Anti-Socinianism, Part 13
Franciſcus Davidis Superintendens.
Audet Franciſcus ſuperis indicere bellum:
De ſummâ Christum trudere ſede ſuâ.
THE next fire-brand of ſedition and broacher of this blaſphemous Doctrine, which the Devil caſt into the Church of God by which it was enflamed, and which he ſet on work, by which it was moleſted, is this Francis Davidis Superintendent, one as it were, fitted, on all hands to do miſchief, but to do good he had little knowledge, and leſſe will. He was Authour with Blandrata of that helliſh confutation, which was written againſt George Major, fraught full of blaſphemy againſt the ſacred Trinity: For although he agreed with them of the Socinian party, in oppoſing the Trinity of the perſons in the Unity of the eſſence, as the Orthodox profeſſe, and the Deity of Jeſus Christ; Yet he diſsented from them, and went beyond them, in his opinion concerning the invocation of Chriſt: Eſt illud mirabile (ſaith Athanaſius) cum omnes haereſes invicem pugnent, in falſitate omnes conſentire — It is greatly to be wondered at, that notwithſtanding all hereſies jar among themſelves, yet they agree well enough on oppoſition of the truth. He was with them in all the reſt, he out-went them in this, affirming, that Chriſt ought not to be worſhipped, becauſe he was not God, not true God of the ſame eſſence with his Father. Hence much contention, and divers hot diſputations aroſe among them; in which they ſeem at once both bountiful and injurious to the Lord Jeſus, willing to inveſt him with the title foreign, but d ſr…be him of that glorious, and his own foreign, granting him a like eſſence with the Father, but not the ſame, equal to him in power, but not eternity. By way of digreſſion a little, for ſatisfaction to others, and confutation of this audacious Arian, who dares thus undervalue the Lord of Glory, might we have leave to ſtrip one heretick to clothe another, & put on this, what Tertullian did on Marcion, we ſhould quickly and quietly diſcover the truth. Quid dimidi…s mendacio Chriſtū? Why doeſt thou thus peece-meal a Deity, and half God (as it wer…) the Son of the Almigh…y? Totus veritas, he is the Spirit of truth, and Oracle o… his Father, the brightneſs of his glory, in whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge, by whom God made the World: So the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 1. ſtiles Chriſt, the power and wiſdome of God: If the Son of God, be the power and wiſdome of God, and that God was never without power and wiſdome, how can wee ſcant the Son of a co-eternity with the Father? For either we muſt grant, that there was alwayes a Son, or that God had ſomtimes no wiſdome, which this Socinian, in the height of his madneſs will be loath to affirm. Ego & pater unum ſumus, ſaith Chriſt, Joh. 10. I and the Father are one; u…um, to ſhew he was the ſame thing, in reſpect of eſsence, and to manifeſt a conſent both in power and eternity. I often find that thoſe of the ſhallowest capacities, are ever moſt prone to dive into the deepest myſteries; but I know not the reaſon, unleſſe to verifie the Proverb, There's none ſo bold as blind Bayard. In ſacred matters, the moſt nimble Criticiſms are as obnoxious to deſperateneſs, as danger to be curious here, is to be quaintly mad, and thus to thruſt (as theſe poor ſneaks preſume) into the bed Chamber of the Almighty is a frantick ſawcineſs; who can unlock thoſe coffers of omnipotency, but he that breaks in peeces the gates of braſs, and cuts in ſunder the bars of Iron? Who thoſe Cabinets of abſtruf…r knowledge, but he, that gives thee the treaſure of darkneſs, and hidden riches of ſecret places? How can our low built apprehenſi…ns but flagg, in the expreſſion of thoſe hidden myſteries, which have tranſported Prophets and Apoſtles with wonderful admiration? yet ſome wil venture to untwiſt them, though to their own wrong, and the confuſion both of them…elves and others: So this Davidis, never diſpu…ing, but about ſuch queſtions as were …ar better to be let al…ne, then to trouble and ſtagger many thouſands, by the ſtarting of them: He diſputed much concerning this matter with Socinus, who had alwayes a party of that company with whom he was, ready to counter-porſe him, and thoſe that ſtood on his ſide, of whom was Simo… Budnaeus, Chriſtianus Francken, and divers others; There is extant an Epiſtle of Socinus to him, wherein he anſwers him to thoſe arguments, by which he endeavoured to prove from that place of John 20.28. where Thomas cryes out, my Lord and my God, that Chriſt was not there called God: but he had better have taken a Wolf by the ears: Beſides a fragment, of a more ſmooth and placide ſtile, being an anſwer to the writing of Franciſcus Davidis concerning praying to, or calling upon Chriſt in our needs and neceſſities, remaineth among the works of Socinus, where alſo are ſome of his nice and needleſſe queſtions, with the others anſwers thereunto. He publiſhed divers Theſes, by which may be eaſily diſcovered what a dangerous and deſperate heretick he was; we find them in order thus.
1. That invocation, being a part of Divine worſhip, is not any where found in Scripture to be attributed unto Chriſt.
2. That if Chriſt at any time confer Grace and Peace, it is ſo to be underſtood, as that he ſhews the way and means to attain them, and not that he truly and effectually confers them on us.
