A vindication of Mr Burroughs, against Mr Edwards his foul aspersions, in his spreading…A vindication of Mr Burroughes, against Mr Edwards his foule aspersions, in his spreading…

when I heard him say thus, I stood a while amazed at the providence of God, that at such a time a Messenger should be sent to me about such an errand; my ⟨p. 20⟩heart God knows exceedingly rejoiced in this call of his, I presently told him I saw. God much in it, and dared not in the least to gainsay it, yea, that my heart did much close with it, yet desired to see God a little further in it, this only I required, that he should go or send to the Church and return my answer: with desire, that because most of them knew me, they should give me their call under their own bands, and then there would be nothing wanting that I knew, but I was theirs, and thus we parted. In this my heart was much eased, now seeing a clear hand of God taking me off from temptations, that I was afraid might otherwise have stuck upon me, but this I kept to my self.

when I heard him say thus, I stood a while amazed at the providence of God, that at such a time a Messenger should be sent to me about such an errand; my ⟨p. 20⟩heart God knowes exceedingly rejoyced in this call of his, I presently told him I saw. God much in it, and dared not in the least to gainsay it, yea, that my heart did much close with it, yet desired to see God a little further in it, this only I required, that he should go or send to the Church and return my answer: with desire, that because most of them knew me, they should give me their call under their own bands, and then there would be nothing wanting that I knew, but I was theirs, and thus we parted. In this my heart was much eased, now seeing a cleare hand of God taking me off from temptations, that I was affraid might otherwise have stucke upon me, but this I kept to my selfe.

Now as God would have it, three or four days after this, a friend meets me, and tells me, that such a man reported of me, that in a conference about the Scots, justifying them in what they did, I should speak such things as might bring me into trouble; After I heard this, I could not but take notice of Gods hand, that surely now God intended to open the door very wide, for that call I had to Rotterdam; yet because, whether I went out or stayed in the Land, I desired to clear my self as much as could be; I went to this accuser with one of the Gentlemen, who was at our whole discourse, we both laboured to convince him that he had mistook what was said in that Conference, that certainly there was no such thing as he had reported, though at first there appeared a very evil spirit in him, as if he intended evil against me, yet I went freely up and down for a fortnight or three weeks after in the Country, and got another Gentleman, who also heard all that Conference, to speak with him; at the last he began to recant of what he had said, and promised to me and one of the Gentlemen who had heard all our former discourse, that he would take me off what he could, that he would satisfy all that he had told any thing against me unto, and now tell them that he was mistaken in me, and that things were not so bad as he apprehended, and withal said he made no doubt but to set me right again. After this I hoped all would blow over, my Lord of Warwick falling sick at London, sent for me, I came up to him, continuing with him a fortnight or three weeks longer, going freely up and down the City, my Lord knew all the business, and made no question but all was over. Now I being as I hoped set free from my Accuser,