condition as the children of Turks c. It was Adams disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit that put all his posterity equally into a sinfull and miserable condition H Storming of Antichrist p. 53. This opinion puts all infants of beleevers into the same condition with Turks and Indians Answ As the infants of Turks and Christians dying infants are all alike free from actuall sin being onely guilty of originall why may they not partake of the same benefit of free grace why may we not have charitable thoughts concerning the salvation of Turkish infants seeing we know nothing of their damnation and we reade not of any one in Scripture damned meerly for originall sin the innocency of all infants so dying is the same in respect of actuall sin I Bakwels Answer p. 2. Here I doubt they exclude all infants that die in their infancy from salvation because they are not capable of such knowledge of God and Christ you answer saying you know not what is this knowledge neither hath the Scripture revealed any such that were saved K Tombs Apology p. 64. The truth is I neither leave infants in the Devils nor Gods visible Kingdome for I conceive they are in neither Kingdome visibly till they declare by their profession to whom they belong visibly Ibid. p. 66. I suppose in reference to the present point this is the truth that however every infant is either in the invisible Kingdome of God or Satan that is elect or reprobate yet no child till he make profession doth visibly belong either to the one or to the other I acknowledge that in the visible Church of the Jews the infants were reckoned to the Church and the reason was from the peculiar Church State of the Jews L Gangren first Part p. 20. There is no originall sin in us only Adams first sin was originall sin M Ibid. p. 1. of the second division Henry Den in a conference with M. Strong delivered that Christ did satisfie for the sins committed against the first Covenant Being urged that the Heathen then must all be saved because their sins against the first Covenant were pardoned and they had never sinned against the second which was never revealed to them he answered the Heathen had Christ preached to them in the creatures Sun Moon and Stars N Ibid. p. 110. The Independent Churches in Somersetshire deliver that a Minister baptizing Infants is a false Prophet also that Adam was created in sin and that he was as sinfull before his fall as after and that Christ was a sinner his nature being defiled with sin as well as the nature of other men is O Vide supra N. P Gangren first Part second division p. 24. Nichols in Moore-fields maintained that God was the Author of all sin Q Treatise of Baptisme p. 148. It is not a hope you must goe upon for the giving of Ordinances and holy seals but a judgement Paul called the Saints positively faithfull and elect when we come to admit members if they give but onely ground of hopes we let them stay for their own profit and the discharge of our duty till they can give us the ground of a judgement the Apostle says positively they are holy you ought to assure your self they are so Ibid. p. 252. A male infant is the subject of circumcision but a beleever is the subject of Baptisme R The vanity of childish Baptism first Part p. 29. They of the separation grant that no children save onely beleevers children are in the Covenant or have right to Baptism their Parents by their own acknowlegement being ungodly whence it will follow that they themselves being baptized in their infancy had not the baptism of Christ and so by consequence are yet unbaptized persons Garner of Baptism p. 14 15. Beleevers by Baptism do orderly enter into the body or congregation of Christ hence I may take occasion to satisfie such if the Lord please as are opposite unto beleevers baptism and their entrance into the Church by baptism and contend much for their entrance into a Church estate by Covenant or contract without baptism S Declaration by Cocks c. p. 13. The baptizing of infants doth deny Christ to be come in the flesh T Tombs Apology p. 66. I confesse that they who hold that members are added to the Church by baptism and not otherwise and hold a nullity of paedobaptism must needs say the Churches that have no other then infant baptism are no true Churches nor their members Church members but those points of the necessity of right baptism not onely to the right order but also to the beeing of a visible Church and Church member and so voluntary separation barely for the defect of it I have ever disclaimed V Gangren second Part p. 8. A godly Minister related that Oats an Anabaptisticall Emissary was followed in Essex by many loose persons he spoke it upon his knowledge that notorious whoremongers and drunkards follow him such as have been convicted by witnesses and taken notice of by the Countrey and are such still yet go after him where he preaches from place to place X Vanity of childish Baptism p. 8. The institution of Christ requireth that the whole man be dipped all over in water whosoever is not dipped is not baptized and he that is only sprinkled or hath water onely imposed upon him is not dipped whence this consequence clearly results That all those that have the administration of Baptism either by sprinkling or by any washing without dipping have not the Baptism of the New Testament and by consequence are unbaptized persons Y Vide Gangren first Part second division p. 5. Z M. Tombs exercitation presented to the Chairman of a Committee of the Assembly of Divines and an Apology for the two Treatises against the unjust censures of Doctor Homes M. Geere M. Marshall M. Lee M. Hussey M. Black M. Calamy M. Vines AA Tombs Apology p. 64. Why doth he make my opinion odious as if I put all the children of the whole Church out of the Covenant of grace as I do the children of the Turks and acknowledge no more promise for the one then for the other whereas when he hath said as much as he can for them he can bring no more promise for them then I doe nor dares reject the limitations I restraine them by M. Marshals defence pag. 85. To my understanding you here clearly yeeld the infants of beleevers to be in the same condition in reference to the Covenant of grace which the infants of Turks and Indians are in no more promise for the one then for the other which so oft as you consider me thinks your Fatherly bowels to your own children should be moved within you Ibid. p. 98. I confesse I suspect you have a further meaning not onely because you here mention the temporall blessings before the spirituall and call the land of Canaan the Covenant made with Abraham but especially that expression which you own from Cameron
Anabaptism THE TRVE FOVNTAINE OF Independency Brownisme Antinomy Familisme And the most of the other Errours which for the time doe trouble the Church of England VNSEALED ALSO The Questions of Paedobaptisme and Dipping Handled from Scripture IN A Second Part of The Disswasive from the Errors of the time By ROBERT BAILLIE Minister at Glasgow And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord of Hosts that I will cut off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall no more be remembred and also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the Land Zach. 13.2 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evill spoken of 2 Pet. 2.1 2. LONDON Printed by M. F. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brazen serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1647. FOR THE RIGHT HONOURABLE the Earl of Lauderdail Viscount Metellan Lord Thirleston and Bolton YOur Lordships kinde acceptance of this mean Treatise in its first part brings the rest of it now to your feet upon hope it may goe out with the like countenance and favour In these very miserable times when so many of all conditions are given over to beleeve lies to be inveigled with the hypocrisie of seducing spirits which the Lord in his justice has permitted to goe forth in a great multitude for the seduction of this present evill world the truth is glad of the patrociny and assistance of all who will be on its side and of none more then of such as your Lordship I mean of persons so much eminent in wisdome learning courage zeal and other noble qualities above the most of their fellows in birth and rank as these doe ordinarily account themselves elevated by their civill priviledges above the common multitude And truly it will be found no lesse prudence then piety for men of your Lordships place to put and hold themselves in these unhappy days upon the side of truth though never so much deserted disgraced and trampled upon by a world of simple or malicious ignorants For now it is when the Lord with his axe is going through his garden and hewing down not onely thousands of brambles and bushes of lower stature but many of the tallest Cedars the highest Palms the thickest Oaks and they who yet remain untouched though none doe know how soon the axe may be applyed to their branches yea their very root yet many have reason to fear that their stroak may be suddain Among the wofull spectacles of our time none use to touch a heart wherein is any humanity with more compassion then the ruine of ancient Families How many great and potent houses are blown over by these late tempests How many this day be tottering and very like to fall before the windes be calmed and of those that appear in least danger being incompassed with the thickest defences that policy can invent against all storms above ground how easily may subterraneous vapours shake their foundations and when all fear is past of the evanished and invisible storm by an unexpected Earthquake lay their wals also levell with the ground There is no security for the greatest and strongest edifices but in the rock of truth what ever is builded upon this were it never so brittle will stand out the greatest blasts And if any breach be made the God of truth will not fail to repair it till the appointed time for the change of all things under the Sun bring that Cottage of clay to its fatall period And even then the house shall fall without any prejudice to the Inhabitant whosoever hath been a true lover and patron of truth For how small is the losse of a translation from a mansion upon earth to one in the heaven not made with hands But here is a losse indeed and a fall truly lamentable which oft to our sorrow we may see and have reason to fear shall yet be more frequent amongst us when unhappy Inhabitants by the hands of their errors and vices subvert the pillars of their Ancestors habitation and bury with themselves their whole family under the rubbish of a temporall ruine without any hope of reparation either in earth or heaven In the following writ I point at the danger wherein not onely families but the whole fabrick of our Churches and Kingdomes doe for the present stand while the Episcopall and Sectarian factions are doing their utmost endeavours to have all our former sufferings to be but short prologues to new very prolix if not endless Tragedies The one so far demented with a frantick passion towards the government and service of the Church of Rome that all the miseries which they have brought upon themselves and millions of others have not in the least degree cured the disease of their corrupted mindes so far are they from untying the knots that their own hands have made or essaying to draw any of their deceived party out of the perplexities of conscience wherein their mis-informations alone have cast them that rather then to retract their errors rather then to advise the lawfulnesse of joyning with all the rest of the Reformed Churches in laying aside Episcopacy and Liturgick ceremonies they choose to give up the neck of their Countrey to the sword of bloudy and idolatrous strangers They are content to draw all again to the hazard of a new more terrible war Tell them of the too probable issue of their obstinacy that if their designs should prosper the danger would be greater then their wit or the wisdome of any mortall creature could secure us from to have a tyranny planted in our State and Popery without any more circumlocution setled in our Church But if their renued warre should again miscarry that then the hazard is evident of undoing the royal family of turning the civil State of England into a Babell of confusion and the Church thereof into a fountain of heresies for the intoxication with its streams of all the rest of the Reformed To all such very rationall discourses this generation of men is deaf as if all naturall affection to their distressed Countrey were dead and sympathy with any of the true Churches of Christ altogether extinguished in them This is one ground of our present fear O if it were all so should we if needs must goe out again with great courage against that Squadron of Malignants But when we have returned Victors from that field behold our more perillous exercises are but yet approaching The Sectaries of more names and kindes then ever were known in any Kingdome of the world tell us with open mouth we must be their slaves They must have liberty to overthrow our Parliaments all Kings all Lords and this House of Commons to set
up the individuals as they love to speak of the whole multitude in the Throne of absolute Soveraignty From this new Soveraign we are commanded to expect a body of new Laws a modell of a new Ochlocratorick government This yoak much worse then a Turkish slavery must be put upon our body but a worse upon our soul A full liberty must be granted to every Seducer who will in the most publick places within the doors of our houses also perswade our loving consorts our dear children our faithfull servants friends to deny Christ to embrace Mahomets Alcoran the Jewish Talmud the fables of the Pagan Poets in place of the Old and New Testament for the everlasting destruction of their souls This is the reward which the Sectaries plead for as due to their labors in the war against the coÌ„mon Enemy would they stand to the determination of the most favorable if any way equitable Judge they pleased to chuse glad would we be to see their merits weighed to the full and much above all their deservings attributed unto them But by any possible deserving to think of obtaining a liberty to doe a great deal more mischief both to Church and State both to the souls and bodies of men then ever any former enemy did intend carries not the face of any justice As for their great deservings which always they are trumpeting out with a loud noise we onely say that they doe not prudently to bring them so oft near the ballance of triall for if that which I have heard from many both wife and gracious men be true their merits will be found to be but of a very common alloy Where did the most of them lurk when the heat of the day did scorch the valiant labourers of both Nations When Ruthven New-Castle Rupert Hâ—pton did keep the field with Armies of any number or vigour When noble Essex at Keinton had the King in the prime vigour of his strength upon his army When Leslie about Bawdoun was compassed for some weeks in the bare fields with frost and snow with wants of all kinds with the very gallant Army of New-Castle double in number and much better provided then any thing that P. Rupert could bring to Naisby when in Marston-Moor David Leslie and Crawford with the flour of the Scots and gracious Manchesters Army were breaking the greatest and most formidable strength that ever the Enemy commanded in all this War It is true when the work was as good as done by the sweat bloud of others when the Enemies were become so low that they were never more able to bring ten thousand together when the danger was well-near all over and gone then was it good time for them to come in play and with their cunning legerdemain to shuffle all