X; A
. '
.:
*
ft and Second Part
rz .
GR^NA:
O R
A Catalogue and Difcovery of many of the
Errors5Herefies, Blafphemies and pernicious Pra-
fticesof the S^ftaries of this time, vented and a&ed in Snglandm thefe four laft yeers.
Alfoa particular Narration of divers Stories, Remark able PafTage?5Letters; anExtraft of many Letters, all con cerning the prefent Se<5bj together with fomc Obfervations
upon,and Corollaries from all the fore-named Premifles-
By THOMAS EDWARDS Minifter of the Gofpel.
The third EDITION, corrcfted and much Enlarged.
i T i M. 3 . 8,9. .Ttyiv at Janncs a/z^/Jambrcs tvithflood Mofes , fo do thcfc alfo rcjisi the
truth : men of corrupt mt;idt,reprdbate cexccrjjingthe Faith.
B/tt they fiall proceed no fun her, for their folly float be manifesto ailments theirs a{fo-tvis. a P E T. ». i,. 2. But there rvcrefalfe Prophets alfo among the people, evert as thire jho.ll be
falfc Teachers af»a/ig you, tvbo privily jball bring in damnable He rffisy c-ucn deny in f the
Lord that bought thenij a/id bring upon thcmfelvt sfveift dcftrnflion. And manyfbdl follow their pernicious rvayesy by rcafon of whom the wiy of truth fiM be
ev'dl /pofonof* ] u D E verf. 19. Thcfc be they tvbi feparatc themjelve^fcnfuall, having not thc/pirit.
in EpiJi.adGalat. Miledifla fit charitasjquz lervatur cum jachira doflrirs fidei, cui omnia r edere debcnr, Chiritas, Abollolus, Augelus e coelo.
Lutheri Epiji. ad SttHprtitftu. Nonliic tcmpus timcndi, lcdcliraandi,ubiDominus noftcr JefusChriftus daranatur, exu tur & bb/phematur :mi parergraniliuscft periculum quam credanc ranlci. Invcniar fine fupcrbus, avarus33dultcr,hoinicidia,antipapj, & omnium vitiorumrcus, modoioipii filcntii non ar^uar, dum Dom'mui fatitur.
L 0 N D 0 N, Printed bvr. K. and£.Af. for Ralph Smith, at the fignof the Bib.'c in Cornhill near the Royall Exchange. M. D C. X L V 1.
Reader,
THat thou rnayeft difccrn the mifchief of Ecclefi- afticall Anarchy, the monftroufneffe of the much af- fcdtcd Toleration , and be warned to be wife to fobri- ety , and fear and fufpeft the pretended New Lights, I approve that this Treatife , difcovering the Gangrene of fo many ftrange Opinions 3 fhould be imprinted.
»
JAMES CRANFOR.
TO X H F
RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE LORDS and COMMONS
AfTemblcd in PARLIAMENT.
Right Honourable and Ncblc Scnaiours,
Here prefent you with a Catalogue or TSlack^Billofthe Errours, Herejies, Blafyhemies,<indPrattices of theScttarics of this titnt, broached andatted Within the fe four laft years in England, and that in your Quarters , and in places under your Government i and Power, fir Which 1 trcmhle to thinke left tbt whole King- domjhould he in Gods Black^Bill : I much fear left the fubjctt matter ofthu Catalogue may prove unto England (unlc fie feme dj and cffettuall courff be taken to prevent it) like the Bill of Divorce Divert lo JfraelJer..3.8./% the Roll of the Bookjommandcdf-omGodto be written ^Jeremi ah againft Ifrael and Judah Jcr.jd.a.//^- the Roll of a Bookjcnt by a hwdtoEzekicl, Ezek.2.p,ic. wherin WM written, lamentations, mourning and wo\or like the hand writing upon the wallagainft Bellliaz.Dan.j .y.tf- the flying Roll in Zcch.c.y.v. 1,2. a curfe going over the fae of the whole land. And unto Whom, Right Hov Durable, Jbould Iprejent and make known thcfe things, but unto Tott,\\'ho are the fttpreme Judicatory of thu Kingdom, having that fufficiency of Power, which only liable to remedy andrc- drcfte them, who are our great phyficians, and have been wont to cure the war ft ma- ladies and difeafes of our Church and State who are by GodhimjelfftiledGQ^,and therefore fbould above others lay to heart and be fcnfiblc of the injuries and di fa vours done to God and his name. And I humbly pray your Honours to bcare with me in my addreftes thx waj+at having no other meanes but this, of acquainting You with the fad ft ate of things in our Church .- And yet 'tis neceffary Toufiottld hear of thefe things, fir as "tufaidin the Prophet Jeremiah, concerning the making of that Rollfr may be the houfe of Judah will hear all the evill which I purpofe to . do toihem,that they may turne every one from his evill way , it may be they will
A 2 prefcnc
The Epiftle Dedicatory. •
prefent their fupplications before the Lord,that he may forgive tlieir iniquity and their fin \fo It may be fame good may come ofthx Book, to caufe an humiliation 1vr3and afttpprejfion ofherefies andfchimes, at being a more free and full difcovery of our times then ever jet was made ,and therefore I fend It abroad 'in thit way, whereby it may be read by all Judah : and'! doubt not but fome faithfull Baruchs, who are not fhut up, but do preach before You on Faft dtiyes, will caufe You to hear the words of this Bookjn the Lords hou[e,by applying them to your confidences, and makinv them a Catalogue of fins for matter of humiliation to you on thofe day es} jbowin? how far they may become yours in fuffering without punifoment andcen- fure too many of them. And now , Noble and worthy Senatours, be gracioufly plea- fed to pardon the boldneffe I jball take in dealing plainly with you in this prefent Epiftle , and not toimpute it to any malignity and dififfettion to your' fervice, or to peremptory fiucineffe , 'and difrejpett of You , (fir be fides that fome worthy Mem bers of Parliament to whom I am known can teftifie the contrary, all my zs4&lons from the beginning of Your fitting, my Sermons , Prayers , Frayfes, Difcourfes , Attinvs for You fbeakotherwife : I am one who out ofchoife and judgement have imbarkedmyfelfwithwife, Children, Eft ate, and all that's dear to me in the fame fhipwithYou, to finkeandperifiy, or tocomefafeto land with You, and that in the mo ft doubtfull and difficult times, not only early in the firft beginning of the war <md troubles, in a malignant place among Courtiers, and thofe who werefervants «nd had relations to the King , Queen and their Children, pleading Your Caufe, jufttfy ing Your wars, fatisfying many that fcr up led : but when Your affairs were & loweft, and the chance of war againft You, and feme of the Grandees and favou rites ofthefe times were pack^g up , and ready 'to begone, I was then higheftand Woft^a!ousforYcu,preaching,praying,ftirring up the people to ftand for you by ffoinr cut in per fa, lending of money , i» the later going before them by example • jtndas 1 r.-tivf been your Honours moft devoted ferv ant, fo am J fl'ill yours, and -you cannot eafily lofe me ; and I do humbly lay my felf and Book*t the feet of your wifedome and piety, fubmitting both to your pleafure* but to the matter and contents eftlii* Book, *vdfo the prefent ft ate of things. J am bound andftirred in ftirit, to fee the people fo given to errour andfchifme, and the^eal of Gods houfe and glory Con(lrainsme,andlcanno longer forbear ft eakingmy Whole heart toyou.The evills cfthis kjnde are grown tofuch a height as there is no more time for filence , or for be. In? afraid but of crying out and freaking plainly. And I am confident when your Honours have read over my Book ( M J humbly Jefireyouin the fear of God tindfor the rlory ofChriftto do,as Luther betefkl the readingof anEflftle ofhv) thatwillbeajuftApologie with you for my feeneffe and bodneffe. 0 the evil of theCe times would put z>eal into the heart of any man, who hath any love to the glo- 7 ofGod^trvth^dthefottls of people, mdmkf tfafammwng tongue tofteaJ^
r
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
•frfelylyeathedumbctofye'akjtrid cry out. Crcefusfon who TVM born dumbe, when
/•"' /•» • . / • // / .' . TJ _ j. I /L -/._ ..u-J **-.**** J *.***. f~\ £.•_*// — - 4. • ^«*y-«l»io a*A*4 vt --v*i
&ejttwott£.£
"when our } andblafthe
the filence and flattery that is infucha time as thu : for now things are grown to 4 ftrangepaffe, (though nothing!* now ftrange ,) and every day they grow worfe .andworfe, and you can hardly conceive and imagine them fo bad M they are; n<> klnde ofblafthemy, herefie , difordcr, confujion, but either t* found, among its. or a £ owing in up on its; forweinfieadofa Reformation, are grown from one extreme to another, fallen from Scylla to Charibdis,/r0w Popifc Innovations, Stiperftitions, and PrelaticallTyranny,to damnable Herejies, horrid BLifyhemies, Libcrtinij'me, andfearfull Anarchy; our evils are not removed and cured, but only changed; one difeafe andDivell hath left us, and another <M badx come in the room ; yea, tlis lafl extremity in which we are fallen, u far more high , violent and dangerous in many refoeffs ; all which in an £piftle cannot be contained, but are laid down in the following Bookjn many places, fyecially in the eleventh C0r0/A<ry.Luther in an Jpi/?/^foSpalatinus, calls Want of free dome in a ^//«/7?^3irremifliblcpeccatum, an unpardonable ftn; and filence in the neglecting of truth, a wicked filcncc ; and in An Epiftle to Staupit ius/^;?^,Let me be found any thing,a proud man,an adultc- rer,murdercr, and guilty of all wickednefle, fo as I be not convicted of wicked filence whilft the Lord fuffers. The confederation of which, makes me well content- cdtorun the venture of being accounted proud, fluey, peremptory, andofincurrivir the hazard of your difyteafure by jpeak^ng freely {thoitch I hate better things) thenjo let the glory and honour of Chrift and ki-s truth fuffcr any longer 'by my 'frteiwk;for I call the moft High GOD to witne^e, that (fo far as I know my own heart] what freedomc I here ufejn laying open the ft ate oj things before you, is not out ofanyftnifter refyett, or any p/eafure I take in thif liberty (Jor- J have hjdms.~ tty carnall reafonings andconfltfts in my Jpirit againft n^but only out of the qreat neceffity of the times,, moved thereunto out of love and^al to the glory of Cod «ndhxtruth,my faithftilneffe to your Honours, compajjion to the fouls of thofe for •whom Chrift dyed, and the delivering of my own foul in the difrharg'e of my con- fcience. Great Perfons, as Princes, Nobles and Cottnfe Hours, through their high tlaces -multitude of affairs, flatteries, are Cub- T ,- s
- J JJ ,.Jr . J. Tantis & tarn eximijsviftuns ornamentis en -
ytt to great failings and infirmities , as both tuit,tum Epifcopus, turn Imperatcr : Utrun-.q;
Scriptures, and all Hi fortes JJiew : but this S?iIhJl^Ii?r'^"'
_* . ** ui i; 1/c.f uicm ) o\
hath been the praife and honour of fome of cntiam. ^4»^TJ
f their faults, they have laid it to heart. Pum ci §tiui" eo nomine. Tantutn comrtoJi re1
~\T Ll~ c . L J pnhenlio a viro virturerr*ftaDri ad-
Noble Zmyeronr had many luaapponaiefoict. ^.£^.^.1. A
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
infirmities , M.ihat cr ttett fa& of hi* againjl the inhabitants o/Theflalonica, as hx being angry out ofmeafure again]} the people of Antiochia , M kit lenity to. wards Arians, \Vhom be permitted to keep Conventions in chief Cities • but in ali hx faults tki* « obferved and admired by the Ecclefiafticall Hiftorians who -writ ofhim,that he ever gave place to Vvholfome admonitions, and amended upon being dealt with, M by Flavianus Bifiop of Antiochia, Amphilochius BIJbop oflcont urn, Ambrofe Eifhop 0/Millain ; and he took^ Ambrofes liberty of freaking to him fo Vi>ell,that he did not only give him thanks, butfaid of him to bit praife, I have at length found a mafter of truth, for I have known Ambrofe only a Bifiop wor thy of that name. It was one of the fins of the Prelates and Court Chaplains (for which among othersGod hath caft them out}to flatter, and the fin of the Court, that the Minifters that preached there, muft fing placenta, ffieak^faooth things. 'NOW far be it from fuch a High Court of Parliament AS you, ( who above other Tarli- aments are In folemne Covenant with God for Reformation, Nationall, Domefti- call, Perfonall, and have profefred to engage jour hearts for God and kit Vcork^ J and from the Minifters whoftandup for you, and adhere to you, to be faulty in the Jams kinde : Be p leafed therefore in the midft of your many great affairs which evenfwallow you up, and by reafon of which you have not time to hear and know all things concerning the State of Religion, tofujfer one of your daily Re membrancers to God, to be Gods Remembrancer to you. You have, mofl Noble Senatours, done Worthily againft Papifls, Tretats andfcandalous Adinifters, in cafting dowe Images, Altars, Crucifixes, throwing out Ceremonies, &c. but what have Tou done again ft other kinds of growing evills, HereJie,Schifme, Dif- erder,againft Seeker s,Ana.baptifts,Antinomians, Brownifts, Libertines and other Setts? Tou have d"flroyed Baal and his Priefts^but have you been zealous againft golden Calves, and the Priefls oj the loweft of the people ? are not thefe grown up, and day ly increafe under you ? are any effettuallmeanes ttfed againft them ? Tout have made a Reformation , and blefad be God who put it into jour hearts to do fuchthings-jbut with the Reformation have we not a Deformation , and worfe things come in upon m then ever we had before? were any ofthofe monflers heard of here tofore , which are now common among m ? Of denying the Scriptures , pleading * Soel^ intit. Toleration juftified, fage, for a Toleration of all Religions and worftjips, -jJt.printeJimteujl January. + yea for blafyhemy and denying there Ma God.
Tou have put down the Book^ of Common Prayer : and there are many among iu have put down the Scriptures , flighting,yea blafyheming them. Tou have broken down Images of the Trinity, Chrift, Virgin Mary ,Apoftles : andwe have thofe who overthrow the Doflrineofthe Trinity, oppofe the Divinity of Chrift, jpeakjvill of the Virgin Mary , fleight the Apoftle s. Tott have caft out the Bifljops and their Officers : and we have many that caft down to the ground all Minifters in all the
Reformed
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
Reformed Churches. Ton have caft out Ceremonies in the Sacraments, M the Cro fie, kneeling at the Lords Supper : and we have many caft out the Sacraments^ Baptifme and the Lords Supper. Ton have put down Saints dayes : and W<? have many make nothing at all of the Lords dayes , and F aft dayes. Ton have take* away the fuperfiuoiu exceflive maintenance of the Bifiops, Deanes : and\*ehave many take away and cry do^fn the neceffary maintenance of the A4inifters.In the JBifbopsdajfs'tof had finging of Pfalmcs taken aVvay infome places, conceived prayer, preaching, and in their room, Anthems, ftinted forms andreading brought in-,andnowV?e have finging of Pfalms fyokrn Afainft and caft out of fome Chur ches, yea all publike prayer queftioned, and all^ninifteriall preaching denyed. In the Bifiops times Popify Innovations Vvere introduced, a* bowing at Altars, &c. and now \\>e have anointing the jick^ Vfith Oyle • then ttv had Bifoopping ofch'Jd- ren,now ttv have Bijbopping of men and Vtomen, by ft range laying on of hands, as is related in thu following Book^. In the Bifiops faycs Vfe had many unlearned Minifters, and have \Ve not »oW a company of Jereboams Priefts ? In th? Bifiops dayes V?e had the fourth Commandement taken a^ay , but now ttv have all ten Commandments at once by the Antinomians • yea all faith and the Gojpcll deny- fd,asby the Seekers. The \\>orft of the Prclatsjn the midst of many T>opifb, Ar- minion tenets, and Popifo Innovations, held many found dottrines, and had many commendable practices ;yea the very * Papifts hold and * Calvin inftraaio Ad/crfu. keep to many Articles of faith and truths of God, have Li^rcino$}cjp.4.p,ig.io4. fame order among them, encourage learning, have certain fixed principles of truth, Vvith praftifes of devotion and good Veork*', but many of the Sfth and S fit a- ries in our dayes, deny all principles of Religion, are enemies to all holy Duties, Order, Learning, overthrowimg all, being vertiginofi fpiritus, Whirlfgigg (pirits I And the great opinion of an univerfall Toleration, tends to the laying of all Vfafte, and di ffolution of all Religion and good manners. Noty are not the fe Err ours, Herefies and Schifmes, flats and blots in our Reformation ? do they not blemifi and caft a dart^Jbadow upon all the light part ? are they not the dead flies in the Apothecaries ointment, fending forth a ftinking favour? are they not the reproach
.,
cenfe their erroneous opin^nddaringto give intofome of your hands Juch Books as t u a. Jbame to (peak^of ? be- /cr<Jt* <"'»"• BcokjboHt Bap tnglttfo alone , that they are gro^n up to many t hounds ffiZffiSfy TJ^-J both in City and Country. Chrift in Revel. 2. ip. highly »»*<*'<*%. commends the *Angel of the Church o/Thyatira/or kit Works fervice, faith, pat i- hut yet reproves <wd threatens him for fvffcring without pttnijbment
fdfi
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
falfe doctrines to be taught , and diforders to be praStifed in the Church - But I have afew things agamftthee,becaufethou fufterfthat woman Jezebel which calleth her felf a Prophetefle, to teach and to feduce my fervants : And fa plea- fid to obfcrve what truth that Scripture holds cat, namely, that a connivence and faflering without fHnifljmsnt falfe DoBrines and, Diforders, Perfons to preach •whom God hath not called, and to preach Errours, Hereftes, blemifies and dafies the mo ft glorious works, and provokes God to fend judgements ; a Toleration doth eclipfe and darken the glory of the most excellent Reformation. God accounts nil thofe err ours, hereftes, fchifmcs, &c. committed in a land, but let alone, and fuffered without punifiment by thofe who have authority and power, to be the fins of thofe who have power, and he will proceed againftthem as if they \\>ere the au thors of them. A man comes to be pertaker of other mensfins, by countenancing, confeming and filtering \\ithott punifimnt, as M as by formally committing
* Amef Animad. in Kemonftr. Synodal. Script, them. * Solomon in I.King. IT. from Ver I fuper Am:. 5 dePcrfe^Dnt'torum jcap-7.de Solo- + L i / ^ j 7 • , r n't*
ironc. Cemimeft solorronem non FutroduxiOc foI5' u counted byGodto be guilty of all the autadmifincidoijindomumDei, r.eq; adeg'-fle Idolatry committed by his \\>ives and their populum uc vefD.ivcrnm cultum ddererent, r // J \ ,,/.-,..,. . .
veicolerciK icola;neq5 probari poceft eum in fus \ J°Uojvers , and accordingly (jodu angry with propria perfona coiuiffe fdola. Hoccantumcer- him and threatens him, becaufe beintr a iumeftdecjusidololatria.quortihfatuatusa tnu- -rr,> / i j • / • ; i ;• i •
Jieribus idololatricis permifeiir eas conatucre. J^tng,he had power in hli hands to hinder ltt Aquinas in Ephef. 5. u. iftis ergo nolitc com- not that Solomon did brin<r into thehoure municare imitando, ccadjuvando, corifenticndo r/~> j TJ / ' J i i
sedccrtehocnon iuffidt, nifi etiam eosrepre- of God Idols, or ever commanded the people *)e"<Jatis- to for fake the Vtorjbip of God and to worfiip
Idols, or that he did in his own perfont worjbip Idols • This only is, certain, that he fuffered them to build Altars , andfacrifice, toflrange gods . Ephef. 5. 12. 'tis the command ofGod^o have no fellowftiip with the unfruitfiill works of darknede, that is, not by confenting,helping,imitating &fufferingthem without reproof', Now a fifagiftrates reproving,is by ttfing coercive power to punifo andfuppreffe evills9 as is evident in the example of old Eli to his fans, Vcho though he did reprove by words, yet becaufe he punifoed them not, he WM partaker of their Jins, and was fe ver ely punifoed by God for it, i. Sam, 2. 23,242,5. chap. 3.13.14. Now, Right Honourable , though You hold none ofthefe Opinions, prattife not thefe wayes, nei ther command any ofthefe things, but have put out Declarations, Vcherin there are fame paffages againft Anabaptifts, fBrownifls and other Setts, andmade Orders *tnd Ordinances for the preventing and remedying of many ofthefe evills • Of that Order «/Febr. 16.1643. That Minifters fuffer none to preach in the places where they have charge, but fuchas they will be anfwerablefor; as the Ordinance a- gainftthe preaching of Perfons not ordained in this or fame other Reformed Churchy as the Ordinance of not printing Without Licenfe • yea upon complaint have qttefti- oKed and troubled fome Seftariesfor their grrotirs and perniciotK Prattifis \yet
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
notWithftanding there is a ft range unheard offuffering and hearing With them, and fitch a one, a,! 1 beleeve all things considered , never was there the like under ar.J Orthodox Chriftian Magiftrate and State. Han- do fctts and fchifmes incrcafe and grow daily , Se&aries doing even -what they will, committing infolencies and outrages, not only againftthe truth of God and the peace oj the Church, hut the Ci~ i' ill ft ate alfo,going ftp and doWn Countries , caujing riots, yea tumults artddiftur- bances in the pub I ike A families ! hoW do per fans cafl out of other Countries for their Errours , not only live here, hut gather Churches, preach pub likely their Opi nions '.What fivarmes are there of all forts of illiterate mechanick^Preachers,ycx of Women and Boy Preachers ! What a v\fcretit.,fthL?r<i MMim.jiUnmt*.<mic< »>*»*> of
number of meet ings of Sectaries in thx tht city ofLoudua.frrfta»e4te tht Hot, ft efPter, Jan.i6.
Citiy, eleven at leaft in one Parity ! What liberty of preaching, printing of all l:r- rours, or for a Toleration of all, and again ft tlie^Dircclory, Covenant ,monethly Fafl, Presbyteriall Government, and all Ordinances of Parliament in reference to Religion, and mo ft of thefe pcrfons either never queftior.edat all, orifqueftioned> abufing thofe in a high manner \\'ho fjueftion them, coming off one Way or other, and afterwards goingon in fpreading their err ours more then before, or if committed by fome beloW , thereby they are hmdred from preaching and dipping, then brought off and re leafed by feme above (of \\hich they bragg and boaft} yea many Seltaries countenanced , implojed and prrfcrdto fyeciall places both of profit , honour and truft,and that \vhich idfaddfft of all (and yet too true} Orthodox Worthy perfons, Who being in places of Power, for preventing mifchiefs andevills cjueftionina-fome Sectaries for their unlaWfull meetings and falfe 'Dottrines, have been lookt upon ever after With an ev'ill eye, and opportunities Watcht to mole (I and dijp/acc them* In a Word there hath not been to this day any exemplary reftraint of the Sectaries (M ever I heard} by vertue of any of your Ordinances, but they, are fleighted and J "corned, and as it Wai formerly With the Kings Proclamations a<rainft the fefuits, Priefts,Papifts, and for bidding to go to A1a§c, there Were the more 'Pr -lefts in the Kingdom, and more Went to Afafle ; (the Proclamations being never looked after t and when any z,ealous Protefrants in place did go to execute them, they had lit tie thanks for their pains, and thofe they quefrionedWere to hard for them,getting offi) fo preaching of I ay -men Was never more inrequeftthenjincc your Ordinance again (I it 'Prcjljfteria/l Government never more preached, printed againft, then fine c your Votes, Orders and. Ordinances for if; never more dangerous unlicensed Soo^s printed, then fence the Ordinance again ft unlicenfed printing and When men have been complained of for the breach of Ordinances, au that of lay preaching, &C. how tire they difmifted, and preach ft ill, infefl ft ill ? look^What Wayes Were taken here tofore by the PopiJJj party and Prelates Who pretended to be ^proteftaxts, infa- 1/ottr ofthePapiftSiArrrtinians/tnddifcountenancing zealous Preteftewts*, the fame
V Will
The Epiftlc Dedicatory.
will be found to he now in ufe in behalf e of the Sectaries againft Trejby ter'ians • find if you be but pleafedto review your own Remonftrances , either in former , or in this prefect Parliament }or remember the maximes and grounds you proceeded upon in questioning many, and by What rules you judge A of intentions to overthrow the Proteftant Religion, and to advance Toper y , Armianifme, and then lookjtpon the ^Proceedings offome , you Willfinde the fame fteps trod in now, and the fame courfe taken in favour of the Jeffs : ( But an Epiftle is too narrow a compare to particularise all things of this klnde, and a Word is enough to the Wife) And yet J do not fay Tour Honours have done thefe things ^ for there are matters of thi* nature you hear not of, andupon complaints of things that have come immedlatly to Tour Houfes, there hath beenfomc redrejfe; yet fuch things are done by Com- mitt ces, or P erf ons under Tour Tower find Government, and no ejfettuall Wayes taken to prevent, dif cover or remedy thefe things. Now I humbly fubmit to Tour deep judgment , Whether God account not men guilty of that Which it commit ted by sthers under them, they having power to hinder it ; asalfo, Whether it Veil! not be interpreted by men, that there is certainly great countenance and favour above y or elfe perfons below dare not do as they do. And be pleafed tofufer me, as a Mi- wfter ofChriftjo bring to your remembrance (Vchich I do in all humility,} thefe following Scriptures. Levit.2^,25, I Sam.2. 29,30,31,32. cap. 3.12, 13, 14. i King. 12. cap-3T. 13. cap. 33.34.2 King. 10. from 19. to 33. Jeremy. 30.31. Dan.5.$,2. 2,23. 24,25,26,27,28. Amos 2.9,13.14. Hag.i.2,4,5. Gal.^.y. Revel.2. 13, 14, 15, 1 6, 18, 19, 20. Which texts of Scripture, frith the examples laid down in them, I name not as if I Would compare your Honours With Jeroboam, Belfhazzar , &c.or charge on you their fatts in ktnde, or that I Vvijb fuch evillt fiouldcome to TOU-, no, let the interpretation of thefe Scriptures be to your enemies, find the fulfilling of them to them that hat e Tou • but becaufe Vthatfoever things Were Written aforetime Were Written for our learning , and all the things Which Were threatnedand hapned to Eli, Jeroboam, Jehu, Belfliazxar, &c. Were for ex- ftmples, and Written for our admonition upon Whom the ends of the world are come>y therefore ImindeToU of thefe Scriptures , that you may fear to fall into any fuch kinde of fins, or tofuferfuch to be done When 'tis in Tour -power to hinder. ^ Thefetts have been growing upon us ever fine e the fir ft year of Tour fitting, And have every year increafed more and more; things have been bad a great while, but this lap year they are grown intolerable:, andifSchifme, Herejie, &c. be let alone and rife proportionally for one year longer ^We fhall need no Cavaliers nor enemies from without to deftroy w. Certainly c/W looks for other manner of fruit from you ; the great Deliverances^ Victories, Succejfes, thefolewn Covenant^ Prc- teftations, RemonflrancesyDeclaratio»s made to Cjodjhiit Kingdom, the Kingdom of Scotlandj and aUthe RtformeA Chttrches^ catt And ^e^ for other fynde <f
things
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
things. The Reformed Churches abroad wonder at thefe things, andfayjvhy ma.} net the King M lawfully tolerate Papifts, one fulfe Religion, AS the Parliament fuffcr allfetts to grow? Befides their love, ^eal and fryers for j OH begins to langui/b and grow faint. Oftr de.tr Brethren of Scot land ft and amazsdandaftc- nijbed,andhadtheynotfeen thefe things, could not have be leeved them.The Or thodox, godly conjiderable party, both Minifters and people in City and Country, by whofe means tinder Cjod, you are nowfo ftrong and lifted ftp above your ene mies , are grieved, of ended, and much difcouraged-, the common enemy fcornes, blafthemes, and reproaches the Reformation, looking upon m A* given up to a fpirit ofgiddinefe and err our. The Malign Ants every where turne Scttaries and Indt- pendents,fiding with them and pleading their caufe ; and they do wifely, there being no fetch way M that tofuve their purfes, live quietly, and to undermine yofi And cjfeft the enemies work. And what can thinkjou will be if tic of thefe things? h is high time t her fore for your Honour f to awake and be doing, tofttjfer no longer the 'Je Setts and 'Schifmes, thefe disorders and confufwns that are in the midft of #/, but to fall uponfome effettuall wayes, a* you in yottr great wifdvmes fall finde out, and to dofomething worthy a Parliament in tins ki^de alfo. Do thtf and Cjod is on your right hand tohelpeyou , andyoufiall not be removed for ever, the Kingdom of Scot land, the Reformed Churches, thi* great City with the Miniftcrs to ft and by you and to honoifryou : Do it notjbut let things ftill run on thi*s , and, all kinde of err ours, confufiona, &C. increafe , and know Cjod M a rightcow Qod, and will rc- quire it at your hands, vijit and be ttvcngedfor thefe things. And let no man flat ter you with your great projperity and fttcccfe , that your mountain is nowfo firong that you (hill never be moved-, but remember that (Jod M A Cjod changing the tsimcs and feafons, that removes Kings and fcts up Kings, Dan.z.u. that can quickly bring down that part of the wheel below which WAS higheft, that madt afudden change to Kclilhazzar in an hour, Dan. 5.3,4,^,6. That Cjod who ttfaid tofcatter Kings, can fcatter you : Pfal. 68.14. Lookj^pon the Court party, the great Counfcflours of ft ate, and Prelates , whofe height was like the height of the Cedars, and were ftrong at the Oaks, yet the Lord dfftroyed their fruit from above, andtheir root from beneath- and cannot he dofotoyon?Il>e]cccl}youfcar,r,ortfi- dering the freat dijbonour of Cjod and hit nxme, and the fad eft ate of things under your Cj averment, left Cjod bring fame great afterclap upon you, and have an after reckoning, cither giving you up at laft to the hands ofthofe that are now in arraci againftyou, or fending an evill fyirit of divifton among your felves andthetw9 Nations , or making ufe of the Setts (that party when grown ftronger , who have beenfo much fttjfered to grow under you,) to become thorns in your fides,and prick* in your cyet, to caft Tott out, and to teach you new Law and new Divinity, at they kwcdone already in many of their Books ( M England* Birthright , A Letter
B a from
The Epiftlc Dedicatory.
from an Utter Barretter, A Letter ca/l'dEnghnds lamentable flavery, Lilburns Letters to Mr Prynn , to a Friend, Innocency and truth juftified, cum multis alijs,) or by fending fame other judgement, as the PC ft Hence, &c. (all -which I car- neftly pray Cjod to prevent. ) And truly when I thinkjyf things by my fclf, and behold to what a height Err ours, Herefies, &C. are come, and withall reflect upon the great things (Jod hath done for you, the many powerfall Sermons you have had preached before you about the' Nationa.ll Covenant , and. again ft the S eel: s, the m.i~ ny petitions reprefenting the evill and danger ofthefe things, and jet how little is done , our evills of this kindf rifing higher and higher , in the increafe offalfe do- firings, and a greater multiplication offchifmes every day then other ; 1 tremble for fear, left for the wantofz,ealinfufferingfomany diJJ}onours of (.jod, and hi* Ho fife to liefo long wafte,the word be gone out of hi* mouth already which he (pake againft Eli ; I faid indeed that thy houfe , and the houfe of thy Father fhould, walke before me for ever : but now the Lord faith ; Be it far from me , for them that honour me I will honour , and they that defpife me fhall be lightly cfteemed. But to draw towards a. conclusion , there u no other way to prevent all thi-i wrath, but to be z,ealou s a nd repent , to do fomething fyeedily and effectually againft the Err ours , Here fie s , Schifmes , Blafyhemies and confujions of the] e times.
Ob. But if any (hall objctt, It cannot be done now, it will dif content anddifm- ^agc the Sectaries who are a confiderable party , andfo may prove dangerous to 'the Parliament in this juncture of time, by caufmg many to fall off their Service* Anf. Are we afraid of ^contenting , difingaging and lofing a few men, and. not ofdifcontenting and lofing Cjod ! fhall Cjod be dify leafed to pleafe men [fhall we fear the want 'of mans helpe whofe breath is in hx noftrils, and not fear Cjod / O that Vce would once ceafefrom man, fir therein it he to be accounted of ?
Secondly, I Anfwer , This objection ista^gcounfell, but not of God-, a cover- ing,but not ofGodsJpirit ; ifa. 30 . 1 . this carnall policie offuffering corruptions in Religion fir fear of lofing a party , and ftrengthening Kingdoms, hath proved the ruin' of families and Kingdoms ; be pleafed to remember Jeroboam, Jehu, <^r. who out of policie fir fear of lofing a party and strengthening the other Jide, fet ttp andfuffered the golden Calves and Priefts of the loweft of people ,and thievery thing became afnare, and the lofte of the Kingdom to them ; and I might Jbew out ofEcclefiafticall Hiftories many examples of fad things befalling Princes , who out o/ policies or any carnall rejpetts, havefuffered all forts *fS.etts and Herejies;
but I Vc'illon/y inftance in one out of *Baroni- =iSS*2SShS3&? S^: us,<,/Valentiniai,us y™> , wkfaffinl «
nosquaroquis vellet fidem.amplefti arq;proar- tfje We/I the Chriftians to embrace what !»irrioh*refesconfeftari. At quam confiiite ex- r • i r I rJ i r //
iris dtdaravit ,, anjbo cnim fa«ione ac prodi- faith every one of them TVOUld , and to follow
what
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
what Heretics they pleafed , hut how well and •
r /•/„,/ j /•• j i ttoneGenn] urn pecan funr, Grattonnsa Ma*.
/rf/*/7 ffcf <?»rf of jf declared • for both bit foHS 'a^Valtm'manu!, jurror laquco ftrangulatus.
wcrejlain by the f aft ion and treachery of the *""" ""* * <*U'W6'*™'*' Gentiles Gratian by Maximus, Valentinian ;*»> TT^ fowled in a halter: Andy 'ft afterwards the fame Emfer our by edict commanded the houfes ar.d places where the Marches met to be connate. Vw florled of Amaziah , that he had hired a hundred thovfand mighty men of valonr for « hundred talent,
j ' and M *>'»* ™ "far to his cnrnall objeV's, that
odhadpovertohclpandtocafl down- and for hu hundred talents, the Lord able to give him mvch more tlvnthu :i Chron.2^.7,S,9. fofay /, v
'", ^^^ ^ °™ °r**™« , o uableto caxfe many mor< then theft, to a
hands of the Kin
Parliament
all
om jm for doin our duti
tes
""*
,/«
learned man
rowmcndovosDi- leCtioni Dei "
:d of Popery ; fodoYc,
jg ^
liament
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
to the love of,God and his truth, and the hating of all Sefts and Schifmes, earneflly praying to C/ad, that none of the things -which Ton and we have caufe to fear may come upon Ton and the Kingdom , but that Cfodvoouldmercy- fully pardon that too great f offering, countenancing , Dreading and prevailing of Err ours , Here fie s and Schifmes which hath been in this Kingdom thefe four la ft yearstand would fil you withftfch a love and %>eal to hi* truth and hottfe, thatyoti might throrowly -purge out all things that offend, and caufe thefalfe Prophets and the uncleanftirits topafle cut of the landyfteedily and effectually lay the top-ftone upon the building, the foundation -whereof you have laid long ago, fully fettle this Church and the Government of it, thereby VP« may be brought into one^and become terrible at an Army with banners, and like a Strong and fenced City , bothagainft fchifniss that may arife from mthin,and the affaults of enemies -without.
Tour Honours humble
Andmott devoted fervant. T H OMAS EDWARD
The Preface.
N thelaft week of jF«™ or the firft o
two weeks I am certaine) camefo th my Anfwer Centituled Ant apologia ) to the Apologdicatt Nwa'ton : Ever fince which time I have forborne the Prcfle cnt oran expeft^tinn of a Re ply fwhich was with great confidence by many ofthe Indepen dent party at fcverall times given out I fhould have) with much patience pjfling by the many rcproachfull fcoi nfull fpeeches.and railings both inpublike Sermons and printed^ m- a cvt&Wtfobfirvri.*, anj^t^ri,, on M. phlets, and many other waies caft upon me Pnnsji.gw//. The p*ifl^od <•/ w.in,m P™*
and my A,*^°?>< • I w» not * filing to be ^4f8^fi»!Z±!?£52 •/ •"' provoked. or to trouble my (elf at the bark- *'$'}• ^r^»w«w«/p^;jf*»j»». B,-tij E*-
Siigofdr^dogfrfirlio'KKWtlfe^
did bark at the Moon fthatsallj but not "^^^fc»AttpaUfU^. hnrt it : could fcoflFe and jter at the An*tobgie , fenc knew not which way to go about to anfwer it) but rather refolvcdto referve my time and Itrengthj for fome learned and folidRetly from the Apologifts, or any other for them, to which I might have givena Ktyyndtr. Buc now eighteen Moneths beir g almoft expired fincc the Anttpologit came ab'ojd into the world(time fufficient for fivj fuch eminent perfbns, or fome other to liave retti ncd an Anfwer in, if ever they intended it ) andnow being without all hopes of any H eply from them ( there being rone in the Prefle.asl can learn) but rather 'tis given, out by the Apologias themfclves, and their neereft friends,that for peace lake they forbcare it ( which let them belceve it that will, I do notj) Ifhallwaitenolonger3lutamrefo!vt<i to appear again in pubHke aga^nft the errours of the time, and to fcr forth Traft- ates and Dicouifes upon iuch Subjefts and Joints, as T conceive may make moft for the glory of God , the peace of this Church, and be moil feafonablc for the preftnt neceflity, be opwthetm dtefw. I hweall this while,out ofchoife and up on ferious deliberation , declined the letting forth any Traclate of the Contro- verfiesofthe time .(although! have been by Learned men oftcaird upon, yea, earnt(Hy follieited AcretJ.ntoleft the Apologifts3t>r ioineorjher for tiiem, fliould have taken occafidnby anfwermg that , to bvve fome doak and cxcufe for not
replyine
PREFACE.
replying to my Aitjpdogie : but having given all this time , and finding by expe-
/.in "print by '
KcneM.™* ^'fL .~feF - •••• s
But for *njfu>-b §llts tnemiClves in the AtTcinDTy,and
is; manyoflf lHr c dliciples ^°br but
r^t- m^^ nOUnihCS and great {welling
fit-jitrtoulHfnui* initoftny ntatenall cot/Herat!,* a> Wofds of Vanity ) OH DUrpole tO feed
gtinft the ConiregationaU way, at n-ili in tine cor.venient . j i j j r, r , V i
fre mademanifeft in tbejlgbtoftbt Sun., God not preventing tnClF deluded FrolelVtCS IGF the pre-
it by mare tbtntn ordinary, or at haft txfeSedbmA. JLnd fent fwho Called nnnn them for an
in page 46. // M. Prin tye« and cmfide. -*d> vho itw» ^"r ^ v T n „ "O" l? , , r 3I1
that badbindredihe Independents, and tbtt ante and again AlilwCF^ I {hall HOW fcnde them
rrnnx?
. ./ . fiany
intbatfreviietlge. But quoddeterturnpnaufernir. T^w TreatllCS tO the former. And hoWC- BorA#/M.Gtodwin»i»a>frt«tf4 «« /«*/ 9 OT<>««^ «g<.. ver UDOn r|1(v R M{^n Kpfnrp Tn^rif7 c Ovcnon <„ Independent B»ok feller ,»h ha/led the 4n- VC/ UPO" rilt K C3l0n DCtore IpeClft- /w«r IP« it ike Preffi Eaton <« Independent Milliner Stme ed , I ha VC bcCH thus long filCHt, and s>f Joh.Goodw.Ckurch reported that famt of hx Church mem- fil{rnnriniipr! flip Tr^lT^ . x/^i- T^r- tenfreacbedftrhi^bccaufebe^a^eringthtAn^p^. allCOntmued ttlC 1 rCile ; yet tor
hereafter,! do give it under my hand,
that I will make amends, and redeem the time becanle the dayes are evill ; pro- mifing (the grace of God enabling me, and fparing me Iife3heahh and liberty) that for this next year,or longer, as the troubles of the Church may continue,to be often fetting forth one Tradate or orher.I aime at, and {hall endeavour to be, like that tree fpoken of in the Revelation, to yedd fruit every moneth, and that the leaves of the tree may be for the healing of thefe Nations. Now to give Koine account to the Reader, of the nature of this following Difcourfe , and of my fccpe therein ; This prefent Treatife is not fo much againft any one errour and feft, as againft all I have heard of]a Diicovery of,ind Directions aga>nft that many headed monftrous Hydra of fedlarifme fprungupin theie times in &g- Imd : a workeand undertaking , which I well know and expe&, will caufe me all the hatred , envy and danger, which the cunning, malice, power or bJinde zeal of all th? feftaries in E«, / wd can procure. Paul ipeaks in his Ep;ftles to the Corinthians (among other troubles^ of his fighting with beafts at Epbefm after the rmrmerof men, }.Cor. i^. 32. andofam.ffenger of Satan fent to buffet him, 2. Cer.cap. 1 2 which were none of the leaft dangers and fuflfcrings he met with- all,as will appear both by looking into the texts themfelves3and confolting fome learned Divines uponthofe Scriptures. No'w in this prefent work, and iomeo- ther following Traftate?,(bmething like to thefe I have to conflict with,namelys wilde beafts,grievous wolves, as the Scripture calls hereticks and falfe Prophets, cJ^/uf.-r. 1 5. fitts 21.29. and with meflengers ofSatan,faife Apoftles> transform ing themfbives into the Apoftles of Chrilt,2.Cor. 12.13 .and'tis never the Icffe ha zardous nor difficult, that they are wolves in fhecps cloathing, and Satan tran£
formed
_ __ • —
Anadloflieht. Now for me,apoorweakfinrullman, who have e o8back me none of thofe'rekions to thereat, NoMeand the imes, which many have,(in an age and time when truth ,s fallen, nderrour prevails in all P'ac«, (cned up at new light .and as new fcJjeSftrthe is let up in places of honour and profir.and leftar.es arc de verA ) to appear in open field againft, and to contend w.th them, « a hard and dTnserou. letvice. Bit I know whom Ifcrve, and he who M with me, « ftrongeKhey whoa:eagam(tme: and in ibis cauIeofOod, hs truth and all th! reformed Churches, I fear not what man can dounto me. I well under- ft nd that I put my hand ,»to a Hornets neft, and (hall railc up agamft me all the piritofleparation, Chifme and errant thorowoutthc K.ngdome from the hifiheft Seeker to the loweft Independent^! I value it not ,«fl« «J» Jt- fas ^ Spake upon a like occafion.) I can comfort my felfe with that of D^X IJit 1 18 12 They contL-afled me about like Bfes t they arc 77.,. /r,,^ ,b;.,xt is fathkinJie.! a-..i <jwM«tbc pre of thorn,, but in tt*X**t a/lfa A-f-.** Andorra ,a Lordl*>iVc***kmoff, That God which delivered Pj«/from bcalts at f>^/wf, and from the meflenger ot Satan, that encouraged and enabled little ZX^/V to fight with ^ Bear and a Lion and to puli a Lambe out the Lions mouth, yea to kilt both the Lion and the Bear, hath, doth, and will preferve me till I have nVidied my teftimpny. On'y my earneft defireis to the Orthodox and Pious Reader, that for the Lord jefus Chrifts fake,and for the love of the Spirit , they would flrive in prayer to God for me, that I might be delivered from unreafonable men,and from them that are difobedienc •, and that my fervice and labours in this fcindemay be accepted of the Saints , and that I may be fo (lengthened with mi°ht by his Spirit, that in zeal andfaithfullnc(rc,andyetinlove, humility and wifedom, I may fpeak as I ought to ipeakin all my following Trcatifes. There are two things amongft many, that 1 h.ive oft thought upon, and obferved both from the Scriptures and the works of holy men, both ancient and modern, which in this caufe againfl the Seftaricsmakes me not to be troubled at rcproa- che?,evill reports, &c. Firft,that thofe Miniftcrs, who out of^eal to the glory of Godjove of his truth, compaffion to poor foules, have appeared and afted vigo- roufly,by preaching and writing againft the errours of the times and places they lived in, haveftill met with a great deal of malignity, hatred 5 reproaches^ and fpeaking all manner of cvill againft tr>em f4fely , as alfb many miiconflruftions, negleftsand unkinde dealings from friends. SecondIy,Notwithftanding all this, they have gonon in their work and way, with conftancie iind heroick re- iolution, triumphing and rejoycing in their {ufterings,rather riling higher, and growing more bold, then being moved or difcouraged : of both thefe I will give iome inftances : Chrift the chief Shepherd and BiQiop of our fouls, for fpeaking
C anaifcli;
THE PREFACE.
— - — • _. _^^
againft the Seftaries of the time , namely the Pharisee S»M TTT T
was maligned, reproached, laidin wait for , asalfohis'ownDiS3? dHc^n«»
•xtssKsi:Si€^SS^ s^aaSsaSSSSSSBisfeS
Mm, fohe^tfini(hh,sc^ iK'^SSSS
the Arians and detecting their
preaching and writing againft hereticks and mLmkkT^r^ll^ furred many reproache?,andyet repyced, counting their fufferings a
e^Hguji. Epift, 15 Hieronymus Augu- tneir greater gloryjasc Hieromev}i'nins.tQ '• "i •'' *"^} cons racuiates flupiininG for rJpfprvinT t-r-ic. k
cmnmm rneriiit caium, q.uovi ouiaem r 11 L • i * }'"'* •«* ucicri vinii Cue n
taun.t3* ho? cum illo cilc commune. OP ^* wll LlwFciiCKSi \Vii-fCn hf3 t*pi/"H7x»o/J *T»>
ii , . . i HUV* L/t, »wj ••&AA\^L4iiv# iciviyccCi vvas conii'^ion tf\
ii^nnmmajctis glou'seflomncs hxre- ft,' J tfiat Which IS an arCUmCDt
tici-dcreftanturs&rnc pan- proftquua- OUnegreatcf glory, all hercticfes do det-ft vn,, «urod(o,utqucsgladiis;iequeunt., vo- and Derfernte mp alfn, TT^I-^ *.t, i-t ,wtfcvi; /y'-1j
tointcrscianr. KTKcuw me ai o with the like hatred, that
iSfefe^^iSSt?55S W?2m 5eyfGlnn°i kl11 Wkh fwords' ^ey do with Si5^gS?S«S5S3E ^ffS^^^tnem°PP°fi^P^g^^rQUT^
mum fiipptem> eju; nomine errorcs ipfius refuti- ( fewgltM being a man OI 3 ftrift Fif<° . r.^1 f
%bmJevefttiteertiiniBi:IBiqiMPeIaeiJMfr .1 • HrKl life, and OI gfeaC
letttofiftfasfnf^pcruntJioniuctunMibi&itfw. autnontv amone all. invina «-,-,.-.„ r,.-.
and
y — jr'*»"v3 that many, who \ve*e mr»ft )}.r, ^p1TOn, VM eminent -n thfi honour Qf pri£/hJoodn°", e e m
nd^g«Mas if without a caufe he had been too vehemenMnd had too ftarr" managed the controverlie againft Wagiw . yca ,arnong the audit ours of 5
. /r«/j; —
THE PREFACE.
all did not truely and with a right hand receive it. Luther, as his name was hatefull to the Papifts, fo alfo to the Sectaries of that a^e : s Thomas Muncer, one of the firft preachers and ring- g JM^.K^T.-M. leaders of the Anabaptifts(Z,^<?r having had fome conflicts with "" *-"'•''• P I2S' him and others of that Sect) put forth fome writings, wherein hee did poui: out his rage and fury againft Luther, reproaching Luther, that hee wanted/ a fpirit of Revelation, and favoured onely carnal! outward things ; and after 11 Ltstherhzd reproved Muncer for his opinion of li- h F).^,r- S[i,hi:mn Dj2trib<. berty,andthe wayeshe went in, he fet himfelf againft KIR- -ieor'-j. ptpsn-r. s;Si« & Luther , diundring out railing fpeeches, faying that nom'n-An2ba?:t"jru:T1* Luther did equally offend as the Pope of Rome, yea that Luther was worfc then the Pope himfelf, promulgating only a carnall Gofpel : but Luther. t\\ hi» dayes, both againft the Papifts and Sectaries, Swenckfeldians, Antinomies, A- nabaptifts, notwithftanding all reproaches, went on with courage and rc/oy- cing. Luther eftecmed evil I fpeakings as ' meat fat- \ BiafPhcm> funt cbu« & Qgim ninghim; Luther was afraid of prailes, but rejoyced m'h'i: major eft mihi& -timer in in reproaches and blafphemies. * Tis enough to me, RtVa^S^k MSS; laith Luther \£ I plcafe Chrift my Lord and his taints: c,ft fi ciiriio i>arnino mro & fuu I doe from my heart re Joyce and give thanks to my ^iViPSrarm:m?eSe°«Sim» God, that I am hatefull to the Divell and all his istor,Srg'jtijsagoDeoin;o,L».';'. tales. I am certain (laith Luther) that the truth of God cannot be rightly handled and maintained without cnvic and danger ; and this is the onely lignv* that it hath been rightly handled, if it offend • I do ,
j •( j \ c c \c \ i »nc»-» raagis mni placeo, Sc uiper-
daily more and more pleafe my felt, and am proud busfioquoivikonomenpc.'iimum
that I fee a bad name increafes to race. Zuinffllus m:hi cicllcre> Lllth'
that great leader of die Reformation in Helvetia, for difputing and writing
againft the Anabaptifts, was by Balthtfar Httbmcrtts PtchnontAniu (though
ZmngliKs had done him many offices of love) load- Tanri5 cnim connVi; virum ^.
ed with io great reproaches, that hee was necefllta- de rl' °ieri-
ted to make an Apologie for himfelfe to fatishe the Sbus'h!
brethren. Calvin that faithfull Paftour of Geneva, ^^w.vxt.'
as his labours and zeal againft Popifh herefics are known to all, fo did hec
write and acl.againft all other kind of errors that fprung up, againft the Ana-
baptifts,Liber tines, Scrvetiv, Valentine CJentilx, $tanc<trus, (as his workc \vit-
nefle) and for his pains and zeal, being as a Chriftian Hercules overcoming fo
many monftersjhe was called Heretick,Ambitioiis,afle- MM.^tJmv\uc*iVi»' cling_ a new Papacie,one that ftudied to heap up riches, iq£ IXC^'BOM ^"L^L9^ aRailer;fo that Bez>a writ an Apologie for him; yea, S5«tf£nS'i£i 1- *°S* fome neighbour Paftours repry ached, him as if he made qnibw oiau4°iaakCcwTid^i
C God
.um oncrarc n:t.
God the authour of fin, becaufe he excluded nothin?
Jrigenc, ut pr > quo, & in quern c /-^ t tt -J • o
oicamr.pauio attentius expcn. from Gods exteniall providence : m a word, being <fent3neq;hero'«siftosipiruus fo couraeious a defender of found doctrine, hee was
c* inger.iofuo mctiantur. , ° , , • , , r ,
at home and abroad vehemently oppofed ; and yet for
all thefe he went on in his work,, like another Paul and Athanajiw, withun- jum effct Cai- daunted refolutions and pains : upon occafion he fpakc cene^nquit, thus of his hard ufage and ill requitall, Certainly if I
niriflVrn mala . -V, *. . J*
ii hpminibus icrvicwcm, mala 1Jr , t t j j i_Ji • L >_•
mihi mercesperioiv<rretur,fed had lerved men,I had made a bad bargain j but tis well
bene eft quod et infervivj, qui that j jjave ferved him who alwaves paves-his fervants
tunquam no!i terns fuis re- . i-ii TJI AJ»-
pcndic quod fcrrei pro riiit. that which he once promiled them : And tis enough
satis eft quod cbrifto vivo & tnat I live and die to Chrift, who is sain to his in life
mono.-, qui mis lucrum elt in j , , °
waffiortc. and death.
* euvimi ita excfusfuit, utaiiquifuis cani- * Calvin was fo hatefull, that fome na-
bus Calvini nomcn
nomcn imponerent; alii Calm' med their dogS A/f/»; Others changed CW- wm in CaiwMWtransformarent 5 non pauci ii- , P w r. ° .
lius odio abftinere fe a Coena Domiii tefta- Vin UltO C^'»; many OUt Of hatred OI him,
bantur. T»W caivini j Beza. did profcfle they kept away from the Lords
Supper. Now for the firft of thefe, namely reproaches, fcorns, &c. I do cer tainly expecT: and prepare ; for the difciple is not above his Mafter, nor thefer* *vant above his Lord : it is enough for the difciple that hee be as his M 'after 3 JMattk. 10. 24,2$. And what am I better then thofe learned Fathers, <±AugH.~ fline, AthanapHSy and thofe firft Reformers, Luther, Zmnglins, Calvin ? 'Tis honour enough for me to be fomewhat like to them in fufFerings. I have had fome experience of the Sectaries malice, hatred, rage upon my former Books and Sermons that I have preached, and therefore know that this and othec Tractates will inflame them. lam in my confcience fully perfwaded, that this .Tractate is at this time both feafonable and ufefull in many refpects , yea ne- ceflary, and that for all forts of men,Magiftrates, Minifters, people, both thofe that ftand, and thofe that are fallen, yea the very Sectaries themfelves, and in ^uftice and all reafon I might expect thanks and kind acceptance of my labour and pains. But I look that the Sectaries of all forts will ftorm, and caft out of their mouthes flouds of calumnies, reproaches, both againft my felfe and book , befides all other wayes doe mee all the mifchiefe they can and dare 5, yea, I fear, that too many Brethren, partly through their relations to many iSectaries , and through that lukewarm temper ( in reference to errours o£ tninde) that hath long poflefled them, who think every one too hot that ap pears againft the Sects, will not fo cordially approve this work. I can truely lay, that in my former Books and Lectures I have been too much deferted,. and not received thofe incouragements which many have done from Brethren upon like occafions; but none of thefe things move mee j not the lofle of
THE PREFACE.
good name, not the unkind deferting of friends, neither count I my life dear to my felf fo I may finiih my courfe, and the miniftry which I have received, to teftifie the Gofpel and, the truth of God againft the errours of the time. And as I know perfections and afflictions abide mee in this way ; fo it (hall be my prayer and endeavour to follow the example of Chrift, andthofefer- vants of his before named -y and had I not long fince fet down, and counted my coil, giving up my name to God to take care of it, and my face to the fmiters, I fhould not have thus appeared in writing and preaching : but I havea through the grace of Chrift, learned to account it an honour to fuffer foe truth, and oppofing errours, as well from Sectaries, as from Popifh fpirits : in this matter of oppofing the prefent errours,! flight all the power, malice and policie of all the Sectaries in the Kingdome. And I am refolved, by the grace ofChrift, which hath enabled mee hitherto, to go on in aconftant, cheerfull oppofing and writing againft the errours. ] I have j LUih. Ef,ft. *d spai«in. s»amb determined with mv felfe to fear nothing in this 'tL'1 ">f>*g'»>* />«<•»»*/, ta*t:> j r»s
r L ii i • \ i • i videntur Uiuniis ; Statutumeit aPud
caule, but to contemn all things; yea, the higher me noue yonpua ;»h^ rt timer*, the errours arife, and the more mighty they grow, f*d «i*«i*tmtem*trt. the more to rife up againft them : I value not my name, nor my life, if compa red to the truth of Chrift; but fhalltake pleafurein reproaches, neceffitics, fuflferings in fuch a time as this, when few are valiant for the truth ; no gold (hall bribe me, nor preferments take me off; no lack of fupplies fhall difhear- ten me. I (hall maintain this warfare at mine owne charges, and this good caufe cannot be ftarved for want of fees. And whatever can happen to mee in this caufe,! {hall rejoyce,yea and will rejoyce, as remembring thofe fpeeches of Chrift, foh. 1 8. To thu end WM I horn,andfor this cattfe came I into the Vrorld^ that I fbonld bear Tvitneffe to the truth. Match. 5. 12. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your regard in heaven.
A Catalogue of many of the ERR OURS,
BLASPHEMIES and PRACTISES of the
SECTARIES of the time, with fame
OBSERVATIONS upon them.
> Ow for this Treatife, I refer it to three heads.
1. I (hall premife iome particulars for the better ftanding of the fubjeft matter of this Rook, and right appr<
hcnding of what follows. TJiflfn1i-
2. Iflialllay down a Catalogue of the Errpurs, Blalpne-
i mies> Pradifcs of the Se6bries' J°§cther with a parrJe
Sndry remarkable raffages,and fome Letters concerning them 3 Gve fome Obi tnrations upon, and draw fome Ccrallaries from the wh«
matter.
Inthcfirftheadlflialldotwothings;
Firft, Lay down eight particulars for better fatifcsflion and dn
Secondly, Arifwer two Ob jeftions which maybe as ftones toftuiuble at in the entrance to the matter, and caufe a prejudice againft the work.
The firftthng I premife, which i would have the Reader to take notice ot, is, that rhis Catalogue of Errours, Blafphem es, 1'raftifes, Letters, is not Errours, Opinions, Praftifes, of a former age, dead and buried many ycers age, and now revived by this Difcourfe; bu: a Catalogue of Errours now in bemt alive in thefeprefent times, alt wf them vented and broached within tBcfetouir veers laft paft, yea molt of them within thefe two laftyecrs, and leffe. It Ihould have been long enough, before I would have nked up old Errours f om the dead and hell; I had nuich rather fend them back from whence they came; and that is my intent in their Tifcovery. I ap; rove well of that rule cf Amen Mcd. The- Difciplinc in the French Churches, that the. Minidcrs (hould not °- /(! in Sermons meddle with confuting of old Erro.ns; and of that ofAmepufto Ministers, That all Errour is not every w her j to be refuted- For old Herefies that arc buried, arc not to be diggut. i.pthat they mayte refuted; but feeing thcfc walk up and down in City aiu Country, I may give warning of them. Se-
A Catalogue and Dtfcovery of
condly, This following Difcovery is not only of prcfent Errours, which may be nowmPolonJajTranfzhaniay Holland^ New* England, Som mer- IJlmds , for then I would not have troubled the Reader neither jbut in England, held and vented in this Kingdom^as will appear more fully in this Difcourfe.Thirdly,More fpecial- ly in thefe places of England as Ltndon and the Counties adjacent3in the Parlia ments Quarters,5n their Armies and Garrifon Towns.not maintained by perfons at Oxford., &e. for then it had nor been fo much to us ; but as the Prpphec Eze- k&l fpeaks of Jfrufakmi Ex^k, 2 2. 7. <?, 10, 1 1 , In thee, in thee, in thee (oft repeat ed) are foch andfich things >y So in thee London^ in the Aflbciated Counties,in the Armies, and dut after a folemn Covenant to extirpate Hcrefies and Schifms,are found fuch and fuch Errours Blalphemous, Opinions, ftrange Pra&ifts ; fo that the Reader muft remember, that all the following Errours, Blafphemies, Pra-' ftifes, Letters, be of perfons in this time, and in this Kingdom, yea of fuch who live and dwell among us.
Secondly, I do not undertake nor profefle in this Catalogue and DHcoverys to give a full Catalogue and perfeft enumeration of all the erroneous Opinions, Blafphemies and Pra&ifes of the Se&aries within thefe four laft yeers, fbasno more can be added to them ; I make no doubt, but many a Reader may fay, this Catalogue wants luch an opinion that he knows of,and fuch an opinion,bnt only fpeaks of many of them,*nd of fbme principalljand therefore in the Tide of this Difcourfe., I call it a Catalogue of manyErrourSj(f do not fay of all:) It cannot rationally be imagined, that one man refiding conftantly in one place, not tra velling to the Armies, nor up and down from Country to Country, having his hands full of preaching, and writing Controversies, can come to the knowledge of all Errours broached in all places3 or can have time to read over exaft ly all the Sectaries, to extra ft all their Opinions : It may rather be thus argued , what a world of ftrange Errours, &c. are there held in all parts of this Kingdom,when one man hears of Co much / if all the minifters in the Kingdom would bring in whattheyknow3orbutaconfiderable number of Minifters, as a Committee from feverall parts of the Kingdom, would joyn together to read all the Books, to take notes of the Sermons in publike, to have fbme obferve and watch meet ings in private, and draw into one all the wayes of the Se&aries, within thefe four laft yeers, a great volume would not contain the Errours, prodigious Opini ons, and ftrange pracYifes of thefe times : Ther's no queftionbut there are ma ny monfters conceived by f ome in this Intermyfticall f eafon, which are not yet brought forth, and others that are brought forth, yet like to baftard or mifliapen children, are concealed from the publike view , mude known only to a very few, being the hidden works of darknefle, the time not being yet come to pub- ^{h them openly: waighting onfy for the Mid-wife and nurfing mother of a To leration
many Errours of the
lerstion, to bring them fourth and nourifh them: But though this be not a perfect Catalogue, yet I beleeve it wi'l be found the fulled that hath yet been made of thefe time's , and give a further Difcovery then yet we have had. I havefcen (everali Books wiitten within thefe four laft yeers and leflc, that give us a particular Relation of Tome Frroursand blafphemous opinions, as learned a Maftcr Gitjktrs> but thats only of the Aminomian ErroursibMafter£^,one of the learned and Reverend J £^^T/w I £ fir- Comrciflfioners of the Church of Scotland t but that is on'y *•»*> *f *******? of the Independents, Brownilts and Chiliads. c Matter P*- g?f/, who relates more then any late Authors, but many of them areofth old Anabaptifts,andold Sectaries of other Countries rather then of the new and of this Kingdom. d Mr. WtU>, but his relation is chcifly d r^,Rj,Vn,aWr>,^ of the Familifts and Antinomians in New-England many f^ioftbeftmU^i- yeers ago. But this work as it fpeaks only of the Errours n^Dto***?'00*" and Opinions inprelent being and in £ngljnd, fo it difco- AMtf Difcovay <•/ Fe vers more then any one Book hath, of the Errours held * and maintained among us ; yea then all the Traftatcs extant have difcovered, many great Errours being in thisprefent Treatiic laid down, whichare rrot mentioned at all, neither by iheforenamed Authors, nor any other, fo that this prefent Difcourfe will be a further improvement of our knowledge of the Errours and wayes of the Sectaries of our times.
Thirdly, My intent in this work, is not to make a formal! confutation of thefe Errours and Opinions; I defigncd not that when I hrft reiblved the thing (that would be a long and great work, and not make good my prefent ends,) I hope the naming of them will be a fiifficient confutation, efpecnlly u ith the Ariiniadverlions,()bletvations, and Corallaries hereunto adjoyned : I have been a faithfull gatherer together aud ftorer up, Remembrancer and Treafii- rer of thefe Errours and Practices for the gcod of the publike, that I might in afitleafonbringoutof my trcafure thefe things, anddifcover thcfe monfters and rock?, th.it fb they might be of foire ufe to godly people, to make them afraid of forfik ing the publike AiTemblies, and joyning to feparatcd Chur ches where thefe monfters daily breed.
Fourthly, I here give the Reader a Syropfis of Sectarifme.ancl have drawn as is were into one Table, and do prefent at one view, the Errours and ftrange opinions fcattcred up and down, and vented in many Book?, Manufcripf, Ser mons, conference?, &c. and have difpokd them under cei tain heads, and rut them into their proper places, in a methodical I way for memories fake, that the Reader may the more eafi I y find them. The Reader cannot imagine I found them thus methodized and laid together, but confufedand divided) ly-
D ing
A Catalogue and Difcovery of
ing far afunder, one or two in one book, fome in another ; others in this ma- nufcript,others in that ; this errour vented at fuch a private meeting,that errour in fuch a Sermon, this opinion at fuch a conference : For many of thefe opini- ons,the very fame opinions and errours are maintained and held over and over in feverall books and manufcripts, fo that to have given them the Reader as I found them, would have been to have brought the Reader into a wildernefle, and to have prefented to publick view a rude and undigefted Chaos, with an freap of Tautologies,all which are carefully declined in this following difcourfe3 by joyning in one things divided and fcattered ; by relating but once one and the fame errour and practice, and by forbearing to lead the Reader thorow •woods, and over the mountains ; and in (lead of that, carrying him directly and prefently to the bird in the neft.
Fifthly, I lay down the opinions and errours in termini*, and in their owne v;ords andphrafcs fyllabically, as neer as potfible can be, or I can remember them ; and that as themfelves have expretfed them in books, manufcripts, fer- mons, conferences., which either are extant of their own fetting forth, or fet forth by other learned godly men in print, or as I have received them from credible fufficient witneifes. I doe not in this Catalogue and Difcovery alter the phrafes and words of the Sectaries, giving you their fenfe in other expref- fions ; nor fet down a Relation of their opinions by confequences and dedu- dions., imputing that to them which by con£equences may be drawn (for I
a Sentenr.Ciuorund,mPaft.Ealcr in Galli^ de pace' hold that an utljuft way of dealing
EccleH inter Evang. pro.ursndi. Nw in bsc ca»fa etiata With men,th.OUgh in errours) ; a yea,
atque etiam c&ver.dum exijiimamw : »e»zp rie Us qui the* mfln.r mpn mz\r hold nrtininnc wlirk
f^ipttm ,uen,ur, ea omnia mb»»muf*<l»* »obis ex ea manY mtn m*Y nO1 J Opinions, WHO
confequi v:deruitur , fecurJitm re3am dijjerendi ratio- yet fee not the COnfequenceS,nay ab-
mm. Fit enimftyemmero, ut qui piaapium tenet ex Uorrp rt,nrp rnnfeniipnrpc wtiirfi TTP*-
ytealiquidcHtcItUlMtr, Uem tamen id tufci* quod ex n°ne tnole COnieqUCncCS WHlCh yet
to coiiigitur. follow upon fuch premifles ; and
therefore though in a way of argument they may be prefled upon them to draw them off their errours, yet they may not be charged upon them : and therefore though in the fetting down of the errours and the things thereto anncxed,as Letters, fome phrafes and words may not be fo proper,nor fo good Englifh ; yet the Reader muft not be offended, becaufe I would relate things in their own words to take away all cavill.
Sixthly, For the proof and manifeftation of the truth and reality of the er rours, blafphemies and practices contained in this prefent Tractate, that the Reader may not reft upon my bare aflertion and relation of them, but may have other grounds of fatisfaction for their belief^nd fo be more affected with them, I propound thefe following particulars as grounds of proof.
i. That for divers of the opinions3errgurs and praftifes related,thcre is fuch
a noto-
;;; any Errours of iht Sectaries.
a notoriety of thcm,being To notorioufly known to thonfands,and maintained by thoufands, every day and every place witncffing the truth of them ; that to quote books written and fcrmons preached for them, or perfons holding them.is to lofe time ; and when all is allcdged that can be, 'tis far beneath the evidences that the mentioning of the things them felves give.
2. Many errours and blafphemies contained in this following Catalogue have been complained of, and particulars given in by fiifficiem perfons to the Parliament, Committees of Parliament, Ailcmbly of Divinc?,and others in au- thority,of which errours 1 have had either perfect copies given me from Mini- ftersboth of the Aft'embly and City, or relations from their mouths who have known particularly the ftory and truth of them, which copies I keep by mee to produce if need be, and out of which (amongft many other papers and books) I made up this Catalogue.
3 Some of the errours ,blafphemics and practices are proved and made ma- flifeft in the narration of the Stories and Letters following the Catalogue : \\herein the naming of fomc perfons, places, occafions of writing, the perlbns writ unto,their writing in a publick way,and not in a private manner, the \vil~ iingncfle to have them publiihcd, with many other concurrent circiunftances, do declare they arc not feigned nor counterfeited, but reall and certain.
4. Of fome of thefe errours and practices here related, 1 my fclf, and other perfons of good note and quality, have at the fame time together been car- ivitnefles and eye-witneflcs upon the places.
5. Other of thefe errours and opinions are in divers printed books, cither of the Sectaries thcmfdves, or of perfons of note and worth for learning and piety, who cither after conferences with them, or hearing them preach, upon certain knowledge have printed and attefted them to the world ; diverfe of which printed books, efpecially thofe made by the Sectaries, I quote upon the margent by the errours.
6. For any of the errours, blafphemies put in this following Catalogue, which have come to my knowledge by none of the former five waves above ipccified (which yet are not many) I have had the relation of them from godly Minifters,and underftandmg conscientious Chriftians,with many circumftances of names, places, conditions, timc,and confident afleverationsof the certainty of them, the relations coming to me by providence,arxi occi'ionally fpoken of in the hearing of others as well as my felfe, and fo delivered as there can be no reafon in the world to think they fhould be falfe, but much every way to be- Jeeve them true. And that the Reader may the more build upon the truth of all things delivered in this Book ; befidcs that account I have given him alrea dy in chefe f« parciculars, I lhall acquaint the Reader wich the courfe and way
D 2 I have
4 Caulogm and Difcoveryof
I have taken to cooie to the truth of things, and not to go upon hearfay . When any things of this nature have been related to me, though by perfons of wonh and conference,! have ufed to enquire of them,\vhether they were ear-witnefles or no- if not ear-witnefles, who they had the reports from, and how they came to know them, and where, and by whom, and upon what occafion thefe points were delivered? if they (aid they were ear and eye witncfles, yet if there were butonefinglewhnefle, Ihaveufedtoqueftion, uhoelfe was prefent? and to enquire after circumftances and occafions, and accordingly have gone toother perfons named, from one to ano:her, to find out the bottome and truth both of Opinions held, and pracTifes ufed 5 where I could with wifdome and probabi. lity go to finde ouc and knowthe truth, Ihavedoneit myfelfj and where my appearing might hinder the difcovery, and eaufe perfbns to be fhie and more referved, I have fet others to enquire , and directed them the way , and en- created them to aske fuch andfiich queftions, and after particular enquiry, ac cording to concurrence of circumftances and wicnefles, I have entertained fuch things for truth, or elfe received them as falfe/ or fufpended them as doubtful!, not to be aflerted : and that I might be the morefanhfall Relator of the opini ons and wayes of the Sectaries of this time , and know when and where to put more or kffe weight or credit upon informations and relations, I have a long time uftd to write down daily the lame day, yea the fame hour (when I could ^etopportuntyof privacie) the occurrences both of opinions and pra&ifes that concern our Se&aries, and that in fuch manner and way, that looking up. on my papers a yeer after, lean judge of what authority the relations are: and accordingly I have forborn to put into this Catalogue ofErrours, fbme ftrange Opinions I have heard of from good hands (chough they may be true ) becaufe I have not had the opportunity to meet with, and further to enquire of fbme perfbns concerning their truth 5 and becaufe fbme whom I have enquired of, could give me no further fatisfaftion. I have taken this way, to fatisfie ths Header, rather then all along in the feverall Errours, Blafphemies and Prafti- fes to lay down the particular proofs ; which I think the better way upon thefe following reafbns. L. Becaufe in many of the Errours, even contained under one and the fame head, the proofs to be given of the truth of the thing doth arife jmany wayes, from printed Books, from Manufcripts 5 from Sermons, from preaching in private boufes, from Articles given in by witnefles, and from o- thers relations; now to quote all thefe , with all particular circumftances of time, place, &c> whereby to make out a full proof, would be an endlefle work, and be fo long and tedious, that it would crofle one of my ends in this work, which is to have this Difcourfe but fhort, a Manual 1 that might be for every ones reading* 2. Becaufe fbme of thefe prrours an4Opinionscan.be proved
onty
many Err OH ft
only from Manufcripts, and relations of honeft perfons, who were ear witnef- fes, which Manufcripts are but in the hands of a few, unknown to moft of the Readers; and to make icferences to them, by quoting them in the margent, the Reader were never the neerer, and then every man is not willing to be named in Print, neither may I lawfully do it without their knowledge and leave; befides, that were the way for the future, to deprive my (elf of the knowledge of many opinions and praftifes, if I fhould print the names of every one that hath impar ted intelligence to me. 3. In this Catalogue of Errours, uuder one and the fame Errour (which for number I make but one, that I might not feem needlefiy to multiply Errours, and that I might contract things) yet under that one Er rour, there are more branches, it may be two or three ; now though one part or branch of fuch an Errour as the former part is exprefly fet down in Books that are in many hands, yet other branches are not, but only have been exprefc led by word of mouth : Now in fuch a cafe to quote Books, (peaking but to one part and not to the whole, might quefti on my faithfulnefle in all other par ticulars : unto thefe I could adde more, butthefe may fuffice.
7. Yet farther to fatisfie the Reader of the truth of things contained in this prefent Treatife^ and to flop the mouths of Sectaries, who will be ready to puc offall, by giving out, that this Book is full of lies and fables, I dahere offer(up- on condition that fome exemplary punifhment may pafle upon fome of the prime Seducers and heads of thefe Sects, and fome effe ft u all courfe taken for the future, to remedy and fupprefle thefe Errours) to make a legall proof by witnefles,and other concurrent circumftances of the moft notorious and grofleft matters (which may of all others feem moft queftionable) whether Errours, Blafphemics or Practices fet down in this following Catalogue.
Seventhly, I premife this for the Chriftian Reader to remember,and for pre venting miftakes in this work, that though I fet down andjoyn together all the following opinions in one Catalogue, becaufe they all agree in uno tertio in that common notion of Errour, yea all agree in Independency, and inforfaking the communion of the Reformed Churches: yet I am far from thinking themaH alike. A Scholar that makes a Catalogue of Books, writes down Decimofextor as well as Folios in it, becaufe they be allBooks,and yet puts a great deal of dif ference between the one and the other;fo do I not withstanding I put them toge ther. All the Errours reckoned up arc not of the fir ft magn itude, nor in the high*, eft form; fome are fundamental! Errours, overthrowing the foundation di- f ettly, many by confequence and deduction; others are f uperftruft ures , build ing upon the founda: ion hay,ftraw and ftubble : I put a wide difference between ft fimple pure Independent, yea a fimple Anabaptift, who only holds that opini* onofdenyingPcedubaptjfmgj and between an Arian, AnmrinhariaD^ Anti-
(cripturiftj*
8 A Catalogue and Difcovwy of
lcripturW,PerfecVi!t : Again,! put a difference betvv-en erroneous perfons chat erre out oHgnorance, weakneffc, and are feduced, following thofe opinions in Simplicity of- heart (as Corns people did Al>(bhm) and are peaceable keeping their opinions allb to themfdves.and fuch perfons as are wilful feducerSjthe heads and leaders of Faction, who make it their work to difturb the peace of the Church, and to fubverc fouls. In all this difcourfe I detire to chink of Juie 2 2.23 . Andof fome have compjjfim, making a difference' and others fave with fear^ulling tbem^&c. Eighthly, I defire to forewarn the Chriftian Reader , and do earncftly be- feech him for bis own good, that he be not offended, nor hindred from beleev- ing the truth, and laying to heart the particulars laid down in this enfuing Treatife, no not by all the clamours, reproaches that may be caft upon my Book and perfon : It cannot be expefted, but that Satan and the Sectaries will make ic their work,by all wayes poflible to blaft this Book,to keep from reading and be- leeving it, as they ufed all wayes to reproach my laft Book,and to keep Chrifti- ans all they could from reading itrBlind and erroneous zeal is violenrand what it wants in argumentf,it will make up in clamours,lyes3and (peaking all manner of evil falfly of them that difcoverSc lay it open>as* Lather
a Mundus non poEeftfer- - . , ' ,. . it- V • n. t j
reurCuadamnentur .- igi- (peak?; the world cannot bear that the things ot it fhould rur ex omni parte odia.,in- j-,e condemned, therefore from every part hatreds, treache-
Iidiij calamnis. malcdiiSa . . . J .,. ~ . . c i rr t
congerunturadopprimen- iNes, calumnies, cvill I peakings are heaped toopprene that dam hanc doftriaam & Doftrine, and thofe Teachers who oppofe it : Andthere-
edottores hos. f . ' - T ... , f* ... . .
fore let them fpeak evill as long as they will, and give out 'tis a railing lying peece$ yet let me (peak to the Reader, as the ApoiUe doth, I Thef. 3. 3,4. That no man fauld be moved by tbefe ajfliftiont^for we told yott be fore, that VPZ fiould fafftr tribulationteven at its come topajjet and ye ktiorp : fo now I tell you before, that when you hear of all kind of reproaches, ye may not be offended, John 16. i.
Now the (econd particular under this firft generall head, is to remove two (tumbling blocks out of the way, to give an anfwer to two objections that may be made againft this preftnt work.
i . Objeft. It may be fome will objecT: and fay, Ic is not (eafonable nor con venient to difcover our nakednefle and weakncfle (b far to the common enemy, it were better concealed , the enemy will make an advantage of it : TeQit not In Gatb,pMblifl> it not in the fleets of Askglon$ieft the daughters of the Philijiines re* Joyce, left the daughters of the uncircumcijed triumph. 2 Sam. i. 20,
Anf. The prevailing of Herefies and Se&s among us, is not now to be di/cc*^ vered and publifhed to the world : It hath not been all this time kept within our own walls, and known only to our (elves, but hath been a long time known abroad, and at home, and hath been declared by divers others, both in writing
and
man) Errwrf of the StQorier
and preaching before now : fo that I (hall not divulge any fecret co the com mon enemy : all that I do is but to draw them into one, that we may fee them as it were at once : our Errours and Schifms are fpoken of far and near by ene mies and friends. How many Sermons have been preached beforethe Honoura ble Houfesof Parliament, and in other publike places fpeaking of the Errours of the time, which have been alfb printed long (inceby command of Authority, and expofed to the view of all ? Many Learned men have given a Catalogue of ieverall Errours, as Mr. Gxtakfr of many Antinomian Errours, Mr Bailj one of the Commiffioners of ScotJjndof other Errours, and DfFeatlyy Mr P^get, with fome others: In Books upon all occ*fions,'tis ; confefed t M> Colemans by men of' fcverall judgemcns, and denied bynone3 that we have many great Errours amongft us : many Er- rouri have been complained of to the Houfes of Parli- ana o^iom that the armnt, Committees, A&mb'y, and examined/poken * of in the presence of many ; befides that fbme Errours a re vented, even of the grofleft fort in Print, as in Pilgrimage of Saints, Bhudy Tevet, sJMgrtaltty of the fouly Afjn of finne dijcovtnd, cum mnltit aliit : Yea, (bme of the Sectaries have in their writings publidied and acknowledged, there arc many forts of Opinions among us, hence taking occaQon to wrke for a Toleration of all , as Anabap- tifts, Antinomians, eK. and the great Hiftorian and Chronicler of the Seftariea (the Moderate Inttlligtncer }Num.^ d.who writes their lives and deaths,and crum pets forth their victories and praiies Co immoderatly as if they did all: and hath published to the world^fome weeks ago, that there are twenty feverall opinions in the Army; and hath pleaded more then once for liberty of confcience for them all j fo that I by writing in this kind of the Errours of the time, cannot be guilty of difcovering our nakedneflejthe enemy having known fo much before. But why ftand I to prove that our Herefics and Schifms are openly known in E?g/<w4f,when as their (bund is gone into all Lands.into HolIand^alan^France, yea to Nw-Eagl*nd1 The Wtlacbrian Clartis, in their Letter to the London Sy nod complain much of Hercfies, Schifms 3 Errours, confufions in Religion Spreading in the City, which by fuch an exprerte, holy and facred oath is bound to God to caft out all Errours, Hcrefies, Scifmsout of the houfeof God. c M^ny Letters have been written over into En- c Confirm, guarund. ccntrwrf. JIGU-: land out of Holland, from Minifters and Profef- *MM.»Me Epift* *<* •$>»«/. Load.
f r /• L i / f/i/T-r>i i J «(bcent renfctemi* vefir*, quomodo em*
lOUrS 01 fcnOOlS (mtn ZealOUtly affected tO the r.e^ref^mgentuinultum^rmnti^ulti-
caufe of the Parliament) complaining of the f^f^f^^'^^^^fi^^
T? oft. Jr. I.-/- n° i-i F°> jna eir>>r^rn degmata faffim tn
trrOUrS, bettS and SchllmS amongit US, WhlCb
have been communicated to fomo prime me** bersot the Affembly and others. New- England *»*(«. e
much of the Herefks, Errours, and all forts of S,e&s amongft us,
wondring
IO A Catalogue and Discovery of
c Nen> England at fuek a dtftnce knorces not fa c WOndrfng that the AfleiTlbly (tlffers
"^r^X^"---^"** 'he™' ^dchacchcydonotftirre up the
dNew -Emends lamentation, for Old Enjlands Parliament tO fuprefie them* d Mr She-- prefer erwrt.JltrmeJ; Letter of U. Sbepards. ^/ Letter written from thence, fteWCS
their knowledg of the herefies, errours and fefts amon-gft us, fb that our er- rours and fchifmes fb publikely known to the world, cannot be concealed from 0x/0ftJ.Seeing then there are To many errours and monfters of opinions fpoken of in all places, I cannot be taxed for the difcovery of thar which was before concealed, but in this work am only a gatherer together of tbofe errours that were (battered, which by Gods bleffing may be ameanes to keep many from falling into fchifme feeing fuch monfters in that way, and to caule many to re- turne, when they finde that they never dreamt of nor intended.
Secondly fuppofing our errours to be known, which is fully proved in my firft Anfwer, I then Secondly fay, 'tis fofarre from being unleafbnable and in convenient, that 'tis moft neceflary, that (bme Miniflers, who are friends to the Reformation, and 2ealots for the parliament, (hould Jay them open to the full, by teftifying againft them and difclaiming thcm,that (b our enemies may not fay, wee favour and countenance them ; and one of my great ends in this Traftate, istotakeaw^yoccafion from the common enemy to blafpheme the Reforma- cion^and fpeak ill of the Parliament, by our not owning them, butfpeaking as much againft herefie, fchifme and all errours as any of them can.
Thirdly, I anfwer, we (hould be fo farre from being afraid to give the com mon enemy advantage,by (peaking againft herefies and errours, that on the con trary I may fay, we have no fuch enemies, as thofe perfons, that broach and fpread their herefies and damnable opinions : the(e are our enemies which wee have cauie to fear more then all the Cavaliers3the(e are the Ackansjhe accurfed perfons, and things which are moft likely to undo us 5 and if ever the Parlia ment and their party be ruined fwhich God prevent ) it will not be (b much by the Cavaliers, they could not have done it, buttheherefiesjblafphemiesand fchimes of fome among our (elves will caufe it; and therefore the finding of theie out,and labouring to have the(eremoved3 is a work of great importance to the faving of the Kingdom, and of great prejudice to the common enemy, whofe hopes and confidence are much more placed in our herefies, prodigious opinions and fchifmes, then in their own ftrength.
2, Ob. As this book will give occafion to open the mouthes of enemies, fb ic may caufe diftra&ions and divifions among our (elves, weaken the hands of many who are cordiall to the Parliament, apprehending themfelves to be writ ten againft ; befides this may offend many good perfons that are not feftaries, especially that Independents mould be put into this Cataloguejand ranked with all forts of hereticks and fchifmatick?.
many Errourt of the Sectaries. II
•i. lanfwer cothis, asLtf^-w-didin an Epiftle othisto Sp*i*titnu upon a like occafion 5 Spalatiituwoidd not bave had Lather at fuch a time to have wric againftthePapifts, forfeare-ofdifturbing the publike peace : to whom Luther thus replies, Thatf excellent indeed, thattbou tbinkgjlitnot fit tobavttbepubli'ke peace dijlurbcd, andyetjttdgeftitfittobwc the external peace ofGoddifauitttd^not foOSpolrtine. Shall the grievous wolves come freely to the flock, not ("paring them ; and if the c!oggs barke to give warning of them , (ball they be faid to di- fhirbethe peace, and caufe diftra&ions? Brethren, things are come to a good paffejttnt heredcks and f.ftaries muft do what they pleafe^nd if any courfe be taken by preaching, writing, petitioning, to remedy it.'tis given out by Sefta- ries, 'tis a plot to make di vifion, difcourage the Army, difturbe the peace. I fay no more,if this be to preferve union and peace, and to be cordiall to the Parlia ment, to let hereticks and fcftaries do what they lift, preach, ivrit, fpread their errours,deflroy many fouls, and no man muft fay, what do they ? curled b^ that iiniori,peace and affeftion to the Parliament. ^Tis c LutloerM b cpift> aa GaUtt Mjjew
a golden faying of LMtber > and Worthy tO bee didbfi: rharitas ouz fervatur cum
thought of iothefe times; C*rf«t I, ,hat charity vobicb u f(ept with the lojfi of the dittrine of faith, to rrhicb all Mng, m£h, „ &, fhet, Cbsri.y, an A- piflb, an Anve.llj'rom Htaven,* yea.and I will add, '««»<»« '« haz*.dauffr tkefiftty of tt*
Parliaments Reformed Religion and dot.lrtr.etf pith.
Anfo. 2. If in fuch a time as this, and fuch a cafe, when by many perfons all the things of God are laid wafte and made null, Church, Minifter, Sacraments, Scripcures.and whatnot > men will be offended for fpeaking,let them, 'tis bet ter they mould be offended, then the glory of Chrift mould fuffer • 'tis an of fence taken,and not given ; Chrift cared not in that cafe that i he Pharifees were offended, Mat.i^. 12. 13. 14. I wonder they are not offended at the herefies and errours daily broached3 and yet mould be offended at the discovering and Ipeaking againft them. I have more caufe to be offended at this ob/eftion o£ theirs, and their lukewarmenefTe : wo be unto them that broach thefe errours, and to thofe that countenance them, for every phut which my bewenly Father krtb notplan'edyfyal'.ke rooted up.
4nfn>. 3. I name not thefe things to provoke and exafperate any, e/pecully none of thofe who in fimplicity of heart, and under pretences of greater holi- nefle and new light, are taken in thefe wayes ;( for as I have writ before, fb I fay again,! put a great difference between Independency ftriftly and properly fo cal'd^and many other feftaries^and bet ween thofe who are turbulent Sei nes, and meerly feduced) but I write this Tra&ate to preftrve many tendec cpnfciences from falling, by giving warning to them beforehand, as Cbri$ 24» 23,24. 25.26. chat they may fear, and tremble, and look tq E them-
12 A Catalogue and Difcowrj of
themfelves, as allbthatl might brand errours and falfe do&rine top well thought o%and too kindly delt with in thefe times.
dnf, 4. I may jaftifie the ranking and joyning of Independents with otner fefhries, not only becaufe all the fe&aries the ugh never fovild, are Indepen dents, agreeing in that opinion of Independencie 5 as alfb all the fe&aries., the worftofthem ( even thofe who deny the Scriptures, the Divinity of Chr.ift,e^c,) do (sparace ff om the Church of Evglaa-d, reKifing communion with her in the Sacraments and other Ordinances as the Independents da, butbecaufethe In dependents do joy n themfelves with the other fe&aries adhering to them, and to this day have never flood as a divided party from them, but upon allocca- iions have and do make one common body with ihem,to hold together againft the Orthodox and Presbyterians : I am able to give many inftances of many of the Independents.,both Miniften and people, pleading for the Anabaptifts, An-., tinomians and other fcftaries, that they might be tolerated as well as them felves ; and upon all occafions of complaints againft feverall fe&s, fiding with them to bring them off 5 yea , their joyning together in choiie of Burgeffes for Parliament , ancjin divers other matters againft the Presbyterians j asalibin doling together in Church- fellow mi p, Independent Churches admitting of and continuing Anabaptifisj Antinomians to be members ; befides not cenfiiring vild fe£tarks Cas Seekers) who have fallen from their Churches : (b that I do the Independents no wrong to put them in the fame Catalogue with other, fe&aries, themfelves having in fo many particulars gone hand in hand with them : but that which is the fulleft demonstration of all other >is this. The fefta- ries beingnow hot upon the getting of a Toleration, there were fbme meetings lately in the City, wherein tome perfbns of the feverall fe&s, fome Seeker?, lome Anabaptiile3 fbme Antinomians, fomeBrownifts,fome Independents met; fome Presbyterians alfo met with them, upon their defire the bsiter to under hand what they would have • the intent of which meeting was^to confider how: all thefe might have the liberty of their way and practice in this Kingdom^and !» perfwade the Presbyterians to be willing toit,andtohelpetoeffeftitfor them : now the refult of thefe meetings was, that all thefe feverall fe&s were agreed and held together for pretended liberty of conference, the Independents as well as theothers holding together with the reft of the ftft?, asbuckleand thong 5(0016 profefTmg at one of the meetings, it was the fin ofthis Kingdom that the Jewes were not allowed the open profeflion and exercife of their reli gion amongft us ; only the Presbyterians diflented and oppofed it. And much about the fame time that this meeting was in London^ in another p?ace fbme of thebeftofthe Independents, were not aftamed to move for a Toleration, no? only for themfeives, butaJlothw of the fcft» that agreed in fundamentals againft Popery,
The
13
THefecond partofthis Traftate, and indeed theprindpall (to the better undemanding whereof the firft pare tended, and upon which alfothe third and laft is grounded ) P-ts down the Catalogue it felf, containing many Er- roUts, Blafphemies and Praftifesof the feftariesofthis time, together with a Narrative of fome remarkable PafTages and ftories ; as alfb, fbme Letters, and an extract of Letters concerning the prefent Scfts. Now the Errours, Herefies, Blafphemies in this Catalogue particularized, may be referred to fmeen heads or forts Of S.jftarie?,,as namely, i . Independent?. 2. BrowniuV. g.Chiliafls^or Millenaries. 4. AntinomiaiK. 5. Anabaptilis. 6. Manirvfterians or Armini "5ns. _7. Libertines, 8. r1 amilfft57~p7^Entrmfiafts. TO. Seekers and Waiters. TTPeitlcYtfts. 12. Socinians. 13. Brians. i\. Ar]tiTrTnt^rian?.~T^.
fcrlpturilfs. 1 6. kcepticks ana i^asiiioniitr^wno queltion every thing in roar "^ters of Religion ; namely, all the /uricles cf F"aith,and fidt Principles ofchri- ftian Religion, holding nothing positively norcertainly3 faving the doftrine of pretended liberty of confcience for all,and liberty of Prophesying. And in one or other of thefe lixceen formes, may all the Errours an J Blafphe mies reckoned up in the fallowing Catalogue be well placed, and unto one of thefeheads ea- lily reduced ; yea, for many of thefe errours, the very fame are held not only by one for( of the furcnamed fefts, but by divers cf them. And I dcfire to commend to the Readers ferious and fad confideration} three particulars concerning the erroure and feftsofthis time j and th- rather, becaufe they were not fo common to the fefts in the ages before, at leaft nor the two firft. i. That amongall thefe (brts of ftfts and (eftaries, there are hardly now to be found in Er-ghtti ( for to thisKingdonij and to thefe four laft years do I confine my felf all along in this dilcourfejany feft thats fimple and pure, and nor mixr and compounded, that is, any feft among them all) which holds only the opinions and principles of its own Way, without enterfering and mingling with the errours of other feels ; as for example,whcrecan a man finde a Church of fimple Anabaptifbpr fimple Antinorrtians, or fimple pure Independents, each of them keeping to thefe own principles, as Anabapriftsto Anabaptifrnp, Independents to Independen-' cie,and holding no other ? but rather do we not fee by experience, t hat both the leverall kinds of fec*ts,an^ moft peffons of each kinde, are compounded of many, yea,fjm:ofall : One and" the fame fociety of perfons in otir times-, being bbth Anabaptifticall, Antinomiart, Manifeftariart, Libertine, Socinhir, Millenary,- Independent, EnthufiafHcall ? yea, among the Independents (who ate of all the reft accounted beft) where can any man flieW me an Independent Church ftricl:- ly fb called, or a man of them hardly,who fymbolizes not with the other fefts, holding befide rndependency, neither the opiriibrJsoftheCbiliafls,rjorofthe Libertines, nor other ftrange opinions! TheAfmy that is fo much fpoken of upon all occasions in the news Books, Pulpit?, Conferences, to be Independent
E 2 (though
Catalogue and Difcaveryof
("though I conceive upon good information, that upon a true mufter of the whole. Commanders and common fouldiers, there would not be found above one in fix of chat way) yet of chat Army3card by the feftaiies, Independent, and of that pare of it which truly is io, I do not ibink there are 50. pure Indepen dent s,but higher flown, more Seraphicall fas a Chaplain, xv ho know swell the ftateofthat Army, expreiled it) made up and compounded ofAnabapdfme, AntinomianifmejEnthufiafrne, Arnrinianifrne, Familifme3all thefe erroursand more too (bruetimes meeting in the fame perfbns, ftrange monfters, having their heads of Enthufiafrne, their bodies of Antinomianifme, their thighs of Fami'ifrne, their leggs and feec of Anabaptifme, their hands of Arminianifrne, and Libeninifme as the great vein going thoro\v the whole j in one word, the great Religion of that fort of men in the Army, is liberty of confcience, and liberty of preaching. But heretofore, both in times more ancient and latter, and in other Countries,feverall (efts kept themfelves more to their own proper tenets, without that generall confuflon of each running into all, as the Arians, Novae ians and others, in the firft fix hundred years, and the Antinomians in Lutbers time. Secondly, That all thefe forts of fcfts, how different foever, yea and contrary to one another in many principles and opinions, yet all agree in thefe times in (eparating from our Church, refufing comunlonin our publike .Affemblies, and in difallowing the authoritative power of Clafles and Synods ; all the fefts, yea the worft of them, as the Antifcriprarifts, Arians, Antitrinita- rians, Perfeftifts, being Independents and Separatists ("though all Independents and Scparatifts be not Arians, Antinomians, #r.)which deferves the more to be thought on, because in the Primitive times , fame heriticks ard feftaries would, have been glad of communion in warfhip with the Orthodox; ,»Theodoret.H«et. Fabul- ( a Anws defired to be received into the Church of Alex- fffcfcC4p.de.Aria. andria again, and made fuch friends to CoKftantixe, that
upon his pretending repentance, he commaflded Alexander th^ Bilhop ofAIex- attdria, to give him the hand of fellowflbip and to admit hiro)as alfo they appro ved of the power of Synod sand Councels,comming unto them. TheArians5 Donatift&and other Sectaries held many Councels, as that o{Tyrw,4ntioibiat the firft Gouncel olCartbtge'm Conftantines dayes ; of thde and many more we read of in Ecckfiafticall Hittories, I never read of any Independent Minifter in all the Primitive Churches (no not amongft the SeftariesJ for the firft fix hun dred years, lave only in the dayes of Attrelita Bifhop of Carthage, who living in, the6ftCemury 3 in an African Synod and Councel held at Carthage declares;
r™ a fa There are many who confpiring with their
fe Codex Canonum EecleH Akncanx.5J. Can. a •/ , ff
ctuiftoph. juftello. sunt enim P-lcriq; confpirantes own proper people vebo they dd decewejcratcb-
pkbibus propriis, quas decipiunt,ut diflu^ eft, . ^ y ^^y earef and With fair /beeches m fcalpantesaures, blandi ad feducendnnvvi- % 6 » . J Jf
- fedrtcwg) nMtofaloeJehfe, or rawtr puffed
cum earum
many Errours of th& S€&aries. 1 5
ftpi fgparating tLemfelveS from this fodfty, fortiofeparit-jqui putant propriarplebi incubsn. i • L +1 ,,.(lA*t0nA*ntlntivt\vx)Yitirn- dum,& nontmnquaroconverii ad Concilium veni-
in{ they mufl attend to their own p. a- ^ dc>traaant . j£ forte ne proddutar flagitia me
L *i • L +1 ,,.(lA*t0nA*ntntivt\vx)Yitirn- um, nontmnquarocneri
vtk* tbin{ they mufl attend to their own p. a- ^ dc>traaant . j£ forte ne proddutar^ flag ptr people* and being open called to the Conn- tuemes. The words »» the Greece fJt $ celjefttfe to come along, It ft their abfitrdities V0i yx TW TA T«W *ToariW]a
- «•« <«*>
and novdties fhould be ^covered and m*de
J. n , J .. i. j
mantfef} agamft whom Aurelitts moved,
that they might be deprived of all authority over their proper people , or rebellto»r and difordtrtyy which wasconfented to and voted by the whole Synod, faying placet, placet. Thirdly, That for the errours and opinions laid down in this Catalogue, fome are contrary aud contradictory to others of them, fo that ma« ny of thefe errours fight among themfel ves ; this indeed is one great diffe rence between truth and errour?that truth though it be con- Bonum noncft contrarium bona, trary toerrour, yet one truth is never contrary to a- *^&&£^S£ nother, truch is one and unifonne • but many errours cft unum, roendacimn vcromahf- are not only contrary to truth, but to errours alfb ; P'6* yea fome of theie errours are mod contrary to what ever could have been ex* pe&ed ; many of the perfons \yho hold thefe opinions being fallen into fome of the errours of Popery, Amnnianifm,Libertinifme and thofe of the groffeft lore, (as the Reader in the Errours hereafter named may more eafily perceive) which they (poke fo much againft heretofore, and for fear of which camming in upon us, they firft began to forfakethisChurchjfo that they have wheeled & wheeled about Co long on the right hand, that they are perfectly come round to the lefc«
Tks Catalogue oftlx Errottriy Herefief, Btafpbemief) is as follows* i. T* Hat the Scriptures cannot be faid to be the word of °f **• scnpw,. vide
11 ^.i • n i ,. ttetnd frtnte* Letter-
A God ; there is no Word but Chrilt , the Scnpures „,/£• eoffj eftJtnicfa.
<y
are a dead letter , and no more to be credited then the writ- tings of m^n.noc divine,but humane invention.
2. That the Scripture, whether a truemanufcriptor pdCT^;««m«w Pi?grim.ofc" no, whether Hebrew, Greek or Englim,is but humane, saint$3iy. uwr. ciarckfon. and fo not able to discover a divine God. Then where M your command to make that your Rule or Difcipline, that cannot reveal you God, nor give you power to waike with God > (b that Chrift letting out himlelf as he is in him* &If,ought to be a Chriftians Rule in obedience to bi'mlelf.
3. Thatthe Scriptures are unfafficient and uncertain, there is no certainty to build any D jftrine upon them,they are not an infallible foundation of faith;'
4.- As the condition of*s4dam, Noah, Abrabam^ CMofet, &c. was, that they did walke with God by the teaching of God, fo is ours : that is not to limic Chrift to AdtKyNoab, Abraham, Mofes,T>avid, John and the Difciples, As they vverenoc to tye God co any things before ttarn recorded, but each of them
E 3 had
1 6 A Catalogue avd Discovery of
L_ I III __ . • ' • . - •"-*
had a new record •, fo are not we to limk God in the generall records of thofe paths, but wait upon him in she enlargement of the Gofpell what he will re cord you jand far be k from me EO conclude either in Doftrine or pra&ife, that half of his glory is revealed aisyetr As that I ftould endofe Chrift in fucha THgrim. of ftiall compafle as we have recorded: though I re/oyce to understand it in the Searching thereof, yet prefiing toward the marks for the price of the high calling ofGod, waiting what he will record in my heart, and in that me. afore worfhiphirain fpirit and truth from the teaching of the Spirit.
5. That ihs holy writings and fayings of Mfis and the Prophets, of Chrift and his Apoftles, and the proper Names, Persons and things contained therein are Allegories, and thefe Allegories are the myftery and fpirimall meaning of them.
6. That the Penmen of Scripture,every one of them, writ as rhemfllves cctH ceived,they were the actions of their own fpirit • and for what is {aid they ivere moved by the holy Ghoft, that was no other Spirit then that which moved them to writ and (peak other things, for in him we live and move and have our - being.
7. That the Script ures of the old Teftarnent, do aot conceme nor binds Chriftians now under the new Teftament : fa that when places of Scripture are brought out of the old Teftament to prove Points, many S^ftaries make (light of them, and fay, Give us a text out of the new,we are ignorant of the old ; and hereupon fbme of them do not binde the old Teftament with the new, nor read it.
8. That right Reafon is the rule of Faith, and that we are to beleeve the Scriptures, and the Doftrine of the Trinity3Incarnation, Refurreftion, fofar as we {ee them agreeable to reafon, and no farther.
9. That the new Tefhment3nor no place of Scripture in it, binds any further then the Spirit for prefent reveales to us that fuch a place is the Word!ofGodi
10. To read Scripture in Englimtoamixc Congregation without prefent expounding it, is dangerous, and wor/e then to read icinLatine ; for in Latinei as it doth no good, (b it doth no harme.
of GOD. l !• ThatGod hath a hand in, and is the Author of
. Comfort for Be- thefinfullnefle of his people ; that he is the Authour 4wS$- not of thofe Aaions alone, in. aod with which fin is, it. but of the very Pravity, Ataxy 9 Anomy , Irregularity
and finfullneffe it felf which is in them.
12. That all Lyes come forth out of the mouth of God. b Thefir/i branch of thh Errouri* vertatfo ^- b Tis the will and command of God, that
in Bloody Tenet, inthe Preface. fiuCQ- the Coming of Wfi Son the Lord JefuS, 3
perrniilionofthemQftPaganifti, Jewi^> Turkiih, or Antichriftian confciences
and
many Errourt of the Seftariet. 1 7
andworftripbt granted to all men in all Nations and Countries: and they are only to be fought againft with the fword of Gods Spirit, the word of God- and for the Parliament tonfe any civ ill coercive meanes to compell men of different judgments one of the greateft fins that can be named, 'cis committing a greater rape, then if they had forced or ravilhed the bodies of all the women inthe world. d Yeajif it be mens consciences, the Migi« d Loft t^t tab bum jfak(niy ft rate may riot puniuY for blaiphemies, nor for deny ing fime «»?»«* stitarii,. * f fie Scriptures,nor for deny ing there is a God.
14, Thacnonwn was caft into hell for any fin, but only becaufe God would have it fo.
15, Th^t a man had life before God breathed into him, and that which God breathed into, him was part of the divine Eflence, aodfhall returne unto God again,
\6t That we mould think of our felves no better then was meet, for God loves the creatures that creep upon the ground as well as the beft Saints; and there is no diftance between the flefti of a Man,and the flefh of a Toad. ^17. That the prince of the. ayr that rules in the children of difobedknce is God 5 and that there is no other fpirit but one , which Spirit is God.
18. That God hath not decreed all the actions of men, becaufe men doing what God decreed, do not fin.
1 9. That God was never angry nor difpleafed with man 5 for if he were ever difplealed and pleafed again, then there is a changeabfenefle in God.
20. That God loved net one man more then another before tne world, nei ther is there an abfokte particular Qleftioti, bus only ^nerall and conditionall upon perfeverance ; and the Scripture no where fpeaks of Reprobates or Re- probation.
21. That the foul dies w«h the body, and all things (hall have an end* but God only, (hall remain for- even.
22. Every creature in thefirft creation was God, and every creature is God, every creature that hath life and breath being an efflux from God, and (hall re- rurne into God again,be fwallowed up in him as a drop is in the ocean.
23. That to a faving knowledge of God.it fufficeth „
not to know him in the book of nature - nor fscondly Zg^&S^t as revealed in the holy Scriptures; but that weiuuft fo*/™"'^"" <///.-«»> we. know him as abftraft from his mercies and all his attributes.
24. That in the Unity of the God- head there is not a Trinity ofPerfons, pi^t the Doftrine of the Trinity beleevedand profefTed in the Church of God3 «aPopi(h tradition and a Dod^ineof Rome.
2=j. There are not three diftinft Perfons in the Divine Eflence,buc only three Offices 5 the Father, Son and holy Ghoft are not three Perfons,but Offices.
26. That
A Catalogue and Difcovery of
vitc proof »ftim in thefirjiLemr. 26. That thercis buc one Pdrfbn in the Divine nature,'
of CHRIST. 27. That JefusChrift is not very God, not God tflen-
vide fits priof of tki, 3 in the tially, but nominally, not the eternall Son of God by
eternall generation, no otherwife may he be called the Son of God but as he was man.
28, That Chrifts humane nature is defiled with originall fin as well as ours, Chrift had from the birth to his death the fame originall corruption as ours, he
Vide potfofM, M thefrjl Let- t°°k OUr ffQ ™° hi$ ^^ ™ wdl 3S OUr flefll Upon
ier,andin the fourth Letter, and him : Chrift is not of a holier nature then we • butin '*"'"*> MlS- ^this appsares Gods love to us, that he will take one
of us in the fame conditition, to convince us of what he is to us, aid hath made us to bain him : me thinks the beholding of Chrift to be holy in the flemisa difaonour to God, in that we mould conceive holinefie out of God,and again a dilcomfort to the Saints, that he thould be of a more holy nature then they, as being no ground for them to come neer with boldneflk to God.
of tin, » jn JLntcU: gw Z9- Tfa« jwedid look for great matters from one ft o» Thomas Webb, and crucified at Jerufalem 1 6 hundred yeares ago, but that ird fritted Letter. doeg us no gOOdjit muft be a Chrift formed in us, the
deity united to our humanity, Chrift came into the world to live thirty two years,and to do nothing cHe that he knew, and blefled God he never trufted in acrufified Chrift,
30. Chrift was true man when he created us : yea from eternity, and though he had not fleft,yet was he very man without flcft.
31. That Chrift died for all men alike, for the reprobate as well as for the demand that not only fuffidently, but eflfc&ually, for Judat as well as Ptter, for the damned in hell as well as the Saints in Heaven.
32. That by Chrifts death, all the fins of all the men in the world, Turk?, Pagans, as well as Chriflians committed againft the morall Law and firft Cove nant, are a&ually pardoned and forgiven, and this is the everlafting Goipel.
33. That Cbrift did only fatisfie for the fins againft the firft Covenant, buc not for the fins againft the fecond Covenant, as unbelief he died not for the uu- jbelicfofany.
34. Chrift died only for finspaft, i.e. before the Gofpel is revealed to the finner, and the fins of men committed after converfion Chrift died not for, buc they are pardoned by his being a continuall facrifice,
35. Every man Satisfies for himfelfe for the fins againft the fecond Cove- mnt,namely unbelief: becaufe hethat beleeves not,the wrath ofGod abides up on him j fo that for a years unbelief a man beares a years wrath, and this is all
the latisfacYlOn God requires. Vifefirji printed Letter fir proof.
