rest one Nich. Melshurst who was two Miles from the Place at the same time as could be sufficiently proved paid his Fine And Agnes Brook Daughter of G. Br. of Morchard was convicted and fined who had been dead several Years before I hope therefore she paid not her Fine nor was threatned or sent to Goal for Non-payment Now observe the Vices of these Persons and their Ends by divine Justice P. and Sh. were strongly suspected for stealing six Oxen four from G. Bodley of Morchard and two from Hen. Lee of the same Parish They were apprehended and brought to their Trial and Sh. was found guilty and burnt in the hand and since hath consumed his Estate and is fled the Country for fear of Arrests P. died not long after and the other Sh. was taken in the Act of the unnatural Sin of Buggery was found guilty and died for it One Helmere was suspected to be a Conspirator in the said Information and was apprehended as a Partner with the forenamed in stealing the Oxen found guilty and burnt in the hand And since that he and his Son were taken in the Act of Burglary was sent to Prison which he brake twice and is fled and not taken These Relations are ready to be attested by Persons of unsuspected Credit Aug. 26. 1676 four Informers had laid a Design to take Mr. J. Barret of Nottingham and his Hearers who at that time had none to give intelligence from abroad of any coming to disturb them At the Town's-End the Informers divided themselves some rode for a Warrant others came to espy the Meeting One of them walked again and again between two Stiles leading into the Yard belonging to the House where the Meeting was and yet as he confessed to the Owner of the House some time after he knew not what ailed him but he had not power to go over the Stile tho sometimes he had his hand upon it and tho the House and Stacks about it were shewn him before he came to Town and had no reason to doubt but that was the House it standing at a distance from any other House yet he turned to another House being nearest to it where a Woman being at home was asked Whether it was not such a Man's House or whether the Meeting was not there And she saith still she was so surprized with fear that she could make him no Answer whereupon he said to the Woman Canst thou not speak art thou dumb or art thou mad This Account she gave then but it being so long since she may have forgotten but being lately asked of it she saith he said Art thou a Fool But by this Consusion they were in the People met were gotten away before any Informers came in The Informers haunted them several times after and one time came in when there were but four besides the Family and the Children of the Town under sixteen Years of Age. When they saw how they were crossed several times and Mr. Barret had charged him that came first and his Companion with breach of God's Law not keeping the Sabbath-Day but hindring others and put him in mind of a great Fit of Sickness he had when he lay under very great Terrors how often he had visited him and how welcome he 〈◊〉 to him then to visit and pray with him This Informer and his Companion seemed to relent One of them was not long after put into the Goal for Deer-stealing Mr. O. H. makes this Relation of a great Amazement and Disturbance of Mind upon some that were to take the Names of his Hearers May 22. 1670. As I was rising out of my Bed my Servant came to me and told me there were two Men desired to speak with me whose Business was to ask me If I durst adventure to preach in the Chappel Mr. H. being absent and no notice being given to the People many of whom would come and be disappointed I utterly denied at first They were loth to bring me into Trouble yet if I was willing the Chappel-Doors should be opened and the Bell rung I considered of it consulted some Neighbours begged direction of God and about an hour after I consented upon these Considerations They were my ancient People I was forcibly thrust from them the Spirits of Men were much moderated I knew the Sabbath would be profaned it being Whit-Sunday many Strangers walking abroad to see their Friends Quakers twit us that we will not venture upon Hazards But above all my Lord's Example and the Necessity of Souls and who knows what Good may be done Upon this about nine of the Clock I went up read sung prayed preached quietly on Judg. 5.31 Let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his Strength About one in the Afternoon we met again and about three of the Clock Mr. St. Ell. brought Th. H. Church-Warden and Sam. W. Overseer awing them with a Fine of Five Pounds if they refused St. Ell. put in the Officers before him who were exceedingly daunted One of them was so awed and ashamed that he crept down into a Seat and was so exceeding sick that he could not give account of one Person The Informer went along among the People looked streight at me said nothing went down the Alley and look'd upon the People as he went along It was a Cause of Distraction to us but I went on and called to the People to look Proofs which would be a Help to them against that Distraction When they went out St. E. sent Th. H. again into the Chappel to take Names He again walked through the North Alley stood at Seats ends went out into the Chappel-Yard where they conferred Notes writ down Names And tho the Chappel was full of their own Neighbours yet they could not take ten Names they were so confounded The Munday seven-Night following Mr. W. and Mr. C. two Justices took my Business into Examination The Informer St. E. stood there examining the Officers by Interrogations Did not you see such and such there And so they extorted ten Names of many Hundreds that were present July 13. 