souls from the communion of the Church And also whereas our pious parents brought us to Christ and dedicated us to God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost let us take heed that we do not renounce that holy Covenant as Witches doe when they compact with the Devill remember our Lords words How can yee escape the damnation of hell They baptize them that have already been baptized They do that which the Scripture never commandeth Epâ— 4. St. Paul calleth it One Baptisme neither was â—ebaptization ever received in the true Church of God yea the Church taught that they that were baptized by such Heretickes as erred not in the Doctrine concerning the Trinity were not to be re-baptized Also the Imperiall Law punished them with Capitall punishment who submitted themselves to a second Baptisme They dreame of Monarchy in which the godly shall reigne alone and destroy the ungodly which is false for Christs Kingdome in this world is spirituall in which troubled consciences shall be victors and receive solid consolation against sin the devill and all manner of temptations Our Lord himselfe saith My Kingdome is not of this World John 18. Likewise saith St. Paul The weapons of our war are not carnall but mighty in operation 2 Cor. 10. Our Lord telleth us that the separation betweene the godly and ungodly shall not be untill the last day Luke 18 Againe That the Sonne of man comming shall hardly find faith upon earth Luke 17. In that night there shall be two in a bed the one received the other refused And Mat. 15. That the Angles shall separate the godly from the ungodly and the tares to remaine with the what untill the Harvest This Monarchy St. Peter confuteth in his second Epistle 2. 9. Saying the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust against the day of judgement to be punished Therefore they are not to reigne alone here the ungodly being killed And although the Prophets seeme sometimes to speake of a corporall Kingdome yet they expound themselves shewing that they speak of his spirituall Kingdome To reigne with Christ 1000. years before the ending of the world was the old Error of the Chiliasts condemned above 1000 years agone by the Church of God They allow men free will So that we may doe those things which God commanded and omit those things which God hath forbidden otherwise say they God gave his Law in vaine neither would he punish delinquents if he had not given them the power of free will It is answered it is impossible that in our corrupt nature we should keep the Law because it doth require a whole and absolute obedience in all things inward and outward of all the heart all our soule and all our might And the sense of the flesh as St. Paul testifieth is enmity to God Also the naturall man doth not understand the things that are of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. Also Iohn 3. Man cannot take to himselfe any thing except it be given him from above So Eph. 2. The unregenerate man is said to be dead They separate themselves from all other Churches accounting themselves onely pure and holy and for this cause some of them will not say this Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses saying they are pure and without sinne To this I answer with St. Iohn 1 Epist. 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us if we confesse our sins he is faithfull to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousnesse If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us To conclude the Anabaptists that say they have no sin are of the Devill the father of lyes going about to make God a lyar who is truth it selfe The Office of the Ministery to be of no great efficacie with them They doe not onely contemne the Office of the Ministery but also the holy Scripture As Muncer would speake scoffingly of it Bible Bible Bable Bable they depend too much upon peculiar Revelations The sincere preaching the word of God in the publick Congregations by the Ministers of the Word lawfully called profiteth much Mal. 2. The lips of the Priest shall preserve wisedome they shall require the Law from his mouth Ezech. 44. The Priest shall teach my people the differences betweene the holy and the prophane and cause them to discerne betweene the uncleane and cleane Rom. 1. 16. The preaching of the Word is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth For this cause Christ taught in the Synagogues Every one among them taketh upon him to preach as a Minister Iohn Becold a Taylor of Leyden The Apostle teacheth us Heb. 5. That no man take this calling upon him except hee bee called of God Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent And this standeth with good reason for every true Minister standeth in Gods roome being the Lords Embassadour to deliver his will Who dareth take upon him to be the Lords Embassadour except he be sent I have not sent them saith the Lord and yet they run and prophesie lies in my name Piety and Justice are the two Bases or Pillars that beare up humane Society and whereas the Devill goeth about in these his Impes to overthrow the dignity of the Ministery and of the Magistrate what doth he else but endeavour to bring the whole world to Ruine and Confusion The Confutation of their Errors not tolerable in a Comman-wealth THat it is unlawfull for a Christian man to be a Magistrate or to be subject to a Magistrate And why They object that subjection came in with sin but Christ hath taken away sin and therefore no subjection To this I answer subjection is two fold servile or civill servile is the vassalage of a slave which was not before the fall civill for the common good was before the former a curse the latter a blessing Eve was subject to Adam before either of them sinned 2. They object that every beleever is now in the Kingdome of Heaven Christ alone must reigne Ans. There is a spiritual Kingdome standing in grace peace and joy in which there is no distinction of persons There is also a civill Government which cannot subsist without distinctions and order there must be Masters and servants subjects and Governours and necessity requireth it it is the bond of the Common-wealth There is a Regiment in the Hoast of Heaven there is a Regiment in the Body the members move by the direction of the Head there is a Regiment in every Family the servants acknowledge the Master and the children their Parents Among the irrationall crâ—atures the Bees have their King the Cranes their Leader and the 〈…〉 principall Beast St. Paul calleth Magistâ—aâ—y a divine Crâ—â—â—ance all Gods Oâ—dinances aâ—â— good lawful 〈◊〉 8â— Psalm◠〈…〉
Yea the Brownists gâ—e faâ— beyâ—nd the Anabapâ—â—sts affâ—â—ming set Prayers to be abhominable in the eyes of Almighty God To this â—â—â—answer whatsoever God hath ordained is neither abhominable nor loathsome to him but God hath ordained set Prayers therefore they are not abominable noâ— loathsome That God hath ordained set prayers see Num. 6. 23 24. Yee shall blesse the childâ—en of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon tâ—ee and be gracious to thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Againe Deut. 26. 5. And thou shalt speake and say before the Lord thy God a Syâ—ian ready to perish was my Father The 90. Psalme is a Prayer even the prayer of Moses and and used in the Jewish Church as we use the Lords Prayer All the Psalmes of David except some that are doctrinall are prayers and have beene and shall be read in the Church of God maâ—gre all the Heriticks and Schismaticks In the World In the Gospell are many set prayers daily read in the Church What are all these abhominable All the ancient Churches in the world planted by the Apostles have set Prayers as the Greek Church to whom St. Paul preached the Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the â—ight of the Gospel the Ethiopians to whom St. Mark brought the knowledge of Christ the Muscovites who affirme that they received the truth from Sâ— Andrew These with all ancient Churches have set prayers their Liturgies are to be seen Yea all the Reformed Churches the Duâ—ch the French the Danâ—sh the Swedish the Scotâ—ish c have set Prayers onely these Sectaries will speak to God ex tempore In my Christianography you may see dâ—vers Liturgies as a Liturgy attributed to St. Iamesâ—he â—he first Bishop of â—erusalem set forth by Victorius Scâ—atâ—â—us the Maronite The Apdâ—â—le Iames was commonly called Iacobus Liturgus that is Iames the Service-maker which beginneth O Lord doe not despise me defiled with the multitude of my sins c. Again the service the Muscovites use taken out of the Commentaries of Sigismund Liberus The Ethiopian Liturgie or Service written by Francis Alvares The Copâ—s Liturgy set forth by Kircherus The Armenian Service set downe by Odoardus Barâ—osa The Armenian Service set downe by Peter Bellonius lib. 3. cap. 12. The Liturgy of Severus sometime Patriarch of Alexandria written in Syriak and translated into Latine by Guido Subritius But to shew you a patterne of some of their new Prayers one of them cryeth out in his prayer O Lord thou knoweâ—â— good Lord that we never had the truth preached among us untill now c. Whereas the Doctrine of the Church of England is Gods truth as the learned Assembly of Divines doe restifie howsoever in our Discipline there may need Reformation Another cryeth out in his prayer Good Lord good Lord deliver this Congregation from this man who is unlearned unpowerfull unprofitable c. This spirituall Prayer was made for my selfe in my owne Church in my owne Pulpit in my owne hearing To conclude this with the counsell of the holy Ghost Bee not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to utter a thing before Gâ—d for God is in the heavens and thou art 〈◊〉 the earth Therefore let thy words be few for as a dreame commeth by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is known by many words 20. They quarrell at the Lords Prayer BUT what need I complaine of their blaspheming of set Prayers whereas our Lord taught his Disciples a set Forme of Prayer the perfectest and exactest of all that can bee made it being compiled by the Sonne of God who is the wisedome of the Father For perfection it containeth all that can be asked or prayed against For acceptation it containeth the words of Christ the Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased These Sectaries quarrell at this prayer and will nor say it as Barrow Greenwood affirme it to be abominable and as loâ—thsome unto God as swines-flesh to a Jew Apollinaâ—ius the Heritick equalled his songs with holy Scripture but I never heard of any Heretick thatâ—prefer'd his owne works before holy Scripture Doe not these Heriticks preferre their owne Prayers before our Lords If our Lords Prâ—yer be better then theirs why doe they not say it according to our Lords Commandement Luke 11 Or if they will pray after the same manner as is commanded Matth. 6. Why doe they use so many vaine repetitions there by him forbidden I have read that St. Peter used no other prayer at the Communion but this Prayer which his Master taught him and the Greeks in Calabria used the same But now it is not used by some at the ministration of the Sacrament I am sure this prayer is perfect and all other devised by them not so perfect Let us not neglect that perfect forme which our Lord hath left us or pray at least-wise after that manner not using vaine repititions by him forbidden as before 21. Of the Tyranny and ill-usage of some of them to their VVives and Servants MAny there be that are taken in the Bâ—iars of this propane Schisme that wish they had never met with the separation of that Schismaticall body and would flye so that they might escape without excommunication with which they terâ—ifie them so that they dare not so much as whisper or as much as â—uffe against it You may read in the Boook called The prophane Schisme of the Brownists how cruelly also they used their servants for not doing their taskes as some they hang up by the hands and whip them stark naked being women grown yea they spare not theâ—r wives but correct them Read the story of Seudley and Mansfield It may be they learnâ— this of their Patriarch Father Browne who would cuâ—stly correct his old wife as before 22. There are divers sorts of Separatists THere are divers sorts of these Sectaries for every day begets a new fancy or opinion it â—aâ—ing with them usually as with all other Hereticks who having once forsaken the Truth wander from one error to another as Mr. Smith one of their Grandees from a Protestant he turned Brownist and from a Brownist he turned Anabaptist yea a Sebaptist and re-baptized himselfe The first sort of Separatists affirme the abominations of the Church of England to be so great that they will â—ot come within their Church doores to heare any of their Ministers but â—y themselves wholly to their owne Conventicles The root of this Sect was one Mr. Robert Browne before named from whom are risen many Sects for every day begets a new fancy and conceit These say that England was once the Lords wiâ—e but that he hath given her a Bill of divorce and put her away These deny all communion with her but private communion they hold lawfull with her members As for the ancient company of Brownists that were
HERESIOGRAPHY OR A description of the Hereticks and Sectaries of these latter times By E. Pagitt The second Edition with some Additions as in the Folio following MATH 15. 17. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps 〈◊〉 but inwardly are ravening Wolveâ— 1 TIM 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Divils Speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their conciences seared with a hot Irâ—n Imprimatur J A. CRANFORD LONDON Printed by VV. Wilson for Iohn Marshall and Robert Trot and are to be sold at their shops in Corn-hill over against the Exchange and under the Church of Edmond the King in Lombard street 1645. The names of the Sects viz. Anabaptists page 1. Brownists 48. Semi-separatists 75. Independents 76. Familists 81. Adamites 91. Antinomians 94. Arminians 10. 8 Socinians 122. Antitrinitarians 124. Millenaries 126. Hethringtonians 127. Anti-sabbatarias 128. Traskites 130. Jesuites 132. Muncerians 32. Apostolikes 33. Separatists 33. Catharists Enthusiasts Liberi Hutites Augustinians 34 Bewkeldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Pueris Similes Servetians 35 Libertines Denkians Semper orantes Deo-relicti Monasterienses Plunged Anabapt 36. Barrowists 69. Wilkinsonians Johnsonians 70 Ainsworthians Robinsonians Lemarists 71. Castalian familists 89 Grindletonians Familists of the mourtains 90. Of the valleyes Scattered flocke Caps Order c. The Addition The sum â—f a Treatise of Mâ— Johnsons a-against Anabaptists 44 Of the Pelagins 138 Soule-sleepers 139 Denyers of the Scriptures 141 Expecters or Seekers Divorsers 142 Of the Papists 143 The Papists compared with other Hereticks 147 A Postscript 154 An Extract of the Acts of the National Synod of the reformed Churches of France 195 To the Right Honourable Thomas Atkin Lord Major of the Citie of London and to the Right Worshipfull Sir Nicholas Raynton Isaac Penington Lievtenant of the Tower Sir lo Woollaston Iohn Glyn Recorder Sir Iohn Cordell Sir Thomas Soame Sir Iohn Gayr Sir Iacob Garrat Thomas Adams Io warner Iohn Tousâ— Abraham Reynardson Sir George Garraâ— Sir George Clerke Iohn Langham Thâ—mas Andrewes Iohn Foulke Iames Bunce William Gibbs and Richard Chambers Sheriffes Samuel Warner Wâ—lliam Barkely Thomas Foote Iohn Kendricke Thomas Culhâ—m Simon Edmonds Aldermen of the said Citie RIght Honourable and Right Worshipfull whereas I have lately published a Christianography or a description of many great Churches of Christians in the world some of which are for extent larger then the Church of Rome in Europe for time more ancient for succession as continual for faith more sound who believe with us the church of God to be Catholike as it is in the Apostles Creed and not as it is set downe in the new Trent Creed confined to Rome who renounce the Popes Supremacie some of them excommunicating him for a Schismatick and Heretick Who receive the holy Communion in both kindes they all drinke of Christs cup and abhor the Romish decree made contrary to Christs Institution Who make no Images to be worshipped Who doe not acknowledge the figment of Purgatory nor use any Prayers to be delivered from the fained paines thereof Who have their Prayers in their owne tongue and mutter them not in latine as the Romists doe Who forbid not Marriage the prohibiting of which is called by St. Paul the Doctrine of Divells Their Priests may and doe marry Who hold not popish Transubstantiation Who prohibite not Lay-men the reading of the holy Scriptures commanded by Christ himselfe Who doe not joyne with Christs Intercession the suffrages of Saints nor with his Justification the merit of workes nor with the Satisfaction Papall Indulgences These points with some others which the ambition and avarice of the Romists hath lately hatched they renounce with us This worke I purposing to perfect and consummate to the glory of God the great profit of the Church establishing of mens consciences they seeing the unity and agreement of the holy Churches in the world with us Behold suddenly a numerous company of other Hereticks