teach no more saying Know the Lord as if he should say Ignorance shall not possesse the judgements and understandings of men as formerly when they knew not who the Lord was yea in this restauration of the Church the true knowledge of God should become so common and vulgar that all should know how that the Son of God who is the lively image of the Father is descended here below upon earth to be united unto us being made our brother to guide us unto eternal life We know there is a double usâ— of teaching one is for those who are altogether ignorant to whom the first rudiments as points of Catechism are to be held forth there be others who being entred in must make further progress seeing then that none hath so profited but that he hath need farther to be taught so it is the greatest part of our wisdom to become teachable Paul sheweth how we should profit by teaching Eph. 4.11 if we would be Christs Disciples saying That God hath constituted Pastors and Teachers c. that we be not unstable children tossed to and fro with all winds of strange doctrine c. whereby it appeareth that the Prophet never intended to bereave their Church of an ornament so precious and necessary The Prophet onely would tell us Joel 2.2 that God would manifest himself both to small and great Isa 54.13 Jer. 31.34 and that the Church should have children instructed and taught of God as was promised by Isaiah This passage then is very clear behold the Prophet saith That they shall no more teach every man his neighbour saying Know the Lord and why because saith he I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their inward parts he doth not reject the external Ministry of the word but he sheweth that the knowledge of God cometh not properly by the labour and travel of men but it is because the Lord engraveth the Law of his Word in the understanding Ministers by their preaching strike upon mens ears and God by engraving his Law worketh upon and teacheth their hearts as he dealt with Lydia at Pauls preaching Acts 16.14 Therefore it is that Jesus Christ Joh. 6.45 seeing the Jews to murmure and storm against the external Ministry of the word saith None can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him it is written in the Prophets And they shall all be taught of God whosoever then hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Christ thereby sheweth that those who have heard and learned of the Father do not disdain and reject the Ministry but they come unto it and receive profit thereby and all this sheweth that we are of our selves altogether indisposed to come unto this knowledge of God for otherwise God would not promise to cause us to walk in his statutes and if it were in our own power so to do and that neither great ones by their wisdom nor little ones by reason of their ignorance can mount so high unless by the holy Ghost they be drawn Behold the true sense of the place so wofully corrupted by these first Anabaptists and all they pretend unto tends not but after they have deprived the Church of the Ministry and the preaching of the Word to open the door unto Visions and Dreams as they already have shewn at Munster and Amsterdam as Munzter their first father had begun unto them Was it not a pleasing thing to hear this alwaies sounding from their mouths The Spirit hath revealed it unto me The Father hath commanded me and when any brought a testimony of Scripture contrary to their dreams and visions suddainly they replyed What have we to do with the dead Letter seeing we have the lively word of God imprinted in a living spirit as if the holy Ghost who is the author of the holy Scriptures could contradict himfelf The Apostle Paul foreseeing that such Sects would rise up who would despise the preaching of the Word he adjureth his Disciple Timothy before God and the Lord Jesus who shall judge both quick dead to preach the word to be instant in season c. Satan knoweth that he must take off men from the Ministry of the word when he will have them at his beck to put into their heads what shall seem good unto him therefore his labour is to bring men unto this that they might hold nothing certain but that they finally being disturbed and uncertain he might make them despair Thus in the beginning he wrought with our Mother Eve denying the express word of God the Lord had said In the day that you eat thereof you shall die the death The Devil on the contrary denyeth it and saith No no you shall not die so now he laboureth to take from our eyes the word of God but what may we look for afterwards but that we may be confounded not knowing what side to turn unto for if we acknowledge no more the Scriptures to be the true word of God which as the Apostle Paul saith Was before time written for us that we through patience and consolation of the Scriptures might have hope what will our estate be certainly we shall be more miserable then the beasts and we must give up our selves to Dreams and Fables as those who have rejected this light and must perish wofully Of the Dreams of the Anabaptists and how they are condemned by the Word of God Muntzer preacheth dreams and revelations Muntzer having thus prophaned and rejected the word of God he preached dreams very goodly revelations which he at his pleasure forged as did the false Prophet Mahomet saying That he had seen Angels and gloried that he had talked with them by this means to cheat and deceive the poor ignorant people but all was feigned and counterfeit to make musique unto poor and inconstant fools and the Apostle Paul giveth warning of such gallants that we should take heed of them saying Col. 2.18 Let no man beguile you of your reward c. Yea the Scripture forbids us lending ear to such dreamers the Lord of Hosts speaking in the book of Jeremiah saith thus Hearken not unto the words of the prophets which prophecie unto you Jer. 23.16 21 22 26 27 28. c. we shall have intelligence of this in these last daies are they not in a dead sleep who Will not be awakened by the noise of this strong hammer of the word of God which breaketh the stones in pieces who can be cleansed by such dung and what truth can come forth out of a lye dreams have deceived many and those have fallen who have trusted to them These words of God are true and sufficient to entangle all our dreamers and ravers with all their celestial visions whereof they do falsely and out of a certain malice vaunt Let us then reject such cheaters and follow the counsel of God in his word and we shall alwaies finde it to
