and of Athanasius c. which is plain enough against Socinians and in the beginning of the agreement at Sandomir are named Tritheists Ebionites and Ari-Anabaptiss this Universal consent of theirs was in writing presented to three of their Kings Sigismond Augustus Henry and Stephen all which Circumstances made the thing the more considerable and set the Hearts of many against Socinus upon the account of his Blasphemies in so much that in Cracow where he then resided there was a great tumult by the Scholars and others who hurried him out of his Chamber half Naked though Sick and he narrowly escaped being torn in pieces which made him leave that Town and go to Lokowicts where he died not long after To the character which elsewhere I gave of that Heresiarks Person The blasphemous Socinian Heresy 〈◊〉 I think now 't will not be amiss to add Something more and shew by what means and upon what account his Blasphemous Heresies got so much ground and as 〈…〉 the Socinian Doctrines so I hope now to discover their Spirit in their practises The Polonian Kinght who hath Written Sâ—â—inus's Life compares him to Ignatius Loyola yet whilest he doth it only upon some accounts as their good extraction pregnancy of parts c. he omits the main wherein the comparison is very fit and proper and 't is this both have been Authors of pernicious Sects whom what Augustin once said of Faustus the Manichaean that he was magnus diaboli laqueus a great snare of the Devil doth fitly belong to besides the conformity of the name for that Manichaean and this Socinus were both call'd Faustus unhappy Wretches ill meaning Men and Seducers have both ends and methods to carry on those ends different from those who follow the rules of God's Spirit these here do unto themselves propose the Glory of God and his Service in asserting his Truths wherein they are guided by his Word but the others aim at their own Vain Glory and seek themselves not the things of God or of Christ then 't is no wonder if they chuse contrary means to come to contrary ends when our Blessed Saviour came into the World his end was to save it therefore he proposed the ways conducing thereunto as is a conformity to God's Will and Nature thus because God is gracious merciful holy and pure he commanded Men to endeavour to be such if they would please God which is the ready way to happiness he went not about to suit his Rules and Doctrine with their corrupt Inclinations on the contrary he crossed them with teaching them Repentence Self-denyal to take up the Cross and follow him thorough the way of Afflictions and Tribulations things in no wise pleasing our natural Affections yet this is the way to Heaven But the Devil though he be God's Ape and would imitate him for as God hath his Church so Satan hath his Synagogue his Laws and Ministers yet instead of bringing Men to Heaven as he sometimes with his false suggestions would pretend puts them in the ready way to Hell and with his Snares doth cheat and trick them into it in order thereunto he studies the temper and constitution of those Men whom he would draw to himself and offers suitable baits and temptations to effect it Gen. 3.6 thus with the offer of a Fruit that was good for Food and pleasant to the Eye Eve was overcome by his Temptation Contrary to what our Saviour practised he doth what he can to please Man's humour and corrupt nature wherein he makes use of his Instruments thus that great Impostor Mahomet to satisfy his ambition lust and other carnal affections he knowing how much under pretence of Religion Men are apt to be misled went about to set up one whereof some things of Paganism Judaism and Christianism were the ingredients but he adapted it to the inclinations manners and customs of those whom he intended to bring into it and finding how in those Countries Men were extremely given to sensual pleasures and loved Gardens Fruits and the like he not only allowed all here but also promised after this Life those pleasures which suited with their Affections namely handsome Women fine Gardens and such other things as they in this World liked best of all Thus among Christians some wretches whom being puffed up with self-conceit and desire of vain-glory God left to themselves to fall by their own council soon fell into the Devil's Snares who gave a wrong edge to what natural parts they had and qualify'd them for his drudgery and as Self-denyal is the first thing which our Saviour prescribes his Desciples so on the contrary Satan begins with infusing and promoting Self-love his instruments do follow his steps and by all means go about to gratify it among such I reckon Socinus who to gain Proselytes first of all to make the Religion he was setting up easy prescribed very few things to believe and to do accommodated and fitted them to the natural inclination and corrupt nature of Men which are very dangerous snares withal to draw Men of all Sects and Sorts he made such a mixture that most if not every Heretick might therein find something for his Opinions he makes the way to Heaven wide and easy for a Man of any Sect without departing from his errours to come to it there is in Man a repugnancy to be gainsaid and a strong desire of liberty in our opinions of things discourses and actions accordingly Socinus allows it to the full for in his School you may believe what you please make new Arcicles of Faith reject old ones undervalue Christ and rob him of his due as much as you can and dare and have the liberty to censure the Opinion of others which is very plausible to flesh and blood Gal. 1.16 but Paul saith how after his Conversion he conferred not with flesh and blood And as to their presuming so much upon Scripture with giving their own interpretations such as they please he tells I say thorough the Grace given unto me Rom. 12.3 to every Man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every Man the measure of Faith The Old Translation hath it thus that no Man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand but that he under standâ—th according to Sobriety As when God hath a work to do he never wants Instruments for he fits them for his Work so when he hath some Judgment to execute he gives the Devil leave to prepare the evil instruments to be made use of in this bad design Socinus had suitable qualifications as being of a good Family good natural parts improved by the refined Italian Court-way especially that of Florence where he lived several years and got experience and thereby became skill'd in the way of insinuating himself into Men's Affections with his being Civil Affable and Courteous by which
upon that perversly contriv'd Notion Their third Error about the Holy Ghost is to deny him to be the only sufficient cause of our Conversion and Regeneration tho' as said before he be call'd the Spirit of Regeneration John 3.5 and our Regeneration is by our Saviour call'd to be born of the Spirit but Socinians who mostly cross Scriptural Truths are of another mind for saith one quod c What Frantzius saith * Smalc cont Frantz disp 8. that the Holy Ghost alone by his Virtue and Operation doth all these viz. the inward assent to God's Word our Conversion to God the knowledge of Christ and Faith in him is false How easily do that People give one the lye that same saith that our Regeneration may not be call'd the work of God alone but it depends upon Man's Will and Acting So that great work of Conversion is divided between God and Man whereof all the advantage is made to be on Man's side for Man hath the Negative Vote he may receive or reject but God not so thus Man's Salvation is at his own command Thus far we have spoken of the Nature †Volkel de Creat Morosov cont Smiglec Attributes and Persons of the Godhead now as to God's Works Him they deny to have made the World out of nothing but of a Matter without Form which is to bring into Divinity the Materia prima of Philosophers but I ask did that Matter exist before the Creation of the World If so then it was from Eternity for in Scripture to be before the World and to be from Eternity are Synonimous and signifie the same and this is to joyn in Opinion with those who hold the World to have been Eternal which is a parte ante to match God's Eternity and also to make it Eternal a parte post This also strikes at his Almightiness as if he could not have made something out of nothing which properly is Creation I elsewhere discoursed abundantly against their over boldly presuming upon God's Word with submitting it to their Fancies by them mis-called Reason When they consult it 't is not with an intent thereby to be guided and submit their Judgment to its Decision but only with wresting it and forcing unusual and not natural Senses to make of it a Stalking-horse and to serve their wrong Ends and herein they are so self-conceited and so much abound in their own sense as to reject the help of other Mens Learning Labour and Industry For saith their * Socin Tom. 1. p. 344. Master Non attendendum est c. We must not mind what Men teach and believe or what heretofore they taught and believed whatsoever or how many soever they are or have been What a pride is this Neither Prophets nor Apostles or Evangelists excepted though immediately inspired of God and elsewhere he would scorn to own any Judge of Controversies whether single Man or such a body of Men as the Church is which certainly God in these Matters hath left some Authority with according unto his Word but he is of another mind when he saith Quod quaeris c. †Epist 3. ad And. Dudith To what you ask who is to be the Judge of Controversies about Holy Things I answer without us there is no need of another Judge than God and Christ This in plain terms is to make themselves the sole Judges for God and Christ speak to us by the Prophets and Apostles Their Endeavours of reconciling Jews Mahometans and other Anti-Trinitarians to the Christian Religion with removing what therein gives them offence tho' never so much to the Overthrowing of the Fouudation thereof is a clear Evidence of their setting up themselves as Judges in those Matters If they had gone about to convert them it had been very well and Christian-worthy but not so when for sinister Ends of their own they would only mince and trim with them Scripture we Christians call the Infallible Rule of Faith and Practice Now in Obedience and Regard to God and according unto sound Reason to the directive and decisive Authority of this Rule we who are so fallible ought to submit our Judgments to and yield Obedience of Faith 'T is very unreasonable to make every one's Reason a Judge in Matters of Religion thus there shall be so many Men so many Judges yet in the World are so many ignorant unlearned carnal prepossess'd with Prejudices blind wordly obstinate wicked and deprived of the Spirit of God here is a great Number and Diversity of Judges but how can they be Judges of things which they do not understand about these Matters another Errour of theirs is That they would not have the Doctrines of Faith to be drawn by Consequences out of Scripture for say they it requires Reason which all are not capable of therefore say I we do not allow every one to draw those Consequences Neither is their Argument good because though Reason be necessary to Knowledge yet 't is not as if it were the Foundation but as 't is the Instrument of knowledge therefore the Word is not Preach'd to Children to meer Naturals and Mad People besides that the Light not of Nature but of Grace is the Principle of this Knowledge of Divine Matters which the Unlearn'd as well as the Learned do Understand not by the Light of Natural Reason but of Divine Revelation Now I say that a Conclusion well deduced from premises is also true because virtually contained in the premises and 't is most certain that in the Word several great Truths are proved by deduced Consequences as is one of the Fundamental Articles of our Faith Matth. 22.31 32. Out of Exod. 3.6 Matth. 22 44 45. Out of Psal 110.1 1 Cor. 2.13 the Resurrection of the Dead so our Saviour proves his Divinity so doth Paul and many more such things and Scripture we must compare with Scripture for according to the saying quae non prosunt singula juncta juvant for that which is darker or seems so in one place will appear clearer and plainer in another comparing saith Paul of himself spiritual things with spiritual But here upon the point of Holy Scripture I must not omit to take Notice of the Blasphemous expressions of one of their great Men and a stiff stickler for his Master Socinus's Opinions * Smalc Exam. 100. Err. err 16. Christians ought little to care what the Prophets say of the Worship of one God according to this we must not mind what Prophets say though never so Important as is the thing in question the Worship of one God so there is a door made open for Idolatry and a breach of the first precept of the Law but those setters forth of strange Gods affirm we may Worship one who by Nature is not God not supreme nor independent but I intend by the Grace of God to speak more at large of this in another place of my discourse but the Man would not have us
of Adam's Sin is by the Apostle plainly and fully proved Rom. 5. from v. 12. to the end of the Chapter Psal 145.17 2 Sam. 24. Chap. 21.1 how by one Man sin entered into the World for that all men have sinn'd that is in that one Man and by the offence of one man judgment came upon all men to condemnation This is all without any injustice in God for we find in Scripture how without any injustice in God who is just in all his ways and holy in all his works sometimes the Prince's Sin is imputed to and punish'd upon the whole People as in the Case of David's numbering the People and of Saul for killing the Gibeonites and in the particular Cases of Korah and Achan The other part of this Sin is the inherency or hereditary corruption thorough the Fall of our first Parents naturally propagated in us whereby we become guilty and filthy having in us the Seed and Spawn of all Sins whereby we deserve temporal and eternal punishments as at first the Person infected the nature so hath ever since the nature infected every Person thus Experience shews how the Plague Leprosy and other contagious diseases do by Communication corrupt the Constitution of the whole Body as a poison'd Arrow Sword or Bullet will and how easily are diseases in the Blood by Parents propagated to Children thus we see certain distempers and Vices inherent in some Families but besides this Reason and experience Scripture the Competent Judge of it saith so for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not One and David saith Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 behold I was shapen in iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me this is not only