the brethren that at last they were excommunicated as idle drones They dissolved the bands of marriage when they lifted putting their wives away as oft as they pleased Separatists a kinde of Anabaptâ—sts so called because they pretended to be separated from the world They condemned fine cloathes To them that laughed they would cry Woe bee to you that laugh for hereafter yee shall mourne They did look sadly and fetcht deep sighes they avoyded marriage meetings fealts musick and condemned bearing of Armes and Covenants Catharists who deny children Baptisme affirming that they have no Originall sin and pretending themselves to bee pure and without sin These will not say this Petition in the Lords Prayer forgive us our Trespasses Silentes who despise all humane constitutions and dispatch their businesse with great silence they answer all questions of Religion with much silence Enthusiasts who pretend that they have the gift of Prophesie by dreames to which they give much credit They would lye in Trances like men having the falling sicknesse and then would declare stâ—ange things which God had revealed to them viz. That Anabaptisme was holy that Pedobaptisme came from the divell and that Zwinglius was in hell c. Liberi a sort of Anabaptists who understand the liberty we have in Christ carnally and being freed from Christ they thinke themselves freed from paying any rent tribute or tithes and take unto themselves liberty to commit all uncleanesse whatsoever Adamites a kinde of Anabaptists who think cloathes to be cursed and given to man for a punishment of sin whereas they thinke themselves to be innocent and without sin Hutites who boast themselves to be the only children of God and heiâ—es of heaven so called of Iohn Huta this Iohn Huta dyed in prison These Anabaptists deny the deity of Christ. Augustinians who affirm the entrance into Paridice to have been shut up untill Augustine the Bohemian opened it for himselfe and those that were of his Sect. Beuckeldians a kind of Anabaptists so called of Ioh. Beuchelzoâ—â—â—us these affirme Polygamie to be permitted in the Gospell and that it is a holy thing to have many wives Melchiorists are Anabaptists so called of Melchior Hofman who was their Prophet at Strausborough whom they do expect to come at the day of Judgement with Elias They also affirme the blessed Virgin Mary not to be the Mother of our Lord but to be as a Conduit through which Christ passed so that hee tooke nothing from her neither was borne of her This Hofman was so wicked as to say Malidista sit caro Mariae Georgians certaine Anabaptists followers of David George who was father of the Familists boasted that he was a great Prophet the Son of God greater than Christ and hee should rise three yeares after his death and restore the Kingdome of Israel Menonists called of Menon a Frisian by whose name the Anabaptists were generally called as if all their other denominations had been lost and buried These foureteen are named by Astedius Mr. Bullinger in his first book against Anabaptists nameth others as some of them under pretence of childish innocency played many odde pranks one having kept his excrements in store many dayes powred them out in the street and turned himselfe naked into them saying unlesse we be made like little Children we cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven Others for the same reason would ride upon sticks and Hobby-horses like children in great companies and women would run naked with them and then in pure innocency they lay together and so in the end it proved childrens play indeed Servetians a blasphemous kinde of Anabaptists so called of Servetus a Spaniard whose Heresies are set down by Prateolus Bullinger and others he called the baptisme of children an horrible abhomination he would not have them baptized before they were thirty yeares old This Servetus denyed the Deity of Christ and was burnt for his blasphemous opinions October 27. in the yeare of our Lord 1553. at Geneva Libertines who make God the author of sinne and deny the resurrection of the body against these Mr. Calvin hath written a Treatise Bullinger telleth us of divers sotts of Anabaptists called Liberi vid. sup Denkians a sort of Anabaptists of which Denkius was chief who taught that the Devill and wicked men should be saved This Denkius was converted by Oecolampadius Minister of Basil. Semper Orantes who would alwayes pray and neglect all other duties Deo relicti Anabaptists that relying onely upon God refuse all meanes that God hath appoynted Monasterienses or magnificent Anabaptists so called because of their bravery under their King Iohn who added many things unto the hodgepodge of their errors as the having many wives which he pretended to receive from the heavenly Father and it was no burthen for a man to have never so many in Munster they being provided for out of the common stock They put away barren women and women past children as good for nothing and committed them to Curators to keep whereas they had many wives yet it was accounted a great offence for one wife to looke distorto vertu but awry upon her sister wife yea accounted a capitall crime Yea at this day they have a new crotchet come into their heads that all that have not beene plunged nor dipt under waters are not truely baptized and these also they re-baptize And this error ariseth from ignorance of the Greek word Baptize which signifieth no more then washing or ablution as Hezychius Stephanus Scapula Budaeus great Masters of the Greek-tongue make good by many instances and allegations out of many authors In holy Scripture it is used generally to wash Luke 11. 38. The Pharisees wondred that he had not first washed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Heb. 9. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 7. 3. Except they wash oft they care not And both are allowed by our Church and sprinkling hath been rather used among us by reason of the coldnesse of our climate and the tendernesse of our Infants They will tell us that Christ was baptized in the River and the Eunuch in the River True it is for then they had no Churche nor Fonts which now are to be used but in what river was Cornelins and his family or the Jaylor and his family plunged in Againe if the spirituall grace be sufficiently expressed by a little water sprinkled as by ducking in a river then dipping is not necessary as a little bread in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is of as much efficacy as a whole loafe The Apostle telleth us Heb. 9. 13. ofsprinkling them that were uncleane St. Cyprian telleth us true baptisme to be as well by sprinkling as by dipping It is impossible saith Mr. Bullinger to set downe all the differences and contrary opinions of the Anabaptists with all their pernicious Sects and
the seed of David according to the flesh whence in the New Testament he is called the Son of man As also Isay the son of a Virgin which could not be if he had not taken flesh upon him from the Virgin Mary neither should our flesh have any hope of eternall life if he were not made flesh neither should his passion or resurrection profit us at all In this point the Anabaptists are worse than the Papists yea then the Turkes themselves who confesse that Christ was borne of a Virgin The Melchiorists a kinde of Anabaptists doe not onely hold the opinion above named but also are so diabolicall and blasphemous as to curse the flesh of the blessed Virgin by maintaining this error The Anabaptists manifest themselves to be of the number of them whom the Apostle St. Iohn speaketh 2. Eph. vese 7. For many deceivers are come into the world who confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh That Christ was not true God This blasphemous Error is contrary to the holy Scripture as Ioh. 1. The word was God Ioh. 10. I and the Father am one Ioh. 4. He that seeth the Father seeth me I am in the Father and the Father in me Col. 2. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporally Againe 1 Iohn 5. We are in him that is true even in his son Iesus Christ that is the true God And againe if he were not God no created power had been sufficient for the worke of our redemption and satisfaction of Gods wrath This blasphemous opinion reigneth among the Anabaptists in Moravia I doe not find this to be maintained by our English Anabaptists but to be the opinion of Servetus who was burnt at Geneva and his followers Not to be saved by faith in Christ. What can be more contrary to the holy Scriptures than this detestable Error read Iohn 3. 16. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who so beleeveth in him shall not perish but have life everlasting Rom. 3. 24. We are justified freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law By the work of Charity and Affliction the passion of Christ is a sufficient ransome for all our sin 1 Iohn 1. The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all out unrighteousnesse Isa. 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out all thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Heb. 9. He hath obtained for us eternall redemption nothing here perfect 1. Cor. 13. Neither in his sight can any man living be justified Psal. 143. 2. Neither any troubled conscience can be pacified Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. And for afflictions they are either just punishments for our sins or fatherly corrections to stir us up to a holy life They reject the Doctrine of originall sin because say they Christ hath taken away all evil whether it be the inclination or concupiscence according to that Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Also that children whereas they do neither good nor evill are under grace and without sin but so the Infants of all nations and Infidels may be saved being without sin but the contrary appeareth by the effect of sin The reward of sin is death Rom. 6. And David confesseth expresly Psal. 51. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me And St. Paul calleth our inbred concupiscence sin dwelling in us And Eph. 2. We were by nature the children of wrath They deny the Sacrament of Baptisme to Infants The ground of this Errour is Ignorance they not knowing what Baptisme is pretending Faith and Repentance to be the estence of Baptisme which Infants are not capable of and therefore not to be baptized To this I answer As faith and repentance was not the essence of Circumcision but the outward circumcising of the flesh and the inward circumcising of the heart So the essence of Baptisme is not faith and repentance but the outward washing of the water the word annexed and the inward washing of the Spirit Our Lord affirmeth Joh. the 3. Except a man be born again by water and the holy Ghost c. St. Augustine affirmeth Although sound faith be not present yet the Sacrament of Biptisme may be sound The Greek Patriarch writing to the German Divines affirmeth in Baptisme the matter to be water the forme the words viz. This servant of God is baptized in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost the instrumentall cause to be the Minister The Anabaptists attribute too much in this Sacrament to their repentance faith mortification and merit and little or nothing to Gods mercy which is most contrary to the nature of this holy Sacrament which sealeth up unto us out receiving into Gods favour and grace for his owne mercies sake without any merit of ours To palliate this their abhominable error they pervert divers places of holy Scripture as Matth. 28. Mar. 10. Out of the order of words Goe and teach all Nations baptizing them Because that teaching is set befor baptizing they would have children taught before they are baptized To this I answer 1. Whereas teaching is set before baptizing Matth. 28. Baptizing is set before teaching Mar. 1. 4. John did baptize in the wildernesse and teach the baptisme of repentance And againe where it is said repent and beleeve whether is faith or repentance first required But where finde you say they a literall command in all the new Testament for the Baptisme of Infants To this I answer The new Testament doth not literally command Remember to keep holy the Lords day nor to say grace before and after meales or to pray with our Families evening or morning or for women to receive the Communion and many other such like things which are moral duties may be sufficiently proved by consequence out of the holy Scriptures As for example in this very Text which they alleadge against the baptisme of children the baptisme of children is there commanded Goe and teach all Nations baptizing c. The meaning is goe and teach all them that are capable of teaching and baptize them that are capable of baptizing to make this more plaine Is a man should bid his servant goe sheare all my sheep and mark them if that servant should sheare all his sheep and mark them only that he had shorn and not mark his Lambs because he could not shear them doth that servant fulfill his Masters command No more had the Apostles done if they had not marked his lambs as well as his sheep although they were not capable of teaching yet they were capable of marking or baptizing In lawes and precepts that be generall the numeration of singulars are not necessary because lawes doe
and challenging all such as stand against their Errors and Heresies Goliah like defying Israel yet saith my Authour their opinions are such as pervert the Gospell of Jesus Christ bereave the Church of the grace and favours of God to young and old c. First for his grounds and reasons for the Baptisme of Children he alleadged seven 1. Because it is the Commandement of God to give the signe and seale of his Covenant of grace to his people and their seed in their infancy throughout their generations Which Ordinance of the Lords hath never been repealed but abideth stablished upon a certain and perpetuall ground which is his Promise and Covenant of grace made with the faithfull and their seed for ever 2. Because Christ hath confirmed the same when he sent forth his Apostles and appoynted them to make all the Natitions Disciples and to baptize them into the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost For to make Gentiles Disciples is by the Gospel to bring them unto the Covenant of God made with Abraham the Father of many nations for salvatition through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which being a Covenant everlasting and including the faithfull and their seed Baptisme which did now succed and seale it in stead of Circumcision was therefore by this appoyntment of Christ to be administred unto all that should be brought and comprehended under that Covenant of Grace and consequently both to such as were of yeares coming to the faith of Christ and to their children being yet Infants Otherwise the Gentiles should not with the Jewes bee made co-heriters and of the same body and joynt-partakers of the Promise of God in Christ as the Scripture teacheth 