Schism detected in both extremes, or, Two sorts of sinful separation the first part…Schism detected in both extreams, or, Two sorts of sinful separation the first part…

I am reproached in Print for telling the world this notorious truth; That I lived till ten years old, where four men, four years hired successively were Readers and School-masters; two Preached (as it was called) once a Month, the other two never: Two drank themselves to beggary. After I lived where many Parishes about us had no Preachers: The Parish that I lived in, had a Church with a Vicar that never preached, and a Chapel with a Parson eighty years old, that had two Livings twenty Miles distant, and never preached: His Son a Reader and Stage-player was sometime his Curate: His Grand-son, my School-master, his Curate next that, never preached in his life, but drunk himself to beggary. One year a Taylor read the Scripture, and the old man (the best of them all) said the Common-Prayer without book (for want of sight.) The next year a poor Thresher read the Scripture. After that a Neighbours Son (my Master) was Curate, who never preached but once, and that when he was drunk, (in my hearing) on Mat. 25. Come ye Blessed, and go ye Cursed;] the saddest Sermon that ever I heard. These things were no rarities: Now my assertion is, That the Church that had such as Austin, Chrysostom, Jewel, Andrews, and such worthy men as London now hath many, had Privileges distinct from these, (and many the like) that I was in.

I am reproached in Print for telling the world this notorious truth; That I lived till ten years old, where four men, four years hired successively were Readers and School-masters; two Preached (as it was called) once a Month, the other two never: Two drank themselves to beggery. After I lived where many Parishes about us had no Preachers: The Parish that I lived in, had a Church with a Vicar that never preached, and a Chappel with a Parson eighty years old, that had two Livings twenty Miles distant, and never preacht: His Son a Reader and Stage-player was sometime his Curate: His Grand-son, my School-master, his Curate next that, never preacht in his life, but drunk himself to beggery. One year a Taylor read the Scripture, and the old man (the best of them all) said the Commmon-Prayer without book (for want of sight.) The next year a poor Thresher read the Scripture. After that a Neighbours Son (my Master) was Curate, who never preacht but once, and that when he was drunk, (in my hearing) on Mat. 25. Come ye Blessed, and go ye Cursed;] the saddest Sermon that ever I heard. These things were no rarities: Now my assertion is, That the Church that had such as Austin, Chrysostome, Jewel, Andrews, and such worthy men as London now hath many, had Priviledges distinct from these, (and many the like) that I was in.