Heresiography, or, A discription of the hereticks and sectaries of these latter times by E. Pagitt.

To the Right Honourable Thomas Atkin, Lord Major of the Citie of London, and to the Right Wor∣shipfull, Sir Nicholas Raynton. Isaac Penington, Lievtenant of the Tower, Sir lo: Woollaston, Iohn Glyn Re∣corder, Sir Iohn Cordell, Sir Thomas Soame, Sir Iohn Gayr, Sir Iacob Garrat, Thomas Adams, Io: warner, Iohn Tous••, Abraham Reynardson, Sir George Garra••, Sir George Clerke, Iohn Langham, Th••mas Andrewes, Iohn Foulke, Iames Bunce, William Gibbs, and Richard Chambers She∣riffes: Samuel Warner, W••lliam Barkely, Thomas Foote, Iohn Kendricke, Thomas Culh••m, Simon Edmonds, Alder∣men of the said Citie.

RIght Honourable, and Right Worshipfull, whereas I have lately published a Christian∣ography, or a description of many great Churches of Christians in the world: some of which are for extent, larger then the Church of Rome in Europe, for time more ancient, for succession as continual, for faith more sound: who believe with us the church of God to be Catholike, as it is in the Apo∣stles Creed, and not as it is set downe in the new Trent Creed confined to Rome, who

renounce the Popes Supremacie, some of them excommunicating him for a Schisma∣tick and Heretick.

Who receive the holy Communion in both kindes, they all drinke of Christs cup, and abhor the Romish decree, made contra∣ry to Christs Institution.

Who make no Images to be worshipped.

Who doe not acknowledge the figment of Purgatory, nor use any Prayers to be deli∣vered from the fained paines thereof.

Who have their Prayers in their owne tongue, and mutter them not in latine as the Romists doe.

Who forbid not Marriage (the prohibi∣ting of which is called by St. Paul, the Do∣ctrine of Divells.) Their Priests may and doe marry.

Who hold not popish Transubstantiation.

Who prohibite not Lay-men the reading of the holy Scriptures commanded by Christ himselfe.

Who doe not joyne with Christs Inter∣cession the suffrages of Saints: nor with his Justification the merit of workes: nor with the Satisfaction Papall Indulgences.

These points with some others, which the ambition and avarice of the Romists hath lately hatched, they renounce with us.

This worke I purposing to perfect and consummate to the glory of God, the great profit of the Church, & establishing of mens consciences, they seeing the unity and agree∣ment of the holy Churches in the world with us: Behold suddenly a numerous company of other Hereticks stole in upon us like the locusts, Rev. 9.

As the unpure Familists who blasphe∣mously pretend to be Godified like God, whereas indeed they are divellified like their Father the Divell.

The illuminated Anabaptists who blasphe∣mously affirme the baptisme of children to be the marke of the Beast, and to come from Anti-christ.

The Donatisticall Brownists, who in times past hid themselves in holes; now lift up their heads, and vent openly their errors, in∣fecting our people.

The Antinomians, who teach as I find, such a faire and easie way to heaven, viz. That a man need not be troubled by the law before faith, and that faith is not a going out of

himselfe to take hold of Christ, but onely a discerning that Christ is his, and that after this, such a man must see nothing in himselfe, have nothing, doe nothing, need no sorrow nor repentance, nor bee pressed to duties, need never pray unlesse moved by the Spirit: If hee fall into sin, never the more disliked of God, nor his condition the worse: and that hee must abide in the height of comfort, though hee fall into grosse sin. The novel∣ty of this doctrine takes so well, or rather ill that multitudes of simple men and women dance after their Pipes, they run after these men as if they were mad, crowding the Chur∣ches, filling their doors and windowes.

The Independents trouble also our poore Church, who pretend that they have a per∣fect modell of Church•• government, which Almighty God hath revealed to them, which many like better then the government of the Reformed Churches, being perswaded that in Independency they may have liberty to doe what they list, having no government, hoging to be as free as their Teachers, who will have none at all.

The Arminians also an after-brood of the

Pellagiant, broach their erroneous opini∣ons.

