our first creation wherein first we were created vnto holynes of lyfe c. to be heauenly affected to sauour spirituall and goastly thinges that belong vnto the soule Briefely I say M. Peter Mart. whos 's great iudgement I know how much the learned esteame we are one spirite with god when we are ioyned vnto him by the operation of his spirite and the inward working of the holy Ghost Yet doth not this vniting of vs with God availe vs so far that we thereby should be equall with him onely Iesus Christ the sonne of God according to the deuine nature is so vnited with God that he is one in spirite with his father and wholely equall with him wherein we of right and worthely are far vnequal inferior vnto him And thus much out of him concerning the meaning of this place of S. Paule whome ye wrest to approue your errour and yet in the iudgement of the best interpretours your blinde exposition and forced minde of that place is cleane ouerthrowne and confuted for we are sayth he farre inferiour vnto God and our vniting vnto him is that in the preaching of the word and ministration of sacramentes he stoupeth and lispeth with vs that we may vnderstand him Now concerning that last place by you alledged out of S. Peter which is this we are made partakers of the heauenly nature therefore say you your Elders are illuminated from God Godded with god c. Truely yf ye had read any learned wrighter vpon this place or if ye had but waighed with your selfe the purpose of S. Peter in that place comparing the place you cited with that which goeth before and that which euen in the next wordes follow after I trust ye would haue bin better aduised before ye had wrested the place so violently to the purpose that ye haue applied it For in the very wordes following doth he expound his owne meaning in this sort To be made partaker of the deuine nature is nothing els but to flee the corruption which is in the world through lust which S. Paule calleth oftentimes in his Epistles to be dead to sinne and not to be in the flesh and agayne let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodyes that ye should obey the lust of it but euen as the Lord is holye so must we be holy for we are the temples of the holy Ghost and the Lord God through Christ doth dwell within vs. But let me demaund this one question of you to the which if ye will directly aunswere ye shall sée all this controuersie betwixt vs about this place of S. Peter sone discussed tell me but this What is the nature of God which we are partakers of is it not his euerlasting trueth his righteousnes his wisedome c. Is it not peace of soule ioy of conscience and all goodnes which cannot be imagined is not he thē which is made partaker of these good graces of God both in body and soule rightly sayd to be made partaker of the heauenly nature yes verely Then may ye very playnely sée and easely discerne that by these wordes the nature of God We are not sayd to be partakers of his substance or essence but of the deuine and heauenly qualityes which are in god Of this place read Caluins institutions 3. boke I know in déede the heathen Poet Aratus out of whome S. Paule doth alledge a verse in the Actes of the Apostles fayneth that we spring out of the generation of god But what haue we to stand to his fond fantasie and idle dreame True it is the Manicheis held the same errour that we were sprong of the same ofspring and séede of God and after we haue run the race of our lyfe we shall returne to our fist original And I know that in the former times of our fore fathers there were some frantick men which imagined that Gods nature is so powred into vs that it wholy causeth our nature being to lose the force thereof Right so dreameth your Fam. and as they quoted for profe God must be all in all Therfore are we wholy resolued and turned into the nature of god To the selfe same purpose haue ye as fondly as they alledged in this place this text out of Saint Peter but right so may it be affirmed of you which is sayd of them such a dotage as this neuer once entred into the minds of the Apostles Foolish therefore and vngodly are they whosoeuer they be which out of this place imagine that the essentiall nature or being of God is poured into vs our owne being there vtterly vanishing away And thus much for the meaning of these wordes of S. Peter We are made partakers of the heauenly nature And for a further exposition hereof reade the Byshop of Salisburyes reply agaynst harding pag. 331. 5. Article 7. diuision Now to satisfy your questions which ye aske of me What errour is this yf it were rightly sene vnto I aunswere Looke you rightly vnto it and ye shall see it is the errour of Manes of Seruetus a Spanish Arrian burnt at Geneua the errour of Osiander concerning the essentiall and substantiall iustice more largely expounded by HN. in his Euangelie 1. chapter and first sentence From the which heresie good Lord deliuer vs The which opiniōs because I feare they will more hurt the simple people by repeating then doe you good in confuting of purpose I let them passe reseruing you for a more fuller and perfect instruction to M. Caluins institutions by whom the heresies aforesayd so are clearely cōfuted that no godly Christian can or will desire a more absolute resolution Not meaning any further to busie my selfe with the confuting of the opinions of our Romish Catholiques who in this point agree with you affirming that our coniunction with Christ is carnally and bodely HN. CHrist himselfe is their light sayth HN. which becommeth administred vnto them Theophilus IT is true vnlesse ye will deny the scripture William Wilkinson YOw should first haue proued it by the Scriptures afterwardes haue affirmed it to be true bare affirmations beare no weight HN. his profe he quoteth Iohn 1.9 a. The light is the true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world is a rouing profe The meaning of the which place is this that all men are equally indued with the light of naturall reason to see God in his Creatures and thereby to acknowledge him to be their creator Which because they haue light other wheres and Christ hath light of and frō himselfe therefore Christ is God. But this place proueth not that onely the Children of God are lightned with the light of Gods spirit which assertion albeit it be true yet is this place by HN. quoted without discretion for it speaketh of a light generall to all that are borne not proper to the regenerate of this light Read. Esay 9.1.2 Mat. 4.15.16 Ioh. 9. a. 5.
