“But while I am acknowledging your unexpected goodness to my friend, permit me, sir, to inquire into the reason of your unexpected conduct towards myself in so different a manner. It is true I live much in the country, but I am not unacquainted with what passes in town. I would now look no further backward than your letter to the Board at Lime Street, about six months ago, where I was present. I cannot imagine, sir, what occasion I had given to such sort of censures as you pass upon me there among others, which you are pleased to cast upon our worthy brethren; nor can I think how a more pious and Christian return could have been made by that Board at that time than to vote a silence and burial of all past contests, and even of this last letter of yours, and to desire your company amongst us as in times past. I had designed, sir, to have never taken any further notice of this letter, if I had not been abundantly informed that your conduct since is of the same kind, and that you have persisted in your public reflections on many of my writings in such a manner as makes it sufficiently appear that you design reproach to the man, as much as to show your zeal against his supposed errors. The particular instances of this kind I need not rehearse to you; yourself are best acquainted with them. And yet, after all this, I had been silent still; but as I acknowledge God and seek Him in all my ways, so I am convinced it is my duty to give you a private admonition, and, as a brother, I intreat you to consider whether all this wrath of man can work the righteousness of God? Let me intreat you, sir, to ask yourself what degrees of passion and personal resentment may join and mingle themselves with your supposed zeal for the Gospel? Jesus, the searcher of hearts, He knows with what daily labour and study, and with what constant addresses to the throne of grace, I seek to support the doctrine of His Deity as well as you, and to defend it in the best manner I am capable of. And shall I tell you also, sir, that it was your urgent request, among many others, that engaged me so much further in this study than I at first intended. If I am fallen into mistakes, your private and friendly notice had done much more toward the correction of them than public reproaches. I am not conscious to myself that either my former or latter conduct towards you has merited such indignities as these; nor can I think that our blessed Lord, who has given you so rich a furniture of imagination, and such sprightly talents for public service, will approve such employment of them in the personal disgrace of your brethren that own the same faith, that preach the same Saviour, and attempt to spread abroad the same doctrines of salvation.