Animadversions on a treatise entitled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion,…Animadversions on a treatise intituled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion,…

Apage nugas! What do we talk of tother-day things, when we speak of the first news of Christianity? The first planting and watering of these things, was in after-Ages, and their growing up to that consistency, wherein they may justly be called Popery, a work of many Centuries. And yet, I shall grant, that most of them got the start in the World, of that Papal Sovereignty, whence Popery is peculiarly denominated. But the first news we hear of Christianity, is in the Gospel; where there is not the least tidings of these trifles, nor was there in some Ages, that next succeeded the publication of it. If this Gentleman, give any further occasion, the particulars shall be evinced to him. For my ⟨p. 166⟩part, I know not how, nor to whom a Papist is become odious, which nextly he complains of. I can, and do love their persons, pity them in their mistakes, hate only their vices. But yet, certain it is, a Papist may be odious, that is, men may not love those parts of his Religion, from whence he is so denominated, without the least impeachment of that faith that extirpated Gentilism in the World. It is for that faith which ruined Gentilism, that we contend against Papists. Let us have that, and no more, and there is an end of all our Contests. The things we strive about, sprang up since Gentilism was buried, the most of them out of its grave, some from a deeper place, if there be a deeper place. For the practical Truths of the Papists, which he complains to be abolished, I was in good hope, he would not have mentioned them; their speculations are better then their practises, whether he intends their moral Divinity, or their agenda in Worship; I would desire this Gentleman to mention them no more, lest he hear that of them, which, I know, he is not willing ⟨p. 167⟩to do. As for the Practical Truths of the Gospel, they are maintained, and asserted in the Church of England, and by all Protestants; and about others, we are not solicitous. What tendency then, the Rejection of Popery, which had no hand in supplanting Gentilism, and which is no part of the Religion of Christ, hath to the leading of men into Atheism, is as hard to discover, as the quadrature of a Circle, or a Subterranean passage into the Indies. But he gives his reasons;

Apage nugas! What do we talk of tother-day things, when we speak of the first news of Christianity? The first planting and watering of these things, was in after-Ages, and their growing up to that consistency, wherein they may justly be called Popery, a work of many Centuries. And yet, I shall grant, that most of them got the start in the World, of that Papal Soveraignty, whence Popery is peculiarly denominated. But the first news we hear of Christianity, is in the Gospel; where there is not the least tidings of these trifles, nor was there in some Ages, that next succeeded the publication of it. If this Gentleman, give any further occasion, the particulars shall be evinced to him. For my