miNCETON. N. J. A
TH-Ji
WORKS
JOHN OWEN, D.
VICErCHAMCELLOR OF OXFORD, AND DEAN OF CHRIST CHURCH, DURING THE COMMONWEALTH;
NOW FIRST COLLECTED.
EDITED
BY THOMAS RUSSELL, M.A.
VOL. VIII.
CONTAINING
VlNDlCIiE EVANGELIC^ : OR, THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED.
LONDON :
PRINTED BY J. F. DOVE, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE;
FOR RICHARD BAYNES, 28, PATERNOSTER ROW:
And sold by J. Parker, Oxford ; Deighton and Sons, Cambridge ; D. Brown, Waugb and Innes, and H. S. Baynes and Co,, Edinburgh ; Chalmers and Collins, and M. Ogle, Glasgow; M. Keenc, and R. M. Tims, Dublin.
1823.
CONTENTS
THE EIGHTH VOLUME.
VINDICIffi EVANGELIC^: OR, THE MySTERY OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED,
AND SOCINIANISM EXAMINED.
Page
The Epistle Dedicatory • 4
The Preface to the Reader - 15
Mr. Biddle's Preface to his Catechism 83
Mr. Biddle's Preface briefly examined 89
CHAP. I. Mr. B.'s first chapter examined. Of the Scriptures 131
CHAP. II. Of the nature of God 132
CHAP. III. Of the shape and bodily visible figure of God 148
CHAP. IV.
Of the attribution of passions, and aflfections, anger, fear, repentance unto God: in what sense it is done in the Scripture • • • 159
CHAP. V. Of God's prescience or foreknowledge • 168
CHAP. VI. Of the creation and condition of man, before and after the fall 199
CHAP. VII. Of the person of Jesus Christ, and on what account he is the Son of God • • • • 236
CHAP. VIII.
An entrance into the examination of the Racovian catechism, in the business of the Deity of Christ ; their arguments against it answered : and testimo- nies of the eternity of Christ vindicated = 281
ir CONTENTS.
CHAP. IX.
Page
The pre-eternity of Christ farther evinced. Sundry texts of Scripture vindi- 320 cated »
CHAP. X.
Of the names of God given unto Christ 336
CHAP. XI.
Of the work of Creation assigned to Jesus Christ, &c. The confirmation of his eternal Deity from thence 356
CHAP. XII.
All-ruling and disposing Providence assigned unto Christ, and his eternal God- head thence farther confirmed, with other testimonies thereof 373
CHAP. XIII. Of the incarnation of Christ, and his pre-existence thereunto 379
CHAP. XIV. Sundry other testuDonieB, given to the Deity of Christ, vindicated 406
CHAP. XV. Of the Holy Ghost, his Deity, graces, and operations 442
CHAP. XVI. Of salvation by Christ 457
CHAP. XVII. Of the mediation of Christ 459
CHAP. XVIII. Of Christ's prophetical office • . • • • " 461
CHAP. XIX.
Of the kingly office of Jesus Christ, and of the worship that is ascribed and due to him ^ 490
VINDICIiE EVANGELICiE .
OR, THE
MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL VINDICATED,
AND
SOCINIANISM EXAMINED,
CONSIDERATION AND CONFUTATION OF A CATECHISM, CALLED A SCRIPTURE CATECHISM, WRITTEN BY J. BIDDLE. M. A.
AND THE
CATECHISM OF VALENTIUS SMALCIUS, COMMONLY CALLED THE RACOVIAN CATECHISM:
THE VINDICATION OF THE TESTIMONIES OF SCRIPTURE, CONCERNING
THE DEITY AND SATISFACTION OF JESUS CHRIST, FROM THE
PERVERSE EXPOSITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS
OF THEM, BY HUGO GROTIUS, IN HIS
ANNOTATIONS ON THE BIBLE:
ALSO
AN APPENDIX, IN VINDICATION OF SOME THINGS FORMERLY
WRITTEN ABOUT THE DEATH OF CHRIST, AND THE
FRUITS THEREOF, FROM THE ANIMADVERSIONS
OF MR. R. E.
MdSe EjUoi TW Tcivra. XlyovTi a-rtyZq TTia-TEua'tjf, lav tav asro^d^iv tZv KarayylXKofiivw am SBioovixh Xa|3_ij ypa<()i». — Cjril. Hieros. Catech. 4.
VOL. VIIl.
TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE
COUNCIL OF STATE;
TO
HIS HIGHNESS,
THE ENSUING
VINDICATION
OF THE
GLORY AND DOCTRINE OF THE GREAT GOD,
AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST,
WRITTEN UPON THEIR COMMAND,
IS HUMBLY DEDICATED,
BT
y
ITS UNWORTHY AUTHOR,
J. o.
TO TfiE niciiT wonsiiirruL HIS REVEREND, LEARNED, AND WORTHY FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,
THE HEADS AND GOVERNORS OF THE COLLEGES AND HALLS,
ALL OTHER STUDENTS IN DIVINITY, OR OF THE TRUTH WHICH IS AFTER GODLINESS,
IN THE
FAMOUS UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.
Of this second address unto you in this kind, where- unto I am encouraged by your fair and candid re- ception of my former, I desire you would be pleased to take the ensuing account. It is now, as I re- member, about a year ago, since one Mr. Biddle (formerly a master of arts of this university, by which title he still owns himself) published two little catechisms, as he calls them ; wherein, under sundry specious pleas and pretences (which you will find discussed in the ensuing treatise), he endeavours to insinuate subtilelyinto the minds of unstable and un- learned men, the whole substance of the Socinian religion. The man is a person, whom, to my know- ledge, I never saw ; nor have been at all curious to inquire after the place of his habitation, or course of his life. His opposition some years since to the Deity of the Holy Ghost, and now to that of the Fa- ther and Son also, is all that he is known to me by. It is not with his person that I have any contest ; he stands or falls to his own master. His arguments against the Deity of the Holy Ghost, were some- while since answered by Cloppenburgh, then profes- sor of divinity at Franeker, in Friesland, since at rest in the Lord ; and, as I have heard, by one in Eng- lish. His catechisms also are gone over the seas,
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. V
whereof farther mention must afterward be made. At their first publishing, complaint being given in by some worthy persons to the honourable counsel against them, as abusive to the majesty and autho- rity of the word of God, and destructive to many important truths of the gospel (which was done without any knowledge of mine), they were pleased to send forme, and to require of me the performance of that work, which is here presented unto you. Be- ing surprised with their request, I laboured to ex- cuse myself to the utmost, on the account of my many employments in the university and elsewhere, with other reasons of the like nature, which to my thoughts did then occur. Not prevailing with them, they persisting in their command, I looked on it as a call from God to plead for his violated truth, which by his assistance, and according as I had opportu- nity, I was in general alway resolved to do. Having, indeed, but newly taken off my hand from the plough of a peculiar controversy, about the perseverance of the saints, in the following whereof I was somewhat tired, the entrance into the work was irksome and burdensome unto me ; after some progress made, finding, the searching into, and discussing of the important truths opposed, of very good use to my- self, I have been carried through the whole (accord- ing as I could break off my daily pressing occasions to attend unto it) with much cheerfulness and alac- rity of mind. And this was the reason, why, find- ing Mr. B. came short of giving a fair occasion to the full vindication of many heads of religion by him oppugned, I have called in to his assistance and so- ciety one of his great masters, namely, Valentinus Smalcius, and his catechism (commonly called the Racovian), with the expositions of the places of Scripture contended about by the learned Grotius,
vi THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
as also on several occasions, the arguments and an- swers of most of the chief propiigners of Mr. B/s religion. Now, besides your interest in the truths pleaded for, there are other considerations also, in- ducing me to a persuasion, that this endeavour of mine will not be unacceptable unto you. Mr. B.'s catechism, I said, being carried over and dispersed in sundry places of the united provinces, the professors of their academies (who have all generally learned the Enolish tono-ue, to enable them for the understand- ino- of the treatises of divinity in all kinds written therein, which they begin to make use of to the purpose) cry out against them, and professedly un- dertake the refutation thereof. Now certainly it cannot be for our advantage in point of repute amongst them, that they (who are yet glad of the occasion) should be enforced to undertake the con- futation of a book, written by one who stiles him- self a master of arts of this university (which they also take notice of), wherein they are so little con- cerned ; the poison of it being shut up from their people, under the safe custody of an unknown ton- gue. "Nicolaus Arnoldus, the professor of di\inity
a Prodiit hoc anno in Anglia, Authore Jolianne Bidello, Artiuni Magistro, pneu- matoniacho, duplex Catechesis Scriptiiraiia, Anglico idioiuate typis evulgata, qua sub nomine rcligionis Cliristianai piiiuni putiun Socinianisinuni, orbi Christiano ob- trudere satagit. Quanquani anteju non videatur vclle Sociiiianus haberi ; attanien cuius sit ingenii, sub fiiiem libelii prodit, cum conunendat libi'um cui titulus, Tlie life of that incomparable man, Faustus Suciiuis Sencnsis, phrasin Scriptura; ad dog- mata mere Sociniana iiadetorsit, ut nemo ante euni ha-resiii islam tani fraudulenter inslillarit; larvam illi dctraherc post dies caniculares, cura Deo est animus. Nicol. Arnold. Frx(. ad Lector.
Necessarium est hoc tristi tempore, quo Sociniana pestis, quani baud iraraerito dixeris omnis impiclatis axpoTroXiv, videtur nunc in vicina Anglia sedem sibi metro- politanam fixisse, nisi quod isthic facile admittat et bella cruenta, et judicia capi- talia severissima, sub quorum umbone crcvit. Nam inter varias Invreses, quibus fffilix ilia quondam insula et orthodoxia: tenacissiina liodie conspurcatur, tantum cniinet Socinianisnuis, quautum ' lenta solent inter vibuina Cuprcssi ;' nee euim ani- plius ibi horrcndasua mjsteria niussitat in ang\ilis, sed sub dio explicat onmia "ex- ilia suK iniquitatis : non locjuor incomperta, bencvole lector. Modo enim ex An- glia allatus est Anglica lingua conscriptus catecliismus duplex, major et minor, Londini publice excusus, hoc Anno 16.^4 apud Jac. CoterelI.et Ricli. Moone, &c. Aulliorc.Iohanne Bidello Magistro Artium Oxonicnsi, iScc. Sam. Mares. Il}d. Sotin. Refut. Tom. 2. Prajfat. ad Led.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. Vn
at Franeker, gives an account of this book, as the most subtle insinuation of the Socinian religion, that ever was attempted, and promises a confutation of it.
Maresius, professor atGroning, a man well known by his works published, goes farther ; and on the account of these catechisms, charges the whole na- tion, and the governors of it, with Socinianism; and, according to the manner of the man, raises a fear- ful outcry, affirming, that that heresy hath fixed its metropoliticalseat here in England, and is here openly professed, is the head sect in the nation, displaying openly the banners of its iniquity; all which he con- firms by instancing in this book of a master of arts of the university of Oxford. Of his rashness in cen- suring, his extreme ignorance of the state of affairs here amongst us, which yet he undertakes to relate, judge, and condemn, I have given him an account in a private letter to himself.
Certainly, though we deserved to have these re- proaches cast upon us, yet of all men in the world, those who live under the protection, and upon the allowance of the United Provinces, are most unmeet to manage them ; their incompetency in sundry re- spects for this service is known to all. However, it cannot be denied, but that even on this account (that it may appear, that we are as free from the guilt of the calumnious insinuations of Maresius, so in no need of the assistance of Arnoldus, for the con- futation of any one arising among ourselves, speak- ing perverse things to draw disciples after him), an answer from some in this place unto those cate- chisms, was sufficiently necessary. That it is by providence fallen upon the hand of one, more unmeet than many others in this place, for the performance of this work and duty, I doubt not but you will be contented withal ; and am bold to hope that neither
Vlll THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
the truth, nor your own esteem, will too much suf- fer, by my engagement herein. Yea, give me leave to speak it, I have assumed the confidence, to aim at the handling of the whole body of the Socinian religion, in such a way and manner, ' as that those who are most knowing and exercised in these con- troversies, may find that which they will not alto- gether despise, and younger students that whereby they may profit. To this end I have added the Ra- covian catechism, as I said before, to Mr. B.'s ; which, as I was urged to do by many worthy per- sons in this university, so I was no way discouraged in the publishing of my answer thereunto, by the view I took of Arnoldus's discourse to the same pur- pose, and that for such reasons as I shall not express, but leave the whole to the judgment of the reader.
From thence, whence in the thoughts of some I am most likely to suffer, as to my own resolves, I am most secure. It is in meddling with Grotius's annotations, and calling into question ^^'hat hath been delivered by such a giant in all kinds of literature. Since my engagement in this business, and when I had well nigh finished the vindication of the texts of Scripture commonly pleaded for the demonstration of the Deity of Christ, from the exceptions put into their testimonies, by the Racovian catechism, I had the sight of Dr. H.'s apology for him, in his vindication of his dissertations about episcopacy, from my oc- casional animadversions, published in the preface of my book of the perseverance of the saints. Of that whole treatise I shall elsewhere give an account. My defensative as to my dealing with Grotius's anno- tations, is suited to what the doctor pleads in his behalf, which occasions this mention thereof.
'This very pious, learned, judicious man (he tells ub) hath fallen under some harsh censures of late
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. IX
especially upon the account of Socinianism and Po- pery.' That is, not as though he would reconcile those extremes, but being in doctrinals a Socinian, he yet closed in many things with the Roman inter- est : as I no way doubt, but thousands of the same persuasion with the Socinians, as to the person and offices of Christ, do live in the outward communion of that church (as they call it) to this day ; of which supposal I am not without considerable grounds, and eminent instances for its confirmation. This, I say, is their charge upon him. For his being a Socinian, he tells us, ' Three things are made use of, to beget a jealousy in the minds of men of his inclinations that way. 1 . Some parcels of a letter of his to Crellius. 2. Some relations of what passed from him at his death. 3. Some passages in his annotations.' It is this last alone wherein I am concerned. And what I have to speak to them, I desire may be measured and weighed by what I do premise. It is not that I do entertain in myself any hard thoughts, or that I would beget in others any evil surmises of the eter- nal condition of that man, that I speak what I do. What am I, that I should judge another man's ser- vant ? He is fallen to his own master. I am very slow to judge of men's acceptation with God, by the apprehension of their understandings. This only I know, that be men of what religion soever that is professed in the world, if they are drunkards, proud, boasters, &c. hypocrites, haters of good men, per- secutors and revilers of them, yea, if they be not re- generate and born of God, united to the head Christ Jesus, by the same spirit that is in him, they shall never see God.
But for the passages in his annotations, the sub- stance of the doctor's plea is, that the ' passages in- timated are in his posthuma, that he intended not to
X- THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
publish them, that they might be of things he ob- served, but thought farther to consider :' and an in- stance is given in that of Col. i. 16. which he inter- prets, contrary to what he urged it for, John i. 1 — 3. But granting what is affirmed as to matter of fact, about his collections (though the preface*" to the last part of his annotations will not allow it to be true); I must needs abide in my dissatisfaction as to these annotations, and of my resolves in these thoughts give the doctor this account. Of the Socinian reli- gion there are two main parts ; the first is Photini- anism, the latter Pelagianism : the first concerning the person, the other the grace of Christ. Let us take an eminent instance out of either of these heads : out of the first, their denying Christ to be God by nature; out of the latter, their denial "of his satis- faction.
For the first, I must needs tell the apologist, that of all the texts of the New Testament and Old, where- by the Deity of Christ is usually confirmed, and where it is evidently testified unto, he hath not left any more than one, that I have observed, if one, speaking any thing clearly to that purpose. I say, if one, for that he speaks not home to the business in hand on John i. I shall elsewhere give an account; perhaps some one or two more may be interpreted according to the analogy of that. 1 speak not of his annotations on the Epistles, but on the whole Bible throughout, wherein his expositions given, do for the most part fall in with those of the Socinians, and of- tentimes consist in the very words of Socinus and Smalcius, and alway do the same things with them, as to any notice of the Deity of Christ in them. So
i* Jan) vero sciendum est, niiilto (luidcm citius, quaiii nunc cieinuni teniporis cam resunii, obsolvique potuisse, et quo minus id JHiupridem factum sit, per euui non stetisse virum, cujiis lideli curm opus integrum ab authorc ipso primum creditum tuit ct sedulo comnieudatuni, Pra:nion ad Lect.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. XI
that I marvel the learned doctor should fix upon one particular instance, as though that one place alone were corrupted by him, when there is not one (or but one) that is not wrested, perverted, and corrupted, to the same purpose. For the full conviction of the truth hereof, I refer the reader to the ensuing consi- derations of his interpretations of the places them- selves. The condition of these famous annotations, as to the satisfaction of Christ is the same : not one text of the whole Scripture, wherein testimony is given to that sacred truth, which is not wrested to another sense, or at least the doctrine in it concealed, and obscured by them. I do not speak this with the least intention to cast upon him the reproach of a Socinian ; I judge not his person ; his books are pub- lished to be considered and judged. Erasmus, I know, made way for him, in most of his expositions about the Deity of Christ ; but what repute he hath there- by obtained among all that honour the eternal God- head of the Son of God, let Beliarmine on the one hand, and Beza on the other evince. And, as I will by no means maintain or urge against Grotius any of the miscarriages in religion, which the answerer of my animadversions undertakes to vindicate him from; nor do I desire to fight with the dust and ashes of men ; yet what I have said, is, if not necessary to return to the apologist, yet of tendency, 1 hope, to the satisfaction of others, who may inquire after the reason of my calling the annotations of the learned man to an account in this discourse. Shall any one take liberty to pluck down the pillars of our faith, and weaken the grounds of our assurance, concern- ing the person and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall not we have the boldness to call him to an account for so sacrilegious an attempt ? With those then who love the Lord Christ in sincerity, I expect
Xll THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
no blame or reproach for what I have endeavoured in this kind ; yea, that my good will shall find ac- ceptance with them, especially if it shall occasion any of greater leisure and abilities farther and pro- fessedly to remark more of the corruptions of those annotations, I have good ground of expectation. The truth is, notwithstanding their pompous shew and appearance (few of his quotations, which was the "^manner of the man, being at all to his purpose), it will be found no difficult matter to discuss his assertions, and dissipate his conjectures.
For his being a Papist, 1 have not much to say ; let '^his epistles (published by his friends), written to Dyonysius Petavius the Jesuit, be perused, and you will see the character which of himself he gives ; as also what in sundry writings he ascribes to the pope.
What I have performed through the good hand of God in the whole, is humbly submitted to your judgment. You know, all of you, with what weight of business and employment I am pressed ; what is the constant work that in this place is incumbent on me, how many and how urgent my avocations are ; the consideration whereof cannot but prevail for a pardon of that want of exactness, which perhaps in sundry particulars will appear unto you. With those who are neither willing nor able to do any thing in this kind themselves, and yet make it their busi- ness to despise what is done by others, I shall very
c Grotius, in lib. 5. de veritat. Reiig : Christian, in notis R. Sel. Abeii Ezra et Onkclos adducil : sed alienis oculis hie vidit, aut alienafide rotulit (forte authoribus illis aut non intcllectis, aut propter oecupationes noii iiispcctis) aui animositati et authoritati in citandis autlioribus, et referendis dictis aut factis, ut ipsi hoc usui venie- bat, niiiiium in scriptis theologicis indulserit. Voet. disput. de advent. Messi.
"i ReverendeDoniine.sa^pe tibi niolestus esse cogor....sunipsi banc ultirnan)opc- ram, mea anteliac dicta et famam quoquc a ministris ailatratani tiicndi, in co scripto si quid est, autCatholicis sententiis discongruens, aut csetcroqui a veritate alicnuin, de eo abs te viro eruditissimo, &c. cujus judicium pluriiui facio nioncri pcrcupio. Ei^ist, Grot, ad Dionys. Peiat. Epist. 204.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. Xlll
little trouble myself. That which seems in relation hereunto, to call for an apology, is my engagement into this work, wherein I was not particularly con- cerned, suffering in the meantime some treatises against me to lie unanswered. Dr. Hammond's answer to my animadversions on his dissertations about episcopacy; Mr. Baxter's objections against somewhat written about the death of Christ ; and a book of one Mr. Horn against my treatise about universal redemption, are all the instances that I know of, which in this kind may be given. To all that candidly take notice of these things, my defence is at hand. I do not know that I am more obliged to answer a treatise written against myself, than any other written against the truth, though I am not par- ticularly named, or opposed therein. Nor do I in- tend to put any such law of disquietness upon my spirit, as to think myself bound to reply to every thing that is written against me, whether the matter and subject of it be worth the public ventilation, or no. It is neither name nor repute, that I eye in these con- tests ; so the truth be safe, I can be well content to suffer. Besides, this present task was not volun- tarily undertaken by me, it was, as I have already given account, imposed on me by such an authority as I could not wave. For Mr. Horn's book, I sup- pose you are not acquainted with it, that alone was extant before my last engagement. Could I have met with any one uninterested person, that would have said it deserved a reply, it had not have laid so long- unanswered. In the meantime I cannot but rejoice, that some like minded with him, cannot impute my silence to the weakness of the cause 1 managed, but to my incompetency for the work of maintaining it. To Mr. Baxter, as far as I am concerned, I have made a return in the close of this treatise ; wherein
XIV THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
I suppose I have put an end to that controversy. Dr Hammond's defensative came forth much about the time that half this treatise was finished ; and being about a matter of so mean concernment, in comparison of those weighty truths of the gospel, which I was engaged in the defence of, I durst not desert my station, to turn aside thereto. On the cursory view I have taken of it, I look upon what is of real difference between that learned person and myself, to be a matter of easy despatch. His leaves are much more soft and gentle than those of Socinus, Smalcius, Crellius, and Schlictingius. If the Lord in his goodness be pleased to give me a little respite and leisure, I shall give a farther account of the whole difference between the learned doctor and me, in such a way of process, as may be expected from so slow and dull a person as I am ; in the meantime, I wish him a better cause to manage than that wherein against me he is engaged, and better principles to manage a good cause on than some of those in his treatise of schism, and some others ; fail he not in these, his abilities and diligence will stand him in very good stead. I shall not trouble you with things which I have advantages other ways to impart my thoughts concerning; only crave that you would be pleased candidly to accept of this testimony of my respects to you ; and seeing no other things are in the ensuing treatise pleaded for, but such as are universally owned amongst you, that according to your several degrees, you would take it into your patronage or use ; affording him in his daily labours the benefit of your prayers at the throne of grace, who is.
Your unworthy fellow-labourer, JOHN OWEN.
Oxon. CL Ck. Coll. April. 1.