his own but also every one else case upon the said consideration of and his Contrition for his Sins of Adultery and Murther he goes up to the very Spring of all namely Original Sin whereunto he doth Attribute that cause of all Actual ones and we all are called Transgressours from the Womb and before we have done any Good or Evil Isai 48.8 Rom 9.11 Ephes 2.3 for we were by Nature the Children of wrath even as others This is plain enough yet one of the Socinians here according to their usual way doth ridicule Original Sin and our Saviours satisfaction he in Mr. â—irmin's Name would argue * The Charitable Samar p. 21. how could any redemption be necessary to atone for Adam's Transgression whom millions had never heard of and no one had ever Commission'd to Transact for him In that place and under the same name he brings in his own Opinion about Sacrifices which though this be not the proper place to speak of yet before I leave him I shall he saith he could never be induced to believe them to be of Divine Institution but being used by all the Neighbouring Nations to have been indulged the Jews as the Kingly Government was afterwards upon the account of their stubborn and obstinate Temper which was much delighted with pomp and shew If this were true as 't is false then the whole Ceremonial Law was but a human invention Moses had been an impostor and the great and wise design of God thereby as by Signs Figures and Types to represent the bloody Sacrifice which Christ was to make upon the Cross were only to humour the stubborn Temper of the Jews the like might be said of the Tabernacle and afterwards of the Temple where these Sacrifices were offered and also of the institution of the Priestly and Levitical offices in that way of Sacrifices to serve at and about the Altar of God and Moses was very complying with Men and presumed very far with God only to please the Jews to give such strict laws and directions as in his four last Books we read he did about Offering Sin-Offering Peace-Offering and other sorts of Sacrifices but did not God institute all these by his Ministery In the Tabernacle there was not so much as a Pin but what was by God's Immediate institution and direction for God said to Moses Heb. 8.5 see that thou make all things according to the pattern shew'd to thee in the Mount and in the begingning of that verse the Apostle saith these things served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things Doth he not say also Chap. 9.22 almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission what a presuming Generation of Men is that which pretend to be wiser than Paul and Moses yea than God himself this same Blasphemer not to come short of any that went before him saith Sacrifices specially the expiatory seem to have been invented by a superstitious or designing priesthood What an impiety is this to affirm that a Divine institution as the Ceremonial Law was by the Ministery of Moses who was faithful in all God's House Chap. 3.5 was invented by a superstitious and designing priesthood O these busy and ill designing Socinians think others to have been and be like themselves however their wicked design in saying so tends to derogate from the Sacrifice by our Saviour made of himself upon the Cross therefore they would make People believe there was neither meaning not design of God by the Sacrifices made under the Law which as Paul saith was a school-master to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 who is the Body of all those shadows and the Antitype of all those Types But what care they for the Holy Sacrifice of Christ or any other thing in him towards our Salvation whilest they think to have theirs in their Pockets and all things necessary thereunto in their own power Reason is their Universal Grace or rather Natural All-sufficiency 't is pity such Men should be suffered to be so sawcy with God and permitted with their Impieties to infect a Christian Nation But I would have them and all the World besides to know that the Ceremonial Law was not forged in Moses's Brain but was of God's immediate and special Appointment Hence it is that so often in the Books of Exodus Leviticus and Numbers we read And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the Children of Israel The Moral Civil and Levitical Laws he immediately received from God's own Mouth either upon Mount Sinai as we read in Exodus from Chap. 20. to the last or out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Leviticus 1.1 to the Children of Israel Moses spake that which God commanded him and what he did was by the Lord's direction And therein God owned him before all the People as we have it in the Case of Korah Dathan and Abiram for before the terrible Judgment fell upon them Moses said Numbers 16.28 Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these Works for I have not done them of mine own mind And did not God call by name Bezaleel Exod. 35.30.31 fill him and Aholiab with his Spirit to
