A letter to the author of the pamphlet called An answer [sic] to the…A letter to the author of the pamphlet called An answeer [sic] to the…

You sarcastically say, Page 8, That our Repetitions are not vain, but serve mighty well to answer the very christian Design of our Performance: We would pray you to consider what very christian Design you could have in these Things. Is there any thing in the Manner of our saying these Things, that you say don't enter into the Merits of the Cause, that shows that the whole Design of them must be to fix a Mark of Dishonour and Disgrace, and are from an evil and bitter Spirit, &c? And pray Sir, let your own Conscience speak, whether we said any of those Things, in such a contemptuous Manner, and in such bitter and opprobrious Language, as you have said those Things of us. And certainly, seeing you saw such a hatefulness and Vileness in our doing as you say we did, and manifest such an Abomination of it when you speak of it, you ought to have been so much further from it yourself.

You sarcastically say, Page 8, That our Repetitions are not vain, but serve mighty well to answer the very christian Design of our Performance: We would pray you to consider what very christian Design you could have in these Things. Is there any thing in the Manner of our saying these Things, that you say don't enter into the Merits of the Cause, that shews that the whole Design of them must be to fix a Mark of Dishonour and Disgrace, and are from an evil and bitter Spirit, &c? And pray Sir, let your own Conscience speak, whether we said any of those Things, in such a contemptuous Manner, and in such bitter and opprobious Language, as you have said those Things of us. And certainly, seeing you saw such a hatefulness and Vileness in our doing as you say we did, and manifest such an Abomination of it when you speak of it, you ought to have been so much further from it yourself.

In Page 14, after mentioning our Pretences of tenderness to Mr. Breck, you say Yet it seems they so far forgot their own Cautions, that as soon as Mr. B—k left Springfield the first time, they let the Papers from Connecticut go about the Parish, when he was not there to make any Answer for himself. In which you deal unjustly by us. Those Papers from Connecticut were lodged in Mr. Hopkins's Hands, and when the Parish had chosen a Committee to ask the Advice of the Ministers of the County, whether they should again make Application to Mr. B—k, that Committee went to Mr. Hopkins, and desired that they might have those Papers to carry them to the Ministers in the upper Part of the County (whose Advice they intended first to ask) giving this as a Reason for it, viz. That those Gentlemen had heard the Papers but once, and might be the better able to give Advice, if they had a second View of them, Mr. Hopkins therefore (after cautioning them not to make any ill Use of them) gave them the Papers, and they being Mr. Breck's Friends, he had no Suspicion that they would use them to his Damage, nor have we any Reason to think they did: It is true they kept them much longer in their Hands than was expected, and where they went we know not, but if they went about the Parish to Mr. Breck's Damage, Mr. Breck's Friends are to blame for it, and not the Ministers of the County: And we assure you that they never went about the Parish any time, except while they were in the keeping of his Friends of that Parish.