Papist then a Church of England Man next a Presbyterian and is now best pleased with the Independents and Anabaptists and for that very Reason too because they allow him more Liberty than others do and therefore he Compliments them with coming nearest the Primitive Practice in his Opinion But then he gives them fair Warning that in the latter part of his Life he will frequent none of their Assemblies nor make use of none of their peculiar Rites a mighty Loss and which they ought now to bewail as Mermaids do the approaching Winter in the middle of Summer Now what Man alive that has any value for Mr. Milton's Character can with Patience hear that great Man represented as an Hypocrite in his Youth a Libertine in his middle Age a Deist a little after and an Atheist at last Yet such is the noble Character assign'd him by J. T. For in his Youth he says Page 27. He engaged against the Bishops to help the Puritan Ministers who were inferiour to the other in Learning Page 30 and 34. He wrote in defence of Sinectymnuus which is altogether Presbyterian Page 61. he says This was only a Service to the Presbyterians by accident for he never intended to set up the Consistorian Tribunal in the room of the Hierarchy And yet Page 77. He brings him in enjoyning the Presbyterian Model in these words Let them assemble in Consistory with their Elders and Deacons to the preserving of Church-Discipline each in his several Charge If this be not either to make Mr. Milton or J. T. his Biographer guilty of Hypocrisie and Contradiction let the World judge Then as to the Charge of Libertinism he fixes it plainly upon him Page 52 c. where he gives us an Account of His disowning his Wife and resolving never to take her back again because she refused to come to him when sent for and dismiss'd his Messenger with Contempt and at the same time kept Gaudy-Days with his Friends and particularly the Lady Margaret Lee whose sprightly Wit and good Sense drew frequent Visits from him that thereupon he publish'd his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce And Page 70. says That he was seriously treating a Marriage with a young Lady of great Wit and Beauty when his Wife threw her self at his Feet acknowledging her Fault and begging Forgiveness and yet at first he seemed inexorable If any thing of this be the Character of a Christian and not exactly that of a Libertine Let Men of Sense and Religion determine Then as to the Charge of Deism we are told p. 151. That Mr. Milton ever expressed the profoundest Reverence to the Deity as well in Deeds as Words and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his Friends that the Divine Properties of Goodness Justice and Mercy were the adequate Rule of Human Actions nor less the Object of Imitation for private Advantages than of Admiration or Respect for their own Excellence and Perfection By J. T 's leave I must make bold to say That this fine and high-flown period makes either himself or his Hero to have a very false Notion of the Deity for to make the Infinite Perfections and Attributes of God an adequate Rule for Human Actions is according to the literal sense of the Word to make Man equal to God whereas we find by Experience that his Revealed Will is more than an adequate Rule to the Holiest of Men so that they come infinitely short of it But we want words to express nay thoughts to conceive how much shorter we must needs come of those Incomprehensible Attributes just now mentioned This is like Job's Friends to darken Council by Words without Knowledge But if we are to believe God himself his written Word is our Rule without which we see the greatest and wisest of Men who had the highest and most refin'd Notions of his Attributes have but grop'd like blind Men in the dark The lustre and brightness of his Perfections serv'd only to dazle their Eyes and confound their Apprehensions But in his Word he hath been graciously pleas'd to condescend to our Infirmities and Weaknesses and revealed himself so in and through a Mediator as that we may have access with boldness to his Throne and a fuller knowledge of him and our duty towards him than ever we could otherwise have had This there 's no doubt Mr. Milton understood as well as any Man but it's J. T 's business to represent him as a favourer of the Socinians and Deists who not contented with Revelation form to themselves Notions of a Deity according to their own corrupt Reason In the last place he makes him an Atheist a perfect Separatist from all Christian Assemblies and a neglecter of their Rites in his Family What he means by their Rites except it be Publick Family and Closet-Worship I know not and if he neglected those by the Verdict of the Prophets and Apostles he was liable to the Vengeance of the Almighty Jer. 10. 25. Heb. 10. 25. Thus then you see how kindly Mr. Milton is treated by J. T. he had rather subject him to damnation it self than not have him a Patron to his own Socinian Principles It must be own'd indeed that there 's no such Mystery as this to be found in Christianity But to pursue this point a little further he makes Mr. Milton a perfect Enemy to all sorts of Clergy-men and Churches which is another mighty point gain'd to the Socinians For proof of this he tells us p. 27. c. That he heartily engaged in the dispute against the Order and Vices of the Bishops that he accounted our retaining of Ceremonies and confining the Power of Ordination to Diocesan Bishops the chief Impediments of a perfect Reformation That our Ceremonies are senceless in themselves and serve for nothing but to facilitate our return to Popery That our Bishops tho' they had renounc'd the Pope they hugg'd the Popedom and shar'd the Authority among themselves and made their prostitute Gravities the Common Stales to countenance every Politic fetch That the Mortalest Diseases and Convulsions of the Government did ever proceed from the Craft of the Prelates P. 47. That the Bishops were the Gulphs and Whirlpools of all Benefices and the Dry Pits of all sound Doctrine That Chaplains were the Sewers or Yeomen-Ushers of Devotion where the Master is too Resty or too Rich to say his own Prayers or to bless his own Table P. 48. That the Liturgy is fantastical if not senseless in some places and that the like or worse may be said of the Litany So much may serve for the Church of England P. 75. He brings him in upbraiding the Presbyterians with being misled by some of a turbulent Spirit with falling off from their first Principles affecting Rigor and Superiority over Men not under them darting against their Brethren the wrested Laws and Scriptures thrown by Prelates against themselves and as being the most Pragmatical Sides-men of every Popular Tumult and Sedition c. which J. T. thinks not
sorts must be the Preliminaries It 's very reasonable to think that it will be a long while ere a People zealous for the Christian Religion express'd in the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England can think of coming to a Treaty with those who are for a Common-wealth It 's pleasant to find those who have so well and so justly baffled the Doctrine of the Jure Divino-ship of Kingly Government exclusive of all others fall into the same dotage themselves as to a Commonwealth And thus J. T brings in Mr. Milton p. 120 saying That Christ forbad his Disciples to admit of any such Heathenish Government as that of Kings from that Scripture The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but you shall not do so This Text hath been often and properly urg'd against Lording it over the Faith of Christians and domineering over God's Heritage which the Apostles themselves disclaim 2 Cor. 1. 24. but there seems no reason with deference to Mr. Milton's Judgment to apply it against Kingly Government any more than against that by States for whereas Luke calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings Matthew calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies any other Princes or Rulers Mark calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those who are accounted to Rule and great ones so that at this rate of arguing no sort of Magistrate must be allowed at all not so much as a Mayor in a Country Corporation who in respect of the Inferiour Burgers and Townsmen may well be accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then let J. T. see to it how he will be able to defend any Commonwealth that ever was or haâ—… now a Being in the World against this Anarchical Interpretation or how he can justifie any sort of Magistracy amongst Christians which alone shews the Principle to be absurd destructive of Human Society and Introducive of Confusion whereas God is a God of Order Besides it is ridiculous to call Kingly Government Heathenish when it was the Government of the Jews and approved of by God himself who gave a Law to direct their Kings in their Administration Deut. 17. v. 14. Our Saviour commanded Tribute to be paid to Gaesar and did not disown but plainly confess his Right to be King of the Jews himself tho' he declared that his Kingdom was not of this World And the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. commands submission to every Ordinance of Man whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours without any surmise or hint that when Nations became Christian they should reject Kingly Government On the contrary it is a plain and Authoritative Injunction to Christians to behave themselves peaceably under whatever Form of Government Providence should cast their Lot not to use their Liberty for a Cloak of Licentiousness but to Fear God and Honour the King than which there can be nothing that more directly condemns the Practice of J. T. and those of this Kidney who speak and write reproachfully of all Kings witness their Healths that the Thrones of Kings may be upon their own Heads and their Crowns under the Peoples Feet and their sly and malicious Inclinations in their Pamphlets about Standing Armies and others against His present Majesty's Person and Administration tho' the best King that ever England had It 's scarcely to be supposed That one of J. T 's changeable Temper is capable of good Advice but it were to be wish'd that those who think a Commonwealth the best Form of Government would consider that the time wherein Mr. Milton liv'd and ours is different the Constitution was then dissolv'd the King beheaded his Issue banish'd the Bishops and their Form of Church Government pull'd down so that the People had then a fair Opportunity to form themselves into a Commonwealth without any further Bloodshed or Trouble and therefore Mr. Milton and other Men might less scruple to do all that in them lay to erect that sort of Government here but the Case is now altered our Kingly Government