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,…

If one truth be denied, a fair way is made to question another, which came by the same hand, and this a third, till the very Authority of the first Revealer be at stake, which can no more defend himself then he can his Law. This first Revealer, I take to be the Lord Christ; he that grants a thing, or doctrine, to be taught and delivered by him, yet denies it to be true, doth indeed deny his Authority: However, he will defend himself and his Law, let men do what they please. But, he that denies such a thing to be truth, because it is not revealed by him, nor consistent with what is revealed by him, doing this out of subjection of soul and conscience ⟨p. 168⟩to his Authority, is in no danger of questioning or opposing that Authority. Nay, be it, that it be indeed a truth which he denies: being only denied by him, because he is persuaded, that it is not of Christ, the first Revealer, and therefore not true; there is no fear of the danger threatened. But the matter is, That all that is brought from Christ by the same hand, must be equally received. It is true, If it be brought from Christ by the same hand, it must be so; not, because by the same hand, but because from Christ; They that preached Christ, and withal, that men must be circumcised, had put men into a sad condition; if, in good sooth, they had been necessitated to embrace all that they taught; the same men teaching Christ to be the Messiah, and Circumcision to be necessary to life eternal. Amongst those that were converted to the Gospel by the Jews that were zealous of the Law, how easy had it been for their Teachers, to have utterly frustrated St. Paul's Doctrine of Christian liberty, by telling them, that they could not forgo Circumcision, but they must forgo Christ also; for, all those things they received by the ⟨p. 169⟩same hand. If, indeed, a man comes and delivers a System of Religion upon his own Authority and Reputation only, he that denies any one point of what he delivers, is in a fair way of everting all that he asserts. But if he come, as sent from another, and affirm, that this other commanded him to declare, that which he delivers for Truth in his Name, and produce for that end his Commission, wherein all the Truths that he is to deliver, are written;

If one truth be denyed, a fair way is made to question another, which came by the same hand, and this a third, till the very Authority of the first Revealer be at stake, which can no more defend himself then he can his Law. This first Revealer, I take to be the Lord Christ; he that grants a thing, or doctrine, to be taught and delivered by him, yet denyes it to be true, doth indeed deny his Authority: However, he will defend himself and his Law, let men do what they please. But, he that denyes such a thing to be truth, because it is not revealed by him, nor consistent with what is revealed by him, doing this out of subjection of soul and conscience