath spâ—ken of my wife Whereupon he petitioned and complained of Mr Culmer to his Highness and thereupon it is since boasted in Canterbury That Mr. Culmer shall be cast out of Mynster A quondam Singing-man of the Cathedral said in the open streets That he heard Mr Culmer had routed C. S. at the Sessions but C. S. would rout him out of Mynster And a Cavalier of Canterbury said to one of Mynster Nâ—w your Round-headed Priest of Mynster shall be cast out And they boast of their friends above in the Army But they need not seek further revenge for that then their own avenging themselves by their calumnies and false accusations and railings against Mr Culmer Besides the real wrongs they have done Mr Culmer especially in keeping his Maintenance from him and combining to undo him by charges in Law But it seems nothing will satisfie their malice and rage but his purses bleeding to death by taking away his means of Livelihood and Subsistence by his Ejection or Removal from his place and Station But if this project against Mr Culmer should prevail without the merits of the Cause to have their wils of him at such a cheap rate without their price of near 200lb per annum or rather than fail I suppose so much as Haman offered to pay into the Exchequer for the ruine of Mordecai and others Then what triumph would the Cathedral Prelatical Cavalier party in Canterbury and elswhere make against him and against all his worthy friends and against that Cause of God to which he hath constantly adhered How would they insult against whom Personally he hath acted for the suppressing of vice and brought them to condign punishment They triumph already in hope and confidence to prevail but then no doubt they would rejoyce and send gifts one to another at the ruine of him who had tormented them They would make if not Bonfires yet Books and Ballads as they did in the rehearsed Libel called The Razing of the Record viz. When the strongest was King there rose up a thing Some call 't a Divine for a Cause a c. And there was found in Canterbury at the beginning of this Parliament a base jeering quibling Catch or Libel written against Mr Culmer viz. And what 's the News in Kent They want a Parliament I drink to thee Jack Bennet And what 's the News in Tennet Blew Dick must out of Mynster His Wife must now turn Spinster He lov'd the Parliament But now he doth lament The Bishops he did hate But now Dick's out of Date Cathedral he did maul But now he spits his gall He broke the painted-Glass But now he cries alas Then drink to me brave Jack And let the Round-head pack And if pretences of not Edifying be cause of oppositions and general enmity should prevail to remove a Minister without the merits of the Cause which I fear is the only ground of the present attempt against Mr Culmer especially when such a rioting mutinous persecuting crew act against him If they should be so indulged as to wave the Commissioners and Common-Law Would not other Parishes be thereby incouraged to endless unwearied impudent Persecutions of faithfull Ministers in hope to prevail and weary him out one way or other one time or other especially under that pretence of not Edifying And many times there is pretence of universal cordial opposition in a Parish when only one or two lead all the rest to subscribe Petitions clamour c. against a Minister and all follow the Ring leaders for company or other respects as Sheep follow a Ramme drawn through a gap or leap out of a Boat as daily experience shews as they at Harbledown did where they barked for company It 's a sure sign commonly that a Minister is good when all the Parish is against him and commonly when a whole Parish loves a Minister and speaks well of him he is stark naught Woe be unto you when all men shall speak well of you A like Priest like people as a Neighbour-Priest to Mr Culmer said to the Parishioners when he had called them up into the Chancel Neighbours I would gladly give you all content pray do I read too much or too little of the Service-Book And every Parish hath as much right to have the Minister removed because they oppose him as any one Parish and thereby faithfull Ministers shall be runagates and wandring Levites all the Nation over Besides the very removal of a Minister which is not voluntary is scandalous and prejudicial to his Ministry whithersoever he is removed Mr Culmers Persecution from Goodnestone was taken up as a scandal and cause of opposition and clamour against him at Harbledown And whithersoever M. Culmer is removed he above all Ministers must expect hatred and opposition and persecution from ignorant prophane disaffected persons which abound in every Parish For not only the Persecutors that have their wils of him to remove him will pursue him and stir up enmity against him whithersoever he goes as they at Harbledowx did incense them at Mynster and those at Mynster did incense them at Cliff against him if he had been removed thither which was endeavoured But some of the Parliament opposed it for reasons of State that Mutineers should not be incouraged c. It is the nature of persecutors so to pursue the persecuted read Act. 14. 19. And he must the rather expect such opposition because the Ly-bels printed and published and spread all the Nation over have many lyes so loud against him in all places He was assaulted at Billingsgate in London in the time of the Kentish Rising after he was fled to London in 1648. where the people were incensed against him by a Scribe that did belong to the Archbishops Registry at Canterbury and Mr. Culmer hardly escaped with his life retreating in Summers-Key with his Rapier-Cane and Mr Mapsden took him into his house And about two years since P. K. a debauched Malignant-Priest incensed the people against him in the Minories without Algate but the Gentleman that is now Deputy there prayed Mr. Culmer to come into his house lest they should murder him And an Elder and Preacher of J. T. pretended Separate Congregation who is Curate to that Non-resident Pastor who lives near thirty miles from divers of his scandalous flock at Mynster meeting Mr Culmer lately upon the road affronted him and used opprobrious tearms and cried out Mr. Culmer Mr. Culmer Pray sell me four pounds-worth of the holy Ghost repeating those words again and again and said I know you had enough of the holy Ghost from the Bishop to afford a good penny-worth And afterwards overtaking Travellers boasted of this and told them How he had handled the Antichristian Priest And this Sectary said at Sandwich to Mr. Culmer before many witnesses If you be not all