among us hence taking occasion to write for a Toleration of all as Anabaptists Antinomians c. and the great Historian and Chronicler of the Sectaries the Moderate Intelligencer Num. 36. who writes their lives and deaths and trumpets forth their victories and praises so immoderatly as if they did all and hath published to the world some weeks ago that there are twenty severall opinions in the Army and hath pleaded more then once for liberty of conscience for them all so that I by writing in this kind of the Errours of the time cannot be guilty of discovering our nakednesse the enemy having known so much before But why stand I to prove that our Heresies and Schisms are openly known in England when as their sound is gone into all Lands into Holland Zealand France yea to New-England The Walachrian Classis in their Letter to the London Synod complain much of Heresies Schisms Errours confusions in Religion spreading in the City which by such an expresse holy and sacred oath is bound to God to cast out all Errours Heresies Scisms out of the house of God Many Letters have been written over into Enland out of Holland from Ministers and Professours of schools men zealously affected to the cause of the Parliament complaining of the Errours Sects and Schisms amongst us which have been communicated to some prime members of the Assembly and others New-England speaks much of the Heresies Errours and all sorts of Sects amongst us wondring that the Assembly suffers them and that they do not stirre up the Parliament to supresse them Mr Shepards Letter written from thence shewes their knowledg of the heresies errours and sects amongst us so that our errours and schismes so publikely known to the world cannot be concealed from Oxford Seeing then there are so many errours and monsters of opinions spoken of in all places I cannot be taxed for the discovery of that which was before concealed but in this work am only a gatherer together of those errours that were scattered which by Gods blessing may be a meanes to keep many from falling into schisme seeing such monsters in that way and to cause many to returne when they finde that they never dreamt of nor intended Secondly supposing our errours to be known which is fully proved in any first Answer I then secondly say 't is so farre from being unseasonable and inconvenient that 't is most necessary that some Ministers who are friends to the Reformation and zealots for the Parliament should lay them open to the full by testifying against them and disclaiming them that so our enemies may not say wee favour and countenance them and one of my great ends in this Tractate is to take away occasion from the common enemy to blaspheme the Reformation and speak ill of the Parliament by our not owning them but speaking as much against heresie schisme and all errours as any of them can Thirdly I answer we should be so farre from being afraid to give the common enemy advantage by speaking against heresies and errours that on the contrary I may say we have no such enemies as those persons that broach and spread their heresies and damnable opinions these are our enemies which wee have cause to fear more then all the Cavaliers these are the Achans the accursed persons and things which are most likely to undo us and if ever the Parliament and their party be ruined which God prevent it will not be so much by the Cavaliers they could not have done it but the heresies blasphemies and schimes of some among our selves will cause it and therefore the finding of these out and labouring to have these removed is a work of great importance to the saving of the Kingdom and of great prejudice to the common enemy whose hopes and confidence are much more placed in our heresies prodigious opinions and schismes then in their own strength 2. Ob. As this book will give occasion to open the mouthes of enemies so it may cause distractions and divisions among our selves weaken the hands of many who are cordiall to the Parliament apprehending themselves to be written against besides this may offend many good persons that are not sectaries especially that Independents should be put into this Catalogue and ranked with all sorts of hereticks and schismaticks 1. I answer to this as Luther did in an Epistle of his to Spalatinus upon a like occasion Spalatinus would not have had Luther at such a time to have writ against the Papists for feare of disturbing the publike peace to whom Luther thus replies That 's excellent indeed that thou thinkest it not fit to have the publike peace disturbed and yet judgest it fit to have the externall peace of God disquieted not so O Spalatine Shall the grievous wolves come freely to the flock not sparing them and if the doggs barke to give warning of them shall they be said to disturbe the peace and cause distractions Brethren things are come to a good passe that hereticks and sectaries must do what they please and if any course be taken by preaching writing petitioning to remedy