condition as the children of Turks c. It was Adams disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit that put all his posterity equally into a sinfull and miserable condition H Storming of Antichrist p. 53. This opinion puts all infants of beleevers into the same condition with Turks and Indians Answ As the infants of Turks and Christians dying infants are all alike free from actuall sin being onely guilty of originall why may they not partake of the same benefit of free grace why may we not have charitable thoughts concerning the salvation of Turkish infants seeing we know nothing of their damnation and we reade not of any one in Scripture damned meerly for originall sin the innocency of all infants so dying is the same in respect of actuall sin I Bakwels Answer p. 2. Here I doubt they exclude all infants that die in their infancy from salvation because they are not capable of such knowledge of God and Christ you answer saying you know not what is this knowledge neither hath the Scripture revealed any such that were saved K Tombs Apology p. 64. The truth is I neither leave infants in the Devils nor Gods visible Kingdome for I conceive they are in neither Kingdome visibly till they declare by their profession to whom they belong visibly Ibid. p. 66. I suppose in reference to the present point this is the truth that however every infant is either in the invisible Kingdome of God or Satan that is elect or reprobate yet no child till he make profession doth visibly belong either to the one or to the other I acknowledge that in the visible Church of the Jews the infants were reckoned to the Church and the reason was from the peculiar Church State of the Jews L Gangren first Part p. 20. There is no originall sin in us only Adams first sin was originall sin M Ibid. p. 1. of the second division Henry Den in a conference with M. Strong delivered that Christ did satisfie for the sins committed against the first Covenant Being urged that the Heathen then must all be saved because their sins against the first Covenant were pardoned and they had never sinned against the second which was never revealed to them he answered the Heathen had Christ preached to them in the creatures Sun Moon and Stars N Ibid. p. 110. The Independent Churches in Somersetshire deliver that a Minister baptizing Infants is a false Prophet also that Adam was created in sin and that he was as sinfull before his fall as after and that Christ was a sinner his nature being defiled with sin as well as the nature of other men is O Vide supra N. P Gangren first Part second division p. 24. Nichols in Moore-fields maintained that God was the Author of all sin Q Treatise of Baptisme p. 148. It is not a hope you must goe upon for the giving of Ordinances and holy seals but a judgement Paul called the Saints positively faithfull and elect when we come to admit members if they give but onely ground of hopes we let them stay for their own profit and the discharge of our duty till they can give us the ground of a judgement the Apostle says positively they are holy you ought to assure your self they are so Ibid. p. 252. A male infant is the subject of circumcision but a beleever is the subject of Baptisme R The vanity of childish Baptism first Part p. 29. They of the separation grant that no children save onely beleevers children are in the Covenant or have right to Baptism their Parents by their own acknowlegement being ungodly whence it will follow that they themselves being baptized in their infancy had not the baptism of Christ and so by consequence are yet unbaptized persons Garner of Baptism p. 14 15. Beleevers by Baptism do orderly enter into the body or congregation of Christ hence I may take occasion to satisfie such if the Lord please as are opposite unto beleevers baptism and their entrance into the Church by baptism and contend much for their entrance into a Church estate by Covenant or contract without baptism S Declaration by Cocks c. p. 13. The baptizing of infants doth deny Christ to be come in the flesh T Tombs Apology p. 66. I confesse that they who hold that members are added to the Church by baptism and not otherwise and hold a nullity of paedobaptism must needs say the Churches that have no other then infant baptism are no true Churches nor their members Church members but those points of the necessity of right baptism not onely to the right order but also to the beeing of a visible Church and Church member and so voluntary separation barely for the defect of it I have ever disclaimed V Gangren second Part p. 8. A godly Minister related that Oats an Anabaptisticall Emissary was followed in Essex by many loose persons he spoke it upon his knowledge that notorious whoremongers and drunkards follow him such as have been convicted by witnesses and taken notice of by the Countrey and are such still yet go after him where he preaches from place to place X Vanity of childish Baptism p. 8. The institution of Christ requireth that the whole man be dipped all over in water whosoever is not dipped is not baptized and he that is only sprinkled or hath water onely imposed upon him is not dipped whence this consequence clearly results That all those that have the administration of Baptism either by sprinkling or by any washing without dipping have not the Baptism of the New Testament and by consequence are unbaptized persons Y Vide Gangren first Part second division p. 5. Z M. Tombs exercitation presented to the Chairman of a Committee of the Assembly of Divines and an Apology for the two Treatises against the unjust censures of Doctor Homes M. Geere M. Marshall M. Lee M. Hussey M. Black M. Calamy M. Vines AA Tombs Apology p. 64. Why doth he make my opinion odious as if I put all the children of the whole Church out of the Covenant of grace as I do the children of the Turks and acknowledge no more promise for the one then for the other whereas when he hath said as much as he can for them he can bring no more promise for them then I doe nor dares reject the limitations I restraine them by M. Marshals defence pag. 85. To my understanding you here clearly yeeld the infants of beleevers to be in the same condition in reference to the Covenant of grace which the infants of Turks and Indians are in no more promise for the one then for the other which so oft as you consider me thinks your Fatherly bowels to your own children should be moved within you Ibid. p. 98. I confesse I suspect you have a further meaning not onely because you here mention the temporall blessings before the spirituall and call the land of Canaan the Covenant made with Abraham but especially that expression which you own from Cameron
life SSSSSS M. Bourn to the Reader I shall in the Treatise following lay open to the view of all men not at the second hand but by experience having often heard them both preach and dispute what is that which commonly goes under the name of Familisme what I shall say concerning it is not out of malice to any person neither shall I speak at randome TTTTTT Gangren first Part second division p. 27. There is one Clement Wrighter in London an Arch-heretick and fearfull Apostate sometimes a professor of Religion and judged to have been godly about seven or eight years ago he fell off from the communion of our Churches to Independency and Brownism from that he fell to Anabaptism and Arminianism thence to Mortalism holding the soul mortall after that he fell to be a Seeker and is now an Antiscripturist a Questionist and Skeptick and I fear an Atheist CHAP. V. The lawfulnesse of Infants Baptisme I Have at some length in the preceding Chapters set down the way and Tenets of the Anabaptists both here and over Sea The extreame malignity of the Anabaptistick spirit both of the present the former times wherby it may appear to all who are willing to see how malign a spirit has ruled in that Sect from its first beginning to this very day a spirit carrying to the greatest errours and the grossest vices that ever any who were called Christians have stumbled upon a spirit as much opposite to the honour of God and to the salvation of men It s enmity to the salvation of men as any that ever troubled the Church since its first foundation It s favour towards the salvation of man appears in its great zeal to cast out of the Church and deprive of the means of grace almost all mankinde with the exception of a very few if of any at all When the most reformed of the Protestant Churches come before the fan of their censure at the first shake they blow away that largest and most innocent part of them their infants all children who have not attained to the acts of faith and repentance are to them in the flesh under the power within the verge of the Kingdom of Satan as well as Jews Turks Pagans and others who are not so much as entred within the hedge of Christs sheepfold and lest the spoiling of children of all the grace and gifts of God had not been a sufficient vastation they are carried on by the spirit that leads them to make as great havock and desolation among those of riper years they Unchurch the most of those whom otherwise they love as their best friends they charge all the Independents and the Brownists and the most rigid of the Separatists for their baptizing of infants with no lighter a burthen then Antichristianism and a clear deniall of Christs Incarnation Neither here does their rashnesse stand the small remnant of Christians the Anabaptistick Societies which alone they will honour with the title of true Churches seem to them too many to be saved therefore new separations are run into and those so severe that there lives not an Anabaptist upon earth who by multitudes even of Anabaptists is not condemned with all who adhere to his subdivision as a man in a false way not only without but in opposition to the true Church In its di honoring of God be setting up a liberty first for all errours This their extream cruelty against the souls of men wont to be coloured with the shew of zeal to the truth and honour of God but this varnish is now almost quite wiped off Behold whither their zeal to the truth and honour of God is now evanished They for some times were so eminently zealous against errors and vices that very small ones were wont to draw from them an ejection out of the Church a deliverance to Satan and where the Civill Sword was in their hand a putting out of this life a publick execution by the hand of the Hangman when their Princes and Prophets were not at leisure to administer Justice in their own persons Notwithstanding the loudest note that this day sounds in their song is liberty and freedom from all punishments for what ever crimes when all abominations imaginable are publickly proclaimed when many more and much viler errours walk in our streets then ever any one place in any time did hear of the great zeal of these religious men breaks out daily in all the discourses they please and actions they dare for the safeguard of the cursed instruments of these errours passionately denying all power in any on earth to restrain in the least measure the open propagation of the most abominable lies which Satan is able to utter by the tongue of any creature no matter of Religion say they can fall under the cognisance of any State the false Church has no right to censures or any Church Ordinance the truest Churches can meddle but with their own members they who never were of them or have renounced membership with them are without their Jurisdiction so neither State nor Church can put any barre of the smallest censure upon the propagation of any errour And next for all vice And lest vice the neer kinsman of errour should finde any harder measure any greater stop from the hand of superiour powers this Sect with all the speed it can is posting back to its first principles the overthrow of the civill State as much as of the Church That when ever they are found in the practise of their Doctrine of the lawfulnesse of adultery and incest robbery and murder there may be none upon earth to controll them For this end they cast down the King and Parliament Commons as well as Lords all Incorporations all Judicatories in Burgh and Land that an absolute Monarchy a full liberty for every man to do all his pleasure without any fear of punishment may be set up That the Crown and Scepter the Kingship and absolute Soveraignty may at last be restored to the onely true owners the free-born people of England the individuals as they love to speak of the whole Nation All this much more have they set under their own hands as may be seen in the former Chapters Their Brownistick and Arminian Tenets I have refuted in other Treatises I have neither time nor minde to dispute all their positions in my little Antidote against Arminianism I have in a short and popular way impugned it their Tenets against the Protestant Churches in the heads of election redemption grace free-will and perseverance In the first Part of my Disswasive I have debated at length enough the chief of those errours which they have taught their children the Separatists The reall holinesse of all Church members the necessity of separation for want of satisfaction in this point alone the power of every member of the Church to preach the word to ordain and to excommunicate when there is cause their very Pastors
Anabaptism THE TRVE FOVNTAINE OF Independency Brownisme Antinomy Familisme And the most of the other Errours which for the time doe trouble the Church of England VNSEALED ALSO The Questions of Paedobaptisme and Dipping Handled from Scripture IN A Second Part of The Disswasive from the Errors of the time By ROBERT BAILLIE Minister at Glasgow And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord of Hosts that I will cut off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall no more be remembred and also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the Land Zach. 13.2 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evill spoken of 2 Pet. 2.1 2. LONDON Printed by M. F. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1647. FOR THE RIGHT HONOURABLE the Earl of Lauderdail Viscount Metellan Lord Thirleston and Bolton YOur Lordships kinde acceptance of this mean Treatise in its first part brings the rest of it now to your feet upon hope it may goe out with the like countenance and favour In these very miserable times when so many of all conditions are given over to beleeve lies to be inveigled with the hypocrisie of seducing spirits which the Lord in his justice has permitted to goe forth in a great multitude for the seduction of this present evill world the truth is glad of the patrociny and assistance of all who will be on its side and of none more then of such as your Lordship I mean of persons so much eminent in wisdome learning courage zeal and other noble qualities above the most of their fellows in birth and rank as these doe ordinarily account themselves elevated by their civill priviledges above the common multitude And truly it will be found no lesse prudence then piety for men of your Lordships place to put and hold themselves in these unhappy days upon the side of truth though never so much deserted disgraced and trampled upon by a world of simple or malicious ignorants For now it is when the Lord with his axe is going through his garden and hewing down not onely thousands of brambles and bushes of lower stature but many of the tallest Cedars the highest Palms the thickest Oaks and they who yet remain untouched though none doe know how soon the axe may be applyed to their branches yea their very root yet many have reason to fear that their stroak may be suddain Among the wofull spectacles of our time none use to touch a heart wherein is any humanity with more compassion then the ruine of ancient Families How many great and potent houses are blown over by these late tempests How many this day be tottering and very like to fall before the windes be calmed and of those that appear in least danger being incompassed with the thickest defences that policy can invent against all storms above ground how easily may subterraneous vapours shake their foundations and when all fear is past of the evanished and invisible storm by an unexpected Earthquake lay their wals also levell with the ground There is no security for the greatest and strongest edifices but in the rock of truth what ever is builded upon this were it never so brittle will stand out the greatest blasts And if any breach be made the God of truth will not fail to repair it till the appointed time for the change of all things under the Sun bring that Cottage of clay to its fatall period And even then the house shall fall without any prejudice to the Inhabitant whosoever hath been a true lover and patron of truth For how small is the losse of a translation from a mansion upon earth to one in the heaven not made with hands But here is a losse indeed and a fall truly lamentable which oft to our sorrow we may see and have reason to fear shall yet be more frequent amongst us when unhappy Inhabitants by the hands of their errors and vices subvert the pillars of their Ancestors habitation and bury with themselves their whole family under the rubbish of a temporall ruine without any hope of reparation either in earth or heaven In the following writ I point at the danger wherein not onely families but the whole fabrick of our Churches and Kingdomes doe for the present stand while the Episcopall and Sectarian factions are doing their utmost endeavours to have all our former sufferings to be but short prologues to new very prolix if not endless Tragedies The one so far demented with a frantick passion towards the government and service of the Church of Rome that all the miseries which they have brought upon themselves and millions of others have not in the least degree cured the disease of their corrupted mindes so far are they from untying the knots that their own hands have made or essaying to draw any of their deceived party out of the perplexities of conscience wherein their mis-informations alone have cast them that rather then to retract their errors rather then to advise the lawfulnesse of joyning with all the rest of the Reformed Churches in laying aside Episcopacy and Liturgick ceremonies they choose to give up the neck of their Countrey to the sword of bloudy and idolatrous strangers They are content to draw all again to the hazard of a new more terrible war Tell them of the too probable issue of their obstinacy that if their designs should prosper the danger would be greater then their wit or the wisdome of any mortall creature could secure us from to have a tyranny planted in our State and Popery without any more circumlocution setled in our Church But if their renued warre should again miscarry that then the hazard is evident of undoing the royal family of turning the civil State of England into a Babell of confusion and the Church thereof into a fountain of heresies for the intoxication with its streams of all the rest of the Reformed To all such very rationall discourses this generation of men is deaf as if all naturall affection to their distressed Countrey were dead and sympathy with any of the true Churches of Christ altogether extinguished in them This is one ground of our present fear O if it were all so should we if needs must goe out again with great courage against that Squadron of Malignants But when we have returned Victors from that field behold our more perillous exercises are but yet approaching The Sectaries of more names and kindes then ever were known in any Kingdome of the world tell us with open mouth we must be their slaves They must have liberty to overthrow our Parliaments all Kings all Lords and this House of Commons to set
