A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

If this be to blaspheme, then some of your own Councils, all your Historians, many of the most learned men of your Church are notorious blasphemers. But you wilfully mistake, and beg that their Schismatical Papal faction may be esteemed the innocent Catholic Church of Christ, without a Concession whereof, your inferences and persuasions are very weak and feeble.

If this be to blaspheme, then some of your own Councils, all your Historians, many of the most learned men of your Church are notorious blasphemers. But you wilfully mistake, and begg that their Schismatical Papal faction may be esteemed the innocent Catholick Church of Christ, without a Concession whereof, your inferences and perswasions are very weak and feeble.

Of the like nature unto this, is your ensuing discourse about the Contradictions which you fancied in your Fiat Lux to be imposed on Papists, pag. 77. Two things you insist upon, waving those that you had formerly mentioned, as finding them in their examination unable to yield you the advantage you thought to make of them; you feign a new contradiction, which you say is imposed on Papists. For say you, while our Kings reign in peace, then the Papist Religion is persecuted as contrary to Monarchy; when we have destroyed that Government, then is the Papist harassed, spoiled, pillaged, murdered, because their Religion is wholly addicted unto Monarchy, and Papists are all for Kings; These are Contradictions; is there not somewhat of the power of darkness in this? But you again mistake, and that I fear because you will do so; There was no Persecution of Papists in this Land at any time, but what was in pursuit of some Laws that were made against them. Now not one of those Laws intimate any such thing, as that they were opposite unto Monarchy, but rather their ⟨p. 450⟩design to promote a double Monarchy on different accounts in this Nation, the one of the Pope, and the other of him to whom the Kingdom was given by the Pope, and who for many years in vain attempted to possess himself of it. And on that account were you charged with an opposition to our Monarchs, but not unto Monarchy it self. And yet I must say, that if what hath been before discoursed of your faith and persuasion concerning the Papal Sovereignty be well considered, it will be found that if not your Religion, yet the Principles of some of the chief Professors of it, do carry in their womb a great impeachment of Imperial Power. Nor can I gather, that in the times of our Confusion you suffered as Papists for your friendship and love to Monarchy, whatever some individual Persons amongst you might do: Seeing some of you would have been contented with its everlasting Seclusion, so that your interest in the land might have been secured. And whether your Popes themselves be not of that mind, I leave to all men to judge, who know how much they are wont to prefer their own interest before the rights of other men. In the mean time you may take notice, that whilst men are owned to pursue one certain End, they may at several times fix on mediums for the compassing of it, opposite and contrary one to another.