the Parties Reputation but their Principle also And one thing which caused this People called Anabaptists to be misrepresented was their Community of Goods which they alway had at Munster which was no other than the old Waldenses did and their Disciples do to this day in Poland Hungary Transylvania and many parts of Germany living in Colledges casting all into one Common Stock done by them both from Conveniency and having respect unto the Example of the Apostles and Primitive Christians as it is written in Acts 4.32 34 35. And though we do not believe Christians are now under that Obligation yet I cannot have a hard thought of any that should so do acting from the same Primitive Spirit And it would be very unchristian to conclude that such allow a Community of Women because they had their Stock and Goods in common as I fear some have uncharitably asserted from this innocent Apostolical Primitive Practice To conclude Suppose it should be granted there were some foolish Virgins in Germany under this Denomination of Anabaptists it is no more than what Christ hath told us will be Have not the Churches in all Ages had their Achan's Corah's Dathan's Abiram's their Diotrephaes But is it good Logick to say Judas had a Devil therefore all the Apostles had Devils Hath there not been always some bad in the most pure Churches of Christ For any to say there are no good Men nor good Principles in the Communion of the Church of England because some of that Communion are Executed almost every Sessions as they confess themselves to be at Tiburn this would be unjust and uncharitable And it argueth weakness for any to run upon Extreams because of others Errors As some of the Ministers in Holland the Followers of Meno Symonis and Theodoricus upon the Munster Report have refused the bearing Arms Offensive or Defensive or taking any Oaths or bearing any Rule Office or Government in the Common-Wealth lest they should seem to abet such Principles It is good to keep the golden Mean between both Extreams Now let us all labour to put on Charity the Bond of Perfection think no Evil nor speak Evil of no Man Judg not that ye be not judged Why dost thou judg thy Brother or set at naught thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ Let that great Instance of Despair in John Child never be forgotten that which lay with the most weight upon his Conscience before he hang'd himself was the Sin for his Writing and Speaking against this very People as may be seen in that Book of his Despair And those Scriptures were of great weight upon his Soul He that offends one of these little Ones which believe in me it were better a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea O said he I have touched the Apple of God's Eye and says he this deserves a tearing in pieces to sit and speak against thy Brother and slander thy own Mother's Son Psal 50. Let all the People of God have such Thoughts speak such Words use such Carriages one toward another and one of another as we may have no occasion to repent of when every secret Thing shall be brought into Judgment CHAP. XI Containing a brief but sufficient Answer to John Wall 's Book called Baptism Anatomized that he may never more boast as formerly that none have answered him I Query 1. Whether this Man doth not act against the Light of Conscience Experience and Holy Scripture when he asserts indefinitely The Infants of Believers have by the free Gift of God in the Covenant of Grace a right to Remission of Sins and so a right to Baptism Come and stand before the Bar of God's Word and make answer Had Cain Ishmael Esau Absolom Samuel's Sons of Belial all Children of Believers a right to Remission of Sins Query 2. Whether there is not good ground given unto Persons to believe in reading a great part of this Book from pag. 25 to 41 168. that he is of Origen's Opinion The whole World may be saved at last and then why not the Devils too For saith he pag. 168. if all Infants sinned in Adam 's Loins when Adam was restored they were restored in his Loins and when born they were born in a Gospel-Covenant In Pag. 26. God freely forgave Adam and his Posterity in him their Sin Now we know the whole World is Adam 's Children then the whole World is in the Covenant of Grace and so the whole must be baptized and if in the Covenant of Grace for any thing I see the whole World may be saved Abundance of these Assertions he hath in his Book But behold it is a Babel a Book of Confusion for though he tells us when the Parents believe pag. 27 28. their Baptism is a sign of the Remission of Sin to their Infants as to themselves and that their Infants are in the Covenant of Grace with them it being made to Adam and his Posterity Yet Cain Ishmael Esau he asserts were cast out of this Covenant of Grace when grown up and have no Remission of Sins What have Believers Infants Remission sealed unto them yet no Remission Will Men tell a Lie in the Name of the Lord to tell us that Baptism is a sign of Remission of Sin and yet to tell us this very Person may be damned Are not these Self-contradictions and holy Scripture-contradictions which saith Whom God justifieth and pardoneth them he glorifieth Rom. 8.30 In my Book this is more fully answered pag. 29. Query 3. Whether his Language favours not more of Ashdod than Canaan and whether it be not full of hard Speeches against those which John Child paid dearly for and of whom Christ saith It were better a Mill-stone were tied about his Neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea For in his Preface he accounts the Ministers of Christ Ministers of Satan transform'd to deceive the Souls of the Simple And in pag. 3. falsly saith if not maliciously The Anabaptists deny Infants to be redeemed with Christ's Blood p. 31. And p. 55. he saith The Anabaptists hold Christ hath no Lambs in his Fold but all Sheep because we will not own Pedobaptism And pag. 65. What a wicked Principle are those Men of that deny Infants the sign of Remission of Sins and that we make an Idol of Baptism is his Assertion And because we assert Christ was baptized about thirty Years of Age as our Example Behold saith he what windings and turnings by any cover of vain deceit Men lie in wait to deceive by turning away from the Truth and turning unto Fables And further saith pag. 10. We hypocritically plead for that we practise not Whether this Man's Discourse favours as being under the Power of a divine or diabolical Spirit is left to the Godly to judg and whether any heed ought to be taken of such a Person 's Writing In pag. 139. he asserts We damn
Believers-Baptism from Heaven and of Divine Institution Infants-Baptism from Earth and Human Invention Proved from the Commission of Christ the great Law-giver to the Gospel-Church With a Brief yet sufficient Answer to Thomas Wall 's Book called Baptism Anatomized Together with a brief Answer to a part of Mr. Daniel Williams's Catechism in his Book unto Youth By Hercules Collins a Servant of the Servants of Christ Luke 7.29 30. And the Publicans justified God being baptized with the Baptism of John But the Pharisees and the Expounders of the Law rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized with the Baptism of John London Printed for the Author and sold by J. Hancock in Castle-Alley near the Royal-Exchange 1691. THE CONTENTS CHap. 1. An Introduction Page 5 Chap. 2. Contains the Doctrines Page 8 Chap. 3. That Baptism is Dipping Page 11 Chap. 4. Shewing Believers only are the proper Subjects of Baptism Page 20 Chap. 5. Answer to Objections Page 27 Chap. 6. Natural Inferences Page 63 Chap. 7. Arecital of those Scriptures speaking of Baptism Page 72 Chap. 8. Of great Sufferings undergone for maintaining Believers and denying Infants-Baptism Page 76 Chap. 9. The Book epitomized in comparing Believers-Baptism and Infant-Baptism together Page 81 Chap. 10. The Miscarriage of the German Anabaptists falsly so called examined and the Reproach from thence reflected upon that way removed Page 95 Chap. 11. A brief but sufficient Answer to Tho. Wall 's Book called Baptism Anatomiz'd Page 108 Chap. 12. A brief Answer to a part of Mr. D. Williams his Catechism in his Book unto Youth Page 128 ERRATA In Page 108 114 115. for John Wall read Thomas Wall THE PREFACE Courteous Reader MY desire is that Thou would'st spend one Hour or Two seriously to read this small Book first of all begging of God it may be sanctified to thy Soul Read it without prejudice or partiality and as one that is willing to receive the Truth and entring into another World be like the Noble Bereans search the Scriptures to see whether these Things be so or no Take nothing from Man tho never so Learned and Holy upon trust without trial With what confidence may a Man die when he hath Thus saith the Lord for his Faith and Practice This is all from him that wisheth your Soul's welfare H. C. Water-Baptism Discours'd From St. Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved CHAP. I. IT was God's Command unto the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 43.11 to shew his People the Form of his House with the goings in thereof c. Know therefore ye Servants of the Lord as Circumcision was the Door into the Jewish Church which was National so Baptism is the Door into the Gospel-Church which is Congregational Hence St. Luke saith They that gladly received the Apostles Words were baptized and added unto the Church in number about three thousand Souls Acts 2.41 The Ancients call Baptism * Janua Sacramentorum As Listing is the solemn engaging Sign into an Army so is Baptism into the Church Mr. Baxter Baptism is a sign of entring into the Church Ursinus Baptism is the solemn admission of the Party into the visible Church Assemb Catechism the Gate of the Sacraments because by it we enter into the Church and have Communion with Saints In the Jewish Church they became Members as they were the fleshly or natural Seed of Abraham but now Members of the Gospel-Church as the spiritual Seed of Abraham Now we must not reckon from Abraham unto Christ but from Christ to Abraham If we are Christ's then are we Abraham 's Seed Gal. 3.29 not Christ's because we are Abraham's or our Parents Believers Under the Old Testament Persons became Members of the Church by Generation under the New by Regeneration Baptism is a Foundation-Principle of Church-Constitution Heb. 6.1 2. But the Foundation-Principle of Salvation is Faith in Christ or at least a Profession of it Hence we read Persons were first Converted then Baptized after added unto the Church Acts 2.41 My Intent is to display this Sacrament in its Apostolick Primitive Purity free from the Adulterations of Men a Sin which God charged upon the Learned Jews that they made void the Commands of God by their Traditions O that none of the Learned among the Gentiles especially those of the Reformed Churches may be chargeable with setting up Mens Inventions in the room of Christ's Institutions Mat. 15.6 9. CHAP. II. THis Text He that believeth and is Baptized is a great part of the Commission which is the Foundation and Warrant for all Gospel-Ministers Preaching and Baptizing unto the end of the World ☞ Obedience is to be grounded upon the Majesty of the Commander not the Judgment of the Subject The Architect was rewarded with a bundle of Rods for bringing as he thought a fitter piece of Timber than was commanded by the Roman Consul And it cost a Roman Gentleman his Life his own Father being Judg tho conquering an Enemy being done contrary to his General 's Command Remember Nadab and Abihu It 's worth our noting Here is first Faith then Baptism Therefore to baptize before there be any appearance of Faith is directly contrary unto this unerring standing Rule and doth reflect upon our Lord and Lawgiver as if he spoke rashly and inconsiderately putting that first which should be last and that last which should be first And so in the parallel Text Mat. 28.18 there is first Teaching before baptizing not first baptized but taught first From this part of our Lord's Commission we collect these Truths Doct. 1. It 's the unalterable Will of Jesus Christ who is King and Law-giver to his Gospel-Church that all Persons believe before they are baptized Doct. 2. It 's the indispensable Duty of all true Believers to be Baptized I call it an indispensable Duty because I know no Place where our Lord hath left this to the Liberty of Believers to do it or leave it undone as best pleaseth them Therefore if this be your Lord and Saviour's Will Believers pray obey him In your Prayers you desire you may be enabled to do his Will on Earth as it is in Heaven This is one part of his Divine Will Your Redeemer was willing to be baptized in Blood for your Salvation and will not you be baptized in Water in obedience to his Commission Moreover Christ calls it Mat. 3.15 a fulfilling of all Righteousness I am perswaded should God have commanded some great Thing as was once said to Naaman the Syrian 2 Kings 5.13 it would have been done by many in the Reformed Churches before now How much rather when he only saith Go wash and be clean Or as Ananias unto St. Paul Arise and wash away thy Sins viz. Sacramentally and Symbolically as it is in the Lord's Supper Take heed my Friends you are not guilty of Contempt looking upon Christ's Ordinances as mean low and little things for nothing is mean
was imputed to him for Righteousness not when Circumcised but Uncircumcised This being the scope of this Place a Man had need have a great deal of skill to prove Pedo-Baptism from it Object 6. Christ said Suffer little Children to come unto me c. I Answer Yet Christ may be said to baptize when his Servants do it by his Commission For what were those Children brought to Christ not to be Baptized for he Baptized none 't is enough for the Lord to command his Servants to do it These Children were brought to Christ probably to be touch'd by him to the healing some Diseases Consider here is not one word of Baptism in this Scripture Also the Greek word signifieth a Child capable of teaching for 't is the same word where 't is said Timothy knew from a Child the Holy Scriptures that is since he was a Boy not an Infant So Piscator maintains it Luke 18. and he put his Hands upon them and prayed Mat. 19.13 Not to Baptize them for we cannot imagine our Lord would act contrary to his own Commission which was to Baptize