Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 1 (5 of 7)

Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times · Part 1 (5 of 7)

p. 80§ 129. Besides this ignorant Vicar, there was a Chappel in the Parish, where was an old Curate as ignorant as he, that had long lived upon Ten pound a year and unlawful Marriages, and was a Drunkard, and a Railer, and the Scorn of the Country: I know not how to keep him from reading, (for I judged it a Sin to tolerate him in any Sacred Office). I got an Augmentation for the Place, and got an honest Preacher to instruct them, and let this scandalous Fellow keep his former Stipend of Ten pound, for nothing, and yet could never keep him from forcing himself upon the People to read, nor from unlawful Marriages, till a little before Death did call him to his account. I have Examined him about the familiar Points of Religion, and he could not say …alf so much to me as I have heard a child say.

And these two in this Parish were not all: In one of the next Parishes, called The Rock, there were two Chappels, where the poor ignorant Curate of one got his living with cutting Faggots, and the other with making Ropes: Their Abilities being answerable to their Studies and Employments.

§ 130. In my Labours at Kidderminster after my return, I did all under languishing Weakness, being seldom an hour free from pain. Of which I shall give a brief Account together, as an addition to the general one foregoing, that I may not be oft upon it; mentioning only some of those passages in which God's Mercy most affected me.

Many a time have I been brought very low, and received the Stentence of Death in my self, when my poor, honest, praying Neighbours have met, and upon their Fasting and earnest Prayers I have been recovered, Once when I had continued weak three Weeks, and was unable to go abroad, the very day that they prayed for me, being Good-Friday, I recovered, and was able to Preach and Administer the Sacrament the next Lord's Day; and was better after it: (It being the first time that ever I administred it): And ever after that whatever Weakness was upon me, when I had (after Preaching) administred that Sacrament to many hundred People, I was much revived and eased of my Infirmities.

p. 81Another time I had a Tumour rose on one of the Tonsills in my Throat, white and hard like a Bone; above the hardness of any Schyrrhous Tumour: I feared a Cancer; being it was round and like a Pease, as it beginneth: And when I had by the Physician's Advise applied such Remedies as he thought fittest, and it no whit altered, but remained as hard as at the first; at the end of about a quarter of a Year, I was chek'd in Conscience that I had never publickly praised God particularly for any of the Deliverances which he had vouchsafed me: And being speaking of God's Confirming our Belief of his Word by his fulfilling of Promises, and hearing Prayers, (as it is published in the second part of my Saints Rest) I annexed some thankful mention of my own Experiences; and suddenly the Tumour vanished, and no sign wherever it had been remained: Nor did I either swallow it down or spit it out, nor knew what went with it to this Day.

Another time, having read in Dr. Gerhard the admirable Effects of the swallowing of a Gold Bullet upon his own Father in a Case like mine, I got a Gold Bullet and swallowed it (between 20 s. and 30 s. weight); and having taken it, I knew not how to be delivered of it again: I took Clysters and Purges for about three Weeks, but nothing stirred it; and a Gentleman having done the like, the Bullet never came from it till he died, and it was cut out: But at last my Neighbours set a Day apart to fast and pray for me, and I was freed from my Danger in the beginning of that day.

Another time being in Danger of an Aegilops, and (to be brief) at divers times in divers Weaknesses, Pains and Dangers, I have been delivered upon earnest Prayers; such as have assured me that God heareth such extemporate Prayers as many now deride. And because I am speaking of Prayer, I will add one Instance more or two of the Success of it for my Neighbours, as well as for my self.

§ 131. There liveth yet in Kidderminster a grave and honest Widow, Mrs. Giles, Widow to Mr. Giles of Astley, one of the Committee of that County; she had a Son of about 14 or 15 Years of Age, Apprentice in Worcester to a Mercer; he fell into a Feaver, which being removed, ended in a most violent Epilepsie: The Physicians used all ordinary means for a long time in vain; so that she was fain to take him home to her to Kidderminster, where the Physician of the Place and my self did what we could for him, in vain, he had 4 or 5 violent fits in a Day; they were fain to hold a Key between his Teeth to save his Tongue: At last the People of the Town, at her Request, kept a Day of Fasting and Prayer at her House; and the second day (as I remember) he was suddenly cured, and never had a Fit since to this Day (but some little Weakness of his Head sometimes): He is now an Apothecary in Wolverhampton.

§ 132. Another Instance; Rich. Cook of Kinver a Mercer, an ancient sober Godly Man, being desirous to live at Kidderminster, took the next House to mine: The House proved so secretly crackt and Ruinous, that he was afraid it would undo him to repair it: This seized him with a Trouble on his Conscience whether he had done well to remove from Kinver (where he had been long a comfortable Neighbour to old Mr. Crosse): To revive his Spirits he drank much hot Waters, which inflamed his Blood; and so from Melancholy he fell quite Mad. We were forced by the Wars to leave him; but his Wife procured what means she could, but all in vain: When he had continued thus four Years, the excellentest, skilful Men at that Disease undertook him, and did what they could, but all in vain. He had exceeding Quantities of Blood taken from him: Some that had seen the Success would have set upon Fasting and Praying for him in his Presence: But I discouraged them, as thinking it a tempting carnal Men to contemn Prayer, when they saw it unsuccessful, and I thought they had no cause to expect a Miracle: I had no hope of his Cure because it was natural or heridatory to him, his Father having much about his Age fallen Mad before him and never recovered. When he had continued in this sad Case about ten or twelve Years, some of these Men would not be dissuaded, but would Fast and Pray at his House with great importunity; and many Months they continued it (once a Fortnight, or thereabouts) and he was never the better: But at last he sensibly began to amend, and is now as well almost as ever he was before, and so hath continued for a considerable time.

§ 133. I the rather mentioned these Passages of the Force of Prayer, because being not one in any of them my self, nor being present with them, there is no matter of appearing Ostentation, they being a few poor humble Weavers and other Tradesmen only, and no Minister with them, whose Prayers God hath thus frequently heard for others, and for me (though at this present some of the Chief of them lye in Prison, only for praying, and singing Psalms, and repeating Sermons p. 82together when they come from the Publick Congregation). And now I return to the Recital of my own Infirmities.

After abundance of Distempers and Languishings, I fell at last into a Flux Hepaticus, and after that into manifold other Dangers successively (too long to be recited) from all which upon earnest prayer I was delivered.

Once riding upon a great hot-metled Horse, as I stood on a sidelong Pavement in Worcester, the Horse reared up, and both his hinder Feet slipt from under him; so that the full Weight of the Body of the Horse fell upon my Leg; which yet was not broken, but only bruised; when considering the Place, the Stones, the Manner of the Fall, it was a Wonder that my Leg was not broken all to Pieces.

Another time, as I sat in my Study, the Weight of my greatest Folio Books brake down three or four of the highest Shelves, when I sat close under them, and they fell down on every side me, and not one of them hit me, save one upon the Arm; whereas the Place, the Weight, and greatness of the Books was such, and my Head just under them, that it was a Wonder they had not beaten out my Brains, one of the Shelves right over my Head having the six Volumes of Dr. Walton's Oriental Bible, and all Austin's Works, and the Bibliotheca Patrum, and Marlorate, &c.

An other time, I had such a Fall from an high Place without much hurt, which should I describe it, it would seem a Wonder that my Brains were whole. All these I mention as obliged to record the Mercies of my great Preserver to his Praise and Glory.

§ 134. At last my Weakness was grown so great that I was necessitated to use Breast Milk four Months together; and as much longer, or more, I remained somewhat repaired: But then I fell into a Disease in my Eyes almost incredible; I had near every Day for one Year, and every second Day for another Year, a fresh Macula, commonly called a Pearl, in one Eye, besides very many in the other; the first that I had continued divers Weeks, till by the ordinary Method of Cure I had almost lost my Eye. At last I found that Honey alone, or with other things, six or seven times a Day applied constantly discussed and cured it in one Day: and the next Night in my Sleep another still came, a spurious Opthalmy going before, and leaving the Macula behind it: And I found it came from the extreme thinness of the Blood, with the extreme Laxity of the debilitated Vessels, and the Fatulency pumping up the Matter.