it 't is given out by Sectaries 't is a plot to make division discourage the Army disturbe the peace I say no more if this be to preserve union and peace and to be cordiall to the Parliament to let hereticks and sectaries do what they list preach writ spread their errours destroy many souls and no man must say what do they cursed be that union peace and affection to the Parliament 'T is a golden saying of Luther and worthy to bee thought of in these times Cursed be that charity which is kept with the losse of the doctrine of faith to which all things ought to give place Charity an Apostle an Angell from Heaven yea and I will add Parliaments Answ. 2. If in such a time as this and such a case when by many persons all the things of God are laid waste and made null Church Minister Sacraments Scriptures and what not men will be offended for speaking let them 't is better they should be offended then the glory of Christ should suffer 't is an offence taken and not given Christ cared not in that case that the Pharisees were offended Mat. 15.12.13.14 I wonder they are not offended at the heresies and errours daily broached and yet should be offended at the discovering and speaking against them I have more cause to be offended at this objection of theirs and their lukewarmenesse wo be unto them that broach these errours and to those that countenance them for every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Answ. 3. I name not these things to provoke and exasperate any especially none of those who in simplicity of heart and under pretences of greater holinesse and new light are taken in these wayes for as I have writ before so I say again I put a great difference between Independency strictly and properly
his people that he is the Authour not of those Actions alone in and with which sin is but of the very Pravity Ataxy Anomy Irregularity and sinfullnesse it self which is in them 12. That all Lyes come forth out of the mouth of God 13. 'T is the will and command of God that since the coming of his Son the Lord Jesus a permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian consciences and worship be granted to all men in all Nations and Countries and they are only to be fought against with the sword of Gods Spirit the word of God and for the Parliament to use any civill coercive meanes to compell men of different judgment is one of the greatest sins that can be named 't is committing a greater rape then if they had forced or ravished the bodies of all the women in the world Yea if it be mens consciences the Magistrate may not punish for blasphemies nor for denying the Scriptures nor for denying there is a God 14. That no man was cast into hell for any sin but only because God would have it so 15. That a man had life before God breathed into him and that which God breathed into him was part of the divine Essence and shall returne unto God again 16. That we should think of our selves no better then was meet for God loves the creatures that creep upon the ground as well as the best Saints and there is no distance between the flesh of a Man and the flesh of a Toad 17. That the Prince of the ayr that rules in the children of disobedience is God and that there is no other spirit but one which Spirit is God 18. That God hath not decreed all the actions of men because men doing what God decreed do not â—in 19. That God was never angry nor displeased with man for if he were ever displeased and pleased again then there is a changeablenesse in God 20. That God loved not one man more then another before the world neither is there an absolute particular election but only generall and conditionall upon perseverance and the Scripture no where speaks of Reprobates or Reprobation 21. That the soul dies with the body and all things shall have an end but God only shall remain for ever 22. Every creature in the first creation was God and every creature is God every creature that hath life and breath being an efflux from God and shall returne into God again be swallowed up in him as a drop is in the ocean 23. That to a saving knowledge of God it sufficeth not to know him in the book of nature nor secondly as revealed in the holy Scriptures but that we must know him as abstract from his mercies and all his attributes 24. That in the Unity of the God-head there is not a Trinity of Persons but the Doctrine of the Trinity beleeved and professed in the Church of God is a Popish tradition and a Doctrine of Rome 25. There are not three distinct Persons in the Divine Essence but only three Offices the Father Son and holy Ghost are not three Persons but Offices 26. That there is but one Person in the Divine nature 27. That Jesus Christ is not very God not God essentially but nominally not the eternall Son of God by eternall generation no otherwise may he be called the Son of God but as he was man 28. That Christs humane nature is defiled with originall sin as well as ours Christ had from the birth to his death the