set all in joint again by Violence and secure the Peace of Church and State And neither Pope Prelate nor Council should take this Work upon them which is his And therefore Magistrates should be Wise and Holy and fit for so great a Charge as they undertake It must be still noted that all this was when Diocesanes were put down and few saw any probability of restoring them and many religions Persons dreaded such a Restoration § 50. When Cromwell's Faction were making him Protector they drew up a Thing which they called The Government of England c. Therein they determined that all should have Liberty or free Exercise of their Religion who professed Faith in God by Iesus Christ After this he called a Parliament which Examined this Instrument of Government and when they came to those words the Orthodox Party affirmed That if they spake de re and not de nomine Faith in God by Iesus Christ could contain no less than the Fundamentals of Religion whereupon it was purposed that all should have a due measure of Liberty who professed the Fundamentals Hereupon the Committee appointed to that Business were required to nominate certain Divines to draw up in terminis the Fundamentals of Religion to be as a Test in this Toleration The Committee being about Fourteen named every one his Man The Lord Broghill after Earl of Orery and Lord President of Munster and one of his Majesty's Privy Council named the Primate of Ireland Archbishop Usher When he because of his Age and Unwillingness to wrangle with such Men as were to join with him had refused the Service the Lord Broghill nominated me in his Stead Whereupon I was sent for up to London But before I came the rest had begun their Work and drawn up some few of the Propositions which they called Fundamentals The Men that I found there were Mr. Marshal Mr. Reyner Dr. Cheynell Dr. Goodwin Dr. Owen Mr. Nye Mr. Sydraâ—â— Sympson Mr. Vines Mr. Manton and Mr. Iacomb § 51. I knew how ticklish a Business the Enumeration of Fundamentals was and of what very ill Consequence it would be if it were ill done and how unsatisfactorily that Question What are your Fundamentals is usually answered to the Papists My own Judgment was this that we must distinguish between the Sense or matter and the Words and that it 's only the Sense that is primarily and properly our Fundamentals and the Words no further than as they are needful to express that Sence to others or represent it to our own Conception that the Word Fundamentals being Metaphorical and Ambiguous the Word Essentials is much fitter it being nothing but what is Essential or Constitutive of true Religion which is understood by us usually when we speak of Fundamentals that quoad rem there is no more Essential or Fundamental in Religion but what is contained in our Baptismal Covenant I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and give up my self in Covenant to him renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil He that doth this truly shall be saved or else sincere Covenanting could not entitle us to the Blessings of the Covenant And therefore it is that the Ancient Church held that all that are Baptized duly are in a Justified State of Life because all that sincerely give up themselves in Covenant to God as our God and Father our Redeemer and Saviour our Sanctifier and Comforter have right to the Blessings of the Covenant And quoad verba I suppose that no particular Words in the World are Essentials of our Religion Otherwise no Man could be saved without the Language which those Words belong to He that understandeth not Credo in Deum may be saved if he believe in God Also I suppose that no particular Formula of Words in any or all Languages is Essential to our Religion for he that expresseth his Faith in another form of words of the same importance professeth a Saving Faith And as to the Use of a Form of Words to express our Belief of the Essential it is various and therefore the Form accordingly is variable If it be to teach another what is the Essence of Religion a dull hearer must have many Words when a quick intelligent Person by few Words can understand the same thing I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost expresseth all the Essentials intelligibly to him that hath learned truly to understand the meaning of these Words But to an ignorant Man a large plain Catechism is short enough to express the same things But as to the Use of Publick Professions of Faith to satisfie the Church for the Admittance of Members or to satisfie other Churches to hold Communion with any particular Church a Form of Words which is neither obscure by too much Conciseness not Tedious or Tautological by a needless Multiplication of Words I take to be the fittest To which ends and because the Ancient Churches had once a happy Union on those Terms I think that this is all that should be required of any Church or Member ordinarily to be professed In General I do believe all that is contained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures and particularly I believe all explicitly contained in the Ancient Creed and I desire all that is contained in the Lord's Prayer and I resolve upon Obedience to the Ten Commandments and whatever selfe I can learn of the Will of God And for all other Points it is enough to preserve both Truth and Peace that Men promise not to preach against them or contradict them though they Subscribe them not § 52. Therefore I would have had the Brethren to have offered the Parliament the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue alone as our Essentials or Fundamentals which at least contain all that is necessary to Salvation and hath been by all the Ancient Churches taken for the Sum of their Religion And whereas they still said A Socinian or a Papist will Subscribe all this I answered them So much the better and so much the fitter it is to be the Matter of our Concord But if you are afraid of Communion with Papists and Socinians it must not be avoided by making a new Rule or Test of Faith which they will not Subscribe to or by forcing others to Subscribe to more than they can do but by calling them to account whenever in Preaching or Writing they contradict or abuse the Truth to which they have Subscribed This is the Work of Government And we must not think to make Laws serve instead of Iudgement and Execution nor must we make new Laws as oft as Hereticks will mis-interpret and subscribe the old for when you have put in all the Words you can devise some Hereticks will put their own Sence on them and Subscribe them And we must not blame God for not making a Law that no Man can misinterpret or break and think to make such a one ourselves because God could not or would not These Presumptions and
Interest in the Earl of Manchester who kept Correspondence with him in such Matters was much valued and followed by the London Ministers as their Guide and many frequently met at his House Mr. Calamy took Dr. Reynolds along with him as one whose Learnâ—â—â— and Reputation would be of use And he took Mr. Ash along with him as one whose eminent Holiness and Simplicity made him much loved and honoured by all And he had been the Earl of Manchester's Chaplain in the Wars and had concurred with him to bring in the King These three were the Leading Men that kept Correspondence with the Lords and had most Interest seemingly at Court as having been most serviceable to them To them joyned Dr. Bates Dr. Manton and most of the City Ministers But Dr. Seaman and Mr. Ienkins and some few more were a little estranged from them and hardlier spoken of at Court Mr. Calamy's Party and all that brought in the King were for Consultations with their Friends at Court for the preserving of the Churches Interest Dr. Seaman's Party medled not with them not as being unwilling but because the Court did give them no Encouragement § 88. For the Gratifying and Engaging some Chief Presbyterians that had brought in the King by the Earl of Manchester's means who then being Lord Chamberlain it belongeth to his place above Ten or Twelve of them were designed to be the King's Chaplains in Ordinary Mr. Calamy and Dr. Reynold's were first put in and then Mr. Ash was importuned to accept it and then they put me in for one Mr. Nath. Newcomen refused it And then Dr. Spurstow Dr. Wallis Dr. Bates Dr. Manton Mr. Case c. were admitted But never any of them was called to Preach at Court saving Mr. Calamy Dr. Reynolds my Self and Dr. Spurstow each of us once And I suppose never a Man of them all ever received or expected a Penny for the Salary of their Places § 89. When I was invited by the Lord Broghill afterwards Earl of Orery to meet him at the Lord Chamberlain's they both perswaded me to accept the Place to be one of his Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary I desired to know whether it were his Majesty's desire or only the Effect of their favourable request to him They told me that it was his Majesty's own desire and that he would take it as an acceptable furtherance of his Service Whereupon I took an Oath from the Lord Chamberlain as a Houshold Servant of his Majesty's to be true and faithful to him and Discover any Conspiracy I should know of c. And I received this Certificate from him THese are to Certifie That Richard Baxter Clerk hath been Sworn and Admitted Chaplain to the King's Majesty in Ordinary to have and Enjoy all Rights Profits and Priviledges thereunto belonging Given under my Hand this 26th of June 1660. in the Twelfth year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord the King Ed. Manchester § 90. When I was with these two Lords on this occasion I told them what Conferences I had with several Episcopal Men about the Terms of an Agreement or Coalition and how much it concerned the Interest both of the King and of Religion that we might be so united and what unhappy Consequences else would follow and how easie I thought an Agreement with moderate Men would be and on what Terms Bishop Usher and I had agreed in a little space A little after the Lord Broghill was pleased to come to me and he told me That he had told the King of the Business of a Conference for an Agreement and that the King took it very well and was resolved to further it And about the same time the Earl of Manchester signified as much to Mr. Calamy So that Mr. Calamy Dr. Reynolds Mr. Ash and my Self went about it to the Earl of Manchester Lord Chamberlain and after Consultations of the Business with him he determined of a Day to bring us to the King Mr. Calamy to whom â—â—th I and I think all the rest did leave the Nomination of the Persons to be employed advised that all that were the King's Chaplains of us might be called to the Consultation and that we four might not seem to take so much upon us without others if we did go once without them to the King which I well remember not that was all So Dr. Wallis Dr. Manton and Dr. Spurstow c. went with us to the King who with the Lord Chancellour and the Earl of St. Aiâ—ons c. came to us in the Lord Chamberlain's Lodgings We exercised more boldness at first thaâ— afterwards would have been born when some of the rest had congratulated his Majesty's happy Restoration and declared the large hope which they had of a happy Union among all Dissenters by his means c. I presumed to speak to him of the Concernments of Religion and how 〈◊〉 we were from desiring the continuance of any Factions or Parties in the Church and how much a happy Union would conduce to the good of the Land and to his Majesty's Satisfaction and though there were turbulent Fanatick Persons in his Dominions yet that those Ministers and Godly People whose Peace we humbly craved of him were no such Persons but such as longed after Concord and were truly Loyal to him and desired no more than to live under him a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty and whereas there were differences between them and their Brethren about some Ceremonies or Discipline of the Church we humbly craved his Majesty's favour for the ending of those Differences it being easie for him to interpose that so the People might not be deprived of their faithful Paâ—ors nor ignorant scandalous unworthy Ones obtruded on them I presumed to tell him That the People that we spake for were such as were contented with an Interest in Heaven and the Liberty and Advantages of the Gospel to promote it and if this were taken from them and they were deprived of their faithful Pastors and Liberty of worshipping God they would take themselves as undone in this World whatever plenty else they should enjoy and the Hearts of his most faithful Subjects who hoped for his help would even be broken and that we doubted not but his Majesty desired to Govern a People made happy by him and not a broken hearted People that took themselves to be undone by the loss of that which is dearer to them than all the Riches of the World And I presumed to tell him That the late Usurpers that were over us so well understood their own Interest that to promote it they had found the way of doing good to be the most effectual means and had placed and encouraged many Thousand faithful Ministers in the Church even such as detested their Usurpation And so far had they attained their ends hereby that it was the principal means of their Interest in the People and the good Opinion that any had conceived of them
the Minister of that Place Who shall admit none to the Lord's Supper till they have made a credible Profession of their Faith and promised Obedience to the Will of God according as is expressed in the Consideration of the Rubrick before the Catechism and that all possible Diligence be used for the Instruction and Reformation of scandalous Offenders whom the Ministers shall not suffer to partake of the Lord's Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty Lives as is partly expressed in the Rubrick and more fully in the Canons Provided there be place for due Appeals to superior Powers 6. No Bishops c. 7. We are very glad to find that all with whom we have conferred do in their Judgments approve a Liturgy or a set Form of publick Worship to be lawful which in our Judgments for the Preservation of Unity and Uniformity we conceive to be very necessary And although we do esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common-Prayer and by Law established to be the best that we have seen and we believe that we have seen all that are extant and used in this part of the World and we know what Reverence most of the reformed Churches or at least the most learned Men in those Churches have for it yet since we find some Exceptions made against several things therein We will appoint an equal Number of learned Divines of both Persuasions to review the same and to make such Alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in Scripture Phrase as near as may be suited unto the Nature of the several Ordinances and that it be left to the Minister's choice to use one or the other at his Discretion In the mean time and till this be done although we do heartily wish and desire that the Ministers in their several Churches because they dislike some Clauses and Expressions would not totally lay aside the use of the Book of Common Prayer but read those Parts against which there can be no Exception which would be the best Instance of declining those Marks of Distinction which we so much labour and desire to remove Yet in compassion to divers of our good Subjects who scruple the use of it as now it is our Will and Pleasure is that none be punished or troubled for not using it until it be reviewed and effectually reformed as aforesaid In the Preface concerning Ceremonies we desire that at least these Words be left out Not that themselves do in their Iudgments believe the Practice of these particular Ceremonies which they except against to be in it self unlawful As concerning Ceremonies our Will and Pleasure is 1. That none shall be required to kneel in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper but left at Liberty therein 2. That the religious Observation of Holyâ—days of human Institution be left indifferent and that none be troubled for not observing of them 3. That no Man shall be compell'd to use the Cross in Baptism or suffer for not using it 4. That no Man shall be compelled to bow at the Name of Jesus 5. For the use of the Surplice we are contented that all Men be left to their Liberty to do as they shall think fit without suffering in the least Degree for wearing or not wearing it And because some Men otherwise pious and learned say they cannot conform unto the Subscription required by the Canons nor take the Oath of Canonical Obedience we are content and it is our Will and Pleasure so they take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy that they shall receive Ordination Institution and Induction and shall be permitted to exercise their Function and to enjoy the Profits of their Livings without the said Subscription or Oath of Canonical Obedience And moreover that no Persons in the Universities shall for the want of such Subscription be hindred in taking their Degrees Lastly That such as have been ordained by Presbyters be not required to renounce their Ordination or to be re-ordained or denied Institution and Induction for want of Ordination by Bishops And moreover that none be judged to forfeit their Presentation or Benefice or be deprived of it for not reading of those of the 39 Articles that contain the controverted Points of Church-Government and Ceremonies § 108. After all this a Day was appointed for his Majesty to peruse the Declaration as it was drawn up by the Lord Chancellor and to allow what he liked and alter the rest upon the hearing of what both sides should say Accordingly he came to the Lord Chancellor's House and with him the Duke of Albermarle and Duke of Ormond as I remember the Earl of Manchester the Earl of Anglesey the Lord Hollis c. and Dr. Sheldon then Bishop of London Dr. Morley then Bishop of Worcester Dr. Hinchman then Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Cosins Bishop of Durham Dr. Gauden after bishop of Exeter and Worcester Dr. Barwick after Dean of Paule Dr. Hacket Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield with divers others among whom Dr. Gunning was most notable On the other part stood Dr. Reignolds Mr. Calamy Mr. Ash Dr. Wallis Dr. Manton Dr. Spurstow my self and who else I remember not The Business of the Day was not to dispute but as the Lord Chancellor read over Declaration each Party was to speak to what they disliked and the King to determine how it should be as liked himself While the Lord Chancellor read over the Preface there was no Interruption only he thought it best himself to blot out those Words about the Declaration in Scotland for the Covenant That we did from the Moment it passed our Hand ask God Forgiveness for our Part in it The great matter which we stopt at was the Word Consent where the Bishop is to confirm by the Consent of the Pastor of that Church and the King would by no means pass the Word Consent either there or in the Point of Ordination or Censures because it gave the Ministers a negative Voice We urged him hard with a Passage in his Father's Book of Meditations where he expresly granteth this Consent of the Presbyters but it would not prevail The most that I insisted on was from the end of our Endeavours that we came not hither for a Personal Agreement only with our Brethren of the other way but to procure such gracious Concessions from his Majesty as would unite all the soberest People of the Land And we knew that on lower Terms it would not be done Though Consent be but a little Word it was necessary to a very desirable end if it were purposed that the Parties and Divisions should rather continue unhealed then we had no more to say there being no Remedy But we were sure that Union would not be attained if no Consent were allowed Ministers in any part of the Government of their Flocks and so they should be only Teachers without any Participation and
