I ♦ BA? 'y//y i:€^9 0^9 /- # CL ,J^ ro j .^ CL « ladel .i*^ Ic 1 *• h^ Q. ^w *^ |zi "^ : ^ ^ ''■ ' ^ $ o {Zi 0) c '■■ > -' '■- w o bfl Cs E^ <. ^ s g |Zi £ .c? •o M Cj <: ^ rt CO §, -*-* ^*i Ph -^ ^ Ck J3 § % 8 Vf (U ^ ^ t I/) S ^^ CL c . - Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library 1 1 http://www.archive.org/details/fundamentalswithOOruss Fundamentals without Foundation : O R, A True Pidure O F T H E ANABAPTISTS. In their Rife, Pros-refs, and Pradice. Written for the Uie of fuch as take 'em for Saints^ when they are not fo much as Chrifiiaus. To which is added A LETTER from the Reverend Mr. James Brome to dip A U T H O R . i £ u-^ L N D A; Printed fori?. Biiffett^ attlieilii/r^ over-againfl: Chancery-Lane-oid i n Fket-Jircet, 1 7 c ^ . / -s*-.. To the Reverend Francis Peck^ Mafter of Arts, and Rcdor of Sdtwood near Hytbe m Ke?it. Kevereiid Sh\ THE Prevaiiing of the Anabap- tiftical Party hcrc^boiits^ the Defe^iion many ot late have made from the Church unto them^ the Wa- vering and UAfcttlcdnefs of others, the Feuds and Differences amono; Neighbours and in Private Famihcs upon the Score of their Principles, with other Confiderations, have been A n the Epiftle Dedicatory. the OGcafion of thefe following Pa- pers. I know none^ Sir^ fitter than yourfelf, to w^hofe Patronage I may commit them. You being moftly concerned in the Caufej as having (like Paitl^ fis}^^^^^& ^^^^-^ Beajis at £- phefm^ I Cor. 15.32.) been near Twenty five Years contending w^th. thofe Underminers of Truth and' Peace. I have always obferved^ that Polemical Difcourfcs feldom were Convincive ^ but rather crave oc- cai7on of Contention , cfpecially when they have to do with a Peo- ple whole Obftinacy is their beft Defence againfl Confutation. Obferving in thofe Parts of your Neighbourhood that both Teachers and People are generally ignorant of the Epiflle Dedicator)'. the Principles they profefs^ (the Myftery of Anabaptifm being known but to a few} I thought lit to in- form thefe deluded People what w^ere their real Prnciples and Pr^- ftices ^ and to fliow them their Original and Rife m the World , that thereby thofc who are w\iver- ing may be recalled from fuch peftife- rous Do5:rine ^ and rhofe who yet ftand faft^ may be Eftabliflied. If you^ and the reft of the Learn- ed World fhall accept this as the Firft-fruits of my Labours^ it may encourage the Publifhing of fomc o- ther Trafts^ w^hich at prcfent arc wrapt up in filence, I may^ without the help of ^ Prophet^ predid what acceptance this will find among the Anahaptijls ^ I believe it will touch them to the duigk^ and rub the Sore hard^ A 3 A Epiftle Dedicatory. ' A gtiilty Conscience needs no Jccufer^ i^aje-horn Brats loi^e 7iot to hedr of their Farentaqe. . I have not herein made to my fclf a Refuge of Lyes ^ I leave that to the Oft-fpring of him w^ho is the Father of Lyes. In relating PajGTages and Tranlafiions^ I have been juft to iDy Authors, cill they can burn them ( as they did all Books^ except the Bible^ in MidUer^ they v^ill remain a Living Teftimony againft them. If they rejeft my Papers as Slanders^ I doubt not but fome will patroni7e them as real Truths. In this Hope i reft content^ who am^ Hytkc, Septemb, C T R 14. 1702/ ^ ^A^J Tours ^ &c. David Ruffen, THE THE PREFACE < T O T H E READER. WHEN Faith is fo much corrufted^ and Souls fo many jiib'uerted^ rvho can keep filence and be faithful ? Whilfl I behold the Word of God^ the Mi?ti^ry of Chrifl to he amongfl Men^ as the Ark among the Philiftincs^ fcornfnlly abufed as in the Temple of Dagon^ rather than Keligioujly re'verenced as in the Church ofChriJl. The Sacred Scriptures^ the E'vidences of our Salivation not fo much read in Dez^otion as rvrefled by FaSiion ; Malice or Fride^ being the Venomom The Preface, Venomous Spider rphich cou'verts the rvbolejom Sweetfjej^ of [^"^i^^g Truth into the deadly Poyfo?i of dejiru- eii^e Herefy : Whilft I behold the Sa- cramental Seals of God's Holy Co- ^ena^it either pluckt off' by the "via- Jent^ or defaced by the ford Hand of Schijm and Prophanenef^ rvhilji I behold Parents cruel to their tender hifants^ denyi?7g them an Entrance into Chrtft's Kingdom^ and keeping them from the Seals of tl)e Covenant of Grace , out of which Covenant there is no Sanation : Whilfi I behold in our Ncigbourhood the increafe of thefe Schifmaticks ^ and the Profelites they gctin^ fome renouncing their Baptifni in dejpight^ and meerly out of co?2tra' diction to their Minifter^ whom God and the Church haz'e lawfully fet o'ver them : Others turning Anabaptifts for the Augmentation of their Trade ^ ma- king a Gain of Godlinefi. "But ^ The Preface, Bjit chiefly ivhiiji I regard the fad EJiate of a difraiicd Fd^nly^ -ivherein a mijiake?! Zeal hath >}iijlcd the JVife^ rvho being married to her Husband near tirenty Tears^ and by him the Mother of a numerous Oj^-Jpring^ in her old Age ^ contrary to the faith of her Anceforr^ hath renounced her AUegianc(^ to Chrift in her Baptifm^ her Duty to her Husband in her Marriage-Tye ^ a?7d^ n>hat is as d/f- mal^ the Children are taught to rebel agai?7Ji their Father^ from their Mo- thers Examples ^ and whilji a Taylor s IVidoiv ^ like a Father-confeffor ^ feems to be the DireSior of her Con- jcience : I fay ^ rvhilfi I behold theje things^ I can?tot forbear to ex- claim again f thefe fo ez^il EjJeBs of Schifm and Herejy ^ And to "vindi- cate the Caufe of helplef? Innocents ^ againft the Cruelty of thofe who Tvould (as they ha^e done them- fehes ) Z)nchriftian all the World. The The Preface; The juji Judgment of the Right- com God is remarkable ^ when they^ who in a blind Xeal haz^e been fo cruel to their Mother the Churchy as to eat out her Bowels by Schipn^ are nQVt? gi'ven up to fuch a blindnejiof Mind^ that they becon?e cruel to their own Children^ in not admitting them to the holy Trie ?iext ^ep from Au:xhd.^uim is Qiiakcr- ifm ^ Oh God ! who knows whi- ther that Man goes to his Confufon^ who is once gone out of the Church by Separation ^ efpcciaUy if it be that of- The Preface. (^Tc:>ch- mgjboth exprejjed by the Participle of the Prefent Tenje^Admittitig i?ito the Church atid School of Chriji hy Baptif?n ^ and then tutoring and training up by DoBrine, Ifhere^or in a?typart of this Treafife^ they caiJil at my Moods^ Particrplef^ Tenfes^ and DisiinSiions^ if they carp at jome Sentences of Latin fcattcred here and there ^ let them blame their ov:n Ignorance. 'Tis for 7vant cf fjwh Lm- man Advantages that they jo sirangch; m^eB the Scripture^ and know not rightly do di'vide the Word rfTruib, The Preflicc. I ha'ue no hopes that this will con- vince any that are rizieted in their Prinfiples^ their Objiinacy being a fuf- jicient Barr to Confutji^ition. If the Wa^vering may be Ejiabilijhed^ and others prezfented from foUorping the Anabaptifts^ J haz^e my End : And to God be the Glory. Amen. THE THE CONTENTS Of the Several CHAPTERS. C H A p. L OF Bapt'tfm in General, and various Notions thereabout Pase i CHAP. ir. Of Anabaptifls in General, their fcvcral Names a»d S«£ts i© CHAP. III. CoKcerningthe Atttipcedobaptifi, and the In- fants Canfe pleaded iS CHAP. IV. Of the Catabaptijls, and the impious Confe- quences of denying their former Baptifm 2 7 ^.. C H A P. V. OfDiffing 50 CHAP, The Contents. CHAP. VI. Of their Teachers, and their Intrufion into the Minijlrj " 38 CHAP. Vli. The Pra&ices of the Jefnites in promoting their Principles 49 CHAR viir. Their Practices in their Ajfenihlies, Marriage^ Extream TJn&ion^ and Burials 64 ^ CHAP. IX. Of their Heretical and Schifwatical Tenets 70 CHAP. X. The Hifiory of their Rife in Germany, the Wars of the Boors ^ and the Rebellion in Munfter 95 CHAP. XL Reafons of their Rife and Growth 154 A Letter to the Author (i3 ABRIEF CD ^. ^ -^ ^ A Brief Survey O F ANABAPTISM, And of the ANABAPTISTS. CHAP. I. Of Baptifm /« gefieral, atid various tJotion$ thereabouts. THE grand Enemy of God's glory and Man*s Fcliciryj hath always laid the Ax at the very Root of Religion, his chiefeft Endeavours have been to undermine the Funda- mentals of Chriftianity, that he may, if not fub^err, yet at lead fhake the Dodtrinc of the Gofpel: To this end, by his Agents, l\\c Jrriart!^ he called in Queftion the Divinity of the Son of God, that our Faith wanting a fare Founda- tion on which to build, might be wavering in B icftin^ CO reding on any thing but the Divine Word, God manifefted in the Flefli. This being the furefl bafis of a faving Faith, while it is fixed on the Divine Omnipotency of him who travelleth in theGreatnefs of his Strength, and is mighty to fave, Efay 63. i. And whereas Chrift hath Inftituted in his Church two Sacraments only as generally ne- ceffary to Salvation, both thefe have been extrcam- !y oppofed by the Adverfaries of truth : The Do(3nne of Tranfuhftantiation hath been hotly maintain'd by the Papifts, and for w^ant of better Arguments confuted by Fire and Faggot: The initiating Sacrament of the Church Baptirm,hath been ftrangely perverted j this Subject hath been pregnant and fruitful with Errors and Miftakes, begotten by Men of corrupt Judgment, and nou- rifhed in the wild Fancies of the Ignorant, and Obftinatc. This Holy Sacratnent which im- prints an indelible CharaSler ofChriftianity, and which cannot be iterated, hath been mifcrably Corrupted, 10 the perveriion of fome Chriftians, and the (tumbling of many cfpecially hereabout. To fer down all the wild Notions which have been fpread abroad upon this Subjeft, requires another St. Auflln to compile a fecond Treatife of Hcrefies, and to difcover the various SecSs of thofc Anabafufts^ who haVe dilTcnted from the Do(!lrineand practice of the Univerial Church of Chrift, their Differences one from another, and their irreconciliable Opinions j as it was be- yond the Ability of old Ephraim Tagitt^ fo is it beyond the reach of my Pen to trace and enume- rate the various Terpentine Windings, and the feveral Meanders of this intricate SeS: of People, who neither agree with the Truth, nor are re- conci' . ^3) onclliablc one wirli anorhcr in their Errors '■> but having ("wallowed ciic poifon ofall Hercfies* are contrary to all, as all are contrary to them« lo contraft then my fubjc^l, this Chapter fhall treat of Baprifm in general, and the various wild Notions and Miftakes about it. Biiptifm is originally Greek, and fignifies a wafhing with Water: It hath divers Acceptati- , ons, according to the fcveral Things and Ani- ons to which it is applied. B^fro is the Origi- nal, and is tranllatL-d by immergo^ to Di/>, or Bluyige under Water. The Derivative Baptize^ hath a larger Latitude, and (ignifies any manner of P^d^iing, whether it be by Dipping, Rincing, Wadiing, or Spi inkling, or any other mundi- fyingAdt by Water j it is render'd in the La- tin by luo pabliio, and when ufcd Saci'amenrally to Believers, it is called a La'uer^ even the Laver of Regeneration. Titus 3. 5r< Ic hath alfo the Signification of the Verb Ti?2go^ to D^p into wa- ter j or to die in Colours, ai we die Cloth in a Dier's Fat. For the former Signification fee O- vifl Lib. I . de Triflibtis. Tingitur Oceano ca/hs Etjmanthhlos Urfi\ In the latter, whenitisufed Sacramcntally, re- ferringto that of Baptifw^ it relates to our be- ing dipped, died or Coloured in the Blood of Chrift, fuitable to that ofthePiophet fpeaking of the MeJJiab, Who -^s this that co)mtJj up from Edom^pith died Garr/9entsf/omBozx2ih} Efay ($3. j. And this word Tmgo I find frequently ufed by Latin Authors, in their F^ifcourfes ' abouc Baptifm, But leaving the various Significations of tl e Word, w^ come 10 treac of Bapti'w^ as 3 Sacra- ( 4> ment Indituted by Chrift, and which our Churc^ m her Carcchlfm defines to be, as ro its out- ward vifible Sign or Form, Water, wherein the Perfon is Baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Sony, and of the Malj Gbofl- ; and as to its Inward and Sfiritiial Grace^ a Death ujito Sin^ and 2inevj Birth unto Right eousnefs. From whence, with fdme other particulars adjoining, I draw this general Do6t line concerning ^/7/7f//w. The Subject of i5^;)/i/w are Believers, to fuch, and none but fuch, is this Sacrament to be ad- miniftred. Believers arc either Adult Perfons^ or Infants. The Adulc arc fuch as not having' been Baptifed in Infancy thro' fome Omiflion, or invincible Nccedity , yet having been train'd up in the Chriftian Faith defire to be Baptifed, of thefe is required Repentance and Confeifion of Faith, and for thefe our Church hath ap* pointed a particuiar Office in her Liturgy. In- fants are fuch, as being born of Ghriftian Pa- rents are federally holy, and have a Right to the Ordinance in right of his Father's Fairh j thefe are fpetdily to be brought to the Ordinance, and by no means to be denied ir, and f r thefe alfo hath the Church fct down a particular Of- fice. Befidcs thefe, there are another kind of Believers, who being born Infidels^ J^wi^ ox Ma- hometans, have been converted to the Faith of Chrift, and being (like the Catechumen: of old) in- truded in the Principles of Chriftian Religion, , are upon Confcllion thereof to be 'Baptifed- Of | this kind fome rare Inflances h.ippcn among us j But with Infidels and Jews only the Apoftles had to do, who did not profcfs Chrill, but upon their Preaching were Converted and Baptifed, which is the reafon why we read not exprelly in Scrip- (s) Scripture of Infants Baptifcd j they pre^iching to grown Pcrfons capable of Hearing and Un- dcrllanding, who believing, were Bapti fed, and confcqucnilv, upon their Belief, their Children alfo ; linco they ufe to Baptifc whole Houfcs, of which Children wtre apart, and St. Peter tdls hisAuditorv, in his firft Sermon, the Promifc is unto you, and to your Children. Ads z. 39. But neirher may an Infidel^ Jf^'>^^i or Mahcme* tan, nor their Children, while chey cpntinued fuch, be admitted to Bapdfm, this would be a Proph.anation oftlie Ordinance, and Cafiivg the Ckildreyis Bread to Digs • *tis the Faith oF fuch •Parents muft entitle themfelvcs, and their Chil- dren, ro this Holy Millery: But while they ar? out of the viiible Church they are out of Cove- nant, and fo have no Right to the S.^als of the Covenant, Ep. 1. 12, Baptifm muft be adminiftred but once, the Sacrament muft not be iterated • it imprints an indelible Character upon the Perfon, which nei- ther Schifm, Hcrefy, nor Apoftacy it Mf^ can blot out. If it becomes not co him a Token of Salvation, it remains upon him as a Teftimony of his Condemnation. The outward vifible Sign of Baptifm is Water, An Element at all Times, 'Places and Occalions, to be had, God makes his Benefits common to all. He fends us not to Arabia for Spices, nor to India for Gold, to be the Simlpols of our Chri- fhanity, but he hath appointed Water, which is every where plenty. Nor hath he confin'd us to Jordan^ or any Rivers far diftance , bur every fpring is at hand to fill this Laver of Re- generation. Thole who. have hence cantingly trailed it fVaUr Bfljufm^ betray their own Ig- B 3 norancc (6 ) norance, (ince where there 15 no Water there can be no Baftifm, the meaning of the Word implying Water. The manner of Adminiftring the Water, is either by dipping into, pouring out of, or Sprink- ling on the Water. All which A6lions the Word will bear. The Form of Adminiftration miift be in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft,\is a Baptifm into the Holy and undivided Trinity. The Adminiftrator muft be One who is right- ly Ordain*d to preach tlje Word, and Admini- fter the Sacraments. The Time is not likeCircumcifion, limited to any certain Period, as 'tis never too late, fo cannot we be too foon: The Aduk mud be Baptifed upon Confcflion of Faith, Infants fhould be pre- fented to the Ordinance with all fpeedy Con- venience. This is the General DoSlrine of the Sacrament of Ba^ifme^ pradiftd by the Univerfal Chriftian Church ever (ince the Apoftles, till Men of cor- rupt Principles havc brought in many Innovati- ons to the difturbance of the Chinch's Qi^iiet and Peace. Having feen Truth, let us view the many Con- fufed and Wild* Notions which fome have had a- bout this Sacrament. Some }'ave millaken the fubjeft matter, and inftead of ra ional Creatures, have Haptifed com- mon Utfnl 1,. The Jews are Cenfured for Bap- tihng Cups and Pots, brafen Vf ffels, Tables, or of Beds. Mirk 7. 4. The Papifts Baptifed Bells, and gave them Names, (or which they have a cer- tain Kubrick and Form of Prayer. Others Err in the proper Subjeft, and deny Baptifme to In- fants, ( 7 ) fants, allowing it only to the Adulr. Others* with fome Jews, have confounded it with Cir- cumcilion, and have been both Circumcifed and BaptKcd. The Manlchcans^ Baptifed none at all, nor do the Qjakers. The Marcionites denv Bap- lifme to all Married Perfons, and Baptidd none but Perfons Single, Virgins, Widdows, and Wo- men divorced. The BarrowifisdicnKd Bapiifme to the Children of Whores, or Witches. The Brow7Jites to the Children of open Sinners. The Jndefendants Scruple to Baptife the Children of thofe, who are not in Church-fdlow-Mcmber- fhip with the mfe Ives. Others have miftaken the Onencfs of Baptifme, and would Re- baptife thofe who have been Bap- tifed by Hereticks, or by the Minifters of the Church of England^ or by thofe that are not of their own Communion, or that have not been Baptifed with the Ceremonies they practice. Such are thofe we have chiefly to do with, who ac- count all other Baptifme, befides their own in- valid, and no Baptifme • and from their Re-bap- lifing, are properly callM Anahaftifis. Some will have another vilible Sign be^des Water: The Orlgenlfts maintain'd a Bapdfml.y Fire j and the Papifts, bcfides Water have intio- duc'd Chrifme, Spittle, Salt, andotherTrumperies. Others queftion the manner of Adminiftrati- on, andfay, that diping and Plunging under Wa-» Cer is an Effential part of Baptiime, without which it is Null; The time of Baptifme is alfo v^rioudy abus'd* Some, as the Cllnki deferred their HaptiCre to their dying Hour; bee aufc being to be Buptifed hut once, and attributing to that Ceremony the pardon of all Sins paft, they hoped af th'^ laft B4 " M# (8 ) Gafp to go fpotlefs into Heaven. Others allu- ding to the pradtice of Chrift, will not be Bap- tifed till they are Thirty Years of Age. Not confidering that he was Circumcifed at Eight days old 3 and tho' there might be fomcwhac of Piety, yet was it a miftakcn Zeal in Conflamine^ to deferr his Baptifmc till he came to the River of Jordan. And tho* Baptifme doth fignify and feal unto us our Ingrafting into Chrift, our partaking of the benefits of the Covenants of Grace, and our Engagement to be the Lords j yet fome think Baprilme not necefTary in the Church, being reckoned among things indifferent, to be us d or rcFus'd at difcreti jn. Whilft others fay, there is fuch a NecelFity of Bapcifm., that all that dye without it are Damn' d. So wild and confu(ed 2re the Notions of thofe who are ever feeking, ya never come to the Knowledge of the Truth. CHAP. II. 0/ Anabaptifts in general^ their feveraf Name: and Seels. THE former Chapter being a brief Summary of Truth and Error, we are now to pro- ceed to Particulars, wherein thofe we have ex- prefly to deal with, are known by the common Name of Anahapti/h^ an accumulated ^er^ of He- retical and Schifmatical Principles; a Secl thsLt harh gone by as many Names as it hath Leaders, and divcrfity of Opinions. A fort of Amphi- bious (9 ) bious Creature Froteus like, changing liimfdf in- to fo many Shapes, that we cannot eafily know how ro call him, or what he profdlcih. Duplex m- men dupUx Nehulo, was the Judges Opinion of a Criminal in the Comadlan^ and I fear ihac Do- ctrine, or Opinion, will not abide the Touch- flone of Truth, that fhcltcrs it (df under (o ma- ny Appellations. An Anabaftifi is generally fo called, from Re- baptifing thofe who have formerly been Baptifed. The German Writers frequently call him a Ca- tahapti/^y a depraver of Baptifmc, whoaifertsthe Baptifme of Infants to be no Baptifme, nor to | be valid, except adminiftred by them, and in / their Way. ^ He is generally call'd, by Writers, an Antlpado^ hapti/t, becaufc he denicth Bapcifme to Children, confining it only to Adult Perfoas. From his Baptifing twice, he hath been call'd a Deuterohaptift, And after near 200 Years he hath Chriftencd himfclf, and, forfooth, will be called a Bapti/?