l. 4. c. 23. Smalcius peremptorily asserts that those are Venial Sins which do not merit eternal death and that there are such sins But the rest only say God hath not constituted Eternal Punishment as the just recompence of all Sins Volkelius's express words are Venial Sins are those for which God hath not appointed the penalty of eternal death so that of themselves they deprive no man of eternal life But this contradicts the Apostle who speaks without any reserve and limitation The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. And you may be satisfied that even Eternal Death is included in that general term for death in this former clause of the verse is directly oppos'd to eternal life in the latter one That they symbolize in the doctrine of Praying for the dead may be gather'd from what a Great Man among them saith It is no wonder that those who believe no middle state of the dead pray not for them But those that believe this do well in praying for them He adds There is a much more certain succour and aid in the prayers of the living for the dead than in the prayers of the dead for the living They affect the way of the Church of Rome in the manner of excusing their worshiping the Son of God although they hold him not to be God but a Creature for as the Romanists palliate their Idolatrous Worship in praying to Saints and Angels c. by saying that this Adoration is paid ultimately to God himself so not only the Old but the New Socinians use the same language telling us that the worshiping of the Son is not terminated in him as its utmost scope but passes by and through him to the Father Lastly I might add that the Author of the Considerations on the Explications of the doctrine of the Trinity speaks favourably of Transubstantiation All these things evidence that there is no such great gulf fixed between the Papists and Socinians but that they can hold commerce with one another and in time if there be occasion come closer together I charge not these latter with any formed intentions of promoting the Roman Cause but they may be Factors for Rome though perhaps they know it not However I desire it may be consider'd how Inconsistent these men are when they make a shew sometimes of being great Enemies to the Roman Religion and yet at other times abet and befriend it Would not a Thinking Man be induced to believe that they are at the bottom Favourers of the Pontifician Interest Lastly I appeal to any considerate man whether this be not more probable than what the Socinians charge the Trinitarians with viz. that they are the Causes and Occasions of those Errors and Heresies which compose the gross body of Popery Thus I have offer'd a Brief Scheme of the Anti-Trinitarian and Socinian Doctrines These things might have been further enlarged upon but I was willing to bring all into a narrow compass for the sake of the Meanest Readers such as have not time and leisure to peruse Great Volumes or are not able to purchase them I hear that there is a Reverend and Worthy Person of my Name of the University of Oxford who hath undertaken to give a Larger Account of matters referring to this subject but for my own part I purposely design'd Brevity for the reasons aforesaid and because I have other work of Greater Importance upon my hands for though the handling of the foregoing Points be of great use otherwise I should not have employ'd my self about them yet I give Practical Theology the precedence to them That the Reader may have a Summary View together of all the preceding doctrines of the Socinians I will be yet briefer and couch the whole in a Narrower Draught which you may call if you please the Creed of a Socinian It may be drawn up in this Form and Manner I believe concerning the Scripture that there are Errors Mistakes and Contradictions in some places of it that the Authority of some of its books is questionable yea that the Whole Bible hath been tamper'd with and may be suspected to be Corrupted I believe concerning God that he is not a Spirit properly speaking i. e. Immaterial and Incorporeal but that he is such another sort of Body as Air or Ether is that he is not Immense and Infinite and every where Present but is confined to certain places that he hath no Knowledg of such future events as depend on the free will of man and that it is impossible that these things should be foreknown by him that there is a Succession in God's Eternal Duration as well as there is in Time which is the measure of that Duration which belongs to Finite beings I believe further concerning God that there is no distinction of Persons or Subsistencies in him and that the Son and Holy Ghost are not God the former of these being only a Man and the latter no other than the Power or Operation of God that there was nothing of Merit in what Christ did or suffer'd that therefore he could not make Satisfaction for the sins of the world and the contrary Assertion is deceitful erroneous and pernicious I believe concerning the First Man that he was not created in a state of Uprightness that the Image of God in which he was made consisted not in Righteousness and Holiness and consequently that he did not lose these by his Fall for he could not lose what he had not that Adam's Posterity have receiv'd no hurt have had no stain or blemish derived to them by his Apostacy and the contrary Opinion is a fable a dream a fiction of Antichrist that Mankind having receiv'd no damage by the fall of our First Parents have still an ability by nature to desire and imbrace all Spiritual Good and to avoid all that is Sinful and Vitious that therefore there is no need of the help of the Holy Spirit and that men may believe and repent and perform all religious acts without his operation and influence yea indeed the Spirit is but an Operation it self that men are counted righteous before God not for the Merit of Christ Jesus for he had no Merit but for their own good works I believe concerning the Future State that the Souls of the deceas'd have no knowledg no perception of any thing they are not sensible of any rewards or pains neither are they capable of feeling them so that in a manner they may be said not to Exist for their life activity and sensibleness are vanish'd and their very Nature is absorpt I believe that we shall not rise with the Same Bodies which we have now at the last day but that another Matter or Substance shall be substituted in their place I believe that men shall not at the day of Judgment be required to give an Account of their actions the most Flagitious Sinners shall not be Examined concerning any thing of their past life
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
