A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

Hence you warrant his practices suited unto these pretensions and Titles, in the deposing of Kings, transposing of Titles unto Dominion and Rule, giving away of Kingdoms, stirring up and waging mighty wars, causing and commanding them that dissent from him, or refuse to yield obedience unto him, to be destroyed with fire and sword. And who can now question but that you have very wisely stated your Succession.

Hence you warrant his practices suited unto these pretensions and Titles, in the deposing of Kings, transposing of Titles unto Dominion and Rule, giving away of Kingdoms, stirring up and waging mighty warres, causing and commanding them that dissent from him, or refuse to yield obedience unto him, to be destroyed with fire and sword. And who can now question but that you have very wisely stated your Succession.

This is the way, this the progress, whereby you pretend to bring us unto the Unity of faith. If we will submit unto the Pope, and acquiesce in his Determinations, (whereunto to induce us we have the Cogent Reasons now considered,) the work will be effected. This is the way that God hath, as you pretend, appointed to bring us unto Settlement in Religion. These things you have told us so often, and with so much Confidence, that you take it ill we should question the truth of any thing you aver in the who matter; and look upon us as very ignorant or unreasonable for our so doing. Yea he that believes it safer for him to trust the everlasting concernments of his soul unto the Goodness, Grace, and Faithfulness of God in his Word, than unto these Principles of yours, is rejected by you out of the limits of the Catholic Church, that is, of Christianity; for they are the same. To make good your judgement and censure then, you vent endless Cavils against the Authority, Perfection, and Perspicuity of the Scriptures, pretending to despise and scorn whatever is offered in their vindication. This rope of Sand, composed • false suppositions, groundless presumptions, inconsequent ⟨p. 185⟩inferences, in all which there is not one word of infallible Truth, at least that you can any way make appear so to be, is the great Bond you use to gird men withal into the Unity of Faith. In brief, you tell us that if we will all submit to the Pope, we shall be sure all to agree, But this is no more, but, as I have before told you, what every party of men in the world tender us upon the same or the like condition. It is not a mere agreement we aim at, but an agreement in the Truth; not a mere Unity, but a Unity of Faith; and Faith must be built on Principles infallible; or it will prove in the close to have been fancy not Faith; carnal imagination, not Christian belief: otherwise we may agree in Turcism, or Judaism, or Paganism, as well as in Christianity, and to as good purpose. Now what of this kind do you tender unto us?