TO THOSE THAT LABOUR IN THE WORD AND DOCTRINE, IN THESE NATIONS OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND, WITH ALL THAT CALL UPON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD : JOHN OWEN WISHETH GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER, AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
That so mean a person, as I am, should presume in this public manner, to make address to all those comprised in the title of this epistle ; I desire it may be ascribed to the business I come about, and the message that I bring. It is about your great interest and concernment, your whole portion and inheritance, your all, that I am to deal with you. If he who passes by his neighbour's house, seeing a thief breaking up its foundations, or setting fire to its chief materials, will be far from being censured as importune and impudent, if he awake and call upon the inhabitants, though every way his betters (especially if all his own estate lie therein also), although he be not able to carry one vessel of water to the quenching of it; I hope, that finding persons endeavouring to put fire to the house of God, which house ye are, and labouring to steal away the whole treasure thereof, wherein also my own portion doth lie, I shall not be condemned of boldness, or presumption, if I at once cry out to all persons, however concerned, to take heed that we be not utterly despoiled of our treasure ; though when I have so done, I be not able to give the least assistance, to the defence of the house, or quenching of the fire kindled about it. That of no less importance is this address unto you, a brief discovery of its occasion will evince.
The Holy Ghost tells us, that ' we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ him- self being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole build- ing fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom we are built together for an habita- tion of God through the spirit ;' Eph. ii. 20 — 22. And thus do all they become the house of Christ, 'who hold fast the confidence, and the hope of rejoicing to the end ;' Heb. iii. 6. In this house of God there are daily builders, according as new living stones are to be fitted to their place therein ; and continual oppositions have there been made thereto, and
XVI THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
will be, ' till we are come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ;' Eph. iv. 13. In this work of building are some employed by Jesus Christ, and will be so to the end of the world ; Matt, xxviii. 20. Eph. iv. 12. and some employ themselves, at least in a pretence thereof, but are indeed to a man every one like the foolish woman, that pulls down her house with both her hands. Of the first sort, ' other foundation can no man lay,' nor doth go about to lay, * save that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ;' 1 Cor. iii. 11. But some of them build on the foundation 'gold, silver, and precious stones,' keeping fast in the work to the 'form of wholesome words,' and contending for ' the faith that was once delivered to the saints.'
Others again lay 'on wood, hay, and stubble;' either con- tending about foolish questions, or ' vain and unprofitable janglings ;' or adding to what God hath commanded, or cor- rupting, and perverting what he hath revealed and instituted, contrary to the proportion of faith, which should be the rule of all their prophecy, whereby they discharge their duty of building in this house. Those with whom I am at present to deal, and concerning whom I desire to tender you the ensuing accounts, are of the latter sort; such, as not content with others to attempt sundry parts of the building, to weaken its contexture, or deface its comeliness, do with all their might set themselves against the work itself; the great foundation and corner stone of the church, the Lord Jesus, who is ' God blessed for ever.' They are those, I say, whom I would warn you of, in whom of old, and of late, the spirit of error hath set up itself with such an efficacy of pride and delusion, as by all ways, means, devices imaginable, to despoil our dear and blessed Redeemer, our Holy One, of his 'eternal power and Godhead ;' or to reject the eternal Son of God, and to substitute in his room, a Christ of their own ; one like themselves, and no more ; to adulterate the church and turn aside the saints to a thing of naught. If I may enjoy your patience, whilst I give a brief account of them, their ways, and endeavours, for the compassing of their cursed ends ; of our present concernment in their actings and seductions ; of the fire kindled by them at our doors ;
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XVll
of the sad diffusion of their poison throughout the world, beyond what enters into the hearts of the most of men to imagine; I shall subjoin thereunto those cautions, and di- rections, which, with all humbleness, I have to tender to you, to guide some, and strengthen others, and stir uj3 all, to be watchful against this great, and I hope the last considerable attempt of Satan (by way of seduction, and temptation), against the foundation of the gospel.
Those then who of old opposed the doctrine of the Tri- nity, especially of the Deity of Christ, his person and natures, may be referred to three heads, and of them and their ways this is the sum :
The first sort of them may be reckoned to be those, who are commonly esteemed to be followers of Simon Magus, known chiefly by the names of Gnostics and Valentinians. These, with their abominable figments of jEons, and their combinations, conjugations, genealogies, and unintelligible imaginations, wholly overthrowing the whole revelation of God concerning himself and his will, the Lord Jesus, and the gospel, who chiefly with their leaders, Marcus, Basilides, Ptolomaeus, Valentinus secundus (all following or imitating Simon Magus and Menander), of all others most perplexed and infected the primitive church. As Ireneeus, lib. 1. Ter- tullian, prsescrip. ad heret. cap. 49. Philastrius, in his cata- logue of heretics ; Epiphanius, in Panario, lib. 1. torn. 2. ana Augustine, in his book of "Heresies, 'ad quod vult deus manifeste.' To these may be added, Tatianus, Cerdon, Marcion, and their companions (of whom see Tertullian at large, and Eusebius in their respective places), 1 shall not separate from them Montanus, with his enthusiastical formal associates ; in whose abominations it was hoped that these latter days might have been unconcerned, until the present madness of some, commonly called Quakers, renewed their follies : but these may pass (with the Manichees) and those of the like fond imaginations, that ever and anon troubled the church with their madness and folly.
Of the second rank, Cerinthus is the head, with** judai- zing Ebion ; both denying expressly the Deity of Christ, and
* Epiphan. Hseres. 47.
b E^ittiv 2a|M.agstTaiv lyei to CSsXiipov, 'louSaiaJV to Qvoy.a, Na^aogaioiv t>)V j/vw^w, Kaj- TTOXgaTiaviv tw xajtoTfOiri'av £piph.
VOL. VIII. C
XVlll THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
asserting him to be but a mere man, even in the entrance of the gospel ; being confounded by John, as is affirmed by Epiphanius, Hajres. 51. " Hieronymus de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis de Johanne.' The same abomination was again revived by Theodotus, called Coriarius (who having once denied Christ, was resolved to do so always), excom- municated on that account by Victor, as Eusebius relates. Hist. Eccles. 1. 5. c. ult. where he gives also an account of his associates in judgment ; Artemon, Asclepiodotus, Nata- lius, &-C. and the books written against him are there also mentioned. But the most notorious head and patron of this madness was Paulus Samosatenus, bishop of Antioch, An. 272; of whose pride and passion, folly, followers, assistants, opposition, and excommunication, the history is extant at large in Eusebius. This man's pomp and folly, his com- pliance with the Jews and Zenobia the Queen of the Palmy- rians, who then invaded the eastern parts of the Roman empire, made him so infamous to all Christians, that the Socinians do scarce plead for him, or own him as the author of their opinion. Of him who succeeded him in his oppo- sition to Jesus Christ, some fifty or sixty years after, namely Photinus, bishop of Sirmium, they constantly boast : of Samosatenus and his heresy, see Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 7. cap. 29, 30. and Hilary de Synodis : of Photinus, Socrat : Eccles. Hist. 1. 2. cap. 24, 25, and with these do our present Socinians"^ expressly agree in the matter of the person of Christ.
To the third head I refer that deluge of Arianism, whose rise, conception, author, and promoters ; advantages, success, and propagation ; the persecutions, cruelty, and tyranny of the rulers, emperors, kings, and governors infected with it ; its extent and continuance are known to all, who have taken care in the least, to inquire what was the state of the cliurch of God in former days : that heresy being as it were the flood of waters, that pursued the church for some ages. Of Ma- cedonius, Nestorius, and Eutychus ; the first denying the
<^ Injuria afficit Franken coinplurcs, qui hac dc re idem aut senserunt aiit sen- tiuntquod Socinus ;etnedc iisqui hodie viviint, quidqiiain dicainus, duos taiitum nonii- nabitnus, (]uoruin alter ante annos niille duccntos, alter vero nostra rotate vixit. llle Photinus i'uit quondam Sirmii episcopus, ipsorum etiani adversariorum testimonio divinanim lilerarnm doctissimus, &c. Faust. Socin. dispulat. de Adorat. Christi. cum Ciiristian. Franken. p. 29.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XIX
Deity of the Holy Ghost, the second the hypostatical union of the two natures of Christ, and the last confounding them in his person, I shall not need to speak. These, by the So- cinians of our days, are disclaimed.'^
In the second sort chiefly we are at present concerned. Now to give an account, from what is come down unto us, by testimonies of good report and esteem, concerning those named, Theodotus, Paulus, Photinus, and the rest of the men, who were the predecessors of them, with whom we have to do, and undertook the same work in the infancy of the church, which these are now engaged in, when it is drawing with the world to its period, with what were their ways, lives, temptations, ends, agreements, differences, among them, and in reference to the persons of our present contests (of whom a full account shall be given), is not my aim nor business. It hath been done by others : and to do it with any exactness, beyond what is commonly known, would take up more room than to this preface is allotted. Some things peculiarly seem of concernment for our observation, from the time wherein some of them acted their parts, in the service of their master. What could possibly be more desired for the safeguarding of any truth, from the attempts of succeeding generations, and for giving it a security above all control, than that upon public and owned opposition, it should receive a confirma- tion, by men acted by the Holy Ghost, and giving out their sentence by inspiration from God. That among other im- portant heads of the gospel (as that of justification by faith and not by works, of Christian liberty, of the resurrection of the dead), this most glorious truth of the eternal Deity of the Son of God, underwent an open opposition from some of them above written, during the life of some of the apostles, before the writing of the gospel by John, and was expressly vindicated by him in the beginning thereof, is acknowledged by all, who have in any measure inquired into, and impar- tially weighed, the reports of those days. What could the heart of the most resolved unbeliever desire more for his satisfaction, than that God should speak from heaven, for the conviction of his folly and ignorance ? or what can our adversaries expect more from us, when we tell them, that
•i Socin. ad Weick, cap. 9. p. 151. Smalc. Respon. ad lib. Smiglec. lib. 1. cap. 1. p.l.
c 2
XX THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
God himself, immediately determined in the controversy wherein they are engaged. Perhaps they think, that if he should now speak from heaven, they would believe him. So said the Jews to Christ, if he would come down from the cross when they had nailed him to it; in the sight, and under the contempt of many miracles greater than the deli- very of himself could any way appear to be. The rich man in torments thought his brethren would repent if one came from the dead and preached to them, Abraham tells him, 'if they will not believe Moses nor the prophets, they would not believe though one should come from the dead.' Doubt- less if what is already written, be not sufficient to convince our adversaries, though God should speak from heaven, they would not believe, nor indeed can, if they will abide by the fundamental principles of their religion. Under this great disadvantage, did the persuasion of the Socinians, that Christ is only \piXbg av^pioTTog, by nature no more but a man, set out in the world ; so that persons not deeply acquainted with the methods of Satan, and the darkness of the minds of men, could not but be ready to conclude it certainly bound up in silence for ever. But how speedily it revived, with what pride and passion it was once and again endeavoured to be propa- gated in the world, those who have read the stories of Paulus Samosatenus, are fully acquainted, who jv/uivij ry KecpaXy blasphemed the Son of God, as one no more than a man. In some space of time these men being decryed by the ge- neral consent of the residue of mankind professing the name of Jesus Christ, and their abomination destroyed by the sword of faith managed in the hands of the saints of those days ; Satan perceiving himself at a loss, and under an im- possibility of prevalency, whilst the grossness of the error he strove to diffuse terrified all sorts from having any thing to do therewith, he puts on it by the help of Arius and his followers, another gloss and appearance, with a pretence of allowing Christ a Deity, though a subordinate, created, made, divine nature, which in the fulness of time, assumed flesh of the virgin. This opinion being indeed no less really de- structive to the true and eternal Deity of the Son of God, than that of theirs before-mentioned, who expressly affirmed him to be a mere man, and to have had no existence before his nativity at Bethlehem ; yet, having got a new pretence and
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXI
colour of ascribing something more excellent and sublime unto him, than that whereof we are all in common partakers, it is incredible with what speedy progress, like the breaking out of a mighty flood, it overspread the face of the earth. It is true, it had in its very entrance, all the advantages of craft, fraud, and subtilty ; and in its carrying on, of violence, force, and cruelty ; and from the beginning to its end, of ig- norance, blindness, superstition, and profaneness, among the generality of them, with whom it had to deal, that ever any corrupt folly of the mind of man met withal. The rise, pro- gress, cruelty, and continuance of this sect, with the times and seasons that passed with it over the nations, its enter- tainment by the many barbarous nations, which wasted, spoiled, and divided among themselves the Roman empire, with their parting with it upon almost as evil an account as at first they embraced it, is not, as I said, my business now to discover. God purposing to revenge the pride, ingrati- tude, ignorance, profaneness, and idolatry, of the world, which was then in a great measure got in amongst the pro- fessors of Christianity, by another, more spiritual, cruel, subtle, and lasting mystery of iniquity, caused this abomi- nation of Arianism to give place to the power of the then growing Roman antichristian state; which, about the sixth or seventh century of years, since the incarnation of the Son of God, having lost all church order and communion of the institution of Jesus Christ, fell into an earthly, political, carnal combination, authorised and animated by the spirit of Satan for the ends of superstition, idolatry, persecution, pride, atheism, which thereby ever since vigorously pursued. With these 'Arians, as was said, do our Socinians refuse communion, and will not be called after their name ; not that their profession is better than theirs, or that they have
e Ariani Christo divinum cultum noa tribuerunt. Atqui longe praestat Trinitariiim esse quam Christo divinum cultum non tribuere. Irao Trinitarius(meo quidem ju- dicio) modo alioqui Christi pracepta conservet, nee ulla ratione eos persequatur, qui trinitarli non sunt sed potius cum ipsis fraterne conferre, ac veritatem inquirere non recuset, merito Cliristianus dici debet. Qui vero Christum divina ratione non colit, is nullo modo Christianus dici potest : Quocirca non est dubitanduni, quin Deo minus displicuerunt Homousiani Trinitarii, quam vulgus Arianorum. Quid i«itur niirum, si cum totus fere orbis Christianus in Las duas (ut ita dicam) factiones divisus esset, Deus vislonibus et miraculis testari voluisset utram ipsarum viara salutis vel adhuc retineret, vcl jam abjecisset. Adde Arianos acerrime tunc persecutos fuisse mise- ros Honiousiaiios, idque diu et variis in locis: quare mcrito so Deus Arianis iraluni ostendit. Socin. ad Weick. p. ■l.'i'i.
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much to blame, in what they divulge, though they agree not with them in allowing a pre-existing nature to Christ before his incarnation, but that that generation of men, having made themselves infamous to posterity, by their wickedness, perjuries, crafts, and bloody cruelties, and having been pur- sued by eminent and extraordinary judgments from God, they are not willing to partake of the prejudices which they justly lie under.
From the year 600, for divers ages, we have little noise of these men's abominations, as to the person of Christ, in the world. Satan had something else to busy himself about.
A design he had in hand, that was like to do him more service than any of his former attempts. Having, therefore, tried bis utmost in open opposition to the person of Christ (the dregs of the poison thus shed abroad infecting in some measure a great part of the east to this day), by away never before heard of, and wliich Christians were not exercised with, nor in any measure aware of, he subtilely ruins and overthrows all his offices, and the whole benefit of his me- diation, and introduceth secretly a new worship, from that which he appointed, by the means and endeavours of men, pretending to act, and do all that they did, for the advance- ment of his kingdom and glory. And therefore, whilst the fatal apostacy of the western world, under the Roman anti- christ, was contriving, carrying on, and heightening, till it came to its discovery and ruin, he stirs not at all with his old engines, which had brought in a revenue of obedience to his kingdom, in no measure proportionable to this, which by this new device he found accruing to him. But when the appointed time of mercy was come, that God would visit his people with light from above, and begin to unravel the mys- tery of iniquity, whose abominations had destroyed the souls of them that embraced it, and whose cruelty had cut off the lives of thousands who had opposed it, by the reformation eminently and successively begun and carried on, from the year 1517 ; Satan perceiving that even this his great master- piece of deceit and subtilty was like to fail him, and not to do him that service, which formerly it had done, he again sets on foot his first design of oppugning the eternal Deity of the Son of God ; still remembering that the ruin of his kingdom arose from the Godhead of his person, and the eJEfi-
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Xxiii
cacy of his mediation. So that as for the first three hundred years of the profession of the name of Christ in the world, he had variously opposed the Godhead of our blessed Saviour, by Simon Magus, Ebion, Cerinthus, Paulus Samosatenus Marcus, Basilides, Valentinus, Colobarsus, Marcion, Photi- nus, Theodotus, and others ; and from their dissipation and scattering, having gathered them all to a head in Arius and his abomination ; which sometimes with a mighty prevalency offeree and violence, sometimes more subtilely (putting out by the way the several branches of Macedonianism, Nesto- rianism, Eutichianism, all looking the same way in their tendency therewith), he managed almost for the space of the next three hundred years ensuing; and losing at length that hold, he had spent more than double that space of time, in carrying on his design of the great antichristian papal apos- tacy, being about the times before-mentioned most clearly and eminently discovered in his wicked design, and being in danger to lose his kingdom, which he had been so long in possession of; intending if it were possible to retrieve his advantage again; he sets on those men, who had been in- strumental to reduce the Christian religion into its primitive state and condition, with those very errors and abominations, wherewith he opposed and assailed the primitive professors thereof. If they will have the apostle's doctrine, they shall have the opposition that was made unto it in the apostles' times. His hopes being possibly the same, that formerly they were; but assuredly Christ will prevent him. For as whilst the professors of the religion of Jesus Christ were spiritual and full of the power of that religion they did pro- fess, they defended the truth thereof, either by suffering, as under Constantius, Valens, and the Goths and Vandals ; or by spiritual means and weapons ; so when they were carnal, and lost the life of the gospel, yet endeavouring to retain the truth of the letter thereof, falling on carnal politic ways for the supportment of it, and the suppressing of what op- posed it, Satan quickly closed in with them, and accom- plished all his ends by them, causing them to walk in all those ways of law, policy, blood, cruelty, and violence, for the destruction of the truth, which they first engaged in, for the rooting out of errors and heresies ; 'baud ignota loquor.' Those who have considered the occasions and advantages of
XXIV THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
the bishop of Rome's rise and progress, know these things to be so. Perhaps, I say, he might have thoughts to ma- nage the same or the hke design, at the beginning of the re- formation, when, with great craft and subtlety, he set on foot again his opposition to the person of Christ ; which being the business chiefly under consideration, I shall give some brief account thereof.
Those who have formerly communicated their thoughts and observations to us, on this subject, have commonly o-iven rise to their discourses from Servetus, with the trans- actions about him in Helvetia, and the ending of his tragedy at Geneva. The things of him being commonly known, and my design being to deal with them, in their chief seat and residence, where, after they had awhile hovered about most nations of Europe, they settled themselves, I shall forbear to pursue them up and down in their flight, and meet with them only at their nest in Poland, and the regions adjoining. The leaders of them had most of them separated themselves from the papacy, on pretence of embracing the reformed re- lio-ion ; and under that covert were a long time sheltered from violence, and got many advantages of insinuating the abominations (which they thoroughly drenched withal, be- fore they left the papacy) into the minds of many who pro- fessed the gospel.
The first open breach they made in Poland, was in the year 1562 (something having been attempted before), being most of the leaders, ^Italians, men of subtile and serpentine wits. The chief leaders of them were Georgius Blandrata, Petrus Statorius, Franciscus Lismaninus, all which had been eminent in promoting the reformation.
Upon their first tumultuating, Statorius, to whom after- ward Socinus wrote sundry epistles, and lived with him in great intimacy, was summoned to a meeting of ministers, upon an accusation, that he denied that the Holy Spirit was to be invocated. Things being not yet ripe, the man know- inrr that if he were cast out by them, he should not know where to obtain shelter, he secured himself by dissimulation,
f Detribus in una divina essentia personis anno 1562, controversiam moverunt, in min. Pol. Itali quidani advena; ; prsecipui autcni assertores contra S. S. Trinitatera fuerc, Georgius Blandrata Theologus ac RJedicus, Petrus Statorius, Tonvillanus, Franciscus Lismannius Tlieologiae Doctor, quorum tamen ab initio ojiera reforniatiouLs valde fuit Ecclesiffi Dei procliva: Histor. Eccles. Slavon. lio. 1. p. 84.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXV
and subscribed this confession: '§1 receive and reverence the prophetical and apostolical doctrine, containing the true knowledge of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and freely profess, that God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, ought to be worshipped with the same religion or worship, distinctly, or respectively, and to be invocated according to the truth of the Holy Scripture. And lastly, I do plainly detest every heretical blasphemy, concerning God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, whether it be Arian, Servetian, Eu- nomian, or Starcarian.' And this confession is to be seen in tile acts of that convention, under his own hand to this day ; which, notwithstanding, he was a fierce opposer of the doc- trine here professed all his days afterward.
And 1 the rather mention this, because I am not without too much ground of persuasion, that thousands of the same 3 udgment with this man, do at this day, by the like dissimu- lation, live and enjoy many advantages both in the papacy, and among the reformed churches, spreading the poison of their abominations as they can. This Statorius I find by the frequent mention made of him by Socinus, to have lived many years in Poland, with what end and issue of his life I know not; nor more of him, but what is contained in Beza's two epistles to him, whose scholar he had been, when he seemed to have had other opinions about the essence of God, than those he afterward settled in, by the instruction of Socinus.
And this man was one of the first heads of that multi- tude of men, commonly known by the name of Anabaptists, among the Papists (who took notice of little but their out- ward worship) ; who, having entertained strange, wild, and blasphemous thoughts concerning the essence of God, were afterward brought to a kind of settlement by Socinus, in that religion he had prepared to serve them all, and into his word at last consented the whole droves of Essentiators, Tritheits, Arians, and Sibellians, that swarmed in those days, in Silesia, Moravia, and some other parts of Germany.
? Propheticam et apostolicam doctrinam, quae veram Dei patris, fi!ii, et spiritus sancti cognitionem contiiiet, aniplector ac veneror parique Religione Deuin patrem lilium et spirituiu sanctum distiiicte secundum sacrarum literarum veritatera colen- dum, iraplorandumqueprecibus, libera profiteer. Deniqueomnem hsereticam de Deo patre filio et spirilu sancto blaspheraiam, plane detestor, sive Ariani ilia, sive Serve- tiana, sive Eunomiana, sive Stancoriana. Act Eccles. mino. Pol. sjnod. Piuczovian. An. 1559.
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For Blandrata, his story is so well known, from the epis- tles of Calvin and Beza, and others, that I shall not insist much upon it. Tlie sum of what is commonly known of him is collected by Hornbeck.
The records of the Synods in Poland of the reformed churches, give us somewhat farther of him, as doth Socinus also against Wiek. Being an excellent physician, he was en- tertained at his first coming into Poland, by Prince Radzivil, the then great patron of the reformed religion in those parts of the world : one of the same family with this captain-ge- neral of the Polonian forces, for the great dukedom of Li- thuania, a man of great success in many fights and battles against the Muscovites, continuing the same ofiice to this day. To him ''Calvin instantly wrote, that he should take care of Blandrata, as a man not only inclinable to, but wholly infected with, Servetianism,in that, as in many other things, he admonished men of by his epistles, that wise and di- ligentiperson had the fate to tell the truth, and not be believed. See Calvin's epistles, about the year 1561. But the man on this occasion being sent to the meeting at Pinkzow (as Statorius), he subscribes this confession:
" I profess myself to believe in one God the Father, and in one Lord Jesus Christ his Son, and in one Holy Ghost, whereof each is essentially God. I detest the plu- rality of Gods, seeing to us there is one only God, indivisible in essence ; I confess three distinct persons ; the eternal Deity and generation of Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost, true and eterna,l God, proceeding from them both.'
