account in the world thou shalt have victories over these enemies and thou shalt enrich thy self with their spoiles so that no man but shall be compelled to acknowledg thee deerly beloved whom above all hope they shall see so wonderfully encreased O Church of Scotland and all yee that are for Reformation Presbyteriall against the Sectaries nourish your hopes by these things neither let your hearts be troubled whatsoever the wâ—â—ld speaks against you Secondly Because they have kept the word of Gods patience God will keep them from the houre of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth That is because they stood for my Doctrine and truth with a great deale of danger and yet with a great deale of patience have constantly continued in their duty I will therefore deliver them out of their dangers I will not suffer them to sinck and perish in their trialls but I will give them strength whereby they shall not only strongly beare their calamity but they shall also over-come and be conquerors not that the houre of temptation shall not at all touch these Philadelphians for it can hardly be in the common calamity of the whole world that they should be wholly free but to keep them from the houre of temptation is to deliver them as God saved them from the hands of their enemies that is deliver them 2. Iudg. 18. 3. Him that over-commeth God will make a Pillar in his Temple he shall go no more ouâ— c. that is God promises to make that Church over-comming being an Hebraisme nominativi absoluti and the reward is that that Church shall be like a Pillar in the Temple of God that is shall remain firm and lasting in the Church neither shall that Church feare any ruine or destruction however the raine falls the flouds beat the winds blow and all things with a joynt force break in upon them The spirit of God alludes to the two Brasen Pillars placed by Solomon in the Temple of God which set forth the stability of the sonnes of God And so by the grace of God is this Church not tainted nor corrupted with Schisme and base defection as the Church of Sardis was which having no care of a full Reformation by the just judgement of God lost the most of the people CORALL III. HEnce then from all these Errours Heresies Blasphemies and Practises of the Sectaries we may see what a great evill and sin separation is from the communion of the Reformed Churches and how highly displeasing to God for men to make a Schisme and Rent in the Church of God in a time of Reformation God punishing the Schisme and Separation of our times with so many Heresies Blasphemies wicked practises c. as I have laid down in this and my former Book wherein God witnesses from Heaven against the present separation in giving men up to great spirituall judgements and evills and indeed God testifies more against the Sectaries of our times then against the old Brownists and Separatists leaving the Sectaries of these dayes to fall into greater Errours Heresies Blasphemies and more pernicious Practises then the former few of them in comparison falling either to those Opinions or Practises which generally the Separatists do now but held to their first principles more a great reason whereof I conceive to be this the old Separatists having greater scandals and more just occasion of separating then the new the old Separatists being like men stealing upon need or some want the new like those who steale upon wantonnesse and for their pleasure the onelike wives and children going away and leaving harsh bitter hard unkind husbands and parents the other forsaking loving and kind husbands and Parents allowing them all things siting and that can reasonably be desired their sinne was not so great then as now and so the punishment not so great There are two wayes to judge of the greatnesse of sinnes and of Gods displeasure against them either by the nature and kind of them viewing them formaliter in their formality or in the effects and fruits of them effective Now this Corallary leads me to judge and speak of Schisme and Separation in the latter and among all punishments the effects and fruits which declare the greatnesse of any sinne spirituall judgements and punishments are the sorest and sadest The punishment upon the Heathen Rom. 1.21.24 c. when they knew God for not glorifying him as God and for their idolatry is giving them up to uncleanenesse and vile affections to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient suffering them to be fild with all unrighteousnesse wickednesse covetousnesse malitiousnesse deceit malignity debate to be proud inventers of evill things without naturall affection Covenant-breakers implacable c. 2. Thes. 2.11 The judgement of God upon the Antichristian world as a fruit of their sin in not receiving the truth in love is Gods sending them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye 2. Tim. 13. and the punishment of God upon Seducers is that they shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived that they who are filthy shall be filthy still Revel 22 11. Now the judgements of God upon the Heathen Idolaters upon the Antichristian Faction upon Seducers and filthy persons are upon the Schismaticks and Separatists of our times God hath given them up to feareful Opinions to damnable Heresies blasphemies God hath sent strong delusions to beleeve lyes strange conceits and God hath left them to all kind of filthynesse unrighteousnesse uncleannesse unnaturalnesse c. Whosoever doth but read and consider the First and Second Part of Gangraena must needs say that God hates Schisme and Separation in leaving those who are guilty of it to do those things they do daily I may truly say God hath set markes and brands upon this way of Separation not only burning them in their hands but branding them in their foreheads Schisme hath Coins mark and brand upon it of a Fugitive and Vagabond upon the earth How do we see in daily experience our Sectaries have no rest but wander and go from one Errour and way to another till they quite lose themselves being Saint Iudes raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring Stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever The punishment of Schisme and Separation from the Church is Separation from God Heresie Blasphemy Atheism uncleannesse unrighteousnesse Schisme doth most easily draw into Heresie and we hardly ever knew or read of any Schisme in the Curch which did not make a Heresie that it might deservedly seem to forsake the Church The ancient Fathers as Irenaeus Cyprian do excellently shew that those who forsake the Church do necessarily fall into most foule Errours against the truth of faith and some of them show that Schisme is a worse and more pernicious evill in the Church of God then Heresie and no Errour will be
