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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74986	An antidote against heresy: or a preservative for Protestants against the poyson of Papists, Anabaptists, Arrians, Arminians, &c. and their pestilent errours. Shewing the authors of those errours, their grounds and reasons, the time when and occasion how they did arise; with general answers to their arguments taken out of holy scripture and the ancient fathers. Written to stay the wandering and stablish the weak in these dangerous times of Apostasy. / By Richard Allen, M.A. sometime Fellow of Penbrooke [sic] Colledge in Oxford.	Allen, Richard, b. 1604 or 5.	1648 (1648)	Wing A1045A; Thomason E1168_2; ESTC R208803	57,457	159

Serpent through all his turnings and windings from the primitive times to this present to observe the subtile ways and methods he hath used to note by what steps and degrees he hath from time to time insinuated himself into the very bosom of the Church spreading this deadly poyson over all its Members and every point of Doctrine so that the true Religion at this day lays gasping and labouring for life is a work too great for so small a volum The first Instrument he found fit for this purpose was Simon Magus of whom we read Acts 8. how he bewitched the people of Samaria This Sorcerer is the Father of all Hereticks and his Heresie the cursed womb from whence sprang that numerous brood that now covers the face of the earth and hath raised the devil a mighty Kingdom At this day it is divided though not against it self in two main provinces the Mahumetan in the East in the West the Antichristian of the one the Turk is Viceroy of the other the Pope is Vicar Vnder these two Generalissimoes all those enemies of Christ are listed both the enemies of his Person and the enemies of his Office among whom though there be a seeming difference yet indeed there is a secret league like Sampsons Foxes their heads look contrary ways yet they are all Foxes and joyned together by the tails These are the Foxes that spoyl the Lords Vineyard and do more hurt by secret fraud then the wild Boar by open force Baalam a false Prophet did the Israelites more hurt then the Amorites with all their Armies And that Heretick Arrius did the Christian Church more hurt then the Savage Emperours did with all their Legions No marvell then we are so often warned in holy Scripture to beware of these Seducers and false teachers because they creep in unawares Jude 4. They bring in their Heresies privily and insinuate themselves with fained words 1 Pet. 2.1 3. They have a form of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 And with their fair outsides get within us surprise and lead us captive And therefore we had need be very wary and never more need then now for Seducers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 4. They compass Sea and Land they fill Town and Country and not only creep into houses but up into high places so bold they are grown Now as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these resist the truth men of corrupt minds of no judgment concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3.8 But that they proceed no further here are discovered their Errours that being seen they may be shun'd and avoided And though here be not discovered all which is almost impossible yet here are if I mistake not the principal whereunto the rest are but accessory The end of this small work is to furnish the weaker sort with general answers out of Gods own Word to the Arguments of the Adversaries and with plain Reasons if not sufficient to defeat the enemy yet enough I hope to defend themselves that they may be provided for them whensoever they be encountred by them lest being unprepared at unawares they be led away with the Errour of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 These are the first fruits of a larger harvest if it be accepted being but a handful taken out of a heap Imprimatur James Cranford March 28. 1648. AN ANTIDOTE Against HERESIE CHAP. I. Of the holy Scriptures THe holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God Truth written by holy men as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and contain all things that are necessary to be known or beleeved to eternal salvation being sufficient of themselves to instruct the Church or people of God thereunto By holy Scripture we understand only those books that were anciently accounted and are now received by the Church of England for Canonical Adversaries and Errours Errours that oppose this truth are many but may all be reduced to these three heads 1. Are those that enlarge the Canon of holy Scripture adding many things to it that are not of it 2. Are those that diminish the same denying some parts and taking some books from it 3. There be those that refuse and re●ect the whole debasing and despising the Authority of the holy Scriptures and esteeming no better of them then of humane writings 1. Of this latter sort were anciently Simon Magus Montanus and such deceivers and they are followed at this day by the Anabaptists who call the written Word a dead letter and ground their new doctrines upon revelations dreams and visions whereunto they give such credit that at Sangal a Town of Switzerland one of them cut of his brothers head pretending a revelation or command from heaven so to do Sleidan Comment l. 6. By this art Mahomet brought his damnable religion in credit with the world for having the falling sickness he pretended it was a trance wherein he received revelations fr●m heaven and by the same art Muncer Becold Cnipperdolling and other false Prophets of the Anabaptists in Germany seduced a world of poor miserable people to their own destruction The Papists say the Scriptures are of no more credit and authority then meer Fables without the Testimony and approbation of the Church and take them quite away from the reading of Lay-people as dangerous and hurtful and have burnt not only the books of Scripture but bodies of men too for having them in a known tongue such bitter enemies they are to the Word of God 2. There be others that deny not the whole but diminish only the Canon of holy Scripture refusing some parts and rejecting some books 1. The whole New-Testament as the Jews do Or 2. all the Old Testament as the new Libertines do who affirm it is abrogated the Socinians who say it is unnecessary and may well be spared 3. And there be others that enlarge the Canon of holy Scripture adding many things to it that are not of it so the Papists do not only traditions or unwritten verities as they call them but fabulous legends also and written lyes upon a pretence of want and defect in the Scriptures as not containing all truths necessary to salvation nor sufficient to instruct us thereunto without a supply of Apochryphal books traditions and divers humane inventions Antidote The Scriptures are the only touchstone to try and discern Truth from Error by and are called a Testament because they are testis mentis the witness of Gods most holy will against all adversaries then and their errours we affirm First that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God of sufficient authority and credit without the Church or any humane testimony to establish any point of doctrine and decide any controversie of Religion For such as the authority of the author of any writing is such is the authority of the writing it self but God is the Author of holy Scripture therefore the Scriptures are of

the god of this world hath blinded Their eyes c. 2 Cor. 4.3 The end of the Scriptures is the instruction of the Church Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written were written for our learning and one necessary mean to attain this end is the perspicuity and plainness of the Scripture for if it were dark or doubtful how should it instruct us In vain is it called a Light if it be dark in it self and to no purpose are we sent to learn it if it be so to us The Scriptures are an instrument to beget Faith Joh. 20.31 Rom. 10.17 And the first step or degree of faith is knowledg which the Scriptures could not beget if they were dark difficult or obscure Object But S. Peter says there are many things in S. Pauls Epistles hard to be understood which unlearned men wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Sol. If any thing be hard in one place either it is such as the ignorance thereof will not hazard our salvation or else it is explained and made easie in another place And by unlearned men the Apostle understand not men wanting humane learning as the liberal arts and sciences c. but men unlearned in the Scriptures themselves such as most times the learned and wise men of the world are For it is known that men otherwise unlearned simple a●d ignorant coming in humility the fear of God and love of truth using prayer reading comparing of Scriptures c. have attained unto a sufficient measure of saving knowledg For the Scriptures discover themselves by their own proper light one place expounding and opening the meaning of another August de Doct. Christ .l 2. c. 2.9.24 all things are seen by the light but light by it self Lastly Those books that we commonly call Apocrypha are not of divine authority because they were not written by the Prophets or men divinely inspired as the other Scriptures were that are therefore called the Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 12.26 Our Saviour divides all Canonical Scripture into Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16.29 But none of those books were written by Moses or any of the Prophets nor dictated by the Spirit of God but savour of a prophane and lying spirit as containing matter and stories both vain foolish and fabulous very often contradicting themselves and also the known Word of God as in the books of Tobit and the Maccabees the Stories of Bell and the Dragon are specially to be found The Jews received none of those books in their Canon neither by any of the primitive Christians or ancient Fathers were accounted for Canonical and what account the learned Papists themselves make of them may appear by Arias Montanus who in the front of his Bible hath these words There be added in this Edition the books