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,…

Suppose, Men, or a Church, entrusted by Christ authoritatively to preach the Gospel, do propagate the Faith unto others according to their duties; these, being converted by their means, do afterwards, through the craft and subtlety of seducers, fall in sundry things from the Truths they were instructed in, and wherein their Instructors do constantly abide; yea, say our Adversaries, this is the true case indeed; I ask then, in this case, What is, and ought to be, the formal Motive to prevail with these persons to return to their former condition from whence they were fallen? Either this, that they are departed from the Truth, which they cannot do, without peril to their souls, and whereunto, if they return not, they must perish; or this, that it is their duty to return to them from whom they first received the ⟨p. 51⟩Doctrine of Christianity, because they so received it from them? St. Paul, who surely, had as much authority in these matters, as either the Pope, or Church of Rome, can with any modesty lay claim unto, had to deal with very many in this case. Particularly, after he had preached the Gospel to the Galatians, and converted them to the Faith of Christ, there came in some false Teachers and Seducers amongst them, which drew them off from the Truth wherein they had been instructed, in divers important and some fundamental points of it. What course doth the Apostle proceed in, towards them? Doth he plead with them about their falling away from him that first converted them? or falling away from the Truth whereunto they were converted? If any one will take the pains to turn to any Chapter in that Epistle, he may be satisfied as to this Enquiry; it is their falling away from the Gospel, from the Truth they had received, from the Doctrine, in particular, of Faith and Justification by the blood of Christ, that alone he blamed them for: yea, and makes Doctrines so far ⟨p. 52⟩the measure and rule of judging and censuring of Persons, whether they preach the Word first or last, that he pronounceth a redoubled Anathema, against any creature in Heaven or Earth, upon a supposition of their teaching any thing contrary unto it, chap. 1.8. He pleads not, we preached first unto you, by us you were converted, and therefore with us you must abide, from whom the Faith came forth unto you; but saith, If we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel, let him be accursed.

Suppose, Men, or a Church, intrusted by Christ authoritatively to preach the Gospel, do propagate the Faith unto others according to their duties; these, being converted by their means, do afterwards, through the craft and subtilty of seducers, fall in sundry things from the Truths they were instructed in, and wherein their Instructers do constantly abide; yea, say our Adversaries, this is the true case indeed; I ask then, in this case, What is, and ought to be, the formal Motive to prevail with these persons to return to their former condition from whence they were faln? Either this, that they are departed from the Truth, which they cannot do, without peril to their souls, and whereunto, if they return not, they must perish; or this, that it is their duty to return to them from whom they first received the