Yea the Brownists gâ—e faâ— beyâ—nd the Anabapâ—â—sts affâ—â—ming set Prayers to be abhominable in the eyes of Almighty God To this â—â—â—answer whatsoever God hath ordained is neither abhominable nor loathsome to him but God hath ordained set Prayers therefore they are not abominable noâ— loathsome That God hath ordained set prayers see Num. 6. 23 24. Yee shall blesse the childâ—en of Israel saying unto them the Lord blesse thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon tâ—ee and be gracious to thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Againe Deut. 26. 5. And thou shalt speake and say before the Lord thy God a Syâ—ian ready to perish was my Father The 90. Psalme is a Prayer even the prayer of Moses and and used in the Jewish Church as we use the Lords Prayer All the Psalmes of David except some that are doctrinall are prayers and have beene and shall be read in the Church of God maâ—gre all the Heriticks and Schismaticks In the World In the Gospell are many set prayers daily read in the Church What are all these abhominable All the ancient Churches in the world planted by the Apostles have set Prayers as the Greek Church to whom St. Paul preached the Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the â—ight of the Gospel the Ethiopians to whom St. Mark brought the knowledge of Christ the Muscovites who affirme that they received the truth from Sâ— Andrew These with all ancient Churches have set prayers their Liturgies are to be seen Yea all the Reformed Churches the Duâ—ch the French the Danâ—sh the Swedish the Scotâ—ish c have set Prayers onely these Sectaries will speak to God ex tempore In my Christianography you may see dâ—vers Liturgies as a Liturgy attributed to St. Iamesâ—he â—he first Bishop of â—erusalem set forth by Victorius Scâ—atâ—â—us the Maronite The Apdâ—â—le Iames was commonly called Iacobus Liturgus that is Iames the Service-maker which beginneth O Lord doe not despise me defiled with the multitude of my sins c. Again the service the Muscovites use taken out of the Commentaries of Sigismund Liberus The Ethiopian Liturgie or Service written by Francis Alvares The Copâ—s Liturgy set forth by Kircherus The Armenian Service set downe by Odoardus Barâ—osa The Armenian Service set downe by Peter Bellonius lib. 3. cap. 12. The Liturgy of Severus sometime Patriarch of Alexandria written in Syriak and translated into Latine by Guido Subritius But to shew you a patterne of some of their new Prayers one of them cryeth out in his prayer O Lord thou knoweâ—â— good Lord that we never had the truth preached among us untill now c. Whereas the Doctrine of the Church of England is Gods truth as the learned Assembly of Divines doe restifie howsoever in our Discipline there may need Reformation Another cryeth out in his prayer Good Lord good Lord deliver this Congregation from this man who is unlearned unpowerfull unprofitable c. This spirituall Prayer was made for my selfe in my owne Church in my owne Pulpit in my owne hearing To conclude this with the counsell of the holy Ghost Bee not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart be hasty to utter a thing before Gâ—d for God is in the heavens and thou art 〈◊〉 the earth Therefore let thy words be few for as a dreame commeth by the multitude of businesse so the voyce of a foole is known by many words 20. They quarrell at the Lords Prayer BUT what need I complaine of their blaspheming of set Prayers whereas our Lord taught his Disciples a set Forme of Prayer the perfectest and exactest of all that can bee made it being compiled by the Sonne of God who is the wisedome of the Father For perfection it containeth all that can be asked or prayed against For acceptation it containeth the words of Christ the Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased These Sectaries quarrell at this prayer and will nor say it as Barrow Greenwood affirme it to be abominable and as loâ—thsome unto God as swines-flesh to a Jew Apollinaâ—ius the Heritick equalled his songs with holy Scripture but I never heard of any Heretick thatâ—prefer'd his owne works before holy Scripture Doe not these Heriticks preferre their owne Prayers before our Lords If our Lords Prâ—yer be better then theirs why doe they not say it according to our Lords Commandement Luke 11 Or if they will pray after the same manner as is commanded Matth. 6. Why doe they use so many vaine repetitions there by him forbidden I have read that St. Peter used no other prayer at the Communion but this Prayer which his Master taught him and the Greeks in Calabria used the same But now it is not used by some at the ministration of the Sacrament I am sure this prayer is perfect and all other devised by them not so perfect Let us not neglect that perfect forme which our Lord hath left us or pray at least-wise after that manner not using vaine repititions by him forbidden as before 21. Of the Tyranny and ill-usage of some of them to their VVives and Servants MAny there be that are taken in the Bâ—iars of this propane Schisme that wish they had never met with the separation of that Schismaticall body and would flye so that they might escape without excommunication with which they terâ—ifie them so that they dare not so much as whisper or as much as â—uffe against it You may read in the Boook called The prophane Schisme of the Brownists how cruelly also they used their servants for not doing their taskes as some they hang up by the hands and whip them stark naked being women grown yea they spare not theâ—r wives but correct them Read the story of Seudley and Mansfield It may be they learnâ— this of their Patriarch Father Browne who would cuâ—stly correct his old wife as before 22. There are divers sorts of Separatists THere are divers sorts of these Sectaries for every day begets a new fancy or opinion it â—aâ—ing with them usually as with all other Hereticks who having once forsaken the Truth wander from one error to another as Mr. Smith one of their Grandees from a Protestant he turned Brownist and from a Brownist he turned Anabaptist yea a Sebaptist and re-baptized himselfe The first sort of Separatists affirme the abominations of the Church of England to be so great that they will â—ot come within their Church doores to heare any of their Ministers but â—y themselves wholly to their owne Conventicles The root of this Sect was one Mr. Robert Browne before named from whom are risen many Sects for every day begets a new fancy and conceit These say that England was once the Lords wiâ—e but that he hath given her a Bill of divorce and put her away These deny all communion with her but private communion they hold lawfull with her members As for the ancient company of Brownists that were
called Gods because they are in Gods â—lace The Anabapâ—â—sts themselves who despised Government finding the necessity of it in Munstâ—r so that they could not subsist without Goâ—ernment chose themselves a King with inferiour Officers under him That it is not lawfull for a Magistrate to punish because revengâ— is forbâ—dden Christian mâ—n In this they erre not distinguishing betweene revenge and punishment which is from the Magistrate by reason of the execution of the Law grounded upon Gods Law a lawfull punishment appointed by God The Magistrate saith St. Paul is the Minister of God appointed for thy goâ—d either for our naturall good preserving our lives which bloody men would soone ruinate who feare not so much hell as the halter For our civill good preserving our goods and Possessions For our morall good in rewarding vertue and punishing vice he beareth not the sword in vaine For our spirituall good by coactive power enforcing men to the duties of Godlinesse In that notorious Apostasie of Israel when so many execrable enormities were committed When Micah had a house of Gods the Levite wanted maintenance when his Concubine was ravished to death the Spirit still prefixeth at that time there was no King in Israel Wee are beholding to Governement for Order Peace and Religion for Order wherâ— no King is every man will be his owne King for Peace he that will bee his owne King will bee another mans Tyrant for Religion every Micah will have a House of Gods without Governement To conclude Adulterers Murtherers Traytors Witches Burners of Houses may be put to death by the Magistrate to whom the sword is given and they are not killed but such in suffering doe receive a just guerdon for their offences That a Christian man may not take an oath because Christ saith Thou shall not sweare at all which is repeated Iames 5. And that it is enough to say Yea yea and nay nay Answ. Christ doth not forbid an oath before a Magistrate as it is a testimony of truth he reproveth the Pharisees who taught men that they should sweare not onely by the name of God as God had commanded but also by heaven by the earth by their heads c. This vitious kind of swearing he forbiddeth onely because these things cannot be witnesses of the things averred nor punish lying Neither doe the words following Let your communication be yea yea and nay nay take away a lawfull oath but admonish the godly of the goodnesse of truth and hatred of lies That a godly man may lawfully take an oath appeareth by these reasons following 1. From the authority of holy Scripture By the name of God thou shalt sweare Deut. 6. 