HERESIOGRAPHY OR A description of the Hereticks and Sectaries of these latter times By E. Pagitt The second Edition with some Additions as in the Folio following MATH 15. 17. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps 〈◊〉 but inwardly are ravening Wolveâ— 1 TIM 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Divils Speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their conciences seared with a hot Irâ—n Imprimatur J A. CRANFORD LONDON Printed by VV. Wilson for Iohn Marshall and Robert Trot and are to be sold at their shops in Corn-hill over against the Exchange and under the Church of Edmond the King in Lombard street 1645. The names of the Sects viz. Anabaptists page 1. Brownists 48. Semi-separatists 75. Independents 76. Familists 81. Adamites 91. Antinomians 94. Arminians 10. 8 Socinians 122. Antitrinitarians 124. Millenaries 126. Hethringtonians 127. Anti-sabbatarias 128. Traskites 130. Jesuites 132. Muncerians 32. Apostolikes 33. Separatists 33. Catharists Enthusiasts Liberi Hutites Augustinians 34 Bewkeldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Pueris Similes Servetians 35 Libertines Denkians Semper orantes Deo-relicti Monasterienses Plunged Anabapt 36. Barrowists 69. Wilkinsonians Johnsonians 70 Ainsworthians Robinsonians Lemarists 71. Castalian familists 89 Grindletonians Familists of the mourtains 90. Of the valleyes Scattered flocke Caps Order c. The Addition The sum â—f a Treatise of Mâ— Johnsons a-against Anabaptists 44 Of the Pelagins 138 Soule-sleepers 139 Denyers of the Scriptures 141 Expecters or Seekers Divorsers 142 Of the Papists 143 The Papists compared with other Hereticks 147 A Postscript 154 An Extract of the Acts of the National Synod of the reformed Churches of France 195 To the Right Honourable Thomas Atkin Lord Major of the Citie of London and to the Right Worshipfull Sir Nicholas Raynton Isaac Penington Lievtenant of the Tower Sir lo Woollaston Iohn Glyn Recorder Sir Iohn Cordell Sir Thomas Soame Sir Iohn Gayr Sir Iacob Garrat Thomas Adams Io warner Iohn Tousâ— Abraham Reynardson Sir George Garraâ— Sir George Clerke Iohn Langham Thâ—mas Andrewes Iohn Foulke Iames Bunce William Gibbs and Richard Chambers Sheriffes Samuel Warner Wâ—lliam Barkely Thomas Foote Iohn Kendricke Thomas Culhâ—m Simon Edmonds Aldermen of the said Citie RIght Honourable and Right Worshipfull whereas I have lately published a Christianography or a description of many great Churches of Christians in the world some of which are for extent larger then the Church of Rome in Europe for time more ancient for succession as continual for faith more sound who believe with us the church of God to be Catholike as it is in the Apostles Creed and not as it is set downe in the new Trent Creed confined to Rome who renounce the Popes Supremacie some of them excommunicating him for a Schismatick and Heretick Who receive the holy Communion in both kindes they all drinke of Christs cup and abhor the Romish decree made contrary to Christs Institution Who make no Images to be worshipped Who doe not acknowledge the figment of Purgatory nor use any Prayers to be delivered from the fained paines thereof Who have their Prayers in their owne tongue and mutter them not in latine as the Romists doe Who forbid not Marriage the prohibiting of which is called by St. Paul the Doctrine of Divells Their Priests may and doe marry Who hold not popish Transubstantiation Who prohibite not Lay-men the reading of the holy Scriptures commanded by Christ himselfe Who doe not joyne with Christs Intercession the suffrages of Saints nor with his Justification the merit of workes nor with the Satisfaction Papall Indulgences These points with some others which the ambition and avarice of the Romists hath lately hatched they renounce with us This worke I purposing to perfect and consummate to the glory of God the great profit of the Church establishing of mens consciences they seeing the unity and agreement of the holy Churches in the world with us Behold suddenly a numerous company of other Hereticks stole in upon us like the locusts Rev. 9. As the unpure Familists who blasphemously pretend to be Godified like God whereas indeed they are divellified like their Father the Divell The illuminated Anabaptists who blasphemously affirme the baptisme of children to be the marke of the Beast and to come from Anti-christ The Donatisticall Brownists who in times past hid themselves in holes now lift up their heads and vent openly their errors infecting our people The Antinomians who teach as I find such a faire and easie way to heaven viz. That a man need not be troubled by the law before faith and that faith is not a going out of himselfe to take hold of Christ but onely a discerning that Christ is his and that after this such a man must see nothing in himselfe have nothing doe nothing need no sorrow nor repentance nor bee pressed to duties need never pray unlesse moved by the Spirit If hee fall into sin never the more disliked of God nor his condition the worse and that hee must abide in the height of comfort though hee fall into grosse sin The novelty of this doctrine takes so well or rather ill that multitudes of simple men and women dance after their Pipes they run after these men as if they were mad crowding the Churches filling their doors and windowes The Independents trouble also our poore Church who pretend that they