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A10909 An answere vnto a wicked & infamous libel made by Christopher Vitel, one of the chiefe English elders of the pretended Family of Loue maintaining their doctrine, & carpingly answeringe to certaine pointes of a boke called the displaing of the Fam. Aunswered by I. Rogers. Rogers, John, fl. 1560-1580.; Vitell, Christopher, fl. 1555-1579. 1579 (1579) STC 21180; ESTC S116065 74,007 215

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illuminate Elders in the Family sinne not you deny it not but wish y I knew what I sayd you say that they preuayl with God ouer sinne But we deny that any preuayle with God ouer sin otherwise then in the person of Christ. And herein you teach false doc●rine to the people For your wordes are false that we preuaile with God and Christ ouer sinne Nay we affirme that we preuaile with God by Christ which accepteth vs for his sake and although you acknowledge neuer so much that this is brought to passe by Christ in vs yet we tell you playne that it standeth not with his good will and pleasure so to do but that contynually we should be petitioners to him for grace to keep vnder sinne that sinne raigne not in vs that sinne beare not rule in vs or haue dominion ouer vs as the Scriptures vse to sp●ake but that we preuayle against sinne so that we extinguish it in our own persons It is a doctrine of Sathan and not frō the lord In this and the like doctrine doth your Author and you shew a manifest p●oofe whence your errors are suckt euen from the Pope who teacheth that we may fulfill the law If it be so then may we be righteous by it and haue no neede of christ Such hereticall and imptous doctrine contrary to the scriptures you teach and therfore your Author and you worthely despysed The Pope in his doctrine of Opera super●● 〈◊〉 and you with your doctrine of perfection to be wrought in vs in this life do so extenuat the death and passion of our Lord and Sauyour Christ that the poore oppressed burthened sinner loaden and ●roning vnder the burthen of sinne can finde smal comfort Therfore the church of christ grounded vpon the Prophetes and Apostles Christ Iesus being the chiefe corner stone of this foundation doubt not in truth and humilitie of spirite to acknowledge still i● vs while we are in this life a battaile or combat against sinne to striue to fight but not to conquere to tryumph or to preuayle but by faith in Christ in whose person we conquere we tryumph and we preuayle So that to be ouercome or be subdued vnder sin we cannot because we haue a valiant and most victorious conqueror who still imputeth his conquest and victory ours yet so as sinne and the motions therof still remayn in ●s to our great exercise that feeling our w●●knes our want and our need we ●ight in our necessitye haue rec●●se vnto our Captayn our Sauyour and delyuerer But that we in our persons should p●euayle 〈◊〉 sinne as you affirmed is false wicked and damnable doctrine but such fauour hath falsed with you that you greedely embrace this as though Christ or his Apostles had taught it whereas it is against all the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and against all examples in the scriptures David sayth 〈…〉 S. Paul sayth Christ Iesus came into y world to saue sinners of y which number I am the greatest if doing our best we must acknowledge our selues vnprofitable seruauntes where is become your doctrine of perfection neuer heard of in Christ his Church our ●umayne state and condition is so lifted vp and stast with pride by your doctrine of perfection that penitent sinners find smal grace in whom you impute scarce hope of saluation except they attayne the perfection on whome shall Christ hys death take place to whome shal the vertue thereof extend if none shal be saued but such as be perfect in whome no sinne resteth or remayneth you take away all comfort from sinners to whome the Gospell belongeth and our onely comfort in distresse the effect wherof by this your doctrine is denied miserably do you herein deceaue your setu●s and other They that haue pleasure in sinn● are seruaunts to sinne as you affirme but to haue pleasure in sinne that sinn raygne in vs or haue dominion ouer vs continually we affirme that they are marke● and tokens not of the children of good but contrary yet we doubt not to ●●●irme the remnants the motions lust● and rōcupiscence incident to our frayle nature still to lurke in our bodyes notwithstanding we be in the fauour with God and made righteous by Christ his death and passion for so it standeth with his good wil and pleasure that his grace should be made perfect through our weaknes Therefore you with your doctrine of perfection doe extenuate his death as much as in you lyeth We are not in humbling our selues enemies vnto y lord but you by exalting your selues except ye repent will be taken enemies both to God and all good men Your schollers in the Family doe blame vs in their wrytings affirme that we in confessing our imperfections ▪ and sinnes which contynually doe assault vs dayly and hourely We are as they say ▪ Aduocates for sinue and you teaching a perfection are mainteners of righteousnes but more truely may it be sayd of you that you with your perfection are enemies to y grace of God manifest to vs by Christ Iesu● our Lord and do thereby blaspheme as much as in you lyeth the glory of hys passion and death appropriate only to sinners you may with the pharasies brag of your perfection and obseruation of the law but we comfort ourselues with these and the lyke sayings of holy Scripture Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē sonne c Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world c. Vitell. FArther you say they may ioyne with any congregatiō or Church and liue vnder the obedience of any Maiestr●te It is true we are obedient vnto all Maiestrates where wee dwell for ●he peaces cause and obserue their politick ordinances which are to a good protectiō of their subiectes ●●d the land but we consent not vnto any thing which is agaynst God or hys commaundements also we accomp● none vngodly but such a● obsti●atly blaspheme the Lord hys ordi●●unces and despise his most holy seruice of loue although they be ignoraunt of the waye vnto lyfe For we confesse that there is no man righteousnes vntill the Lord deliuer hym from his vnrighteousnesse and through hys Christ make hym righteous and then may he say that the Lord is hys righteousnes Aunswere THat you may ioyne with any Church c. I did affirme beyng led by many reasons so to do for you perswaded many in Queene Maries raigne to go to Masse your brethren in Flaunders which are of your Family do the lyke you also with vs come to Church and ioyne with vs in praier in ●euing thanks in he●ring the worde preached c. Yet hau● you priuate conu●ntickles and meetings forbidden by the law wherin you shewe not your obedience to the Maiestrates a● you affirme but your wilfull stubburnes and frowardnes you ioyne with all to wyne all but more iustly you flatter
is not enough to se●d out your Libel● without name and ●ide your selu●● 〈…〉 and say our ri●orous de●ling is t●● cause thereof Truel● i● you would appo●nt tyme and place and meete accordingly I burst vndertake to be bound that you should both come goe safely where conferēce might bring trueth to light if you looke for trueth and require to be satis●●●d for this wrangling is not so consonant to Christiā pietye ▪ truth ▪ and playne dealing is ●est and none that euer held trueth but was desirous of conference i● you refuse it and mutter still among your selues when shall trueth appeare where it is For the loue of God examine these things and take better aduise Vitel. YOu say moreouer that we affirme that the lawe of God may be kept it is true we doe so affirme that they whi●h loue God will keepe his commaundementes ●or so sayth Christ he that loueth me will keepe my commaundementes but he that loueth me not will not keepe them Aunswere THen all is not false y I haue collected of you as some of your Familye haue written that the law is possible to be kept you deny not but why you affirme it you yeald small reason only Christ sayth If you keepe my commaundementes c. Touching this matter of the possibilitye of the law I haue aunswered your schollers to their seuerall Epistles sent to me Yet further consider what 〈◊〉 nature of the law is The● lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4 v. 15. The law hath dominion ouer man as long as he liueth R●m ● v. ●● I know not sinne but by the 〈…〉 Actes 15. chap. 10. ver ▪ Why tempt you God to ley a yoke on the disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor we are able to beare marke therefore what is the nature of the law It causeth wrath it hath dominion ouer vs while we liue it bringeth vs to the knowledge of sinne a yoke importable now compare this with our frayle state and condition how by the law the Lord hath made our sinnes knowē as appeareth Rom. 11.32 For God hath shut vp all in vnbelie●● that he might haue mercy on all also Gala. 3.22 But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the f●ith of Iesus Christ shoulde be geuen to them that beleue If by this doctrine we b● concluded and shut vp all vnder sinne then it argueth a playne impossibilitye to keepe the law If there were in vs any possibilitye to fulfill the lawe thē Chri●● our Lord dyed in vaine for he fulfilled the same for vs neither was there any meane found in heauen or earth to pacify the wrath of God and satisfy y law but the death of that immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus For Christ was apoynted to fulfill the law for vs before there was a law geuen for if by our infirmitye the strength of Christ is made per●te Cor. 2. chap. 12. vers 9. So contrary if we affirme in vs strength to fulfill the law then is his death extenuat● and made o● none effect It is no derogatiō to God that such a law is geuen vs which we cannot keepe but thereby his great mercy and loue towards vs is shewed in sauing vs and delyuering vs from the danger therof by Christ Iesus ou● Lord. We reiect not the law but in reu●rence imbrace it as a scholemaster to sée our imperfections and send vs to Christ such is the nature of the law such is our weakenes in performing the same neuer was there any that did it only ●achary ●lysabeth are sayd to walke in