remedies provided for this monstrous evill but it is a pity to see the strange stupidity and feneantise of the most even of them whose interest in God ought to make them upon all hazards much more diligent agents for the relief of his strangely contemned and pitifully trod down truth I speak not of temporall punishments if the Magistrate will employ none of his power for the honor of that God who has set him in his place and preserves him therein nor for the relieving of the perishing souls of the people over which he rules let him prepare to answer for it as he may for it will be the principall Item of his great account onely let him be content to want the compassion of all beholders when God little to his honour shall vindicate his own glory and when Divine Justice lets the seduced multitude fully loose to pull out of his hand all power no lesse about civill then spirituall objects which easily might have kept the people in order and obedience both to God and him if it had been in any season or even yet were in any wisedome or courage imployed towards them But that which I most regrate is to see sundry unto whom God has committed the keeping of his truth and whom he has indued with very notable parts above many so sparing and coldriffe so sober and temperate so calme and wise in managing the Battels of their Master against the Enemies of his dearly beloved truth as if all their zeale were no more mixed but totally overmastered and well-near drowned in their moderation and prudence It is the opinion of many that the enemies of the truth have been assisted in their evill work of seducing millions of the Sheep of Christ by no one means more then the tepidity of some gracious and orthodoxe yet too wise and somwhat fearfull and faint-hearted Divines How desperate soever the faults as well of good as of evil men have made the disease of the Church this day yet it must never be altogether too late and unseasonable for the servants of Christ to get up from their sleep and with some peece of more zeal towards their Masters honour and of pity towards their perishing Brethren to set upon their too too long neglected duties The Testimonies of the fourth Chapter A Treatise of Baptism p. 356. There may be many great fails in an action which may not make it null or nothing but these essentiall fails which may be said to nullifie it can never be repaired by any act afterwards such are the fails of infant Baptism as enter into the very essence of it namely the formall and materiall causes so as if you ask what I lay to the charge of infant Baptism I say that it is nothing as the Scripture saith an idoll is nothing of what act soever ye may justly say this is a nullity no act can repair that to give it a being I may affirm with more equity and reason that infant Baptism is not a Sacrament but a rash mockery for deceiving by no means to be endured in the Church The vanity of childish Baptism second Part p. 30. That administration of Baptism which overthrows the very nature of the Covenant of grace and whole Gospel of Christ is Antichristian and abominable It is most certain that the Baptism of infants is the greatest delusion and a thing of as dangerous a consequence as ever the Man of Sinne brought into the world and therefore the greatest maintainers thereof are justly to be esteemed the greatest deluders pag. 30. B Treatise of Baptism p. 36. If this be not to be repeated because neither in precept nor example you finde it so then must this be the first because in precept and example you finde it so and never otherwise In a word Baptism of old hath been called and not without reason Sacramentorum Janua C Tombs examen p. 23. Because it goes so currant that rebaptization is not onely an errour but also an heresie let me begge of you one good argument to prove it unlawfull in se or intrinsecally I mean without respect to scandall or in the like cause by accident for a man that hath been baptized rightly to be baptized again We are regenerated by Baptism and a man is born but once but are we not born again by the word and must that be but once preached is not sin mortified the Church sanctified by Baptism and are not these often and for example if there were as good for paedobaptism as that Acts 19.5 6. for rebaptizing the controversie were at an end with me M. Marshall challenges him upon this new errour but he still defends it p. 53. As for M. Marshals arguments they are not convincing to me nor is the holding rebaptization such a new opinion as he would make it D Richardson against Featly p. 6. Paedobaptism tends to make Gods holy Ordinance a lying sign to confirm that which visibly is not secret things belong to God and revealed things to us Deut. 29.29 And seeing such infants appear not to have any right in the Covenant they are not to have the seal of the Covenant it being against the light of nature to set a seal to a blank and that any should have a visible right to the seals c. and yet not godly is strange Doctrine E Declaration concerning the publick dispute by Knols c. p. 16. Beleevers onely themselves and not their infants are accounted the spirituall seed of Abraham or his seed according to faith Vanity of childish Baptism p. 18. None of Abrahams children nor the naturall seed of any other in the world are to be accounted the seed unto whom the promise and Covenant is made untill they beleeve Ibid. p. 21. Circumcision was not by God ordained nor by Abraham understood to be to the persons circumcised a seal of their being in the Covenant and much lesse of their being regenerated F Cornwels Vindication p. 5. This Popish consequence of Baptizing the infants of beleevers doth instate all the infants of the beleeving Gentiles to be born in a Covenant of grace and to have a right of a promise of life in Christ Jesus The vanity of childish Baptism second Part p. 4. The children of beleevers are not in the Covenant of grace G Ibid. But here they object and say Hath the children of beleevers no more priviledge then the children of Heathens Turks and Infidels Answ In respect of the Covenant of grace and salvation none at all Ibid. p. 19. Beleevers are Fathers of their own children no otherwise then they are Fathers of Jews and Turks children which is when they beleeve and not before Declaration by Cocks p. 17. But some may think that this will put the children of beleevers into as bad a condition as the children of Turks Heathens and any other wicked men and this they are perswaded is a horrible thing and a dangerous opinion we put not the children of beleevers into as bad a
to keep the Church in confusion Since the State will take no notice of them but lets them encrease at their pleasure and grow up above the strength of any their Auncestors they are making bold to goe visit the State and try their strength upon her if possibly they may find as great a facility to set up the Trophee of their triumph upon her ruine as of that of her weake sister the Church It is the certain and now oft printed design of some to overthrow from the very foundation the whole edifice of our Civill government No King no Lord must be heard of hereafter This House of Commons must be cast down the Imperiall and absolute Soveraignty must be put in the hands of the multitude of the basest people They are once every year to choose for their servants a new House of Commons which all this time shall draw up a new frame of laws and a new modell of government Since this is the h mour that now beats highest in the veins of that people we had so much the more need with all our strength to fortifie the house of the State for beleeve it if that by any hand should be undermined its fall cannot fail to crush the most if not all who are under the roof thereof So long as the State doth stand there is always some hope of subsistence for every honest man and of obtaining in time a great part and possibly all their just desires were their Petition never so oft laid aside But if the State be overthrown then all is desperate and gone every particular person with all his designs how gracious soever is ready to be overwhelmed in the rubbish of the Common wealth It would be remembred that members of the best state are but men and not Angels It 's not to be expected but sinfull infirmities will cleave to the back of the best reformed government the perfect and spotlesse Republick of Plato may well have some place in Vtopia or in the Region of the Moon but upon the earth it never yet did dwell nor in haste is like to doe Let prayers to God let petitions Protestations Remonstrances representations to men be used and repeated from time to time without any fainting or giving over till all be obtained that is necessary for the good of Church and State But great caution must be used that nothing be either done or said that may labefactate the just honour or power of them whom God and the Laws have entrusted with the Soveraignty what ever toucheth that cannot but touch the apple of the eye of every good and wise man especily at this time when the project of the Devill is declared to lay Monarchy and both the Houses of Parliament levell with the ground and to set on the Throne the beast with many heads the multitude which with difficulty enough could ever yet be ruled but to this day was never found to have any skill or dexterity at all in the great art of ruling But to break off prefacing The scope of the Treatise my intention in the subsequent writ is to proceed in my Disswasive and that with so great observance of the three mentioned Caveats as I am able The men whom I deal with in this part are Anabaptists albeit they bring in with themselves both Antinomians Socinians Familists and the most of all the Heretiques of the time I desire no more from them as a reward of all my labour for their weall for the least hurt to any of their persons I never minded but in the fear of God to consider the beginning progresse and issue of their way as I set it before them in a short view out of their own Authors or at least from such writs as in that subject are of unquestionable faith If I make it appear that the spirit which from the beginning to this day did reign in their leaders cannot be that of grace and truth ought they not in conscience to make a serious review of their way lest securely going on the justice of God give them over to be miscarried to such opinions and practises which their soul for the present abhors but as I demonstrate has exceeding oft been the issue of Anabaptisme in many of its followers both of old and late If this my service be a means to reclaim some of them and to deterre others from the evill of their doings I have the desired fruit of my labour If I misse this yet my testimony to the truth in so needfull a time will I hope be acceptable to God and the conscience of it will ease and refresh my spirit remembring that the houres of my leisure were not altogether mis-spent but many of them so diligently as I was able employed for the service of Him to whom I owe all and the good of his people CHAP. I. The Originall and Progresse of the ANABAPTISTS THE late patrons of Anabaptism among us would make the world beleeve that this Sect had for its Author the famous Berengarius Berengarius no Anabaptist and for its fomenters four hundred years ago the old predecessors of Protestants commonly called Albigenses but who will be pleased to consult the fountain of this alledgance shall finde Berengarius absolved from this crime by that very mouth whence alone the sclander did proceed M. Tombes examin p. 20 21. Bishop Guitmund lays on the back of Deacon Berengarius the load of so many contumelies as he is able to invent only for his boldnesse to oppose the common Doctrine of that time the corporall presence of Christs body in the bread of the Sacrament among other things he challenges him for the denying baptisme ro infants but if any should require a proof of this heavy charge Guitmund professes that none can be given avowing that Berengarius did never bring any such Doctrine in publick knowing that no Scripture could be alledged for it and that no creature would take such an absurdity from his hand A Justice therefore does require that Berengarius be freed of that crime since his very adversary confesseth that it was never made appear by any known profession for crimes that appear not are reputed by just men as not existing Concerning the Albigenses The Albigenses knew not Anabaptisme the man that lays the sclander of Anabaptism upon them is Petrus Cluniacensis but how unjustly I offer to be considered not only from this generall very true and confessed ground that the Popish Writers of that time do charge these honest and pious men of Albi with many both errours and crimes whereof all equitable men beleeve them to have been most innocent but also from three particular observations First they are not challenged by Cluniacensis as direct and expresse denyers of paedobaptisme but for their affirming the impossibility of infants beleeving and of their impossible salvation without faith he alledges upon them by way of consequence that they did also maintain the Baptism of infants
declared his information thereof by God ten days before but the matter concerning his own person he had hitherto been silent yet all now being made publick by the mouth of another Prophet The splendour of Becolds Court he did submit himself to the will of God No minute of time was delayed the twelve Princes were cashiered the Catholick Monarch did choose his Chancellor Treasurer Secretary and other Officers of State and Court a fair high throne was set up in the Market-place and covered all over with cloth of gold Becold made for himself being a Taylor by his Trade very royall suits of most gorgeous apparell of the Priests vestments which he had robbed in the Cathedrall a stately Crown Scepter and Sword were prepared for him his Courtiers were all put in most sumptuous raiment no greater magnificence was to be seen at any Princes Court in the world QQ Thus Becold attained the top of his ambition and lust but the great skill was how to keep what was gotten for this end twenty eight Apostles were sent abroad to preach over the world obedience to the King of Munster the new Jerusalem but here was the misluck all of them but one who returned with the tidings were killed in the places where first they offered to preach His barbarous cruelty and hypocrisie In the mean time the Town begun to be pinched with famine one of the Kings Wives being delated for a word of compassion upon the starving multitude was brought forth to the Market-place and by Becolds own hand had her head struck off RR All the rest of his wives did sing a Psalm to God for this so excellent an act of Justice the King himself led all the fourteen in a dance through the streets of the Town it were long to recite all the acts of their villanous hypocrisie at last the patience of God broke out upon them One of the Kings Secretaries undertook to bring into the Town a supply of men and victuals when he was gone His unhappy end his way was straight to the Enemy he guided his Treason so cunningly that on a certain night he brought a party within the Town many were put to the edge of the sword the King and the principall mis-leaders of the people were taken alive the King was brought to acknowledge the most of his Errors SS he offered upon condition of his life to make all the Anabaptists in Holland Freezland and England to be quiet and give over their way but these vain promises were not trusted and so after some cruell torture he and Knipperdolling were killed and hung up in a cage of Iron upon the highest pinacle of the Cathedrall Steeple TT That same very year 1535. Amsterdam in hazard to be a second Munster the Anabaptists had a mighty design upon Amsterdam and very narrowly did misse of their intention to surprise that City to be a seat of as glorious a Kingdom as had been at Munster but God assisted the Citizens to prevent such a mischief albeit not without great losse for some hundreds were killed on both sides in these bloody uproars VV A woman Messias All this did not teach the Anabaptists wisdom still they did expect a new Jerusalem and an earthly Kingdom their Prophets filled the fancies of their people with this notion more then any other One of their women at Apezell in Suitzerland gave her self out for the Queen of the world and Messias for all women sending out her twelve she-Apostles for their conversion to her way XX I read also after the death of Becold of a second King in Vtrick who was no lesse infamous for crimes then his predecessors by open robberies he became rich with his own hands he kil'd his poor wife that he might marry her daughter YY Division and schismes were the Anabaptists ruine However the grievous absurdities of the Anabaptists both in their doctrine and practice as also the evident judgements which God man did pour upon them the very great industry which all the great and heroick Divines of that happy time of Reformation did use to reclaim them much retarded their progresse yet it is marvellous to consider their incredible increase in many parts of Germany and elswhere till God of his mercy did divide them among themselves and confound their Languages their divisions and subdivisions was that which most of all did weaken them and stop their course The difference betwixt the Monasterians and Battenburgicks After the taking of Munster one John Battenburg a bastard of a good Family born at Leyden made himself head of a strong party and pretended a Divine mission to propagate that earthly Kingdom ZZ which by the fatall calamity of his Townsman Becold and his friends at Munster had been a little interrupted betwixt the followers of this Battenburg and the remainder of the Monasterian Anabaptists arose the first discord Their sufferings and disappointments made them more sober and wary then the zeal of Battenburg could approve of for he professed that since the Gospel preached by Becold had been rejected by the world the time of mercy was now expired and nothing but wrath remained So that his commission from God was to kill all the world only those who did yeeld to his way and were rebaptized he might admit to be slaves as Israel did the Gibeonites AAA Upon those grounds his followers where ever they durst be bold did kill all whom they met with in the fields did rob and steal what ever came to their hand in Country villages broke in upon sleeping people pulled sundry out of their beds drowned them in the first waters or hanged them upon the first trees BBB They of Munster did not approve of all these practises therefore they were condemned as coldrife lukewarm hinderers of the Kingdom of Christ CCC This discord lasted for divers years till the Monasterians expired and the Battenburgicks were also rooted out as Robbers and murderers by the sword of the Magistrate The second division was greater one Melchior Hophman a Skinner or Glover in Suabland before the Tragedy of Munster The sect of the Hophmanists was a prime Leader of the Anabaptists In Strasburg about the year 1529 he seduced many he leaned much upon Enthusiasms and dreams DDD he fancied that Strasburg was appointed of God to be the new Jerusalem that himself and some others were quickly to get from heaven an extraordinary calling to an Apostleship EEE that so from that Town they might preach the Gospel to all the world which they were assured would in a short time be subdued to Christ by the power of the Spirit in their Ministery without any outward force FFF The violent tumults of Munster Hophman did not approve these were the inventions of his Scholar Mathie of Harleim which he did always mislike GGG albeit whilst that Doctrine of his scholar did prosper in Munster he durst not much contradict it but so soon as
giving them free liberty to joyn in the publick worship with any of what ever Religion among whom they lived EEEE by this means they got peace and were no more any where persecuted He himself retiring from Delph to Basil His strange end did live there for divers years unto his death in great wealth and case FFFF as a fugitive for the true reformed Religion he did so perfectly dissemble that he had the favour and good opinion both of the Magistrates and Ministers without the least suspicion of any wickednesse in him GGGG but three years after his death all his abominations were found out and his diligence by Letters by secret conferences and messengers to propagate his mishant way with his whole strength whereupon his bones were digged up and the remainder of his body burnt as the reliques of an unexpressibly scelerate villain HHHH The increase of the Mennonists While all the other factions of the Anabaptists did decrease the followers of the Priest Menno did much increase they did reject the earthly Kingdom and Polygamy of the Monasterians and Battenburgicks also the revelations and extraordinary calling of the Hophmanists with the most of the blasphemies of David George against all these Menno did write with passion IIII But to the point of Anabaptism and separation from all other reformed Churches to independency and to a number more of the Anabaptists tenets he did firmly adhere alluring many thousands to his way who continue to this day propagating their Errour to many Countries The errours of the Mennonists The wickednesse of that spirit which reigned in Menno and yet rages in his followers notwithstanding of all their profession of great piety of singular modesty and extream detestation of all the other sects of Anabaptists is apparent in the manifold grievous heresies and grosse schismes whereinto they themselves have of old broken out and persevere therein to this day Who are pleased to read the late little accurate and learned Treatise of Clopenburgh may perceive that the Mennonist dippers do oppose the truth of Christs humane nature KKKK that they were Masters to Vorstius in his deniall of the omnipresence and simplicity of the Divine Essence and of the unchangeablenesse of the Divine Decrees LLLL also that Arminius was their scholar in all his errors concerning predestination redemption grace free-will and perseverance Lastly that Swenkfeldius Servetus and Socinus did learn from them not only their Anabaptism but their deniall of the Trinity their abnegation of the Godhead both of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost MMMM Their schismes The Mennonists schisms are no lesse palpable then their heresies for however their harmony in the most of their errours be great enough as in that confession of faith which in the year 1624. they set out in common it appears wherein with many ambiguous and deceitfull words they cover many of these tenets which in other writs they expresly maintain NNNN yet they are not able to cover their manifold schisms for it has ever been their custom upon the smallest matters to fall into so vehement discords as have made them excommunicate one another and remain in separations refusing communion one to annother unto this day Behold how small an occasion did bring them to no lesse then four irremediable fractions OOOO For a light cause four late separations among them one of the Mennonists at Franeker in a publick roping did seem to use some couzenage in buying of an house preventing by some sleight of hand another man who before him had a mind to the bargain this did so much displease some that they excommunicated the couzener others defended the honesty of the man and did excommunicate them who for no cause as they conceived had put a censure upon him hence two sects condemning one another to this day To reconcile both a third party did arise avowing that however the man in his bargain had used some piece of fraud yet that it was not so grosse as did deserve excommunication In this accommodation these mid men proceeded so far that they were excommunicated by both the dissenting parties whereupon their passion was so stirred that they did excommunicate them both also and lest the number of their schisms should be too small there arose a fourth party who being displeased with the frequency of their Brethrens censures did open the doors of their charity for all whom the rigour of others had excommunicated and cast out by this overlashing of their charity they did acquire from their companions the infamous title of Hamaxarii and Borboritae as men who were content to take into their society Cart loads full of polluted professors PPPP We will say no more of the Anabaptists over Sea The state of the Anabaptists in England their number in England till of late was not great and the most of these were not English but Dutch strangers for beside the hand of the State that ever lay heavy upon them the labours of their children the Separatists were always great for their reclaiming Notwithstanding of all the contentions of the Separatists among themselves yet all of them did ever joyn to write sharp and large Treatises against the Anabaptists In this Ainsworth Johnson Robinson Clifton did study who should be most zealous Independency the cause of their increase and boldnesse Hence it was that the Anabaptists made little noyse in England till of late the Independents have corrupted and made worse the principles of the old Separatists proclaiming for errours a liberty both in Church and State under this shelter the Anabaptists have lift up their head and increased their numbers much above all other sects of the Land Their ways as yet are not well known but a little time it seems will discover them for their singular zeal to propagate their way will not permit them long to lurk only the Confession of faith which the other year seven of their Congregations did put forth Their late confession is neither a full nor a clear declaration of their tenets and of late again in a second corrected Edition have set out with a bold preface to both the Houses of Parl. may no more be taken for the measure of their faith then that Confession which their elder Brethren in Holland did print not long ago in the name of all their company QQQQ For as the Dutch confession did dissemble a number of the grosse heresies which some of the very subscribers in their publick Writs both before and after did hold out it is even so with the English for Hobson Richardson and others of the subscribers have already printed divers Errours which in that Confession do not appear Moreover these seven congregations cannot prescribe and are no ways Leaders to a great number of Anabaptistick Churches over all the Land however I shall set down so many of their tenets as for the time comes to my thoughts from some little acquaintance with a few of their writs
of a Congregation so the whole House of Commons and every Member thereof are punishable in their life limbs and estate by the whole people and every free-born man in England RRRR even the poorest begger for as I take it there is not nor has not for many ages any person been born a slave in any part of Christendome I will not here interrogate where or how these Soveraign Lords the people can meet to hear an account All former Laws and Acts of Parliament must be abolished and to give out judgement upon their faulty servants the new Parliament of Commons only I would be resolved by what Law this very grand Jury of the whole people are like to proceed Shall the King and Lords and the ancient way of Parliaments take away with themselves all former Laws which have been their creatures we thought it might have been losse enough to have destroyed with the King and Lords such Laws as did concern their two abolished States in particular but we are taught a more deep lesson all the Laws which these six hundred years have produced must be cast into the bottom of the Sea for ever for since the Norman Conquest the great work of all Parliaments hath been how to contrive evill Laws for the oppression of the people SSSS Now I doubt if there be any authentick registers of English Laws before the Conquest this day extant or if any such be whether it shall be found expedient to keep them on foot when all the other are cassed and annulled The will of the multitude must stand for the Soveraign Law hereafter It seems our new Soveraigns the people the sole creators of all Kings and Parliaments when once they are established in their Supremacy will be loth to have their hands bound by the fetters of any humane Laws much lesse of those old forgotten worm-eaten Statutes which the Danish Saxon or British Tyrants in the time of their domination did obtrude as in Religion there must be no Law but what every man in his conscience thinks to be the sense of the word of God that is the supream rule to him so it must be in the State TTTT We know who has printed the unlawfulnesse to make any Laws for the State Scripture being alike well furnished in Laws for the State as for the Church VVVV But I conceive it will be a great deal more easie for a few persons in the generall Court of New England to agree in their applications of the word of God to every civill emergent then for that many headed Soveraign the whole people of old England the one may much more safely be troubled to rule according to their gift of Government without any written institute and humane Law XXXX then the other for I believe if the whole free-born people of England were set on the Bench to judge of all causes according as every one did conceive without any written Law all by-past constitutions being cancelled the government of our State would quickly become more arbitrary and confused then long could be endured and those inconveniences which they professe to be the only cause why as yet they do not totally abolish both the name and thing of a very House of Commons YYYY by a little experience should be found to be more and greater then now are imaginable But that we may proceed I do propone one only scruple more about the point in hand By what means so great changes in Church and State are like to be compassed for not only King Charles and all our living Lords but also Royalty and Lordship it self must be cast down The present House of Commons for their manifold misdemeanors must be dissolved and so the whole fabrick of our old corrupted State totally abolished and a frame wholly new put in its place wherein no footstep either of Monarchy or of Aristocracy may appear ZZZZ but the Soveraignty must rest in each individuall of the people as they speak AAAAA the most poor base weak foolish creatures possessing a like share of the Supremacy both civill and Ecclesiastick the Kinghood and the Priesthood as they call it BBBBB with the most noble wise able wealthy of the land CCCCC having it at their option to execute the Soveraign power by themselves or when they find it for their ease to nominate so many Deputies DDDDD every November EEEEE to be a Parliament of Commons to cognosce upon extraordinary incidents as their Soveraign the people shall prescribe them rules though in ordinary cases they declare their purpose to set up twelve men with a President in every Hundred who upon their oath of fidelity shall be intrusted to determine absolutely all causes belonging to that Hundred without appeale to any Judge except the Aniversary meeting of the whole peoples deputies FFFFF This new Ochlocratorick republick where every individuall participates of the Soveraignty The three fundamental Laws of our new Utopian Republick not as in Democracies where the better sort only of the people have voyce in Government whether they will be pleased to make to themselves a body of new Laws they have not so far as I observe as yet declared only they seem to set up three fundamentall rules First that in matter of Religion every man must be absolutely at his own disposition to believe speak write do what ever he thinks sit GGGGG Secondly that men in publick place either of Church or State must serve freely if they have any means of their own or otherwise if they be poor their greatest gages in the most eminent places shall not exceed the summe of 50 or at most 60 pounds a year HHHHH Thirdly that all men â—n all places shall be accountable and punishable in their life and estate by their Soveraign Lords the individuals of the people without all controll or appeal IIIII According to reason and experience the present distemper of the Sectaries is posting on fast to a Dictatorship absolute Tyranny in the hand of one Since all these things must be as our new Statists give the world assurance of their resolution to have them is it not like that before so great changes can be brought about much resistance will be made a strange confusion and bloodshed multitudes of difficulties cannot but fall in the way shall it not therefore be absolutely necessary that some men of known valour and courage whose wisdome faithfulnesse and successe long experience makes unquestionable be set up to command in name of the people for some time till these high and mighty designs may be gotten accomplished and the people once be set down in peace upon the high places whence the King Lords and Commons wont to pronounce these unjust Laws which now with their authours must be laid aside In such cases of extraordinary difficulty the wise people of Rome did oftentimes name a Dictator in whose hand for a certain time they placed all their power the Senate the Armies the Magistrates both
of the City Provinces the whole Common-wealth was absolutely at his disposition only for his own assistance in the discharge of so incomparable a trust he did name for a helper and a second almost an equall a Master of Horse If we should come to this excellent expedient it were not hard for the people of the Sectarian party to fall without much deliberation upon a Dictator to whose valour and untainted fidelity they might without fear or the least suspicion commit the common safety and if merit may be regarded if boldnesse and diligence in pulling down old Tyrants whether Kings or Lords or Commons for the advancement of the people to their due place may be valued a Lievtenant a Master of Horse without difficulty might presently be found This much of their mind already they have declared that all good people of their own accord without any authority may arise in Arms as one man and when they are up they may choose for their Governor whom they please LLLLL and mould the State in what fashion they conceive to be most for their own good MMMMM and thereafter put the Militia during their pleasure in the hands of these to whom they dare trust the common safety providing they be known to be firm for absolute liberty of conscience NNNNN And among these he who runs may reade in their Books one glorious name in whose bosome the Dictatorian patent could not but fall only here is the hazard when Caesar was once possessed of the Dictators place he had the skill and the will also to keep in his own hand that highest command for ever And although the perpetuall Dictatorship was a little interrupted by his violent death in the midst of the Senate yet never did the command return any more to the people but in place of their expected liberty their government was changed into a most Tyrannick Empire As in nature so in State there is a constant vicissitude the corruption of one is the generation of another and that which ariseth doth post to its fall and corruption that a new plant may come in its stead The rash and heady overturners of States pull down the possessors that themselves may sit in their rooms but they are not well hot in their new places till the judgement of God and the unavoidable circulation which is and ever has been in all sublunary affairs casts them likewise out that their seats may be void to their pressing successors I confesse at my first sight of this Anabaptistick root The State in danger by the Sectaries principles the peoples supremacy at its first appearance above ground I was more afraid for it then for any other errour of the time for I apprehended if it did grow it might overturn the whole State from the very foundation and bring upon all the Land such a confusion as was unexpressible This apprehension as yet seems to me not altogether groundlesse for if this principle be driven on but a little further if the unwise and unjust multitude be flattered into a Supremacy of power and perswaded of a necessity were it but of a conveniency or of a meer lawfulnesse to put down Kings Lords and Commons and to set up what ever other Government they think meetest for their own safety and welfare I am in the opinion that some very mean born Gentlemen if they have but the skill and constancy for some little time to play the Cards right that now are in their hands are in as fair a possibility to attain the Dictatorship of England as Julius Caesar was to attain that of Rome some few years before the civill Warre But though they should attain all and much more then for the time themselves do intend or dare as yet desire The greatest purchace which the overturners of States usually make is a late repentance their reward may prove unworthy their labour It had been much better for Caesar and his Army that they had permitted the Senate to govern according to the former Laws the change indeed which he made in the State did advance him for a time to the highest degree of command and his friends to the most of their private desires yet ere long it brought upon him an untimous and cruell death and upon all the Romans a perpetuall slavery When the whole account is cast up the changers of State use not to be so great gainers but had they fore-seen the end and taken it into their reckoning they could easily have been content never to have begun their enterprise The Testimonies of the third Chapter A Fratlies Dipper Dipped in the Epistle to Downame these above all others have bestirred themselves since the waters were troubled and they boast in secret of their great draughts of fish the Papists of 20000 proselytes the Anabaptists of 47 Churches B M. Marshals Defence p. 76. The Confession is such a one as I beleeve thousands of our new Anabaptists will be far from owning at any man may be able to say without a spirit of divination knowing that their received and usuall doctrines do much more agree with the Anabaptists in Germany then with this handfull who made this Confession here in London C M. Black against Tombs Apology p. 14. I doubt lest that the community of these of that opinion in London will not be concluded by the subscription of these 15 persons many witnesses will affirm that such Doctrines are frequently broached in their congregations which stand in full contradiction to severall articles in that confession which you mention D Barrows Discovery p. 26. What communion is to be held with the Church of England can the name of a Church without blasphemy unto Christ be given unto them in these sins I have often wondred how any man of sound judgement could give them the name of a Church Ibid. in the Preface Let them save their soul out of this accursed false Church E Robinsons Apology p. 78. Convenit nobis quatenus reformatis Ecclesiia Belgicis aliis cum Ecclesia Anglicana in Articulis fidei hujus Ecclesiae nomine scriptis Vide Disswasive first Part p. 20 21. F Vide Disswasive first Part. p. 103 104. G William Kiffins Answer in Ricrafts Looking glasse for the Anabaptists p. 9. So long as you deny to follow the rule of Christ for the separation of the wicked from the godly and separating the precious from the vile we are bound in obedience to Jesus Christ to leave you whilst you remain obstinate to him England hath at this time in her as hatefull birds as any Nation whatsoever when these things do so appear is it not high time to hearken to the voyce of the Apostle Acts 2.40 to save your self from such a generation and to come out from them Rev. 18.4 H Declaration concerning the publick dispute by Benjamin Cocks c. p. 13. The baptism of Infants does deny Christ to be come in the flesh Cornwels Vindication of the Royall Commission
New Testament p. 34 They deny angels and devils and souls They deny heaven and hell and eternall life They cast away all the Ordinances of God p. 35 David George to them was spirituall Christ much more excellent then Christ crucified Many people were ready to seal with their bloud all these abominations The monster David George did live and die in plenty and peace The best of the Anabaptists have very grosse errors The Mennonists deny originall sinne p. 36 In the points of election redemption grace free-will perseverance justification perfection they are grosser then the Arminians or Iesuites They are yet more absurd They deny the omnipresence of God They deny the Trinity And the truth of Christs humanity p. 37 They refuse all consequences from Scripture They refuse reasoning from the Old Testament The covenant with Abraham they make carnall They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace CAP. III. The modern tenets of the Anabaptists in England THe spirit of Anabaptisme clearly devillish p. 47 The fair profession of many English Anabaptists not to bee trusted What errours may be charged upon all what onely upon some of them p. 48 The confession of the seven Churches is a very imperfect and ambiguous declaration of their judgement Let no errour be charged upon any man which he truly disclaims A brief sum of all the Anabaptists errors Every Anabaptist is at least a rigid Separatist p. 49 Though the Independents offer to collude with the Anabaptists yet they separate from the Independents no lesse then from the Brownists as antichristian p. 50 They avow all their members to be holy and elect and some of them are for their perfection p. 51 After they have separate from all other Churches they run next away from their own selves They charge one another with Antichristianisme They are Independents They put all Church power in the hand of the people They give the power of preaching and celebrating the Sacraments to any of their gifted members out of all office p. 52 Even unto women They must not preach in a Steeple-house p. 53 All Tithes and all set Stipends are unlawfull their Preachers must work with theit own hands and may not goe in blacke cloathes They celebrate the Lords Supper in any common Innes after another feast All the new light of the Independents and Brownists is borrowed from the Anabaptists The anointing of the sick with oyle the rejecting of the Lords Prayer of all set Psalms of Vniversities and humane learning are the Anabaptists inventions The Independent Apologists are for liberty to most of the Sects 54 And some of their prime friends are for a generall liberty to all 55 The Anabaptists deny all power to Magistrates in any thing which concerns Religion Turkisme Popery Atheisme the greatest blasphemies they would not have punished with so much as a discountenance They presse a liberty for preaching and propagating openly all errours imaginable Yet they grant that errour is a soul-murder and a greater crime then the destruction of a King of a Parliament of a whole Nation p. 56 They hate the Covenant They are injurious to the Scots p. 57 All punishing of errour with them is persecution They presse liberty of conscience much out of policy p. 58 The granting of all this liberty will not assure the Magistrates of the Sectaries civill obedience p. 59 The tenets and practise of the Sectaries destroy Magistracy They professe their design to overturn from the ground the government of our State as now it stands Kings and Lords are no more tolerable Neither is the House of Lords any longer to be endured p. 60 The poorest begger in the land has a share of the Soveraignty above the King and Parliament All former Laws and Acts of Parliament must be abolished p. 61 The will of the multitude must stand for the Soveraign Law hereafter p. 62 The three fundamentall Laws of our new Vtopian Republick p. 63 According to reason and experience the present distemper of the Sectaries is posting on fast to a Dictatorship and absolute Tyranny in the hand of one The State in danger by the Sectaries principles p. 64 The greatest purchase which the overturners of States usually make is a late repentance p. 65 CAP. IV. Their Antipaedobaptisme Arminianisme Arrianisme Familisme and other wicked errours ALL Anabaptists are for Antipaedobaptisme They avow the nullity of our Baptisme p. 89 They presse on us a re-baptization They exclude all infants from the covenant of grace and make Circumcision a seal onely of carnall promises Many of them deny originall sin and assert all the articles of Arminius p. 90 They separate from all who renounce not Paedobaptisme Yet they admit into their Churches many much worse then these from whom they separate p. 91 Sprinkling to them nullifies Baptisme M. Tombes new way He is a rigid Antipaedobaptist yet not against sprinkling He spoils all infants of all interest in the covenant of grace p. 92 He is a friend to the worst Anabaptists and injurious to all who oppose them He makes Baptisme a rite needlesse either to young or old He admits of a frequent re-baptization He admits unbaptized persons to the Lords Table He is a grosse Erastian The most of the Anabaptists are Arminians p. 93 The second Edition of their confession is not so free of Arminianism as the first The chief Churches of the Anabaptists are grosse Arminians p. 94 Many of them are Antinomians laying aside all care of morall duties Making all grief for sin unlawfull p. 95 Denying Christs satisfaction and reconciliation of God to men The best of them are inclineable to Libertinisme The Antinomian controversies are not as the prime Independents doe make them onely about words and methods of preaching p. 96 Many of the Anabaptists are become Seekers denying all Churches all Officers all Ordinances Many of the Anabaptists are become Antitrinitarians p. 97 Richardson one of their prime leaders a blasphemer of the Trinity p. 98 Divers of them are abominable bl sphemers of Christs Person Others of them are become perfect Atheists They evert and reject the whole Scripture p. 99 Many of them are turned Familists denying the immortality of the soul Denying Heaven and Hell Angels and Devils Some of them make the world eternall others all creatures to perish p. 100 Some deny all resurrection others make the beasts rise to glory They teach abominable obscenities They follow David George in his greatest absurdities The divine light of their new Prophet The fall of Adam and the clearest Scriptures are but allegories The whole Divinity suffered in the Person of Christs humanity p. 101 The great light which this Prophet brings from heaven is that all the Devils and all the Reprobates shall be saved by his Gospel Randall his grosse Familisme p. 102 No resurrection no heaven no hell after this life The Saints in this life become as perfect as God The clearest Scriptures are false in a literall sense That God is
the Brownists But beside all which the Brownists can like of the Anabaptists proceed to a further reformation as they account it they become Antipaedobaptists Hereby they ingage themselves in these practises and Tenets They avow the nullity of our Baptisme first they refuse to Baptize any infant they refuse to admit to the first Sacrament any who gives not a confession of their own faith they esteem paedobaptism a great sin which according to their temper they expresse in harder or softer terms the meekest of them count it a nullity and will-worship A Secondly They presse on us a rebaptization they make it necessary to baptize over again all who in their infancy were baptized and from this they carry the name of rebaptizers It is true they deny with passion all rebaptizing for infant baptism they call a nullity so when they baptize in riper age them who before were baptized in their infancy they esteem this their action to be but the first baptism which they repeat no more B But we who know paedobaptism to be no nullity but a true and valid Sacrament cannot but call their action a second Baptism and repetition of the first So with great reason the name of rebaptizers is given unto them But to put the equity of this reproach out of doubt their great patrons now are come to defend the lawfulnesse of baptism not only twice but if ye will ten times yea so oft as you repent for sin which ought to be oftner then once a day so of Anabapâ—â—â—ts they become Hemerobaptists and more C Thirdly they exclude all infants from any interest at all in the Covenant of grace D They exclude all infants from the Covenant of grace and make circumcision a seale only of carnall promises they grant that the Jewish infants had interest in some earthly priviledges which Circumcision did seal unto them but they deny that any children whether of Jews or Gentiles have any promise of grace made to them till they come to age and beleeve so they will not have Circumcision a seal of the Covenant of grace E to any of the children of Abraham while they are infants but only of temporall benefits F By this means they make the infants of faithfull Christians and of the Turks and Pagans all equall G some of both to belong to eternall election but none of either to have any interest in the Covenant of grace till they become actuall beleevers This makes them uncertain what to say of infants dying before conversion some save them all H others incline to the damnation of them all I others professe the uncertainty of the thing whether infants before their conversion be within the kingdom of Satan or that of God K Many of them deny originall sin and assert all the articles of Arminius Fourthly many of them stumble upon originall sin some deny it altogether as if infants were not born with any sinfull corruption L or what ever sin they are born in they will have it taken away by vertue of Christs universall redemption in all mankinde as well Pagans as Christians M making baptism no more needfull in the one nor in the other for the removing or sealing of the removall of that which is removed without the means either of Word or Sacraments by vertue of a generall Covenant made with all mankinde in Adam after the fall From this ground they are drawn away to all the Tenets of Arminius Others of them flie out to the contrary extremity avowing that Adam before the fall in his very creation was corrupted with sin N and by a huge blasphemy make the very humane nature of Christ to be sinfull O and God to be the Creator of sin both in the first and second Adam P They separate from all who renounce not paedobaptisme Fiftly by their rejecting of infant Baptism they fall into the errour of rigid Separation they baptize none but actuall beleevers such as give them satisfaction of their actuall faith and holinesse thus far going along with the rigid Separatists Q But hence they proceed to another ground whereupon they leave the Separatists and 〈◊〉 who follow them not to Anabaptism R they take Baptism fâ—â— a Sacrament of initiation for a door and mean of entring into the Church these who are not baptized they count not Church members infant Baptism they pronounce a nullity and such a disobedience to the Gospel as infers Antichristianism and a reall deniall that Christ is yet come in the flesh S So the Separatists who are all baptized in their infancy and refuse to be rebaptized to them are no better then unbaptized and Antichristian rebels not capable of Church membership or of any Church communion Upon this ground as their great Patron acknowledgeth they are forced to declare the Independent and Brownistick Congregations how dear otherwise soever to be but Antichristian Synagogues and no true Churches T But here self-love does much blind them Yet they admit into their Churches many much worse then these from whom they separate for they who are so precise as to separate with the Brownists from all the reformed Churches because of their impure admissions and from the Brownists also because of their infant Baptism are notwithstanding ready to receive into their Churches those who for life and doctrine are much more impure then many from whom they separate if so be they are willing to renounce their paedobaptism as they call it and to receive of them a new true Baptism V In this they stick not to their own principles nor to the practise of their fathers for so strict were they that a small scandall in life or a little difference in doctrine would have quickly procured a cutting off from the Church by the censure of excommunication but now the world abroad may hear both of adulteries and thefts and the grossest heresies of their members without any ejection from their Churches Sixtly they esteem sprinkling no Baptism at all Sprinkling to them nullifies baptisme they will have the whole body to be plunged over head and ears in the water X this circumstance of plunging they account so necessary and essentiall to Baptism that the change thereof into sprinkling makes the Baptism to be null That such a plunging draws upon some sicknesse and death and upon women great shame and scandall while they are stripped and must stand altogether naked in the presence of men and of the whole Congregation these and other inconveniences they do not much regard Y Seventhly M. Tombs new way of those who impugn paedobaptism some go a new way of their own wherein as yet they have very few followers if any at all for to this day I have heard of â—one M. Tombs a learned and very bold man at this time when so many new ways are in hand hath thought meet to make a hotch-potch of many of them together first He is a rigid Antipaedobaptist yet
