ed at Geneva, 1603, in 3 vols. fol, have
been much read and admired on the Conti
nent. See Brook s lives of the Puritans,
vol. ii., p. 129, &c. His chief works on
practical theology, are Anatomy of the hu
man Conscience ; On the right way of liv
ing and dying ; On the nature of repent
ance, &c. TV.]

(80) [Teling died in 1629, t Haarlem,
where he was a preacher. His practical
writings bear the marks of that age, and
generally have allegorical titles ; e. g.,
The pole star of genuine piety. At this



/94 BOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. III. PART II. CHAP, ll.



in the Dutch language. In emulation of them, William Ames, an Eng.
lishman,(81) but a theologian of Franeker in Holland, undertook to com-
pose a complete system of Practical Theology. (82) Afterwards, others
prosecuted the subject.

38. There did not arise in this century, so many sects and religious
contests among the Reformed, as there were among us : which, while they
may esteem it much to their credit, may be easily traced to adequate
causes, by one acquainted with the history of the Reformed church. (83)
Yet John Calvin mentions and confutes one very pernicious faction, which
was far worse than any of ours ; namely, the sect of the Libertines or the
Spirituals ; which originated from Anthony Pockes, Gerhard Ruff, Quintin,
and others its leaders and founders, in Flanders ; and thence passed into
France, where it obtained countenance, from Margaret, the queen of Na
varre and sister of Francis I., and found patrons likewise in other sections
of the Reformed church. (84) These Spirituals, if we carefully consider
all that Calvin and others have written against them, not always with suf-



day, they are useful only in the history of
practical theology. Schl. ]

(81) [In the original, Dr. Ames is called
a Scotchman. So palpable an error, is cor
rected without scruple, in the translation.
He was born in the county of Norfolk,
England, in the year 1576 ; educated at
Cambridge, under Mr. Perkins ; became
fellow of his college ; was a zealous Puri
tan, and persecuted in 1610. He fled into
Holland ; preached a while in the English
church at the Hague ; was made professor
of divinity at Franeker ; resigned the office
at the end of 12 years, on account of his
health ; and retired to Rotterdam, where he
died in 1633, aged 57, His widow and
children removed to New-England ; to
which he had intended to remove. He
was learned, acute, soundly Calvinistic,
and a strict Independent. His writings
are numerous, chiefly polemic and doctri
nal, and written in a clear, concise, and
nervous Latin style. See Middleton s Bi-
agraphia Evangelica, vol. iii., p. 45, &c.,
and Brook s Lives of the Puritans, vol. ii.,
p. 405, &c. TV.]

(82) See the Dedication and Preface to
William Ames" 1 formerly very famous work,
de Conscientia et ejus jure. In page 3 of
the Preface, among other things, he says :
Quod haec pars prophetic (i. e., practical
theology), hactenus minus fuerit exculta,
hoc inde fuit, quod primipilares nostri per-
petuo in acie adversus hostes pugnare,
fidein propugnare et aream ecclesiae pur-
gare, necessitate quodam cogebantur, ita ut
agros et vineas plantare et rigare non po-
tucrint ex voto, sicut bello fervente usu
venire solet, His Exhortation, addressed
to the theological students at Franeker, and
subjoined to the above work, is worthy of
jjerusal. From this address we may learn



among other things, that in the universities
of the Reformed, the chief attention was
then bestowed on dogmatic and polemic
theology ; and that practical theology lay
neglected : Theologi prseclare se instructor
putant ad omnes officii sui partes, si dog
mata tantum intelligent. Neque tamen
ornnia dogmata scrutantur, sed ilia sola,
quaj precipuc solent agitari et in contro-
versiam vocari.

(83) [Dr, Madaine says here: "Dr.
Moshcim ought to have given us a hint of
his manner of accounting for this, to avoid
the suspicion of having been somewhat at a
loss for a favourable solution." Schlcgel
therefore subjoins the following : " The
Reformed church was at first small, and
more closely knit together, than the Luther
an ; and of course there could not arise in
it such wide spreading contentions. The
leading persons also were able so to tem
per their disagreements, that they could not
break out into a great flame. Zwing le and
Calvin were men of great influence, who
could arrest all contentions with as much
power, as Luther could. But Mclancthon,
who succeeded Luther, had not such in
fluence ; and when he was dead, there waf
no one to be found in our church, competenl
to extinguish the fire, which, during his life
time, had been smoking in the ashes." A
better solution may be found, I think, in the
spirit and the religious principles of tho two
communities. For in the English church,
which most resembled the Lutheran in these
respects, there was as violent and as per
nicious contention, as among the Lutherans.
-Tr.J

(84) See Calvin s Instructio ad versus
fanaticam et furiosam sectam Libertinorum,
qui se Spirituales vocant ; in his Tractatus
Theologici, p. 599, &c.



HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. ja

ftcient perspicuity, (for I do not know, that any of their ov/n writings are
extant,) maintained; that God himself works all things in all men, or is
the cause and author of all human actions ; that therefore, the common
notions of a difference between good actions and bad, are false and vain;
that men cannot, properly speaking, commit sin ; that religion consists
in the union of the rational soul or the spirit, with God ; that if a person
attains to this, by contemplation and directing his mind upward, he may
freely obey the instincts of his nature ; for, whatever he may do, he will
be innocent, and after death will be united to God. These doctrines are
so similar to the views of the ancient Beghards or Brethren of the Free
Spirit, that I have very little doubt, these Spirituals were their descendants :
and the fact, that this sect originated in Flanders, which in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries was full of this sort of people, corroborates the sup
position.

39. Totally different in character from these Spiritual Libertines,
though not unfrequently confounded with them, were those Libertines of
Geneva, with whom John Calvin had to contend fiercely all his life. The
latter were no other than citizens of Geneva, who could not endure Calvin s
rigorous discipline ; and who, in opposition to his regulations, defended
with craft and violence, with factions, insults and abuse, the dissolute mor
als of their progenitors, their brothels and carousals, their sports and frol
ics ; all of which, as well as other indications of an irreligious spirit, Cal
vin most severely condemned and chastised. (85) There were moreover in
this turbulent faction, persons not only dissolute in their lives, but also
scoffers and despisers of all religion. Such a character was James Gruet ;
who not only assailed Calvin with all his power, and called him bishop of
Ascoh(QQ} and the new pope, but also discarded and opposed the divinity
of the Christian religion, the immortality of the soul, the distinction be
tween right and wrong, and whatever else was most sacred in the view of
Christians ; and for this, he was punished capitally, in the year 1550. (87)

40. Calvin had also at Geneva controversies with some, who could not
digest his doctrines and especially his gloomy doctrine of absolute decrees.
Being a man of excessive ardour, and too jealous of his own reputation,
he would not suffer them to reside at Geneva : nay, in the heat of contro
versy yielding to his passions, he frequently accused them of crimes and
enormities, from which they have been acquitted by the judgment of pos
terity. (88) Among these was Sebastian Castalio, master of the public
school at Geneva ; a man not indeed free from all faults, yet honest, and
distinguished for erudition and the elegance of his genius. As he would
not praise all that Calvin and his colleagues did and taught, and especially
as he rejected Calvin s and Beta s doctrine of pure and absolute predesti-

(85) See Jac. Span s Histoire de Ge- present day, since the Genevans themselves
neve, torn, ii., p. 44, in the notes of the editor, and other doctors of the Reformed church,

(86) [The import of this title of reproach, ingenuously confess, that the great talents
or the ground of its pertinence in the view of Calvin were attended by no small defects
of Gruet, is not explained by the historians of character ; which however, they think
who mention it ; nor was Schlegcl able sat- should be overlooked, on account of his ex-
isfactorily to account for it. See his long traordinary merits. See the notes to Span s
note. TV.] Histoire de Geneve, tome ii., p. 110, &c.,

87) See Spon, loc. cit., tome ii., p. 47, and elsewhere ; also the Preface to the Let-
the note. tres de Calvin a Jaques de Bourgogne, p

(88) We may venture to say this at the xix., <fcc.



19d BOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. III. PART II. CRAP. II.

nation, he was required in 1544, to resign his office and go into exile. But
the authorities of Basle received the exile, and gave him the Greek pro
fessorship in their university.(89)

41. Similar was the fate of Jerome Bolsec, a French Carmelite monk,
but greatly inferior to Castalio in learning and genius. He came to Ge
neva, allured by the reformation to which he was inclined, and there es
tablished himself as a physician. Bat in the year 1551, he most impru
dently declaimed with vehemence in a public assembly, against the doctrine
of God s absolute decrees. For this he was cast into prison, and at last
was compelled to leave the city. He returned to his native country, and
to the Romish religion which he had before renounced ; and now he as
sailed the reputation and the life and conduct of Calvin, and likewise of his
colleague Beza, in the most slanderous publications. (90) From Bolsec s
calamity, originated the enmity between Calvin and James of Burgundy ;
an illustrious descendant from the dukes of Burgundy, and a great patron
and intimate friend of Calvin, who had been led by his attachment to him
to fix his residence at Geneva. James employed Bolsec as his personal
physician ; and therefore supported him all he could, when borne down by
the influence of Calvin, to prevent his being entirely prostrated. This so
exasperated Calvin, that, to avoid his resentments, James thought proper to
retire from Geneva into the country. (91)

