sequendi_, I serue because I loue: he saies, _Ego te potius domine
quam tua dona sequar_, He rather follow thee O Lord, for thine owne
sake, than for anie couetous respect of that thou canst do for me,
Christ would haue no folowers, but such as forsooke all and follow him,
such as forsake all their owne desires, such as abandon all expectations
of rewarde in this world, such as neglected and contemned their liues,
their wiues and children in comparison of him, and were content to take
vp their crosse and folow him. These Anabaptists had not yet forsooke
all and followed Christ, they had not forsooke their owne desires of
reuenge and innouation, they had not abandoned their expectation of the
spoile of their enimies, they regarded their liues, they lookt after
their wiues & children, they tooke not vp their crosse of humilitie and
followed him, but would crosse him, vpbraid him, and set him at naught,
if he assured not by some signe their praiers and supplications.
_Deteriora sequuntur_, they folowed God as daring him. God heard their
praiers, _Quod petitur poena est_, It was their speedie punishment
that they praide for. Lo according to the summe of their impudent
supplications, a signe in the heauens appeard the glorious signe of the
rainbow, which agreed iust with the signe of their ensigne that was a
rainbowe likewise. Wherevpon assuring themselues of victorie, (_Miseri
quod volunt facile credunt_) that which wretches woulde haue they easily
beleeue. With shoutes and clamours they presentlie ranne headlong
on theyr well deserued confusion. Pittifull and lamentable was their
vnpittied and well performed slaughter. To see euen a Beare (which
is the most cruellest of all beastes) to too bloudily ouermatcht, and
deformedly rent in peeces by an vnconscionable number of curres, it
woulde moue compassion against kinde, and make those that beholding him
at the stake yet vncoapte with, wisht him a sutable death to his vgly
shape, now to recall their hard hearted wishes, and moane him suffering
as a mild beast, in comparison of the foule mouthed mastifes his
butchers: euen such compassion dyd those ouermatcht vngratious
Munsterians obtayne of many indifferent eyes, who now thought them
suffering, to bee as sheepe brought innocent to the shambles, when as
before they deemed them as a number of wolues vp in armes agaynst the
shepheardes. The Emperyalles themselues that were theyr executioners
(lyke a Father that weepes when he bea