A second admonition to Mr. Edward Bagshaw written to call him to repentance for…

2. That I Repent that I no more discouraged the Spirit of peevish quarrelling with Superiors and Church-orders, and (though I ever disliked and opposed it, yet) that I sometimes did too much encourage such, as were of this temper, by speaking too sharply against those things which I thought to be Church-corruptions; and was too loth to displease the contentious, for fear of being uncapable of doing them good (knowing the profane to be much worse than they) and meeting with too few Religious persons, that were not too much pleased with such invectives.

2. That I Repent that I no more discouraged the Spirit of pievish quarrelling with Superiours and Church-orders, and (though I ever disliked and opposed it, yet) that I sometimes did too much encourage such, as were of this temper, by speaking too sharply against those things which I thought to be Church-corruptions; and was too loth to displease the contentious, for fear of being uncapable of doing them good (knowing the prophane to be much worse than they) and meeting with too few Religious persons, that were not too much pleased with such invectives.

3. And I do Repent that I had not more impartially and diligently consulted with the best Lawyers that were against the Parliaments Cause (For I knew of no Controversy in Divinity about it, but in Politics and Law;) and that I did not use all possible means of full acquaintance with the Case. And that for a little while the Authority of such Writers as Mr. Rich. Hooker lib. 1. Eccles. Polit. and Bishop Bilson, and other Episcopal Divines did too much sway my judgement toward the Principles of Popular Power; And seeing the Parliament, Episcopal, and Erastian, and not hearing when the Wars began of two Presbyterians among them all, nor among all their Lord Lieutenants, Generals, Major Generals, or Colonels, till long after, I was the easilyer drawn to think that Hookers Political Principles had been commonly received by all; which ⟨p. 53⟩I discerned soon after upon stricter enquiry, to be unsound, and have my self written a Confutation of them, ready for the Press many years ago.