Two Letters, Letter 1
TWO LETTERS Written by Mr HARRIS In Vindication of Himſelfe from the known ſlanders of an unknown Author.
To my Reverend friend M. Harris.
SIR,
IT will not (I hope) offend you to ſee your private Letters made publique, it concernes you, and others, to vindicate your ſelves in this Catching age, and the ſooner 'tis done the better, Chide me if you will, yet I will be
Yours ſtill, W. T. May 2. 1648.
Printed in the Years 1648.
SIR,
TO Your three Queries, touching
1. Non-reſidency,
2. Exchange of Churches,
3. And my Pluralities,
I pray accept (in this my haſte) this ſhort anſwere. For the firſt, I am ſtill the ſame (whether you ſpeake of the Locus or Officium) that then I was, when I Preached and Publiſhed that my Concio ad Clerum in your hands.
For the ſecond, I conceive that a Paſtor in his removes ſhould be rather Paſſive then Active, and fit downe by the concluſion of old foreign.
For the third, I muſt needs ſay more then ever I intended, by reaſon of a freſh charge upon me from Oxford this inſtant Aprill. I acknowledge a double error.
1. That I yeelded ſo farre, as to beare the name of ſome livings, 'till ſome unwelcome ſuitors were ſlaved off, and others more deſired were wrought in.
2. That I was too confident, that no man would conceive that I intended to hold foure or five livings at theſe years, being ſo neare my grave, and at this time, When pluralities are ſo decryed and damned, eſpecially ſeeing in my younger daies, I ſatisfied my ſelfe with one ſmall Benefice, though then I had offers of more, and that then when Non-reſidency was more in faſhion and credit, and more diſpenſable then now it is. Thus farre I have erred, and for this I crave pardon. But now whereas it is pretended that filthy lucre hath ſo farre tranſported mee that I have heaped Living upon Living to a great number, and to no leſſe a value, then 14. or 1500l per annum, I doe profeſſe unto you in the words of Truth and Sobriety, I never yet received 300l per annum declaro in one yeare from any Church Living or Livings, and whereas an audit is made of the very particulars, be not weary if I touch upon each particular. The firſt inſtance is Hanwell, there I lived forty years, and there had died, had I not been called away by publique Order, and before I might returne, my Living and Goods ſeized to anothers uſe. During which my abſence, I was never called to any ſetled, though invited to many ſequeſtred places, The firſt place I undertook, when Hanwell was taken away, was that at Bhiſhops-gate (not daring to venture upon that at the Temple) there I was (at the Parliaments pleaſure) till Hanwell was againe opened unto mee, touching which I cannot give you a full account without ſome trouble to you, and ſome reflection upon deareſt friends, only this in ſumme. I am ſo willing to owne that for my old love (as Pegaſus tearmes it) that I preferre it to any place in the World, were there ſutable accommodations, but the parſonage houſe being defaced, the Mounds and Standards removed, many of my Goods, Books, and other implements and utenſils Pillaged, my own proper Houſes thereabouts, turned to aſhes by the fury of flame and Sword, It was not in my power to repaire my ſelfe, nor in the Peoples to recruit me: true it is; ſome overtures have been made, ſome time ſpent in projecting a reſettlement, but obſtructions have been very great. Meanwhile, what offers have been made on my part, what ſuits on the Peoples part, how the place hath been ſupplied what monies have come at any time to my purſe (Souldiers, Aſſiſtants and other emergencies anſwered) I had rather the moſt knowing Inhabitants would ſpeake then my ſelfe, who (I believe) will ſmile at Pegaſus his Arithmetique in ſumming all up to 160l per annum with an &c.
The Second place is Biſhops-gate, how neare that reacheth to 400l per annum, M. Fuller (there ſetled) by this time finds, would this Auditor help me to my arrear's for times paſt, he ſhould have my now hundreds thence, for one of his Pegaſus ſhooe-nailes.
The third is Hanbury, It pleaſed Oxford-ſhire Committee, out of their good thoughts of me and deſire of my Neighbourhood, to deſigne that for me, yea to ſend me (without my ſuite) an order for it, this I kept by me a while, and in fine deſired them to excuſe me, and how ever I might (if I would) have made ſome profit of the place, yet I aſſure you, and the Pariſhioners will atteſt the ſame, the place was never worth 3d to me; whether in it ſelfe it amounts to towards 300l or no, M. Rogers (the Incumbent) beſt knowes, and this reporter (within ſixe miles of the place) may know the truth in the premiſes, if it be not grievous to him to know the truth and my innocency.
Now comes ſequeſtred Peterfield, then to be left when I goe to Oxford: this is not above forſooth 5. or 600l per annum, warily ſpoken, he might have made another remove, and ſaid not above ſo many 1000l, what 'tis in this negative and indefinite way it skilles not much, what I have received, the Sequeſtrator hath aſſerted under his hand, and if Pegaſus will give me 150l for my 500l per annum (all things diſcharged) I will give him Bridle and Saddle into the bargaine.
As for his 4s per diem in the Aſſembly, he underſtands as little how and to whom that is paid, as I doe of his 10s for Apoſtle-ſhip in Oxford vaine man, who is at leiſure thus to throw away time, and to pleaſe himſelfe in his own froth) knowes he better then I what I have received or doe intend, whether I ſettle upon Garſington (an other inſtance annexed to the Colledge) or no: whether it were poſſible for me (if I were willing) to hold many Parſonages now or not: or ſay I could and would, knowes he never a man (never a worthy man in his eye) who hathhad 15. or 1600l per annum, and how comes he to be ſo angry with one, and ſo indulgent to another in the ſame cauſe, but the Lord forgive his keenes, not againſt me only, but againſt more deſerving men. Sir I returne to you, I crave pardon for this digreſſion, if this little will ſatisfy you, or any with you, I am glad, if not, I ſhall doe more at more leaſure, for I am reſolved that no Pluraliſt ſhall juſtly quote me. I am now a dying man, and I had rather dye this day, then live one more therein to give juſt offence to the Church of God, to his Grace I now leave you, and
Am Sir Your Servant in Chriſt R. H.