Gangrena Part 1 and 2, Part 4 – Part 6
Additionall ERROURS to the former Catalogue of ERROURS, HERESIES, &c.
1 THat no Opinion is so dangerous or Hereticall as that of compulsion in things of Religion.
2. That Kingly government among Nations and Common-wealths is unlawfull, and that for Kings it cannot be said to what use they serve, or that there is any use of them, except to debauch and vexe a people.
3. It is unlawful for Christians to eate any Swines flesh in regard the Devils once entred into the herd of Swine.
4. 'Tis unlawfull to eate any manner of blood in any kind of thing whatsoever, and that Black-puddings are unhallowed meat, and that the eating of Black-puddings is a barbarous custome.
5. That the Devils never sinned, nor have any sin.
Saltmarsh flowing of Christs bloud. pag. 14.6. That Iudas, Cain, and all the damned, yea all the Devils shall be saved at last; and that there are no hell torments to eternity.
7. Christ hath repented perfectly, he hath sorrowed for sin perfectly, and he hath repented for us.
8. Faith is not to be the guide of Reason, but Reason the guide of Faith, nor is a man to beleeve any thing in Scripture, further then he sees Reason to induce him
9. That children of beleevers have more then a faederall holinesse, an inward reall holinesse.
10. Christs presence in Heaven, or that Christ is present in Heaven, cannot be proved by the Scriptures.
11. Some of the Sectaries do affirm and hold they have not only had Revelations, but they have seen Visions also.
12. The means of God revealing himself and his mind and will to his servants in reference to their salvation, is immediatly by himself, without Scripture, without Ordinances, Ministers, or any other means.
13. That 'tis unlawfull to give thanks to God after meat received, though it be lawfull to do it before eating of meat.
14. That singing of Davids Psalms is blasphemy, and telling of lies.
15. That there is no Justification by Faith, but Faith is only a manifestation of our Justification.
16. That Repentance is a work of the Law, and so not to be performed by Christians; and that Christians have nothing to do at all, but only to sit still, hear and beleeve.
17. Some Sectaries hold they cannot sin, but if they sin, Christ sins in them, he does all, they are acted by him in all.
18. All set times of private prayers as morning and evening, &c. are not only unlawfull and superstitious, but they are not to pray at all, nor give thanks, nor confesse sin, but admire only the Grace of God, that is all they must doe.
19. That hell-fire never had been, if Jesus Christ had not come.
20. That Jesus Christ delivered never a soul from Hell-fire.
21. That all appointed set meetings of many Christians to pray, hear, confer, or perform any holy service, whether in a Church way, or out of a Church way, are unwarrantable, and unlawfull, only occasionally if Christians meet in a street, or at a house going to visit friends in civility, they may discourse and talk one with another in points of Religion as they do of other matters.
22. That in the first Conversion of a sinner there ought to be no sorrow nor repentance for sinne, God requires none at all.
23. That some Beleevers are as perfect here, as ever they shall be in Heaven, only they do not see the Lord here with their bodily eyes.
And for a conclusion of this matter, namely for the enumeration of Additionall Errours, I shall adde only this which I received from the mouth of a godly Minister, who ha…ing conversed with some Sectaries that are Souldiers and Troopers, gave me this answer, March 13. upon a question propounded by me what strange opinions do they hold. They hold (saith he) all opinions whatsoever that are against the power of godlinesse, and the honour of Christ.
An Extract of a Letter lately sent me from a learned and godly Minister in Essex.
Good M. Edwards,
I Thank you for your Book: Oates whom you mention in your Book, hath been sowing his Tares, Boolimong, and wild Oates in these parts these five weeks without any controll, hath seduced hundreds, and dipped many in Booking River and when thats done he hath a *The new Converts (as it seems by the Relation here) make a Feast for the Church, and the Dipper upon their entrance into is by dipping, and are then admitted to that they call the Lords Supper.Feast in the night, and at the end of that the Lords Supper. All opera tenebrarum. No Magistrate in the Country dare meddle with him, for they say they have hunted these out of the country into their Dens in London, and imprisoned some, and they are released, and sent like decoy Ducks into the country to fetch in more; so that they go on in divers parts of Essex with the greatest confidence and insolencie that can be imagined. M. Archer of Halsted preaches boldly against Parliament, Assembly, Directory, Ministery and all: I pray you let me hear whether there be any hope of light shining out of darknesse, Ellis an Antinomian, brother to Ellis of Colchester the Independent, married a widow, got two hundred pounds of hers, made her beleeve hee would carry her to his friends in the North, but left her by the way, and ranne away with the two hundred pounds. That miscreant seduced many. Your book doth much good: I shall pray God to speed your Plough, who am
Your assured friend
An Extract of a Letter written to me last week from a learned and godly Minister in Colchester, together with a Relation of a Monster lately born there of Parents who are Sectaries.
