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A29432 A dissuasive from the errours of the time wherein the tenets of the principall sects, especially of the Independents, are drawn together in one map, for the most part in the words of their own authours, and their maine principles are examined by the touch-stone of the Holy Scriptures / by Robert Baylie ... Baillie, Robert, 1599-1662. 1645 (1645) Wing B456; ESTC R200539 238,349 276

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state of Pagans turning them all out of the Christian Church denying to them Sacraments Discipline Church-Officers and all that they would deny to the Pagans of America ibid. They open a doore to Anabaptisme by three farther Positions First they require in all to be baptised a reall holinesse above a foederall which in no Infant with any certainty can be found ibid. Secondly they esteeme none for their Baptisme and Christian education a Member of their Church till they have entred themselves in their Church Covenant p. 120 Thirdly they call none of their Members to any accompt before their Presbytery for obstinate rejecting of Paedo-baptisme although the Brownists doe excommunicate for that sinne ibid. They participate with none of the reformed Churches in the Lords Supper yet they scruple not to communicate with Brownists and Anabaptists ibid. Their way of celebrating the Lords Supper is more dead and comfortlesse then anywhere else p. 121 They have no catechising no preparation nor thanks-giving-Sermons ordinarily they speake no word of the Sacrament in their Sermons and prayers either before or after ibid. They have onely a little discourse and short prayer in the consecration of both the Elements thereafter in the action nothing but dumb silence no exhortation no reading no Psalme ibid. They require none of their Members to come out of their Pewes to the Table and they acknowledge no more use of a Table then the Brownists at Amsterdam which have none at all ibid. They teach the expediency of covering the head at the Lords Table p. 122 They are as much for the popular Government as the Brownists ibid. All Discipline must be executed in the presence and with the consent of the whole people and all must passe by the expresse suffrage of every one p. 123 Dissenters not onely loose their right of Suffrage for the time but are subjected to censure if they continue in their dissent ibid. They are much for private meetings for it is in them that they usually frame the Members of other mens Congregations into their new mould but the Brownists and they of New-England having felt the bitter fruits of such meetings have relinquished if not discarged them ibid. They flatter the Magistrate and slander the reformed Churches without cause p. 124 Some of them are for the abolishing of all Magistracy ibid. All of them are for the casting out and keeping out of the Christian Church all Princes all Members of Parliament all Magistrates of the Counties and Burrowes that now are and that ever have been and are ever like to be hereafter except a very few p. 125 These few Magistrates which they would admit have no security but by the errour or malice of a few to be quickly cast out of the Church without any possibility of remedy ibid. When they have put all who are not of their mind out of the places of Magistracy yea out of all Civill Courts the greatest Magistrates they admitt of be they Kings or Parliaments they subject them all to the free will of the promiscuous multitude ibid. When Magistrates will not follow their new errours they have been very ready to make Insurrections to the great hazard of the whole State p. 126 Many of them deny to the Magistrate any power at all in the matters of Religion ibid. Their principles doe spoile Princes and Parliaments of their whole Legislative power they abolish all humane Lawes that are made and hinder any more to be made p. 127 The Civill Lawes which Mr Cotton permits men to make binde no man any further then his owne mind is led by the reason of the Law to Obedience p. 128 They put the yoke of the Iudiciall Law of Moses on the neck of the Magistrate ibid. They give to their Ministers a power to sit in Civill Courts and to voyce in the election of the Magistrates and to draw from Scripture civill Lawes for the Government of the State ibid. They offer to perswade the Magistrate contradictory Principles according to their owne interest in New-England they perswade the Magistrate to kill Idolaters and Hereticks even whole Cities men women and children p. 129 But here they deny the Magistrate all power to lay the lost restraint upon the grossest Idolaters Apostates blasphemers Seducers or the greatest Enemies of Religion ibid. No great appearance of their respect to secular Learning and Scholes ibid. Independency much more dangerous then Brownisme ibid. Chap. 7. It is unjust scrupulosity to require satisfaction of the true grace of every Church Member The Independents prime Principles p. 154 It s unjust scrupulosity to require satisfactorie assurance of the true grace of every Church-Member p. 154 Their Tenet about the qualification of Members is the great cause of their separating from all the reformed Churches though they doe dissemble it p. 155 In this they goe beyond the Brownists p. 156 The true state of the question is whether it be necessary to separate from a Church wherein we get no satisfaction of the true grace of every Member at their first admission ibid. For the negative we reason first from the practice of Moses and the Prophets who did never offer to separate for any such reason p. 157 The causes of a just separation were smaller under the Law nor under the Gospell ibid. Our second reason is from the example of Christ and his