stole in upon us like the locusts Rev. 9. As the unpure Familists who blasphemously pretend to be Godified like God whereas indeed they are divellified like their Father the Divell The illuminated Anabaptists who blasphemously affirme the baptisme of children to be the marke of the Beast and to come from Anti-christ The Donatisticall Brownists who in times past hid themselves in holes now lift up their heads and vent openly their errors infecting our people The Antinomians who teach as I find such a faire and easie way to heaven viz. That a man need not be troubled by the law before faith and that faith is not a going out of himselfe to take hold of Christ but onely a discerning that Christ is his and that after this such a man must see nothing in himselfe have nothing doe nothing need no sorrow nor repentance nor bee pressed to duties need never pray unlesse moved by the Spirit If hee fall into sin never the more disliked of God nor his condition the worse and that hee must abide in the height of comfort though hee fall into grosse sin The novelty of this doctrine takes so well or rather ill that multitudes of simple men and women dance after their Pipes they run after these men as if they were mad crowding the Churches filling their doors and windowes The Independents trouble also our poore Church who pretend that they have a perfect modell of Churchâ— government which Almighty God hath revealed to them which many like better then the government of the Reformed Churches being perswaded that in Independency they may have liberty to doe what they list having no government hoging to be as free as their Teachers who will have none at all The Arminians also an after-brood of the Pellagiant broach their erroneous opinions The Sabbatarians affirm the old Jewish Sabbath to be kept and not the Lords day The Anti-sabbatarians would have no perticular Sabbath at all but every day to bee a sabbath to a Christian man The Traskites who would have us observe many Jewish ceremonies VVe have also Millenaries who affirm that before the day of judgment Christ shal come down from heaven and reign with the Saints upon earth 1000. years in which time they shall destroy all the wicked binding their Kings in chaines and Nobles in linkes of iron VVee have Hetheringtonians who hold a hodg-podg of many heresies troubling our peoples brains VVe have also Socinians who teach that Christ dyed not to satisfie for our sins and also his Incasnation to be repugnant to reason not to be sufficiently proved by Scripâ—ture with many other abhominable errors Wee have Arians who deny the Deity of Christ. We have an Atheistical Sect who affirme that mens soules sleep with their bodies untill the day of Judgement Wee have Atheists too many as among others one was committed by a Justice of Peace who mock'd and jear'd at Christs Incarnation His Father was burnt at Thoelouze in
France he scapeth unpunished among us too many others we have They preach print and practise their hereticall opinions openly for books vide the bloody Tenet witnesse a tractate of divorce in which the bonds are let loose to inordinate lust a pamphlet also in which the soul is laid asleepe from the houre of death unto the houre of judgement with many others Yea since the suspention of our Church-government every one that listeth turneth Preacher as Shoo-makers Coblers Button-makers Hostlers and such like take upon them to expound the holy Scriptures intrude into our Pulpits and vent strange doctrine tending to faction sedition and blasphemie What mischiefe these Sectaries have already done we that have cure of soules in London find and see with great griefe of heart viz. Our Congregations forsaking their Pastors our people becomming of the Tribe of Gad running after seducers as if they were mad Infants not to be brought to the Sacrament of Baptisme men refusing to receive the holy Communion and the Lords Prayer accounted abhominable c. A Volume will hardly contain the hurt that these Sectaries have in a very short time done to this poore Church and doth not the Common-wealth suffer with the Church Whence are all these distractions Who are the Incendiaries that have kindled blown this fire among us but these Considering with my selfe the former happinesse of this Kingdome and the sudden change that is betide it it being fallen from the height of prosperitie to the lowest ebbe of misery and this not by the incursion of a Forreigne Nation but by its owne children who imbrue their hands in the bloud one of another with no lesse inhumanity then Cannibals or Men-eaters without any reluctation at all the Sonne against the Father and the Father against the Son being involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of Peace And moreover which is worst of all when I consider that some of our Clergy-men who should like Moses stand in the gap to appease Gods anger doe increase the same not onely by blowing the fire but by their Errors and Schismes which they broach and foment among us by which they doe as much as in them lyeth to put mens soules in as great danger as their bodies And considering againe how wee are involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of peace may not I cry out with the Prophet O that my head were full of water and my eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe for the slaine of my people But all this being Gods permitting let us with patience possesse our souls let us trust in him depend upon him and in his good time hee will deliver his Church and turne all to the best and in the meane season every man doe his best to quench this fire For my own part these sad considerations made me leave my Christianography and write an Heâ—â—siography to describe the Hereticks and Schismaticks of this time in which I set downe their beginning among us their hereticall opinions and errors confuting them and also relate how other Princes and Commonâ— wealths have suppressed them and how severely some of them have beene punished among us I know my reverend Brethren have not beene wanting to oppose these Hereticks in writing and preaching in season and out of season using all meanes to suppresse these Heresies having to that end chosen speciall men to preach several Lectures in severall places But without your helpe and the assistance of our Religious Patriots assembled in Parliament they doe and will increase upon us doe what we can This Treatise I present to your Lordship and to this Honourable Senate What can bee more sutable or fitter for you Servants of the most high God then that which tendeth to the glory of God Edification of his Church and vindication of the truth against the illusion of Sectaries and Heretikes What is more correspondent with the duty of Christian Magistrates then to assist Gods cause with your politicall Authority A question may be asked whether it be lawfull for the Magistrates to use the sword against Heretickes To this I answer such whose Heresies are blasphemous in doctrine or dangerous to the State deserve death the reason is because they corrupt the faith If such as poyson waters and fountaines at which men and beasts drinke deserve Capitall punishment how much more they that as much as in them lyeth goe about to poyson mens soules Yea St. Augustine saith in his fifth Tractat upon Iohn Quantum in ipsis est Christum in homine occidunt The forenamed St. Augustine indeed wavered concerning this point for a time as he confesseth in one of his Epistles but when he saw the City wherein he dwelt was reclaimed from Donatisme by the Magistrates sword he retracted his opinion And expecting the like successe in this honourable City I doe implore your helps that for Iesus Christs sake and I pray you give me leave to put you in mind of the Covenant we made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intent to performe the same as wee should answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed viz. That we should in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophaâ—enesse and whatsoever shall bee found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse lest wee partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdomes And this I beseech you in the name of God to take in hand laying aside all humane reasons Let not Gods cause goe to racke nor by worldly policies and humane reason be protracted or retarded The Turke will not suffer Mahomet to be blasphemed as we are Christians let us stand for Christ. How dangerous the fostering of Heretikes hath been histories declare viz. Almighty God sent down fire from Heaven and consumed Antioch being a Nursery of Heretikes And also how the earth opened swallowed Nicomedia the meeting place of the blasphemous Arrians also in the Commentaries of Sleidan how the Anabaptists meeting first in Conventicles surprized Munster and how hardly Amsterdam escaped them Lambertus Hortensius writeth The plague is of all diseases most infectious I have lived among you almost a Iubile and seene your great care and provision to keep the City from infection in the shutting up the sicke and in carrying them to your Pest-houses in setting Warders to keep the whole from the sicke in making of fires and perfuming the streets in resorting to your Churches in powring out your prayers to Almighty God with fasting and almes to be propitious to you The plague of heresie is greater and you are now in more danger then when you buried five thousand a week You have power to keep these Hereticks and Sectaries from Conventickling and
sholing together to infect one another Fire is dangerous many great Cities in Europe have been almost ruinated by it I have seen your dilligence and dexterety in quenching it in the beginning your breaking open your Pipes for water making floods in your streets your Engins to cast the water upon the houses your industry and paines is admirable Heresie is as dangerous as fire use your best endeavours to quench it before it consume us Thus not doubting Right Honourable Right Worshipfull of your best endeavours to suppresse these Heretikes and Sectaries by whom not only many poore soules are infected but also the holy name of God is blasphemed I cease most humbly entreating Almighty God to blesse this Citie and to give unto you the fruition of all temporall felicities in this life and the never-failing fulnesse of blessednesse in the life to come To the Reader THou which hast atender Conscience and desirest nothing so much as to know the right way to Heaven having many doubts which cause thee to leave thy own Pastor and runne not only to other publike Congregations but also to the private meetings of the Separatists and others for resolution For thy sake and safety I have published this Treatise in which thou maist discerne Truth from Error having their Errors set before thee with the confutation of them out of the holy Scripture OUâ— Lord and Saviour in his holy Sermon in the Mount telling his Disciples of the narrow way that leadeth unto life hee specially forewarneth them of false Prophets Beware of falsâ— Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves As if he should say my deare Disciples you hearing of the way to heaven wil be inquiring after it and especially of Prophets But let me forewarn you of false Prophets for in stead of directing you they will put you out of the way False prophets wil come they are not sent St. Paul asketh how they can preach except they be sent and this standeth with good reason every true Minister standeth in Gods room being the Lords Embassadour to deliver his will who dare to this unsent No man taketh this honour unto himselfe but hee that is called of God saith my Author to the Hebrews But whence come they now from the Schooles of the Prophets no many of them from mechannicke Trades as one from a stable from currying his horses another from his stal from cobling his shooes these sit down in Moses chaire to mend all as Embassadours of Jesus Christ as Heralds of the most high God these take upon them to reveale the secrets of Almighty God to open and shut heaven to save mens soules But to heare these fellowes to discourse of the holy Trinity of Gods eternall decree and other deep points of Divinity you may heare the mad men in Bedlam prate as wisely as they and are not their hearers that run after them as mad as they Are they not bewitched as St. Paul telleth the Gallatians To you that are my Disciples daily experience sheweth us whom the Anabaptists Brownists and other Sectaries go about to seduce viz. not drunkards Adultereâ—s Swearers and prophane persons whom the Devill hath ensnared already but such as are desirous of heaven They lead captive saith St. Paul silly women who are alwaies learning They come unto you in sheeps cloathing That is like Zealous and holy Christians For example the Devill turneth himselfe into an Angell of Light Baals Priests used long prayers the blasphemous Arrians as St. Bazill writeth were easily beleeved because of their counterfeit holinesse The Romish seducers pretend great Sanctimony the begging Fryers befool'd the Christian world with their pretended holinesse with which they 〈◊〉 their lewd lives Generally they come to you with outward sanctimony with a seeming contempt of the world with long prayers fasting teares â—lmes deeds seeming-zeale seeming-humiâ—â—â—y seeming harmlesnesse c. They come to you in sheepes cloathing insinuating themselves into you under colour of giving you good counsell as the Divell their chiefe counselling our first Parents to breake Gods Commandement promised to make them like God and tempring Christ in the â—â—â—dernesse promised to give him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glory of them And that you may the better avoyd their inchantments I will shew you the method they use in deceiving As first they indeavour to separate the sheepe from their Shepheards bringing them into contempt with their people â—ffâ—â—ming them to be unprofitable unpowerfull taxing their conversations as prophane and doctrine as erroneous Thus smiting your Shepheards with their tongues they draw you to their Conventicles 2. To palliate their Errors they parvert the holy Scriptures as that Monster Arrius pretended to have 42 places of Scripture against the Deity of Christ and this he learnt of his father the Devill who perverted part of the 91. Psalme to tempt our Lord to cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple And for this cause these Heretikes are enemies to the ten Commandements being some of the Law to the Creed being a briefe of the Gospell and to the Lords Prayer being a perfect forme of Prayer containing all that can be asked or prayed against by which only a simple man may discerne any Heretick contradicting any Commandement of the Decalogue Article of the Faith Petition of the Lords Prayer And for this cause the Church of Rome teacheth the Laity them in Latine and also they leave out part of the decalogue in their Catechismes and for other Heâ—etikes some doe null the whole Law some the Creed and others the Lords Prayer affirming it to be abhominable Againe whatsoever outward shew they make of holinesse they are indeed ravening Wolves therefore our Lord biddeth us beware of them The word beware precedeth danger As sheep are in danger among Wolves so are your soules in danger among false Prophets The jâ—urney of the Israelites to the earthly Canaan was a type of our journey to the heavenly And did not one false prophet Balaam doe them more mischiefe in their journey then Og the King of Bashan Sehon King of the Amorites all their enemies besides yea would the Devil himselfe in his own likenesse have been more noxious to the Church of God then some Hereticks have beene As one Heretick Arrius denying the Deity of Christ in a manner infected the whole world The like did one other Heretick Eutyches erring concerning his humanity affirming the immensity of Christs divine nature to have swallowed up his humane Now if Christ had not been man how could he have dyed for us sinners and if not God how could he have wrought the salvation of mankind Alas what danger are we in now being invironed with such a multitude of Hereâ—ickes Our Lord telleth us againe by their fruits yee shall know them they pretend that they are led by the Spirit The workes of the Spirit Sâ— Paul sâ—tâ—eth forth to bee love joy peace
