trueth they seeke but singularitye For although in other matters there be difference opinions yet in maâ—s election saluation redemption and regeneâ—ation being the pillers and foundations of our fayth whosoeuer erreth herein cannot be saued I am also Christian reader to desire thee to amend and correct with thy pen certaine faultes escaped in this treaâ—ise by the Printer and to amend the sence of some sentences being not rightly poynted which I refer vnto thy learned Iudgement The Lord our God blesse thee and grauÌ„t 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 haâ—t O Lord God heauenly Father thoâ— that art not only our God but the God of all the world we thy creatures the worke â—f thy hands make our humble prayers and supplications bâ—fore thy excellent maiesty â—eseeching thee O Lord not to consider vs as we aâ—e of our selues eaâ—th ashes and whatsoeuer is 〈◊〉 but as we are in Christ Iesus our Lord thy sanctified people whom thou hast chosen before all worlds to witnes thy â—ame in earth And to whom tâ—ou hast made manifest thy Sonne ouâ— Sauiour with an vncouered face to our great comfort â—et alas we vnworthy wretches finde in our selues such heapes of sinnes and such lumpes and loades of impieties that were we not stayed in thy promyses wee should perish with mistrust in thy mercies For we know that thou art a iust God and doest visite the offences of thy 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 yeaâ—es we haue been fed with heauenly meate Long time we haue enioyed the benefite of thy gospel a blessiâ—â— of blessinges our own conscience doth witnes yea our sinnes are so ripe and so outragious that they are ascended vp vnto the heauens and 〈◊〉 for thy iustice which we haue sore prouoked with multyplying sinne vpon since We haue not obayed thy voice We haue not harkened vnto thy seruants whom thou hast sâ—â—t We haue propbaned thy holy Sabaoth with vaine spectacles vngodly tragedies We professe thy name in our word but deny it in deedes Our vanity is too too manifest in our apparrail Our excesse appeareth in our banquets Our small reuerence towardes thy holy name in our vayne other Our merciles charitie towards thy meÌ„bers 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 â–ª 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 beloÌ„g 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 obedieÌ„tly 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 〈◊〉 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 gaâ—e to deuour vs From blondy Papistes which lye in wayte for vs and dâ—ly conspire to bereaue vs of the most comfortable benefit of thy word and seeke to make our liues a pray vnto their greedy desires Bring O Lord their deuises to nought Let thâ— liâ—le flock enioy the sweete comfort of thy gospell that we may praise thy holy name in our own land Roote out all secâ—es and heresies which are among vs which Sathan hath stirred vp to disquyet thy church And Lord if it be thy will either to conuert them or put them to silence for euermore Preserue O Lord God our gracious Queene Elizabeth in thine own bosome Deliuer her O Lord from all conspiracies tresoâ—s and trecheries which Sathan in his members shall deuise against her Make void their couâ—cels that consult against her and let vs O Lord enioy thy blessing in her long prosperous and happy dayes Geue O lord vnto her Councellors wisdome fortitude and courage to preuent all dangers and vnto our bishops and teachers geue truth in doâ—trine boldnes to publish the same without 〈◊〉 And to vs thy people geue O lord humble hartes and obedyent minds that we thy children may now at the last be warned to reuerence and regard thy holy gospel and feare thy puâ—â—shmeÌ„tâ— 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 fâ—oÌ„ thâ— woful vale wherein we doe nothing but prouoke thee with our sinnes â–ª 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 tribulatioÌ„â—â—her in body or minde as witnesses of thy trueth Geue
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 assuraÌ„ce I holde â—â—rmely by fayth Notwithstanding this his louing kindenes and mercy shewed towardes me if the Lord my God did not sâ—ill protect me guide me and deâ—end me I should anihilat and make voyd this mine estate or assurauÌ„ce 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 â–ª 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 â—ire raked vnder ashes that is not seene and sometime I wallow and for a season as it were forget my God notwithstanding this my backslyding I feele agayne the goodnes of my God and the working of hys spirite renewing me agayne then in sorrowfulnes and teares I bewaile my selfe in prayer y I haue so long estraunged my self offended my God then doe I féele the coÌ„fort of his spirite which bringeth to my remeÌ„braunce 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 â–ª 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 â—he aâ—lurementes of the world lesse able to hurt me or to preuaile agaynst me And â— feele in my selâ—â— through the working of the same spirite a redynes to all good exercises of pietie as hearinâ— of the word Prayer Aâ—stinence Charitie towards Christes members Loue Peace Ioâ— c. But yet still I féel finne with her motions neuer ceâ—sing 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 vaÌ„quished nor vtterly ouercomed yet agayne I prepare for a newe skirmish place my selfe in y formost raÌ„k to abyde the brunt of the next incouÌ„ter so that I neuer looke for any rest nor peace whilst I am in this vale of misery for my lyfe is a coÌ„tinuall 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 behouâ—full for me for I beyng thus knit vnto my God do boldly make my prayers vnto hym yet in tremâ—ling and feare I acknowledge my offences say O Lord my God I dayly confesse mine offences my sins are euer before me Enter not into IudgemeÌ„t with thy seruaunt for no flesh is righteous in thy sight â—f thou O Lorde obserueâ—t myne iniquities who is able â—o 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 â—â—nnes vnto the Lord my God and acknowledge that â—f the Lord should conâ—ond with me in iustice I were not able to answere For what is man that he should be cleane or he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust For he founde no stedâ—astnes in his saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more man which is abhominable and filthy and drinketh iniquitie like water Whose very righteousnes is like a cloth defiled with the vnâ—â—mely bâ—â—th of a woman Thus considering my state and condition I rest quâ—et in mind and by faith in the sonne of God Christ Iesus I dout nothing of my saluation but accept gladly the battaile warfare I haue with sinne and SathaÌ„ continually as tokens of his great mercy and plâ—dges of his loue in fâ—eling the redy help and speedy deliuery of y lord who in time to me vnknowen will visite mine offences in this life with whips and my sinnâ—s with scourges but his mercy he wilâ— neuer take from me And thus being chosen callâ—d 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 〈◊〉 for me And shall follow him whâ—resoeâ—er he goeth Singing praise and thankes to him for euer and euer Amen The state and condition of a Regeneraâ—â— man afâ—er the doctrine and â—eaching of HN. in the pretended â—amily of Loue. BEloued in the beginning when God made all things well then was â—he Lord one Lord of his kingdoâ—e and one God of his workes There was also no more but one
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 continuallâ—e that in no poâ—nte 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 â—od 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 â—lders which keepe all the coÌ„maundementes 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 couenaÌ„t 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 generatioÌ„s of the earth and also how when and wherein they are fulfilled c. Aunswere Hâ—re 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 saâ—th he humbled himselfe beâ—ore the Lord and his cleâ—ed mâ—nister HN. therein he bewrayeth himselfe we are taught in all our troubles to call vpon the lord Innoca me in die tribulâ—tionis 〈◊〉 â–ª to humble our selues before the Loâ—d it is good and conuenient but before HN. what warrant haue you so to do why ioine you HN. and God together in â—our humiliation I will not crye out no you doe that this is blasphemâ—e yet I tell you it is not Christianlyke spoken I know not how you will quâ—liâ—ie this your speach you say that the Loâ—de 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 moâ—e â—f 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 â—ou say further that through the seruice of Loue and his elect minister HN. all the promises made vnto â—braham 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 sufficeÌ„tly â—f 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 acoÌ„plish 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 â—f 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 doubtâ—ull Vitel. NOw wheÌ„ the Lord of his goodnes had â—eleased me out of my blindneâ— and opened mine eyes thâ—Ì„ saw
is not enough to seâ—d out your Libelâ— without name and â—ide your seluâ—◠〈…〉 and say our riâ—orous deâ—ling is tâ—â— cause thereof Truelâ— iâ— you would appoâ—nt tyme and place and meete accordingly I burst vndertake to be bound that you should both come goe safely where confereÌ„ce might bring trueth to light if you looke for trueth and require to be satisâ—â—â—d for this wrangling is not so consonant to ChristiaÌ„ pietye â–ª truth â–ª and playne dealing is â—est 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 whiâ—h loue God will keepe his commaundementes â—or so sayth Christ he that loueth me will keepe my commaundementes but he that loueth me not will not keepe them Aunswere THen all is not false y I haue collected of you as some of your Familye haue written that the law is possible to be kept you deny not but why you affirme it you yeald small reason only Christ sayth If you keepe my commaundementes c. Touching this matter of the possibilitye of the law I haue aunswered your schollers to their seuerall Epistles sent to me Yet further consider what 〈◊〉 nature of the law is Theâ— lawe causeth wrath Rom. 4 v. 15. The law hath dominion ouer man as long as he liueth Râ—m â— v. â—â— I know not sinne but by the 〈…〉 Actes 15. chap. 10. ver â–ª 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 vnbelieâ—â— that he might haue mercy on all also Gala. 3.22 But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the fâ—ith 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„ Chriâ—â— 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 perâ—te 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 reuâ—rence imbrace it as a scholemaster to sée our imperfections and send vs to Christ such is the nature of the law such is our weakenes in performing the same neuer was there any that did it only â—achary â—lysabeth are sayd to walke in all the commaundements â—ut how far sine querela coâ—â—m 〈◊〉 without reproose before men But iâ— the Lord should haue entered inâ—o iudgement agaynst them by the dexterity of his law â–ª 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 sâ—e how the law is fulfilled and satiâ—fied 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 whâ—t â–ª 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 senâ—e of the scripture but he but this I say if any man know the truth he caÌ„not 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 â—â—d an erroneous spirit he seducâ—d by Sathan and you by him But if you meane by woâ—kes some miraculous matter muttered of you in secret corners theÌ„ we tell you plain â—hat neither his bookes nor his works can cleare him of false prophesies and wicked doctrine which you teach the people as appeareth You say if any man know y truth he cannot condemne HN. nor his prophesie but much more imbrace it If you could make this to be beléeued it were somwhat but who will credite your saying being so often takeÌ„ tardy There be many in the worlde which know the truth vndoutedly which neuer heard of HN. nor any doctrine of his â–ª 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 â—N 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 â–ª 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
which only depende on reuelations And you which brag of your Author which is as he sayeâ—h taught froÌ„ god his own mouth hath hard y souÌ„d of his voice Thus miserably are you carâ—ed away by illusioÌ„s herin you deceiue your selues and many others Out of the wisdome of the flesh sprange all Christopher Vitelles â—rrors Note I pray thee Reader that this Libeller acknowledgeth to haue bin in him many errors comprehended in this word â—all and anonâ— thou shall finde him saying he was in no error In deede the church of Christ hath felt to much expeâ—â—ence of your heretâ—call head fraught full of heresies so that if any newer deuice should by Sathan be stirred vp you are as apte an instrument to broach the same as any that I know in England From no other mans bookes did this man sucke his errors and were you in error theÌ„ and by the same meanes may you not still remayne in error haue you any further priuiledge now then you had before Of necessity you must sly vnto your perfection that you cannot erre nor sinne there is no ether excuse to be had here is a mistery For you thinke it an absurde thing that your errors spâ—ang from any other fountaine then the flesh of sinne No bookes no conference were meanes to bring you to this â—rroâ— Loâ—ke well into your selfe and you shall fiâ—de in â—ou now more errors and heâ— esiâ—s then euer you held heretofore â—ou imagined your selfe cleansed and your hâ—use swept but now are sâ—uen morse spirites entered into you as appâ—areth by your doctrin and you are become ten solde the child of destruction more now thâ—n beâ—â—râ— And except you repent your ende will be far worse then your beginning Vitell. NEither â—an I blame any man for minâ— own sinnes were gâ—eater and horribleâ— in my sight â–ª then all other menneâ— for although I had â—ed certayne bookes of sundry wryteâ—s yet was I moued to seaâ—â—h â—hether they were grounded vpon the Loâ—ds promyses or no and humbling my selfâ— befoâ—e the Loâ—d aâ— desiâ—ous to doe his will â—o gaue he me to vndeâ—stand that I knew nothing of all his wayeâ— but the troble that I â—as in whereout the Lord delyueâ—ed me â—s not to be expâ—â—ssed And iâ— the Loâ—d of his goodnes had not comfâ—rted me with his holy spiâ—ite through hiâ— most holy seruice of his loue broght forth through HN. his elected minister I should haue remained without hope of life Answere NOw commeth this Vitell to declare a tragedy of himself which no man can gaâ—nsay being a thing secret and vnknowen to the world For our secret conflictes are troublesome I graunt when our conscience shall pres vs with the greatenes of our sinnes but whether it were so or no who can controll him or els who will beleeue his own wordes speaking so many things contrary to truth already But I must certifie that this is a speciall point of practise in the Family that when any in conference doe require how they could so easily leaue the certainty of doctrine which once they earnestly imbraced then shall you heare them tell you of marueilous conflicts much trouble and veration of minde and could neuer attaine to any quietnes vntill by the doctrine of â—â— they found rest vnto their soules But may not this be an illusion of Sathan as otherwise being rightly examined for Sathan is so suttle that if he may get possession of any setled mindes who instructed in godlynes by the scriptures resist his perswasions and so coÌ„meth to conslict of minde in such troubles â–ª where Sathan â–ª by the Lord his permission preuayleth then worketh he in his a certayne security or peace and then they thinke all is well when indâ—de neuer in worse case then so captiued in Sathans tyranny Now this man when he hath set abroad some of his troubles you shall see how he was deliuered by which we may gather what marke he shootes at namely in all troubles and agonyes of minde all must resort to the seruice of Loue set forth by his elected Minister HN. For this man if he had not taken that course he had remained without hope of lyfe certaynly great is the honor wherewith they aduaunce this their priest and prophet aboue all that is called God but my hope is that with the blast of the Lord his mouth which he hath published in the scriptures he shall be confounded and ouerthrowne so low that the fall of him which so exalted himselfe shall be to the comfort of all the Lord his children for whose â—ake he now beginneth to maniâ—est this lying Prophet and will I hope rayse vp to his Church men of zelous mindes which will both write and speake agaynst this wicked man of sinne which is in such credit with deceaued people which the Lord in mercy spedely bring to passe to the glory of thy name the comfort of thy church and the spoyle of Sathan and his ympes Vitell. BVt he gaue me to vnderstande there through that he would be merâ—ifull vnto all penitent sinners how horrible sinnes soeuer they had coÌ„mitted therefore I may say a medicine master getteth gretest prayâ—e by those that haue the filthâ—est and corruptest diseaâ—es as a leprous person and such like â—uen so haue I the gretest cause to land the Lord and must confes that he whâ—ch is mighty hath done great things on me and holy is his name Answere NOw after this man hath shewed his conflict of minde and how he was delyuered through the seruice of loue ministred by HN. Now he telleth that by that same he vnderstood that God would be mercifull to al sinners and I pray you did you not know of this mercy but by HN Were you ignoraunt â—of the Scriptures before you