1670 J. M. Constable Th. H. S. W. came to make distress of my Goods with three Bearer to carry them away The Constable took hold of the Bed whereon I lay put off his Hat saying I seize upon this Bed for his Majesty's use I told them It was enough for them to mark them and leave them till they had Chapmen to buy them They said the Informer would buy them So they took Bed Bedding Tables Chairs Chests Books to the value of Feurteen Pounds for Ten Pounds My Wife desired them to take Chairs rather than our Meal-Chest but they laid a Curtain upon the Floor and poured out the Meal upon it and took away our Chest They carried the Goods into an Alehouse and drank upon them got Prizers who prized them at 10 l. 16 s. 8 d. They had bespoken a good Dinner saying They would bring Over-plus
our Head and with one another as Fellow-Members We are instructed in the same Doctrine governed by the same Laws of Worship and Conversation and entitled to the same Promises and Hope of Eternal Life we are employed in the same Service engaged in the same Interest and are made all of one Heart in the main in the same Aim and Scope The Fruits of the Spirit are Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness and Meekness Gal. 5.22 23. The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy-Ghost Rom. 14.17 The Wisdom of all who are of this Kingdom is Wisdom from above which is pure peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits Jam. 3.17 To call for Fire from Heaven was from another Spirit Christianorum spiritus clemens est comburit tantùm igne charitatis Urbanus Regius soc Theolog. Cap. de Haeretieis He hath shewed a more excellent way to Pastors and People and their Civil Governors Besides the personal Qualifications of a Bishop which accomplish him for his Work the Scripture is full of Directions for his Behaviour in the House of God at all Times and when those Evils do compass and invade it which do endanger it The Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men apt to teach instructing them that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2.24 When perilous Times come he must continue in the Things which he hath learned and been assured of chap. 3. v. 14. When Men arise to subvert the Hearers and whose Words will eat as with a Canker or Gangreen then Charge them before the Lord that they strive not about Words to no Profit Study to shew thy self approved of God a Workman Fly youthful Lusts follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure Heart 2 Tim. 2.14 15 22 23 24. When the Time comes that People will not endure sound Doctrine c. but turn away from the Truth then Preach the Word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 4.2 3. What shall they do if grievous Wolves enter in among the Flock and Men arise speaking perverse Things to draw away Disciples after them then Take heed to your selves and to the Flock c. Acts 20.29 30. What when unruly and vain Persons and Deceivers who subvert whole Houses teaching Things which they ought not for filthy Lucre sake In this Case he is directed besides the Graces of his Conversation he must hold fast the faithful Word that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and confute the Gainsayers Rebuke them sharply Tit. 1.9 13. What must be done if Ordinances be prophaned or corrupted They must be restored to their first Institution and Purity 1 Cor. 11.20 21 c. If Gifts be exercised unprofitably Let all Things be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 If Ordinances and Administrations be disorderly and by unfit Persons For it is a shame for Women to speak in the Church v. 35. Let all Things be done decently and in Order v. 40. What if Christians run into Schisms Reprove and reduce them as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. chap. 1 3. And if Brethren fall into scandalous Sins which leaven the Lump the Apostle's Order to the Corinthians was to put them away not to accompany with them no not to eat And the Covetous Idolater Reviler Drunkard Extortioner are ranked with the Fornicator 1 Cor. 5.11 Excommunication is the greatest and last Censure and Judgment of the Church and when it is past the excommunicate Person must be look'd after 2 Cor. 2.6 7 8. Mansuetioribus Episcopis inter quos fuit diu Augustious non placuit imploratio profanae potestatis ad negotium Ecclesiasticum existimantibus non decere Episcopis aliis armis uti quà m vebo Dei pracibus si malum foret insanabile Anathemate h. e. separatione à Communione Hoc tum erat ex tremum Ecclesiae supplicium Et sicut apud Jurisconsultos civilis mors dicitur exilium ita apud Apostolos horum Suocessores poena capitis erat ab Ecclesiae consortio submovisse◠c. Erasmus