ABSTRACT
DO not blame me for your Disappointments, for I am not in the fault, for you are At Witnesses how long I have waited, and what Charge I have been at, to bring the Plate so many times, which has been very chargeable to me: You cannot think that I would fling away the Plate, and to give it without any Security 91 Satisfaction; and I think my Proposals was very reasonable, for the Security of the Plate, and for the Honour of the Plate to be fey up in the Church. Mr. Cooke said,I should have every thing granted me whateverIdeftr’d, and upon that he desir’d me to bring my, Plate, and I told him I would have it Consecrated: and he said, I hould; but he did not perform it nor any thing else, so I refused to being my Plate any more, for I saw plainly they did design to chat God-and bubble me; for they say that I desit’d that which, never was done. Could not they have told me at the first so, but now to go to Law, and get it by violence, and spend the Parishes Money and threaten my Destruction for my good Intentions towards you? Do you think this is agreeable to the Will of God? No, this is the way to bring a Curse upon Mt. Cooke and upon you to for your Ungratitude: For was it ever known, that such a Gift was given by one body to a Church? And because God had inlarg’d my Heart, and filled it full of Love to his Divine Majesty for his great Protection of me, must I be counted Mad, and a vile Perfon, and have all mariner of Sca[illegible source in text]ais put upon. me, when Gol knows I am Innocent? Do you, think this [illegible source in text] the. way to matte you worthy of such a Gift? I never questioned an[illegible source in text], but submitted to providence; but if the God of providence has tried you, and finds you not worthy, must you not submit to his Will? And do you think you will get any thing by warring against his Will? For he is a powerful God, and he can do whatever he pleases. When the Children of Isreal walk rightly he decked them with Jewels, but when they did not, then The [illegible source in text]k them away; God is the Sam now as he was then? And no Man can pretend a Right to a House till[illegible source in text] convey’d to him, or that he Deed of Gi[illegible source in text] mow: So your Parish, has no right to the Table nor [illegible source in text]uto neither for I never made it ver to them, though it w[illegible source in text] my Hea[illegible source in text] desire for to do [illegible source in text], and it was theri own Fault and themselves that m[illegible source in text]ed it; but Mr. Cooke will tell the to my face, that he oftch desir’d my Proposals, which he never did once, for it was that I waited for, and it has grieved mc much, to think he could tell an Untruth. The Lord in Mercy keep-his People in his Truth, and proted me from the violent Man that would destroy my ant4onine. I have no Money tor.,Law, fos,I have! spent it up on the Gospel, not because I flowed in Morty, but my Heart was large. O though eat God of Power, deliver ma from the spire of call wicked Men, for under the Shadow of thy Wings I hope I shall be safe, for thou never fails them that trusts in Thee; and truly I have not any thing to trust in but thy free Mercy, for I have no merit in my self, but through the Merits of my Blessed Saviour, I hope to obtain his Favour. O Lord who can make my Application to, but to thy Divine: Majesty, that knows the Secrets of my Heart, and the Desire of my Soul is not hid from thee, and that I indented no hurt to this People, neither in Thought, Word, nor Deed, but abundance of good: And all my Action; was out of Sincerity, but their Hearts has been Treacherous towards me, and what I defined for their good, they will turn it for their hurt, for they design to destroy me and mine, with going to Law, in to king that by violence which I intended they should have had with freedom, if they world but a satisfied my Proposals, which Mr. Cooke said they would always do, I need not doubt it; but I waited upon them five or six Months, and they never did, and I told Mr. Cooke I would believe him no longer, for I saw plainly they did design to bubble me; therefore I told, him I would or settle the Trunk, and I would come no more; he told me, The Fairish is ready to comply with me in any thing I desired, I told him I had waited [illegible source in text] ough, and now it was too late, for the Door of Providence was it and no Man could open it, and that they had acted like the Foolish [illegible source in text] they had trashed away their time. Mr. Cooke long before this, had I me, That the Parish had agreed to till my Proposals and had Rigister’d [illegible source in text]m in their Book; and moreover he said, That they had thought fit for to [illegible source in text]er that he should have the keeping of the plate during list Life, but when he [illegible source in text] they would take new Methods: At the hearing of this, I was very an[illegible source in text] [illegible source in text] and said the Parish had nothing to do to dispose of my Plate, for I would [illegible source in text]rust my Plate in his House, nor in any Church wardens House; but he Church and Madam Cooke said, she did not desire it, for she should [illegible source in text] fraid she should be knocked on the Head for haveing so much Plate in her [illegible source in text] se: But I think this Action becomes the wife men of Gotham, for to [illegible source in text] of my Plate when they had no Right to it: so I find they had al[illegible source in text] an evil Design, for he said, they could seize upon it: Could any one [illegible source in text] that a Divine could have had such an evil Thought, to seize upon [illegible source in text] which I did design to steely give them, and God had inlarged my [illegible source in text] to make large Additions too, for I was pleated that Providence had doned it, for I thought nothing to good for the. God of Proy dense hotel any thing too greet: And when the Church wardens came with Mr Cooke and some other. Men, to return me thanks for my Plae I declared at with both my Honds that I never have it them, and therefore I would have no Thanks, for I did not know them, but I submitted only to Provi[illegible source in text] defte; but I said, if it pleased God to enlarge their Sacraments, that they should inlage their Charity to the Poor: The Church watdens replied, That their Poor lived well enough, they did not lack: I said, Ì they did live better it wou’d be no harm’; for• People would say to them There’s a fine Sight come into your Church, and the Poor would reply, ah! there. is so, but we are never the better for it, and that would have brought a Scandal upon the Plate; but if they were the better, then they would say, There is a fine Sight, and they, would reply, ah! there is so, and Lord make us thankful far it, for we find the benefit, of it; And Church-wardens this was the way that the Poor might glorifie God, and that was the sole cause of all my Actions; to which he made me no Answer, nor asked me no Questions, but went out into the Kitchin, and gave the Grand-Children a Guinea a-piece, and fo took their leave and went away; and when they were gone, the three Grand children came rejoyceing to show me their three Guineas, and I told them, they should buy three Spoons with it, and put St. Bennet Upon them; but when I came. to lay my Head upon my Pillow, I found a great deal of uneasiness, which made me much to wonder what I had done to cause. it; and a Thought came into my Heart, Did you when you was young take Gift’s, or suffer your Children to take any? No, not so much at Eatables: And I say, it was true, I did not; How comes it then that you let, your Grand-Children take Gold. I I was glad I knew the Cause, and I get up the next day, and came to Mr. Cooke. and told him, I must not keep the Gold, and he said, Do not be so busty, but, confider of it longer: I told him, It wanted no confederation, I would not keep it if be would give me a trundled Pound; but he said, the Churchwarden was not in Town, but he would be in Town to morrow, and then I went and gave it him, but he did nor let it be known to the under Church warden, which caused a dispute, and I took it very ill of him, for he ought to a declared it that I had returned it to them, that knew it, so I never see no more of them till I denied the bringing of that Plate, and then the Church warden came upon the hearing of that, to hope I would be of another mind, but I told him no, The Door of Providence was hut, and no Man could open. it, and therefore they must. submit to Providence, for it had tried me, and it would try them; sor there was no blame in me, for I had waited long enough, and he told me he thought I had been satisfied, and I told him no, and he said, he would do any thing for to satisfied me, but I told him it was so later.