^ Emphatice, pretending the Ordinance of Bap- tifme is only in him ; that none are Baptifed that are not of his Communion ; that all other Baptifmcs are none at all, and therefore he would reject his old Name of Anahaptifi^ by telling you he doth notRebaptife j for all others, however Baptifed, were fallly Baptifed, and fo ic was nothing. Herein lies not only a deluding Spirit of Error, but a Luciferian Spirit of Pride j an infolent Arrogancy, to claim to himfelf only the Truth of the Sacramenr, and Cenfure all o- thers to Perdition but himfelf. From thefe Names in general we defcend to particular Seils. AlfiUms^ in his IndiceTheohg'ia pole* ( TO ) polemics p. $6^. Colledteth no lefs tlian four- teen forts of thefe Schifmatical and Heretical Perfons, who, according to their feveral forrsof Errors, or Authors, have obtained feveral Names as follow, 1. Mt4ncerians , from Mimcer^ who would have a Community of Goods, an Equality of Dignity in all Men • that the ungodly muft be deftroy -d, and the Church repurged. On thcfe feditious Principles he raised the Sedition of the Boores in Germany of about Anno l$^^. of which more hereafter. 2. Jfofiolici, who pretended to imitate the Apoftles, in perambulating the Country to Preach. 5, Seperatlfis, who pretended a ftoical Separa- tion from the World like our Quakers, 4. C^^;&^r//?j,who deny Children Baptifm, be- caufe, as they fay, they have not Original Sin^ and therefore omitted that Petition in the Lord's Prayer, For glue us our TrefpajTes. 5. Silentes^ who fpeak little. 6 E7ithri(iafts^ who pretend to immediate Re- velations from Heaven. 7 Liberty who thought the Liberty where- with Chrift hath made us free, did exempt us from the Obligation of all Laws, Human or Divine, opening hereby a Way to all Licenti- ous profannefs. 8. Adamites^ who, thinking themfelves In- nocent, accounted Clothes a /hamcj and would therefore go Naked. 9. Hueites^ from John Huta j thefe deny the Deity of Chrift, and believe themfelves th$ only Heirs of Heaven, (II ) 10. j^ti^ui?}afis^ fwiTQ ^ugufilne^ the Bohemian j thefe affirm'd the Entrance into Paradice was fhut up till he open'd it for himfclf, a«d Fol- lowers. 1 1 . fieucheUiansy from yohn Beuchekemius ; thcfe allowed Vtlygamy^ calling it holy. II. Alelc/jicri/h^ from Mdchior Hoffman their Prophet at Strasburgh, whom they compare with Elias^ with whom, they fay, he fliall come to Judgment, 13. Georgians, who were Followers of that Blafpheming ^xach David George^ who boafted himfclf greater than Chrift. 1 4. Me7iomfis^ from Merjon of Frifia • from whom they had a while their common Appella- tion. Thus far Alfledlm, who hath omitted 15. The HemoYchapifi.^, who in Summer rime, quotidie Baptiz,ahantur, did Baptife every day, thinking a Perfon could not live, if he did not every day keep himfeif free from Pollution and Sin. i6. The Se-Ba^tifts^ a fort of People who would Baptife themfclves without an Admini- ftrator, 17. Pucris Sir/ilhs, a Childifh fort indeed, who from that Paflage of our Saviour, Excep you become as Little Childrsn^ you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God^ Math, 18. 3. would play a!I forts of Childifh Tricks, riding about upon Sticks, and Hobby Horfes, and fuch like , and what is mod filly, and next to Stupidity, fome would keep their Excrements in (lore many days, and then roll about in them naked, be- dawbing thcmfclves like Children in Swadling Clouts, i8. Ssrve_ ( II ) I S, Servetlans^ from Seruetus^ a ^^fmiardy he denied the Deity of Chrift, deferrd Baptifm till 30 Tears of Age. 19. Libertines, who make God the Author of Sin, and denied the Refarreftion of the Body. 20. Denkiansy from D^»i^/«j their Chief, who taught that the Devil, and wicked Men, (hould befav'd. Thefe werea kind of Or/^ the Iirnelites out of Egypt ^ yet he meets him by the way in the Inn, and fought to kill him,bccaure he had Omitted to Circumcife his Son at the pcrfwafion of his Wife j and fhall we run rhe hazard of God's direful Indignation againll our felvcs and Children, in refufing them Baptifm at the Inftig.uion of a few Tradefmen, who pretend to know more than the whole Chriftian World ? God forbid. CHAR ( ^■^ ) CHAP. IV. Of the Catabaptifts, ^n/^ the Impious Con- feq^uences of denying their former Baptifm. BU T faith the Catahapt(t, thofe '^ho have been Baptis'd in Infancy, were not Bap- tis'datall; this Baptifm they muft Renounce, and be Re-baptis'd, other Vvife they cannot be fa- ved. Oh horrible / that the High-way to Dam- nation fheuld be made the means of Salvation : That the Denial of God fhould be the way of fee- ing his Face; and the Road to Hell ftould become the narrow Path to Heaven. 'Tis the firft LefTon the Devil teacheth in the School of the Exorcift, that the Witch Profeiite muft firft renounce her Baptifm before rnc can be a fit Member for his dark Society ^ for in their Baptifm they having renounced the Devil, and all his Works, fo powerful is the efficacy and vertue of that Sacrament, that they cannot be fit Inftruments for the Devifs fervice, till they have renounced their Allegiance to Chrid. So fays the Catapakifi^ you muft renounce your firft Baptifm, before you can become an Anabaf- tijl, and be, Rcbaptifed. Thus, as the Witch is faid, to read the Lord's Prayer backwards, fo inuft we fay backwards the Articles of our Baptifmal Stipulation, before we can, according to dicir Do6trin, become Members of their he- recical Society, In ( ^3 y In our Baptifmal Offices, whether of Infants* or of thofc of riper Years, is a Promifo on ChrilVs part, and on our part. That on Chrift's part is, that by his Initiating Sacrament wc be luade Members of Chrift, Children of God, and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. On our parr v;e renounce the Devil, and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the finful Lufts of the Fle/h. And we promife that we fhall believe all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith, and that we will keep God*s Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the fame all the days of our Lives. And all this in the prefence, and in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghoft. Now to become Anahaftifis we muft, in effect, cancel thofe Ar- ticles of the Covenant betwixt Chrift and usj wc mufi: renounce our Jvlemberfhip with Chrift, our relation to God, as his Children, and our Right to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. We muft on the other hand deny all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith, pretend to break God's Holy Will and Commandments j all which being done, and a new Confeifion of Faith made, we become a tic Subject of Rebapti- fation, and being by fome preaching Difciple dipt, plunged and douced under Water, we fhall prefentlyftart up Babes of Grace, and true baptifed Believers j fliall have a Right to the Kingdom of Heaven, and all others who have not renounced their former Baptifm, and been thus Dipt, (hall be fliut our. Tremble, oh Heavens, and be amazed, oh Earth, at the Impious Confequences of fuch Doftrine and Pradice. ' ' ' C 4 M For ( M ) For as the Holy Trinity, into wlioft: Name we are Bapnfed, is a witncfs ohhis firfl Bapnfm, (o muft we confequentially renounce th^^r, rum A- theifis or Arrlam^ Jews or Makoinctafis^ and then become ChriiVians again by being Rtbaprifcd in- to that holy Name. But are there two Gods, one Woriliippcd by the Univerfal Church, the other by the Anahaptifts ? Is that Sacred Indivi- dual Trinity dividable betwixt them and us? If we were Bapfifed into the Faith of this Trinity, what needs the Iteration ? But thefe Hereticks divide the Trinity, are in profeifion ArrJansy denying the Divinity of the Extern;-! /TW, and in Rebaptifing us would make us like them- felves. What I have faid of the CatahptJfi is, I think, very fcvere, but I think a real truth, a necefTary Confequence, and ought to be a juft Confide- ration to a tender Confcience that is cautious of playing {?.([ and loofe with thofe lb Holy and Sacramental Infticutions. In baptiling their own Children when they come to ripenefs of Years, they are only to blame in fo long an Omiilion of the Ordinance. But to Rebaptife ihofe who have been already Baptifed, draws on thofe difmal Confequences before mentioned, bccaufe the Sacrament cannot be repeated. CHAP. 4 C ^5 ) CHAP. V. Of D/ppi»g, AS 'tis pecLiIicir to them to deny Baptifm CO Infants, fo the mode of Adminiftration is proper only ro rhem, which, dicy fay, muftbe by Dipping, and this they make Eflential to the Sacrament. It is a Croichet newly invented in their giddy Brains, not pradlifcd by the firft Anabaptift in Germany, as I can any where read, and that it is not a genera! O- pinion or Pradice is evident from the con- trary p;a6lice of their Brethren in Holland.- I cannot trace the Original of this Opini- on j but I muft attribute it fo the Ignorance of fome illiterate Fellows, who, from Mechanicks of the lowed Rank, being made Priefts of the high places, before they knew what a Lexicon was, would needs be playing the Critick upon the Greek Verbs, and from the profoundnefs of their Judgment, Naturalize the Greek word battTi^^-, for pure Englifi. To which it hath happened, as to the Greek word c:f:(ra'T>j<, which, in Eng- lij}}, (ignifying no more than an Elder, is by be- coming Natural Englifh made the nominal Ti- tle of a Sedt of Diffenters, calfd Vresbyterians. The *hcw Tongues where with our Dippers are endow'd, to fpcak all Languages, have taught them to conftruc the Greek Verb by the Lapa word ( z6 ) word Mergo^ Immergo^ to dif^ plunge^ or doiice un- der Water ; wherein by their practice they be- come true DLdappers^ a forr of Bird from his fre- quent divingy in Latin cali'd Mergus. But tho' learned Men, who have in God*s ordinary way attain'd to the knowledge of Tongues, with- out pretending to Infpiration, do foinetimss al- low the Verb that Senfe, yet the general accep- tation of the word is, by all allowed, to be no more than a Waftiing, or Ablution, whether it beby Dipping, or Sprinkling, as Hefj/ckms, Ste- fhanuss Scapula^ Budaus^ great Maftcrs of the Greek Tongues, make good, by many Inllances and Allegations. In the Adminiftration (then) of Baptifm, the firft thing neceffary, as to the Effence of the Sacrament, is the application of the Water, and this in an outward Wafliing, whether it be by Dipping into, or by Sprinkling on, or a pouring out of the Water. AH which forms of wa/h- ing arc expreft in Mark^ 7. 4. in the word Bs^t^tj- Ciiv, where the Pbarifees^ and others of the Je'ws, when they come from Market Eat not, Uv un Bet^llo-uvjetif nijiloti fuerinty fays the Latin, ^«i/j ne fyent lauez^y (ays the French, except they wafh, fays our Englifh Tranllations. And from the Tradition of the Elders they are faid to hold B:t^Tiy/MaVTOT>j?;«KtheBaptifms (fo the Original) /<>/;>w^;j fo the Latin {les laveme?is) fo the French, tho fVajlnngSy fo theEngUfh, Of Cups and of Pots, of brazen VelTels, and of Tables or of Beds. Sure- Jyallthofe Houftiold Goods, efpecially the Beds, were not dipt and foak'd und^r water: When ihe Pharifces wonder that our Saviour wafh*d not his hands, Lw;^ff 11. 38. And the divers VVafh- ings mentioned by the Apofile Heb» 9. 10, the Greek ( 17 ) Greek Verb is ufed in the Original. From which Baptifm, or WalTiings, ir is evident there can be no flrengch of Argument from the Pro- priety of the word, to prove a neceiruy of Dip- ping or plunging in the Water, feeing that Bap- tifm doth equally iignify a Wafhing, by fprink- ling, or pouring out the Water, as well as by Dipping or Plunging into it. If any of their leading Teachers cannot Read this laft Paragraph without an Interpreter, I do not think them fie Men to difpute about fuch Principles : Let them lay aiide Learning, which their Ignorance betrays, and follow their Trades, wherein they are better skill' d. In all the Patterns or Examples of Baptifms in Scripture, we find no Dipping or Plunging, The Baptifing in Rivers was probably when both the Perfons went down into tl^e River, their Sandals being put of, the Minifter of Baptifm taking up Water in his Hand, poured it out on the Head of the Baptifcd, the Exprelfion of go- ing down into the Water fignifying no more than the Defcent which led to the River, all Rivers being in the loweft Ground. Whenjo/jw Bap- tifcd all the Region round about, and Teter three thoufand in one day, doubtlefs he did not lift them all up, and Plunge them all in, and take them all out of the Water one after another ; that had been a work requiring the Labour of Hercules, or Strength ofSampfon. Butasprafli- fed afterwards, by fome of the Primitive Mar- tyrs and Confeflbrs, and other Godly Bifhops, the Multitude ofthofe to be Baptifed ftanding to- gether in the River, the Apoftle with his Hand poureth Water on their Heads. For did they Bap- tife^ by Plunging in the Watcri the People fure were ( i8 ) were fitted with fotre covering for that fcrvice, bur that fuch' Multirudes, in fo Oiort a time, fhould be provided of all NeccfTaries for fuch a Baptifm, and that theApoftks Strength was fuf- ficient for fuch a days work, ( bcfides Prea- ching) is to me altogether improbable. Surely the Eunuch being on a Journey, Jch 8. 27. was very unfit for fuch a Baprifm. ^Bs 16. 23. We read that the Gaylor was b.^prifed in the Night, and in his Houfe. 'Twill be a difficult Task in Hydrogri^phv, to prove he had a ki- ller ran thro* his Houfe. Nor do I any where find he was by Profellion a Malt-m,in, or had a Ciftern. The Ecceiiafiical Hiftory (peaks of feme fecretly Baptifed inPrifons. St. Cyprian mentions one who brought a Pitcher of Wa- ter, and was baptifed by St. Lawrence^ as he went to Martyjj^dom. Ep//?. 6, 7. ad Mao;^. r. "^ The AhyJJins * Alvares. ^^p. 5, Enptifeinthe Church Porch, without Fonts, with a Pot full of Water only. From which Inftance we mav infer, that Plun- ging in the Water, or Wafhing in a River, is not Eflential or neceffary to Baptifm. Chrift's Erangelical Ordinance doth no way oppofe his Moral Command, the Ceremony of the Sacrament muft not be made fuch as may hazard the Life of the Perfon Celebrating ir, Baptifm is prefcribed to all Nations, its manner of Adminiftration being common to all, muft be poffible to all. Which it cannot be if plung- ing in the Water be Eifential, for in feme Coun- tries fuch quantities of water rcquifite to dip the whole Body into cannot be had. Befides,in Cold Climates it may. hazard the Life of the Perfon, the Experience of fome more Ignorantly ( 19 ) ignoranrly Jealous than Ucligioully wife, huh nihnd us, how prejudicial fuch a Pradice is to the Life o( Mankind , what fliall become of thofe who are Weak and Sickly, that luvcCat- tarhs, Confumpiioiis, Pallics, that which may endangcrthe Livcs of founds ft Bodies, may ha- ften the Lnd of thofe who are Infirm. The Sco- rv of Calfh Version may not un- fitly beapply'd here • and a Ju- M>\ Bixtcr. dicioiis Author tells us, that the way of Dipping is good for nothing, but to difpatch Mrn out of the World, and ranken Church Yards. Nor is in this cafe fo much Water neceflary^ Moral Conveyances require no large mactcr for their Performance, a bit of Wax will Seal a Deed of many Sheets ; a TuifF of Earth may give polfcUion of a ihoufand Acres^ a Pepper Corn may t.ftify the liomage of the greareft M.inncr. At^d thus a f.w Drops of Water, by Vertue of ChrilWs Infiitution, may lignify and Seal, Convey and Confirm a Fight and Intereft in the Evangelical Promifes. The Spiritual Grace may be as fufFiciently exprcfs'd by a little Water Sprinkled, as by Ducking in a River, 'tis the ufe and application of the Element, which refers to the Elfence and Sabftance of the Sa- crament. A little Bread in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper^ is of as much Efficacy as a whole Loaf. No doubt when JoJm and Teter did Baptife fo many, they preferv'd ail good Ruks of Mode- fty in fo Sacred a Service of their Minillry j they were not guilty of the Impudence of fome who Baptiftd Naked , nor did they fo much In- trench upon the Laws of Civility, Chaftity and Modefty, ( ^o) Mo3efty, as to require Women and Maidens ro appear openly in the light of the Sun out of their wonted habit 5 in tranfparent and rhin Garments next to nakednefs, and in that pofture to be plung*d in the face of ihe whole Congre- gation before Men and Boys j fuch things fure- ly are fcandalous and ignominious to the honour of Chriftianity. I have been told by an Eye-witnefs, the manner how Fijlier of Lydd^ Dipped feveral Females in a Pond adjoining-to the Way fide, where I have Miany times water'd my Horfe. The Women had nothing on but a flight covering of Linnen -to hide their nakednefs,their thin Petticoat flight- ly tied about their Leggs. The Adminiftrator, and the Perfon, went both up to the Knees in water, and he taking the Perion by a kind of a Neckloath call about her Neck, threw her back- wards under water, and immediately taking her out they went into the Houfe, and fo to Prayers. I fhould think this were aftionable, fhould they ferve my Wife fo. Some thereabouts have been faid to defile the Water, not with their Sins but their Ordure, evacuating at the Inftanc of Dipping. It hath been obferv'd that the Anabaptift Teachers have fall'n more of them under one particular Sin, ^iz,, Uncleannefs, than any other Vice, and thele not only young Men, but Men of Years. One hath publifli'd it to the World, that one Mr. Row of Brifiol, confefs'd to a great many Minilters, and to him in particular, and one Mr. Fairlougby that the firft Dipper there at Baftifi Mill.ihc ufual place of Dipping, lay with the Woman he Dipt, and particularly with her felf. RuJJelf who was at the Fortfmouth Confe- rence ( 3^ ) rcnce, hath been charged with the fame Vice. Benjamin Keach^ another noted Writer and Teacher of theirs, hath been lately Accus'd as guilty of the fame. The Woman who keeps the Rofe at Bucklarid near Dover^ affirm'd to my fclf, thziEhvardVay (Author of Jerubaal) the Anabaptift Preacher at Do^oer^ attempted to lie with her. She is ready to Depofe it before the Magiftrate. May this Inclination be afcrib'd to the Temptations arifing from Embracing the Fair Sex in the Water ? I fliall conclude this Chapter of Dipping with Hudihrafsy wllO, F^rt i . Canto, i . calls if. jin Ignisfatuus that he-wltches^ And leads Men into To els and Ditches^ To make them Dif themfelvesy and Sound For Chriftendom in Dirty Vend: To Dive like Wild- Fowl for SalvatioTfy And Fi(h to Catch Regeneration. CHAP. ( l^ ) CHAP. VI. Of their teachers^ arte! their Intrufion into the Mtnijlry. AS to their Teachers, the Words of the A- poftle ^re made good, l>lot many IVife, not 7nany Noble^ z Cor, i. l6. MelatjBhon^ and Ga- fiitts de Exordia Anab, fay, that Nicholas Stock firft of all fpread this peftifcrous DoStrin in Germany^ Mtmcer and Fbifer^ were his Hearers, \vhom he made ufe of as his Eniiiraries to di- fturb the publick Peace ^ from this Blockhead's Stock were cut thofe Chips that kindled fuch a Fire in Germany, Alfat'm and Swe'uia, that could not be fully quenched, no not with the blood of 15:0000 of them killed in War, or put to Death in feveral places by the Magiftraces. The Sparks of this Fire flew crofs the Seas into Eng- land 3 and tho* in the Reign of Queen Elizahab and King Jaj^es it hy fmothercd, yet in our late Civil Wars it broke out into a flame, that was like to make a general Defolation, ic being obfervable, that they thrive beft in-^Times of Confufion, Together with Stock facceeded Thomas Mun* cer^ who had fome Parts and Learning ; Bernard Rotmanus, an Evangelical Preacher, became a Rebellious Anabaptift. John Buckhold^ a Botcher, or Mender of old Cloaths at Leydtn, whence he was (33 ) was called John o( Uyden, was a leading Per(on, and afterward became their King in Munfler: Herman^ the CoblcT, Infamous for his Drunken- nefs, was another of thc^c Gang. And Thcodo- rusy a Taylor, rurn'd Jd/jwitc, and feduccd 7 Men, and 5 Women, all ^nahpti/ls, to follow his naked Pranks. Of thdl P. ifons you fhall hear more in their following Hiflory. Fijlier of LydJy was indeed a Scholar, but his Judgment was depraved, «nd he was tixt o noihii.g, al- ways wavering worfe and worfe. That noted Spark in our