are dangerous to the Church so they are to the State for they would not allow the Magistrate either in the legislative or executive part of the Government in matters of Religion to punish any though never so great offenders yet by the Laws of God Blasphemy and Idolatry were punished with Death and as they agree with the Donatists against the Magistrates punishing for Heresy and for leaving every one to enjoy his own Opinions so for all their fair pretences they are with them for a liberty in practices and against compelling any Man to a Godly Life which is an inlet to all manner of Immorality as the other is a gap to every Heresy In relation to the Magistrate Socinians do joyn in most of their wrong Notions about it and though they do not positively and absolutely say the Christian Magistrate to be incapable of bearing the Sword yet they say as good for they would not have him to draw it out of the Scabbard meaning against them tho' for never so just and necessary a cause especially about matters of Religion which they wholly exclude from his Jurisdiction yet as the Anabaptists did at Munster so there is sufficient ground to believe that if the Socinians could snatch the Power out of the hand of the Christian Magistrates that are against them and lodge it in their own no question but they would use their utmost endeavours there to keep it and like the Circumcellions a sort of Donatists in Africa destroy all that are not of their Religion In few words these are the right Notions we must have of the Magistrate first that God is the Author thereof whom he constitutes as his Vice-gerent upon Earth thus he gave his People Captains Judges and Kings who are all by his own appointment for saith the Apostle the Powers that be are ordained of God Secondly Rom. 13.1 Psal 82.6 Christians may be Magistrates because it being an Ordinance of God 't is good therefore Princes who are Head-Magistrates are called Children of the most High Which is to be understood as of Monarchys so of Aristocracies and Democracies according to the several forms of Government in different Countries Thirdly Though the Authority of Magistracy may sometimes happen to be wrongly used when it answers not God's end in the institution yet God made it for a good end for the preservation of peace order and honesty in humane Society therefore the Apostle exhorteth that Prayers be made for Kings 1 Tim. 2.1 2. and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And Fourthly the Magistrate's Office is extended over matters of Religion and by his place he is bound to take care that his Subjects do profess the true Religion according to the Word of God and do what he can to promote his Glory and their Spiritual Good in the ways conducing to it as also to discourage discountenance punish and suppress all that is contrary thereunto whether in Doctrine or Practice Rom. 13.4 the reasons are these first because he is the Minister of God for good Now 't is God's Ministers duty every way to promote his Glory which is never better done than when a due care is taken of true Religion secondly the Magistrate like a Father is bound to bring up his Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Thirdly he is the keeper of both Tables of God's Law so that he ought to punish the breakers of the first as are Idolaters Cursers Blasphemers as well as those of the second as Murtherers Adulterers c. Moses was chief Magistrate over the Children of Israel and into his hands God put them thereby to him Committing the execution thereof according to this the pious Magistrates and Kings under the old Testament as Joshuah Samuel David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah and Josiah took care of true Religion and of God's Worship but if they would not mind those things then they would bear the Sword in vain Rom. 13.4 contrary to Scripture which saith he is a Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil But to corrupt the true Doctrines of Religion is certainly to do Evil directly against God which is worse than against Men and this was the practice of the Constantines Theodosius and other good Christian Emperours against the Manichaeans Priscillianists c. besides we read in plain terms that the Magistrates ought to punish crimes Job saith it first in the case of Adultery Job 31.11 v. 28. this is an hainous crime yea it is an iniquity to be punish'd by the Judges Then upon the account of Idolatry this also were an iniquity to be punished by the Judges so we may say Blasphemy no less Sin than is Idolatry but greater than Adultery is an iniquity to be punished by the Judges Acts 13.20 Ex Stegman p. 42.43 ob id ipsum c. Now no Man may deny that Princes and Chief Magistrates are contain'd under the name of Judges seeing for the space of about 450 years God govern'd his People by several Persons call'd by that name Against this Socinians