Monks. “We have not.”
The lords also then began to speak against us, why we were not content with the faith of our parents, and with our baptism.
We replied: “We know of no infant baptism, but of a baptism upon faith, concerning which the word of God teaches us.”
We then had many other words, and reproved them for undertaking to be judges in matters of faith, when they did not understand the Scriptures. “If you would be judges, be impartial, and let the matter proceed in regular order; let both parties appear together, and let our brethren and sisters that have been brought prisoners here together with us, be with us. Then one of us, whose mouth the Lord shall open, will speak, and the others shall listen in silence while he is speaking; and thus shall also our adversaries do.”
Lords. “We will not let you come together; we would have you dispute alone here.”
We then said: “My lords, it would be the most convenient for you, and the whole matter could be finished with one disputation; otherwise you will constantly have to dispute anew with one or two at a time.”
Lords. “What then? we will not have it so.”
Then a councilor said: “They want to have them together, in order to seduce one another still more; therefore they cannot be allowed to come together.”
Hans. “My lords, you say that you are judges, but we regard you as our adversaries; for you seek to injure us in every way, and to cause us and our brethren by violence and subtlety, to apostatize from our faith.”
Ans. “Why should we not do this, in order to bring them back?”