1655. Lord's day, by his sound doctrine and exemplary life, by his great charities, (for he expended more annually in relieving the poor of all sorts than the whole income of his living amounted to,) and by his prudent behaviour, he gained very much upon the affections of his parishioners, and was very instrumental in preserving many, and reclaiming others, from those pernicious errors which then were common among them.

A little accident

tributed to

tion.

There was a petty occurrence which happened a which con- little after he came to this living, which contributed his reputa- very much to the establishing his reputation as a preacher, in so disaffected a place as this was; and since oftentimes from very little seeming accidents, such as this, there have been, as is known to every one's observation, most considerable effects wrought out; it is hoped hence that the notice of it will not be thought altogether unuseful, or be unacceptable for appearing at first trivial. Now the matter was this: One Sunday when he had begun his sermon, as he was turning over his Bible to explain some texts of Scripture which he had quoted, it happened unfortunately (as it was thought) that his notes, contained in several small pieces of paper, flew out of his Bible into the middle of the church; by which means there was instantly raised a laughter in many of his congregation, consisting chiefly of wild seafaring persons: these concluding that their young preacher would now, for want of his materials, be entirely at a nonplus, were not a little pleased; and prepared themselves hereupon to sport at him with an air of contempt, not considering him as the minister of Christ to them in the weakness of flesh; but some who were sober, or better-natured than the

rest, condemning the levity of those scoffers, with 1655. great concern gathered them up, and carried them to him in his pulpit. Mr. Bull took them; but, perceiving most of the company there present to be rather inclined to triumph over him in that surprise, and to insult his youth, which stood in need of such props, immediately clapped his notes into his book again and shut it, not without a great presence of mind, and then gave himself the liberty of discoursing to them on the spot, prosecuting the subject which he had begun; which he performed so very much to their satisfaction, that they who at first were most inclined to laugh at him, began to grow serious; and from despising him, were at length so affected with his discourse, that this mightily advanced his reputation for the future among them, and secured him the good-will and esteem of those very persons who had been so forward to divert themselves at that, which they apprehended would have exposed him to be a common derision.

turbed in

by a quaker.

For another time, while he was preaching, a cer- He is distain ranter, or quaker, came into the church, and his sermon made a disturbance in the midst of his sermon, crying out aloud, George, come down; thou art a false prophet and an hireling; upon which the parishioners, who were for the most part seamen, and who loved their minister exceedingly, for his great bounty and hospitality among them, as well as for his good preaching, fell upon this poor quaker with such fury, as obliged Mr. Bull to come down out of the pulpit to quiet them, and to save him from the effects of their resentment: so getting in among them, and warding off the blows that were falling very heavy upon the fellow, he said to them, "Come,

1655.

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neighbours, be not so violent against the poor man, "but spare him; you do not know what spirit he is "acted by; you cannot tell but that it may be phrensy "in him, or some other distemper; and if so, the "man is certainly an object of your pity and care: however, let me prevail upon you to forbear, and “hurt him not; but let me, good neighbours, a little argue coolly the matter with him." After this manner reasoning with them, they were somewhat pacified, and were content to leave him to Mr. Bull's management, and to hear whether he was able to say any thing in justification or excuse of what he had done: so Mr. Bull turned himself to the man, and addressed himself to him after this manner: Friend, thou dost call me a false prophet and an hireling. Now as to thy first charge, prophecy "doth generally mean either preaching and inter"preting God's word, or else foretelling things to

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come; and so a prophet, either true or false, is "understood in Scripture. Wherefore if thou dost "mean I am a prophet in the first of these two "senses, I readily acknowledge that I am so, and a "true one also I hope, forasmuch as in all truth and sincerity, I have now for some time preached "among this good people what I could learn to be agreeable to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, not failing to interpret to them the mind of God "in the Scriptures, without any other end but to bring them to the knowledge of the truth, and thereby to the attainment of life everlasting. But, friend, if thou dost call me a prophet, and a false prophet, from my foretelling things to come, I "then appeal to my parishioners here present, "whether I ever once pretended to this manner of

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prophecy either in my sermons or in my discourses 1655. "with them: and so in this sense I can be no false "prophet, having never deceived any one by pre"tences of this nature. And as to the other charges "against me, that I am an hireling, I appeal again "to these here present and that know me, whether they can say that I have preached among them "for the sake of gain or filthy lucre, and whether I "have not on the contrary been ready on all occa"sions to serve and assist them to the utmost of my "power, and to communicate as freely as I receive." Upon which the people, being touched with a sense of gratitude to this minister of God for his extraordinary kindness and constant bounty towards them, but not mindful enough of that sacred regard which was due to the place where they were met, and to the occasion which brought them together, perceiving the silly enthusiast at a perfect nonplus, and not able to speak a word of sense in his own defence, fell upon him a second time with such violence, that had not Mr. Bull bustled very much among them, and by great entreaties prevailed upon them to spare him, and to lead and shut him out of the church, they would have worried him upon the spot. After which Mr. Bull went up again into his pulpit, and finished his sermon.

he took in

VIII. Besides the ordinary duties of his function, The method which he constantly performed, the method he took governing his parish. in governing this parish contributed very much to the welfare of the people committed to his charge, and answered extremely the ends of his ministry. He did not content himself only with preaching to his flock on Sundays, and with going to the sick,

1655. when their languishing condition required spiritual comfort and assistance; but he visited all his parishioners, rich and poor, without distinction, at their own houses, in a certain compass of time; not to gratify their civil invitations, or his own diversion, but to be serviceable to them in matters of the greatest importance, the salvation of their souls. And therefore upon these occasions the time was not trifled away in empty talk, but his discourse was suited to the several exigencies of those he conversed with. Where he found people neglected in their education, and ignorant in the fundamentals of religion, those he instructed by explaining to them what was necessary to be believed and practised in order to their salvation. Where the ground was overrun with weeds, and some good principles were blended with false doctrines and pernicious errors, there he discovered the dangerous consequences of such tenets, and shewed how inconsistent they were with the holy Scriptures, and the belief of all orthodox Christians. Where he perceived that men laid all the stress upon a right faith, and, provided they secured that part of the duty, were too apt to indulge themselves in some unchristian practices; those he admonished with all that freedom which becometh a faithful pastor, assuring them, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Those who laboured under any affliction received from him advice and comfort, and were instructed how to bear them, and how to make a right use of them. Those who were oppressed with any doubts and scruples in their Christian course had proper remedies applied to resolve them, and to free the persons from that unquietness which possessed them. Where