A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

first to question, sleight, and sophistically except ⟨p. 138⟩against the old approved Arguments, and Evidences manifesting the being and existence of a Divine self-subsisting Power, substituting in their room, for the confirmation of it, his own Sophisms, which himself knew might be easily discussed and disproved? Do you deal any better with us in decrying the Scripture's self-evidencing Efficacy, with the Testimony given unto it by God himself, substituting nothing in the room thereof but the Authority of your Church? A man certainly can take up nothing upon the sole Authority of your Church, until, contrary to the pretensions, Reasons, and Arguments of far a greater number of Christians than your selves, he acknowledge you to be a true Church at least; if not the only Church in the world. Now, how I pray will you bring him into that state and condition that he may rationally make any such judgement? How will you prove unto him that there is any such thing as a Church in the World; that a Church hath any Authority, that its Testimony can make any thing credible, or meet to be believed, You must prove these things to him, or whatever assent he gives unto what you say, is from fanatical credulity. To suppose that he should believe you upon your word, because you are the Church, is to suppose that he believes that, which you are yet but attempting to induce him to believe. If you persist to press him without other proof, not only to believe what you first said unto him, but also even this, that whatever you shall say to him hereafter that he must believe it, because you say it; Will not any rational man nauseate at your unreasonable importunity? and tell you that men who have a mind to be befooled, may mere with such Alchemistical pretenders all the world over. Will you persuade him that you are the ⟨p. 139⟩Church, and that the Church is furnished with the Authority mentioned, by rational Arguments? I wish you would inform me of any one that you can make use of, that doth not include a Supposition of something unproved by you, and which can never be proved but by your own Authority, which is the thing in Question, or the immediate Authority of God which you reject.

first to question, sleight, and sophistically except ⟨p. 138⟩against the old approved Arguments, and Evidences manifesting the beeing and existence of a Divine selfsubsisting Power, substituting in their room, for the confirmation of it, his own Sophisms, which himself knew might be easily discussed and disproved? Do you deal any better with us in decrying the Scripture's self-evidencing Efficacy, with the Testimony given unto it by God himself, substituting nothing in the room thereof but the Authority of your Church? A man certainly can take up nothing upon the sole Authority of your Church, untill, contrary to the pretensions, Reasons, and Arguments of far a greater number of Christians than your selves, he acknowledge you to be a true Church at least; if not the only Church in the world. Now, how I pray will you bring him into that state and condition that he may rationally make any such judgement? How will you prove unto him that there is any such thing as a Church in the World; that a Church hath any Authority, that its Testimony can make any thing credible, or meet to be believed, You must prove these things to him, or whatever assent he gives unto what you say, is from fanaticall credulity. To suppose that he should believe you upon your word, because you are the Church, is to suppose that he believes that, which you are yet but attempting to induce him to believe. If you persist to press him without other proof, not only to believe what you first said unto him, but also even this, that whatever you shall say to him hereafter that he must believe it, because you say it; Will not any rationall man nauseate at your unreasonable importunity? and tell you that men who have a mind to be befooled, may meer with such Alchymisticall pretenders all the world over. Will you perswade him that you are the