From thence \\hence in the thoughts of some I am most likely to suffer, as to my own resolves, I am most secure. It is in meddling with Grotius' Annotations, and calling into question what hath been delivered by such a giant in all kinds of literature. Since my engagement in this business, and when I had well-nigh finished the vindication of the texts of Scripture commonly pleaded for the demon- stration of the deity of Christ from the exceptions put in to their testimonies by the Racovian Catechism, I had the sight of Dr Hammond's apology for him, in his vindication of his dissertations about episcopacy from my occasional animad- versions, published in the preface of my book of the Perseverance of the Saints. Of that whole treatise I shall elsewhere give an account. My defensative, as to my dealing with Grotius' Annotations, is suited to what the doctor pleads in his behalf, which occasions this mention thereof: —
" This very pious, learned, judicious man," he tells us, " hath fallen under some harsh censures of late, especially upon the account of Socinianism and Popery." That is, not as though he would reconcile these extremes, but being in doctrinals a Socinian, he yet closed in many things with the Roman interest; as I no way doubt but thousands of the same persuasion with the Socinians as to the person and offices of Christ do live in the outward communion of that church (as they call it) to this day; of which supposal I am not without considerable grounds and eminent instances for its confirmation. This, 1 say, is their charge upon him. For his being a Socinian, he tells us, " Three things are made use of to beget a jealousy in the minds of men of his inclinations that way : — 1. Some parcels of a letter of his to Crellius; 2. Some relations of what passed from him at his death; 3. Some passages in his Annotations." It is this last alone wherein I am concerned; and Avhat I have to speak to them, I desire may be measured and weighed by what I do premise. It is not that I do entertain in myself any hard thoughts, or that I would beget in others any evil surmises, of the eternal condi- tion of that man that I speak what I do. What am I that I should judge another man's servant? He is fallen to his own master. I am very slow to judge of men's acceptation with God by the apprehension of their understandings. This only I know, that be men of what religion soever that is professed in the world, if they are drunkards, proud, boasters, etc., hypocrites, haters of good men, persecutors and revilers of them, yea, if they be not regenerate and born of God, united to the head, Christ Jesus, by the same Spirit that is in him, they shall never see God.
But for the passages in his Annotations, the substance of the doctor's plea is, " That the passages intimated are in his posthuma ; that he intended not to publish them ; that they might be of things he observed, but thought farther to consider;" and an instance is given in that of Col. i. IG, which he interprets contrary to what he urged it for, John i. 1-3. But granting what is affirmed as to matter of fact about his Collections (though the preface to the last part of his Annotations will not allow it to be true'), I must needs abide in my dissatisfaction as to these Anno- tations, and of my resolves in these thoughts give the doctor this account. Of the Socinian religion there ai-e two main parts ; the first is Photinianism, the latter Pelagianism, — the first concerning the person, the other the gi~ace of Christ. Let us take an eminent instance out of either of these heads: out of the first, their deny- ing Christ to be God by nature; out of the latter, their denial of his satisfaction.
1 " Jam vero sciendum est, multo quidem citius, quam nunc demum temporis earn resumi, absol- vique potuisse, et quo minus id jampridem factum sit, per eum non st<'tisse viium, cujiis fideli curse opus integrum ab authore ipso primum creditum fuit et sadulo eommenJatum.''— Prtemon. ad Lect.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 9
For the first, I must needs tell the apologist, that of all the texts of the Nuvv Testament, and Old, whereby the deity of Christ is usually confirmed, and where it is evidently testified unto, he hath not left any more than one, that I have ob- served, if one, speaking any thing clearly to that purpose. I say, if one, for that he speaks not home to the business in hand on John i. I shall elsewhere give an account; perhaps some one or two more may be interpreted according to the ana- logy of that. I speak not of his Annotations on the Epistles, but on the whole Bible throughout, wherein his expositions given do, for the most part, fall in with tliose of the Socinians, and oftentimes consist in the very words of Socinus and Smalcius, and alway do the same things with them, as to any notice of the deity of Christ in them. So that I marvel the learned doctor should fix upon one par- ticular instance, as though that one place alone were corrupted by him, when there is not one (or but one) that is not wrested, perverted, and corrupted, to the same purpose. For the full conviction of the truth liereof, I refer the reader to the ensuing considerations of his interpretations of the places themselves. The condition of these famous Annotations as to the satisfaction of Christ is the same. NX)t one text of the whole Scripture, wherein testimony is given to that sacred truth, which is not wrested to another sense, or at least the doctrine in it con- cealed and obscured by them. I do not speak this with the least intention to cast upon him the reproach of a Socinian ; 1 judge not his person. His books are published to be considered and judged, Erasmus, I know, made way for him in most of his expositions about the deity of Christ; but what repute he hath there- by obtained among all that honour the eternal Godhead of the Son of God, let Belkirmuie, on the one hand, and Beza, on the other, evince. And as I will by no means maintain or ui'ge against Grotius any of the miscarriages in religion which the answerer of my animadversions undertakes to vindicate him from, nor do I desire to fight with the dust and ashes of men; yet what I have said is, if not necessary to return to the apologist, yet of tendency, I hope, to the siitisfaction of others, who may inquire after the reason of my calling the Annotations of the learned man to an account in this discourse. Shall any one take liberty to pluck down the pillars of our faith, and weaken the grounds of our assurance concern- ing the person and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall not we have the bold- ness to call him to an account for so sacrilegious an attempt? With those, then, who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, I expect no blame or reproach for what I have endeavoured in this kind; yea, that my good will shall find acceptance with them, especially if it shall occasion any of greater leisure and abilities farther and professedly to remark more of the corruptions of those Annotations, I have good ground of exjjectation. The truth is, notwithstanding their pompous show and appearance — few of his quotations (which was the manner of the man) being at all to his purpose,' — it will be found no ditficult matter to discuss his assertions and dissipate his conjectures.