THE TRUE CHARACTER OF THE Spirit and Principles OF SOCINIANISM Drawn out of their Writings WITH Some Additional PROOFS of the Most Holy Trinity of our Lord's and of the Holy Ghost's Divinity By J. GAILHARD Gent. They changed the Truth of God into a Lye Rom. 1.25 Therefore Give them O Lord What will thou give Give them a Miscarrying Womb and dry Breasts Hos 9.14 LONDON Printed for J. Hartley over-against Grays-Inn in Holborn MDCXCIX THE PREFACE TO THE Christian READER ALL Prayers and Endeavours against the Abominations of the Times have not altogether been in vain a kind of Curb having by the late Act been put upon it and if the Offenders be strictly punish'd through God's Blessing we may hope to see the Sins really suppressed the Law if not well kept is but a dead Letter and becomes contemptible but a strict Execution makes it useful and effectual which we promise our selves to see by the Pious Care of a Prince whose Chief and most Glorious Title is Defender of the True Christian Faith whilst Violent and Cruel Persecutions are raging abroad and sad Anti-christian Impieties at home who knoweth whether he be come to the Kingdom for such a Time as this to be an Eminent Instrument in God's Hands to do that Work God in an extraordinary manner hath raised him upon the Throne of these Three Kingdoms and as he doth nothing in vain so we may well conceive it to be for some extraordinary Ends. Therefore I now upon my Knees do most humbly beseech Him by whom Kings Reign in a plentiful measure to give the King the Spirit of Wisdom Knowledge and Vnderstanding and of the Fear of his Name that he may truly know what God after the great things he hath done for him doth now expect from him and to guide direct and with his helping Hand support Him in bringing those Great Ends about HIS MAJESTY hath given us Peace with Men and we now humbly desire he would endeavour to procure it with God and cause the War we are at against Heaven to cease which we cannot so much as hope for as long as God's Great Name is Prophaned his Son Dishonoured his Holy Spirit Blasphemed his Word wrested and Impiously ridiculed by a sort of Men in the World who not only in private but openly with Tongue and Pen go about to pull our Holy Religion up by the very Root and to overthrow the Fundamentals of Christianity who not only proudly despise the Judgment of the whole Primitive Church but that which is infinitely worse through their Impieties and Blasphemies they Crucifie again the Lord of Glory make the Wounds of Christ to bleed afresh and who to speak in the Apostle's Words Have trodden under Foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith we are Sanctified an Unholy thing and have done Despite unto the Spirit of Grace That Holy Blood which at other times speaks better things than that of Abel's doth now upon this Occasion cry loud for Vengeance because 't is abominably prophaned and by the denial of the Causes and Effects of its being shed undervalued We thank God for the Prospect we have to see the Evil remedied through His Majesty's wholsome Influences The Life of our Laws without which they are insignificant we hope to see derived from him and if I may be allowed to make a Comparison in a thing which admits of none as the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters to quicken and make them fruitful so the Breathings from the Throne and the Motions of the Royal Authority can infuse an effective Vertue into our Acts of Parliament For as of a Bill to make a Law the King's Assent is necessary without which 't is but a dead Lump without Form and signifies nothing so when 't is passed the Executive Power Originally in the King is that which gives it Life and Strength or else 't is dormant and languisheth Now upon the present Account far be it from us to think that for want of commanding a due execution of the Laws His Majesty will ever suffer Blasphemy Idolatry Prophaneness and Immorality to be Blots and Stains in his Reign His Majesty's Word we have for and may depend upon 't insomuch that in case the Act doth not produce it 's due Effect as considering the Spirit of that Odious Sect some are of Opinion it will not no doubt but that His Majesty without being prompted to 't will of himself be pleased to mind the Honour of God and of Religion The Ground of our Hope and Confidence is this At the opening of the last Session of Parliament the King in his Speech to both Houses promised to take care to suppress Prophaneness and Immorality which afforded the Honourable House of Commons an Occasion to Address to His Majesty concerning it and His Majesty's Answer when 't was presented deserves to be written in Letters of Gold Thus it was Gentlemen I cannot but be very well pleased with an Address of this Nature and will give immediately Directions in the several Particulars you desire But I could wish some more effectual Provision were made for the suppressing those pernicious Books and Pamphlets your