After you have all to be blacked and grimed with the ink of Anabaptism / Donatism / and Papism those whom you found clear from the least spot / or speck of any of them: you whet the sword / and blow the fire / and you will have the godly magistrate minister of your choler / and therefore in stead of fear of losing the multitude of your livings / forgoing your pomp and pride of men / and delicacy of fare / unlawful jurisdiction / which you have and hereafter look for / conscience / religion / and establishment of the common wealth / must be pretended. What / have you forgotten that which you said in the beginning / that you accused none / but suspected certain? would you have the sword to be drawn upon your suspicions? But now you see that they whom you have accused / are nothing like either Anabaptists / Donatists / or Papists / and your self most unlike unto him / that you proofs to be / and now you see / that all your slanders are quenched by the innocency (as it were by water) of those men / whom you so heinously accuse: you are to be put in mind / of the law of God / which decreeth / that he 1which accuseth an other / if he prove it not / shall suffer the punishment which he should have done / against whom the accusation had ben justly proved. The Romans did nourish in Capitolio, certain dogs and geese / which by their barking and gaggling / should give warning in the night / of thieves that entered in: but if they cried in the day time / when there was no suspicion / and when men came in to worship / then their legs were broken / because they cried / when there was no cause. If therefore / he have accused justly / then he is worthy to have his diet allowed him of the common charges. But if otherwise / we desire not that his legs may be broken (as theirs were.) But this we humbly crave / that if this our answer do not sufficiently purge us / that we may be sifted and searched nearer / that if we nourish any such monstrous opinions / (as are surmised) we may have the reward of them: if we do not / then at the least / we may have the good abearing / against such slanderous tongues / seeing that God hath not only committed unto the magistrate / the safety of our goods and life / but also the preservation of our honest report.
After you haue all to be blacked and grimed wyth ye inke of Anabaptisme / Donatisme / and Papisme those whome you found cleare from the least spot / or specke of any of them: you whet the sword / and blow the fire / and you will haue the godly magistrate minister of your choler / and therfore in stead of feare of leesing the multitude of your liuings / forgoing your pompe and pride of men / and delicacy of fare / vnlawfull iurisdiction / which you haue and heereafter loke for / conscience / religion / and establishment of the common wealth / must be pretēded. What / haue you forgotten that whych you sayd in the beginning / that you accused none / but suspected certaine? woulde you haue the sword to be drawne vpon your suspitions? But now you see that they whō you haue accused / are nothing like eyther Anabaptists / Donatists / or Papists / and your selfe most vnlike vnto hym / that you profes to be / and now you see / that all your slaunders are quē ched by ye innocencye (as it were by water) of those men / whom you so hainously accuse: you are to be put in minde / of the law of God / whych decreeth / that he 1whych accuseth an other / if he proue it not / shall suffer the punishment which he should haue done / agaynst whom the accusation had ben iustly proued. The Romaines did nourish in Capitolio, certain dogs and geese / whych by their barking and gagling / should geue warning in the night / of theeues that entred in: but if they cried in the day time / when there was no suspition / and when men came in to worship / then their legs were broken / because they cried / when there was no cause. If therfore / he haue accused iustly / then he is worthy to haue hys diet allowed hym of the commō charges. But if otherwise / we desire not that his legs may be broken (as theirs were.) But thys we humbly craue / that if thys oure answer doe not sufficiently purge vs / that we may be sifted and searched nearer / that if we nourishe any suche monstrnous opinions / (as are surmised) we may haue the reward of them: if we do not / then at the least / we may haue the good abearing / against such slaunderous tongues / seeing that God hath not only committed vnto the magistrate / the safetye of our goods and life / but also the preseruation of our honest reporte.
- 1•eu. 19. 18. 19
