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

by R. H.

§. 21.

Prot. But you may easily mistake that for evident Scripture, and those for Demonstrations, that are not. Concerning which you know what the Archbishop and Mr. Hooker say[52]——That they are such, as proposed to any man, and understood, the mind cannot chuse but inwardly assent to them[53]. You ought therefore first to propose these to your Superiors, or to the Church, desiring a redress of such Error by her calling another Council. And, if these Superiors, acquainted therewith, dislike your Demonstrations, which the Definition saith, if they be right ones, they must be by all, and therefore by them, assented to, methinks, (though this is not said by the Archbishop) in humility you ought also to suspect these Demonstrations, and remain in silence at least, and no further trouble the Church.

Soc. May therefore no particular Person, or Church, proceed to a Reformation of a former Doctrine, if these Superiors, first complained to, declare the Grounds of such Persons or Churches for it, not sufficient?

Prot. I must not say so. But if they neglect (as they may) to consider their just Reasons so diligently as they ought, and to call a Council for the Correcting of such Error according to the weight of these Reasons, then here is place for Inferiors to proceed to a reformation of such Error without them.

Soc. And who then shall judge, whether the Reasons pretended are defective, or rather the present Church negligent in considering them?

Prot. Here, I confess, to make the Superiors Judges of this, is to cast the Plaintiff before that any Council shall hear his Grievance, these Superiors, whose Faith appears to adhere to the former Council, being only Judges in their own Cause; and so the liberty of complaining will come to nothing[54].

Soc. The Inferiors then, that complain, I suppose are to judge of this. To proceed then. To these Superiors, in many diligent Writings, we have proposed, as we think, many unanswerable Scriptures, and Reasons much advanced beyond those represented by our Party to the former Nicene Council (and therefore from which Evidences of ours we have just cause to hope from a future Council a contrary Sentence); and finding no redress by their calling another Council for a reviewing this Point, we cannot but conceive it as lawful for a Socinian Church, Pastor, or Bishop, to reform for themselves, and the Souls committed to them, in an Error appearing to them manifest and intolerable, as for the Protestants, or for Dr. Luther, to have done the same for Transubstantiation, Sacrifice of the Mass, and other Points that have been concluded, against the Truth, by several former Councils.

Prot. But such were not lawful General Councils, as that of Nice was.

Soc. Whatever these Councils were, this much matters not, as to a reformation from them; for, had they been lawfully General, yet Protestants hold[55], these not universally accepted may err even in Fundamentals; or, when so accepted, yet may err in Non-fundamentals; Errors manifest, and intolerable, and so may be appealed from to future; and those not called, their Error presently rectified by such Parts of Christianity as discern it; and also S. Austin[56] is frequently quoted by them, saying——That past General Councils erring, may be corrected by other Councils following.

[§. 22.]

Prot. But I pray you consider, if that famous Council of Nice hath so erred, another Council called, may it also not err, notwithstanding your Evidences proposed to it? For, though perhaps some new demonstrative Proofs you may pretend from several Texts more accurately compared and explained; yet you will not deny this sufficient Evidence to have been extant for that most Learned Council to have seen the Truth, having then the same entire Rule of Faith as you now, the Scriptures, (in which, you say, your clearest Evidences lie) for their direction. When a Future Council (then) is assembled, and hath heard your Plea, will you assent to it, and acquiesce in the Judgment thereof?

Soc. Yes, interposing the Protestant-Conditions of Assent, If its Decree be according to God's Word, and we convinced thereof.

Prot. Why, such a submission of Judgment and Assent I suppose you will presently yield to me in any thing, whereof you are convinced by me; may this future Council then challenge no further Duty from you? why then should the Church be troubled to call it?

Soc. [57]Though this Future Council also should err, yet it may afford Remedy against Inconveniences; and one great Inconvenience being, Breaking the Church's Peace; this is remedied by its Authority, if I only yield the Obedience of Silence thereto.

Prot. But if your Obedience oblige not to silence concerning Councils past, because of your new Evidences, neither will it to a future, if you think it also doth err; and either these Evidences remain still unsatisfied, or these satisfied, yet some other new ones appear to call for a new Consideration.

Soc. [58]Because it may also err, it follows not it must err; and it is probable that it shall not err, when the former Error is thus discovered, and if the Council proceed lawfully, be not overawed, &c.[59] But however, if I ought upon this review to be restrained to silence, yet, I not convinced of the truth of its Decree, this Silence is the uttermost that any future Council, after its rejecting my Reasons, can justly exact of me; and not belief, or assent, at all: It may not oblige me, that I should relinquish that you call Socinianism at all, but that, not divulge it; whereas now by the Acts of former Councils (I would gladly know upon what rational ground) an Anathema is pronounced against me, if I do not believe the contrary, and I am declared to stand guilty of Heresie meerly for retaining this Opinion; which retaining it is called obstinacy and contumacy in me, after the Councils contrary Definition.