of England Besides this too a Man cannot foresee what will come to pass and so a Doctrine which at one time may be convenient may be otherwise when Circumstances of Times shall alter As suppose all the Lay-men of England had subscribed only the 35th Article of our Church which is The two Books of Homilies contain godly and wholsome Doctrine necessary for these Times and suppose in these Books of Homilies we shall read these Doctrines viz. The High Power and Authority of Kings with their making of Laws Judgments and Offices are the Ordinances not of Man but of God that all Persons owe even in Conscience Obedience Submission and Subjection to them as being God's Lieutenants God's Presidents God's Officers God's Commissioners God's Judges 1st part of the Sermon of Obedience And suppose in the second part of the same Sermon we should read these Words Christ taught us plainly that even the wicked Rulers have their Power and Authority from God and therefore it is not lawful for the Subjects to withstand them altho they abuse their Power Suppose I say we Lay-men had subscribed to these Doctrines as necessary for these Times had we not consented to the total Subversion of our Laws and Liberties to the Slavery of Europe and the Destruction of the Protestant Interest throughout the World Howbeit since General Councils for as much as they be an Assembly of Men whereof all be not governed by the Spirit and Word of God may err and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God as is declared in the 21st Article of our Church 't is no Heresy for us Laymen to believe that Convocations have erred in Doctrines necessary for these Times and may err in Doctrines necessary for any Times and from hence it will be no Heresy to conclude that a Parliament may err should they establish the Convocation-Doctrines upon the Foot of Sanguinary Laws There is one Reason yet remaining why there is no need of making new Penal Laws even against blasphemous Socinians which is because there are Laws already in force against Blasphemers of all Sorts or Sects whatsoever without any Proviso that the blasphemous Socinians as your Title-page speaks shall be exempted from the Penalty And 't is only your Title-page and Preface which I have in this Letter considered not at all designing to dispute with you in behalf of the Socinian or of the Unitarian Doctrines my only Aim herein being to shew some Reasons why it was not necessary for the Parliament to enact Sanguinary Laws against those who differ from you in Opinion The ill-natur'd Turn of your Title-page and the malicious and persecuting Design of your Preface convinced me that if we may believe our Saviour Christ you know neither the Father nor his Son Thus our Lord Jesus taught his Disciples John 16. 2d 3d Verses That they should be put out of the Synagogues and that the Time should come that whosoever killeth them should think that he doth God service and these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Now Sir if he who would stir up a Persecution against those who sincerely endeavour to know and do the Will of God as 't is revealed by Jesus Christ knoweth neither the Father nor the Son I did from thence conclude that the Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Son was also unknown to him and for this Reason I thought you an unsit Writer in behalf of the Trinity and therefore did not so much as read over your Book A Second Letter to Mr. Gailhard SIR I Am thinking whether ought more to be reverenc'd the Noble Names of Vere and Sidney whose martial Skill and well-tried Valour made havock of their Country's Enemies abroad when the Good and Gracious Elizabeth rul'd and lov'd her loving People or of Bonner and Gardner whose slaming Zeal made Bonfires of Hereticks at home under the dire Auspices of her persecuting Sister Indeed once I was of opinion that the Memory of the bloody Bishops had been justly hated and curs'd and did deserve to be and was like to be hated and curs'd for ever but I am now tempted to despise the Conquering Heroes with all their Civic Crowns and proud triumphant Wreaths of Lawrel as Men that fought only their Country's not the Lord's Battels But that Man has a Heart illi Robur Aes triplex that can without weak Remorse of Conscience murder his dislenting Fellow-Citizen and bravely burn his misbelieving Brother at a Stake With a world of School-Cant which now a days goes for deep Learning and ill-applied Fragments of Scripture after the Example of no very good Master but Fas est ab Hoste doceri the thrice Orthodox Mr. J. Gailhard Gent. labours to kindle this religious merciless Fire in the Breasts of the Parliament of England to that end therefore he offers them for a Field of Honour not Flanders but Smithfield for making good the former they have 't is true happily provided Capitation and Land-Tax Tunnage and Excises but as Fate would have it they are rose without the least Care of but so much as Brush-wood for the latter Mr. Gailhard had rather they had been blown up It is a Fault to do the Work of the Lord negligently but not to do it at all to leave the good necessary and great Work of burning Hereticks wholly on the Hands of Providence is a great Disappointment for Fire does not fall from Heaven every day and it troubles Mr. Gailhard's righteous Soul the more because he does not know but God may forgive the Hereticks for his part he will forgive nor them nor the Parliament But by his favour are not the Parliament of England to be excused tho they have taken no care about sending Mr. Gailhard's Enemies to the Devil for they were prorogu'd by his Majesty's Order as soon as they had done their King and Country every other needful Service Why then let the King look to 't from whom to say Truth no better could be expected as having declar'd when he accepted the Crown that He would not be obliged to be a Persecutor He thinks himself too good to do the persecuting Drudgery of any Body of bloody-minded right or wrong Believers if He can but defend the Liberties of Europe from the Tyrant of France and teach his own Subjects of different Perswasions to live amicably together that 's all he cares for Nay 't is long of the King too that Parliaments are summon'd and sit annually without Convocations A Convocation would have consider'd as Mr. Gailhard observes that time is short and uncertain and if not well improv'd for the burning of Hereticks the Opportunity may happen to be irrecoverably lost for Mr. Gailhard judiciously notes That to time things well is one of the best parts of Prudence and he acutely adds one of the most essential Circumstances of our Actions Whence I learn these four things 1. That Human Actions have their
Excellent truly Human truly Christian Natures so temper'd their Calvinism that 't was an inoffensive harmless Speculation if ever I have more Gods than one I do not say more personal Gods but more essentially distinct Gods a Hero so form'd shall be my second but tho I have an inquisitive Mind I think I am in no danger of multiplying Gods no I am resolved I will never do it unless it should be declar'd which I think next to impossible that no Heresy shall be conniv'd at but Tritheism 2. Mr. G. complains not indeed directly and in express words but by a side-wind thus Whether or not the Ecclesiastical Court hath in this occasion of Socinianism acted its part according to Laws I must not take upon me but leave it to the World to judg But notwithstanding all this he does not leave it to the World to judg but takes it upon himself nay he not only gives his Judgment upon the Case but also passes Sentence upon them that concur not in the same Judgment with him as appears by the Citations which he produces and the Reflections which he makes upon them Now in doing this which he thinks he ought not to do and promis'd that he would not he acts against the Light of Conscience which is a damnable Sin whether or no it be Heresy I will not dispute but without dispute 't is damnable it may perchance escape from Fire and Faggot but not from Fire and Brimstone unless it be expiated by a timely and hearty Repentance But what are his Citations of Law against Socinianism First a Passage or two out of a Book called The Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws began in the days of H. the 8th and continued in the time of Edw. the 6th That Book then was wrote before Faustus Socinus was born and before England could know any thing of his Uncle Laelius who was about twenty one Years old when Edw. the 6th died Again does Mr. Gailhard think that the Book which he quotes was wrote against Socinianism by inspired Writers in way of prophetick anticipation I am afraid the Contents thereof as to many particulars will plainly evince the contrary I know not what might appear admitting him to be an inspired Interpreter He may interpret Passages out of that Book if he so please against Quakerism as well as Socinianism or against the Scheme of any Party which may perchance arise reviving old and long buried true or false Speculations As for the Notions which I dislike in Socinianism for I am no Socinian but a Member of the Church of England by Law establish'd if I could not bring against them more pertinent and solid Arguments than Mr. Gailhard offers I would never dislike them therefore again I suspect that Mr. Gailhard after all his loud Outcries against blasphemous Socinianism as he phrases it is a subtle but real Socinian and writes booty Mr. G. to go on with his Citations and his booty writing presents the Parliament with a Fragment of a Letter from Edw. the 6th to to A. B. Cranmer Cum vos triginta c. Upon which he makes this booty Reflection So that there is something of a Parliament's Authority against Socinianism I may well call this a booty Reflection for in the next words he grants that that something wants a Parliamentary Stamp which is as much as to say it is a something that 's just as good as nothing We are not yet come to the end of Mr. G's Citations he presents us with a long Story from the Canons and Ecclesiastical Constitutions agreed upon in the Convocations of both Provinces