$769. Including that of an fection of their principles. The moft remarkable of religious tenets related to the facrament of baptifm, which, as they contended, ought to be adminiftered only to perions grown up to years of understanding, and should be performed, not by fprinkling them with water, but by dipping them into it: for this reafon they condemned the baptifm of infants, and baptifing all whom they admitted into their fociety, the fect came to be diftinguished by the name of Anabaptifts. To this peculiar notion concern ing baptifm, which has the appearance of being founded on the practice of the church in the apoftolic age, and contains nothing inconfiftent with the peace and order of human fociety, they added principles of a moft enthufiaftic, as well as dangerous nature. They maintained, that among Chriftians, who had the precepts of the gofpel to direct, and the spirit of God to guide them, the office of magifracy was not only unneceffary, but an unlawful encroachment on their fpiritual liberty: that the diftinctions occafioned by birth, or rank, or wealth, being contrary to the fpirit of the gospel, which confiders all men as equal, fhould be entirely abolished: that all Chriftians, throwing their poffeffions into one common stock, hould live together in that ftate of equality which becomes members of the fame family: that as neither the laws of nature, nor the precepts of the New Teftament, had placed reAtraints upon men, with regard to the number of wives which they might marry, they fhould use that liberty which God himself had granted to the patriarchs. Such opinions, propagated and maintained with enthufiaftic zeal and boldness, were not long of producing the violent effects natural to them. Two anabaptift prophets, John Matthias, of Haerlem, a baker, and John Bocold, or Boukels, a journeyman taylor of Leyden, poffetfed with the rage of making profelytes, fixed their refidence at Munster, an imperial city in Weftphalia, of the first rank, under the fovereignty of its bishop, but governed by its own fehate and confuls. As neither of thefe fanatics wanted the talents neceffary for such an undertaking, great Enthufiaftic Republic. 349 refolution, the appearance of fanctity, bold pretenfions to infpiration, and a confident and plaufible manner of difcourfing, they foon gained many converts. Among thefe were Rothman, who had firft preached the proteftant doctrine at Munster, and Chipperdoling, a citizen of good birth, and confiderable eminence. Emboldened by the countenance of fuch difciples, they openly taught their opinions: and not fatisfied with that liberty, they made feveral attempts, though without fuccefs, to feize the town, in order to get their tenets established by public authority. At last, having fecretly called in their affociates from the neighbouring country, they fuddenly took poffeffion of the arfenal and fenate-houfe in the nighttime, and running through the streets with drawn (words and horrible howlings, cried out alternately, "Repent, and be baptifed!" and "Depart, ye ungodly!" The fenators, the canons, the nobility, together with the more fober citizens, whether papifts or proteftants, terrified at their threats and outcries, fled in confufion, and left the city under the dominion of a frantic multitude, confifting chiefly of ftrangers. Nothing now remaining to overawe or controul them, they fet about new modelling the government according to their own wild ideas: and though at firft they fhewed fo much reverence for the ancient conftitution, as to elect fenators of their own fect, and to appoint Chipperdoling and another profelyte confuls, this was nothing more than form; for all their proceedings were directed by Matthias, who, in the ftile and with the authority of a prophet, uttered his commands, which it was inftant death to difobey. Having begun with encouraging the multitude to pillage the churches, and deface their ornaments, he enjoined them to deftroy all books except the Bible, as ufelefs, or impious: he appointed the eftates of fuch as fled to be confifcated, and fold to the inhabitants of the adjacent country: he ordered every man to bring forth his gold, filver and precious effects, and to lay them at his feet: the wealth amaffed by thefe means he depofited in a public treafury, and named deacons to difpenfe it for the common ufe of all. The members of his commonwealth, The Hiftory of Anabaptifm;' 350 being thus brought to a perfect equality, he commanded all of them to eat at tables prepared in public, and even prefcribed the dishes which were to be ferved up each day. Having finished his plan of reformation, his next care was to provide for the defence of the city and he took measures for that purpose, which favoured nothing of fanatifm. He collected vaft magazines of every kind: he repaired and extended the