3 6 . That no man (hall perilh or go to hell for any fin but unbeleef only.
37. Tfaac
of the Sectaries. 19
37. That the Heathen who never heard of Chrift by the Word, have the Gofpel j for every creature, as the Sun, Moon and Scars preach the Goipel to men, and in them is revealed the knowledge of Chrift crucified, and fin par- doned,if they had eyes to fee it.
38. Thole Heathenthat perifti., doperifti only for not belccving according to the Gofpel they enjoy.
3?, a Chrift did not by hisdeathpur- ***rtK&*>\s<rm.cirijiibe effect tkeca*/e*f it*
t_ r ff J r • c M / tovetfGfilip.A 7tVidcv4ttimaJontbc4Ltntr which
cnaieureand fa.vationrora l,nonortor wtif»t^etbtiieade^b»recbnfli,botk thef,uit*K<t the e'eft:For it was not the end of God the c?*fe '/ GWt {<•"«;«*' «'>A «•'«•/ in fact ignorant
i • c x->U •/! L r 'BtchMict(t M Hooiun^anjejrjm not btin,' Me tod't-
in tnC COmmg Ot Cnnlt tO pUrCrUie Jtinguijh tire caufei of our ^jii^cathn <tnli Salvation.
Jove and life; but Chrift hiillfelf Was ^fi^^fifrmtcaufetit the unJeferVe4 grace arJ
l_ /• j !_• i i i . t J'vatftf(je4ytl}eiatvinganaattntontitti:auje,iire*
purcnaled by love, that nee might de*pint#tnc6Brili«intierck*fid*jCbrift'itkci»-
make out love and purchafe us to ^T?rf"/lIP*l>rf5;-l*t/T " W':'.4' !' '?'
bloud c/ Cbrjn \tht pntjyi tht gh<y tf Ged in tt:e <U- lOVe. cjtntitn tfkii tigbteoujneffi anJfttttf^liuffe.
40. b Chrift Icfas came into the world to whnefle fcvi;f>«'^ Litter pr^f. and declare the love of God tons, nor to procure it for u?, or tofatisfie God (as tome fay J Chrift was a moft glorious publisher of the Gofpel, he was fent top reach the Gofpe!, to heal the broken hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives : in all that Chrift faith to be the end of his coming, is not a word men tioned of any thing done by him in way of fatisfying God. Chrifts coming was more like a conquerour to deftroy the enemy in our nature, and fo to convince us of the love of God to us,by deitroying in our nature that which we thought ftcod between God and us.
41. J That the unftionwh'ch the S.iints are faid to /PJU| H°:>£U$ gem* imit.
42. That Chriit was a Icgall Preacher, for till after his Afcenfion the Go- foel was not preached* Chritt lived in u dark time, and fo he preached thc'Law, but atterwards then the Gofpel came to be preached.
43 That Chrift (hall come and live again upon the earth , and fora thou- ^nd years reign v.fibly as an earthly Monarch over all the world, in outward $ory and pomp, putting down all Monarchy and Empires.
.J4. IhitwhenChnftinh'sownperfonhathfLibdaedthedifobedient Na tions, then Church of the jews and Gentiles (hall live without any diftur- i?n(?f;' ? ^ W1 " °r wlthout ic : al! Chriitians (hall live without fin, without the W ord, Sacraments, or any Crdinance,they Hiall palTe thofe thousand ycers in worldly ; delights, begetting many children, eating and drinking and enjoy- ing all lawfull pleafures which all the creatures then redeemed from their an cient flavery can afford,
?. That
2O A CatAlogue and Difcoverj of
4 5. That men may be faved without Chriil , and the very Heathens are fa- ved, if they £rve God according to the knowledge God hath given them , though they never heard ofChrift,
46. 1 hat the leaft Truth is of more worth then Jefus Chrift himfelf.
47. Chrift by hi1- death freed all men from a temporall death which Adams finonlydefervedjbypurchafing themarefurreftionj and hath opened them a way to come to the Father if they will : thus far he died for all, no farther for any.
of ^c spirit of God, and cf 48. The Spirit of God dwelsnot, nor works ma ny: it is but our conceits and miftakes to think fo, 'tis no fpirit that works but our own.
4?. That the fame fpirit which works in the children of difobedience, is that fpirit which fanftifies the hearts of the eleft.
T i*te tMtoptiu* feme of tk» 50. r That there is a per reft way in this life , not by *J"e/|l£^'wSvS^ Word, Sacraments, Prayerand other Ordinances, but (kcs upon >/. J by the experience of the fpirit in a mans felf.
J i . That a man baptized with the holy Ghoft, knows all things even as Go J knows all things, which point is a deep myftery and great ocean, where there' is no cafting ancnor3nor founding the bottome.
52, That if a man by the fpirit knew himfelf to be in the ftate of grace, though he did commit murther or drunkennefle, God did fee no fin in him.
5 3. That fanftification is not an evidence of/unification, and all notes and fignes of a Chriftians eftate are legall and unlavvfull.
5 4. Beleevers have no inherent fanftification,nor fpirituall habits of grace infufed into their hearts, but all their fanftification is that which is inherent in Chriftj and they for this and no other caufe, are faid in Scripture phrafe to be' fanctified, t ut becauie of Chrifts fanftification and inherent holinefTe. frf., ,,1 <<> e Though Adam\ud continued in
* Of Adam andMdnkir.de. Thts vox ^retcloea . . •' * _. ° . , £. ..
*»ahoiife,antiibepreacherf<ifd3 tkh tfsa amy- hlSeftatCOf mnOCCnClC, and HOt rallen , yCt
jiery „ aii the Go$ei „„. he ^^ died a naturan death, for death now
is not a fruit of fin to beleevers,
5 6. Gods Image on man, is only our face and countenancej and every wic ked man hath therefore Gods Image as well as good men.
57. That Adam, and fo man-kind in him, loft not the Image of God by his fall, only incurred a temporall or corporall death, which was fufpended for a time upon the promife of a Saviour.
58. There is no originall fin in us, only Adams firft fin was originall fin.
59. That the guilt of Adams fin is imputed to no man , no man is punifhed for Adams fin.
. T fo That
Err ours of the Sectaries. 21
61. That one man is no more Ipiricuall then another, nor is there any fuch inward difference between man and man; but all the fpiricualnefle and diffe rence lyes without us in the Word , which guides fome men, and not others.
6 1 -That all men who have theGofpel preached to them ,and fo manifefted to their undemanding*, ar^ immediatly without any more ado able of th^mfclvcs to be'eeve and receive Chrift
62» There is no free-will in man either to goodorevill, either in his natu«« rail eftate or glorified eftate.
63. That there is a povrer in man to refift grace, and that the grace which would convert one man, would not convert another.
64. Naturall men may do fuch things as wh.reunto God hath by way of promife annexed grace and acceptation, and that „
• f • i_ • HIM*- i n. *"°* **!**• A t'inaicati m of Free-
if men improve their natural! abilities to the utmolt gracc, 3SJinft M. jchn Gtodttin. in feeking grace, they {hall finde it.
65. That regenerate men who have true grace, may fall totally and finally away from the ftate of grace.
66. Thatthemoralllawisofnoufeatalltobelcevers, that 'tis norulefor beleeverstowalk by, nor to examine oftheM^su^j^cMio^FM^R^entancf, their lives by, and that Chriftians are firf»wAfr*.Ga»k.G^r«jr«»«v"r.jrf/. freed from the mandatory power of the law.
6j. Perfbns juftified,, are not juftified by faith, but are juftified from all e- ternity.
68. Neither faith, ncr repentance, nor humiliation, nor felf-deniall, nor ufe of Ordinances, nor doing as one would be done to, are duties required of Chriftians, or fuch things as they muft exercife themfelves in> or they can have no part in Chrift.
69. True faith is without all doubts of falvation, and if any man have ' doubts of his falvation, his faith is to be noted with a black mark.
70. That T<? credere, faith in a proper (enfe is imputed to j unification , and .not Chrifts righteoufneflfe imputed to juftification.
71. Thatthedo&rineof repentance is a foul-deftroying doftriac.
72. In the old Covenant ("that is before Chrift came intheflefli) in the Prophets dayes, repentance is declared as a means to obtain remiffion, and nei ther remiflion nor the knowledge of remiffion to go before, but to follow contrition; but this is not the Gofpel which is cftabliflied upon better pr<> njifes.
73. That 'tis as impoflible for Chrift himfelf to finne, M- oatakerffdi «j« as forachildofGodtorm. '"*"'* *'*
74. Th«t there ought to be no fofting dayes under the Gofpel, and that
F 2 men
22 A Catalogue and Dtftoverjof
men ought not to aflic\ their fouls, no not in a day of humiliation. m 75- That God doth not chaftife any of his children for (inland let beleevers fin as faft as they can, there is a fountaine open for them to wafh inland that cor for* he fins of Gods people/ buc for fw^arers and drunkards the land is puni/hcd. catalog
76, That beleevers have nothing to do to take career to look to themfdyes to keep from fin,God muftlook to them, if he will.
77. God loves his children as well finning , as praying, hearing and doing the holieft duties; he accounts of them never the better for their good works, nor never the worfe for their ill works.
oatak. GO*, eyt on K, ifr*ei} f 7«- That Gods children are not at all to be hum- Preface to the Header. bled, or troubled grieved for fin attec converfion, and
.***». s&en^. 1^43. ^^ whatdidin this kuide after his foul faft of de- nying his Maftera iflflied from the weaknefle of his faith
79, That Gods children are nottoaske the pardon and forgivenefle of their finsjthey need nor, they ought not, and 'tis no lefle then blafphemy, foe achildofGodtoaskepardonoffinsy 'cis infidelity to aske pardon of fins, and Qavidt asking forgiveneffe of fin was his weaknefle,
catsk. codi eyetttjfrat}. 8o. That when Abraham denyed his wife, and in out- Prefa:eto the Reader. warcj appearance feemed to lie iii his diftruft, lying, diflen> bling and equivocating that his wife was his fitter, even then truly all his thoughts, words and deeds were perfectly holy and righteous from allfpocof finin the fight of God freely.
ptnn. Man ef fia 8 ' • The called ofGod have fin in the flefh, they have fin in the rft/fflsere^pag.ja. converfation5but thev have no fin,neither can they have any in the confcience; for the true faith of Gads ekft , and fin in the confcience, can na more ftand together then light and darkncflev and this reconciles thofe two Scriptures, Jfwefay vet have no fin, vet deceive our felvef,, and He tb^titbarntef Gjd doth not commit finjteithtr can befacattfe he u borne of God.
82. The great Antic! irift is thatmyfticall body of iniquity which oppofeth fefus Chrift,and not the Pope of Rome3oi any particular fucceflion of men, only he is a part of Antichrift. Venn? makes the oppofition of Antinomian errours to be the man of fin and the great Antichrift, as is to be feen in feverall pages ofhiBtJWanoffindifcovered. And Sectaries make them who deny Chrifts dy ing for all, to be Antichrift : others make Ancichriftianifme to confift in the, coercive power of the Magiftrate in mattersof Religion.
fbeScuJ' ^1* Thatthefbul ofman is mortallas thefbal of
Lrt3to* a beaft,and dies with the body.
bt& fy jhat {he foul of the fiutbfoll after death, do
fleep
many Errours of the Seftaries. 2 $
deep til the day of judgement , and arc not in a capacicy of afting any thing for God , buc 'cis with them as 'tis with a man that is in Tome pleafing dreamt.
85. That the bodies of the fakhfull (hall not rife again at the refurreftion, ("namely the fame that died) but their fbulesmall have other bodies made fie for them, either by creation or faftion from fome preexifting matter, and though the bodies be new, yet the men are the fame, becaufe the fame fouls remaine
mil.
8<5. Infants rife not again, becaufethey are not capable of knowing God, and therefore not of enjoying him.
87, That the perfection and reftirrefttonfpokenofby Paul, i.Cor. 15, 5 r. 52.53.54.55,56.57. the hope fet before us,the eternall inheritance , a City ha ving foundations, whofe builder and maker is God, are to be attained in the fullnefTe and perfection of them now in this prefent ti me, before the common death of the body.
88. That none of the foules of the Saints go to Heaven where Chrifl is, buc Heaven is, empty of the Saints till the refurre&ion of the dead.
Sp There is no refurrecYion at all of the bodies of men after this life, nor no Heaven nor hell after this life,nor no devils.
90, There (hall be in thelali day a reftirreft ion from the dead of all the bruit creatures, all beafts and birds that ever lived upon the earth, every indi- viduall of every kinde of them that died (hall rife again, as well as of men, and all thefe creatures (hall live for ever upon the earth.
91 There is no hell but in this life, and that's thelegall terrours andfeares which men have in their confciences.
92. That there isno Church of Chrift upon the earth, o/tte chunk, c^tnt w~ no true Miniftery, no Sacraments, no Go/pel, no faith, »»#>*»«' s«r«»«;»/. becaufe there are novifiblenor infallible gifts.
93. No man is damned but for re jefting theGofpeljand none can reject the Go/pel, butthofewho have it tendred unto them, as they hail in the Apoftles dayes being confirmed by miracles.
94. That the pure preaching of the Word,and righ adminiftration of the Sa? ments^renonotesnorfignesofa true vifible Church,
9y 'Tis the will of God that miracles (hould attend the Miniftry, theApo- ftlea make a marriage of doftrine and miracles, fo that they who preach the Goipe!,muft be fogifced astoconfirme it by Cgnes and wonders.
96. That many Chriftians in the(e dayes have more knowledge then the A- poftle?, and when the time is come that there (hall be true Churches and Mi- niftery ercfted,they (hall have greater gift?, and do greater miracles then the A:-
F 3 pottles
24 A Catalogue anl Discovery of
potties ever did, becaufe the Chriftian Church was but then in its infancy.
97. That there ought to be in thefe times no making or building of Chur- ches,norufe of Church-ordinances, as miniftring of the Word, Sacraments, but waiting for a Church,being in a readinefs upon all occafions to take knowledge Pilgrimage of of any pafienger, of any opinion or tenet whatfoever ; the Saints sa:nw,a:idMs. as pilgrims doe wander as in a Temple of frnoak, not able to finde Religion, and therefore ihould not plant it by gathering or building a pretended fuppofed Houfe3but jfhould wait for the coming of the Spirit, as the Apoftles did.
98. There is a falvation that {hall be revealed in the laft times, which was not known to the Apoftles themfelves.
5?p, That within awhile God will raife up Apoftles,men extraordinarily en dowed with vifible and infallible gifts to preach the Gofpel, and that {hall pre cede the fallof Rome.
* BwtfaeApofflcPrtertehu^prt.a.ifclo,.,. IOO« * That ™ POmtS of Religion, ^
We t»ve a mere foreword of prophede,whereunto even in the Articles of faith, and pnn- ye do welt th« ye t,-.ke bnd,&c.stiritw fins* »>» r;n|M of ReliVion there's nothin? cer-
epfcepiMuwcMiAnteSiniMtsiacwtitmtntpri, C1P^S <» imiglOn, WICIC S notlllllg tcr-
jfriffttjftdfffertitntififfi vita, &ovmi exfericn- tainly to be bcleeved and built on, one-
ly that all men ought to have liberty of confcience, and liberty of prophefying.
1 01 . That the Scriptures no where fpeak of Sacraments, name or thing.
102. That the Covenant, whereof Circumcifion was the feale, wasonely of temporall promifes, as Ex. Cj. of the land of Canaan; that the Covenant God made with Abraham had nothing Ipirituall in it j and that Circumcifion was a feal of the righteoufnefle of faith to no other but to Abraham alone quatentu a father, and not to his children,
103. That Baptifm is not a feal nor figne of the Covenant of grace.
104. That Pcedobaptifme is unlawfulland Antichriftian, and that 'tis as lawfull to baptize a Cat, or a Dog, or a Chicken, as to baptize the Infants of beleevers.
105. 'Tis as lawfull to break any of the ten Commandements, as to bap tize an Infant : yea, 'tis as lawfull to commit adultery and murther, as to baptize a childe.
confeff.ofFaithof io£. That baptizing belongs not to Minifters onely , all Anabapt.Art.4i. gifted brethren and preaching Difciples (though no Mini fters) may baptize.
pilgrimage of 107. Baptizednefl'c is not eflentiall to the Baptizer, nor eflentiall the saints, to preaching; fo that perfons not onely not in office, but not fo much as baptized3 may both baptize and preach,
1 08. Mi-
f
many Erroitrt of the Stffariet. 2 5
108. Miracles are eflentiall to the admmiftration holden forth in pilgrimage the commiflion of Baptifme, Matt. 28.19.
i op. That none are to be admitted to the Lords Supper, though beleevers and Saints,nor their children to be baptized, but onely they who are members in a Church-way.
1 10. There is no Scripture againft a mans being often baptized; nei ther is it more unlawfull to be baptized often, then to receive the Lords Sup per often.
in. That Chrifts words in the Inftitution of his Supper, This is my body 3 and Tki* it my blond, are to be underftood literally.
112. That Chriftians in receiving the Lords Supper fhould receive with their hats on, with their heads covered j but the Minifters fhould adminifter. it with their hats off, uncovered.
113. That 'tis as necefiary to be joyned in
rM. u c ii n • • L /"L TL L IT j j f'<te Doore of truth opened, 111
Church-fellowlhip, as with Chrift the Head ; and anl-Wer to Truth Chut out of door*, there's fuch a neceflky of cntring into a Church- Hse i°- This is as faife as a-
« n • c f \ ' n>' Doflrioe that is prca.hcd ia
way, as there is no expectation of lalvation ^trne. without it.
114. That the Church of Sngland and the Miniftery thereof is Antichri' ftian,yeaof the Devil 1, and that 'tis abfolutelyfinfull and unJawfull to hear any of their Minifters preach in thtir Aflemblies.
115. That the Church of Rome was once a true Church, but iowas the C hurch of £wg/W never, therefore 'tis likelier the Church of Rome fcould beintherightintheDo&rinesof Free-will, univeriall Redemption, Origi nal I fin, &c. then the Ch jrch of England.
1 1 6. That the calling and making of Minifters of the Word Ctm^S'- s*™™, and Sacraments are not jure T)iuino9 but a Minifter comes to be P
io, as a Merchant, Bookfeller, Tailor, and fuch like.
117. That all fetled certaine maintenance for Minifters of the Gofpd, efpedally that which is called Tyths, is unlawfull., Jewifli and Antichri- ftian.
1 1 8. That Minifters of the Gofpel in thefe dayes ought to work with their hands, and to follow fome calling, that they may not be chargeable to the Church.
i ip That there ought to be no diftincl order of Minifters, nor no fuch cal ling of fome perfons diftind and feparated from the people ; but that all men who have gifts are in their turns and courfes, by the appointment of the reft of the company, to preach,pray, baptize, and they are for that turn in ftead of Mimfters>and as Minifters.
120, That
2 6 A CattlogwandDifcoveryof
of preaching and H^ing, of J 2°- That all dayes are a like to Chriftians under f raying jtngtngofpfaimet, of the the new Ttftament, and they are bound no more to "*'• tfee obfsrvation of the Lords day , or firft day of the week then to any other,
121. That the Jewifti Sabbath or Saturday is dill to be kept by Chriftians For their Sabbath,
122. That Chriftians are not bound to m?et oneway infeven constantly, ac cording to the manner of the Nations, nor to pray and preach thus long, and in this manner two or three houres, according to the cuifome of the
Nation?.
1 23 . No man hath more to do to preach the Golpel then another, but every man may preach the Gofpel,as well as any.
1 24. That 'cis lawfull for women to preach, and why mould they not, hav ing gifts as well as men > and fomc ofchero do actually preach , having great retort to them,
125. Tis a part ofChriftian liberty of Chriftians, not to hear their own Minifters,but to go and heare where they will, and whom they think they may profir moft by.
126. That 'tis unlawfull to worflilp God in places conftcrated,and in places •where Superftition and Idolatry have been pracYifed, as in our Churches.
127. That men ought to preach and exercile their gifts without ftudyand premeditation, and not to think of what they are to fay till they.fpeak, bscaufe it (hall be given them in that hour, and the Spirit (hall teach them.
128. That there is no need of humane learning,, nor of reading Authors for Preachers, but all books and learning mutt go down, it comes from the want of the Spirit, that men writ fuch great volumes , and make fuch adoe of learning.
129. There are fome women, tenor eleven in one Town or vicinity, who hold it unlawfull to hear any man preach, either publikcly or privately, b> cau(e they muft not be like thoie women in Timothy, ever learning,and never commingtothe knowledg of the truth, 2. fim.^. 6.7.
1 30. That tis unlawful! to preach at all, fent or not fent out (as in a Church- ftate)but only thus5a man may preach as a waiting Difciple, that is, Chriftians may not preach in a way of pofitive aflerting and declaring things, but all they «nay do/is to cbnfer,rea(bn together,and difputeout things.
1 3 r. That tis nulawfull for the Saints to joyn in receiving the Lords fupper, where any wicked men are prefent, and that fiich mixc Communion doth pol lute and defile them.
132 Tis unlawfull for the Saints to joyn in prayer where wicked men are, or to pray with any of the wicked, 133. That
of the Sectaries. 27
I jj. That'cis unlawfriill tor Chriftiansco pray fo much as privately with thofe (though godly)that are not members of atrue Church, but are members cf the Church of Engla:d^ and the Aflanblies thereof.
13^ That however conference and difcourleimy be had with all, yet tis not lavvrull to joyn in prayer or giving of thanks, «o not before meat, with thofe (chough other wife acknowledged Saints and godly, and are members of Chur ches indie Church- way) chat a e not of the fame judgement and way.
_-lV5. ^ThaClisnot lawful! for ChH- > This opinion bc^m to rprud mu:b ,as a go'ly
fiianstoprjy at all wi'-h any others f<-i- Mini^'r fold me ofh>> own k owud^e, know ng ther as bdng the month in Fayer,'tT as fttoJ^STlf: S«refe" ^«S joyning in prayer) though never fbeod- wwe «> preach, upon this groat^, undrequirin? ly,and of Aeir own judgeraem^ckher in Sgtffi fiS^ffl^SfJSS oS^ the pub! ike AflembiieSj or in their Fami- 1:'^ frtyfatmt difcoune to the p«>. ic, lks;un!e(fe fuch p^rfons who prayed ha i an infallible fpirit, as the Apoftles.
136. Triat^Chriftians are not bound to pray conftantly every dayatfec times.,as morning and evening, but only at fuch times as the Spirit moves i hem to it, and if they finde not themklves fo mo/ed in many dayes and weeks to gether,! hey ought not to pray.
137. That wicked and unregenerate men ought not to pray unto God at all.
138. That all finging of Pfalmes, as David, or any other holy font's of Scnpture,»s unlawrull,and not to be joyned with.
^139- Thattte finging which Chriftians mouldufe, is that of Hymns and <piritua]l fongs/ranud by *emfelves,ccmpofed by their own gifcs,and that up on fpecial occafions,as deliverance?, **, fung in the Congreation by oneof the Aflkmbly, all the reft being filent.
140. cThat iove-feafts, orYeafts of love fwith which the Lords Supper is to be adminitod alto; is a S
erpetuall ordinance of Chrii>,it which only Church- members are to be prefent, and to partake.
141. That there is no difttnftion concernin* Go vernment of Ecclefiafficall and civil, forallthatGo-
vernment which concerncs the Church , ought to be civill.but the nuincain- that diftmaion is fur mainrainingthe mterefts ofChurch-men.
142. That a few private Chrinians, as fix or feven gathering themfelvesin- Covenant aud Church.fdlowftip,have an abfolute entire power of ihe
Ktyec, and all Government within themfelves, ar d are not under any authori tative power of any Claffes, Synods, or generallCouncels, whatfocvcr they do, or what vvayes foever they take.
0 143. That
28 A Catalogue and Difcoverj of
/ Revel. i<$. 19 Thtgrut city voijhi. H3 • f That the Presbytery and Presbyteriall
hree parts andjiates and branches Government , atC the falfe Prophet, and the invptthP-aiT. ropery, Z.Prtla- -.«/.• r- u r> ; *• *r» i
rj'it.eginvptt-aiT. ropery, Z.rta- -.«/.• r- u r> ; *• *r» i
ij. j. pfui iiobibns Difcn-ery of Truth, Beau fpoken of in the Kevelattow : Presbytery is P^' 63- a third part of the City of Rome, yea that Beaft,
in JveMii.thatalcends^andfliallkili the two Witnefiks, namely the Inde« pendents.
144. That there are Revelations and Vifions in thefe times, yea to fome they are more ordinary, and (hall be to the people of God, generally within a while.
of jitveiatifnt H5 • That the gift of miracles is not ceafed in thete times,but> »nd Mitades. t^at fome of tf-e ge&aries have wrought miracles , and miracles have accompanied them in their Bapdfme, e^c, and the people of God ftiall have power of miracles fhorrly.
146. That anointing the fick with oyl by the Elders.praying over them, with laying on of hands, is a Chusch-ordinance for Church- members that are fide, for their recovery.
147. Tis ordinary for Chriftians now in the ft dayes,with?d«?to be rapt up to the third Heavens^nd to hear words unutterable, and they cannot wel have aflurance of being, CbrifUans, that have not found and had experience of this.
Of the Civil Magiftrate. g guerie, cfhighefi cooperation in Epifi. ,
to the Parliament. Anonym. *dnf. to M. Prins 12- gyeries, f . 8. Jii glftratCS haVC HO pOWCF at
the Grounds of Independent Government attribute nothing tothe Magi- 11 mprlHIp in matrprc rf
Jirate in Church »/««,/«« her then the Magi/irate is a member cf their 311 *° meaaiC 1
Cku-t'nes aKct,^jJembttes:fo no people un&r heaven afcribe more unto E B.ellglOn , OF thjflgS CC-
Magifiratii then the Independents in siviU matters. clefiafticall, but in CWill OH-
Iy concerning the bodies and goods of men.
b DOW of Truth 1 4P«h That for a people to wait upon man for a form to worfliip •imtjj. 5. God by, was Idolatry:Nay,for a people to wait uponParliament or AtTembly for a form to worftiip God by, was worfe then corporall Idolatry.