Address takes notice of The Work of Reformation is great but the time short so it 's necessary to begin it betimes and follow it close No Man as our Saviour saith having put his Hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God Therefore no one that in his Station hath concern'd himself in this good and just Cause must draw back but within the Sphere of his Activity must go on to promote it and not be weary in well doing Before Men engage in a Matter they ought to know why and upon what Grounds But once being satisfy'd with its Justice and Goodness notwithstanding Difficulties and Oppositions they are bound to continue for and not forsake it for God in his due time will bring all to a happy end Men either must not believe or else must own what they believe and profess what they own He that comes with God's Word in his Mouth needs not be ashamed or afraid For my part with the Royal Prophet I may say I will speak of thy Testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed Books Printed for and sold by John Hartley over-against Grays-Inn in Holborn THE Blasphemous Socinian Heresie disprov'd and confuted Wherein the Doctrinal and Controversial parts of those Points are handled and the Adversaries Scripture and School-Arguments answered With Animadversions upon a late Book call'd Christianity not Mysterious Humbly dedicated to both Houses of Parliament By J. Gailhard Gent. 8 vo Price 3 s. 6 d. The Epistle and Preface to the Book against the Blasphemous Socinian Heresie vindicated and the Charge therein against Socinianism made good In Answer to two Letters By J. Gailhard Gent. Price 1 s. Herodian's History of the Roman Emperors containing many Strange and Wonderful Revolutions of
as if done to himself and consequently will punish the Magistrate for hindring them from worshipping those false Gods when they believe them to be true ones Good God! What Times are we come to that such things are suffered to be Printed and go unpunish'd The Magistrate may not punish those who dishonour the true God when they ought to punish those who dishonour false Gods Thus Papists do well to punish those who despise their Wafer-God but those who despise and blaspheme the true Son of God the Lord Jesus must not be meddled with These abominable Lines of Idolatrous Theology I read a second nay a third time thinking I had been mistaken at the first reading A Man who dares to write such things will say any thing else In another place he denies or at least doubts of God's care of his Church or of his power to defend it For he saith pag. 61. If the Pagan Emperours had been for promoting by force what according to their Sentiments was the true Religion they had utterly extirpated the very Name of a Christian A great mistake in him for several of them as Maxentius Diocletianus and many before and Julian the Apostate through cruel Persecutions did all they could towards it but God suffered them not and he never will for our Saviour hath promised Matth. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Thus they make little of the Church if at Man's pleasure it may utterly be destroy'd whereunto answers their making Religion to be meerly a Priest-craft as they term it also the Author makes no difference between acting for a good or for a bad Cause and so alters the Question which is not Whether every Magistrate may in matter of Religion punish every Opinion contrary to his own But whether a true Christian Magistrate be bound to suppress what overthrows the Fundamentals of true Christian Religion pag. 81. Therefore his Instances of Gallio of the Town-Clerk of Ephesus and of Felix are not to the purpose I suppose he will own the Christian Religion to be now the true one in opposition to the Pagan or to the Jewish in as much as relateth to the coming of the Messiah that one must oppose not Truth but what is contrary to 't therefore the Persons named are not fit Patterns to be imitated by Christian Magistrates Gallio was a Deputy of Achaia Acts 18.12 17. there to maintain the Roman Authority wherefore he prudently would not meddle nor trouble himself with a Difference about Religion among the Jews which was not his business A Town-clerk wisely took care to avoid giving the Romans cause to say that in a tumultuous and seditious way chap. 19. without a just cause they had gathered together to disturb the Government which thereupon might have call'd them in question As for Felix he was the Roman Governour who minded to enrich himself and not to decide Matters of Controversie about Religion among the Jews a Covetous Man who hoped that Money should have been given him of Paul ch 24.26 So these Examples hold no proportion with the Duty of a Christian Magistrate to act against those who would overthrow Christianity And why should not the Magistrate take care of the good of the Souls as well as of that of the Body of the Subjects and punish Soul-destroying Errors and Practices Among the Jews a stubborn