The GORGON'S HEAD or The Monster of Munster  
Choked with a Lamb's Skinn  
OH Monster: Oh Monstrous Monster: The Monster of Monsters: The Monster of Munster?  
Woe to you Anabaptists, when the Monster of Munster appears. He is a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing; He left NOT ONE Anabaptist alive to tell their own story: much less to contradict the Others so largely written in their Innocent Blood. In the Massacres of FRANCE and IRELAND they were not half so cunning: therefore they that escaped Lived to Record their Cruelty in Red Letters. But our Monster of Munster, NOT Leaving ONE, made their own Relation Authentic. And let all men Judge, whether Anabaptists did not deserve to be so served; for all those Despised things throughout, POLAND, HUNGARY, BOHEMIA, GERMANY, and the Low-Countries (as all men and women who have been in those Parts can wittness) instead of Destroying their Enemies or Defending themselves, hold it a sin to Resist Evil, because their Saviour forbids them: And think it fit that if a man smite them on the one cheek, to turn t'other, And our own Relators tell us, that these Anabaptists of Munster stood still, and let out Monster kill them: and some of them climbed up upon Trees waiting for Miraculous help from Heaven: but our Party prevented that Miracle. Oh that they would do so here in ENGLAND (cries the Rabble) then should not our Pulpits and Pamphlets need to tell so many Lies to Incense the Multitude; Nor should we need to Disarm and Disfranchize them from all English Liberties before we kill them. And when all is done, we are so dismayed, that we know not how to go about it, for fear left when they are gone, we should be no ways able to Cope with our Numerous Enemies of the other hand. For our Ministers are so zealous and inompatible since they were Infected with New ENGLAND spirits, and triumphed over the Bishops that we have not one friend left but ourselves: and we are friends to none but ourselves, But the Anabaptists heretofore have been our best and surest friends, and stoutest Warryers' in time of Danger. And the GOD of the Anabaptists hath showed himself so Partially for them, that we know not well how to be against them.  
Yet we have the Monster on our side: and he is very bold and subtle: as subtle as the old Serpent. He hath lately crept up into our Pulpits, who in the beginning of these Wars was hardly known amongst us. And now tells us stories of half an hour long, which are held as true, and Orthodox as the Gospel they preach. For we have heard with our own ears, and they have declared it openly in their Sermons, that the Monster was come into England: and that the Anabaptists of England would have cut All our English Throats (and we had no other to eat sweet meets and drink burnt Wine with a Christen.) And if they had Cut All our Throats, and our Ministers too, none of us all could have terrified the vulgar with these lamentable stories. For we never heard of any that spoke after their Throat was Cut. And many of us have been put into grievous frights by it: so that we felt on our Throats to find whether it were not done already: but we found them yet very sound and whole, which is a certain and infallible demonstration that our Monster is a Prophet, and foretells things before they come to pass, or likely to come to pass. For we are yet all living, and mean to Cut theirs: Ah Rogues Cut our Throats? we'll be revenged on them. A silly Waterman the other die boasted how many Anabaptists Throats he would Cut for his share: and should we be behind a silly Waterman ●n our Zeal for the Good Old Cause. For we say this is the Good Old Cause what ever they affirm to the contrary. It was the Good Old Cause in Nero's time, and all the Roman Emperors time: It was the Good Old Cause in all the ten Persecutions: It was the Good Old Cause in the Massacre of France. I was the Good Old Cause in Munster in Germany: It was the Good Old Cause in Queen Mary's days: And it was lately the Good Gld Cause in Ireland, and Piedmont, and should have been the Good Old Cause throughout all Germanay. What should we lose time? It is and hath been the Good Old Cause in all times and places, from the beginning of the World to this day, to Cut the Throats of Heretics though they were not all Anabaptists, and so will continue to the end of the World, if the zealous Orthodox men of the times might have but their own will, Abel was an Heretic, who being neither Priest nor Levite, but a younger brother, would offer and prefer the strong savour of a Lamb, before the sweet smell of the Fruits and Herbs of his Elder Brother, but it cost him his life; And Paul