THE Old Anabaptists GRAND PLOT Discovered: WITH Their Covenant, League, and Articles: And the manner how they had conspired together, to seize upon divers Cities, and burn stately Towns, in several Countries.  
As also, To have shaken off all Higher Powers, to have pulled down Magistrates and Churches, to pay no more tithes, nor Taxes, but to have seized on all Ministers Estates, Church-Lands, and Livings.  
London, Printed for George Horton for the Peoples Information.   

The old Anabaptists grand Plot Discovered.  
THe Tragical disorders committed of late years by the Anabaptists, cannot be taken notice of without detestation and amazement: And if we rightly consider at home the sad story from abroap, acted in the Theatre of Germany, we shall find them to be a Generation most pest●ferous, in their Doctrine, and dangerous in their Seduction, and so ought of all men to be avoided: For of late years, under the Sun-shine of too general a toleration, there hath sprung up a sort of people in England, puffed up with Adulterous and Blasphemous Tenets and Heretical opinions, which none but the Divine hand of Providence( by a miraculous Restauration of Our Gracious sovereign King Charles) could have stilled; for they were grown so exceeding high and daring, that none but a Royal hand of power could have restrained them: Nay, of late years, sad experience tolls us, how insolently they endeavoured to diffuse their poison throughout his Majesties Realms and Dominions: Therefore, that all Loyal Subjects being forewarned of them, may be forewarned against them, a brief and true account I shall here represent of the wicked practices of the old Anabaptists in the Netherlands, and else where, which so much infested those States. And first, we shall begin with the Peasants about brussels, who in the year 1503. arose to so great a height of Sedition. that they were sworn to these Articles, viz. To shake off all higher powers ( a thing attempted, and tantum non effected in England in 1659.) and get liberty by force of arms, like the swissers: To pull down all Magistrates, and kill all that should stand against them: To seize on the City of brussels, and invade the Magistrate of Baden; To seize on all the Revenues of Churches, and Clergy-men ( as some world have done the tithes of England) To stay no where above 24 hours, but go forward still, till they had brought many Countries to their society: to pay no more tithes nor Tributes: Whosoever was received into that League, was to say five times a day on his knees ( whose Singer here) a Pater and an have, for the good success of their enterprise, and their word of Cognisance was the Virgin Martyr, and St. John the Evangelist. But that league went but a little way, being timely stopped, and the Authors put to death by highway-man their Prince, and a sudden destruction befell the rest: For divers were cut off by the Sword of Justice at the Hague, Harlem, and other places; nothing but Fire and Sword could repress the seditious fury of that fanatic Sect: yet were these but preludes to a greater mischief, wrought chiefly by that pernicious instrument James of ●emp, who lay hide in Amsterdam six moneths, appearing onely in the night to keep Convincticles seducing the people: Herein he was strongly seconded by John Geles, sent by John of Leyden to be a leader of the wandring brethren to Munster.  
But John Geles being come to freeze and Holland, found no wandring Israel in the desare, as it was reported in Munster, whereof he went to the Cities, where he made a great party, and caused several insurrections, and yet was not seen in any for a long time.  
The frequent seditions in all parts of Holland were hardly repressed with frequent Executions; for John Geles was raising Sedition from City to City, to raise a party for his King. A cunning plotting projector he was, and by his leading the Monastery of Bolswerd, was taken: His intent was to go with his Troop to Munster, and gather more strength as he went. But being defeated by George Shenk, he fled to Amsterdam, changed his name, and went for a Merchaut: For by the several confessions of many that were executed for Sedition, the name of Geles was known to be the chief Author.  
And because Geles was in great fear to be known by his right name,( for the onely changing of his name by the Laws of the Country was punishable by death) he was persuaded by his friends to go to the Court of Brabant, and there confess his fault and buy his pardon, which he might well, for he had brought a great sum of money out of Munster, and then return and converse freely and openly with his own name, and have more liberty and opportunity to bring his designs to action.  
He went then to the Court, where Queen Mary of Portugal, Sister to CHARLES the fifth, was Governess of the seventeen Provinces, and sped so well, that not onely he obtained his pardon, but got a great trust in the Court, promising to deliver the City of Munster to the Emperor: To that effect he got a Commission under the Great Seal, with a good sum of money to levy Souldiers for that purpose.  
Having thus cozened the Court, he returned to Amsterdam to cousin the Magistrates, who seeing his Commission and the greatness of the design, would emulate the Trust reposed upon him by their superiors, and shewed him much favour: He took his Lodging in the Spanish Ordinary, consorted with men of that Nation and Religion, gave fair words to all, which made the Magistrates secure, and himself unsufferable.  
He made such use of that liberty, that in short time he had contrived a most politic enterprise to make himself Master of the City.  