in Respons de Inquisitiane There are weak Persons in the Church and the Apostle gives us his own Example for our Behaviour 1 Cor. 9.22 To the Weak I became as weak that I might gain the-Weak In a word the Weapons of our Warfare are assimilated or fitted to the Warfare they are spiritual 2 Cor. 10.45 The holy Apostle saw or foresaw the worst of Men and Times and hath by the Spirit of God directed what 's fit and best to be done by the Pastors of the Churches And the Flock are not wholly left to the Guidance of their Pastors but they are taught how to act and carry themselves They must know all Things 1 Thess 5.21 Try the Spirits 1 Joh. 4.1 Contend for the Faith Jude 3. Stand fast 1 Cor. 16.13 Beware of false Prophets Mat. 7.15 Mark and avoid them that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine Rom. 10.17 Phil. 3.2 c. And against Corruptions of Manners they are advised Col. 3.9 1 Cor. 5. to v. 8. 1 Cor. 11.20 c. Ephes 5.4 Lastly Touching the Magistrate's Power there is one Law for him What the Heathen Magistrates were not but should be that the Christian Magistrate must be Rom. 13.3 4 the Minister of God for Good a Terror not to the Good but to the Evil. Estote contenti gladio quem vobis tradidit Deus punite latrones punite proditores falsos testes ejus generis caeteros Quod ad Religionem attinet defendite pios adversus aliorum injurias Georg. Klembergius Upon the whole we see what care the Lord hath taken of his Church and what Means are to be used for the Preservation of Purity in Doctrine and Life and of Unity among Christians And 't is not to be doubted but if all in their places did walk according to the Commands of our Saviour our Divisions would be near to a Cure or more tolerable than now they are and what Spirit or Power so likely to heal and prevent our feared Destruction as a Catholick Christian Spirit which is holy gracious fervent charitable laborious patient reconciling and wise After that St. Augustine changed his Judgment from sparing to be for fining and coercing the Donatists and Circumellions he did not leave the Work in the Fiinds of the Presidents and their Officers but did use all spiritual Means to rectify and recover them Si enim terrerentur non docerentur improba quasi Dominatio videretur Aug. Vincentio Ep. 48. and he was so far from exasperating and exciting the Magistrates that he often wrote by way of Intercession A greedy wicked Informer and his Disciples should never discharge us from all Evangelical Ways of healing our Breaches And tho they are Instruments to call for Execution of a
attaining Knowledg Some are more deep and quick searching and industrious have better means and opportunities of knowing some can take in a greater Latitude of Circumstances and can compare Circumstances and the Things themselves and judg of the Good and Evil. I do not now take notice of the Blasses of Education Prejudices Prepossessions and Passions of Men nor the Influence of the World upon Mens Alterations And the true Reason of Resolution and Peace which Men have in these different ways is their Sincerity and strict Observance of their own Light and Judgment and the Purity of their Motives And from hence arises a Necessity of performing several Duties such as Let us not judg one another but forbear one another in Love Let us humbly acknowledg the Imperfection of our own Understandings We have not all Knowledg we know not other Mens Reasons Thoughts and Hearts We should amicably confer when we meet and hold our Candle to shew them the Way when we think theirs is out this is to be understood of doubtful Things and not clear Scripture Matters of Faith and Worship It should teach us Long-suffering and to mortify our Passions and tie up our Tongues and Hands from Persecution Better my Hand be cut off than that I stretch it out to strike any Man that is approved of God for such Things wherein he approves himself unto him Let us take our Divisions to Heart and think the Sufferings of our Brethren in this Life sufficient and too much and spare to condemn them so Hell as Hypocrites and evil Workers There are some Conformists within my knowledg that I am confident would never have conformed unless they had thought it had been their Duty and they have Peace therein They were not drawn in by Preferments nor driven in by Necessity There are and have been Nonconformists that are as clear in their Nonconformity I was well acquainted with one and I never was acquainted with a more loyal sincere holy Man After many Disgraces and sharp Trials especially to a generous genteel Spirit in England he went beyond Sea and in a terrible Storm at Sea which broke into the Ship he asked his own Soul If he could die in and for that Cause of his Sufferings and leaving his Native Country to preach in a strange Land His Conscience gave him a plain and full Answer when ready as he thought to leave his Body and dear Relations in a deep Sea After his Return he told me this and other Passages with a most sincere Profession That he had nothing told in this World but to serve Christ nor any thing to seek but Christ with whom I believe he is and with him will appear as one that shall judg the World Did that eminently