faid of FAUSTUS MANICHEUS, may not impro "perly be applied to FAUSTUS SOCINUS, that he "was, Magnum Diaboli Laqueum, the Devil's Decoy."

ASHWELL de SOCINO & SÓCINIANISMO, p. 18,

CHAPTER

CHAPTER II.

The moral and religious Character of

SOCINUS.

HA

AVING attended SocINUS through the dif ferent scenes of his Life, I fhall now endeavour to delineate his Character: a character which has fuffered much from the pen of bigotry, and the prejudices of party, but is little known: the fenfible and candid Reader, when he has taken a view of it, will probably be ready to confefs it is truly great, and requires only to be known in order to be admired. The moft ftriking features in this moral picture are Faith, Zeal, Moderation, and Self-government. A firm and fupreme regard to Immortality appears to have been the leading motive of his actions, the animating fpring of his conduct. This awakened and kept alive his Zeal, which,

C

which, though fuperior to every difficulty and fuffering, was tempered with the gentle influence of Catholicifm and Moderation:-And this moderation was expreffed not only with respect to points of religious debate, but in all the amiable virtues that are derived from a calm and habitual Selfgovernment. To illuftrate these branches of his Character we must appeal to the general facts of this Life-to fomé particular circumftances and incidents and to the fentiments and spirit that ftrongly mark his Writings and Letters.

SECTION 1.

The Firmnefs of his Faith, and his At tachment to Immortality.

TH

HE life and labours of SoCINUS indicated a ftrong impreffion of the preference due to the promises of the Gospel, and to the hope of eter nal life. He thought these motives ought to outweigh every confideration which the evils, or the interefts of the prefent state could offer.

As a proof in what light the evidence and im portance of a future State ftruck his mind, I will quote a paffage from his Treatife on the Autho

rity of the Holy Scriptures. He there laments, that fcarcely one person out of an hundred, who profefs themfelves Chriftians, ftudies probity of manners, from the motive by which they own CHRIST hath enjoined it. He fays, "It is needless to prove that this reafon and motive, viz. Immortal Life attended with the highest and perpetual felicity, "when compared with this life abounding with all *worldly goods that can poffibly be poffelled or #enjoyed, is only as fome millions of pounds to "one farthing: this any one may easily perceive;

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nay, this state of happiness far exceeds all com"parison. Since between one farthing only and "fome millions of pounds there is fome propor"tion, because they are both finite things; but between this mortal and that immortal life, be"tween present temporary and future eternal ob

jects, there is no measure or proportion: because "this life and prefent objects are finite, and the "others are infinite and unlimited in their duration.

"There is no one who would not be deemed an ideot; if he did not inftantly part with a farthing, as foon as he faw only a fmall probability, that "he fhould gain by so trifling a deposit some mil"lions of gold. So not any one in his right fenfes "who has eyen a flight apprehenfion, that by de"pofiting (if I may use the expreffion) all the adC 2 "vantages

vantages of this mortal life and life itfelf in obeying GoD, according to the precepts of JESUS of Nazareth, he fhall fecure another and an immortal life, attended with the highest and never-ending felicity (as must be the cafe if those things are true which the facred Hiftorians have related) "would not immédiately refolve to do it."

SOCINUS acted on fuch Principles. No one feems to have been better furnifhed with all thofe advantages, whereby men rife to fame, wealth, and the height of human wishes. A noble defcent, illuftrious friendships, the favour of Princes, a handsome eftate, health, genius, eloquence, learning, and a capacious mind, lent him their joint affiftance; as if Nature, Fortune and Application had vied with each other, in heaping on him their respective favours. But he facrificed all, in obedience to what he regarded as the call of Providence, and the intereft of Truth. Nay, as if the lofs of all thefe diftinctions, so flattering to human hopes, were a fmall matter; he willingly and defignedly devoted himself as a victim to numerous diftreffes, to want, to dangers, to enmity, to univerfal con-tempt, to reproaches, and the odium of a memory every where the object of abhorrence. The truth

is,

* SOCINI de Author. Sacræ Scripturæ, cap. 4. ve Opera, tom. i. p. 276.