same originall corruption as ours he took our sin into his nature as well as our flesh upon him Christ is not of a holier nature then we but in this appeares Gods love to us that he will take one of us in the same conditition to convince us of what he is to us and hath made us to be in him me thinks the beholding of Christ to be holy in the flesh is a dishonour to God in that we should conceive holinesse out of God and again a discomfort to the Saints that he should be of a more holy nature then they as being no ground for them to come neer with boldnesse to God 29. That we did look for great matters from one crucified at Ierusalem 16 hundred yeares ago but that does us no good it must be a Christ formed in us the deity united to our humanity Christ came into the world to live thirty two years and to do nothing else that he knew and blessed God he never trusted in a crusified Christ. 30. Christ was true man when he created us yea from eternity and though he had not flesh yet was he very man without flesh 31. That Christ died for all men alike for the reprobate as well as for the elect and that not only sufficiently but effectually for Iudas as well as Peter for the damned in hell as well as the Saints in Heaven 32. That by Christs death all the sins of all the men in the world Turks Pagans as well as Christians committed against the morall Law and first Covenant are actually pardoned and forgiven and this is the everlasting Gospel 33. That Christ did only satisfie for the sins against the first Covenant but not for the sins against the second Covenant as unbelief he died not for the unbelief of any 34. Christ died only for sins past i. e. before the Gospel is revealed to the sinner and the sins of men committed after conversion Christ died not for but they are pardoned by his being a continuall sacrifice 35. Every man satisfies for himselfe for the sins against the second Covenant namely unbelief because he that beleeves not the wrath of God abides upon him so that for a years unbelief a man beares a years wrath and this is all the satisfaction God requires 36. That no man shall perish or go to hell for any sin but unbeleef only 37. That the Heathen who never heard of Christ by the Word have the Gospel for every creature as the Sun Moon and Stars preach the Gospel to men and in them is revealed the knowledge of Christ crucified and sin pardoned if they had eyes to see it 38. Those Heathen that perish do perish only for not beleeving according to the Gospel they enjoy 39. Christ did not by his death purchase life and salvation for all no nor for the elect For it was not the end of God in the coming of Christ to purchase love and life but Christ himself was purchased by love that hee might make out love and purchase us to love 40. Christ Jesus came into the world to witnesse and declare the love of God to us not to procure it for us or to satisfie God as some say Christ was a most glorious publisher of the Gospel he was sent to preach the Gospel to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives in all that Christ saith to be the end of
as good Scriptures as the Apostles upon occasion of quoting that Scripture in Rom. 7. of Pauls complaining of â—inne it hath been answered Paul was a novice and that was his weaknesse and that Paul understood not Christ in the promise and that hee for his part understood the mystery of God in Christ better then Saint Paul When that Scripture in Gal. 5.12 was objected to one that pleaded for liberty of conscience the answer was he thought the Apostle was in a great passion A Minister in Hartfordshire bringing a place of Scripture against an Anabaptist to confute him in some opinion he held the Anabaptist confessed he could not answer it but said it was the weaknesse of the Apostle and there he wanted the spirit Another Sectary denying the Resurrection of the dead and some of of the Church coming to admonish him of that Errour and bringing Scripture to prove it hee answered This is Scripture to you but not to me Poedobaptisme hath been blasphemed by many reproachfull speeeches the Lords Prayer hath been slâ—ighted and scornfully spoken of the whole Ministery of all the Reformed Churches with their Ordination worke of preaching c. scorned and abused in severall Pamphlets The Presbyteriall and Synodicall Government reproached in all vâ—lde and scoffing language call'd devillish Antichristian and all to naught resembled to the Beast in the Revelation the Civil Government and Magistrates have been blasphemed with their Ordinances Orders and supream Court of Judicature the Parliament call'd Antichristian and the Committee of Examinations jeared by way of comparing it to the Court of Inquisition and to the High Commission the solemn sacred and Nationall Covenant of the Kingdoms derided blasphemed in many Pamphlets that many pages would not contain them But I will not trouble the Reader to name any more of them Mr. Pryn in his fresh Discovery of New Lights hath