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Sir,
TAking offence at a passage in your Sermon at Pauls on the 8. of August last; upon the 11. of the same, I writ a Letter to you concerning it, wherein I recited the pas∣sage that was the occasion of offence, and endeavored to convince you of your mistake and error therein, by holding forth the contrary to be Truth, which I did by Scriptures and Arguments: I also instanced in several Cases, hoping thereby to bring you to the ac∣knowledgment of that Truth, and practice of that Duty, which is so cleerly held forth in Scripture; which effect had it been wrought in you, it would have become you, to have manifested it, by giving glory unto God, in the confession of it: but if the Scriptures and Arguments there laid down, have wrought no such effect, but notwithstanding all therein written, you still continue in darkness as to that Truth, adjudging your own Doctrine true, and my Position erronious, it would then have been your Duty, to have defended what you before delivered by Scriptures and Arguments (if you could have produced any) that should have been cleerer, and more prevalent for the making good of your Assertion, than those produced by me, were for the confirmation of mine; that so by comparing Scrip∣tures and Arguments on each side, the Truth might be made manifest, and apparent, which was the end I aimed at in writing to you: It being a Christians Duty, to try all things, and to hold fast that which is good: and the nobleness of the Bereans above those of Thess alonica, consited in their searching the Scriptures, whether those things, Paul him∣self delivered to them, were so: and it being likewise the duty of a Minister of the Gospel, to endeavor to give satisfaction to those, who stumble at any thing delivered by him, by answering their Objections against it. Having discharged my duty in making known un∣to you, what I took offence at, and asserting the contrary Truth, I expected from you, the discharge of yours also; but whence the neglect ariseth, I know not, neither will I take upon me to judg, as not delighting in censuring my Brother; yet considering that within three daies after the offence given, I required satisfaction, and have patiently waited three months in expectation of your Answer, and yet have received none: I cannot but let you know, that the Lord hath put such a resolution into my Spirit, for the vindication of this his wronged Truth, that in case within one months space from the date hereof, I receive no Answer from you, I shall then in discharge of my duty to the truth (as a son thereof) endea∣vor the wiping off those foul aspersions, you have publickly cast upon it, in your Sermon, by printing, and publishing to the world, the Copy of my former Letter sent you, and shall submit to the judgments of all ingenuous and disinterested Christians, whether I have held forth the Truth therein or not. Having thus expressed my thoughts and intentions to you, I commend you to God, and the Word of his Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, and shall remain,
Cornhil, Novem∣ber 11. 1652
Sir,
Yours in defence of the Truth, JOHN HINDE.