all the commaundements ●ut how far sine querela co●●m 〈◊〉 without reproose before men But i● the Lord should haue entered in●o iudgement agaynst them by the dexterity of his law ▪ then must they need● haue sayd to vs is nothing due but confusion and shame to thee be honor and glory for euer Now you s●e how the law is fulfilled and sati●fied in the person of Christ no● in our persons but meerely by him so that in Christ and by Christ haue we fulfilled the law because his righteousnes is made ours by grace which we take hold on through faith All those places of holy scripture which commaund the obseruation of the law do therin set before vs marks to leuell at so that we must studye to come as neare them in our life as our mortall state and frayle condition will permit You deceue your selues mightely when by illusion of Sathan you acknowledge that you keep the law in euery condition as it requireth except ye admit that distinctiō the Libertines doe which affirme nothing to be sinne except we make a conscience thereof before it be committed Much more might be sayd by men of better skill if you require to be satisfied Vitell. FVrthermore you say that we affirme HN. to be the true Prophet of God sent to blow the last trump● of doctrine which shal be blowē vpon the earth Marke wh●t ▪ his works testifie of him and euen so is he whether it be beleued or no● But he sayeth not that no man knoweth the true sen●e of the scripture but he but this I say if any man know the truth he cānot condemn HN. nor his prophesie but much more imbrace it Answere THat HN. was a Prophet you denied not before now you affirme the same but you giue vs a caueat that he is the same that his workes testifie of him what you meane by his works I know not excepte you meane hys bookes which testifie him to be a deceiuer ●●d an erroneous spirit he seduc●d by Sathan and you by him But if you meane by wo●kes some miraculous matter muttered of you in secret corners thē we tell you plain ●hat neither his bookes nor his works can cleare him of false prophesies and wicked doctrine which you teach the people as appeareth You say if any man know y truth he cannot condemne HN. nor his prophesie but much more imbrace it If you could make this to be beléeued it were somwhat but who will credite your saying being so often takē tardy There be many in the worlde which know the truth vndoutedly which neuer heard of HN. nor any doctrine of his ▪ your saying is very monstrous many are with the Lord that haue geuen their liues for the truth and yet neuer knew HN. nor heard of him if none know the truth but such as imbrace ●N and his doctrine then wa● trueth hidden before he came into the world or writ his bookes such a gift you haue to auouch a manifest vntrueth where all godly Christianes can say the contrary Yet to mayntayne him in his vaine prophesying ▪ you let not to ty trueth to his girdle so that none that knowes trueth can condemne HN. So inuinsible a Patrone you haue with long seeking gotten at last I doe verely thinke for all your great bragge that HN. will be an odious name in the mouthes of god hi● children through all England
good but forasmuch as your doctrine is false wicked and fantasticall therfore your prayer is corrupte and abhominable and to be despised and all princes that fear the Lord wil become vtter enemies to you ● your doctrine and seek diligently to amend if it be possible your corruptions and I doute not but the Lord hath in his Church men of zealous mindes who will not see the glory of our immortall God nor the death passion and resurrection of Christ Iesus our Lord so defaced dar●kned and shadowed And that his Church may be purged of such corrupt weedes which spring vp séeking to destroy that good corn which is sowed already O Lord God we humble sinners abiding in the vnity of thy holy Church doe most humbly hartely pray thee euē for thy sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus sake that thou wilt in m●rcy looke vpon thy poore afflicted Church and the members thereof that by no malice of Sathan no pretence of collored speach nor no vanity of minde any of thy children be caryed away as straying from thy fould but that O Lord they may agayne be ioyned to thy flock so that so many as pertayne vnto that good shepherd of our soules Christ Iesus may laud and prayse thy name with one voyce and O Lord we most humbly beseech thee to clense thy Church from the filthy dregges of doctrine which wicked mē through the malice of Sathan haue deuised to disquiet thy peaceable Sion conuert thou them O Lord wée beseech thee mollify their stony hartes which haue set vp a Prophet whome thou O Lord hast not sent let them O Lord behold how farre they haue declyned from thy wayes and followed the doctrine of deceaueable men let them see from whome they haue departed to whom they clea●e fast And although we O Lord by our offences and the manyfold transgressions wherwith we prouoke thy merci●ull goodnes who doe know thy will and yet are so slow performer● therof wherby thou O Lord doest punish our offences so that wicked men now set vp thēselues against vs accusing vs and that worthely of the breaking of thy holy lawes So O Lord although we haue thus sore prouoked thy goodnes by our offences yet we beseech thee consider thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour whose obedience righteousnes to thy will ▪ thou hast by promise made it ours so that belōging to thy sonne we are shadowed vnder his righteousnes and couered vnder his winges in safety from eternall destruc●ion But such is thy goodnesse O mercifull God to try thy children here in earth how stedfast we will bid batta●le against Sathan and his impes and how constant we will abide therein so that no blast nor inuation of enemies shall I hope shake that foundation of faith that thou hast pl●nted in vs which we most humbly desire thy maiesty to increase and that we may perseu●re and continue in the vnity of thy holy church in this life and after we may inioy t●e fruition of thy godly mai●stye and sing pr●yses vnto thee world without end Vitell. O Lord let vs finde grace before thine eyes and heare ou● humble s●pplication which we make vnto thee in the sorrowfulnesse of our ha●ts For a broaken hart and a sorrowfull sp●●ite wilt thou O Lord not despise ▪ for euen there wilt thou enter 〈◊〉 and therby m●●e thine habitation and sanctifie thy name from gen●ration t●●en●●●tio● 〈◊〉 in euerlastingnes It is very true Answere O Lord we b●seech thée turne the harts of thes● deceaue● people and graunt them thy hol● s●irit y they may discern thy truth tau●ht in thy holy word and not geue ea●e vnto an●e which teach cōtrary therto ouerthrow their deuices brig to light their de●●●ts for thy holy names sake That we thy childrē may rei●yce ouer their t● uersiō so together with one voice magnifie praise thy glorious name ▪ and that those straying sh●●p may be brought in to thy fold again 〈◊〉 it be thy bles●●d wil Reueale vnto them O Lord we beseech thee the office and death of thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour that they tasting the swetenes thereof may ●orsake the confidence they haue in their perfection and that we may all acknowledge onely Christ Iesus to be per●ite and we our selues dust and dung and whatsoeuer is vile let n●t Sathan lead thē captiue but O Lord we besech thee pull them out of the Lyons mouth and conioyne them to thy holy Church out of which they haue wandred ouer long in doctrines of men Let thy strength appeare O Lord and let our weakenes be made open to them let the effect of thy Gospell breake into their hartes of stone that they may tast féele how sw●ete the Lord is in mercy towardes sinners and how seuere to such as iustify thēselues And if it stand with thy good will pleasure thus to cōuert thē at the sute of our earnest prayers we shall for the same geue thankes in thy Church euermore But if thy Churche shall haue thereby their tryall made knowē to the world herein O Lord kéepe thy children and such as loue th● Lord Iesus embrace the ioyfull tidinges of the Gospell in thine owne bosome that they be not led away with any pretences of pietye into error or corruption but defend them as thou hast promised that what pittye a Father hath ouer his childrē lyke pittye thou O Lord wilt shew vnto thē which we besech thee graunt vs for thy sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whome with the holy ghost be honor land prayse power and dominion from euerlasting to euerlasting So be it The state and condition of a regenerate man by the rule of holy scripture compared with the state of a regenerat man by the doctrine of HN. in the Familye of Loue. I Being in my creation at the first in most excellent state and happines hauing by diuine prouidēce in my selfe frée choyse will to choose the good and refuse the euill described by fire and water I willingly and of mine owne accord gaue place to euill and so worthely by iustice brought vpon my selfe the heauy hand of my God and the dexteritye of his law ▪ with malediriō cursse where in ● had remained euerlastingly had not the Lord my God in mercy and of his speciall grace beholding my woe●●●l ●ase without any desert of mine prouided and promised a deliuerer a Sauiour euē the Lord Iesus which in ●ulnes of time came whome the Patriarches hoped after whome the Prophets foretold of which died for my sinnes and rose agayne for my iustification who put out the hand writing of the law pronounced agaynst me ●astened it to his crosse who suffered for me y I might raigne with him who left me an example that I should ●ollow his steppes And which is more without cōdition promis●d me eternall lyfe which by the onely sacrifice of his death he hath obtayned and by his paynefull
trueth they seeke but singularitye For although in other matters there be difference opinions yet in ma●s election saluation redemption and regene●ation being the pillers and foundations of our fayth whosoeuer erreth herein cannot be saued I am also Christian reader to desire thee to amend and correct with thy pen certaine faultes escaped in this trea●ise by the Printer and to amend the sence of some sentences being not rightly poynted which I refer vnto thy learned Iudgement The Lord our God blesse thee and graūt vs his holy spirite that we may persist and abide in the vnitye of his holy Church and patiently abide the Lord his leasure in rooting out errors and heresies which disquiet thy little flocke They are exercises of our fayth but yet blockes whereat the wicked stumble and hinderaunces of many a mans conuersion which the Lord our God foretold vs of that in the latter dayes such should come and such daungerous dayes should be that if it were possible the elect should be deceiued The complaint of a Regenerate man vnto God the Father shewing the sorrowfulnes of his ha●t O Lord God heauenly Father tho● that art not only our God but the God of all the world we thy creatures the worke ●f thy hands make our humble prayers and supplications b●fore thy excellent maiesty ●eseeching thee O Lord not to consider vs as we a●e of our selues ea●th ashes and whatsoeuer is 〈◊〉 but as we are in Christ Iesus our Lord thy sanctified people whom thou hast chosen before all worlds to witnes thy ●ame in earth And to whom t●ou hast made manifest thy Sonne ou● Sauiour with an vncouered face to our great comfort ●et alas we vnworthy wretches finde in our selues such heapes of sinnes and such lumpes and loades of impieties that were we not stayed in thy promyses wee should perish with mistrust in thy mercies For we know that thou art a iust God and doest visite the offences of thy childrē with rods and their sinnes with whips Yet thy mercy doth neuer faile vs Yea although we sinne yet are we thine We haue O Lord tasted greatly of thy mercies Many yea●es we haue been fed with heauenly meate Long time we haue enioyed the benefite of thy gospel a blessi●● of blessinges our own conscience doth witnes yea our sinnes are so ripe and so outragious that they are ascended vp vnto the heauens and 〈◊〉 for thy iustice which we haue sore prouoked with multyplying sinne vpon since We haue not obayed thy voice We haue not harkened vnto thy seruants whom thou hast s●●t We haue propbaned thy holy Sabaoth with vaine spectacles vngodly tragedies We professe thy name in our word but deny it in deedes Our vanity is too too manifest in our apparrail Our excesse appeareth in our banquets Our small reuerence towardes thy holy name in our vayne other Our merciles charitie towards thy mēbers is too too manyfest Yea our whole life is nothing els but abuse of thy creatures with ingratitude for thy benefites So that we thy children are to expect and looke for nought els but thy heauy hand yea thy iudgements in displeasure We and our for fathers haue sinned Our Princes and Rulers our Priestes our Prophets and teachers Yea from the greatest to the least all haue followed the bypath of their own imagination deuice ▪ and haue not harkned vnto thy word to make it the lanthorne to our feete and the light to our steps Our own wayes and deuises haue preuayled We therfore O Lord our God prostrate our selues before thy maiesty beseeching thee for thy deere Sonne our Sauyour Christ Iesus sake turne not away thy face from vs in displeasure Bring not vpon vs wretches the due punishments our sinnes haue deserued Looke not vpon vs as we are of our selues but as we belōg to Christ Iesus for whose sake thou hast promised to deny vs nothing we aske in his name Looke vpon thy wonted mercies of old although the cry of our sinnes be great before thee yet the righteousnes of our Lord and Sauyour Christ Iesus is greater whom we interpose and put betweene thy iustice and our deserts Yea by him we appeare with boldnes before thee this day as childrē not as strangers saying O Our Father sanctified be thy holy name Let thy kingdome be inlarged in vs thy children Let thy will be performed in vs most obediētly euē as thy saints holy ones do fulfill the same before thee Geue vnto vs O Lord all earthly blessings this day that we may vse them to our comfort and not abuse them in pleasure Forgeue vs O Lord we beseech thee our dayly sinnes that we commit against thy diuine Maiesty And geue vs thy holy spirite that we may forgeue all such as by any degree 〈◊〉 trespas against vs Leade vs not not O Lord into tryall nor temptation aboue our strength for then our weakenes will appeare Delyuer vs O Lord from all those euils our sinnes dayly prouoke And frō all those plagues and punishments which thou hast threatned to bring vpon vs at this time Delyuer vs from the mouthes of cruell Lions which dayly ga●e to deuour vs From blondy Papistes which lye in wayte for vs and d●ly conspire to bereaue vs of the most comfortable benefit of thy word and seeke to make our liues a pray vnto their greedy desires Bring O Lord their deuises to nought Let th● li●le flock enioy the sweete comfort of thy gospell that we may praise thy holy name in our own land Roote out all sec●es and heresies which are among vs which Sathan hath stirred vp to disquyet thy church And Lord if it be thy will either to conuert them or put them to silence for euermore Preserue O Lord God our gracious Queene Elizabeth in thine own bosome Deliuer her O Lord from all conspiracies treso●s and trecheries which Sathan in his members shall deuise against her Make void their cou●cels that consult against her and let vs O Lord enioy thy blessing in her long prosperous and happy dayes Geue O lord vnto her Councellors wisdome fortitude and courage to preuent all dangers and vnto our bishops and teachers geue truth in do●trine boldnes to publish the same without 〈◊〉 And to vs thy people geue O lord humble hartes and obedyent minds that we thy children may now at the last be warned to reuerence and regard thy holy gospel and feare thy pu●●shmēt● forsaking our vain delites in earthly things so that our whol life may be a dayly watch and looking for thy glorious coming So that in our hartes we may dayly sa● Come Lord Iesus come quikly that we maybe losed f●ō th● woful vale wherein we doe nothing but prouoke thee with our sinnes ▪ Graunt O Lord we beseech thee that thy church may long enioy the liberty of thy word and geue constancy to thy members our bretheren which suffer any crosse or tribulatiō●●her in body or minde as witnesses of thy trueth Geue
God and righteousnes and truth from Ierusalem But it doth not follow that we knew not these testimonies but by HN. his ministerye before his new doctrine was broched the Church of Christ was not ignoraunt of that corner stone Christ Iesus of his holy priesthod of his holy sacrifice these thinges were truly understood and knowē although HN. had neuer written Touching Christ his comming as a theefe we know it is ment of his second comming although you would gladly haue it to be the comming of HN. with his new blasphemyes The watchmē vpon mount ●phraim are the teachers of Christ his Church of which number your HN. is none his cryes are from Flaunders and not from Sion You place two speciall vertues Loue and Truth as a face and ●ositenaunce to your doctrine but if wee should examine the same by the word of the Lord then your Loue is but pretenced For your Loue should be knowen by louing the Lord Iesus who loued vs first But the loue of HN. hath besotted your hartes who by his doctrine is enemy vnto our Lord Iesus who onely is to be beloued And for truth you onely vse the word barely without substaūce what trewth you vse in this your libell will appeare by reading to euery indifferent minde if your Loue and trueth be no better then is here expressed then I may well affirme that little Loue and small truth is to be found in this your libell Vitell. BEhold I ley in Sion a stone of foundation a proofe stone a costly corner stone to a fast foundation who so beleueth in him let him not hast For I will make the iudgement to a measure lyne ●nd the righteousnes a ballaunce Esa. 28. b. Luke ▪ ●0 b. Rom. 9. c ▪ Pet. ● ● A fals● ballance is abhomination vnto the Lord but a full weight pleaseth 〈◊〉 ●●ll ▪ Prou. 11. ● A ●ight ballance ▪ and waight is of 〈◊〉 Lord ▪ and all pownde● in the sack ▪ are his workes Prou. 16. Should I sayth the Lord Iustifye the vnright ballance and the false waightes in the sacke wherethrough their rich men doe much vnright and their anhabit●untes deale with lyes and haue deceitful tongues in their throats Mich. 6. b. 〈◊〉 ▪ Therefore will I begin to plague you and make you desolate because of your sinnes Miche 6. Awake now all and repent and remember to be obedient vnto the law and commaundementes of the Lord to the end that ye in the day of the Lord be not found intangled or held captiue of your sinnes nor plagued with the plague of the vngodly Whosoeuer now in the 〈…〉 Lord will escape the plagues of the vngodly and bide preserued in●the godlynes● ▪ Let him beleve in Iesus Christ●y ei●en as● the 〈◊〉 sayth and turne him about 〈…〉 of a childe and apply him to be obedient vnto the requiring of the word of Iesu Christ and of the doctrine of his lor● ▪ And so let euery one come and assemble him to the mount Sion to the cominalty● of Saynte● and to the stone the fast foundatiō which is laid of God in Sion and build him thereon to a spirituall house in all loue and cōcord and to an holy priesthod For to offer spirituall oblaciōs which are acceptable vnto God through Iesus Christ. 1. Pet. 2. I through the grace of God which is geuen to me haue layd the foundation lyke a wise architect and an other buildeth thereon but let euery one take heed how he buildeth theron For an other foundation can no man ley then there is leyd which is Iesus Christ. 