The illustrious Hugo Grotius Of the law of warre and peace with annotations, III parts, and memorials of the author's life and death.

CIII. Not against them who are mista∣ken in the sense of Scripture.

AS to them that embrace the Law of Christ for true, but doubt or mistake in some things, which either are beside the Law, or in the Law seem to have an am∣biguous sense, and have been expounded by the antient Christians not after one manner, they that persecute such do very unjustly: as appears both by what we have said afore, and by the old example of the Jews. For these having a Law esta∣blished by punishments of this life, did yet never punish the Sadduces, who re∣jected the article of the resurrection, a point indeed most true, but in that Law not deliverd but obscurely, and under a veil of words or things. And what if it be a more grievous error, and such as be∣fore equal Judges may easily be revinced by authority of Scripture or consent of Fathers? Here also is to be considered, how great is the force of a settled opini∣on, and how much every man's judgment is darkned by Affection to his own Sect, an evil, as Galen saith, incurable. Ori∣gen speaketh appositely: More easy 'tis for a man to put off any other customs, how much soever he is affixed to them, than to lay aside his accustomed opinion † 1.1. Adde, that the estimation of this fault depends upon the measure of illumination, and

other dispositions of the mind, which are not in the compass of mans knowledge. He at last is an Heretick in Austins * 1.2 iudg∣ment, who, for some temporal profit, and especially for glory and principality, ei∣ther is the Father, or the follower of new doctrius † 1.3. Let us hear Salvian discour∣sing of the Artans: They are Hereticks, but know it not: Hereticks in our judg∣ment, not in their own; for they do so much think them selves to be Catholicks, that they asperse us with the stain of heresy. Wherefore we are the same to them, that they are to us. We are sure they do injury to the divine generation, because they make the Son less than the Father. They think us injurious to the Father; because we believe them to be equal. The truth it with us, but they presume it is with them. The honor of God is with us, but they suppose what they believe is for the honour of the Deity. They are inofficious, but this is to them the chiefest office of Religion. They are impious, but this they think to be true piety. They err then, but they err with a good mind * 1.4, not out of hatred but love of God, believing that they honour and af∣fect the Lord. Although they have not a right faith, yet they esteem this to be

perfect charity: and how they are to be punisht, for this error of their opinion, at the day of Judgment, none can know but the Judge † 1.5. In the mean therefore, as I conceive, God lends them patience, because he sees them, though not right believers, yet erring through affection of a pious opi∣nion. Concerning the Mantchees, let us hear him who stuck long in their mire, Augustin; Let them rage against you, who know not with what labour Truth is found, and how hard it is to avoid errors. Let them rage against you, who know not how rare and difficult it is to overcome carnal phantasms by serenity of a pious mind. Let them rage against you, who know not with what groanes and sighs it is effected, that in any sort God may be un∣derstood. Lastly, let them rage against you, who are deceived with no such error, as they see you are deceived with. For my part, indeed I cannot rage against you, with whom, as once with my self, I ought now to bear, and treat you with as much patience, as my friends shewed to me, when I went astray in your opinion, mad and blind. Athanasius * 1.6 sharply inveighs a∣gainst the Arian heresy † 1.7, because it first

used the power of the Judges against Dis∣senters, and endeavoured to draw unto it self by stripes and imprisonment, whom i•…•… could not prevail with by perswasion: and so, saith he, it manifesteth it self, how far it is from piety, and from the wor∣ship of God, respecting, as I take it, that which is read, Gal. 4. 29. * 1.8 Hilary hath a like passage in his Oration to Constan∣tin. In Gallia long since, were condem∣ned by the judgment of the Church, the Bishops, who took order, that the Pris∣cillianishs might be convicted with the sword: and in the East the Synod was condemn'd, which had consented to the burning of Bogomilas, Wisely said Plato; It is the fittest punishment for one in error, * 1.9. to be made to learn † 1.10.

Notes

• † 1.1

  Sequitur hoc Chrysostom. in 1 Cor. 2. ubi vero consuetudo in dogmate in∣ciderit, multo fit immobilior. Nihil enim est quod non faci∣lius homo mutet quam ea quae religionis sunt.
• * 1.2

  Lib. de util. credendi. Locus refertur in caus. 24 qu. 3. Au∣stin adds, that he that believs heretick, see∣meth not to him the same thing with an heretick. He∣resy is the madness of a more obstinate mind. Vide eundem epist. 162.
• † 1.3

  Scriptor re∣sponsorum ad orthodoxos quaest. 4. Aper∣tum est ex cu∣piditate gloria aut ex amulatu qui primos re∣pertores agita∣verit, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 omnes existendi originem cepisse. Chrysostom ad Gal. 45. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The desire of dominion is the mother of heresy.
• * 1.4

  Agathias in the first of his histories, where he had spoken of the absurd su∣perstirious of the Almens, addeth They are more worthy of plry than hatred, for their errors. For they do not stumble and wan∣der willingly, but being desirous of good & deceived in judging, what they have approved thy hold fast, whatsoever it is.
• † 1.5

  Chrysostom in his Homily against Ana∣thematizers: That which is secret let him alone securely judge, who is Judge of the whole world; to whom alone is known the measure of mens know∣ledge, and the quantity of their faith. For tel me, whence can we know, with what words a man will accuse or excuse himself in that day, when God shall judge the secrets of men? His Judgments are inscrutable and his ways past finding out.
• * 1.6

  Epist. ad solit.
• † 1.7

  Deservedly do we hate the Authors of so ill an example among Christians. See their crueltics in Eusebius of the life of Constantin, lib. 1. 5, 38. Socrates lib. 4. 29. Proco∣pius Vandal. 1. & Gotth. 1. and Victor Uticensis. Epiphanius of the Semi-arians; They vex the Teachers of truth, and confute them not with words but swords, and have destroyed, not one, but many Towns and Countries. Of such Gregory Bishop of Rome to the Bishop of Constantinople; It is a new and •…•…∣heard of way of preaching, which beats men into belief.
• * 1.8

  Ad quem lo∣cum vide Hie∣nymum citatum c. qui secundum causa 23. quaest. 4.
• * 1.9

  Errantis paenam esse doceri.
• † 1.10

  Seneca in Tragoedia: Quis nomen unquam sceteris errori dedit? Et de ira, 14. Non est prudentis errantes odisse; alioquin ipse sibi •…•…∣dio erit. M. Anton us l 9. Si potes, meliora doce: si non potis, me∣mento in hoc tibi lenitatem datam. Ipsi dii lenes suut talibus. Chry∣sost. ad Eph. 4. 17. Eum qui ignorat ne{que} malo affici, de{que} accus•…•… cportet; sed aequum est, ut discat quae ignorat. Valentinianus, laudance Ammiano Marcellino l. 30. Nec quenquam inquietavit, ne{que} ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 coleretur imperavit, aut illud: nec interdictis minacibus subjectorun cervicem ad id quod ipse coluit inclinabat, sed intemeratas reliquit b•…•… partes, ut reperit.