A Scripture Looking Glass

Speculum Scripturale Schismaticorum: OR, A SCRIPTURE LOOKING—GLASSE, MOST EXACTLY CHARACTERIZING ALL SORTS OF SCHISMATICKS: Wherein,

As, in a Looking-Glass, Face answers Face;

So, Scriptures paint Seducers Root and Race:

And, that they are the Seedsmen of all Evil;

And, must be shunned, as Serpents, or the Devil.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

1. KOrah, Dathan and Abiram rose up before Moses and Aaron, with certain of the children of Israel, 250 Princes, men famous in the Congregation, and gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them; Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the Congregation of the Lord are holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is among them. Wherefore (then) lift ye up yourselves above the Congregation of the Lord? Num. 16. 1, 2, 3. But, for all their most wicked and proud pretence of Holiness, Moses pronounced them all to be most wicked and rebellious men, and they were most fearfully swallowed up alive into the earth, and so, perished most miserably, for their Pride, Rebellion, and Hypocrisy. from ver. 26. to 33.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

I. Our Independents, Anabaptists, Antinomians, and such like children of Error and Schism (some of them, I confess, men famous in their Generation, for parts and gifts) have also from time to time gathered themselves together (just like those proud, rebellious and hypocritical men) against our Magistrates and Ministers (both in Pulpits, Printers presses, and private Conventicles) and most factiously and seditiously say of them, and unto them, To take too much upon you, in going about to confine and conjure all Religion and Worship of God into the power of the Parliament and Synodical Assembly of your Black-coats and Legal Preachers; seeing that all our Congregations are made up only of Saints, and a godly Party, even everyone of them; and since that, only King Jesus ought to reign and rule over us, both in conscience and practice; therefore, no earthly coercive power is to be exercised over us, to compel us to worship and serve God, or to hold any other opinions in matters of Religion, than our own consciences do prescribe and dictate unto us. And are nor these words of ambition, pride, jealousy and sedition (as learned and religious Mr. Deodate well notes) against the order and Government established by God himself; as if God's ordinary gifts of grace did free them from all manner of subjection, and did confound all manner of Order, by an equal popularity, or Agreement of the People; thus he. But, the Lord our God himself hath already begun most remarkably to declare and manifest unto us all, very many of these men to be most wicked, proud, rebellious, and most notorious self-seeking Hypocrites and dissemblers, who [thus] craftily and deceitfully endeavor to overthrow and destroy our rightful Magistracy, and truly religious Ministry, and all godly Government, Order and Christian unity; and (however they craftily pretend King Jesus, only, to be their Governor, as Judas Iscariot called Christ, Master, yet they cannot endure his precise and strict Government, and therefore struggle, though with all deceivableness that may be) to introduce an accursed and intolerable Toleration of all sorts of Licentiousness (especially in matters of Religion) profaneness, and atheistical Anarchy: And therefore, if some of the Grandecs and Heads of this Schismatical Faction die the common death of all men, I shall [most justly] mightily admire it.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

II. Jeroboam, that notorious Idolater, who made Israel to sin by his golden Calves, and deceitful trick of Ease to the people, in their worshipping of God at Jerusalem; added this wickedness, also, thereunto, That he made Priests of the lowest and basest of the People, which were not of the Sons of Levi. 1 King. 12. 31.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

II. The Independents, Anabaptists, Antinomians, and all other Sectaries and Schismatics, unto their sins of Separation from us, their Will-worship, Rebellion against Magistracy and Ministry, and that notorious deceitful trick of theirs, Liberty, or Licentiousness, of conscience to do what they list in matters of Religion, especially; Have added this wickedness also, That they make Mechanics, Mercers, Linnen-Drapers, Tailors, Cobblers, Glovers, Porters and Chicken-men, and such like base, bold, and illiterate fellows (yea, they have not been ashamed to make brazen faced Huswifs, and impudent women) to be their Preachers; and all under the cheating-color of guifted persons, forsooth: And with most foul and gross disgraces, do contemn and scorn the learned, godly, grave, and Orthodox Ministers of the Lord, whom God himself hath set apart for the Ministry, both by an outward and inward mission and qualification of Parts and Piety.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

III. Now, this I say, ( says the Apostle Paul ) that everyone of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollo; I am of Cephas, and I am of Christ: Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? Are ye not, herein, carnal? in thus, dividing Christ into Sects and Schisms? And, are, thus, become children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. 1 Cor. 1. 12, 13. & 1 Cor. 3. 3, 4. and Ephes. 4. 14.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

