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Heresiography
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Genre
Controversial Treatise
Date
1645
Full Title
Heresiography: or, A description of the Heretickes and Sectaries of these latter times. By E. P. Matt. 15. 7. Beware of false Prophets, which come to you in Sheepes cloathing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from faith, giving breed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devills: Speaking lyes in hypocrisie, having their consciences seared with hot iron.
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Wing P174
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The Confutation of these Blasphemous and
detestable Errors before named.
THat Christ took not flesh from the Virgin Mary.
This Error is flat against the first promise of Christ, Gen.
3. The seed of the woman shall breake the serpents head. Against
the promise made to Abraham, Gen. 22. In thy seed, &c. To
David, Psal. 132.11. Of the fruit of thy body, &c. Luk. 1.
That which is borne of thee saith the Angel to Mary. Rom. 1.3.
Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, whence
in the new Testament he is called the Son of man. As also I say
the son of a Virgin, which could not be if he had not taken flesh
upon him from the Virgin Mary, neither should our flesh have
any hope of eternall life if hee were not made flesh, neither
should his passion or resurrection profit us at all. In this point
the Anabaptists are worse then the Papists, yea then the Turkes
themselves, who confesse that Christ was borne of a Virgin.
The Melchiorists a kind of Anabaptists, doe not only hold the
opinion above named, but also are so Diabolicall and blasphemous
as to curse the flesh of the blessed Virgin by maintaining
this Error: the Anabaptists manifest themselves to be of the
number of them whom the Apostle St. Iohn speaketh, 2. Ep.
vers. 7. For many deceivers are come into the world, who confesse
not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh.
That Christ was not true God.
This blasphemous Error is contrary to the holy scriptures, as
Iohn 1. The word was God, Iohn 10. I and the Father am one.
Iohn 14. He that seeth the Father, seeth me: I am in the Father
and the Father in me. Col. 2.9. For in him dwelleth all
the fulnesse of the Godhead corporally. Again, 1 Iohn 5. We are
in him that is true, even in his son Iesus Christ, that is, the true
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God. And againe, if he were not God, no created power had
been sufficient for the worke of our Redemption and satisfaction
of Gods wrath. This blasphemous opinion reigneth among the
Anabaptists in Moravia: I doe not find this to be maintained
by our English Anabaptists, but to be the opinion of Servetus,
who was burnt at Geneva and his followers.
Not to be saved by faith in Christ.
What can be more contrary to the holy Scriptures then this detestable
Error: read Iohn 3.16. So God loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son, that who so beleeveth in him shall
not perish, but have life everlasting. Rom. 3.24. Wee are justified
freely by grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus
Christ. Rom. 3.28. Wee conclude that a man is justified by
faith without the works of the Law.
By the work of Charity and Affliction, the passion of Christ
is sufficient ransome for all our sin, 1 Iohn 1 The bloud of
Christ purgeth us from all our unrighteousnesse. Isa. 43.25.
I am he that blotteth out all thy transgressions for my own sake,
and will not remember thy sinnes, Heb. 9. Hee hath obtained
for us eternall redemption
, nothing here perfect. 1 Cor. 13.
Neither in his sight can any man living be justified. Psalm.
143. Neither any troubled conscience can be pacified. Rom. 5.
1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Iesus Christ. And for afflictions they are either
just punishments for our sins, or fatherly corrections to stir us up
to a holy life.
They reject the doctrine of originall sinne, because (say they)
Christ hath taken away all evill, whether it be the inclination or
concupisence according to that. Behold the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sinnes of the world. Also that children whereas
they doe neither good nor evil, are under grace and without sin,
but so the Infants of all Nations and infidells may be saved, being
without sinne: but the contrary appeareth by the effect of sinne.
The reward of sin is death, Rom. 6. And David confesseth expresly
Psalm 51Behold I was borne in iniquity, and in sinne my
mother conceived me. And St. Paul calleth our inbred concupisence
sin dwelling in us. And Ephes. 2. We were by nature the
children of wrath.
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They deny the Sacrament of Baptisme
to Infants.
THe ground of this Errour is ignorance, they not knowing
what Baptisme is, pretending faith and repentance to bee
the essence of Baptisme, which Infants are not capable of, and
therefore not to be baptized.
To this I answer; As faith and repentance was not the essence
of Circumcision, but the outward circumcising of the flesh, and
the inward circumcising of the heart.