42. Bernardin Ocliin, an Italian of Sienna, and formerly vicar general
of the order of Capuchins, a man of a fecund and discriminating mind,
who preached to an Italian congregation at Zurich, was, in the year 1563,
condemned and ordered into exile, by the decision of the whole Reformed
church of Switzerland. For, in his books which were numerous, among
other opinions differing from the common views, he taught in particular, that
the law respecting the marriage of a single wife, was not in all cases with,
out some exceptions. His works show, that he speculated on many sub-
jects more boldly than that age would permit, and in a different manner
from the Swiss theologians. Yet there are those who maintain, that his
errors at the time when being old, and indigent, he was compelled to forsake
Switzerland, were not so great as to deserve to be punished with banish
ment. He retired into Poland, and there united with the Antitrinitarians
and Anabaptists ; and died in the year 1564. (92)

(89) See Jac. Uytcnbogarffs Ecclesias- and rejected Calvin s opinion respecting

tical History, written in Dutch, pt. ii., p. Christ s descent into hell. These were his

70-73 ; where he endeavours to evince the chief errors. Tr.~\

innocence of Castalio ; Bayle s Dictionnaire, (90) See Baylc s Dictionnaire, article

tome i., p. 792, &c. [article Castalion ; Bolsec, tome i., p. 592. Jac. Sport s His-

which is elaborate, and appears to be can- toire de Geneve, the note, tome ii-., p. 55.

did. TV.] Paul Colomcsius, Italia Orien- Bibliotheque raisonnee, tome xxxii., p. 446,

talis, p. 99, arid others. [See. Jo. Conrad and tome xxxvi., p. 409.
Fuslin s Lebensgeschichte Seb. Castellio, (91) See the Lettrcs de Calvin a Jacques

Frankfort and Lipsic, 1774, 8vo. ScM. de Bourgogne, Preface, p. viii., &c. Bib-

Castalio was born in Dauphiny or Savoy, liotheque raisonnee, tome xxxii., p. 444, and

1515, and spent his days at Strasburg, Ge- tome xxxiv., p. 406.

neva, and Basle ; where he died in 1563. (92) Zach. Bovcrius, Annales Capucir.o-

Ile was an elegant Latin and Greiek scholar ; rum ; and from these Annals, the author of

and wrote much, particularly translations into the book entitled: La guerre Seraphique,

Latin and French. His Latin translation on Histoire des perils qu a couru la barbe

of the Bible, is his most important work, des Capucins, livr. ii., p. 147, livr. iii., p.

He denied unconditional election ; consid- 192, 230, &c. Observationes Halenset

*rcd the Canticles as an uninspired book ; Latinse, torn, iv., observ. xx., p. 406, torn.



HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH. m

43. While the Reformed punished with so great severity the audacity
of those who conceived some change was requisite in the prevailing doc-
trines, they believed that the greatest mildness and gentleness were to be
manifested, in those most violent contests between the English Puritans
and Episcopalians. For while they were particularly attached to the Pu
ritans, who contended for ihe doctrines and discipline of the Swiss ; they
still regarded the Episcopalians with brotherly affection, and urged their
confederates the Puritans, to do the same ; notwithstanding the Episco
palians injured most sensibly the greater part of the Reformed community
and by proclaiming the divine origin of their own discipline, scarcely al
lowed to the Reformed the name and the prerogatives of a true church.
This moderation resulted from prudence, and from the fear of offending a
high-spirited and prosperous nation, and its most powerful queen whose
influence governed even Holland also ; and finally, from the danger of a
destructive schism among the Reformed. For indeed, it is one thing to
coerce and to cast out feeble and unarmed individuals, who are disposed
to disturb the peace of a city by advancing opinions, not perhaps absolute.
ly absurd nor of dangerous tendency, yet really novel ; and quite another
thing, to provoke and drive to a secession, a noble and most flourishing
church, which may be defective in some respects. Moreover the ground
of the dissension [in England] hitherto, did not seem to be religion itself;
but the external forms of religion, and the constitution of the church. Yet
soon afterwards, some of the great principles of religion itself were brought
under discussion. (93)