extracted many passages of this kinde out of the Pamphlets of the Sectaries and in a libellous book entituled Englands Birtbright there 's more stuffe of the same kind Now having presented the Reader with the Errours and Blasphemies before I come to the Practices of the Sectaries I will relate some few Passages in the Prayers of the Sectaries which were vented either in publike Assemblies and Churches or in their private Church-meetings all within the compasse of a twelve-moneth or thereabouts Some Passages in the Prayers of the Sectaries ANd though wee are discountenanced by the Civil Magistrate which is a great thing after they have had our estates and our blood yet Lord c. When the blinde man was thrust out of the Synagogue by the Pharisees Jesus Christ met him so though wee are thrust out of the Common Assemblies and mens affections who formerly loved us c. Let the Spirit teach us wee may look four five yeers from an Assembly of men before they teach us c. Though they may with-hold the truth in Policie yet thy Spirit can teach us if all the Ministers in the world hold their peace c. Thou hast triumphed gloriously by a despised Army not only by our enemies but our seeming friends who indeed were our reall enemies vilifying those men whom thou hast been pleased to honour c. Another Independent Minister in his prayer prayed that the Presbyteriâ— might be removed that Christs Kingdome might be set up Another Independent Minister about the end of September last gave God thanks for breaking the neck of that wretched petition of the Citizens August last the tenth day being presently upon Lilburns committing to Newgate at Knowles Church in St. Hellens on a Lords day Mr. Knowles prayed these words or to this effect Lord bring thy servant Lilburn out of prison and honour him Lord for he hath honoured thee This last moneth in December one of the Independent Ministers in his prayers at a Lecture two or three severall Lectures prayed to God that the Parliament might give libertie to tender consciences One of the Independent Ministers at his Church-meeting in a house gave thanks unto God for the libertie of conscience granted in America and said Why Lord not in England as well as in America or words to that purpose Another Independent Minister in his prayer put up this petition O Lord make the Parliament friends to the Saints May 25. 1645. An Independent Minister praying for the Parliament prayed that God would keep the Parliament from greeving the Saints or doing any acts that might make them sad that they for whom so many prayers and praises had been put up by the Saints might not now grieve them April 24 the same Independent Minister in his prayer after Sermon prayed That now God had delivered us both namely the Presbyterian and Independent from such bondage and oppression we might not be guiltie of bringing our brethren into bondage left the Lord carrie us back again into Egypt for it The same prayed on August 1 joyning Parliament and Assembly together That they might do nothing but what the Saints should rejoyce in and be glad of About the beginning of September last a Reverend Minister of the Assembly who was an ear-witnesse related it and said he would acquaint the Commissioners of Scotland with it that an Independent Minister either in his prayer or Sermon used words to his effect of the Scots That it was just with God to bring this overthrow upon Scotland because of their beating their fellow-servants and that they could not be content with suffering their brethren to enjoy their libertie but must have a domination Having given the Reader an account of many errours and blasphemies of the Sectaries with some passages in their prayers I come now to relate many of their practices But the Reader must not conceive I can set down all or that any one man although of far greater abilities and leisure having also fairer opportunities of conversing among them with lesse suspition observing their wayes than my selfe is able to do it They have many depths wiles and methods which I know not nor cannot find out there are many windings and turnings of the Seâ—pâ—nt crooked goings in and out off and on here and there which I cannot trace The way of the serpent upon a rock is too wonderfull for me and which I know not Prov. 30 18 19. They Proteus-like turne themselves into all shapes and forms and according to severall occasions and times have different humours and tempers sometimes complying so that one would think all diffâ—â—ence would quickly be at an end and they were ours sometimes so far off and bâ—ck again as causes wonder and amazement in the beholders I have been told from godly and wise men who have had much to do with some of them and have professed to set themselves to studie and to observe them men who are moderate enough and have a speciall love to some of them that they know not what to make of them they are strange men nor cannot fadom
vein going thorow the whole in one word the great Religion of that sort of men in the Army is liberty of conscience and liberty of preaching But heretofore both in times more ancient and latter and in other Countries severall sects kept themselves more to their own proper tenets without that generall conâ—usion of each running into all as the Arians Novatians and others in the first six hundred years and the Antinomians in Luthers time Secondly That all these sorts of sects how different soever yea and contrary to one another in many principles and opinions yet all agree in these times in separating from our Church refusing comunion in our publike Assemblies and in disallowing the authoritative power of Classes and Synods all the sects yea the worst of them as the Antiscripturists Arians Antitrinitarians Perfectists being Independents and Separatists though all Independents and Separatists be not Arians Antinomians c. which deserves the more to be thought on because in the Primitive times some heriticks and sectaries would have been glad of communion in warship with the Orthodox Arius desired to be received into the Church of Alexandria again and made such friends to Constantine that upon his pretending repentance he commanded Alexander the Bishop of Alexandria to give him the hand of fellowship and to admit him as also they approved of the power of Synods and Councels comming unto them The Arians Donatists and other Sectaries held many Councels as that of Tyrus Antiochia the first Councel of Carthage in Constantines dayes of these and many more we read of in Ecclesiasticall Histories I never read of any Independent Minister in all the Primitive Churches no not amongst the Sectaries for the first six hundred years save only in the dayes of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage who living in the fift Century in an African Synod and Councel held at Carthage declares There are many who conspiring with their own proper people who they do deceive scratching their itching eares and with fair speeches seducing men of a loose life or rather puffed up separating themselves from this society who think they must attend to their own proper people and being often called to the Councel refuse to come along left their absurdities and novelties should be discovered and made manifest against whom Aurelius moved that they might be deprived of all authority over their proper people as rebellious and disorderly which was consented to and voted by the whole Synod saying placet placet Thirdly That for the errours and opinions laid down in this Catalogue some are contrary and contradictory to others of them so that many of these errours fight among themselves this indeed is one great difference between truth and errour that truth though it be contrary to errour yet one truth is never contrary to another truth is one and uniforme but many errours are not only contrary to truth but to errours also yea some of these errours are most contrary to what ever could have been expected many of the persons who hold these opinions being fallen into some of the errours of Popery Arminianism Libertinisme and those of the grossest sort as the Reader in the Errours hereafter named may more easily perceive which they spoke so much against heretofore and for fear of which comming in upon us they first began to forsake this Church so that they have wheeled wheeled about so long on the right hand that they are perfectly come round to the left The Catalogue of the Errours Heresies Blasphemies is as follows 1. THat the Scriptures cannot be said to be the word of God there is no Word but Christ the Scripures are a dead letter and no more to be credited then the writtings of men not divine but humane invention 2. That the Scripture whether a true manuscript or no whether Hebrew Greek or English is but humane and so not able to discover a divine God Then where is your command to make that your Rule or Discipline that cannot reveal you God nor give you power to walke with God so that Christ letting out himself as he is in himself ought to be a Christians Rule in obedience to himself 3. That the Scriptures are unsufficient and uncertain there is no certainty to build any Dâ—ctrine upon them they are not an infallible foundation of faith 4. As the condition of Adam Noah Abraham Moses c. was that they did walke with God by the teaching of God so is ours that is not to limit Christ to Adam Noah Abraham Moses David Iohn and the Disciples As they were not to tye God to any things before them recorded but each of them had a new record so are not we to limit God in the generall records of those paths but wait upon him in the enlargement of the Gospell what he will record you and far be it from me to conclude either in Doctrine or practise that half of his glory is revealed as yet As that I should enclose Christ in such a small compasse as we have recorded though I rejoyce to understand it in the searching thereof yet pressing toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God waiting