affirm that the sense of these words written and spoken by the mouth of the Minister is the true and indubitable word of God as it more plainly appeareth Jer. 36.4 6 8. where the Prophet Jeremiah commandeth Baruch to write from his mouth all the words of the Lord. The words of Jeremiah written with ink in a Book are called the word of the Lord. How often do we hear in the Prophets Thus saith the Lord read these Scriptures Jer. 25.15 Jer. 20.33 1 Pet. 1.23 Isa 40.6 1 Thes. 2.13 Deut. 10.18 Acts 4.31 Acts 6.2 Acts 8.14 25. Acts 11.1 Acts 13.5 7 25. Acts 17.13 Acts 18.11 Heb. 13.7 Ephes 1.13 We ought rather to give credit to so many evident testimonies of Scripture then unto such Ravers who do nothing but rave and dream Muntzer careth not for that but dareth give the Apostle Peter the lye Now they which thus leave the Scriptures finding out another means to come unto God through pride they are deprived of their senses They pretend unto Revelations of the Spirit and despising all reading they mock at the simpleness of those which yet follow the dead and killing Letter as they call it By what spirit is it by inspiration whereof they are so highly rapt as that they dare reject all the Doctrine of the Scriptures as a 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 Primitive 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 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul who was rapt up into the third heaven 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 Joh. 14.26 This Spirit shall not speake 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 until I come Revel 2.24 Gal. 1.8 9. whereby it appeareth that we ought diligently to travel as well in the 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 Baerca in searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 To this purpose tend these Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 Joh. 5.39 Luk. 4.21 Mat. 4.4 Ephes 6.16 Mat. 22.19 Luk. 24.27 Joh. 2.22 And Paul would have a Bishop to hold fast the faithful word Tit. 1.9 c. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures c. Acts 14.24 28. If it were otherwise how could we take heed of 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 But they do alleadge Object it were a great absurdity to subject the holy Spirit unto the Scriptures to whom all things are to be subjected As if it were a shame and ignominy to the Holy Ghost Answ 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 But they say Object He is by this means examined which belongeth not unto men to do Is is very clear Answ 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 offred 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 that passage of the Corinthians where Paul saith 2 Cor. 3.6 The letter killeth and the Spirit quickeneth let any closely consider against whom the Apostle disputeth 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 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 the Law then being separated from Christ as a body without a soul Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Ezek. 36. Heb. 8.10 and nothing cometh from it but death to those that are under it it doth nothing but beat and strike the ears without any quickning 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 Psal 19.8 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul 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 faith 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 the Scripture this killeth but we must come to the Spirit i. e. to forge Allegories Paul never thought of such fopperies 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 Luk. 24.27 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 he addeth Despise not prophecie thereby shewing that then the Spirit is quenched and suffocated when Prophecie is rejected what will those poor souls answer who have rejected the lanthorn Psa 119.105 which God hath given to be a light unto their feet We confess that the external word preached by men of it self nor alone cannot convert the heart but the Spirit of God must work internally to beget faith in us now this is done in good order by the preaching of the Gospel as appeareth by Lydia the Purple-seller Acts 16.14 she heard Paul preach but the Lord opened her heart to understand the things which Paul spake for this cause the preaching of the Word is called seed we know that if seed fall upon a spot of ground which is desert and not tilled it is lost without producing fruit but on the contrary falling upon soil tilled and well manured it brings forth fruit in abundance So the word of God Luk. 8.15 if it fall upon the hard and rebellious brain it remaineth without fruit as upon stony soil but upon an heart prepared by the operation of the Holy Ghost then it brings forth much fruit and as the Husband-man when he hath sown his seed he can do no more he cannot make his grain to grow but leaveth it to God so must the Ministers do when they have preached and sown the Word of God they cannot make it grow they must commend it unto God as the Apostle saith He that planteth is nothing 1 Cor. 3.7 and he that watereth is nothing but it is God that must give the increase he doth not therefore reject him that planteth nor him that watereth that is to say the external Ministers for he soon addeth We are co-workers or labourers with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building It appeareth that the Ministers are joyned in the work with God inasmuch as God maketh use of them as instruments and he worketh by his word by giving vertue in the internal man one may see as plainly as day light the errour of Muntzer the first father of these Anabaptists and that there is no reason in his speech Our Mennonists have condemned their father in this point notwithstanding there be others who maintain this opinion or rather blasphemy as some strange spirits the disciples of Sebastian Franque who this day do renew the question yea some little space of time since one of the chief of that Sect whose name I shall forbear to declare in the City of Frankfort before several honest people told me and with might and main maintained with divers of his disciples That the earth never bare a more abominable Idol then that which is called the Bible and that all the World doted upon it looking therein for the word of God whereas we should look for it in our hearts and one of them redoubled it and said in the presence of Mr. Alosco and of us all What do you talk so much of the Scripture I assure you on my part I have learned more by seeing an Hen or a Capon killed then ever I learned by all the Sermons and Lectures of the Books that ever I read Unto whom I answered It must needs be that you eat often of Hens and Capons seeing you have learned so much by their death but I pray you said I What good did you ever learn thereby he answered That he had learned to know the obedience which Jesus Christ rendred unto God his Father upon the Cross and that as the fowl was slain without making resistance and that for the good and life of man so was Jesus Christ slain for the life of mankind it was said then unto him How do you know that ever there was such an one as Jesus Christ and that he died for man do you find that written in the Capons belly the Turks also do kill Capons but they cannot reade there that Christ was their Saviour In the end they were very angry and like people deprived of their sences when they were hampered by the word of God and by their own reasons What man is there that would not wonder at such foolish and irrational discourse is it not just that such people should be so handled seeing they have rejected the word of the living God which the Angels themselves desire to pry into that they should be sent to School unto the bruit beasts Further I come to the Proposition of Muntzer who saith That the Ministers are much deceived thinking that faith cometh by hearing and that it is written Brother shall not teach brother any more saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them being all taught of God If Ministers be deceived by so thinking Answ then was Paul also deceived for he thus spake How shall they believe c. yea Rom. 10.14 17. he saith That the doctrine which was preached was the word of faith but one may easily see their pretence which is totally to make void the Scripture and the Ministry of the Gospel to come unto Revelations We have already shewed that God will instruct men by Ministers Rom. 10.8 the Eunuch is sent to Philip Cornelius to Peter Paul to Ananias c. As for that passage of the Prophet where it is said Brother shall not teach brother c. the Lord would not hereby banish from out of the Church the Ministry of the Word God forbid to draw men after visions and revelations now they fail in that they do not narrowly look into the place for the Prophet doth not say totally that they shall not teach no more but these are his words They
bare the Crown and the Bible the other on the left hand bare a naked Sword the Pommel whereof was of pure gold and richly adorned with precious stones the King had his chain of gold about his neck and he was all glittering with gold and precious stones he bare in his hand a Globe of gold His waiting Gentlemen were twenty eight clad like Courtiers with garments of mixed colour of green and blew to signifie his heavenly and earthly power Upon the Kings Girdle was written The power of God is my strength thus was the Name of God prophaned and blasphemed to cloak this Villains stinking infamy Farthermore his Title was The King of the new Jerusalem King of Righteousness throughout all the World The pompe of his chief wife for he had many together was equal to his own his servants were clad in green and bordered with a brown colour and upon their sleeve there was a world with a little cross about it and two swords thwarted a-cross He had his Throne set up aloft whereunto he ascended by three steps and all was beset with gold and Jewels The Law-suits which ordinarily came before him were for the most part about women and divorces insomuch as some who had lived almost all their life long together now separated one from another It came to pass one day that when the people were in the Market place close crouding and in a throng to hear that Knipperdoling leaped on their heads Knipperdoling's blasphemy and scrambling with his hands and feet being now above them he breathed upon the men one after another in their mouths saying The Father hath sanctified thee receive the Holy Ghost Confesses himself an whore-master One day he fell a dancing before the King saying Thus I am wonted to do with my whore but now the Father hath commanded me to do it before the King but because he did it too long and would not make an end the King was angry and went his way He suddainly mounted into the Throne but the King surprizing him threw him down and three daies kept him in prison Is there not here to be seen a wonderfull rage and madness Who could have believed that any bearing humane shape should have been left to commit things so foolish absurd villanous and execrable but it cannot be otherwise with such as violate trample upon arid reject the word of God they are by Divine judgement smitten so as to be an example unto the elect But let us behold their goodly glorious King now mounted with more then Royal Pompe where is the spirit of these Anabaptists who were so ready to reprove and reject others at first they cried out against all if they saw any Matron wear silk or any man of fashion to wear a gold Ring they cryed all down but now their glorious King Taylor omitteth nothing that may set forth his Pomp and State In the beginning they would not bear to hear that any honest man should be a Bailiff or Governour of a Village but soon the wind is changed and now by command from the Father their King is not King of a Village but of the whole World for so he caused himself to be stiled During this Siege the Prophets of Munster published a Book which they intituled The Restitution wherein they maintained Muntzers damnable doctrine and an infinite of errours Afterwards in the Moneth of August on the day which is called St Bartholmews the new Prophet called John Twiscoscar sounded the Trumpet through the streets and cried out that all should meet in arms about the way to the great Church for they must give a repulse to the enemies of the City being thither come they finde a Supper ready which the King had provided and by command the people did sit down to the number of four thousand the King Queen and Courtiers waited at the Table Supper almost being finished the King gave unleavened bread to all Becolds mock-Lords Supper saying Take eat declare the death of the Lord then the Queen presented the cup saying Drink declare the death of the Lord. Behold the brave Supper of these Anabaptists which was rather a voluptuous Banquet the Table of Devils then the Table of our Lord Jesus Christ Now when the Supper was ended the new Prophet gat him up into the Pulpit and asked them whether they would obey the word of God they all said Yes Twiscoscar reveals that twenty eight Teachers must be sent forth he told them then that the command of the Father was that they must send twenty eight Teachers of the word Then he named them in order declaring the place whither each should go six were sent to Osemberg as many to Warrendort eight to Susar and as many to Corsfield The King and Queen and the 28. Teachers sup together The King The King and the Queen with tho served at the table supped afterwards and those which were appointed to be sent forth As they were at Supper the King rose up and said That he had received a commission from the Father whereas upon an adventure there was a Souldier which had been taken the King accused him that he was a traitor as Judas and with his own hands cut off his head This being done he returned to sit down at Table and by way of merriment recited what he had done After Supper within night they caused the twenty eight above mentioned to depart out of the City and over and above their expences they gave to every one of them certain pieces of gold to leave in such places where their doctrine should not be received in witness of their perdition and eternal damnation for their refusal of the peace and doctrine of Salvation And when they were arrived at the places assigned unto them they began to run through the City with horrible cries crying Repent repent otherwise ye will suddainly perish then they cast their garments upon the ground and threw their pieces of gold which were given unto them upon their garments assuring them that they were sent by the Father to bring peace unto them if they would receive it they commanded them to put all their goods in common if they did refuse it by this sign and as by a mark they did bear witness against their ingratitude and evil deeds for behold the time now is come which was foretold by the Prophets wherein the Lord God would that righteousness should reign through all the earth and after that the King shall have discharged his trust and shall have so done that righteousness shall reign every where Then Christ shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father Upon these words they were apprehended and in the beginning fairly demanded then by the rack examined of their faith life and ammunition of the City They answered that they alone had the true doctrine which they would unto the death maintain for since the Apostles time the Gospel was not truly preached and that there was
in Cellars holes and Shop-bulkes yea if it had been possible would have ran into mouse-holes They were ten daies 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 Saphira's dealing before the Apostle Peter Thus was the City of Munster taken the 25. of June 1538. the King was three daies 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 wast 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 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 and put me in one of them and cause me to be carried through the Country and let no man see me but he that shall give thee a peny and by this means thou shalt receive more money then thou hast spent in the War The better and most holy Anabaptists hung about their necks the mark and ensign of their King engraven in brass marked with these three letters D. W. E. which in their language signified The Word was made flesh The King had for his title I John by the grace of God and by vertue of the new Kingdome to come in the temple of God Minister of righteousness c. Thus the King with his two companions were carried prisoners here and there unto the Princes by which means the Ministers of the Lantgrave had opportunity to confer with the King and to dispute with him about the principal points viz. The Kingdom of Christ The Magistrate Baptism The Incarnation of our Lord The Lords Supper Marriage and by testimonies of Scripture unto them so acted as though in all things they changed not notwithstanding all the oppositions they made to defend their opinions yet they yielded somewhat which the King did as some thought in hope to save his life for at the second time of their return he promised them if they would grant him his liberty to silence the Anabaptists which were in great numbers in Holland Brabant England and Friseland and to bring them in subjection to the Magistrate The 20. of Jan. 1536. the King and his two companions were brought back to Munster put in several prisons the two next daies were spent in holy Remonstrances to reduce them from their errours The King acknowledged his sin and had recourse to Christ by prayer The other two acknowledged not their faults but stood out The next day the King was brought forth upon a Scaffold and tyed to a post where were two executioners with hot burning tongs he indured the three first pinchings of the tongs without speaking word afterward he ceased not to call upon the mercy of the Lord. Thus for a whole hour and more was he