trueth they seeke but singularitye For although in other matters there be difference opinions yet in maâs election saluation redemption and regeneâation 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 treaâise 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 grauÌt 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 haât O Lord God heauenly Father thoâ that art not only our God but the God of all the world we thy creatures the worke âf thy hands make our humble prayers and supplications bâfore thy excellent maiesty âeseeching thee O Lord not to consider vs as we aâe of our selues eaâth ashes and whatsoeuer is ãâã but as we are in Christ Iesus our Lord thy sanctified people whom thou hast chosen before all worlds to witnes thy âame in earth And to whom tâou hast made manifest thy Sonne ouâ Sauiour with an vncouered face to our great comfort âet 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 childreÌ 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 yeaâes we haue been fed with heauenly meate Long time we haue enioyed the benefite of thy gospel a blessiââ 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 ãâã 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 sâât 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 meÌbers 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 beloÌg 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 childreÌ 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 obedieÌtly eueÌ 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 ãâã 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 froÌ 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 gaâe to deuour vs From blondy Papistes which lye in wayte for vs and dâly 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 thâ liâle flock enioy the sweete comfort of thy gospell that we may praise thy holy name in our own land Roote out all secâes 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 tresoâs and trecheries which Sathan in his members shall deuise against her Make void their couâcels 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 doâtrine boldnes to publish the same without ãâã 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 puââshmeÌtâ 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 saâ Come Lord Iesus come quikly that we maybe losed fâoÌ thâ 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 tribulatioÌââher in body or minde as witnesses of thy trueth Geue
is not enough to seâd out your Libelâ without name and âide your seluââ ãâ¦ã and say our riâorous deâling is tââ cause thereof Truelâ iâ you would appoânt tyme and place and meete accordingly I burst vndertake to be bound that you should both come goe safely where confereÌce might bring trueth to light if you looke for trueth and require to be satisâââd for this wrangling is not so consonant to ChristiaÌ pietye ⪠truth ⪠and playne dealing is âest and none that euer held trueth but was desirous of conference iâ 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 whiâh loue God will keepe his commaundementes âor 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 ãâã nature of the law is Theâ lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4 v. 15. The law hath dominion ouer man as long as he liueth Râm â v. ââ I know not sinne but by the ãâ¦ã 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 knoweÌ as appeareth Rom. 11.32 For God hath shut vp all in vnbelieââ that he might haue mercy on all also Gala. 3.22 But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the fâith of Iesus Christ shoulde be geuen to them that beleue If by this doctrine we bâ 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 theÌ Chriââ 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 perâte Cor. 2. chap. 12. vers 9. So contrary if we affirme in vs strength to fulfill the law then is his death extenuatâ and made oâ none effect It is no derogatioÌ 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 ouâ Lord. We reiect not the law but in reuârence 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 âachary âlysabeth are sayd to walke in all the commaundements âut how far sine querela coââm ãâã without reproose before men But iâ the Lord should haue entered inâo iudgement agaynst them by the dexterity of his law ⪠then must they needâ haue sayd to vs is nothing due but confusion and shame to thee be honor and glory for euer Now you sâe how the law is fulfilled and satiâfied in the person of Christ noâ 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 distinctioÌ 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 trumpâ of doctrine which shal be bloweÌ vpon the earth Marke whât ⪠his works testifie of him and euen so is he whether it be beleued or noâ But he sayeth not that no man knoweth the true senâe of the scripture but he but this I say if any man know the truth he caÌnot 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 ââd an erroneous spirit he seducâd by Sathan and you by him But if you meane by woâkes some miraculous matter muttered of you in secret corners theÌ we tell you plain âhat 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 takeÌ 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 âN and his doctrine then waâ 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 hiâ children through all England