what he will record in my heart and in that measure worship him in spirit and truth from the teaching of the Spirit 5. That the holy writings and sayings of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles and the proper Names Persons and things contained therein are Allegories and these Allegories are the mystery and spirituall meaning of them 6. That the Penmen of Scripture every one of them writ as themselves conceived they were the actions of their own spirit and for what is said they were moved by the holy Ghost that was no other Spirit then that which moved them to writ and speak other things for in him we live and move and have our being 7. That the Scriptures of the old Testament do not concerne nor binde Christians now under the new Testament so that when places of Scripture are brought out of the old Testament to prove Points many Sectaries make slight of them and say Give us a text out of the new we are ignorant of the old and hereupon some of them do not binde the old Testament with the new nor read it 8. That right Reason is the rule of Faith and that we are to beleeve the Scriptures and the Doctrine of the Trinity Incarnation Resurrection so far as we see them agreeable to reason and no farther 9. That the new Testament nor no place of Scripture in it binds any further then the Spirit for present reveales to us that such a place is the Word of God 10. To read Scripture in English to a mixt Congregation without present expounding it is dangerous and worse then to read it in Latine for in Latine as it doth no good so it doth no harme 11. That God hath a hand in and is the Author of the sinfullnesse of
up himself a sacrifice of full satisfaction not for all men only but for all that by man was lost even the whole creation of God 172. That a Directory or order to help in the way of worship is a breach of the second Commandement and there is no word of God to warrant the making of that Directory book more then Ieroboam had for the making of Calves of gold which he set upon two high places one at Dan the other at Betâ—el to the confusion of himself and his posterity 173. No man is yet in hell neither shall any be there untill the judgement for God doth not hang first and judge after 174. Men say that Faith is supernaturall but how can it be above nature to beleeve that which we see sufficient ground to beleeve and to beleeve any thing of which we have no plaine ground and reason is so far from being above nature that it is below it and proper to fools and not to reasonable men 175. The Law doth not pronounce eternall death in hell fire on those that obey it not nor were men to have perished in hell fire in relation to the Law or Adams sin but the Gospel pronounceth eternall death in hell fire on those that obey it not and if we had been to suffer hell in relation to Adam or the Law then Christ also should have suffered in hell for us to have redeemed us from thence which he did not 176. It is not sutable to God to pick and chuse amongst men in shewing mercy if the love of God be manifested to a few it is far from being infinite if God shew not mercy to all to ascribe it to his will or pleasure is to blaspheme his excellent name and nature Now unto these many more might be added that I know of and are commonly known to others which have been preached and printed within these four last years in England as the necessity of dipping and burying under water all persons to be baptized as the necessity of a Church-Covenant as that Ministers may not lawfully baptize or administer the Lords Supper out of their own particular Congregations neither preach Ministerially but as gifted brethren out of their own Church with many such errours of the Church-way but because they are but light in comparison I will not name them I could relate also to you other errours that have been reported to me and others by honest understanding men to have been vented and 't is likely enough they may be true as that 't is lawfull for wives to give without their husbands consents something out of their husbands estates for the maintenance of the Church and Ministers whereunto they belong as that the Lords Prayer called and cryed up by many to be so it could not be the Lords Prayer in regard there was a petition for pardon of sins which Christ would not have taught or words to that purpose as also that if a man were strongly moved by the spirit to kill to commit adultery c. and upon praying against it again and again it continued and yet was still strongly pressed he should then do it but because I have not these upon so good grounds nor such a concurrence of circumstances or further confirmation upon enquiry I therefore forbear to put them down particularly in the Catalogue of Errours or to assert them with that authority I might here also annex to all these Errours many Expositions of Scripture given by the Sectaries in their Sermons and private meetings but I will only give two 1. That of Rom. 8.2 The law of