A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

And thus I have once more given you an Answer to your enquiry, how your Church fell; namely, that she hath done so by all the ways and means, by which it is possible for a Church to fall. She failed under the just hand of God, when the persons of that Urbick Church were extirpated, partly by others, but totally by Totilas; as the British Church in England fell by the sword of the Saxons. She hath fallen by Idolatry, and corruption of life, as did the Church of the Jews before the Captivity. She hath fallen by her relinquishment of the written Word, as the only rule of faith and worship, and by adhering to the uncertain traditions of men, as did the Church of the Jews after their return from captivity. She hath fallen by Apostasy, in forsaking the profession of many important truths of the Gospel, as the Church of the Galatians did for a season, in their relinquishment of the doctrine of Justification by ⟨p. 68⟩grace alone. She hath fallen by Heresy, in coining new Articles of faith, and imposing them on the consciences of the Disciples of Christ, as the Montanists did with their new Paraclete, and rigid observances. She hath fallen by Schism in her self, as the Judaical Church did when divided into Essenes, Sadducees, and Pharisees: setting up Pope against Pope, and Council against Council, continuing in her intestine broils for some ages together; and from all others, by the wretched Principle, but-now avowed by you, as the Donatists did of old. She hath fallen by Ambition, in the Hildebrandine Principle, asserting a Sovereignty in the Pope over the Kings and Potentates of the earth, whereof I can give you no precedent instance, unless it be of him, who claimed the Kingdoms of the world to be his own, and boasted that he disposed of them at his pleasure, Mat. 4. And now I hope you will not take it in ill part, that I have given you a plain Answer unto your Question, which, as I suppose, was proposed unto us for that end and purpose.

And thus I have once more given you an Answer to your enquiry, how your Church fell; namely, that she hath done so by all the wayes and means, by which it is possible for a Church to fall. She failed under the just hand of God, when the persons of that Vrbick Church were extirpated, partly by others, but totally by Totilas; as the Brittish Church in England fell by the sword of the Saxons. She hath fallen by Idolatry, and corruption of life, as did the Church of the Jews before the Captivity. She hath fallen by her relinquishment of the written Word, as the only rule of faith and worship, and by adhering to the uncertain traditions of men, as did the Church of the Jews after their return from captivity. She hath fallen by Apostasie, in forsaking the profession of many important truths of the Gospel, as the Church of the Galatians did for a season, in their relinquishment of the doctrine of Justification by