The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. The fifteenth Argument.
THat ought to be in every ſetled, well-ordered Arg. 15 Church, which never was denied it, by any Orthodox unbiaſſed Chriſtian. It was many hundred years before any body queſtioned this truth, or pretended unto any power to attend and act in holy things, unleſs they had been ſet apart unto it, as we have ſhewed before: ſince ſome have done it, but they were either not Orthodox, or not unbiaſſed. The firſt that did adventure upon this breach, were thoſe unruly Anabaptiſts, that ſprang up in Germany, about fifteen hundred and one and twenty years after our Saviours coming into the world, and that theſe were not Orthodox, nor unbiaſſed, will ſoon appear to any that ſhall read their ſtory in Sleydens Commentaries, then publiſhed, when the matter of fact was freſh in memory, and would have been confuted, if not exactly ſtated and expreſſed; for they finding what great things Luther did, what alterations and depopulations follow'd upon his undertaking of the truth and cauſe of God, againſt the Pope and his adherents, expected he ſhould fatten and inrich himſelf with thoſe great booties that were diſcovered therby, and offered to them; and when they ſaw them not intend them, like the Jews in Eſthers time, that did not lay their hands upon the ſpoile (t)Eſth. 9. 10▪ 15, 16., but ſuffer thoſe rich Revenues of the Monaſteries and Abbies every where to fall unto the ſecular and civil Governours and Princes, in whoſe Dominions and Territories they were ſeated, they wondered for a while, at this their fooliſh baſhfulneſs and abſtinence, that ſuch glorious and ſuccesful Cooks as Luther and his fellows were, ſhould not have wit to lick their own fingers; but when they expected long, and ſaw no likelihood of Luthers medling, they reſolved with Gehaſi to get ſomewhat (u)2 King 5: 20., but would not ſuddenly fall foul upon the places, but reſolved firſt, to uſe all means to work on Luther, and win him to them if it were poſſible, and Muncer for that end, went often to him, unto Wittenberg, to work him to a good opinion of their way; but when they ſaw they could not do it, they reſolved to carry it without him, and therefore told the people in their Sermons, that Luthers reformation was imperfect, that he had lopt ſome of the branches off, but left the roots of bitterneſſe ſtill growing in the ground, and that was temporal and worldly greatneſſe, whereby Gods people were ſtill inſlaved and oppreſſed; that it was the minde and will of God, that all men ſhould be free, and all things common, that one man ſhould not domineere and reign over another; that the Princes were as grievous Tyrants as the Pope; that God would have mens perſons and Eſtates exempt and free, as well as their conſciences and inward man; and becauſe it was not like that Princes, and poſſeſſors of great Eſtates, would entertain theſe truths upon propoſals and exhortations, they ſhould be forced to it; & that Arms in that caſe are not only lawful, but expedient and very neceſſary.
There had been tumults and inſurrections in thoſe upper parts of Germany, ſome years before the Country boors had taken Arms, and been in action againſt their Governours; and though many treaties of peace had been, and many skirmiſhes and bickerings, wherein the Boors and Countrey people had the worſt, yet ſtill they kept up Arms, and could not be reduced and brought into conformity, ſeditio irritatur remedio, ſedition is a diſeaſe that is inraged by the proper remedy: if you ſtroak them, & ſpeak them fair, they think you flatter them, & are unable to cōtend with them: if you ſuppreſs and cut them off, they cry out of your tyranny: as Solomon truly ſayes (w)Prov. 29. 9., if a wiſe man contendeth with a fooliſh man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no reſt: as he ſaid truly, non ille ire vult, ſed ſtare non poteſt, (x)Iſa. 57. 20the wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot reſt. When therefore theſe unruly fellows heard that ſome Preachers did encourage Arms, they flocked exceedingly to thoſe Aſſemblies, and Muncer and Pheiffer ſpared no bellows to increaſe this flame; whereby the reformation then began by Luther, and thoſe famous helpers and aſſociates of his, began exceedingly to ſuffer; for theſe (they ſaid) were thoſe things that they aimed at indeed, namely, the violation of mens temporal and civil rights, whatever they pretended; ſo that Luther and his fellows were conſtrained for to write expreſly, and ſomewhat bitterly againſt them, and to ſtir up their ſuperiours to ſuppreſſe theſe tumultuous and dangerous inſurrections.
When they ſaw Luther and the others had declared againſt them, & by there publiſhed writings were ingaged, they then reſolved to cry them down as faſt as could be, and told the people, that Luther had only publiſhed a carnal Goſpel, and ſet upon a reformation, but not effected it, and brought it unto any ripeneſſe and maturity; that God had called and raiſed him up, to perfect what Luther had begun, and to root out all the wicked of the world, and ſettle righteouſneſs; but foreſeeing he muſt uſe edged tools, and that there was no jeſting with them, he thought it needful to bring men under ſome reall and new ingagement, that might binde theſe Ropes of ſand together, and lay ſome tie upon the moveable, and giddy multitude, to keep them cloſe together, againſt the common enemy, that would be united in their properties and common intereſts ſufficiently: baptiſme is therefore reſolved upon, to be the bond of this iniquity, as being the moſt plauſible Character that they could think of, to diſtinguiſh theſe Creatures from other Chriſtians; and becauſe Infant-baptiſme was more expoſed unto exceptions, then any other point of Doctrine, they reſolve to enter at this breach, upon that ſtage whereon they were to act thoſe Tragedies they had prepared. And when after many tryals and eſſayes, they found thoſe Scriptures they had mounted with all their art, would not make this breach wide enough for them to enter, they flie to Revelations and enthuſiaſms; and becauſe they found the Orthodox and godly Miniſters did every where obſtruct their undertakings and attempts, they cry down them, and ſet up others in their places that were mechanicks, and would be tractable to any enterprize. And this was the true riſe of theſe oppoſers of a Goſpel-Miniſtry; And that they were not Orthodox, will eaſily appear by their endeavours to introduce community of all things; by preaching the unlawfulneſſe of oaths in caſes criminal; by their refuſing to bear Arms againſt a common enemy invading of their native Countrey, as thoſe of Zurich in Helvetia did about the year 1636. as Spanhemius and others do relate at large, would not make uſe of a Sword, commended and commanded to them by their natural and lawful Governours, and yet would take one up forbidden: to ſay nothing of their other errours, ſet down in that Spanhemius Book, and many others.
And that they were not unbiaſſed, their whole courſe proved, inriching themſelves with thoſe Revenues that they robbed others of; for howſoever they had ſmoother words, and better language to incourage undertaking, yet the motive was the very ſame with thoſe in Solomon, as it is (y)Prov. 1. 11, 12, 13., namely, we ſhall finde all precious ſubſtance, we ſhall fill our houſes with ſpoile: as did manifeſtly appear in thoſe at Munſter, who rioted and revelled in the City, when others periſhed for want of bread.
And for thoſe Arrians in Tranſilvania and Polonia, that ſucked this poyſon from them, and do mannage it with greater prudence and obſervation, we hope, we have to do with none that do not think them orthodox.
Whoever ſince have ſtruggled and fought againſt this truth, have gone down unto theſe Philiſtims, to fetch their weapons, or to ſharpen them; for we deny not, but honeſt men may be erroneous, and have a bias clapt upon them by the ſlight of men, and cunning craftineſſe, whereby they lie in wait for to deceive, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh in this very caſe (z)Eph. 4. 14.: we think therefore, that we have juſt exceptions, and grounds of challenging this Jury, that is ſo ready for to paſſe upon us, and think it fit, the ballances wherein ſo great a cauſe is weighed, ſhould be examined, and firſt ſet even. That if we muſt boule for this prize, we have ſo long enjoyed and poſſeſſed, in uneven ground, our boules may be alike, either biaſſed and unbiaſſed.