§ 212. But when Dr. Pierce could not have leave to take up his Dispute, he sat upon me with kind Persuasions; and Bishop Morley (and he) first told me, that it was strange I should make such a stir for other Mens Liberty to forbear kneeling in the act of Receiving, when I profest my self to take it to be lawful: I told them that they might perceive then, that I argued not from Interest and Opinion; but from Charity, and for Love and Peace. They told me that it was we that had filled the Peoples Heads with these Scruples, and then when we should dispossess them of them, we pleaded for their Liberty: If I would but teach the People better, they would quickly be brought to Obedience, and would need no Liberty. I told the Bishop, that he was much mistaken, both in saying that we put these Scruples into their Heads, and in thinking that my Power with them was so great, as that I alone could preach them out. He replied with great Confidence, that if I would but endeavour in good earnest to satisfy them, they would quickly be satisfied. I told him that he had both before the King, and here, declared that no Man had written better about the Ceremonies than I had; and had produced my Book: and therefore I thought he confuted himself: For I wrote that Book before the King came in, even in the hea• of the Nations Zeal against Ceremonies; and how then is it like, that I put those Scruples into their Heads when I wrote against them? And I thought Writing was the publicest manner of Teaching, where I spake to many thousands who could never hear my Voice: How then could he say that I wrote so well, and yet did not reach the People what I wrote? But I told him that he must pardon me, that in the Pulpit I found greater matters to do than to preach for Ceremonies, and could never think that such kind of preaching tended most to the saving of Mens Souls. And I many times told him and the rest, that I perceived that it was like to be a great Wrong to us, and a greater to themselves and the Kingdom, that they mistakingly imagined our Power to be greater with the People than it is, and that they think we could reduce them at our Pleasure to Conformity, when it is no such matter; and that they imagine that the Godly People who dissent from them, do pin their Religion so absolutely on our Sleeves, and take up all their Opinions on trust from us:
§ 212. But when Dr. Pierce could not have leave to take up his Dispute, he sat upon me with kind Persuasions; and Bishop Morley (and he) first told me, that it was strange I should make such a stir for other Mens Liberty to forbear kneeling in the act of Receiving, when I profest my self to take it to be lawful: I told them that they might perceive then, that I argued not from Interest and Opinion; but from Charity, and for Love and Peace. They told me that it was we that had filleds the Peoples Heads with these Scruples, and then when we should dispossess them of them, we pleaded for their Liberty: If I would but teach the People better, they would quickly be brought to Obedience, and would need no Liberty. I told the Bishop, that he was much mistaken, both in saying that we put these Scruples into their Heads, and in thinking that my Power with them was so great, as that I alone could preach them out. He reply'd with great Confidence, that if I would but endeavour in good earnest to satisfy them, they would quickly be satisfied. I told him that he had both before the King, and here, declared that no Man had written better about the Ceremonies than I had; and had produced my Book: and therefore I thought he confuted himself: For I wrote that Book before the King came in, even in the hea• of the Nations Zeal against Ceremonies; and how then is it like, that I put those Scruples into their Heads when I wrote against them? And I thought Writing was the publickest manner of Teaching, where I spake to many thousands who could never hear my Voice: How then could he say that I wrote so well, and yet did not reach the People what I wrote? But I told him that he must pardon me, that in the Pulpit I found greater matters to do than to preach for Ceremonies, and could never think that such kind of preaching tended most to the saving of Mens Souls. And I many times told him and the rest, that I perceived that it was like to be a great Wrong to us, and a greater to themselves and the Kingdom, that they mistakingly imagined our Power to be greater with the People than it is, and that they think we could reduce them at our Pleasure to Conformity, when it is no such matter; and that they imagin that the Godly People who dissent from them, do pin their Religion so absolutely on our Sleeves, and take up all their Opinions on trust from us:
