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A15388 A confutation of certaine articles deliuered vnto the Familye of Loue with the exposition of Theophilus, a supposed elder in the sayd Familye vpon the same articles. By William Wilkinson Maister of Artes and student of diuinitye. Hereunto are prefixed by the right reuerend Father in God I.Y. Byshop of Rochester, certaine notes collected out of their Gospell, and aunswered by the Fam. By the author, a description of the tyme, places, authors, and manner of spreading the same: of their liues, and wrestyng of Scriptures: with notes in the end how to know an heretique. Wilkinson, William, d. 1613.; Young, John, 1534?-1605.; Niclaes, Hendrik, 1502?-1580? 1579 (1579) STC 25665; ESTC S101312 139,324 194

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waxed so heate and such dayly daūger honge ouer their heades that professed the sinceritie of the Gospel So scorchyng was the flame of those most bloudy tymes that those men whō the world was not woorthy of some of them were tryed by bondes and Imprisomnentes some of them by most bitter tormentes of Fire and Fagot such imminent and present perill abode those who professed them selues to be fauorers of Christes truth Which great distresse and calamitie draue diuers of the Children of God to wander from place to place not hauyng where they durst at any tyme rest long together In the which tyme of their continuall tossing sometymes they had ease and comfort by their feruent Prayers and by the participation of the blessed word Sacramentes they got some space to breath them agaynst that fiery triall which hourely they looked for Neither had this affliction albeit it was mighty bene so greuous if Sathan there had stayd his rage but his priuate hatred long concealed brake forth into open enmitie who beyng an old Dragon and subtle Serpent dayly raysed vp some which priuily spake peruerse thynges entanglyng the simple sorte and drawyng such weakelynges after them as they dayly met withall to be their Disciples The aūcient and famous Towne of Colchester was in the troublesome tyme of Queene Maries persecution a sweete and and comfortable mother of the bodyes and a tender nourse of the soules of Gods children which towne was the rather at that tyme frequented because it aforded many godly and zealous Martyrs whiche continually with their bloud watered those seedes whiche by the preachyng of the worde had bene sowne most plentifully in the hartes of Christians in the dayes of good Kyng Edward This towne for the earnest profession of the Gospell became like vnto a Citie vpon an hill and as a candle vpon a candlesticke gaue great light to all those who for the comfort of their conscience came to conferre there from diuers places of the Realme and repairyng to common Innes had by night their Christian exercises whiche in other places could not be gotten For proofe whereof I referre the Reader vnto that whiche is truely reported by M. Foxe in his booke of Actes and Monumentes that at the kynges head in Colchester and at other Innes in the sayd Towne the afflicted Christians had set places appointed for thē selues to meete at where least Sathan should bee thought to bee idle or his venemous or deadly hatred agaynst Christes poore afflicted members should seeme to bee lesse then his open professed enmitie hee styrred vp diuers Schismaticall spirites whiche euen in that great trouble of the Church sought to be teachers of that wherof they had no vnderstandyng and thereby turned the knowledge of Gods testimonies which in many of them though it was small yet somewhat to vayne and contentious ●anglyng whereby the deare Saintes of God were not a litle disquieted at such tyme especially as some of them beyng cōdemned to death looked to tast of the same cup whiche had bene in full measure powred out vnto their brethren For not onely in the priuate assemblies of the godly did these spider catchers swarme together to peruert the right wayes of the Lord but also in diuers prisons in London they kept a continuall haunt where they scattered their deuilish cocle of abhominable Heresie among such as were committed for the loue of the Gospell For the testimony of the truth hereof vouchsafe good reader to read the booke of M. Foxe before alledged where hee reporteth the letter of a wicked Promoter named Thom. Tye the Popish Priest of Muchebently and Steuen Norish a false Iudas and betrayer of Gods Saintes in the tyme of their trouble where he vseth these wordes There is sayth this popish priest one Iohn Kempe and Henry Harte who is the principall of all those that are called Frewil mē for so they are termed of the Predestinators the sayd Harte hath drawen out xiij Articles to be obserued among his company and as farre as I do beleue there comes none in their brotherhode except he be sworne The other Iohn Kempe is a great trauailer abroad in Kent what his doctrine is I am not hable to say Hetherto M. Foxe And that thou mayest know the better what this Henry Harte was consider I pray thee what is reported of him Where that zealous and faythfull seruaunt of God Iohn Careles in his examination by Doctor Martin verifieth that to bee true whiche in the former place those two were burdened withall by Steuen Norish Of this Henry Harte sayth Iohn Careles it had bene good for him if he had neuer bene borne for many a simple foule hath hee shamefully seduced beguiled and deceiued with his soule Pelagian opinion both in the dayes of kyng Edward and since his departure This Harte write a Confutation of certaine Articles of Christian Religion writte by Iohn Careles and sent vnto William Tyms prisoner in the Kynges Benche The companions also of the same Henry was one M. Gibson who sought to peruert turne frō the truth xij godly Christiās which were Martyred Of this vngracious cōpany also was one Trewe of Kente who albeit before for the truthes sake he lost his cares for perswadyng the people from goyng to Masse yet afterward happenyng into the cōpany of Pelagians he became deadly enemy to good Iohn Careles as appeareth by Careles his examination whiche he with his owne hand penned before he dyed in prison as in this booke of Martyrs is to be sene at large Now if any man will demaunde what is this to the Familie agaynst whom ye purposely mynde to deale I aunswere that from this presēt yeare in the which this happened the doctrine of HN. began to pepe out and although it haue a more louely name then the Heresies of the Libertines Anabaptistes and Pellagians had yet it is to him that is disposed to see very certaine by that cōparison which in this booke followeth of all the sectes that the groūd of all these Heresies were brought into England by Christopher Vitels and his complices out of Delph in Dutchland where it had bene happy for our English Church if with the first Brokers thereof they had bene buryed and forgotten Theire doctrine was then 1. The godly haue in them selues free will to do good 2. They could not away with Predestination Neither cā this Louely Family abide the most blessed and comfortable doctrine of Predestination as is apparauntly to be sene in their first Epistle to M. Rogers where they vtter this deuilish blasphemous speach Your brethren in Christ for their good faythes cause they haue in your licentious doctrine of Predestination and free election fill all the prisons almost in England But to adde somewhat which is hable by the mouth of a liuyng witnes to be iustified who in Q. Maries tyme was present at the brochyng of this doctrine by Vitels the Ioygner his testimonie
founde whatsoeuer doth disquiet the buildyng vppe of Sion that we may keepe the spirit of vnitie in the bonde of peace and be but one folde vnder the shepheard Iesus Christ our Lord who blesse your Lordshyp with the fulnes of all spirituall blessinges to the honour of his name and profite of his Churche Amen Cambridge September 30. Anno. 1579. Your Lordshyps most humbly bounden William Wilkinson ¶ To the godly and Christian Reader Peace from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ THat which aunciēt writers and learned men reporte to be the singular commendation and especiall prayse of a good Historiographer gētle Reader to cōceale nothyng of the truth for feare or to vtter any vntruth for for euill will neither yet to flatter or claw for fauour that same me thinkes is necessarily to be required of all those whiche take in hand to testifie of any matter whatsoeuer For els how should we possibly looke for truth of those men whose myndes are wedded to affections whose handes and pennes are let out for lucre and toungues let loose to testifie an vntruth who are wholy blinded with disdayne and beyng egged on with euill will haue set them selues to sale committyng whatsoeuer is vnhonest with vnsatiable greadines Cōcernyng my selfe in simplicitie of hart I testifie and solēnely protest before the whole world calling God to witnesse whom I know to be a sharpe reuenger and seuere iudge agaynst those which abuse his blessed name to any vntruth agaynst myne owne soule if in this treatise I haue vttered ought for enuie or malice of those people against whose opinions my whole stile and writyng is especially directed I haue truely quoted rightly alledged and faythfully as I am hable reported whatsoeuer I haue either heard by word or read by writyng concernyng the errour of those men who terme themselues to be of the Familie of loue Whiche I haue the rather done beyng thereto required by that dutie that I owe vnto the Churche of Christ whiche is the felowshyp of the faythfull and societie of the Saintes of God ▪ as also beyng by a Christian Magistrate thereunto cōmaunded I could not chuse I say but I needes must testifie the truth of that whiche both I haue heard and sene which also I am ready at any tyme to auouch before any person beyng called thereunto either priuately or openly Wherein also I haue not sayd so much as I might truely and could iustly hauyng refrayned for their sakes especially which are my very frendes beyng somewhat ouertaken with the lime of that secte and are bewitched with the blyndnesse of those vnsauery opinions Concernyng my further knowledge in that Heresie I referre thee good reader vnto that which ensueth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse and further me with thy most feruent prayers as I hartly desire the promotion and furtheraunce of Gods true Religion the encrease of a true fayth in the feare of God the quietnesse of our English Church and the vtter ruine and abolishyng of all Papistry Atheisme and Hereticall sectes and Schismes whatsoeuer Cambridge Septemb. 30. Readyng certaine bookes of H.N. and conferring with certaine of that Louely Fam. I was by them requested to set downe vnto them in writyng for my further instruction those doubtes whiche either by meanes of the vnusualnesse of their Methode in writing the noueltie of their farre fetched phrases there wrong and wrested Allegories there Diuinitie not heard of or their rough ●ottyng stile I did not vnderstand I deliuered vnto them in the moneth of August 1578. those Articles which follow hereafter in this booke and desiryng earnestly to be fully satisfied in that behalfe I receiued the aunswere deliuered to the common carrier in London whiche beyng intercepted by my worshypfull frend came not into my handes vntill the third of Aprill last past Anno. 1579. The aunswere whiche I shall set downe if first I shall geue you to vnderstand what I can testifie concernyng them and their Fathers of their monstruous Hereticall opinions ¶ A brief view of the heresies and errours of HN. conteined and confuted in this treatise by pag. as herein they are to be found 1. Article HN. sayth we haue no Church 2. 2. Article HN. sayth we haue no truth 5. 3. Article HN. sayth we haue no Baptisme 11. 4. Article HN. sayth we haue no forgeuenes of sins 12. 5. Article HN. sayth we haue no Ministrie 13. 6. Article Of beyng vnited and Godded with God. 15. 7. Article What HN. sayth of him selfe and his extraordinary callyng Wherein is declared agaynst the Familie that first he was D. George his Scholer secondly he is one of the heretiques whereof Christ and his Apostles did foretell thirdly HN. agréeth with the old heretiques in sundry their heresies and opinions 20. 8. Article What is necessarily required in HN. his Disciple 34. 9. Article Of HN. his Reuelations 44. 10. Artic. Of shrift vsed in HN. his Familie 49. 11. Artic. HN. misliketh the Preachyng of the word and what he termeth it 51. 12. Artic. HN. his Iudgement of Preachers not admitted by his Familie 56. 13. Artic. HN. sayth it is lawfull for one of his Familie to dissemble 61. 14. Artic. HN. maketh God the Author of sinne and the sinner guiltes 63. 22. Articles of the Libertines 66. Theophilus Proofes confuted whereby he proueth HN. his doctrine is the truth 67. ¶ With a brief token how to know an Anabaptist gathered out of Zuinglius Bullinger and Caluin whiche declare the opinions and behauiour of Heretickes from tyme to tyme. ❧ A very brief and true description of the first springing vp of the Heresie termed The Familie of Loue which conteineth the places where and the parties by whom the sayd Heresie was broached WHo● as long tyme the singular mercy and leuitie of the Lorde in the happy dayes of good kyng Edward the vj. a Prince of blessed remembraunce was by the carnall profession of many and loo●e lyfe of the greatest part abused in the end by Gods ●●st scourge ouer England it came to passe which alwayes ensueth the contempt of so precious pearles that Amos long before Prophesied of the Epicures of Israell there followed a greuous famine not onely of bread for the comfortyng and susteinyng of the outward man but also the foode of the soule whereby our lyfe to Godward is prolonged was taken away And it was a very daungerous thyng to confesse Christ openly not onely for feare of Excommunication but for daunger of the losse of lyfe also And so farre had the Prince of darkenesse confirmed his kyngdome of ignoraunce in this worthy Iseland that the worshyppers which worshypped in spirite and truth durst not openly assemble themselues for feare of the Tyrānous hatred of the Scribes and Pharisies the rest of the oiled broode of the Popishe Sinagogue They were compelled secretly to meete in priuate houses so fearefull a thyng was it for fleshe bloud to abyde the extreme fury of the Romish Baalamites which
is Christes spouse not to an harlot and shameles strumpet Ierusalem aboue is frée and is the mother of vs all but your Agar is in bōdage and is cast forth with her children The Lord geue you grace to consider in what case you are There is no fauour of God to them that forsake his truth and cleaue vnto errour Most of your illuminates haue ben professors though now most deriders of the ghospell and skoffers of Religion making a profession of religion but inwardly hauing denied the power thereof The further you walke in darcknes the greater is your daunger An addition to the 4. Article THe same doctrine is in diuers other places affirmed that there is no pardon c. 1. Exhort cap. 11. sent 10. cap. 15. sent 29. c. cap. 18. sent 7. Euang. cap. 41. sent 7. ARTICLE 5. HN. No Ministery WE must haue respect vnto the seruice ministred in the Familie by the Elders thereof For God hath chosen vnto him selfe the Familie of loue and this seruice of the holy and gracious word for their ministration is the safe making ministration Neither is there any minister of the worde rightly called but by their Familie Theophilus BEcause their exercise is obedience and loue accordyng to the requiryng of his word William Wilkinson TRue it is that Gods ministery is an holy and sacred thing in thought not to be violated in word and déede greatly to be had in reuerence For they which are Gods messengers doe bryng the glad tidynges of deliueraunce from sinne and Sathā vnto the people of God. They are Gods watchmen and do warne vs of the commyng of the enemy which like a roaryng Lion goeth about séekyng how hee may deuoure vs. And because their mouthes should kéepe knowledge of them must wee aske for the vnderstandyng of the word and enquire after the will of our God yet doth not all this proue that that ministration which is by you of that faythlesse Familie forged is the true and holy ministration For sometyme as now in your Familie it cōmeth to passe that false Prophetes will say thus sayth the Lord and yet the Lord hath not spoken They will presume to preach without a vision and prophesie without a burthen runne when God biddeth them not go take the testimonies of the holy ones in their mouthes when yet the Lord sendeth them not Heretiques will with a face of the Churche séeke to out-face both the children of God and the truth also Thus then not euery one that pretendeth is called in déede for some come not in at the doore but clyme in at the windowes and as many as come before Christ and set downe a contrary requiryng as ye do he is a Wolfe séeketh but to rauin Not euery one that crieth Christ Regeneration the spirite a perfect and true incorporatyng into the vpright beyng a consubstantiation and counityng with God is a true teacher and faythfull Christian Nor euery that taketh vpon him to expounde knoweth the meanyng of the word For many of you when as ye would be Doctours of the word had néede to be instructed in the very principles of fayth and first grounde of Religion So the true Ministers haue both a publicke and externall callyng by man as also a priuate and internall callyng by God which who so hath not he is an hereticall intruder and no propheticall Minister of God nor Preacher of the most holy one The whiche internall and externall callyng to the Lordes haruest to be a true labourer if any man shall pollute with his lewde life and light conuersation he is at the Lordes hand to be beaten with stripes without number Yet if any man shall say well and doe euill whiche God forefend with man it may discredit him that doth speake well and yet do amisse with God euill déedes doe not disanull the truth of doctrine as good déedes proue not euill doctrine to be true A ring of gold in a swines snowt ceaseth not to be a ryng of gold though a swine weare it pearles are pearles before dogges or swine The broad seale of England is highly to be honored for the Maiestie of the Prince therein appeareth though some tyme the partie that may cary it may bee a lewde person and a Godles Atheiste The word and Sacramentes ministred by wicked men cease not by their administration to haue their force For the wickednes of man can not ouerthrow the institution of god Where I in good conscience testifie that I speake not to defend corrupt life in any man but to vphold the truth of good liquor in an vnsauery vessell and gods good worde and sacramentes in a minister of an euill lyfe and conuersation For that Iudas and Iames in their ministery gaue the same word and wrought to the same wonders yet the one a reprobate the other an holy one and a perfect Saint of God. So then this reason that in corners your froward Familye vseth to whisper agaynst euill men though Gods Ministers is Anabaptisticall Your Ministers liue not as they teach Therefore their doctrine is not true In Scripture I know this reason is often vsed Your lyfe is not according to the law your profession Therefore you are hypocrites and dissemble with me sayth God. The former fond argument I neuer hard of any man that is sound for iudgement and sincere for godlynes The same reason is by your Familye and by your good minded brethren the Papistes alledged agaynst the truth now preached after this sort We worke better then you therefore our religion is truer they yours The first exposition if you know what proposition meaneth I deny and also the argument More than we they marke I graunt so had they néede that will haue heauen by desert or els will-naue none of it but better they doe not Quod non est ex fide peccatum est What is not of fayth c. The Pharisie gaue more almes tithes c. than the Publican yet was the Publican more iust by much then the Pharisie Not to worke but to worke well in Gods sight is commendable Non tam quid quam quomodo operamur inquiret dominus Not so much what as with what fayth we worke that will God demaund Thus haue I obiter and by the way touched your Families Papisticall Anabaptisticall argument whereof the one will be saued by the fulfilling of the lawe the other will haue markes concurre with fayth in the matter of Iustification cleane contrary to S. Augustine who sayth Opera sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum The workes we doe follow as fruites and goe not before as the efficient cause of our iustification And thus much of the worthines of the Ministery and ministers thereof Whome I counsell you to reuerence in better sort both in worde and writing than ye haue done For you know what Christ sayth he that despiseth you despiseth me c. and
be reduced into these two partes the first conteineth his aunswere to the 22. Articles of the Libertines where after his manner he is very eloquent in heaping vp phrases to what end he wotteth best if it be to describe a Libertine he did very vnwisely in that for breuityes sake he referred vs not to the 1. Epistle of the Fami written to M. Rogers pag. 73. b. lin 15. where very artificially he defineth a Libertine in few wordes after this sort He that knoweth not the doctrine of HN. is a fre one or Libertine thus if he had done in few wordes thē should his wit and his wordes haue ben equal wheras now running the furthest way about it may be verified of him that was sayd in the lyke case of a person not far vnlyke Theophilus satis loquentiae sapiētiae parum many wordes but small wisedome And thus much with the notes in the margēt vnto the first part of his diuisiō Theophi first reason to approue that the doctrine of HN. is a true doctrine is taken from the effect thus The effect is good Therefore the efficient in the which argumēt drawne from that profe it is failed when that is put for the effect which is not the effect as thus The knowledge of the scripture is cause of heresie Ergo it is not good that scripture should be knowne Agayne The reading the histories of Lots incest and drunkennes of Lia and Rachell the wiues of Iacob of Iudas and Thamar c. be euell examples and yet to be read in the olde Testament Ergo to read in the ould Testament is vnlawfull for hurting of honestye This Argument is false from the effect for it putteth the reading of the Scripture to be the cause of whoredome whereas that is not such a cause as Staphilus dreameth of so that herein then ye sée the fault of this Argument wherein it ceasseth to be so strong as HN. would haue it Theophilus reasoneth thus the effect of the doctrine of the Familie is good therfore the doctrine it selfe To this I aunswere that Theophilus supposeth that whereas diuers liue honestly in the Familie that is brought to passe by HN. his doctrine that is to be denyed for whereas they now liue and honest vpright and Christian life this they learned of the preachyng of the Gospell before euer they were infected with HN. his heresie so that thereby they rather bewtifie it then are bewtified by it And for proofe hereof it is manifestly apparaunt that the younger nouices mē be in HN. his hereticall doctrine the honester they are in life and conuersation but when they leaue once their singlemyndednes and grow vp to the manly oldnes in the Loue and come as they thinke nearer to the perfection of the vpright beyng then the wicked spirite beginneth to Lord ouer them and sinne to haue a liuyng and dayly shape in them So that the déeper they wade in this mighty streame of the louely ministration the nearer they come to the hiest pitch of being altogether Godded with the nature of their new foūd Idoll which in stede of the true God they haue set vp vnto them the greater rule and sway doth the wicked nature of sinne beare in them And why so truly because that in their childish yongnes of the loue the worde of the Lord is of some credite with them So that thereby they are bridled from sinnyng but when they shall leaue that candle and light vpon false lightes as the perfect do when they come toward this perfectnesse then their lyues are euery day more vngodly then other That this is true in HN. his Dictatis or Documentall sentences is manifest where he sayth As long as the beleuers of the word are yet young or childish in the procreation of the seede of the promise that becōmeth borne in them out of the belief of the world And are not yet growē vp to the Elderdome of the perfect beyng Ephes 4. b. of the word which is the appointed tyme of the father ouer all beleuers of the world so stand they yet although they beleue vnder the ordinaūce of the Lord or his word not therfore that they should alwayes remaine as subiect there vnder But vnto the appointed tyme to wit till vnto the manly old age in the godly vnderstandyng of the holy word as there is sayd that is till that the Sinnes be subdued c. The which wordes of HN. as they haue bene the roote of all Anabaptistrie and Libertinisme For that these sectaries haue boasted they could not sinne in their perfection and therfore néeded neither the word nor the Sacramentes so doe they playnly confirme th●● whereunto I haue alledged them videl So long men liue vpright as the doctrine of HN. is not knowen vnto them and that HN. his Elders are more corrupt in lyfe then the simplest in the Familie Secondly it is offended in this Argument because it is drawne from the second table of the Cōmaundements vnto the first that he liueth honestly before men therfore he is good in Religiō before God. Whereas the reason should be cleane otherwise frō the first table vnto the second this is an vsuall maner in Scripture wherby the holy Ghost laboureth to discry an hypocrite In Esay the holy Ghost reasoneth thus Ye seeke me dayly and will know my wayes euē as a nation that did righteously and had not forsaken the statutes of their God they aske of me ordinaunces of iustice they will draw neare vnto their God saying wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Thus they reason as the Familie do we fast c. Ergo we are Religious and godly men but God turneth the Argument cleane otherwise thus Ye are oppressours vers 34. ye are vnmercyfull to the poore vers 7. ye are oppressours vers 3.4 ye are vnmercyfull to the poore vers 7. ye are extortioners and ingraters vers 6. Therfore are not honest men in Religion neither feare God aright The selfe same reason is vsed by S. Iames to reproue the dispersed Iewes which boasted of their vpright Religiō they are proued to be hipocrites and dissemblers before God from the same table as before You refrayne your toungues but deceiue your owne hartes therfore your Religion is in vayne And agayne Ye visite not the fatherles and widowes in aduersitie Therfore your Religiō is not pure and vndefiled before God. And thus still we sée that the Familie reasoneth not aright for that they frame their Argument amisse as also doth Theophilus in this place But this is not Theophilus reasō in this place alone but in the Brief rehearsall the same is likewise vsed as an inuincible Argument to proue the professed Religion by the Familie is the truth where he likewise argueth thus The voyce of the countrey where we dwell approueth we are honest before
yea bodies and liues also that by some meanes or other their wicked and schismaticall fantasies might be ouerthrowne All the which they would not haue done vnlesse by the worde of God it had ben assuredly lawfull or if the counsaile of Gamaliell had bene as a generall lawe to all estates tymes and persons that followed The which examples of Christian Emperours and godly kinges and gouernours both in the law and the kinges of Iudah in and since the state of the Primatiue Church I besech God to whome the care of his Church doth belong to put into the hartes of all Christian Magistrates to practise that they may in déede shew themselues nurses of the Church to the maintenaunce of Religion and the assuraunce of their owne thrones and estates and to the quietnesse of their subiectes that heresie may be suppressed sinne punished and that God in all may be gloryfied in and through his Christ our onely mediatour and redéemer Amen ❧ Certaine profitable notes to know an Heretique especially an Anabaptist With the Opinions and behauiour of them out of 〈◊〉 Authors ¶ Out of M. Bullingers booke agaynst the Anabaptistes ANabaptistes fly open conference and créepe from house to house craftely and priuily seducyng the simple and ignoraunt 2. Nicholas Storcke in Saxonie the chiefe ringleader of the Anabaptistes boasted of Reueilations 3. He boasted of a new world wherin iustice dwelleth Anabaptisme commeth alwayes by contentious and troublesome persons where the Gospell had bene preached before Thomas Muncer taught in word and writyng First that the Preachers of his tyme were not sent of God neither that they taught the word of God but the dead letter of the Scripture further that the scripture and outward word was not the true word of God but a testimonie of the true word and that the word is inward and heauenly and cōmeth immediatly from the mouth