learned and excellent Mr. Joseph Allen in or after his many Imprisonments terrible Convulsions and daily Self-examinations recoil from his Reasons for Nonconformity He was certainly so clear and resolved in this that in his last Conflict with the Devil three hours before his Death Satan did not attempt him there but this is remembred of him I care not to be longer in this dirty World than either my Master hath doing or suffering-Work for me were that done forewel to Earth Pag. 90. of his Life It was thought he would conform till he saw what Assent and Consent was required Another worthy Person Mr. Joseph Baker of Worcester did read the Service but went out and on his Death-Bed said He could have done any thing but sin Take a fourth Testimony that able Scholar and Minister Mr. John Thompson on his Death-Bed in a Chamber over a nasty Privy which was conceived to annoy him into a Fever in the Common-Goal at Bristol told his Friends that were about him As for my Bonds I bless God for them and if I had known when I came in that I should die here I would have done no otherwise than I have done Many more such Professions of Satisfaction might be gathered but I must not be tedious Neither were these the confident Sayings of fancyful Men but rational The first of these four debated the Case with one of the greatest Bishops in this Age and was more satisfied in his Dissent since he discoursed the Points And the last offered to dispute the whole Case with the Bishop and others that stood by with this Caution Tolle Legem fiat Certamen which was most disingenuously construed by some of them thus That he would have the Laws removed and fight it over again as it is in the Reply to the Bristol Narrative printed Anno 1675. And no less preparation of Mind could carry them through all kinds of Afflictions and Sufferings except Exile and the Ax or a more ignominious Death The Right Reverend Bishop of Cork can hardly believe the Brethren to be so poor as they are said to be But can they chuse but be poor If you consider their Number their Charge their small Time of enjoying their Livings the small Number of the rich and wealthy that do own them so far as to be their Patrons or Benefactors the great Losses of their best Friends by the Fire of London Decay of Trade and besides the long Taxes that lay upon them in common with others many of them have been great Sufferers in their own Estates Some Congregations having enough to do to afford a small Maintenance to their own Ministers and having many occasions to exhaust them to help them out of Prisons to maintain them in Prisons and many other ways constant Expence and Charge Besides these Considerations a few Arguments are convincing I read in the Life of that Gentlewoman of a great Mind and Contrivance Mrs. Baxter what his present Circumstances were and what reduced him into them How frugal and parsimonious that wise and good Man Mr. Jo. Corbet was that he might have to communicate to them that were in want And the good Sums of Money which that great Example and Trustee of Charity Mr. Tho. Gouge hath given out of his own Purse to some good Men in exigence besides some private Collections which have been made for some good Men of deserved Note Twenty or forty Pound is a good Collection but alas how little a way will it go how soon spent in a Family and such Collections must not come often about The Reverend Mr. B. tells us his Wife engaged to procure a Man of Note 20 l. but it fell so short that she to make good her charitable Undertaking paid 12 l. out of her own Purse These are next to Demonstrations And I doubt not but Mr Baxter can name the Men that live upon little more than brown Bread and Water I have heard of some in Cumberland that have but eight or ten Pounds per an to keep a Family so that a piece of Flesh hath not come to one of their Tables in six Weeks time their Allowance could scarce afford them Bread and Cheese One of them went to Plow six days and
you may suspect many others if not know your selves to act from a private worldly if not revengeful Spirit Have you not known that Men have taken their Aims and Measures from the Wills of some in higher place and that have cried up or beaten down Religion as it hath opened their way or stood in it to their designed Projects The Spring of these violent Motions is as apparent as the Gnomen of the Dial to the Eyes of all those that see what time of day it is I have been sparing of Names because I would not offend yet for warning and example sake be pleased to observe what they have done and been that have gone before you Do you take your selves to be more eminently Loyal than all that are laid aside Do you think it will be a meritorious Service to suppress Dissenters else you can be no Friends to Caesar no Sons of the Church But who is the Caesar or which is the Church for whose sake Protestants must be undone Not the King nor the Church of England This is your time of acting your parts There is as great Reason to be shie and tender in Execution of Laws against Dissenters as to be severe and zealous for other Laws Take heed for God is concerned you and your Families and Posterities concerned and as you must account