5M. Burroughs, Heartdvif.p. 6 j. An'madverfion upon this erro sr. This 1^0, ' WhatlOCVer
si an erroit" definitive la the f orper ef civil Magiftretes andjafety o) Common' gfj-QUfS Of niifCifri**-
yteakbs in divers cafes, andinmanjtnftancei that may be given; to give one .. . ,
tor the prefentia Church may ntt according to MBurrougbs principles excorn- agCS 1H • RCllglOn , 1 116
xiunicate<tmentber.>rehooHt ffconfcience is not feiisfied of JubjeSi taking nf Chufch filOuld bear
trmi aftainJt-^rmieS) raifedbya princt^norofthe lavefulneffeoffucba w>«r^ . ,
end tkeiftre declines and refufeth both bearing arms, aH maintenance to f»th Wit hall in men, COntl-
#naTef)*ttdaUafftftancetvi hem, diflwtiiinf, others affo, and that out of con- m-,:no fljll «n rommH"
Science only fa, he pro fefes^nd. yet the Parliament I tbin^atb feqveflred "^"g ttl" If
tKanyufonfttchtcctiJionSftakentheireJtateiyandmtnj Independents of Mr. UlOn Wltu them, 3S bre-
Burroughs judgement bavebeenforn>*rc{feqntftrators,feUin?:(!r buying their tt,r-n thefe the Ma-
lotci^anMdjngtbeir lands at reafonablt ratesfatintkeTrallatelinienii "***" 3 !T" .j TL
xetfimHih a formanrefHtation.,** recitation and difcovery : but of tkif falfe glltratCS IhOUld bear
j,rinciPle,and6thers in W-.Burr. book ,1 flail (beak more upon occafion tfanfvpe- -..u • -_ r^nfinninot
,mg £ grinds br,ug*t for pretended liberty of convince, vtere* this, Jb WltH 111 mCH, Continuing
fibers of ^Bunougbs principlts and rttlts *bwt TeJeratiinwill be found therD 10 the both unfound and wtfik 5 fit to take miiitn and yeakpgoph ivitkybitt nouoft* titfe any Sfbfcr*
many Enow of the SeQaries. 2 9
Common- wealth in the enjoymei* of the liberty of
and being entrufted by
them to an account for
and ftraighc: and feeing this prefent Parliam. doth in- *
groflc law-making, and all law-executing into their own hands, contrary both
to reafbn, and the true meaning of the Law, the Free-men of England oughc
not only to chufe new members where they arc wanting once every yeer, buc
alfo to renew and enquire once a yeer after the behaviour and carriage of thofe
they have chofen. And if they fiide they never did any good, or are groundecily
fufpe&ed CD be unserviceable, that then tho(e that chufe and Cent them may
have liberty to chufe more faithfull, able, and better men in their places.
i$2. If God command fuch a thing to be done in his Wordj and the Magt- ftrate now come and command the fame to be done, though n Chriftan ought to have, and would have done it, becaule of Gods command.,yet now he ought noc to do it, becaufe the Magiftrate commands ir.
153. All the earth is the Saints, and there ought to be a cormunity ofgood^ and the Saints (hould flure in the Lands and ElUtes of Gentlemen, and rhh
154. c That 'tis lawfull for a man to putaway his „,..
._ •>' . _ . r rr • f Of"*arrtagt*>iJefT*reitti and
wite upon indifpoiitiofl, unhcneiie, or contranecy or tf.iiJten. * « vncMiUons&u- minde arifing from ac mfe in nature unchangeable-and artae "* D'vorce* and for difproportion and deadnefle of fpirir, or Ibmething diilaftfull and averfe in the immutable bent of nature^and man in regard of thetrecdom and eminen- cie of his creation,is a la w to him elfin this matter, bi ing head of the other (ex, which was made for him, neither need he hear any Judge therein above hiitifdf.
155. Tis lawfull for one man to have two wives at once.
156. That children are not bound to obey their Barents a: allaif they bs un godly.
157. That Parents are not to catechife their little children, nor to &t them to read tht S;ripture, or to teach them to pray, but mitt let them alone fjr God to teach th^mt
158. Tis unlawful for Chrifti jns to defend Religion with the Sword, or to %ht for ic wlien men come with the Sword to take ic away^ Religion vvillde- fenditfcff.
159. Tis unb\vfull for Chriftians to fight, and take up armcs forxh»ir lawes and civil liberties.
ifo. Thunlawfulltoiightatan,ortokmanyman,yea <>s Wa to kill any or the creatures for our ufe9 as a chicken, or on i^aad anyptheroccafion. G 2
3 o A Cat&kgtte and- D ifi every of
i 61. Thatufingoffet forms of prayer prefcribed is Idolatry. 162. Davids faying, 7 am a worm, and KO man, muft be underftood literally, yeajhe ivas both a man, and no man in che fan e literal! fenfe. 1 6 $. That the Scripture fpeaks bur of one kinde of fairh.
1 64. Some of che Sectaries in London do ho!d,That in Suff /^chere is a Pro phet raifed up to come an 3 preach the everlaftingGofpel to them, and heftaies but fur a vocal! call from Heaven to (end him, which is expe&.d daily, and thac this man is the Prophet f; o'<en oi in che Scripture, i Jvkn 2=>. Thac Prophet in thatScrip:ure, diftinguaflisd from Chrift and Eliot, is this man railed up in Suffolk^
165. That it could not (land with the goodneffe of God, to damne his owne creatures eternally.
166. That God the Father did reign under the Law, God the Sonne under theGofpel, and now God the Father and God the Sonne are making over the Kingdom to God che holy Ghoft, and he (hall reign and be poured out-upori allflem,
167. That there fhallbea generall reftauration, wherein all men ffialSbere- conciled to God and faved 3 only.thofe who now beleeve and are Saints before this reftauraricn (hall be in a higher condition then thole that do- not bekeve.
1 68. That cis not lawfull for a Ghriftwn to be a Magiftrate, but upon turn ing Chriflian he (hould by down his Msgiftracie* neither do we read after Cornelim was baptized (though he were a Centurion before, and a man in com mand and authority) that ever he rnedled any more with his band caffdtfa l\a- lian band.
itp. Man loft no more by the fal', then all the reft of the whole Creation fell into with /f^*»,allthe v/orld being condemned to death and deflation, yea che heavens and the earth alfo : fj that you may as fafely conclude that all the whole Creation loft life and fsivation ro glorification by Adams iranfgreP ion, as 10 conclude that man loft falvation by Adams trantgre£ fiun.
170. Man hath not by Cbrift brought unto him eternal I life and fal- vation, but only fuch a life as all the whoh Creadon hath together with him , for the fecond Adam hath not purchased ecemail life to glorification
for man.
171. All the creatures (hall affuredly partake of
Tkefi ifreelaft Errors vented tn / < r
*Booi(.cjiied, A true vindica- the Gofpel or peace, and that our Lord the great tionoi.thegci*taH Redemption p^p^j fp^c (bmething to this purpofe , when he
snitixm^Kadi.vyene ..•* r^f\
16^5. faithj Go preach the Gofpel to every creature, though
they
many Errovrt of ihe Se&jries. $ r
t hey cannot heare to life and glorification; and ChritUs the great, Prophet of his Father, to declare his Fathers council to the whole crearion,.1nd he is the great High- Paeft, which ofT.rerh up himfelf a farrinVe cf full fa isfa&iop,njt for sil men only, bu: for ail that by man vvasloft,evjn the whob creation of God.
172. That a Dircftory, or order to help in the B 0, ;,ri, ^ Hwtw(y Cf^ way of wor(hip,is a breach of the fecond Commande- «•<••«<•? tor 5u>™ s^hcs by /,.,,» men*, and there is no word of God to warrantee ' ^1$^' making of that Directory book, more then Jergbum had for the making of Calves of gold, which he fet upon two high places, one at Van, che other ac Bethel 3 totheconfufioncf himlelf and his polterity.
173. No man is yet in hell, neither ftull any be Eookfntir. rh fuinefi cf Gob there untill the judgement j for God doth not hang '««,?r5ored 1643. H'g- '-1- firft, in J judge after.
174. Men fay that Faith is fupernaturall, bnt hr.v Fjine(le of Goi* love m;ni- can it be above nature to belcevc that tvhich we fee kftft!- tas w fufficient ground to beleeve? and to beleeveany thin^ofwhich weliave na flaine ground and reax>n, is fbfar from being above nature, th.it it is below it, and propjr to fools and not to reafonable men.
175. I he Law-doth not pronounce eternall death in hell Fuin--^ of GOI« W fire on thofe that obey it net, nor were men to have periled m:tliltrte'> l^- i8 9> inhellfire5in relation to theLaxvor^^w/ fin; but the Go^p-l pfonounceth erernill dea bin hsll fire on thcfe that obey it nut ; and if we had been to lufKr hell in rela ionto ^jw or the Law ,then Chrift alf)(hiuld have futfercdin hell for us,to have redeemed ns from thcnce,w!iich he did nor.
176. Icisnot futable to God, to p'ck andchu'camongfl: Fa'i cdc o( GO^S io;-c men in (hewing mercy 5 if thelcveofGod be rrsniflfter! t3 a t.sn lifted, pa^i 5j>. ftw , ic is fir from being in finite, it God fhexv njt mercy to all : toafcribeit to his will or pleafure. is to b'afphemehis excellent name and na'T ure.
Nowunio thefemany niore mighr bs add d that Iknov;oF, andartcbrr.- irnnly known to others, whi:hhave been pre, c led and printed (vuhrtthVfe four laft years in Englttd'jA the nccefficy ofdipping and bufy ing under 'vvattr all p;:rfons ro be baptized, as the ncceffiry ofa Church Covcrun'tj as that Minillers may not lawfully bap:i^f,oradminiiter the Lords Sapper due of their nwrt par ticular Congregation?, neither preach Viinilterully, but as gifted brethren, out of (heir own Church; with many fucherrours of the Chiircfi-Way) bin becaufe they are bu: light in comparifon, I will not n^methtRi.
I coiJd relate alfo to you other errnir?, ihac have been reported to me and others by honeft understanding men,to have beei vented (and 'tis likely enough they may be true) as that 'cb lawful! for vvivestogivj Without; Uiei; hu^bnnds
G 3
32 A Catalogue a&d Discovery of
contents, Ibmeching out of their husbands eftates, for the maintenance ofche Church and Minifters whereunco they belong : as that the Lords Prayer, called andcryedupby many cob- Co, it could noc be the Lords Prayer, in regard there was a petition for pardon of fins, which Chrift would not ha ve taught, or words to that purpofe; asalfo that if a man were ftrongly moved by the (pirit co kill, to commit adultery,**^, and upon praying againft it again and again it continued, aid yet was (till ftrongly prefled, he mould then do it ; but because I hive not theft upon Co good grounds, nor fuch a concurrence of cir- cumftances, or further confirmation upon enquiry, I therefore forbear to puc them down particularly in the Catalogue of Errours, or toaffert them with thar authority. I might here alfo annex to all thefe Errours many Expofitions ot Scripture given by the Sectaries in their Sermons and private meetings; buc I will only give two ; i. That of Rom. §.2. The Ian? of the Spirit oflfe, baibfretd me from the law ojjtn and death, that is, (as was expounded) from the morall Law. 2. That of Jok.^39. Search tke Scriptures, for in them ye tbinfyt have, eternalllife$ you thinke to have, that was their thought and mtftake,not thac Chrift approved it,that eternall life was to be had in the Scriptures.
A Catalogue of the Blafpbemies of the Seftjries.
NOwbefidesthefc Errours and Hereiies laid down, many of them being Blafphemiea ( as the Reader cannot but have obferved in perilling their C italoguej there have been many blafphemies and blafphemous fpeeches ven ted by Sectaries feverall waye?, both by writing,preaching, conference and diP courfing, and(bm^(b horrid and abominable, infuchadlfpitefull, fcoffing, fearfull way, that I tremb'e to think of them, and (hall forbear to name them : And Indeed within thefe four laft years in England there have been blafphemies uttered of the Scriptures, the Trinity, each perfbn of the Trinity, both of ~~~Faiher,Son and holy Ghoft, of Gods eternall ele ft ion, ofihe Virgin Maiy^ the Apoftles and holy Penmen of Scripture, QfBaptifmc,?rayer, thcminifieryof the VVord,and the Minifters of all the Reformed Churches, of the Government "of the Church, and of the Chrifiian Magiflrates : In (bme books printed and -""ctlfperfed up and down, there are fearfull blafphemies ; as in the Arraignment of *~T>erjectttien) The Sacred SynodycaU DtcretaS, Afjrtins Eccho &c. profaning and - "aBufing the holy and dreadfull Name of God in a mofl fearfull manner, fcoffing '" jinaiganent ofperfecu- ac the holy Gholr, fent in a Cloak-bagg from Scotland^ mak- »»«», FSS- 9j- ing a moft bhfphemous Prayer, wherein the Paflion, Death,
Refurre&ion and Afcenlion of Chrift are in a fcoffing way alluded unto, with many others which I will not foul paper with tranfcribing. In fome Manu-
fcrip:s
many Errourt of the Seftariet. 3 3
fcripcsof one Pott I Bejl, there are moft horrid
lvl*r . r L 4- • • f r^u 'ft r,J Tfc* Bcft xpiti t»j Mamtftnptt
bU/pJiemies or the I nnity , ct Cnrm, and verefemufiajifummer,*ndi,bj of the holy Ghoft , calling the Doftrine of g* I>«-/»*»«M cammed to tbt the Trinity, a myftery of iniquity , the three
headed (erberw, a fi ft ion, a Tradition of Row, <JMonjiram bifirme, triform, with other horriJ expreflions borowed from hell, not fit to bs mentioned. There was a fear full blafphemous fcofting (peech of God the Father, Son, and holy Ghoft, fpoken by one Clarke (as I remem ber the name) given in to a Committee of Parliament, in way of complaint in writing,wuh a hand Cubfcribed , and one witnefled ic be fore the Committee, but I forbear t.) relate it. Mr Hmfiography orDcfcrrr. Paget in his HereJtograpby)Ep\lilc Dedicatory, fpeakes <*«««• ™* series. of one committed for mocking at Chrifts Incarnation, the particu lars whereof, though I have been told from Matter Paget , yet I j udgeitbcft to conceal. There have been many blafphemingfpeeches, in a way ofderifion of the holy Ghoft, calling it flabik nttmen, and
asking what kindeof bird it was ? whether- but I dare not fpeak
it. The holy Scriptures are by many in thele times (leighted and fcoffed at ( that growes and fpreades much) called the golden Calfe,that there are many contradictions and lyes in them , that they are no better then a Ballad , that they can make as good Scriptures ; that place in Qem/ts^6. 6* where 'tis faid, God repented that be 'made man was untrue ; fo other places of Scripture. The Do&rine of Gods Eternall Eleftion and Prajdeftination hath been call'd a dam nable Errour. Tne Virgin Mary hath been called a the A-
poftles have been called and they could write as good Scri ptures as the Apoftles ; upon occafion ot quoting that Scripture in Rom. 7. of Paulf complainingof (kine ,it hath been anfwered, Pa*l was a novice, and that was his weaknefle, and that Paul under? flood not Chrrrt in the promifc ; and that hee for his part under- flood the myftery of God in Gbrift better then Saint Pan'. When that Scripture in Gal. 5. 12. was ob/eftcd to one ih it pleaded for liberty of conscience, the anfwer was, he thought the Apoftle was in a great paflion. A Minifkr in Hartfbrdfoire bringing a place of Scripture againft an Anabaptift, to confute him in fome opinion he held, the Anabaptift confefled he could not anfwer it, but faid , it was the weak- nefle of the Apoftle, and there he wanted the fpirit.
Another Sectary denying the Refurre&ion of the dead, and forae'of of the Church coining to admonifli him of that Errour, and bring-
34 A Catalogue and Difcoveryof
ing Scripture to prove ic , hee anfwered, This is Scripture to you» but not to me. Poedcbaptifme hath been blasphemed by man? rt- proachfullfpetah^s : the Lords Prayer hath been flighted and i corn- fully fpoken of : the whole Miniftery of all the Reformed Churches> xvith their Ordination , worke of preaching , &c, fcorned and abu- fcd in feverall Pamphlets : The Presb,teriall and Synodicall Go- verrjment , reproached in all vilde and fcoffing language, cali'd devil- li(h , Antichriftun , and all to naught, refembled to ihe Beaft in tie Rei.e!itii>n : the Civil Government and Maglltrates have been.blafphcrced, with their Ordinances, Orders and lupream Court of Judicature, the Parliament cali'd Antichriftian , and the X^om- mis tee cf Examinations jeared, byway of comparing it to the Court of Inquiiition, and to the High Ccmmiflion : the fohron , Licred and Nationall Covenant of the Kingdoms, derided, blaphen:ei in many Pamphlet? , that many pages would not contain them. Buc I will not trouble the Reader to name any more of them : Mr, Yryn in his f.nfo Difcovery of New Lights, hath extracted many pafTages or this kinde ouc of the Pamphlecs of the Sfftaries, and in a libellous book entitukd Englwdt Birthright, there's more fiuffe of the fame kind. Now having prefented the Reader with the Errours and Blafphe- mies ; before I come to the Praftices of the Sectaries , I will relate fonK few PaiTdges in the Prayers of the Sectaries, which were vented either in publike AiTemblies and Churches3or in their private Chtirch- meeting?, all within the compafie of a twelve-moneth, or thereabouts.
Some T^aJJjges m the Prayerj of the Seflarieft
ANd though wee are difcountenanced by the Civil Magiftrate (which is a great thing ) afcer they have had .our eftates, and ^ i*de^ent MWer i» our blood > V£t Lord,^. When the blinde man a church herein ioido:i, was thruft out of the Synagogue by the Phari- w**fai9»te. fees, Jefus Chrift met him; io though wee are thrurt out of the Common Affemblies and mens aff-dVions who for merly loved ut,&c. Let the Spirit teach us, wee may look four, five yeers from an AflembTy cf men before they teach us , &c. Though they may with-hold the truth in Policic, yet thy Spirit can teach us if all the Mmifters in the world hold their p-'acejC^c. Thou haft tri umphed glorioufly by a defpifed Army, not only by our enemies, but our iteming friends, who indeed were our reall enemies, vilifying chofe men whom thou ha ft been pleafed to honour, ^c,
Another
maty Errtttrs of tbt Se ft tries
Another Independent Minjfter in his prayer prayed , that the Pmoyterw
might be removed, thatChrifts Kingdome might befet up. Another Inde
pendent Minifter, ibout the end of September laft, gave God thanks for brea
king the neck of that wretched * petition of the Citi- , Jt ^ ,,„ ^ ^ .,,„
zens. Aufuft hft the tenth day, being prelently upon ,y m.,ny »*a affad c>-
Lilbttrnt committing to Newgate, at Knowles Church *//««*, /or /««//»£ there-
'mSt.Hffftnf on a Lordsdav, Mr. Knmles prayed »»*»•*, fm^cntud kj
fhefe words, or to this cftttf ; Lord, bring thy ier- ?**", '"*»*> but *»^f-
vantZ*V^r»om of prifon,ind honour hioi Lord, for ^
lie hath honoured thee, This lift monethin December, one of the Independent
Minifterf in his prayers at a Lecture, two or three fevcrall Lectures, p aytd
tr. God that the Parliament might give 1 bertie to tender confciences. Ooe cf
'the Independent Minifters at his Church-meeting in a houfe, g» v.' thanks un
to (iodfor the libcrtie of confcience granted in isfmtric*, and faid, Wny,
L^rd not in E»gU»^ as well as in Amtricn ? or words to that purpofe. Ano
ther Independent Minifter in his prayer put up this petition, O Lord make
the Parliament friends to the Saints. * M*y ay.
164 j , An Independent Minifter praying for the Par- * r**?n» r »»* thntxc
iiarnent, prayed that God would keep the Parliament
from gree vine the Saints.or doing tny ads that might c^£fce£ M
make them lad ; that they for whom fo miny prayers
and praifes had been put up by the Saint*, might not now grieve therr. ftx-T~
/>r*/ 24 the fame Independent Minifter in his prayer after Sermon, prayed,
That now God had delivered us both (namely, the Pietbytenan and Inde
pendent; from fuch bondage ind opprtffion, we might not beg liitieof brin
ging our brethren into bondage, left the Lord car rie us back again into Ejypt
>rif' ic C ftmc priyed on **"£*f *> /°yning Parliament and Affembly to- er,That they might do nothing but what the Saints foould re Joyce in,and
fj u? ALb°Ut the be§innin§ of ^pt ember iaft, a Reverend Minifter of the Aflemoly who was in ear- WKnefle rehtcd it, and faid he would acquaint AQ Commilkonersof ScotUnd with it; that an Independent Minifter, either in his prayer or Sermon, ufed words to his eff'ftof the
'
hrow r -
throw upon Scotland, becaufc of their beating their
^llow-fcrvants ; and (hit they could not be content with fuffcrine their bre thren to enj >y their libertie, but muft have i domination.
Having given the Rcider an account of many errours ind V"W" »/ *b*
lifphemiei of the Sefttries, with fome pafliges in their pray- *<*«"«• :r$j Icomenowtorehtennnyoftheirpraaicey, B;itth? Reader muft not
conojive
Catalogue wd Di frown 6f
conceive I cm fet down all, cr that any one man (tlthouglToTfar crettertbT- hues and leifure,, having dfo fairer opportunities of con verfingamons them with leflefufpition obferving their wayes, than my fdfej is able to do if! They have many depths, wiles and methods which I know not, norcinnot find put • there are miny windings and turnings of the Serpent, crooked go ings in and out, off and on, here and there, which I cannot trace, The w*y of the Jerper.t upon a rock if toy vronderftt'd for me> and which I know not, Pro v. 3 o i 8 19. They,Pr*ttuj.\krt turne themfelvesinfo all fliipes and forms, and ac cording to fevertlloccafions and times, have different humours and tempers fometimes complying Co, that one would think all difceficfwould quickly be at an end ,snd they were curs, ibmeritnca fo far offand back again, as caufes Wonder and amazement in the beholders. I have been told from godly and wife men, who have hsd much to do with foaie of them, and have profefled to fet themfelves to ftudie, andtoobfervethem (men who arc moderate c- nough, and hive a fpeciall love to fame of them) that they know not what to mike of them, they are ft range men, nor cannot fadom their depth,?, and ther- fore^'tisnot tob^ exp^cled from uie^pliin op.n-harted man (who hate tricks pitying under- boord, refer ves and defignes, whofe motto is that of the Pfal- mift, Pfal. 25.2 1 .Let intfgritie and uprighttte/e prefervc msfir I Wait on thfe, and never ftudied Macbiftvtl, nor am not varied in the Jefuits Politicks) that 1 fhould diTcover all their practices and wayes : Neither was it my intention or fcope in writing of this book, to fpeak ail I know of their practices and wayes, (for I took a refolution in the entrance of this work, not to be too large ) thitfo the more might both buy and read if, and my purpofc is hereafter (God fparing me life-, health and 1 berty J for the benefit both of the prefent and fucceding generations, to write an Hiftoricall -narration of sil the Proceedings and wayes of the EngLfli Secliries, both in £*^/<Wand be-- yond the Seas, from the rirft yejrcofthe Parliaments fitting, ti:i the time of the fetting forth that Hiftory, and have already laid in many materialls , and keptanextcl: account of the moft rtmirksblepaffsges tending tint way; and myearneft defireistosll the godly Orthcidox Readers, into whofe hands this book (lull come, who are enemies to. feels and fchifmes, and lj?ers cf truth, peace, and order, whether Gentlemen of Committe.esinthc.feversll Counties, or Souldiers in the Armies, or Minifters in the fevecall parts of t^a Kbgdome, or other godly Chriftiapf, that they would be pltafed within this three or four moneths next following, to communicate to me ail the certains intelligence they have, of the Opinions, wayes and Proceedings of the Sech- riesj and Ipromifefiithfully, that whatever agreement or condition be made by anie who imparts any matters to aie.(as namely for concealing of their
name?,
m/wjErreurs ef the Sectaries. 37
names, or f 01 bearing the rehtion of fuch andiiich particulars, as place, &c. whatever 'hey be ) I will moft facredly cbftrve, and they ftiall find mee both /ccret and true to their), (for I fesre G^d, and dare not violate my promifej cnly for thtprelent I (lull give the world a taft and trytll of ths Practices of the Sictaiicf, for upon tome of ihe heads of their Practices and wayes which I in this preimt Djico^rfcnsme, I could write upon esch of them a booke, in giving irflsnces and t xsmple^ tor a proofeand confirmation of their truth.
Ni-.w I might in the fiiit pi ce roske a Parallel between the practices tnd waitsof our Scctaiief, and the Sectaries of old {:• th? Primitive times (efpe- cially the Donafifivj as aliobftwern ;hfn and tt't Jefuits, them and the Ar- minians, of the Nft kerUnds, thctnund the Prelates, and their Court-party, them and the pn. lent Malignant;, ; \ es,thf m a?'d fome or'the bad Eirp.rour.s, as7*/»<«», and coLld fliew i.;chan ae;rc'<?(r.tnr i;i thtir practices and wayes, treading (o jult in (heir piths ar-.d ftc-ps, as ir n^n • <y. them were dcsd or put down i.) £»j^/.t«^, onl; no.v ac^ed a r.ong U", urd.r new nsmes, and un ier o- ther habits and formes but ftill the fouWs and ipirits of the Donatilb, Jefu- its, Arminians, PreUtes, and Court- party were alive, and transformtd into many of the S< ft:ti.-;$ : And indeed to do this fully would defer v^ a Tractate by it felfe, which I fliall leave to be done by fonne other more able hand ; or elfe if no other take up inch a fruitfull Argument, I may find ibtne opportu nity hereafter to treaLuponit; only before I name the particular Practices of the St claries, as I have done their Errours, I will hint fome of the more fpe- ciall Pai lids bet ween the Sc ctiries, and the Domtifb, Jefuits, &c.
