More proofs of infants church-membership and consequently their right to baptism, or, A second…

§. 5. And I crave thy pity, Reader, to my self and such as I, that our Time and Employment is so much at the will and mercy of such a sort of wrangling men. That if I have it in my desire to do Gods Church service upon some greater and more needful subject, yet it is in the power of the Devil to stir up the corruption of honest well-meaning Christians, to put a necessity on me to do some poor inconsiderable works, and leave undone the greater and more excellent.

§. 6. For circumstances may make it a mans duty to do that as presently necessary, which within ⟨p. 213⟩a few years will be of no signification, but die with the interests and quarrels of the age.

§. 7. It hath pleased the Lord, who did let loose the Serpent upon Adam in Paradise, to exercise his Church in almost all ages with temptations from two sorts that seem much contrary, but are nearer in disposition and principles than they well understand themselves, I mean Church-Tyrants and Church-Dividers; And though I (and most others of my quality) have suffered incomparably more by the former, yet it is not a little that I have suffered by the later: And especially that by their slanderous and clamorous unquiet importunity, they will not give me leave to live by them in peace, nor to go on in better work while I meddle not with them. I could not obtain that leave from Mr. Tombs; And now Mr. D. hath been pleased to open the mouths of so many of his partakers against me, as maketh wise men tell me that to be silent will be to be scandalously guilty of their sin. And do we live upon these terms, that any Railer can call us off from our better services when ever He and Satan please?