also of power as Peter was called to the highest degree Eph 4. 11. Christ ascended up an high and gave gifts unto men as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Doctors Now howsoever one Apostle be not above another yet one Apostle is above another as an Apostle is above an Evangelist and an Evangelist above Pastors and Teachers And Peter being an Apostle was above all Evangelists and Pasâ—ors having the highest roome in the Ministery of the New Testament Secondly among the twelve Apostles Peter had a three-fold priviledge First of authority Cephas with Iames anâ— Iohn were called Pillers Gal. 2. 6. 9. Secondly of Primacy being first named The names of the twelve Apostles are these the first is Simon called Peter Thirdly of Principality in regard of the measure of grace in which he excelled Math. 16. 16. The difference is the Papists give to Peter and to the Bishops of Rome his successors a supremacy under Christ above all causes and persons which wee deny affirming Kings and Princes to bee supreme within their owne Dominions The nineteenth of the efficacy of the Sacraments Our consents We teach Sacraments to be signes to represent Christ with his benefits unto us 2. Instruments whereby God offereth and giveth the said benefits unto us The difference First that Sacraments are Physicall Instrements having force in them to give grace Secondly that the very action of the Minister dispensing the Sacrament as it is a worke done giveth grace if the party bee prepared We hold the contrary The twentieth poynt of saving Faith Our consent 1. They teach the property of faith to believe the whole Word of God and especially the redemption of mankinde by Christ. 2. They a vouch that they beleeve and look to be saved by Christ and by him alone and by the meere mercy of God in Christ. 3. The most learned of them hold and confesse that the obedienâ—e of Christ is imputed to them for the satisfaction of the Law and their reconciliation with God 4. They avouch that they put their whole trust and confidence in Christ and in the meere mercy of God for their salvation 5. They hold that every man must apply the promise of life everlasting by Christ unto himselfe Though in coloured termes they seem to agree with us yet indeed they abolish and deny the substance thereof namely the particuler and certaine application of Christ Crucified and his benefits to our selves The 21. poynt of Repentance Our consent 1. Conclusion that Repentance is the conversion of a â—inner and that it is passive or active passive is an action of God whereby he converteth a man being yet unconverâ—ed Active is an action of man whereby man being once turned of God turnes himselfe 2. Conclusion That repentance standeth In Confessing of the mouth Contition of the heart Satisfaction in deed 3. Conclusion that in repentance we are to bring forth outward fruits worthy amendment of life We dissent not from the Church of Rome in the Doctrine of Repentance but in their abusing of it 1. They place the beginning of repentance partly in themselves and partly in the holy Ghost 2. They take Repentance or Penance for that publike Discipline that was used against offenders in the open Congregation 3. They make it a Sacrament 4. They make it a meritorious cause of Remission of sinne and everlasting life and in these poynts saith my Author we dissent from the Church of Rome In the 22. place he setteth downe some sinnes of the Romish Church viz. Atheisme Idolatry and Adultery in permitting Stewes and Brothell-houses I pray God keep us in these distracted times from Atheisme and Sacriledge which ensuâ—th thereupon In Master Perkins Reformed Catholike you may see the confutation of the Popish errors before named at large A Review of the Sectaries comparing them with the PAPISTS FOr the Sacrament of Baptisme the Papists exclude those Infants heaven that are not Baptized and the Anabapâ—ists affirme the Baptisme of Children to be the marke of the Beast and Antichristian The Papists attribute too much to the Element of Bread in the holy Communion accounting him no good Christian that will not call it his Lord God Some of these Sectaries as the Brownists mocke and scoffe at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper calling it a two-penny Banquet For the number of Sacraments the Papists will have too ma-many and some of these Sectaries too few The Papists give too much reverence to the Blessed Virgin holy Apostles and Saints departed and some of these Hereticks blaspheme the holy Virgin whom all Nations should call blessed as the Melchiorists saying Maledicta sit caro Mariae The Papists are blamed for saying too often the Lords Prayer the Brownists and some of other Sectaries will not say the Lords Prayer at all some of them affirming it to be an abominable Idoll though it be commanded to be said by our Lord himselfe The Papists will not onely keep the Lords day but also many Holy-dayes some of these Sectaries will neither keepe Holy-dayes nor the Lords day as the Famalists and Anâ—i-Sabbatarians The Papists confesse their sinnes and suppose they cannot enter heaven without a particuler confession of them some of these Hereticks will not confesse their sinnes at all affirming God can see no sinne in them as the Antinomiaâ—s In equivocating they are alike Equivocation is a cunning colouring of a Lye which is against Scripture against the rule of equity an hindring of Justice the way to perjury the divills creature who is the Father of Lying a princiâ—pll proppe and pillar of Antichrists Kingdome For lying I know not whether Papists or Sectaries shall carry away the Bell they tell lyes they print lies they preach lyes they paint lies and both without controule Bullinger telleth us that the Anabaptists brought Cart-loads of lies to maintaine their detestable opinions Piae fraudes as the Papists have Piae fraudes to draw men to godlinesse as purgatory and such like so have the Sectaries and especially the Anabaptists have tricks and devises as Visions Revelations Dreames yea false miracles to maintain their cause For Hypocrisie they are both alike they come in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves The Anabaptists entred Munster like Lambes but became Wolves having gotten the upper hand For their uncleannesse the Papists permit Stewes â—but the uncleannesse of the Familists and Anabaptists in their spiritâ—all marriages and other abhominations are not with a modest tongue to be spoken For Churches the Papists spare no cost in erecting and trimming them they would make them if they could like heaven it selfe whereas some of these Sectaries would destroy and demâ—lish them Last of all the Papists worship God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity and whereas some of these Sectaries blaspheme the holy Trinity their opinions being so Diabolicall and prodigiously impious that it
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
long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse and temperance If they were led by the holy Spirit these would be their Characters But St. Paul telleth us that in the latter dayes there shall come men lovers of their own selves boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to Parents unthankefull unholy Master Calvin that admirable man of God whose name is yet terrible in the Kingdome of Popeâ—y setteth down certaine Characters of these Impostors taken out of St. Augustine 1. Great Boasters making ostentation of their owne worth like Simon Magus who bewitched the people sayng that he himselfe was some great man Like the Gnostikes who had a high conceit of their owne knowledge as if they were the onely knowing men of the whole world their common talke is of their own worth and actions 2. Superbia tumidi blowne up with pride and among us many proud spirits having not these preferments which they thought themselves worthy of have forsaken our Church and gone to Rome and Amsterdam 3. Calumâ—ijs insidiosi deceitfull slanderers and in this faculty of all other Sects the Brownists excell The â—esuites are not so bitter against our Church as the Separatists compare their writings Michael the Arch-Angell durst not give the Devill such cursed speaking nor raile upon him as they doe upon us and Gods Church 4. Treacherously seditious not preaching peace as Christ commanded his Disciples to doe but division yea the Brownists arrogate to themselves the name of Separatists which well they may beâ—ng separated from their Mother Church from 〈◊〉 the Reformed Churches and malitiously divided amongst themselves 5. Lest they should seem to be destitute of the light of truth they arrogate to themselves the shadow of austerity and shew of holinesse 6. Sacriâ—egious what the appetite of all Schismaticks hath been in this way is notorious caring noâ— for the ruine of the whole Church upon condition that they might get somewhat They have so taught that some thinke there is no such sinne as Sacriledge at all Our Lord fore-warning us of false Prophets and so lively describing them and we having such Characters and markes to know them Thou understanding the Decalogue Creed and Lords Prayer if thou be misled thy sin will light upon thine owne head For is there any man so simple but can â—ell when their Doctrines they teach crosse any of these And one thing more will aggravate your defection before Almighty God viz. Your Covenant and Oath wherewith you bound your selves in the presence of God to suppresse all Errors Heresies and Schisme God forbid but that you should keep your Covenant which we ministred and you received with great alacrity To draw to an end Epiphanius writeth of the heresies of this time calleth his Booke Paeâ—arium that is a medicinable box containing saving medicaments against lying doctrine The end of my writing is not to hurt any man but to give warning to well minded soules and espesially to them that are entangled with Errors to pray to God to give them grace to see and â—enounce their errors and to acknowledge