4. The reason is set down Heb. 6. Because the Lord is greater and that an oath is the end of all controversies so Psal. 15. He that sweareth to his neighbour and deceiveth him not 2. From the example of Christ and holy men in the old and new Testament Genes 24. 26. 3. From the worship of God for an oath is part of Gods worship being a calling upon God to be a witnesse of the truth and an avenger of the lie Nor by oath promise any fidelity or bind himselfe to any Prince or Magistrate whatsoever This opinion openeth a gap to all Treasons Rebellions and Truce-breakings whatsoever If it be not lawfull for a Christian man to bind himselfe by an oath then iâ— is unlawfull for a Christian man to keep such an oath Isaac made a covenant with Abimelech King of Gerar to doe one another no hurt which being sealed up with an oath could not be violated without sinning The Propheâ— Ezekiel calleth the oath of obedience which Zedechiah King of â—srael made to the King of Babel the oath of God although the said King was a tyrant and an usurper without any lawfull succession from David yet he confirmeth it by the mouth of his Prophet Ezek. 17. 19. As I live I will surely bring upon Zedechia mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant which he hath broken upon his own head Again you may see how great a tie an oath is and how severely Almighty God doth punish the violation thereof in the story of ths Gibeonites Iosh. 9. Joshuah and the Princes having made a league with them being beguiled by them pretending that they came from a farre Countrey the congregation murmuring against the Princes were answered by them after this manner We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore unto them About 4000 yeares after Saul in his zeale to the children of Israel shew the Gibeonites for which cause 2 Sam. 21. the Lord plagued the whole Land sending a famine upon them for three yeares declaring himselfe that it was sent because Saul had slain the Gibeonites who hanged up seven of Sauls sons given them by David and then God was intreated for the Land 3. Confutation of Errors not tollerable in Families THat a Christian cannot with a good conscience have any thing proper but all things common This community they ground upon the example of the Apostles in the Acts. Answer An Example maketh no Law neither was this universall Peter saith to Ananias Acts 5. 4. Whilst it remained was it not thine own Again 2 Cor. 9. Every man as he purposeth in his heart so let him give The property of goods is confirmed in the seventh Commandement Again 1 Tim. 6. The Apostle chargeth rich men not to be proud but bountifull not to forsake their goods but to use them well by giving alms Again Prov. 5. 16. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waâ—ers in the streets let them onely be thine own and not strangers with thee out of which we may gather that every man hath a property in his own That if their wives be not of their Religion they may put them away Answer This is against the definition of marriage which is a lawfull copulation of a man and woman not prohibited by the degrees of consanguinity or affinity The marriage of an Infidell before God is in it selfe no sin The Apostle perswadeth the beleever not to put away his unbeleeving wife 1 Cor. 7. Joseph in Aegypt married the daughter of an Heathen Priest And Moses took the daughter of Jethro who was not of the Circumcision Marriage is a lawfull copulation of a man and a woman not to be dissolved during life but for adultery That it is lawfull to have many wives To this I may oppose the words of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 7. 2. To avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and every woman her own Husband Heb. 13. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Exod. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery Malachi 2. 15. Did he not make one 4. The Orthodox Doctrine of the Church of England contrary to these detestable errors
such as are not enlightned with true faith is â—â—lthy and polluted and to bee reputed for whoredome 9. Concerning Henry Nicolas 1. He is raised by the highest God from the dead 2. He can no more â—rre then Moses or Christ c. 3. He is the true Prophet of God sent to blow the last Trumper of Doctrine which shall be published upon earth 4. That he onely knoweth the true sense of Scripture 5. That his Books are of equall authority with the holy Scripture Through the service of H. N. his holy and gracious Word and our obedience thereunto we are led of the Father to the love of Jesus Christ. 6. That the Scriptures are fulfilled in H. N. and his Family 7. H. N. knoweth the secrets of our hearts 8. That all men must submit themselves to the godly wisdome of H. N. c. 10. Concerning their illuminated Elders and family 1. All illuminated Elders are Godded with God or deified and God in them hominified or become man 2. The young Disciples are Adams and the illuminated Elders Christs 3. The eldest Father of the Family is Christ himselfe 4. That the estate of all such as are not of this Sect is a false being the Antichrist the wicked spirit the kingdome of hell and the devill himselfe 5. The Family of Love is perfect in this life and therefore that they must not pray for forgivenesse of sins 6. That their illuminated Elders doe not sinne 7. They may ioyne with any Congregation and Church and live under the obedience of any Magistrate though never so ungodly 8. Whatsoever is taught by any other then by their illuminated Elders is false Such as despise their Family shall bee consumed with everlasting fire Moreover they hold 1. That he who is one of their Congregation is either as perfect as Christ or else a very divell 2. That it is lawfull to doe whatsoever the higher Powers command to be done though it be done against the commandement of God 3. That it is ridiculous to say God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost as though by saying these words they should affirme to be three Gods 4. That every man ought first to be in an errour before he can come to the knowledge of the truth 5. That heaven and hell are present in this world among us and that there is none other 6. That they are bound to give almes to none other persons but to those of their Sect and if they otherwise doe they give their Almes to the divell 7. That they ought not to burie their dead because it is said let the dead bury the dead 8. That none ought to receive their Sacraments before he receiveth their whole Ordinances as 1. He must be admitted with a kisse then his feet must be washed then hands laid on him and so received 9. That the Angels Raphael and Gabriel and others were borne of a woman 10. That they ought not to say Davids Psalmes as Prayers being righteous and without sinne 11. That there ought to be no Sabbath day but that all should be alike 12. That Christ is come forth of the flesh as he came forth of the Virgin Mary 13. That there was a world before Adams time as is now 14. That the Law of God is possible to be kept of every man that will endeavour himselfe thereto 15. That it is â—â—pedient that they should make manifest their whole heart with all their counsels minds wils and thoughts together with all their doings dealings and exercises