a meer taking of the name of God in vain When the Lord shall reject all their sacrifices c. as vain and hide his eyes from their Addresses as in Isa 1.10 to 16. Then shall they be in danger of the greater damnation with them mentioned Mat. 23.13 14 viz. The Scribes and Pharisees ☞ Come we nearer yet and look we amongst our selves and here we shall find Formalists Separatists and Atheists to add to and fill up this number of Will-worship and Error to make up a Monster with seven heads like the Dragon or Beast Rev. 12.3.17.3 The fifth sort of Fanaticks are Formalists I say 5. Formalists mistake me not I mean such persons as are all for Service and Ceremony that is the observation of the Liturgy and other Rites inteneded only at first for decency and order and for the instruction of the weak and ignorant in the first principles of Christian Religion This being done our Formalist sits down with a Sufficit It is enough all is done that need to be done Hereupon he slights the powerful Preaching of the Word of God as a thing useless needsels or to very little purpose which yet is so often and strictly commanded and by which we are led on to perfection Heb. 6.1 And without which we shall still remain Children in understanding against the Apostles mind 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren c. It is or may be well known that none hath a more reverend esteem of well-composed Orthodox Forms of diviue service c. for Order Peace and Unity in the Church then my self yet was I never so simple since I studied Divinity as to think this to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Col-Ha-Adam the only and whole work of a Christian as if nothing else were to be done though I thought it ausual preparation to the rest but our Formalist here takes up his rest slights and sets preaching aside and values the Preacher accordingly if he suit not with his humour the Gourd and Pine Shrub and Cedar Bramble and Vine are all one to him and if he had power to his will he would as soon strip a Church or Nation of the faithful powerful Soul-saving-Preachers of the Word of God as any Schismatick Anabaptist or other Sectarian in the world would do it And this leads me to the next sort of Fanaticks viz. Separatists Separatists These are of many sorts and have multiplied marvellously in these late times of licentious liberty Here you may see Brounists Barrowists Independents Anabaptists Fifth Monar Quakers Seekers Ranters and I know not how many more yet this you may observe That all or most of these can hold communion one with another but none of them conjoyn in communion with the Orthodox all these you know I have parallelled with Papists those grand Fanaticks in four particulars viz. 1. Schism They begin with Separation and divide themselves 2. Uncertainty of Doctrine Therein they had no bottom 3. Independency They will endure no controule of any other Church Synod or Counsel 4. Antichristianism in their opposition of Magistracy and Ministry in the right use and power of them Besides their Church-gathering Church-number Church-Preachers Church-Censures their Self-conceitedness Censoriousness their rigid Discipline and vain dependance upon Revelations Inspirations and Enthusiasms with Papists and others that do so and generally their common Tenets about Tythes Relations as Husband and Wives divorces c. Christs worship Church-covenants and Administration of the Sacraments c. of which I have observed about the Number of twenty particulars Ap. All which are the fruits of their own devices and after the imagination of their own heart without warrant and Authority from the Word of God as hath been excellently discovered by many Learned and worthy Pons which doth justly intitle them to be Fanaticks Lastly Atheists These are they that fill up the Number and do bring up the Rear These are such as have set God aside and do reject his Word and in Scripture-phrase are said with the rest to walk after their owne devices the Imaginations of their own hearts and in their own wayes Now that which fixes this Title upon them is this Look what the Conceit and Fancy the Vision Revelation or Enthusiasme of any of the rest is to them the same is this mans inbred-Corruption and Sathans suggestion to him they say that they must do that which the Spirit doth suggest to them Ap. So saith this man That which his own Spirit or Sathan the evil Spirit suggesteth to him that he will do he is resolved upon it and nothing shall divert him from it Tell him the Word of God is against him and that his wayes do tend to destruction c. he will bid you depart from him he cares not for the knowledge of those wayes Job 21. He will quickly answer you and perhaps desperately as they did the Prophet Jer. 2.25 That as they had done formerly so they would do still and as for the Word of the Lord in his mouth they would not hearken to it nor obey it nor be perswaded by him but they would persist in their own Courses and let come what would And you may soon know what did come and that did cost