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death_n	body_n	soul_n	way_n	6,089	5	4.7618	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29317	The rise, spring and foundation of the Anabaptists, or re-baptized of our time vvritten in French by Guy de Brez, 1565 ... ; and translated for the use of his countrymen, by J.S.; Racine, source et fondement des anabaptistes ou rebaptisez de nostre temps. Book 1. English	Brès, Guy de, 1522-1567.; Scottow, Joshua, 1618-1698.	1668 (1668)	Wing B4381; ESTC R62	47,994	64

babish and childish thing They say It is the Spirit of God but it is plain mockery so to speak For they must needs grant us that the Apostles and the faithful in the P●●mitive Church were inspired by the Spirit of Christ yet none of them durst contemn the Word of God and the holy Scriptures but rather each of them had them in very great reverence as we may see it by their writings which are furnished with many testimonies from the Old Testament and certainly thus was it promised by God through the mouth of the Prophet Isa 59.21 where we see that the Lord joyned these two together his Word and his Spirit wherefore should we separate what God hath by an inviolable bond conjoyned Moreover Paul who was rapt up into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.4 and there heard things unlawful for man to utter notwithstanding gave not over diligent reading nor profiting by the Books of the Old Testament Commanding Timothy to bring with him the Books which he had left at Troas with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 2 Tim. 3.15 1 Tim. 4.13 Yea he exhorts Timothy who though he was an excellent Teacher and well instructed in the holy Scriptures to give himself to reading and what praise doth he put upon the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 I would ask these men whether they have received another Spirit then our Saviour promised to give his Disciples they will not dare to vaunt of another spirit now what Spirit our Saviour promised to send unto his Disciples he sheweth plainly when he saith John 14.26 This Spirit shall not speak of himself but should bring to their remembrance what they had formerly heard of him It is not the Office of the holy Spirit that which Christ promised to dream of dreams of new and unknown Revelations or to hold forth new Doctrine but it is the work of the Spirit of God to confirm us in that which he hath already spoken by the Prophets and Apostles seeing also that the Lord promiseth not to send us another Doctrine saying Hold fast that which thou hast untill I come Revel 2.24 Gal. 1.8 9. whereby it appeareth that we ought diligently to travel as well in hearing as in the reading of the holy Scripture if we will feel the benefit and fruit of the Spirit of God Luke acknowledgeth the diligence of those of Berea in searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 To this purpose tend these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 John 5.39 Luke 4.21 Matth. 4.4 Eph. 6.16 Mat. 22.19 Luke 24.27 John 2.22 And Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithful word Titus 1.9 c. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures c. Acts 14.24 28. If it were otherwise how could we take heed to the deceits of Satan who daily transformeth himself into an Angel of light whereupon should our faith rest we should be carried to and fro without any stability Object But they do alledge It were a great absurdity to subject the holy Spirit unto the Scriptures to whom all things are to be subjected Answ As if it were a shame and ignominy to the holy Ghost to be alway like unto himself and to be constant in the same word without wavering at all If any should reduce the Spirit to an Humane or any other Rule it were debased yea brought into servitude but when we say That the holy Ghost having once spoken is not mutable and changeth not discourse now speaking one thing and then another as men are wont to do who will say that we offer any injury to the holy Ghost Object But they say He is by this means examined which belongeth not unto men to do Answ It is very clear that it is such an examination as he hath pleased to establish in the Church that we may not receive the spirit of Satan instead of him wherefore it must needs be that the Spirit abide for ever such as once he hath revealed and manifested himself to be in the holy Scriptures It is no shame nor opprobry to the Spirit for any to say of him That it is no dishonour for him not to be mutable nor to renounce himself As for that which they tax the Ministers to be Ministers of the dead letter one may plainly see the Lords taking vengeance upon the outrage offered unto his holy Word smiting them with a spirit of giddiness for having despised the true and only means of coming unto God which is the Scripture and the Word of God In the passage of the Corinthians where Paul saith The letter killeth and the Spirit quickeneth let any closely consider against whom the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor. 3 6. and they will understand his drift It is very evident that Paul in this