So the essence of Baptisme, is not faith and repentance, but the
outward washing of the water, the word annexed, & the inward
washing of the spirit.
Our Lord affirmeth Iohn the 3. Except a man be born againe
by water and the holy Ghost, &c. St. Augustine affirmeth, although
sound faith be not present: yet the Sacrament of baptisme
may be sound. The Greek Patriarch, writing to the German
Divines, affirmeth in baptisme the matter to be water, the forme
the words, videl. This servant of God is baptized in the name of
the Father, Son, and holy Ghost: the instrumentall cause to bee
the Minister.
The Anabaptists attribute too much in this Sacrament to their
repentance, faith, mortification and merit, and little or nothing
to Gods mercy which is most contrary to the nature of this holy
Sacrament, which sealeth up unto us our receiving into Gods favour
and grace for his owne mercies sake without any merit of
ours.
To palliate this their abhominable error, they pervert divers
places of holy Scripture, as Math. 28. Mar. 10. Out of the
order of words; Goe and teach all Nations, baptizing them:
Because that teaching is set before baptizing, they would have
children taught before they are baptized.
To this I answer, 1. Wheareas teaching is set before baptizing,
Math. 28. Baptizing is set before teaching, Mar. 1.4.
John did baptize in the wildernesse, and teach the baptisme of
repentance: And againe where it is said, repent and beleeve?
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whether is faith or repentance first required?
But where finde you (say they) a literall command in all the
new Testament for the baptisme of Infants?
To this I answer? The new Testament doth not literally command.
Remember to keep holy the Lords day, nor to say grace
before and after meales, or to pray with our families evening
and morning, or for women to receive the Communion, and
many other such like things, which are morall duties, and may
be sufficiently proved by consequence out of the holy Scriptures.
As for example in this very Text which they alleadg against the
baptisme of children: the baptisme of children is there commanded:
goe and teach all nations, baptizing, &c., The meaning
is, goe and teach all them that are capable of teaching, and
baptize them that are capable of baptizing: To make this more
plaine.
If a man should bid his servant goe sheare all my sheepe and
mark them: if that servant should shere all his sheep, and marke
them only that he had shorne, and not marke his Lambs because
hee could not shere them: doth that servant fulfill his Masters
command? No more had the Apostles done, if they had not
marked his lambs as well as his sheep, although they were not
capable of teaching, yet they were capable of marking or baptizing.
In lawes and precepts that be generall, the numeration of
singulars are not necessary, because lawes doe command the
whole kind: and therefore the holy Apostles baptized whole
Familes, in which we find none excepted, as St. Peter baptized
Cornelius and his Familie, Acts 10. 48. St. Paul baptized the
Jayler and all that belonged unto him, Acts 16. 33. Lydda
and her Houshold, Acts 16. 15. The Houshold of Stephanus,
1 Cor. 1. 16. &c.
Again, whereas our Lord commandeth, Mar. 10. Suffer litle
children to come unto me & forbid them not. How properly can
an Infant come unto Christ but by baptisme? repent they cannot;
beleeve they cannot, as the Anabaptists affirme; But by
baptisme they may come, where the Minister in Christs stead receiveth
them and blesseth them; and why all this, of such is the
kingdome of God, and therefore saith our Lord, forbid them not.
St. Peter saith, Acts 2.39. The promise is made to you and
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your children; and therefore be baptized. To whom the promise
is made and Covenant let no man forbid baptisme, which
is the seale of the Covenant.
Againe, the faith of the Parents may warrant their Infants
baptisme: yea, though they have but an historicall faith and not
a justifying, if they can credere ad Baptismum, though not ad
salutem; this faith maketh their children capable of baptisme:
many in the Apostles time were baptized, having only an historicall
faith, as Simon Magus, and others.
Moreover these phrases, teach and baptize, repent and beleeve,
beleeve & be baptized, are meant of such as were of riper years,
and made profession of the Christian faith, or else the estate of
Christian Infants in the Gospell were much worse then the
condition of the Israelitish Infants under the law: which to
affirme is an horrible indignity offered unto Christ.
Last of all most blasphemously they call baptisme of Christian
mens children the marke of the beast, and to come from Antichrist,
and especially from Pope Innocent the third, who lived
about the yeare of our Lord 1213.
Learned Mr. Calvin affirmeth the baptisme of children to be a
holy institution alwayes observed in Christs Church.
All the reformed Churches use it, and it hath beene the practise
of the universall Church.