1. Con. chap. 3. b. This description of Sion my beloued haue I writtē 〈◊〉 geue th●●by the louers of truth to vnd●●stand whether they have read any of the bokes of HN or no● which are named the most holy seruice of lou● that the scriptures which the Lord hath set forth through his elected mi●ist HN. are brought forth out of Sion according to the promises of the lord For it is written that the Lord will bring forth his loue out of Sion his word out of Ierusalem c. Also that the same HN ▪ hath taught all men to repaire to his mount Sion and builde thereon the which is in his works declared at large as is before rehersed Answere HEre is set down a large description of Sion of the corner stone foundation and many places of holy scripture heaped together but to no other end that can be perceiued but to amaze the Reader that your doctrine should thereby beare a face and countenaunce of trueth and come from Sion Ierusalem but we tel you truely that your new vpstart heresies with your new termes are not testimonies of Sion but from Bethell Dan Gilgall your masking shew is now discouered your vizards pluckt of Your painted words are opē to the world your suttle ●leightes made manifest here are many places quoted but none applied If we shal assemble to Siō as you require then must we leue your HN. your Family For by Sion is vnderstood the doctrin of the prophets Apostles and Euangelistes from which the Lord assisting vs we will neuer depart and whatsoeuer doctrine may be proued by these● we reuerētly embrace gladly receaue what doctrine soeuer is contrary here unto that we reiect cast of of which number the doctrine of HN. and his Familye are because it agreeth not with that Prophets Apostles nor Euangelistes You geue the louers of truth to vnderstand whether they haue red any c● H N. his booke● or not 〈◊〉 so that there may be ●onets of truth although they neuer red H N. nor his bookes as you graūte this vnto vs now so you will deny the same hereafter as shall appeare you would still haue vs beléeue that H N. teacheth no doctrine but builded vpon Syon as appeares by his workes his bookes are to be seene his doctrine is out of his own imaginatiō being deluded by an erroneus spirit to disquyet the Ioyfull proceedinge of Christ his gospell and to exercise his church according to this saying necess●●st haereses esse c. It is necessary that heresies be c. There was neuer heresse in the world but would dispute argew and reason and deny no conference with any but this HN. thinketh it sufficient that he tell his Familye that he hath learned his doctrine by gods owne mouth and no man may speake against him nor his doctrine but by and by he is condemned for a blasphemer of the holy ghost So sharpe and quick are these Elders of the familye in iudgement it is tyme for you to helpe your decaying state with some face shew of wordes For your Familye doubt not doe espy your poysoned doctrine which lay hid from them vnder your darke speach and vnaccostomed phrases his workes declare his doctrine to come from his owneacute braine by illusion of Sathan and none geueth testimony of him but himselfe and you his deceiued
all others And some of those bookes haue come into my hands whom you tearme enuious and diuelled with the diuell Strange Doctrine must néedes haue strange tearmes Your iudgement of me and master Batman we wil only answere with this saying The Lord geue you a better minde and a more modest spirite I would you were as free from heresies and false doctrine as we are from a diuilish mind You affirme we haue blasphemed the holy Ghost and his elect minister HN. Here is sharpe iudgement and such as should not be in any of Christ his church this doth well become you ●lders in HN. his Family Surely if there were no other matter in y wo●ld to discerne your doctrine by your own poysoned words would bewrap your spirit of what housholde you are of The childrē of God do know that you are herein manifest and wicked liars but you haue no pleasure in such workers of wickednes and no maruayle being come to that perfection that you are we poore sinners are despised in your sight but our hope is in the lord Iesus who doth not despise sinners but for vs he shed his bloud and for you which are so righteous in whom no motion of sinne can be found I doubt doth this saying appertayne I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Vitell. THis blasphemous Bateman with his slaūdering and lying blasphemeth the holy ghost For he nameth the Familye of Loue a cormorant ●owle and an hereticall sect whereas notwithstanding there is no Catholick Church nor comminal●ye of Saintes but the Familye of Loue and therein he condēneth the holy scripture the law the Proph●ts and also Christ and his Apostles ● moreouer he sayth that the Lord his elected Minister HN. is of seede of sectaries whereas his doctrine is altogether agaynst all sectaryes Aunswere TO Follow a little of your Rethorick you forget both Christianitye and humanitye so intemperate you are in your blasphemous tearmes because Master Bateman calleth your Familye of Loue a cormorant ●owle doth it follow that he is a blasphemer of the holy ghost this is such a consequence as best becomes your schoole and your franticke humors are thereby made knowen to the World. Men would not thinke that such speach should proceede from the ●lders of the Family this were two much ●f your yoūg nouices should in their brau●es and con●i●ions vse but you to wright such vngodly and vncomely speach aduisedly it cannot be colored by any shaddow of wordes touching Maister Bateman he is a learned reu●rent and godly preacher neither can your vngodly tearmes once blemish neither his person nor his calling I would you did follow that vocation and calling wherein you were once placed no worse then Maister Batemā doth his calling in discharge wherof you nor none of your Familye can iustly reprehend him neither in lyfe nor doctrine which is sufficient testimony of his demeanour For i● you had any thing to accuse him of you would not conceale it ▪ so bitter are your stomakes as appeareth by your vngodly tearmes Whereas you say that there is no catholicke Church b●t the Familye of Loue this is as stra●nge as your other wordes are horrible and monstrous For where was your Familye before Dauid George or HN. were borne some of your here●ies in dé●de were maintayned before by Pellagians by ●nabaptistes by Papistes and such lyke but your generall doctrine was neuer patcht together but of late by HN. in Flaunders a place as apt to brede errors as you are to broch● them in condemning HN. you woul● haue the world beleue that Maister Bateman condemneth the lawe the Prophetes Christ and his Apostles With what impudent face can you a●o●ch this must 〈◊〉 credit your owne wo●des and testimonyes onely because you say your doctrine commeth from Sion Christ hath instructed his Church sufficiently to credit no such Fables An other reason you produce that Maister Bateman doth accuse HN. to be of the seede of certaine sectaris and to cleare him thereof you ●ay that his doctrine is altog●her agaynst all sectaryes It is the mann●r of impious perso●● to flee the ●anies of the facult●e they vse as the theese the murtherer th● harlot the dronkerd or such lyke they would not be called by those names which vi●es they imb●ace for it is odious vnto thē so you to cl●are HN. of partaking with sondry sectes doe affirme that he is agayn●t all sectaryes that he as a master o● sectaryes might be alone But this aunswere is not sufficient to cleare HN. to be voyd of heresis and sectes ●t were expediē● sor his purga●ion that he should publish vnto the world if he dealt playnely a boke to approue his calling and shew vs in plaine speach that his doctrine is sound and agreeing vnto the scriptures otherwise he may deceaue irroneous heads such as you are but God his children I hope will take heede of your ●ollyes Vitell. NOw euen lyke as the forenamed Bateman hath slaundered HN. euen so doe you also I. R. For you say that HN. was thought to be the chiefe of Dauid Georges sect after his death and so you doe slaunder him by presupposing for I know they be false imagi●●tions all what you imagine of him for you dispise him because he sayth he is a Prophe● sent of god But the tyme may come that you sh●l ●inde his Prophe●ie true and although you cannot beleue it yet you ought not to despise it neither ought you to despise the dutch langua●e which you count to be rude whe●ein the Lord through his Minister ●N hath brought fourth his most holy seruice of loue For I know you neuer counceled with the L●●d and therefore you know nothing of his se●retes Aunswere WHerein I haue slaundered your Aucthor ●N in supposing him to be chiefe of Dauid Georges sect you show no reason to the contrary you affirme that alike we haue slaundered him and I thinke euen so For neither of vs haue slaundered him in de●d as ●arre as I can vnderstand to cleare him of accusation you onely say all i● false what I haue supposed of him you thinke that is inough among your Familye for your word among the● is of some credit but it be●oueth you should by substantiall reasons cleare him of such matter as I haue charged him with your bare denyall with vs is not sufficient for the cre●ite of your Aucthor ▪ you should say somewhat by your silence and bare denyall men doe verely thinke the supposition is very true That he was one of Dauid ●eorges sect I haue laid downe the reasons that moued me so to thinke in a little booke called the displaying of the Familye of Loue amongest other reasons there alledged I set downe certayne articles o● the coherence and agreement of doctrine and how lykely they agree together by perusing the same may be perceaued whereunto this man thinkes it sufficient for him to say all is false what I haue imagined agaynst him but
agreing with our frayle condition and nature But such is our vanitye not guided by the spirite of God to aduaunce our state and calling aboue our degree and condition by the setting on of our enemy Sathan Vitell. NOw I doe maruell why you be so enuious agaynst that name HN. wil you not permit the Lord to geue names to his ministers according to the worke that he will accomplish by them or doe you think that the names are geuē to the outward creature then are you much deceiued No my beloued the seruauntes of the Lord are children of Loue ascribe no names of holynes as dew to the outward person For they know that they are but fraile ea●then vessels beare their names according to their vertues whiche God hath geuen them and submit them humbly and obediently as serviceable instrum●ts to serue the lord their nei●hbour therfore I would councell you to looke i●to your selues marke what 〈◊〉 good thinking spirites rule 〈◊〉 wherethrough ye blaspeme di●pi●e dishonor the t●ple or taberna●l● of the Lord. Answere AGaynst the two letters of HN. I am not enuyous only against such doctrine as he doth teach contrary to the scripture whereby you as an Ipocrite haue seduced the people and led thē into error and corrupt wayes to hinder the Lord of his purpose it resteth not in mortal man If HN. be a name signifiyng some office why hath neither he nor you manifested y same but plead ignorance that it signifieth some h●e misterye which you nor we know not now as HN. is a name geuē by the Lord as you affirme according to the worke that he will establish by him so doth his fellow Elder ●idelitas looke for lyke credit whose wordes I will repeate as they be written in his booke called A dist●nci●e declaration of the requiring of the Lord c. In the First chap. 1● se●ion ●e hath these wordes following but fire or bend alwayes all your sight o● me Fidelitas and consider how that the Lord hath chosē me euen frō my very byrth out of my Mothers wombe to the obedience of the requiring of his word For that I with you and yee also with me according to the requiring of the testimonyes of his gracious word should become vnited therein and so to growe of one vniforme being with ech other in the same c. You shew vs in the 29. sexion that through HN. his priestes office the Lord will receaue all men in mercy but for Fidelitas office as yet we know not what it is and in deede there were neuer any that would challenge such names as these elders doe affirme that they signifie their office and calling certayne players vpon stages would declare th●●r names representin● c●rt●ine ●e●●ue● to se● out their matters som● w●●e call●d tru●th some hope some ●aithfulnesse but in sadnes to set ●owne such names to si●ni●●e 〈◊〉 which th● Lord as y●u affirme will accomplish by them is meere imp●etie But where the Lord geueth names it appeareth by their calling and such a●e their workes and sayinges as ge●eth testimony s●fficient to their vocation ●ut ●our HN. c●n shew no sufficient markes wherby any but seduced perso●s should geue credite to his wordes onely a pa●nted shew and barren heaping vp of wo●des darkly appli●d without conclusion or sence sauing you and such l●ke that finde great mister●es in his sentences carying such credit among you as is not seeming Christians The Lord gaue names to sundry vnder the law as Isaack Sampson Iohn ●aptist c. But doth it follow that HN. is a name geuen by the lord Proue vnto vs that the Lord hath established his name your friuolous cauill that HN. signifieth 〈◊〉 will not serue such bables are scarce suffici●̄t to me●k children therefore you must deuise some better 〈◊〉 Some of your Familye haue written that HN. signifie●h some greater matter then either you ▪ or wee can tell of such incertentyes ho● you au●uch of your HN. For vncertayne doctrine must haue certayne ●idden misteryes to amase the heares mindes or els no doubt ▪ the drift of do●● me would easely be espied Therefore you must de●ise some hidden s●●retes whereby to cary a shew of prof●●●d m●tter That names are geuen by men in these dayes and not by God there is no doubt or question but you would sayne haue HN. to be a name geuen of God to signifie a calling you geue vs no reas●n so to thinke but woulde haue vs beleue it is so because you say so then were we vayn heads and vnc●nstant mindes For we depende so stricktly vpon the scr●ptures of God that no spirite no 〈◊〉 nor no Angel teaching other 〈◊〉 can be a co●ted or beleued amongst vs so ce●tayn is our faith and so inuincible is that truth which by the Scriptures we held In that you t●e Children of y loue ascribe no names of holynes vnto the outward person it is a mistery we a●e ignorant of we simply geue names to our children in baptisme without signification of holynes touching the In●ant the names may signifie holynes but that the person carrying the same name shall be indewed therwith that are we ignorant of If you haue such hidden misteries among you it were good the world should not be ignorant of it We commit the successe and euent of such hidden secrets to the lord Of enuyous good thinking spirites that rule in vs you councel vs to looke to without your councell God willing we meane to follow the councel of the Lord our God which willeth vs not to beleue euery spirite c. And yet I neuer heard before of enuyous good thinking spirits But such a grace you haue not only to forge new doctrine but new names of Spirits also In speaking against HN. you wold insinuate that we blaspheme despise and dishono● the temple or tabernacle of the lord Doth it follow necessarily that they that speake against HN. blaspheme despise c. And is he the temple or tabernacle of the Lord vndoubtedly we are all deceaued then For I assure you we take him to be an erroneous spirit a fantastical hed possessed with pride of minde Sathan blowing the belowes The Lord working therby the exercise of his church If you haue other opiniō of HN. warrant or groūd so to do haue you none But be●ause you will not be●eeue the truth therefore are strong illusions sent whereby you might be deceaued Looke into the holy Scriptures with a more single minde and it shall be easily perceiued Vitell. MOr●ouer you say that the illuminat ●lders sin not I would you knew what you say forth you should vnderstand that they do lord and preuaile with God and C●●ist ouer the sinne and haue no pleasure to commit sinne therfore they teach men the godly obedience whereby they might be frends with God but they that haue pleasure in sinne are the seruants of ●inne and are enemies to the Lord. Answere I Haue sayd that the
now he beginneth to be knowen and by the great credit and admiration you haue him in the more detestable will he be reputed as a seducer of such men as cannot content themselues wi●h such trueth as the scriptures containe but must haue a Prophét raysed vp out of Flaūders a banished man and one that dare not shew his face in any countrey openly and you had rather imbrace his noueltyes then the wholsome doctrine conteyned in the olde and new testament Vitell. NOw concerning his bookes they be of such Aucthoritye as he affirmeth them but where as you say that he sayth all is false and lyes whatsoeuer is taught c. marke wel what he writeth and adde nothing thereto and it shall be found true what he writeth more where as you say he commendeth the Pope and Cardenalls with the Masse and other ceremonyes there is none commended but in their right order if you marke the matter well Answere HIs bookes I affirmed that they were in cr●dite amongest the familye of equall au●horitye with the scriptures and that they were written with the same spirite to this you aūswere that they are of such aucthoritye as he hath affirmed therefor● note well what you say for neuer any since the Apostles tunes had so impudent a face as openly to publish such a detestable lye if this come not from the spirite of pride I know no proud bosting spirites all the Fathers in the primitiue Church euer reuerenced the holy scripture and submitted all their bookes thereunto Austen desired not to be credited or beleued but as his workes might agree with the holy scriptures all men in generall haue euer acknowledged themselues in their writinges to be subiect to error onely the scripture to be without blemish but this man will haue HN. and his bookes of equall aucthoritye with the scriptures written with the same spirite thus doe you runne from one impietye to an other and in the highest degree of blasphemye But I pray you looke vpon the matter better before you say he is a prophet now his bookes are of equal aucthoritye with the scripture whether will you lift vp your HN. aboue all condition of fraile man the higher he is exalted the more greuous will be his fall without repentaunce it is Luciferian pride thus to attribute vnto mortall man but you make HN to be a name of office and not of a creature such misteryes requireth falced where trueth and simplicitye imbraceth playne dealing Now you say that HN. doth auouch all to be false whatsoeuer is taught by any other therefore heare his owne wordes and then discerne and sée God his trueth and his godly and heauenly workes are vnknowen vnto all fleshe and vnto all fleshly and earthly men but it is geuen to the children of the kingdome the comminaltye of the Loue to vnderstand the secret misteryes thereof You say it will be found true what he writeth If none but the comminaltye or Familye of Loue doe vnderstād the scripture then it was not rightly vnderstode before there was any mention of your Familye Now for commendatiō of the Pope Cardinals and Masse he sayth hee commendeth none bu● in his right order this speach is ambig●us in his right order For simply I thinke none of them haue any shaddow of right order neither is their callinges nor doctrine grounded vpon either right or good order Your Author belyke alloweth the Masse or els he would not haue taken such paynes as to explicat euery ceremonye therein in his booke called A declaratiō of the Masse but thus with subtiltye of speach you would faine say somewhat to defend your Author be his sayinges neuer so monstrous Vitell. FOr in that booke named a ioyfull message of the kingdome of God Christ though ye de●idingly call it his gospell is declared that ●Papa signifieth an olde Father in the holy vnde●standing Now althogh he be not indued with the holy vnderstāding yet is the name not the worse in it selfe For the Lord hath ordeined gouernours spirituall and temporall and they represent the maiestye of God although now certayne gouernours gouerne not according to the rule of righteousnes yet is not therefore the name euertheles●e of reputation because it is an ordenance of God therefore let vs despise no name that belongeth to gouernours neither yet also any gouernour nor any man els for we haue all sinned haue neede of the grace or mercy of the Lord. Answere THe booke in lattin is called Euāgelium Regn● gospell of the kingdome but this man is the translator thereof and hath qualified it calling it a ioyfull message of the kingdome the title is arrogant and presumptuous the doctrine therein worse as will appere in print ere it be long the pope hath found among man● enemies one frēd although his doctrine is spokē against euery where yet this mā would gladly képe and retayne his bare name belonging to a gouernour in office we cōdeme not the name his doctrine not agr●●ing with the word is by the same word condemned so is yours For significations of names ▪ w●e will not contend a part of your deuinity lyeth therein neither do wee despise any name but is euell doctrine be shadowed or vnder any name cloked then wee inuey agaynst the doctrine vsing the name as whē inuectiues are made agaynst the Pope or HN. it is not ment of the persons but of the doctrine And surely the Pope did neuer exercise so great a Popedome in the West Church as your HN. a new Pope doth among you of his Familye and as the papistes which tooth and nayle seeke to maintayne euery absurd and senceles part of the popes doctrine with all their power witte and skill Euē so do ye of his Family maintayne your N● and whatsoeuer vnsauery doctrine he teacheth it ma● not be discredited nor he cannot therein erre or misse the right in such reputation haue you placed mortall man. You say we all haue sinned haue need of y grace or mercy of the Lord y all haue sinned you truely confes but that all doe dayely sinne you cannot beleue especially you the ●●ders of the holy vnderstandin● but in humilitye of spirite you and wee ought to cōfesse not onely that we haue sinned but dayely and hourely do sinne and haue neede not onely of his grace but his mercy also although you speake of grace or mercy but wee craue his grace and mercy his grace to guide vs and his mercy to deliuer vs. Vitell. MOreou●r you are greatly offended because hee sayeth that none shold take i● hād to teach or preach but the illuminate elders whi●h ar● Godded with God or inco●po●at●d to God and with whom also God in one being and power of his spirite is hominisied or become man And those you call proud speaches and because ●N vseth them ye despise him althoughe they be no strange words or speches in th● dut●h language ▪ therfore in so doing you despi●e the
godly or learned man in all Christēdome will allow your HN. and his bookes for true doctrine you for your part haue trauelled the most part of this 10. yeares and yet I cannot vnderstād of any godly ●r learned man that imbraceth your doctrine onely some erroneus spirites whose heddes haue bin intox●●ated with other horrible heresies doe ioyne with you in these your wicked attempes also certay●● vnlearned country people with whom by your sugred speaches and fayre wordes you haue not a little preuailed to the destructiō of their soules If you would choose any godly and learned men to heare your reasons and argumentes th● matter might quietly be debated you doe but in wordes make a shew a● though you would stand to indifferent and vnp●rciall iudgement But when it commeth to tryall you will be iudged onely by your selues which is the safest way to cloke your impietyes Vitel. THerefore consider what you haue done for I am sure you are not appoynted a iudge by the Lord but Christ will come with his Saintes and iudge the world and all nations with righteousnes and he will send his Aungells for to kepe and to gather the corne together and they shall bring the corne into the Barne but the weedes shall be cast into the vnquen●hable fire therefore iudge you nothing before the Lord come whilest you cannot as yet discerne the hearbes from the weedes nor the corne from the chaffe for with the same iudgement that you iudge shall you be iudged in asmuch as you are guilty ▪ in the same which you falsely iudge ouer others Aunswere I Am not appoynted a Iudge but Christians must not be lyke Horse and Moyle that haue no vnderstanding I onely admonish you as is euery mās duty of such doctrine as you teach to the poore people which is corrupt and therefore knowing the same I haue manifested it to the world that your cause might sooner if you be disposed come to tryall and that trueth might appeare where it is You further discourse of the second comming of Christ I hope you meane it not otherwise but in the resurrection of all fle●● I writ this because HN. in the preface of his booke called a good Instruction of the vpright sayth the 2. division sayth these wordes For as much thei● as that now in this same newest day the comming of Iesus Christ as a Lord in his maiestye from the right hand of God his Father appear●th and becommeth manifested vnto 〈◊〉 with full clearenes of his heau●nly illumination ●ccording to the scrip●●●e c. Here HN. telleth that Iesus Christ is come and is manefest to you of his Familye and that he is come from the right hand of God his father Our fayth is that he shall come from thēce in the end of the world but HN. telleth his Familye that he is come therefore your wordes and your Authors agree not this is very suspitious doctrine touching the resurrection and this augmenteth more suspition that one of your Family being asked before many witnesses touching Christes comming to iudgement did aunswere playne that he was already come meaning his second comming I could name the partye yet my hope is that you teach not so heathnishly of our resurrection and of Christ his glorious comming to Iudgement Vitell. MOreouer you affirme in your wrighting that you and all that are as your are whome you ●all God his children doe feele your selues wounded with sin vnto death but by grace geuen from aboue that wholesome medecine Christe Iesus whose passion hath purged whose bloud hath clēsed whose death hath cured all your diseases and maladies c. So you confesse you neede not any more for you are clensed and cured of al your diseases wherefore do you then condemne HN. which doth teache none other doctrine where through men shal come to lyfe euerlasting but through the passiō death and bloud of Iesus Christ but you are clensed as you say and therefore haue you no more neede of Christ nor of hys safemaking oyle of the godly saluation for you affirme that ye are all cleane and I would ye were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde yee neither slaunder nor lye Aunswere I Haue sayd that all God his Children feele themselues wounded with ●h● vnto death c. the remedy I hau● also shewed as you haue set down but your conclusion is false and cannot bee collected of my wordes that I neede not anye more because I am clense● and cured for we need his prouidenc● still to protect vs and his grace to defend vs in all our actions for wee ar● stil subiect to ●all into sinnes not withstanding in the purpose of God we bee hys elect and to our comfort do feele the Lorde worke in vs a hate of sinne which is a testimony to our conscience that we pertayne vnto the Lord Iesu● yet so as the dregges of sinne with the motions thereof lurke in our bodye● although you deny it our battayle against ●inne is continuall and shal neuer haue end vntill our earthly tabernacle shal be turned to dust contrar● to your doctrine of perfection you ask● why I blame HN. whiche teacheth no other doctrine I would be nor you did not but how contrary you speake vnto the truth doth mani●estly appeare You charge me agayne vntruely that because we are clensed wee neede no more of Christ this woulde you haue but our need● wee still acknowledge our wantes we vtter and yet doubt nothing of our deliuery from sin hell and death and although wee acknowledge this our redemption and forgeuenes of our sinnes yet so as the remembraunce thereof still worketh repentaunce in vs and also wee often feele the law to presse vs the iustice of God to terrefie vs our cōscience to accuse vs in such trouble are often the children of God but stil by grace giuen vs through fayth wee acknowledge Christe Iesus who hath interposed himselfe betweene vs and the law betwene vs and the Iustice of God c. with such conflictes doth the Lord still exercise hys Childrē and so doth hereby schole vs that feeling our want or neede and our miseries we might flee to him for strēgth for mercy for help but I doubt whether you in your Family with your presumtuous doctrine of perfectiō do féel any of these exercises the godly Christian is partaker of ▪ Now you wishe that I were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde I neither slaunder nor lye ●oe here appeareth vnawares that you when you are clensed can sinne no more but for my owne part I acknowledge and I doubt not but verely beleue through Christ that my sinnes by his death are clensed and yet subiect both to lye and slaunder Although I know not neither is it yet manifest vnto me that I haue wittingly either belyed or slaundered either you or your Aucthor or maliciously haue written any thing agaynst you yet it may be that I haue bin informed otherwise then trueth in
which only depende on reuelations And you which brag of your Author which is as he saye●h taught frō god his own mouth hath hard y soūd of his voice Thus miserably are you car●ed away by illusiōs herin you deceiue your selues and many others Out of the wisdome of the flesh sprange all Christopher Vitelles ●rrors Note I pray thee Reader that this Libeller acknowledgeth to haue bin in him many errors comprehended in this word ●all and anon● thou shall finde him saying he was in no error In deede the church of Christ hath felt to much expe●●ence of your heret●call head fraught full of heresies so that if any newer deuice should by Sathan be stirred vp you are as apte an instrument to broach the same as any that I know in England From no other mans bookes did this man sucke his errors and were you in error thē and by the same meanes may you not still remayne in error haue you any further priuiledge now then you had before Of necessity you must sly vnto your perfection that you cannot erre nor sinne there is no ether excuse to be had here is a mistery For you thinke it an absurde thing that your errors sp●ang from any other fountaine then the flesh of sinne No bookes no conference were meanes to bring you to this ●rro● Lo●ke well into your selfe and you shall fi●de in ●ou now more errors and he● esi●s then euer you held heretofore ●ou imagined your selfe cleansed and your h●use swept but now are s●uen morse spirites entered into you as app●areth by your doctrin and you are become ten solde the child of destruction more now th●n be●●r● And except you repent your ende will be far worse then your beginning Vitell. NEither ●an I blame any man for min● own sinnes were g●eater and horrible● in my sight ▪ then all other menne● for although I had ●ed certayne bookes of sundry wryte●s yet was I moued to sea●●h ●hether they were grounded vpon the Lo●ds promyses or no and humbling my self● befo●e the Lo●d a● desi●ous to doe his will ●o gaue he me to vnde●stand that I knew nothing of all his waye● but the troble that I ●as in whereout the Lord delyue●ed me ●s not to be exp●●ssed And i● the Lo●d of his goodnes had not comf●rted me with his holy spi●ite through hi● most holy seruice of his loue broght forth through HN. his elected minister I should haue remained without hope of life Answere NOw commeth this Vitell to declare a tragedy of himself which no man can ga●nsay being a thing secret and vnknowen to the world For our secret conflictes are troublesome I graunt when our conscience shall pres vs with the greatenes of our sinnes but whether it were so or no who can controll him or els who will beleeue his own wordes speaking so many things contrary to truth already But I must certifie that this is a speciall point of practise in the Family that when any in conference doe require how they could so easily leaue the certainty of doctrine which once they earnestly imbraced then shall you heare them tell you of marueilous conflicts much trouble and veration of minde and could neuer attaine to any quietnes vntill by the doctrine of ●● they found rest vnto their soules But may not this be an illusion of Sathan as otherwise being rightly examined for Sathan is so suttle that if he may get possession of any setled mindes who instructed in godlynes by the scriptures resist his perswasions and so cōmeth to conslict of minde in such troubles ▪ where Sathan ▪ by the Lord his permission preuayleth then worketh he in his a certayne security or peace and then they thinke all is well when ind●de neuer in worse case then so captiued in Sathans tyranny Now this man when he hath set abroad some of his troubles you shall see how he was deliuered by which we may gather what marke he shootes at namely in all troubles and agonyes of minde all must resort to the seruice of Loue set forth by his elected Minister HN. For this man if he had not taken that course he had remained without hope of lyfe certaynly great is the honor wherewith they aduaunce this their priest and prophet aboue all that is called God but my hope is that with the blast of the Lord his mouth which he hath published in the scriptures he shall be confounded and ouerthrowne so low that the fall of him which so exalted himselfe shall be to the comfort of all the Lord his children for whose ●ake he now beginneth to mani●est this lying Prophet and will I hope rayse vp to his Church men of zelous mindes which will both write and speake agaynst this wicked man of sinne which is in such credit with deceaued people which the Lord in mercy spedely bring to passe to the glory of thy name the comfort of thy church and the spoyle of Sathan and his ympes Vitell. BVt he gaue me to vnderstande there through that he would be mer●ifull vnto all penitent sinners how horrible sinnes soeuer they had cōmitted therefore I may say a medicine master getteth gretest pray●e by those that haue the filth●est and corruptest disea●es as a leprous person and such like ●uen so haue I the gretest cause to land the Lord and must confes that he wh●ch is mighty hath done great things on me and holy is his name Answere NOw after this man hath shewed his conflict of minde and how he was delyuered through the seruice of loue ministred by HN. Now he telleth that by that same he vnderstood that God would be mercifull to al sinners and I pray you did you not know of this mercy but by HN Were you ignoraunt ●of the Scriptures before you came acquainted with him his bookes His mercy and compassion is plentifully declared in the gospell which it seemeth you were ignorant of This medicine m●ster HN. hath wrought a great cure vpon this man For as one of your schollers haue written in his defence He teacheth with power and it may be the power of Sathan which leadeth men into errors and heresies Although you imagine that this is wrought by the mighty hand of the Lord abusing the words of the ●anticle which the blessed virgine did set forth magnifying the name of y Lord thereby Touching your diseases which you count to be cured it is out of dout that you are more full of infirmities and desperate diseases then euer you were although you feele them not For a body that feeleth no sicknes yet infirme and weake is hard to be cured yea irrecuperable as Phisitions prescribe Looke therfore more rightly into your selfe and you that are so whole clene you shall finde matter of corruption in you whereupon the true Phisition of our soules Christ Iesus shall if you acknowledge your sicknes and infirmity worke therby such an alteration in you as heretofore you neuer had the lyke but if you stand
vpon your perfection integrity he commeth to such a as terrible Iudge to your confusion where on the contrary we reioyce in his mercy still acknowledging our sinnes our wantes crying calling vpon him all the dayes of our ly●es with the Prophet Dauid and saying if thou O Lord looke straightly vpon our sinnes Lord Lord who shall abide it c. Correct vs O Lord but yet in thy mercy not in thy fury least we should be consumed c. thus we still call vpō the Lord for our deliuery acknowledge our continuall transgressions which are euer before vs as prickes to prouoke vs forward to doe therein our duety that is to aske mercy of the Lord our God who willeth vs to call vpon him in the day of our trouble Vitell. FVrthermore cōcerning Christophers being at Paules Crosse and the cause why he came there that can my Lord Byshop doctor Grindall declare best For he knoweth he found me in no error and so he there sayd neither had he any law to compell me to come the●her but he desired me to come cōfesse that I held no such opiniō or error wherby the false brute might be stayed which went of me so I accomplished his request therein albeit I cōfessed that I had in some poyntes bin deceiued by certayne straungers c. now I wish that you would inquire of my Lord doctor Grindall for I thinke he will testify the matter euen as it was Answere COncerning Christopher Vitells being and recanting at Paules Crosse there are many yet liuing that were presēt doe verefy what I haue sayd touching my L. of Cant. whom you appeale vnto if y case be so as you haue affirmed then is he worthy great blame to desire any mā to recāt which is in no error ● come to such a famous place as Paules Crosse is Before in the 35. section you confesse that out of the wisedome of the flesh sprang all Christoffer ●itells errors and now you affirme that you were in no error agayne in this tractation you confesse that in some poyntes you had bin deceaued by certayne straungers and in an other place you a●ouch that by no other mens counsell or bookes you were deceiued such a gift you haue to say ▪ and vnsay to affirme and to deny but the trueth is that you were prisoner in the counter in woodstret by commaundement of the Byshop that then was and there is your name regestred and your comming was not voluntary as you vntruely affirme but coacted by the law Mages●rates vse not to desire men to come to publick place to confesse their heresies but the law it selfe doth vrge it and you according to the law for your releasement out of prison did recant at the Crosse and named your error to be Arrianisme whether you did it from the hart that the Lord God knoweth Now consider this man for his credit sake among his deceaued Familye would perswade that such a péece of iniustice was shewed vnto him as he sayth but he is proued a lyer not onely in this but in many other matters verefying the olde prouerb mend●cem memorem esse oporte● a lyer had neede to haue a good memory And where as you so confidētly affirme that you were in no error whē you were at the Crosse the contrarye whereof is manifest I will put you in minde of the disputations and conferēce that diuers mē had with you in Queene Maryes dayes M. Ro. Crowley a reuerent and godly preacher yet liuing who affirmeth that seueral times he disputed with you concerning the blasphemy of Arryus and you cōtinually denyed Christ Iesus to be God equall with his Father and immoueably you remained all her raigne of that minde and this M. Crowley is redy to auouch agaynst you whensoeuer you or any for you will require to be certafied Also one Ione Agar an olde mayde which wayted on those in office for the Cittye as Mayors and shrieffes did declare to M. Fulkes the Elder and others that you Christopher Vitell whome she named to be hyr cosin had taught her playnely that Christ was not God but onely a good man and a Prophet and that there were men that shee did know liuing that were as good and as holy men as he was and further that Maister Latimer Maister Ridley and others which gaue their lyf● for Christes cause were starke fooles and did not well in suffering death such wickednes haue you bin the Aucthor of yet now to hould your credit with your Familye you would haue the world beleue that you were in no error but you are worthy the reward of a lyer which is that when he speaketh trueth he is not beleued This man is chosen and found to be the aptest person to be an illuminat Elder in HN. his Family of greatest credit among those deceiued soules a fitter instrument to beare record of HN. and his doctrine then to declare the ioyfull message of Christ our redeemer whome he hath blasphemed denying his diuinitye worthely are they deluded that follow such a deceiuer That man that once hath made shipwrack of fayth good conscience and is possessed with error it is hard to reclayme him but that some spice of that maladye will lurke in him or a worse as is proued true by you you confessed then you were deceaued by certayne straungers and haue you not as great cause to suspect your selfe deceaued now by HN. a straunger in nation and estraunged from God and Christ in his doctrine published contrary to his will reuealed in the holy scriptures if you would consider with indifferency you were neuer so notably deceiued then as you are now for looke into all the workes of HN. what doe they tend to but that he is a prophet raysed vp by God and an elected minister a priest in office by whome God wil receiue all men in mercy With such lyke testimonyes doth he vtter of himselfe and his Familye doe beleue the same I would his credit were not so great with you but that you could cōpare his sa●ings with the scriptures and haue an eye vnto ●s collections of the same and how he followeth the grossest ●raslation of the Bible delighting in that most specially and his allegations applyed so farre from the sence of the holy ghost that a man meanely exercised ●n the scripture may playnely see his corruption Many brutes haue bin of you touching your erronious spirite and in deede they that haue truely noted your disposition doe affirme that you could neuer lyke of any publick doctrine which was taught but had alwayes a desire of singularitye such a troubler of Christ his Church haue you bin but blessed be the name of y Lord who hath made manifest your her●sies although you will not scarcely acknowledge thē so that the simplest among many thowsandes is sufficiētly ass●sted by the Lord to bewray and display your manifest impietye and the Lord hath in store of his Church that
