A Wholesome Antidote Against Anabaptists, Dialogue 2
The ſecond treatie or dialoge.
… concluſions agaynſte the doctryne of the Anababtiſtes, put here affirmatyuely▪ euen as Ioiada which …pr…ſenteth the faithfull chriſten man doeth holde them.
Ioiada.
That ſpirite, which repugnith agaynſt the meanyng of the ſpirite that ſpeaketh in the holy ſcriptures, is not from the father of truthe but from the father of lies the deuell.
None of the Saintes dyd euer by violence or force, ſet forthe or thruſte them ſelues in to the commune office of a preacher, ſaue onelyonly whan they ware ſente by god, elected and choſen, by the apoſtells and churche.
CHriſte and the apoſtels did neuer trouble ye churche for yerthly and temporal thinges, but did chiefly ſtudy to nouryſſhe the peace and vnitee of al the churches. It appereth therfore, that thei, whiche doe trouble & diuide any churches being wel ordeined & pacified in chriſt for ſuch thynges, are ſedicious, lyers and heretykes.
THei are to bee counted falſe prophetes, which not without blaſphemy & contempte of the croſſe of Chriſt, doteache, that Chriſt dyd take awaie onelyonly origynall ſynne, affirmyng that thei, which doe fail againe, after that thei be ones purified, and clenſed by the water of regeneracion, ſhal not obteine daily remiſſion of their ſynnes. Thei be alſo falſe prophetes, y• doe attribute or adſcrib iuſtification to our owne workes.
Suche are blaſphemous agaīſt the goſpell, which doe contēd and affirme that the ſoules do ſlepe, after this lyfe not knowyng the nature of the ſoule, nor the vertue of the reſurreccion of Chrfſt.
Rebabtization or babtizing agayne, is not of god, but a new ſecte deuiding the vnitie of the churche, wherby the moſt peſtiferous, and hurtefull hereſie, of Nonatus, Anpencius and Pelagius is renewed.
THe babtime of yong infantes is of god, whiche hath ben & did continue alwaies in the churche, ſens the tyme of ye Apoſtels vntounto this tyme, & not lately brought in, by y• byſhops.
THe office or example of any chriſten man, cōpelleth not that we ſhould not hauehave all thynges in cōmon, and nothyng priuate, or to our ſelues, but doeth moue & …orage vsus to care, and ſee to our houſhold, to exerciſe liberalitee and merciemercy.
SVche are therfore …poters & …ules of chriſtes flocke whiche d… forſake their familye and houſhold, and beyng add…ed or geuen to ſedicious fables, do f…de them ſelfes, with other mens laboures, beynge in this thyng, moſt like vntounto monkes, whiche dyd the ſame, with their hypocriſye.
THe preachers of the goſpell, or miniſters of the worde of god, maye hauehave goodes of their own, that is to ſay howſes and poſſeſſions, and moreouer maye liue of the goſpell.
THat the Anababtiſtes ar ſo enuious, and do imagine al wayes and forge calumniacions and lyes, who dooeth not ſee that it commeth of a hatered that they hauehave againſt the preachers of the goſpell, that they may crepe in and aduaunce thē ſelues, e…tenuatyng therfore the faythfulnes and fidelitee of the ſheapeheardes before the commons, becauſe they may the better bee, beleued them ſelues?
CHriſten men, whiche are ryghtfully choſen, may wt out any offēce of god be are rule, ſith that power is the myniſter of god.
THis power is not onelyonly profitable, but alſo neceſſarie, for chriſten men, therfore we muſt be obedient vntounto it, according to the doctrine of chriſt, Peter and Paule.
THey which wyll not be obedient to the common magiſtrates and rulers, or do reſiſt againſt them, doyng them at any tyme wrong and reproch fulnes, be not chriſten men, but Sanlonites
THei that refuſe to make laufull othes, vntounto the publike rulers, do manyfeſtlye againſt the wyl of god, beyng autours of ſedicion, and all dyſobedience.
THe magiſtrate and rewler hath the ſworde from God, wherwith he may ſmite the malefactours, and ſhed the blud of wicked dooers, that both the malefactours may be punyſſhed and the good and righteous liue ſurely among the wicked.
THe libertie of a chriſten mā is not carnall, they therefore that in the goſpell, do ſeke carnall thynges and fleſhly, are the fellowes of Symon Magus.
VVe doe not learne in y• goſpell, that we ſhuld pay neither rentes nor tithes, but that we ought to paie, our debtes, vntounto whom ſo euer we owe any thyng.
THe adminiſtraciō of bodily thynges doeth perte…ue to y• magiſtrates & rulers, whiche doe chriſten men lyke, whan thei doe after this rule: what ſo euerye will that men doe vntounto you, doe the ſame vntounto other.