A Confutation OF CERTAINE ARTICLES deliuered vnto the Familye of Loue with the exposition of Theophilus a supposed Elder in the sayd Familye vpon the same Articles By William Wilkinson Maister of Artes and student of Diuinitye Hereunto are prefixed By the right reuerend Father in God I. Y. Byshop of Rochester certaine notes collected out of their Gospell and aunswered by the Fam. By the Author a description of the tyme places Authors and manner of spreading the same of their liues and wrestyng of Scriptures with Notes in the end how to know an Heretique Prou. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthines AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate An. 1579. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis PErusing ouer this little treatise of M. Wilkinsons I could not but alowe his diligence and painefull trauell in this hereticall and schismaticall world and I would hartely wishe of God that our Church of England might be well weeded from to to grosse errors for it is high tyme. Richard Ely. ¶ To the right Reuerend Father in Christ and his very good Lord Richard by the prouidence of God Byshop of Ely W.W. wisheth all ioye and peace both in body and soule with happynes in the Lord euerlastyng WIse Salomon the sonne of holy Dauid a prudent kyng and a peaceable Prince Reuerēd father in Christ very fittely in his sweet songes resembled the Churche of God vnto a Vine and the enemies thereof vnto rauenous and greedy Foxes For that the Vine beyng a spreadyng plante diligētly trimmed and paynfully attended vnto stretcheth abroad his sappy braūches and broad leaues for a succour and harbour in a storme and is a comfortable gladsome fruite to him that eateth it or tasteth the liquor of the same Whiche Vine the Foxes sometymes spoyle and endamage by robbyng the fruite sometyme by bruysing the young and tender braunches therof before they be able by their grouth to succour themselues frō so many sortes of assaultes most daūgerous And not lesse aptely our Sauiour Christ the Sonne of God in his holy and diuine Sermons likeneth it vnto a field wherein good seede is sowne by the paynefull husbandman corrupt seede scattered by the hād of the enemyes Of both which similitudes albeit many excellent notes may be gathered yet the whole scope of them both in my iudgemēt is this to shew that shootyngs vp and encrease of Gods Church beyng but frō a feeble and weake begynnyng is continually by Sathan and his mischieuous ministers not a little disquieted that thereby the gladsome fruite and looked for encrease therof is much let and hindered What the remedy and redresse therof is I leaue to your Lordshyp to cōsider whom with the rest of your godly and learned brethren and Reuerend Fathers Gods diuine prouidence hath placed ouer vs as in a high watchtower to foresee and discry the subtle assaultes of so slye and cruell enemyes And I hartly wish that it might not iustly be affirmed or beyng iustly affirmed I would that the losse of the soules of many poore Christians did not auouch the truth of the assertion that euen frō the tyme wherein the first scourge wherewith the Lord afflicted his Churche in the bloudy dayes of Queene Mary began neither in and from that tyme alone but euen long sithēce also to the great hurt of Christes church hinderaunce of his chosen many false Christes arose and while the watchmen slept many lying seers and seducyng Prophets vnder Lambes skinnes craftely crept into the sheepfold priuily whisperyng peruerse thynges to seduce and beguile the simple And though the word of God his name be praysed haue a cleare free passage amongest vs and the bloudy bandoges of the Romish Sinagogue be tyed vp that by thē the sheepe of Christ are in lesse daunger to be worryed yet is not the encrease of that heauēly seede so great with grief be that hard which is spoken with sorrow as many as do weene most men do wish for For the roaryng Lion dayly rūneth about his ministers are not idle zeale in hearyng and charitie in practising waxeth cold but specially the continuall labour of Gods husbandmen beginneth to fainte thornes bryers grow vp in the Lordes field the deuill transformyng him selfe into an Angel of light deceiueth many The reason is as I take it that those which ought to be breakers of Gods bread to satisfie relieue the hungry soules of his Saintes cānot breake that which they haue not neither are able many of them being vnarmed to withstād the enemy or those which are able either can and will not bycause they are sleepy or beyng both able willing hauing a watchful eye vpō the Lordes inheritaūce they dare not aduenture beyng diuers wayes discouraged with the sundry manifold fetches of Heretiques especially not beyng acquainted with the daunger of that poyson which dayly floweth frō our Louely Familie to be sure of their owne safetie keepe them selues out of gunshote Of the Heresie it selfe in one worde to vtter the truth of that which almost by the experience and practise of three whole yeares I haue proued to be true it is the most pestiferous deadly Heresie of all others because there is not almost any one particular erroneous Schismaticall phantasie whereof the Familie of Loue hath not borrowed one braunche or other thereof to peece vnto thēselues this their brokē Religion The encrease of this Familie is great that dayly because the withstanders are not many the defenders are wily as Serpentes would fayne in lyfe seeme innocent and vnblameable In profession of the one they boast very much of the other they walkyng very closely do iustifie them selues because fewe haue to finde fault with them yet haue they their lothsome spottes and ougly deformities as in this booke to the diligent reader playnely may appeare Their bookes are many disorderly and confusedly written both for matter and manner of thynges deliuered in them their phrases are such as the Scripture speaketh of cloudes with out water and lightenyng without rayne their blossomes are as dust and their fruite as rottennesse The proofe hereof I referre to the sequele of the Treatise which ensueth the which I desire your Lordshyp the rather to accept because that within this Isle of Ely and other where within your Lordshyps Dioces diuers doe suspect that to be true whiche common fame reporteth that dayly those swarmes increase which in the end I feare me will wonderfully disquiet as it hath already begonne in diuers places and molest the Church of god The Lord vouchsafe when his pleasure is somewhat to cut them shorter and graunt to those vnto whom the care of his Church and ouersight of his flocke belongeth vigilant and watchfull eyes carefull harts willyng myndes and strōg and hable bodyes to finde out and to roote out beyng
that be of the Familie who soeuer is without the Familie is inueigled with wiles subtletie and falsechode For no man rightly accordyng to truth of the Scriptures nor accordyng to the spirituall vnderstandyng of the godly wisdome can deale in or vse the true Gods seruice nor the seruices of the holy worde but onely the Illuminate Elders in the godly wisedome whiche walke in the house of loue The wise men of the world and the Scripture learned haue not knowen the veritie of the heauenly truth nor yet obteined or gotten the clearenes with Christ. It is mere lyes and vntruth what the Scripture learned through the knowledge they got out of the Scriptures institute or teach c. They preach in deede the letter and Imagination of their knowledge but not the word of the liuyng God. Therefore sayth he they are mē whose knowledge doth imagine much in them ARTICLE 3. of HN. No Baptisme WIthout the Familye of Loue sayth HN there is no true Christian Baptisme This same is the schole of grace to an euerlasting remission of sinnes ouer all such as cleaue there vnder There is no true Christianitye but the Comminalty of the holy ones in the loue of Christ Iesus Ion. 17. c. Ephe. 4. a. h. All other that haue not the Christian doctrine of the seruice of the loue forgoing their Baptisme It is not meete and conuenient that men should count such vnbeleuers and vnbaptised ones for Christians neither yet also for men at whose handes one should any way suppose or trust to finde any word of Ioh. 1. a. 3. a. gods truth or yet any workes Mar. 1. a. righteousnesse or Gods seruice that God regardeth or accepteth They are without Christes body Theophilus COnsider better of the text Rather vnder the obedience of the father and his loue vnder the obedience of Christ and his beliefe and the obedience of the holy ghost and his renewing of the lyfe and minde c. to be baptised in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost c. William Wilkinson WHat account HN. maketh of our Church and the truth therein taught is already declared Now followeth it to be vnderstode what his opinion is of our Sacramentes And first to speake of baptisme For of the holy Sacrament of the supper of our Lord he hath written very litle what he attributeth to our Church therein is playne that vnlesse we haue our foregoing in the doctrine of the loue we are not to be counted of him and his Fam to be baptised ones To the which I will aunswere briefly if first he shall satisfy me in this demaund Whether when there was no Family of Loue there were no vpright baptisme in England If he say there was a lawfull baptisme than is there an vpright baptisme without the foregoing of his louely doctrine and without his Family a true Christian baptisme If he say there was none than doe I aunswere that these Famelers in England are not rightly baptised speake the truth worke righteousnes or an acceptable worke in the sight of god To the which if the Familye shall further aunswere though then they were not yet since they haue bin rightly baptised This it may be Vitels the Ioyner will aunswere to approue his hereticall behauiour at Cholchester ad to this I am to reply that if the Fam. acknowledge a rebaptization then are they hypocrites all the sort of them For they in their last cōfession being a rehearsall of their doctrine beliefe and religion affirme that they doe deale simply and playnely c We haue say they nor vse any other Ceremonyes lawes statutes nor Sacramentes of Baptisme and supper of the Lord then such as are ministred in the Church of England But I say that the Church of England vseth not rebaptization Therefore if they be rebaptised they be double faced dissemblers Furthermore if they shall affirme that they vse not other Sacramentes c. than is vsed in the Church of England that is in their Fam. in the Church of England because it was sayd in the first Article that we haue no Church without their Family I aunswere They pretend in their confession they deale faythfully with all men If this be their fayth what I pray you is their falshode Furthermore I let passe to repeate much lesse to confute that fond opinion of those vaine heads which thought the partyes baptised of heretiques ought to be rebaptised agayne Of this opinion the Fam. of Loue semeth to lyke very well for because they affirme before that without this Fam. there is no Christian baptisme And thus much for this Article is sufficient As for you frend Theophilus ye huddle vp so that no man can vnderstand you when you shall learne to speake out of the mouth and leaue to fumble with your c. I will tell you my minde more art large An addition of the 3. Article of HN. HN. Reproueth our doctrine with this terme and handful of water an Elementish water Whosoeuer is not baptized according to the forme and manner of Iohn who baptized the people confessing their sinnes flowing with the water of repentaunce into their hartes he is not rightly baptized neyther may he boast els that he is a Christian ARTICLE 4. HN. No forgeuenes of sinnes WIthout he Familye fayth HN. there is no forgeuenes of sinnes for this is the true Christianitye the Familye of Loue wherein God himselfe 2. Cor. 6. b. Apoc. 21. a. dwelleth liueth and walketh Theophilus FOr so it is agreable with the Scripture William Wilkinson THe truth of this exposition I must gladly graunt and willingly confesse vz. No pardon of sinnes without the Church of Christ For truely it is sayd No man must seuer or put in sunder that which God hath lincked together and so in our Créede the Communion of Saintes and forgeuenesse of sinnes are ioyned together And S. Paule sayth that Christ gaue him selfe for the Churches to satisfy it and clense it by the washyng of the water through the woorde that hee might make it a glorious Church spotlesse and without wrinckle c. And I know very well that we are naked in our selues and poore but in Christ and his Churche so many as are members of that head are clothed richly with the manifold graces of God and continaully enriched And to this purpose fitly sayth the spirite of god by Esay the Prophet God is in the Churche and the 21. of the Apocal. 3. a. is fitly alledged and the truest hetherto that HN. hath cied As for his place out of the Corinth there is no such thyng nor any steppe of such a sence as he séemeth to alledge it for All the Article if it should be geuen yet shall you not thereby proue that without your particuler conuēticles and Schismaticall assembles is no remission of sinnes For the promise of the keyes and the remission is geuen to the Church which
reason or knowledge For then should they right wel vnderstand it for the world can vnderstand her owne whose wisedome maketh all men in their manly wisedome meere fooles compassing the wise in their wisedome and prouyng their thoughtes to be but vayne will therfore as S. Paule and likewise the Prophet affirmeth destroy the wisedome of the wise and reiect the vnderstandyng of the prudent For it hath ben euermore an order with the holy on s of God in the bringyng forth of the holy thynges to expresse it more out of the authoritie of the spirite and with power I meane out of the efficacie of the Lord had by their essential operation in their inwardnes thē with the entising wordes of manly wisedome that our fayth might not stand or rest grounded in the wisedome of man but in the power of God by which meanes the naturall man perceiueth not any thyng of the spirite of god Yea the thynges of God and his wisedome are mere foolishnesse vnto him And therefore he shal be founde happyer that becommeth deceiued with such a godly deceit then shall those which are borne in hand to be in a right way and a good case beyng yet in the meane tyme directed with the dreames of mans fantasie in steade of cleare truth c. Rochester THe greatest part of this boke is nothyng but a brief discourse either a rehearsall of the story of the Bible as appeareth frō the .5 chapter to the .27 .28 chapters And his collectiō is none other but such as any meanly learned may gather by diligēt readyng of the Scriptures The Familie of Loue. HOw well soeuer the greatest part of the booke bee iudged by you to be nothyng but a bare brief discours or rehearsall of the histories of the Bible whiche any meanly learned as you say might do the like yet séemeth it to me to be of greater force neither haue I euer in my tyme heard or by readyng perceiued that