them dear because they would take no warning Thus desperately do these Atheists rush on to Destruction whom I do therefore stile Fanaticks because they do reject the Word of God the most infallible Rule of Life and are wholly steered and guided by the devices inventions and evil imaginations of their own wicked heads and hearts to avarice how hainous or hurtfull soever before God and to men Thus have I opened to you the word Fanatick and applyed it to whom it doth most properly appertain viz. to Pagans Turks Jewes Papists Formalists Separatists Atheists Of all which for they differ much in degres and Qualities 1. The Pagan is most to be pittied 2. The Turk is to be destroyed 3. The Jew is long since rejected of God Rom. 11. for Vnbelief 4. As for Antichrist the Papacy the Lord shall consume it with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy it with the brightnesse of his coming 2 Thes 2.8 9. 5. Let the Formalist add to his Formality the true practice of piety and power of godlinesse the Life of Religion 6. And the Separatist abate of his self-conceitednesse and Censoriousnesse and get an humble peaceable and charitable Spirit ☞ So both these may be reduced to the old and good way which like Vertue is seated in the middest betwixt Extreams on either hand to which it declineth not but remains like Mount Zion or the Rock which is unmoveable on which it is founded Psalm 125.1 7. As for the Atheist there is no hope of him untill he be converted which if in Mercy it do ever befall him he will reject with indignation his own devices and wholly submit to the Dictates of Gods Holy Spirit manifested in the Word of God Ap. So that of all these the Formalist
2. The Breakers down of the fence of this Vineyard and the wild beasts that devour this Vine 3. And the thief that enters this House For when either the Husbandman Vinedresser or House-keeper are asleep how soon may the Field the Vine or House be surprized and Tare-sown wasted or entred by an Enemy 2. Exhortation For how often are we exhorted hereunto to Vigilancy and Industry for the prevention of all Errours Heresies and dangerous opinious repugnant to the Truth Rom. 16.17 I beseech you mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are c. and so frequently in the Epistles And that charge of the Apostle at his Farewell is never to be forgotten Acts 20.28 to 33. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock c. And for instance 1. And how praise worthy were the primitive Churches that took such care by their great grave and general Councels to prevent the growing and overspreading of those Tares that began to spring in their Times Those four first general Gounsels especially at Nice against the Heresie of Arius and other Errours Anno 330. circiter 2. Constantinople against Macedonians who denied the Holy Spirit to be consubstantial with the Father and the Son An. 380. 3. Ephesus against Nestorius that held two persons in Christ Anno 431. 4. Chalcedon against Autyches and Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria who blasphemously affirmed the two Natures in Christ to be confounded and become but one nature after the union of the humane with the divine nature Anno 451. To which four Councels the Reformed Churches do adhere 2. The like care did the Orthodox party take from time to time by Councels and Synodes General National and Provincial to crush if it might be Errour in the bud and prevent it of taking Root and growth 3. The like godly care have all the Reformed Churches of Christendome taken viz. 1. England 2. France 3. Helvetia 4. Bohemia 5. Belgia 6. Augusta and 7. Saxony in the harmony of their Confessions and in Articles of Religion as also by Counsels and Synodes National and Provincial 1. To preserve Union and Peace amongst the Churches 2. And to prevent Schism Faction and Divisions which are the very Nurseries of Errours and Heresies to the great disquiet and trouble and as much as in them is to the utter undoing and ruine of the Church and the overthrow of her Doctrine Peace Unity and Concord 1. Of the Rule upon which she is founded 2. Yea and of her Piety Unity Peace and Concord which are the Materials wherewith this House is raised and cemented fast together 3. Reproof How justly doth this third Use serve to reprove the faults of all those Leaders Teachers Doctors and Pastors of the Church especially that are negligent in this case and Gallio-like in another case Acts 28.17 1. Care not what Errours invade the Church and seduce the Children and Members of the same 2. Or hinder and not admit of such means whereby the maladies of a Church may be either prevented or cured so that they may sit at ease and enjoy Immunity and Liberty without controul And the first we shall take take to task for this fault are the I. Romanists or those of the Church of Rome statu quo in the state it now standeth and that for three things especially viz. 1. Separation 2. Vncertainty of or obstinacy in their Doctrine or Tenents as now it is with them 3. Their Independency and uncontrouableness admitting no means of redress The 1. Began or entred them The 2. Enlarges them And the 3. Confirms them and makes them obstinate and incorrigible in Erronr 1. They entred with Schismatical contentions Excommunication and Separation from the Eastern Churches about divers things in which they manifested great Pride and Arrogancy all tending to Schism and Division as the Celebration of Easter c. 2. In their progress they made a further Separation from the Truth in divers particulars which are evidently known and strenuously as well as voluminously refuted by many Worthies From all which Worthies they always separated and departed Ap. So that nevertheless they do charge the crime of Schism and Heresie upon the Reformed Churches yet the truth is that these never separated from them in what they were right when the Apostle left them till forced thereunto but only from their newly introduced Errors and Heresies which in porgress of time produced an incompatability of peace and Communion with Rome If they held to the orthodox faith and right Doctrine of the Antients they must proclaim no peace with Rome ☞ So as that the charge of Heresie and Schism fixed and charged by them upon us is clearly and really found upon themselves II. Touching the uncertainty of their Doctrine and Tenets and their obstinacy in the same it is evident and clear that when they once laid aside the Scriptures and made the Popes Decrees or Decretals of equal Authority with the Seriptures the word of God 1. Their Tenets are marvellously varied and altered 2. And they are still obvious to more variations and changes neither can they be otherwise whilest they do ascribe a power to the Pope to add at his pleasure to their unwritten Traditions which must as inviolably be observed as the commands of God and therefore it is no wonder that they do obstinately persist and continue in the same III. Touching their Independency it is clearly manifest that the Pope and the Clergy maintain themselves to be free from yea and above the controule of any Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical Ap. And therefore they did not only 1 Resist the pious and grave admonitions of the antient Fathers of the Eastern Churches and others of former times 2. But since they would never endure the tryal of an Oecumenick or general Councel though they have been often called upon to that end 3. Much less of any inferior Synode or other Councel or any part of the Reformed Churches in all their advertisements tending thereunto So that by this means they prevent all ways imaginable by which they may be reformed of the manifold Maladies and Errors that are crept in amongst them which now can no more be conceal'd than Gray hairs in the head and the oyl in the hand of a man Hos 7.9 2. The second sort of persons jnstly blame-worthy for preventing a Church of the means of recovery out of Errours and Heresies and hindering the Church of helps in that case are the antient Separatists of former times which are guilty of 1. Schism 2. Heresie And herein to let pass all those abominable Heresies of divers recorded by the Antients Epiphanus Augustinus Ambros c. I shall only look upon the two Sects of the fairest of them and that began with the greatest pretence of piety and zeal of Gods glory viz. 1. Novatians and 2. Donatists 1. Novatians took their name of their Leaders which were 1. Novatus A
the progress of that Truth by which we are all to be guided and in the belief of that Doctrine in the practise of which we all hope to be saved See Ezek. 3.17 and 33.7 I have made thee a watchman c. Ergo 1. hear c. at my mouth and give them warning from me The Separatists of these latter times have been the unhappy Revivers of the so long since exploded Errours of the Novations Donatists and others of old I. Anabaptism was first broached in Germany by one 1. Nicholas Stock who was a man answerable to his name as Ebion in his time was Anno circiter 1520. 2. Tho. Muncer was bred in his School 1. Stock affirmed that God spake to him by an Angel and revealed his Will to him in dreams 2. Tho. Muncer kept a Racket in Abset and Thuringia 3. And after him John Leydan Cnipperpdoling and their followers marvellously infected and infested Munster Anno 1532. The Chips of this Stock alias Block kindled such a fire in Germany that by Tumults raised by them in Germany Holsatia and Swethland there were slaughtered no less then 150000. persons within a few years Dr. Featly against Anabaptists p. 182. To Stock and Muncer you may add their other Leaders Melchior Georgius Tuscoverer and others who deluded the people with pretended inspirations visions dreams and revelations Idem p. 205. 1. These began with Separation as those before named did 2. Their Errours were many very changeable and many of them abominable 3. Their Independency or Obstinacy was incorrigible for they would be controuled by none 4. And their End for the most part miserable II. Brownism as it is commonly called or Separatism 1. Was set on foot by one Bolton the first know Separatist in England who terrified in conscience for his Errours He did recant his Separation and hanged himself Judas-like 2. Robert Brown Anno 1580. a rash young man succeeded who when most of his separated Congregation on a sudden turned Anabaptists at Middleburg in Zeland whether they went over to enjoy their liberty 1. Returned into England 2. Recanted his Brownism 3. Received a Personage at the hand of a Bishop 4. Became scandalous in his Conversation 5. And very careless of his charge in his Personage 6. So that he brought himself to prison where he continued till death Baily p. 14. 3. Barrow 4. Johnson 5. Ainsworth 6. Smith And 7. Robinson were all successively Introducers and Promoters of Brownism or Separatism whose abilities and miscarriages in particular to their persons I mean not to speak of it being great pity that men of such Eminency Parts and Learning as some of them were should be so far mistaken as to fall into an Errour so prejudicial to the Church and to the Truth ☞ And Robinson the last and one of the most grave and learned Doctors of the Brownists did in the end undermine his own party by a work begun against Schism Baily p. 17. Then this Mr. Robinson became the Author of Independency or Semiseparation which hath been the Fountain of many evils both in Old and New England Idem p. 17. Ap. Thus the Brownists in their 1. Separation 2. Errours And 3. Independency did generally concur with the Anabaptists III. Independency is derived from the Brownists and Anabaptists successively It is a Title very improper for any Creature Man or Christian 1. God being only Independent and of himself 2. And having ordained all to depend on him chiefly and Christians in special manner upon him one upon another in such a way of order and subordination as may best suit with the publick good in the Civil State or Ecclesiastical As the members of the body natural do in their several places and offices 1 Cor. 12.12 to 34. As the body is one c. as verse 25. which if they were cut off by a Schism would be altogether useless and unprofitable Ap. And thus it is with the Church which is either universal or national All congregational and particular Churches referring to the more general as to the body of which they are members This Sect of no long standing 1. Began as the rest with Schism and Separation from all the Reformed Churches in Christendom 2. They do generally concur with their Predecessors the Anabaptists and Brownists in their Tenets and in some things go beyond them and in the uncertainty of Tenets and Obstinacy in contending for them with all the former 3. They all punctually do agree in the point of Independency and Vncontroulableness because they do all defend this That their Churches are exempt from all Authority Civil and Ecclesiastical so as that no Magistrate no nor Oecumenick or General Councel hath any power at all to reform and suppress any Errour or Heresie arising or springing amongst them only their own Church must do it which may consist of seven or three persons And how soon may they be seduced or quasht 1. If there were no more but these three particulars named viz. Their 1. Schism 2. Vncertainty of Doctrine Obstinacy and Liberty to change their Tenets which they always reserve Baily p. 101. And 3. Their Independency or Freedom from the censure or controul of any power whatsoever Civil or Ecclesiastical to reform or redress any Errour growing amongst them Ap. It might well and justly cause any wise man or Christian to consider seriously of such a way and to suspect it whether it be right or no before he enter Rashly into it 2. But in many other things besides these they do concur with the Anabaptists and Brownists which time will not give me leave to relate 3. Besides these 1. What Ingress or Entrance these men the Independents had in Holland and what they did there is evident 2. What Progress they had in New England and of their carriage there 3. And now in Old England our dear native Countrey and what they have bin doing here for divers years last past Res ipsa loquitur loquetur Experience doth and will speak abundantly though I were dumb For when were so many Sects on foot as since the unhappy liberty which they contend for ☞ A doleful spectacle it is to see Christian Nations and Churches all pretending to the same end and of the same Faith thus torn to pieces with manifold Divisions and sad Contentions like virulent Humours in the natural body all tending to Dissolution while those errours can unanimously agree in the way to destruction and damnation throughout the world But is there no Balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered Jer. 8.22 and 46.11 Is there no Soveraign Medicine to close these gaping wounds Is there no wise Man like a skilful Physitian or Chirurgion that can judge between brethren in Nature Profession as Men and Christians and to decide these unchristian-like Differences 1. Is our case just like the condition of Egypt Jer. 46.11 so that though we do go up into