the Spirit of life hath freed me from the law of sin and death that is as was expounded from the morall Law 2. That of Ioh. 5 39. Seaâ—ch the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternall life you thinke to have that was their thought and mistake not that Christ approved it that eternall life was to be had in the Scriptures A Catalogue of the Blasphemies of the Sectaries NOw besides these Errours and Heresies laid down many of them being Blasphemies as the Reader cannot but have observed in perusing their Catalogue there have been many blasphemies and blasphemous speeches vented by Sectaries severall wayes both by writing preaching conference and discoursing and some so horrid and abominable in such a dispitefull scoffing fearfull way that I tremble to think of them and shall forbear to name them And indeed within these four last years in England there have been blasphemies uttered of the Scriptures the Trinity each person of the Trinity both of Father Son and holy Ghost of Gods eternall election of the Virgin Mary the Apostles and holy Penmen of Scripture of Baptisme Prayer the ministery of the Word and the Ministers of all the Reformed Churches of the Government of the Church and of the Christian Magistrates In some books printed and dispersed up and down there are fearfull blasphemies as in the Arraignment of persecution The Sacred Synodycall Decretall Martins Eccho c. profaning and abusing the holy and dreadfull Name of God in a most fearfull manner scoffing at the holy Ghost sent in a Cloak-bagg from Scotland making a most blasphemous Prayer wherein the Passion Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ are in a scoffing way alluded unto with many others which I will not foul paper with transcribing In some Manuscripts of one Paul Best there are most horrid blasphemies of the Trinity of Christ and of the holy Ghost calling the Doctrine of the Trinity a mystery of iniquity the three headed Cerberus a fiction a Tradition of Rome Monstrâ—m biforme triforme with other horrid expressions borowed from hell not fit to be mentioned There was a fearfull blasphemous scoffing speech of God the Father Son and holy Ghost spoken by one Clarke as I remember the name given in to a Committee of Parliament in way of complaint in writing with a hand subscribed and one witnessed it before the Committee but I forbear to relate it Mr Paget in his Heresiography Epistle Dedicatory speakes of one committed for mocking at Christs Incarnation the particulars whereof though I have been told from Master Paget yet I judge it best to conceal There have been many blaspheming speeches in a way of derision of the holy Ghost calling it flabile numen and asking what kinde of bird it was whether but I dare not speak it The holy Scriptures are by many in these times sleighted and scoffed at that growes and spreades much called the golden Calfe that there are many contradictions and lyes in them that they are no better then a Ballad that they can make as good Scriptures that place in Genesis 6.6 where 't is said God repented that be made man was untrue so other places of Scripture The Doctrine of Gods Eternall Election and Praedestination hath been call'd a damnable Errour The Virgin Mary hath been called a the Apostles have been called and they could write
and in my full Reply I shall more largely and particularly specifie In one word Cretensis is a most ungodly Antichristian insolent proud malicious wrathful lying obscent scurrilous nonsense absurd contradictory piece Observ. 12. Cretensis in all his Books of Controversie and Answers of all sorts that I have seen and met with is of all Writers in this later age the greatest falsifier of Authors wresting them upon all occasions and that with a Gyant-like confidence against their own sense and contrary to what they are known ex professo to hold and he will not be beaten off from it as is apparent in his Treatises of Justification and in his Answer to Master Prynne and in this Book bringing in Master Ball for him in the point of Free-will Now this must arise either from that heretical genius of his that he sinneth being condemned of himself speaking lyes in hypocrisie having his conscience seared with a hot iron or else from a high flown mad fancy making things to appear which are not at all like to that mad man of Athens who thought all the Ships that came into the Haven were his though he never were sharer much lesse owner in any Ship so Cretensis sancies all learned Writers to be for him ' wheares indeed there never was any sound and Orthodox Divine for him as I shall shew more fully hereafter and divide Learned Master Gataker from him Observ. 13. Cretensis iust Cretian like fastens that upon me in my Gangraena affirming I say that which I do not as in pag. 28. Sect. 23. and doth father opinions upon me meerly from the leaving out of a word or two by the Printers over-sight Cretens pag. 23. though corrected in the second Edition and abroad full fourteen dayes before Cretensis which was either done wilfully and on set purpose against his knowledge or from his not reading over my Book but taking up things upon trust Observ. 