Why this I take to be my duty 1. Impartially first to consider of all the evil which you charge upon my self, that I may not be guilty of the sin of the times, which I am constrained to lament in others, that is, An obstinate Enmity to Repentance; nor yet unthankfully neglect any help that God shall any way vouchsafe me, for the discovery of my sin. 2. And then so to acquaint you with your errors and miscarriages, as may tend, 1. To your repentance; 2. And to other mens preservation; 3. And to vindicate Religion, and the faithful afflicted Servants of Christ, against the unjust accusation of those, who would make the world believe ⟨p. 26⟩that your Case is theirs, and that their principles and practices are such as yours. 4. And in all to preserve that just esteem and love which I owe you, as one that I think yet upright in the main. I love your zeal for that which you take to be the Truth: I greatly love your Fortitude of mind, and undauntedness under sufferings, as such; and being so much above the fear of man: And I think it a thousand pities that you have not 1. A better Cause, 2. A humbler mind, and better acquaintance with your self, 3. A sounder and clearer judgement; 4. More universal Charity; 5. More sense of the mischiefs of sinful divisions: 6. And especially more Sobriety and Caution, and less temerity and heedlessness of what you read, and what you write; and more tenderness of Conscience to avoid untruths; 7. And more impartiality, to see that evil in your self, and those of your opinion, which you can aggravate in those by whom you suffer; and 8. Lastly, That you have not less Enmity to Repentance, and that you take an invitation to Repentance to be a malicious reproach, and will not understand why God recordeth his servants sins, nor will consider how much better it is that the reproach of sin, do fall upon us, than upon our Religion, or the Church of God; and that we our selves confess our sins, than that our adversaries upbraid us with Impenitent justifying them. And while you are so notoriously wanting in all these things, the greater noise your ⟨p. 27⟩sufferings make, the more injurious you will be to the Truth, and to your brethren, and the greater hardening to others: And Satan will not only use you to the corrupting of well-meaning peoples minds, and to the suppression of Truth, and Love, and Concord, but also to the reproach of suffering it self:
Why this I take to be my duty 1. Impartially first to consider of all the evil which you charge upon my self, that I may not be guilty of the sin of the times, which I am constrained to lament in others, that is, An obstinate Enmity to Repentance; nor yet unthankfully neglect any help that God shall any way vouchsafe me, for the discovery of my sin. 2. And then so to acquaint you with your errors and miscarriages, as may tend, 1. To your repentance; 2. And to other mens preservation; 3. And to vindicate Religion, and the faithful afflicted Servants of Christ, against the unjust accusation of those, who would make the world believe ⟨p. 26⟩that your Case is theirs, and that their principles and practices are such as yours. 4. And in all to preserve that just esteem and love which I owe you, as one that I think yet upright in the main. I love your zeal for that which you take to be the Truth: I greatly love your Fortitude of mind, and undaumedness under sufferings, as such; and being so much above the fear of man: And I think it a thousand pitties that you have not 1. A better Cause, 2. A humbler mind, and better acquaintance with your self, 3. A sounder and clearer judgement; 4. More universal Charity; 5. More sense of the mischiefs of sinful divisions: 6. And especially more Sobriety and Caution, and less teme••ty and heedlesness of what you read, and what you write; and more tenderness of Conscience to avoid untruths; 7. And more impartiality, to see that evil in your self, and those of your opinion, which you can aggravate in those by whom you suffer; and 8. Lastly, That you have not less Enmity to Repentance, and that you take an invitation to Repentance to be a malicious reproach, and will not understand why God recordeth his servants sins, nor will consider how much better it is that the reproach of sin, do fall upon us, than upon our Religion, or the Church of God; and that we our selves confess our sins, than that our adversaries upbraid us with Impenitent justifying them. And while you are so notoriously wanting in all these things, the greater noise your ⟨p. 27⟩sufferings make, the more injurious you will be to the Truth, and to your brethren, and the greater hardning to others: And Satan will not only use you to the corrupting of well-meaning peoples minds, and to the suppression of Truth, and Love, and Concord, but also to the reproach of suffering it self:
