" Oculis male lippus inunctis,
Cur in amiconira vitiis tam cernis acutum, Quam aut Aquila aut Serpens Epidaurius?"
[Ilor. Sat. i. 3, 25.]
Let them that are innocent throw stones at others : Roman Catholics are unfit to be employed in that work. But it was never judged either a safe or honest way to judge of any religion by the practices of some that have professed it. Men by doctrines and principles, not doctrines by men, was the trial of old. And if this be a rule to guide our thoughts in reference to any religion, — namely, the princi- ples which it avows and asserts, — I know none that can vie with the Romanists' in
' In the preface and in the conclusion to " Fiat Lux," the author quotes largely from a speech by the Earl of Clarendon, who, liaving been appointed Lord Chancellor by Charles II. during his exile, at the Restoration accompanied him in his return to London, and at once entered upon the office of Speaker in tlie House of Lords. The speech was delivered on the adjournment of Parliament in SeT>- tembcr 1600.— Ed.
PREFACE. 9
laying' foundations of, and making provision for, the disturbance of the civil peace of kingdoms and nations. For the present, unto the advantage taken by our author from our Late unnatural wars and tumults to reflect on Protestanc}', I shall only say, that if the religion of sinners be to be quitted and forsaken, I doubt that professed by the pope must be cashiered for company.
Least of all shall I oppose myself to that moderation in the pursuit of our reli- gious interests which he pretends to plead for. He that will plead against mutual forbearance in religion can be no Christian, at least no good one. Much less shall I impeach what he declaims against, — that abominable principle of disturbing the peace of kingdoms and nations, under a pretence of defending, reforming, or pro- pagating of our fiiith and opinions. But I know that neither the commendation of the former nor the decrying of the latter is the proper work of our author: for as the present principles and past practices of the men of that church and religion which he defends will not allow him to entertain such hard thoughts of the latter as he pretends unto ; so as to the former, where he has made some progress in his work, and either warmed his zeal beyond his first intendment for its discovery, or has gotten some confidence that he hath obtained a better acceptance with his reader than, at the entrance of his discourse, he could lay claim unto^ laying aside those counsels of moderation and forbearance which he had gilded over, he plainly declares that the only way of procuring peace amongst us is by the extermination of Protestancy ! For, having compared the Roman Catholic to Isaac, the proper heir of the house, and Protestants to Ishmael vexing him in his own inheritance, the only way to obtain peace, he tells us, is, " Projice ancillam cum filio suo;" — " Cast out the handmaid with her son;" that is, in the gloss of their former prac- tices, either burn them at home or send them to starve abroad. Thei"e is not the least reason, then, why I should trouble myself with his flourishes and stories, his characters of us and our neighbour nations, in reference unto moderation and for- bearance in rehgion. That is not the thing by him intended, but is only used to give a false alarm to his unwary readers, whilst he marches away with a rheto- rical persuasive unto Popery. In this it is wherein alone I shall attend his mo- tions; and if, in our passage through his other discourses, we meet with any thing lying in a direct tendency unto his main end, though pretended to be used to an- other purpose, it shall not pass without some animadversion.
Also, I shall be far from contending with our author in those things wherein his discourse excelleth, and that upon the two general reasons of will and ability. Neither could I compare with him in them if I would, nor would if I could. His quaint rhetoric, biting sarcasms, fine stories, smooth expressions of his high contempt of them with whom he has to do, with many things of that sort, the repetition of whose names hath got the reputation of incivility; are thir.gs wherein, as I cannot keep pace with him (for " illud possumus quod jure possumus"), so I have no mind to follow him..
ANIMADVERSIONS
A TREATISE ENTITLED "FIAT LUX."
CHAPTER L
Our author's preface, and his method.
It is not any disputation or rational debate about differences in religion that our author intends; nor, until towards the close of his treatise, doth he at all fix directly on any thing in controversy be- tween Romanists and Protestants. In the former parts of his dis- course his design is sometimes covered, always earned on in the way of a rhetorical declamation; so that it is not possible, and is altogether needless, to trace all the particular passages and expressions, as they lie scattered iip and down in his discourse, which he judgeth of ad- vantage unto him in the management of the Avork he has undertaken. Some suppositions there are which lie at the bottom of his whole superstructure, quickening the oratory and rhetorical part of it (un- doubtedly its best), which he chose ratlier to take for granted than to take upon himself the trouble to prove. These being drawn forth and removed, whatever he hath built upon them, with all that paint and flourish wherewith it is adorned, will of itself fall to the ground. I shall, then, first briefly discuss what he offers as to the method of his procedure, and then take this for my own, — namely, I shall draw out and examine the fundamental principles of his oration, upon whose trial the whole must stand or fall, and then pass through the severals of the whole treatise, with such animadversions as what remaineth of it may seem to require.