be faire warnings to forwarne not only prophaners of the Sabbath but also all such as by their perâ—icious Doctrine teach men to prophane it Traskites SO called of one Mr. John Traske whom the Author knew well His opinions were that it was not lawfull to doe any thing â—orbiâ—den in the old Law nor to keep the Christian Sabbath One Theophilus Braborne endeavoured with him to bring back againe the Jewish Sabbath and to that purpose writ a Book in the yeare 1632. The Positions concerning the Sabbath by them maintained were these 1. THat the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue Remember the Sabbath day too keep it holy c. Exod. 20. is a divine precept simply and entirely Morall containing nothing legally Ceremoniall in whole or in part and therefore the weekly observation thereof â—â—ght to be perpetuall and to continue in full force and vertue to the worlds end 2. That the Saturday or the seventh day of every week ought to be an everlasting holy day in the Christian Church and the religious observation of this day obligeth Christians under the Gospell as it did the Jewes before the comming of Christ. 3. That the Sunday or Lords day is an ordinary working day an it is superstition and will-worship to make the same the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement Of this opinion was Theophilus Braborne As the Anabaptists will have no children baptised because there is no expresâ—e command for it in Scripture so these Sabbatarians will have no Sunday because they can find no expresse Text for the alteration of it Iohn Traske for his Judaicall opinions was censured in the Star-chamber to be set upon the Pillory at Westminster and from thence to bee whipt to the Fleet there to remaine Prisoner three years after he writ a recantation of all his Schismaticall errors Also Theophilus Braborne had his doome in the Star-chamber and afterwards renounced his Errors by conference had with Doctor Vhite Lord Bishop of Ely which caused him to write a book of the Sabbath For the observation of the Lords day we read there is among others a Treatisâ— of Doctor Bonners called A profitable and necessary Doctrine wherein on the fourth Commandement Sunday is oft called by the name of Sabbath and thereon saith he we must have our mindes quiet and free from all worldly cares and give them entirly and wholly unto God both privately and publikely and that wee must occupy our selves in thought word and deed as may be to the glory of God with spirituall edifying both of our selves and also of our neighbours and that every one must instruct his children servants and family in vertue and goodnesse and as Saint Augustine saith Serm. 251. Let us marke and see that our rest be not vaine or fruitlesse but that wee being sequestred from all rurall workes and from all businesse doe from the evening on the Saturday untill the evening on the Sunday give your selves to divine service Onely and after such sort we doe duely or well sanctifie the Sabbath of our Lord And to prove the Sabbath day to be kept he citâ—th Gen. 2. 5. Exod. 16. 25. Exod. 23. 12. Exod. 31. 14. Exod. 35. 2. Numb 15. 35. Some Some Christians there be that keep both Saturday and Sunday as the Ethiopians Of the Iesuites This sorâ— or Order is of a latter Edition then the Anabaptists and therefore not to be omâ—tted In descrebing of them I purpose to set downe 1. Their Originall 2. Their Government 3 Their Errors in which they doe not agree with other Papists 4. That they are of all Sects most pernicious and dangerous 1. FOR their Orignall the first Foundation was one Loyola a Spanish Souldier who was maimed by the French at the siege of Pampelona his right leg being broken by a shot and his left leg with a stone cast from the wall This Order boasteth much of heavenly visions and divine revelations not unlike the Coetanij the Anabaptists is that the blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Ignatius with her Son Iesus in her armes perswading him to erect this Order to which she promised to be propitious They will tell you that Ignatius was rapped up into heaven and that Almighty God shewed him the 〈…〉 or frame by which he created the world with many such like fancies Moreover whereas other orders beare the name of their founders as the Dominicans of Dominicke the Franciscans of Francis they beare the name of Jesus whereas saith my Author they came from the devill the father of lyes they being the last Engine and device of Satan to supplant the truth This Order was confirmed Anno 1540. by Paul the third Bishop of Rome Gregory the 13. Bishop of Rome gave to the Iesuites a place in Rome called the Island in which they demolished many houses turned many widdowes out of their dwellings and built themselves a most magnificent and sumptuous Colledge It is reported that it cost in building 25. Tun of gold in which the Pope placed 500. Jesuites of severall nations 2. For their government the Jesuites have a chife whom they call their Generall who attendeth upon the Pope in Rome their late General was Claudius Aquaviva his Office is to governe the whole Order and to make new orders and their Generalls commands the Jesuites receive as divine oracles They believe and obey their Generall as Christ himselfe Next their General they have foure Assistants who as their Generall attendeth the Pope so doe they attend their Generall The office of these four are to promote the Popes authority into the foure quarters of the world The Iesuites their Emissaries abroad signifie unto them in writing how Princes stand affected to the Church of Rome Moreover theie office is with the Generall to send Governors Visiters Recters and preachers to the whole Order and to send forth the inferiour Jesuites into all places of the world who take upon them all manner of fashions to doe mischiefe among souldiers they are arrayed like souldiers in Princes Courts like Noble-men attending forraigne Eâ—bassadors in Ciâ—ies like Merchants yea sometimes they beg of Protestant Ministers as men banished for religion And all this to dive into the secrets of State and to disclose the Counsells of Princes 3. For their Errors Chemnitius setteth downe 26. some sew of which I purpose to relate and especially those in which they differ from other Papists First they presumptuously arrogate to themselves the name of Iesus which is a name above all names 2. They place their Generall in equall authority with Christ saying the voyce of our Generall is the voyce of Christ. 3. The Jesuites generally maintaine the Popes temporall power as well as spiritual that he may depose Kings and dispose of their kingdomes which the French Papists doe not allow of viz. Their decree set forth Anno 1611. and among us Hart Bartley Preston and others disclaime this power given by the Jesuites to the Pope 4. They deny the lawfulnes of the Oath of
