Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	faith_n	prove_v	3,810	5	6.3590	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85387	Cata-baptism: or new baptism, waxing old, and ready to vanish away. In two parts. The former containes LVIII. considerations, (with their respective proofs, and consectaries) pregnant for the healing of the common scruples touching the subject of baptism, and manner of baptizing. The latter, contains an answer to a discours against infant-baptism, published not long since by W.A. under the title of, Some baptismall abuses brielfy discovered, &c. In both, sundry things, not formerly insisted on, are discovered and discussed. / By J.G. a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1655 (1655)	Wing G1155; Thomason E849_1; ESTC R207377	373,602	521

benefit by being taken into communion and fellowship with that Church or people to whom God bare and shewed from time to time more and greater respects of Grace and love then to any other people under Heaven especially considering that the Apostle having demanded thus What advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision returneth this answer to his question much every ways Rom 3. 1. Consectary If it were a priviledge of Grace unto children under the Law to be incorporated with the holy People and Church of God then in being then must it needs be a priviledge of like Grace unto children under the Gospel to be in like manner incorporated with Gospel Churches And consequently such Parents who are in a capacity of procuring this priviledge or blessing unto their children by causing them to be baptized and yet shall neglect or refuse to do it must needs be looked upon as Parents of hard bowels and un-Christianly injurious to their Children And if God should interpose by any prohibition of his against children in this behalf under the Gospel he also should be found by many degrees estranged in his care and affection from children since the comming of his own Son Jesus Christ in the flesh in comparison of his respects towards them under the Law especially considering that under the Gospel he hath not invested them with any other priviledge of like Grace and favour with that in-Churching them under the Law neither indeed are they investible with any like to it CONSIDERATION XXVIII VVHen the Jews through the just judgement of God were for their Sins cast off from being a Church or people any longer unto him their children were involved in the rejection as well as themselves I mean as well as their men and women and those who were Parents and had from henceforth no right to any Church Ordinance unlesse happily it be unto Baptisme and this in such cases and upon such terms onely as those specified Part. 2. of this discourse § 171. Proof This consideration also may well be numbred amongst those which carry self-evidence enough in themselves and need no labour of proof to commend their truth and some of our Re-Baptizers themselves do acknowledge it However most certain it is that circumcision with the whole reti●ue of the Mosaical or Levitical Ordinances depending hereon Gal. 5. 3. is abolished by the death of Christ and promulgation of the Gospel in which respect no person whether Jew or Gentile whether Parents or children are in any regular capacity of any of these Therefore if the Jewish Children under the rejection of their Nation or Parents be not in a capacity of Baptism they are in no capacity of any Church Ordinance whatsoever Consectary If the Jewish children were together with their Parents dis-franchised and deprived of their former rights and priviledges in respect of Church-membership and Church-Ordinances when their Parents were rejected by God and their Church state dissolved and abolished then can it not reasonably nor with any tolerable accord to the righteousnesse and goodnesse of God be imagined but that in case their Parents should repent and return unto God by Faith consequently be re-inchurched by him they also the children I mean should partake of this Grace and be together re-invested with them and consequently hereunto should by Baptism be members of the same Christian Churches respectively with them Yea it is the judgement and sence of some of our Adversaries and these not inconsiderable in their tribe that when the Jews shall return by faith unto him whom they have crucified and imbrace Christian Religion they will expect and demand Bapti●m for their children also Now there is no reason to think that the children of Jewish Beleevers as such should have any priviledge in Church affairs above the the children of Gentile Beleevers who by faith are the children of Abraham a well as they If so then are the children of these beleeving Gentiles regular subjects of the Ordinance of Baptism at the present as the children of the other the Jews will be when their Parents shall beleeve CONSIDERATION XXIX THe Jewish children were baptized into or unto Moses as well as their Parents in the cloud and in the Sea Proof This Assertion is the Apostles expresse Doctrine Moreover Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the cloud and all passed thorough the Sea And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10. 