the greatest learned among the prudent wisenesse which rest grounded more on the litterall knowledge of the Christiā verifie then on the beyng of the same haue atchiued the like or brought the match therof to light all thyngs considered For it is not onely an euident declaration of the singular good will and operations of God towardes his creatures in respectyng and tenderyng their saluation darckly figured foorth in the Bible but also and expresse manifestation of the approchyng of tyme wherein the purpose of the Lord drawen a long and begon as the tyme state and age of the worlde would permit the same touchyng the disposing of the wicked world with her ministers and adherentes the erectyng of the righteous world to florish there ouer in vigour for euermore becōmeth as he there testifieth Full accomplished through the same seruice of God or ministrations of his loue expressed or mencioned in the same booke accordyng to the promises To the which ministration God hath chosen the Authour as he there alledgeth to be a right minister and prepared him thereto in the fourme and sorte mencioned in the head of his booke vnto which like function and holy annoyntyng no conceited Scripture learned or Doctour of the letter that I can any way marke or perceiue hath in these dayes attained or reached And whether that be a pretendyng of the Ghost or no that will well appeare and be séene in his tyme by the sequele thereof to wéete in the perseueraunce and foorth goyng of the same among and with all such as shall endure to sée the triall therof c. Rochester THe Authour doth much pretend the holy Ghost and entituleth his booke An Epistle written from the holy Ghost which is to be suspect of hygh Reuelations daungerous to deceiue the simple Familie of Loue. THis is aunswered in the Section before Rochester INtreatyng of Antichrist in the 28. chapter he teacheth no certaine doctrine who he is or where to be founde that we may know him beware of his doctrine but it seemeth altogether doubtfull in so much that the Note in the margēt sayth O that this Antechrist were knowen Whereas if the Authour would haue dealt plainly and according to the scriptures he might easly haue shewed that Rome is the seate of Antechrist And that the succession of Popes and that body and kingdome is the very Antichrist mencioned and described in the .2 Thessal 2. Apocal. 13.17 c. ¶ In the Chapter 31. 32. the Authour HN. bewrayeth him selfe to be a Papist 1. FIrst he calleth the Church of Rome the communion of all Christiās whereas it is but a particular Church fallen away from the vniuersall Church of Christ 2. Although he seemeth to cōfesse that the Church of Rome hath not that perfection of Religion whiche it had in tymes past which the Papistes do and must graunt yet he seemeth to allow and speake reuerently of all Popishe orders as they be now The Pope hee calleth the chief annoynted the chief Byshop or high Priest who hath his heyng in the most holy sanctuarie of true and perfect holynes most holy Father Next vnto him he placeth the Cardinals whom he calleth most holy and famous and hee sayth that they are next the most auncientest and holy Father the Pope in most holy Religion and vnderstandyng Next vnto Cardinals he reconeth Byshops whom he calleth chief Priestes After Byshops he nameth Curates Deacons c. After those he maketh mencion of Monkes whom he commendeth as men addicted to holynesse and separated from the world and all carnall desires But most playnly the Authour sheweth him selfe a frend to the Church of Rome saying that many through contention and discorde did cast of the Church of Rome and dyd blaspheme her with her ministeries and of their own braynes pretendyng the Scriptures haue brought in other ministeries and Religion they spoke much of the word of god Who doubteth that this is the voyce and iudgement of Papistes agaynst Protestauntes and true Christians Familie of Loue. WHere as you furthermore complayne of the insufficiencie of the expressing of Antechrist as to say who he is and where to be founde because the Authour applyeth him not to the Pope and his succession in the Church of Rome it séemeth if the matter were well looked vnto that mē should finde that Antechrist euen in the very selfe same place from whence you gather your exception flatly detected although he is not so employed to mēs contētations for if men could sée what Christ accordyng to the spirite is as he is a liuyng power of God were whereas his whole scope drift of writyng stretcheth they should then right well perceiue thereout that the man of sinne and child or broode of the Deuill and cōdemnation beyng a right aduersarie or an expresse contrary beyng vnto Christ the righteousnes of God the father and raignyng in all states of men generally Beyng fleshly Popes or other from the tyme of the declinyng
of the man from the true fayth in Christ the light of lyfe to the addictyng of him selfe to the lye or darcknes or euer such tyme as they become conuerted to their God and are regenerated in the spirite of their mynde is the greatest Antichrist which also frō the very begynnyng as likewise in the very corporall appearaunce of Christ in the flesh like as S. Iohn also expresseth impugne it and persecute it in the truth of God and that in the inwardnesse of the man to the establishyng of all vnrighteousnesse in him and not onely a certaine disordred or abused Papistrie yea or euer the Papistrie was thought of which no Pope also or such outward fleshly creature could or can euer worke or bryng to passe And therefore deceiue not your selfe in the point to iudge the Author to be a maintainer of any fleshly or creature like Pope with his adherentes in their abusion of Ceremoniall seruices Ceremonies but he driueth his matter onely as in his worke beyng well noted you may sée to this point to wit that after the entraunce of the darknesse once chaunced the manly generations beyng falne away from the fayth towardes God which was established by Christ in his Apostles and Disciples the old Fathers grew out of a zealousnes of the mynde towardes God and his righteousnesse to institute certaine Ceremonies and seruices so neare as they could out of their insight and comprehendyng that they by their diligent study and searchyng of the Scriptures had attained vnto concerning Gods truth hit the same that resembled or were conformablest to the holy and diuine Scriptures to a commemoration of the thyngs wrought and brought to passe before with Christ and his holynes in the very true beyng to the susteinyng and staying vp of the ignoraunt people in the tyme of darknes from fallyng into any greater absurdities enormities and errours that might haue happened vnto thē and which also did happen vnto many such as maliciously and obstinately not rightly seyng but rather in meanyng to set vp some better degressed and winded of them selues there from and maliciously blasphemed and continewed the same tell that the light of Gods truth might spryng foorth agayne or be erected in the seruice of the loue accordyng to the promises and goeth not about to establish the same in and of their ceremoniall much lesse abused seruice and Ceremonies where about men presently so greatly striue and varie now in this present tyme of the light of loue whiche he affirmeth to be the day of the cleare righteous iudgemēt of God wherein god will restore all thynges to their right to wit bryng or set the lye in his lying beyng to be condemned in the hellish caue and the truth likewise in his right fourme or degrée to wit to preuayle florish and beare sway ouer the vnrighteousnes for euer more Whereby that the will of God might euē so be accomplished in earth as in heauen Wherefore me thinkes that should be very small discernyng in such as can not distinct the shadowes figures or image of a thyng from the body it selfe or the very true beyng either substaunce of the same And that he speaketh of mens ignoraunce in that place and touchyng their slender knowledge vnderstandyng in Gods worde that layeth he forth flatly to the effectuall word and not the imagelike or written word wherein the right Christians are not iniuried but the conceited Christians detected Rochester THe rest of the booke from the 34. Chapter vnto the end is of the callyng of the Gentiles and of the grace of God offred to the world in the last age of the world which seemeth to be the best part of that booke Familie of Loue. IT is well that ye like some part of the booke and if ye could therewithall note that there were a defectiō frō the truth and that there were also by that meanes no difference to bee had betwixt a ceremoniall either letter doctour Christian and an vncircumcised Heathen so had ye then somewhat for your part Rochester THus haue you a tast of this booke gathered as the tyme would serue whereby it appeareth to be no such precious price of worke as of some it is supposed to be Such fayre shewes and glorious titles may soone deceiue the simple to haue such bookes in more admiration then the holy Scriptures But we haue Moses and the Prophetes let vs heare them and iudge all others by them Family of Loue. I do not so collect by the authors wrighting that he would prefer his writing aboue the scriptures geuen by inspiration of God and brought forth and written by the holy Fathers in times past But if you had well marked or considered the same he witnesseth as by a concordable and vniforme testimonye either by record of the same their writynges what the Lord will now accomplish in these last dayes wishing euery one in the same booke to search the Scriptures whether that they also mētion and record not the very same affirmyng also therewith that God is not ne cannot be a God of contentatiō but of peace vnitie And that God moreouer hath stirred him vp to bee a seruiceable instrument or as his elect minister to bryng downe accordyng to his promises written in the Scriptures all controuersies growne among men about their misunderstanding of the scriptures to bryng the same to an end And doth also in the same booke vncouer sundry secret thinges which they that haue seing eyes may by ententiue reading of the same together with the Lordes assistaunce well perceiue and vnderstand that no selfewise or enuious scripture learned could or can euer attaine vnto it agayne What iniurie were it seing that it procedeth by the same spirite to valew it equall with those same sacred scriptures that were tofore written by the holy one of God. Also ye may remember that the fleshly Iewes had also for their aunswere to Christ enuying agaynst him being the truth it selfe the same testimonye that ye alledge to wéete that they had Moses and the Prophets c But who were in the meane time greater persecutours of him then they Rochester WE are sure that the holy Scriptures were wrighten by the spirite of Loue and truth the holy ghost And conteine all true and necessary and sufficient doctrine for our saluation let vs not hould vpon men proue all thinges hould that which is good beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites Family of Loue. I Graunt that right discerning is good and commeth from the Lord and through him from them whome he and not themselues placeth and by them that are set in the right place of iudgement by the Lord himselfe and not by those that sitt on their owne stoole for it is to be doubted that so many as take vpon them that office of iudgemēt or medling with gods matters or euer Christ be come vnto them or haue a liuing shape in them that they all will
may be with the Father and with his sonne Iesus Christ Where S. Iohn teacheth he is a true witnes because he saw and heard secondely he was a profitable minister because he kept it not to him selfe but declared it vnto others Thirdly the profite that doth ensue to the Children of God by S. Iohns declaration that ye may haue fellowship with vs. Lastly to make his message more amiable in the sight of men and mē to embrace the same more gréedely he addeth that our fellowship may be with God the Father with his Sonne Iesus Christ and to entise them more effectually to take hold of Christ he sheweth that Christ commeth not bare or naked but clothed and accompanied with all his mercies to the encreasing of his children and comfort of the godly This worde fellowship geueth vs to vnderstand that among the godly there ought to be a mutuall féelyng of infirmities with a supplying of all comfort both in thynges spirituall and temporall This doctrine conteineth the true Exposition of the Article of our belief I beleue the communion of Saintes So that HN. might euen aswell haue founde his Communialty nay with much more ease and lesse labour in the belief as in S. Iohn the Apostle But let vs sée the application of this place of S. Iohn The faithfull haue fellowship with the Apostles and God the Father in or with Christ Iesus Therfore this fellowship is in the familie of your loue onely and there is no societie in truth but yours Not so For many a day before HN. was heard of was there a Communialitie of Saintes neither was it a Communialitie of goodes of which the Anabaptistes did dreame neither that filthy and graceles Communialitie of the Femal kinde of wiues virgins c. whiche the Nicholaitanes did dote of But this it was that made HN. so farre to ouershoote him selfe that wheresoeuer he founde this word Communialitie or fellowship straight way he imagined that it might proue vnto vs the Familie of his new inuention For neither did the woordes Actes 2.44 Act. 4.32 And all that beleued were in one place and had all thinges common meanyng that quoad ad vsum to helpe and releiue the necessity of such as could not labour there ought to bee a mutuall contribution among the faithfull of the irtemporall blessynges as there is in all Churches rightly gouerned proue quoad possessionem accordyng to priuate right no man ought to enioy any landes or other possession to the mainteinance of his callyng and nourishyng of his familie though in holy Scripture it bee set downe for an vnfaillible truth that Phillip the Deacon had a house so had Mathew and Peter and Ioseph of Aramathia Lidia a purple seller and Cornelius the Capitaine had priuate abidyngs and great wealth so had Philemon a faythfull Preacher and companion of Paule the Apostle both house and seruauntes yet no Communitie HN. THyrdly hee telleth them how hee founde the truth Through the appearyng of Iesus Christ out of the highe heauen W. Wilkinson TO proue that Christ appeared vnto him hee citeth Math. 25. d. wherein is conteined how Christ shall come in his second commyng to seperate the shéepe from the goates c. Act. 1.11 b. the men in white garmentes sayd he shall come agayne so as ye haue sene him go into heauen Thus then yf Christ did appeare in his body to HN. and in his second commyng or if he appeared not otherwise than did he not appeare to HN. at all and doth the mighty Rabby of the Familiely which is very like to be true or els with the Sadducies hee denieth the resurrectiō or with Himeneus and Philetus he affirmeth that the resurrection is past already HN. THe same most holy beliefe