Anti-Socinianism, Part 8
Laelius Socinus Italus Sinenſis.
Articulos fidei, & divini Oracula verbi,
Laelius humana volt ratione regi.
AS Affrica is ever producing ſome new monſter: So Italy is ever bringing forth, and bringing up ſome ſtrang hereſy; hence ſprung Socinus, both Laelius and Faustus Italians of Sienna, of a family famous for their experience in the Law, and as infamous for hereticks, which have perverted the truth of the Goſpel. Marianus Socinus had two Sons, Alexander and Laelius, this the Uncle, that the Father of Fauſtus Socinus, whoſe ſtory followes, after; This Laelius was a great favourer of the admired Doctrines of Servetus, and took his death very heavily; he was a man meerly made up of contradictions, and one, wvho wholly bent his ſtudies, to foment and advance thoſe controverſes in Religion, which were then in queſtion; like the Salamder, taking a delight to live in the fire of contention, and for that purpoſe ſtarted ſuch queſtions, and held ſuch diſputes as brought great trouble, and diſquiet among the Profeſſours of the truth; yet all this ſo cloſely and covertly, that he was not ſuſpected to be ſo ſoul an heretick living, as he was found to be, when he was dead. For he ſecretly laid the firſt foundations of that work, whereon afterwards his Nephew Fauſtus reared up his glorious, or rather, inglorious ſtructure. Yet as it appears by an Epiſtle of Calvins written to him, he was then ſomewhat high flown, endeavouring to bring all the myſteries of Religion, and the Articles of our faith, within the graſpe of natural reaſon; whereas in ſecrets without bottome, and ſuch are they, of which we are ſpeaking, except faith hold us up, like Children, we ſwim without bladders, and muſt either dabble to the ſhore, or ſinke, Reaſon hath not ſo much as an hand to lend us. Can this Reaſon of theirs, which they would put upon ſo high an enterpriſe, comprehend matters of leſſe conſequence, then I ſhall believe them in the greater? Can they by the ſtrength of their reaſon ſhew me the height of Heaven, and the depth of Hell, can they number the ſands of the Sea, the drops of rain that fall from the skie, or the hayrs that are upon their own head? Could they plane me out by ſome perfect demonſtration the truth of theſe things here below, I ſhould then think their reaſon were able to aſpire to thoſe things which are above; but they have no power of compaſſing the one, nor any poſſibility to atchieve the other. And therefore their rational Divinity is nothing worth: But to return to our purpoſe, as this Laelius did magnifie reaſon, on the one hand: So did he vilifie and deprave true religion, on the other, even the moſt ſubſtantial and fundamental Articles thereof, as the Satisfaction of Christ, his death and merit, our justification, faith, &c. which depravation, to what purpoſe it tended, namely, to the utter ſubverſion and deſtruction of all true, ſound and ſaving Religion; that holy man Calvin ſaw, and wiſely foreſaw, when as by a more then ordinary ſevere admonition, or rather increpation, he endeavoured at firſt to reſtrain him from this exorbitancy, to which he was violently tending, and to keep him within the bounds of modeſty and true religion, which he was heedleſly paſſing; There is, ſaith he, no cauſe that you ſhould expect an anſwer from me, to thoſe prodigious queſtions which you put forth; If it be your pleaſure to ſoar aloft through thoſe aiery ſpeculations, ſuffer me, I pray you, an humble Diſciple of Jeſus Chriſt, low and ſubmiſſe in mine endeavours, to meditate thoſe things, which conduce to the edification of my faith, and the encreaſe and growth of true religion. And (I hope) ſhall get that by my ſilence, which I deſire, namely, that you trouble me no more hereafter; Yet I cannot but be grieved, that you ſhould employ that liberal wit, which God hath beſtowed on you, not only in things of no moment, and to no purpoſe, but ſhould take a courſe, utterly to overthrow it and your ſelf to, by deadly and deſtructive figments, which miſchief I have openly declared before, and now, (if not too late) do admoniſh you of again; unleſſe therefore, you do timely prevent this extraordinary deſire, and itch of ſearching and diving into thoſe things, which are not neceſsary, it is to be feared, that you will provoke God to hasten ſome judgment on you, to your own miſery, and the example of others, deterring them thereby from the like vanity. If by indulgency I ſhould nouriſh vice, which I know to be very abnoxious to thoſe that are addicted to it, I ſhould be falſe and injurious to you, yea