Satan at Noon, Animadversion 9
Animad. 9.
He offered to the Commiſſioners his proteſtation, which ſounds orthodox. and ſince hath publiſhed it in print to the view of the world, beginning thus, I John Pordage do ſolemnly avow and proteſt, &c. pag. 91.
Anſ.
It is confeſſed that his appeal to God and proteſtation are apt to beguile the plain hearted, therefore we deſire the reader to conſider theſe particulars enſuing.
1. Arrius, whoſe bowels guſhed out at his eaſment upon the ſtool, according as Conſtantine the pious Emperour had told him, that in caſe he did aforeign. &c. Epiph n. cont. Haer. lib. 2. Tom. 2. H…er. 69.diſſemble, God would find him out ſpeedily.
This Arrius brought in a paper into the Councell ofbSocr. Schol. Hiſt Eccleſ. lib. penult. Nice, in the form of ſound and wholſome words, but reſerved his own hereticall opinions, in another paper within his boſome, proteſting he believed all this, clapping his hand upon his breaſt, that he believed what there he had written. And becauſe we have firſt mentioned Arrius, it may not be altogether impertinent to ſhew how that wretch and this Dr were alike in their lives, we heartily wiſh in their death they may be divided; their likeneſſe is in theſe particulars.
Firſt, Arrius was a man pretending to gravity, cEpiph. con. Haer. lib. 2. Tom. 2. Haer. 69.holyneſſe, contempt of the world, ſo this man.
Secondly, Arrius went about with flattering ſpeeches, ſmooth ſmiling words and inſinuating entiſements of meekneſſe, ſo this Dr.
Thirdly, Arrius drew after him ſeven hundred profeſſing virginity, but here the Dr excells him though not in his number, yet in his notion, for he is familiar with the virgin eſſence, only here is the difference, Arrius ſeduced virgins, but did not diſswade them from marriage, this man diſswades the married from the marriage bed, and would ſeduce them to his virginity.
Fourthly, Arrius complained of perſecution by the Biſhops, and that for Chriſt, this complaint he made to Euſebius Biſhop of Nicomedia one too much of his own wretched way, and in favour with the Emperour, ſo this man complaines of perſecution by the poor, trampled miniſters, we bleſſe God that we have not much fear as to his protection, though he and his proſelytes, and his family do ſlanderouſly boaſt much among the country people.
Fifthly, Arrius complains much of the bitterneſſe of the magiſtrate, at leaſt by the inſtigation of the Biſhops for ejecting him, and his as wicked men, and monſtrous not fit to live; juſt ſo doth this Dr in his book pag. 102, 103, 104.
Sixthly, Arrius and his complices did abuſe the ear of Conſtantine, dSimulate & per …roniam paenitentiam egit. Epiph.and by deliberate forgeries did calumniate Athanaſius and the orthodoxe; ſo doth this man labour to ſerve the prieſts (as he termed them) in his book.
Seventhly, Arrius was a notorious diſſembler in his life, and died ſtinkingly (as Fox ſaith of Dr Gardner) at the …akes.
For the firſt of theſe we leave this Dr to the judgement of Chriſtians.
For the ſecond,Aug. de Haer. Haer. 88. we referre it into the hands of a moſt wiſe and gracious God.
Secondly Thus did Pelagius wretchedly d…ſſemble, he did ſeem to unlade his filthy ſtomach of his proud and wicked hereſie, by a ſolemn pulick renunciation, afterwards he returned with the Dog to his vomit, and the ſwine to the mire.
But ſecondly of later times, and there obſerve the hiſtory of Valentinus Gentilis, this wretch went further then this Dr, for he not only made a ſolemn and Orthodox confeſſion of his faith, but alſo a recantation of his hereſies, at laſt an abjuration under his own hand.
The Senate of Geneva hoped that his repentance was cordiall and ſincere.
He confeſſed that he offended in denying Chriſt to be God.
He profeſſed he did believe the Doctrine of the Trinity, and cryed out, Oh my conſcience is wounded for my inconſiderate anſwers to that excellent Divine and ſervant of God John Calvin, I make no queſtion but the ſearcher of all hearts hath forgiven me, and I beſeech you likewiſe to forgive me.
He walked bare-legged, bare-footed, and bare-headed through every ſtreet in the city, with a light in his hand, and a trumpet ſounded before him, he burnt all his hereticall doctrines with his own hand. Septemb. 4. 1558.
