A53665:298
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,…
Animadversions on a treatise entitled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion, between papist and Protestant, Presbyterian and independent by a Protestant.Animadversions on a treatise intituled Fiat lux, or, A guide in differences of religion, between papist and Protestant, Presbyterian and independent by a Protestant.
London: printed by E. Cotes for Henry Cripps, 1662
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. XX.
Saints. SECT. 27.
From the Communion, we come to Saints; and these take up the longest Discourse of any one Subject in the Book. Our Author found it not an easy task to set this practice of his Church, in the Worship and invocating of Saints, right and straight in the minds of sober men. Several ways he turns himself in his attempt, all, as far as I can perceive, to very little purpose. In all of them, it is evident, that he is ashamed of their practice and principles in this matter; which makes his undertaking as to Protestants so much the worse, in that he invited them to feed upon that, which he himself is unwilling to taste, lest he should be poisoned. At first, he would persuade us, that they had only a respectful ⟨p. 387⟩memory and reverence for the Saints departed, such as ingenuous persons will have for any worthy Personages that have formerly ennobled their families: To this, he adds the consideration of their example, and the patterns they have set us in the ways of holiness, to persuade, and prevail with us to imitate and follow them. And with sundry Arguments, doth he dispute for his honourable esteem and imitation of the Saints departed. Herein then, it may be, lies the difference between them and Protestants; that they contend, that the true Saints are to be thus honoured and followed; Protestants are of the mind, that neither of them is to be done: True; for, Luther, Wycliffe, and especially Calvin, have intemperately opened their mouths against all the Saints; Calvin in special, against the persons renowned in the Old and New Testament, Noah, Abraham, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, Moses, &c. with a great number of others. Naughty man, what hath he said of them? It is certain in general, that he hath said, that they were all in their days sinners. Is this to be endured, that Calvin, that holy-faced man should say of such holy persons,