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,…

In my dealing with him, I shall not make it my business to defend the several Parties, whereinto the men of his contest are distributed by our Author as such; not all, not any of them. It is the common Protestant Cause which, in and by all of them, he seeks to oppose so far as they are interested and ⟨p. 11⟩concerned therein; they fall all of them within the bounds of our present Defensative. Wherein they differ one from another, or any, or all of them do, or may, swerve from the common Principles of the Protestant Religion; I have nothing to do with them in this business: And if any be so far addicted to their Parties, wherein, it may be, they are in the wrong, as to choose rather not to be vindicated and pleaded for, in that wherein with others I know they are in the right, than to be joined in the same plea with them from whom in part they differ, I cannot help it. I pretend not their Commission for what I do; and they may, when they please, disclaim my appearance for them. I suppose, by this course, I shall please very few, and, I am sure, I shall displease some, if not many: I aim at neither, but to profit all. I have sundry reasons for not owning or avowing particularly any Party in this Discourse, so as to judge the rest, wherewith I am not bound to acquaint the World. One of them I shall, and, I hope, it is such an one, as may suffice ingenious and impartial men, ⟨p. 12⟩and thereunto some others may be added. The Gentleman whose Discourse I have undertaken the consideration of, was pleased to front and close it, with a part of a Speech of my Lord Chancellor's; and his placing of it manifests how he uses it. He salutes it in his Entrance, and takes his leave also of it, never regarding its intendment, until coming to the close of his Treatise, to his Salve in the beginning, he adds an aeternùm Vale. That the mention of such an excellent Discourse, the best part in both our Books, might not be lost, I have suited my Plea and Defensative of Protestantism, to the spirit and principles and excellent ratiocinations of it; behind that Shield I lay the manner of my Proceeding, where, if it be not safe, I care not what becomes of it. Besides, it is not for what the men of his Title-page are differenced amongst themselves, that our Author blames them, but for what he thinks they agree in too well, in reference to the Church of Rome;

In my dealing with him, I shall not make it my business to defend the several Parties, whereinto the men of his contest are distributed by our Author as such; not all, not any of them. It is the common Protestant Cause which, in and by all of them, he seeks to oppose so far as they are interested and