the King and Land And he told me That Beddingfield could have no right to that which he had sold and that the right was in the King who would readily grant it to the good use intended and that we should have his best assistance to recover it And indeed I found him real to us in this Business from first to last yet did Beddingfield by the friendship of the Attorney General and some others so delay the Business as bringing it to a Suit in Chancery he kept Mr. Ashurst in a Twelve-months trouble before he could recover the Land but when it came to Judgment the Lord Chancellour spake very much against him and granted a Decree for the New Corporation For I had procured of him before the King 's Grant of a New Corporation and Mr. Ashurst and my self had the naming of the Members And we desired Mr. Robert Boyle a worthy Person of Learning and a Publick Spirit and Brother to the Earl of Cork to be President now called Governour and I got Mr. Ashurst to be Treasurer again and some of the old Members and many other godly able Citizens made up the rest Only we left the Nomination of some Lords to his Majesty as not presuming to nominate such And the Lord Chancellour Lord Chamberlain and six or seven more were added But it was Mr. Boyle and Mr. Ashurst with the Citizens that did the Work But especially the care and trouble of all was on Mr. Ashurst And thus that Business was happily restored § 149. And as a fruit of this his Majesty's Favour Mr. Elliot sent the King first the New Testament and then the whole Bible translated and printed in the Indian's Language Such a Work and Fruit of a Plantation as was never before presented to a King And he sent word that next he would print my Call to the Unconveried and then The Practice of Piety But Mr. Boyle sent him word it would be better taken here if the Practic of Piety were printed before any thing of mine At the present the Revenues of the Land goeth most to the maintaining of the Press Upon the occasion of this Work I had these Letters of Thanks from the Court and Governour in New-England and from Mr. Norton and Mr. Elliot Reverend and much honoured Sir THat we who are personally unknown to you do in this manner apply our selves is rendred not only excusable but unless we will be ingrateful necessary by Obligations from your self with whom the interest of poor Strangers in a remote Wilderness hath been so regarded as to shew them kindness and that we believe upon the best account i.e. for the Lord's sake We have understood from those that were employed by us with what loving and cordial readiness you did upon request put forth your self to further our Concernments in our late Applications to his Majesty for which act of favour and love we cannot but return our unfeigned thankful Acknowledgments and the rather because we know no Argument that could move your Thoughts in it but that of the poor Prophets Widow viz. That your Charity did look upon your Servants as Fearers of the Lord Love unto whom we perswade our selves was the Root that bare this Fruit of Love and Kindness to us and that at such a time as this We trust the faithful God will not forget your Work and Labour of Love which you have shewed towards his Name in ministring to the help of some part of his unworthy People who are Exiles in this Wilderness we hope for his Names sake Sir You shall further oblige this poor People and do that will not be unpleasing to him who is our Lord and yours by the continuance of your Love and Improvement of your Interests and Opportunities in our behalf What advantage God hath put into your hands and reserved your weak Body unto by access unto Persons of Honour and Trust or otherways we hope it will be no grief of heart unto you another day if you shall improve part thereof this way â— All that we desire is Liberty to serve God according to the Scriptures Liberty unto Errour and Sin or to set up another Rule besides the Scriptures we neither wish to be allowed to our selves nor would we willingly allow it unto others If in any thing we should mistake the meaning of the Scriptures as we hope it is not in any Fundamental Matter that we do so having therein the Concurrence of all the godly Orthodox of the Reformed Protestant Religion so on the other hand in Matters of an inferiour and more difficult Nature wherein godly Christians may differ and should bear difference without disturbance we are willing and desirous to live and learn by any orderly means that God hath appointed for our Learning and Instruction and glad shall we be of the opportunity to learn in peace The Liberty aforesaid we have by the favour of God now for many years enjoyed and the same advantaged and encouraged by the Constitution of our Civil Government according to Concessions and Priviledges granted and established to us by the gracious Letters Patents of King Charles the First the continuance of which Priviledges concerning which his Majesty's late gracious Letter to us hath given us very great encouragement is our earnest and just desire for nothing