the seed of David according to the flesh whence in the New Testament he is called the Son of man As also Isay the son of a Virgin which could not be if he had not taken flesh upon him from the Virgin Mary neither should our flesh have any hope of eternall life if he were not made flesh neither should his passion or resurrection profit us at all In this point the Anabaptists are worse than the Papists yea then the Turkes themselves who confesse that Christ was borne of a Virgin The Melchiorists a kinde of Anabaptists doe not onely hold the opinion above named but also are so diabolicall and blasphemous as to curse the flesh of the blessed Virgin by maintaining this error The Anabaptists manifest themselves to be of the number of them whom the Apostle St. Iohn speaketh 2. Eph. vese 7. For many deceivers are come into the world who confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh That Christ was not true God This blasphemous Error is contrary to the holy Scripture as Ioh. 1. The word was God Ioh. 10. I and the Father am one Ioh. 4. He that seeth the Father seeth me I am in the Father and the Father in me Col. 2. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporally Againe 1 Iohn 5. We are in him that is true even in his son Iesus Christ that is the true God And againe if he were not God no created power had been sufficient for the worke of our redemption and satisfaction of Gods wrath This blasphemous opinion reigneth among the Anabaptists in Moravia I doe not find this to be maintained by our English Anabaptists but to be the opinion of Servetus who was burnt at Geneva and his followers Not to be saved by faith in Christ. What can be more contrary to the holy Scriptures than this detestable Error read Iohn 3. 16. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who so beleeveth in him shall not perish but have life everlasting Rom. 3. 24. We are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law By the work of Charity and Affliction the passion of Christ is a sufficient ransome for all our sin 1 Iohn 1. The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all out unrighteousnesse Isa. 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out all thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Heb. 9. He hath obtained for us eternall redemption nothing here perfect 1. Cor. 13. Neither in his sight can any man living be justified Psal. 143. 2. Neither any troubled conscience can be pacified Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. And for afflictions they are either just punishments for our sins or fatherly corrections to stir us up to a holy life They reject the Doctrine of originall sin because say they Christ hath taken away all evil whether it be the inclination or concupiscence according to that Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Also that children whereas they do neither good nor evill are under grace and without sin but so the Infants of all nations and Infidels may be saved being without sin but the contrary appeareth by the effect of sin The reward of sin is death Rom. 6. And David confesseth expresly Psal. 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me And St. Paul calleth our inbred concupiscence sin dwelling in us And Eph. 2. We were by nature the children of wrath They deny the Sacrament of Baptisme to Infants The ground of this Errour is Ignorance they not knowing what Baptisme is pretending Faith and Repentance to be the estence of Baptisme which Infants are not capable of and therefore not to be baptized To this I answer As faith and repentance was not the essence of Circumcision but the outward circumcising of the flesh and the inward circumcising of the heart So the essence of Baptisme is not faith and repentance but the outward washing of the water the word annexed and the inward washing of the Spirit Our Lord affirmeth Joh. the 3. Except a man be born again by water and the holy Ghost c. St. Augustine affirmeth Although sound faith be not present yet the Sacrament of Biptisme may be sound The Greek Patriarch writing to the German Divines affirmeth in Baptisme the matter to be water the forme the words viz. This servant of God is baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost the instrumentall cause to be the Minister The Anabaptists attribute too much in this Sacrament to their repentance faith mortification and merit and little or nothing to Gods mercy which is most contrary to the nature of this holy Sacrament which sealeth up unto us out receiving into Gods favour and grace for his owne mercies sake without any merit of ours To palliate this their abhominable error they pervert divers places of holy Scripture as Matth. 28. Mar. 10. Out of the order of words Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them Because that teaching is set befor baptizing they would have children taught before they are baptized To this I answer 1. Whereas teaching is set before baptizing Matth. 28. Baptizing is set before teaching Mar. 1. 4. John did baptize in the wildernesse and teach the baptisme of repentance And againe where it is said repent and beleeve whether is faith or repentance first required But where finde you say they a literall command in all the new Testament for the Baptisme of Infants To this I answer The new Testament doth not literally command Remember to keep holy the Lords day nor to say grace before and after meales or to pray with our Families evening or morning or for women to receive the Communion and many other such like things which are moral duties may be sufficiently proved by consequence out of the holy Scriptures As for example in this very Text which they alleadge against the baptisme of children the baptisme of children is there commanded Goe and teach all Nations baptizing c. The meaning is goe and teach all them that are capable of teaching and baptize them that are capable of baptizing to make this more plaine Is a man should bid his servant goe sheare all my sheep and mark them if that servant should sheare all his sheep and mark them only that he had shorn and not mark his Lambs because he could not shear them doth that servant fulfill his Masters command No more had the Apostles done if they had not marked his lambs as well as his sheep although they were not capable of teaching yet they were capable of marking or baptizing In lawes and precepts that be generall the numeration of singulars are not necessary because lawes doe
sholing together to infect one another Fire is dangerous many great Cities in Europe have been almost ruinated by it I have seen your dilligence and dexterety in quenching it in the beginning your breaking open your Pipes for water making floods in your streets your Engins to cast the water upon the houses your industry and paines is admirable Heresie is as dangerous as fire use your best endeavours to quench it before it consume us Thus not doubting Right Honourable Right Worshipfull of your best endeavours to suppresse these Heretikes and Sectaries by whom not only many poore soules are infected but also the holy name of God is blasphemed I cease most humbly entreating Almighty God to blesse this Citie and to give unto you the fruition of all temporall felicities in this life and the never-failing fulnesse of blessednesse in the life to come To the Reader THou which hast atender Conscience and desirest nothing so much as to know the right way to Heaven having many doubts which cause thee to leave thy own Pastor and runne not only to other publike Congregations but also to the private meetings of the Separatists and others for resolution For thy sake and safety I have published this Treatise in which thou maist discerne Truth from Error having their Errors set before thee with the confutation of them out of the holy Scripture OUâ— Lord and Saviour in his holy Sermon in the Mount telling his Disciples of the narrow way that leadeth unto life hee specially forewarneth them of false Prophets Beware of falsâ— Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves As if he should say my deare Disciples you hearing of the way to heaven wil be inquiring after it and especially of Prophets But let me forewarn you of false Prophets for in stead of directing you they will put you out of the way False prophets wil come they are not sent St. Paul asketh how they can preach except they be sent and this standeth with good reason every true Minister standeth in Gods room being the Lords Embassadour to deliver his will who dare to this unsent No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but hee that is called of God saith my Author to the Hebrews But whence come they now from the Schooles of the Prophets no many of them from mechannicke Trades as one from a stable from currying his horses another from his stal from cobling his shooes these sit down in Moses chaire to mend all as Embassadours of Jesus Christ as Heralds of the most high God these take upon them to reveale the secrets of Almighty God to open and shut heaven to save mens soules But to heare these fellowes to discourse of the holy Trinity of Gods eternall decree and other deep points of Divinity you may heare the mad men in Bedlam prate as wisely as they and are not their hearers that run after them as mad as they Are they not bewitched as St. Paul telleth the Gallatians To you that are my Disciples daily experience sheweth us whom the Anabaptists Brownists and other Sectaries go about to seduce viz. not drunkards Adultereâ—s Swearers and prophane persons whom the Devill hath ensnared already but such as are desirous of heaven They lead captive saith St. Paul silly women who are alwaies learning They come unto you in sheeps cloathing That is like Zealous and holy Christians For example the Devill turneth himselfe into an Angell of Light Baals Priests used long prayers the blasphemous Arrians as St. Bazill writeth were easily beleeved because of their counterfeit holinesse The Romish seducers pretend great Sanctimony the begging Fryers befool'd the Christian world with their pretended holinesse with which they 〈◊〉 their lewd lives Generally they come to you with outward sanctimony with a seeming contempt of the world with long prayers fasting teares â—lmes deeds seeming-zeale seeming-humiâ—â—â—y seeming harmlesnesse c. They come to you in sheepes cloathing insinuating themselves into you under colour of giving you good counsell as the Divell their chiefe counselling our first Parents to breake Gods Commandement promised to make them like God and tempring Christ in the â—â—â—dernesse promised to give him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them And that you may the better avoyd their inchantments I will shew you the method they use in deceiving As first they indeavour to separate the sheepe from their Shepheards bringing them into contempt with their people â—ffâ—â—ming them to be unprofitable unpowerfull taxing their conversations as prophane and doctrine as erroneous Thus smiting your Shepheards with their tongues they draw you to their Conventicles 2. To palliate their Errors they parvert the holy Scriptures as that Monster Arrius pretended to have 42 places of Scripture against the Deity of Christ and this he learnt of his father the Devill who perverted part of the 91. Psalme to tempt our Lord to cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple And for this cause these Heretikes are enemies to the ten Commandements being some of the Law to the Creed being a briefe of the Gospell and to the Lords Prayer being a perfect forme of Prayer containing all that can be asked or prayed against by which only a simple man may discerne any Heretick contradicting any Commandement of the Decalogue Article of the Faith Petition of the Lords Prayer And for this cause the Church of Rome teacheth the Laity them in Latine and also they leave out part of the decalogue in their Catechismes and for other Heâ—etikes some doe null the whole Law some the Creed and others the Lords Prayer affirming it to be abhominable Againe whatsoever outward shew they make of holinesse they are indeed ravening Wolves therefore our Lord biddeth us beware of them The word beware precedeth danger As sheep are in danger among Wolves so are your soules in danger among false Prophets The jâ—urney of the Israelites to the earthly Canaan was a type of our journey to the heavenly And did not one false prophet Balaam doe them more mischiefe in their journey then Og the King of Bashan Sehon King of the Amorites all their enemies besides yea would the Devil himselfe in his own likenesse have been more noxious to the Church of God then some Hereticks have beene As one Heretick Arrius denying the Deity of Christ in a manner infected the whole world The like did one other Heretick Eutyches erring concerning his humanity affirming the immensity of Christs divine nature to have swallowed up his humane Now if Christ had not been man how could he have dyed for us sinners and if not God how could he have wrought the salvation of mankind Alas what danger are we in now being invironed with such a multitude of Hereâ—ickes Our Lord telleth us againe by their fruits yee shall know them they pretend that they are led by the Spirit The workes of the Spirit Sâ— Paul sâ—tâ—eth forth to bee love joy peace
Sectaries are bitter Railers and especially upon their Mother the Church oâ— England calling her Apostate Israel Sodom Bobylon murthering Step-mothers Idolatrous Antichâ—istian c. They judge and condemne them that are better then themselves far excelling in the gifts and graces of God yea they condemne and slâ—nder our whole nation as a false Church false Christians a Synogogue of Satan a people in a damnable estate exempting none neither the learned'st nor the holiest but condemne all Thâ—y boast much of the Spirit but by their virulent and venomous tongues you may see what spirit is in them viz. That Spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience Michael tâ—e Arch-Angel durst not give the Devill such cursed language as the Brownists give their mother The poyson of Aspes are under their lips Barrow and Greenwood were possessed with a spirit of railing and scoffing terming set Prayers the smoak of the bottomlesse pit preaching preachment and sermocination the Preachers deliverie of the word the distilling and dropping downe of old Parables from his mouth the time of preaching disputing with the houre-glasse the Pulpit a prescript place like a Tub solemne Fasts hyporiticall Fasts and a stage-play wherein one playeth sin another judgement another the Gospell the singing of Psalmes harmonizing of pleasant ballads our Churches styes our Baptisme adulterate baptisme the receiving the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper a two-penny Feast the worship of God Idolatry and us Idolaters yea Sodomites Canaanites Beliamites Chamitesâ— Cainites 8. Magnifie their Sect. AS these Sectaries villefie others so they magnifie themselves like those men of whom the Prophet speaketh Isa. 65. Stand further off I am holier then thou And with the Pharisee they thaâ—ke God that they are not likâ— other men Or with Sâ—mon Magus gave out that they are the great power of God These cry up their owne Sect to the Skies On Mr. Bernard saith Mr. Robinson if ever you saw the beauty of Sion and â—he glory of God filling his Taberâ—acle it hath beene in the manifestaâ—ion of dâ—vers graces of God in our Church in that heavenly harmony and comely order wherein by the grace of God we are set aâ—d walke Likewise heare Mr. Smith Oh Mr. Bernard if you knew but the power and comfort of Gods Ordinance as we doe c. Touching both these boasters of their popular Government hear the censure of Mr Iohnson who sheweth them to be Korites a bellious rout pleaders for confusion c. Also Mr. Daniel Studlâ—y Mr. Iohnsons second describeth Mr Samuel Fuller a Deacon of Mr. Robinsons company with his friends to be ignorant Idiots noddy Nabalites dogged Doegs fainfaced Pharisces shamelesse Shimeites malicious Machavilians 9. Criminate the Dutch and French Church IN their separations they carry not their seduced people from us to the Dutch or French nor to any Reformed Churches to have Communion They are as malevolent to Dutch and French Churches as to us many crimes they do lay upon them as for example 1. That their Assemblies are so contrived that the whole Church continueâ—h not together so that the Ministers cannot â—ogether with their flock sanctifie the Lords day The presence of the members cannot be knowne and finally no publick action whether excommunication or any other cannot bee rightly done can they say worse of us the Lords day cannot be rightly observed nor presence nor absence known nor any holy action rightly performed what can there be in their Churches but meere confusion See what dirt these Separatists cast upon the Church that harboureth them 2. They baptize the seed of them that are no members of the visible Church of whom they have no care as of members neither admit their Parents to the Lords Supper Is not this meeâ— Babylonisme how is the Church of Amsterdam separated from the World 3. That rule and commandement of Christ Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother offend thee goe and tell his fault c. They neither observe nor suffer to be observed behold what they complain of us they find the same in the Church of Amsterdam 4. They worship God in the Idol Temples of Anti-christ so that the wine is marred with the vessels is not this an abhomination yea the Anti-christian stones have some of them the ornaments of the Romaâ— harlot upon them remaining 5. Their Ministers have set maintenance 6. Tyâ—hes or a maintenance as ill Tythes were commanded by God and never repealed but this they have leaâ—nâ— of their Tutors the Anabaptists 7. Their Elders change yearely which is not according to the Doctrine of the Apostâ—es what can our Church have worâ—e then false Governours 8. They celebrate marriage in the Church is not this a foul fault Is it not better to be married in the Congrâ—gation with prayers and Gods blessing pronounced upon them by the Minister then to be contracted privately and 〈◊〉 into a booke as men doe horses in Smithfield 9. They use a new censure of suspension which Christ hath not appointed a great presumption sâ—y they 10. They receive unrepentant Excommunicants to bee members of thir Church by which meanes they become the body with them that are delivered over to Satan Thus these Seperatists besmeare the Church at Amsterdam yea they count it a great Apostacy for one of them so much as once to heare a Sermon in any of the Dutch or French Churches 10. Pretend Scripture AND whereas they doe pretend Scripture for their novelties while the world standeth saith a learned man it connot be shewed out of Gods sacred book that he hath commanded any of these following 1. Lâ—t all decisions excommunications yea and ordinations be performed by the multitude 2. Let evey Assembly have a Doctor and a Pastor distinct in charge and office 3. Let private Christians agree among themselves to set over themselves a Postor chosen by themselves 4. To this I may adde where or when did our Lord take the keyes from the Church and give them to the multitude how dare any Lay-man presume to ordaine Ministers to binde and loose c. 11. Thy avoyd our Congregations as prophane ONe speciall cause of their Separation they pretend to be the mixt Congregations of men holy and prophane with whom they will nor communicate lest they should be defiled You have heard of the resemblances that have been made of Gods Church as namely it is compared to a field in which are some Tares as well as wheaâ— to a net wherein are contained bad fish as well as good to a fold having in it Goats as well as sheep yet is not the field to be spoâ—led because of Tares nor the net to be broken because of the bad fish nor the fold to be broken because of the Goats no we are not to depart from any Church of Christ for any scandall given to us by the members and professors therein except for extreame errors of doctrine or ungodly practises professed in it 12.
teach that in this life there is no fruit no sence no certainty of immutable election unto glory but upon condition contingent and mutable for besides that it is absurd to make an uncertaine certainty These things contrary to the experience of the godly who with the Apostle triumph upon the sence of their election and extoll this benefit of God who rejoyce with the Disciples according to the admonition of Christ Luke 10. 20. That their namâ—â— are written in heaven And lastly who oppose the sense of their election against the fiery darts of divillish temptations demanding Rom. 8. 33. Why shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect 8. They teach that God out of his meere just will hath not decreed to leave any man in the fall of Adam and common state of sin and damnation or to passe over any in the communication of gracâ— necessary to faith and conversion for that stands firme Rom. 9. 18. He hath compassion upon whom he will and whom he will he hardnâ—th And that Mat. 13. 11. To you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given In like manner Mat. 11. 25 26. I glorifie thee Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding men and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father because thy good pleasure was such 9. They teach that the cause why God sends the Gospell rather to this nation than to another is not the meere and onely good pleasure of God but because this nation is better and more worthy of it then that to which he hath not communicated the Gospell â—or Moses gain-sayes this speaking thus unto the people Israel Deut. 10. 14 15. Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord thy Gods and the earth with all that therein is Notwithstanding the Lord set his delight in thy Fathers to love them and did chuse their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day And Christ Mat. 11. 21â— Wâ—e be to thee Corazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great works which had been done in you had been done 〈◊〉 Tiâ—â—s and Sydon they had repented long agoe in sacke 〈◊〉 and ashes 2. Their Errors concerning Christs death and the redemption of men by it 1. THey teach that God the Father ordained his Son unto the death of the Crosse without any certaine and determinate counsell of saving any particular man expressely so that its necessary profit and dignity might have remained whole sound and perfect in every respect compleat and entire in the impetration of Christs death although they obtained redemption had never actually been applyed to any particular person for that assertion is reproachfull to the wisdome of God the Father and the meâ—â—t of Jesus Christ and contrary to the Scripture where our Saviour Christ saith Ioh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep verse 27. And I know them The prophet speaketh thus of our Saviour Isa. 53. 10. When he shal make his sons a sacrifice for sin he shal see his seed and prolong his dayes and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hands Lastly it overthroweth any Article of our faith wherein we doe believe that there is a Church 2. They reach that this was not the will of God that hee might establish a new Covenant of Grace by his bloud but that he might onely procure unto his Father the bare right of making againe with men any Covenant whatsoever whether of grace or of works for this thwarteth the Scripture which teacheth that Christ is made the surety mediator of a better that is a new Covenant Heb. 7. 22. and Heb. 9. 17. The Testament is confirmed when men are dead 3. They teach that Christ by his satisfaction did not certainly merit for any mans salvation it selfe and faith by which this satisfaction of Christ may be effectually applyed unto salvation buâ— onely that he purchased his Fathers power or resolution to enter into a new match with man-kinde and to prescribe them what new Covenant soever he pleased The performance of which condition should depend upon mans free-will and that therefore it might fall â—ut that either no man or every man might fulfill them for these esteem too 〈◊〉 basely of Christâ— death in no wise acknowledging the chiefest 〈…〉 excellent fruit and benefit procured thereby and will call up 〈…〉 Pelagian herisie from hell 4. They teach that the new Covenant of grace with God the Father by the mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith insomuch as it apprehendeth the merit of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it selfe and the imperfect obedience of faith for the perfect obedience of the Law graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternall life Thâ—â— concludeth the Scripture Rom. 5. 24 25. All are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through saith in his bloud And with wicked Socinus they bring in 〈◊〉 and strange justification of man before God 〈…〉 consent of the whole Church 5. They teach that all men are received into the staâ—e of reconciliation and grace of the Covenant so that no 〈◊〉 shal be condemned for Originall sin nor in respect of it be 〈◊〉 unto death or damnation but are all acquitted and fâ—eâ—d from the guilt of that sin This opinion is contrary to the Scripture which affiâ—es that by nature we are the Children of wrath This the Arminiams learnt from the Anabaptists 6. They imply the distinction of impetration and application to the end that they may infuse this opinion unto unskâ—â—full and unwary wits namely that God as much as concerne◠〈◊〉 would conferre upon all men eqâ—â—lly those benefits which are promised by Christs death And whereas some rather then â—thers are made partakers of forgivenesse of sins 〈◊〉 life eternâ—llâ— and this diversity depends upon their owne free-will applying it selfe unto grace indifferently offered but not upon the â—â—â—gular gift of mercy effectually working in them 〈◊〉 then others that they may apply this grace unto themsâ—lves 〈◊〉 they while they bear the world in hand that they prâ—pound this destruction with a sound meaning they goe about to make the people drink of the poysonous cup of Pelagianisme 7. They teach that Christ neither could nor ought to dye neither did dye for those whom God dearely loved and chose unto eternall life seeing such stood in no need of Christs death In this they contradict the Apostle who saith Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me In like manner Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Christs chosen It is God that justifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which it dead to