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A32802 The rise, growth, and danger of Socinianisme together with a plaine discovery of a desperate designe of corrupting the Protestant religion, whereby it appeares that the religion which hath been so violently contended for (by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his adherents) is not the true pure Protestant religion, but an hotchpotch of Arminianisme, Socinianisme and popery : it is likewise made evident, that the atheists, Anabaptists, and sectaries so much complained of, have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the Arminian, Socinian and popish party / by Fr. Cheynell ... Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665. 1643 (1643) Wing C3815; ESTC R16168 87,143 88

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that is say they to make the Law perfect and they overthrow the Gospel by saying that we are justifyed by the workes of the Law and by their confounding of the Law of Faith and the Law of workes they say as the Jewes say that the great work of the Messiah is to proclaime and confirme the Law only they adde that it w●● his in●ent legem Mosaicam ceu minus perfectam perficere locupletare and therefore they say Christ and his Apostles did so often presse obedience to the Law to shew that we are to be justifyed by the works of the Law and hence it is that they call our blessed Saviour Mosen Mosissimum as if Christ had not preached the Gospel the Law of Faith as the Apostle calls it Rom. 3. 27. And by this meanes the Law of Justification by faith alone without the works of the Law which is the scope of the Gospel is quite overthrown They set open a wide gap to Atheisme by denying that the soule of man can possibly so subsist by it selfe after this life as to be capable of joy or torment of reward or punishment they may when they please speak plain English and say that there is neither Heaven nor Hell Animadvertendum est say they Christum Apostolos coactos fuisse quodammodo hominum opinionibus quae tunc plerunque vigebant se accommodare quemadmodum satis aperte docet parabola Divitis Lazari Nam aliquem in inferno fuisse ibi torqueri in sinu Abrahae decumbere sunt plane fictitia similia illis quae Poetae de Ixione Sisypho Tantalo scribunt hâc etiam prudentiâ hodie apud vulgus Christianorum in hac materiâ utendum c. I have transcribed this out of Doctor Josuah Stegman the Reverend Superintendent of Scawenburg and when ever I cite Stegman briefly in the margin I intend that learned Author and not Ioachimus Stegman the grand Socinian The Socinians desire to take us off from giving any heed to the received interpretations of a Fathers or Councells that so they may obtrude their own fancies and conceits upon us as solid and Rationall most accurate but very moderate Interpretations vide Brev. Disq. p. 7. They of all men doe most affect the conduct of their own private spirit which they call Right Reason and though they pretend that we are more busie in enquiring after the unanimous consent of Fathers and Councels then the true sense of the Scriptures yet they doe not endeavour by this out-cry to extoll and enthrone the Scriptures but to set their own private spirit or b judgement in the chaire which is indeed to make every man a Pope This conceit of theirs cannot but take well with the multitude for every man as Luther saith is born with a Pope in his belly and with a Pope in his braine too for every one would faine have his reason his fancy to sit Judge in all controversies every man is apt to think himself infallible and that his Private Iudgement ought to be the Publike Standard Finally every one desires to give a Toleration or a Dispensation to himselfe that he may be allowed to maintain such opinions and goe on in such courses as are generally condemned by the judgement of Learned and Pious men There is another quarrell that they pick with the Reformed Churches and that is for extolling their Doctours too highly such as Luther Brentius Melancthon Bucer Chemnitius Calvin Beza Zuinglius and the rest but they would pardon this errour if they did not oblige other men to stand to the Judgement of these and such like Reverend Authours if they might have but their liberty of prophecying according to their own private spirit or judgement they would be content but that the Churches passe their censures upon such as dissent from the most received interpretations of Fathers Councels and the Reformed Divines though such interpretations seem unreasonable to the Private Judgement of our acute Socinians But there is a third fault greater then any of the former that is that the Reformed Divines make the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures and shining into the hearts and minds of men by a glorious light to enable them to understand the Scriptures the Judge of controversies for by this means say they the judgement of sound Reason is made uselesse and of none effect or Authority before the illumination of the Holy Ghost this is an high fault indeed we are it seemes in great danger of being seduced from the dictates of blind carnal reason to follow the light and voice of the Scriptures the Holy Spirit Besides there is another greater danger if we follow the Spirit so much we shal not be able to answer that Seraphique Doctour Valerianus Magnus his book de Acatholicorum credendi Regulâ Iudicio set forth at Prague 1628. but it may be the book needs no answer or they that follow the Spirit and the Scriptures are