others who had managed the Game while it was hazardous They were then so wise as in the end of the day with a great deal of courage to fall upon the back of a broken Enemy It could be no great miracle of valour and conduct to take up the forces and treasure almost of all England and then at Naisby with a greater number well payed armed and disciplined to beat nine thousand of evill led evill payed and evill armed soldiers the most part raw and new levied Welshes Had they ever any enemy after that day in the field of half either their number or strength And when their Adversary had left the field without any hope of a new Army to take in place after place which had neither supplies within nor any hope of rescue from abroad cannot bâ—â—â— very monstrous prowess What if such a piece of soldiery had faln in their hands as Massies defence and Essex rescue of Gloucester As Essex and the Londoners fought at Newbury As David Leslies march and medly at Philiphaugh As Pointz enterprize neer Chester What if in any of the gallant services of Sir Thomas Fairfax the half of the actors had been of their feather and livery Could any ears then have endured the noise of their miraculous merits But I hold Immodesty and impudence doe oft draw on reckonings which else would have been forborn With the former troublers of our Church I have dealt in divers other Treatises and by Gods grace I purpose to have always one eye open for the observance of all their motions with the latter I continue to meddle in this part also of my Disswasive How candid and fair my dealing with them is and how little I intend either to irritate or hurt the person of any of them in my Prefaces to both parts I shew at length By these poor endeavours of mine and the more rich and strong Treatises of others I wish your Lordship may be advanced in your zeal against error and whatsoever else is contrary either to the profession or practice of any part of true Religion Thus shall you stand when others of your rank doe fall and when they by their ignorance prophanity lust revenge self-seeking banish out of their houses that honour which their noble Progenitors laid up in store your Lordship by your perseverance growth in that integrity and zeal for the trutâ— wherein hitherto by the great mercy of God you have been exemplary to many above your age shall adde new store to the old and that very ancient Nobility which you found laid up in your family from many ages you shall transmit to posterity with encrease of a new lustre from the gracious endowments the vertuous and honourable performances of your own person So earnestly wishes and heartily prays Your much obliged in all Christian duty RO BAILLIE Worcester House the 28 Decemb. 1646. The PREFACE IT is a matter of griefe and regrate Slothfulnesse is fatall when most unseasonable that most people are never more carelesse of duty then when the neglect of it is most unseasonable and dangerous When leaks within and storms without have brought the Vessell to a present hazard to be swallowed up of the waves it is then that the Pilot has greatest difficulty to set himself and his Mariners upon the performance with any chearfulnesse of those services which are necessary for the Ships safety The too lively apprehension of the imminent danger doth so distract the heart with grief fear and despair that confusion dazleth the eyes and binds up the hands of them who otherwise are not void either of skill or courage or diligence to act for the common preservation When an Army is once brangled shattered and put in such misorder as it begins to run many men though at other times stout enough cannot then be moved to stay albeit they know standing to be the best remedy to preserve their life and liberty or at least to sell them at some considerable rate which by flight are ordinarily betrayed lost and sold to the Enemy for no price at all When the foundations of a State and Kingdome begin so fast to shake as a present ruine is
threatned to the building there be few then that have courage to set under their shoulder But the most to save their own head become of the Publick what may are glad to goe out and turn their back on a ruinous and falling aedifice Men most carelesse when their dangers greatest The very same is the condition of the Church of Christ in its greatest dangers the dulnesse the stupidity the feneantise of her servants are very oft too palpable the chief of the Apostles when their Master was to be taken from off their head when the Shepheard was to be smitten and the sheep to be scattered through very grief and feare did fall into so deep a sleep that with much adoe Christ himself got them roused up though Judas the Traitor was at hand Towards the consummation of all things when the end of the world is neer when the Lord Christ shall be upon his return and even at the doors when best it beseems his servants to have their lamps burning and their loyns girded to be ready upon every call to goe out and meet their Master when the expectation of the last Trumpet when the noise of wars and rumours of more and worse wars when the sound of heresies and errours grow louder then ever before when such things as these in reason ought to keepe the watchmen on foot upon their watch Towers yet behold the unhappinesse of these very times even then the wisest Virgins the faithfullest servants slumber and sleeep till the generall cry of the Bridegrooms comming make them all awake We dare not make so bold as some with the determinations of the times and seasons which the Lord keeps secret from the very Angels in the hollow of his own hand yet it will not be presumption to conjecture the propinquity and neernesse of the last times by the evidence of some at least of their symptomes and prâ—vious signs which at the present are visible to any who have the smallest measure of spirituall understanding I shall speak but of the two in hand the present danger and yet the present negligence of the people of God The Protestant Churches have not of a long time been so to be devoured by the teeth of the Beast as at this day The present danger of the Protestant Churches Of France What keeps all the faithfull in France Geneva Sedan out of the mouth of the Romish wolf have the Supposts of Rome think we lost all their wonted stomach towards Protestant blood The Irish Massacres may free us of that fancy stay till the French King get out of his childhood or before in the intervall of some peace or truce from forain war a little leisure be given to that Court to bring home their Armies whensoever that unhappy day shal dawn there is no more expectation of quietnesse yea no more possibility of subsisting to any of those Churches but in the mercy of God who now doth divert and then can avert and bridle the rage of that powerfull State against which these weak lambs have no humane force to oppose How many thousands there are panting for a morning when once they may re-celebrate S. Bartholomews Matins and bring the old Massacres again in fashion which now may be execute with a great deal of more safety and ease then ever The condition of Holland seems not at all safe to those who know the inside of their States Of Holland it 's like the predominant motive of their reconciliation now in hand with their hereditary enemies of Spain is no other then fear if their prepotent neighbour of France can but re-invest his Crown with his ancient fees of Flanders and Brabant as he hath done with Artois and Lorrain with Catalaunia and Alsas and divers more Provinces Holland fals next to be dealt with for nothing doth then stand betwixt it and the French Arms. The Protestants of Zuitserland cannot be free of danger so long as the most of the Cantons are bigotly popish Of Zuits and very strictly allyed with the popish States that lie round about them The Churches of higher Germany have long lien in Of Germany the dust and in our days oftner then once have been very near to be devoured by the bill of the Austrian Eagle and the paw of the Bavarian Lion and though that ravenous bird and cruell beast were both disabled from preying any more upon their harmlesse neighbours whereof the appearance this day is but small yet there is a more strong and wicked beast then either of the former still ramping at their doors the Grand Signior is daily upon the German borders too ready to fal upon that poor Country when the Princes and Cities by mutuall wounds have now disabled themselves more then in any by gone age to resist so terrible a power Of Briâ—â—in by the Mâ—lâ—gnaâ—ts Britain was wont to be taken for the head and heart for the strongest Bulwark of the Protestant strength how are the present dangers thereof and in in it of the whole Protestant Churches it 's easie to judge How much of late the leaders of the Court and Clergy of both Kingdomes had advanced the design of bringing in well-near the whole body of Popery at least a full reconciliation with Rome And when their counsels were discovered and begun to be opposed how near oft of late they have been to force upon the neck of the whole Isle by violence the yoak of what ever tyranny in State or errours in Religion they pleased the world hath seen and many thousands have felt to their utter undoing whereof long agoe we gave some account in the Canterburian Self-conviction and parallel of the Service Book with the Missall By the Sectâ—ries But behold while we are wrestling to the bloud and extream hazard of all that is dear with that tyrannous superstitious and profane party There is now start up at our back another enemy little lesse dangerous then the former A swarm of heresies and sects darkens the sun of truth fils the air with noxious vapours is ready upon a little more encrease to fall down on the earth for the overwhelming of of the State as well as the Church betwixt these two milstones the Orthodoxe Churches of this whole Isle if the hand of the Lord prevent it not are in hazard to be ground to dust and ashes It is true Our dangers from the Malignants are not yet past the Malignants by the miraculous power of God are brought so low that in the eyes of the most their force seems now contemptible yet wiser men doe see too great cause to be affraid of them this day little lesse then ever Their numbers over all the Isle are yet very great their hearts are nothing changed though some bands for the time be put upon their hands The unexcusable obstinacy of the Episcopall Divines I have often marvailed and much regrated that many reverend and very learned Divines of that side have
been to this houre so silent as to give no glory to God nor any assistance at all to the setling of the State and Church though it be clear as the noon-day that the ways of their party did really tend to the corrupting and enslaving both of State and Church that the Parliaments of both Kingdomes were put to an absolute necessity of defence against their force to preserve their own and the posterities necks from an iron yoak both of Ecclesiastick and Civill bondage that the continuance of this war has brought the Kingdomes oft to the border and the King this day to the very doors of ruine that the Church is overflowed with a floud of evils all which by their timous and cordiall conjunction with their brethren might â—â—ppily in some good measure have been prevented Shall Episcopacy and a read Service be so necessary in a Church that rather then England should joyn with all the rest of the reformed to lay them aside the King the Parliament the State of the Kingdomes and Churches of the whole Isle must perish for any help that any of them will make with the least of their fingers Posterity cannot take well at their hands so pervicacious an obstinacy Suppose so many provocations and scandals cast in their way by the hand of others as may be yet for men of parts and fame to be touched with no compassion towards the Churches of God and their deare Countrey but to adhere so stifly to these things w th the best of their friends in all other Protestant Churches did esteem ever to be but needlesse and changeable and which now the better part of the whole Isle doth beleeve to be dangerous corruptions and necessary to be removed for them to be so wedded to those toys that rather then they will advise to lay them aside they can be content to behold the whole royall Family both the Houses of Parliament the City the Countrey and all to be destroyed such prodigious pertinacy cannot want great guiltinesse It s great folly to misprize the danger from France However that our dangers from the Malignant party doth yet continue will not be doubted when thâ—ir number and quality and great obstinacy yet over all England is considered In Scotland their case is not much unlike Ireland is well-near wholly their own their correspondence with the neighbour States is great their hopes from France seem to be but too well grounded If the peace of Munster come quickly to an end as the appearances are great enough France Sueden and Bavaria being sure of all their desires at the charge of the Austrians and our best friends the reformed Electors Palatine and Brandeburg what else has the French adoe with their great Armies and Navies Their peace with Spain is not so impossible as some would mâ—â—e it they will be glad to give over their interest in Catalonia and Portugall for the fair and nearly adjoining Territories of West-Flanders In such a bargain they would make the dishonesty to be but small for the Catalans shall not be deserted when reconciled to their own King in such tearms as themselves shall like for the performance whereof France will oblige their alliance with Portugall is not so strict but a lesse bud then the half of West-Flanders will easily break it in pieces and that without much hazard to Portugall for it is easie to France to send them under-hand as many men and money and to see to their subsistence as well as when the confederacy was open and avowed It is the ridiculous blindnesse of some to contemn the posture of all the world abroad as if England were situated so far above the moon and stars that the most malign aspects of all neighbour Nations could have no influence upon it Be it so that vigoroâ—s and healthfull bodies are little sensible of planetary operations yet very small changes of the heavens and air are able to vex much a crazy and valetudinary person For many ages Britain has not been in so great a distemper as this day it is Antichrist may be near to swallow down the whole reformed Churches the people so broken and exhausted by a heavy war the land full of open divisions and heart-burnings the best and greatest part groaning under heavy grievances both of Church and State whereof there is little appearance of any possibility of redresse in haste the Sectaries growing in numbers and insolencies of all kinds and openly inclining to join with the Malignants rather then to misse of their hopes and very unreasonable desires Fools are blind and unable to comprehend the grounds of just fear and so they go on in their rashnesse till they be plunged in the ditch of remedilesse calamity and then onely doe they begin to complain of their former inconsideration What long has been the opinion and fear of some not unconsiderable Divines that Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West and suppresse the whole Protestant Churches I pray God to avert If froÌ„ the Malignant hand there appear not mischief enough to hang this day over the head of the Churches of Britain The flood of Errours and Heresies like to overflow the Church let us divert a little our eye to the other side the nâ—w generation of Sectaries from this quarter so much smoak doth arise as alone is abundantly able to darken our skie It is long since all at least the principall Articles of Christian Religion without exception of any that I remember have been oppugned The holy Scriptures both the Godhead and Manhood of Jesus Christ the holy Ghost the Divinity it self is now exploded with high and basphemous scorn all Churches all Sacraments all publick Worship and Ordinances are made unnecessary A liberty for all Errours the great aim yea unlawfull And if any point of Religion hath had the fortune to escape the blasphemous tongues and pens of these erroneous men lest it should still go free from opposition the most of that party have nâ—w set up their rest upon a principle which makes them sure to gather up their gleanings when ever their leisure may serve them to make a review of their omissions A liberty to beleeve to professe to propagate in matter of Religion whatever any the most desperately erroneous soul may conceive to be truth All these are but things of the mind and matters of opinion a toleration in them is miserable and despicable but a free and absolute liberty in every such thing is the due and naturall right of every humane creature in all places of the whole earth This monstrous imagination of liberty is not only generally put in practise without any considerable control now for some years in the midst and all the corners of England but men of prime place have courage to write the justice of it under their hand to the High Court of Parliament yet without any repentance we hear of The Parliament
and pleaded for by too many and too eminent Patrons If those mens counsell might be followed The monster of Libertinism what at once should bee the condition of the Church of England It could not but by and by become the most hideous and wofull monster that ever any pious eye did beheld every two or three making up an Independent-Congregation for the setting up of what ever tenets and worship themselves please to invent albeit for no longer a time then every single person amongst them doe think fit They stick not to professe the lawfulnesse to erect at least the unlawfulnesse to disturb when erected in the most publick places Schools and Professions for the perswading of all the idolatries and blasphemies which either of old or this day have been among the Pagans Turks Jews or the most infamous hereticall Christians that so from England as an open fountain the streams of all those and if they be any more imaginable errours may be sent out to every other part of the Christian world adding That whoever is against this happy liberty is without all doubt a corrupt fleshly and unregenerate man ignorant of the grace of God whom the Magistrate is obliged to punish though by duty he is to protect all other in the free enjoyment and practise of all the dictates of their own minde The devill had never a more clear and downright way not onely to evert all Churches but to explode as a ridiculous scorn whatever looks like truth or has the least savour of any Religion The Sectaries having done with the Church proceed to the ovâ—rthrow of the State For all this there might be sâ—me hope of subsistence for Religion if those men when they have done their worst against the Church would be content to hold their hands off the State for it cannot be but where ever a truly Christian State doth stand it will shelter the Church and by no art no force so long as it hath any beeing for its sâ—lf will it exterminate the Lords inheritance The spirit that leads the Sectaries knowing this in all his long experience letteth them not rest in their designes against Religion but presseth them on for doing their endeavour to pull down the State likewise Wee need not speake of their declared rage against Vniversities and all Societies of Learning against the profession and person of all Lawyers against the Society of Merchant-adventurers against the Common-Councell and Court of Aldermen in the City of London all these things to them are corruptions and grievances to be extirpate But that which we are most affraid for is that with their whole strength they attach the known foundation of the whole State the High Court of Parliament The Parliament must be abolished It 's not onely the King who must bee cut in pieces with Agag and for his faults the whole royall race yea the very state and condition of Royalty and Monarchy must be razed and abolished for ever but also the House of Lords and the whole Peerage of England must follow the fortune of the King and with him fall under a perpetuall abolition yea the House of Commons it self the onely remainder of our hope must walk in that same way their House likewise must be pulled down about their ears The common people every individuall of the whole multitude must be set on the Throne of Soveraignty to mould themselves in a new fashion of State and frame to themselves a body of new laws by the hands of such persons as they may be pleased to set up for their Deputies in a new House of Commons When such dictates are put in print and under the eye of Authority daily in Pamphlet after Pamphlet sent out over the whole Land to open the eyes of the blinde with this new glorious light of the Kinghood as they call it of every individuall of the people as well beggers fools and rogues as the most vertuous wise noble and wealthy persons When such maximes are sweetly hugged in the arms not onely of the multitude but others of the best quality when the authors and abettors of so good and wise Positions are caressed cryed up rewarded with preferment in the State in the Army in the Countrey When their opposers receive hard measure are discountenanced rebuked deprived of favours by men in place and sometimes spoiled of their goods and knocked down by the professors indeed of a catholike liberty but truly the practisers of tyranny and persecution This being our known and felt condition upon how weak and tottering props the house of our Church and State doth stand may easily be conceived What I have said of our dangers needs no other proof then the sense of that which the eye and ear brings daily before every observing minde but the remedies of so eminent and imminent dangers require a pate of a much larger size then mine or any other such of mean and vulgar capacity Onely for curing of the first very dangerous evill The return of the King in equitable tearms is the best remedy of the one half of our fears I wish the continuance of the prayers of all the godly and of the endeavours of those in place to hasten the reconciliation of the King For this to my weak judgment seems the most hopefull remedy of all our fears which flow from the former fountain the reduction of his minde to our sense which I am not desperate but some more of our supplications to God and endeavours with men may bring to passe would in a moment bring to us with him the most considerable of that side and if any thereafter should delay to take from us what laws should be given them their obstinate folly did then put in our hand a fair opportunity to bring on their head the day of recompences and of â—ust vengeance for all their former misdemeanours By the blessing of God the return of the King upon equitable and just tearms for no other must be imagined might quickly sheath the sword in all the Dominions might give us a setled peace and put us in a fair way to repair in time the great vastations which this unhappy war has made in all the three Kingdomes and to recover our reputation in the world abroad which of a long time htah been buried through our domestick jealousies and distractions Our credit once set on foot we might quickly become so considerable as to attain to our wonted influence in all the great affairs of Europe for the reviving of our dead or dying friends and the bounding of the late excessive overflowings of our very high and lofty neighbours I grant the Lord is not tyed to any one channell when out of the fountain of his goodnesse he is pleased to send out the stream of any blessing whether to a Nation or a man onely Yet when I cast mine eye upon the ordinary course of his carrying humane affairs if you remove this mean and make the
reconciliation of the King with his Parliament impossible I confesse I am cast into so thick a mist that all appearance of peace for a very long time to any of the Kingdomes The zealous diligence of Ministers might doe much to remove the other hâ—lf doth quite evanish and flee out of the reach of my weak apprehension For curing of the miseries and preventing of the dangers on the other hand I could wish as I was speaking at the beginning that all whom God has called to any employment in his house would shake off sluggish negligence and keep stricter watch in their stations giving loud warning to the people of God of the dangers about them being very carefull that neither fear nor despair nor any other sinistrous affection keep them from the duties which the extreamly bad times doe cry for from the hand of every child of God I have oft been witnesse with much joy to the abundant zeal of divers the Lords faithfull Ministers both in the Assembly and City who in their Writings and Sermons and private sedulity have endeavoured to their power the awakening of all about them for the defence of that truth which Christ had committed to their trust So that I am sure that when ever they shall come to their accounts their Master will accept and blesse their fidelity I wish no more of them but to runne on as they have begun without fainting that no man take their crown Nor of others but to follow with the like zeal in their footsteps And for the encouraging of all towards this active diligence we may call to remembrance but two vulgar motives The sedulous activity of the Sectaries doth shame our slothfulnesse example and successe the one of our adversaries the other in our own and our brethrens experience How many of the Sectaries make bold without any fear any fainting any ceasing in season and out of season by preaching printing disputing in all places all companies towards all relations to propagate their erroneous ways How shall their heat and activity in evill stand up against us for our frigidity for our unequall care and labour in good Also Zealous diligence is ordinarily successefull our own experience of very great successe from small endeavours when cordially put on may animate us to a greater diligence How oft have the prayers and consultations of a few gracious and wise brethren set on foot advanced and brought to an issue many happy purposes the fruits whereof this age doe begin to enjoy for which the posterity shall blesse the authors though they never heard of their names How many most dangerous designs which were in a readinesse to have much encreased the miseries both of Church and State by the labours of a few unseen men have been timeously prevented countermined and totally defeated How oft have the City yea both the Houses of Parliament upon the zealous and prudent motion of one only man been stirred up to very notable performances I doe not remember when I have been witnesse to any gracious Ministers powerfull exhortation to the honourable House of Commons that has not presently been blessed with some good fruit Our grief for what yet lies behinde must not cast out of our memory the great things that are done already I verily beleeve that much more long before this had been done both in City and Countrey both by Lords and Commons if some Divines whom the Lord has anointed with grace learning wisdome eloquence and credit above their fellows had been more instant and industrious about those things which nearly concern Divines wherewith Christ their Master has trusted them above all others and which Church-men every where else to very good purpose use to mind with all the care and industry they are able The caveats of zeal The least degree of true piety must be tenderly hâ—ndled The zealous diligence of the Lords servants about their masters work can neither hurt nor justly offend any if it be tempered with the mixture of three needfull ingredients Piety Charity and a love to order In all our combats against error or whatever evill else of the time we must be very attentive that we give not the least discouragement to true Piety for this is so sweet and tender a plant of Gods own hand that who ever is acquainted with it will be extreamly loth to doe it the least hurt were it by their very breath much lesse by their words and actions It must be a grosse mistake or a grievous calumny which the Sectaries so much inculcate that Orthodoxe Ministers in their zeal against errours fall a beating and wounding the Saints of God and troubling the godly party the Lord forbid it were so The ground of this mis-assertion I take to be a twofold mis-apprehension 1. That all pretenders to piety though they be found really impious hypocrites yet for their sâ—â—ws of Religion ought not to be dealt with according to their visible hypocrisie 2. That those who are truly pious and really the children of God may not be compassed about with many sinfull infirmities It ought to offend none when the mask is pulled off the face of those who scorn God and the world by the fair pretences of that which their very rough hands and the hellish vapours of their mouth doe demonstrate was never near their heart When such are hewen by the Prophets when by the sword of the Word they are slain when the fire and salt of God is cast upon such why should any gracious soul take it self to be touched Again when the most true Saints are rebuked most sharply for their errours or other sins whereby they offend God they become instruments of his dis-service and of the advancement of Satans Kingdome so much the more as their known grace makes the readier passage for the communication and propagation to others of their ungracious and sinfull corruptions if here a gracious Physitian endeavour to cut off from them their cancerous excrescences though it be with some pain yet here there is not the least intention of hurt to any of their sound members I dare say in the name of my brethren Presbyterians are far from suppressing the least measure of piety that when ever they are blowing away with the greatest earnestnesse the noisome smoak that fils the house to the offence of all within they shall be as loth to put out the smallest spark of grace in the smoaking flaxe as to choak the naturall heat of their own heart I confidently avow that no Presbyterian has any question at all with any dissenter about any thing which in the least degree toucheth upon piety and grace for every part of this they take to proceed from the heart of God and where ever they finde it they are willing to embrace it were it in the bosome of their greatest enemies as that which they professe is their own greatest aim to follow and study to attain If at any time