Thus I continued two Years, curing the Spot one Day, and finding it still returned the next Morning; so that I had about three hundred Pearls in those two Years; and though for the first Month I could neither read nor endure the Light, yet the rest of the time I went on with my Studies, though not without Pain and much Disturbance. No Purging nor outward Applications, nor other Medicines would Prevent the Return of it; till at two Years end I wrote to Dr. G. Bates for his Advice. The Humidities of my Stomach at the same time tasting like boiled Vinegar, or Vitrial, he prescribed me the use of Chalk in Substance (a spoonful shaved in a convenient Liquor) which powerfully precipitateth and dulcifieth acid Humours, and also hath a harmless corroborating Astriction (like Magisterial of Corall or Crabs Eyes:) the use of this gave a check to my Distemper, so that my Spots came seldomer than before: At last I had a Conceit of my own that two Plants which I had never made trial of, would prove accomodate to my Infirmity, Heath and Sage, as being very drying and astringent without any Acrimony: I boiled much of them in my Beer instead of Hops, and drank no other: When I had used it a Month my Eyes were cured, and all my tormenting Tooth-aches, and such other Maladies. Being desirous to know which of the two Hearbs it was which I was most beholden to, I tryed the Heath alone one time, and the Sage alone anotherwhile; and I found it was the Sage much more than the Heath which did the Cure: whereupon I have used it now this ten Years, and through God's great Mercy, I never had a Spot more for many Years; nor many since at all: Also these other Effects have followed it; 1. It easeth my Headach. 2. I have no other Remedy for my terrible Toothach, inward or outward that will serve; nor did this ever fail me, if it hath had but twelve or twenty hours to work. 3. Whereas before I could endure no strong Drink, but was fain to drink very small Beer, or Iulep Alexande, and a Spoonful of Wine would have disturbed me a Fortnight, (with Ophthalmies, Toothaches, &c.) since I used Sage I can bear the strongest Beer, (so I disuse not my Medicine the while.) 4. The vitriolate cutting Acidity of my Stomach is more dulcified than I could possibly have believed it would be. In a Word, God hath made this Herb do more for me (not for Cure but for Ease) p. 83than all the Medicines that ever I used from all Physitians in my Life: So that though still I am very seldom without pain, yet my Languishings and Pains have been much less these last ten Years than long before. How it doth all this I am not certain; but I suppose principally by its great Astriction, mightily corroborating the relaxed Stomach and Vessels, and Brain, and by Astriction of the relaxed Vein, doth hinder the Motion and Shedding abroad of the corrupted Blood they contain: And also I am sure it mightily precipitateth and taketh off Acidities. The way I use it is, 1. Well boiled in the Wort in all my Beer: 2. Well boiled in my Gruel for every Mornings Breakfast: 3. Upon any special Necessity I take a Spoonful of the Powder (of the Leaves dryed and mixed with two or three Parts of Sugar) which is the Strongest way of all: So that I find the Vertue is most in the terrene and salive Parts, and not in any thing superficial and volatile. For the Infusion, and Ale made by Infusion doth me little Good, nor the Conserve of the Flowers. I have tried it on others, and find no such marvelous Effects as on my self; but least on the fat and strong, and most on the lean, old and weak, and that have thin fluid Humours, and laxity of Vessels, and some inordinate Acrimony. This I thought my self obliged to mention to the Praise of my heavenly Physician, in Thankfulness for these ten Years Ease; and to give some hint to others in my Case: Though now, through Age and constant Use, this Herb doth less with me than at the first; yet am I necessitated still to use it, and quickly to return to it when I have omitted it. After sixteen or seventeen Years benefit it now saileth me, and I forsake it.

§ 135. I shall next record, to the Praise of my Redeemer, the comfortable Employments and Successes which he vouchsafed me during my abode at Kiderminster, under all these Weaknesses. And 1. I will mention my Employment. 2. My Successes. And 3. Those Advantages by which under God it was procured; in order.

1. I preached before the Wars twice each Lord's Day; but after the War but once, and once every Thursday, besides occasional Sermons. Every Thursday Evening my Neighbours that were most desirous and had Opportunity, met at my House, and there one of them repeated the Sermon, and afterwards they proposed what Doubts any of them had about the Sermon, or any other Case of Conscience, and I resolved their Doubts: And last of all I caused sometimes one, and sometimes another of them to Pray (to exercise them); and sometimes I prayed with them my self: which (beside singing a Psalm) was all they did. And once a Week also some of the younger sort who were not fit to pray in so great an Assembly, met among a few more privately, where they spent three Hours in Prayer together, ever Saturday Night they met at some of their Houses to repeat the Sermon of the last Lord's Day, and to pray and prepare themselves for the following Day. Once in a few Weeks we had a Day of Humiliation on one Occasion or other; Every Religious Woman that was safely Delivered, instead of the old Feastings and Gossipings, if they were able, did keep a Day of Thanksgiving with some of their Neighbours with them, praising God, and singing Psalms, and soberly Feasting together. Two Days every Week my Assistant and I my self, took 14 Families between us for private Catechising and Conference (he going through the Parish, and the Town coming to me): I first heard them recite the Words of the Catechism, and then examined them about the Sense, and lastly urged them with all possible engaging Reason and Vehemency, to answerable Affection and Practice. If any of them were stalled through Ignorance or Bashfulness, I forbore to press them any farther to Answers, but made them Hearers, and either examined others, or turned all into Instruction and Exhortation. But this I have opened more fully in my Reformed Paster. I spent about an Hour with a Family, and admitted no others to be present, lest Bashfulness should make it burthensom, or any should talk of the Weaknesses of others: So that all the Afternoons on Mondays, and Tuesdays I spent in this (after I had begun it; for it was many Years before I did attempt it): And my Assistant spent the Morning of the same Days in the same Employment. Before that, I only catechised them in the Church; and conferred with, now and then, one occasionally.

Besides all this, I was forced five or six years by the Peoples Necessity to practise Physick: A common Pleurisie happening one year, and no Physician being near, I was forced to advise them, to save their Lives; and I could not afterwards avoid the Importunity of the Town and Country round about: And because I never once took a Penny of any one, I was crowded with Patients, so that almost Twenty would be at my Door at once; and though God by more Success than I p. 84expected, so long encouraged me, yet at last I could endure it no longer; partly because it hindred my other Studies, and partly because the very fear of miscarrying and doing any one harm, did make it an intollerable burden to me: So that after some Years Practice, I procured a godly, diligent Physician to come and live in the Town, and bound my self by Promise to practise no more (unless in Consultation with him in case of any seeming necessity); And so with that Answer I turned them all off, and never medled with it more.

But all these my Labours (except my private Conferences with the Families) even preaching and preparing for it, were but my Recreations, and as it were the work of my spare hours: For my Writings were my chiefest daily Labour; which yet went the more slowly on, that I never one hour had an Amanuensis to dictate to, and specially because my Weakness took up so much of my time. For all the Pains that my Infirmities ever brought upon me, were never half so grievous an Affliction to me, as the unavoidable loss of my time, which they occasioned, I could not bear (through the weakness of my Stomach) to rise before Seven a Clock in the Morning, and afterwards not till much later; and some Infirmities I laboured under, made it above an hour before I could be drest. An hour I must of necessity have to walk before Dinner, and another before Supper; and after Supper I can seldom Study: All which, besides times of Family Duties, and Prayer, and Eating, &c. leaveth me but little time to study; which hath been the greatest external Personal Affliction of all my Life.

Besides all these, every first Wednesday of the Month was our monthly Meeting for Parish Discipline; and every first Thursday of the month was the Ministers meeting for Discipline and Disputation: And in those Disputations it fell to my lot to be almost constant Moderator; and for every such day (usually) I prepared a written Determination. All which I mention as my Mercies and Delights, and not as my Burdens. And every Thursday besides, I had the Company of divers godly Ministers at my House after the Lecture, with whom I spent that Afternoon in the truest Recreation, till my Neighbours came to …et for their Exercise of Repetition and Prayer.

For ever blessed be the God of Mercies, that brought me from the Grave, and gave me after Wars and Sickness fourteen years Liberty in such sweet Imployment! And that in times of Usurpation I had all this Mercy and happy Freedom, when under our rightful King and Governour, I and many hundreds more are silenced, and laid by, as broken Vessels, and suspected and vilified as scarce to be tollerated to live privately and quietly in the Land! That God should make days of Licentiousness and Disorder under an Usurper so great a Mercy to me, and many a thousand more, who under the lawful Governours which they desired, and in the days when Order is said to be restored, do some of us sit in obscurity and unprofitable silence, and some lie in Prisons, and all of us are accounted as the Scum and Swepings or Off-scourings of the Earth.

§ 136. I have mentioned my sweet and acceptable Employment; Let me to the Praise of my gracious Lord, acquaint you with some of my Success: And I will not suppress it, though I fore-know that the Malignant will impute the mention of it to Pride and Oftentation. For it is the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving which I owe to my most gracious God, which I will not deny him for fear of being censured as proud, lest I prove my self proud indeed, while I cannot undergo the Imputation of Pride in the performance of my Thanks for such underserved Mercies.

My publick Preaching met with an attentive diligent Auditory! Having broke over the brunt of the Opposition of the Rabble before the Wars, I found them afterwards tractable and unprejudiced.

Before I ever entred into the Ministry, God blessed my private Conference to the Conversion of some, who remain firm and eminent in holiness to this day: But then, and in the beginning of my Ministry I was wont to number them as Jewels; but since then I could not keep any number of them.

The Congregation was usually full, so that we are fain to build five Galleries after my coming thither (the Church it self being very capacious, and the most commodious and Convenient, that ever I was in). Our private Meetings also were full. On the Lord's Days there was no disorder to be seen in the Streets, but you might hear an hundred Families singing Psalms and repeating Sermons, as you passed through the Streets. In a word, when I came thither first, there was about one Family in a Street that worshipped God and called on his Name, and when I came away there were some Streets where there was not past one Family in the p. 85side of a Street that did not so; and that did not by professing serious Godliness, give us hopes of their sincerity: And those Families which were the worst, being Inns and Alehouses, usually Some persons in each House did seem to be Religious. Though our Administration of the Lords Supper was so ordered as displeased many, and the far greater part kept away themselves, yet we had 600 that were Communicats, of whom there was not twelve that I had not good hopes of, as to their sincerity: and those few that did consent to our Communion, and yet lived scandalously were Excommunicated afterward: And I hope there were many that had the Fear of God that came not to our Communion in the Sacrament, some of them being kept off by Husbands, by Parents, by Masters, and some disswaded by Men that differed from us: Those many that kept away, yet took it patiently, and did not revile us, as doing them wrong: And those unruly young men that were Excommunicated, bore it patiently as to their outward behaviour, though their hearts were full of bitterness: (except one, of whom I shall speak anon). When I set upon Personal Conference with each Family, and Catechizing them, there were very few Families in all the Town that refused to come; and those few were Beggers at the Towns-ends, who were so ignorant that they were ashamed it should be manifest. And few Families went from me without some tears, or seemingly serious Promises for a Godly Life. Yet many ignorant and ungodly Persons there were still among us: but most of them were in the Parish, and not in the Town: and in those parts of the Parish which were furthest from the Town. And whereas one part of the Parish was impropriate, and payed Tythes to Lay-men, and the other part maintained the Church, (a Brook dividing them) it fell out that almost all that side of the Parish which paid Tythes to the Church, were godly, honest People, and did it willingly without Contention; and most of the bad People of the Parish lived on the other side. Some of the Poor men did competently understand the Body of Divinity, and were able to judge in difficult Controversies: Some of them were so able in Prayer, that very …ew Ministers did match them, in order and fulness, and apt Expressions, and holy Oratory, with fervency: Abundance of them were so able to pray very laudably with their Families, or with others. The temper of their Minds, and the innocency of their Lives was much more laudable than their Parts. The Professors of serious Godliness, were generally of very humble Minds and Carriage; of meek and quiet behaviour unto others; and of blamelesness and innocency in their Conversations.

And God was pleased also to give me abundant Encouragement in the Lectures which I preached abroad in other places; as at Worcester, Cleobury, &c. But especially at Dudley and Sheffual; at the former of which (being the first place that ever I preached in) the poor Nailers and other Labourers would not only crowd the Church as full as ever I saw any in London, but also hand upon the Windows, and the Leads without.

And in my poor Endeavours with my Brethren in the Ministry, my Labours were not lost; Our Disputations proved not unprofitable; Our Meetings were never contentious, but always comfortable; We took great delight in the Company of each other; so that I knew that the remembrance of those days is pleasant both of them and me: when Discouragements had long kept me from motioning a way of Church-order and Discipline, which all might agree in, that we might neither have Churches ungoverned, nor fall into Divisions among our selves, at the first motioning of it, I found a readier Consent than I could expect, and all went on without any great obstructing difficulties: And when I attempted to bring them all conjunctly to the work of Catechizing and Instructing every Family by it self, I found a ready consent in most, and performance in many. So that I must here to the praise of my dear Redeemer, set up this Pillar of Remembrance, even to his Praise who hath employed me so many years in so comfortable a Work, with such encouraging Success! O what am I, a worthless Worm, not only wanting Academical Honours, but much of that Furniture which is needful to so high a Work, that God should thus abundantly encourage me, when the Reverend Instructors of my Youth, did labour Fifty years together in one place, and could scarcely say they had Converted one or two of their Parishes! And the greater was this Mercy, because I was naturally of a discouraged Spirit; so that if I had preached one Year, and seen no Fruits of it, I should hardly have for born running away like Ionah, but should have thought that God called me not to that Place. Yea, the Mercy was yet greater in that it was of farther publick Benefit: For some Independents and Anabaptist that had before conceited, that Parish Churches were the great Obstruction of all true Church Order and Discipline, and that it p. 86was impossible to bring them to any good Consistency, did quite change their Minds when they saw what was done at Kiderminster, and began to think now, that it was much through the faultiness of the Parish Ministers, that Parishes are not in a better Cafe; and that it is a better Work thus to reform the Parishes, than to gather Churches out of them, without great Necessity.

And the Zeal and Knowledge of this poor People provoked many in other parts of the Land. And though I have been now absent from them about six Years, and they have been assaulted with Pulpit-Calumnies, and Slanders, with Threatnings and Imprisonments, with enticing Words, and seducing Reasonings, they yet stand fast and keep their Integrity; many of them are gone to God, and some are removed, and some now in Prison, and most still at home; but not one, that I hear of, that are fallen off, or forsake their Uprightness.

§ 137. Having related my comfortable Successes in this Place, I shall next tell you by what, and how many Advantages this much was effected (under that Grace which worketh by means, though with a free diversity); which I do for their sakes that would have the means of other Mens Experiments, in managing ignorant and sinful Parishes.

1. One Advantage was, that I came to a People that never had any awakening Ministry before (but a few formal cold Sermons of the Curate): For if they had been hardened under a powerful Ministry, and been Sermon Proof, I should have expected less.

2. Another Advantage was, that at first I was in the Vigour of my Spirits, and had naturally a familiar moving Voice (which is a great matter with the common Hearers); and doing all in bodily Weakness, as a dying Man, my Soul was the more easily brought to Seriousness, and to preach as a dying Man to dying Men; for drowsy Formality and Customariness doth but stupisy the Hearers, and rock them asleep: It must be serious Preaching, which must make Men serious in hearing and obeying it.

3. Another Advantage was, that most of the bitter Enemies of Godliness in the Town, that rose in Tumults against me before, in their very Hatred of Puritans, had gone out into the Wars, into the King's Armies, and were quickly kill'd, and few of them ever returned again; and so there were few to make any great Opposition to Godliness.

4. Another, and the greatest Advantage was, the Change that was made in the Publick Affairs by the Success of the Wars; which, however it was done, and though much corrupted by the Usurpers, yet it was such as removed many and great Impediments to Mens Salvation: For before, the riotous Rabble had Boldness enough to make serious Godliness a common Scorn, and call them all Puritans and Precisians that did not care as little for God and Heaven and their Souls as they did; especially if a Man were not fully satisfied with their undisciplined, disordered Churches, or Lay Chancellors Excommunications, &c. then no Name was bad enough for him: And the Bishops Articles enquiring after such, and their Courts and the High Commission grievously afflicting those that did but Fast and Pray together, or go from an ignorant drunken Reader, to hear a godly able Preacher at the next Parish, &c. this kept Religion among the Vulgar under either continual Reproach or Terror, encourageing the Rabble to despise it and revile it, and discouraging those that else would own it. And Experience telleth us, that it is a lamentable Impediment to Mens Conversion, when it is a way every where spoken against, and prosecuted by Superiors, which they must embrace; and when at their first Approaches they must go through such Dangers and Obloquy as is fitter for confirmed Christians to be exercised with, than unconverted Sinners or young Beginners: Therefore, though Cromwell gave Liberty to all Sects among us, and did not set up any Party alone by Force, yet this much gave abundant Advantage to the Gospel, removing the Prejudices and the Terrours which hindered it; especially considering that Godliness had Countenance and Reputation also, as well as Liberty; whereas before, if it did not appear in all the Fetters and Formalities of the Times, it was the way to common Shame and Ruine: Hearing Sermons abroad when there were none, or worse at home; Fasting and Praying together; the strict Observation of the Lord's Day, and such like, went under the dangerous Name of Puritanism, as well as opposing Bishops and Ceremonies.

I know in these Times you may meet with Men that confidently affirm, that all Religion was then trodden down, and Heresy and Schism were the only Piety; but I give Warning to all Ages by the Experience of this incredible Age, that p. 87they take heed how they believe any, whoever they be, while they are speaking for the Interest of their Factions and Opinions, against those that were their real or supposed Adversaries.

For my part, I bless God who gave me even under an Usurper whom I opposed, such Liberty and Advantage to preach his Gospel with Success, which I cannot have under a King to whom I have sworn and performed true Subjection and Obedience; yea, which no Age since the Gospel came into this Land, did before possess, as far as I can learn from History. Sure I am, that when it became a matter of Reputation and Honour to be Godly, it abundantly furthered the Successes of the Ministry. Yea, and I shall add this much more for the sake of Posterity, that as much as I have said and written against Licentiousness in Religion, and for the Magistrates Power in it, and though I think that Land most happy, whose Rulers use their Authority for Christ, as well as for the Civil Peace; yet in Comparison of the rest of the World, I shall think that Land happy that hath but bare Liberty to be as good as they are willing to be; and if Countenance and Maintenance be but added to Liberty, and tollerated Errors and Sects be but forced to keep the Peace, and not to oppose the Substantials of Christianity, I shall not hereafter much fear such Toleration, nor despair that Truth will bear down Adversaries.

5. Another Advantage which I found was, that Acceptation of my Person, which Bishop Morley and Dean Warmstry so vehemently dissuaded them from (in vain): Though to win Estimation and Love to our selves only, be an end that none but proud Men and Hypocrites intend, yet it is most certain that the Gratefulness of the Person doth ingratiate the Message, and greatly prepareth the People to receive the Truth: Had they taken me to be Ignorant, Erroneous, Scandalous, Worldly, Self-seeking, or such like, I could have expected small Success among them.

6. Another Advantage which I had was, by the Zeal and Diligence of the Godly People of the Place; who thirsted after the Salvation of their Neighbours, and were in private my Assistants, and being dispersed through the Town, were ready in almost all Companies to repress seducing Words, and to justify Godliness, and convince, reprove, exhort Men according to their needs; as also to teach them how to pray; and to help them to sanctifie the Lord's Day: For those People that had none in their Families who could pray, or repeat the Sermons, went to their next Neighbour's House who could do it, and joined with them; so that Some House (of the ablest Men) in each Street were filled with them that could do nothing, or little in their own.

7. And the holy, humble, blameless Lives of the Religious sort was a great Advantage to me: The malicious People could not say, your Professors here are as proud and covetous as any: But the blameless Lives of godly People did shame Opposers, and put to Silence the Ignorance of foolish Men, and many were won by their good Conversation.

