SECT. I.

WEE cannot but apprehend it as an especiall providence of God, that so many godly and faithfull Ministers of Christ in the Countrey, (partly drawn together by authority of Par­liament, to make up the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; and partly driven to London, as to a City of refuge, for safety and succour from the violence and outrage of the adverse party) have been lawfully allowed, and have frequently injoyed, many opportuni­ties for communication of counsells, and contribution of indeavours, [Page 2]to carry on the Covenanted Reformation towards an happy conclution, which are like to be frustrate of much of the fruit and good effect desired by them unlesse there be a consciencious con­currence of your other brethren, who upon the same prin­ciples and interests stand deeply ingaged with you earnestly to contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints, as just oc­casion is offered to shew themselves not only resolute Protestants for it, but religious Detestants against all errors, heresies, and blasphemies which are contrary to it.

Wherein though you have precedency before us, and advantage above us (both for intelligence and accommedation of conve­ning, and consequently for consultation, consent and publi­cation of what you resolve on) we meant (at least some of us, from the first view of your printed Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ) you should not therein bee singular without us. And now all of us whose names are subscribed, doe freely and publickly professe, both how far, and upon what grounds and reasons, we give our Attestation to the contents of your booke forementioned: and first how far wee doe it, and for that,

1 First, We wel like the latitude of your generall Title, in that it speaks against errours, heresies, and blasphemies, and for that in the particular Titles all along your booke, you use the word errour only, and adde not the other words, heresie, and blasphemy, though many of the positions recited by you, be materially both hereticall and blasphemous: wherein wee conceive you have been discreetly cautelous to prevent exception, for there is great doubt, much dispute and difficultie, to determine what heresie is, and what opinion is hereticall. Thence it is thatEpiph. An. 370. Ephanius, andPhil. An. 380. Philastrius (who both of them wrote of heresies beforeAug. An. 420. Augustine) agree not in their Catalogue, for the one accounts those tenents to be heresies which the o­ther doth not. And thatBellarm. de Christo, lib. 2. c. 19. Tom. 1. p. 132, 133. Bellarmine doth acquit Calvin from the heresie charged upon him by Genebrard, for teaching that Christ is [...]. But though it may be questioned of many o­pinions, whether they be heresies or no, it may bee manifest e­nough that they be errours.

2 Secondly, We approve, that you passe your consine upon heresies in [Page 3] abstract [...], as Epiphanius, Philastrius, Augustine, & Alphonsus à Castro, not upon Hereticks in Concret [...], asAdversus hu­jus temporis hae­reticos, Bell. in title page of his disputations. Bellarmine doth, who en­titles his disputations not against the Heresies but the Hereticks of these times. For that is farre more difficult to determine then the other. What makes an Hereticke cannot as I conceive at all, or very hardly be comprehended in a regular definition, saidQuid facit haereticum regulari qua­dam definitione comprehendi (sicut ego existimo) aut omnino non potest, aut difficillime p [...]test. Aug. de Haeres. ad quod vult Deum, Tom. 6. p. 11. Augustine many a hundred yeers agoe. The modern Arminians say as much or more, viz. Sciri hodie non posse quis sit haere­ticus—So the Arminians, Apud Nicol. Vedel. part. 4. defens. Arcani Armin. lib. 1. cap. 2. p. 3. that it cannot be knowne in these times who is an Heretick: but they are the lesse to be beleeved because of more light in latter times, for the discovery of truth and error, then in the ages more remote. Yet is there great difficultie, and (by rea­son thereof) there may bee much deceit and errour, in an inconsiderate application of the word, Hereticke, though to a man of erroneous opinion, yea though grossely erroneous.

This difficultie was the cause that some of the Antients, who wrote against Hereticks were numbred with Hereticks them­selves, asBellarmine in effect calls Tertul­lian heretick, when he saith Tertul­lianum inter Catholicos non numera­mus. Bellarm. de poenit. l. 1. c. 1. Tom. 3. p. 377. col. 1. Tertullian, Epiphan. Haeres. 64. & in a Synod of Alexandria. an. 399 vide Fran. Long. sum. concil. p. 324. and 325. and Origen; and that some of those who wrote of heresies since them haveBernard Lutzenburg misere erras­se qui Catalogum Haereticorum descri­bens aliquos recenset qui nunquam in fide catholica fuerunt. Alphon. a castro Adversus haeres lib. 1. c. 9. f. 23. p. 6. (as Alphonsus a Castro writeth of Bernard Lutzenburg) bren miserably mistaken in taking those for hereticks who were not, and so cameEpiphan. haeres. 75. Aerius to be listed in the black-bill of heretickes for denying the distinction betwixt a Bishop and a Presbyter. And for the same opi­nion (in kind, though differing in degree) wasMarc. Anton. De Dom. Spalat. de repub. Eccles. l. 2. c. 3. p. 240. Hierom taken for an Aerian Hereticke by Michael Medina, but foolishly and ignorantly saith theDeseruimus in hac parte Hieronym: Sed non propterea stulte & imperite (quod facit Michael Medina) illum Hereticum facimus Aerianum. M. Anton. de Dom. Arch. Spalat. ubi supra. Arch-bishop of Spalat. And for Aerius himselfe (though hee denied not only the Divine: right of Episcopall prelation, which Hierom did) but all right of preemi­nence of Bishops over Presbyters in the Church, (which Hierom did not) he is cleared also from that contumelious title by the lear­ned author of the book calledAltar. Damasc. p. 276. 277, 279 Altare Dama­scenum.

3 Thirdly, Our judgements and desires concur with yours, con­cerning the humble advice of the Assembly of Divines, now by authority of Parliament sitting at Westminster, concerning a con­fession of faith, whereof we conceive it needlesse, to say any more, or otherwise then you have done.

4 Fourthly, We professe we are filled with griefe for the present evills upon us, and with fear of worse (which seem eminent over us) for want of that Church Government, which is most agreea­ble to the word of God, and to the example of the best reformed Churches, and we are so much the more afflicted with the ap­prehension of both, because the Ordinance of Parliament (for the establishment of it in a regular subordination of Congregatio­nall, Classicall, and Provinciall Presbyterie's) prevaileth so little in most places; which we must impute partly to the misrepresenta­tions of it, to those that should submit unto it; (for to some it is rendred formidable) as if it were more oppressive then ever the Prelacie was; to others despicable, for want of a competent power to proceed to effectuall reformation of offenders; and to most (whatsoever it be in it self) it is the more unwelcome, because they have bin so long wonted to live without rule, that now as sons ofBelial a [...] Beli, id est non, & nomine [...] [...]ol, id est ju­gum, ut signifi­cetur impatien tia jugi, id est disciplinae. Mr. Leigh crit. Sacr. in N. T. p. 43. Margin. Belial) having shaken off the yoak of subjection, they take it for an injury if any restraint be offered to their licentious humors, Which some by a partiall Charientismus mis-call by the name of Liberty of Conscience, whither (as Mr. Burroughs well observeth) the Devill sometimes flyes (as Joab did) to the hornes of the Altar, or seems to doe so, when if he be well sought for, you shall find him in some other roome of the soule (as in the will) but he pretends to conscience; ho­ping to escape there better then any where else. And as the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Government, when they are reciprocally authori­zed, are both a support and reputation to each other;Mr. Bur­roughs his Iren. p. 29, 30. so we can­not but sadly forecast how much the Civil power will bee cast downe, at least enfeebled and contemned, if some Ecclesi­asticall awe bee not put upon the Spirits of the people, as well by order of Discipline as rule of Doctrine.

5 Fifthly, For the Solemn League and Covenant (as it is called in the Title of it) so gravely and piously penned, so dreadfully ob­liging the conscience, (in all sincerity and fidelity, to take and keepe it) so ratified by Authority of Parliament, (ordering the [Page 5]taking of it with instructions, exhortations and satisfacti­ons of such scruples as might arise about it, and that it should thus bee published in all the Churches of England, and Dominion of Wales; with the most solemne subscri­bing of it, by the Members of the Honourable House of Commons, and the Assembly of Divines, after a divine De­claration of it, and preparation for it in the Pulpit. That this so Solemne League and Covenant should bee by so many with­out any sense of Religion both taken and broken, as if it were but as a King at Chesse set upon the board for a game, and to be shut up in the bagge, (when the game is done) this is that which may make us to hang down our heads, with heavy hearts, and with Ezra each of us to say, O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God, for our sinnes are increased over our heads, and our trespasse is growne up unto heaven, Ezra 9.6.

6 Sixthly, From our Religious consent with you in these three (the Confession of Faith, Government of the Church, and Solemn League and Covenant) wil necessarily follow our hearty and serious dete­station of Errours, Heresies, and Blasphemies and the Toleration of them; which are destructive to all three; and though as Errors &c. they bee all one in the malignant and mischievous end, they ayme: yet in their way to that end, they are capable of distinct and different consideration, both for the Errours, Here­sies and Blasphemies themselves, and for the toleration of them.

First, then, for the Errours, &c. as you have sorted them un­der severall Titles, so have you fitted your titles with answera­ble instances and pregnant proofes, besides and without such particulars as are capable of some problematicall debate, and by their conformity to some obscure Scripture phrase, may (at last) by distinction and limitation bee like to take sanctuary in a Scripture sense, though there bee no reason, why men who are subject unto errour, and many times doe erre, should have their ambiguous expressions entertained with so faire and fa­vourable a construction, as the Word of God, which cannot erre, and which if it be obscure in one place, gives light for its own clearing and interpretation in another.

Besides, of this wee are bound to take notice, because wee are [Page 6]bidden to search the Scriptures, Ioh. 5.39. all the Scriptures, for all Scripture is of Divine inspiration, and profitable, &c. 2 Tim. 3.16. But for humane writings we are not obliged to be so well acquainted with them, nor to have so much respect unto them.Luther. Tom. 2. in Gen. p. 144. operùm lenae excus. Luther was once so far carryed with a pleonasm of zealous emulation of the honor & utility of the Word of God (above the writings of men) that he wish't his own Books were burn't, for fear they should be an hinderance to men's more profitable employment in read­ing the holy Scriptures; though otherwise hee was wise e­nough to know how serviceable handmaids to Divinity they may bee, if descreetly used; and for his own workesAd eruditi­onem spiritua­lem, & sapienti­am illam Eccle­siae peculiarem, & mundo igno­tam, de gratia Dei & justitia fidei intelligend. plus conducit unicus Lutherus in Ep. ad Galat. quam omnia Hi­eronymi, Basi lii, Cyrilli, Origenis, Naz Epiph. Hi­larii & plera (que) patrum opera in unum collecta. David. Chytraeus de stud Theol. fol. 12. whereof some (for spirituall proficiency) are preferred before many Volumes of the Fathers, hee shewed himselfe so addicted to them, that when by the Popes decree his bookes were burnt,Sleid. Com. l. 2. pag. 39. V. Nihilo plus sanctitatis in­esse Scripturis, quam caudae ca­ninae aut felinae. See Mr. Vicars his Book cal­led Coleman-street conclave visited, the re­port and proof of it. pag. 33. hee in revenge there­of solemnly burnt the Popes Lawes and that papall decree, upon which so severe a sentence, and execution passed upon them.

From his high estimation of these sacred Oracles how low are they fallen in this wretched generation of our's, when some have not been ashamed nor afraid, (which in the uttering, and hearing, wee thinke worthy to bee entertained with the trem­bling of the belly and quivering of the lips of the Prophet Hab. 3.16.) blasphemously to compare them in point of holynesse to the most con­temptible part of the meanest creature.

Wee could (under other titles) make remarkable additions to your Catalogue of errours, of our own times, (as your selves wee doubt not might easily have done) but that bundle of weeds is sufficient for the present (having occasion under a­nother title to bring in many others) to shew how negligently the garden of the Lord hath been kept, and how subtilly and successefully Satan hath proceeded in his seducements of simple and sinfull people. And therefore as wee professe we are deep­ly affected with fear and sorrow, for the prevailings of Satan so farr a mong us: so in the next place we cannot but zealously avow our dislike of Toleration of them.

SECT. II.

BUt here we crave leave clearly to deliver what in judgment and conscience wee conceive and doe desire for this par­ticular.

First, We think it meet that a due distinction be made betwixt errour and errour, because Humanum est errare, and wish that (since all men never were nor will bee of one and the same opi­nion, no more then of the same feature and complextion) it were diligently debated, and judiciously resolved what is the latitude of allowable differences by the Word of God, and how farre the strong ought to beare with the infirmities of the weak, Rom. 15.1. Gal. 6.1.

Secondly, That the lives of erroneous Dogmatists (though civil or religious) should not gain so much credit or countenance to any dangerous or damnable tenet, as to procure it favour, or protection, for their sakes. For a very erroneous Religion may have some that professe it such as may be commendable for their morall conversation. And thoughSunt quidem in Ecclesia Catholica plurimi mali, sed ex haereticis nullus est bonus. Bellarm. de not. Eccles. l. 4. cap. 13. Tom. p. p. 83. Bellarmine out of hatred to those hee calls Hereticks (and hee thinkes most of Protestants when hee useth that name) say that among Catholiques (that is, Papists, in his dialect) there bee many bad, but of he­reticks there be none good, wee doubt not to aver the contrary withMulti qui a perte foris sunt & haere­tici appellantur, multis & bonis Catho­licis meliores sunt. Aug. de baptism. contra Donat. lib. 4. Tom. 7. part. 1. pag. 503. Aug. who saith, many of those who are without and called he­reticks, are better then those who with us are held good Catholickes: and wee may say the like of Papists, Turkes, yea of heathens, and particularly of (that Sect which is most licentious) the Epicures Epicurus bonus vir fuit & multi E­picurei fuerunt & hodie sunt in amicitia fideles & in omni vita constantes & graves. Ita vivunt quidam ut corum vita probetur, refellitur oratio. At ut (que) cae­teri existimantur melius dicere quam fa­cere, sic hi mihi videntur facere melius quam dicere. Cicer. de finib. bonorum & malorum lib. 2. p. 65. Cicero saith that Epicurus the author of it was a good man, and many Epicureans were and to this day are faithfull in friendship, in the whole course of their lives constant, grave; Some of them so live that their life is approved, while their spcech is worthy to be refuted: and [Page 8]as others are observed to say better then they doe, so these doe seeme to doe better then they say. If then the lifes of seducing Teachers, bee alleadged to get approbation of their doctrine; we must say as was said unto Torquatus, Non quaeritur quid naturae tuae consentanewn, sed quid disciplinae, Cicer. ibid. the matter in question is not what is a­greeable to thy disposition, but what to the discipline or instruction of others, not how good the Doctor is, but how sound the doctrine he divulgeth, & if the one be good, the other bad, in such a case, the saying ofDiligite homi­nes, interficite err [...]res, Aug. contra lit. Pet Donat. l. 1. prope fin. p. 104. Tam. 7. part. 1. Augustine is seasonable and sutable to both, deal in all mildnesse with the men, but shew no mercy to their errour.

