A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

But you add, Besides what you mention, what can promote your Salvation; for say you, What further Good may it do to read the letter of St. Paul's Epistles, to the Romans for example, or Corinthians, wherein Questions, and Cases, and Theological discourses are treated, that vulgar people can neither understand, nor are at all concerned to know. And I pray you tell me ingenuously and without heat, what more of Good could accrue to any by the translated letter of a book, whereof I will be bold to say that nine parts in ten concern not my particular either to know or practice, then by the conceived substance of Gods will unto me, and my own duty towards him. Sir, I shall deal with you without any blameable heat, yet so as he deserves to be dealt withal, who will not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord. And 1. who taught you to make your apprehensions the measure of other mens faith ⟨p. 534⟩and practice? If you know not of any thing needful to promote Salvation, but what you reckon up in the usage of your Church, hinder not them that do. It is not so much your own practice, as your Imposition of it on others, that we are in the consideration of▪ Would it worth suffice you to reject as to your own interest the means appointed of God for the furtherance of our Salvation, and that you would not compel others to join with you in the refusal of them? Is it possible that a man professing himself a Divine, a Priest of the Catholic Church, an Instructor of the Ignorant, an undertaker to persuade whole Nations to relinquish the way of Religion wherein they are engaged, to follow him and his in ways that they have not known, should profess that he knows not of what use unto the promotion of the Salvation of the Souls of men the use of the whole Scripture given by inspiration of God is! Be advised not to impose these conceptions of your fancy and mind, as it seems unexercised in that heavenly treasury, on those who have [Greek or Hebrew], senses exercised therein, so as to be able to discern between good and evil. It no other reason can prevail with you, I hope experience may give you such a despair of success, as to cause you to surcease. (2.) This Vulgar people that you talk of (as the Pharisees did of them that were willing to attend unto the preaching of Christ, [Greek or Hebrew], Joh. 7.

But you add, Besides what you mention, what can promote your Salvation; for say you, What further Good may it do to read the letter of St. Paul's Epistles, to the Romans for example, or Corinthians, wherein Questions, and Cases, and Theological discourses are treated, that vulgar people can neither understand, nor are at all concerned to know. And I pray you tell me ingenuously and without heat, what more of Good could acrew to any by the translated letter of a book, whereof I will be bold to say that nine parts in ten concern not my particular either to know or practice, then by the conceived substance of Gods will unto me, and my own duty towards him. Sir, I shall deal with you without any blameable heat, yet so as he deserves to be dealt withall, who will not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. And 1. who taught you to make your apprehensions the measure of other mens faith