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

2. But I will not deny to you that we define not Godliness by Conformity to Diocesans, or Ceremonies, and therefore have another kind of success which we first and more endeavour, which is to teach them the meaning of their Baptismal Covenant, and the Creed, Lords-prayer, and Ten Commandments; and to teach them to believe aright in Christ▪ and to love God above all, and their neighbour as themselves, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in the world, and to have their hearts and conversations in Heaven, and by the spirit to mortify the lusts and deeds of the flesh. And if we can get them well to digest and practise thus much, we think we have not lost our labour; though they are not yet acute enough, to cut by so small a thread as some more subtle wits, nor to cleave a hair, nor to decide all Controversies about Diocesans and ceremonies. And seeing neither of these are in our Creed, we hold them no articles of our Faith, and therefore not necessary to our hearers Salvation.

2. But I will not deny to you that we define not Godliness by Conformity to Diocesans, or Ceremonies, and therefore have another kind of success which we first and more endeavour, which is to teach them the meaning of their Baptismal Covenant, and the Creed, Lords-prayer, and Ten Commandments; and to teach them to believe aright in Christ▪ and to love God above all, and their neighbour as themselves, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in the world, and to have their hearts and conversations in Heaven, and by the spirit to mortifie the lusts and deeds of the flesh. And if we can get them well to digest and practise thus much, we think we have not lost our labour; though they are not yet acute enough, to cut by so small a thred as some more subtle wits, nor to cleave a hair, nor to decide all Controversies about Diocesans and ceremonies. And seeing neither of these are in our Creed, we hold them no articles of our Faith, and therefore not necessary to our hearers Salvation.

And as to our success in this, the men themselves, and those that know them, and see their lives, are the fittest Judges. I meddle not with other men: I must say of my own hearers with humble thankfulness to God, that when I came to Kidderminster it was noted publicly for one of the rudest Towns in the County; and when I left them it was much otherwise. And to those that may say, It is but in prating phrases, and cutting faces, and thinking themselves better than others: I answer, 1. They were not Academics, much less Doctors; they spake not artificially according to the rules of Rhetoric or Logic. They could not dispute well of the fixed Stars or Planets, the Vortices or Spheres, the Elements or Atoms, &c. And they are in their garb and speech as poor men are, both plain, and some of them rustical. And when they talk of Religion, some of them are not free from some such unaccurate