Neighbourhood William Britten^ was firft a Gardener at Eafl-well in Kent^ thence he becam.e a Phyfician and Chirurgion, for his Wife being a Maid to Parker^ that wooden Do- ctor, got fome of her Mafter's Receipts, and gave ihem to her Husband, wlience he cane by his Gift of Healing. After this he exercifcd the Office of an Ignorant Scrivener^ to make Bills, Bonds, Leafes and Indentures. Then he fell to that Gainful Trade of Aichoufe-keeping at Braborm in Kent : And laftly, he ftJI into the vein of Preaching, or vain Preaching, and in- ftead of filling the Por, he became to fill the Pul- pit, yet ftill brought Nick, and Froth j and to Preaching he alfo adds Writing, ufing the Pen as well as the Tongue, and publiftieth a Pam- phlet, called, The Moderatt Bapt/fi» A Book full of Errors and Miftakcs. Thus, as he was of ma- ny Trades, he imbibed alfo many Errors, and being Conftant to no Profclfion, he became alio an Apoftatc from the true Religion. I have known a Weaver, and a Gardener, chief Rulers of a Congregation j and a Cobler, Eminent for his Gift of Praying, tho* I could never obferve a- ny thing notable in him, but bib Stentorian D Voice C 34 ) Voice. Here about, a Miller and a Fanner, are their chief GovernDurs; a Butcher that can nei* ther Write nor Read, will difpure with the Parfon, and lead away almoit half- the Paiifh. Another Butchf^r fhali dircouiTr of their Religion in an Ale-houfe ; a Blackfmith, of fmall Senfe, God knows, (hall get fevcral Women into his Houfe at Night, and pray with thtm, the Candle bting put out. And a raylor*s Widow fhall go from Houfe to Houfc, and direct the Confciences of thofe who are not Ednblifh^d in the Faith. Nor do we, like the Quakers, want She- Pro- pheteffes. The Wife of John of Ley den ^ that Mock King of Munfier^ aflifted him as Deaconefs in giving the Cup to the People after he had given the Bread,at that prophane Supper,he made in Munfier, and while his hands were bloody with the Murder he had newly committed. For nearer home, 1 would ask whether the Wife of y, S — d of this Town, who is now dead, and the Wife of L. H^^d of Dover^ ftill living, have not exercis'd their Talents in their Aflemblies. Thus do all Trades make a Trade of Godlinefs, and the Trade of Expounding the Scripture is a Myftery which every Artizan ariogateih to him- felf. Here the Phylitian will be prefciibing Re- ceipts for the Diftempers of the Soul; the Law- yer will be demurring upon Dul^ia E-vangelka. And every Handy-Crafts-man will be handling the pure Word of God, with imipure and un- baptized Hands. This, the piatiing Houfe- Wife; this, the old Dotard; this, the wrangling Sophifter ; in a word, this, Mep of all Profcfli- ons, and Men of no Profellions, take upon them to have Skill in readily Teaching that they ne- ver Learned, and abundantly pouring out that which |- which was never infuftd inro them. Here the Cook inftead of mincing his Meat, fdlls upon dividing the Woid, the Taylor leaps from his Shop-board to the Pulpir, and parcheth up Ser- mons out of Stolen Shrtds. Thus arc Shop- boards turned into Communion Tables, Aprons inro Linnen Ephods, and Mcchanicks of the ' lowed Rank are made Prieftsof the High Places* A ftrange Mctamorpholis, and fuch a Monfter is Anabaftifme, To thefe I (hall apply the words of the Prophet, Zech. 13. 4, >, <^> And in that day fljall the Prophets be aflnzm'd every one of his i fifion^ when he hath phropbefiedj neither jhaH he wear j a rough Garment to deceive ^ but he pj all fay I a?H no Prophet^ I am an Husband-man^ for Man taught nte t$ kee^ Cattle from my Touth. So fhall thefe when convinced of their Prefumption, fay, I am no Scholar, no Divine, no Man of Learning, j but I was bred an Husband-man from my youth, ! a Grazier of Cattle, a Plough-man^ tho' now a Miller, and a Preacher. How jljall they hear without a Pr^cher ? And how jliall they Preach, ex^ j cept they be fent ? Was St. Paul's Argument Rom. ( 10. 14, ly. No Part nor Portion of the Mi- niftry of the Gofpel may any Man take upon I him^ but being called of God^ as was Aaron, H4. 5r. 4. Nor did Chrift undertake his Mi- ' niftry, or glorify himfelf to be made an High- ' Prieft, till the Father had given him a Power ! in thefe Words, Thcu art a Prieft for ever af- ter the Order of Mtlchifedec, Htb. 5. 6, there- fore it is he fo often pleads his own Commiffi* on, and fo frequently tells the Jru^Sy that the ^ Father had fcnt him. Upon this he groundshis j Difciples Milfion, As the Father hath fent we, fo fend JjfOM^Johmo, 21. ' D % None ( i6 ) Nonccanbe an AmbalTador, but hewho hath Power from his Prince, wiibout his Letters Credentials he fliall be treated as a Spy. Nor can any be an AmbaiTador for Chrift, bur thofe who are fent by him , tf any come not in hy this Tvay they are Thieves and Robbers^ and the good Sheep ^ill not hear them, John lO. i. 8. But fee the Diforder and Confufion of Sacri- lege and Schifm, what was the Prophets Com- plaint may now be the Churches Groan, Ma- ny Vaftors have defiroyed my Vineyard^ Jer. ii. lo. By Minifters of Error and Schifms, Teacher^ of Herefy and Blafphemy is the Church rent and divided. Thefe are they that go before they are fent^ and ivlll run before they are bid go. Jer. 1 4. 1 4. and 23. ri. fhould we enquire of thofe wh6 are fo hafty to be Preachers, and ask them what Hand fent them ? They will plead the Spirit's MilBon, looking for no 01 her outward Teftimo- ny or Warrant than the inward Call. Strange that Men dare pretend to a Call beyond that o{ Timothy and Titus^ yea of P^«/and Barnabas^ who iho' Inwardly called, yea extraordinarily and immediately, y^i they had their Outward Tefti- jnony, their Ecclefiaftical Warrant, their Apo- ftolical MifFion, and this by Impofition of hands, Acfs 13.1. 3. Some indeed among them will not go, but as fenr, and fent by Ordination too; But by what Hands were they ordain'd, by what Authority fent ? The former go with- out Milfion, thefe go but by a forged Miflion ^ the former ufurp the Office Miniftc rial in execu- tion only, thefe ufurp it in Execution and Or- dination too: And where then is the greater guile of Iniquity, but in the greater Violation of theMiniftry? It c 3?:! It IS not an unfeafonable Qljcdion, VVhether the An.ibapti[l Miniflcrs are Lawful Minifters ? Whether they have Power to Execute any Mi^ niftcrial OHice, to Preach the Word, Adminifter the Sacraments, or Denounce Church Cen- fures? We deny it, bccaufe they have neither the outward Warrant, nor the inward Call, what- ever they m^y pretend to the Spirit, whicb in fomc, is a Sj^irit of Deluiion, in moft of Igno- rance and Error. What condition then are thofe People in, who follow thefc falfe Paftqrs, thefe blind Guides ? God may have mercy on the Sheep, but will require an account of thefc intruding Shepherds, who handle the Sacred Mi- (leriesof the Church with fuch polluted hands. It is a true Maxim, Nefutor ultra Crepi^aw^which vjc may render in St. P^/z/'s words. Lit every Man abide in the fame Calling v/ herein he was call* J, I Cor. 7. iQ. Let the Grazier mind to fe^d hi$ Sheep; let the Miller grind his Corn j and makejuft Meafure j let the Cqoper hoop his Tubbs, ^nd the Blacklmith forge at his AnviJ, and leave Preaching, and the Minifterial Fundi- ons, to thofe whom God, and the Church, have lawfully Authorifed. But when the Office of publick Teaching lies open 10 all Invaders, and any who pretend to the Spirit may take upon thetri to Miniiter the Word, it willfoon appear, what afadHarveft we fhall reap from fuch Seeds-men, what Mif- chiefs and Nfiferies, whac Herefies and Schilms fhall arife from fuch Teachers, v;hofe Ignorance and Boldncfs qualifies them for nothing more than Errors and Impieties. Such as is the Teaching, fuch will be the Church. A Syna- gogue of Sataw, is taught by a Spirit of Error, D 3 and (38 ) and the Spirit of Error ftill accompanies the Spirit of Pride, and a broaching of Hercfie at- tends the Invading the Miniftry j all which is verified in Anabaftifm. When a Thief breaks into an Houfe,he drives to difpoflefs the right Owner. And thefe intru-* ding Preachers do not only invade the Minifte- rial Fundlion, but juftle with, and would exclude thofe who have the lawful poflefTion. To rail againft the Miniftry, and reproach the Church, •was fometimes taken for a Mark of Eledtion, and an evident Sign of a Babe of Grace. The Treshiterians Speak honourably of the Church, but the Anahaftifts^ whofe Principles are to de- fpife Government, and to fpeak evil of Dignities, make the Church, and her Minifters, the objedt of their Contempt and Derifion. The nick- name of BldCk-C^oats, and the impious Term of BaaFi Prieits, frequently us'd by them, and o- ther Dill'f^nrers. All Orders of Men are diftin- guilVd by their Habits. Why may not a Mini- Hicx wear a black Gown, as a Miller go clad in a grayifh Coat, and a white Hat. I am fure *tis a more decent habit to Preach in. But the Charge of BaaLs Prieft is Blafphemy againft Heaven j He that deffifeth you, deffifeth me, (fays Chrift) and he that deffifsth me, de- ffifeth him that fent me, Luke lo. i6. while they mock his Ministers, they mock God himfelf, and make God no other than an Idol j when thofe •who ferve at his Altar are ftifd Priefts of Baah Horret animus^ I tremble at the Confequence. What is all the Chriftian Religion but Idolatry? What is the Faith and WorDiip of the Church of England but Idolatry ? If her Sacred Mini- vers be Priefts of thai Prophane Idol, what is God C 39 ) God himfdf but an Idol, and what is this Po- (ition, bm Atheifm, Blafphcmv, and Impiccy ? Bat the Scripture will inform us, who are the Pricfts of Baal. When Jeroboam fct up his two Calves, he made Pritfls of the loweft of the Peo- ple, I Kings II. 31. And in that hodge podge, and mcJIcy of Religion, when the Ifiaelites fear- ed the Lord, and fervcd their own Gods, they made unto themfelvcs, of the lowcft of them, Priefts of the high places, 1 Ki?jgs 17. 31, 33, I will not fay the Anabaptift Miniftersare Pricfts of B.ial. I hope they wor/hip the true God, but I am fure thty are among the loweft of the People, and if they excel in any thing, *tis iq Ignorance and Confidence. If we enquire into the Reafonsof their rca- (dinefs to Teach the People (as they fayj freely, we fhali find ic rcduc'd into thefc two heads, of Profit and Power. Profic they deny, and there- fore they Exclaim againd the Legal maintenance of the Clergy, which God Eftablifh*dby a Law among the Jews^ and of which the Apoftlefays that it is the Ordinance of the Lord,n^^ they who Trench the Gjjpel, (JjouLl Live of the GoffeL i Co- rinth.f), 14, this maimenance all humane Laws have Eftablifli'd. The Heathens thought it Sa- crilege to deprive the Sacerdotal Office of its divine Rights, and fo do the Mahometans to this very day. But they fay we preach freely, and without Hire. 1 reply, who hath requird this of your hands, is it -Zeal to God's glory, or your own Ambition to Rule, that is the Spur which pricks you on to this charitable Service of what you call the Church of Chrift ? Falfe Apoftles have been known to preach without Wages, to win the Peoples favoiir. But a Carpenter frorp D 4 P^Ffiv^ (40 ) Deptfor J cmViOthQ edified withou| Forty Pound a Year, befides Contributions. I never have fre- qaented the Affemblies of our Neighbouring Anabaptifts, and I pray God none of my Fami- ly ever may ; but this I know there are private Contributions, by way of Colledlion, which are in effect but fettled Stipends ; without which few will be infpired. And however they may pretend, freely to give what they have freely re- ceived, yet'tis too late now to conceal their Con- gregational Collrdlions. From Profit we proceed to Power, this, in Englifh and Practice, is Pride, or Ambition. They who Lift themfelves in the Chriftian War- fare are oblig*d to obey. But fome illiterate Heads know not how to obey, or fubmit, there- fore they will be fuperiors, and preach. Igno- rance and Noife are the Regalia's of their Go- vernment, to which the deluded Vulgar pay Ad- miration and Obedience^ CHAP. C 41 ) CHAP. VII. 0/ the P radices of the Jefuites in promoting their Principles. IT is obfcrvable, that the Society of the Je- fmtesy and the Se6l of the Anabaftijlsy ap- pear'd in the World much about the fame time. Martin Luther began to preach again ft the Papa! Indulgencies in the Year 1 5 1 7. Muncer^ one of thofe filthy Dreamers among the Jnabapl^s^h^^ gan his Prophefies, and pretended to fecret Con- ferences with God in the Year 1522. Anno 15:17 they were gathered into a Sedi, or Body, openly oppugning Infants Baptifm,and plead ing for Re- baptization. Luther^ Zuinglius^ and others, open- ly oppofed them, and the Magiftrates punifh'd them in all places. As for Ignatius Loyola^ the Founder of the Order of Jefuites, he deferted the Wars in the Year 15:11. Anno 15:18 he began to gather Companies, and Anno 1534 his Order was fram'd j and, according to Vetavius^ Con- firm'd by Pope Paul III. in the Year 15:4.0. So that 'tis difficult to fay which is the Elder Bro- ther. For Munfiery a City in IVefifhalia, was pofleft by the Anabaptifts, Anno 1534, ^^^ ^^^^ Year in which the Order of Jefwteiv/2is fram'd^ fothat they are twin Brothers, both of an Age and Binh, and have aiike in pradice prov*d foutefanx^ or JF#xw and i^fr^^r^w/Zuo the Church and r 4^ ) and State whetiever they come to harbour, or gain pofleflion, only the Jefuit is the more fubtle Fox., None admitted to their Order but Men of excellent Parts and Learn- ing, whereas the AnahaptiH plays more the Idiot- Ignorance and Obftinacy being his beft Argument, whereby the Anabaptift is the Jefuits Firebrand, to fet on Fire the Church and State, and if there be any dif- ference m Age, the Elder doth fervc the Younger, tho' both conbin'd in oppofition to the Reformed Religion. And Luther was Condemn d between them, it being a noted Opinion of the firft Anabapttfts, That Lu- ther himfelf was. as bad as the Pope, or ra- ther worfe. Lutherum et Fontificem Roma- mm aiunt ejje falfos Vrophetas^ Luther urn ta* wen altero deteriorem, Ofiandery Appendix Hiflorica page 23. Sle'idan^ lib. xo.page 196, Luther^ and the Pope were falfe Prophets, but Luther worfe tl\an the other. This was one of the Articles they publilh'd ac Munfter in their Book they call'd the Rejii- tution. Strange, that that great Light of the Church, to whom the Honour (next tq God) of the Reformation is due, lliould be equally opposed by the Jefuit, vyho endea- vourcch to Deform^ and the Amhapttft who protends to Reform the Reformed. Thus is that good Man Crucified between thofc two Thieves, wlic Rob the Church of her Peace and Faith. The (43 ) The Romtjh Church having, for a long timc,lock'd up the Scriptures in an unknown Tongue, upon the Reformation, when Pro- tcftant Princes allowed and encouraged the Reading of it within their Dominions; the Jefuite contrived to take Advantage of the People's Ignorance, and thought it necefla- ry before they were well grounded in their Principles, to perplex the Scripture with different Interpretations, aad to preach va- riety of Dodrine,- to fome, the Doctrine of Free-Will; to fome, that Children fliould not be Baptiied till they come to Age ; to others, a Monarchy of Earthly happinefsaC* ter this Life; to others, that theRighteout nefsof Man dependeth not upon the Faich of Chrift, but upon Charity and Affliction* And that any Gifted-Man may either give or receive the Sacrament. Hence came all the Seds and Divifons that have been in the Church of late, fmce the Reformation. And tho' fome have fided on one Errour, fome with another, yet the Anabaptiftfuck'dup the Poifonof all, there being no Errour or Herefy maintained by any of the Schifma- tical Separatifts, but what is to be found amongft the Anahaptifls, whereby they be- came the fitter Inftrument for the Jefuit*s ufe, as may appear by a few following In- ftances, taken out of the firft, fecond^and third Parts of a Book entituled, Foxes and Firelrandsy printed Anno i68i. Through (44) Through the Toleration, which was permitted during the Contefts that were between the King and his Parhament, in- numerable SecSts Iprang up, who main- rain'd many Tenents prejudicial to found Doctrine, and the Peace of the Church, all which were Licenfed by Rome^ and her Je- fuirs, who were lent over from beyond Seas to confound the Proteftant Reforma- tion. In the Year 1653, ^^^^^ 8^^^^ ^^^^ baptift, ililed the Admtnijirator of Hexham near M^wcajile, and removed after to Cel^ chefter, proved to be a Papift, if not a Jc- fuit. Ramfey, a Scoth Jefuit, fcnt over pur- pofeiy by the Pope and Jefuits into Efig- lanJ^ Anno, 1653, ^^^^ under the Notion of ^Jew^to infule new Notions into thcAnahap'' iifls^ and to fide with them. He addrefleth himfelf to Vaul Hohjon^ the Anahaptijl, a grand Army-Preacher, and to this Admini- lirator's Congregation, where he made a publick Profeffion, that he was a Jew by Birth, but now Converted to the Chriftian Religion, was publickly Dipt by this grand Adminiftrator at Hexhdmy received as a Member into their Afiahaptifijcal Congre- gation, who much gloried in fuch a Convert. Till within a few Weeks, he wasi by the Mayor, and Miniftcrs ofHewca/lle, clearly difcovered to be a grofs Impoftor, z Scotch Jeluit, was fent up to London^ and there Confined. Like ( 45 ) Like him were two other Jefuits, preten- ding to be Jews, who had named thcm- felvcs Eleazer-Btn-ljaLih and Jofiph, thcfe proved to be two grand Impoftors, thefe were Dipped by the ^;/^/^/'^///j, and main- tained the Principle of Dipping, in oppo- fition to the practice of SprinkUng ; and that the Anahaptijis were the only ftrong and true Chriflians. Thefe were difcover- cd by Mr. Frynnf, One had been a Troo- per in Prince Rupert s Army. At Duojly in Cloucefterjhire was a CoUedtion made for him, under the Notion of a Converted Jew. On the fame Sunday he drank five Juggsof Bear, and fmoak'dfundry Pipes of Tobacco, whereby to digeft his Lord's day Supper, and difgorge his Sermons. When the Maid Servant went to warm his Bed, he Lock'd the Chamber Door, and attempted to Ravifti her, fhe Crying out, the Boy o- ver-heard her, rais'd the Neighbours, the Impoftor fled, and was heard no more of. For thefe two Relations fee /^ S. and E. L. from Rot- ierdam, whofe Leflbn was taught them, they being for Rebaptifing, and not for In- fants Baptifm, and for a future Monarchy upon Earth after Death. Foxes and Fire- hands Part i^. page ix. Thomas Ramfey, a Traveller, a Scholar, profefs*d Phyfick, and was an excellent Lin- guift,yet a rank Papift, after feveral Pranks lurking m difguife m the City of London, was detedled by Mr. Prynne^ on whom he put a Cheat, and getting out of Reach Wrot to him, that in Cromwell's time he was Imployed by the Pope and Jeiuits to ad- Vance their Defigns in England and Ireland; that he had Prcach'd iometime in an Inde- ftnderit Shape, otherwile among the Ana- baptjfls^ (49 > taptiflsy and fomctimcs among the Qj^aken. Ibid page 94. And had the Pope's Bull for whac he did- A Copy of a Letter, fenc by an unknown Hand, to that moft Reverend Archbilhop James Ufher^ Primate of all Ireland^ figned J. Fa^an^ Dated London May i ^th 1641, and diredled to tJic Sacred and Holy Society (as he ftiles ihem) oi Jefus at Paris, among other Particulars of their Defigns to fub- vert the Church and State, hath this Ex- preilion: We are Encouraging the Indepen- dents, purpofely to lallance the Scales^ leajl the Presbyterians q/oiv too ponderous ; and as ive fhail find them alfo^ tve /hall Encourage the Anabaptifts, knowing that thefe are a De/lru^ion to a Monarchy. Ibid Part 3. page ifo. 151. Another Letter figned J. Pagan, diredtcd ds above from London, April 6th 1645 a- mong other things fays thus. The Anabap- tifts encreafe amaih. It is not ripe enough as yet to Jet Anabaptifm a madding at this time^ Ibid page 155". 