A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

Thirdly, You add, Your prophetic assurance so often inculcated, that if you could but once come to whisper me in the ear, I would plainly acknowledge, either that I understand not my self what I say, or if I do, believe it not, gives a fair character of these fanatic times, wherein ignorance and hypocrisy prevailed over worth and truth, whereof if your self were any part, it is no wonder you should think, that I or any man else should either speak he knows not what, or believe not what himself speaks. That is, a man must needs be as bad as you can imagine him, if he have not such an high opinion of your ability and integrity, as to believe that you have written about nothing, but what you perfectly understand, nor assert anything in the pursuit of your design and interest, but what you really and in cold blood believe to be true. All men it seems that were no part of the former dismal tempest, have this opinion of you; Credat Apella: If it be so, I confess for my part, I have no relief against being concluded to be whatever you please; Sosia or not Sosia, the Law is in your own hands, and you may condemn all that adore you not into Fanaticism at your pleasure; but as he said, Obsecro per pacem liceat te alloqui, ut ne vapulem; if you will but grant a little truce from this severity, I doubt not but in a short time to take off from your keenness, in the management of this Charge: For ⟨p. 18⟩I hope you will allow that a man may speak the truth, without being a Fanatic; truth may get hatred, I see it hath done so, but it will make no man hateful. Without looking back then to your Fiat Lux, I shall out of this very Epistle, give you to see, that you have certainly failed on the one hand, in writing about things which you do not at all understand, and therefore discourse concerning them, like a blind man about colours; and as I fear greatly also on the other; for I cannot suppose you so ignorant, as not to know that some things in your discourse, are otherwise than by you represented: Nay and we shall find you at express contradictions, which pretend what you please, I know you cannot at the same time believe. Instances of these things you will be minded of in our progress: Now I must needs be very unhappy in discoursing of them, if this be Logic and Law, that for so doing, I must be concluded a Fanatic.

Thirdly, You adde, Your prophetick assurance so often inculcated, that if you could but once come to whisper me in the ear, I would plainly acknowledge, either that I understand not my self what I say, or if I do, believe it not, gives a fair character of these fanatick times, wherein ignorance and hypocrisie prevail'd over worth and truth, whereof if your self were any part, it is no wonder you should think, that I or any man else should either speak he knows not what, or believe not what himself speaks. That is, a man must needs be as bad as you can imagine him, if he have not such an high opinion of your ability and integrity, as to believe that you have written about nothing, but what you perfectly understand, nor assert anything in the persuit of your design and interest, but what you really and in cold blood believe to be true. All men it seems that were no part of the former dismall tempest, have this opinion of you; Credat Apella: If it be so, I confess for my part, I have no relief against being concluded to be whatever you please; Sosia or not Sosia, the Law is in your own hands, and you may condemn all that adore you not into Fanaticisme at your pleasure; but as he said, Obsecro per pacem liceat te alloqui, ut ne vapulem; if you will but grant a little truce from this severity, I doubt not but in a short time to take off from your keenness, in the management of this Charge: For