Miseri jam sumus: et

As Salvian saith in another case, nec dum fnugaces (discordes) esse cessamus! 1. 6. p. 202. Et p. 200. "Mala incessabiliter malis addimus, et peccata peccatis cumulamus: et cum maxima nostri pars jam perierit, id agimus ut pereamus omnes.—— Nos non vicinos nostros tantum ardere vidimus, sed ipsi jam ex maxima nostrorum corporum parte arsimus. Et quid hoc, proh nefas, mali est? Arsimus, arsimus, et tamen flammas quibus jam arsimus non timemus. Nam quod non ubique agantur quæ prius acta sunt, miserie est beneficium, non disciplinæ. Facile hoc probo. Da enim prioris temporis statum, et statim ubique sunt quæ fuerunt."

The minds of many are as much exasperated or estranged Three sorts I meet with, that all are too backward to any accommodation.

as ever.

1. The violent men of the prelates' side, especially those of the new way, who are so far from reconciliation and healing of our breaches, that they labour to persuade the world that the contrary-minded are schismatics, and that all the ministers that have not Episcopal ordination are no ministers, nor any of the churches that have not Prelates are true churches (at least, except it can be proved to be through unavoidable necessity). And they say, to agree with such, were to strike a covenant with Schism itself.

2. Some on the other side, say, 'Do you not see, that except an inconsiderable number, the Prelatical party are all empty, careless, if not scandalous, ungodly men? Where are almost any of them whose communion is desirable? That set themselves to the winning and saving of souls, and are serious men in the matters of Salvation, in whom you can perceive a heavenly conversation? Hath God brought down these enemies of godliness, and persecutors and depopulators of his church, and would you make a league with them again? Do you not see that they are as bitter and implacable as ever? And have not some of them the face to justify all the former impositions and persecutions, and draw, or continue the guilt of it upon their heads? And would make the world believe that they are wrongfully ejected, when so many accusations in Parliament before the division, so many centuries of horrid, scandalous ones published by Mr. White, and so many more centuries, that lie on record under depositions in the several counties of the Nation

where the Committees ejected them, will be perpetual witnesses of the quality of these men.'

3. Others there be that are peaceable men on both sides, that will not justify the former miscarriages, nor own the present evils of any; but think, though there be too much truth in these latter accusations, yet the nature of the difference, and the quality of some of the persons is such, as deserveth our desires and endeavours of Reconciliation. But they think the work to be hopeless and impossible, and therefore not to be attempted.

And thus our breach is made: but how, or when it will be well healed, the Lord knoweth. But this is not all, it behoveth us yet to come nearer home, and inquire into the ways of the present approved godly Ministers, of what party soever; and doubtless, if we are willing to know ourselves, we may soon find that which will lay us very low before the Lord, I shall in all, have an eye at my own corrupt heart, which I am so far from justifying in this common lamentation, that I take it as my necessary duty to cast the first stone at myself.

The great sins that we are guilty of, I shall not undertake to enumerate: and therefore my passing over any particular is not to be taken as a denial of it for our justification. But I shall take it to be my duty to give instances of some few, that cry loudly for humiliation and speedy reformation. Only I must needs first premise this profession; that for all the faults that are now among us, I do not believe that ever England had so able and faithful a Ministry since it was a Nation as it hath at this day: and I fear that few nations on earth, if any, have the like. Sure I am the change is so great within these twelve years, that it is one of the greatest joys that ever I had in the world to behold it. O how many congregations are now plainly and frequently taught, that lived then in great obscurity! How many able, faithful men are there now in a county in comparison of what were then! How graciously hath God prospered the studies of many young men, that were little children in the beginning of the late troubles; so that now they cloud the most of their seniors! How many miles would I have gone twenty years ago, and less, to have heard one of those ancient, reverend Divines, whose congregations are now grown thin, and their parts esteemed mean by reason of the notable improvement

of their juniors! And in particular, how mercifully hath the Lord dealt with this poor county (Worcestershire), in raising up so many of these, that do credit to their sacred office, and self-denyingly and freely, zealously and unweariedly do lay out themselves for the good of souls! I bless the Lord that hath placed me in such a neighbourhood, where I may have the brotherly fellowship of so many able, humble, unanimous, peaceable and faithful men. O that the Lord would long continue this admirable mercy to this unworthy country. I hope I shall rejoice in God while I have a being for the common change in other parts, that I have lived to see; that so many hundred faithful men are so hard at work for the saving of souls, 'frementibus licet et frendentibus inimicis;' and that more are springing up apace. I know there are some men, whose parts I reverence, who being in point of Government of another mind from them, will be offended at my very mention of this happy alteration; but I must profess, if I were absolutely prelatical, if I knew my heart, I could not choose for all that but rejoice. What, not rejoice at the prosperity of the church, because men differ in opinion about its order! Should I shut my eyes against the mercies of the Lord? The souls of men are not so contemptible to me, that I should envy them the bread of life, because it is broken to them by a hand that had not the prelatical approbation. O that every congregation were thus supplied! But all cannot be done at once. They had a long time to settle a corrupted ministry; and when the ignorant and scandalous are cast out, we cannot create abilities in others for the supply; we must stay the time of their preparation and growth; and then, if England drive not away the Gospel by their abuse, even by their wilful unreformedness, and hatred of the light, they are likely to be the happiest nation under heaven. For as for all the sects and heresies that are creeping in daily and troubling us, I doubt not but the free Gospel managed by an able, self-denying Ministry, will effectually disperse and shame them all.