the seed of David according to the flesh whence in the New Testament he is called the Son of man As also Isay the son of a Virgin which could not be if he had not taken flesh upon him from the Virgin Mary neither should our flesh have any hope of eternall life if he were not made flesh neither should his passion or resurrection profit us at all In this point the Anabaptists are worse than the Papists yea then the Turkes themselves who confesse that Christ was borne of a Virgin The Melchiorists a kinde of Anabaptists doe not onely hold the opinion above named but also are so diabolicall and blasphemous as to curse the flesh of the blessed Virgin by maintaining this error The Anabaptists manifest themselves to be of the number of them whom the Apostle St. Iohn speaketh 2. Eph. vese 7. For many deceivers are come into the world who confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh That Christ was not true God This blasphemous Error is contrary to the holy Scripture as Ioh. 1. The word was God Ioh. 10. I and the Father am one Ioh. 4. He that seeth the Father seeth me I am in the Father and the Father in me Col. 2. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporally Againe 1 Iohn 5. We are in him that is true even in his son Iesus Christ that is the true God And againe if he were not God no created power had been sufficient for the worke of our redemption and satisfaction of Gods wrath This blasphemous opinion reigneth among the Anabaptists in Moravia I doe not find this to be maintained by our English Anabaptists but to be the opinion of Servetus who was burnt at Geneva and his followers Not to be saved by faith in Christ. What can be more contrary to the holy Scriptures than this detestable Error read Iohn 3. 16. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who so beleeveth in him shall not perish but have life everlasting Rom. 3. 24. We are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law By the work of Charity and Affliction the passion of Christ is a sufficient ransome for all our sin 1 Iohn 1. The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all out unrighteousnesse Isa. 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out all thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Heb. 9. He hath obtained for us eternall redemption nothing here perfect 1. Cor. 13. Neither in his sight can any man living be justified Psal. 143. 2. Neither any troubled conscience can be pacified Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. And for afflictions they are either just punishments for our sins or fatherly corrections to stir us up to a holy life They reject the Doctrine of originall sin because say they Christ hath taken away all evil whether it be the inclination or concupiscence according to that Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Also that children whereas they do neither good nor evill are under grace and without sin but so the Infants of all nations and Infidels may be saved being without sin but the contrary appeareth by the effect of sin The reward of sin is death Rom. 6. And David confesseth expresly Psal. 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me And St. Paul calleth our inbred concupiscence sin dwelling in us And Eph. 2. We were by nature the children of wrath They deny the Sacrament of Baptisme to Infants The ground of this Errour is Ignorance they not knowing what Baptisme is pretending Faith and Repentance to be the estence of Baptisme which Infants are not capable of and therefore not to be baptized To this I answer As faith and repentance was not the essence of Circumcision but the outward circumcising of the flesh and the inward circumcising of the heart So the essence of Baptisme is not faith and repentance but the outward washing of the water the word annexed and the inward washing of the Spirit Our Lord affirmeth Joh. the 3. Except a man be born again by water and the holy Ghost c. St. Augustine affirmeth Although sound faith be not present yet the Sacrament of Biptisme may be sound The Greek Patriarch writing to the German Divines affirmeth in Baptisme the matter to be water the forme the words viz. This servant of God is baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost the instrumentall cause to be the Minister The Anabaptists attribute too much in this Sacrament to their repentance faith mortification and merit and little or nothing to Gods mercy which is most contrary to the nature of this holy Sacrament which sealeth up unto us out receiving into Gods favour and grace for his owne mercies sake without any merit of ours To palliate this their abhominable error they pervert divers places of holy Scripture as Matth. 28. Mar. 10. Out of the order of words Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them Because that teaching is set befor baptizing they would have children taught before they are baptized To this I answer 1. Whereas teaching is set before baptizing Matth. 28. Baptizing is set before teaching Mar. 1. 4. John did baptize in the wildernesse and teach the baptisme of repentance And againe where it is said repent and beleeve whether is faith or repentance first required But where finde you say they a literall command in all the new Testament for the Baptisme of Infants To this I answer The new Testament doth not literally command Remember to keep holy the Lords day nor to say grace before and after meales or to pray with our Families evening or morning or for women to receive the Communion and many other such like things which are moral duties may be sufficiently proved by consequence out of the holy Scriptures As for example in this very Text which they alleadge against the baptisme of children the baptisme of children is there commanded Goe and teach all Nations baptizing c. The meaning is goe and teach all them that are capable of teaching and baptize them that are capable of baptizing to make this more plaine Is a man should bid his servant goe sheare all my sheep and mark them if that servant should sheare all his sheep and mark them only that he had shorn and not mark his Lambs because he could not shear them doth that servant fulfill his Masters command No more had the Apostles done if they had not marked his lambs as well as his sheep although they were not capable of teaching yet they were capable of marking or baptizing In lawes and precepts that be generall the numeration of singulars are not necessary because lawes doe
command the whole kind and therefore the holy Apostles baptized whole Families in which we find none excepâ—ed as St. Peter baptized Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. 48. St. Paul baptized the Jaylor and all that belonged unto him Acts 16. 33. Lydda and her houshold Acts 16. 15. The houshold of Stephanus 1 Cor. 1. 16 c. Again whereas our Lord commandeth Mark 10. Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not How properly can an Infant come unto Christ but by Baptisme Repent they cannot beleeve they cannot as the Anabaptists affirm But by baptisme they may come where the Minister in Christs stend receiveth them and blesseth them and why all this Of such is the Kingdome of God and therefore saith our Lord Forbid them not St. Peter saith Acts 2. 39. The promise is mad to you and your children and therefore be baptized To whom the promise is made and covenant let no man forbid baptisme which is the seal of the Covenant Again the faith of the Parents may warrant their Infants baptisme yea though they have but an hystoricall faith and not a justifying if they can credere ad baptismum though not adsalutem this faith maketh their children capable of baptisme many in the Apostles time were baptized having onely an historicall faith as Sâ—mon Magus and others Moreover these phrases Teach and baptize Repent and beleeve Beleeve be baptized are meant of such as were of riper years and made profession of the Christian faith or else the estate of Christian infants in the Gospel were much worse then the condition of the Israelitish Infants under the Law which to affirme is an horrible indignity offered unto Christ. Last of all most blasphemously they call baptisme of Christian mens children the mark of the Beast and to come from Antichrist and especially from Pope Innocent the third who lived about the yeare 1213. Learned Mr. Calvin affirmeth the baptisme of children to be a holy institution alwayes observed in Christ Church All the reformed Churches use it and it hath ben the practice of the universall Church The Greek Church who yearly excommunicate the Pope to whom St. Paul preched baptize their Infants as Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth And Origen who lived about the yeare 226 about 1000 yeares before Pope Innocent whom the Anabaptists would make the author of pedobaptisme The Russians who received the faith from St. Andrew the Apostle and account the Pope of Rome an Heretick hold a necessity of baptisme and put to death them that neglect and deride baptisme what would they doe with these men who blaspheme it The Abyssiâ—s or Ethiopians who received Christianity from St. Matthew the Apostle doe baptize their Infants viz. their male children at fourty dayes of age and their females at eighty The Armenian Christians to whom St. Barthoiomew preached the faith baptize their Infants Baronius writeth that these Christians had a thousand Bishops The Iacobites who are a numerous sort of Christians doe the same yea they mark their children with a hot Iron with the signe of the crosse alluding to the words of St. Iohn He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire The Cophtie or native Christians of Egypt to whom Saint Mark preached baptize their Infants these Christians have no communion with the Pope of Rome The Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the faith do the like The Matacasion Christians in Africa affirme children dying without baptisme to be deprived of eternall beatitude The Melchites one of the greatest fort of Christians in the Orient as Boterus affirmeth do the same The Nestorians under the Patriarch of Muzal who as Cardinall Vitriacus affirmeth are more numerons with the Iacobites then the Christians of the Latin and Greek Church doe the same These account the Pope of Rome a reprobate Bishop The Circassians Mengrellians Georgians Maronites Cephalians with all the orthodox Christians in the Universe baptize their Infants Erasmus wondreth what evill Devill entred them who forbid the baptisme of children used by the holy catholick Church for above 1400. years Also the Britains to whom Simon Zelotes preached have alwayes baptized their children and have honourably esteemed of that Sacrament administred to their children until some of these hereticks fled hither out of Germany where they burnt hanged and drowned men of that Sect till they had suppressed them They came into England about the year 1535. and as they could be found we did the like to them burning some and banishing others but since the yeare of our Lord 1640. they have crept out of their holes lift up their heads chalenge our Divines to publick disputations preach in our Churches publish their blasphemies print their bookes seducing multitudes of people And moreover to speak of the curelty of these Sectaries who depriving Infants of baptisme put them all out of the estate of grace We read of Herod the Tyrant who destroyed all the children in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof is not this a far more cruell sentence to set all infants in no better state then Pagans and Infidels without Christ Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as strangers from the convenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Can any sober Christian but think this to be a barbarous cruelty It is not lawfull to take childrens bread and give it to dogs but these conclude children to be no better then dogs The Propher Elisha wept when he lookâ— upon Hazael fore-seeing that â—e should dash the Infants of Israel against the wall Hazael thought himselfe worthy to be so esteemed if ever he should â—â—e any such things And certainly thus to deprive Infants of baptisme is a more cruell act then to dash their bodies against stones Let these men also consider how much they provoke Christs displeasure against themselves he was greatly displeased with his Disciples for forbidding little children to come to him and one day they shall find him much more displeased with them who with great violence oppose the bringing of children to Christ in this holy Sacrament and with wrong injury and slander prosecute the Ministers of Christ who administer this Sacrament to Infants condemning theâ—â—or Ministers of Antichrist yea condemning all Churches â—or Antichristian who will not cast their children out of â—be covenant of grace The Lord open their eyes that they may see their errour and repent of it To conclude the baptismâ— of children is commanded in holy Scripture the holy Apostle baptized whole families the ancient â—athers testifie the same the holy Catholick Church of God alwayes used it Let not the Devill enter into the heart of any man to belâ—â—ve a fâ—â—acick unlearned mechanick man not an Angel from hâ—aven that teacheth a contrary doctrine What greater mischiefe can the Devill and his Imps do then to make a schisme in the Church and rob Almighty God of all his Lambsâ— and cut off so many millions of
called Gods because they are in Gods â—lace The Anabapâ—â—sts themselves who despised Government finding the necessity of it in Munstâ—r so that they could not subsist without Goâ—ernment chose themselves a King with inferiour Officers under him That it is not lawfull for a Magistrate to punish because revengâ— is forbâ—dden Christian mâ—n In this they erre not distinguishing betweene revenge and punishment which is from the Magistrate by reason of the execution of the Law grounded upon Gods Law a lawfull punishment appointed by God The Magistrate saith St. Paul is the Minister of God appointed for thy goâ—d either for our naturall good preserving our lives which bloody men would soone ruinate who feare not so much hell as the halter For our civill good preserving our goods and Possessions For our morall good in rewarding vertue and punishing vice he beareth not the sword in vaine For our spirituall good by coactive power enforcing men to the duties of Godlinesse In that notorious Apostasie of Israel when so many execrable enormities were committed When Micah had a house of Gods the Levite wanted maintenance when his Concubine was ravished to death the Spirit still prefixeth at that time there was no King in Israel Wee are beholding to Governement for Order Peace and Religion for Order wherâ— no King is every man will be his owne King for Peace he that will bee his owne King will bee another mans Tyrant for Religion every Micah will have a House of Gods without Governement To conclude Adulterers Murtherers Traytors Witches Burners of Houses may be put to death by the Magistrate to whom the sword is given and they are not killed but such in suffering doe receive a just guerdon for their offences That a Christian man may not take an oath because Christ saith Thou shall not sweare at all which is repeated Iames 5. And that it is enough to say Yea yea and nay nay Answ. Christ doth not forbid an oath before a Magistrate as it is a testimony of truth he reproveth the Pharisees who taught men that they should sweare not onely by the name of God as God had commanded but also by heaven by the earth by their heads c. This vitious kind of swearing he forbiddeth onely because these things cannot be witnesses of the things averred nor punish lying Neither doe the words following Let your communication be yea yea and nay nay take away a lawfull oath but admonish the godly of the goodnesse of truth and hatred of lies That a godly man may lawfully take an oath appeareth by these reasons following 1. From the authority of holy Scripture By the name of God thou shalt sweare Deut. 6. 4. The reason is set down Heb. 6. Because the Lord is greater and that an oath is the end of all controversies so Psal. 15. He that sweareth to his neighbour and deceiveth him not 2. From the example of Christ and holy men in the old and new Testament Genes 24. 26. 3. From the worship of God for an oath is part of Gods worship being a calling upon God to be a witnesse of the truth and an avenger of the lie Nor by oath promise any fidelity or bind himselfe to any Prince or Magistrate whatsoever This opinion openeth a gap to all Treasons Rebellions and Truce-breakings whatsoever If it be not lawfull for a Christian man to bind himselfe by an oath then iâ— is unlawfull for a Christian man to keep such an oath Isaac made a covenant with Abimelech King of Gerar to doe one another no hurt which being sealed up with an oath could not be violated without sinning The Propheâ— Ezekiel calleth the oath of obedience which Zedechiah King of â—srael made to the King of Babel the oath of God although the said King was a tyrant and an usurper without any lawfull succession from David yet he confirmeth it by the mouth of his Prophet Ezek. 17. 19. As I live I will surely bring upon Zedechia mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant which he hath broken upon his own head Again you may see how great a tie an oath is and how severely Almighty God doth punish the violation thereof in the story of ths Gibeonites Iosh. 9. Joshuah and the Princes having made a league with them being beguiled by them pretending that they came from a farre Countrey the congregation murmuring against the Princes were answered by them after this manner We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore unto them About 4000 yeares after Saul in his zeale to the children of Israel shew the Gibeonites for which cause 2 Sam. 21. the Lord plagued the whole Land sending a famine upon them for three yeares declaring himselfe that it was sent because Saul had slain the Gibeonites who hanged up seven of Sauls sons given them by David and then God was intreated for the Land 3. Confutation of Errors not tollerable in Families THat a Christian cannot with a good conscience have any thing proper but all things common This community they ground upon the example of the Apostles in the Acts. Answer An Example maketh no Law neither was this universall Peter saith to Ananias Acts 5. 4. Whilst it remained was it not thine own Again 2 Cor. 9. Every man as he purposeth in his heart so let him give The property of goods is confirmed in the seventh Commandement Again 1 Tim. 6. The Apostle chargeth rich men not to be proud but bountifull not to forsake their goods but to use them well by giving alms Again Prov. 5. 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waâ—ers in the streets let them onely be thine own and not strangers with thee out of which we may gather that every man hath a property in his own That if their wives be not of their Religion they may put them away Answer This is against the definition of marriage which is a lawfull copulation of a man and woman not prohibited by the degrees of consanguinity or affinity The marriage of an Infidell before God is in it selfe no sin The Apostle perswadeth the beleever not to put away his unbeleeving wife 1 Cor. 7. Joseph in Aegypt married the daughter of an Heathen Priest And Moses took the daughter of Jethro who was not of the Circumcision Marriage is a lawfull copulation of a man and a woman not to be dissolved during life but for adultery That it is lawfull to have many wives To this I may oppose the words of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 7. 2. To avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and every woman her own Husband Heb. 13. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery Malachi 2. 15. Did he not make one 4. The Orthodox Doctrine of the Church of England contrary to these detestable errors
