Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 157. And this bringeth to my remembrance the Motion which I oft made to my Brethren when they were oft admitted to the King, and thought themselves in so great favour, and had Bishoprics and Deaneries offered them, and the Ministers of the Land had such high Expectations: I motioned to them that now while the World would blush at the denial, we might Petition for a bare Liberty to preach for nothing, in the Public Churches, at those hours of the Lord's Day, and those days of the week, when the Ministers that are put into our Places are vacant, and are not there. But the Brethren thought this was to come down our selves before they took us down. But the time quickly came when we would have been glad of this much.

§ 157. And this bringeth to my remembrance the Motion which I oft made to my Brethren when they were oft admitted to the King, and thought themselves in so great favour, and had Bishopricks and Deaneries offered them, and the Ministers of the Land had such high Expectations: I motioned to them that now while the World would blush at the denial, we might Petition for a bare Liberty to preach for nothing, in the Publick Churches, at those hours of the Lord's Day, and those days of the week, when the Ministers that are put into our Places are vacant, and are not there. But the Brethren thought this was to come down our selves before they took us down. But the time quickly came when we would have been glad of this much.

§ 158. A little after this, Sir Ralph Clare, and others, caused the Houses of the People of the Town of Kidderminster to be searched for Arms, and if any had a Sword, it was taken from them! And meeting him after with the Bishop, I desired him to tell us why his Neighbours were so used, as if he would have made the World believe that they were Seditious, or Rebels, or dangerous Persons that should be used as Enemies to the King. He answered me, That it was because they would not bring out their Arms when they were commanded, but said they had none, whenas they had Arms upon every occasion to appear with on the behalf of Cromwell. This great disingenuity of so ancient a Gentleman, towards his Neighbours whom he pretended kindness to, made me brake forth into some more than ordinary freedom of reproof; and I answered him, That we have thought our Condition hard in that by Strangers that know us not, we should be ordinarily traduced and misrepresented; but this was most sad and marvellous, that a Gentleman so Civil, should before the Bishop speak such words against a Corporation, which he knew I was able to confute, and are so contrary to truth! I asked him whether he did not know that I publicly and privately spake against the Usurpers, and declared them to be Rebels; and whether he took not the People to be of my mind: and whether I and they had not hazarded our Liberty by refusing the Engagement against the King and House of Lords, when he and others of his Mind had taken it? He confessed that I had been against Cromwell, but they had always on every occasion appeared in Arms for him. I told him that he struck me with admiration, that it should be possible for him to live in the Town, and yet believe what he said, to be true, or yet to speak it in our hearing, if he knew it to be untrue. And I professed, that having lived there Sixteen years since the Wars, I never