Richard Baxter's penitent confession and his necessary vindication in answer to a book called…

24. I never became the Pastor of any Church since I was expelled from Kidderminster: I offered when I refused a Bishopric to preach there for nothing under the ignorant Reader that was Vicar: But the Lord Chancellor Hyde wrote to Sir Ralph Clare that his Majesty thought himself not well dealt with that Mr. Baxter that had deserved so well of him had not the Vicarage, and he promised to pay the Vicar the worth of it by his own Steward Mr. Clutterbuke, out of his own Rents: But durst not give a Prebend much less a Pastoral Charge to the Vicar, lest it disgrace the Ministry: I was not so ignorant as not to know what the King and Chancellor meant by all this (and by the Gracious Declaration.) But he gave me unsealed the Copy of his Letter to send: And the Vicar answered as he was taught that he would not quit his place for an uncertainty (nor would Bishop Morley let me preach for nothing under him.)

24. I never became the Pastor of any Church since I was expelled from Kiderminster: I offered when I refused a Bishoprick to preach there for nothing under the ignorant Reader that was Vicar: But the Lord Chancellor Hyde wrote to Sir Ralph Clare that his Majesty thought himself not well dealt with that Mr. Baxter that had deserved so well of him had not the Vicaridge, and he promised to pay the Vicar the worth of it by his own Steward Mr. Clutterbuke, out of his own Rents: But durst not give a Prebend much less a Pastoral Charge to the Vicar, lest it disgrace the Ministry: I was not so ignorant as not to know what the King and Chancellor meant by all this (and by the Gracious Declaration.) But he gave me unsealed the Copy of his Letter to send: And the Vicar answered as he was taught that he would not quit his place for an uncertainty (nor would Bishop Morley let me preach for nothing under him.)

25. When the King sent out his Declaration that gave us leave to preach, I returned to London, and chose only St. Martins Parish to preach in, because there were said to be above Sixty Thousand Souls more than could hear in the Church; and hiring a room over the Market-house at St. James's (where we were all delivered by almost a Miracle from a crack in the Floor) I published to the Hearers (and left to them in writing) that I came not thither to gather or preach to any new Church, or as separating from the Parish Church, but (being Vowed to the Ministry) in necessary compassion pro tempore to help part of the many thousands that could not come into the Parish Church: For which some Separatists censured me: And we used the Scripture, part of the Liturgy and more.