Son upon this Accusation by the Parents before the Elders how that he was a Glutton and a Drunkard Deut. 21.20 was stoned to Death and shall they who among Christians Blaspheme God be unpunished Of two contrary Propositions if one be true necessarily the other must be false 't is so of two Opinions in Religion if the Doctrine for the Most Holy Trinity and Divinity of Christ be true as it is then its contrary must be false And do not God's Laws bid us to follow adhere unto and be for the truth so as to promote it Every one in his Station ought to be against what is contrary to 't And to say the truth as this is the interest of Religion so 't is become the Magistrates concern to mind it upon his own account for that sort of Men with open Mouth and plainly tell him he hath nothing to do to meddle with their Religion whether true or false nor tho' Blasphemous and Idolatrous And on the other side this Author would influence the Members of Parliament who are for Penal Laws against their Blasphemies with suggesting that thereby they may happen to act against themselves which cannot be except they were of the same Principles with them thus he speaks pag. 43. Therefore it shews the greatest Indiscretion in those who tho' they have a share in the Legislature yet are subject to the Laws themselves to consent to any persecuting ones because they cannot be sure but that they are contriving Rods for their own Backs They cannot forbear ever calling Persecution any thing tending to restrain them the cause must be examined to find out the true Name of the thing 't is not the manner but the cause of Death that denominates one a Martyr 't is Justice not Persecution to punish Idolatry and Blasphemy and make use of a restraining Power Herein the Protestant Maxims differ from the Popish that these require a blind Obedience and will not admit others to speak for themselves but Protestants do We cannot approve the Socinians Latitude in advising and encouraging every one to read all manner of Books stuffed with Heresies and Blasphemies pag. 119. which is as dangerous as to put a Cup full of Poison into a Child's Hand or of one who knows not what it is Must every Ploughman or other Ignorant Person who neither knows nor understands the things of himself explain matters of Salvation or be Judge thereof In God's Name let every one read Scripture for all therein is excellent and good no Poison therein as in some Mens Books and therein let them be instructed and when Difficulties occur advised and directed by sound and knowing Men But chiefly upon the reading of the Word let them often be upon their Knees to beg of God to guide them by his Holy Spirit Some are not able to discern a Fish from a Serpent which commonly lies hidden in those unsound Books and by reason of natural corruption some would be apt to choose the worse I know that when the necessary means prescribed in God's Word to inform and make us understand have been used then every one must apply it to himself not of himself for that application is the Work of God's Spirit every one is not able to understand only those whom from above 't is given to pag. 120. 'T is not out of any mistrust of the Goodness and Truth of our Cause as he seems to insinuate that we would not have those that are not sufficiently instructed in the Grounds of it Converse either with the Heretick Persons or
State in Europe Asia and Africa Also their most remarkable Embassies Speeches Antiquities c. Together with the most solemn Ceremonies us'd at the Deification of the Roman Emperors with a Character of the Ancient Britains Done from the Greek by a Gentleman at Oxford Catalogus Universalis Librorum in omni Facultate Languaque Graeca praesertim insignium rarissimorum non solum ex Catalogis Bibliothecarum Bodleianae Lugduno-Batavae Ultrajectinae Barberinae Thuanae Cordesianae Tellerianae Slusianae Heinsianae sed etiam ex omnibus fere aliis praelo impressis magno labore sumptu in usum Studiosorum collectus Cura J. H. Bibliopolae Londinensis The History and Fate of Sacrilege discover'd by Examples of Scripture of Heathens and of Christians from the beginning of the World continually to this Day By Sir Henry Spelman Kt. Wrote in the Year 1632. A Treatise omitted in the late Edition of his Posthumous Works and now publish'd for the Terror of Evil Doers To which is added An Historical Account of the beginners of a Monastick Life in Asia Africa and Europe By Sir Roger Twisden Knight and Baronet Price 4 s. â‚ There is now going to the Press and will be speedily publish'd JVSTIN's Abridgment of Trogus Pompeius's Universal History With some Geographical and Critical Annotations and a Dissertation about the Author Done into English for the Use of His Highness the Duke of Gloucester By Mr. T. Brown THE True Character OF THE Spirit and Principles OF SOCINIANISM SOme Men in the World without any ground but their own Fancy presume to make Panegyricks for themselves and Mock-Apologies