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

16. You should rather help to cure the prejudice that the world hath against the Clergy, as envious, selfish, and cruel, than increase it. The World already thinketh that the Clergy are so covetous, proud and envious, that they can endure no man that standeth in their light; but like the great dog that hath got the ⟨p. 227⟩carrion, snarl at every little dog that looketh at them, suspecting they come to take some from him: It is their common opinion, that the Clergy are the incendiaries and troublers of the world; And that the worst Princes left to themselves, are not half so cruel against the faithful Preachers and Practisers of Christianity, as the proud and covetous Clergy are. It is therefore your duty not to confirm the world in this opinion, by seeming as envious and cruel as others have been; but to cure it by love, and tenderness, and self-denial.

16. You should rather help to cure the prejudice that the world hath against the Clergy, as envious, selfish, and cruel, than encrease it. The World already thinketh that the Clergy are so covetous, proud and envious, that they can endure no man that standeth in their light; but like the great dog that hath got the ⟨p. 227⟩carrion, snarl at every little dog that looketh at them, suspecting they come to take some from him: It is their common opinion, that the Clergy are the incendiaries and troublers of the world; And that the worst Princes left to themselves, are not half so cruel against the faithful Preachers and Practisers of Christianity, as the proud and covetous Clergy are. It is therefore your duty not to confirm the world in this opinion, by seeming as envious and cruel as others have been; but to cure it by love, and tenderness, and self-denial.

17. Have you ever considered and regarded, whether the Apostles ever took your course? You say your selves, that they had power to give men over to the Devil for Corporal punishment: And yet when did they ever do so▪by any but desperate Infidels, (as Elymas) or desperate Heretics, that denied fundamentals, as Alexander, Hymenaeus and Philetus? Or whom did they so much as threaten Church-sharpness to, else, unless it were such a proud domineering Bishop as Diotrephes, who would neither receive some brethren, nor permit others to do it, but cast them out of the Church, prating with malicious words against the Apostle. Paul blamed Mark, but did not silence him. He fell out with Barnabas to a parting, but did not hinder him from preaching the Gospel. He blameth Demas for forsaking him, and loving the world, and many more for forsaking him, when he appeared before Nero, and elsewhere, They all mind their own things, and not the things that are Jesus Christs: And yet he silenced none of them that preached the same Gospel which he did: He met with some Preachers so bad, that they Preached Christ of envy and strife, of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to his bonds: What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in contention or in truth, Christ was preached, and he therein rejoiced, and resolved to rejoice, and not to silence them,