have a perfect modell of Churchâ— government which Almighty God hath revealed to them which many like better then the government of the Reformed Churches being perswaded that in Independency they may have liberty to doe what they list having no government hoging to be as free as their Teachers who will have none at all The Arminians also an after-brood of the Pellagiant broach their erroneous opinions The Sabbatarians affirm the old Jewish Sabbath to be kept and not the Lords day The Anti-sabbatarians would have no perticular Sabbath at all but every day to bee a sabbath to a Christian man The Traskites who would have us observe many Jewish ceremonies VVe have also Millenaries who affirm that before the day of judgment Christ shal come down from heaven and reign with the Saints upon earth 1000. years in which time they shall destroy all the wicked binding their Kings in chaines and Nobles in linkes of iron VVee have Hetheringtonians who hold a hodg-podg of many heresies troubling our peoples brains VVe have also Socinians who teach that Christ dyed not to satisfie for our sins and also his Incasnation to be repugnant to reason not to be sufficiently proved by Scripâ—ture with many other abhominable errors Wee have Arians who deny the Deity of Christ. We have an Atheistical Sect who affirme that mens soules sleep with their bodies untill the day of Judgement Wee have Atheists too many as among others one was committed by a Justice of Peace who mock'd and jear'd at Christs Incarnation His Father was burnt at Thoelouze in
France he scapeth unpunished among us too many others we have They preach print and practise their hereticall opinions openly for books vide the bloody Tenet witnesse a tractate of divorce in which the bonds are let loose to inordinate lust a pamphlet also in which the soul is laid asleepe from the houre of death unto the houre of judgement with many others Yea since the suspention of our Church-government every one that listeth turneth Preacher as Shoo-makers Coblers Button-makers Hostlers and such like take upon them to expound the holy Scriptures intrude into our Pulpits and vent strange doctrine tending to faction sedition and blasphemie What mischiefe these Sectaries have already done we that have cure of soules in London find and see with great griefe of heart viz. Our Congregations forsaking their Pastors our people becomming of the Tribe of Gad running after seducers as if they were mad Infants not to be brought to the Sacrament of Baptisme men refusing to receive the holy Communion and the Lords Prayer accounted abhominable c. A Volume will hardly contain the hurt that these Sectaries have in a very short time done to this poore Church and doth not the Common-wealth suffer with the Church Whence are all these distractions Who are the Incendiaries that have kindled blown this fire among us but these Considering with my selfe the former happinesse of this Kingdome and the sudden change that is betide it it being fallen from the height of prosperitie to the lowest ebbe of misery and this not by the incursion of a Forreigne Nation but by its owne children who imbrue their hands in the bloud one of another with no lesse inhumanity then Cannibals or Men-eaters without any reluctation at all the Sonne against the Father and the Father against the Son being involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of Peace And moreover which is worst of all when I consider that some of our Clergy-men who should like Moses stand in the gap to appease Gods anger doe increase the same not onely by blowing the fire but by their Errors and Schismes which they broach and foment among us by which they doe as much as in them lyeth to put mens soules in as great danger as their bodies And considering againe how wee are involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of peace may not I cry out with the Prophet O that my head were full of water and my eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe for the slaine of my people But all this being Gods permitting let us with patience possesse our souls let us trust in him depend upon him and in his good time hee will deliver his Church and turne all to the best and in the meane season every man doe his best to quench this fire For my own part these sad considerations made me leave my Christianography and write an Heâ—â—siography to describe the Hereticks and Schismaticks of this time in which I set downe their beginning among us their hereticall opinions and errors confuting them and also relate how other Princes and Commonâ— wealths have suppressed them and how severely some of them have beene punished among us I know my reverend Brethren have not beene wanting to oppose these Hereticks in writing and preaching in season and out of season using all meanes to suppresse these Heresies having to that end chosen speciall men to preach several Lectures in severall places But without your helpe and the assistance of our Religious Patriots assembled in Parliament they doe and will increase upon us doe what we can This Treatise I present to your Lordship and to this Honourable Senate What can bee more sutable or fitter for you Servants of the most high God then that which tendeth to the glory of God Edification of his Church and vindication of the truth against the illusion of Sectaries and Heretikes What is more correspondent with the duty of