place had to do with false Apostles who preached and extolled the Law without Christ and caused the people to recoil from Salvation purchased by Christ and the grace of the new Covenant whereunto the Lord had promised to write his Law in the heart of the faithful Jer 31.33 Ezek. 11 19. Ezek 36. Heb 8.10 the Law then being separated from Christ as a body without a soul and nothing cometh from it but death to those that are under it it doth nothing but beat and strike the ears without any quickening the soul until by faith we are sent from it unto Christ as from the Usher unto the Master and then the Law will be found such as David sings it The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Psal 19 8. the testimony of the Lord is faithful making wise the simple the commandments of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart c. Thus must we understand how it is said The Letter killeth Paul calleth the Law The killing Letter and saith The Spirit quickneth i. e. The Ministry of the Gospel which he opposeth unto the naked Law and he himself calleth his preaching The Ministry of the Spirit we must not understand this place as those dreamers who as often as they meet with an obscure place that maketh against them say The Letter killeth i. e. According as they say to understand the meaning of this Scripture this killeth but we must come to the Spirit i. e. to forge Allegories Paul never thought of such fopperies Luk. 24 27. as we may see in reading the same Chapter 2 Cor. 3.8 It is then wretchedly and wickedly done to cast off the Scripture upon such pretence of the Spirit seeing our Lord giveth us his Spirit to understand his word as we see Christ opened the understanding of the two Disciples not by making them wise in themselves nor setting them to look for a new kinde of word or natural and innate in them in rejecting the Scriptures but that they might understand the Scriptures After this manner the Apostle Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit he would not have them fly in the air after vain and unprofitable speculations without the word of God but consequently

not being contented herewith he reproached her as a bawd the other wives fell a singing after this goodly deed Glory be unto God in the highest and gave thanks unto the heavenly Father and then they fell a dancing the King led the Galliard and exhorted the poor people to leap dance and to rejoyce also who had nought left but a little bread and salt When Easter was come and that there appeared no sign of deliverance the people were and that not without cause much grieved The King who all along fed them with fair promises fell sick and continued so six dayes together that he might cover himself with some excuse after those six dayes he came into the Market place and there shewing himself he told the people that he had promised them deliverance but it must spiritually be understood and behold this was the deliverance he said That he had rode the blinde Ass and that the Father had laid upon him the sins of the multitude and that he had born them and taken them away and that now they were delivered from all their sins which was the deliverance that he had promised unto them Thus must the poor and miserable people content themselves to hear this execrable blasphemy The blind Ass of this Gallant whereupon this devillish and desperate man rode was the poor people that endured and did bear the enormities of such a villain whom they adored If we should reckon up the miseries calamities and other evils which those of the City endured it were a miserable thing to hear divers who would not bear the famine fled to the enemy not so much looking for mercy as that their pain might be expired by death many crawled upon their bellies in the streets and others dyed in the wayes it was an horrible thing to see many walking quite stripped of flesh nothing left but skin upon the bones Their ears lips cheeks and noses were so shrunk up as one might almost see day-light through them as through a piece of Paper Through feebleness they could not carry their bodies some went to the enemy disarmed trailing a staff in their hands whiles provision lasted none talked of going to the enemy but now when this was spent then began their desolation and discontent yet they helpt themselves as long as they could They sowed in the sides of the walls and in all waste places rapes pease and such seeds and with this they made shift to pass the Summer But when this crop was spent then it was as Venison to them to feed on dogs rats and mice and when the City was taken there were but two horses left alive many were so pressed with hunger as that they did eat the flesh of dead carcasses Finally they boiled shoes old leather and skins and beat them together and put them into a pot and mingled all sorts of matter together which they could finde this was instead of bread and yet this villain and wicked cheater deceived them telling them God tried them to see whether they would be faithful and constant and that certainly the Father would deliver them in a short time Now they that would depart out of