'Ihe HISTORy of the PuRI:TANS. VoL. n. King complains with great warmth, of above three thouG1nd min iflers admitCharles II. d · h 1 h h fi . 1662 • te mto t e c 1urc , w o were un t ~o teach becaufe of the 1 r youth; ~ ?f. fifteen hundred debauched men ordamed; of the ordination of many Illiterate men; of one thoufand three hundred forty two factious minifl:ers a little before ordained; and that of twelve thoufand church livings, or thereabouts, three thoufand or more being impropriate, and four thou– fand one hundred fixty five fine cures, there was but a poor remainder Campm·ifm between the old and new preachers. Conf. Plea, Part. I. in pref. and l'· 53· left for a painful and honefl: miniflry. Such were the (poils of uniformity! And though Mr. Eachard fays, there was more fenfe and found doctrine preached in one twelve month after the prefbyterian minilters were turned out, than in nigh twenty years before; yet another church writer, who knew them better, calls the young clergy " florid and genteel preachers, of a more romantic than " true majeflic and divine fiile, who tickled and captivated people at " firfl:, but did little fervice to the fouls of men, and in procefs of time " had fewer admirers and friends than at firfl: --"He adds, " that in " the late times they all fpake the fame things, and carried on the fame " work, which was the inll:ruction, converfion, confolation, and edifi– " cation of fouls, not biting one another, nor grudging at one another;· " I never heard (fays he), in many hundreds qf fermons, diverfities of " opinions either fet up by fome, or pulled down by others; we heard " indeed that fome were independents, others prejbyteriam, and others " epijcopal, but we heard no fuch things from the pulpits. Some men •· think that the preaching of thofe days was meer fanaticifm, bleffing the " ufurpation, railing againfl bifhops, or deifying Calvin with an infalli– " bility; but Calvin was preached no farther than Chrifl fpake in him; " non Calvinumfed Chrijlum prcedicabant." The truth of this obfervation will appear further, by mentioning the names of fome of thofe minifl:ers, whofe learning and piety were uni– verfally acknowledged, and who were capable of preaching and writing as good fenfe, and to as good purpofe, as moll of their fucce1fors; as Dr. Gilpin, Bates, Manton, Jacomb, Owen, Goodwin, Col/ins, Conant, Grew, Burgefi, and Ann1fy ; Mr. Bowles, Baxter, Clar4fon, Woodbridge, Neqvcomen, Calamy, Jaclifon, Pool, Car)•!, Charnock, Gouge, Jenkim, Gale, Corbet, Cradock, Matth, Mead, Howe, Kentijh, A!fop, Vincent, Greenhill, S. Clark, F/m;el, Phi!. Henry, and others of like charaCter, Conf. Plea, " whom I have heard vilified, and reprefented according to the fancies, in pref. " paffions, or interefis of men (fars a learned conformifi), b~t ~ dare .not Part 1 • " but be jufl: to them, as to emment profeifors of the chni1:1an faith, " and think th&t common chrillianity has fuffered much by their filenc– " ing and difparagement. ~ great part of the world i~ made to be11 lieye) that tbe non conformijls are not fit tp be employed m the church, '' nor
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