that is unjust or not honest both in the sight of the Lord and also of Men do we seek or would allow our selves in We hope we shall continue as faithful Subjects to his Majesty according to our Duty and be every way as beneficial to the Interest of our Nation under an Elective Government as under an Imposed But sundry particular Persons for private respects are as we hear earnestly soliciting to bring Changes upon us and do put in many high Complaints against us in special that the Generation of the Quakers are our bitter and restless Enemies complaining of Persecution but are themselves most troublesome and implacable Per secâ—â—â—â—â— of us who desire but to keep our own Vineyard in peace Our hope is in God who hath hitherto helped us and who is able to keep open for us a great and effectual Door of Liberty to serve him and opportunity to advance his Name in this Wilderness although there be many Adversaries among which he can raise up for us some Friends as he hath done your self And as a Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for Adversity so may you in this time of our threatned Adversity still perform the part of a Friend as opportunity serves we shall be further much ingaged to ThanKfulness unto God and you who are SIR Your Friends and Brethren in the Faith of Christ Jo. Endecott Governour With the Consent and by Order of the General Court Boston in New-England this 7th of August 1661. To the Reverend and much Honoured Mr. Richard Baxter one of his Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary Reverend and dear Sir THough you are unknown to me by Face yet not
which I had hastily given him And though he before professed that none in the World but I and his servant knew of it yet accidentally by speech with Dr. Stillingfleet I understood that the same M. S. was sent to him Therefore I sent him the Reply to mine and desired him seeing he had more strength and leisure to answer alltogether for himself and me and then I need not do the same § 275. It pleased God to give me marvellous great Encouragement in my Preaching at St. Iames's The Crack having frightened away most of the Richer sort specially the Women most of the Congregation were young men of the most capable age who heard with very great Attention and many that had not come to Church of many years received so much and manifested so great a Change some Papists and Divers others returning publick Thanks to God for their Conversion as made all my Charge and Trouble easie to me Among all the Popish rude and ignorant People who were Inhabitants of those parts we had scarce any that opened their mouths aganst us and that did not speak well of the Preaching of the Word among them though when I came first thither the most knowing Inhabitants assured me that some of the same persons wisht my Death Among the ruder sort a common Reformation was notifyed in the place in their Conversation as well as in their Judgments § 276. But Satan the Enemy of God and Souls did quickly use divers means to hinder me 1. By Persecution 2. By the Charges of the work and 3. By the troublesome Clamours of some that were too much inclined to Separation And first a fellow that made a Trade of being an Informer accused me to Sir William Poultney a Justice near upon the Act against Conventicles Sir William dealt so wisely and fairly in the business as frustrated the Informer's first attempts who offered his Oath against me And before he could make a second Attempt Mr. David Lloyd the Earl of St. Alban's Bayliff and other Inhabitants so search't after the quality of the Informer and prosecuted him to secure the Parish from his Charge of Children as made him fly and appear no more I that had been the first Silenced and the first sent to Gaol upon the Oxford-Act of Confinement was the first prosecuted upon the Act of Conventicles after the Parliament's Condemning the King's Declaration and Licenses to Preach § 277. But shortly after the Storm grew much greater The great Ministers of State had new Consultations The Duke of Lauder dail the Lord Treasurer Sir Thomas Osborne made Earl of Danby The Lord Keeper Sir Heneage Finch the Bishop of Winchester Dr. Morley and the Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Ward c. were the Men that the World talk't of as the Doers of the Business The first thing that appeared was That His Majesty called the Bishops up to London to give him Advice what was to be done for the securing of Religion c. The Bishops after divers Meetings and Delays the said Duke and Lord Treasurer being appointed to meet with them at last Advised the King to recall His Licenses and put the Laws in Execution Which was done by a Declaration and Proclamation Declaring the Licenses long since void and requiring the Execution of the Laws against Papists most largely mentioned and Conventicles No sooner was this Proclamation published but special Informers were set on Work to Ascertain the Execution and I must here also be the first that must be Accused § 278. A litle