shall bespeak them in those words Cant. 6.13 Return return O Shulamite return return that wee may look upon thee in the exhortation of the Apostle Peter Save your selves from this untoward generation and in that call from Heaven Come out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues I know there are many in the way who are not of the way that know not the depths of Satan who are meerly deceived out of their high opinion of some of the men and of the way as a most holy people and as a way wherein they should enjoy an heaven upon earth a great deale of love holinesse sweetnesse comfort c. Now I have good hopes that all such upon the discovering to them the dangerous Errours Heresies pernicious practices that attend that way will be recovered and blesse God for delivering them from such a dangerous snare and I am perswaded that all those who are fallen from us upon mistakes that are not Dogmatists nor engaged to the Sectarian partie upon points of credit profit interest of relations c. and shall in the feare of God and in humilitie read my first and second Part of Gangraena by the blessing and grace of God they will be a means to convert and bring them back to us and I the rather insist upon this exhortation because I find both in Histories and in the experience of our owne times that many Sectaries have been regained Iohannes Denkius an Anabaptist and a great Schollar was converted by Oecolampadius * Obbo Philippus a famous Anabaptist yet recanted and by an ingenuous and free confession laid open the impostures of his companions and Theodor. Philippus out of the perswasion of Obbo afterwards repented Many Anabaptists were reclaimed by learned Musculus and among the rest one who was a Schollar afterwards being made a Minister of the Church spent a great deale of pains in converting the Anabaptists And now in these times in mine owne and other Ministers experience some who have been of that way told us they thought the Anabaptists a most holy people which made them to joyne with them but now seeing their errours and their loose practices what a wicked people they are that hath caused them to leave them And among the Independents I know some who have forsaken the Church-way and are returned to our publike Assemblies A Minister of that way and a Pastour of an Independent Church for some years upon re-examination of his former grounds and holding them up to the light by the word of God and the writings of some Presbyterians giving grounds out of the word of God saw the Independent way to be a garment full of holes and from the factions divisions hee saw in that way and the strange opinions and errours that the members of his Church run into hee is turned Presbyterian a Minister of one of our Congregations in England and hath publikely in his Parish Church given God glorie recanted professed his being humbled for being in the Independent way and is a great Zealot for Presbyterie and against Independencie Another of that way a good Schollar Fellow of a Colledge member of an Independent Church in London upon reading some books against Independencie and other things he found in that way left his Church and is a profest Presbyterian I could tell also of a School-master member of a Church in New-England who is of our Churches now since his coming over but I must hasten and unto all these examples for to cause you to returne consider these following particulars 1. Stay no longer in the way of Schisme and Separation wherein thou art but upon all these discoveries of the Errours Heresies Blasphemies c. of the Sectaries leave them left God be provoked to leave thee to go a great way further then yet thou art from Independency and Anabaptisme to a Seeker to Arrianisme Antiscripturisme yea Blasphemy and Atheisme 2. The Independent Church-way is a way of errour confusion division a way that God never shined upon nor blessed spiritually with the blessing of edification onenesse of heart and peace in their Churches but hath been a bitter root of division contentions errours in all places of the world where ever such Churches have been set up as in New-England Holland Iland of Providence the Summer Ilands Old England 3. Come out from these Sectaries this Babell lest being partakers of their sins you be partakers of their plagues also for these Sects as I have shewed you in the second Corallary must be destroyed and cast out and not onely out of this Church but out of all the Christian world and that either as the lesser Antichrists the fore-runners of the great Antichrist or together with him as a part of Antichrist the tail of the Beast and then all the friends and lovers of Sectaries the merchants who were made rich and traded in the commodities of the Sectaries shall cast dust upon their heads and weep and waile when they see all that is come upon them And for a conclusion of this Corallary I shall wind it up with that sad and patheticall exhortation of M. Brightman to the Separatists of his time applying it to our Sectaries now There is in the Church of England a twofold great good the preaching of the Word and the administration of the Sacraments in either of which Christ imparts himselfe celebrating a mutuall feast with them hee is first received of us by the hearing of the Word then he doth againe receive us in the Supper of his body O we most base and unworthy as often as we fly away from hearing the Word I for we refuse Christ our Ghuest O we wicked despisers as often as in the Sacrament with our brethren wee with-dâ—aw our selves I for we despise Christ calling us to the Supper But these things are added for the singular comfort of the godly For who would not feare and with all speed thinke of flying from this Church when they should heare the condition of these Ministers to be so hatefull to Christ as that in a shorte time unlesse they repent he would spue them out of his mouâ—h unlâ—sse that in the words of Christ himselfe they had been assured of communion and fellowship with Christ in that Church Praise therefore to thee O most meeke Lamb who finding the doores shut against thee dost not being stird up with fury presently withdraw thy selfe and deprive us according to our deserts of salvation but still leavest a plentifull store of thy selfe to all them who open to the knocking by thy word and do not contemn thy most gracious invitation by the Sacraments Therefore it is a wicked and blasphemous errour of them who do so forsake our Church as if Christ were wholly gone from hence neither could there be any hope of salvation to them who staid in it ☜ Let them think that Christ is here supping with his Is it
