be faire warnings to forwarne not only prophaners of the Sabbath but also all such as by their perâ—icious Doctrine teach men to prophane it Traskites SO called of one Mr. John Traske whom the Author knew well His opinions were that it was not lawfull to doe any thing â—orbiâ—den in the old Law nor to keep the Christian Sabbath One Theophilus Braborne endeavoured with him to bring back againe the Jewish Sabbath and to that purpose writ a Book in the yeare 1632. The Positions concerning the Sabbath by them maintained were these 1. THat the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue Remember the Sabbath day too keep it holy c. Exod. 20. is a divine precept simply and entirely Morall containing nothing legally Ceremoniall in whole or in part and therefore the weekly observation thereof â—â—ght to be perpetuall and to continue in full force and vertue to the worlds end 2. That the Saturday or the seventh day of every week ought to be an everlasting holy day in the Christian Church and the religious observation of this day obligeth Christians under the Gospell as it did the Jewes before the comming of Christ. 3. That the Sunday or Lords day is an ordinary working day an it is superstition and will-worship to make the same the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement Of this opinion was Theophilus Braborne As the Anabaptists will have no children baptised because there is no expresâ—e command for it in Scripture so these Sabbatarians will have no Sunday because they can find no expresse Text for the alteration of it Iohn Traske for his Judaicall opinions was censured in the Star-chamber to be set upon the Pillory at Westminster and from thence to bee whipt to the Fleet there to remaine Prisoner three years after he writ a recantation of all his Schismaticall errors Also Theophilus Braborne had his doome in the Star-chamber and afterwards renounced his Errors by conference had with Doctor Vhite Lord Bishop of Ely which caused him to write a book of the Sabbath For the observation of the Lords day we read there is among others a Treatisâ— of Doctor Bonners called A profitable and necessary Doctrine wherein on the fourth Commandement Sunday is oft called by the name of Sabbath and thereon saith he we must have our mindes quiet and free from all worldly cares and give them entirly and wholly unto God both privately and publikely and that wee must occupy our selves in thought word and deed as may be to the glory of God with spirituall edifying both of our selves and also of our neighbours and that every one must instruct his children servants and family in vertue and goodnesse and as Saint Augustine saith Serm. 251. Let us marke and see that our rest be not vaine or fruitlesse but that wee being sequestred from all rurall workes and from all businesse doe from the evening on the Saturday untill the evening on the Sunday give your selves to divine service Onely and after such sort we doe duely or well sanctifie the Sabbath of our Lord And to prove the Sabbath day to be kept he citâ—th Gen. 2. 5. Exod. 16. 25. Exod. 23. 12. Exod. 31. 14. Exod. 35. 2. Numb 15. 35. Some Some Christians there be that keep both Saturday and Sunday as the Ethiopians Of the Iesuites This sorâ— or Order is of a latter Edition then the Anabaptists and therefore not to be omâ—tted In descrebing of them I purpose to set downe 1. Their Originall 2. Their Government 3 Their Errors in which they doe not agree with other Papists 4. That they are of all Sects most pernicious and dangerous 1. FOR their Orignall the first Foundation was one Loyola a Spanish Souldier who was maimed by the French at the siege of Pampelona his right leg being broken by a shot and his left leg with a stone cast from the wall This Order boasteth much of heavenly visions and divine revelations not unlike the Coetanij the Anabaptists is that the blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Ignatius with her Son Iesus in her armes perswading him to erect this Order to which she promised to be propitious They will tell you that Ignatius was rapped up into heaven and that Almighty God shewed him the 〈…〉 or frame by which he created the world with many such like fancies Moreover whereas other orders beare the name of their founders as the Dominicans of Dominicke the Franciscans of Francis they beare the name of Jesus whereas saith my Author they came from the devill the father of lyes they being the last Engine and device of Satan to supplant the truth This Order was confirmed Anno 1540. by Paul the third Bishop of Rome Gregory the 13. Bishop of Rome gave to the Iesuites a place in Rome called the Island in which they demolished many houses turned many widdowes out of their dwellings and built themselves a most magnificent and sumptuous Colledge It is reported that it cost in building 25. Tun of gold in which the Pope placed 500. Jesuites of severall nations 2. For their government the Jesuites have a chife whom they call their Generall who attendeth upon the Pope in Rome their late General was Claudius Aquaviva his Office is to governe the whole Order and to make new orders and their Generalls commands the Jesuites receive as divine oracles They believe and obey their Generall as Christ himselfe Next their General they have foure Assistants who as their Generall attendeth the Pope so doe they attend their Generall The office of these four are to promote the Popes authority into the foure quarters of the world The Iesuites their Emissaries abroad signifie unto them in writing how Princes stand affected to the Church of Rome Moreover theie office is with the Generall to send Governors Visiters Recters and preachers to the whole Order and to send forth the inferiour Jesuites into all places of the world who take upon them all manner of fashions to doe mischiefe among souldiers they are arrayed like souldiers in Princes Courts like Noble-men attending forraigne Eâ—bassadors in Ciâ—ies like Merchants yea sometimes they beg of Protestant Ministers as men banished for religion And all this to dive into the secrets of State and to disclose the Counsells of Princes 3. For their Errors Chemnitius setteth downe 26. some sew of which I purpose to relate and especially those in which they differ from other Papists First they presumptuously arrogate to themselves the name of Iesus which is a name above all names 2. They place their Generall in equall authority with Christ saying the voyce of our Generall is the voyce of Christ. 3. The Jesuites generally maintaine the Popes temporall power as well as spiritual that he may depose Kings and dispose of their kingdomes which the French Papists doe not allow of viz. Their decree set forth Anno 1611. and among us Hart Bartley Preston and others disclaime this power given by the Jesuites to the Pope 4. They deny the lawfulnes of the Oath of
command the whole kind and therefore the holy Apostles baptized whole Families in which we find none excepâ—ed as St. Peter baptized Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. 48. St. Paul baptized the Jaylor and all that belonged unto him Acts 16. 33. Lydda and her houshold Acts 16. 15. The houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16 c. Again whereas our Lord commandeth Mark 10. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not How properly can an Infant come unto Christ but by Baptisme Repent they cannot beleeve they cannot as the Anabaptists affirm But by baptisme they may come where the Minister in Christs stend receiveth them and blesseth them and why all this Of such is the Kingdome of God and therefore saith our Lord Forbid them not St. Peter saith Acts 2. 39. The promise is mad to you and your children and therefore be baptized To whom the promise is made and covenant let no man forbid baptisme which is the seal of the Covenant Again the faith of the Parents may warrant their Infants baptisme yea though they have but an hystoricall faith and not a justifying if they can credere ad baptismum though not adsalutem this faith maketh their children capable of baptisme many in the Apostles time were baptized having onely an historicall faith as Sâ—mon Magus and others Moreover these phrases Teach and baptize Repent and beleeve Beleeve be baptized are meant of such as were of riper years and made profession of the Christian faith or else the estate of Christian infants in the Gospel were much worse then the condition of the Israelitish Infants under the Law which to affirme is an horrible indignity offered unto Christ. Last of all most blasphemously they call baptisme of Christian mens children the mark of the Beast and to come from Antichrist and especially from Pope Innocent the third who lived about the yeare 1213. Learned Mr. Calvin affirmeth the baptisme of children to be a holy institution alwayes observed in Christ Church All the reformed Churches use it and it hath ben the practice of the universall Church The Greek Church who yearly excommunicate the Pope to whom St. Paul preched baptize their Infants as Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth And Origen who lived about the yeare 226 about 1000 yeares before Pope Innocent whom the Anabaptists would make the author of pedobaptisme The Russians who received the faith from St. Andrew the Apostle and account the Pope of Rome an Heretick hold a necessity of baptisme and put to death them that neglect and deride baptisme what would they doe with these men who blaspheme it The Abyssiâ—s or Ethiopians who received Christianity from St. Matthew the Apostle doe baptize their Infants viz. their male children at fourty dayes of age and their females at eighty The Armenian Christians to whom St. Barthoiomew preached the faith baptize their Infants Baronius writeth that these Christians had a thousand Bishops The Iacobites who are a numerous sort of Christians doe the same yea they mark their children with a hot Iron with the signe of the crosse alluding to the words of St. Iohn He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire The Cophtie or native Christians of Egypt to whom Saint Mark preached baptize their Infants these Christians have no communion with the Pope of Rome The Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the faith do the like The Matacasion Christians in Africa affirme children dying without baptisme to be deprived of eternall beatitude The Melchites one of the greatest fort of Christians in the Orient as Boterus affirmeth do the same The Nestorians under the Patriarch of Muzal who as Cardinall Vitriacus affirmeth are more numerons with the Iacobites then the Christians of the Latin and Greek Church doe the same These account the Pope of Rome a reprobate Bishop The Circassians Mengrellians Georgians Maronites Cephalians with all the orthodox Christians in the Universe baptize their Infants Erasmus wondreth what evill Devill entred them who forbid the baptisme of children used by the holy catholick Church for above 1400. years Also the Britains to whom Simon Zelotes preached have alwayes baptized their children and have honourably esteemed of that Sacrament administred to their children until some of these hereticks fled hither out of Germany where they burnt hanged and drowned men of that Sect till they had suppressed them They came into England about the year 1535. and as they could be found we did the like to them burning some and banishing others but since the yeare of our Lord 1640. they have crept out of their holes lift up their heads chalenge our Divines to publick disputations preach in our Churches publish their blasphemies print their bookes seducing multitudes of people And moreover to speak of the curelty of these Sectaries who depriving Infants of baptisme put them all out of the estate of grace We read of Herod the Tyrant who destroyed all the children in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof is not this a far more cruell sentence to set all infants in no better state then Pagans and Infidels without Christ Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as strangers from the convenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Can any sober Christian but think this to be a barbarous cruelty It is not lawfull to take childrens bread and give it to dogs but these conclude children to be no better then dogs The Propher Elisha wept when he lookâ— upon Hazael fore-seeing that â—e should dash the Infants of Israel against the wall Hazael thought himselfe worthy to be so esteemed if ever he should â—â—e any such things And certainly thus to deprive Infants of baptisme is a more cruell act then to dash their bodies against stones Let these men also consider how much they provoke Christs displeasure against themselves he was greatly displeased with his Disciples for forbidding little children to come to him and one day they shall find him much more displeased with them who with great violence oppose the bringing of children to Christ in this holy Sacrament and with wrong injury and slander prosecute the Ministers of Christ who administer this Sacrament to Infants condemning theâ—â—or Ministers of Antichrist yea condemning all Churches â—or Antichristian who will not cast their children out of â—be covenant of grace The Lord open their eyes that they may see their errour and repent of it To conclude the baptismâ— of children is commanded in holy Scripture the holy Apostle baptized whole families the ancient â—athers testifie the same the holy Catholick Church of God alwayes used it Let not the Devill enter into the heart of any man to belâ—â—ve a fâ—â—acick unlearned mechanick man not an Angel from hâ—aven that teacheth a contrary doctrine What greater mischiefe can the Devill and his Imps do then to make a schisme in the Church and rob Almighty God of all his Lambsâ— and cut off so many millions of
Christian Churches in the world untill the Anabaptists To conclude let the Brownists confesse our Bâ—shops to be but Christians which they cannot deny and the Ordination of our Ministers will be lawfull by their owne rules for if the Ordination of their Ministers by Plâ—beian Artificers be lawfull how much more is the Ordination of our Ministers by Bishops and learned Ministers qualified with learning and wisedome and set apart to doe the same 16. Brownists Ordination BUT let them shew who devised their Ordination of Ministers I dare say not Christ nor his Apostles nor their Successors What Church in the whole world can be produced unlesse in case of necessity whose conspiring multitudes made them Ministers at pleasure What rule of the Church prescribeth it What Reformed Church ever did it or doth practise it What example warrants it where have the inâ—eriours presumed to lay their hands upon their Superiours It is an old policy of the faulty to complain first certainly there was never Popish Legend a more errand device of man then some parts of this Ministery of theirs so much gloried in for sincere correspondency with the first Institution 17. For their Singing FOR their singing of Psalmes it is almost left among them for in Master Iohnsons Assembly they had new râ—ymes but in so harsh and hard a phrase that the people knew not what they meant so that they could not sing with understanding 2. These being in use and the coppies being kept from the people by that means singing of Psalmes was kept from the people and shâ—t out of private houses 3. Againe by reason of the uncouth and strange translation and Meetre used in them the Congregation was made a laughing-stock unto strangers Master Daniel Studley pleaded for the continuance of those rhimes the Congregation complaining of them For saith my Author he had a good veine in making thimes especially filthy and obscene ones which he taught unto little children his Schollers and to Mistris May who used in her house to sing such songs being more fit for a common Bawde then for a person professing the pure separation They object against all the Churches in Amsterdam that they have Organs to modulate their voices in singing Sure I am the Separatists also had need of somewhat as a Bag-pipe or somewhat never used by Antichrist to tune them singing in their Conventicles like hogs against raine Here I might aske some questions viz. why singing set Psalmes doth not confine the spirit we being commanded to sing with the spirit as much as saying set Prayers and why the brethren inspired with the spirit doe not every day sing a new song as make a new Prayer which are set prayers to the People and why the people may not pray together with the Minister as it was the custome of al Christian Churches as sing together And lastly why Lay-men doe not pray in the Church aswel as preach or prophesie in the Church Do they not in forbidding the people to pray with the Minister as the Papists do in depriving the people of the Cup in the Sacrament and that for the honour of the Priest-hood 18. Of their prophecying AS the illuminated Anabaptists are called Preachers so the fanatick Brownists take upon them to be Prophets and to preach the word of God with all authority publikely in their Congregations St Panlasketh how they can preach except they be sent And this standeth to good reason every true Preacher standeth in Gods roome being the Lords Embassador to doe his will who dares doe this unsent These come not from the Schooles of the Prophers but from Mechanick trades set them down in Moses Chaire as Embassadors of Jesus Christ as Heralds of the most high God These take upon them to reveale the secrets of the Almighty to open shut heaven to save soules But to hear these fellowes discourse of the holy Trinity of Gods eternal Decree other deep poynts of Divinity you may hear the Mad-men in Bedlam prare as wisely as they May not Almighty God say to these mad Prophets what hast thou to doe to take my Word in thy mought c. Of their confused preaching or rather prating heare Mr. Simpson complaine and especially of the Prophets in Master Ainsworths Church For our manner saith he of meeting upon the Lords day it is with such a confusion and contradiction with one another that our profession of Separation may be overthrowne by it For example Thomas Cochi in his prophesie witnessing against England their Ministery is anti-Anti-christian and being so cannot beget true faith and where there is no true faith there is no true salvation a fearefull sentence in my judgemnt Again our beloved Mr. de Cluse in his prophesie laboured to prove separation from a true Church for any corruption obstinately stood in this Doctrine was by another in prophecying there shewed to be absolutely contrary to the place Rev. 2. 24. which how unsoundly it was concluded by our Teacher was â—â—en observed by many Also it was since by another delivered in the way aâ— prophesie that even among our selves did reigne in my 〈◊〉 as namely fulnesse of bread pride and idlenesse 〈…〉 in that they were not satisfied with neither temporall nor â—pirituall food pride in that many did strive to goe beyond their calling idlenesse in that many were negligent in their callings If these things be so and be not redressed by the 〈◊〉 of this proâ—hesie we must according to Mr. deâ—Cluse his Doctrine make a new sâ—paration How oft doe the Brâ—threâ— except one against anothers prophecying by which much heart-burning and strife is â—indlâ—d between them Thâ—se thiâ—gs being well considered I pray you well to minde whether this new way of prophecying on the Lords day can be â—or the edification of the Church or not For this new propâ—â—ying of the Lay people read a Treatise newly set forth by 〈◊〉 Apolâ—nij 19. They will use no set Formes of Prayer THey finde fault with set Formes of Prayers and this also they learne of the Anabaptists who having burnt all the Books in Munster and in the Dominions of King Iohn of Zâ—â—on except the Bible were compelled either to pray without book which they call Praying with the spirit or not at all moreover the Anabaptists were so ignorant as Lambertus Hortensiâ—â— reporteth that among the numerous multitude of them 〈◊〉 was not one found as it was credibly reported that could read So they being not able to pray within book but all without book They have with the Brownists invented divers arguments against set Prayers They pretend set Prayers to be a device of man a muzling of the spirit a nurse of idlenesse and a meanes to neglect the graâ—es of God that are in them whereas they pretend extemporary prayers to be the work of the spirit whereas rather thereby they â—â—zzell the spirit of the people being tyed to the ex tempoâ—e and 〈◊〉 prayers of the Ministers
and the Word was with God and the Word was God 3. The eternall generation of the Son to be against reason against truth refuted Mic. 5. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephrata out of thee shall come to be a Ruler in Israel whose goings have been from of old from everlasting John 1. 14. Psal. 7. Col. 1. 15. 4. Christ not to be called God in respect of his Essence but by reason of his dominion which is refuted Iohn 10. 30. I and the Father am one 1 John 5. Heb. 1. 3. Psal. 2. verse 7. 5. The Holy Ghost to be God refuted Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy hearâ— to lie to the holy Ghost 4. Thou hast not lien to men but to God Isa. 4. 8. 16. Iob 33. 14. Psal. 33. 