The Greek Church (who yearely excommunicate the Pope)
to whom St. Paul preached baptize their Infants, as Gregory
Nazianzen affirmeth.
And Origen, who lived about the yeare 226. about 1000.
yeares before Pope Innocent, whom the Anabaptists would
make the author of pedobaptisme.
The Russians who received the faith from St. Andrew the
Apostle, and account the Pope of Rome an Heretick, hold a necessity
of baptisme, and put to death them that neglect and deride
baptisme: what would they doe with these men who
blaspheme it?
The Abyssins or Ethiopians, who received Christianity from
St. Matthew the Apostle, do baptize their Infants: viz. their
male children at 40. dayes of age, and their females at 80.
The Armenian Christians to whom St. Bartholomew preached
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the faith, baptize their Infants. Baronius writeth, that these
Christians had a thousand Bishops.
The Iacobites who are a numerous sort of Christians do the
same: yea, they marke their children with a hot iron with the
signe of the crosse, alluding to the words of St. Iohn: He shall
baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire.
The Cophtie or native Christians of Ægypt, to whom Saint
Marke preached, baptize their Infants: these Christians have
no communion with the Pope of Rome.
The Indians to whom St. Thomas brought the faith doe the
like.
The Matacasian Christians in Africa affirme children dying
without baptisme to be deprived of eternall beatitude.
The Melchites, one of the greatest sort of Christians in the Orient,
as Boterus affirmeth, do the same.
The Nestorians under the Patriarch of Muzal, who, as Cardinall
Vitriacus affirmeth, are more numerous then the Christians
of the Latin and Greek Church, do the same: these account
the Pope of Rome a reprobate Bishop.
The Circassians, Mengrellians, Georgians, Maronits, Cephalians,
with all the orthodox Christians in the Universe, baptize
their Infants.
Erasmus wondreth what evill devill entred them, who forbid
the baptisme of children used by the holy Catholick Church
for above 1400. years.
Also the Britains to whom Simon Zelotes preached have alwayes
baptized their children, and have honourably esteemed
of that Sacrament administred to their children, untill some of
these hereticks fled hither out of Germany, where they burnt,
hanged, & drowned men of that sect, till they had suppressed
them. They came into England about the year 1535. and, as
they could be found, we did the like to them, burning some and
banishing others: but since the yeare of our Lord 1640. They
have crept out of their holes, lift up their heads, chalenge our
Divines to publike disputations, preach in our Churches, publish
their blasphemies, print their bookes: seducing multitudes
of people.
And moreover to speake of the cruelty of these Sectaries: who
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depriving Infants of baptisme, put them all out of the estate of
grace: wee read of Herod the Tyrant who destroyed all the children
in Bethlehem and the coasts thereof; is not this a far more
cruell sentence to set all Infants in no better state then Pagans
and Infidels, without Christ, Aliens from the Common-wealth
of Israel, as strangers from the covenant of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world? Can any sober Christian
but thinke this to be a barbarous cruelty? It is not lawfull to
take childrens bread and give it to dogs: but these conclude
children to be no better then dogs. The Prophet Elisha wept
when he lookt upon Hazael, fore-seeing that hee should dash
the Infants of Israel against the wall: Hazael thought himselfe
worthy to be so esteemed, if ever he should doe any such things.
And certainly thus to deprive Infants of baptisme is a more cruell
act then to dash their bodies against stones.
Let these men also consider how much they provoke
Christs displeasure against themselves: hee was greatly displeased
with his Disciples for forbidding little children to come to
him: and one day they shall finde him much more displeased
with them, who with great violence oppose the bringing of children
to Christ in this holy Sacrament, and with wrong, injurie,
and slander, prosecute the Ministers of Christ who administer
this Sacrament to Infants, condemning them for Ministers of
Anti-christ: yea condemning all Churches for Antichristian,
who will not cast their children out of the covenant of grace.
The Lord open their eyes that they may see their errour and repent
them of it.
To conclude, the baptisme of children is commanded in holy
Scripture: the holy Apostles baptized whole families, the ancient
Fathers testifie the same; the holy Catholike Church of God alwayes
used it. Let not the devill enter into the heart of any man
to beleeve a fanatick, unlearned, mechanick man, nor an Angell
from heaven that teacheth a contrary doctrine: what greater
mischief can the divell and his impes do, then to make a schisme
in the Church, and rob Almighty God of all his Lambs, and
cut off so many millions of soules from the communion of the
Church?
And also whereas our pious parents brought us to Christ,
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and dedicated us to God the Father, Son, and holy Ghost: let us
take heed that we do not renounce that holy Covenant, as witches
do when they compact with the divell: remember our
Lords words; how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
They baptize them that have already been baptized.
They doe that which the Scripture never commandeth, Eph.
4. St. Paul calleth it one Baptisme, neither was rebaptization
ever received in the true Church of God; yea the Church
taught that they that were baptized by such Hereticks as erred
not in the Doctrine concerning the Trinity were not to be
re-baptized. Also the Imperiall Law punished them with
Capitall punishment who submitted themselves to a second
Baptisme.
They dreame of Monarchy, in which the Godly shal reigne
alone, and destroy the ungodly, which is false; for Christs Kingdome
in this world is spirituall, in which troubled consciences
shall be victors, and receive solid consolation against sin, the devill
and all manner of temptations. Our Lord himselfe saith,
My Kingdome is not of this world, John 18. Likewise saith
St. Paul, The weapons of our warre are not carnall, but mighty
in operation, 2 Cor. 10. Our Lord telleth us, that the separation
betweene the godly and ungodly shall not bee untill the
last day, Luke 18. Again, That the Son of man comming shal
hardly find faith upon earth, Luke 17. In that night there
shall be two in a Bed, the one received, the other refused. And
Mat. 15. That the Angels shall separate the godly from the
ungodly, and the tares to remaine with the wheat untill the harvest.
This Monarchy St. Peter confuteth in his second Ep. 2.
9. Saying, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptations, and to reserve the unjust against the day of judgement
to be punished: therefore they are not to reign alone here,
the ungodly being killed. And although the Prophets seeme
sometimes to speake fo a corporall Kingdome, yet they expound
themselves, shewing that they speake of his spiritual Kingdome.
To reign with Christ 1000 yeares before the ending of the
world was the old error of the Chiliasts condemned above
1000 years agone by the Church of God.
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They allow men free will. So that wee may doe those things
which God commanded, and omit those things which God hath
forbidden; otherwise (say they) God gave his Law in vain,
neither would hee punish delinquents if he had not given them
the power of free will.
It is answered, it is impossible that in our corrupt nature wee
should keep the Law, because it doth require a whole and absolute
obedience in all things inward and outward, of all the heart,
all our soule and all our might; and the sense of the flesh, as St.
Paul testifieth, is enmity to God: also the naturall man doth not
understand the things that are of the Spirit, 1. Cor. 2. Also Ioh.
3. Man cannot take to himselfe any thing except it be given him
from above. So Eph. 2. The unregenerate man is said to bee
dead.
They separate themselves from all other Churches, accounting
themselves onely pure and holy, and for this cause some of
them will not say this petition of the Lords prayer (forgive us
our trespasses) saying, they are pure and without sin.
To this I answer with St. Iohn 1 Ep. 1. 8. If wee say wee
have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us; if we
confesse our sins, he is faithfull to forgive us our sinnes; and to
cleanse us from all our unrighteousnesse: If we say wee have not
sinned, we make him a lyer, and his word is not in us. To conclude,
the Anabaptists that say they have no sin, are of the Devill,
the father of lyes, going about to make God a lyer who is
truth it selfe.
The Office of the Ministery to be of no great Efficacie with
them.] They doe not only contemne the office of the Ministery,
but also the holy Scripture. As Muncer would speake
scoffingly of it, Bible, Bible, Bable, Bable; they depend too much
upon peculiar Revelations.
The sincere preaching the word of God in the publick Congregations
by the Ministers of the Word, lawfully called, profiteth
much, Mal. 2. The lips of the Priest shall preserve wisedome,
they shall require the Law from his mouth. Ezech. 44.
The Priest shall teach my people the differences betweene the holy
and the prophane, and cause them to discerne betweene the uncleane
and cleane. Rom. 1.16. The preaching of the Word is
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the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeweth. For
this cause Christ taught in the Synagogues. Every one among
them taketh upon him to preach, as a minister, Iohn Becold a
Taylor of Leyden. The Apostle teacheth us Heb. 5. That no
man take this calling upon him except hee bee called of God.
Rom. 10. How shall they preach except they be sent? And this
standeth with good reason; for every true Minister standeth in
Gods roome, being the Lords Ambassadour to deliver his will.
