A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

There is in the written Word a living and life-giving power and efficacy, which believers have experience of, and which I should be sorry to conclude you to be unacquainted withal. It is the power of God unto salvation, the immortal seed whereby we are begotten unto God, and the food whereby our souls are nourished. And all this, is to not only as to the [Greek or Hebrew] that which is written, but the [Greek or Hebrew] the writing, or Scripture it self, which is given by Inspiration from God. For though the things themselves written are the Will of God, and intended in the writing; yet the Writing its self being given out by inspiration, is the Word of God, and only original means of Communicating the other unto us: or the Word of God wherein his will is contained; formally so, as the other is materially. (6.) I find you are not well pleased when you are minded of the contemptuous expressions which some of your friends have used concerning the Holy Scripture; but I am now enforced to tell you that you your self have equalled in my apprehension the very worst of them, in affirming that nine parts in ten of it concerns not your particular either to know or practice. For I presume you make the instance only in your self, intending all other individual Persons no less then your self. The Apostle ⟨p. 540⟩tells us, that all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. You, that nine parts in ten of it do not concern us to know or practice; that is, not at all. He informs us, that what ever things were written afore time, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope; not above one part of ten of what is so written, if you may be believed, is useful to any such purpose. Do you consider what you say? God hath given us his whole Word for our use and benefit. Nine parts in ten of it, say you, do not concern us. Can possibly any man break forth into an higher reflection upon the Wisdom and Love of the Holy God? Or do you think you could have made a more woeful discovery of your unacquaintedness with your own duty, the nature of faith and Obedience Evangelical, then you have done in these words? You will not make thus bold with the Books that Aristotle hath left us in Philosophy, or Galen in Medicine.

There is in the written Word a living and life-giving power and efficacy, which believers have experience of, and which I should be sorry to conclude you to be unacquainted withal. It is the power of God unto salvation, the immortal seed whereby we are begotten unto God, and the food whereby our souls are nourished. And all this, is to not only as to the that which is written, but the the writing, or Scripture it self, which is given by Inspiration from God. For though the things themselves written are the Will of God, and intended in the writing; yet the Writing its self being given out by inspiration, is the Word of God, and only original means of Communicating the other unto us: or the Word of God wherein his will is contained; formally so, as the other is materially. (6.) I find you are not well pleased when you are minded of the contemptuous expressions which some of your friends have used concerning the Holy Scripture; but I am now enforced to tell you that you your self have equalled in my apprehension the very worst of them, in affirming that nine parts in ten of it concerns not your particular either to know or practice. For I presume you make the instance only in your self, intending all other individual Persons no less then your self. The Apostle