" Prima est litec viltio, quod se
Judice, nemo nocens absolvitur." Juv. xiii. 2.
And I the rather mind you of your failure at this entrance of our discourse, that I may only remit your thoughts unto this stricture when the like occasion offers itself; which I fear it will do not unfre- quently. But, su-, it will be no advantage unto me or you to contend for the truth which we profess, if in the meantime we are regardless of the ol)servance of truth in our own hearts and spirits.
Two principal heads, the discourse which you premise unto the particular consideration of the " Animadversions," is reducible unto : the first whereof is your endeavour to manifest " that I understood not the desig-n and end of ' Fiat Lux,' a discourse" (as you modestly testify) "hard to deal with, and impossible to confute;" the other, your inquiry after the author of the " Animadversions," with your attempt to prove him one in such a condition as you may possibly hope to obtain more advantage from than you can do by endeavour- ing the refutation of his book. Some other occasional passages there are in it also, which, as tliey deserve, shall be considered. Unto these two general heads I shall give you at present a candid return, and leave you, when you are free from flies, to make what use of it you l^lease.
The design of " Fiat Lux" I took to be the promotion of the papal interest; and the whole of it, in the relation of its parts unto one another, and the general end aimed at in it, to be a persuasive induction unto the embracement of the present Roman faith and religion. The means insisted on for this end I conceived principally to be these: — 1. A declaration of the evils that attend differences in religion, and disputes about it ; 2. Of the good of union, peace, love, and concord among Christians; 3. Of the impossibility of obtaining this good by any other ways or means but only by an embracement of the Roman Catholic faith and profession, with a submission to the deciding power and authority of the pope or your church ; 4. A de- fence and illustration of some especial parts of the Roman religion, most commonly by Protestants excepted against. This was my mis- take; unto this mistake I acknowledge my whole discourse was suited. In the same mistake are all the persons in England that ever I heard speak any thing of that discourse, of what persuasion in reli-
186 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
gion soever they were. And Aristotle thought it worth while to remember out of Hesiod, Moral. Nicom. lib. vii., that, —
Aaod (p>if/,i^ovffiv. Hesiod. E^y. KCi) h/^.
That report which so many consent in is not altogether vain. But yet, lest this should not satisfy you, I shall mind you of one who is with you, — -zoXXuv avrd^tog aWoiv, — of as much esteem, it may be, as all the rest ; and that is yourself. You are yourself in the same mis- take : you know well enough that this was your end, this your design, these the means of your pursuing it ; and you acknowledge them im- mediately so to have been, as we shall see in the consideration of the evidence you tender to evince that mistake in me which you surmise.
First, You tell me, p. 4, " that I mistake the drift and design of ' Fiat Lux,' whilst I take that as absolutely spoken which is only said upon an hypothesis of our present condition here in England," This were a grand mistake, indeed, that I should look on any thing proposed as an expedient for the ending of differences about religion, v/ithout a supposition of differences about religion ! But how do you prove that I fell into such a mistake? I plainly and openly acknow- ledge that such differences there are; all my discourse proceeds on that supposition. I bewail the evil of them, and labour for mode- ration about them, and have long since ventured to propose my thoughts unto the world to that purpose. Ail that you suppose in yovu" discourse on this account I suppose also, yea, and grant it; un- less it be some such thing as is in controversy between you and Pro- testants, which you are somewhat frequent in the supposal of unto your advantage, and thereon would persuade them unto a relinquish- ment of Protestancy and embracement of Popery : which is the end of your book, and will be thought so, if you should deny it a thou- sand times; for "quid ego verba audiam, facta cum video?" Your protestation comes too late, when the fact hath declared your mind; neither are you now at liberty to coin new designs for your " Fiat." But this must be my mistake, which no man in his wits could pos- sibly fall into ; neither is it an evidence of any great sobriety to im- pute it to any man, whom we know not certainly to be distracted. But this mistake, you tell me, caused me " to judge and censure what you wrote as impertinent, impious, frivolous," etc. No such matter; my right apprehension of your hypothesis, end, or design, occasioned me to show that your discourses were incompetent to prevail with rational and sober persons to comply with your desires.