A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

I have my self known some eminent members of that Church in England, two especially; one many years ago called Conopius, who if I mistake not, upon ⟨p. 552⟩his return obtained the honour of a Patriarchate, being sent hither by the then Patriarch of Constantinople; the other not many years ago, called Anastatius Comnenus Archimandrite as his Testimonials be spake him, of a Monastery on Mount Sinai. Both these I am sure made it their business to inveigh against your Church & practices, having the Arguments of Nilus against your Supremacy at their fingers ends. And if the Greek Church and you are so well agreed as you pretend, why do you censure them as Heretics and Schismatics, and receive only some few of them who are runagates from their own Tents? What may those whom you proclaim to be your enemies expect from you, when you deal thus severely with those whom you give out to be your friends? But as for this matter, of the Scripture, and prayers in an unknown tongue, though they transgress not with so high an hand as you do, the old Greeks being not so absolutely remote from the present vulgar, as the Latin is from our English, and the Languages of diverse other Nations whom you compel to your Church Service in that tongue, and besides they have the Scripture translated into their present vulgar tongue, for the use of private persons; yet we approve not their practice, but look upon it as a great means of continuing, that ignorance and darkness which is unquestionably spread over the major part of that Church: which in some places as in Russia is to such a degree, as to dispose the people unto Barbarism. We know also that herein they are gone off from the constant and Catholic usage of their forefathers, who for some Centuries of years from the days of the Apostles themselves, who planted Churches amongst them, both had the Bible in their own vulgar Tongue, and made no use of any ⟨p. 553⟩other in the public Service of their Assemblies. And that their example in your present degenerate condition, which in some things you as little approve of as we do in others, should have any great power upon us, I know as yet little reason to judge.

I have my self known some eminent members of that Church in England, two especially; one many years ago called Conopius, who if I mistake not, upon ⟨p. 552⟩