III. And do not everyone of our Independents, and Sectaries of all sorts, say thus also? I am of M. T. Goodwin's separate Church-way; I am of J. Goodwin's Church; I of M. Lockiers Church; I of M. S. Simsons; And I of learned K • ffin the Glovers Church. And, in their thus irregularly, and unauthoritatively dividing Christ into unwarranted Sects, Schisms, factions and fractions, are they not carnal and earthly-minded men? yea, are they not (as the Apostle fitly terms them) vain and wanton children, never settled, never contented, but tossed too and fro with every puff and wind of false, dangerous and destructive Doctrines, Blasphemies, conceited New-Lights, empty and ungrounded Revelations and Enthusiasms, and thus most craftily cozening and deceiving, and being deceived, and under holy names separating from the rest of their faithful Brethren; and not considering, that though Christ hath divers Ministers and Instruments in his Church; yet that all make up but one Church, one Body, one Kingdom.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

IIII. This, know also, my Brethren ( says the Apostle Paul ) That in the last days, perilous times shall come; for, men shall be Lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, and without natural affection, unthankful, unholy, truce-breakers, false-accusers, incontinent, despisers of those that are good, heady, and high-minded, traitors, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such ( my Brethren ) turn away: for, these will not endure sound Doctrine; but, after their own lusts, heap to themselves Teachers, having itching ears, and turning away from the truth, being turned unto fables. 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, &c. 13.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

IV. And are not we (my deer Brethren) now in England and London, fallen into these perllious times, and dangerous days? And are not our Independents, and all other Sectaries of these our days (as here described by the Spirit of God) most notorious self-lovers, and extreme covetous? Are they not (most of them) most proud boasters of themselves to be Saints, and the only godly Partie? Are they not most fearful blasphemers? Witness Paul Best, John Goodwin, Price, and Quarterman two of Goodwin's disciples, with many others. Are they not disobedient to Parents, and without all natural affection? yea, even down-right Paricides (and Regicides too) some of them, who upon conceits of pretended Revelations, and most false and fallacious impulses of the Spirit, have slain their nearest and dearest of blood unto them? as He in Ireland, who, thus, sacrificed his own Son; And, a Soldier, very lately of S. Tho. Fairfax his Army, who on the marriage day of his own Sister, having given his own natural Father a great blow on the ear (upon occasion of a Revelation, as he told his Father, that he must kill him) vehemently endeavored with his sword drawn, to have murdered his Father, had he not been most violently restrained and hindered by company that came into the room to rescue his Father, at an eminent Gentleman's house in Bow near London? Are they not most unthankful wretches both to God and men for that work of Reformation begun among us, and just liberty to serve God from the Prelates Tyranny, which, ten years before that, they seemed (with us) most greedily to desire; but now most extremely hate it, except only in their own fantastical way? Are they not most abominable Covenant breakers and abusers? witness, wicked Cham, aliàs, Cann, the Printer; and most slanderous false-accusers of our most precious Parliament-members, and other eminent Gentlemen in City and Country? Are they not (many of them) most filthily incontinent, witness Mr. Gun of Southwark, even one of their precious Preachers, and others also? Are they not most proud despisers of all our best, gravest and godliest Ministers, whom they most contumeliously call Black-coats, and Antichristian Legal Preachers? endeavoring to starve them up, and so to deprive us of them, in denying them competent maintenance. Are they not most insolent and high-minded Traitors and Rebels? witness the most wicked endeavors of some of them to overthrow our fundamental Laws, and to introduce a most accursed Toleration of all licentiousness, and a mere Chaos and confusion in all things both sacred and civil? And are they not notorious Hypocrites, having only an outside form of Godliness, but utterly denying the power and practice of it in their private houses, by holy duties with their families, professing themselves to be above Ordinances? And therefore is it not high time to take heed of, and to turn away from such as they are?

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

V. And (as the same holy Apostle says) of this sort, also, are all those that creep into men's houses, and lead captive silly women (even as, Satan, the Devil, also, at the beginning, assaulted and surprised Eve, the woman, and, then, left her to entice and ensnare Adam, her husband. Gen 3. 1, 2, 3. &c.) So do these men. And like James and Jambres (those wicked Magicians of Egypt, who withstood Moses and Aaron ) they reject and resist the Truth; being men of corrupt minds concerning the faith. And these evil men and Seducers, though they go on, grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived; yet (certainly) they shall not long proceed: for, their folly and madness breaks forth, and is more and more most notoriously made manifest to the world, even as the folly and madness of those wicked Enchanters and Magicians was. 2 Tim. 3. 6, 8, 9, 13.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

