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

But if it be separation and things that we judg unlawfully, that we should unteach the people to do you service, or to serve the Church, I will not say as they that tell you, that it is somewhat hard usage to persuade us by poverty, and prisons, and silencing, to lose our friends to gratify them that thus abuse us; and to take pains to exchange kindness for cruelty, and to strive hard to leap out of the ashes into the fire. But I will tell the truth to the world and you; we do what you desire of us, or reasonably can desire. I constantly Preached till the Goal restrained me, against Separation, and much more against sedition and rebellion. We do it openly and plainly. I am the man that am reproached in Print for want of this. And the same hand so far justified me, as before the Kings Majesty, and Lords, and before the Right Reverend Bishops, to say of me and my Disputes of Church-Government, about the Ceremonies, &c. No man hath written better of these things. And can we speak louder than by the Press? Or can they prove that we preach not as we write! O wonderful! that ever the world can degenerate to so much unrighteousness as to condemn men upon such defamations as these! Besides that Book, many a year before and since, I have still written to the same purpose: I have Preached to the same purpose. But thinking it more seasonable in private Conference, I have an hundred, and an hundred times more pleaded for the like in private. And my Disputes before mentioned are accused by many offended persons, as having made a hundred Ministers at least conformable. And had they not been written in the very height of Usurpation before the Kings return, I should have been taken for the vilest temporizer. This is our course; and yet if wrath and partiality, and ill will, do but dream that we do infect the people, and cherish them in Separation, and do not contradict but flatter them in their extremes, against our own judgments, the world must ring of all these dreams, and they think it fit that we be used as if all were certain truth. We have need to bless our selves against dreaming neighbours, if we must be estimated, and used, and described to the world, according to their dreams.

But if it be separation and things that we judg unlawfully, that we should unteach the people to do you service, or to serve the Church, I will not say as they that tell you, that it is somewhat hard usage to perswade us by poverty, and prisons, and silencing, to lose our friends to gratifie them that thus abuse us; and to take pains to exchange kindness for cruelty, and to strive hard to leap out of the ashes into the fire. But I will tell the truth to the world and you; we do what you desire of us, or reasonably can desire. I constantly Preached till the Goal restrained me, against Separation, and much more against sedition and rebellion. We do it openly and plainly. I am the man that am reproached in Print for want of this. And the same hand so far justified me, as before the Kings Majesty, and Lords, and before the Right Reverend Bishops, to say of me and my Disputes of Church-Government, about the Ceremonies, &c. No man hath written better of these things. And can we speak louder than by the Press? Or can they prove that we preach not as we write! O wonderful! that ever the world can degenerate to so much unrighteousness as to condemn men upon such defamations as these! Besides that Book, many a year before and since, I have still written to the same purpose: I have Preached to the same purpose. But thinking it more seasonable in private Conference, I have an hundred, and an hundred times more pleaded for the like in private. And my Disputes before mentioned are accused by many offended persons, as having made a hundred Ministers at least conformable. And had they not been written in the very height of Usurpation before the Kings return, I should have been taken for the vilest temporizer. This is our course; and yet if wrath and partiality, and ill will, do but dream that we do infect the people, and cherish them in Separation, and do not contradict but flatter them in their extreams, against our own judgments, the world must ring of all these dreams, and they think it fit that we be used as if all were certain truth. We have need to bless our selves against dreaming neighbours, if we must be estimated, and used, and described to the world, according to their dreams.