8. And our Unity and Concord was a great Advantage to us, and our freedom from those Sects and Heresies which many other Places were infected with. We had no private Church, though we had private Meetings; we had not Pastor against Pastor, nor Church against Church, nor Sect against Sect, nor Christian against Christian. There was none that had any odd Opinions of his own, or censured his Teacher as erronious, nor questioned his Call: At Bewdley there was a Church of Anabaptists; at Worcester the Independents gathered theirs: But we were all of one Mind, and Mouth, and Way: Not a Separatist, Anabaptist, Antinomian, &c. in the Town! One Journeyman Shoemaker turned Anabaptist, but he left the Town upon it, and went among them. When People saw diversity of Sects and Churches in any Place, it greatly hindred their Conversion; and they were at a loss, and knew not what Party to be of, or what Way to go; and therefore would be of no Religion at all; and perhaps derided them all whom they saw thus disagreed: But they had no such Offence or Objection there; they could not ask, which Church or Party shall I be of; for we were all but as one: Nay, so Modest were the ablest of the People, that they never were inclined to a preaching way, nor to make Ostentation of their Parts; but took warning by the Pride of others, and thought they had teaching enough by their Pastors, and that it was better for them to bestow their Labour in digesting that, than in Preaching themselves.

p. 889. And our private Meetings were a marvellous help to the propagating of Godliness among them: for thereby Truths that slipt away were recalled, and the seriousness of the Peoples minds renewed; and good desires cherished; and hereby their knowledge was much increased; and here the younger sort learned to pray, by frequent hearing others: And here I had opportunity to know their Case: for if any were touched and awakened in publick, I should presently see him drop in to our private Meetings: Hereby also idle meetings and loss of time was prevented. And so far were we from being by this in danger of Schism or Divisions, that it was the principal means to prevent them: For here I was usually present with them, answering their Doubts, and silencing Objections, and moderating them in all. And some Private Meeting's I found they were exceeding much inclined to: and if I had not allowed them such as were lawful and profitable, they would have been ready to run to such as were unlawful and hurtful: And by encouraging them here in the fit exercise of their parts, in Repetition, Prayer, and asking Questions, I kept them from inclining to the disorderly exercise of them, as the Sectaries do. We had no Meetings in opposition to the Publick Meetings; but all in subordination to them; and under my over-sight and guidance; which proved a way profitable to all.

10. Another thing which advantaged us was some publick Disputations which we had with Gainsayers, which very much confirmed the People: The Quakers would fain have got entertainment and set up a Meeting in the Town (and frequently railed at me in the Congregation): But when I had once given them leave to meet in the Church, for a Dispute, and before the People, had opened their deceits and shame, none would entertain them more, nor did they get one Proselyte among us. Before that, Mr. Iohn Tombes being Lecturer of Bewdley, two miles off us, (who was reputed the most Learned and able Anabaptist in England) we kept fair Correspondence for a long time, and I studiously avoided all Debates with him about Infant Baptism; till at last he forced me to it as I shall shew further anon, And after one days Dispute with him of Bewdley, my Hearers were more setled, and the course of his Infection stopt. How mean soever my own Abilities were, yet I had still the advantage of a good Cause, and thereby easily opened the vanity of all Pretenders, Deceivers and Dividers that came among us.

11. Another advantage was the great honesty and diligence of my Assistants: When I came first to Kidderminster after the Wars, I found Mr. Richard Sergeant there received as their Preacher… whom they took in a Case of Necessity when they could get no other: I found him very honest, but of no extraordinary Learning, and of no taking utterance, so that some that were more for Learing than for serious Piety, would have had me taken in his stead a very grave, ancient Doctor of Divinity, who had a most promising Presence, and tolerable Delivery, and reverend Name, and withal was my Kinsman: But I found at last that he had no relish of serious Godliness, nor solid Learning or Knowledge in Divinity, but stole Sermons out of printed Books, and set them off with a grave Delivery. But Mr. Sergeant so increased in Ability, that he became a solid Preacher, and of so great Prudence in Practical Cases, that I know few therein go beyond him; but none at all do I know that excelleth him in Meekness, Humility, Self-denial and Diligence No Child ever seemed more humble: No Interest of his own, either of Estate or Reputation, did ever seem to stop him in his Duty: No Labour did he ever refuse which I could put him to: When I put him to travel over the Parish (which is near 20 miles about) from House to House to Catechize and Instruct each Family, he never grudged or seemed once unwilling. He preached at a Chappel above two miles off one half the day, and in the Town the other, and never murmured. I never heard of the Man or Woman in all that Town and Parish, that ever said, This Fault he did; This Word he spake amiss against me; This Wrong he did me; nor ever one that once found fault with him (save once one man upon a short mistake, for being out of the way when he should have baptized a Child): This admirable blamelesness of Life much furthered our work: And when he was removed two miles from us, I got Mr. Humphrey Waldern to succeed him, who was very much like him, and carried on his work.

12. Another Advantage was the Presence and Countenance of honest Justices of Peace: Colonel Iohn Bridges, a prudent, pious Gentleman, was Patron of the Church, and lived in the Parish, and was a Justice of Peace: And a Bailiff and Justice were Annually chosen in the Corporation, who ordinarily were godly men, and always such as would be thought so, and were ready to use their Authority to p. 89Suppress Sin, and promote Goodness. And when once a Sabbath-breaker thought to have overthrown the Officers at Law, Serjeant Fountain being then Judge of Assize, did so repress his Malice, as discouraged all others from any more such attempts. But now the World is changed—.

13. Another help to my Success, was that small relief which my low Estate enabled me to afford the Poor: though the Place was reckoned at near 200l. per Annum, there came but 90l. and sometimes 80l. per Annum to me: Besides which, some years I had 60l. or 80l. a year of the Booksellers for my Books: which little dispersed among them, much reconciled them to the Doctrine which I taught: I took the aptest of their Children from the School, and set divers of them to the Universities; where for 8l. a year, or 10l. at most, by the help of my Friends there I maintained them. Mr. Vines and Dr. Hill did help me to Sizers places for them at Cambridge: And the Lady Rous allowed me 8l. a year awhile towards their Maintenance, and Mr. Tho. Fowley and Col. Bridges also assisted me. Some of them are honest able Ministers, now cast out with their Brethren: But two or three, having no other way to live, turned great Conformists, and are Preachers now. And in giving that little I had, I did not enquire whether they were good or bad, if they asked Relief: For the bad had Souls and Bodies that needed Charity most. And I found that Three pence or a Groat to every poor Body that askt me, was no great matter in a year, but a few pounds in that way of giving would go far. And this Truth I will speak to the encouragement of the Charitable, that what little Money I have now by me, I got it almost all (I scarce know how) in that time when I gave most: And since I have had less opportunity of giving, I have had less increase.

14. Another furtherance of my work was the Writing's which I wrote, and gave among them. Some small Books I gave each Family one of, (which came to about 800); and of the bigger I gave fewer: And every Family that was poor, and had not a Bible, I gave a Bible to. And I had found my self the benefit of reading to be so great, that I could not but think it would be profitable to others.

15. And it was a great Advantage to me, that my Neighbours were of such a Trade as allowed them time enough to read or talk of holy Things. For the Town liveth upon the Weaving of Kidderminster Stuffs; and as they stand in their Loom they can set a Book before them, or edifie one another: whereas Plowmen, and many others, are so wearied or continually employed, either in the Labours or the Cares of their Callings, that it is a great Impediment to their Salvation; Freeholders and Trades-men are the Strength of Religion and Civillity in the Land: and Gentlemen and Beggers, and Servile Tenants, are the Strength of Iniquity; (Though among these sorts there are some also that are good and just, as among the other there are many bad.) And their constant Converse and Traffick with London doth much promote Civility and Piety among Trades-men.

16. And I found that my single Life afforded me much advantage: For I could the easilier take my People for my Children, and think all that I had too little for them, in that I had no Children of my own to tempt me to another way of using it. And being discharged from the most of Family Cares (keeping but one Servant) I had the greater vacancy and liberty for the Labours of my Calling.

17. And God made use of my Practice of Physick among them, as a very great advantage to my Ministry; for they that cared not for their Souls did love their Lives, and care for their Bodies: And by this they were made almost as observant, as a Tenant is of his Landlord: Sometimes I could see before me in the Church a very considerable part of the Congregation, whose Lives God had made me a means to save, or to recover their health: And doing it for nothing so obliged them, that they would readily hear me.

18. And it was a great advantage to me, that there were at last few that were bad, but some of their own Relations were Converted: Many Children did God work upon at 14, or 15, or 16 years of Age: And this did marvellously reconcile the Minds of the Parents and Elder sort to Godliness: They that would not hear me, would hear their own Children: They that before could have talkt against Godliness, would not hear it spoken against when it was their Childrens Case: Many that would not be brought to it themselves, were proud that they had understanding Religious Children: And we had some old Persons of near Eighty years of Age, who are, I hope, in Heaven, and the Conversion of their own Children was the chief means to overcome their Prejudice and old Customs and Conceits.

p. 9019. And God made great use of Sickness to do good to many. For though Sickbed Promises are usually soon forgotten; yet was it otherwise with many among us: And as soon as they were recovered, they first came to our private Meetings, and so kept in a learning state, till further Fruits of Piety appeared.

20. And I found that our disowning of the Iniquity of the Times, did tend to the good of many: For they despised those that always followed the stronger side, and justified every wickedness that was done by the stronger Party: Though we had judged the Parliaments War to be lawful and necessary, to save themselves and us from the Irish and their Adherents, and to punish Delinquents in a Course of Law, while we believed that nothing was intended against the King or Laws; yet as soon as ever we saw the Case changed, and Cromwell's Army enter into a Rebellion against King and Parliament, and kill the King, and invade the Scots, and fight against the King that should have succeeded, &c. we openly disowned them, and on all just occasions exprest our abhorrence of their Hypocrisie, Perjury, and Rebellion; (except two or three idle drunken Fellows that thought to live by flattering the Times, this was the Sense of all the Town). And had I owned the Guilt of others, it would have been my shame, and the hinderance of my work, and provoked God to have disowned me.

