Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…

Answ. 1. Such confidence upon such insignificant ⟨p. 57⟩reasonings, is a great dishonour to the wit and humility of the Author. He that no better knoweth their judgments, can tell you, what all the light of the Presbyterian conscience is.

2. He can prove that our Ministry is needless, sinful, &c. because he can call the exercise of it separation: As if the paucity of ignorant and ungodly Souls, and the sufficient number, ability, zeal, and diligence of the Conformists made us and our Labours needless indeed. Alas, what thoughts have these men of souls, of sin, of holiness, of repentance, and of their own sufficiency and labours. But, Sir, who made you a fitter Judge of the need of souls, than themselves and all others? Next persuade us that Tutors are needless, because all in England are born learned. I have much ado to get servants in my own Family that have tolerable knowledge and piety: And can our Conformists alone sufficiently teach many hundred Families, and prove that other mens help is needless? Try first whether you can persuade men, that you alone are sufficient to teach all the Children in your Parishes to speak, and to dress them, and feed them, and that all other persons help is needless. Get them to fast all till you seed them your selves, and make them believe they need no other meat. We that have conferred with all the people of ⟨p. 58⟩our Parishes when we were permitted, found that multitudes were almost as ignorant as Heathens: And yet our excellent successors, that do no such thing (as to any two of them that ever I knew or heard of) but see their faces in the Church, can prove all our Teaching needless to these poor ignorant souls: Is this humility, and Ministerial fidelity? Its sin in us to preach, and duty to the Conformists: I am glad they take it yet for a duty to any.

2. He can prove that our Ministery is needless, sinful, &c. because he can call the exercise of it separation: As if the paucity of ignorant and ungodly Souls, and the sufficient number, ability, zeal, and diligence of the Conformists made us and our Labours needless indeed. Alas, what thoughts have these men of souls, of sin, of holiness, of repentance, and of their own sufficiency and labours. But, Sir, who made you a fitter Judge of the need of souls, than themselves and all others? Next perswade us that Tutors are needless, because all in England are born learned. I have much ado to get servants in my own Family that have tolerable knowledge and piety: And can our Conformists alone sufficiently teach many hundred Families, and prove that other mens help is needless? Try first whether you can perswade men, that you alone are sufficient to teach all the Children in your Parishes to speak, and to dress them, and feed them, and that all other persons help is needless. Get them to fast all till you seed them your selves, and make them believe they need no other meat. We that have conferred with all the people of