A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

That I may unfold the sacred senses which lye hid in the too severe writings (of the Scripture) and kindly give me under thy goodness to enter the walls of the heavenly Countries. I suppose it cannot be doubted whence the pattern of this Conciliary Prayer was taken; it is but an imitation of Phoebe, Sylvarúmque potens Diana Lucidum Coeli decus, O colendi Semper & culti, date quae precamur tempore sacro. ⟨p. 59⟩Alme Sol curru nitido diem qui Promis & celas aliusque & idem Nasceris, possis nihil urbe Roma visor majus. Rite maturos aperire partus Lenis Itithia, tuere matres Sive tu Lucina probas vocari seu Genitalis Diva. And if this be not plainly to place her in the Throne of God I know not what can be imagined so to do. Your worship of Angels and of Saints is of the same importance, concerning whom you do well to entitle your Paragraph Hero's; your Doctrine and Practice concerning them, being the very same with those of the ancient Heathen, in reference unto their Daemons and Hero's. So your own Learned Vives confesseth of many of you; in August. de Civit. Dei, lib. 28. cap. ult. Multi Christiani, saith he, Divos Divasque non aliter venerantur quam Deum; nes video in multis quod sit discrimen inter eorum opinionem de Sanctis, & id quod Gentiles, putabant de suis Diss. Many Christians worship he and she Saints, no otherwise than they do God; neither do I see in many things what difference there is between their opinion concerning the Saints, and that which the Heathen thought of their Gods. And it is known what Polidore Virgil before him affirmed to the same purpose: Your Idolatry in the worship of Images of all sorts shall be afterwards declared. Be then this a single or mixed misdemeanour it matters not, a misdemeanour it is, whereby we affirm that the Roman Church is fallen from its pristine purity. And this we think is a full answer unto your enquiry. We need not, you cannot compel us to go one step farther. But our way ⟨p. 60⟩is plain and invites us. I shall therefore proceed to let you see once again that she is fallen by all the ways you thought meet to confine your enquiry unto.

That I may unfold the sacred senses which lye hid in the too severe writings (of the Scripture) and kindly give me under thy goodness to enter the walls of the heavenly Countreys. I suppose it cannot be doubted whence the pattern of this Conciliary Prayer was taken; it is but an imitation of Phaebe, Sylvarúmque potens Diana Lucidum Coeli decus, O colendi Semper & culti, date quae precamur tempore sacro.