A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

They are not like to do mischief to any, unless they are resolved aforehand to give up their faith in the things of God to the Authority of this or that Philosopher, and forego all solid rational consideration of things, to betake themselves to Sophistical canting, and the winding up of subtlety into plain non-sence; which oftentimes befalls the best of them; Whence Melchior Canus one of your selves says of some of your learned Disputes, Puderet me dicere non intelligere, si ipsi intelligerent qui tractarunt. I should be ashamed to say I did not understand them, but that they understood not themselves. Others may be entangled by them, who if they cannot untie your knots, they may break your webs, especially when they find the Conclusions, as oftentimes they are, directly contrary to Scripture, right reason, and natural sense it self. For they are the genuine off-spring of the old Sophisters whom Lucian talks of in his Menippus, or [Greek or Hebrew], and tells us that in hearing the Disputations, [Greek or Hebrew]. That, saith he, which seemed the most absurd of all, was, ⟨p. 312⟩that when they disputed of things absolutely contrary, they yet brought invincible and persuasive reasons to prove what they said: so that I durst not speak a word against him that affirmed hot and cold to be the same, although I knew well enough that the same thing could not be hot and cold at the same time. And therefore he tells us that in hearing of them, he did like a man half asleep, sometimes nod one way, and sometimes another, which is certainly the deportment of the generality of them who are conversant in the wrangles of your Schoolmen. But whatever I said of them, or your Church, is perfectly consistent with its self, and the Truth. I grant that before the Schoolmen set forth in the world, many unsound opinions were broached in, and many Superstitious practices admitted into your Church: and a great pretence raised unto a Superintendency over other Churches, which were parts of that Mass out of which your Popery is formed. But before the Schoolmen took it in hand, it was rudis indigestaque moles, an heap, not an house.

They are not like to do mischief to any, unless they are resolved aforehand to give up their faith in the things of God to the Authority of this or that Philosopher, and forego all solid rational consideration of things, to betake themselves to Sophistical canting, and the winding up of subtilty into plain non-sence; which oftentimes befalls the best of them; Whence Melchior Canus one of your selves sayes of some of your learned Disputes, Puderet me dicere non intelligere, si ipsi intelligerent qui tractarunt. I should be ashamed to say I did not understand them, but that they understood not themselves. Others may be entangled by them, who if they cannot unty your knots, they may break your webbs, especially when they find the Conclusions, as oftentimes they are, directly contrary to Scripture, right reason, and natural sense it self. For they are the genuine off-spring of the old Sophisters whom Lucian talks of in his Menippus, or , and tells us that in hearing the Disputations, . That, saith he, which seemed the most absurd of all, was,