This did the wretched man think meet to do, that he might serve the good esteem of his patron and reserve him-
•> De Gcorgio Blandrata, pro singnlari suo ia Ecclcsiam Dei amore praeiuonuit Polonos CI. vir Julian. Cal, quineliani Ilkistrissinnim Principeiii Palalinum, Vilo- censcni, Nicolauiii Radzivilimn, cujus Patrociiiio Blandrata turn utebatur. Siibol- fercrat enini vir doctiis Blandratic ingoniuni ad Servcti sentcntiara esse coniposiluni : itaque scrius principi suasor fuit, ut sibi ab eo cavcret : sed lioino ille facile, tcciniis suis fallacibus, optirao Principi fucuni fecit, adco ut ille iratus Johanni Calvino, Blandratam nomine suo ad S^noduin Pinckzoviensein ainio 1561. 25. Jun. habitani, delegare! cum Uteris, quibus serio postulabat in causa Blandratas, cum Ecclesiac, di- cebatque male et prrecipitanter egissc Calviiuun, quod Blandratam traduccret, et Servetismi notaret. Jiegen. Hist. 1. 1. p. 85.
' Fateor me credere in ununi Dcum patrem ct in unum dominum Jesum Christum filium ejus, ct in unum Spiritum Sanctum, quorum quilibct est cssentialiter Deus ; Dcorum pluralitatem detestor : cum unus tantum sit nobis Deus, essentia indivisi- bilis : fateor Ires esse distiuctas hypostases ; ct ajtcrnam Chrisli Divinitatem et gene- irationeni ; et Spiritum Sanctum unum et ;eternum Dcum ab utroque proccdenteuj : Act: Synod. Pinczov. Anno 1561.
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self for a fitter opportunity of doing mischief: which also he did, obtaining a testimonial from the whole meeting of his soundness in the faith, v.'ith letters to prince Radzivil, and to Calvin, signifying the same.
Not long after this, by the great repute of his skill in physic, he became known and physician to Stephen, king of Poland ; by whose favour, having no small liberty indulged him, he became the patron of all the Antitrinitarians of all sorts throughout Poland and Transylvania. What books he wrote and what pains he took in propagating their cause, hath been declared by others. The last epistle of Socinus in order as they are printed (it being without date ; yet evi- dently written many years before most of them that went before it), is to this Blandrata ; whose inscription is, ' Ara- plissimo Clarissimoque viro Georgio Blandratse Stephani invictissimi regis Polonise, &c. Archiatro et conciliario intimo, Domino, ac patrono suo perpetua observantia co-- lendo : et subscribitur, Tibi in Domino Jesu deditissimus Cliens Tuus F. S.' To that esteem was he grown amongst them, because of his advantages to insinuate them into the knowledge of great men, which they mostly aimed at. So that afterward, when Socinus wrote his answer about magis- trates to Palaeologus in defence of the Racovians, ''Marcel- lus, Squarcialupus's countryman, a man of the same per- suasion with him, falls foully on him, that he would venture to do it, without the knowledge and consent of this great patron of theirs.
But though this man by his dissimulation and falsehood thus escaped censure, and by his art and cunning insinua- tion, obtained high promotions and heaped up great riches in the world, yet even in this life he escaped not the I'evenging hand of God. He was found at length with his neck broke in his bed, by what hand none knoweth. Wherefore 'So-
l' Dixit heri vir amplissimus Blandrata, libruni se tuum contra Palasologuni acce- pisse. Habes tu unum salteni cui sis charissimus, cui omnia debes, qui judicio max- ime poUeat, cur tantum studium, confiliique pondus neglexisti? poteras non tantiim ejus censuram, absoluti jam libri petere, sed consilium postulare de subeundo non levi labore. Et possum affirmare senis consilium tibi fine dubiosi petivisti, profutu- runi fuisse. Ep. Marcel. Square, ad Faust. Socin.
' Monendum lectorem barum reruin ignaruni censui, Blandratam baud paulum ante morlem suam vivente adhuc Stepliano rege Poloniaj, in illius graliara, et quo ilium erga se liberaliorem (ut fecit) redderet, plurimum reraisisse de studio suo in ecclesiis nostris Transilvanicis nostrisque honiinibus juvandis : irao eo tandem deve- nisse ut vix existimaretur prioiem quam tautopere foverat de Deo et Cliristo senten-
XXVlll THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
cinus, observing that this judgment of God upon him, as that of Franciscus David (of which mention shall be made after- ward), would be fixed on, in the thoughts of men, to the prejudice of the cause which he favoured, considering more what was for his interest, than what was decent or conve- nient; descries him for an apostate to the Jesuits, before he was so destroyed; and intimates that he was strangled in his bed by a kinsman whom he had made his heir, for haste to take possession of his great wealth.
The story I have adjoined at large, that the man's inge- nuity and thankfulness to his friend and patron may be seen. He tells us that before the death of Stephen, king of Poland, he was turned from their profession by the Jesuits. Stephen, king of Poland, died in the year 1588, according to Helvitus. That very year did Socinus write his answer to Volanus ; the second part whereof he inscribed with all the niagnifical titles before-mentioned to Blandrata ; professing himself his devoted client; and him the great patron of their religion. So that though I can easily believe what he reports of his covetousness and treachery, and the manner of his death, yet as to his apostacy (though possibly he might fall more and more under the power of his Atheism), I suppose the great reason of imputing that to him, was to avoid the scandal of the fearful judgment of God on him in his death.
For Lismaninus, the third person mentioned, he was ac- cused of Arianism at a convention at "'Morden^ anno 1353, and there acquitted with a testimonial. But in the year 1561, at another meeting at Whodrislave, he was convicted of double dealing, and after that wholly fell off" to the Anti- trinitarians, and in the issue "drowned himself in a well.
And these were the chief settled troublers at the first, of the Polonian reformed churches; the stories of Paulus Al-
tiam rctinere, sed potius Jcsuitis qui in ea provincia tunc teniporis Stophani regis et ejus fratris CliiistoplK'ri liautl iiuilto ante vitani fundi o|)eac llberalitate non nie- diociitcr, floicbant, jam adha^rere aut ccrte cum eis qiioilammodo colludere. lllud ccrtissiuium est, cum ab co ten)porc quo liberalitatem quam ambiebdi regis Stepbani erga sc est expertus, cccpissc quosdam ex nostris hominibus quos charissimos prius liabebat, et suis opibus juvabat spernere, ac descrerc, etiani contra promissa et obli- gationeni suani, et tandem illos penitus deseruisse, atque omni vera; et sincere pie- tatis studio valedixisse, et solis |)ecuviis congorendis iiitentum fuisse, qua; forlasse justissimo ])ei judicio, quod gravissimum exercere solet contra tales desertores, ei nccem ab eo quern suum lieredem fecerat conciiiarunt. Socinus ad VVeik. cap. 2. p. -io, 14:.
'" Act. S^nod. Morden. An. ibb3. " Bez. Ei)ist. 81.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXlX
ciatus, Valentinus Gentilis, Bernardus Ochinus, and some others, are so well known out of the epistles of Calvin, Beza, Bullinser, Zanchius, witli what hath of late from them been collected by Cloppenburgius, Hornbeck, Maresius, Becma- nuus, &c. that it cannot but be needless labour forme to go over them again. That which I aim at is, from their own writings, and what remains on record concerning them, to give a brief account of the first breaking in of Autitrinita- rianism into the reformed churches of Poland, and their confused condition, before headed by Socinus, into whose name they have since been all baptized.
This, then, was the state of the churches in those days. The reformed religion spreading in great abundance, and churches being multiplied every day in Poland, Lithuania, and the parts adjoining; some tumults having been raised, and stirs made by Osiander and Stancarus, about the essen- tial righteousness and mediation of Christ (concerning which the reader may consult Calvin at large), many wild and fool- ish opinions being scattered up and down, about the nature of God, the Trinity, and Anabaptism, by many foreigners ; sundry being thereby defiled ; the opinions of Servetus having wholly infected sundry Italians. The persons before spoken of then living at Geneva, and about the towns of the Switzers, that embraced the gospel, being forced to flee for fear of being dealt withal as Servetus was (the judgment of most Christian rulers in whose days leading them to such a procedure, how rightly I do not now determine), scarce anyone of them escaping without imprisonment and abjura- tion (an ill foundation of their after profession) ; they went most of them into Poland, looked on by them as a place of liberty, and joined themselves to the reformed churches in those places. And continuing many years in their commu- nion, took the opportunity to entice and seduce many mi- nisters with others, and to strengthen them who were fallen into the abominations mentioned, before their coming to them.
After many tergiversations, many examinations of them, many false subscriptions, in the year °1562, they fell into
" Cum dici jus non possint in ecclesia delitescere, manifesto scismate Petriconias anno 156'i, iiabito priiis colloqiiio earn scindunt et in sententiani suani pertrahunt pluriraos turn ex ministris, tuni ex Patronis. Ministri qui partem eoruni sequebantur erant in principio Gregofias Pauli, &c. Histor. Ecclesi. Slavon. Regn. lib. 1. p. 86.
XXX THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
open division and separation from the reformed churches. The ministers that fell off with them, besides Lismannus and his companion (of whom before), were Gregorius Pauli, Stanislaus, Lutonius Martinus Crovicius, Stanislaus Pacle- sius, Georgius Schonianus, and others ; most of whom before had taken good pains in preaching the gospel. The chief patrons and promoters were Johannes Miemoljevius, Hie- ronymusPhiloponiuSjJohannesCazaccovius, the oneajudge, the other a captain, the third a gentleman, all men of great esteem.
The Pyear that this breach was made, Laelius Socinus, then of the age of thirty-seven years, who laid the founda- tions that his nephew after built upon, died in Switzerland; as the author of the life of Faustus Socinus informs us. The man's life is known : he was full of Servetianism, and had attempted to draw sundry men of note to his abominations. A man of great subtilty and cunning, as ^Beza says of him, incredibly furnished for contradiction and sophisms ; which the author of the life of Socinus's phrases, he was ' sugge- rendse veritatis.mirus artifex.' He made, as I said, many private attempts on sundry persons to entice them to Pho- tinianism; on some with success, on others without. Of his dealing with him, and the advantage he had so to do, ""Zan- chius gives an account in his preface to his book 'DeTribus Elohim.'
He was, as the author of the life of Faustus Socinus re- lates, in a readiness to have published his notions and con- ceptions, when God by his merciful providence, to prevent a little the pouring out of the poison, by so skilful a hand, took him off by sudden death ; and Faustus himself gives
P Lxlius iiiteiiin prceniatura morte extiiictus est : incidit mors in diem parendinum id. Mail. 1562, aetatifi vcro ejus spptinii supra trigessimum. Eqiics Polon. vita Faus. Socin. Senens.
q Faitetiain Lrelius Socinus Senensis incrcdibiliter ad contradiceiidum et varios necteiulos nodes comparatiis; ncc nisi post mortem cognitus, liujusmodi pernicio- sissimis liasresibus iaborarc. Epist. ad F>cclc. Orthodox. Epist. 81.
r Fuit is Lffilius nobili bonestacpie faniilia natus, bene Grajce ct Hebraice doctus, vita^quc etiani extcrnec inculpatao quurum rerum causa mihi quoqne intercesserat cum illo non vulgaris amicitia, scd homo fuit plenus diversarum liajrcsium, quas tamen mihi nunquam proponebat nisi disputandi causa, et semper interrogans, quasi cupc- retdoceri: banc vero Samosatanianani imprimis annos uuiltos fovit, et quoscunque potuit pertraxit in eundem errorem : pcrtraxit autem non paucos : me quoquc ut dixi divcrsis tentabat rationibus, si eodcm possit errore simul, ct atcrno exitio seeum involvere. Zanch. Prefat. ad lib. de tribus.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXXI
the same account of the season of his death in an epistle to Dudithius ^
At his death, Faustus Socinus, being then about the age of twenty-three years, seizing upon all his uncle's books, after awhile returned into Italy ; and there spent in court- ship and idleness in Florence twelve years, which he after- ward grievously lamented, as shall be declared. Leaving him awhile to his pleasure in the court of the great duke, we may make back again into Poland, and consider the pro- gress of the persons, who made way for his coming amongst them. Having made their separation, and drawn many after them, they at length brought their business to that height, that they came to a disputation* with the reformed ministers at Petricove (where the parliament of the kingdom then was), by the permission of Sigismund the King, in the year 1565, whereof the ensuing account is given by Antonius Possevine the Jesuit, in Atheis. sui sseculi, cap. 13. fol. 15.
The assembly of states was called against the Musco- vians ; the mobility desiring a conference between the mi- nisters of the reformed churches and the Antitrinitarians, it was allowed by Sigismund the king. On the part of the reformed churches, there were four ministers : as many of the other side came also prepared for the encounter.
Being met, after some discourse, the chief martial of the kingdom, then a Protestant, used these words : " ' Seeing the
proposition to be debated is agreed on, begin in the name
of the one God, and the Trinity.'
Whereupon one of the opposite party instantly cried
out;
" ' We cannot here say amen : nor do we know that God,
the Trinity.'
Whereunto the ministersv subjoined, ' we have no need of
any other proposition, seeing this hath offered itself; for,
s Cum aniicorum precibas permotus tandem constituisset, atque etiam ccepisset, saltern inter ipsos, nonnuila in apertura proferre. Socin. ad Andrajum Dudithiura.
' Cum his Antitrinitariis publicani habuerunt evangelic! disputationem Petrico- viae in comitiis regni Sigism. 11. Aug. rege permittente Anno. 1565. Disputatores fuerunt, &c. Regcnvolscius. ubi supra.
» Jam igitur constituta propositione qua de agendum est, in nomine Dei unius ct Trinitatis exordimini.
■'« Nos vero hie non dicimus Amen, neque enim nos novimus Deum istum Trini- tatem.
y Nulla jam alia propositione nobis opus est, cum hfec se obtuierit, nos autem Deo volente, et volumus, et parati sumus deraonstrare, quod Spiritus Sanctus non
XXXll THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
God assisting, we will, and are ready to, demonstrate that the Holy Ghost doth not teach ns any other God in the Scripture, but him only, who is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; that is, one God in Trinity.'
This colloquy continued three days. In the first, the ministers who were the ojjponents (the other always choosing to answer), by express texts of Scripture in abundance, con- firmed the truth. In the beginning of their testimonies, they appealed to the ''beginning of the Old and New Testa- ment, and upon both places confounded their adversaries.
The second day, the testimonies of the ancient writers of the church were produced, with no less success.
And on the third, The stories of Arius, and some other heretics of old. The issue of the disputation was to the great advantage of the truth, which Possevine himself cannot deny ; though he affirm a little after, that the Calvinists could not confute the Trinitarians, as he calls them, though they used the same arguments that the Catholicks did; chap. 14. p. 366.
" Possevine confesses, that the ministers (as they called themselves of Salmatia and Transylvania), in their book of the true and false knowledge of God, took advantage at the images of the Catholicks ; for whose satisfaction, it seems, he subjoins the theses ofThyreus,_wherein he labours to prove the use of those abominable idols to be lawful ; of which in the close of this address.
And this was the first great obstacle that was laid in the way of the progress of the reformed religion in Poland ; v^rhich, by Satan's taking the advantage of this horrible scandal, is at this day in those parts of the world, weak and oppressed. With what power the gospel did come upon
aliura nos Deum in Scriptura doceat, nisi soluni Patrcm.Filium, et Spiritum Sauctum, id est, Dfuni ununi in Trinitate.
^ Nos quideni o amici liaud difficulter poterinius vobiscuin earn rem transigere, nam ubi priiiium biblia aperueiilis, et initiuni vetcris et novas legis considcraveritis, statim oft'endctis, id ibi asseri quod vos pernegatis, sic enini Geneseos prinio Scriptura loquitur. ' Faciaimis honiineni ad imagineni nostram.' Nostrani inquit, non nieain : postea vero addit, Fecit Deus. Nova auteni legis iniiiiim hoe est. Vcrbuin erat apud Deuni, et vcrbum erat Deus. Videlis ut in vetcri lege loquatur unus Deus tanquara de tribus; hie vero quod Fiiius, verbuni a,>ternuni (nam quod ab initio erat, EEternuni est) erat apud Deum, et erat idem, non ahus, uti vos perperani interpreta- mini, Deus.
* Mox agunt de imaginibus sanctissimtc Trinitatis, non content! sinipliciorum quorundani picturas convellere, eas item quaj ab Ecclesia Catholica rite usur|)ata; sunt, sconiruatibus et blasphemis carminibus proscindunt. Anton. Possev. Lib. 8. cap. 15,16.
THE PREFACE TO TJIE READER. XXXlll
the inhabitants of those nations at the first, and what num- ber of persons it prevailed upon to forsake their dumb idols, which in Egyptian darkness they had long worshipped ; is evident from the complaint of ''Cichovius, the priest, who tells us, that 'about those times in the whole parliament of the dukedom of Lithuania, there were not above one or two Catholicks,' as he calls them, 'besides the bishops.'
Yea, among the bishops themselves, some were come off to the reformed churches, amongst whom Georgius Petro- vicius, bishop of Sarmogitia, is reckoned by Diatericus, Chron. p. 49.
Yea, and so far had the gospel influenced those nations, that in the year 1542, upon the death of king Sigismund the second, during the interregnum, a decree was made in par- liament with general consent, that no prejudice should arise to any for the protestant religion ; but that a firm union should be between the persons of both religions. Popish and Protestant. And that whosoever was chosen king, should take an oath to preserve this union, and the liberty of the Protestant religion. (Sarricius. Annal. Pol. lib. 8. p. 403.)
And when ''Henr)^ duke of Anjou, brother to Charles the ninth, king of France, was elected king of Poland (being then a man of great esteem in the world, for the wars which in France he had managed for the Papists against the Prince of Conde, and the never enough magnified ''Gasper Coligni, being also consenting at least, to the barbarous massacre of the Protestants in that nation), and coming to the church where he was to be crowned, by the advice of the clergy, would have avoided the oath of preserving the Protestants, and keeping peace between the dissenters in religion j John Shirli, Palatine of Cracovia, took up the crown, and making ready to go away with it out of the convention, cried out,
^ Profecto illis temporibus res catliolicorum fere deplorataerat ; cum in amplissi- mo senatu vix unus aut alter proeter Episcopos repcriebatur. Casper Cicovius Canon, et Parock. Sardom. Alloquia.
<= Neque vero hoc juranienluin pro tuenda pace evangelica prajslitisset, nisi euni Johannes Shirli Palatiiius Cracoviensis, vir pienus zeii et niagns cum potentia autho- ritatis, adegisset ; fertnr cnim cum rex Henricus jam coronaiidus esset nee paccni inter dissidentes se conservaturum jurasset, sed sileiitio illudere vellet, acceptaquas regi turn praferebalur corona, exituni ex tcn)plo parasse, et in ha?c prorupisse verba, si non jurabis non regnabis. Hist. Eccles. Slavon. Regenvol. lib. 1. p. 92.
•^ Condreo succedit Colignius, vir natalibus et militia clarus, qui nisi regi suo mo- veret bellum, dissidii fomes et caput, virtutis heroicas exemplar erat, supra antiquos duces, quos niirata est Griecia, quos Roma extulit. Gramond. Histor. Gal. lib. 6.
VOL. VIII. I)
XXXIV THE PREFACE TO THE RBADEU.
* Si non jurabis non regnabis : if you will not swear you shall not reign ;' and thereby compelled him to take the oath agreed upon.
This progress, I say, had the doctrine of the gospel made in those nations, so considerable a portion of the body of the people were won over to the belief of it, when, through the craft and subtlety of the old enemy of the propagation thereof, this apostacy of some to Treithism, as Georgius Pauli; of some to Arianisra, as ErasmusJohannes; of some to Photinianism, as Statorius Blandrata ; some to Judaism, as Sidelius, of whom afterward ; the foundation of the whole building was loosened; and, instead of a progress, the re- ligion has gone backwards almost constantly to this day. When this difference first fell out, the 'Papists not once moved a mouth, or pen for a long time, against the broachers of all the blasphemies mentioned, hoping that by the breaches made by them on the reformed churclifis, they should at length be able to triumph over both. .For which end, in their disputes since with Protestants, they have striven to make advantage of the apostacy of many of those who had pretended to plead against the Papacy, in behalf of the reformed churches, and afterward turned Antitrinitarians : as I remember it is particularly insisted on in an English treatise which I saw many years ago, called Micheus, the converted Jew : and indeed it is supposed, that both '^Paulus Alciatus and Ochinus turned Mahometans.
Having thus then disturbed the carrying on of the re- formation, many ministers and churches falling off to Tri- theism and Samosatenianism, they laid the foundation of their meeting at Racovia, from which place they have been most known since, and taken notice of in the world. The first foundation of what they call the church in that place, was made by a confluence of strangers out of ^Bohemia and
« Quid interea bonus ille Hosus Cardinalis cum suis Catliolicis? Nenipe ridcre suavitcr, et quasi ista nihil ad ipsos pcrtiiu'rei't, aliud quidvis agere, inio etiam nos- Iros uiidiqiic, ad extlngucnduiu lioc inceiidiuin accurcnles, probrosis libellis arcessere. Bez. Ep.8l.
f Cum Gentilis de Paulo Alciato sodali suo rogaretur, factus estinquit Maliome- tanus. Beza. Epist. ubi supra.
e Erant alii quoquc Antitriuitarii sectre Anabaptistica; per Bohsemiam et Mora- viaui lotigc lateque serpcntis scctatnrcs, qui absurdam illam bonorum comniunioncui, obscrvaturi ultro abjectis suis conditionibus Racoviam se contulerunt. Novaai Hicru ■ salem ibi loci exlriicturi,(ut aiebaiit) ad banc ineptain societatem plurinios invitnbant Bobiics, &ic, Regun. lib. 1. p. 90.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXXV
Moravia, with some Polonians, known only by the name of Anabaptists, but professing a community of goods, and a setting up of the kingdom of Christ ; calling Racovia, where they met, the New Jerusalem, or at least professing, that there they intended to build and establish the New Jerusalem, with other fanatical follies, which Satan hath revived in per- sons not unlike them, and caused to be acted over again in the days wherein we live ; though for the most part, with less appearance of holiness and integrity of conversation than in them who went before.
The leaders of these men who called themselves their ministers, were GregoriusPauli, and Daniel Bielenscius; of whom Bielenscius afterward recanted, and '^Gregorius Pauli being utterly wearied, ran away from them, as from a hard service.
And as Faustus Socinus tells us in his preface to his answer to Palseologus, in his old age left off all study, and betook himself to other employments : such were the persons by whom this stir began.
