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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26844	Mr. Baxter baptiz'd in bloud, or, A sad history of the unparallel'd cruelty of the Anabaptists in New-England faithfully relating the cruel, barbarous and bloudy murther of Mr. Baxter, an Orthodox minister, who was kill'd by the Anabaptists, and his skin most cruelly flead from his body : with an exact account of all the circumstances and particularities of this barbarous murther / published by his mournfull brother Benjamin Baxter.	Baxter, Benjamin.; Parker, Samuel, 1640-1688.; Savill, Laurance.	1673 (1673)	Wing B1170; ESTC R92	4,862	10

Mr. BAXTER Baptiz'd in Bloud OR A SAD HISTORY OF THE UNPARALLEL'D CRUELTY OF THE ANABAPTISTS In NEW-ENGLAND Faithfully Relating the Cruel Barbarous and Bloudy Murther of Mr. Baxter an Orthodox Minister who was kill'd by the Anabaptists and his Skin most cruelly flead off from his Body WITH An Exact Account of all the Circumstances and Particularities of this barbarous Murther Published by his mournfull Brother Benjamin Baxter Living in Fen-Church-Street London With Allowance LONDON Printed in the Year 1673. A Sad History of M. Baxters Bloudy and Cruel Death by the Anabaptists COuld any man believe that Phanatick Fury had such power to impell and force any that pretend to that Sacred Name of Christians to perpetrate such villanies which the Myrmidons and Scythians in the midst of Barbarism it self never heard of But it s a Maxim in Philosophy Corruptio optimi est pessima The best things corrupted are the worst So as the profession of Christianity is a most sacred thing the doctrine of the Gospel a most holy Rule the Authour of our Religion an exemplar and pattern of meekness so when Christians renounce this sacred profession lay aside this Holy Gospel and abrenuntiate Christ the pattern of meekness they soon become the most desperate villains in the world as may be instanc'd in Julian the Apostate and Sergius the Associate of Mahomet and compiler of the Alcoran And we daily see that among the Turks none are such implacable persecutors of Captive-Christians as Renegade-Protestants When I seriously consider these things I forbear to wonder at the great and desperate Villanies perpetrated by the Anabaptists those Renegade-Christians who deny Baptism that initiating Ordinance and first Sacrament of Christianity Dares any man affirm the Anabaptists to be Christians For how can they be Christians who deny Christning deride Christs Institution of Baptism and scoffingly call it Baby-sprinkling and in place thereof substitute their prophane Booby-dipping But what need words be multiplyed when deeds cry out so loud And are not such unparallel'd Villanies enough to un-Christian the stoutest Professors in the world Mr. Josiah Baxter in the year 1661. was sollicited with much importunity by some Virginia Merchants to leave England and imbarque for Virginia He condescended to their requests not upon the account of any earthly concern but because he thought in those New Plantations they might not be so well provided of Labourers in the Lord's Vineyard and in this Nation God be thanked there was good store both of able and painful Ministers He also propos'd to himself the effecting some good upon the Indians as he often intimated to me before his departure He lived many years in Virginia and did much good among those people But seeing that his health was much impaired by his Studies and Labours and that the Ayr of that Countrey did not at all agree with his body he began to think of removing and especially seeing he had such a fair opportunity as the most courteous and loving Invitation of M. T. M. G. and M. O. very considerable Merchants in New-England and his ancient and intimate Friends and Acquaintance He therefore in the year 1672. with his Wife and Family left Virginia and setled himself in a solitary house about a mile and half distant from Boston The Merchants and good people of Boston and the circum-jacent Countrey receiv'd him with all the kindness and tenderness imaginable He had not been long in these parts but all good Christians had him in great veneration for his great learning his diligent preaching and for his great zeal He had not been many Moneths in New-England but he understood there was a notorious Sectarian by name Richard Batt who formerly had been a Taylor in Coventry but some two years after the happy Restauration of his Majesty under pretence of a tender Conscience he left Coventry and came to New-England This Batt was a fellow of a prodigious confidence a good wit a voluble tongue and an insinuating carriage and comportment M. Baxter therefore quickly found out this Fox and was very apprehensive of his designs against Christian Religion for the advancement of his unchristian Sect and was also inform'd that he had already seduc'd many well-meaning people