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
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
Christian Churches in the world untill the Anabaptists To conclude let the Brownists confesse our Bâ—shops to be but Christians which they cannot deny and the Ordination of our Ministers will be lawfull by their owne rules for if the Ordination of their Ministers by Plâ—beian Artificers be lawfull how much more is the Ordination of our Ministers by Bishops and learned Ministers qualified with learning and wisedome and set apart to doe the same 16. Brownists Ordination BUT let them shew who devised their Ordination of Ministers I dare say not Christ nor his Apostles nor their Successors What Church in the whole world can be produced unlesse in case of necessity whose conspiring multitudes made them Ministers at pleasure What rule of the Church prescribeth it What Reformed Church ever did it or doth practise it What example warrants it where have the inâ—eriours presumed to lay their hands upon their Superiours It is an old policy of the faulty to complain first certainly there was never Popish Legend a more errand device of man then some parts of this Ministery of theirs so much gloried in for sincere correspondency with the first Institution 17. For their Singing FOR their singing of Psalmes it is almost left among them for in Master Iohnsons Assembly they had new râ—ymes but in so harsh and hard a phrase that the people knew not what they meant so that they could not sing with understanding 2. These being in use and the coppies being kept from the people by that means singing of Psalmes was kept from the people and shâ—t out of private houses 3. Againe by reason of the uncouth and strange translation and Meetre used in them the Congregation was made a laughing-stock unto strangers Master Daniel Studley pleaded for the continuance of those rhimes the Congregation complaining of them For saith my Author he had a good veine in making thimes especially filthy and obscene ones which he taught unto little children his Schollers and to Mistris May who used in her house to sing such songs being more fit for a common Bawde then for a person professing the pure separation They object against all the Churches in Amsterdam that they have Organs to modulate their voices in singing Sure I am the Separatists also had need of somewhat as a Bag-pipe or somewhat never used by Antichrist to tune them singing in their Conventicles like hogs against raine Here I might aske some questions viz. why singing set Psalmes doth not confine the spirit we being commanded to sing with the spirit as much as saying set Prayers and why the brethren inspired with the spirit doe not every day sing a new song as make a new Prayer which are set prayers to the People and why the people may not pray together with the Minister as it was the custome of al Christian Churches as sing together And lastly why Lay-men doe not pray in the Church aswel as preach or prophesie in the Church Do they not in forbidding the people to pray with the Minister as the Papists do in depriving the people of the Cup in the Sacrament and that for the honour of the Priest-hood 18. Of their prophecying AS the illuminated Anabaptists are called Preachers so the fanatick Brownists take upon them to be Prophets and to preach the word of God with all authority publikely in their Congregations St Panlasketh how they can preach except they be sent And this standeth to good reason every true Preacher standeth in Gods roome being the Lords Embassador to doe his will who dares doe this unsent These come not from the Schooles of the Prophers but from Mechanick trades set them down in Moses Chaire as Embassadors of Jesus Christ as Heralds of the most high God These take upon them to reveale the secrets of the Almighty to open shut heaven to save soules But to hear these fellowes discourse of the holy Trinity of Gods eternal Decree other deep poynts of Divinity you may hear the Mad-men in Bedlam prare as wisely as they May not Almighty God say to these mad Prophets what hast thou to doe to take my Word in thy mought c. Of their confused preaching or rather prating heare Mr. Simpson complaine and especially of the Prophets in Master Ainsworths Church For our manner saith he of meeting upon the Lords day it is with such a confusion and contradiction with one another that our profession of Separation may be overthrowne by it For example Thomas Cochi in his prophesie witnessing against England their Ministery is Anti-christian and being so cannot beget true faith and where there is no true faith there is no true salvation a fearefull sentence in my judgemnt Again our beloved Mr. de Cluse in his prophesie laboured to prove separation from a true Church for any corruption obstinately stood in this Doctrine was by another in prophecying there shewed to be absolutely contrary to the place Rev. 2. 24. which how unsoundly it was concluded by our Teacher was â—â—en observed by many Also it was since by another delivered in the way aâ— prophesie that even among our selves did reigne in my 〈◊〉 as namely fulnesse of bread pride and idlenesse 〈…〉 in that they were not satisfied with neither temporall nor â—pirituall food pride in that many did strive to goe beyond their calling idlenesse in that many were negligent in their callings If these things be so and be not redressed by the 〈◊〉 of this proâ—hesie we must according to Mr. deâ—Cluse his Doctrine make a new sâ—paration How oft doe the Brâ—threâ— except one against anothers prophecying by which much heart-burning and strife is â—indlâ—d between them Thâ—se thiâ—gs being well considered I pray you well to minde whether this new way of prophecying on the Lords day can be â—or the edification of the Church or not For this new propâ—â—ying of the Lay people read a Treatise newly set forth by 〈◊〉 Apolâ—nij 19. They will use no set Formes of Prayer THey finde fault with set Formes of Prayers and this also they learne of the Anabaptists who having burnt all the Books in Munster and in the Dominions of King Iohn of Zâ—â—on except the Bible were compelled either to pray without book which they call Praying with the spirit or not at all moreover the Anabaptists were so ignorant as Lambertus Hortensiâ—â— reporteth that among the numerous multitude of them 〈◊〉 was not one found as it was credibly reported that could read So they being not able to pray within book but all without book They have with the Brownists invented divers arguments against set Prayers They pretend set Prayers to be a device of man a muzling of the spirit a nurse of idlenesse and a meanes to neglect the graâ—es of God that are in them whereas they pretend extemporary prayers to be the work of the spirit whereas rather thereby they â—â—zzell the spirit of the people being tyed to the ex tempoâ—e and 〈◊〉 prayers of the Ministers
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