taken out of the 39. Articles HAving handled much poyson I thinke it fit to give the Reader to preserve him from infection some Methridate out of the Paunarium or Medicinable box of our Mother the Church viz. Out of the Articles of Doctrine agreed upon for avoiding of diversity of opinions and establishing of consent touching true Religion To which Articles every Minister refusing to subscribe should ipso fasto be deprived and all his promotions to be void as if he were naturally dead Read the Statute 1. That Christ took flesh from the virgin Mary The Sonne which is the Word of the Father begotten from the everlasting Father the very eternall God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the blessed virgin of her substance So thâ—t two whâ—le and perfect Natures that is to say the God-head and the Man-hood were joyned together in one Person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile us to his Father and to be a sacrifice not onely for originall guilt but also for the actuall sinnes of men 2. That Christ was God There is but one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passion of infinite power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible and in the Unity of this God-head are three Persâ—ns 〈◊〉 one substance power and eternity the Father Son and holy Ghost 3. Of our justification by Faith We are accounted â—ighteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST by faith and not for our own works or deservings wherefore that we are justified by saith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and very full of comfort 4. For good Workes Which are the fruits of Faith and follow after justification albâ—it they cannot put away our sinnes and endure the severity of Gods judgements yet they are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and so spring out necessarily of a true lively faith insomuch as by them a lively faith may be evidently knowne as a tree is discerned by the fruit 5. Of Originall sinne Originall sinne standeth not in the following of Adam but it it the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Originall righteousnesse and is of owne nature enclined to evill so that the flesh lusteth alwayes against the Spirit and therefore in every person borne into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and this infection in nature doth remaine yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the flesh cald in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some doe expound the wisedome some sensuality some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation to them that beleeve and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sin 6. Of the Baptisme of Infants Baptisme is not onely a signe of profession and marke of difference wherehy Christian men are discerned from other that be not Christned but it is also a signe of regeneration or new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receive Baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed Faith is confirmed and grace encreased by vertue of prayer unto God The Baptisme of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreeable with the institution of Christ. 7. Of Free-will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to doe good workes pleasing and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will 2. Of being without sinne Christ is alone without sin If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 9. Of the Civill Magistrate We give unto the Kings most Excellent Majesty that Prerogative which we see to be given to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Sword the stubborne and evill doers The Lawes of the Realme may punish Christian men with death for heynous and grievous offences It is lawfull for Christian men at the commandement of the Magistrate to weare weapons and serve in the wars 10. Christian mens goods are not common The riches and goods of Christian men are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as the Anabaptists doe falsely boast 11. A Christian mans Oath As we confesse that vaine and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and Iames his Apostle so we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of Faith and Charity so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in judgement justice and truth 5. Of the severall sorts of Anabaptists IT betell the Anabaptists as other Heriticks to wit having once forsaken the truth there is no end of their Errors As the Spirit encreased so many things were altered and new things received by the brethren as Oracles from heaven First they break asunder into foure Sects and David George tooke upon him to reconcile them who being possessed with the Devill prefer'd himselfe most blasphemously before Christ himselfe dayly they were divided more and more There are foureteen severall sorts of Anabaptists according to their severall sorts of Errors or Authors set downe by Alst edius in his Indice Theologia Polemina Page 565. viz. Muncerians Apostolikes Separatists Catharists Silentes Enthusiasts Liberi Adamites Hutites Augustinians Beucheldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Whose severall Errors I purpose to touch Muncerians so called of Muncer before named who raising a sedition of Boores in Germany was defeated taken and beheaded about the yeare of our Lord God 1525. He preached that all goods must be common and all men free and of equall dignity That God had commanded him to destroy all the ungodly and to repurge the Church Apostolikes a kinde of Anabaptists because they would be like the Apostles they wandred up and downe the Countreyes without staves shooes money or bags preaching up and downe their celestiall vocation to the Ministerie of the Word they washed one anothers feet and leaving houses wives and trades they were so burthensome to
the brethren that at last they were excommunicated as idle drones They dissolved the bands of marriage when they lifted putting their wives away as oft as they pleased Separatists a kinde of Anabaptâ—sts so called because they pretended to be separated from the world They condemned fine cloathes To them that laughed they would cry Woe bee to you that laugh for hereafter yee shall mourne They did look sadly and fetcht deep sighes they avoyded marriage meetings fealts musick and condemned bearing of Armes and Covenants Catharists who deny children Baptisme affirming that they have no Originall sin and pretending themselves to bee pure and without sin These will not say this Petition in the Lords Prayer forgive us our Trespasses Silentes who despise all humane constitutions and dispatch their businesse with great silence they answer all questions of Religion with much silence Enthusiasts who pretend that they have the gift of Prophesie by dreames to which they give much credit They would lye in Trances like men having the falling sicknesse and then would declare stâ—ange things which God had revealed to them viz. That Anabaptisme was holy that Pedobaptisme came from the divell and that Zwinglius was in hell c. Liberi a sort of Anabaptists who understand the liberty we have in Christ carnally and being freed from Christ they thinke themselves freed from paying any rent tribute or tithes and take unto themselves liberty to commit all uncleanesse whatsoever Adamites a kinde of Anabaptists who think cloathes to be cursed and given to man for a punishment of sin whereas they thinke themselves to be innocent and without sin Hutites who boast themselves to be the only children of God and heiâ—es of heaven so called of Iohn Huta this Iohn Huta dyed in prison These Anabaptists deny the deity of Christ. Augustinians who affirm the entrance into Paridice to have been shut up untill Augustine the Bohemian opened it for himselfe and those that were of his Sect. Beuckeldians a kind of Anabaptists so called of Ioh. Beuchelzoâ—â—â—us these affirme Polygamie to be permitted in the Gospell and that it is a holy thing to have many wives Melchiorists are Anabaptists so called of Melchior Hofman who was their Prophet at Strausborough whom they do expect to come at the day of Judgement with Elias They also affirme the blessed Virgin Mary not to be the Mother of our Lord but to be as a Conduit through which Christ passed so that hee tooke nothing from her neither was borne of her This Hofman was so wicked as to say Malidista sit caro Mariae Georgians certaine Anabaptists followers of David George who was father of the Familists boasted that he was a great Prophet the Son of God greater than Christ and hee should rise three yeares after his death and restore the Kingdome of Israel Menonists called of Menon a Frisian by whose name the Anabaptists were generally called as if all their other denominations had been lost and buried These foureteen are named by Astedius Mr. Bullinger in his first book against Anabaptists nameth others as some of them under pretence of childish innocency played many odde pranks one having kept his excrements in store many dayes powred them out in the street and turned himselfe naked into them saying unlesse we be made like little Children we cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven Others for the same reason would ride upon sticks and Hobby-horses like children in great companies and women would run naked with them and then in pure innocency they lay together and so in the end it proved childrens play indeed Servetians a blasphemous kinde of Anabaptists so called of Servetus a Spaniard whose Heresies are set down by Prateolus Bullinger and others he called the baptisme of children an horrible abhomination he would not have them baptized before they were thirty yeares old This Servetus denyed the Deity of Christ and was burnt for his blasphemous opinions October 27. in the yeare of our Lord 1553. at Geneva Libertines who make God the author of sinne and deny the resurrection of the body against these Mr. Calvin hath written a Treatise Bullinger telleth us of divers sotts of Anabaptists called Liberi vid. sup Denkians a sort of Anabaptists of which Denkius was chief who taught that the Devill and wicked men should be saved This Denkius was converted by Oecolampadius Minister of Basil. Semper Orantes who would alwayes pray and neglect all other duties Deo relicti Anabaptists that relying onely upon God refuse all meanes that God hath appoynted Monasterienses or magnificent Anabaptists so called because of their bravery under their King Iohn who added many things unto the hodgepodge of their errors as the having many wives which he pretended to receive from the heavenly Father and it was no burthen for a man to have never so many in Munster they being provided for out of the common stock They put away barren women and women past children as good for nothing and committed them to Curators to keep whereas they had many wives yet it was accounted a great offence for one wife to looke distorto vertu but awry upon her sister wife yea accounted a capitall crime Yea at this day they have a new crotchet come into their heads that all that have not beene plunged nor dipt under waters are not truely baptized and these also they re-baptize And this error ariseth from ignorance of the Greek word Baptize which signifieth no more then washing or ablution as Hezychius Stephanus Scapula Budaeus great Masters of the Greek-tongue make good by many instances and allegations out of many authors In holy Scripture it is used generally to wash Luke 11. 38. The Pharisees wondred that he had not first washed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Heb. 9. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 7. 3. Except they wash oft they care not And both are allowed by our Church and sprinkling hath been rather used among us by reason of the coldnesse of our climate and the tendernesse of our Infants They will tell us that Christ was baptized in the River and the Eunuch in the River True it is for then they had no Churche nor Fonts which now are to be used but in what river was Cornelins and his family or the Jaylor and his family plunged in Againe if the spirituall grace be sufficiently expressed by a little water sprinkled as by ducking in a river then dipping is not necessary as a little bread in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is of as much efficacy as a whole loafe The Apostle telleth us Heb. 9. 13. ofsprinkling them that were uncleane St. Cyprian telleth us true baptisme to be as well by sprinkling as by dipping It is impossible saith Mr. Bullinger to set downe all the differences and contrary opinions of the Anabaptists with all their pernicious Sects and
Robert Brown a Northamptonshire man who was Schoolemaster of the Free-Schole of St. Olaves in Southwark This Browne seducing certaine people preached to them in a gravel-pit neare Islington and by their Tenets was not the holy Catholike Church of God included at that time in the forâ—said gravell-pit Also when the whimseyes came first into his head he was advised by some of his friends to conferre with Master Fox and having been with him he reported that hee had been with a mad-man who thrust him out of his doores telling him that he would prove a fire-brand in Gods Church Before his departure out of the Kingdome he acquainted also one Mr. Greenham a pious Divine with his intentions who disswaded him from his Separation using many reasons to stay him among others that what grace he had received hee had it from the Church of England but finding him obstinate he told him that for himselfe he doubted not although he went away in his hot zeale but that being better informed he might returne againe unto his Mother Church but bad him bethinke himselfe what should become of those poore soules whom he had seduced and was carrying away Master Greenham's words preved true for Master Browne returned God giving him grace to renounce his errors and dyed lately a Member of the Church of England being Parson of a Church in Northampton shire But his Sect remaineth to the great disturbance of our Church For those errors that Browne recanted and vomited up many male-contented simple men supped up and swallowed downe poysoning their selves and others 2. Called also Separatists THese Sectaries are also called Separatists and this name they arrogate to themselves like the Pharisees of old and wel may they be called Separatists because they separate themselves not onely from their Mother-Church in which they were baptized and brought up and fed with the pure milke of Gods Word but also from all the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas for they carry their simple seduced people not to any of those holy Churches to bee members of their Congregations but to Conventicles for which they are termed by a learned man separata factio defectorum 2. They may also be called Separaticts not onely by reason of the separation they make from the Church of England and all other the Reformed Churches but also by reason of the grievous separations and divisions they make among themselves for example sake what an evill spirit of hatefull and fiery contention was raised between the Brothers the Iohnsons which burnt up both spirituall and naturall love as the one of them being the younger forgetting his profession and brotherly love became a Libeller loading his brother and others with reproaches shame and Infamy and that iin Print to abide for ever as Master Thomas White in his discovery of Brownâ—sme doth relate The other separated himselfe and broke fellowship with his brother and father and cursed them with all the curses in Gods Book This separation was confimed by the heavy sentence of Excommunication by which he â—id give his father and brother to the devill The Dutch and French Ministers in Amsterdam went about to reconcile Francis Iohnson and his Father as appeareth by their Letter Narravit-nobis Ioâ—nnes Iâ—â—sonius Anglus se hominem septuagenaâ—â—um ex Anglia in hanc Vrbem difficili itinere venisse ut duos filios suos Franciscum Georgium dissidentes in gratiam reduceret c. But their labour was in vaine His sonne Francis peâ—sisting obstinately untill the death of his Father sending him downe to the grave with a curse as if it were engraving the sentence of Excommunication upon his Fathers Tombe c. 3. Agree with the Donatists THe Separatists or Brownists agree in many things with the Donatists who confined the holy Catholike Church to a corner of Africa as the Brownists doe confine the Church of God to their Conventibles excluding all other Christians pale of the Church that are not oâ— their Sect. May not I say to these Browâ—â—sts as Constantine the Eâ—perour to Acefius Capa scalas ascende coelum solus take ladders and mount heaven alone who dreame that tâ—ey have ladders or something else to enâ—er heaven alone They believe not with the Donatists the Article of faith viz. That â—he Church of God is Catholike but uncharitably put all the Christians of the world into the estate of damnation thâ—â— are not of their Sect. Of their agreement with the Donacâ—sts Master Gifford late Minister of the Word of God at Malden hath set forth a Treatise at large which you may puruse if you please 4. They comply with the Anabaptists THâ— Separatists doe comply in many things with the Anabaptists these Maximes following they have from them As they separate themselves from the Papists so also from all Protestant Churches They affirme that theirs is the true Church onely and the Gospell to be no where truely preached but by them To receive the Communion with prophane persons is to parâ—ake of 〈◊〉 propâ—anenesse That all 〈◊〉 preach having gifts That in the Church there should be a parâ—ty They dislike marriages in Churches and to serve God in Churches that have been polluted by the Papists Whereas the Anabaptists forbeare one Petition of the Lords Prayer viz. Forgive us our trespassas the Brownists refuse the whole Lords Prayer Although they beare with temporall Magistrates yet they abhor spirituall government Lastly they like not payment of Tythes reserved by God himself for the for the maintenance of his Ministers paid before the Law commanded in the Law and allowed by Christ himselfe Matth. 