21. Another of my great Advantages was, the true Worth and Unanimity of the honest Ministers of the Country round about us, who associated in a way of Concord with us: Their Preaching was powerful and sober; their Spirits peaceable and meek, disowning the Treasons and Iniquities of the times as well as we; they were wholly addicted to the winning of Souls; self-denying, and of most blameless Lives; Evil spoken of by no Sober Men; but greatly beloved by their own People, and all that knew them; adhering to no Faction; neither Episcopal, Presbyterian nor Independent, as to Parties; but desiring Union, and loving that which is good in all.

These meeting weekly at our Lecture, and monthly at our Disputation, constrained a Reverence in the People to their Worth and Unity, and consequently furthered my Work, such were Mr. Andrew Trisham Minister of Bridgnorth, Mr. Tho. Baldwin Minister at Chadsley, Mr. Tho. Baldwin Minister of Clent, Mr. Ioseph Baker Minister in Worcester, Mr. Henry Oasland Minister of Bewdley, Mr. William Spicer Minister of Stone (an old man since dead), Mr. Richard Sergeant last Minister of Stone, Mr. Wilsby of Womborne, Mr. Iohn Reignolds of Wolverhampton, Mr. Ioseph Rocke of Rowley, Mr. Richard Wolley of Sallwarp, Mr. Giles Wolley, Mr. Humphrey Waldern of Broome, Mr. Edw. Bowchier of Church-hill, Mr. Ambrose Sparry of Martley, Mr. William Kimberley of Ridmarley, Mr. Benj. Baxter of Upton upon Severn, Mr. Dowley of Stoke, Mr. Stephen Baxter, Mr. Tho. Bromwick of Kemsey, Mr. I. Nott of Sheriff-hales, with many others; to whom I may adjoyn Mr. Iohn Spilsbury, and Mr. Iuice one of Bromsgrove, and the other of Worcester, Independants, and very honest, sober, and moderate men; (who were all of them now silenced and cast out, though not one of them all had any hand in the Wars for the Parliament, or any Military Employment; only Mr. George Hopkins of Evesham was in the Army, (a worthy faithful Minister also) and no other of our Association that I know of besides my self in all the County.

22. Another Advantage to me was the quality of the Sinners of the place. There were two Drunkards almost at the next Doors to me, who (one by night, and the other by day) did constantly every Week, if not twice or thrice a Weak, roar and rave in the Streets like stark-madmen; and when they have been laid in the Stocks or Gaol, they have been as bad as soon as ever they came out: And these were so beastly and ridiculous, that they made that Sin (of which we were in most danger) the more abhorred.

23. Another Advantage to me was the quality of the Apostates of the place. If we had been troubled with meer Separatists, Anabaptists, or others that erred plausibly and tollerably, they might perhaps have divided us, and drawn away Disciples after them: But we had only two Professors that fell off in the Wars, and (one or two at most) that made no Profession of Godliness were drawn in to them. They that fell off were such as before, by their want of grounded Understanding, Humility and Mortification, gave us the greatest suspicion of their Stability: And they fell to no less than Familism and Infidelity, making a jest of the Scripture, and the Essentials of Christianity: (Though they so carefully hid it, that we could never possibly have known their Minds, but from the Alehouse, and Companions with whom they were more free). And as they fell from the Faith, so they fell to Drinking, Gaming, furious Passions, horribly abusing their Wives p. 91(and thereby saving them from their Errours) and to a vicious Life. So that they stood up as Pillars and Monuments of God's Justice, to warn all others, to take heed of Self-conceitedness and Heresies, and of departing from Truth and Christian Unity: And so they were a principal means to keep out all Sects and Errours from the Town.

24. Another great help to my Success at last, was the fore-described Work of Personal Conference with every Family apart, and Catechising and Instructing them. That which was spoken to them personally, and put them sometime upon Answers, awakened their Attention, and was easilier applyed than publick Preaching, and seemed to do much more upon them.

25. And the Exercise of Church-Discipline was no small furtherance of the Peoples Good: For I found plainly that without it I could not have kept the Religious sort from Separations and Divisions. There is something generally in their Dispositions, which inclineth them to dissociate from open ungodly Sinners, as Men of another Nature and Society; and if they had not seen me do something reasonable for a Regular Separation of the notorious obstinate Sinners from the rest, they would irregularly have withdrawn themselves; and it had not been in my power, with bare words, to satisfie them, when they saw we had liberty to do what we would.

It was my greatest Care and Contrivance so to order this Work, that we might neither make a meer Mock-shew of Discipline, nor with Independants, un-church the Parish-Church, and gather a Church out of them anew. Therefore all the Ministers Associate agreed together, to practice so much Discipline, as the Episcopal, Presbyterians and Independants were agreed on, that Presbyters might and must do. And we told the People that we went not about to gather a new Church, but taking the Parish for the Church, unless they were unwilling to own their own Membership, we resolved to exercise that Discipline with all: Only because there are some Papists and Familists or Infidels among us, and because in these times of Liberty we cannot (nor desire to) compel any against their Wills, we desired all that did own their Membership in this Parish Church, and take us for their Pastors, to give in their Names, or any other way signifie that they do so: and those that are not willing to be Members, and rather choose to withdraw themselves than live under Discipline, to be silent: And so, for very fear of Discipline, all the Parish kept off except about Six hundred, when there were in all above Sixteen hundred at Age to be Communicants. Yet because it was their own doing, and they knew they might come in when they would, they were quiet in their Separation; for we took them for the Separatists: For those that scrupled our Gesture at the Sacrament, I openly told them that they should have it in their own. Yet did I Baptize all their Children; but made them first (as I would have done by Strangers) give me privately, (or publickly if they had rather) an account of their Faith; and if any Father were a scandalous Sinner, I made him confess his Sin openly with seeming Penitence, before I would Baptize his Child: If he refused it, I forbore till the Mother came to present it, (for I rarely, if ever, found both Father and Mother so destitute of Knowledge and Faith, as in a Church Sense to be uncapable hereof.)

Of those that refused to come under Discipline, some were honest Persons, who by their Husbands, Parents or Masters, were forbidden: Many were grosly ignorant; many were prophane and scandalous; and many were kept off by the Example and Perswasions of some leading Persons, who were guided by the higher sort of the Prelatical Divines; who though they could say little or nothing against what we did, yet their Religion being too much made up of Faction and Personal Interest, they disowned our Course as unsuitable to the Interest of their Civil and Ecclesiastical Sidings and Designs.

About six or seven young Men did joyn with us who were addicted to Tipling, and one of them was a weak-headed Fellow, who was a common notorious Drunkard. We could not refuse them, because our business was not to gather a New Church, but only to know who owned their own Membership, and who would disown it and withdraw themselves. But we told him that he was a notorious Drunkard, that we must presently admonish him, and expect his humble, penitent Confession, and promise of Amendment, or else we must declare him unfit for Church-Communion. He lamented his Sin with great aggravation, and promised Amendment; but quickly returned to it again: We admonished him again and again, and laboured to bring him to Contrition and Resolution; and he would still confess it, and still go on: I warned him publickly, and prayed for him several p. 92days in the Church; but he went on in his Drunkenness still: At last I declared him unfit for the Churches Communion, and required them to avoid him accordingly (for this was all we did, whether you will call it Excommunication or not) endeavouring to convince him of his Misery, and of the necessity of true Repentance and Reformation.

If any shall here ask me, Why we took this Course, and did not take all the Parish for Members without putting the Question to them; and what Benefits we found by such a Course of Discipline? I answer first to the last Question:

1. We performed a plain Command of Christ: and we took Obedience to be better than Sacrifice, and be our best kind of Worship, and the pleasing of God to be the greatest benefit.

2. As is said before, we kept the Church from irregular Separations, which else could never have been done.

3. We helpt to Cure that dangerous Disease among the People, of imagining that Christianity is but a matter of Opinion and dead Belief, and to convince them how much of it consisteth in Holiness, and how far it is inconsistent with reigning Sin; and so did vindicate the Honour of Christ and the Christian Faith.

4. We greatly suppressed the practice of Sin, and caused People to walk more watchfully than else they would have done. These and many other great Benefits accrewed by it to the Church.

But if you ask what good the Offenders themselves received by it, I shall tell you the truth according to my Experince. All sober, godly, well-minded Persons, if they once fell into any scandalous Action (as scarce two of them ever did) yea the very Civil and Younger sort that were tractable, did humbly confess their Sin, and walk more watchfully. But those that were cast out of our Communion were enraged, and made much more Enemies to Godliness than before, though we exercised as much Patience and Tenderness towards them, as Reason could desire. The Drunkard before-mentioned, after his Ejection, when he was drunk would stand at the Market-place, and like a Quaker, Cry out against the Town, and take on him to prophesie God's Judgments against them, and would rage at my Door, and rail and curse. And once he followed me as I went to Church, and laid hands on me in the Church-yard, with a purpose to have killed me; but it fell out that he had hold only of my Cloak, which I unbottoned and left with him; and before his Fury could do any more, (it being the Fair-day) there were some Strangers by in the Church-yard, who drag'd him to the Magistrate and the Stocks. And thus he continued raging against me about a year, and then died of a Fever in horrour of Conscience. Three or four more we were forced to cast out, one for Slandering, and all the rest for drunkenness; and though their wit, and the honesty of their Neighbours and Relations made them live quietly, yet their Enmity was much encreased, and they themselves so much the worse, as convinced the strictest Religious sort, that Excommunication is not to be used but upon great Necessity. And indeed, how can you expect that he who will stand it out to an Excommunication, should be bettered by any ordinary means? When private Intreaties and vehement Exhortations, and Warnings before others, and at last before the Church, and earnest Prayers for them, and all that we could say or do for many Weeks or Months together, would not make most of them so much as say, We are sorry for our sin; nor any of them leave their common Drunkenness; how should Excommunication do them good?

