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to his people and their seed in their infancy throughout their generations Which Ordinance of the Lords hath never been repealed but abideth stablished upon a certain and perpetuall ground which is his Promise and Covenant of grace made with the faithfull and their seed for ever 2.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
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
obedience which are against Christian liberty The ninth poynt for Images We acknowledge the Civill use of Images but we deny any religious worship of them The tenth is the Reall presence We deny not the presence it selfe and although we hold a reall presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament yet we doe not take it to be locall bodily or substantiall but spirituall and mysticall to the signes by Sacramental relaâ—ion to the Communicants by faith alone The eleventh is the Sacrifice of the Lords Supper which they call the Masse We acknowledge the Lords Supper to be a Sacrifice 1. Because it is a memoriall of Christs Sacrifice upon the Crosse. 2. Because every Communicant doth offer up himselfe body and soule a living and acceptable sacrifice unto God 3. Because of the Almes given to the poore They maâ—e the Eucharist to be a reall externall or bodily sacfice offered unto God 〈◊〉 twelfth poynt of Fasting We maintaine three sorts thereof to wit a Morall Civill and Religious The first being Morall is a practice of Sobriety and Temperance to be used in the whole course of our life The second Civill when upon some particuler and politicke Considerations we abstaine 〈◊〉 flesh at certaine seasons of the yeare to preserve the breed of Cattell and to maintaine the calling of Fisher-men The third a religious Fast when the duties of Religion as the exercise of prayer and humiliation be used in our Fasts We joyne with them in the allowance of the principall ends of Fasting The first that thereby the minde may become attentive in the service of God The second that the rebellion of the â—lesh may be subdued The third is to professe our guiltinesse and to testifie our humilâ—ation before God Thirdly we yeeld to them that Fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God yea and a good worke also if it be used in a good manner Our distent is in three things First they prescribe certaine times of Fastirng as necessary to be kept Secondly they prescribe a difference of meaâ—â— as Whiâ—meâ—â—ts and Fish c. onely to be used on their fasâ—ing dayes and that for conscience sake Thirdly we differ touching the ends of Fasting for they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared to be a part of Gods worship To conclude we doe not condemne Fasting but the abuse of it The thirteenth poynt of the state of perfection Our consent is that all true Beleevers have a state of perfection in this life and this perfection hath two parts First is the imputation of Christs perfect obedience The second part of a Christian mans obedience is sincerity or righteousnesse The difference is they teach that they cannot onely keep all the Commandements of the Law and thereby deserve his owne salvation but goe beyond the Law and doe works of Super-erogation The fourteenth poynt is of the worshipping of Saints and especially of Invocation Our consent The true Saints of God as the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs are to be worshipped and honoured three wayes First by keeping a memoriall of them in a godly manner Secondly in giving thanks to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them Thirdly they are to be honoured by an imitation of their Faith Humility Meeknesse Repentance and good vertues in which they excelled The difference stands in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of Religious worship the highest they call Latreia whereby God is worshipped and that alone Douleia whereby the Saints and Angels are worshipped We also distinguish adoration or worship for it is either Religious or Civill Religious worship we give to God alone Civill worship we give to men To come to the poynt we deny that any Civill worship is to be given to the Saints being absent from us much lesse any religious worship at all call they it what they will The fifteenth poynt of the Intercession of Saints We hold that the Saints departed pray to God by giving thanks to him for their owne redemption and for the redemption of the whole Church Secondly that they pray generally for the state of the whole Church They hold that the Saints in heaven do make intercession to God for particuler men according to their severall wants and receiving particuler mens Prayers they present them unto God which doctrine we flatly renounce The sixteenth poynt of implicite faith We hold that there is a kinde of implicite faith as in the time of a mans first conversion and in the time of some grievous Temptation A second kinde of implicite faith is in regard of Apprehension when as a man cannot say distinctly and certainly I believe the pardon of my sinnes but I doe unfainedly desire the pardon of them all and doe desire to repent The difference is The Pillars of the Roman Church lay downe this ground that faith in his owne nature is not a knowledge of things to be beleeved but a reverent assent unto them whether they be knowne or unknowne hereupon they build that if a man know some necessary poynts of Religion as the doctrine of the God-head of the Trinity of Christs Incarnation and of our Redemption c. it is needlesse to know the rest and it is sufficient to give his consent to the Church and to beleeve as the Pastors beleeve This implicite faith we reject for â—aith containeth a knowledge of things to be believed and nothing is believed that is not knowne The seventeenth poynt of Purgatory They hold it to be a part of Hell into which an entrance is made onley after this life which we deny having no warrant for it in Gods word 2. We differ from them touching the meanes of Purgatory They say that men are purged by suffering the paines of Purgatory whereby they satisfie for their vâ—niall sinnes and for the temporall punishment of their mortall sinnes We teach the contrary holding that nothing can free us from the least punishment of the smallest sinne but the sufferings of Christ and purge us from the least taint of corruption saving the bloud of Christ. For Prayer for the dead which the Author joyneth to this poynt We hold Christian Charity is to exâ—â—â—d it selfe to the Dead and it may shâ—w it selfe in their honest buriall in preservation of their good names and in relieviâ—g their posteâ—â—â—y We pray further in generall for the faithfull departed that God would hasten their joyfull Resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happinesse both for the body and the soule But to pray for particuler men departed and to pray for deliverance out of Purgatory we dare not we think it unlawfull because we have neither Promise nor Commandement so to doe The eighteenth poynt of the Supremacy In causes Ecclesiasticall our consent First for the founding of the Primitive Church the Ministery of the Word was distinguished by degrees not only of order but