23. But disallowed by the Anabaptists 5. They are Innovators MAy not these Separatists be also called Novatâ—res by reason of the great Innovations made by them they can not abide no old things heretofore used in Gods Church They cannot abide our Fonts nor our Churches steeple-houses some call them nor our Bels I hear of a Sect that are called together by a Sow-gelders horne nor our marriage nor our administration of the Sacraments in our Churches nor our burials nor our Prayers taken out of holy Scriptures and commanded by Christ himselfe as the Lords Prayer 6. Some of their Errors set down by Mr. White 1. THey hold it lawfull for a man to live with her that is not his wise â—ather then to reveale himselfe 2. That there are qualities in God noâ— essentiall and that love in God is not of his being but that the selfe same love that is in God is 〈◊〉 in us 3. That iâ— is not lawfull for the innocent parties to retain the offendor as the wife the husband or the husband the wife of either party that hath committed adultery though the innocent party upon the others repentance forgâ—ving the other sinne bee desirous still to live with the other party in marriage Covenant as before but have excommunicated the parties innocent for so doing 7. Bitter Railers THese new
The prophâ—nenesse of their Sect. THis fault they finde with the Protestants of our Congregations but how they have avoyded this in their own Conventicles Mr. White Mr. Iohnson and Mr. Smith and many others will tell you whose plentifull reports of their known uncleanenesse smothered mischiefs malicious proceedings corrupt preachings communicating with known offenders bolstering of sins and willing coâ—nivences as they are shamefull to relate so they might well have stopt their mouthes from excepting against our communion with the prophane To use some of Mr. Whites words These that pretend such sincerity of Religion doe abound above others with all kinde of debate malice adulteries cozenage uncleannesse so that saith he that W. C. complained that hee had thought that they had been â—ll Saints but I see they are all devills These are the Assemblies to which they carry the poore soules whom they doe seduce Extracted out of a Letter of Master Whites the 20th of July I desire God to keep all people from such a Congregation where Adulteries Cozenages and Thefts are in such abundance as in the English Congregation of Amsterdam that I speak not of Brokerage of whores and other filthinesse too too bad This is true there is no Sect in Amcterdam though many in such contempt for filthy life as the English are viz. the Brownists c. The author of this Letter Master White was sued for slander by Francis Iohnson Henrie Aainsworth Francis Blakewell Daniel Studley Christopher Bowman Iane Nicolas Iudith Holder William Barbons and Thomas Bishop But after Master White had brought in witnesses before the Burgomasters who did testifie upon their Oathes and depositions confirme what Master White had written he was discharged and had charges given him by the Magistrates A briefe discovery under the hand of the Secretary and seale of the City of Amsterdam 1. Of some of the abhominations dayly practised and increased amongst the English company of the separation remaining for the present at Amsterdam in Holland 2. That they abouâ—d above all others with all kinde of debate malice adulteries cozenages and such other like enormities c. The testimony of the Dutch Church concerning the Brownists when as they sent their Messengers with some questions to their Eldership they received this answer from them That they did not acknowledge theirs to be an Ecclesiasticall Assembly or a laâ—full Church The testimony of the Magistrates of Amsterdam concerninâ— the Brownists both of old in their suit against Master White and now in their late suit for their meeting-house when they sought to lay their Action in the name of a Church they were repelled by the Magistrates that are members of the Dutch Church they would not receive complaint from them in the name of a Church or in the name of an Elder or a Deacon but from private men The Magistrates told them that they held them not as a Church but as a Sect. 13. Their Equivocaâ—ing I Might here set down theirâ—â—quivocaâ—ing and palliating their wickednesse as one Geoffry Whâ—â—acres of Master Iohnsons Congregation being found in bed with one Iudith Holder another mans wife for which matter he affirmeâ— that he did it not to satisfie his lust but to comfort Iudith being â—ickly and to keep her warme as though hee had sought to performe a Christian duty of love and not an action of uncleannesse Again when Mr. Studley a chieâ—e Prophet of Mr. Iohnsons Congregation was found hidden behind a Baskeâ— in Iudiths house he had this holy pretence that he hid himselfe to see the behavioâ—â— of G. P. who caâ— thither after him he being an Elder would be a watchfull Over-seer Again M. â— being in a whore-â—â—use and creeping out at a window the Elder D. S. excused â—im alledging in his defâ—nce the example of St. Paul Aâ—ts 9. 25. Who was by the Disciples let down over the wal â—n a Basket Mr. Iohnson sought to cleare the uncleannesse of a man found a bed with another mans wife to diminiâ—h the sin distinguished between lying with a woman and in a woman And old Father Brown being reproved for beating his old wife distinguished that he did not beate her as his wife but as a curst old woman Also Daâ—iel Studley went about to palliate his filtinesse with his Wives Daughter ungodlily alledging the Holy Scripture Let it not be offensive to the good Reader to see a childe to vindicate the foule aspersions cast upon his Mother from whom he had his soules spirituall birth and breeding by setting forth by what manner of men his Mother-Church is scandalized 14. Blame the Conversation of our Ministers AGaine although in the Visible Church the evill ever mingled with the good and sometime the evill have chief Authority in administration of the Word and Sacraments yet forasmuch as they doe not the same in their owne name but in Christs and doe administer by his Commission and outhority we may use their Ministery both in hearing the Word of God and receiving the Sacraments neither is the effect of Christs Ordinance taken away by their wickednesse nor the grace of Gods gifts diminished from such as by faith rightly doe receive the Sacraments administred unto them The Scribes and Pharisees saith our Lord sit in Moses chaire all therefore what they bid you observe doe you but not after their works for they say and doe not 15. Except against our Ordination THey except against our Ministers because they receive their Ordination from Bishops To which I answer wee have our Ordination from Christ by Bishops and Clergie-men and for this kinde of Ordination by Bishops and Presbyâ—ers we have the universall consâ—nt the Primitive Church by St. Paul Timothy and Titus were ordained And this has been the practice of all the Christian Churche of the Universe untill the time that Anabaptists crept into the world But they will alledge that we have been ordained by Antichristian Bishops and therefore they conclude every action done by our Ministers to be Antichristian 1. To which I answer why is not the Ordination that our Fore-fathers had from Antichristian Bishops as effectuall as the Bapâ—isme that was administred by them to our Fore-fathers Dâ—d ever any Reformed Church re-baptize them that were baptized by them And why should our Ministers be re-ordained moâ—e then re-baptized 2. Indeed our Ministers being ordained by Bishops and that by Protestant Bishops such as Cranmer Latimer and Ridley who were holy Martyrs who renounced all Superstition what exceptions can be taken against them Neither can they find any shelter under that â—oted Teâ—t neglect not the gift that is in thee by the imposition of the hands of the Presbyter which learned Mr. Calvin expounds nâ—t of the men but of the Office following Herein Hierome Anselmâ— Haâ—mo Lyra referring it to the gift given him and to the Bishops Preâ—byters which hath been the practice of the Church of England and all
Originall THe first man of note that held their opinions as Master Edwards writeth was one Mr. Robinson who leaving Norwich male-content became a rigid Brownist but afterwards by conference with learned men he was brought to some moderation and writ a book retaining some of his opinions This man dying many of his congregation went from Leyden unto New-England and planted at new Plymouth whither they carryed Mr. Robinsons opinions which spread far there and by letters also and other meanes were conveighed into old England and to this purpose he citeth a Letter of Mr. Cottons As the Brownists saith Mr. Edwards growing up and out of the Anabaptists did refine Anabaptisme in many things so the Independents have refined Brownisme from the grossenesse and rigidnesse of it Yet in separating from Gods Ordinance because of our mixt Congrâ—gations in setttiâ—g up a Church against a Church and in 〈…〉 they not with the Brownists make a rent in Châ—istâ— mysticall body 3. Enemies to our Churches THese Independents with the Brownists are enemies to our Churches the glory of our nation the monuments of the piety of our fore-Fathers builded to the honour of Almighty God and for his service They call them steeple-houses as you may read Mr. Cotton in one of his Sermons upon the opening of the the seven Vialls affirmeth Ichosaphat saith he took away the high places and groves out of Judah 2 Chr. 17. 6. So when the zeale of God lifteth up the hearts of the people then will they not endure a consecrated place in all the world where they come and when the seventh Viall is poured out the earth shall be full of the knowledge of God then all the Chappels of Ease Churches of States and Temples of glory where the world hath beene deiuded they will not leave a stone upon a stone that shall not be throwne dowâ—e though now in some places you may not passe through with a burthen nor look upon the Wall thereof The zeale of the Lord of Hosts will blow them up these places will be laid open to the rest of the streets and become but common soyle they will not then be regarded but trempled upon c. I am informed that some preach this Doctrine among us 4. Ruine Learning AGaine to overthrow Learning they would overthrow the maintenance viz. Tithes appoynted by Almighty God for the maintenance of his service as he appoynted a certaine time for his service so a certaine part for the maintenance of his service viz. A tenth part which was paid before the Law commanded in the Law and confirmed by our Lord and Saviour The persecution of the Iulian Apostate is affirmed to bee greatest of all other For whereas in other persecutions they kild the Priests Iulian taking away the maintenance from Gods service did occidere Presbiterium the whole Order When I first heard of the name of Independency I confesse I could not well mislike it knowing the poverty of many Livings within the walls of London and the dependency of the Ministers being not able to subsist without the charities of the people And for example among others the Tithe of a Parsonage of a learned Doctor who is accounted one of them not to bee worth above 20. l. per annum towards all charges and divers others to be of small value I could not well blame them if renouncing their Tithes they have devised some other way to subsist In time of Superstition the said Living is reported to have been worth about two hundred pound per annum by reason of a gang of silly women with childe to the Image of our Lady of Steining in that Church to which they did â—ot with many rich offerings being perswaded that she could give them easie labour Other Churches had their working Saints that relieved their Parsons as one could make barren women fruitfull c. And for this cause the poore livings in London were so highly rated in the Subsidy And whereas one man had hererofore many Livings which now is prohibited As my Predecessor had three Alhollowes the great the Temple and Edmonds within the line of Communication And also our vailes for Burialls and Christings is in a manner ceast which were a great helpe too Should I blame the poora Ministers to devise some meanes to have a being but whereas they gather Congregations among us who are as poore as themselves getting our fattest sheep from us and for other causes I like it not 5. Allow no set Prayers THey allow no set Prayers The Jewes used set Prayers Iohns Disciples used set Prayers and Christ gave his Dissciples a set forme of Prayer which all Christian Churches in the world generally use Master Calvin allâ—dgeth three reasons for the maintaining of set Prayers First to provide for the weaknesse of some Minister Secondly that there might be a generall consent and agreement in all Churches Thirdly to crosse the liberty of some Ministers who affect noveities and therefore it bohoveth to have a set Catechisme a set forme of administring the Sacrament a set forme of publike prayers For taking too much liberty in their praying I have had too much sence being deprecated or execrated by some of them yea even in my owne Church in my owne Pulpit and in my owne hearing 6. Use not the Lords Prayer AGaine some of them will not use the Lords Prayer preferring their owne before it If the Lords Prayer bee more perfect than theirs why doe they not use it but abuse the people using their owne imperfect Prayers and omitting our Lords perfect Prayer commanded by him to be used I have read that Apollinaris the Heritiâ—k equalled his Writings with the holy Scriptures but preferred them not as these seem to doe in omâ—tting Christs Prayer commanded to be used and using their owne as before To conclude my Prayer to God is that God would give them grace to use their gifts that he hath given them to edification and not to make a rent in his Church Doctor Steward hath written a Book in which is set down the opinion of some of the Reformed Churches concerning Independency Of the Familists THis Sect of the Family of Love is one of the most erronâ—ous and dangerous Sect that ever was The Family of Love are so called because they will admit none common among them their love is so great that they may joyne with any Congregation and live under obedience to any Magistrate be he never so ungodly and therefore to â—urry favour with all they have some opinions agreeable with all in some things They agree with the Turks in some things with the Iewes in some things with the Donâ—â—â—sts Palagians Libertines Arians and Anabaptists in many things with the Papists in few with the Protestants In describing of this Sect I purpose to set downe 1. Their Originall or Authors 2. Their horrible Blasphemies 3. Their confession of Faith or Creed 4. Their Conversations 5. Their severall sorts 6. How to discover one of
