The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

For whereas he acknowledgeth that my words may have a sense which he approves of (and which therefore must of necessity be good and sound) what honest and sober person would not rather take them in that sense, then wrest them unto another, so to cast himself under the disquietment of a fit of horrible Indignation, In this fit I suppose it was, if such a fit indeed did befall him (as one Evil begets another) that he thought he might insinuate something of my denial of the necessity of our own personal Repentance and Obedience. For no man who had read that Book only of all my Writings, could with the least regard to Conscience or Honesty give countenance unto such a surmise, unless his mind was much discomposed by the unexpected invasion of a fit of Horror. But such is his dealing with me from first to last, nor do I know ⟨p. 52⟩where to fix on any one instance of his Exceptions against me, wherein I can suppose he had escaped his pretended fit, and was returned unto himself, that is unto honest and ingenuous thoughts, wherewith I hope he is mostly conversant. But though I cannot miss in the Justification of this charge by considering any Instance of his Reflections, yet I shall at present take that which he insists longest upon, and filleth his Discourse about it with most scurrility of Expressions. And this is in the 164th page of his Book and those that follow. For there he disputeth fiercely against me for making this to be an undue End of our serving God, namely, that we may flee from the wrath to come. And who would not take this for an inexpiable crime in any, especially in him who hath written so much of the nature and use of Threatenings under the Gospel, and the Fear that ought to be ingenerated by them in the hearts of men, as I have done. Wherefore so great a Crime being the object of them, all his Revilings seem not only to be Excused but Hallowed. But what if all this should prove a wilful prevarication, not becoming a Good man, much less a Minister of the Gospel? my words as reported and transcribed by himself are these; Some there are that do the Service of the House of God as the drudgery of their Lives; the principle they yield Obedience upon is Spirit of Bondage unto fear; the Rule they do it by is the Law in its dread and rigour; exacting it of them to the utmost without mercy or mitigation;

For whereas he acknowledgeth that my words may have a sense which he approves of (and which therefore must of necessity be good and sound) what honest and sober person would not rather take them in that sense, then wrest them unto another, so to cast himself under the disquietment of a fit of horrible Indignation, In this fit I suppose it was, if such a fit indeed did befall him (as one Evil begets another) that he thought he might insinuate something of my denial of the necessity of our own personal Repentance and Obedience. For no man who had read that Book only of all my Writings, could with the least regard to Conscience or Honesty give countenance unto such a surmise, unless his mind was much discomposed by the unexpected invasion of a fit of Horrour. But such is his dealing with me from first to last, nor do I know