Christian Magistrates then to assist Gods cause with your politicall Authority A question may be asked whether it be lawfull for the Magistrates to use the sword against Heretickes To this I answer such whose Heresies are blasphemous in doctrine or dangerous to the State deserve death the reason is because they corrupt the faith If such as poyson waters and fountaines at which men and beasts drinke deserve Capitall punishment how much more they that as much as in them lyeth goe about to poyson mens soules Yea St. Augustine saith in his fifth Tractat upon Iohn Quantum in ipsis est Christum in homine occidunt The forenamed St. Augustine indeed wavered concerning this point for a time as he confesseth in one of his Epistles but when he saw the City wherein he dwelt was reclaimed from Donatisme by the Magistrates sword he retracted his opinion And expecting the like successe in this honourable City I doe implore your helps that for Iesus Christs sake and I pray you give me leave to put you in mind of the Covenant we made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intent to performe the same as wee should answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed viz. That we should in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophaâ—enesse and whatsoever shall bee found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse lest wee partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdomes And this I beseech you in the name of God to take in hand laying aside all humane reasons Let not Gods cause goe to racke nor by worldly policies and humane reason be protracted or retarded The Turke will not suffer Mahomet to be blasphemed as we are Christians let us stand for Christ. How dangerous the fostering of Heretikes hath been histories declare viz. Almighty God sent down fire from Heaven and consumed Antioch being a Nursery of Heretikes And also how the earth opened swallowed Nicomedia the meeting place of the blasphemous Arrians also in the Commentaries of Sleidan how the Anabaptists meeting first in Conventicles surprized Munster and how hardly Amsterdam escaped them Lambertus Hortensius writeth The plague is of all diseases most infectious I have lived among you almost a Iubile and seene your great care and provision to keep the City from infection in the shutting up the sicke and in carrying them to your Pest-houses in setting Warders to keep the whole from the sicke in making of fires and perfuming the streets in resorting to your Churches in powring out your prayers to Almighty God with fasting and almes to be propitious to you The plague of heresie is greater and you are now in more danger then when you buried five thousand a week You have power to keep these Hereticks and Sectaries from Conventickling and
defection in the County of Mausfelt Muncer hoping this defection to be universall taketh his journey to Frankhus where the Frankhusians joyned with him But before this snowball grew greater by rolling Count Mansfield raiseth Forces sets upon Muncer and slew 200. of his men Muncer renueth his Army pitcheth upon a hill by Frankhus intrenched with Carts Count Mansfield with the Princes his Assistants pittying the rude company sent to offer them impunity and generall pardon if they would but yield up the Author of that sedition returne home Muncer falls to preaching teâ—ling them that he was sent from God to command and lead them in this action and that they should certainly overthrow these and all other enemies of God it being Gods promise who cannot lye That the righteous should wash their feet in the bloud of the wicked and that he had promised him Victory indowing him with such strength that he was able to turne all their bullets back with his Coat so the Botes refused peace upon this the Princes began to play upon them with their Ordnance the Bores neither advanced nor fled but fell a singing Come holy Ghost confiding and expecting that God would fight for them from heaven according to Muncers promise But when the intrenchments of their Carts were broken and the Princes Army came to handy-blowes 5000. of them being slain away fled the Boâ—es some one way some another but most of them â—o Frankhus which City the Princes tooke with Muncer who lay hid therein who with Phifer and 300 more were executed and put to death Muncer was so dejected at his death that he could not make confession of his faith but with much adoe he could speake after the Duke of Brunswicke who taught him what he should say Thus the Suevian Rebellion was extinguished the root and branch seeming to be cut off But the seeds remaining Germany swarmed with Anabaptists aneâ— name but in effect the old Sect with some additions Melchior Hopman who called himselfe Elia one of greater learning and parts then Muncer began to vent the same Errors at Stransgburg for which he was imprisoned all his followers severely iâ—prest This Sect was disperst in the higher and lower Germany especially among the meaner sort of people saith Hertensius one of my Authors among that numerous rabble scarce one was found that was a Scoller or could write or read The whole world was little enough for ther ambition which they attempted to obtain beginning their Empire at Munster In the year 1532 Munster received the Gospel in the yeare 1533 there comes to Town Iohn Becold a Taylor of Leyden with him or after him a great multitude of his fraternity most of them Hollanders These keeping Convenâ—icles got in few months a great party in Munster incensed one another with desperatâ— resolutions The Magistrates not yet infected with their errors commanded the Sectaries to depart the City they going outâ—t one gate came in at another saying they must not desert Gods cause The Landgrave of Hesse pittying the distressed case of this City sent Divines to set a bound to the unlimited extravagancy of the Anabaptists offering disputation to them which they refused took a more compendious way to work their own ends One of them feigning himselfe to bee seazd with a propheticall spirit ran about the City crying Repent be baptized again left the wrath of God fall upon you many cryed with him this crying ended in ransacking rich mens houses laying hands upon the owners others rushed into the marketâ—place crying out that all that were not re-baptized must be killed presently The Evangelicks or Protestants gathered themselvs in a place called Over water there fortified themselves after 3 daies there was a Composition made that either Party should enjoy the freedome of their Religion This composition gave the Anabaptists time to strengthen their party for they sent their letters to Wezell and other places the tenor whereof was that God had sent an holy Prophet to Munster who spake wonders and shewed the right way to salvation and if they would leave their houses and come to Munster they should have ten times more than they left at home and with spirituall wealth attaine all worldly riches These faire promises drew the scumme of the Towns adjoyning to Munster the poore and idle sort liking that Religion best that maketh all men alike all goods common that payeth no Rent Tribute nor Tithes that puts downe those Lawes and Magistrates that restraine their licentiousnesse so that in a short time the City was full of strangers who looked upon it us upon the land of Promise The Anabaptists knowing their strength ranne to St. Maurice Church burnt it seized upon the Armory pillaged and defaced other Churches depopulated the Colledges burnt a faire Library and finally drove the Protestants out of the City crying out get yee hence all yee wicked else yee shall all be slaine The Anabaptists being Masters of the City began to erect a government although they were enemies to all Superiority necessity and nature forcing them to chuse some governours but the Prophets over-ruled all one of the first orders that they made was that every man should bring his gold silver and goods into the common stock upon paine of death and there were two maiden Prophetesses that discovered the Concealers also they ordered that all books should be burnt but the Bible which was performed Iohn of Leiden being in a Propheticall Trance after he had slept three dayes pretending to be dumbe called for writing Tables in which he writ downe that it was the will of the heavenly Father that twelve men by him named should governe the City which was also put in execution the ancient Magistrate being discharged Also that it was the good will of the Father that a man should not bee tyed to one Wife but to marry as many as he pleased when some would not approve of this Doctrine he cyted them before the twelve Governours swearing upon the new Testament that this Doctrine was revealed to him from heaven and to testifie the evidence of the spirit hee commanded some of the opposers to be beheaded forthwith many Preachers confirmed this Doctrine but the greatest confirmation was the Prophets practise who presently married 3. wives left not till he had fifteen many followed his example and it was accounted a matter of praise to have many wives After the promulgation of this Ordinance the Brethren ran to the hansomest women striving who should be first served and lay with them without any contract After this one Iohn Tuscocurer a new Prophet called the Congregation together and declared that it was the will of the heavenly Father that Iohn of Leyden should be King of the Universe That he should sit upon the Throne of his Father David That he should kill all the Kings and Princes destroy the ungodly and save the people that loved
it was such as awaked the â—istris of the house that knew nothing of the meeting and made her arise to seek where this burning was for that smell made her afraid that the fire was in her shop which was of wollen Drapery Being come to the place she saw eleven naked bodies and the Propher commanded her to put off her cloathes and put them in the fire which she did then the Prophet commanded them all to follow him and doe as he should doe and so rushed into the street stark naked and all his Disciples after him running and crying horribly throughout the Town woe woe woe the divine vengeance the divine vengeance whereby they put the whole Town into an uproare The people thinking that the Towne was surprized by some enemy they were all taken but one woman that slipt out of the way brought before the Magistrate and as they stood all naked in a full Court they could never be perswaded neither by command nor threatning to put on garments which they offered them saying that they must have no covering for they were the naked truth they were kept a while in prison untill the great conspiracy in Amsterdam by the Anapaptists when they went about to surprise the Town then they were executed The Mistris of the