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,…

Let us view the arguments, wherewith, first the general custom of the Western Empire, in keeping the Mass and Bible in an unknown tongue, is pleaded. But, What is a general Custom of the Western Empire, in opposition to the command of God, and the evidence of all that reason that lies against it? Have we not an express Command, not to follow a multitude to do evil? Besides, ⟨p. 328⟩What is, or ever was, the Western Empire unto the Catholicism of the Church of Christ, spread over the whole world? Within an hundred years after Christ, the Gospel was spread to Nations, and in places, whither the Roman power never extended it self, Romanis inaccessa loca; much less that branch of it, which he calls the Western Empire? But neither yet was it the custom of the Western Empire, to keep the Bible in an unknown Tongue, or to perform the worship of the Church in such a Language. Whilst the Latin Tongue was only used by them, it was generally used in other things, and was the vulgar Tongue of all the Nations belonging unto it. Little was there remaining of those Tongues in use, that were the Languages of the Provinces of it, before they became so. So that though they had their Bible in the Latin Tongue, they had it not in an unknown; no more than the Grecians had, who used it in Greek. And when any people received the Faith of Christ, who had not before received the Language of the Romans, good men translated the Bible into their own; as Hierom ⟨p. 329⟩did for the Dalmatians. Whatever then may be said of the Latin, there is no pretence of the use of an unknown Tongue, in the worship of the Church in the Western Empire, until it was overrun, destroyed, and broken in pieces by the Northern Nations, and possessed by them, (most of them Pagans) who brought in several distinct Languages into the Provinces, where they seated themselves. After those tumults ceased, and the Conquerors began to take up the Religion of the people, into whose Countries they were come, still retaining with some mixtures, their old Dialect; that the Scripture was not in all places (for in many it was) translated for their use, was the sin and negligence of some, who had other faults besides.

Let us view the arguments, wherewith, first the general custome of the Western Empire, in keeping the Mass and Bible in an unknown tongue, is pleaded. But, What is a general Custome of the Western Empire, in opposition to the command of God, and the evidence of all that reason that lies against it? Have we not an express Command, not to follow a multitude to do evill? Besides,