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,…

Is it not the Fundamental Principle of Protestantism, that the Scripture determines all things necessary unto Faith and Obedience, and that in that determination ought all men to acquiesce? I know few Roman-Catholics have the prudence, or the patience, to understand what Protestancy is. And certain ⟨p. 219⟩it is, that those who take up their knowledge of it, from the Discourses and Writings of such Gentlemen as our Author, know very little of it, if any thing at all: And those who do at any time get leave to read the books of Protestants, seem to be so filled with prejudices against them, and to be so biassed by corrupt affections, that they seldom come to a true apprehension of their meanings; for who so blind as he that will not see? Protestants tell them, that the Scripture contains all things necessary to be believed and practised in the Worship of God; and those proposed with that perspicuity and clearness which became the wisdom of it's Author, who intended to instruct men by it, in the knowledge of them; and in this Word and Rule, say they, are all men to rest and acquiesce. But, says our Author, why then do they not do so, why are they at such feuds and differences amongst themselves? Is this in truth his business? Is it Protestants he blames, and not Protestancy? mens miscarriages, and not their Rule's imperfection? If it be so, I crave his pardon for having troubled ⟨p. 220⟩him thus far. To defend Protestants for not answering the Principles of their Profession, is a task too hard for me to undertake, nor do I at all like the business; let him lay on blame still, until I say, Hold. It may be, we shall grow wiser, by his reviling, as Monica was cured of her intemperance, by the reproach of a Servant. But I would fain prevail with these Gentlemen, for their own sakes, Not to cast that blame which is due to us, upon the holy and perfect Word of God. We do not say, nor ever did, that who ever acknowledgeth the Scripture to be a perfect Rule, must upon necessity understand perfectly all that is contained in it; that he is presently freed from all darkness, prejudices, corrupt affections, and enabled to judge perfectly and infallibly of every truth contained in it, or deduced from it. These causes of our differences belong to individual persons, not to our common Rule:

Is it not the Fundamental Principle of Protestantism, that the Scripture determines all things necessary unto Faith and Obedience, and that in that determination ought all men to acquiess? I know few Roman-Catholicks have the prudence, or the patience, to understand what Protestancy is. And certain