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IX.

thou wicked church! Where is that mark of false- CHAP. hearted and rotten apostates, in all the New-Testament, that is not comprehended in the foregoing catalogue of crimes, publicly confessed by these pretended reformers?

37. Their universal crime is perjury, the mark of the beast in the right hand lifted up in confirmation of a false oath; and what remained but for them to fill up the measure of their cup with desperate ma lignity, falsehood and deceit, uncleanness, drunkenness, excess and rioting, and such abominations as it were impossible to reckon up?

38. Thus, in the fatal schism between the civil and ecclesiastical powers, the beast, who was bred in that corrupt and earthly mass, congested together by priests and politicians under the name of a Christian hierarchy, comes up to open view, and cannot be hid. He declares his own progeny, for he speaks like a Dragon, and leaves no mark of Rome Pagan, which he does not deseribe in himself.

39. Whence proceeded such a flood of ungodliness? was it not from those judicatories that were seats of injustice and iniquity? And whence proceeded such universal uncleanness? was it not from their prohibiting chastity, and destroying every trace of continence and true virtue? And whence their excess and rist? was it not from their destroying every distinction of meats which, for conscience sake, had been made? and have they not thus encouraged all ranks, rulers and ruled, priests and people, to serve their own bellies, instead of the Lord Jesus Christ?

40. From all which, it is the most manifest judgment of truth, that the reformers and the reformed did, in the fullest perfection, fill up those abominable characters of Antichrist, described by Christ and his apostles; who profess to know God, but in works deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto Thusi. every good work reprobate.

41. And it is equally manifest that these same Calvinists, who were counted the most perfect reformers, who called themselves God's elect, and reprobated as vessels of wrath to eternal damnation, Anabaptists and all others, who were not of the same Catholic kirk,

H h

16.

CHAP.
X.

2 Tim. iii.

are, upon their own pointed confession, unto every good work reprobate.

42. By professing to be the followers of Jesus Christ, and observers of the word of God, they most evidently speak lies in hypocrisy, when in reality they are, lovers of their own selves, coveteous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, truce-breakers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Thus the second beast, under his lamblike form, exercised all the power of the first beast before him.

Decl.His

CHAPTER X.

The Persecuting Spirit of the Protestant Reformers.

TOWEVER abominable the doctrine of compul

Hosion, and however corrupt the source from

whence this principle flowed; yet the Protestant reformers retained it in its fullest extent. This is manifest in their delivering over people of different sentiments to be oppressed and punished by the civil powers.

2. The persecutions of the Priscillianists, by the ecclesiastics of Spain, in the fourth century, were at that time, regarded with abhorance by the bishops of Gaul and Italy," for Christians [i. e. Catholics] had 'not yet learned, (says Mosheim,) that giving over heretics to be punished by the magistrates, was either an act of piety or justice."

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3. "No: (says his translator,) this abominable doctory, vol.trine was reserved for those times, when religion i. p 416. was to become an instrument of despotism, or a pre( text for the exercise of malevolence, vengeance, and 'pride."

4. And it is evident from all the histories of those reforming times, as well as from their own avowed creeds, that the protestant Reformers not only retain

X.

ed this doctrine in principle, but confirmed it by their CHAP. practice; being actuated by the same persecuting spirit of vengeance which had influenced the ungodly ecclesiastics, who were raving mad with orthodoxy under the Papal power.

5. The Papal hierarchy being in a great measure broken in pieces by means of the Reformation, and the reforming parties being themselves broken in pieces by their own divisions and perpetual dissensions, it was not possible for the latter to extend the limits of their tyranny so far as the former, except when they all united.

6. But the persecuting spirit of the Protestants was uniformly one and the same with that which had produced the Spanish Court of Inquisition, and fell short of its cruelties only in extent. The same spirit of Antichrist which actuated the Papists, actuated also the Protestants.

P. 173.

7. Robinson saith very justly, "Dominion over con- Recl. Re 'science is Antichrist any where. At Rome Anti-arche 'christ is of age, a sovereign, and wears a crown: at 'the meanest meeting house, if the same kind of ty'ranny be, Antichrist is a beggar's baby at the breast: 'but as conscience every where is a throne of God, so an usurper of his throne is Antichrist any where." 8. "Whatever deranges the equality of Christians, p. 11. is the spirit of Antichrist, all the rest is nothing but the carcase." Call it truth, or piety, or virtue, or the gospel, or whatever you please, the whole stands in direct opposition to the true Christ, so long as that persecuting spirit of tyranny remains connected with it.