Schismes earnestly praying to God that none of the things which You and we have cause to fear may come upon You and the Kingdom but that God would mercyfully pardon that too great suffering countenancing spreading and prevailing of Errours Heresies and Schismes which hath been in this Kingdom these four last years and would fil you with such a love and zeal to his truth and house that you might throrowly purge out all things that offend and cause the false Prophets and the unclean spirits to passe out of the land speedily and effectually lay the top-stone upon the building the foundation whereof you have laid long ago fully settle this Church and the Government of it Whereby we may be brought into one and become terrible as an Army with banners and like a strong and fenced City both against schismes that may arise from within and the assaults of enemies without Your Honours humble and most devoted servant THOMAS EDVVARDS The Preface IN the last week of Iune or the first of Iuly 1644 in one of those two weeks I am certaine came forth my Answer entituled Antapologia to the Apologâ—ticall Narration Ever since which time I have forborne the Presse out of an expectation of a Reply which was with great confidence by many of the Independent party at severall times given out I should have with much patience passing by the many reproachfull scornfull speeches and railings both in publike Sermons and printed Pamphlets and many other waies cast upon me and my Antapologie I was not willing to be provoked or to trouble my self at the barking of every dogge who according to kinde did bark at the Moon that 's all but not hurt it could scoffe and jeer at the Antapologie but knew not which way to go about to answer it but rather resolved to reserve my time and strength for some learned and solid Reply from the Apologists or any other for them to which I might have given a Rejoynder But now eighteen Moneths being almost expired since the Antapologie came abroad into the world time sufficient for five such eminent persons or some other to have retuâ—ned an Answer in if ever they intended it and now being without all hopes of any Reply from them there being none in the Presse as I can learn but rather 't is given out by the Apologists themselves and their neerest friends that for peace â—ake they forbeare it which let them beleeve it that will I do not I shall waite no longer but am reâ—olved to appear again in publike against the errours of the time and to set forth Tractares and Discourses upon such Subjects and Points as I conceive may make most for the glory of God the peace of this Church and be most seasonable for the present necessity be opus dies in die suo I have all this while out of choise and upon serious deliberation declined the setting forth any Tractate of the Controversies of the time although I have been by Learned men oft call'd upon yea earnestly follicited thereunto left the Apologists or some other for them should have taken occasion by answering that to have some cloak and excuse for not replying to my Aâ—tapologie but having given all this time and finding by experience all their great words and threats of an Answer both in print by Mr Iohn Goodwin yea the Apologists themselves in the Assembly and many of their disciples to be but meer flourishes and great swelling words of vanity on purpose to feed their deluded Proselytes for the present who called upon them for an Answer I shall now finde them more work and adde many other Treatises to the former And however upon the Reason before specified I have been thus long silent and discontinued the Presse yet for hereafter I do give it under my hand that I will make amends and redeem the time because the dayes are evill promising the grace of God enabling me and sparing me life health and liberty that for this next year or longer as the troubles of the Church may continue to be often setting forth one Tractate or other I aime at and shall endeavour to be like that tree spoken of in the Revelation to yeeld fruit every moneth and that the leaves of the tree may be for the healing of these Nations Now to give some account to the Reader of the nature of this following Discourse and of my scope therein This present Treatise is not so much against any one errour and sect as against all I have heard of a Discovery of and Directions against that many headed monstrous Hydra of sectarisme sprung up in these times in Eâ—gland a worke and undertaking which I well know and expect will cause me all the hatred envy and danger which the cunning malice power or blinde zeal of all the sectaries in England can procure Paul speaks in his Epistles to the Corinthians among other troubles of his fighting with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of mâ—n 1. Cor. 15.32 and of a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him 2. Cor. cap. 12. which were none of the least dangers and sufferings he met withall as will appear both by looking into the texts themselves and consulting some learned Divines upon those Scriptures Now in this present work and some other following Tractates something like to these I have to conflict with namely wilde beasts grievous wolves as the Scripture calls hereticks and false Prophets Mat. 7.15 Acts 20.29 and with messengers of Satan false Apostles transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2. Cor. 12.13 and 't is never the lesse hazardous nor difficult that they are wolves in sheeps cloathing and Satan transformed into an Angell of light Now for me a poor weak sinfull man who have no armes of flesh to back me none of those relations to the great Noble and mighty of the times which many have in an age and time when truth is fallen but heresie and errour prevails in all places cried up as new light and as new truth yeâ— sectarisme is set up in places of honour and profit and sectaries are delivered to appear in open field against and to contend with them is a hard and dangerous service But I know whom I serve and he who is with me is stronger then they who are against me and in this cause of God his truth and all the reformed Churches I fear not what man can do unto me I well understand that I put my hand into a Hornets nest and shall raise up against me all the spirit of separation schisme and errour thorowout the Kingdome from the highest Seeker to the lowest Independent but I value it not jacta est alea as Luther spake upon a like occasion I can comfort my selfe with that of David Psal. 118.12 They compassed not about like Bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns but in the Name of the Lord I will cut them off That God which delivered Paul from