say that upon no account any violent means should be used in matters of Religion for saith one of them peremptorily no Judge is permitted to use them in religious matters but not to look back this Doctrine is every day maintain'd in Print in those Pamphlets at any time to be seen in Westminster-Hall P. 32. and in every Bookseller's Shop Among others in Mr. Toland's Letter to a Member of the House of Commons in Ireland he declares he is a perfect stranger to any such Power claim'd by that Honourable Body And another in a Pamplet lately publish'd upon the matter hath these words * The grounds and occasions of the Controversy concerning the Vnity of God p 48. God reserves the execution of vengeance to himself and therefore allows the Civil-Magistrate no-Coercive Power farther than to preserve the publick Peace this comes close upon the Parliament which thereby they would exclude from meddling with things of Religion Men may know what they would be at by their petulant carriage towards some of the Honourable Members when according to their Judgment and Conscience they have spoken their Mind in the House as it will appear by a Letter which I think fit here to insert and which was made publick before 't is thus Honoured SIR KNowing you to be a Person of Morals and one that loves not Superstition nor Arbitrary Power Dated Lumbard-street Jan. 11 1698. and directed for J.A. Esq to be left at the Lobby of the House of Commons Receiv'd from the Door-Keeper of the House Jan. 11. and opened afore us C.S. C.T. although your Voting in the House and Arguing out of the House for a Standing Army in Coffee-Houses which indeed was for Chains for your self and Friends and the evil Character you give and some Reflections you have made on the Worthy
to leave others in the natural State of sin And as in the Work of Creation so in that of Redemption the Three Persons of the most Holy Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost agreed about the Means conducing to that End The Father was to send his Son Jesus Christ Epes 3.4 in whom he hath chosen us before the foundation of the World The Son to come purchase and work Salvation for us and the Holy Ghost to apply that Purchase and make it effectual In order to this the whole Administration of this great and Glorious Work was committed to the Son Acts 10.36 Heb. 1.2 Matt. 28.18 Joh. 5.19 who thereby was made King and Lord of all and Heir of all things so all power was given him in Heaven and in Earth Hence it is that what things soever the Father doth those also doth the Son likewise Nay in this he is so fully and absolutely Plenipotentiary that the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son This Office of Mediatour and Saviour he from the Creation of the World began to administer it in the Royal part as executing Judgment upon the Wicked and saving his People sometimes by Angels at other times by himself in the shape of a Man Also his Prophetical Office even before the Flood 2 Pet. 2.5 1 Pet. 1.11 by Noah called a Preacher of Righteousness and afterwards by all the Prophets in whom his spirit was Thus from the beginning of the World he hath every where from Abel to Abraham and in Egypt the Wilderness c. been Ordering Ruling and Governing his Church and the whole World which he continues to do and will till after the last Judgment Day when having gotten all his Elect together he will introduce them into everlasting Glory all this by his own Power And this is such a work as infinitely exceedeth all Humane and Angelical Strength and Wisdom so that none but a Divine Power can perform it therefore he that doth it till all his Enemies be brought under his Feet and fully overcome must need be true Essential and Eternal God Who but he who is the true God by Nature can Baptize with the Holy Ghost John 6.33 But John Baptist according to the Testimony he had from Heaven bare witness that Christ doth as he actually did his Apostles according to the promise he made to them And in the same place John Baptist bare record that this is the Son of God Acts 2. chap. 1.5 John 1.33.34 Luk. 7.28 John 1.27 and 3.30.31 Why to call him thus if he was not really such Hereby he shews that vast difference between the Lord and himself of whom our Saviour said Among those that are born of Women there is not a greater Prophet than John the Baptist who in several places made himself a meer nothing in comparison of the Lord Jesus and here by the name Son of God he is distinguished from all Men John never call'd himself nor no Man else Son of God only this Jesus Christ and none else is the Son of God with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a but the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsemet this very same which that he is is so certain a truth that our Lord owned it before the Council of the Chief Priests and Scribes who were not so blind as Socinians are or would seem to be for though our