fortifications, obliging every perfon without diftinction to work in his turn: he formed fuch as were capable of bearing arms into regular bodies, and endeavoured to add the vigour of difcipline to the im petuofity of enthusiasm. He fent emiffaries in the Low Countries, inviting them to affemble at Munster, which he dignified with the name of Mount Sion, that from thence they might fet out to reduce all the nations of the earth under their dominion. He himself was unwearied in attending to every thing neceflary for the fecurity, or increase of the fect, animating his difciples by his own example to refufe no labour, as well as to repine at no hardship; and their enthufiaftic paffions being kept from fubfiding by a perpetual fucceffion of exhortations, revelations and, prophecies, they seemed ready to undertake or fuffer any thing in maintenance of their opinions. Meanwhile the bishop of Munfter having affembled a confiderable army, advanced to befiege the town. On his approach Matthias fallied out at the head of fome chofen troops, attacked one quarter of his camp, forced it, and, after great flaughter, returned to the city loaded with glory and spoil. Intoxicated with this fuccefs he appeared next day brandishing a fpear, and declared, that, in imitation of Gideon, he would go forth with a handful of men and fmite the host of the ungodly. Thirty perfons whom he named followed him without befitation in this wild enter. prize, and rushing on the enemy with a frantic courage, were cut off to a man. The death of their prophet occafioned at first great confternation among his difciples; but Bocold, by the fame gifts and pretenfions which had gained Matthias credit, foon revived their spirits and hopes to fuch a degree, July that he fucceeded him in the abfolute direction of all their affairs. As he did not poffefs that enterprizing courage, which diftinguished his predeceffor, he fatisfied himself with carrying on a defenfive war, and without attempt ing to annoy the enemy by fallies, he waited for the fuccours he expected from the Low Countries, the arrival of which was often foretold and promifed by their prophets. But though lefs daring in action than Matthias, he was a wilder enthusiast, and of more unbounded ambition. Soon after the death of his predeceffor, having by obfcure vifions and prophecies prepared the multitude for fome extraordinary event, he ftripped himself naked, and marching through the streets, proclaimed with a loud voice, That the kingdom of Sion was at hand: that whatever was higheft on earth fhould be brought low, and whatever was lowest, fhould be exalted. In order to fulfil this, he commanded the churches, as the most lofty buildings in the city, to be levelled with the ground: he degraded the fenators chofen by Matthias, and depriving Cnipperdoling of his confulfhip, the highest office in the commonwealth, he appointed him to execute the lowest and most infamous, that of common hangman; to which strange transition, the other agreed not only without murmuring, but with the utmoft joy and fuch was the defpotifm and rigour of Bocold's adminiftration, that he was called almost every day to perform fome duty or other of his wretched function. In place of the depofed fenators he named twelve judges, according to the number of tribes in Ifrael, to prefide in all affairs; retaining to himfelf the fame authority which Mofes anciently poffeffed as legiflator of that people. Not fatisfied, however, with power or titles which were not fupreme, a prophet, whom he had gained and tutored, having called the multitude together, declared it to be the will of God, that John Bocold should be king in Sion, and fit on the throne of David. John kneeling down accepted of the heavenly call, which he folemnly protefted had been revealed Nikewife to himfelf, and was immediately acknowledged as monarch by the 1769. Including that of an Enthufiaftic Republic. the deluded multitude. From that moment be affumed all the state and pomp of royalty. He wore a crown of gold, and the richest and most fumptuous garments. A Bible was carried on his one hand, a naked fword on the other. A great body of guards accompanied him when he appeared in public. He coined money ftamped with his own image, and appointed the great officers of his houthold and kingdom, among whom Cnipperdoling was nominated governor of the city, as a reward for his former fubmiffion. Having now attained the height of power, Bocold began to difcover paffions, which he had hitherto reftrained, or indulged only in fecret. As the exceffes of enthufiafm have been obferved, in every age, to lead to fenfual gratifications, the fame conftitution that is fufceptible of the former, being remarkable prone to the latter, he inftructed the prophets and teachers to harangue the people for feveral days concerning the