156. In a Letter from the Reverend Dodor John Bramhatj Bifhop of Derry in Ire/and, to the aforcfaid moft Reverend Archbifliop U/ker. We find this account of the practice of the Engli/hj Scotch and Iri(h Romiih Clergy beyond Sea. That in Pjw they meet thrice in the Week to oppofe one ano- ther 5 one pretends Presbytery, another In- E dcpendifm, C 50 ) depcndifrti, feme Anabaptilm ; and accord-^ ing as thofe who are appointed to hear their Arguing, fliall judge of their fitnefs, they are fent abroad, to adl amongft the Presbyterians^ Independents, Analaptijts^ Qua- kersy &ic, Dat, July zo 1654. From the fore-going Difcourfe, and la- ftances I have brought, I drawthis Inference. That the Jefuits, and other Romifli Emif- faries, have had the main ftroke in caufing thofe fo many Divifions and Sed:s about Re- ligion in En^Jand. And that, as by the fore-mention'd Inftances appears, they have wrought on the Anahaptijfs as much as any. From the whole I vt^ould give them this Friendly Advice, That confidcring how il- literate they Univcrfally are, they would be cautious of truding too far any who, having real folid learning in the Schools and Education, fliall to make a Penny (be it Forty Pounds a Year, or how mucn Ibever) pretend to Difpute, Preach, or Write againft any, who fliall oppoie them ; it being a general Obfervation, that no Man of folid learning doth Embrace their Opitrions, and Efpoufc their Caufe; but thofe who privately, and in a difguile, car- ry on their own Intereft of Divifion and Gain, and being either detected, or having puird off their Vizor, it may redound to their Shame, Ignominy and Contempt. If they Love their Reputation let them take €are c^re of Scholars in difguifc, who having obcain'd their ends, will Counterfeit falle Enghfh in writing for them, and having re- cciv'd his Collections for his Sunday's Sermon, will march >/> 20. otf, and leave them to dif- pute alone, where an Opponent appears. The good Man had got his Money, and is content to march off. He had accompliih d what he came for. If, in Difcourle with an Anabaptift, you tell him that he AcSs contrary to all the Pradife of the Rf?form*d Churches of whac Sed: or Divifion foever, fome that know the Myftcry will reply : If you will pretend to Reform the Religion, and Errors of the Papids, why may not wc Reform your Abufes, and Redlify thofe Errors,\vhich you have omitted to Regulate. To which I Anfwer, the hand of Joai is ia this Reply^ and the Subtilty of the Jeluit plainly ap- pears. When the Romijh Priefts and Jefuits promoted the Sectaries to divide ourChurch, they had a Lycenfe from Rome to rail againrt the Pope, and the Roman See, and to fide with the Sed:aries,to railagainfl: ihe Church of Rome, and the Church of Englan^^ as being both alike. Hereupon the Liturgy was called the £»^///Z? Alajs, bowing to the Altar, kneeling at the Sacrament, and the Crofs, in Baptifm, were ternVd Idolatry, Temples were call'd Steeple- Houlcs, Sui- E ^ pliccs ( Jl ) pikes were fuperftitious Garments. Now the Jefuits taught rhcm all this railing, in difguife, againft the Church of Romey to bring the Church of Englajtd inio Contempt. Hence thofe Deformers pretended to Re- form what was already done, jull according to Htidilras^ As if Religion was tntendecty For nothing elfe hut to he m€ndcd. Let them know that the Reformation in England was done by the Body of the Na- tion, by the King, Prieft and People, ac- cording to the neareft Pattern of the Pri- mitive Church. This EftabhflVd by Sta- tute Law, and the AEl of Conformity i Sea- led by the Blood of many Godly Bilhops, and other Martyrs, Enemies to Popery in Queen Marys days. Why a few illiterate Mechanicks, who creep into Houfes, and hide thcmfelves in Corners, (hould pretend to Reform this Blefled Reformation, I fee no reafon. God preferve us all, and his Church of England^ from the fubtlety of a deluding Jefuit, and the Ignorance of anoi- fy Anahaptifl. Amen. And to the confideration of their Igno- rant Mechanick Teachers, and Sophiftical Jefuirical Dcluders, it may not be imperti- nent to add a Word or two of fome of their Authors. John Cf3) John Tomhcs, in his Ex amen and Pr^cur^ JoKy is their chief Oracle, as Eminent a- mong them as Aquinas among the School- Mcn. He was a Man of Learning, a None-fuch in the Controvcrfy, and, as far as it will bear, Argued the Caufc with Mo- defty and honcft DeaHng; he was engaged with Mr. Bolster in Icvcral Difputcs, and carried himfelf fairly enough in all. Pity his Parts and Learning had not been cm- ployed in a more righteous Caufe. After him appears his Ape, Henry Dan- verSy whofe Book hath more Realbn to pre- tend to Torches for its Author, the princi- ple Materials being taken from him ; but they are fo fpoil'd and ill put together, that the Book, as it (lands among thofe who have read any thing, is a fufficient Confu- tation. The Book is like fome of their Preachers, a Scandal to their Profeffion. 1 fliould be afliamcd to produce a Book of that nature m matter of Controvcrfy. 'Tis indeed calculated for the Meridian of Igno- rance, and fo the fitter for their deluded Followers. I am furc no Man of Learning, but one who defigncdly carries on a Caulc, will ever defile his Fingers with fuch Pitch. *Tis a Book full of Plagiary, Prevaricati- ons, Impertinences, andmanifcftFalftioods. Who, but a Sophifter, would have brought the Tcftimony of Baxter^ Calvin^ Perkins, Pi/cat^ znd Parausy tQ vindicate the Prin- E 3 ciples (S4) ciples of the AmLipt/Jh^ when thofe Divines pradlifed the contrary, and (ome of them wrote exprefly againft them ? )Vhat Man of Scnfe would aflcrt, that the Baptifm qf Believers was the only Baptifm ; and after fomc Mifreprefentation of Scripture, would produce the two Tcftimonies of Luther and Bullin^er in that behalf, than whom none were more virulent Enemies to the Ana^ haptifls^ the latter writing exprefly and bit- terly againft them ? It was no honeft Pea- ling to bring the Ccnturiators of M,a%^cleyi- mrg to fpeak againft Infant Baptifm in eve- ry Century. When in very truth they give you the practice of the Church in eve- ry Century for it, even from the Apoftlcs rime. To catch at broken Sentences, anc} not take the Scnfe and Connexion, is the pradtice of an Impoftor, and a Deceiver. 'Tis imppfing upon the Ignorance of un- skilful and unwary Readers ; 'tis furely a bad Caufe, that needs ftipport from fuch wretched Shifts. Agreeable to this is "Jeruhaal, a Chip of the old Block, hewn out from Tomhes by the Joiner of Deptfor^l^ Edward Pay, who nov/ ftiles himfelf, at Do^ver^ a Minifter of the Gofpel ; for his Moials let BucklanJ^ pear Dover ^ teftify ; for his Learning, which che Ignorant at firft fo much admired, it is (pome to juft nothing. Kis Letter to a Neighbouring Clergy-man, with whom he had ( 5S ) had fome Concrovcrly, betrays his Igno- rance, in the E>Jglijh Orthography, and h'is'want of Skill in the Languages; tho* at a dead hfc, he hath made a miferablc Ex* cute, by laying the fault upon a Woman, who is pretended to be the Copier. I have Icen little ellc of their Writing, if their Grand Leaders arc fo open tp Cenfure, what arc their leder UnderHng Scriblcrs ? As for Keach^ I have feveral of his Writings by me, they deferve a due Commendation. But I have leen nothing of his upon the fubjedl ^of Ana- Ihiptifrri^ and therefore leave hira^ till better Information. F 4 CHAP. is6) CHAR VIII. Their TraBices in their A^emhlies^ Mar- riages^ Extream UnHton and lB«? rials. THE fubftancc of their Worfliip is Praying and Preaching, they chufc their Church-Officers by Praying, Fafting, and laying on of Hands ; and this is their Ordination. They allow all to Excrcife^ who are gifted Brethren, or Preaching Dit dples. So that one fliall read a Portion of Scripture ; another fliall expound fome Ppr- tion of Holy Writ; a third fliall begin with Prayer ; a fourth fliall Preach a Ser- mon; and a fifth conclude with Prayer. Many of them admit of no Mufical Pfal- mody, or. Singing of Pfalms, tho'lomcof them think it lawful, Thofe who rcjed: it allcdge, that finging of Pfalms, as Davids, m any other holy Songs of Scripture, is unlawful, and not to bejoin'd with; where- as the Singing which Chriftians fliould ufc, is that of Hymns and fpiritual Songs formM by themfelves, and compofed by their own Gifts; ( 57 ) Gifts; and that upon fpecial Occafions fung in the Congregation by one of the Aflcmbly, the reft being filent. Thisfomc of them pradic d at Bruges^ where they had a peculiar Officer, appointed to mo- dulate the Hymn, and fing it to the filcnt Congregation. In the Receiving the Sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper, they have a Principle, that it ought to be received with the Hat on, and the Head covered, prete«* ding a Caution, leaft any Worfliip or Rcf- pedt fliould be given to the Elements. How- ever they do it very irreverently, fitting on their Breeches, and handing the Ele- ments one to another, accounting the Sacra- ment to be Commemorative only, not ef- ficacious, or apphcatory. They refufe to comply with the Ceremony of Marriage in our Service-Book, but, liRe the Quakers, have a manner among themfelves which they hold firm and good, which, for the Reader's S^tisfadiion, I ftiall fct down as I coUedled it out qf an Author of their own, in the Hands of Mr. Tavemer of Deal^ Son to the old Tavcrner of Dover^ about twelve Years agon. — The Parties to be Married being qualified for that State of Life, ac- cording to the Law of God and the Land, according to the Degrees therein limited, they call together a Competent number of their Relations and Friends, and having u- fually fome of the Miniftry prefent with them ( j8 ; them, the Parties concerned do declare theij Concradl formerly made between them- ielves, and with Advice of their Friends^ if occafion requireth, and then taking each other by the Hand, do declare that they from that Day forward, during their natu- ral Lives together, do enter into the State of Marriage, ufing the Words, or the fub- ftance of them, which are appointed for the Words of Marriage in the Service Book, And then a Writing is fign'd by the Parties married, to keep in Memory the Contradl and Covenants thereof. To which is annex'd a Certificate of the Witnefles, thus, IVe, whofe Names are fuhfcrihed dotejlify^ that the ahovefa'id A. B. and C D. the Day and Tear ahovefaid^ did mutually Take each o- iher into the State of Marriage^ ackmwledg- ing the Contrail and Covenant ^ and Ratifying ihe Agreements hy Word^ and hy the Suhfcrip' iion thereof as ahovefaid, InWitnefs tvherec^f sve do hereunto fet our Handsy the Day and Tear ahovefaid. After which fome fuitable Councel, or Inftrudion, is given to the Parties> but nQ Man taketh upon him the Office to marry any ; that being the proper Ad of the Par- ties themfelvcs, and then Prayer is made to God, for his Blefling upon the Parties xnarried. ( f9 ) Now, whether luch Marriages are judi- fiablclwillnoc pretend to determine; lure I am, they arc not fafe to the Perfons con- tradting on cither fide, but give them a Latitude or Liberty to leave one another, there being no Legahty of Cohabitation by fuch private Contrads; hence it is,that they arc fo incHnable to allow of Divorces; it being one ^id, f, 43. y^. of their Tenents, as I have noted before, that Wives of a contrary Re- ligion arc to be put away, and that the Rebaptifed Wife may forfakc her Husband, if he be not fo alfo. And did not the Law confine them, we fliould fee Adtions fuira- ble to fuch Principles. Nor are thefe pri- vate Marriages fuitable to the practice of all Chriftians ; all Papifts and Proteflants, all Sedts and Sedlaries ufc no fuch way, only the Quakers practice it, whereby they have ranked themfelvcs with the bafcft of Sed:aries, and, in this cafe, reafon good, for as the Jefuit was twenty Years hamer- ing out the Quaker s Religion, fo the Am" laptifl being forged upon the fame Anvil, a new way of Marriage was introduced, there- by to give room for the Jefuit and Komifh Priefts to take Women ; for they being pro- hibited Marriage, and accounting Mar- riage one of their fcven Sacraments, durft not take a Wife, or be married after the ra^ner of either the Rowijh or Ertglijh Churchy ( *o ) Church, therefore for the better carrying on the Caufe, and to conceal thcmfelves, they were difpenced with by the Pope, and un- der that difguifc they wore, they would take Women in the Congregation of Ana- iaptiflSf or Quakers, according to which SeA they had join'd themfelves ; and be- caufe they could not A&. thefc two parts only, in the time of Cr^wi^;^/, they obtained C to make way for their own taking of Wo- men) that all Marriages (hould be made be- fore a Magiftrate, as was, for a while pra- tz^er obfcrvcrh, That it is al- moft impofliblc to ict down all the Diifc- rcnces and contrary Opinions of the Ana- hjiptifts^ With all their feveral Seds and Factions. And true it is, that ahnofl: eve- ry one of the Gemuni Ayjahcipnjts, hnd 'bmc peculiar Toy or Figment in their Heads, upon which they are divided^ and do oft Excommunicate one another. The reafon of the obfcurcnefs of their Notions, arifeth from two principal Caufes. i. Their want oF z Conf el fio^ of faith ;ihoic creeping Errors cannot tell how to endure a Form of found words of Dodrinc. Among fo many dif- agrceing Opinions, *tis hard for them all to agree in the Unity of Faith, any more than they do in the Bond of Peace. All Chur- ches and ProfelTions, have ufually firft of all publiflied their Confeflions of Faith and Catechifms, that their Faith might be known unto all Men. But the Analapt'tfts, who know not their own Principles, have been very fliy of any thing of this Nature. The Germans never published any, as I could e- ver learn. Nor were thofe in Englanrl ever known to appear publicly in this Nature, till the Year 1644, and yet are they di- vided, thofe abroad differing from thofc at London : And here at home they Be- lieve not ail alike. Nay, they are noc yet agreed about that on which they lay F the -— (66) the ElTi oi J.tyden, was fain d to Dream three days, and pretending to be Dumb after his Trance, he wrote down this Ora- cle, That It ivjs the Will of the Father^ th.it a M^yt jhouUl not le tied to one Wife, tut tti/rr^ht r,:arry as many as he pleated. This he immediately puts in Pradticc, and marries three Wives ; and feme lay, he left not till he m:\le tircm Fiitcen. This is no Slan- der, it was the Dodlnne and Pradicc of their fii it King. Another of their Kings, 'John Wilhernes.^ had Twenty one Wives, among which was the Mother and the Daughter : And all this, fays my Author, Tour multiplier le nomme du Feuple de Dieu, To encreafe the name of the People of God. See Cha, N/el, a French Author^ p. 6r. And in thus allowing a Polygamy of Wives, they are Jews and Mahometans. But their Spiritual Marriages methinks is a pret- ty Invention. One of their Prophets, Ri- chard Farnham^ the Weaver, difcovered in London., in 1642, becaufe he would make a more lenfible dcmonflrationof his extraor- dinary Calling like Hojea, took to himfelf a Wife of Fornication, that is a W^horc, a Sca-faring Man's Wife ; who returnmg home, laycd her in Newgate, Some have affirmed. That thofe W' omen fin grievoufly^' who lay with their Husbands that are nor Re- ( 78 ) %uiiingeY, Re-baptized, becaufe they are ^* '^* Gent'ils ,• hue they may lie with a- ny who are Rebapazed, becaufe the Hea- venly Father hath lo commanded, fav their Dreamers. This was the Reafon GaftiuY- 3^. the Wench gave to cxcule her rlr. ^^ ^' Filthineis when flie was found with Child, That (he was un- willing to deny any Man the duty of Spi- ritual Maiiia^c, that did require it; for lay they, All of our Society are all one Spirit, and fo muft we be all one Body. How far this Head is applicable to thofe of this Age,they themfelves beft know, what is done in private we know not : Should they once have the Rule and Dominion, we ihould foon fee their Paadice. There was among them alio, a Sed cal- led Divorcers^ who put their Wives away : It being a Maxim amongft them,that a Man may put away his Wife if (he differ from him in point of Religion, and be not of their Sed. 9. They are Millenarks or Chiliaids^ for they fay, That before the day of Judgment, Chrifl (hall come down from Heaven, and Reign with the Saints upon Earth a Thou- fand Years ; at what time they Ihall raile a Monarchy, in which all the Wicked (hall be deltroyed, and the Godly, (meaning themfeives; Ihall reign alone, binding Kings in Chains, and their Nobles in hnks of Iron. For f 79 ) For they fuppofe thcmlclves the People who muft fulfil that Prophcfy,/yt7/m 149.8. Their fore- mentioned Buldetulen Paftor, Georg[e Hanimo>ul pleads highly for this O- pinion in a long and fet Dilbourfc on pur- pole, drawing it out with all its braiKhcs as full as the Ancknt M/Ile^aries did. Some call this Opinion Chnft's perfonal Reign on Earth. And under this Head, I could conclude fome of them under the Title of Sahlatarians^ for lome ol thofe AnalaptiftSy who have been moflly inclined to this perlbntl Reign of Chrift, have embraced the feventh- day-Sabbath. An intimate Ac- quaintance, School-fellow, and Compani- on of mine, had imbibed thefe Principles among his other Anahaptijlical Tenents, which he fuck'd in from his Parents Edu- cation ; we lived together fo long till he difowned the Seventh, and embraced the firft Day 'Sabbath. I knew a Silk- Weaver, who being an ^;/tf^7/'/i(/, was alfo a C7^///j/?, and a Salhatar'ian ; I had a particular A- quaintance and Converlation with him. Of the fame Opinion was that eminent A-* nalaptift^ and great SchoUar Francis Bamp'^ fellcl of London^ who wrote a particular Treatife in Vindication of the feventh- Day-Sabbath, and mixed with it, and his other Difcourfes, many Paflages of Chrift's Perfonal Reign on Earth. I know^ they are not all of this Opinion, fbme think o- thervvife. ( 8o ) .. othervvife. It were well if this was the worfl: Tenent they hold. lo. They are Stokks^ Epicures^ SaJducees and Hohhijts^ for they deny the Immorta- lity of the Soul^and fay, that the Soul being mortal lleeps with the Body, and fhall not arife till the Day of the Refurredion. This their Birl^lenden Paftor minceth, telHng us, that the Righteous lye down in Peace, and the Wicked in trouble; and when they a^ wake, the Peace of the One, and Trouble of the other, fliall come frefti upon them. But mod of them in our Parts holdtl^ Mor* tality of the Soul till the Refurre61:ion. My former mentioned School-fellow own'd it, and difputed it in a little Treatife he wrote to me, which I have bv me. Some in this Town have held the Argument for it againft me. I cannot beheve that thofe who put away the Evil-Day fo far from them, do believe it will come at all. All Rewards and Punifliments are of no ufe, Threats and Promiies are but Scare-crowds, Heaven and Hell but Chimera's, if the Soul dies with the Body. If tit this Lijeonly we have hope, we are of all Men mofl mifcrahle^ I Cor. 15-. 19. On this Principle it was that Cato^ and others, have killed thcmfelves, as be- ^^'^^ Plutarch, lieving Death puts an end to all Things. If defpair hath occafioncd Self-murder to many, I doubt not but this J^otion ( 8i ; Notion hath procured ic to more, Death being, with them, the end of all Troubles: Hence the Epicure cries out, Let us Eat and Vrnik^for to morrvw we (he, i Cor. 15'. 31. And fmcc there is no pleafure after Life, let us Uve voluptuoufly here. EJe^ lile^ luJey fofl mortem nulla voluptas^ *Tis upon this Principle that the great A- thcift Lucretius lo enlargeth in his third Book, which he fpends wholly in proving the Mortality of the Soul. That the Body- dying, the whole Soul dieth with it ^ that there is no farther Exiftence of Man after Death; by this Principle of Mortality, all good and bad Deeds ceafe, all Rewards and Punilhments are laid afide, the fear of Death is removed, the Convidions of a j^uilty Conlcience, and the Awe and Dread Mankind hath of a Divine Power alovc him is wholly Extindt. Our Saviour ex- prefly argues againft the SaJduces about this Principle, M^tth. xz. Ir was an old and defpicable Herefy in the Church, raifed in Arabia^ in the livaQ of On^en ; an obfcure Au- thor in a Book ftiled, Alans Mortality, hath revived it. And of the Soul Solomon faith. The Body jhall return to the Earthy and the Spirit to God who gave it, Ecclef. ix. 7. That Se<5t of tlie Anabuptifis who firft broach- G ei (80 td this Dodlrine,, were termed Soul Slee^ pers. I hope, by this time, I have made good my Charge, and proved them Hereticks; their vulgar Hearers know htcle. of all this, and fome of th^ir Xeacliers are as Ignorant. Here is, indeed, a goodh Bead-roll of He- refies, which, if I Itrung them upon an A- nabaptijlical Cats-gut, are like to make a fine Ornament for a Chriftian. Oh, Neigh- bours, keep to the good old way ; walk m that, and do not run gadding after chofe new wandring Lights, who will lead you into the Mazes of Error, the Intricacies of Hereiy, and the Fit of Deflrud'ion. li they think I have charged thefe Errors npon 'em out of my own Head, let them conlult At- fiedhis his CompencL TkeoL Foyitunus Cata- log, Hccret, Bid/linger. Sleidan^ in his Hi- ftory of the Reformation^ in Gerryiany. Ujuin- der Enchiridion Controverjuirum. GaJiiuSy Hortenfius, and others. And if they have a Capacity fit to read thoie Authors, they may find 1 have not fiandred them, but done thcmjuilicc- II. hi their Confeilfon of Faith, print- ed at Loiulon^ Anno 1 644, fubfcribed in the Name of Seven Churches in London by 1 5' Pcrlons, iVilliam Kiffen ftanding in the Front, '\\\ the 31ft Article 1 find thele Words. V/hatJoever the Saints^ any of them do pojfejSy or enjoy ^ of God in this Life^ is hy Faith. A C83 ) A dangerous Pofition, linclliiig Rank of thac Opinion imputed to Arwacafsus^ that Dominion is founded on Grace. This is the ground of all Tyranny, Injuflice and Immorality ; for while they account chcm-^ IcJves the only Babes of Grace, and rejcdl all the World as Reprobates by all manner of Fraud and Injullice, ihcy hold it Law- ful to regain to thcmlclves what the Wick- ed, as they fay, do unjuflly dilpoflelsrhem of. Let rhem take to thcmlclvos this Charge, and Examine their own Conlcien- ces, their tumultuous and rebellious AcSions have made it good, their private Dealings have been much complained of. Tho' lomc diflinguifli betwixt Cheating, and over-rea- chir.g, which latter is but a lofr.er term for down right Knavery. Hudibras elegantly defcribes this Opi- nion, Raipbo fpeaking in the Name of thefe pretended Saints. Fart i. Canto 2. The Wicked have no Right lo th' Creature, thd ujurpd by Mighty The Property is in the Saint ^ Prom whom they injur loi^jly detain t : Theje things ive Saints have Title tc. And ought t' enjoy^ had we our due ; What we takejrom them is no more Than what was ours of Right before. This is an admirable Defcription of a Re- G 2. ligioos ( 84 ; Hgious Cheatj which, tho' fome praftice, yet I know many of them are fair honeft dealing Men, and juft and exad: in their Dealings. IX. But they arc the moft uncharitable People in the World. The Black Book of Damnation is opened againft all who are not of their way. A new Profelite of theirs hath pronounced all damn'd that were not Anahaptifls; this was fpoken in an Ale- houfe, and I can bring my WitneiTes. The fame hath been told my Wife by a Neigh- bouring S\\Q'Amhapt'tJ{. Chrilt fays, Ji^i^ge not^ that yf eve not judged. Match. 7.1. Let them take heed of this rafh Cenfure, lead the fame Judgment they judge be judged to them. Again, Chriftian Rehgion allows of more Chority and Humility. Let them remember the poor humble Fuhlican was jijftified before the proud Pharijee, who boaftcd he was not like other Men. *Tis the Pharffaical Anahaj)fffi that Cries to his Neighbour, ftand off, I am more righteous than thou; and boafts himfelf the only Excellent of the Earth. This looks more ahke ro the Cloven-foot of the Deceiver, than the beautiful Feetof thofe who bring the glad Tivlings of the Gofpel of Peace, //T/y. 51. 7. I fliall here conclude their Principlcs,with this two fold Obfervation. I. That C8f ) 1. That tlicy arc pcftilential and infcdi- ous, and being once imbibed feldom re- moved. 'Tis a mortal poyfon, that Icarce admits of Cure ; very few who have adhe- red to them, have returned back into the Arms of their Mother the Church, or to a- ny of thole more tolciable Sc(fts the Preshy- teriam, or Independents, But many Ana- laptijh have become Q^akers^ Witnefs F/- fl^er, who being Parfon of Lydd, in our Neighbourhood, a Man of Learning, ha- ving Apoftatifed from his firft Faith, re- nounced his Canonical Fund:ion, and be- came an Anabaptifed ; from one Error he ran into another, became a Qjjaker^ and, as I have heard, died Mad. The like did Luke Howard of Dover ^ who, after he had turned An,ihaptij} fell ofF to the Q^takers^ wrote a gainft them, and died a Quaker. 2. Their Tenents are fasitious, muti- nous and rebelhous, caufing Divifions in the Civil State, in the Neighbourhood, and in private Families. TheVVars in Germanyzndi Enilmd^ promoted by them, are an Inftancc fufficient of the Confufion of the State,of the latter our Town is a fufficient Inftance. Ne- ver fuch ill Neighbourhood as vj[\QCQAnahap' fifls creep in ,• a fupercilious Pride, and a cenforious Humour, are the make-bates of Civil Society. And as to private Families, the fad Divifions betwixt the Husband and the Wife, for her obftinatc adhering to G 3 them ( 86 ) them in old Age, are a manifeft Teftimo- ny, the regard to whi h ( ihey having for a while been my next and bei'c Neighbours,) put me upon compoling rhis IraCt. 'Tis the Apotlles Adjronit?on, to mark them which caufe Divifions contiar > to the Do- cStrine which we have Lcarn'd, and avoid them. I (hail conclude this Chapter with fomtwhat out of Mr. Baxter, in his P/am Proof, page 145. The main fcope of their Endeavours (faich he) in pubHck and pri- vate, is to propagate their Opinions, and if they do preach any plain wholelomc Do- d:rine, it is ulually but lublervient to their great D.fign. They endeavour to alienate the Hearts of the 1 eople from Godly and painful Minifters, making it their bufineft to difgrace them. 1 never knew (Tayshe ) the labour of any A>?alapf/jt that ever God blefled, to the true Convcrfion of many Souls. But many they made meet Talkers, ' enlorious Opiniatilts, and ufually there leave them. Yea, I defirc, faith he, to look impar- tially through all the Land, and tell me where ever any fuch Teachers lived, but the place was generally much the worfe for them ; where all Chriftian Duties and Con- ferences arc ordinarily turn'd into vain-jang- lings, and empty, windy, unprofitable Dilputes. And farther (lays he) Anahap- tiliry hath been the ordinary In-let to the moft a? ) mort: horrid Opinions ; and that few came to that moiilirous Doctrine, but it was by this Door. Thus far for Mr. Baster^ an Opponent of rhiir great OracleTf^/wirjjiarid one who knew them well. C H A P. X. The Hijlory of their 'Rife in Germany^ the Wars of the Boores^ and the Rebel- 'lion in Munfcer. Hitherto we have Anatomiled the Afm* haptij}^ and viewed him within and without. Let us now look back upon his ftrange Birth and Original, and lee what pangs and throws it coil to bring this Mon- ger into the World, which, tho' Hke the Bears Cubb, he be Uck'd into better form, yet his evil nature ftili remains, ilirouded under a veil of their pretended Sandity, and hypocritical Devotion. A jull Specimen of their Nature, Acfls, and Opinions they themieives have given^ in that horrible Sedition and Rebellion they raifed in Mmjier, a Town in H^ejipha- G 4 //a^ (88 ) lia^ under pretext of a Divine Command, and peculiar Revelation from Heaven i wherein was verified, that Proverbial Speech, that the AttjhpffJfsW^LtQts curn to Blood. God permitting 'em to run into thofe dread- ful Diforders* rhat the World might fee whereanto their Principles tend, what dc- folacion they make in the Church, what ruin in the State, and what deftrudtion of found Dodlrine, and Moral and publick Honcfty. It is a Scory in its felf horrid, deferving rather to be buried in Oblivion, than brought to Remembrance ( a parallel to it in Hiftory not to be found,) but that it was requifite to expofc it to view, to the perpetual Ignominy of the Aruhptiftsy that the feduced Vulgar, who are kept in igno- rance, may fee what a fcandalous Original their Principles had in the World, and that the reft of true Chriftians may fee, and forefee,whatchey aretoexpcdtfrom them, if once they fuffer the Anahaptilis to draw their Sword, or the ruling Power (hould begraf- ped hy them. It hath been from a confi- dcration of the dreadful Confufion they made in Midftfler^ and other places, that all prudent Magiftrates and Governors have tied up rheir Hinds, and by fevere Laws prohibired them a general freedom on the S' ore of Religion, fo that they are obliged, like their Friend William Britten, the Ale- houfe-keepet at Brahome in Kent^ to get a ( h ) Liccnfc, before they can Preach, or have a place co aflemblc in. The Difordcrs in an Alc-houfe, and the Confufion in Mufi- fier^ holding, in Ibme fenle, a parallel, in that as the fpiric of the Liquor inebriates Ibme Men to chc Confufion of their Senccs, and a breach of the Peace, fo that Phanati- cal Spirit of vain and filthy Dreaming with which their Prophets arc pofleft, draws them on to lay afide all Reafon, and hu- man Prudence, and to break all good Laws of Civil Policy, and moral Honefty. This Tragedy being begun and adled, not out of any diflikeof the Government, orforre- drefs of Grievances, or out of any political defign to advance themfelves, but meerly out of a pretended and aftedied Spirit of Revelation and Prophefy, or rather Satani- cal delufion, the major, and more eminent parts, of their proceeding being not the Effects of mature deliberation, but the vain Whimfies and idle Dreams of their Prophets, who, rifing out of their drunken Sleeps, would, in the Name of the Heavenly Fa- ther, give Order for the Execution of thofe things which their King Jiick, and the refi: of his Cabal, had defign'd fiiould be per- formed: Tho' it is probable that the Opi- nion of Chrift's Reigning a thoufand Years on Earth, ( which the Analaptifis generally hold^ might fpur them to this Rebelhon, it being the Cuftom of all deluded Perfons up- on ( 90 ) on the time of publick Commotions in the State, to be earned in adv^ancing this King- dom, and to perfvvade themfelves oui of a defire to Rule, that they fliall, as Sovereigns, iit on the right and left Hand of the Throne. H:reupon having had fmall fuccelsin rheir ignorant Difputations they fall from Words to Blows, in the place of the Tongue they Iiandle the Sword, and under pretence of purging the World from all Corruption they fill ii with grofs Er«ors, and dercihble Pra- Var caird the Boores War, An- :w 15x5:. with the Effufion of much Blood, ;iad the Execution of the principal Confpr- jators. Where tho' indeed they might in feme I 93 ) lomc mealurcjuftly enough plead the Re- drels of lomc Grievances, yet thole fedici* ous Principles they had broached under the pretext of Rehgion, and the vain Dreams of their Prophets, fpurred them on to this Rebellion, and their own Confufion. As for Phijcr^ who alhlled Muncer in Counccls, he was a bold and del'perate Fellow, pre- tending much to Nodurnal Dreams, and gave out that he had lecn in his Sleep, a prodigious number of Mice and Rats in his Stable, and chafed them all away, which he Interpreted to be a Command from God to take up Arms, to march in the Field for the Extirpation of all the Nobility and Gentry. Munccr was lomewhac relerved, being unwilling to hazard all before the whole Company was up in Arms. But when the Landgrave of Hejje had, by the afliftance of other Princes, raifed Forces to fupprefs them, and got them at an advan- tage, he pitying the Condition of thefe miferable Wretches, lends a Pardon to all, upon delivering up the Authors of the Sedition. Muncer hereupon makes a fediti- ous Speech to his deluded Followers, and running on to his old Artifice of Revelation, tells them, among other things, That God had commanded him to proceed in this manyier^ to pump all Magijlrates^ aytd had promifed him the Ficlory. As for their great Guns they (houldnot (ear them, for he would Catch them ( 94. ) them all in the Sleeve oj h/s Coat, Cod halving promijed them that the Righteous Jhould ivajh their Feet in the Blood oj the Wicked, When the Enemy Charged on them, the poor de- luded Wretches crultingto Muncet's Prophe- fies, neither defended themlelves nor fled, but flood lliil, and fang the Hymn Veni Creator. But their promis'd Help from Hea- ven failing them they at lalt fled, about 5000 being (lain. Muncer znd Phijer taken, and they, with 300 more, defervedly Execu- ted, as being the firlt Anahaptijls who raif- ed Sedicion and Rcbelhon againfl; their Government. The ^tory is at large in Sleidens Hillory of the Rejormation,Lih,^. Suh initio. This War being ended with a total de- feat of thoic Clowns, the Anabaptiftical Sed: ftopt not here, bvit proceeded farther, and' tho' they would have their Meetings, yet ( as Men Conquered ) they fram'd a more humble and moclelt deportment; they handled not their Arms, they preach'd no more up the delbudtion of the wicked, but like Men feeking the future happinefs of Mankind, they exclaimed againfl the Wick- edneis and Impiety of the Times, publifli- ifig that they only deiir'd the Internal Con- verfion of Mankind. \ci: fliU they held to their fiifl deluding Principle of Imme- diate Revelations fron Heaven, under pre- tence of which they Executed the mofl: de» teftablc ( 95 ) reftabk Villainies. Among many to give one InlUncc ; ac Sanctgdlly a Tow n in SwitzerUind, one of them cut of his Bro- ther's head in the prclcnce of his Father and Mother, whom he perlvvadcd that he had an Immediate Command from God lb to do. But the jjfl Magillratcs, accoding to the Method of Juftice, which is God's ordinary Command, without a Revclarion, adjudg'd hini to the fame death, which was accordingly Executed by the Common- Hangman. About the Year ^534, Berr^ard Rotmcm^ a Preacher of thcRe^orm'd Religion,was (after fomeoppofition from thole who enclin'd to the Romifh)vtoii\''^ into theCityofMy;?//^r, in the Province of IVejiphalia^ in order to the Re- concilement of thole differences which were then ftirrmg both in Church and State up- on the Score of Religion. Where, after Matters were accommodated, comes to jyUrfJier^ John of LeyrJen, a violent Anahap- tift^ who was by ProfeiTion a Botcher, Sar- tor, or a Mender of old Cloaths, his pro- per Name being John BuckboUL He was a crafcy Fellow, eloquent, very perfcdl: in the Scrfptures, as all Sectaries are, who think becaule they have leariV d to fay the Scrips cures by heart, they may commence Do- ctors of Divinity, without having any skill rightly to Interpret it. He pretends him- feif at firft to be of the Reformed Religion, and (96 ) and upon that account infinuaces himfelf into the Converiadon of the Dodlors of that Profeflion, whom he privately Asks, whether they thought the Baptifm of In- fants warrantable; which they affirming, he being a great Zealot to the conrrary Opinion began to deride and contemn them; whereupon Rctman^^Lnd others, in a publick Aflembly, exhort the People to endeavour to maintain the Primitive Dcdrine and Pradice of Poedohaptifm, and to defend it from the Corruption of the Phanatical Ana- bapcifts, who had now privarely crept in amongft them, and had mix'd themfelves in their Congregations, whofe Opinion, fhould it prevail, not only the State, but iikewile Religion would be in a miferable Con- dition. About the fame time comes to Munfler^ Hermannus Sutor^ a Cobler, who profefleth himfelf a Prophet, alledging that he was the true Melftahy the Redeemer and Saviout of the World, nay, (which caufeth Horror in the Relation) that he was God the Fa- ther. He was a Fellow infamoufly famous for his deteftable Sottilhnefs, and continual Drunkennefs, the mad pranks he plaid be- ing meerly the effe(2: of his diftemper'd Brain, caufed by the inebriating Liquor. He takes occafion from Rotmans Sermons publickly to oppofe,and to rail againft, and and ridicule openly Infants Baptifm. Be- fides C$7 ) fides his publick Invedtivcs, he had his Nodlurnal Ailcmblies, where he promoted their Doctrine, and Celebrated his Mi(lcrie6\ But their Pradliccs being dilcovered, and mod of the Citizens highly diflatisfied therewith, the Senate Orders his Teachers to depart the Town, which they did, going out at one Gate, but return'd into the Town by anocher, pretending they mud not dc- lert God's Caufe, and lay concealed for a while among their Difciples. Wherein was verified the Admonition of our Saviour, Luke 1 1. 24. IVbeft the un- cle.in Spirit is gone out of a Man^ he walk- eth through dry, places , Jeeking refl^ and jinding tione^ he jaith^ I will return unto my Honjc whence I come out, and when he Cometh he findeth it f wept and Garni(h- ed' Then goeth he, and taketh Seven other Spirits more wicked then himjelf, and they Oiter in and dwell there^ and the laft State of that Man is worfe than the fir Ih^ thus it hapncd to the City of Mt^n/ier^ they did w^ell and commendably in rejedting thofc rebellious Anabaptifts, but were remifs in not preventing their return, whereby their latter condition became worfc than the for- mer ; for the BaniflVd returning to the City, and, according to their old Wont, pleading the Command of the Heavenly Father, r\iade the State of the City worfe than it was be- H fore (98 ) fore, thro' the over-fight of the cafy and credulous Magiftrates. For thefe pellilencialBoutefeux being re- admitted, they kindled a fire which raged more tumultuoufly than the former, for Bertnan Rotman^ who had formerly vigo- roufly preaclVd theReform'd Religions, now fides with the Anabaptifts, vindicates theit Dodtrine, and denies Infants Baptifm, chal- lenging Fahritius^ and other of the former divines, to a difpuration, which Method the Senate approving, it was propofed as molt convenient, that the Caufe might be tried only by the Authority of the Scrip- ture, and that Learned Perfons might be chofen only as Arbitrators, whofe final de- termination fliould oblige both Parties. But Rotmcvi^ and his Afix)ciates, would not agree; which declining of theirs to (land the ' Trial, made them the more contemptible, and they began to be generally flighted, the Senate thinking fuch a baffled Adverfary could do no Injury. Neverchelefs they pitch'd upon a more Gompendious Method to recover their Repu- tation, for, as in.4/;.?/^'s Prophets, I A/A'^X 11. there went forth a Lying Spirit into the mouth of a certain Anahaptijt^ and his Ad- herents, who, pretending to Infpiration,runs publickly through the Town, Crying, Re- pent^ and he Rehaptrjed^ otberwife the Wrath vf God will over-whelm you. Upon this the Rabble C 99 ) 'Rabble began to be tumultuous, all who were Rcbaptifcd, bawling out ch.e fame thing, whereby many Ignorant and well meaning People were impos'dupon; Ibme out of fear of the Wrath of God, and others out of Inccreft, joined with them for the fecuricy of their Fortunes, it being their Cuftom to Rob and Plunder thofe who op- poled them, when they had the Maftery. Thole who had abiconded, encouraged by this tumult, came and joined them, whea all running in a body to the Market-place, made an Ouc-cry, Ordering all Unrcbap- tifed Perfons to be killed for Heathens and Wretches ,♦ they then feize upon the Town Ordnance, and the Senate Houfc, and of- fer Violence to many of the Citizens ; fome of whom to prevent this Outrage pof- lefs themlelvcs of that part of the Town which was naturally fortified, whence Skir- miflies happening on both fides, an Accom- modation was made, Hoftages mutually given, and agreed, that every one fhould profefs what Religion they pleaS'd, and Live in quiet. But tho' Rotman and K nipper doling^ wlio were the chief Incendiaries, had approved the Accommodation, yet they writ privately to the Neighbouring Towns, and invite thofe of their own Gang to leave their EP- fcdts, and to repair to them with fpeed, promifing them a Tenfold Re ward for what H ^ they ( lOO ) they had lefc behind them. Which largi^ Promifes encourage both Men and Women to flock in Ihoals to Munjier^ elpecially thofe of the poorer fort, who knew not how to Hvc: at home. The Towns-men, ef^ pecially the Richer fort, feeing the Town pofleft with Strangers, withdrew, leaving the Anabaptifls to herd with the common People. The Forces of the Magiftrate being thus Weakened, they choofe a new Senate out of their own Fadion, ^x^kiting Knippercic^ iing to the Dignity of Conful, (whom my Author calls hemo vafer & Imp/us^ a fly^ guileful and impious Man, a Tool fit for fuch a Villany.) Hereupon they break into the Church of St. Mmnce in the Suburbs, and burn it with all the Houfes adjoining; then they Rifle the other Churches, and de- face the Infide of the Cathedral ( by this Copy our late Sacrilegious Rebels m the Civil War were direded. ) By and by they Icamper about the Street in Clufters, cry- ing out firft, Repent \ and foon after, away you ivicke.'t li'retches, or yon will he knocked t)H Head. Then they meet in a body all Arm*d, and drive forth outof tlicTown ali that were not of thiir Sed:, without re- gard to Age, or Sex, and feizc upon the Ooods and Poiledions of the Ejcded, fome of whom falling into the Hands of the Bi- ihop, and being treated as Enemies, cau- figd C loi ) ftd many to ftay within the Town ( who would have fled ) and ftaid with the /iftj- iapttjls, as the iurcr fide for the prclcnt. The Bifhop, who, as a Temporal Prince, was their Lord, had now befieg'd the Town, to reduce thole Rebels to Obedience ; on a fudden (as 'tis common for Wickcdnefs to encreafc and multiply ) ftarts up an emi- nent Prophet, by Name 'John Matthias^ Primus hie e Bjfavis Miiriceri dogma fecutus Turhavit miris li^ejlphala Re^tJa AhJ/s. He was by Profcrtlon a Baker at Harlem, a Man utterly unlearned, yet Crafty, and boldly Eloquent, Thefirftof his Dreams, or Prophefies was, that every Man Ihould bring forth all his Gold aiid Silver and Moveables under pain of Death, and for this ufe they appointed a certain Houfe, as a publick Treafury, to lay it in. This ri- gorous ASt the People with amazement o- beycd, neither was it fafc for any Pcrfon to deceive thofe Saints, or to keep pare of his own Goods to bimfelf Nor did they on- ly make a common Bank out of th:ir own Stock, but they made bold likcwilc with the Fortunes of thofe whom they had Ba- nifhed. His next Prophefy infpir'd into him, not by the Good Spirit, but by the Father of Lies, was that: That none from henceforth lliould keep by him any manner H 3" of ( 101 ) of Book, except che Bible. All the reft fliould de brought forth, and accordingly a vaft number of Books were thrown toge- ther and burnt. This Command, he fays,jhe had rcceiv'd from Heaven; a certain Smith happening to refledl on thefe pretended Pro- phefies, was by him barbaroufly murther- ed: But fee the end of this Wretch, in a Prophecick Frenzy hefnatched up a Soldi- ers Pike, running through the Streets, and crying, that God the Father had comman- ded him to beat the Enemy farther off the City: But, like a Mad-man, running in upon the Camp fooliflily, fuppofing with hisfingle Arm to rout an whole Encamp- ment, he was encoiantred by the firft Sol- dier became at, and run through the Body. This had been enough to have baulk'd all, and to have laid an Afperfion of Falfliood on his Predictions, which proved fo fatal to himfelf Yet his Fellow Prophets had fo artificially managed the Farce with the Rabble, that he was efteem*d a mod excel- lent Perion, and 76^/;« of L^/^ befieg'd them. But the Siege continuing, and the People looking for the accomplilhmeiit of this Prophefy, John oi Ley den gives a ht- teral accomplifliment to it, by delivering a Sword to Kmpperdoling^ telling him, by way of Prophefy, that the Divine Pleafure was fuch, that he who had born the higheft Office before, and was Confui, muft no^v adi m the lowed Place, and be contented to be Hangman, which the other vyas lb. far from refufing, that he thank'd him for the Employment, whereby both prov'i Pro- phets, and their Prophefies, by tjiofe ftu- dy'd Interpretations, feem*d to be fulfilled, and the People were farther deluded. Matthias being dead, and KnipperJoling degraded to the lowefl: Office, John oiLey^^ Jen was left alone to Prophefy, and give H 4 Commands; ( 104 ) Commands; he therefore ftudies how he may, or what Artifice or Stratagem he fliould ufe, to fet himfelf up as a King over the Analaptifis : In order hereunto, finding Dreams and Prophefies were fo greedily fvvallowed by the People, he compofeth himfelf to Sleep, and dreams out 3 days ; at his awaking he fpoke never a Word, but making Signs for Paper, writes down the Names of twelve Men, fomeof them well defcended, who were to fit at the Helm as Heads of the Tribes of thefe new JjraeUtes, arid to have the Diredion and Government of all Affairs, and this he told them w^s the Will of his Heavenly Father. Having thus prepared the way for his projedi'ed Monarchy, by the Government of thele twelve Men, he propounds to the Prea- chers a Set of Dodrines, ( confifling of fuch Tenents wherein the Scripture is more filent ; defiring them to confute them by Text of Scripture, which, ifthey could not do, he would propound them to the Peo- ple, as Principles not forbidden in Holy Writ, and therefore ought to be approved and Eftabli(h'd into a Law. The fum of it was, That Polygamy was Lawful : That a Man ought not to be obliged to one Wife, but might Marry as many as he pleased. The Preachers oppofc it, he fummons them into the Scnate-houie, and finding the Scripture would not hdp him^ he flies to ( los ) his filthy Dreaming, and having made the iz Magiftraces, his Cloak, and the New Teftamcnt, the Simbols of his finccrity, by laying the two latter on the ground, he pro- tefts and fwears, ( Oh Impiety! ) That the Dodtrinc he had publifh'd was revcafd to him from Heaven. And therefore threat- neth them, on a terrible manner, that God would never blefs them if they did not confcnt. At lafl: they agree upon the Point, and the Dodors do nothing but Haranpue upon Matrimony in their Pulpits for three days together. Soon after he Marricth three Wives, one of which was the Widow of Johrf Matthias^ thcir eminent Prophet, for which Marriage, as is before hinted, he pretended a divine Revelation. His Example was followed by the reft, who held it commendable to have many Wives together. And though fome gcod Men, who diflik*d this, had made a Party to Ap- prehend this letcherous Mahometan Prophet, and his Mhtttnz KyjipperdnUng, yet the Rab- ble refcu'd them, and n any were cruel^ ly put to Death, who were of the other Party. On the i-^rl, ofjkfte Satan fent from Hell another Prophet, with a lying Spirit in his Mouth, by name Johi Tuyjentjdrever, a Gold- fmith of WarenJorp, who having convened the Rabble into the Market-plaee, tells them. That it was the Will and Command of ( io6 ) of the Heavenly Father, thac Joht of Ley^ Jen fliould be the Univerfal Monarch of the World; That he ftiould march out with a powerful Army, and flay all Kings and Princes without diftindtion, giving quarter to none but the Multitude, who where lovers of Juftice; That he fhould poflcfs the Seat of his Father David, till the Father required him to refign his Kingdom, for now the Wicked were to be deftroy'd, and the Righteous to begin their Reign upon Earth, The way being fo far prepared, as was a- greed between them before, and the People drawn to attention, the crafty Botcher re- folving to ftrike while the Iron was hot, falls upon his Knees, and lifting up his hands to Heaven, Men and Brethren^ fays he,. / have been ajfur'd of this tndh a gre^t while fmce^ yet I was unwilling to divulge it nr^y felf^ and now you jee, to wake it the moreunquejlio' vahle, the Father hath made ufe of the tefli- tnony of another. This guUcry went down with the Rabble ; he is immediately Eled- ed King, the Duodecemvirate is dilTolved, and John of Leyden is ProclainVd King of Zion^ with great Acclamatibn. Litcan uh. i. Quis furor, gJj Civcs! qua: uos de-^ mentia cicpit.. The New King being by Trade a botch- ing Taylor, falls to his old Trade of Steal- ing C 107 ) ing Cabbage, and having plundcr'd the Copes, Carpets, and other Ornaments of the Churches, he converts them into Robes for to adorn himfelf, and make Trappings for his Horlcs and his Whores. He chules hkewile for his fcrvicc certain Noblemen, he Orders two Crowns, a Scabbard, a Chain and Scepter, and other Regal Ornaments to be made of the pureft Gold, which he had plunder'd from the Churches, and rich Men. He was attended abroad with his Officers and Lords of his Houfliold, two young Men rid immediately behind him : He on the right Hand carried a Crown and a Bi- ble, (Rebellion always pleads Religion ) the other a drawn Sword, ( here the Emblem of Injuftice ) his Principal Wife appcar'd in the fame State, for, by this time, he had increaled his Wives to the number of Fif- teen, (three more than the Lctcherous Im- poftor Alahomet had) he appoints alfo cer- tain days for a publick hearing, that all Caufes might be brought before him. In the Market-place was ercdlcd an highThrone, covered for him with Cloath of Gold, the Caufes and Complaints brought before him ufually related to Matrimony and Divor- ces, for Polygamy being introduced, no- thing was more frequent then Divorces and Contentions about Marriages. It once happened when the People prels'd to hear Caufes, Knipperdolings Spirit of Prophefy reviv'd ( io8 ) revived, and on a fudden climbing the Croud,^ runs over their Heads on his Hands and Knees, and breathing into their Faces, fays to each of them, The Father hath fantlijied thee^ receive the Holy Ghojl. Another day he leads up a dance before the King, fay- ing, This is my Ci^Jlam fometimes with my Conciihines^ hut new the Father hath comman- ded me to doit in the Kings prefence. But when he had over-ad:ed his part, and would not ceafe, his Majcfty of Ley den took pet, and went away ; he being gone K nipper do- ting mounts the Throne, and lets up for Kmghimfelf; but, his mock Majcfty com- ing by, tumbles the Fellow down, and lays him m Limbo for 3 days. During the Siege, thcfe Anahaptifis write aBook,which they call thQReflifution, allud- ing to the words of St. Peter^ A^s 3. XI. fpcaking of the time of the Reftitution of all things, which they think is now come, and that the laft day, and the coming of Chrift being at hand, the way mud be pre- pared by a temporal Power, and that tl^y had a Commiffion from God to perform it. The abfurd pofitions they lay down therein, were in Number 7. I. That the Kingdom of Chrift is to commence in fuch a manner before the laft Judgment, that the Godly, and the Elc and as foon as their Auxiliaries were come up, their King would m:irch out with his whole Army to Conquer the V\ orlJ for him* Icif, and that he would (lay all Princes for ncgledt of Jullice. After leveral Examinati- ons, being Hill obitinate,ch.y we;eail juftly executed, exccpi one, who made his Efcape. And now the City was very flreightly Befieg'd, all were block'd up, none could go in or out ; the Famine increas'd, Hunger came violently upon them; their Prophets could not caule Martva to come down from Heaven, nor could they bring Quails from the Sea-Coaft, the Enemy was before the Gate. But their King ^ack had not fucli Interefl in the Court of Heaven as the good Hcztkiah, to procure an Angel to drive a- way thofe Jffyriafis and Senacherih;, Nor did their Prophefying Goldfniith prove ano- ther Ifaiah, to alTure ihem that God \fould defend the City to fave it as he did Jerufa^ lem, EfaL 37. ^5. For this City was nor a Jerufalem where governed a lawful Prince, but a Sodomy where were perpetrated all Debauchery ,Uncleannefs, Inceft, Polygamy,^ Adultery and Fornication. It was a place of horrible Blalphemies, pretending Impoftors,' falfe Prophets, and filthy Dreamers. It was a place of Rebelliou,Murther andBlood-flied.' It was a place of Robbery, Plunder and De- folation. It was a place of Hunger, Famine and Want, where all were in Mifery, except Ufurping Taylor-King, who l^d them on I to (n4) to Deftruftion with his falic Dreams. The common People pinch'd on both fides, with cxtrcam lamine, and eager Revenge, juftly cndeavour'd to lay hold of their TJfurping King, feeing his Needle and Bodkin were not 'vX'eaptnis of Poof againd the Enemy, and therefore wilety contrived to Apprehend bim, ^nd dehvcr hmi in Chains to thcBi- ftiop, as an Atronement for their own Mif. carnages- But he being privately Adverti- fed of their Flot, chules i^ Men out of the whole Multitude, whom he conceiv'd would be mofl true to him, and gives them the Title of Dukes and Leaders^ appointing to each a certain Poft in the City, to maintain and prevent any Irruption of the Enemy, or In!urre(3:ion qf the People. And the more to aflure thofc Dukes to his fidelity, he promifes them (like another Jojlnia) to divide the World into Twelve parts among them for their refpe(3:ive Jurifdi(5tion. He gratifies the Multitude with large Promifes of ample Poffeflions, and with another Pro- phefy of deliverance from the trouble both of the Seige and Scarcity, at^jj?^/' next; he difmiflcth them all, being more deluded than before. During rhofeTranfadions in the City, the States of the Empire belonging to that Province, which lies upon the Rhine ^ meet at (Johle^its^ and conclude to fend to the Bifhop of Munjler^ Auxiliaries of Men for fix Months. They alfo direct; Letters to ( lis ) die Anahptijts'm the City, exhorting tlicm to Jay down their Arms,to defifl: fronuheii: Enterprifc, and to return to their formcrO- bediencc, Icumg them know tliat if they perfiftcd in their Obflinacy, the Bifliop would be allilled with the Forces of the whole Empire. Ikic all in vain, they jurtify'd their Proceedings by VVriting, and became moreObftinate than before. While Provifions were thus fcarce in the Month of Fth'uaty^ one of the Queen's compafJionating the Condition of thcTowns- men, happened to fay to her Partners, That file did not believe it was the Will of God that Men fliould be ftarv'd ac thac Race. The pretending King, who had his Store-Houfe furniflied not only for Conve- nience, but Luxury, when he underllood this thing, brings her into the Market-Place, together with the reft of his Wives, then commanding her to kneel down he beheads her, and fets a Mark of Infamy upon her, when dead, as ifflie had been a Strumpet. The reft of the Qiieen's applaud this piece of Juftice ( fearing the like themlelves ) and give thanks to the Heavenly Father. Af- ter that he begins a Dance, and exhorts the Multitude, who had nothing left them but Bread and Salt, to dance and be mer- ry, for it was a day of Gladnefs and Rejoycing. Eafter is now come^ but no Deliverance appears^ as he had promised; that there- l * fors ( ii6 ) fore he niighc find fonie Excufe for being fo lavifli in his Promiles, he pretends him- ielf fick for fix days together, and then being come into the Market-Place he tells them ( a Tale of an Afs ) that he had rid a blind Afs, and that the Father had laid the Sins of the whole Multitude upon him: Now therefore, they were all perfed:ly cleans'd, and difcharg'd of the Guilt of all heinous Offences, this was the deliverance he promis'd them, with which they ought to be contented. To which the Ibctilh Peo- ple, ( who were the Als he rod ) gave Af- fent, and were fatisfy'd. The Town being reduced to extream ne- eeility, and Leyden perfifting in his Refolu- tion not to yield, butflill deluding the Peo- pie, fome of the People got privily out of the City, and making Compofition with the Bilhop, and the General, for their fafe- ty, concluded to deliver up the Town to them, which about the middleofjf^;?^', after much vigilance of their King, much difficul- ty of the People, and much refiftance from the Enemy, was at laft EfFeded. The Mock King, and his Hangman Knipperdo- //«^, taken and bound in Chains; Rotman difpairing of Favour, ruflit into the thickeft of the Enemy, and was flain. The King, and his two fellow Prifoners, {Crechin^ being taken with him) were carried up and down the Country to the Princes to Ihc^v, and expofe them. Some of the Landc- graves gravc'sMinidcrs convcrfcvvich thcKing upon certain Points of Rcligion,hc defends himfelf with Obftinacy, though in many things he lets go his hold, giving up the grcatell part of the Caufc to lave his Life, upon which Condition he promifeth to obh'gethc Anahapiilh, who were very Numerous ia Holland ^ Br ah ant, England and Friejland^ to give over Preaching, and to obey the Magiftrates in every thing. The Bifliop demands of him, by what Authority he could- juflify the Liberty he had taken m his Town, and with his Subjects ? To whom he replies in another Queftion, Who gave you the Jurijdidion over this City ? The Bifliop returning, that he was Chofen into the Government by Confent of the Chapter and People ; the other replies, That he was call'd to this Office by God. After leveral days fpent in pious Exhortation, the King own'd his Fault, the other two con- tinu'd obftinate. Ax. theif Execution, the King was brought out into a place, whofe fcituation was higher than ordinary, andti- cd to a Stake ; there were two Executio- ners by him with red hot Pincers : He was filent for the 3 firfi: fnatches, but did after- ward continually cry out to God for mer- cy. When he had been torn in the Body in this manner about the fpace of an hour, he was run through the Body with a Svvord, and died. His Comrades had the fame Punilhment. When they were dead, they I 3 wer(| C "8 ) were each of them faftned to an Iron Cage, and hung upon the top of the higheft Tower of Sr. Lanihert\ Church, the Kmg hanging in the middle, abouta Man's height higher than the other two. Thus died thislmagi- siary King, and thus was Ayialaptiderj lup- prels'd in Munflcr. MunJier\v2L% not the only Place they at- liempted ; for as Treafon is pregnant with Correfpondence abroad, io they fet upon Projects of this nature in many other pla- ces, but with thehke luccefs. John oiGeles was fent to Amjlerdam, and finding the People fit Objedls for this delufion, he Ex- toird to the Skies the new Kingdom of Munflety their Liberty of Living, their Pil- Jjaging of Churches, and inriching them- felves with the Goods of the Ungodly, and of the great Defigns of their King ; of the Prophefies of the Propagations of his King- dom, with fuch hke Diffioiirfes. In their private Conventicles they fill'd the Minds of the People with a frantick Zeal, and made them long to be fingering Church Plate, and the Goods of the Ungodly, pretending it was an cafy matter to furprife Amfler- dam, which Town, with others, God had given to their King of Zion^ as the firfl: fruits of their Reign over the World. But the watchful Magiltrates difcover'd the Treafon, feiz'd the Principal Confpirators, \vllto received delerv'd and condign Punifh-* C "9 ) After their Apifli Kingjo/.'^f oi Ley Jen was llain. tlicy Chore another King, who, with his High Trcal'urcr, were taken ac Utrecht and Imprilbn'd. Among other Exploits of this Eledtcd Monarch, he brings his Wife into a Wood, and (lays her, that without Interruption he might 1\ e with her Daugh- ter, and he cut a Wenchc's Throat to prcr vent Detc6tion, becaufe ilic \va^ privy to the FacS, and might difcover. Good Store of Plate, mod ot it Church Place, was found in his HjuIc. He, and his Trcafurcr were burnt. Vh-^t Horifsuf.um^ page 74. Jan. IViltbemes appear'd as another King among them, his execrable Deeds wxrc written in Dutch^ and tranflated into /v-fwc/.; by Lbr, Niels^ pjge 33. he kept his Refi* dencc m divers places ^ at Arnhem firfl, then Lovahy IVeJel^ Hjirlew^ and laft at at a Village calfd Aveyidorp near WefeL To him many repaired, who had fled from Munjier. He affirm'd the Dodrine taught in Munfier to be the true Dodlrine to bring Men to Salvation ; he robb'd and fpoil'd the Country about hittj, affirming it was no fin to Rob the Ungodly, becauft the Good of the Land belonged only to the People of the J Can any refrain Laughter at the Enthu- liafnis of thefe People, who having decry'd all Magifterial Fundions, allow'd and E- jia(!Jed under Capital Penalties a Commu- nity of Goods, fhould be lo fond of a Re- gal Authority to their own Ruin. Here is fetting up Kings, and pulling down Kings, exalting one Magiftrate againft the EftablillVd Government, and putting up a mock MagilUate, to be loon pulled down, and then Exalted above his Brethren upon 1°^" oj Leyden. the loftieft Gibbet, like HammoH, more than fifty Cubits high. Reafon good, that their Dignity in this Life, ftiould be remembered after Death, not to the Honour, but to the perpetual Ignominy and Shame,both of themlelyes and deluded Followers ev^r fmce. In this Hi- ftorx ( 121 ) ftory you have the Model of the Anahaptijls^^ whole Compoficion is made out of thefe fol- lowing Ingredients. I. Builphcmy, pretending to receive Ly- ing Prophefics from God the Father. i. Herefy and Blajphemyy denying the Divinity and Humanity of Chrift, their Prophets pretending to be the Mejfiah^ and receiving Orders from the Father. 