The divine right of infant-baptism asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase…The divine right of infant-baptisme asserted and proved from Scripture and antiquity. By Increase…

8, At Saint Gall one ⟨p. 23⟩Thomas Skyker in the midst of an whole Congregation of Anabaptists pretended to have a Revelation from God, in whose Name he commanded Leonard Skyker his own brother to kneel down before him, who being no wiser then to believe him, Thomas with his sword cuts off Leonards head, in the presence of them all. A formidable Story; Yet I believe it, because holy Bullinger doth relate it as a thing known and certain. In the year 1529. Melchior Hophman (a Glover) dreamed that Strasburgh was the place designed for the New Jerusalem, and only Anabaptists were to be the Citizens thereof. A multitude of silly Souls were seduced by him, and the Interest of Reformation prejudiced. After these things happened the doleful Tragedy at Munster, which hath filled the World with astonishment. The Anabaptists there at first seemed an harmless People; until at last, under the conduct of their Captain John Becold a Taylor, once of Leiden, it was revealed to them, that all men not anabaptized were no Saints, but the world of the ungodly, whom they ought to subjugate and destroy. They became Masters of that City, and Becold was declared by them to be The King of Zion. And such horrid outrages committed, that the mentioning of them is enough to strike horror into a christian heart. The Princes of the Empire could not prevail with them to desist from their madness, until (which was in June 1535) by force of Arms they had taken the City, having endured a Siege of eighteen Months. John Becold the Anabaptists King was taken, & deserved execution done upon him. He abjured his Errors, & promised to reclaim those that had bin deluded by him, might his life only be spared; but considering the murders (not only of bodies but of souls) by him procured, he was tied to a stake, and his body pulled in pieces with hot pincers. At his death (which is not to be wondered at) he roared horribly. Becold being thus dead, and gone to his own place, one John Battenburg rose up, declaring that since the Gospel preached by Becold had been despised, the Time of mercy was now expired, and that he had received a Commission from Heaven to kill all the world except they would be rebaptized; but those Battenburgians were within a few years extirpated. Yet, Wilhemes, Cordwainer, Appleman, lead the same dance, & came to the same fatal Catastrophe in the low Countries.

8, At Saint Gall one ⟨p. 23⟩Thomas Skyker in the midst of an whole Congregation of Anabaptists pretended to have a Revelation from God, in whose Name he commanded Leonard Skyker his own brother to kneel down before him, who being no wiser then to believe him, Thomas with his sword cutts off Leonards head, in the presence of them all. A formidable Story; Yet I believe it, because holy Bullinger doth relate it as a thing known and certain. In the year 1529. Melchior Hophman (a Glover) dreamed that Strasburgh was the place designed for the New Jerusalem, and only Anabaptists were to be the Citizens thereof. A multitude of silly Souls were seduced by him, and the Interest of Reformation prejudiced. After these things hapned the doleful Tragedy at Munster, which hath filled the World with astonishment. The Anabaptists there at first seemed an harmless People; until at last, under the conduct of their Captain Iohn Becold a Taylor, once of Leyden, it was revealed to them, that all men not anabaptized were no Saints, but the world of the ungodly, whom they ought to subjugate and destroy. They became Masters of that City, and Becold was declared by them to be The King of Sion. And such horrid outrages committed, that the mentioning of them is enough to strike horror into a christain heart. The Princes of the Empire could not prevail with them to desist from their madness, until (which was in June 1535) by force of Arms they had taken the City, having endured a Siege of eighteen Months. Iohn Becold the Anabaptists King was taken, & deserved execution done upon him. He abjured his Errors, & promised to reclaim those that had bin deluded by him, might his life only be spared; but considering the murders (not only of bodyes but of souls) by him procured, he was tyed to a stake, and his body pulled in pieces with hot pincers. At his death (which is not to be wondred at) he roared horribly. Becold being thus dead, and gone to his own place, one Iohn Battenburg rose up, declaring that since the Gospel preached by Becold had been despised, the Time of mercy was now expired, and that he had received a Commission from Heaven to kill all the world except they would be rebaptized; but those Battenburgians were within a few years extirpated. Yet, Wilhemes, Cordwainer, Appleman, lead the same dance, & came to the same fatal Catastrophe in the low Countryes.