some thinges yet so as hitherto vntouched of you except we should take your bare word agaynst many witnesses Vitell. FVrther you write of two men which weâe before a worshipfull Iustice Anno 1561. which you affirm to be of the Fam. of loue what they were that is that but of HN. his doctrine at that time they knew not also you affirme you knowe what but seeing you will âeedes slaunder vs we will in the patience of Christ beare thât and hâpe âpon the goodnes and mercifulnesse of the Lord desiring him to geue you a better minde Aunswere TOuching two meÌ examyned before a worshipfull Iustice I haue collected that they were of the Family of loue you answere the doctrine of HN. at that time they knew not but this is certain one of them is liuing knoweth you but to well and is a welwiller to your Family and scoller of Allin but what they were you aunswere that is that Such suttle aunsweres are fittest for men of your profession you know what they were it seemeth and in deed they were of your hatching although for further increase of knowledge ⪠Allin their neare neighbor did more instructe them and lead them forward into your error Plain dealing would haue put men out of doute seeing you know what they were But since they haue bewrayed your doings ⪠in secret you regard them not For some of your Familye haue aunswered that by compulcion and threates they made their confession others say playne they were not of our Family you are ashamed of them now that they haue disclosed your secret conference You say I affirme I know what I thinke you meane touching your owne person wherein I haue vttered you to be y onely man y hath brought this wicked doctrine of HN. which lay hidden in the Dutch tongue among our simple English people to their euerlasting destruction except the Lord in mercy open their eyes that they may see into the wicked monstrous drift of your Author HN. and repent theÌ and so turn vnto the Lord Iesus from whome they haue departed following a stranger an enemy to Christ and his gospell set vp by Sathan who enuieth the prosperitye thereof The Lord geue you hartes to vnderstand and also geue euery one of you a better minde Vitell. COncerning Christopher Vâtell of his aât or his small skill in learning he knoweth it also neither doth he make any boast of any thing that he âaÌ for he knoweth if he haue any goâd whether it be godly or maâly that ât commeth fâom aboue for all goâd coÌmeth from the Father of light with âhome there is no variablnes âeiâher is he chaunged into daâkenes but all what is neither gâdly âoâ manây that commeth out oââhe âlâsh of ãâã or âlâshfly wisedonâ ãâã the ãâã gâod thinking his ãâ¦ã âhiâh bringeth ãâ¦ã holyââs a counterfaâte riâhteouââes as also many manner of religions or chosen God seruices sectes or errors c. Aunswere TOuching this Christopher Clitel in Latten Vitâlus or Vitulus I haue sayd he is a ioyner by occupation a wauering minde and vnconstaÌt delighting in singularitys alwayes held hereticall opinions almost this 36. yeares wise men haue noted 3. euills being once rooted in man are seldome or neuer voyd of some spice of y same disease that is Lunasy Ieolously and heresye and it so falleth out by this mans example who in king Henryes raigne was vnconstant in king Cowardes raigne a dissembler and in Queenes Maryes raigne a playne Arryan and now in this our Princes raigne a chiefe teacher of the Familye of Loue now he hosteth of nothing surely there is no cause but rather to sorrow that many poore people by you are deceiued and abused and their simplicitye caryed away by your suttle speaches You say what so is godly or manly that is from aboue the phrase is somewhat difficult I think you mean spirituall and earthly But where you adde what is neither godly nor manly y coÌmeth of the flesh of sinne c. Here is a distinction more scholasticall then meane wittes can attaine to if by godly and manly you place manly as contrary to godly then is manly taken in the euill part and so not from aboue excepte you will haue euell thinges from aboue which cannot be The thirde distinction is ambiguous for of our corrupt nature wee bring forth fleshly wisdome imaginations c. And herevnto are we by nature subiect if the Lord by his grace doe not guide vs and lead vs and deliuer vs yea and so deliuered if he still doe not protect and gouerne vs we shall be ready to fall agayne and agayne therefore we dayly craue at his handes saying deliuer vs Lord from such euels as by our owne corrupt nature we are subiect vnto Here are also 2. phrases I thought not good to let pas vntouched the one the mans good thinking and this is taken in the Family in the euill parte If his thought be good it is from aboue why despise ye it The other is chosen God seruices If it be a seruice of God then you doe not well to place this phrase with sects and errors But these men haue a delite to publishe strange Religion and to set it forth with strange phrases also For so they may speake like their Author they care not how vnlike the holy scripture they write Vitell. ANd all these come hereout because the man will iudge the âorkes of the Lord with his naturall wisdome or lernedenes And heâout namely out of the wisedome of the flesh sprang all Christopher Vitelles errors but not out of any other maÌs councell or bookes Answere ALl errors sectes and couÌterfaite righteousnes as this man saith come of this that man will iudge the worâes of the Lord with his naturall wisdome lewdnes Touching man simply which S. Paul calleth Ammalis homo the âleshly minded man knoweth not the things that are of God yet it is also affirmed that no man can say Abba Father without the spirite of god This man would perswade that there is now some secret teaching froÌ God by reuelation which is proper to this Family and therein they haue a speciall gifte they litle regard the ordinary way and meane to attayne knowledge and the true sence of the holy scripture It is not to be denyed that almighty God hath taught his children by his holy spirite in reuelations extraordenary but that now the sonne of God is come into the world eâen the wisdom of the Father with an vncouered face shall we now in this light looke to be taught by reuelations or inspiratioÌs he hath by his wisdome established an ordinarye way of teachinge in his church wherunto we must stand obâdyent except we will deny his ordynance Faith commeth by hearing of the word of God If we haue faith we shal not want other excellent vertues she is neuer alone but loue charitiâ humilitie patience c. waite vpoÌ her as handmaydes Hath not the Deuill deluded many
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 â 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 darâkned 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 eueÌ for thy sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus sake that thou wilt in mârcy 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 meÌ 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 cleaâe fast And although we O Lord by our offences and the manyfold transgressions wherwith we prouoke thy merciâull goodnes who doe know thy will and yet are so slow performerâ therof wherby thou O Lord doest punish our offences so that wicked men now set vp theÌselues 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 beloÌging to thy sonne we are shadowed vnder his righteousnes and couered vnder his winges in safety from eternall destrucâion But such is thy goodnesse O mercifull God to try thy children here in earth how stedfast we will bid battaâle 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 plânted in vs which we most humbly desire thy maiesty to increase and that we may perseuâre and continue in the vnity of thy holy church in this life and after we may inioy tâe fruition of thy godly maiâstye and sing prâyses vnto thee world without end Vitell. O Lord let vs finde grace before thine eyes and heare ouâ humble sâpplication which we make vnto thee in the sorrowfulnesse of our haâts For a broaken hart and a sorrowfull spââite wilt thou O Lord not despise ⪠for euen there wilt thou enter ãâã and therby mââe thine habitation and sanctifie thy name from genâration tââenâââtioâ ãâã in euerlastingnes It is very true Answere O Lord we bâseech thée turne the harts of thesâ deceaueâ people and graunt them thy holâ sâirit y they may discern thy truth tauâht in thy holy word and not geue eaâe vnto anâe which teach coÌtrary therto ouerthrow their deuices brig to light their deâââts for thy holy names sake That we thy childreÌ may reiâyce ouer their tâ uersioÌ so together with one voice magnifie praise thy glorious name ⪠and that those straying shââp may be brought in to thy fold again ãâã it be thy blesââd 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 âorsake the confidence they haue in their perfection and that we may all acknowledge onely Christ Iesus to be perâite and we our selues dust and dung and whatsoeuer is vile let nât Sathan lead theÌ 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 swâete the Lord is in mercy towardes sinners and how seuere to such as iustify theÌselues And if it stand with thy good will pleasure thus to coÌuert theÌ 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 knoweÌ to the world herein O Lord kéepe thy children and such as loue thâ 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 childreÌ lyke pittye thou O Lord wilt shew vnto theÌ 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 prouideÌce 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 maledirioÌ cursse where in â had remained euerlastingly had not the Lord my God in mercy and of his speciall grace beholding my woeâââl âase without any desert of mine prouided and promised a deliuerer a Sauiour eueÌ the Lord Iesus which in âulnes 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 âastened it to his crosse who suffered for me y I might raigne with him who left me an example that I should âollow his steppes And which is more without coÌdition promisâd me eternall lyfe which by the onely sacrifice of his death he hath obtayned and by his paynefull
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 AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno. 1579. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis To the right honourable Syr Frauncis VValsingham chiefe Secretary vnto the Queenes most excellent Maiesây and of her honorable Councell Grace and Peace in Christ our Lord. HAuing before this set forth a small tretise displaing a sort of men in this our countrey of England imbracing an Author vnder two letters H and N. about sixe monethes agoe I haue receaued since from the same persons sundry letters contayning matter against the doctrine publickly taught in the church of England and answering certain matters contayned in the sayd booke called The displaying of the Family of Loue which answeres some I haue put in print the rest remayn wherof this Libel is one of the chiefest and as the same doth witnesse is made and compiled by one of the chiefe of that sect and the only man which was the occasion that any of HN his doctrine became conuersant with our natiue Countrey people a thing greatly to be lamented The name of the party is Christofer Vitel sometime a Ioyner of London and infected with that infamous doctrine of Airius â0 yeares agoe ⪠whose credââe among the pretended Family of Loue is very great and therefore I haue vsed more diligence in answering the same Being Right honorable unboldened to present the same vnto your honor vpoÌ vew and tast of your good inclination towardâs the true Church of Christ and the purging out of the same all disorders and discords that therin groweth or which blemisheth that beloued bride as much as in your honor lyeth And if herein I shall seeme ouer bold or presumptuous considering my rude and vnlearned capacity I haue many examples which may serue for my excuse For where should men publishing error seeke defence but vnder the name and protection of such as through the Lords dispensatioÌ and gift of singular wit doe vnderstand falshood at the first sight and haue authoritie to correct the same and hate error and corruption of a zeale to the glory of god and a care of true Religion and by rate goodnes of nature doe loue the truth and also sufficiently adorned with corage to defend the same Accept therefore most honorable these my rude labors in âânorable part and geue iudgement where trueth lyeth Accept my serâiceable hart to further the glory of christ his church and not the simple vtterance and smal skil with les learning as by the handling appeareth Also consider the prouideÌce of our God which ruleth his childreÌ by his beck and hath appointed your honor as a speciall Patrone in his Church to heare the griefe and gronings thereof and to vnderstand and see that truth be not defaced troden downe or spurned at by heretickes or wicked Atheistes which the mixed Church is too too full of And as the Lord hath made your honor to feele the sweetnes of his sonne our Sauiour So I am perswaded that you bende your singular care and deep