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My Enemies after this, made an Article against më of this Certificate, at Doctors Commons, and it was thrown out again with Contempt enough. And yet, it is ftill made a hainous Crime in me, and if it must be fo for the future, after this pains I have taken to clear my felf of being faulty therein, fo let it. PerTertul. vicaciæ nullum oppofuit remedium Deus. But I declare farther, that if I had refused to certifie what I knew to be true of this Man, I had not only been Unjust, but highly Dif-ingenuous. For at my first coming to this Parifh, though he was a meer Stranger to me; and I never once heard of him before; he highly obliged me by ftanding up for my Right to Houses that were Built on the Church-Yard Ground, and which I recovered without going to Law, and by no Mans Affiftance more than by his. And fo much for That.

I am accused too of this very Whiggish Trick, and in My mind a More Knaviih one, than the pretended Certificate, viz. That the Lord Mayor, or fome Great Man (no body knows who) fending to me to give my Judgment of Perfons fit to be chofen Common-Council-Men, and to do my best towards procuring the Choyce of Loyal Perfons, I recommended Fanaticks, or at least Whigs, and Stickled for them. But the Reader fhan't need to be fcared with the fears of another tedious Tale, for a Word or Two will do this business, viz. I folemnly profefs both upon the Word of a Chriftian and a Divine, That I never concerned my felf, either directly or indirectly, in that Affair, nor ever was defired by any Mortal to Meddle in it. But yet this Goodly complaint of me, was told me by no lefs a Man than a Lord, this last week. And I am not to seek to under

ftand,

stand, why just at This Nick of time, (I mean within this Week or Fortnight) there are fuch Strenuous but Secret Endeavours used by thefe Men, to make me all that's naught to our GOVERNOURS.

It may be expected I fhould here Clear my felf cf Difcouraging my Church-Wardens from Prefenting Dif Senters, which they made an Article of, but I need to fay no more than this to it, That as they could make nothing like a Proof of it in the Court, fo the contrary appeared there, by the Depofition of the Principal of their own Witnesses. And I had full Evidence ready to prove, That I only Charged them to Prefent Impartially, and not to Gratify any ones Revengeful Piques, but it was not produced because 'twas needlefs. And I had, after a full Hearing, Ten Pounds Cofts given me against them. And now my Hand is in, a Word or Two to their Grand Article, That I gave the Communion to two of my Church-Wardens together, Who were Excommunicated in the Court, near a Tear and half fince. But as I had Leave to Defer the Publishing of that Excommunication, fo the Sacrament was given them before 'twas Publifht; and I had then great Affurance, That Excommunications can take no Effect till they are Publifht; and what I did, was done upon the best Advice. I was capable of having, and I Relyed upon the Authority of more than One Ecclefiaftical Judge; and the fame Article had been Exhibited against many other Divines besides my felf, had they been fo unhappy as to have had in their Parishes any People of fuch Venomous Spirits, as thofe Few I am infefted with. So that, if this were a Fault in me, it was a Fault of moft Excufeable, if I may not fay Invincible, Ignorance. I no way Confulted mine own Interest in doing this

thing, and I Abominate the breaking of any Order of the Church to Gratify any Perfon whatsoever,

There is one thing more which I ought not to omit, viz. That whereas I might fay (but that it may be replied, I live far from Neighbours) that no Man could live more Peaceably than I have done in this place, nor have been more forward to Oblige all Men, I have wondred fometimes, and fo have others too who know my Converfation, how I fhould happen to have in my Parish fuch Bitter Enemies, though, I thank God, I have but a very few that I know of. But I have been for fome time fatisfied, that my Impartiality in Preaching hath netled fome, and particularly my frequent expofing certain Vices of fome among us, who value themfelves mightily upon their Loyalty and Conformity, whom I have plainly told, That they are a Difgrace both to the King and the Church; and it may be I have but feldom dealt Severely with the Fanaticks, and Men of Factious, Seditious, and Rebellious Principles, but I have had a Bout with them too. Now this is a Fault I will not make the least Excuse for, and if it be a Fault, I believe most of the good Service I have done here to the King and Church, hath been principally Owing to it.

A Second Caufe of my Troubles I am too fure (and I queftion whether I can name a Third) is, My Refufing to part with Mr. S. after all Endeavours that have been ufed to Set me against him. And for my great Aversnefs to Gratify his Enemies herein, I will Exercise my Readers Patience with this fhort Apology, viz. That, befides one Perfonal Pique, I foon perceiv'd, the Bottom of the Emnity against him, to be fome Sermons he Preached of the Abfolute Neceffity of Reftit

tion,

tion, that grievously Galled fome, who were too well known, to have Wronged the Poor, together with his declaring his Mind Elfe-where with fome Severity, against feveral unjuft Practices, before I had any Relation to this Parish. And it would have lain heavy upon my Confcience, while I had a Day to Live, fhould I have Joyned with Thofe against him, who, I was Satisfied, did Set themselves in Oppofition to him, for the Zeal he had expreffed upon fo highly Commendable an account, as that of endeavouring to do Right to Thofe who are not in a Capacity of Righting Themselves. Befides, fhould I have difmiffed Mr.S. I could not but expect the Curfes of Hundreds of Needy Families, for, excepting two Noted Citizens, I know not his Fellow for bestirring himself, to get Relief for Poor People. I am Confident, That never was a Parish fo obliged to a Curate, as this Parish hath been, for many Years, to Him, as Ill as he hath now, for a long time by fome few, been Requited for it. And, to fpeak my Confcience, I am certain this Parish could very much better fpare my Self, than it can Him.

W

I Confefs, at my first coming, there was fome Mifunderstanding between Him and Me, which fome hoped ould have ended in a fettled Enmity like to Theirs: But in a very fhort time, We came to know each Other Better, and then immediately all That Vanished, and hath never been in the leaft Revived to this Day.

And, as to his Preaching up Loyalty, and Conformity to the Church, I know not a Divine in London that is, or, ever fince I came hither, hath been more Zealous; as many Hundreds, I may fay fome Thoufands, can bear me Witnefs. I will make no other Apology for troubling the Reader with this long Scrib

ble

ble, than this very fhort one, viz. Meer Neceffity bath, forely against my Inclination, Compell'd me to it. But, for all that, I expect to have the old lame Distick flung in my Dish, viz.

Hoc mihi pro certo eft, quòd fi cum ftercore Certo,
Vinco, feu vincor, Certè Ego Maculor.

And if I have this Wipe, I'le take it Patiently, though of all Gibes, I contefs, I Moft hate True Ones.

St. Giles Cripplegate,
Nov. 16. (85.)

THE

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