them who were first taught and did believe Again because Christ saith Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Some infer they may be baptized having a right unto the greater much more to the lesser We say this is a non sequitur It does not follow Persons may by Election have a right to the Kingdom of Glory yet no right to Gospel-Ordinances because under no Obligation to it by any Precept or Promise and wanting those Qualifications which the Gospel requires By the same Argument Infants may be brought to the Eucharist or Table of the Lord because what fits them for the one fits them for the other Object 7. If the first Fruit be Holy the Lump is also Holy if the Root be Holy so are the Branches Hence some would infer a Derivative-Holiness from the Parent to the Children therefore to be baptized I Answer This Objection is raised from Rom. 11.16 The scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew That Abraham Father of the Faithful is the Root not as a Natural but Spiritual Father And if we boast our selves of being Branches of this Root we must have the Faith of our Father Abraham for the grafting in here does not consist in outward Ordinances but in saving Grace not in the Visible but Invisible Church by Faith Mark ☜ none can be called Father of the Faithful but Abraham only No particular Believer which is but a Branch of this Root can infer they are a Holy Root to their Posterity See Mr. Cary of Baptism because Abraham is called the Father of the Faithful for Abraham is a Spiritual Father but we are accounted Natural In this Chapter the whole Body of Believers are compared unto the Olive-tree each Believer to a Branch which partakes of the Root and Fatness of the Olive-Tree which Root and Fatness is Christ the grafting in is by Faith into the Invisible Church which was first among the Jews therfore called the Olive Tree out of Abraham the Root who is here said to bear them for Abraham stood in a double Capacity God was a God unto Abraham and his natural Seed in giving them a literal Canaan unto his Spiritual Seed a God in giving them a Spiritual Canaan one as a Natural Father to the Jews the other as a Spiritual Father to the Gentiles According to the former Capacity some are called Branches according to Nature but in the latter the Gentiles are called wild Olive-Trees by Nature yet grafted in by Faith this being the Scope He must be a Man of great Learning that will undertake to prove Infant-Baptism from this Scripture Must the Child be necessarily Holy and in Covenant because the Father is Must the Child be Baptized because the Father is Good this hath no Warrant from God's Word which is our Rule Object 8. Many godly learned Men are for Pedo or Infant-Baptism Many Learned Men are against Infant-Baptism the Donatists Novations Waldenses Albigenses Ancient Britains Christ and his Apostles Humanum est errare I Answer With Sir Walter Rawleigh from Vadianus we pass over many gross Errors by the Authority of great Men. Are there not many in the Roman Communion who are very Learned The Pharisees and Lawyers were Learned Men who rejected the Counsel of God against themselves in not being Baptized Luke 7.30 Say not as they once said Have any of the Rulers believed on him Godly Men are not to be imitated in their Errors but their Vertues Elias was a good Man yet called for Fire from Heaven Luke 9. We must not do so Luther was sound in Justification by Faith in Christ yet was not to be imitated in Consubstantiation c. Asa and Jehoshaphat were good Men yet both out in not removing the High Places 1 King 15.4 That which is called the Reformed Religion had better deserved that Name had they shut out that Relique of Antichrist Infant-Baptism Object 9. Infant-Baptism is no where forbidden I Answer Is it lawful because not forbidden It is therefore not lawful because the Scripture doth not command it Every Affirmative Command of Christ includes a Negative Tertullian Where-ever Christ commands the Baptizing Believers there is an implicit prohibition of all others not so qualified Nadab and Abihu had no prohibition from using strange Fire yet destroyed for not using that Fire upon the Altar which was commanded and using that which the Lord commanded not By this way of arguing we may bring in the Baptizing of Bells as the Book of Martyrs tells us of them that did it and an hundred more Ceremonies of Rome Object 10. Those the Apostles Baptized were converted from Paganism Heathenism whose Parents never believed in Christ as ours but were Heathens I Answer There is no more reason to baptize the Child of a Believer Christianity is not hereditary as the Son of a Freeman is free for Isaac had an Esau and Samuel Sons of Belial than the Child of an Unbeliever as such and there 's the same reason to baptize the Child of an Infidel if it believes as the Child of a Believer upon his or her personal Faith The worthiness or unworthiness of the Parent does not affect the Children so as to make them fitter or unfitter for Gospel-Ordinances if they bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance tho their Parents were Idolaters they are proper Subjects of Gospel-Ordinances and if the Parents are never so Holy unless the Children have personal actual Faith they are not to meddle with God's most holy Things Whereas you say they were Heathens the Apostles baptized we say they were Christians Believers Was the Lord Jesus an Heathen The Ennuch a Worshipper of the true God and Cornelius's Prayers and Alms came up before God for a Memorial but whatever they were before Faith Heathens or Infidels the Apostles baptized them not until they believed and became
were first taught 'T is as if a King should give a Commission to an Herauld to proclaim throughout his Dominions whoever in the Nation Male or Female would go to School and learn the Greek Tongue should have a Wedg of Gold Doth this follow that every one in the Nation should have a Wedg of Gold because a part of the Nation No not unless they do learn the Greek Tongue So in like manner A dreadful piece of Infant-Baptism appeared when the Heads of 6000 Infants were found murdered and buried in a Warren near a Monastry no more in the Nations are to be baptized than what are first taught and learn Christ Christ did no more intend that every one in the Nation should be baptized than the Prophet Haggai did So superstitiously zealous were some in the 7th Century for Infant-Baptism that a dead Child was taken from the Grave and Christened its Father's Name given unto it that every individual in the Nations of the World would desire our Lord's coming because he saith the Desire of all Nations should come Hag. 2.7 which is only the Believers in all Nations God did not intend Infants had robbed him when he said Ye have robbed me even this whole Nation they being not capable of it No more are Infants of Baptism tho a part of the Nation being not first taught and made Disciples according to the Commission Object 17. Men of Years were first Circumcised afterwards Infants So in the Gospel Baptism was first administred unto Men and Women but afterwards Infants were Baptized I Answer You say well Men and Women were baptized first Infants were never baptized by virtue of a Commission from Christ tho Believers were and it was about three hundred Years after Christ before any Infant was Sprinkled Danvers on Baptism p. 204. Christ's Commission was to baptize Believers now unless any can show where this was abrogated and a new Commission for Baptizing Infants given this remains and will to the end of the World Indeed Abraham was Circumcised when he was old as a Seal of the Righteousness of his Faith to assure him he should be a Father of many Nations a Spiritual Father unto Believers Jews and Gentiles And after this God commanded him to Circumcise his natural Seed and when any can shew us as plain a Command for Believers to Baptize their Infant-Seed as Abraham had to Circumcise his the Controversy shall end Object 18. Infant-Baptism is an Apostolical Tradition Tho this Tradition be not written in any Apostolical Book yet it is of no less Authority with us than the Scripture Bellarmine and though the Scripture be silent in the Case the uninterrupted Tradition and Vsage of the Church makes up that Defect I Answer Tradition ought to be proved by more than one Evidence viz. Origen whom all other Ages have condemned of Errors Dr. Taylor And whose Works are so spurious that he that reads them knows not whether he reads Origen or Ruffinus Erasm With Dr. Taylor Tradition saith he must by all means supply the place of Scripture and there is pretended a Tradition Apostolical that Infants were Baptized But at this saith he we are not much moved for we who rely upon the written Word of God as sufficient to establish all true Religion do not value the Allegation of Tradition The pretended Proof for Infant-Baptism being an Apostolical Tradition from Dionysius the Areopagite Justin Martyr's Responses Origen's Homilies Cyprian in an Epistle to one Fidas a Priest have been examined refuted and found fabulous and forged Danvers on Baptism pag. 133 to 150. It is very improbable that Infant-Baptism should be an Apostolical Tradition when decreed by several Councils in the 4th Century the Council of Carthage of Neocesarea and Laodicea c. they did hold forth the necessity of Confession and Profession before Baptism In short It is against the Reason of a Man to conclude this an Apostolical Tradition because this were to make the Apostles act beyond their Commission which were to Baptize only Believers