Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

once deeply imbibed, blinds the eye, perplexes the understanding, silences the
instincts of the heart, and destroys the love of truth and rectitude. … Their
religious teachings were pure and simple and were exemplified in their daily
conduct.’” f519
“Brandt attributes them to some ‘enthusiastic Ana-baptists,’ but is careful to
add: ‘Not to the well meaning. Baptists.’ ‘Schaff pronounces it the greatest
injustice to make the Anabaptists, as such, responsible for the extravagances
that led to the tragedy at Munster.’ Uhlhorn says that ‘sedition, or a call to
sedition, is not chargeable against the Anabaptists of Southern Germany at
this time; I have found no trace of any fellowship with the seditious peasants.’
But their contemporaries who knew them well, bear the same testimony.
Capito, their stern opponent at Strasburg, says that he must ‘openly confess’
that most of them manifest ‘godly fear and pure zeal. Before God I testify that
I cannot say that their contempt for life springs from blindness rather than
from a divine impulse.’ Wetzel, the Catholic, declared that ‘Whosoever
speaks of God and a Christian life, or earnestly strives after personal
improvement passes as an arch Ana-baptist.’ And Frank, who wrote in 1531,
says of them: ‘They teach love, faith and the cross. They are long suffering
and heroic in affliction. … The world feared they would cause an uproar, but
they have proved innocent everywhere. If I were emperor, pope or Turk, I
would not fear revolt less from any people than this. … All the Baptists
oppose those who fight for the gospel with the sword. Some object to war or
any use of the sword, but the most favor self-defense and justifiable war.’
Bayle tells us that Turenne remonstrated with Van Benning for tolerating
them, when he replied: ‘They are good people, and the most commodious to a
State in the world, because they do not aspire to places of dignity. … They
edify the people by the simplicity of their manners, and apply themselves to
arts and business without dissipating their substance in luxury and
bebauchery.’ Nay, Bayle himself says that their great enemy, De Bres, says
nothing to insinuate that the Anabaptist martyrs suffered death for taking up
arms against the State, or for stirring up the subjects to rebel, but represents
them as a harmless sort of people. … ‘Tis certain many of them who suffered
death for their opinions had no thought of making an insurrection. …
Cornelius sums up the whole matter, covering the time from 1525 onward,
when he says: ‘Anabaptism and the Peasants’ War had no conscious
connection.’ The two movements were generally distinct. The Baptists in the
Schleitheim Articles, Article VI, said: ‘Scandal has been brought in amongst
us by certain false brethren, so that some have turned from the faith,
imagining to use for themselves the freedom of the Spirit and of Christ. But
such have erred from the truth and have given themselves (to their
condemnation) to the wantonness and freedom of the flesh; and have thought
faith and love may do and suffer all things, and nothing would injure or
condemn them because they believed. They warn that ‘faith’ does not thus
prove itself, does not bring forth and do such things as these false brethren
and sisters do and teach. … Beware of such, as they serve not our father, but
the flesh, with its lusts and longings.’” f520