the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil And if my paines shall do any good in the confirmation of any against seducers in forewarning them to beware of private Conventicles and to keep them close to the publick Ministery of the Word communion of Saints in Gods Church I shall thinke my labour well bestowed The God of peace grant that all they that confesse his holy Name may agree in the truth of his holy Word and live in unity and godly love Amen So prayeth thine in the Lord Old Ephraim Pagitt HERESIOGRAPHY OR A Description of the Heretickes and Sectaries sprung up in this latter Age c. Chap. I. Of the Anabaptists For the discovery of this Sect I purpose to set down 1. Their Originall and first Proceedings 2. Their Errors and Blasphemies 3. A Confutation of their Errors 4. The Orthodox Doctrine of the Church of England opposite to their Errors 5. The severall Sects of Anabaptists 6. Of their manner of Rebaptizing and other fashions 7. How Christian Princes Magistrates have suppressed them and especially how they have beene punished among us 8. Of their audacious boldnesse at this day to publish Bookes in defence of their Errors and to challenge our Protestant Divines to publike disputations and to intrude into our Pulpits to vent their Blasphemies 9. Their moderne Tenents which they owne 1. Of their Originall and first proceedings ABout the yeare of our Lord God 1521. Doctor Luther preaching the Gospel in Saxony Almighty God blessing his labour a new Sect among many others through the instigation of the Devill began to spring up in the said Counâ—â—y of certain fanaticall people who boasted that they talked with God and God with them who commanded them to kill all the wicked that is all that were not of their Sect and make a â—ew world in which the innocent and godly should live and reigne alone The Author of this Sect Melancton affirmeth to be one Nicâ—las Storke who would tell his followers that God spake to him by an Angell and revealed his will to him in dreames promising him the place of the Angell Gabrieâ— and the Empire of the whole world He affirmed the Saints must reigne in this world alone and that he must be their Leader to kill all the Kings and Princes of the woâ—ld and to repurge the Church He tooke upon him also to have the gift of discerning spirits and to know the Elect. In this mans Schoole was one Thomas Muncer brought up who amplyfied much his Masters Doctrine Hee bâ—gan to preach at Alsted in Turingia where he made first an aâ—â—ociation administring an oath to all that promised to assist him in killing the ungodly Princes and Magistrates So long as hee preached but his dreames and Fancies the Elector of Saxony bore with him but after he bâ—gan to preach killing of Princes and Rebellion he banished him from Saxony who 〈◊〉 to Nurenberg and being driven from thence to Mulhus in Tuâ—ingia to which place divers of his old Disciples resorted whatsoever he determined was received as an Oracle especially when he preached that all goods must be 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 men to be free and of equall dignity an acceptable Doctrine in those parts where the Nobility used their Tenants like slaves upon this his preaching about 40000. Bores and Trades-men rose up in Suevia and Franconia who tooke some of the Nobles râ—nsacked plundered and burnt houses carrying all before them Muncer also having prepared Munition and raised a numerous multitude the meaner sort of people leaving their ploughes and loomes armed themselves to become adventurers in this holy war one Phifer a chiefe Associate of Muncers rusheth into the Countries adjoyning and destroyed many Towns burnt many houses and brought away some of the Nobles bound with a great Booty which good successe elevated the minds of these Sectaries and caused a
deceived of their purpose They wanting their Signall which was the ringing of the Towne-Bell which was not done a drunken man having taken away the rope the Company assembled not many of the Anabaptists were slaine and others received condigne punishment The Anabaptists after the death of Iohn of Leyden chose another King who with his high Treasurer was taken at Virecht and kept in prison among the exployts of that elected King he brought his wife into a wood and there killed her that without interruption he might lye with her daughter and he also cut a young wenches throat lost she should detect him good store of Plate was found in his house most of it Church Plate the King and his Treasurer was burnt I read of another King of the Anabaptists called Ian Wilhems whose execrable deeds and actions are written in Dutch and translated into French by Ch. de Niclles This Ian Wilhems was Sonne to one Theodore Wilhems a Vicar in Ruremond in Gelderland this King kept his Residence in divers places as at Arâ—hem first and afterwards at Lovain Wesel Alden Calcar Harsem and last of all at a Village called Avendrop not farre from Wesel to which place divers resorted who had beene in the siege of Munster This man succeeded Cornelius Appleman who was executed for his wicked Acts in the City of Virecht Which Appleman succeeded Ian Cordwainer who going about to restore the broken fantastick Kingdome of the Anabaptists was discovered by some of his followers to be Captaine of the Theeves and Church robbers and executed at Brussels This King Wilhems affirmed the Doctrine of the Anabaptists taught in Munster to be the true Doctrine to bring men to salvation and that God for his austere life had given him grace to make knowne his law more cleerely and purely than it had been ever before He wrot a book intituled Du mariage impure des faux Evangeliques in which he defended Poligami He rob'd and spoyl'd the Countrey about him affirming that to rob the ungodly was no sinne at all for the people of the new Ierusalem because the good of the land belonged onely to lesus Christ and his Disciples This wicked Rout called themselves le people de Ian Wilhelmes He used a sword which he called the sword of God and Gedeâ— This holy King had 21. wives to encrease his holy seed among whom he had Elsken Thewes and Elizabeth her daughâ—er also Clare and Elizabeth sisters daughters of Ian Marsens Of his facinorous Acts and names of his Queens you may read more at large in the History of his life written by Ch. Nells This fanetick King was burnt according to his deserts the 12. of March Anno 1580. and divers of his Complices were executed at Wesell Cleve ond other places In this History before releated we may see the great Hypocrisie of these Sectaries who when they crept first into Munster made a shew of great holinesse great humility great innocence they would not sweare not use any obscene speech their ordinary communication was of mortification But when they became Masters of the Town they broke the lawes of all pudicity and honesty More especially an Anabapeist might not beare on office in a Countrey village but afterwards Iohn of Leyden their Prophet would be King of the Universe they would not suffer a man to weare a Ring or a woman a silken Gowne But after the surprise of Munster no Prince was so gloriously arryed as King Iohn and his Officers an this other Attendants They pretended that it was not lawfull for a Christian man to beare Armes or to punish offenders whereas in Munster they exercised all manner of cruelty King Iohn cut of his wives head in the Market-place another Prophet his brothers head before his Father affirming it to be the will of the heavenly Father And whereas some good Citizens were grieved at their disorders and groaned under their Tyranny and went about to shake off the yoke of King Iohns oppression about 50. of them were taken and put to death with all manner of cruelty Iohn of Leyden incouraging them saying that in that their doing they should doe God good service The History of the Anabaptists you shall finde in the fifth and tenth book of Sleidens Commentaries Master Bullâ—â—ger hath written the same and confuted their Errors Lambeâ—tus Hortensius hath written of the Anabaptist's of the Low Countries and Iohn Gastius Minister of Zuricke of their doings in Zuitzerland II. The Errors of the Anabaptists set downe by Pontanus Osiander Bullinger and others Errors not to be tolerated in the Church 1. THat Christ did not assume his flesh and bloud from the Virgin Mary 2. That Christ is not true God but onely endued with more gifts than other men 3. Our righteousnesse not to depend upon faith in Christ but upon the workes of Charity and Afflection 4. They reject the Doctrine of Originall sin and those Doctrines that depend upon it 5. They deny Baptisme to Infanâ—s because they cannot make confession of their faith affirming that the Baptisme of children came from the Pope and the Devill they call Baptisme of Infants the marke of the beast 6. They re-baptize them that have beene already Baptized 7. They dream that before the day of judgment their Church shall destroy all the wicked and obtaine a Monarchy in which the godly shall reigne alone 8. They allow men free will in spirituall things 9. They separate themselves from all other Churches accounting themselves onely pure and holy without sin 10. That the Office of the Ministerie is of no great effisicacie and that Lay men may preach and administer the Sacraments Errors not to bee suffered in a Common-wealth without the Ruine of it 1. That it is unlawfull for a Christian man to be a Magistrate and that the people may depose them 2. That it is not lawfull for a Magistrate to punish any malefactor whatsoever with death 3. That a Christian man cannot with a safe conscience take 〈◊〉 Oath 4. Nor by oath promise fidelity to any Prince or Magistrate whatsoever Errors not to be tollerated in Families 1. That a Christian man may not with a safe conscience possesse any thing proper to himselfe but whatsoever he hath hee must make common 2. That wives of a contrary Religion may be put away and that it is lawfull for them to take others 3. That a Christian man may have many wives III. The Confutation of these Blasphemous and detestable Errors before named THat Christ tooke not flesh from the Virgin Mary This Error is flar against the first promise of Christ Gâ—n 3. The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Against the promise made to Abâ—aham Gen. 22. In thy seed c. To David Psal. 132. 11. Of the fruit of thy body c. Luke 1. That which is borne of thee saith the Angel to Mary Rom. 1. 3. Who was made of
command the whole kind and therefore the holy Apostles baptized whole Families in which we find none excepâ—ed as St. Peter baptized Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. 48. St. Paul baptized the Jaylor and all that belonged unto him Acts 16. 33. Lydda and her houshold Acts 16. 15. The houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16 c. Again whereas our Lord commandeth Mark 10. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not How properly can an Infant come unto Christ but by Baptisme Repent they cannot beleeve they cannot as the Anabaptists affirm But by baptisme they may come where the Minister in Christs stend receiveth them and blesseth them and why all this Of such is the Kingdome of God and therefore saith our Lord Forbid them not St. Peter saith Acts 2. 39. The promise is mad to you and your children and therefore be baptized To whom the promise is made and covenant let no man forbid baptisme which is the seal of the Covenant Again the faith of the Parents may warrant their Infants baptisme yea though they have but an hystoricall faith and not a justifying if they can credere ad baptismum though not adsalutem this faith maketh their children capable of baptisme many in the Apostles time were baptized having onely an historicall faith as Sâ—mon Magus and others Moreover these phrases Teach and baptize Repent and beleeve Beleeve be baptized are meant of such as were of riper years and made profession of the Christian faith or else the estate of Christian infants in the Gospel were much worse then the condition of the Israelitish Infants under the Law which to affirme is an horrible indignity offered unto Christ. Last of all most blasphemously they call baptisme of Christian mens children the mark of the Beast and to come from Antichrist and especially from Pope Innocent the third who lived about the yeare 1213. Learned Mr. Calvin affirmeth the baptisme of children to be a holy institution alwayes observed in Christ Church All the reformed Churches use it and it hath ben the practice of the universall Church The Greek Church who yearly excommunicate the Pope to whom St. Paul preched baptize their Infants as Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth And Origen who lived about the yeare 226 about 1000 yeares before Pope Innocent whom the Anabaptists would make the author of pedobaptisme The Russians who received the faith from St. Andrew the Apostle and account the Pope of Rome an Heretick hold a necessity of baptisme and put to death them that neglect and deride baptisme what would they doe with these men who blaspheme it The Abyssiâ—s or Ethiopians who received Christianity from St. Matthew the Apostle doe baptize their Infants viz. their male children at fourty dayes of age and their females at eighty The Armenian Christians to whom St. Barthoiomew preached the faith baptize their Infants Baronius writeth that these Christians had a thousand Bishops The Iacobites who are a numerous sort of Christians doe the same yea they mark their children with a hot Iron with the signe of the crosse alluding to the words of St. Iohn He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire The Cophtie or native Christians of Egypt to whom Saint Mark preached baptize their Infants these Christians have no communion with the Pope of Rome The Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the faith do the like The Matacasion Christians in Africa affirme children dying without baptisme to be deprived of eternall beatitude The Melchites one of the greatest fort of Christians in the Orient as Boterus affirmeth do the same The Nestorians under the Patriarch of Muzal who as Cardinall Vitriacus affirmeth are more numerons with the Iacobites then the Christians of the Latin and Greek Church doe the same These account the Pope of Rome a reprobate Bishop The Circassians Mengrellians Georgians Maronites Cephalians with all the orthodox Christians in the Universe baptize their Infants Erasmus wondreth what evill Devill entred them who forbid the baptisme of children used by the holy catholick Church for above 1400. years Also the Britains to whom Simon Zelotes preached have alwayes baptized their children and have honourably esteemed of that Sacrament administred to their children until some of these hereticks fled hither out of Germany where they burnt hanged and drowned men of that Sect till they had suppressed them They came into England about the year 1535. and as they could be found we did the like to them burning some and banishing others but since the yeare of our Lord 1640. they have crept out of their holes lift up their heads chalenge our Divines to publick disputations preach in our Churches publish their blasphemies print their bookes seducing multitudes of people And moreover to speak of the curelty of these Sectaries who depriving Infants of baptisme put them all out of the estate of grace We read of Herod the Tyrant who destroyed all the children in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof is not this a far more cruell sentence to set all infants in no better state then Pagans and Infidels without Christ Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as strangers from the convenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Can any sober Christian but think this to be a barbarous cruelty It is not lawfull to take childrens bread and give it to dogs but these conclude children to be no better then dogs The Propher Elisha wept when he lookâ— upon Hazael fore-seeing that â—e should dash the Infants of Israel against the wall Hazael thought himselfe worthy to be so esteemed if ever he should â—â—e any such things And certainly thus to deprive Infants of baptisme is a more cruell act then to dash their bodies against stones Let these men also consider how much they provoke Christs displeasure against themselves he was greatly displeased with his Disciples for forbidding little children to come to him and one day they shall find him much more displeased with them who with great violence oppose the bringing of children to Christ in this holy Sacrament and with wrong injury and slander prosecute the Ministers of Christ who administer this Sacrament to Infants condemning theâ—â—or Ministers of Antichrist yea condemning all Churches â—or Antichristian who will not cast their children out of â—be covenant of grace The Lord open their eyes that they may see their errour and repent of it To conclude the baptismâ— of children is commanded in holy Scripture the holy Apostle baptized whole families the ancient â—athers testifie the same the holy Catholick Church of God alwayes used it Let not the Devill enter into the heart of any man to belâ—â—ve a fâ—â—acick unlearned mechanick man not an Angel from hâ—aven that teacheth a contrary doctrine What greater mischiefe can the Devill and his Imps do then to make a schisme in the Church and rob Almighty God of all his Lambsâ— and cut off so many millions of
souls from the communion of the Church And also whereas our pious parents brought us to Christ and dedicated us to God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost let us take heed that we do not renounce that holy Covenant as Witches doe when they compact with the Devill remember our Lords words How can yee escape the damnation of hell They baptize them that have already been baptized They do that which the Scripture never commandeth Epâ— 4. St. Paul calleth it One Baptisme neither was â—ebaptization ever received in the true Church of God yea the Church taught that they that were baptized by such Heretickes as erred not in the Doctrine concerning the Trinity were not to be re-baptized Also the Imperiall Law punished them with Capitall punishment who submitted themselves to a second Baptisme They dreame of Monarchy in which the godly shall reigne alone and destroy the ungodly which is false for Christs Kingdome in this world is spirituall in which troubled consciences shall be victors and receive solid consolation against sin the devill and all manner of temptations Our Lord himselfe saith My Kingdome is not of this World John 18. Likewise saith St. Paul The weapons of our war are not carnall but mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10. Our Lord telleth us that the separation betweene the godly and ungodly shall not be untill the last day Luke 18 Againe That the Sonne of man comming shall hardly find faith upon earth Luke 17. In that night there shall be two in a bed the one received the other refused And Mat. 15. That the Angles shall separate the godly from the ungodly and the tares to remaine with the what untill the Harvest This Monarchy St. Peter confuteth in his second Epistle 2. 9. Saying the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust against the day of judgement to be punished Therefore they are not to reigne alone here the ungodly being killed And although the Prophets seeme sometimes to speake of a corporall Kingdome yet they expound themselves shewing that they speak of his spirituall Kingdome To reigne with Christ 1000. years before the ending of the world was the old Error of the Chiliasts condemned above 1000 years agone by the Church of God They allow men free will So that we may doe those things which God commanded and omit those things which God hath forbidden otherwise say they God gave his Law in vaine neither would he punish delinquents if he had not given them the power of free will It is answered it is impossible that in our corrupt nature we should keep the Law because it doth require a whole and absolute obedience in all things inward and outward of all the heart all our soule and all our might And the sense of the flesh as St. Paul testifieth is enmity to God Also the naturall man doth not understand the things that are of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. Also Iohn 3. Man cannot take to himselfe any thing except it be given him from above So Eph. 2. The unregenerate man is said to be dead They separate themselves from all other Churches accounting themselves onely pure and holy and for this cause some of them will not say this Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses saying they are pure and without sinne To this I answer with St. Iohn 1 Epist. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us if we confesse our sins he is faithfull to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousnesse If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us To conclude the Anabaptists that say they have no sin are of the Devill the father of lyes going about to make God a lyar who is truth it selfe The Office of the Ministery to be of no great efficacie with them They doe not onely contemne the Office of the Ministery but also the holy Scripture As Muncer would speake scoffingly of it Bible Bible Bable Bable they depend too much upon peculiar Revelations The sincere preaching the word of God in the publick Congregations by the Ministers of the Word lawfully called profiteth much Mal. 2. The lips of the Priest shall preserve wisedome they shall require the Law from his mouth Ezech. 44. The Priest shall teach my people the differences betweene the holy and the prophane and cause them to discerne betweene the uncleane and cleane Rom. 1. 16. The preaching of the Word is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth For this cause Christ taught in the Synagogues Every one among them taketh upon him to preach as a Minister Iohn Becold a Taylor of Leyden The Apostle teacheth us Heb. 5. That no man take this calling upon him except hee bee called of God Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent And this standeth with good reason for every true Minister standeth in Gods roome being the Lords Embassadour to deliver his will Who dareth take upon him to be the Lords Embassadour except he be sent I have not sent them saith the Lord and yet they run and prophesie lies in my name Piety and Justice are the two Bases or Pillars that beare up humane Society and whereas the Devill goeth about in these his Impes to overthrow the dignity of the Ministery and of the Magistrate what doth he else but endeavour to bring the whole world to Ruine and Confusion The Confutation of their Errors not tolerable in a Comman-wealth THat it is unlawfull for a Christian man to be a Magistrate or to be subject to a Magistrate And why They object that subjection came in with sin but Christ hath taken away sin and therefore no subjection To this I answer subjection is two fold servile or civill servile is the vassalage of a slave which was not before the fall civill for the common good was before the former a curse the latter a blessing Eve was subject to Adam before either of them sinned 2. They object that every beleever is now in the Kingdome of Heaven Christ alone must reigne Ans. There is a spiritual Kingdome standing in grace peace and joy in which there is no distinction of persons There is also a civill Government which cannot subsist without distinctions and order there must be Masters and servants subjects and Governours and necessity requireth it it is the bond of the Common-wealth There is a Regiment in the Hoast of Heaven there is a Regiment in the Body the members move by the direction of the Head there is a Regiment in every Family the servants acknowledge the Master and the children their Parents Among the irrationall crâ—atures the Bees have their King the Cranes their Leader and the 〈…〉 principall Beast St. Paul calleth Magistâ—aâ—y a divine Crâ—â—â—ance all Gods Oâ—dinances aâ—â— good lawful 〈◊〉 8â— Psalm◠〈…〉
taken out of the 39. Articles HAving handled much poyson I thinke it fit to give the Reader to preserve him from infection some Methridate out of the Paunarium or Medicinable box of our Mother the Church viz. Out of the Articles of Doctrine agreed upon for avoiding of diversity of opinions and establishing of consent touching true Religion To which Articles every Minister refusing to subscribe should ipso fasto be deprived and all his promotions to be void as if he were naturally dead Read the Statute 1. That Christ took flesh from the virgin Mary The Sonne which is the Word of the Father begotten from the everlasting Father the very eternall God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the blessed virgin of her substance So thâ—t two whâ—le and perfect Natures that is to say the God-head and the Man-hood were joyned together in one Person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile us to his Father and to be a sacrifice not onely for originall guilt but also for the actuall sinnes of men 2. That Christ was God There is but one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passion of infinite power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible and in the Unity of this God-head are three Persâ—ns 〈◊〉 one substance power and eternity the Father Son and holy Ghost 3. Of our justification by Faith We are accounted â—ighteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST by faith and not for our own works or deservings wherefore that we are justified by saith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and very full of comfort 4. For good Workes Which are the fruits of Faith and follow after justification albâ—it they cannot put away our sinnes and endure the severity of Gods judgements yet they are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and so spring out necessarily of a true lively faith insomuch as by them a lively faith may be evidently knowne as a tree is discerned by the fruit 5. Of Originall sinne Originall sinne standeth not in the following of Adam but it it the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Originall righteousnesse and is of owne nature enclined to evill so that the flesh lusteth alwayes against the Spirit and therefore in every person borne into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and this infection in nature doth remaine yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the flesh cald in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some doe expound the wisedome some sensuality some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation to them that beleeve and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sin 6. Of the Baptisme of Infants Baptisme is not onely a signe of profession and marke of difference wherehy Christian men are discerned from other that be not Christned but it is also a signe of regeneration or new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receive Baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed Faith is confirmed and grace encreased by vertue of prayer unto God The Baptisme of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreeable with the institution of Christ. 7. Of Free-will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to doe good workes pleasing and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will 2. Of being without sinne Christ is alone without sin If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 9. Of the Civill Magistrate We give unto the Kings most Excellent Majesty that Prerogative which we see to be given to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Sword the stubborne and evill doers The Lawes of the Realme may punish Christian men with death for heynous and grievous offences It is lawfull for Christian men at the commandement of the Magistrate to weare weapons and serve in the wars 10. Christian mens goods are not common The riches and goods of Christian men are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as the Anabaptists doe falsely boast 11. A Christian mans Oath As we confesse that vaine and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and Iames his Apostle so we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of Faith and Charity so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in judgement justice and truth 5. Of the severall sorts of Anabaptists IT betell the Anabaptists as other Heriticks to wit having once forsaken the truth there is no end of their Errors As the Spirit encreased so many things were altered and new things received by the brethren as Oracles from heaven First they break asunder into foure Sects and David George tooke upon him to reconcile them who being possessed with the Devill prefer'd himselfe most blasphemously before Christ himselfe dayly they were divided more and more There are foureteen severall sorts of Anabaptists according to their severall sorts of Errors or Authors set downe by Alst edius in his Indice Theologia Polemina Page 565. viz. Muncerians Apostolikes Separatists Catharists Silentes Enthusiasts Liberi Adamites Hutites Augustinians Beucheldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Whose severall Errors I purpose to touch Muncerians so called of Muncer before named who raising a sedition of Boores in Germany was defeated taken and beheaded about the yeare of our Lord God 1525. He preached that all goods must be common and all men free and of equall dignity That God had commanded him to destroy all the ungodly and to repurge the Church Apostolikes a kinde of Anabaptists because they would be like the Apostles they wandred up and downe the Countreyes without staves shooes money or bags preaching up and downe their celestiall vocation to the Ministerie of the Word they washed one anothers feet and leaving houses wives and trades they were so burthensome to