not at leisure they have better imployment But let the Socinians speak their minde clearely then what is it they would have why they would throw the Pope out of his chaire and they would sit there themselves by turnes that so they may be Popes round for every man say they hath reason enough before he is inlightned by the Holy Ghost to judge of the authority of Scriptures by Histories and other principles and to collect out of the Scriptures compared and the foresaid principles not onely all things necessary to salvation but many profitable truths besides though not so necessary I should be very glad to learne what those other Principles are besides the Scripture out of which we may collect truths necessary to salvation for this you must look into the seventh Chapter of this Brevis disquisitio Caterùm ad sacrarum literarum anctoritatem genuinam mentem dignoscendam principia etiam illa quae Philosophica appellant advocanda esse But if a man be no Scholar why then those principles which are knowne to him by nature and his owne observation are the Rules whereby hee must examine first whether the Scriptures be the word of God and then what is the true sense and meaning of them if such a man have but a good wit a little experience saith hee will serve the turne Nay he affirmes that it will serve the turne if by the helpe of those good principles his owne good wit and conference with others he do but heare the summe of those few things which the Socinians conceive necessary to salvation though he never heare or know that there is any such booke as the booke of God Mr. Chillingworth comes very neere this Disquisition-monger in his accurate Treatise for he saith The Scripture is not to be believed finally for it selfe but for the matter contained in it so that if men did believe the doctrin contained in the Scripture it should no way hinder their salvation not to
would Kings and Princes did seriously consider that the d Arminians have taught Heretikes to rebell against any Prince or Magistrate who goes about to inflict punishment upon them in a legall way for say they if the Magistrate goes about to punish an Heretike because he thinks the Heretike in an errour the Heretikes may all joyne together and rise up in armes against the Magistrate because they conceive the Magistrate to be in an errour for the Heretikes have as much power to kill the Magistrate as the Magistrate hath to execute such seditious Heretikes Par omnium in omnes jus est is not that pure Anabaptisme in the highest Nay they adde farther that though the Heretikes be seditious Reipub. Turbones if they be Apostates if they turne Iewes and blaspheme Christ yet they would not have them punished by the Magistrates these Arminian Socinian Anabaptisticall errours are justly abhorred by the Divines of this very time There is at this very day a great talke of Tubbe-Preachers if there be any such the Arminians and Socinians must defend them as long as they keep in private but if they preach false doctrine publikely then indeed the Arminians would have them grievously punished the Magistrate may if it be needfull say they make a whippe of Cords and drive them out of the Temple as our Saviour did the Hucksters Thus they abuse our Saviour and the Magistrate both in a breath they will not allow the Magistrate to doe any more They doe not think it necessary that Ministers should expect a Mission in the first constituting of a Church for then there can be no order for order is not yet begun nor must Ministers expect a Mission when a Church is to be reformed for then they say all order is quite fallen to the ground and therefore the Word may be lawfully preached by them that are not sent so the Arminians Exam. Cens. cap. 21. pag. 228. state the point You see if there be any Tubbe-preachers now our Church is but Reforming they doe punctually observe the Arminians grave instructions The Arminians allow a liberty of Prophecying if any man shall perswade himselfe that he hath received some spirituall interpretations of the Word by the inspiration suggestion assistance of the holy Ghost and any Magistrate shall imprison this man because the interpretation is contrary to the Spirit of the Reformed Divines the Magistrate doth imprison the spirit and quench the spirit and the Church of Rome may as well emprison any Protestant because he brings an interpretation contrary to the Spirit of their Church which is as the Papists conceive infallibly guided by the Spirit Here'snothing but Qui sibi persuadet a strong perswasion required to beare out this Enthysiast though he seemes to the Reformed Divines to preach nothing but his own brain-sick fancies nay phrensies Sed hoc ipsum est Spiritum extinguere authoritatem sibi arrogare Spiritum qui cum Spiritu nostro by our Spirit they meane the Spirit which enlightens the Reformed Divines non convenit pro insanâ corrupta mente libidine contendendi adeoque mali spiritus suggestione censendi eoque nomine vi armata eum opprimendi Colloca teipsum coram tribunali Pontificio Reformationem dogmatum Articulorum variorum urgentem orantem ne spiritum tuum quem divinum esse credis extinguat quid respondebis si tibi reponat verba tua an spiritus est quod cuique insana corrupta mens contendendi libido adeoque malus spiritus suggerit Exam. Cens. cap. 24. pag. 276. Unlesse we have that infallible Spirit which the Apostles had to discern spirits the Arminians tell us we must allow men liberty to prophesy contrary to the Spirit of the Reformed Doctours or else