affirm themselves to be ruled by the fcripture and reason in the matter. Should I argue thus then to the Calvinists?

Here the Lutherans and Arminians grofly err, by following the fcripture;

Therefore the fcripture is not a good nor certain rule; and è contra.

Would either of them accept of this reafoning as good and found? What fhall I fay of the Epifcopalians, Prefbyterians, Independents, and Anabaptifts of Great-Britain, who are continually buffeting one another with the fcripture? To whom the fame argument might be alledged, though they do all unanimously acknowledge it to be the rule.

hence ari

latephilofo

And Thirdly, As to reafon, I fhall not need 3.Ofreafon. to fay much; for whence come all the controverfies, contentions and debates in the world, but be- The debates caufe every man thinks he follows right reafon? fingbetwixt Hence of old came the jangles between the Stoicks, the old and Platonifts, Peripateticks, Pythagoreans, and Cynicks, phers. as of late betwixt the Ariftotelians, Cartefians, and other naturalifts: Can it be thence inferred, or will the Socinians, thofe great reafoners, allow us to conclude, because many, and thofe very wife men, have erred, by following, as they fuppofed, their reafon, and that with what diligence, care and industry they could, to find out the truth, that therefore no man ought to make fe of it at all, nor be positive in what he knows certainly to be rational? And thus far as to opinions; the fame uncertainty is no lefs incident unto thofe other principles.

for their wild prac

Proteftants

§. XIV. But if we come to practices, though I Anabaptifts confefs I do with my whole heart abhor and deteft those wild practices which are written concerning tices, and the Anabaptifts of Munster; I am bold to fay, as Papifts bad, if not worse things, have been committed by for their those that lean to tradition, fcripture, and reafon : bloodshed, wherein alfo they have averred themfelves to have each pre

wars and

tendingfcri

pture for it.

fcripture,

been authorized by thefe rules. I need but mention all the tumults, feditions, and horrible bloodfhed, wherewith Europe hath been afflicted these divers ages; in which Papifts against Papifts, Calvinifts against Calvinists, Lutherans against Lutherans, and Papists, affifted by Proteftants, against other Proteftants affifted by Papifts, have miferably shed one another's blood, hiring and forcing men to kill each other, who were ignorant of the quarrel, and strangers one to another: all, mean while, pretending reafon for fo doing, and pleading the lawfulness of it from fcripture.

For what have the Papifts pretended for their many maffacres, acted as well in France as elfeTradition, where, but tradition, fcripture, and reafon? Did and reafon, they not fay, that reafon perfuaded them, tradition made a co- allowed them, and fcripture commanded them, fecution and to perfecute, deftroy, and burn bereticks, fuch as murder. denied this plain fcripture, Hoc eft corpus meum,

ver for per

This is my body? And are not the Proteftants affenting to this bloodfhed, who affert the fame thing, and encourage them, by burning and banishing, while their brethren are fo treated for the fame caufe? Are not the islands of Great-Britain and Ireland, yea, and all the Chriftian world, a lively example hereof, which were divers years together as a theatre of blood; where many loft their lives, and numbers of families were utterly destroyed and ruined? For all which no other caufe was principally given, than the precepts of the fcripture. If we then compare these actings with thofe of Munster, we fhall not find great difference; for both affirmed and pretended they were called, and that it was lawful to kill, burn, and destroy the wicked. We must kill all the wicked, faid those Anabaptifts, that we, that are the faints, may poffefs the earth. We must burn obftinate bereticks, fay the Papifts, that the holy church of Rome may be purged of rotten members, and may live

in peace.
We must cut off feducing feparatifts, fay
the Prelatical Proteftants, who trouble the peace of
the church, and refuse the divine hierarchy, and
religious ceremonies thereof. We must kill, fay the
Calvinistick Prefbyterians, the Prophane Malignants,
who accufe the Holy Confiftorial and Prefbyterian
government, and feek to defend the Popish and Pre-
latick hierarchy; as alfo thofe other fectaries that
trouble the peace of our church. What difference I
pray thee, impartial reader, feeft thou betwixt
these?

If it be faid, The Anabaptifts went without, and Object. against the authority of the magiftrate; fo did not the

other;

cruelties.