44. No one can deny or be ignorant of the fact, that the Reformed
church in this age abounded in very eminent men, who were distinguished
for their acquisitions of knowledge both human and divine. Besides 1/7-
ric Zwingle, John Calvin, and Theodore Beza, men of inexhaustible genius ;
the following have acquired by their writings, immortal praise ; namely,
John (Ecolampadius, Henry Bullinger, William Farell, Peter Viret, Peter
Martyr, Theodore BiUiander, Wolfgang Musculus, Conrad- Pellican, Lew
is Lavalar, Rudolph Hospinian, Zacharias Ur sinus, Thomas Cranmer, arch-
bishop of Canterbury, Stephen Szcgedinus, and many others ; whose
names and merits may be learned from the common writers of literary his
tory, especially from Mekhior Adam, Anthony Wood, Gerard Brandt, Dan
iel Neal, an Englishman, the very learned and industrious author of the
Histoiy of the Puritans, and from other writers. (94)

v., observ. i., p. 3, &c. Bayle s Diction- for overthrowing, the received opinions con-
naire, tome iii., p. 2105. Christ. Sand s cerning predestination, perseverance, free-
Bibliotheca Anti-Trinitar., p. 4, &c. Ni- ivill, effectual grace, and the extent of
ceron, Memoires pour servir a 1 Histoire des Christ s redemption. These are the doc-
Homines illustres, tome xix., p. 166, &c. trines to which Dr. Mosheim alludes in this
[See the sketch of his life, above, p. 77, near passage. The clergy of the episcopal church
the end of note (10). TV.] began to lean towards the notions concern-

(93) [The sarcasms of Dr. Mosheim in ing these intricate points, which Arminius
this section, against the Reformed, do him propagated some time after this ; while, on
no honour. The note of Dr. Madaine, the other hand, the Puritans adhered rigor-
however, is worth inserting. It is this : ously to the system of Calvin. Several
" All the Protestant divines of the Reformed episcopal doctors remained attached to the
church, whether Puritans or others, seemed same system, and all these abettors of Gal-
indeed, hitherto, of one mind about the doc- vinism, whether Episcopal or Presbyterian,
trines of faith. But, towards the latter end were called doctrinal Puritans." TV.]
of queen Elizabeth s reign, there arose a par- (94) [All the larger biographical diction*
\y, which were first for softening, and tj en aries may be consulted ; and also the En



BOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. HI.- -PART II CliAP III



CHAPTER III.



HISTORY OF iilE SECT OF ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES.

| 1. Origin of the Anabaptists, obscure. t) 2, 3. Their probable Origin. 4. Their first
Movements. 5. Their Progress. 6. Punishments decreed them. 7. Those of
Munster. 8. Menno Simonis. 9. His Doctrine. 10. Origin of Sects among the
Anabaptists. 11. The more gross, and the more refined. 12. Source of the Men-
nonite Religion. 13. It was late reduced to a System. $ 14. What it is. 15. The
first Principle of their common Doctrines. 16. Their Doctrines themselves. 17.
Their practical Doctrines. <$> 18. Singular Doctrines of certain Sects. 19. Their
Learning and Erudition. 20. Many Sects among them. 21. Permanent Seat oi
the Mennonites first in Holland. 22. The English Anabaptists. $ 23. General and
particular, what their Views. 24. David George. 25. Henry Nicolai. The Fam-
ilists.

1. THE origin of the sect, who from their repetition of the baptism re
ceived in other communities, are called Analaptists,(\) but who are also



cyclopaedias, particularly that of Dr. Recs.
To these may be added, Middletori s Bio-
raphia Evangelica, and Brook s Lives of the
Puritans ; besides the numerous biographies
of individual men. The means of becoming
acquainted with the lives, characters, and
writings of distinguished modern theologians,
are so abundant, and the extent of the sub
ject so great, that full lists of all the authors
of each century, will not be given in the notes
to th^ centuries in this volume, as in those
prior to the reformation. TV.]

