For my part, as with fear I foresaw, so with grief I see, so many hundred Ministers under the restraints and penalties which you know of, of whom I have better thoughts than you have: believing from my heart, by the acquaintance which I have had with very many, that notwithstanding the faulty former actions of some few of them, and the unjustifiable scruples of others, you cannot name that Nation under heaven out of our Kings Dominions, which hath this day so many Ministers, more sound in doctrine, heart and life, and liker to further mens salvation, than those that in England have been silenced and cast out. Name that country if you can! And I believe that Christ hath given us no supernumeraries of such useful men; but if all faithful Ministers Conformists and Non-conformists were employed and encouraged, they would be still too few to do the work upon the ignorant, ungodly and vicious which is to be done. And considering how many souls a faithful Minister may hope to edify and save, I consider then how many thousands are like to be losers where such are lost and ⟨image 5⟩wanting. It grieveth my soul to see what advantage Satan hath got in England, against that Christian Love which is the life and character of Christs disciples, and to cause wrath, envy, hatred and strife, when God saith, He that hateth his brother is a murderer, and no murderer hath eternal life in him, 1 Joh. 3. 15. It grieveth me to see preachers against preachers, and Churches against Churches, and in Press and Pulpit, Learning and Oratory employed to render brethren odious, and keep up a heart war against each other, and all this (O fearful) as in the name of Christ, and as for the safety of the Church and Kingdom. To see families against families, and father against son, and as Guelphs and Ghibellines Cities and Countries in their ordinary discourses (at the least) accusing, contemning, and reproaching one another! It grieveth me to think how much first the honour, and then the success of the Ministry on both sides is hereby hindered, and what temptations some have to further injuries which I am loth to name:
For my part, as with fear I foresaw, so with grief I see, so many hundred Ministers under the restraints and penalties which you know of, of whom I have better thoughts than you have: believing from my heart, by the acquaintance which I have had with very many, that notwithstanding the faulty former actions of some few of them, and the unjustifiable scruples of others, you cannot name that Nation under heaven out of our Kings Dominions, which hath this day so many Ministers, more sound in doctrine, heart and life, and liker to further mens salvation, than those that in England have been silenced and cast out. Name that countrey if you can! And I believe that Christ hath given us no supernumeraries of such useful men; but if all faithful Ministers Conformists and Non-conformists were employed and encouraged, they would be still too few to do the work upon the ignorant, ungodly and vicious which is to be done. And considering how many souls a faithful Minister may hope to edifie and save, I consider then how many thousands are like to be losers where such are lost and ⟨image 5⟩wanting. It grieveth my soul to see what advantage Satan hath got in England, against that Christian Love which is the life and character of Christs disciples, and to cause wrath, envy, hatred and strife, when God saith, He that hateth his brother is a murderer, and no murderer hath eternal life in him, 1 Joh. 3. 15. It grieveth me to see preachers against preachers, and Churches against Churches, and in Press and Pulpit, Learning and Oratory imployed to render brethren odious, and keep up a heart war against each other, and all this (O fearful) as in the name of Christ, and as for the safety of the Church and Kingdome. To see families against families, and father against son, and as Guelphes and Gibelines Cities and Countreys in their ordinary discourses (at the least) accusing, contemning, and reproaching one another! It grieveth me to think how much first the honour, and then the success of the Ministry on both sides is hereby hindered, and what temptations some have to further injuries which I am loth to name:
