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,…

If this Revelation be made some other way, it must be by God himself, or some body else: That any other should be supposed in good earnest to do that which God cannot (though I know how some Canonists have jested about the Pope) I think will not be pleaded: If God then hath done this another way, I desire to know the true reason why he could not do it this way; namely, by the Scripture, and therefore desisted from his purpose? But it may be thought God could make a Revelation of Himself, his Mind, and Will, in and by the Scripture, yet he ⟨p. 97⟩would not do it plainly, but Obscurely: Let us then see what we mean by plainly in this business. We intend not, that every Text in Scripture is easy to be understood; nor that all the matter of it is easy to be apprehended: We know that there are things in it hard to be understood, things to exercise the minds of the best, and wisest of men unto Diligence, and when they have done their utmost, unto Reverence. But this is that we mean by plainly; The whole Will & Mind of God, with whatever is needful to be known of him, is revealed in the Scripture, without such Ambiguity or Obscurity, as should hinder the Scripture from being a Revelation of him, his Mind, and Will; to the end, that we may know him, and live unto him. To say that God would not do this, would not make such a Revelation (besides the reflection that it casts on his Goodness and Wisdom) is indeed to say, that he would not do that, which we say he would do. The truth is, all the Harangues we meet withal about the Obscurity of the Scripture, are direct Arraignments of the Wisdom and Goodness of God. And ⟨p. 98⟩if I were worthy to advise my Roman-Catholic-Countrymen, I would persuade them to desist from this Enterprise; if not in Piety, at least in Policy: For, I can assure them, as I think I have done already, that all their endeavours for the extenuation of the Worth, Excellency, Fullness, Sufficiency of the Scripture, do exceedingly confirm Protestants in the truth of their present persuasion; which they see cannot be touched, but by such horrible Applications as they detest.

If this Revelation be made some other way, it must be by God himself, or some body else: That any other should be supposed in good earnest to do that which God cannot (though I know how some Canonists have jested about the Pope) I think will not be pleaded: If God then hath done this another way, I desire to know the true reason why he could not do it this way; namely, by the Scripture, and therefore desisted from his purpose? But it may be thought God could make a Revelation of Himself, his Mind, and Will, in and by the Scripture, yet he