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Imprimatur,

C. Alfton, R. P. D. Hen. Epifc.

Lond. a facris Domest, 16, Nov.

1685.

Great Wickedness,

And Mischievous Effects of

Slandering,

Represented in a

SERMON

PREACHED AT

J.Baines

St. GILES without Cripplegate,
On Sunday Nov. 15. 1685.

By EDWARD FOWLER, D.D.
Together with a Preface and Conclufion
In his Own VINDICATION.

Thou shalt not bear Falfe Witness against thy Neighbour. They are Grievous Revolters Walking with Slanders, Jer. 6. 28.

LONDON, Printed for Brabazon Aylmer, at the Three Pidgeons against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill. 1685.

672-33 fine

7-15-1924

THE

PREFACE.

F the Readers of the Following Sermon knew how very little Time I had for the Compofing of it, They would not be Offended with its Plainnefs: Nor Thofe that are Ingenuous, Cri

I

tical in obferving Faults or Over-fights. The ·Conclufion of the Sermon, which contains the Occafion of my Penning and Preaching it, I have here Publisht with fome fmall Additions, which I think fit to mention, because those of whofe Humanity I have had fuch plentiful Experience, will be forward enough, I prefume, to give out, upon their finding any Paffages they did not hear from the Pulpit, that I have Lyed in the Title Page.

The Defign of this Preface is to Vindicate my felf from a great Slander of theirs (and I am prepared to do the like, as to all the Other I have heard of) which notwithstanding my Endeavours, both by Word of Mouth and Letters, to Clear my Self of, doth (as I understood the Last Week) ftill ftick upon me: And 'tis this, That I fhould give, about a Year and three Quarters fince, to a certain Fanatick, a Knavish Certificate, to bring him off, in a Court of Justice, from

an Indictment of fo Scandalous a Crime, as the Depra ving of the Common-Prayers. And in fhort, That I Certified him to be a good Church-Man, whereas he never came to the Communion but once, in order to his being Qualified for the Office of Common-Council-Man. And if I ever gave to any fuch Perfon fuch a Certificate, I will freely acknowledge, I was a Knave indeed.

But before I proceed farther, I will fay this, That I know not that I ever Repented of any Certificate I gave in my Life, except of One that two of my greatest Enemies, before they difcovered their Malice towards me, did unawares draw me into; which was. to this Effect, and, to the best of my remembrance, in these very Words, That for ought I know, they were Men of Peaceable and Chriftian Spirits; which Certificate was of their own Penning. I mult Confels, I then threwdly fufpected that they were not Men of fuch Spirits, but because I had no cercain Knowledge of the Contrary, upon a little deliberation I Subfcribed it, But within a few dayes, I was made fenfible what a Trapan this was, being informed, That these very Men had Represented me, at White-Hall, as an Encourager of Fanaticks in our Freedom-Veftry. This was told me by a Perfon of Honour, who had it from Mr. Secretary Jenkins. But I Appeal to the prefent Recorder of London, and to the Alderman of our Ward, whether, in their Prefence, I did not abundantly Clear my Innocence, as to this Charge. The Latter of thefe Gentlemen, meeting me in, or near, Cornhill, fome dayes after the Hearing which we had in the Recorders Chamber, defired me to Pardon the Chief Man of them; and the Recorder, at the Conclufion of the Hearing, I think before most of the Veftry-Men were gone out (for there

was

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