But you may say, this is not confessing sin, but applauding those whose sins you pretend to confess? Answ. It is the due acknowledgment of God's graces, and thanksgiving for his admirable mercies, that I may not seem unthankful in confession, much less to cloud or vilify God's graces, while I open the frailties that in many do accompany them.

Yet is it so

Among the many things that are yet sadly out of order in the best, I shall touch upon these few particulars following: 1. One of our most heinous and palpable sins is pride ; a sin that hath too much interest in the best; but is more hateful and inexcusable in us than in any men. prevalent in some of us, that it inditeth our discourses for us; it chooseth us our company, it formeth our countenances, it putteth the accents and emphasis upon our words: when we reason, it is the determiner and exciter of our cogitations; it fills some men's minds with aspiring desires and designs; it possesseth them with envious and bitter thoughts against those that stand in their light, or by any means do eclipse their glory, or hinder the progress of their idolized reputation. O what a companion, what a tyrannical commander, what a sly, and subtle, and insinuating enemy is this sin of pride! It goes with men to the draper, the mercer, the tailor; it chooseth them their cloth, their trimming and their fashion. It dresseth them in the morning, at least the outside. Fewer ministers would ruffle it out in the fashion in hair and habit, if it were not for the command of this tyrannical vice: and I would that were all, or the worst, but alas, how frequently doth it go with us to our studies, and there sit with us and do our work! How often doth it choose our subject, and more often choose our words and ornaments. God biddeth us be as plain as we can, for the informing of the ignorant, and as convincing and serious as we are able, for the melting and changing of unchanged hearts; but pride stands by and contradicteth all; and sometimes it puts in toys and trifles, and polluteth rather than polisheth, and under pretence of laudable ornaments, it dishonoureth our sermons with childish gauds as if a prince were to be decked in the habit of a stage-player or a painted fool. It persuadeth us to paint the window that it may dim the light; and to speak to our people that which they cannot understand, to acquaint them that we are able to speak unprofitably. It taketh off the edge, and dulls the life of all our teachings, under the pretence of filing off the roughness, unevenness and superfluity. If we have a plain and cutting passage, it throws it away as too rustical and ungrateful. When God chargeth us to deal with men as for their lives, and beseech them with all the earnestness that we are able, this cursed sin controlleth all, and condemneth

the most holy commands of God, and calleth our most necessary duty a madness; and saith to us, What, will you make people think you are mad? Will you make them say you rage or rave? Cannot you speak soberly and moderately?' And thus doth pride make many a man's sermons, and what pride makes the devil makes; and what sermong the devil will make, and to what end, we may easily conjecture. Though the matter be of God, yet if the dress, and manner, and end be from Satan, we have no great reason to expect

success.

And when pride hath made the sermon, it goes with them into the pulpit; it formeth their tone, it animateth them in the delivery, it takes them off from that which may be displeasing, how necessary soever, and setteth them in a pursuit of vain applause: and the sum of all this is, that it maketh men, both in studying and preaching, to seek themselves, and deny God, when they should seek God's glory and deny themselves. When they should ask, 'What should I say, and how should I say it, to please God best, and do most good?' It makes them ask, 'What shall I say, and how shall I deliver it, to be thought a learned, able preacher, and to be applauded by all that hear me?' When the sermon is done, pride goeth home with them, and maketh them more eager to know whether they were applauded, than whether they did prevail for the saving change of souls! They could find in their hearts, but for shame, to ask folks, how they liked them, and to draw out their commendation. If they perceive that they are highly thought of, they rejoice, as having attained their end; but if they perceive that they are esteemed but weak or common men, they are displeased, as having missed the prize of the day.

But yet this is not all, nor the worst, if worse may be. O that ever it should be spoken of godly ministers, that they are so set upon popular air, and of sitting highest in men's estimation; that envy the parts and names of their brethren that are preferred before them, as if all were taken from their praises that is given to another; and as if God had given them his gifts to be the mere ornaments and trappings of their persons, that they may walk as men of reputation in the world, and all his gifts in others were to be trodden down and vilified, if they seem to stand in the way of their honour! What, a saint, a preacher for Christ, and yet envy that which