such as are not enlightned with true faith is â—â—lthy and polluted and to bee reputed for whoredome 9. Concerning Henry Nicolas 1. He is raised by the highest God from the dead 2. He can no more â—rre then Moses or Christ c. 3. He is the true Prophet of God sent to blow the last Trumper of Doctrine which shall be published upon earth 4. That he onely knoweth the true sense of Scripture 5. That his Books are of equall authority with the holy Scripture Through the service of H. N. his holy and gracious Word and our obedience thereunto we are led of the Father to the love of Jesus Christ. 6. That the Scriptures are fulfilled in H. N. and his Family 7. H. N. knoweth the secrets of our hearts 8. That all men must submit themselves to the godly wisdome of H. N. c. 10. Concerning their illuminated Elders and family 1. All illuminated Elders are Godded with God or deified and God in them hominified or become man 2. The young Disciples are Adams and the illuminated Elders Christs 3. The eldest Father of the Family is Christ himselfe 4. That the estate of all such as are not of this Sect is a false being the Antichrist the wicked spirit the kingdome of hell and the devill himselfe 5. The Family of Love is perfect in this life and therefore that they must not pray for forgivenesse of sins 6. That their illuminated Elders doe not sinne 7. They may ioyne with any Congregation and Church and live under the obedience of any Magistrate though never so ungodly 8. Whatsoever is taught by any other then by their illuminated Elders is false Such as despise their Family shall bee consumed with everlasting fire Moreover they hold 1. That he who is one of their Congregation is either as perfect as Christ or else a very divell 2. That it is lawfull to doe whatsoever the higher Powers command to be done though it be done against the commandement of God 3. That it is ridiculous to say God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost as though by saying these words they should affirme to be three Gods 4. That every man ought first to be in an errour before he can come to the knowledge of the truth 5. That heaven and hell are present in this world among us and that there is none other 6. That they are bound to give almes to none other persons but to those of their Sect and if they otherwise doe they give their Almes to the divell 7. That they ought not to burie their dead because it is said let the dead bury the dead 8. That none ought to receive their Sacraments before he receiveth their whole Ordinances as 1. He must be admitted with a kisse then his feet must be washed then hands laid on him and so received 9. That the Angels Raphael and Gabriel and others were borne of a woman 10. That they ought not to say Davids Psalmes as Prayers being righteous and without sinne 11. That there ought to be no Sabbath day but that all should be alike 12. That Christ is come forth of the flesh as he came forth of the Virgin Mary 13. That there was a world before Adams time as is now 14. That the Law of God is possible to be kept of every man that will endeavour himselfe thereto 15. That it is â—â—pedient that they should make manifest their whole heart with all their counsels minds wils and thoughts together with all their doings dealings and exercises naked and bare before the children of the Family of Love and not to cover or hide any thing be it was it is before him and what their inclination and nature draweth them unto In a word their doctrine is perverse blasphemous and erroâ—eous it openeth a doore to all wickednese turning Religion up-side-downe building heaven here upon earth making God man and man God heaven hell and hell heaven not accounting of the Law of God and making but a jest of the Gospell of Jesus Christ leaving no manner of sin uncommitted yet affirming they sin not at all for venome and poyson which will bring present death to the soule he hath dispersed over every member and Article of the Beliefe so universall is the poyson of his opinion as you may see in their confession set down by Mr. Knewstub 3. The Confession of Familists I Doe believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth They say the same is a true living God a mighty Spirit a perfect cleare light a true being and that the same being is God the Fathers name and his love it selfe And they perswade their good willing ones that by the beliefe of this Article which they call the Baptisme in the Fathers name that here and now they do attain to the perfect obedience of the Law of God and of the beliefe of Jesus Christ and love of the holy Ghost which they make to be all one with the perfect righteousnesse of the Law 2. And in Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord. Some of these words they alter for instead of his onely Son they say the onely Son of God c. Whereby Jesus the only Son I mean Righteousnesse for there is their generall Tenet and conclusion that Righteousnesse is Christ and Sin is Antichrist The seed of the woman is righteousnesse and holinesse and the seed of the Serpenâ— is sin turning the person of Christ into equality 3. Which was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary As we confesse the thing done so we speake of the present time as of the thing doing saying which is conceived of the holy Ghost meaning every one that comes to take in their Belief as they term it is then conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary calling the conception of their fancy the first or Virgins estate of Infancy so making the Article intend all and every one of them in generall and hot one in particular as we beleeve 4. Sufferedunder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell In the former Article they confesse the conception and birth of the blessed seed of Abraham according to the Promises and here they beleeve their sufferings according to the Scriptures And Jesus Christ is borne and conceived in themselves under Pontius Pilate and so is incorporated into the death of his Crosse and this they call the Baptisme under the obedience of the Beliefe in the name of the Son and they fâ—y they bury through his Belief the old Man which state they call the youth or young Man the renewing of the Spirit in an upright life wherein this Article both of suffering crucifying death and buriall and discention into hell are fulfilled in them the rest you may see in Mr. Knewstub 4. Their lewd Conversations OF this holy Family we read that most shameful corruption of life hath alwaies followed corruption of Doctrine as Rom. 1. 24. God
Ionah 2. 4. Ionah was as one cast out of Gods presence and 2 Chron. 15. 2. If you forsake him he will forsake you And in a word it impâ—rts as if God neither loved righteousnesse nor hated wickednesse contrary to Psal 45. 6 7. and 〈◊〉 take no delight in the obedience of his people contrary to Psal. 147. 11. The Lord delighteth in those that feare him c As concerning the last clause he that hath elected me must save me It is true the foundation of Gods election remaineth sure yet it is as true that whom he chuseth he purposâ—th to bring to salâ—atâ—on through sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes. 1. 13. 4. If Christ will let me sinne let him look to it upon his honour be it Answ. This retorts the Lords words upon himselfe Pro 4. 22. 24. Keep thine heart c. Ponder thy paths c. and therefore no lesse blasphemous and is contrary to the professed practice of David Psalme 18. 23. I was upright before him and kept my selfe from minâ— iniquity The laâ—ter clause puts the cause of Gods dishonour upon himsâ—lâ—e no lesse blaspheâ—ous then the former and contrary to Rom. 2. 23. where the dishonouring of God is laid upon themselves 5. Here is a great stir about graces looking to hearts but give me Christ I seek not for graces but for Christ I seeke not for promises but for Christ I seek not for sanctification but for Christ tell not me of mediation duties but tel me of Christ. Answ. 1. This speech seemeth to make a flat opposition between Christ and his graces contrary to that in Ioh. 1. 16. Of his fulnesse we all received and grace for grace and between Christ and his promises contrary to Galâ— 3. 13 14. Christ was made â— curse that we might receive the promise of the Spirit Luke 1. 70. with 74. And betwix Christ and all holy 〈◊〉 contrary to Tit. 2. 14. and therfore hold fâ—rth expressions not agreeing to wholsome Doctrine 6. A living faith that hath living fruits may grow from the living Law Answ. This whole speech is utterly 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 of words required 2 Tim. 1. 13 Hold fast the forme of 〈◊〉 words 1. That a Hypocrite may have a living Laâ— is contrary to Iames 2. â—7 where the Hypocrites faith is called a dead faith 2. That a Hypocrite may bring forth living fruit is contrary to that Heb. 9. 14. 3. That all this growâ—s from a living Law contrary to a Cor. 3. 6. where the Law is called a killing Letter And to Gal. 3. 21. If there had been a Law which could have given life c. 7. I may know I am Christs not because I doe crucifie the lusts of the flesh but because I doe not crucifie them but believe in Christ that crucifieth my lusts for me Answ. 1. The phrase is contrary to the Scripture language Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 2. 〈…〉 the flesh for these three things may seem to be expresâ—â—â— in it 1. If Scripture make not opposite but subordinate Rom. 8. 13. 〈◊〉 thâ—ough the Spirit crucifie the flesh 2. That if I doe 〈◊〉 crucifie my lusts thâ—n there is an open free way of looking to Câ—rist contrary to the Scripture Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shal see Gâ—d both in boldnesse of faith here fruition hereafter 2 Tim. 2. 19 Let every one that names the Lord Iesus depart from iniquity 3. That believing in Christ may ease me from endeavouring to ciucifie my lusts in my owne person which is so grosse that it needs no more confutation then to name it 4. The safe sense that may be possibly intended in such a speech is this If I crucifie the flesh in my own strength it is no safe evidence of my being in Christ but if renouncing my self I crucifie the flâ—sh in the strength of Christ applying his death by faith it is a safe evidence of my being in Christ but this sense conveighed in these words is to conveigh wholsome Doctrine 〈◊〉 an â—â—â—olsome some Channel a darkning and losing the truth in an 〈◊〉 expression 8. Peter more leâ—ned to a Covenant of works then Paul Pauls doctrine was more for free-grace then Perers Answ. To oppose these persons and the doctrine of these two Apostles of Christ who were guided by one and the same spirit in preaching and penning thereof 2 Pet 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3. 16 All Scripturs is given by inspiration of God in such a point as the Covenant of works and grace is little lesse then blasphemy 9. If Christ be my sanctification what need I look to any thing in my selfe to condence my justification Answ. This position is therefore unfound because it holds forth Christ to be my sanctâ—fication so as that I need not looke to any inh erent holinesse in my selfe whereas Christ is thereâ—â—re said to be our sanctification bècause he works sanctificaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 us and we dayly ought to grow up in him by receiving new supply and encrease of grace from his fulnesse according to 2 Pet. 3. 18. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. â— These with many other had so infected the Church that if God had not wrought wonderfully for his truth they had overwhelmed us that would or necâ—â—sent into bloudy and â—uell martyrdome as their owne Sermons did 〈◊〉 them up and their threats gave us occasion to feare But God in this did not sit still as asleep saith my Author while these Taâ—es choakt the Wheat though he suffered the enemy to sow them but he manifested his dislike in notorious judgements upon the prime fomenters of them As first Mistris Hutchinson the Generalissimo 〈◊〉 high Priestesse of the new religion was delivered at one 〈◊〉 of 30. monstrous Births or thereabouts much about the nâ—mber of her monstrous opinions some were bigger some lesse none of them having humane shape but shap't like her opinions Mistris Dier another of the same crew was delivered of a large woman-child which was stil-born it had no head but a face upon the breast and the eares which were like an Apes stood in the shoulders the eyes and mouth stood farre out the nose was looking upwards the breast and back full of sharpe pâ—iâ—â—les the navell belly and privy parts were where the back hips should be and the back parts were on that side that the face was the armes and legges thighes and hands were as other children but in stead of toeâ— it had upon each foot three clawes with Talons like a young Fowle upon the back above the belly it had two great holes like mouthes and in each of them stuck a piece of flesh It had no fore-head but in the place thereof above the eyes foure horns whereof two were above an inch long hard and sharp the other two
somewhat shorter Thus God punisht those monstrous wretches with a monstrous fruit sprung from their wombe as had before sprung from their braines But as the Jewes in the sad porâ—entâ— appearing before the last destruction of Ierusalem construed all things to the best though never so apparent so did they and whatsoever might seem prodigious in any of these births the burthen they laid upon the Church which they thought their enemies Then God stirred up his people to call an assembly of Ministers who confuted these opinions publikely and made the authors and upholders of them unable to answer although they could not make them yeeld But lastly God put it into the hearts of the civill Magistrates to convent the chief Leaders of them and after many fruitlesse admonitions given they proceeded to sentence some they disfranchised others they excommunicated and some they baâ—isht A seditious Minister one Mr. Wheeleâ—wright was one and Mistris Hutchinson another who going to plant her selfe in an Island callâ—d Readâ—â—sland under the Dutch where they could not agree but were miserably divided into sundry Sects â—emoâ—ed from thence to an Island called Hell-gate where the Indians set upon her and â—â—ew her and her daughter and daughters husband children and family some report that the Indians burnt them And thus much of the Antiâ—omians read Mr. Wâ—lls his book where you shall read their opinions at large with a learned Confutation Of ARMINIANS THE Armiâ—â—â—â—s are so called of Iames Arminâ—â—â—s who was 〈…〉 Divinity at Leiden in the Low-countreys in the 〈◊〉 of our Lord God 1605. They are also called Remonstraâ—â—s Their Errors follow 1. Concerning Gods Predestination THat the will of God to â—â—ve such as shall believe and persevere in faith and obedience of â—aith is the whole and entire dâ—cree of the election to salvation and that nothing else concerning that decree is revealed in the word of God These Teachers deceive the simâ—â—er sort and plainly gain-say the holy Scripture which witnesseth that God not onâ—ly wil save such as shall believe but also from eternity hatâ— chosen some certaine men upon whom rather then upon others he would bestow faith in Christ and persevâ—â—aâ—ce as it is written Ioh. 17. 6 I have declared thy name to the 〈◊〉 which thou gavest 〈◊〉 Like manner Acts 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternall life believed And Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us before the foundatâ—on of the World 2. They teach â—thit the election of God to salvation is manifold one generall and indetinite and this again 〈◊〉 incomplete revocable nor perempâ—orie or conditionall or â—lse complete â—â—â—â—ocable peremptory or absâ—lute likewise that there is one election â—nto faith another to salvation so thâ—t election unto justâ—ying aith may bee without peremptory election to salvation This is a fâ—gment of mans braine devised without any ground in the Scripture corrupting the doctrine of election breaking that golden chaine of salvation Rom. 8. 30. Whom he hath predestinated them also hath he called and whom 〈◊〉 hath called them aâ— so he hath â—ustified and whom he hath justified also he hath glorified 3. They teach that the good pleasure and purpose of God whereof the Scripture maketh mention in the doctrine of election doth not consist herein that God did elect some certaine men rather then others but in this viz. That God from among all possible conditions amongst which are the workes of the Law also or out of the ranke of all things did chuse as condition to salvation the act of faith in it selfe ignoble and imperfect obedience was graciously pleased to repute it for perfect obedience and account it worthy of the reward of everlasting life By this pernicious error the good pleasure of God and merit of Christ is weakned besides that by such unprofitable questions men are called from the truth to free justification and from the single plaine of the Scriptures and that of the Apostle is outâ—â—ced as untrue 2 Tim. 1. 9. God hath called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace which was given to us through Christ â—esuâ— before the world began 4. They teach that in election unto faith this condition is formerly required viz. That a man may use the â—ight of reason aright that he be honest lowly and humble and â—â—â—posed unto eternall life as though in some sort election dâ—pended on these things for these Teachers have a strong 〈…〉 and broadly enough tell the Apostle that he is 〈◊〉 when he sayes Ephes. 2. 3. We had all our conversations in tiâ—â—s past in the lust of the flesh fulfilling the will of the flesh 〈◊〉 of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saved and 〈◊〉 raised us up together and made us sit together in heaveâ—â—y plâ—ces in Iesus Christ that he might shew in the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towâ—rds us in Iesus Christ for by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any should â—â—ast 5. They teach that incompleat and not peremptory election of singular person is made by reason of fore-seen faith repentance sanctity godlinesse and that this is the gracious and Evangelicall worthinesse by which he that is chosen becomes worthier then he that is not chosen and therefore that faith the â—bedience of faith sanctity godlinesse and perseveran ce are not the fruits or effects of the unchangeable electiâ—n unto glory but conditions and causes sine quibus non that is to say without which a thing is not brought to passe before required and fore-seen as already performed by those who are compleatly to be chosen a thing repâ—gnant to the whole Scripture which every wherebeats into our eares hearts these and such like sayings Rom 9. 11. Election is not of works but of him that calleth Acts 13 48. As many as were ordained to everlasting life beleeved Joh. 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you Rom. 11. 6. If of grace not of works 1 John 4. 10. Herein is loveâ— not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his Son c. 6. That not all election to salvation is unchangeable but that some which are elected withstanding Gods decree may perish and for ever doe perish By which grosâ—e error they hoth make God mutable overthrow the comfort of the godly concerning the certainty of their salvation and contradict the holy Scriptures teaching Mat. 24. 24. That the Elect cannot he seduced John 6. 39. That Christ doth not lose those are given to him by his father Rom. 8. 30. That God whom he hath predestinated called justified them he doth also glorifie 7. They