cannot become vprightly witnessed nor confessed by any other people c. William Wilkinson THis is the last part of HN his assertion wherein he sheweth where onely the truth and true beliefe is to be looked for that is in the Familye of Loue of his coigning and not els where The morter whereby he laboureth to build is vntēpered the stones are very precious but neyther fitte nor coucheable in that place wherein he sayth they shall be layd The place by him alledged 1. Cor. 12. a. b. proue that although there be diuersitye of giftes in Gods Church yet is it thereby builded vp For there is but one spirite whereby and one Lord to whome the Church is builded And this he amplifyeth by diuers examples and similitudes of the body of man c. And Ephe. 4. b. he sheweth that there is but one Church one Fayth one Baptisme and yet are there diuers functions instituted of God for the building vp of the Church as Apostles Euangelistes Pastors and teachers yet doe all these diuers giftes tend this one and the same end .1 to the gathering together of the Saintes .2 to the edification of the Church .3 to the vnitye of fayth And to touch S. Paule his meaning and scope Therefore Christians ought to liue charitably together in loue Doth this then proue that if men should agrée they had the truth and none but they that doe agrée doth vnitye of mindes proue a truth in doctrine S. Peter and the rest of the Apostles in their feruent prayer affirme that 1. Pontius Pilate .2 the gentiles .3 the Iewes agreed to put Christ to death Act. 1.27.28 Was here truth because they had vnitye Euen so though I graunt all to be true that S. Paule affirmeth as no doubt it is very true yet hath not HN fitly alledged these places 1. Cor. 12. b. Ephe. 4. b. to proue that the truth is no where taught but in his Familye HN. VVIthout the Familie is nothing but good thinking tedious trauaile labour and misery Theophilus SO then this is very true sauing that you haue put truth for true beliefe the rest of the wordes are spoken or referred to the rest which God hath reserued to his chosē in that house and to the seruice of that house Loke better on the text William Wilkinson VVHensoeuer any man shall be without or depart from the Church he shall neyther finde rest in bodye nor peace in conscience as they doe very well knowe who haue departed and falne away from the knowne truth or which at any tyme suffer their consciences to wauer halte betwixt God and Baal truth and errour light and darknes God for Christ his sake keepe vs from falling away from the truth or standing in mammering therof knowing that Neuters and Hipocrites with Lukewarme brethren shall be spewed out of Gods mouth which HN and his Familye must take heede and harken to whiche geueth any man liberty so he be of their Familye to embrace and lyke of what religiō he list in his new Euangely cap. 1. sent 4. Now if there be nothing but trauaile misery c. Why wishe ye peace and health vnto them which are dogges and not of
or nation and religion as Christians in their Mahomet or Turkes in theirs Heathen in theirs c. To whom after HN. hath geuen particuler titles immediatly he in the same section addeth And yet furthermore euery head properly for himselfe hauing then so diuers and many maners of groundes beliefes religions ceremonyes offices and administratiōs as they will wherein they loue Gods truth and their righteousnes Then the which wordes what may be sayd more Sathan like or what euen belched out of the bottomles pit more blasphemous if all the fiendes of hell would conspire together to afford a graceles and godles speach whereby the hartes of them that stagger in the way of the truth if not wholy they might be drawne away to superstition for as for the worde Religion I feare me I haue attributed it to their scisme to often albeit the Familye of Loue in their Confession would faine be counted religious yet might they enioy the heresie of HN. with their opinions and fauour whatsoeuer liketh them best So that certayne it is whereas this his Euangelye and the other of his bokes were nayled vpon euery post in the common shops of stationers in dutch land commōly sould vntill by the restraint of the maiestrate they were bridled and called in they drew some Catholickes also to his faction for whose cause and with whome to créepe into fauour to haue a shealter ready for any storme so notable he commendeth the popish Hierarchie which order of popishe pollicye to let passe that famous infamous booke the Declaration of the Masse I meane after step by step he had extolled it aboue the cloudes from the hyest to the lowest he falleth downe after this sort Section 4. he commendeth the Pope and expoundeth Papa to signifie an olde Father in the holy vnderstanding to whome he coupeleth his Colledge of Cardinals sent 8. thirdly Primates sent 9. Bishops sent 10. Priestes sent 14. who say their seruice in the formest part of the Church that is in the chauncell Parsons Curates Proctours sent 16 Deacons sent 17. Sextons or keepers of holy thinges that the same muy be occupied in due season and times conuenient sent 18. Monkes which for the loue of righteousnes as HN. sayth are consecrated and sequestred from the world from whome well it were if the world were seperated also and from all that is worldly and fleshly set 19. and lastly the commen people sent 21. To the which for a conclusion he addeth Behold all this hath bin euen so in tymes past in his very true being when as yet the light of lyfe had the clearenes and the beliefe her seruice in the holynes of God the renewed or Goddead men vpon the earth all which shall now in the sam day lykewise of the Loue through the comming of Christ in the light of lyfe and his holy spirite be reduced or restored to his vpright fourme in the very true being according to the Christian lyke ordinaunces and florish in vigor or become forcible according to the promises The which as I quake to wright so to marke the ripenes of sinne that HN. is come vnto must it needes enforce the godly Christian and tender childe of God to melt at the horrible outrage therein conteined To the which if the goodwilling in England which are named the Familye of Loue shall reply and alledge for I hope they are not so far gone to defend this so great blasphmie agaynst the kingdome of the sonne of God and his gloryous gospell that they will not defend neither lyke in all thinges of his opinions to this I aunswere as M. Bullenger doth vnto the lyke obiection Sometyme they are of this iudgement sometymes of that neither doe they all agree among themselues in the certaintye of their errour for as truth onely is lyke it selfe error must nedes iar and disagre But herein it had ben somewhat more tollerable for our Fam. if they had not set downe this in wrighting that herein they might shew themselues to be perfect schollers of a peruerse maister But he that neuer kepeth touch with his seruauntes hath here betrayed them by their owne wordes to the world ere they were aware For in their first Epistle which they make as an aunswere to M. Rogers boke fol. 71. pag. v. lin 30. they vtter these wordes You forget say they to M. Rogers many protestantes in Rome Spayne Italy and many other places vnder the Byshop of Romes inquisition which hould it good pollicie to defend thēselues their cōsciences from such tyranny Will not you allow to others which you gladly chalenge to your selfe c. Whereby it is clearely proued and manifestly affirmed that HN. and his scholers termed the Fam. of Loue in England draw all in one line and hould the same