A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

Thus things went in the Church of God before your Nicene Convention. How did they succeed afterwards? did image worship presently prevail upon their determinations? or was that then the faith of the generality of the Church of Christ, which was declared by the fathers of that Convention? nothing less; no sooner was the rumour of this horrible innovation in Christian Religion spread abroad in the world, but that upon it there was a full assembly of 300. Bishops of the Western Provinces assembled at Frankfurt in Germany, wherein the superstition and folly of the Nicene Assembly was laid open, their Arguments confuted, their determinations rejected, and image worship absolutely condemned, as forbidden by the word of God, and contrary to the Ancient constant known practice of the whole Church of God.

Thus things went in the Church of God before your Nicene Convention. How did they succeed afterwards? did image worship presently prevail upon their determinations? or was that then the faith of the generality of the Church of Christ, which was declared by the fathers of that Convention? nothing less; no sooner was the rumor of this horrible innovation in Christian Religion spread abroad in the world, but that upon it there was a full assembly of 300. Bishops of the Western Provinces assembled at Franckeford in Germany, wherein the superstition and folly of the Nicene Assembly was layed open, their Arguments confuted, their determinations rejected, and image worship absolutely condemned, as forbidden by the word of God, and contrary to the Antient constant known practice of the whole Church of God.

And now Sir as I said you may begin to see what you have to do, if you intend to speak any thing to the purpose concerning your figures and Images. You must take the Decree of your Council of Trent, and the Nicene Canons therein confirmed, and ⟨p. 496⟩prove, confirm, and vindicate them from the opposition made to them by Tertullian, Arnobius, Origen, Lactantius, the Synod of Frankfurt and others of the Ancients innumerable by whom they are rejected and condemned; and yet when you have done so, if you are able so to do, your work is not one quarter at an end. You can make nothing of this business until you have confuted or burned the Scripture it self, wherein your Images making and Image worship is as fully condemned as it is possible any superstition or Idolatry should be. Your present loose discourses, whereby you endeavour to possess the minds of unwary men, that you do not do that which indeed you do every day, and which almost all the world know that you do, and which you curse others for not doing, will not with considering persons redound at all unto your advantage.