Anti-Socinianism, Part 19
Andraeas Dudithius Epiſcopus Quinqueccleſienſis.
Dudithius doctus cupiens vitare Charybdim
Incidit in Scyllam, fata dolenda ſua.
THis Andraeas Dudithius by nation a Hungarian, Biſhop of Quinqueccleſiae a City in Panonia, was a very learned and famous man, employed in divers Embaſsies to Ferdinand and Maximilian, Caeſars; being preſent as a Biſhop in the name of the Hungarians at the Councel of Trent, he there made two elegant Orations; the one, of the neceſſity of the Cummunion under both kinds; the other, of the lawfulneſs of Prieſts marriage, both compoſed very eloquently, and full of excellent variety, yet home to the purpoſe, for which they were intended: For he was an exquiſite Orator himſelf, a great admirer and follower of the Tullian eloquence; inſomuch that (as Thuan reporteth of him) he thrice copyed out Tullies works with his own hands. After all this, bidding the Pope, with all his ſhavelings adieu, he marryed a wife, a noble young Lady Sophia Gonicella, whom he light upon by chance in the Court of the Polonian King, when he was ſent thither Embaſſador from Maximilian the Emperour; For ſhee being extreamly taken with his diſcretion, judgment, and other good parts; he with her beauty, piety and perfection, they mutually combined each to other in holy matrimony. As for religion, he was better ſeen in the leaving, then the taking part. For having forſaken popery, and not having joyned himſelf to the reformed Churches, he was a long time diſquieted in mind, not knowing what courſe to take, or which way to turn himſelf in matters of religion; He knew the Church of Rome was full of errours, he ſaw the Churches profeſſing the Proteſtant Religion, to be full of diſſentions and diviſions, which cauſed him to doubt, and (as we uſe to ſay) to look before he leapt. Haſt makes waſt, is a true Proverb, in the precipitant carriage of buſineſs: Fair and ſoft goes far: Not too faſt for falling: Stay a little, and we ſhall have done the ſooner. Theſe be the ſayings of Moderation, to correct, and qualify the raſhneſs, of our terrene and ſublunary undertakings. But in our ſpiritual proceedings, when our journey is Heaven, and the end eternal ſalvation, Delay is more dangerous then Celerity: it proved ſo here; for while he was uncertain, what to do, and ſo did nothing at all; he was artificially drawn aſide, by Socinus and his fellows, under the ſpecious allurement of vain, and doating reaſon, he is ſudainly hurryed into their miſchi…vous hereſy, of denying the Trinity, the merit and ſatisfaction of Jeſus Chriſt for ſinners; with all the reſt of their blaſphemous opinions. In defence whereof he wrote a letter to John Laſius a Polonian Knt. and an intimate friend of his, which was lately publiſhed, with the anſwer of Mareſuis, annexed to it. As in dark nights, pyrates uſe to kindle fires, and make great lights upon the rocks, and maritime coaſts, whether poor, weather beaten Sea-men do ſteer, in hope of harbour, and there meet with wrack and ruin: So theſe hereticks, with their flouriſh of the Scriptures, or at leaſt, with ſome flaſhes of them, like falſe fires, and deceitful lights, did entice this poor ſoul to repair for ſuccour, but found nothing being come, but pernicious, and deadly errour? And it is a common thing to ſee, that dead errours are the ſnares, which the Devil layes by his inſtruments, to catch living ſouls.
How much Beza made of this Dudithius, with what a Chriſtian affection he loved him, how ſolicitous he was to draw him from errour, and to perſwade him to, and confirm him in the truth, againſt thoſe doubtings, and diſtractions, by which he was much moleſted, between the profeſſion of the Papiſts, on the one ſide, and the Socinian on the other, doth appear by a large and elegant letter written to him, and is to be found among the letters of Beza.
Zanchie alſo, wrote to Dudithius a letter, concerning the true Church, being the ſame argument about which he had written to Beza, and Wolphius a little before, propoſing this queſtion to them; How comes it to paſse, that in your Church, (if it be the true Church,) there be ſo many diſſentions, and diviſions among you, and that in, and about the chief articles of religion? This is one ſtone of ſtumbling, which the Devil hath caſt in the way to the profeſſion of the truth, by which he hath hindred many, from walking in it, or giving any credit to it. But to this, that good man Zanchy gives a full, and a ſolid anſwer; Firſt, that there are not ſo many, nor ſo great contentions among us, who profeſſe the true faith, as the Devil, and his complices would make the World believe, thereby to bring the truth into ſuſpicion: And then, that thoſe, which are among us, are no argument of doubting of the truth of the Church, but rather of approving it: For the continued, and common condition of the Church of God here is militant, and ſubject to infirmity, only in Heaven it is already in part, and ſhall be hereafter, wholly triumphant. Chriſt himſelf gives the Church a caution hereof, Matt. 7.15. Beware of falſe Prophets, which come to you; Not to Turks, not to Infidels, and yet to theſe, but not to theſe only, but to you alſo, to you principally and eſpecially, who have the Goſpel, and to whom God affords the means of Salvation. The Devil is let looſe for a ſeaſon, Rev. 20. For a ſeaſon, to try the faith and patience of the Church. And but for a ſeaſon, to fortifie the courage of the Church. Had it not bin, that Satan hath bin buſy in the obtruding of errour, the Church of God had not bin ſo buſy, in ſearching out the truth. Therefore the Church is on the getting hand hereby. Had not thoſe Arians and Sabellians, at the firſt, vexed the Church of God with their hereſies, which are but branches and lims of this of Socinianiſm; the deep mysteries of the ſacred Trinity, had not bin ſo accurately cleered, ſo strongly fortifyed to the faith and belief of men, as by the Ancient Doctors then it was, and this day it is among us. Hereſie makes men ſharpen their wits, the better to confute it; That Abſynthium, that ſmarts the eye, cleers it, and we thank that pain that gives us ſight. Dudithius then, had no reaſon to douht of, but rather to joyne iſsue with that, as the true Church, who by the contentions, that were among them, got the more knowledge of, and laid the faſter hold upon, the truth of the Goſpel. But he was not ſo happy.
He wrote divers Orations, and political admonitions. In the Bodlejan library at Oxford, are to be ſeen, divers works of his, as the ſignification of Comets; divers, and they very pithy ſpeeches, which he made in the councel of Trent. An Apologie to Maximilian the II. An Epiſtle concerning the inflicting of capital puniſhment upon hereticks. The life of Cardinal Pool was drawn out by his artificial hand, and flouriſhed by his pen. There are divers letters alſo of Socinus to him, by which at firſt he ſolicited and and as is to be believed, gained him to his party. Raemundus reporteth of him, that being invited by a certain friend of his to dinner, who earneſtly requested his company, at that time in good health, free from all ſenſe, or the least ſuſpicion of ſickneſs, much leſſe of death, gave the Meſsenger this anſwer; his friend muſt have him excuſed, for that he was at that very time to go another way, and had ſome other buſineſs, of greater conſequence to do; Namely, to pay the laſt debt which he owed to nature, which accordingly, at that very time he did, and ſo departed. Truly this man was much to be pitied, who having forſaken a bad, yet choſe no better, a religion, then which a worſe, could not be raked out of Hell: giving himſelf over to the Socinian faction, in whoſe destructive opinions, as he lived: So he dyed, without comfort. That old ſaying, may ſtand us in ſome ſteed, if we liſt to make uſe of it, Optimum eſt alinâ, frui inſaniâ, to take heed by other mens harms, is experience bought at a very cheap rate; and whom they teach not, may want, not grief, but pity: