those Articles to be burnt by the hand of the common Hang-man and the war to go on which proved their ruine and fatall destruction And for a conclusion of this Symptome I will end it with those words of the Prophet Isaiah Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shâ—â— see and be ashamed for their envie towards thy people yea the fire of thine enemies shall devoure them Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works for us And though it be a sad thing that men holding forth a profession of Religion should fall to those wayes and grow to such an height as I have laid open yet I am perswaded it is a good hand of God and his speciall providence and mercie to his Church in these Kingdomes to leave the Sectaries to fall into so many evils to take such strange wayes thus to discover themselves and to proceed so far that so the Kingdomes knowing them well they might in the issue be more effectually cured and perfectly delivered from them for had these men kept themselves within the compasse of a few of their opinions and carried things faire and not broke out as they have done we should have thought them good holy men been much taken with them and many would have been deceived by them yea in time they might have got such an interest and had such an influence as to have corrupted all but now having thus early discovered themselves both in matters of Church and State in opinions and practices this hath so opened the eyes of this Kingdome yea of both that it will cause them to abhor and abominate them as a wicked Faction whose principles would bring in an universall Anarchy both upon Church and State overthrowing all Ministerie setled Government and order in the Church being against Kingly Government the House of Peeres House of Commons unlesse ad placitum and so long as the common people like them and all power of Magistrates in capitall matters over Church members in the Commonwealth and who cared not to have sacrificed the Religion peace happinesse of these Kingdomes upon the ambition furie pride lust opinions of Anabaptists Libertines Seekers Brownists Independents And therefore however the Sectaries may flatter themselves in the encrease of their partie in the power they have in some places in the favour they find among some great men yet let them know notwithstanding their policies all their arms of flesh all their friends in the Armies in the House of Commons and in Committees which they so boast of yet God will overthrow them and these eight particulars are certaine symptomes of their ruine and let who will do what they can to uphold them yet God will bring them downe for when they spring as the grasse and as the Workers of iniquitie flourish then is it that they shall be destroyed for ever And therefore let us be couragious and faithfull to the cause of God contending earnestly for the faith which was once at livered to the Saints and let us be in nothing terrified by the Sectaries And to all the Symptomes I have given already being so many fore-runners of their fall let the Reader consider this That they have their deaths wound already the fatall arrow sticks in their sides and having begun to fall they shall surely fall and that besides the Citie of London and other instruments God will honour our Brethren of Scotland to make them a great means of their falling and they shall fall before the Scots whom they have so vilified and unworthily dealt with as the Prelaticall and Popish partie did and me thinks the way of Gods proceedings all along this way of Reformation and many passages of his providence hint point it out to us for the Sectaries are a Faction alike opposite to our Brethren of Scotland viz. the other extreme and all along from first to last God hath made the Scots instrumentall for the good of this Kingdome and bringing things thus far And that God will honour the Kingdome of Scotland and the Church-reformation according to their way to bring down the Sectaries let the Reader consult with M. Brightman a man of a propheticall spirit in his Exposition on the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8 9 10. where he shews that Church to whom so many promises are made to be the reformed Churches of Geneva France Scotland and those who are according to that way of Reformation in Doctrine and Church Government and among many things observed by M. Brightman on that place I shall only point at two 1. That Philadelphia the type of Geneva Scotland and the Churches of that Reformation is most famous for truth of Doctrine As for truth of Doctrine where is there any place in the whole world chaster and sounder Here the whole Papacie is destroyed Anabaptists Antitrinitarians Arrians and such monsters raised again from Hell partly in Germany partly in Transylvania never found a sharper enemy 2. By those who say they are Jewes and are not vers 9. in the Antitype are all those who holding errours do arrogate alone to themselves truth faith salvation the promises of God boasting nothing else but the Temple such were the Arrians under Constantine Constantius Valens and such are at this day the Papists glorying in Peters Chaire these will be accounted the only Catholikes and their Church the only Church of Christ c. Now if wee consider well of these two things 1. We shall find no Church sounder for Doctrine than the Church of Scotland nor greater enemies not only against Papacie and Prelacie but against Anabaptists Seekers and all kind of Sectaries than they are 2. Wee shall not among all Heretikes and Sectaries that have been since the writing of this Epistle find any that have more resembled the Jewes in boasting themselves to be the only people of God than the Sectaries of our times the Anabaptists Independents who extoll themselves for the only Saints calling themselves the Saints the people of God the Church and their way is called by them the Church-way Church-fellowship Christs way and that all who are not of their way are without c. so that these words do most fully agree to them who say they are Iewes and are not but do lye and therefore to conclude this Corallarie all the promises made to Philadelphia do belong in a speciall manner to our Brethren of Scotland as First That God will make them come viz. those who are the Antitype to those Jews the Sectaries Anabaptists Independents that whole Faction and worship before their feet and to know that God hath loved them that is they shall overcome and triumph over these Sectaries and however they have been hitherto abused and scorned by them neither have these unthankfull men acknowledged my love from that singular gift of zeale pietie which I bestowed upon thee yet I will adorn thee with those things which are in great
conceits That there is a Prophet arisen who is shut up for a time but at the end of this Summer is to come forth with power to preach the generall Restauration of all things which Prophet hath given a roll forth already into some hands in which roll many things are written and whoever hath that roll hath the spirit of prophecie He hath appointed some to be Publishers and Prophets and to go to Jerusalem to build it up where Abraham Isaac and Iacob shall meet them from Heaven and these persons thus sent unto Jerusalem are assured they shall never dye with many other of this kind But I will reserve these to make another book of and come to give the Reader some Corallaries drawn from the whole matter Certain Corallaries and Consectaries drawn from the Errours Heresies Blasphemies Practices and Stories of the Sectaries laid down in this present Book CORALL I. HEnce then from all these Errours Heresies Blasphemies Practices c. laid downe both in the first and second part of Gangraena we may see how far the Sectaries of our times have proceeded and how high they have risen In a word to summe up in one page what more at large is expressed in many sheets the Sectaries are gone verie farre both in damnable doctrines and wicked practices in holding principles and positions destructive to Church and State against all Government both Civill as well as Ecclesiasticall and that not only for the matter but in the 〈◊〉 and way of propagation and 〈◊〉 of them They have questioned and denyed all the Articles of faith and have justified and pleaded for all kind of errours and abominations They have denyed the Scriptures Trinitie the God-head of the Son and Holy Ghost Justification by Christ the Gospel Law holy duties Church Ministerie Sacraments and all Ordinances They hold there are no Devils no sin no Hell no Heaven no Resurrection no Immortalitie of the Soule And together with these they are against all Kingly government the King Lords the House of Commons as to have any thing to do in matters of Religion or in Civill matters any longer than the people who chose them think fit and to be chosen yeerly or ofâ—ner according as they carrie themselves yea against all kind of Civill government and Magistraticall power whatsoever as appeares by denying the power of imposition of taxes and assessments in denying the power of Magistrates over Church-members in cases of murther treason c. And as they have denyed all these so on the contrarie they have maintained and pleaded for all kind of blasphemous and hereticall opinions and loose ungodly practices yea they have publikely in print justified there should be an open Toleration for all these and if any man should so far degenerate as to beleeve there is no God nay come to blâ—spheme God and the Scriptures yet hee should not be troubled nor molested but enjoy the libertie of his conscience And they have not only pleaded thus but some of them have actually blasphemed God Christ the Spirit the Scriptures Ministers Sacraments and all holy Ordinances besides committing of horrible uncleannesses forsaking of husbands and wives as Antichristian being guiltie of thefts defraudings c. being partakers also of that horrid Rebellion of Ireland in justifying the Rebels that they did no more than what wee would have done our selves c. All these with many others as the pleading for stage-playes to be set up againe some or other of the Sectaries have been guiltie of and unto all these have added this moreover to canonize and cry up for Saints faithfull servants of God c. Antiscripturists Antitrinitarians Arrians Perfectists yea Blasphemers and Atheist â—o they be but for Independencie and against Presbyterie and particularly how is Paul Bâ—st that fearfull Blasphemer now he is in question by the House of Commons pleaded for by many Sectaries of our times and bitter speeches spoken against the House of Commons for medling with him yea and in print too hee is pleaded for and compared in a sort with Paul the Apostle Certainly neither we nor our Fathers before us ever heard or saw such evils of blasphemie heresie c. in this Kingdome as wee have done within these two or three last yeeres The worst of the Bishops and their Chaplains when they were at worst were Saints in comparison of many of the Sectaries of our times and would have abhorred as bad as they were such opinions and practices which some of the Sectaries magnifie cry up and pretend to do by vertue of new light the Spirit and as a matter of great perfection as for instance A mans or womans forsaking their owne husbands and wives and taking others at their pleasure out of pretence of casting off Antichristian yokes the pleading for a general Toleration of all Religions yea Blasphemies denying a Deitie out of pretence of libertie of conscience But what speak I of the Bishops and their Chaplains I am perswaded all the stories and relations of the Anabaptists and Schwenkfeldians in Luthers time of the Popes and Papists blasphemies of many Heathens and scoffers of the Scriptures Christian Religion as Galen Porphirius Lucian Iulian the Apostate c. do fall short of the blasphemies waies of our Sectaries Which of all these ever so blasphemed as Boggis or what storie is there since the creation of the world that mentions a more horrid wicked blasphemy than that of Boggis a great Sectarie pag. 133 134 135 Or where is there a blasphemy to be found beyond that spoken of in pag. 116 of this Book In a word to conclude this first Corollatie The Sectaries of our times have in many respects as in regard of breach of Covenant ingratitude falsnesse c. gone beyond the Sectaries of other ages and Kingdomes and done worse than their fathers justifying them in all their abominations which they committed and have vented and spread so many poysonous and dangerous principles and positions as are enough to corrupt and infect all the Christian world if the Lord in mercie do not prevent it CORALL II. HEnce then from all that I have laid down of the Sectaries of our times of their errours heresies blasphemies strange practices and their wayes of managing them we may learne what is like to become of them and their way and what their end will be namely confusion desolation and being brought to nought suddenly as in a moment and if ever God spake by me I am confident he will curse this Faction of Sectaries in England and cast them out as an abominable branch Me thinks I see their day a coming and drawing neere Heretikes and Schismatikes do not use to be long-lived no heresie as Luther speaks uses to overcome at the last What is become of the Arrians Donatists Novatians Pelagians c though they were like a mightie floud over-running and drowning all for a time yet like a floud they
saddest of all and yet too true Orthodox worthy persons who being in places of Power for preventing mischiefs and evills questioning some Sectaries for their unlawfull meetings and false Doctrines have been lookt upon ever after with an evill eye and opportunities watcht to molest and displace them In a word there hath not been to this day any exemplary restraint of the Sectaries as ever I heard by vertue of any of your Ordinances but they are sleighted and scorned and as it was formerly with the Kings Proclamations against the Iesuits Priests Papists and forbidding to go to Masse there were the more Priests in the Kingdom and more went to Masse the Proclamations being never looked after and when any zealous Protestants in place did go to execute them they had little thanks for their pains and those they questioned were to hard for them getting off so preaching of lay-men was never more in request then since your Ordinance against it Presbyteriall Government never more preached printed against then since your Votes Orders and Ordinances for it never more dangerous unlicensed Books printed then since the Ordinance against unlicensed printing and when men have been complained of for the breach of Ordinances as that of lay preaching c. how are they dismissed and preach still infect still look what wayes were taken heretofore by the Popish party and Prelates who pretended to be Protestants in favour of the Papists Arminians and discountenancing zealous Protestants the same will be found to be now in use in behalfe of the Sectaries against Presbyterians and if you be but pleased to review your own Remonstrances either in former or in this present Parliament or remember the maximes and grounds you proceeded upon in questioning many and by what rules you judged of intentions to overthrow the Protestant Religion and to advance Popery Armianisme and then look upon the Proceedings of some you will finde the same steps trod in now and the same course taken in favour of the sects But an Epistle is too narrow a compasse to particularize all things of this kinde and a word is enough to the wise And yet I do not say Your Honours have done these things for there are matters of this nature you hear not of and upon complaints of things that have come immediatly to Your Houses there hath been some redresse yet such things are done by Committees or Persons under Your Power and Government and no effectuall wayes taken to prevent discover or remedy these things Now I humbly submit to Your deep judgment whether God account not men guilty of that which is committed by others under them they having power to hinder it as also whether it will not be interpreted by men that there is certainly great countenance and favour above or else persons below dare not do as they do And be pleased to suffer me as a Minister of Christ to bring to your remembrance which I do in all humility these following Scriptures Levit. 26.25 1 Sam. 2.29 30 31 32. cap. 3.12.13 14. 1 King 12. cap. 31.13 cap. 33.34 2 King 10. from 19. to 33. Jerems 30.31 Dan. 5.5.2.2 23.24 25 26 27 28. Amos 2.9 13.14 Hag. 1.2 4 5. Gal. 6.7 Revel 2.13 14 15 16 18 19 20. Which texts of Scripture with the examples laid down in them I name not as if I would compare your Honours with Jeroboam Belshazzar c. or charge on you their facts in kinde or that I wish such evills should come to You no let the interpretation of these Scriptures be to your enemies and the fulfilling of them to them that hate You but because whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning and all the things which were threatned and hapned to Eli Jeroboam Jehu Belshazzar c. were for examples and written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come therefore I minde You of these Scriptures that you may fear to fall into any such kinde of sins or to suffer such to be done when 't is in Your power to hinder The sects have been growing upon us ever since the first year of Your sitting and have every year increased more and more things have been bad a great while but this last year they are grown intolerable and if Schisme Herosie c. be let alone and rise proportionably for one year longer we shall need no Cavaliers nor enemies from without to destroy us Certainly God looks for other manner of fruit from you the great Deliverances Victories Successes the solemn Covenant Protestations Remonstrances Declarations made to God this Kingdom the Kingdome of Scotland and all the Reformed Churches call and speak for other kinds of things The Reformed Churches abroad wonder at these things and say Why may not the King as lawfully tolerate Papists one false Religion as the Parliament suffer all sects to grow Besides their love zeal and prayers for you begins to languish and grow faint Our dear Brethren of Scotland stand amazed and astonished and had they not seen these things could not have beleeved them The Orthodox godly considerable party both Ministers and people in City and Country by whose means under God you are now so strong and lifted up above your enemies are grieved offended and much discouraged the common enemy scornes blasphemes and reproaches the Reformation looking upon us as given up to a spirit of giddinesse and errour The Malignants every where turne Sectaries and Independents siding with them and pleading their cause and they do wisely there being no such way as that to save their purses live quietly and to undermine you and effect the enemies work And what can think you will be issue of these things It is high time therfore for your Honours to awake and be doing to suffer no longer these Sects and Schismes these disorders and confusions that are in the midst of us but to fall upon some effectuall wayes as you in your great wisdomes shall finde out and to do something worthy a Parliament in this kinde also Do this and God is on your right hand to helpe you and you shall not be removed for ever the Kingdom of Scotland the Reformed Churches this great City with the Ministers to stand by you and to honour you Do it not but let things still run on thus and all kinde of errours confusions c. increase and know God is a righteous God and will require it at your hands visit and be avenged for these things And let no man flatter you with your great prosperity and successe that your mountain is now so strong that you shall never be moved but remember that God is a God changing the times and seasons that removes Kings and sets up Kings Dan. 2.21 that can quickly bring down that part of the wheel below which was highest that made a sudden change to Belshazzar in an hour Dan. 5.3 4 5 6. That God who is said to scatter Kings can scatter you Psal. 68.14 Look upon
the Court party the great Counsellours of state and Prelates whose height was like the height of the Cedars and were strong as the Oaks yet the Lord destroyed their fruit from above and their root from beneath and cannot he do so to you I beseech you fear considering the great dishonour of God and his name and the sad estate of things under your Goverment lest God bring some great afterclap upon you and have an after reckoning either giving you up at last to the hands of those that are now in armes against you or sending an evill spirit of division among your selves and the two Nations or making use of the Sects that party when grown stronger who have been so much suffered to grow under you to become thorns in your sides and pricks in your eyes to cast You out and to teach you new Law and new Divinity as they have done already in many of their Books as Englands Birthright A Letter from an Utter Barrester A Letter call'd Englands lamentable slavery Lilburns Letters to Mr Prynn to a Friend Innocency and truth justified cum multis alijs or by sending some other judgement as the Pestilence c. all which I earnestly pray God to prevent And truly when I think of things by my self and behold to what a height Errours Heresies c. are come and withall reflect upon the great things God hath done for you the many powerfull Sermons you have had preached before you about the Nationall Covenant and against the Sects the many Petitions representing the evill and danger of these things and yet how little is done our evills of this kinde rising higher and higher in the increase of false doctrines and a greater multiplication of schismes every day then other I tremble for fear lest for the want of zeal in suffering so many dishonours of God and his House to lie so long waste the word be gone out of his mouth already which he spake against Eli I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy Father should walke before me for ever but now the Lord saith Be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed But to draw towards a conclusion there is no other way to prevent all this wrath but to be zealous and repent to do something speedily and effectually against the Errours Heresies Schismes Blasphemies and confusions of these times Ob. But if any shall object It cannot be done now it will discontent and disingage the Sectaries who are a considerable party and so may prove dangerous to the Parliament in this juncture of time by causing many to fall off their Service Ans. Are we afraid of discontenting disingaging and losing a few men and not discontenting and losing God! shall God be displeased to please men shall we fear the want of mans helpe whose breath is in his nostrils and not fear God! O that we would once cease from man for wherein is he to be accounted of Secondly I Answer This objection is taking counsell but not of God a covering but not of Gods spirit Isa. 30.1 this carnall policie of suffering corruptions in Religion for fear of losing a party and strengthening Kingdoms hath proved the ruin of families and Kingdoms be pleased to remember Jeroboam Jehu c. who out of policie for fear of losing a party and strengthening the other side set up and suffered the golden Calves and Priests of the lowest of people and this very thing became a snare and the losse of the Kingdom to them and I might shew out of Ecclesiasticall Histories many examples of sad things befalling Princes who out of policies or any carnall respects have suffered all sorts of Sects and Heresies but I will only instance in one out of Baronius of Valentinianus senior who suffered in the West the Christians to embrace what faith every one of them would and to follow what Heresies they pleased but how well and safely the end of it declared for both his sons were slain by the faction and treachery of the Gentiles Gratian by Maximus Valentinian junior was strangled in a halter And yet afterwards the same Emperour by edict commanded the houses and places where the Maniches met to be confiscate 't is storied of Amaziah that he had hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valour for a hundred talents of silver but a man of God came to him to dismisse his Army namely that part of it the children of Ephraim and told him in answer to his carnall objections that God had power to help and to cast down and for his hundred talents the Lord was able to give him much more then this 2 Chron. 25.7 8 9. so say I whoever or what numbers soever shall desert the Parliaments Army and Service for their suppressing the Sects and putting in execution their own Ordinances God hath power to help and cast down and is able to cause many more then these to adhere to them and no question besides Gods help and blessing which uses to accompany setling true Religion and destroying false the hands of the Kingdom of Scotland would be the more strengthened the City of London the Ministers and all who love truth peace and order would adhere more firmly and the Parliament would be both stronger and make themselves famous both at home and abroad to all generations Thirdly supposing the Sectaries to be as potent as is falsely surmised by themselves yet I humbly conceive it stands not with the Honour Power Wisedom nor Piety of a Parliament for fear of losing a party to be afraid of maintaining their own Ordinances and punishing those things that they know are bad In such a case fiat justitia ruet coelum Fourthly the sons of Zeruiah are not now too hard for you God hath made you stornger then ever by giving you many victories battell upon battell and one strong hold after another so that if any will fall off from you for doing your duties you need not care and who knowes but that all these victories are sent to take away all excuse to answer this objection and to encourage you to this work God inforces upon turning the dayes of fasting into feasts therefore to love the truth and peace and from deliverances to pay our vows and make good our Covenants as in Zech. 8.19 Nahum 1.15.16 Psal. 16.14 17 18 19. And thus having in some poor measure discharged my conscience towards God your Honours and this Kingdom in the Discovery made in this Book of many sects and Sectaries I leave the issue and successe to God humbly taking my leave as Dr Holland that learned man and Doctor of the Chair in Oxford was wont to do of his Colledge upon going journies saying I commend you to the love of God and hatred of Popery so do I commend both Houses of Parliament to the love of God and his truth and the hating of all Sects and
conversion and what Peter did in this kinde after his foul fact of denying his Master issued from the weaknesse of his faith 79. That Gods children are not to aske the pardon and forgivenesse of their sins they need not they ought not and 't is no lesse then blasphemy for a child of God to aske pardon of sins 't is infidelity to aske pardon of sins and Davids asking forgivenesse of sin was his weaknesse 80. That when Abraham denyed his wife and in outward appearance seemed to lie in his distrust lying dissembling and equivocating that his wife was his sister even then truly all his thoughts words and deeds were perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the fight of God freely 81. The called of God have sin in the flesh they have sin in the conversation but they have no sin neither can they have any in the conscience for the true faith of Gods elect and sin in the conscience can no more stand together then light and darknesse and this reconciles those two Scriptures If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and He that is borne of God doth not commi◠sin neither can he because he is borne of God 82. The great Antichrist is that mysticall body of iniquity which opposeth Jesus Christ and not the Pope of Rome or any particular succession of men only he is a part of Antichrist Denn makes the opposition of Antinomian errours to be the man of sin and the great Antichrist as is to be seen in severall pages of his Man of sin discovered And Sectaries make them who deny Christs dying for all to be Antichrist others make Antichristianisme to consist in the coercive power of the Magistrate in matters of Religion 83. That the soul of man is mortall as the soul of a beast and dies with the body 84. That the souls of the faithfull after death do sleep til the day of judgement and are not in a capacity of acting any thing for God but 't is with them as 't is with a man that is in some pleasing dreame 85. That the bodies of the faithfull shall not rise again at the resurrection namely the same that died but their soules shall have other bodies made fit for them either by creation or faction from some preëxisting matter and though the bodies be new yet the men are the same because the same souls remaine still 86. Infants rise not again because they are not capable of knowing God and therefore not of enjoying him 87. That the perfection and resurrection spoken of by Paul 1. Cor. 15.51.52.53.54.55.56.57 the hope set before us the eternall inheritance a City having foundations whose builder and maker is God are to be attained in the fullnesse and perfection of them now in this present time before the common death of the body 88. That none of the soules of the Saints go to Heaven where Christ is but Heaven is empty of the Saints till the resurrection of the dead 89. There is no resurrection at all of the bodies of men after this life nor no Heaven nor hell after this life nor no devils 90. There shall be in the last day a resurrection from the dead of all the bruit creatures all beasts and birds that ever lived upon the earth every individuall of every kinde of them that died shall rise again as well as of men and all these creatures shall live for ever upon the earth 91 There is no hell but in this life and that 's the legall terrours and feares which men have in their consciences 92. That there is no Church of Christ upon the earth no true Ministery no Sacraments no Gospel no faith because there are no visible nor infallible gifts 93. No man is damned but for rejecting the Gospel and none can reject the Gospel but those who have it tendred unto them as they had in the Apostles dayes being confirmed by miracles 94. That the pure preaching of the Word and righ administration of the Saments are no notes nor signes of a true visible Church 95. 'T is the will of God that miracles should attend the Ministry the Apostles make a marriage of doctrine and miracles so that they who preach the Gospel must be so gifted as to confirme it by signes and wonders 96. That many Christians in these dayes have more knowledge then the Apostles and when the time is come that there shall be true Churches and Ministery erected they shall have greater gifts and do greater miracles then the Apostles ever did because the Christian Church was but then in its infancy 97. That there ought to be in these times no making or building of Churches nor use of Church-ordinances as ministring of the Word Sacraments but waiting for a Church being in a readiness upon all occasions to take knowledge of any passenger of any opinion or tenet whatsover the Saints as pilgrims doe wander as in a Temple of smoak not able to finde Religion and therefore should not plant it by gathering or building a pretended supposed House but should wait for the coming of the Spirit as the Apostles did 98. There is a salvation that shall be revealed in the last times which was not known to the Apostles themselves 99. That within a while God will raise up Apostles men extraordinarily endowed with visible and infallible gifts to preach the Gospel and that shall precede the fall of Rome 100. That in points of Religion even in the Articles of faith and principles of Religion there 's nothing certainly to be beleeved and built on onely that all men ought to have liberty of conscience and liberty of prophesying 101. That the Scriptures no where speak of Sacraments name or thing 102. That the Covenant whereof Circumcision was the seale was onely of temporall promises as Ex. G. of the land of Canaan that the Covenant God made with Abraham had nothing spirituall in it and that Circumcision was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith to no other but to Abraham alone quatenus a father and not to his children 103. That Baptism is not a seal nor signe of the Covenant of grace 104. That Poedobaptisme is unlawfull and Antichristian and that 't is as lawfull to baptize a Cat or a Dog or a Chicken as to baptize the Infants of beleevers 105. 'T is as lawfull to break any of the ten Commandements as to baptize an Infant yea 't is as lawfull to commit adultery and murther as to baptize a childe 106. That baptizing belongs not to Ministers onely all gifted brethren and preaching Disciples though no Ministers may baptize 107. Baptizednesse is not essentiall to the Baptizer nor essentiall to preaching so that persons not onely not in office but not so much as baptized may both baptize and preach 108. Miracles are essentiall to the administration holden forth in the commission of Baptisme Matt. 28.19 109. That none are to be admitted to the
do or what wayes soever they take 143. That the Presbytery and Presbyteriall Government are the false Prophet and the Beast spoken of in the Revelations Presbytery is a third part of the City of Rome yea that Beast in Revel 11. that ascends and shall kill the two Witnesses namely the Independents 144. That there are Revelations and Visions in these times yea to some they are more ordinary and shall be to the people of God generally within a while 145. That the gift of miracles is not ceased in these times but that some of the Sectaries have wrought miracles and miracles have accompanied them in their Baptisme c. and the people of God shall have power of miracles shortly 146. That anointing the sick with oyl by the Elders praying over them with laying on of hands is a Church-ordinance for Church-members that are sick for their recovery 147. 'T is ordinary for Christians now in these dayes with Paul to be rapt up to the third Heavens and to hear words unutterable and they cannot wel have assurance of being Christians that have not found and had experience of this 848. That Christian Magistrates have no power at all to meddle in matters of Religion or things ecclesiasticall but in civill only concerning the bodies and goods of men 149. That for a people to wait upon man for a form to worship God by was Idolatry Nay for a people to wait upon Parliament or Assembly for a form to worship God by was worse then corporall Idolatry 150. Whatsoever errours or miscarriages in Religion the Church should bear withall in men continuing still in communion with them as brethren these the Magistrates should bear with in men continuing them in the Kingdom or Common-wealth in the enjoyment of the liberty of Subjects 151. That the Parliament having their power from and being entrusted by the people the people may call them to an account for their actions and set them right and straight and seeing this present Parliam doth ingrosse law-making and all law-executing into their own hands contrary both to reason and the true meaning of the Law the Free-men of England ought not only to chuse new members where they are wanting once every yeer but also to renew and enquire once a yeer after the behaviour and carriage of those they have chosen And if they finde they never did any good or are groundedly suspected to be unserviceable that then those that chuse and sent them may have liberty to chuse more faithfull able and better men in their places 152. If God command such a thing to be done in his Word and the Magistrate now come and command the same to be done though a Christan ought to have and would have done it because of Gods command yet now he ought not to do it because the Magistrate commands it 153. All the earth is the Saints and there ought to be a community of goods and the Saints should share in the Lands and Estates of Gentlemen and rich men 154. That 't is lawfull for a man to put away his wife upon indisposition unfitnesse or contrarieâ—y of minde arising from a cause in nature unchangeable and and for disproportion and deadnesse of spirit or something distastfull and averse in the immutable bent of nature and man in regard of the freedom and eminencie of his creation is a law to himself in this matter being head of the other sex which was made for him neither need he hear any Judge therein above himself 155. 'T is lawfull for one man to have two wives at once 156. That children are not bound to obey their Parents at all if they be ungodly 157. That Parents are not to catechise their little children nor to set them to read the Scripture or to teach them to pray but must let them alone for God to teach them 158. 'T is unlawful for Christians to defend Religion with the Sword or to fight for it when men come with the Sword to take it away Religion will defend it self 159. 'T is unlawfull for Christians to fight and take up armes for their lawes and civil liberties 160. 'T is unlawfull to fight at all or to kill any man yea to kill any of the creatures for our use as a chicken or on any other occasion 161. That using of set forms of prayer prescribed is Idolatry 162. Davids saying I am a worm and no man must be understood literally yea he was both a man and no man in the same literall sense 163. That the Scripture speaks but of one kinde of faith 164. Some of the Sectaries in London do hold That in Suffâ—lk there is a Prophet raised up to come and preach the everlasting Gospel to them and he staies but for a vocall call from Heaven to send him which is expected daily and that this man is the Prophet spoken of in the Scripture 1 Iohn 25. That Prophet in that Scripture distinguished from Christ and Elias is this man raised up in Suffolk 165. That it could not stand with the goodnesse of God to damne his owne creatures eternally 166. That God the Father did reign under the Law God the Sonne under the Gospel and now God the Father and God the Sonne are making over the Kingdom to God the holy Ghost and he shall reign and be poured out upon all flesh 167. That there shall be a generall restauration wherein all men shall be reconciled to God and saved only those who now beleeve and are Saints before this restauration shall be in a higher condition then those that do not beleeve 168. That t is not lawfull for a Christian to be a Magistrate but upon turning Christian he should lay down his Magistracie neither do we read after Cornelius was baptized though he were a Centurion before and a man in command and authority that ever he medled any more with his band call'd the Italian band 169. Man lost no more by the fall then all the rest of the whole Creation fell into with Adam all the world being condemned to death and desolation yea the heavens and the earth also so that you may as safely conclude that all the whole Creation lost life and salvation to glorification by Adams transgression as to conclude that man lost salvation by Adams transgression 170. Man hath not by Christ brought unto him eternall life and salvation but only such a life as all the whole Creation hath together with him for the second Adam hath not purchased eternall life to glorification for man 171. All the creatures shall assuredly partake of the Gospel of peace and that our Lord the great Prophet spake something to this purpose when he saith Go preach the Gospel to every creature though they cannot heare to life and glorification and Christ is the great Prophet of his Father to declare his Fathers counsell to the whole creation and he is the great High-Priest which offereth
creature that doth much hurt by keeping under ground but it once above ground then 't is contemptible and easily taken Some of the Sectaries have been provoked enough to set down what they would have both by earnest intreaties from beyond seas and at home by commands in a kind by upbraidings for not doing it and yet to this day they cannot be brought to it and I judge 't is for these Reasons 1. Because they cannot well agree among themselves of any system or body 2. Because they know not how long they shall be of this mind nor how much further yet they may go 3. Because what they set downe may offend manie of their owne party and loosen all the rest of the sects from them 4. Because some Grandees and Persons of note who are gone further will not be well pleased at it 5 Because when once given under their hands and that after so long expectation it will be judged by all rationall men their utmost strength which if it should have answer upon answer as no doubt it will and the weaknesse of it discovered and laid bare they are lost among manie and will suffer exceedingly in the esteem of all intelligent unprejudiced men whereas now by being silent they bare the world in hand as if they had some great matter of strength manie before they speake and utter themselves are thought to bee wise and to have much in them who when they have once spoken are easily seene thorow 7. In their quoting Authours for them who are acknowledged for the main to be professedly against them and in their quoting pieces of Authours and not the whole leaving the latter part which would explain their meaning thus the Donatists did Cyprian and yet he was much against them as he professes and so Augustine complains of the Donatists integrus non allegarunt Scripturas thus the Author of Sions Prerogative Royall quotes many Presbyrians for severall things who professedly were of another way and one Mr. E. as the Reader may observe in an Extract of one of the printed Letters quotes the Churches of France Scotland c. for the Independent way who are knowne to be professedly against it and so the Author of The bounds of libertie of Consc. quotes the Leydenses Profess for him who professedly speak against it and in one sentence hee leaves out some three times words all of them belonging to one sentence which would shew the sense of those learned men to be against him as notorious a falsification as I think is to be found in any Papist and so Mr. Iohn Goodwin in his point of Justification quotes Calvin Bucer and others who are knowne ex professo to be of another judgement and hee quotes my Antapologie with other Authors to justifie his opinion when as I have professedly at large spoken against what he maintains and among other places which he peâ—verts I shall name one where he cites the former part of the sentenâ—e leaving out the latter which had hee but nameâ— would have been an evident conâ—uâ—ation oâ— him 〈◊〉 just with me as the Devill did by Christ Psal. 916. leaving out the last part to keep thee in all thy wayes 2 â—he Sectaries and the Jesuites agree in many things 1 As the Jesuites are ramous for sending out Emâ—â—laries into severall Countries to corrupt not contenâ—ing themselves to do mischiefe at home â—o do our Sectaries send forth their members into all Counties and places of this Kingdome they lay hand upon them and send them as a Church act to preach such and such errours to rebaptize c. 2 The Jesuites have their piae â—â—â—udes holy deceits for the propagating of their cause fictions made things to deceive the people so have our Sectaries many for the spreading of their partie 3 â—he Jesuites insinuating themselves get into 〈…〉 houses and acquaintance into gâ—eat Ladies and Geâ—â—lewomens and into Princes Courts and Houses and follow State matters meet to contrive and consult not preacâ—ing too much nor following their studies too hard so do many of our Sectaries gâ—t into acquaintance and favour with great Noblemen Parliament-men â—ellâ—cite follow them work by the great Ladies and Gentlewomen consult and deâ—ate of matters Civill c. 4 The Jesuites are full of equivocations 〈◊〉 reservations say one thing but meane another speak things in a sense of their own dâ—fferent from what it is in the common accepâ—ion so are our Sâ—ctaries 5 The Jesuites have alwayes one plot or other never give out are working active men if crossed in one then are trying in another and have many 〈◊〉 in the fire at once that if one do not take another may nothing discourages them but on they go so it is with the Sectaries of our tiâ—e active nimble men restlesse spirits never without plots and â—iâ—e designes with 〈◊〉 of many at once that if some mis-carrie yet others may bring forth 6 Thâ— Jesuites will work and act where they are not thought to be by others aâ—d by instruments unsuspected not appearing themselves but bringing about their ends in such a manner as a man would never dream of so our Sectaries will not appear themselves in many things when yet the hand of Ioab is all along but get their work done by others who also draw others to them 7 The Jesuits make all things give place to their designes to advance the Catholike cause and so they may compasse them they are not mannerly to stand upon tearms but will take any person out of the way who stands to hinder them use severall indirect means to effect what they have plotted run great ventures and hazards but they wilâ— go thorow so the Sâ—ctaries of our times are daring men will attempt tâ—Iâ—gs a wisâ— man would think they should be afrâ—id of will try to break any man or work him out that stands between them and home and do things though otherwise against their principles The Sectâ—ies and the Netherland Arminians agree 1 The Arminians at first flatterâ—d the Mâ—gâ—stâ—ateâ— declyning Synods and Ecclesiasticall Assâ—mblies all they could and still appealing to the Civill Magistrate crying up the power of the Civill Magistrate in Ecclesiasticalls ascribing to the Magistrate the ultimate and highest Jurisdiction and power of giving judgement in matters purely Ecclesiâ—â—ticall reasoning that to the Magistrate alone immediately under Christ did belong the judgement where controvâ—rsies of faith did arise in the Church and they aspensed the Orthodox Ministers for not giving so much of this the Reader may finde enough in Voetius and Vedelius so do our Sectaries all of them are against Synods declyning them manie of them say they will in all matters of Religion give account to the Parliament or so any Committee appointed by them and say they give more to the Magistrate then the Presbyterians and in that kinde have odious insinuations to reflect upon Presbyterians 2. The Arminians at first broached but
as their folly and shame shall be manifested to al men and themselves and their friends for them will wish a hundred times they had been asleep in their beds when they medled with Gangraena yea Gangraena and this defence of it will prove so incurable a Gangren to them that they shall never be cured of it by all the Mountebanck quacksalving drugs and tricks of all the Sectaries of this time and though for a short time confident lying may please and take with many yet as Solomon speaks the lip of truth shall be established for ever but a lying tongue is but for a moment and as Hierom. Mendacia ad modicum placent sed diu non durant A Fresh and further DISCOVERY OF THE ERROURS and Pernicious Practises of the SECTARIES in ENGLAND HAving laid down in my Book entituled Gangraena 180. Errors vented in these times besides an Addition of some Errours mentioned in the Appendix and not enumerated in the former Catalogue I do here further present the Reader with a Catalogue of more Errours not before named neither in the first nor second Edition of my Book As also a Relation of more Stories and Practices together with some new Letters concerning them by all which it will appear that the plague of Sectarisme rages more and more putting forth Symptoms presaging death and destruction both to Church and State if not timely prevented Additionall ERROURS to the former Catalogue of ERROURS HERESIES c. 1 THat no Opinion is so dangerous or Hereticall as that of compulsion in things of Religion 2. That Kingly government among Nations and Common-wealths is unlawfull and that for Kings it cannot be said to what use they serve or that there is any use of them except to debauch and vexe a people 3. It is unlawful for Christians to eate any Swines flesh in regard the Devils once entred into the herd of Swine 4. 'T is unlawfull to eate any manner of blood in any kind of thing whatsoever and that Black-puddings are unhallowed meat and that the eating of Black-puddings is a barbarous custome 5. That the Devils never sinned nor have any sin 6. That Iudas Cain and all the damned yea all the Devils shall be saved at last and that there are no hell torments to eternity 7. Christ hath repented perfectly he hath sorrowed for sin perfectly and he hath repented for us 8. Faith is not to be the guide of Reason but Reason the guide of Faith nor is a man to beleeve any thing in Scripture further then he sees Reason to induce him 9. That children of beleevers have more then a faederall holinesse an inward reall holinesse 10. Christs presence in Heaven or that Christ is present in Heaven cannot be proved by the Scriptures 11. Some of the Sectaries do affirm and hold they have not only had Revelations but they have seen Visions also 12. The means of God revealing himself and his mind and will to his servants in reference to their salvation is immediatly by himself without Scripture without Ordinances Ministers or any other means 13. That 't is unlawfull to give thanks to God after meat received though it be lawfull to do it before eating of meat 14. That singing of Davids Psalms is blasphemy and telling of lies 15. That there is no Justification by Faith but Faith is only a manifestation of our Justification 16. That Repentance is a work of the Law and so not to be performed by Christians and that Christians have nothing to do at all but only to sit still hear and beleeve 17. Some Sectaries hold they cannot sin but if they sin Christ sins in them he does all they are acted by him in all 18. All set times of private prayers as morning and evening c. are not only unlawfull and superstitious but they are not to pray at all nor give thanks nor confesse sin but admire only the Grace of God that is all they must doe 19. That hell-fire never had been if Jesus Christ had not come 20. That Jesus Christ delivered never a soul from Hell-fire 21. That all appointed set meetings of many Christians to pray hear confer or perform any holy service whether in a Church way or out of a Church way are unwarrantable and unlawfull only occasionally if Christians meet in a street or at a house going to visit friends in civility they may discourse and talk one with another in points of Religion as they do of other matters 22. That in the first Conversion of a sinner there ought to be no sorrow nor repentance for sinne God requires none at all 23. That some Beleevers are as perfect here as ever they shall be in Heaven only they do not see the Lord here with their bodily eyes And for a conclusion of this matter namely for the enumeration of Additionall Errours I shall adde only this which I received from the mouth of a godly Minister who haâ—ing conversed with some Sectaries that are Souldiers and Troopers gave me this answer March 13. upon a question propounded by me what strange opinions do they hold They hold saith he all opinions whatsoever that are against the power of godlinesse and the honour of Christ. An Extract of a Letter lately sent me from a learned and godly Minister in Essex Good M. Edwards I Thank you for your Book Oates whom you mention in your Book hath been sowing his Tares Boolimong and wild Oates in these parts these five weeks without any controll hath seduced hundreds and dipped many in Booking River and when that 's done he hath a Feast in the night and at the end of that the Lords Supper All opera tenebrarum No Magistrate in the Country dare meddle with him for they say they have hunted these out of the country into their Dens in London and imprisoned some and they are released and sent like decoy Ducks into the country to fetch in more so that they go on in divers parts of Essex with the greatest confidence and insolencie that can be imagined M. Archer of Halsted preaches boldly against Parliament Assembly Directory Ministery and all I pray you let me hear whether there be any hope of light shining out of darknesse Ellis an Antinomian brother to Ellis of Colchester the Independent married a widow got two hundred pounds of hers made her beleeve hee would carry her to his friends in the North but left her by the way and ranne away with the two hundred pounds That miscreant seduced many Your book doth much good I shall pray God to speed your Plough who am Your assured friend An Extract of a Letter written to me last week from a learned and godly Minister in Colchester together with a Relation of a Monster lately born there of Parents who are Sectaries SIr I have sent you in this enclosed the true Story of the monstrous birth in our Town I thank you for your Book The Sectaries rage at it but it is a sign it
lives but few yeers if the Sects be suffered to go on will see that all the other Sects of Independents Brownists Antinomians Anabaptists will be swallowed up in the Seekers alias Libertines many are gone already and multitudes are going that way and the issue of these Sects and Schismes will be that all will end in a loosenesse and licentiousnesse of living A HYMNE which some of the Antinomians do sing at their meetings instead of DAVIDS Psalms THe newes is good Christ shed his bloud our peace is made in Heaven And now he is gone up to his Throne all power to him is given 2 Our glory is great we are compleat in Gods great love we stand We are on high exalted by Christs victorious hand 3 We once neer lost to hell did post but God in mercy found us And now he hath taught us his path and with his mercy crown'd us 4 Shall sin or hell Gods people quell or ever keep them under No Christ hath died sin purifide and hell bands rent in sunder 5 The bloud of Christ our great High Priest which once for us was shed Hath purg'd the blot and cleans'd the spot wherewith we were besmear'd 6 A glorious thing a wonder strong that sin should not defile And those are all to Christ more dear that once did seem so vile 7 All sin we finde is out of minde the Saints are made divine First in the love of God above in glory they do shine 8 None are so dear nor yet so near with God they are made one Who now doth see them sure to be as is his only Sonne 9 Christ is our guide we cannot slide nor never fall away Our state is sure and must endure though all things else decay 10 Then let 's be bold our heads uphold the time is drawing nigh When we shall raign and eke remain with God eternally 11 Let all base fears and needlesse cares out of our souls remove With speed let 's fly to God on high and dwell with him above Amen Amen And 't is remarkable that now for present the best Independent Churches and Congregations are mixed Assemblies and medlies consisting of persons whereof some are Anabaptists some Antinomians some Libertines others hold Arminian and Socinian Tenets those who for mixtures in manners and because of some persons not so holy in their lives made a Schisme in the Church have worse mixtures among themselves in Doctrine a linsey wolsey compounded Religion I do not think there is any one Independent Church of three yeers standing and that hath attained to the number of between 30. and 40. members but had or hath in it some Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers or else persons holding one or other odde and strange opinion Mr. Symonds Independent Church at Roterdam is over-grown with Anabaptisme and he hath written into England that he is so pestered with Anabaptists that he knew not what to do Mr. Sympsons Church hath bred divers Seekers Mr. Lâ—ckiers Antinomians Master Iohn Goodwins company is an unclean Conventicle where the spirit of Errour and pride prevails in most the unclean spirit being entred there into himself and his people with seven evill spirits Socinian Arminian Popish Anabaptisticall Libertine Tenets being held by himself and many of his people And what shall I say more it will be too long to tell of what I have heard of some members in Mr. Carters Mr. Cradockâ— Mr. Brisco Mr. Barlets Churches concerning opinions they hold March 21. I was informed for certain that a young maiden buying in the Sirand of a Goldsmith a gold Ring the young man in the shop who was selling it her asked her whether she was to be married for the Ring was much of the size of a marriage Ring she answered no nor did not know whether ever shee should be married he questioned further with her what use she bought if for after some discourse together she told him she bought it to give to the Minister of the Church into which she was to be admitted a member and the young man further conferring with her she told him she was to be of the Congregationall way and of a Church where the Minister was a man of precious gifts It hath been related to me also from good hands and if there be any mistake in the Relation I desire the Independent Ministers to clear wherein namely that in some of their Congregations maid-servants out of their wages do allow so much yeerly as five or six shillings to their Ministers that some poore godly persons who have expressed great desire to be of their Church way and gone to some Independent Ministers to be admitted to Church-fellowship could not because of their poverty that persons of great ranck and quality as some Ladies are admitted to their Churches in a more favourable way and not after the ordinary manner and that one Lady at least though no member of any Independent Church but of a Presbyteriall hath been admitted to the Lords Supper among them and her child was to have been baptized by an Independent Minister but that it died the very day appointed for the baptizing of it that in one of the Independent Churches here in London a rich widow who was there a member refused to give her consent to one in way of marriage whom otherwise she liked and entertained till hee yeelded to settle twenty pounds a yeer upon her Independent Minister during his life and lastly that some of the Independent Ministers have from some one of their members 20.30 li. or better per annum and a Minister is named who hath fifty five pounds yeerly from three members of his Church forty pounds from two and fifteen pounds from a third A Disputation held at the Spitle about the Immortality of the soul by some Anabaptists as Lam Battee and others on the day of publike Thanksgiving for Dartmouths being given up into the hands of the Parliament MY Lord Major hearing of a great concourse of people that were to meet upon such a businesse having a respect to the peace and good government of this City sent two of the Marshals men to Lam to the Spitle where they were met to dispute but had not yet begun who told Lam that may Lord Major had sent them to him to forbid him or them to dispute as upon this day Lam answered the Officers he would go up and acquaint the brethren which he did standing in a place like a desk above the people at one end of the room and Battee at the other The first thing that Lam spake of was that my Lord Major had sent to forbid their meeting or rather to desire them not to dispute as upon this day Battee stood up and said that Mr. Major was a limb of Antichrist and that he was a persecutor of the brethren and that he did question what power or authority he had to forbid them he was sure the Parliament gave him no such power but gave them liberty to use
and in my full Reply I shall more largely and particularly specifie In one word Cretensis is a most ungodly Antichristian insolent proud malicious wrathful lying obscent scurrilous nonsense absurd contradictory piece Observ. 12. Cretensis in all his Books of Controversie and Answers of all sorts that I have seen and met with is of all Writers in this later age the greatest falsifier of Authors wresting them upon all occasions and that with a Gyant-like confidence against their own sense and contrary to what they are known ex professo to hold and he will not be beaten off from it as is apparent in his Treatises of Justification and in his Answer to Master Prynne and in this Book bringing in Master Ball for him in the point of Free-will Now this must arise either from that heretical genius of his that he sinneth being condemned of himself speaking lyes in hypocrisie having his conscience seared with a hot iron or else from a high flown mad fancy making things to appear which are not at all like to that mad man of Athens who thought all the Ships that came into the Haven were his though he never were sharer much lesse owner in any Ship so Cretensis sancies all learned Writers to be for him ' wheares indeed there never was any sound and Orthodox Divine for him as I shall shew more fully hereafter and divide Learned Master Gataker from him Observ. 13. Cretensis iust Cretian like fastens that upon me in my Gangraena affirming I say that which I do not as in pag. 28. Sect. 23. and doth father opinions upon me meerly from the leaving out of a word or two by the Printers over-sight Cretens pag. 23. though corrected in the second Edition and abroad full fourteen dayes before Cretensis which was either done wilfully and on set purpose against his knowledge or from his not reading over my Book but taking up things upon trust Observ. 14. There are many things in Cretensis Pamphlet which he pretends to Answer making much ado of and laboring to fasten upon me lyes nonsense c. which yet in the close after a great many high flown words Cretensis is forced to confesse them true and that both of himself and others though by many words he hath labored to pusle and cast a mist before the eyes of the Reader Observ. 15. I desire the Reader to observe that this Answer made by this great Rabbi is but snatches here and there answering Gangraena by great leaps as Leopards use to take Cretensis answers one passage out of p. 70. and then leaps to 128. taking another there and from p. 128. leaps back to p. 8. and after this sort the whole Answer is And for those pages where Cretensis fastens upon something to give an Answer unto even there he snatches takes not the whole what goes before nor what follows after so that after that rate of Answering if such kinde of Discourses must have the names of Answers how may not men elude and make nothing of the excellentest Books that ever were written by men yea of the Scriptures themselves and wrest them if they will not take one place with another and observe what goes before and what follows after And as this great Rabbies Answer is by snatches so 't is full of miserable shifts and poor evasions as among others pag. 16. Cretensis gives that reason why my Antapology hath not been Answered in 18. Moneths because the way by which light and truth should go forth into the world was hedg'd up by Clergy Classique Councelâ— as with thorns against him Now I wonder with what face Cretens can write this when as all men know the Independents have a Licenser of their own at hand Mr. Bachilor who is such a friend to all the world of Believers that certainly he cannot deny Cretensis Do not we daily see the man Licenses without either fear or wit all kinde of Pamphlets The Error of Anabaptism against Mr. Marshal the Error of Seekers in The Smoke of the Temple A pretended Answer of Mr. Saltmarsh to the Assemblies Petition and now Cretensis against Gangraena and will Mr. Bachilor with Clergy Classique Councels hedge up the way as with thorns against Cretensis Reply to Mr. Edwards Antapologiae Can Cretens think though his own deluded Church and other Sectaries may have so much Independent faith as to believe him that any Presbyterian hath so little wit as not to laugh at such folly why could not Iohn Bachilor as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorne to License a Reply to Antapologia as an Answer to Gangraena and pray Mr. Goodwin in your next account you give unto the world by publike writing give me an account why honest Iohn Bachilor could not as well leap over the hedge of Clergy Classique thorns to License a full Reply to Antapologia as to License A brief Answer to Gangraena But no more of this now Observ. 16. The Christian Reader may observe Cretensis as in this and his former Books so in all his preachings and ways to have all the characters and marks of false Prophets and false Teachers not only in his hands but upon his forehead so that if I would here enlarge I might clearly shew all that Christ and the Apostles spake of false Prophets are to be found in Cretensis but I will only instance in a few laid down by Peter and Iude in their Epistles and upon the propounding of them I know the Reader will say as face answereth face in glasse so doth Cretensis answer these Scriptures Peter saith of the false Teachers in his time that they speak great swâ—lling words of vanity and that they promise their followers liberty and Iude They are clouds without water carried about of winds raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandring stars their mouth speaking great swelling words having mens person in admiration because of advantage These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now I do appeal to any man who knows Cretensis either in his Writings or Preaching whether he be not a man that speaks great swelling words of vanity whether he doth not promise his followers liberty yea a universal liberty whether he be not a cloud without water â—â—ourishes and shews without substance whether he be not a raging-wave of the Sea foaming out his own shame witnesse his Answer a wandring star wandring from one opinion and Religion to another and lastly whether he be not a Separatist and sensual person without the spirit of love meeknesse humility zeal for Gods truth and of a sound minde In one word I do not think there 's any man in the Kingdom hath a more heretical head and heâ—â—e thâ—n Cretensis and unlesse God give him repentance and recover him out of those snares wherein he walks I fear if the man lives but one seven years he will prove as arch an Heretick and as dangerous a man as England ever bred and that
but saith to this purpose How could hee say so for he should contradict himselfe in other things which he hath said and holds But to that I answer 'T is no new thing for such men as he to say and unsay affirme and deny according to the companies they come in and advantages they think they have Fourthly To that which I relate of him concerning those expressions of his We might not say God the Father God the Sonne God the holy Ghost he makes some shuffling Answer but I reply he spake so and I can produce good proof of that and all the rest If a Committee of Parliament shall be pleased to take notice of it and send for this Web and proceed against him upon proof I am ready to produce witnesses and upon his owne confession and those witnesses to make proofe Onely I desire the Reader to take good notice of one expression in his Answer to this head which shewes the ignorance both of him and Bachiler in the very principles of Religion and is not Bachiler a fit man in such a Kingdome as this to bee a Licenser of Divinitie Bookes and Controversies who besides that hee is no Minister nor well studied man is such an Ignoramus as this clearely discovers him to bee Web saying hee acknowledges the Trinitie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost hath these words That hee acknowledges the Father is the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and to that purpose whereas wee are taught from the Scriptures by all Orthodox Divines that though everie Person be God as the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God yet the Father is not the Son nor the Father is not the Holy Ghost nor the Son the Father nor the Holy Ghost Now Bachiler passes this and though he mended many other passages in Webs Answer putting in words in some places blotting out words and changing some expressions for others yet hee let this passe without any correction or note upon it which no man can conceive to proceed from any thing else but profound ignorance And that the Reader may know I speak these things upon good ground I perused this Answer after it was licensed with Master Bachilers hand and compared the hand of Imprimatur Iohn Bachiler with the hand where other words were put in and found it the same hand and writ out with my hand severall amendments made by Iohn Bachiler which I have by mee in writing and then subscribed my hand under them with the day of the month when I extracted them out of the Originall Copie and one being with mee who was a witnesse of all this I also intreated his hand to attest it which hee willingly did all which I can produce to satisfie any man who desires it And for the winding up of all I have to say by way of Reply to Mr. Saltmarsh Mr. Goodwine c. in vindication of my Gangraena by this time the Reader may see what to thinke if among so many hundred particulars which are laid downe by me of Errours Heresies Blasphemies Stories c. with so much variety such a venemous virulent man picking and chusing catching and snatching having Intelligence and great resort to him from Sectaries of all sorts and out of severall parts as Essex Kent c. could yet finde so few things to question in Gangraena which yet also are justified and made good what must the whole body of the Booke be which is not so much as touched either by Cretensis or any of the rest And that which alone may satisfie any rationall man that there is too much truth in Gangraena is this that I have never been called in question to make the things good I have beene informed from good hands that some of the Sectaries have had meetings consultations and severall debates about my Book what to doe in it whether to complaine or what else and I am confident if they were not afraid that things would bee found too true and very foule and upon the through examination might hazzard the danger of bringing an old house upon their heads and the punishing of many they would before this time have tried all their friends and party to see what they could have done against mee Having finished my Reply to Cretensis Master Saltmarsh and Master Walwin as before it I gave the Reader a fresh and farther Discoverie of Errours Heresies Practices of the Sectaries So I shall finish this book with matters of that kind laying downe more Errours Heresies Blasphemies Stories Letters concerning the Sectaries concluding all with a few Corollaries drawne from the whole Book And first I shall add other dangerous Errours come lately to my hand and so the first of these Errours in this latter part of my Book is the 23 Errour 23. That Saints are justified by the essentiall righteousnesse of God and not by Christs obedience For the full proofe of this I will give the Reader verbatim to a tittle a passage taken out of a Letter written by a godly Minister in Bristoll to a godly Minister here in London wherein this Minister writing to his friends that things are prettie well here and speaking of his owne preaching there saith One of the greatest rubs in the Towne is the brâ—aching of a mad errour concerning the justification of Saints by the essentiall righteousnesse of God and not by Christs obedience which some do hold and expresse with a world of vanitie and contempt of Christ. Andreas Osiander an acute and great Divine who lived in Luthers time held such an Errour though not expressed with that vanitie and contempt of Christ as these Sectaries do now concerning which opinion of Osiander and the great abilities that were in him and his way of managing that and other opinions Schollars may be further satisfied by reading Osianders life written by Melchior Adamus and Schlusselburgius in his Catalogue of Heretikes De Secta Osiandrist 24. When either of the parties married is asleepe the other is free of the bond of matrimony sleep being in a kind naturall death for the time and by death the bond of matrimony is null so that if a woman should have to do with any other man her husband being asleep she committeth not adulterie 25. That the Apocrypha Books and particularly the Book of Esdras are Canonicall and the Scriptures as well as the Canonicall Books generally owned by all to be Scripture 26. That the people of God are a free people and what they do they should do freely and voluntarily and not be assessed and rated by the Parliament compelled to pay rate upon rate assessment upon assessment 27. That the Saints and Beleevers who have husbands or wives that are unbeleevers they may put them away and take others because God gave wives to be a meet help and the Saints are to proceed to cast of all Antichristian yoaks a chiefe whereof are unequall marriages 28. That sin is but a shadow 29. The promises