for Parliaments But if such have not to say worse the Confidence which only that kind are capable of to give their Pamphlets the Titles of An Apology for the Parliament humbly representing c. I think I might upon better grounds now be allowed before these few Sheets to prefix the Name of a Panegyrick for the Parliament by reason of what that Honourable and Noble Assembly have lately done for the Cause of God in general the Interest of his Son in particular and for the Good of his Church But as I know such returns to be below their Merits and Desires and far above my Skill to do 't well as 't was not fit for every Artist only for Apelles to draw Alexander's Picture so I leave it for them who will venture upon so Noble and hard a Task For as I have a singular Veneration for the Name of a Parliament for fear of undervaluing it with not answering the Dignity of the Subject I shall content my self with mentioning the Piety of those worthy Persons who having adopted that Cause have notwithstanding all Difficulties Delays and both direct and indirect Oppositions with so much Zeal Care and Diligence carry'd it on and been instrumental in the Success for which they justly deserve the Thanks of the whole Christian Church especially of that part which is within this Kingdom But that which is most of all the great and gracious God whom no Man ever serv'd in vain will according to his Truth and Promise as I most humbly beseech him to do 't plentifully reward them for the good Service which according to their Power they have done him And as in this World there is nothing so good but it may admit of some Additional Degrees of Perfection so we hope hereafter God who when he will can easily incline the Hearts and over-rule the Counsels of Men will be pleased further to make use of them as happy Instruments in his hands to work a thorough Reformation both in Doctrines and Practices In the mean while we must not be like those who are so intent and greedy after what they desire and have not that they are unmindful to give God thanks for what they enjoy But seeing through his Mercy there is a step towards putting a Curb and Restraint upon Christ's Enemies so that we hope if a due Care be taken to execute what hath been Enacted and prevent every way the increase of Fuel both at home and from abroad Blasphemy Impiety Prophaneness and Immorality shall be compell'd to stop their mouth and hide their face Therefore for what we have for the present and hope for the future let us join our Voices in that Heavenly Consort of Angels upon the Account of our Saviour's Birth which the last Act ought to renew the Memory of Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men 'T is usual in the World sometime to be disappointed at least to fall short of one's Expectation chiefly when the things we are about do cross the Sins and Humours of the Times for by reason of a natural Antipathy between Good and Evil Truth and Falshood the best things meet often with the greatest Oppositions and upon all occasions there is between those two Extremes a Conflict till God turns the Scales which he never fails to do but will have us to wait for it and not be weary in well doing we must never be so presumptuous as to go about prefixing God a time or prescribing him Ways and Means or attempt to put him out of the Course of his wise Providence because he doth so to try the Faith and exercise the Patience of his People as he did formerly by sending false Prophets among them and thus to make them depend upon him yet in the mean time he will have them to use Means and to omit nothing that may contribute to bring to a happy end those things which belong to his Service which we ought to stick to and upon any account whatever not to suffer our selves to be moved therefrom one Beam of God's Favour is infinitely to be minded more than all the Smiles and Frowns of the World Let not Christ's Adversaries say that what is done against them is by Power for though it be by Authority still 't is according to Justice there have been Reasons and Arguments enough which yet remain unanswered offered if they had been dispos'd to receive them that Great God whose Person and Grace they despise and whose Patience they tired out hath begun to make use of that Humane Authority under him which they would have excluded from meddling with them about Matters of Religion in some degree to vindicate his Honour and assert his Truth In what follows I hope abundantly to make the Parliament's Panegyrick when I have shewed what a horrid and upon many accounts abominable Monster of complicated Heresies they fought against and wounded And herein I must before-hand prepare the pious Reader to see such things as will strike him with Horrour I am sure it hath in many places made my hair stand on end all drawn out of their own Writings and tho' I shall avoid being long in Quotations for as to that I could say much more than I do yet I shall by the Grace of God say enough to make good upon them the Charge of Blasphemy in