If you say, Why then did you use it? I answer, For the sake of the rest more than for them: for all the Reasons before-mentioned, and many more which I have laid down in the Preface to my Universal Concord. We knew it to be an Ordinance of Christ, and greatly conducing to the Honour of the Church; which is not a common prophane Society, nor a Sty of Swine, but must be cleaner than the Societies of Infidels and Heathens: And I bless God that ever I made trial of Discipline; for my Expectations were not frustrate though the ejected Sinners were hardened: The Churches Good must be first regarded.

As to the other Question, Why we dealt not thus by all the Parish, and took them not all for Members without question? We knew some Papists and Infidels that were no Members: We knew that the People would have thought themselves wronged more to be thus brought under Discipline without and against their own Consent, than to … them to withdraw. And we thought it not a Business …it for the unwilling, …ually at such a time as that: But especially, I knew that it was like to be their utter undoing, by hardening them into utter Enmity against the means that should recover them: And I never yet saw any signs of hope in p. 93any Excommunicate Person; (unless as they are yet men, and capable of what God will do upon them) except one that humbled himself, and begged Absolution. Now either Discipline is to be exercised according to Christ's Rule, or not. If not, then the Church is no purer a Society, as to its Orders, than those of Infidels and Pagans, but Christ must be disobeyed, and his House of Prayer made a Den of Thieves: If yea, then either impartially upon all obstinate impenitent Sinners according to Christ's Rule, or but on some: If but on some only, it will be a Judgment of Partiality and Unrighteousness; whereas, where there is the same Cause, there must (usually) be the same Penalty. If on all, then the multitude of the Scandalous in almost all places is so great, and the Effects of Excommunication so dreadful, that it would tend to damning of multitudes of Souls; which being contrary to the design of the Gospel, is not to be taken for the Will of Christ: we have our Power to Edification, and not to Destruction. A few in case of necessity may be punished, though to their hurt, for the good of all; but multitudes must not be so used. Indeed, a Popish Interdict, or mock Excommunication, by the Sentence of a Prelate or Lay-Chancellour, may pass against multitudes, and have no considerable Effect, (but as it is enforced by the Sword): But the Word of God is quick and powerful, and when it is thus personally applyed in the Sentencing of a guilty obstinate Sinner, doth one way or other work more effectually. Therefore in this difficulty there can be but two Remedies devised: One is with the Anabaptists to leave Infants unbaptized, that so they may not be taken into the Church, till they are fit for the Orders of the Church: But this is injurious to Infants, and against the will of God, and hath more inconveniences than benefits. (Though for my part, as much as I have wrote against them, I wish that it were in the Church now, as it was in the days of Tertullian, Nazianzen, and Austin, where no man was compelled to bring his Infants to Baptism, but all left to their own time: For then some (as Augustine, &c.) were baptized at full Age, and some in Infancy.) The second therefore is the only just and safe Remedy; which is, That by the due performance of Confirmation, there may be a Soleman Transition out of the state of Infant Church-Membership, into the state of Adult Church-Membership; and due qualifications therein required: and that the unfit may, till then, be left inter Auditores, without the Priviledges proper to Adult Members; of which I have fully written in my Book of Confirmation.

26. Another Advantage which I found to my Success was, by ordering my Doctrine to them in a suitableness to the main end, and yet so as might suit their Dispositions and Diseases. The thing which I daily opened to them, and with greatest importunity laboured to imprint upon their minds, was the great Fundamental Principles of Christianity contained in their Baptismal Covenant, even a right knowledge, and belief of, and subjection and love to, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and Love to all Men, and Concord with the Church and one another: I did so daily inculcate the Knowledge of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and Love and Obedience to God, and Unity with the Church Catholick, and Love to Men, and Hope of Life Eternal, that these were the matter of their daily Cogitations and Discourses, and indeed their Religion. And yet I did usually put in something in my Sermon which was above their own discovery, and which they had not known before; and this I did, that they might be kept humble, and still perceive their ignorance, and be willing to keep in a learning state. (For when Preachers tell their People of no more than they know, and do not shew that they excel them in Knowledge, and easily over-top them in Abilities, the People will be tempted to turn Preachers themselves, and think that they have learnt all that the Ministers can teach them, and are as wise as they; and they will be apt to contemn their Teachers, and wrangle with all their Doctrines, and set their Wits against them, and hear them as Censurers, and not as Disciples, to their own undoing, and to the disturbance of the Church; and they will easily draw Disciples after them: The bare Authority of the Clergy will not serve the turn, without over-topping Ministerial Abilities). And I did this also to increase their Knowledge; and also to make Religion pleasant to them, by a daily addition to their former Light, and to draw them on with desire and Delight. But these things which they did not know before, were not unprofitable Controversies which tended not to Edification, nor Novelties in Doctrine contrary to the Universal Church; but either such Points as tended to illustrate the great Doctrines before-mentioned, or usually, about the right methodizing of them. The opening of the true and profitable method of the Creed, (or Doctrine of Faith) the Lord's Prayer, (or Matter of our Desires) and the Ten Commandments, p. 94(or Law of Practice) which afford matter to add to the knowledge of most Professors of Religion, a long time: And when that is done, they must be led on still further by degrees, as they are capable; but so as not to leave the weak behind: and so as shall still be truly subservient to the great Points of Faith, Hope, and Love, Holiness and Unity, which must be still inculcated, as the beginning and the end of all.

27. Another help to my Success was, that my People were not Rich: There were among them very few Beggers, because their common Trade of Stuff-weaving would find work for all, Men, Women and Children, that were able: And there were none of the Trades-men very rich, seeing their Trade was poor, that would but find them Food and Raiment. The Magistrates of the Town were few of them worth 40l. per An. and most not half so much. Three or four of the Richest thriving Masters of the Trade, got but about 500 or 600l. in twenty years, and it may be lose 100l. of it at once by an ill Debtor. The generality of the Master Workmen, lived but a little better than their Journey-men, (from hand to mouth) but only that they laboured not altogether so hard.

And it is the Poor that receive the glad Tidings of the Gospel, and that are usually rich in faith, and heirs of the heavenly riches which God hath promised to them that love him; Iames 2. 5. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the Iudgment Seats? As Mr. George Herbert saith in his Church Militant:

Gold and the Gospel never did agree:

Religion always sides with Poverty.

Usually the Rich are Proud and Obstinate, and will not endure the due Conduct of the Ministry: Let them be never so ignorant, they must not be crost in their Conceits and Way; and if they be, they storm, and raise Persecution upon it; or at least draw away a Faction after them. Let them be never so Guilty (unless it be some swinish inexcusable Sin) they will not endure to be told of it. Their Gentility seemeth to allow them, in the three or four Sins of Sodom, Pride, Fulness of Bread, and Abundance of Idleness, and not considering the Poor and Needy. And their fulness and idleness tempt them to further Voluptuousness and Sensuality, to Filthiness, or to Time-wasting needless kinds of Sports: And they must not be crost in any of this. Do but offer to Exercise Christ's Discipline upon any of these, and tell them of their Faults alone, and then before two or three, and when they hear not, tell the Church; and you will make them hate both you and Discipline, and say you affect a Domination, and to trample upon your Superiours, and are as proud as Popes. Christ knew what he said, when he said, How hardly shall a Rich Man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! Even as a Camel through the Eye of a Needle. But if a poor man be bad, and hate both Piety and Reproof, yet his opposition is not so fierce or so significant; he maketh not so much ado, nor engageth so many with him, nor is so much regarded by the rest. One Knight (Sir R. C.) which lived among us, did more to hinder my greater Successes, than a multitude of others could have done: Though he was an old Man, of great Courtship and Civility, and very temperate as to Dyet, Apparel and Sports, and seldom would Swear any lowder than [By his Troth, &c.] and shewed me much Personal Reverence and Respect (beyond my desert), and we conversed together with Love and Familiarity; yet (having no relish of this Preciseness and Extemporary Praying, and making so much ado for Heaven; nor liking that which went beyond the pace of Saying the Common Prayer, and also the Interest of himself and his Civil and Ecclesiastical Parties, leading him to be ruled by Dr. Hammond) his coming but once a day to Church on the Lord's days, and his Abstaining from the Sacrament, &c. as if we kept not sufficiently to the old way, and because we used not the Common Prayer Book, when it would have caused us to be Sequestred) did cause a great part of the Parish to follow him, and do as he did; when else our Success and Concord would have been much more happy than it was. And yet Civility and yielding much beyond others of his Party, (sending his Family to be Catechized and personally Instructed) did sway with the worst almost among us to do the like. Indeed we had two other Persons of Quality, that came from other places to live there, and were truly and judiciously Religious, who did much good, (Col. Iohn Bridges, and at last Mrs. Hanmer): For when the Rich are indeed Religious, and overcome their Temptations, as they may be supposed better than others, because their Conquest is greater, so they may do more good than others, because their Talents are more. But such (comparatively) are always few.

