Though (through the privacy of my habitation) I never so much as heard of your name, before your Book of the Object and Office of faith was in the Press; yet upon that perusal of it I confidently conclude, that a zeal for God, and that which you verily think to be his Truth, hath moved you to this undertaking; and doubtless you think that you have done God service by it. I love your zeal: and your indignation against Error; and your tenderness of so great a point as that of Justification. And could I find your Light to be answerable to your heat, I hope I should also love and honour it: Had you not taken me (with the two Reverend Brethren whom you oppose) to be the enemies of the person and Grace of the Lord Jesus, or the followers of them (as you say, Epist. pag. 6.) I am persuaded you would not have either called us so, or thought your self called to this assault. And if I love Christ, I must love that man that hateth me▪ though mistakingly, for the sake of Christ. That principle within you that hath made Christ and Truth so dear to you, that you rise up for that which seemeth to you to be Truth, I hope will grow till you attain perfection in that world of Light that will end our differences, I shall not go about to deprecate your indignation for my plain expressions in this Defence, when the nature of your matter did require them: For I am not so unreasonable as to expect that fair words should reconcile a good man to those that he takes to be enemies to Christ, or to their followers. But as I can truly say if I know what is in my heart, that the Reading of your Book hath ⟨p. 314⟩bred no enmity to you in my breast, but only kindled a love to your zeal, with a compassion of your darkness, and a dislike of your so much confidence in the dark; so it shall be my care as it is my duty, to love you as a mistaken servant of Christ, though you should take me for his greatest enemy. And therefore being conscious of no worse affections to you, I desire that Justice of you, as to impute the ungrateful passages that you meet with, to my apprehension of the badness of your cause and Arguments, and a compassion to the poor Church that must be troubled and tempted, and endangered by such gross mistakes, and not to any contempt of your person, with which I meddle not, but as you are the Author of those Arguments.
THough (through the privacy of my habitation) I never so much as heard of your name, before your Book of the Object and Office of faith was in the Press; yet upon tht perusal of it I confidently conclude, that a zeal for God, and that which you verily think to be his Truth, hath moved you to this undertaking; and doubtless you think that you have done God service by it. I love your zeal: and your indignation against Error; and your tendernese of so great a point as that of Justification. And could I find your Light to be answerable to your heat, I hope I should also love and honour it: Had you not taken me (with the two Reverened Brethren whom you oppose) to be the enemies of the person and Grace of the Lord Jesus, or the followers of them (as you say, Epist. pag. 6.) I am perswaded you would not have either called us so, or thought your self called to this assault. And if I love Christ, I must love that man that hateth me▪ though mistakingly, for the sake of Christ. That principle within you that hath made Christ and Truth so dear to you, that you rise up for that which seemeth to you to be Truth, I hope will grow till you attain perfection in that world of Light that will end our differences, I shall not go about to dèprecate your indignation for my plain expressions in this Defence, when the nature of your matter did require them: For I am not so unresonable as to expect that fair words should reconcile a good man to those that he takes to be enemies to Christ, or to their followers. But as I can truly say if I know what is in my heart, that the Reading of your Book hath ⟨p. 314⟩bred no enmity to you in my brest, but only kindled a love to your zeal, with a compassion of your darkness, and a dislike of your so much confidence in the dark; so it shall be my care as it is my duty, to love you as a mistaken servant of Christ, though you should take me for his greatest enemy. And therefore being conscious of no worse affections to you, I desire that Justice of you, as to impute the ungratefull passages that you meet with, to my apprehension of the badness of your cause and Arguments, and a compassion to the poor Church that must be troubled and tempted, and endangered by such gross mistakes, and not to any contempt of your person, with which I meddle not, but as you are the Author of those Arguments.