V. And, do not our Independents and all sorts of Sectaries just the very same thing, by their Jesuitical Emissaries, T. G. P. N. W. G. S. S. J. G. &c.? Who (at first, about four or five years ago, and so all along since) have most boldly and wickedly poisoned the Kingdoms great Fountain, the Parliament Members: and after them, huge Peters, Oats, Kiffin the Glover, Patience the Botcher, Gorton the cheater, and other such like engendered vermin of Religion; who also (like Satan himself, and their elder Brethren, the Romish Jesuits) crept into men's houses, and, first, set upon and assaulted silly women, apt to be seduced, and aptest to seduce their Husbands, children and servants, as we see by daily experience? And just as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and Aaron, so do these our Independents and Sectaries oppose and withstand our Magistracy and Ministry, rejecting and resisting the Truths of God's Word; being men of very corrupt minds; yea, reprobate (or, abominable to God) in respect of their perverse doctrines and unsoundness of faith in Christ: And like evil men and crafty Seducers, they grow worse and worse [most of them] deceiving, and being deceived. But certainly, they shall not [long] thus continue; for their folly and madness breaks forth daily more and more (even to their own shame, in very many of them) and is very manifest to all that are truly wise and religious, and whose eyes of their understanding the Lord hath graciously opened.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

VI. The Apostle Peter, also, tells us of his discovery of false-Prophets, or false Apostles that shall come in future Gospel times, and who began to appear among the people in his time; who did, and would privily bring in damnable Heresies (and blasphemous Opinious) even denying the Lord Christ: And, that many should and would follow their most pernicious ways: by reason of whom the ways of Truth would be evil spoken of. 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

VI. And, are not our Independents, Anabaptists, Antinomiams and all other Sectaries of these our times [most directly] those false Prophets and Pseud-apostles here spoken of? who privily (that is, craftily and cunningly, under the painted and specious pretences, or embroidred cloaks of Toleration, liberty, and freedom to tender Consciences, new-Lights, rare Revelations, a glorious Church way, Saints, the godly Partie, &c.) should and would bring in damnable Heresies, and most accursed and blasphemous Opinions, even [many of them] denying the Lord Jesus Christ (either, by a total apostasy, or through want of sincere obedience) both in his Deity, and in his incarnation; yea, denying the three glorious Persons in the Trinity, and the sacred Scriptures, or written Word to be the foundation of our faith; to omit many other. And, do we not see how many are drawn away by them to follow their pernicious ways, that is, their pestilent doctrines? and by reason of whom, and their perverse paths, the ways of truth are exceedingly evil spoken of; and the blessed work of Covenant-Reformation is most slanderously termed by them Persecution and Tyranny; and Christ's Government is by them called and counted a bloody, arbitrary and Antichristian slavery: and how [thus] they most exactly cry out with wicked Athaliah, Treason, treason, Persecution, persecution; whereas they are the most cruel and crafty traitors and persecutors themselves: witness, that true Saint, indeed, Mr. Caughton, imprisoned by the Saints of these times; a strange paradox in piety.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

VII. And the same Apostle goes on, and tells us, that through covetousness, they shall with feigned words make merchandize of their Disciples and Proselytes, whose judgment lingereth not, and whose damnation slumbereth not; but chiefly, those that walk after the flesh, in the lusts of uncleanness, who despise Government, and presumptuously speak evil of Dignities: and, like brute-beasts, speak evil of the things which they understand not; and shall therefore perish utterly in their own corruption, and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. Spots they are and blemishes, spotting themselves with their own deceivings, and seducing others, while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cease not from sin: Beguiling unstable souls, their hearts being exercised with covetous practices. Cursed children, Wels without water, clouds carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. Speaking great swelling words of vanity, and promising liberty to others, whenas themselves are the servants of corruption, 2 Pet. 2. 3, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

VII. And does not the Apostle Peter here also most lively delineate our Sectaries and Independents practices, manners and conditions? Who, indeed, through covetousness (witness their many Lectures, and fat collections at their itinerary [or, rather, vagrant] preachings) by feigned and painted words, framed to a show of piety, mildness, and charity, craftily endeavor to lay hold on their disciples goods, with the ruin of their souls. Hastening their own damnation by most seditiously contemning Government, and most insolently and presumptuously speaking evil of Dignities, Kings, Lord's, and Rulers; and therefore are justly left utterly to perish in the corruption of their own minds, as foul spots and blemishes of Religion, seducing and deceiving those that feast and entertain them. Being, herein, cursed children, in that they are, as it were, empty wels without water, barren and fruitless in themselves of any true good, and without sap or moisture of true soul-saving grace, to make others truly gracious and growing Christians: yea, they are vapouring and vanishing clouds, driven to and fro with the fleeting blasts and tempests of their most vain and heretical minds; for whom the mists and fogs of infernal darkness is reserved forever. Who use to speak great swelling and swaggering words of vanity and boasting hypocrisy of Saintship, and godly party, &c. using a lofty and proud flashie style, both in their writing and preaching, especially (as reverend Mr. Deodate notes most truly, in his exposition on this Scripture) with high soaring and cloudy notions, and speculations to make their hearers admire them, though they little or nothing at all understand them; and oft times their words being extremely void of truth, or of any virtue of God's holy Spirit to sound edification. And thus they also falsely and fallaciously promise liberty to others (in suffering and inciting their novice-disciples to commit gross sins, and lustful perpetrations under the vizard of Christian liberty) whereas themseles [as here the Apostle says] are most servile slaves, and servants of accursed Corruption.

