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,…

That then this sort of men would not only be angling in the lesser brooks of our troubled waters, endeavouring to inveigle wandering loose and discontented individuals, which hath been their constant employment; but also come with their nets into our open streams; was the thoughts of all men, who count themselves concerned to think of such things as these. There is scarce a forward Emissary amongst them, who cries not in such a season; An ego occasionem mihi ostentatam, tantam, tam bonam, tam optatam, tam insperatam, amitterem? What baits and tacklings they would principally make use of, was also foreknown. But the way and manner which they would fix on for the management ⟨p. 4⟩of their Design, now displayed in this Discourse, lay not, I confess, under an ordinary prospect. For, as to what course the wisdom of men will steer them, in various alterations, [Greek or Hebrew], He is no mean Prophet that can but indifferently guess. But yet there wanted not some beams of light to guide men in the exercise of their Stochastic faculty, even as to this also. That accommodation of Religion, and all its concernments unto the humours, fancies, and conversations of men, wherewith some of late have pleased themselves, and laid snares for the ruin of others, did shrewdly portend, what in this attempt of the same party we were to expect. Of this Nature is that Poetical strain of Devotion so much applauded and prevailing in our neighbour-Kingdom; whereby men, ignorant of the heavenly power of the Gospel, not only to resist, but to subdue the strongest lusts and most towering imaginations of the sons of men, do labour in soft and delicate Rhymes, to attemperate Religion unto the loose and aery fancies of Persons wholly indulging their minds ⟨p. 5⟩to vanity and pleasure. A fond attempt of men not knowing how to manage the sublime, spiritual, severe Truths of the Gospel, to the ingenerating of Faith and Devotion in the souls of sinners; but yet that which they suppose is the only way left them to prevent the keeping of Religion, and the most of the• party at a perpetual distance! So Mahomet saw it necessary to go to the Mountain, when the Mountain for all his calling would not come to him. And of the same sort is the greatest part of the Casuistical Divinity of the Jesuits.

That then this sort of men would not only be angling in the lesser brooks of our troubled waters, endeavouring to enveigle wandring loose and discontented individuals, which hath been their constant employment; but also come with their nets into our open streams; was the thoughts of all men, who count themselves concerned to think of such things as these. There is scarce a forward Emissary amongst them, who cries not in such a season; An ego occasionem mihi ostentatam, tantam, tam bonam, tam optatam, tam insperatam, amitterem? What baits and tacklings they would principally make use of, was also foreknown. But the way and manner which they would fix on for the mannagement