being a Sacrifice and thereby making an Atonement unto God for us upon earth which destroys that Senseless Fiction of theirs that he was not a Priest till he came to Heaven This is undeniable that where the Oblation of the Sacrifice is there is the Priest now it was here upon Earth that he was a Sacrifice he offer'd his own blood upon the Cross and therefore he was a Priest upon Earth Therefore it is said When he had by himself purged our sins viz. here by his blood he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 1. 3. He first offer'd himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice for us and then appear'd in glory and triumph in heaven Other Texts speak of Christ's ransoming us Mat. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 2. 6. and of redeeming us Rom. 3. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And this Redemption was by his Blood Eph. 1. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 18. call'd the Blood of God Acts 20. 28. This was the Price that was paid for us and so it was a Proper Redemption This Price was paid to God's Justice to free us from the Penalty which was due by the Law to rescue us from eternal wrath and misery This is the doctrine which the Holy Scripture teacheth us and this is the faith of all who rightly understand those Writings viz. that Christ suffer'd and died to satisfie the Divine Justice in our stead and thereby to expiate for our sins and to redeem us from death and hell and to purchase life and salvation for us The Socinians deny this and thereby subvert the whole Gospel turn Christianity upside down ruine the very foundations of our Religion and pluck it up by the roots According to the doctrine of these Men we are yet in our sins for there is no True Expiation for them we are in a State of Misery we are overwhelm'd with our own Guilt we are hopeless helpless creatures and our condition is deplorate for there is no Satisfaction made to God for our transgressions Nay they are not content barely to renounce the contrary doctrine but they explode it with great derision and reproach First as to Christ's Merits we are told by Smalcius that it was taught by Socinus and Ostorodus that the opinion of those is false absurd and pernicious who have invented and feigned that there is any such thing as Merit in Christ. And Smalcius himself is bold to call it the Fictitious Merit of Christ and in another place that Dream of Merit Then as to the Satisfaction it self he is not afraid to stile it a Fiction that hath its rise from the brains of curious men And in his Catechism he hath these reproachful words Though now it is vulgarly thought by Christians that Christ by his death merited Salvation for us and fully satisfied for our sins yet it is a deceitful opinion erroneous and very pernicious Yea this doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction is termed Absurd and Impious by Socinus I appeal now to the Reader whether I need prove that those who use such language deserve the last of these Epithets themselves But are the English and Modern Gentlemen of the same opinion Yes as you may see in Mr. Bidle's Scripture Catechism as he calls it but very unjustly Chap. 12. where he shamefully corrupts the sense of Scripture to render his Opinion plausible If you consult one of their Later Writers you will find him in a deriding manner thus representing the doctrine of the Trinitarians viz. that God the Son being incarnate in our nature fulfill'd for us all obedience by his active righteousness and by his passive one he more than exhausted all that Punishment that is or can be due to Sin Whatever he did was for us and what he suffer'd was in our stead and one drop of his blood was sufficient to ransom a thousand worlds from the demerit of their Sins And then they labour to shew that the belief of such doctrine is of very ill consequence it 〈◊〉 the cause of the decay of Piety and it is thaâ—… which bolsters men up in their wicked courses Afterwards in way of derision they thus express the doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction Because they i. e. the Trinitarians pretend that God was incarnate and suffer'd in our stead they are forced to this conclusion that God hatâ—… freely pardon'd and yet was infinitely overpaid for all our transgressions and sins that of his mere Grace the abundance and riches of his grace forsooth he will pardon and save the penitenâ—… because he hath received for them 〈◊〉 you 'll believe it a price of Redemption c. These Tenents they scoff at aâ—… branches growing upon the Trinitarian Stock these they brand as scandalous absurd and heretical doctrines p. 11. 