Valentinus Gentilis – The Tritheist Put to Death In Bern, Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CHAP. IV.
Whether he ought to have been heard as Plaintiff.
THIS Exception of his must first be answer'd: But let any Honest Man judge, what grounds he could have for such a Declinatory Plea, besides the crafty design of prescribing such a Form of Tryal, so advantageous to himself, that he was sure to have none, or at most but very few Prosecutors, and withal to gain the Privilege of arraigning whom he pleas'd.
To make this case more plain and intelligible, I shall here take the trouble of repeating those Arguments, he propos'd in his own defence upon this occasion.
First, He pleaded that his coming to Town was Voluntary, and on purpose to treat with the Honourable Senate concerning the same Business he was now indicted for.
Secondly, He urg'd his being an Assertor of the Sovereignty of God the Father, and a zealous Defender of the Truth of the Gospel against false and Heterodox Expositors.
Thirdly, He pretended that he was not yet convicted of any such erroneous Doctrines, [as were laid to his charge:]
And Lastly, Thought it was very hard he should be bound to give in his Answer before he knew who were to be his Accusers.
In answer to which he was desir'd first to consider his present Circumstances; That he was under Confinement, and Prisoner to a Christian Magistrate; which was no proper Qualification for a Plaintiff, but rather the Sign of an Offender.
In the next place he was told, it was but just and equitable for him in the quality of a Prisoner, to hear first the Charge that lay against him, or the causes of his Confinement, and then fairly to give in his Answers, and clear himself, if he desir'd to be released; but that nothing could be more repugnant to the Practise of all Courts, than for a Person in Chains to turn Prosecutor.
First, As for his pretence of coming thither voluntarily, that was thought to be an excuse not at all material, since Malefactors do by the just Judgment of God frequently of their own accord thrust themselves into places most dangerous and fatal to them. And though it be true, that he came voluntarily to Gaium, yet being there apprehended, and for certain Reasons committed to Prison, he still continued a Prisoner, and under that Quality it was, that he was convey'd to Bern.
Secondly, Equally impertinent were his vain Pretensions of vindicating the Sovereignty of God the Father, and of asserting the Truth of the Gospel against false Expositors; since we were not yet satisfied of the legality of his Call. Nor could we give any credit to those extraordinary Horrours and unusual Convulsions he pretended to have twice felt, when at Prayers in Geneva; as if he had been instigated by the secret Impulses of the Holy Ghost to pronounce the Ministers of that Church, Defenders of Quaternity.
Thirdly, As to his Errors and false Doctrines, we were of Opinion that he needed no farther Conviction, than his own abjuration of them at Geneva, where he underwent publick Penance, when Sentence was given against him in the following words, (viz.)
'Tis the Iudgment of the Court, that you Valentinus Gentilis, undergo the following Punishment.
First, That you shall be stript close to your Shirt, then barefoot and bareheaded shall carry in your hand a lighted Torch, and beg God's Pardon and ours on your Knees, by confessing your self maliciously and wickedly to have spread abroad a false and Heretical Doctrine; but that you do now from your heart detest and abhor those abominable, Lying, Blasphemous Books, you compos'd in its defence; in Testimony whereof you shall cast them with your own Hands into the Flames, there to be burnt to Ashes; and for more ample satisfaction we do enjoyn you to be led through all the Streets of this City, at the sound of the Trumpet, and habited as before; and do strictly command you not to depart this City without permission, &c.
Therefore seeing he had so publickly condemn'd the same Doctrines which he now endeavoured to revive, and after so singular a manner done Pennance for them; which yet he now endeavoured to revive, it would be absurd to admit of their defence by such a faithless shuffling Advocate. Besides, he could not be ignorant what a grievous Perjury he had committed by going out of Geneva without permission, contrary to the Oath he had once took; this last Charge was so notorious, that he could give no other Answer, but that he was sorry for it.
Fourthly, To the last Exception, of his not knowing who were to be his Accusers, our Answer was, We would 1. Produce the same Persons who had formerly impleaded him, when he made his Recantation at Geneva. And 2. Those who had banish'd him with the rest of his Heretical Accomplices out of Poland; and if these were not enough, we had in store the Churches of Germany, by whom his Opinions were condemned, as savouring of Arianism. And
Lastly, We had the *And those I suppose passed in their respective Convocations.Decreta of several Universities, whereby his Doctrine was exploded, and himself by Name condemn'd for an Heretick; particularly Alexander Alepius, of the University of Lipswick, was present, ready to testifie against him; so that it seems one of the strangest things in the World for him to pretend ignorance of his Accusers, when he had in all places found, so many and so considerable Adversaries.
Now all this being so notorious, that the most frontless Impudence could not deny one Syllable of it, I think nothing can be more plain, than that he ought not to be admitted as Plaintiff, and that upon these Accounts.
First, As having once already renounc'd the Doctrine he now went about to defend.
Secondly, Because he was guilty of Perjury in the same case.
Thirdly, As being indicted by so many known Accusers.
Fourthly, Because he had endeavour'd to undermine one of the prime Articles of our Faith, an Article so essential to the very ☞being of Christianity, that in the worst and darkest times of Popery, it still continued pure and uncorrupted.
And Lastly, Because the leading Assertors of this new Doctrine had not yet agreed upon their Principles: For according to his own Confession, Blandrata turn'd Arian, Alciat a Mahometan, and himself and Gribaldus were still of different Opinions. For when our Confession was tender'd him, to which Gribaldus had formerly subscrib'd, he disapprov'd and condemn'd it, withall affirming Gribalaus to have committed a grievous. Sin by subscribing it.
Upon these Accounts he was debarr'd from being a Plaintiff (whether justly or not, let the World judge) and commanded to give in a particular Answer to the Articles preferr'd against him.
CHAP. V.
Containing some Propositions taken out of his Books of the Trinity, which we judge to be false.
AND now we desire the whole Church of God, and the Piety of all succeeding Ages to judge of the following Positions, wherein he does either by an impudent prevarication scandalize and bespatter us, or, which is far worse, impiously blaspheme God.
And first, He calls the Trinity a mere human Invention, not so much as known to any Catholick Creed, and directly contrary to the Word of God.
Secondly he affirms, That the Father alone is that One only God, set forth to us in the Holy Scriptures.
Thirdly, That the Son is not of himself, but of the Father, to whom He is Subordinate as to his Maker, [or Essentiator.]
Fourthly, The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are not only three distinct Persons, but have also Three distinct Essences or Substances.☜
Fifthly, The Son was begotten by the Father, according to his Substance, and differs from the Father as a Subordinate Spirit.
Sixthly, There are in the Trinity Three ☜Eternal Spirits, each of which is by himself The fourth and sixth are Dr. Sherlock's Doctrine expresly.God.
Seventhly, That these three Spirits differ from each other in Order, Degree, and Propriety of Essence.