they are miscarried to practice against this profession they acknowledge their errour and duty to endeavour amendment and satisfaction I wish all our controversies were so near an end as this quickly may be I hope the Saints will not be so unreasonable as to make the beating of their unsanctified errours reflect upon any part of their sanctity especially when they who deal with them are so carefull as they can when they break their shels to remember what is within that they spoil not their pearl and for all which may offend in the cask and shard that the jewell and treasure which God has inclosed be not trod under foot Châ—rity and compassion to bâ— extended to our enemies This is almost all I have to say of the second caution also That in the greatest pangs of our zeal we never forget charity It 's true in this dead age where zeal against error or vice is so rare and where it is found of so low a degree that we need not draw it down by the mixture of any allaying adjunct yet because in some it has and in more it may exceed that charity which the Lord will have joyned with it we shall be loth to separate When ever we have to doe not only with them in whom we evidently see some rayes of the image of God but with very hypocrites whom we have but too good ground to suspect of counterfaiting yet for charities sake let us give them so far as evident verity will admit a good construction leaving the full account and certain search of them to the Lords fâ—rther discovery whether here or in his own day In the mean time for the sake of that grace and truth they carry in their face and mouth let us deal so gently with them as may be yea when we have to do with the grossest sinners let us never put off the bowels of pity and humanity to the worst of them Who hath made us of a better metall What sometimes have we been What before all our tryals be over may yet escape us or our children or our dearest friends Who knoweth how soon these wicked persons may receive mercy and be rescued out of Satans bands And though their wickednesse should continue yet they are not without abundant misery If it be not unhappinesse enough to be slaves to errour to vice to the Devill while they live to be instrumentall in the advancing of Satans Kingdome and active in destroying the precious souls of men yet their torments which abides them in hell are lamentable and a matter of great compassion to all who beleeve them What ever indignation we are obliged to carry against the sin yet we must pity the man and if any censure spirituall or temporall be inflicted upon him this justice must flow from the fountain of love and desire by that ordinary means to recover the person or else the execution will be no lesse heavy to the inflicter then to him on whom it is inflicted The clamours and invectives against the Presbyterians charity may well be neglected being so evidently caustesse Presbyteriâ—nâ— are far from persecuting any They are called persecutors when to this houre no power at all so much as of admonition is put in their hand and for this fault are cryed out upon by them who practise persecution to their power before the Sun If most bitter and injurious contumelies in word and print if crushing of a man in his credit and estate if threatning and beating by swords and staves onely for righteousnesse sake may come within the lines of any persecution As for the Presbyterians elsewhere why should their faults be charged upon the English before they be put in a condition to fall into them And yet I pray you how highly doth this humour of persecution raign in the worst of Presbyterians any where Doe they at all meddle with any mans goods liberty or life This has often been objected by some either ignorant or malicious men but as oft it has been rejected as a very injurious falshood Scotland which useth most to be burthened with this charge is sufficiently cleared of it in the Historicall Vindication All the Church censures there are meerly spirituall Excommunication in that Church is more rare and when it must be exercised is performed with much more leisure caution then amongst any of the Sects if so be they approve of any Discipline I am sure the principles either of the Independents or Brownists or Anabaptists permit them not to draw out so rarely and when it must be drawn to unsheath that sword any thing so leisurely and deliberately as the principles of the Presbyterians force them to doe If the State and Kingdome where the Presbytery doth dwell he pleased by the Acts of their Parliament to inflict any civill censure on excommunicate Papists or such who for obstinacy in a flagicious crime such as adultery murther or fornication or something worse what is that to the Church But this pâ—ssibly may be the matter the Church exhorts the State to the making and execution of Laws which may controul those whom Satan hath inspired to destroy themselves and all others they are able by their detestable errors for the punishment of them who make it their work to impugne and mock all the truths of God if this be the crime we will confesse our guiltinesse but withall that we esteem it a duty which the Parliaments of both Kingdomes have solemnly sworn to perform to their power If the chief framers and commenders of that Covenant at the beginning have since either discovered their hypocrisie or apostatized from their former sense or feigned a sense of their own to that solemn Covenant which is clearly destructive both to its plain words and known intention we can but pity and desire to be free of so grievous guiltinesse The third Caveat I spoke of was a true love to order The dignity and power of the Magistrate would be carefully preserved this is the season when the Prince of mis-rule Satan with all his power is building his Babell both in Church and State If ever order was necessary in the Church it is now more when every person man or woman young or old whose phansie is up must be at publick preaching and if in this they would square their words to any good rule it were the lesse evill But the most of their doctrines are meer conceits contrary to the truth of God Vnhappy Independents who opened at first and keep open to this day the door of the Church for these Satyres and Vultures these Iim and Ziim the great Owles and shriek Owls the wild beasts of the Desert and the wild beasts of the Island the Dragons and all the dolefull creatures to come in and defile to make havock of all that is most precious in the House of God But the order I mean here is chiefly in the State it will not satisfie the Masters of our mis-order
to keep the Church in confusion Since the State will take no notice of them but lets them encrease at their pleasure and grow up above the strength of any their Auncestors they are making bold to goe visit the State and try their strength upon her if possibly they may find as great a facility to set up the Trophee of their triumph upon her ruine as of that of her weake sister the Church It is the certain and now oft printed design of some to overthrow from the very foundation the whole edifice of our Civill government No King no Lord must be heard of hereafter This House of Commons must be cast down the Imperiall and absolute Soveraignty must be put in the hands of the multitude of the basest people They are once every year to choose for their servants a new House of Commons which all this time shall draw up a new frame of laws and a new modell of government Since this is the h mour that now beats highest in the veins of that people we had so much the more need with all our strength to fortifie the house of the State for beleeve it if that by any hand should be undermined its fall cannot fail to crush the most if not all who are under the roof thereof So long as the State doth stand there is always some hope of subsistence for every honest man and of obtaining in time a great part and possibly all their just desires were their Petition never so oft laid aside But if the State be overthrown then all is desperate and gone every particular person with all his designs how gracious soever is ready to be overwhelmed in the rubbish of the Common wealth It would be remembred that members of the best state are but men and not Angels It 's not to be expected but sinfull infirmities will cleave to the back of the best reformed government the perfect and spotlesse Republick of Plato may well have some place in Vtopia or in the Region of the Moon but upon the earth it never yet did dwell nor in haste is like to doe Let prayers to God let petitions Protestations Remonstrances representations to men be used and repeated from time to time without any fainting or giving over till all be obtained that is necessary for the good of Church and State But great caution must be used that nothing be either done or said that may labefactate the just honour or power of them whom God and the Laws have entrusted with the Soveraignty what ever toucheth that cannot but touch the apple of the eye of every good and wise man especily at this time when the project of the Devill is declared to lay Monarchy and both the Houses of Parliament levell with the ground and to set on the Throne the beast with many heads the multitude which with difficulty enough could ever yet be ruled but to this day was never found to have any skill or dexterity at all in the great art of ruling But to break off prefacing The scope of the Treatise my intention in the subsequent writ is to proceed in my Disswasive and that with so great observance of the three mentioned Caveats as I am able The men whom I deal with in this part are Anabaptists albeit they bring in with themselves both Antinomians Socinians Familists and the most of all the Heretiques of the time I desire no more from them as a reward of all my labour for their weall for the least hurt to any of their persons I never minded but in the fear of God to consider the beginning progresse and issue of their way as I set it before them in a short view out of their own Authors or at least from such writs as in that subject are of unquestionable faith If I make it appear that the spirit which from the beginning to this day did reign in their leaders cannot be that of grace and truth ought they not in conscience to make a serious review of their way lest securely going on the justice of God give them over to be miscarried to such opinions and practises which their soul for the present abhors but as I demonstrate has exceeding oft been the issue of Anabaptisme in many of its followers both of old and late If this my service be a means to reclaim some of them and to deterre others from the evill of their doings I have the desired fruit of my labour If I misse this yet my testimony to the truth in so needfull a time will I hope be acceptable to God and the conscience of it will ease and refresh my spirit remembring that the houres of my leisure were not altogether mis-spent but many of them so diligently as I was able employed for the service of Him to whom I owe all and the good of his people CHAP. I. The Originall and Progresse of the ANABAPTISTS THE late patrons of Anabaptism among us would make the world beleeve that this Sect had for its Author the famous Berengarius Berengarius no Anabaptist and for its fomenters four hundred years ago the old predecessors of Protestants commonly called Albigenses but who will be pleased to consult the fountain of this alledgance shall finde Berengarius absolved from this crime by that very mouth whence alone the sclander did proceed M. Tombes examin p. 20 21. Bishop Guitmund lays on the back of Deacon Berengarius the load of so many contumelies as he is able to invent only for his boldnesse to oppose the common Doctrine of that time the corporall presence of Christs body in the bread of the Sacrament among other things he challenges him for the denying baptisme ro infants but if any should require a proof of this heavy charge Guitmund professes that none can be given avowing that Berengarius did never bring any such Doctrine in publick knowing that no Scripture could be alledged for it and that no creature would take such an absurdity from his hand A Justice therefore does require that Berengarius be freed of that crime since his very adversary confesseth that it was never made appear by any known profession for crimes that appear not are reputed by just men as not existing Concerning the Albigenses The Albigenses knew not Anabaptisme the man that lays the sclander of Anabaptism upon them is Petrus Cluniacensis but how unjustly I offer to be considered not only from this generall very true and confessed ground that the Popish Writers of that time do charge these honest and pious men of Albi with many both errours and crimes whereof all equitable men beleeve them to have been most innocent but also from three particular observations First they are not challenged by Cluniacensis as direct and expresse denyers of paedobaptisme but for their affirming the impossibility of infants beleeving and of their impossible salvation without faith he alledges upon them by way of consequence that they did also maintain the Baptism of infants
giving them free liberty to joyn in the publick worship with any of what ever Religion among whom they lived EEEE by this means they got peace and were no more any where persecuted He himself retiring from Delph to Basil His strange end did live there for divers years unto his death in great wealth and case FFFF as a fugitive for the true reformed Religion he did so perfectly dissemble that he had the favour and good opinion both of the Magistrates and Ministers without the least suspicion of any wickednesse in him GGGG but three years after his death all his abominations were found out and his diligence by Letters by secret conferences and messengers to propagate his mishant way with his whole strength whereupon his bones were digged up and the remainder of his body burnt as the reliques of an unexpressibly scelerate villain HHHH The increase of the Mennonists While all the other factions of the Anabaptists did decrease the followers of the Priest Menno did much increase they did reject the earthly Kingdom and Polygamy of the Monasterians and Battenburgicks also the revelations and extraordinary calling of the Hophmanists with the most of the blasphemies of David George against all these Menno did write with passion IIII But to the point of Anabaptism and separation from all other reformed Churches to independency and to a number more of the Anabaptists tenets he did firmly adhere alluring many thousands to his way who continue to this day propagating their Errour to many Countries The errours of the Mennonists The wickednesse of that spirit which reigned in Menno and yet rages in his followers notwithstanding of all their profession of great piety of singular modesty and extream detestation of all the other sects of Anabaptists is apparent in the manifold grievous heresies and grosse schismes whereinto they themselves have of old broken out and persevere therein to this day Who are pleased to read the late little accurate and learned Treatise of Clopenburgh may perceive that the Mennonist dippers do oppose the truth of Christs humane nature KKKK that they were Masters to Vorstius in his deniall of the omnipresence and simplicity of the Divine Essence and of the unchangeablenesse of the Divine Decrees LLLL also that Arminius was their scholar in all his errors concerning predestination redemption grace free-will and perseverance Lastly that Swenkfeldius Servetus and Socinus did learn from them not only their Anabaptism but their deniall of the Trinity their abnegation of the Godhead both of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost MMMM Their schismes The Mennonists schisms are no lesse palpable then their heresies for however their harmony in the most of their errours be great enough as in that confession of faith which in the year 1624. they set out in common it appears wherein with many ambiguous and deceitfull words they cover many of these tenets which in other writs they expresly maintain NNNN yet they are not able to cover their manifold schisms for it has ever been their custom upon the smallest matters to fall into so vehement discords as have made them excommunicate one another and remain in separations refusing communion one to annother unto this day Behold how small an occasion did bring them to no lesse then four irremediable fractions OOOO For a light cause four late separations among them one of the Mennonists at Franeker in a publick roping did seem to use some couzenage in buying of an house preventing by some sleight of hand another man who before him had a mind to the bargain this did so much displease some that they excommunicated the couzener others defended the honesty of the man and did excommunicate them