Aret. Hiſt. Val. Gent. 1.2.20.The Senate forgave him, only took his oath that he ſhould not depart the city without their leave, but he ſoon brake his oath, and fled away, the Governour of the Province of Gaium enquiring into, and finding out his wretched opinions committed him to priſon, but after a while releaſed him, but no ſooner was he delivered, but he publiſhed his blaſphemies in print, and abuſed the Governour dedicating his book to the Governour; and making men believe as though his book came forth with the Governours conſent, and authority; not long after he goes to Lyons, where he was fifty daies, and by complying with the*The Papiſts did tolerate a blaſphemer, becauſe an Anti-Calviniſt, and this Dr doth much pleaſe himſelf in his fooliſh hopes becauſe he is an Anti-preſbyterian. Papists againſt Calvin he was releaſed; after many journeyes and diſſemblings knowing that Calvin was dead, he came back to his old quarters to Gaium, where by a wonderfull providence the old zealous Governour whom he had abuſed, commanded in chief, though out of his turn, the Governour cryed Fiat quod juſtum eſt, and clapt him up in priſon, this was in the year 1556, eight years after the Senate of Geneva had diſmiſſed him, he appeals from the Governour of Gaium his enemy to the Senate of Berne, by them he is charged with Blaſphemy, Hereſy, Perjury, and for joining with Alciate and Bland…ate for the ſeduc…ng of precious ſouls, he renounced them both, a…d ſaid, that Alciate was turned a Turk, and Blandrate a Sabellian, the Senate picked out all his hereſies and blaſphemies new and old, wherein Valentine agreed with Arrius; Juſto Dei judicio caeſus blaſphem are ſimul & vivere deſiit. Aret.the Senate heard him from the fifth of August till the ninth of September, he remained stubborn, confident, and pertinacious, The Senate pronounced the ſentence of death upon him, which was executed accordingly, the judicious reader will quickly make the paralell; it was a fair warning given him by the Senate of Geneva, and their admonition was propheticall. viz. Filium Dei quem praedicamus in Diabolum transfiguras, Deum quem colimus vocas Deum Turcarum, mult aque ejus generis, ſed vide miſer, ne te praecipetaverit tuus furor, ut voces emitteres quae per jugulum redeant: Thou doſt transfigure the Son of God into a Divell, our God thou calleſt the God of the Turks, wretch beware leaſt thine own mouth cuts thine own throat.
Secondly, Many more might be produced, but we ſhall trouble the reader but only with theſe late obſervations.
Firſt, Mrs Hutchinſon of New-England defended her opinions with lies and equivocations, and pretended ſhe was ſtill of Mr Cottons judgement, ſhe profeſſed her repentance, but still kept her wicked opinions, at laſt through Mr Cottons and Mr Davenports means, ſhe confeſſed before the congregation her hereſies, that ſhe was deſerted of God, deluded by the Divell in her revelations, deſired the congregation to pray for her yet afterwards ſhe was found to be a lyer, giving no ſatisfaction in her anſwers, but by lying circum locutions denied all.
Secondly A learned man & a profeſſour of religion in Cambridge denied propitiation for ſins by the death of Chriſt made the Lord Chriſt to be but a figure, and a type, and being oppoſed by one now a godly minister, he took him by the hand, and made this anſwer, if you ſpeak of it to any body, I will deny it every word.
Thirdly, That when Mr Erbury for ſome of his blaſphemies againſt the glorious Divinity and bloud of Jeſus Chriſt was before the Committee for plundred Miniſters, at Weſtminſter, he began to make a ſolemn profeſſion of his faith in Orthodox language, to the admiration of ſome there that had heard, and were ready to witneſſe againſt him, the ſaid blaſphemies.
But the then Chair-man took him ſhort off from his proteſtation, and commanded him ſilence, ſaying, we know your tricks well enough.
Atque adeo hic eſt unus ex praecipuis capitibus Theologiae ipſorum, ſaid†Adver. lib. cap. 5. pag. 5…3. Calvin of the Libertines, this is one of the maſter pieces of their divinity, that they have the art of diſſembling, and transforming themſelves into any ſhape, quo facilius hominibus imponant, and again,*Idem, ibid. cap. 8. p. 519. Hinc fit ut ſi hodie Quintinus &c. If Quintinus were here to day, a priſoner for his blaſphemy, either before Chriſtians or Papiſts, it would not trouble him at all, for he is certain of his freedome, becauſe he could aſſent to either of them, and yet for all that never deny his faith and doctrine, neque tamen propterea doctrinam ſuam abnegaret.
Obj. But what is all this to the Dr, either his principles or practiſe?
Anſ. We conceive that to the ingenuous reader the ſameneſſe of doctrine with Blaſphemers, is a ſufficient argument for the ſameneſſe of principles and practiſes with them alſo; the Devil being the ſame, ſc. the father of all ſort of lies from the beginning, to this day.*Irenaeus ad. Haer. lib. 2. c. 34. We know the ſaltneſſe of the ſea by the taſte of one drop, we need not drink up the whole. But more diſtinctly, and firſt, as to theſe deſtructive principles.
1. This hath been the drift of the Drs diſcourſe oftentimes at Mr Blagraves, to affirm, that a man may ſay or unſay unto the world.
2. The Dr hath ſaid, he was called of God, and if he did over-reach, it ſhould not be laid to his charge, for he was called of God.
3. The Dr hath ſaid, that we may do any thing with the world, or we can do well enough with the men of the world.
Theſe teſtimonies are the more conſiderable, becauſe of the advantages theſe perſons had that tell them, whereby through providence they came to know, and through conſcience (as we hope) do reveal theſe wretched tenets of darkneſſe.
Now, as to his practiſe, we entreat the reader to obſerve,
1. That his anſwer given in to the articles faithfully and incorruptly printed, and publiſhed in this relation are moſt of them deviſed forgeries, and ſtudied untruths.
But ſecondly, This very man made a ſolemn proteſtation, and profeſſion of his faith, when he was in his firſt troubles, and ſince that time, he hath vented many of theſe very horrid things proved againſt him in this relation, againſt our Lord Jeſus, we ſay even ſince that time ſome years.
Now ſeeing he hath ſo manifeſtly violated his firſt proteſtation, and we ſee it proves falſe, we leave it to the conſeientious to conſider whether this printed proteſtation may paſſe for true, or no, only tell him*Luth. tom. 4. p, 180. Luthers thoughts, Fanatici norunt verbis, geſtibus, ſcriptis ſimulare, diſſimulare omnia.
But yet a little further, put the caſe his proteſtation be true, what is that to the Commiſſioners? are they directed to proceed according to the proteſtation of the accuſed, or according to the allegations and depoſitions of the witneſſes? Obj. Two ſober men who were at the firſt ſitting of the Commiſſioners believed him, for they never appeared afterwards.
Anſ. True, but thoſe many left behind were ſober, and ſound too, and that both in point of ſcience and conſcience. Again, who thoſe two were, the Dr names not, neither will we, but deſiring to ſtudy and practiſe that text 1 Gal. 10. (we would not be ambitious of any mans praiſe, nor ſollicitous for any mans cenſure.) We wiſh that thoſe gentlemen, and all Commiſſioners to whom theſe preſents ſhall come, ſadly to conſider, that text which God did ſhoot as an arrow into the heart of poor Spira, the head whereof did ſtick to his dying day, viz. *Luke 9.26. In hunc textum defixis oculis ſemper intue…i convenit, non eſt quod callida diſſimulatione hic ſibi quiſquam placeat pietatem ſe fovere in corde fingens, qu…m externis teſtificationibus prorſus evertit.Whoſoever ſhall be aſhamed of me and of my words, of him ſhall the Sonne of man be aſhamed when he ſhall come in his own glory, and in his Fathers, and of the holy angels.
Obj. This man hath ſome followers, and like enough to have more, ſure they believe him.
Anſ. Hereſy and luſt quickly find entertainment with our naturall hearts, which muſt be wrought upon ſupernaturally, before truth, which is ſupernaturall and they, can meet together in love. So ſome did follow Quintinus, and other Fanaticks, and Calvin gives theſe two reaſons in his dayes, which we evidently diſcern to be the ſame in ours, viz. Satanicall pride, and beaſtly filthineſſe.
*Calv. Ep. 1. pag. 44.1. Nonnulli ſtultae curioſitati adeo ſunt addicti, ſome ſo much addicted to fooliſh curioſity, applied their minds to ſuperfluous queſtions, who not content with the ſimplicity of the ſcriptures, did volitare velut in aere, in frivolous ſpeculations, that they might vaunt themſelves of high things, ſe ſublimiores eſſe, & ſublimiora perſequi, that they were more high then others, and did follow more ſublime ſtrains.
The ſecond this, Some that began to be ſeaſoned with goſpel purity, were weary of it, and did relinquiſh it, to lead a luſtfull filthy life, ut effroenem ſibi ſumerent licentiam, & vitam ducerent flagitioſam, and ſo it is now, that they might take an unbridled licence to themſelves, and lead (at leaſt in ſecret) a flagitious filthy life.