(1) The modern Mennonites are offended
with this term, and profess to be entirely free
from the practice of repeating baptism, on
which this name is founded. They admit,
that the old Anabaptists had the custom of re-
baptizing such as joined them from other de
nominations of Christians ; but they say, the
custom at this day is laid aside by much the
greater part of their community. See Her
man Sc.hyn s Historise Mennonitarum plenior
Deductio, cap. ii., p. 32. But, unless I am
altogether deceived, these good men here
lose sight of that simplicity and ingenuous
ness, which they at times so highly recom
mend ; and artfully conceal the true ground
of this appellation. They pretend, that their
predecessors were called Anabaptists, for
this reason, that they thought those, who had
been baptized in other communities after
they became adults and attained to the full
use of reason, were to be baptized again.
But it is certain that the name was given to
them, not only for that reason, but more es
pecially, because they considered the persons



who were initiated into the Christian chura;
by baptism in their infancy, as not belonging
to the church at all ; and therefore when such
persons would join the Anabaptists, they
baptized them a second time. And in this
sentiment all the sects of Anabaptists con
tinue quite to the present time, however
much they may differ in other opinions and
customs. Among the ancient Anabaptists,
those in particular who are called Flemings
or Flandrians, most fully merit this appella
tion. For they rebaptize, not only those who
received baptism in other denominations in
their childhood or infancy, but. likewise such
as received it in adult years. Nay, each
particular sect of Anabaptists, rebaptizes
those who come to them from the other sects
of their denomination : for each sect consid
ers its own baptism to be the only true and
valid baptism. The more moderate Anabap
tists, or the Waterlandians as they are called,
are a little wiser ; because they do not re-
baptize such as were baptized at adult years,
in other denominations ; nor those -\ ho were
baptized in other sects of Anabaptists. ArvJ
yet they are justly denominated Ana^apfisis,
because they rebaptize those who received
baptism in their infancy. Still howevei ihe
patrons of the sect most carefully keep this
custom out of sight ; because they are afraid,
lest the almost extinguished odium should
revive, and the modern Mcnjioni/ca be re
garded as descended from the flagitious An*
abaptists, if they should frankly state tit
facts as they are. Hear a very recent wii-
ter, Schyn, (loc. cit., p. 82), where he en



HISTORY OF THE ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES. 199



denominated Mennonites, from the celebrated man to whom they owe a
large share of their present prosperity, is involved in much obscurity. (2)
For they suddenly started up, in various countries of Europe, under the in.



deavours to show, that his brethren are un
justly stigmatized with the odious name of
Anabaptists : Anabaptismus ille, (says he),
plane obsolevit, et a multis retro annis nerni-
nem cujuscunque sectae Christianae fidei jux-
la -m&ndatum Christi baptizatum, dum ad
nostras ecclesias transire cupit, rebaptizave-
runt, i. e., That Anabaptism has become
wholly obsolete ; and for many years past,
no person of any sect whatever, that holds the
Christian faith, if baptized, ACCORDING TO
THE COMMAND OF CHRIST, when he wishes
to join our churches, is rebaptized. On
reading this, who would not readily suppose
that the repetition of baptism no longer ex
ists among the Mennonites of our times !
But the fallacy is in some measure betrayed,
by the words which we have printed in capital
etters : according to the command of Christ..
For the Anabaptists contend, that it is
without any command of Christ, that infants
are admitted to baptism. And the whole
design is more clearly indicated, by the words
which follow : sed ilium etiam ADULTORUM
baptismum, ut sufficientem agnoscunt. And
yet, as if he had fully established his point,
Schyn thus concludes his argument ; Quare
verissimum est, illud odiosum nomen Ana-
baptistarum illis non convenire. But it does
certainly belong to them ; because the very
best of the Mennonites, equally with those
from whom they are descended, think that
the baptism of infants has no validity ; and
therefore they cause those who have already
been baptized among other Christians, to be
again baptized with their baptism. There
are many things which induce me to believe,
that reliance cannot always be placed on the
Confessions and the expositions of the mod
ern Mennonites, Being instructed by the
miseries and sufferings of their fathers, they
conceal entirely those principles of their sect,
from which their character and state would
most clearly appear ; and the others, which
they cannot conceal, they most studiously
disguise, that they may not appear too bad.
[This long and invidious note of Dr. Mo-
shcim, the translator would gladly have
omitted, if he had felt himself at liberty to
suppress any thing contained in the book.
For to what purpose are such discussions 1
The point at issue is, whether the Menno
nites or Baptists, are properly denominated
Anabaptists. And the fact is, that accord
ing to their own principles, they are not, in
the literal and proper sense of the word, An
abaptists or Rebaptizers. But according to
the principles of all believers in infant bap



tism, they are, literally and truly, Anabaptiits,
For they hold infant baptism to be no valid
Christian baptism ; and therefore to be con
sistent, when they receive to their church
one who had been baptized in infancy, they
must give him baptism ; for he is, on theif
principles, an unbnptized person. But ac
cording to the believers in infant baptism,
such a person had previously received a rea!,