is not willing to be named in Print neither may I lawfully do it without their knowledge and leave besides that were the way for the future to deprive my self of the knowledge of many opinions and practises if I should print the names of every one that hath imparted intelligence to me 3. In this Catalogue of Errours under one and the same Errour which for number I make but one that I might not seem needlesly to multiply Errours and that I might contract things yet under that one Errour teere are more branches it may be two or three now though one part or branch of such an Errour as the former part is expresly set down in Books that are in many hands yet other branches are not but only have been expressed by word of mouth Now in such a case to quote Books speaking but to one part and not to the whole might question my faithfulnesse in all other particulars unto these I could adde more but these may suffice 7. Yet further to satisfie the Reader of the truth of things contained in this present Treatise and to stop the mouths of Sectaries who will be ready to put off all by giving out that this Book is full of lies and fables I do here offer upon condition that some exemplary punishment may passe upon some of the prime Seducers and heads of these Sects and some effectuall course taken for the future to remedy and suppresse these Errours to make a legall proof by witnesses and other concurrent circumstances of the most notorious and grossest matters which may of all others seem most questionable whether Errours Blasphemies or Practices set down in this following Catalogue Seventhly I premise this for the Christian Reader to remember and for preventing mistakes in this work that though I set down and joyn together all the following opinions in one Catalogue because they all agree in uno tertio in that common notion of Errour yea all agree in Independency and in forsaking the communion of the Reformed Churches yet I am far from thinking them all alike A Scholar that makes a Catalogue of Books writes down Decimo sextos as well as Folios in it because they be all Books and yet puts a great deal of difference between the one and the other so do I notwithstanding I put them together All the Errours reckoned up are not of the first magnitude nor in the highest form some are fundamentall Errours overthrowing the foundation directly many by consequence and deduction others are superstructures building upon the foundation hay straw and stubble I put a wide difference between a simple pure Independent yea a simple Anabaptist who only holds that opinion of denying Poedobaptisme and between an Arian Antitrinitarian Antiscripturist Perfectist Again I put a difference between erroneous persons that erre out of ignorance weaknesse and are seduced following those opinions in simplicity of heart as some people did Absolom and are peaceable keeping their opinions also to themselves and such persons as are wilful seducers the heads and leaders of Faction who make it their work to disturb the peace of the Church and to subvert souls In all this discourse I desire to think of Iude 22.23 And of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them c. Eighthly I desire to forewarn the Christian Reader and do earnestly beseech him for his own good that he be not offended nor hindred from beleeving the truth and laying to heart the particulars laid down in this ensuing Treatise no not by all the clamours reproaches that may be cast upon my Book and person It cannot be expected but that Satan and the Sectaries will make it their work by all wayes possible to blast this Book to keep from reading and beleeving it as they used all wayes to reproach my last Book and to keep Christians all they could from reading it Blind and erroneous zeal is violent and what it wants in arguments it will make up in clamours lyes and speaking all manner of evil falsly of them that discover lay it open as Luther speaks the world cannot bear that the things of it should be condemned therefore from every part hatreds treacheries calumnies evill speakings are heaped to oppresse that Doctrine and those Teachers who oppose it And therefore let them speak evill as long as they will and give out 't is a railing lying peece yet let me speak to the Reader as the Apostle doth 1 Thes. 3.3 4. That no man should be moved by these afflictions for we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it s come to passe and ye know so now I tell you before that when you hear of all kind of reproaches ye may not be offended Iohn 16.1 Now the second particular under this first generall head is to remove two stumbling blocks out of the way to give an answer to two objections that may be made against this present work 1. Object It may be some will object and say It is not seasonable nor convenient to discover our nakednesse and weaknesse so far to the common enemy it were better concealed the enemy will make an advantage of it Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph 2. Sam. 1.20 Ans. The prevailing of Heresies and Sects among us is not now to be discovered and published to the world It hath not been all this time kept within our own walls and known only to our selves but hath been a long time known abroad and at home and hath been declared by divers others both in writing and preaching before now so that I shall not divulge any secret to the common enemy all that I do is but to draw them into one that we may see them as it were at once our Errours and Schisms are spoken of far and near by enemies and friends How many Sermons have been preached before the Honourable Houses of Parliament and in other publike places speaking of the Errours of the time which have been also printed long since by command of Authority and exposed to the view of all Many Learned men have given a Catalogue of severall Errours as Mr. Gataker of many Antinomian Errours Mr Baily one of the Commissioners of Scotland of other Errours and Dr Featly Mr Paget with some others In Books upon all occasions 't is confessed by men of severall judgemens and denied by none that we have many great Errours amongst us many Errours have been complained of to the Houses of Parliament Committees Assembly and examined spoken of in the presence of many besides that some Errours are vented even of the grossest sort in Print as in Pilgrimage of Saints Bloudy Tenet Mortality of the soul Man of sinne discovered cum multis aliis Yea some of the Sectaries have in their writings published and acknowledged there are many sorts of Opinions