free people and should do what they did voluntarily and not be compelled but now contrarie to this they had assessment upon assessment and rate upon rate Some passages also in his prayer were repeated as that hee prayed the Parliament might not cart the Ark nor meddle with making Lawes for the Saints which Jesus Christ was to do alone Since Oats commitment to Colchester Jaile there hath been great and mightie resort to him in the prison many have come downe from London in Coaches to visit him as a godly Minister who came out of Essex told me And I have a Letter by me from a Minister in Colchester sent last week to a friend of his in London wherein he writes thus Oats the Anabaptist hath had great resort to him in the Castle both of Town and Countrey but the Committee ordered the contrarie last Saturday There is one Collier a great Sectarie in the West of England a mechanicall fellow and a great Emissarie a Dipper who goes about Surrey Hampshire and those Counties thereabouts preaching and dipping About a fortnight ago on the Lords day he preached at Guilford in the meeting-place and to the company of one old Mr. Close an Independent Minister who hath set up at Guilford and done a great deale of mischiefe having drawn away many of the well-meaning people from the Ministerie of those godly Ministers whom before they much prized there this Collier exercised and it was given out in the Countie he was a rare man and the people came from the Towns about to heare him This fellow in his circuit at an exercise where he was preaching to many women for rebaptization and dipping made use of that Scripture to that purpose as it is reported Isa. 4.2 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying Wee will eat our owne bread and weare our owne apparell only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach And truly it is a sad thing there should be such Emissaries so like the Devill their Master compassing the earth and going about seeking whom they may devoure in the severall parts of the Kingdome North East West and South not one part free for the East and South we who live in these parts know it fully for London Kent the Associated Counties As for the West besides this instance of Collier I received a Letter out of Dorsetshire dated March 13. written by a godly Minister from thence Sir I am not yet furnished to my mind with particulars of that nature you expect but with the help of my fellow-Ministers in these parts I shall send them to you in an exact Historie of our Westerne confusions And for the North besides many instances I could give you of Hull Beverley York Hallifax c. of Independent Churches gathered there and of many Anabaptists and other Sectaries in those places I shall only desire the Reader to mind these three or four lines written to me from a countrey further North I received the books sent me and shall make the best use I can of them the one I keep for mine owne use the other I pleasure friends with and truly never more need in our Countrey for whereas formerly wee wanted the Ministerie now wee have such varietie and strife amongst them that truly I know not what will become of us A person of qualitie and a godly man told me April 15. meeting me accidentally in Westminster Hall that saith he just now neere the House of Commons doore I had discourse with a great Sectarie viz. one of Wrights Disciples and presently the man came into the Hall with another great Sectarie and he shewed me him and the discourse was as followes That he would be loth the Parliament should bring Paul Bests bloud upon them for his denying the Trinitie Whereupon this Gentleman answered him that he could prove cleerly out of the Scriptures a Trinitie of Persons Vnto whom this Sectarie replied How will you prove the Scriptures to be the word of God and this Sectarie reasoned against them saying there were twentie severall Scriptures as many as Translations and Translations are not true for so the Priests will tell us that this is not rightly translated and for the Originals there are divers Copies besides I cannot understand them neither is it my fault that I do not In sum the man reasoned there was no Religion at all in the Kingdome but all Religion he knew of was To do justly and be mercifull Vnto which the Gentleman replyed The Heathen they were just and merciful and therein did as much as you This Sectarie re-joyned For ought he knew the Heathens were saved as well as any now A godly Minister of the Countie of Middlesex told me April 16. that there was a great Sectarie and a Souldier because he had perswaded a family that he was well acquainted with and where the Sectarie much resorted to cast him off and to have nothing to do with him this Sectarie conceiving it to come from this Minister when this Minister came downe one day to this house this Sectarie came to the house and enquired for him to speak with him this Minister fearing the Devill might stir him up to do him some mischiefe refused to speak with him as having no businesse with him this Souldier and Sectarie sent him in word if he would not come out to him hee would come in to him Whereupon hee desired the Master of the house hee might be safe in his house and as hee came in love to him so hee would defend him and let him returne home in safetie whereupon the Master of the house sent out a servaâ—t to him to be gone for this Minister had nothing to say to him and as the servant was going this Sectarie was already come in whereupon the servant asked him why hee came in without bidding hee replyed to speak with Master upon that the servant caught him by the collar and said hee should not the Master hearing them bustle together hee went out and his wife followed to oppose him and in conclusion having his knife before ready by his side hee reached it to pare the dirt off his shooes to shake it off against that house because they would not receive him as making himselfe an Apostle and when hee had done so he departed There is one Master Durance a Preacher at Sandwich in Kent a bold conceited man and an Independent who since the beginning of this Parliament was a Washing-ball-maker or seller of washing-balls here in London but now turned Preacher and being never ordained Minister hath consecrated himselfe to be one of the Priests of the high places Among many high affected straines of new light and strange expressions which the man uses in his Sermons prayers to get himselfe a name by viz. of a Washing-ball-maker to become such a rare man these are some Hee prayed to the Trinitie to take care or cure of these three Kingdomes God the Father to take
were quickly dried up and so will the Sects now and we may expect it so much the sooner because the visible symptomes and fore-runners of destruction are upon them And therefore I shall now toll the great Bell for the Sectaries the Anabaptists Antinomians Independents Seekers c. and hope shortly to ring it out and to preach their Funerall Sermon or rather keep a day of publike Thanksgiving and rejoycing for the bringing downe of the Sectaries and the breaking up of their Conventicles as well as for the downfall of the Popish and Prelaticall partie And that they shall shortly fall and be dried up as a floud and though they have been in great power and spreading themselves like a green Bay-tree yet that they shall passe away and not be that they shall be sought for and not found I shall give these Symptomes 1. Their horrible pride insolencie and arrogancie extolling themselves and their partie to the Heavens with the scorning vilifying trampling upon and despising of all others and that in such unparallel'd wayes as no age câ—n shew the like and that not only against particular persons of all ranks Nobles Gentrie Ministers but great bodies and Societies as the Parliament of England the Kingdome of Scotland the Common Councell of the Citie of London Assembly c. The Luciferian pride high spirit and haughtinesse of the Sectaries of all sorts in all places and businesses and towards all persons they have to do with in their writings speeches gestures actions is seen and spoken of thorowout the Kingdome and breaks out daily in their impatiencie of being contradicted or having any thing said against their way in their endervouring to break and crush all that will not dance after their pipe in their not caring to hazzard and ruine all Religion both Kingdomes but they will have their wills and so in manie other things Now God assures us in the Scripture that Pride goes before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall Prov. 16. 18. that A mans pride shall bring him low Prov. 29 23. that When pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 and God threatens by his Prophets he will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtinesse of the terrible Isa. 13.11 Dan. 5.20 and indeed pride hardens mens hearts and when their hearts are lifted up and their minds hardned in pride then God throwes them downe 2. The Sectaries in promoting of their wayes and cause are grown extream violent desperate and unreasonable knowing no rules of moderation nor forbearance they go violent ways and like Iehn dâ—ive furiously they do those things daily which wise staid considerate men would never have done nor anie but mad men and which anie man who hath his eies in his head may see must needs destroy them God hath hid wisdome from them and befooled them leaving them to do manie things against sense and reason God hath left them yea given them up to those courses and waies of which I could give divers instances which no wise men would ever have taken and which makes them abhorred of all good and moderate men Now the befooling of men hiding wisdom from them leaving them to rashnesse and violence are presages of ruine according to that saying quos Deus vult perdere hos dementat and according to that of the Prophet I will hide wisdom from them Nullum violentum est perpetuum is seen in daily experience and we may remember that the violence and furie of the Prelaticall partie did undoe them and according to all humane reason without that it had been impossible to have câ—st them out being so deeply rooted in the lawes and customes of this Kingdome and therefore the Sectaries before they are rooted and setled being so violent furious and daring far above the Bishops what can we expect but their speedy downfall give them but rope enough and they will hang themselves they run so fast and â—ide so fiercely that they cannot but fall and break their necks they drive so furiously and madly that they cannot but overthrow all 3. The great prosperitie strange successe and marvailous prevailing of the Sectaries in their waies opinions their devices and designs for the most part taking effâ—ct and succeeding so as they are mightily increased many fallen unto them and 〈◊〉 wind almost favouring them whereas on the other hand the Presbyterian partie both our Brethren of Scotland and the Godly Ministers and People in England have beene sorely afflicted much crossed and troubled to to see things as they are The Scots have beene sorely visited with Sword Pestilence in their own Land obstructed reproached evill intreated by many in this Land the Assembly the godly Ministers and people of the Kingdome despised scorned and abused severall wayes yea deserted and looked upon with an evill eye as if the troublers of Israel and worse then Malignants so that they have beene forced manie a time to cry out to God Heare O our God for we are reproached Now great prosperitie successe in a bad way and in the use of bad meanes as lyes scandalous reports under-minings plottings false-dealings c. is a great Symptome of destruction both to particular persons and to a partie whom God intends certainely to destroy he fattens before and lets them bee verie happie thereby to prepare them for the day of slaughter whom hee meanes to doe good unto in the latter end and deliver he afflicts and laies them low before laies the Foundation deep that he may build high and for this let the Reader consult with these foure places of Scripture Ier. 12. 1 2 3. Psal. 37.7 and 10.35 36. Psal. 73.3 4 5. and 18 19 20. Psal. 92. 7. the sum of all which places is to teach us that the more men prosper in a bad way and flourish more then ordinarie having what their hearts can wish bringing all their devices to passe the more sure they are of being puld out as sheep for the slaughter and prepared for the day of slaughter and that within a little while they shall not bee nor their place found but brought to desolation as in a moment and utterly consumed and then when they are at their height of flourishing then is it that they shall be destroyed for ever great prosperitie is but a lightening before death and as a great calm which presages the more dreadfull storme and tempest 4. The great plotting of the Sectaries laying their counsells deep contriving and working continually night and day by all kinde of waies and means and all kind of instruments to effect their worke and to carrie on their way I do not think this manie hundred yeares there hath been a more cunning plotting undermining generation in the Church of God then our Sectaries or more plots and devices of all sorts on foot more irons in the fire within so few years as hath been and is among them there 's nothing they doe but they have a design