naked and bare before the children of the Family of Love and not to cover or hide any thing be it was it is before him and what their inclination and nature draweth them unto In a word their doctrine is perverse blasphemous and erroâ—eous it openeth a doore to all wickednese turning Religion up-side-downe building heaven here upon earth making God man and man God heaven hell and hell heaven not accounting of the Law of God and making but a jest of the Gospell of Jesus Christ leaving no manner of sin uncommitted yet affirming they sin not at all for venome and poyson which will bring present death to the soule he hath dispersed over every member and Article of the Beliefe so universall is the poyson of his opinion as you may see in their confession set down by Mr. Knewstub 3. The Confession of Familists I Doe believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth They say the same is a true living God a mighty Spirit a perfect cleare light a true being and that the same being is God the Fathers name and his love it selfe And they perswade their good willing ones that by the beliefe of this Article which they call the Baptisme in the Fathers name that here and now they do attain to the perfect obedience of the Law of God and of the beliefe of Jesus Christ and love of the holy Ghost which they make to be all one with the perfect righteousnesse of the Law 2. And in Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord. Some of these words they alter for instead of his onely Son they say the onely Son of God c. Whereby Jesus the only Son I mean Righteousnesse for there is their generall Tenet and conclusion that Righteousnesse is Christ and Sin is Antichrist The seed of the woman is righteousnesse and holinesse and the seed of the Serpenâ— is sin turning the person of Christ into equality 3. Which was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary As we confesse the thing done so we speake of the present time as of the thing doing saying which is conceived of the holy Ghost meaning every one that comes to take in their Belief as they term it is then conceived of the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary calling the conception of their fancy the first or Virgins estate of Infancy so making the Article intend all and every one of them in generall and hot one in particular as we beleeve 4. Sufferedunder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell In the former Article they confesse the conception and birth of the blessed seed of Abraham according to the Promises and here they beleeve their sufferings according to the Scriptures And Jesus Christ is borne and conceived in themselves under Pontius Pilate and so is incorporated into the death of his Crosse and this they call the Baptisme under the obedience of the Beliefe in the name of the Son and they fâ—y they bury through his Belief the old Man which state they call the youth or young Man the renewing of the Spirit in an upright life wherein this Article both of suffering crucifying death and buriall and discention into hell are fulfilled in them the rest you may see in Mr. Knewstub 4. Their lewd Conversations OF this holy Family we read that most shameful corruption of life hath alwaies followed corruption of Doctrine as Rom. 1. 24. God
teach that in this life there is no fruit no sence no certainty of immutable election unto glory but upon condition contingent and mutable for besides that it is absurd to make an uncertaine certainty These things contrary to the experience of the godly who with the Apostle triumph upon the sence of their election and extoll this benefit of God who rejoyce with the Disciples according to the admonition of Christ Luke 10. 20. That their namâ—â— are written in heaven And lastly who oppose the sense of their election against the fiery darts of divillish temptations demanding Rom. 8. 33. Why shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect 8. They teach that God out of his meere just will hath not decreed to leave any man in the fall of Adam and common state of sin and damnation or to passe over any in the communication of gracâ— necessary to faith and conversion for that stands firme Rom. 9. 18. He hath compassion upon whom he will and whom he will he hardnâ—th And that Mat. 13. 11. To you is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given In like manner Mat. 11. 25 26. I glorifie thee Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding men and hast revealed them unto Babes even so O Father because thy good pleasure was such 9. They teach that the cause why God sends the Gospell rather to this nation than to another is not the meere and onely good pleasure of God but because this nation is better and more worthy of it then that to which he hath not communicated the Gospell â—or Moses gain-sayes this speaking thus unto the people Israel Deut. 10. 14 15. Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord thy Gods and the earth with all that therein is Notwithstanding the Lord set his delight in thy Fathers to love them and did chuse their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day And Christ Mat. 11. 21â— Wâ—e be to thee Corazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great works which had been done in you had been done 〈◊〉 Tiâ—â—s and Sydon they had repented long agoe in sacke 〈◊〉 and ashes 2. Their Errors concerning Christs death and the redemption of men by it 1. THey teach that God the Father ordained his Son unto the death of the Crosse without any certaine and determinate counsell of saving any particular man expressely so that its necessary profit and dignity might have remained whole sound and perfect in every respect compleat and entire in the impetration of Christs death although they obtained redemption had never actually been applyed to any particular person for that assertion is reproachfull to the wisdome of God the Father and the meâ—â—t of Jesus Christ and contrary to the Scripture where our Saviour Christ saith Ioh. 10. 15. I lay down my life for my sheep verse 27. And I know them The prophet speaketh thus of our Saviour Isa. 53. 10. When he shal make his sons a sacrifice for sin he shal see his seed and prolong his dayes and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hands Lastly it overthroweth any Article of our faith wherein we doe believe that there is a Church 2. They reach that this was not the will of God that hee might establish a new Covenant of Grace by his bloud but that he might onely procure unto his Father the bare right of making againe with men any Covenant whatsoever whether of grace or of works for this thwarteth the Scripture which teacheth that Christ is made the surety mediator of a better that is a new Covenant Heb. 7. 22. and Heb. 9. 17. The Testament is confirmed when men are dead 3. They teach that Christ by his satisfaction did not certainly merit for any mans salvation it selfe and faith by which this satisfaction of Christ may be effectually applyed unto salvation buâ— onely that he purchased his Fathers power or resolution to enter into a new match with man-kinde and to prescribe them what new Covenant soever he pleased The performance of which condition should depend upon mans free-will and that therefore it might fall â—ut that either no man or every man might fulfill them for these esteem too 〈◊〉 basely of Christâ— death in no wise acknowledging the chiefest 〈…〉 excellent fruit and benefit procured thereby and will call up 〈…〉 Pelagian herisie from hell 4. They teach that the new Covenant of grace with God the Father by the mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith insomuch as it apprehendeth the merit of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it selfe and the imperfect obedience of faith for the perfect obedience of the Law graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternall life Thâ—â— concludeth the Scripture Rom. 5. 