The doctrine delivered by all preachers is the same:  “So we preach, and so ye believe:”  But the manner of delivering is suited to the skill and abilities of each, which differ in preachers just as in the rest of mankind.  However, in personal dislikes of a particular preacher, are these men sure they are always in the right?  Do they consider how mixed a thing is every audience, whose taste and judgment differ, perhaps, every day, not only from each other, but themselves?  And how to calculate a discourse, that shall exactly suit them all, is beyond the force and reach of human reason, knowledge, or invention.  Wit and eloquence are shining qualities, that God hath imparted, in great degrees, to very few, nor any more to be expected, in the generality of any rank among men, than riches and honour.  But further:  If preaching in general be all old and beaten, and that they are already so well acquainted with it, more shame and guilt to them who so little edify by it.  But these men, whose ears are so delicate as not to endure a plain discourse of religion, who expect a constant supply of wit and eloquence on a subject handled so many thousand times; what will they say when we turn the objection upon themselves, who, with all the rude and profane liberty of discourse they take, upon so many thousand subjects, are so dull as to furnish nothing but tedious repetitions, and little paltry, nauseous common-places, so vulgar, so worn, or so obvious, as, upon any other occasion, but that of advancing vice, would be hooted off the stage?  Nor, lastly, are preachers justly blamed for neglecting human oratory to move the passions, which is not the business of a Christian orator, whose office it is only to work upon faith and reason.  All other eloquence hath been a perfect cheat, to stir up men’s passions against truth and justice, for the service of a faction, to put false colours upon things, and by an amusement of agreeable words, make the worse reason appear to be the better.  This is certainly not to be allowed in Christian eloquence, and, therefore, St Paul took quite the other course; he “came not with excellency of words, or enticing speech of men’s wisdom, but in plain evidence of the Spirit and power.”  And perhaps it was for that reason the young man Eutychus, used to the Grecian eloquence, grew tired and fell so fast asleep.

I go on, Thirdly, to set forth the great evil of this neglect and scorn of preaching, and to discover the real causes from whence it proceedeth.

I think it is obvious,[1] that this neglect of preaching hath very much occasioned the great decay of religion among us.  To this may be imputed no small part of that contempt some men bestow on the clergy; for, whoever talketh without being regarded, is sure to be despised.  To this we owe, in a great measure, the spreading of atheism and infidelity among us; for religion, like all other things, is soonest put out of countenance by being ridiculed.  The scorn