Gangrena Part 1 and 2, Part 2
A Catalogue of the Blasphemies of the Sectaries.
NOw besides these Errours and Heresies laid down, many of them being Blasphemies (as the Reader cannot but have observed in perusing their Catalogue) there have been many blasphemies and blasphemous speeches vented by Sectaries severall wayes, both by writing, preaching, conference and discoursing, and some so horrid and abominable, in such a dispitefull, scoffing, fearfull way, that I tremble to think of them, and shall forbear to name them: And indeed within these four last years in England there have been blasphemies uttered of the Scriptures, the Trinity, each person of the Trinity, both of Father, Son and holy Ghost, of Gods eternall election, of the Virgin Mary, the Apostles and holy Penmen of Scripture, of Baptisme, Prayer, the ministery of the Word, and the Ministers of all the Reformed Churches, of the Government of the Church, and of the Christian Magistrates: In some books printed and dispersed up and down, there are fearfull blasphemies; as in the Arraignment of persecution, The Sacred Synodycall Decretall, Martins Eccho &c. profaning and abusing the holy and dreadfull Name of God in a most fearfull manner, scoffing at the holy Ghost,Arreignment of Persecu…ion, pag. 93. sent in a Cloak-bagg from Scotland, making a most blasphemous Prayer, wherein the Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ are in a scoffing way alluded unto, with many others which I will not foul paper with transcribing. In some Manuscripts of one Paul Best, there are most horrid blasphemies of the Trinity,This Best with his Manuscripts were sent up last summer, and is by the Parliament committed to the Gate-house. of Christ, and of the holy Ghost, calling the Doctrine of the Trinity, a mystery of iniquity, the three headed Cerberus, a fiction, a Tradition of Rome, Monstr…m biforme, triforme, with other horrid expressions borowed from hell, not fit to be mentioned. There was a fearfull blasphemous scoffing speech of God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, spoken by one Clarke (as I remember the name) given in to a Committee of Parliament, in way of complaint in writing, with a hand subscribed, and one witnessed it before▪ the Committee,Heresiography or Descr…t. of Heret. and Sectaries. but I forbear to relate it. Mr Paget in his Heresiography, Epistle Dedicatory, speakes of one committed for mocking at Christs Incarnation, the particulars whereof, though I have been told from Master Paget, yet I judge it best to conceal. There have been many blaspheming speeches, in a way of derision of the holy Ghost, calling it flabile numen, and asking what kinde of bird it was? whether—but I dare not speak it. The holy Scriptures are by many in these times sleighted and scoffed at (that growes and spreades much) called the golden Calfe, that there are many contradictions and lyes in them, that they are no better then a Ballad, that they can make as good Scriptures; that place in Genesis, 6.6. where 'tis said, God repented that be made man was untrue; so other places of Scripture. The Doctrine of Gods Eternall Election and Praedestination hath been call'd a damnable Errour. The Virgin Mary hath been called a —the Apostles have been called—and they could write as good Scriptures as the Apostles; upon occasion of quoting that Scripture in Rom. 7. of Pauls complaining of …inne, it hath been answered, Paul was a novice, and that was his weaknesse, and that Paul understood not Christ in the promise; and that hee for his part understood the mystery of God in Christ better then Saint Paul. When that Scripture in Gal. 5.12. was objected to one that pleaded for liberty of conscience, the answer was, he thought the Apostle was in a great passion. A Minister in Hartfordshire bringing a place of Scripture against an Anabaptist, to confute him in some opinion he held, the Anabaptist confessed he could not answer it, but said, it was the weaknesse of the Apostle, and there he wanted the spirit.
Another Sectary denying the Resurrection of the dead, and some of of the Church coming to admonish him of that Errour, and bringing Scripture to prove it, hee answered, This is Scripture to you▪ but not to me. Poedobaptisme hath been blasphemed by many reproachfull speeeches: the Lords Prayer hath been sl…ighted and scornfully spoken of: the whole Ministery of all the Reformed Churches, with their Ordination, worke of preaching, &c. scorned and abused in severall Pamphlets: The Presbyteriall and Synodicall Government, reproached in all v…lde and scoffing language, call'd devillish, Antichristian, and all to naught, resembled to the Beast in the Revelation: the Civil Government and Magistrates have been blasphemed, with their Ordinances, Orders and supream Court of Judicature, the Parliament call'd Antichristian, and the Committee of Examinations jeared, by way of comparing it to the Court of Inquisition, and to the High Commission: the solemn, sacred and Nationall Covenant of the Kingdoms, derided, blasphemed in many Pamphlets, that many pages would not contain them. But I will not trouble the Reader to name any more of them: Mr. Pryn in his fresh Discovery of New Lights, hath extracted many passages of this kinde out of the Pamphlets of the Sectaries, and in a libellous book entituled Englands Birtbright, there's more stuffe of the same kind.
Now having presented the Reader with the Errours and Blasphemies; before I come to the Practices of the Sectaries, I will relate some few Passages in the Prayers of the Sectaries, which were vented either in publike Assemblies and Churches, or in their private Church-meetings, all within the compasse of a twelve-monethmonth, or thereabouts.