opinions with Dauid George that he doth whom because they affirme by the testimonye of learned writers to be an Anabaptist néedes must it necessarye by the same consequence be vrged that they are Anabaptistes by their owne confession and labour to bring Anabaptistrie into the church from the which and other heresies sectes and scismes the Lord deliuer both vs and all his chosen dispersed wheresoeuer Amen It remaineth that with the lyke breuitye or greater if so large a matter may be conteined in a lesser roome as I before promised so I compare HN. with those euident noates manifest tokens of an heretique set downe by the spirite of God in holy Scriptures For by that iudge both he and I must be tryed to be true meaning men in this lyfe before the Militaunt Church and receiue our dome thereafter before the triumphāt Churche in the world to come Tokens of an heretique out of Scripture 1. Tokē THe holy ghost in the Scriptures doth liken those heretiques which disturbe the peace of the Church vnto Foxes which priuily and by night are wont to spoile and rauine And in lyke manner our Sauiour Christ doth describe not onely the father of heretiques but his children also by the name of a enuious mā which soweth teares whilest men sléepe S. Paule termeth then false teachers crafty creepers in S. Peter sayth false teachers shall priuilye bring in damnable heresies S. Iude sayth certaine men haue crept in which turne the grace of God into wantones vpon all the which places it may very easely be gathered that whosoeuer intendeth to broach any new and straunge doctrine as false coiners vse to doe he counterfaiteth in secret That this hath bin the practise of heretiques from tyme to tyme nedeth no long profe onely it is to be considered who it was that renued Arius heresie in Constantine the Emperours dayes was it not a priest which priuilye bare Constantia the Emperours sister in hād that the Counsell of Nice had done Arius wrong who thought not of Christes deuinitye as the Counsel supposed and the rumour was spread abroad of him c. And haue not the Familye of Loue
also because the sonne of God in the Actes geueth him the same title he is sayth he vnto me a chosen vessell c. now when HN. can iustifie his callyng to haue bene such as S. Paules was then he shall proue some what in the meane tyme our skill is not so meane as whensoeuer he vseth to alledge Scripture for the phrase that by and by it must materially be vnderstode as he will haue vs take it or els all is marred In the same sort he abuseth a place taken out of S. Paul to the Corinthes Cap. 3. vers But these his vayne payntynges of his margent shall hereafter make his cause more odious vnto them whiche will diligently labour to take him haltyng in the alledgyng of the Scriptures for to what purpose is it for an Archer to doe as HN. doth to set vp his markes and neuer commyng at them to raunge vp and downe the fieldes at rouers But of this somewhat before beyng spoken shall herein stay my labour concernyng that matter Vnto the which also HN. addeth where he heard these his Reuelatiōs videli From the mouth of God him selfe Wherein he doth open vnto the world his shameles and vayne boasting beleue him he that will. And if it be truth that the Israelites were so terrified with the voyce of God and that Christes voyce draue S. Paule to the grounde with the wonderfull maiestie therof and the brightnes of his countenaunce Which voyce also did smite the souldiours to groūd The force and the working wherof and how mighty the operation therof is holy Dauid declareth at large by many effectes in the 29. Psalme through out Now then if this be true that God in his law hath thus thundred thereby to kéepe vs in obediēce to be wholy subiect vnto him how can HN. auouch it to be true that he affirmeth hee hath heard these his Reuelations From the mouth of God him selfe We know very well as many I meane as are the beloued of the Lord that Reueilatiōs haue bene of old but they are not néedefull God in tymes past in diuers maners spake in the old tyme by the Prophetes vnto our Fathers but in these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his some Miracles serued the Church in her swadlyng clothes but now fayth is sealed by the death of Christ and to cry for further miracles were to crucifie the sonne of God a fresh and to make a mocke of the Sauiour of the world Hath the earthly father an inward care to leaue his sonne his will sealed with his owne seale and subscribed with his owne hand to auoyde contention and to cease strife and shal not Iesus Christ the sonne of the most wise God which sonne to testifie his loue towardes vs often calleth him selfe the sonne of man shall not the loue of his manhode and the vnspeakeable wisedome of his Godhead prouide for the safe and quyet gouernement of his owne house which so dearely with his hart bloud hee hath purged and made cleane Thus then we sée that HN. his bragges be but bables and triffles that he boasteth he will declare the secret Misteries of God and make relation of thynges hidden from the beginnyng of the world Sathan albeit he hath taken vpon him the shape of an Aungell of light yet if he in the likenesse of the most glorious Aungell in heauen will teach vs or shall preach vnto vs any other Gospell then we haue receaued be he ten thousand tymes accursed But this doctrine as it alwayes hath bene peculiar vnto the Papistes Libertines and especially the Anabaptistes for that they are mighty in such kynde of proofes as for the true Church it neither vseth nor alloweth any such doctrine of Reuelations as HN. in this place dreameth of onely it is sufficiently instructed in the truth of Gods word without any further search after fonde and curious visions which are expresly forbidden by the written word of God and holy Scripture which onely is the power of God vnto saluatiō to saue the soules of Gods people But of Reuelations and extraordinary declarations of Gods word hetherto for the 9. Article ARTICLE 10. of HN. Of Shrift ANd vnto their Elders priuately must they confesse all their sinnes and make their lyfe naked and bare before them Theophilus FOr how should they otherwise receiue counsell to auoyde the same and thereto it is spoken as reade forth the text and leaue your priuate addition as priuately William Wilkinson THe most conuenient method to deale with this as with all the rest of HN. his erroneous and absurd Paradoxes in my iudgement is first because the Famblers vse to cauil that they are falsly and vniustly burthened neither can that be proued by them wherewith they are charged by their owne wrightinges to conuince them to be guiltye of that which is layd agaynst them Secōdly to examine their groundes proofes whereby they labour to auouch their heresie to be the truth Thirdly to shew what parteners and fellowes they haue of other heretiques which haue either held the same heresie or hauyng held it haue maintained it by the same profes that they doe Lastly to shew wherein they in their opinions doe disagrée from the holy scriptures the iudgement of some wrighters cōcerning the same which order he that well considereth the former Articles shall sée hath by me ben obserued heretofore For the first pointe that HN. and the Familie hould an erroneous confession of sinnes and a kinde of shrift more then Popish shall not néede any long probation out of their wrightinges For that the Elder Theophilus confesseth the same boulstering vp his asseueration with this interrogatorye For how should they otherwise receiue counsell to auoyd the Fami c. Yet will I adde a place or twaine out of HN. to make the matter more cleare that hereafter it be not doubted of Let all your counsayles enterprises purposes will deeds whether they be then secret or manifest appeare at all tymes naked and bare before your Elders Eccle. 4. c. But if ye chaunce to offend in committing any misdeeds yet binde not in any case your hart thereon Eccle. 5. a. neither yet feare you to be ashamed Eccl. 4. c. to confesse the same before god Pro. 28. b. Esay 29. b. Ierem. 23. c. Esdras 16. g. and the priestes your Elders but let it appeare apparauntly before them c. sent 21. 22. 23. 30. Fourthly it is expedient that they should Prou. 28. b. Eccle 4. c. 17. b. Iam. 5. b. make manifest their whole harte with all their counsels mindes willes and thoughtes together with all their doinges dealinges and exercises naked and bare before the Eldest in the Familye of Loue are not couer Esay 29. b. 4. Esdr 16. g. or hide any thing be it what it is before him Also whereunto their inclination kinde and nature draweth them and