confesseth himself to be accounted an Hereteck amongst the Orthodox Scribes and Pharisees of his time, when he was accused by those learned men (the Children of the Covenant) to be a ringleader of the Sect of the nazarenes, and by that means a Pestilent fellow and mover of sedition (Act. 24.5.14.) A Sect that was every where spoken against, (Act. 28.2.) And these men, who were Jews, the very Children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom pertained the Adoption and the Glory, and the COVENANTS, and the giving of the Law, and the SERVICE of GOD, and the PROMISES, Rom. 9.4, 5. These men cried out away with him from the Earth, it is not fit such a fellow should live (Act. 21, 22. & 25, 24.) Yet he was but one, and should we suffer such a numberless number of Anabaptists to live, who are so many? who we? who are the Children of the Covenant, and whose Children are in the Covenant? what we? who are indeed such very Children of the Covenant, that we know not the right from the left, nor the old from the new in matter of Covenant? And that is the reason (by the way) that we do break our Covenant so often, and act things so directly contrary to our Holy League and Covenant: But that's a trifile, that's but by the by, as we said, and now quite out of date, let us now return to our Monster again, and hear his Prophecies. For we may well call him a Prophet that tells things (like the welsh Prophet Arise Evans of Blackfriars) before they are, or will be, or like to be: yea, perhaps such notable things as are impossible ever to be: therefore how transcendent a Prophet is he? should not such be believed? what not such as our very Godly Ministers themselves believe, without so much as examining the probability of the thing? And they themselves preach it as matter of Faith to be believed: For if they would not have us believe it, why should they preach it? and that at the very same time when they preach unto us their Gospel; yea at our most solemn meetings of all? In times of Feasting, and times of Fasting, and greatest humiliation and sincerity before Almighty God. It oft doth serve their turn instead of the Gospel itself, so as to furnish them with the greatest part of their Sermon. And sometimes is of far greater use to them then the best Text of Scriptures, in confuting the Anabaptists. For when we or our Ministers have nothing at all to say for ourselves against the Anabaptists, we do but raise up this Monster, and so stops the mouths of the common people, who else would be all running after them; But when they see this Monster in the way, they come running back to us again for shelter: as we see little Children scared with a Bulbegger. And it is a plain CASE that our CALAMITY were very great if we had not this Monster for our refuge at a dead lift. And surely the story cannot but be true and concerns us very much to be so. We must, we will, we cannot but believe it. For whom should we believe if we believe not our Godly Ministers? 'Tis true, we are yet alive: else how could it well be a Prophecy? And both we and they must tell these things whilst we are alive, for when we are dead we shall not speak one word: and so our business may be represented, as fowl as the Anabaptists themselves, who never spoke one word since they were killed: But now we may say what we will for all them. The men of Munster also that killed the Anabaptists told their story whilst they themselves were alive: but they were no Prophets as we read of: but plain Historians writing of things past; yet far more subtle than common Historians, who can relate no further than every man may have seen or heard: but these declare the very secret purpose and intentions of the Anabaptists, which lay so secret within them, that perhaps the silly Anabaptists themselves never knew it, nor no man else till the men of Munster, who killed them, and opened them, and saw their very hearts, revealed it to the world, as the true and just reason of their so dealing with them: lest any man should judge them cruel to do so horrid an Act without cause, and so abhor both them and their Religion for so doing, as some have done the most devout and learned Calvin, for causing Michael Servetus, who fled our of Italy to Geneva for Conscience sake, and was there burned for not melting presently into all Mr. calvin's Orthodox Opinions, and so was condemned to the fire, supposing him to be like wax, and being heated, the fit for their purpose: but he proved combustible to ashes. We have seen therefore wherein their zeal failed, and hope to make better use of ours. We are all forewarned from the first time that Sir George Booth had the watchword, and though he miscarried, yet we (by Presbyteriean Providence) are once more forearmed: And what should we do with our Arms, if not to cut the Anabaptists and all Sectarian Throats? For when we have cut all their Throats, we shall be then sure they cannot cut ours. We have the Sword, and should we wear it in vain, as the Anabaptists did? For they did not so much as touch the hair of our heads all the while they had the power in their hands, and would you have us to do so to? They knew not what to do with the Sword, but we do, and they shall know it to their Cost. We have already turned out 400 of their Officers, and disarmed the rest to expose them to the incensed mercy of the Irish, who have already begun to burn and spoil some of their Goods and Houses, to the value of 500 l. for one man, and threaten the like to the rest; That the Presbyterean Plot might in nothing be undervalved, or give place to the Traitor Strafford's: whose design was the forerunner of that Glorious Irish Massacre so highly Canonised in Rome and Spain, and amongst all zealous Catholics. And some are clapped up, for fear lest being provoked they should serve us the same sauce, for they are much for DO as you would be DONE by, an old obsolete Law of the Jews and the old Christians above 1600 years ago, as if it were a better Law than all the Laws of our Native Country. A Company of Lawless Creatures they are; They would have all things done by Love (forsooth) if they might rule the roast; And so all our Ancient Fundamental Laws would down at once. But we hope our Lawyers will see to that: For if they go down, it is their fault more than ours: for they are chosen Speakers, and they are chofen Chair men, and they are chosen Secretaries, and they are chosen Judges, and they are chosen Ambassadors, and they are chosen Advocates, Sergeants and Counsellors. Yet we should not much stand upon it, if they were all down, so our Godly Ministers were up, and not one whit abridged of their Tithes and Argmentations, and all impropriations and Gleab Lands and daily freewill offerings, first fruits and tenth of Tithes and the like. Poor Ministers! They have had a hard pull on't; They were fain to be entertained at the chiefest Tables in all the Land, and had like to have lost Live of 400 or 500 l. a year, and some divers Live and places together to the value of one thousand or fifteen hundred pounds a year. Therefore many of them could not Preach all the while; yea they were fain to turn their preaching into soliciting and pleading: But we have now gotten the Parliament trump on our side, and we care not a pin for the Anabaptists, if they stick fast to us. And now if Charles Stewart would but come in upon our Terms and Confirm, all that we do, we should carry the Game before us; And if he should not, we would deal with him in the stool of Repentance, and if that would not serve turn, we could make him as Glorious a King as we did his Father, and have another Free Parliament into the bargain; And our Godly Ministers would take care enough in all places that no Sectaries should be chosen; for we could sooner comply with Papists then with them. Yet if Charles Stewart should bring with him the 200000 Scottesh and Irish, who have been banished, and suffered with him all this while: besides all the Rabble of France and Spain, and all the English also beyond Sea, to join with the Malignants and Papists in England, (whose Lands we have gotten into our possessions) and make us live again like Peasants and Apprentices, and poor Sneaks, who now live like Lords, yea and some of us dubbed Lords, both by the mighty Protector, and the Almighty and Eversting Rump (as we call them when we are by ourselves, or amongst the Malignants): For the Truth is we dare not well trust them, for all their colloging with our Ministers and Inns of Court, in establishing our incomparable Laws, and the Ancient Divine Right of Tythhs, and Augmentations in an other Title; we had rather have those of 48, or a free Parliament; for we dare not trust these further than we can throw a Millstone; nor had done so much as we do, but that they put the Sword into our friends hands; In whom we put far greater confidence then in them; And yet it sticks in our Stomach to think of C. S. whether he have any more Ireland's and Bishops, Deans, and Chapters Lands to give us. And if he should be too cunning for us, we should wish the Anabaptists alive again to help us. And yet now it is aquestion, whether they would not sooner join with him, being promised better Conditions, and surer Toleration than ever we are like to afford them. Really (and that was the Old Protectors sober