the old ones After what I hitherto observed of them and of their Principles these following things I offer to the Serious consideration of the Reader but more especially to that of the Government and Magistracy which are more immediatly concern'd First That our Controversies against Socinians are not about indifferent things or few Ceremonies but concerning the most Fundamental Truths of our Holy Religion for the Doctrines of the Trinity of two Natures in Christ of his Satisfaction of the Grace and Providence of God are not Problematical nor meerly School disputes but of the necessity of Christian Faith I also affirm that Socinians are Christians only in Name not really and in Truth for they own not Christ for what he is and if the * Athan. orat 3.4 cont Arian Ancient Doctors of the Church reckoned the Arians among the Gentiles so we now may account Socinians to be Constantine the Great made an Edict forbidding the Porphyrians to be call'd Christians and that all their Books should be Burnt so this were the proper Course to suppress those of Socinians but instead of that they are suffered not only daily to Print new ones but also to Reprint old ones and thus not only here at home but also to have them from abroad Socinians do not truly confess Christ seeing they deny he hath Divine Nature and make of him but a secondary God an Idol and a Creature God then which nothing more absurd I farther say they ought not to be suffered to have Communion with the Church because they do not together with us know own and Worship the true God who is Father Son and Holy Ghost but they pretend to Worship one first God the Father and another inferiour God made such that is the Son moreover they lay another foundation than that is laid 1 Cor. 3.11 for instead of Christ who is a Divine Person with two Natures they set up another Person who is a meer Man seeing than they lay another Foundation deny Christ Son of God to be come in the Flesh and do not adore him with us for such as he is than we may have no Brotherly Communication with them than they have not with us the same washing of the Blood of Christ and do not believe therewith to be Purged and Sanctify'd for they deny his Satisfaction that he hath laid down a Price to Redeem us they farther deny or depravate the causes and means of our Salvation and are guilty of Idolatry for paying a Religious Worship to him who is not God by Nature and though they would be thought to be Disciples of Jesus Christ yet they deny his Person and betray his Truth I add they Love not Christ and against such 1 Cor. 16.22 the Apostle pronounces Anathema for they Blaspheme against him they pretend to love him only as a Creature when he should be loved as Creator then they are not Pious for such cannot be said to live piously who deprive the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost of the Honour due to him and they are highly mistaken when they would make civil honesty to be Christian Piety and the true knowledge of God and a constant profession thereof not to be a necessary part of Piety They ought not to be suffered in a Christian State so as to have liberty of Conscience with free exercise of and teaching or publishing their Blasphemous and Impious Opinions because they overthrow the foundation of Christian Religion to the dishonour of God's Holy Name seduction of Souls and disturbance of the Church and as 't is a Collection of fundamental Heresies so to tolerate Socinians is thereby to tolerate all those Heresies whereby God's Judgments are drawn upon Nations wherefore Pious Christian Emperours and Kings to promote the Glory of God ever took care to suppress Heresies and Blasphemies as the Ecclesiastical Histories do fully prove it and thereupon let Justinian's Code be consulted against the Heresies of Photinus and of Paulus Samosatenus which Socinians do openly profess Now the Churches in Poland according to the three several Protestant Confessions there will have no Communion with Socinians who at several times were thence banished by their Kings In Holland * In 1598. the States-General having about Socinus asked the Opinion of Junius Trecaltius and Gomarus three Eminent Divines at Leyden the answer was He is no Christian but half Turk for Christians do believe one God with a distinction of Persons but the Mehometan Religion is for one God without distinction of Persons so are Socinians the Judgment of these three Divines agrees †Voidov Ostorod in Apol. in 1600. not only with the truth but also with the general consent of Christians against the Order of the States-General by vertue of which their Blasphemous Books were burnt at the Hague and they Banish'd out of their Dominions they unjustly complain'd and that act they compared with the Spanish Inquisition which here is their usual Discourse and Question will ye bring an Inquisition upon us and as then so now they would plead