24 25. All are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through saith in his bloud And with wicked Socinus they bring in 〈◊〉 and strange justification of man before God 〈…〉 consent of the whole Church 5. They teach that all men are received into the staâ—e of reconciliation and grace of the Covenant so that no 〈◊〉 shal be condemned for Originall sin nor in respect of it be 〈◊〉 unto death or damnation but are all acquitted and fâ—eâ—d from the guilt of that sin This opinion is contrary to the Scripture which affiâ—es that by nature we are the Children of wrath This the Arminiams learnt from the Anabaptists 6. They imply the distinction of impetration and application to the end that they may infuse this opinion unto unskâ—â—full and unwary wits namely that God as much as concerne◠〈◊〉 would conferre upon all men eqâ—â—lly those benefits which are promised by Christs death And whereas some rather then â—thers are made partakers of forgivenesse of sins 〈◊〉 life eternâ—llâ— and this diversity depends upon their owne free-will applying it selfe unto grace indifferently offered but not upon the â—â—â—gular gift of mercy effectually working in them 〈◊〉 then others that they may apply this grace unto themsâ—lves 〈◊〉 they while they bear the world in hand that they prâ—pound this destruction with a sound meaning they goe about to make the people drink of the poysonous cup of Pelagianisme 7. They teach that Christ neither could nor ought to dye neither did dye for those whom God dearely loved and chose unto eternall life seeing such stood in no need of Christs death In this they contradict the Apostle who saith Gal. 2. 20. Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me In like manner Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Christs chosen It is God that justifieth who shall condemne it is Christ which it dead to
HERESIOGRAPHY OR A description of the Hereticks and Sectaries of these latter times By E. Pagitt The second Edition with some Additions as in the Folio following MATH 15. 17. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps 〈◊〉 but inwardly are ravening Wolveâ— 1 TIM 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and doctrines of Divils Speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their conciences seared with a hot Irâ—n Imprimatur J A. CRANFORD LONDON Printed by VV. Wilson for Iohn Marshall and Robert Trot and are to be sold at their shops in Corn-hill over against the Exchange and under the Church of Edmond the King in Lombard street 1645. The names of the Sects viz. Anabaptists page 1. Brownists 48. Semi-separatists 75. Independents 76. Familists 81. Adamites 91. Antinomians 94. Arminians 10. 8 Socinians 122. Antitrinitarians 124. Millenaries 126. Hethringtonians 127. Anti-sabbatarias 128. Traskites 130. Jesuites 132. Muncerians 32. Apostolikes 33. Separatists 33. Catharists Enthusiasts Liberi Hutites Augustinians 34 Bewkeldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Pueris Similes Servetians 35 Libertines Denkians Semper orantes Deo-relicti Monasterienses Plunged Anabapt 36. Barrowists 69. Wilkinsonians Johnsonians 70 Ainsworthians Robinsonians Lemarists 71. Castalian familists 89 Grindletonians Familists of the mourtains 90. Of the valleyes Scattered flocke Caps Order c. The Addition The sum â—f a Treatise of Mâ— Johnsons a-against Anabaptists 44 Of the Pelagins 138 Soule-sleepers 139 Denyers of the Scriptures 141 Expecters or Seekers Divorsers 142 Of the Papists 143 The Papists compared with other Hereticks 147 A Postscript 154 An Extract of the Acts of the National Synod of the reformed Churches of France 195 To the Right Honourable Thomas Atkin Lord Major of the Citie of London and to the Right Worshipfull Sir Nicholas Raynton Isaac Penington Lievtenant of the Tower Sir lo Woollaston Iohn Glyn Recorder Sir Iohn Cordell Sir Thomas Soame Sir Iohn Gayr Sir Iacob Garrat Thomas Adams Io warner Iohn Tousâ— Abraham Reynardson Sir George Garraâ— Sir George Clerke Iohn Langham Thâ—mas Andrewes Iohn Foulke Iames Bunce William Gibbs and Richard Chambers Sheriffes Samuel Warner Wâ—lliam Barkely Thomas Foote Iohn Kendricke Thomas Culhâ—m Simon Edmonds Aldermen of the said Citie RIght Honourable and Right Worshipfull whereas I have lately published a Christianography or a description of many great Churches of Christians in the world some of which are for extent larger then the Church of Rome in Europe for time more ancient for succession as continual for faith more sound who believe with us the church of God to be Catholike as it is in the Apostles Creed and not as it is set downe in the new Trent Creed confined to Rome who renounce the Popes Supremacie some of them excommunicating him for a Schismatick and Heretick Who receive the holy Communion in both kindes they all drinke of Christs cup and abhor the Romish decree made contrary to Christs Institution Who make no Images to be worshipped Who doe not acknowledge the figment of Purgatory nor use any Prayers to be delivered from the fained paines thereof Who have their Prayers in their owne tongue and mutter them not in latine as the Romists doe Who forbid not Marriage the prohibiting of which is called by St. Paul the Doctrine of Divells Their Priests may and doe marry Who hold not popish Transubstantiation Who prohibite not Lay-men the reading of the holy Scriptures commanded by Christ himselfe Who doe not joyne with Christs Intercession the suffrages of Saints nor with his Justification the merit of workes nor with the Satisfaction Papall Indulgences These points with some others which the ambition and avarice of the Romists hath lately hatched they renounce with us This worke I purposing to perfect and consummate to the glory of God the great profit of the Church establishing of mens consciences they seeing the unity and agreement of the holy Churches in the world with us Behold suddenly a numerous company of other Hereticks stole in upon us like the locusts Rev. 9. As the unpure Familists who blasphemously pretend to be Godified like God whereas indeed they are divellified like their Father the Divell The illuminated Anabaptists who blasphemously affirme the baptisme of children to be the marke of the Beast and to come from Anti-christ The Donatisticall Brownists who in times past hid themselves in holes now lift up their heads and vent openly their errors infecting our people The Antinomians who teach as I find such a faire and easie way to heaven viz. That a man need not be troubled by the law before faith and that faith is not a going out of himselfe to take hold of Christ but onely a discerning that Christ is his and that after this such a man must see nothing in himselfe have nothing doe nothing need no sorrow nor repentance nor bee pressed to duties need never pray unlesse moved by the Spirit If hee fall into sin never the more disliked of God nor his condition the worse and that hee must abide in the height of comfort though hee fall into grosse sin The novelty of this doctrine takes so well or rather ill that multitudes of simple men and women dance after their Pipes they run after these men as if they were mad crowding the Churches filling their doors and windowes The Independents trouble also our poore Church who pretend that they have a perfect modell of Churchâ— government which Almighty God hath revealed to them which many like better then the government of the Reformed Churches being perswaded that in Independency they may have liberty to doe what they list having no government hoging to be as free as their Teachers who will have none at all The Arminians also an after-brood of the Pellagiant broach their erroneous opinions The Sabbatarians affirm the old Jewish Sabbath to be kept and not the Lords day The Anti-sabbatarians would have no perticular Sabbath at all but every day to bee a sabbath to a Christian man The Traskites who would have us observe many Jewish ceremonies VVe have also Millenaries who affirm that before the day of judgment Christ shal come down from heaven and reign with the Saints upon earth 1000. years in which time they shall destroy all the wicked binding their Kings in chaines and Nobles in linkes of iron VVee have Hetheringtonians who hold a hodg-podg of many heresies troubling our peoples brains VVe have also Socinians who teach that Christ dyed not to satisfie for our sins and also his Incasnation to be repugnant to reason not to be sufficiently proved by Scripâ—ture with many other abhominable errors Wee have Arians who deny the Deity of Christ. We have an Atheistical Sect who affirme that mens soules sleep with their bodies untill the day of Judgement Wee have Atheists too many as among others one was committed by a Justice of Peace who mock'd and jear'd at Christs Incarnation His Father was burnt at Thoelouze in