The Sabbatarians affirm the old Jewish Sab∣bath to be kept, and not the Lords day.

The Anti-sabbatarians would have no perti∣cular Sabbath at all, but every day to bee a sabbath to a Christian man.

The Traskites, who would have us observe many Jewish ceremonies.

VVe have also Millenaries who affirm that before the day of judgment Christ shal come down from heaven, and reign with the Saints upon earth 1000. years, in which time they shall destroy all the wicked, binding their Kings in chaines, and Nobles in linkes of iron.

VVee have Hetheringtonians, who hold a hodg-podg of many heresies, troubling our peoples brains.

VVe have also Socinians, who teach that Christ dyed not to satisfie for our sins: and also his Incasnation to be repugnant to rea∣son, & not to be sufficiently proved by Scrip••ture, with many other abhominable errors.

Wee have Arians, who deny the Deity of Christ.

We have an Atheistical Sect, who affirme

that mens soules sleep with their bodies un∣till the day of Judgement.

Wee have Atheists too many, as among others, one was committed by a Justice of Peace, who mock'd and jear'd at Christs In∣carnation. His Father was burnt at Thoelouze in France; he scapeth unpunished among us: too many others we have.

They preach, print, and practise their he∣reticall opinions openly: for books, vide the bloody Tenet, witnesse a tractate of divorce in which the bonds are let loose to inordi∣nate lust: a pamphlet also, in which the soul is laid asleepe from the houre of death unto the houre of judgement, with many others.

Yea, since the suspention of our Church-government, every one that listeth turneth Preacher, as Shoo-makers, Coblers, Button-makers, Hostlers and such like, take upon them to expound the holy Scriptures, in∣trude into our Pulpits, and vent strange do∣ctrine, tending to faction, sedition, and blasphemie.

What mischiefe these Sectaries have al∣ready done, we that have cure of soules in London find and see with great griefe of heart:

viz. Our Congregations forsaking their Pa∣stors; our people becomming of the Tribe of Gad, running after seducers as if they were mad; Infants not to be brought to the Sacrament of Baptisme; men refusing to re∣ceive the holy Communion, and the Lords Prayer accounted abhominable, &c. A Vo∣lume will hardly contain the hurt that these Sectaries have in a very short time done to this poore Church; and doth not the Com∣mon-wealth suffer with the Church? Whence are all these distractions? Who are the Incendiaries that have kindled & blown this fire among us but these?

Considering with my selfe the former happinesse of this Kingdome, and the sud∣den change that is betide it, it being fallen from the height of prosperitie to the lowest ebbe of misery, and this not by the incursi∣on of a Forreigne Nation, but by its owne children, who imbrue their hands in the bloud one of another with no lesse inhuma∣nity then Cannibals or Men-eaters, with∣out any reluctation at all; the Sonne against the Father, and the Father against the Son, being involved in a most cruell Warre with∣out any hopes of Peace.

And moreover (which is worst of all) when I consider that some of our Clergy∣men (who should like Moses stand in the gap to appease Gods anger) doe increase the same, not onely by blowing the fire, but by their Errors and Schismes which they broach and foment among us; by which they doe as much as in them lyeth to put mens soules in as great danger as their bodies.

And considering againe how wee are in∣volved in a most cruell Warre without any hopes of peace, may not I cry out with the Prophet; O that my head were full of water, and my eyes a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe for the slaine of my people!

But all this being Gods permitting, let us with patience possesse our souls; let us trust in him, depend upon him, and in his good time hee will deliver his Church, and turne all to the best; and in the meane season every man doe his best to quench this fire. For my own part, these sad considerations made me leave my Christianography, and write an He••••siography to describe the Hereticks and Schismaticks of this time, in which I set downe their beginning among us; their he∣reticall

opinions and errors, confuting them; and also relate how other Princes and Com∣mon•• wealths have suppressed them, and how severely some of them have beene pu∣nished among us.