taken out of the 39. Articles HAving handled much poyson I thinke it fit to give the Reader to preserve him from infection some Methridate out of the Paunarium or Medicinable box of our Mother the Church viz. Out of the Articles of Doctrine agreed upon for avoiding of diversity of opinions and establishing of consent touching true Religion To which Articles every Minister refusing to subscribe should ipso fasto be deprived and all his promotions to be void as if he were naturally dead Read the Statute 1. That Christ took flesh from the virgin Mary The Sonne which is the Word of the Father begotten from the everlasting Father the very eternall God of one substance with the Father took mans nature in the womb of the blessed virgin of her substance So thâ—t two whâ—le and perfect Natures that is to say the God-head and the Man-hood were joyned together in one Person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very Man who truly suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile us to his Father and to be a sacrifice not onely for originall guilt but also for the actuall sinnes of men 2. That Christ was God There is but one living and true God everlasting without body parts or passion of infinite power wisedome and goodnesse the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible and in the Unity of this God-head are three Persâ—ns 〈◊〉 one substance power and eternity the Father Son and holy Ghost 3. Of our justification by Faith We are accounted â—ighteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST by faith and not for our own works or deservings wherefore that we are justified by saith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and very full of comfort 4. For good Workes Which are the fruits of Faith and follow after justification albâ—it they cannot put away our sinnes and endure the severity of Gods judgements yet they are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and so spring out necessarily of a true lively faith insomuch as by them a lively faith may be evidently knowne as a tree is discerned by the fruit 5. Of Originall sinne Originall sinne standeth not in the following of Adam but it it the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Originall righteousnesse and is of owne nature enclined to evill so that the flesh lusteth alwayes against the Spirit and therefore in every person borne into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and this infection in nature doth remaine yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the flesh cald in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some doe expound the wisedome some sensuality some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law of God And although there is no condemnation to them that beleeve and are baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sin 6. Of the Baptisme of Infants Baptisme is not onely a signe of profession and marke of difference wherehy Christian men are discerned from other that be not Christned but it is also a signe of regeneration or new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receive Baptisme rightly are grafted into the Church the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed Faith is confirmed and grace encreased by vertue of prayer unto God The Baptisme of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreeable with the institution of Christ. 7. Of Free-will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to doe good workes pleasing and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will 2. Of being without sinne Christ is alone without sin If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 9. Of the Civill Magistrate We give unto the Kings most Excellent Majesty that Prerogative which we see to be given to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall and restraine with the Sword the stubborne and evill doers The Lawes of the Realme may punish Christian men with death for heynous and grievous offences It is lawfull for Christian men at the commandement of the Magistrate to weare weapons and serve in the wars 10. Christian mens goods are not common The riches and goods of Christian men are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as the Anabaptists doe falsely boast 11. A Christian mans Oath As we confesse that vaine and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and Iames his Apostle so we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibite but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of Faith and Charity so it be done according to the Prophets teaching in judgement justice and truth 5. Of the severall sorts of Anabaptists IT betell the Anabaptists as other Heriticks to wit having once forsaken the truth there is no end of their Errors As the Spirit encreased so many things were altered and new things received by the brethren as Oracles from heaven First they break asunder into foure Sects and David George tooke upon him to reconcile them who being possessed with the Devill prefer'd himselfe most blasphemously before Christ himselfe dayly they were divided more and more There are foureteen severall sorts of Anabaptists according to their severall sorts of Errors or Authors set downe by Alst edius in his Indice Theologia Polemina Page 565. viz. Muncerians Apostolikes Separatists Catharists Silentes Enthusiasts Liberi Adamites Hutites Augustinians Beucheldians Melchiorites Georgians Menonists Whose severall Errors I purpose to touch Muncerians so called of Muncer before named who raising a sedition of Boores in Germany was defeated taken and beheaded about the yeare of our Lord God 1525. He preached that all goods must be common and all men free and of equall dignity That God had commanded him to destroy all the ungodly and to repurge the Church Apostolikes a kinde of Anabaptists because they would be like the Apostles they wandred up and downe the Countreyes without staves shooes money or bags preaching up and downe their celestiall vocation to the Ministerie of the Word they washed one anothers feet and leaving houses wives and trades they were so burthensome to