dominion in vs it raigneth not in vs we are not seruauntes to sinne this the scripturs teach in many places but that we shall quench it vtterly or subdue if with all the motions thereof the scriptures teach vs no such doctrine being rightly vnderstoode Looke I pray you what that holy vessell saint Paul spake of himselfe after he was regenerate Romaines 7. verse 14. I am carnal sold vnder sinne for I allowe not that which I doe For what I would that doe I not but what I hate that do I. It is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me Againe verse 23. I delight in the law of God concerning the inwarde man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members When he entred farre into the consideratiō of this his frailtie he exclaymed said verse 24. A wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the body of this death And in these extreame considerations and battell which we haue with sinne cōtinually euen vntil death make an end saint Paul by the spirite of God doth plainely arme Gods children and sheweth the remedie in like cōflicts saying I thank god through Iesus Christ our Lord c this is brought to passe by him that sinne is not imputed vnto vs But as Dauid saide Blessed is the man whose sinnes are couered And this is wrought only without vs not in vs as you imagine So y our battell is continual and neuer ended in vs vntill we be dissolued and at rest with Christ Iesus contrary to your assertion You sée no cause you say that we shoulde be enimies to so good a doctrine as you professe If your doctrine were good and agréeable to the holy scriptures we woulde embrace it but because it is contrarie there vnto we reiect it To forsake that false sinfull nature with you we simply agrée but with the Poet we say Naturam expellas furca tamen vsque recurret To be at defiance there with and bidde battell against it we agrée but to conquer it to kill it or subdue it vtterly in this life that we deny That God can doe this by his powre in vs we denie not but that he will do it in vs as you affirme the scriptures allowe not of For it standeth not with the glorious office of Christ Iesus that such perfection and such a conquest of sinne should be wrought in vs but that we féeling our miseries our wants our weakenesse◠might sue by peticion in earnest prayer for strength for mercy for deliuery which all the Godly in Christ his church haue euer done For we are neuer nearer vnto our God nor neuer more accepted with him then when we feele sinne as a burthen or loade lye heauely vpon vs nor neuer further of then when by illusion of sathans persuasion we imagin sinne to be quenched or conquered All such as ouercome in the battell you say shall knowe the name written in the white stone mencioned by Iohn You say further that such as haue no lust to ouercome that earthly sinfull nature but haue more lust to take part therewith knowe nothing thereof although they boast of their knowledge or fréedome neuer so much This knowledge therefore you would conclude to be in you and not in vs Your knoweledge we enuie not nor your séeking to serue the Lord vprightly For our whole care studie minde is bent to do the same and we pray you hartely to ioyne your selues to vs that you and we may serue the Lorde our God as he hath commaunded and not H. N. and his precepts Looke into the holy bookes of our God and deale not with the darke riddles of H. N. Set not vp his bookes in your mindes so highly The Scriptures are our comfort and our stay without H. N. He exerciseth a greate Popedome among you You had rather speake and vse his phrases not found in holy scripture then content your selfe with the phrases of the holy Ghost You often mencion these tearmes the lying being the vpright fréedome Godded with God the newest day the louely being of the loue c. Are these to be founde in the holy Scripture or are they not deuised by H. N. to bring admiration to his doctrine by straunge and vnaccustomed speach If the loue of God be in you as you woulde haue vs beléeue it is loue the Lorde Iesus and his holy worde and let H. N. with new tearmes and phrases goe Belieue not that God hath wrought in him any such a worke as you pretend examine his doings and sayings better you wil credit nothing that is spoken against him be it neuer so true you except it as lyes and heresies what soeuer testimony his neighbours famyliers who knewe him long vppon their oth shall affirme but according to your conceiued opinion you like him you imbrace him you onely credit his testimonies dislyking others which if you continue as you begin there is neither hope nor helpe nor conference that can doe you good vntill the Lorde shake away the mist of darknesse which ouer shadoweth your eyes through the doctrine of H. N. that you cannot beholde the bright beames of Christ his glorious gospell Your authors doctrine is not sufficiently knowen vnto some of you the fragments whereof you are but meanly acquited with the secreat part of his purpose I doubt as yet is not extant and more of his works are abroad then are come to your handes therefore for the loue of God looke better into his minde and credite not his bare sayings without warrant of holy scripture neither beléeue that almightie God hath wrought in him any such extraordinary power as is imagined The cause the moued me to write these thinges is a little booke came to my handes of late called Mans falling away his comming againe and Lordlynesse In the first section you shall finde this written worde for word H. N. his words See and marke ye beloued in the beginning when god made al things wel then was the Lorde one Lorde of his kingdome and one God of his workes there was also no more but one God and one man and they were one and had in all one order being and nature for God was all that the man was and man was all that God was Beloued when God looked on the man which he had made according to the like being of his godhed then looked he vpon him selfe as the same clerenesse of his liuing godhed Likewise when the man looked vpon his God his ientle clene vnspotted manhode in all full comlinesse in all honestie fayrenesse in all fashion and being according to the same Godhed so this was al one God the man. I pray you loke into this doctrin whiche your Authour H. N. teacheth examine it by thy holy scriptures and iudge rightly therein whether this can by any colour of
good calling in London which is readie to testifie the same and both the parties are liuing when the one did expostulate very earnestly why the other once professing the Gospell of Christ Iesus was nowe turned vnto the errour of H. N. The other answered It is a wise Gospell which I professed then I knowe an other manner of Gospell farre better then that in such reputation haue the Familie the bookes and doctrine of H. N. But why H. N. intituleth his followers A familie of Loue I think it to be a mysterie not to be explicated Euery errour hath supposed them selues to be the true Church but H. N. is contented that his be counted a Familie Why he addeth this word Loue I could neuer perfectly learne but as some haue interpreted to me this word Loue in many places of the authour doth signifie the Maiestie of God â–ª as in these thrée phrases The louely being of the Loue or The manly oldnesse in the Loue Here Loue is takeÌ„ in both places for God according to this sâ—â—ying Deus â—st Charitaâ— God is Loue but why they vse this 〈◊〉 the so much I caÌ„not well vnderstand It is true that God is Loue or Charitie so is he Iustice so is he Mercie and all other like vertues â— but they are not in him as qualities one extelling another as they reigne in man but he is Loue â–ª without measure euen Loue it selfe euen so Iustice it self euen so Mercy it selfe he is all Loue he is all Mercie he is all iustice But when we speake of any of these which procéede from the Maiestie of God we vnderstande not by any one of these God him selfe For as his â—one is excéeding great so his mercy also therefore by as good right may an other bring foorth a doctrine or Familie of Mercie as H. N. a Familie of Loue For mercie is our gret comfort mercy is the fairesâ— flower of our garland We read in the holy scriptures of diuers sortes of loue of which thrée be principall The first is y loue of God towardes his children set foorth in these wordes So God loued the worlde that he gaue his only begotten son that none that beleeue in him should perish but haue life euerlasting which loue how perfect it is and howe excellent it passeth the capacitie of man to conceiue much lesse to vtter or describe It caused that beloued and elect vessell Saint Paule to exclame and crie out Oh the exceeding greatnesse and deapth of the loue of God which loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4. Chap. vers 19 this loue is perfect in déede The second loue that is expressed is the loue of vs againe towardes God appearing in these words If ye loue me keepe my commandementes And againe The loue of God is shead abroad in our heartes Ro. 5. Chap. vers 5. whiche loue in vs howe vnperfect it is euery one féeleth in himselfe and is a witnesse The third is the loue that one of vs should shew towards an other whiche properly is called Charitie appearing in these words By this shal al men knowe that you are my disciples if yee loue one an other And againe A newe commaundement I giue vnto you that ye loue one an other Ioh. 13. Chap. 14. vers Nowe if I might be so bolde as to demand this questioÌ„ of H. N. or any of their Illuminate Elders of which of these thrée loues is their fellowship If they say of the first which is the loue of God towardes man they deceiue theÌ„ selues for of that felowship none is partaker but Christe Iesus our Lorde If thei bee of the second which is the loue of man towardes our God it is so imperfect and corrupt in vs that I thinke they will not acknowledge them selues to be members of such imperfection If they will be of the third which is of the loue we owe one towardes an other I thinke if they enter in to sée how weak and féeble it is in vs and in euery one of Gods childreÌ„ they shal easily iudge how farre off they are froÌ„ that they shold be as if ye looke into S. Pauls first Epistle 13. Chapter verse 4. there shall you sée the properties of loue rightly described howe loue boasteth not enuieth not séeketh not her owne reioyceth not in iniquitie suffereth all things beléeueth all thinges hopeth all thinges indureth all things But how these shall be found in any yea euen in y best of gods children if we rightly iudge ourselues I caÌ„not discerne Of this laste loue if they will haue their felowship then let theÌ„ behold how vnperfect their Familie is contrarie to that they vainly brag Where H. N. hath written these words We the Elders of the holy vnderstanding shall reigne vpon the earth in righteousnesse vnder the obedience of loue iudge the world with equitie When these things shall come to passe this dreamer which would be taken for a Prophet doth not tell vs Here thou maiest sée this Prophete persuading his Familie y the Elders shall reigne vpon the earth in iudgement and equitie Who would not followe this authour â—hat so plentifully will reward his scholers to make them vpon earth Kings and Iudges I doubt his words be no warrants nor his promise any payment for it is 28. yeres ago since he made this solemne protestation and yet none of the Familie do inioy any part of the promise but contrarie it doth appeare y none of his Elders neither in England Flaunders or else where dare once be so bold as to defend their dreaming prophet but subtilly in corners insinuate vnto the simple sort féed them with many outward promises but to argue or dispute their cause with any of Gods children therein they kéeye silence and prefend ignorance affirming their elders to be able to defend their Authour and his doctrin but they are but partakers of the holy vnderstan ding And when you happen to méete any of their Elders you shall finde them as farre without sense or féeling of the spirit of God as y yonger sort although they can set a shew of greater grauitie â–ª And bicause I haue often made mentioÌ„ of their Illuminate Elders I thinke it not amisse to name one and the same notoriously known His name is Christopher Vittell a ioyner by occupation a man that all the dayes of Queene Marie was a teacher of those famous heretiques the Arrians and at Paules Crosse did solemnely in the first yeare of our souerein Lady Queene Elizabeth recant the same errours as by the register of y bishop of LondoÌ„ doth manifestly apeare And nowe as thâ— olde prouerbe is he is gone A malo in peius from euil to worse â–ª Such men as can not be content with the simple trueth taught in the holy scripture but curiously séeke for singularitie do easily fall into such bypaths as our enimie by his subtiltie can lead them vnto And to speake truely this is the onely man that hath brought
fayth which Christe Iesus planted in you and haue digged vp puddels of corupte waters vnto your selues Consider I pray you front whence ye are departed and whether you are come ye are gone from the comfortable promises in Christe Iesus touching the forgiuenesse of our sinnes our consolation redemptiō are driuen too fro with many vaine persuasions of H. N. that first you shall be made partakers of the holie vnderstanding then inioye the vpright fréedome to be frée from sinning and lastly come to be an Illuminate Elder to be Deified with God with such fantasies are ye fedde and suche doctrine are ye taught but how these thinges agrée with the holie Scripture is partely shewed before Miserably is your simplicitie deceiued through these false teachers and yet howe vnwilling ye are to sée this your nakednesse made manifest by proofe I can testifie Haue a regard at the last vnto your owne soules whiche Christe hath déerely bought if you perteine vnto him let them not be snared in such doctrines of men yea men of the worst sort But if there be any loue of GOD in you loue the Lorde Iesus and be of his Churche which you can not be imbracing H. N. and his doctrine Consider his loue his mercie and his patience in suffering vs to fall into many temptations that our returne might be the more ioyfull to him I pray you marke but this one thing in their teaching how they driue the true sense of the holie Ghost into allegories And when so euer any texte of the holie Scriptures is alledged by any of Gods children they aunswere that we little vnderstande what is meant thereby and then if they be pressed to expounde the place by and by it is drawne into an allegorie For they take not the creation of man at the first to be historicall according to the letter but méere allegoricall alluding that Adam signifieth the Earthly man the Garden the Woman the Serpent to be within man and applying stil the allegory they destroye the trueth of the historie H. N. in the first Epistle deuision 19. For. H N. biddeth his Familie Come eate of the tree of life that standeth in y midst of the paradise of the Lord Come eate and taste of the hidden bread of the Loue and liue eternally And as they expound this place thus euen so doe they all the whole course of the scripture leauing nothing certeine to our fayth for by as good righte may they make an allegorie of Christes death and Passion and say that CHRIST signifieth annointed and so alluding and following that sense denie that the man Christe Iesus died and so by application of the Allegorie diminish our faith and hope And in déede when I was earnestly solicited by some of the Family to imbrace that way which the mercie of the Lord kept me from the first steppe that I should haue entered into the depth of their diuinitie was to learne the signification of the Hebrue names of the Scripture and thereby to expound the same What a miserable case is this to sée the holie Scriptures thus drawen from the true sense into Allegories whiche may be taken many wayes euen as the vaine imagination of man can deuise And surely it is verie pernicious and hurtefull thus to expound the holie Scripture and yet the simple people not séeing the deceipte hereof doe thinke that these bée notable men and haue the spirite of GOD and that they teache them suche thinges therby as they neuer heard of before I denie not but sometimes the allegory may be well applied and to good purpose but when we applie the allegorie to destroy the true sense of the holy ghost it is by no meanes to be admitted For if we take such true histories as the holy Ghost hath left to his Church wherby he sheweth what his will is and drawe the same into an allegorie what do we leaue certain that our faith may depend vpon and where is our hope if allegories may haue place For as I saide before they expound this place of Saint Paule 1. Cor. The last trumpe shall blowe and the dead shall rise c. The last trump is the last doctrin whiche shal be blowne vpon the earth whiche is this of H. N. And the dead shall rise that is ▪ such as were dead in sinne shall be raised vp by the same trumpe of doctrine What a horrible matter is this to sée the holy Scripture thus drawen like waxe vnto euery purpose A man would thinke that no man hauing his senses would euer credit such fantasies and vanities but I know too many that haue a speciall liking of this teaching do unbrace it as the trueth of god Many partes of this our countrey is pitifully snared by such vaine techers as Christopher Vittell is yea not a few ministers of the simple sort are her with intangled with sorrow I speak it and I wold to God that the chiefest place in this realme were frée of these men If we should examine what is the cause of this errour surely our sinnes is the chiefe which doth prouoke the iustice of GOD to afflict vs with such false teachers and the negligence of our ministers which eyther can not or will not impugne their errour in countrie townes where it is imbraced The malice of Sathan is not behind who séeing the ioyful succéeding of the Gospell of Christ the sonne of God doth stirre his stumps in his members to impugne the same There is no Apothecarie in the worlde able to qualifie the bitternesse of his potion or medicine as our enimie is to qualifie the bitter and poysoned doctrin of H. N. Vittell with such swéete pretences of a holy life and vpright conuersatiō which in déed are but mere visars cloaks to shadow horrible blasphemie Such subtiltie hath Sathan that nowe enuying Christ ▪ Iesus his gospel doth stirre vp his members to disquiet the Church of God with this absurd senslesse errour And surely we were forewarned of such seducers that in the latter times would deceiue the simple the holy Ghost doth set thē foorth what kind of men they should be proud boasters y they haue the spirite of God as is witnessed 1. Tim. 4. vers 1. In y latter days some shal depart from the faith and shal giue heede vnto the spirites of errour doctrines of diuels And againe the 2. Epist. 3. chap. vers 5. Hauing a shewe of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof turne away therefore from such Also Peter 2. Epist. 2. Chap. vers 1. But there were false Prophets also among y people euen as there shall bee false teachers among you whiche priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euē denying y Lord that hath bought them bring vpon them selues swift damnation and many shal follow their damnable wayes by whome the way of trueth shal be euil spoken of The same Chapter verse 21. For it had bene better for them not to haue
that he would be euer with his to the end * of y world â–ª to what purpose haue so many notable men suffered Martyrdome both in the primatiue Church vnder heatheÌ„ Emperors daily do suffer vnder the persecuting and cruell Papists If these haue not suffered for the trueth where shall wee seeke for trueth at thâ— handes of H. N whose doctrine so farre disagreeth from truth as light from darknesse This is a true saying Truth loueth no corners if the doctrine of H. N. be a truth why is it taught in corners Why dare none sâ—ep forth to mainteine the doctrine of H. N. being euery wher spokeÌ„ against why dare none of y Illuâ—inâ—t Elders whiche can not erre nor sinne come before the simple ones in Christes schoole and proue their authours doctrine good by the holy Scripture Their answere is that feare of death doth cause them to bee silent Did Christe or his Apostles so If we perteine vnto Christe Iesus wee must * be like vnto him in suffering that wee may reigne with him beeing called to witnesse the trueth And this is a thing also to be wondred at amongest the Familie that if conference be vrged at their hands they denie it vtterly if disputation be offered they flee from it egerly the reason is their doctrine dareth not abide the light nor the triall of the touchstone If there were nothing else to proue their doctrine false this were sufficient I coulde declare of discentions that are amongst theÌ„ how many of their great Rabbines or Illuminate Elders haue beene plaine Arrians haue recanted at Paules Crosse Also how often they haue altered their opinions as well touching communitie of thinges as diuers other points But because they will lay to my charge that I seeke onely to make them odious to the world I ceasse to speake any further bycause I rest hoping in their conuersion which I beseech the Lorde our God to graunt for his Christes sake There is one other thing which as they affirm moueth them to be silent â–ª because there is no publique Magistrate that will mainteine their doctrine therefore they are constrayned to be still If this be a cause sufficient let the reader iudge Shall a trueth be hidden because no Magistrate will giue it maintenance Certainely if the Apostles had ceassed to preach Christe vntill they had warrant from the Magistrate I thinke many nations had bene yet vnconuerted But I will not let to put them in memorie where they had maintenance of a Magistrate Euen in Munster a citie of Westphalia where Iohn Leyden and Knipper Dolling shewed the fruites and effectes of their doctrine Nothing they taught nor published but that which they affirmed to receiue from God by reuelatioÌ„ What murders â–ª what abhominations they exercised during their reigne and gouernment Iohn Sleydan a man liuing at that time and of good credit hath manifestly published declared And these men were Hollanders and schollers of Dauid George whose disciple your authour H. N. was at that time although now he publish his doctrine in his owne name and saith y he hath receyued the same not by mans ministerie but at y mouth of God whose sound voice he saith he hath heard The Scriptures do teach vs to flie from such men as boast of such vanities that they are taught by reuelation For * Paul when he was conuerted was sent by Christ to Anâ—niâ—s to be instructed * Cornelius was seÌ„t to Peter Almightie God to teach his children vseth always the office ministery of man The Israelits had their Prophets men instructed by God I grant but they had their testimonie of their calling ioyned with their office as a seaâ— badge which was a bold publicatioÌ„ of their message without feare because it was a truth and there was ioyned commonly therewith the working of myracles whiche seales your authour wanteth For neither H. N. nor any that followe that doctrine dare boldly speake what they beleeue * nor render a reason of their faith and hope as the apostle Peter hath written although H. N. calleth himselfe a Prophet and hath intituled a booke called The Prophefie of the spirite of loue in which booke his manifest follie is openly declared as by reading this small treatise thou shalt find The Lord God for his Christes sake open their eies and mollifie their hard and stonie hearts that they may beholde the suttleties conteined in the doctrine of the family and imbrace the ioyfull promises which Christ our Lorde hath set forth to vs in his Gospel and that his Gospel y his Church may be free from such deprauers of Christ Iesus his death and passion so shall we his children reioyce ouer their conuersion and magnifie the name of the Lord our God to whom be praise and dominion now and euer Stephan Bateman to the gentle Reader CHristian Reader consider I pray thee howe from the beginning there hath euer bene such discordaunce founde as hath bred great dissention among the creatures of the worlde for by the wicked the death of the godly hath euer bene hastened And I gather it to be for this cause onely that the absence of suche godly mighte seeme to the froward a peaceable being when not rebuked for their wicked and vngodly liuing they might as it seemed vnto them liue secure to doe what in their eyes and mindes seemed best This subtile engine had Sathan in the beginning when hee stirred Caine to sâ—ay his brother Abell And why because his brothers sacrifice was good and his euill c. Likewise as from a corrupt tree there hath sprong foorth suche sappe by the instigation of Sathan in the members of the vngodly as ambition hypocrisie false religion and suche like that to haue a place of gouernement according to their natures they haue driuen the Churche of Christe by many extremities into out Isles of the world and when by Gods mightie assistaunce they haue for a time inioyed quietnesse yet suchâ— hath bene the malicâ— of the olâ— serâ—â—â—t and his members to beginne againe with â—ew deuised torments to disqviet the peaceable seruice of Christes Church which notwithstanding in spite of that furie hath euer hâ—d stay in one place or other And for the yet hoped time after many attempts they migâ—t get the victorie the diuell to the intent that bâ— domesticall discorde the church of Christ might be throughly shaken as a lâ—ing spirit begate errour errour begate heresie hoâ— euen vnder the visard of hypocrisie to feigne the pure religion by outward resemblance and so in time to bring in his maâ—e Idolatrie that then betwixt theÌ„ both they might in short space hatch superstition practising the Church insteade of the creator to worship not onely the creatures but also idolâ— made by themselues which as soone as euer the true Churche espied beganne to separate themselues from that sâ—lthie broode then came discorde and with him diuision which
slacke You once did abhorre the Pope as Antichrist and nowe doe imbrace an Authour a right chicken of the Church of Rome who hath opened the mysteries of the Masse and euery trifling toy therein at large in his booke intituled A declaration of the Masse Alas brethren is your faith which once you had in the mercifull promises of Christe Iesus come to this that an obscâ—re man whose person you knowe not and whose books you did neuer vnderstand aright hath stopped that liuely fountaine that did once flow in you Assuredly it is the malice of sathan that hath brought this to passe y you being led out of the way into the bypathes of mans deuices might perish in the same But my hope is that as many of you as pertaine vnto our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesus and are members of the holy communion of Saints shall at the last be brought to sée howe déepe you are fallen and how sore ye haue ben wounded eueÌ„ to death by that deceiuer Christopher Vittell a man borne as it were of purpose for that intent whose erronious spirit the Church of God hath tasted many ways And marke this thing well that man that once is entred into heresies not wel reclaynied is subiect to manifold temptatioÌ„s of our enimie which is well proued in your instructer Vittel who teaching the monstruous opinion of Arrius many yeares together now is possessed with infinite moe errours and is the childe of destruction tenne folde worse then before It is a wonder to sée that men hauing once knowne Christ Iesus do now notwithstanding denie the effect of his office which the doctrine of Henrie Nicholas doth in many pointes and yet is beléeued and imbraced very gréedily of you yea aboue measure It should appear that Christ was not surely fixed in your mindes for if he had no blast of H. N. Vittell nor any could haue separated you from the loue of Christ Iesus Such wandering errours are they subiect vnto that perfectly doe not imbrace our Lord Christ according to his promises manifested and declared in his worde but féede themselues with fantasies and deuices of men yea such men as neuer lerned Christ Iesus truly Such are verified in the scripture Exiére à nobis sed â—on erant de nobis They went out froÌ„ vs but they were not of vs. Euery errour that hath bene in the worlde hath had some patrones and defenders learned and skilfull men in science and arte but this errour of the Familâ—e hath neither Authour nor disciple which are indued with true knowledge or learning For H. N. doth despise such as bring foorth any doctrine out of the learnednesse of the Scripture he saith it is all seducing and lyes that such doe preach or teach yea and it is further auouched by H. N. that none of vs in the Church of God â—an teach the truth of Christ Iesus but only he and such Illuminate Elders as are brought vp in his Familie But as I haue before procéeded it is â—â—uenient that their Authour speak himselfe that the Familie may iudge that I deale indifferently His wordes be these In the prophesie Chap. 8. verse 6. Strangers which walke not with the Familie of Loue or deale falsly therwith tast not of the louely beeing for earthly are all their mindes and thoughtes The Scripturely learned man hath no knowledge of Gods matters hee can not vnderstand any tittle much lesse expounde or interprete the same to others All Scripture appeare to such couered secret in signes and parables neither comprehende they what the same according to the trueth is It is giuen onely to the Familie of Loue to vnderstande the sesecretes thereof Hereby it is manifest that H. N. doeth signifie vnto his Familie that none can speak the truth but he his Elders nor none can vnderstande the scripture but they Upon this persuasion it coÌ„meth to passe y few or none in the Familie doth credite or beléeue any other that teach except H. N. or his Elders How pernitious this matter is if you credite his speach shal appeare And if truth be tied except he be sent If H. N. can proue vnto vs that he is sent of God as he boasteth then he is to be credited but we haue shewed that his voyces are not the voyce of God reuealed to vs by Christe Iesus but méere contrarie therefore by no meanes to be credited For none that is sent by God will teach any doctrine contrarie to that whiche is reuealed in the scripture For we are not to beléeue him although he be an Angel from heauen For H. N. teacheth not Christ but himself extolling him selfe his doctrine and his wisdome which is a token and marke that he is not led by the spirite of God but is puffed vp with the arrogant pride of his minde in boasting maner whiche Gods children did neuer follow For the holie spirite doeth promise to dwell in the man that hath a lowly and humble heart and not in the proud and arrogant person that boasteth himselfe The spirit of God is neuer boasting but in humilitie méekenesse and patience doth set foorth the glory of God christ And because we may better take a â—â—ll vewe of H. N. and his spirite I will set downe his owne words wherby it may be the better discerned of what spirit he is His wordes are these In the preface to his crying voyce Although our cause for a time bee condemned and dispised yet the iust and vpright vnderstanding ones doe prayse and commende our godlie wisedome In the first exhortation Chapter 16. My children and you Familie of Loue giue â—are to me your father liue according to my doctrine that it may goe wel with you take heede to my doctrine and what I doe set foorth and teach that it may be a seale of life a witnes of truth in our heartes For it is your life Eodem libro capitulo If you humble your selues vnto the schoole of grace wherevnto you are called by me H. N. in the house of life and forsake your ignorant knowledge and good thinking then shall yee liue and inherite the peace In the Prophesie Chapter 4. O Ye Caynish ceremonie ministers and ye persecuters murtherers of the Abellishe vpright heartes ye haue falsely iudged the vpright harts as men worthy to be rooted out of the earth If therefore thou ceasse not from thy wicked workes and from thy iudging of God his matters whiche doubtlesse thou vnderstandest not therefore iudgest falsely if thou repent not all the curses of the Lawe shall be executed against thee In the last time the glorious Lordlinesse of the Lorde God shall in vs become manifested and declared in vs fulfilled Here mayst thou discerne H. N. and his boasting spirite howe he commendeth his godly wisedome then how he extolleth his doctrine saying that his doctrine is their life then he promiseth that his Family shall if they giue eare vnto him and his doctrine liue
mollifie your stonie heartes and renewe a right spirite within euerie one of you that your conuersion may be to Gods glorie and the reioysing of his Churche If it please you to reade these simple instructions which I haue written for your sake hurt thereby you can not haue if any good happen and that the Lord doe hereby open your eyes to beholde your errour giue glorie to the Lord our GOD whose mercie is ouer all his creatures and imagine as trueth is that I haue not so contumeliosly vsed your Authour H. N. as he hath bitterly dealt with vs in iudgeing the Church of Christ and all others that are not of his Family I will vse his owne spéeche In the first exhortation Chapter 7. 1 All such as beleue not the Loue nor are baptised in the name of the Father it is not meete to account suche vnbeleeuers and vnbaptised ones for Christians at whose handes we should looke to finde any word of trueth Capitulo eodem 2 The day of the Lorde and righteous iudgement of God shall burne in wrath and furie ouer all vngoldly which haue despised the Loue and her seruice and shal cōsume them as a fire to euerlasting condemnation in the fire of hell which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Article 10. 3 We confesse that no man shall obteine grace nor forgiuenesse of sinnes at Gods handes without the same commonaltie of holy ones in the Loue. In the sixt Chapter 4 But seeing we can not perceiue or finde the true beleefe of Christe among any people vpon earth that walke without the commonaltie of the loue but the same is manifested vnto the holy ones of GOD in the commonaltie of the Loue nor can bee witnessed by any other people or nation but onely the commonaltie of the holy ones in the Loue. In the prophesie Chap. 18. verse 38. 5 Ye shall through the requiring of the gratious word in the seruice of loue become incorporated to the louely nature of God. 1 Here I haue repeated certeine sentences taken out of H. N. whereby first is shewed that none can haue the truth which beléeue not in the loue y is whiche beléeue not as they do nor are baptised in the name of the father which they take not to be y sacrament of baptisme but a mysterie excéeding my capacity to vtter of incorporating vs into God. 2 Thē such as despise the Loue her seruice shal be consumed with fire euer lasting that is their teaching and seruice 3 No man can obteine grace nor forgiuenes except they ioyne with their commonaltie 4 No people vppon earth can truely beléeue in Christ but their Family and such as walke with them 5 Last of all they shall become incorporated to the nature of God through their seruice of Loue. Here ye may sée the summe of that godly wisdome that is in your Author his déepe diuinitie And surely in my minde it requireth no large discourse to confute the same the spéeche of it selfe doeth sufficiently bewray the minde of their Authour the effect whereof is he and his Family haue onely the trueth and all the world else are deceiued But I may boldly say and more truely that no people in the world that haue any religion but they hearing H. N. and his doctrine will iudge him to be a false Prophet a vain boaster and a deceiuer of suche as put any confidence in him whose doctrine is so absurde senslesse without comfort that none but idiotes or men without true religion will imbrace the same And although many simple people doe imbrace this vaine way by the subtiltie of Christopher Vittel and others yet I haue no doubt but the Lorde in mercie will beholde their simplicitie and giue vnto them a right spirite to discerne trueth from falshod If I were disposed to lay abroade euerie odious matter and euery Tragedie that I haue intelligence of in the Family I should but infert the eares of Gods children with much vile matter which I had rather burie in silence then by naming the persons to make them abhorred of the multitude I think it conuenient therefore to couer their turpitude rather then by manifesting the same to publishe such odious stuffe as would euen defile my pen to write Syr William Moore a woorthy Iustice in Surrey had the examination of one or two of the Familye who vttered much matter which I am loth to write I do gather it vpon this grounde that forsomuch as their Illuminat Elders do not sinne and what so euer they commit it cannot be sinne therfore if they fall into anye acte be it neuer so vngodly it can not be counted sinne as it procéedeth from them because they are Deified And what acte so euer they do it can not be sinne no more then the Prophete Osees whiche was commaunded to take a Harlot to his wife and to beget children in fornication and he did so Uppon such false and vaine persuasions what vile doctrine doeth followe the verie simple may perceiue I doe absteine therefore from further declaring or dylating of any such matter as this is least I should euen infecte the ayre therewith And if any of the Family doe suppose that I write maliciously without proofe let them signifie their minds vnto me and I shall satisfie them priuately of all such matter as I haue intelligence with the processe wholy and particularly And if they denie that Henrie Nicholas doeth boaste himselfe to haue the Spirite of GOD as I haue affirmed and not by participation but Godded with God or incorporated into GOD as he vseth to speake for my discharge I will let H. N. tell how and in what manner he hath it that you the Family and all other may perceiue what he is rightly His wordes be these The first Chapter of the prophesie the 2. diuision The Lord God of heauen moued me in his minde or spirit his power compassed me with a rushing noyse and the glorie of the same God became greate in my spirite of his loue in such wise that the clearenesse of God wholy inuironed me and shined round about me wherethorough the sight of mine eyes became clearer then the christall and mine vnderstanding more brighter then the Sunne He doeth not let to vtter vnto the Familie how mightely and gloriously the God of heauen is in him so that his sight and vnderstanding became clearer then the christall or the sunne whiche if it be true then it is méete that all generations of the earth submit themselues therevnto as he saith in his dialogue And surely this his boasting doeth darken the glorie of Christe Iesus with his Family excéedingly And this is beléeued credited among them the more pity and the simple are deluded and mocked with such vaine boasting spirites and it increaseth daily in the countrey and créepeth as a canker euery where through the smooth speach of their Elders But how close they kéep them selues and will not
the loue of God and Christ farre be that from me it is selfe loue that I discommende in your author and in you all of this family For the loue of God is manifested to vs by Christ our Lorde which is our onely comfort So God loued the worlde c. You loue your authour so wel that this loue of God little appeareth 2 Could any man you say rew the prosperitie of the householde of God except he were of the diuell no verelye If you were of Christs householde we as fellowes woulde imbrace you but straungers from that household ye are and as straungers lurke in corners 3 My foundation you say is against H. N. whom I neuer knewe nor vnderstode off True it is touching his person but by his doctrine he is not vnknowne to me whose bookes I haue to shewe 4 You say as Christ in the reuelation is shadowed by two caracters A. and O. so none can knowe his name except he ouercome in the spirite therefore we must be scilent hereafter for H. N. is not the signification of any mans name This is a great mistery in déede for if H. N. be not a man then haue I vtterly mistaken my selfe but sure the bookes were not written by Angels man was the minister and the man that write them his name is Henrye Nicholas the same mans life I haue truely set downe not hearesayes but the trueth not of enimies but of his neighbours familiers not one man but many they will not onely speake the trueth but are ready vppon their othes to testifie the same 5 Where you iudge that you are suer they are not of the Church of Christ it is very rash Iudgement I coulde testifie of their honest life and manners but it shal be here impertinent You make your comparisons vnequall because Christ by two letters did testifie his maiestie power as god will you admit H. N. by like reason to vse two letters significant In déede I haue â—en aunswered y H. N. signifieth Homo nouus but such follyes will not serue you must of necessitie acknowledge H. N. to be a man as one of our Family at Farnam before the Bishop of Winchester did acknowledge confes him that is to say H. N. not only to be a maÌ„ but also a sinner least you shuld burden me with vntruth as you haue done I will giue you his name R. W. 6 You put me in minde of my impudent dealing in that I haue saide that none of your family dare set forth your doctrine in principles that all men may sée wherein you and we differ you referre me to a little booke called The confession of the Family which booke I haue read but that is very plausible nothing differing from vs If you helde no worse pointes then that booke doth vtter suerly I would come before you al acknowledg my fault and craue pardon but this is a méere mockery of the people to set down your faith common with vs and nothing contrary to vs where as your authour in sundrie places tearmeth vs a diuellish Sinagogue or schoolâ— and that we are not the Church but a harloâ—t If you and we professe one Christ one baptisme one faith why are we seuered in communion but it is a worlde to sée your doings in this matter When any of your family are conueÌ„ted before any officer in Christes Church then you subscribe to any forme you recant in your owne churches you promise neuer to professe H. N. nor his doctrine and yet still after so sollemne protestations you reteine your secrete doctrine which in fewe wordes is not plaine dealing If your doctrine be a trueth why doe you still deny it if the power of God hath shone through H. N. so mightely why doe you not in principles drawe your doctrine that the people of God may sée vppon what groundes and stayes you haue seuered your selfe from vs but you vse the pollicy of the cuttle a fish whose property is to trouble the water that she may not be séene so with your darke speaches misteries you would cast a myst that no man should sée your meaning and then stande vppon your tiptoes and say that your sentences haue such profounde maiestie that our simple grosse capacities cannot comprehend the same Plaine dealing is euer best If we be in error shewe it to vs in what points and for my owne part I wil if you can conuince me by the testimonies of holy scripture yeald vnto you or any 7 What conference I haue had with your family dyuers of your family can tell you 8 You say my disorderly dealing shall appeare in the aunswere to my booke which for my part I shal long looke for for hitherto you haue not set down any one place where in I haue mistaken your author In déede I tooke not vpon me to write against any one booke but to display what absurdities I finde in your authors Doctrine you shall finde that performid or it be long by Maister Knewstubs who hath written a book to confute your Euangelium Regni You apply this text of holy scripture very fondly Christ saith my kingdome is not of this world 9 You aske howe the trueth can be taught where his kingdome is not If you meane by this worde kingdome power maiestie dominion then it is shewed in y world manifested to hys Church But by kingdome the Euangelist doth vnderstande as I take it an outwarde shewe of principalitie which the Iewes looked for to be in their deliuerer or Messias which he denied to be in him which may better appeare in that which followeth For then would my ministers surely fight for me 11. I knowe that Christ chiefly reigneth in his Churche but who are the Church is the question Euery heresie seeketh to shadowe it selfe with the title of the Church but by the life of Gods holy worde they haue béen found heretikes and seducers and yet I neuer hearde of any errour but drewe their doctrine into principles and durst disspute with any in their opinions except one Basilides whiche Eusebius in his 4. booke Chap. 7. maketh mention of who feining sundrie titles of vnknown names of Prophetes to amaze their hearers depending vpon Reuelations and visions amongest other thinges taught this that in time of persecution their faith with periury might bee denied saying Iura periura fideÌ„ prodere noli Now surely if I might without offence compare your dealings with Basilides it shoulde be founde little differing 12 You say that the same doctrine which the Martyrs taught in the primitiue Church H. N. teacheth nowe but wee plainely denie that euer any taught a perfection to bee atteyned vnto in this life to liue not daily committing sinne or that our battell is ended when we be re generat or that any H. N. hath receiued such power of teaching extraordinarie as you imagine For we denie that he hath the spirite of god and say that he teacheth
Diuers men haue diuers heartes that is Gods woorke to reuenge or redresse the same according to his owne will and pleasure and not to mans To the which kingdome the Lorde bring vs all for his sonne our Lorde Iesus Christes sake Amen Dat. decimo quinto die Decembris An. Domi. 1578. Per me E. R. The aunswere of I. R. to the letter of the Familie of loue written by E. R. I Receiued a letter from you touching my booke wherein you séeme to bée offended for diuers matters For aunswere wherof I refer your in many thinges to my letter sent ad amatorem charitatis You say that I take vp weapon to fight with a naked childe and so sporte your selfe in amplifying the example of Dauid and Goliath but to any article of doctrin which I haue charged you with all there is no mention It were conuenient that you would proue vnto vs such points of doctrine as you hold contrary to vs and not to dally in friuolus and néedelesse matter I haue saide that your author H. N. doth not speake nor write by the spirite of God that your illumined elders are not without sinne that the lawe of God is not possible to be kept c. Unto these matters you aunswere nothing but blott much paper in néedeles probations You giue vs a note that wher the spirite of enuy pride contention crueltie murther c is there is the diuell and not god If I should nowe inlarge this matter and put it ouer vnto you you would thinke me vncharitable For I graunt it to be true and the holy scripture is our grounde our lyne our square without any mans mixture and if H. N. had neuer writ the scriptures are sufficient to vs and the church of Christ hath tasted sufficiently his mercy without him and you had béene in much better case if he had neuer beene borne For alas what doctrine do you hold but that which many heretikes haue helde and haue béene condempned by the Church for the same It is not Christianlike that one man should persecute an other for conscience sake you say but doth it followe that heresies and blasphemyes may be mainteined and no man manifest the same Let vs leaue wrangling and come to the trueth if you holde a truth as I haue often saide why is it hidden and kept secrete If we be in error why do you not through loue charitie manifest the same plainly vnto vs your authors darke and ranging stile which you estéeme misticall doth not sufficiently declare any false doctrine we teach If you striue for a godly and regenerate life certeinly we will with our whole hearts ioyne with you For we acknowledge y our bare confession of Christ with our mouthes is not sufficient Not euery one that saith Lorde Lord c. Yet may the diuell vnder the outwarde cloke of holynesse nourish in our harts many false suggestions there fore the Godly euermore haue had an eye to sathans deceite and in humilitie of spirite haue still bewayled the greatnesse of their sinnes and acknowledged the same which H. N. doth not in any bookes that I haue reade For many standing vppon the securitie of kéeping Gods lawes haue vtterly deceiued themselues The Pharisies boasted of their holynesse and the obseruation of the lawe but Christ reproued them as ypocrits the Manachits the Donatists the Marcionits the Montanists c haue outwardly sought and prescribed to them selues straict rules and seuere obseruances of pietie but yet mainteyned vnder the same blasphemous doctrine and euery heresie set out their holynesse commended their patrons as men hauing the spirit of God mightely working with power And doe not you in like sort affirme H. N. to haue the spirite of God and to haue published his doctrine with much more power then any in these latter dayes Let vs not striue for vaine glory heaping applications of holy scripture without conclusion and so farre from the purpose Let vs content our selues with the glorious name to be called christians and let this tearme Family of Loue goe as a new deuised thing without warrant in holy scripture The householde of faith is mencioned of but not loue Touching this point of doctrine of the possiblitie of kéeping the commaundements I knowe those places of scripture very well and what God requireth but our weakenesse in performing the same appeareth Gen. 6. chapter verse 5. Iob. 25. chapt 5. vers 4. Romanes 4. chapter 20 verse but I delight not in many cotations but how to purpose the holy scriptures are applyed therefore onely I will giue you to consider two places the one of saint Paule in 11. Romaines 32. verse For God hath shutte vp all in vnbeliefe that he might haue mercie on all Galathians 3. chapt verse 22. but the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that belieue But before faith came we were vnder the lawe vntill the faith shoulde after be reuealed Wherefore y lawe was our schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith but after that faith is come we are no longer vnder a schoolemaister I pray you note howe the holy Ghoste teacheth vs not to trust in the perfourmaunce of the lawe For it is such a burthen as wenor our fathers were euer able to beare but includeth vs vnder sinne and the curse of the lawe that the blessinges which by Christes death we obteine through faith we might notably become heires by promise and not by the lawe The Lawe therefore doeth shewe our weakenesse and sendeth vs to Christe who fulfilled it for vs and all his obedience and righteousnesse is ours by imputation we by grace through faith are made heires and not by the déedes of the law yet we reiect it not but with reuerence and feare indeuour our selues to perfourme in euerie pointe what it requireth but still we féele our weakenesse in perfourming the same and therefore flée vnto Christe Iesus in whome we finde rest to our conscience confessing our vnablenesse and infirmitie finding in him strength and habilitie whiche still by faith we apply to our troubled mindes when the iustice of God or the lawe doth by any meanes threaten vs And this is our anchor hold of faith manifested to vs by the scriptures of God to our euerlasting comforte We are taught to say when wee haue done our best Luk. 17. That we are vnprofitable seruaunts Christ is said Act. 13. vers 3. to deliuer vs from all thinges which we could not be iustified by the lawe of Moyses By him euery one that beléeueth is iustified for if saluatiō come by the law Christe died in vaine For it standeth not with the glorie of Christ Iesus that any such perfection shoulde be giuen vs to kéepe the lawe For if by our infirmitie the strength of Christe be made perfecte Cor. Chap. 12. so contrary wise by our perfection Christes death
saying I adiuâ—e and charge thee in the name of the liuing God whether thou bee Christe the sonne of God c. Let that whiche is secrete to God onely whereof no proofe can be made nor lawfull witnesse brought abide to the comming of the Lord which shall open all the secretes c. which councell if ye nowe followed poore men mought enioy libertie of good conscience without such stretching and strayning as is nowe vsed You also denye that euer any in the primitiue Churche taught a perfection to be attained in this life whereat wee much marueile for that wee knowe assuredly that the Apostles taught the perfection to be attained in this life of all and among all that could beleeue and stoode good willing thereto and so haue all that hath since taught Christ Iesus who is the perfection of all the workes of God. Is not this much ignoraunce that wee who acknowledge as wee saye Christ Iesus â–ª shoulde denye his perfection But it seemeth wee looke not for his shape to be wrought in vs as the Scriptures require Paule to the Corinthians 1. 13. Chapter But when that which is perfect is come then that which is vnperfect shal be done awaye c. You must agree with vs that all the holie ones from the beginning haue taught vs to leaue sinne and surely that doctrine lyketh vs best But all your citations are to defende and mainteine the sinne which seemeth to like you best For surely it were well that all true Christians should rather take parte with righteousnesse then be such aduocates for the sinne as moste men bee at these dayes Nowe further it seemeth moste straunge vnto vs where you also say you knowe not what wee meane concerning our confession made in our saide letters as concerning our true baptisme In the name of God the Father God the Sonne and of God the holie Ghoste which is the taking vp of our crosse and right direction vnto Christ who hauing then gotten in vs a liuing shape confirmeth vs through his holie spirite in an assured hope of his promises in the resurrection and in the euerlasting life yet as you graunt it may haue an apte application wee see not any other way to possesse the kingdome of heauen the whole newe estament is full giuing witnesse ther vnto But if ye haue founde out any easier way thereto so are not wee therein against you which till ye can let ds perceiue and feele wee pray you to suffer vs in rest by you in this our foolishnesse as wee do you vnhindered vnmolested and vnslaundered c. wee also say not as you imagin that our battaile is ended when wee are regenerate but wee say that Christe Iesus that man of God from heauen which is borne of God and in whome the seede of God remaineth and therefore sinneth not he hath the power to subdue his enimies end the battail in vs Wher you also say that H. N. hath not the spirite of God say moreouer that he teacheth meere contrarie doctrine to the Scriptures you haue therein think we entred verie farre into Gods secrets iudging also greatly of your self therin for it is nowe adays a common thing that euery man can say shewe mee a good man wheÌ„ as in deed in their beholding none is better theÌ„ themselues therfore cannot beleeue that god hath such worke with any man as to bring any goodnes more theÌ„ thei haue to any other And further we know that with what mind a man beholdeth another in such forme he appeareth whome he beholdeth for a minde of enuie cannot discerne any paterne of Loue no more then a blacke Moore looking in a glasse can see his face altered into white coulour c. And as for difference which ye demaunde to knowe betweene you and vs wee haue fully answered you before by your owne wordes Nowe for our minde concerning Gods predestination take vs not therein so short for we allowe of it simplie and reuerently in his kinde and yet further also euen as the holie Scriptures allowe the same but wee like not to contende therin nor desperatly to seeke libertie of life thereby neither foolishly to serch for things therein aboue our capacities It seemeth also in your letters that ye feare our mindes stande not to agree with you in your iustification by Christ in your acknowledging your selues to be sinners in your weakenesse in perfourming the lawe and that we seuer vs from you therein wherein ye are too much deceiued for wee acknowledge our iustification to bee had by none other meanes but alone in by and through the death passion resurrection of Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour wee daily confesse our selues to he moste myserable sinners and of our selues altogether vnable to perfourme the lawe and therefore wee acknowledge and stedfastly beleeue the onely possibilitie to consist in the Lorde our God through Iesus Christ our righteousnesse and waite for the same whatsoeuer you or any other say of vs to the contrarie Ye say further to be like vnto Christe or to haue his Image is to be vnderstoode to be like minded vnto him who did nat sinne but that priuiledge say you onely apperteineth to him and not to vs then in vaine as it seemeth by your wordes was this written vnto the congregations Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus c. But as we haue saide the power thereto is not in vs but in him But you take part ouermuch with the sinne as we thinke and we ouermuch with the righteousnesse as you thinke And because we are enimies to our vttermost through the might of Christ against the sinne you vniustly imagin therefore of vs as that we of our owne power without Christ meaned to subdue the same but farre be that from our thoughtes and surely who so sayeth so of vs slaundereth vs muche Nowe further you say you are not enimie to our persons which wee would be glad to see for we are taught to forsake that false sinfull nature of the diuell that contrarie nature to God and to growe into that good louely being of God and Christe in the spirite whereby wee see no cause ye should bee enimie to so good doctrine neyther And as for Edmund L. you confesse as much of him as wee charged you with Further ye saye wee slyly meane H. N. by the white stone spoken of in the Apocalips But vnderstande we meane as the text importeth by all such as ouercome in that battaile and not by any one particulerly But thus much for certein note well such as haue no lust to ouercome in the crosse of Christe that earthly sinfull nature but haue much more lust to take parte therewith and yet notwithstanding doe claime a freedom with Gods holie ones in Iesus Christ in an vnrenewed minde knowe nothing therof for it is written no man knoweth that newe name saue alone he that receiueth it boast he neuer so much of his knowledge