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,…

Some few of them Arians, the most Pagans, and poured them out upon the Western Empire, to the utter ruin of it, and the Division of the Provinces amongst themselves. After a while, these fierce, cruel and barbarous Nations, having executed the Judgments of God against the ungodliness of men, seating themselves in the warmer Climates of those whom they had in part subdued, in part extirpated, as is the manner of all persons in transmigration from one Country to another, began to unlearn their ancient Barbarism, and to incline to the Manners, Fashions, and Religion of the people, to whom they were come, and with whom after their heats were over and lusts ⟨p. 256⟩satisfied, they began to incorporate and coalesce; Together, I say, with their manners, they took up by various ways and means the Religion which they did profess. And the Bishop of Rome having kept his outward Station in that famous City during all those turmoils, becoming venerable unto them, unto him were many Applications made, and his Authority was first signally advanced by this new race of Christians. The Religion they thus took up, was not a little degenerated from its Primitive Apostolical purity and splendour. And they were among the first, who felt the effects of their former barbarous inhumanity, in their sedulous endeavour to destroy all Books and Learning out of the World, which brought that darkness upon mankind▪ wherewith they wrestled for many succeeding generations. For having themselves made an intercision of the current and progress of studies and learning, they were forced to make use in their entertainment of Christianity, of men meanly skilled in the knowledge of God or themselves, who some of them, knew little more of the Gospel, then what they ⟨p. 257⟩had learned in the outward observances and practises of the places where they had been educated. Towards the beginning of this hurry of the world, this shuffling of the Nations, was the Province of Britain, not long before, exhausted of it stores of Men and Arms, and defeated by the Romans, invaded by the Saxons, Picts, Angles, and others out of Germany, who accomplishing the will of God, extirpated the greatest part of the British Nation, and drove the remainders of them to shelter themselves in the Western Mountainous parts of this Island. These new Inhabitants after they were somewhat civilized▪ by the Vicinity of the Provincials;