Who dareth take upon him to be the Lords Embassador except
he be sent? I have not sent them (saith the Lord) and yet they
run and prophesie lies in my name. Piety and Justice are the two
Bases or Pillars that beare up humane society: and whereas
the Devill goeth about in these his Impes to overthrow the dignity
of the Ministery and of the Magistrate, what doth he else
but endeavour to bring the whole world to Ruine and Confusion?
The Confutation of their Errors not tolerable
in a Common-Wealth.
That it is unlawfull for a Christian man to be a Magistrate
or to bee subject to a Magistrate. And why? They object
that subjection came in with sin, but Christ hath taken away
sin, and therefore no subjection. To this I answer, Subjection
is twofold, servile or civill; servile is the vassalage of a slave,
which was not before the fall; Civill for the common good was
before: the former a curse, the latter a blessing: Eve was subject
to Adam before either of them sinned. 2. They object that
every beleever is now in the Kingdome of Heaven, Christ alone
must reigne. Ans. There is a spirituall Kingdome standing in
grace, peace and joy, in which there is no distinction of persons.
There is also a civill Government, which cannot subsist without
distinctions and order; there must be Masters and servants, subjects
and Governours, and necessity requireth it, it is the bond
of the Common-wealth. There is a Regiment in the Host of
Heaven; there is a Regiment in the Body, the members move
by the direction of the head; there is a Regiment in every Family,
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the servants acknowledg the Master, and the children their
Parents: among the irrationall creatures the Bees have their
King, the Cranes their Leader, and the Droves follow the principall
Beast. St. Paul calleth Magistracy a divine ordinance; all
Gods ordinances are good and lawfull: in the 82 Psalme
Princes are called Gods because they are in Gods place. The
Anabaptists themselves who despised Government, finding the
necessity of it in Munster, so that they could not subsist without
Government, chose themselves a King with inferiour Officers
under him.
That it is not lawfull for a Magistrate to punish because revenge
is forbidden christian men.
In this they erre, not distinguishing betweene revenge and
punishment which is from the Magistrate by reason of the execution
of the Law grounded upon Gods Law, a lawfull punishment
appointed by God. The Magistrate, saith St. Paul,
is the Minister of God appointed for thy good; either for our
naturall good, preserving our lives which bloody men would
soone ruinate, who feare not so much hell as the halter; For
our civill good, preserving our goods and possessions: For
our morall good, in rewarding vertue, and punishing vice, he
beareth not the sword in vaine: For our spirituall good, by
coactive power enforcing men to the duties of Godlinesse. In
that notorious Apostasie of Israel, when so many execrable enormities
were committed, when Micah had a house of gods,
the Levite wanted maintenance, when his Concubine was ravished
to death, the Spirit still prefixeth, at that time there was
no King in Israel. We are beholding to Government for Order,
Peace, and Religion: for Order, where no King is, every man
will be his owne King; for Peace, he that will bee his owne
King, will bee another mans Tyrant; for Religion, every
Micah will have a House of gods without Government.
To conclude, Adulterers, Murtherers, Traytors, Witches,
Burners of houses may be put to death by the Magistrate
to whom the Sword is given, and they are not killed,
but such in suffering doe receive a just Guerdon for their
offences.
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That a Christian man may not take an oath, because Christ
saith, thou shalt not sweare at all, which is repeated, Iames 5.
And that it is enough to say, yea, yea, and nay, nay.
Answ. Christ doth not forbid an oath before a Magistrate as
it is a testimony of truth: hee reproveth the Pharisees who
taught men that they should sweare, not onely by the name of
God as God had commanded, but also by heaven, by the earth,
by their heads, &c. This vicious kind of swearing he forbiddeth,
only because these things cannot be witnesses of the things averred,
nor punish lying. Neither doe the words following; let
your Communation be yea, yea, and nay, nay, take away a
lawfull oath, but admonish the godly of the goodnesse
of truth, and hatred of lyes. That a Godly man may lawfully
take an oath, appeareth by these reasons following. 1. From
the authority of holy Scripture; By the name of God thou shalt
sweare, Deut. 6.4. The reason is set downe Heb. 6. Because
the Lord is greater, and that an oath is the end of all controversies:
so Psalm 15. Hee that sweareth to his neighbour and
deceiveth him not. 2. From the example of Christ and holy
men in the old and new Testament, Gen. 24. 26. 3. From
the worship of God: for an oath is part of Gods worship, being
a calling upon God to be a witnesse of the truth, and an avenger
of the lye.
