And though I am one of those who never was worthy of his honourable employment, to teach men to be Teachers of the Flocks ⟨p. 5⟩of Christ, and these fourteen years have been judged unworthy or unmeet to teach the most ignorant Congregation in these Lands; yet I doubt not but I may have his leave and concurrence in bewailing the lamentable condition of the poor people, by reason of such ignorant and unhappy Teachers, as I and others of my rank have long been! Alas, how great is their temptation! and what perplexities must they needs be cast into! when we that have studied night and day with our most earnest desire to know the truth whatever it cost us, and with our most searching, serious thoughts, and with our daily prayers for divine illumination, do yet remain not only ignorant, but so dangerously erroneous, that if some did not silence us, and others call out to the people to take heed of us, it seems we were like to be their deceivers, and to do them more hurt than good! And if this were but I, and a few more such, or only the many hundreds that now are silenced, the case were less lamentable: But, alas, it is the case of almost all the Christian World, for the people to be cast by their Teachers weaknesses into such distracting perplexities as these! The Greeks call to their people to take heed of the Romans; and the Romans to theirs to take heed of the Greeks: As also to take heed of ⟨p. 6⟩the Protestants, and all (as Heretics or Schismatics) that are not the subjects of the King of Rome: And the Protestants requite them. The Lutherans say, take heed of the Calvinists; and the Calvinists say, take heed of the Lutherans and Arminians. The Conformist saith, take heed of the Non-Conformist; and some Non-Conformists say, take heed of the Conformists: till the poor people know not when they are safe, but are tempted to live as we did in the great Plague in 1665, when each one fled from the face of others, lest every man that approached them should infect them. Whom to fear they know, but whom to trust they know not: unless they must be of the side and Religion which is uppermost, and think their Rulers always in the right; and so that there are as many right Religions in the World, as there are Rulers of different Religions. And what now shall the poor people do? Can they hope to be wiser than all these Teachers, to discern which of them is in the right?
And though I am one of those who never was worthy of his honourable employment, to teach men to be Teachers of the Flocks ⟨p. 5⟩of Christ, and these fourteen years have been judged unworthy or unmeet to teach the most ignorant Congregation in these Lands; yet I doubt not but I may have his leave and concurrence in bewailing the lamentable condition of the poor people, by reason of such ignorant and unhappy Teachers, as I and others of my rank have long been! Alas, how great is their temptation! and what perplexities must they needs be cast into! when we that have studied night and day with our most earnest desire to know the truth whatever it cost us, and with our most searching, serious thoughts, and with our daily prayers for divine illumination, do yet remain not only ignorant, but so dangerously erroneous, that if some did not silence us, and others call out to the people to take heed of us, it seems we were like to be their deceivers, and to do them more hurt than good! And if this were but I, and a few more such, or only the many hundreds that now are silenced, the case were less lamentable: But, alas, it is the case of almost all the Christian World, for the people to be cast by their Teachers weaknesses into such distracting perplexities as these! The Greeks call to their people to take heed of the Romans; and the Romans to theirs to take heed of the Greeks: As also to take heed of ⟨p. 6⟩the Protestants, and all (as Hereticks or Schismaticks) that are not the subjects of the King of Rome: And the Protestants requite them. The Lutherans say, take heed of the Calvinists; and the Calvinists say, take heed of the Lutherans and Arminians. The Conformist saith, take heed of the Non-Conformist; and some Non-Conformists say, take heed of the Conformists: till the poor people know not when they are safe, but are tempted to live as we did in the great Plague in 1665, when each one fled from the face of others, lest every man that approached them should infect them. Whom to fear they know, but whom to trust they know not: unless they must be of the side and Religion which is uppermost, and think their Rulers always in the right; and so that there are as many right Religions in the World, as there are Rulers of different Religions. And what now shall the poor people do? Can they hope to be wiser than all these Teachers, to discern which of them is in the right?
