Anti-Socinianism, Part 11
Paulus Alciatus Miles Mediolanenſis.
Alciatus miles Blandratae fidus Achates,
Eccleſiam contra militat ante malâ.
PAulus Alciatus of Mediolanum a City in Milla… a Souldier, and an intimate friend and Comp…nion of B…adrata's, marketh up next, to fire agai…ſt the truth; But Q…is militis uſus? no need of Souldiers here. I ſhall ever ſuſpect that Religion, which needs the hands of Souldiers to ſupport it, and is cemented with bloud. In the building of the Temple at Jeruſalem, no Axe, no hammer, nor any too… of iron (while it was in building) was heard in it; and why ſwords n…w? Did this Souldier think to make his Religion the more paſſable, by cutting a way for it with his Sword? or to worst the truth with his weapon? The Sword may force Nature, and deſtroy the Body, b…t canno… work upon the mind ſo, as o perſwa…e it to believe that good, which is ill begun; It ſuits well w th Turks and Pagans; and may do as well (for ought we ſee) with the …ocinians. Yet hear what Lucan …aith, concerning ſuch; certainly either they muſt be very bad, or el…e he was much out of cha…i…y with them.
Nulla ſides, Pietaſ que viris, qui caſtra ſequuntur,
Venaleſ que manus: ibi fas, ubi maxima mer…es.
Nor faith, nor conſcience common Souldiers carry;
Beſt pay, be… cauſe: their hands are Mercenary.
And ſuch an one, neither better, nor worſe, was this Alicatus, while he followed the camp: but forſaking that kind of life, he did aſſociate himſelf with theſe profeſſed enemies of the truth; whereby he wrought much miſchief among the Profeſſours of the ſame. He was a ſpecial means of calling over Valentinus Gentilis into Poland, to trouble and moleſt the Churches there with their execrable and abominable Doctrines, contrary to the truth conteined in the Scriptures, and delivered to us by the Prophets and Apoſtles, and therefore hath juſtly merited that curſe, which afterwards he was an inheritour of, and is denounced by St. Paul, whoſoever teacheth any other Goſpel, then what ye ha…e received, let him be accurſed. Calvin makes mention of him in an Epiſtle, which he wrote concerning Blandrata, but tis for no good you may be ſure; For he reported of us, that we worſhipped three Devils, (did we ever think that impudency or madneſs would have attained to ſuch an height of blaſphemy, as to belch forth ſuch horrid expreſſions?) becauſe we worſhip one God in three perſons: yea, ſaith he, they a…e worſe then all the Idolls of the Church of R…me. O horrible impiety! O damnable blaſphemy! Sure the gallows muſt needs groan for ſuch a wicked wretch as this. But Laeſa patientia fit furor. Delayed vengeance is ſevere in the execution. And God takes a courſe with him, whereby he exceedingly mani…eſts his indignation towards him, gives h…m up to hardneſs of heart, and ſearedneſs o… conſcience, the greateſt judgment, on this ſide …ell. So that being led away with ſtrong deluſions, he did believe one o… the groſſeſt lies in the World, namely, th t the Turkiſh Alcaron was th… very, that only rule, which God had laid before us, according to which he would be worſhipped, and ſerved by us. And therefore turned Turk, was circumciſed, thereby denying the Lord that bought him, and ſo brought upon himſelf ſwift deſtruction; For having lived for ſome time among them, and after their manner, he dyed moſt wretchedly, and deſperately, his very name being more vile and ſtinking in the noſtrils of God, & al good men, then his corrupt and rotten carcaſſe. We may here ſee the iſſue of a mans deſerting his calling; be the intent never ſo good, it will little availe us; for it is the Cannon of the Apostle, let every man abide in the ſame calling wherein he was called. It is no thinking that the wiſe and Holy God will be pleaſed with a well meant confuſion; for tis not our abilities, be they never ſo great, but our vocation, that muſt bear us out in our undertaking.