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Duties and Rights of the Parochial Clergy, p 31. ‘General declarations against vice and sin, rouse men to consider and look about them; but they often lack effect, because they only raise confused apprehensions of things, and undeterminate propensions to action; which usually decay and vanish, before men thoroughly perceive or resolve what they should practice. As he that cries ‘fire’ stirs people up, and inspires them with a kind of hovering tendency every which way, yet no man who is there moves to purpose, until he is distinctly informed where the mischief is (then those who apprehend that they are the ones concerned, run hastily to oppose it) so, till we particularly discern where our offences lie, till we distinctly know the heinous nature and the mischievous consequences of them—we scarce will effectually apply ourselves to correct them. Whence it is requisite that men be particularly acquainted with their sins, and by proper arguments be dissuaded from them.’ Barrow’s Sermons. ‘General discourses do not so immediately tend to reform the lives of men, because they fall among the crowd, and do not touch the consciences of particular persons in so sensible and awakening a manner, as when we treat of particular doctrines and sins, and endeavour to put men upon the practice of the one, and reclaim them from the other, by proper arguments taken from the word of God, and from the nature of particular virtues and vices.’ Tillotson’s Sermons, folio, p. 491. ‘The preacher who only flourishes in general notions, and does not aim at some particular argument, is like an unwise fisher, who spreads his net to the empty air, where he cannot expect any success to his labours.’ Bishop Wilkins’s Eccles.