Apostles who did not separate for any such causes p. 158 The third reason It is impossible to finde true grace in every member of any visible Church that ever was or shall be in the world p. 159 The fourth This satisfaction in the true grace of all to be admitted is builded on foure errours p. 160 The fifth Argument Their Tenet is followed with diverse absurdities p. 161 Cottons reasons to the contrary answered p. 163 The first reason put in forme ibid. All the parts of it are vitious ibid His second Argument p. 168 His third Argument p. 169 His fourth Argument p. 170 His fifth p. 171 His sixth p. 172 His seventh ibid. His eigth p. 173 His ninth all his nine or twelve Reasons put in one will be too weak to beare up the weight of his most heavy conclusion Chap. 8. Concerning the right of Prophesying The state of the Question 174 The first Authors of this Question ib. The Independents difference among themselves hereabout ib. That none but Ministers may ordinarily prophesye we prove it first by Christs joyning together the power of Baptisme and the power of preaching 175 Secondly These that preach must be sent to that worke ib. Thirdly every ordinary Preacher labours in the word and Doctrine 176 Fourthly none out of Office have the gift of preaching for all that have that gift are either Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors or Doctors and all these are Officers ib. Fifthly no man out of Office might sacrifice ib. Sixthly all who have from God the gift of preaching are obliged to lay aside all other occupations and attend that work
any thing as they were forced to go home others had their children taken with Convulsions which they had not before nor since and so were sent for home So that none were left at the birth but the Midwife and two other whereof one fell asleep at such time as the childe died which was about two hours before the birth The Bed wherein the mother lay shook so violently that all who were in the Room perceived it KKK 2. Ibid. p. 63 64. Then Master Cotton told the Assembly That whereas she had been formerly dealt with for matter of Doctrine he had according to the duty of his place being the Teacher of the Church proceeded against her unto admonition But now the case bring altered and she being questioned for maintaining of untruth which is matter of Manners he must leave the businesse to the Pastor Master Wilson to go on with her but withal declared his judgement in the case from that in the Revelation ch 22. That such as make and maintain a lie ought to be cast out of the Church and whereas two or three pleaded that she might first have a second Admonition according to that in Titus 3.10 He answered That that was onely for such as erred in point of Doctrine but such as shall notoriously offend in matter of conversation ought to be presently cast out as he proved by Ananias and Saphira and the incestuous Corinthian Ibid. p. 65. It was observed that she should now come under Admonition for many foul and fundamental Errours and after he cast out for notorious lying CHAP. IV. The Carriage of the Independents in Holland at Roterdam and Arnhem THe fruits of this way in Holland are not much sweeter then these we have tasted in New-England All the time of their abode there they were not able to conquer to their party more then two Congregations and these but very small ones of the English onely For to this day I have not heard of any one man of the Dutch French Scottish or any other Reformed Church who have become a Member of any Independent Congregation Their first Church in Holland was that of Roterdam which Master Peters A not the most settled head in the World did draw from its ancient Presbyterial Constitution to that new frame which it seemeth he also learned by Master Cottons Letters from New-England This Church became no sooner Independent then it run into the way of such shameful Divisions as their Mother at Amsterdam had gone before them Their Pastor Master Peters was soon weary of them or they of him for what causes themselves best know but sure it is he quickly left them and went for New-England The Church was not long destitute of Pastors for about that time Master Ward and Master Bridge came over to them from Norwich where they ever had lived fully conform without any contradiction either to Episcopacy or Ceremonies onely they withstood Bishop Wrens last Innovations B So soon as they came to Roterdam without any long time of adveisement they conformed themselves to the Discipline which Master Peters had planted C They renounced their English Ordination and Ministerial Office joyning themselves as meer private men to that Congregation which afterward did choose and ordain both of them to be their Ministers D It was not long before Master Simpson also came hither from London and renouncing also his Ordination E joyned himself as a private member with them Then did the Spirit of Division begin to work among them and so far to prevail that Master Simpson malecontent with Master Bridge for hindering the private members of the flock to prophesie after the Brownists way did separate himself and erect a new Congregation of his own F Betwixt these two Churches the contentions and slanders became no lesse grievous then those of Amsterdam betwixt Ainsworth and Johnsons followers and in this much worse that they of Roterdam abode not at one Schism but after Master Simpsons separation broke out again into another subdivision Master Bridges Congregation was so filled with strife so shameful slanders were laid upon his own back that displeasure did hasten the death of his wife G and did well neer kill himself making him oft professe his repentance that ever he entred into that society H As for Master Ward his Ministery became so unsavoury to that people that they did never rest till judicially by their own Authority alone for Presbytery they had none and Master Bridge did dissent from that act of unjust oppression they had deposed Master Ward from his pastoral charge I This act was much stumbled at by divers who were fully perswaded of Master Wards integrity and at last by the intercession of some from the Church of Arnhem he was restored to his place but the ground of the controversie was no wayes touched For when the four Commissioners from Arnhem Master Goodwin Master Nye Master Laurence and another had met in a Chamber of a private house in Roterdam with some Members of that faulty Congregation K and so made up their famous Assembly which the Apologists are pleased to equal if not to prefer to all the Assemblies they ever had seen L Whether that National Synod wherein Master Nye had seen the flowre of the Scottish Nation enter into the Covenant with very great devotion Or this great Assembly at Westminster where he and his Brethren oft have seen sitting the Prince Elector the most Noble Members of both Houses of Parliament the prime Divines of all England the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland That Assembly I say of Roterdam did not so much as touch the main question they drew a thin skin over the wound but durst not assay to lance it to the bottom For did they ever rebuke or so much as once speak to the people of that Congregation for usurping a Tyrannicall Authority to depose their Pastor Did they tell Master Ward of his siding with Master Simpson against Master Bridge in the matter of Prophesie did they ever attempt to cognosce on the great scandal the ground of all the rest Master Simpsons Separation did they make any hearty and solid reconciliation betwixt Master Ward and the Church It seems the Assembly was wiser then to meddle with evils which they found much above their strength to remedy Master Ward found himself after his restitution in so pittiful a condition with his new friends that he left their Company M The two Churches were irreconcileable till both Master Bridge and Mr. Simpson had removed their Stations to England and even then the concord could not be obtained till the Dutch Magistrate had interposed his authority N Neither by this means could Master Simpsons Church be perswaded to return to Master Bridges till for their meer pleasure they got that Congregation to remove one of their prime members without the alleadging of any cause but their own peremptory will and satisfaction O When by so much
Ordinances of God It puts in the hand of every man a power to sentence all the Churches of the world It carries to the highest degree of Separation Their supply of the defects of Independency by the power o● the Magistrate was a remedy which they learned from the Brownists but now they have cast it aside denying to the Magistrate all power in matters of Religion The Independents doe advance their fancies to as high a pitch of glory as the Brownists They are the Brownists scholars in many more things beside the Constitution and Government of the Church They give to the Magistrate the Celebration of marriage Mr Milton permits any man to put away his wife upon his meer pleasure without fault and without the cognisance of any Iudge Mr Gorting teaches the wife to put away her husband if he will not follow her in any new Church way which she is pleased to embrace They are against all determinations of the circumstances of worship and therfore all church Directories are against their stomacks The common names of the dayes of the week the months of the year of many Churches and Cities of the Land are as unlawfull to them as to the Brownists All tithes and set maintenance of Ministers they cry down but a voluntary contribution for the maintenance of all their Officers they presse to a high proportion with the evident prejudice of the poore In their solemn worship oft times they make one to pray another to preach a third to prophesie a fourth to direct the Psalm and another to bless the people They make it a divine institution without any word of preface to begin the publike worship with solemne prayer for the King and Church After the Pastors prayer the Doctor reads and expounds In preaching they will bee free to take a Text or not as they find it expedient After Sermon any of the people whom they think able are permitted to prophesie All are permitted to propound in the face of the Congregation what questions upon the Sermon they think meet About the Psalms they have divers strange conceits but the speciall is their new Ordinance of a singing Prophet who in place of the Psalms singeth Hymnes of his own making in the midst of the silent Congregation They grant the lawfulnesse of read prayer in divers cases They will have none to be baptized but the children of their owne members so at one dash they put all England except a very few of their way into the state of Pagans turning them all out of the Christian Church denying to them Sacraments Discipline Church-Officers and all that they would deny to the Pagans of America They open a door to Anabaptism by 3 farther positions 1. They require in all to bee baptised a real holiness above a foederall which in no Infant with any certainty can be found 2. They esteem none for their Baptism and Christian education a member of their Church till they have entred themselvs in their church covenant 3. They call none of their members to any account before their Presbytery for obstinate rejecting of Paedo-baptism although the Brownists doe excommunicate for that sinne They participate with none of the Reformed Churches in the Lords Supper yet they scruple not to communicate with Brownists and Anabaptists Their way of celebrating the Lords Supper is more dead and comfortlesse then any where else They have no Catechising no preparation nor thanksgiving sermōs ordinarily they speak no word of the Sacrament in their Sermons and prayers either before or after They have only a little discourse short prayer in the consecration of both the Elements there after in the action nothing but dumb silence no exhortation no reading no Psalme They require none of their members to come out of their Pewes to the Table And they acknowledge no more use of a Table then the Brownists at Amsterdam who have none at all They teach the expediency of covering the head at the Lords Table They are as much for the popular Government as the Brownists All Discipline must be executed in the presence and with the consent of the whole people all must passe by the expresse suffrage of every one Dissenters not only lose their right of suffrage for the time but are subjected to censure if they continue in their dissent They are much for private meetings for it is in them that they usually frame the members of other mens Congregations into their new mould but the Brownists and they of New-England having felt the bitter fruits of such meetings have relinquished if not discharged them They flatter the Magistrate and slander the Reformed Churches without cause Some of them are for the abolition of all Magistracy All of them are for casting out and keeping out of the Christian Church all Princes all Members of Parliament all Magistrates of the Counties Burroughes that now are and that ever have been and are ever like to be hereafter except a very few These few Magistrates whom they would admit have no security but by the errour or malice of a few to be quickly cast out of the Church without any possibility of remedy When they have put all out of the places of Magistracy yea out of all civill courts who are not of their mind the greatest Magistrates they admit of bee they Kings or Parliaments they subject them all to the free-wil of the promiscuous multitude When Magistrates wil not follow their new erro●●s they have bin very ready to make insurrections to the great hazard of the whole State Many of them deny to the Magistrate any power at all in the matters of Religion Their principles do spoile Princes and Parliaments of their whole ●egislative power they abolish all humane Lawes that are made and hinder any more to be made The Civill Lawes which Mr Cotton permits men to make bind no man any further then his own minde is led by the reason of the Law to obedience They put the yoak of the judiciall Law of Moses on the neck of the Magistrate They give to their Ministers a power to sit in civill Courts to voyce in the Election of the Magistrats and to draw from Scripture Civill Lawes for the government of the State They offer ●o perswade the Magistrate contradictory principles according to their own interest In New England they perswade the Magistrats to kill all Idolaters and Hereticks even whole Cities men women and children But here they deny the Magistrate all power to lay the least restraint upon the g●ossest Idolaters Apostats Blasphemers Seducers or the greatest enemies of Religion No great appearance of their respect to secular learning and Schools Independency much more dangerous then Browni● The Independents prime principles Their Tenet about the qualification of members is the great cause of their separating from all the Reformed Churches though they doe dessemble it In this they goe beyond the Brownists The true state of the question is whether it be necessary
fellowshippe especially with the Saints is a preservative against the beginnings of evill and a retractive therefrom when begunne Every gratious neighbour is a Counsellour and Pedagogue the greater the incorporation is of such the better is every Member directed and the more strengthened Hence the goodnesse of God hath ordained not onely the planting of particular men into a small body of one single Congregation but for the greater security both of Persons and Congregations the Lord hath increased that Communion of Churches by binding neighbour Congregations in a larger and stronger Body of a Presbytery or Classis yea a number of Presbyteryes by the same hand of God are combined in a Synode neither this onely but for the strengthening of every stone and of the whole building the Lord hath appointed the largest societies that are possible the very Church universall and the representation thereof an Oecumenick Assembly This congregative way is divine the dissolution of humane societies especially of Ecclesiasticke Assemblyes must be from another Spirit The first we know to have opposed the holy Societyes we speake of were Anabaptists who liking a Catholicke anarchy in all things and pressing an universall liberty did strive to cut in peeces all the bands as of Politicke and Oeconomick union whereby Kingdomes and States Cities and Familyes did stand so also of the Ecclesiasticke conjunction making every person at last fully free from all servitude and simply independent or uncontrolable in any of his owne opinions or desires by any mortall man Their first follower among the reformed was one John Moreau a Parisian who in the French Churches did vent the Independency of Congregations from Synods and the popular government of these Independent Congregations But his scismatick pamphlet came no sooner abroad then the French Divines did most unanimously trample upon it In their generall Assembly at Rochell most Reverend Beza Moderator for the time and in their next Assembly Learned Sadeell with others did so fully confute these Anabaptistick follies that thereafter in France this evill Spirit did never so much as whisper only in Holland in the Arminian times it began to speake by the tongue of Grotius and others of his fellowes who being conscious to themselves of Tenets whereunto they despared the assent of any Synode yea fearing to be prejudged in the propagation of their errours by a crosse Sentence of a Nationall Assembly did set themselves to call in question and at last to deny the Authority and Jurisdiction of all Church meetings But when the goodnesse of God in that happy Synode of Dort did crush the other errours of that Party this their fansie did evanish and since in these bounds hath beene buried in Oblivion By what meanes this Anabaptistick roote which neither France nor Holland could beare when Grotius and Morellius did assay to plant it doth thrive so well in England after Browne and Barrow with their followers did become its dressers I have declared at length before However the Novelty of the Tenet the Infamie of its Authours the evill successe it hath had whereever yet it hath set up the head doth burden it with so just contempt that all further audience might be denyed thereto yet in this impudent and malapertage where the greatest absurdityes will importunately ingyre themselves and require beleefe as unanswerable and most covincing truths unlesse in a full hearing their naughtinesse be demonstrate we are content without all prejudices to reason the matter it selfe from the ground and to require no man to hate this errour for its Authours or any externall consideration unlesse it be cleerely showne to be contrary to the revealed will of God The state of the Question hath no perplexitie if its termes were cleared The Brownists affirme that every Parish Church that every single Congregation is Independent from any Presbytery any Synod any Assembly This we deny affirming the true dependence and subordination of Parochiall Congregations to Presbyteries and of these to Synods to which we ascribe power authority and Jurisdisdiction Before wee fall to reasoning let us understand the words which in this debate doe frequently occurre First what is a Parochiall Church or single Congregation Secondly What is its independence Thirdly What is a Presbytery and a Presbyteriall Church Fourthly What is a Synod Fifthly What is Authoritie and Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall We intend no definitions but such popular descriptions as may make cleare what the parties use to understand by these words A particular Church a Parish or Congregation in this Question is taken for a company of faithfull people every one whereof in the face of the whole Congregation hath given so cleare tokens of their true grace and regeneration as hath satisfied the minde of all A company I say incorporate by a particular Covenant and Oath to exercise all the parts of Christian Religion in one place under one Pastor Our Opposits affirme that in one Church there must be but one Pastor assisted indeede with a Doctor and three or foure Elders yet no more Pastors but one They will admit into a Church no more people then commodiously and at their ease may convene in one house how few they be they care not ten families or forty persons to them are a faire Church you have heard that some of their Churches have beene within the number of foure persons Independencie is the full liberty of such a Church to discharge all the parts of Religion Doctrine Sacraments Discipline and all within it selfe without all dependence all subordination to any other on earth more or fewer so that the smallest Congregation suppose of three persons though it fall into the grossest heresies may not be controlled by any Orthodoxe Synod were it Oecumenicke of all the Churches on earth A Presbytery as it is called in Scotland or a Classis as in Holland or a Collogue as in France is an ordinary meeting of the Pastors of the Churches neerly neighbouring of the ruling Elders deputed therefrom for the exercise chiefely of discipline so farre as concernes these neighbouring Churches in common A Presbyteriall Church is a company of Professors governed by one Prysbytery who for the exercise of Religion meete in diverse places or who have moe Pastors then one A Synod is a convention of Pastors and Elders sent and deputed from diverse Presbyteries meeting either ordinarily or upon occasion for the affaires that are common to those that sent them Ecclesiasticke Jurisdiction is a right and power not onely by advice to counsell and direct but by authority given of God to injoyne and to performe according to the rule of Scriptures these things which concern the Ordination of Ministers the deciding of Ecclesiasticall Causes the determination of Doctrines the inflicting of Censures c. The signification of these words being presupposed the state of the Question or minde of the parties can not be obscure The first Argumen for the truth I cast into this Forme Every Independent
a do these two divided Churches are brought together it may be much doubted if their Union shall long continue Certainly it seems not to be so cordial as that of the two lately divided and now reunited Churches a● Amsterdam For among these of Roterdam not onely the grounds of the old division do evidently remain but also the Seeds of a new breach do appear above the ground The liberty of Prophecying which Master Simpsons now Master Simons Congregation did require is not obtained in the way they desired it for they are not permitted to Prophecy in the Congregation nor upon the Sabbath day nor in the place of publike meeting Onely in a private place on a week day where some of the Church who please do meet they have liberty to exercise their gifts On the other part what Master Bridges now Mr. Parks Church did require I mean a Presbytery for Government in the Congregation cannot be obtained For however they professe the lawfulnesse and conveniency of Ruling Elders and of a Consistory for Discipline yet it hath so faln out that for many yeers they have had none neither are like in haste to have unlesse the grumbling of Master Parks and his friends threatning a new breach do force them at last to the use of that Ordinance But that which threatneth not a Schisme alone but a total dissolution of that Congregation is the Pest of Anabaptism which begins of late much to infect them P It is true the Pastors do their best to reclaim all their members from that Errour and when they finde themselves not able to prevail give good words and assurances of a full and Brotherly Toleration for as they scruple not to give the hand of Fellowship to the Brownists of Amsterdam Q so will they not cast out any from their Church for denying of Pedobaptism if the dissenting and erring party be pleased to remain peaceably amongst them But here is the pitty when the Independents have declared their greatest readinesse to tolerate and entertain in their Churches both the rigid Separatists and the Anabaptists R yet the most of those are unwilling to stay but are peremptory to separate from the Independent Churches as more corrupt then that they with a good conscience can abide in them though never so much tolerated and cherished As for their Church at Arnhem howsoever their small intercourse with others during their abode in that remote corner and their taciturnity of their own affairs makes their proceedings to lie under a Cover yet so much of their wayes is come to light upon divers occasions as will not be very inductive and alluring of indifferent spirits to tred in their footsteps First We finde them greater admirers of themselves and proclaimers of their own excellency then is the custome of modest and wise though the best and greatest men They think it not enough to anoint their Masters and Friends of New-England with excessive praises as men who have not been matched by any of the Saints since the dayes of Abraham S but they are also bold to sound out to themselves in Print in the ears of both Houses of Parliament a commendation much above the possible merit of any so small a number of men in the whole world The Synod of Roterdam they equal to the most solemn National Assemblies of either or both Kingdoms T This exceeding great worth upon whose head must it fall but either alone or far most principally upon the Members of the Church of Arnhem For that Synod did consist of no other but the two Doctors of that Church and the two Elders thereof together with Master Bridge and the Members of his Church These last were present in that Synod as persons challenged and guilty of a grievous scandal so to them in that action but a small praise can be due Wherefore the supereminent Excellency of that meeting must fall upon the Commissioners of Arnhem the onely persons which in that meeting were void of offence and free from challenges To themselves therefore it is alone or at least above all others that they ascribe the superlative praises of that Synod In that same place they stick not to take to themselves the honour of so great sincerity as any flesh in the world not onely hath at this present but possibly can attain in any following Age V We wonder the lesse to hear them canonize their Colleague Master Archer after his death among the most precious persons who ever trod upon the earth X This self-overvaluing seems to be the ground why they cry out of their very moderate afflictions as of great calamities they ingeminate to the Parliament over and over their persecution their poverty their miserable exile Y when they who understand the case give assurance that not one of Ten of the most prosperous Ministers of the whole world in the time of their greatest Sunshine do live in more wealth ease honour and all worldly accommodations then these poor miserable exiles did enjoy all the time of that which they call their banishment Z My next observation upon that Church is that an humour of innovating at least if not a spirit of errour did much predomine among them To passe by that wantonnesse of wit which in their Books and Discourses doth much appear whereby they attribute without fear to a number of Scriptures such new and strange senses as before them were never heard of We finde them pleasing themselves in divers Doctrines which no Reformed Church doth assert for truth yea their own Brethren both of New-England and of Roterdam and of Amsterdam do reject as Errours They are not content with some few little touches of Chiliasm which yet Master Cotton tells us are but fleshly imaginations AA But they run themselves over head and ears in the deepest gulph of that old Heresie The glimpse of Sions glory Preached at a Fast in Holland by T. G. which common report without any contradiction that I have heard declares to be Thomas Goodwin averrs That Independency is a beginning or at least a neer antecedent of Christs Kingdom upon Earth BB That within five yeers Christ is to come in the flesh CC and by a Sword of Iron to kill with his own hand the most of his enemies DD and thereafter to passe over a thousand yeers EE as a worldly Monarch FF with his Saints Who shall live with him all that time in all sorts of fleshly delights GG Master Archer the onely Pastor that ever they had whose praises they sound forth so loud in their Apologetick would perswade us of the same and more grosse stories HH Master Burrows in his late Sermons upon Hosea runs in the same way II. Neither is this all the new Light that did shine forth in the Candlestick of Arnhem but there also Master Archer giveth forth for the comfort of his hearers without the reproof so far as yet we have heard of any of his Colleagues