I ſhould thereby contract a guilt upon mine own Soul, which would not eaſily be waſhed off. Wherefore I had rather you ſhould now be offended a little with my auſterity, then being caught in an evil not by the enticing baits of curioſity, be carried away paſt recovery; There will be a time, I hope, wherein you w…ll have cauſe to rejoyce, that ever you were ſo violently rouſed up. Thus Calvin to him; Hear we now what Beza ſaies of him, He was, ſaith he, deſcended of an ancient and noble family, ſufficiently inſtructed b…th in the Greek and Hebrew tongues, with other additaments of Arts, neceſſary for his p…ofeſſion, and correſpondent to his condition: And, (which is much to be deſired, and very commendable in all, eſpecially ſuch, whoſe employment it is, to inſtruct others) outw…rdly of an unblamable life and converſition; for which cauſe, ſaith he, I contracted with him a more then ordinary friendſhip and familiarily; but he was a man full of errours, and compacted of hereſies, wh ch yet for all that (ſo artificially did he cover them, and ſo politickly diſcover the judgment of others concerning them, and what propenſity or inclination they had towards them) that he ſeemed never to propoſe any of them to me, but by way of conference, and only for diſputation ſake, and often propounding queſtions, as if he earneſtly coveted inſtruction and ſatisfaction. I believe that for many years together he favoured the Samoſatenian hereſie, and perſwaded many to a liking and embracing of the ſame; he aſſayed me alſo, with divers arguments, and if he could have prevailed, to have overwhelmed me in errour and destruction both together; But through Gods mercy, I did ſo often foil him, that many times he had not a word to ſay for himſelf. Learned he was and very ſtudious; but alas, learning in many is a diſeaſe; not a perfection, yea a meer ſurfeit. A greedy knowledge feeds not our understanding, but oppreſſeth it, and like a ravenous appetite chews more to poyſon, then to nouriſhment. Were I to drink freely of what is ſacred; I ſhould deſire that which flows of it ſelf, rather then that which is pumped for; waters that are troubled yeild mud, and are oftentimes as well the bane, as the comfort of the receiver. A. Pioner, or bold myner, which diggs too far for his rich vein of Ore, meets many times with a damp, which choaks him; And we may find ſome diſpoſitions, of which this mans may juſtly be one, rather deſperate then venturous, diſcerned more by a heady reſolution, then a wiſe cautelouſneſſe, whom we may reſemble to that ſilly, and ſhipwrackt Seaman, who dived ſo long for a piece of his ſunken treaſure, that he was at once deprived both of life and fortune: So Laelius digging ſo deep, and diving ſo far into theſe ſacred myſteries, by the ſtrength of his natural reaſon only, by which he was wholly guided, that at once he loſt both himſelf, and his Religion, if he ever had any to looſe: He hath bin ſo long converſant in the School of Philoſophie, that he hath forgotten that it is Religion, with which he hath to do, inſomuch that turning the World upſide down, he makes that the Miſtreſſe of, which before was but the handmaid to Divinity. And therefore (might I be thought worthy of hearing or determining this matter) I ſhould count it no leſſe a policy, then right in ſuch ſad learning, and deep mysteries, to give Divinity the chair; for if Arts themſelves with their ſubtile retinue, do but once invade it, Senſe and Reaſon will quickly hiſſe faith, and Religion out of doores; As we may ſee by woful experience in theſe times, and among theſe men it is already come to paſſe. He that trades only with the ſtock of reaſon, in ſuch weighty matters, is like to make but a ſorry market. Thoſe enterprizes are temerarious and over-headſtrong, which put on, where there is not only danger, but a deſpair of conqueſt. How can reaſonable man, but lye buried under the weight of ſuch a mysterie, at which the very grand Pillars of the Church have not only ſhook, but ſhrunk? All reaſon then (whatever, Laelius and his ſect do think) is tongue-tied, all apprehenſion non-pluſt, all underſtanding darkned, when we come to ſpeak of the high and myſterious things of faith and Religion; For theſe carry with them ſuch an awe, do bear ſuch a Majeſtick port, as if they looked to be obeyed, not diſputed, and freely aſſented to, not prepoſterouſly controverſt. He ſeems to me to be Master of little or no reaſon at all, who would have Reaſon a competent judge of thoſe things which are above, and beyond reaſon, and all finite apprehenſion whatſoever.