is administred by the greatest Prince of the Universe the Champion and Restorer of our Religion and Laws both of which have their free Course every Man may sit under his own Figg-Tree secur'd in his Property the Bench is filled with upright and learned Judges â—…ost of the Episcopal Sees are adorn'd with Persons of Learning and Probity and Dissenters have their Liberty to worship God as their own Consciences direct So that to disturb such a Government as this by endeavouring to set up another Form must unavoidably throw us into an Intestine War which would quickly prove more fatal to us than the tedious War which we are just now come out of If the Commonwealth Party had been able to have effected any thing their Season was when the late King run away and before the present Government was establish'd by the Convention but to offer to disturb a Government settled upon so good a Foundation and with which the People are so well satisfied is certainly contrary to all Laws Humane and Divine Another Reason J. T. had to promote the publishing Mr. Milton's Life was his pleading for Liberty to Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists Arians Socinians and Arminians And his disapproving the Terms of Trinity Trinunity Coessentially Tripersonality and the like as the Notions of Scholasticks who make a Mystery of that in their Sophistick Subtleties which is in Scripture a plain Doctrine P. 144 145. A little lower he brings him in commending the Authors and late Revivers of all these Sects or Opinions as Learned Worthy Zealous and Religious Men. This pleases J. T. so much that he is in a perfect Extasie and says He never met with any Person who spoke with so much disinterestedness and impartiality of our various Sects except Thomas Firmin Tho' at the same time Mr. Firmin as I am informed was so much dissatisfied with him that he refus'd to give him any Countenance But J. T. thinks this stroke of his Pen necessary to conciliate a Respect to himself and his Books among those to whom Mr. Firmin's great Charity rendred his Name Savory He is however so just as to quote Mr. Milton's Restriction too viz. That the best Method to prevent the increasing of Popery in this Nation is by the Toleration of all kinds of Protestants or any others whose Principles do not necessarily lead them to Sedition or Vice But what will J. T. say if it be proved that his Principles and those of his Party do necessarily lead them to Sedition and Vice I am afraid they will scarcely be able to evince the contrary from their Practices We have heard already what loose Principles as to the dissolving of Marriage J. T. has endeavour'd to propagate Nor do I see what good Morals we are to expect from such as deny the Godhead of Jesus Christ by which they make him a Lyar who
never beliâ—…v'd nor intended and don't care what Methods they make use of provided they can thereby subvert the Doctrine of the Trinity and Christ's Satisfaction This Charge is made plain upon the Italian Combination formerly mention'd by Wissowatius in his Narrat Compend Biblioth Antitrin and Lubienescius's Hist. Reform Polon Calvin in his Theological Tracts c. and is as plainly prov'd against our English Socinians by their Book of the Athanâ—…sian Creed not requir'd by the Church of England wherâ—…in they say the Thirty Nine Articles are not Articles of Faith but Peace tho' in the Title it is declared that those Articles were agreed upon for the avoiding diversity of Opinions and for the establishing of Consent touching true Religion And the Charge given by his Majesty is that no Man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof and shall nâ—…t put his own Sense or Comment to be the Meaning of the Article but shall take it in the Literal or Grammatical Sense By which it is plain that a Socinian cannot subscribe the First Article where 't is asserted that in the Unity of the Godhead there be Three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost without the groslest Hypocrisie and Dissimulation Then as to the Sacraments according to the Principles they have laid down in the Trinitarian Scheme considered they can joyn in them with Papists Lutherans Church-of England-Men Presbyterians Independants or Anabaptists for say they p. 28. They don't place Religion in Worshipping God by themselves or after a particular Form or Manner but in right Faith and a Just and Charitable Conversation So that if they can but perswade themselves that their Faith is Right and their Conversation Just and Charitable they can with the same Liberty go to the Turkish Mosque the Popish Maâ—…s House and the Meetings of Protestants of all Denominations they don't think themselves oblig'd to have any regard whether the Administration be according to the Word and Institution of God or not The Mahometans and Papists have a Right Faith they believe Jesus to be the Messiah which according to them is the only Characteristick that distinguishes a Believer from an Unbeliever therefore they can frequent their Assemblies And as to the Sacraments they tell us in that same Book that he that is baptiz'd is only to resolve a Newness of Life which by the way destroys Insant-Baptism and declares their falling in with the Anabaptists And in the Lord's Supper they say they are only to commemorate the shedding of his Blood and breaking of his Body So that let it be a meer Layman or a Minister