Oath, when he did not swear in private) Really it is a hard CASE and CALAMITY we are put too, whether we should let them live or no? We must advise with our Ministers, they are Wiser than we. What should we doubt? They tell us all things that shall come to pass in another World, and cannot they tell what will come to pass here? we trust them in greater matters, we may well trust them for the less; For if it were not for them, we should be as ignorant as Papists. And yet we see what an excellent order they keep by believing as the Church believes, and if we should not do so to, we should soon come to Confusion. It is a dangerous thing to know too much, for Solomon tells us, that thereby sorrows are increased. Therefore we see the Papists putting all that trouble upon their Prsests, and they upon the Pope, they go on as boldly and resolutely, and courageously as blind Bayard: and surely in many things the Papists will shame us; for they believe what their Priests say, before they believe their own eyes, or their own taste, or their own hands. And we know that our Godly Ministers are a great deal more learned than they: For they say so themselves. And in their Sermons, if they meet with a Popish Ceremony in the way, they will so canvas it, confute it, and be so learned upon it, that none in all the Congregation have one word to say against them, or if they had the very Reverence of the man and his Office (together with the severe Laws, and that Statutes of the Land) do so over-aw them, that they all depart in peace.  
And by this means he that is most in the Minister's favour, is most in the favour of the whole Parish, and hath most respect. And it is the only way of Preferment in the Commonwealth; therefore we are resolved to stick by our Ministers, whether right or wrong. It is a plain CASE that CALAMITY attends all those that side not with them, and they are nigh to dedestruction, What wise man therefore will side with the Anabaptists; we look upon them as our deadly and mortal Enemies, and so intent to prove them. If they can but handsomely proceed (as they have begun) in Ireland; we will prove them both Mortal and deadly, if Fire and Faggot, Halter and Gibbot can prevail; It being a far easier and safer way to proceed with them, and make them mortal one by one: then to deal with the least Company of them together, lest 10 of them should chase 100 and 100 a 1000, as they say is written in the Scriptures, Oh they are a dangerous Generation. For we neither dare fight with them, nor speak with them; For our Ministers themselves, if they come to parley with them, cannot answer one of a thousand. They will so thunder out Arguments, and Scripture after Scripture, that a man hath not a breathing time between. And if they were not more Conscientiously obedient to Magistrates than we are ourselves, and that our Ministers are so diligent night and day, early and late, by their Wives and Servants to solicit all the chief Magistrates against them, whilst we nettle their Conscience by crying out in all places that they will endure no Magistracy, because they themselves are not ambitious to be Magistrates: the whole Nation would be soon overrun with the Doctrine of Baptisms; Not the Invifible Baptism of Mr. del and the quakers, but the outward Washing of water with the inward Answer of a good Conscience in the Spirit.  
And in all these things we have found the Anabaptists so cunning and subtle, that when our Godly Ministers have brought Scriptures which we before looked upon as impregnable and invincible, they have taken those very Scriptures and turned them upon our Ministers, that they had not one word to say: But to fly off to other Arguments or end in a Huddle, or get behind the Covenant, and there they skip from one Covenant to another, sometimes in the Old, sometimes in the New, sometimes in both, sometimes in neither; and so get into a Thicket, they escape & run away; sometimes they ply it so Home that they make many of us believe that Jesus Christ & all his Apostles, and all the Primitive Churches for 300 years were all Anabaptists: And tell us that if Jesus Christ & his Apostles were in our days, we should even use them as the Jews did: being the case is the same. For they all Dipped in Jordan and Aenon, and the River of Philippi &c: And Jesus Christ was but the Son of a Carpenter's Wife, And his Apostles but Fishermen, and were never Ordained by the Priests and Levites, nor of the Doctors; nor yet brought up in any Universities, Nor yet among the Learned, Except it were Paul and Matthew, yet they drew multitudes after them, & went into Synagoges and Preached, Disputed, Baptised, what not?  