Sectaries are bitter Railers and especially upon their Mother the Church oâ— England calling her Apostate Israel Sodom Bobylon murthering Step-mothers Idolatrous Antichâ—istian c. They judge and condemne them that are better then themselves far excelling in the gifts and graces of God yea they condemne and slâ—nder our whole nation as a false Church false Christians a Synogogue of Satan a people in a damnable estate exempting none neither the learned'st nor the holiest but condemne all Thâ—y boast much of the Spirit but by their virulent and venomous tongues you may see what spirit is in them viz. That Spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience Michael tâ—e Arch-Angel durst not give the Devill such cursed language as the Brownists give their mother The poyson of Aspes are under their lips Barrow and Greenwood were possessed with a spirit of railing and scoffing terming set Prayers the smoak of the bottomlesse pit preaching preachment and sermocination the Preachers deliverie of the word the distilling and dropping downe of old Parables from his mouth the time of preaching disputing with the houre-glasse the Pulpit a prescript place like a Tub solemne Fasts hyporiticall Fasts and a stage-play wherein one playeth sin another judgement another the Gospell the singing of Psalmes harmonizing of pleasant ballads our Churches styes our Baptisme adulterate baptisme the receiving the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper a two-penny Feast the worship of God Idolatry and us Idolaters yea Sodomites Canaanites Beliamites Chamitesâ— Cainites 8. Magnifie their Sect. AS these Sectaries villefie others so they magnifie themselves like those men of whom the Prophet speaketh Isa. 65. Stand further off I am holier then thou And with the Pharisee they thaâ—ke God that they are not likâ— other men Or with Sâ—mon Magus gave out that they are the great power of God These cry up their owne Sect to the Skies On Mr. Bernard saith Mr. Robinson if ever you saw the beauty of Sion and â—he glory of God filling his Taberâ—acle it hath beene in the manifestaâ—ion of dâ—vers graces of God in our Church in that heavenly harmony and comely order wherein by the grace of God we are set aâ—d walke Likewise heare Mr. Smith Oh Mr. Bernard if you knew but the power and comfort of Gods Ordinance as we doe c. Touching both these boasters of their popular Government hear the censure of Mr Iohnson who sheweth them to be Korites a bellious rout pleaders for confusion c. Also Mr. Daniel Studlâ—y Mr. Iohnsons second describeth Mr Samuel Fuller a Deacon of Mr. Robinsons company with his friends to be ignorant Idiots noddy Nabalites dogged Doegs fainfaced Pharisces shamelesse Shimeites malicious Machavilians 9. Criminate the Dutch and French Church IN their separations they carry not their seduced people from us to the Dutch or French nor to any Reformed Churches to have Communion They are as malevolent to Dutch and French Churches as to us many crimes they do lay upon them as for example 1. That their Assemblies are so contrived that the whole Church continueâ—h not together so that the Ministers cannot â—ogether with their flock sanctifie the Lords day The presence of the members cannot be knowne and finally no publick action whether excommunication or any other cannot bee rightly done can they say worse of us the Lords day cannot be rightly observed nor presence nor absence known nor any holy action rightly performed what can there be in their Churches but meere confusion See what dirt these Separatists cast upon the Church that harboureth them 2. They baptize the seed of them that are no members of the visible Church of whom they have no care as of members neither admit their Parents to the Lords Supper Is not this meeâ— Babylonisme how is the Church of Amsterdam separated from the World 3. That rule and commandement of Christ Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother offend thee goe and tell his fault c. They neither observe nor suffer to be observed behold what they complain of us they find the same in the Church of Amsterdam 4. They worship God in the Idol Temples of Anti-christ so that the wine is marred with the vessels is not this an abhomination yea the Anti-christian stones have some of them the ornaments of the Romaâ— harlot upon them remaining 5. Their Ministers have set maintenance 6. Tyâ—hes or a maintenance as ill Tythes were commanded by God and never repealed but this they have leaâ—nâ— of their Tutors the Anabaptists 7. Their Elders change yearely which is not according to the Doctrine of the Apostâ—es what can our Church have worâ—e then false Governours 8. They celebrate marriage in the Church is not this a foul fault Is it not better to be married in the Congrâ—gation with prayers and Gods blessing pronounced upon them by the Minister then to be contracted privately and 〈◊〉 into a booke as men doe horses in Smithfield 9. They use a new censure of suspension which Christ hath not appointed a great presumption sâ—y they 10. They receive unrepentant Excommunicants to bee members of thir Church by which meanes they become the body with them that are delivered over to Satan Thus these Seperatists besmeare the Church at Amsterdam yea they count it a great Apostacy for one of them so much as once to heare a Sermon in any of the Dutch or French Churches 10. Pretend Scripture AND whereas they doe pretend Scripture for their novelties while the world standeth saith a learned man it connot be shewed out of Gods sacred book that he hath commanded any of these following 1. Lâ—t all decisions excommunications yea and ordinations be performed by the multitude 2. Let evey Assembly have a Doctor and a Pastor distinct in charge and office 3. Let private Christians agree among themselves to set over themselves a Postor chosen by themselves 4. To this I may adde where or when did our Lord take the keyes from the Church and give them to the multitude how dare any Lay-man presume to ordaine Ministers to binde and loose c. 11. Thy avoyd our Congregations as prophane ONe speciall cause of their Separation they pretend to be the mixt Congregations of men holy and prophane with whom they will nor communicate lest they should be defiled You have heard of the resemblances that have been made of Gods Church as namely it is compared to a field in which are some Tares as well as wheaâ— to a net wherein are contained bad fish as well as good to a fold having in it Goats as well as sheep yet is not the field to be spoâ—led because of Tares nor the net to be broken because of the bad fish nor the fold to be broken because of the Goats no we are not to depart from any Church of Christ for any scandall given to us by the members and professors therein except for extreame errors of doctrine or ungodly practises professed in it 12.
Christian Churches in the world untill the Anabaptists To conclude let the Brownists confesse our Bâ—shops to be but Christians which they cannot deny and the Ordination of our Ministers will be lawfull by their owne rules for if the Ordination of their Ministers by Plâ—beian Artificers be lawfull how much more is the Ordination of our Ministers by Bishops and learned Ministers qualified with learning and wisedome and set apart to doe the same 16. Brownists Ordination BUT let them shew who devised their Ordination of Ministers I dare say not Christ nor his Apostles nor their Successors What Church in the whole world can be produced unlesse in case of necessity whose conspiring multitudes made them Ministers at pleasure What rule of the Church prescribeth it What Reformed Church ever did it or doth practise it What example warrants it where have the inâ—eriours presumed to lay their hands upon their Superiours It is an old policy of the faulty to complain first certainly there was never Popish Legend a more errand device of man then some parts of this Ministery of theirs so much gloried in for sincere correspondency with the first Institution 17. For their Singing FOR their singing of Psalmes it is almost left among them for in Master Iohnsons Assembly they had new râ—ymes but in so harsh and hard a phrase that the people knew not what they meant so that they could not sing with understanding 2. These being in use and the coppies being kept from the people by that means singing of Psalmes was kept from the people and shâ—t out of private houses 3. Againe by reason of the uncouth and strange translation and Meetre used in them the Congregation was made a laughing-stock unto strangers Master Daniel Studley pleaded for the continuance of those rhimes the Congregation complaining of them For saith my Author he had a good veine in making thimes especially filthy and obscene ones which he taught unto little children his Schollers and to Mistris May who used in her house to sing such songs being more fit for a common Bawde then for a person professing the pure separation They object against all the Churches in Amsterdam that they have Organs to modulate their voices in singing Sure I am the Separatists also had need of somewhat as a Bag-pipe or somewhat never used by Antichrist to tune them singing in their Conventicles like hogs against raine Here I might aske some questions viz. why singing set Psalmes doth not confine the spirit we being commanded to sing with the spirit as much as saying set Prayers and why the brethren inspired with the spirit doe not every day sing a new song as make a new Prayer which are set prayers to the People and why the people may not pray together with the Minister as it was the custome of al Christian Churches as sing together And lastly why Lay-men doe not pray in the Church aswel as preach or prophesie in the Church Do they not in forbidding the people to pray with the Minister as the Papists do in depriving the people of the Cup in the Sacrament and that for the honour of the Priest-hood 18. Of their prophecying AS the illuminated Anabaptists are called Preachers so the fanatick Brownists take upon them to be Prophets and to preach the word of God with all authority publikely in their Congregations St Panlasketh how they can preach except they be sent And this standeth to good reason every true Preacher standeth in Gods roome being the Lords Embassador to doe his will who dares doe this unsent These come not from the Schooles of the Prophers but from Mechanick trades set them down in Moses Chaire as Embassadors of Jesus Christ as Heralds of the most high God These take upon them to reveale the secrets of the Almighty to open shut heaven to save soules But to hear these fellowes discourse of the holy Trinity of Gods eternal Decree other deep poynts of Divinity you may hear the Mad-men in Bedlam prare as wisely as they May not Almighty God say to these mad Prophets what hast thou to doe to take my Word in thy mought c. Of their confused preaching or rather prating heare Mr. Simpson complaine and especially of the Prophets in Master Ainsworths Church For our manner saith he of meeting upon the Lords day it is with such a confusion and contradiction with one another that our profession of Separation may be overthrowne by it For example Thomas Cochi in his prophesie witnessing against England their Ministery is Anti-christian and being so cannot beget true faith and where there is no true faith there is no true salvation a fearefull sentence in my judgemnt Again our beloved Mr. de Cluse in his prophesie laboured to prove separation from a true Church for any corruption obstinately stood in this Doctrine was by another in prophecying there shewed to be absolutely contrary to the place Rev. 2. 