SIr, I have sent you in this enclosed, the true Story of the monstrous birth in our Town. I thank you for your Book: The Sectaries rage at it, but it is a sign it doth the more good. Thus beseeching the great God to continue your courage and resolution for his name to the utmost, I rest.
Your affectionate Brother in the Lord.
Memorandum, that upon the 18. day of Febr. 1645. one Goodwife Cosens of Peter Parish in Colchester brought forth two children both dead, the one a perfect child the other was born without a head, having upon the breast some characters of a face, nose, and eyes, wanting one arme and the other arme being rather the stump of an arme, ended in a crotch of two fingers, with something like a thumb coming out of one side of it: Downward one of the feet was perfect, the other foot wanted a heel, and had only two toes which grew forward, and another toe growing out of one side of it. The Father of this Monster is a Separatist, frequenting their congregations an enemy to the baptising of his own chi…dren; the Mother a hearer in the separated congregations likewise, who resolved heretofore, that if ever she had any more children, they should never be baptized. ☞ This Relation is affirmed by those of trust and understanding, that saw this Monster, and know the parties.
An Extract of a Letter sent me from a*This Commander is not in the service of the West, belonging to any of the Regiments of that Army, under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, but his command is in another part of the Kingdom. Commander now in the Parliament service, dated Decemb. 29. 1645.
SIR,
THe constant practise of many Officers and souldiers with them, was to exclaime against their Ministers wheresoever we marched, pressing them and their adherents more then any other; they did dscourage the people, generally affirming that the best of our Preachers were Popish, and that it was unlawfull to heare them, but did hope to see them all *We see the liberty of conscience Sectaries will give, if they had power.pact to Rome, and their superstitious Steeple-houses puld down to the ground; great variety of opinion was amongst our Officers and Souldiers, some affirming that they had had Revelations and seen Visions, al of them at liberty to argue and hold what phantasticall opinion they pleased, those were the men most countenanced, and soonest raised to preferment; some of them would take upon them to prophesie, ☞ saying, they should live to see all lording power laid aside in this Kingdom. In my distresse when the enemy was upon me, I sent to most parts adjacent for assistance, but could have none, only from one place came to me forty Volunteers, with some two or three Officers, professing thenselves all Independents, and they told me they hoped to finde me so, and if I should continue still in my opinion for Presbytery, they thought their labour ill spent; they staid with me all night, and the next day there came to them a Leiutenant, a most dangerous fellow, maintaining most horrid opinions, as you may see by the information which is truth;The Relation followes after attested by the hands of witnesses. this Lieutenant was to preach to them in a private house, which I had notice of, and did prevent him, which they took very ill of me, and immediatly they left me, and marched away with Lieutenant —Since, one of the chiefest of them sent me word by our Quarter-master, that I should have little or no pay, so long as I staid in —if I did not agree and side with—I finde the m…sage too true, for I finde little pay or none. Sir, I could say much more of their practises against me and others, but I should be too tedious; but this more I shall adde, I never marched where I heard more talk of godlynesse, and lesse practise of it in my observation, for they are cruell without mercy, covetous without ☞ measure, professing self-deniall, yet leave no stone un-turned to advance there estates and honours. The Lord prevent their wicked designes, and keep this Kingdom from being ruined by such a wicked people, Sir, I rest.
Your servant
A Relation of some passages of a great Sectarie, a Lieutenant about the beginning of June last. 1645.
HAving had much arguing with him and his adherents in opposition to the Antinomian way, in the morning wherein they seemed to glory much in the victorie, though I know no cause for it at all: The Lieutenant came courteously towards even in to my house (as he said) to take his leave of me; which some of his party perceiving, followed him; and others taking notice of their resort, followed also: The subject of our discourse was about the meanes of God revealing himself, and his minde and will to his servants in reference to their salvation; He affirmed and maintained violently that God did it immediatly by himself without Scripture, without Ordinances, Ministers, or any other meanes; He being asked about the third Person in the Trinity, denyed there was any such thing as a Trinity of persons, but affirmed them to be three Offices; and being demanded what he thought of Christ, whether the Godhead and manhood were united in one Person in Heaven: He answered only to the last word, and denyed that it could be proved by the Scriptures Christs presence in Heaven; and when some Scriptures were produced, which had reference to his Resurrection and Ascention, he replyed, that it was a great question, whether there was a Resurrection or not; he said he did not deny it absolutly, but that he made a great question of it: At the parting, before him I replyed to the by-standers, Gentlemen, if I should have come and a told you that this Gentleman had denied the Trinity of persons, and Christs presence in Heaven▪ and that he called in question the Resurrection, you would not have beleeved me, had not your own eares heard the same.
This is attested and subscribed by the hand of a godly Minister in whose persence all this was …pken, together with a Relation of the names of the other …nesses, persons of quality and worth, who were all present at this Discourse, and I have the Originall in my power to porduce upon any occasion.