Heresiography, Description of sect 8 – Description of sect 13
Of the Socinians.
In treating of these Sectaries, I will propose:
1. Their Originall.
2. Some of their chiefe Errors, with the refutation of them.
1. SOcinisme … Socinanisme hath its name from Lelius Socinus, and his Nephew Faustus Socinus, both Italians of Siena in the State of Florence.
2. L…lius Socinus in the time of Mr. C…lvi…, broached his opinions by private Letters, written to Ca…vin: Faustus his Son, by publike writings, and by books fo…lowed the steps of his Father in corrupting and traducing the sincere and Orthodoxe faith.
3. For Socinianisme is a compound of many per…icious and antiquitated heresies, in which are revived the errors especially of these five Sects, viz. Ebio…tes, Arrians, Phot…ians, Servetians, Antitrinitarians, with which are joyned the Samofatonians and Sab…ans, of whom also they participate. Their erroneous and dangerous opinions may be read especially in the workes of Socinus, Ostorodius, Catechesis Racoviensis, Crellius, Volkelius, and others.
The principall of them may be reduced to the heads following being sixe in number.
1. Concerning God.
1. That there is no naturall knowledge of God, by which we may be instructed to any kinde of acknowledgement or beliefe of a Dei…y, or any thing concerning the being of God.
Refuted, Rom, …. 20. Rom. 2. 14.
2. Christ his Incarnation.
2. That the Incarnation of Christ is repug…ant to reason, and cannot be sufficiently proved out of Scripture.
Refuted Iohn 1. 14.
Deity.
That Christ is not truely God, and that the believe of his divine nature is not agreeable to Scripture.
Refuted 1 Iohn 5. 7, 8. Phil. 2. 6. Iohn 5. 18.
Satisfaction.
That Christ did not by his death satisfie for our sins.
Refuted, Iohn 11. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 15. Tit. 2. 14. Mat. 20▪ 18 1 Tim. 2. 6.
3. The Holy Ghost.
That the holy Ghost is not God.
Refuted, 1 Ioh. 5. 7.
4. The Trinity.
That it is repugnant to the word of God, to beleeve three Persons and one God.
Refuted 1. Iohn 5. 7. Mat. 28. 19.
5. Man▪
That Man in the state of Innocency was not created in originall righteousnesse.
Refuted, Eccles. 7. 29.
6. The Scripture or word of God.
That the old Testament is not necessary for a Christian man, though it may be profitably read.
Refuted Iohn 5. 46. Acts 17. 11.
Antitrinitarians, or new Arrians.
CAlled Arrians of the old Heretick Arrius, who was a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria, …Achillas the Bishop being dead, and Arri… having not the Bishoprick given him, which he desired, Alexander being chosen, he infected the world with this heresie: he was condemned in the Councell of Nice by 318. Bishops under the Emperor Constantine the great▪ and banished: he died as Iudas the Traytor did, his Bowells falling out of his belly.
The Antitrinitarians have renewed Arrius his old heresie,… and they are called Antitrinitarians because they blaspheme & violate the holy Trinity. These Antitrinitarians sprung up in Polonia and neighbour Countries in the yeare of our Lord, 1593. Against this Sect Doctor Pelargus Wigandus, and others have written learned Treatises.
The horrible blasphemies and divillish opinions of these Here…cks I am loath to name▪ but that my desire is that Christians should take notice of them to beware of them.
1. They deny the Trinity of Persons, which blasphemie Saint Iohn refuteth, 1 Iohn 5. 7. There are three that beare record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. Read Gen. 1. 26. And God said, let us make man in our owne Image, and God created man in his owne …mage. Mat. 3. ver. 17.
2. They deny the Son to be God, which blasphemy is refuted Esa. 9. 6. For unto us a child is borne, unto us a Sonne is given: his name shall be called Wonderfull, Councellour, the mighty God, &c. Iohn 1. ver. 1. 2. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
3. The eternall generation of the Son to be against reason, against truth, refuted Mic. 5. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephrata, out of thee shall come to be a Ruler in Israel, whose goings have been from of old, from everlasting, John 1. 14. Psal. 7. Col. 1. 15.
4. Christ not to be called God in respect of his Essence, but by reason of his dominion, which is refuted Iohn 10. 30. I and the Father am one. 1 John 5. Heb. 1. 3. Psal. 2. verse 7.
5. The Holy Ghost to be God, refuted Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy hear… to lie to the holy Ghost? 4. Thou hast not lien to men, but to God. Isa. 4. 8. 16. Iob 33. 14. Psal. 33. 6.
From these false Doctrines and Heresies good Lord deliver us.
These Hereticks have been heretofore burnt among us, as Anno 1611. March 18. Bartholomew Legat, an … Arrian, was burnt in Smithfi…ld; he refused all favour, contemned Ecclesiasticall Government. And in the mon… of April following, one Edward Wightman was burnt at Liechfield for the same Heresie. Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie he…ing of them, said, shee was very sorrowfull to heare that shee … such Monsters in her Kingdome; and truly, it grieveth me very much to relate their blasphemous and devillish opinions.
Of Millenaries.
AN Heresie frequent at this time. This Sect look for a temporary kingdome of Christ, that must begin presently, and last a thousand yeares. Of this Opinion are many of our Apocalypticall men, that study more future events then their present duty, and more rules by Prophesies then Precepts.
This Fancie is most dangerous for all estates.
1. For to promote that Kindome of Christ, they … that all the ungodly must be killed.
2. That the w…cked have no property in their estates.
3. That the promise might be fulfilled, that the meek must inherit the earth.
This Doctrine filleth the people with a furious and unnaturall zeale, which breathes nothing but fire and sword, and maketh them to look upon their Countrey-men with such an eye as the Anabaptists cast upon Munster when they came first to it, viz. a malignant and covetous eye, discerning their prey, and marking the rich men to ruine & destruction, God deliver us from such a Reformation brought by a multitude, missed with a frantick zeale and giddy Revelations.
This was the ancient Error of Cerinthus who was a Jew, and lived in the time of Domitian the Emperour, about the yeare of our Lord, 96. Among other Errors he taught eternall life to be here in earth, where we should enjoy all pleasures of the flesh.
That after the resurrection Christs kingdome should be upon earth, and corp…rall; and that men should live in carnall concupiscence and lust for one thousand yeares.
He dyed oppressed by the fall of a Bath: when St. Iohn the Evangelist, with some of his Disciples were bathing at Ephesus, and saw this Heretick Cerinthus in the Bath, he leaped out, saying, let us depart lest the Bath fall upon us: Cerinthus being here the enemy of truth; which came to passe as sone as Saint Iohn was gone out of it, as is set downe in these Verses of Stigelius.
Impia Cerinthus sansto convitia Christ…
Dum facit, & stulta garrulitate furit;
Concidit, & rando blasphemum contudit ictu
Collapsae subito facta ruina domus.
This ancient Heresie condemned by the Church, and long agoe buried, is now revived in these latter times.
You shall finde this heresie confuted in the Chapter of the Anabaptists.
Hetheringtonians.
THE Author of this Sect was one Iohn Hetherington, a Box-maker.
1. This Hetherington being a Trades-man, cast off his Trade and betook himselfe to be an Interpreter of the Scriptures to many persons, keeping private Conventicles.Vid Do. De…iso…s White-W…te.
2. He maintained and published the Church of England to be no true Church of Christ.
3. He was a man dis-affected to the Government and Discipline of the Church of England, and agreeth with the Familists, holding with them the perfect purity of the soule.
4. He maintained and published the Sabbath since the Apostles … to be of no force; and that every day is a Sabbath, as much as that which we call the Lords day, or Sunday.
5. He maintained the Books of Esdras was part of the Canonicall Scripture, and that they ought so to be esteemed.
For which erro…ous opinions, tending to the disturbance of the peace of the Church, & to the seducing of many silly soules, he was adjudged for a dangerous Sectary; and among other … upon him, this was one, that he should recant his Errors at Pauls Crosse.
His Errors before named, are conf…ted by Doctor Denison in a Sermon of his, which he preached at Pauls Crosse at the recantation of the fore-said Hethrington. He recanted them at Pauls Crosse, and hath lately written against the Familists.
The Anti-Sabbatarians.
THese Anti-Sabbatarians hold the Sabbath day, or that which we call the Lords day, to be no more a Sabbath, in which they goe about to violate all Religion; for take away the Sabbath and farewell Religion.
The Morality of the Sabbath doth consist in a mysticall resting from sin, but in celebrating an appoynted day in seven to the worship and service of Almighty God.