written in Greek which the Catholick Church following the Canon of the Hebrew reckoneth amongst the Apocrypha CHAP. II. Of the Blessed Trinity Truth THere is but one living and true God everlasting and in the unity of this Godhead there be three persons of one substance power and eternity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost Errours This one point of Christian Religion is the very basis or foundation of all the rest and if this be shaken the rest must needs totter and fall to the ground and therefore the devil hath raised up such furious adversaries to oppugn it with strange and monstrous blasphemies as of old did Simon Magus Cerinthus Ebion Manes a Persian a man according to his name furious and mad and such like at this day the adversaries to this doctrine of the Trinity are all the enemies of Christ and his divinity as the unbeleeving Jews all Mahometans Turks Moors and such miscreants among Christians only such as have suckt their principles from the schools of those Infidels They stand marshalled all in two Regiments 1. The first is of those that deny all distinction of persons in the Godhead making the Father Son and Holy Ghost but several names only of one and the same person in regard of some distinct actions or offices This Heresie was commonly ascribed to Sabellius but Noetus a disciple of Montanus hatcht it and Simon Magus layd the egg long before at this day it is revived by one M. Erbury a late Chaplain of the Army who taught That there is but one person in the Godhead and when we read of the Father Son and Holy Ghost we must not take them for so many distinct persons but only as so many appearances of God unto men And truly if M. Erbury had been that Sorcerers own disciple he could not have devised a doctrine more like his as it is recorded by St. Augustin lib. de Haeres ad Quodvultdeum cap. 1. There be others that admit a distinction of these 3 persons but deny the equality of them That the Son and Holy Ghost are not God equal with the Father of one substance and eternity with the Father This was the Heresie of Arius whose chief undertaking was against the Son of God and his eternal generation and of Macedonius who denyed the Godhead of the holy Ghost They are both revived at this day among us that of Macedonius by one M. Biddle who not questioning the Godhead of the Son a point as he professeth wherein he is not yet so well resolved denies only the Godhead of the holy Ghost granting no more but that he is an excellent creature and chief of all the ministring spirits One M. Best not fearing that fearful judgment that befel Arius who burst asunder in the midst like Judas the traitor that his bowels gushed out hath notwithstanding revived his Heresie and in these times of general and desperate Apostacy hath found many favorors and followers Now the fountain of all these impure waters was Simon Magus an impious sorcerer and the conduit that conveyed them to our times almost was Mahomet an impudent impostour For about the year 630. or as others please 670. that vile and lewd Arabian began his cursed book called the Alcoran and therein amongst a multitude of other impure follies impious fables and lyes he raked also together cōmended to his barbarous followers all those Heresies and Blasphemies against the Trinity Out of this filthy puddle Michael Servertus a Spaniard a man better read in Mahomets cursed Law then in the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ suckt his Heresie about the year 1530. for denying the eternal Son of God he was burnt at Geneva and out of his ashes arose that monster Socinus But to pass by particular persons the first Country that made defection from this truth was Transylvania a Country bordering upon the Turks from whom they received this point of their Religion for to gratifie or comply with those barbarous neighbours they abjured their Faith in the holy Trinity about the year 1593. denying the Son and holy Ghost the contagion of this pest is now spread into most places of Christendom The devil hath devised

be saved then he hath nothing to glory of but the riches of Gods mercy and he that is damned hath nothing to complain of but the merit of his own sin Object Some call this a licentious doctrine and say it ought not to be publisht because it overthrows all endeavours unto holiness and makes men loose in their lives or drives them to despair Sol. The preaching of Gods grace for the comfort of the godly must not be silenced because the ungodly turn it into wantoness But this doctrine may comfort and confirm many it can stumble none none can presume neither need any to despair that will but consider that God hath ordained the means as well as the end Some are ordained unto life eternal but without holiness we shall never see God Heb. 12.14 This cannot make us slothful or careless but more diligent and studious of good works that by such evidences we may make our calling and election sure sure unto our own consciences which before was sure enough in Gods eternal Counsel Some be ordained to destruction but yet none shall be damned but for sin this cannot make any careless