lawfulness, and even neceffity, of taking more wives than one, which they afferted to be one of the privileges granted by God to the faints. When their ears were once accustomed to, this licentious doctrine, and their paffions enflamed with the profpect of fuch unbounded indulgence, he himself fet them an example of ufing what he called their thriftian liberty, by marrying at once three wives, among which the widow of Matthias, a woman of fingular beauty, was one. As he was allured by beauty, or the love of variety, he gradually added to the number of his wives, until they amounted to eighteen: though the widow of Matthias was the only one dignified with the title of queen, or who fhared with him the fplendor and ornaments of royalty. After the example of their prophet, the multitude gave themfelves to the moft licentious and uncontrouled gratification of their de fres. No man remained fatisfied with a fingle wife. Perfons were appointed to fearch the houses for young women grown up to maturity, whom they inftantly compelled to marry. Together with polygamy, freedom of diyorce, its infeparable attendant, was introduced, and became a new fource of corruption. Every excels, of which the paffions 351 when reftrained neither by the autho of men are capable, was committed, rity of laws, nor the fenfe of decency and by a monftrous, and almost incredible conjunction, voluptuoufnefs lute riot accompanied the aufterities was engrafted on religion, and diffoof fanatical devotion. Meanwhile the German princes ed to their dignity, by Bocold's prewere highly offended at the infult offerfumptuous ufurpation of royal honours; and the profligate manners of his followers, which were a reproach to the chriftian name, filled men of all profeffions with horror. Luther, who had teftified against this fanatical fpirit on its first appearance, now deeply lamented its progrefs, and expofing the delufion with great ftrength of argument, as well as acrimony of ftile, called loudly on all the ftates of Germany to put a stop to a phrenzy, fatal to religion. The emperor, occuno lefs pernicious to fociety, than pied with other cares and projects, had no leifure to attend to fuch a diftant object. But the princes of the empire, affembled by the king of the Romans, voted a supply of men and money to the bishop of Munfter, who being unable to keep a fufficient army on foot, had converted the fiege of the town into a blockade. The forces, raised in confequence of this refolution, were put under the command of an officer of experience, who approaching the town towards the end of the year 1535, preffed it more clofely than formerly, but found the fortiñcations fo ftrong, and fo diligently guarded, that he durft not attempt an affault. It was now above fifteen months fince the Anabaptifts had established their dominion in Munster: they had during that time undergone prodigitifications, and performing military ous fatigue in working on the forduty. Notwithstanding the prudent attention of their king to provide for their fubfiftence, and his frugal and regular œconomy in their public meals, they began to feel the approach of famine. Several fmall bodies of their brethren, vancing to their affiftance from the who were adLow Countries, had been intercepted and cut to pieces and while all Germany was against them, they had no prospect of ready to combine fuccour. The Hiftory of Anabaptifm. 352 July with chains, was carried from city to Together with its monarch, the kingdom of the Anabaptifts came to an end. Their principles having taken deep root in the Low Countries, the party till fubfifts there, under the name of Mennonites: but by a very fingular revolution, this fect, so mutinous and fanguinary at its first origin, hath became altogether innocent and pacific. Holding it unlawful to wage war, or accept of civil offices, they devote themselves entirely to the du ties of private citizens, and by their induftry and charity endeavour to make reparation to fociety for the violence committed by their founders. A small number of this fect, which is fettled in England, retain its peculiar tenets concerning baptism, but without any dangerous mixture of enthusiasm. Confiderations on the Elafticity and Grauity of the Air, continued and concladed from last Month. T HE great action of animal life, viz. breathing by infpiration and expiration of air, is owing to the preffure and Spring of the air conjointly,, as is evident by the contrac tion and expansion of a bladder in a fmall receiver, with a bladder tyed, on at the bottom, to reprefent the diaphragm. That air paffing through the fire. and heated brass tube, is unfit for animal refpiration, is fhewed by the fudden death of any animal put into a receiver filled therewith. Allo candles and live coals, put into this adult air, immediatly go opt. Hence the |