This Gregorius Pauli, 'Schlusselburgius very ignorantly affirms to have been the head of the Antitrinitarians, and their captain, when he was a mere common trooper amongst them, and followed after others, running away betimes : an enthusiastical, antimagistratical heretic, pleading for com- munity of goods. But this Gregory had said, that Luther did but the least part of the work, for the destruction of antichrist ; and thence is the anger of Doctor Cunradus, who every where shews himself as zealous of the honour of Luther, as of Jesus Christ. So was the man, who had some divinity, but scarce any Latin at all.
Be pleased now to take a brief view of the state of these men, before the coming of Faustus Socinus into Poland and Transylvania ; both those nations, after the death of Sigis- mund the second, being in the power of the same family of the Bathori. Of those who professed the reformed religion,
'i Quid commeinorem aniniosi illius Gregorii Pauli insalufato suo grege fugam, Bez.
'Novi istiAriani exorti sunt in Polonia, Lithuania, et ipsa nimirum Transylvania, ac eorum caput et ducem se prolitetur Gregorius Pauli minister Ecclesiffi Racovien- sis, homo impius, arabitiosus, et in blaspheniiis eft'utiendis plane eft'rsnis ; et ila quidera jactabuiidus, ut adscribere sibi, cum aliis Arianis, non vereatur excisionem anticliristi ; et ejusdera extirpationeni ab imis fundanicntis : Lutlierura enira vix minimain partem revelationis autichristi reliquisse ; Schluftelburgh, de Antitri. p. 3.
p 2
XXXVl THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
and were fallen from the Papacy, there were three sorts ; Lutherans, and Calvinists, and the united brethren ; which last were originally Bohemian exiles ; but, professing and practising a more strict way of church order and fellowship than the other, had very many of the nobility of Poland, and the people joined to their connnunion. The two latter agreed in all points of doctrine, and at length came in sundry meet- ings and Synods to a fair agreement and correspondency, forbearing one another, wherein they could not concur in judgment. Now as these grew up to union amongst them- selves, the mixed multitude of several nations that had joined themselves with them in their departure out of Egypt, fell a lusting after the abominations mentioned ; and either with- drew themselves, or were thrown out from their communion.
At first there were almost as many minds as men amongst them : the tessera of their agreement among themselves, being purely opposition to the Trinity, upon what principles soever; had a man learned to blaspheme the Holy Trinity, were it on Photinian, Arian, Sabellian, yea, Mahometan, or Judaical principles, he Vv'as a companion and brother amongst them. To this, the most of them added Anabaptism, with the necessity of it, and among the Papists were known by no other name. That they opposed the Trinity, that they consented not to the reformed churches, was their religion : for Pelagianism, afterward introduced by Socinus, there was little or no mention among them. In this estate, divided amongst themselves, notwithstanding some attempts in their Synods (for Synods they had) to keep a kind of peace in all their diversities of opinions, spending their time in dis- putes and quarrellings, were they when Faustus Socinus came into Poland, who at length brought them into the condition wherein they are, by the means and ways that shall be far- ther insisted on.
And this state of things, considering how not unlike the condition of multitudes of men is thereunto in these nations wherein we live, hath oftentimes made me fear, that if Satan should put it into tiu- heart of any person of learning and ability, to serve his Inst and ambition with craft, wisdom, and diligence, it were not impossible for him to gather the dispersed, and divided opinionatists of our days to a consent in some such body of religion, as that which Socinus framed
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXXVll
for the Polonians. But of him, his person, and labours, by what ways and means he attained his end, it may not be un- acceptable from his own, and friends' writings to give some farther account.
That Faustius Socinus, of Sene, was born of a good and ancient family, famous for their skill in the law, in the month of December, in the year 1539 ; that he lived in his own country, until he was about the age of twenty years. That then leaving his country after his uncle Laslius, he went to Leyden, and lived there three years. That then upon the death of his uncle, having got his books, he returned into Italy, and lived in the court of the great duke of Tuscany twelve years; about the close of which time he wrote his bookinltalian, 'de AuthoritateSacraeScripturse.' Thatleav- ing his country he came to Basil, in Switzerland, and abode there three years, and somewhat more, are things commonly known, and so little to our purpose, that I shall not insist upon them.
All the vv'hile he was at Basil, and about Germany, he kept his opinions much to himself, being*" intent upon the study of his uncle Leelius's notes, as the Polonian gentleman who wrote his life confesseth: whereunto he added the dia- logues of Bernard us Ochinus, as himself acknowledgeth, which, about that time were turned into Latin by' Castellio, as he professed, to get money by his labour to live upon (though'" he pleads that he read Ochinus's dialogues in Poland, and as it seems not before); and from thence he was esteemed to have taken his doctrine of the mediation of Christ.
The papers of his uncle Lselius, of which himself often makes mention, were principally his comment upon the first chapter of St. John, and some notes upon sundry texts of Scripture, giving testimony to the Deity of Christ ; among
^ Illic sollidura trlennium quod excnrrit theologia; studio incubuit, paucissimis Lselii patrui scriptis et pluribus ab iis relictis notis multum adjutus est. Vita Fausti Socini.
' Bernardini Ocliini Dialogos transtuli, non ut judex, sed ut translator; etexejus- modi opera ad alendani familiam quffistuiu facere solitus. Castel. Apol.
m Illud certissiinuin est, Gregoriura Zarnovecium ministruin ut vocant evangelicum qui nomiualini ad versus disputationem meara de Jesu Christo Salvatore libellum Po- lonice edidit, in ejus praefatione asserit, me ex Ochini dialogis annis ab hinc circiter trigiiita quiiique editis sentetitiam iiiius nieoe disputationis accepisse, nam certe in Dialogis illis, quorum non pauca exempla jaradiu in ipsa Polonia niihi videre con- tigit,&c. Faust. Socin. Episf. ad Martinum Vadovituni Acad. Craco. Professorera.
XXXVIU THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
which Faustus extols that abominable corruption of John viii. 58. of which afterward 1 shall speak at large. Socin. Respon. ad Eras. Johan. His comment on the first of John, "Beza tells us, is the most depraved and corrupt that ever was put forth ; its author having outgone all that went before him in depraving that portion of Scrip- ture.
The comment itself is published by Junius, ' in defensione sanctffi Trinitatis,' and confuted by him ; and Zanchius, at large, 'de tribus Elohim. lib. 6. cap. 2.etdeinceps;' Faustus varying something from his uncle in the carrying on of the same design.
His book, * de Jesu Christo servatore,' he wrote, as the au- thor of his life assures us, whilst he was in, and about Basil ; as also many passages in his epistles and other writings ma- nifest.
Aboufthe year 1575, he began it, which he finished about the year 1578; although the book was not printed till the year 1594. For, upon the divulging of it (he then living at Cracovia), a tumult was raised against him by the unruly and disorderly students, wherein he was dragged up and down, and beaten, and hardly escaped with his life; which inhuman precedence he expostulates at large in an epistle to Martin Vaidovita, a professor of the university, by whose means he was delivered from being murdered. But this fell out in the year 1598, as is evident from the date of that epistle, four years after the book was printed.
The book is written against one Covet, whom I know by nothing else, but what of his disputes with Socinus is by him published. Socinus confesseth that he was a^ learned man, and in repute for learning. And, indeed, if we may take an estimate of the man from the little that is there delivered of him, he was a godly, honest, and very learned man, and spake
" Lrelius in Samosafcni paries clam traiisiit; verbo Dei lit ex quodam ejus scripto nunc liquet adeo veteralorie ct plane veisutc depravato, ac pripsertini prinio cvan- gelii Joliann. capitc, ut niilii quidcm vidcatur ouines ejus coiruptorcs superasse. BezaKpist. 81.
o Cum Basiliae degeret ad annum usque 1575 dum lumen sibi exortum, ad alios propagarc studet, ab ainicis ad alienos sensim dllapso disserendi argumento, dispu- tationeni de Jesu Chrislo Servatore ore priniura intlioataiu, postca scripto coiupiex- us est : cui anno 1578 suramam nianum iniposuit. Eques I'oloii. \'ita Socin.
P Et sane niirum est cum bonis Uteris ut audio, et ex sermone queni simul lia- buiraus conjicere, atque ex tuis scriptis pofui sisadmodum ex cultus te id iion vidissc. Socin. de Senratore, 1. 1. part 1. c. 10.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. XXXIX
as much iu the cause as might be expected, or was needful before farther opposition was made to the truth he did de- fend. Of all the books of him concerning whom we speak, thishis disputation ' de Jesu Christo Servatore' is written with the greatest strength, subtlety, and plausibility ; neither is any thing said afterward by himself, or the rest of his follow- ers, that is not comprised in it. Of this book he was wont afterward toi boast, as Crellius informs us, and to say, 'that if he might have some excellent adversary to deal withal upon the point, he then would shew what could farther be spoken of the subject.'
This book at its first coming out, was confuted by Gre- gorius Zarnovecius (as Socinus testifies in his epistle to Vadovita) in the Polonian language, which was afterward translated into Latin by Conradus Huberus, and printed at Franeker, an. 1618. Also, by one Otho Casmannus ; and thirdly, at large, by Sibrandus Lubbertus, anno 1611 ; who, together with his refutation, printed the whole book itself: I hope to no disadvantage of the truth, though a late apos- tate to Rome, whom we called here "^Hugh Cressey, but is lately commenced B. Serenus Cressey, a priest of the order of Benedict, and who would have been even a Carthusian, (such high honour did the man aim at) tells us, that some of his scholars procured him to do it, that so they might get the book itself in their hands. But the book will speak for itself with indifferent readers, and for its clearness is extolled by^ Vossius. Generally, all that have since written of that subject, in theses, commonplaces, lectures, comments, pro- fessed controversies, have made that book the ground of their procedure.
One is not to be omitted, which is in the hands of all those who inquire into these things, or think that they are concerned in the knowledge of them : this is Grotius's * Defensio fidei catholicse de satisfactione Christi, adversus Faustum SocinumSenensem.' Immediately upon the coming- out of that book, animadversions were put forth against it
1 Audiviraus ex iis qui famiiiariter ipso sunt usi, cum significasse, sicut turn jacla- batur, excellens sibi si contingeret adversarius, qui librum de Jesu Christo servatore adoriretur, tuin demum se totum hoc arguraentum ab origine explicaturum. Crelli. Prsefat. Respon. ad Grot. p. 12.
•■ Exoniologesis of Hugh Paulin de Cressey, &c.
» Postluculeutas Sibrandi Luberti commentationes adversum Socinum cditas Vos. resp. ad judicium Ravcnsp.
xl THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
by Harmannus Ravenspergerus, approved, as' it seems, by *our doctor Prideaux.
The truth is, those animadversions of Ravenspergerus are many of them slight, and in sundry things he was mis- taken, whereby his endeavours were easily eluded by the learned Vossius," in his vindication of Grotius against hira. Not that the dissertation of Grotius is free from being liable to many and just exceptions, partly in things v.lierein he was mistaken, partly wherein he failed in what he undertook (v.'hereby many young students are deluded, as ere long may be manifested); but that his antagonist had not well laid his action, nor did pursue it with any skill.
However, the interpretations of Scripture, given therein by that learned man, will rise up in judgment against many of the annotations, which in his after-comments on the Scripture he hath divulged. His book was at length an- swered by Crellius, the successor of Valentinus Smalcius, in the school and society of Racovia ; after which Grotius lived about twenty years, and never attempted any reply. Hereupon it has been generally concluded, that the man was wrought over to drink in that, which he had before published to be the" most destructive poison of the church ; the be- lief whereof was exceedingly increased and cherished by an epistle of his to Crellius, who had subtilely managed the man, according to his desire of honour and regard, and by his annotations, of which we shall have cause to speak after- ward. That book of Crellius has since been at large con- futed byy Essenius, and enervated by a learned and ingenuous author in his 'Specimen refutationis Crellii de Satisfactions Christi ;' published about the same time with the well-de- serving labour of Essenius, in the year 1648.
Most of the arguments and sophisms of Socinus about this business are refuted and dissolved by David Parous, in his comment on the Romans, not mentioning the name of him, whose objections they were.
About the year 1608, Michael Gitichius gathered to- gether the sum of what is argumentative in that book of
'In eosdeniexercuitstylum ut Socinianismi suspicioncm amoliretur Hugo Grotius, sed praevaricantem aliquotics vellicat in censura, Ravenspergerus. Prideaux lecti. dc justificaiione.
" Vossii rcspon. ad judicium Ravensperger.
* Praeseiitissiiimni ccclcsia; vencnuiu. >' 'J'riumpiuis Crucis Auforc AikI. Essen.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. xU
Socinns, against the satisfaction of Christ, which was an- swered by^ Ludovicus Lucius, professor then at Hamburgh, and the reply of Gitichius, confuted and removed out of the way by the same hand. In that brief rescript of Lucius, there is a clear attempt to the enervating of the whole book of Socinus, and that with good success, byway of a logical and scholastical procedure. Only I cannot but profess my sorrow, that having in his first answer laid that solid founda- tion of the necessity of the satisfaction of Christ, from the eternal nature and justice of God, whereby it is absolutely impossible, that upon the consideration and supposition of sin committed, it should be pardoned without a due com- pensation ; in his rejoinder to the reply of Gitichius, he closes with a commonly known expression of Augustine: 'That" God could, if he would, have delivered us without sa- tisfaction, but he would not.' So casting down the most stable and unmoveable pillar of that doctrine, which he so dexterously built up, in spite of its adversaries.
I dare boldly acquaint the younger students in these weighty points of the religion of Jesus Christ, that the truth of this one particular, concerning the eternal justice of God, indispensably requiring the punishment of sin, being well established (for which end they have not only the consent, but the arguments of almost all who have handled these controversies with skill and success), will securely carry them through all the sophisms of the adversaries, and cut all the knots, which with so much subtlety they endeavour to tie, and cast upon the doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ, as I have in part' elsewhere demonstrated. From this book did also Smalcius take the whole of what he has de- livered about the death of Christ in his Racovian catechism, not adding any thing at all of his own ; which cc.techisra as it was heretofore confuted by Frederick Bauldvvinus, by order of the university of Wittenburgh, and is by several par- cels by many removed out of the way, especially by Altin- gius, and Maccovius; so of late it is wholly answered by
^ De gravisslma quajstione iitrum Christus pro peccatis nostris justitiae divinae satisfecerit necne ? scliolastica disputatio.
a Gitichio itaqiie de absohitaDei potentia seu potestate (de qua nulla nobis du- bitatio) inaniter blaterantt, elegantissimis Augustini verbis respondeo, Omnia Deus potuit si voiuisset, &;c. Lucius ad Gitich. p. 110.
'' Diatrib. de justit. Divin. Viud.
xlii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
'^Nicholaus Arnoldus, now professor at Franeker, which coming lately to my hands prevented me from proceeding to a just, orderly refutation of the whole, as I was intended to do, although I hope the reader will not find any thing of im- portance therein omitted.
To close the story of this book of Socinus, and the pro- gress it hath made in the world. This I dare assure them, who are less exercised in these studies, that tliough the whole of the treatise have at first view a very plausible pretence and appearance, yet there is a line of sophistry running through it, which being once discovered (as indeed it may be easily felt) with the help of some few principles, the whole fabric of it will fall to the ground, and appear as weak and con- temptible a piece, as any we have to deal withal in that war- fare, which is to be undertaken for the truths of the gospel. This also I cannot omit, as to the rise of this abomination of denying the satisfaction of Christ; that as it seems to have been first invented by the Pelagians, so in after ages, it was vented by Petrus Abailardus, professor of philosophy at Paris; of whom Bernard, who wrote against him, saith ; * Habemusin Francia novum de vetere magistro Theologum, qui ab ineunte oetate sua in arte lusit dialectica, et nunc in scripturis Sanctis insanit.' And in his'' epistle (which is to pope Innocent) about him, he strongly confutes his imagi- nations about this very business, whereupon he was con- demned in a^ council at Rome, held by the same Innocent.
This part of our faith being of so great weight and im- portance, the great basis and foundation of the church, you will find it at large insisted on and vindicated, in the en- suing treatise.
The*^ author of the life of Socinus tells us (as he himself also gives in the information), that whilst he abode about Switzerland, at Basil, and Tiguri, he had a dispute with Puccius, which also is since published : this was before his going into Poland, in the year 1578.
The story of this Puccius, because it may be of some use, as to the present estate of the minds of many in the things of God, I shall briefly give from Socinus himself;
<= Religio Sociniani icfiitata. <• Bernard. Epist. 190.
" Baroni. ad ann. 1140. f Aliam interim cutii Francisco Puccio incuntc. an. 1578. Tiguri confecil. Vi^^ Fausti Socin.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. xliil
(Epist. 3. ad Matt. Radec) and that as a tremendous ex- ample of the righteous judgment of God, giving up a per- son of a light unstable spirit to fearful delusions, with a desperate issue. Originally^ he was a merchant, of a good and noble family ; but leaving his profession he betook himself to study, and for his advantage therein came hither to'' Oxford. After he had stayed here until he began to vent some paradoxes in religion, about the year 1565 (being not able here to prevail with any to close with him), he went to Basil, where there was a dispute between him and Socinus before-mentioned ; in the issue whereof, they both professed, that they could agree in nothing in religion, but, that there was a God that made the world. At Basil he maintained universal redemption, and a natural faith, as they then termed it; or an innate power of believing without the effi- cacy of the grace of God ; for which he was compelled thence to depart ; which doing he returned again into Eng- land ; where, upon the same account he was cast into pri- son for a season; thence being released, he went into Hol- land ; from whence by letters he challenged Socinus to dis- pute, and went one thousand miles (viz. to Cracovia ia Po- land) afterward, to make it good. After some disputes there (both parties condescending to them on very ridicu- lous conditions), Socinus seeming to prevail, by having most friends among the judges, as the other professed, he stayed there awhile, and wrote a book, which he styled the ' Shut Bible, and of Elias ;' wherein he laboured to deny all ordinances, ministry, and preaching, until Elias should come and restore all things. His reason was taken from the defection and apostacy of the church ; wherein, said he, all truth and order w^as lost, the state of the church beino; not again to be recovered, unless some with apostolical au- thority and power of working miracles were immediately- sent of God for that purpose. How far this persuasion hath prevailed with some in our days, we all know and lament. Puccius at length begins to fancy, that he shall himself be employed in this great restoration, that is to be made of the church by immediate mission from God. Whilst he was in
g Ex nobili adraodam familia, qu?e etiam tres Cardinales habuit, natus, merca- tura relicta se totuni sacrarura literarum studio tradidit.
•> Quod utcoiuinodius facere posset in Angliam se contulit, ibique in Oxoniensi Gjmnasio aliquandiu se exercuit, »kc.
xliV THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
expectation of his call hereunto, there comes two English- men into Poland ; men pretending discourse with angels and revelations from God ; one of them was the chief at revela- tions (their names 1 cannot learn), the other gave out what he received, in his daily converse with angels, and words he heard from God, about the destruction of all the present frame of the worship of God. To these men Puccius joined liimself, and followed them to Prague in Bohemia, though his friends dealt with him to the contrary, assuring him, that one of his companions was a mountebank, and the other a magician; but,_being full of his^former persuasions, of the ceasing of all ordinances and institutions, with the necessity of their restitution by immediate revelation from God, hav- ing got companions fit to harden him in his folly and pre- sumption, he scorned all advice and away he went to Prague. No sooner came he thither, but his prophet had a revelation by an angel, that Puccius must become Papist; his cheating companion having never been otherwise. Ac- cordingly he turns Papist, begs pardon publicly for his de- serting the Roman church, is reconciled by a priest; in whose society, after he had awhile continued and laboured to pervert others to the same superstition with himself, he died a desperate magician. Have none in our days been led in the like maze ? hath not Satan led some in the same circle, setting out from superstition to profaneness, pass- ing through some zeal and earnestness in religion, rising to a contemptof ministry and ordinances, with an expectation of revelations, and communion with angels ? And how many have again sunk down into popery, atheism, and hor- rible abominations, is known to all in this nation, who think it their duty to inquire into the things of God. I have given this instance, only to manifest that the old enemy of our salvation is not playing any new game of deceit and temptation, but such as he hath successfully acted in former generations. Let not us be ignorant of his deceits.
By the way a little farther to take in the consideration of men like minded with him, last mentioned. Of those who denied all ordinances, and maintained such an utter loss, and defection of all church, state, and order, that it was impossible it should be restored without new apostles, evidencing their ministry by miracles, this was commonly
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. xlv
the issue ; that being pressed with this, that there was no- thing needful to constitute a church of Christ, but that there were a company of men believing in Jesus Christ, receiving the word of God, and taking it for their rule ; they denied that indeed now there was, or could be any faith in Jesus Christ, the ministers that should beget it being utterly ceased ; and therefore, it was advisable for men to serve God, to live justly, and honestly, according to the dictates of the law of nature, and to omit all thoughts of Christ, be- yond an expectation of his sending persons hereafter, to acquaint the world again with his worship.
• That this was the judgment of' Math. Radecius, his ho noured friend Socinus informs us ; though he mollifies his expression, p. 123. ascribing it to others ; whether many in our days are not insensibly fallen into the same abomina- tions a little time will discover. The main of the plea of the men of this persuasion in those days, was taken from the example of the Israelites under that idolatrous apostacy, wherein they were engaged by Jeroboam. In the days of Elijah there were, said they, seven thousand who joined not with the residue in their false worship and idolatry ; but yet they never went about to gather, constitute, and set up a new church, or churclies ; but remained in their scat- tered condition, keeping themselves as they could from the abominations of their brethren ; not considering that there is not the same reason of the Judaical and Christian churches ; in that the carrying on of the worship of God among them, was annexed to one tribe, yea to one family in that tribe, chiefly tied to one certain place, no public in- stituted worship, such as was to be the bond of communion for the church, being acceptable, that was not performed by those persons, in that place. So that it was utterly impos- sible for the godly in Israel then, or the ten tribes to set up a new church state, seeing they neither had the persons, nor were possessed of the place, without which no such constitu- tion was acceptable to God ; as being not of his appointment. Under the gospel it is not so ; neither as to the one or other. All places being now alike, and all persons who are enabled thereunto, having liberty to preach the word, in the order by Christ appointed, the erecting of churches, and the
* Epist. nd Radec. 3. p. 87. 119.
Xlvi THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
celebration of ordinances, is recoverable according to the mind of God, out of the greatest defection imaginable, whilst unto any persons there is a continuance of the word and Spirit.
But to proceed with Socinus. Blandrata having got a great interest in the king of Poland, and prince of Transyl- vania, as hath been declared, and making it his business to promote the Antitrinitarians, of what sort soever, being in Transylvania, where the men of his own abomination were exceedingly divided about the invocation and adoration of Jesus Christ, Franciscus David carrying all before him, in an opposition thereunto (of which whole business I shall give a farther account afterward), he sends for"^ Socinus, who was known to them, and from his dealing with Puccius be- gan to be famed for a disputant, to come to him into Tran- sylvania, to dispute with, and confute Franciscus David, in the end of the year 1578; where what success his dispute had, in the imprisonment and death of David, shall be af- terward related.
Being now fallen upon this controversy, which fell out before Faustus's going into Poland, before I proceed to his work and business there, I shall give a brief account of this business which I have now mentioned, and on which occa- sion he was sent for by Blandrata into Poland ; referring the most considerable disputes he had about that difference to that place in the ensuing treatise, where I shall treat of the invocation and worship of Christ.
After w^ay was once made in the minds of men, for the farther work of Satan, by denying the Deity of our blessed Lord Jesus ; very many quickly grew to have more con- temptible thoughts of him, than those seemed to be willing they should, from whose principles they professed (and in- deed righteously) that their mean esteem of him did arise. Hence Franciscus David, Georgius Enjedinus, Christianus Franken, and sundry others, denied that Christ was to be worshipped, with religious worship, or that he might be in- vocated, and called upon. Against these Socinus indeed
'' Multiim ilia teinpestate turbarum dcderat TransylvaTiicis Ecclesiis Fiancisci Davidis ct reliquoruni de honore ac ])Otcstate Cliristi o()inio ; cui nialo reiiK-dium qujetens Georgius Blandrata Socinum Basiliae evocavit (Anno 1578). Ut pra^cipuura faclionis diiceni Franciscuin Davidein, a taiii turpi ct pernicioso errore abstralicrct. "V^ita Faust. Socia.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER, xlvii
contended with all his might, professing that he would not account such as Christians, who would not allow that Christ might be invocated, and was to be worshipped ; which that he was to be, he proved by undeniable testimonies of Scrip- ture. But yet when himself came to answer their arguments, whereby they endeavoured to prove, that a mere man (such as on both sides they acknowledged Christ to be) might not be worshipped with religious worship, or divine adora- tion, the man with all his craft and subtleties was entangled, utterly confounded, silenced, slain with his own weapons, and triumphed over, as I shall afterward manifest, in the account which I shall give of the disputation between him and Christianus Franken about this business. God in l}is righteous judgment so ordering things, that he who would not embrace the truth, which he ought to have received, should not be able to maintain and defend that truth which he did receive ; for having what in him laid digged up the only foundation of the religious worship and adoration of Christ, he was altogether unable to keep the building up- right ; nor did this fall out for want of ability in the man, no man under heaven being able on his false hypothesis, to maintain the worship of Christ ; but, as was said, merely by the just hand of God, giving him up to be punished by his own errors and darkness.
Being hardened in the contempt of Christ by the suc- cess they had against Socinus and his followers, with whom they conversed and disputed, some of the men before-men- tioned, stayed not with him at the affirming of him to be a mere man, nor yet were they began, building on that suppo- sition, that he was not to be worshipped, but proceeded yet farther, and affirmed, that he was indeed a good man, and sent of God, but yet he spake not by the spirit of prophesy ; but so, as that whatever was spoken by him, and written by his apostles, was to be examined by Moses and the pro- phets, whereto if it did not agree, it was to be rejected : which was the sum of the ''first and second theses of Fran-
■' Homo ille Jes. Nazarenus qui Christus appellatur, non per spirituiii propheti- cura, sed per Spiritum sanctum locutus est ; id est, quamvis a Deo legatus fuerit, non tamen quaecunque verba ex ipsius Dei ore provenisse censenda sunt. 2. Hinc fit ut illius et apostolorum ejus verba, ad Mosaicaj legis et aliorum propheticorum oraculo- rum noriuam expendenda sint, et siquid contrarium vel diversum ab bis in illis repe- litur, aiit reperiri, videtur, id aut rejicicndura, aut certe ita interpretandum sit, ut
xlviii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
ciscus David, in opposition to which ^Socinus gave in his judgment in certain antitheses to Christopher Barthorseus, prince of Transylvania ; who had then cast David into pri- son for his blasphemy.
To give a little account by the way, of the end of this man, with his contempt of the Lord Jesus.
In"' the year 1579, in the beginning of the month of June, he was cast into prison by the prince of Transylvania, and lived until the end of November. That he w'as cast into prison by the instigation of Socinus himself and Blandrata, the testimonies are beyond exception : for this is not only recorded by Bellarmine and others of the Papists, to whose assertions concerning any adversary with whom they have to do, I confess much credit is not to be given, but by others also of unquestionable authority." This indeed" Socinus denies, and would willingly impose the odium of it upon others ; but the truth is, considering the keenness and wrath of the man's spirit, and the 'thoughts he had of this miserable wretch, it is more than probable, that he w'as in- strumental towards his death. The like apology does'! Smalcius make in his answer to Franzius about the carriage of the Saraosatenians in that business of Franciscus David, where they accused one another of craft, treachery, bloody
cum Mbsis et Prophetaruni doctrina consentiat quae sola raorum et divini cuilus regula est.
1 Theses quibus Francisci Davidis sententia de Christi niunere explicatur una cum antiihcsibusEcclesiffi a Socino couscripiis, et illustrissimoTransjlvanise Principi Christophero Banliorao oblatis.
•" Cerium est ilium in ipso initio mensis Jiinii carceri inclusiun fuisse, et vixisse usque, ad mensem Noverabris, nisi vebementer fallor, quo extinctus est. Socin. ad Wiek. cap. 2. p. 44.
n lllud vero notandiim.quod procurantibus Georgio Blandrata etFausto Sncino, in Transylvania exbnlibus, Franciscus David raorti traditus fuit. Adrian. Regcn. Ilisto. Ecclcs. Slavonlca, lib. 1. p. 90.
o Quod si Wiekus intciiigit damnandi veibo noslros niiuistros ccnsuisse ilium aliqua poena aflicicndum, aut vult fallere, aut cgregie faliilur : nam certum est, in judicio illo, cum minister quidam Calvinianus Cliristopliero Principi, qui toti action! interfuit, et pra'fuit, satis longa oratione pcrsu?.siss( I, ut tulcin iiominein e medio tolleret, minilans iram Dei nisi id fecissct, ministros noslros proprius ad ipsum prin- cipem accedentes, rcvcrenter illi suppiicasse, ut miseri hominis misereri veliet, et clementcm et benignum sc crga ilium pra^bere. Socin. ad Wiekum. cap. 2. p. 47.
P Imo plusquam lia'reticum eum (Ecclesiai nostra-) jndicaverunt, nam talern ho- niinem indignum Cliristiano nomine esse dixerunt; quippc qui Cbristo iuvocationis cultum prorsHs dctralicndo, et cum curam Ecclcsiiu gerere negando. simul reipsa negaret eum esse Christum, idem ubi supra.
'I Exemplum dcniquc aft'ert nostrorum (Tbes. 108.) quomodo sc gessermt in Transylvania, in negotio Francisci Davidis : quomodo scmclipsos in actu illo inter se reo3 ajant valricia;, crudelitatis sanguinaria', proditionis, &c. Smalcius. Refula. Tbcs. do Hjpocrit. disput. 9. p. 298.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. xlix
cruelty, treason. Being cast into prison the miserable creature fell into a 'frenetical distemper through the re- venging hand of God upon him, as Socinus confesseth him- self. In this miserable condition the devil (saith the histo- rian) appeared unto him ; whereupon he cried out, ^ ' Behold who expect me their companion in my journey ;' whether really, or in his vexed distempered imagination, disordered by his despairing mind, I determine not; but most certain it is, that in that condition he expired : not' in the year 1580, as Bellarmine, Weike, Rsemundus, and some of ours from them, inform us, but one year sooner, as he assures us who best knew. And the consideration of this man's des- perate apostacy and his companions, might be one cause that about this time, sundry of the Antitrinitarians were converted ; amongst whom was " Daniel Bielenscius, a man afterward of good esteem.
But neither yet did Satan stop here, but improved the advantage given him by these men, to the utter denying of Jesus Christ : for unto the principle of Christ's being not God, adding another of the same nature, that the prophecies of the Old Testament were all concerning temporal things ; some amongst them at length concluded, that there was no promise of any such person as Jesus Christ in the whole Old Testament. That the Messiah or King promised, was only a king promised to the Jews, that they should have after the captivity, in case they did not offend, but walk with God. " ' The kingdom,' say they, 'promised in the Old
' De Phrenesi ista in quam inciderit, aliquid sane auditum est, non tantum biduo ante mortem sed pluribus diebus. Socin. ubi supra.
8 Ecce qui me comiteni itineris expectant. Flor. Remund, lib. 4. cap. 12.
t Manifeste in eo sunt decepti, qui hoc An. 1580, accidisse scribunt, cum cer- tissiraum sit ea facta fuisse uno anno ante, hoc est, Anno 1579. Socinus : ad Weik. p. 44.
« Duces hujus agminis Anabaptistici, et Antitrinitarii erant Gregorius Paulas, Daniel Bielenscius, et alii, quorum tandem aliqui phanatico proposito relicto, ad ecclesiaiu evangelicam redierunt, ut Daniel Bielenscius, qui Cracovire omnium su- orum eorum publice pcenitentiam egit, ibidemque, ecclesiae Dei commode prajfuit : Adrian. Regenvol. Histor. Ecclesiae Slavonicee. lib. 1. p. 90.
^ Ita arguraentor, quoties regnum Davidi usque in seculum promissum est, tale necesse fuit, ut posteri ejus, in quibus ha;c promissio impleri debebat, liaberent : sed regnum mundanum Davidi usque in seculum promissum est, ergo regnum mnnda- num posteri Davidis ut haberent necesse est : et per consequens. Rex iile, quem Prophetse ex hac promissione post captivitatem Babylonicam regnaturum promise- runt, perinde ut cieteri posteri Davidis, mundanum regnum debuit habere. Quod quia Jesus iile non habuit, non enim regnavit ut David, et posteri ejus, sed dicitur habere coeleste regnum, quod est diversum a niundano regno, ergo Jesus iile non est Hex, quem Propheta? promiserunt. Martin. Seidelius Epist. I. ad Socinum.
VOL. VIII. E
I THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
Testament, is a kingdom of this world only ; but the king- dom which you assert to belong to Jesus of Nazareth, was a kingdom not of this world, a heavenly kingdom, and so consequently not promised of God, nor from God :' and therefore, with him they would not have ought to do. This was the argument of Martin Seidelius, in his epistle to So- cinus and his companions.
What advantage is given to the like blasphemous ima- ginations with this, by such Judaizing annotations on the Old Testament as those of Grotius, time will evidence. Now because this man's creed is such as is not to be paral- leled, perhaps some may be contented to take it in his own words, which are as followeth :
' Cseterumut sciatis cujas sim religionis,quamvis idscrip- to meo quod habetis, ostenderim,tamenhic breviter repetam. Et primum quidem doctrinade Messia, seu rege illo pro- misso, ad meam religionem nihil pertinet : nam Rex ille tan- tum Judffiis promissus erat, sicut et bona ilia Canaan. Sic etiam circumcisio, sacrificia, et reliquce ceremoniae Mosis ad me non pertinent, sed tantum populo Judaico promissa, data, et mandata sunt. Neque ista fuerunt cultus Dei apud Judasos, sed inserviebant cultui divino, et ad cultum divinum deducebant Judaeos. Verus autem cultus Dei quem meam religionem appello, est Decalogus : qui est seterna, etimmu- tabilis voluntas Dei ; qui Decalogus ideo ad me pertinet, quia etiam mihia Deodatus est, non quidem pervocem sonantera de coelo, sicut populo Judaico, at per creationem insita est raenti meas; quia autem insitus Decalogus, per corruptionem naturaj humange, et pravis consuetudinibus, aliqua ex parte obscuratus est, ideo ad illustrandum eum, adhibeo vocalem decalogum, qui vocalis decalogus, ideo etiam ad me, et ad omnes populos pertinet, quia cum insito nobis decalogo consentit, imo idem ille decalogus est. Hac est mea sen- tentia de Messia, seu rege illo promisso, et hsec est mea re- ligio, quam coram vobis ingenue profiteor.' Martin. Seidelius Olaviensis Silesius
To this issue did Satan drive the Socinian principles, in this man and sundry others : even to a full and peremptory denial of the Lord that bought them. In answering this man, it fell out with Socinus much as it did with him in his disputation with Franken, about the adoration and invo-
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. ll
cation of Jesus Christ; for granting Franken tliat Christ was but a mere man, he could no way evade his inference thence, that he was not to be invocated. So granting Sei- delius, that the promises of the Old Testament were all tem- poral ; he could not maintain against him, that Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is heavenly, was the King and Me- sias therein promised: for ^ Faustus hath nothing to reply, btit that God gives more than he promised, of which no man ought to complain. Not observing that the question being not about the faithfulness of God in his promises, but about the thing promised, he gave away the whole cause, and yielded that Christ was not indeed the King and Me- siah promised in the Old Testament.
Of an alike opinion to this of Seidelius, was he of whom we spake before, Franciscus David ; who, as to the kingdom of Christ, delivered himself to this purpose : 'That he was appointed to be a King of the Jews, and that God sent him into the world to receive his kingdom, which was to be earthly and civil, as the kingdoms of other kings : but the Jews rejected him, and slew him, contrary to the purpose of God, who therefore took him from them, and placed him in a quiet place, where he is not at all concerned in any of the things of the church, but is there in God's design a King, and he will one day send him again to Jerusalem, there to take upon him a kingdom, and to rule as the kings of this world do, or have done.' (Thes. Francisci David de adorat. Jes. Christi.)
The reminding of these abominations, gives occasion by the way to complain of the carnal apprehensions of a king- dom of Clirist, which too many amongst ourselves have filled their thoughts and expectations withal. For my part, I am persuaded that before the end of the world, the Lord Jesus, by his word and Spirit, will multiply the seed of Abra- ham as the stars of heaven, bringing into one fold the rem- nant of Israel, and the multitude of the Gentiles ; and that his church shall have peace after he hath judged and broken the stubborn adversaries thereof, and laid the kingdoms of
y Nam quod dicimus, si Deus mundanum regem niuiidanumque regnuro pro- misit, caBlestem autem regem, Cfeleste regnum reipsa prffistitit plus eura prasstitisse quam proraiserit, recte omnino dicimus, nam qui plus prsestat quam promisit, suis proraissis non modo non stetisse sed ea etiam cumulate praestitisse est agnoscendus. Socin. Epist. ad Seideliuni, p. 20.
E 2
lii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
the nations in a useful subserviency to his interest in this world ; and that himself will reign most gloriously, by a spirit of light, truth, love, and holiness, in the midst of them. But that he hath a king-dom of another nature and kind to set up in the world, than that heavenly kingdom which he hath peculiarly exercised ever since he was ex- alted and made a Ruler and a Saviour, that he should set up a dominion over men, as men, and rule either himself present or by his substitutes, as in a kingdom of this world, which is a kingdom neither of grace nor glory. I know it cannot be asserted, without either the denial of his kingdom for the present or that he is, or hitherto hath been, a king, which was the blasphemy of Franciscus David before-mentioned ; or the affirming that he hath, or is to have, upon the promise of God two kingdoms of several sorts, of which in the whole word of God there is not the least tittle.
To return. About the end of the year 1579, Faustus So- cinus left ^Transylvania, and went into Poland, which he chose for the stage whereon to act his design. In what es- tate and condition the persons in Poland and Lithuania were, who had fallen off from the faith of the Holy Trinity, was before declared. True *it is, that before the coming of So- cinus, Blandrata, by the help of Franciscus David had brought over many of them from Sabellianism, and Tritheism, and Arianism, unto Samosatenianism, and a full plain denial of the Deity of Christ.
But yet with that Pelagian doctrine, that Socinus came furnished withal unto them, they were utterly unacquainted; and were at no small difference many of them about the Deity. The condition of the first man to be mortal and ob- noxious to death, that there was no original sin, that Christ was not a high-priest on the earth, that he made no satisfac- tion for sin, that we are not justified by his righteousness, but our own, that the wicked shall be utterly consumed and annihilated at the last day, with the rest of his opinions, which afterward he divulged, they were utterly strangers
' Anno 1515, jam quadragcnarius niigravit in Poloniam. Vita Faust. Socin.
=' Extat apud me ipsius Blandrafa> cpistola.non tamen scripta sineThcseo (Stato- rio) si Blandratuni bene novi, in (jiia Grcfiorium Pauliiiii a Trithcisiiio ad Saniosateni dogma revocare nititiir. lucidit eniiii Ijlandrata in 'J'ransylvaniam rcdiens in fjuen- dain Franciscuni David, paulo niugis, qiiaiu buperiores illi ut aiiirit providuiu. Beza, Epjit. 81.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. liii
unto ; as is evident from the contests he had about these things with some of them in their synods, and by writing, especially with Nieraojevius, one of the chief patrons of their sect.
In this condition of affairs the man being wise and subtle, obtained his purpose by the ensuing course of pro- cedure.
He joined himself to none of their societies ; because, being divided amongst themselves, he knew that by ad- hering to any one professedly, he should engage all the rest against him. That which he pretended most to favour and for whose sake he underwent some contests, was the assem- bly at Racovia, which at first was collected by Gregorius Paulus, as hath been declared.
From these his pretence of abstaining, was their rigid injunction of all to be rebaptized, that entered into their fel- lowship and communion. But he who made it his design to gather the scattered Antitrinitarians into a body, and a consistency in a religion among themselves, saw plainly, that the rigid insisting upon Anabaptism, which was the first principle of some of them, would certainly keep them at an unreconcilable distance. Wherefore he falls upon an opi- nion much better suited to his design, and maintained, that baptism was only instituted for the initiation of them, who from any other false religion were turned to the religion of Christ; but that it belonged not to Christian societies, or to them that were born of Christian parents, and had never been of any other profession or religion, though they might use it, if they pleased, as an indifferent thing. And, there- fore, he refused to join himself with the Racovians, unless upon this principle, that they would desist for the time to come, from requiring any to be baptized that should join with them. In a short time he divided that meeting by this opinion, and at length utterly dissolved them, as to their old principles they first consented into, and built the remainder of them by the hand of Valentinus Smalcius into his own mould and frame.
The author ""of his life sets it forth, as a great trial of his
^ Ecclesiis Polonicis, qua3 soluni patrem Domini Jesu sumniumDeum agnoscuiit, ])ubllce adjungi arabivit, sed satis acerbe atque din repulsam passus est, qua tamen jgnoniinia iiiinime accensus, vir, non tam indole quaiii aninii instituto, ad patientiani coinpositus, nulla unquara alienati aiiirai vestigia dedit. V^ita Faust. Socin.
liv THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
prudence, piety, and patience, that he was repulsed from the society at Racovia, and that with ignominy ; when the truth is, he absolutely refused to join with them, unless they would at once renounce their own principles and subscribe to his, which is as hard a condition as can be put upon any perfectly conquered enemy. This himself delivers at large on sundry occasions, especially insisting on and debating that business in his epistles to Simon Ronembergius and to Sophia Siemichovia. On this score did he write his dispu- tation ' de baptismo aquas,' with the vindication of it from the animadversions of A. D. whom I suppose to be Andrew Dudithius, and of M. C. endeavouring with all his strength to prove that baptism is not an ordinance appointed for the use of Christians or their children, but only such as were converted from Paganism or Mahomedism : and this he did in the year 1580, two years after his coming into Poland, as he declares by the date of the disputation from Cracovia, at the close thereof. And in this persuasion he was so fixed, and laid such weight upon it, that after he had once before broken the assembly at Racovia, in his old days he encourages Valentinus Smalcius,'' then their teacher to break them again, because some of them tenaciously held their opinion; and for those, who, as Smalcius informed him, would there- upon fall off to the reformed churches, he bids them go, and a good riddance of them. By this means, I say, he utterly broke up, and divided and dissolved the meeting at Racovia, which was collected upon the principles before-mentioned, that there remained none abiding to their first engagement, but a few old women, as '^Squarcialupus tells him, and as himself confesses in his answer for them to ^Palseologus. By this course of behaviour, the man had these two advan-
« Nam quod mihi objicis me commiinionem cum fratribus, ct Chrisii fidelibus sper- nerc, nee curare ul cuu) ipsis ca'naiu Domini celcbrem, rcspondoo, uio postquani ia Poloniani veiii, nihil aufiquius habuissc, quam ut me cpiani niaxiiiic fratribus conjtin- gerera, licet invcnisscm illos in non parvis rcligionis nostra; capitibus, anie diversuni scntire; quemadmodum nuilti hodioque sentiunt : quod si nibiinminus aquai baptis- nium una cum illis non accipio, hoc prreterea tit, quia id bona conscienlia facere ne- quco, nisi publice ante ]Kotcstor, me non quod censeani baptismum aquse mihi mei- que siinilibus, ullo modo neccssariuin esse, &cc. F.pisl. ad Sopiiiam Sicmichoviani, fieniinam nobileni. Epistol. 11. ad Valentinum Smalciuu), Ann. 160-k
•• Dico .secessionem Racoviensium ac delirium, esse ab ecciesia ratione sejungen- dum, nisi velis conciliabula qu;cqiie amentium anicularum partes ecclesiaj Christiana; aut ecclesiam api)ellare, Men. Squarcialup. Ejiist. ad Faustum Socinum, p. 8.
•■■ Hue accedit, quod Racovienscs isti, sive ccetus Racoviensis.quem tu pctis atque oppugnas, vel non ainplius extat, vel ita hodit; inulatus est, et in aliam (piodammodo formam versus, ut agnosci non quoat. Socin. pra^fat. ad Palaeolog.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Iv
tages : l.He kept fair with all parties amongst them, and provoked not ?,ny by joining with them, with whom they could not agree ; so that all parties looked on him as their own, and were ready to make him the umpire of all their differences, by which he had no small advantage of working them all to his own principles.
2. He was less exposed to the fury of the Papists, which he greatly feared (loving well the things of this world), than he would have been, had he joined himself to any visi- ble church profession. And, indeed, his privacy of living was a great means of his security.
His second great advantage was, that he was a scholar and was able to defend and countenance them ao;ainst their opposers ; the most of them being miserably weak and unlearned. One of their best defensatives before his joining with them, was a clamour against logic and learn- ing, as himself confesseth in some of his epistles. Now this is not only evident by experience, but the nature of the thing itself makes it manifest, that so it will be; whereas, men of low and weak abilities, fall into by persuasions in religion, as they generally at first prevail by clamours, and all sorts of reproaches cast on learning, and learned men; yet if God in his providence at any time, to heighten the temptation, suffer any person of learning and ability to fall in amongst and with them, iie is presently their head and ruler without control, some testimony hereof our own days have afforded: and I wish we may not have more examples given vis. Now how far he prevailed himself of this advantage, the conside- ration of them with whom he had to do, of the esteem they had of his abilities, and the service he did them thereby, will acquaint us.
For the leaders of them, they were for the most part un- learned ; and so unable to defend their opinions in any mea- sure against a skilful adversary. Blandrata,^ their great patron was not able to express himself in Latin, but by the help of Statorius, who had some learning, but no judgment; and therefore, upon his difference with Franciscus David, in Transylvania, he was forced to send for Socinus out of Hel- vetia, to manage the disputation with him. And what kind
f Petro Statorio operam oninem suam fucandis barbarissinii scriptoris Blandrata; comnientis navante. Beza.
VI THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
of cattle those were, with whom he had to do at Cracovia, as well as Racovia, is manifest from the epistle of Simon Ronembergius, one of the leaders and elders of that which they called their church, which is printed with Socinus's answer unto it. I do not know that ever in my life I saw, for matter and form, sense and language, any thing so sim- ple and foolish, so ridiculously senseless and incoherent, un- less it were one or two in our own days ; which, w ith this, deserve an eminent place, ' inter epistolas obscurorum viro- rum.' And, therefore, Socinus justly feared that his party would have the worst in disputes, as he acknowledges it be- fell sLicinius in his conference with Smiglecius, at Novo- grade ; and could not believe ''Ostorodus, that he had such success as he boasted in Germany with Fabritius ; and tells us himself a story of 'some pastors of their churches in Li- thuania, who were so ignorant and simple that they knew not that Christ was to be worshipped. What a facile thing it was, for a man of his parts, abilities, and learning, to ob- tain a kingdom amongst such as these, is easily guessed. He'' complains, indeed, of his own lost time, in his young days, by the instigation of the devil, and says that it made him weary of his life to think of it, when he had once set up his thoughts in seeking honour and glory, by being the head and master of a sect, as Ignatius, the father of the Jesuits did (with whom as to this purpose he is compared all along by the gentleman that wrote his life), yet it is evident, that his learning and abilities were such, as easily promoted him to the dictatorship among them with whom he had to do.
e Dolerem equldcm ruirum in niodum si disputatio is(a sic liabita fuisset, ut adver- sarii affirmant, suspitor taiiien nihilominus, quatenus disputationcm ab ipsis editain pcrcurrt'iido, aniniadvertere ac coiisequi coiijectura potiii, Licinii aiitagonislam arte disputandi et ipso superiorein es!^c, et id i)i ista ipsa disputatione facilo plorisque constitissc : nam etsi (ni fallor) Liciiiius nosier neutiquaui in ea Iireresi est, in qua non pauci ex nostris s\mt, non esse Christiano homini dandam operara diaiecticas. Epist. ad Baiverovecium, p. 338.
'' A'oidovius Ostoiodi tonics ea ad me scribit, qua; vix niilii permittunt ut exitum disputationis iilius eum fiiisse ciedam, queui ipse Ostorodus ad me scripsit. Epist. ad \'alfiif. Sinalciuin quarta, p. n2'2.
' Quod totum fere pondus iilius disputationis, advcrsus eos qui Cliristum adhuc ignorare dici pnssunt, suslinucris, vebcmenter tibi gratuinr niliil niiiii novum fuit, ex nanatione ista percipere, ])nstorcs illos Lithuanicos ab ejusmodi ignoralione minima liberos deprehensos I'uisse. Epist. 5. ad Smaleiuni.
■^ ]Me imitari noli,' qui r.escio quo nialo genio diictorc, cum jam divina; veriiafis fontes degustassem, ita sum abrcptus, ut niajorem et pofioreni juventutis mcaj partem, inanibus ijuibusdam aliis studiis, inio inertia; atquc olio dederim, quod cum mecum jj)se reputo, rcputo autem s;epissinic,taiito dolorc afficior, ut nic vivcre quodam modo pige»it. Epitt. ad Suial. p. 513.
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It may then be easily imagined what kind of esteem such men as those would have of so great an ornament and glory of their religion, who at least was with them in that, wherein they dissented from the rest of Christians.
Not only after his death, when they set him forth as the most incomparable man of his time, but in his own life and to himself, as I know not what excellent person :' that he had a mind suited for the investigation of truth, was a philo- sopher, an excellent orator, an eminent divine, that for the Latin tongue, especially, he might contend with any of the great wits of Europe, they told him to his face; such thoughts had they generally of him : it is then no wonder they gave themselves up to his guidance. Hence Smalcius wrote unto him, to consult about the propriety of the Latin tongue, and in his answer to him he excuses'" it as a great crime, that he had used a reciprocal relative where there was no occasion for it.
And to make it more evident how they depended on him, on this account of his ability for instructions, when he had told Ostorodus an answer to an objection of the Papists, the man having afterward forgot it," sends to him again to have his lesson over once more, that he might remember it.
And therefore, as if he had been to deal with school-boys, he would tell his chief" companions, that he had found out, and discovered such or such a thing in religion, but would not tell them until they had tried themselves, and therefore was afraid lest he should, through unawares, have told it to any of them : upon one of which adventures OstorodusP mak-
' Ad te quod attinet, aninio es tu quidera ad omnem doctriune rationem, ac veritatis investigationem nato, magna reruni sopliisticarura cognitio, orator suniinus, et tlico- logus insignis, linguas tencs maxime Latinam, ut possis cum prsecipuis totius Europaj ingeniis certare. Marcel. Squarialup. Epist. ad. FaustumSociri.
™Aliud interim in Latina lingua erratum, gravius quam istud sit.anieest corarais- siim, quod scilicet relative reciproco ubi nullus erat locus usus sum. Epist. 4. ad Va- lentinum Smalcium, p. .521.
" Memini te mihi liujus rei solutionem cum esses Racoviae afferre, sod qniB mea esttarditas, vel potins stupiditas,nou bene illius recorder. Ostorod. Epist. ad Faus- tum Socinum, p. 4bG,
° Tibi siguifico me ni fallor invenisse viam quomodo varum esse possit, quod Chris- tiis plane libere et citra omnem necessitatem Deo perfectissime obedirit, et tameii necessarium omnino fuerit ut sic obediret ; qutenam ista via sit, nisi cam ipse per te (ut plane spero) inveneris, postea tibi aperiara : volo enira prius»tunm hoc in re et Statorii ingenium experiri, tauietsi vereor ne jam cam illi indicaverim. Epist. ad Os- toroduni 4. p. 472.
P De quffistione tibr proposita non bene conjecisti, nee quara afters solutionem ea probari uJlo mode potest. Epist. 6. ad Ostorod. p. 473.
Iviii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
ing bold to give in his conception, he does little better than tell him he is a blockhead. Being in this repute amongst them, and exercising such a dominion in point of abilities and learning, to prevail the more upon them, he was perpe- tually ready to undertake their quarrels, which themselves were not able with any colour to maintain. Hence most of his books were written, and his disputations engaged in, upon the desire of one assembly, synod, or company of them or other, as I could easily manifest by particular instances ; and by this means got he no small advantage to insinuate his own principles. For whereas the men greedily looked after, and freely entertained the things, which Avere profess- edly written in their defence ; he always wrought in together therewith something of his own peculiar heresy, that poi- son might be taken down with that which was most pleas-, ing. Some of the wisest of them, indeed, as Niemojevius, discovered the fraud ; who, upon his answer to Andraeus Vo- lanus, commending what he had written against the Deity of Christ, which they employed him in, "ifalls foul upon him, for his delivering in the same treatise, that Christ was not a priest whilst he was upon the earth; which one abomina- ble figment lies at the bottom of his whole doctrine of the justification of a sinner. The case is the same about his judgment concerning the invocation of Christ, which was, 'that we might do it, but it was not necessary from any pre- cept or otherwise, that so we should do.'
And this was nine years after his coming into Poland, as appears from the date of that Epistle ; so long was he in getting his opinions to be entertained among his friends. But though this man were a little weary, and held out some opposition with him, yet multitudes of them were taken with this snare, and freely drank down the poison they loathed, being tempered with that which they had a better liking to. But this being discovered, he let the rest of them know, that
9 Perlecto scripto tuo contra \ olanuiii aniniadverti argumcnta ejus satis accurate a te refutata, locaquc scripturas picraque cxaminata, ac elucidata, veruiii noii sine niarore (ne quid gruvius addam) incidi inter legcnduni iii quoddani paradoxon.scrip- turffi sacra; contrariwrn ac plane liorrcnduni, dum Christum in niurtu sua sivc incruce, sacrificiuiu obtulisse pernegas, niiror (juid tiiii in nienteni vcnerit, ut tani contidcii- tcr (nc quid aliud dicain) contra ujanifesta sacra; scriptura; listiuionia pugnarc, con- trarianiqne scntentiam tucri non timeas. Ej)ist. 1. Joli. Nieniojcv. ad Faubt. Socin. p. 196.
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though he was"" entreated to write that book by the Racovi- ans, and did it in their name, yet, because he had published somewhat of his own private opinions therein, they might if they pleased deny, yea, and forswear that they were not written by their appointment.
And this was with respect to his doctrine about the sa- tisfaction of Christ, which, as he says, he heard they were coming over unto. And it is evident from what he writes elsewhere to Baicerovicius, that he begged this employment of writing against Volanus ; it being agreed by them, that he should write nothing but by public consent, because of the novelties which he broached every day. By this readi- ness to appear and write in their defence, and so commend- ing his writing to them on that account, it is incredible how he got ground upon them, and won thpm over daily to the residue of his abominations, which they had not re- ceived.
To these add as another advantage to win upon that people the course he had fixed on, in reference to others, which was to own as his, and of his party of the church, ail persons whatever, that on any pretence whatever opposed the doctrine of the Trinity, and forsook the reformed church. Hence he dealt with men as his brethren, friends, and com- panions, who scarcely retained any thing of Christians ; some nothing at all ; as Martin Seidelius, who denied Christ; with Philip Buccel, who denied all difference of good and evil in the actions of men ; with Eramus Johannes, an Arian ; with Mathias Radecius, who denied that any could believe in Christ, without new apostles ; indeed, with all or any sorts of men whatever, that would but join with him, or did con- sent unto the opposition of the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ,- which was the principal work which he engaged in.
Unto these and the like advantages, the man added all the arts and subtleties, all the diligence and industry, that was any way tending to his end. Some of his artifices and insinuations, indeed, were admirable; though to them who now review them in cold blood, without recalling to mind
"■ Rogavit me dominus Schomanus, dominus Simon Roneniberf;ius et alii ut ad pa- reenesin Andrea3 Volaiii responderem, volui ut si quid in hac responsione vobis minus recte dictum videretur, non bona conscientia tantum, sed jure etiani, earn semper ejurare possetis. Epist. ad Mar. Balccrovicium, p. 336.
Ix THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
the then state of things, they may seem of another com- plexion.^
By these and the like means, though he once despaired of ever getting bis opinions received amongst them, as he professeth, yet in the long continuance of twenty-four years (so long he lived in Poland), with the help of ValentinusSraal- cius, Volkelius, and some few others, who wholly fell in with him, he at length brought them all into subjection to him- self, and got all his opinions enthroned, and his practice taken almost for a rule. So that whereas in former days they accused him for a' covetous wretch, one that did nothing but give his mind to scrape up money, and v/ere professedly oifended with his putting money to usury; for his full jus- tification, Ostorodus and Voidovius, in the close of the com- pendium of their religion v;hich they brought into Holland, profess that their" ' churches did not condemn usury, so that it were exercised with moderation, and without oppression.' I thought to have added a farther account in particular, of the man's craft and subtlety, of his several ways for the instilling of his principles and opinions, of his personal tem- per, wrath, and anger, and multiplying of words in disputes, of the foils he received in sundry disputations with men of his own Antitrinitarian infidelity, of his aim at glory and re- nown, expressed by the Polonian gentlemen, who wrote his life, his losses and troubles which were not many, with all which and the like concernments of the man, and his busi- ness in that generation, by the perusal of all that he hath wrote, and of much that hath been written against him, with what is extant of the conferences and disputations, synods and assemblies of those days, I have some little acquaint- ance ; but, being not convinced of much usefulness in my so doing, I shall willingly spare my labour. Thus much was ne- cessary that we might know the men and their conversation, who have caused so much trouble to the Christian world ; in which work, having the assistance of that Atheism and those corrupted principles, which are in the hearts of all by
' Spero fore, lit si quid ilium inecum sentire vetet inleliexero facile viam invenlani cum in nieam sententiain pertralieiifli. Epist. secunda ad Baiceroviciiini.
' Aliqui fratruni putant congcrendis [K-cuniis me nunc prorsus intcnt\iiu esse. Epist. ad Eliaiii Arcistrium p. 407 . vide opistolam ad Cliristopli. Morstiiium. pp. .')03— 505.
" Non simpliciter usurani daninant: iiiodo a'quitafis ft cliaritatis regub non vio- Ictur Compcnd. Religionis Ostorod. ct A^oidovii.
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nature, without the infinite rich mercy of God, sparing a sin- ful world as to this judgment, for his elects' sake they will undoubtedly proceed.
Leaving him then in the possession of his conquest, Tri- theists, Sabellians, Arians, Eunomians, with the followers of Francis David, being all lost and sunk, and Socinians stand- ing up in the room of them all, looking a little upon what ensued; I shall draw from the consideration of the persons to their doctrines, at first proposed.
After the death of Socinus, his cause was strongly carried on by those whom in his life he had formed to his own mind and judgment. Among whom Valentinus Smalcius, Hiero- nymus Moscorovius, Johannes Volkelius, Cristopherus Os- torodus, were the chief. To Smalcius he wrote eleven epis- tles that are extant ; professing his great expectations of him, extolling his learning and prudence. He afterward wrote the Racovian Catechism, compiling it out of Socinus's works ; many answers and replies to and with Smiglecius the Jesuit, and Franzius the Lutheran ; a book of the divinity of Christ, with sundry others, and was a kind of professor among them at Racovia. The writings of the rest of them are also extant. To him succeeded Crellius, a man of more learning and modesty than Smalcius, and of great industry for the defence of his heresy : his defence of Socinus, against Grotius's treatise ' de causis mortis Christi, de effectu SS.' his comments and ethics, declare his abilities and industry in his way. After him arose Jonas Schlichtingius, a man no whit behind any of the rest for learning and diligence, as in his comments and disputations against Meisnerus, is evident. As the report is, he was burned by the procurement of the Jesuits some four years ago, that they might be sure to have the blood of all sorts of men found upon them ; what ad- vantage they have obtained thereby, time will shew. I know that generation of men retort upon us, the death of Servetus, at Geneva ; but the case was far different. Schlichtingius lived in his own country and conversed with men of his own persuasion, who in a succession had been so, before he was born. Servetus came out of Spain, on purpose to disturb and seduce them who knew nothing of his abominations. Schlichtingius disputed his heresy without reproaching or blaspheming God willingly, under pretence of denying the
Ixii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
way and worship of his adversaries. Servetus stuffed all his discourses with horrid bhisphemies. Beza tells us, that he called the Trinity, tricipitem Cerberum, and wrote that Moses was a ridiculous impostor; Beza. Epist. 1, And there are passages cited out of his book of the Trinity (which I have not seen), that seem to have as misch of the devil in them, as any thing that ever yet was written or spoken by any of the sons of men. If, saith he, Christ be the son of God, * debuissent ergo dicere, quod Deus habebat uxorem quan- dam spiritualem, vel quod solus ipse masculus faemineus aut hermaphroditus, simul erat pater et mater, nam ratio voca- buli non patitur, ut quis dicatur sine matre pater ; et si logos filius erat, natus ex patre sine matre ; die mihi quomodo peperit eum, per ventrem an per latus.'
To this height of atheism and blasphemy had Satan wrought up the spirit of the man. So that I must say, he is the only person in the world, that I ever read or heard of, that ever died upon the account of religion, in reference to whom the zeal of them that put him to death may be ac- quitted. But of these things, God will judge. Socinus says he died calling on Christ; those that were present say quite the contrary ; and that in horror he roared out mise- ricordia to the magistrates, but nothing else : but Arcana Deo.
Of these men last named, their writings and endeavours for the propagation of their opinion^ others having written already ; I shall forbear. Some of note amongst them have publicly recanted and renounced their heresy, as Vogelius and Peuschelius, whose retractations are answered by Smal- cius. Neither shall I add much as to their present condi- tion. They have as yet many churches in Poland and Transylvania, and have their superintendents after the man- ner of Germany. Regenv." tells us, that all the others are sunk and lost, only the Sociuians remain. The Arians, Sa- bellians, David Georgians, with the followers of Franciscus David, being all gone over to the confession of Socinus ; which makes me somewhat wonder at that of Johannes La^tus, who affirms that about the year 1619, in a convention of the
" Dcnique Sociuistae recensendi niihi veniuiit quia Fausto Socino, per Poloniam et Transylvaniam virus suum disseniiuanto, turn noiuen lum doctriuani sumpscre ; atque lii soli, cxtinctis Farnesianis, anaba|)tislis, ct Fraiicisci Davidis sectatoribus supcrsuiit ; homines ad failaciasct sopliisruata facti. Histor. Ecclcs. Slavon. Jib. 1. p. 90.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Ixiii
states in Poland, bhose who denied that Christ ought to be invocated (which were the followers of Francis David, Christianas Franken, and Palffiologus), pleaded that the li- berty that was granted to Antitrinitarians, was intended for them, and not for the Socinians. And the truth is, they had footino; in Poland before ever the name of Socinus was there known, though he afterward ''insults upon them, and says that they most impudently will have themselves called Christians when they are not so.
But what numbers they are, in those parts of the v>^orld, how the poison is drunk in by thousands in the Papacy, by what advantages it hath, and continues to insinuate itself into multitudes living in the outward profession of the re- formed churches, what progress it makes, and what ground it gets in our native country every day, I had rather bewail, than relate. This I am compelled to say, that unless the Lord in his infinite mercy lay an awe upon the hearts of men, to keep them in some captivity to the simplicity and mys- tery of the gospel, who now strive every day to exceed one another in novel opinions, and philosophical apprehensions of the things of God, I cannot but fear that this soul-destroy- ing abomination, will one day break in as a flood upon us.
I shall only add something of the occasions and advan- tages that these men took, and had, for the renewing and propagation of their heresy, and draw to a close of this discourse.
Not to speak of the general and more remote causes of these and all other soul-destroying errors, or the darkness, pride, corruption, and wilfulness of men; the craft, subtlety, envy, and malice of Satan, the just revenging hand of God, giving men up to a spirit of delusion, that they might believe lies, because they delighted not in the truth, [ shall only re- mark one considerable occasion, or stumbling-block at which they fell, and drank in the poison, and one considerable ad- vantage that they had for the propagation of what they had so fallen into.
Their great stumbling-block I look upon to be the horri- ble corruption and abuse of the doctrine of the Trinity in the
* Palaeologus prsecipuus fuit ex Antefignanis illorum qui Christum nee invocan- dum, nee adorandum essehodie affirmant et interim tamen se Christianos esse irapu- dcnter profitentur, quo vix quidquam scelestius in religione nostra depravanda ex- cogitari posse existimo. Socin. Ad. Wiek. Ref. ad cap. 4. cap. 2. p. 42.
XIV THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
writings of the schoolmen, and the practice of the devotion- ists among the Papists. With what desperate boldness, atheistical curiosity, wretched inquiries and babbling, the schoolmen have polluted the doctrine of the Trinity, and gone off from the simplicity of the gospel in this great mys- tery, is so notoriously known, that I shall not need to trouble you with instances for the confirmation of the observation. This, the men spoken of (being the most, if not all of them brought up in the Papacy) stumbled at. They saw the doc- trine concerning that God whom they were to worship ren- dered unintelligible, curious, intricate, involved in terms and expressions, not only barbarous in themselves, and not used in the Scripture, but insignificant, horrid, and remote from the reason of men ; which, after some struggling, set them at liberty from under the bondage of those notions : and when they should have gone to the law and testimony for their information, Satan turned them aside to their own reason- ings and imaginations, where they stumbled and fell. And yet of the forms and expressions of their schoolmen are the Papists so zealous, as that whoever departs from them in any kind is presently an Antitrinitarian heretic. The dealings of Bellarmine, Genebrard, Possevine, and others, with Calvin, are known : one instance may be taken of their ingenuity. Bellarmine, in his book *de Christo,' lays it to the charge of Bullinger, that in his book 'de Scripture etEcclesiae autho- ritate/ he wrote, that there were three persons in the Deity, *non statu, sed gradu, non subsistentia, sed forma, non po- testate, sed specie differentes ;' on which he exclaims, that the Arians themselves never spake more wickedly : and yet these are the very words of TertuUian against Praxeas, which I confess are warily to be interpreted. But by this their measuring of truth by the forms received by tradition from their fathers, neglecting and forsaking the simplicity of the gospel, that many stumbled and fell is most evident.
SchlufFelburgius,' in his wonted respect and favour unto
y Notatu vevo dignissimuni est hisce novis Arianis ad apostasiam sen Arianisnium occasionem fuisse, doctrinam Calvinistaruni, id quod ipsi Ariani haud obscure pro- fess! sunt. Recitabo liujus rei exeinpluni nieinorabile de Adamo Neusero ante paucos amies Ecclesia; Heidelbergeiisis ad S. S. priniario pastorc nobilissiiiio sacraraentario. Hie ex Zvinglianisrao per Arianisimini ad IMaliomctismuni usque, cum aliis non pau- cis Calvinisfis Constantinopolin circunicisioneiii judaieam recijiiens et verilatcni ag- nitam abnegaus progressus est. Hie Adaraus sequeiitia verba dedil Coustautinopol. D. Gerlachio Anno 1574. nullus nostro tempore inihi notus factus est Arianus qui
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. IxV
the Calvinists, tells us, that from them and their doctrine was the occasion administered unto this new abomination ; also, that never any turned Arian, but he was first a Calvi- nist, which he seems to make good by a letter of Adam Neuserius, who, as he saith, from a sacramentarian turned Arian ; and afterward a Mahometan, and was circumcised at Constantinople, ' This man,' says he, * in a letter from Constantinople to doctor Gerlachius, tells him, that none turned Arians but those that were Calvinists first ; and there- fore, he that would take heed of Arianism, had best beware of Calvinism.' I am very unwilling to call any man's credit into question, who relates a matter of fact, unless undenia- ble evidence enforce me, because it cannot be done without an imputation of the foulest crime ; I shall therefore but take leave to ask,
1. What credit is to be given to the testimony of this man, who upon Conradus's own report, was circumcised, turned Mahometan and had wholly renounced the truth which he once professed ? For my part, I should expect from such a person nothing but what was maliciously con- trived for the prejudice of the truth, and therefore suppose he might raise this on purpose, to strengthen and harden the Lutherans against the Calvinists, whom he hated most, because that they professed the truth which he had re- nounced, and that true knowledge of Christ and his will, which now he hated ; and this lie of his he looked on as an expedient for the hardening of the Lutherans in their error, and helping them with a stone to cast at the Calvinists.
2. Out of what kindness was it that this man bare to Gerlachius, and his companions, that he gives them this courteous admonition to beware of Calvinism ? Is it any honour to Gerlachius, Conradus himself, or any other Lu- theran, that an apostate, an abjurer of Christian religion, loved them better than he did the Calvinists? What person this Adam Neuserus was, and what the end of him was, we have an account given by Maresius from a manuscript his- tory of Altingius. From Heidelberg, being suspected of a conspiracy with one Sylvanus, who for it was put to death, he fled into Poland, thence to Constantinople, where he
non antca fuerit Calvinista. Servetiis, &c. igitiir qui sibi timet ne incidat in Arianis- rnuin, caveat Calvinisinuin.
VOL. VIII. F
Ixvi THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
turned Mahometan and was circumcised ; and after awhile fell into such miserable horror and despair, that with dread- ful yellings and clamours, he died 5 so that the Turks them- selves confess, that they never heard of a more horrid, de- testable, and tragical end of any man. AVhereupon they com- monly called him Satan Ogli, or the son of the devil; and so much good may it do Conradus, with his witness.
3. But what occasion, I pray, does Calvinism give to Arianism, that the one should be taken heed of, if we in- tend to avoid the other? What offence doth it give to men inquiring after the truth, to make them stumble on their abominations? What doctrine doth it maintain that should prepare them for it ? But no man is bound to burden him- self with more than he can carry, and therefore, all such in- quiries Schlusselburgius took no notice of.
The truth is, many of the persons usually instanced in, as apostates from Calvinism to Arianism, were such, as leaving Italy and other parts of the pope's dominion, came to shelter themselves, where they expected liberty, and op- portunity of venting their abomination among the reformed churches, and joined themselves with them in outward pro- fession ; most of them, as afterward appeared, being tho- roughly infected with the errors against the Trinity, and about the Godhead, before they left the Papacy where they stumbled and fell.
In the practice of the church, as it is called, wherein they were bred, they nextly saw the horrible idolatry that was countenanced in abominable pictures of the Trinity, and the worship yielded to them, which strengthened and fortified their minds against such gross conceptions of the nature of God, as by those pictures were exhibited.
Hence when they had left the Papacy, and set up their opposition to the blessed Trinity, in all their books they still ma'de mention of those idols and pictures, speaking of them as the God of those that worshipped the Trinity; this instance makes up a good part of their book ' De falsa et vera cognitionc Unius Dei, Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti,' written in the name of the ministers of the churches in Sar- matia, and Transylvania ; a book full of reproach and blas- phemies ; but this, I say, was another occasion of stumbling to those miserable wretches ; they knew what thoughts the
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Ixvii
men of their communication had of God, by the pictures made of him, and the worship they yielded to them. They knew how abhorrent to the very principles of reason it was, that God should be such as by them represented ; and therefore, set themselves at liberty (or rather gave up them- selves to the service of Satan) to find out another God whom they might worship.
Neither are they a little confirmed to this day in their errors by sundry principles, which under the Roman apos- tacy got footing in the minds of men professing the name of Jesus Christ; particularly they sheltered themselves from the sword of the word of God, evidencing the Deity of Christ, by ascribing to him divine adoration, by the shield of the Papists' doctrine, that those who are not God by na- ture, may be adored, worshipped, and invocated.
Now that to this day the Papists continue in the same idolatry (to touch that by the way), I shall give you for your refreshment a copy of verses or two, whose poetry does much outgo the old,
O crux spes uuica Hoc passionis tempore
Auge piis constantiam Reisque dona veniam.
and whose blasphemy comes not at all short of it. The first is of Clarus Bonarous the Jesuit, lib, 3. Amphitrial. Honor, lib. 3. cap. ult. ad divinam Hallensem et Puerum Jesum, as followeth ;
Hffireo lac inter meditans, interque cruorem
Inter delicias uberis et lateris. Et dico (si forte oculos super ubera tendo)
Diva parens mammae gaudia posco tuffi. Sed dico (si deinde oculos in vulnera verto),
O Jesu lateris gaudia nialo tui. Rem scio, prensabo si fas erit ubera dcxtra
Ljeva prensabo vulnera si dabitur. Lac matris miscere volo cnm sanguine nati,
Non possem antidoto nobiiiore frui. Vulnera restituant turpem ulceribus mendicum
Testa cui saniem radere sola potest. Ubera reficient Isniaelem sitientem
Quern Sara non patitur, quem neque nutrit Agar. Ista mi hi ad pestein, procul et procul expungendam
Ista mihi ad longas evalitura febres. Ira vomit flammas suraalque libidinis ^tna
SufFbcare queo sanguine, lacte queo. Livor inexpleta rubigine saevit in artus
Detergere queo lacte, cruore queo : Vanus lionos me perpetua prurigine tentat
Exsaturare queo sanguine, lacte queo. Ergo parens et nate, meis advertite votis
Lac peto, depcreo sanguineni, utruraque volo.
F 2
Ixviii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
O sitio tamen ! o voccm sitis intercludit.
Nate cruore sitim comprimc lacte parens. Die raatri, ineus liic frater sitit, optima mater,
Vis e fonte tuo promerc, deque nieo. Die nato, tuus hie frater mi meilee fiii
Captivus monstrat vincula, ijtron liabes. Ergo Redemptorem monstra tc jure vocari
Nbbilior reliquis si tibi sanguis inest. Tuque parens monstra, raatrem te jure vocari
libera si reliquis divitiora geris. O quando lactabor ab ubere, vulnere pascar?
Deliciisque fruar, mamma latusque tuis.
The other is ofFranciscus de Mendoza in viridario utri- usque eruditionis, lib. 2. prob. 2. as ensueth,
Ubera me matris, nati me vulnera pascunt
Scilicet base animi sunt medicina niei, Nam mihi dum lachrymas amor elicit ubera sugo
Rideat ut dulci uiaestus amore dolor. At me pertentant dum gaudia, vulnera lambo
Ut me laeta pio mista dolore juvent. Vulnera sic nati, sic ubera sugo parentis
Securae ut variaj sint mihi forte vices. Quis sine iaete precor, vel quis sine sanguine vivat?
Lacte tuo genetrix, sanguine natc tuo. Sit lac pro ambrosia, suavi pro nectare sanguis
Sic me perpetuum vulnus et uber alit.
And this their idolatry is objected to them by Socinus/ who marvels at the impudence of Bellarmine closing his books of controversies (as is the manner of the men of that society) with ' Laus Deo, Virginique matri Mariae ;' wherein, as he says (and he says it truly), divine honour with God, is ascribed to the blessed virgin.
The truth is, I see not any difference between that dedi- cation of himself and liis work, by Redemptus Baranzanus the priest, in these words, * Deo, virginique matri, Sancto Paulo, Bruno, Alberto, Redempto, Francisco, Clarac, Joannas, Catharinae Senensi, divisque omnibus, quos peculiari cultu honorare desidero, omnis meus labor consecratus sit,' (Ba- ranzan. Nov. Opin, Physic. Diglad.) and that of the Athe- nians, by the advice of Epimenides: Qtolg'Aataa^KaVEvpwirig, KOI AtjSvrjc, ^tw ayv(L<TT(i) KaX Sivc)) : both of them being suit- able to the council of Pythagoras :
'A&avaTOUf fjiiv Trpoiira, &£Oi-'j, vofxx iii; XiiixEiTai, Ti'/ua not (Ti^ov ofxov E-arEiS' 'r.^cea(; ayavovq. Tov(; TE nara^^oviou; a'lBi ^ai/xova^, 'inofxa fi^aiv,
y Hoc tantum dicani, cum nuper Bellarniini disputationum primum tomuni evol- verem, supra moduni me miratum fuisse, quod ad iinem fere singularum controver- siarum homo alioqui acutus ac sagax ea verba aut curaverit aut perniiserit adscribi; Laus Deo, Virginique Matri; quibus verbis manifestc Virgini jMariaj divinns cultus, aut ex aequo cum ipso Deo, aut certe secundum Deum cxhibetur. Socin. ad Weik. <ap. 1. p. 2i.
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Let them be sure to worship all sorts that they may not miss. And by these means, amongst others, hath an oc- casion of stumbling and hardening been given to these poor souls.
As to the propagation of their conceptions, they had the advantage, not only of an unsettled time, as to the civil government of the nations of the world, most kingdoms and commonweals in Europe undergoing in that age consi- derable mutations and changes (a season wherein commonly the envious man hath taken opportunity to sow his tares); but also men being set at liberty from the bondage under which they were kept in the Papacy, and from making the tradition of their fathers the rule of their worship and walk- ings, were found indeed to have, upon abiding grounds, no principles of religion at all ; and therefore were earnest in the inquiry after something that they might fix upon. What to avoid they knew, but what to close withal, they knew not. And therefore, it is no wonder, if among so many (I may say) millions of persons, as in those days there were, that fell off from the Papacy, some thousands perhaps (much more scores) might in their inquirings, from an extreme of superstition, run into another almost of atheism. Such was the estate of things and men in those days, wherein Soci- nianism, or the opposition to Christ of this latter edition, set forth in the world. Among the many that were convinced of the abominations of popery, before they were well fixed in the truth, some were deceived by the cunning sleight of some few men, that lay in wait to deceive. What event and issue and alike state and condition of things and persons, have gone forth imto, in the places and days wherein we live, is known to all. And that the saints of God may be warned by these things, is this address to them. To what hath been spoken, I had thought for a close of this discourse, to have given an account of the learning that these men pro- fess, and the course of their studies, of their way of dis- puting, and the advantages they have therein ; to have in- stanced in some of their considerable sophisms, and subtle depravations of Scripture ; as also to have given a specimen of distinctions and answers, which may be improved to the discovering and sleighting of their fallacies, in the most im- portant heads of religion : but being diverted by new and
IxX •TUE PREFACE TO THE READER.
unexpected avocations, 1 shall refer these, and other consi- derations, unto a prodromus for the use of younger students who intend to look into these controversies.
And these are the persons with whom we have to deal ; these their ways and progress in the world. I shall now briefly subjoin some advantages they have had, something of the way and method wherein they have proceeded for the diffusing of their poison, with some general preservatives against the infection, and draw to a close of this discourse.
1. At the first entrance upon their undertaking, some of them made no small advantao;e in dealingr with weak and un- wary men, by crying out, that the terms of trinity, person, essence, hypostatical union, communication of properties, and the like were not found in the Scripture, and therefore were to be abandoned.
With the colour of this plea, they once prevailed so far on the churches in Transylvania, as that they resolved and determined to abstain from the use of those words ; but they quickly perceived, that though the words were not of absolute necessity to express the things themselves to the minds of believers, yet they were so, to defend the truth from the opposition and craft of seducers, and at length recovered themselves by the advice of Beza;'^ yea, and Socinus^ himself doth not only grant, but prove, that in general this is not to be imposed on men, that the doctrine they assert is con- tained in Scripture in so many words, seeing it sufficeth that the thing itself pleaded for, be contained therein. To which purpose I desire the learned reader to peruse his
^ Nam ego quiclem sic statuo, etsi non pendet aliunde rerum sacranim Veritas quam ab unico Dei verbo, et sedulo vitanda est nobis oiunis Kintpiuvla, : taiiien sub- lato essentia; et hypostaseajn discrimine (quibuscunque tandem verbis utaris) ct ab- rogato o/xooua-iiu, vix ac ne vix quidem istoriini blaspheinorum fraudes detegi, et errores satis perspicue coargui posse. Nego qiioque sublatis vocabulis natur;e, proprietatis, hypostatics unionis, l^iaifAaTajv xomvia^ posse Nestorii et Eutichei blasphemias cora- mode a quoquam rcfelli : qua in re si forte hallucinor, hoc age, nobis deraonstrelqui potest, et nos ilium coronabinius. Beza. Epist. 81.
* Ais igitur adversus id quod a me affirmatum fuerat, in controversis dogmatibus probandis, aut iraprobandis, necesse esse literam adferre, et id quod asscritur niani- festc deraonstrarc : id quod asscritur nianifeste dcmonstrari dcbcre plane conccdo ; literam autem adferre necesse esse prorsus nego ; me autcm jure hoc faccre id aperte confirmat, quod qusdam dogmata in Cliristi ccclesia rcceptissima, non solum per expressam literam non probantur, sed ipsam sibi contrariani liabent. Exouipli causa, inter omnes fere Christiani nominis liomincs rcceptissiiiuim est, Deiun non habere aliqua membra corporis, ut aures, oculos, naves, brachia, pedes, manus, et tamcn non modo expresse et literaliter (ut vocant) id scriptum in sacris libris non est : verum etiam contrariuiu oninino passim diserte scriptum extat. Faust. Socin. Frag, dis- put.de Ador. Christi cum Fran. David, cap. 10. p 59.
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Ixxi
words, seeing he gives an instance of what he speaks, some- what opposite to a grand notion of his disciple, with whom I have chiefly to do: yea, and the same'' person rejects the plea of his companions, of the not express usage of the terras wherein the doctrine of the Trinity is delivered in the Scripture, as weak and frivolous. And this hath made me a little marvel at the precipitate undigested conceptions of some, who in the midst of the flames of Socinianism kind- ling upon us on every side, would (contrary to the wis- dom and practice of all antiquity, no one assembly in the world excepted) tie us up to a form of confession composed of the bare words of the Scripture in the order wherein they are there placed. If we profess to believe that Christ is God blessed for ever, and the Socinians tell us, true ; but he is a God by office, not by nature ; is it not lawful for us to say, nay; but he is God of the same nature, substance, and es- sence with his Father? If we shall say that Christ is God, one with the Father, and the Sabellians shall tell us, true ; they are every way one, and in all respects, so that the whole Deity was incarnate ; is it not lawful for us to tell them, that though he be one in nature and essence with his Father, yet he is distinct from him in person ? and the like instances may be given for all the expressions wherein the doctrine of the blessed Trinity is delivered. The truth is, we have sufficient ground for these expressions in the Scripture, as to the words, and not only the things signified by them : the nature of God we have. Gal. iv. 8. the person of the Father and the Son distinct from it, Heb. i. 3. the essence of God, Exod. iii. 14. Rev. i. 4. the Trinity, 1 John v. 7. the Deity, Col. ii. 9.
2. Their whole business in all their books and disputa- tions, is to take upon themselves the parts of answerers ; so cavilling and making exceptions, not careing at all what be- comes of any thing in religion, so they may with any colour avoid the arguments wherewith they are pressed. Hence almost all their books, unless it be some few short catechisms
•> Simile quod affers de vocabulis esscntife, et personarnm a nobis repudiatis, qnia in Sanctis iitcris non inveniantur, non est admittendum, neinini enini vere cordato persuadebitis id quod per ca vocabuli adversarii significare voluerunt, idcirco repu- diandum esse, quia ipsa vocabula scripta non inveniantur, inao quicunque ex nobis liac ratioue sunt usi, suspectani apud noiiiiuUos, alioquin ingenio, ct cruditione pra;- stantes viros, causam nostram reddidere. Idem, ubi sup. p. 6'2.
Ixxli THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
and confessions, are only answers and exceptions to other men's writings. Beside the fragments of a catechism or two, Socinus himself wrote very little but of this kind; so do the rest. How heavy and dull they are in asserting, may be seen in Volkelius's institution ; and here, whilst they es- cape their adversaries, they are desperately bold in their in- terpretations of Scripture. Though for the most part it suf- fices, that what is urged against them is not the sense of the place, though they themselves can assign no sense at all to it. I could easily give instances in abundance to make good this observation concerning them, but I shall not men- tion what must necessarily be insisted on, in the ensuing discourse. Their answers are, * this may otherwise be ex- pounded ; it may otherwise be understood ; the word may have another signification in another place.'
3. Their greatest triumphs which they set up in their own conceits are, when by any ways they possess themselves of any usual maxim that passes current amongst men, being applied to finite, limited, created things, or any acknowledged notion in philosophy, and apply it to the infinite, uncreated, essence of God. Than which course of proceeding nothing indeed can be more absurd, foolish, and contrary to sound reason. That God and man, the creator and creature, that which is absolutely infinite and independent, and that which is finite, limited, and dependent, should be measured by the same rules, notions, and conceptions, unless it be by way of eminent analogy, which will not farther their design at all, is most fond and senseless. And this one observation is suf- ficient to arm us against all their profound disputes about essence, personality, and the like.
4. Generally, as we said, in the pursuit of their design, and carrying it on, they begin in exclaiming against the usual words wherein the doctrines they oppose are taught and delivered. They are not Scripture expressions, &;c. for the things themselves, they do not oppose them ; but they think them not so necessary as some suppose. Having got some ground by this on the minds of men, great stress is im- mediately laid on this, that a man may be saved though he believe not the doctrine of the Trinity, the satisfaction of Christ, &c. so that he live holily, and yield obedience to the precepts of Christ ; so that it is mere madness and folly
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Ixxui
to break love and communion about such differences. By this engine I knew not long since a choice society of Chris- tians, through the cunning sleights of one lying in wait to de- ceive, disturbed, divided, broken, and in no small part of it infected. If they once get this advantage, and have there- by weakened the love and valuation of the truth with any ; thev generally, through the righteous judgment of God, giving up men of light and vain spirits to the imaginations of their own hearts, overthrow their faith, and lead them cap- tive at their pleasure.
5. I thought to have insisted in particular, on their par- ticular ways of insinuating their abominations, of the baits they lay, the devices they have, their high pretences to rea- son, and holiness in their lives, or honesty ; as also to have evinced by undeniable evidences, that there are thousands in the Papacy, and among the reformed churches, that are wholly baptized into their vile opinions and infidelity, though for the love of their temporal enjoyments, which are better to them than their religion, they profess it not.
As also how this persuasion of theirs hath been the great door, whereby the flood of atheism which is broken in upon the world, and which is almost professed by them who would be accounted the wits of the times, is come in upon the na- tions : farther, to have given general answers and distinc- tions applicable to the most, if not all of the considerable arguments, and objections wherewith they impunge the truth. But referring all these to my general considerations, for the study of controversies in divinity ; with some observations that may be preservatives against their poison, I shall speed- ily acquit you from the trouble of this address. Give me leave then in the last place (though unfit and unworthy), to give some general cautions to my fellow-labourers and stu- dents in divinity, for the freeing our souls from being tainted with these abominations, and I have done.
1. Hold fast the form of wholesome words and sound doc- trine : know that there are other ways of peace and accom- modation with dissenters, than by letting go the least par- ticle of truth. When men should accommodate their own hearts to love and peace, they must not double with their souls, and accommodate the truth of the gospel to other men's imaginations : perhaps some will suggest great things
Ixxiv THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
of going a middle way in divinity between dissenters ; but what is the issue for the most part of such proposals ? After they have by their middle ways raised no less contentions, than was before between the extremes (yea, when things before were in some good measure allayed), the accommodators themselves, through an ambitious desire to make good, and defend their own expedients, are insensibly carried over to the party and extreme, to whom they thought to make a con- descension unto ; and by endeavouring to blanch their opini- ons to make them seem probable they are engaged to the defence of their consequences, before they are aware. Ami- raldus (whom I look upon as one of the greatest wits of these days) will at present go a middle way between the churches of France, and the Arminians ; what hath been the issue ? Among the churches, divisions, tumult, disorder; among the professors and ministers, revilings, evil surmisings ; to the whole body of the people, scandals and offences; and in respect of himself, evidence of daily approaching nearer to the Arminian party, until, as one of themsaith of him, he is not far from their kingdom of heaven. But is this all ? nay, but Grotius, Episcopius,*^ Curcellseus, &c. (quanta nomina) with others, must go a middle way to accommodate with the Socinians, and all that will not follow are rigid men, that by any means will defend the opinions they are fallen upon. The same plea is made by others for accommodation with the Papists, and still moderation, the middle way, condescen- sion, are cried up. I can freely say, that I know not that man in England, who is willing to go farther in forbear- ance, love, and communion with all that fear God, and hold the foundation than I am; but that this is to be done upon other grounds, principles, and ways, by other means and expedients, than by a condescension from the exactness of the least apex of gospel truth, or by an accommodation of doctrines by loose and general terms, I have elsewhere sufficiently declared . Let no man deceive you with vain pre- tences ; hold fast the truth as it is in Jesus, part not with one iota, and contend for it, when called thereunto.
2. Take heed of the snare of Satan in affecting eminency
' Quotquot hactcnus tlicologica tractarunt, id sibi negotii crediderunt solum dari, ut rjuani sive sorsillis obtiilcrat, sive judicio amploxi craiit scntcnliain, (otis illam ri- ribus tuerentur. Curccllajus prmfat. ad opera Ejiiscop.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. IxxV
by singularity. It is good to strive to excel, and to go be- fore one another in knowledge and in light, as in holiness and obedience. To do this in the road is difficult. Ahi- maaz had not outrun Cushi, but that he took a by-path. Many finding it impossible to emerge unto any considera- tion, by walking in the beaten path of truth (all parts of divinity, all ways of handling it, being carried already to such an height and excellency, that to make any considerable im- provement requires great pains, study, and an insight into all kind of learning), and not yet able to conquer the itch of being accounted tiveq fxijaXoi, turn aside into by-ways, and turn the eyes of all men to them, by scrambling over hedge and ditch, when the sober traveller is not at all re- garded.
The Roman historian, giving an account of the degene- racy of eloquence, after it once came to its height in the time of Cicero, fixeth on this as the most probable reason. ' Dif- ficile in perfecto mora est; naturaliterque quod procedere non potest, recedit; et ut ad consequendos quos priores du- cimus accedimus : ita ubi prgeteriri, aut aequari eos posse desperamus, studium cum spe segnescit, et quod assequi non potest, sequi desinit ; et velut occupatam relinquens materiam, quserit novam : prseteritoque eo in quo eminere non possuraus, aliquid in que nitamur conquaerimus ; sequiturque ut frequens ac mobilis transitus maximum perfecti operis impediraentum sit.' Paterc. Hist. Rom. lib.
I wish some such things may not be said of the doc- trine of the reformed churches. It was not long since raised to a great height of purity in itself, and perspicuity in the way of its delivery; buf^ athletic constitutions are seldom permanent: men would not be content to walk after others, and finding they could not excel what was done, they have given over to imitate it, or to do any thing in the like kind ; and therefore, neglecting that wherein they could not be emi- nent, they have taken a course to have something peculiar, wherein to put forth their endeavours. Let us then watch against this temptation, and know that a man may be higher than his brethren, and yet be but a Saul.
^ 'Ev Toio-f yv/Miaanxoiffiv ii ett' oixpov ive^iai;, ir<J>aX£ja(, ^v Iv t« la-^ariii tooan' tit yap ^vvavrai fxtvuv Iv rS avritc ouJs ar^tfAittv Itte; HoIk, ar^ifjcioutrtv olii ri Svvavrai im to BgXTfov lwiSi5oWi,X£iV»Tai«7ri t3 j^s"p';v. Hipocrat. Aphoris. lib. 1. sect. 11.
Ixxvi
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
3. Let not any attempt dealing with these men, that is not in some good measure furnished with those kinds of li- terature, and those common arts, wherein they excel; as first, the knowledge of the tongues, wherein the Scripture is written ; namely, the Hebrew and Greek. He that is not in some measure acquainted with these, will scarcely make thorough work in dealing with them. There is not a word, nor scarce a letter in a word (if I may so speak), which they do not search, and toss up and down ; not an expression which they pursue not through the whole Scripture, to see if any place will give countenance to the interpretation of it, which they embrace. The curious use of the Greek ar- ticles, which, as Scaliger calls them, are 'loquacissimae gen- tis flabellum,' is their great covert against the arguments for the Deity of Christ: their disputes about the Hebrew words, wherein the doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ is delivered in the Old Testament, the ensuing treatise will in part ma- nifest. Unless a man can debate the use of words with them in the Scripture, and by instances from other approved authors, it will be hard so to enclose or shut them up, but that they will make way to evade and escape. Press them with any testimony of Scripture, if to any one word of the testimony, whereon the sense of the whole in any measure depends, they can except that in another place that word in the original hath another signification; and therefore, it is not necessary that it should here signify as you urge it, un- less you are able to debate the true meaning and import of the word with them, they suppose they have done enough to evade your testimony. And no less, nextly, are the com- mon arts of logic and rhetoric wherein they exercise them- selves: among all Socinus's works there is none more per- nicious, than the little treatise he wrote about sophisms, wherein he labours to give instances of all manner of sophis- tical arguments, in those which are produced for the con- firmation of the doctrine of the blessed Trinity.
He that would reinforce those arguments, and vindicate them from his exceptions, and the entanglements cast upon them, without some cohsiderable acquaintance with the prin- ciples of logic, and artificial rules of argumentation, will find himself at a loss : besides, of all men in the world in their argumentations they are most sophistical. It is seldom that
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Ixxvii
they urge any reason, or give any exception, wherein they conclude not ' a particulari ad universale,' or * ab indefiuito ad universale, exclusive,' or 'ab aliquo statu Christi ad omnem,' or 'ab oeconomia Trinitatis ad Theologiam Deitatis,' or *ab iisuvocisalicubi'to 'ubique.' As Christis a man, therefore not God ; he is the servant of the Father, therefore not of the same nature ; and the like instances may be given in abund- ance : from which kind of arguing he will hardly extricate himself, who is ignorant of the rudiments of logic. The frequency of figurative expressions, which they make use of to their advantage in the Scripture, requires the knowledge of rhetoric also, in him that will deal with them, to any good purpose. A good assistance (in the former of these especial- ly) is given to students by Keslerus, ' in examine Logicas, Me- taphysicae, et PhysicaePhotinianae.' The pretended maxims also which they insist on from the civil law, in the business of the satisfaction of Christ, which are especially urged by Socinus, and Crellius in his defence against Grotius, will make him who shall engage with them, see it necessary in some measure to be acquainted with the principles of that faculty and learning also.
With those who are destitute of these, the great Spirit of truth is an abundantly sufficient preserver from all the cun- ning sleights of men that lie in wait to deceive. He can give them to believe and suffer for the truth ; but that they should at any time look upon themselves as called to read the books, or dispute with the men of these abominations, I can see no ground.
4. Always bear in mind the gross figments that they seek to assert and establish in the room of that, which they cun- ningly and subtilely oppose. Remember that the aim of their arguments against the Deity of Christ, and the blessed Trinity, is to set up two true Gods, the one so by nature, the other made so ; the one God in his own essence, the other a God from him by office ; that was a man, is a spirit, and shall cease to be a God. And some farther account hereof you will meet with in the close of the ensuing treatise.
5. Diligent, constant, serious reading, studying, medi- tating on the Scriptures, with the assistance and directions of all the rules and advantages for the right uuderstandino-
Ixxviii THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
of them, which by the observation and diligence of many- worthies, we are furnished withal, accompanied with con- tinual attendance on the throne of grace, for the presence of the Spirit of truth with us to lead us into all truth, and .o increase his anointing of us day by day, shining into our hearts to give us the * knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ;' is, as for all other things in the course of our pilgrimage and walking with God, so for our preser- vation against these abominations, and the enabling of us to discover their madness, and answer their objections, of in- dispensible necessity. Apollos, who was mighty in the Scrip- tures, Acts xviii. 24. did mightily convince the gainsaying Jews ; ver. 28. Neither in dealing with these men is there any better course in the world, than in a good order and method to multiply testimonies against them, to the same purpose. For, whereas they have shifts in readiness to every particular, and hope to darken a single star, when they are gathered into a constellation, they send out a glory and brightness which they cannot stand before. Being engaged myself once in a public dispute about the satisfaction of Christ, I took this course, in a clear and evident coherence, producing very many testimonies to the confirmation of it ; which to- gether gave such an evidence to the truth, that one who stood by, instantly affirmed, that there was enough spoken to stop the mouth of the devil himself. And this course in the business of the Deity and satisfaction of Christ, will certainly be triumphant. Let us then labour to have our senses abundantly exercised in the word, that we may be able to discern between good and evil, and that not by stu- dying the places themselves that are controverted, but by a diligent search into the whole mind and will of God, as re- vealed in the word, wherein the sense is given in to humble souls, with more life, power, evidence of truth, and is more effectual for the begetting of faith and love to the truth, than in a curious search after the annotations of men upon particular places. And truly I must needs say, that I know not a more deplorable mistake in the studies of divines, both preachers and others, than their diversion from an im- mediate direct study of the Scriptures themselves, unto the studying of commentators, critics, scholiasts, annotators, and the like helps, which God in his good providence making
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. IxXX
use of the abilities, and sometimes the ambition, and ends of men, hath furnished us withal. Not that I condemn the use and study of them, which I wish men were more diligent in, but desire pardon if I mistake, and do only surmise by the experience of my own folly for many years, that many which seriously study the things of God, do yet rather make it their business to inquire after the sense of other men on the Scriptures, than to search studiously into them themselves.
6. That direction in this kind, which with me is instar om- nium, is, for a diligent endeavour to have the power of the truths professed and contended for, abiding upon our hearts, that we may not contend for notions ; but what we have a practical acquaintance within our own souls. When the heart is cast, indeed, into the mould of the doctrine that the mind embraceth ; when the evidence and necessity of the truth abides in us ; when not the sense of the words only is in our heads, but the sense of the things abides in our hearts ; when we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for; then shall we be garrisoned by the grace of God against all the assaults of men. And without this, all our contending is as to ourselves, of no value. What am I the better, if I can dispute that Christ is God, but have no sense or sweetness in my heart from hence, that he is a God in covenant with my soul? What will it avail me to evince by testimonies and arguments, that he hath made satisfaction for sin, if through my unbelief the wrath of God abides on me, and I have no experience of my own being made the righteousness of God in him ? If I find not in my standing before God, the excellency of having my sins imputed to him, and his righteousness imputed to me; will it be any ad- vantage to me in the issue, to profess and dispute that God works the conversion of a sinner, by the irresistible grace of his Spirit, if I was never acquainted experimentally with the deadness and utter impotency to good, that opposition to the law of God which is in my own soul by nature, with the efiicacy of the exceeding greatness of the power of God in quickening, enlightening, and bringing forth the fruits of obedience in me ? It is the power of truth in the heart alone, that will make us cleave unto it indeed, in an hour of temp- tation. Let us then not think that we are any thing the
IXXX THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
better for our conviction of the truths of the great doctrines of the gospel, for which we contend with these men, unless we find the power of the truths abiding in our own hearts, and have a continual experience of their necessity and ex- cellency, in our standing before God and our corumunion with him.
7. Do not look upon these things, as things afar off, wherein you are little concerned. The evil is at the door; there is not a city, a town, scarce a village in England, wherein some of this poison is not poured forth. Are not the doctrines of free will, universal redemption, apostacy from grace, mutability of God, of denying the resurrection of the dead, with all the foolish conceits of many about God and Christ in this nation, ready to gather to this head.
Let us not deceive ourselves ; Satan is a crafty enemy. He yet hovers up and down in the lubricous vain imagi- nations of a confused multitude, whose tongues are so di- vided that they understand not one the other. I dare boldly say, that if ever he settle to a stated opposition to the gos- pel, it will be in Socinianism. The Lord rebuke him, he is busy in, and by many, where little notice is taken of him. But of these things thus far.
A particular account of the cause and reasons of my en- gagement in this business, with what I have aimed at in the ensuing discourse, you will find given in my epistle to the University ; so that the same things need not here also be delivered. The confutation of Mr. Biddle's and Smalcius's catechism, commonly called the ' Racovian,' with the vin- dication of all the texts of Scripture, giving testimony to the Deity of Christ throughout the Old and New Testament, from the perverse gloss and interpretations put upon them by Hugo Grotius, in his annotations on the Bible, with those also which concern his satisfaction, and on the occa- sion hereof the confirmation of the most important truths of the Scripture, about the nature of God, the person of Christ and the Holy Ghost, the offices of Christ, Sic. hath been in my design. With what mind and intention, with what love to the truth, with what dependance on God for his presence and assistance, with what earnestness of sup- plication to enjoy the fruit of the promise of our dear Lord Jesus, to lead me into all truth by his blessed Spirit, I have
THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Ixxxi
have gone through this work, the Lord knows. I only know that in every particular I have come short of my duty therein, that a review of my paths and pains would yield me very little refreshment, but that I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded, ' that even concerning this also, he will remember me for good, and spare me according to the great- ness of his mercy.' And whatever becomes of this weak en- deavour before the Lord, yet 'he hath made with me an ever- lasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure ; and this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow :' what is performed is submitted humbly to the to the judgment of them to whom this address is made. About the thoughts of others, or any such, as by envy, in- terest, curiosity, or faction, may be swayed or biassed, 1 am not solicitous. If any benefit redound to the saints of the Most High, or any that belong to the purpose of God's love be advantaged, enlightened, or built up in their most holy faith in the least, by what is here delivered, I have my re- ward.
VOL. vili.
MR. BIDDLE^S PREFACE
CATECHISM.
I HAVE often wondered and complained that there was no catechism yet extant (that I could ever see or hear of), from whence one might learn the true grounds of the Chris- tian religion, as the same is delivered in the Holy Scripture ; all catechisms generally being so stuffed with the sup- posals and traditions of men, that the least part of them is derived from the word of God. For when councils, convo- cations, and assemblies of divines, justling the sacred writers out of their place in the church, had once framed articles and confessions of faith, according to their own fancies and interests, and the civil magistrate had by his authority rati- fied the same, all catechisms were afterward fitted to those articles and confessions, and the Scripture either wholly omitted, or brought in only for a shew, not one quotation amongst many being a whit to the purpose, as will soon ap- pear to any man of judgment, who taking into his hand the said catechisms, shall examine the texts alledged in them : for if he do this diligently and impartially, he will find the Scripture, and those catechisms to be at so wide a distance one from another, that he will begin to question whether the catechists gave any heed at all to what they wrote, and did not only themselves refuse to make use of their reason, but presume that their readers also would do the same. In how miserable a condition, then, as to spiritual things, must Christians generally needs be, when thus trained up, not, as the apostle adviseth, 'in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,' but in the supposals and traditions of men, having little or no assurance touching the reality of their religion ! Which some observing, and not having the happiness to light upon the truth, have quite abandoned all piety whatsoever, thinking there is no firm ground whereon to build the same. To prevent which mischief in time to come, by bringing men
G 2
84 Mil. biddle's preface
to a certainty (I mean such men as own the divine authority of the Scripture), and withal to satisfy the just and pious desires of many, who would fain understand the truth of our religion, to the end they might not only be built up them- selves, but also instruct their children and families in the same, I have here (according to the understanding I have gotten by continual meditation on the word of God) com- piled a Scripture catechism, wherein I bring the reader to a sure and certain knowledge of the chiefest things pertaining both to belief and practice, whilst I myself assert nothing (as others have done before me), but only introduce the Scripture faithfully uttering its own assertions, which all Christians confess to be of undoubted truth. Take heed therefore whosoever thou art that lightest on this book, and there readest things quite contrary to the doctrines that pass current amongst the generality of Christians (for I confess most of the things here displayed, have such a ten- dency), that thou fall not foul upon them, for thou canst not do so without falling foul upon the Holy Scripture itself, inasmuch as all the answers throughout the whole catechism are faithfully transcribed out of it, and rightly applied to the questions, as thou thyself mayest perceive if tliou make a diligent inspection into the several texts with all their circumstances. Thou wilt perhaps here reply, that the text:i which I have cited do indeed in the letter hold forth such things as are contrary to the doctrines commonly received amongst Christians, but they ought to have a mystical or figurative interpretation put upon them, and then both the doctrines and the texts of Scripture will suit well enough. To which I answer, that if we once take tliis liberty to im- pose our mystical or figurative interpretations on the Scrip- ture, without express warrant of the Scripture itself, we shall have no settled belief, but be liable continually to be turned aside by any one that can invent a new mystical meaning of the Scripture, there being no certain rule to judge of such meanings, as there is of the literal ones: nor is there any error, how absurd and impious soever, but may on such terms be accorded with the Scripture. All the abominable idolatries of the Papists, all the super- stitious fopperies of the Turks, all the licentious opinions and practices of the Ranters, may by this means be not only
TO HIS CATECHTSM. 85
palliated, but defended by the word of God. Certainly might we of our own heads figuratively interpret tlie Scrip- ture, when the letter is neither repugnant to our senses, nor to the scope of the respective texts, nor to a greater number of plain texts to the contrary; (for in such cases we must of necessity admit figures in the sacred volume, as well as we do in profane ones, otherwise both they and it will clash with themselves, or with our senses, which the Scripture itself intimates to be of infallible certainty, see 1 John i. 2, 3.) might we, I say, at our pleasure impose our figures and alle- gories on the plain words of God, the Scripture would in very deed be, what some blasphemously affirm it to be, ' a nose of wax.' For instance ; it is frequently asserted in the Scripture, that God hath a similitude or shape, hath his place in the heavens, hath also affections or passions, as love, hatred, mercy, anger, and the like ; neither is any thing to the contrary delivered there, unless seemingly in certain places, which neither for number nor clearness are compa- rable unto those of the other side. Why now should I depart from the letter of the Scripture in these particulars, and boldly affirm with the generality of Christians (or rather, with the generality of such Christians only, as being conversant with the false philosophy that reigneth in the schools, have their understandings perverted with wrong notions), that God is without a shape, in no certain place, and incapable of affections ? Would not this be to use the Scripture like a nose of wax, and when of itself it looketh any way, to turn it aside at our pleasure ? And would not God be so far from speaking to our capacity in his word (which is the usual refuge of the adversaries, when in these and the like matters concerning God, they are pressed with the plain words of the Scripture), as that he would by so doing render us altogether incapable of finding out his meaning, whilst he spake one thing, and understood the clean contrary ? Yea, would he not have taken the direct course to make men substitute an idol in his stead (for the adversaries hold, that to conceive of God as having a shape, or aflfections, or being in a certain place, is idolatry), if he described himself in the Scripture otherwise than indeed he is, without telling us so much in plain terms, that we might not conceive amiss of him ? Thus we see, that when sleep,
86 MR. biddle's preface
which plainly argueth weakness and imperfection, had been ascribed to God, Psal. xliv. 23. the contrary is said of him, Psal. cxxi. 4. Again, when weariness had been attributed to him, Isa. i. 14. the same is expressly denied of him, Isa. xl. 28. And would not God, think ye, have done the like in those forementioned things, were the case the same in them as in the others? This consideration is so pressing, that a certain author (otherwise a very learned and intelligent man) perceiving the weight thereof, and not knowing how to avoid the same, took up (though very unluckily) one erroneous tenet to maintain another, telling us in a late book of his entitled Conjectura Cabalistica, ' that for Moses, by occasion of his writings, to let the Jews entertain a con- ceit of God as in human shape, was not any more a way to bring them into idolatry, than by acknowledging man to be God, as (saith he) our religion does in Christ.' How can this consist even with consonancy to his own principles, whilst he holds it to be false that God hath any shape, but true that Christ is God ? For will a false opinion of God no sooner lead men into idolatry, than a true opinion of Christ? But it is no marvel, that this author, and other learned men with him, entertain such conceits of God and Christ as are repugnant to the current of the Scripture, whilst they set so high a rate on the sublime, indeed, but uncertain notions of the Platonists, and in the meantime slight the plain but certain letter of the sacred writers, as being far below the Divine Majesty and written pnly to com- ply with the rude apprehensions of the vulgar, unless by a mystical interpretation they be screwed up to Platonism. This is the stone at which the pride of learned men hath caused them continually to stumble ; namely, to think that they can speak more wisely and worthily of God, than he hath spoken of himself in his word. This hath brought that more than Babylonish confusion of language into the Christian religion, whilst men have framed those horrid and intricate expressions, under the colour of detecting and ex- cluding heresies, but in truth to put a baffle on the sim- plicity of the Scripture, and usher in heresies, tliat so they might the more easily carry on their worldly designs, which could not be effected but through the ignorance of the peo- ple ; nor the people brought into ignorance, but by wrapping
TO HIS CATECHISM. 87
up religion in such monstrous terms, as neither the people nor they themselves that invented them (or at least took them from the invention of others) did understand. Where- fore there is no possibility to reduce the Christian religion to its primitive integrity ; a thing, though much pretended, yea, boasted of, in reformed churches, yet never hitherto sin- cerely endeavoured much less effected (in that men have by severe penalties been hindered to reform religion beyond such a stint as that of Luther, or at most that of Calvin), but by cashiering those many intricate terms and devised forms of speaking imposed on our religion, and by wholly betaking ourselves to the plainness of the Scripture. For I have long since observed (and find my observation to be true and certain), that when to express matters of religion, men make use of words and phrases unheard of in the Scripture, they slily under them couch false doctrines, and obtrude them on us : for without question the doctrines of the Scripture can be so aptly explained in no language as that of the Scripture itself. Examine therefore the ex- pressions of God's being infinite and incomprehensible, of his being a simple act, of his subsisting in three persons, or after a threefold manner, of a divine circumincession, of an eternal generation, of an eternal procession, of an in- carnation, of an hypostatical union, of a communication of properties, of the mother of God, of God dying, of God made man, of transubstantiation, of consubstantiation, of original sin, of Christ's taking our nature on him, of Christ's making satisfaction to God for our sins, both past, present and to come, of Christ's fulfilling the law for us, of Christ's being punished by God for us, of Christ's merits, or his meritorious obedience both active and passive, of Christ's purchasing the kingdom of heaven for us, of Christ's en- during the wrath of God, yea, the pains of a damned man, of Christ's rising from the dead by his own power, of the ubiquity of Christ's body, of apprehending and applying Christ's righteousness to ourselves by faith, of Christ's being our surety, of Christ's paying our debts, of our sins imputed to Christ, of Christ's righteousness imputed to us, of Christ's dying to appease the wrath of God, and reconcile him to us, of infused grace, of free grace, of the world of the elect, of irresistible workings of the Spirit in bringing men
68 Mil. biddle's preface
to believe, of carnal reason, of spiritual desertions, of spi- ritual incomes, of the outgoings of God, of taking up the ordinance, &c. and thou shalt find, that as these forms of speech are not owned by the Scripture, so neither the things contained in them. How excellent therefore was that advice of Paul to Timothy in his second epistle to him, chap. i. 13. * Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus V For if we once let go those forms of sound words learned from the apostles, and take up such as have been coined by others in succeeding ages, we shall together part with the apostles' doctrine, as woful experience hath taught us. For after Constantine the great, together with the council of Nice, had once deviated from the language of the Scripture, in the business touching the son of God, callinn; him co-essential with the Father, this opened a gap for others afterward, under a pretence of guarding the truth from heretics, to devise new terms at pleasure, which did by degrees so vitiate the chastity and simplicity of our faith delivered in the Scripture, that there hardly remained so much as one point thereof sound and entire. So that as it was wont to be disputed in the schools, whether the old ship of Theseus (which had in a manner been wholly altered at sundry times by the accession of new pieces of timber upon the decay of the old) were the same ship it had been at first, and not rather another by degrees substituted in the stead thereof: in like manner there was so much of the primitive truth worn away by the corruption that did by little and little overspread the generality of Christians, and so many errors in stead thereof tacked to our religion at several times, that one might justly question whether it were the same religion with that which Christ and his apostles taught, and not another since devised by men, and put in the room thereof. But thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who, amidst the universal corruption of our religion, hath pre- served his written word entire (for had men corrupted it, they would have made it speak more favourably in behalf of their lusts and worldly interests, than it doth), which word, if we with diligence and sincerity pry into, resolving to embrace the doctrine that is there plainly delivered, though all the world should set itself against us for so doing, we shall
TO HIS CATECHISM. 89
easily discern the truth, and so be enabled to reduce our religion to its first principles. For thus much I perceive by mine own experience, who being otherwise of no great abilities, yet setting myself with the aforesaid resolution for sundry years together upon an impartial search of the Scripture, have not only detected many errors, but here pre- sented the readers with a body of religion, exactly trans- cribed out of the word God ; which body, whosoever shall well ruminate and digest in his mind, may, by the same me- thod wherein I have gone before him, make a farther in- quiry into the oracles of God, and draw forth whatsoever yet lies hid, and being brought to light, will tend to the ac- complishment of godliness amongst us, for at this only all the Scripture ainieth. The Scripture, which all men who have thoroughly studied the same, must of necessity be enamoured with as breathing out the mere wisdom of God, and being the exactestrule of a holy life (which all religions whatsoever confess to be the way unto happiness) that can be imagined, and whose divinity will never even to the world's end be questioned by any, but such as are unwilling to deny their worldly lusts, and obey the pure and perfect precepts thereof. Which obedience, whosoever shall perform, he shall not only in the life to come, but even in this life be equal unto angels.
JOHN BIDDLE.
MR. BIDDLE'S PREFACE
BRIEFLY EXAMINED.
In the entrance of Mr. B.'s preface he tells the reader, very modestly, ' that he could never yet see or hear of a catechism, (although I presume he had seen, or heard at least of one or two written by Faustus Socinus, though not completed ; of one by Valentine Smalcius, commonly called the ' Racovian Catechism.' from whence many of his questions and answers are taken ; and of an exposition of the articles of faith in the creed, called the apostle's, in way of catechism, by Jonas Schliclitingius,publishedinFrench, anno 1646; in Latin, anno 1651) from whence the true grounds of Christian religion
90 THE PREFACE OF MR. BIDDLE
might be learned, as it is delivered in Scripture ;' and there- fore, doubtless, all Christians have cause to rejoice at the happy product of Mr. B.'s pains, wherewith he now acquaints them (ushered in with this modest account), whereby at length they may know their own religion, wherein as yet they have not been instructed to any purpose. And the reason of this is, because * all other catechisms are stuffed with many supposals and traditions, the least part of them being derived from the word of God,' Mr. B. being judge. 'And this is the common language of his companions, com- paring themselves and their own writings with those of other men. The common language they delight in is, * though Christians have hitherto thought otherwise.'
Whether we have reason to stand to this determination, and acquiesce in this censure and sentence, the ensuing con- siderations of what Mr. B. substitutes in the room of those catechisms which he here rejects, will evince and manifest. But to give countenance to this humble entrance into his work, he tells his reader, 'that councils, convocations, and assemblies of divines have justled out the Scripture, and framed confessions of faith according to their own fancies and interests, getting them confirmed by the civil magis- trate; according unto which confessions, all catechisms are and have been framed without any regard to t