THat truely , whiche the wise men of the heathen , dyd complayne vpon , saiyng that al mortal men , are exceadyng studiouse , of new thynges , appeareth now to bee true : in so muche that thei doe suffer them selues wilfully to be begyled , and vtterly spoyled , by shameful and abhominable impostours & deceauers ( so that thei be commended , with hypocrisy , and vaine blandiloquence or flatteryng ) although this thing ( if any man , shulde esteme it after humaine reason ) is by it selfe , bothe myserable , and full of horrour , yet notwithstondyng , it owght most of all , to be lamented , among vs Christen men , whiche haue sure and definite , shorte and moste approued groundes or foundacions , bothe of our faithe and of our lyuyng , wher vpon , we may surely leine , and truste , not suffryng our selues , thus to be caried about and tossed to and fro , by suche erroneouse persons . But surely , our synnes , & infidelitie do deserue it , whiche dooe heare daiely the worde of god , but do not receiue it , with a true herte , sekyng , I can not tell , what other thyng beside the glorie of god , and true innocencie of lyfe Therfore , are we deseruyngly gyuen , in to a reprobate mynde , and in to all kynde of filthinesse and abhominacion .

Lo I set the man , whome I haue loked for , agreate whyll . But is it he , in dede whome I see comynge hetherward , to mete me , or not ? I wyll speke vnto hym .

God spede , moste wellbeloued brother . Arte thou not

with whome , I dyd familyarly lyue , in the citie of Lyons . Tell me I praie the , how doest thou ? Are all thinges safe , or well ? Or what thinge , maketh the , to go , so pensyf , and troublyd in thy mynde ?

As touchinge my selfe , all thynges ●ewell , thankes be vnto god , But it greueth me , that such greate dissencions , and troubles are among Christen men . And although suche debates and strifes , be neither necessary , nor profitable , for any maner of thyng , yet not withstondyng we dooe see , the poore symple people , to be , on euery syde intangled with the errours of the Anababtistes I am bothe asshamed and sorie also , that suche blyndnesse doeth reigne , that men , can not see , what misfortune doeth folowe , whersoeuer these anababtistes , doe fixe or set their feate . Surely , it did behoue , that thei shuld haue perceaued , and espied such thynges , & after that thei were ones knowen , to shunne them , & not toswarue , as muche , as the bredthe of a naile from the sure articles of the faithe .

Tell me I praie y● , if thou art a good felow . What harmes , doe these men , go about to doe ? for I dare saie and affirme , that I haue not hetherto harde , that thei haue gone about any thyng , that doeth abhorre , from truthe and honesty . In the meane season I know , that many thynges are imputed vnto them , falsely , moreouer that thei be accused , and blamed in many thynges , whiche thei dooe not knowlage them selues , to be gylty in .

I dooe heare also , that thine eies are blynded by suche men . Which if I doe , bothe heale and open vnto the , thou wilt geue me thankes , and remembre this benefyt .

I can not vtterly blame this sorte of men , for yet I haue not harde , that thei haue done any abhomynable thyng .

But I wil make it , manyfeste vnto the. This secte dyd vtterly subuerte the whole citie of Waltzhountum , and did cause many of the cytezens , whyche were bothe good and ryghtfull men , to bee exyled , and to be put from their possessions . Wherfore the gospell ( whiche dyd florysshe godly there ) was also outrageously extynguysshed . The whiche thyng dyd almoste chaunce , in a citee , called Vormantia . There were Anababtystes in Auguste , in Basile , and in Morania , whiche did affyrmt , that Christe was but a prophete , saiyng that the vngodly persones , whiche for theyr vngodlynesse were damned , and the dyuelles also , shulde enioye , the heauenly blesse . In a towne called Sanctogallus , one of them , did smite of his owne brothers heade , the father of heauen ( as he sayed ) byddynge hym thus to dooe . What abhominacion they dooe commytte , vnder the pretence , and colour of spirituall matrimony , the townes and cittees , that did oftentymes , greuously punysshe them , for suche wicked and abhominable factes , dooe manifestly shewe and testifie . And this no man can denay , but that many of them , do leaue and forsake their owne wyues and children , yea all offyce and honesty beyng casted a syde , dooe lyue , feade , and fatte them selues , with other mens labours , snortyng bothe daie and nyght , moste slougardely . And where as , they bee wholely gyuen to so foule and detestable sensualytee , they dooe interprete it , to be , the commaundemente , of the heauenly father , persuadyng to women and honeste matrones , that it is impossible for them , to be partakerres of the kyngdome of heauen excepte thei doe abhominabli prostitute , and make common theire owne bodies to all men , sithe that it is , wrytten , that we muste forsake and renounce , to all thynges , that we loue best , and that we ought to suffer all kyndes of infamie , or reproche , for Christsake , besyde that , that the publicans , and harlottes shall be preferred , to the ryghtwes , in the kyngdome of heauen , There is no ende , nor measure of ther infydelitie , and falshod , of their liyng and sedition , with the which vices these disobedient persons are on euery syde infectyd . Are these , my Symon , and other muche greuoser , which I dooe passe ouer here , for the nones , to be callyd vertues ? Dooe they seme vnto the yet , to haue done no vnhonest acte ? Or canste thou denaye , but that thei haue done these thinges