24. which how unsoundly it was concluded by our Teacher was â—â—en observed by many Also it was since by another delivered in the way aâ— prophesie that even among our selves did reigne in my 〈◊〉 as namely fulnesse of bread pride and idlenesse 〈…〉 in that they were not satisfied with neither temporall nor â—pirituall food pride in that many did strive to goe beyond their calling idlenesse in that many were negligent in their callings If these things be so and be not redressed by the 〈◊〉 of this proâ—hesie we must according to Mr. deâ—Cluse his Doctrine make a new sâ—paration How oft doe the Brâ—threâ— except one against anothers prophecying by which much heart-burning and strife is â—indlâ—d between them Thâ—se thiâ—gs being well considered I pray you well to minde whether this new way of prophecying on the Lords day can be â—or the edification of the Church or not For this new propâ—â—ying of the Lay people read a Treatise newly set forth by 〈◊〉 Apolâ—nij 19. They will use no set Formes of Prayer THey finde fault with set Formes of Prayers and this also they learne of the Anabaptists who having burnt all the Books in Munster and in the Dominions of King Iohn of Zâ—â—on except the Bible were compelled either to pray without book which they call Praying with the spirit or not at all moreover the Anabaptists were so ignorant as Lambertus Hortensiâ—â— reporteth that among the numerous multitude of them 〈◊〉 was not one found as it was credibly reported that could read So they being not able to pray within book but all without book They have with the Brownists invented divers arguments against set Prayers They pretend set Prayers to be a device of man a muzling of the spirit a nurse of idlenesse and a meanes to neglect the graâ—es of God that are in them whereas they pretend extemporary prayers to be the work of the spirit whereas rather thereby they â—â—zzell the spirit of the people being tyed to the ex tempoâ—e and 〈◊〉 prayers of the Ministers
under the feeding of Master Browne himselfe they were swept away as dung by the Testimony of Master George Iohnson and not one of them left alive that continued faithfull but became Apostates The second sort of Brownists may bee called Barrawists from their Protomartyr Barrow whose censures are more desperate then the former who say that the Church of England is Sodome Babylon and Aegypt and that shee was never the Lords wife nor he her husband but that she is at the best a murthering Step-mother Therefore they say what communion hath light with darknesse â—hrist with Belial Beleevers with Infidels And therefore they proclaime the former Sect for not judging the Church of England so desperately as they judge her to be partakers of her adulteries and that they must receive of her plagues Of this Sect Barrow was the Father afterwards Greenwood Brewer Bois Rutter A third sort of Brownists did arise from one Mr. Wilkinson whose Disciples in a short time grew so strong in the Spirit that they stoutly affirmed that they were Apostles as Peter Paul and the rest and therefore deny communion with all others that will not give them that Title A fourth sort of Brownists who say that there is not any one true Church in the world but themselves because they say that they are married to Christ by that one true Baptisme which consisteâ—h of persons confessing of faith and their sinnes and all other Churches that baptize Infants are but Synagogues of Satan and have never made covenant with Christ therefore they call the Brownists for retaining the Baptisme of children as very a Harlot as Rome or the Church of England So name they the Brownists Romes fairest daughter and proclaim that all that will be saved must come to them to be re-baptized and condemne all other worship to be Antichristian divellish and obâ—oxious to the wrath everlasting Of these there are many Sects and Heresies you shall finde in the description of the Anabaptists Many other Sects of Bronists there are as the Iohnsonians and their Teners who commenced a â—uit in Amsterdam against the Ainsworthians for their Meeting House or Synagogne granted to the Brownists after the rending of that Conventicle asunder The Iohnsonians pleaded the Synagogue belonged unto them they being the ancient Brownists The Ainsworthians answered that the House belonged to them they being the true Brownists because they held the ancient faith upon which their Church was grounded from which Master Iohnson and his company had fallen into Apostacy and therefore could not bee the true Church and they set forth a writing of the Articles forsaken by Master Iohnson I might speake also of Robinson and his company which Robinson protesteth against both the former affiâ—ming Mr. Iohnsoâ—s company to be bastardly runnagaâ—es miserable guides engrossers of the keyes arrogant Zidkias laying the corner-stone of Babylon Lucian or scoffing Atheists Schismaticks making the Church of God a cypher a Hangby wanting an honest heart like Chancellours and Officials captivating of the Church either marked servants of the Pope or such as care not what they say for some present advantage using a power more execrable and accursed Master Smith and his Disciples doe at once as it were swallow up all the Separation besides protesting against their false constitutions false worship false Ministers and false Governours I might here also set downe the Heresies of Mr. Thomas Lemar described by Mr. Padget with this Title The Monster of Lemarisme THis Monster is set downe with seven heads 1. Mahometanisme in that Lemar denyed the holy Trinity and eternall God-head of Christ. 2. Iudaisme in affirmiag that Christ should come shortly in his owne person to reigne here upon earth 3. Papisme affirming that a meere creature may bee worshipped 4. Lutheranisme in maintaining the Doctrine of Consubstantiation 5. Anabaptisme in affirming that Christ took not flesh of the Virgin Mary 6. Libertanisme in holding that there is no visible Church upon earth 7. Brownisme in holding the Doctrine of Separation who can reckoâ— up their opinions they shifting daly Mr. Hancor will have a separation alone To confirm their several Sects divisions among themselves I might set down their uncharitable cursing one of another not to speek of the manifold curses that flew abroad in Mr. Barroâ—s time nor yet of the manifold curses which the company of Brownists remaining in London have oft laid upon one another consider but those that remaine in the low Countreys Mr. Iohnson and his company are now accursed and avoided by Mr. Ainsworth and his company Mr. Ainsworth and his company excommunicated by Mr. Iohnson and his company Mr. Smith and his company are rejected both of Mr. Iohnson and Mr. Ainsworth Mr. Robinson and his company holding Mr. Iohnson and his to be in apostacy And Mr. Iohnson him again for taking part in his Schisme against him and by this reckoning where is almost one of them free from the curse As for those stragling Brownists that walke alone as they avoyd all so they are avoyded and rejected by all the 〈◊〉 is not this saith my Author a cursing and a cursed Sect. 23. Schisme a great sinne I Ccould by way of counsell advise theâ—e Separatists who forsake the Church to consider how great a sin Schisme is viz. greater than murther a murther killeth one man or two but a Schismatick goeth about as much as in him lyes to destroy the Church of God To depart from the Church of England is a departing from the Church of God let them consider the Church of Corinth had many faults in it as many as the Church of England hath as great ones too yet was Gods Church for their faults St. Paul bâ—ames some there for their civill jars impetuously they traffering them and their suits to the Courts of Infidels 1 Cor. 6. 7. Others for their wicked connivence and indulgence towards the incestuous 1 Cor. 5. Others for their vile prophanenesse in their sacred Assemblies 1 Cor. 11. 32. Yea others for heresie 1 Cor. 15. Would any Brownist think this to be the Church of God but a Synagogue of Satan If our Apostle were alive now in which more light hath appeared he should be taught by Father Browne and his Disciples to give the Church of Corinth a new Title and not Paulan Apostle of Iesus Christ to the Church of God in Corinth But the example of Christ himselfe writing to the seven Churches of Asia may be our best direction charging five of them with severall faults and with crimes of a large size yet he doth call them Churches Moreover is not the forsaking the Church of God a forsaking of God himselfe And lastly is not excommunication one of the greatest punishments of the world by which a man is cast out of the Church St. Paul cals it a giving to the devill and doe not they in their separation cast themselves out of the Church and
