Display I. a. Ibid. Fam. 2, Letter unto M. Ro. Ibid. Eccles. iii. 8. against the second table malefactors may be put to death; yet for heretical and erroneous opinions in points of religion none are so to suffer. Of this mind are the Familists. For They hold that no man should be put to death for his opinion. They blame M. Cranmer and Ridley for burning Joan of Kent for an heretic1. It is not Christian-like that one man should persecute another for any cause touching conscience2. Is not that punishment sufficient (say they) which God hath ordained, but that one Christian must vex, torment, bely and persecute another 3? Proposition VII. It is lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the The proof from God's word. There is (saith K. Solomon) a time of war, and a time of peace and princes are, by war and weapons, to repress the power of enemies, whether foreign or intestine. For they are in authority placed for the defence of quiet and harmless subjects, as also to remove the violence of oppressors, and Prov. ii. 31. enemies, whatsoever they be. For these causes have they Rom. xiii. 6, horses prepared for the battle; tributes paid them as well of Christians as others; and subjects to serve them in their wars, of what nature soever. 7. Acts x. Cornelius, being a Christian, was not forbidden to play Luke iii. 14. the centurion, or bidden to forsake his profession; nor the soldiers that came unto John's baptism willed to leave the wars, but to offer no violence unto any man. Conf. Helvet. Bohem. c. 16. XXIII. This truth is granted by the churches1. [1 Displaying of the Family of Love. Lond. 1579. fol. I. a.] [ Second Letter of the Family to M. Rogers in the Displaying, L. 4. b. where, envy belie and persecute.] [3 Ibid. fol. L. 5. b.] [4 Et si salus publica patriæve et justitia requirat, et magistratus ex necessitate bellum suscipiat, deponant (subditi) etiam vitam, et fundant sanguinem pro salute publica.-Harm. Conf. Sect. xIx. p. 272. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. ...ad hæc eos (sc. magistratus) peculiariter obligari...ut...subjectos pacificos suos, jura, facultates, vitam,...defendant: adversus eos qui hæc violant, in hæc grassantur, et damnis malisve hæc afficiunt, itemque contra Turcarum injustam vim, una cum aliis qui hoc agunt, defensionem eis præstent.-Ibid. pp. 275, 6. Conf. Bohem. The adversaries unto this truth. Many are against this assertion: whereof some doubt of the truth thereof; as "Ludovicus Vives". contr. Man. Others deny it altogether as untrue. So did in ancient D. Aug. time the Manichees, whose doctrine was, that no man might Lib. XXII. go to war 6. c. 74. Vero Cultu, Lactantius thought it altogether unlawful for a good man Lact. de or a Christian either to go to war, or to bring any man to cap. 20. a violent death, though by law he were adjudged to die". In these days the Anabaptists think it to be a thing most Conf. Helv. execrable for Christians to take weapons or to go to wars. 11. cap. 30. b. Land, c. 37, The Family of Love also do so condemn all wars, as the Display, H. 5, time was when they would not bear or wear a weapon: and they write first of themselves, how all their nature is love and H. N. Spirit. peace 10, and that they are a people peaceable, concordable, sect. 2. amiable, loving, and living peaceably"; but all other men in sect. 31. the world besides they do wage war, kill, and destroy; for Ibid. chap. 5, which ends they have divers sorts of swords, halberds, spears, bows and arrows, guns, pellets and gunpowder, armour, a Arma Christianum virum tractare nescio an fas fit.-Lud. Vives, Institut. Fœm. Chr. Lib. I. cap. xvI. [5 The passage has not been found.] [ Quid enim culpatur in bello? An quia moriuntur quandoque morituri, ut domentur in pace victuri? Hoc reprehendere timidorum est non religiosorum. Nocendi cupiditas, ulciscendi crudelitas...culpantur: quæ plerumque at etiam jure puniantur...gerenda ipsa bella suscipiuntur a bonis.... Alioquin Joannes cum ad eum baptizandi milites venirent, dicentes, Et nos quid facimus? responderet iis, Arma abjicite, militiam ipsam deserite, neminem percutite, vulnerate, prosternite....Sed quia Manichæi Joannem aperte blasphemare consueverunt, &c.