vein going thorow the whole in one word the great Religion of that sort of men in the Army is liberty of conscience and liberty of preaching But heretofore both in times more ancient and latter and in other Countries severall sects kept themselves more to their own proper tenets without that generall conâ—usion of each running into all as the Arians Novatians and others in the first six hundred years and the Antinomians in Luthers time Secondly That all these sorts of sects how different soever yea and contrary to one another in many principles and opinions yet all agree in these times in separating from our Church refusing comunion in our publike Assemblies and in disallowing the authoritative power of Classes and Synods all the sects yea the worst of them as the Antiscripturists Arians Antitrinitarians Perfectists being Independents and Separatists though all Independents and Separatists be not Arians Antinomians c. which deserves the more to be thought on because in the Primitive times some heriticks and sectaries would have been glad of communion in warship with the Orthodox Arius desired to be received into the Church of Alexandria again and made such friends to Constantine that upon his pretending repentance he commanded Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria to give him the hand of fellowship and to admit him as also they approved of the power of Synods and Councels comming unto them The Arians Donatists and other Sectaries held many Councels as that of Tyrus Antiochia the first Councel of Carthage in Constantines dayes of these and many more we read of in Ecclesiasticall Histories I never read of any Independent Minister in all the Primitive Churches no not amongst the Sectaries for the first six hundred years save only in the dayes of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage who living in the fift Century in an African Synod and Councel held at Carthage declares There are many who conspiring with their own proper people who they do deceive scratching their itching eares and with fair speeches seducing men of a loose life or rather puffed up separating themselves from this society who think they must attend to their own proper people and being often called to the Councel refuse to come along left their absurdities and novelties should be discovered and made manifest against whom Aurelius moved that they might be deprived of all authority over their proper people as rebellious and disorderly which was consented to and voted by the whole Synod saying placet placet Thirdly That for the errours and opinions laid down in this Catalogue some are contrary and contradictory to others of them so that many of these errours fight among themselves this indeed is one great difference between truth and errour that truth though it be contrary to errour yet one truth is never contrary to another truth is one and uniforme but many errours are not only contrary to truth but to errours also yea some of these errours are most contrary to what ever could have been expected many of the persons who hold these opinions being fallen into some of the errours of Popery Arminianism Libertinisme and those of the grossest sort as the Reader in the Errours hereafter named may more easily perceive which they spoke so much against heretofore and for fear of which comming in upon us they first began to forsake this Church so that they have wheeled wheeled about so long on the right hand that they are perfectly come round to the left The Catalogue of the Errours Heresies Blasphemies is as follows 1. THat the Scriptures cannot be said to be the word of God there is no Word but Christ the Scripures are a dead letter and no more to be credited then the writtings of men not divine but humane invention 2. That the Scripture whether a true manuscript or no whether Hebrew Greek or English is but humane and so not able to discover a divine God Then where is your command to make that your Rule or Discipline that cannot reveal you God nor give you power to walke with God so that Christ letting out himself as he is in himself ought to be a Christians Rule in obedience to himself 3. That the Scriptures are unsufficient and uncertain there is no certainty to build any Dâ—ctrine upon them they are not an infallible foundation of faith 4. As the condition of Adam Noah Abraham Moses c. was that they did walke with God by the teaching of God so is ours that is not to limit Christ to Adam Noah Abraham Moses David Iohn and the Disciples As they were not to tye God to any things before them recorded but each of them had a new record so are not we to limit God in the generall records of those paths but wait upon him in the enlargement of the Gospell what he will record you and far be it from me to conclude either in Doctrine or practise that half of his glory is revealed as yet As that I should enclose Christ in such a small compasse as we have recorded though I rejoyce to understand it in the searching thereof yet pressing toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God waiting what he will record in my heart and in that measure worship him in spirit and truth from the teaching of the Spirit 5. That the holy writings and sayings of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles and the proper Names Persons and things contained therein are Allegories and these Allegories are the mystery and spirituall meaning of them 6. That the Penmen of Scripture every one of them writ as themselves conceived they were the actions of their own spirit and for what is said they were moved by the holy Ghost that was no other Spirit then that which moved them to writ and speak other things for in him we live and move and have our being 7. That the Scriptures of the old Testament do not concerne nor binde Christians now under the new Testament so that when places of Scripture are brought out of the old Testament to prove Points many Sectaries make slight of them and say Give us a text out of the new we are ignorant of the old and hereupon some of them do not binde the old Testament with the new nor read it 8. That right Reason is the rule of Faith and that we are to beleeve the Scriptures and the Doctrine of the Trinity Incarnation Resurrection so far as we see them agreeable to reason and no farther 9. That the new Testament nor no place of Scripture in it binds any further then the Spirit for present reveales to us that such a place is the Word of God 10. To read Scripture in English to a mixt Congregation without present expounding it is dangerous and worse then to read it in Latine for in Latine as it doth no good so it doth no harme 11. That God hath a hand in and is the Author of the sinfullnesse of
