The Schismatic Sifted, Title page – Note
THE SCHISMATICK SIFTED. OR, The Picture of INDEPENDENTS, Freſhly and Fairly Waſht-over again. Wherein, the Sectaries of theſe Times (I mean, the principall Seducers to that dangerous and ſubtile Schiſme of Independency) are with their own proper Penſils, and Self-mixed Colours, moſt lively ſet forth to be a Generation of notorious Diſſemblers and fly Deceivers.
Collected (for the moſt part) from undeniable Teſtimonies under their own Hands, in Print; for the more fair and full ſatisfaction, and undeceiving of moderate and much miſled Chriſtians; eſpecially by the outward appearance of their Piety of Life, and a pretence of their Preaching ſound-Doctrine.
By JOHN VICARS.
For Sions ſake, I cannot hold my peace.
ISAIAH, 62. 1.
Now I beſeech you, Brethren, mark them which cauſe Diviſions and Offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. For, Theſe, that are Such ſerve not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but their own belly; And by good words and fair ſpeeches, Deceive the Simple.
ROM. 16. 17, 18.
London: Printed for Nathanael Webb, and William Grantham, at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard. 1646.
To the Right Honourable, and moſt worthily to be highly honoured THOMAS ADAMS, Eſquire; Lord Major of the moſt famous and renowned City of LONDON; I. V. prayeth all encreaſe of Gracious Honour, here and of Glorious Happineſſe, hereafter.
Right Honourable:
IT was the ſad and unhappy complaint of the Prophet Jeremy in his dayes, and in that ungracious and ungratefull City, Jeruſalem; That no man among them was valiant for the Truth. Jer. 9. 3. Nay, the Lord himſelfe, by the ſame Prophet, ſeeming to be, as it were, tranſported with holy indignation and juſt jealouſie of neglect of his honour, and worſhip, bids them Run to and fro through the ſtreets of Jeruſalem, to ſee and ſeek if they could find any one man that loved the Truth. Jer. 5. 1. Yea, this penury of pious men was not only among the poor and mean men, Ver. 4. But even among the Great Men and Rulers of Jeruſalem, ver. 5 But, ô the honour and happineſſe of this moſt famous, faithfull and ever renowned City of London! This City of our God, of which (moſt juſtly) ſo many glorious Things are, and may, and muſt be ſpoken, to the Glory of God, and honour thereof! Over which, ſuch a renowned and religious, ſuch a valiant and vertuous Governour is ſet (verifying that of the Prophet, Nah. 2. 3. (though there, Iconfeſs, ſpoken in another ſenſe:) That our valiant men are in Scarlet, even your good Lordſhip, who have bin, as it were, purpoſely placed and appointed by God himſelfe for theſe times; and who are ſo valiant and couragious for the Truth of your God, and the glorious work of Goſpell Reformation, as cannot be dampt or daunted with any vaporous and ſeeming Eclipſing Clouds of unworthy Diſguſts raiſed by the ſelfiſh and elfiſh Envy of Schiſmaticall ſpirits, which of late have, only, paſſed over the faire face and cleer Sun-ſhine of your Honours Piety and Integrity; For with unvanquiſhable Valour and Vigour of Zeal for God and his Truth, (like a pious Patriot, indeed) your Honour hath moſt gravely and graciouſly diſpell'd them all, ſtanding ſtill, like an immoveable, invincible, and impregnable Rock; or rather running on, like the active Sun in the Firmament with ſo much the more reſplendent Beauty, and radiant Luſtre, in a ſweet and ſwift courſe of Conſtant Piety and Magnanimity, for the advancement of the immaculate Cauſe of your God, and the Common-wealth, to the high honour of God, and ſingular joy and comfort of all the true Presbyterian Saints and Sons of our Engliſh Sion, both in City and Country. Ride on proſperouſly, then, (my moſt honourable good Lord,) in the Cauſe of Truth and Righteouſneſſe, backt with the ſacred Suffrages and faithfull Affections of very many thouſands of moſt peaceable honeſt-hearted and God-honouring Covenanters, both in City and Country, yea, even of a whole Nation of loyall and loving Scottiſh-Brethren, who, with us, moſt juſtly look for and long for the happy and holy conſummating of a glorious Reformation of the Kingdoms Grievances, and eſtabliſhment of a bleſſed Church-Diſcipline, according to the Minde of our great Maſter Chriſt Jeſus, and the plain literal meaning of our ſacred ſolemne Covenant. And hence (my honourable good Lord) I have bin humbly bold (emboldened by your Honours much experienced candor and courteſie toward me, the meaneſt and moſt unworthy of all your Lordſhips Votaries) to dedicate this little, but, I hope, very neceſſary and uſefull Treatiſe (conſidering theſe ſeducing ſtaggering and unſtable-times) as a ſmall Symbol, and though poore and plain, yet true Teſſera of my bounden Gratitude, to your Honours pious Patronage: Thus, I ſay, both, to take fit occaſion to manifeſt my obliged hearts Thankfulneſſe for your Lordſhips many moſt free and friendly favours; As alſo, by this, though ſuccinct, yet ſincere diſcovery of the ſly and ſubtile Diſſemblers and Deceivers of our dayes, and conſequently the mayn moleſters and diſturbers of the happy ſettlement of a godly Church-Government among us; As alſo thus to adde, at leaſt, one ſmall ſtick to encreaſe the flame (though I am confident I need not) of your good Lordſhips godly zeale in this glorious work, ſo much and ſo maliciouſly oppoſed by the impious and impudent Sectaries of theſe moſt ſadly diſtracted Times. Which, humbly hoping your Honour will with accuſtomed Chriſtian candor, and exuberant friendly favour, candidly accept; The continued, yea perpetuated Encreaſe of all Honour and Happineſſe to your good Lordſhip, in this your renowned Majoralty, and to the period of your pious Pilgrimage, ſhall be the daily devoted prayers of
Your Honours moſt humble and eve… to be commanded, obſervant Servant in the Lord, John Vicars.