gave them up to their owne hearts lusts to uncleannesse to defile their owne bodies between themselves which turned the truth of God into a lie They are like Priscillianus the Hereticke of whom H. N. borrowed not onely that villanous wresting of the Word by allegories as also the monstrous opinion that perjâ—ry and lying was lawfull and to be done with a good conscience to conceale Religion Priscilianus saith Daneus was put to death at Treversa a City of Germany confessing at his death what shameful villanies he had committed with the women of his Sect. The Familists talke of love and being in love and nothing but love but their love turneth into lust as one writeth of them Hen Nicolas as I finde written had in his house three women apparelled alike the one he affirmed to be his wife the other his sister the other his Cousin which Cousin of his falling sick and doubtfull of her life confessed to her neighbours who resorted to her in her sicknesse that H. N. had often abused her body and made her believe that she should never dye Complaint thereof being made to the Governour he came to the house to have apprehended him but he fled It was thought he was gone with Granvella unto Naples his goods were seized upon and carried to the Castle in Embden in the yeare of our Lord 1556. and in the 57. yeare of his age 5. Of divers sorts of Familists OF the Castalian Order which dissent from the doctrine of the Church of England opposing in every syllable and yet being notorious Hypocrites if they bee never so little questioned will make shew by outward seeming of conformity as if they did highly approve the doctrine of our Church Who hold that the Law of God may be perfectly fulfilled by men in this world Who tearme themselves Eagles Angels and Arch-Angels Lambes Doves c. who hope in a short time to be inspired with light and illumination as ever Paul or any Prophets were which allegorize the places of Scripture concerning Christ denying indeed that there was ever any such man as Christ dreaming onely of a sanctisying Christ abhorring a justifying Saviour expecting salvation by their owne works although they bee knowne to be coâ—rupt workers both in their Calling and Families holding that Turks and Pagâ—ns may be saved if they live well although they never heard of Christ. Of the Grindletonian Familists who hold 1. That the Scriptures are but for novices 2. The Sabbath to be observed but as a Lecture-day 3. To pray for the pardon of sin after he is assured of Gods love is to offer Christ again 4. That their Spirit is not to be tryed by the Scripture but the Scripture by their Spirit 5. That we must not goe by Motives but by Motions 6. That when God comes to dwell in a man he so filleth the soule that there is no more sinfull lusting 7. That they see no reason why Ministers should speak against the sins of the wicked seeing the wicked men can doe nothing but sin 8. Which boast and thank God that they have cast off praying in their Families repeating of Sermons and such like things long agoe 9. Which scoffe at such as make conscience of words with many other pernicious poynts 3. Of a third sort Familiests of the Mountains who say that they have cleane vanquished the divell and are pure from all sin and never so much as once tempted to doubt of their spirituall estate 4. Of a fourth sort Familistes of the Vallies who bring in their damnable doctrine with faire pretences of weeping sighing lifting up their eyes to heaven of patience of a smooth carriage and the like 5. Familists of the scattered flock who seduce by pretending themselves to be of them which feare the Lord when they are nothing lesse 6. Familists of Caps Order and of other ranks 6. How to discover Familists THey are saith my Author at this present so close and cunning that they can carry themselves being directed thereunto by their Master H. N. that ye shal hardly ever find them out They wll professe to agree in all things with the Church of England and also with the Church of Rome If they should be examined by them only they will not lightly deny their Mr. Henr. Nicolas nor speak evill of him nor of his writings if they should be put to it and there is no way but this to discover them I say to put them to the denyall and abjuring of him and his writings and to pronounce him a Blasphemer and his doctrines blasphemous this they will hardly doe unlesse they be not yet fully his Disciples 4. The abjuring of certaine Familists THe 12. of Iune 1575. stood at Pauls Croste five persons English-men of the Sect termed the Family of Love who there confessed themselves utterly to detest aswell the Author of that Sect H. N. as all his damnable errors and heresies Master Iohn Knewstub hath written a confutation of the monstrous and horrible heresies of the Family of Love Printed by Thomas Dawson 1575. Of ADAMITES AN old Heresie of which St. Augustine maketh mention but renewed by the Anabaptists in the assembly of the Adamites men women pray naked celebrated the holy Communion naked heare Sermons naked These Hereticks had their Conventicles in subterranean places called Hypocausta because that under the place of their meetings a Furnace of fire was kindled to warme the place of their Conventions for they uncloathed themselves when they entred into it and stood naked born men and women according to the similitude of Adam and Eve before their fall They call the place of their meeting Paradice I read in the History of the Anabaptists page 42. That in Amsterdam in a house seven men and five women had a meeting one of them called Theadoret a Taylor who bore himselfe a Prophet fell flat on the ground prayed with such vehemenacy that he scared all the assistants and rising as if it were out of an extasie I have seen said he God in his Majesty and have spoken with him I was taken up into heaven then I descended into hell and there scarched every corner the great day of the last judgement is comming At night they met againe in the same place and after four houres spent in praying and teaching the prophet being armed disarmeth himselfe and putteth off his garments to his shirt and throweth them in the fire then he commandeth the company in authority of a Prophet to doe the like and so they did women and all leaving not so much as a haiâ—elace to tye up their scattered haire no covering to the body no shelter for so was the Prophets pleasure that they should cast away all that came out of the earth and burn it as a Sacrifice of sweet favou unto God yet you may think saith my Author that the burning of so many cloâ—hes yeelded no very sweet favour for
the name of Jesuite and would be called Apostles Disciple In Rome and other Countries that give him freedome he weares a maske upon his heart In England he shuffles in and puts it upon his face No place in our Climate hideth him so secretly as a Ladies Chamber The modesty of the Pursevant hath onely forborne the bed and so mist him There is no disease in Christendome that may so properly be called the Kings evill To conclude will you know him beyond the Sea In his Seminary he is a Fox but in the Inquisition a Lyon Rampant Since the printing of this Book I hear of an assembly wherein one preacheth against the Deity of Christ and of another great Congregation of Familists and of atheisticall books published I most humbly entreat Almighty God for Jesus Christs sake in mercy to look upon us and to keep our poore Church from these Doctrines of the Devill Amen Of the Pelagians WRicing of the Hereticks and Sectaâ—ies of these times â— thinke it not amisse to write somewhat of the Pelagians their ancient Errors reviving among us Pelagius was a Welch-man and he is usually stiled Pelagius the Briton to distinguish him from Pelagius the samosatensian Bishop a man learned and Orthodox Luther saith he was called Pelagius of Pelagus the sea his errors like the Sea over-flowing in a manner the whole world His name in Welch was Morgan which signifieth the sea He lived in the time of the Emperor Theodosius the younger about the yeare of our Lord 416. His Errors were condemned in the Synod of Carthage An. 425. in which there assembled 217. Bishopâ— and among other Saint Argustine And also in the Melivitan Councell held in Africa His Errors are set downe by Augustine Hierome Ambrose Isidore Prosper and Fulgentius Pontanus setteth them downe to be twelve 1. He taught that Adam had dyed although he had not sinned by the Law of nature and so sinne not to bee the cause of death 2 Adamâ— sin to bâ— noxious to himselfe onely and not to his posterity and thâ—re to be no original sinne 3 Lust and coâ—cupiscence being naturall not to be evill but rather good and sin not to be propagated by generation 4. The former being granted children to have no originall sin from their Parents 5. The children of the faithfull though not batized to be saved and to enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven 6. Men to have now free-will even after sin which is sufficient and fit to doe well without Gods grace 7. Gods grace to be obtained by the merit of our workes 8. The word grace in holy Scripture not to be meant the gracious remission of sin and the donation of the Holy Ghost but the pâ—omulgation of doctrine 9. Faith to be the knowledge of the Law and History as they call it not a speciall worke and our perseverance in faith 10. The Law of God to be satisfied by externall obedience neither it to be impossible for a man to keep 11. The prayers of the Church for sinners that they may be converted and for the faithfull to persevere to be made in vaiâ—e because it is in the power of our owne free-will Aâ—d wee need not aske that of God that we have power to dâ—e our selves 12. They doe mocke and scoffe at the doctrine of Predestinationâ— exploâ—ing it out of the Church These Errors need no confuâ—ation being so opposite to the holy Scripture Soule-Sleepers THat the soule dyeth with the body is an old and despicable Heresie raised in Arabia about the time of Origen and extinguished by his dispute immediately after the birth thereof Such as were infected with this opinion were termed by Saint Augustine Arabici by reason of the Province in which this Error first arose This Heresie is risen up againe among us and an abscure Author laboureth to maintaine in a Treatise late published among us intituled Mans mortality in which hee bringeth an argument out of Gen. 3. 