A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

I showed you also, that the Church of old that was pure, fell, not whilst it was so, but that the men who succeeded in the place, where they lived in the profession of Religion, gradually fell from the purity of that profession, which the Church at its first planting did ⟨p. 51⟩enjoy. But all that discourse you pass by, and repeat again your former Question, to which you subjoin my first Answer, which was, it was possible she might fall by an Earthquake, as did those of Coloss and Laodicea; to which you, We speak not here of any casual or natural downfall, or death of mortals, by Plague, Famine, or Earthquake, but a moral and voluntary lapse in faith. What do you speak to me of Earthquakes? It is well you do so now explain your self; your former enquiry was only in general, how or by what means she ceased to be what she had been before, as though it were impossible to assign any such; neither did I exclude the sense whereunto you now restrain your words. And had I only showed you, that it was possible she might fall, and come to nothing, and yet not by any of the ways or means by you mentioned, without proceeding unto the consideration of them also, yet your especial enquiry being resolved into this general one, from whence it is taken, how a pure flourishing Church may cease to be so, I had rendered your enquiry useless unto your present purpose, though I had not answered your intention: For certainly that which ceaseth to be, ceaseth to be pure, seeing non entis nullae sunt affectiones. The Church of the Britons in this part of the island, now called England, was once as pure a Church as ever was the Church of Rome, yet she ceased to be long since, and that neither by Apostasy, Here sie, nor Schism, but by the sword of the Saxons. And to tell you the truth, I do not think the old Church of Rome unconcerned in this instance, then especially when Rome was left desolate by Totilas, and without inhabitant; for the Church of Rome is urbis, and not as you vainly imagine, orbit Ecclesia.

I shewed you also, that the Church of old that was pure, fell, not whilest it was so, but that the men who succeeded in the place, where they lived in the profession of Religion, gradually fell from the purity of that profession, which the Church at its first planting did ⟨p. 51⟩enjoy. But all that discourse you pass by, and repeat again your former Question, to which you subjoyn my first Answer, which was, it was possible she might fall by an Earthquake, as did those of Colosse and Laodicea; to which you, We speak not here of any casuall or naturall downfall, or death of mortals, by Plague, Famine, or Earthquake, but a morall and voluntary lapse in faith. What do you speak to me of Earthquakes? It is well you do so now explain your self; your former enquiry was only in generall, how or by what means she ceased to be what she had been before, as though it were impossible to assign any such; neither did I exclude the sense whereunto you now restrain your words. And had I only shewed you, that it was possible she might fall, and come to nothing, and yet not by any of the wayes or means by you mentioned, without proceeding unto the consideration of them also, yet your especiall enquiry being resolved into this generall one, from whence it is taken, how a pure flourishing Church may cease to be so, I had rendred your enquiry useless unto your present purpose, though I had not answered your intention: For certainly that which ceaseth to be, ceaseth to be pure, seeing non entis nullae sunt affectiones. The Church of the Brittains in this part of the sland, now called England, was once as pure a Church as ever was the Church of Rome, yet she ceased to be long since, and that neither by Apostasie, Here sie, nor Schisme, but by the sword of the Saxons. And to tell you the truth, I do not think the old Church of Rome unconcerned in this instance, then especially when Rome was left desolate by Totilas, and without inhabitant; for the Church of Rome is urbis, and not as you vainly imagine, orbi Ecclesia.