To the godly and impartiall READER.
THe great diſhonour (good Reader) which I have frequently obſerved to be done to my God, in the abuſe of his Truth; and the ſtrange cockering of Errours and Schiſmes, by Truths too violent and virulent Adverſaries and Antagoniſts: Together with the familiar vilifying and extream undervaluing of Truths loyall Presbyterian Propugnators, and the moſt unreaſonable high eſteeme and loud and lofty Elogies which the fooliſh World falſly and fondly blatters forth in prayſe of Schiſmaticall Independents, and the reſt of theſe Times moſt ſeditious and dangerous Sectaries, whoſe great (and yet moſt juſt) unhappineſſe it is, that they cannot mayntain any thing (for the moſt part) of what they ſchiſmatically profeſſe, but by groſſe untruths, brainſick Enthuſiaſmes, fictitious New-Lights, aliàs, old-blaſphemous Errours, and too often by down-right-lyes. All theſe reſpects, I ſay, have made mee (the meaneſt and moſt unworthy of ten thouſand of my godly Presbyterian-Brethren) in fervent Zeal to God and his Truth, and in pure love and loyalty to her faithfull Preſbyterian Friends, thus (according to my Talent) to ſet Pen to paper, and (with as much faithfulneſſe as reſolved freedome) with their own hands to ſtop the mouths, and with their own Pens to give a check to the untrue Tongues of theſe ſo high Pretenders to ſuch ſoundneſſe in Doctrine, and Integrity of Life and Converſation, as they themſelves and their Schiſmaticall Scycophants do moſt frothily and falſly brag and boaſt them to be. And although I doe (as I muſt) make account, herein, to paſſe through bad report, as well as good report for this my Pains: yet, ſo I may bring any honour to God, and his moſt precious Truth, and adde (though but a mite of Zeale) toward the just vindication (which I have in ſome meaſure, in this Treatiſe endevoured) of my reverend good Friend, becauſe Truths faſt Friend, I mean, learned and religious Mr. Edwards, in his Chriſtian faithfulneſſe and godly fervour (eſpecially in his learned and elaborate Antapologie, That invincible weapon, which hath given our Independent Sectaries ſuch an incurable wound as they will never be able to claw off or heal up) againſt theſe Truths moſt crafty and calumniating Adverſaries; yet notwithſtanding, I ſay, I paſſe or care not (having, I praiſe my God, that Murum aheneum, the teſtimony of a good conſcience within me) for all the falſe and flaſhy ſlanders, that Any, or All of them can ſtrugle to aſperſe and ſpatter mee with. However, beſeeching the Lord that this my poore and honeſt labour may produce ſo much good, as either to open the eyes of ſome pious and plain-hearted Seduced-ones (as, many ſuch, I am verily perſwaded, are among them, who heartily deſire to know and love the Truth) if it be the Lords good pleaſure; or, at laſt to ſtabliſh and confirme the hearts of thoſe that already, really and cordially love the Truth and Peace, and heartily hate Schiſme and diſorderly Confuſion, I reſt,
Thine to ſerve thee in the Lord Jeſus; JOHN VICARS.
The Names of the five pious Apologiſts, principally mentioned in this Treatiſe.
Maſter
Thomas Goodwin.
Philip Nye.
William Bridge.
Jeremiah Burroughs.
Sidrach Simpſon.
The Names of the ſeven religious Remonſtrants, mainly alſo mentioned, in this Work.
Maſter
William Greenhill.
Thomas Goodwin-
Philip Nye.
William Bridge.
Jeremiah Burroughs.
Sydrach Simpſon.
William Carter.
Together with divers other Heads of the Independent Faction.