WE your Brethren, in the calling of Jesus Christ; and Ministry of his Gospel, of the County of Hampshire, who from the Beginning of your acting in the Springfield Affair, have been looked upon, and treated by you, as especially, and above all others obnoxious. And in all your Proceedings, from first to last, have been the Butt of your Resentment and Obloquy, and especially in your Book called An Answer to the Hampshire Narrative, have been treated with Indignity and Contempt, and represented with a great Manifestation of Disdain and Insult as a Set of wicked, contemptible Men, looking upon it that you have gone out of the Way of your Duty, and acted much against the Honour of Christ, and the Interest of Christianity, and to the Prejudice of the ministerial Character, do think ourselves obliged, as we are your fellow Christians and Brethren in the Ministry, not only to vindicate ourselves, but to labour to lead you to a Sense of your Error, which ⟨p. 2⟩tho' we have reason to fear, from the Temper and Prejudice you have discovered in your Answer, is not very likely to be successful; yet leaving the Event with GOD, we think ourselves bound to endeavour. And would observe in general, That you have almost wholly overlooked the Merits of the Cause in Dispute between us, and instead of that, have been pleased to divert your Readers with such ludicrous and unfriendly Reflections on our Narrative and Conduct, as you have thought fit, for Reasons best known to yourself. And therefore, for our own Vindication and your Conviction, we have thought it necessary to remark and reply to some of the exceptional Passages in it.
WE your Brethren, in the calling of Jesus Christ; and Ministry of his Gospel, of the County of Hampshire, who from the Beginning of your acting in the Springfield Affair, have been looked upon, and treated by you, as especially, and above all others obnoxious. And in all your Proceedings, from first to last, have been the Butt of your Resentment and Obloquy, and especially in your Book called An Answer to the Hampshire Narrative, have been treated with Indignity and Contempt, and represented with a great Manifestation of Disdain and Insult as a Set of wicked, contemptible Men, looking upon it that you have gone out of the Way of your Duty, and acted much against the Honour of Christ, and the Interest of Christianity, and to the Prejudice of the ministerial Character, do think ourselves obliged, as we are your fellow Christians and Brethren in the Ministry, not only to vindicate ourselves, but to labour to lead you to a Sense of your Error, which ⟨p. 2⟩tho' we have reason to fear, from the Temper and Prejudice you have discovered in your Answer, is not very likely to be successful; yet leaving the Event with GOD, we think ourselves bound to endeavour. And would observe in general, That you have almost wholly overlooked the Merits of the Cause in Dispute between us, and instead of that, have been pleased to divert your Readers with such ludicrous and unfriendly Reflections on our Narrative and Conduct, as you have tho't fit, for Reasons best known to yourself. And therefore, for our own Vindication and your Conviction, we have tho't it necessary to remark and reply to some of the exceptional Passages in it.