-August. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. VIII. col. 625. Contr. Faust. Manich. Lib. xxII. cap. 74.] [7 Ita neque militare justo licebit, cujus militia est in ipsa justitia; neque vero accusare quenquam crimine capitali.-Lact. Opp. Div. Inst. Lib. vi. cap. 20. p. 618.] [8 Damnamus Anabaptistas, qui...negant...magistratum bellum gerere posse.— Collect. Confess. Lips. 1840. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. p. 535.] [ They did prohibit bearing of weapons, but at the length, perceiving themselves to be noted and marked for the same, they have allowed the bearing of staves. -Displaying of the Fam. Lond. 1579. fol. H. 5. b.] [10 All their nature and mind is nothing else but love, peace, (Gal. 5. c.) and righteousness.-H. N. Spirit. Land of Peace, cap. xxxvII. § 2.] ["...so have we...found a lovely land (Esa. 26. 60. b. Zach. 8. a. b.) or a peaceable city, whose people (and none other) is a peaceable, concordable, and lovely people, agreeably-minded, living peaceably, &c.-Ibid. Pref. § 31.] Ibid. Præf. § 9. harness, and gorgets'; none of which the Familists do use or allow of. ARTICLE XXXVIII. Of Christian men's Goods, which are not common. The riches and goods of Christians (1) are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding (2) every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability. The propositions. 1. The riches and goods of Christians, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, are not common. 2. Every man is to give liberal alms to the poor of that which he possesseth, according to his ability. Proposition I. The riches and goods of Christians, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, are not common. The proof from God's word. Against community of goods and riches be all those places (which are infinite) of holy scripture, that either condemn the unlawful getting, keeping, or desiring of riches, which, by covetousness, thieveryb, extortion, and the like wicked means, many do attain; or do commend liberality a, frugality, a If any one that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, &c. with such an one eat not, 1 Cor. v. 11. Covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as it becometh saints, Ephes. v. 3. b Let none of you suffer as a thief, &c. 1 Pet. iv. 15. c With a brother that is an extortioner, eat not, 1 Cor. v. 11. Neither thieves, nor covetous (persons), nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 10. d It is a blessed thing to give rather than to receive, Acts xx. 35. Yea, and that thing ye do unto all the brethren throughout all Macedonia, 1 Thess. iv. 10. If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute [Ibid. cap. v. § 9, where, ordinance or guns,... armour or harness.] free and friendly lending, honest labours, and lawful vocations to live and thrive by. All which do shew that Christians are to have goods of their own, and that riches ought not to be common. Of this judgement be the reformed churches2. Conf. Helvet. The adversaries unto this truth. Of another mind were the Esseis3, the Manichees1, the Heyden, Des. Pelagians, the Apostolicks, and Fratricellians", and are the solym. Anabaptists, and Family of Love9. urbis HieroLib. III. c. 3. D. August. De mor. Eccles. Cath. Lib. I. Magdeburg. Eccles. Hist. cent. 5, fol. 586. D. Humfred. De Romanæ Curiæ praxi. pag. 39, ex Epiph. W. Thomas's Description of Italy, pag. 59. Sleidan. Comment. Lib. VI. Display, H. 3. b. of daily food, &c. notwithstanding ye give them not these things, which are needful to the body, what helpeth it? James ii. 15, 16. * If there be any that provideth not for his own, and namely for them of his household, he denieth the faith, and is worse than an infidel, 1 Tim. v. 8. 