Firft for the Donatifts, and fome other Sectaries ot the Primitive times, i. Our Sectaries and they agree in their complaints of Persecution of their Ichifme : the Dunaiifts would alwaies be complaining ofthtr, ti * Attwftint fhewes it in many places of * Auguft. lib. T. contra his learned work* igu'nft tl.em ; and our Sectaries in pai«^n.U.dcbapnfrHo their Sermons, P,a}er$, Pamphlets, Difcourics, Pe- ^ttapS?.111***'11^' t it ions, all crying cut of Perkcution, andacculingthe Orthodox Presoaeria-s of Perftcution ; yea, when for their fcditious, tu^ rnultuou', Ihellous fcufti •-?, wicked lying, fcandabus reports, books and pra- ct:ces,tht:y have been q . flioned, there's nothing in their mouths bu: perfecu- tion, andunhcirdof prv/iccution ofthegodiy. I aoi of the minde if any of them (hould come to bee 'ruprifoned, and hanged, for dealing, killing a god ly Presbyterian, plotting agunft the Parliament and City, in feizing upon their Forty,orio,re Pailiat.iL-nt-men, oneor other of them would cry out ofperfeeution. 2. They agree hthdr furious outrages and violences agiinft all that cppofc their way : Learned men know what Circumcellioncs thc-e
H a Y/cre
3 8 A CttAbgne *nd J)i fewer it tf
were among the Donatifts, and to what t height they Auguft. contra Par- cimeis* cX*£*j&™ relates; and among the Sefts-
0rUra
ries> thcre are outra§ious f uriou$ mcn> and fuch that in the Churches have committed many infolencies, afifaul* ted and sbufed fome Minifters in their own houfe $, and in other places where they have met them : butlmuft not enla ge. 3, They agree in their high flatteries of theoifelves and their party, extolling them and crying them up
*Augua.comraPetilia«. to the Heavens 5 ^e Donatifts did .1* *d,r*tiw» impiHgttere capita, as * Augu\line ipeakes j tnd the Sec"hries of our times are inco reparable flatterers and admirers of their owns party, have written and fpoken fuch praifes and flatteries of their fide, as have cocne aicnoft to blafphemy ; thefephrafes are ordinary, as precious men ss any upon earth* men of a moft precious anointirjg, none fince the Apoftles times like them forgifis and abilities; yea, Tome have not Iticked to fay, they were beyond the Apoftles, arid if Jefus Chrift himfelfe were on earth he could hardly preach better, that they lead as holy lives as Saints and Angells in Heaven. 4. In thtir great partiality, praftifing * Au^uft. lib. i. contra that themftlves which they condemns in orhers.* Au- gvftinf ftiewes this in many plscesof the Donatifts % I could givemsny iaftances, of our Sectaries in this kinde, crying out of preaching and printing by the Orthodox agtinft them, and yet preaching and printing ill kind of things againtt them; (peaking agiinft petitioning the Par- liamenr, or interpofing in any thing before them by wiy of Petition, or ha- ving meetings for that end, (as you may find in fomc of the News bookes the penfionersoftheSe-claries,) and yet themfelves in a di orderly tumultuous way, being but private particular perfons (neither bodies, nor focietics repre- fcntitive, nor reall) have had many ftrangc meeting5;, and drawn up Petiti ons with claufesand paffages mtdlirg with the arTaires of Parliament, in a kin-Je charging them, and taking cogn'zsmce of thing < of a -high nature done in Pirliiment, before the time theyoueht, with rainy f«* lite, but It.kcoff Th,nd. V * L.^.p. . pealing from Ecclenalncsll Judges to the temporal! :
So the Sectaries, from Claflcsand Synods to the P«rli- amenf,orfcme tempo r all J ad ggs appointed by them. 6". Ins-heir unwilli^g- ntffctohave their aftions or writings examined by snie j -idictous learned men, but keeping things in the darke. EpipitAniut refembJes Seftiries to a Moule, a feebic creature that doth much hurt by keeping under ground, but wPce above ground, then '(is contemptible and eafiiy taken : Some of the ha ve been pro yoked enough to fet down- v/hac they would hiv*,
both
m any Err our i of the Se fortes. 3 p
both by cirneft intreatics from beyond fets, ind at horn?, by commands in * kind, by upbraidings for not doing it, and yet to this day they cannot be brought to it; and I judge Vide Lit. Guil. Apoll. ft *t is for thefe Reafons : i . Beciufe they cannot well agree among themfelvcs of any fyftem or body. 2. Becaufethcy knownot how long they ihallbeof this mind, nor how much further yet they may eo. 3, Becaule what they fetdownemaycff:nd manieoi" their owne party, «nd loofen all the reft of the fccts from them. 4. Bccaufe fomc Ciranda1?, and Perfons of note(who are gone further,) will not b; well pkafcd at it. 5 I3i> caufe when once given under thtir hand?, and that after fo long expedition, it will be judged by all rationall men their urmoft flrength (which if it fliould hayeanfwer upon anfwer, as no doubt it will,) and tha wcaknelTe of it dif- covered and laid bare, they are loft among manie, and will fufF^r exceeding ly in thetfteem of all intelligent unprejudiced men, whereas now by being filent, they bare the world in hand, as if th,y had Tome great matter of ftrength; mtnie before they fpeake and utter them (elves are thought to b'C wi'e, and to have much in them, who when they hiv^ once fp^kcn, s:c cafi- ly feene thorow. 7. In their quoting Authcurs for tht:m, who are acknow ledged for the main to be profetfjdly sgtinlt them ; and in thtir tj-.iotin^ pie ces of Authours, and not the whole, leaving the latter pirt which would ex plain their meaning; thus the Donarifts did * Cyprit*, andyethewasmuchagainftthemaiheprofeflei: and lj b-I-'lcBapt. contra fo A*g*fi*i complains of the Donatifts, intern no*
aStg*r*Ht Scripture • thus the Authorof Sions Prerogative RoyaK, quotes many Presbyrians for feverall things, who profcfledJy were of another way ; ind one Mr. E. (as theReader may obferve in an Extract of one of the prin ted Letters) qiotes the Churches of F ntuce, Scotland, &c. for the Indepen dent way, whoarcknowne to be profe&dlyajmnft It : .nd fo * the Au,hor Bf Th k^.f u^it ,f t£% CorTc. quotes the Lcydenffs a Profefl. forhm, who *Tittcpa&e. profe(Tedly fpeak againfHt, and in b one ftntcncehee bSynopfispurior.Theo. leaves out-fome three times word sail of thcin belon- log-difpuc.de Ma^ift.5o. ging to one fentence, which would (hew the fenfe of ihole learned men to he'againft him (as notorious a falsification as I think is to be found in any Papift j and fo Mr, Job* Goodwin in his point or Juftification quotes Calvin, Buctr, snd others, who are knowne ex trofef, « to bs of another judgement; and hee *™*? "\ R^b.4*fej quotes b my ^f^t^Ugie with other Authors, to ju- %„£* f * (\ \ f'
ftifie hiscpicicHj wh«.nasl h«yc profefledly at Urge JjJVideV ftyona
Ipjkcn
A Catalogue and Difcwery of.
triumph 'n^ over fulfil wd, pag.rrr.
'lh< p'-{l you fixo'e K &l. Edwards, ivtj, tn<iin:<ii;.s fo-nt blan £ eg ID, it ye;t iboroTtu'. bi-i Trca.fi fi. • Good Inaocencics rri. uniph. Out of n-.y Anu- pol.i<?9. The power of the Magiftraie,by which hec piiniSiieth fin, doth not fubferve tc the king- dome of Chnflthe Me- dutourj Her. [exvts tut that which fofffwcs in the fame faience, there bcin% ho full point, that he may apply cfficacioufly to the tied, tt7rc7iMfljM.«7it of the Piopheticall and Prieflly office of Chriftj bee doth not afttft the inward man and con- fcience with fpirituail punishment, &c.
fpokm agairift what he maintains ; and among other p.iv $ which he perverts, I (hall nacne one, where he cites the former pirtof thefentence, Icavin^ out the latter, which had hee but named, would have been an evident confutation of hirn,dealino j-jft with me as the DcTiIldid by Chrifl', Pf*/. 91 6. kavingout theUIb part, to keep thce in nil thy \v>.yes. 2 The SedaricS and the J sfuites agree in many things, i As the Jeluitei are UHIOUS for fendir g out Emiflaries into ieverall Countnes to corrupt, not contenting themfdves to do mifchiefe at home ; fo do our Seduics fend forth their members into all Counties and places of this King- dome, they liy hands upon them, and fend them as a Church aft to preach fuchand fucherrours, to rcbap. tize,^. 2 Thejefuites hive their tia fatties, holy deceits for the propagating of their ciufe, fidtions, made things to deceive the people; lo have our Se<5h_ ries many ior the fpreading of their partie. 3 The Jc- fuites infinaating themfelves,get into greatNoblcmens heufes and acquaintsncc,into great Lsdiesand Gentle- womens,and info Princes Courts and Houfes,and fol- ate matters, meet to contrive and confult, not preaching too much.nor >llowmg their ftudies too hard,- fodo many of our Sediries get into ac- quamunce and favour with great Noblemen, Pariiimcnt-men,follicitc, fol low them, wot k by the great Ladies and Gentlewomen, confult and debate ot matters Civill, &c. 4 The Jefuites are full of equivocations, mentall re- ler rations, fay one thing, but meane another, fpeak things in a Tenfe of their own, different from what it is in the common acception, fo are our Seclnies. 5 The Jefuites hive al wayes one plot or other, never give out, are working active men, ifcrofifcd in one, then are trying in another, and ha vs many rons in the fire at once, that if onedonottakf, at-iother may, nothing difcoura^es them, buton they go; fo it is with the Sediriesof ourtioie, aclire nimble men, reftlefle fpitits, never without plots and fine defigncs, with child of ma ny at once, that if fome miucarrie,yet others may bring forth. 6 The Jefuites will work and atcl where they are noe thought to be,by other.s, and by inftru- mentsunfufpcfted, not appearing themfelves, bat bringing about their ends in fuch a manner, as a manwoaid never dream of; foour Sediries will not appear themfelvej in many things, when yet the hand of Jonb is all along, but get thtir work done by orkrs, who alfo draw others to them. 7 The Jefuits
mske
_ , I, — ^
-.
many Errturs eft be Se
hinder them, ufe fm-
i The Arminuns
ai mil ii»n^«.v- - • A-II ..firy^*.. Voet lelcd. ciifput.
EcxKfnfticiU A&mblies all rhe.^ could, and l •££. - es o$ fit
Una to the Civil! Migiftrste. crying up the powa ^aj EccW;,aic:i.
• ^ rill Msgiftnte in Eccieruftialls, ifcribin^ to the , Thcf. ( Thcf.
ths "'t^'-r^SHi; S^SiSs
to theM«gift«te iloneimcnedntcly P;; _ . ,;
when
»Br;=sii=s
held for the prcfcn., but know not ,« wh.t they may fee, -
4* A CattltgHc and Difctverie 0f
Arrninians could not be brought to fpetkout a bng whfle, nor to give what they would have, btrt hid themftlves in doubtfull phrafes, and were feared monftrialiqitU*.lere : when they flood for and de fired a Toleration upon conferences and meet ing'; they were put to it, to give h what they held, and all they held, th.y were proffered at the conference holden it Ddph ftvourand Toleration, it they would g-veatfurarice theydefired only forbearance ir> the five Points, but they couU not be got to ic ; to our Sectiries have forborne to this day, notwithstanding all meanes ufed, to fet down this we hold, this we will fUck to. 5 . The Arminhtis in thofe tiones in the Lw-Cottntritj, in fome Chiefs and Towns where they had power, persecuted the Orthodox, trou'cl.'d them much; fo do our Sectaries in Towns or peaces where they have power, perfecate godly Orthodox men, efpccially if z.-alous agjinft the Se(5b : Ohow ha vefoaie Sectaries vexed, plagued and troubled many god ly Minifters and people fe verall waies ! of which more under their particular policies ,& factious practices, 6. The Arcninians, had well nigh undone the JWethrrUne{/,*nd brought all to confufion, & had not the old Prince of Orange been ftout and wile, even d^ing feaiething beyond the ordinarie way of his power; and upon the Symd of Dart determining the Magistrate added the civill fanction, and u fed coercive power, that Countreyhad been loft; fo Sectaries have by their errours, divisions and factions they have made among us, hazarded all, and if God do not wonderfully put in, and be mercifull to us, their waics and courfes will undo us all. 7. The Netherlmd Anninians would be RemonftrantSjdid wrkeagainft, complameof the Synod of Dortt that they could not have their liberty, were not well dealt with, could not have fo faire a heariig ; how many books were written,how many afperfions werecift upon the Synod ? And have not, and do not our Sect ides write a- gainit the Affembly .> complain by word of mouth ? are not their mouthes f nil jffuch fpeeches ? They cannot ba heard, They have not hid liberty to bring in their Qjeft ions, &c. I sit not remarkable, that the Pamphlet, or rather Libellagamft the Affembly, put forth by ftcalth, isentituled, *sf Rc~ m*nftr**ce if the D Renting Brethren* fo that they are the Englilh Re.non- ftrants. 8 The NetherUnA Arminians when once the Magiftrate did effectu ally fet to back the Synod of D art, and were againft them , then they writ books in a far other ftile, and that power which before they fo liberally mea- fured out to them, they did not a little limit and contract, denying the Magi- ftrate had any power over private meetings; fo our Se- Vidc Voct. Thcf. a. #irjes if once the Mieiftratcs come to fuppreifc their er-
de PotfK EcCicf & ./-Tvrt- JL--
Vedei deSop "*"" "^ ^k Doft lnes' and their Prmte meetings wa (hall fee bow they will change their ftile ; nay, have wee
not
rrisn o ^e $<#*? «. 43
f tr I in Poft habit mi 5yii;->-
not too uiuci -xpenci.ct, h-.w out upon vote, toi uc dumDordraicaraycti; vermnent,indrbut upon the preparative amhbellilonge aUo-
line Church-Government, upt n the overtures or it t..is rufn{h!0rcnpti funt, Inft iumaiT, when the Order came of cafting this City quin- & potdbtem into CWfo and . Province, and in Order for choofing ^non parum U try ers of Eider., what plages had we in Sermon, ,Pray- ™£< ^ ™£ crs of fome of the Sectaries ; as among many to give two fam ilbcra]ircr antc onely,onthe day of Thankfgitiag for taking Shcrborne }nc admcnfi erant. caftl<r,tSeftary preached this, That the Parliament wai making of Lawcs againft the Saints, and that he was not afraid to fpeake,be- caufe he was not afraid to fuffer. And others preached of the great periccu- tion thai was coming j and how the Bifliops tyrannic would be nothing to the Presbyterians, their finger would be heavier then the Bifliopsloynes,or words to thitpurpofe. The Sectaries and the Bifocps, with that Court par- ty agree : i . The Biftiops and the Court party would bring oft one way or other, by Letters written from great friends at Court, by appearing for them, by removing to Tome other place the bufmeffe by finding out one de vice or another, deluding the parties who profecuted and troubled them, all thole of their party that were aftire and able; who by vertueof the LtweR, confcience, and courage, fome men in place were qucftioned and indangc- red, for preaching fome Doftrincs of Poperie and Arminianfmc, &c, or for fomcpraftices notlegaU, of which many examples were in the former time, fetching them out of the hands of Orthodox men who had power ; 'fending Warrants for difcharge of Priefts, Jcfuites, &c. and now all England o- TCI generally, the Seftaries for anie of their partie that ire queftioned, either for preaching faltc do<ftrines,or forfpcaking unjuftifiablfl wordi, or foro- ther mifdemeanours,do ufe all waics to bring them off ; they will ufc mcanes to remove them from one Committee to another, where they are ftronger, they will get Letters writ on their bchalfe, they will work things Co, as by delayes one way or another tha Sectaries (Taall efcape, as much as ever the Jefnitf , Priefts, Arminians, Innovators did heretofore, a . The Bifliops and Court party would prefer none but their party , kept out all men from all places in Church and Common- wealth, though never fo dcferving, efpcciilly if zealous, or had anie great parts to fttnd for the truth, and they would pre fer their own partic though never fo unworthy, though little to commend them ; and fo the Seflaries, in all places where they have; power, bring in Sc- ftirics' though other wife unfit, into offices and places, though di&oneft and fcandalous, and fet themfelvfs with all the induftry and cunning that may be to keep out godly confciouioui wen that ire againft the Scfts, though the,
I publikc
A Catalogue AttdDifcwen of
publike fuflkr nererfo much for the want of them, 3. The Bifhops and Court- party did fet them felves to worme out (that being the Archbifhopj phrafe) til godly, zalous,able men out of phces.and would by one means or device watching them, caPt them out quite, or fo tamper and rex them, thit they were weary of their lives and pltces; Co doe our Secttries make it' their ftudy, to remove, worme by degrees out ofphces upon one pretence or o- ther, when they cannot doe it otherwife active P esbyteritns, of which we have toomanie inftances,and fetthemfelvesto vex them, by over-ra'ingm Townes : where they have plxce,by bringing them into Haberdafhers Halifby putting in Articles againft them whkh they cinnotprov. ,tnd fo puttin« them to chargeable journey es and expences, with abundance of fuch, 4, The B.ftu'psandthe Court-party to bring about their ends, would bring mat ters to fuch a condition, and fuch a neceflitie, and then would make ihofe neceflities, that condition of affiires, as a ground of fuch and fuch following actions, pleading the necefll ties and the condition of the times as their war- rant; fo our Sectaries doe in many cafes, they have by ther policies and wayeshindred thcfetlingof Church- Government all this while, and they plead the long delay of fet ling it, as a ground to juftifie their gathering Chur ches, faying, how manie yeares would you hive us tofhy ? when as in the Aflembly, Citie, in all places, by all meanes where they haveanie intereS, they retard the work ; and fo if meanes beufed by Petitioning the Parlia ment to fettle Church-Government, and tofuppreffethegrest errours,then feme of the Sectaries fay and give out, The Army will be offended, when as many of the Sectaries have uled all sieancs,and doftill, to bring things to things to thatpafle, that we mighr have an Armie under the comman<is,*nd In the hands of the Sectaries, though ( blt&d be God ) we have a Noble Ge* nerall free from fectirifme and not above one in fix in the Armie that way tainted. 4. The Prelaticall faction and that Court-partie were great Inno- vatours, given to change, running from one opinion to another, being Ar-
oiinians as well as Popitb, yeafome of them Socini- SS^ftfJS P^s,.nd countenancing fuch, and were ev,ne day iwcftamentbMwereof inventing forne new matter in worfhip,. adding this that judgment, there be- ceremonieand the other, putting downe feme part of orthodox, learned, worfhips, and altering them by fubftituting other j as , pioM men, that jn puttine down finging of Pfalmts in fome CJhurchey, S W'3!S' 'nd "-.ing Hyane. , fa pu«.ngdowne .11 conceived
Prayer, and commanding bidding or Prayer, with » multitude of fuch like: foour Sectaries arc great Innovatours ss changeable cs the Moon, bringing into their Chnrchesnew opinions daily ,new practicess
takinrr
nunj Erreurs 0ft he Series. 45
tikinTawsy theolcTufed in all Reformed Churches, ind fubftituting new ; taking away of Tinging of Pfalms, and pleading for hy mnes of their own ma- kins • bringing in anoj nting with oyl, bringing in their la> ing on of hands tc rive the Holy Ghoft, with feversll other ftrange wayes and plaices, which the Reader (kail find in this following diiconrfe, among the narrations ot ir fees and flories. 5 The Prclaticall fadnnand thit Court-Clergie we daring bold men,that durft venture almoft upon any thing,upon counfelling to prorogue and break up Parliaments in ticnes of danger and diftraftien, up .in putting men out of offices and places that were not for their turne, and to brinq in others calculated for their Meridian, upon corrupting Religion and Lawesat once, breaking in both upon the Truth and the liber tie of the Sub let at the fame time, upon any thing or perfon thst flood in their wsy : So our Sectaries, many of them are daring men, hare attempted and been upou hi«h bufineffes, about counfelling and drawing up Petitions for idjonrning (K they all it) the Aflembly, in a time when the diftradtions of this Church •re fo infinite, and things founfetled ; as alfo have inferted ftrange paffa- ces into other Petitions, which yet have not been prefented, others of the company oppofing them ; with feverall other particulars, which would be too large now to relate; in one word, there is almoft nothing which they have not and dare not venture on, thatftands in their light, and in the way of their defignes ; and I may fay of many of the Sectaries (for I do not mean all, as I have faid before, fo I fay agiin, there are fome good fouls meerly (educed, who are not of the Faction) they have overpaid the deeds of the wicked, not only walked after their wayes, nor done after their abominati ons, but have corrupted themfelves more than they ; juftified the Biflaops and their Faction, by falling into thofe opinions, and doing thofe actions in tn high, bold, and open way, which that Faction never durft do for feare ef the people. Ntxt, the prefent Malignant* and the Sectaries agree in the gene ral! thus, that thorowout the Kingdome, it is now notoriou«,that the gretteft Malignant* and Sectaries hold together, and vote together againftthe Pref- byteriansand the Reformation, in all places and upon all buiine&s, of which there are many examples in thechoycc of Burge&s for Parliament, in tha Petition prefented in Londtn, at the choyc^ of the new Common- Coun- cell, the grandtft Malignant* and the Independents joyned together to oppole; and in fome Committees, where men ot both thefe forts are, it is obferved alfo : but to come to fome particulars ; The parallel between the preftiit Mt- lignants and our grand Sectaries, ftands in thefe ; I The Malignants hsve op- poled the proceed ings of Parliament, by preaching and writing books agsiaft them, reviling the Houfes, crpecitlly the Hoofc ot Commons, sod mar.y
J a pirticulat
A CAtAhgue And Difcwcrie of
psrticulir worthy Members by name, fpeaking agtinft their Ordinance con- ft tutions, as Covenant, Direflorie, Ordinitionfigainft their Pow"r and Pri pledges ; we know what AnUcm that grand Malignant htth done, and ho own* books both frorno*/,** and here itZ,W,»hath b.en by he m nantpartie printed and vented : fo alfo have manie Seftmetf and £* fc would fill a great book, to bring into one all thefpeeches, with thTpafce, in Petitions, Sermon?, Prayers, printed books, that have been ventedigafnft Pirliiment, and particular Worthy Members of both Honfes the r Power and Power and Priviledges, with their Ordinances and Orders in reference- to matters of Religion, as the N.tiomll Covenant, Diredorie Ordinance «|ainftmens preaching out of Office, the Monethly Faft, the Or! mance for Tithes, the Orders and Directions about Claffes, and chufing El s j in which Sermons, printed Books, Difcourfes, Petitions, and other carnages of the Sectaries, there have been more things vented diftrudive to the vene power and nature of Parliaments, undermining the verie root and Joundation and a their proceedings in reference to matters of Religion vei of jaftice md civil matters, then ever have been by all the Miiigaints Tin £„,- /Was ever I could heareof ; wuneffs LMurnu booke, with that lately come forth, cMd l*K,ffWJ, aj Truth jiftiftJ, all the printed Letters and Capers that were printed upon occifion of his imprifonment 5 E*,Un* Strthngkt the Ortintmc of Tithes Difmo»»t<d, the Arrtignmtnt of Perfect *iw,indlllhis felbwetjIsAftrriw Eccbo, &cc. Turner} Heavenly cohe rence for Jw»/^»//,rcfembliog the Direfarj to the golden C*lves of ]vc& Doam, *id Affirming there are untruths, contradictions to the Canonical Serif tares, errors, &c. And here I dare be bold to fay, that here have been grea ter mfolencies and affronts offered to this Parliament by many of the Se- Otries, then ever was to Parliiment in EnjrUndbj any men who lived within their power t as for inftance, when Lilfarne was committed to pri- Ion, and iuch a Letter was come forth inhisnamaagiinft the Parliimenr in fuchan open vile manner, and it fucha time, being prifoner, miny of tnc Sefttnw of Jawfowr* met together, and propounded to chufe Lit* irliiment ; and that Lilfarne after fo great favour jnd mercy (howne him by the Houfe of Commons, after fo high an a*. uie of the honourable Speaker, the honourable Committee of Examinations yet and of the whole Houfe, as difchtrging him of his imprifonment, without either acknowledging the j uftice, or petitioning for the mercy of the Houfe of Commons (a favour that I never heard or read of granted to any mm before , H >!*/ thou8ht ^ been a thing impoffible/even againft the fundamen- PjfaK ?f ?{fc Houfe ,,for a min committed by the Houfe upon far
many Err ours of the Sectaries.
47
*L\\b.lnn°certcya»d Truth }'.tftifi-;A,p.ig. 57. / conceive I ma,e ji»/?/V CA] , •without breach ff their 'I'riviledgc; , That I h.iv 9 uny.isJly dealt with in ml late im^yifjumsnt , ti be imprifoned ff contrary to the l^noivnand declared Laves, I have been tfithottf either can fit Jbo'ivne^or A It-gaUTn.tU Viiie /'•«£. 7 i . ." -75- '&K . you mil fay, the- Heufe of Common; i> n»t at lufui •-' , by tea fun o\ rht publics: I anfiver, L'jj'j then an ho:n<-i time 1W« /*/!•« my turne in this particular, and it n very ft range , in fiui y -<t*t* Cpacc, fomnch time car.net be found fr cm the pul'lt^c to rranf- mit my bupnejje ; fure I am they c.in findt tune enough to fit: Is grc.it Aid rich places upon firm: of themftlves , and la <«J-'Y tht-m, notnithftanding their own Ordinance tt the contraiy : jv: •* fr I kittiv fome tf them at this day, hath plurality i>f platii, c - yuy the thing I defi: ; of them, is m>re }ujily my '/»<•• then ar.y :• then great pl.ins are theirs, and therefore 1 hope they have n<-: h.idcaufe to beangry-Hith me fir craving \uflice at their hands, being it was the end wherefore they ivi-rr chofen and truftcd , and that which thiy are fnorn to do. Vide pag. 71. fpf aiding ef Jem.: pajfiigts in A T,iTliam.T>eclarit. not eafiiy to be forgotten by f/jofi that made them, if then be any f;:ir(s -f hontjty inthcir hearts, Pag, 21. ffhiih Warrant and Commitment (thoughrxadc by a Committee of the Houfe of Common ) » <»' t lie fall .n ali the reft, and in my apprehension agairfl the vtry tencur and tin tn\( intent and meaning of the Tetitian of 'Rig'it, and fxftffly againft theftordi ff the Statute of the 41 of Ed.?. ,Ag.un pf.*. 57. r£ittl have fei>crall times keen imprifoned both by r i;(.o;n- •nitteei and bytheVitcof the H tuft of £t mrnor.; irf.ife, con trary to « ^fiaivflc Litiv made this pn-fent Tarliameut fc> tii^n,- felvet, again-ft which the; f it *t prefent n» Or di mate e published and declared by them and the Teeres ftr th- cognisance if: Ergo, I fay they are tied in }uflice, according to th: ti-n'f-r «/ this Laiv, to give merepjtration^ainfl thofe perftns that -we; f chiefs instruments, either in Committees , or in the Houfc of Commons it filfe, tt vote *nl ta^e .iW4jr my liberty from me , ctntrary to t>iis Law : and far my ttvn part I doe expect my re; paratien f°r my late caufttcjfi molejlations <end irtprifonmints- Pa£.<9 / Jbali freely declare tht maine reafon which maizes me in being true ta my libfrty and f'tedome, that in point ef honefly I cannot fubmit to that Oath, in th*t I conceive all Lanes and Ordinance; in f*ch cafes as tins ij, ought to be ttniverfall t» bind* a.U, and not fo reftriftiv* <ts the additional Ordinance e$ \Ae::- cottttts it, which txcmpttTeeres, Members tf the Houfe of Com mons ; for my part I iitdge my felfe at free a. man (though ' thct* •Wife I defire not to make compmifins ) at any of them, and I con: ceive I ought not to be in bondage to any Law or 0\di/;A>icc that they thernfelvei ivtUnot fltnd t».
know look upon them with
an evill eye, as the fit ft caufe of all their miferie, and cannot give them a good word; and all the world fees how the Sectaries hate the Scots, raife and fprcid evill reports upon them, are as thorns in their fides,heavy enemies, ob- ftructing them in all places where they hav,: power, deviling al waies to be rid of them.andftudy ing what in them lies to make a breach ; I could tell the Reader many fpeechf s, ftories of the Sectaries in this kinde in reference to our Brethren of Scotland, but it needs not , for they that run may read it.