Nor by oath promise any fidelity, or binde himselfe to any Prince
or Magistrate what soever.
This opinion openeth a gap to all Treasons, Rebellions, and
Truce-breakings whatsoever. If it be not lawfull for a Christian
man to binde himselfe by an oath, then it is unlawfull for a
Christian man to keep such an oath. Isaac made a covenant with
Abimelech King of Gerar, to do one another no hurt: which,
being sealed up with an oath, could not be violated without sinning
against God. The Prophet Ezekiel called the oath of obedience
(which Zedechiah King of Israel made to the King of Babel)
The oath of God: although the said King was a tyrant and
an usurper without any lawfull succession from David, yet
God saith by the mouth of his Prophet Ezek. 17.19. As I
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live I will surely bring upon Zedechia mine oath that he hath
despised, and my Covenant which hee hath broken upon his owne
head.
Again you may see how great a tie an oath is; & how severely
Almighty God doth punish the violation thereof in the story of
the Gibeonites, Iosh. 9. Ioshuah and the Princes having made a
league with them (being beguiled by them, pretending that they
came from a far Countrey) the congregation murmuring against
the Princes, were answered by them after this manner; we have
sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel, now therefore wee may
not touch them, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which
we swore unto them. About 400. yeares after, Saul in his zeale
to the children of Israel, slew the Gibeonites, for which cause
2 Sam. 21. The Lord plagued the whole Land, sending a famine
upon them for 3 yeares, declaring himselfe, that it was sent
because Saul had slaine the Gibeonites: who hanged up seven
of Sauls sons given them by David, and then God was entreated
for the Land.
Confutation of Errors not tolerable
in Families.
That a Christian cannot with a good conscience have any
thing proper, but all things common.
This community they ground upon the example of the Apostles
in the Acts. Answ. An example maketh no law, neither
was this universal. Peter saith to Ananias, Acts 5.4. whilst
it remained, was it not thy owne? Again, 2 Cor. 9. Every man
as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give. The property of
goods is confirmed in the 7. Commandement. Again 1 Tim.
6. The Apostle chargeth rich men not to be proud, but bountifull;
not to forsake their goods, but to use them well, by giving
almes. Againe, Prov. 5.16. Let thy fountaines be dispersed
abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets: let them onely be
thine owne, and not strangers with thee; out of which wee may
gather, that every man hath a property in his owne.
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That if their Wives be not of their Religion, they may put
them away?
Answer. This is against the definition of marriage, which is
a lawfull copulation of a man and woman not prohibited by the
degrees of Consanguinity or affinity. The marriage of an Infidell
before God is in it selfe no sinne.
The Apostle perswadeth the beleever not to put away his
unbeleeving wife, 1 Cor. 7.
Ioseph in Egypt marryed the daughter of an Heathen priest,
and Moses tooke the Daughter of Iethro, who was not of the
Circumcision. Marriage is a lawfull copulation of a man and a
woman, not to be dissolved during life, but for Adultery.
That it is lawfull to have many
WIVES.
To this I may oppose the words of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 7.2.
To avoid Fornication, let every man have his owne wife, and
every woman her owne husband, Hebr. 13. Whoremongers and
Adulterers God will judge, Exodus 20 14. Thou shalt not
commit Adultery. Malachi 2.15. Did he not make one?
The orthodox doctrine of the Church of
England, contrary to these detestable errors,
taken out of the 39. Articles.
Having handled much poyson, I thinke it fitting to give
the Reader to preserve him from infection, some Mithridate out
of the Pannarium or medicinable box of our Mother the Church,
viz. Out of the Articles of Doctrine agreed upon for avoiding
of diversity of opinions, and establishing of consent touching
true Religion; To which Articles every Minister refusing to
subscribe, should ipso facto be deprived, and all his promotions
to be void, as if he were naturally dead. Reade the Statute?
14
That Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary. The Sonne
which is the word of the Father, begotten From the everlasting
Father, the very eternall GOD of one substance with
the Father, tooke mans nature in the wombe of the blessed
Virgin of her Substance; So that two whole and perfect
Natures, (that is to say,) The God-head and the man-hood
were joyned together in one Person, never to be divided,
whereof is one Christ very God and very Man, who truly
suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile us to his
Father, and to be a Sacrifice not onely for originall guilt, but
also for the actuall sins of men.