in it they conceive many plots at once to effect it they have plot upon plot and lay snare upon snare Machiavel and the Jesuits are but punies and fresh men to them I am confident they had so laid their plots cut out their way removed the rubs prepared all things so as that they had set their time by which they should effect their ends and speak out what they would have Now God delights to bring to naught plots to disappoint the devices of mens hearts to blast and blow upon tricks and under-boord workings to take the wise in their own craftinesse and wherein men deale proudly to be above them the ripening growing big of plots is commonly the fore-runner of the downfall of the plotters and the miscarriage of their plots for the further clearing of which the Reader shall doe well to consider what God speakes in Iob. 5.12 13 14. Psal. 37.12 13 Isa. 29.15.16 Isa. 30.1 2. and indeed God is such an enemy to plots devices tricks that he will crosse and disappoint his owne children in their workings devisings and contrivances even for good when they are too plotting anxious or delight and please themselves too much in them and this he does often lest they should attribute the events of things to their counsell care c. and that the worke may appeare to be of himselfe and not of men that God may be knowne to be Deiu activus non passivus as Luther expresses it upon a like occasion and that God doth not use to call Martin Luther or anie of his Saints to be his councellor but that he doth all things according to his own counsell hence we are commanded to be carefull for nothing or thoughtfull but in everie thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made knowne to God Now if God will go quite crosse and contrary to the counsells workings of his servants for the maintaining his Church and truth and bring about all quite another way then he will much more carrie the counsells of the froward headlong and make them meet with darknesse in the day time and grope in the noone day as in the night 5. Sympt of the certaine destruction of the Sectaries is this That Independencie and Sectarisme in England is a meer Faction a partie grown to this height upon particular interests nourished and favoured all upon politike grounds and ends Independencie now is no religious conscientious businesse but a politike State Faction severing and dividing it selfe upon other private interests from the publike interests of this Church and State and the interest of both Kingdoms united by Covenant In a word 't is just such anoanother Faction as the Arminians was in the Netherlands I believe that seven or eight years ago Independencie and the Church way had somwhat of Religion and conscience in it manie then falling to it much upon those grounds though even then there were other ends in it also as I have showne in my Antapologie But now since these times of troubles and difference betwixt King and Parliament these foure years last past wherein men have seen some probabilitie and possibilitie in these times of warre and unsettlement of things to bring about and effect those things they could not hope for before it hath been and is matter of faction particular aimes and ends and not of conscience and pietie as all wise men may see and is apparent by these particulars First 't is not carried on as a way of God as a matter of Religion and Conscience in Gods way and with Gods means but carried on altogether with policie art plots trickes equivocations mentall reservations lies falsenesle doing anie thing though never so unjust and unrighteous if it will further and advantage that way and hinder its opposite viz. Presbyterie and the settlement of the Church yea declining and forsaking the profest principles that way and going contrary threunto in razing the verie fundations of Independencie and the Church way Secondly There are multitudes of persons in all places who doe not so much as know or understand anie of the principles of Independency and thé Church way yea that hate most of those principles if they were tied to live according to them that yet are great sticklers for Independencie and the Sectaries yea are the heads and patrons of it in all places and upon all occasions and this is observed by manie wise men that take those who now are friends for it and stand for it upon all occasions among them all there is not one in ten that conscientiously and in his judgement holds that way to bee of God or is an Independent which cleerly showes 't is a Faction Thirdly All other errours and opinions Sectaries of all sorts as well as Independents are encouraged nourished favoured and the worst of them though being so abominable 't is not anie policie to appeare for them yet one way or other under one notion or other are pleaded for dealt gently with either delayed and put off or brought off by one meanes or other and are freely suffered to grow and increase and no way taken to suppresse or discourage them which cleerly showes Independency is a Faction and hath other designes then that of Conscience in furthering the growth of all sorts of Sectaries holding tenets against their principles as well as ours by Licensing their Books c. and upon all occasions shelters and protects all sorts of them Fourthly that Independencie is a Faction and not matter of Conscience appeares because all these following sorts and ranks of men come in unto it 1. Needie broken decaied men who know not how to live and hope to get somthing turn Independents and sticklers for iâ— 2. Gailâ—ie suspicious and obnoxious men who have been or are in the lurcâ— and in feare and danger of being questioned or have bin questioned they turn Independents to escape questioning or if questioned that so they may come off the better Independency being a Sanctuarie and the horns of the Altar where many obnoxious persons fly and are safe and many of these guilty persons that they may merit the more prove fiercer Independents and Sectaries then manie others 3. Some who have businesses causes and matters depending strike in with the Independent Sectaries pleading for them that so they may finde Friends be sooner dispatcht fare better in their causes c. 4. Ambitious proud covetous men who have a mind to Offices places of profit about the Army Excise c. turn about to the Independents and are great zealots for them 5. Libertines and loose persons who have a desire to live in pleasures and enjoy their lusts and to be under no government they are fierce and earnest for Independents and against Presbytery 6. All wanton-witted unstable erroneous spirits of all sorts all Hereticks and Sectaries strike in with Independency and plead they are Independents 7. Such who have no minde to peace nor to the settlement of
things either out of hope whilest things remain unsetled Bishops and former times may come in again or that love to fish in troubled waters or are afraid to lose Offices and Places that may fall with the ending of these troubles these persons strike in with Independents and side with them 8. Many who in our Churches are discontented at the faithfull preaching of their Ministers close to their consciences at their Admonitions and Suspensions from the Sacrament because loose scandalous or because of some difference upon their Tithes or such like forsake our Assemblies and betake themselves so Independents and Sectaries of which I could give divers instances all which showes the Church-way and Independency to be nothing else but a Faction Now Factions and Parties in Kingdomes and Commonwealths though they may prevaile to a great height and grow for a time especially in troublous unsetled States in the Springs and Falls of Kingdoms and Commonwealths yet when they come to be discovered laid open and come to some head and ripenesse they use to fall and be cast out If we consult with the Scriptures or with the Histories and Chronicles of Kingdomes as the French and English c. wee shall finde the strongest powerfullest Factions and Parties both in Churches and States who have had divided interests from the Publike have come downe and miserably perished and we may see this fully made good in the Anabaptists of Germany the Arminian Faction in the Netherlands and our late Prelaticall Faction who though they were all growne so high as they hazzarded the ruine of the Countreyes and Commonwealths wherein they arose yet they all fell and were brought downe and so shall it be with this Sectarian Faction can they think that either God or these Kingdoms will suffer these men long or that the people will be alwaies bewitched with them no the eyes of men will be open and they will be discovered every day more and we shall see them falling down like lightning 6. Symps. Their reaching after and medling with all kind of persons and things grasping of all at once labouring to ingrosse all Offices places power into their hands and those of their party stâ—ighting abusing trampling on one way or other all that stand in their way are their opposites there being nothing Military Civil Ecclesiasticall but they have an eye upon and do endeavour to have a hand in not caring in the least when it furthers their designes to discontent all sorts and ranks of persons King Parliament our Brethren of Scotland the City of London reformed Churches Assembly the godly Ministery of the Kingdome particular worthy persons in the Armies among the Gentry c. they make account to carrie all before them to get all to be for them by one means or other and in time to breake all that shall dare to appeare against them or crosse their wayes Now in all States and Kingdoms Polupragmaticalnesse in some persons greedinesse and over-hastinesse to have all and thereupon offending and provoking many hath been a fore-runner of their fall I shall onely instance in this Kingdome and of the late times which all remember What it was that ruined the Bishops and their party but their grasping and medling with all at once Church and Commonwealth together England and Scotland both provoking also all sorts of persons against them Nobility Gentry City Ministers common people whereas as many wise men would often say and comforted themselves in the worst of those times if the Bishops and that party had dealt but with a part at once one Kingdome onely as England or or the Church alone or Commonwealth alone letting the other Kingdome be quiet to enjoy their Lawes and suffering men to enjoy Religion and their Ministers though they had some pressures upon them in Commonwealth yet in all probability in time they might have had their wills but now the Bishops and that party oppressing both Church and Commonwealth at once grasping to have all they will lose all and we see what is befallen the Bishops and that party so our Sectaries medling with both Kingdoms at once with Church and Common-wealth together and having provoked all sorts of men Nobility Gentry Ministers City People our Brethren of Scotland will not be able to stand long but King Parliament Scotland City Ministery Countrey will be so against them as they must fall let who will or can hold them up 7. Sympt of the downfall of the Sectaries is the great sinnes and wickednesse of that party who are even now ripe for judgment and their iniquities almost full and I am confident that for this many hundred years there hath not been a party that hath pretended to so much holinesse strietnesse power of godlinesse tendernesse of conscience above all other men as this party hath done that hath been guilty of so great sinnes horrible wickednesse provoking abominations as they are The Sectaries are full of Ephraâ—â—â—â— gray haires though they will not know it and these following sinnes and courses presage their ruine viz. their deep hypocrisies and pretences of Religion and Conscience meerly to serve their lusts and to bring about their own ends their perjuries and breach of solemne Covenant with God making nothing at all of it their great unthankfulnesse and ill use of Gods mercies and deliverances their great ingratitude and unkindnesse to men particularly to 〈◊〉 Brethren of Scotland their blood guiltinesse in destroying the lives of many by dipping weakly and ancient persons in rivers in cold seasons and in the destroying of so manie soules by Errours and Heresies and drawing them from their faithfull Pastours their horrible uncleannesses and lusts their fearefull despising and mocking of all Gods faithfull Ministers and Ordinances their oppressions injustice and unrighteous dealings with manie they have had to doe with and where they have anie power their base self-seekings seeking their owne things their honour profit advancement of their Faction under pretences of selfe-denyall and the publike good their holding of damnable Heresies and all kinde of abominable Errours their horrid blasphemies against God Christ the Scriptures and all his Ordinances their Machiavillian policies Jesuiticall equivocations falsnesse and treacherousnesse their underminings and laying snares for men their countenancing standing for the unworthiest vilest of men so they will be for their faction their justifying and pleading for a Toleration of all religions and consciences even to blasphemies against God and his Word their inventing of lies and raising scandalls upon the worthiest and innocentest men as Ministers and others to blast them with the people their prophanenesse and loosenesse of life in making nothing of the Lords day daies of Fast and Thanksgiving nor of holy duties as praying c. their carnall confidence and trusting in arms of flesh their using of wicked and unjust waies and means to compasse their ends not standing upon any rules or keeping to any principles so it may advantage them violating bonds of friendship