p. 9528. Another thing that helped me was, my not medling with Tythes or Worldly Business; whereby I had my whole time (except what Sickness deprived me of) for my Duty, and my Mind more free from Entanglements than else it would have been; and also I escaped the offending of the People, and contending by any Law Suits with them. And I found also that Nature it self being Conscious of the Baseness of its Earthly Disposition, doth think basely of those whom it discerneth to be Earthly; and is forced to Reverence those whose Converse is supposed to be most with God and Heaven. Three or Four of my Neighbours managed all those kind of Businesses, of whom I never took Account; and if any one denied to pay their Tythes, if they were poor I ordered them to forgive it them; After that I was constrained to let the Tythes be gathered, as by my Title, to save the Gatherers from Law-Suits. But if they were able, I ordered them to seek it by the Magistrate, with the Damage, and give both my Part and the Damages to the Poor (for I resolved to have none of it my self that was recovered by Law, and yet I could not tollerate the Sacriledge and Fraud of covetous Men). But when they knew that this was the Rule I went by, none of them would do the Poor so great a Kindness as to deny the Payment of their Tythes, that were able. And in my Family I had the Help of my Father and Mother in Law, and the Benefit of a godly, understanding, faithful Servant (an ancient Woman near Sixty Years old) who eased me of all Care, and laid out all my Money for Housekeeping, so that I never had one Hour's trouble about it, nor ever took one Day's Account of her for Fourteen Years together, as being certain of her Fidelity, Providence and Skill.

29. And it much furthered my Success, that I stayed still in this one Place, (near Two Years before the Wars, and above Fourteen Years after); for he that removeth oft from Place to Place, may sow good Seed in many Places; but is not like to see much Fruit in any, unless some other skilful Hand shall follow him to water it: It was a great Advantage to me, to have almost all the Religious People of the Place, of my own Instructing and Informing; and that they were not formed into erroneous and factious Principles before; and that I stayed to see them grown up to some Confirmedness and Maturity.

30. Lastly, Our Successes were enlarged beyond our own Congregations, by the Lectures kept up round about: To divers of them I went as oft as I was able; and the Neighbour Ministers ofter than I; especially Mr. Oasland of Bewdley, who having a strong Body, a zealous Spirit, and an earnest Utterance, went up and down Preaching from Place to Place, with great Acceptance and Success. But this Business also we contrived to be universally and orderly managed: For besides the Lectures set up on Week-days fixedly in several Places, we studied how to have it extend to every Place in the County that had need. For you must understand that when the Parliament purged the Ministry, they cast out the grosser sort of insufficient and scandalous ones, as gross Drunkards, and such like; and also some few Civil Men that had assisted in the Wars against the Parliament, or set up bowing to Altars, and such Innovations: But they had left in near one half the Ministers, that were not good enough to do much Service, nor bad enough to be cast out as utterly intollerable: These were a company of Poor weak Preachers, that had no great Skill in Divinity, nor Zeal for Godliness; but preached weakly that which is True, and lived in no gross notorious Sin: These Men were not cast out, but yet their People greatly needed help; for their dark sleepy Preaching did but little Good: Therefore we resolved that some of the abler Ministers should often voluntarily help them; but all the Care was how to do it without offending them: And it fell out seasonably, that the Londoners of that County at their yearly Feast, did collect about 30l. and send it me (by that worthy Man, Mr. Thomas Stanley of Bread-street) to set up a Lecture for that Year: Whereupon, we covered all our Designs under the Name of the Londoners Lecture, which took off the Offence: And we chose four worthy Men, Mr. And. Tristram, Mr. Hen. Oasland, Mr. Tho. Baldwin, and Mr. Ios. Treble (who only now conformeth) who undertook to go each Man his Day, once a Month, which was every Lord's Day between the four, and to preach at those Places which had most need, twice on a Lord's Day; but to avoid all ill Consequents and Offence, they were sometimes to go to abler Mens Congregations, and wherever they came to say somewhat always to draw the People to the Honour and special Regard of their own Pastors; that how weak soever they were, they might see that we came not to draw away the Peoples Hearts from them, but to strengthen their Hands, and help them in their Work. This Lecture did a great deal of Good; and though the Londoners gave their Money p. 96but that one Year, yet, when it was once set on foot, we continued it voluntarily (till the Ministers were turned out, and all these Works went down together).

So much of the Way and Helps of those Successes, which I mention because many have enquired after them, as willing with their own Flocks to take that Course, which other Men have by Experience found to be effectual.

§ 138. Having before said somewhat of my Troubles with Mr. Tombes, I shall here more fully tell the Reader how it was.

Mr. Tombs being my Neighbour within two Miles, and denying Infant Baptism, and having written a Book or two against it, he was not a little des…ous of the Propagation of his Opinion, and the Success of his Writings; and he thought that I was his chiefest Hinderer, though I never medled with the point: Whereupon, he came constantly to my Weekly Lecture, waiting for an Opportunity to fall upon that Controversy in his Conference with me: But I studiously avoided it; so that he knew not how to begin: And he had so high a Conceit of his Writings that he thought them unanswerable, and that none could deal with them in that way.

At last, some how, he urged me to give my Judgment of his Writings; and I let him know that they did not satisfie me to be of his Mind, but went no farther with him: Upon this, he forbore coming any more to our Lecture; and he unavoidably contrived me into the Controversy, which I shun'd; for there came unto me five or six of his chief Proselites, as if they were yet unresolved, and desired me to give them in Writing the Arguments which satisfied me for Infant Baptism. I asked them whether they came not by Mr. Tombes's Direction: And they confessed that they did. I asked them whether they had read the Books of Mr. Cobbet, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Church, Mr. Blake for Infant Baptism: And they told me, No. I desired them to read that which is written already, before they call'd for more; and then come to me, and tell me what they had to say against them. But this they would by no means do; but must have my Writings. I told them, that now they plainly confessed that they came upon a Design to promote their Party by contentious Writings, and not in sincere Desire to be informed, as they pretended: But to be short, they had no more Modesty than to insist on their Demands, and to tell me that if they turned against Infant Baptism, and I denied to give them my Arguments in Writing, they must lay it upon me. I asked them whether they would continue unresolved till Mr. Tombes and I had done our Writings; seeing it was some Years since Mr. Blake and he began, and have not ended yet. But no Reasoning served the turn with them, but they still call for my written Arguments: When I saw their factious Design and Immodesty, I bid them tell Mr. Tombes, that he should neither thus command me to lose a Years time in my Weakness, in quarrelling with him, nor yet should have his End in insulting over me, as if I fled from the Light of Truth: Therefore I offered him, if we must needs contend, that we might do it the shortest and most satisfactory way, and spend one Day in a Dispute at his own Church, where I would attend him, (that his People might not remain unsatisfied, till they saw which of us would have the last Word); and after that we would consider of Writing.

So Mr. Tombes and I agreed to meet at his Church on Ian. 1. And in great Weakness thither I came, and from Nine of the Clock in the Morning till Five at Night, in a crowded Congregation, we continued our Dispute; which was all spent in manageing one Argument, from Infants right to Church-Membership to their Right to Baptism: of which he after complained, as if I assaulted him in a new way, which he had not considered of before: But this was not the first time that I had dealt with Anabaptists, who had so much to do with them in the Army as I had: In a Word, this Dispute satisfied all my own People and the Country that came in, and Mr. Tombes's own Townsmen, except about Twenty whom he had perverted, who gathered into his Church, which never increased to above Twenty two, that I could learn. So much of that Dispute, of the Writing more anon.

§ 139. If any shall demand whether the increase of Godliness was answerable in all Places to what I have mentioned (and none deny that it was with us) I answer, that however Men that measure Godliness by their Gain and Interest and Domination, do go about to persuade the World that Godliness then went down, and was almost extinguished, I must bear this faithful Witness to those times, that as far as I was acquainted, where before there was one godly profitable Preacher, there was then six or ten; and taking one Place with another, I conjecture there is a p. 97proportionable increase of truly godly People, not counting Hereticks or perfidious Rebels or Church-disturbers as such: But this increase of Godliness was not in all places alike: For in some places where the Ministers were formal, or ignorant, or weak and imprudent, contentious or negligent, the Parishes were as bad as heretofore. And in some places, where the Ministers had excellent parts, and holy lives, and thirsted after the good of Souls, and wholly devoted themselves, their time and strength and estates thereunto, and thought no pains or cost too much, there abundance were converted to serious Godliness. And with those of a middle state, usually they had a middle measure of Success. And I must add this to the true Information of Posterity, That God did so wonderfully bless the Labours of his unanimous faithful Ministers, that had it not been for the Faction of the Prelatists on one side that drew men off, and the Factions of the giddy and turbulent Sectaries on the other side, (who pull'd down all Government, cried down the Ministers, and broke all into Confusion, and made the People at their wits end, not knowing what Religion to be of); together with some laziness and selfishness in many of the Ministry, I say, had it not been for these Impediments, England had been like in a quarter of an Age to have become a Land of Saints, and a Pattern of Holiness to all the World, and the unmatchable Paradise of the Earth. Never were such fair opportunities to sanctifie a Nation, lost and trodden under foot, as have been in this Land of late! Woe be to them that were the Causes of it.

