When the light of the Gospel from the Lamp of Luther did begin to shine in all the corners of Germany high and low, the aforementioned unhappy men Stock and Müntzer, did begin also to breath out a pestiferous vapor for to overcloud that Golden candlestick. Satan and Antichrist his child got no so powerful assistance against the Spirit of God in Luther from the Emperor Charles, although the far greatest prince who these five hundred years did sway the imperial scepter, nor from all the Bishops of Germany, though the most potent clergy that is or ever has been in Christendom, as from these two obscure and ignorant creatures: for so strong and perverse a Devil did enter into them, as did put them into a very fair way not only to have extingui­shed the candle of Reformation so soon as ever it began to shine, but also to have turned the remainder of light that was in all Christendom into palpable darkness (G). The spirit of Mohammad was no more hellish in setting afoot most gross errors, and countenancing abominable lusts; nor was it any thing so much hellish in making an open trade of bloodshed, robbery, confusion and Catholic oppression through the whole earth, as the spirit of Anabaptism. This great and severe sentence will be made good enough in the following narrative by such abundance of satisfa­ctory testimonies, as may convince the greatest favorers of these men among us.

At the beginning the Anabaptists put on the visor of a great deal more then ordinary piety, zeal, and honesty: in prayer and meditation they were very frequent and long, their discourses were only of matters Divine, the errors and superstitions of the time were to them abominations; for life and conversation, they seemed to be composed of all virtue; in their apparel poor and base; in their behavior and speech exceeding humble and grave; for charity towards all in want, singularly liberal (H). The er­rors they had, seemed to be very harmless and innocent; they urged not only a reformation of corruptions, but the building of a church wholly new; they pressed that what ever had been in popery might all be cast away; that new churches might be ga­thered consisting only of saints. Besides the Scripture, they pro­fessed new revelations; they required all their followers to re­nounce their former baptism, and of new to be baptized; they spoke much of patient suffering the crosse, of the unlawfulness to resist injuries, or to punish by the sword any crime; they cried down all wars, yea all magistracy, all judicatories as unjust; they preached much for the liberty of the people, and against the grievous burdens wherewith the great ones did load the backs of the poor commons; they cried up an equality among all the sons of Adam, that none might lord it over his brethren; also that all goods ought to be common among Christians, that none might want, and none be tempted with superfluity.

So long as they kept themselves within these bounds, ortho­dox preachers were content to deal with them lovingly by con­ferences and disputations, to keep the sword of the magistrate off them (l), and none was a more diligent solicitor of their indem­nity then Luther with all the princes of his acquaintance (K). But behold the fruits of this indulgence, Stock and Müntzer are encouraged thereby to go on, in the space of three years they did disperse their cockle and tares over all Germany, the people eve­ry where fell in passionate love with their doctrine (L): the masters beholding the unexpected number and zeal of their dis­ciples, without further delay did bring out all their mysteries, and what before they had delivered in corners, and in the night time to handfuls of people apart, being then confident of their strength, they brought it out to the world before the sun, and boldly did begin to put all their speculations in practice.

They declared that they were prophets sent by God to teach the world the way to heaven, that after fasting and prayer they were inspired with revelations no less sure then Scripture, which all were to believe and follow under the pain of damnation: that Luther and all the orthodox preachers were false prophets, worse then the Pope and his clergy; that all princes and magi­strates must needs lay down their charges, and become equal with the meanest; that all rich persons behoved to give in their wealth, that all goods might be equally distributed; that the time of the Saints reign upon earth was come; that whosoever refu­sed to enter into their society, to be re-baptized and to become members of their Churches, were without all pity to be killed. That God had revealed all this to them, and much more of this kind; that he had given them a commission to execute presently this his will. Hereupon they did arm and began very nimbly to rob and kill all about them as cursed Canaanites. This leaven did quickly run along many provinces: many thousands, especially of the gentry were massacred and their houses burnt over their heads before they could get themselves in a posture of de­fense. (M)

Luther perceiving the horrible and unexpected malignity of that Devil who led this people, began at last to bestirre himself, and to show to the world the abominations of that way which before he had too much neglected; he did then exhort all magistrates and people to defend the gospel, their lives and goods against these wicked hypocrites (N). Incontinent the princes and cities did arm and every where run upon these enraged furies, they recompensed their ways upon their own heads, killing them where ever they could be found. In Suabland, Lor­raine, and Francony, there were in one Summer slain at least 50,000 yeomen (O), and as some authors relate it, a hundred thou­sand (P), yea some report 150,000. (Q), who corrupted with the seditious principles of their false Teachers, made insurrection every where against the magistrate. At that same time Müntzer gathered together 8,000 of the common people in Thuringia, against whom the gracious Princes Johann Frederick Elector Saxony, and Philip of Hesse ddi march: Müntzer persuaded his followers of a most certain victory, assuring that he would inter­cept in his cloak all the bullets of the enemies’ cannon; but when it came to action the vanity of his promises did appear, 5,000 of that misled multitude were killed on the place, the rest fled, Müntzer was taken prisoner, and having confessed his error did suffer death, but in a faithless, faint, and discouraged way (R).

Robert Baillie | Anabaptism, The True Fountain of Independency, Brownisme, Antinomy, Familism, and the most of the other Errors Which For The Time Do Trouble the Church of England, Unsealed (London, 1647), 3–6. NB: For ease of reading and because archaic spelling tend to make older writers seem unintelligent, the spelling has been modernized and some typos have been corrected.

Baillie Versus Tombes

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