house where the Conventicâ—e was kept was hanged before her owne doore Of the Adamites in Bohemia WHereas Bohemia is like Africa alwayes bringing forth some new thing an heresie saith he far greater then the forâ—er arose there viz. of the Adamites A certain Piccard passing over the Rhene came out of the low Countries into Bohemia who with craft with delusion deceiving many gathered a multitude of followers and taking an Island in the Lusmisicus Lake he lived there prosessing himselfe to be the Son of God he taught his Sect to goe naked and to call him Adam to use promiscuous marriages and for their lust every one to take a woman and to bring her before the Prelate saying My flesh doth wax hot upon this woman unto whom Adam answered encrease and multiply This man called all other men slaves himselfe and they that were of his Sect free-men Forty of this Sect with their Swords drawn set upon the Village adjoyning to them and killed about 200. husband-men whom they called the children of the devill when these things were come to the eares of Zisca the Adamites were all slaine but two men who were left to declare and make known to the world their superstitions with the women who declared that all that wore cloathes and especially breeches were by no means Free-men These women were committed to prison and afterwards for their obstinacy in their Errors they were burnt They did undergoe their punishment with great â—aerity singing and laughing in the fire Of Antinomians In describing of these Sectaries I purpose to set downe 1. The Originall of the Antinomians 2. Their Errors 3. The first Antinomian in England 4. The opinions of our moderne Antinomians 5. The stirs raised by the Antinomians in New-England and their banishing from thence 1. The Originall of the Antinomians THe Antinomians are so called because they would have the Law abolished in the light of the Gospell The Author of this Sect Pontanus affirmeth to be one Iohn Agricela of Isleby who broached his errours about the year of our Lord 1535. 2. The errors of the Antinomians POntanus in his Catalogue of Hereticks setteth downe thes following 1. They precend the Law not to be given to Christian men 2. The Law to pertaine to the Court and not to the Gospel 3. The ten Commandements not to be taâ—ght in the Church because they that are regenerate need not the Law becaule they doe that duty willingly being led by the Spirit 4. There to be no need of the Law to any part of our Conversion 5. It is sufficient for a wieked man to beleeve and not to doubt of his salvation 6. Our faith and Religion to have been unknewn to Moses 7. Neither good works profit to salvation neither ill works can doe any hurt 8. That a Ghristian man cannot be known by his works 9. The third use of the Law that it is a rule of life is blasphemous in Divinity and a monster in nature 2. The first Antinomian in England THe first Antinomian among us that I can heare of was one Master Iohn Eaton who had been a Scholler of mâ—ne and afterwards was Cuâ—ate to Mr. Wright 〈…〉 neere Algate he was 〈◊〉 his errors imprisoâ—â— in the Gaâ—â— heule a Westminster There is a 〈◊〉 set 〈◊〉 in his name called the Honey-combe of freâ—â—ust â—â—ation by Christ alone collected as he preâ—endeâ—â— out of the 〈…〉 of Scupâ—ures and common and â—animous consent of the faithfull 〈◊〉 of Gods mysteries upon the same the main subject of which bock is to prove that God doth not will not nor cannot see any sin in any of his justified children To prove the poynt above named he maketh a distibution of justified persons in regard of their estate according to 〈◊〉 distinct times the time of the law the time of Iohn Baptist the time of the Gospell the first glorious the second more glorious the third most glorious The first time of the Law was glorious saith he because Jesus Christ was in it glorious things are spoken of the City of God that then was yet Christ and those glorious things were then vailed and greatly obscured with the bondage terrors and legall government not onely of the Ceremoniall Law as the Papists hold but also of the Morall Low whereby sin was severely taken hold of and punished sharply in Gods children The second time between the Law and the Gospell to wit the time of Iohn Baptist continuing to the death of Christ was more glorious than the former because in it the former legall severitie that then lay upon the children of God began then to sâ—ick and cease for although Iohn laid open their sinnes and the danger of them yet we read not of any punishment inflicted on Gods children The third time the most glorious is since Christ graned out his bloud and life upon the Crosse by which sin it self and guilt and punishment are so utterly infinitely abolished that there is no sin in the Church of God and that God now sees no sin in us and whosoever beleeyeth not this poynt is undoubtedly damned To the strengthening of this his fiction he abuseth divers places of Luther Calvin and others who in all likely-hood never once dreamed of this fancy And them that are contrary to this his opinion he loadeth with approbrious imputation and vile aspersions besmearing them with his Honey-combe for his Errors Mr. Eaton was imprisoned in the Gate-house as before 3. Of the Errors of our moderne Antinomians THe Antinomians will say that Eaton is dead and that his errors dyed with him whatsoever they say you may read a learned book