it to be the interest of the State to tolerate them whereof the contrary I sufficiently proved besides that Religion is against it whose Voice is to be heard sooner than that of false Reason neither ought God's cause to be made a Sacrifice of to any wordly interest among the Burnt Books in Holland was Ostorodus's Manuscript against Tradelius wherein he called Christ's Satisfaction an invention of the Trinitarians according to the place of his where he calls it a false childish ridiculous and blasphemous errour like an old Womens Superstitious and Popish Fable Certainly Men who have so obstinate an hatred of the Truth such mean Thoughts of and Contempt for him who is the way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14.6 are a shame to a Nation a Reproach to a People and a Scandal to Religion also Dangerous because they lose no Opportunity of Publishing their erroneous Opinions and their being supported makes them the bolder therefore 't is wish'd as indeed there is a necessity for it to see our Springs cleared as from Idolatry so from Blasphemy Papists who are great Idolaters are I thank God by Law excluded from having any hand in the Legislative or Executive Powers and 't is but fit that Blasphemers Socinians who confidently brag of their Errours should be so too The Receiver is as bad as the Thief I remember a Blasphemer here James Naylor to stand at the Pilory have his Tongue bored thorough in the Forehead Branded with the Letter B and Condemned during Life to be in Prison without Pen Ink or Paper and though about those times unhappily sprung up several Sects yet general care was ever taken of the main and Fundamentals of Religion even in the Army where was the greatest Latitude allowed for in their Laws and Ordinances of War the first Article was against Blasphemy in these very Words First let no Man presume to Blaspheme the Holy and
in England against Blasphemy and Prophaneness or as he calls it Impiety and Debauchery hath met with great opposition And here 't is known how that Intelligence was too true tho' 't is very sad that two such abominable things as are Blasphemy and Prophaneness should find Friends to favour and support them which none but those who are guilty thereof either directly or by a side-wind will offer to do and it is too true that whilst some good and worthy Persons used their Endeavours to promote the Cause of God others as bad as these are good with their utmost power opposed it And as in the Body when there is a weak and infected part all bad Humours fall in with it so in this case we find a Combination against the Truth not only of the Jews our Saviour's sworn Enemies and of their Friends but also of the worst Sects or Excrements of Christianity so that with the Psalmist we may say Edom Ishmael Psalm 83.5 6 7 8 9. Moab Gebal Ammon Amalek the Philistines c. have consulted together with one consent and are confederate against it Among others for Socinians appeared the Quakers who with them agree in many things as against Revelation and the Word of God which they subject one to their Spirit and Light within the other to their Reason Upon reasonable Grounds it may be question'd Whether Men who own no other Christ but that which they say to be within them who never were Baptized in his Name own in the Church no Ministery by way of Office and receive no Sacraments of Christ's Institution may be called Christians as for Socinians tho' they call themselves so yet are only in Name nor really such but rather Enemies to his Person and his Cross whose Dignity and Merits for all their fair pretences they strive and intend if they can to pull down to that effect they use all they think may conduce to 't but let them design it never so much I can upon certain Grounds assure them they shall never execute it because God's Word we have for it Something else there is which I must take notice of the more because in relation to Laws and Penalties they keep a pother about that Party doth sound a general Alarm and would make many more afraid besides themselves as if they were all concerned for a common Cause but I think none but the guilty ought to fear God forbid the Innocent should suffer with the Guilty but withal the Guilty must not escape with the Innocent for both he that justifieth the Guilty Prov. 17.15 and he that condemneth the Innocent are abomination to the Lord I cannot blame Men for being cautious how to prevent Inconveniencies as much as 't is possible lest the harmless should be involved in the same Condemnation with the mischievous Man which hath sometimes happened and so may again but for Men without a just and visible cause to be over fearful it argues either a faintedness in the Heart or a guilt in the Conscience however let a due Prudence be made use of both in fixing the Guilt and inflicting the Punishment upon the Guilty As 't is necessary and just that Men should plainly know what they are forbidden and must avoid so out of Christian Prudence there ought a difference to be made between the seducer and seduced the obstinate and ignorant the leader and the mis-led Deut. 22.19 29. 