A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

What you mention of your own diligence and achievements, what you have done, where you have been, what you have seen and discoursed, I shall not trouble you about. It may be as to your souls health —Tutior, poter as esse domi. But yet for all the report that you are pleased to make of your self, it is not hard to discern that you and I —Nec pondera rerum Nec momenta sumus. And notwithstanding your Writings, it would have been very difficult for any man to have guessed at your great reading, had you not satisfied us by this your own information of it. It may be if you had spared some of the time which you have spent in the reading of your Catholic Books unto the study of the Scripture, it had not been unto your disadvantage. In the mean time there is an Hyperbole in your confidence a little too evident. For it is possible that I may, and true that I have seen more of your Authors in half an hour, then you can read I think in an hundred years; unless you intend always to give no other account of your reading, then you have done in your Fiat and Epistola: But we are weary of this [Greek or Hebrew], ⟨p. 353⟩Quin tu alium quaer as quoi centones farcias. But to pass by this boasting, there are two parts of your Discourse, the one concerning the faith, the other expressing the Charity of Roman Catholics. The first contains what respect you would be thought to have for the Scripture, the latter what you really have for all other Christians besides your selves. As to the former you tell me, that I speak of the Papists contempt of the Scripture, and desire me to abstain from it for the time to come. Whither I have used that expression anywhere of contempt of the Scripture, well I know not. But whereas I look upon you as my friend, at least for the good advice I have frequently given you, I have deserved that you should be so, and therefore shall not deny you any thing that I can reasonably grant; and whereas I cannot readily comply with you in your present request, as to the alteration of my mind in reference unto the respect that Papists bear unto the Scriptures, I esteem my self obliged to give you some account of the reasons why I persist in my former thoughts, which I hope, as is usual in such cases, you will be pleased to take in friendly part.

What you mention of your own diligence and atchievements, what you have done, where you have been, what you have seen and discoursed, I shall not trouble you about. It may be as to your souls health —Tutior, poter as esse domi. But yet for all the report that you are pleased to make of your self, it is not hard to discern that you and I —Nec pondera rerum Nec momenta sumus. And notwithstanding your Writings, it would have been very difficult for any man to have guessed at your great reading, had you not satisfied us by this your own information of it. It may be if you had spared some of the time which you have spent in the reading of your Catholick Books unto the study of the Scripture, it had not been unto your disadvantage. In the mean time there is an Hyperbole in your confidence a little too evident. For it is possable that I may, and true that I have seen more of your Authors in half an hour, then you can read I think in an hundred years; unless you intend alwayes to give no other account of your reading, then you have done in your Fiat and Epistola: But we are weary of this ,