threatned to the building there be few then that have courage to set under their shoulder But the most to save their own head become of the Publick what may are glad to goe out and turn their back on a ruinous and falling aedifice Men most carelesse when their dangers greatest The very same is the condition of the Church of Christ in its greatest dangers the dulnesse the stupidity the feneantise of her servants are very oft too palpable the chief of the Apostles when their Master was to be taken from off their head when the Shepheard was to be smitten and the sheep to be scattered through very grief and feare did fall into so deep a sleep that with much adoe Christ himself got them roused up though Judas the Traitor was at hand Towards the consummation of all things when the end of the world is neer when the Lord Christ shall be upon his return and even at the doors when best it beseems his servants to have their lamps burning and their loyns girded to be ready upon every call to goe out and meet their Master when the expectation of the last Trumpet when the noise of wars and rumours of more and worse wars when the sound of heresies and errours grow louder then ever before when such things as these in reason ought to keepe the watchmen on foot upon their watch Towers yet behold the unhappinesse of these very times even then the wisest Virgins the faithfullest servants slumber and sleeep till the generall cry of the Bridegrooms comming make them all awake We dare not make so bold as some with the determinations of the times and seasons which the Lord keeps secret from the very Angels in the hollow of his own hand yet it will not be presumption to conjecture the propinquity and neernesse of the last times by the evidence of some at least of their symptomes and prâ—vious signs which at the present are visible to any who have the smallest measure of spirituall understanding I shall speak but of the two in hand the present danger and yet the present negligence of the people of God The Protestant Churches have not of a long time been so to be devoured by the teeth of the Beast as at this day The present danger of the Protestant Churches Of France What keeps all the faithfull in France Geneva Sedan out of the mouth of the Romish wolf have the Supposts of Rome think we lost all their wonted stomach towards Protestant blood The Irish Massacres may free us of that fancy stay till the French King get out of his childhood or before in the intervall of some peace or truce from forain war a little leisure be given to that Court to bring home their Armies whensoever that unhappy day shal dawn there is no more expectation of quietnesse yea no more possibility of subsisting to any of those Churches but in the mercy of God who now doth divert and then can avert and bridle the rage of that powerfull State against which these weak lambs have no humane force to oppose How many thousands there are panting for a morning when once they may re-celebrate S. Bartholomews Matins and bring the old Massacres again in fashion which now may be execute with a great deal of more safety and ease then ever The condition of Holland seems not at all safe to those who know the inside of their States Of Holland it 's like the predominant motive of their reconciliation now in hand with their hereditary enemies of Spain is no other then fear if their prepotent neighbour of France can but re-invest his Crown with his ancient fees of Flanders and Brabant as he hath done with Artois and Lorrain with Catalaunia and Alsas and divers more Provinces Holland fals next to be dealt with for nothing doth then stand betwixt it and the French Arms. The Protestants of Zuitserland cannot be free of danger so long as the most of the Cantons are bigotly popish Of Zuits and very strictly allyed with the popish States that lie round about them The Churches of higher Germany have long lien in Of Germany the dust and in our days oftner then once have been very near to be devoured by the bill of the Austrian Eagle and the paw of the Bavarian Lion and though that ravenous bird and cruell beast were both disabled from preying any more upon their harmlesse neighbours whereof the appearance this day is but small yet there is a more strong and wicked beast then either of the former still ramping at their doors the Grand Signior is daily upon the German borders too ready to fal upon that poor Country when the Princes and Cities by mutuall wounds have now disabled themselves more then in any by gone age to resist so terrible a power Of Briâ—â—in by the Mâ—lâ—gnaâ—ts Britain was wont to be taken for the head and heart for the strongest Bulwark of the Protestant strength how are the present dangers thereof and in in it of the whole Protestant Churches it 's easie to judge How much of late the leaders of the Court and Clergy of both Kingdomes had advanced the design of bringing in well-near the whole body of Popery at least a full reconciliation with Rome And when their counsels were discovered and begun to be opposed how near oft of late they have been to force upon the neck of the whole Isle by violence the yoak of what ever tyranny in State or errours in Religion they pleased the world hath seen and many thousands have felt to their utter undoing whereof long agoe we gave some account in the Canterburian Self-conviction and parallel of the Service Book with the Missall By the Sectâ—ries But behold while we are wrestling to the bloud and extream hazard of all that is dear with that tyrannous superstitious and profane party There is now start up at our back another enemy little lesse dangerous then the former A swarm of heresies and sects darkens the sun of truth fils the air with noxious vapours is ready upon a little more encrease to fall down on the earth for the overwhelming of of the State as well as the Church betwixt these two milstones the Orthodoxe Churches of this whole Isle if the hand of the Lord prevent it not are in hazard to be ground to dust and ashes It is true Our dangers from the Malignants are not yet past the Malignants by the miraculous power of God are brought so low that in the eyes of the most their force seems now contemptible yet wiser men doe see too great cause to be affraid of them this day little lesse then ever Their numbers over all the Isle are yet very great their hearts are nothing changed though some bands for the time be put upon their hands The unexcusable obstinacy of the Episcopall Divines I have often marvailed and much regrated that many reverend and very learned Divines of that side have
been to this houre so silent as to give no glory to God nor any assistance at all to the setling of the State and Church though it be clear as the noon-day that the ways of their party did really tend to the corrupting and enslaving both of State and Church that the Parliaments of both Kingdomes were put to an absolute necessity of defence against their force to preserve their own and the posterities necks from an iron yoak both of Ecclesiastick and Civill bondage that the continuance of this war has brought the Kingdomes oft to the border and the King this day to the very doors of ruine that the Church is overflowed with a floud of evils all which by their timous and cordiall conjunction with their brethren might â—â—ppily in some good measure have been prevented Shall Episcopacy and a read Service be so necessary in a Church that rather then England should joyn with all the rest of the reformed to lay them aside the King the Parliament the State of the Kingdomes and Churches of the whole Isle must perish for any help that any of them will make with the least of their fingers Posterity cannot take well at their hands so pervicacious an obstinacy Suppose so many provocations and scandals cast in their way by the hand of others as may be yet for men of parts and fame to be touched with no compassion towards the Churches of God and their deare Countrey but to adhere so stifly to these things w th the best of their friends in all other Protestant Churches did esteem ever to be but needlesse and changeable and which now the better part of the whole Isle doth beleeve to be dangerous corruptions and necessary to be removed for them to be so wedded to those toys that rather then they will advise to lay them aside they can be content to behold the whole royall Family both the Houses of Parliament the City the Countrey and all to be destroyed such prodigious pertinacy cannot want great guiltinesse It s great folly to misprize the danger from France However that our dangers from the Malignant party doth yet continue will not be doubted when thâ—ir number and quality and great obstinacy yet over all England is considered In Scotland their case is not much unlike Ireland is well-near wholly their own their correspondence with the neighbour States is great their hopes from France seem to be but too well grounded If the peace of Munster come quickly to an end as the appearances are great enough France Sueden and Bavaria being sure of all their desires at the charge of the Austrians and our best friends the reformed Electors Palatine and Brandeburg what else has the French adoe with their great Armies and Navies Their peace with Spain is not so impossible as some would mâ—â—e it they will be glad to give over their interest in Catalonia and Portugall for the fair and nearly adjoining Territories of West-Flanders In such a bargain they would make the dishonesty to be but small for the Catalans shall not be deserted when reconciled to their own King in such tearms as themselves shall like for the performance whereof France will oblige their alliance with Portugall is not so strict but a lesse bud then the half of West-Flanders will easily break it in pieces and that without much hazard to Portugall for it is easie to France to send them under-hand as many men and money and to see to their subsistence as well as when the confederacy was open and avowed It is the ridiculous blindnesse of some to contemn the posture of all the world abroad as if England were situated so far above the moon and stars that the most malign aspects of all neighbour Nations could have no influence upon it Be it so that vigoroâ—s and healthfull bodies are little sensible of planetary operations yet very small changes of the heavens and air are able to vex much a crazy and valetudinary person For many ages Britain has not been in so great a distemper as this day it is Antichrist may be near to swallow down the whole reformed Churches the people so broken and exhausted by a heavy war the land full of open divisions and heart-burnings the best and greatest part groaning under heavy grievances both of Church and State whereof there is little appearance of any possibility of redresse in haste the Sectaries growing in numbers and insolencies of all kinds and openly inclining to join with the Malignants rather then to misse of their hopes and very unreasonable desires Fools are blind and unable to comprehend the grounds of just fear and so they go on in their rashnesse till they be plunged in the ditch of remedilesse calamity and then onely doe they begin to complain of their former inconsideration What long has been the opinion and fear of some not unconsiderable Divines that Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West and suppresse the whole Protestant Churches I pray God to avert If froÌ„ the Malignant hand there appear not mischief enough to hang this day over the head of the Churches of Britain The flood of Errours and Heresies like to overflow the Church let us divert a little our eye to the other side the nâ—w generation of Sectaries from this quarter so much smoak doth arise as alone is abundantly able to darken our skie It is long since all at least the principall Articles of Christian Religion without exception of any that I remember have been oppugned The holy Scriptures both the Godhead and Manhood of Jesus Christ the holy Ghost the Divinity it self is now exploded with high and basphemous scorn all Churches all Sacraments all publick Worship and Ordinances are made unnecessary A liberty for all Errours the great aim yea unlawfull And if any point of Religion hath had the fortune to escape the blasphemous tongues and pens of these erroneous men lest it should still go free from opposition the most of that party have nâ—w set up their rest upon a principle which makes them sure to gather up their gleanings when ever their leisure may serve them to make a review of their omissions A liberty to beleeve to professe to propagate in matter of Religion whatever any the most desperately erroneous soul may conceive to be truth All these are but things of the mind and matters of opinion a toleration in them is miserable and despicable but a free and absolute liberty in every such thing is the due and naturall right of every humane creature in all places of the whole earth This monstrous imagination of liberty is not only generally put in practise without any considerable control now for some years in the midst and all the corners of England but men of prime place have courage to write the justice of it under their hand to the High Court of Parliament yet without any repentance we hear of The Parliament
spoiled of all power to reform Religion It was a matter of our grief to know men of parts assert that the Reformation or defence of Religion notwithstanding all the Declarations Protestations and Covenants of the Parliament might not be any part of our apology for our defensive arms It has lien heavy upon our spirits that men of most corrupt minds should be permitted to hinder year after year the setling of the Church of England in any passable condition when there appeared little difficulty of a quick plenary and satisfactory settlement except what such evill men did create who make the retardment and frustration of every thing which may advance the truth of God a matter of their most serious practises in private and in publick of their daily sport and drollery But this was to us a cause of wonder that the very other day the principall Chaplain of the Army should be brought to proclaim with all confidence in a most solemn audience of the Hoâ—se of Commons it self that all the Reformation of the Parliament was but Antichristianisme that the Reformation of the Church by any Christian Magistrate before them was no better that God requireth all Magistrates to lay aside all intentions of reforming the Church a And therefore Honourable beloved I say to you touching this work of Reformation of the spirituall Temple of the Nâ—w TestameÌ„t as God once said to David touching the building of the materiall temple you did well in that it was in your heart to reform the Kingdome of God neverthelesse you shal not reform it for you have been men of war and have shed much bloud therefore you shall not doe this work for this is not a work of men of war but of the Prince of peace Dels Sermon to the House of Commons p. 13 14. Ibid. Object May not the spiritual Church of Christ be reformed with worldly and secular power I ans by no means Ib. p. 26. All these things shew that worldly power hath no place at all in the Reformation of the Gospel Ibid p. 26. They that would govern the faithfull the members of Christs own body make themselves the head of these members and so Antichrist may as well be found in a combination of men as in one single perfom that the onely right Reformation was that of the heart which was to be left to Christ alone as he was pleased to work in the breast of every man that the new Sectarian Preachers which are run out without any call either from God or man into every Shire of the Kingdome are sent out by Christ to be instruments of this Reformation that their Ministry is that of the Spirit b Ibid. p. 29. Gods anointed ones are the faithfull that are anointed with the Spirit and these anointed ones are the Lords Prophets and the Lord hath no Prophets but such as are anointed with the Spirit all his brethren are made Prophets being fellows with him in his unction Ib. When I see the generality of the people of all sorts rise up against the ministration of the Spirit which God hath now an these dayes of ours set up even in every County for salvation to his people but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to the rest it does grieve me to see how the City Countrey Countrey Towns Villages doe all rise up for the most part against the ministration of the Spirit for this is a certain sign of the undoing of them all that their followers are the Saints which shall prevail maugre all opposition c When you read what you have heard you must needs acknowledge it to be the mind of God if you received the anointing of the spirit In the Epistle ib. this truth shall carry all opposition and opposers before it and none shall be able to stand against it and of this both your selves and this generation shall bee witnesses that all the other Ministers of England who dance not after their pipe especially such as M â— Love who opposed this man immediately to his face are but lims of Antichrist whom the Parliament is obliged to suppresse without any toleration d Ib. p. 41. Truly sir when God shall make you a new creature you will be glad of new light the old light will serve the old man well enough your Sermon savours as ill to the faithfull as mine to the world In the Epistle If the Assembly which I hope they will not should condemn that doctrine of the Gospel for the substance of it delivered then by M. Dell it will be no blasphemy to say they are the enemies of the truth of Christ and I hope the last prop of Antichrist in the Kingdome Ib. The Prelates successors in the Kingdome of Antichrist still cry No Minister no Magistrate Ib. To the Reader This light was since obscured by the new darknesse of Antichrist which these men love better then that old light and will by no means exchange the one for the other and these as well as their Fathers of the same race and lineage in whose stead they are new risen up shall in due time become a reproach and a shame and their name shall be for a curse to all Gods chosen In the Epistle I shall desire this in the behalf of the faithfull Gods peculiar portion in the land that you would not suffer us to be oppressed by our adversaries neither would suffer them thus publickly and shamelesly to call as Sectaries and Hereticks P. 38. The Magistrate may deterre you and the rest of the Kingdome that are of the like minde from resisting and hindering this work which hath its authority from heaven that so the Saints my pray for the Magistrate Who now are the persecuters Hitherto are these men come already notwithstanding all their declamations against persecution though no man has molested them now for some years nor laid in their way the least impediment to think speak write act whatever they thought expedient for the propagation of any blasphemy they have been pleased to entertain nor called them to any account when by the force of arms they have beaten out of their Pulpits and Houses the faithfull Ministers of God themselves usurping their places in very many parts where the Army has gone and setting out to the people by all the skill they had whatever heresie the times hath produced Yet now their fears to be persecuted are come to this that they dare preach the House of Commons to their face Antichristian oppressors for assaying to reform the evident corruptions of the Church within their own jurisdiction And exhort them to lay aside that sinfull and impertinent work permitting every man to follow in Religion whatever his own heart dictates to be best Yet by no means to tolerate any Preacher who shall oppose that their liberty To this height of presumptuous malice are those declamers against persecution publickly proceeded and in all this are countenanced