France he scapeth unpunished among us too many others we have They preach print and practise their hereticall opinions openly for books vide the bloody Tenet witnesse a tractate of divorce in which the bonds are let loose to inordinate lust a pamphlet also in which the soul is laid asleepe from the houre of death unto the houre of judgement with many others Yea since the suspention of our Church-government every one that listeth turneth Preacher as Shoo-makers Coblers Button-makers Hostlers and such like take upon them to expound the holy Scriptures intrude into our Pulpits and vent strange doctrine tending to faction sedition and blasphemie What mischiefe these Sectaries have already done we that have cure of soules in London find and see with great griefe of heart viz. Our Congregations forsaking their Pastors our people becomming of the Tribe of Gad running after seducers as if they were mad Infants not to be brought to the Sacrament of Baptisme men refusing to receive the holy Communion and the Lords Prayer accounted abhominable c. A Volume will hardly contain the hurt that these Sectaries have in a very short time done to this poore Church and doth not the Common-wealth suffer with the Church Whence are all these distractions Who are the Incendiaries that have kindled blown this fire among us but these Considering with my selfe the former happinesse of this Kingdome and the sudden change that is betide it it being fallen from the height of prosperitie to the lowest ebbe of misery and this not by the incursion of a Forreigne Nation but by its owne children who imbrue their hands in the bloud one of another with no lesse inhumanity then Cannibals or Men-eaters without any reluctation at all the Sonne against the Father and the Father against the Son being involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of Peace And moreover which is worst of all when I consider that some of our Clergy-men who should like Moses stand in the gap to appease Gods anger doe increase the same not onely by blowing the fire but by their Errors and Schismes which they broach and foment among us by which they doe as much as in them lyeth to put mens soules in as great danger as their bodies And considering againe how wee are involved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of peace may not I cry out with the Prophet O that my head were full of water and my eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe for the slaine of my people But all this being Gods permitting let us with patience possesse our souls let us trust in him depend upon him and in his good time hee will deliver his Church and turne all to the best and in the meane season every man doe his best to quench this fire For my own part these sad considerations made me leave my Christianography and write an Heâ—â—siography to describe the Hereticks and Schismaticks of this time in which I set downe their beginning among us their hereticall opinions and errors confuting them and also relate how other Princes and Commonâ— wealths have suppressed them and how severely some of them have beene punished among us I know my reverend Brethren have not beene wanting to oppose these Hereticks in writing and preaching in season and out of season using all meanes to suppresse these Heresies having to that end chosen speciall men to preach several Lectures in severall places But without your helpe and the assistance of our Religious Patriots assembled in Parliament they doe and will increase upon us doe what we can This Treatise I present to your Lordship and to this Honourable Senate What can bee more sutable or fitter for you Servants of the most high God then that which tendeth to the glory of God Edification of his Church and vindication of the truth against the illusion of Sectaries and Heretikes What is more correspondent with the duty of Christian Magistrates then to assist Gods cause with your politicall Authority A question may be asked whether it be lawfull for the Magistrates to use the sword against Heretickes To this I answer such whose Heresies are blasphemous in doctrine or dangerous to the State deserve death the reason is because they corrupt the faith If such as poyson waters and fountaines at which men and beasts drinke deserve Capitall punishment how much more they that as much as in them lyeth goe about to poyson mens soules Yea St. Augustine saith in his fifth Tractat upon Iohn Quantum in ipsis est Christum in homine occidunt The forenamed St. Augustine indeed wavered concerning this point for a time as he confesseth in one of his Epistles but when he saw the City wherein he dwelt was reclaimed from Donatisme by the Magistrates sword he retracted his opinion And expecting the like successe in this honourable City I doe implore your helps that for Iesus Christs sake and I pray you give me leave to put you in mind of the Covenant we made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intent to performe the same as wee should answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed viz. That we should in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophaâ—enesse and whatsoever shall bee found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse lest wee partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdomes And this I beseech you in the name of God to take in hand laying aside all humane reasons Let not Gods cause goe to racke nor by worldly policies and humane reason be protracted or retarded The Turke will not suffer Mahomet to be blasphemed as we are Christians let us stand for Christ. How dangerous the fostering of Heretikes hath been histories declare viz. Almighty God sent down fire from Heaven and consumed Antioch being a Nursery of Heretikes And also how the earth opened swallowed Nicomedia the meeting place of the blasphemous Arrians also in the Commentaries of Sleidan how the Anabaptists meeting first in Conventicles surprized Munster and how hardly Amsterdam escaped them Lambertus Hortensius writeth The plague is of all diseases most infectious I have lived among you almost a Iubile and seene your great care and provision to keep the City from infection in the shutting up the sicke and in carrying them to your Pest-houses in setting Warders to keep the whole from the sicke in making of fires and perfuming the streets in resorting to your Churches in powring out your prayers to Almighty God with fasting and almes to be propitious to you The plague of heresie is greater and you are now in more danger then when you buried five thousand a week You have power to keep these Hereticks and Sectaries from Conventickling and
this Sect. 7. The abjuration of certaine Familisâ—s at Pauls Crosse. THe first author was one David George of Delfe who fled out of Hollâ—ndâ—â— Basill giving it our that he was banished out of the low Countreyes he changed his name called himselfe Iohn of Bridges he affirmed that he was that right David that was sent from God and should restore againe the Kingdome of Israel He wrote divers Books as one called the Wonder-booke he broached his damnable Heresiee as â— All the Doctrines taught by Moses the Propheâ—s and Christ himselfe were not sufficient to salvation but only to keep the people in good order till the comming of David George but his doctrine was able to save all those that put their trust in him 2. That he was the right Messias the beloved Son of the Father not born of the flesh but of the Holy Ghost and that when Christ was dead according to the flesh the Spirit of Christ was left by the Fathers appoyntment untill the comming of this David George and given him 3. That he would set up the true house of David and the children of Levi must raise the Tabernacle of God through the Spirit of Christ not by the crosse and suffering but through meeknesse and love 4. That whosoever speaketh against this Doctrine shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come he dyed the 16. of August 1556. at which his Disciples were much dismayed for he promised them that he should not dye or if he did that he should rise againe and fulfill all his former Promises whereupon some forsook