9. It was but a little while after the Reformation commenced, that this beastly work of persecution was set on foot, in order to crush the rising sects in their. infancy, to bow down every effort on the side of freedom, and to extirpate every reputed heretic who dared to oppose the reformed plans of corrupt ambition, and more refined cruelties. And who more fit to set the example than the first reformer, MARTIN LUTHER? In him the spirit of Antichrist found an able advocate.

10. His most favourable historian, Dr. Moshiem,

ibid.

X.

CHAP. speaking of the bitterness and animosity of the first reformers, says, "Luther himself appears at the head Eccl. His of this sanguine tribe, whom he far surpassed in intory, vol.vectives and abuse, treating his adversaries with the iv p. 302. ( most brutal asperity, and sparing neither rank nor "condition." Dr. Maclaine speaks of his "obstinate, 'stubborn and violent temper, rendering him unfit for healing divisions."

ibid, p. 93.

Note [f]

Hist. of

Charles V

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11. Dr. Robertson says, "His confidence that his own opinions were well founded, approached to ar1.Progance; his courage in asserting them, to rashness; 'his firmness in adhering to them, to obstinacy; and

Doc.p.54

his zeal in confuting his adversaries, to rage and 'scurrility." He considered every thing as subordinate to his own opinions under the name of truth, and "poured forth against such as disappointed him in this particular, a torrent of invective mingled with 'contempt."

Grounds 12. All of which agrees with the following characCater given him by bishop Challoner. “All his works 'declare him to have been a man of an implacable na"ture, rigidly self-willed, impatient of contradiction, and 'rough and violent in his declamations against those, 'of what quality soever, who dissented in the least'from him."

Fcel. Researches, p. 541 & 543.

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13. Such was the head of influence to the Reformation and as every effect must resemble its cause; so persecution must as naturally flow from such a source, as goodness and mercy proceeded from the meek, the merciful, and self-denying Jesus.

14. From rage and scurrility, brutal asperity, and an implacable nature, might reasonably be expected bloodshed and cruelty. Hence this famous reformer began to exercise his beastly power by banishment, and so proceeded.

15. He fell out with Carlostadt, and had him banished, not only from Wittemberg, but followed him from place to place, and had him expelled by order of the duke. He disliked Calvin, he found great fault with Zuingle, who were all supported by great patrons; and he was angry beyond measure with the Baptists who had none.

16. Luther himself had taught the doctrine of dip

IV.

ping, "but the article of reforming without him he CHAP. 'could not bear. This exasperated him to the last 'degree, and he became their enemy; and not with- Eccl. Re'standing all he had said in favour of dipping, he per'secuted them under the name of re-dippers, and 're-baptizers, or Anabaptiste.”

searches,

p. 542.

ibid.

17. "There was a Thomas Muncer, who had been 'a minister at several places, having been persecu- p. 43. 'ted by Luther, and driven to seek refuge where he 'could. There was Nicholas Stork, Mark Stubner, 'Martin Cellarius, and others. Against all of them Luther set himself. When he heard of their settling any where, he officiously played the part of an 'universal bishop, and wrote to princes and senates to 'expel such dangerous men."

18. "It is (says Robinson,) very truly said by cardi'nal Hosius, that Luther did not intend to make all mankind as free as himself; he had not foreseen 'that other men would apply the same reasoning to 'his tyranny over conscience, that he had so successfully applied to that of the pope, and therefore he de'throned him that he might set up himself. His col'league Carlostadt found this to his sorrow."

19. "On Luther's plan there was no probability ibid. 'of freedom flowing to the people. It was only in- P. 546. 'tended to free the priests from obedience to the 'pope, and to enable them to tyrannize over the peo

4

ple in the name of the civil magistrate. Muncer saw this fallacy, and remonstrated against it, and this 'is the crime which Luther punished with an unpar 'donable rigour, and which the followers of Luther have never forgiven to this day.”

20. "Muncer, say they, was a man well skilled in the knowledge of the scripture, before the devil inspired him: but then he had the arrogance not only to preach against the pope, but against Master • Doctor Martin Luther himself: as if Martin of Saxony, had any better patent for infallibility than Leo of Rome !"

21. But the principal occasion which Luther took to vent out his persecuting spirit, was from the insurrections of the peasants, called the rustic war. The celebrated Voltaire, says, "Luther, had been suc- p. 5

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