Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	holy_a	person_n	trinity_n	2,662	5	9.6888	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93596	Englands vvarning by Germanies vvoe: or, An historicall narration, of the originall, progresse, tenets, names, and severall sects of the Anabaptists, in Germany, and the Low Countries: continued for about one hundred and twenty years, from anno 1521. (which was the time of their first rise,) until these dayes. VVherein is set forth their severall errors dangerous, and very destructive to the peace both of church and state: the way and manner of their spreading them: the many great commotions: (yea,to the effusion of much blood,) which they occasioned in those parts, by their opposition to, and resistance of the civill magistrates; and what course there was taken for the suppressing them. / By Frederick Spanhemius, Doctor, and Professor of Divinity, in the Vniversity of Leyden in Holland. Published according to order.	Spanheim, Friedrich, 1600-1649.	1646 (1646)	Wing S4798; Thomason E362_28; ESTC R201224	43,736	52

expresse words For the same reason Peter Ioannes Moyoerus will have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the same essence hissed out in his conference with Daniel Radeus 2. About the externall forme while because of their ignorance and unskilfulnes they will have us adhere to the common Translations of the Scripture in our mother tongues and not to compare them with the Originall and contend that the Orthodox Teachers ought not to have recourse thereunto So in the conference of Embden the Anabaptists urged that three persons should be proved them in expresse words out of Luthers Translation and because the Name Jehovah was not found there they would not be pressed therewith 3. While they thrust upon us for sound the interpretation of their owne Teachers especially of Nicholas Biscer which is many waies corrupt as by divers conferences had with them appeares The Second kind of Errours spreadeth it self very far abroad to wit which they erre about those doctrines of Faith and Ordinances 2. Errors against the doctrine of Faith and Ordinances taught in the Scripture which are drawne out of the Holy Scriptures which for better distinction sake we shall distribute into things to be beleeved and things to be done and these latter either in a publique estate or private life Things to be beleeved we shall pare 1. into those things which they will have beleeved concerning God 2. Those which they will have beleeved concerning the Mediator between God and man 3. Those which they will have beleeved concerning man himselfe and that either in the state of integrity misery restauration or his estate after this life Things to be done we divide also into those which they thinke ought to be done and observed of the whole Church in common or of every member in particular and those either publique as in the policy the civill Magistrate and in the Church those which dispence the Ordinances or private as are the rest of the faithfull This generall Anatomy containes under it almost innumerable heads for as one errour begets another and one absurdity being granted many more follow so hath the same hapned to the Sects of the Anabaptists A whole Sea of Errours have flowne into the Christian Church and by one a step made unto another since the Anabaptists would have place given to their Enthusiasmes and dreames like as the same hapned in the Church of Rome when they once had let out their streames of unwritten Traditions Although we would have observed that there is great difference between the Sects of the Anabaptists which either have been of old or are found at this day and some of them erre more grievously and dangerously others lesse Neither were of old all the same opinions maintained by them all nor are at this present but some of their Tenets are defended by them all some by many some by certaine of them onely wherefore we will not have all laid to the charge of every one of them but intend only to shew how farre the licentiousnesse of those franticke men which have given their names to this Sect hath proceeded since they have departed from the Church of God and made Schismes and Divisions About the first generall head namely the things which they will have believed concerning God 1. Errours about things to be beleeved concerning God 1. against the name of God the Anabaptists offend 1. concerning the names of God 2. concerning his nature 3. concerning the persons of the sacred Trinity 4. concerning the Essentiall properties of God 5. concerning Gods decrees About the names of God they erre 1. By contemning the name Jehovah which denotes the Divine Essence and which God will have proper to himselfe alone supposing that it is not in the Scripture because t is not to be found in many of their Translations Colloq Embd. Confess of the Anabaptists 2. While they teach that the persons of the Sacred Trinity are called by the name of God rather for the dominion which they have then for that they have the divine nature Iacob Outerm in Articles 3. While they contend that the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of the same Essence ought to be exploded as being both ambiguous and without the Scripture Idem in the same place and Confess of the Anabaptists Concerning the nature of God the Anabaptists offend 1. Negatively while they deny that the Father 2. Against the nature of God Sonne and Holy Ghost have one and the same Essence and affirmatively not only indefinitely teaching that there are divers but definitely making three Essences Jacob Outerm in Artic. Apology and Cornel. Cuyper in Apol. 2. While they distinguish the Essences of the persons by distance of place teaching that at Christs Baptisme the Essence of the Father was in Heaven and the Essence of the Sonne on Earth exclusively Jbidem 3. While they restraine the unity attributed to God to unity of Will Consent Doctrine Operation and Dominion like as two Kings are said to bee one which command the same things and as the Disciples of Christ and all the faithfull are said to be one Ioh. 17.21 Gal. 3.28 Iacob Out in Artic. Concerning the Persons the Anabaptists offend 1. While they hisse out the name Person 3. Against the Persons of the Godhead as fained and ambiguous Confess 2. While they maintaine that the Name of God is principally ascribed to the Father alone and that he is therefore called the only true God Iohn 17 3. Confess 3. While some of them leave it doubtfull whether the Sonne of God were begotten of the Father from Everlasting or that he is so called because he was foreknowne from Eternall and destinated unto us Yea Iacob Outerman plainly affirmeth that Christ was called God by the Prophets and is the Eternall Sonne of God no otherwise then because he was foreknowne for a Mediatour for us before the beginning of the World So Claes Claess in simpl prob teacheth that it is not clearely declared in Gods Word whether the Sonne of God before his Incarnation was another person then the Father 4. While the same man in the same place teacheth that we are not commanded to inquire whether from Eternal unto the Incarnation of Christ there were alwayes Three Persons indistinct as touching their Essence or not Nor ought we to enquire whether the Holy Ghost be distinct from the Father or no. Likewise they say that they divide not the Persons but confesse that the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are indistinct nor is it taught in the Holy Scripture that there are Three distinct Persons Colloq Francothat and Embd. Concerning the essentiall properties of God they erre 1. 4. Against the essentiall properties of God While they deny the essentiall infinitenesse and omnipresence of God affirming that not the incomprehensible Essence of God doth fill heaven and earth but his divine power and gifts and that the former is falsly avouched Cuyper and Outerm in their Apologies Yea

ENGLANDS VVARNING BY GERMANIES WOE OR An Historicall Narration of the Originall Progresse Tenets Names and severall Sects of the Anabaptists in Germany and the Low Countries Continued for about one hundred and twenty years from Anno 1521. which was the time of their first Rise untill these Dayes VVherin is set forth their severall Errors dangerous and very destructive to the Peace both of Church and State The way and manner of their spreading them The many great Commotions yea to the effusion of much blood which they occasioned in those parts by their opposition to and resistance of the Civill Magistrates And what course was there taken for the suppressing them By FREDERICK SPANHEMIUS Doctor and Professour of Divinity in the Vniversity of Leyden in Holland Foelix quem faciunt aeliena pericula cautum Published according to Order LONDON Printed by John Dever Robert Ibbitson for John Bellamie at the three Golden Lions in Corn-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1646. Englands warning by Germanies Woe OR An Historicall Narration of the Originall Progresse Tenets Names and severall Sects of the Anabaptists in Germany and the low Countryes CHAP. I. Of the Originall or beginning of the Anabaptists PUrposing by the assistance of God The Proem for the confirmation and vindication of the truth to dispute against the Anabaptists for the more full illustration of the matter I have taken in hand I thought fit briefly to praemise these things 1 Of the Originall of these Sectaries 2 Of their Progresse 3 Of the divers Sects into which they are divided 4 Of the Names by which they are commonly called 5 Of their Heterodox opinions Concerning the first namely the Originall or beginning of this sort of men which are most commonly termed Anabaptists Their first birth is challenged by the yeare of our Lord 1521. when they began to appeare on the stage and to enter into these parts of the Christian world Those that are read to be the first which helped the world to be delivered of this Sect were Nicholas Storch Marcus Stubner and chiefly one Thomas Muntzer men borne in upper-Germany whose pretence was piety of a civill life in appearance but their mindes greedy after innovations ambitious of Honour and made and fitted for ungodly enterprises To their designes a while joyned himselfe Martinus Cellarius a Swede by Nation disciple of Capnion and one of Melanchtoms familiars but who afterwards both by his and Luthers admonition repented and together with his Sect cast of his Country name taking unto him from thence-forth the name of Borrhai under which name he was first placed in the profession of Philosophy and afterwards of Divinity in the famous University of Bazill where besides his writings in Logicke and Mathematicks by publishing Commentaries upon some Books of the old Testament he commended himselfe unto the Church of God untill at last being seized by the Pestilence he there finished his life in the Communion of the Orthodox Church the yeare of our Lord. 1564. Nicholas Storch and Marcus Stubner by divers practises indeavoured to draw the heedlesse people after them this latter by the fame of his learning and a certaine dexterity he had in expounding the holy Scripture the former as being altogether unlearned by his popular eloquence and report of inspirations revelations and secret conferences with God both by a great deale of jugling and divers frauds These notwithstanding proceeded more warily and gently but more violently and furiously Thomas Muntzer under whose conduct brake forth that lamentable sedition of the Country-men by which in the former age upper-Germany was so grievously shaken and with the same the fruites of that new Gospell where-with Storch and Stubner had possessed the mindes of the common people The residue of both whose lives and their ends are uncertaine Of Muntzers further enterprises comes now particularly to be spoken Some fanaticke spirits take occasion of making parties and rending the Church of God upon the words of Luther in his Booke of Christian liberty which is extant amongst his workes in the third Tome and was first published in the yeare of our Lord 1520. having read there that a Christian man is Lord of all things and subject to none which words written by Luther that eminent servant of God in the best part and largely expounded and by a contrary aphorisme namely that the same was servant of all and subject to all more fully declared were wrested to an ill sense by men impatient both of their owne and others quietnesse who upon that occasion first privately and afterward publiquely began to speake evill of the Government of Princes unto the people telling them of their exactions and boasting the liberty purchased to all under the Kingdome of Christ and making large complaints not onely of the Tyranny of the Pope of Rome but also of many faults still tolerated in the Church by the first reformers and so shaking the two pillars of publique order the dignity of the Magistrate and the reverence of the sacred Ministery and the authority of both Thereupon consulted about framing a new and more perfect Church and concerning its new policy and on this occasion thought of a new Baptisme to initiate the disciples thereof But least the reverence of the Baptisme formerly received should be any hinderance to their purpose Childrens Baptisme was exclaimed against as vaine yea unlawfull being conferred upon Infants which were uncapable thereof whereas this Sacrament ought to be administred to none but men growne and who had the use of their will and reason And that the zeale of this new Church which these Doctors desired to raise out of the rubbish might the more deeply enter into the mindes of the common people they tooke speciall care to make great shew of piety themselves and to presse the same upon others Hence the ordinary subject of publique Sermons and private Conventicles was That wee must detest sinne suddue the flesh stirre up the spirit exercise duties of charity beare the Crosse of Christ give our selves to fasting bee plaine in apparell moderate in dyet compose the dressing of our bodyes to neglect rather then ornament and be sparing of speech It cannot be said how much the enemy of mankinde by this slight transforming himselfe into an Angell of light and hiding the depths of Satan advanced his cause and how much this meere out-side of godlinesse and holinesse made the mindes of men not evill addicted unto these new Evangelists The mindes of men being thus prepared Thomas Muntzer first Pastor of Cygnea afterwards of Alstet a Towne seated in the limits of Thuringia and Saxony thinking he might now go on with his designes hardned himselfe in his audacious wickednesse yea resolved in his minde to adventure on any mischiefe whatsoever For when he observed the name of Luther to be famous every where for restoring the Churches liberty and all mens mindes to be inclined towards him he thought he must by some notable enterprize get himselfe a

yeares The unconstancy and contradictions of this brain-sick Doctor both the writings of Menno declare and the Orthodox Divines have enough and more then enough manifested From this Menno many Anabaptists of the Low-Countries are now commonly called Mennonites although all of them do not follow his opinions The Mennonites properly so called are likewise gone into divers parts and some of them are called old Mennonites other new or latter Mennonites Amongst those Anabaptists which received names from their teachers are used to be reckoned by some 8. Servetians 9. Georgians 10. Swhenck-feldians Servetians Georgians and Swhenck-feldians because they oppose childrens baptlsno and hold baptizang again Inspirations and many other erroneous opinions common with the Anabaptists The Servetians are so called from Michael Servetus a Spaniard who for his execrable and unheard of blasphemies most obstinately belcht out against the sacred Trinity and the Sonne of God and other hainous crimes was not only by the procurement of Calvin that most learned and pious Divine which of meer malice is reported by some but upon mature consultation and communicating the matter with the Common-wealths and Churches of Helvetia burnt at Geneva Servetus burnt at Geneva pouring out his ungodly soule amidst most horrible blasphemies in the very fire and was aswell by the judgment of Papists as Protestants held most worthy to perish in the revenging flames The Georgians were so named from David George of Delph in these Netherland a most notorious Impostor and patron aswell of most horrible blasphemies as abominable and unnaturall lusts who came to that height of presumption and impiety that besides divers other opinions wherein he conspired with the Anabaptists He gave himselfe out for the Christ of God The opinion of David George preferd himself before the eternall Son of the Eternall God applyed unto himself the prophecies spoken by the holy men of God concerning Christ and was so audacious as to exalt his wicked and franticke opinions above Gods holy Word a most odious fellow yea a monster and shame of mankinde Which blasphemies together with other dotages of his he hath gathered into his Booke of wonderfull things where he likewise teacheth that the doctrine delivered in the Scripture is unperfect yea childish and carnall and delivered as it were in the infancy of the World And although one would thinke that these blasphemies could not be perswaded to any in the World yet t is not to be said how great a multitude of men this most vile wretch drew to his party chiefly by two meanes How he brought his followers to imbrace his opinions 1. An outward shew of an holy life and seeming continuall and ardent powring out prayers unto God 2. By a wary and crafty way of scattering and instilling his opinions into others making himself way by little and little from one degree to another and by strange meanes creeping into the minds of credulous men and procuring credit and authority to himself Nor would he reveale those his horrible mysteries except to those onely whom he had made wholly his own and that secretly also By which wiles and with a certain comly and majestical frame of countenance he inveigled the minds of innumerable and by the powerfull working of deceit seduced abundance of people for many years and withall cozened his disciples of their mony He cheated them of their moneys until at last fearing the deserved punishment of his blasphemies seeing he was sharply reproved by Menno Simonz and Melchior Hofman and other of the Anabaptists forsaking his ancient name and taking upon him the new name of John a Bruck he thought it safest for him to depart to some other place where he was neither known by name nor face He chooseth the noble ●ity of Basill whither to transfer the seate of his affaires He changed his name and fled to Basill and seeing persecution was very hot against the reformed Churches in these Provinces of the Netherlands professeth himselfe of the number of those exiles which were forced to leave their Country for the cause of Christ and so with his Family and some of his Sectaries was received of the pious Magistrate who tooke pitty upon such as were for Christs sake faine to go into banishment There the crafty fellow a long while hid his venome and plighting his faith to the Magistrate frequenting the Church assemblies and by divers good offices winning the mindes of a great many and by his homely habit liberall table honest attendance and prudent and civill conversation gaining the favour both of high and low he lived both safely and gallantly having gotten himselfe besides a spacious dwelling in the City an house of pleasure likewise in the Country till in the yeare of our Lord 1556. about the month of September rather by the gnawing worme of Conscience and feare of imminent punishment Where he pined away and dyed then with any great sicknesse he pined away when he perceived that by certaine strangers of the Low-Countryes continually flowing to Bazill his vizard began to be pluckt off and the mindes of his Sectaries began likewise to waver But which is wonderfull notwithstanding it was three years after the death of the Impostor who was honourably buried in Lawrence Church ere the vaile was withdrawne and the story discovered Then were the blasphemies of the ungodly man brought before the Senate his Sectaries called into the Court question had with them concerning the name Country life and doctrine of the deceased The houses and cabinets of David and all his followers searched their letters and books gathered together and every thing delivered into the hands of Divines and Lawyers to discusse the same The blasphemies and cozenages of this deceiver being detected by a solemne ordinance of the Magistrate all his bookes and papers are burnt by the hand of the common hangman the picture of the naughty man His books and papers burnt by the common hangman and his Corps consumed to ashes after it had been carryed about the Streets in the malefactors Cart was cast into the fire his infamous corps brought in his Coffing into the publique place of execution and there consumed to ashes Those of the Sectaries which had aforetime been familiar with the Impostor that protested they had and did abhorre the blasphemies of their Master had their lives granted them of the Senate by whose piety and wisedome the contagion of this heresy was hindered from spreading any further all wayes of sowing it abroad being stopt up His disciples forsweare his opinions and they forswearing publiquely in the Church the communion and doctrine of this false Teacher are admitted to partake of the holy things The rest which pertaines to this history is performed by Ioannes Wygandus Bishop of Pomezania and the authour of the History of David George lately here published by the reverend man Iacobus Revius The Swenckfeldians were so named of Caspar a Swenckfeld of Ossiga a Knight of

To set forth particularly and curiously wherein all these doe agree or disagree were to no purpose nor is it easy to be done seeing nothing can be more fickle then these kinde of men are and points of Divinity are turned up and downe by them like dice they using likewise doubtfull and uncertain phrases and wrapping up their meaning with manifold obscurities as also for the slightest matters especially for the opinion and exercise of excommunication dividing one from another and making more parties These things being before-hand considered it is now manifest by what names these Sectaries are called and for what cause they are given them and they are either generall or speciall The generall are Anabaptists Catabaptists Enthusiasts Fanaticks and Libertines T is evident also that they are called Catabaptists because they inveigh against Childrens Babaptisme and will have it banished out of the Church of God as being not onely unprofitable but altogether unlawfull Anabaptists because they will have those Baptized againe which were either Baptized in their tender yeares or in their riper if out of their assemblies and doe actually performe it in those that come over to their Sects It appeares likewise that they are called Enthusiasts for the Enthusiasms raptures and other such like things which they give out for secret and divine inspirations and for which they will not onely have place given to their owne dreames either in exposition of the Scripture or determining points of faith or in direction of the especiall actions of a mans life but at leastwise divers of them ascribe thereunto uncontrollable authority for which cause also the name of Fanaticks was given them It appeares also that many have the name of Libertines either from their Tenets onely or else from their Tenets and practise both Wherefore of Libertines amongst the Anabaptists some might be called Doctrinall onely other Vuruly Factious and Epicures of whom some have risen up against the State some practised the use of Wives in common and other such like impure and carnall deeds To these generall names may be added also the speciall taken either from their Teachers manner of life and profession or places of habitation all which may be gathered out of what hath beene before spoken CHAP. IIII. Of the Erroneous opinions of the Anabaptists NOw for the Erroneous opinions of the Anabaptists they are so many by reason of the many Sects into which they are divided that their number can scarce be cast up And although they might be divided into those which are common to the Anabaptists with other Hereticks either Ancient or Moderne and those which are peculiar to them only notwithstanding for better order sake I thinke fit to reduce all and every of them to certaine common places of Divinity And I shall comprehend in this division not those opinions alone which all the Anabaptists or Catabaptists have anciently maintained or which all of them doe maintaine at this day but those also which many of them or at least some of them have anciently or do at present defend that so the partition may be the more perfect and that I may present the Reader with the whole body of the Errours which they have hitherto erred and as yet doe erre Notwithstanding I shall not touch the Errours of David George or Michael Servetus from which the Anabaptists for the most part protest they ever have been and still are free as neither the idle dreams of Schwenckfeld I make two generall Classes unto which all the Heterodox opinions of the