A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

Well Sir, without retorsion, which just indignation against this unhandsome management of a desperate Cause is ready to suggest, be pleased to take a little view of your own words once more, pag. 279. you tell us, that the Apostles and Apostolical Christians placed their Religion not in hearing, or making Sermons, FOR THEY HAD NONE, but in attending to their Christian Liturgy; and the Sermons ⟨p. 454⟩mentioned in the Acts, were made to the Jews and Pagans for their Conversion, not to any Christians at all. Could I now take any other course to confute these false and impious Assertions, then what I did in the Animadversions? I proved unto you, that Sermons were made unto Christians by the Apostles for their edification; that order is given by them for the instant preaching of the Word, in and unto the Churches unto the end of the world; and that those are by them signally commended who laboured in that work; and what can be spoken more directly to the confutation of your Assertion? You would now shroud your self under the ambiguity of that expression, the great work of their Christianity, which yet you make no use of in your Fiat. The words there from which you would get countenance unto your present evasion are these. Nowhere was ever Sermon made to formal Christians either by St. Peter or Paul or any other, as the work of their Religion that they came together for; nor did the Christians ever dream of serving God after their Conversion by any such means, but ONLY by the Eucharist or Liturgy. Here is somewhat of the work of their Religion which they came together for, nothing of the great work of their Christianity. Now that preaching was a work of their Religion that they came together for, though not the only work of it, no• only end for which they so convened, which no man ever dreamed that it was, and that the Primitive Christians did by, and in that work serve God, hath been proved unto you from the Scripture. And all Antiquity with the whole story of the Church, gives attestation to the same Truth. Sir it were far more honourable for you to renounce a false and scandalous Assertion when you are convinced that such it is, then to seek to palliate it, and to ⟨p. 455⟩secure your self by such unhandsome evasions.

Well Sir, without retorsion, which just indignation against this unhandsome management of a desperate Cause is ready to suggest, be pleased to take a little view of your own words once more, pag. 279. you tell us, that the Apostles and Apostolical Christians placed their Religion not in hearing, or making Sermons, FOR THEY HAD NONE, but in attending to their Christian Lyturgie; and the Sermons