who for no cause as they conceived had put a censure upon him hence two sects condemning one another to this day To reconcile both a third party did arise avowing that however the man in his bargain had used some piece of fraud yet that it was not so grosse as did deserve excommunication In this accommodation these mid men proceeded so far that they were excommunicated by both the dissenting parties whereupon their passion was so stirred that they did excommunicate them both also and lest the number of their schisms should be too small there arose a fourth party who being displeased with the frequency of their Brethrens censures did open the doors of their charity for all whom the rigour of others had excommunicated and cast out by this overlashing of their charity they did acquire from their companions the infamous title of Hamaxarii and Borboritae as men who were content to take into their society Cart loads full of polluted professors PPPP We will say no more of the Anabaptists over Sea The state of the Anabaptists in England their number in England till of late was not great and the most of these were not English but Dutch strangers for beside the hand of the State that ever lay heavy upon them the labours of their children the Separatists were always great for their reclaiming Notwithstanding of all the contentions of the Separatists among themselves yet all of them did ever joyn to write sharp and large Treatises against the Anabaptists In this Ainsworth Johnson Robinson Clifton did study who should be most zealous Independency the cause of their increase and boldnesse Hence it was that the Anabaptists made little noyse in England till of late the Independents have corrupted and made worse the principles of the old Separatists proclaiming for errours a liberty both in Church and State under this shelter the Anabaptists have lift up their head and increased their numbers much above all other sects of the Land Their ways as yet are not well known but a little time it seems will discover them for their singular zeal to propagate their way will not permit them long to lurk only the Confession of faith which the other year seven of their Congregations did put forth Their late confession is neither a full nor a clear declaration of their tenets and of late again in a second corrected Edition have set out with a bold preface to both the Houses of Parl. may no more be taken for the measure of their faith then that Confession which their elder Brethren in Holland did print not long ago in the name of all their company QQQQ For as the Dutch confession did dissemble a number of the grosse heresies which some of the very subscribers in their publick Writs both before and after did hold out it is even so with the English for Hobson Richardson and others of the subscribers have already printed divers Errours which in that Confession do not appear Moreover these seven congregations cannot prescribe and are no ways Leaders to a great number of Anabaptistick Churches over all the Land however I shall set down so many of their tenets as for the time comes to my thoughts from some little acquaintance with a few of their writs
the prophecying and questioning of private men in the face of the Church Unto their new gathered Churches of rebaptized and dipped Saints they did ascribe very ample priviledges for first they gave to every one of them a power of questioning in publick before the whole Congregation any part of their Preachers Doctrine N Secondly to every one of their members they gave a power of publick preaching O Women preachers are from them This liberty they gave no lesse to women then men for they had among them not only preaching and prophecying women but also some who took so much upon them as to professe themselves to be the Christ and Messias to all of their own sexe P Thirdly Their Pastors must renounce all former ordination take their full call of new must come from the hands of their people to their particular Churches they gave power of electing and ordaining such of their own Prophets whom they thought fittest to be Pastors to the rest whoever was not elected and ordained whoever had not their full calling from the people alone and did not renounce what ever ordination they had from any other to them were no Pastors at all Upon this ground among others they refused to hear any of the Ministers of the reformed Churches because they did not renounce their former ordination and calling to the Ministery that they might take it again from the hands of their new gathered and separate Congregations Q They required no letters in their Preachers Fourthly in their Pastors they required no secular learning R yea to them all secular learning was abominable they did burn all books but the Bible as impediments and hurtfull instruments to the Ministery of the Gospel S Fiftly they required their illiterate Pastors to work with their own hands for their livings T Merchandize or any other Calling wherein there was no personall and handy labour to them was unlawfull V Sixtly they cried down all tythes X The crying down of tythes and all set stipends is from them yea all set stipends for any Church Officer Y But it would be considered that they did avow it was as unlawfull to pay any set rent or yearly duty to any Landlord as a stipend to a Minister Z Seventhly Independency of congregations and the peoples power in Church censures is their invention unto their single Congregations they gave a supreme and independent power to judge in all Ecclesiasticall causes not only judicially to pronounce all questions about their Pastors Doctrine but also to proceed to the highest censure of excommunication as well against their Pastors as others when they found cause AA Their excommunications of one another were so frequent and for so light causes The Seekers who deny all Churches are their disciples that sundry of them fell to the opinion and practice of those whom we call Seekers they served God single and alone without the society of any Church finding no Churches on earth with whom they could agree BB The Anabaptists usurpation upon the authority of the Church did quickly lead them to the same practice upon the State as they took upon them to deprive their Pastors and exempt themselves from all Ecclesiastick jurisdiction of Church Synods so likewise they broke in peeces the yoke of all civill subjection to Magistrates Princes Parliaments or any temporall judicatories At first they denied the power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion alone First they cried down the Magistrates power in matters of Religion asserting a liberty only for their conscience that it might be free from the controll of all superiour power they esteemed every Law of the Magistrate in matters of Religion to be unlawfull Next in all matters even civill and the smallest penalty to be a Mosaicall compulsion of the conscience and a true persecution CC But forthwith they went on to deny the Magistrates power absolutely in all things whether Ecclesiastick or civill crying down his very calling and office how well so ever regulate as an unjust tyranny Together with the Magistrate they condemne all Judicatories all wars Yet they took to themselves an absolute civill power first over all them in their own Churches all defence all oathes DD For all this they permitted not that sword which they had stricken out of the hand of others to ly long upon the ground but immediately they plucked it up themselves At first they exercised their usurped Magistracy only upon the persons within their own Congregations judging all their causes as well Civill as Ecclesiastick proceeding herein to capitall sentences and executions as they found the crimes of their members to require EE Next over all Princes and people in the whole world This exercise of justice was so agreeable to their humour that quickly they thought meet to extend it much beyond the limits of their own Congregations they did anon proclaim their right not only to deny but to take away with their sword all the Princes and Magistrates of the earth as Tyrants FF And because these few persons who were Magistrates had not blood enough to quench the thirst of that cruell spirit which led them they went one step further proclaiming a Commission they had from heaven to kill not only all the Magistrates but also all the wicked people of the whole earth GG And how many Nations and Languages came within this compasse you may judge by the narrow circle within which they inclosed all the godly no more were Saints and to be saved then joyned to their Churches and received their Anabaptisme all the rest to them were wicked and to be cut off HH The were strong millenaries To this very dangerous practice they were led by another principle Muncer among his other Enthusiasms did bring forth to his followers the dream of Christs visible and ovtward Kingdome upon earth II confirming it by the same Scriptures which our late Chiliasts bring for the same fancy albeit a little refined Upon this ground he built many of his grossest practices for he gave out that then the time of that kingdome was come KK that the Saints the members of the Anabaptistick Churches were the members thereof that it was the will of God they should take and kill all who were opposite thereto that they had a just right to enter in possession of the spoyl of Christs Enemies and to enjoy all their lands and goods as the Israelites did those of the cursed Canaanites LL They made adulteries and murders lawfull To these dreams of Muncer John Becold and his fellow Prophets at Munster made some Additions That in this visible kingdome there behoved to be a King over the Saints MM That this King was to rule according to the revelations of the Spirit That all disobedience to his voyce was to be vindicate by present death NN Among the rest of King Becolds commands this was one That the Polygamy of the old Testament should be renewed
of a Congregation so the whole House of Commons and every Member thereof are punishable in their life limbs and estate by the whole people and every free-born man in England RRRR even the poorest begger for as I take it there is not nor has not for many ages any person been born a slave in any part of Christendome I will not here interrogate where or how these Soveraign Lords the people can meet to hear an account All former Laws and Acts of Parliament must be abolished and to give out judgement upon their faulty servants the new Parliament of Commons only I would be resolved by what Law this very grand Jury of the whole people are like to proceed Shall the King and Lords and the ancient way of Parliaments take away with themselves all former Laws which have been their creatures we thought it might have been losse enough to have destroyed with the King and Lords such Laws as did concern their two abolished States in particular but we are taught a more deep lesson all the Laws which these six hundred years have produced must be cast into the bottom of the Sea for ever for since the Norman Conquest the great work of all Parliaments hath been how to contrive evill Laws for the oppression of the people SSSS Now I doubt if there be any authentick registers of English Laws before the Conquest this day extant or if any such be whether it shall be found expedient to keep them on foot when all the other are cassed and annulled The will of the multitude must stand for the Soveraign Law hereafter It seems our new Soveraigns the people the sole creators of all Kings and Parliaments when once they are established in their Supremacy will be loth to have their hands bound by the fetters of any humane Laws much lesse of those old forgotten worm-eaten Statutes which the Danish Saxon or British Tyrants in the time of their domination did obtrude as in Religion there must be no Law but what every man in his conscience thinks to be the sense of the word of God that is the supream rule to him so it must be in the State TTTT We know who has printed the unlawfulnesse to make any Laws for the State Scripture being alike well furnished in Laws for the State as for the Church VVVV But I conceive it will be a great deal more easie for a few persons in the generall Court of New England to agree in their applications of the word of God to every civill emergent then for that many headed Soveraign the whole people of old England the one may much more safely be troubled to rule according to their gift of Government without any written institute and humane Law XXXX then the other for I believe if the whole free-born people of England were set on the Bench to judge of all causes according as every one did conceive without any written Law all by-past constitutions being cancelled the government of our State would quickly become more arbitrary and confused then long could be endured and those inconveniences which they professe to be the only cause why as yet they do not totally abolish both the name and thing of a very House of Commons YYYY by a little experience should be found to be more and greater then now are imaginable But that we may proceed I do propone one only scruple more about the point in hand By what means so great changes in Church and State are like to be compassed for not only King Charles and all our living Lords but also Royalty and Lordship it self must be cast down The present House of Commons for their manifold misdemeanors must be dissolved and so the whole fabrick of our old corrupted State totally abolished and a frame wholly new put in its place wherein no footstep either of Monarchy or of Aristocracy may appear ZZZZ but the Soveraignty must rest in each individuall of the people as they speak AAAAA the most poor base weak foolish creatures possessing a like share of the Supremacy both civill and Ecclesiastick the Kinghood and the Priesthood as they call it BBBBB with the most noble wise able wealthy of the land CCCCC having it at their option to execute the Soveraign power by themselves or when they find it for their ease to nominate so many Deputies DDDDD every November EEEEE to be a Parliament of Commons to cognosce upon extraordinary incidents as their Soveraign the people shall prescribe them rules though in ordinary cases they declare their purpose to set up twelve men with a President in every Hundred who upon their oath of fidelity shall be intrusted to determine absolutely all causes belonging to that Hundred without appeale to any Judge except the Aniversary meeting of the whole peoples deputies FFFFF This new Ochlocratorick republick where every individuall participates of the Soveraignty The three fundamental Laws of our new Utopian Republick not as in Democracies where the better sort only of the people have voyce in Government whether they will be pleased to make to themselves a body of new Laws they have not so far as I observe as yet declared only they seem to set up three fundamentall rules First that in matter of Religion every man must be absolutely at his own disposition to believe speak write do what ever he thinks sit GGGGG Secondly that men in publick place either of Church or State must serve freely if they have any means of their own or otherwise if they be poor their greatest gages in the most eminent places shall not exceed the summe of 50 or at most 60 pounds a year HHHHH Thirdly that all men â—n all places shall be accountable and punishable in their life and estate by their Soveraign Lords the individuals of the people without all controll or appeal IIIII According to reason and experience the present distemper of the Sectaries is posting on fast to a Dictatorship absolute Tyranny in the hand of one Since all these things must be as our new Statists give the world assurance of their resolution to have them is it not like that before so great changes can be brought about much resistance will be made a strange confusion and bloodshed multitudes of difficulties cannot but fall in the way shall it not therefore be absolutely necessary that some men of known valour and courage whose wisdome faithfulnesse and successe long experience makes unquestionable be set up to command in name of the people for some time till these high and mighty designs may be gotten accomplished and the people once be set down in peace upon the high places whence the King Lords and Commons wont to pronounce these unjust Laws which now with their authours must be laid aside In such cases of extraordinary difficulty the wise people of Rome did oftentimes name a Dictator in whose hand for a certain time they placed all their power the Senate the Armies the Magistrates both