wit for them And our Saviour averring Iohn 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep And Iohn 15. 12. This is my Commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you greater love then this no man hath that a man lay down his life for his friends Thirdly Fourthly Their Errors concerning mans corruption and conversion unto God 1. THey teach that it cannot be well objected that Originall sin of it selfe is sufficient â—or the conâ—enâ—ning of aâ—l mankinde or for the deserving of any temporall and eternall punishment In this they goe against the Apostle who saith Rom. 5. By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and veaâ— 16. The judgement was by one to condemnation Rom. 6. 23. The â—ages of sin is death 2. They teach that spirituall gifts or good qualities or vertues such as our goodnesse holinesses or righteousnesse could not bee sâ—aâ—ed in the will of man in his first 〈◊〉 and therefore in his fall the will could not bee bereft of them This is contrary to the Image of God laid downe by the Apostle Eph. 4. 24. Where hee describeth it by righteousnesse and holinesse which doubtlesse are placed in the will 3. They teach that in spiritual death nâ— spirituall gifts were separated from the will of man to 〈…〉 will it selfe 〈…〉 corrupted bâ—t onely encombred by 〈◊〉 darknesse of the understanding and unrulinâ— sse of the affections which impeâ—iments being removed the will may be put into her owne inbred faculty of freedome that is of her selfe will or â—ill chuse or refuse any kind of good set before her Verily this is a new feigned and erroneous piece of doctrine bent on purpose for the enhansing of the forces of free-wil contrary to that of the Pâ—ophet Jer. 17. 5. The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked And that of the Apostle Eph. 23. Among whom namely the children of disobedience All we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the minde 4. They teach that an unregenerate man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tending to spirituall good but that he is able to hunger and thirst after righteousnes or everlasting life and to offer the Sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable to God These assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scriptures Eph. 2. 1. 5. Yee were dead in trespasses and sinnes Gen. 6. 7. 8. 21. Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is onely evill continually Moreover the hungring and thâ—rsting for deliverance out of misery and for life eternall as also offering to God the sacrifice of a broken heart is proper to the Regenerate and such as are called blessed Psalme 519. Matth. 5. 6. 5. They teach that a corrupt and naturall man can so rightly use common grace by which they mean the light of nature or those gifts which are left him after the fall that by the good use thereof he may obtaine to a greater namely Evangelicall or saving grace and by degrees at length salvation it selfe And that God for his part sheweth himselfe ready in this manner to reveale Christ to all men seeing he doth sufficiently and efficaciously afford to every man necessary meanes for the making Christ known and for faith and repentance This is 〈◊〉 to be false as by the experiance of all ages in the world so also by Scriptures Psal. 147. 19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them Acts 14. 16. God in times past suffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes Acts 16. 6 7. Paul and his company were forbidden to preach the Word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they offered to goe into Bythâ—â—iâ— but the spinit suffered them not 6. They teach that in true conversion of a man there cannot be inâ—used by God any new qualities habits or gifts into his will and so by faith by which we are first converted and from which we are stiled faithfull is not any gift or quality infused by God but onely an act of man that this faith cannot be called a gift otherwise then in regard of the power or meanes given us of attaining it These strange positions are contrary to holy Scriptures which testifie unto us that God doth infuse or shed downe into our hearts new qualities of faith obedience and some of his love towards us Ier. 31. 33. I puâ— my Law into their inner parts and write it in their hearts Isa. 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry grounds I will poure my spireit upon thy seed Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us They contradict also the continuall practice of the Church which useth to pray after the manner prescribed by the Prophet Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer 31. 18. 7. They teach that the grace wherewith we are converted unto God is nothing else but a gentle inducement or as others explain it that the most noble kinde of working a mans conversion and most â—utable to our nature is performed by swasoâ—y motives or advice and that no cause can be alledged â—hy even such morall grace alone should not of naturall men make spirituall Nay moreover that God doth not produce the consent of our will otherwise then by way of morall counselling and that the efficacy of Gods working wherein he exceedeth the working of the devill consâ—steth in this that the divell promiseth temporary things but Gods things eternall This is downe-right Pelagianisme and warreth against the whole course of Scriptures which besides this swasory course of moving acknowledgeth in the conversion of man another manner of working of Gods spirit and that more divine and of farre greater efficacy Ezek. 36. 26. I will give you a new heart and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of yur flesh and will give you an heart of flesh 8. That God in regenerating a man doth not imply that omnipotent strength whereby he may powerfully and infallibly bow and bend his will unto faith and conversion but that all the gracious operations which God useth for our conversion being accomplished neverthelesse man may withstand God and his holy Spirit intending that mans conversion yea and oftentimes doth make actuall resistance so it lyeth in mans power to be or not to be regenarate This amounteth to no lesse then the denying of all efficacy to Gods grace in our conversion and to the subjecting of the worke of Almighty God unto the will of man which is flat contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles
Eph. 1. 19. That we believe according to the working of his mighty power And 2 Thes. 1. 11. That God fulfilleth all the pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of faith with power And 2 Pet. 1. 3. That Gods power hath given to us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse 9. They teach that grace and free-will are co-partening causes joyntly concurring to the beginning of conversion and that grace doth not in the order of casuality goe before the action of the will That is that God doth effectually helpe mans will to conversion before the will of man moveth and determineth or setleth it selfe thereunto This doctrine was long since condemned by the ancient Church among the Pelagian Errors out of the Apostles Authority Romans 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Item Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you both â—o will and to doe of his good pleasure 5. Error concerning the perseverance of the Saints 1. THey teach that the perseverance of the faithfull is not an effect of election nor any gift of God purchased by the death of Christ but that it is a condition of the new Covenant which is to be performed by mans part by his owne free will before his as they themselves speak peremptorily election and justification whereas the holy Scriptures testifie that it followeth election and is given to the Elect by vertue of Christ death resurrection and intercession Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us how shall not he with him give us freely all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea or rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us who shall separate us from the love of Christ 2. They teach that God indeed furnisheth the faithfull man with sufficient strength to persevere and is ready to maintâ—iâ—e that strength in him if he himselfe be not wanting to his duâ—y yet not withstanding when as all abilities necessary unto perseverance and all things which God is pleased to use for the preservation of Faith once granted and set in readinesse that it still remaineth in the choyce and pleasure of mans will to performe or not This opinion is easily discovered to be an impe of Pelagiâ—nisme which whilst it strives to make man free maketh him sacrilegious contrary to the uniforme and peâ—petuall consent of Evangelicall doctrine which quite strippeth a man of matter of boasting and ascribeth the glory of his benefit to Gods grace onely and contrary to the Apostle witnessing that it is God that shall confirme us unto the end that we may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. They teach that the regenerate and true beleevers not only may totally and finally fall from justifying saith as also from grace and salvation but that frequently also they indeed do fall from all these and perish everlastingly This opinion maketh the grace of justification and regeneration and Christs continuall custody voyd and of none effect contrary to the expresse words of St. Paul Rom. 5. 8. While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more then being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath through him And contrary to the Apostle St. Iohn 1 Joh. 3. 9. Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can be sin because he is borne of God And also contrary to the word of our Saviour Iohn 10. 28 29. I give eternall life to my sheep and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand my Father which gave them me is greater then all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand 4. They teach that the regeneraâ—e and truely faithfull may sin the sin unto death or against the holy Ghost St. Iohn in his first Epistle Chapter 5. Verse 16. Having made mention of such as sinned unto death and forbidden to pray for them presently verse 16. addeth We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not to wit that kinde of sin but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one coucheth him not 5. They teach that no certainty of future perseverance caâ— he had in this life without speciall revelation By this Doctrine the solid comfort of true beleevers in this life is quite taken away and the doctrine of doubâ—fulnesse â—â—â—ouched by the Papists is brought againe into the Church whereas the holy Scripture every wheâ—e draweth this assurance not from special and extraordinary revelation but from the proper markes and signes of Gods children and from the infallible promises made by God himselfe especially the Apostle Rom. 8. 39. No creature is able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ. 1 Joh 3. 24. He that keepeth his Commadement dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that hee abideth in us even by the spirit which hee hath given us 6. They teach that the doctrine maintaiâ—ing assurance and persâ—verance and of salvation is of its own nature gift a soft pillow for the flesh and hurtfull to good manners godlinesse praying and other holy exercises and contrariwise that it is a true commendable thing to be doubtfull of such perseverance The opposers of this assurance do evideÌ„tly shew that they know not the powerfulnesse of Gods grace nor the operation of the holy Ghost dwelling in the heart and spare not to outface the Apostle Iohn affiâ—ming the contrary in expresse terms 1 Ioh 3. 2 3. Beloved now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shal be but we know that when he shal appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every man that this hope in him purifieth himselfe even as he is pure They are also refuted by the examples of holy men both in the old and new Testament who though well assured of their own perseverance and salvation yet gave not over prayers and otheâ— exercises of godlinesse 7. They teach that the faith of those that beleeve but for a season differeth no from justifying and saving faith but onely in respect of continuance Christ himselfe manifestly puts Mat. 13. 20. Luke 8. 13. a three-fold disparison between temporisors and true beleevers saying that those receive the seed in a stony ground these in a good ground that is an honest and good heart these want root these have a fast root these are fruitlesse these bring forth their fruit with diversity of yeeld that with patience that is with constancy and perseverance 8. They teach that it is absurd that a man