came acquainted with him his bookes His mercy and compassion is plentifully declared in the gospell which it seemeth you were ignorant of This medicine mâ—ster HN. hath wrought a great cure vpon this man For as one of your schollers haue written in his defence He teacheth with power and it may be the power of Sathan which leadeth men into errors and heresies Although you imagine that this is wrought by the mighty hand of the Lord abusing the words of the â—anticle which the blessed virgine did set forth magnifying the name of y Lord thereby Touching your diseases which you count to be cured it is out of dout that you are more full of infirmities and desperate diseases then euer you were although you feele them not For a body that feeleth no sicknes yet infirme and weake is hard to be cured yea irrecuperable as Phisitions prescribe Looke therfore more rightly into your selfe and you that are so whole clene you shall finde matter of corruption in you whereupon the true Phisition of our soules Christ Iesus shall if you acknowledge your sicknes and infirmity worke therby such an alteration in you as heretofore you neuer had the lyke but if you stand
vpon your perfection integrity he commeth to such a as terrible Iudge to your confusion where on the contrary we reioyce in his mercy still acknowledging our sinnes our wantes crying calling vpon him all the dayes of our lyâ—es with the Prophet Dauid and saying if thou O Lord looke straightly vpon our sinnes Lord Lord who shall abide it c. Correct vs O Lord but yet in thy mercy not in thy fury least we should be consumed c. thus we still call 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 coÌ„cerning 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 theâ—her but he desired me to come coÌ„fesse 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 coÌ„fessed 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 preseÌ„t 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 recaÌ„t 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 â—itells errors and now you affirme that you were in no error agayne in this tractation you confesse that in some poyntes you had bin deceaued by certayne straungers and in an other place you aâ—ouch that by no other mens counsell or bookes you were deceiued such a gift you haue to say â–ª 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 Magesâ—rates vse not to desire men to come to publick place to confesse their heresies but the law it selfe doth vrge it and you according to the law for your releasement out of prison did recant at the Crosse and named your error to be Arrianisme whether you did it from the hart that the Lord God knoweth Now consider this man for his credit sake among his deceaued Familye would perswade that such a péece of iniustice was shewed vnto him as he sayth but he is proued a lyer not onely in this but in many other matters verefying the olde prouerb mendâ—cem memorem esse oporteâ— a lyer had neede to haue a good memory And where as you so confideÌ„tly 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 confereÌ„ce 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 coÌ„tinually 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 coÌ„pare his saâ—ings with the scriptures and haue an eye vnto â—s collections of the same and how he followeth the grossest â—raslation of the Bible delighting in that most specially and his allegations applyed so farre from the sence of the holy ghost that a man meanely exercised â—n the scripture may playnely see his corruption Many brutes haue bin of you touching your erronious spirite and in deede they that haue truely noted your disposition doe affirme that you could neuer lyke of any publick doctrine which was taught but had alwayes a desire of singularitye such a troubler of Christ his Church haue you bin but blessed be the name of y Lord who hath made manifest your herâ—sies although you will not scarcely acknowledge theÌ„ so that the simplest among many thowsandes is sufficieÌ„tly assâ—sted by the Lord to bewray and display your manifest impietye and the Lord hath in store of his Church that
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 darâ—kned and shadowed And that his Church may be purged of such corrupt weedes which spring vp séeking to destroy that good corn which is sowed already O Lord God we humble sinners abiding in the vnity of thy holy Church doe most humbly hartely pray thee eueÌ„ for thy sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus sake that thou wilt in mâ—rcy looke vpon thy poore afflicted Church and the members thereof that by no malice of Sathan no pretence of collored speach nor no vanity of minde any of thy children be caryed away as straying from thy fould but that O Lord they may agayne be ioyned to thy flock so that so many as pertayne vnto that good shepherd of our soules Christ Iesus may laud and prayse thy name with one voyce and O Lord we most humbly beseech thee to clense thy Church from the filthy dregges of doctrine which wicked 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 cleaâ—e fast And although we O Lord by our offences and the manyfold transgressions wherwith we prouoke thy merciâ—ull 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 theÌ„selues 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 â–ª thou hast by promise made it ours so that beloÌ„ging to thy sonne we are shadowed vnder his righteousnes and couered vnder his winges in safety from eternall destrucâ—ion But such is thy goodnesse O mercifull God to try thy children here in earth how stedfast we will bid battaâ—le against Sathan and his impes and how constant we will abide therein so that no blast nor inuation of enemies shall I hope shake that foundation of faith that thou hast plâ—nted in vs which we most humbly desire thy maiesty to increase and that we may perseuâ—re and continue in the vnity of thy holy church in this life and after we may inioy tâ—e fruition of thy godly maiâ—stye and sing prâ—yses vnto thee world without end Vitell. O Lord let vs finde grace before thine eyes and heare ouâ— humble sâ—pplication which we make vnto thee in the sorrowfulnesse of our haâ—ts For a broaken hart and a sorrowfull spâ—â—ite wilt thou O Lord not despise â–ª for euen there wilt thou enter 〈◊〉 and therby mâ—â—e thine habitation and sanctifie thy name from genâ—ration tâ—â—enâ—â—â—tio◠〈◊〉 in euerlastingnes It is very true Answere O Lord we bâ—seech thée turne the harts of thesâ— deceaueâ— people and graunt them thy holâ— sâ—irit y they may discern thy truth tauâ—ht in thy holy word and not geue eaâ—e vnto anâ—e which teach coÌ„trary therto ouerthrow their deuices brig to light their deâ—â—â—ts for thy holy names sake That we thy childreÌ„ may reiâ—yce ouer their tâ— uersioÌ„ so together with one voice magnifie praise thy glorious name â–ª and that those straying shâ—â—p may be brought in to thy fold again 〈◊〉 it be thy blesâ—â—d wil Reueale vnto them O Lord we beseech thee the office and death of thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour that they tasting the swetenes thereof may â—orsake the confidence they haue in their perfection and that we may all acknowledge onely Christ Iesus to be perâ—ite and we our selues dust and dung and whatsoeuer is vile let nâ—t 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 swâ—ete the Lord is in mercy towardes sinners and how seuere to such as iustify theÌ„selues And if it stand with thy good will pleasure thus to coÌ„uert 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 prouideÌ„ce 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 â–ª with maledirioÌ„ cursse where in â— had remained euerlastingly had not the Lord my God in mercy and of his speciall grace beholding my woeâ—â—â—l â—ase without any desert of mine prouided and promised a deliuerer a Sauiour eueÌ„ the Lord Iesus which in â—ulnes of time came whome the Patriarches hoped after whome the Prophets foretold of which died for my sinnes and rose agayne for my iustification who put out the hand writing of the law pronounced agaynst me â—astened it to his crosse who suffered for me y I might raigne with him who left me an example that I should â—ollow his steppes And which is more without coÌ„dition promisâ—d me eternall lyfe which by the onely sacrifice of his death he hath obtayned and by his paynefull
haue bent that poore skill and force I haue to displey these men with their doctrine There are many Right honorable that could better more learnedly haue confuted their doctrine but it is so vayne and childish that simple soules and meanely exersized in holy scripture are sufficiently instructed by the Lord to manifest all their abhommations The simplier sort of these men I take to be such as haue a desire to serue the Lord and yet is their simplicitye caryed away by the Elder sort or stronger men conference in my opinion is the best way to helpe the simple which the Elder sort can noâ— away withall least their trecheryes should be espied â—dad one of their writers geueth theÌ„ such a precept in his booke intituled a fruitfull exhortation to the Family of Loue in â— sextion But ye shall not contend or dispute with the blasphemers and the tanglers about the scripture nor with the apostates or decliners from vs and our good doctrine or with the selfe conceited wife nor yet with any of all those that bring in variaunce and make breach besides our good doctrine of the seruice of Loue. It appeareth Right honorable by this prohibition of this Elder that conference and disputation is forbidden them especially the Elder sort but the noâ—ces which are not enterid into the secret partes of their doctrine but are caryed away with a shew of pietye and good lyfe which at the beginning is opened vnto theÌ„ with fly and suttle perswasions that nothing els is sought at their handes but how the man might be made persite in Christ Iesu but after once a step be made towardes them or a tast of this doctrin then bookes are bestowed vpon them which they must reade of HN. as his exhortation his dialog his â—pistles the exposition of the Lordes prayer with the Articles c. as they profite in these bookes harder to digest as the Prophesie of the spirite of Loue a declaration of the Masse the holy Lambe the Gospel or â—uangâ—ly of HN. c. last of all the glasse of righteousnes which few of this company haue the other bokes more riser printed as is supposed in Flasâ—ders and translated by this Libeller into English as he himselfe confesseth And here I craue pardon in that I haue bin ouerlong to trouble your honor with these repeticioÌ„s and I would to God that I had no occasion ministred once to name these persons nor this error then should Christ his Church nor no member in the same haue needed to bend their study to publish or manifest the same The Lord of mercy geue your honor all increase of fayth with the trueth of true pietye and continue in you a zeale of Christ his Church with a care y nothing but trueth be taught therein and that the contemners thereof may be put to silence so as our God may be glorified his people edified error and heresies subuerted trueth aduanced which the Lord God graunt for his sonne our Sauiour Christ his sake to whom be honor â–ª and prayse now and euer Your honour to commaund I. Rogers To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader thou hast to peruse at thy pleasure this finale treatise contayning an aunswere vnto Christopher Vitell the chiefe â—lder of the pretended â—amâ—lye of Loue and because it was directed to me and aunsereth certaine poyntes of my former boke called the displeying of the â—amily Therefore it is very meete and conuenient that since the matter toucheth me neerely and â—hargâ—th me with much vntruth that I defend the cause I first toke in hand which I am verely pâ—rswaded is an honest iust and godly defenâ—e of thâ— puritye of doctrine