Thirdly, For the errors of men if they be such as be not one­ly contrary to the Scripture, but inconsistent with salvation, both Ministers and Magistrates (we ranke them thus, not in order of dignity but of duty) may and ought according to their callings and places to oppose them; so that they may suppresse them: 1. Ministers by discovering of them, preaching, writing, and disputing against them, as the quality of the errour shall require: for some doctrines of Religion are such sundamentall Princi­ples, as ought to be priviledged from dispute, whichRem, measententia minime dubiam, argumentando dubiam facias, Cicer. de nat. Deorum. l. 3. pag. 243. though they be most certain may be made doubtfull by sophisticall wranglings, and some er­rour (as that ofAnaxagoras dixit nivem esse ni­gram. Cicer. Acad. qu. lin. 2. pag. 17. Anaxagoras who held snow was black, and that ofInter optime valere & graviss [...]me aegrotare Aristo & Pyrrho dixerunt nihil interesse. Cicero de fin. Bon. & Mal. lin. 2. pag. 58. Aristo & Pyrrho, whose opinion was that there was no difference between very good health and grievous sicknesse, and that ofAliud Iudicium Protagerae, est qui putet id cui (que) verum esse quod cui (que) vi­deatur. Cicer. Acad. qu. lin. 2. p. 30. Protagoras who thought that that is true to every one, which appeareth or seemeth to bee true) are so absurd, that they are more worthy to bee exploded then deba­ted by any argument of reason, and against such (saith theCicer. de finib. ubi supra lit. d. Oratour,) men have long since left off to dispute; and such surely are many of the fanaticall fancies of our present time.

But such Tenents as may deserve dispute, and may safely be admitted to debate and discussion, (though occasionally both Ministers and other Christians may fall to argument and contestation about them) wee conceive (and thereupon have unanimously resolved for our selves,) that no set conference or [Page 9]dispute concerning them bee undertaken by any Minister or o­ther private Christian, without the common consent of the Ministers, and their advice how to order or manage it in the most convenient manner. And secondly, for Magistrates, we hold it to be their duty, (and they are to be put in mind of it by the Ministers if need require) to prohibit the publishing or spreading of false and dangeroùs opinions, and if they bee published in Bookes and Pamphlets, that they ought to pursue them, with zeale as hot as fire, that they may bee burned as the Bookes ofAbderites Protagoras cum in principi [...] li­bri sui sic posu­isset de Diis ne (que) ut sint, ne (que) ut non sint, habeo di­cere. — libri ejus in concione combusti sunt Cicer. de Nat. Deo. l. 1. p. 206. Abderites Protagoras were at Athens for his speaking doubtfully of Religion in the beginning of them, and the bookes of curious arts at Ephesus, Acts 19.19. and the Bookes of the hereticks, as ofNicep. Calist. l. 8. Eccl. Hist. c. 18. col. 384. Arius and others, and that the persons of such as are forward to poyson soules with pernicious errours, if when they be forbidden they will not forbeare, ought either to be confined, or exiled, a^• Athen [...]ensium jussu urbe at (que) agro extermina­tus est libri (que) ejus ut supra ad lirt. g. Abderites Protagoras was by the Civill authority, and no more to be allowed liberty to seduce the soules of men to the belief of damnable doctrines, then those who have the Plague sore running upon them to come into all companies, or for furious mad men to bee permitted to walke at large with Swords in their hands to wound and kill whom they meet, if they have a mind unto it.

And wee take it to bee the true Bloody Tenent, (which might give denomination to the Booke of that title, (though the Authour meant no such matter)Bloody Te­nent, p. 2. That it is the will of God that since the comming of his Son Christ Iesus, a permission of the most Pagan, Iewish, Turkish, and Antichristian consci­ences and worships be granted to all men, in all Nations and Countries, and that they are onely to bee fought against, (with that which onely in soule matters is able to conquer) to wit, the sword of Gods Spirit, the Word of God. And Ibid. c. 3. p. 19. that to molest any person, Iew or Gentile, for either professing doctrine or practising Worship meerely Religious or Spirituall, is to persecute him, and such a person what ever his Doctrine or practice bee, true or false, suffers the persecution for conscience. Which [Page 10]are such maximes of soule-murther as if when hee wrote them, Satan (who most thirsteth for the blood of souls) did not onely stand at his right hand, as Psal. 119.6. but did guide his pen while he wrote such paradoxes of perdition, against which it were an easie taske, (if it were any part of our present undertaking) to make good the contrary tenent ofMea primitus Sententia erat nemi­nem ad veritatem Christi esse cogen­dum. Sed haec opinio mea—non contradicentium verbis sed demonstrantium superabatur exem­plis. Aug. Ep. 48. Vincentio p. 195. Au­gustine; Where hee corrected his former remisnesse and lenity towards the erronious by resolving upon better consideration, that men may be compel­led to their own good, and overruled when they are in an evill mind, which is the summary contents of his Epistle to Donatus the Donatist, when cited to the councell hee offered to make away himselfe by the way.

Fourthly, In opposition to the prodigious indulgence forenoted and to the evill effects it may produce (if not opposed by the Ma­gistrates as well as by the Ministers.) We conceive it was neces­sary for the High Court of Parliament to set forth an Ordi­nance for the punishing of Blasphemies,The same day the Mini­sters of Cheshire met at North­wich, and re­solved of an Attestation to the Testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ. &c. as they did the second of May, 1648. Whereof the summary Contents which wee think meet to mention in this place are, that all such persons as shall from and after the date of this present Ordinance willingly by preaching, teaching, printing or writing, maintain and publish that there is no God, or that God is not present in all places, doth not know and foreknow all things, or that hee is not Almighty, that he is not perfectly Holy, or that he is not Eternall, or that the Father is not God, the Son is not God or that the Holy Ghost is not God: or that shall in like manner maintaine and publish, that Christ is not God e­quall with the Father, or shall deny the manhood of Christor that the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are severall na­tures, or that the humanity of Christ is pure and unspotted from all sinne, or that shall maintain or publish as afore­said, that Christ did not dye, nor rise from the dead, nor is ascended into heaven bodily, or that deny his death is [Page 11]meritorious in the behalfe of Beleevers: or that shall maintain and publish as aforesaid, that the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament from the first of Genesis to Malachi, and of the New Testament from Matthew to the Revelation is not the Word of God; or that the bodies of men shall not rise againe, or that there is no day of Iudgement after death: All such maintaining and publishing of such errour or er­rours is made felony, and the party accused thereof by the oath of two witnesses before any two of the next Iustices, (who in such a case are authorized by the Ordinance, to mi­nister an Oath) or by confession of the party shall by them bee committed to prison without baile or mainprize untill the next Gaole-delivery at which hee shall bee indicted for felonious publishing and maintaining such errour. And in case the Indictment bee found, and the party upon his triall shall not abjure his said errour and defence, and main­tenance of the same, hee shall suffer the paines of death, as in case of felonie without benefit of Clergie, and in case hee shall renounce and abjure his &c. Hee shall neverthelesse remaine in prison untill hee shall find two sureties (being subsidy men) that hee shall not thenceforth publish, &c. And if after abjuration hee relapse and it bee proved as afore­said, hee shall suffer death as in case of Felony without benefit of Clergy. And it is further Ordained by authority aforesayd, that every person that shall publish or maintain as aforesaid, that all men shall bee faved; or that man by nature hath free will to turn to God; or that God may bee worshipped in or by pictures or Images; or that the soule of any man after death goeth neither to heaven or hell, but to Purgatory; or that the soule of man dyeth or sleepeth when the body is dead; or that Revelations or the workings of the Spirit are a rule of faith or Christian life though diverse [Page 12]from or contrary to the written word of God; or that man is bound to beleeve no more then by his reason he can com­prehend; or that the Morall law of God contained in the ten Commandements is no rule of Christian life; or that a beleever need not repent or pray for pardon of sinnes; or that the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords-supper are not Ordinances commanded by the word of God; or that the baptizing of Infants is unlawfull, or such baptisme is void, and that such persons ought to be baptized again, and inpursuance thereof, shall baptize any person formerly bap­tized; or that the observation of the Lords day, as it is enjoyned by the Ordinances and Lawes of this Realm, is not according, or is contrary to the word of God; or that it is not lawfull to joyn in publick prayer, or family prayer, or to teach children to pray; or that the Churches of England are not true Churches, nor their Ministers and Ordinances true Ministers and Ordinances; or that the Church-govern­ment by Presbytery is Antichristian or unlawfull; or that the Magistracy, or power of the civill Magistrate by law esta­blished in England, is unlawfull; or that all use of Armes, though for the publick defence, (and be the cause never so just) is unlawfull; and in case the party accused of such publishing and maintaining of any such errours shall bee convicted as aforesaid, he shall be ordered by the said Iusti­ces to renounce his said errors in the publick congregation of the same parish from whence the complaint doth come; and in case he refuseth so to doe, then he shall be committed to prison by the said Iustices, untill hee find two sufficient suretyes, that he shall not publish or maintain the said error or errors any more. With this Proviso, that no attainder by vertue hereof, spall extend either to the forfeiture of the estate reall or personall, or the corruption of blood of any such person.

Fifthly, Though we acknowledge divers of our brethren of the Independent way, to be learned, godly, charitable and kind even to their Presbyterian brethren, (andMr. Bur­roughs in his Iren. cap. 6. p 30, 32, 34, 35 36, 37. some of them to be adverse in a great measure to such a Toleration asTest. to the truth, &c. p. 29. you might truely terme intolerable and abuminable, which that Catholick Advocate and PatronIn his booke called the Bloody Tenet. of all irreligious Religions proposeth) yet as we take the tenet of Independency to be an error in it selfe, so doe we find it by sound reason and sad experience to bee, if not the naturall mother, yet such a tender Nurse and Patronesse to hereticall opinions of all kinds, that to it we may (for a great part) ascribe the luxuriant growth and spreading of errors, heresies, &c. so far over this Kingdome: as on the contrary the freedome of the Kingdome of Scotland from the like evillsEccles. Scotican. privilegium rarum in quo ejus nomen apud exteros fuit celebre, quod circiter annos, plus minus 54. (ante an. 1602.) sine schisina [...]e nedum haer [...]si u [...]ita­tem cum puritate doctrinae retinuerit, in prin Syntag. C [...]nsess. p. 6. edit. Gen. 1612. in 4. (which is recorded as their happinesse and to their honour) to the firme esta­blishment of a subordinate Presbyteriall Government among them.

Sixthly, Notwithstanding we are far from the rigorous resolution ofHaeretices incorrigibiles & posse & de [...]ere temporalibus paenis, a [...]que [...]psa [...]tiam mor [...]e muliart. Bell. de Laicis, l. 3. c. 2. B [...]l­larmine, who is peremptorie for the punishment of heretickes with death (without any such distinction or difference as is made in the Ordinance of Parliament)Haere [...]icis obstinatis beneficium est quod de hac vita tollantur, nam quod diutius vivunt, eo plures errores excogitant, plures perver­tunt, & majorem sibi damnationem acqui­runt. ibid. p. 225. col. 2. affir­ming also it is a kindnesse to them, to cut them off; because the longer they live, the more er­rors they will invent, the more persons they will pervert, and so to procure themselves the deeper damnation.

Which conclusion of his we account the more cruel, because of the large extent of the title Heretick, in his sense comprehending all Christians who professe not subjection to his Antichristian Caiphas the Pope. But we conceive the Spirit of Christ brea­theth into his, more meeknesse and moderation towards such as are contrary minded, though their simplicity have sometime been so far wrought upon by the subtilty of others asM [...]dicamenta nesciunt & insani sunt adversus Antidotum quo sani esse potuissent. Aug. Con­fess. l. 9. c. 4. p. 262. 263. to become mad against the medicine that should cure them of their madnesse. At whom when wee are moved to bee angry, wee must turne anger into pity asQuam vehemen [...]i & aeri dolore indignabar Manichaeis & miserabar e [...] Aug. ibid. Augustine [Page 14]did towards the Manchichees, and when we oppose them, wee must as heSine super­bia de veri [...]ate praesumi [...]e: sine saevitia pro ve­ri [...]ue certa [...]e. Aug. contra lit. Petil. Donatistae lib. 1. Tom. 7. par. 1. p. 104. adviseth without pride presume of the truth, and without cruelty contend for the truth, not abridging them of any liberty ei­ther of opinion or of practise, which may be proved by the word of God to be a part of their Christian right. Which we professe without all prejudice to such necessary and salutary severity, as by just and lawfull authority is already or hereafter shall bee thought meet to be exercised upon those, who by their sedulity in solliciting to perillous opinions, as by their obstinate per­sisting in them may deserve that.

SECT. III.

THus far for the first point, how farre you have our consent. We are next to shew our reasons why we thus joyn with you, both in our judgments and in our publick profession thereof to the world. For though we thinke with Ambrose, Plurimum prodest unicu­ique bono jungi. Ambr. de Offic. l. 2. cap. 20. princ. that it is matter of advantage to sort and associate our selves to every good man, much more to so many and so worthy Divines as are united in your subscription to the Testimony to the Trtuth, &c. Yet we conceive it will be rather a support to the cause, then a prejudice to you, or in us, to any other (who have appeared in this com­plyance before us (and who might bee so much shorter, as they were quicker in their Attestation) if we put off the reproof ofSapientiam sibi adimunt qui fine ullo judicio inven [...]a majo­rum probant & ab aliis pecudum more ducuntur. Lactant. Inst. l. 2. c. 8. p. 139. Lactantius, by subjoyning to our former Assent such confidera­ble reasons thereof as these that follow.

The first we take from the just zeale we ought to bear to the glory of God, which is much opposed by error, herefies, and blasphemies, and the Toleration of them. For albeitSocr. c. hol. l. 4. c. 27. p. 336. The­mistius told the Emperour Valens, that variety of Sects tended to the glory of God, though they amounted to more then 300, as did the opinions of the Philosophers; God is jealous of honour, and as hee is but one, so he allowes but of one Lord, one faith, and one baptisme, Ephes. 4.5. and being most true and holy, he cannot but be vehemently incensed against errors, heresies, and blasphemies, especially when they are presented under the name and notion of Religion, for then he is twice dishonoured. First, in con­tradicting his truth by falshood, his glory by reproach; and [Page 15]then in ascribing erroneous and hereticall opinions unto him as to the author of them, whereas indeed they are the dictates of the Devill. For asVidens Diabolus templa de [...]rum deseri, & in nomen Liberatoris, eurrere genus humanum; haereticos movit, qui sub vocabulo Christiano Doctrinae resisterent Christianae. Aug. de Civit. Dei. l. 8, c. 51. par. 2. p. 459. Augustine well observeth, the Devill seeing his Temples forsaken, and that mankind began to runne after the name of a Redeemer, or delive­ring Mediatour, he stirred up heretickes un­der the name of Christians, to undermine and oppose the Doctrine of Christ. ForMar. 5.17. Luke 10.26. and c. 18.21.18, 19, 20. Mar. 10.19. Christ in the Gospel confirmed the Law, and the hereticks, as the Marcionites and Manichees (besides others) opposed it. Whereupon they are posed with this question by Athanasius [...]; Athan. disput. pre­ma contra Arian. Tom. 1. p. 113.: What hath Marcion or Manichaeus to doe with the Gospel when they abrogate the Law? And [...]. Clemens. Alenandr. [...]. p. 189. a sort of heretickes called Anti­tactae so far contemned and affronted it, that because the law said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, they professed they would commit adultery. And this impure purpose and practise of theirs, they grounded upon an impious principle of their own, holding two Gods, a first and a second: the second (they said) sowed tares, corrupted mankind, and gave the Law, in breaking whereof, they make account they have revenged the wrong of the first and better God, upon the second and worse.

