2. I beseech you, Study harder that you may now so preach, as that you may convince men practically, that you are really useful & needful to the World, and that your silence is a real loss. They that now take your labours to be needless, are tempted to it by the weakness of too many. They can scarce find in their hearts to say so of any Eminent judicious Men; If when you have so long made the World believe ⟨p. 86⟩that silencing you is a most heinous sin, you shall now preach so rawly, so incongruously so injudiciously, & unskilfully, or coldly, as to confute your selves, & harden those that were for your silence, how great will your shame be? If you will be thought more useful than others think you, preach better now than others do. I really fear, lest meer Non-conformity have brought some into reputation as conscientious, who by weak preaching will lose the reputation of being judicious, more than their silence lost it. What now will you do better and more than others to prove that the Nation cannot spare you? I expect not great Judgement & Learning in all the younger sort, nor those that in these times have bin kept from study, by labouring to get their children Bread: but verily the injudiciousness of too many among you, is for a lamentation. But the grand calamity is, that the most injudicious are usually the most confident and self-conceited; and none so commonly give way to their ignorant zeal, to censure; back bite, and reproach others, as those that know not what they talk of. I impute not this to you as Non-Conformists, but as sons of Adam: for experience hath convinced me, that PRIDE OF UNDERSTANDING, when men have little to be proud of, or confidence of all mens own apprehensions, is the vice of Men, Women and Children, when they are ⟨p. 87⟩past eighteen years of age, which seemeth to be most desperately uncurable. Few sorts so silly, but are always in the right, and others erroneous in comparison of them: as Bedlams pity the ignorance of their Keepers; So that I fear not the prevalency of scepticism in the world (though I fear infidelity:) Self-conceitedness, I warrant you will keep it under. Such ancient as Ephrem Syrus, Macarius, Martin, &c. who were of little Learning but holy and humble, and presumed not above their knowledge, were honoured in the Churches:
2. I beseech you, Study harder that you may now so preach, as that you may convince men practically, that you are really useful & needful to the World, and that your silence is a real loss. They that now take your labours to be needless, are tempted to it by the weakness of too many. They can scarce find in their hearts to say so of any Eminent judicious Men; If when you have so long made the World believe ⟨p. 86⟩that silencing you is a most heynous sin, you shal now preach so rawly, so incongruously so injudiciously, & unskilfully, or coldly, as to confute your selves, & harden those that were for your silence, how great will your shame be? If you will be thought more useful than others think you, preach better now than others do. I really fear, lest meer Non-conformity have brought some into reputation as consciencious, who by weak preaching will lose the reputation of being judicious, more than their silence lost it. What now will you do better and more than others to prove that the Nation cannot spare you? I expect not great Judgement & Learning in all the younger sort, nor those that in these times have bin kept from study, by labouring to get their children Bread: but verily the injudiciousness of too many among you, is for a lamentation. But the grand calamity is, that the most injudicious are usually the most confident and self-conceited; and none so commonly give way to their ignorant zeal, to censure; back bite, and reproach others, as those that know not what they talk of. I impute not this to you as Non-Conformists, but as sons of Adam: for experience hath convinced me, that PRIDE OF UNDERSTANDING, when men have little to be proud of, or confidence of all mens own apprehensions, is the vice of Men, Women and Children, when they are ⟨p. 87⟩past eighteen years of age, which seemeth to be most desperately uncurable. Few sorts so silly, but are always in the right, and others erroneous in comparison of them: as Bedlams pitty the ignorance of their Keepers; So that I fear not the prevalency of scepticism in the world (though I fear infidelity:) Self-conceitedness, I warrant you will keep it under. Such ancient as Ephrem Syrus, Macarius, Martin, &c. who were of little Learning but holy and humble, and presumed not above their knowledge, were honoured in the Churches:
