The Divorce Tracts of John Milton: Texts and Contexts

Daniel Featley, The Dippers Dipt (1645)

449 Daniel Featley The Dippers Dipt (1645) TS Daniel Featley (1578–1645), a theologian who helped prepare the Old Testament section of the King James Bible, held a variety of major religious appointments in the Church of England. He frequently argued the case for Protestantism in debates with Jesuit priests. He also argued the case against Arminian Protestants for being too close to Catholicism and against separatists for abandoning the Church of England, most famously in his debate with four Baptists at Southwark. He recorded that debate in The Dippers Dipt, or the Anabaptists dunckt and plunged over head and ears (1645). He was the only member of the Church of England in the Westminster Assembly, which was established to reform English Protestantism. Despite his participation there, he was regarded as hostile to Parliament and too sympathetic to the Laudian conservative religious agenda. In 1643, soldiers vandalized his church and killed two parishioners. Featley was then charged with instituting papist practices (including bowing at the name of Jesus and setting up a communion rail in his church), but the charges against him were narrowly voted down. The campaign against him continued, and later in 1643 Commons expelled him from the Westminster Assembly and had him imprisoned. The Dippers Dipt, his final work, was the most important of his prison writings. Featley argued against radical separatists, among whom he named Milton. The Dippers Dipt was attacked by a Baptist minister, Henry Denne, in 450 The Divorce Tracts of John Milton Antichrist Unmasked (1645). Featley died in 1645, worn down by controversy and confinement.1 TS Daniel Featley, Καταβαπτισταὶ κατάπτυστοι, The Dippers Dipt, or, The Anabaptists Duck’d and Plung’d over head and eares, at a Disputation in Southwark: together with a large and full discourse of their 1. Original. 2. Severall sorts. 3. Peculiar errours. 4. High attempts against the state. 5. Capitall Punishments, with an application to these times (London: Printed for Nicholas Bourne... and Richard Royston, 1645) For they print not onely Anabaptisme, from whence they take their name; but many other most damnable doctrines, tending to carnall liberty, Familisme, and a medley and hodg-podge of all Religions. Witnesse the Book printed in 1644. called The Bloodie Tenet, which the Author affirmeth he wrote in Milke; and if he did so, he hath put much Rats-bane into it...Witnesse a Tractate of Divorce, in which the bonds of mariage are let loose to inordinate lust, and putting away wives for many other causes besides that which our Saviour onely approveth, namely, in the case of Adultery. Witnesse a Pamphlet newly come forth, intituled, Mans Mortality, in which the soul is cast into an Endymion sleep, from the houre of death to the day of Judgement. Witnesse a bold Libell offered to hundreds, and to some at the door of the house of Commons, called The Vindication of the Royall Commission of King Jesus, wherein the brazenfac’d Authour blusheth not to brand all the Reformed Churches, and the whole Christian world at this day which christen their children, and signe them with the seal of the Covenant, With the odious name of an Antichristian faction.2 ...