before the King had Recalled his Licenses knowing on what Accusations they would proceed according to the Act of Uniformity I did to Obviate the Accusation deliver in Words and Writing this following Profession Though when I began to Preach in this place I publickly professed That it was the notorious Necessity of the People who are more than the Parish-Church can hold which moved me thereunto and that we Meet not in Opposition to or Separation from the Publick Churches yet perceiving that by some we are misunderstood I repeat the same Profession And that we Meet not under colour or pretence of any Religious Exercise in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And that were I able I would accordingly Read my Self For the understanding of this it must be known 1. That being my Self unable both to Read and Preach I had an Assistant who daily Read the Scripture-Sentences the 95th Psalm the Psalms for the Day the two Chapters for the Day Singing the Psalms appointed for Hymns using the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the Decalogue all which is the Greatest part of the Liturgy though none of the Common Prayers were used 2. That I forbear the use of much of the Common Prayer which I think lawful and good meerly because many of the Nonconformists could not bear it 3. That the Act against Conventicles punisheth none but those that meet on colour or pretence of any Religious Exercise in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England 4. That my Judgment was that my Meeting was not such and that I broke no Law And therefore I made this open Profession as Preparatory to my Answer before the Magistrate not expecting that any such means should free me from suffering in the least degree but that it should conduce to the clearing of my Cause when I Suffered But upon this Paper those that are unable or unwilling to suspend their Censures till they understand the Cause and that cannot understand Words in their plain and proper signification but according to their own Preconceptions did presently divulge all over the Land many false Reports of it and me The Separatists gave out presently That I had Conformed and openly declared my Assent and Consent c. And so confidently did they affirm it that almost all the City believed it The Prelatists again took the Report from them and their own willingness that so it should be aud reported the same thing In one Episcopal City they gave Thanks in Publick that I Conformed In many Counties their News was That I most certainly Conformed and was thereupon to have a Bishoprick which if I should I had done foolishly in losing Thirteen years Lordship and Profit and then taking it when I am dying This was divulged by the Conformists to fortisie their Party in the Conceits of their Innocency and by the Separatists in Spleen and Quarrelsome Zeal But confident Lying was too common with both And yet the next day or the next day save one Letters fled abroad on the contrary that I was sent to Gaol for not Conforming § 279. Not long before this having Preached at Pinners-Hall for Love and Peace divers false Reports went currant among the Separatists and from them to other Nonconformists that I Preached against the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and for Justification by our own Righteousness and that the Papists and Protestants differ
the King's Consent or Letter of Instructions for what he did which amazed many Hereupon His Majesty Charles II. wrote to the Duke of Ormond and Council to restore his Estate because it appeared to those appointed to examine it that what he did was by his Father's Order or Consent Upon this the Parliament's old Adherents grew more confident than ever of the righteousness of their Wars And the very destroyers of the King whom the first Parliamentarians called Rebels did presume also to justifie their Cause and said that the Law of Nature did warrant them But it stopt not here For the Lord Mazarine and others of Ireland did so far prosecute the Cause as that the Marquess of Antrim was forced to produce in the Parliament of England in the House of Commons a Letter of the King 's Cha I. by which be gave him order for his taking up Arms Which being read in the House did put them into a Silence But yet so egregious was their Loyalty and veneration of Majesty that it put them not at all one step out of the way which they had gone in But the People without Doors talked strangely Some said Did you not perswade us that the King was against the Irish Rebellion And that the Rebels belied him when they said that they had his Warrant or Commission Do we not now see with what Mind he would have gone himself with an Army into Ireland to fight against them A great deal more not here to be mentioned was vended seditiously among the People the Sum of which was intimated in a Pamphlet which was Printed called Murder will out in which they published the King's Letter and Animadversions on it Some that were still Loyal to the King did wish that the King