Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

17. All the Disputations and eager contests that we have had against unfaithful men, and for a faithful Ministry, will condemn us, if we be unfaithful? And so will the Books that we have written to those ends. How many score, if not hundreds of Catechisms are written in England? and yet shall we forbear to use them? How many Books have been written for Discipline, by English and Scottish Divines? and how fully hath it been defended? and what reproach hath been cast upon the adversaries of it through the Land? And yet shall we lay it by, as useless, when we have free leave to use! O fearful hypocrisy! What can we call it less? Did we think when we were writing against this sect, and the sect that opposed Discipline, that we were writing all that against our selves? O what Evidence do the Book-sellers shops, and their own Libraries contain against the greatest part, even of the godly Ministers of the Land! The Lord cause them seasonably to lay it to heart.

17. All the Disputations and eager contests that we have had against unfaithful men, and for a faithful Ministry, will condemn us, if we be unfaithful? And so will the Books that we have written to those ends. How many score, if not hundreds of Catechisms are written in England? and yet shall we forbear to use them? How many Books have been written for Discipline, by English and Scottish Divines? and how fully hath it been defended? and what reproach hath been cast upon the adversaries of it through the Land? And yet shall we lay it by, as useless, when we have free leave to use! O fearful hypocrisie! What can we call it less? Did we think when we were writing against this sect, and the sect that opposed Discipline, that we were writing all that against our selves? O what Evidence do the Book-sellers shops, and their own Libraries contain against the greatest part, even of the godly Ministers of the Land! The Lord cause them seasonably to lay it to heart.

18. All the days of fasting and prayer that have been of late years kept in England so a Reformation, will rise up in Judgement against the unreformed, that will not be persuaded to the painful part of the work. And I confess it is so heavy an aggravation of our sin, that it makes me ready to tremble to think of it. Was there ever a Nation on the race of the earth that hath so solemnly and so long, followed God with fasting and prayer as we have done? Before the Parliament began, how frequent and fervent were we in secret: After that for many years time together, we had a monthly Fast commanded by the Parliament: besides frequent private and public Fas on the by. And what was all this for? What ever was sometime the means that we looked at, yet still the end of all our Prayers was Church-Reformation, and therein especially these two things; A faithful Ministry; and Exercise of Discipline in the Church: And did it once enter then into the hearts of the people, yea or into our own hearts to imagine, that when we had all that we would have, and the matter was put into our own hands, to be as painful as we could, and to exercise what Discipline we would, that then we would do nothing (but publicly preach) that we would not be at the pains of Catechizing and Instructing our people personally? nor exercise any considerable part of Discipline at all? It astonisheth me to think of it! What a depth of deceit is it, the heart of man! What, are good mens hearts so deceitful? Are all mens hearts so deceitful? I confess I told many soldiers and other sensual men then, that when they had fought for a Reformation, I was confident they would abhor it and be enemies to it,