12 14. Iâ—… an other place they declare that the Oblation which Christ made of himself was not made to the Justice of God or by way of a full reparation to it but as all other Sacrifices of beasts formerly were an oblation or application to the mercy of God and as 't is added by way of humble suit In the same place they represent Christ's Satisfaction as a Monster and scoffingly call it the Trinitarians Fetch-back though presently after they seem to retract this Jargon In a pretended Letter to the Clergy of both Universities these New Racovians again ridicule this doctrine and so they do in some others of their late Pamphlets which makes their Character very wretched and dismal and to be abhorr'd by all Good Men and sincere Lovers of Christianity for it is too manifest that they tread under foot the Son of God and count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and do despite unto the Spirit of grace Thus you see how the doctrine of Socinianism as it respects God in general and more particularly the Persons of the Godhead and in a more especial manner the Second Person or Lord Christ Jesus and his Undertakings you see I say how extremely vitiated it is and fitted to the conceptions and notions of Prophane and Atheistical Spirits CHAP. IV. They maintain that the First Man was not created in a State of Uprightness notwithstanding the Writings of the Old and New Testament expresly assert the contrary Original Sin though attested in the same Holy Writings is pronounced a Fable by them Their groundless notion concerning the Spirit and Divine Assistance With the Pelagians they hold that Man 's Natural Strength is sufficient in order to faith and obedience What are vain and lying words according to Slichtingius Their strange conceptions concerning the Future State It is their opinion that the Souls of the deceased are void of all Perception and Sense that they Live not yea that they Exist not Which notions are proved to be contrary to Scripture and Reason The Immortality of humane Souls is shock'd by these Men. Which shews their Irreligious and Atheistical Propension Some of them disbelieve the Resurrection of the Wicked
They deny that the dead shall rise with the same Bodies It is unreasonable to deny this merely because of some Difficulties that attend it Though we should suppose an Annihilation of humanâ—… bodies yet God can raise them the same Much more may we conceive the same bodies to be rais'd out of something The very notion of Resurrection implies the rising again of the same Individual Body This doctrine is founded on the evidenâ—… testimony of Scripture It is shew'd iâ—… what respects the contrary opinion is an argument of Impiety THirdly I proceed to consider the Groundless and Irreligious Sentiments of these Men concerning the First Man and the State he was in at his first Creation They all agree in this thaâ—… though Adam had a natural ability to do what God enjoyn'd him yet he was not created in a State of Uprightness He is said to be made upright Eccl. 7. 29. because he was not created depraved but if we speak properly he had no Natural Rectitude or Righteousness So Socinus And therefore he gives us his judgment very decisively thus Let us conclude that Adam even before he transgressed the commandment of God was not truly Just. Ostorodus hath the very same thoughts of him and another Warm Gentleman who is much applauded and admired by the Party tells us plainly but in no very clean language that it is an old stinking Fable that the first Man was adorn'd from his very creation with holiness and supernatural gifts But what if this Fable be in Scripture Yes most certainly that which he in such vile terms represents as such is the doctrine of the Old and New Testament God created man in his own image Gen. 1. 27. And that we may be more ascertain'd of it it is repeated in the very same place in the image of God created he him And that this Image consists in Holiness and Righteousness is clear from Eph. 4. 24. and Col. 3. 10. where the Apostle speaking of the Image of God in which man was at first created places it in Righteousness and true holiness as well as knowledg How then can it be said by these Writers that the Image of God wherein our first Parents were created did not consist in Sanctity and Righteousness how can it with truth be said by them that there was no Positive Moral Goodness and Rectitude in them This is directly contrary to what the Inspired Writers deliver concerning them Let the Reader now judg on which side the Fable is and at the same time let him judg how impiously the foresaid Writer represents the Word of God as an Old stinking Fable To proceed There being according to these New Theologists no Original Righteousness in the first Man his posterity can't be deprived of it and accordingly they deny Original Sin i. e. though they hold man's nature is corrupted and depraved yet they say it was not at all derived from our First Parents there is no defect blemish or depravity propagated to their posterity Socinus frequently vouches this and so do several of his Partizans who appear in great throngs upon this occasion and with one consent profess that by Adam's Apostacy the nature of man is not depraved men are not born with a propension and inclination to that which is Vitious by reason of that First Defection The contrary opinion is according to Socinus an arrant Cheat and Imposture for these are his own words Whatever evil effects in mankind the EVANGELICKS i. e. the Protestants and PAPISTS attribute to the first sin of our First Parent it must needs be that they are Vain Fictions and Dreams of men Whatever Divines dispute about Original Sin it is all of it clearly to be reckon'd as the mere invention and forgery of humane wit And then he pretends in another place to trace its Pedegree and to give you the Rise of it That Device of Original Sin is a Jewish Fable and brought into the Church from Antichrist If this be true then St. Paul's doctrine is fabulous By one man sin enter'd into the world Rom. 5. 