3. They
kite offences, v i'hout petiti oning to be fet freej fhauld yet let forth a * book to all the world, jjftifyirg himfclf in his former waies , and point blink charge the Houfe with being mtjttftlj dealt wiik inhu late impri(y>tmfxt, im- pri/oning him contrarie to tht kr.cwnc and declared Lawes ; yea further, infeverall phccs of his book, after a bold and audacious manner abufing and bringing in dmgerous in- fmuations reflecting upon them.
O what unheard of M»- iignancies are thefe I And fo Mr. John Geydvfin in a Ser mon hath uttered that againft the Parliament & the power of it , as opens a gap to all fleightifig of their authorise and power ; and I b^leeve ne ver was there any fuch fpeech from any before himfelfe. 2 The Sectaries and Malig- nints agree in being bitter c- nemies of our brethren of Scotland, and of their Ar mies ; the Militants wee
— —
A Catalogue and Difcovery of
They agree in this,nther to htveEpifcopal Government »m a Tnlrr sbyteri^
nd hisfellowes, and I thinkelcan'prove froTgoc d tad!
njme them, the SeftirL'.s would fty Vo to) thit fome of the prime Minifters ,n the way of the See* iuve hid, That VcopdGove m! ment and a Toleration of thur way would give them content. The Malignant* and Seftiries agree in Independency, the Migrants now turn Indc -pen jits .ndprofeffe they are for Independency and for this I co.ld qtjtf Si Speeches, ind name fome malignant Minifters, and others of note who are for Independency againft Presbytery; but this is now io commonly known, that Brtmmciu a man who hath done them many good offic«,ind cryeJ up feveril ot them, contcffcs in one of his Pamphlets about a fortnight fince, that the Mibgnants are turned Independents ; hardly a Malignant Pritft about town but is for Independency againft Ptwby t-rie. Li%, The Seftiries agree with Ittlitn the Apcftata and fome other enemies of Chriftisns in thefe four thing? i, /*/;*» wasa great feoffer it the Scriptures, Chrift and Chnftian R?IL gton, as ; tcclef. ftories mention ; and mani^ of the Seftiries of our time iro
^l a xr aSand^ckerSatalhhin^thlt areg°od> Scriptures, Trinitie, ift,Miniftery, Ordinances, whatnot? there was never a greater genera! tion ot fcoftcrs at Religion then many of the Sechries of our times witnefle manie printed books, as Arraignment of Perfection, and his fellowes the Ordinance of Tithes Difmounted, beiides manie fcoffing bookes againft the
-Theodorct. Hift. Eccief. lik. 3. taf.y. iulianus S"^?.^™? G°VcTnment, *$ the tWO
pnmum vetuic, nc GaJilsti ffic aum fidej Se;;
vatoris noftri confecratos ininc.fpabacjPoeticam,
Rhetpricam, »ut Philpfophicam dit'ce-ent. Nam
npftris ipforum, inpit, penni', uc eft inp;-overs
bio, pcrcellimar: iiqmdcm noftrcrum fcripto;
rum prarfidiis muniti, contra nos beilutn Cuicipi;
unt. Poftca eciara aiiam tulit kgern, qua mandas
vie utomnes GaliUijid eft, Canftiani,c miiitia
pellcrentwr.
* Julian ths tJpcjtat* therefore granted a TolerMtit
en of tlii liberty of perdition {M Auftin sails it)
bscAuft he did hope by that mfants to dejlroj Cbrit
fian Religion, Auguft Ep;ft. 166. lulianus in*
quit, deicrtor Chrifti, & inimicus, h«recicis lis
bci-urcmpcrditionis permifu, ettunc Bafilicas
hzrencis reddidit, quando templa Drmoniis:
eomocb putaniChriHianunr no:ncn poflc perire
- 1 - r- »««,i««jrtMiii i*\/uivu uuijc pern c.
deter, is ipfi vcritate Ecdcfix de 3ua lapf ,s f»iea s-at iuvidercr,ec facrilcj'as diflevfiones Jibeiascfle permutcret. PrateolnsEJcnch.Hzretic,/.^ a47, lulunus Aretium authored ec dtKem h*re/i^ Ennomii et Cohftanuiicntentiadaranatum.et in bemgiuj Jutai*
Brethrens MS, with others of that kinds, a. * lulian was a great enemy to the learning of Chnftians, ufcd all means to overthrow learning ; f0 do manie Seftiries in our time. 3 , He at tempted to get thfljf/j/f/Mout of the hands of the Orthodox Chriftims, as Tbeoderet in his Eccief. Hiftorie rela- tdh : and the Sedsries have and do ufe all meanes within thdr power to get the Militia out of the hands of the Orthodox into their hands fblely, of which I could tell tales. 4 "» ixlun was the great patron of Toleration for
all Sed >,Donatifts,Arians,Eunomians, he was the great man for Ittmtt
Errettrs eftbe se^^rie
«,ww Cts^^^ calls iO the Do- nttifts fled to him, hec give them pu like liberty of Chirches , hce called backe from binifament *S£t reat leader of the Eunomian her •nd whether ill the ft ft$ >re not agvce( with him in that , as alio wit l,ns mother wicked Etrperoar, whc was for 1 deration of all but the < thodcx, I leave to their own confcien-
vie et public* veftura rcduxit : Epifcopo, juN ConftantioexiIiomHlftatoirevoeavit.etinaibes
f,as redireperrmfu. Atquc id ilk non milcric SSftdt ficV. c.llise.ecAJcdurEp.i opos.n. ftcommittensadimeftinu-n armarec brtlum , « fui, i-fadifsidiis Ec^lcfia labrfaftarecur. c ™« K,«r Valeria <7«»r /r^*™ '/ * <'*'•» r» /« <^;Hs;:.t W Hf*thwt tut w« * r-"1/ 7«1 ZrbtOtthoJox. Theodore:. HiftEcckf. /ii 4 rap.--. ValcHsimpunitatemconcelsit Ocn; tihbas, ImUis. C: ahis quibufquc yui nomen Ch-iitianum fibi a'.Vumcmc-, doftriram Evangelio rcpi-nantein przd cabanr : 5ol.:s autem Aroftc* lici doftriirt propugnacoribus ty aiunn ilte -,c Iv = ftem prsbuic.
have
en
and the
eceeded «h.t Prr portion which Ut fi.ft in.rnded when I kp 1 fh.Il do thfn in point ot ptrdld, h but to hmi a Jew th,ngs { whca fheRetder w.li to cbferve) ot .he dift.-tenee inthewniigeind behtviouc hefefoureyeues lift p.ft»U«longof the Prwbvtetitns both to the Honou-
!,bU Houfes, ud the Seflarics ; .nd of the Scflat« to the P.th.men .nd !he PrMbvH >>ns ; ind for the truth of wh«I fty.Idire ippe.1 to all the wctW yeMndtotheeonftieneei of minyfeft.rk»themfclYei. Though the Presbvtethn pittyfrom the beginning of the diffsrenea between the King ,ndl 'iSent, among thofe who proftfli to ft.nd for Reformation and for Jhep'r!i.mcnt h,thb?en,,nd ftillh (without ,ncomp«e) the greater pnt
of both Kineaornes, the body of both Afferobliei and Minifterj, the body of the people in Citks ind Countries Cefpecially of perfons eminent mphce »nd ouaMtv) yes, and the Parliiments too, (ot the Parlumem atSculad SSSnoqnefMon;; *** Pa.Uamentof £»|/W alfo, theradnee had with the Afiembly.hathdeclared for Presbytery, having voted and formed into Orders Directions, and Ordinances, fever.ll parts and pieces of Presbyteri- dlffiovetnment , yet for ,11 this have not the Presbyterians taken upon them to fet up the Government in that manner and way as they conceive a iudce to be nToft sgreeable to the word, dr« wing in the peopie with t, havt waited upon the Parliament att this wh,ktor the leifogot the < addrtfiir.e thernfelves in mod humble manner, by way or pe' that both Afferobly, C.,urt of Common Council, Minifters, people ; r whenfoB:eii3iM their hopss havebsen deferred bcjondailcxpeftuion, a
5 o A C uttabg at find D, rh of
. v;< ;;»•. t wi'.a Ivsnc dsiappotntments and! difcouragemems in fhc.r joi?, klUng the Oiurch, ssby a vote palT d againft one Petition before it was pieAr-itd, a> m^ll trar.ks given fo; another, and little refpeft fh-,vtM rot thi,^ j -irfi'icstht !*( cluiesj/,1, lur-g over them and their Petitions, brand:.!. g their* i*i Pulpits, i i the weekly News-books, and in their daily difcounes,not- withitanding whir, t-v -r they might concave of ncgL'fts and hard ufage on the
one hand, and of great abufe of them by the Stftiries on the other hand, yet they have taken all patiently, waiting ftil!, petitioning ftill bail humble and thinkfull manner, forbearing to print what was prefented ( though there wis coCVdernor command againft itj out of their tender rcfpeftof giving any cfFence, or difpleafing the Parliament (though in themeine ti;ne they fu&red much by mil-reports of their proceedings, both for matter and manner : ) The Presbyterian partic ( though the Affembly of Divines, thereprefentative body of theCitie, the Court of Common- Councell, the Minifterie of the Kingdome, thoufands and ten thoufands of godly well aflfjfted perfons, the Kingdome of Scot /and, yea ail the Reformed Churches own that way J hath not upon the fore- named thing? and others fas the not giving leave upon a Pe tition to print an Anfwcr to the Remonftrance of the Independents,in which the A(tembly is extremely wronged ) broke out either againft the Parliament, faying they will fight no longer, &c. fpeaking their pleafure of them, drawing up all their grievances to a head, and fetting them forth in print; oragiinft particular Members, falling upon them by name, making them to beknowne to the world, whom they conceive and have been informed of, to be the great hinderers of their defires, and fticklcrs agiinft them ; but even as be comes Chriftians have taken all patiently, waiting upon God and the Parlia ment. And as the carriage of the Presbyterian hath been thus in all humble dutie and high refpscl: to the Houfes of Parliament, and everie Member in their places (for I have not yet heard of any Presbyterian that hath fingled out any one Member by name, to abufe him in print> asfome Seifhries have done, both particular Members, and the whole Ho«fc of Commons) fo hath it bsen with all love, brotherly kindnefle, tenderneffe, refpsft and forbearance to the Sectaries ; and confidering that the Presbyterians were, as I have fliewed before, both of theMinifters and people ftanding for Reformation, the body of both Ktngdemes, having the command and power of the pulpits, fo great an intereft in the people, &c. their love and forbearance to the Secta ries hath been admirable ; when the Independents were but few, tnd other Sectaries a (mall number, in the firft and fecond yeare of this Parliament, fotna halfeafcoreordozenMinifters, three or foare hundred people, the Presby terians gave them the rieht hand of fellowship, admitted them to their mee
tings,
Errnrs tftbe setftrics. 5 1
tings, opened itui* pjjpudoores, unto them, (hewed ill brotherly refpcft of love ind kindnefle to them, even more then to moft of their own wty con- defcendingto fuch a motion, as to forbeare preaching and printing agiinft their opinions and way, making them ("who were fo fmall and inconfi- derable a party ) as it were an cquall partie, putting them into the balance with themfeUes; they appeared not to hinder their being chofen to bee generall Lecturers, for this City in feverall great Churches : and as at firft, fo all along they have been tender and refpeftfull of them in Affembly, City, and in all cafes, (i; faring them to grow up to thoufands; andnotwiih- ftanding breach of agreements, drawing away their people, preaching agaii -ft them in their own Pulpits, many high and ftrange cnriages,yet ftiliufmg all faircncffe and love, hoping by brotherly kindnefff, forbearance and * thorow Reformation in the Church, ( wherein they have been willing upon all occafions to gratific and have refpcft to their confciences) at laft to Jjave gained them. £O?J OthefaitntulntfT, dutifulnefle, patience, iong- fuftvring, forbearance of the Prisby tcritns ; their dutifulnefle, and patience in waiting upon the Parliament ; their fiithtulnefle in not abating in their zcale and refpefh to them ; O their love, kindnefle and tendernefte to the In- dependents, yea to other Sedu ies alfo who have had fomething of Chrift and grace in them,-and have not fallen into errours and blafphemiss, razing the foundation. But now on the other hand the Sectaries (though i contemp tible number, and not to be named at the fame time with the Presbyterians) have not waited upon the Parliament and Atfembly for the Reformation, but preached againft it, and ftirred up the people to imbody themfelres,and to pyne in Church fellowship , gathering Churches, fetting up Indepen dent Government , rcbsptiziug and dipping many hundreds ; and upon any thing that hath been voted by the Affombly , Parliament, that hath en fled them (though alas, few Orders or Ordinances which have refe rence to the Stfttrries, or are againft their minds, have little life in them, or ire put into execution ; witnefle that Ordinance againft mens preaching who ire not ordained Minifterj, witnefle that Ordinance about Ptinting, cum mnhis *liut Lay-men never preaching fo much, nor fo openly as fince tha Ordinance, and all kind of erroneous wkked books printed, di'peHed as much ts before, they have put forth broksagiinlt the Parliament, Affembly, preach ed sgamft them, and their proceedings,the Direct ?rie, Ordinance againft prea ching of perfons not Ordained, <£r. talked their pleafure, that they would lay down Arms,that the King would give them a Toleration, that thefe procee dings would difcounge the Army , and fuch like ; they have not forborn prin ting of Anfwers to books, PetitJont,pi(TagQi in Letters, or other things which
K might
A GrtAUgut And Difctvcrit tf
might onke for theircaufe, becaufe tha Parliament did not like them or hid forbid them, there's nothing that may maka for tha furthering of their wav but they do it, Parliament, Affembly, Citie, Kingdome fay whit they will to the contrary And as their urriage hath been thus to the Parliament, fo thev hate and do all kind I of wayes within their power, wrong and abufe the sod- ly Orthodox Miniferi and people, vilifying, flighting, and fcorning them. raifingup all kinds of ef ill reports, andcafting reproaches on themf rcqui' ting them tor all their love and kindneffe, with preaching agjinft them in their o wne pulpits, dealing away their people from them,hbe>uring by all means in places where they have any power or intereft, to keep good Miniftcriout of fuch Churches, and Presbyterians out of all offices and employments- vea in many places where they have power, they ftudy and watch to throw out by one wile or other, godly Mini fters who are againft their way, detaining their dues, vexing of them, and making their lives bitter unto them domi neering and abufing the godly Orthodox partie, yea, ufing all policie and in- duftneto get them felves into all chiefe places of power and com mind that fo they may trample upon and crufti them. O had the Series b--en h the phce of the Presbyterians, and the Presbyterians in theirs, and they fo dealt with by the Presbyterians, as the Presbyteriins have been by them I know what they muft have expected from them : Idareappeale to everie ordinarie common underftanding , ye* , to the confcience of the Sectaries themfelvcs, whether if they had had the Parliaments of both KWdomes the Affemblies and Miniftcrs, the Churches and Pulpits, the representative bodv of this Citie ; and the people and wee had been as few as they were in the three firft ycaresof the Parliament, would they have fuffered us to preach in their owne Churches againft them and their way, to have from time to time confuted their Doctrine, to have preached up another Govern ment and way, againft what the Parliament had voted and was a felling, to have enjoyed fpeciill Lectures in principall places, to promote a way con- traneto theirs, to have drawne away theirpjopk and maintenance from them, to have fallen upon the prafticeof fetting up Prebyteriall Churches and Government, Claflicall, Synodicall, in Citie, Countrey, to have prin ted freely againft their way, and ufed allmeanes to have rendred them odious among the people, would they have fate ftill, and gone without places and of fices of honour, power, profit, andfufrered the Presbyterians afmallparti-, to get into Court, Armies, Committees,^, toincreafeto focha number, fuchaftrength and head, as to po&fle rnoft places of command in the field, andintheftroogeft Garrifonsand Forts? a salfo Civil! offices both of power >and profit, yea, to have a plurtlitie of places and offices ? Would the Sc<5h-
ncs.
»**; Errwrs tf the Setftrt'ts. 5 3
ries, if they hid bee n two * powerfull Armies, confi- * The setl*>ies, tfa
fling of Commander! and Souldiers for their wiy, **fv mak* b*t * fifth
under ©enerals after their owne heart, hare born thofe P********** **$> things at the hands of Presbyteri.ns, which Presby.
tcriins have done from them ? O no, they would ne- ny touch of Scfttrfrme, yet ver have endured the hundredth part of thofe wrongs, wfrebaw infblcntfbmeef difcouragements , injuries; had the Affembly confi- ***•»*&€ been of late, fted of Independents, excepting a matter of eight or ;?f ;V?* ther»fih>(s. nine Presbyterian, would they have endured thtt,.nd w*Z" put up that from the Presbyterian pirtie,ts the Affem- cb»nb government, bly hath done from the Independent? fu flared them *»o«M tbeyfriftht to (pin out time (o long, to /peak thofe things in the a* 'mJ *»ho'y 'f Afombly fomeof them have j and in flead of bringirre '*»»*'! >* in (according to Order) the whole frame of their ^ judgements concerning Church-government in a bo dy , with their grounds and reafons, to bring in a Remonftrance, cafting dirt upon them and their proceedings ? Would they in Nen-EngUnd endure ons or more Presbyterians to live among them, and to go up and downe their Couritrey, and in chiefe Towns and places to preach againft,cry downe their Churches and Church-government, and to extolland cry up a contrarie way, as Mr. Pfttrstnd others do here ? For mine owne part I an confidently per- (waded, and fo I beLeeve are all wife men that have obferved the waies of the Sedaries, that if they had been in the place of the Presbyterians, having had their power, namber, authoritie, and the Presbyterians had been a fmall num ber as they were, and foould have tftered to have done but the twentieth psrt of that in preaching, writing,^, againft them, wkich the Seftiries have done igiinft the Presbyterians, they would have trod them downe as mire in the ftrcet, carting them out with fcorn before this time of day, not hive fuffcred a Presbyterian to preach among us, or to have been in any pltce or office, mili- tane or civill, but all would have been (hut up in prifons, baniflied, or elfe hi ding them(elves in holes and corners : many godly perfons in fome phces ha ving much ado now to hold up their heads, to lire by them, to preach quietly, to go ftfely in the ftreets, and to be quiet in their houfes. And for conclufion of the difference in the carriage and behaviour of the Presbytc' rims and the Sectaries, the righteous Lord judge between them, and recompence to the Presbyterians according to their kindnefle, love, peaceablenefle, forbearance indrighteoufnefle; and'theLord forgive the Sedarks, and turn their hearts, and caufe their foliy, inlolencies, unrighteoufncfle, and un/uft dealings with their brethren, to be fo manifeft tothemfelves and all men. as they miy pro ceed no further. K a
54 A Catalogue and Difcwtry $f
Now for the particular practices of the Sectaries they are many, indit would require a Tradhte by it felfe to fet them downe j indeed I hardly know anyftrange practice that hath reference to their waves, but fomc or other of theai are guiltie in one kind or another. Mod of their practices and wayes *> may be referred to thefe ten heads ; i To loofneffi and libertie in life and con- '^Hverfatipn. 2 To covetoufntfle, ambition, and felf-f eeking. 3 To policies and fubtiltie. 4 To aft venefle, fedulitie and mmblenefe in the profccution of their Way* 5 To tusnultuoufneffe, diforder and confufion. 6 To the difturbance and ovei throw of ceconotticall, ecclcfijfticall, and politicill relations and go- yernment. 7 To mfolencies, pride, and arrogancie, 8 Tonclsofimmodefty and incivilitit . 9 To power and will, carrying all before thex, and thro -ving downe all that Hands in their way, 10 To hypocrifc under pretences of pie- tie atid holinefle.
Now for the particular practices of the Sectaries, I had drtwne np many,' to the number of feventie , and provided for everie pradicd inftanccs for proofe, and upon fomeof them I could write a large difcourfe, even a book uponfeverali of them; as of their behaviour and carriage towards rh< Par liament, theKingdome of ScotUnd, the Aflembly of Divines theCitieof London, the Mimfterie of England, yea of all the Reformed Churches, as of their fetking and getting into all forts of offices and places they are any way capable of (being Sequcftratours, Collect >urs, Rcceiv.rs, Survcyours, Ex citers, Cuftomers, Secretaries, Clerks, &c. getting places h Court, great Townes, dwelling in fequtftred houfes freely, procuring A rcares, &c. not imanalmoft of late coming into anyplace or office, but an Independent, or Indepeodentifli, there being no kind or fort of preferment, employaiL'ntB plice, but fome or other of that way enjoy) as of their plotting and la ouriug. from the firlt yeire of the wars, to get into their hands the fwo- d and pt>wer of Armes, by having a confiderable Army, which they might look upon more particularly, as theirs, and of their way, by atte.npting to remove and heave atmany gallant Commanders,. to get the cooimind of the ft-ongtfl Garrifons and places, yea to make To wnes of confeqjence that were no Gar- rifons to htve been Girrifons, as Tarmonth ; but I am neccflltired fo divers reafons, to pafle by wholly for the prefent many of thdr p adices, snd others to name only, defiring the Reader ashee goas abng, tofupply the deFt(5ls. by calling to mind ail particulars he kno wes and hath heard of upon the fevs- rall heads.
i. Pr*%ic-f. They ufeto afcribe and attribute all the fnccefle of things, all that is done in field , at Leaguers, all viftyries, brave actions, to their partie9. Drying the^ up in BulpitSjNevvS'bookSjConferenceSyCaiiing them the UvJours
many Err wrs of the Sectaries. cr
©f the Kingdomes j and for this purpofc they htve certaine men that ire Criers and Trumpeters between the Armie, Citie, and Countrey, who trumpet forth their praifcs, giving them the titles of Terrible, &c. a large book would not containe the rth • ion ofr all the viftorids, glorious aftions ex ploits hiving been given to the Armiecaik-d ludependenr.
Prtfftct. Tney gi>e out and boaft their partie to t>e more ind greater
, , , g men, were ters, an
be theirs : yea, that the Aifcinbly, the French Churches, the Com- iLiflionersof the Church o^ ScnUnd thought well of their way ; and fo of particular perfons that are p;ime men, they naye given out, as if they were orare coming over to them. Some of them have bragg'd that Sir Tkomu jF4*Vfr*,tht» valiant vicarious Commander in chief of the Parliiment Forces began to have fome glimmering of new light ; and I can prove Letters have been written i v,-r ro fume of thtir partie in Holland. that Mr. M**fk* was turned Independent - they
ufe to boaft of M f.i.nds in the o fe of Com ffl
rnons, and they will acquaint their friends in the **wdtome, the Gentle- Houle ot Commons ; and they brag of a Toleration mM lt "bom fab *tws giving out their frkncfs in the Houfe of Commons, »**'**l**ii*. havefaid they flull htve a Toleration ; and they boaltthus to awe perfons, •nd to madmen afraid to fpeak .giinft them, or to oppofe them ; but rather hereto than wh, *• eio power full, and have fo many on their fide. 3. Prtgic*. They appropriate to themfelv^s the name of the godly and Wtll-affcfted panic, the tide of Saints, calling themfelves the Saints, that icy only p,tach Jeluf Chrift, and though they be Anabaptift*, Seekers tf* >et ; Slinr$: t^-is is common in printed Books, Pdtitions, Ser-
)jlcourfes; what, fp.ak againftthc Saints? be igiinft » Toleration rortheSun' ? meaning themielfcs only .
4:Pr*nire They pretend one thing, when they intend quite another, •ndinsufuallf rthem to pretend the publike good, the benefit of the State When it i$ c v dent they intend their o^ne intcreft, and ftreng^hen of their wrtic; th, v pretend peace, bve, forbearing of all names of difference, to the Presbyterians (ccure, negligent, and Co foifctre all means of fetling gs, wd yet at the fame time go quite contrarie, ufing all means and waie! tor p.- omoting their own partie, as they did after the lofll- of L-icefter.
'< r^u" thcj fd/««'€moft faultiein.that they will charge up- oo others, the Prcsby terua Mujfter^ and people, as making divi(ions,«e wtn-
tng
5 6 A Catalogue *nd &i [civ trie of
ting love, as breaking the peace, and caufing mif- rules, tumults as be guilty of perfecution, when as 'tis evident to all the world, they are moft faulty in thcfe particulars, and in many more, and for the proof of it I Ibuld dsnaonftrate it in a hundred inftanceS.
6t P rattle f. They doonptirpofe (having got Churches void) keeps mi- nie Churches without Minifters, feeke out for ncne> ftop fall they cm) Or thodox Minifters from coming in, which they do for two reafons, i . That fothey may pay no Tithes: 2. That fothey may have the liberty of the 'Pulpits for ail kindc of Sectaries, and mechanic'* preachers, who come from London, the Armies, and other places to preach in and corrupt the people, ind that the people being as fheep without a fhepherd, may be more eafily now drawne away to error and fchifme; and of this praftice there are many fad examples in Hartfordfiire, Bucking, Efex, and that in Come great rmr- ket-townes, as Chcfl>*mt where thousands of fouls are.
7. Prattice. They have laboured and do by all waies to have no Church- government at all fetled in this Kingdome, but to keep it out. Or fecond- ly, if there muft be any, yet to have a defective, imperfect loofe Government and Reformat ion, that may not be able to do the worke,that fo others may f all cff to their way the more; and for proof of this, they have refufed to joyn for a pure full Reformation in points according to their own principles, that fo one good might not hinder a greater good (as was expreffrd) and haveoppofed to the utmoft a thorow^PresbyteriallReformatian. 3. They have laboured to get a Toleration granted before the Government be fetled, to get an exception before the rule was made, and if once they had gotten that, let the Presbyterians get the Government then when they could, and this they ftirred in, and fought to effect laft winter. 4. Seeing they could not do this, but this policy was efpied, they labour for a Toleration together with a Reformation, that the Church-Government and a Toleration might be borne and brought forth together as twins in one day, and fo go hand in hand, and this they are labouring for now, the monfter of Telerat ion concei ved in the wombe ©f the Sectaries long ago, they having gro wne big with it everfince, arc