Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…

As to the present Controversy, it seemed good to Mr Blake to begin it with me; and to my Defence he hath opposed an angry Reply; not to my whole Book (as I did to that part of his which concerned me) but to here and there a scrap, disordered, and maimed, and parcelled as he thought good. I was in doubt whether to make any rejoinder or further Defence; but while I doubted, divers Reverend Brethren from several parts wrote to me, to move me neither to be silent, nor to answer all his words, which would be tedious to the Reader, but to handle the Controversies by way of Disputation, and to bring in Mr Blake's Arguments under them, so far as shall be thought necessary. Though ⟨image 12⟩at first I scarce liked this way, as seeming not a full answer, but such a course as he took with me, yet I did acquiesce in the judgement of my Brethren. But yet indeed, I think I had never printed a word at all in Defence of my self against Mr Blake, but for another providence. The third Disputation, as here printed, was written before Mr Blake's Book against me was printed, or in the press (as I have reason to think.) A Copy of this I lent about two years ago to a friend: But by what means I know not, about three quarters of a year ago I received tidings from a pious learned Minister in the West (writing to a friend of his not far from me) that there were such abundance of Copies of that Disputation in those parts, and some were so purposed, that it would be printed if I did not do it my self. I confess I was much offended at the news, because the Disputation was imperfectly written, and on such a subject (as to the later part, which shows what sins may consist with Godliness) that I would have been loath it should have been by them made public, as knowing how unfit it was for the eyes of the Profane: But when there was no remedy, the best I could do, was to add ⟨image 13⟩some cautions, and annex the other Disputations here adjoined, which were hastily written, that the former might not go alone without that company that seemed necessary. And this is the occasion of this present writing.

As to the present Controversie, it seemed good to Mr Blake to begin it with me; and to my Defense he hath opposed an angry Reply; not to my whole Book (as I did to that part of his which concerned me) but to here and there a scrap, disordered, and maimed, and parcelled as he thought good. I was in doubt whether to make any rejoinder or further Defense; but while I doubted, divers Reverend Brethren from several parts wrote to me, to move me neither to be silent, nor to answer all his words, which would be tedious to the Reader, but to handle the Controversies by way of Disputation, and to bring in Mr Blake's Arguments under them, so far as shall be thought necessary. Though