consideration that this our countrey of England might be free from hereticks deprauers of Christ his glory And if it might please your honor to consider the root and ground froÌ whence this strange doctrin grew the practises and meanes by which it is maintained and supported And by this litle sayd by me consider with all what might be sayd against this doctrine of H N. by men of knowledge and skill And finding the roote nothing els but singularitie ambition pride and carnall liberty The shore and pillers that vphold it wrong application of the holy Scriptures counterfaite shewes of piety c. your honor shall perceiue I dout not how litle true reason these men haue or sound argument to proue the particulars of their doctrine the body and substance being found in deede but a lumpe of olde worne heresies newly hatcht by H N. Fidelitas and âlidad men come out of the cloudes as they would haue the world beleeue And as this doctrine hath increased and spred it selfe in many shires of this Realme So if I should declare what euent doth follow in many places it were scarce credible The fountaine or foundation thereof is the opinion that these men haue that they keepe the law of God in euery point as he requyreth âer of commeth their doctrine of perfection attayned vnto in this life and as they tearme it the beginning of immortality then being made perfecte they imagine themselues to be Godded with God or incorporate to God I will vse their own tearmes with whom God in one being of his spirit is hommisied or become man. Now hauing once planted this doctrine what Sathan can worke with this perswasion is easily perceiued For when this doctrine is once beleeued that their Elders caÌnot sinne and whatsoeuer they commit it cannot be sinne because they are guyded by the spirite And when all feare to offend or conscience of sinne is excluded to all boldnes and liberty to liue after our liking a very window is opened As there is no reason to maintayn this nor truth to vphold this So it is very necessary that the simple people should be warned to beware of this so suttle a doctrine which they like very well of because their teachers and Elders vnder preteÌce of plausible precepts delyuered to the simple at the first taste of a godly life which asore any thing they must imbrace with many shewes of mortificatioÌ TheÌ must they grow to the manly oldnes in the loue which is that perfection which they dreame of But the secret part of their doctrine is hid from the most parte And all their bookes are not made coÌmon to all as containing to strong meate for weake stomaches therfore their glas of righteousnes few must looke into least their whole vanity and corruption should be espyed That booke therefore is a rare birde among this Family And this suttlety doth Sathan worke to deceaue the simple to keep certaine secret misteries and doctrine to worke admiration in the hartes of deceaued people Right honorable I haue set downe this part of their doctrine as a tast what other matters they maintayne by perusing this small treatâse shall easely be espied how their chiefe Elder HN. is exalted and called a Prophet and that his prophesies shal be proued true and also they account of HN. in office to be a priest and say that through his priestes office God will receaue all men to mercy so that our only Lord Sauiour is smally accounted of his offices are bestowed vpon HN. These thinges are too too absurd Right honorable and worthy to be buryed in silence had not SathaÌ raysed vp his impes to trouble his Church with these blasphemies agaynst which I
gulfe of mischiefe and then to shew some reason that moued you to forsake that opinion and imbrace this absurde impietye of HN. which so gréedely you haue chosen to satisfie your hunger and you call it life and saluation The two writers wil the Lord assisting vs verefie continuallâe that in no poânte we haue slaundered you nor your minister HN. And we refer the iudgement therof vnto the louers of truth which shal indifferently vew the reasons allegationâ on both sides without partiality As for the horrible blasphemye against the Lord wherwith you bitterly charge vs we deny y we haue committed any such haynous offence against âod whose reuerent name we adore with all humility and vntil you can prooue vs such blasphemers you wil remayne in the sight of all God his children an impudent lyar and a slaunderer You are one of those illuminate âlders which keepe all the coÌmaundementes of God and commit no sinne but now it doth appeare of what spirit you are with what spirite you are led Can not your cause be maintayned without such contumelious and impudent speach he that is a blasphemer of God is without hope of mercy Many Diuines haue studiously sought what the sin of blasphemy is but you haue with greate ease found out the same to be who so speaketh or wryteth againste HN. or his famely must he needes be a blasphemer Temper your humors with more modesty for shame els men wil thinke that your HN. hath published that of you which cannot be found in you which is that when you are reuiled taunted or bitterly vsed you as lambes in patience bear the same you do euil verefie your authors words It is all out of ignorant blindenes what we haue done as you say are al blind and ignorant that speak against your pretended family then are there many blinde and ignorant in y world but I dout your great sight which you prophetically make a shew of in thiâ libell will declare very notablye your blindnes though you brag very often of your sight I would with all youre sight you saw rightly into your selues theÌ should you perceiue that your new couenaÌt of perfectioÌ which you dream of is a moere illusion of Sathan and no where to be found in the holy scriptures Vitell. IN asmuch as it hath pleased the Lord of his gratious goodnes to make manifest vnto me as most vnworthy through his most holy seruice of loue in misunderstanding ignorance error so haue I humbled my selfe before the Lord and his Minister HN. as the greatest sinner among sinners desiring the Lord that he of his goodnes woulde extend his mercy ouer me and forgeue me al my offences wherein I had liued contrary to his commaundementes lawes and ordinaunces so that the Lord at his time when he sawe it good through his grace released me out of my calamitye and also made manifest vnto me through his most holy seruice of Loue and his elected minister HN. his promises which he made with Abraham where through he will blesse all the generatioÌs of the earth and also how when and wherein they are fulfilled c. Aunswere Hâre is expressed the maner of this mans conuersion and how he came to be of the Familye of Loue wherein are many shewes of piety and humility requisite in a Christian but where he saâth he humbled himselfe beâore the Lord and his cleâed mânister HN. therein he bewrayeth himselfe we are taught in all our troubles to call vpon the lord Innoca me in die tribulâtionis ãâã ⪠to humble our selues before the Loâd it is good and conuenient but before HN. what warrant haue you so to do why ioine you HN. and God together in âour humiliation I will not crye out no you doe that this is blasphemâe yet I tell you it is not Christianlyke spoken I know not how you will quâliâie this your speach you say that the Loâde when he saw it good released you of all offenceâ wherein you had liued contrary to his commaundements but now being released doe you sinne any moâe âf you would speake plainlye as you haue vttered your repentaunce so now resteth that you should also speake of your perfection and of the state wherein you now stand For that is the matter that we would haue you to be playne in but that is concealed and kept secret least your lybertye should be espyed âou say further that through the seruice of Loue and his elect minister HN. all the promises made vnto âbraham how when and where they are fulfilled and made manyfest vnto you And I pray you could you not imbrace the promise made vnto Abraham without HN. are not the scriptures sufficient to manifest the same without him surely this is great pitye that you extoll your Aucthor so aboue measure the Prophets haue written thereof Christ and his Apostles haue opened to vs how when and where those promises are fulfilled sufficeÌtly âf HN. had neuer written Vitell. MOreouer there was made manifest vnto me through the same seruice of Loue and the Lords minister HN. the comming agayne of Christ with his sayntes and his righteous iudgement wherein he will iudge the world with mercye and faythfulnes and erect agayne his righteousnes and euen so acoÌplish all whatsoeuer he hath spoken through the mouthes of his seruauntes the Prophets from the beginning of the world according to his promises Aunswere NOw you affirme that there is made manifest to you the comming agayne of Christ with his sayntes c. but because you ad not in the resurrection wée are doubtfull what you meane by the comming agayne of Christ least you vnderstand it a comming in this lyfe Because you adde that there shall be accomplished whatsoeuer hath bene spoken by the Prophets from the beginning âf you had ben a true Christian you needed not HN. to manifest these thinges they are sufficiently opened to vs in the holy historye by his beloued Apostle Paule yf you had stayed your selfe with their manifestatioÌ you should not haue looked for your HN. to make knowen the same but it is to be doubted by your speach that you meane some other comming of Christ in this lyfe and not when he shall come at the general day of Christ his second comming when he shall come with glory maiesty and powre to iudge the world with righteousnes You affirme that then he shall accomplish whatsoeuer he spake by the Prophets from the beginning The Prophets spake as they were commaunded to kingdomes and Cityes certefying of the destruction determined and the captiuities whereunto the people should be ledde many of their Prophesyes confirmed the comming of Christ c. which are alredy come to passe Your meaning I doubt of but I will not take you so short nor hunt for any aduauntage of wordes but I tell you playne your speach is very doubtâull Vitel. NOw wheÌ the Lord of his goodnes had âeleased me out of my blindneâ and opened mine eyes thâÌ saw
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 wiâh such trueth as the scriptures containe but must haue a Prophét raysed vp out of FlauÌders 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 crâdite amongest the familye of equall auâhoritye with the scriptures and that they were written with the same spirite to this you auÌswere that they are of such aucthoritye as he hath affirmed thereforâ 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 vnderstaÌd the scripture then it was not rightly vnderstode before there was any mention of your Familye Now for commendatioÌ of the Pope Cardinals and Masse he sayth hee commendeth none buâ in his right order this speach is ambigâus 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 declaratioÌ 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 deâidingly call it his gospell is declared that âPapa signifieth an olde Father in the holy vndeâstanding Now althogh he be not indued with the holy vnderstaÌding 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 euerthelesâe 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 EuaÌgelium Regnâ 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 manâ enemies one freÌd although his doctrine is spokeÌ against euery where yet this maÌ would gladly képe and retayne his bare name belonging to a gouernour in office we coÌdeme not the name his doctrine not agrââing with the word is by the same word condemned so is yours For significations of names ⪠wâe 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 wheÌ 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 EueÌ so do ye of his Family maintayne your Nâ and whatsoeuer vnsauery doctrine he teacheth it maâ 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 ââders of the holy vnderstandinâ but in humilitye of spirite you and wee ought to coÌfesse 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. MOreouâr you are greatly offended because hee sayeth that none shold take iâ haÌd to teach or preach but the illuminate elders whiâh arâ Godded with God or incoâpoâatâd 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 âN vseth them ye despise him althoughe they be no strange words or speches in thâ dutâh language ⪠therfore in so doing you despiâe the
Lord. Answere I Am offended in zeale of Gods ãâã agaynst your generall doctrine wheâof this is a part that none may teach the truth but y illuminat âlders Your HN. further sayth Therefore it is assuredly all false and lyes seducing and deâeitfull what the vngodded or vnilluminate men out of the imagination or riches of theire own knowledge out âf their learnednes of the scriptures bâing forth institute prâach and teaâh c. Now looke wel and behold whether HN. condemne not all others but his illumined Elders who are Godded with God c. which in dâede I haue rightly tearmeâ proud speaches such as neuer any godly wryter in Christ his church durst euer speake or write âou would colour the wordes by the ducth tongue saying they be not straÌge speches in that language but certainly a strange and monsterous doctrine is therby taught and far disagreeing from the written word and far ânbeseeming any Christian. And here if I should dilate what a meaning you haue in these wordes Godded with God I should increase this treatise ouer much yet I will somewhat touch it as you and your Author haue expressed it in wryting I will vse your own speach as followeth See and marke my beloued in the beginning when God had made all things well thâ was the Lord one Lord of his kingdome and one God of his worke and there was also no more but one God and one man and they were one ⪠and had in all one ordeâ beinâ ⪠ând nature For God was all that the man was and the mâ was all that God wââ Thus monstrously and blasphemously you haue taught god and man to be one in nature now compare this godhead with God or incorporated to God and easily it is perceiued that you meane God and man to be one this were worthye to be buryed in silence but that now the patrons defeÌd such blasphemies it is tyme to cleare the Church of Christ that such proude and Luciferian voyces shoulde not bee heard or once named yet this man will proue that HN. cannot erre and none that know the truth can condeÌne HN. It is a pitiful thing that men hauing anye sence or feeling of God or godlines should so vaynely wryte or publish to y world such absurd horrible doctrine neuer heard of before and yet the Aucthor must needes be a prophet and his doctrine to proceede from the Lord nowe in despising thys and the like proud speach of HN of necessitie I am counted to despise y Lord thus still you drawe HN. hys matters that who so speaketh or wryteth agaynst hym be wryteth and speaketh agaynst God whether will you exalt your Auâthor ye vnbeleuers surely aboue all that is called God but wyth your father you will be cast headlong so low where to late you may bewaâl your contempt of God and godlinesse looke in tyme to this and the like part of your doctrine oh ye Ipocrites Vitell. FOr asmuch as the Lord hath seen it for good to bryng foorth hys most holy seruice of loue in the duch language although it seeme grosse and barbarous to you so shall it from henceforth be counted a language amoÌg those languages wherin the Lord hath erected his law and the priestes office thereof and the seruice of the beliefe with hys priests office Like maner shall the most holy seruice of loue be brought foorth through the Lorde hys elected minister HN. with his priests office where through the Lorde will receaue all men in mercy whiche humble them vnto hys word of grace according to the requiring of hys lawe and ordinaunces be erected and remayne from generation to generation for euermore for loue peace and righteousnesse shall remayne in eueâlalastingnes Aunswere THe Dutch language must nowe be accounted amongst those learned tongues wherein the law and gospell were written and this he auoucheth the Lord hath seene it for good that it shal be euen so you now take your authors office in hande For you Prophesye that from hencefourth this shall come to pas the law the seruice of the beliefe and the Priestes office must be brought forth in y Dutch Language I cannot but say notwithstanding your false Prophesye that the Dutch Language you vse especially in such straunge inuented wordes and confused compositioÌ is barbarous sith that âârtayne other of your bookes that haue learned to speake latine a toung by nature propriety plaine copious and eloquent are also new fangled in name and barbarous in phrase of purpose to be blasphemous in doctrine which you nor any of your Familyâ haue as yet as I thinke translated they want a certayn father and therefore haue no certayn names but borrowed as Theologica Germanica Augustinus Elutherius c. Their new deuised latin wordes are such as Aegoitas Ipsietas c. Their doctrine is that Adam is nothing els but vetus homo and Christus is nothing els but Nouus homo The history of Christ his birth hys miracles passion death resurrection c. they regard not but allegor is vppon euery part thereof most daungerously and vngodly teachingâ vncertayne significations without coÌâort making no accompt of the history Confidently to beleue the truth of the history they say is to abide in the letter which killeth Those bookes contaynâ playne doctrine which the Libertynes hold and also the doctrine of perfection whiche you hold to be in this life ⪠but especially this principle that when this perfection whiche you dreame of is come to the man then is he illuminate and deiffied and God in him hominified so that in all his actions wordes and thoughtes he can no more coÌmit sinne or anye euill then God or Christ can commit sinne or euill the reason is rendred because God or Christ dwelleth in the man and hath thâ gouernment of all hys actions thoughtes c. And when ye are pressed in conference to shewe that man thus hauing Christ dwelling in him if he at any tyme doe bring foorth any euill that in resemblaunce maâ appeare as sinnes they are not so to beâ accompted of say you because Christ dwelleth in the man which doctrine is wicked false and diuelish as I haue often tolde your fellowes in other places Christ dwelleth in vs by the participation of his holye spirite and guydeth our actions els should wee haue no strength to resiste sathan or flesh nor the intisements of the world but taketh not away thereby our humayne imperfections but he keepeth lustes and all wickednes that they raigne not ouer vs or rule in vs or haue dominion ouer vs yet wee ceasse not to be sinners or commit sinne that is your owne doctrine but hath no foundation or warrant in the worde Other bookes also are of such lyke name and doctrine as Elidad and Fidelitas whereof I fearâ me that you were the traÌslator The doctrin wherof I meane not to touch in this place onely this is to be noted that the parties