12. By one man's disobedidience many were made Sinners v. 19. And this Great and Infallible Apostle himself must be reputed Judaical and Antichristian when he adds that death enter'd by sin i. e. by that One Man's Sin spoken of before and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned viz. in that first Man And again v. 17. By one man's offence death reigned by one Hence it is evident that Adam and his race became Mortal because of this First Transgression But Socinus is of another opinion for it is the first thing you meet with in his Prâ—…lections that the first man before his fâ—… was by nature mortal Smalcius will by no means grant that Adam was created in a state of Immortality but that he was naturally Mortal and though he had not sinn'd yet he should have died With whom agrees Volkelius confidently asserting that Mortality is not the effect and punishment of the Fall And the rest of them hold that Adam's Sin endamaged himself but no body else his posterity suffer'd not they derived no Infection no Stain no Depravity from him But are the English Socinians of this mind Yes for the Effects and Consequences which we ascribe to Adam's Fall are flatly denied by Bidle in his Scripture-Catechism chap. 3. And in one of their late Prints the Natural Depravity of man i. e. his propensity to evil and his aversness to good are represented as false and absurd And a little before they peremptorily deny that Adam's race have any sin derived much less imputed to them and that they are punish'd for it God cannot possibly do this they say yea they have the confidence to add these horrid words that this is the just character of an Almighty Devil Accordingly they cry down Original Sin as a mere Sham and Imposture And hence issue a great many Unsound Assertions which are in great vogue with all Socinians If there be no Corruption convey'd to Adam's race if they receiv'd no hurt by his Fall then they have as he had a natural power to do all that God requires of them They still have an ability by nature to imbrace all good and to avoid all evil which are the express terms used by their Writers And hear what their Catechism saith Qu. Is there not need of the inward gift of the Holy Spirit that we may believe the Gospel A. Not at all And the reason is assigned afterwards namely because this is a gift that is confer'd upon such as already believe the Gospel Here you see what is the Racovian Divinity It is not the Spirit of God that enlightens mens minds and enables them to receive the Truth the Spirit of God is not the original of all Grace in us This is clear from that notion which they form concerning the Holy Spirit by which is meant say they
as this if there be an utter Extinction of the wicked at the last day If their very persons perish they are uncapable of any Punishment and if that be true it can't be said it shall be more tolerable for one than another which yet is the determination of our Saviour himself Again is it reasonable to believe that the Reprobate shall perish and be extinct when the Holy Scriptures assure us that they shall be cast into everlasting fire Mat. 18. 8. which is call'd Hell-fire in the next verse and when we are ascertain'd they shall at the last day depart into everlasting fire Mat. 25. 41. which in the last verse of that chapter is call'd everlasting punishment Is it the meaning of this Direful Doom that they shall cease to be and sink into Nothing Is it the punishment of the Cursed at that day that they shall be void of all sense of pain and misery i. e. that they shall be uncapable of any Punishment yes this is the interpretation which the Socinians put upon the words Particularly Smalcius and Crellius urge this notion of Everlasting Fire and make it to be of the same signification with Eternal Perdition Destruction or Annihilation But how absurdly is this done when this Everlasting Fire to confirm us in the belief of the Endless Perpetuity of it is in other places of the Gospel term'd Unquenchable fire as in Mat. 3. 