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◠〈…〉
this Sect. 7. The abjuration of certaine Familisâ—s at Pauls Crosse. THe first author was one David George of Delfe who fled out of Hollâ—ndâ—â— Basill giving it our that he was banished out of the low Countreyes he changed his name called himselfe Iohn of Bridges he affirmed that he was that right David that was sent from God and should restore againe the Kingdome of Israel He wrote divers Books as one called the Wonder-booke he broached his damnable Heresiee as â— All the Doctrines taught by Moses the Propheâ—s and Christ himselfe were not sufficient to salvation but only to keep the people in good order till the comming of David George but his doctrine was able to save all those that put their trust in him 2. That he was the right Messias the beloved Son of the Father not born of the flesh but of the Holy Ghost and that when Christ was dead according to the flesh the Spirit of Christ was left by the Fathers appoyntment untill the comming of this David George and given him 3. That he would set up the true house of David and the children of Levi must raise the Tabernacle of God through the Spirit of Christ not by the crosse and suffering but through meeknesse and love 4. That whosoever speaketh against this Doctrine shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come he dyed the 16. of August 1556. at which his Disciples were much dismayed for he promised them that he should not dye or if he did that he should rise againe and fulfill all his former Promises whereupon some forsook his heresies The Magistrates being informed of his doctrine and manners caused his house the houses of such as were suspected to hold such errours to be searched his books to be burnt forseiting his goods and lands â—o the use of the Town causing his followers to recant After him rose one Henry Nicholas borne in Amsterdam a Towne in Holland of many called Henry of Amsterdam who took upon him to maintaine the same Doctrine yet not in the name of David but in his owne name as a Prophet sent to rebuke the world of sin and iniquity naming himselfâ— restâ—â—râ—toâ— mundâ— the restorer of the world Mr. Iessop describeth H. N. after this manner page 89. They call him the new man or the holy nature or holinesse which they make to be Christ and sin to be Antichrist because it is oppâ—â—iâ—e to Christ. They say that when Adam sinned then Christ was killed and Antichrist came to live They teach the same perfection of holinesse which Adam had before he fell is to be obtained here in this life and affirme that all their Family of Love are as perfect and innocent as hee and that the Resurrection of the dead spoken of by St. Paul 1 Cor. 15. and this Prophesie then shall be fulfilled the saying which is written O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory is fulfilled in them and they deny all other resurrection of the body to be after this life They will have this blasphemer H. N. to be the Son of God Christ which was to come in the end of the world to judge the world and say that the day of judgement is already come and that H. N. judgeth the world now by his Doctrine so that whosoever doth not obey his Gospell in time shall be rooted out of the world and that this Family of Love shall inherit and inhabite the earth for ever world without end onely they say they shall dye in the body as now men doe and their soules goe to heaven but their Posterities shall continue for ever This deceiver describeth eight through-breakings of the light as he tearmeth them to have been in eight severall times from Adam to the time that now is which as he saith have each exceeded other The seventh he alloweth Iesus Christ to be the publisher of and his light to be the greatest of all that ever were before him and he maketh his owne to be the eight and last and greatest and the perfection of all in and by which Christ is perfected meaning holinesse he maketh every one of his Family of Love to be Christ yea and God and himselfe God and Christ in a more excellent manner saying that he is godded with God and co-deified with him and that God is hominified with him These horrible blas hemies with divers others doth this H. N. his Family teach to be the everlasting Gospell which the Angel is said to preach in the Rev. 11. 15. They professe greater love to the Church of Româ— and to all her Idolatries and superstitions then they doe to any Church else whatsoever except themselves They wickedly abuse these words of Christ I must walk to day to morrow and the third day I shal be perfected and say that by to day is meant the time of Jesus Christ his Apostles and by to morrow all the time of the Religion of the Church of Rome and by the third day this their day of H. N. and his Family wherein they will have Christ to be perfected And they doe compare all the whole religion of the Church of Rome to the Law of Moses affirming that as God did teach his prople by these shadowes and types till Jesus Christ came so hee hath taught the world ever since by the Images sacrifices and heathen Rites of the Church of Rome till this wretch H. N. came and now he must be the onely chiefe Teacher Gods obedient man yea his Son as they blasphemously call him hee by his Gospell must make all things perfect One Christopher Viret a Joyner dwelling in Southwarke who had been in Queen Maries dayes an Arian being infected with Hen Nocolas his doctrine poysoâ—ed first the English with this heresie he translated out of Dutch into English divers of the books of Henr. Nicholas as Evangelium regni out of which and others these errors are collected 2. Their blasphemous Errors 1. COncerning God That there is none other Deitie belonging unto God but such as men are partakers of in this life 2. Concerning Christ 1. That Christ is not God 2. Christ is not one man but an estaâ—e and conâ—â—tion in men common to so many as have received H. N. his doctrine c. 3. Of Adam That Adam was all that God was and God all that Adam was c. 4. Concerning Baptisme That no man should be baptized untill he was 30 yeares old 5. Concerning the Word That there was never truth preached since the Apostles time before H. N. 6. Concerning the Resurrection 1. The resurrection of the body is a â—ising from sin and wickednesse 2. That the dead shall rise and live in H. N. and in the iluminated Elders everlastingly and reigne upon earth 7. Concerning the day of Judgement 1. That the day of Judgement is in this life 2. That the joyes of heaven are here upon earth 8. Concerning marriage The marriage of
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