'T is to be taken notice of how under the Law there were Fines and Money-penalties laid upon Offenders which may be a warning for these times Now as to the distinction to be made of Persons about the Jews for whom a great regard hath been had of late a necessary care ought to be taken to prevent their spreading abroad their Blasphemies against our Lord and to confine them within their Synagogue for matters of Religion nor suffer them to go about seducing of Souls they should consider here they stand upon no Act of Parliament only upon Connivence Thus we shall pity their Hardness and Unbelief Rom. 11.33 thorough the unsearchable judgments of God which is a continuation of that which their Fore-fathers had from the beginning But Socinians we may look upon with a different eye for they are Apostatized from the Truth which the Jews never professed and continuing obstinate in their Blasphemies they deserve to be delivered unto Satan 1 Tim. 1.20 that they may learn not to blaspheme This is St. Paul's Direction and Practice VVhen a Law is to be made to prevent its becoming a snare it ought to be worded in as plain full and clear Terms as possibly may be though for all that at one time or other some out of perverseness of Nature will study how to wrest it And no wonder seeing they attempt to put false Glosses upon God's Word even in those places which are as plain as can be But from a general Rule to come to a particular one which is what I now purpose I shall now reduce it to the case of Blasphemy about which the Controversie is between the Orthodox and Socinians The occasion of my coming to this when I was just upon concluding this Discourse is given me a sheet of Paper under the Name of a Caution about passing the Bill against Blasphemy whereof the Author goes upon two Heads the first VVhat Blasphemy is in it self the second How far the Civil Authority may go to suppress it This Paper tends to what most of their others do to make all Dissenters even the best sort to think that there is a design to disquiet them but the cloven Foot cannot be hidden for all that own the Doctrinal part of the Thirty nine Articles are not affected only those that be Blasphemers and prophane Men and 't is what they are afraid of 'T is very reasonable and just to make a difference between Ceremonial and Doctrinal Circumstantial and Essential to cut a little Bough is one thing but to lay the Axe at the Root of the Tree is much another The Definition or Description therein given of Blasphemy namely A speaking evil of God is not full and comprehensive enough but in the next Page he adds something as an irreligious and scornful treating of the Divine Majesty in his Nature and Attributes but still this is defective for Blasphemy is not only against the Nature and Attributes but also against the Persons of the Godhead and against the Word and Works of God For Scripture doth plainly speak of Blasphemy against the Son of God Jesus Christ and against the Holy Ghost by Name as elsewhere I gave some Instances of so 't is Blasphemy to speak against what is clearly said in God's Word for herein men give God the lye and make a Lyar of the God of Truth 'T is also Blasphemy to say that all that God made was not good and that in all his VVorkings he is not just and wise Again we Christians own the Knowledge and Belief of
is this Let their table become a snare befor them Ps 69.22 and for welfare a trap in English the Sense is lame in the latter part of the Verse therefore 't was necessary thus to supply it and that which should have been for their Welfare let it become a Trap. The other Text is this For my love they are my adversaries but I give my self unto prayer Ps 109.4 in the latter part of the Verse the words give my self unto are not in the Hebrew only but I prayer which is no sense in English David is not Prayer nor an Iniquity the Judge therefore it should be supplied which the Translatours have well done Now to be even with this Author these two things I leave for him to prove first That this is not the Idiom of the Hebrew Language the second That the Words supplied to make out the Sense in these places are against the Analogy of Faith or the Scope of God's Spirit therein and I give him a long time to consider upon 't But enough of this As to their politick Reasons against the Magistrate's Authority in point of Religion and for a general Naturalization whereby they at once would blow up an English Birth-Right with the Seven Years Apprentiship and bring in all Foreigners to engross the English Trade unto themselves and sow the pernicious Tares of Heresie Blasphemy c. among us with more liberty for they are also for a general Toleration in all these I say their Policy is no better than their Divinity as might easily be demonstrated Indeed to Tolerate some