1 2. Now 1. That by all our Fathers he means all the Jewish children at those times in being whereof he speaks as well as their Parenrs is evident Because those who were now children at the time of the Baptizing here spoken of were Fathers to the Jewish generation in Pauls time as well as those who were then men in as much as this generation descended from them who were then children as well as from their Parents Besides if the Jewish children now in being were not Baptized into Moses as well as their Parents by the Cloud and by the Sea then were they no whit ingaged to obey Moses in his conduct or government over them during their passage thorough the wildernesse upon the account either of the miraculous protection or direction of the cloud here spoken of or of their miraculous deliverance through the red Sea both being vouchsafed by God unto them under Moses his conduct for the confirmation of it unto them as being from himself I mean from God But this I presume is no mans thought therefore the children of the Jews as well as their Parents are affirmed by Paul to have been baptized into Moses by the means specified Consectary If all the Jewish children were baptized into Moses by the cloud and by the Sea then may all Christian children be by water baptized into Christ There can be nothing considerable objected against this consequence For 1. Moses was a typical Christ and his conduct or leading of the people unto Canaan was a typical leading of men to Heaven 2. The children of Christians are altogether as capable of being baptized by water into the true Moses I mean Christ as the children of the Jews were of being baptized by the cloud and by the Sea into their typical Christ I mean Moses nor can any material difference be shewed between the one case and the other If it be objected that the Jewish children are metaphorically onely and improperly said to have been baptized into Moses when as the baptizing into Christ is literal and proper I answer let this difference be admitted yet it no waies disableth the consequence in hand For what can there be required to give a capacity of a literal or proper baptism more then is required to give a like capacity of a metaphorical typical or mystical baptisme Nay in reason more should be required to qualifie for this then for the other For things literally and properly such

only I have given sufficient hostages unto the world that I shall never war upon it or be troublesome unto it for neglecting me or laying my honour in the dust He who it seems believeth that I was tempted into a way of Schisme by mens intemperate zeal against my Treatise of Justification is a stranger unto me and thinketh accordingly But that which he calleth Schisme is schisme only so called unless to separate from iniquity be schism But however the most intemperate zeal of men against me Person Name or Books is a temptation of a very faint influence upon me to turn me out of any way of Truth yea or to make me their enemy Only when the Truth is offended I confess I burn and in case I find any strength in my hand to redress the injury done to it I have no rest in my spirit until I have attempted the Vindication By Truth I do not mean mine own opinion as you seem frequently to understand the word in reference unto yours for as for that which is no more then so I shall neither trouble my self much nor any other man at al about it But by Truth I mean such a doctrine or notion one or more which I certainly know that I am able to demonstrate either from the Scriptures or from clear principles and grounds in Reason or both to be agreeable to the mind of God And of this sort is the Doctrine concerning the subject of Baptisme and the mode of the administration thereof avouched in the Aphorisms and vindicated in the Answer ensuing against the most plausible Arguments I believe that have yet appeared on your side Some particulars there are relating to your judgment §. 6. and practise about Baptisme which as you desire to be judged loyal and faithful unto Jesus Christ true to the dear interest of your own comfort and peace friends to the comforts and peace of the Churches of Christ throughout the world I earnestly desire you will please to take into your closest and most Christian consideration As 1. Whether in your rejecting all children from the Baptisme of Christ you do not forsake the ducture and guidance as well of the fair and goodly stream of religious and learned Antiquity as of the main current of the signal abilities gifts parts judgment piety zeal practise of modern times to turn into the by-notions conceits and ways of men who are and still have been children in understanding at least comparatively inexpert in the word of righteousness through the weakness of their sight not able to see things afar off or to discern or discover the minde of Christ if it be but spiritually expressed I mean in such phrase or words wherein the holy Ghost delighteth and not put into terms and words of their prescription and such as they judge meet it should have been had he intended to convey it unto men by the Scriptures Or whether any one man of any considerable note or name for might in the Scriptures in all the golden Regiment of Reformed Divines or amongst persons of any other capacity since the Reformation hath given the right hand of fellowship unto you in the way of your judgement such only excepted who upon second and better thoughts withdrew it again from you yea or hath so much as at unawares or in any traverse or debate of any other subject in Christian Religion asserted any thing or let fall a word in countenance of that your judgement of which I speak Yea whether they have not generally upon occasion most solemnly and seriously declared against your opinion and practise shewing and proving the inconveniences and evil consequences of them And whether the affirmative in all their demands supposed it doth not plainly argue 1. That your opinion about Baptisme is of a very ignoble and obscure race and parentage 2. That it carrieth nothing at all in it standeth upon no principles or grounds any ways necessary or useful either for the proof illustration or clearing of any Doctrine in Christian Religion 2. Whether Errors and Heresies have not their § 7. certain seasons of growth and infection as wherein they are with greater diligence and industry dispersed and more readily learned and drunk in by the generality of people even as some hurtful Plants See Patrimony of Christian Children by M. Robert Clever with the joynt consent of M. John Dod Printed an 1624. in the Preface to the Reader have their set moneths for springing up budding blooming seeding whereas before they lay hid in the earth and afterwards have their stalks dryed up and withered Or whether mens minds are not in this case subject to be seduced as their bodies are to be infected with contagious maladies some yeers and in some places the small Pox raging in others the Pestilence somtimes one disease being general somtimes another And whether the errors and heresies of the Nicholaitans of Cerinthus Manes Macedonius Arrius Eutyches and others both of former and of later times have not prevailed respectively in those times and ages for which the righteous Providence of God judged them meet tryals and scourges for his Churches And further whether as once the Christian world was on a sudden and to its own admiration under a deluge of Arrianisme Miratus est Orbis se factum Arrianum which notwithstanding was through the gracious Providence of God not long after dryed up again so it be not extremely probable that the face of these parts of the Christian world at present overspread and covered with a Land-flood of Anabaptisme to the wonderment not only of intelligent and considering men but I suppose of the persons themselves also led aside with the error will notwithstanding the great prevailing of these unwholsome waters hitherto through the merciful Providence of God towards his Churches and Servants in this Nation be discharged of them and that he will cause them to return and fall back again into that Mare Mortuum or lake from whence they and all other waters of like danger and annoyance with them issue forth into the world 3. Whether the generality or far greater part of § 8. those who take upon them to be guides and teachers in your Congregations and Assemblies be not utterly incompetent and unmeet for such an undertaking as being deplorably ignorant of the mysterie of Christ not able to divide the word aright nor to wield and manage the Scriptures especially where the deep things of God are treasured up but with unspeakable detriment and loss to the Faith and Holiness and consequently to the solid peace and comfort of those who depend upon them 4. Whether the Doctrines or at least the greatest part of the Doctrines that are handled and taught in your Congregations be not rais'd upon mistaken senses and perverted meanings of the Scriptures unto which they pretend yea and managed upon weak irrelative and impertinent grounds and either wholly mis-applyed or else so weakly and loosely applyed that they

abroad very credible and not without arguments otherwise to confirm the truth of them that there are cunning Emissaries of the Romish faction Jesuites and others and these not a few who secretly and in a disguise insinuate themselves with all or most of the prementioned Sects amongst us These being the most exquisite and expert Artists in the world in glosses and colours know how of plausible Arguments and Pretenses to make fair faces to set upon every Sect and by-opinion whereby to allure the fancies of injudicious and inconsiderate people unto them and to set every party agog with a conceit of their own way and notions their most wicked and dangerous design being to distract rend and tear the Nation into factions parties and sects especially all those in it who seem to pretend with any zeal to conscience or Religion that so they may upon better terms of advantage commend the Romish Church and Religion for that unity which is found in them unto the generality of weak and carnal men amongst us being the bulk of the Natioan and whose Sovereign grievance it is not to have a National or State Religion wherein all must gree and hereby have the bro ader and larger opportunity either to work the Nation back again unto Rome or otherwise to bring the misery of confusion if not ruine it self upon us 9. As the English Proverb that a rowling stone § 16. gathers no Moss importeth that persons who oft remove and change either their dwellings or imployments do not ordinarily prosper or thrive in the world so neither do the souls of such persons usually prosper who are of desultory and light dispositions easily and without great weight and evidence of argument perswaded out of one form or way of worpshiping God into another or out of one Church into another Upon this account it is that the Apostle makes an opposition between being carryed about with divers or various and strange doctrines and having the heart established with grace Be not carryed about with various 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strange Doctrines for it is good that the heart be established with grace not with meats which have not profited them who have been occupyed therein a Heb. 13. 9. clearly implying that such professors who are apt to be hurryed or carryed round from one opinion to another which are various and strange not depending on nor consistent with one the other or such wherewith the Church of Christ have not been acquainted for these are properly strange Doctrines are never like to attain the great blessing of having their hearts and consciences wel ballanced or established either with any excellent work of grace or holiness in them or with the sence or sound belief of the rich Grace of God in the Gospel The reason whereof might be given but that the Law of brevity forbiddeth it It was the confession of one who had some years before turned aside into the way of Ana-Baptism at the time of his execution for the horrid sin of murther committed in this City of which confession one of you if I mistake not was an ear witness that from the time of his going under water he sensibly found God departing from him 10. If it be a duty solemnly charged by God upon § 17. you as far as lyeth in you and if it be possible i. e. if you can compass or admit of it without sinning for unto Saints all sin by the Law of their profession is made and declared an impossibility b Joh. 3. 9. Rom. 6 2. 2 Cor. 13. 8. G●● 39. 9. to have peace with all men how much more ought you to judge your selves bound by ingagements of the highest to have and keep peace amongst your selves and one with another your Church and Christian fellowship wil be as a first fruits of that New Jerusalem which is now coming down apace from Heaven unto you if you be careful and diligent to knit your selves together in love standing fast in one spirit with one mind and one judgement and so continue Be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you 2 Cor. 13. 11. your God shall be your glory and you shall be the glory of all the Churches of the Saints round about you if you shall carefully endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the band of peace Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity It is as the Dew of Hermon yea as that which descendeth upon the Mountains of Sion for there the Lord commanded the blessing and life for evermore Psal 133. 1. 3. As on the contrary where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3. 16. and consequently God must needs behold persons and societics of this unworthiness a far off And to those whom he thus beholdeth misery and ruine must needs be neer at hand Therefore if differences at any time arise amongst you 1. Let every man remember that he knoweth but in part and consequently that the errour or mistake may possibly lie on his side 2. Let him candidly and with an unfeigned desire of being over-ruled though contrary to his present sence into the truth especially when love and peace are like to be gained and maintained withall weigh and consider the grounds and reasons of him or them who dissent from him 3. Let him that hath any thing suggested to him under the notion of a truth contrary to the present sence of his Brethren not over-hastily entertain it but rather suspect and expostulate with the suggestion And if he cannot thus satisfie or free his conscience let him argue and debate with himself the grounds of it upon such terms as he would oppose or counterargue the Tenent of an Adversary If this wil not yet deliver him let him by frequent and fervent prayer seek an intemerate and chast judgement at the hand of God If this notwithstanding he shall remain doubtful and unsatisfied 4. In case the matter of his suggestion supposed to be a truth be somewhat about the verge or out-works of Religion and not near the center or heart as matters of doubtful dispute amongst Christians for the most part are let him as the Apostle adviseth in somewhat a like case either have his faith to himself and not trouble his Brethren or the Church with it Or else let him declare and propose it like it self I mean with an acknowledgment that it is a point of inferiour concernment and for which he shall contend with no man to the breach of love or peace especially let him not strayn or bend himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hyperbolize or over-speak the consequence or concernment of it In which kind of misdemeanor the high Ana-Bap●ist is the first-born of offenders yea though his notion for rebaptizing or as himself would fain have it pass for baptizing should be yeilded unto him for a truth He

of the Reformed or Evangelical Churches and that the Anabaptists acted the parts of mad or furious men in the Cities of Worms by the Rhine in Silesia Bavaria Zuitzerland and Suevia John Sleid●n reports how John of Leiden a fierce Anabaptist derided the Ministers of the Gospel for affirming That children ought to be baptized And a little after that the Senate fearing that the Anabaptists daily increasing in their numbers should accompanied with their Teachers thrust the Preachers of the Gospel out of their Churches to prevent them of such a disturbance caused the dores of al the Churches in their Cities except one to be shut up Zuinglius in an Epistle to Conradius Somius Minister in the City of Vlm expresseth the grief of his heart to see Beleevers seduced by the Catabaptists and declareth how that by their lies their queritations wailings or complaints their Hypocrisie which he saith is more proper to this sect of men then any other they had drawn great numbers of men to a most bitter hatred both of him and others He addeth they will so act their parts that for a tims they will obstruct the work of Christ amongst us but they will never go through with any great matter For they are the most profligate and debauched persons that fall in with them and when their businesse doth not succeed they fall off again from their sect and then bear men in hand that all the businesse of Christ so much contended about is but a fable I think saith Calvin it can be no sober mans doubt how inconsiderately they disturb the Church of Christ who set on foot quarrels and contentions because that children are baptized The truth and sincerity saith Musculus of that Religion or piety which the Gospel teacheth hath no more deadly enemy then Hypocrisie There are three kinds of men in whom this appeareth the Pharisees Monks and Anabaptists I speak nothing but what I know a Musculus in Mat. 16. 6. And elsewhere he joineth the A●abaptists with the Papists and terms them both the Adversaries of the Truth Beza hath this passage Our chief Magistrates have punished some Adversaries not because they speak what they thought or beleeved to be true nor to compel them by force to imbrace the true religion but because they brake in pieces the band of al human society because they were perfidious Apostates because they most notoriously corrupted the word of God because they made a laughing-stock of the authority of the Church because they factiously rent and tare the concord or consent of the Citizens The Anabaptists therefore saith Lavater are not to be heard to whom it is not enough to disturb the setled order and peace of the Church unl●sse they fall soul upon the Commonwealth also and down with all Magistrates fr●m their Thrones or seats c. These men are not onely enemies to Commonwealths and Magistrates but even pests or plagues also to mankind Calvin in his Tract against the Anabaptists professeth that it was his purpose and intent to admonish all that were Godly and yet not throughly versed in matters of Christian Religion how deadly a ●oison the Tenent of the Catabaptists is and to arm and fortifie them with the Word of God as with a most certain Antidote l●st they miserably perish Again in the same discourse But now as I have said it shal suffice that I have admonished all th●t are stuaious of the truth that what these wretched men by common consent hold and maintain for an impregnable ground of their Faith is a deadly imposture of which it becomes all men to take heed as much as of the plague or pestilence Vrsin declares his sence also in conjunction with the former touching the persons and opinions of the men now under censure From all which saith he having argued many things for Infant-Baptism manifest it is that to oppose Infant-Baptism is no light error but a wicked opinion contrary both to the word of God and to the comfort of his Church and people a All or almost all of these quotations the Reader may find in the words of their respective Authors in the Epist Ded. in the marg●nt relating to § 11. And he that desireth more testimonies of like import I mean to prove that the Sect we speak of hath alwayes been a back-friend to the Gospel may plentifully furnish himself by a perusal of the 13. ch of the second par of Mr. Baxters plain Scripture Proof c. p 139 140 c. By so much the more are these and other the deliriums or phrensies of the Ana-Baptistical sect to be avoided a Sect which without doubt hath been raised up by the Devil and is an execrable Monster composed and made up of various heresies and blasphemies ● Bullinger reporteth that the Anabaptists did quite root out the Gospel from Waldshut where Hubmer was Teacher by banishing many of the Citizens that were good men and sincere and drove them from their possessions this was their liberty of Conscience by which means the Gospel which did there excellently flourish was utterly rooted out The very same they wanted but a little of doing at Worms How deplorable a scandal to Religion and the Gospel the generation we now speak of have been in England and how much Sathan is beholding to them and their unworthy deportments that it hath not run and been glorified amongst us at another manner of rate then hath been seen hitherto I can better I conceive expresse in a few of Mr. Ri. Baxters words and passages then in many of mine own although his soul it seems was so full of the bitternesse we speak of that in the uttering of it it abounded to a large discourse Nay I desire saith he in one place any sober Christian but to look unpartially through all the land and tell me where ever any such Teachers lived but the place in general was much the worse for them Where the Gospel before prospered and Christians spent their time and their conference in the edifying of each others souls and in heavenly duties and mutual assistance and lived together in unity and love according to the great command of Christ they ordinarily turn all this to vain janglings and empty windy unprofitable disputes which he that is most gracious doth taste least sweetnesse in and they turn their unity into divisions and factions and their amity into jealousies and contentions one is for this and another for that and they seldom meet but they have jarrings and contendings and look one on the other with strangenesse if not with secret heart-burnings and envyings studying all they can how to undermine each other and every man to strengthen his own party And these are the usual fruits of the Doctrine of Anabaptistry where it comes b Plain scripture Proof for Infants Chu member-ship c. p. 146. He had said before and proved it accordingly that Anabaptistry hath never helped on but hindred the work of God

where it comes Nor hath God ordinarily blessed the Ministery of the Anabaptists to the true conversion of souls as he hath done other mens but rather they have been instruments of the Churches scandal and misery a Pag. 138. Afterwards But alas what need we look into other Kingdomes to enquire whether the fire be hot when we are burning in it or to know the nature of that poison that is working in our bowels and which is striving to extinguish the life of Church and State England is now the Stage where the doleful tragedy is acting and the eyes of all reformed Churches are upon us as the miserable objects of their compassion b Pag. 143. A little after I have had opportunity to know too many of these called Anabaptists and to be familiar with them And having first examined my heart lest I should wrong them out of any disaffection through difference in judgement as I clearly discover that I bear no ill-will to any one man of them nor ever did nor find any passion but compassion moving me to say what I do so I do impartially and truly affirm concerning the most of them that I have conversed with as followeth 1. That I have known few of them so much as labour after the winning of souls from sin unto God but the main scope of their indeavours in publick and private is to propogate their opinions And if they do preach any plain wholesome Doctrine it is usually but subservient to their great design that the Truth may be as Sugar to sweeten their errors that they may be the easilier swallowed c. c Pag. 144. Afterwards he compares the Doctrine and practise of those Anabaptists who indeavour to perswade the people that it is sinfull for them to hear or join with their Teachers being unbaptized men with the most mischievous Doctrine and insinuation of the Papists whose onely strength he saith amongst us is to make the people beleeve it is a sin to hear us or join with us and then they are out of all waies of recovery they may make them beleeve any thing when no body contradicteth it d Pag. 145. A little after this Moreover that very scandal of these mens opinions and practises hath been an unconceivable hindrance to the successe of the Gospel and the salvation of multitudes of souls Oh how it stumbleth and drives off the poor ignorant people from Religion when they see those who have seemed Religious prove such And going on he sheweth how the Papists are hardned the Episcopal party confirmed the Kings party which began to stagger at their cause now perswaded of the lawfulnesse of it meerly from the miscarriages of these men All this with much more the worthy man reporteth bewailingly out of his own knowledge and experience of the way which is called Anabaptism together with those who walk in it and occasionally all along sheweth the impertinency and weaknesse of whatsoever can with any colour of Reason be pretended to ease the burthen laid upon them So that there is little question to be made but that the progress of the Gospel in those parts of the European world where the late Reformation of Christian Religion ever set foot hath been more obstructed and retarded by the unsound Doctrines and extravagant practises of Rebaptizers then by the irregularities or disorders of any other sect Consectary If the way of Ana-baptism with those who uphold and walk in it have alwaies been injurious to the Gospel and obstructors of the course and passage of it in the world it is at no hand to be conceived to be from God because then God should be divided in and against himself CONSIDERATION LI. THe Wrath of God hath been from time to time revealed from Heaven against the way of Ana-baptism and those who un-repentingly have walked in it Proof The wrath of God is commonly revealed with an high hand in one or more or all of these waies 1. By deliveing men and women up to an injudicious mind or to beleeve lies and untruths 2. By delivering them up to vile affections and practises suitable 3. And lastly by pursuing them with ruinating judgements That God hath plainly witnessed from Heaven against the way and practise of Anabaptism in all these several ways may be sufficiently evinced from the reports and testimonies of many witnesses beyond exception yea I suppose by all persons of worth and conscience who in all places where any considerable numbers of men have been ingaged in this way have been diligent observers of what hath passed between the providence of God and them and withall have had occasion to record what they observed in this kind for the use of present and future ages For the first that Anabaptism hath been and is the ordinary harbinger to other fond fantastick uncouth and pernicious opinions and prepares their way into the minds and judgements or fancies rather of men and women who suffer themselves to be insnared with it hath been the observation of former times and is the experience of our own Calvin in his Preface to his Brief Instruction for the fortifying of Beleevers against the Errors of the common sect of the Ana-baptists gives this account of this his writing v●z that many religious persons came unto him and told him that there was a book sent from remote parts which required his answer unlesse th● ruine of many souls were pleasing to him a Nisi multarum animarum interitus mihi gratus esset The Treatise it sel● he begins in these words If I should intena to write against all the errors and opinions of the Anabaptists I should undertake a long work and enter a gulf from whence I should n●ver get out For this rabble of men herein differ from all ●ther Sects of Hereticks that they do not erre in some certain points onely but are a kind of immense or vast sea of portentuou● phrensies insomuch that it is hard to find the Head of any one Anabaptist which differs not in some conceit or other from all the r●st S● that th●re would be no end of my discourse if I meant t● examine yea or so much as recite all the impious Doctrines and opinions of this Sect. b Si adversùs omnes errores falsas opiniones Anabaptist●rum scribere vellem longum opus susciperem atque ingrederer abyssum u●de mihi exitus non pateret Nam ista colluvies ab alijs haer●ticorum s●ctis in eo diff●rt quòd non tan●um c●●tis in r●bus errav●rit verum sitimmensum quod am st●pendor●● deliri●rum ●●re adeò utvix ●nius Anaba●tista caput reperiri possit quod non sit imbutum aliqu● opinione diversa a reliquis Itaque nullus esset operi finis si i●pias omnes hu●us Sectae Doctrin●● excutere aut etiam recitare vellem Soon after distinguishing this sect into two sorts and acknowledging the one though full fraug●t with many impious and pernicious errors