the City to be delivered from these mischiefs were to present themselves before the King and there this Robber took from them all that they had and when they were ransacked he said Now get you gone to the Hereticks The King had yet provision of Victuals in his Palace for about two Moneths but it was only for his Courtiers They consulted how they might victual the City Then there stood forth one named Hansken Vander Langke-strate he was one of the Kings Secretaries and one in whom he confided much he undertook to re-victual the City and to bring in three hundred Souldiers to their assistance and all in fifteen dayes He departed out of the City and under this pretence went unto the enemy and for a certain sum of money sold the City unto the Bishop offering to lose his life if he did not accomplish it the time for this Plot to be put in execution was the even of S. Johns day at ten a clock in the night and that he would open the Gate unto them provided they came without noise to the Gate of the Cross Then this Purveyour returned unto the City and comforted the King telling him That he had well ordered his business and that within fifteen dayes they should have a recruit of Victuals and Souldiers When the day was come he told the Watch That this night their aid and victuals should come and therefore when they saw them approach that they should take heed that they made no noise but be very quiet At the very time appointed at ten a clock in the night the Gate was opened and the enemy entred They kill'd the Sentinels and the Corps du Gard having got the Word Being thus entred into the City the Trumpets sound an Alarm suddenly the King and his men put themselves into a posture to fight and to repulse the enemy back again to the Gate which was now shut by some of the Citizens The enemies without broke up the Gates for they heard how they charged upon their people within and being now entred in they display their Colours Those of the City abode the brunt a little at first and were drawn up in the Market place the Battel was very great The King Knipperdoling and Crechting were taken then Rotman seeing no hope to escape thrust himself into the middle of the enemies and there was run through because he feared to be taken alive But when the Anabaptists heard that their King was taken their courage failed them and they hid themselves here and therein Cellars holes and Shop-bulks yea if it had been possible would have ran into mouse-holes They were ten dayes in pillaging the City and they found in the Kings Palace provision for 200 men for two Moneths whereas the poor people were for a long time starved This was called To have things in common when as some had to eat and others were starved This was like Ananias and Sapphira's dealing before the Apostle Peter Thus was the City of Munster taken the 25 of June 1535. The King was three days after by a guard of Souldiers brought to a Castle three leagues from the City called Dulme As soon as the Bishop perceived the King he cried out Oh thou wretch how hast thou brought spoil and waste to me and to my poor people The King readily and proudly answered lifting up himself and despising the Bishop said Priest we have not damnified thee one mite but we have delivered a strong City into thine hands which is able to stand out against all strength yet if We have done thee damage if thou wilt hearken unto us we will make make thee rich The Bishop hearing that could not forbear laughing and asked him how he would do it The King answered him Get Baskets made of Iron and cover them over with Leather

cut off his brothers head who was upon his knees before them all As all the company were smitten with great fear and made great and lamentable complaints Thomas who had committed this Murther suddenly flyeth out of the Town using horrible behaviours as the custom of the Anabaptists is to do This Enthusiast at that time came before the Consul in the town of St. Gall. Mr. Joachim Vadian an excellent man and renowned for piety and learning being present this Anabaptist cryed out fearfully before him The day of the Lord is at hand the day of the Lord cometh he added further that at the break of day there had been some great thing done but that he concealed the matter and that the will of the Father was accomplished and that it had been steeped in Gall and Vinegar the Consul reproved him and chid him sharply because of his fury and immoderate cryes commanding him to cloath himself and to return to his house and to behave himself peaceably Suddenly his villanous murther was divulged and he was apprehended and diligently examined by torture and afterwards 〈◊〉 his villanous fact by the hand of the Magistrate executed and put to death This poor Anabaptist had forgot the Doctrine of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.12 c. but God by his righteous judgement and providence suffered such villanous and execrable deeds to be committed by these persons that these wayes may be abominated There was found at Appasel in the Country of Switzerland A shee Messiah a woman a sister of this Sect who taught and perswaded many