A26865:272
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II. an answer to the accusations urged as reasons for the silencing of about 2000 by Bishop Morley ..., III. reasons proving it the duty and interest of the bishops and conformists to endeavour earnestly their restoration : with a postscript upon oral debates with Mr. H. Dodwell, against his reasons for their silence ... : written in 1668 and 1669, for the most of it, and now published as an addition to the defence against Dr. Stillingfleet, and as an account to the silencers of the reasons of our practice / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst and D. Newman, 1681
AN APOLOGY FOR THE SILENCED MINISTERS, Especially for their not cea… › Part › Objection 6
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But I am called by Mr. Durel to speak for my self.
And, 1. Mr. Durel did you ever know either me or the man you speak of that was cast out, or ever hear or see the articles against him? If not, fie man, what doing is this for a French Divine of so much learning, and a Preacher of the Word of Truth!
And, 1. Mr. Durel did you ever know either me or the man you speak of that was cast out, or ever hear or see the articles against him? If not, fye man, what doing is this for a French Divine of so much learning, and a Preacher of the Word of Truth!
But because you talk to the world of things that you never knew, let your patience bear while I trouble you and the Readers with the story which you extort.
When the Long Parliament sate 1640, and showed a forwardness to reform the Clergy, the people of all Countries fled to them with Petitions, that thought they greatly needed better Pastors; and too many in dislike of Altars, and Rails, and Lords-day dancing, which they judged hardly of. And among others many people of Kidderminster drew up Articles against their Vicar, under three general Heads, Insufficiency, and Negligence, Scandal and Innovation. (True or false I am not now telling you), With these their Agents go to London, and the Vicar after them, where seeing how matters went, he got the people by the mediation of Sir Henry Herbert to yield to this agreement, That they should choose a Lecturer to preach to them, and leave the Vicar in his place and Vicarage to read Common-prayer, (not forbidding him to preach when he would, so he hindered not the Lecturer.) For which he bound himself in a Bond of 500l. to pay the said Lecturer Threescore pounds a year. After this agreement, the Bailiff and Impropiator, and others of the people, sent to me to Bridgrorth where I lived, to invite me to accept this Lecture. At last I came and Preached there twice every Lords-day, and a Thursday-Lecture every fort-night, besides Funeral-Sermons, &c. for about a year and half; in all which time I never heard or knew that the Vicar Preached above twice, (though indeed before and since he Preached once a Quarter, or at least once in half a year; (I am not now concerned to tell you how.) Being driven away at the end of a year and half by the Wars, I came again by the peoples importunity, when the War was ended, (about four years after.) For all that time I never