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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	religion_n	true_a	7,548	5	5.1593	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91797	Some briefe considerations on Doctor Featley his book, intituled, The dipper dipt, wherein in some measure is discovered his many great and false accusations of divers persons, commonly called Anabaptists, with an answer to them, and some brief reasons of their practice. In seven sections, viz. I. Dr. Featley his secret and haynous accusing the honourable Parliament. II. That he is guilty of greater errors, than to go into the water to be dipt. ... VI. Some reasons alledged against infants being baptized. A question proposed to consideration, that if it be an error to be baptized again, whether the punishment, some would have inflicted upon them, and some have suffered, be not too great? VII. How many sorts of Anabaptists he saith there are, and what they hold. Whereunto is added, what is conceived the Doctors mysticall frontispiece may more properly declare. / By Samuel Richardson.	Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.	1645 (1645)	Wing R1414; Thomason E270_22; ESTC R212288	20,332	22

freely confesse it and I perceive the Doctor hath skill in one tongue that will never doe him good and I desire to be ignorant of it but one may wonder that he so much inveyeth against illiterate men seeing he saith in p. 200. that God in the first planting of the Gospel made use of illiterat men that all may know that he that planteth and he that watereth is nothing and further saith p. 14. I confesse we read of one Fumentius a lay-man who in his travels converted many to the Christian Faith and Dr. Fulk confesseth in his Confutation of the Rhemist Testament of a woman that converted a great many of them who lived in the Island to which place she was carried captive But Dr. Featley saith the learnedst men have proved the worthiest Instruments bravely spoken 2 Cor. 10. 17 18. the summe is therefore now all illiterate men must for ever hold their peace at least in England and in case any travell into any Island where there are some unconverted if there be no Doctors there illiterate men may see what God will do by them But the Doctor chargeth the Anabaptists p. 10. to be uncertain of their grounds because sometimes they plead one thing and sometimes another Answ. No variety of grounds and reasons against a thing may arise from the clear discovery of the truth to them and from fulnesse of perswasion in the judgement as illiterate men conceive But saith the Doctor in his Epistle the Separation and Anabaptists upbraid the State with their merit in hazarding their lives and estates in these present wars Answ. No such matter they do but only declare their loyalty to the State being urged to it by some who falsly accuse them to be enemies to the State and I conceive they accuse them to be enemies out of a desire that they be lesse friends to it and some conceive the Doctor and such as he is seek the destruction of the State in seeking to deprive the State of the help of many who are faithfull and loyall to it But saith he Anabaptisme was condemned long since by the Greek and Latine Churches mark how the Doctor bears himself upon humane authority then it seems you cannot say it is condemned by Jesus Christ in his Word but the Doctor confesseth that generall Councels have sometimes most grossely mistaken error for truth and Idolatry for true Religion p. 92. then it 's no wonder if the Doctor erre with his Greek and Latine Church and seeing the Doctor affirms that the example of Christ and his Apostles doth not bind us without a precept p. 37 38. with what reason or conscience doth he urge against us yea and against Christs command his Greek and Latine Churches without a precept doth he not set them herein above Christ himself The Papists pretend antiquity and brag of their universality against the truth Wee know error is ancient and spreading but truth was before error and baptizing by dipping was before baptizing by sprinkling he may name to us as many men as he pleaseth but hee must tell us where it is so written in the Scriptures so as we may reade it before we shall believe them Luke 10. 26. But the Doctor chargeth us in his book with many things that we hold That no malefactor ought to be put to death That it is lawfull to have more wives then one at once That a man may put away his wife if shee differ from him in point of religion That we are to goe naked and not be ashamed That we hold it lawfull to slay wicked Magistrates That no Christian may goe to law but right himselfe by violent means That wicked men have no propriety in their goods but all things ought to be held in common That we maintain pretended Revelations That Christ took not flesh of the virgin Mary That there is no originall sinne That men have free will in spirituall actions That election is for foreseen faith and repentance That God gives all men sufficient grace to be saved That a man hath free will of himself to accept or refuse grace That Christ died indifferently alike for all That a true beleever may fall away from grace totally and finally And that wee hold Libertinisme Familisme and such like stuffe which we utterly abhorre and detest and if God permit wee shall in the next impression of the Confession of our Faith more fully declare jointly what we believe and therefore I will not answer his exceptions which he makes at some of the Articles but leave it to them to answer for themselves which will be ere long if God permit but sure I am all this poyson which he chargeth upon us is drawn out of the impure fountaine of divers Heretikes in which he laboureth to drown us in and I wonder how his conscience would permit him to heave so many untruths into the Presse but as Christ saith Iohn 16. 2. and he was encouraged by Sleiden Gabriel Abres Alstedius and others oh me thinkes I heare the Presse grone if not sweat under the burden of so many heavie charges and sure his grones will be much greater when God opens his eyes and shews him what he hath done which the Lord in mercy doe if it be his will I hope I may say as Christ did Father forgive him for he knowes not what he hath done Matth. 5. 44. ●1 12. Sect. IV. Whererin appeares in the Doctors disputation his subtilty and pride AFter he had condemned the point in question for an error the Doctor saith I could wish you had brought Scholars with you who know how to dispute which I perceive you cannot do Answ. Observe how before he disputes hee vilifies the point in question and those that maintain it But saith the Doctor there are but two wayes of disputing first by authority secondly by reason First by authority if you will dispute in Divinity you must be able to produce the Scriptures in the originall language Answ. But why may you not as well say none can dispute in divinity unlesse they can produce the same copy of the Scriptures which the Apostles wrote and seeing you cannot do that you are not fit to dispute your self for saith hee in translations there may be and are errors for no translation is are simply authenticall and the undoubted Word of God We may say the same of your Hebrew and Greek copies seeing you cannot produce the first copy how know you but your copies are written and printed false see pag. 109. Can no Writer if he pleaseth write contrary to his copy as for printing I may say the same printing is not above 250. yeers standing Dr. Fulk in confutation of the Rhemist Testament justifieth the English translation of the Bible and you have the same reason to doubt of the writing or printing of your copy as wee of our translation and if you may depend upon the Writer or Printer of your copies why may not we do the same

Therefore the Doctors words contain in them the nature of blasphemy and to define how one can be three and three but one alwayes so remain is above the reach of any man I may say to him as Mat. 7. 3. Luk. 6. 41 42 Sect. 3. Wherein is contained Doctor Featley his large conscience in laying so many and false accusations and wicked errors which he like a mad man shoots desperately against the Anabaptists as he calls them to wound their reputation that they might appeare more vile in the eyes of the ignorant and procure their destruction THe Doctor chargeth the Anabaptists in the Title page of his booke with high attempts against the State which I confesse were an impiety insufferable and all that are guilty of this charge ought to die for it But in no place of his book he doth so much as offer to prove the least part of this charge against any one of this Kingdome or the next to it hee speakes as if two or three in Germany whom he pleaseth to call Anabaptists which he saith were guilty of this sinne But what is that to us if they be guilty of these the like wickednesses should not the Doctor have done better to have written his book in their language if he be not illiterate in it and sent it into those parts of the world as a means to reforme them As for our parts we can justly plead Not guilty and challenge all in the world to prove it against us if they can If the Doctors meaning be that we are guilty of rebellion because we side with the Parliament against those that goe about to destroy the Kingdome Wee answer we doe so to preserve the State and this is not against the State But the Doctor saith that we are a cruell and bloody Sect by imbroyling Kingdomes in warres and by raising persecutions against Gods servants page 210. Answ. It is well knowne that we were not the causers of these warres and our desires are that God would end them and settle truth and peace in all places in the world And it is well known we desire no man might be forced against his judgement and conscience in any way of worshipping of God no not to the true worship but rather to pray to God to open their eyes and wait with long patience till God perswade them and if they never see the light to walke in it to leave all to God And if so which way doth this tend to persecution of the Saints let all judge But he saith wee are a lying and blasphemous Sect yet he alledges not one proof to prove us so and wee are content that your bookes with ours may be examined to see which is the lying and blaspheming Sect. Also he accuseth the Anabaptists to be an impure and carnall Sect p. 207. yet he brings not any one instance of any one act of uncleannesse of any one Anabaptist in all England And seeing hee could not produce any witnesse of such a thing here he for proof steps to Rome to search the Popes and names three of them Sergius Gregory and Leo and that the Pope tolerated Stewes he might as well have said a Priesthood with holy Orders But the Doctor is not ignorant that these Popes were not Anabaptists but suppose they had is this a good reasoning to say the Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes were a filthy unclean Sect and for proof name 1. Cor. 5. 1. that one was guilty of fornication yea one who had his fathers wife And to say the Priesthood of England are a filthy and unclean Sect and for proof alledge what the Priests of England have been guilty of neer our doores as one John Wilson committed buggery with fifteen men See the first Century of scandalous Ministers p. 1. c. And Doctor Featley if you please to joyne issue with us we will confine our selves to this Kingdom whether your Sect of Priests or us be most guilty of uncleannesse and upon that side it falls by the clearest proofe shall with my consent be chronicled for the filthy and unclean Sect. So he makes a dreadfull noyse of the fearfull judgements of God that befell the Ringleaders of this Sect and of their deaths and to prove this he names Elymas the Sorcerer who was struck with blindnesse p. 218. but hee was not an Anabaptist but withstood the Apostles and the truth they professed and they practised dipping So that he is recorded for an example for others that they oppose not Christs servants and the truth they professe lest God meet with them also in like manner but he names 200 and odde were put to death who were as he saith Anabaptists Answer This is no more then the Scripture saith Rev. 13. 