An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…

2. Do you think that men cannot differ from your opinions, unless we put it into their heads? I know not how to confute you but by experience: 1. I must needs assure you, that upon my experience above thirty years, the people are much proner to Separation, and to think very hardly of the Liturgy and Ceremonies, than the Ministers be. Insomuch that it hath been my wonder many a year to observe it, that when we have but awakened the Consciences of ignorant and sensual persons to repentance, shortly, ere we are aware, they fall on scrupling Ceremonies, and disliking the Liturgy, when we know of none that put them on it. But the openest cause that ever I could observe (if you can bear public Historical truth) is this: As soon as they repent of an ungodly worldly life, and begin to have serious thoughts of another world, they are apt in their ignorance to judg of things by persons; and when they are convinced of a great difference between a life of faith and of sense, and between the sober, righteous, godly, and the intemperate, unrighteous and ungodly, they presently mark what way these several people go in the matters of Worship which are past their own understandings. And when they have seen in most places the deboist and vicious people to be great haters of strictness, and so of Puritans, and of Religious Exercises in any way but by forms, and see them so much for Bishops and Common-prayer, and then see some severities exercised against those that have lived most strictly, they presently suspect that Bishops are the suppressors of the most Religious, and the encouragers of those that need reformation, and that Forms and Ceremonies are but the means to quiet the ungodly in their want of the truth and life of Godliness, and to make them think themselves religious. These are the ways of the peoples receiving prejudice against you, as far as ever I could discern, which I write not in approbation, But Historically. And I ever found that those Bishops and Pastors that most encouraged serious Godliness, such as Bishop Hall, Potter, Davenant, Morton, &c. were reverenced by the people. And the names of Jewel, Abbot, Grindal, Parry, Babington, Pilkington, and many more such, are still venerable among the Puritans, as you call them.

2. Do you think that men cannot differ from your opinions, unless we put it into their heads? I know not how to consute you but by experience: 1. I must needs assure you, that upon my experience above thirty years, the people are much proner to Separation, and to think very hardly of the Liturgy and Ceremonies, than the Ministers be. Insomuch that it hath been my wonder many a year to observe it, that when we have but awakened the Consciences of ignorant and sensual persons to repentance, shortly, e're we are aware, they fall on scrupling Ceremonies, and disliking the Liturgy, when we know of none that put them on it. But the openest cause that ever I could observe (if you can bear publick Historical truth) is this: As soon as they repent of an ungodly worldly life, and begin to have serious thoughts of another world, they are apt in their ignorance to judg of things by persons; and when they are convinced of a great difference between a life of faith and of sense, and between the sober, righteous, godly, and the intemperate, unrighteous and ungodly, they presently mark what way these several people go in the matters of Worship which are past their own understandings. And when they have seen in most places the deboist and vicious people to be great haters of strictness, and so of Puritans, and of Religious Exercises in any way but by forms, and see them so much for Bishops and Common-prayer, and then see some severities exercised against those that have lived most strictly, they presently suspect that Bishops are the suppressors of the most Religious, and the encouragers of those that need reformation, and that Forms and Ceremonies are but the means to quiet the ungodly in their want of the truth and life of Godliness, and to make them think themselves religious. These are the ways of the peoples receiving prejudice against you, as far as ever I could discern, which I write not in approbation, But Historically. And I ever found that those Bishops and Pastors that most encouraged serious Godliness, such as Bishop Hall, Potter, Davenant, Morton, &c. were reverenced by the people. And the names of Jewel, Abbot, Grindal, Parry, Babington, Pilkington, and many more such, are still venerable among the Puritans, as you call them.