now taught and pâ—blicklâ— preached which this â—amilye spuâ—ne egerly against And although 2. vigilant Pastors haue leaâ—nedly confuted the doâ—tâ—ine of their Author HN. Yet this little availeth to recall them home to that found profession that some of the once â—asted and least they should boâ—st or vaunt that they haue written or compiled anâ—thing which should not be aunswered I hâ—ue thought good once agayne to bend my simple study to â—nswere this libeller Christopher Vitell whole crâ—dit amongâ—st the â—amilye is not small Maâ—uelâ— not gâ—ntle reader that I being the simplest of many thousandes haue aâ—uentuâ—ed to meddlâ— in these disputable questions more â—itter for men of learning and knowledge I graunt but since they haue made their inuectiues agaynst me it behoueth me simply to aunswere wherin I confesse many thingâ—s are omitted which mâ—ght well hâ—ue bin spoken of and many thinges are briefely touched which should haue bin dilated if leasure had serued me but since I cannot dâ—e thinges as I would thou hast my goodwill as I could Yf thou wouldest profiâ—e by reading these conferences it is expedient that thou peruse a little boke called â—he displeing of the Familye the publishing of which boke was the cause that this man being touched therein neerely hath made this Lâ—bell for aunswere thereunto excusing himselfe of many crimes and as much as in him lyeth keeping vp the credit of their Aucthor HN. whoâ—e the â—amilye would not that he should be touched or blemished no not with a venew but he that listeth to marke how his chiefest schollâ—r or oldest â—ngliâ—h Elder Christopher Vâ—tel doth with might and maine culleâ— and hide all the faultes of HN. as well his â—octrine and foule errors as his corrupt lyfe and conueâ—sation and how confidently and with a bâ—asen face he auoucheth that all is false and lyes whatsoeuer is brought forth neuer so probably yeâ— with many witnesses thou shalt or it be long haue a testimoniall out of â—launders of HN his whole lyfe which if the Family here in â—ngland would be â—esoluâ—d with â—â—ueth shal be vpon any oâ—â—asion published in print it nothing blâ—misheth our â—ause although this rude and vnlâ—arned Aunswere be made vnto this slaunderous Libell but our God therein is greatly magnified that simple men are suâ—ficiently assisted with God his spiâ—ite to confute and ouerthrow this blasphemous doctrine of the Familye so gâ—osse and absurd it is agaynst all the holy scripture and agaynst common reason And as nothing is more in vaâ—iance betweene vs then how man is restored vnto that â—lisle lost in Adam and his state being regeneâ—ate I haue simply set downe my poore sâ—ill such experience of a regenerat man as I finde in holy writâ— feele in my own consciâ—ence And also I haue collected the condition of a regenerat peâ—son by the doctâ—ine of HN. as neeâ—e as I could collect by such bokes of theirs as came to my handes wherein if the Familye imagine that I haue not rightly set foâ—th a â—egeneâ—at man after their doctrine let some of their illuminat Elders if they please set vpright such a one as they will stand vnto So shall the controuersy betwene them and vs soner come to end and tryall which if they refuse to doe then it will appeare that it is not
agreing with our frayle condition and nature But such is our vanitye not guided by the spirite of God to aduaunce our state and calling aboue our degree and condition by the setting on of our enemy Sathan Vitell. NOw I doe maruell why you be so enuious agaynst that name HN. wil you not permit the Lord to geue names to his ministers according to the worke that he will accomplish by them or doe you think that the names are geueÌ„ to the outward creature then are you much deceiued No my beloued the seruauntes of the Lord are children of Loue ascribe no names of holynes as dew to the outward person For they know that they are but fraile eaâ—then vessels beare their names according to their vertues whiche God hath geuen them and submit them humbly and obediently as serviceable instrumâ—ts to serue the lord their neiâ—hbour therfore I would councell you to looke iâ—to your selues marke what 〈◊〉 good thinking spirites rule 〈◊〉 wherethrough ye blaspeme diâ—piâ—e dishonor the tâ—ple or tabernaâ—lâ— of the Lord. Answere AGaynst the two letters of HN. I am not enuyous only against such doctrine as he doth teach contrary to the scripture whereby you as an Ipocrite haue seduced the people and led theÌ„ into error and corrupt wayes to hinder the Lord of his purpose it resteth not in mortal man If HN. be a name signifiyng some office why hath neither he nor you manifested y same but plead ignorance that it signifieth some hâ—e misterye which you nor we know not now as HN. is a name geueÌ„ by the Lord as you affirme according to the worke that he will establish by him so doth his fellow Elder â—idelitas looke for lyke credit whose wordes I will repeate as they be written in his booke called A distâ—nciâ—e declaration of the requiring of the Lord c. In the First chap. 1â— seâ—ion â—e hath these wordes following but fire or bend alwayes all your sight oâ— me Fidelitas and consider how that the Lord hath choseÌ„ me euen froÌ„ my very byrth out of my Mothers wombe to the obedience of the requiring of his word For that I with you and yee also with me according to the requiring of the testimonyes of his gracious word should become vnited therein and so to growe of one vniforme being with ech other in the same c. You shew vs in the 29. sexion that through HN. his priestes office the Lord will receaue all men in mercy but for Fidelitas office as yet we know not what it is and in deede there were neuer any that would challenge such names as these elders doe affirme that they signifie their office and calling certayne players vpon stages would declare thâ—â—r names representinâ— câ—rtâ—ine â—eâ—â—ueâ— to seâ— out their matters somâ— wâ—â—e callâ—d truâ—th some