Object 19. Infants were once Church-Members and that Law was never abrogated neither do we find they were cut off I Answer John the Baptist abrogated this sufficiently when he told the Pharisees and Sadduces it was a vain Plea to say Abraham was their Father that was a good Argument for Infant-Church-membership under the Law by Circumcision but signified nothing to Church-membership under the Gospel by Baptism now the Dispensation is alter'd If any bring not forth good Fruit in his own Person the Ax being laid to the Root of the Tree it is to be hewn down and cast into Eternal Fire The Apostle Paul in Rom. 11.20 ends this Controversy plain enough where he asserts the natural Branches were broken off by Unbelief and if they come to believe they may be grafted in again Who can shew any Instance where Infants were accounted Members of the Church under the Gospel but until then they remain broken off and that Law of Infant-Church-membership is as plainly abrogated under the Gospel as the Passover and Circumcision c. which all grant is void tho not so formally done as once commanded there being no need the Substance being come necessarily Shadows cease Object 20. In Mat. 3.11 John Baptist said I Baptize you with Water unto Repentance And in the 6th Verse Were Baptized of John in Jordan confessing their Sins Here say some is Baptism before Confession or Repentance in the order of words therefore we being Baptized in our Infancy if we repent and confess our Sins afterward 't is sufficient and we need not be Baptized again I Answer 1. If you were only sprinkled in Infancy you were never yet Baptized 2. 'T is said they were Baptized in Jordan confessing their Sins but I never heard of an Infant confess Sin in the Act of Baptism as these did I will gladly Baptize any Souls that shall truly confess themselves Sinners in the very Act and Administration of that Ordinance to the Glory of the Messiah who came to save Sinners 3. Tho the Text says I Baptize you unto Repentance none dare say that John Baptized them before they did manifest Repentance because when many of the Pharisees and Sadduces came unto John's Baptism he said O Generation of Vipers John's Baptism is called The Baptism of Repentance for Remission of Sins because Christ preached Remission of Sins to the Penitent Believer Piscator on Mark 1.4 bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance and think not to say you have Abraham to your Father 4. John's Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance Mark 1.4 Can any other be the meaning than this that John was appointed of God to demand Repentance from dead Works of all that were Baptized and Faith also in him that was to come Acts 19. and upon this John did preach unto them the Remission of Sin I think it never did enter into any Man's Heart that John did first Baptize
World about the aforesaid Persons in the Year 1520 is as follows There was a Conspiracy of Husbandmen against the Bishop and Canons which began from two Rusticks hence called the Clowns and Rustick War The principal Article was That they should shake off every Yoke for their Exactions and Oppressions were very great some did pay more Rent yearly to their Lords than their Farms were worth And albeit the Boors pleaded first for their Civil Liberties yet after cried up for Gospel-Liberty as appears from Luther's Admonition and Reprehension of them for using the Sword to obtain it It may be supposed many of them knew very little of the Gospel though others might but both Papists and Protestants conspired against the Cruelty of their Lords Hence you have John of Leyden's words Some are called Princes but are indeed Tyrants they care not for you they take your Goods and spend them wickedly in Pride and Riot And for light Causes make Wars which destroy all the Poor have left In the place of Widows and Orphans they maintain the Bishop of Rome's Authority and Wickedness of the Clergy Where Youth should be brought up in Learning and the Poor relieved they establish the Merchandize of Massing and other Abominations Think you God will suffer these any longer we ought rather to die than to allow their Wickedness and suffer the Doctrine of the Gospel to be taken from us Luther confess'd much of this to be true and largely admonished Magistrates to their Duty tho he reproved them who made the Insurrection Philip Landgrave of Hesse did confess the things they were accused of were true and many things ought to be amended yet said It was not lawful to rise against their Prince unto whom God had given the Sword But we know Oppression as Solomon says makes a wise Man mad especially when Civil and Spiritual Liberties are invaded How few good People condemned the Undertaking of the Duke of Monmouth when he came to deliver us from Popery