our censure of these Enthysiasts will bee doubtfull uncertain Finally for I am weary of this subject they will admit Anabaptists to be true and lawfull Pastours of Christ cap. 23. Exam. Cens. de Baptismo pag. 248. in fine Sure this is liberty enough the Socinians need not desire more the Arminians and Socinians then must patronize these Tubbe-preachers In the next place there is a complaint of Brownists to which complaint I shall answer briefly and yet fully First they are to be blamed who gave the first occasion of this Rent I know between 40. and 50. yeares agoe there were some followers of Browne but in the latter end of King James his reigne the number of Brownists properly so called was much decreased and it was a rare thing to meet with a Brownist but when Bishop Land began to sit at stern and so he did a while even in Arch-Bishop Abbot his time then the number of Brownists began to encrease the reason was because ceremonies began to be urged upon the conscience with so much earnestnesse as if they had been necessary to salvation and about 6. or 7. yeares since when the Arch-Bishop was in his ruffe and his Priests began to surrogate it preaching for doctrines the commandements of men and consequently worshipping God in vaine Math. 15. 9. men of tender consciences and those no weake ones neither began to feare that they should transgresse the Commandements of God by observing Traditions Math. 15. 3. and conceived it vain to joyne with them in worship who worshipped God in vain Many were prevailed with by this reason but there were some of a moderate temper who if they might have the liberty of their conscience and not be forced to the use of any Ceremonies would and did communicate even in Parish-Churches But the Archbishop of Canterbury began to lay on greater burdens Crucifixes must be set up at the East-end that was too plain next the Communion-Table to colour the Design or at least to add varnish to it must be advanced into an Altar men must by a Tacit consent as we were informed at the Visitation of Merton College expressesome outward reverence by bowing towards the East the Altar the Crucifixe choose which you please all if you will but in no case must we be commanded to bow yet we must be censured as disobedient if we refuse to bow This was interpreted by Rationall men an asking of our consent to bring in Popery It was now high time to make Protestations that we would neither bow to East nor Hoast nor Altar for if we held our peace we knew not what might come by Tacite consent We were sure that our actions would speak aloud and how tacite soever our consent was it would be known to God our conscience I will not take this faire Hint to tunne into a long story of what censures were passed upon my self or others for our Protestation against this superstitious Innovation but sure I am that by degrees there were so many Innovations both in point of Doctrine and externall worship that the Papists themselves thought those of greatest worth learning and Authority in England knew not
know whether there were any Scripture or no chap. 2. pag. 65 66. I thought it had beene necessary to have received those materiall objects or Articles of our Faith upon the authority of God speaking in the Scriptures I thought it had beene Anabaptisticall to have expected any Revelation but in the Word of God for a Revelation nay a supernaturall revelation is necessary to help naturall reason as the same Mr. Chillingworth acknowledges Knot had very unhappily branded Mr. Chillingworth for a Socinian because he maintaineth That nothing ought or can bee certainly believed farther then it may be proved by evidence of naturall reason where I conceive saith Mr. Chillingworth naturall reason is opposed to supernaturall revelation and whosoever holds so let him be Anathema Sect. 28. in his Answer to Knots Direction to N. N. Now let Mr. Chillingworth say that either there is a Revelation to be expected out of the Word as the Enthyfiasts do or else let him acknowledge that God hath ordained the Scriptures as the meanes and instruments to reveale saving truths and let him teach men to depend upon the Ordinances of God and not make men stand at a gaze to expect a Revelation in an extraordinary way Or else let him speake plaine and say there is truth enough written in the hearts of every man by nature to save him or that it may be learnt from Philosophers writings let him say as Socinus doth that the substance of the promises is eternall life that the maine thing God lookes after is practise that Heathens and Christians have the same practicall rules written in their heart and so if a man doe but hope for eternall life by observing these practicall rules as many Heathens did witnesse that verse of Phocylides {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the Discourses of Socrates Plato Hermes c. hee may be eternally saved and then we shall know how free he is from Socinidnisme Or else let him confesse that naturall Reason being helped by a supernaturall Revelation in the Word is not able to discerne saving truths so as to beleeve them after a saving manner without the speciall assistance of the holy Ghost such assistance as is vouchsafed to none but the Elect of God and then I will acknowledge that he is no Socinian But otherwise if either he thinke as he seemes to thinke that all the materiall objects which are necessary to salvation may be knowne out of some other booke then Scripture or by some other meanes and that if a man beleeve