hope some â—aithfulnesse but in sadnes to set â—owne such names to siâ—niâ—â—e 〈◊〉 which thâ— Lord as yâ—u affirme will accomplish by them is meere impâ—etie But where the Lord geueth names it appeareth by their calling and such aâ—e their workes and sayinges as geâ—eth testimony sâ—fficient to their vocation â—ut â—our HN. câ—n shew no sufficient markes wherby any but seduced persoâ—s should geue credite to his wordes onely a paâ—nted shew and barren heaping vp of woâ—des darkly appliâ—d without conclusion or sence sauing you and such lâ—ke that finde great misterâ—es in his sentences carying such credit among you as is not seeming Christians The Lord gaue names to sundry vnder the law as Isaack Sampson Iohn â—aptist c. But doth it follow that HN. is a name geuen by the lord Proue vnto vs that the Lord hath established his name your friuolous cauill that HN. signifieth 〈◊〉 will not serue such bables are scarce sufficiâ—Ì„t to meâ—k children therefore you must deuise some better 〈◊〉 Some of your Familye haue written that HN. signifieâ—h some greater matter then either you â–ª or wee can tell of such incertentyes hoâ— you auâ—uch of your HN. For vncertayne doctrine must haue certayne â—idden misteryes to amase the heares mindes or els no doubt â–ª the drift of doâ—â— me would easely be espied Therefore you must deâ—ise some hidden sâ—â—retes whereby to cary a shew of profâ—â—â—d mâ—tter That names are geuen by men in these dayes and not by God there is no doubt or question but you would sayne haue HN. to be a name geuen of God to signifie a calling you geue vs no reasâ—n so to thinke but woulde haue vs beleue it is so because you say so then were we vayn heads and vncâ—nstant mindes For we depende so stricktly vpon the scrâ—ptures of God that no spirite no 〈◊〉 nor no Angel teaching other 〈◊〉 can be a coâ—ted or beleued amongst vs so ceâ—tayn is our faith and so inuincible is that truth which by the Scriptures we held In that you tâ—e Children of y loue ascribe no names of holynes vnto the outward person it is a mistery we aâ—e ignorant of we simply geue names to our children in baptisme without signification of holynes touching the Inâ—ant the names may signifie holynes but that the person carrying the same name shall be indewed therwith that are we ignorant of If you haue such hidden misteries among you it were good the world should not be ignorant of it We commit the successe and euent of such hidden secrets to the lord Of enuyous good thinking spirites that rule in vs you councel vs to looke to without your councell God willing we meane to follow the councel of the Lord our God which willeth vs not to beleue euery spirite c. And yet I neuer heard before of enuyous good thinking spirits But such a grace you haue not only to forge new doctrine but new names of Spirits also In speaking against HN. you wold insinuate that we blaspheme despise and dishonoâ— the temple or tabernacle of the lord Doth it follow necessarily that they that speake against HN. blaspheme despise c. And is he the temple or tabernacle of the Lord vndoubtedly we are all deceaued then For I assure you we take him to be an erroneous spirit a fantastical hed possessed with pride of minde Sathan blowing the belowes The Lord working therby the exercise of his church If you haue other opinioÌ„ of HN. warrant or grouÌ„d so to do haue you none But beâ—ause you will not beâ—eeue the truth therefore are strong illusions sent whereby you might be deceaued Looke into the holy Scriptures with a more single minde and it shall be easily perceiued Vitell. MOrâ—ouer you say that the illuminat â—lders sin not I would you knew what you say forth you should vnderstand that they do lord and preuaile with God and Câ—â—ist ouer the sinne and haue no pleasure to commit sinne therfore they teach men the godly obedience whereby they might be frends with God but they that haue pleasure in sinne are the seruants of â—inne and are enemies to the Lord. Answere I Haue sayd that the
now he beginneth to be knowen and by the great credit and admiration you haue him in the more detestable will he be reputed as a seducer of such men as cannot content themselues wiâ—h such trueth as the scriptures containe but must haue a Prophét raysed vp out of FlauÌ„ders 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 crâ—dite amongest the familye of equall auâ—horitye with the scriptures and that they were written with the same spirite to this you auÌ„swere 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 vnderstaÌ„d 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 ambigâ—us in his right order For simply I thinke none of them haue any shaddow of right order neither is their callinges nor doctrine grounded vpon either right or good order Your Author belyke alloweth the Masse or els he would not haue taken such paynes as to explicat euery ceremonye therein in his booke called A 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 deâ—idingly call it his gospell is declared that â—Papa signifieth an olde Father in the holy vndeâ—standing Now althogh he be not indued with the holy vnderstaÌ„ding 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 euerthelesâ—e of reputation because it is an ordenance of God therefore let vs despise no name that belongeth to gouernours neither yet also any gouernour nor any man els for we haue all sinned haue neede of the grace or mercy of the Lord. Answere THe booke in lattin is called EuaÌ„gelium 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 freÌ„d 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 coÌ„deme not the name his doctrine not agrâ—â—ing with the word is by the same word condemned so is yours For significations of names â–ª wâ—e will not contend a part of your deuinity lyeth therein neither do wee despise any name but is euell doctrine be shadowed or vnder any name cloked then wee inuey agaynst the doctrine vsing the name as 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 â—â—ders of the holy vnderstandinâ— but in humilitye of spirite you and wee ought to coÌ„fesse 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. MOreouâ—r you are greatly offended because hee sayeth that none shold take iâ— haÌ„d to teach or preach but the illuminate elders whiâ—h arâ— Godded with God or incoâ—poâ—atâ—d to God and with whom also God in one being and power of his spirite is hominisied or become man And those you call proud speaches and because â—N vseth them ye despise him althoughe they be no strange words or speches in thâ— dutâ—h language â–ª therfore in so doing you despiâ—e the