The Scripture Looking-Glass.

VIII. There are ( saith the Apostle Jude also) certain men crept in, unawares, who were of old ordained to condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Filthie Dreamers, who despise Dominions, and speak evil of Dignities: Who have gone in the way of Kain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain-saying of Corc. Spots they are in your Feasts of Love, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. Clouds they are without water, carried about with winds; Trees whose fruit withereth; without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering Stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, speaking great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration for advantage: Mockers, who walk after their own ungodly Lusts. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, and not having the Spirit, Jude, ver. 4, 8, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19.

The Schismaticall Reflection, or, Face answering Face.

VIII. See here again (impartial & unprejudiced Reader) how most remarkably the Apostle Jude describes the Independents, Anabaptists, and all other Schismatics & Sectaries of our times, to be Corner-creepers, & sly stealers into men's houses & hearts, branding them also with the black mark of ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into wantonness and lasciviousness, as if God's word and free grace allowed them in any gross sin, under a false & wicked pretence of being in Christ, as falls-hearted Feak maintains, and preachers; and therefore the Apostle gives them their doom; assuring us, that such as these were ordained by God's eternal decree unto everlasting condemnation And so the Apostle goes on, and calls them filthy dreamers, or brain-sick men, by their new Lights & enthusiastick Revelations; despising, and speaking evil of Government, godly Order and obedience to any Authority, save only that which is of their own setting up: And truly, this is very observable, that the Spirit of God sets down this as a principal mark of Seducers & Hypocrites, in that, these Apostles do, so often, mention their despising Dignities, or Dominions, Kings, Lord's, Magistrates and Ministers, whom they cannot abide, because they would keep them within the bounds of godly order and obedience. And then the Apostle proceeds to aggravate this sin in them, comparing it to the wages of Cain, who was the first that wickedly departed from the true Church; and of basely covetous Balaam, carried into errors by the bait of gain & worldly pleasures; and imitating Core and his rebellious Companions, in rising up against the true Pastors and Governors of the Church of Christ, and therefore incurring the like unavoidable perdition that those men justly suffered. Yea, the Apostle calls them spotted and crafty, seducing smell-feasts, who abused that godly custom of the Saints society, unto gluttony and excess. Vaporous clouds without rain; and such [indeed] are almost all Sectaries, fluttering and flashing up and down, without any moisture or solidity. Fruitlesse trees, which also have neither life nor sap, (like withered trees in Autumn) unfit to bring forth any good fruit of holiness in themselves, or edification to others; yea, trees twice dead, by apostatizing and falling off from the life of grace, to sin and death; and, as it were, plucked up by the roots, even cut off from spiritual union with Christ: Raging waves, and foaming seas, even unsettled and proud spirits, belching out abominable Doctrines, and blasphemous Opinions. Murmurers and complainers, men of contentious and impatient spirits; Admirers also of men's persons and parts for advantage, and to gain by them for their base and false flattering of them. Mockers and abusers of other men far better than themselves, in all respects: and, O how daily and sadly do we see this practiced, especially in printed Pamphlets, and that with authority, wherein our most pious and painful, learned and religious Ministers are called no less than Baals priests, Sons of Belial, Sir Jack Presbyters, and such like most base and ignominious names, by the mercenary Sectarian Pamphleters of these times; but to go on, and conclude; Separating themselves from their Brethren (as sensual and carnal self-seeking men, who have not the Spirit) willfully cutting themselves off from the true spiritual Communion of God's Church, and are thereby deprived of the life, grace, and holy Spirit of the Prince of Peace and Union, the Lord Jesus Christ, John 15. 6.

Consult, then (O all ye backsliding and apostatizing Independents, Sectaries and Schismatics) this fair and faithful Scripture Looking-Glass; and see how near ye come to the sin against the holy Ghost, and fear, and tremble.

that is,

The Schismatical WOLF Sented.

MATTH. 7. 15.

Beware of false Prophets, which come to you in Sheeps clothing; but, inwardly, they are ravening Wolves: ye shall know them by their Fruits.

The Heretical FOX Hunted.

CANT. 2 15.

Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes that spoil the Vines; for our Vines have very tender Grapes.

London, Printed for T. M. 1649.