of God and that it ought to be taught inwardly by the spirite and not by Scriptures or Sermons He denyed Baptisme of Infantes He sayd that Christ did not fully satisfie for vs. He sayd God reueiled his will by dreames which he highly commended as inspirations from the holy Ghost His owne sect be termed the elect of God all that were not of his sect he sayd they were wicked woorthy to be slayne He sayd that goodes ought to be common Yea he sayd that Gedeons sword was geuen hym to abolish all Lordshyps agaynst all tyrauntes to restore the former libertie erect the new kyngdome of Christ vpon the earth Muncer was put to death for his heresie and repented before his death At Tygurie some contentious men though not vnlearned tooke part with the Anabaptistes The Anabaptistes would not communicate with the wicked They sayd that the Baptisme of infantes was inuented by Pope Nicholas and therfore it was naught Anabaptistes were hartned by those which desired the ouerthrow of the Gospell and the restoryng of Popery Anabaptistes were sage men they sighed often they laughed not they were vehement in reprehensions The simple were deceiued much by this Argument Let mē say of the Anabaptistes what they will I sée their sobriety I heare thē say nothing but this that we must not sweare at all but we must lyue holy and iust c. The Anabaptistes complained that all thynges were done agaynst them by force that the truth was oppressed that simple and godly men which sought nothing but that which was conteined in the word of God neither could they be hard or haue frée libertie to vtter out their myndes The Anabaptistes outwardly did lead a godly lyfe they spake earnestly agaynst couetousnes pride othes filthy talke vncomely behauiour chearyng and dronkennes they spake much of killyng the old man c. Briefly great and manifold was their hypocrisie They sayd they onely were the true Church wherein Christians delighted that their Sectaries might kéepe company with no Christian Churches of the Gospellers for that their Churche were no more the Churches of Christ then the Papistes Churches They sayd that the Ministers were not lawfully called to the Ministry nor ordinarily because they had not those qualities that S. Paule requireth 1. Tim. 3. e. They allow of Reuelations They say that the Sermons of Preach●●● are of smal accompt because in them is taught that Christ onely satisfied for our sinnes and that men were iustified before God by fayth and not by workes They affirmed the law might be kept and therefore they blamed the Preachers for saying the contrary They held Communitie of all thynges They affirmed that the old Testamēt ought not to be mingled with the new because the old was abrogated They sayd that the soules slept vntill the day of Iudgement No Christian might be a Magistrat Magistrates must not medle with Religion The last punishmēt of Christians is Excōmunicatiō No mā ought to be compelled to fayth or put to death for his Religion Warre say they is vnlawfull for Christians Their speaches must be yea and no without any oth None say they ought to be put frō the Lordes supper Cap. 9. Of diuers sectes and sortes of Anabaptistes ¶ Of Anabaptistes termed Apostoliques whose errours were 1. They approued onely the bare letter of the Scripture 2. They vsed no weapō staffe wallet shoes money c. 3. They preached on house toppes 4. They washed one an others féete 5. They forsooke wiues and children 6. They held communitie Cap. 10. ¶ Of Anabaptistes Spirituall 1. They had nothyng like the world to proue it they abused Rom. 11. 2. They had rules both for the matter and fourme of apparell And affirmed it was vnlawfull to weare silke 3. They had rules of eatyng drinkyng and sléepyng 4. They might neuer laugh 5. They sighed often might not come in opē assēblies 6. They condemne bargainyng and the vse of weapons Cap. 11. ¶ Of Sinles Anabaptistes These Anahaptistes sayd they could sinne For proofe they cited He that is of God sinneth not He that sinneth is of the Deuill Christes Church is without spot or wrinckle And therfore did they intermit the 5. petition Forgiue vs our trespasses They sayd there was no originall sinne neither were infantes by nature sinfull The hatchers of this heresie were Nouatus Catharis Auxentius Pelagius it is learnedly and at large confuted by S. Augustin Tom. 7. Agaynst Coelestius of mans perfect righteousnes in the last end of the booke Cap. 12. ¶ Of Anabaptistes that vsed to hold their peaces and pray 1. They sayd there ought to be no more any preachyng because the doore was shut Apoc. 1. 2. The world was not worthy to heare the Gospell 3. Beyng asked ought of their Religion they held their peace 2. Booke 1. Chap. Of Anabaptistes Enthusiastae They were often in a trayne and boasted much of the spirite and Reuelations Their common by word was The father sayd it They saw by Reuelation that the