This Franken seems to have been a subtile fellow, who, denying with Socinus that Christ was God, saw evidently that it was impos- sible to find out a foundation of yielding religious worship or adora- tion unto him. With him about this matter Socinus had a solemn dispute in the house of one Paulicovius, anno 1584, March 14/ Franken in this disputation was the opponent, and his first argu- ment is this : " Look how great distance there is between the Cre- ator and the creature, so great ought the difference to be between the honour that is exhibited to the one and the other. But between the Creator and the creature there is the greatest difference, whether you respect nature and essence, or dignity and excellency; and there- fore there ought to be the greatest difference between the honour of the Creator and the creature. But the honour that chiefly is due to God is religious worship; therefore this is not to be given to a creature, therefore not to Christ, whom you confess to be a mere creature."* This, I say, was his first argument. To which Socinus
1 Disputatio inter Faustum Socinum et Christianum Franken de lionore Christi, id est, utrum Christus cum ipse perfectissima ratione Deus non sit religiosa tamen adora- tione colendus sit, Habita, 14 Martii, anno 1584, in aula Christophori Paulicovii.
2 " Quanta distantia inter Creatorera est et creaturam, tanta esse debet differentia inter honorera qui Creatori exliibetur et qui creaturje tribuitur. Atqui inter Creato- rera et creaturam maxima est distantia, sive essentiam ct naturam spectes, sive digni- tatem et exccllentiam, ergo et maxima esse debet differentia inter honorem Dei et crcaturaj. At lienor qiu prsecipue debetur Deo est religiosa adoratio ; ergo h£ec non est tribuenda creaturse, ergo neque Christo, quem tu puram esse creaturam fateris." — Dc Adorat. Christi, Disput. cum Christoph, Fran., p. 4.
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answers : " Although the difference between God and the creature he the greatest, yet it doth not follow that the difference between their honour must be so; for God can communicate his honour to whom he will, especially to Christ, who is worthy of such honour, and who is not commanded to be worshipped without weighty causes for it"'
But, by the favour of this disputant, God cannot give that honour that is due unto him upon the account of his excellency and emi- nency, as he is the first cause of all things and the last end (which is the ground of divine worship), to any one who hath not his nature. The honour due to God cannot be given to him who is not God. His honour, the honour of him as God, is that which is due to him as God. Now, that he should give that honour that is due to him as God to him which is not God, is utterly impossible and contradic- tory to itself We confess that there be most weighty causes why Christ should be worshipped, yet but one formal reason of that wor- ship we can acknowledge; and therefore when Franken had taken off this absurd answer by sundry instances and reasons, Socinus is driven to miserable evasions. First, he cries out, " I can answer all these testimonies;"^ to which when the other replied, "And I can give a probable answer to all the texts you produce arguing the ado- ration of Christ,"^ being driven to hard shifts, he adds, " I am as certain of the truth of my opinion as I am that I hold this hat in my hand,"* — which is a way of arguing that is commonly used by men that have nothing else to say. Wherefore Franken laughs at him, and tells him, " Your certainty cannot be a rule of truth to me and others, seeing another man may be found that will say he is most certain to the contrary opinion."^ So that, prevailing nothing by this means, he is forced to turn the tables ; and instead of an answer, which he could not give to Franken's argument, to become opponent and urge an argument against him. Saith he, " My certainty of this thing is as true as it is true that the apostle saith of Christ, ' Let all the angels of God worship him.'"® But, by the favour of this dispu- tant, this is not his business. He was to answer Franken's argu-
' " Etsi sununa est inter Deum et cveaturam distantia, non tamen necesse est, tan- tam esse diflFereutiam inter honorem Dei et creatui-ie ; nam potest Deus cui vult commu- nicare honorem suum, Christo prtesertim, qui dignus est tali honore, q\iique nou sine gravissimis caugis adorari jubetur in sacris literis." — Disput. de Adorat. Christi, p. 6.
- " Ad ilia omnia testimonia ego possum respondere." — P. 7.
3 " Et ego ad omnes tuos locos, Christi adorationem urgentes, probabilem potero rc- sponsionem aflFere." — P. 8.
* " De veritate meoe sententiac tam sum certus, quam certo scio me istum pileuni manibus tenere." — P. 9.
* " Tua ista certitude non potest et mihi et aliis esse veritatis regula, nam reperietur alius quispiam, qui dicat, seutcntiam tu» contrariam ex sacris libris sibi esse persua- sissimam."
6 " Tam vera est hac de re mea certitude, quam vcrum est apostolum de Christo dixisse, Adorcnt eum omnes angeli." — P. 10.