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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

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

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 reade and discourse of Scripture it followeth not therefore that all Christians are Preachers and Ministers of the Churches but onely those which are lawfully called nor doth the calling cease for any failing that may be found in the life of the Called which is not spoken to give occasion to make Ministers negligent God forbid but the exhortation of the Apostle Paul is alwayes necessary to the Ministers no more then Peter ceased to be a true and lawful Apostle Acts 6 6. Acts 13.3 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 when he so grosly failed Gal. 2.11 12. It is well known 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 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 I pray all the Flock of Christ not to give heed to such strangers but rather hearken to the voice of the Apostle 1 Thess 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 sheep-skins from off their backs that none might be surprized by their fair appearance Seeing the Gospel-Ministers are styled 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 The holy Ghost could have taught the Ethiopian Eunuch without the Ministry of man Acts 8. but he would maintain this order So Cornelius God could have taught him by the Angel Acts 10.5 but he is bid 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 Acts 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 poison against the poor Ministers of Christ he falls upon the word of the eternal God and there that he may leave nothing intire 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 Object That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and the external 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 Answ We plainly confess 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 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 reade these Scriptures Jer. 25.15 Jer. 20.33 1 Pet. 1.23 Isa 40.6 1 Thess 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 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

let them judge When Christ saith we must be as little children it is not said We must be Children and become foolish but that we should imitate the plainness and integrity which is in little children and that is it which the Apostle Paul holds forth when he saith Be not children in understanding but in malice c. in understanding be men and every where in the Scriptures their wandrings and vagations are condemned for he saith Whosoever taketh not care of his own 1 Ti 5.58 c And let every one abide in the calling wherein he is called c. As for the community of Goods whereof they make so much Plato taught it the Essenes had all things common and this was sometimes practised in Jerusalem but when it is said Community of goods They had all things common c. Luke understands it of many and not of all for is is manifest that all did not so Act. 4.32 because it is particularly specified of some saying And Joses also sold his possession if all sold their inheritances there was no need of naming particular persons for particulars are comprized in the number of all he intends not that all the faithful sold all that they had but as much as necessity required it was in the liberty of every one as Peter told Ananias Act. 5. when the field was sold was it not in thy power c. It is very evident that Christians possessed proprieties and that there were some very rich who left not their riches to put them into a common stock Abraham was very rich this is not to be rejected Gen. 24 33. though in the Old-Testament for he is in the New-Testament called the father of the faithful Yea Christs speech Mat. 25.35 fully teaches us propriety in goods So Paul 1 Cor. 16.1 2 Cor. 8.10 2 Cor. 9 6 7. Rom. 12.13 Gal. 6.6 This communion was not in the Church of Ephesus Ephes 4.28 neither in the Church of the Philippians see Phil. 4.18 The Apostles charge concerning rich men proves propriety 1 Tim. 6.17 John alloweth propriety 1 Joh. 3.17 so Heb. 10.34 Jam. 2.25 Theft is forbidden by God and therefore no community Were not Isaac and Jacob and Job and Joseph of Arimathea rich and retained propriety in goods Lazarus with his two sisters retained their house The women and Luke ministred of their goods unto Christ Dorcas Lydia Cornelius had propriety in their estates c. Much more is said to this purpose but this may suffice Moreover then the multitude of believers for the most part were very poor as Paul saith Brethren you know your calling not many noble c. This was not done in a disorderly way but in good order it being committed unto the Apostles to distribute according to their judgement to poor believers among the Jews who were hated and had not means to get bread and because they who had estates were plundered or were in danger of confiscation of their estates for this cause it may seem the Holy Ghost timely set them a work thus to dispose and expend their estates which otherwise would have been lost at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and Vespasian which came shortly after before which ruine the Christians were retired from Judea as Eusebius recites but these Anabaptists would put all the world in a confusion by their community of goods and that they might enjoy other mens labours but it is worse for them to bind all men unto it upon pain of damnation Of the Spiritual Anabaptists who are separted from the world AS for the Anabaptists who call themselves Separated from the world and are wholly spiritual they say They will have nothing in common with the Gentiles as they call them not Fasting observation of dayes life eating and drinking c. These establish a rule how plain their garments must be of what stuff how long how large of what matter and how for manner they forbid the use of all costly garments calling such as use them Gentiles and Pagans when they see any laugh or be cheerful they cry Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall weep They fetch continual deep sighs and are alwayes sad they reject all feastings and banquets at Weddings all use of Musick and as for that speech Rom. 12.1 they have it alwayes in their mouthes Fashion not your selves unto the world they alledge it as if the Apostle had intended to change the nature and property of all things and as if so be he commanded us to go upon our heads because the Gentiles go upon their feet or to speak with our feet and hear with our heels because the Gentiles speak with their mouthes and hear with their ears Whereas the Apostle understandeth no other thing then that we should not imitate the world in that which is evil which the Apostle John saith Love not the world nor the things that are in the world for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father And the Apostle Paul expoundeth this Ephes 4.17 when he chargeth us that we should not walk as the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their understandings It is folly in them to draw these words from the true sense to make them condemn a multitude of things indifferent as some of them will not put on a clean shirt upon Sunday because unbelievers do so some will not call Munday or Tuesday but the first and second day of the week binding their Consciences unto such things they make themselves ridiculous because they condemn garments and trimmings which are not according to their Cut and Rule by their Taylors and according to their patern and fashion We would not here let loose the reins to pomp and vanity but we say We are not to condemn him who is clothed according to his Estate and according to the custom of the Country yong people all according to the received custom Gentlemen according to their ranks Merchants and consequently all men of Estate according to their qualities We condemn with the Apostle Peter all sumptuousness and vanities which are unprofitable notwithstanding we say That when Princes and the like carry it magnificently they are not to be condemned as Pagans for Christ and his Apostles never gave us Rules for our garments Let every one hold forth mediocrity and cut off all superfluity for the profit of the poor Meat drink is not less free to Christians then garments wherefore to forbid them is to hold forth the Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4. as Paul saith What hurt can be found therein when God shall by his blessing give a Christian means that he may make use of good meat and drink and the faithful receive it with giving of thanks without gluttony but with sobriety wherefore should any say That this gift of God is a curse Have not the servants of the Lord praised the Lord