Saviour had spoken to them not so plainly Luke 22.69 yet this meaning they understood well Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God Though he called himself Son of Man yet the last words made them to conclude that he made himself the Son of God and consequently God for none but the proper Son of God can sit on the right hand of the Power of God therefore they all presently asked him Art thou then the Son of God which was a Natural Consequence of what he had said and the Particle then is a Note of inference which our Saviour owned in these words ye say that I am That is plainly I am and ye are not mistaken which they call'd Blasphemy so would Socinians have said if they had been there for now they do so set their Hand and Seal Mark 14.64 to his Condemnation for Blasphemy and consequently that he was justly put to Death for it when truely properly and in the sense which the Jews took it he made himself Son of God which as much as in them lies is To crucifie the son of God a-fresh Heb. 6.6 and put him to an open shame Hitherto though I had occasion to do 't I have taken no notice of the Opinion of those who say St. John's Gospel to have been written by Cerinthus for 't is such a nonsensical untruth and so absurd a Forgery that I ever thought it not worth minding In John's time the Heresiark Cerinthus denyed our Saviour's Divinity which that Gospel proves as often fully and plainly as any Book whatsoever in the the New Testament as indeed that Apostle did write it a purpose to prove it and thereby to confute the Impious Heresie of that Instrument of Satan as he declares it when he saith These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God Joh. 20.3 and that ye might have life through his name To say a proof is against a thing when 't is visibly for it gives a just cause to put the question whether he or they who said so knew what they said But Drowning Men will lay hold on any thing that comes into their Hand Besides 't is a great Impiety to make a Blasphemous Heretick Author of an Holy Gospel generally owned to be Canonical and Inspired by the Holy Ghost This Holy Gospel doth confound the Enemies of our blessed Lord and Saviour's Divinity therefore they so often would have been nibbling at it not one chapter but affords strong proofs of it For not to mention here those several places out of which we have drawn strong Arguments for it How many things to confirm it did the Lord Jesus speak therein from the time of his eating the Passover till he was taken that was but short which he took to prepare his Disciples for that separation which by his Death was to follow comforting them with telling what he would and could do for them I shall take notice of that only wherein he speaks of that high point of his Divine Glory by a mutual Glorification between the Father and him Joh. 13.31 32. Now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in him but this is not all for if God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself This indeed were a Blasphemy for a meer Creature to speak after this manner here is a perfect Equality of Glory they glorifie one another and are glorified one in another God shall glorifie him not without but
who in trivial Matters cannot to a Hairs breadth come to what is required is Persecution but not to restrain from Blasphemy and Idolatry which are against the Fundamentals the Cause makes the difference between what is Persecution and what is not in this as in other things names happen to be misapply'd which should not be for the Hanging of a Murtherer which is a due Execution of Justice may not be call'd Cruelty or Injustice neither Punishing and Suppressing of Blasphemy Persecution But in the Book in question the Author runs upon many wrong Notions vain Reasons and of dangerous Consequence for Church and State that deserve to be answered otherwise than with Pen and Ink which I leave for those to do that are more concern'd than I there being some words and things in 't which I think he deserves to be made to eat up As to the Topicks of their Policy about Magistrates I shall not meddle with for all the many flaws therein only some few things relating to Religion I will take notice of as first he denyeth the necessity of a Judge in Religious as 't is in Civil Matters which he calls Ridiculous as well as Unjust yet in page 19. he affirms pag. 20. 