12. and in five verses which is exceeding remarkable in Mark 9. it is call'd the fire that is not quenched and that never shall be quenched I argue then thus That Fire which is unquenchable which shall never be extinguish'd is of Endless duration but Hell-fire is such therefore it is of endless duration It is impossible to withstand the force of this Argument I do not say it is impossible for a Whiffling Disputer one that delights in Cavelling to raise an Objection against it for what Truth is there though never so Great which the Wit and Sophistry of wrangling heads cannot suggest something against But this I say it is impossible that any one who is serious and in good earnest and hath a reverence for the Holy Scriptures should not acknowledg that the Eternity of the Infernal Torments is fully declared and confirmed by this foresaid expression of Unquenchable Fin. And we are to reckon all the forementioned Texts as so many different and distinct Proofs of the eternal duration of that Punishment which the wicked shall undergo And this is call'd not only fire that is not and shall not be quench'd but the Worm that dies not Mark 9. 44 46. which cannot with any shew of sense or reason be synonymous with Annihilation Shall these men then be call'd Rational tho I know none call them so but themselves and their Admirers who assert the contrary Do they not shew themselves Masters of Great Reason when they tell us that the Worm which dies not is that which utterly ceases to be when they hold that not to be at all is being in everlasting fire or punishment Those that can assent to these Propositions are Reasonable Men indeed Yes in their own esteem but not otherwise Whence perhaps it was that Volkelius who in other matters sticks close to the Racovians by reason of the gross Inconsistency of this Opinion was offended at it as appears from Socinus's Sixth Epistle to him and we do not find in his Writings as is noted by Bishop Pearson that he ever assented to it I might alledg 2 Cor. 5. 10 a place which not only shews that the same body rises for which I made mention of it before but also that the wicked shall be punish'd afterwards in their bodies for the receiving the things in their bodies the word done being not in the Original nor need it be in the Translation is their being dealt with in way of Punishment or Reward as to their bodies which cannot be unless they subsist both in body and soul to endure that Punishment or to enjoy that Reward This I conceive is very clear and it is impossible to reconcile it with their being reduced to Nothing with their perishing for ever But it is Objected that in the Scripture it is often said of the Wicked that they shall be destroyed they shall perish they shall die which is as much as to say they shall be Annihilated they shall be deprived of their Essence I Answer briefly they mistake the meaning of those expressions for it is plain and manifest from what hath been premised that these terms destruction perdition death denote not the Privation of Existence but of the former state and condition which they were in and their Changing it for one that is eternally Miserable To an unprejudiced and discerning eye and that attends to the Stile of Scripture it is evident that these expressions signifie the utter Separation of the damned from God and the undergoing of his Wrath to eternity and consequently they imply Pain and Torment yea the never-ceasing infliction of them unto endless ages This is that which is meant by the second death threatned to the Wicked Rev. 20. 14 15. 21. 8. for in those places we find that the lake of Fire and the second death are synonymous which shews that the death of the Damned is no other than their Everlasting Punishment their being tormented in the flames of the everlasting fire before mentioned But notwithstanding this the Socinians persist in their Opinion and flatly deny the Perpetuity of Hell-Torments Which is that which the Atheist would have that which he constantly professes as his belief that after death the Soul perishes or if it chances to hold out in its Subsistence some time yet at last it will vanish into a Non-entity There cannot be a more Pernicious Doctrine than this for first it diminishes the Guilt of Sin as if it did not deserve Eternal Torments as if these were above the demerits of the Greatest Sins and Enormities for so the Racovian Writers speak Again this gives Men occasion to deny the Wisdom and Justice of God which is a considerable Step to Atheism To what end and purpose do Reprobates rise again and are brought to Judgment if there shall immediately follow an utter Extinction of them Doth the Great Ruler of the world shew himself Just if they be neither punish'd in this life as often it happens nor in another Shall not the Judg of all the World do right And can he do so if they that have done all the Mischief imaginable to others shall feel none themselves here or hereafter Moreover this encourages men in the commission of Sin for they chear themselves with this that they shall presently have an end of their Misery there shall be a speedy release from their Pains their Torments if there be any shall quickly have an end for they are told by Socinus's disciples that Everlasting Fire wilâ—… soon be extinguish'd that the Worm which never dies is Mortal This