Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/89

 But this began to abate a little with them before the Accident, which I have related, happened; for the Infection increaſed ſo violently, at this Part of the Town now, that People began to be afraid to come to the Church, at leaſt ſuch Numbers did not reſort thither as was uſual; many of the Clergymen likewiſe were Dead, and others gone into the Country; for it really required a ſteady Courage, and a ſtrong Faith, for a Man not only to venture being in Town at ſuch a Time as this, but likewiſe to venture to come to Church and perform the Office of a Miniſter to a Congregation, of whom he had reaſon to believe many of them, were actually infected with the Plague, and to do this every Day, or twice a Day, as in ſome Places was done.

It is true, the People ſhew’d an extraordinary Zeal in theſe religious Exerciſes, and as the Church Doors were always open, People would go in ſingle at all Times, whether the Miniſter was officiating or no, and locking themſelves into ſeparate Pews, would be praying to God with great Fervency and Devotion.

Others aſſembled at Meeting-Houſes, every one as their different Opinions in ſuch Things guided, but all were promiſcuouſly the Subject of theſe Mens Drollery, eſpecially at the Beginning of the Viſitation.

It ſeems they had been check’d for their open inſulting Religion in this Manner, by ſeveral good People of every perſwaſion, and that, and the violent raging of the Infection, I ſuppoſe, was the Occaſion that they had abated much of their Rudeneſs, for ſome time before, and were only rous’d by the Spirit of Ribaldry,and Atheiſm, at the Clamour which was made,when the Gentleman was firſt brought in there, and perhaps, were agitated by the ſame Devil, when I took upon me to reprove them; tho’ I did it at firſt with all the Calmneſs, Temper, and Good-Manners that I could, which, for a while, they inſulted me the more for, thinking it had been in fear of their Reſentment, tho’ afterwards they found the contrary.