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 them selves 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 mortification as they do but only 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 the calling wherein he is called 1 Cor. 12.29 he asketh also are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Every Christian may or ought to read and discourse of Scripture it followeth not therefore that all Christians are Preachers and Ministers of the Churches but only those which are lawfully called nor doth the calling cease for any failing that may be found in the life of the called wch is not spoken to give occasion to make Ministers negligent God forbid But the exhortation of the Apostle Paul is alwaies necessary to the Ministers no more then Peter ceased to be a true and lawful Apostle Act. 6.6 Act. 13.3 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 when he so grossely failed Gal. 2.11 12. It is well known that our Ministers are called to Office by the voice and common consent of all the Church and that after fasting and calling upon the name of God according to Apostolical institution and are confirmed in their Office by imposition of hands what reason is there for these Sectaries to say That their Ministers are called of God but ours onely by the world and men if their Ministers have a special calling as the Apostles had let them prove it by signs miracles gifts of tongues and Apostolical Doctrine as they did the Church hath no need of your Ministers for the Doctrine of Repentance Amendment of life and of Remission of sins in the name of Christ is abundantly declared in the Church of Christ to teach the same thing is superfluous if you teach any other Doctrine then you and your Doctrine is accursed and not to be heard I shall say no other thing then what the Apostle Paul before spake to the like glorious Ministers as theirs be Gal. 1.18 If their spirit be so full of knowledge and light so as they cannot contain themselves from preaching without calling why do they not preach where the Gospel was never yet declared they insinuate themselves into such places where the holy Gospel hath been preached to the people with great labour and hazard of life unto the poor Ministers It is a marvel how they will vouchsafe to enjoy and partake of the labours of those Ministers whom they so much hate they secretly by fraud and deceit seduce and disturb in such places the poor sheep of Jesus Christ which ought not to be withdrawn from their true Pastors Joh. 10.5 I pray all the flock of Christ not to give heed to such strangers but rather hearken to the voice of the Apostle 1 Thes 5.12 13. Heb. 13.17 These Sectaries do defame and reproach the Ministers and speak all evil of them but it is because they touch them at the quick because they cry out upon these wolves and pluck the sheepskins from off their backs that none might be surprized by their fair appearance seeing the Gospel-Ministers are stiled the Salt of the earth none must think strange that the Salt biteth and pricketh and maketh it self to be Salt the Salt biteth not where there is no wound but it is felt where there is a raw place It will appear then that they have lost their spiritual senses who say That our Ministers are not called of God God hath put singular honour upon the Ministers yea what greater could he put upon them then by saying He that heareth you heareth me and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me the Lord not only by words hath recommended the Ministers unto the Church but also by example hath shewn what honour and reverence all ought to have them in Act. 8. The holy Ghost could have taught the Ethiopian Eunuch without the Ministry of man but he would maintain this order So Cornelius Act. 10.5 God could have taught him by the Angel but he is bid by him to send for Peter When our Lord called Paul he could have instructed him himself yet he is sent to a Mortal man to receive the Doctrine of Salvation and Baptism behold a case which fell not out by rashness that an Angel of God should withdraw from entring upon the Ministry Act. 9.6 and should send him to a man a Minister to preach unto him Who with a good Conscience dare then despise the true Ministry so highly honoured of God and to disgust men from the same and to cause men to run after those which were not lawful Ministers but thieves robbers and grievous wolves which spare not the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ Let us now come to the second point Muntzer after he had spued out his poyson against the poor Ministers of Christ he falls upon the word of the eternal God and there that he may leave nothing entire with open throat he spits out his blasphemies It is no marvel if he fall upon the Ministers of the word to speak evil of them seeing he dareth so outragiously to set himself against the very mouth of God Behold his own words That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Object and the eternal preaching of the word is not the word of God and that we must search for the word in the internal part in the heart and that the Ministers are much deceived thinking that faith cometh by reading of the Scriptures or by hearing them preached seeing all the Scripture saith that they shall be taught of God These are his own words We plainly confess Answ and are not so ignorant thanks be to God and who knoweth not that the external word i. e. that the Letters written with ink upon paper by the hand of the Writer and that the voice sounding out of the mouth is not the word of God inasmuch as it is written and spoken by man yet we do notwithstanding
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
no righteousness that there were four Prophets two of which were true namely David George and John Becold of Leyden two were false namely the Pope and Luther worse then the Pope Being asked why they drave the honest people out of the City against their faith and promise and detained their goods wives and children and by what text of Scripture they could warrant that unrighteousness They answered that the time was now come wherein the word of Christ should be fulfilled that the meek should possess the earth and that God in this manner gave the goods of the Egyptians unto the Israelites after they declared their ammunition and victuals that was in the City with their Garrison some of whom had above five wives Moreover that they looked for Souldiers from Friseland and Holland who being arrived the King would take the Field with all his Army to reduce the whole World under his power and subjection after that he had slain their Kings which did not righteousness After that they were questioned and still persisted in their opinions they were all beheaded except one who escaped At the same time the arose another Prophet called Henry Hilvers a wicked man subtil and wary he came to declare unto the King and the people that the heavenly Father had revealed unto him that three rich Cities with all their goods should be given unto them by God namely Amsterdam Deveater and Wesel The King hearing this set himself to consult with his Council by what means they might bring these three Cities unto Anabaptism and to this effect they sent certain men unto these places In the first place he sent James Campense to Amsterdam and commanded him to be Prince in that City and ordered him John Matthews of Middleburg to be his consort they went into Holland and hid themselves at a Sectaries house and there with their mischievous doctrine they impoisoned many re-baptized their disciples and secretly by night held Conventicles and Meetings yea also they scattered their poyson in the neighbouring Cities for in the City of Leyden in the Moneth of January in the year following 1535 many were put to death for Anabaptism and for their seditious counsels and enterprises Moreover in the end of the year 1534 the King sent into Friseland John Gelen a subtil man and well vers'd in arms he having formerly had charge in the Army the King gave him good store of gold out of the spoil of the Churches and gave him in charge to raise an Army in Frise and acted so by certain men that assisted him that on the 30. of March 1535. he mustered up and raised an Army and took a Monastery and drave out the Friers and there quartered his Camp until his Army should augment and be compleated George Schonk who then was Governour of Frise speedily assaulted them as seditious persons they valiantly defended themselves but he gained the Victory and defeated them but not without great loss they were all cut off except sixty who were brought to Leanard and after were punished according to their deserts Their Captain John Gelen escaped and fled to Amsterdam to be the author of some further sedition where he found many Anabaptists whom John Campense had seduced he promised them great matters highly exalting the glory and liberty at Munster magnificently preaching the new raign of righteousness upon earth For by this time the renown of Munster was spread which animated the courage of many seeing so great an Army had besieged them yea and had stormed them often with the loss of many and that they saw the Anabaptists to persist in their purpose many who were desirous to be freed from their debts and to triumph did greatly desire to enjoy the liberty of Munster Henry Gesbell a Citizen of Amsterdam a stout man and of renown for Souldiery was gained by the Anabaptists and was very familiar with John Gelen who being drawn to their party by large promises much was wrought by him for in the conclusion 600 Anabaptists met together with whom they intended and attempted to take Amsterdam to set up their new raign as they had done at Munster for upon the 10. of May the first and the chiefest of them assembled in the house of Peter Gale where after consultation they came forth into the street for that day the Citizens were merry and had according to a custom among them been at a Game About 10. a clock the Anabaptists ran together in the streets about the Cross which was a publique place crying out Amend your lives c. whosoever will this night be â—ich and happy let him march along with us and as the number of their people encreased more and more they slew part of them who had charge of the watch and the other part they took prisoners Now the Citizens assembled themselves and assaulted the Anabaptists but they carried the matter so ill as that their Consul was slain and the rest put to flight but then they re-inforced their strength and gave battle unto the Anabaptists who were then defeated though with much blood which then was shed among whom John Gelen and Henry Gesbell were slain James Campense was taken and executed by the hand of Justice Afterwards in many parts of those places of Holland the Anabaptists raised tumults and seditions not without loss and great damage unto several honest people for they could not keep themselves quiet for when they were defeated in one part they began in another making in secret many disciples who waited for the restoring of the Kingdom unto Israel There was a certain man in the Town of Leyden who being forced unto it by torments confessed that the King of the Anabaptists dwelt in Utricht but that he was not yet crowned but only designed to be Prince in the Kingdom of Israel this prisoner was not only found possessed of vessels of silver and gold which by evil practise he had stoln but also guilty of several horrible crimes for which he was executed there is no doubt but that by this King they did intend David George In the mean while although at Munster their King and Prophets had made unto the poor people most great and magnificent promises yet now everyday they were oppressed with great necessity and chiefly through famine insomuch as many were starved and died for want of bread The Inhabitants secretly resolved to apprehend the King and to deliver him up unto the Bishop and by this means to purchase their peace the King making doubt hereof and not trusting to himself he chose twelve men whom he judged would be most faithful unto him and appointed them to be Captains of each Quarter of the City that he might be in the better rest and assurance afterwards he promised the people that by Easter they should be freed and delivered from this siege and all their poverty for he hoped that the Legates which he had sent into Frise and Holland and other Regions having raised Souldiers would make
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
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
be a strong buckler against all assaults Prov. 30.5 Isa 8.19 20. The Lord sends us to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no morning-light in them And when Dives desired that the living might be taught by some other means besides the word of God it was answered That they had Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Moreover Muntzer cometh from thence to grapple with the sacrifice of the Son of God Muntzers denial of Christs satisfaction and justification by faith to vomit out stinking blasphemies against it saying The Ministers are lyers when they say That Jesus Christ hath satisfied for us and that we are justified by faith alone without works thus speak these Scribes when they mince unto men These are his words as they may be read in his Books But I pray you is not this filthily to blaspheme the Son of God it will not only follow that the Ministers are only delicious and mincing and make mens consciences drousie but also all the Prophets Acts 10.43 Jer. 11.3 for thus spake Peter in the house of Cornelius the Centurion All the Prophets bear witnesse unto Jesus Christ That whosoever shall believe on him shall receive remission of sins through his name Yea John Baptist held up the finger at Christ Joh. 1.29 36. saying Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world Isa 53.7 Isaiah witnesseth and testifieth that Christ hath surely born our languishing and sustained our dolours what can be more plainly said then when he saith He hath born the pain and punishment which was due unto us and that we are healed by his wounds the same is affirmed by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 and Jesus Christ himself saith Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world c. The Apostle John testifieth 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin c. so Paul Col. 1.20 He made peace and reconciled us by the bloud of his cross Read to this purpose 2 Cor. 6.21 and Rom. 5.19 and divers other Scriptures testifie unto this truth so as nothing is more clear and yet Muntzer dareth to accuse the Prophets and Apostles with the Ministers as those that flatter mens Consciences because they teach not righteousness by works It is a marvel how that sentence of the Apostle is forgotten Gal. 2.22 who saith That if we be justified by the works of the law Christ is dead in vain We teach to do good works live holily but not to be justified by them that we live only by faith in Jesus Christ Preaching of justification makes not careless of well-doing Muntzer thinketh to mend the matter by saying That thus to preach Christ is the way to make men careless of doing well but on the. contrary to preach Christ who died for our sins and that he gave himself out of perfect love a sacrifice for our Redemption is the way to be stirred up with burning zeal to good works Furthermore we must not preach the Gospel as we please but as it is appointed of the Father and as the Scriptures testifie that the Apostles preached it of such men the Apostle Peter warneth us saying That there shall arise false prophets c. 2 Pet. 2.2 Let notice be taken whether Muntzer and his companious be not of that number who dare not plainly say as much but they will say as we do but being put unto it they make Jesus Christ but an half Saviour by bringing in good works We say That faith without works is dead but they justifie us not before God neither blot out our sins Simile As the flame is not without light otherwise it were not flame yet it 's light burneth not it is the fire and the flame only that doth lighten so faith is not without works but works burn not i. e. take not away sin it is faith in Christ only thus we speak of the vertue and property of faith shewing that those who have this true faith cannot be lazie so as out of love to God they should not do good works to glorifie God Rails against Marriage c. He likewise fell upon Marriage in a foollish and villanous manner saying That the marriage of Pagans and other ignorants and unbelievers was polluted and unclean and that it was fornication and a very shew of Satan so as many light spirits being moved and spurred forward by this woful doctrine took occasion to break many marriages 2 Tim. 3.6 leaving houses desolate and drew after them silly poor women laden with lusts to leave their husbands perswading them that the believing wife i. e. after their account the re-baptized ought not to abidewith the unrebaptized husband Holding that a wife dwelling with her Gentile husband is polluted and defiled and cannot be saved They called the marriage of those that were not of their Sect whoredom and the fleshly bed and their marriages were spiritual Heb. 13.4 The Apostle was of another minde when he faith Marriage is honourable c. But it may be they will say This is to be understood of the Marriage of such where both parties are believers and not of the believer with the unbeliever But the Apostle Paul taketh off all objection when he saith unto the married 1 Cor. 7.10.12 I command them yet not I but the Lord c. what could be more plainly said to prove the marriages of believers with unbelievers to be true marriages though they were joyned together in the time of their unbelief See how these poor people are become shameless in laying open their filthiness before all the world who would not wonder to see such spiritual people as these pretend themselves to be to live upon the goods and riches of whore-mongers this is the honour that they put upon their Fathers and Mothers that begat and brought them forth yea and upon themselves Apostolical Anabaptists As for the Apostolical Anabaptists they are so called because they follow as they say the Apostles and Apostolical Church step by step They regard the naked letter of the Scripture They walked as Vagabonds through the Country and Regions without shooes without staff without girdle and without money they said That they were sent by God and because Christ saith What I told in your ears preach upon the house-tops they got up upon houses and preached there they washed the feet one of another and because Christ saith He that will enter into the Kingdom of heaven must become as a little child they said We must play the children with children and therefore they so did and because our Lord saith He that leaveth not all that he possesseth whether wife children father mother lands and inheritance c. they often took slender occasions and left their Country leaving their wives and children and went as spiritual Lanskeneths they said That a Christian ought not to possess any thing as his