were generally Germans, whom the revolutions there had forced to change their seats. Upon Luther's first preaching in Germany, there arose many, who, building on some of his principles, carried things much farther than he did." Here the historian candidly observes, that, although these men were called Anabaptists, because they agreed to explode the baptism of infants, they were not all of the same temper. "Some," says he, 66 were called the gentle or moderate Anabaptists. But others denied almost all the principles of the Christian doctrine, and were men of fierce and barbarous tempers. They had broke out into a general revolt over Germany, and raised the war called The Rustic War: And possessing themselves of Munster, made one of their teachers, John of Leyden, their king, under the title of King of the New Jerusalem.

"There was another sort of people, of whom all the good men in that age made great complaints. Some there were called gospellers, or readers of the gospel, who were a scandal to the doctrine they professsed, &c. I do not find any thing objected to them as to their belief, save only that the doctrine of predestination having been generally taught by the Reformers, many of this sect began to make strange inferences from it, reckoning, that since every thing was decreed and the decrees of God could not be frustrated, therefore men were to leave themselves to be carried by the decrees. This drew some into great impiety of life, &c.-One of the ill effects of the dissoluteness of people's manners broke out violently this summer, (1549,) occasioned by the enclosing of lands. While the monasteries stood, there were great numbers of people maintained about these houses, &c. But now the number of the people increased much; marriage being universally allowed. They had also more time than formerly by the abrogation of many holidays, and the putting down of processions and pilgrimages; so that as the numbers increased, they had more time than they knew how to bestow."

The historian tells us next, how the Popish priests availed themselves of these favourable circumstances, to

the outrages which can be expected from a lawless popu lace, who mistake licentiousness for freedom.

This mischief had begun in the church. Some of the German Reformers had, at times, spoken so unguardedly of the ceremonial law of Moses, which St. Paul absolutely discards, as to pour contempt upon the moral law of Christ, which the apostle strongly enforces. Luther himself, in his zeal for salvation without works, had been ready to burn the epistle of St. James, because it speaks honourably of Christ's royal law, by which Christians shall stand or fall when they shall be 'judged [that is, justified or condemned] according to their works.' When warm men had been taught to bid defiance to God's law, as well as to iniquity and Satan ; what wonder was it, if some of them went beyond their teachers, and began to infer, that, as they were made free from the law of God, so they were made free from the law of the land! The transition from ecclesiastical to civil Antinomianism, is easy and obvious, for, as he that reverences the law of God, will naturally reverence the just commands of the King; so he that thinks himself free from the law of the Lord, will hardly think himself bound by the statutes of his sovereign.

This republican, mobbing spirit, after having tossed Germany, began to agitate England. Permit me, Sir, to transcribe some passages from Bishop Burnet's History of the Reformation. They refer to my subject, and will throw much light upon it: "At this time there were many Anabaptists+ in several parts of England. They

This word, according to its Greek etymology, means Rebaptizers. Mr. Evans, and the Protestants of his denomination, are called by this name, because their grand peculiarity is to rebaptize those who were baptized in their infancy. No Church-of-England man can enter their church, but at the door of re-baptization. Nor can he go through that door, without renouncing his former baptism and all his communions. Dreadful abjuration! Hence it is, that too many of those who have taken that rash step, are as zealous for re-baptization, as the Christians who have renounced their baptism for Turkish ablutions, are zealous for their new washings. They exceed all others in zeal for making proselytes. I do not say this to prejudice the reader against the Anabaptists: On the contrary, I would have him think, as I do, that many of them are very good people, and that most of them mean well; and I believe this is the case with my opponent.

were generally Germans, whom the revolutions there had forced to change their seats. Upon Luther's first preaching in Germany, there arose many, who, building on some of his principles, carried things much farther than he did." Here the historian candidly observes, that, although these men were called Anabaptists, because they agreed to explode the baptism of infants, they were not all of the same temper. "Some," says he, were called the gentle or moderate Anabaptists. But others denied almost all the principles of the Christian doctrine, and were men of fierce and barbarous tempers. They had broke out into a general revolt over Germany, and raised the war called The Rustic War: And possessing themselves of Munster, made one of their teachers, John of Leyden, their king, under the title of King of the New Jerusalem.