1. The Sabbath was instituted in the time of mans Innocency.
2. The manner of promulgation of it in the Decalogue is worrhy to be observed. God saith, Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
3. This Law is not placed among the Ceremoniall or Judiciall Lawes but in the Decalogue it selfe.
4. The reasons for keeping it are expressed in the Commandement, viz. Six dayes shalt thou labour, and doe all that th… hast to doe; but the seventh day is the Lord, &c.
Reasons why the Lords Day is to be observed.
1. BY Morality of the fourth Commandement, because the Morall Law is not abrogated by the Gospell, but established, Rom. 3. 3.
2. Because this day on which our Lord rose hath been observed by all Christians. It was kept at Ierusal…m, A…s 2. 1. It was kept at Troas, Acts 20. 7. At Patm…s Rev. 1. 10. And in all Christian Churches in the whole world.
3. The ancient Fathers have pressed the observation of this day. Ignatius saith; Let every one that loveth … celebrate the Lords day. St. Basil saith▪ when as … dayes prescribed by the Law are abolished yet ther… … one great day of the Lord which never shall be abolished. Their Testimonies are infinite.
4. God hath from time to time shewed his fe…refull judgements upon prophaners of his day, as you read in the Practice of Piety. A certain Husband-man gri…ding corne …n the Lords day had all his meale burned to ashes: another carrying corne upon the same day, had his Barn and all his Corn the next night burnt.
A certaine Noble-man usually prophaning the Lords day by hunting, had a child by his Lady … had a head like a hound. Many exa…ples of Gods judgments are there set down, all which may be faire warnings to forwarne not only prophaners of the Sabbath, but also all such as by their per…icious Doctrine teach men to prophane it.
Traskites.
SO called of one Mr. John Traske, whom the Author knew well. His opinions were, that it was not lawfull to doe any thing …orbi…den in the old Law, nor to keep the Christian Sabbath. One Theophilus Braborne endeavoured with him to bring back againe the Jewish Sabbath, and to that purpose writ a Book in the yeare 1632.
The Positions concerning the Sabbath by them maintained, were these.
1. THat the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue, Remember the Sabbath day, too keep it holy, &c. Exod. 20. is a divine precept, simply and entirely Morall, containing nothing legally Ceremoniall in whole or in part, and therefore the weekly observation thereof …ght to be perpetuall, and to continue in full force and vertue to the worlds end.
2. That the Saturday, or the seventh day of every week ought to be an everlasting holy day in the Christian Church, and the religious observation of this day obligeth Christians under the Gospell as it did the Jewes before the comming of Christ.
3. That the Sunday, or Lords day is an ordinary working day▪ an it is superstition and will-worship to make the same the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement. Of this opinion was Theophilus Braborne. As the Anabaptists will have no children baptised, because there is no expres…e command for it in Scripture;Lo…d day. so these Sabbatarians will have no Sunday because they can find no expresse Text for the alteration of it. Iohn Traske for his Judaicall opinions was censured in the Star-chamber to be set upon the Pillory at Westminster, and from thence to bee whipt to the Fleet, there to remaine Prisoner; three years after he writ a recantation of all his Schismaticall errors.
Also Theophilus Braborne had his doome in the Star-chamber, and afterwards renounced his Errors by conference had with Doctor Vhite, Lord Bishop of Ely, which caused him to write a book of the Sabbath.
For the observation of the Lords day, we read there is among others a Treatis… of Doctor Bonners, Bishop of Lond.called (A profitable and necessary Doctrine) wherein on the fourth Commandement Sunday is oft called by the name of Sabbath, and thereon (saith he) we must have our mindes quiet and free from all worldly cares, and give them entirly and wholly unto God both privately and publikely; and that wee must occupy our selves in thought, word, and deed, as may be to the glory of God, with spirituall edifying both of our selves and also of our neighbours; and that every one must instruct his children, servants and family in vertue and goodnesse: and as Saint Augustine saith, Serm. 251. Let us marke and see that our rest be not vaine or fruitlesse, but that wee being sequestred from all rurall workes, and from all businesse, doe from the evening on the Saturday untill the evening on the Sunday, give your selves to divine service. OnelyOnly and after such sort we doe duely or well sanctifie the Sabbath of our Lord: And to prove the Sabbath day to be kept, he cit…th, Gen. 2. 5. Exod. 16. 25. Exod. 23. 12. Exod. 31. 14. Exod. 35. 2. Numb. 15. 35. Some Some Christians there be that keep both Saturday and Sunday, as the Ethiopians.