either member or officer but the whole and every particular member of each Church how excellent great or learned soever ought to be subject to this censure Also Saltmarsh Smoke in the Temple p. 14. The Anabaptists hold that the Church though but of two or three yet may enjoy the word and ordinances by way of an administrator or one deputed to administer though no Pastor that these commonly called Church Officers as Pastors c. are such as the Church or body may be without DD Confession Artic. 45. Such to whom God hath given gifts being tried in the Church may and ought by the appointment of the Congregation to Prophecy according to the proportion of faith and so teach publickly the word of God for the edification exhortation and comfort of the Church EE Kiffins answer to Ricraft Among the causes of their separation he sets down this as one The quenching of the Spirit and despising prophecy that no man may speak in our publick exercises but one FF Confession Artic. 41. The persons designed by Christ to dispense this ordinance the Scriptures hold forth to be a Preaching Disciple it being no where tied to a particular Church officer or person extraordinarily sent the commission enjoyning the administration being given to them under no other consideration but as Disciples Also the Treatise of Baptisme p. 407. It cannot reasonably be objected that he that baptizeth should necessarily be himself a baptized person though ordinarily it will be so yet it is not necessary to the Ordinance no more then it is simply necessary to a Church State that the members be baptized for not the personall baptism of him that administers but the due commission he hath for baptizing is alone considerable to make him a true Minister of Baptisme GG Gangren second Part p. 3. Oats hath dipped many in Bocking River and when that is done he hath a feast in the night and at the end thereof the Lords Supper Also Gangrena the first part p. 44. The 12. of November last there met the matter of 80 Anabaptists in a great house and had a Love-feast their Supper was dressed for them by a Cook when Supper was ended before the cloth was taken away they administred the Lords Supper HH Tombs Apology p. 54. Nor do I think the thing either such a new opinion or practise for besides that it may be doubted whether all the Apostles were baptized as suppose Matthew which is as probable for the negative as the affirmative yet were they all admitted to the Lords Supper by Christ himself When Constantine the great and others did deferre their Baptisme so long it is not likely they never received the Lords Supper afore their Baptism II Storming of Antichrist p. 6. Suppose the power of all ordinances and the keys in a time of universall defection should resolve it self radically in the Church yet there being no Church right for the matter which is part of the essence this power could not resolve it self into a Church and therefore if it be any where on earth as doubtlesse it is it must be in beleevers who joyning themselves together in Assemblies may stirre up and take again that power which was committed to the Churches and after cheated away by Antichrist The Treatise of Baptism p. 389. The power of the keys originarily and primarily is given to the Church where the power of admitting receiving and casting out is there is the power of administring and communicating all ordinances to the edification of the same body and they which have power of administring the Kingly office of Christ consisting in casting out and receiving in have also power of administring his Propheticall office of which the Sacraments are a part and therefore to the Christian Churches as to the Jews of old pertaineth the publick dispensations and services of God Rom. 9. KK Confession Article 41. The dispensation of Baptisme is no where tied to a particular officer the commission to administer it being given to them under no other consideration but considered as Disciples Treatise of Baptism p. 391. A man becomes a Prophet by vertue of a gift but no gift renders a Baptizer but a call as being a thing of publick commission teaching out of a gift hath its foundation in nature which ariseth from a personall gift and grace of the spirit but Baptism Censures Ordination and the like depend not upon a speciall gift but are acts of power conferred authoritatively upon a speciall person LL Gangren first Part p. 32. Mistresse Attaway gave an answer to the men present who brought an argument for Infants Baptisme MM Confession second Edition in the preface to the Reader Some are offended at us for meeting in houses to preach So we are blamed because we frequent not their Temples Kiffens Answer to Ricraft p. 10. You are enraged against these who worship any where save in your high places NN Ibid. You continue tithes and offerings of people as if Christ were not yet come in the flesh OO John the Baptist p. 1. The claiming tithes or any thing in stead thereof appears to be contrary to the Gospel through the whole Gospel there is not one word to countenance a forcing of the people to contribute unto the poor or unto the Minister any thing but what they please themselves PP The vanity of childish Baptism second Part p. 27. There is no more hope to see that Tribe stoop so low as to bear witnesse to this truth then there is to see them allow the doctrine and practise of blessed Saint Paul working with his own hands Acts 20.34 to be now of use and imitation in our times John the Baptist pag. 7. It were farre more Apostolick and Christian-like for Ministers to work with their own hands then to force or require a subsistence in such a manner PP 2 The power and office of the Ministery by which it is there administred is received from the Bishops who received their power from the Antichrist The vanity of childish Baptism p. 12. Ib. p. 15. The unlawfulnesse of the calling of the Ministery of the Church of England is acknowledged by many of themselves who have therfore forsaken and cast off their Ministery they received of the Bishops and departed the Land and became as Lay-men untill they were authorized anew by the election and appointment of such a Congregation as they conceived to be a true Church Ibid. p. 31. The worth or honesty of a man in a false office cannot make the office any truer or lawfuller then it is in it selfe the better the man the worse the Bishop the very same is the case of the Ministery and Priesthood here QQ Vide supra GG RR Gangren first Part p. 6. I had it from eye and ear-witnesses who were present at Kiffen and Patience Visitation of one of their Members whose name is Palmer living in Smithfield who layed hands upon her and anointed her with oyle the woman recovering came unto
their Coventicle house and there before many people said that Brother Kiffen and Patience anoynting her she suddenly recovered SS Vide supra O. TT Gangren first Part p. 27. That all singing of Psalmes as Davids or any other holy songs of Scripture is unlawfull and not to be joyned with that the singing which Christians should use is that of hymnes and spirituall songs framed by themselves composed by their own gifts and that upon speciall occasions as deliverances c. sung in the Congregation by one of the assembly all the rest being silent VV Gangren first Part p. 23. This Den preacheth much against tythes he hath put down all singing of Psalmes in his Church XX The compassionate Samaritane p. 31 33. And hereby is maintained the necessity and excellency of Learning and the Languages and so of Vniversities and a supposall that the Arts likewise are necessary to a Divine As Diana was so is learning the crafts-mens living and the peoples Goddesse the people may if they please dote upon that which hath been their destruction they ought to account better of them that having no by-ends or respects have studied the Scriptures for their own and others information and do impart the same to the people out of a desire of their good for nothing as the Anabaptists doe to their Congregations See also Bloudy Tenet p. 173. YY Vide Disswasive p. 48. Browns life and manners of all true Christians p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority Hath not every lawfull Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not only shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it but these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. pag. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do and it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church the Lords kingdome is not by force neither durst Moses or any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church government but after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline discipline that is for a civill forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and enquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward provision and outward justice they are to look but to compell Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiasticall government by Laws and penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church ZZ Disswasive p. 49. EEEEE FFFFF Also the modell of Church and civill power composed by M. Cotton in the bloudy Tenet p. 156. The Magistrate hath power to forbid all idolatrous and corrupt assemblies who offer to put themselves under their patronage and shall attempt to joyn themselves into a Church estate and if they shall not hearken to force them therefrom by the power of the sword Ib. 101. Tolerating many Religions in a State in severall Churches beside the provoking of God may in time not only corrupt leaven divide and so destroy the peace of the Churches but also dissolve the Continuity of the State especially ours whose wals are made of the stones of the Churches He hath also power to compell all men within his grant to hear the Word ZZ 2 Tombs Apology p. 13. Being acquainted with a Law made in New England and proceedings against those that denied baptizing of Infants I yeelded to the sending of my examen thither and therewith I sent this short Epistle Reverend Brethren understanding that there is some disquiet in your Churches about paedobaptism c. AAA Apologetick narration p. 19. To the Magistrates power we give as much and as we think more then the principles of the Presbyteriall government will suffer them to yeeld BBB Burrows Irenicon at length CCC Apologeticall narration p. 9. We judge that excommunication should be put in execution for no other kinde of sinnes then may evidently be presumed to be perpetrated against the parties known light as whether it be a sin in manners and conversation such as is committed against the light of nature or the common received practises of Christianity professed in all the Churches of Christ or if an opinions then such as are likewise contrary to the received principles of Christianity and the power of godlinesse professed by the party himself and universally acknowledged in all the rest of the Churches and no other sins to be the subject of that most dreadfull sentence DDD John Goodwins Theomachia p. 37. Concerning other civill means for the suppression and restraint of these spirituall evils errours heresies c. as imprisonment banishment interdictions finings c. both reason and experience concurre in this demonstration that such fetters as these put upon the feet of errours and heresies to secure and keep them under still have proved wings whereby they raise themselves the higher in the thoughts and mindes of men and gain an opportunity of farther propagation Ibid. To hold that the persons so elected the Members of the House of Commons chosen by men unworthy and strangers to the power of godliness have a power by vertue of such nomination or election to enact Laws and Statutes in matters of Religion and to order under mulcts and penalties how men shall worship and serve God as it is a means to awaken the eye of jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive unto the undermining not only of their power but of their honour peace and safety also then any thing that is found in the way so ill entreated so is it the setling upon the electors of such persons I mean upon the promiscuous multitude of the Land a greater power then ever Jesus Christ himself had at least then ever he exercised EEE Anabaptists Confession Edition second Article 48. in the margin Concerning the worship of God there is but one Lawgiver Jesus Christ who hath given Laws and rules sufficient in his word for his worship and for any to make more were to charge Christ for want of wisdome or faithfulnesse or both in not making Laws enough or not good enough for his house Surely it is our wisdome duty and priviledge to observe Christs Laws only FFF Ibid. It is our duty to do and we believe it is our expresse duty especially in matters of Religion to be fully perswaded in our mindes of the lawfulnesse of what we do for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as we cannot do
that our heart can think of yet were we slaves by this alone the burden of which singly will pierce gall our shoulders make us bow stoop to the ground ready to be made a prey not only by great men but even by every cunning sharking knave Remonst p. 4. The History of our fore-fathers since they were conquered by the Normans doth manifest that this Nation hath been held in bondage all along ever since by the policies and force of the Officers of trust in the Common-wealth p. 15. Ye know the Laws of this Nation are unworthy a free people deserve from first to last to be considered and seriously debated reduced to an agreement with common equity and right reason which ought to be the form life of every government Magna Carta it self being but a beggerly thing containing many marks of intolerable bondage the Laws that have been made since by Parliaments have in very many particulars made our government much more oppressive intolerable Ib. He erected a trade of Judges and Lawyers to sell justice and injustice at his own unconscionable rate in what time he pleased the corruption wherof is yet remaining upon us to our continuall empoverishing and molestation from which we thought you should have delivered us ye know also imprisonment for debt is not from the beginning TTTT Modest Queries p. 10. at least in sensu composito to believe the deepest or highest mystery in Religion any further or any otherwise then as and as far as he hath reason to judge it to be a truth VVVV Vide Disswasive first Part p. 127. 152. also p. 31. 49. IIIII KKKKK XXXX I am credibly informed that this is the great and troublesome controversie for the time among the Governors of New England whether it be their duty to rule according to their gifts of Government according to some written Laws or without all humane Statutes Vid. Gang. 3 Part. YYYY Remonst p. 3. The free born people to their own House of Commons the cause of our choosing you to be Parliament men was to deliver us from all kinde of bondage we possessed you with the same power that was in our selves to have done the same for we might justly have done it our selves without you if we had thought it convenient choosing you as persons whom we thought fitly qualified and faithfull for avoiding some inconveniencies but ye are to remember this was only of us but a power of trust which is ever revocable and cannot be otherwise and to be imployed to no other end then our own well-being AAAAA Vide supra also Warning p 2. You hate and abhor those that would purge this corrupt humor out of you shew you a more just rationall way of Government then that of Kings Also Remonst p. 16. If ye would follow the good exâ—mple of the Hollanders make this Nation a State free from the oppression of Kings Also p. 12. As if ye had discovered and digested that without a powerfull compulsive Presbytery in the Church a compulsive Mastership or Aristocraticall government over the people in the State could never long be maintained BBBBB Conscience cautioned p. 9. Know ye not the State of the State is it not the whole Kingdom each individuall I can prove it is O heavens will you Lord it over your Lords I professe if you make head against your heads any longer I know what it is and your self shall know for I say you deserve beheading CCCCC Conscience cautioned p. 6. Keep we humbly beseech you our right of Kinghood and Priesthood Just mans justification p. 14. The splendor and glory of that undivided Majesty and Kingship that inherently resides in the people or in the State universall DDDDD Remonst p. 7. Let the Lords stand to be chosen for Knights Burgesses by the people as other the freemen Gentry of this nation do EEEEE Vide supra YYYY FFFFF Remonst p. 20. That a Parl. chosen in Novemb. succeeding year by year may come in stead of the preceding Parliament GGGGG Just mans justifie p. 15. Reduce us back to that part of the ancient frame of government in this Kingdom before the Conquerors days that we may have all causes differences decided in the County or Hundred where they are committed or do arise without any appeal but to a Parl. that they may mâ—nthly be judged by 12. men of free and honest condition câ— sen by themselves with their Grave or chief Officer amongst them and that they may swear to judge every mans cause aright without fear favor or affection then farewell jangling Lawyers the wildfire destroyers baâ—e of all just rationall and right governed Common-wealths HHHHH Remonst p. 12. Ye vex and molest honest men for matters of Religion and difference with you and your Synod take upon you to determine of doctrine discipline approving this reproaching that just like unto former ignorant politick and superstitious Parliaments and Convocations therby have divided honest people among themselves by countenancing only those of the Presbytery discountenancing all the separation Anabaptists Independents Ib. We are well assured that neither you nor none else can have any power at all to conclude the people in matters that concern the worship of God for therein every one of us ought to be fully assured in our minds to be sure to worship him according to our consciences IIIII The Birthright p. 48 49. in the Postscript It would be excellent and needfull if the Parl. would ordain that every free man of Eng. who is able would bestow his service one year at least freely for the good of the civill State in any place or office of trust whereof his skill breeding aâ— fit him tâ— be most capable according as they shall be chosen those that are not able to serve freely for a year to have competent maintenance allowed to them to the value of 50 or 60 l. a year according to their charge If such be chosen for their skill and diligence though they want outward means for which allowance those that are conscientious wil do as good service at least as some others who have 1000 or 2000 a year The like rule is no lesse but far more excellent needful to be observed and established iâ— matters concerning the Church state wherin her servants are to perform their duties freely they being able to maintain themselves those with them whether by means obtained formerly or industry used daily otherwise to have the like allowance of 50 or 60 l. a year acording to their charge KKKKK Vide supra CHAP. IV. Their Antipaedobaptisme Arminianisme Arianisme Familisme and other wicked Errours THIS much for the first head of the Anabaptists All Anabaptists are for Antipaedobaptisme Brownistick Tenets so to call them being such as the Brownists of old did learn from the Anabaptists and which this day the Anabaptists take back again from
actually taken away from all mankinde That the common doctrine of election and predestination is false YY That the Sun Moon and other creatures do sufficiently preach Christ to all the world ZZ That the will of man has power to reject the most efficacious grace AAA That our Doctrine of perseverance is false BBB These men be the chief Apostles and Evangelists of the Anabaptistick Churches who are sent out by the rest to the adjacent Counties to preach and baptize CCC For this their false Doctrine laid to their charge long ago in Print we never heard that either of them has been so much as rebuked by any of their Churches or that M. Spilsberry though he writ against the Tenets did ever yet refuse communion and the right hand of fellowship unto any person whom he knew to professe them Unto the Arminian many of them do joyn the Antinomian Errors these are the chief charms whereby multitudes of people are drawn to their company as M. Weld doth well remark DDD Nothing is more attractive of people then the Doctrine of licentiousnesse gilded over with the pretences of the most eminent piety It is not only Oats Den Lamb Clarkson and the like who preach against the Law and all duties telling us that the morall Law does not binde any Christian to obedience EEE That Magistrates may not punish murderers if they be Church members for the sixth command Thou shalt not kill doth not concern Christians FFF they have nought to do with Moses nor any of his Laws GGG That all the sins of the Saints that either they have or shall commit are so taken away by Christ that they ought not to be grieved for any of them HHH That all Preachers who presse repentance and sorrow for sin are Legall III That God is not displeased with any sins of the Saints and will not have them be displeased with any of their own iniquities KKK That God requires no duty from those whom he will save not so much as faith That faith it self is a work a Legall condition LLL That all our duties are done for us by Christ That he has repented for us and beleeved for us MMM That no more under the Gospel is required of any but to be meer patients NNN This is the new glorious light wherein not only the common Antinomians do glory but their most precious and spirituall men have too many strains of the same kinde M. Hobson proclaims all his wonted religious exercises to be but legall duties which he professes to give over OOO He avows that Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice for no mans sin nor done any thing for the reconciling of God to men with whom he was never offended and to whom if once he had been offended he could never again have been reconciled PPP he makes it Christs only labour to reconcile man to God and to manifest not to procure Gods love to man QQQ M. Saltmarsh so great a Champion for the Antipaedobaptists that he rests not till he have exploded the Baptism as well of old as of young makes it now his greatest work to write against our orthodoxe Divines in favour of the Antinomians SSS The Author of that neatly printed Treatise of Baptisme from whom I should have as little expected as from any other an apostasie from the Independents to the Anabaptists and a transition from Anabaptism to any point of Antinomianism does tell us that all anxious labouring about sins and the pardoning of them is a great impediment to holinesse of life TTT The Confession of their seven Churches does not so flatly contradict these errours as the former of Arminianisme but rather countenances them it sets down such a justification as acquits us before God of all sin past present and to come VVV The second Edition omits that sentence of past present and to come I wish this correction did proceed from a dislike of the conclusions which the Antinomians draw from the words omitted but in both Editions they expresly exclude the necessity of the Laws Ministery to bring the soul to any repentance before or in the time of its calling and conversion to Christ XXX The Antinomian controversies are not as the prime Independents doe make them only about words and methods of Preaching I should be glad that all the question here were onely about words and phrases or methods of preaching as some would make it but expâ—rience proves the difference to be too too reall for we see that their words phrases and method of preaching does carry their hearers to the grossest crimes without any remorse of conscience or thought of repentance When some of them are catched in theft they scorn either to be grieved or ashamed for it YYY others encourage themselves to commit adultery upon their Doctrine ZZZ some of them do constantly work in their handy-trade every Sabbath day AAAA others make all repentance and prayer for pardon of the grossest sins to be sinfull and a fruit of misbeleef BBBB finally if the report of those who pretend to be acquainted with their carriage hold good too many who have been noted for strictnesse of life have fallen evidently after the embracing of these Tenets into a loosenesse of conversation CCCC Many of the Anabaptists are become Seekers denying all Churches all Officers all Ordinances We have already demonstrated a farre enough progresse of this Sect into the ways of errour yet the spirit that reignes in Anabaptism carries many of his followers beyond all we have spoken Their injury not only against infants but all the Churches in the world that dissent from them in spoyling the first of all interest in the Covenant of God and comfort from the holy Sacrament in depriving the other of all the priviledges of true Churches closing up all these blessings within the narrow bounds of their own seduced companies this their unjustice is recompenced by God upon many of their spirits giving them over to stronger delusions Very many of the Anabaptists are now turned Seekers denying the truth of any Church upon earth for many ages past denying that there are any Pastors now on the earth that there may be any preaching of the word any joyning in prayer any celebration either of Baptism or of the Lords Supper any Church discipline at all or any Church Act Church state or Church ordinance whatsoever while God from heaven send new Apostles to work miracles and set up Churches which for the space of fourteen hundred years at least have totally failed in the whole world Hitherto M. Williams DDDD M. Clarkson EEEE Mr. Attaway FFFF are come from their Antipaedobaptism Hitherto also it seems M. Saltmarsh does drive while he not only defends the Seekers as well as the Independents and Anabaptists but himself also positively avows that there is no lawfull Baptism this day in the whole earth and that there has been none rightly baptized since the days of the Apostles also that to lawfull Baptism and
do enjoy nor any more hell and condemnation to be feared then what in this life before death is endured DDDDDD The Saints in this life become as perfect as God Secondly that all the Saints in this world are fully perfect that they become omniscient as God that they are Godded Deified and become God EEEEEE Thirdly that the most clear Historick passages of Scripture in matters of the greatest moment are but meer allegories untrue in any proper literall sense FFFFFF The clearest Scriptures are false in a literall sense This writ Randall received but was never pleased to return one word of answer yet to this day he goes on to preach these and the rest of the Familists errours And to shew his boldnesse he hath lately printed two very dangerous Books and set his Preface before each of them composed as he professes long agoe by Popish Priests the one by a Dutch Frier and the other by an English Capuchine both of them pretending to the highest degree of holy very high and hardly intelligible contemplations the fittest morsell that could have been prepared for the giddy multitude who is most ready to be catched with any new sublime and subtill notions were they never so full of deadly poyson whereof M. Benjamin Bourn has found in these two Treatises no small store to wit first That in all things Angels Devils Men Women That God is formally the life and subsistence of all creatures there is but one spirit and life which absolutely and essentially is God That there is no more but one Spirit in the world That the life and beeing of God is every thing and every thing is the life and beeing of God GGGGGG Secondly that Jesus Christ had not a particular soul and body that was created in the womb of the Virgin That Christ had not a particular soul nor a particular body but the flesh and bloud of the whole world HHHHHH Thirdly every creature in all its actions is acted and ruled by the Spirit of God IIIIII Creature in their very sins are acted onely by the Spirit of God upon this ground God is made the Author and onely Actor of all sins and hence some deny that there is any sin at all affirming that the Devils never sinned nor can sin KKKKKK others tell us that none are cast in hell for sin but for Gods meer pleasure LLLLLL Fourthly that the spirits which we call good and evill angels There is no such spirits as angels devils or soules are nothing but the good and evill motions of the minde of man MMMMMM Fifthly Nothing remains for ever but God that nothing is everlasting but the life and essence of God which now is in all creatures that no created thing whatsoever does continue for ever NNNNNN Sixtly that the Scriptures are a confused allegory a meer shadow Scripture is but a false shadow and no ground of faith a false History and ought not to be the foundation of any mans faith more then other Books or then the Apocrypha OOOOOO Seventhly they deny the comming dying resurrection ascension intercession and returne of our Lord Jesus Christ They deny both the first second coming of Christ they avow that there shall be no resurrection and last judgement for the world PPPPPP Eighthly they make all ordinances to be but meat for babes They cast away all ordinances and that men ought to live above them without the use thereof QQQQQQ Ninthly they teach that the highest degree of perfection both of grace and glory is attained in this life RRRRRR These and many more such blasphemous and horrible Heresies are entertained as fine The certaine truth of these imputations excellent rare profound mysterious truths by these Anabaptists who are admitted to the highest classe of the Family of Love if we may trust M. Bourn who professeth his certain knowledge thereof not onely from their Books but from their preachings conferences disputations at which often he was present SSSSSS By all the former discourse I conceive it is apparent that as evill and wicked a Devill does rage in the way of Anabaptism this day in England as of old in Germany or in any other Heresie of any time in any place which I wish were well considered as a ground of fear and trembling by many a simple soul who is carried down headlong towards these errours proceeding from one degree to another without any certainty where their unconstant motions may have any period I observe but one thing more wherein the English Anabaptists seem much worse then the Dutch The English Anabaptists are generally more erroneous then the Dutch however the Dutch have been much divided and exceedingly erroneous yet every Sect among them have had some zeal for that which they apprehended to be truth and some care to save their company from all which they esteemed errour and this without respect of persons who ever of their number did fall into any thing which they conceived hereticall had he been their Father brother or dearest companion they did cast him out of their Society and reputed him thereafter as a person excommunicate Amongst the English Sectaries there is no zeal at all against any errour The carriage of the Mennonists towards the Georgians and of the Georgians towards them and of every one of their Sects towards their dissenting Brethren is known But among the English Sectaries there appears no zeal at all for any thing they call truth a man now among them may run through the whole circle of errours from Independency to Antipaedobaptism from hence to Arminianism from this to Antinomianism thereafter to the Seekers thence to the Antitrinitarians the Antiscripturists the Familists the Atheists or whither he will and no Church censure at all be executed against him nor any of his fellows abstain from his company as an excommunicate Heretick but if he make a profession of piety notwithstanding of all his opinions he shall be entertained as a Saint and the generality of the Sectaries shall be very unwilling to have him in the least measure troubled by any censure either of Church or State TTTTTT I do not so much wonder at this more then ordinary want of zeal against any errour in Sectaries whom God has strucken with this among other spirituall plagues for their apostasie from his truth whereof themselves sometime have made a fair profession but it is oft to me a matter both of marvell and grief to behold the very sons of truth who in their hearts are opposite to every errour to be so languid and faint now for so long a time in promoting any reall course for the restraint of that deluge of all manner of hereticall and blasphemous errours which with their eyes they see overflowing the Land much more then any place of Christendome in any by-gone time I doubt not but divers make it a good part of their work both with God and man to have
life SSSSSS M. Bourn to the Reader I shall in the Treatise following lay open to the view of all men not at the second hand but by experience having often heard them both preach and dispute what is that which commonly goes under the name of Familisme what I shall say concerning it is not out of malice to any person neither shall I speak at randome TTTTTT Gangren first Part second division p. 27. There is one Clement Wrighter in London an Arch-heretick and fearfull Apostate sometimes a professor of Religion and judged to have been godly about seven or eight years ago he fell off from the communion of our Churches to Independency and Brownism from that he fell to Anabaptism and Arminianism thence to Mortalism holding the soul mortall after that he fell to be a Seeker and is now an Antiscripturist a Questionist and Skeptick and I fear an Atheist CHAP. V. The lawfulnesse of Infants Baptisme I Have at some length in the preceding Chapters set down the way and Tenets of the Anabaptists both here and over Sea The extreame malignity of the Anabaptistick spirit both of the present the former times wherby it may appear to all who are willing to see how malign a spirit has ruled in that Sect from its first beginning to this very day a spirit carrying to the greatest errours and the grossest vices that ever any who were called Christians have stumbled upon a spirit as much opposite to the honour of God and to the salvation of men It s enmity to the salvation of men as any that ever troubled the Church since its first foundation It s favour towards the salvation of man appears in its great zeal to cast out of the Church and deprive of the means of grace almost all mankinde with the exception of a very few if of any at all When the most reformed of the Protestant Churches come before the fan of their censure at the first shake they blow away that largest and most innocent part of them their infants all children who have not attained to the acts of faith and repentance are to them in the flesh under the power within the verge of the Kingdom of Satan as well as Jews Turks Pagans and others who are not so much as entred within the hedge of Christs sheepfold and lest the spoiling of children of all the grace and gifts of God had not been a sufficient vastation they are carried on by the spirit that leads them to make as great havock and desolation among those of riper years they Unchurch the most of those whom otherwise they love as their best friends they charge all the Independents and the Brownists and the most rigid of the Separatists for their baptizing of infants with no lighter a burthen then Antichristianism and a clear deniall of Christs Incarnation Neither here does their rashnesse stand the small remnant of Christians the Anabaptistick Societies which alone they will honour with the title of true Churches seem to them too many to be saved therefore new separations are run into and those so severe that there lives not an Anabaptist upon earth who by multitudes even of Anabaptists is not condemned with all who adhere to his subdivision as a man in a false way not only without but in opposition to the true Church In its di honoring of God be setting up a liberty first for all errours This their extream cruelty against the souls of men wont to be coloured with the shew of zeal to the truth and honour of God but this varnish is now almost quite wiped off Behold whither their zeal to the truth and honour of God is now evanished They for some times were so eminently zealous against errors and vices that very small ones were wont to draw from them an ejection out of the Church a deliverance to Satan and where the Civill Sword was in their hand a putting out of this life a publick execution by the hand of the Hangman when their Princes and Prophets were not at leisure to administer Justice in their own persons Notwithstanding the loudest note that this day sounds in their song is liberty and freedom from all punishments for what ever crimes when all abominations imaginable are publickly proclaimed when many more and much viler errours walk in our streets then ever any one place in any time did hear of the great zeal of these religious men breaks out daily in all the discourses they please and actions they dare for the safeguard of the cursed instruments of these errours passionately denying all power in any on earth to restrain in the least measure the open propagation of the most abominable lies which Satan is able to utter by the tongue of any creature no matter of Religion say they can fall under the cognisance of any State the false Church has no right to censures or any Church Ordinance the truest Churches can meddle but with their own members they who never were of them or have renounced membership with them are without their Jurisdiction so neither State nor Church can put any barre of the smallest censure upon the propagation of any errour And next for all vice And lest vice the neer kinsman of errour should finde any harder measure any greater stop from the hand of superiour powers this Sect with all the speed it can is posting back to its first principles the overthrow of the civill State as much as of the Church That when ever they are found in the practise of their Doctrine of the lawfulnesse of adultery and incest robbery and murder there may be none upon earth to controll them For this end they cast down the King and Parliament Commons as well as Lords all Incorporations all Judicatories in Burgh and Land that an absolute Monarchy a full liberty for every man to do all his pleasure without any fear of punishment may be set up That the Crown and Scepter the Kingship and absolute Soveraignty may at last be restored to the onely true owners the free-born people of England the individuals as they love to speak of the whole Nation All this much more have they set under their own hands as may be seen in the former Chapters Their Brownistick and Arminian Tenets I have refuted in other Treatises I have neither time nor minde to dispute all their positions in my little Antidote against Arminianism I have in a short and popular way impugned it their Tenets against the Protestant Churches in the heads of election redemption grace free-will and perseverance In the first Part of my Disswasive I have debated at length enough the chief of those errours which they have taught their children the Separatists The reall holinesse of all Church members the necessity of separation for want of satisfaction in this point alone the power of every member of the Church to preach the word to ordain and to excommunicate when there is cause their very Pastors
writers asserting the ancient custome of dipping in baptisme A generall answer to the testimonies for dipping To which I answer first what ever authority testimonies may have with us yet with him that brings them and with his whole party they are of no value at all Will they mislike or so much as suspect any of their absurdest novelties when it is demonstrate to them that the whole current of all Christian writers ancient and modern is against them is it not then their custome with a great deal of scorn to declaim against the vanity and frivolousnesse of an argument from humane assertions Secondly the Treatiser himselfe cannot but know that every one of the Authours he brings does positively impugne his assertion the necessity of dipping and unlawfulnesse of sprinkling in Baptisme Thirdly his witnesses though they assert indefinitely the antiquity of dipping yet none of them does deny the like ancient use of sprinkling both those may well stand together and so it is the judgement of many that sometimes dipping and sometimes sprinkling as the occasion required were practised in the Primitive times Fourthly of those that speak of ancient dipping how many doe understand it of the totall immersion of a naked body over head and ears and yet this alone is our question Fifthly though even for this testimonies were brought yet they come not home unlesse such a dipping be attested to be a rite unchangeable and so necessary that the omission of it at any occasion were a sin and breach of the Lords institution When any writer either ancient or modern except some few of the latest Anabaptists is brought to bear witnesse to any such assertion I shall acknowledge my information of that whereof hitherto I have been altogether ignorant THE CONTENTS OF the Treatise The PREFACE SLothfulnesse is fatall when unseasonable Men are most carelesse when their dangers be greatest The present danger of the Protestant Churches of France Holland of Germany of Zuitserland of Britain by the Malignants by the Sectaries Our dangers from the Malignants are not yet past The unexcusable obstinacy of the Episcopall Divines It s blindnesse and dementation to misprize the danger from France Antichrist is possibly neare to swallow down the whole Reformed Churches A floud of Errors and Heresies is like to overwhelm the Church of England A liberty for all Errors is the great aim of some They spoil the Parliament of all power to reform or meddle with Religion Who now are the persecutors How great is the monster of Libertinism The Sectaries having done with the Church proceed to the overthrow of the State The Parliament must be abolished The best remedy of our dangers from the Malignants is the return of the King to his Parliament in just tearms The zealous diligence of Ministers might do much to cure the evill of our errors The sedulous activity of the Sectaries doth shame our slothfulnesse The caveats of zeal Presbyterians are far from opposing the least degree of true piety Charity and compassion are to be extended to our enemies Presbyterians were never persecutors The dignity and power of the Magistrate must be carefully preserved The scope of the Treatise CAP. I. The Originall and Progresse of the Anabaptists BErengarius no Anabaptist The Albigenses knew not Anabaptisme p. 1. Neither MelancthoÌ„ nor Carolostadius did favour Antipaedobaptism p. 2 The true originall of the Anabaptists The malignity of their spirit Their singular hypocrisie p. 3 The preposterous pity and charity of good men towards them was the cause of their strength Their wicked doctrines and practises Luther did justly stir up the Magistrate against them p. 5 Great numbers of them were slain The unhappy end of their Author Muncer ib. Zuinglius did oppose their gathering of Churches in Zuitserland The reason of their banishment thence p. 6 Their intolerable practises The tragedy of Munster p. 7 The ordinary custome of Hereticks is not to labour but to spoil the labours of others King Becold enters Munster Some of the prime Ministers are gained to Anabaptisme The slacknesse of the Magistrate though orthodoxe did ruine the City The Sectaries though fewer and weaker yet by wit and industry did master their opposites By the stirrup of Toleration the Sectaries ascended to the saddle of Soveraignty p. 8 Being once masters of the City they presently changed the government They seized on the goods of all and killed whom they would The peoples mindes being ensnared by their errors their tyranny became irremediable They proclaimed Polygamy p. 9 A faint and unsuccessefull resistance did hasten and confirm Becolds Kingdome The splendour of Becolds Court His barbarous cruelty and hypocrisie His unhappy end p. 10 Amsterdam in hazard to be a second Munster A woman Messias Division and Schismes were the Anabaptists ruine p. 11 The difference betwixt the Monasterians and the Battenburgicks The Sect of the Hophmanists p. 12 Who were the Mennonists A Synod for union did divide them amongst themselves more then ever David Georgius labours for union p. 13 Divers Sects of Anabaptists evanished David George had a great shew of zeal and piety p. 14 Yet his absurdities were horrible The extraordinary zeal of his followers His strange end p. 15 The increase of the Mennonists The errors of the Mennonists Their Schismes p. 16 For a light cause four late separations among them The state of the Anabaptists in England p. 17 Independency the cause of their increase and boldnesse p. 18 Their late Confession is neither a full nor a clear declaration of their tenets CAP. II. The tenets of the old Anabaptists THe most applauded tenets of our modern Anabaptists are the self-same with what the old Anabaptists did invent p. 29 Their first prime tenet was a necessity of gathering Churches out of Churches and of separation from the best reformed in their time because of mixt communion ib. Antipaedobaptisme became at last their greatest dâ—rling They were the authors of the prophecying and questioning of private men in the face of the Church Women preachers are from them p. 30 Their Pastors must renounce all former Ordination and their full call of new must come from the hands of their people They required no letters in their Preachers The crying down of Tithes and all set Stipends is from them Independency of Congregations and the peoples power in Church censures is their invention The Seekers who deny all Churches are their Disciples After the overthrow of the Church they fell next upon the State p. 31 First they cryed down the Magistrates power in matters of Religion Next in all matters even Civill Yet they took to themselves an absolute Civill power first over all them in their own Churches Next over all Princes and people in the whole world They were strong Millenaries p. 32 They made adulteries and murders lawfull Robberies also 33 Their hypocrisie ended in the open practise of crimes extreamely contrary to their first professions Their abominable uncleannesse They deny both Old and