§ 140. In our Association in this County, though we made our Terms large enough for all, Episcopal, Presbyterians and Independants, there was not one Presbyterian joyned with us that I know of, (for I knew but of one in all the County, Mr. Tho. Hall) nor one Independant, (though two or three honest ones said nothing against us) nor one of the New Prelatical way (Dr. Hammond's) but three or four moderate Conformists that were for the old Episcopacy; and all the rest were meer Catholicks; Men of no Faction, nor siding with any Party, but owning that which was good in all, as far as they could discern it; and upon a Concord in so much, laying out themselves for the great Ends of their Ministry, the Peoples Edification.

§ 141. And the increase of Sectaries among us was much through the weakness or the faultiness of Ministers: And it made me remember that Sects have most abounded when the Gospel hath most prospered, and God hath been doing the greatest works in the World: As first in the Apostles and the Primitive Times, and then when Christian Emperours were assisting the Church; and then when Reformation prospered in Germany; and lately in New-England where Godliness most flourished; and last of all here, when so pleasant a Spring had raised all our hopes: And our Impatience of weak Peoples Errours and Dissent, did make the Business worse; whilst every weak Minister that could not or would not do that for his People which belonged to his place, was presently crying out against the Magistrates for suffering these Errours; and thinking the Sword must do that which the Word should do: And it is a wicked thing in Men, to desire with the Papists, that the People were rather blind than purblind, and that they might rather know nothing, than mistake in some few Points; and to be more troubled that a man contradicteth us in the Point of Infant Baptism or Church Government, than that many of the People are sottishly careless of their own Salvation. He that never regardeth the Word of God, is not like to Err much about it: Men will sooner fall out about Gold or Pearls, than Swine or Asses will.

§ 142. All this while that I abode at Kidderminster, (though the Rulers that then were made an Order that no Sequestred Minister should have his fifth part, unless he removed out of the Parish where he had been Minister, yet) did I never remove the old Sequestred Vicar so much as out of his Vicaridge House, no nor once came within the Doors of it; so far was I from Seizing on it as my own, or removing him out of the Town: But he lived in peace and quietness with us, and reformed his Life, and lived without any Scandal or Offensiveness, and I never heard that he spake an ill word of me. And yet as soon as the times were changed, the instigation of others made him as malapart again, as if he had been awakened out of a sleepy Innocence.

§ 143. About this time Cromwell set up his Major Generals, and the Decimation of the Estates of the Royalists, called Delinquents, to maintain them: And Iames Berry was made Major General of Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and North-Wales; the Countreys in which he had formerly lived as a Servant (a Clark of Iron-works). His reign was modest and short; but hated and scorned by the Gentry p. 98that had known his Inferiority: (so that it had been better for him to have chosen a stranger place): And yet many of them attended him as submissively as if they had honoured him; so significant a thing is power and prosperity with worldly minds.

§ 144. I come now to the End of Cromwell's Reign, who died (of a Fever) before he was aware. He escaped the Attempts of many that sought to have dispatched him sooner; but could not escape the stroke of God, when his appointed Time was come. (Though**As it is currently reported without any Contradiction th…t ever I heard of. an Independant, praying for him, said, [Lord, we ask not for his Life, for that we are sure of; but that he may serve thee better than ever he had done]; to the dishonour of that Presumption which some men call a particular Faith; that is, A believing that they shall receive whatever they ask, if they can but stedfastly believe that they shall receive it, though it be such as they have no other promise for, but that of Hearing [believing Prayers] which they misunderstand).

Never man was highlier extolled, and never man was baselier reported of, and vilified than this man. No (meer) man was better and worse spoken of than he; according as mens Interests led their Judgments. The Soldiers and Sectaries most highly magnified him, till he began to seek the Crown and the Establishment of his Family: And then there were so many that would be Half-Kings themselves, that a King did seem intollerable to them. The Royalists abhorred him as a most perfidious Hypocri…e; and the Presbyterians thought him little better, in his management of publick matters.

It after so many others I may speak my Opinion of him, I think, that, having been a Prodigal in his Youth, and afterward changed to a zealous Religiousness, he meant honestly in the main, and was pious and conscionable in the main course of his Life, till Prosperity and Success corrupted him: that, at his first entrance into the Wars, being but a Captain of Horse, he had a special care to get religious men into his Troop: These men were of greater understanding than common Soldiers, and therefore were more apprehensive of the Importance and Consequence of the War; and making not Money, but that which they took for the Publick Felicity, to be their End, they were the more engaged to be valiant; for he that maketh Money his End, doth esteem his Life above his Pay, and therefore is like enough to save it by flight when danger comes, if possibly he can: But he that maketh the Felicity of Church and State his End, esteemeth it above his Life, and therefore will the sooner lay down his Life for it. And men of Parts and Understanding know how to manage their business, and know that flying is the surest way to death, and that standing to it is the likeliest way to escape; there being many usually that fall in flight, for one that falls in valiant fight. These things it's probable Cromwell understood; and that none would be such engaged valiant men as the Religious: But yet I conjecture, that at his first choosing such men into his Troop, it was the very Esteem and Love of Religious men that principally moved him; and the avoiding of those Disorders, Mutinies, Plunderings, and Grievances of the Country, which deboist men in Armies are commonly guilty of: By this means he indeed sped better than he expected. Aires, Desborough, Berry, Evanson, and the rest of that Troop, did prove so valiant, that as far as I could learn, they never once ran away before an Enemy. Hereupon he got a Commission to take some care of the Associated Counties, where he brought this Troop into a double Regiment, of fourteen full Troops; and all these as full of religious men as he could get: These having more then ordinary Wit and Resolution, had more than ordinary Success; first in Lincolnshire, and afterward in the Earl of Manchester's Army at York Fight: With their Successes the Hearts both of Captain and Soldiers secretly rise both in Pride and Expectation: And the familiarity of many honest erroneous Men (Anabaptists, Antinomians, &c.) withal began quickly to corrupt their Judgments. Hereupon Cromwell's general Religious Zeal, giveth way to the power of that Ambition, which still increaseth as his Successes do increase: Both Piety and Ambition, concurred in his countenancing of all that he thought Godly of what Sect soever: Piety pleadeth for them as Godly; and Charity as Men; and Ambition secretly telleth him what use he might make of them. He meaneth well in all this at the beginning, and thinketh he doth all for the Safety of the Godly, and the Publick Good, but not without an Eye to himself.

p. 99When Successes had broken down all considerable Opposition, he was then in the face of his strongest Temptations, which conquered him when he had conquered others: He thought that he had hitherto done well, both as to the End and Means, and God by the wonderful Blessing of his Providence had owned his endeavours, and it was none but God that had made him great: He thought that if the War was lawful, the Victory was lawful; and if it were lawful to fight against the King and conquer him, it was lawful to use him as a conquered Enemy, and a foolish thing to trust him when they had so provoked him, (whereas indeed the Parliament professed neither to fight against him, nor to conquer him). He thought that the Heart of the King was deep, and that he resolved upon Revenge, and that if he were King, he would easily at one time or other accomplish it; and that it was a dishonest thing of the Parliament to set men to fight for them against the King, and then to lay their Necks upon the block, and be at his Mercy; and that if that must be their Case, it was better to flatter or please him, than to fight against him. He saw that the Scots and the Presbyterians in the Parliament, did by the Covenant and the Oath of Allegiance, find themselves bound to the Person and Family of the King, and that there was no hope of changing their minds in this: Hereupon he joyned with that Party in the Parliament who were for the Cutting off the King, and trusting him no more. And consequently he joyned with them in raising the Independants to make a Fraction in the Synod at Westminster and in the City; and in strengthening the Sectaries in Army, City and Country, and in rendering the Scots and Ministers as odious as he could, to disable them from hindering the Change of Government. In the doing of all this, (which Distrust and Ambition had perswaded him was well done) he thought it lawful to use his Wits, to choose each Instrument, and suit each means, unto its end; and accordingly he daily imployed himself, and modelled the Army, and disbanded all other Garrisons and Forces and Committees,Mean men in their rising must adhere (to a Faction) but great Men that have strength in themselves, were better to maintain themselves indifferent and neutral: yet even in beginners to adhere so moderately, as that he be a Man of that one Faction which is most passable with the other, commonly giveth best way. The lower and weaker Faction is the firmer in Conjunction: And it is often seen that a few that are stiff, do tire out a great number that are more moderate: when one of the Factions is extinguished, the other remaining subdivideth—It is commonly seen that Men once placed take in with the contrary Faction to that by which they enter—Lord Verulam Essay 51. p. 287. which were like to have hindered his design. And as he went on, though he yet resolved not what form the New Commonwealth should be molded into, yet he thought it but reasonable, that he should be the Chief Person who had been chief in their Deliverance; (For the Lord Fairfax he knew had but the Name). At last, as he thought it lawful to cut off the King, because he thought he was lawfully conquered, so he thought it lawful to fight against the Scots that would set him up, and to pull down the Presbyterian Majority in the Parliament, which would else by restoring him undo all which had cost them so much Blood and Treasure. And accordingly he conquereth Scotland, and pulleth down the Parliament: being the easilier perswaded that all this was lawful, because he had a secret Byas and Eye towards his own Exaltation: For he (and his Officers) thought, that when the King was gone a Government there must be; and that no Man was so fit for it as he himself; as best deserving it, and as having by his Wit and great Interest in the Army, the best sufficiency to manage it: Yea, they thought that God had called them by Successes to Govern and take Care of the Commonwealth, and of the Interest of all his People in the Land; and that if they stood by and suffered the Parliament to do that which they thought was dangerous, it would be required at their hands, whom they thought God had made the Guardians of the Land.