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

And if the people take you for Malignant Enemies of the Gospel and Godliness which you preach, they will give you but little comfort in your Ministry, and they will receive but little profit from it. I speak not upon surmises, but that which I foretold you long ago, and that which now I have sad experience of: Before I and many hundred more were silenced, I found my self capable of persuading my old Hearers to some good opinion of you, and to incline them to come as near you as was possible: But since then, I have lost my power in that point: They are more averse to Communion with you than ever. The name of a Bishop is quite another thing in their ears, than it was before. All the interest that I have in them, and all the means that I could use, I am confident will never reconcile them to you more, till your own good works and merits reconcile them. They had before hard thoughts and fears of Bishops, because they heard how many Ministers they had silenced; But when they see and feel it, their apprehensions are deeper of such matters than before. And if we talk to them against experience and sense, we talk in vain: If we tell them that ⟨p. 188⟩you are their Superiors, and must be reverenced; and they say, so are the Prelates and Inquisitors to the people of Spain; who are worthy of fear, but not of Love, they think they have answered us. If we tell them that you are of the same Christian Religion with us, and do all that you do for Order and Decency, and preach the Gospel your selves, though you are against our Preaching: If they reply to us, Tell us not of their sheep-skins, but see whether they have not claws and fangs, and see whether there be no blood upon their teeth! they think they have silenced our Charity by the reply. If we tell them that you are the Fathers and Rulers of the Church; and they bid us see whether you take not away the Children's bread, and give them not a stone? and whether the Churches Lights be not put under a bushel? and whether they are snuffed or put out? We can give them no answer, which they will take for satisfaction in spite of their senses and experience. Of all the people that are and have been against Bishops in my days, I profess I knew not one of twenty, forty or an hundred, that was against them for their Order sake, as the disputing¹ Presbyterians and Independents are, but for their Works sake:

And if the people take you for Malignant Enemies of the Gospel and Godliness which you preach, they will give you but little comfort in your Ministry, and they will receive but little profit from it. I speak not upon surmises, but that which I foretold you long ago, and that which now I have sad experience of: Before I and many hundred more were silenced, I found my self capable of perswading my old Hearers to some good opinion of you, and to incline them to come as near you as was possible: But since then, I have lost my power in that point: They are more averse to Communion with you than ever. The name of a Bishop is quite another thing in their ears, than it was before. All the interest that I have in them, and all the means that I could use, I am confident will never reconcile them to you more, till your own good works and merits reconcile them. They had before hard thoughts and fears of Bishops, because they heard how many Ministers they had silenced; But when they see and feel it, their apprehensions are deeper of such matters than before. And if we talk to them against experience and sense, we talk in vain: If we tell them that