A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

SIR,

I Have received your Epistle, and therein your excuse for your long silence, which I willingly admit of; and could have been contented it had been longer, so that you had been advantaged thereby to have spoken any thing more to the purpose, than I find you have now done: Sat citò si sat benè: Things of this nature, are always done soon enough, when they are done well enough, or as well as they are capable of being done. But it is no small disappointment to find [Greek or Hebrew], a fruitless flourish of words, where a serious debate of an important cause was expected and looked for. Nor is it a justification of any man, when he has done a thing amiss, to say he did it speedily, if he were no way necessitated so to do. You are engaged in a Cause, unto whose tolerable defence, opus est Zephyris & hirundine multa; though you cannot pretend so short a time to be used in it, which will not by many be esteemed more than it deserves; for all time and pains taken to give countenance to error is undoubtedly misspent; [Greek or Hebrew], saith the great Apostle; We can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth: which Rule had you observed, you might have spared your whole time and labour in this business. However I shall be glad to find that you have given me just cause to believe what you say, of your not seeing the Animadversions on your Book before February. As I ⟨p. 2⟩find you observant of Truth in your Progress, or failing therein, so shall I judg of your veracity in this unlikely story; for every man gives the best measure of himself. And though I cannot see how possibly a man could spend much time in trussing up such a fardle of trifles and quibbles as your Epistle is, yet it is somewhat strange on the other side, that you should not in eight months space, for so long were the Animadversions made public before February, set eye on that, which being your own especial concernment, was to my knowledge in the hands of many of your party. To dial friendly with you, nolim caeterarum rerum te socordem codem modo. Yea I doubt not but you use more diligence in your other affairs; though in general the matter in debate between us seems to be your Principal concernment. But now you have seen that Discourse, and as you inform me have read it over;