these papers with theirs or for some other use and being lent them by Presbyterians who are plain honest men and not acquainted with policies they keep them and cannot be entreated to returne them agâ—ine but being asked for them pretend some excuse or other of which I could give instances naming the persons and things at large but I spare them 26. They practise and endeavour to get Sectaries and those that way affected to attend on and be about cordiall Presbyterians that are of qualitie place and power both to observe and watch them and to qualifie them and do some good offices for the Sectaries of which I could give notable instances but I must only hint it and leave Presbyterians to their owne observation 27. About the time of moulding the new Army some of the Sectaries gave out where ever they came and went from one to another both to Ministers people that such and such call them what you will are the men that will fight cordially for you overcome the Cavaliers and when they have done they will either submit to the Government established or else leave the Land you need not feare them and this they laboured to possesse all men with that so without muttering or speaking against there might the more Sectaries get places in the Army and yet we see now by experience that upon all motions and petitions for setling the Government or against Toleration the Army is spoken of And will you discourage those that fight so bravely and that God hath made so instrumentall to you and that if they may not have libertie of conscience and libertie to preach the Army will be discouraged and if they may not preach they will not fight and after victories we have been minded by Letters from the Army of libertie of conscience and expecting no compulsion in matters of the mind 28. They upbraid in printed books and speeches many Presbyterians particularly of the Assembly with their former conformitie yea they brand and asperse them that they have been great time-servers Innovators and this they do to make the people beleeve that what they do now is not out of conscience but to serve the times and that such men are not likely to have the truth revealed to them nor fit to have a hand in the Reformation who have so polluted themselves with corruptions in worship and the inventions of men and among many good Mr. Calamy hath been abominably belied in this kind especially in that late railing Pamphlet of Mr. Burtons called Truth still Truth though shut out of doores whereas many of the great Sectaries themselves and principall Ring-leaders in each Sect as Anabaptists Antinomians Independents c. were not only Conformists in the way of old conformitie but great Innovators and forward Episcopall men the innovations of Altars bowing at the name of Jesus reading the book of Sports causing the people to come and kneele at the Rail threatning and bringing their tender conscienced people into the spirituall Courts yea into the High-Commission being practised by some of them and I challenge the Sectaries to name so many of the Presbyterian partie who appeare for that Government by writing or other wayes to be so faultie for Innovations and serving the Bishops as I can name amongst them The full Relation of the time-serving and Innovations of Denn Cox Ellis of Colchester Dr. Holms Saltmarsh Cummins Wale of Norfolk cum multis aliis would make a new book and the best of the Independents will be found upon search yea them of the Assembly not only for many yeares to have been Conformists but to have gone further in conformitie to the Bishops than some of us As for example Mr. Burroughs in the times of the Bishops pressing Innovations was wont to ride up and downe the Countrey in a Canonicall Coat and I ask him Mr. Bridge and Mr. Greenhill whether they besides Subscription took not the oath of Canonicall obedience and gave not some monies to the repaire of Pauls Church in London whereas I as great a Conformist as some of the Sectaries would make me to have been never had a Canonicall Coat never gave a penny to the building of Pauls took not the Canonicall Oath declined Subscription for many yeares before the Parliament though I practised the old Conformitie would not give ne obulum quidem to the contributions against the Scots but disswaded other Ministers much lesse did I yeeld to bow to the Altar and at the name of Jesus or administer the Lords Supper at a Table turned Altar-wise or bring the people up to Rails or read the book of Sports or highly flatter the Arch-Bishop in an Epistle Dedicatorie to him or put Articles into the High Commission Court against any but was my selfe put into the High Commission Court and Pursevants with Letters missive and an Attachment sent out to apprehend me for preaching a Sermon at Mercers Chappell on a Fast day in Iuly 1640. against the Bishops and their Faction such a free Sermon as I beleeve never a Sectarie in England durst have preached in such a place and at such a time To conclude for this time the practices of the Sectaries it is apparent they make the propagation and advancement of their way and partie in opposition to the Presbyteriall Government their supreme Law for the effâ—cting of which they have and do use all means though dishonest and unlawfull they say and unsay affirme and deny make promises and break them go backward and forward and in one word have dispensed with their most sacred principles of Church-fellowship so as such things may make for the increase and advancement of their partie of which I could give a world of instances Ob. But it may be it will be said What are the practices of some men and matters of fact to a way it is arguments must convince men not practices Answ. Much everie way in this because both in printed books Pulpits and Discourses the practices of the Sectaries are brought to perswade people to forsake our Churches and to come to them as the great holinesse sanctitie selfe-deniall humilitie innocencie of that partie with their painfull preaching without great livings or expecting Tithes and on the other hand the Presbyterians are branded as men of no great pietie holinesse charitie and if it were not for livings of two or three hundred pounds a year they would turn Independents and many people are drawne more by these things than by all their Arguments Now therefore the discovering to the people nakedly and truly their practices may undeceive them and be as good a means to bring them back to the Communion of the Reformed Church as ever the false representation of them was to mis-lead them Here followes a Copie of some Letters with a Narration of Stories and remarkable passages concerning the Sectaries The Second Part OF GANGRAENA OR A fresh and further Discovery of the Errors Heresies Blasphemies and dangerous Proceedings of the SECTARIES
serve Christ in establishing the true worship of God and to suppresse all false worship and doctrine 2. Hee calls upon Kings and Judges to be wise implying First That the conceit of their owne wisdome by which they are pufâ—ed up hinders them from learning that which is their duty and truely right Secondly implying Magistrates of all sorts both Kings and Judges are subject to want spirituall wisdome and to be fooles to goe by crooked rules of carnall policie as Ieroboam fearing to lose parties to part with any State-interest c. rather then to keep close to the word of God to doe their duties and to trust him 3. The Psalmist teaches Kings and Judges wherein true wisdome and understanding consists viz. in serving the Lord with fear and kissing the Son not onely in their own persons serving God and subjecting to him with the kisse of honour and reverence as ordinary private men but quatenus tales as Kings and Magistrates to submit their Scepters to Christ to serve him and to convert the power they have received from God to the propagation and defence of his Kingdome Then indeed as learned Gerhard speaks Kings and States serve Christ and kisse him if themselves doe not only receive the doctrine of Christ and imbrace it by faith but also with the power given them of God see to this that purity of doctrine shall be preserved in the Church Idolatrie and false worships shall be abolished wolves shall be driven from the fold of Christ the Ministers of the Church shall be competently provided for c. And Austin speaking upon these verses of the Psalmist in one of his Epistles saith To whom is it spoken Serve the Lord with fear c. Is it not to Kings But how do Kings serve the Lord with fear unlesse it be by a religious severity forbidding those things which are against the commands of the Lord For every one of them serves him after one manner as hee is a man after another manner as hee is a King for as hee is a man hee serves him in living faithfully but as hee is a King hee serves him in making Lawes commanding just things and prohibiting the contrary like as Ezechias served him in destroying idols groves and high-places like as Josias served him c. 〈…〉 â—4 God by the Prophet here threatens Kings and Judges that if they doe not serve him with fear and kisse the Sonne hee will be angry with them and they shall perish from the way that is the sudden fury of God shall surprize and intercept them whilest they are in the midst of their way so Calvin To perish or be lost in the way imports sudden destruction whilest they are in doing their actions so Ainsworth upon the place And for a conclusion of this Corallary O that any particular Members of Parliament who are for pretended liberty of conscience a Toleration of Sects favourers of Sectaries and out of those principles hinder all they can the setling of Religion and Government by civill sanction would often and sadly meditate upon this Scripture and be wise now whilest there 's time thus to serve the Lord lest suddenly when they least think of it they perish from the way and God make them examples for adhering so pertinaciously to the Sectaries and that party They may read in Ecclesiasticall Stories what hath befalleâ— Princes for not serving the Lord in fear and kissing his Son and they see before their eyes the many evils that have befallen the King and the great straights to which hee hath been reduced for favouring too much the Popish and Prelaticall party against the minde and humble desires of both his Kingdomes and can particular persons think who are not Kings but under that title of Judges that they can prosper long in standing for a Sectarian faction against the minde of both Kingdomes and that the Kingdomes will not see and desire to understand how it comes about and by whose means 't is that wee having taken a Covenant for uniformity in Doctrine Government c. and for extirpating of Heresie Schism and the Parliament having declared and made Ordinances for Presbyteriall Government and declared in some Declarations and Remonstrances against Anabaptists Brownists preaching of men not ordained and against leaving particular persons and Congregations to their own liberty that yet all things should be done quite contrary with an high hand For may not now whoever will both preach and gather separated Churches print and act against Presbyteriall Government and for all sorts of Sectaries Yea such persons are countenanced preferr'd in all places and to all kinds of Offices and imployments which makes many turn Independents and the most zealous cordiall men against Sectaries are displaced or discountenanced or obstructed c. These things doe seem strange and against all reason that the Parliament professing and declaring one thing yet the quite contrary in all things of this nature should be done daily in Citie and Countrey In the worst times when the King was most mis-led by the Councels of Prelats and evill men about him there were not actions more contrary in many Ministers of State and other persons to Proclamations and Declarations then are now to Ordinances Declarations and Votes of Parliament and yet we hear of few censured or made examples Now the people every-where say These things could not be persons durst not be thus bold to doe these things but that they know they have some great ones to back them and stand by them and the people enquire after and speak who they be and questionlesse will represent these things as unsufferable and as most dishonourable to the Parliament and they will humbly desire these things may be remedied by the power and wisdome of the Parliament and therefore O that all such would be wise in time be wise now desert the Sectaries further the work so much the more as before they have hindred it for there is an emphasis and weight in that Adverb now signifying they should do it speedily because the same opportunity will not be alwayes given and the Psalmist hints they may yet do it profitably if they make haste but if any doe persist and goe on working day and night rolling every stone to uphold that party he that strikes thorow Kings in the day of his wrath will not spare them and they shall finde by sad experience when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him CORALL V. HEnce then from all the Errours Heresies Blasphemies and wicked Practices that are to be found among the Sectaries in their Assemblies and Conclaves let all such who have been deceived and drawn to them under pretences of greater purity holinesse c. and have any fear and awe of God and his Word be exhorted to leave and forsake them and to return to the publick Assemblies and communion of this and other Reformed Churches and I
