Yet, although there had been this ostensible reconciliation, those who have appreciated the sensitiveness to sin, of him whom Dr. Eliot calls the patriarch and his son, must already feel certain they were incapable of letting Colman’s impiety pass unrebuked; indeed, the Diary says the “faithful antidote” was at that moment in the press, and it was not long before it was published, sanctified by their prayers. The patriarch began by telling how he was defending the “cause of Christ and of his churches in New England,” and “if we espouse such principles... we then give away the whole Congregational cause at once.” [Footnote: _Order of the Gospel_, pp. 8, 9.] He assured his hearers that a “wandering Levite” like Colman was no more a pastor than he who “has no children is a father,” [Footnote: _Idem_, p. 102.] he was shocked at the abandonment of the relation of experiences, and was so scandalized at reading the Bible without comment he could only describe it as “dumb.” In a word, there was nothing the new congregation had done which was not displeasing to the Lord; but if they had offended in one particular more than another it was in establishing a man in “the pastoral office without the approbation of neighbouring churches or elders.” [Footnote: _Idem_, p. 8.] To this solemn admonition Colman and William Brattle had the irreverence to prepare a reply smacking of levity; nevertheless, they began with a grave and noble definition of their principles. “The liberties and privileges which our Lord Jesus Christ has given to his church ... consist ... in ... that our consciences be not imposed on by men or their traditions.” “We are reflected on as casting dishonour on our parents, & their pious design in the first settlement of this land.... Some have made this the great design, to be freed from the impositions of men in the worship of God.... In this we are risen up to make good their grounds.” [Footnote: _Gospel Order Revived_, Epistle Dedicatory.] They then went on to expose the abuse of public relations of experiences: “But this is the misery, the more meek and fearful are hereby kept out of God’s house, while the more conceited and presumptuous never boggle at this, or anything else. But it seems there is a gross corruption of this laudable practice which the author does well to censure; and that is, when some, who have no good intention of their own, get others to devise a relation for them.” [Footnote: _Idem_, p. 9.] They even dared to intimate that it did not savor of modesty for the patriarch “to think any one of his sermons, or short comments, can edifie more than the reading of twenty chapters.” [Footnote: _Idem_, p. 15.] And then they added some sentences, which were afterward declared by the venerable victim to be as scurrilous as other portions of the pamphlet were profane.