his heresies The Magistrates being informed of his doctrine and manners caused his house the houses of such as were suspected to hold such errours to be searched his books to be burnt forseiting his goods and lands â—o the use of the Town causing his followers to recant After him rose one Henry Nicholas borne in Amsterdam a Towne in Holland of many called Henry of Amsterdam who took upon him to maintaine the same Doctrine yet not in the name of David but in his owne name as a Prophet sent to rebuke the world of sin and iniquity naming himselfâ— restâ—â—râ—toâ— mundâ— the restorer of the world Mr. Iessop describeth H. N. after this manner page 89. They call him the new man or the holy nature or holinesse which they make to be Christ and sin to be Antichrist because it is oppâ—â—iâ—e to Christ. They say that when Adam sinned then Christ was killed and Antichrist came to live They teach the same perfection of holinesse which Adam had before he fell is to be obtained here in this life and affirme that all their Family of Love are as perfect and innocent as hee and that the Resurrection of the dead spoken of by St. Paul 1 Cor. 15. and this Prophesie then shall be fulfilled the saying which is written O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory is fulfilled in them and they deny all other resurrection of the body to be after this life They will have this blasphemer H. N. to be the Son of God Christ which was to come in the end of the world to judge the world and say that the day of judgement is already come and that H. N. judgeth the world now by his Doctrine so that whosoever doth not obey his Gospell in time shall be rooted out of the world and that this Family of Love shall inherit and inhabite the earth for ever world without end onely they say they shall dye in the body as now men doe and their soules goe to heaven but their Posterities shall continue for ever This deceiver describeth eight through-breakings of the light as he tearmeth them to have been in eight severall times from Adam to the time that now is which as he saith have each exceeded other The seventh he alloweth Iesus Christ to be the publisher of and his light to be the greatest of all that ever were before him and he maketh his owne to be the eight and last and greatest and the perfection of all in and by which Christ is perfected meaning holinesse he maketh every one of his Family of Love to be Christ yea and God and himselfe God and Christ in a more excellent manner saying that he is godded with God and co-deified with him and that God is hominified with him These horrible blas hemies with divers others doth this H. N. his Family teach to be the everlasting Gospell which the Angel is said to preach in the Rev. 11. 15. They professe greater love to the Church of Româ— and to all her Idolatries and superstitions then they doe to any Church else whatsoever except themselves They wickedly abuse these words of Christ I must walk to day to morrow and the third day I shal be perfected and say that by to day is meant the time of Jesus Christ his Apostles and by to morrow all the time of the Religion of the Church of Rome and by the third day this their day of H. N. and his Family wherein they will have Christ to be perfected And they doe compare all the whole religion of the Church of Rome to the Law of Moses affirming that as God did teach his prople by these shadowes and types till Jesus Christ came so hee hath taught the world ever since by the Images sacrifices and heathen Rites of the Church of Rome till this wretch H. N. came and now he must be the onely chiefe Teacher Gods obedient man yea his Son as they blasphemously call him hee by his Gospell must make all things perfect One Christopher Viret a Joyner dwelling in Southwarke who had been in Queen Maries dayes an Arian being infected with Hen Nocolas his doctrine poysoâ—ed first the English with this heresie he translated out of Dutch into English divers of the books of Henr. Nicholas as Evangelium regni out of which and others these errors are collected 2. Their blasphemous Errors 1. COncerning God That there is none other Deitie belonging unto God but such as men are partakers of in this life 2. Concerning Christ 1. That Christ is not God 2. Christ is not one man but an estaâ—e and conâ—â—tion in men common to so many as have received H. N. his doctrine c. 3. Of Adam That Adam was all that God was and God all that Adam was c. 4. Concerning Baptisme That no man should be baptized untill he was 30 yeares old 5. Concerning the Word That there was never truth preached since the Apostles time before H. N. 6. Concerning the Resurrection 1. The resurrection of the body is a â—ising from sin and wickednesse 2. That the dead shall rise and live in H. N. and in the iluminated Elders everlastingly and reigne upon earth 7. Concerning the day of Judgement 1. That the day of Judgement is in this life 2. That the joyes of heaven are here upon earth 8. Concerning marriage The marriage of
Allegiance which the secular Priests doe all generally allow and take See Blackwell Howard Widrington and the Author of the Safe guard from Ship wrack 5. The Jesuites also teach it to be not onely lawfull but also meritorious to lay hands upon the Lords Anoynted and to murther Heretick Kings after the Pope hath declared them to bee such see Mariana Anti-Cotton but the secular Priests disclaime and abhor this doctrine 6. The Jesuites hold that the Pope is onely Iure Divino a Bishop and that all other Bishops hold from him but the Cardinall of Lorraine and the French Bishops with many other hold Bishops to be Iure Divino see the History of the Councel of Trent 7. The Jesuites with the Franciscans beleeve the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary which the Dominicans and other Papists doe deny 8. The Jesuites with the Pelagians Arminians hold that God worketh in our conversion onely moraliter by way of swasion but Jacobites and other Papists especially the Spaniards as we may see in Alvares and others maintain with all Orthodox Divines that God worketh Physically per modum physici agentis by powerfull inclining the faculty of the will For confutation of these errors so many books are written against them in English and some of them are confuted before so that I may save my labour These are the most pernitious and dangerous sort of all others These are not ignorant Sots like the Anabaptists and others but educated and brought up in all manner of humane learning and so more able to doe mischiefe These take upon them to justifie all the Errors and abhominations of Antichrist yea their Idolatries and Sodomiticall uncleannesse they will defend and maintain And have they not for this cause a thing most abhominable to be spoken of corrupted the writings of the ancient Fathers and new printing of them make them speak as they wou'd have them and also written many books in their names to beare witnesse with them of their novelties A volume will not containe their cumbustions that they have raised in kingdoms and States Their plotting of Treasons and especially the Powder-treason a divillish designe not to be beleeved in ages to come Their murthering of Princes all these under pretence of holines O God that art in heaven dissipate their Councells O Christ the Redeemer of thy Church by the grace of thy holy Spirit deliver England from these wicked Assâ—ssians and remove them far from our dwellings One thing I will adde to shew what impostors they are I will set downe how by a pretended delusion of theirs a few of them had almost perverted a whole kingdome of Christians in which there is a Patriarke and eighteen Bishops In the year of our Lord 1614. Tenurazes being King of the Georgians the Persian Army entred his Countrey spoyled divers Towns carryed away many prisoners among others Ceteba the Kings mother out of the City Cremon The old Queen refusing to become a Mahomâ—tan and speaking ill of Mahomet was put to death and her body cast out into the fields left unburied to be eaten of wild beasts There being at that time certaine Jesuites in Persia they sought for her body but found it not for Moacla a late servant of liers who was slave to a Persian got leave of her Master to bring home the body and embalme it the Jesuites found a dead mans head