this Kingdome have gone crosse to their desires hopes and the Reformation they expected and divers things have succeded to the content and desire of the Sectaries yet they have put up all waiting upon God for a change said little neither the Commissioners for Scotland nor anie particular person of their Nation having put forth intemperate books against those whom they conceived the Authours and chief Engines in these matters but have borne to admiration considering they left their peace and incurred the displeasure of their native King to come in to our help and lay under such great sufferings in their owne Countrey all the evill surmisings scandalls reports jealousies raised of them disgraces and scorns without anie breaking forth But now the Sectaries upon everie little occasion of being crossed in their way as by Ordinances coming forth against anie of their principles and practices though God knowes they have been little put in execution by calling in question any of their partie though most deservedly and justly by petitions put up against the Sectaries how proud how impatient have they beene what strange words have they given out what meetings have they had and what railing Pamphlets have been written one upon another against Parliament Assembly Citie 3. The Scots upon all occasions and opportunities have beene forward for peace moving for peace and the settlement of the Church desirous of Propositions to be sent to his Majestie But now manie Sectaries could not endure to heare of peace not of the Kings coming in nor of the settlement of the Church they have looked so much to their particular ends of profit increase of their party while things were unsetled that they have alwaies expressed themselves to the contrary fearing their way could not thrive nor stand if once things should come to be setled and the Government and the peace concluded of Manie more differences might be showne between them but I must draw to an end and the understanding Reader may by these easily hint at more and it concernes the whole Kingdom now at this time wisely to consider and lay things together concerning the different carriage of our Brethren of Scotland and the Sectaries that so a good understanding may be between the two Nations for the putting a speedy end to our troubles and distractions in Church and State and that we may not by mis-understanding of things nourishing jealousies beleeving false reports serve the designes of some particular men to put us into a new warre and occasion new differences now that blessed be God our worke is even done and the ship richly laden come into the haven And to stop the mouths of Sectaries and Malignants forever and to possesse us of the reality honesty faithfulnesse of our Brethren of Scotland consider but what we have found them all along experimentally from first to last and let any man instance if he can in any one action from the beginning of our troubles wherein the State of Scotland hath broken with us or beene unfaithfull Their going out of this Kingdome to their own Countrey when they had been in England about the space of a yeare with their good carriage in the Land and upon going home is knowne unto all and confessed and it was a reall confutation of many evill surmises against them in those times When they were desired to come into this Kingdome then they were a most worthy Nation a Nation that God loved and honoured and that in the judgment of Mr. Burrâ—ugâ—â— an Independent who in a Speech at Guild-Hall in the face of the Citie and Kingdome proclaimed them so and as they shewed themselves a faithfull people in returning back to their Countrey and are confessed a worthy people at the time of their coming in so in their coming in in the depth of winter wading up to the neck in waters and leaping over the mountains of ice and snow and so in all the time they have been in this Kingdome having wrastled with many difficulties a cruell prevailing enemy at home and many sad discouragements in this Kingdome yet they have been faithfull to the Cause of God and both Kingdomes resolving when they were at lowest in all respects both in regard of the common Enemy and false Brethren to stand to the Covenant in all the parts of it and to see it kept though they all perished and now lately since God so strangely and unexpectedly moved the heart of the King to cast himselfe upon them by their good and faithfull carriages in the bunsiesse they have confuted and given the lye to all the evill surmizings jealousies fomented reports raised false suggestions given out against them as that they meant to possesse themselves of Newark the Kings person being as the shadow and Newark as the substance as that the Kings partie should repaire to him yea that the Newark Army was joyned to the Scots as that they would protect Delinquents and Malignants against the Parliament that they would keep the King and require a ransome for him and make use of him for their own designes and such like whereas we see they would not meddle with Newark but professed if it were given into their hands one houre the next hour they would surrender it to the English for the Parliament they have not suffered any who have been in Arms or ill affected against the Parliament to come to his Majestie have taken order to discourage all Malignants have commanded obedience to all Ordinances of Parliament even at Newcastle where the Kings person is and have made use of the Kings coming to them to perswade w th him for a speedy setling of Religion and Peace in both Kingdoms God in his wonderfull providence gave the King to them for this end among others to shame their adversaries and to stop the mouths of all gain-sayers that he might bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their judgement as the noon-day and might honour them before all the world So that I may say of them in the words of Mr. Burroughs pag. 29. of his speech at Guild-Hall upon the coming in of our Brethren of Scotland A Nation that God hath honoured by giving as glorious successe unto as ever he did unto any whose low and mean beginnings he hath raised to as great a bright as ever low beginnings in any Countrey were How hath God dissipated and blasted the counsels of their Adversaries How hath he discovered all their treacheries although they be in themselves comparatively at least a poore people and of little strength as the Church of Philadelphia was yet they have kept the word of Gods patience and God hath kept them in the houre of temptation God therfore is with them Well I say it is happie for England that we are joyned with them in Covenant for we needed them as much now as ever before and we are as much beholding to them in regard of our divisions many of us not knowing what we would have and
De Eccles. quaest 5. c. 11 p. 342 343. Papistici Doctores turpes scelerati sunt in deliâ—iis vivâ—â—t omnes à Papa summo illorum Pontifice ad infimum usque Pâ—râ—chum multi non â—aevi modo sed flagitia etium gravissima inter illos reperiuntur vide ibi plura Willets Synops. Second General Controversie of the Church Quest. 3. of the notes marks of the Church pag. 98 Amesi Bellarm. Enervat De Notis Ecclesiae Legantur igitur vitae Pontificum Romanorum de Sanctitatem Pontificum * Vid. Minors no Sentors pag. 26. These laws would save that Vbiquitary perturber of sollicitor and stickler at most of our late elections Mr. Hugh Peters a great deâ—l of unnecessary unfiting pains sollicitation and abuse of the Pulpit to the peoples great disgust for his own private lucre and advancing the designs of his party * Vid. Independ rasing their foundation p 2 3 4 5 * This Mr. Randal is known well to many godly persons and is a godly man a Schoole-master about Stepny and a Minister also not that Randal the Antinomian and Familiâ—â— * This Letter which Cretensis here prints was written by an Apprentise boy an Anabaptist of Kiâ—â—ius Church unto Kiâ—â—â—â—s himself who belike by himself or some other communicated it to Cretensis * Calumny araigned and cast Pag. 22 17. I could prove I say by the Commission aforesaid that Mr. Prynne hath done all these things on purpose to despite the Spirit of God to defame the Gospel to make the ways of godlinesse and religion hateful to the world to encrease divisions to multiply distractions to bring a snare and evil day upon the Parliament to expose the whole Kingdom to ruine and destruction * Master Walker Master Roborough by wriâ—ing Master Câ—alamie in preaching * March 30. Three honest godly Citizens after supper comming to speak with me as they were with me Cosens came to speak with me and was brought into the room where these three Citizens were and I spake nothing to him nor he any thing to me but in their hearing who will testifie this and more Oretens pag. 40. This Counter-Information I had from the mouth of the said Cosens himself and have the particulars under his hand Cosens going to heare Mr Clare preach I received a Letter last week out of the Country subscribed with â—o hands of Godly Ministers testifying to my work and earnestly intreating my constant persuance with a promise that I shall not want what their prayers and endeavours can contribâ—â—e to that work A Letter from a godly Minister cut of Warwickshire written thus M. Edwards Book does much good here I have received severall Letters from particular Ministers in Essex bearing witnesse and so Letters out of Kent to the same purpose and from other places * The 11. errour specified in the former part of this book is in the Catalogue of Errours contained in the first part of Gangraena which slâ—pt me before I was aware and therefore upon comparing of both together I put it out and reckon not that but make these Errours to begin here at number 23. which otherwise should have been number 24. * Osiander publicè in Schola proponâ—t nos sola essentiali Dei justitia justos esse essentiali ejus vita vivere vel victuros esse essentiali ipsius gloria glorificari essentiali illius charitate ad diligendum Deum proximum propter ipsuminflammari gravissimè errare omnes qui putent aliâ re quam solo uno vivo Deo Patre Filio Spiritu sancto nos posse justificari vivificari glorificari glacie frigidiora docere qui doceant nos tantum propter remssioneÌ„ peccatorum reputari justos non etiam justitiam Christi essentialem divinam perfidem in nobis habitantis vit Osiand pag. 228. * The Sectaries who call themselves the Saints and beleevers if they have husbands and wives that will not turn Sectaries they may leave their owne because they are unbeleevers and joyne themselves to other womens husbands and other mens wives I read in a Letter subscribed by W I. and E.I. Wiâ—liam Ienny and Elizabeth Ienny written out of Holland to one in London Deare friends as you have cast off many Antichristian yoaks so proceed to cast off all a chiefe vvhereof are unequall marriages * Vide Saltmarsh Divine Right of Presbyterie * Pamph. entit Tender Con. relig affect p. 14 15. Do not the Synod having two â—oâ—ns like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teach the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven And speaking of the Preamble to one of their Ordinances wherein the Parliament acknowledged their strong engagements heartily and sincerely to endeavour the compleat establishment of puriâ—y and uâ—itie in the Church of God for these are the Parliaments words not the Assemblies this book cals this blasphemy and saith of the Lords and Commons For shame leave speaking blasphemy Remember the judgements upon the VVhore for her blasphemie VVhere had the Lords and Commons this large Commission to meddle in the affaires of King Iesus so far as to determine to have a compleat establâ—shment of puritie and unitie Vide p. 22. of this present book ' and pag. 7. * Mr. Durance an Independent Preacher at Sandwich * This was spoken in the hearing of three Citisens and given mee under the hand of one that heard it who also told this Smart he would make it publike The Presbyterians may do well to take notice that the Sequestration of their estates and hanging at Tyburn was designed and counted good enough for them if some Independents and Sectaries might have had their will This is the libertie of conscience they must expect when the Sectaries grow so strong as to have power to effect it * A Minister out of Essex writing up to a Minister in London of a horrid blasphemy I sent to a Minister of that Towne to enforme me of the truth of it which accordingly be hath The vvord is so horrid and obscene that I forbeare to expresse it This Clarkson is spoken of also in this book p. 7 8. Cretens frontis picio Luther de servo Arb. c. 207. p. 319. Vid. mine Animadvers part I. pag. 9. A godly Minister who heard it will depose it if called and so will many more who heard it a Pamph eâ—â—it Toloraâ— justified Vide pag. 27 of this book Mr. VValvvyns speech * Vide Pamph entit Letter of advice to the Assembly In case Paul Best continue in his opinion his heresie through ignorance whether is it not possible that God may yet have mercie on him as hee had on Paul the Apostle and in his due time bring him to the knowledge of his truth as hee did the Apostle Paul VVhether it can be demonstrated before-hand but that Paul Best what ever his heresie be may possibly in Gods secret will be ordained to conversion hereafter as well