them meerely as truths probable by reason and doe not receive those truths as the Oracles of God but dictates of Reason then sure he may be a Socinian still nay if he hold a supernaturall Revelation by the Word to be necessary it being the meanes which God hath ordained and so is made necessary to us by Gods ordinance yet if hee thinke this outward revelation to be sufficient without the inward and speciall revelation of the Spirit he may be a Socinian still But this by the way I shall say the lesse of Mr. Chillingworth when I come to touch upon his Booke sure I am such dangerous principles as these will beate greene heads from the study of the Scriptures if they be not censured upon every occasion I know Master Chillingworth protests that he is willing to stand to the judgement of the Catholique Church of this and former ages to the consent of Protestants the Church of England but if he put in the Papists into the Catholicke Church as I beleeve he will then he will say the Papists doe not agree and therefore the Catholick Church of this age is not against the Socinians nay the Fathers doe not all agree and so there is not a Catholick consent of the Ancients as Mr. Chillingworth I beeleeve did purposely shew at large in the eighteenth Section of his Answer to N. N. that so he might winde himselfe out the better in this 28. Section Nay peradventure he will put the Socinians in for to give a vote if you aske for the consent of the Catholique Church of this Age for hee cals them a company of Christians in the 29. Section and though he saith They are erroneous in explicating he doth not say in denying the mysteries of Religion allowing greater liberty in speculative matters so the Socinians call the Articles of the Christian faith then any other company of Christians doth or they should doe yet for their honour he saith they explicate the Lawes of Christ with more rigour and lesse indulgence to the flesh then the Papists doe and that is true but not much for their commendation because they thereby disgrace the Morall Law of God and say it was imperfect till Christ gave new Lawes but Mr. Chillingworth was willing to take any occasion to commend them Moreover if Mr. Chillingworth by the Church of England meane the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and his faction then indeed there will not be a generall consent of the Church of England against the Socinians Once more if he take in all the Arminians and some Iesuited Papists that as Vertumnus Romanus prescribes come to Church and heare our Common prayers and receive the Sacrament in some Congregations in this Kingdome though they bee of Mr. Fisher or Mr. Flued his minde and ranke all these amongst Protestants for we have had strange kinde of Protestants for these twelve yeares last past then I beleeve there will not be a generall consent of such Protestants against the Socinians and so Mr. Chillingworth may oppose Socinianisme when all these agree together to oppose it But indeed hee hath one Argument which makes me beleeve that he and more of that faction who countenance many Socinian errors doe not agree with the Socinians in all points because Socinianisme if it be taken in all its demensions is such a Doctrine by which no man in his right minde can hope for any honour or preferment either in this Church or State or in any other Many men do indeed adventure as farre as they dare this way onely they are afraid of thwarting the great Designe as I shall hereafter shew I dare not excuse Mr. Chillingworths dangerous principles though I account him a very rationall man yet I beleeve him to be the more dangerous I dare not therefore give him that liberty which he gives others and cry Quisque abundet in sensusuo because they are not the words of S. Paul though Mr. Chillingworth father them upon him chap. 2. pag. 92. the words of the Apostle are Let every man be fully perswaded or assured in his own minde Rom. 14. 5. I goe on to shew the danger of Socinianisme It is an Hotch-potch of Gentilisme Turcisme Judaisme and I know not what they have put in some scruples of Christianity to make up the messe The Centuriatours say that Mahomet did compose his Alcoran by the helpe of the Iewes and Iohannes Antiochenus an Arian and
it seemssuch slaves he had who to satisfy his ambition and their own would deny both their Principles and his that the Master-plot might thrive and prosper For it is observable that our English Arminians and Socinians are nothing so true to their own principles as the Ringleaders of these factions are beyond the Seas His Grace both in his old book and in his new saith that Reason and ordinary grace superadded by the help of Tradition doe sufficiently enlighten the soul to discern that the Scriptures are the oracles of God here is the Socinians sound or right reason before the illumination of the Spirit but to please the Arminians Ordinary or Universall grace comes in also and the name of Tradition to please the Popish party and what all these are like to doe without the speciall Grace of the holy Spirit I leave it to any Protestant to judge There is another Rule which his Grace holds fast in both his bookes namely That the Churches Declaration can bind us to peace and externall obedience where there is not expresse letter of scripture and sense agreed on What Sir must there be no deduction no consequences allowed must there be expresse letter of Scripture there 's one Socinian rule Secondly when the letter of the text is expresse must not the