The successive visibility of the church of which the Protestants are the soundest members…

For Mr. William Johnson. Sir, When I was invited to this Disputation with you, I entertained hopes, from your profest desires of close argumentation, that we should speedily bring it to such an issue, as might in some good measure answer our endeavours, in taking off the covering that Sophistry and carnal interest had cast upon the truth. When my necessary employments denied me the leisure of reading over your second Papers for some weeks; and when the loss of my Reply by the Carrier, and the difficulty of procuring another Copy, had caused a little longer delay; you urged so hard for a Reply, as put me in some ⟨p. 389⟩further hopes that you were resolved to go through with it your self. But after near a twelve months expectation of a Rejoinder, and of the Proof of your own succession from the Apostles, being here at London, I desired you to resolve me, whether I might expect any such Return and Performance from you, or not: And when you would not promise it, I took up the thoughts of publishing what had past between us: But upon further urging you, some months after, you renewed my hopes, which caused me to make some stay of my publication, and to desire you to give me your sense of the most used terms; (promising you that I shall do the like, when you require it; which I am ready to perform.) But yet I hear nothing to this day of your Answer to my Papers, or the Performance of what is incumbent on you for the justification of your Church: And therefore having waited and importuned you in vain so long, and finding by your last, that you cannot or will not so explicate your terms, as to be understood (without which there is no disputing;) and also perceiving, that my abode in London is like to be but little longer; my discretion and the ends of my writing have commanded me, to forbear no longer the publication of what hath past between ⟨p. 390⟩us: For, though the work be not copious and elaborate, yet being on a subject, which your party do so much insist upon, I am assured it may be of common use. And I know that the publication is no breach of any promise on my part, nor do I perceive how it can be any way injurious to you; and therefore I see nothing to prohibit it: And I am not willing to be used as Mr. Gunning and Mr. Pierson were, by the partial unhandsome publication of another.

For Mr. William Johnson. Sir, WHen I was invited to this Disputation with you, I entertained hopes, from your profest desires of close argumentation, that we should speedily bring it to such an issue, as might in some good measure answer our endeavours, in taking off the covering that Sophistry and carnal interest had cast upon the truth. When my necessary employments denyed me the leisure of reading over your second Papers for some weeks; and when the loss of my Reply by the Carrier, and the difficulty of procuring another Copy, had caused a little longer delay; you urged so hard for a Reply, as put me in some