duely ordain'd that Administers or let it be a Consecrated Wafâ—…r or Bread and Wine it is all one to them What a vast deal of Blood and Treasure might this have sav'd to this Nation and to the French and other Protestants had they been so happy as to be thus principled What Millions of Men and Money might Christendome have sav'd had the Gentlemen of this Latitude been of an earlier Rise ' Its all one to them whether the Cross or the Crescent be predominant nay it is much better that the latter should carry it for as we have heard already Mahomet intended only the Restitution of the true Intent of the Christian Religion Nay I have read it somewhere that the Learned Socinians ascribe the Propagation of Mahometism to their Denial of the Trinity and not to the Sword Then let any Christian judge what can be too vile or base for Men of such Principles to attempt or act so they can but attain their Ends of overturning the chief Principles of Christianity that so they may be at Liberty to take a full swinge in pursuing the Lusts of the Flesh and other Impurities in which the Mahometans do so much delight There 's little reason to doubt but J. T. and others of his Kidney how much soever they may be against a Comprehension amonst Protestants in this Nation which they know would strengthen the Reformed Interest throughout Europe would soon come to a Comprehension with the Mahometans as to the point of the Bottle which seems to be the only material Point in difference betwixt them except it be that the Turks as Nicholaus Cardinal de Cusa in his Cribâ—…atio Alcorani informs us have more respect for the New Testament than J. T. for they prefer the Gospel to their own Law whereas J. T. when a Student at one of the Scotch Universities threw away his Greek New Testament because he could not understand the Language as some of his Coâ—…rades have told the Story and in a great Rage cried Damn the Galatians which was the Place where he was then reading and I am informed he now brags that he hath banish'd all Divinity out of his Closet whence 't is to be suppos'd that it was always a Stranger in his Heart yet this is the mighty Man of so great knowledge and Light to whom there is nothing Mysterious in Christianity Another Instance of their Dissimulation is That they good Men have a mighty Esteem for the Church of England they approve of known Forms of Prayers and Praises as also in administring Baptism the Lord's Supper Marriage and the other Religious Offices they like well of the Discipline of the Church by Bishops and Parochial Ministers they communicate with the Church as far as they can and contribute their Interâ—…st to favour her against all others who would take the Chair as they tell us in their Trinitarian Scheme Considered p. 28. yet in the 24th Page of that same Book as I have already hinted they ridicule the Sacraments thus Let a Man say they in black sprinkle you with some of the Churches Water or give you a bit of Bread or sup of Wine over which he hath pronounced the Wonder-working Words prescribed in Mother Churches Ritual and yet they pretend to approve of the Church of England's Form in the Administration of the Lord's Supper tho' by Nature continue they you are aâ—… bad as the Devil you shall presently be inclin'd to as much Good as will save you from Hell and qualifie you for Heaven and this no less certainly if you are one of the Elect for else the Churches Incantation produces only a momentary Effect and a false Appearance of Good No less certainly I say than by tying the Norman Knot you may gain the Love of the Person you desire or by other Devices recorded in the Learned Books so Fools esteem them of Magick you may cause Hatred raise Winds and do a thousand other Feats which have no more Natural or Real Agreement with those Causes that are said to produce them than Faith and Obedience have with a bit of Bread or with a sprinkling of Water Therefore when St. Augustine defin'd a Sacrament to be the Outward Visible Sign of an Inward Invisible
Grace or Energy the good Father should have consider'd that this is the Definition of a Charm Thus the Socinians shew their Respect to the Church of England by Ridiculing her Description of a Sacrament and after some more prophane Raillery of the same Nature they conclude So that let them turn themselves which way soever they can they have turn'd the Gospel Sacraments into Charms and Spells If this be not villainous Dissimulation and dreadful Blasphemy there can be no such thing The Church of England pronounces no other Words over the Elements but those pronounc'd by our Saviour Matt. 26. 