An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…

They followed me at Coventry, and elsewhere, with importunity; and I still refused it. Only I told them that by an augmentation which I procured, making my 60l. a hundred, and a House, I would come to be only their Lecturer as before. When they could not move me, they consented. And lest any misinterpretation should be after made of it, (or any Mr. Durel have a pretence of accusation), I got all the Magistrates and chief of the whole Town together, and in the Town-Hall openly, they subscribed an agreement with me to pay me 100l▪ per Ann. as their Lecturer, and that no part of this should accrue from the Vicarage. Which writing I think I have yet to show. After this they chose an Assistant to do the rest of the work; and the Sequestrators gathered the Tithes, and never gave any account to me of it, nor had I any title to them; till at last some one put it into the peoples heads that some other would get in and take the place: Whereupon to keep out others they went privately and got the Committee to give them an Order to put me in the sequestered Vicarage, which they kept privately to themselves for their own Indemnity. And I never once saw it, till just the day that the Kings Majesty now reigning went into Worcester, and the Town was full of Soldiers of both sides; one of them came and brought me the Order, and entreated me to keep it as my own. I told him I would not take it, nor keep it as my own, but they might leave it in the house for safety for their indemnity. And these men thus used my name only for their security; And when I knew it, and asked them whether any of the money they gave me came out of the Tithes, they told me that the 60, which was my due by bond before, and an Augmentation granted by the Parliament to a Chapel, was more than I had. And they used my name in letting their Tithes; which when I knew what they had done, ⟨p. 81⟩I consented to for their Indemnity. And this was my taking the Sequestration.

They followed me at Coventry, and elsewhere, with importunity; and I still refused it. Only I told them that by an augmentation which I procured, making my 60l. a hundred, and a House, I would come to be only their Lecturer as before. When they could not move me, they consented. And lest any misinterpretation should be after made of it, (or any Mr. Durel have a pretence of accusation), I got all the Magistrates and chief of the whole Town together, and in the Town-Hall openly, they subscribed an agreement with me to pay me 100l per Ann. as their Lecturer, and that no part of this should accrew from the Vicaridg. Which writing I think I have yet to shew. After this they chose an Assistant to do the rest of the work; and the Sequestrators gathered the Tythes, and never gave any account to me of it, nor had I any title to them; till at last some one put it into the peoples heads that some other would get in and take the place: Whereupon to keep out others they went privately and got the Committee to give them an Order to put me in the sequestred Vicaridg, which they kept privately to themselves for their own Indemnity. And I never once saw it, till just the day that the Kings Majesty now reigning went into Worcester, and the Town was full of Soldiers of both sides; one of them came and brought me the Order, and intreated me to keep it as my own. I told him I would not take it, nor keep it as my own, but they might leave it in the house for safety for their indemnity. And these men thus used my name only for their security; And when I knew it, and asked them whether any of the money they gave me came out of the Tythes, they told me that the 60, which was my due by bond before, and an Augmentation granted by the Parliament to a Chappel, was more than I had. And they used my name in letting their Tythes; which when I knew what they had done,