He thought it was now high time to oppose this Son of Belial to discover from Gods Word the falsity of his Tenets the wickedness of his principles and the danger of his practises and also to confirm good Christians in the Truth He therefore omitted no pains but constantly in all his Sermons evidently declared and prov'd from God's Word the Divine Institution of Baptism he answered all Objections and most solidly proved that the Anabaptists were most sacrilegious persons who endeavoured to rob Christ's Church of that Holy Sacrament which Christ her Spouse had left her and that the very denying of Infant-Baptism was a denying and renouncing of Christianity it self because Christ had instituted Baptism to be an initiating Sacrament whereby such as embrace Christian Religion were to be admitted within the Communion of his Church but these wicked Sectarians deny this Sacrament and compel their adherents to renounce their Baptism and to be dipt again in their prophane waters He told them also that the waters wherein Batt dipt his followers were not as he falsly told them the pure waters of Jordan wherein the holy sons and daughters of Sion were baptiz'd but the stinking and prophane waters of Egypt wherein none but Babylons children were dip't and prophan'd He also charg'd and conjur'd all good Christians if they had any care or regard for their souls not to associate with those prophane and Sacrilegious persons the Anabaptists but to consider their personal vices their scandalous lives and their bloudy and dangerous practices in forreign Countreys but especially in Germany Holland Poland and Switzerland and he would often instance many of their high misdemeanours in several places in England and pressingly urge his hearers not to have any commerce or society with men of such bad principles and detestable lives Thus did this zealous Minister of the Gospel like a good Shepherd diligently watch over the Flock which Christ had committed to his charge Good men were much edified by his zeal and the weaker and wavering Christians were most solidly confirm'd in the Truth But this good man thought it was not enough to edifie the orthodox and confirm the doubtful but he did most earnestly thirst after the conversion of misbelievers he was resolved to try all means for the conviction and conversion of the Anabaptists themselves He did endeavour to bring M. Batt to a personal conference He openly challenged him in the Church and openly protested that if he would come to a publike dispute and conference all things should be manag'd with Christian lenity and brotherly love but in case he should refuse such Christian-like Proposals of a publike conference and dispute the whole world would conclude he was conscious to himself both of the badness of his Cause

and also of his own disabilities to manage and maintain it especially seeing he was so openly so often and so pressingly mov'd to it by his Antagonist Batt and his Partizans us'd all the Artifices imaginable to avoid the conference and when M. Baxter's friends urg'd him to it he would reply that Disputes and Debates were altogether unprofitable that he could finde no Warrant or Example in Scripture of any publike Dispute between parties that Disputes in Religion did but incense Christians one against the other and heighten animosities that they did no ways conduce to the conviction of Dissenters and that tender Consciences who had left their Native Countrey for Religion should endeavour for peace and mutual love and not by disputes to divide themselves in parties but every man sit quietly under his own Vine and enjoy the Liberty of his Conscience These were the specious pretences that M. Batt used to avoid the dispute But M. Baxter was not at all satisfied with these excuses but himself in publick and his friends in private continually press'd them to admit a conference where both parties might make out their Tenets to prevent all miss-understandings and that the truth might be confirm'd by the Word of God When the Anabaptists saw they could shift off the business no longer and that their own party were unsatisfied with this constant declining of the dispute they began now to see the necessity of admitting a conference and resolved upon the time and place The day appointed for this solemn dispute was Jan. 10. the place was M. Smith's House the two Disputants were M. Baxter and M. Batt When the Company were met M. Baxter desired they would all make their humble Addresses to Heaven that God would grant a happy success to the whole business When prayer was ended they began the Dispute But not to trouble you with a tedious rehearsal of circumstances Mr. Baxter managed the dispute with so much Prudence Learning and Zeal that Batt and his Partizans were most learnedly confuted and by unanswerable Arguments deduced from Holy Scripture fully convicted and Infant-Baptism confirm'd