26 27. and by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. And is that Mother-Churches Ritual and her Wonder-working Words Don't those Men know that the Church of England believes nor teaches no such thing as Transubstantiation nor ascribes no other Efficacy to the receiving of the Lord's Supper by Faith but what the Scripture ascribes to it But perhaps this is J. T 's meaning when he tells us as before that he ceases to wonder how so many Supposititious Pieces come to be charged upon Christ and his Apostles The whole New Testament is only Mother Churches Ritual Yet these are the Men that ought to have a Toleration tho' they impiously ridicule and blaspheme our Saviour and his Church whom they pretend to revere I have already taken notice of J. T 's Respect to the Church of England her Bishops Liturgy c. by his taking together all that Mr. Milton thought fit to bespatter them with yet he good Man is for sâ—…curing the National Church in her Worship and Emoluments tho' impertinently and without any relation to a History of Mr. Milton's Liâ—…e he brings him in comparing the Bishops to Five Gouty Toes with a Linen Sock over them and the Metropolitan Toe sending up a foul Stench to Heaven and calls them the Gulfs and Whirlpools of Benefices Their Liturgy he says is fantastical and senseless and in the Litany Neither Priest nor People speak any entire Sense of themselves thro' the 〈◊〉 and it is far from the Imitation of any warranted Prayer but has been the Pattern of many a Jig p. 48 49. If J. T. does not approve of these Sayings of Mr. Milton why did he take such Care to extract them from his Works and publish them in his Life And if he do approve them is he not a gross Hypocrite to wish the Church may be secur'd in a senseless fantastical Worship which is a Pattern for Jigs and in her Emoluments which send up a soul Stench to Heaven More might be said to prove the fraudulent hypocritical versatile Temper of J. T. and his Party but this is more than enough The last thing I shall take notice of is their mighty Declamations against Perscution the Reason of which is that they know themselves to be liable to all the Punishments appointed by those Laws which establish Christianity in the Nation but not that they are really against using Force in Matters of Religion which will be manifest if we consider the malicious and vindictive Temper which J. T. and the rest of his Party have discover'd against King William the Church of England and the Presbyterians for the Law enacted against the Socinian Heresie last Sessions Their Malice against the King has been sufficiently evidenc'd by their libelling his Administration in all their Pamphlets against Standing Armies and by J. T 's bringing the Argument in again by Head and Shoulders into Mr. Milton's Life p. 118. where from Mr. Milton's saying the Army meaning that left by Cromwell lately Renowned for the Civilest best Order'd and most Conscientious Army in the Universe did for no Cause at all subdue the Supreme Power that set them up if says he an Army deserving this Character was capable of enslaving their Country what may be expected from any other as most are of a worse disposition Their Malice against the Church of England I have just now prov'd and that this is the Cause of their Malice against the Presbyterians he fairly insinuates himself p. 79. Then let any reasonable Man judge whether a Party who have discover'd so much Malice and Rage against those that oppose them would not Persecute if they had Power to do it But I proceed to give a Proof of their Temper that way from matter of Fact as related by themselves in their Brief History Letter 4. p. 48. where we have an Account that the prevailing Party Persecuted their Brethren severely That those in Transilvania would admit none into the Ministry without obliging themselves before-hand by Subscription not to speak against Worshipping Jesus Christ They in Poland were more Rigid Depos'd and Excommunicated such as held Christ might not be Worship'd with Divine Worship which was so much the more extraordinary that the Persecutors did not think themselves oblig'd to call upon and worship Christ but only that they might lawfully do it And Socinus himself in his Premonition to what he wrote against Francis Davidis says It is a Sin to omit the Worshiping of Christ when we join with them in Worship who call upon his Name or when the Spirit moves us to do it and in their Answer to Milborn they own that the Question about the Invocation of Christ has very much divided them Nor can any Reason be given why they who are in a manner of the same Religion with the Mahometans as has been already prov'd should not according to Mahomet's Command in the 9th Chapter of the Alcoran Break Truce with their Enemies Kill them where-ever they meet them take them for Slaves detain them Prisoners and lay Ambushes for them And therefore it were but just that J. T. and such as he who are a dishonour to the Christian Name should be sent to their Brethren in Turky for there they will have no occasion to undermine their Religion seeing it is the same with their own but they may perhaps do them some kindness as to the Inspiring them with more Masculine Principles against Slavery for blessed be God we stand in need of no such Patriots for Liberty and Property in England there are Orthodox Christians enough in the Nation to defend that without the assistance of those who are for â—…cino 〈◊〉 Tho' J. 〈◊〉 sets up so â—…ously to be a Dictator here and may perhaps vie with Mahomet â—…or most ill Qualities he is not like to be imbraced as the Head of a Numerous Sect in Britain and Ireland therefore it were best for him to take a turn into the Ottoman Dominions and make a tryal of skill there the Turks have a long time look'd for Mahomet's Return and who knows but he may persuade them that he is the Man POSTSCRIPT I Thought to have concluded here but cannot omit taking notice that though the Socinians agree in tearing up the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion they never could nor cannot yet agree among themselves in any one System or Confession of Doctrine Thus Valentinus