Reflections on a Letter, Title page – To the reader
REFLECTIONS ON A LETTER Writ by a NAMELESS AUTHOR TO THE Reverend Clergy of both Univerſities' And on his BOLD REFLECTIONS ON THE TRINITY, &c.
By Richard Frankland.
LONDON: Printed for A. & J. Churchill, and ſold by F. Bently Bookſeller in Halifax, 1697.
A PREFACE TO THE READER.
EVER ſince the Divine Oracle ſounded the Alarum of War between the Seed of the Woman and Serpent's Brood, Gen. 3. 18. the Devil and his Agents have ſpit their Poyſon againſt our bleſſed Lord Jeſus, the Captain of our Salvation. For ſome Thouſands of Years the World was invelop'd in the Miſt of Ignorance: Heatheniſm, Barbariſm, Scythiſm, and Helleniſm overſpread the Face of the Earth: And when the Goſpel-Sun appeared in our Horizon, the Heathen raged, Kings and Rulers raiſed all the Militia of Earth and Hell: And by the joint Conſpiracy of Jews and Gentiles, this Son of God was abuſed, rejected, crucified: And ſince his Reſurrection, by the Power of his God-head, and glorious Aſcenſion to the right Hand of the Majeſty on high, What a Number of Hereticks have attempted to pull him down from the Throne of his Glory, and degrade him of his Deity, the moſt orient Pearl in his Crown? Strange were the Figments of Gnoſticks and Valentinians of old, the Followers of Simon Magus, who overturned Goſpel Revelations by their Aeones, Combinations, Conjugations, Genealogies, and unintelligible Imaginations. Cerinthus and Ebion in the firſt Century, affirmed that Chriſt was only a Man, begotten between Joſeph and Mary: Cerdon and Marcion in the ſecond Century, denied the Verity of Chriſt's Humane Nature and Sufferings: In the third Century, Theodoſian alſo denyed Chriſt's Divinity: Artemon ſaid Chriſt was not exiſtent before he took Fleſh of the Virgin: The Sabellians denyed the Three Perſons in the God head: Yes, they affirmed that the Father cloathed himſelf with our Nature, dyed, called therefore Patripaſſians: Samoſetanus alſo denyed Chriſt's Divinity: The Maniches held the ſame heretical Opinions, which did at laſt center in Arius, and ſpread through the World. A. D. 324. condemned by the Council of Nice: Neſtorius contradicted the Perſonal Union of the Divine and Humane Natures in Chriſt: Eutichus confounded theſe two Natures, ſaying, The Humane was ſwallowed up by the Immenſity of the Divine: The Agnoitae denyed the Perfection of Knowledge in the Divine Nature of Chriſt: Others called Chriſt only the adoptive Son of God: all theſe had their Followers: Yet God raiſed up learned Men to oppoſe and ſuppreſs theſe Hereticks in all Ages: Some of them came to aſtoniſhing Ends, by the juſt Judgment of God, and ſome by the Sentence of Men, as Servetus at Geneva, A. D. 1652. Gorgius Blandrata, Petrus Statorius vented pernicious Errours in Poland, but the later diſſembled, and was found in his Bed with his Neck broken: But the Errours ſettled in Fauſtus Socinus, A. D. 1565. born at Sens: A witty Scholar got his Uncle Laelius Socinus's Books, comes into Poland, writes a Book, De Jeſu Chriſto Servatore, at Cracovia, whereof he boaſted, and was anſwered by ſeveral, in a Diſputation: The Orthodox confounded the Anti-trinitarians from plain Scripture-Texts, and ancient Writers; ſo that Religion mightily prevailed: But ſome falling off to Tritheiſm, Anabaptiſm, &c. they regarded not what Principles they owned, ſo they were but Enemies to the Doctrin of the Trinity.
One thing is obſervable; ſeveral in that confuſed Company denying Religious Worſhip to Chriſt, Socinus contended with them, but was ſilenced and bafled by his own Principles, who held that Chriſt was meer Man, therefore by conſequence it would be Idolatry to worſhip him: There were alſo ſeveral Errours broach'd by Socinus, that the Condition of the firſt Man was Mortal, that there's no original Sin, that Chriſt was not an High-Prieſt on Earth, that he made no Satisfaction for Sin, that we are not juſtified by his Righteouſneſs, but our own, that the wicked ſhall be utterly annihilated at the laſt Day: Theſe he contended for in their Synods, and prevailed ſo by the Help of Smalcius and other Artifices, that in 24 Years he got his Opinions enthron'd in Poland, which are not rooted out to this Day.