the prophecying and questioning of private men in the face of the Church Unto their new gathered Churches of rebaptized and dipped Saints they did ascribe very ample priviledges for first they gave to every one of them a power of questioning in publick before the whole Congregation any part of their Preachers Doctrine N Secondly to every one of their members they gave a power of publick preaching O Women preachers are from them This liberty they gave no lesse to women then men for they had among them not only preaching and prophecying women but also some who took so much upon them as to professe themselves to be the Christ and Messias to all of their own sexe P Thirdly Their Pastors must renounce all former ordination take their full call of new must come from the hands of their people to their particular Churches they gave power of electing and ordaining such of their own Prophets whom they thought fittest to be Pastors to the rest whoever was not elected and ordained whoever had not their full calling from the people alone and did not renounce what ever ordination they had from any other to them were no Pastors at all Upon this ground among others they refused to hear any of the Ministers of the reformed Churches because they did not renounce their former ordination and calling to the Ministery that they might take it again from the hands of their new gathered and separate Congregations Q They required no letters in their Preachers Fourthly in their Pastors they required no secular learning R yea to them all secular learning was abominable they did burn all books but the Bible as impediments and hurtfull instruments to the Ministery of the Gospel S Fiftly they required their illiterate Pastors to work with their own hands for their livings T Merchandize or any other Calling wherein there was no personall and handy labour to them was unlawfull V Sixtly they cried down all tythes X The crying down of tythes and all set stipends is from them yea all set stipends for any Church Officer Y But it would be considered that they did avow it was as unlawfull to pay any set rent or yearly duty to any Landlord as a stipend to a Minister Z Seventhly Independency of congregations and the peoples power in Church censures is their invention unto their single Congregations they gave a supreme and independent power to judge in all Ecclesiasticall causes not only judicially to pronounce all questions about their Pastors Doctrine but also to proceed to the highest censure of excommunication as well against their Pastors as others when they found cause AA Their excommunications of one another were so frequent and for so light causes The Seekers who deny all Churches are their disciples that sundry of them fell to the opinion and practice of those whom we call Seekers they served God single and alone without the society of any Church finding no Churches on earth with whom they could agree BB The Anabaptists usurpation upon the authority of the Church did quickly lead them to the same practice upon the State as they took upon them to deprive their Pastors and exempt themselves from all Ecclesiastick jurisdiction of Church Synods so likewise they broke in peeces the yoke of all civill subjection to Magistrates Princes Parliaments or any temporall judicatories At first they denied the power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion alone First they cried down the Magistrates power in matters of Religion asserting a liberty only for their conscience that it might be free from the controll of all superiour power they esteemed every Law of the Magistrate in matters of Religion to be unlawfull Next in all matters even civill and the smallest penalty to be a Mosaicall compulsion of the conscience and a true persecution CC But forthwith they went on to deny the Magistrates power absolutely in all things whether Ecclesiastick or civill crying down his very calling and office how well so ever regulate as an unjust tyranny Together with the Magistrate they condemne all Judicatories all wars Yet they took to themselves an absolute civill power first over all them in their own Churches all defence all oathes DD For all this they permitted not that sword which they had stricken out of the hand of others to ly long upon the ground but immediately they plucked it up themselves At first they exercised their usurped Magistracy only upon the persons within their own Congregations judging all their causes as well Civill as Ecclesiastick proceeding herein to capitall sentences and executions as they found the crimes of their members to require EE Next over all Princes and people in the whole world This exercise of justice was so agreeable to their humour that quickly they thought meet to extend it much beyond the limits of their own Congregations they did anon proclaim their right not only to deny but to take away with their sword all the Princes and Magistrates of the earth as Tyrants FF And because these few persons who were Magistrates had not blood enough to quench the thirst of that cruell spirit which led them they went one step further proclaiming a Commission they had from heaven to kill not only all the Magistrates but also all the wicked people of the whole earth GG And how many Nations and Languages came within this compasse you may judge by the narrow circle within which they inclosed all the godly no more were Saints and to be saved then joyned to their Churches and received their Anabaptisme all the rest to them were wicked and to be cut off HH The were strong millenaries To this very dangerous practice they were led by another principle Muncer among his other Enthusiasms did bring forth to his followers the dream of Christs visible and ovtward Kingdome upon earth II confirming it by the same Scriptures which our late Chiliasts bring for the same fancy albeit a little refined Upon this ground he built many of his grossest practices for he gave out that then the time of that kingdome was come KK that the Saints the members of the Anabaptistick Churches were the members thereof that it was the will of God they should take and kill all who were opposite thereto that they had a just right to enter in possession of the spoyl of Christs Enemies and to enjoy all their lands and goods as the Israelites did those of the cursed Canaanites LL They made adulteries and murders lawfull To these dreams of Muncer John Becold and his fellow Prophets at Munster made some Additions That in this visible kingdome there behoved to be a King over the Saints MM That this King was to rule according to the revelations of the Spirit That all disobedience to his voyce was to be vindicate by present death NN Among the rest of King Becolds commands this was one That the Polygamy of the old Testament should be renewed
their Coventicle house and there before many people said that Brother Kiffen and Patience anoynting her she suddenly recovered SS Vide supra O. TT Gangren first Part p. 27. That all singing of Psalmes as Davids or any other holy songs of Scripture is unlawfull and not to be joyned with that the singing which Christians should use is that of hymnes and spirituall songs framed by themselves composed by their own gifts and that upon speciall occasions as deliverances c. sung in the Congregation by one of the assembly all the rest being silent VV Gangren first Part p. 23. This Den preacheth much against tythes he hath put down all singing of Psalmes in his Church XX The compassionate Samaritane p. 31 33. And hereby is maintained the necessity and excellency of Learning and the Languages and so of Vniversities and a supposall that the Arts likewise are necessary to a Divine As Diana was so is learning the crafts-mens living and the peoples Goddesse the people may if they please dote upon that which hath been their destruction they ought to account better of them that having no by-ends or respects have studied the Scriptures for their own and others information and do impart the same to the people out of a desire of their good for nothing as the Anabaptists doe to their Congregations See also Bloudy Tenet p. 173. YY Vide Disswasive p. 48. Browns life and manners of all true Christians p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority Hath not every lawfull Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not only shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it but these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. pag. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do and it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church the Lords kingdome is not by force neither durst Moses or any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church government but after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline discipline that is for a civill forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and enquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward provision and outward justice they are to look but to compell Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiasticall government by Laws and penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church ZZ Disswasive p. 49. EEEEE FFFFF Also the modell of Church and civill power composed by M. Cotton in the bloudy Tenet p. 156. The Magistrate hath power to forbid all idolatrous and corrupt assemblies who offer to put themselves under their patronage and shall attempt to joyn themselves into a Church estate and if they shall not hearken to force them therefrom by the power of the sword Ib. 101. Tolerating many Religions in a State in severall Churches beside the provoking of God may in time not only corrupt leaven divide and so destroy the peace of the Churches but also dissolve the Continuity of the State especially ours whose wals are made of the stones of the Churches He hath also power to compell all men within his grant to hear the Word ZZ 2 Tombs Apology p. 13. Being acquainted with a Law made in New England and proceedings against those that denied baptizing of Infants I yeelded to the sending of my examen thither and therewith I sent this short Epistle Reverend Brethren understanding that there is some disquiet in your Churches about paedobaptism c. AAA Apologetick narration p. 19. To the Magistrates power we give as much and as we think more then the principles of the Presbyteriall government will suffer them to yeeld BBB Burrows Irenicon at length CCC Apologeticall narration p. 9. We judge that excommunication should be put in execution for no other kinde of sinnes then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practises of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if an opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himself and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the Churches and no other sins to be the subject of that most dreadfull sentence DDD John Goodwins Theomachia p. 37. Concerning other civill means for the suppression and restraint of these spirituall evils errours heresies c. as imprisonment banishment interdictions finings c. both reason and experience concurre in this demonstration that such fetters as these put upon the feet of errours and heresies to secure and keep them under still have proved wings whereby they raise themselves the higher in the thoughts and mindes of men and gain an opportunity of farther propagation Ibid. To hold that the persons so elected the Members of the House of Commons chosen by men unworthy and strangers to the power of godliness have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws and Statutes in matters of Religion and to order under mulcts and penalties how men shall worship and serve God as it is a means to awaken the eye of jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive unto the undermining not only of their power but of their honour peace and safety also then any thing that is found in the way so ill entreated so is it the setling upon the electors of such persons I mean upon the promiscuous multitude of the Land a greater power then ever Jesus Christ himself had at least then ever he exercised EEE Anabaptists Confession Edition second Article 48. in the margin Concerning the worship of God there is but one Lawgiver Jesus Christ who hath given Laws and rules sufficient in his word for his worship and for any to make more were to charge Christ for want of wisdome or faithfulnesse or both in not making Laws enough or not good enough for his house Surely it is our wisdome duty and priviledge to observe Christs Laws only FFF Ibid. It is our duty to do and we believe it is our expresse duty especially in matters of Religion to be fully perswaded in our mindes of the lawfulnesse of what we do for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as we cannot do
that our heart can think of yet were we slaves by this alone the burden of which singly will pierce gall our shoulders make us bow stoop to the ground ready to be made a prey not only by great men but even by every cunning sharking knave Remonst p. 4. The History of our fore-fathers since they were conquered by the Normans doth manifest that this Nation hath been held in bondage all along ever since by the policies and force of the Officers of trust in the Common-wealth p. 15. Ye know the Laws of this Nation are unworthy a free people deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason which ought to be the form life of every government Magna Carta it self being but a beggerly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage the Laws that have been made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our government much more oppressive intolerable Ib. He erected a trade of Judges and Lawyers to sell justice and injustice at his own unconscionable rate in what time he pleased the corruption wherof is yet remaining upon us to our continuall empoverishing and molestation from which we thought you should have delivered us ye know also imprisonment for debt is not from the beginning TTTT Modest Queries p. 10. at least in sensu composito to believe the deepest or highest mystery in Religion any further or any otherwise then as and as far as he hath reason to judge it to be a truth VVVV Vide Disswasive first Part p. 127. 152. also p. 31. 49. IIIII KKKKK XXXX I am credibly informed that this is the great and troublesome controversie for the time among the Governors of New England whether it be their duty to rule according to their gifts of Government according to some written Laws or without all humane Statutes Vid. Gang. 3 Part. YYYY Remonst p. 3. The free born people to their own House of Commons the cause of our choosing you to be Parliament men was to deliver us from all kinde of bondage we possessed you with the same power that was in our selves to have done the same for we might justly have done it our selves without you if we had thought it convenient choosing you as persons whom we thought fitly qualified and faithfull for avoiding some inconveniencies but ye are to remember this was only of us but a power of trust which is ever revocable and cannot be otherwise and to be imployed to no other end then our own well-being AAAAA Vide supra also Warning p 2. You hate and abhor those that would purge this corrupt humor out of you shew you a more just rationall way of Government then that of Kings Also Remonst p. 16. If ye would follow the good exâ—mple of the Hollanders make this Nation a State free from the oppression of Kings Also p. 12. As if ye had discovered and digested that without a powerfull compulsive Presbytery in the Church a compulsive Mastership or Aristocraticall government over the people in the State could never long be maintained BBBBB Conscience cautioned p. 9. Know ye not the State of the State is it not the whole Kingdom each individuall I can prove it is O heavens will you Lord it over your Lords I professe if you make head against your heads any longer I know what it is and your self shall know for I say you deserve beheading CCCCC Conscience cautioned p. 6. Keep we humbly beseech you our right of Kinghood and Priesthood Just mans justification p. 14. The splendor and glory of that undivided Majesty and Kingship that inherently resides in the people or in the State universall DDDDD Remonst p. 7. Let the Lords stand to be chosen for Knights Burgesses by the people as other the freemen Gentry of this nation do EEEEE Vide supra YYYY FFFFF Remonst p. 20. That a Parl. chosen in Novemb. succeeding year by year may come in stead of the preceding Parliament GGGGG Just mans justifie p. 15. Reduce us back to that part of the ancient frame of government in this Kingdom before the Conquerors days that we may have all causes differences decided in the County or Hundred where they are committed or do arise without any appeal but to a Parl. that they may mâ—nthly be judged by 12. men of free and honest condition câ— sen by themselves with their Grave or chief Officer amongst them and that they may swear to judge every mans cause aright without fear favor or affection then farewell jangling Lawyers the wildfire destroyers baâ—e of all just rationall and right governed Common-wealths HHHHH Remonst p. 12. Ye vex and molest honest men for matters of Religion and difference with you and your Synod take upon you to determine of doctrine discipline approving this reproaching that just like unto former ignorant politick and superstitious Parliaments and Convocations therby have divided honest people among themselves by countenancing only those of the Presbytery discountenancing all the separation Anabaptists Independents Ib. We are well assured that neither you nor none else can have any power at all to conclude the people in matters that concern the worship of God for therein every one of us ought to be fully assured in our minds to be sure to worship him according to our consciences IIIII The Birthright p. 48 49. in the Postscript It would be excellent and needfull if the Parl. would ordain that every free man of Eng. who is able would bestow his service one year at least freely for the good of the civill State in any place or office of trust whereof his skill breeding aâ— fit him tâ— be most capable according as they shall be chosen those that are not able to serve freely for a year to have competent maintenance allowed to them to the value of 50 or 60 l. a year according to their charge If such be chosen for their skill and diligence though they want outward means for which allowance those that are conscientious wil do as good service at least as some others who have 1000 or 2000 a year The like rule is no lesse but far more excellent needful to be observed and established iâ— matters concerning the Church state wherin her servants are to perform their duties freely they being able to maintain themselves those with them whether by means obtained formerly or industry used daily otherwise to have the like allowance of 50 or 60 l. a year acording to their charge KKKKK Vide supra CHAP. IV. Their Antipaedobaptisme Arminianisme Arianisme Familisme and other wicked Errours THIS much for the first head of the Anabaptists All Anabaptists are for Antipaedobaptisme Brownistick Tenets so to call them being such as the Brownists of old did learn from the Anabaptists and which this day the Anabaptists take back again from
