A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

That which you fix upon to accept against, is towards the close of my Discourse to this purpose in these words as set down by you, pag. 40. Many things delivered us at first with the first news of Christianity, may be afterwards rejected for the love of Christ, and by the Commission of Christ. The truth of this Assertion I have newly proved again unto you, and have exemplified it in the instance of Papists bringing the first news of Christianity to any place, which is not impossible but they may do, though to this Nation they did not. I had also before confirmed it with such reasons as you judged it best to take no notice of; which is your way with things that are too hard for you to grapple withal. I must I see, drive these things through the thick obstacles of your prejudices with more instances, or you will not be sensible of them. What think you then of those who received the first news of Christianity by believers of the circumcision, who at the same time taught them the necessity of being circumcised, and of keeping Moses Law? were they not bound afterwards upon the discovery of the mistake of their teachers to retain the Gospel, and the truth thereof taught by them, and to reject the observation of Mosaical rites and observations? or were they free upon the discovery of their mistake to esteem the whole Gospel a Romance? What think you of those that were converted by Arians, which were great multitudes, and some whole Nations? were not those Nations bound for the Love of Christ, by his word, to retain their Christianity, and reject their Arianism, or must they needs account the whole ⟨p. 329⟩Gospel a fable, when they were convinced of the Error of their first teachers, denying Christ Jesus in his Divine nature to be of the same substance with his Father, or essentially God! To give you an instance that it may be will please you better; There are very many Indians in New England or elsewhere Converted unto Christianity by Protestants, without whose instruction they had never received the least rumour or report of it. Tell me your judgement; if you were now amongst them, would you not endeavour to persuade them that Christian Religion indeed was true, but that their first Instructors in it had deceived them as to many particulars of it, which you would undeceive them in, and yet keep them close to their Christianity!

That which you fix upon to accept against, is towards the close of my Discourse to this purpose in these words as set down by you, pag. 40. Many things delivered us at first with the first news of Christianity, may be afterwards rejected for the love of Christ, and by the Commission of Christ. The truth of this Assertion I have newly proved again unto you, and have exemplified it in the instance of Papists bringing the first news of Christianity to any place, which is not impossible but they may do, though to this Nation they did not. I had also before confirmed it with such reasons as you judged it best to take no notice of; which is your way with things that are too hard for you to grapple withall. I must I see, drive these things through the thick obstacles of your prejudices with more instances, or you will not be sensible of them. What think you then of those who received the first news of Christianity by believers of the circumcision, who at the same time taught them the necessity of being circumcised, and of keeping Moses Law? were they not bound afterwards upon the discovery of the mistake of their teachers to retain the Gospel, and the truth thereof taught by them, and to reject the observation of Mosaical rites and observations? or were they free upon the discovery of their mistake to esteem the whole Gospel a Romance? What think you of those that were converted by Arians, which were great multitudes, and some whole Nations? were not those Nations bound for the Love of Christ, by his word, to retain their Christianity, and reject their Arianisme, or must they needs account the whole