of her brethren that she was Christ the Messiah of women and chose twelve Apostles That befalleth these persons which is common to such as once stray and turn aside from the right path and the good old way by how much further they are off and distant from the right path and the more progress they make so much the farther do they wander from the right way after that they had built the Tower of Babel God so confounded their language that they understood not one another and they are divided among themselves yea they have damned and excommunicated one another and made divers Churches apart without familiarity or communion together But not to weary the Reader with such diversity I shall only name fifteen 1. In the first place there is Thomas Muntzer with his rout 2. There are the Apostolical ones as they call themselves 3. The Spiritual ones and separated from the world 4. The holy and sinless ones these are the Prefectists 5. The Silentiaries 6. The Praying ones and wholly trusting in God 7. The Enthusiasts 8. The great free Libertines 9. The Brethren Huttikes 10 The Augustinians 11. The Glorians and Triumphant Anabaptists of Munster 12. Those of Melchior Hoffman 13. The Meherlanders 14. The Mennonites the disciples of Menno Simons 15. The Franniques which also within these few dayes are divided Let us now come to behold some of their strange opinions for that were a work never to be done to describe them all We shall begin with Thomas Muntzer of whom mention was made in the beginning of the History Firstly He wrote and taught publickly that the Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel were not sent of God and that they preached not the true word of God but were Scribes and Pharisees preaching only the dead Letter of the Scripture Moreover he said That the writing of the Old Testament and the preaching of the eternal word was not the word of God but was only the testimony thereof and that we must search for the word in the internal part i. e. in our hearts where God hath put it that we need not go far to seek it from without us The Scribe-Ministers saith he think that faith cometh by the Scriptures and preaching but they are very far off for all the Scriptures lead us hither that we must be taught and learned of God Joh. 6.45 Isai 54.13 Jer 31.34 Answ It was very needful for these Anabaptists to begin here to set up their Sect and Faction they must say and plainly affirm that the Ministers are not sent of God that they might the more withdraw the poor people from them The Reasons which move them so to speak as they pretend are Pauls writing to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.12 where he saith Be an Example c. whereby the Apostle sheweth it is needful for the Minister to approve his calling by purity of life 1 Tim. 3.2 otherwise it will be vain and false also the Bishop must be unblameable Our new Mennonists and Franniques are of the same opinion But in the mean while who seeth not that they endeavour above all things to set up their own works and righteousnesses and Pharisee-like to judge condemn all such as do not as many works as they It is many times so that Harlots will boast themselves more of their chastity then honest Matrons so it was with the false Apostles at Corinth that they might bring the true Apostles of Christ into disrepute they so boasted of their own vertue and lowliness as if the true Apostles were in no wise to be compared with them But the Apostle is in no wise astonished at their vain and foolish braggings yea he plainly derided them saying We dare not make ours of the number nor compare our selves with some who commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves are not wise as if the Apostle should have said they so please themselves in themselves that they think and esteem that there are none in the World equal or to be compared with themselves they consider not the gifts wherewith others are endued but their sight is so fixed upon themselves and their own fair deeds as that they are perswaded that they are the only ones and the None-such in the world In the mean while the Apostle lively upbraideth them saying Such false Apostles are deceitful workers disguising themselves into Apostles of Christ and no marvel saith he for Satan transformeth himself into an Angel of light it is no great matter then if his Ministers transform themselves into the Ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works Moreover who knoweth not well that Doctrine far surpasseth works so as if the Doctrine be not sound pure and true the works how holy and fair soever they may be will never prove the calling of a false Prophet that he is sent from God If it were lawful for us to boast it should not be in our sanctity perfection and mortification as they do but onely in the pure mercy of God through Jesus Christ if so be that gravity and honesty of life were the true sign of the vocation to the Ministry it would follow that all honest and good people should be Ministers of the Church but that is well known to be false 1 Cor. 7.10 nor can it be for there is a command for every one to walk in