Anabaptists may be referred for they either concerne the sacred rule of Holy Scripture or else the doctrines of Faith and ordinances which are taught in the same What concerne sacred Canon the Anabaptists erre 1. Errours against the sacred Canon of the Scriptures by detracting from the Scripture 1. About the matter of the Holy Scripture 2. About the Forme About the matter they offend § 1. By detraction there-from while they reject the writings of the Old Testament as delivered to the Jews only and not to the Christians and as being unprofitable for them and imagine that only the Books of the New Testament must be the rule of our Faith and walking neither will they have proofs of the Articles of Faith brought out of the Old Testament to be received except when they are not contrary to the doctrine of Christ supposing that those two writings are in many things contrary one to another or that the Old Testament is of lesse authourity then the New Colloq Francothall and Leovard and Confess of the Mennonites § 2. By addition thereunto 2. By addition to the Scripture 1. While some of them equall the Apocrypha Books with the Canonicall Scripture and thinke that points of Faith may be proved out of them likewise So Menno Simonz sometimes opposeth the Apocryphall books of the Holy Scripture to the Canonicall and the Mennonites his Sectaries in their confession ground their Tenets upon the books of Ecclesiasticus and the wisedome of Solomon So Reineir Wybrandz in his Catechisme published at Amsterdam Anno. 1640. divides the Books of the Holy Scripture into those of the Old and New Testament and the Books of the Old into Canonicall and Apocryphall although in this point he is not very constant to himself and others of the Anabaptists seem here to be of the same mind with the Orthodox 2. while they teach that not only the written Word of God is to be hearkned unto but also revelations enthusiasms dreames and the immediate voyce of God and according to these the government of the Church and all our actions yea even very rash and perillous ones ought to be regulated as appears by the doctrine and practise of those of Munster and the conference of Antony Corpinus and Ioannes Kymaeus Divines of Hessen with Iohn of Leyden at Beve●ga An. 1536. § 3. By alteration thereof while they contend that the doctrine of Faith delivered in the Old and New Testament is divers in substance oppose Moses and Christ one to another and teach that Christ in the New Testament hath proposed a new doctrine of faith more perfect righteousnesse and not only earthly and temporall promises as were under the Old Testament but moreover eternall Colloq Emba and Leovard About the forme of the Holy Scripture the Anabaptists offend two marmer of wayes 3. About the forme of the holy Scripture 1. About the internall form while they will admit only that sense of the Holy Scripture for lawfull which is expressed in so many letters and sillables and at least-wise some of them will allow no place to consequences and inferring one thing out of another which appears partly out of the conferences had with them concerning the exposition of the words Ioh. 1.14 The Word was made flesh where they will have the words and letters urged precisely partly out of their complaints yea triumphing that Childrens baptisme cannot be proved out of the Holy Scripture in

Church so in the New Testament Ecclesiasticall discipline ought to have place not civill punishments for that one kinde of government onely ought to be practised in each Joh. Pet. Vand. Meul in declar Much lesse is it lawfull to inflict capitall punishments either upon a guilty person repenting when he ought to be received into favour or upon one unrepentant least it tend to the losse of his soule Menn Sim. and Coll. Wis cum Mior Concerning publique Ecclesiasticall persons the Anabaptists erre 3. Errors concerning the officers of the Church 1. While they teach that Ministers of the word are not to be brought out of Schooles and Universities or brought up in the study of the Arts and Sciences Coll. Embd. confes Menn 2. While they will have the election and calling of Ministers of the word to be in the power of all and singular the Members of the Church without exception Coll. Embd. 3. While they take away the equality as well of the office as authority of Pastors and will have Bishops so distinguished from Pastors and Teachers that those have the care of divers Churches yea of an whole Province assigned unto them these only of one Congregation these have only power of teaching those both to teach and administer the Sacraments Coll. Embd. Menn Sins contra Mier 4. While they deny that the Ministers of the word ought to receive a yearly and set stipend but onely a contribution for necessary uses as occasion shall require Claes Caes confes Coll. Embd. 5. While they make the vertue of Gods word and the Sacraments to depend upon the worthinesse of the Ministers Colloq Emb. Concerning the private members of the Church in specall the Anabaptists erre 4. Errors concerning the private members of the Church 1. While