A short instruction for to arm all good Christian people against the pestiferous errors…A short instruction for to arme all good Christian people agaynst the pestiferous errours…

TO write against all the false opinions & errors of the Anabaptists, should be a thing to long, & such a bottom less pit, as I could not well come out of. For this canker differeth in this thing from all other sects of heretics, that she hath not erred only in certain points: but she hath ingē dread a hole sea, as it were, of foolish & false opinions. In such wise that scant shall a man find one Anabaptist which hath not some fantasy singular: which his fellows have not. So that if we would pluck out, or rehearse all their wicked doctrines, we should never make an end. But now at length they become unto, two principal sects: whereof yt on, though she be full of wicked & pernicious errors: yet doth she abide in much more simplicity. For she yet receiveth the holy scripture, as we do. And if men do dispute with those that be of the sect, it shall be perceived where in they dissent from us, & they will express their meaning, & in conclusion it may be perceived in what they accord, & wherein they dissent. The second sect is a maze, of such foolish & beastly opinions, as the like cannot be found, in so much that it is wonder how creatures which bear the figure of a man, can be so clean without sense & reason, as to suffer them selves so to be deceived, & fall in to phantasies more than brutish. This sect call them selves libertines. And counterfeit so much the spiritual, that they set no more by the word of God, than they do by fables: except it be wham it pleaseth ⟨image 5⟩them, and when as they may deprave it, and by force make it to serve for their devilish opinions. And besides this they have a charming or croaking as it were Cranes, so that a man can not tell what it is, that they would say, and no more do they wot what it is them selves: but that by this craft they covet the filthiness of their doctrine. For their principles are to confound all differences between good & ill, & to mingle god so with the devil that it should not be discerned between the one and the other, and so to make men not only with out all feeling in their consciences before God: but also without shame before the world. Now see you wherefore they drive them selves into such caves of obscure and doubtful words, to the end that their villainy should not be perceived, lest we should have them in horror and execration. As in deed our nature repugneth against such monstrous things as they bring forth.

TO write against al ye false opinions & errours of the Anabaptistes, shoulde be a thing to lōg, & such a botō les pit, as I could not wel come out of. For this cāker differeth in thys thinge frō al other sectes of heretikes, yt she hath not erred only in certain points: but she hath ingē dred a hole sea, as it were, of folish & salse opinions. In such wise yt skant shal a man find one Anabaptist which hath not some phātasy singular: which his felowes haue not. So yt if we wold plucke out, or reherse al their wicked doctrines, we should neuer make an end. But nowe at lenght they become vnto, two principal sectes: whereof yt on, though she be ful of wicked & pernicius erroures: yet doth she abide in much more simpliciti. For she yet receiueth the holy scripture, as we do. And if men do dispute wt those yt be of ye secte, it shal be perceiued wher in they dissēt frō vs, & they wil expresse thermeaning, & in cōclusiō it may bee perceiued in what they accord, & wherein they dissent. The secōd sect is a mase, of such folish & beastly opinions, as the lyke cānot be found, in so much yt it is wonder howe creatures which beare the figure of a mā, cā be so clean wtout sēce & reasō, as to suffer thē selues so to be disceyued, & fal in to phantasies more than brutish. This sect cal them selues libertines. And counterfet so much the spirituall, that they set no more by the word of God, thē they do by fables: except it be whā it pleaseth