3- ^y^^%' pretending Prophefies fprung from the Father of Lies, being never accom- plifh'd but in the Ruin of the Promulgers. 4. Hypocrijy^ their Leaders pretending to their deluded Followers what they never defign'd. 5-. Pride and Amhition, in that their Lea- ders aim'd not at truth, but a Lucifenan Ambition of Rule, 6. Reheliion, iw Rebelling againft the Lawful Prince, pofleliing his Towns, and making Wars againft him. 7. Injuftke^m expelling thejuft Owners out oftheir Houles. 8. Rohhery znd Theft, in plundering and poflefling the Goods of fo many Expell'd. 9. Aiurther and Bloodjhed^ m killing io many Innocent Perfons, whofe Confciences cautioned them from fiding with them. iQ.Sacnled^e, in robbingTeri)ples oftheir Ornaments and Riches, and demohfliing them. II. Opprefion^ in keeping the infnar'd ^ulgar in fubjedion. II. Adultery] ( iix ) II. Adultery y Incefis^ Rapes and Form' cat^on^ in their many Wives, and forcing of Widows and Virgins to Cohabic with them. By this Hiftorical Account we may per- ceive, how many Sins and Lulls were in Conjunction, when this Monfter of Schifm was firft produc'd. The Ambition of fome, the Sacrilegious Covetoufnefs of others, the reftlefs Guilt and Malice of others ; and therefore it is rightly numbred among the Works of the Flelh, and the Authors con- demn'd for fenfual Perlbns. Gd. 5-. 20. Jude,i.i^, It is generally true of all Schifms, and what Opt at us, p. 41. obfervesof the Do* fiatijh is applicable to this, Iracundia pepe- rity Ambit io nutrivit^ Avar at ia rohoravit, Difcontent is the Mother, Ambition the Nurfe, and Covetoufnefs the Champion to defend it. I might here trace the Donatifts, and make a parallel betwixt them, and their Succef- fors, oar ^x^ktiiAnahaptiJls ; but fmce I find there is extant a learned Tratft, entituled, the Hiflory of the Donatifts, hy Thomas Long^ B. D. and Prebendary of St. Pete/s^ Exon. printed 1677. I Ihall refer the judicious Reader to that Book, contenting my feif to confider only the Ways and Methods they both us*d to promote and maintain their Schifm, in which they hold, in mod Particulars, an exa^ parallel. CHAP. ( I^3 ) CHAP. XL Beafons o^ their 'Rife and Growth. TT may caufe our wonder how fiich a J[ pcevifli FadJion fliould not only fub- fift, but the Lcackcrs of it being Men of per- nicious Principles and Pradices, fliould de- lude fuch numbers of the People, and re- tain them not only in their Communion, but at their Devotion. But the Scripture hath foretold what Arts and Methods the Inftruments of Satan fliall ufe to deceive un- ftable Souls ,- fuch as thefe following arc dihgently pradtis'd by the Anahaptifts. I. To^promote Rebellion in the State; this the foregoing Hiftory makes good, and our late Civil Wars in Engla?id too much manifeft: 'Tis the Jcluit's Maxim, Divide & Impera, They love to fifli in thefe troubled Waters, and 'tis obfervable they never introduced their Principles where the State was in Peace and quiet. Hence it was, that tho' they lay lurking in holes in the peaceable Reigns oiQviQtn Elizabeth and King3f^»7^^,yet the troublefom Times of King Charles opened a way for them to ga- ther into a Body, and Sed, and Socie- ty, %. Th^iJ 2. Their fcattering abroad new Dodrines, which, according to their Light, they con- firm'd by Scripture, to amule the Vul- gar; this gave occafion to thofe who had itching Ears to give attention to thofe De- luders, and to gaze after thofe wandring Comets, which porcend nothing but Defo- lation in the Church and State. 3. Hereupon they tamper with th# moft ignorant fort of People, and the wea- ker Sex ( Witnefs a notorious Example in our Neighbourhood) fuch as had weak Judgments, but ftrong Affedrions, and be- ing once feduced were perverfe and violent in their ways, and deaf to all Reafons and Arguments to the contrary ; they thus de- ceive the Hearts of the Simple, Rom,i6. 18. by good Words and fair Speeches, and creeping into Houies, they lead Captive filly Women, x. Tim. 3. 6. thus the wea- ker Sex, and younger fort, were generally leduccd by them ; the Wives and Children feduced from their Husbands and Parents, feldom the Husband from the Wife. 4. To carry on this Deceit the better, fas Satan himfelf may do) they transform themfelves into Angels of Light, pretend- ing to a greater purity, better Ordinances, and a greater Severity of Difciplin, fupply- ing the want of real Piety by the fliadow of rigid Severity, having a form of Godli- ncfs, but denying the Power thereof, xlim. 3. 5. ^ • y.To ( l^S ) 5- To this, the better to collogue with the Ignorant, they add good Words, and fair Speeches, Ho)yi. i6. i8. commending iUchas they would ibdiice, for fome excel- lent Gifts, and fome good AfTcdions, fa- miliarly converfmg with them, promifing them great Privilcgcs,Libcrty of Confciencc, Rcmiilloii of Sins on Rebaptization, that they only fliall be Babes of Grace, be in fpecial favour with God, while all the reft of the World arc damn d Reprobates, and Caft-a-ways. 6. But bccaufc People are uliially inclin d to look for better AfTurancc than bare Words in fo weighty a matter, they there- fore pretend to immediate Revelation from Heaven, to Infpiration in their Dreams, to a prophetick Spirit : And like that Impof- tor Mahomet, pretend to Communication w^ith the Holy Ghoft, and with Angels ; cenfuring all the Misfortunes that happen to the reft of Mankind, as juft Judgments from God, for their oppofing them. 7. And to render the reft of Mankind more odious to their Party, they caft Dirt and Slander upon all Men. Hence they are not afraid to fpeak evil of Dignities, Pe- ter X. 2. 10. Stiling Kings and Princes, Ty^^ rants; Magiftrates, Oppreflors^CivilLaws, Injuftice ; the Supprelfion of their Exorbi- tances, Perfecution ; all other Men are caK led Men of the WorlJ, while they attribute to themfelves the name of Profcflbrs, mofl: cf r it6 ) of their private Chat among the Womeil- kind being railing againft, and cenfuring o- ther People. Thus they carry on their Work, per Infattas querelas^ & vaJia meyida* da. By furious Complaints, and vain I ies ; the Clergy of EnglanA are Nick-nam'd Black Coats ^ and Priefts of Baal^ Idolatrous promoters of Popilli Superfticion, and from their Fundion they refledt on their Perfons, cenfuring thofe Failings they have common with the reft of Mankind. The Mifcarriage of One being with them enough to defame, not only his whole Converia- tion, but the whole Church. 8. And to make good their Reproaches, and to manifeft they are in Earneft ; as of- ten as the Power is in their Hand, they not only filence the Clergy, but deprive them of their Livings, and banifli them their Habitations; the foregoing Hiftory, and England's Confufions, are too real a truth hereof. Good Lord delh^er us from a drawn Sword in the Hand of a Rampant Anabaptift. 9. That they might the more firmly tye their Profelites to themlelves, when they admit any to their Communion, they Re- baptize them, obliging them not to come to the Aflemblies of the Church, or hear a- ny of the Clergy ; nor to hear any of their own ScGt preach, but thofe into whofc Church they were Baptifed, ( except they fee from liome.; Another Art they have iSa to keep a Trade within themfelvcs, to employ C 117 ) employ no Hciiidicrafcs-man, to buy of no Tradciinan, or Shop kccpir, but what is of their own ProfcHion ; as Crijpinc, a wealthy Dovatifty would employ none to drefs his Grounds, and manage his Affairs, but fuch as did profcfs to be of his Party. Auqujlin Ep. lyx. and if any poor be Re- bapLifcd^they will maintain them by Gathe* rings among chcmfeives, that they may not forfake them. 10. And to incourage the People to ftcd- faftnefs, their Teachers hold faft to chek Principles, few of them falling away ("ex- cept to the Quakers ) for having gain'd great Reputation with the People, tho' convinc'd with the Falfhoods of their own Opinions, yet will they not embrace Peace, leaft they fhould lofe their Credit and Profit. And if Men do love the Preheminence, and to hear themlelves prate, as Dhtrephes did. 3 John 9. Or if they gain a Lively-hood and Wealth, as Demetr/^Sy and his Crafts- men, by the flirines of Diana; their Ears are fo ftopt, that neither the Argument of Pauly the Eloquence of Appollosy nor the Authority oiCephaSy are fufficient to open them, but they will ftill refift the Truth, being Men of Corrupt Minds, Reprobate concerning the Faith, 2 Tim. 3. 8. II. And leaft the Scripture fliould de- ted their Errors, they would endeavour to pervert it, as St. Pcur, x Pet, 3, i5. t^]ls us^ Men unllabie and unlearned do f ii8 ) to their own deflrudion ; hence the Scrip- ture is made to ipeak in their own Sence, and they have Interpretations and Expofi- tions, conirary to all other, in which they pertinacioufl) perfift. To Inftance in one, that place of the Apoflle, elfe how were your Children holy (a noted place for Infants being Church-menibers, ) they in- terpret, thus, c they are not Baftards ) by this judge of many others. 12. For the Incouragement of all Parties to be favourably opiniated of them, they did readily comply with all other Opinions and Fadlions, there being not an ancient Herefy in the Primitive Times, but they hold among them, nor any fanatical Mag- got of Opinion fmce the Reformation, but they have received. Like a Spunge, luck- ing up the Filth of all corrupt Opinions, and tho' differing among themfelves, yet fiding With all Fadions againft the Church. Having traced chem thus far, I Ihall leave them to God, and their own Confciences, and this Difcourfe to the Judgment ®f all good Men, who are not corrupted with their Principles. \ know they themfclves Willccnfure it: If they aregauM by it, I value not their whincing. A LET- ( ■) A LETTER FROM A FRIEND T O T H E AUTHOR. SIR, I Have read over thofe Papers, which you was pleafed to vouchfafe ine, with great Satisfaftion and Delight, and I do throughly agree with vouinyour Opinion, that in our prefent junfture of Affairs nothing can be more ferviceable to Chriftian Society, than publickly to expofe fuch a Peftilent Seft, which gains too much ground about us, and whcfe horrid Tenets are fo abfolutely pernici- L ous ^Lis both to Church and State, efpecially "nee no other Methods or Arguments ^'an prevail with them to retraft or forfake nich impardonable Errors. And *tis no fmall comfort to me, that when fome loofe Straglers begin to flock fo faft after A.ich an unhallowed Cruc, I do yet find amongft the Laity fo great an Advocate for the Truth, fuch a Faithful Son of the Church, fuch a kind Patron of the Clergy, and fuch a real Friend to the Neighbour- hood, as feafonablyto interpofe and (hew his jiift and pious Refcntments againfi: the wily Sleights of Men, and cunning Craftinefs of fuch Seducers, as lye in wait to deceive thofe that are unliable, and ignorant. And truly, when flich illiterate Plebel- dffs begin once confidently to broach, and ov/n fuch dangerous Principles, and Pra- ftifes, as you have plainly detefted :> when they have the Forehead to maintain them v/ith fo great Pride and Self-coDceit,when they turn the Keys of Heaven againft all that are not of their Party, and would fright Men into their extravagant and wild Opinions by condemning fome of the Doftrines of our Church as Heretical, and Anti-Chriftian , 'tis then liigh time for fome vigilant and Orthodox Watch-men to (3) to (land more ftriftly upon their Guard to forewarn men of their Dcfigns, to Mark them out to the World in their true and genuine Colours, and to turn afide their Sheep-skins, that the natureof thatBeaJft, to vvhofe kind indeed they feem more nearly related, may be fully difcovered. Nam tna res agititr^ parks cum proxi- mus ardet. When we find the next Houfe to us on fire, 'tis time to look about us 5 and when the Plague breaks out in any Family, with is near ourown Habitations, 'tis high time to take fuch an efFedual Courfe, as may prevent others from fal- ling into Danger, by fetting in Capital Letters, A Lord have Mercy upon the Door of that Houfe. And I know not, Sir, wherein yoa could have (hewn a greater Aft of Charity to your poor honeft Neighbours, than by giving them a Soveraign Antidote a gainft thatPoifonof Herefy, which fuchEnthu^ fiaftick Dreamers would infufe into then?. But becaufe 1 find that their main Spite and Quarrel is, according to the ufual Tricks of all Hereticks, againfl: the lavvful Miniftry of Chrift 5 and if they can any way difannul the lawfulnefsof theirMiflion, they think they may then plead a better Title to what thev falfly ufurp : becaufe L 2 1 (4) 1 find this is ftill, and has always been the great defign of the Devil and his Agents, who have alinoft made it the prefent mode and fafliion of this Age to beat down the Priefthood^ and all outward Ordinances, as knowing full well, that all true Reli- gion moft needs fall with them, and Men would be left fencelefs and open to fteer without a Compafs, when they are guided only by the various Winds of Enthufiafm, I (hall in a juft Defence of our Minifterial Funftion, in a Counter-diftinftion to the Laity, w^ho have now no juft Pretence, or Claim to fuch a Calling, offer fome further Arguments, as I promifed you, in conjunftion with yours. And firft, the Holy Jefus, the great Au- thor and Founder of our Religion, was fentofGod, and all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him ^ now be- fore his Afcenfion, thathe might not leave his Difciples to the end of the World, to be governed by every Pretender to Reve- lation, which would have expofed his Kingdom upon Earth to eternal Con- fufions and Impoftures , he folemnly or- dains and confecrates the Apoftles his immediate Proxies, and Delegates, and Miilionaries upon Earth, John, 20. 7a 22. As my Father Jc?2t ^/e, even fo I foul yon^ according (5) accord ins; to the known Rule amonj^ft the Jcwj^ Ever J o?jc s Apojlle is as him- fdfi^ to which our Saviour fcems to re- fer, Matth, lo. 40. He that receivcth yoH^ receivcth me , a^d he that receiveth f»e^ receiveth him that fent me ^ making himfclf his Father's Apoftle or Proxy, and the Twelve his :^ but at his depart- ing from the World, then he folemn- ]y enftated his Power on them, and fealed their Commilhon to them, as it had been fealed to him by the Father, St. John 17. iS.andf^/^ 10. 7^ 21. By Vertueof which Commiffion, the Power of Ordaining, Governing, and Conferring Orders did reft only in the Apoftles ^ which Office of theirs was not to be Temporary, and de- termine with their own Perfons, but was to continue in an uninterrupted Succef- fion in all future Ages ^ the Neceflity of Orders and Rule both for the fup- ply of thofc things, which (hould be wanting for the well-being, and prefer- vation of each Church, and alfo for fe- curing the Flock from Wolves and Here- ticks, abfolutely requiring it. A firft Evidence of this fort is the Af- fumption of Matthias into the place of j^//- das the Traitor ^ who loft his Office, oiid fooii after his Lik.AS. i. Matthias obtain- L 3 iug ing his Portion in this Miniftry, tiot by any eleftion of the People, but by God's more immediate choice of him, he difpo- fing the Lot to fall upon him : and this the Prayer makes plain, v. 24, 25. The next Ordination we find is mJ&s 6. tho' to a much lower Office and Order in the Church, when the feven Deacons received their firft Conftitution^ where 'tis plain the Apoftles called the Multitude together, told them the Occafion of the defigned Order, for which the People were to look out the Men, and fee and enquire that they be fit for the prefent Office 5 and fo they did, they chofe Stephen and Philips &c. but it follows, when they had done fo, they fet them before the Apo- ftles, who were to give them the Power defigned, to accept and invert them, v. 6. And when the Apoftles had prayed, they laid their Hands on them 5 where there might be a fpecial Reafon at that time for to allow the Multitude to chufe their own Deacons, the Money which was at that time given by them to the Poor, was to be entrufted in the Hands of thofe Perfons ^ and therefore there was a good Reafon that the People fhould approve of fuch, in whofe Hands their Money was to be depofited 3 but yet for all that, it (7) it doth not any where appear, that they had a Power to Ordain or Conftitute in the loweft degree of the Priefthood ^ 'tis the Apoftles alone, who had received the Power from on High, and onwhofePer- fons it was enftated, who only could, and did perform that Office. And thcrefore,by the way,it was certain- ly very difingenuouOy done, if it do not deferve a harder Name, of fome Perfons to corrupt our Bibles for a better Support of their rotten Caufes, by foifting in Te laldy for Jj>, Jets 6. 3. Choofe feven Men whom Ye may appoint : Which Corruption may be found in the later Edinburgh^ Cam- bridge^ and fince very ordinarily indiverfe (indeed moft) London Editions , as has been truly obferved by the Learned Bi- fhop of Cork and Rofs in his Excellent Book called Scripture Ant hen tick , &c. Printed in the Year 1686. Now this being done, faith he, not till the Faftion had crumbled it felf into feveral minute Parties, all pretending Scripture for their feveral diftinftive little Opinions, 'tis not improbable it might be done at fir ft with defign , and par- ticularly of thofe , who would efta- blifh the Peoples Power, not only in Ele- fting, but even in Ordaining their o\vn L 4 Minifters (8) Minifters 5 in the meanwhile let it be done by whom it mip;ht, Take 3n Edmhur^h Edition of 1636, a London one of 1648, and a Cambridge one near the fame Years, being it was not poilible for the Fa&ion to get all thefe Copies and a Multitude more in, as being fo vaftly numerous, the true old Copies examined and compared , difco- ver the variation from them, that is, the Corruption 5 and a more Authentick one than any of them, that is the Origi- nal Greek, if any doubt remains, decides the whole Controverfy. But to return again from this Digreffion (which I think by no means either impro- per or unfeafonable) if we proceed to fome Superior Apoftolical Ordinations, wefhall after this find, that Jawesthcjuft^ Styled the Brother of our Lord, was confti* tuted Bilhop of Jerufalem^ Timothy by St. Vaiil was made Bifhop of Ephefus , and TituiF of Crete : and of St. Paf/l it is further plain, that in Lj/fira and Icovhim, and Antioch, and in thofe parts he and Bar- vahas Ord^jined them Elders Church by Church, Acis 14. v. 2. that is, a Bifhop or Governour in every Church, which is a- gain communicating that Power to others who were pick'd out of the Laity for the execution (9) execution of that Office, and feparated to that Work by the Impofition of Hands, which was a Power they held only by Commiflion from Chrift Jefus, and utter- ly incommunicable to any part of the Laity. The fame is obfervable of Af^rZ', Lithc^ Thaddd'uSj F.paphroditm^ Clcmc7Js^ IgjiaUus^ Poljrarp.and others,concerning whom Ec- cleiiaftical Story tells us, that" there were carefully preferved in feveral Churches diverfe Rolls and Catalogues of the Bi- fhops (beginning with the Aroftles) in a continued Series of Succeflion in each See : this we are credibly informed that Si^!co77 fucceded in the Epifcopal Chair, St. Jar;/es at Jerufalem^ Clew ens St. Peter at Ronje^ Aniani^ ^X. Mark at Alexandria^ Pclycarp St. John at Swyrna^ Evodif^l\.Q\t after St. Peter on the Judaical part, as Ig- natjus next after St. Paid on the Gentile part was ordained Bifhop oi Jntioch ^ all which abundantly confirms the truth of Iren£us his AfTertion, who faith, Contr. Ha^ret. lib, 4. cap, 63. that we can fliirly and honeftly reckon up thofe very Per- sons by Name, that were by the Apoftles inftituted and appointed to be Billiops fucceffively in the Churches after them to pur days : Now this Irenaifs, faith the Learned Learned Dr. Cave, in his Life, was train- ed up under theTutora2;eand Inftruftions of Poly carp St. Jo.h;,'s Difciple, from whom he received the Seeds of true Apoftolick Dodrine,^ was himfelf ordained BiOiop of Ljfo/;s in Frafice, and fufFered not Mar- tyrdom till about theYear 208, and there- fore was undoubtedly in all refpefts duly qualified to give us an account of Epifco- pal Succeffion. TerUiUian, who lived, as is generally conjeftured, fome Years after Iren^us, that he might lay aflleep for ever all Con- troverfies , that might arife of this Na- ture, appeals in this cafe again to the Re- cords of the Church, as being moft un- deniably Authentick, in his Book Be Pr£fe. c. 58. Peranre Ecclcfjs Apojlolicas, &c. run thro^ all the Apoftolical Churches, and you will ftill find the very Chairs of the Apoftles, and the Names of thofe ve- nerable Perfons, who fucceded them in their Churches. And ClewensRomar7us,St.Paur s Fellow- Labourer (mentioned by him with fo much Honour) in his Epiftle to the Corm- thians, confirms ftill this Truth, when he tells us. That the Apoftles hmw hy our Lord Jefus Chrifl, that there would be contention about the Name 3 that is, faith the Great and ( -. ) and Learned Dr. //^w^^^W, the Dignity or Authority of Epifcopacy 5 for which caufe therefore , having a perfeft fore- knowledge of it, they Conftituted Bifhops, and after gave Rules of Ordination, and a Series or Catalogue of Succeffion, that when they dyed other Perfons approved by them might fucceed to that Office. So far is it now, you fee, Sir, from Truth, what the Socimans^ and our Mo- dcrn J^abaptifis a&n^ who have indeed, as you have truly obferved, licked up their Slaver, when they fo boldly tell us, the' it is not the only falfe thing which they have ventured to divulge, that the Apoftles took no care for a Succeffion of Perfons, but only of Doftrine :, ?nd con- fequently this Matter will be fo far from being a Figment or Stratagem of any Self- defigning Men, as has been too unjuftly infinuated to fet the World againfl: us, that it is one of the greateft, and moft neceffary Bulwarks to preferve the Chri- ftian Church from the daily affiiults of her infulting Adverfaries. And to fhew you further that the whole Chriftian World load not only ev^er aeon- ftant Veneration for thePriefthood, but an entire confidence in tlie Truth of their Perfonal Succeilion. I ( I^ ) I do farther affirm, that it will be hard to fhew (as it was in former Ages to point at a profefTed Atheift ) any one Man be- fore Socifiifs^ and his Followers the Ana.