errour ZZ Ibid. p. 1. M. Den answered the Heathen had the Gospel preached to them in the creatures and in them was revealed the knowledge of Christ crucified if they had eyes to see it AAA Ibid. He said there was a power in a man to resist grace and that the grace that would convert one man would not convert another BBB Gangren first Part p. 21. They teach that regenerate men who have true grace may fall totally and finally away from the state of grace CCC Gangren first Part division second p. 22. This M. Den was sent forth by Lambs Church into Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and those parts to preach universall grace and to rebaptize DDD M. Wels preface to the short story of the rise raign c. This kinde of Doctrine takes so well here in London and other parts of the Kingdom and you see so many daunce after this Pipe running after such and such crowding the Churches and filling the doors and windows even such carnall and vile persons many of them as care not to hear any other godly Ministers but only their Leaders EEE M. Gatakers shadows without substance p. 25. You or these you maintain affirm that the morall Law is of no use at all to a beleever no rule for him to walk nor to examine his life by and that Christians are free from the mandatory power of it yea in Pulpits they cry out Away with the Law Gangren second Part p. 126. The Preacher observed that the hand-writing of Ordinances the ten precepts faire written by the finger of God was altogether taken away FFF Ibid. p. 133. Hereupon Oats peremptorily affirmed and stood to maintain that there was no power in any Christian Magistrate to inflict a capitall punishment upon any member of a Church unlesse first he was cast out of the Church and so delivered to the secular power what ever his offence was though murder or Treason GGG Ibid. Being pressed with the authority of that Text He that sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed he and the rest cryed out What had they to do with Moses they were Christs Disciples not Moses Disciples HHH Gangren second Part p. 120. One of the followers of M. Simpson the Antinomian said it in the hearing and presence of divers M. Simpson being then also present that if a child of God should commit murder he ought not to repent of it and M. Simpson never reproved him for it though by one present in the company he was spoken unto to doe it III Christs counsell to the Angell of Laodicea p. 41 42. cited in Gatakers shadows p. 11. Nothing at all is required in any respect of him for whom Christ died they are deceivers that teach otherwise neither faith nor repentance nor self-deniall nor hearing nor use of Ordinances nor observation of Sabbath nor doing as we would be done to and the rest They are false Teachers that make these duties and teach that we must exercise our selves in these things or we shall have no part in Christ KKK Gatakers shadows p. 2. M. Saltmarsh encourages Christians not to be troubled for any sin nor to imagine that God is displeased with them or that any afflictions do befall them for their sins or that they shall ever be called to any account for them Ibid. p. 9. You infuse such principles as these that God sees no sin in them live they never so ill nor like them any whit the lesse when they do sin nor is at all displeased with them or will ever call them to account for ought they do LLL Ibid. p. 49. What you subjoyn is scandalous Place say you salvation upon a free-bottome or else you make the Covenant but an old Covenant in new terms in stead of Do this and live Believe this and live repent and live obey and live and all this is for want of revealing the mystery more fully MMM Ibid. p. 2. M. Saltmarsh preaches that Christ hath perfectly beleeved for us and perfectly repented for us Ibid. p. 36. He expoundeth all the places he quoted wherein any duty was required not as to be done by us but as done by Christ for us and so to be beleeved of us NNN Vide supra III. also Gatakers shadows p. 11. It is the way that you your self and others of the Antinomian Party propound to wit that there is nothing required to be done by any for the obtaining of a share in the redemption and salvation procured and purchased by Christ or for the application of Christs merits unto any and they may therefore be saved by Christ without faith or repentance or new obedience though they continue in infidelity impenitency and the worst sins that are OOO Gangren first Part division second p. 33. Hobson preaching against holy duties spake thus I was once as legall as any of you can be I durst not eate a bit of bread but I gave thanks I daily prayed and wept for my sins so that I had almost wept out my eyes with sorrow for sin but I am perswaded when I used all these duties I had not one jot of God in me Gatakers shadows p. 5. Your strains of a more glorious spirit are like your vaunting elswhere of a more glorious light PPP Gangren first Part second division p. 8. A great Sectary writes from Bathe that Christ came to witnesse and declare Gods love to us not to procure it for us for if God take at any time any displeasure to us he had been changeable seeing before the world began he saw us lovely in his Son he came not to procure the love of God to us or to satisfie him as some say but he was as I may say a most glorious publisher of the Gospel Ibid. p. 34. Hobson has printed that Christ did not by his death purchase life and salvation for all no not for the elect for it was not the end of God in the comming of Christ to purchase love and life but Christ himself was purchased by love that he might make out love and purchase us to love for Christ came not to reconcile God to man but man to God QQQ Vide supra PPP SSS Saltmarsh Treatises against M. Gataker TTT The Treatise of Baptism p. 32. Therefore know the mind of God and labour not anxiously about sins and the pardon of them which is a great impediment to the comfort and holinesse of our life VVV The Confession of the seven Churches first Edition Article 28. Those which have union with Christ are justified from all their sins past present and to come XXX Ibid. Article 25. The tender of the Gospel to the conversion of sinners is absolutely free no way requiring as absolutely necessary qualifications preparations terrors of the Law or preceding Ministery of the Law but onely and alone the naked soule a sinner and ungodly to receive Christ YYY Gangren second Part p. 20. Some speaking to the Antinomian Taylor deprehended in the acts of his
the whole Creation shall be annihilated and reduced into the Divine essence again KKKKK Mans mortality p. 49. The resurrection of the beasts all other creatures as well as man shall be raised and delivered from death at the resurrection the death of the beasts was a part of the curse and is to be taken away by Christ LLLLL Vide Disswasive first Part p. 116. also 145. Letter NNNN Also Gangrens second Part p. 117. Dear friends as you have cast off many Antichristian yokes so proceed to cast off all a chief whereof are unequall marriages MMMMM Little Non-such p. 5. God took one of Adams ribs made a woman and brought her to him how comes it then that there are forbidden degrees in marriage or is it not so in truth but a Popish injunction for their profit The woman is of the mans own proper substance then in regard there can be no more matches in this nature the very next of kin were to joyn in marriage and that both by custome and command For example we finde that Sarah was Abrahams Sister whom he took to wife a better president we cannot have Ibid. p. 6. So naturally confident were the servants of God in propagating by the next of kin that Lots daughters did not doubt to raise up seed to their Father Lot might justly be blamed for drinking so liberally that he perceived not what he did yet we finde no reproof upon the daughters because what they did was according to the institution Ibid. p. 7. The next place that seems to fortifie this opinion against all opposition is that of Juda and Tamar his daughter in Law the sincerity and integrity of Tamar was sublime Ibid. The prohibition of degrees in Leviticus is to be understood of fornication not of marriage Tamar did not doubt to be her brother Ammons wife but detested the act of fornication But for the holy institution of marriage with the next of kindred we see it hath not onely been permitted but commanded If mutuall correspondency happen betwixt the nearest of kindred their marriage is most naturall most lawfull and according to the Primitive purity and practice MMMMM 2 Gangren second Part p. 9. Mistresse Attaway among other passages spoke to them of M. Miltons Doctrine of Divorce and asked them what they thought of it saying It was a point to be considered of NNNNN Gangren first Part second Division p. 31. Mistresse Attaway in her exercise delivered that God the Father did raign under the Law God the Son under the Gospel and now God the Father and God the Sonne are making over the Kingdome unto God the holy Ghost OOOOO Ibid. 113. It is given out that Mistresse Attaway met with 〈◊〉 Prophet here in London who hath revealed to her and others that they must goe to Jerusalem and repair Jerusalem and for that end Mistresse Attaway hath gotten money from some persons ten pounds of one young maid and other money of others towards the building up of Jerusalem Gangrens second Part p. 145. There is a Prophet arisen who is shut up for a time but at the end of this Summer is to come forth with power to preach the generall restauration of all things which Prophet hath given a roll forth already into some hands in which roll many things are written and who ever hath that roll hath the spirit of Prophecy he hath appointed some to be publishers and Prophets and to go to Jerusalem to build it up where Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall meet them from heaven and these persons thus sent unto Jerusalem are assured they shall never die with many other of this