The same Devill which suggested such wild and wicked con­ceits to them, hath taught some of our timesTestim. to the truth, &c. p. 6.7. to make the Chappel of Rome the Church of Christ, the brand set in the forehead of the great whore, because it is in the Frontispice of all the Catholique Confessions, as you have noted in your Catalogue. And the Devills Amanuensis doubtlesse he was, who not many yeers since wrote the book of Mans Mortality, which presents to the world a gallipot of poy­son, for an Alablaster-box of Spikenard, Mar. 14.3. in which pestilent Pamphlet, are such blasphemous and absurd assertions, as Religion may abhorre, and reason deride; and that such poy­sonful pills may be swallowed with the lesse suspition of danger; they are sugared over with prefatory praises; and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, that it may be distasted and detested, [Page 16]blasphemously reproached, as if it had been rather raised up out of hell, then sent downe from heaven.

And can wee take notice of such notorious and horrid con­tempts of the truth and honour of our God, and not be so far moved with them, as to testifie our consent with our godly bre­thren against them? God forbid, yea we hold it our duties in true zeal to his glory, rather to become emulous of the melting spirit of David, when he said, rivers of water run downe mine eyes because men keep not thy law, Psal. 119.136. how much more, when they doe not only not keepe the law, but teach men to break and to contemne the law, and as much as in them lyeth, to disanull and destroy the law; not only the law of Faith, Rom. 3.27. as this impious miscreant forementioned would doe, but the law of workes also (the rule of life, which is another law of the same Apostle in the same place) as the Antinomians goe about to doe; both contradicting and blaspheming them, as the Jews did Pauls preaching, Acts 13.45. and the Anti-Scripturist [...], who doe the like against them both, Law and Gospel, as you have shewed in yourTestim. to the truth, &c. p. 5. 15, 16. Testimony; It is time for thee O Lord to work, for they have made voide thy Law, Psal. 119.126. and for the Lords servants to worke with him, and for him, and to contend for the Emphaticall conclusion of the Apostle, Doe we make void the Law through faith? God forbid, yea we establish the Law, Rom. 3.31. And while many are so lewdly lawlesse, as our late errone­ous and hereticall Rabshakeh's have shewed themselves to be; We cannot but call to mind the deep sense that King Hez [...]kiah had up­on the blasphemous reproaches of the Assyrian Generall, when at the hearing of them he rent his cloaths, covered himselfe with sack­cloth, went into the house of the Lord, and made other patheticall expressions, which shewed how much he was perplexed for the dishonour of his God thereby, Isa. 37.1-4. Nor can wee but desire and endeavour to be affected (as he was) with due pro­portion to the impieties and provocations of our present times, and to give such demonstration thereof as the cause requireth, and the opportunity affordeth.

And though Ministers be inferiour to Kings in honour, yet in zeal to the glory of God they should not be second to any, how great soever, but Fore-men rather as the Levites were, who [Page 17](when God was dishonoured by that stupid Idolatry, in making and worshipping the golden calfe, and Moses demanded who is on the Lords side, Exod. 32.26.) came with their swords by their sides and did present execution upon the principall transgressors; and albeit we be no such sword-men as they were, nor have any thing to doe with bloody sacrifices as they had, yet we are not without our weapons (which may bee of use for conviction, though not as those in their hands, for execution of such as are injurious and blasphemous against the glory of God, as that I­dolatry was, and our modern heresies are) with our tongues and pens we may plead for the propriety and purity of Gods ho­nour, against all who any way seek to oppose or eclipse it. And remembring how great the zeale of Moses was to the glory of God, when rather then the Heathen should have any occasion reproachfully to misreport his judiciall proceedings with his people in the wildernesse, Exod. 32.12. he wisheth that his name might be blotted out of Gods booke, ver. 32. We take it to be but a slender testimony of our zeale to the glory of our Maker and Redeemer to subscribe a printed Testimony to the truth of Christ Jesus. Nor should we thinke it too much (if there were cause to require such a service at our hands) to set forth aBetwixt the penning and printing of this Attestation, there came forth a briefe yet sound con­futation of er­rors, W. in the name of the Ministers of Devon. Printed by William Du­gard for Ralph. Smith. just volume for vindication of his glory, against the hereticall tra­ducement of this wicked and wretched age wherein we live.

SECT. II.

As we are called Divines and under that Title and in relation to our great and gratious Lord (whose Ambassadors wee are, 2 Cor. 5.20.) we stand obliged to be affectionately sensible of e­very thing wherein his honour is concerned; So in our relation from him to the people as watch-men over their soules, Heb. 13.17. we may take a second reason from the tender care we ought to have of their eternall welfare, which must needs be deeply en­dangered by such erroneous, hereticall and blasphemous opini­ons as have been too boldly divulged, and but too tamely tolera­ted in our dayes.

The Apostle and Disciple whom our Saviour especially loved, professed in his epistle to Gaius, that hee had no greater joy then to [Page 18]heare that his children walke in truth, 3. Epist. of John v. 4. It must needs then be one of his greatest griefs to heare that they wandred and went aside out of truths high-way, to by-paths of errors and heresies. For the word of hereticall seducers fret­teth or eateth into the soul as a canker, or (as the originall hath hath it) a Gangrene, 2 Tim. 2.17. doth the body. WhichNominant Gangranas eas, quae ex mag­nitudi ne inflammationis fiunt mortifica­tiones, quae nondum integrae factae sunt: nam cum omnino membrum affectum est emortuum, ut punctum vel sectum vel adustum non sentiat quae patitur; statim recidere opor tet quae sanam partem vi­cinam attingunt. Gal. de art. Curat. Tom. 6. operum. col. 403. Galen treateth of as two distinct evills. And of the Gangrene he saith, it kills where it infects, making the flesh dead that is infected by it, so that whether prickt or cut or burned, it is unsensible of any paine. Yet proceeding with so much perill from one part to another, that un­lesse the part corrupted be cut off, it will goe on to bring the whole into the like desperate and deadly condition. Depravant quae sunt Dei & adulterant verbum Dei, lacte gypsum male misce­tur. Iteneus. adv. haeres. l. 3. c. 19. p. 281. Irenaeus compareth the doctrine of heretickes to milke mingled with lime or plaster, and that such a potion is poysonExemplum illustre C. Proculeium —in maximo stomachi dolore gypso conscivisse sibi mortem. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 24. p. 512. Pliny sheweth by experience upon C. Proculei­us a familiar friend of Augustus Cesars, who making triall of it upon him, got his death by it. In respect of both these bad effects, the one without, the other within, both of them deadly and destructive to the souls of men; the accusation ofVir Sanguinum omnis haereticus, qui quotidie animarum sanguiném fundit. Hieron. in Psal. 5. Tom. 8. p. 4. col. 2. Hierom may be ju­stified against an heretick; which is, that hee is a man of blood, who dayly is guilty of the blood of soules; and so should we be, if we should be silent when we have a strict charge to watch over them, to forewarne them of their danger, that they may take heed of it; and we conceive this way of warning may be very usefull, as a common shout of the Shepheards to­gether, against the Wolfe in Sheeps clothing, though a Lion feare it not, Isay 31.4.

Thirdly, A third reason which engageth us to a publick at­testation of those truths whereunto you have given testimony, and the disclaiming of errours as you have done, is the respect which of duty we ought to bear to the publick welfare of the Kingdome; both in point of safety and of honour. First, for safetie, and that from a double danger, the one of corruption of [Page 19]faith, society, and civill justice;Haud scio an pietate adversus deos sublata, fi­des etiam & so­cietas humani generis, & una excellentissima justitia virtus tollatur. Cicer. Tusc. quaest. lib. 1. p. 197. for if piety towards God be takere away, (and with toleration of all opinions in Religion, it cannot consist) as the Roman Oratour inferreth, faith and that ex­cellent virtue Iustice which upholds humane society, will fail, for the administration whereof, the decision of differences, and the stinting of strife is resolved in the Testimony of an oath; as the Apostle sheweth, Heb. 6.16. And what assurance of an oath, if it be not rooted in Religion, & how unstable will that root be with many, when they are subject to be shaken with multiplicity of windes of erroneous doctrine? Eph. 4.14. The other danger is of the ruine of the weal publick, which is hastened & sometimes suddainly brought on (to the destruction of Cities) by evill studies, and evill doctrines;Vetus Graecia longe providens quam sensim pernicies illap­sa civium animos malis studiis, malisque doctri­nis, repenie totas civitates everte­rit. Cicer l. 2. de legibus p. 330. med. Heathen yet very prudent Mo­ralists have observed, although perhaps they were not so wise as to know the radicall or originall cause thereof, which is the just judgement of God, for the wickednesse of men in particu­lar, for their licentiousnesse in fond and false opinions, and im­pious practices. And for the honour of our Church and State, how much is it impeached both at home and abroad, by the infamy of so many errors, heresies, and Sects as have been, and yet are, too much tolerated among us? What a shame and reproach is it to our nation at this day to see it in print from beyond sea, and that not by a Papist, butAnglia his 4. annis facta est colluvies & Lerna omnium errorum & se­ctarum: nulla a condito orbe, Provincia tam pa [...]vo spatio tot monstrosas haere­ses protulit. At­que haec Honorus Reggus Com­mentar. de statie Eccles. in Anglia p. 1. praefat. a Protestant Divine, That Eng­land within this four yeers is become the sinke and lake of Hydra for all errors and sects, no Province from the beginning of the world, in so short a space, hath brought forth so many, so monstrous heresies, as Eng­land hath done. Against these two great evills both of danger and disgrace, the best remedy and apologie we can hope for is this, that publick persons doe openly professe against errors and he­resies. The Parliament hath done it thrice in most publick man­ner, once in their first Declaration, where they say (and a worthyMr. Leigh Ep. ded. before his treatise of Divin: p. 6. Member of the Honorable House of Commons remembers them of it, in an epistle dedicatory to them,) It is far from our purpose to desire to let loose the golden reynes of discipline and government in the Church, to leave private persons, or particular congregations, to take up what forme of Divine service they please; for we hold it requisite, that there should he throughout the whole Realm a conformitie to that Order, which the lawes enjoyne, according to the word of God. Secondly, in their [Page 20]Ordinance of the 4. of February, 1646. for a day of humiliation of the whole Kingdome in regard of the growth of those wicked windes of errour, &c. Which being worthy of perpetuall re­membrance, that it may not bee lost in a loose sheet, (for the glory of God, and honour of the Parliament) we conceive it convenient wholly to insert in this place.

Thirdly, by their Ordinance of the 2. of May, forementioned for the punishing of Blasphemies and heresies, which wee presume had been sooner set forth, if the distempers of the times had not defrauded them of fit opportunities for such a publication, and the Ministers doing their parts to the same purpose to cry down errours, &c. by preaching and writing a­gainst [Page 22]them, there is the lesse cause to feare a publique guilt and perill of the Kingdome, and a fairer defence against the im­putation of reproach, though they bee not so farre suppressed as they should bee.

Fourthly, A fourth reason why wee thus publiquely professe against errors &c. with you is, because of the subtilty, sedulity and pride of hereticks; 1. For their subtilty, they are as Paul said of Elymas, full of all subtilty (though but the children of the devill) as hee calls him Act. 13.10. for theHost is noster cui mille nocen­di artes. Epist. Paulim & The­rasiae August in. Aug. 31. p. 133. Devill their father, who hath a thousand deceiptfull arts or devices to doe hurt, in­structeth them in pernicious fallacies, and teacheth them to make choice of such persons to worke upon as are most easily de­ceived, and such wayes to worke by, as may bee most probable for prevailing: Upon this ground doth Gregory Nazianzen pose an Impostor in his time [...], &c. Gr. Naz. orat. 33. Tom. 1. p. 535., Why saith hee dost thou gather toge­ther as the filth of a sinke into one gulfe every vaine and light witted man, not worthy indeed of the name of men, and by subtilty of speech, having made them more and more effeminate, hast set up a new shoppe of impiety, and by abusing their madnesse, hast craftily contrived an harvest of advantage to thy selfe? 2. For sedulity, as the Devill is a perpetuall Peripatetick continually going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and downe in it, Iob 1.7, 1 Pet. 5.8. So his agents and emissaries hereticall teachers (as our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees) compasse Sea and land, to make a proselyte, Matth. 23.15. Thus doe the Jesuites at this day,Philip. Ale­gambe Biblio­theca, Scriptor. Societ. Iesu. pas­sim. as one of their own Order sheweth by manifold examples: and both they and other seducers came of late from forain parts to sow their tares of errours in our fields. 3. For pride, they are many of them of the high mind of Eunomius the heretick, whom it would not suffice, (as the same ancient Orthodox [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 46. p. 721. Doctor observeth of him) to bee of some account, and to have a number of Disciples, but hee tooke it for a detriment to himself, unlesse he might draw all to destruction, after him. The considera­tion hereof may give us just cause to cast aboutHostis noster tam variis expug­nandus est telis quam oppugnat in­sidiis. Ep. Paulini & Theras. Augu­stino. Aug. Ep. 31. p. 133. to overcome them as many wayes, as they come to assault or oppose the truth: and we conceive this way of unanimous discovery and detestation of errours, &c. to be of great moment, to that purpose.

SECT. III.

FIthly, A fifth reason, why wee thinke it requisite thus to expresse our selves opponents to errors, &c. is, because of the common people, who by their levity and inclination toward vagrant speculations, asTanta pleresque titillat vagtrum speculatio­num cupido; tantaque levitas circumagit, ut facile sit impostoribus, quemvis nec ingenio nec, &c. Calvin expl. perfldiae Valinten. Gentil opusc. p. 672. Calvin calls them, are apt to bee de­ceived by such imposters as with­out feare, or wit, or learning, or dexterity draw such disciples after them; and as they are wil­ling to bee deceived, soare they wilfull when they are deceived.

For the first, the observation ofNihil tam facile est, quam vilem plebeculam linguae volubilitate decipere, quae quicquid non in­telligit, plus miratur. Hieron. ad Nepotianum de vita Clericorum. Tom. 1. p. 70. Hierom hath beene verified in divers ages (ours for one,) that no­thing is so easie as to deceive the vile vulgar sort, with a voluble tongue, who admire every thing so much the more as they lesse understand it; and it may be their Teachers doe not understand themselves, forPr [...]s imperitorum Magistri quam doctorum discipuli. Hieron. ad Demitr. Tom p. 14. some of them, as hee saith, are Masters of the ignorant, before they have beene scholars of the Learned. And they are not more ignorant then confident, and obstinate too, as theAd quamvis disciplinam quasi tempestate delati ad eam tanquam ad Saxum adhaerescunt. Ci­cer. Acad. qu. lib. 2. p 4. fin. Oratour observeth, to what discipline soever they are carryed as with a tempest, to that as to a rock they stick, and they Vestra solum legitis, vestra amatis, caeteros cau­sa incognita condemnatis, Cicir. de nat. Deor. l. 2. p. 226. read onely what is written on their own side, not vouchsafing a view of any thing against it, and so condemning the innocent without taking cognizance of their cause. That's the manner of many seduced Disciples amongst us, who are well acquainted with short seducing Pamphlets, but will neither bee at cost nor paines to read full and solid discourses made in confutation of them, and many times they are, or pretend themselves ignorant, that any such are extant, as if they hadErrare ma­lo cum Platone quam cum istis vera sentire. Ci­cer. Tusc. quaest. l. 1. p. 122. resolved rather to erre with some, then to think right with others. Of this pertinacious persisting in error, Au­gustine rendereth a double reason, or cause rather, (for reason it hath none) every one is a shamed Erulescit quis (que) pra­vàm mutare sententiam, ne aut inconstans putetur, aut diu errasse se ipso judice te­neaur. Aug. ad Deogratias Epist. 48. p. 214. (saith he) to part with an evill opinion, lest hee should be thought unconstant, [Page 24]or be made, by his amendment, a condemning Judge against himself for having continued so long in his precedent errour: though of some wee may say, that they are very fickle as well as very false in their opinions, affecting asAffectant per singulos dies, novum aliquod adinvenire, & fructificare quod nunquam quisquam excogitavit. Irenaeus adv. Haeres. p. 1. cap. 18. p. 111. Irenaeus noteth, to find out some new thing every day, to bring forth somewhat that hath not beene thought of by any one before them; in regard hereof, though some may bee so farre gone, in erroneous and irre­ligious folly and frenzy; that as Ʋniversae terrae Elleborum non sufficit ad expurgandum, ut evomant tantam stultitiam. Iren. ibid. cap. 53. p. 210. Irenaeus saith, all the ellebore in the earth (a Elleborum medetur vertigini, me­lancholicis, insanientibus, lymphaticis, Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 25. ca. 5.367. soveraign antidote against brainsicke distempers) will not re­cover them to their right mindes. Yet since (asPrimus sapientiae gradus est falsa intelligere. Lact. Just. l. 1. cap. 22. p. 104. Lactantius noteth) the first d [...]gree of wisdome is to know what is false, those that are not at all, or not deeply tainted with any of them, may become wiser by your Catalogue of er­rours, &c. And by the common consent of Ministers contesting against them, may be more confirmed in the Orthodox Faith.

Sixthly, Wee take the zeale of the antient Fathers for a rea­sonable inducement, for us thus to appeare in opposition to errours, &c. as of theBin. Tom. 1. Conc p. 322. 318. Fathers assembled, Anno 325. in the first councell of Nice, especially for the suppression of the Arian heresie, whereEpiph. Haere. 69. Aug. Haeres. 49. Arius was condemned by a common Vote, and so were other hereticks in other councels. But we consider not onely their number, and consent as a motive unto us, for what wee now present to your view, but take it, for an incentive for more servour in our Detestation of heresies, that some of them have opened their mouths in severe censures, and vehe­ment reprehensions of them, as Poly­carpus (who lived in the time of Igna­tius the Disciple of Iohn the Evang [...] list) and outlived him, though he dyed a Martyr.Polycarpus Marcioni aliquando occurrenti & sibi dicenti, Cognosce nos, respondit, Cognosco te esse primogeniuim Satanae. Irenae. 9. l. 3. adv. haeres. cap. 3. p. 233. Simile etiam de Polycarpo referiur ad Florinum ex Eusebio l. 5. c 19. addit. oper. Irena. p. 510. When Marcion the he­reticke would have him take knowledge of him, I know thee (said [...]e) to bee the first berne of Satan. Quibus. (i.e. sanctis patribus) si aliquis annunciavetit ea quae ab haeratiois ad inventa sunt—statim concludentes aures. longe longius fugerent, ne audire sustinentes blasphem. colloqu. Irenae. adv. Haeres. l. 3. cap. 4. p. 242. Some of them have stopped their eares at the re­hearsall [Page 25]of hereticall inventions.Claudite aures qui auditu­ri estis, ne impietatis vocibus polluamini. Hieron. advers. Lucifer. Tom. 2. p. 143. Hierom being to repeate a hereticall baptisme, bade his auditory stop their eares, lest by hearing it, they should bee polluted with impiety. By which Preface hee prepared their hearts to an hatred of it, and then though they heard it, they were the lesse in danger to bee cor­rupted by it. And for this Author he was so sarre both from partiall and timorous silence towards a­ny whom hee held for an heretick, that when hee was moved to moderation to such kind of men, his answer was this,Ʋno tibi consentire non possum, ut parcam haere­ticis me catholicum non pro­bent; si ista causa discordiae, mo­ri possum, tacere non possum; Hieron. Apol. adv. Ruff. Tom. 2. p. 244. In one thing I cannot consent unto thee, that by sparing of heretickes I should not shew my selfe to be a Catholique, if that be a cause of discord, dye I can, but hold my peace against such persons I cannot. And if he were sometimes too rough and ruffled too much a­gainst such as were opposite to him in opinion (though on this side heresie) as indeed hee did a­gainst Vigilantius (for which he is justly taken up byIn hunc, id est, Vigilanti­um ita debacchatur Hierony­mus ut plusculum in eo mode­stiae cogar desiderare. utinam argumentis duntaxd tegisset, & a convitiis temperasset. E­rasm. Argument. in Hiero. Ep. adv. Vigil. Tom. 2. p. 12. Erasmus:) yet both he and the most of the ancient Fathers of best account, as Irenaeus, Cyprian, Epiphanius, Atha­nasius, and Augustine, were such zealots against errours, especially hereticall and blasphemous opinions, that having so great a cause and so faire an occasion to declare our dislike of them (as you have done.) wee might bee judged degenerated sonnes of such Reverend Fathers, if wee should not joyne with our venerable, Brethren as now wee doe, in a Protestation against them.

Seventhly, Wee tooke into our thoughts the Synod at Dort, against the Arminians, and the Attestations of otherAs of Peter Du. Moulin and others, who gave their assent in writing to the Synod, though they were not at it. Divines thereto, (who were not called to it, or not permitted to be pre­sent at it,) as an imitable example for consentient testimonie of Ministers against errors, &c. It will not, we hope, seeme an imper­tinency, in this place (since the cause is the same, though the persons bee of a farr higher ranke) to rehearse the Declaration of King James in his prosecution of a complaint to the States of Holland, against Conradus Vorstius a wretched hereticke, or rather Atheist, (as hee calleth him) whom hee would not indure to bee harboured in a neighbour Country, much lesse in any of his own Dominions. For thus may such an instance reasonably induce us to a publique profession against errours, &c. and the [Page 26]toleration of them: if a King were so zealous against the To­leration of one particular man infected with unsound princi­ples, and at such a distance from danger to his owne people (though hee might bee the more zealous as hee was intitled, Defender of the Faith),Henry the 8. had that sent him by the Pope for writing for Popery against Mr. Lu­ther Fox. Mart. vol. 2. p. 74. c. 2 nu 20. Speeds Chron. in H. 8. l. 9. cap. 2.1. par. 38, 39. p. 1007. a contrary faith to that which in that stile was first intended; Should not Gods Ministers be awakened and quickned zealously to contest against Domestick Seducers, by whom their flockes may bee in danger to be destroyed?

Eightly, If we should not be very apprehensive of the prejudice and reproach of Divine truths, and Doctrines of Piety by the multiplicity of erroneous opinions, heresies, blasphemies, and perjuries in the breach of Covenant, and the toleration of them; Wee will not say (as some have hyperbolically spoken of the supply of their own silence,Mr. Iohn Goodwin, Sion Colledge visit­ed, page 26. That the stones of the streets and tiles of the houses would cry, should they hold their peace, but we conceive that heathens might rise up in judgement against us and condemne us, for if wee should bee mute (while heresie is so loud) they would bee found more faithfull to a false Re­ligion then wee to a true. What the morall sort of such men have both said and done for their Religion (as for the Greeks, Plato and Plutarch, for the Latines, Cicero and Seneca,) would make up a copious accusation of our Laodicean Neutrall or meere nominall Christians of this age; Wee may have enough to our purpose out of one of them, even Cicero, whom because hee was both a prudent Moralist and an eloquent Orator, and well read in the best Authors of both Languges, we may present as Speaker for the rest; and of him we may learne to take heed how wee make light of any peece or particle of Religion, whereAut undiqua (que) Religionem tolle, aut usquequaque conserva. C [...]cer. Phil. 2. fol. 239. h. 1. hee saith, that Religion is no better then alto­gether abandoned, if it bee not every way and intirely maintained: and for making conscience of an oath or Covenant, wee may observe much of his well meaning this way by his definition of an Oath, and the obligation upon it,Ius jurandum est affirma­tio Religi sa Deo testie. Cicer. de offic p. 404. an Oath (saith he) is a religious affirmation, and of what a man so af­firmeth God is witnesse, and with God his own mind, (that is, his conscience,)Cum jurato dicenda sen [...]en­tia meminer it se adhibere te­stent mentein suam, qua nibil ho­m [...]ni dedit ipse deus divinius. Cicer. de offic. l. 3. p 395. then which God hath given nothing unto man more Divine, and Quod affirmate Deo teste promiseris tenendum. ibid. p. 404. what is so witnessed, affirmed, or promised, must be kept, though to a mans losse, yea though to the losse of a mans [Page 27]life, and hee commendeth the couragious and conscientious re­solution of Regulus, who taken Captive in the first Punick Warre was sent to Rome, for an exchange of prisoners, which if hee did not effect, he was upon oath by his return to render himselfe into the hands of his enemies, and Captivos reddendes in senatu non censuit; deinde cum retineretur ab amicis, ad supplicium redire maluit quam fidem hosti datam fallere. Ibi. lib. 1. p. 356. when hee had given his opinion, that it was not expedient for his Country men to give back their cap­tives, for his oathes sake, and against the disswasion of his friends he came back to suffer punishment by his enemies rather then hee would salsifie the faith he had given to them. Cum vigilando necabatur, erat in meliore causa, quam si domi senex captivus perjurus & consularis re­mansisset. ibid. l. 3 p. 404. And though he were killed hee was in a better condition (saith Cicero) then if hee had stayed an old perjured, and consular Captive in his own count ey. And that wee may know that heathen Romans are more to bee trusted (as more true of their words) then Po­pish Romanists at this day, hee condemnes their tenet who hold that faith with an infidell (or as they say, with an heretick) is not to bee kept; and hee bids them that are of that opinion take heedSi sibi sumunt nullam esse fidem quae infideli data sit, videant ne quae­ratur latebra perjurio. Cicer. de offic. l. 3. p 404. that they make it not a lurking place for perjury, whereof a man should not bee guilty though it were to advance the welfare of the Common weale: for he holds there be degrees of the duty of man, the first to God, the second to his Country, and the third to his parents, and then to others according to their rankes, so that Religion must have the first place, and by Religion, (especially by religious taking and keep­ing of oathes and Covenants) humane societies are secured and preserved.Quam multa firmantur jurejurando? quantae salutis sunt faedera Religionis? quam multos Divini supplicii meius a scelere revocavit? quainque Sancta societas civium inter ipsos, diis immortalibus inter­positis tum Judicibus tum te­stibus? Cicer. de legib. l. 2. p. 326. How many things (saith he) are confirmed by an Oath? of how great safety are confederacies of Reli­gion? how many hath the fear of Divine vengeance with­held from Villany? how holy is the society of Citizens a­mong themselves, God being interposed both as a Judge and as a witnesse betwixt them? Upon this ground, minding to gaine extraordinary credit and confidence, to an Epistle which hee wrote to Licinius Has literas velim existi­mes faederis habituras esse vim non Epistolae, me (que) ea quae tibi. promitio ac recipio sanctissime esse observaturum. Cicer. Ep, ad Licin. l. 5. p. 50. he desired him to beleeve there was the force of a Covenant in it, not of an Epistle, wherein what hee promised, he meant most holily to performe. And touching Toleration of impious opi­nions, we may know what his mind was, by that hee reporteth and approveth of Protagoras Bookes [Page 28]being burned, and himselfe (for speaking doubtfully of the Dei­ty) banished,Cicer. de nat. deor. l. 1. p. 206 and this by the sentence of the Judges of Athens, so that we may see the zeal of the most eminent, both Greeks and Romanes in this example, who though they were Barbarians to one another (especially the Romanes to the Greekes, Rom. 14.15.) wee that are Christians should bee more unworthy and much worse then either (our greater light adding much to the aggra­vation of our guilt) if wee should not deeply take to heart the dishonour of God by errours, &c. and the toleration of them, and willingly put to our hands with our Reverend and godly Brethren, in a Testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ, and to our Solemn League and Covenant made against them.

SECT. IV.

Ninethly, Wee conceive it the more requisite thus to appear in profession of the same truths and opposition of the same er­rors, &c. with you, lest we should incurre a double danger, the one of sinne, the other of punishment; the sinne, wee would bee loath should bee charged upon us, is a treacherous or timorous silence, (like that condemned by the Prophet Ieremy in his time, chap. 9. verse 3.) when there is just occasion or rather urgent necessity to declare our minds in the cause of our Saviour Christ, as you have done. The punishment wee have cause to feare (if we should be afraid thus to discover the dictates of our consciences) is twofold, the one spirituall, the other temporall, the former no lesse then the great curse of Anathems Maranatha for lacke of love to our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 16.22. for what love beare wee to him, if wee forbeare to witnesse a good confession for him or his truth, when so many false witnesses are risen up against them both? and for temporall punishments, wee may according to the observation ofPlerun (que) ab a­li is docendis ali­quando etiam objurgandis ma­le dissimulatur, quia peccatis eo­rundem damnab­libus parcunt, jure cum iis, temporaliter fla­gellantur, quam­vis in aeternum minime puniun­tur. Aug. de Civ. Dei l. c. 9. p. 28. Augustine, justly expect a share in them, with those whose great provocations of Gods wrath, doe most procure them by a silent consent or connivence towards the wickednesse of the times wherein wee live, Vel cum labo­ris piget, vel os eorum verecun­damur offendere, vel cum eorum inimicitias de­vitemus, ne im­pediant & noce­ant. Ibid. whether it proceed of negligence, or bashfulnesse, or feare lest their enmity (whom by discharge of our duty we may of­fend) should either hinder our good or doe us hurt.

There may bee another cause of a worse kind then any of these, viz. a Politicke neutrality, when men suspend all appea­rance of engagement on either side in any publicke breach or [Page 29]division, and resolve to bee meere spectators of a quarrell untill they see which way the success is like to be swayed, that they may make advantagious conditions for themselves, with the prevail­ing party. Which the wise Solon. apud. Plutarch. in vita Solonis, p. 91. 92. Governour and Law-maker of the Greeks (though having no more in him then heathen morality) so farre detested, that hee branded them with a note of infamie, who in civile discord and sedition sate still, and did not joyne with those, that tooke the justest cause, and hazard themselves with such, rather then looking on, (without putting themselves in danger) to see which of the contenders should have the Victory; Which whether cowardly or cunning refervation and suspence, wee take to bee deeply condemned in our Solemne League and Covenant, under the tearmes of Detestable indifferencie or neutra­lity: and should wee bee guilty of the breach of it, by keeping silence when just occasion and convenient feason invites us to an open profession of the truth of Jesus Christ against errours, &c. the sinne of Tyrus would make us liable to the Judgment of Tyrus, for not remembring, or not regarding the brotherly Co­venant, Amos 1.9.

Tenthly, and lastly, as we conceive it very reasonable in respect of what wee have already pleaded for publication of this our profession of the same minde and meaning with you concerning errours, &c. So wee hope it is very seasonable at this time to doe it since wee perceive by thePublished Apr. 28. 1648. But it came not to our hands, untill the latter end of May. humble reprefentation of the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly, to the honourable Estates of the Parliament of Scotland, that they make our taking of the Covenant and giving Testimony against the errours, &c. a weighty argument against the waging of a new Warre be­twixt their Kingdome and ours, their words are these,

‘Wee are not convinced of any just ground for a new Warre against that Kingdome in that which hath beene instanced by your Lordships, Ibid. p. 78. especially for that the Co­venant was taken by the representatives, and other chief Corporations in England, whereupon the Generall Assem­bly and Parliament of this Kingdome have frequently mentioned in their Acts, Letters, and Declarations, the [Page 30]Vnion and Conjunction of both Kingdomes, by Solemne League and Covenant, neither are wee without hopes (if things bee carried on in a faire and right way) that the Kingdome of England may be brought to a further length in the performance of this duty. Whereof wee are the more confident, because of the famous and frequent Testimonies given to the Covenant, and against errors, &c. by the Ministery in divers Provinces in En­gland.’

Which witnesseth their wonted prudence and piety by some of us observed in their Honorable and Reverend Commissioners sent unto this Kingdome, for the preventing of a breach among Covenanted Brethren.

And as our Brethren of Scotland are not convinced of any just ground for a new Warre by their Arguments who would raise it in their Kingdome against ours, so wee for the same reasons (with some additionalls of moment advancing to an higher degree of evidence and assurance,For it bate date the 28. of Aprill, and the penall Ordin. against Heres. passed the 2. of May. since their humble Representation was printed) are convinced, that there is no just warrant for such a Warre as the enemies of our peace and safety would enkindle among us, under the oppofite Titles of Presbyterians and Independents.

For, for the most and weightiest differences betwixt them, wee conceive a Parliament of Legislative Senators and an As­sembly of Divines are fitter to decide them then two opposite Armies: for the rest we had rather be resolved then determined by the Long Robe then by the Buffe Coate, by the Judges of the Law, in a diliberate way of inquiry and tryall, then byInter arma silent leges. lawlesse swordmen in a way of ha [...]ie hostility and violence, which will allow of no leasure for distinction of causes and per­sons, nor for conviction of errours or offences before execution.

SECT. V.

ANd though the breach of Covenant bee pretended as a just provocation for unsheathing the Sword in a second war [Page 31](and God we confesse may as hee threatneth, Levit. 26.25. send a Sword to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant) yet (as the fore­mentioned Commissioners well observed) the Covenant is ra­ther ratified and confirmed then violated by the Representatives and Ministers of the Counties, or Provinces (as they speake) whose owning and avowing of it, is more considerable for keeping of peace betwixt the two Kingdomes then the neg­lect or contempt of it by others, for breaking out into a new Warre.

And wee are assured that such a Warre as some would stirr up and carry on under pretence of asserting the Covenant against Independent Sectaries and Hereticks, would make the breaches of the Covenant wider both in the Doctrinall and Practicall part thereof.

For, first, for the Doctrinall part, though many errours were brewed in the Bishops times (by occasion of their tyranizing rule over the consciences of Christians which made them sneake into corners, where ordinarily the truth dwelleth not) yet those and many others have beene more boldly broached and more generally propagated by the progresse of Warre, and under the protection of the Sword they who hold and publish them, make account they may bee more secure from censure and restraint, then in times of peace they can expect to bee.

And for the practicall part (which is too much slighted by most, while the other is in a manner onely infisted on) as that it is our true and unfaigned purpose, desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power, both in publique and private in all dutie wee ow to God and man, to mend our lives, and to goe before one ano­ther in the example of a reall Reformation, that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation, and establish these Kingdomes in truth and peace. Can this bee expected by the Warre now pro­jected? can wee hope for any helpe towards the restraint of prophanenesse, and promotion of the power of godlinesse, by such an art as consisteth, (asPraeclara ars incendere domos, diripere Templa, violare virgines, spoliare miseros, occidere innoxi­os. Erasm. Collo (que) Milit. confess. p. 34. Erasmus noteth) in burning of houses, battering downe of Churches, violation of Virgins, spoiling even of those that are in misery, killing of the innocent, &c. May wee not rather feare, that a Civil War of the second Edition, will bee set forth like a Masse Booke in red and black letters of [Page 32]cruelty and uncleanness much corrupted & augmented, and that if theMatt. 12.45. evill Spirit cast out return upon us, hee will bring with him seven other Spirits more wicked then himselfe, and so should they prevaile, (which God forbid) our last state would be worse then the first, Matth. 12.45. Can we look for any better of such as are impetuously spurred on, (as the sameEgo nihil a­liud conjectare possum quam il­los agi malis furiis, sese (que) totos malo daemoni & miseriaedevovis­se. Ibid. p. 32. Author saith of them) by wicked furies, as if they had devoted themselves to devillish malig­nity and misery? and if such a destructive hostility should be prose­cuted, as some purpose it, what ever become of the sectaries and hereticks (most spoken of) the grand hereticks of the Popish faction would bee much incouraged and advanced by it: for if the most zealous Antipapists should assault and slay each other, they needed but to bee lookers on untill both sides being mu­tually weakned, they might have hope to have both for a prey, and would take it, as if God had set us together by the eares to make some sportfull spectacle for them to behold, so much Genebrard meant, when he said,Deus haerericis haereticos com­mittit ut Catho­licis tacentibus se mutuo confici­ant. Genebr. Chronogr. l. 4. p. 766. inter an. 1572-74. God sets hereticks a­gainst hereticks, that the Catholiques might bee silent spectators of their mutuall massacres. Whereby they may expect so farre to prevail as to compasse their most destructive designes upon the Prote­stant party.

That moved Calvin with passionate admiration, to say upon the contentions of Evangelicall professors, in his time,Deus bone! quantos & quam jucundos lusus prae­bemus, quasi illis locave­rimus operam nostram. Calv. Ep. Melanthon. p. 55. Good God! what delight and sport doe wee make to Pa­pists? wee could not gratifie them more then wee doe, by our differences, if they had hired us to doe them some acceptable ser­vice. For they make account that our conflicts will hasten their conquests, and they would bee sure the more to glory in our sinnes and sufferings, because they makeSeptima nota est, unio membrorum inter se & cum capite. Bellarm. de notis. Ecles. l. 4. c. 10. Tom. 2. p. 78. col. 2. unity their own unity, a note of the true Church, andAt haeretici dissenti­uni & unus habet alium pro haereitco. Bell. ibid. p. 80. col. 2. dissention, our dissention, which they observe, and aggravate beyond all measure, a marke of heresie. Besides, there is a prelaticall and otherwise Malignant party among us, to whom such as are in debt, distresse, and discontent, will bee ready to sort themselves, as they did in Davids time, 1 Sam. 22.2. who would make as ill an use of our discord, (especially if they could heighten it to a warlike hostility of the religious of both Nations,) as the [Page 33]Papists would doe, whereof ourThe humble Representation of the Commissioners of the Ge­nerall Assembly forecited. p. 14. Brethren of Scotland have a jealous apprehension, and so have wee; and therefore whatHeu mihi! qui vos simul invenire non possum, ut moveor, ut doleo! proci­derem ad pedes vestros, flerem quan­tum vale rem, rogarem quantum ama­rem, nunc utrun (que) pro seipso, &c. Aug. Hieron. inter opera Hieron. Tom. 2. p. 355. Augu­stine would have done to reconcile Hierome and Ruffinus, though but particular Antagonists, to take off the disgrace of their contentions; that and much more, according to the propor­tion both of scandall and of danger would we doe, rather then that any pretended difference betwixt Presbyterians and Independents, or any conscientious Non-Covenanters should be so far exaspera­ted as to bee put to the blinde and barbarous decision of the sword, wherein they would have most to doe, who have least reason and Religion, and the most of such wild and wicked di­stempers as are most repugnant to them both.

And for the better part of our dissenting Brethren at home, we hope they would hold it a matter of duty and of safety, (as well as wee doe) to bee at peace with us, and that they will beare with our faithfull dealing in the cause of Christ; and if in our zeale thereto wee have not shewed our selves partiall to any ex­travagancies of opinion or practise, we wish them to consider the saying of Augustine, Non omnis qui parcit esse ami­cus, nec omnis qui verberat, ini [...] micus, Aug. Vin. Ep. 48. p. 188. every one is not a friend who forbeareth to rebuke, nor every one an enemy who rather striketh then stroaketh; and fince the most of them are for a Toleration of different opinions, Worships and writings, we cannot but expect their patience to­wards us, though thus farre wee have professed against them, for even upon their own grounds they must allow us the same liberty to think, and speak, and write, and act, according to our principles and consciences, which they assume to themselves and permit unto others; and the rather, because a confiderable sort and number of them doe not so much dissent from us, in mat­ters of the greatest moment, as they doe from many of those who under the titles of Independents, (howsoever otherwise divided) are united together against the Presbyteriall Govern­ment, and with reference to such wee further say, that (though we approve of the Presbyteriall Government, as most consonant to Scripture, and most convenient and commodious, (as a wall of Discipline about the Vineyard of Doctrine) for the [Page 34]defence of the soundnesse of faith, and holinesse of life, and therefore could wish it were generally received, through the three Kingdomes of the Covenant.) Yet doe wee not desire the esta­blishment of it in that extent, to be purchased by the price of blood, and therefore we disavow the dispute of the sword, to determine any differences betwixt us. And we hope the godly, both Presbyterians and Independents, will be so wise, as to beware of such a breach as may incourage and confirme their enemies, whether Popish, Prelaticall, or prophane, against them both; whom asTu mecum Ne­storium, me te­cum execratur. Nestor. Arn. & Serap. confl. ad­dit. operibus Iren. p. 547. Arnobius saith to Serapion, they both alike condemn, and by whom they are both alike abominated, though for divisive and destructive ends, they may court the one party, and calumniate the other; & vice versa, asDr. Abbot in his Answer to Dr. Hills third reason. p. 103. Cardinall Allen gives instructi­ons to the Seminary of Preists in his time, to make the division of Protestants and Puritanes (as they call them) more advan­tagious to the service of Popish designes.

If you have to deale with a Puritane (saith the Cardi­nall) you must say, truly Brother for you there is more hope then for these that be Protestants; because they for feare of the Prince, and the Law are ready to say and beleeve any thing, and therefore me thinketh they be Atheists, but for you there is more hope, being either hot or cold. If you deale with a Protestant, tell him there is more hope of him then of the rash brained Puritanes, because they with Religion have put off all humanity & civility with all other good manners.

And though some particular litigants in contestation for their cause and party, have been carryed by precipitation of passion to the expression of much personall spight and reproach both in speech and in print; yet the greatnesse of the hazard to which both the one and the other will be exposed, if their difference should be driven on to a Military march, should make them lay down their displeasure, and take up the resolution of the Roman Non me impe­diant privatae offensiones quo minus pro Reip. salute etiam cum inimieissimo consentiam. Ci. cer. Epist. ad Plancum, Ep. Tom. l. 10 p. 113. Oratour, No private offences or fallings out shall binder me, or make me (saith he) lesse ready to joyne with my greatest enemy for the safety of the publick.

SECT. I.

TO this our confession with you, we think fit by way of Apology for you and for our selves to add a caution against misconceipt, which many perhaps take up upon the great noise and outcry we make against errors, &c. which Mr. I. Goodw. Sion Colledge Visited. p. 7. some thinke should rather have been supprest with filence, then blazed ahroad to publick view, without an antidote against them, or refutation of them. And it is as probable, yea it is certaine to some of us who have heard it spoken, that all the reproaches of these impious opini­ons, are cast upon the Reformation in hand. To take off such imputations we thinke it fit to say,

First, Though problematicall errours which are presented with some appearance of truth and reason, should not be pub­lished without disproofe, because by such men may more easi­ly be deceived; Yet such grosse and as well absurd as impious paradoxes, as most of the errors, &c. in your Catalogue may be mentioned without particular confutation of them, as is the herefie of the Sadduees, who say, there is no resurrection neither An­gell nor spirit, Acts 23.8. and the herefie of Hymeneus and Philetus saying, in the Apostles time, the Resurrection, is past already, 2 Tim. 2.17. and the blasphemy of Rabshekeh, Isa. 36. from ver. 12. to the 20. which was heard at first without speaking of a word a­gainst it, and that by an expresse command from King Hazeki­ah ver. 21. and afterwards thrice written without a refutation, 2 King. 18. from v. 27. to v. 35. 2 Chr. 32.17, 18, 19. Isa. 36. foreci­red, neither are such irreligious and irrationall conceits or say­ings [Page 36]worthy of a refutation, nor they who hold or vent them capable of a religious and rationall conviction.

Secondly, Though in respect of others that may be required and performed, yet it is not requifite that every time they are re­ported they should be refuted, because that hath either been done before, or may be done after in time convenient;Plenisslmam habebis a nobis adversus omnes haereses contra­dictionem. Epi­phan. praefat. in l. c. adv. haeres. p. 228. Epiphani­us did not only rebearse a large Catalogue of 80. heresies, but (as he saith himselfe) made a copious contradiction or confutation against them all. ButAug. princ. Tom. 6. operum. Augustine writing a Catalogue of heresies after him did there only repeat and not refute them, though elsewhere hee spent a great deale of profitable paines in confutation of ma­ny particular heresies and heretickes, as of the Manichees in ge­nerall, and many of them in particular, in his first Tome, and (in his sixth Tome) of the Manichees in generall, and in particular of Priscillianists, Origenists, and Arians, and in the seventh Tome of the Donatists, both in generall and particular. So that what is not done in your Catalogue, may if it bee needfull be perfor­med at another time; if not performed already by some other.

And thirdly, Though those who are not versed in antiquities, thinke the errours which are now broached, especially the absurdest of them, to be new horne brats of the present age, yet, as in Philosophie some are mistaken (who take Copernicus for the first author of that giddy fancy, of the earths turning round, and the heavens standing stillAbrah. Bucolzerus Jud. Chronologicus. p. 424. for be was not borne till the yeer 1473. after Christ; and long before Christ it was a­scribed to Nicetas Nicetas Syracusius, (ut ait Theophrastus,) coelum, solem, lunam, stellas, supra denique omnia stare censet, neque prae­zer terram, remullam in mun­do moveri. Cicer. Acad. [...]u. lib. 2. p. 26. fine. Syracusius,) so in Divinity, those heresies which seem the newest, & of the latest hatch, have been both taught and contradicted, many hun­dred yeers agoe, as that in the late most hereticall & most impious Pamphlet of the Mortality of the soul, of the body of Christ ascending no higher then the globe of the Sunne, and there arrested untill the generall resur­rection; though many take it to be a new fiction of theWriter in his booke of Mans Mortality, both soule and body. p. 33. printed 1643. Writer thereof, never heard of before his time; yet the same was the tenet of the ancient Christum cum in [...]lum ascenderit, corpus su­um reliquisse in globo solis, hinc Manichaeos esse persuastos ut solem adorarent. Sixt. Senens. Biblieth. Sanct. l. 5. amot. 140. p. 381. col. 1. Manichees, and therefore they worshipped the sunne, because they conceived the body of Christ was lodged in the globe thereof; and being ancient errours, they have met with [Page 37]their confutation heretofore many of them by Tertul. Iren. Epiphan. Aug. of old, and of later times, by Alphons. a Castre, who wrote 14. bookes in rehearsall and refutation of them, which Feuardentius published since his death, with the addition of for­ty heresies more, either pretermitted by Alphonsus, or borne since his death, (as he professeth) though both of them miscall those heresies which are not.

Fourthly, It may fall out that the Reformation may be carryed on by some men with too vehement an antipathy,Impugnant ad­versus invicem, sua propria in­dicantes. Iren. advers. kaeres. lib. 2. c. 18. p [...] p. 164. uttering each of them his owne opinion, in a way of contradiction to others, whereby while they shun one errour, they run into another, sometimes most contrary to it, soFeuardent. in annot. in ista verba. Iren. ad­vers. haeres. l. 2. c. 18. p. 170. col. 2. Arius took up his herefie out of an hatred of the quite contrary tenet, held by Sabellius; and Eutiches, his herefie out of too passionate an oppofition to that of Nestorius: and in like sort out of an extreame detestation of the Domination of Prelacie, have many among us fallen to Independency, conceiving they could not be secure enough from Ecclesiasticall tyranny, over their consciencies, if there were any coercive power in one, as in the Episcopall, or in many, as in Presbyteriall government.

Fifthly, That the many errours, heresies, and blasphemies, which have rushed in upon us, in a kind of interregnum betwixt the pulling downe of the Prelaticall, and setting up the Presby­teriall discipline, may not prejudice the present Reformation by the scandall which cometh from them, and the contumely which deservedly belongeth to them; we are to bee remembred that it is no new thing, for the devill to bestirre himselfe as of late he hath done, to trouble, retard, and reproach the true Re­ligion, by putting forth many false ones, which may puzzle the people, so that they know not which to betake themselves to, but then especially when any great change is to be made for the better. Which wee may observe in four most remarkable times and states of Religion.

SECT. II.

THe first was when Christianity was to be set up, & Judaisme and Paganisme to be preached downe, then did the Devill [Page 38]displeased that his temples were deserted, and Christ sought af­ter, as under another title hath been noted, out ofAug de civ. l. 8. c. 51. part. 2. p. 459. Aug. de civi­tate dei) raise up very many as impious, absurd, and ridiculous opinions as any are taught in our times; as to begin with that wherein the Apostles lived, there was Simon Magus a beleever for a time, and one that was baptized by Philip, Acts 8.13. who pretendedEpiph. Tom. 2. l. 1. haeres. 21. that his Concubine Helena was the same Helen of Greece, whom Homer wrote of, that she made the Angels, and that the Angels made the world; that the Old Testament was not of God, and that it was a mortall sin to beleeve it. He held another opinionSemen viro­rum per deslux­um, & sangui­nem faeminarum per consuetos menser collectum esse mysteria vis tae, cognitionis­que perfectissi­me. ibid. as impure as these were impious, which we conceive fitter to be set downe in the margin in Lat. then in this text in the English tongue. And we read of the Sect of the Nicolaitans, Rev. 2.6.15. descended from Nicolas a Proselyte of Antioch, one of the seven Deacons chosen and appointed by the Apostle, Acts 6.6, 7. whose doctrine and practise had a rank savour of carnall sinfulnesse. And though for Nicolas himself, it be somewhat uncertain what to resolve of him, for modesty or immodesty either in his dictates or doings, because while some asNicol unus de 7. diaconis cum intemperantiae domi­nari non possit, ut haberet quo petulantes affectus defenderet, docuit nisi quis singulis diebus uxorem exerceret, non posse participem fieri vitae aeternae. Epiph. ibid. haeres. 25. Epiphanius andNicolaus Antiochenus omnlum mundiciarum re­pertor, choros duxit faeminarum Hieron. Tom. 2. p. 256. Hierom have accused him of very unclean opi­nions and practices; others asClemens Alexand. Stromat. l. 3. p. 187. Clemens Alexandrinus, andEuseb. Ecclesiast. hist. l. 3. c. 26. Eu­sebius have pleaded for him, that be­ing charged with jealousie, having a beautiful wife, he brought her forth, and permitted him that listed to marrie her; andMonuerat Nicolaus Diaconus [...] abuti carne: quo breviter dicto votupratem cupi­dinum, maxime verd veneris, reprimendam [...]ir san­ctus voluit. Mr. Selden de [...]ve [...] & Gent. l. 1. c. 1 p. 9. the words in greek are in clem. Alexan. [...]. p. 187. par. med. a late learned authour, com­mending him, for that he taught the flesh was to be abused, by which he meant that concupiscence of plea­sures, especially venercous, was to be re­strained: Yet is it not denied by any of the Authors who speak so favourably of him, but that some of the same age, or not long after, tooke up licentious and lascivious opinions in his name, and made their practice as loose as their opinionsSo Clemens Alexand. Euseb. and Mr. Selden. and so they sinned with­out shame in filthy fornication; [...]. Clemens Alexand. loco citat. lit. o. yea as Clemens Alexandrinus [Page 39] saith, they pronounced publicke Venery to bee a mysticall communi­on.

After them came up a most horrid and filthy Sect of the Gno­sticks, whose impieties and impurities cannot bee mentioned without horror, and we therefore set them in the margin, andƲxores habuerunt Communes, impudica feminarum & virorum contrectatio, nota fuit ejusdem professionis in Religione, Synaxim ipsam turpitudine multiplicis coitus polluerunt comedentes humanas carnes, vir conce­dens alteriuxorem, Surge dixit, fac dilectionem cum fratre. Turpissimam commixtionem secuta est blasphe­mia, nam muliercula, itemq, vir fluxum a masculo in pro­prias manus suscipientes, coelum intuentes, dixerunt; Tibi pater hoc donum corpus Christi offerimus, & sic ipsum ederunt, assumentes semen suum, dixerunt (que) hoc est corpus Christi, hoc est pascha. Epiph. Tom. 2. l. 1. haeros. 26. Voluptatis gratia tantum, non generationis liberorum coierunt; hinc si quae praegnans facta suerit mulier, faetum in Mortario pistillo contuderunt, & admixto melle & pipere participes facti sunt, manibus turpi­tudinis suae defluxu imbutis, nudi toto corpore precati sunt. Haec Epiph de Gnosticis. ibid. in Latine, for they are too grosse to be put downe in plaine English; though those who are wise, of such a deadly poyson, may make an wholesome medi­cine to themselves, inferring from such premisses, that doubt­lesse there is a devil, for none but a spirituall impostor of great art and subtilty, as he is Acts 13.10. and of great power, as 2 Thess. 2.9. could perswade men to any such prodigious impieties, so re­pugnant not only to the law of Scripture, but to the light of na­ture; and thence must necessarily follow that there is a good God much greater and mightier then he, otherwise the whole world would run mad with such Diabolicall delusions. The Carpocra­tian heretickes were brethren to the Gnostickes according to the flesh, whose impure impietiesChristi animam, & quamlibet aliam, quae per omnes actiones turpes progressa est, posse in mundi factores & an­gelos transire, unde multi seipsos ipso Jesu praestantiores professi sunt, exercuerunt magiam, incantationes & alia Satanica opera. Epiph. ibid. haeres 27. we will lap up in the same lan­guage; yet asChristianos senominarunt in Ecclesiae Christi opprobri­um, & gentium scandalum. ibid. Epiph. saith, they called themselves Christians, to the great scandall both of Christ and of the Heathens.

The Adamites had some affinity with the former sects, but they were more foolish then filthy, at least in their filthinesse not so shamelesse, for asEpiph. ibid. haeres. 52. Epiphanius writeth of them; they were like unto Mouldwarpes, who seldome appeared in the sight of men, they held their males to be as Adam, and their females as Eve, in the state of innocency, and therefore they excercised their Religion (such as it was) in stoves and hot-houses, naked, lea­ving [Page 40]their cloths in an outward roome; if any man had any blemish, they cast him out of their congregation calling him A­dam, who had eaten the forbidden fruit.Epiph. ibid. haeres. 37. There was another sort of heretickes called [...] Ophis a Serpent. Ophites from Ophis a serpent, for they worshipped the Serpent that deceived Adam and Eve, as a most wise creature endowed with all kind of knowledge.Epiph. ibid. haeres. 38. And some thought as well of Cain, whom they accounted their father, holding he was a man of more vigorous vertue then Abell, because he was able to kill him; to him they sortedEpiph. ibid. Esau, Core, the Sod [...]mites and Judas, and in them they gloried as in their kinsmen, and aseribed to them perfect and supernall know­ledge; and for Judas they praised him for betraying of Christ,Ibid. some of them rendring for a reason that Christ was about to dissolve things well established, and others, that by betraying him to death, he did a good worke conducible to humane safety. Besides these tenets peculiar to their sect, they taught with the Corpocratians Epiph. ibid. that none could be saved, unlesse hee com­mitted every filthy act, calling upon a particular Angell, to whom they attribute the instinct of every particular sinne on earth.

We will conclude the heresies raised by Satan against the first Reformation of Religion, from Judaisme and Paganisme, with the heresie of the Pepusians (omiting divers others, either lesse odious, or lesse ridiculous)Epiph. ibid. haeres. 49. who fondly conceived upon a pretended revelation to Quintillus and Priscilla, that their City Pepuza in Phrygia, was the celestiall Hierusalem, forespo­ken by the Prophets; they likewise commended Eve for tasting the forbidden fruit, as a prudent act, and as the cause of our salvation; with them the word Saeerdos was practically as wel as grammatically of both genders, for women were admitted to all Ecclesiasticall offices, and they alleadged for their promiscu­ous practise, (especially for to make Ministers of the Word and Sacraments) Miriam the sister of Moses, Exod. 15.20. and the foure daughters Prophetesses of Philip the Evangelist, Acts 21.8, 9. and that of Paul to the Galatians, there is neither Iew nor Greeke, there is neither bondnor free, there is neither Male nor Female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3.28.

SECT. III.

THe second most inconsiderable time or state of Religion was at the reformation and change of it from Popery to Prote­stancy (by the Ministery of Luther, Calvin, Bucer, Beza & others) then did the Devill to disgrace it, set up sundry gracelesse here­ticks, as John Islebius the father of the late Antinomians, who de­nyed the use of the Law in the time of the Gospel, andStatuunt quaecunque tandem sit hominis vita, quantum­vis impura, justificari tamen eum si promissionibus evan­galii credar. Sletdan. Comment. l. 12. p. 248. held that how impure soever a mans life be, yet be is justified if he beleeve the promises of Christ; andBell. Chronol. part. altera. p. 567. Michael Servetus a Spaniard, who being but 25. yeers of age, bragged that hee was the chiefe Prophet of the world; when as theServetus non simplicem, sed ex multis impietatibus conflatam haereticorum larvam profitetur, puta, Arii, Marcionis, &c. Pastores Ecclesiae Basileens. Epist. Syndicis & Senatui inter Calvin. Epi stol. p. 127. pasters of the Church of Basil, shew hee professed not the errours of any simple or singular heretick, but a compound of the heresies of Arius, Marcion, Sabellius, Photinus, Manichaeus, and Pelagi­us; and divers of the Church ofResuscitat nobis Priscillianos, Anthropomorphitas, A­pollinaristas, Valentinianos. Ministr. Eecles. Bern. Syndic. & Senatui Genev. ibid. p. 118. Berne charge him with re­viving other heresies. And the Divines of Tigure objected to himTrinitatem aternam Deitriceps Monstrum & Cerbe­rum quendam tripartitum; denique imaginarios Deos illu­siones ac tres Spiritus daemoniorum appellitat. Ministr. Tigur. Eccles. Syndie. & Senatui Genev. ibid. p. 120. most execrable blaspbemies against the sacred Trinity, a­ [...] which he wroteBellar. Chronol. par. altera. p. 567. seaven b [...]phemous bookes.