21 22. in Matters meerly Religious Reason to be the Judge for he saith there is no other judge on earth but every one 's own reason Which sometimes may judge of things whether true or false good or evil but which Reason not Natural but Supernaturally endowed and how not of its self and own Authority but only according to the Rule which God hath given in his Word thus when our Reason takes upon her self to Judge of Religious Things it may no more depart from the Rule and Authority of Scripture then a Judge upon the Bench from the Law therefore when any such thing is attributed to Reason it ought to be understood of Reason guided by Scripture We agree that God hath reserved Matters of Religion for his own Tribunal to a final Judgment at the last Day so he hath Civil ones too yet this doth not hinder but that in the mean while the Magistrate may decide Civil Matters and punish Transgressours so he must for those about Religion the punishment here relates to the present time but that of God shall be for Eternity Therein the Magistrate doth not as he would have it invade God's Jurisdiction which his is Subordinate unto and from which there is an Appeal and then there shall be the Decisive and Final Judgment God being the Supreme Judge of all by whom shall many Sentences be Reversed the Judgment which he speaks of is about Indifferent and Circumstantial things as are Meat and keeping of some Days of a very different Nature pag. 75. of those in question against Socinians which are Essential We confess 't is not well to molest Men about nice Controversies as he calls it and meerly speculative Points bare Ceremonies and outward Forms of Worship but between them and us this is not the case except they will call so the Funmentals of Religion as are the Holy Trinity Divinity of Christ and of the Holy Ghost God's Providence over the World c. these being controverted between us pag. 64. we must think he means when he saith They neither tend to the Honour of God nor the Good of Man and at the best are but Appendices to Religion and withall so Perplext Mysterious and Vncertain that Men of the greatest Learning Judgment and Probity are strangely divided in their Opinions about them and he is strangely mistaken in his Opinion of them He saith pag. 33. God hath given all Men sufficient means to make themselves happy Which must be false seeing all are not so for none but would be Happy if he could but there are a false and a true Happiness which last all Men have not means sufficient to attain to and their Natural Reason which they would have to be those sufficient Means is commonly and of it self a blind Guide in Matters of Salvation and when 't is it leads them into Fundamental Heresie and Blasphemy and then 't is but resonable they should be made sensible of their Errors which without reaching their Lives Magistrates have several ways to effect as to get them Instructed by Arguments Convinced so with several others which in their Wisdom may be Suggested and Restrain'd if nothing else can serve in another place he would bring in Will-worship which ever God abhorred for he saith by Nature all Men are equal p. 39. and have an equal and natural Right of Serving God as they think best The Consequence from Nature to Grace is not good and this introduces a Natural Religion to the prejudice of that which is Revealed 't is Grace that distinguisheth Men and as the Apostle saith makes them to differ one from another thus by this Assertion they with Pelagius confound Nature with Grace give Natural Reason the preference before Revelation and whilest God will have no other Worship but what himself hath Instituted they leave it for Man to bring in that which he thinks best Thus Worshipping God under the shape of a Golden Calf was what that People thought best at that time of Idolatry so according to them under the Figures of the Idols of the Nations they served God thus they thought to do when They sacrificed their sons and daughters unto Devils Psal 106.36 37. for they served God as they thought best see what service Men render unto God when left to their own choice they call persecution of Men for expressing their Love and Zeal for the Honour of God as he terms it by worshipping him not according to Rules but according to their Consciences and as they think best Thus all God's Judgments and the Punishments by Men inflicted upon the Jewish Idolaters were Persecutions and Murthers because they worshipped God as they thought best Yet I am most sure Idolatry and Blasphemy are allowed in the New Testament no more than they were under the Old But what need we to quote the Writings of former Socinians to make them appear to be Advocates and to plead for Idolatry as for Blasphemy seeing this same Man here doth it with a wide Mouth and justifies my Charge of Idolatry upon Socinianism p. 79. when he saith If Men out of Conscience worship false Gods and are thereby guilty of what is called material Blasphemy the reason for punishing them wholly ceaseth that is they ought not to be punished for their Idolatry Therefore the Magistrate is so far from having a Right to hinder them from honouring those false Gods that he ought to punish those who whilst they pretend to worship them do dishonour them by Blasphemy Perjury or any other Contempt Thus the Magistrate who according to them may not punish the Blasphemers of God is bound to do the Drudgery and punish those who dishonour false Gods Nay God himself will punish such Contempts