Truly many thinges are ascribed vnto them falsely and the fame or voyce of the people , dooeth alwayes adde somwhat vnto it .

That , which is sayed hetherto , maye be prouyd by sealed letters , and with sure and infalible witnesses . I haue here wittingly passed ouer theyr abhominable crimes , and haue sayed , a greate deale lesse , than they haue done them selues . Therfore , it greauith me the more , that men are so blynde , that they can not perceiue , nor ponder in their hertes suche thynges . But rather , that a greate sorte of men , dooe embrace those erroneous felowes and rennegates , eauen as , yf they ware fallen , or sent doone from heauen and were saintes amonge mortall men , whiche should preache , none other , but godly & heauenvly thinges . Where as thei doe passe , in filthy liuing the Nicolantes , and Valentynians .

These thinges haue ben hetherto vnknowen vnto me . And I suppose , that they be not all pollutyd , with those filthye abhominationes . But what skyllithe , to them , that are good , what fewe among them Dooe committe ? In the hollie numbre of the apostelles , Iudas was a traytour , and yet neuerthelesse was callyd an apostyll . Which ( I suppose ) coulde not hurte the other . Moreouer thei teache so excellente and godly thynges , of god , of shunninge synnes , that I can not perceaue that they be so wycked , and lewde . Whan they are taken , they praise and laude god , they gyue thankes , whan they are put to death they doe constantly endure and susteyne , dyeng gladly and wyllynglie . This thou canste not denaye my Ioiada , wherfore I wolde gladly , that thou haddest hard them as I haue .

I coulde paraduenture , bringe here fewe thynges , agaynste the excepte I knowe well alredye , all this sorte , of men and that a greate whyle a go . But I am not ingnoraunte , howe muche hipocrisye can preuayle , by the meanes of fraude and deceate . And as touchynge thyne answere , thou sayest very well in that , that is to wyt , that the wycked facte of fewe , shall not harme the innocent . But thou haste not yet proued , that the cause of the Anababtistes is iust and good , Nor thou canste not shewe one amonge them whiche is not commaculate , and infected with some of these said vices I meane lyenge , falshode , periurie , disobedience , sedicion , idelnes , forsakynge of their wiues and chyldren , turpitude . And though all these vices doe not sticke or cleaue to them al at ones , yet not withstandyng are they euery chone pollutid with some of them . That in the mean season I should speake nothyng of their heresie , and sectes , of their pertinacie , of their false & erroneous doctrine . And because thou saiest , that thei speake muche of god . I wolde faine know of the , whether thei , that doe preache the gospell , doe not speake of god also ?

This thei doe greatly denaie .

In this thyng truely thei do wrong and iniury to the preachers of the gospell , testifiyng the contrary to the vniuersall chyrche , that is to saie , denaiyng , that by the gospel truely and syncerely preached the people is taught to put their truste , in the onely and true lyuyng god through Iesu Christe . In so muche that among the enemies of the gospell , it is saied in maner of a prouerbe , that priestes doe preache nothyng elles , but of god and faith onely , beyng offended , with this preachyng : Man is iustified by faith alone .

Truely the mattier is so .

Now therefore if the Catababtistes , dooe teache of god and faithe otherwise , surely thei dooe blaspheame god and seduce the people . And if thei doe teache , all one thing with vs ( for so it must be , if thei doe teache ryght , and accordynge to the scriptures ) why doe thei therfore separate them selues from vs . Or is not that sufficient , that we teache , sythe that we dooe teache bothe one thyng ?