About the same time in Hol­land the Devill stirred up oneBell. ibid. p. 569. David George, who tooke upon him to be a great Prophet, and the elder brother of Christ, and promised that three years after his death he would rise again, and restore the Kingdom unto Is­rael. There was also oneBellarm. ibid. Casper Swbenckeseldius a Silesian, who held, that upon the ascension of Christ into heaven the humane nature was turned into the Divine;Litera mortua, egenum eleme [...] ­tum, sic Hosius, de expressoverbe Dei, paulo ante med. non disting. capit. Sect. nec figure. and that the Scripture was but a dead letter, a beggerly element. There was also one Muneo who (as Calvin saith of him) set forth an haeresie drawne out of the dotages of the Mani­chees [Page 42]concerning the nature and person of Christ.Liquet te ag­gressum esse & conatum sparge­re haereticam doctrinam, blas­phemiis plenam, contra sacrum Mysterium Tri­nitatis. Calv. o. pusc. p. 671. And another named Valentinus Gentilis a blasphemous here­ticke against the sacred Trinity, against whom the Syn­dicks of Geneva proceeded to a judiciall Sentence for a So­lemne and submissive recantation of his tenets. But there were two sorts of heretickes which most defamed the Reformation of Religion in those dayes, theSleid. Com. l. 6. p. 116. Anabaptists and Libertines: the Anabaptist denyed the baptisme of infants to bee lawfull; and taught that if they were baptized, such baptisme was a nullity; they held a Communitie of goods, bragged of Revelations by visions and dreames; whereupon at Sangall in Helvetia oneIbid. cut off his brothers head in the presence of his parents, to which he was perswaded (as he said) that he was commanded by God himselfe. Of this Sect the head as a King and a Prophet wasSleid. ib. l. 10. p. 200. John Leyden, who taught that a man was not bound by marri­age to one woman, but might be allowed as many wives as hee pleased and for this (when some Doctors opposed his opinion) hee threw downe his cloake, and the New Testament on the ground, and swore by them both, that the Doctrine he delive­red was revealed to him from heaven.

With him prophesied Knipperdoling, a blasphemous brain­sicke Heretick, who said he had received it from heaven,Sleid. ibid. p. 199. that all Temples should be destroyed, and presently the besotted peo­ple fell to worke, as he gave out the word,Ibid. p. 201. and when a great crowd of people stood below him, standing upon an ascent a­bove their head, hee went upon their heads with his hands and his knees, breathing upon them, and saying, the Father hath sanctified thee, receive the holy-Ghost; and to deceive the people yet further with more apparent danger, up start a new prophet a Gold-smith by his calling, (his name is not noted) but a Black-smith or Iron-smith rather by his speech, and hee boldly denounced as a dictate of the heavenly FatherSleid. ibid. p. 200. that John Leiden must bee Emperour of the whole world, and that being assisted with strong forces hee should without diffe­rence or exception, kill all Kings and Princes, and should spare only the multitude, to wit, those that love justice, and so hee should possesse the seat of his father David, untill his father re­quire it again.

The other notorious and dangerous Sect, prejudiciall to the honour and progresse of the Reformation begun, was the Sect of the Libertines, of whom Bellarmine having made a very short and insufficient [...]eport intitles it to Calvin, and to ex­presse his extream contempt of him, heQuorum non alium authorem habeo nisi Jo­hannem Calvin. haeresiarcham. Bellarm. Chron. par. ult. p. 371. excuseth himselfe that bee hath no other author of the Libertine tenents, then John Calvin the heretiark in his booke against the Libertines: but though to him the name of Calvine be ignominious, and to other Papists, whom malice hath made mad against him, (as Saul against the Saints before he was converted Acts 26.11. so despicable as toAlii suis cani­bus Calvini no­men imponunt. Melch. Adam. pastor. decad. vitar. Theolog. p. 82. put the name of Calvin upon their Dogs; to us and to all sound and ortho­dox Protestants, it is (as Solomon saith of a good name) better then pretious oyntment, Eccles. 7.1. and his discovery of the opinions and manners of the Libertines, the more authenticke, and the more punctually to be related, because hee is the exactest wri­ter of their story, speaketh of his owne knowledge of them, ha­ving had personall notice of, and contestation with the ring­leaders of that sinfull sectCalvin. Instr. advers. Libert. c. 4. opusc. p. 436. Quintine and Poiquius; there was al­so one Coppine, whom the devill set up before the former of these two, to begin the sowing of the Libertine tares, but his fame was soone obscured by Quintine, and his memory in a manner buried by his proceeding and prevailing.

His discourse of them is somewhatlarge, taking up about 17. leaves in folio, but we will contract what is pertinent to our pre­sent purpose into a narrower com­passe: In the generall Advers. fanaticam & furiosam Sectam Liber­tinor. qui se spirituales vocant. So in the title of his Instr. p. 433. col. 1. hee calls them a furious and fanaticke Sect, who call themselves spirituall, and yetVt scelerata Secta, ita longe aliis magis pro­digiosa & belluina est, adeo ut nemo sana mente praeditus sine horrore de ea cogitare possit. ibid. c. 1. p. 434. col. 1. are prodigiously wicked, and brutish, so that no man that is well in his wits, can thinke of what they hold without horrour, and so foule and filthyEorum Secta cloaca est aut sentina quaedam in quam omnes sordes confluunt. ib. c. 21. p. 456. c. 1. that it is as the common receptacle of all unclean­nesse. In particular they blasphe­mously confounded God and man in their operations and actions,Cum aliquando Quintinus in locwn venisset ubi quidam interfectus jacebat, at (que) illic adesset ali­quis vir pius, qui prae horrore diceret, hei mihi quis hocscelus admisit? putidus ille inquis. Ita res haber, tu ipse admisisti, ego admisi, Deus ad­misit, quod enim ego & tu sacimus, Deus efficit, quod etiam Deus facit ipsi facimus, nam in nebis est. Ibid. c. 13. p. 445. col. 1. say­ing, that what God did, they did, what they did, God did, whatsoever it was, [Page 44]though a murder or any such crime because God was in them: Hoc concesse imputandun­esset Deo peccatum, aut con­cludendum nullum in mun­do peccatum fieri — unde sequetur nobis non licere aliquid ut malum vitupe­rare. ibid. this granted, all sinne must bee imputed unto God, or it must bee concluded that there is no sinne in all the world, because there is nothing which God doth not; and thence also it followeth, that nothing is to bee blamed as evill, and that a man following his own inclination Concupivit uxorem vicini sui quispiam, ea potiatur si potest, certo enim scit, se nibil a voluntate Dei alienum facere, ib p. 445. c. 2. (suppose it be to lye with another mans wise) may doe it. And therein be doth nothing con­trary to the will of God Fiert omnia ex voluntate Dei, nibil ipsi displicere. ibid. c. 15. p. 448. col. 1. who is displea­sed with nothing that man doth. As for the devill and sinne,Diabolum & peccatum accipiunt pre ima­ginatione, quae nibil est. ibid. p. 444. col. 1. they take them for a meer imagination, which is nothing. For Christ they set up anProplastice Christum fingunt qui non tan­tum idolum sit adversus filium Dei, sed ve­luti sordium omnium saccus, aut cloaca in quam faeces omnetre cipiantut. ib. p. 450. c. 1. Idoll Figment of their owne, and make him the sack or sinke of all impure dregs. And indeed they putIpsi Christo probrum inurant quo Diabo­lo deterior censeri possit. ib. c. 4 p. 437. col. 1. so much repreach upon him, as may make him worse then the Devill himselfe. For the sacred Aperte ridere soliti sunt, si quis scripturas allegaret: nec diffimulare quin eas pro fabu­lis haberent. Calv. Instruct. adv. Libert. c. 9. p. 441. col. 1.2. Scriptures if any cited them against their hereticall and prophane o­pinions, they derided them, accounting no better of them then of fables; and to shew themselves lawlesse Libertines, they will have it;Totam legem abolere volunt, inquientes [...]llam amplius ejus habendam esse rationem, propterea quod in libertatem asserti simus. ibid. c. 19. p. 453. col. 1. that the whole Law is abolish­ed, so as now it is no more to be regar­ded, because (as they argue) wee are put into a state of perfect liberty. And how little respect they had of the Gospel, is mani­fest by their contemptuous speeches of the Apostles,Apud eos Paulus vas confractum erat, Pe­trus abnegator Dei, Johannes adolescens sto­lidus, Matthaeus faenerator. ibid. c. 3. p. 435. col. 2. calling Paul a broken vessell, Peter a Runnegado from God, Iohn a foolish young man, Matthew an Ʋsurer. And rejecting the bonds of the Law, and guidance of the Gospel, they let loose the reins to their lewdest lusts, according to their pernicious principle, which isQuod omnis hominum inclinatio sive a na­tura, sive a masa consue tudine proficiscatur, vooatio Dei est. ibid. c. 20. p. 455. col. 1. that every inclination of man, whether it be of nature, or of custome, is the calling of God; and therefore ifSimulatque adulter scortatoris sui taedium caeperit, eum subinde commutare potesi si quis alius magis grat [...]s sese offerat. Similiter scortator. &c. ibid. c. 20. p. 455. col. 2. an adulteresse be weary of, or not well [Page 45]pleased with her fleshly bed-fellow, she may change for another, who may bee more acceptable to her; and an Adul­terer or Fornicator hath the like liberty for female variation; andLeno, inquiunt, fungatur munere suo, fur au­dacter furetur, est enim consentanenm ratio­ni, ut unusquisque vocationem suam sequatur. ibid. c. 20. p. 454. col. 2. if any have been imployed as a Pan­der, or a Baude, or a thiefe, they may hold on their course, because it is their calling. The In bona confusionem inducunt, communionē Sanctorum esse dicentes, si nemo quicquam possideat tanquam suum, se dunusquis (que) unde­cun (que) nancisci poterit ad se rapiat. ibid. c. 21. p. 455. col. 2. confusion of goods, they called the communion of Saints, and permitted every man to get what he could by what way soever unto himselfe. And so they allowed themselves and all their sort aHocu [...]um est ex praecipuis capitibus Theo­logiae ipsorum, artem simulandi & sese transformundi nosse oportere, quo facilius hominibus imponant — qua sibi permit­tunt omnem speciem induere quo placeant ho­minibus. ibid. c. 8. p. 440. col. 1. liberty to dissemble any thing with any man, in any matter, whereby they might deceitfully insinuate themselves into their good opinion, and so they made no scrupleNulla est ipsis religio, coram Idolis se pro­sternere, ita se omnibns superstitionibus pa­pistarum adhaerere se simulant. ibid. to adore Idolls, nor to adhere to all the superstitions of the Pa­pists, no nor blasphemously to fiatter them in the abominable idolatry of the Masse: for Quintine himselfe being once present whereCum aliquando Quintinus solenni cujus­dam Cardinalis Missae adesset dicebat se glo­riam Dei videre. ibid. c. 20. p. 454. col. 2. a Cardinall said Masse, professed that at that time be saw the glory of God. And though for such partly Dia­bolicall, and partly brutish deceipts and dealings they were such as Calvin well saith were worthy that Omnes ad pueros us (que) ipsos conspuere infa­ciem pratereuntium deberent, ut hoc execra­tionis signo pudore afficerent cos. ibid. c. [...]. p. 437. col. 1. all even to children should spit at them, in token of exe­cration as they passed by, that they might make them asbamed; thousandsMultis animarum millibus exitii causa fu­erunt. ibid. of souls were seduced by them to their destruction, the particular account they reckoned to is a­bove4 Ganeones aut tres saltem video qui plus quam 4 millia hominum in exitium duxe­runt. ibid. c. 4. p. 436. col. 2. foure thousand, an argument of the singular subtilty of Satan, and of the great simplicity, or rather grosse stu­pidity of the people; and withall an evi­dence of Divine indignation, asCertrssimum illud est exundantis in mu [...] ­dum furoris Dei flagellum, cum cous (que) Sata­nae habenas laxetut tam detestanda quae, lli [...] Christianis persuadeant, quae prophanis ipsis horrorem incutiant. Calv. Epist. Ep. N. N. p. 222. Calvin elsewhere saith, in letting out the chaine of Satan so many linkes, as that he should be able to perswade Christians to beleeve and receive [Page 46]such dictates as would strike a horror in the hearts of prophane men when they heare them.

SECT. IV.

THe third considerable time and state of Religion was then, when divers godly Divines and other well-affected Chri­stians desired and indeavoured a further conformity with other reformed Churches in discipline, and ceremonies in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

Of this Camd. Hist. Q. Eliz. l. 1. p. 90. saith Camden, in the 11th of her reign Colman, Button, Hattingham, Benson, and others who with burning zeale professing a more sincere Religion, allowed of nothing but what was drawn from the fountains of the holy scriptures— they openly called in question the received discipline of the Church of England, the Liturgie and the vocation of Bishops, yea they condem­ned them as savouring too much of the Romish Religion, (with which to have any communion they cryed out was impious) using all the meanes they could that all things in the Church of England might he reformed according to the rule of the Church of Geneva; of these men he further adds, that though the Queen commanded they should be committed to prison, yet incredible it is, how much the followers of this Sect increased every where, through a certaine obstinate wilfullnesse in them, indiscre­tion of the Bishops, and the secret favour of some noble men, which gaped ofter the wealth of the Church, which sort began presently to be knowne by the invious name of Puritanes; so farre he, too farre for a true Historian, who (if he would needs give reasons of their accep­tance with the people) should and might have given others of a far better relish to religious palates. And for the name Puritane which he familiarly misapplyeth, it belongeth rather unto those who would have the Church to be thought so pure, that it was not needfull to reforme it, then to those who discovered the de­fects and faults of it, and desired it might be a graduate to pro­ceed to a further degree of goodnesse, then the first assayes of Reformation could reach unto.

It was afterwards prosecuted further by the penners of the admonition to the Parliament, An. 1573. and by Mr. Cartwrights defence of it against Dr. Whitgift, as by their Polemicall writings [Page 47]is evident, set forth by the Dr. in the year 1574. and Mr. Car [...] ­wrights reply unto him in two parts; the first, An. 1575. the 2d. An. 1577.