kinde PPPPP Divine light sent forth by the Minister of the Lord Jesus whom he hath anointed his servant for the good of all in bringing glad tidings of good things unto the whole Creation QQQQQ Ibid. These are the Antichristi-apostat-Arians in chief that deny the holy Covenant of generall redemption by those the spirit discovereth the Antichristi-apostat-Arians Egyptians Sodomites and drunkards of Ephraim the Devils incarnate which are or shall be found to deny the Covenant of generall redemption This Antichristi-apostat-Arianisme is in that Dragon that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan in that he denieth the holy Covenant of generall redemption but this Dragon and grand Devil must be cast out of heaven the Church and all his angels the false Ministers and tyrannous Magistrates must be cast out with him Deniers of the Covenant of generall redemption and all brute beasts and hypocrites have approved themselves devils incarnate RRRRR Divine light p. 15. The private kingdome of Christs Justice must passe away to give place to the publick kingdome of God the Father in his Jehovah mercies unto all the heavens and the earth shall not be destroyed as drowsie drunken Ephramites and blind Egyptians do imagine out of their own evil hearts by misconstruing the Scripture Ibid. p. 2. In that abominable transgression of our first Parents Adam and Evah we their children transgressing in the same line of Rebellion by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that is by seeking in our selves a righteousnesse thinking to be wise and making our selves like to God we became naked foolish blinde and desperately wicked SSSSS Divine light p. 19. He sanctified the humane person of Christ to be a sacrifice Ibid. p. 4. God setting himself in his lost creatures stead namely the whole Creation God the blessed Trinity the three persons in unity in the spirit of the Deity setting themselves in Christs humanity the Father Son and holy Ghost the whole Godhead set it self bodily in Christ to suffer for their transgressing creature Christ in his humane nature feared when the Godhead and Trinity of persons came down in him to suffer TTTTT Divine light p. 2. God was pacified by his own passionate sufferings in that heavenly conflict which the Deity and Trinity of persons had in Christs humanity when our God lovingly set himself to work out our salvation he made his love so to overcome his justice as yet to satisfie his justice meritoriously Ibid. p. 6. God set himself in Christs humanity in the essence of his Deity to work out our salvation setting his love against his justice Ibid. p. 5. Therefore the whole Trinity was forced to assume the whole power of the Godhead to suffer that passionate suffering which was due to the transgressions of the whole Creation this was the passionate work and suffering of the Godhead placed in Christs humanity to perfect redemption for all VVVVV Ib. The elect and reprobate in their severall cases in Esaus world which is the world of the curse Ibid. p. 8. The Father and the Son doe commit their whole strength for the delivering the whole Creation unto the ministration of the holy Ghost and therefore it is that those that have been damned in Esaus world of the curse could not be delivered untill the holy Ghost came in full power in the fulnesse of all
have all their children excluded not onely from the seals but from the covenant it self and all its gracious promises either of grace or glory and from every spirituall blessing It must be a very clear Scripture that ought to perswade so great a change of Gods administration of his covenant and its seals so much to the worse of that which is confessed was before his usuall practise and command A fifth reason Arg. 5. from Christs laying of his hands on infants and blessing them Whosoever by Gods expresse direction and practise is admitted to his favour and blessing and to the outward signs and seals thereof may be baptized But by Christs expresse direction and practise some infants are admitted to his favour and blessing and to the outward signs and seals thereof Ergo. The major is grounded upon the nature of baptisme which is a seal of Christs blessings they to whom the blessing of Christ and the outward seal thereof belongs why should they not be admitted to baptisme when once the Lord has solemnly declared his will to initiate all to whom his blessings belong by the seal of baptisme The minor is clear from Mat. 19.13 Mat. 19.13 Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands upon them and pray and the Disciples rebuked them but Jesus said Suffer little children and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heaven and he laid his hands on them also Mar. 10.13 14 15 16. Mark 10.13 14 15 16. And they brought young children to him that he should touch them and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them but when Jesus saw it he was much displeased and said unto them Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not and he took them up in his arms put his hands upon them and blessed them Here the Lord commands children to be brought to him he is much displeased and reproves his Disciples for stopping of them he laid his hands upon them and blessed them declaring that of such was the kingdome of heaven Exceptions against these places tâ—ken off To this argument three things are answered First that the children mentioned were not infants but grown to such years as made them capable of instruction Secondly that their blessing was not spirituall but a temporall health Thirdly that the sign and seal mentioned is not baptisme but imposition of hands To the first we reply that the children were not of so many years as made them capable of instruction for the text cals them expresly young and little ones Secondly they were so young that they could not walk they were brought to Christ they did not come but in the arms of their parents Christ also took them up in his own arms Thirdly if they had been capable of instruction the Apostles could not have been offended for they knew that it was their masters office and delight to instruct all who were capable and the comming of such to the great Doctor could have given no offence To the second the text gives not the least hint that any bodily cure was either required or given Secondly the blessings given were such as Christ is desired to seek from the Father by prayer and these could not but be the best blessings even spirituall and everlasting Thirdly it 's expressed in the place that the greatest of all blessings was theirs even the very kingdome of heaven While this is denyed by the adversaries affirming that the kingdome of heaven belongs not to infants but onely to those who are like them the text refels this their shift for the kingdome of heaven must belong much more to themselves then to such who were onely like them The scope and intention of Christ in this place is not to speak of the condition of others like to infants but of infants themselves who were unjustly stopped by the Apostles to come to him and the Lord is pleading for the admission onely of infants to him upon this reason that heaven belonged to such which had been an impertinent argument for his conclusion if heaven had not belonged to infants at all who upon this reason are required to be admitted to him Farther if infants were to be admitted to Christ because heaven belonged to these who resembled them in some qualities it would follow that doves lambs serpents stones and trees might have been brought to him upon this reason as well as infants for men resembling these creatures in their good qualities are to goe to heaven As for their third answer it is very true that the signe in the place alledged was not baptism this was never alledged for we read nothing of the baptism of the parents of these infants who were presented to Christ as yet the command of baptism was not made so publick as afterward when the Lord at his ascension sent out his Disciples in the power of the holy Ghost to gather a formed Church and to baptize beleevers and their children the reason proceeded not from baptisme but to baptisme and that à loco disparatorum since imposition of hands a seal of Christs grace and blessing and of the kingdome of heaven belonged to infants that therefore baptisme a seal of that same kind when once the Lord had solemnly at his ascension appointed it to be the ordinary seal of initiation into his Church ought not to be denyed unto them A sixth reason Arg. 6. Infants under the Law were baptized Infants were baptized as well as their parents by Moses baptisme Ergo Infants as well as their parents ought to be baptized by Christs baptisme The antecedent is the Apostles 1 Cor. 10.1 2. 1 Cor. 10.1 2. M râ—over brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea The Father 's baptized in the cloud and in the sea were the whole people as well young as old for no doubt the infants went as well through the cloud and the sea as their parents The consequence is proved thus the reasons which may be brought for the exclusion of infants from being baptized with their parents by Christs baptisme militar as much against their being baptized with their parents by Moses baptisme Therefore if notwithstanding they were admitted to the one baptisme they may as well be admitted to the other If it be said that the infants did with their parents in the wildernesse eat of the Manna and drink of the rock yet may they not now be admitted with their parents to eat and drink at the Lords Table We answer there is no such necessary evidence of the infants eating of the Manna and drinking of the rock as of their passing through the cloud and sea this necessity was simple and absolute the other not so for infants may live on their mothers breasts and the milk of cattle without