but more careful to fly sin and be studious of good works which are not the cause but yet the way to salvation which God hath prepared for us to walk in Ephes 2.10 And so long as God affords the means of salvation offering Christ dayly unto us in his Word and Sacraments no man that waits upon the means hath any cause to despair But doest thou find the signs of election in thy self praise God for them Doest thou not find them in another pray to God for him Doest thou find them in thy self be thankful Doest thou not find them in another yet be charitable and hope still that God who cals at all hours may have an hour yet for thy neighbor as he had for thee Shun all curiosity and let these be the uses you make of this doctrine CHAP. XII Of Vocation Truth AND whom he did predestinate them he also called not only outwardly by the preaching of his holy Word but inwardly also and effectually by the operation of his holy Spirit powerfully working with the Word and winning their hearts to cleave u●to him inseparably to salvation Errours This is the second link of that golden chain of salvation that divers Adversaries both of former and latter times have laboured to break asunder They are of three sorts 1. Those that condemn the outward Ministry of the Word as vain and unprofitable So the Anabaptists Gaspar Swenckfeldius and his followers who affirm That men are called and faith is given not by means of the Word but by illumination and immediate working of the Spirit and being wholly intent upon Speculations and Revelations they imagine that God doth reveal his Will unto them in dreams and visions By this device many lewd impostours have risen and abused the world with their lies as Mahomet and Muncer did and in the primitive times Simon Magus Cerinthus Montanus with their harlots who under the name of visions and dreams did broach and vent their own monstrous dotages The grossest Errours that are now in Popery as Purgatory c. were first founded and confirmed by visions and dreams and by the same means the Father of lyes and spirit of Errour hath prevailed so far in the Church as we see at this day such strange and monstrous ways men presently fall into when once they depart from the light of Gods known Word 2. A second sort there be that do not indeed condemn the outward Ministry of the Word but yet esteem very meanly of preaching and expounding the same thinking and affirming That bare reading the Scriptures to the people is sufficient for edifying them unto salvation and that much or frequent preaching is not only not necessary but hurtful This opinion was if it be not still very currant with many both Ministers and other people and was mightily confirmed in their minds not by the connivence only but also ill example and practise of the Bishops themselves who as if preaching were no part of their office or derogatory to their high dignity did most of them most shamefully cast it quite off though indeed it would have been their greatest glory and therefore now God hath justly covered them with shame for it and poured contempt upon them 3. The last and worst sort are those enemies of grace and patrons of freewil the Pelagians Papists Arminians c. who to maintain the pride of nature deny the power of grace and to make good their former doctrine of freewil have brought these seconds into the field Viz. 1. That the grace of Vocation is nothing else but a moral swasion or probable inclination of the will which the outward preaching of the Word m●y effect denying the powerful operation of the Spirit inwardly working upon the same 2. That sufficient grace to beleeve and be converted is offered and given to all in the Gospe● preached and that with a serious intention in God to save all but the Reason why one receiveth grace another receiveth it not one believeth and is converted another is not is only in mans freewil in whose power it is to receive and obey or refuse and resist the offers and operations of grace 3. That grace when it is gotten may be utterly lost again faith quite cut off and the like The outward voyce or preaching of the Word is not of force or efficacy sufficient to beget faith in a man Antidote and turn him unto God without the inward working teaching and calling of the Holy Ghost But yet for all that since the word hath been committed to writing the written Word and preaching thereof is the only outward and ordinary means ordained of God to beget faith in us and bring us to the knowledg and obedience of Jesus Christ Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Acts 10.44 The Holy Ghost fell upon them that heard the Word And this was the Scripture or written Word Luke 4.16 Our Saviour himself took the book of Esaias and preacht the Scripture Acts 8.35 Philip preacht the Scripture to the Eunuch Acts 17.2 Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures It is evident that all Churches both Jewish and Christian used always to preach and hear the Scriptures for their edification Nehem. 8.9 Acts 15.26 13.15 It is given Timothy as a commendation that he knew the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.15 And it is called the Word of Grace Rom. 10.8 The Word of Faith Act. 20.32 because it is a means to convey both unto us In times past indeed God was pleased to make his Will known unto his Servants the Prophets and by them to the people divers ways and after divers manners as by Dreams Visions Oracles Vrim and Thummim But in these last days he hath spoken unto us by his Son Heb. 1.1 who coming from the bosom of his Father hath revealed all