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 lyâes 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 vpoÌ 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 coÌcerning 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 theâher but he desired me to come coÌfesse that I held no such opinioÌ or error wherby the false brute might be stayed which went of me so I accomplished his request therein albeit I coÌfessed 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 preseÌt 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 maÌ to recaÌt which is in no error â 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 âitells 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 aâouch 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 Magesârates 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 mendâcem memorem esse oporteâ a lyer had neede to haue a good memory And where as you so confideÌtly affirme that you were in no error wheÌ you were at the Crosse the contrarye whereof is manifest I will put you in minde of the disputations and confereÌce that diuers meÌ 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 coÌtinually 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 lyfâ 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 coÌpare his saâings with the scriptures and haue an eye vnto âs collections of the same and how he followeth the grossest âraslation 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 ân 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 herâsies although you will not scarcely acknowledge theÌ so that the simplest among many thowsandes is sufficieÌtly assâsted by the Lord to bewray and display your manifest impietye and the Lord hath in store of his Church that
the word are you your selues as is before shewed that euery one thinketh that he hath the best part as you say For mens thoughtes we referre to his knowledge that is Scrutâtor cordium remum Also you affirme that man is plaged with such a miserye and burthen but we rather say oh miserable man out of whose corrupt nature springeth such presumption and wickednes to be vnder the obedience of the Loue of Christ Iesus is our whole care and studyâ to him onely we cleaue on him we call vpon his mercy we depend and carefully seeke indeuour to be obedient to his will for he is our hope our anker hold our mercy seate our only coÌfort in all distresse of mind our phisitioÌ in sicknes our gouernour in health our peacemaker the onely purchaser of our health and saluatioÌ he is all in all with vs and wée enioy all in all by him and through him and if this sayth were also planted in you then would your HN. be banished out of your hartes and your perfection would soone quaile and in humilitye of spirite you would âith vâ fall downe before this méeke Lambe Christ Iesus and say peccauimus cum patribus nostris c. We haue sinned with our Fathers without which Christ no flesh that is no creature liuing is iustified in his fathers sight and Christ his death is proper to none nor bâlongeth to none but sinners and such aâ feele sinne or are laden with sinnes What shall then become of you Iusticiaryes with your perfite state which sinne not to follow brotherly loue is also to be wished both in you and vs and I pray you doe euen the same theÌ shall you not séeke out y simple people whose capaciti is lyke vnto ware which will easely receiue any print or marke seek not with your fly and suttle perswasions to seduce theÌ with your corrupt doctrine ⪠vnder preâence that you seeke onely the godly lyfe which Christians should follow whereas in déede you séeke to leade theÌ from Christ to HN. from the âomfort of the holy scriptures which sheweth how mercy is offred to all penitent sinnârs vnto a perfite state of lyfe which must be attained in this world which neuer any Christ Iesus except could attayne vnto and so you corruptly leade them away from all comfort in Christ Therefore we will not let to desire the Lord in mercy to preserue his childreÌ from your infected poyson Vitel. THerfore speketh the lord through his Prophet Zacâary Iudge righteously and let euery one shew goodnes and mercifulnes vnto his brother and let no man deale vnrightly with another nor with the widowes fatherles sââangers and poore And let no man imagine any euill against his brother in his haât but alas they will not haue ââgard hereupon but âuâne theâ backs saith the Lord vnto me and stop their eares that they heare not and harden their haââes as hard as a diamont For that they should not be obediât to the law the word which the lord sendeth in his spirite through his prophets Aunswere TOuching the saying of âachary we wish the very same that euery one shew mercy and deale rightly with his brother with the widow and fatherles strangers and poore c. But can you alleadge these places haue no regard to folow the exhortatioÌ your selues how rightly do you deale with your brethren that being required to vtter your faith which you hold you deal suttelly and deceitfully with such as with well vnto you and seeke your health and delyuery from error Now regard you that no man imagine euill in his hart against his brother when as you call vs free ânes Libertiâes and wicked blasphemers c. Who turnes their backs who stoppes their âares who harden their harts Haue not you turned from Christ to HN Haue not you stopt your eares against all holesome admonition which the holy Ghost hath plentifully