42. f From him that would borrow of thee turn not away, Matth. v. Let him that stole, steal no more, but rather let him labour, &c. that he may have to give unto him that needeth, Ephes. iv. 28. We warned you that if there were any which would not work that he should not eat, 2 Thess. iii. 8. h Ye know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me, Acts xx. 34. We laboured day and night, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, 1 Thess. ii. 9. We took not bread of any man for nought, 2 Thess. iii. 8. [2 Divitias et divites, si pii sint et recte utantur divitiis, non reprobamus. Reprobamus autem sectam Apostolicorum, &c.-Harm. Conf. Sect. XVIII. p. 237. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxix. ...detestamur omnes eos qui dominationes repudiant, communitatem et confusionem bonorum invehunt, omnem denique juris rationem evertere moliuntur.-Ibid. Sect. xix. p. 280. Conf. Gall. Art. XL. ...Anabaptistas et turbulentos omnes detestamur, qui...bona omnia communia faciunt, &c.—Ibid. p. 281. Conf. Belg. Art. xxxvI. De rebus civilibus docent, quod....liceat....lege contrahere, tenere proprium, &c.—Ibid. pp. 281, 2. Conf. August. Art. xvI. Facultates tuas autem sic deserere, ut eas in commune conferas, non est paupertatem sectari, sed de certiore et copiosiore victu tibi prospicere.-Ibid. p. 265. Conf. Virtemb. Art. xxvI.] [3 Esseni seu Essæi...facultates in commune possidebant.-Reisner. Descript. Urb. Ierosol. (Lat. per Joann. Heyden.) Francof. 1563. Lib. III. cap. 3. p. 109.] [* Quid calumniamini, quod fideles jam baptismate renovati, procreare filios, et agros ac domos pecuniamque ullam possidere non debeant? Permittit hoc Paulus, &c.-August. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. 1. col. 1154. c. De Mor. Eccl. et Manich, Lib. 1. cap. 35.] [ROGERS.] 23 H. N. Spirit. land, chap. 35, § 4.. Deut. xv. 11. 16. Eccles. xi. 1, 2. Matt. v. 42, &c. vi. 2, 3, &c. Among the Familists (saith H. N.) none claimeth anything proper to himself for to possess the same to any owedness1or privateness. For no man, &c. can desire to appropriate or challenge anything to himself, either yet to make any private use to himself from the restward: but what is there is free, and is also left free in his upright form2. Proposition II. Every man is to give liberal alms to the poor of that which he The proof from God's word. Unto liberality towards the poor, according to our ability, we are in the holy scriptures provoked, 1. By the commandments from God, by his servants the prophets, by his Son our Saviour, and by his apostles. By sweet promises of ample blessings. 2. 3. By threatenings of punishments to the covetous and Luke vi. 30, stony-hearted". &c. 1 Cor. xvi. 2. a Eccles. xi. 1. The liberal person shall have plenty: and he that watereth shall also have rain, Prov. xi. 24. b He that stoppeth his ear at the crying of the poor, he shall cry and not be heard, Prov. xxi. 13. He that giveth unto the poor shall [5 Divites baptizatos, Pelagius docet, nisi omnibus abrenuncient, regnum Dei ingredi non posse.-Magdeburg. Eccl. Hist. Basil. 1562. Cent. v. c. 5. fol. 586.] [ ...ἄλλοι ἑαυτοὺς Ἀποστολικοὺς ὠνόμασαν...φυλάττεται δὲ παρ ̓ αὐτοῖς τὸ μηδὲν κεκτῆσθαι....Καὶ ἔχει...ἡ ἐκκλησία...ἀκτημοσύνην, ἀλλὰ οὐκ ἐπαίρεται Twv Ev KTýσEι dikαιoσúvηs vπαрɣóνтшν.-Epiphan. Opp. Paris. 1622. Tom. 1. p. 506. Adv. Hær. Lib. 11. Tom. 1. Hær. 61.] [7 See above, p. 337, note 4.] [8... Anabaptistæ....bonorum docent communionem.-Sleidan. Comment. Argentorat. 1555. Lib. vi. fol. 87. See also above, Art. 36. Prop. 1.] [9 When any person shall be received into their congregation, they cause all their brethren to assemble, and the bishop or elder doth declare unto the new elected brother, that if he will be content, that all his goods shall be in common amongst the rest of all his brethren, he shall be received, &c.-Displaying of the Fam. Lond. 1579. fol. H. 3. b.] [1 Owness, the later editions.] [2 Moreover, there is no man that claimeth anything to be his own, as to possess the same to his own private use. For no man (and that out of every one's good disposition) can desire anything to be his own, or yet to make anything proper (Act. 4. d.) to himself from another. But all whatsoever is there is free, and is there left free in his upright form.-H. N. Spiritual Land of Peace, p. 54. cap. xxxv.] |