and the last If then according to their sense a Priscillianist sit still or only slily and silently endeavours to seduce Souls and a zealous good Christian stands up vigorously in Defence of Truth the Christian's a Heretick and Christianity Heresy and the Priscillianist for all his hellish Opinions a very Innocent Person and by no means to be rejected But if their Assertion be true according to common Sense those who advance it are the greatest Hereticks of our Age for they joyn both false Doctrines and an extraordinary Bustle and dangerous Warmth together Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo Haereses sunt Placitâ— vehâ—mentius defensa It may be they 'l take shelter under St. Austin's I may be in an Error but I will be no Heretick who means he would not be Obstinate for Obstinacy not an involuntary Mistake makes the Heretick But this will not help them Their own Critick calls Opinions too eagerly defended Heresies here again since none ever more scurrilously impudently or furiously defended their distinguishing Opinions than these Men by their own acknowledgment they are notorious Hereticks Nor will their absurd pretended Syncretism with the Church of England as a sound part of the Catholick Church a sham offer'd only to impose on Children clear them of the Title Heresy indeed is a Word of an indifferent Signification in many Ancient Authors but though both Grotius and Ravanellus think otherwise it 's no where so in the New Testament The Heresy or Sect of the Sadducees Acts 5.17 Acts 15.5 Acts 4. in St. Luke is a Brand on them and so it was on the Pharisees when St. Paul and Barnabas us'd it Tertullus calls Christians the Sect or Heresy of the Nazarenes by way of Reproach and St. Paul understood the Jews meaning well enough when they call'd that way Heresy in which he worshipp'd the God of his Fathers v. 14. Nor was their sense questionable who tell him Acts 28.16 Acts 26.5 that as for that Heresy which he preach'd they knew that it was every where spoken against and even where the same Apostle calls Pharisaism the strictest Heresy of the Jewish Nation he declares against it All other Texts where Heresy or Hereticks are mention'd have such Characters or Epithets annext as render their meaning indisputable In Scripture then it 's us'd always in an ill sense and in it the Heresy and Heretick are both condemn'd But when St. Peter forewarns us 2 Pet. 2.1 That there should be false Teachers among Christians who should privily bring in damnable Heresies i. e. should spread Hellish Opinions but as far as possible conceal the Names of their Authors he instances in One contrary to that Faith which himself and the rest of the Apostles taught They taught that God had redeemed his Flock with his own Blood These would deny the Lord who bought them and make him not God but a Creature and consequently uncapable of Redeeming them Such as these were Hereticks in the Apostles days and afterwards and such are Hereticks and their Opinions damnable Heresies in ours and God knows there are too many who follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of Truth is evil spoken of From all this we learn that Heresie in a Scripture and Ecclesiastical sense is not Factiousness Civil but an opposition made to the Church and her Doctrines drawn from the Word of God and generally received from the Beginning See a Sermon of the Necessity of Heresies Printed 1688. Haeresis est quiddam Spirituale L. Socinus de Haeret. puniendis p. 106. Vide Lucii Lexicon Novi Testam in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haereticos statuimus omnes quicunque communis nostrae Fidei decretum aliquod secus accipiunt quam sacrâ Scripturâ determinatum est in errore sic habitant ut omnino se non sinant ab illo removeri Nec illud in hoc genere spectandum est utrum aliquis ipse sibi Erroris fuerit Author an illum aliunde acceptum ipse sequatur defendat Reformatio legum Ecclesiast Sect. 2. c. 1. under pretence of their falshood and deficiency and out of Ostentation of a purer and more perfect knowledge and an Heretick is one who chuses embraces cherishes and obstinately defends Opinions contrary to true and sound Doctrine If this Account be right we cannot be far to seek to whom both the Title and the Opinions belong and such even they themselves confess are to be rejected Haereticus est qui Ambitione ductus vel alicujus temporalis commodi gratiâ sub Religionis praetextu falsas ac novas Opiniones vel gignit vel sequitur sectantium turmas parat Ex Augustino citata haec a L. Socino Hic vero asserente eodem Socino est Factiosus Haereticus Haeretici simpliciter seditiones volentes non excitant sed pacatè ac placide dissentientes nemini vim inferunt sententiam suam defendunt ac docent rectúmque esse autumantes etiam mordicus retinent adeo ut à Diabolo decepti igne quoque cremari constantissimè perferant L. Socinus de Haeret puniend p. 87.6 Ergo simplex Haeresis consentiente ipso