I know my reverend Brethren have not beene wanting to oppose these Hereticks in writing and preaching, in season and out of season, using all meanes to suppresse these Heresies, having to that end chosen speciall men to preach several Lectures in severall places; But without your helpe and the as∣sistance of our Religious Patriots assembled in Parliament, they doe, and will increase upon us doe what we can.

This Treatise I present to your Lordship, and to this Honourable Senate. What can bee more sutable or fitter for you, Servants of the most high God, then that which ten∣deth to the glory of God, Edification of his Church, and vindication of the truth against the illusion of Sectaries and Heretikes?

What is more correspondent with the duty of Christian Magistrates then to assist Gods cause with your politicall Authority? A question may be asked whether it be law∣full

for the Magistrates to use the sword a∣gainst Heretickes? To this I answer; such whose Heresies are blasphemous in doctrine, or dangerous to the State, deserve death, the reason is, because they corrupt the faith. If such as poyson waters and fountaines at which men and beasts drinke, deserve Capi∣tall punishment, how much more they that as much as in them lyeth goe about to poy∣son mens soules?

Yea, St. Augustine saith in his fifth Tra∣ctat upon Iohn; Quantum in ipsis est Christum in homine occidunt.

The forenamed St. Augustine indeed wa∣vered concerning this point for a time, as he confesseth in one of his Epistles: but when he saw the City wherein he dwelt was re∣claimed from Donatisme by the Magistrates sword, he retracted his opinion.

And expecting the like successe in this ho∣nourable City, I doe implore your helps, & that for Iesus Christs sake: and I pray you give me leave to put you in mind of the Co∣venant we made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts, with a true intent to performe the same, as wee should

answer at that great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall bee disclosed, viz. That we should in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Pope∣ry, Prelacy, Superstition, Heresie, Schisme, Propha••enesse, and whatsoever shall bee found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse, lest wee partake in other mens sins, and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues; and that the Lord may be one, and his Name one in the three Kingdomes.

And this I beseech you in the name of God to take in hand, laying aside all humane reasons.

Let not Gods cause goe to racke, nor by worldly policies and humane reason be pro∣tracted or retarded.

The Turke will not suffer Mahomet to be blasphemed: as we are Christians let us stand for Christ.

How dangerous the fostering of Heretikes hath been, histories declare, viz. Almighty God sent down fire from Heaven and consu∣med Antioch, being a Nursery of Heretikes: And also how the earth opened & swallow∣ed

Nicomedia, the meeting place of the blasphemous Arrians: also in the Commen∣taries of Sleidan, how the Anabaptists mee∣ting first in Conventicles, surprized Mun∣ster: and how hardly Amsterdam escaped them, Lambertus Hortensius writeth.

The plague is of all diseases most infecti∣ous: I have lived among you almost a Iubile, and seene your great care and provision to keep the City from infection, in the shutting up the sicke, and in carrying them to your Pest-houses, in setting Warders to keep the whole from the sicke, in making of fires and perfuming the streets, in resorting to your Churches, in powring out your prayers to Almighty God with fasting and almes to be propitious to you. The plague of heresie is greater, and you are now in more danger then when you buried five thousand a week: You have power to keep these Hereticks and Sectaries from Conventickling and sholing together to infect one another. Fire is dan∣gerous, many great Cities in Europe have been almost ruinated by it: I have seen your dilligence and dexterety in quenching it in the beginning: your breaking open your

Pipes for water making floods in your streets: your Engins to cast the water upon the hou∣ses: your industry and paines is admirable.

Heresie is as dangerous as fire, use your best endeavours to quench it before it con∣sume us.

Thus not doubting Right Honourable, & Right Worshipfull, of your best endeavours to suppresse these Heretikes and Sectaries, by whom not only many poore soules are infe∣cted, but also the holy name of God is blas∣phemed. I cease, most humbly entrea∣ting Almighty God to blesse this Ci∣tie, and to give unto you the frui∣tion of all temporall felicities in this life, and the never∣failing fulnesse of bles∣sednesse in the life to come

Notes

• Paulus Dia∣con. Lib. 15.
• Theodo••. lib. ••. cap. ••6.