Canterbury and York 1640. And lest the Authority of these Canons should in scornful manner be set aside for want of Parliamentary Sanction because it cannot be pretended that Jesus Christ gave Authority to the Preachers of his Gospel to impose Laws on the Subjects of the Civil Magistrate Mr. G. argumentatively notes That King Charles the First has by virtue of his Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority in Ecclesiastical Causes straightly enjoined and commanded those Canons and Constitutions to be diligently observed and executed But after all this with Mr. G's leave be it spoken our Lawyers know not of any such Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority in Ecclesiastical Causes by which the King alone without the Advice and Consent of his Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled is enabled to ratify and enforce the Ceremonial or Sanguinary Rules and Orders Canons and Constitutions I should have said of the Convocational Clergy Our Just and Lawful and Gracious King William pretends not to this Power nor is inclin'd to let any persecuting Priests loose upon his People and perhaps this is the true Reason and not his being chose by the People why he has no Defenders of his Title among such Priests here and there perhaps a moderate and sober Churchman owns him for his Rightful and Lawful Soveraign but Priests of persecuting Principles every Man of 'em spare not to revile him as a Conquering Usurper Let a Prince claim and exert a Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority to inforce Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical I question not but his obliged Clergy shall gratify him with a Right Divine tho he came in by a Foreign Power without and against the Consent of his People but Marriage-Right Proximity of Blood and Consent of the People together shall signify nothing if his Majesty out of a Fatherly Affection to all his loving Subjects will not execute the Vengeance of a Convocation or not call a Convocation to be taught his Duty 3. Mr. G. is troubled that Socinianism has met so little Opposition from the Bishops who as he intimates have not acted their parts and here he most andaciously and sliely slurs the Honour of my Lords the Bishops for tho several of them have wrote learnedly and angrily against Socinianism some in the Real some in the Nominal Trinitarian way yet Mr. G. takes no notice at all of this looking upon them as Men of the Arminian Perswasion who he tells us favour the Socinians go hand in hand with them mince the matter with them Hence he takes occassion to wish that after what several have written heretofore some Persons of Learning sound in the Doctrinal part of the 39 Articles i.e. Calvinists would appear as a very learned and able Prelat hath in some Points effectually done Now nothing could be more sly and malicious than this particular Commendation of a single Prelat as if all the rest favour'd the Socinians went hand in hand with them and mine'd the matter with them He often declares his Aversion from the Arminians of which Perswasion most of the Bishops in their Sermons and Prints have shewn themselves and as for the Calvinists the only Persons sound in the doctrinal part of the 39 Articles he says they have not appear'd i.e. they have been wanting to their Duty against Socinianism for which they were sitted by their Principles How unjust this
Circumstances 2. That some Circumstances of Action are but circumstantial 3. That there are essential Circumstances of Action 4. That some essential Circumstances are more essential than other A Person of good Learning Wit and Leisure would wonderfully improve four such Notices as these I shall make one obvious Inference which is this Human Actions cannot but be always very prudent and always well-tim'd for Well-timing is one of the best parts of Prudence and Prudence one of the most essential Circumstances of Human Actions I strengthen my Inference thus Human Actions cannot be at all without one and all their most essential Circumstances whatever perchance they might without some less essential Circumstances therefore they cannot want Prudence and because they cannot want Prudence they cannot but be well tim'd thence it undeniably follows that the Parliament of England tho they rose without preferring one Sanguinary Bill have acted like prudent Senators and tim'd every thing most exactly and that the King who prorogu'd them before Mr. Gailhard's pious Motion for Fire and Faggot could be made had also tim'd his Prorogation well and acted with all the Prudence which became him Thus by the help of Mr. Gailhard's Philosophy the King and Parliament are secure of doing all things well and the Exceptions which he moves against them as I shall farther manifest will only evince that good Sense is no essential Circumstance of writing therefore I would advise him to keep his word and write no more but 't is fit he do Penance for that ill-natur'd malicious Stuff which he hath wrote already I will examine it under these 4 Heads 1. What that