Offender saith the Apostle or have committed any thing worthy of death I refuse not to die Both Capital Judicatures and Punishments are authorized by the same Apostle Rom. 13. 4. where speaking of the Magistrate he saith He beareth not the sword in vain i. e. he beareth it so as strike with it to do execution with it when there is occasion So ridiculous is that Exposition of the place which One of the Socinian Writers gives viz. It is said He bears the sword but yet he must not use it It is evident from this Text as well as from those before mention'd that God himself hath put this Weapon into the Magistrate's hand and why then should any presume to disarm him I acknowledge a Christian Ruler ought to be very Cautious and Tender in the point of mens Lives and perhaps it would be better to be sparing of them in some cases where generally according to the Laws as they are now in force there is a forfeiture of Life It was very rare heretofore among our Ancestors to inflict death for some of those Crimes which now are made Capital The Executioner had not so much work when Banishment and Confiscations were more in use But it is certain that there are such flagitious enormities such heinous and detestable villanies as require no less a recompence than Death it self Especially in the case of Blood-shedding a Retaliation is due for blood calls for blood This fatal Retribution is founded not only on the foremention'd Positive Law given to the Patriarchs and never since repeal'd and also on the Allowance of the New Testament as you have heard but on the Common Law of Equity and justice Wherefore the Magistrate hath authority when publick Justice and Necessity require it to take away mens lives Which our Church thought fit to make one of her Articles The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian Men with death for heinous and grievous offences Nay the Publick Ministers of Justice are so far from offending in doing this that they are extraordinarily guilty if they omit it especially if they suffer Murderers to go thus unpunish'd for blood-shed is the way by Gods appointment for the avenging of willful homicide and murder I mention these things that we may see how injurious the Unitarians are both to the Ecclesiastical and Civil Ministers They not only null the function and Jurisdiction of the former as I shew'd you but they rob the latter of a great and considerable part of their Office They will not allow them a power to punish Offenders especially Capitally With the Donatists of old and some Anabaptists afterwards they agree to defend this Proposition that no man ought to be put to death let his Crime be never so black and bloody they hold that the Effusion of humane blood is in all cases unlawful They had this immediately from the Italian Innovator who knew it would serve his followers to very considerable purposes For it was convenient to begin first with the Magistrate lâ—…st he should have begun with them They take away his Punitive Power and then they know he can't hurt them They are against all Capital Inflictions lest they should tast of them themselves The design of these Opposers of Magistracy is that they may have a Licence to vent what Doctrines they please that they may even expel out of the world some of the Fundamental Truths which have been embraced in all ages of the Church It is to be fear'd that the design at the bottom is that all Magistrates should throw away their Swords divest themselves of their power to Punish that hereby there may be a Liberty to do what they please and then at last it is likely they will usurp the Sword and take upon them that Office which they denied to the Magistate Though they despoil the Praetor of his Axe as well as Rods yet they will make use of them themselves Here I might let you see likewise that it is their opinion that it is not lawful for a Christian Man to go to war Thus their Great Casuist determines and in other places he saith We may not repel force with force by taking up Arms though we are justly assaulted And he is back'd by Smalcius who peremptorily asserts the same But I believe the Reader would think it loss of time to insist here and to shew the unreasonableness of this Opinion and therefore I dismiss it CHAP. IX The Socinians agree with the Papists in the doctrine of Evangelical Counsels and several other Tenents The Author 's designed Brevity The Socinian Creed summ'd up and faithfully represented in its several Articles An Objection Answered Another Objection more particularly and distinctly answer'd THUS I have gone through the Several Particulars and Members which make up the Body of Socinianism and I have now only this further to adjoyn that both as to some of the Instances before mention'd and as to one or two which I have not yet taken notice of they apparently symbolize with the Papists They joyn hands with them in asserting Evangelical Counsels as we may satisfie our selves from what their Great Doctor and Dictator saith on Mat. 5. 43 44. It is true in his Explication of v. 17. of that Chapter he rejects the Popish Distinction of Precepts and Counsels as it is there on that occasion applied But behold his shifting In this place he makes out his Opinion by using that Distinction only he disguises it under the term of Monitions instead of Counsels He holds that of Solomon Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat c. to be of this sort it is an Advice which we may follow or not as we please it is not a Command no man is enjoyn'd to do this But after this rate any of the Plain Commands in Holy Scripture may be evaded for we may alledg this which Socinus here starts that though the words are propounded in the way of a Precept yet they have not the force of one but only are Admonitions or Counsels which a man may observe if he thinks fit else not And so in other Particulars I have hinted their Correspondence with Rome as in their vilifying of the Scriptures and holding them to be Corrupted likewise in their notion of Divine Worship which they say is not proper and peculiar to God the Papists excuse the Worship which is paid by them to Angels and Saints by alledging that this Honour may be communicated to others besides the Deity and so doth Socinus stiffly maintain that this Divine Honour is not appropriated to him that is by nature God Both parties agree in the doctrines of Merit and Perfection Both accord in this likewise that the Magistrate must not meddle with the Church that he hath no Authority to punish Offenders in point of Religion Moreover they agree in the distinction of Venial and Mortal Sins See Crellius Eth. l. c. 5. and Volkelius