14. There are many things in Cretensis Pamphlet which he pretends to Answer making much ado of and laboring to fasten upon me lyes nonsense c. which yet in the close after a great many high flown words Cretensis is forced to confesse them true and that both of himself and others though by many words he hath labored to pusle and cast a mist before the eyes of the Reader Observ. 15. I desire the Reader to observe that this Answer made by this great Rabbi is but snatches here and there answering Gangraena by great leaps as Leopards use to take Cretensis answers one passage out of p. 70. and then leaps to 128. taking another there and from p. 128. leaps back to p. 8. and after this sort the whole Answer is And for those pages where Cretensis fastens upon something to give an Answer unto even there he snatches takes not the whole what goes before nor what follows after so that after that rate of Answering if such kinde of Discourses must have the names of Answers how may not men elude and make nothing of the excellentest Books that ever were written by men yea of the Scriptures themselves and wrest them if they will not take one place with another and observe what goes before and what follows after And as this great Rabbies Answer is by snatches so 't is full of miserable shifts and poor evasions as among others pag. 16. Cretensis gives that reason why my Antapology hath not been Answered in 18. Moneths because the way by which light and truth should go forth into the world was hedg'd up by Clergy Classique Councelâ— as with thorns against him Now I wonder with what face Cretens can write this when as all men know the Independents have a Licenser of their own at hand Mr. Bachilor who is such a friend to all the world of Believers that certainly he cannot deny Cretensis Do not we daily see the man Licenses without either fear or wit all kinde of Pamphlets The Error of Anabaptism against Mr. Marshal the Error of Seekers in The Smoke of the Temple A pretended Answer of Mr. Saltmarsh to the Assemblies Petition and now Cretensis against Gangraena and will Mr. Bachilor with Clergy Classique Councels hedge up the way as with thorns against Cretensis Reply to Mr. Edwards Antapologiae Can Cretens think though his own deluded Church and other Sectaries may have so much Independent faith as to believe him that any Presbyterian hath so little wit as not to laugh at such folly why could not Iohn Bachilor as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorne to License a Reply to Antapologia as an Answer to Gangraena and pray Mr. Goodwin in your next account you give unto the world by publike writing give me an account why honest Iohn Bachilor could not as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorns to License a full Reply to Antapologia as to License A brief Answer to Gangraena But no more of this now Observ. 16. The Christian Reader may observe Cretensis as in this and his former Books so in all his preachings and ways to have all the characters and marks of false Prophets and false Teachers not only in his hands but upon his forehead so that if I would here enlarge I might clearly shew all that Christ and the Apostles spake of false Prophets are to be found in Cretensis but I will only instance in a few laid down by Peter and Iude in their Epistles and upon the propounding of them I know the Reader will say as face answereth face in glasse so doth Cretensis answer these Scriptures Peter saith of the false Teachers in his time that they speak great swâ—lling words of vanity and that they promise their followers liberty and Iude They are clouds without water carried about of winds raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring stars their mouth speaking great swelling words having mens person in admiration because of advantage These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now I do appeal to any man who knows Cretensis either in his Writings or Preaching whether he be not a man that speaks great swelling words of vanity whether he doth not promise his followers liberty yea a universal liberty whether he be not a cloud without water â—â—ourishes and shews without substance whether he be not a raging-wave of the Sea foaming out his own shame witnesse his Answer a wandring star wandring from one opinion and Religion to another and lastly whether he be not a Separatist and sensual person without the spirit of love meeknesse humility zeal for Gods truth and of a sound minde In one word I do not think there 's any man in the Kingdom hath a more heretical head and heâ—â—e thâ—n Cretensis and unlesse God give him repentance and recover him out of those snares wherein he walks I fear if the man lives but one seven years he will prove as arch an Heretick and as dangerous a man as England ever bred and that