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

This Writer, to save the Church from Concord, by restoring the silenced Ministers, feigneth Comprehension to be a late device, a thing unknown, or that amounts to no more than a pretty artifice of saving the reputation of about a dozen persons, who are sick of their separation, and stand in need of a plausible pretence, under which to return unto it. Their credit will not suffer them to renounce their old principles, and they are weary of sticking longer to them. Now if the pride of these men should be thus far gratified, &c.

Ans. 1. See how boldly this man pretendeth to search the hearts of others. 2. How he feigneth that to be New, which they so laboured for 1660, and ever since: Read but their Petition for ⟨p. 153⟩Peace and Judg. 3. Doth he not take it to be more for our Reputation to conform, and to be dignified and preferred, than to live under the scorn and sufferings that we do? Do not Bishop Reignolds, and many others that conform, live in more reputation in the world, than we that are thus reviled by so many Doctors of the Church, and sometimes lie in the common Jails, and are fain to stoop to be beholden for our bread or necessary maintenance? 4. Who are those dozen men? and why doth he not name them, and prove his charge? Are they not men of strange fascinating power, that could make 1800 such Ministers (distant in all Counties) to deny Conformity? And are they not strange persons that will (all over the Land) give over preaching, or live in poverty and suffering (some have dyed through the effects of want), and all to gratify a dozen men (no one knoweth who)? (And it's like some that he meaneth in his dozen, have done more to displease many of the rest than others). 5. What Nonconformist hath not groaned for our divisions, and been indeed aweary of them from the first day, and longed for our common Concord? but that is not to be weary of their principles. O that he would procure us but liberty to preach the Gospel, for all the rest that earnestly desire agreement, and shut out the dozen that he meaneth, whoever they be. But pardon me for saying, that these men do satisfy us, that Sadducees are blind, who believe that there is no Devil, when so much of him appeareth actively in the World.