his own excrements at his mouth Our own times have not wanted like examples of mans impiety and Gods judgment But leaving them to their nasty stables c. although we know God doth hear us in all places when we call upon him yet that decent places be set apart and beautified with comely ornaments is very fit and becoming such holy duties and services There is one main rub yet that many stumble at and that is the strict examination of communicants and suspension upon some causes from the holy communion to remove this let them understand it is no more but the duty of the Minister formerly enjoyned by the Orders of our own Church as is to be seen in the book of Common Prayer and therefore is no innovation These things and the like duly considered we may see the Errour of many who under the name of the Protestant Religion do most of all oppose it and think to establish the Church of England with those Engines that will utterly destroy it Let all true-hearted Protestants consider these things and as they love the Church of England their Mother vindicate her quarrel against those that have so basely abused her those crafty chapmen that under the name and authority of the Church of England have cheated the people with those counterfeit stuffs that the Church of England never commended but condemned If there be any other alteration in our Church then what ●●th been mentioned It is not of any sub●●●●ce but some circumstance there is no alteration in the body but in the apparrel An eminent Doctour of our own says I am sure no friend to Novelism that Clerical habits vestiments are not the body but swadling clothes of Religion and we know there is a time to leave off such things And so all other Ceremonies were judged alterable by those that first ordained them As the Philosopher said of his son Scio me genuisse Mortalem so they knew their decrees when they made them were not Median-Persian Laws but that they might and must be altered if after times should see as good reason to remove these Ceremonies as they themselves did to remove many before See the Prefaces to the book of Common-prayer But the Bishops are put down and that is a great blot to the Reformation But tell me did stately Palaces great attendance and lordly titles agree with the poverty meekness humility of our Saviour whose servants they profess themselves And for a farther trial of the lawfulness of these things a trial that will not deceive Let a form of prayer be drawn and ther● 〈◊〉 a complaint unto Almighty God fo●●●ese things and a supplication to restore them particularly and by name and let me see who dares go into the presence of God with such a prayer in his mouth Things lawful and conscionable we may with comfort pray for but those things that a mans conscience dares not pray for his own conscience condemns for unlawful But the Church is trodden down her lands and goods embeziled c. that is the Bishops Lands c. still a shrewd mistake If they are taken from them and restored to the right owners that every Church may have its proper maintenance and they enjoy the means that take the pains is this sacriledg or Justice And what was it when the Bishops c. held and enjoyed so many tithes and profits properly belonging to other poor Ministers that were Church men as well as themselves and took care of the Churches So much of their means as is not this way due to others may well be employed to settle a more useful Ministry as the present necessities of the Church every where require CHAP. XXVIII Of Toleration THough the Heathen had infinite Gods almost and as many several Religions Ceremonies and forms of worship yet we never read of any contention among them about any difference of Religion the Reason was because the Gods of the Heaven as one says were goods fellows and content to share that glory amongst them that was none of theirs but the true God is a jealous God and cannot endure a partner of that glory that is properly his own And therefore there can be no greater Argument against the Sectaries that they are not of God then their great desire of Toleration of all Religions But Joan. Vlt. a small Errour is sharply taken up it may warn us not to suffer the least Errour though not fundamental for tares if suffered to grow at last will pluck down the wheat We must follow St. Pauls example Gal. 1.5 Who would not give place to false brethren no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel might continue So we must not give place to any Errourist But as the Apostle says Tit. 1.11 Their mouths must be stopt because their words eat like a canker 2 Tim. 2.17 And though small at first yet will eat out the very heart and life of all Religion at last FINIS