torn and dismembred and to dispatch him out of the world he was run through with a sword his two companions had the like end Their bodies were put into iron cages and hung upon St. Lamberts Tower for a perpetual memorial Let none think we recite stories of the Anabaptists which are not to be believed by adding thereunto of our own God forbid that we should so do for there are many yet living who were eye-witnesses of these things and present when they were done I speak this that none might be hindred from getting profit by this History which is true and certain and brought to light for the instruction of the people of God In the year 1535. upon the 3. of February in the City of Amsterdam in the street of the Salines in the house of one John Silert who then was far from home there assembled seven men and five women then called Anabaptists among whom there was one called Theodore Sartor who was there inspired he lay stretched out flat upon the ground for some space of time before the other brethren and sisters who in the end awakened and prayer being made with great gravity or rather fair hypocrisie he then said That he had seen God in his Majesty also that he had a vision of all things in heaven and in hell and that the great day of Judgement was now come afterwards he pulled off all his Garments not leaving so much as to cover his shameful parts withal He commanded the rest of his brethren and sisters to follow his example upon this pretence for said he The children of God must strip themselves and put off whatsoever is made and born of the earth inasmuch as truth is naked and cannot abide to be wrapped up in any thing therefore they to shew themselves veritable and true ought to uncloath themselves The poor people hearing this put off their cloaths and being no waies ashamed became quite naked Theodore commanded them all to imiate him he leapt out of doors into the publick quite naked as also did the rest of the men and women who followed him trying after an horrible manner Wo wo wo Divine vengeance Divine vengeance c. and in this manner they ran furiously through the City like mad people crying out so hideously as never was heard Then the Citizens ran to take arms for they knew not whether the City were surprized by enemies or what would become of this stir Finally these impudent people were taken being quite naked and being questioned upon the 5. of March these seven men were beaten and scourged the first of them cried out Praise the Lord for evermore another said Lord avâ—nge the bloud of thine the third Open your eyes the fourth said Wo wo. Afterwards the women were brought to punishment when they were taken they offered them garments but they rejected them saying That the truth ought to be naked What men ever heard of such impudency or fury In the ancient stories we reade of Adamites who also went naked but it was only among themselves and at their Festival daies but these far surpass them When Adam saw himself naked he sought for covering and finding nothing more fit then leaves he made use of those of a Fig-tree but these when as garments were tendred unto them they refused them and like dogs ran without shame Behold what befalleth those that leave the word of God to cleave unto dreams and Satanical illusions but behold their madness in that they dare attribute such villany unto the holy Spirit of God and to make him the
author of their nakedness they ought to have in remembrance with what gravity the Apostle Paul commandeth women to have their heads covered in the Church what would he have said if he had seen or known women to run without shame quite naked like Bitches who commanded that women apparel themselves in decent habit with shamefac'dness and modesty The things which were done by these Anabaptists in the Town of St. Gall in Switzerland are not less hideous nor horrible then these whereof we have already heard For in the year 1526. two brethren which came out of the same womb Thomas and Leonard Schitker inhabiting neer unto the Town in the Mount called Mulleg the 7. of February by night there assembled a great number of Anabaptists in their Fathers house who spent all the night in preaching and doing marvelous deeds and receiving of visions at Sun-rising upon the 8. of February Thomas took his brother Leonard and set him in the midst of his kindred and of all the company commanding him to fall down upon his knees now as the rest admonished him to do no unbeseeming thing unto his brother he answered them That they needed not to fear for he should do nothing there but the will of the Father in the mean while unsheathing a Sword he 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 suddainly 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 cried 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 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 cries commanding him to cloath himself and to return to his house and to behave himself peaceably Suddainly his villanous murther was divulged and he was apprehended and diligently examined by torture and afterwards for 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 Job 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 waies may be abhominated There was found at Appasell in the Country of Switzerland a woman A She-Messiah 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 consounded 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 Perfectists 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 Franiques which also within these few daies are diviâ—ed 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 Isa 54.13 Jer. 31.34 It was very needful for these Anabaptists to begin here to set up their Sect and Faction Answ 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 where he saith Be an example 1 Tim. 4.12 c. whereby the Apostle sheweth it is needful for the Minister to approve his calling by purity of life otherwise it will be vain and false 1. Tim. 3.2 also the Bishop must be unblamable Our new Mennonists and Franiques 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 and 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