A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and…

And to confess the truth, the deep sense of the sin and infatuation of this age, hath long made me desirous to have written one Book, with the Title in dying Bradfords words, REPENT O ENGLAND; and that in several parts, professing first, my own Repentance in several Particulars, then calling severally the Bishops and Conformable Clergy, the Presbyterians, the Independents, and the Sectaries, Corporations and Country to Repent. But I knew the Bishops would not endure it, and I could not get it Licensed or Printed, and I had greater things to write, and many wise men whose judgements much rule me, dissuaded me and laughed at my weakness, that I should think that such men would regard what I said, or that it would have any better effect than exasperation! And I long purposed not to speak to one sort, till I might speak to all, to avoid partiality, and evil consequents.

And to confess the truth, the deep sense of the sin and infatuation of this age, hath long made me desirous to have written one Book, with the Title in dying Bradfords words, REPENT O ENGLAND; and that in several parts, professing first, my own Repentance in several Particulars, then calling severally the Bishops and Conformable Clergy, the Presbyterians, the Independents, and the Sectaries, Corporations and Country to Repent. But I knew the Bishops would not endure it, and I could not get it Licensed or Printed, and I had greater things to write, and many wise men whose judgements much rule me, disswaded me and laughed at my weakness, that I should think that such men would regard what I said, or that it would have any better effect than exasperation! And I long purposed not to speak to one sort, till I might speak to all, to avoid partiality, and evil consequents.

But at last considering, that by this rule I ⟨p. 42⟩might never tell any of their sins, nor preach repentance to them whilst I lived, and that I must not deny my duty and Charity to one sort, because another sort will not receive it, and seeing also necessity increase, and having already written and said so much to the other party, I resolved to imitate those two excellent faithful Tractates, viz. 1. Mr. M. Pool's Vox clamantis in deserto in Latin, calling the Non-conformable Ministers to Repentance, and Mr. Lewis Stukeley's (a worthy Congregational Minister in Exeter, and a kinsman of the late General Monks) enumerating copiously most of the Common sins of Religious Professors, and calling them earnestly and faithfully to repentance, which since the writing of this, I find excellently done in a book called Englands danger and only Remedy.