they teach that it is unlawfull under the New Testament to go to law with others and to contend before the Magistrate Coll. Embd. Cl. Claes 2. That it is unlawfull to beare Armes under the same either defensive as in watching or offensive in warre and either to hire out or lend our assistance unto him Colloq Leeu and Embd. All these opinions which we have reckoned up are maintained by the Anabaptists some by all of them some by many some by certaine of them and all which we do not onely thinke to discent from the holy Scripture but to offend most grievously against the Majesty of God and his revealed will concerning our faith and conversation yea amongst which many are pernitious and doe altogether exclude from any hope of salvation all those that imbrace them and continue in the same unto the end Wherefore although the Anabaptists may seem seriously to observe those things which pertaine to the second table of the law or the offices of civill and outward charity and justice which we owe unto our neighbour yea and that beyond many which professe the purer Religion yet seeing they transgresse so hainously especially against the first table of the law wee hold that they do not onely erre beside or about the foundation but errors which overthrow even the very foundation of salvation it selfe and are heartily sorry that many which seeme to be good men and carefull to lead an honest and civill life should be so deceived by a certaine outward vizard of holines charity and modesty that they will walke in the way which leadeth unto destruction and renew many Heresies condemned in the Ancient Church which that we may not seem wrongfully to accuse them of we shall briefly demonstrate both That such as professe the doctrines abovementioned The foregoing errors do overthrow the foundation of salvation do overthrow the foundation of Salvation is manifest by this 1. Because they with-draw men that would be saved from the knowledge of themselves 2. Because they with-draw them from the knowledge of the Mediator through whom they should be saved 3. Because they with draw them from the knowledge of God who should save them and to whom they should be brought The first head is evident by this because they deprive a man of the true knowledge of his first Estate in which he was created 1. Because they deprive a man of the true knowledge of himselfe of his second Estate into which he cast himself headlong through sin and of his third unto which he was restored Of the knowledge of his first estate they deprive a man while they will not let him acknowledge the benefit which he received from his Creator either of vertue that is holines nor happinesse following the same that is immortality The knowledge of his second Estate they with-hold from him while they either deny or extenuate the corruption inherent in him from the beginning and take away the guilt adherent unto him and consequently oppose our partaking of the first sin Likewise they withhold from him the knowledge of his third estate dividing the benefit of his reparation between God and him yea ascribing the principall part thereof unto man and building his salvation upon Gods forcknowledge of his good co-operation began and continued unto the end yea putting mans obedience in place of the acceptation of the obedience of his Saviour VVherefore a man possessed with this Divinity can neither know how great is the benefit of nature which he at first received from God nor how great is the evill both morall and naturall which he drew upon himself neither how great or of what nature is the benefit of grace which was bestowed upon him from heaven insomuch as he can neither humble himselfe as he ought nor exalt the goodnes of God The second head appears out of this 2. They offend against the person and office of the Mediatour because they offend aswell against the person and office of the Mediator as the benefits obtained by him Against his person while they verily overthrow his divine nature converting the same into a nature subject to passion and death and his humane nature like unto ours while they deny that it had the same beginning and substance with ours His office moreover they corrupt while they deny those attributes to his Propheticall office which are due unto the same and ascribe those unto it which do not agree thereunto as appears by their Errors above related So do they corrupt Christs priestly office touching the act of satisfaction both intensively and extensively considered Intensively by that very thing denying the truth of his sufferings that they contend hee under-went the same in his divine nature Extensively by extending the same unto innumerable unprofitably and to no purpose Likewise do they corrupt Christs benefits both of Justification and Sanctification as doth appear by what hath been above-spoken The third head is evident by this because they turne the true God into an Idoll 3. They turn the true God into an Idol 1. Overthrowing his nature and in stead of one make three divine Essences distant in place one from another 2. Robbing him of his