Socino Haereticissimo in falsitate opinionum earumque â—criori defensione consistit Well but him who is weak in the Faith we are to receive therefore certainly not to reject But if those whom we have to do with are weak and will own it whom shall we call strong The Fathers of our Church who are most admir'd for Piety or Learning The inferior Presbyters who have labour'd hardest in the Word and Doctrine are all but Children meer Pigmies in the hands of these Defyers of the Armies of the living God They are treated with all that scorn and contempt which Opinionative Critics for they 'r all such can throw upon them They 'r confuted with nauseous Repetitions of bafled Arguments and abundance of scurrilous Humour and Papanish Buffoonery Yet God will accept of them they say But we think that if they keep now no better than themselves and their own Writers we need not wish that an angry Judge after Death would condemn them to worse Company Beneficence design'd to promote such Heresies and to make such Men better thought of cannot be accompani'd with that Charity which our Text recommends For that Charity always tries to heal not to tear open the Churches Wounds It neither invents nor favours New Opinions in Religion but labours to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and in Righteousness of Life That Heavenly Charity looks above the Flatteries of vain and foolish Men owns the insufficiency of the best humane Works and knows it can never discharge that vast Debt it owes to Divine Goodness by the most profuse Bounty to the Necessities of Men. The Son of this Love values one spark of such Charity more than a thousand senseless Criticisms which serve only to derogate from the Truth and Wisdom of
his Maker He believes in God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost according to those Revelations they have made of themselves in Scripture and would rather believe the Prophets and Apostles honest Men than quibbling Sophisters His pure unspotted Love with respect to God must always believe in him depend on admire and adore him and when he remembers his own distance from God by Sin and God's Condescention to purchase Pardon and Grace for him by his own most precious Blood though in that state of Enmity That Faith which he has in him that Love which he has to him must make him always tender compassionate and merciful with respect to Men. We need to run to no false Opinions to excite us to Beneficence Wise Men wont pretend to gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles This is a faithful saying and these things we of the Church of England affirm constantly That those who have believ'd in God might be careful to maintain good Works these things are good and profitable to Men. We would then have the Poor provided for we would encourage a just care for them we pretend in vain to be Christians if we forget our poor Brethren for we were poorer by far when our merciful Saviour made himself poor on our Accounts and extended his Compassion toward us If any one will give all his Goods to feed the Poor provided he wrongs none else by that Liberality and the Love of God constrains him may his Heavenly Father who sees in secret reward him openly He who gives to the Poor should give without Constraint without Grudging and with Pleasure for God loves a cheerful Giver He ought to give proportionably to what God has blest him with He who voluntarily devotes the Tenths of all he has to the support of the Poor does no more and none ever suffer'd yet by a Bounty so proportion'd What he gives ought to be his own i. e. not gotten by Address and Craft or by Violence for he who wrongs one to feed or cloath another gives Nothing and by such Sacrifices never pleases but offends his Maker But if the Rich in this world be sound in the Faith if they do good if they be Rich in Good Works ready to distribute willing to Communicate they lay up in store for themselves a good foundation that they may lay hold on eternal Life Here 's Love here 's Charity indeed enough to sanctifie their Alms and to make the Prayers of the Poor a Treasure of Eternal Blessings to them But since the Rich and Willing cannot perhaps tell readily where to bestow their Bounty without the Hands and Eyes of others V. Vitringam de Nominibus Ministrorum Ecclesiae Synagogae c. 5 surely we cannot in our own Church among Christians want some Man or Men of Honest report full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom who therefore will neither deny his Being nor reduce him to the meanness of a Creature nor divert the treasures of the Poor to encourage such as by their Writings and Discourses do both who may be appointed over this Business Ill Men are commonly of the most active and stirring Tempers they know the least neglect ruins their Affairs Good Men suppose their Cause will manage and secure it self but though it will do so their Industry is not a whit the less requir'd and while