A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

Who could imagine, that a man of so much piety, and mortification, as in your Fiat you profess your self to be, should have so little regard unto common honesty, and civility, which are shrewdly entrenched upon by such uncharitable surmises? I suppose you know that the Apostle reckons, [Greek or Hebrew], whereof you have undertaken the management of one, amongst the things ⟨p. 12⟩that are contrary to the Doctrine, that is according unto godliness; otherwise suspicion is in your own power; nor can any man hinder you from surmising what you please. This he knew in Plautus, who cried, Ne admittam culpam ego meo sum promus pectori, Suspicio est in pectore alieno sita. Nam nune ego te si surripnisse suspicer, Jovi coronam de capite è Capitolio, Quod in culmine astat summo, si non id feceris, Atque id tamen mihi lubeat suspicarier, Qui tu id prohibere me potes ne suspicer? And I know that concerning all your dispute and arguings in these Pages, you may say what Lucian doth about his true Story, [Greek or Hebrew]. You write about the things, which have neither been seen, nor suffered, heard, nor much enquired after; such is the force of faction, and sweetness of revenge in carnal minds. To deliver you if it may be from the like miscarriages for the future, let me inform you, that the Author of the Animadversions, is a Person, who never had a hand in, nor gave consent unto the raising of any War in these Nations, nor unto any political alteration in them, no nor to any one that was amongst us during our Revolutions; but he acknowledgeth that he lived and acted under then, the things wherein he thought his duty consisted, and challengeth all men to charge him with doing the least personal injury unto any, professing himself ready to give satisfaction to any one, that can justly claim it. Therefore as unto the public affairs in this Nation, he is amongst them who bless God and the King for the Act of Oblivion, and that because ⟨p. 13⟩he supposeth, that all the Inhabitants of the Kingdom which lived in it, when his Majesty was driven out of it, have cause so to do, which some Priests and Friars have, and that in reference unto such actings, as he would scorn for the saving of his life, to give the least countenance unto, among whom it is not unlikely that you might be one, which yet he will not aver, nor give Reasons to prove it, because he doth not know it so to be.

Who could imagine, that a man of so much piety, and mortification, as in your Fiat you profess your self to be, should have so little regard unto common honesty, and civillity, which are shrewdly entrenched upon by such uncharitable surmizes? I suppose you know that the Apostle reckons, , whereof you have undertaken the management of one, amongst the things