and embalming it travelled towards Georgia with it and drawing neare they sent a messenger to the King to let him understand that certaine Roman Christians were come out of Persia who brought with them the head of the holy Martyr Cetaba his Mother which had delivered them out of many dangers The Prince hearing this went a dayes journey with a great troop of his Nobility and Clergy and brought the holy Relique to Chachete with great honor and celebrity placed it in the Church of the holy Martyr St. George of Aberdall and used them with all respect and sent them great gifts which they refused saying that they had vowed poverty Infinite miracles were wrought dayly great offerings they had the sick resorted to them Those that were past cure they told them that their sins were great and they needed a long time of Penance which they prescribed them and after to returne before which time they usually dyed others of whom they had hope of recovery they used means being Physitians attributed their health to the holy Relique and to the Bishop of Rome whom loving Jesus had left his Vicar here upon â—â—rth by this means they enticed many to the Râ—mish Religion of the Nobility and had great hopes of the King himself but in the middest of all this came Leueâ—s from Moacla his Mothers Maid that the King might ransome his mothers body which she had with the other prisoners The King agreeing with the Persian King had home his mothers body and many captives which manifestly knew it to be his Mothers body with her head on At the same time came also certaine Muleters cut of Persia who affirmed that they were in the Jesuites company when they cut off the head of a Malefactor as they supposed and embalmed it whereupon the King commanded the Jesuites to prison who were delivered at the 〈◊〉 of some of the Nobility This History is written in Greek by Gregorius Hieromonachus the Patriarchall Exaâ—ch from Trâ—pazunt An. 1626. By this â—eanes the Jesuites had almost perverted the whole Countrey of Georgia From this Sect the Lord deliver us There are many other Sects among us as they â—ultiply dayly There is but one truth but errors are infinite I will conclude with the Prayer that 〈◊〉 Mother Church hath taught us That it would please Almighty God to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived Which God grant for his blessed Son Jesus Chrisâ—s sake Sir Thomas Overburies Character of a Iesuite A Jesuite saith he is a larger spoone for a Traytor to seed with the Devill than any other Order Unclasp him and he is a gray Wolfe with a golden star in his fore-head So superstitious he follwâ—eth the Pope that he forsaketh Christ in not giving Caesar his due His vowes seem heavenly but with medling with state businesse he seemeth to mixe heaven and earth together His best Elements are Confession and Peâ—ance by the first he findeth out mens inclinations and by the latter heaps wealth to his Seminary Hee sprang from Ignatius Loyola a Spanish Souldier and though he had long since found out the invention of the Canon he thought he had not done mischiefe enough He is a false key to open Princes Cabinets and pry into their Counsells and where the Popes Excommunication thunders he holds the de-crowning of Kings to be no more sin then our Puritans doe the suppressing of Bishops The Order t is full of irregularity and disobedience and ambitious above all measure for of late dayes in Portugall and the Indies he rejected
the name of Jesuite and would be called Apostles Disciple In Rome and other Countries that give him freedome he weares a maske upon his heart In England he shuffles in and puts it upon his face No place in our Climate hideth him so secretly as a Ladies Chamber The modesty of the Pursevant hath onely forborne the bed and so mist him There is no disease in Christendome that may so properly be called the Kings evill To conclude will you know him beyond the Sea In his Seminary he is a Fox but in the Inquisition a Lyon Rampant Since the printing of this Book I hear of an assembly wherein one preacheth against the Deity of Christ and of another great Congregation of Familists and of atheisticall books published I most humbly entreat Almighty God for Jesus Christs sake in mercy to look upon us and to keep our poore Church from these Doctrines of the Devill Amen Of the Pelagians WRicing of the Hereticks and Sectaâ—ies of these times â— thinke it not amisse to write somewhat of the Pelagians their ancient Errors reviving among us Pelagius was a Welch-man and he is usually stiled Pelagius the Briton to distinguish him from Pelagius the samosatensian Bishop a man learned and Orthodox Luther saith he was called Pelagius of Pelagus the sea his errors like the Sea over-flowing in a manner the whole world His name in Welch was Morgan which signifieth the sea He lived in the time of the Emperor Theodosius the younger about the yeare of our Lord 416. His Errors were condemned in the Synod of Carthage An. 425. in which there assembled 217. Bishopâ— and among other Saint Argustine And also in the Melivitan Councell held in Africa His Errors are set downe by Augustine Hierome Ambrose Isidore Prosper and Fulgentius Pontanus setteth them downe to be twelve 1. He taught that Adam had dyed although he had not sinned by the Law of nature and so sinne not to bee the cause of death 2 Adamâ— sin to bâ— noxious to himselfe onely and not to his posterity and thâ—re to be no original sinne 3 Lust and coâ—cupiscence being naturall not to be evill but rather good and sin not to be propagated by generation 4. The former being granted children to have no originall sin from their Parents 5. The children of the faithfull though not batized to be saved and to enjoy everlasting life but not in heaven 6. Men to have now free-will even after sin which is sufficient and fit to doe well without Gods grace 7. Gods grace to be obtained by the merit of our workes 8. The word grace in holy Scripture not to be meant the gracious remission of sin and the donation of the Holy Ghost but the pâ—omulgation of doctrine 9. Faith to be the knowledge of the Law and History as they call it not a speciall worke and our perseverance in faith 10. The Law of God to be satisfied by externall obedience neither it to be impossible for a man to keep 11. The prayers of the Church for sinners that they may be converted and for the faithfull to persevere to be made in vaiâ—e because it is in the power of our owne free-will Aâ—d wee need not aske that of God that we have power to dâ—e our selves 12. They doe mocke and scoffe at the doctrine of Predestinationâ— exploâ—ing it out of the Church These Errors need no confuâ—ation being so opposite to the holy Scripture Soule-Sleepers THat the soule dyeth with the body is an old and despicable Heresie raised in Arabia about the time of Origen and extinguished by his dispute immediately after the birth thereof Such as were infected with this opinion were termed by Saint Augustine Arabici by reason of the Province in which this Error first arose This Heresie is risen up againe among us and an abscure Author laboureth to maintaine in a Treatise late published among us intituled Mans mortality in which hee bringeth an argument out of Gen. 3. 19. where Adam is told that for his disobedience he must turne unto dust from whence he was made and not onely his body but also his soule which came not out of the dust In the description of mans Creation by Moses you may manifestly see the immortality of the soule When God created the Beasts c. he said Let the earth bring forth every living thing But when he made man Let us make man in our owne Image And againe The Lord God made man of the Dust of the earth that is his body and for his soule he breathed in his face the breath of life God created the Angels spirits without bodies The creatures bodies without soules he took a body and soule and made a man in his own Image in respect of his body he hath affinity with beasts in respect of his soule with heavenly spiâ—its The Beasts came out of the earth and to the earth they returne so mans body But his soule came from heaven and returneth to God that gave it Beside some foolish arguments alledged in the Treatise before named he citeth the words of Solomon Ecclsiastes 3. 10. For that which befalleth the sonnes of men befalleth beasts even one thing befalleth them as the one dyeth so â—yeth the other yea they have all one breath so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast for all is vanity All goe to one place all are of the dust and all turns to dust againe Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth Which words were to determination of Solomons but a History of what came in his thoughts and what troubled him and stirred him up to a solicitous enquiry concerning the soules condition but the state of the soule he determineth Chap. 12. saying Dust returneth unto the earth from whence it came and the Spirit to God that gave it To this resolution of Solomons I may adde our Lords answer to the Saduces Matth. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of the dead but of the living This Error of theirs is contrary to the holy Scriptures 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Psalme 31. 5. Luke 23. 46. Acts 7. 59. Apocal. 6. 40. 4. To conclude with Sap. 3. Though not received inâ—o the Canon yet it is confessed to be very ancient and therefore may claime precedency of authority before any heathen Philosopher The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and there shall no torment touch them 2. In the sight of the unwise they seem to dye and their departure is taken for misery and their going from us to utter destruction but they are in peace Deny the Scriptures AMong others one wicked Sect denieth the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament and account them as things of nought whereby by Gods command they that despised Moses Law by the mouth of two or three witnesses were to be put
to death these wicked ungodly creatures despise both the Law and the Gospell and in the presence of a cloud of witnesses Yea as I am credibly informed in publike Congregations they vent these their damnable opinions Almighty God deliver our poore Church from them Of the Seekers or Expecters MAny have wrangled so long about the Church that at last they have quite lost it and go under the name of Expecters and Seekers doe deny that there is any true Church or any true Minister or any Ordinances some of them affirme the Church to be in the wildernesse and they are seeking for it there others say that it is in the smoke of the Temple that they are groping for it there where I leave them praying to God to open their eyes and give them repentance that they may consider from whence they are fallen and returne againe to the bosome of that Church from which they have to the great dishonour of God and the scondalizing of the Gospell made so fearfull a defection Divorsers THese I terme Divorsers that would be quit of their wives for slight occasions and to maintaine this opinion one hath publâ—shed a Tractate of divorce in which the bonds of marriage are let loose to inordinate lust putting away wives for many other causes besides that which our Saviour onely approveth namely in case of adulterie who groundeth his Error upon the words of God Gen. 2. 18. I will make him a helpe meet for him And therefore if she be not an helper nor meet for him he may put her away saith this Author Which opinion is flat contrary to the words of our Saviour Matth. 5. 31. It hath been said also whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a testimoniall of Divorsement But I say to you whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication causeth her to cowmit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorsed committeth adulterie Againe he confirmeth the same Matth 19. 9. I say therefore unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for whoredome and marry another committeth adulterie and whosoever doth marrie her that is divorced committeth adultery Vid. Mar. 10. 11. Luk. 16. 18. 1 Cor. 7. 11. Of the Papists A Question may be asked why I ranke the Papists among the late Hereticks To which I answer that there is a great difference between the ancient Papists and the moderne since their Trent Conventicle and therefore I rank them with the former Sectaries their doctrines being many of them new In describing of then Errors I purpose to shew their differences from the Protestants which are set down at large in Master Perkins Reformed Catholike 1. Concerning Free-will the dissent is in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall things and especially in the first conversion of a sinner The Papists say that mans will worketh with Gods grace in the first Conversion of a sinner by it selfe we say that mans will worketh with Gods grace in the first Conversion yet not of it selfe but by grace 1 Cor. 2. 14. 2. Concerning Originall sinne the difference between them and us standeth not in the abolishment of it but in the manner and measure of the abolishment of it They affirme Originall sinne to be so farre taken away after Baptisme that it ceaseth to be sinne properly and is nothing else but a defect and want making the heart ready to conceive sinne we teach although it be taken away in the Regenerace in sundry respect yet it doth remaine in them not as a want or defect but as sin and that properly as St. Paul affirmeth Rom. 7. 17. 3. Of the certainty of salvation we hold that a man may bee certaine of his salvation in this life They also hold the same The difference is they hold the certainty to be by hope and we by faith Iohn 1. 12. The fourth poynt is of the justification of a sinner 1. Concerning the matter of our justification They grant that iâ— justification sin is pardoned by the merits of Christ and that none can be jâ—stified without remission of sin 2. That the righteousnesse whereby man is justified commeth from Christ and from him alone 3. The most learned of them say that the merit of Christs death is imputed to every sinner that doth beleeve for his satisfaction before God We say that the satisfaction made by Christs death and obedience is imputed to us and becommeth our righteousnes They say it is our satisfaction and not our righteousnesse The second difference is about the manner of our justification we both agree that a sinner is justified by Faith The difference is the Papists understand a generall faith whereby a man beleeveth the Articles of Religion to be true Wee hold the faith which justifieth to be a particuler faith wherby we apply to our selves the promises of righteousnes life everlasting by Christ. 2. The Papists say that a man is justified by faith yet not by faith alone but also by other vertues as hope love c. 3. They say that we are justified by works as causes we say we are justified by works as by signes and fruits of our justification before God Fiftly touching merit we agree that merits are so far necessary that no man can be saved without them 2. That Christ is the root and fountaine of all merit The Papists place merits within a man making two sorts of them viz. The merits of persons which is to bee found in Infants dying after Baptisme and the merit of works which they teach to be meritorious two wayes First by Covenant because God hath made a promise to reward them Secondly because Christ hath meritted that our works should merit we renounce all merit and rest onely upon the merits of Christ. The sixth poynt of Satisfaction 1. We hold a civill satisfaction a recompence for injuries 2. We hold also a Canonical whereby having given offence to the Church or any part thereof a man doth make an open testimony of repentance 3. We hold that Christ hath made satisfaction for our sins and the punishment of them both eternall and temporall They hold that Christ by his death hath made satisfaction for all the sinnes of men and for the eternall punishment of them all yet so as they themselves must satisfie for the temporall punishment of them either on earth or in Purgatory which we deny The seventh poynt of Traditions The Papists teach that besides the written word there bee certaine unwritten Traditions which must be believed as profitable and necessary to salvation We hold the Scriptures to be most perfect containing in them all things necessary to salvation The eighth part concerning Vowes We say lawfull Vowes may be props and stays of Gods worship but not the worship it selfe They hold Vowes of things not commanded to be part of the worship of God as Continency Poverty Regular