Page 49
Io. Whitgifte.
An exhortation &c. Pag. 5. Sect. 4. 5.
These were the maners, conditions, practises, and proceedings of the Anabaptistes in Germanie, before they vttered their seditious and monstrous heresies.
I leaue the application hereof to your wisedomes, who easily can coniecture, what kind of mē they be that come nearest to these steps. Onely I desire you to be circumspecte, and to vnderstande that Ana∣baptisme (which vsually followeth the preaching of the Gospell) is greatly to be feared in this Church of Englande, and almost playne∣ly professed in this Admonition, the authors whereof agree wyth them in these forenamed practises and qualities.
Doe you thinke to mocke the worlde so, that when you haue so vniustly, and so haynously ac∣cused, you may wipe your mouth, and saye as you dyd before that you will not accuse any? and as nowe, that you leaue the application? Is not this to accuse, to say that the authors of the Admo∣nition doe almost playnely professe Anabaptisme? Is not this to apply, to say that they agree wyth the Anabaptistes in (*) 1.1 all the forenamed practises and qualities? you woulde faine strike vs, but you would doe it in the nyghte, when no man shoulde see you, and yet if you haue to doe agaynste Anabaptistes, you neede not feare to proclayme your warre agaynst them: you haue a glorious cause, you shall haue a certayne victorie. I dare promyse you, that you shall haue all the estates and orders of this Realme to clappe, their handes and sing your 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and triumphant songes. But that you woulde conuey your sting so priuily and hissingly, as the Adder doth, it caryeth with it a suspicion of an euill conscience, and of a worse cause, than you make the worlde beleeue you haue.