An account of the life and death of Mr. Philip Henry, minister of the…

In the same Year 1681. happened a public Discourse at Oswestry, betwixt the then Bishop of St. Asaph (Dr. William Lloyd, now Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield) and some Nonconformist Ministers, of which Mr. Henry was one. The Story in short this. That Learned Bishop, at his first coming to the Diocese of St. Asaph, in his Zeal for the Established Church, set himself with vigour to reduce Dissenters to it; and that he might do it with the Cords of a Man, he resolved, before he took any other Methods, to reason the matter with them, and to endeavour their Conviction by Discourse, in which he had a very great Felicity, both by his Learning and Temper. If there were any that declined Discoursing with him, he improved that against them very much; urging (as he wrote afterwards to Mr. Henry) That no Man can pretend Conscience for not coming when he is required, to give an account of his Religion, ⟨p. 156⟩to them that have Authority to demand it, by the Laws under which he Lives, and to hear from their Mouths what can be said for the Established Religion. These are things from which Conscience is so far from exempting, that the great Rule of Conscience requires it, as an indispensable Duty; that we should be always ready to give an Account of the Hope that is in us; and that we should hear them that are in Moses's Chair, &c. and therefore those who refused this, he would consider as Men Governed, not by Conscience, but Obstinacy.

In the same Year 1681. happen'd a publick Discourse at Oswestry, betwixt the then Bishop of St. Asaph (Dr. William Lloyd, now Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield) and some Nonconformist Ministers, of which Mr. Henry was one. The Story in short this. That Learned Bishop, at his first coming to the Diocess of St. Asaph, in his Zeal for the Establish'd Church, set himself with vigor to reduce Dissenters to it; and that he might do it with the Cords of a Man, he resolved, before he took any other Methods, to reafon the matter with them, and to endeavour their Conviction by Discourse, in which he had a very great Felicity, both by his Learning and Temper. If there were any that declin'd Discoursing with him, he improv'd that against them very much; urging (as he wrote afterwards to Mr. Henry) That no Man can pretend Conscience for not coming when he is requir'd, to give an account of his Religion, ⟨p. 156⟩to them that have Authority to demand it, by the Laws under which he Lives, and to hear from their Mouths what can be said for the Established Religion. These are things from which Conscience is so far from exempting, that the great Rule of Conscience requires it, as an indispensable Duty; that we should be always ready to give an Account of the Hope that is in us; and that we should hear them that are in Moses's Chair, &c. and therefore those who refused this, he would consider as Men Governed, not by Conscience, but Obstinacy.