point contained in the Text and expressed in the letter be accounted Fundamentall because the sense is not agreed upon but the point called into question by some learned Socinian or bold Arminian is the sense of that place of Scripture which hath been received by so many Fathers Councels Reformed Churches Martyrs not true or the point not necessary because it is now called into question by some wanton wits that can hardly agree upon any point Must we then subscribe to that Arminian and Socinian principle Nullum dogma controversum est fundamentale When a point begins to be controverted shall it cease to be Fundamentall By this meanes we may bring in an Atheisticall Libertinisme into the Church we shall have no more Articles of our Faith then the Arminians or Socinians please to leave us I beleeve we shall have a very short Creed one of these dayes if this rule be followed for as fast as they please to question our Articles we must part with them especially if our great Patriarch interpose his Authority his Declaration must passe for the Churches Declaration if he say such a point is controverted and I command you silence it is not Fundamentall now because controverted then we must be silent and let the truth fall to the ground This was the old muzle which was put upon the Ministers mouthes to make them lie still like dumbe dogs whiles the theeves stole away what they pleased this and that Commandement this and the other Article of the Christian faith we must it seemes for Peace sake part with our religion and disobey God that we may obey the Church sure he that hath the head of a Scholar and the heart of a Christian will scarce have any inward Peace if he perform externall obedience in such a case This may suffice for a taste of the Arch-Bishops Divinity nor the young Students could not but take notice of such passages and therefore whet their wits to maintain those opinions which his Grace countenanced There was a great Scholar who asked one of the Canterburian faction what he thought of the Primate of Irelands treatise concerning Christs Incarnation in which he demonstrates that the Word was made flesh and that therefore Christ is God and man the Canterburian answered that indeed there was as much produced upon that argument as could be said upon it but under correction saith he I conceive the Primate hath not cleared the point which he undertook to prove The men of this strain when they were at their height began to vary their expressions they called Christ their great Master or our Lord and Master at the highest so that you could scarce tell by their prayers whether they did respect Christ or their Patrone most for the Chaplaines styled their Patrone their very good Lord and Master Dr. Taylour in his epistle Dedicatory to the Arch-Bishop before the sermon on the Gun powder treason seems to affect that expression of calling Christ our great Master the Socinians will beare them company in such generall expressions and some have thought of composing such a Liturgy as might give no offence to Arminians or Socinians that would be an inoffensive Liturgy indeed and they may doe well to enlarge their Charity and make their Liturgy inoffensive to the Turkes and Jewes as well as the Socinians for any Liturgy which will please one that is a thorow Socinian will please Turkes and Jewes also if it be but warily composed and they will keep themselves in such generall expressions as some doe too much affect But of all that I have met with none comes neer Mr Webberly a Batchelour of Divinity and fellow of Lincolne Colledge who hath translated a Socinian book into English for the benefit of this Nation and prepared it for the presse Now they think they may own the businesse they dare appeare in their proper colours and blaspheme Christ in plaine English But because some parts of Socinianisme strike directly at the superstition of Rome so highly extolled in our dayes and at the pompe of the Clergy which must be maintained by the sword for what care they though England swimme in bloud so they swimme in wealth and pleasure therefore Mr. Webberly tells us very honestly that Socinianisme was to be corrected and chastised with respect to the nature of our climate What need I adde more take all in a word There are some mysterious parts of Socinianisme that se●m Rationall these I think in good earnest the men of this age have too much doted on Secondly some parts of Socinianisme they qualify and chastise a little because there is a little too much quick-silver in them Thirdly some parts they doe totally reject because they thwart the maine Designe Fourthly some parts of Socinianisme are instilled into the people that they might be made a meer prey to their Courts in times of Peace and to their army in times of warre Mr. Webberly for instance may be so farre irrationall as to be of the Councell of warre which no strict Socinian would allow but then Mr. Webberly would teach the people that they must not defend their possessions against invading enemies by force of Armes because God hath not given his people any earthly possessions by Covenant under the Gospell as he did under the Law Surely they have heard of Iulian who boxed the Christians on one eare and bid them turn the other eare that they might be boxed on both sides in obedience to their Masters command CHAP. V. Shewes that the famous Atheists Anabaptists and Sectaries so much complained of have been raised or encouraged by the doctrines and practises of the Arminian Socinian and