should lose his first regeneration and be again new-borne spiritually They that reach this do thereby deny the uncorruptiblenesse of that divine seed whereof we are borne anew contrary to the testimony of the Apostle St. Peter 1 Pet. 1. 23. Being born anew not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 9. They teach that Christ never prayed for the faithfulls infallible perseverance in faith in which they contradict Christ his saying to Peter Luke 22 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not And also witnessing John 17. 20. That himselfe prayed not onely for his Apostles but also for all that should believe by their word when he said verse 11. Holy Father keep thine owne namely those whom thou hast given me and ver 15. I pray that thou shouldst not take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evill For your better satisfaction read the Synod held at Dort in the yeares of our Lord 1618 1619. where the Orthodoxe opinions of the Reformed Churches are set down and the errors before named condemned King James of blessed memory was a special means for the suppressing of these Sectaries as appeareth by his writings against them Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the world were laiâ— he hath constantly decreed by his counsels secret to us to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ ouâ— of man-kinde and to bring them to Christ to everlasting salvation as Vessels made to honour therâ—fore they which bee endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by adoption they bee made like the Image of his onely Son Jesus Christ they walke religioâ—sly in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity As the godly consideration of Predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feâ—le in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their minde to high and heavenly things aswell because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God so for curious and carnall persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous down-fall whereby the devill doth thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlesnesse of most uncleane living no lesse perilous then desparation Furthermore we must receâ—ve Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth in holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expressely declared unto us in the word of God To conclude sith wee cannot our selves think one good thought let us not in the work of salvation attribute any thing to our selves but to God let us give all the glory Of the Socinians In treating of these Sectaries I will propose 1. Their Originall 2. Some of their chiefe Errors with the refutation of them 1. SOcinisme 〈◊〉 Socinanisme hath its name from Lelius Socinus and his Nephew Faustus Socinus both Italians of Siena in the State of Florence 2. Lâ—lius Socinus in the time of Mr. Câ—lviâ— broached his opinions by private Letters written to Caâ—vin Faustus his Son by publike writings and by books foâ—lowed the steps of his Father in corrupting and traducing the sincere and Orthodoxe faith 3. For Socinianisme is a compound of many perâ—icious and antiquitated heresies in which are revived the errors especially of these five Sects viz. Ebioâ—â—tes Arrians Photâ—â—ians Servetians Antitrinitarians with which are joyned the Samofatonians and Sabâ—â—ans of whom also they participate Their erroneous and dangerous opinions may be read especially in the workes of Socinus Ostorodius Catechesis Racoviensis Crellius Volkelius and others The principall of them may be reduced to the heads following being sixe in number 1. Concerning God 1. That there is no naturall knowledge of God by which we may be instructed to any kinde of acknowledgement or beliefe of a Deiâ—y or any thing concerning the being of God Refuted Rom â— 20. Rom. 2. 14. 2. Christ his Incarnation 2. That the Incarnation of Christ is repugâ—ant to reason and cannot be sufficiently proved out of Scripture Refuted Iohn 1. 14. Deity That Christ is not truely God and that the believe of his divine nature is not agreeable to Scripture Refuted 1 Iohn 5. 7 8. Phil. 2. 6. Iohn 5. 18. Satisfaction That Christ did not by his death satisfie for our sins Refuted Iohn 11. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 15. Tit. 2. 14. Mat. 20 18 1 Tim. 2. 6. 3. The Holy Ghost That the holy Ghost is not God Refuted 1 Ioh. 5. 7. 4. The Trinity That it is repugnant to the word of God to beleeve three Persons and one God Refuted 1. Iohn 5. 7. Mat. 28. 19. 5. Man That Man in the state of Innocency was not created in originall righteousnesse Refuted Eccles. 7. 29. 6. The Scripture or word of God That the old Testament is not necessary for a Christian man though it may be profitably read Refuted Iohn 5. 46. Acts 17. 11. Antitrinitarians or new Arrians CAlled Arrians of the old Heretick Arrius who was a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria Achillas the Bishop being dead and Arriâ—â— having not the Bishoprick given him which he desired Alexander being chosen he infected the world with this heresie he was condemned in the Councell of Nice by 318. Bishops under the Emperor Constantine the great and banished he died as Iudas the Traytor did his Bowells falling out of his belly The Antitrinitarians have renewed Arrius his old heresie and they are called Antitrinitarians because they blaspheme violate the holy Trinity These Antitrinitarians sprung up in Polonia and neighbour Countries in the yeare of our Lord 1593. Against this Sect Doctor Pelargus Wigandus and others have written learned Treatises The horrible blasphemies and divillish opinions of these Hereâ—â—cks I am loath to name but that my desire is that Christians should take notice of them to beware of them 1. They deny the Trinity of Persons which blasphemie Saint Iohn refuteth 1 Iohn 5. 7. There are three that beare record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Read Gen. 1. 26. And God said let us make man in our owne Image and God created man in his owne â—mage Mat. 3. ver 17. 2. They deny the Son to be God which blasphemy is refuted Esa. 9. 6. For unto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given his name shall be called Wonderfull Councellour the mighty God c. Iohn 1. ver 1. 2. In the beginning was the Word
the name of Jesuite and would be called Apostles Disciple In Rome and other Countries that give him freedome he weares a maske upon his heart In England he shuffles in and puts it upon his face No place in our Climate hideth him so secretly as a Ladies Chamber The modesty of the Pursevant hath onely forborne the bed and so mist him There is no disease in Christendome that may so properly be called the Kings evill To conclude will you know him beyond the Sea In his Seminary he is a Fox but in the Inquisition a Lyon Rampant Since the printing of this Book I hear of an assembly wherein one preacheth against the Deity of Christ and of another great Congregation of Familists and of atheisticall books published I most humbly entreat Almighty God for Jesus Christs sake in mercy to look upon us and to keep our poore Church from these Doctrines of the Devill Amen Of the Pelagians WRicing of the Hereticks and Sectaâ—ies of these times â— thinke it not amisse to write somewhat of the Pelagians their ancient Errors reviving among us Pelagius was a Welch-man and he is usually stiled Pelagius the Briton to distinguish him from Pelagius the samosatensian Bishop a man learned and Orthodox Luther saith he was called Pelagius of Pelagus the sea his errors like the Sea over-flowing in a manner the whole world His name in Welch was Morgan which signifieth the sea He lived in the time of the Emperor Theodosius the younger about the yeare of our Lord 416. His Errors were condemned in the Synod of Carthage An. 425. in which there assembled 217. Bishopâ— and among other Saint Argustine And also in the Melivitan Councell held in Africa His Errors are set downe by Augustine Hierome Ambrose Isidore Prosper and Fulgentius Pontanus setteth them downe to be twelve 1. He taught that Adam had dyed although he had not sinned by the Law of nature and so sinne not to bee the cause of death 2 Adamâ— sin to bâ— noxious to himselfe onely and not to his posterity and thâ—re to be no original sinne 3 Lust and coâ—cupiscence being naturall not to be evill but rather good and sin not to be propagated by generation 4. The former being granted children to have no originall sin from their Parents 5. The children of the faithfull though not batized to be saved and to enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven 6. Men to have now free-will even after sin which is sufficient and fit to doe well without Gods grace 7. Gods grace to be obtained by the merit of our workes 8. The word grace in holy Scripture not to be meant the gracious remission of sin and the donation of the Holy Ghost but the pâ—omulgation of doctrine 9. Faith to be the knowledge of the Law and History as they call it not a speciall worke and our perseverance in faith 10. The Law of God to be satisfied by externall obedience neither it to be impossible for a man to keep 11. The prayers of the Church for sinners that they may be converted and for the faithfull to persevere to be made in vaiâ—e because it is in the power of our owne free-will Aâ—d wee need not aske that of God that we have power to dâ—e our selves 12. They doe mocke and scoffe at the doctrine of Predestinationâ— exploâ—ing it out of the Church These Errors need no confuâ—ation being so opposite to the holy Scripture Soule-Sleepers THat the soule dyeth with the body is an old and despicable Heresie raised in Arabia about the time of Origen and extinguished by his dispute immediately after the birth thereof Such as were infected with this opinion were termed by Saint Augustine Arabici by reason of the Province in which this Error first arose This Heresie is risen up againe among us and an abscure Author laboureth to maintaine in a Treatise late published among us intituled Mans mortality in which hee bringeth an argument out of Gen. 3. 19. where Adam is told that for his disobedience he must turne unto dust from whence he was made and not onely his body but also his soule which came not out of the dust In the description of mans Creation by Moses you may manifestly see the immortality of the soule When God created the Beasts c. he said Let the earth bring forth every living thing But when he made man Let us make man in our owne Image And againe The Lord God made man of the Dust of the earth that is his body and for his soule he breathed in his face the breath of life God created the Angels spirits without bodies The creatures bodies without soules he took a body and soule and made a man in his own Image in respect of his body he hath affinity with beasts in respect of his soule with heavenly spiâ—its The Beasts came out of the earth and to the earth they returne so mans body But his soule came from heaven and returneth to God that gave it Beside some foolish arguments alledged in the Treatise before named he citeth the words of Solomon Ecclsiastes 3. 10. For that which befalleth the sonnes of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so â—yeth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast for all is vanity All goe to one place all are of the dust and all turns to dust againe Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth Which words were to determination of Solomons but a History of what came in his thoughts and what troubled him and stirred him up to a solicitous enquiry concerning the soules condition but the state of the soule he determineth Chap. 12. saying Dust returneth unto the earth from whence it came and the Spirit to God that gave it To this resolution of Solomons I may adde our Lords answer to the Saduces Matth. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of the dead but of the living This Error of theirs is contrary to the holy Scriptures 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Psalme 31. 5. Luke 23. 46. Acts 7. 59. Apocal. 6. 40. 4. To conclude with Sap. 3. Though not received inâ—o the Canon yet it is confessed to be very ancient and therefore may claime precedency of authority before any heathen Philosopher The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and there shall no torment touch them 2. In the sight of the unwise they seem to dye and their departure is taken for misery and their going from us to utter destruction but they are in peace Deny the Scriptures AMong others one wicked Sect denieth the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament and account them as things of nought whereby by Gods command they that despised Moses Law by the mouth of two or three witnesses were to be put
is not for a Christian to name their opinions It hope that our Governours will drive these also from our Folds as they doe the Popish Emissaries It is fit for all that are Christians to avoyd all those who speake against Christ and to account them as the enemies of God and corrupters of soules Postscript SInce the publishing of this Heresiography I have been abused above measure not onely with reviling language in the streets as I goe but also in my estate some Sectaries of my Parish denying now to pay me any thing at all affirming that they are to maintaine the Minister of their owne Congregation And that which troubleth them is my defence of Tithes and the Ordinance of Parliament for the true payment of them The non-payment whereof is one of the chiefe inducements that the Brownists and some other Sectaries have to entise the silly people and to poyson them with their other errors which they learnt from the Anabaptists who taught also that Christian men were to pay no rent nor submit to any government for which the German Princes rooted them out of their Dominions Now these latter Hereticks daring not to forbid payment of rent nor Magistracy raile altogether upon the payment of Tithes and the Ordinance for Tithes lately set out by Parliament And some of them in a scandalous Libell among other things affirme Doctor Featlies Divell to be transmigrated into old Ephraim Pagitt would to God I had his learning who is altogether for fat Tithes c. I pray God keep the divell out of them A learned man writeth That if a man should binde himselfe to the Divell to doe his uttermost in supplanting the kingdome of Christ he could not attempt it any way more directly then in driving the Ministers to such straits and difficulties that having not convenient and necessary maintenance they must either give over their callings or devoyd of courage and comfort in sorrow exercise the same by occasion whereof others shall be discouraged from the study of Divinity nothing desirous to buy poverty so deare Such as I have said before doe not onely occidere Presbyteros kill Christs Ministers But also with Julian Presbyterium the very Ministery of Christ. Yea they strike at the root of Gods Service at Christs Priesthood going about to destroy the Ministry and Seminary of Gods Church But for the payment of Tithes which they so blaspheme the Ministers have to them a double right First by speciall reservation of Almighty God Secondly by humane donation For the first men have soules as well as bodies and God hath provided for them both as in the week he allowed six days for the body and sanctified the seventh for the soule so of mens goods he alloweth nine parts for the Body and reserveth a tenth for the soule to maintaine his Ministers to beget them unto God and teach them his knowledge a tenth part he precisely enjoyned that mans covetousnesse should not rob his Ministers which some would doe if the quota pars were lest to their discretions The reservation of Tithe is set downe in expresse words Levit. 27. 30. All the Tithe of the land whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree it is the Lords it is holy to the Lord. All none excepted is noâ— hereafter shall be but now is and hath been As the Sabbath was observed before the fourth Commandement was promulgaâ—â—d Exod. 20. So Tithes were paid long before this reservation to the Levites You may read of Abraham paying Tithe to Melchisedech and of lacob promising to pay them And now God reserving them to himselfe and establishing them upon the Levites so we have a succession of them unto Christ. Now hath not Christ a Priest-hood and that more excellent then Melchisedechs or the Levites Melchisedech blessed Abraham But in our High Priest all the Nations of the earth are blessed The Apostle telleth us as Chrysostome affirmeth that Christ received Tithe from Levi by Abraham father of the faithfull who paying Tithe to Melchisedech shadowed out the faithfull paying Tithe to Christ. For Abraham payed Tithe not to the Priest that offered Leviticall Sacrifices of Bullocks and Goats but of Bread and Wine setting â—orth to what Priests we must pay Tithes to Hath not Christ our High Priest a Priest-hood yes and why should not Tithes bee due to his Priest-hood are his Priests to serve for nothing he telleth us himselfe that the Labouâ—er is worthy of his wages How dare any man deny Tithes to Christs Priest-hood tell me is Christs Priest-hood lesâ—e deserving than Aarons or Melchisedechs or hath he lost his right or hath Christ lesse care of the Ministers of of the Gospell then was taken for the Priests of the Law Saint Paul saith they are worthy of double honour Or hath Christ renounced his right in Tithes no you may read of his expresse allowance of them Matth. 23. 23. It is his Ordinance 1 Cor. 9. 3. Doeâ—ce not know that they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar So hath God ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell God hath ordained saith the Aposâ—le where can we finde aâ—y other ordinaâ—ce The Apostles sâ—â—teth downe the difference between the Leviâ—â—call Priests and Christ Heb. 7. 8. They under the Tabernacle take Tithes of them who dyed but here he taketh them that liveth for ever In which Text he sheweth that Tithes are not Leviticall and a mutable maintenance but the eternall maintenance of Gods service used before the Law when the Priest-hood was in the Father of the Family stated on not first invented sor Levi during the Levites service and when the body came which was Christs and Levi with all his Typicall service was to be abolished then ceased not Tithes in right although in practise they were not paid by Pagans but were transferred to Christ and to his Ministers for their maintenance yea to the Priest-hood of Christ who liveth for ever Let these Sectaries shew any one Sillable in all the holy Scriptures in which Tithes are Ceremoniall as the Sacrifices were which were types and figures of Christs Sacrifice which he offered once for all and in him determined Or where Christ or his Apostles may but seeme to have abrogated abolished or changed them or why the Law for Tithes should be more abolished then the Law for the Sabbath The service of God continuing why should not the maintenance thereof continue To conclude as the Christians so also the Mahometans who are much more numerous than the Christians pay their Tithes with great conscience the detention of them is one of the grand sinnes which the two inquisitor Angels of their Law doe examine soules after death viz. Whether they have payd their Tithes without fraud as witnesseth Ioannes Baptist a Alfaqui who had been a Mahometan Priest The wisedome of Almighty God the practise of all ages the example of Patriarks Abraham and Iacob