The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

2. The Conformists agree not of the sense of this; some think that the ordinary incommodities of such a commanded use, may pass as those hinderances or urgent causes mentioned in the exceptions: But the more plain and ingenuous dealers hold, that the urgent causes and hinderances here mentioned, must be somewhat extraordinary, and not any thing which is the usual case of most Ministers.

3. Cathedrals and some other Churches have many Priests and Deacons of whom one only can daily officiate in public. And many are Chaplains in such mens houses as will have other free prayers used. And most Ministers have great and necessary work to do, which must all be left undone, while the Common Prayer is ⟨p. 193⟩said over by them twice a day. They have Sermons to study, many Books to read, that they may be furnished with necessary knowledge for their work: They have abundance of ignorant parishioners to instruct, exhort or comfort; They have the sick to visit, the dead to bury, the Sacraments to administer, families to govern, instruct and provide for. And many find free prayer from the immediate sense of their case and wants, to be so profitable to them that they cannot spare it: All which and more require the the strictest improvement of every minute of their time: And if the Liturgy be read over by every Priest and Deacon twice a day, it is certain that much of these aforesaid must be omitted. And it is a great part of our Christian duty, when two good things come together, to choose that which hic et nunc is the greater; to choose the lesser then being a sin.

3. Cathedrals and some other Churches have many Priests and Deacons of whom one only can daily ossiciate in publick. And many are Chaplains in such mens houses as will have other free prayers used. And most Ministers have great and necessary work to do, which must all be left undone, while the Common Prayer is ⟨p. 193⟩said over by them twice a day. They have Sermons to study, many Books to read, that they may be furnished with necessary knowledge for their work: They have abundance of ignorant parishioners to instruct, exhort or comfort; They have the sick to visit, the dead to bury, the Sacraments to administer, families to govern, instruct and provide for. And many find free prayer from the immediate sense of their case and wants, to be so profitable to them that they cannot spare it: All which and more require the the strictest improvement of every minute of their time: And if the Liturgy be read over by every Priest and Deacon twice a day, it is certain that much of these aforesaid must be omitted. And it is a great part of our Christian duty, when two good things come together, to choose that which hic et nunc is the greater; to choose the lesser then being a sin.