7. They shall make warre with the Saints and overcome them He saith in Vienna some Anabaptists were tied together with ropes and drowned two were burned beyond Southwarke and a little after five Dutch Anabaptists were burned in Smithfield pag. 55. It rejoyceth us that men suffer for any truth behold how he honoureth those men that suffered But he saith they dip one another after their manner with a kind of spell containing the heads of their erroneous tenets and their ingaging themselves in their schismatical covenants We answer The manner of our baptisme is as the Apostles was and there is no other words expressed in our baptizing then what is expressed in the 28 of Matthew part of the 19. verse and no mention of any tenets much lesse erroneous ones nor no words of any covenants are mentioned at all Wee confesse when any is to be baptized at the water side the administrator goeth to prayer sutable to the occasion and after goe both into the water and useth the words Mat. chap. 28. part of the 19. verse and comming forth again they goe to prayer againe and also returne thankes to God and how this can be a spell we cannot see But he further accuseth the Anabaptists for running into corners to meet in We answer If he mean houses to be the corners we confesse it and they are the best places we have but if he or any other will doe us so much favour to procure more larger and publick places for us to meet in we are ready to embrace them with much thankfulnesse But saith the Doctor they goe men and women together stark naked into their Jordans pag. 36. 203. Wee answer wee abhor it and deny that ever any of us did so and challenge him to prove it against us if he can if he cannot it is fit he should be known for a slanderer if he deserve no punishment for it But he saith the Anabaptists are an illiterate and sottish Sect. We answer Some of them know many letters and if they can do no more I see not how it can be truly affirmed they are illiterate Yea but it seems in the Doctors account they are not so good scholars as he is I

let all that behold it judge Mat. 7. 15. 16. D. Feat The first sort broached their doctrine about the yeare 250. which was that all those who had been baptized by Novatus or any hereticke ought to be baptized by the orthodox Pastor of the Church and Cyprian a famous Bishop affirmed the same that baptisme of hereticks was invalid and null and Erasmus would not condemne these pag. 24. 25. Ans. And Dr. Fealey doth not greatly condemn these See ibid. D. Feat The 2d sort broched theiss about the yeare 38● that none were rightly baptized but those that held with Donatus and that all others who had received baptisme of the Catholicke Church ought to be rebaptized Ans. I know not whom they and you call the Catholick Church and therefore can say the lesse unto it and it is a question whether D. Featley hold any any are rightly baptized unlesse it bee by such as have received holy Orders and if he doe he must be reckoned for an Anabaptist of the 2d sort for this is the same in substance D. Feat The third and last sort broached theirs 15●5 which was this that baptisme ought to be administred to none but ●uch as can give account of their faith and such as have been baptized in their infancy they ought to be baptized when they come to yeares of discretion p. 25. Answ And this last sort the Doctor is not able to alledge so much as one place of Scripture that speakes one word against them therefore he speaks many What Doctor Featleys mysticall frontispice may more properly declare UPon consideration of the frontispice of the Doctors book there is the picture of a Serpent which is very remarkable and yet he hath said nothing in his book to unfold the mysterie thereof also considering he contradicts the truth of the substance of his pictures which is as he declares to signifie 14. sorts of Anabaptists yet sayes in p. 24. there is but three sorts in all so according to his own confession his explanation thereof cannot be true nor hang together I shall therefore propose to your consideration what I conceive they may more properly hold forth unto us The great headed Serpent is the old Serpent which is the Devill neer to his mouth is written in great letters the name Anabaptist it signifies to us that the name Anabaptist came first from the Devill and that he will own whatsoever is written against them this name is written as it were in a white curtain which the Serpent stretches wide open the meaning is that what is held out by any against the Anabaptists for submitting to Christ is from the devil and that the devill would have all to take notice what is written against them the spuing that proceeds out of his mouth is mystically all his abominable lies and devillish errors which is the filth of his stomach which he labours to cast upon the Anabaptists to make them odious which declares the devill hath much malice against them and the mouth of the Serpent is wide open which shewes he never ceaseth raging and accnsing them and his tail is sharp and it points toward the Anabaptist it shewes his willingness to give them a deadly wound with it but his tail is short of them that is they are safe from his hurting them being out of his reach and the Anabaptist is set in the midst and is inclosed close in the East West North South