3. That if we read in Scripture of any power aſcribed unto Chriſt, it is no otherwiſe to be underſtood, then of that power which he ſhall aſſume hereafter, when he ſhall be conſtituted Judge both of the quick and dead, and is not to be interpreted of, or applyed to any preſent power, which he exerciſeth, or doth execute.
4. That Chriſt when he was on earth, was careful of his Church; but being departed hence, he hath committed and commended that care to the Father, who ſhall exerciſe the ſame till the appointed time.
5. That whereſoever we find any thing in Scripture concerning the Goverment of Chriſt, and the care which he taketh of the Church, it is either to be referred to the power of the miniſtry; or is to relat to the time to come
6. That it is contrary to the truth of the Holy Scriptures, that Chriſt can hear our prayers, and knows our works.
7. That when the word Saviour is appropriated to Chriſt, it ſignifies, that he ſhews us the way, which leadeth to ſalvation, and doth truly and carefully inſtruct us therein.
8. That if we worſhip God in Chriſt, we may as well worſhip the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, and ſo all Idolaters are hereby excuſed, who pretend they worſhip God in their images.
9. That that is a truth which is in the Turkiſh Alcaron concerning Chriſt, that he is not able to help and ſuccour thoſe, who beſtow Divine worſhip on him; with ſuch others.
Horreſco referens! What a ſtrange Goſpel is here? What monſtrous poſitions are theſe? What Devil could more b…aſpheme the Lord of life and glory, God bleſſed for ever, Amen; then this wretched caitiff hath done? Who…e ears do not tingle, and whoſe hayr not ſtand an end, to he…r theſe horrid and execrable blaſphemies? But opinion once ſeeded in errour, ſhoots out into hereſies, and after ſome growth of time, into blaſphemy: So that men once entred, are ſtill going on a malo ad peju…, …rom bad to wor…e, till ſudden deſtruction ſeize upon them, and ſtop their courſe.
Theſe hell-hatcht Doctrines, were oppoſed by Socinus himſelf, but he that hath but half an eye, may diſcerne, that he had a mind to let the matter coole in his hands: For there is neither that ſolidity nor integrity manifeſted in it, which was fitting and requiſite for ſo great and weigh…y a buſineſs. And indeed how could i… be otherwiſe? Could any imagine that he could with a good ſtomack confute tho…e opinions …n another, w…ich he was known to juſtify in himſelfe? For though they ſeemed to be different in ſome, yet were they linked laſt t…gether in many of the ſame opinions, e…pecially concerning the perſon of Chriſt, which did much weaken, if not quite overthrow the true and proper ground of giving Divine adoration to him. If Chriſt be inferiour to his Father, as …ocinus …eld; It is ranck idolatry to give him the ſame worſhip, which we give to the Father, as Davidis held. I cannot better compare them then to Sampſons foxes, whoſe heads may be different, but I am ſure their tailes meet, and with thoſe firebrands, which are between them, do ſet the whole Church of God in an open combustion. Is this the way think you to convert the Jews to Christianiſme? Is it not rather a ſurer courſe to harden them in their old and unprofitable Religion, and to pervert ſuch as profeſſe the Christian Religion to Judaiſme, and to bring all to confuſion? yet for all this our Socinian is in his pomp, and flouriſheth like a green bay tree, but look for him anon, and his place ſhall not be found; For like the proud man in the Pſalmes, he stands in ſlippery places, and with him is ſuddenly deſtroyed, periſhed, and brought to an unexpected and fearful end.
The ſore-mentioned poſitions being queſtioned and examined, the matter debated, and the obſtinacy of this wicked wretch obſerved, he was by the moſt Illuſtrious & Renowned Prince of Tranſylvania Christophorus Bathoraeus, caſt into priſon, where by the juſt judgment of God, he who was mad for ſo many years before publiſhed, maintained and defended againſt, even all reaſon and Religion, ſuch heady and hayr-braind poſitions, fell into a phrenzy, and there and there n…, miſerably finiſhed the courſe of this mortal life. Anno 1580. Raemundus reporteth of him, that being in priſon, diſtracted of his wits, the Devils in horrid, and dreadful ſhapes appeared to him; at the ſight of which, be cryed out to ſome that were there, loe, ſaith he, theſe are they which wait upon me, as companions of my journey.
If God will not ſuffer his own Children, ſinning againſt him, to go unpuniſhed, was it likely that ſuch a deſperate blaſphemous wretch as this ſhould eſcape? Gods judgments are for the moſt part ſlow, but they are ſure; and his hand, when it ſtrikes, will give a blow to the purpoſe. He was a man altogether unlearned, obſtinate, fooliſh, and beſotted by the Devil in his impious and blaſphemous opinions; ſo that he neither cared for God, nor man, nor himſelf; but wholly bent his purpoſe, and made it his utmoſt endeavour to overthrow, and exterminate all true and ſincere Religion, and to ſet up in the room thereof, that which he vainly called his own, which was either none at all, or a Deviliſh one, as may be gathered out of his poſitions of which while he lived he ſo much boaſted, that among many, that had any underſtanding, he was and that juſtly, made ridiculous; But there are ſome that will down with any thing, be it never ſo groſſe, heynous or diabolical; Otherwiſe, it could not be expected, that his damnable poſitions ſhould have paſſed for new, and undoubted Truths.