whirled up and down the country against me, thinking, as I said,
that by that means they should make my ministry to be abandoned.
It began, therefore, to be rumoured up and down among the people,
that I was a witch, a Jesuit, a highwayman, and the like. To all
which, I shall only say, God knows that I am innocent. But as for
mine accusers, let them provide themselves to meet me before the
tribunal of the Son of God, there to answer for all these things,
with all the rest of their iniquities, unless God shall give them
repentance for them, for the which I pray with all my heart.

'But that which was reported with the boldest confidence, was, that
I had my misses, yea, two wives at once, and the like. Now these
slanders, with the others, I glory in, because but slanders, foolish,
or knavish lies, and falsehoods cast upon me by the devil and his
seed; and should I not be dealt with thus wickedly by the world,
I should want one sign of a saint, and a child of God. "Blessed
are ye (said the Lord Jesus) when men shall revile you and persecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in
heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

'These things therefore, upon mine own account, trouble me not. No,
though they were twenty times more than they are, I have a good
conscience; and whereas they speak evil of me, they shall be ashamed
that falsely accuse my good conversation in Christ. Therefore I
bind these lies and slanders to me as an ornament, it belongs to
my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached, and
reviled. I rejoice in reproaches for Christ's sake. My foes have
missed their mark in this their shooting at me. I am not the man.
If all the fornicators and adulterers in England were hanged by