not against sprinkling with all his strength and greater diligence then any before him he impugnes paedobaptism Z Secondly though as yet I have marked nothing to fall from his pen neither from any of the old Anabaptists for the rite of dipping or against our custome of sprinkling yet in spoyling of Christian infants not only of Baptism but of all interest in the Covenant of grace He spoiles all infants of all interest in the Covenant of grace as much as the children of Turks and Pagans in making Circumcision a seal to the Jews only of earthly and temporall priviledges in denying to Jewish infants all right to the new Covenant AA He is a friend to the worst Anabaptists injurious to all who oppose them till in their riper years they became actuall believers in giving a power to persons unbaptized to baptize others BB in making apologies for the worst of the Anabaptists even those of Munster CC and invectives against the best that oppose them the first reformers DD the Assembly at Westminster EE the Church of Scotland FF M. Marshall GG M. Goodwin HH and others HH 2 he flies as high as any civill and discreet Anabaptist I have met with but in those things he goes far beyond all the Anabaptists I have heard of He makes baptisme a rite needlesse either to young or old First he esteems Baptism so unnecessary a rite that men who are meet to receive it may very well be without it as Constantine Ambrose and others did delay to their old age that Sacrament II and as it seems himself is carelesse to this day to be baptized for his infant Baptism according to his arguments must be null and another Baptism as yet it seems he has not received for he professeth an unwillingnesse to joyn himself as a member to any of the Anabaptists Churches KK I suppose they are unwilling to baptize any who will not joyn in cōmunion with them Secondly when a man is baptized according to his own minde he allows him to be oft thereafter rebaptized He allows of a frequent rebaptization even so oft as he repents for sin which by the godly is done at least ought to be done every day oftner then once LL He admits unbaptized persons to the Lords Table Thirdly he makes it lawfull for persons before they be baptized to partake of the Lords Supper MM Fourthly to shew how little inclinable he is to joyn with the Anabaptists he declares himself a compleat Erastian He is a grosse Erastian avowing that no scandalous professour ought to be kept from the Lords Table NN also that there is no such thing as any censure of excommunication OO further that Christ in Scripture has not appointed any particular government for his Church PP but that the governing of the Church belongs to the Magistrate only and to such whom he appoints to that service by vertue of a commission flowing from himself QQ The third head we proposed to speak of is the Tenets which too many of the Anabaptists are pleased to borrow from the Arminians Antinomians Antitrinitarians Familists The most of the Anabaptists are Arminians Antiscripturists and blasphemous Atheists For their Arminianism M. Marshall gives abundant testimonie RR Some years ago when Anabaptism did begin under M. Mortons Ministery to spread at London the most of them did turn grosse Arminians SS and published that hereticall Dialogue against which M. Ainsworth a little before his death did print an answer and after him M. Robinson another It is true The second Edition of their Confession is not so free of Arminianisme as the first the late Confession of the seven Churches seem to reject clearly enough all the five Articles of the Arminians but as our former witnesses testifie thousands of them care not for that Confession yea I professe I cannot conjecture at the reason why the second Edition of this Confession which alone was offered to the Parliament does change so many materiall passages of the first which point-blank did militate against Arminianisme unlesse it be their farther declination to Arminianism at the penning of their second Edition For instance the seventeenth Article in the first Edition stood thus He hath fully performed all these things by which God might reconcile his elect only In the second the word only is put away as if Christ by his sacrifice had reconciled to God all mankinde as well as the elect This our suspicion is increased by finding the same alteration acted over again in the Article twenty first where the first Edition reads it thus Christ by his death did bring forth salvation and reconciliation only for the elect in the second Edition the words reconciliation only are omitted Also in the nineteenth Article these words which are the reprobate in the second Edition are scraped out and in that same Article The execution of Gods determinate counsell whereby he delivers up his enemies to a reprobate minde to be kept unto judgement are scraped out in the second Edition Likewise in that same Article I finde two more alterations In the first among the fruits which the elect have of Christs Priesthood are set down their justification adoption regeneration and sanctification all those are omitted in the latter Edition In the first Edition it is said of the Spirit that he is never taken away when once given but doth still abide begetting and nourishing faith unto immortality this is omitted in the latter Edition I grant it is put in the 23 Article which is clear enough against the Arminian errour of perseverance had not the addition of one little word cast it all loose for in the former Edition the 23 Article did run thus Those that have this precious faith can never totally nor finally fall away but in the latter all is added all these cannot fall away c. which is very true if some few persevere albeit many and the most part of these who have justifying faith should fall away totally and finally If the ground of these and many more alterations in the second Edition of that Confession proceed from any farther inclination to Arminianism in any of the prime Leaders of these seven Churches at the time of the second subscription more then appeared at the first I cannot affirm only M. Spilsberry the chief penner as it seems of that writ does now finde the Arminian errours so troublesome among his friends that he is forced to publish a particular Treatise against them VV The chiefe Churches of the Anabaptists are grosse Arminians But what ever be the condition of the seven Churches certainly M. Lambs Congregation the greatest as they say and most fruitfull of all their Societies without comparison is pestered with this gangren the great Preachers in that flock M. Oats and M. Den make it their ordinary Theme that Christ died for all for Judas as well as for Peter XX That all the sins of the first Covenant are