and Slavery Very few good People but rejoice in our present Condition tho won by the Sword The Switzers their Neighbours had done the like before and succeeded And had Geneva miscarried or any of the famous Men among the Cantons they and their Religion might have fallen under as much Obloquy And had the Church of England miscarried in the bringing in our present King whom God cause long to reign no People would have been under greater Reproach in the World by some sort of Men though done to preserve their Civil and Ecclesiastical Liberties out of the Hands of Papists The things the Munsterians demanded were 1. To have liberty to chuse such Preachers as might preach God's Word without mixture of Mens Traditions 2. Pay no Tithes but of Corn only and the same to be distributed according to the discretion of good Men. 3. They refuse not to obey a Magistrate knowing that he is ordained of God but cannot endure to be kept in Bonds unless it be shewed reasonable in Scripture 4. Eased of these Oppressions because some did pay more Rent yearly unto their Lords than their Farms were worth 5. That those things which were not a particular Man's Property might be free for Building Firing Hunting Fishing c. The Papists to this day do reflect upon the whole Reformation of Calvin Luther Zuinglius c. upon as good grounds as the Protestants have since reflected upon the Baptists because several of their Perswasion were concern'd in that Attempt for Freedom as 't is well known many good Men of most Perswasions of the Church of England Presbyterians Independents Baptists were zealously concerned in the D. of Monmouth's Time and many fell as thousands of those did in Westphalia But know Victory is no Argument of the best Cause nor best Men nor a Defeat an Argument of a bave Cause and bad Men for God's own Church and People have fled often before the Heathens and Infidels Love nor Hatred is known by External Providences Eccles 9. Many times it fares with the Wicked as the Godly and with the Godly as the Wicked in outward things as Divine Wisdom pleaseth No better Men in the World than some which fell in the Duke's Cause in the West yet by the hands of one of the most debauched Armies that ever was in the World And if we think to know these things they are too wonderful for us as they were for David Psal 73.16 And as to those horrible Things which are said to have been in the City of Munster in Westphalia from the Year 1532 to 1536. by John of Leyden in Holland and Matthias Gnipper-doling it is manifest from several Authors that the first stir in that City was about the Protestant Reformation the Synod siding with Mr. Rotomon and others of the Ministers who were for the Reformation against the Papists and their Bishops and Canons John of Leyden Jo. Matthias and Jo. Becold came after this Insurrection began John of Leyden by Arguments had made Mr. Rotomon who was for Pedobaptism a Proselyte for Believers-Baptism and died in that Cause in Munster He by Preaching brought over a great part of the City to own this Principle He sent Letters to the Landgrave and a Book of his Doctrine which Luther opposed and he opposed Luther as he did the Bp. of Rome And it was no wonder Luther opposed him who died in the practice of Pedobaptism And whereas 't is reported that monstrous Wickedness was committed in the latter part of the Siege before they were overcome We have good ground to question the Truth thereof First Because Sleiden in his Comment who represents the Matter as unhandsom as he could doth confess Mr. Munzer did preach against open crying Sins as Murder Adultery blaspheming God's Name the Body chastened and made lean with Fasting simple Apparel Countenance grave speak seldom get much out of Company think oft of God what he is what Care he has over us whether Christ died for our Sins whether our Religion be better than the Turks Moreover to ask of God a Sign whereby he may testify his Care for us and that we be in the true Religion and though he shew no Token for Good quickly yet must we nevertheless proceed in Prayer yea expostulate with God seeing the Scripture promiseth he will grant what we ask These good things may make us doubt whether some other Principles and Practices he writes of which are contrary to those things were true Moreover we have good reason to question these Reports if we consider further that those things were either written by malicious Papists who said as bad of Luther and Calvin representing them no less Monsters who asserted that Luther and his Followers taught that Mary the Mother of Christ had more Sons that the youngest James an Apostle died for us and not Christ himself Or these things were written by some disaffected Protestants who were willing to take up and improve such Reports to blast not only