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the Princes and others thereabouts, and after
were brought back again unto Munster,
The Bishop of Munft er demanded of the
King, by what Authority he took upon him
to rule in that City? Who asked the faid Bi-
Shop again, by what Authority he the faid
Bishop claimed any Power there? When he
answered, that he had it by means of Ele-
ction of the Chapter, and by Confent of
the People, the King replying, faid, That
himself had his Authority from God. After
two days had been bestowed with them, to
reduce them (by godly Perfuafions) from
their Errors, Leyden their King confeffed his Leyden re
Sin, and defired Forgiveness at Chrift's hands. pents.
But Knipperdoling and Crecliting would con- Knipperdo-
fefs no fault, but defended their courfe and ling and Cre-
Opinions with great Obftinacy. So all cliting are
obftinate.
Three being tied unto Pofts, were difmem- They are all
bred by piece meal, and pulled in small pie- three executed.
ces with hot burning Pincers and Tongs,
and afterward their Carkaffes were hanged
up there in Iron Cages; but the King in the
midst, and much higher than the other two,
as his Place required.

&rines.

Besides certain especial Opinions which some of their thefe Anabaptifts held, namely, That Young Erroneous and Children were not to be baptized; and touching Heretical Do. Lawfulness of Poligamy, or having many Wives: Of Community of Goods; and that Chrift took not Flesh of the Virgin Mary, &c. they alfo taught and defended many other ftrange, erroneous, and heretical Pofitions: And yet

hey t

they fhewed as much Devotion, outward Holiness and Purity, as might be. As for example; they held thefe following; viz. That a perfect Christian might not exercise the Office of a Magiftrate, nor might take an Oatb before him. That God doth now oftentimes fhew bis Will by extraordinary Revelations, Dreams, and Vifions. That the common people have an efpecial Authority in determining and establishing of Church-caufes. That before the day of Judgment the Kingdom of Christ shall be fuch, as that the Godly and Elect shall overthrow and fubdue all the wicked, and then they alone shall rule in the earth. That it is lawful for the People to depofe and put down the Prince or Magiftrate. That Minifters and others godly affected, ought to eftablifh (though it were by Force) a Reformation in all Countries. That Princes and Magiftrates ought not to pursue this kind of perfons, for that they are Innocents, and the beloved People of God. That the Seat of David which was fallen down must be reestablished, and that Chrift now in the latter end of the World shall reign externally upon the Earth. That the time of befiege (they then lived in) was that whereof Ifaiah prophefied, wherein the juft and godly were afflicted and perfecuted. That the time of their deliverance and enlargement was at band; which fhould be like to that deliverance of the Ifraelites from the Thraldom under the Babylonians: And that then the wicked and ungodly Shall receive the guerdon and recompence of all their Impieties committed against the Saints, all the ungodly being rid out of the way, the feat of

Righteoufnefs fhould be prepared and advanced. That there is none efficacy or force in that Baptifm wherewith Infants are baptized. All which they obftinately defended; and yet (whenfoever they were charged) they pretended that they would acknowledge and confefs their Errors, if they should be fhewed unto them by the Scriptures, to be Errors.

Now as I have done afore, in the Hifto- A comparison ry of Thomas Muncer, I muft crave leave, of the Ana that with the Readers patience, I may alfo baptifts in Munfter with briefly compare and refemble fome of the the DiscipliDealings and Errors of the Anabaptifts of the narians in City of Munster, with the actions and opi- England, in nions of these late Confpirators, and of their Opinion and Difciplinarian Schoolmafters, from whom they have fucked like Poyfon.

For did not Hacket (the most ignorant of all the three, being but an unlettered Maltfter) in like fort take upon him to rule the other, and to mannage the whole Action? and are not the most ignorant of fuch as be of this humour, moft prefumptuous to direct all others, and to difcufs deepeft doubts? Have not their mutual cohortations, and seditious inftructions, with their conceived Prayers, and hypocritical Fafts, (that they practifed in privy conventicles, and affemblies) given greatest strength to his faction, to the feduction of numbers? Have not the Magiftrates now as great caufe to look in

to

Practice.

to these proceedings, before they make head, upon confidence of their multitudes? Have not all the stayed and found Preachers of this Land by fundry Maleperts, and now again by Arthington, been (moft infolently) challenged unto difputation? Hath not the cause of this pretended Difcipline, been nevertheless quashed ( oftentimes) in Pulpits, in publick difputations in the Universities, and by learned treatifes written : whereby the weakness, and meagerness of their childifh collections, have been fully displayed? Will they make any haft, or dare they to offer difputation, if fuch conditions, af fiftants, and indifferent and learned Judges as are fit, fhall be fet down and appointed? and being beaten from their ordinary means) have not these Confpirators, and fuch as have animated them, betaken themfelves unto pretended extraordinary Callings, ravishings in Spirit, carryings into Heaven, Revelations, Dreams and Vifions? Have they not feditioufly filled our Streets with their like hypocritical Outcries of Repent, Repent, &c. and by gathering of Routs, tending to Uproar and popular Tumult? If their purposes had fucceeded, and their Prophecies of killing and maffacring men (like Swine) in London Streets, had come to pafs, would the Outrages, in hainousness, have come any whit behind thofe of Munster?

If this fort of Perfons have been gratified with any indifferent Toleration, could their

reft

testless busy Heads (though they have promifed otherwife) cease to hammer, by long hand, and fecretly, the bringing to full ef fect of their defignments, viz. That they might govern in the Church with Chrift's Scepter, and adminifter his Kingdom? For fo they (blafphemously) term the Difcipline, which they have forged. Was not the difplacing of her Majefty's Council plotted by the Confederates, and had they not affigned other Counsellors in their rooms? Should those whom themselves had thus chofen and affigned, have remained long in place, if their K.Hacket had been once invested as fully and royally as John of Leiden was in Munster? Would they not quickly have brought them down, as Knipperdoling was, from being Conful, to the basest room of account that might be? Would thefe (if they had prevailed) have fpared (think ye) either Place, Age, or Sex; or fhould Banifhment only have ferved? No: Vifcera impiorum crudelia. And did not Hacket take upon him to be as great a Prophet as John Matthew, or John of Leyden, his Succeffor? And Coppinger the Prophet of God's Mercy, as high as Knipperdoling? And Arthington the Prophet of Judgment, and Pen of a ready Writer, as refined and excellent as Crecliting the Goldsmith? Had not thefe alfo appointed out Wigginton and Lancaster to be their Affiftants for a time, as it were their petty Prophets? Did they not pretend the Will of the Heavenly Father for every

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