The Growth of Error, Chapter 4 · Section 7
SECT. VII.
The deceitful Practices of Foreign and Engliſh Socinians. Blandrata, the Socinians Patron, by Flatteries and Subſcriptions, gains a Reputation amongſt the Orthodox. Calvin detects his Hereſies and Frauds. He is reprimanded by Proteſtants, who look on Blandrata as an Angel. Calvin continues his Oppoſition. Engliſh Socinians break through Subſcriptions, and profane Sacraments for the carrying on thir Deſigns.
THE Engliſh Socinians, ſuſpecting the Succeſs of thoſe deceitful and unrighteous Methods which they uſe to propagate their Errors openly; tho they reject what is moſt valuable in their Brethren abroad, yet have imitated them in what hath, in the Eſteem of their candid and judicious Adverſaries, moſt expoſed them. Thus much they have done, by joyning themſelves …o the Orthodox, with no other Deſign, than to ſubvert the Foundations of that Religion they profeſs, ſubſcribe, and ſwear unto.
Valentinus Gentilis, and Blandrata, amongſt many others, are famed Inſtances of the Truth of this Aſſertion; but I will only obſerve, what manner of Perſon Blandrata was, and what were his Practices.
George Blandrata, Vid. Socin. Epiſt. ad Blandrat. p. 687. edit. 1618.an Italian by Birth and ſometimes chief Phyſician and Counſellor to Stephen King of Poland, was highly eſteem'd by Fauſtus Socinus, who dedicated to him his Anſwer to Volanus, as the great Patron of their Religion, as undoubtedly he was. However, Blandrata did for a long while ſo behave himſelf, as to obtain Applauſes from the moſt eminent amongſt the Orthodox, for the ſoundneſs of his Faith, and unſpotted Sincerity.
'Tis true, Calvin, after ſome conſiderable Converſe with him, began to ſuſpect him, and at laſt detected ſome of his Hereſies, and the fraudulent Practices by which he attempted their Propagation. But ſoon was he reprimanded, by Men ſound in the Faith, and of great Worth: One eminent Perſon rebukes him for expoſing Blandrat… his ſingular Friend, and as a Father to him moſt dear. Felix Cruciger, a Polonian Miniſter, after he had, in an Epiſtle to Calvin, evinced their Faith to be exactly the ſame with what was embraced by the Reformed at Geneva and elſewhere, ſaith, That it appear'd to em, that George Blandrata did ſome Weeks ago ſeriouſlyVid. Cat. Ep. p. 25…. ſubſcribe their Confeſſion; and, (ſay they) we earneſtly pray you, diligently and prudently to conſider his Caſe, and impart to us a faithful Account thereof. The Miniſters and Elders of the Church at Vilna were much mov…d at Calvin's writing againſt him; and therefore, after they had reprov…d him, do adviſe him to reconcile himſelf unto Blandrata, who was, to their Knowledge,Ubi ſup. 258. a moſt ſincere Man, free from the leaſt Suſpicion of Errors. For they believed not a word of what Calvin had ſaid to the contrary.
However, Calvin perſiſts in the Opinion he had of Blandrata, and can by no means be taken off from expoſing his Hereſies and evil Practices; expreſſing his Trouble to obſerve him, by his crafty method, to get ſuch an Intereſt in the favour of ſo eminent a Perſon as his Anonymous Friend was. In his Letter to Staniſlaus ſaith he, I cannot but obſerve, how all men, in a manner, as if they had been under a Faſcination, admire Blandrata; 'tis you alone who begin to ſuſpect the Truth of what is ſaid of him: but, that you may obtain a more certain Knowledge of him, I muſt tell you, that Valentinus Gentilis, whoſe wild Notions I have confuted, is of the ſame Faction, and another Blandrata, altho the one will not give place unto the other. If his Frauds, his Enſnaring, and crafty Courſes, had not been taken notice of in Poland, it might have been more tolerable; but I am amaz'd to think, that a Man who hath nothing elſe but Pride and Oſtentation to recommend him, ſhould get ſuch a Reputation amongſt you, as to be eſteemed the Atlas, that bears the Church on his Shoulders.
In his Anſwer to Felix Cruciger, and his Collegues, and other faithful Paſtors and Miniſters in Leſſer Poland; There is o…e thing I cannot but ſuggeſt unto you, (ſaith he) that they who did with ſo much Humanity and Reſpect entertain Blandrata, were not ſo cauti…ns and wary, nor did they conſult your Reputation as they ſhould have done; and am more ſurprized, that ſome of the Chiefeſt Rank are greatly offended, becauſe I did, as it became me, diſcover the Man. I beſeech you not to believe that I have haſtily taken up any Reports; I have written a Narrative, which will clear the Truth of Matter of Fact. And to the Miniſters and Elders of the Church at Vilna, Tho you (ſaith he) have no Suſpicion touching Blandrata (his Errors and Practices) yet with me he is clearly convicted, and ſo he is before this Church. Ye believe not what I ſay, why then ſhould I believe what you ſay? You have much time to ſpare to call Synods about ſuch Triſtes. You admire him as if he had been an Angel dropt down from Heaven; but he is, in other Nations, a Man of no Account. A brief Hiſtory of him I will give you; and leſt you ſhould have no regard to what I ſay, it is atteſted by the Elders of the Italian Church with us, and by the Renowned Peter Martyr.
The Hiſtory they give of him is to this purpoſe … …orge Blandrata, a Phyſician, demean…d himſelf amongſt us for ſome time very peaceably, and with much Temper, deſirous of Inſtruction; ſo that we innocently receiv…d him into our Number: At length he began to talk as if he deſigned to call in queſtion the Article of Chriſt's Divinity, and privately ſpread this Notion amongſt the more ignorant. Then would he weary Calvin with his Enquiries, and ſeem abundantly ſatisfy'd with his Anſwers; but carry'd it ſo, that at laſt Calvin diſcover'd his perſidious and deceitful Courſes, and his Carriage to be ſuch, as made it neceſſary for the Senate to deal with h…m; where, altho he was convicted of notorious Falſhoods againſt Calvin, yet never bluſh'd. His intimate Friend and Companion was Johannes Paulus Alciatus, who ſaid, that we worſhip three Devils, much worſe than all the Popiſh Idols, becauſe we hold Three Perſons. There aroſe a freſh Complaint of the Italian Church againſt him, for uſing Clandeſtine Arts to enſnare the Vulgar to a Cloſure with his Dotages.
Thus this Man, a real Enemy to the Fundamental Doctrines of Chriſtian Religion, the great Patron of Socinus and his Partizans, to the end he might the more effectually propagate his Errors, pretends a Zeal for the Truth, joyns himſelf to the Orthodox, ſubſcribes ſound Confeſſions, gains a Reputation amongſt the ch…efeſt of the Orthodox for being ſound and ſincere.
This deceitful Method of …landrata hath been exactly obſerv'd, as by many of the ſame Principles abroad, ſo by the Socinians in our Country; who, notwithſtanding the Contradiction there is in the Doctrines by Law eſtabliſhed to their Tenents, and the ſtrict Subſcriptions required of all that enter into the Miniſtry, get into the Church, and fix their Communion there.
That they may pave the way for the Conſciences of others, their Attempts are, to make the Subſcription to the Th…rty-nine Articles, to ſignify nothing.The Belief of the Athanaſian Creed not requi…ed by the Ch…ef Eng. p. 2. Thoſe Thirty-nine Articles (ſay they) are not Articles of Faith, but Peace: As ſeveral of her moſt learned Biſhops have declared; and, in a word, the Title of the Articles ſays as much, and the Preface before them. And yet in the Title, 'tis declared, that theſe Articles were agreed upon, for the avoiding Diverſities of Opinion, and for the Eſtabliſhing of Conſent, touching true Religion. And in the Preface 'tis declared, That the Articles do Contain the True Doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to Gods word: And the Charge his Majeſty gives is, That no Man ſhall either Print or Preach to draw the Article aſide, any way; but ſhall ſubmit to it, in the Plain, and full meaning thereof; And ſhall not put his own ſenſe or Comment, to be the Meaning of the Article, but ſhall take it in the Literal or Grammatical Senſe. So that whatever any Biſhops have declared, The Import of the Title and Preface is, That the Subſcribers Agree in Believing the Doctrines contained in the Articles to be True; that the Articles taken in the Literal and Grammatical Senſe, are agreeable to God's word.
How can a Socinian then ſubſcribe the firſt Article, where 'tis ſaid; There is but One Living and True God, and in Unity of this Godhead, there be Three Perſons, of one Subſtance, Power and Eternity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghoſt: Doth this Article contain in it the Truth? If it doth, the Socinian Principle is Falſe? If it doth not, they ſubſcribe to a Lye. And tho' the Church did not Require the Belief of the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, as del…vered in the Athanaſian Creed, as Neceſſary to Salvation; Yet, ſeeing it Requires the Belief of this Doctrine as True, they who deny this Doctrine, can't, without being gu…lty of groſſeſt Hypocriſy, ſubſcribe it. But what can't a deſigning Engliſh Socinian do?
Thus, you ſee, that tho' the Thirty-nine Articles are as expreſsly againſt the Dogmata of our …ngliſh Socinians, as words can make them yet can they not keep an Engliſh Socinian out of the Church. And having broken their Subſcriptions, they go on to tell us,Trinitar. Scheme Conſid. p. 28 That they Place not Religion in Worſhipping God by themſelves or after a Particular Form or Manner, but in a Right Faith, and a juſt and charitable Converſation: We Approve of known Forms, ſay they, of Praiſing and Praying to God, as alſo in Adminiſtring Baptiſm, the Lords Supper Marriage, and the other Religious Offices: We like well of the Diſcipline of the Church by Biſhops, and Parochial Miniſters. We have an Eſteem for the Eminent Learning and Exemplary Piety of the Conforming Clergy. For theſe Reaſons, we Communicate with that Church as far as we can, and Contribute our Intreſt to Favour her againſt all Others, who would take the Chair. We would not therefore, be Underſtood to be Enemies to the Church, nor as ſeeking to undermine her.
And that they may hold Communion with the Church in her Sacraments, they have framed ſuch an Idea of 'em, as makes it eaſy, for Men of their Opinions, to joyn in the Sacraments, not only with the Church of England, but with Presbyterian, Independent, Anabaptiſt, Lutheran, or Papiſt. They do not look on the Sacraments as Ordinances of the Goſpel, to which they muſt go, that they may Partake of Spiritual Bleſſings: In their Opinion, the Perſon that Receives Baptiſm, is only to Reſolve and Purpoſe Renovation and Newneſs of Life.Trinitar. Scheme Conſid p. 26 He doth (ſay they) thereby Profeſs he will purge his Mind and Conſcience, and his whole Converſation from Impurity and Wickedneſs. And concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, They commemorate, and repreſent the ſhedding the Lord's Blood, and breaking h…s Body for Mankind. But for the miraculous Effects and Conſequences aſcribed to the right partaking of this Sacrament, Ʋnitarians can find them no where but in the Books and Sermons of the Superſtitious Admirers (I might have ſaid Idolaters,) of External Things.
If they had been perſwaded that the Sacraments were Ordinances deſign'd of God for the conveying of ſpiritual Bleſſings to ſuch as do aright partake of them, then they could nor be Proteſtants and yet communicate in the Sacrament with Papiſts, becauſe their way of Adminiſtration is not right. But, now, to ſerve a Turn, they can take the Sacrament according to the Church of England; or, to promote their Cauſe, go to Maſs.
They are ſo well pleaſed with this Piece of Jeſuitiſm; they do, it's like, find it ſo advantageous for the propagating their Notions, that they can…t forbear an expoſing the oppoſite Truth held by Proteſtants as moſt vile and rid…culous.Trinitar. Scheme Conſid. p. 24 The Sacraments, accord…ng to the Senſe of the Orthodox, are a ſort of Means which works on our Minds, as Spells, Charms, and Incantations. (and ſuch l…ke) obtain their pretended Effects by a preternatural Power, extraordinarily given to them by God or by thoſe Spirits who preſide over ſuch Af…s. …et a Man in Black ſprinkle you w…th ſome of the Churches Water, or give you a bit of Bread, or ſup of Wine, over which he hath pronounced the wonder-working Words preſcribed in Mother Churches Ritual, tho by Nature you are as bad as the Devil, you ſhall preſently be inclin'd to as much Good as will ſave you from Hell, and qualify you for Heaven: And this no leſs certainly if you are one of the Elect; for elſe the Churches Incantation produces only a momentary Effect, and a falſe Appearance of Good: no leſs certainly I ſay, than by tying the Norman Knot you may gain the Love of the Perſon you deſire; or by other Devices recorded in the learned Books (ſo Fools eſteem them) of Magick, you may cauſe Hatred, raiſe Winds, and do a thouſand other Feats, which have no more natural or real Agreement with thoſe Cauſes that are ſaid to produce 'em, than Faith and Obedience have with a bit of Bread, or with a ſprinkling of Water. Therefore when St. Auguſtine defin'd a Sacrament to be the outward viſible Sign of an inward inviſible Grace or Energy, the good Father ſhould have conſidered that this is the Definition of a Charm, not of a Goſpel Sacrament: for a Charm is a bare outward viſible Sign, that has no natural or real Agreement with the Effect; and if the Effect prove for the Good of the Perſon concerned, it may be called the inward inviſible Grace of ſuch Sign or Charm: As when the Effect is to beget Love, or ſuch like. But if the Effect of the Charm be hurtful, as to kill, or ſuch like, then it muſt be called the Energy, not the Grace of the Charm: as that damning Power or Quality which our Oppoſers impute to the Sacrament of the Supper when not receiv…d aright, cannot be called the Grace of that Sacrament, but only the Energy. So that let them turn themſelves which way ſoever they can, they have turn…d the Goſpel-Sacraments, as I have ſaid before, into Charms and Spells.