19. where Adam is told that for his disobedience he must turne unto dust from whence he was made and not onely his body but also his soule which came not out of the dust In the description of mans Creation by Moses you may manifestly see the immortality of the soule When God created the Beasts c. he said Let the earth bring forth every living thing But when he made man Let us make man in our owne Image And againe The Lord God made man of the Dust of the earth that is his body and for his soule he breathed in his face the breath of life God created the Angels spirits without bodies The creatures bodies without soules he took a body and soule and made a man in his own Image in respect of his body he hath affinity with beasts in respect of his soule with heavenly spiâ—its The Beasts came out of the earth and to the earth they returne so mans body But his soule came from heaven and returneth to God that gave it Beside some foolish arguments alledged in the Treatise before named he citeth the words of Solomon Ecclsiastes 3. 10. For that which befalleth the sonnes of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so â—yeth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast for all is vanity All goe to one place all are of the dust and all turns to dust againe Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth Which words were to determination of Solomons but a History of what came in his thoughts and what troubled him and stirred him up to a solicitous enquiry concerning the soules condition but the state of the soule he determineth Chap. 12. saying Dust returneth unto the earth from whence it came and the Spirit to God that gave it To this resolution of Solomons I may adde our Lords answer to the Saduces Matth. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of the dead but of the living This Error of theirs is contrary to the holy Scriptures 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Psalme 31. 5. Luke 23. 46. Acts 7. 59. Apocal. 6. 40. 4. To conclude with Sap. 3. Though not received inâ—o the Canon yet it is confessed to be very ancient and therefore may claime precedency of authority before any heathen Philosopher The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and there shall no torment touch them 2. In the sight of the unwise they seem to dye and their departure is taken for misery and their going from us to utter destruction but they are in peace Deny the Scriptures AMong others one wicked Sect denieth the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament and account them as things of nought whereby by Gods command they that despised Moses Law by the mouth of two or three witnesses were to be put
obedience which are against Christian liberty The ninth poynt for Images We acknowledge the Civill use of Images but we deny any religious worship of them The tenth is the Reall presence We deny not the presence it selfe and although we hold a reall presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament yet we doe not take it to be locall bodily or substantiall but spirituall and mysticall to the signes by Sacramental relaâ—ion to the Communicants by faith alone The eleventh is the Sacrifice of the Lords Supper which they call the Masse We acknowledge the Lords Supper to be a Sacrifice 1. Because it is a memoriall of Christs Sacrifice upon the Crosse. 2. Because every Communicant doth offer up himselfe body and soule a living and acceptable sacrifice unto God 3. Because of the Almes given to the poore They maâ—e the Eucharist to be a reall externall or bodily sacfice offered unto God 〈◊〉 twelfth poynt of Fasting We maintaine three sorts thereof to wit a Morall Civill and Religious The first being Morall is a practice of Sobriety and Temperance to be used in the whole course of our life The second Civill when upon some particuler and politicke Considerations we abstaine 〈◊〉 flesh at certaine seasons of the yeare to preserve the breed of Cattell and to maintaine the calling of Fisher-men The third a religious Fast when the duties of Religion as the exercise of prayer and humiliation be used in our Fasts We joyne with them in the allowance of the principall ends of Fasting The first that thereby the minde may become attentive in the service of God The second that the rebellion of the â—lesh may be subdued The third is to professe our guiltinesse and to testifie our humilâ—ation before God Thirdly we yeeld to them that Fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God yea and a good worke also if it be used in a good manner Our distent is in three things First they prescribe certaine times of Fastirng as necessary to be kept Secondly they prescribe a difference of meaâ—â— as Whiâ—meâ—â—ts and Fish c. onely to be used on their fasâ—ing dayes and that for conscience sake Thirdly we differ touching the ends of Fasting for they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared to be a part of Gods worship To conclude we doe not condemne Fasting but the abuse of it The thirteenth poynt of the state of perfection Our consent is that all true Beleevers have a state of perfection in this life and this perfection hath two parts First is the imputation of Christs perfect obedience The second part of a Christian mans obedience is sincerity or righteousnesse The difference is they teach that they cannot onely keep all the Commandements of the Law and thereby deserve his owne salvation but goe beyond the Law and doe works of Super-erogation The fourteenth poynt is of the worshipping of Saints and especially of Invocation Our consent The true Saints of God as the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs are to be worshipped and honoured three wayes First by keeping a memoriall of them in a godly manner Secondly in giving thanks to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them Thirdly they are to be honoured by an imitation of their Faith Humility Meeknesse Repentance and good vertues in which they excelled The difference stands in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of Religious worship the highest they call Latreia whereby God is worshipped and that alone Douleia whereby the Saints and Angels are worshipped We also distinguish adoration or worship for it is either Religious or Civill Religious worship we give to God alone Civill worship we give to men To come to the poynt we deny that any Civill worship is to be given to the Saints being absent from us much lesse any religious worship at all call they it what they will The fifteenth poynt of the Intercession of Saints We hold that the Saints departed pray to God by giving thanks to him for their owne redemption and for the redemption of the whole Church Secondly that they pray generally for the state of the whole Church They hold that the Saints in heaven do make intercession to God for particuler men according to their severall wants and receiving particuler mens Prayers they present them unto God which doctrine we flatly renounce The sixteenth poynt of implicite faith We hold that there is a kinde of implicite faith as in the time of a mans first conversion and in the time of some grievous Temptation A second kinde of implicite faith is in regard of Apprehension when as a man cannot say distinctly and certainly I believe the pardon of my sinnes but I doe unfainedly desire the pardon of them all and doe desire to repent The difference is The Pillars of the Roman Church lay downe this ground that faith in his owne nature is not a knowledge of things to be beleeved but a reverent assent unto them whether they be knowne or unknowne hereupon they build that if a man know some necessary poynts of Religion as the doctrine of the God-head of the Trinity of Christs Incarnation and of our Redemption c. it is needlesse to know the rest and it is sufficient to give his consent to the Church and to beleeve as the Pastors beleeve This implicite faith we reject for â—aith containeth a knowledge of things to be believed and nothing is believed that is not knowne The seventeenth poynt of Purgatory They hold it to be a part of Hell into which an entrance is made onley after this life which we deny having no warrant for it in Gods word 2. We differ from them touching the meanes of Purgatory They say that men are purged by suffering the paines of Purgatory whereby they satisfie for their vâ—niall sinnes and for the temporall punishment of their mortall sinnes We teach the contrary holding that nothing can free us from the least punishment of the smallest sinne but the sufferings of Christ and purge us from the least taint of corruption saving the bloud of Christ. For Prayer for the dead which the Author joyneth to this poynt We hold Christian Charity is to exâ—â—â—d it selfe to the Dead and it may shâ—w it selfe in their honest buriall in preservation of their good names and in relieviâ—g their posteâ—â—â—y We pray further in generall for the faithfull departed that God would hasten their joyfull Resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happinesse both for the body and the soule But to pray for particuler men departed and to pray for deliverance out of Purgatory we dare not we think it unlawfull because we have neither Promise nor Commandement so to doe The eighteenth poynt of the Supremacy In causes Ecclesiasticall our consent First for the founding of the Primitive Church the Ministery of the Word was distinguished by degrees not only of order but