There is one thyng , that ye wyll not teache , that is to saie , that thei , whiche are godly , shulde not sinne at al. And again sinners are not shunned of you Nor ye will not separate your selues , from this polluted , and wicked worlde .

We were taught by our sauiour Iesu Christ , that thei , that are whole , haue no neade of the phisycian , but thei that art sycke . For the Pharisees dyd obiecte the same to the disciples of Christ , saiyng : Why doeth your maister eate with sinners ? furthermore seyng that no man liueth without synne , not as muche , as the infaunt of one daie : we owght not to teache , that men shoulde not synne at all , but rather to repent daiely and hourely , and to beware of sinne , as of a snake , and that the godly owght not to dispaire , if thei fall , at any tyme As for the sinnes , that are committed openly , thei are so exagitate or rebuked by the ministers of the churche . Suche seueritee and extreme grauitee is vsed in rebukyng , that theyr enemies are wont to saie alredy , that thei can none other thyng , but chide and braule . Agayne , touchynge abstencion or separatyng , we doe not see that euer Christe did the same , as long as there was any hope . We doe not separate our selues , least we become like vnto the Pharisees , Luc. xviii .

But sinnes are not forsaken .

And that , owght not to bee imputed to the doctrine , but to them , whiche doe not folow the teachyng . The teachyng and doctrine ( as thou grauntest thy selfe ) is holsome , and in it , nothing is wantyng or lackynge . What other thyng doe then , the Catababtistes , in teachyng the contrary , but shew theyr pertinacy and a certaine syngularitee or loue of them selues , wherby it cometh to passe , that nothyng but that , which thei doe them selues pleaseth them ? As this , is not done , without affection , so it can not be without vice .

And yet not withstandyng , thou doest not beleue , how deuout they are to god , how full of constancy and grauitee , how feruently thei loue god .

I can not beleue , that this deuocion of theirs is without blame , or is syncere and pure . For thei diuide the churche , where no neade is . For thou canst not denaie , but that god , is taught by vs truely and faithfully . And that synnes are reprehended and rebuked , with great libertee and constauncie . What doe thei therfore , that we doe not , saue onely , that thei doe separate them selues , from other , and are full of obstinacie ? Doeth not Sathan also transforme him selfe , into an angell of light ? What merueill is therfore , if these impostours or deceitfull persons , can faine them selues , to be sheapeherdes ? Thei that doe fisshe , dooe not caste a bare hooke before the fysshes , but doe hyde & couer it , with some pleasaunt and swete baite . And Cato did saie veary well . Whiles the byrder , the byrdes begyleth , The flute alwai swetely pipeth . Nor he is not so foolisshe , as for to set or laye his net before the birdes eies . Did not the bisshop of Rome seduce vs so many yeres , with his peincted hipocrisie , and with his godly and dyuyne dissimulacion and fraude ? But these thynges are gon out of remembraunce , sythe that we doe , so lyghtly addicte or bynde our selues , to these newe impostours , and hipocrites . By what craftes , did monkes get so gret richesses , was it not , by flatteryng , and hypocrisie ? Was it not , by a feined sanctimony , and holynesse of lyfe ? As for that , that thei doe reioyce , when thei are taken , & dye gladly , with praysyng and laudyng god , thou doest so exaggerate and extoll it , as though these thynges ( if thei be done ) shulde shewe and proue that their doctrine is true , and that their deedes are good . If thou canst proue that , it shall folowe , that theft and robbery , be iuste and good deedes also . For whan thei be punisshed at the galows , or vpon the whele , thei doe oftentymes suffer it paciently , & moreouer , doe praise & laude god . Who is so folysshe , to thynke , that he maye thus make his argument ? This man is tormented and punisshed , & yet not withstandynge , dooeth gyue thankes : ergo , he is a iust man & holy . If any man , shulde contende , that this doeth folow , he muste nedes to graunt also , that the religion of the Iues , is moste holy , yea , that their religion onely is true . For no man ▪ doeth pacientlyer endure , to the very death , for his religion , than the Iues doe . How many heretikes were there ( thinkest thou ) which did moste constantly suffer death , testifiyng , with their oune blood , that thei had taught the truthe . Do not oftentime robers & traitours , which suffer death , according to their deseruyng , stifly defend their innocencie , to the last breath ? Is therfore the cause of such an obstacle and desperat man , iustified before god ? Who doeth not perceiue , that the farther he is from repentance and confession , so muche the worse he is