- haptifls^ that have avowedly oppofed the MifFion, and Succeffion of fuch Apoftoli- cal Officers. Now, Sir, there being without all doubt, as I hope you have ften plainly proved to you, a fet Order of Men appointed by ChriiT: and his Apoftlcs to execute the Minifterial Office, as their Deputies, in all Churches of the World,no Man ought to affume to himfelf that Office, but he that is defigned to it by thofe that have a Commifiion , and Lawful Power to confer it ^ that is , have received a Million or Commiffion from God, which being not now by any tolerable reafon pretended to be immediately from Heaven, there is bu t one imaginable way for anyMan to claim it, viz. by receiving it from them w^ho immediately have received it from Heaven : and therefore we may juftly fay on this account to our Modern Interlo- pers in Spiritual Affairs, what St Cyprian did of old to fuch manner of Hereticks, in his Book de TJ^if. Ecclcs. p. 2^. Thefe are they which of their own accord, with- out God s appointment, fet themfelves ( ^3 ) Up amongft their temerarious AfTemblie?, who conftitute to themfelves Rulers with- out any Law of Ordination, who alTume the Name of Biiliops, when no Man gives them the Power, and fo fit in the Chair of Peftilence inftead of the Church. , which is truly Epifcopal. And then the whole matter will be re- duced to a very (hort llTue, that every one that thus runs, is obliged to (liew his Commiffion by which he may appear to be fent 5 that we w^ho are Minifters of the Church of Englajid can give a clear and true account of our Call and Commif- fion in a Succeffive Series of Ages, even from the time of the Apoftles down to our days 5 and that if it be probably true what the moft Learned Bifhoo. A/V/zV/r- fleet aflerts in his Antiquities of the Britijlj Churches, Cap. i. p. 45. that we received in this Nation, our Primitive Chriftianity from St. Paul himfelf, who in all likely- hood come over hither, and firft conver- ted the Ancient Britiajjs^ we might then as well have our firft Ordination from him too 5 however from that time to this a Legality of Ordination, whether from St. Paul^ or any other Apoftolical Miflionaries that were fent hither, cannot with any reafonbe denyed us, whatever Corruption ( h) Cdrruption of Doftrine in fome of the dark Ages of Popery might happen to intervene : See Mr. Mafons excellent Book that is in Vindication of the Miniftry of the Church of EngUfrd. Secondly. I defire it may be ferioufly confidered, that no conftituted Church either under the Law or the Gofpel had ever yet any Officers appointed for the Work of the Miniftry and Difpenfation of Holy things, who were not firft fe- parated for that Work, as a particular Body and Society of Men, diftinft from the Laity, who are to be governed by them, and obey fuch Paftors, as have the Rule over them 5 Heb, j^,v 17. and till they were vifibly marked out and diftin- guifh'd by fuch a cuftomarySeparation,they were never looked upon as endowed with any True Licence, or Authority to teach the People : and indeed were there fuch a general Difpenfation allowed promifcu- ouil V to all forts of Perfons,without any re- ftridion or limitation of fuch an Office, there would be quickly a greater Babel of Confufion in C^rijle^/do/^/, th^n ever was in the Land of Shwar^ and all fetting up for Speakers, and none humblins: themfelves fo f:r as to be Hearers:, allaffefting to be Teachers^ and none thinking themfelves of ( '5) of lb low attainment as to be Learners ; Men cftcemins; thcmfclvcs thro' their Pride and Self-conceit to be equal in Knowledge and to have an equal proportion of the Spirit of Prophefie, which in the Gofpel Language is the Gift of Preaching, l)y this means they would never come to the knowledge of the Truth. I confefs St. Pa/d hath told us in the 1 Cor, 12.28. that God hath appointed in his Church firfi ApojUcs^ JccomUriljf Prophets^ thirdly Teachers^ but then he adds. Are all Apo flies ^are allPropkets.areall Teachers^ are all Workers of Miracles^ have all the Gifts of Healitig^ do all fpeak with Tongues , do all interpret ? /. e. There were in his days feveral Gifts and Officers in the Church , and thefe did belong to feveral Perfons fet a-part on purpofe for fuch Offices 5 but do we find any Perfons in thofe days laying any Claim to fuch Gifts or ufurping any fuch Office without publick Teftimony of fuch an Apoftolicaf Seal and Commiflion ? and confequently in our days,as every one cannot fpeak with Tongues, fo everyone is not duly qualifi- ed to teach or interpret Scripture : Nou^ what can be more effeftual than this very Portion of Scripture, if duly confidered, to root up all fuch fauatick Principles > If If Cod hath appointed diveffe feparate Orders and Miniftries in his Church, then whoever contemn thefe, and cry up No* velties, contemn the Ordinances of God 5 and if all Men are not allowed to teach and interpret Scripture ,then certainly there cannot in thefe days of ours any fuch common Faculty be expefted to be pour'd out upon all Men or Women without any difcrimination by extraordinary Illumina- tion, as our fakers, Anabaptifis^ and other Enthufiafts vainly dream 5 for fince God's Illuminations are now propor- tioned to our Neceffities and not to our Cu- riofities, noManoughttoaffumeto himfelf any Perfonal Gifts peculiar to the Apo* files, in particular, either the Gift of Prea- ching , or Interpreting Scripture, but he alone , who , as he had the Ordinary means, (fince all extraordinary means are .now ceafed) of Learning and Education conferred upon him, folikewife hath been regularly and lawfully called , and fent into the Church by thofe who have juft Authority to fend him to teach and in- ftruft others : Good Chriftians are not to give ear to every Ahlmaa^^ who runs when he is not fent, or affumes an Authori- ty to which he hath no juft Title, but only to him, who can (hew the regularity and lawfulnefs ' ( I? ) lawfulncTs of his Million ^ Men of private Condition, as you well obfervc, ought to content thcnifclves with fuch degrees of Knowledge, as are agreeable to that Con- dition, in which God hath placed them, and not to rejeft and defpife thofe Sup- plies, which areadminiftredto themfrom their lawful Paftors, rrhofe Lips ^re to pre- fcrve hiorchd'jc^ a^/d they to feek it at their Mouth , Mdlachy 2. 7. And fo again, St. Mat, 23. ^.2. The Scribes arrd the Pharifees fit i?i Mofes Seat^ all therefor^ whatfoever they hid yon ohferte^ that obferve arjd do J &c. Now if the People of the Jews were obliged to receive with the greateft Deference and Veneration imaginable whatfoever Doftrines the Scribes and Pharifees did in all appearance deliver as from Mofes, and that too by Virtue of that Authority which was derived to them from the Ancient Chairs of i*il^- fes, which they had for fo many Gene- rations filled by a conftant Succeffion of Learned Doftors and Teachers, whom the People were obliged conftantly to follow, and hearken to in their publick Oratories andSynagogues evQvy Sabbath day, fure the fam^ Authority being now devolved upon M fome ( ^8 ; forne other feleft Officers from Chrift, who was a Perfbn much greater than Mofcs^ ought to engage, all Chriftians in a firm application and adherence to fuch Paftors, who by virtue of fuch an Authority have only a due right to teach and inftruft them, and that by virtue of that Sacred Ordination, which hath en- titled them, and them alone to a pecu- liar Fundtion and Miniftration in his Church. Thirdly^ if any one can fhew me throughout the whole New Teftament, that any Men did Impofe Hands for the Separation of others to the Sacerdotal Office or Work of the Miniftry, but only fuch as were by Office Apbftles them- felves or Evangelifts ^ Or that the Ele- ftion of the People alone by their joint Sufl rages is the main and eflential Point in fuch Separation, he vvill certainly do more, than has been ever yet fairly done : But certain I am, that as Ordination by Impofition of Hands from the Apoftles was the conftituent Aft thereof, fo if the People did prefent upon any emergent Occafion fome Perfons, whom they had eleftcd, according to the Will and Plea-^ fure of the Apoftles, yet the People did not ( ip ) hot ordain them, for that was (till a proj)ci Apoftolical Office, but prefented them to be Conftituted and Ordained by the Apo- ftles to that great Bufinefs to which they were chofen. Indeed I never yet read, that. tHe Heathen (any mdre than the Jews before them ) had ever leave to choofe their own Guides or Teachers, after the Go- fpel was preached to them ^ but this is plain from Scripture, that Chrift was not chofen by thofe, to whom he preached, for ye have vot chofen me^ faith he, St. ^ohn 15. 16. Chrift came from Heaven upon the Errand of his Father, and happy they, whom he was thus pleafed to chufe, to call, and preach to 5 and when his Apoftles, after his Ex- ample, did go and preach to all Nations, and aftually gather Difciples , they chofe their Auditors , and not their Auditors them 5 and they that have gi- ven up their Names to the Obedience of the Gofpel, orie Branch of that Obe- dience, as I have hinted before, obliged them to obferve thofe that are placed over them by God, not only their Civil Parents, and Magiftrates, but Paftors, whom the Holy Ghoft hath either me- M 2 diatelv ( 20 ) diately or immediately fet over tkem. But one tiling. Sir, I have heard ob- |e(Sed againft this Argument for Epifco- pal and PricftlySucceffion, was the great uncertainty of Ecclefiaftical Records , which fome think cannot be fo fairly tranfmitted down to us at fo great a diftance of time ^ which yet for all that, I fee no more reafon why we fhould diftruft, when backed with the fignal Authorities of fuch faithful Hiftorians, then I ought to diftruft thofe ancient Catalogues, which are given us of the Ro^ia7z Emperours and Confuls, or our own antiquated Rolls, \vhich yet are with us in fo great vogue, and are fo frequently quoted for our Saxon and Norma7i Kings : But we know that it is the ufual way of the World to cry down any Records as very fufpicious or of little Authority, which do make a- gainft that Caufe, which Men are refol- ved right or wrong to Efpoufe. And yet were thefe Records more doubtful, as to this account of conftant Succefrioii, than there is any juft reafon to believe they are, they are fuch an in- dubitable Evidence of the Right of Ordf- nation I ( 21 ) nation, being placed in a fct and felcfl Order of Men, diftinft from the Laity, that after a lerious perufal of them, I fliould, in the Words of an Ingenious Gentleman, be alloon profelyted to A- theifm, ns believe that Anabaptiftical Kmpperdolhig^ or a frantick John of Ley- clcn were as true Priefts of the living Cod, as a Cknntjs or Cypriau^ or any of their true Succeffors in the Chriftian Church. And if in Civil matters a Freeman, Sir, of your Corporation dare not pre- fently fet up impudently for a Mayor or Alderman, I know not indeed by what Authority any prating Mechanick what- ever, who is not fo much as a Mem- ber of the Epifcopal Church, (liould yet have the Impudence to fet up for a Prefi- dent. Nay, I defire to know farther, whether every one that hath a Gift to be a Ser- vant mufl; therefore be a Steward 5 or he that hath Gifts enabling him x.<^ deli- ver fome ordinary Meflages, may there- fore in all refpefts be qualified for an Embaffador or a Plenipotentiary ? If it happen amon^ft the Anabaptifts to be M 3 what (2. ) what Amos faid of himfelf, Cap. 7. v 14. that they are Ucrdfmcn^ Graziers^ or Ga- therers of Sycamore fruits^ they muft then produce their extraordhiary Commiffion, as that Prophet did, or elfe they muft be taken but for Graziers ftill 5 and fo it will be no wonder, that ftrange Teachers fhould carry credulous People about with flrange DoSrwes^ as the Apoftle calls them, Heb. 13. 5. Indeed, Sir, fuch an Authority can ne- %'er be allowed them, till they prove to us that they are infpired, and endowed with a Divine Faculty of interpreting Scripture beyond all others ^ and this they can never prove but by Miracles : And when all is done, notwithftanding their confident pretenfions and bold ad- vances to what is out of their reach, they have nothing elfe to fay, but that the Spirit tells them this is the true fenfe and meaning of Scripture, without en- abling rhem, to make it appear fo to any body elfe but themfelves : Now fince it is very poffible, that the Voice of the De- vil may be miftaken for the Diftates of God*s Spirit, as appeared by the Heathen Oracles of old, and alfo amongft the Jews themfelves, arid more or lefsin all Ages of Ghriftianity, 1 ( ^-3 ) Chriftianity 5 fince Satan can transform himfclf into an Angel of Lie,ht, and can blind the Minds of them that believe not, leaft the Light of the Glorious Gofpel of Chrift fhould Ihine unto them ^ fince falfe Apoftles can difguife themfelvcs for the Apoftles of Chrift, and Satan's Mini- ftry can appear demurely for the Mini- fters of Righteoufnefs, 2 Cor, 11. 13, 14, 15. if we will follow TcrUiUians Advice, we muft not meafure or judge of Faith bythePerfon, but of the Perfon by his Faith : Let us not then believe every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are. of God, becaufe many falfe Spirits arc gone out into the World ; wherefore if a- ny Man fay, Loc here is Chrjfl^ or Loe there is Chrift we are to give no ear to him, nor mind what he faith, but rather remember that our Saviour hath foretold^ St.Mtf/, 24.25.24.^/;^/ there jlwidd arife falfe, Chrifls^ ar?d falfe Prophets^ who by Sigf/s avd' Wonders fhould deceive^ if it vpere pojfible^thc very eleS^ and fubjoyns to it a feafonable Caution,BeA^W I have told yon beforehand of it ^ which is in order for you to take the more care and arm your fclves better a- gainft it ^ upon which, St. Auflin writing againft the Vifions and Miracles of the Anabaptiftical Donatifts of his Age, whofe M 4 Praa-ife •(h) Praftife he tells us was to exorcife thofe whom they had rebaptized with this Form of Words, Maleditic exi for^s, calling the %vhole Trinity, in whofe Name they had been baptized, accurfed, hath this re- markable Paffage : ' Let no Man fay this is true, bccaufe f Donatns or Pontius^ or any other hath ' wrought Wonders, or becaufe fuch ' things happen here or there, or becaufe * fuch a Brother, or fuch a Sifter faw fuch *" a Vifion waking, or fuch a Vifion ' Oeeping, but let fuch Figments of de- ' ceitful Impoftors, and fuch Wonders of * lying Spirits be utterly rejefted by ' all true Chriftians 5 for either thefe ' things are not true which they fpeak, or if there be any Wonders wrought ' by the Hands of fuch falfe Prophets, ' we ought rather to beware and take f heed of them 3 becaufe when our Saviour ' told us, that there would be fome fuch ' Impoftors, who would endeavour to ' cheat the very Eleft out of their Sal- * vation, if they could by any means "- com.pafs their Malicious and Anti-^ ' chriftian defigns :, he adds, to forewarn * lis, Ecce pr^idixi vobis^ behold I have I told you before-hand of it. From all which which, this Obfcrvation will be very pertinent to my purpofe, that he who re- quireth all Men to receive fiich true Pa- llors, as he lendeth, chargeth all Men to avoid llich Deceivers, as pretend his Name, when they are not lent. To conclude, fince the whole well- being of the Chriftian Church, w^hich confilts in Unity, as the well-being of* the Body doth in Health, nay the very- Being it fclf, which conlifts in the truth of the Doftrine, and Obedience to the Inftitutions of Chrift, depends in an eminent manner upon the due qualifica- tion of thofe w^ho are intruded with the Office of teaching in the Church, it will not be poffible to prefervc either Truth or Peace in any Nation, nor confequent- ]y Chriilianity it felf, which is made up of theie two, v/hen he that goes out to fow, inftead of good Seed, carries nothing but Cockei and Darnel in his Sack with him :, and then fureit is every true Chri- ftian's Intereft, as well as Dutv, v/ho dc- fires to confult the eternal welfare of his own moft precious Soul, to fhun con- ftantly, and keep out of the v/ay of all fuch inducing Impoftors, no lefs then he would for the good of his Body, rejeft ancl utterly ( 2^ ) utterly abominate an ignorant Quack's Receipts, or any pernicious Druggs, and poifonons Pills, tho* never fo finely guil- ded, of the mod fairly pretending Moui^- tebank. But, Sir, I will no longer detain you : As I wifh your ingenious and ufeful Treatife may find that acceptance it de- feftes, fo I hope the great fatisfaftion you will reap in doing flich publick Ser- vice, will encourage you to publifti fome other Learned Papers, which have too long already lain buried in Duft and Obfcurity 5 and as I unfeignedly defire, that they may fee the Light, fo 'tis my hearty Prayer likewife that this Difcourfe may meet with a happy- Succefs , by keeping the Members of our own Church ftedfaft and unmoveable in the Truth of Chrift, if they cannot alfo, which yet I hope in fome tolerable meafure they may be inftrumental to, reduce into the right way again, fuch as have run aftray from it. Tho' I believe, Sir, both you and I muft never flatter our felves with draw- ing back from their Errors fuch as are obftinate and foolifh 5 for it doth not ap- pear to me evident in all the Hiftory of ^ the ( V ) the Gofpel, that even our Lord himfelf, amongft his many mighty Works and Mi- racles, ever cured Perverfenefs, and Ob- ftinacy. / aw ajfc^ionatdj Xoitrs^ J. Broome, FINIS. Booh Printed for Hichavd Baf- fett^ at the Mitre over^againfl Chancery-Lane End in Fleet-ftreet. THE Hiftory of E>igland faithfully Extrafted from Authentick Records, Approved Manufcripts, and the moft Ce- lebrated Hiftories of this Kingdom in all Languages , whether Ecclefiaftical or Ci- vil, with the Effigies of all the Kings and Queens of England from the Norman Race to the prefent time, Curioufly En- graved on Copper Plates from Original Medals and Piftures, in 2 Vol. ^vo. the fecond Edition Correfted. 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