For his good converſation, it deſerves commendation, if it were real; I would be loath to be, (what ever the World, and ſome ill byaſsed men think of me) an Advocate for debauchery, I here openly proteſt againſt it; in the ſight of God and man; yet to ſpeak my mind freely, I believe, the Devil, that hath many wayes to catch men, hath in'd a greater harvest by the means of ſuch auſterity, and ſeeming purity (I judge no man,) then ever he did by thoſe, that are too much addicted to company; To decline offences, to be careful and conſcionable in our ſeveral actions, is a perfection, which every man ought to labour for, and to attain unto, which we may well do, without a ſullen ſegregation of our ſelves from all ſociety, or at leaſt from all ſociety that are not of our opinion. The Donatiſts were pure in their lives, but deſperate in their Doctrines; What Saints did the Anabaptiſts ſeem at their firſt riſe and Original to be? Inſomuch that Luther himſelf wrote to the Duke of Saxonie in their behalf; deſiring him not to be too ſevere to thoſe innocent and harmeleſſe perſons; yet afterwards when they had gotten the ſtaff into their own hands, what Monſters they diſcovered themſelves to be, what horrible outrages were acted, what horrid impieties perpetrated by them, poor Germany can yet remember, and declare to her long laſting ſorrow, and their everlaſting infamy. An affected austerity a ſupercilious gravity; a ſtarch't deportment, inſteed of reverence, which is looked for, beget ſcorne and contempt.
If there be any priviledges, they are ſurely granted to the Children of the Kingdome, to which, many without warrant, intitle themſelves, If mirth and recreations be lawful, ſurely ſuch as deſire to keep faith and a good conſcience may lawfully uſe them; Let us not then judge one another, but every one of us, labour to build up one another in our moſt holy faith, that God may have the glory, his Church the peace, his Servants the comfort, that is to be deſired. Well, having conſidered this Laelius in his life and Doctrine, we now come to his end, having attained to the middle of his age, being about ſeven and thirty years old, and at that very time, when being moved by the importunity of his friends, he had determined, yea had already begun, to bring to light, and publiſh to the World, ſome fru…t of his laborious and induſtrious ſtudies in Divinity, he was cut off by the ſudain ſtroak of death; inſomuch that all his endeavour, which was wholly bent, (if poſſible) to the ruin of Orthodox Doctrine, and their great expectation for the preſent dyed with him, and came to nothing. How did death couſen both the living and dead? This intended now out of hand to publiſh, Thoſe to enjoy the reſult of many years hard and painful ſtudies; yet both are prevented by one ſudain and unexpected blow; We are here, even in our beſt condition, but as a flower, that laſts ſome dayes, we laſt ſome years, at a certain period both fade; It ſhould be our care, to be alwayes well doing, and then let death come when, where, and how it will; We may then with comfort ſing that Swan-like ſong of good old Simeon, Nunc dimittis, &c. Lord now le… thy Servant depart in peace.