A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

4. Protestants believe, that it is the Duty of all men who desire to know the will of God, and to worship him according unto his mind, to use diligence in the improvement of the means appointed for that end, to come unto a right and full understanding of all things in the Scripture, wherein their faith and obedience are concerned. This necessarily follows from the Principles before laid down. Nor is it possible it should be otherwise. It is doubtless incumbent on every man to study and know his Duty; that cannot be a mans Duty which he is not bound to know, especially not such a Duty as whereon his eternal welfare should depend: And I suppose a man can take no better Course to come to the knowledge of his Duty, than that which God hath appointed for that purpose. The Commands and Exhortations which we have given us in the Scripture for our Diligence in this matter, with the Explications and improvements of them in the Writings of the Fathers, are so obvious, trite, and known, that it were mere loss of time to insist on the Repetition of them. I suppose, I should speak within compass, if I should say, that one Chrysostom doth in a hundred places exhort Christians of all sorts, to the diligent study and search of the Scriptures, and especially of the Epistles of Paul, not the most plain and easy part of them. I know, the practise of your Church lies to the contrary, and what you plead in the justification of that practise; but I am sorry both for Her and you; both for the contrivers of and consenters unto this abomination: and I fear what your account will be as to this matter, at the last day. God having granted the inestimable benefit of his Word unto mankind, revealing therein unto them ⟨p. 156⟩the only way by which they may attain unto a blessed eternity; Is it not the greatest ingratitude that any man can possibly contract the guilt of, to neglect the use of it? What then is your Condition, who, upon sleight and trivial pretences, set up your own Wisdom and Authority, against the Wisdom and Authority of God; advising and commanding men, upon the pain of your displeasure in this world, not to attend unto that which God commands them to attend unto, on pain of his displeasure in the world to come?

4. Protestants believe, that it is the Duty of all men who desire to know the will of God, and to worship him according unto his mind, to use diligence in the improvement of the means appointed for that end, to come unto a right and full understanding of all things in the Scripture, wherein their faith and obedience are concerned. This necessarily follows from the Principles before laid down. Nor is it possible it should be otherwise. It is doubtless incumbent on every man to study and know his Duty; that cannot be a mans Duty which he is not bound to know, especially not such a Duty as whereon his eternall welfare should depend: And I suppose a man can take no better Course to come to the knowledge of his Duty, than that which God hath appointed for that purpose. The Commands and Exhortations which we have given us in the Scripture for our Diligence in this matter, with the Explications and improvements of them in the Writings of the Fathers, are so obvious, trite, and known, that it were meer loss of time to insist on the Repetition of them. I suppose, I should speak within compass, if I should say, that one Chrysostome doth in a hundred places exhort Christians of all sorts, to the diligent study and search of the Scriptures, and especially of the Epistles of Paul, not the most plain and easie part of them. I know, the practise of your Church lyes to the contrary, and what you plead in the justification of that practise; but I am sorry both for Her and you; both for the contrivers of and consenters unto this abomination: and I fear what your accoun will be as to this matter, at the last day. God having granted the inestimable benefit of his Word unto mankind, revealing therein unto them