Anti-Socinianism, Part 9
Mattheus Gribaldus Iuriſconſultus Patavinus.
Jam Patavinus adeſt Gribaldus jure peritus
At verae legis cognitione caret.
MAttheus Gribaldus, to whom that runagate Galentinus Gentilis, flying out of Geneva, firſt betook himſelf, was a Lawyer of Patavia, as able in his profeſſion, as any in that School, one that lived well, and in good repute, t…ll he was drawn away by the ſly and ſubtil perſwaſion of Laelius Socinus, that broker for the Devil, who cunningly wrought the downfal of this man and many others. He was familiarly preſent with Francis Spira, in that deſperate conflict which he had by reaſon of his Apostacy, and ab…egation of the faith, contrary to his conſcience and his former pro…eſſion of the truth; He alſo wrote the Hiſtory of the ſame, the whole matter whereof in his preface he terms, (and that very truly) a great wonderfull example of Divine Juſtice upon the man, to the terrour and aſtoniſhment of all beholders; For he, together with Paulus Vergerius Biſhop …f Juſtinopolitanus, (who unleſſe he had ſeen Spira in that Agonie, had never come over to Baſil to us, as himſelf was wont often to ſay) did very often viſite Spira, and give him what comfort he could, at that time in a better cond…tion then himſelf, who having forſaken the faith, and abandoned his profeſſion, he betook himſelf ſecretly to his village in the Country, where he lay cloſe and obſcure for a time, at length he joyned himſelf a companion to theſe Italian hereticks, who took him off cleerly from the foundations of his Religion; So that by degrees, for, nemo repente fit turpiſſimus, he became as Arch an heretick as any in the company. No enemy like to bad company, it deſtroyes both our bodies and ſouls, it gives us immedicabile vulnus, ſuch a wound as will admit of no cure.
How many have lived ignominiouſly, and dyed miſerably, who have uſed their laſt breath, only to complain of this, as the witch that hath enchanted them to the commiting of thoſe evills which now they muſt ſmart for, and that for ever? Many a man had bin good, which is not, had he not fallen into ill company; This, this wrought ſuch an unhappy change in Gribaldus, that the ſad example of Spira, which before had made ſome impreſſion in him, was now quite gone, and that terrour, which it had wrought, was removed. Quantum mutatus ab illo, what can we think of him, when as Beza writing concerning him ſaith, that he had denyed with open and apparent perjurie that Religion, which in his conſcience he thought to contain the very truth? This made Calvin refuſe to take, or give a hand, when he met him, unleſſe they firſt might know each others minds, and what agreement was between them in the prime Article of the Chriſtian faith, that is, the ſacred Trinity, and the Deity of Jeſus Chriſt. But the difference proved ſo wide, that Calvin, and he were never at amity, many times at enmity, during his abode at Geneva. After this, we find that he returned to his profeſſion of the Law, but never to the profeſſion of the truth: And therefore tis not for nothing, that this ſaying came in uſe, to convince an heretick is next to a miracle, that is, ſo to convince him, as to bring him to acknowledge his errours, to be ſorry for them, and utterly to relinquiſh and forſake them. By the favour of Vergerius, (who either knew not, or winked at his errours, and hereſies) he was called to Tubinga, where he ſet up his profeſſion, practiſed the Law, and in a very eminent and publique auditory read Lectures thereof, for the inſtruction of others; but at length by the prudence of Hieronymus Gerh…dus, one of the privy councel to the Prince of Wertenberge, he was detected of hereſy, but ſecretly made an eſcape; being after this taken at Bernen, he was again enlarged by vertue of a counterfeit abnegation which he made: for he preſently turned to his old byaſſe again; ſo that being impriſoned, he was ſwept away by the peſtilence, and ſo ſaved the Hangman a labour, preventing the execution, which was prepared otherwiſe for him.