blasphemous Impiety is which inflames his merciless Zeal 2. How wide it is spread 3. What Opposition it has met 4. What Treatment it deserves After a Flourish of wild Rhetoric ungovernably sallying into sundry Metaphors borrowed from things that have no affinity all within the same Period he declares what that Impiety is which inflames his merciless Zeal viz. Pag. 3. Ep. Dod. Blasphemous Socinianism attended by Atheism Deism Prophaneness Immorality Idolatry c. Not one of a hundred among the Pretenders to Learning knows any thing of Socinus from an impartial Historian or has read any of his Works but great Numbers strive who shall speak worst of him as if that were the only way to prove that themselves were sound and orthodox in the Faith For my part I am fully perswaded that Socinus was in several of his Opinions grosly mistaken also he lies under the suspicion of having contributed to the Persecution of Fran Davidis who differed from him but yet I may venture to say that he was descended of an antient Family endow'd with a piercing Wit and accomplish'd with no mean Learning Mr. Bidle in his Preface to the Panegyric of the Polonian Knight affirms that none since the Apostles hath deserv'd better of the Christian Religion so that a Man may more avail himself by reading his Works than by perusing all the Fathers together with the Writings of more modern Authors It is true this of Bidle's is the Testimony of a Friend but then it is strangely corroborated by Accident for it is plain that the most polite and rational modern Sermons and other moral Discourses are extremely beholden to Socinus his Works tho no Man of late that I have met has had the Ingenuity to make him the least Acknowledgment excepting that learned and calm Tritheist Mr. How who says That his Book De Deo was wrote non sine nervis Indeed the Enemies of Socinus tho they mean no good to his Memory yet frequently do him special service and in great measure supply to him the want of a profess'd Hyperaspist but none more than Mr. J. Gailhard who gives such a long disagreeing false and incredible Retinue to Socinianism that all which it is possible for an easy Reader to believe is that Socinianism is something which Mr. J. Gailhard mortally hates which it may be and never the worse on that account for he has declar'd his mortal hatred not only against Socinians and Jews Deists and Papists but also against all the Church of England Clergy that are of the Arminian Perswasion and all others whether Laymen or Clergy of what Religious Perswasion soever that will not bring fuel to the Fire for burning those whom he shall damn for Hereticks But let us call over the Retinue with which Mr. Gailhard says that Socinianism is attended 1. By Atheism and Deism 2. By Prophaneness and Immorality 3. By Idolatry and caetera But in the first place it is strange that Socinianism should be attended by Atheism and Deism too i.e. both by the Belief of a God and by the Disbelief of a God Notions so directly opposite one would think they could not be both together entertain'd in the same Mind But now I think on 't these two Charges are wisely laid together for the Design of the Accuser is to prove Socinianism a Monstrous Heresy which it must needs be if at the same time it affirms and denies the same Proposition Methinks Mr. Gailhard attacks the Socinians as the Wolf did the Lamb Sirrah said the Wolf to the Lamb how dare you trouble the Water that I am drinking Cry your Mercy quoth the Lamb I did not think that my lapping below could foul your Water above Sawcy Creature replied the Wolf trouble it or not trouble it I will eat you Thus Mr. Gailhard is for burning the Socinians right or wrong 't is all one to him whether they believe in God or no for if they will not be burn'd for denying his Existence they shall be burn'd for believing it But perhaps this fiery Gentleman may pretend that he does not use the word Deism as it signisies the belief of God's Existence but as it implies a denial of all reveal'd Religion and so it is an Attendant of Socinianism Now I confess this sort of Charge is not so perfect Nonsense as the other but then it is a Calumny so silly and so easy to be refuted that it is good for nothing but to tempt Men who are entirely in the Interests of the Church to suspect that they who are called Hereticks are not so black as they are painted and that they who throw the San-benito over the persecuted Man's Shoulders have more Devils about 'em than they that wear it For the Racovian Catechism is allow'd to be a just Summary of Socinianism and the first Chap. of that Catechism treats of the Certainty of Holy Scriptures and justifies the Authority of those Books by the most cogent Arguments that can be brought proves the Christian Religion to be a Divine Institution and the Author of it a Divine Person There may be in Socinianism more Errors than I know of and I know some but Atheism and meer Deism are none of the number The 2d Division of the Retinue which Mr. Gailhard would have the World believe to attend Socinianism is made up of