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"There was another sort of people, of whom all the good men in that age made great complaints. Some there were called gospellers, or readers of the gospel, who were a scandal to the doctrine they professsed, &c. I do not find any thing objected to them as to their belief, save only that the doctrine of predestination having been generally taught by the Reformers, many of this sect began to make strange inferences from it, reckoning, that since every thing was decreed and the decrees of God could not be frustrated, therefore men were to leave themselves to be carried by the decrees. This drew some into great impiety of life, &c.-One of the ill effects of the dissoluteness of people's manners broke out violently this summer, (1549,) occasioned by the enclosing of lands. While the monasteries stood, there were great numbers of people maintained about these houses, &c. But now the number of the people increased much; marriage being universally allowed. They had also more time than formerly by the abrogation of many holidays, and the putting down of processions and pilgrimages; so that as the numbers increased, they had more time than they knew how to bestow."

The historian tells us next, how the Popish priests availed themselves of these favourable circumstances, to

raise a dreadful rebellion in Devonshire; and then i goes on thus:" When this commotion was grown to head, the men of Norfolk rose-being led by one Ket, Tanner. These pretended nothing of religion, but onl to suppress and destroy the gentry, to raise the com mons, and to put new counsellors about the King. The increased mightily, and became twenty thousand strong but had no order or discipline, and committed many horrid outrages.-Ket assumed to himself the power of judicature, and under an old oak, called from thence the oak of the Reformation, did such justice as might be expected from such a judge in such a camp. When the news of this rising came into Yorkshire, the commons there rose also; being further encouraged by a prophecy, that there should be no king nor nobility in England; that the kingdom was to be ruled by four governors, chosen by the commons, who should hold a parliament, in common, to begin at the south and north seas. They, at the first rising, fired beacons, and so gathered the country, as if it had been for the defence of the coast, and meeting with two gentlemen, with two others with them, they, without any provocation, murdered them, and left their bodies unburied. At the same time that England was in this commotion, the news came that the French king had sent a great army into the territory of Boulogne; so that the government was put to most extraordinary straits. There was a fast proclaimed in and about London. Cranmer preached on the fast-day at Court. He chiefly lamented the scandal given by many who pretended a zeal for religion, but used that for a cloak to disguise their other vices. He set before them the fresh example of Germany, where people generally loved to hear the gospel, but had not amended their lives upon it, for which God had now, after many years' forbearance, brought them under a severe scourge."-History of the Ref. (Book i. Part ii. Ed. 2. p. 110–118.)

From this quotation it appears, that the wild, republican spirit which animated Ket and his army, worked in those days, just as licentious patriotism works in ours. Ket, the great patriot, would redress grievances. He

raised the commons, under pretence of putting new counsellors about the king. He got the mob together, as if it were for the defence of the coast, or of public liberty. But his real design was probably to be one of the four governors chosen by the commons, who were to make an end of the king and nobility of England, and to turn the monarchy into a republic. As for modest John of Leyden, he got more than the name of protector; for he was actually proclaimed king. This sort of republican patriotism leads therefore to honour, though this honour, like that of the German and English levellers, frequently ends in shame.

The wildness of this high republican spirit having fixed a foul blot on the Reformation in Germany, the latter Reformers, to throw off the shame, and to obviate the mischief of this delusion, took particular notice of it in their confessions of Faith. Though you dissent from the Church of England, Sir, yet as it is presumed you pay a deference to what are called her doctrinal Articles, permit me to transcribe a part of the Thirty-eighth, which is levelled at the levelling pot-boilers of Germany, and at the dupes of Ket, who had taken upon him to dispose of property under the Oak of Reformation in England. "The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same; as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast."

Calvin himself, though a strong republican, was frightened at the rapid progress of this civil enthusiasm. Hence it is, that when he drew up a Confession of Faith for the Reformed churches of France and Geneva, he bestowed the two last Articles of it upon the error which our American brethren, and you, Sir, are running headlong into. As you are probably a perfect stranger to these Articles, I shall faithfully translate them from my French Common Prayer Book.

"ART. XXXIX. We believe that God will have the world to be governed by laws and civil powers, that the lawless inclinations of men may be curbed. And therefore he has established kingdoms and republics, and other sorts of governments [some hereditary and some