in the holy scriptures set forth and only bent your harts vpon the bookes and wrytyngs of HN Haue you not hardened your harts and bent your faces against a manifest truth and placed HN. a prophet priest by whoÌ God wil receiue all vnto mercy On whom may this propheticall speach or exhortation be better applyed then vpon your selues and yet will not I goe about to excuse my selfe and others that we do therein what is required but only let y world see that these men of the Family cry out and apply the sayings of the Prophets against vs and for themselues they suâpose it belongeth not to them to take waâning thereby in so perfecte a state do they remaine Vitell. O God prepare the harts of the people to the lowlynâssâ that they might stand mindeâ in humility to the Loue and loue the comming of thy Christ in his lordlânes through whom the whol earth shal be âudged with righteousnes which shall moue all might and violence and bring it vnder his obedience and render vnto thee O almighty God the kingdom all power and glory to the end that thou mayest be all in all O god geue this into the harts of the gouernors that they may see it And illuminate all kinges princes Lords and potentates with thy godly wisdome that they may feare thy holy name stand submitted vnto thy Loue and her seruice and might turne them from all violence and misuse and that the world may be inhabited to thy praise in the Loue and in all righteousnes and that all men in true repentance for their sinnes might be turned vnto thee And the horrible plagues of vngodlynes which are come ouer the world for their sinâes cause cease and haue an end Answere THis part coÌtaineth a prayer which this man maketh for all that they might staâd minded in humility to the loue as I haue often complayned of the confounding this word Loue and the signification therof so here I will tâke it in y best part to signifie God to whom we craue continually his grace to huÌâle our harts that we may euer standâ obedyent to his will and that we may look for that ioyfull coÌming of Christ Iesus whose appearing shal be to the comfort of his elect to their surpassing ioy but as a terrible iudge to the wicked despisers of his mercy offered and to such as haue sât vp in their harts any other besides him or follow any other but him or delite in any other sauing hâm No violence can resist him no strength preuail with him but as you say all shall be brought vnâer his obâdâence âhere as you pray that all kings princes c. may âeaâe thy holy name and stand submitted to thy loue âere is loue takeÌ in another sence therfore you intricatly vse this word Loue wherby your meaning can not easily be found out For here loue and her seruice is meant such doctrine and seruice âs you teach which you wiâh all princes were partakers of if your doctrine were a truth in dââde then were your prayer
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 assuraÌce I holde âârmely by fayth Notwithstanding this his louing kindenes and mercy shewed towardes me if the Lord my God did not sâill protect me guide me and deâend me I should anihilat and make voyd this mine estate or assurauÌce therfore hath he geuen vnto me the participatioÌ 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 âire 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 coÌfort of his spirite which bringeth to my remeÌbraunce 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 heaueÌ is from the earth so farre haue I set thy sinnes froÌ thee Lyke as a Father hath compassioÌ on his children euen so the Lord will shew mercy on me for he dealeth not with vs after our sinnes noâ 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 âhe aâlurementes of the world lesse able to hurt me or to preuaile agaynst me And â feele in my selââ through the working of the same spirite a redynes to all good exercises of pietie as hearinâ of the word Prayer Aâstinence Charitie towards Christes members Loue Peace Ioâ c. But yet still I féel finne with her motions neuer ceâsing a fresh to assay me and try me with new assaults and sifting me euery way againe and agayne charging me ofteÌ 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 vaÌquished nor vtterly ouercomed yet agayne I prepare for a newe skirmish place my selfe in y formost raÌk to abyde the brunt of the next incouÌter so that I neuer looke for any rest nor peace whilst I am in this vale of misery for my lyfe is a coÌtinuall 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 hyâ 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 behouâfull for me for I beyng thus knit vnto my God do boldly make my prayers vnto hym yet in tremâling 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 IudgemeÌt with thy seruaunt for no flesh is righteous in thy sight âf thou O Lorde obserueât myne iniquities who is able âo abide it For thy holy name sake O Lord be mercifull vnto myne iniquitie for it is greaâ Remember not the faults of my youth Shew vnto me thy mercy and graunt me thy salvatioÌ Thus dayly and nightly I bewaile my misery confesse my âânnes vnto the Lord my God and acknowledge that âf the Lord should conâond 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 stedâastnes 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 vnââmely bââth of a woman Thus considering my state and condition I rest quâet 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 SathaÌ continually as tokens of his great mercy and plâdges of his loue in fâeling 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 sinnâs with scourges but his mercy he wilâ neuer take from me And thus being chosen callâd and prepared he sanctifieth me by death maketh a waâ and entrance vnto an happy life where I shall behold that ioyfull sight euen the Lamb that was ãâã for me And shall follow him whâresoeâer he goeth Singing praise and thankes to him for euer and euer Amen The state and condition of a Regeneraââ man afâer the doctrine and âeaching of HN. in the pretended âamily of Loue. BEloued in the beginning when God made all things well then was âhe Lord one Lord of his kingdoâe and one God of his workes There was also no more but one