passion hath purchased freely for me and all others whome he chose before all worldes to be heyres and sonnes of the same inheritaunce by adoption and grace which promise or assurāce I holde ●●rmely by fayth Notwithstanding this his louing kindenes and mercy shewed towardes me if the Lord my God did not s●ill protect me guide me and de●end me I should anihilat and make voyd this mine estate or assuraūce therfore hath he geuen vnto me the participatiō of his holy spirite renewing me working in me regeneration which is a detestation lothing and hate of sinne and a minde will to serue the lord Yet so as there is a kinde of rebellion in me So that the good thinges I would doe I doe not but the euill I hate that doe I yet not I but sin that dwelleth in me I feele my flesh lusting agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh continually so that I cannot doe the same thinges I would ▪ I fele the law of my members striuing and rebelling agaynst the law of my minde And further to make my state and condition more throughly knowen I feele often tymes sinne and the mostons thereof so strong in me that I am for a season led captiue therewith yea without remorse so that the spirite semeth in me vtterly quenched or as ●ire raked vnder ashes that is not seene and sometime I wallow and for a season as it were forget my God notwithstanding this my backslyding I feele agayne the goodnes of my God and the working of hys spirite renewing me agayne then in sorrowfulnes and teares I bewaile my selfe in prayer y I haue so long estraunged my self offended my God then doe I féele the cōfort of his spirite which bringeth to my remēbraunce the promises of the Lord pronounced in his word videliz Though thy sinnes were as redde as scarelet yet will I make them as white as woole looke how far the heauē is from the earth so farre haue I set thy sinnes frō thee Lyke as a Father hath compassiō on his children euen so the Lord will shew mercy on me for he dealeth not with vs after our sinnes no● rewardeth vs after our iniquityes ▪ All the day long he standeth with stretched out armes ready to receaue those that turne vnto him c. Then when I feele this the Lord my God comforting me by his promises I am driuen by the working of the same his holy spirite to be partaker of the holy sacrament of his death which is to me a seale and pledge cognizaunce of my redemption which to my great comfort I receaue as a token of his loue and kindenes shewed to me and so more and more I feele sinne and Sathan weaker and by resisting him dayly I finde him and his baytes Idle my fleshe and ●he a●lurementes of the world lesse able to hurt me or to preuaile agaynst me And ● feele in my sel●● through the working of the same spirite a redynes to all good exercises of pietie as hearin● of the word Prayer A●stinence Charitie towards Christes members Loue Peace Io● c. But yet still I féel finne with her motions neuer ce●sing a fresh to assay me and try me with new assaults and sifting me euery way againe and agayne charging me oftē with the dexterity of the law with the greatnes of my sinnes laying them particularly before me with great horror preparing such bookes and baites for me that if I were not preserued by the great goodnes of my God I should vtterly dispaire and fal away but the Lord doth comfort me still saying My grace is sufficient for thee My grace is made strong through thy weaknes Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world In such case I am and such is my battaile continually and alwaies fighting this vnder my graund captayne I preuayle and am not vāquished nor vtterly ouercomed yet agayne I prepare for a newe skirmish place my selfe in y formost rāk to abyde the brunt of the next incoūter so that I neuer looke for any rest nor peace whilst I am in this vale of misery for my lyfe is a cōtinuall warfare Yet in this exercise or continuall skirmish I am at peace in minde and conscience knowing and firmely beleeuing that my redeemer liueth who hath trod the wine presse alone and hath offered me the cup of Saluation and sealed in my hart the pledge of hy● loue so that with confidence and boldnes I haue accesse vnto my God and by the mediation of my Lord and Sauiour Christ I obtaine what soeuer is necessary or behou●full for me for I beyng thus knit vnto my God do boldly make my prayers vnto hym yet in trem●ling and feare I acknowledge my offences say O Lord my God I dayly confesse mine offences my sins are euer before me Enter not into Iudgemēt with thy seruaunt for no flesh is righteous in thy sight ●f thou O Lorde obserue●t myne iniquities who is able ●o abide it For thy holy name sake O Lord be mercifull vnto myne iniquitie for it is grea● Remember not the faults of my youth Shew vnto me thy mercy and graunt me thy salvatiō Thus dayly and nightly I bewaile my misery confesse my ●●nnes vnto the Lord my God and acknowledge that ●f the Lord should con●ond with me in iustice I were not able to answere For what is man that he should be cleane or he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust For he founde no sted●astnes in his saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more man which is abhominable and filthy and drinketh iniquitie like water Whose very righteousnes is like a cloth defiled with the vn●●mely b●●th of a woman Thus considering my state and condition I rest qu●et in mind and by faith in the sonne of God Christ Iesus I dout nothing of my saluation but accept gladly the battaile warfare I haue with sinne and Sathā continually as tokens of his great mercy and pl●dges of his loue in f●eling the redy help and speedy deliuery of y lord who in time to me vnknowen will visite mine offences in this life with whips and my sinn●s with scourges but his mercy he wil● neuer take from me And thus being chosen call●d and prepared he sanctifieth me by death maketh a wa● and entrance vnto an happy life where I shall behold that ioyfull sight euen the Lamb that was 〈◊〉 for me And shall follow him wh●resoe●er he goeth Singing praise and thankes to him for euer and euer Amen The state and condition of a Regenera●● man af●er the doctrine and ●eaching of HN. in the pretended ●amily of Loue. BEloued in the beginning when God made all things well then was ●he Lord one Lord of his kingdo●e and one God of his workes There was also no more but one
Gather ye now altogether into my house of Loue and to my holy tabernacle or man of God wherein I as a glorious God with my perfite Godhed as with my Christ at my right hand and with my holy spirit of Loue my true being doe liue dwell and walke and wherein wee as one true deity haue reuealed and glorified vs to the end that ye all now may become consubstantiated or cōformably vnited as one m●n of God in me and inherite my rest with all the children of God. For when all that which the Lord requireth through his word through the seruice of his Loue is fulfilled with vs all and in vs all so is then also verely with vs all namely by those with whome the same is fulfilled the end of the sinne and the death of the same come to passe or atteyned vnto the end of the sinne her death is the beginning of y eternall immorta●itye is also the vpright freedome in Iesu Christ whereunto all men Iewes and Greekes circumsized and vncircumsized wise and vnwise are called ▪ and bidden by the grace of God. Man being thus illuminate regenerat Godded with God in whom god in one power being of his spirit is homini●ied or become man cannot sinne misse the right nor commit any euill but doth Lorde preuaile with God and Christ ouer the sinne nothing can flow from him but heuenly liuing and safe making waters Christ his shape is required to be perfite in vs while we are in this lyfe the shape is perfection without sinne which shape cannot be in vs if we be sinners therefore requisite that we be pertakers of the new couenaunt of perfection spoken of by Fidelitas chap. 1. deui 8. Let euery one take this effectually to hart and let no man refuse the good being whereunto God hath created the man and called him through Iesus Christ his holy ones and wherevnto he is also presenly loued by the comminaltye of the loue c. FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno. Dom. 1579. The ●h●nin●ing of HN. into a holy n●●● and C. Vitell ▪ into an oue● 〈◊〉 ▪ is a p●●●e 〈◊〉 t● 〈◊〉 so 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 The Deu●ls d●●●st ne●e●●●the the● fall of Lucifer e●●h●●nge the●● names into the d●uine e●●en●e t●ll now Onely 〈◊〉 I wa● th● C●rist the Ca●penter 〈◊〉 called was yet better 〈…〉 then Vitell the ioyne●● that so pe●eshly hath framed wood and clay together 〈…〉 Proph 〈…〉 Gal. 2.11 Iohn 4.1 2. Thes. 2.1 Rom. 6.12 24. 1. Cor. 3.11 Psal. 130. ● Tim. 1.15 Luke 17.10 Cor. 2. cha 12. v. 9. Tim. 1. ch● Iohn 3.16 Prophesi Chapter 13 verse 〈…〉 A 〈◊〉 call●d m●nnes f●lling away Thess● 2. ch●p ● Prophesie ●ol 1. In the pre●●c● of the Prophesie Fol. 1. Iohn 10. Ps●lme 1. Gen. ● 7 ●●●ans ●●at● in innoce●cy Mans 〈◊〉 in ●is ●all 〈…〉 15. Gal. 4.4 Esa● ● 14 〈…〉 Rom. 13.14 Ephe. 1.3 〈…〉 〈…〉 R●m ● 24 R●m ● 9 Rom. 7.3 Gal. 5.17 ● Cor. 1● 7 2. Sam. 12. ●say 57 ●7 ●eu●●0 1 〈◊〉 ● 18 Psalme 103 Ps●l 116.13 Deut. 2● 26 〈◊〉 3.10 2. Cor. 12.8 Iob. 7.1 ●say ●● 9 Psal. 19. Ioh. 9.3 Io● 15. c●a 14. ● 15 1● ●sa 25.11 Reu● ● This wor● 〈◊〉 worde 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 called Man ▪ falling aw●y an 〈…〉 1. 2. ●la 9. ●● Sexion 2. Sexion 6. Se●ion ● Man his innocency Sexion 10. Sexion 11. Sexion 14. Sexion 15. Sexion 1● Th● opi●ion th●t th● 〈◊〉 hau● of Chri●t Sexi●n 17. M●th 15. Luk● ●3 Sexion 10. Sexion 2● S●x●o● 24. Which man i● HN. Published peace chap. 1. deui 16. Documentall sentence● HN. ch●p ● de●● 4. ●id●litas Chap. 1. ●●ui ● Document●ll s●ntence● chap. 3. d●ui 7. ● Libertinisme Deut. 22. Document chap. 2. de●i 1. Deut. 26. Ma● h●s st●te r●gen●rat Document●ll s●nt●nc●s ▪ chap. 2 D●u● ● Prophesie ▪ ch●p 6. D●ui 9. P●ophesie ▪ chap 7. Diui. 19. ●idelitas Chap. 3. d●ui 15. Vitel ▪ Libell Sexion And is their gen●●●l doctrine A principle in th●●amilye collect●d by the doctrine Fidelitas Chap. 5. deui 15.