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قراءة كتاب The Protestants Plea for a Socinian Justifying His Doctrine from Being Opposite to Scripture or Church Authority; and Him from Being Guilty of Heresie, or Schism
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The Protestants Plea for a Socinian Justifying His Doctrine from Being Opposite to Scripture or Church Authority; and Him from Being Guilty of Heresie, or Schism
THE
Protestants Plea
FOR A
SOCINIAN:
SCRIPTURE
OR
CHURCH-AUTHORITY;
And Him from being Guilty of
HERESIE, or SCHISM.
In Five Conferences.
Publish'd with Allowance.
LONDON,
Printed by Henry Hills, Printer to the King's Most
Excellent Majesty for His Houshold and Chappel. 1686.
THE
First Conference.
The Socinian's Protestant-Plea for his not holding any thing contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
- That he believes all contained in the Scriptures to be God's Word; and therefore implicitly believes those truths, against which he errs. §. 2.
- That also he useth his best endeavor to find the true sense of Scriptures: and, that more is not required of him from God for his Faith or Salvation, than doing his best endeavour for attaining it. §. 3.
- That, as for an explicite Faith required of some points necessary, he is sufficiently assured, that this point concerning the Son's Consubstantiality with the Father, as to the affirmative, is not so from the Protestant's affirming all necessaries to be clear in Scripture, even to the unlearned; which this, in the affirmative, is not to him. §. 4.
- That several express, and plain Scriptures do perswade him, that the negative (if either) is necessary to be believed; and that from the clearness of Scriptures, he hath as much certainty in this point, as Protestants can have from them in some other, held against the common expressions of the former times of the Church. §. 6, 8.
- That, for the right understanding of Scriptures, either he may be certain of a just industry used; or else, that Protestants, in asserting that the Scriptures are plain only to the industrious; and then, that none are certain, when they have used a just industry, thus must still remain also uncertain in their Faith; as not knowing, whether some defect in this their industry causeth them not to mistake the Scriptures.
- Lastly; That none have used more diligence in the search of Scripture, than the Socinians, as appears by their Writings, addicting themselves wholly to this Word of God, and not suffering themselves to be any way bypass'd by any other humane, either modern, or ancient Authority. §. 9.
| { | Where, The Protestant's, and Socinian's pretended | |
| { | Certainty of the sense of Scripture apprehended by them, | |
| Digress. | { | and made the ground of their Faith against the sense of |
| { | the same Scripture declared by the major part of the | |
| { | Church is examined. §. 9. |
§. 1.
TO shew the invalidity of such a Guide as Protestants have framed to themselves for preserving the true Faith, and suppressing Heresies, hath for several years been the Subject of divers Modern Pens: But, because Instances and Examples, seem to some, more weighty and convincing, it is thought fit (the more to awaken, and the better to satisfie him) here to let the Reader see what Apology a Socinian (who tho' denying the Trinity, and our Saviors Deity, yet, most zealously urges Scripture, and its plainness in all necessaries, as if it justified his own Errors; or that he Erred only in matters not necessary) upon the Protestant Principles may return for himself to a Protestant endeavouring to reduce him to the true Faith and the Nicene Creed; and using any of these five Motives thereto, viz. The Testimony of 1. Scripture. 2. Catholic-Church-Authority. 3. Councils, with the Danger and Guilt of 4. Heresie, and 5. Schism. Not intending hereby to equal all Protestant Opinions with the Socinian; but inferring that these Pleas as relating to these Motives will as rationally justifie the Socinian as the Protestant.
For, suppose a Protestant, first, concerning the Scriptures, question a Socinian in this manner.
Prot. Why do you, to the great danger of your soul, and salvation, not believe, God the Son to be of one, and the same essence, and substance with God the Father, it being so principal an Article of the Christian Faith, delivered in the Holy Scriptures?
Soc. To give you a satisfactory account of this matter. I do believe, with other Christians, that the Scriptures are the Word of God; and, with other Protestants, that they are a perfect Rule of my faith.
§. 2.
Prot. But, this secures you not, unless you believe according to this Rule; which in this point, you do not.
Soc. However I believe in this point; truly, or falsly; I am secure that my Faith is entire, as to all necessary points of Faith.
Prot. How so?
Soc. Because, as M. Chillingworth saith[1]—He that believes all that is in the Bible, all that is in the Scriptures (as I do) believes all that is necessary there.
Prot. This must needs be true: but mean while, if there be either some part of Scripture not known at all by you; or the true sense of some part of that you know (for, the Scripture, as that Author notes[2], is not so much the words, as the sense) be mistaken by you, how can you say, you believe all the Scriptures? For, when you say, you believe all the Scripture, you mean only this: that you believe, that, whatsoever is the true sense thereof, that is God's Word; and most certainly true: which belief of yours doth very well consist with your not believing, or also your believing the contrary to the true sense thereof: and then you, not believing the true sense of some part of it at least, may also not believe the true sense of something necessary there; which is quite contrary to your conclusion here.