61 ANIMADVEESIOXS ON A TREATISE
prognosticatiou of our author, calculated from the meridian of Rome. For my part, I fear not such kind of prophets. Protestant religion hath, by the blessing of God, retrieved the nation from the doors of atheism, and kept it safe almost these hundred years, notwithstand- ing the woful miscarriages of some that have professed it. Why they must now all by degrees turn atheists, I know no reason to fear, nor presume doth our author, but that he is prompted to like his conjecture by his love to his countrymen, desiring they may follow them who are so commended for their wit
But we must proceed with the improvement of this consideration. Page 11, — " If the Papist, or Roman Catholic, who first brought the news of Christ and his Christianity into the land, as all men must needs know that have eitlier heard or read of Christianity's ingress into England, or other countries and kingdoms (for we do no sooner hear news of Christianity than Popery, and its crucifixes, monas- teries, relics, sacrifice, and the like); I say, if the Papist be now become so odious, as we see he is, and if the faith he brought and maintained a thousand years together be now rent all asunder by sects and factions, which bandy all to the ruin of that mother reli- gion,— if all her practical truths, wherein chiefest piety consists, be already abandoned as erroneous, — doth not this justify the Pagan Avhom this Catholic Christian displaced to make way for his own law? And must not this be a certain way and means to introduce atheism, which naturally follows that faith once removed, even as a carcase succeeds a living body once deceased ? For, one truth de- nied, is a fair way to question another which came by the same hand ; and this, a third; till the very authority of the first revealer be at stake, which can no more defend himself than he can his law. For the same axe and instrument that cut down the branches can cut up the root too : and if his reverence, for which all the rest was believed, defend not their truth, it must needs at length utterly fail in his own ; for all the authority they had was purely from him, and he fails in them before he fails in himself, — oudh byiig." That the Pa- pists, or Roman Catholics, first brought Christ and his Christianity into this land is most untrue; and I wonder how any one that hath read any stoiy of the times that are past should so often aver what he cannot but know to be untrue. The gosjoel might have been brought into England by Romans, and yet not by Papists; for I cannot find, nor can this gentleman show, that the Romans St Paul wi'ote unto were any one of them, in any one point, Papists. But neither was it brought hither by Romans, but came immediately out of the east ; from whence also, about the same time, it came to Rome. Nor is it any jot truer that " Ave no sooner heard news of Christianity tlian Popery, with its crucifixes, monasteries, relics, sacrifice" (that is,
ENTITLED FIAT LUX. 65
the mass), ''and the like." " Apage nugas!" What! do we talk of t 'other-day things, when we speak of the first news of Christianity? The first planting and watering of these things was in after ages, and their growing up to that consistency wherein they may justly be called Popery, a work of many centuries. And yet I shall grant that most of them got the start in the world of that papal sovereignty whence Popery is peculiarly denominated. But the first news we hear of Christianity is in the gospel, Avhere there is not the least tidings of these trifles; nor was there in some ages that next succeeded the pub- lication of it. If this gentleman give any farther occasion, the par- ticulars shall be evinced to him. For my part, I know not how nor to whom a " Papist is become odious," which nextly he complains of I can and do love their persons, pity them in their mistakes, — hate only their vices. But yet, certain it is a Papist may be odious; that is, men may not love those parts of his religion from whence he is so denominated, without the least impeachment of that faith that extir- pated Gentilism in the world. It is for that faith which ruined Gen- tilism that we contend against Papists. Let us have that and no more, and there is a,n end of all our contests. The things we strive about sprang up since Gentilism was buried ; the most of them out of its grave, — some from a deeper place, if there be a deeper place. For the " practical truths of the Papists," which he complains to be abo- lished, I was in good hope he would not have mentioned them. Their speculations are better than their practices, whether he intends their moral divinity or their " agenda" in worship. I would desire this gentleman to mention them no more, lest he hear that of them which I know he is not willing to do. As for the practical truths of the gospel, they are maintained and asserted in the church of England, and by all Protestants ; and about others we are not solicitous. What tendency, then, the rejection of Popery, which had no hand in sup- planting Gentilism, and which is no part of the religion of Christ, hath to the leading of men into atheism, is as hard to discover as the quadrature of a cu'cle, or a subterranean passage into the Indies. But he gives his reasons: " If one truth be denied, a fair way is made to question another which came by the same hand ; and this, a third ; till the very authority of the first revealer be at stake, which can no more defend himself than he can his law." This first revealer I take to be the Lord Christ. He that grants a thing or doctrine to be taught and delivered by him, yet denies it to be true, doth indeed deny his authority; however, he will defend himself and his law, let men do what they please. But he that denies such a thing to be truth, because it is not revealed by him, nor consistent with what is revealed by him, doing this out of subjection of soul and conscience to his authority, is in no danger of questionmg or opposing that autho- VOL. XTV. 5