Opinions about indifferent Circumstantial Things can contribute towards Peace and Union do much Good and no Harm but 't would be very pernicious concerning Fundamental Errours God Christ and Religion must not be sacrificed to Interest and other Worldly Considerations Yet if Pagans and Mahommetans would not disturb the Government they would be content to bring them in as already we have the unbelieving Jews whose Conversion I earnestly pray for whom upon the account of Trade and of something else they are so fond of that a great Care must be had to give them no Distaste for fear they would be gone when they are as glad to stay here as some seem afraid lest they should go as if here they were the Pillars of Trade but some think there is cause to believe the contrary I can remember how in Cromwell's time they sent over Manasseh Ben-Israel to get leave to come and settle here he offered 200000 l whereupon Cromwell call'd some Divines for Advice Whether in Conscience he might Receive and Tolerate those that disown and are professed Enemies to Christ They answered He might because it might afford some occasion for their Conversion Then he sent for Lawyers to know because long before they had been Banish'd whether according to Law he might do 't The Answer was He might as long as he and the Parliament who are the Legislative Power were agreed But last of all he summon'd some of the chief Merchants to have their Opinion about it in relation to Trade but these broke the Neck of the Business for they represented how that Nation being cunning would to the prejudice of the English by crafty means engross Trade wholly unto themselves whereupon there was an end And it must be owned that Cromwell and his Counsel understood well enough the Nations Interest in point of Trade neither doth it appear why the same Reasons should not be now as good as they were at that time since 't is the same People which still follows the same steps as any one may see that will take notice of it But enough of these Human Considerations I wish every Man would seriously lay Hand upon his Conscience and in earnest mind what account they can give God who certainly soon or late will call them to 't of the Talents he hath committed and of the Authority he hath put into their Hands what good they have done and what evil prevented or punish'd to answer the Giver's Ends I say my Horse is to carry me my Oxe to Plough my Ground and my Dog to watch about my House or to follow me all these answer my Ends or else I put them off and may not every one else as well as I reasonably put this Question to himself For what End hath God brought me into the World Certainly not to please my own Fancy follow my own Humour or satisfie my own Lust and Passion but in my station to honour and serve him that 's the Work and the one needful thing For saith our Saviour Luke 10.42 Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all things shall be added unto you God is the good Master who will take care of our Concerns if we neglect not his but do follow the Apostle's Rule to do all things for the Glory of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The same Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them the Jews in the Wilderness also tempted so I say let none of us tempt Christ as did the Jews in his time who still asked for a Sign after he had given them several Must he every Day give them new Signs and work new Miracles to prove himself to be the true and proper Son of God That unbelieving Nation in the highest degree tempted him when they said Matth. 27. If he be the Son of God let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him to be the Son of God But he to prove himself to be the Son of God did more and a greater thing than they desired for after Death to raise himself as he did out of the Grave was more than if he had come down from the Cross when alive Was not our Blessed Redeemer sufficiently tempted upon Earth by the Jews that he must be tempted again now when he is in Heaven The Jews tempted him in his State of Humiliation and now Socinians do when he is Glorified The Jews would then have had him to come down from the Cross and now the Socinians would have him to come down from Heaven to prove himself to be the Son of God yet against them he hath from Heaven provided a Witness since his Ascension I mean Paul as we read Acts 22.14 15. Before I make an end I neither can nor must forbear to say how it affords too much matter of sad Thoughts in those who are concern'd for the Cause and Interest of the Eternal Son of God and of the Protestant Religion to see here Heresie Blasphemy and Idolatry as good as Tolerated and Unpunish'd and abroad the Professors of the true Christian Religion unjustly and cruelly persecuted In France against all Edicts Engagements and Promises in their Lives Liberties and Fortunes most barbarously in the Valleys of Piedmont the Vaudois which we may well call that Mother Church