Baillie, Robert, 1599-1662.
London: Printed for Samuel Gellibrand ..., 1645.
....At this instant, when the evil of Errour hath spred it self over the whole Body of this distracted Church, it seems it may prove a remedy not unprofitable to draw together the chief heads of those errours which now are flying abroad; their faces being cleerly described in one short Table in their true lineaments and native colours, will appear so deformed, that many who now are bewitched with them, upon this sight, may be brought out of all further aff•ction towards them.
This is the end of my present work,* without the least inten∣tion, so far as I can understand my own meaning, to create any just offence or reall hurt to any mans person. For, truely, I know not the creature breathing, to whom heartily I do not wish Grace, Mercy, and Peace; onely the opinions which for a long time, with all licence, are blown by the Spirit of errour over all the Land, to the dishonour of God and the indangering of many a mans salvation, I wish were set out in their clear and lively shap•s, that they may be seen, as truely they are, without any disguise, by the eyes of all, I am much deceived if their bare and unmasked face shall be found very pleasant to solid and intelligent minds.
And because it is a matter full of difficulty to set down the te∣nents, especially erroneous, of any men, according to their own contentment; that herein I may do wrong to none, it shall be my care in every thing I conceive material and controverted, to speak nothing without Book, but alwayes to bring along my Warrant, to alleadge nothing doubtfull of any man, but what himself or some other, whose Faith is above just exception, hath published before me to the world.
If for all this, my Testimony be refused, I can but declare, that knowingly I do not misreport either the words or the sence of any man; for, I esteem Truth so honourable and so beautifull a creature, but falsehood so deformed and base, that no considera∣tion (I know) would so far overballance my mind as wittingly, to make me entertain the one, with the prejudice of the other. Notwithstanding, if so it should fall out, which is very casuall to men, much my betters, that through inadvertence I should mis∣apprehend, and accordingly misreport any mans judgement, upon the smallest conviction I purpose not onely to retract my miscon∣ceptions, but, for further satisfaction, I promise to make my re∣tractation no lesse publike then was my errour.
It is not my purpose to take notice of every extravagancy which hath dropped from all the distempered brains of the time;* the profit of such a task would not co•ntervaile the Labour: one∣ly I will put down, as it were in one table, so many of th•se irre∣gular
conceits, which now are abroad, as may demonstrate to any common eye the undeniable footsteps of the Spirit of Errour and Schism walking among us, and bringing forth in great plenty the births of his darknesse, to the end that such a multitude of Sa∣tans Brats, appearing openly in the arms and bosoms of other∣wise (I suppose) well-meaning people, the beholders may tremble, and with all carefulnesse avoid the deep deceipt of that Angel of Light; and the deceived themselves seeing with their eyes what they hugg and dandle, to carry in the face the cleer li∣neaments of a mishant Parent, for grief and shame that they have been so long Nursing-Fathers to Satans brood, may become the first to dash the brains of these cursed Brats against the stones; or if they needs must obstinately continue fond of that bastard Ge∣neration, they may enjoy what they love, themselves alone; all well-advised men standing aloose from the danger of so misor∣dered and irrationall affection.
*The principall by-paths, wherein the most among us this day do tread, who divert from the high, open, and straight way of the Reformed Churches, may be reduced to ten generall Heads: The Brownists, or rigid Separatists, are the first who break off at a side: The Independents, their Children, go on with them for a time; but, wearied with the widenesse of their Parents wan∣dring, professe to come in again towards the rode way, yet not so closely, but still they keep a path of their own. How much neerer these men professe to draw towards us then their Fathers, so much the farther their other Brethren run from us; for, the Ana∣baptists go beyond the Brownistsin wandring; the Antinomians are beyond the Anabaptists, and the Seekers beyond them all.
These five lead aside on our right hand: towards the left there be no fewer crooked Lanes; The Prelatical Faction; the down-right Papists; the Arminians; the Socinians; and, who now make as much trouble as any, the Erastian-Civilians.
Of all these we will thus far consider, as first, in a brief histo∣rick narration, to set down their original and present condition; Secondly, to name their tenents in particular; Thirdly, to re∣fute from Scripture some of their most prevalent errours:
*Onely in the entry, one stumbling block would be put by. It is marvailed by many whence these new Monsters of Sects have arisen: Some spare not, from this ground, liberally to blasphem the Reformation in hand, and to magnifie the Bishops as if they had kept down, and this did set up, the Sects which now praedomin. But, these murmurers would do well in their calm and sober times, to remember that none of the named Sects are births of one day; but all of them were bred and born under the wings of no other Dame then Episcopacy: the tyranny and superstition of this Step-mother, was the seed and spawn of Brownisme, the great root of the most of our Sects; all which were many yeers ago brought forth, however kept within doors so long as any Church-Disci∣plin was on foot: Now, indeed, every Monster walks in the street without controlement, while all Ecclesiastick Govern∣ment is cast asleep; this too too long inter-reign and meer Anarchy hath invited every unclean creature to creep out of its cave, and shew in publike its mishapen face to all, who like to behold......
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