Most of those that do otherwise may be supposed to be in and about London, where, by reason of the burning of above fourscore Parish Churches, the Churches that remain may not be capacious enough to receive or hold all the Inhabitants, and besides may possibly be at inconvenient distances from their present Habitations. If you say, That the Old Nonconformists, when they were silenced by the Bishops, forbore to preach, and justified their silence against the Brownists who accused them for it. To this may be replied, That the number of Ejected Ministers formerly, were not comparable to what i• is now; usually not one to one hundred, to wha• ⟨p. 7⟩it is in our days. Besides, the People that are dissatisfied with the Liturgy or Ceremonies now, are ten, if not a hundred to one, to what they were formerly. What shall Ministers do in this Case? Our Saviour when he saw the multitudes, had compassion on them, because they were as Sheep Without a Shepherd. Had you rather that Quakers and Romish Seducers should gather up Multitudes; and that Taverns, Alehouses, and worse places, should on the Lords day be filled with the number of those that absent themselves from the public Assemblies, rather than that they should be tolerated to hear a Sermon of Faith and Repentance, and other Duties towards God, and of Loyalty to the King, of Love and Charity one towards another, in a private house? For my own part, I confess in this Case, I would much rather go learn what that means, The Harvest truly is great, and the Labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest. Again, it is to be considered, that Mr. Dod, Mr. Hildersham, and others, were silenced formerly but in some Dioceses, and for some time; afterwards they got diverse times liberty to preach. Mr. Cotton had a License to preach, under the Broad Seal of England, procured by Bishop Williams, then Lord Keeper, notwithstanding his inconformity. Mr. Cartwright notwithstanding he had writ so much, and so sharply against Conformity, was suffered ⟨p. 8⟩to preach, and enjoyed a place of Master of an Hospital at Warwick to his dying day. Yea, Mr. Brown, the Father of the Brownists, if we believe the Historian, was suffered to keep a Living, and that no mean one, (A church in Northamptonshire) to his Death.
Most of those that do otherwise may be supposed to be in and about London, where, by reason of the burning of above fourscore Parish Churches, the Churches that remain may not be capacious enough to receive or hold all the Inhabitants, and besides may possibly be at inconvenient distances from their present Habitations. If you say, That the Old Nonconformists, when they were silenc'd by the Bishops, forbore to preach, and justified their silence against the Brownists who accused them for it. To this may be replied, That the number of Ejected Ministers formerly, were not comparable to what i• is now; usually not one to one hundred, to wha• ⟨p. 7⟩it is in our days. Besides, the People that are dissatisfied with the Liturgy or Ceremonies now, are ten, if not a hundred to one, to what they were formerly. What shall Ministers do in this Case? Our Saviour when he saw the multitudes, had compassion on them, because they were as Sheep Without a Shepherd. Had you rather that Quakers and Romish Seducers should gather up Multitudes; and that Taverns, Alehouses, and worse places, should on the Lords day be filled with the number of those that absent themselves from the publick Assemblies, rather than that they should be tolerated to hear a Sermon of Faith and Repentance, and other Duties towards God, and of Loyalty to the King, of Love and Charity one towards another, in a private house? For my own part, I confess in this Case, I would much rather go learn what that means, The Harvest truly is great, and the Labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest. Again, it is to be considered, that Mr. Dod, Mr. Hildersham, and others, were silenced formerly but in some Diocesses, and for some time; afterwards they got diverse times liberty to preach. Mr. Cotton had a License to preach, under the Broad Seal of England, procured by Bishop Williams, then Lord Keeper, notwithstanding his inconformity. Mr. Cartwright notwithstanding he had writ so much, and so sharply against Conformity, was suffered ⟨p. 8⟩to preach, and enjoyed a place of Master of an Hospital at Warwick to his dying day. Yea, Mr. Brown, the Father of the Brownists, if we believe the Historian, was suffered to keep a Living, and that no mean one, (Achurch in Northamptonshire) to his Death.