M. Batt did desire that the further prosecution of the whole matter might be left for another day for now his spirits were spent night was drawing on and many of the company had a great way home Hereupon the company concluded the Anabaptists were worsted and signified as much by a general out-cry that M. Batt was confuted When the Dispute was ended every man went to his own home In this Conference the Anabaptists receiv'd such a deadly blow that many of their followers began to open their eyes and upon the next Lord's Day brought their Children to be baptized which was a very pleasing sight to all good men but a heart-breaking business to these Sons of Belial M. Baxter was extremely glad of this happy success and was resolv'd to prosecute the business to the utmost hoping now that a full conversion of that wicked Party might easily be obtained He omitted therefore no pains but ever after made it his whole business to preach against that ungodly Sect to lay open their dangerous Tenets and also to perswade his Auditors to detest that party as being men of wicked principles and worser lives The Anabaptists could by no means digest this disgrace they now therefore consult the Prince of darkness and are resolved to put in execution the hellish counsels that he suggests to their malicious and wicked hearts On Feb. the 4th about 11. of the clock in the fore-noon there came four Ruffians to Mr. Baxters house the solitariness of the house gave too much opportunity to these hellish Designs They had vizors upon their faces as soon as they were entred they severely charg'd them under pain of death not to cry out or cause any disturbance hereupon they bound Mrs. Baxter and her three daughters for this was all Mr. Baxters family When they had done this they went to Mr. Baxter and rudely tore the cloths from his back when he was stript they most cruelly whipt him Then they told him he must die He desired some time for prayer and also that he might be permitted the liberty to speak to his wife and children before he died All which they deny'd and told him that 't was in vain for him to pray or think on heaven for that was a place appointed for the Elect but he was a vile Reprobate and from eternity destin'd to damnation You are said they a most wicked villain and have done much hurt in these parts your sins cry to heaven for vengeance God has sent us to punish you you have been an Incendiary you have endeavour'd to persecute good men with fire and saggot you have been a most bitter persecuter of Gods servants who have left their native Country for their Conscience these poor souls you have persecuted to death you must therefore for these ungodly practices submit your self to Justice When they had said these words like so many Hell-hounds they most barbarously fell upon this innocent Lamb and with knives cut open his belly and violently tore off his skin from his body And when this holy Martyr by reason of his torments cryed out in a most dreadful manner they said 't was excellent Musick One of them said now the Rascal is urging the point against the baptists When they had perpetrated this most execrable villany they fled Oh! what a sad house is here The Good man is flead alive bleeding and crying out in the midst of his anguish and pain the house swimming in bloud the wife and children bound and roaring out to see this poor Martyr wallowing in his bloud and they not able to afford him any assistance Things continued in this doleful posture until three of the clock in in the evening and then by a signal providence one Thomas Smith of Boston came to the house he unbound Mrs. Baxter and her three daughters The youngest of the three was so consternated with horrour that she fell into Convulsion-fits and dyed the next day About six of the clock at night this holy Martyr dyed and was carried to Abrahams bosome And this is a full sad Account of this mans sufferings and martyrdom for his Zeal for the true Religion The Murtherers are not yet found but we hope that heaven will not let such horrid villanies goe unpunish'd long The Anabaptists were examin'd but did deny the Fact and have since publisht a Writing endeavouring thereby to perswade the world of their Innocence and that this Fact was done by the Indians But 't is utterly improbable that these Assassines were Indians for had they been strangers what needed any disguise And 't is more then probable that they were some of M. Batts party by their reproachful words to M. Baxter And this is the general opinion of New-England The Widdow and her daughters were forthwith removed and kindly entertain'd at the Ministers house until further care is taken of them I have penn'd and publisht this Narrative in perpetuam rei memoriam that the world may see the Spirit and temper of these men and that it may stand as an Eternal Memorial of their cruelty and hatred to all Orthodox Ministers FINIS