The Growth of Error, Chapter 4 · Section 3
SECT. III.
The Engliſh Socinians judge more Charitably of the Salvation of Jews, and Turks, than of Orthodox Chriſtians, whom they make to be as Bad as Egyptian, and Roman Pagans.
WHen I firſt made Enquiry after the Reaſon, why theſe Gentlemen declined a Defence of the Foreign Socinians, and Refuſed to be Deſcribed from their Books, I was of Opinion, they thought themſelves Unable for ſo great an Undertaking; But on a more cloſe Examination, I am convinced, that this is not the Only Reaſon: there is another, namely this, They can't Extend their Charity ſo far towards us, as Foreign Socinians have done.
How ill ſoever, I have Proved the Forreign Socinians to be, it muſt ſtill be Acknowledged, that not only in Learning, but in Temper they greatly Excel the Engliſh. And tho' they look'd upon the Orthodox to have Erred from the Truth, yet eſteemed them not to be either Idolaters, or Hereticks, or out of the Way to Salvation.
Ruarus, in an Epiſtle to Merſennus, Ruarus Epiſt. 56. p. 260.doth clear us from the guilt of Idolatry, tho we Worſhip the Divinity of Chriſt, as Eternal, which he eſteems an Error; For, ſaith he, Who is there of our own way, that dares arrogate to himſelf ſo perfect a Knowledge of the Divine Nature, that another more ſharp and acute than himſelf may not Convince him, that in ſome reſpect, he had Framed a Falſe Idea of God?
Socinus in his ſecond Anſwer to Volanus, enters his Proteſtation againſt the making us Hereticks: Partic. 5….His words are, Altho' I hold, that Chriſt before he was Born of Mary, had no Exiſtence; yet do I Confeſs him to be God, even to be True God, in Oppoſition to a Falſe, and Imaginary God: And altho' I Deny Chriſt to be that God, who Created the Heavens and the Earth, yet do I not make them to be Hereticks, who Affirm him to be ſo. If we take the word [Heretick] in the moſt common Acceptation, for one who is without the Pale of the Church (in which Senſe, it's manifeſt that Volanus himſelf uſes the Word in this Place) that they do greatly Err, I firmly Believe. But, I do not therefore Exclude them from the Fellowſhip of the Saints, ſo long as in other Reſpects, they Perſevere in the Right Way to Salvation, approving themſelves Obedient unto Chriſt.
Nor were they ſo Fond of the Mahometan Religion, as not to think it a Reproach to be numbred amongſt its Favourers. This is ſufficiently Cleared by Ruarus; For, whereas Beza, Epiſt. 16.… 122, 123.in an Epiſtle to Peter Statorius, mentions Valentilis Gentilis his Accuſing Paulus Alciatus for turning Turk, Abraham Calovius no ſooner mentions this Story, in a Letter to Ruarus, but Ruarus, as one who Abhorr'd the Mahometan Religion,Epiſt. 47. p. 225, 226. doth what he can to Vindicate Alciatus from ſo Vile a Calumny: Moſt Worthy Sir, (ſaith he to Calovius) Forgive me that I attempt to Free you from a Miſtake in a Point of Hiſtory. It is about what is Reported of Paulus Alciatus, and Nuſerus, cloſing with the Turkiſh Religion, as if they had abandon'd Chriſtianity, and had taken up with the Alcoran. I am apt to think, Beza, in one of his Epiſtles, lead you into this Miſtake, when he mentions what Gentilis accuſed him of before the Magiſtrates of Bern. But this might be done by Gentilis, only to Ingratiate himſelf with the Magiſtrates, eſpecially ſeeing he knew, Alciatus did acknowledge only the Father of Jeſus Chriſt to be the moſt High God; And he himſelf, after a ſort making a Profeſſion of Three Gods, might be the more eaſily Induced to load him with the reproachful Charge of Turciſm — But whatever Gentilis imagined, you know very well that Alciatus did for many Years in this City lead a Pious Life according to the Chriſtian Rules, and when he dyed, he commended his Soul to Chriſt, the Saviour. Thus much hath been Atteſted by many and ſome now Living, &c.
But tho' Socinus and Ruarus, were ſo kind as to clear us from the Guilt of Idolatry and Hereſie, Reckoning us to be Members of that Church, in which Salvation may be had; yet ſo much Candor muſt not be look'd for from the Engliſh Socinians. For,
They eſteem us ſo Byaſſed againſt their Religion by Prejudices and the like,Exhort. to …ice Enqu. p. 3. that we uſe not a reaſonable Diligence to obtain the Knowledge of what they call Truth, and therefore we are told, That as to the Jen…s and Turks, N…tes on Athanaſ. p. 3….who Believe, and Worſhip the One True God, and him only, perhaps they are in a Nearer Proximity to Salvation, than ſuch as againſt ſufficient Opportunities of a right Information, and for Worldly Intereſts, have Apoſtatized from the Chriſtian Faith to the Athanaſiam.
Thus they make us Apoſtates from Chriſtianity, further off from Salvation than Jews or Turks. And that we may ſee what Charity they have for the Mahometans, and their Religion, they add, Divers Hiſtorians will have it,Re…l… co… …ng the T…i… and Incarnat. p. 18, 19. that Mahomet meant not, his Religion ſhould be eſteemed a New Religion, but only the Reſtitution of the true Intent of the Chriſtian Religion. They affirm moreover, that the Mahometan Learned Men, call themſelves the True Diſciples of the Meſſias or Chriſt, intimating thereby that Chriſtians are Apoſtates from the moſt Eſſentians Parts of the Doctrine of the Meſſiah.
This Plea, our Engliſh Socinians make for Mahomet and his Religion (Repreſenting the Turkiſh Topperies to be a more Refined Chriſtianity than that Embraced by the Orthodox) brings to my Remembrance an Old Prophecy of Simler, which on the Reviving of the Errors of Servetus, by …oelius, Socinus, Blandrata, and others, he wrote Anno 1568. A part of it is to this Purpoſe. When Matters Religious are in Agitation, I would not willingly Immix with them what are of a Civil Nature; nor would I raſhly Fore bode Evil to any Man. However, if we may make a Judgment of things Future, by what hath heretofore f…ln out I am afraid this Doctrine [viz. of the Socinians will prepare the way for Mahometaniſm, and Portend Ruin to thoſe Flouriſhing Countries, in which it is ſown, &c. The whole Prophecy is in the Cloſe of that Hiſtorical Preface, which Cloppenhurch hath ſet before his Con…rtation of the Compendi…lum …ocinianiſmi, ſuppoſed by him, to have been Written by Oſtorodius, and …oidovius; but, as Sandias hath it; by Conradus Vortius To return.
The Malignity of theſe Engliſh Socinians runs higher, they can't conſent themſelves to throw us into a worſe ſtate than the Turks are in. Placing us in the next Rank to them. But to vent their Spight, they make our very Religion, as bad as the Impoſtures, and Dotages of the Egyptian, and Roman Pagans.
Touching the Myſtery of the Trinity, they ſay, There is no Parallel for it in all,Trinitarian Scheme. p. 7. either Hiſtory, or Nature, but the Myſteries of the Egyptians. For, as the Egyptians were at prodigious Coſt, in making, and ſetting up a great number of Images, in and about their Temples — by which Lieroglyphicks they pretended to Teach men the Secrets of Natural Philoſophy—But when ask'd to Explain their meaning, they gave a very mean and triffling ſenſe; or a ſenſe very abſurd and falſe. So, after Trinitarians have long Amuſed their Diſciples with Terms, as myſtical as the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks, ſuch as Trinity — We would eaſily forgive them the foll; of their Myſteries, if their Hieroglyphick Language were not as Falſe and Contradictory, as it is Vain, and Trifling — A little after this, ſpeaking of the Bleſſed Trinity; This is Egyptian all over: 'Tis the very Genius and Spirit of the old Myſtical Hieroglyphicks: That is to ſay, Partly Fooliſh and Partly Falſe. Once more, "For my Part, I never think of theſe, whether Dotages or Impoſtures, without ſuch an Inclimation as I hardly Reſiſt, of applying to our Athanaſian Doctors, what Cato ſaid of the Roman Augures and Aruſpices— He knew their pretended Learning and Diſcipline, was the Religion, Eſtabliſh'd by Law, warranted by Cuſtom and Preſcription, and Auth…rized by the Conſent of Laws. For all that, 'twas a Cheat ſo Groſs and Palpable, that he could not but Admire the Augures were ſuch ſtark Fools, or ſuch perfect Knaves, that (meeting) they could carry a grave look upon one another.
This is the Kindneſs the Engliſh Socinians have for the Orthodox, and more eſpecially for the Religion by Law Eſtabliſht. They make us worſe than Turks, and as bad as Pagans; as if all we teach were a Groſs and Palpable Cheat. And by their Complaints of the Evils ariſing from Church Preferments,Conſid…. …. p. 44. and the Care and Favour of a Wealthy Mother, they ſhow they have an aking Tooth at the Church Revenues. Let the Biſhops, Deans, and Chapters look to themſelves.