Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…

§. 8. Removing from this Family, after he had been, a while at Henly, he continued for three years together, Preaching at Four Places, by Turns, which lay near one another, on the Edges of Suffolk, namely Bumsted, Stoke, Clare, and Candish. Here, some of Sudbury happening to hear him, they Invited him to Succeed the Eminent Old Mr. Jenkins, with which Invitation, he cheerfully complied, and the more cheerfully because ⟨p. 11⟩of his Opportunity to be near Old Mr. Richard Rogers, from whom afterwards when Dying, he Received a Blessing among his Children; yea, to encourage his Acceptance of this Place, the very Reader of the Parish did Subscribe, with many Scores of others, their Desires of it; and yet he accepted not the Pastoral Charge of the Place, without a Solemn Day of Prayer with Fasting, (wherein the Neighbouring Ministers assisted) at his Election: Great notice was now taken of the Success, which God gave unto his Labours, in this Famous Town; among other Instances whereof, One was this. A Tradesman much given to Stealing, as well as other Profane and Vicious Practices, One Day seeing People flock to Mr. Wilsons Lecture, thought with himself, Why should I Tarry at Home to Work, when so many Go to Hear a Sermon? Wherefore, for the sake of Company, he went unto the Lecture too; but when he came, he found a Sermon, as it were, particularly Directed unto himself, on Eph. 4.28. Let him that hath Stole, Steal no more; and such was the Impression thereof upon his Heart, that, from this Time, he became a Changed and Pious man.

§. 9. But if, they that will Live Godlily must Suffer Persecution, a Peculiar share of it must fall upon them, who are Zealous and Useful Instruments to make other Live so. Mr. Wilson had a share of this Persecution; and one A—n, was a ⟨p. 12⟩Principal Author of it. This A—n had formerly been an Apprentice in London, Where the Bishops detained him some years, under an hard Imprisonment, because he Refused the Oath ex Officio, which was pressed upon him to tell, Whether he had never heard his Master Pray against the Bishop? The Charity of Well Disposed People now Supported him, till he got abroad, Recommended by his Hard Sufferings, unto the Good Affections of the Puritans, at whose Meetings he became so Conversant, and thereupon such a forward and zealous Professor, that, at Length he Took upon […], under the Confidence of some Latinity, whereof he was Owner, to be a Sort of a Preacher among them. This man would Reverence Mr. Wilson as his Father, and yet upon the Provocation of seeing Mr. Wilson more highly Valued and Honoured, than himself, he not only became a Conformist himself, but also, as Apostates use to be, a Malignant and Violent Persecutor of those, from whom he had Apostatized. By his means, Mr. Wilson was put unto Trouble in the Bishops Courts; from whence his Deliverance was, at Length Obtained by certain Powerful Mediators. And once by his Tricks the most noted Pursuivant of those Times, was employed for the Seizing of Mr. Wilson; but though he Seized upon many Scores of the People coming from the Lecture, he Dismissed the rest, because he could not meet with Mr. Wilson himself, who by a Special Providence,