handled more at large And though that those which know not Theophilus bringing vp may by vnséemely and vnciuile speach thinke it to haue ben very rude in that at the first stoppe he breatheth out into this homely phrase that is vntrue and ye vtterly shame your selfe yet being somewhat acquainted and hauing as his phrase is an experimentall knowledge of his modestie I toke him better then he meaneth not measuring him by his owne elwand For I wot well it alwayes will be truth that the ould Oratour sayth to his frend Qui semel vericundiae fines transiliuerit c. He that once hath raunged without the listes of honestye he without all hoe must néedes be impudent To proue that I haue vnderstode amisse and falsified HN. his meaning in my places which I haue set downe Theophilus referreth me to the Lamentable complaint to the same sect which I quoted before thinking belike the if I looked againe I should finde it otherwise in the section 6.7 The words that I misliked in that place are these Euen as partely that same is well knowen and become manifest vnto vs of certaine namely of those which are the auncientest in the scripturlearnednes or principallest in the Ceremonye seruice which haue made vp themselues agaynst the truth of Gods testimonies and his promises agaynst the holy spirite of Christ and agaynst the Loue c. This place whome HN. in playne wordes auoucheth that the Auncientest that is the Bishops and reuerend Fathers and preachers of the word in the Scripture learnednes the principallest in the Ceremonye seruice c. is that wherewith I charged him The same is more euidently also to be sene 1. Exhor cap. 15. sentence 8. and 10. c. which is a slaunderous and a blasphemous section which because it is tedious I refraine to set downe verbatim after HN. his copie And Chapt. 16. sent 3. For certaine take in hand vse out of the imagination of the knowledge whereon they set their hartes at peace false God seruices which they notwithstandyng institute or bryng in for true God seruices Religions Lawes and Commaundementes of God and plant the same knowledge into the people as though they ought of right to be obedient thereunto And sent 14. Dare any man teach or set forth any thyng through the imagination of the knowledge whether he then haue taken on the same out of the learnednesse of the Scriptures or out of his good thinking wisedome as a word or Commaundement of the Lord or yet to institute any seruices out of the letter of the Scripture accordyng to his good thinking and so to plucke or make subiect the hartes of men to dissention thereunder c. sent 15. 16. By all the which places it is manifest what opinion he hath of the preachyng of Gods word that it is but an institute knowledge inuented by mans wit to the bredyng of discord dissētion then the which I say not what Papist what Atheist or Macheuile in the world could write or inuent any thyng more vngodly Besides this I am able to auouch by myne own experiēce that some with whō I haue conferred which haue affirmed that the Scripture is to hard for a simple mā and therfore the bookes of HN. do make a more easie passage and geue a readyer way to the vnderstandyng therof In somuch as when that the Elders haue perswaded any man to become their sectarie they haue for a tyme taken all the bookes of holy Scriptures from him and all other bookes altogether and geue him the bookes of HN. to meditate and be exercised in and this is that which HN. him selfe exhorteth them after this sort Glasse your beyng and minde in the glasse of righteousnes Iam. 1. c. and behold therein how many spottes and wrinkles there are yet in you Wherein he sheweth that he preferreth his booke which he termeth the Glasse of righteousnesse before the word of God in referryng them thereunto for to espy the spottes of sinne cleane contrary to the word of God which teacheth vs that the knowledge of sinne commeth by the law And this he doth not in this place alone but also almost at the end of euery Chapter in his Euang. This horrible treason agaynst God and his word as it would make any Christian hart to melt so is it not for the manifest impietie therof by many argumentes or places so much to be confuted as by the losse of the lyues of such gracelesse Atheistes to be chastised which the sooner shall stay if those to whom the Lord hath committed the care of his Church and gouernaunce of this commō wealth shal by some waight of seuere and sharpe lawes kéepe vnder so horrible impietie and blasphemy agaynst the sonne of god For herein is the infection more pestilent that the bookes of HN. beyng made of equall countenaunce with the word of God the writynges of HN. are receiued as a playne and easie truth the word of God either wholy abandoned and set aside or els read by the ouersight and allowance of their Elders who often tyme dust the beames of the truth by their vayne Allegories and idle Expositions But this is the iudgement of God which is iustly in great measure come vpon vs that whilest diuers of the ministers of the word haue not preached the word as the word of God and the people haue heard it as the word of man it is come to passe I say that our eyes are blynded least we should sée and our eares waxed deafe least we should heare our hartes are waxed dull least we should beleue and so the secret though iust punishment of hardnes of hart is come vpon vs so that thereby euery day we are nearer hell then other For what wickednes can be compared with this or what blasphemie hath the world euer bene witnes of the like that the fonde nature of our flesh as a swift streame hath caryed vs to the depth of such impietie that we should loade and burthen the blessed word of the eternall God with such intemperate and graceles tauntes as to doubt whether the truth be the truth or no. Well I say no more but he that is filthy let him be filthy still And that Argument which S. Paule thinketh to be of such weight to proue his preachyng to haue bene the vndoubted truth of God the same would I vse to perswade all such as wauer in the truth therof Proue your selues whether ye are in the fayth examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be cast awayes c. Wherein S. Paule appealeth vnto their owne consciēce to approue the certaintie of his doctrine truth of his Apostleshyp Right so say I vnto the Familie of Loue that whereas they affirme we teach nothyng but our owne good thinkyng I demaunde of them when they heare the word of God preached and their consciences shaken with the terrour thereof