But to hinder it (as Mr Josias Nio [...]ls who was a mover for it, a man of good learning, godly life, and of a gratious and meek spirit, observeth) Mr. Iostas Ni­colls plea of the innocent. So in the contents of the 2. ch. nu. 2. Martine Marprelate, the Brownists, and Hacket were stirred up by Satan. More particularly heeIb. c. 2. p. 32. saith the first was a foolish jester, who termed himselfe Martin Marprelate and his sons, who under counterfeit and apish scoffing did play the Sycophant, and slanderously abu­sed many persons of reverent place and note, & such was the wisedome of the time, that many filthy and lewd Pamphlets came forth against him, casting forth much stinking dung and beastly filth into the faces of honest men,Ibid. p. 33. so that it plainly apeared to the wiser & discreeter sort, that the devill was the author of this disgrace.Ibid. Secondly, for the Brow­nists they tooke offence at both sides, and made a temerarious and wicked separation; they had their originall and name saithCambd. Hist. of Q Eliz. l. 3. p. 257. Camden from Robert Browne a Cambridge man a young student in Divinity, who condemning the Church of England as no Church entangled many in the snares of their new schisme. Thirdly, of Hacket and his party,Mr. Ios. Nic. lo­co citat. Mr. Nic. saith, two or three men bewitched with some honour, by a certaine man of a frantick spirit, lifted up themselves with high words of blasphemie, whose wor­king this was all men know, that know the wiles of Satan. But that both may be better knowne, (for more assurance of this truth, and better caution against the slander of Religion) it wil be requifite to make a more clear and full report of the Diabolicall blasphemie and furie of that impious Impostor Hacket, which we will make up out of the severall relations of Camden and Seravia.Camd. Hist. of Q. Eliz. l. 4. p. 400. This Hacket was a man of vulgar sort, borne at Oundle in the Counly of Northampton, unlearned, insolent, fierce, and so eager up­on revenge, that he bit off his honest Schoole-masters nose (as be imbraced him, under colour of renewing their love) and like a dog (as they say) eat [Page 48]it downe before the poore deformed mans face, while he prayed him to re­store it to him, that it might be sewed to whilest the wound was green. And so averse was hee from all piety that the heavenly doctrine which he had learn [...]d in Sermons, he repeated among his drinking companions at their cups to be derided. Afterward when he had wasted his estate which be had with a widow, be suddainly tooke upon him the person of one of admirable sanctity, spent all his time in hearing Sermons, learning scrip­tures, and as the devill puts on an holy-day habit, transforming him into an angel of light, 2 Cor. 11.14. so did he present himselfe in the appearance of an inspired Saint, p [...]wring forth his prayers with an admirable and strange kind of servour; falling upon his face as wrapt in an extasie, and expostulating as it were with God. But whereas all men are wont in calling upon God to implore his presence, he only was accustomed to pray that God would absent and withdraw himselfe from the congregation of those that were praying.Ibid. p. 401. He counterseited revela­tions made to him from heaven, by which he dignified himselfe with the title of Ibid. King of Europe ordained by God. And his delu­ded disciples Copinger and Arthrington added that hee was the highest and supream Monarch, & Ibid. p. 402. that all the Kings of Europe did hold their Kingdomes of him, as his vassalls, that be alone therefore was to be obeyed, and the Queen deposed. Besides this temporall, hee assumed a spirituall preeminence of a very high degree, for he Ecoelo ab ipso Spiritu sancto unctus fun, Dr. Hadr. Sara­vi [...] de grad. Mi­nistr. c. 2 p. 49. said he was anoynted from beaven by the holy Ghost; commanded his two Prophets, the one of mercy, the other of judgement, Coppinger and Arthrington, toIte, inquit, & civibus Lond. [...]unciate Chri­stum Dominum [...]coelis descen­disse cum venti­labro in manu sua, ut judiceto [...] ­bem. ibid. proclaime in the City of London, that Christ the Lord (meaning himselfe) was come from heaven with his san in his hand to judge the world; which hee averred with so much confidence Quod si quis vos roget ubi sit, dicite cum esse in aedibus Walke­ri in fr [...]cto An­giportu; si cre­dere nolunt, ve­niant huc, & me si possint occi­dant. ibid. that hee had them tell where he lodged, challen­ging them that would not beleeve him, to come thither and kill him if they could. And when for his blasphemous arrogance against God and his sonne Christ Jesus, and many seditious and disloyall expressions of his spight and contempt of the Queen, he was brought to condigne and capitall punishment; while he was under the hands of the Executioner Blasphemo ore Deo minitans nis [...] praesens au [...] ­llium ei mitteres ibid. p. 50. he was not afraid to threa­ten God himselfe, if hee did not send present helpe for his deliverance.Caind Hist. of Q Eliz. p. 403. Being condemned, hee was laid upon an hurdle and drawne to the chiefe street of the City, incessantly rearing [Page 49]out with a dreadfull sound, Iehova Messias, behold the hea­ven, the heaven open, behold the Sonne of the most High descending downe to deliver me. At the Gallowes being ad­monished to acknowledge his sinne against God, and the Queen, the execrable wretch inveighing most contumelious­ly against the Queen, cryed out with a Stentors voice, O hea­venly God Almighty, Iehovah, Alpha and Omega, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, God everlasting, thou knowest that I am the true Iehovah whom thou hast sent, shew some miracle out of the cloud, to convert these insidells, and take me from mine enemies. But if not (I tremble to speak it) Saith the forecited au­thour who re­ports it. I will set the heavens on fire, and with these hands plucke thee out of thy throne: and other speeches he used more un­speakable. Turning him to the Hang-man as he was putting the rope to him, Thou Bastard said he wilt thou hang Hac­ket thy King? having the rope about his neck, he lift up his eyes, and grinning said, Dost thou repay mee this for a King­dome? I come to revenge it.

Besides these homebred perturbers of the progresse of Religion, in the way towards a more perfect reformation, there came some forainers from Holland a Countrey (as Camd. censures it) fruitfull Ibid p. 218. of hereticks, who under a shew of singular integrity and sanctity, insinuated themselves into the ignorant vulgar people, and then distilled into their mindes damnable here­sies, mnifestly repugnant to the Christian faith, by a porten­tous & strange kind of speaking, most contrary to the Chri­stian profession, which men might rather admire then under­stand. These named themselves the family of Love, or house of Charity. They perswaded their followers that those onely were elected and to be saved which were admitted into that family, and all the rest reprobates and to be damned, and that it was lawfull for them to deny upon their oath before a Ma­gistrate whatsoever they list, or before any other which was [Page 50]not of their family: of this fanaticall vanity they dispersed bookes among their followers, translated out of the Dutch tongue into English, which they entituled, the Gospel of the Kingdome, Documentall sentences, the prophecies of the spirit of Love, the publishing of peace upon earth. The Author H. N. whose name at length they cold by no means be perswaded to reveal, yet it was found afterward to bee Henry Nicolai of Leiden. Who with blasphemous mouth gave out, that hee did partake of God, and God of his hu­manity.

SECT. V.

THe fourth State or time of Reformation, is that which at present is pestered with so many errors, heresies, and blas­phemies: concerning which your Catalogue of them will save us the labour of the like account, which concerning others wee have brought in.

From such unsound Divinity, such brain-ficke blasphemie, such a fruitfull harvest of the Tares of heresie, as have most a­bounded in these times (wherein Reformation was to be set up, and former swarvings from Religion and reason to be silenced and suppressed) will fairly follow that which may confirme our faith in the word of God, and may conforme our affections to a better liking of Religion, in that edition of it corrected and amended, which now is offered to the acceptance of all well-minded people. As

First, That herein we see by experience the proof of the A­postles prediction, that there m [...]t be heresies that those which are ap­proved may be manifest, 1 Cor. 11.19. And that they also may be dis­covered, who are tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, Eph. 4.14. And in respect of some who [...]et themselves against the truth, and settle their resolutions to oppose it, that of the same Apostle may verified, God shall send them strong de­ [...]ions, that they should beleeve a lye, that all might be damned which [...] not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse, 2 Thes. 2.12.

Secondly, That these heresies are as the Apostle calls them the [Page 51] Doctrines of Devills, 1 Tim. 4.1.

First, Because many of them are so absurdly impious, as to be clearly contradictorie to the light, not only of holy Scrip­tures, but of humane nature.

Secondly, Because though many of them were ancient, yet hereticks of later times have revived them, not only by reading (for the leaders of many among them, were altogether i [...]iterate) but by the instinct of Satan, asSee Cal [...]. his 3. Ch. of his instr. adv. lib. p. 434, 435. Calvin well observeth, in his instruction against the Libertines of his time, who though they agreed with many of the ancient hereticks Cerd [...], Marcion, the Gnosticks, and Manichees; yetHi quidem ho­mines indocti sunt ac idiotae, qui non usque a­deo evolvendis chartis funt ex­ercitati ut ex tis deliria sua ad­discere po [...]uerint nec veri simile est ipsos scire ullam unquam de his mentionē babitam fuisse — sed idem magister qui ve­teres illos haere­ticos olim susci­tara [...], [...]adem d [...] ­ctrina istos im­buere p [...]test qua [...] illos instr [...]ce [...]at. ibid. c. 1. p. 434. col. 1. being unlearned idiots, as he calleth them, and not acquainted with bookes or writings, they did not draw their dotages from them, nor is it like they had any mention of them, but that the same master the devil who stirred up the hereticks of old, did instill the like doctrine into these new disciples.

Thirdly, Because he knoweth better then any Matchiovillian Politician how to make use of division among men, especially Christians, to serve to his greatest advantage, and his advantage is to make some of a wrong Religion, some to stand at a gaze as an ignorant travailer where many wayes meet, and to make choise of no Religion; and some who have mischosen the worst, to reproach the best; not only by their expresse contumelies, but by their pernicious wayes, (their grosse errors, and loofe man­ners) by reason whereof, as Peter prophesied, the way of truth i [...] [...]vill spoken of, 2 Pet. 2.2. And from differences in opinion hee well knoweth how to breed disike in affection, which if he can, he wil raise to the height of most hatefull hostility, as he did by the spirit of the Arians, D [...]natists, An [...]baptists, and other hereticks both of the ancient and more recent times.

Fourthly, Since all sound Christians resolved for the first Re­formation, that Christianity was the right Religion, and Ju­daisme and Paganisme the wrong, (notwithstanding the many and monstrous errors, &c. in the primitive times) and that for the second, the Protestant Religion is the right, and Popery the wrong Religion, though as impious errors brokeforth as before; so we may resolve of the other two Reformations from Prelaecie to Presbyteri [...], from a cold and corrupt Liturgy, to a more cordiall [Page 52]and sincere service of God, from the burden of superstitious ceremonies, to a true freedome of conscience, and Christian li­berty, (in the third desired, and by the fourth in a good part performed) that they have the better cause who stood for them, and indeavoured to carry it on to perfect accomplishment, not they that oppose it, albeit the Devill (as afore time) hath let out some smoake of errors, &c. from the bottomlesse pit, Rev. 9.2. to darken the light thereof, that it might not shine forth in so clear a conviction, and so effectuall a conversion as other­wise it might doe; yet even this working of Satan (with all who are truly instructed in the principles and progresse of Religion, and are not ignorant of his devises, 2 Cor. 2.11. is an argument that the reformation is of God, because the devil useth such sub­tilty and diligence, to defame and disgrace it, and if he could to suppresse it.

Fifthly, If that be true which out of H [...]norus Reggus a for­raigne writer wee have noted, that this last Reformation hath been invested with more and more prodigious errors, &c. then any other, this also makes nothing to the prejudice of those truths of doctrine, discipline, and worship, which now are pre­sented to the world, but rather much for them, since of the later times, it is especially prophecied, that men should depart from the saith, and give heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils; 1 Tim. 4.1. which importeth an encrease of heresies both in kind and de­gree of proficiency from bad to worse in late succeeding more then in ancient foregoing ages.Mr. Perkins in his treanse how to live, and that well. vol. 1. P. 479. col. 1. Mr. Perkins observing some­what to this purpose, where he saith, that heresies abound in this last age of the world, gives for a reason of it, the devils reviving of the heresies of former ages, besides the invention of some new ones; to which we may adde, that hee is the more busie at this time, in prosecution of his designe for spreading of errors, &c. (as more outragious in his wrath) because his time is but short, Rev. 12.12.

If it be objected as by some it is,Object. in favour of Prelacie, and for Prelation of it before Presbyterie out of the forementioned author, that whereas in foure yeers space lost past (wherein the Bishops were opposed and deposed) there have been such multiplicity of monstro [...] Sects in England, as in so short a time was never knowne in any Pro­vince; [Page 53]and that there were inEipiscoporum tempora intra 60. annos non nisi 4. Secta [...] protulerunt, Puritanos, Brownistas, Fa­milistas, & A­nabaptistas. Hon. Reg. de stat. Eccles. in Angl. p. 1. 60. years of the Bishops but four Sects, Puritans, Brownists, Familists, and Anabaptists, nay but three, for he saith those that were calledPuritani erant viri pii & or­thodo [...]i qui ab episcopis quod ad gubernatio­nem, caeremoni­as & superstiti­ones quasdam dissentieban [...], ib. Puritans, were godly & ortho­dox men, who in Church-government, ceremonies, and some superstitions dissented from the Bishops.

Sol. To this we answer, first, that the reporter being a stranger to our State, though conversant in many of our controversiall wri­tings might bee mistaken in the number of Sects among us, and doubtlesse he was so, for beside those he nameth, there were Pa­pists, Arminians, Socinians, Grindletonians, Hothoringtonians, Tras­kits.

Secondly, If there were fewer Sects in that longer, then in this lesser time, it might be there was the more peace, lesse division, because the strong man armed kept the palace, Luke 11.21. For the Bishops held their palaces armed with great power and au­thority, and they were divers of them as willing as able, to doe the devill better service then petty Sects could doe, for their po­tency at Court, in the Star-chamber, high Commission, their crosse keyes of order and jurisdiction, personall, and consistori­all, enabled them to suspend and silence the most conscientious and powerfull Preachers, to put downe Lectures and afternoone Sermons on the Sabbath, and to set up carnall sports and recre­ations on that day, to uphold non-residences, pluralities, pro­phanenesse and superstitious ceremonies; and to carry on such a complyance with the grand heresie of Popery, as might put Papists in great hope, that if they were too stout to come to us, we would be so humble as to come to them.

Thence it was that they bragged (when they saw the Com­munion table set up, and railed in as an Altar, and the places of publick worship popishly painted) that our ChurchSee Chilling­worths pref. in answ. to a Po­pish book cal­led Charity mistaken. began to look with a new face, & their walls to speak a new lauguage, by the new face they meane a new draught, and by the new language, a new dialect of Popish conformity; andibid. that our 39. Articles are pati­ent, yea ambitious in some sense to seem Catholick; that is (in their sense) Popish. So that it may with good probability be collected, that the devill spitteth at Presbyterie, by so many late spread, though not late hatcht heresies, with the more spight and rage, out of the revenge of the quarrell of Prelacie, the putting down where­of, [Page 54]in respect of their forementioned evill dealings, he cannot but take for a great prejudice and impediment to the advance­ment of his Kingdome; by which returne of the objection, we desire not to put any reproach upon such as were not parta­kers with the evill deeds of their pragmaticall brethren, for to them we reserve place for an apologeticall plea, so farre as their learning, piety, pains-taking, moderation and humility (wherein some of them are eminent) may be capable thereof.

And now (deare Brethren) wee have thus joyned with you in publick profession, and our engagement to the Covenant and Government of the Church, and our resolution according to our calling and places, to stand for defence and promotion of both, and in opposition to all errour, &c. contrary to them. We doubt not but you will joyn with us in uncessant sollicitations at the throne of grace, that God will be pleased to make way for fincere and affectionate entertainment of both in the hearts of the people to whom they are tendered, and that by his bles­sing thereupon they may attaine those happy end [...] (for which they were proposed) and have been approved by the two Hono­rable Houses of Parliament, the venerable Assembly of Divines at West [...]inster, the reverend Commissioners of Scotland, and ma­ny faithfull and worthy Ministers, and conscientious Christi­ans, both in City and Countrey. And we wish we could say so much, and of so many in both the Universities of this King­dome.

And for the Apologeticall supplement we have made against the reproach of our present Reformation, we hope you and o­thers of our godly and learned brethren, wil accept of as an assay, to doe the truth and them, as well as our selves, both a necessary and acceptable service. To which we will make no further ad­dition, then the subscription of our names.