Before we conclude, we would fain have the Countrey reader underſtand this one thing, that the Swincfieldians, Henry Nicholas, the Familiſts in New England, and the new Quakers do hold that the ſcriptures are carnall, the Bible fleſhly, element…ſh the word of God is to be rejected as a dead killing letter. Some ſcores of places might be cited out of their writings in theſe words, and to this purpoſe: from hence this follows, that a man is not bound to the outward command, no man is bound to ſuffer for religion, a man may bow to an idol, go to Maſſe, any thing, ſo they reaſon and conclude.
And by the ſame reaſon, a man may ſay, and unſay, ſwear, and forſwear, proteſt, and never mean, lie, kill, ſteal, commit adultery, if he have an impulſe, or if it be his light; let the countreyman hear what Mrs Hutchinſon ſaid in open Court, that we are not bound to the law, and it is no tranſgreſſion againſt the law to commit ſin; and let him conſider what an Enthufiaſt did, the Hiſtory is this,
Thomas Schucker, a diſciple of Rinckius the grand Anaebaptiſt, in the midſt of a great throng, pretending a rapture and revelation from heaven, commanded his brother Leonard Schucker to kneel down, being demanded by his father and mother, and many others, what he meant, anſwered, he would do nothing but what was revealed to him from heaven, all the people being attent, the prophet with aeThis was at Sengall, a Town in Helvetia, in the year 1527. Spanhemius. drawn ſword, cuts off his brothers head at a blow; being apprehended by the Magiſtrate, and condemned to die, he did nothing relent, but profeſſed upon the ſcaffold, that this was the will of God, and it was revealed to him from heaven.
Obj. But what is this to Dr Pordage, he hath viſions, and doth converſe with God.
Anſ. This Dr did write a letter to a perſon of honour and piety, complaining againſt Everard, that he was a witch, a ſorcerer, and the moſt dangerous man in England, intreating his aſſiſtance to apprehend him, and within five dayes after to two perſons of note, denied every word, ſaying he was no ſuch man, denied it earneſtly, and often, nay ſaid that Everard (of whom you have heard ſomething in theſe papers, pag. 56.) was an honeſt, godly man, after many denialls, being told by them, that they admired at him, for they lately ſaw the clean contrary under his own hand in a letter to Col. Evelyn, Governour of Wallingford, This Dr was ſurpriſed and ſtartled at it, being not able to deny it, but ſaid, he was now of another mind, Col. Evelyn meeting the Dr, told him what a lewd practiſe this was, to affirm and deny at pleaſure, not to be endured amongſt men, as men, for by this means he might practiſe any wickedneſſe. He anſwered, that he was in a diſtemper when he wrote, that he was of one mind then, and another now, and that no man ought to perſecute another for his *Witchcraft and ſorcery muſt have liberty of conſcience.conſcience, thus adding one lie to another.
Obſerve, whither will men run when once they come to fall off from the Deity and bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, whither will they go? deceive, affirm, deny, &c.
Of what high concernment is it to us for the preſent, and for eternity, to uſe all ſpirituall means, to get and increaſe in the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt, that knowledge with feeling, Phil. 1.9. that ſavour of the knowledge of the goſpel, that knowing of the truth as it is in Jeſus, that ſpirit of wiſdome and revelation, to open the eyes of our underſtanding, that we may know the unſearchable riches of Chriſt, to know with all our hearts; this knowledge being the ſpring and ſource of all evangelicall, true, and laſting holineſſe; eſpecially it concerns us in this houre of temptation that is come upon the land. Thoſe called Quakers are both Antiſcripturists, ſaying the Bible was good for thoſe times, but now they are out of date, and alſo Antichriſtians, let no man deceive himſelf by their pretended mortification, they do deny redemption from guilt and hell, by the bloud of the Lord Chriſt, without us, and ſo at one blow overthrow all religion, and holineſſe.
If we had a voice as loud as the voice of the Archangel, (as one of the*Chryſoſt. upon Pſal. 4. v. 2. O mortall men how long will ye love vanity? Ancients ſaid upon another text) and all the nations for our audience, there could not, there cannot be a more preſerving, ſeaſonable, ſanctifying text, then that of 1 Cor. 2.2. I deſire to know nothing but Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified. It was the wiſh of godly Mr Hilderſham upon that ſcripture, and we make it ours, would to God that all the People in England were of S. Pauls mind.