In a night meeting he anounced to his Brotherhood the Oracle of Henry Hilversum, that God had given to the King of Sion, Amsterdam, weasel, and Daventer, for the first fruits of his reign over the World, persuading them that to invade Amsterdam was an easy matter, having but to do with a few idle Bellies, and that they had a fair opportunity at hand to kill them altogether in the Town-house the twelfth of that instant May, a day kept Festival by ancient custom, by the society of the across, who used to make a great ●east at night in the Town-house, and invite all the Magistrates and men of means in the City, and there to spend most part of the night in drinking, and looking upon fire-works.  
That day then was designed for the enterprise, and their enemies noted and designed for the slaughter, and the ricuest houses already shared amongst them: They appointed for the signal of their Rising, the ringing of the Bell in the Townhouse. Before they partend John Geles gave to every one a D●cat for a bond of socitey and secrecy. He and Henry Goethelit were to be the Leaders.  
The appointed night being come, some Anabaptists were up before the signal, which the rest looking for, stayed so long, that the enterprise was disappointed; for the same day the Bell-rope was taken out of the way by a Drunken follow, yet ●y an admirable providence of God, watching for the safety of the City, and so there was no ringing, and no great meeting. The Magistrates and the society of the across, nearing that the Anabaptists were up in arms, left their sport and went home: Yet the Magistrates were so long cousulting, that they were almost surprised by their enemies, who rashed with Colours flying, and Drums beating into the Town-house, and killed some of the Serjeants and Waiters, and made the Masters that went before to go out of their Aldermans place to save their lives. Then coming to the great place where the Bo●sires were burning, they overthrew them, that they might give more terror, and shoot undiscerned amongst the multitude: They killed many in the dark with Bullets, which they had poisoned for fear of failing; and the Burgmaster Peter Colin being come to encounter them with a Troop of Citizens, was by them slain, and his men put to flight: Then one Gaswin, a man of great Authority in the City, and one that had valour and ●kil in War, commanded that the streets should be stopped with great sacks of Hops heaped up to be instead of Gabions against the shot of the Anabaptists.  
And because he trusted nor in the fearful and unexperienced Citizens, he called Volunteers, to whom he promised a moneths pay for that dayes service; by which means he got many that had seen and known War before, and made a gallaut company.  
The night being dark, he could attempt nothing till day, onely he took an order that all the ways to the Market pla●e, ( where the Anabaptists stood in arms) should be stopped, and that the rest of the people should keep at home without noise: this order frighted the Anabaptists, seeing no hope to be assisted by their brethren, who for want of the signal of the Bell were not come and now it was too late for them to come, the ways being stopped, and having lost the first opportunity of the fright of the people, who now were come to themselves, and stood upon their defence. Then Goethelit said to Geles, this was my fear, that beginning this enterprise with so few, we should come short of it( for they were not above forty) now all that we have to do is to die like men. Nay, said Geles, if you will believe a Prophet, we shall be Masters of the City before to morrow ten of the clock: Then they sung psalms all night, and at the break of day, the people perceiving them began to shoot at them, which made them retire into the Town house, and there keep strong: The people brought Ordinance before it, and were ready to have battered it down, but Goswin would try first to assault the door, which was done with effect, although the Anabaptists fought it out stoutly, and but twelve of them were taken, the rest were killed, and Goethelit one of them.  
John Geles that would by any means cousin the Hangman of his Fees, got upon a little Steeple where the Town Bell hung, and gave a fair mark to the Souldiers below, who shot him thorough, whereof he fell down dead into the place. The prisoners were executed, and some more of the Town, and some living without the Gates, who hearing shooting of Guns were come to pillage the City supposing that it was taken. Two Women were hanged, and two were drowned for poisoning the Bullets; many more since were executed, and amongst others some of those that danced that antic Mask of naked Men and Women, and a Woman and her Son for receiving James of ●emp, contrary to the order of the Magistrate: For it had been proclaimed in the Town, That whosoever should harbour him, and not discover him before night, should be hanged at his door; but he that did discover him, should have a great reward.  
He was sound hide in a heap of Turves, and executed with ignominy, having a two horned mitre on his head, because he played the Bishop: His tongue was cut off, wherewith he preached sedition, and his hand, wherewith he baptized without authority.  
And now the heart of that faction was broken in all the Low Countries, for they left not searching and executing in every City, till all that Generation was extinct and brought so low, that they left plotting. Ten years after some relics of that offered to stir at Leyden, the authors being taken and examined, confessed that the Anabaptists had chosen a King, but was not crwoned yet, and was to succeed John of Leyden, and another to be his high Treasurer, and that they both were at Utrecht. Both were apprehended and kept some moneths in prison: Amongst other exploits of that elected King, he had got his Wife into a Wood, and there killed her, that without interruption he might lye with his Daughter, and cut a young Wenches Throat least she should detect him. Good store of Plate was found in his house, most of it Church plate: It seems that party began to make a stock for a new Kingdom: The King and his Treasurer were burnt; that was the last spark of that faction till our times.  
FINIS.