Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

how much more would they do so by inferior men? Seeing then the work is cast upon us, and it is we that must do it or else it must be undone, let us be up and doing with all our might, and the Lord will be with us. I can tell you one thing for your encouragement; It is a work that the enemies of the Church and Ministry do exceedingly vex at, and hate and fear more then any thing that yet we have undertaken. I perceive the signs of the Papists indignation against it. And me thinks it hath the most not able character of a work extraordinarily and unquestionably good: For they storm at it, and yet have nothing to say against it. They cannot blame it, and yet they hate and fear it, and would fain undermine it, if they knew how. You know how many false rumours have been spread abroad this Country to deter the people from it: as that the Lord Protector and Council were against it: That the subscribers were to be ejected: That the Agreement was to be publicly burnt, &c. And when we have searched after the authors, we can drive it no higher then the Quakers, the Papists Emissaries; ⟨image 18⟩from whom we may easily know their minds. And yet when a Papist speaks openly as a Papist, some of them have said, that it is a good work, but that it wants authority, and is done by those that are not called to it: Forsooth, because we have not the Authority of their Pope or Prelates: And some that should be more sober have used the same language: as if they would rather have thousands and millions of souls neglected, then have them so much as Catechized and Instructed, without Commission from a Prelate. Yea and some that differ from us about Infant Baptism, I understand, repine at it; and say that we will hereby insinuate our selves into the people, and hinder them from the receiving of the truth. A sad case that any that seem to have the fear of God, should have so true a Character of a partial, dividing, and siding mind, as to grudge at the propagation of Christianity it self, and the common truths which we are all agreed in, for fear least it should hinder the propagation of their opinions. The common cause of Christianity, must give place to the cause of these lower controverted points: and they grudge us our very labour and suffering for the common work, though there be nothing in it which meddleth with them, or which they are able with any show of reason to gainsay.

how much more would they do so by inferiour men? Seeing then the work is cast upon us, and it is we that must do it or else it must be undone, let us be up and doing with all our might, and the Lord will be with us. I can tell you one thing for your encouragement; It is a work that the enemies of the Church and Ministry do exceedingly vex at, and hate and fear more then any thing that yet we have undertaken. I perceive the signs of the Papists indignation against it. And me thinks it hath the most not able character of a work extraordinarily and unquestionably good: For they storm at it, and yet have nothing to say against it. They cannot blame it, and yet they hate and fear it, and would fain undermine it, if they knew how. You know how many false rumours have been spread abroad this Country to deter the people from it: as that the Lord Protector and Council were against it: That the subscribers were to be ejected: That the Agreement was to be publikely burnt, &c. And when we have searcht after the authors, we can drive it no higher then the Quakers, the Papists Emissaries;