VVho ſo euer kepeth this law & rule, may be, and remayne ſtil a chriſten man, though he receiueth bothe rentes and tithes.
Theſe articles hauehave I, here put generally, becauſe that a great parte of y• Anababtiſtes do hold againſt them▪ for I know, y• it is impoſſible yt any man ſhould reherſe al their errours ſith yt thei be īfinit & wtout number For it is no meruel yt thei do fall, from one errour into an other, ſeyng, yt thei hauehave not ye ſame ſpirite of truthe. Whiche thyng cauſeth yt ſo dyuerſe & contrary ſectes, do aryſe among them, that the one doeth condemne and excommunicate the other.
Symon.
If thou haddeſt reherſed theſe articles before them, thou couldeſt not hauehave done it, wtout a … and ſharpe anſwere.
Ioiada.
I hauehave proued, my Symon, and that a greate whyle a go, their poyſoned, and v…d hert…s, and tounges, bothe ready to all kynd of reuyling, and opprobriouſues, and alſo more bytter, than is any worme wode, wher by any man maye coniecte and knowe, of what ſpirite, theſe phātaſtical felowes doe ſpeake. But reade thou, the thryde chapiter, of the epyſtell of ſaincte Iames, and thou ſhalte knowe that I ſaye true.
Symon.
I praie the, that thou wylt reherſe, out, of this chapiter, the thinges, yt moſte chyefly, doe for our pourpoſe,
Ioiada.
Theſe are the wordes of the apoſtel: Who is wyſe, and endued with knolage amonge you (Let hym ſhewe, by his good conuerſacion, his workes, with a gentell wyſdome. If ſo be, that ye hauehave bytter enuye and contencion, in your hertes, dooe not ye boaſte of it, nor be liers againſte the truth. For that wiſdome, is not connyng from aboue, but yerthly beaſtelyke, and deauelyſhe. For where tnuye and contentacion, is, ther is incōſtancie and wicked workes. But the wiſedom whiche is from heauen or from aboue firſt is chaſte, after peaſible, meake, tretable, full of merciemercy, and of good fruites, withoute rache or vnaduiſed iudgement, and ſimulacion Hitherto hauehave we reherſed the wordes of Iames. Ponder and iudge now, whether the holy Apoſtle, did not liuelye deſcribe the faſhions, and doctrin of the Anababtiſtes. For what do they els, but ineth and rayle againſt other men, and that of a deſpitefull enuye and bitternes, oppreſſing thē wt preiudicial ſē tence, and iudgemēt?
Sy.
They promeſſe to make an aunſwere, before any manne, and to geue a reaſonable accoumpt of their doctrine and learnyng.
Moreouer that they wyll ſuffer them ſelues patiently to be conuicted of errour.
Ioiada.
Why dooe they promeſſe that whiche thei wil neuer perfourm? Thou thy ſelfe haſte knowen manye (to ſaye the truthe, they doe all of a pretudiciall ſentence, ſtiflie and with great pertinacy, ſtād in their owne oppinions which ſaied, that thei ware ſufficiētly tawght. dyd knoledge their erroure, and offered them ſelues to recante, yea and dyd forſwere their errour. And by and by as ſone, as they ware come, to their complyces or felowes, thei dyd renewe their hereſee, and againſt their othe, and all honeſtye beſyde, dyd obſtinatly defende it, What ſhould we doe with ſuche men? Paule ſayeth: Shunne thou an heretyke, after that thou haſt warned hym ōes or twyſe. Their doctrine therfore, is a certaine pertenax contention, and bitter wyſdome, ſuche as Saynt Iames doeth deſcrybe.
Symon.
In the meane ſeaſon, they wyll neuer graunt, thy concluſions to be true.
Ioiada.
This is, that I ſaye thei be more ſtyfe & more obſtacle thā doeth be come any chriſtē men, to be. But thou, that haſte lyued, moſt famylyarly wt them knoweſt wel and perfitly, their foundacions, where vponupon they grounde them ſelues.
Symon.
No Anababtyſt better.
Ioiada.
I wolde therfore, my Symon. that thou ſhouldeſt now diſpute agaynſt my concluſions as the Anababtiſtes are wonte to doe but without ſtomake and contē cion I wyll endeuoure my ſelfe to corroborate and ſtreingthen them with holy ſcripures, and to proue that they be true.
Sym.
Be it as thou ſaieſt. For I deſire to be taughte. Thou ſhalte hauehave me alſo obediente. ſo that I may vnderſtande and perceiue yt thy doctrine and teachyng is true. ❧