It is so as , thou saiest , nor I can not saie , againste it . But this is moste to be lamented , that we , whiche are simple persons , are so tossed and caried to and fro , in so muche , that we can not tel , what is beste to bee doone . The Anababtistes dooe saie , that ye doe erre , and ye saie agayne , that thei be out of the right waie . After my iudgement , what misery so euer , or trouble there is , it dooeth come of the priestes . And I dooe thinke , that ther were neuer so troublesome tymes . It were peraduenture better , that I folowyng myne owne mynde , shuld beleue , none of you al , doyng al thinges after myne owne appetite , and witte .

I haue said y● , which I do thinke yet , that ther was neuer a more troblous world , who so euer ar the autors of it .

wilt thou know what the mattier is ? this thing do stirre vp sedition and timulltie , that ye do make euery rascal knaue minister of gods word , and that without any descretion . Besyde this , thou shewest thiselfe vtterlie ignoraunte in histories , and vnexperte of wordely thynges , which doest scarsely knowe , the actes of one age , nor doeiste not consider farther , than is at hand . If thou haddest redde the hollie gospelles & actes of the Apostelles , thou shouldest haue founde greuouser dissentions , whiche did rise of the sermons of Christ and of his apostelles . Finallie that histories are full of tumultes , which dyd spryng in tymes paste , of the false oppinions of Marcion , Valentinus , Arrius , Nestorius Enriches , Donatus , Pelagius , and other heretikes . Ther were great tumultes and rebellions , not onely of cities & townes , but also of whole realmes , which wer so great , that ours owght not to be compared with them . Did not bothe christ himselfe , and his apostels gyue warnyng before , that sectes , should aryse ? Not because , that for them we should be amasyd , or despair vtterly , but because , that wee should the more dilygently watch against suche pestiferous sectes not onely to auoyde and shunne them , but to resiste also . Paule doeth apertely saye , Corin. ii . that sectes muste be , that thei which ar faithful , maye be knowen . For euen as a sieue doeth not lise the corne , but clensithe from chaffe and darnell , so the wheate of faithfull men , doeth not perishe by false doctrines , but is tryed , the duste and chaffe beeng sifted out . Ihon saieth : Thei went out from vs but they ware not of vs , for if thei had been of vs they trulie shoulde had remayned with vs . Therfor we haue nede of constaunce & fortitude or strenght , nor we ought not in●ontinently to forsake the sterne but resist corageously the waues and stormes . This constancy & perseueraunce in the tempeste is a token that wee are not light , but haue beleued stedfastly and wel . Tentations are signes or proues of faith and of the truth , and do manifest & shew , how farre we haue beleued to the true veritee .

Thy meaning is good Seinge therfore that thou shewest thyselfe so frendly toward me , & that we haue begōe ones to commone of these thinges : I wil open my whol mid vnto the confering many and sondry thinges with the , touching Catababtisme or oppinions of the Anababtistes , if so be that thou hast time & leasyr to heare me .

I wil gladly obey the and folow thy mynd . If thou hast any thing bring it forth , in gods name . Sy I do meruell , if ther is no good thing , in the doctrine and oppinions of the Anababtistes . For vnto me , it semeth much otherwyse , that is to say , that ther be many thinges strongly grounded vpon the scriptures .

This is all the good , that is in it , that it caus●the a greate meanye to reade the scriptures , whiche elles wolde but lyttell , studye in them . As for that whiche they teache well , they haue it commune with vs , all the resydue wyll I proue to bee false and foolyshe . I am mynded to wryte hereafter agaynst them wherfore I had noted agaynste their doctrine , certayne conclusions , which the greatest parte of them doe holde For agaynst suche vngodly and blasphemous rennegates , which doe reiecte the scriptures , which doe affyrme that the deuelles and vngodly or vnfaithfull persones shall obtaine at length , the euerlastynge life , doe denaye the god head of Christe , and commite openly with out all shame suche enorme and abhomynablee actes , what neade is it to wrytte ? But now wyl set in order my conclusions ,