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,…

A mere accommodation of the Principles of Religion to the filthy lusts and wicked lives of men, who on no other terms would resign the conduct of their souls unto them, seems to be their main design in it. On these effects of others, he that would have pondered what a wise and observing person of the same Interest with them, might apprehend of the present tempers, distempers, humours, interests, provocations, fancies, lives of them, with whom he intends to deal, could not have failed of some advantage in his conjectures at the way and manner ⟨p. 6⟩wherein he would proceed in treating of them, It is of the many, of whom we speak; on whose countenances, and in whose lives he that runs may read provocations from former miscarriages, supine negligence of spiritual and eternal concernments, ignorance of things past beyond what they can remember in their own days, sloth in the disquisition of the truth, willingness to be accommodated with a Religion pretended secure and unconcerned in present disputes, that may save them and their sins together without further trouble, delight in quaint language and Poetical strains of Eloquence, whereunto they are accustomed at the Stage, with sundry o•her inward accoutrements of mind not unlike to these. To this frame and temper of spirit, this composition of, humours; it was not improbable, but that those who should first enter into the Lists in this design, would accommodate their style and manner of procedure; Nec spe•• fefellis expectatio. The Treatise under consideration, hath fully answered what ever was of conjecture in this kind. Frequent repetitions of ⟨p. 7⟩late provocations, with the crimes of the provokers; confident and undue assertions of things past in the days of old; large promises of security temporal and eternal, to Nations and all Individuals in them; of facility in coming to perfection in Religion without more pains of teaching, learning, or fear of opposition; all interwoven with tart Sarcasms, pleasant diversions; pretty Stories of himself & others, flourished over with a smooth and handsome strain of Rhetoric, do apparently make up the bulk of our Author's discourse. Nor is the Romance of his conversion, much influenced by the tinkling of Bells, and sweeping of Churches, suited unto any other principles: