A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

(as to my knowledge, I never observed any man so hard put to it, to say somewhat, were it right or wrong) which seems to be the utmost of your design. You feign the sense of my words to be, that the Pope doth no other thing in the world but seek our good: and confute me by saying, that he hath a general solicitude for all Churches. But Sir, I said nor, be doth nothing but seek our good; but only, he seeks nothing but our good, and never did us harm. And you may quickly see how causelessly you tall into a contemplation of your accuracy in your Fi•t, and […] looseness of my expressions in the […] For although I acknowledge that […] heen written in greater haste then […] judgements of learned men might well […] as is also this return unto your Epistle, […] of them proportioned rather unto the merit of your Discourse, then that of the Cause in agitation between us; yet I cannot see that you or any […] ⟨p. 304⟩else, hath any just cause to except against this expression of my intention, which yet is the only one, that in that kind, falls under your censure. For whereas I say, that the Pope seeks nothing but our good, and that he never did us harm, would any man living but your self, understand these words any otherwise, but with reference unto them of whom I spake? that is as to us, he seeks nothing but our good, whatever he doth in the world besides. And is it not a wild interpretation, that you make of my words, whilst you suppose me to intimate, that absolutely the Pope doth nothing in the world, or hath no other business at all that he concerns himself in, but only the seeking of our good in particular? If you cannot allow the books that you read the common Civility of interpreting things indefinitely expressed in them, with the limitations that the subject matter whereof they treat requires, you had better employ your time in any thing then study, as being not able to understand many lines in any Author you shall read. Nor are such expressions to be avoided in our common discourse. If a man talking of your Fiat should say that you do nothing but seek the good of your Countrymen, would you interpret his words, as though he denied that you say Mass, and hear Confessions, or to intimate that you do nothing but write Fiats? and you know with whom lies both jus & norma loquendi.

(as to my knowledge, I never observed any man so hard put to it, to say somewhat, were it right or wrong) which seems to be the utmost of your design. You feign the sense of my words to be, that the Pope doth no other thing in the world but seek our good: and confute me by saying, that he hath a general sollicitude for all Churches. But Sir, I said nor, be doth nothing but seek our good; but only, he seks nothing but our good, and never did us harm. And you may quickly see how causelesly you tall into a contemplation of your accuracy in your Fit, and loosness of my expressions in the For although I acknowledge that heen written in greater haste then judgements of learned men might well as is also this return unto your Epistle, of them proportioned rather unto the merit of your Discourse, then that of the Cause in agitation between us; yet I cannot see that you or any