Th…ſe are the Evincements of Engliſh Socinian Modeſty, whoſe D…ſign of bringing the bleſſed Sacraments into the greateſt Contempt, is manifeſt▪ But what I chiefly urge it for▪ is, that hereby they prepare the M…nds of their Followers to proſtitute their Conſciences to a Compliance with any Religion to the end they may promote their own (if it may be called a) Religion. For when on…e they have debauch…d their Conſciences ſo throughly, that they can take the Sacrament any way without Remorſe, as their Notion of it leads Men to do, then may the more learned of their Party profeſs themſelves to be either Papiſis or Lutherans, Calviniſts or Remonſtrants, and carry on the Socinian Deſign either by a clandeſtine Inſ…t…aſion of their Errors, as Blandrata and ſundry others of them have done; or, in the…r Oppoſition to Socinus, pitch on ſuch Topicks as weaken the Truth; which is done by them who aſſert the Perſons in the Bleſſed Trinity to be Three diſtinct Eſſences; or, repreſent the Socinian Error to be leſs dangerous than really it is, and the Socinians themſelves to be Men of greater Learning and Probity than moſt of them are. Such Methods as theſe have been taken by Przipcovius, Daniel Zuickerus, Forſtius, Epiſcopius, Curcellaeus, and many others; and not altogether without Succeſs. However, I muſt and do acknowledge, Johannes Niemojevius, a Polonian Knight, and once a Judge, tho a Socinian, yet generouſly oppoſed Georgius Schomannus, who pleaded for this very Principle, about the Ʋſe and End of the Lord's Supper. He freely declared, That in this Point, he differed as much from Socinus as the Heavens are diſtant from the Earth. Vid. Secin. Oper. tom. 1. p. 756.And in Defence of what he wrote againſt the Theſes of Emanuel Vega, he expreſſed the religious ſenſe of his Soul, by that Grief he conceived on the ſpreading of this pernicious Error amongſt them. Do we not read (ſaith he) that Faith comes by Hearing, which is confirm'd and increas'd in pious Minds by the ſame means? And ſhall we aſcribe leſs to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper than to Hearing of the Word? Socinus may perhaps do ſo; but I ſuppoſe no Men, fearing God, ſtudied in Divinity, and rightly judging of theſe things, will be in this Particular of his Mind. — There was brought unto me, when ſick in Bed, a Writing from Schomannus, which I did no ſooner read, but found my Diſtemper to increaſe upon me; ſo very much did it grief me, to ſee ſuch Hurtful Op…nions brought into our Church; Opinions, that diſquiet the more Infirm, and give Great Offence to others who are not of our way — Once more — If Socinus deſigns an Anſwer, I wiſh he would not; I muſt confeſs the Truth, I muſt tell you, that their Writings are ſtuffed which moſt Offenſive Paradoxes, to the extreme Grief of my Soul.
Beſides, this Diſputation between Niemojevius and Schomannus, makes it plain to me that this Notion about the Sacraments was not ſtarted 'till the Year 1588, altho' Socinus fixed his dwelling in Poland A. D. 15…9. That when it did firſt ariſe, it ſtartled the more Pious of their own Party; and that from Niemojevius his Reſolution of Propoſing it to the next Synod at Lublin, it's very likely, the Generality were then againſt it; ſo far were they from that full Agreement, which our Gentlemen pretend to be almoſt their Peculiar Property.