[Malleus Anabaptistarum; Een hamer Op dat hoofd aller Wederdöperschen Secten, welke slaat, breekt, en gantschlijk verderft haren kop, en verdedigt de Goddelijke waarheid in vierendertig hoofdstukken der Christelijke leer; (Arnhem: Jan Janssen, 1606)]
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To the Illustrious and High-born Prince and Lord, Lord Maurice, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, etc. Marquis of Veere, Lord of Flushing, etc. Stadtholder and Governor General of the Principality of Guelders and County of Zutphen, and of the Provinces of Holland, Zealand, West Friesland, Utrecht, etc. and Overijssel, and Captain General and Field Commander. Also especially to the States General and the Province of Guelderland, in its Districts, his gracious and most favorable Lords and Patrons, Carolus Gallus Senior wishes grace, peace, fortune, and salvation from God the Heavenly Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Writes the Apostle Peter, 2 Pet. 2: “There were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” With which words Peter clearly testifies that just as formerly among God's people there were many false teachers, so also now in the time of the New Testament such deceivers shall be.
The old ones were named Ophites, or Serpentinians, Cainites, Heliognostics, Reginists, Baalites, Astartites, Molochites, Remphanites, Tophites, Troglodites, Puteorities, Thamurites, Pythonists, Nazarenes, Pharisees, Essenes, Herodians, and Samaritans, etc.
The new ones, which arose during and following the times of the Apostles, are named after their teachers: Simon Magus, Menander, Saturninus, Basilides, Nicholas of Antioch, Aetius Sophista, Ammonius Alexandrinus, Apollinaris Junior, Berillus, Carpocrates, Cerinthus, Ebion, Elvidius, Eudoxus, Eumonius, Eutyches, Eusebius Nicomediensis, Faustus Afer, Valentinus, Jovianus, Pollio Macedonius, Manes, Ptolemaeus Secundus, Heracleon, Marcus Bassus, Cerdon, Marcion, Lucanus, Apelles, Meletius, Menander, Messalianus, Montanus, Sergius, Novatus, Nepos, Nestorius, Tatianus, Theodotus, Noetianus, Sabellius, Seleucus, Hermias, Patricius, Symmachus, Arius, Paulus Samosatenus, Praxeas Asiaticus, Photinus, Sabinus, Theodorus Coriarius, Donatus, Achilles, Adamantus, Coluthus, Molitius, Rhetorius, Hermes Trismegistus, Aerius, Adelphilius, Amarius, Bonosius, Deuterius, Elpulius, Eutichius.
All these have drawn the foundation of their error partly from the false prophets of the Jews, and partly from the sects of the heathen philosophers, namely from the Academics, Peripatetics, Stoics, and Epicureans.