time the cafe requireth. And indeed I began it rudely, \Yith an Intention of that Plainnef and '13re1Jity which Families require : But finding that it fwdled to abtgger bulk than I intended, I was fa1n to wme myLzfeof Faitb as a BreviateandSubfhtute, for the Families and pnjom that cannot hav~ and ufe fo large a Volume: ( prefuppoGng my Directions for !ound Con~ verGon, for weak Chri!tians, and for peace of Confcience, printed lcng ago.) I I I. And topri1Jate Chrijlians I thought it not in vain, tO have at hand fo UniverCtl a 'DireEtory and P_gjo/Uiion of 'Doubts; not expecting that they re– member all, but may on every occaGon, turn to fLlCh particulars as they moltneed. But I mull: expect robe a£faulted with thefe Objections (And it is not only proph ane deriders and malignant en~mies, that are ufed by Satan to vilifie and oppofe our fi:rvice of God ). Object. I. Yotl !JaW writtm too many 'Books already: Who do yort think hatb (o littleto do M to read tbemall? Is it not Pride and felf~conceitednejS_ to tbink that yot~r Jcriblings are worthy to be read! and that tbe zvorld hath need offo mucb ofyour in· JlruEtiom ! M if tbere were 110 tvife men butyou ! You ba)Je gi)Jm ojfeuce already by your writings: yot~Jhonld write lef! and Preach more. ..Anjw. 1. I have feldome, if ever, in all my Miniltry, omitted one Ser– m on for all my Writings : I was not able to Live in London nor ride abroad; But through Gods mncy I feldom omitted any opportunities at home. 2. And if I Preach the fame Doctrine that I write, why 11wuld not men be as angry with me for preaching it, as for tvriting ir. But if it be good and tme, why is it not as good Preach by the Prefs to many tboufands, and for many years after! am dead, as to Preach to a Parlour full for a few hours! Or why is not bot!J as good as one? 3· I will not take the Reverend Objector to be ignorant that Writing, and publifhing the Word ofGod by it, is preaching it, and the moll: pub– lick preaching : And bath the example of the ApofHes and Evangelills -as well as fpeaking : And one is no more appropriate to them than the other : though the Extraordinari1s of both be proper ro them. And do you not perceive what [elf-condemning conaadiCl:ion it is, at the fame time to cry out again!l: thofe that diffwade you from preaching , or hinder . you, and tell you it is needlefs, and you ar~ proud to think that the world needeth your preaching, and yet your !elves to fay the very fame againll: your brethrens preaching by the Prefs. I know an ignorant il- . literate Scctary might fay, Writing ir 110 preaching, and you are called to preach and not'to write; But I mull reverence you m«ne than to fi.1ppofe you fo ab(urd. Other men forbid yon but left pnblick preaching, and you reproach me for more publick Preaching : that's the difference. How hard is it to know what Spirit ·we are of ? Did you think tb;:tt you had been Patrons of idlene[s, and Silencers of Mini!l:ers, while you declaim fo much again!l: it. Your pretence that you would have me preach more is feigned. Are you fi.lfe that you preach ofter than I do ? When I perfwaded Mini·!l:crs heretofore to Catechize and infl:mct a!! their Parif11es perfonally, family by family, you [aid it was more toil than was our duty : and nowyor1 are againlt much Writing too ; and yet would be thought laborious Minillers. And
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