I suppose thou wilt marvel that I trouble myself with so wild a generation as the people called Quakers are or that I trouble thee with a few hasty lines which I wrote on such an occasion. I'll truly tell thee the cause of both: They sent me five several papers, one of them containing the queries which I answer, and others of them almost nothing but a bundle of filthy railing words. They chose out one day, when it pleased God to confine me to my chamber by sickness to come into our assembly and after morning sermon to fall a questioning the preacher, my assistant and because he avoided public disputing with them at that season, as not taking it for a profitable spending of the Lord’s Day, they call him the hireling that flieth. I find that they do so challenge and brag and triumph, if we say nothing to them, and that too many simple people expect that we should answer them, that (after an unprofitable verbal discourse with an unreasonable railing fellow) I resolved to send them this brief answer to their questions. - Summary adapted from Preface