Whoſoever deſires to read more of this Hiſtory of Socinianiſm, may find much more in Dr. Owen's Anſwer to Mr. Biddle, and his Preface to it.
Surely 'tis a thouſand Pitties that in England, a Goſhen, a Land of Light, where the Goſpel-Sun hath ſhined in its Meridian Splendor, ſuch black Fogs ſhould riſe out of the bottomleſs Pit as to darken our Horizon: Trinitas, ſaith one, eſt verae Theologiae Fundamentum, quae conſeſequentes omnes fere Doctrinas quaſi animat: Who ſo denies the Trinity, denies his Baptiſm; for we are baptized in, or into the Name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt. It's true, the Racovian Catechiſm aſſerts Three, and pronounces them to be no Chriſtians who do not believe it; but deny that there are three Perſons or Subſiſtences in the God-head. But our Divines prove it by the Eſſential Name, Jehovah, eſſential Properties, Operations: But ſee more of this in the enſuing Treatiſe.
The other dangerous and damnable Doctrine is that of denying the Lord that bought us, 2 Pet. 2. 1. revived out of the Rubbiſh of ancient Hereſies. Who could imagine that Jews and Turks ſhould be bred in England? Denying Chriſt's Divinity doth cut the very Sinews of our Hopes of Redemption and Conſolation: Neither Angels nor Men could have pacifyed God's Wrath, or ſatisfied Juſtice, or brought in everlaſting Righteouſneſs: Such Doctrines undermine and pluck up the Pillars of our Chriſtian Religion; and yet in theſe licentious Days ſuch Hereſies are publickly broach'd by more learned Scholars, and ſome confident Ignoramus's. I have read that Quakers ſay, we deny the Perſon of him whom you call Chriſt, and affirm that they that expect to be ſaved by that Chriſt without them, will be damned in that Faith. O horrid Sacrilege, unheard of Impiety!
Methinks the Queſtion of our bleſſed Lord, that non-pluſt the Phariſees, Mat. 22 45. ſhould puzzle theſe Antichriſtian Spirits that deny Chriſt's Divinity. [If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son?] Is the Son greater than the Father? Surely the God-head of the Meſſiah advanceth him above King David. Its true, the Plumb-line of Reaſon is too ſhort to fathom this Myſtery; but where Reaſon cannot wade Faith muſt ſwim, having ſo good a Card and Guide as the Holy Ghoſt: The Trinity of Perſons, and Hypoſtatical Union of God-head and Man-hood in Chriſt, being ſo fully revealed in Scripture, let us hold them faſt, and contend for them as our Free-hold.
This is the Attempt and Deſign of the enſuing Treatiſe, which was put into my Hands by a very reverend and dear Brother, whoſe Praiſe is in the Goſpel, who is better known to the World by the ſucceſsful Fruits of his indefatigable Labours, ſounding viva voce, than by legible Characters in Scripture, having ſpent much Time and Strength in his peculiar Province, with much Advantage to the Church of God: His Learning and Capacity elevates him above his Fellows, ſo that he needs no Epiſtle of Commendation from me or any other Perſon; his own Works praiſe him in the Gate, and in the Conſciences of many▪ thouſand: nor doth any (pruritus ſcripturiendi) Itch of appearing in Print, prompt him to this Undertaking, but purely a Zeal for God, his Cauſe, Truth, and Glory, and the preventing of young Students being poiſoned with Soul-deſtructive Errours, that have edged his upright Soul, and moved his able Hand to this uncouth Undertaking: It's true, the Manner of handling this Subject is ſomething abſtruſe and intricate; for the Subject is high and profound, and above the Reach of ordinary Capacities; but I hope it may give ſome Satisfaction to the learned and ingenuous Reader, and that this and all other Helps Polemical and Practical, may be of Uſe to the Church, is the Prayer of
March 11. 1697. Thy Soul-Friend, O. H.