6. From these false Doctrines and Heresies good Lord deliver us These Hereticks have been heretofore burnt among us as Anno 1611. March 18. Bartholomew Legat an 〈◊〉 Arrian was burnt in Smithfiâ—ld he refused all favour contemned Ecclesiasticall Government And in the monâ—â— of April following one Edward Wightman was burnt at Liechfield for the same Heresie Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie heâ—â—ing of them said shee was very sorrowfull to heare that shee 〈◊〉 such Monsters in her Kingdome and truly it grieveth me very much to relate their blasphemous and devillish opinions Of Millenaries AN Heresie frequent at this time This Sect look for a temporary kingdome of Christ that must begin presently and last a thousand yeares Of this Opinion are many of our Apocalypticall men that study more future events then their present duty and more rules by Prophesies then Precepts This Fancie is most dangerous for all estates 1. For to promote that Kindome of Christ they 〈◊〉 that all the ungodly must be killed 2. That the wâ—cked have no property in their estates 3. That the promise might be fulfilled that the meek must inherit the earth This Doctrine filleth the people with a furious and unnaturall zeale which breathes nothing but fire and sword and maketh them to look upon their Countrey-men with such an eye as the Anabaptists cast upon Munster when they came first to it viz. a malignant and covetous eye discerning their prey and marking the rich men to ruine destruction God deliver us from such a Reformation brought by a multitude missed with a frantick zeale and giddy Revelations This was the ancient Error of Cerinthus who was a Jew and lived in the time of Domitian the Emperour about the yeare of our Lord 96. Among other Errors he taught eternall life to be here in earth where we should enjoy all pleasures of the flesh That after the resurrection Christs kingdome should be upon earth and corpâ—rall and that men should live in carnall concupiscence and lust for one thousand yeares He dyed oppressed by the fall of a Bath when St. Iohn the Evangelist with some of his Disciples were bathing at Ephesus and saw this Heretick Cerinthus in the Bath he leaped out saying let us depart lest the Bath fall upon us Cerinthus being here the enemy of truth which came to passe as sone as Saint Iohn was gone out of it as is set downe in these Verses of Stigelius Impia Cerinthus sansto convitia Christâ— Dum facit stulta garrulitate furit Concidit rando blasphemum contudit ictu Collapsae subito facta ruina domus This ancient Heresie condemned by the Church and long agoe buried is now revived in these latter times You shall finde this heresie confuted in the Chapter of the Anabaptists Hetheringtonians THE Author of this Sect was one Iohn Hetherington a Box-maker 1. This Hetherington being a Trades-man cast off his Trade and betook himselfe to be an Interpreter of the Scriptures to many persons keeping private Conventicles 2. He maintained and published the Church of England to be no true Church of Christ. 3. He was a man dis-affected to the Government and Discipline of the Church of England and agreeth with the Familists holding with them the perfect purity of the soule 4. He maintained and published the Sabbath since the Apostles 〈◊〉 to be of no force and that every day is a Sabbath as much as that which we call the Lords day or Sunday 5. He maintained the Books of Esdras was part of the Canonicall Scripture and that they ought so to be esteemed For which erroâ—â—ous opinions tending to the disturbance of the peace of the Church to the seducing of many silly soules he was adjudged for a dangerous Sectary and among other 〈…〉 upon him this was one that he should recant his Errors at Pauls Crosse. His Errors before named are confâ—ted by Doctor Denison in a Sermon of his which he preached at Pauls Crosse at the recantation of the fore-said Hethrington He recanted them at Pauls Crosse and hath lately written against the Familists The Anti-Sabbatarians THese Anti-Sabbatarians hold the Sabbath day or that which we call the Lords day to be no more a Sabbath in which they goe about to violate all Religion for take away the Sabbath and farewell Religion The Morality of the Sabbath doth consist in a mysticall resting from sin but in celebrating an appoynted day in seven to the worship and service of Almighty God 1. The Sabbath was instituted in the time of mans Innocency 2. The manner of promulgation of it in the Decalogue is worrhy to be observed God saith Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day 3. This Law is not placed among the Ceremoniall or Judiciall Lawes but in the Decalogue it selfe 4. The reasons for keeping it are expressed in the Commandement viz. Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thâ—â— hast to doe but the seventh day is the Lord c. Reasons why the Lords Day is to be observed 1. BY Morality of the fourth Commandement because the Morall Law is not abrogated by the Gospell but established Rom. 3. 3. 2. Because this day on which our Lord rose hath been observed by all Christians It was kept at Ierusalâ—m Aâ—â—s 2. 1. It was kept at Troas Acts 20. 7. At Patmâ—s Rev. 1. 10. And in all Christian Churches in the whole world 3. The ancient Fathers have pressed the observation of this day Ignatius saith Let every one that loveth 〈◊〉 celebrate the Lords day St. Basil saith when as 〈…〉 dayes prescribed by the Law are abolished yet ther◠〈◊〉 one great day of the Lord which never shall be abolished Their Testimonies are infinite 4. God hath from time to time shewed his feâ—refull judgements upon prophaners of his day as you read in the Practice of Piety A certain Husband-man griâ—ding corne â—n the Lords day had all his meale burned to ashes another carrying corne upon the same day had his Barn and all his Corn the next night burnt A certaine Noble-man usually prophaning the Lords day by hunting had a child by his Lady 〈◊〉 had a head like a hound Many exaâ—ples of Gods judgments are there set down all which may