to God abuse not the Power given you to serve any Man's Pleasure or your own corrupt Affections Take Example by some of as mean Parts as Estates who have been recommended to Power by for their Forwardness in such Services as these and have not had the Honour and Comfort of living in their own Houses yet have been busy in opening and breaking into and rifling their religious Neighbours and by others of large Estates and Fortunes who eat their Commons not dress'd in their own Kitchins and have not common Liberty but what they ask leave and pay for Take warning by some who have run but a very short Race and Course in the pursuit of Dissenters and have left none of their Children to succeed them in their Power Take the Example of them who have seen the Hand of God stretched out against them and their Families and whose Consciences have applied the meaning of it in the Death of their Children both of their Reubens and Benjamins and that have not prospered in this World but have fled and hid lived and died in a Place that hath no Mark of Honour upon it but that it is entitled to be the Kings Elias was as great a Fanatick and Disturber of Israel as any Nonconformist now Chuse you Noble Sirs to be Obadiah's rather to hide the Prophets of the Lord by Fifty than be either a Captain of a Fifty or one of the Fifty that go to take the Prophets Every one those unhappy Captains had an Authority as high as yours can be But Obadia could distinguish between a Prophet and a Rebel a faithful Preacher and a State-Disturber and of all the Captains he was preserved And so I do heartily pray that you may be in your Spheres a Terror to evil Doers and a Praise to them that do well and so Death and Judgment will be no Terror to you and you shall have Praise of God Spare no Teacher of Sedition but honour them that fear the Lord. II. I crave leave to write a few Words to my Brethren in the Holy Ministry Reverend and beloved Fathers and Brethren I am not unsensible of my unfitness to write to you both in respect of my own Inability and your Prejudice against me I fear my Charity to my Reverend and worthy Brethren the Nonconformists have lost me much of yours I am sorry that any have so little of this Oil that they have not enough for them and me too But I will adventure to open my Mind a little to you tho it be tho less I do humbly conceive the Word of Reconciliation is committed to us and the Holy-Ghost is invocated upon us more than once and those Graces which all Christians have we should have more abundantly and should be as well known by that Grace by which our Saviour would have his Disciples to be known of all Men by loving one another as we are known by our distinguishing Garbs and Habits We can speak at large of the Excellency of Love and Peace and of the ill Effects of Enmity and Dissention and represent and inveigh against Schism as if that were the Sin against the Holy-Ghost which shall never be forgiven in this World nor in that which is to come or as if that were the Sin unto Death And indeed it may be called a Sin unto Death in a sence because it is so contrary to Charity and Peace and destructive of the Life of Saints which doth much consist in their Communion But were we impartial we should as warmly admonish our own Hearts to take heed of Schismatical Passions and excommunicate them from within us as admonish and cast out others that differ from us Is there not some Fondness for our own Opinions and Self-Love in the Praise of Unity and Reproof of Schism For most of the Discourses I have heard or read of late Years upon this great Subject have been to condemn or censure all that differ from us We would have all Men think not only charitably but well and honourably of us but if we have any Charity for them that are out we are very careful that it be done in secret and without sound of Trumpet I am far from extending this to all the Conforming Brethren but to them and them only who from Mis-information received an obstinate Prejudice or Policy are profuse in the Expence of Words and Passions We do take it extreme ill from some Nonconformists that they censure and speak ill of us that they revile and render us as scandalous and odious as ready to decline and apostatize but really are not the hottest of them matched See the second Sermon of the Right Reverend Bishop of Cork of Invective Preaching if not beaten out of the Field I may be thought to have an Intimacy with them and a Partiality for them whereas my Acquaintance is very little but as far as it doth extend I must do them this Justice that they are of a very loving healing and uniting Spirit I have heard them speak very well of good Conformists and as free to acknowledg the Grace of God in them as in those of their own Persuasion and as ready to hold Terms of Friendship with us Have not we given them as great Offence by doing what they cannot do as they have given us by not doing that we have done they have lost by our Compliance but we have 〈◊〉 lost by their Non-conformity except as they are often told we lose by their means among the People but we gain among the Princes by it and do we love them so ill that we would not have the People love them Alas what a