Away with such Dangerous Fellows, a man cannot hear them but his Conscience is troubled for ever after, if he do not follow their ways; And there is no way to resist them but to fear the Conscience with the Red Hot Iron of Obstinacy and Resolution; They are more Dangerous and powerful than Enchanters, Conjurors, or Jesuits; for the Jesuits do use Enchantments and Conjurations, and have the Assistance of Magistrates and the Inquisition, forbidding the Scriptures, and have to help them abundance of Wealth, Honour and Riches, yet if these Anabaptists were once countenanced, they would gain 10 Proselits for one of the Jesuits, or of our Godly Presbiterian Ministers either; And the very quakers have noway to escape them but to get into a dark Lantern, & sly from the Scriptures to the Light within them. Down with them all, Downwith them; Let not one Live, for a little Leaven Leavens a whole Lump: Ifone of them Live they will presently Swarm into a Multitude. No way to ●e●● with them but as with the Bishops, Root and Branch. Yet the Reviving of our Laws and our Knack of old Tithes, with the Presbyterian &c: (as well as the Bishops) will insensible undermine them, and Consume them, & drive them into Lurking holes, and to fly to their Old Den of Amsterdam, and Germany; Well far New England; It is as Rare to see an Anabaptist amongst them as a Wof in Old England; except it be in Sheep's Clothing, and of them are many thousands.  
Well we are resolved either they shall fall, or we will fall, Power endures no parity: should we beat the Bush, and another catch the Bird; Was it not we that stirred up all these Commotions; did not we stir up the Sailors and the Soldiers at first? did not we curse Meroz? did not we bring in our Brethren of Scotland? did not we pull down the KING and House of Lords and cut off their Heads? Did not we firk out the Bishops, root and Branch, and got into their fat Live? did not we choose Parliament men, and filled up all Offices, and suffered only a few Independents and Anabaptists to help, and they think now to rule the Roast, because old Oliver proved too subtle for us? No such matter? Oliver is now dead; Therefore they may see how they are deceived. Have not we yet a Sir George in England, a Sir Charles in Ireland, and all our friends in Scotland: besides our wise and subtle Pentionaries in Councils and elsewhere? Have not we all the Apprentices on our side still? And at a dead lift we have a C. S. upon any terms. But what have we fought for, if it be not for Liberty of Conscience; And how can we possibly have Liberty of Conscience, and the Sectaries have it also? As if Liberty of Conscience were a two handed Lawyer, and could play Jack on both sides. No; Liberty of Conscience is on our side; We fought for it, and we will keep it safe enough from their coming to it. For we hope to be keepers of the very Liberties of England, and it must be a large Conscience that can hold all the Liberties of England; It is our Liberty of Conscience to be uppermost, since Bishops are down, who kept us from it. And since we came to the ticklish point of Government, we have had a very tender Confcience, and diligent care that none should have the like Liberty with us, lest we should not have liberty enough for ourselves, and lest they should return to the Flesh Pots of Egypt: or else run into any Opinions which we hold Erroneous, so that we have concluded all others to be Heretics, and in State of Damnation. For how can we love others better than ourselves? And whether we are right or wrong, All men ought to Believe as we Belcive, and Do as we Do: For our Salvation lies at stake for it. And what benefit will it be to us that others should be saved, if we be not? And if we should not be saved, (who do all as our Ministers bids us,) what will become of those that never come to our Sermons, nor care for what our Godly Ministers Preach, save in matter of Faith and Repentance? And of such the worst we meet with are the Anabaptists, for we can outreason the Papist, Lutheran and quaker, and make them ridiculous: but the Anabaptists will outreason us, as if we were almost as much to be condemned as they. And against them we have no refuge but to fly to our Victorious and Triumphant Monster. Go on therefore thou Monster Persecution; Not now the Monster of Munster but the Monster of England. Si. George on Horseback; who bestridest and boastest thyself over England, Scotland, and Ireland. And if thou meanest as thou sayest, and the purpose of God be that the Anabaptists should be those fellow Servants and Brethren that should be killed as the Souls under the Altar were, Rve. 6.11. (For the word of God and the Testimony of Jesus:) Then Satiat thy Cruel Maw with Blood, or be bloodthirsty still and never satisfied: And what thou dost, do quickly; For the time is coming, and now is, that though Judgement may begin at the House of God: yet the dregs shall be given to thee O Monster. For it is written, Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wert not spoilt: And dealest Treacherously, and they dealt not Treacherously with thee: when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoilt; and when thou shalt make an end todeal Treacherously, they shall deal Treacherously with thee, Isa. 31.1. For God hath determined to render unto thee double, Rev. 18.6. Here is the Patience of the Saints, and here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus. Blessed are they that die in the Lord, Rev. 14, 12, 13. To God only wise be Glory, Amen.   