The bitternesse bloudinesse which Cretensis charges upon Mr. Edwards will be found in Cretensis and the Sectaries p. 54 55 Cretensis Errour about Imputation of Faith and not Imputation of Christs righteousnesse with his quoting of Calvin Bucer and others for him who are known ex professo to be against him made good against him p. 56 57 58 Cretensis desperate passage in a Sermon against the Parliament which he labours to clear himself from made good against him with his and other Sectaries speaking slightly and scornfully of the Parliament p. 59 60 61 62 Cretensis bowling on a day of publike Thanksgiving made good p. 63 64 The Errours and Practises of the Independents and Sectaries justly brought against them to prove their way to be naught p. 65 66 and in Epist. to the Reader p. 2 3 A clear confutation of that accusation cast upon the Author of the Book entituled Gangraena concerning his indirect walking between Dunmowe and Godalming p. 67 68 69 70 A clear vindication of the truth of that story of Nichols Master Greenhill and Master Burroughs related in the first part of Gangraena with a discovery of the jugling and equivocations of Master Burroughs writing given under his hand to Cretensis p. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 Master Burroughs resembled by Cretensis to Achilles and Master Edwards to Troilus where see Master Edwards answer to that comparison p. 80 81 A Reply to that passage of Master Edwards being charged to abuse Mr. Ellis of Colchester and the servants of God in those parts p. 81 82 A full proof of such a Sectary as Thomas Moore though denied by Cretensis p. 86 The strength of malice and weaknesse of judgement which Cretensis hath manifested against the Saints p. 87 88 Cretensis his fearfull abusing of the Honourable Court of Common Councell p. 89.90 The clearing of that relation of one Cosens of Rochester and the confutation of Cretensis Answer in that businesse p. 92. to p. 105 Cretensis his folly and horrible pride discovered in professing he had not read one quarter of the Book as yet nor knowes whether he shall ever care to read it through or no. p. 108 Some brief Animad versions on Master Bacons Book and one Webb p. 109.113 114 115 Some Practices of the Sectaries p. 117 118 119 A relation of some more stories and remarkable passages concerning the Sectaries p. 119 to p. 125 The summe of a Sermon preached by a Sectary a Surgeon belonging to the Army p. 125 126 A Ballad made by the Sectaries of the Assembly of Divines p. 128 The Assemblies last Petition answered by Saltmarsh with the Anagram upon his name M. al 's trash p. 129 A Letter of advice to the Ministers Assembled at Westminster with the Sectaries threatning of them p. 129 A confutation of the Picture made of the Presbyterians by the Sectaries p. 130 131 132 Copies of Letters and some Extracts of Letters concerning the Sects from p. 133 to p. 142. more particularly a Letter from a learned Divine beyond the Seas shewing how London goes beyond Amsterdam in Errours and Heresies p. 138 A horrid and unheard of Blasphemy of one Io. Boggis a great Sectary p. 134 A story of a Sectary maintaining that he was Jesus Christ. p. 142 A cleere discovery how farre the Sectaries of this time have proceeded and how high they have risen p. 145 146 147 A cleere discovery of what is like to become of the Sectaries and of their way p. 148 Eight symptoms of the certain ruine and downfall of the Sectaries from p 148 to p. 159 God will honour our Brethren of Scotland to make them a great means of the falling of the Sectaries with the proof of that p. 159 160 161 A discovery of the great evill and sin of separation from the communion of the reformed Churches p. 161 162 163 164 Magistrates Ministers and all sorts of Christians have been asleep and too carelesse that so many Tares have been sowen and are grown to such an head p. 164 An exhortation to all those in Authoriâ—ty Kings Parliaments and all soâ—â— of Governours in high places to serve the Lord with feare to kisse the Son p. 165 166 An exhortation to some particular members of Parliament who are for pretended liberty of conscience and â—avourers of Sectaries p. 167 An exhortation to all those who have forsaken the publike Assemblies to returne p. 168 Some examples of Anabaptists and Independents who had forsaken the communion of this and other Reformed Churches repenting and returning p 1â—â— The great difference between the carriage of the Independents and our Brethren of Scotland p. 172 and the particulars instanced in p. 173 174 The faithfulnesse and reality of our Brethren of Scotland towards us all along from first to last p. 174 175.176 The happines of England in being joyned with them in Covenant as in other respects so that whensoever we shal come to have a Peace in al probability it will cause us to have a better a surer and a better grounded Peace p. 176 177 The names of some Ringleaders of Faction and of Errours not named in the Table of the first part of Gangraena Mr. Saltmarsh p. 20.87 124 Mr. Durance p. 124.131.144 One Tho. Colyer p. 122. One Gorton who came from New-England p. 144 FINIS Tantis tam eximijs virâ—utis ornamentis enituit tum Episcopus tum Imperator Uâ—rumque enim admitor alterum propter ingenuà Ioqueâ—di libertatem alterum propter facilem obedientiam And Theodosius speaking of Ambrose saith Aegre tandem reperi veritatis magisuâ—m Nam solum Ambiosium novi Episcopum diguum eo nomine Tantum comâ—odi reâ—pâ—ebensio a viro virtuâ—e praestanti ad hibira secum apportate solet Theo. Eccl. Hist. l. 5. c. 16 17. * Book intit Toleration Justified page 7.8 printed in this last January * Calvini Instructio Adâ—ersus Libertinos cap. 4. pag. 104. * M Salimarsh Smoak In the Temple in which are some desperate errours Book about Baptisme and calling maintenance by Tithes Iewish and Popish undeniably * Ames Animad in Remonstr Synodal Script super Artic. 5 de Persev sanctorum cap. 7. de Solomone Certum est Solomonem non introduxisse â—ut admisisse idola in demum Dei neque adegisse populâ—m ut vel â—ei verum cultum desererent vel colerent idola neque probari potest â—um in sua propria persona coluisse idola Hoc tantum cercum est de ejus idololatria quod infatuatus á mulieribus idololatricis permiserit eas construere Aquinas in Ephes. 5.12 Istis ergo nolite communicaâ—e imitando coadjuvando conlentiendo Sed certe hoc non sufficit nisi etiam eos reprehendatis Videâ—etit â—etit of the Lord Maier Aldermen and Comâ—â—nâ— of the City of London presented to the House of Peers Jan. 16. * Ex quo etiam sonte manavit ut idem Valentinianus senior sineret in Occidente inter Christianos quam quis vellet fidem