the activity of Ill Men destroys them we have an infallible Assurance That it 's good to be zealously affected always in a good Cause Men sound in the Faith would not only be Faithful Stewards with regard to the Bodies of those in Want but they 'd be Pious Guardians of their Souls too They'd instil the Principles of sound Religion into them as well as relieve their outward Necessities and a Love to Mens Bodies must certainly yield to a tenderness for their Souls A Lazarus full of sores and starving may be carry'd by Angels into Abraham 's Bosom but without Faith its impossible to please God and by Grace both Poor and Rich must be sav'd and that not of themselves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 1 Thes 1.3 The Work of Faith the Labour of Love and the Patience of Hope will always be favourably remembred both by God and Men. I 'll never confide in that Man who will not believe his God and must suspect Him to be full of Trick and Design who represents his Maker as guily of Artifice and Chicanery in his Revelations of himself to the Children of Men. But he who is right and sincere in his Faith toward God I 'm sure will be trusty to his Neighbour He 'll be kind to both the Bodies and Souls of the Poorest He 'll visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and keep himself unspotted from the World By such a Hand I 'll give what I can to feed the Poor I 'll live by Faith I 'll wait in Hope and act with Charity and never fear losing my Everlasting Reward Collect on Quinquages O God who hast taught us that all our Doings without Charity are nothing worth send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our Hearts that most excellent Gift of Charity the very bond of Peace and of all Virtues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before Thee Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake Amen Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Three Persons but One Infinite and Eternal God be given as is most due all Honour Glory Praise Power Might Majesty and Dominion now henceforth and for evermore Amen and Amen FINIS MYsteries in Religion Vindicated Or the Filiation Deity and Satisfaction of our Saviour Asserted against Socinians and others With Occasional Reflections on several late Pamphlets By Luke Milbourne a Presbyter of the Church of England The Doctrine of the Glorious Trinity not Explained but Asserted by several Texts as they are Expounded by the Ancient Fathers and Later Divines for the Satisfaction of such as doubt the Conviction of such as deny the Confirmation of such as believe this Mysterious Article of the Christian Faith By Francis Gregory D. D. and Rector of Hambleden in the County of Bucks An Answer to an Heretical Book called The Naked Gospel which was Condemned and ordered to be Publickly Burnt by the Convocation of the University of Oxford Aug. 19. 1690. With some Reflections on Dr. Bury's New Edition of that Book To which is added A Short History of Socinianism By William Nichols M. A. Fellow of Merton College in Oxford and Chaplain to the Right Honourable Ralph Earl of Montague All Three Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop ' s. 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Tarentine who when he heard that Prorus the Cyrenean had lost his All in a publick Calamity and was by that means reduc'd to Extremity went a long Voyage to find him out tho wholly a stranger and made his Condition as good as ever out of his own Moneys But these were the better sort of Heathens and for such some it may be for their own sakes have a great deal of Charity The Pharisees however if our Saviour mistook them not were very ill Men yet Josephus tells us They were a very merciful Sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph Ant. l. 13 c. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem c. 24. on which reason King Alexander perswaded his Wife to make use of them in State-matters after his own Decease which Counsel when she follow'd they made good the Character for they made it their business to recall the Banish'd and to set free the Prisoners What shall we say of Judas Had his Faith been sound certainly he would never have betray'd his Master yet his Care for the Poor was very great when the odorous Spikenard was spent on his Lord's Feet Joh. 12.5 he zealously cry'd Why was not this Ointment sold for three hundred Pence and given to the Poor But the Reflection of St. John on his action is severe and shews how wicked a wretch a pretence of caring for the Poor may cover This he said not that he cared for the Poor but because he was a Thief and had the Bag Joh. 12.6 and bare what was put therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julian fragm Epist p. 530. Edit Petavianae But never did any Man speak higher or do greater things in this way of Bounty to the Poor than Julian the Apostate A general care and tenderness for all Mankind is to be endeavour'd after says he The Consequences of it are many and happy but none happier than this That it makes us acceptable to the Gods For the Divine Nature loving Mankind so much must needs love them who endeavour to imitate their Goodness Again Who ever was impoverish'd by his Bounty to the Poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. I have often reliev'd those in want my self and I have receiv'd my own again from the Gods with mighty Interest of which he subjoins a remarkable Instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay Julian persuades Men not only to relieve the Good or Poor in general but he adds further That it argues real Piety to feed and cloth our very Enemies those who are at Wars with us Nay Who says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can think he worships Hospitable Jove according to duty who sees the Needy and wo'nt relieve them with one Farthing The same Prince writing to Arsacius a Pagan Priest owns that Christianity flourish'd because Christians were so good to strangers took such care to bury the Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and made so fair a show of Holiness and declares He knew no way of conquering Christianity but by the Endeavours of his own Party to excell the Christians in those and other popular Virtues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore he tells Arsacius and his Brethren that He had order'd them a vast Quantity of Corn and Wine at his own charge to enable them the better to relieve the Poor and Strangers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. p. 533. 4. V. Epist 49. ad Arsacium p. 202. Now if the (a) Sermon on Mr. Firmin p. 114. Men of all Faiths shall receive sentence on the foot of their Deeds of Charity or Beneficence without any respect to their Opinions as some would persuade us I know no reason why Empedocles or Clinias why the Hypocritical Pharisees the Traytor Judas or the Apostate Julian should not stand among the Sheep at the great Day Julian (b) Mr. Firmin's Epitaph p. 89. especially having been zealous in every good Work beyond the Example of any in our Age cannot reasonably be reproach'd for that Faith which brought forth such plenty of good Fruits But the Sheep at that great Day shall be Sentenced only by their Works of Mercy and the Goats by their neglect of them True for Men and Angels the whole rational World at least shall be Witnesses of the Sentence and understand the Reason of it The Judge who knows all things knows their Hearts and consequently the Sincerity and Rectitude of their Faith but these things are invisible to the Multitude But for their Works they have seen and known and can judge of them therefore their Works only are mention'd and if they be truly good their goodness justifies that Faith to the Witnesses not as indifferent but as sound and good from which such good Works could proceed therefore Grotius observes well Inter varias virtutes eminet Misericordia ideò hane pro omnibus ponens Christus exemplis depingit maximè notis conspicuis Opera autem ipsa potius nominat quam Animi affectum ut Humani Judicii Figura magis exprimeretur Grot. in Mat. 25. v. 35. That Mercy is of all Virtues the most visible therefore Christ instances in that instead of all the rest and deciphers it by its fairest Marks and he names Works rather than Faith or the Affections of the Mind that the form of Human Tribunals where all things pass as matters are alledg'd and prov'd might be the more exactly exprest Idem in v. 32. And if the same Grotius's Notion of the Sheep and Goats be right That they represent only sincere and false Christians his Judgment is the plainer That the soundness or unsoundness of their Faith is that which moves the Judges breast though the outward appearance or the Truth and reality of their Works be insisted on for the satisfaction of the Standers by This is the true Import of that Parable and none but Ill men will endeavour to Interpret Scripture so as to destroy it A Man gives all his Goods to feed the Poor and yet has no Love or Charity when all his Beneficence springs from Vain-glory or is levell'd at any mean or mistaken end That man had need to stand very well on his Guard against temptation who can avoid this insinuating Mischief Honour and Reputation are gaudy things and Men are apt to have an Eye to them even in those matters wherein God's honour and the acknowledgment of our Debt to him ought to be the great Inducement to and the ultimate End of all our Actions But in such a Case all my Liberality can profit me nothing Nor can Millions of hearty Prayers sent up by those poor perishing Creatures whom I have reliev'd carry me up one small degree toward Heaven unless they prevail with God to bring me to my self to give me the Grace of Self-denial and Humility that I may ascribe all that good I 'm an Instrument in not to my self but to the Grace of God in me Are not these the Hospitals which I have built