with men the devil it declares that they are beset with enemies in all the four quarters of the earth and the men have severall names this signifies severall religions and opinions of severall persons yet they all are as one joyned together to oppose the truth and people of God especially against the Anabaptist and on the top on the right side of the Serpent he seems to be very still his picture declares that either hee hath wearied himself against the people of God and so is glad to be quiet or else he is one that observes the event of things and perceiving no good can come of it he chooseth rather to do nothing then to medle with them the second by the posture he seems to be in is preaching he holds up his hand and from it falls something like drops of water he seems to preach that sprinkling is sufficient for Baptisme but he hath no pulpit it 's like he hath had two pulpits and both justly taken from him for his malignancy to the State The third is not ashamed of his name and he is a Separatist Surely I believe he is an honest man I wonder what he doth here hee means honestly and intends to do good it seems he is in a pulpit it 's like he is preaching against the Anabaptist How is 't possible if it be so I fear hee hath not well studied the point he hath spoken against them and the devill hath tempted him to preach against the Anabaptist openly it may be also that he might not be esteemed an Heretike and out of a hope of doing good hath yeelded but his face seems to be turnd somthing backward which holds forth hee wil not be able to stay there long but why should the Devill desire honest men to preach against them Ans. Because he knowes one word from an honest man will more prevail with some then many from a loose fellow The 4th holds up both his hands surely he stands amazed wondring at the silliness of such as will in cold weather go into a river to be ducked or dipt The 5th he stands as one that holds something against his mouth he represents them that will neither speak for them nor against them he is indifferent yet one of the same company The 6th staggers he will fall off from them ere long The 7th stretches out his hands both wayes that is he cars not let all go which way they will The 8th appeares naked the meaning is he is so foolish in defending his practice as all that hears him sees the folly of the man and what he contends for or he conceives he is innocent and no persecutor The 9th is compassed round with a Serpent signifying eternity this represents all those whom God in his just judgement hath given up to their wickedness and shall to eternity perish in it The 10th hath the Sun touching him this shewes the light is come now he sees that he never saw he points to the light it sheweth he is affected with it and that declares he useth means that others may see it also and he hath a key in his hand that is now God hath inlightned his mind he is able to open such places of Scripture which others cannot also he seems to represent Paul who being a persecutor God hath mercy on him and with a light from heaven converts him The 11th picture is a Chariot with two in it drawn swiftly with horses this signifies they make haste as if they were coming from some remote part of the kingdom to London to do some of the people of God a mischief and the Chariot seems to be all on fire this declares their great zeal and malice which fire came from the devill and there being two of them declare they are for witnesses sure it 's a conspiracie against them The 12th hath a Serpent at his mouth which sheweth the neer familiarity they have with the devill that are enemies to the people of God and that they are counselled by the devill what mischief they shall do and how they shall effect it The 13th hath a pen and he is a writing this holds forth that the devill hath alwayes one or other to write against the truth and them that professe it The 14th is pictured with two like women imbracing them that is hee is so taken up about his wenches that he is not at leasure now to meddle with them The 15th and last seems to be out of his wits hee hath persecuted the people of God so long that he is distracted or so terrified in his conscience that he stands in water ready to drown himself In the middle of all is a river named Jordan this declareth that much water is required to baptise in a few drops being not sufficient the men in it seem to be the Anabaptists so called a man and a woman are about to be baptized in the presence of all the aforesaid enemies this holds forth their loyalty courage and constancy of both men and women that they are not afraid nor ashamed to own Jesus Christ practice his truth in the presence of the Devill and his instruments And they are almost naked this was done to make them odious to the world by an enemy of theirs mystically they have forsaken all fathers mothers friends land to submit to the wayes of Jesus Christ Thus they have denied themselves to be Christs Disciples and that their enemies have stripped them of all and that none may expect outward riches nor glory in submitting to the wayes of Christ And thus being stripped of all outward comforts now they seem to a carnall eye most miserable One puts anothers head under water so baptizing him this to a learn'd Doctor that can see but the out-side of things seemes yea esteemes it a meere ducking that deserves drowning there is no money nor figures set down neere the dipper it seems they are so silly that they doe not compound what they shall have for their labour And under the men is written Proselytes that is they are converted to the faith of Christ And under the women is written Virgins of Sion virgins because they are chast to God and man and they are named virgins of Sion that is they belong to the Church of Christ by the confession of their adversaries FINIS