I might easily refute it, by alledging the mutual Answ. teftimonies of these fects against one another. The behaviour of the Papifts towards Henry the third Examples and fourth of France; their defigns upon James the of Popish fixth in the gunpowder treafon; as alfo their principle of the Pope's power to depofe kings for the caufe of berefy, and to abfolve their fubjects from their oath, and give them to others, proves it against them.

and perfe

Scotland,

land.

And as to the Proteftants, how much their actions Proteftant differ from those other above-mentioned, may be violences feen by the many confpiracies and tumults which cutions in they have been active in, both in Scotland and Eng- England, land, and which they have acted within these hun- and Holdred years in divers towns and provinces of the Netherlands. Have they not oftentimes fought, not only from the Popish magiftrates, but even from thofe that had begun to reform, or that had given them fome liberty of exercifing their religion, that they might only be permitted, without trouble or hindrance, to exercife their religion, promifing they would not hinder or moleft the Papifts in the exercife of theirs? And yet did they not on the contrary, fo foon as they had power, trouble and abuse those fellow-citizens, and turn them out of

the

Lutheran

feditions

teachers,

the city, and, which is worse, even fuch who together with them had forfaken the Popish religion? Did they not these things in many places against the mind of the magiftrates? Have they not publickly, with contumelious fpeeches, affaulted their magiftrates, from whom they had but just before fought and obtained the free exercife of their religion? Representing them, fo foon as they oppofed themselves to their hierarchy, as if they regarded neither God nor religion? Have they not by violent hands poffeffed themselves of the Popish churches, fo called, or by force, against the magiftrates mind, taken them away? Have they not turned out of their office and authority whole councils of magiftrates, under pretence that they were addicted to Popery? Which Popish magiftrates nevertheless they did but a little before acknowledge to be ordained by God; affirming themfelves obliged to yield them obedience and fubjection, not only for fear, but for confcience fake; to whom moreover the very preachers and overfeers of the reformed church had willingly fworn fidelity; and yet afterwards have they not faid, that the people are bound to force a wicked prince to the obfervation of God's word? There are many other inftances of this kind to be found in their hiftories, not to mention many worse things, which we know to have been acted in our time, and which for brevity's fake I pafs by.

I might fay much of the Lutherans, whofe tuagainst the multuous actions against their magiftrates not reformed profeffing the Lutheran profeffion, are teftified of and affault by feveral hiftorians worthy of credit. Among others, I fhall propofe only one example to the of Branden- reader's confideration, which fell out at Berlin in burg, &c. in the year 1615. "Where the feditious multitude Germany of the Lutheran citizens, being ftirred up by the

upon the

Marquis

daily clamours of their preachers, did not only with violence break into the houfes of the reformed

teachers,

teachers, overturn their libraries, and spoil their furniture; but alfo with reproachful words, yea, and with ftones, affaulted the Marquis of Brandenburg, the Elector's brother, while he fought by fmooth words to quiet the fury of the multitude; they killed ten of his guard, fcarcely fparing himfelf, who at last by flight efcaped out of their hands." All which fufficiently declares, that the concurrence of the magiftrate doth not alter their principles, but only their method of procedure. So that for my own part, I fee no difference betwixt the actings of those of Munster, and these others, (whereof the one pretended to be led by the Spirit, the other by tradition, scripture, and reafon) fave this, that the former were rash, heady, and foolish, in their proceedings, and therefore were the fooner brought to nothing, and fo into contempt and derifion but the other, being more politick and wife in their generation, held it out longer, and fo have authorized their wickednefs more, with the feeming authority of law and reafon. But both their actings being equally evil, the difference appears to me to be only like that which is between a fimple filly thief, that is eafily catched, and hanged without any more ado; and a company of refolute bold robbers, who being better guarded, though their offence be nothing lefs, yet by violence do, to fhun the danger, force their masters to give them good terms.

From all which then it evidently follows, that they argue very ill, who defpife and reject any principle because men pretending to be led by it do evil; in cafe it be not the natural and confequential tendency of that principle to lead unto thofe things that are evil.

Again: It doth follow from what is above afferted, that if the Spirit be to be rejected upon this account, all thofe other principles ought on the

fame