The serious Postscript.  

1. THat it is true that the Anabaptists of Munster (so called) were all of them Slain, Killed, Murdered, or Massacrd, is Confessed by all of that Party that were guilty or Abettors in that Act, and relate the Story.  
2. That none of the Anabaptists that were so killed (for the Relators themselves say none escaped) did ever answer for themselves is out of question.  
3. That to Condemn one Party before the other be heard, the very Heathen accounted it Injustice and a Crime.  
4. That Parties will speak Untruths to justify themselves, is a practice in all Countries: and we have too sad experience of it in England.  
5. That none of the Anabaptists in all Poland, Hungary, Germany, Bohemia or the Low Countries will so much as fight or defend themselves, or exercise any Magistracy, is a Truth known to all Merchants and Travellers that ever were in those parts amongst them.  
6. That none of those called Anabaptists in England, Scotland or Ireland, &c: have any such unjust, foolish, or ridiculous Principles as are mentioned in that story of Munster is and hath been publicly protested against.  
7. That the Story of Munster (as they relate it) seems to all sober men a Romance, like Don quitote & Sanca Panca.  
8. That if Knipperdoling Becol, and John of Leyden were such fellows, it can be no more wondered at then the Actings of Theaurau John Tawny, or Sir Thomas Parfons, (our late Knight of the Son) and yet the Court and City were not accused for their Extravagancies; And who can tell what Oppression might force the rude multitude to in Munster, as that of Massagnello in Naples, which might afterwards be laid upon the Anabaptists. As all things whatsoever which savours of Folly or Cruelty, is at this day laid to the Anabaptists in England, or else to the quakers.  
9 That if John of Leyden Knipperdoling or Becol had been Anabaptists, and had played such pranks. It is as unjust to charge all Auabaptists with it, as to charge all mankind with folly and madness, because the men of Bedlam, and the dull Houses in Holland,: are so; Or because Judas was an Apostle to charge all the Apostles with Treason, or as if one Presbiterian were Executed for Rapes and Murder, all Presbyterians should be charged guilty of the like sins.  
10. But that all Sober People may know what to think of Anabaptists. They may be pleased to know. 

1. That their only General Rule to walk by is the Scripture of the Old and New Testament as they agree together. According to which Rule in particular, first, They ought to Suffer Wrong rather than do any.  
Secondly, As to Magistrates. They believe themselves bound by the Doctrine and Example of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, Mat. 17.27. Mat. 22.21. Rom. 13, 14. to 8. & 1. Pet. 2.13, 14. etc.  
Thirdly, If any do otherwise they dare not allow it in themselves, much less in others.  
Fourthly, If any have been mistaken in these changeable and mistaken Authorities: when every one that got hold on the Hilt, was proclaimed Master of the Sword: And all Authorities bowed thereunto: Mistaken Obedience could not properly be a Sin of wilfulness or Presumption.     Judge not, that ye be not Judged, Mat. 7.1. 
FINIS.