The most ap­plauded Tenets of our modern Anabaptists, are the self-same with what the old Anabaptists did invent

The errors of the Anabaptists and their divisions amongst themselves are so many, that to set them down distinctly in any good order, is a task which I dare not undertake: much less can I give assurance what is common to them all and what pro­per to their several sects: only that I may demonstrate the same very spirit to breath this day in the Anabaptists of Britain, which inspired their fathers of former times in Germany, I will remark what tenets authors of good credit ascribe to both; hoping that this discovery may be a means to bring many simple well-meaning people who are not yet plunged in the deeps of obstinacy to a more accurate trial and greater suspicion of their ways: when they shall see it made visible and palpable upon undeniable evi­dence, that their most beloved tenets and practices which they beleeve to be full of truth and holiness, are no other but the same very singularities which the known event doth now con­vince all who without prejudice can but read unquestionable Hi­stories, to have been the inventions and dictates of the false and unclean spirit which acted and moved in Muntzer, Becold, David George, and such like abominable monsters of mankind.

Their first and prime tenet was a necessity of gathering churches out of churches, and of separati­on from the best Reformed in their time, because of mixed communion

The first and leading tenet of the old Anabaptists was a neces­sity to gather new Churches out of these which Luther and Zwin­gli and their followers had reformed from popery (A). It is remarkable that these men had never a stomach to trouble them­selves with any labor to make converts from Popery or pro­faneness, only so soon as gracious persons had drawn any ci­ties or countries out of the kingdom of antichrist, then they fell on and every where did much disturb the work of the new Reformation (B).

At the beginning they dissembled the grossest of their errors, and their intention to quarrel with infant baptism: they did only press a greater measure of holiness and mortification than was ordinary (C), in this all good men went along with them: but when they began to teach that the church behooved to consist of no other members but such as were not in profession and aim [Page 30] alone, but also visibly and really holy and elect, and therefore that new churches behoved to be gathered, and that all the old any where extant behooved to be separate from as mixed, and so cor­rupted societies; then Luther and Zwingli did oppose them­selves to this schismatic humor (D).

When they found themselves disappointed of the assistance of Luther and Zwingli, and all the rest of the orthodox preachers, without more delay they fell upon their intended work them­selves alone, first by private conventicles (E), then by preaching in the open streets they gathered and set up churches after their own mind (F), consisting merely of saints (G), who did forbear communion in religious exercises with all other churches (H), whom they avowed to be for the most part but worldly, carnal, and profane gospellers (I), and their best preachers, especial­ly Luther and Zwingli, to be but scribes and pharisees, false prophets, large as evil as the pope and his anti-Christian priests (K).

Antipaedobap­tism became at last their grea­test darling

For the stricter ingagement of the Saints and godly party their adherents, and for the clearer distinction of them from the pro­phane multitude of all other Congregations, they thought meet to put upon them the mark and character of a new Baptisme, making them renounce their old as null, because received in their infancy, and in a false Church. At the beginning this re-baptizing was but a secondary and less principal doctrine among them, for Muntzer himself was never re-baptized, neither in his own person did he re-baptize any (L), yet thereafter it became a more essential note of a member of their church, and the cry­ing down of infants baptism came to be a most principal and distinctive doctrine of all in their way (M).

They the au­thors of the prophesying and questio­ning of private men in the face of the Church. Unto their new gathered churches of re-baptized and dipped saints, they did ascribe very ample privileges, for first they gave to every one of them a power of questioning in public before the whole congregation any part of their preachers’ do­ctrine (N). Secondly, to every one of their members they gave a power of public preaching (O).

Women prea­chers are from them

This liberty they gave no less to women then men: for they had among them not only preaching and prophesying women, but also some who took so much upon them, as to profess them­selves to be the Christ and Messiah to all of their own sex (P).

Thirdly, to their particular Churches they gave power of ele­cting and ordaining such of their own Prophets whom they thought fittest to be Pastors to the rest: whoever was not elected and ordained, whoever had not their full calling from the people alone, and did not renounce what ever ordination they had from any other, to them were no Pastors at all. Upon this ground among others they refused to hear any of the ministers of the Re­formed Churches, because they did not renounce their former or­dination and calling to the ministry, that they might take it again from the hands of their new gathered and separate congrega­tions (Q).

They required no letters in their preachers.

Fourthly, in their Pastors they required no secular learning (R), Indeed, to them all secular learning was abominable, they did burn all books but the Bible as impediments and hurtful instruments to the ministry of the gospel (S).

Fifthly, they required their illiterate pastors to work with their own hands for their livings (T). Merchandize or any other Cal­ling wherein there was no personall and handy labour to them was unlawfull (V).

The crying down of tithes, and all set sti­pends is from them

Sixthly, they cried down all tithes (X), indeed, all set stipends for any church officer (Y). But it would be considered that they did avow it was as unlawfull to pay any set rent, or yearly duty to any Landlord as a stipend to a minister (Z).

Independency of congregati­ons and the peoples power in Church censures is their invention

Seventhly, unto their single congregations they gave a supreme and independent power to judge in all ecclesiastical causes; not only judicially to pronounce all questions about their pastors’ doctrine, but also to proceed to the highest censure of excom­munication, as well against their pastors as others when they found cause (AA). Their excommunications of one another were so frequent and for so light causes, that sundry of them fell to the opinion and practice of those whom we call Seekers, they served God single and alone, without the society of any Church, finding no Churches on earth with whom they could agree (BB).

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), 29–31. NB: For ease of reading and because archaic words spelling tend to make older writers seem unintelligent, some archaic words have been translated, the spelling has been modernized, and some typos have been corrected. To see the endnotes follow the link to the source.

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