affirm themselves to be ruled by the scripture and reason in the matter. Should I argue thus then to the Calvinists?

Here the Lutherans and Arminians grossly err, by following the scripture;

Therefore the scripture is not a good nor certain rule; and è contrario.

Would either of them accept of this reasoning as good and sound? What shall I say of the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Independents, and Anabaptists of Great Britain, who are continually buffeting one another with the scripture? To whom the same argument might be alleged, though they do all unanimously acknowledge it to be the rule.

son.

bates

hence ari

twixt the

And Thirdly, as to reason, I shall not need to 3. Of reasay much; for whence come all the controversies, contentions, and debates in the world, but because The deevery man thinks he follows right reason? Hence of old came the jangles between the Stoics, Pla- sing betonists, Peripatetics, Pythagoreans, and Cynics, as of old and late betwixt the Aristotelians, Cartesians, and other late philosophers. naturalists: Can it be thence inferred, or will the Socinians, those great reasoners, allow us to conclude, because many, and those very wise men, have erred, by following, as they supposed, their reason, and that with what diligence, care and industry they could, to find out the truth, that therefore no man ought to make use of it at all, nor be positive in what he knows certainly to be rational? And thus far as to opinions; the same uncertainty is no less incident unto those other principles.

tists for

practices,

§. XIV. But if we come to practices, though I Anabap- X confess I do with my whole heart abhor and detest their wild those wild practices which are written concerning pres the Anabaptists of Munster; I am bold to say, as testants bad, if not worse things, have been committed by pists for those that lean to tradition, scripture, and reason: their wars wherein also they have averred themselves to have and ch

and Pa

blood

pretend- been authorized by these rules. I need but mening scripture for it. tion all the tumults, seditions, and horrible bloodshed, wherewith Europe hath been afflicted these divers ages; in which Papists against Papists, Calvinists against Calvinists, Lutherans against Lutherans, and Papists assisted by Protestants, against other Protestants assisted by Papists, have miserably shed one another's blood, hiring and forcing men to kill each other, who were ignorant of the quarrel, and strangers one to another: all, meanwhile, pretending reason for so doing, and pleading the lawfulness of it from scripture.

Tradition, scripture, and rea

a cover

cution and

For what have the Papists pretended for their many massacres, acted as well in France as elseson, made where, but tradition, scripture, and reason? Did for perse- they not say, that reason persuaded them, tradition murder. allowed them, and scripture commanded them, to persecute, destroy, and burn heretics, such as denied this plain scripture, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body? And are not the Protestants assenting to this bloodshed, who assert the same thing, and encourage them, by burning and banishing, while their brethren are so treated for the same cause? Are not the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, yea, and all the Christian world, a lively example hereof, which were divers years together as a theatre of blood; where many lost their lives, and numbers of families were utterly destroyed and ruined? For all which no other cause was principally given, than the precepts of the scripture. If we then compare these actings with those of Munster, we shall not find great difference; for both affirmed and pretended they were called, and that it was lawful to kill, burn, and destroy the wicked. We must kill all the wicked, said those Anabaptists, that we, that are the saints, may possess the earth. We must burn obstinate heretics, say the Papists, that the holy church of Rome may be purg ed of rotten members, and may live in peace.

We

must cut off seducing separatists, say the Prelatical Protestants, who trouble the peace of the church, and refuse the divine hierarchy, and religious ceremonies thereof. We must kill, say the Calvinistic Presbyterians, the Profanc Malignants, who accuse the Holy Consistorial and Presbyterian government, and seek to defend the Popish and Prelatic hierarchy; as also those other sectaries that trouble the peace

peace of our church. What difference I pray thee, impartial reader, seest thou betwixt these?

If it be said, The Anabaptists went without, and Object against the authority of the magistrate; so did not the

other;

of Popish

I might easily refute it, by alleging the mutual Answ. testimonies of these sects against one another. The behaviour of the Papists towards Henry the Third and Fourth of France; their designs upon James Examples the Sixth in the gunpowder treason; as also their cruelties. principle of the Pope's power to depose kings for the cause of heresy, and to absolve their subjects from their oath, and give them to others, proves it against them.

land.

And as to the Protestants, how much their ac- Protestant tions differ from those other above-mentioned, violences and persemay be seen by the many conspiracies and tu- cutions in mults which they have been active in, both in Scotland, England, Scotland and England, and which they have acted and Holwithin these hundred years in divers towns and provinces of the Netherlands. Have they not oftentimes sought, not only from the Popish magistrates, but even from those that had begun to reform, or that had given them some liberty of exercising their religion, that they might only be permitted, without trouble or hindrance, to exercise their religion, promising they would not hinder or molest the Papists in the exercise of theirs? And yet did they not on the contrary, so soon as they had power, trouble and abuse those fellowcitizens, and turn them out of the city, and, which

Lutheran seditions against the reformed

and assault

is worse, even such who together with them had forsaken the Popish religion? Did they not these things in many places against the mind of the magistrates? Have they not publicly, with contumelious speeches, assaulted their magistrates, from whom they had but just before sought and obtained the free exercise of their religion? Representing them, so soon as they opposed themselves to their hierarchy, as if they regarded neither God nor religion? Have they not by violent hands possessed themselves of the Popish churches, so called, or by force, against the magistrates' mind, taken them away? Have they not turned out of their office and authority whole councils of magistrates, under pretence that they were addicted to Popery? Which Popish magistrates nevertheless they did but a little before acknowledge to be ordained by God; affirming themselves obliged to yield them obedience and subjection, not only for fear, but for conscience' sake; to whom moreover the very preachers and overseers of the reformed church had willingly sworn fidelity; and yet af terwards have they not said, that the people are bound to force a wicked prince to the observation of God's word? There are many other instances of this kind to be found in their histories, not to mention many worse things, which we know to have been acted in our time, and which for brevity's sake I pass by.

I might say much of the Lutherans, whose tumultuous actions against their magistrates not professing the Lutheran profession, are testified of by teachers, several historians worthy of credit. Among others, I shall propose only one example to the reader's consideration, which fell out at Berlin in the year 1615. "Where the seditious multitude of the Lutheran citizens, being stirred up by the daily clamours of their preachers, did not only with violence break into the houses of the reformed

upon the Marquis of Branden

burg, &c.

ny.

teachers, overturn their libraries, and spoil their furniture; but also with reproachful words, yea, and with stones, assaulted the Marquis of Brandenburg, the Elector's brother, while he sought by smooth words to quiet the fury of the multitude; they killed ten of his guard, scarcely sparing himself, who at last by flight escaped out of their hands." All which sufficiently declares, that the concurrence of the magistrate doth not alter their principles, but only their method of procedure. So that for my own part, I see no difference betwixt the actings of those of Munster, and these others, (whereof the one pretended to be led by the Spirit, the other by tradition, scripture, and reason,) save this, that the former were rash, heady, and foolish,in their proceedings,and therefore were the sooner brought to nothing, and so into contempt and derision: but the other being more politic and wise in their generation, held it out longer, and so have authorized their wickedness more, with the seeming authority of law and reason. But both their actings being equally evil, the dif ference appears to me to be only like that which is between a simple silly thief, that is easily catched,and hanged without any more ado; and a company of resolute bold robbers,who being better guarded, though their offence be nothing less, yet by violence do, to shun the danger, force their masters to give them good terms.

From all which then it evidently follows, that they argue very ill, who despise and reject any principle because men pretending to be led by it do evil; in case it be not the natural and consequential tendency of that principle to lead unto those things that are evil.

Again: It doth follow from what is above asserted, that if the Spirit be to be rejected upon this account, all those other principles ought on the