3. Because is was the Apostles practice at the publishing of the Gospell through the world to baptize both the house-holders themselves that believed and their housholds also Like as Abraham himselfe first believed and then was circumcisâ—d all his family with him and as the strangers of the Gentiles which received the faith of the Jewes was circumcised likewise with all the males that were his 4. Because Children of beleevers are holy and are Abrahams seed and heires by promise of the Kingdom of heaven And who can then with-hold the Baptisme of water from them to whom God vouchsafeth the baptisme of his Spirit and the blessing of Abraham to an inheriâ—ance everlasting 5. Because Baptisme is the Lords signe of his washing away of our sins receiving of us into the Church and incorporating of us into Christ for salvation by his death and resurrection Whereof the children of Believers are partakers as wel as they which be of yeares and therefore can no more be deprived of Baptisme then of remission of sins entrance into the Church ingraffing into Christ and salvation by his meanes 6. Because there is one Baâ—tisme as there is one Body and one Mediator and confirmer of our covenant of Grace to the faithfull and their seed in all ages so as therefore one and the same Baptisme pertaineth to the children of the faithfull together with the Parents themselves as they ere also one and the same body with them having one and the same Mediator and raâ—ifier of Gods Covenant of grace unto them even Jesus Christ the head and Saviour of his Church which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things 7. Because else the grace of God to his people is now since Christs comming in the flesh lessened and straitned more then before which to affirme is highly to derogate from the grace of God the fulnesse of Christ and his Gospel the comfort of Christians and contrary to that which is written Col. 2 2. That Baptisme received in the Apostaticall Churches of Christians as in Rome and the like is not to be renounced and a new to be repeated again 1. Because there is no precept nor example for and therefore not from heaven 2. Because there is one Baptisme as one Circumcision as in the apostasie of Israel Circumcision was not repeated again they returning In like manner Baptisme being once received in the Apostaticall Churches of Christians is not to be repeated 3. Because the Covenant of Gods grace in Christ is an everlasting Covenant 4. Because Christ dyed for sin once and being raised from the dead dyeth no more and we are buried with him by Baptisme into his death to be grafâ—ed with him in the similitude of his resurrection wherefore all that are once Baptized into his name ought still to retaine it and not repeat it any more 5. Because the Church of Rome was espoused to Christ in the Covenant of Grace by the Gospell of salvation having Baptisme and the rest of Christs Ordinances in the Apostles dayes and have ever since retained it with other grounds of Christian Religion notwithstanding all her adulteries and apostasies whereinto she is falne 6. Because God hath his people in the Romish Babylon and when he calleth them out from thence doth not enjoyne them to leave whatsoever is there had but requireth of them to have no communion with their sins Now Baptisme is not of her adulteries but of Christs Oâ—dinance 7. Because else men might by the same reason also not retain the Articles of faith the learning of Scripture or the translations thereof and also be perswaded to dâ—ssolve such marriages which have been had by their Ministerie with other as strange consequences which to admit were unlawfull Now howsoever the Brownists comply with the Anabaptists in many things as you shall â—ee afterwards yet in these poynts Mr. Iohnson and some other of them disagree from them counting these their opinions abominable In describing of the Brownists I purpose to set downe 1. Their Originall and why called Brownists 2. Called also Separatists and why 3. Their agreement with the Donatists 4. Their agreement with the Anabaptists 5. Great Inâ—ovators 6. Some of their errors set downe by Mr. White 7. They are bitter Railers 8. Magnifie their owne Sect. 9. Criminate the Dutch and French Churches 10. They pretend Scripture 11. Blame our Congregation for prophanenesse 12. The prophanenesse impietyl dissentions and lewdnesse of their own Sect. 13. Their equivocating and palliating their owne wickednesse 14. Blame the Conversations of our Ministers 15. Except against our Ministers Ordination 16. Noveltie of their Ordinations 17. Their singing of Psalmes 18. Their Prophesying 19. Their blaming set Prayers 20. Their blaspheming the Lords Prayer 21. The tyranny of the Separation 22. Divers sorts of Brownists 23. How great a sin Schisme is 24. How they have been suppressed and punished in times past 25. Mr. Scots description of a Brownist 26. Of the Semi-separatists 1. Their Originall THese Sectaries are called Brownists from onâ— Master