that now is had rather declared that his Father did only give the Marquess of Antrim Commission to raise an Army as to have helped him against the Scots and that his turning against the English Protestants in Ireland and the murdering of so many hundred thousand there was against his Will But quod scriptum erat scriptum erat And though the old Parliamentarians expounded the Actions and Declarations both of the then King and Parliament by the Commentary of this Letter yet so did not the Loyal Royalists or at least thought it no reason to make any change in their Judgments or stop in their Proceedings against the English Presbyterians and other Non-conformable Protestants § 174. In the beginning of December 1670. The Duke of Ormond as he was returning home to Clarendon House in the Night was seized on by six Men who set him on Horseback to have carried him away But he was rescued before they could accomplish it Shortly after some of his Majesty's Life-Guard surprized Sir Iohn Coventrig a Member of the House of Commons and cut his Nose which occasioned a great heat in the House and at last that Act which is newly passed for preventing of the like Many Murders and outrages and cutting of Noses were committed also on other Persons But the greatest Noise was made by certain Dukes and Lords that went in a torrent of Jovialty to a defamed House in a Street called Whetstone-Park and when the wretched Women cryed for help the Beadle came in with some Watchmen and they killed him presently Whilst such things went on the House of Commons was busie about an Act to make all forbidden Meetings for God's Worship Preaching and Praying by the silenced Ministers to be severelier yet punished as Routs and Riots § 175. There happened a great rebuke to the Nobility and Gentry of Dublin in Ireland which is related in their Gazette in these words Dubl Dec. 27. Yesterday happened here a very unfortunate Accident Most of the Nobility and Gentry being at a Play at a publick Playhouse the upper Galleries on a sudden fell all down beating down the second which together with all the People that were in them fell into the Pit and lower Boxes His Excellency the Lord * Lieutenant with his Lady happened to be there but thanks be to God escaped the Danger without any harm part of the Box where they were remaining firm and so resisting the Fall from above only his two Sons were found quite buried under the Timber The younger had received but little hurt but the eldest was taken up deâ—d to all appearance but having presently been let Blood c. recovered There were many dangerously hurt and seven or eight killed outright So far the Gazette About seventeen or eighteen died then and of their Wounds The first Letters that came to London of it filled the City with the report that it was a Play in scorn of Godliness and that I was the Person acted by the Scorner as a Puritan and that he that represented me was set in the Stocks when the fall was and his Leg broke But the Play was Ben. Iohnson's Bartholomew-Fair with a sense added for the times in the which the Puritan is called a Banbury Man and I cannot learn that I was named nor medled with more than others of my Condition unless by the Actor's dress they made any such reflecting Intimations § 176. The Lord Lucas and the Earl of Clare made two vehemently cutting Speeches before the King who now came frequently to the Lord's House The first declaring the frustration of their hopes and the addition of much more to their sufferings Calamities and dangers since the King came in and aggravated the stupendious expence of Moneys and the of the Commons in a Bill then sent up for giving no less than three Millions said he at once and provoking the Lords to stop their Excesses The other was against the King's sitting so ordinarily in the Lord's House and that without his Robes c. There were Copies of the Lord Lucas's Speech given out which encreased the offence and at last it was burned by the Hangman and ere long he died § 177. The Irish Men called the Rebels petitioned the King by the hands of Colonel Richard Talbot a Papist Servant to the Duke of York for a re-hearing against the former Judgments that had deprived many of them of their Lands that so they might be restored to them and the English dispossessed which offended the House of Commons as well as the English Nation and caused some Votes which signified their Offence and the King at present cast aside their Petition § 178. Lamentable Complaints came from the Protestants of France for the severities more and more used against them their Churches pulled down and after Montaban their other University of Lanmors decreed to be prohibited § 179. In the latter end of this Year the Bishops and their Agents gave out their great fears of Popery and greatly lamented that the Dutchess of York was turned Papist and thereupon gave out that they greatly desired that some of the presbyterians as they called even the Episcopal Nonconformists might by some abatement of the New Oaths and