Lord. Answere I Am offended in zeale of Gods 〈◊〉 agaynst your generall doctrine wheâ—of this is a part that none may teach the truth but y illuminat â—lders Your HN. further sayth Therefore it is assuredly all false and lyes seducing and deâ—eitfull what the vngodded or vnilluminate men out of the imagination or riches of theire own knowledge out â—f their learnednes of the scriptures bâ—ing forth institute prâ—ach and teaâ—h c. Now looke wel and behold whether HN. condemne not all others but his illumined Elders who are Godded with God c. which in dâ—ede I haue rightly tearmeâ— proud speaches such as neuer any godly wryter in Christ his church durst euer speake or write â—ou would colour the wordes by the ducth tongue saying they be not straÌ„ge speches in that language but certainly a strange and monsterous doctrine is therby taught and far disagreeing from the written word and far â—nbeseeming 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 â–ª and had in all one ordeâ— beinâ— â–ª â—nd nature For God was all that the man was and the mâ— was all that God wâ—â— 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 defeÌ„d 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 condeÌ„ne 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 Auâ—thor 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 bewaâ—l 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 amoÌ„g 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 eueâ—lalastingnes 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 â—â—rtayne 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 coÌ„â—ort 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 â–ª 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 coÌ„mit 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 traÌ„slator The doctrin wherof I meane not to touch in this place onely this is to be noted that the parties
godly or learned man in all ChristeÌ„dome will allow your HN. and his bookes for true doctrine you for your part haue trauelled the most part of this 10. yeares and yet I cannot vnderstaÌ„d of any godly â—r learned man that imbraceth your doctrine onely some erroneus spirites whose heddes haue bin intoxâ—â—ated with other horrible heresies doe ioyne with you in these your wicked attempes also certayâ—â— vnlearned country people with whom by your sugred speaches and fayre wordes you haue not a little preuailed to the destructioÌ„ of their soules If you would choose any godly and learned men to heare your reasons and argumentes thâ— matter might quietly be debated you doe but in wordes make a shew aâ— though you would stand to indifferent and vnpâ—rciall iudgement But when it commeth to tryall you will be iudged onely by your selues which is the safest way to cloke your impietyes Vitel. THerefore consider what you haue done for I am sure you are not appoynted a iudge by the Lord but Christ will come with his Saintes and iudge the world and all nations with righteousnes and he will send his Aungells for to kepe and to gather the corne together and they shall bring the corne into the Barne but the weedes shall be cast into the vnquenâ—hable fire therefore iudge you nothing before the Lord come whilest you cannot as yet discerne the hearbes from the weedes nor the corne from the chaffe for with the same iudgement that you iudge shall you be iudged in asmuch as you are guilty â–ª in the same which you falsely iudge ouer others Aunswere I Am not appoynted a Iudge but Christians must not be lyke Horse and Moyle that haue no vnderstanding I onely admonish you as is euery maÌ„s duty of such doctrine as you teach to the poore people which is corrupt and therefore knowing the same I haue manifested it to the world that your cause might sooner if you be disposed come to tryall and that trueth might appeare where it is You further discourse of the second comming of Christ I hope you meane it not otherwise but in the resurrection of all fleâ—â— I writ this because HN. in the preface of his booke called a good Instruction of the vpright sayth the 2. division sayth these wordes For as much theiâ— as that now in this same newest day the comming of Iesus Christ as a Lord in his maiestye from the right hand of God his Father appearâ—th and becommeth manifested vnto 〈◊〉 with full clearenes of his heauâ—nly illumination â—ccording to the scripâ—â—â—e c. Here HN. telleth that Iesus Christ is come and is manefest to you of his Familye and that he is come from the right hand of God his father Our fayth is that he shall come from theÌ„ce in the end of the world but HN. telleth his Familye that he is come therefore your wordes and your Authors agree not this is very suspitious doctrine touching the resurrection and this augmenteth more suspition that one of your Family being asked before many witnesses touching Christes comming to iudgement did aunswere playne that he was already come meaning his second comming I could name the partye yet my hope is that you teach not so heathnishly of our resurrection and of Christ his glorious comming to Iudgement Vitell. MOreouer you affirme in your wrighting that you and all that are as your are whome you â—all God his children doe feele your selues wounded with sin vnto death but by grace geuen from aboue that wholesome medecine Christe Iesus whose passion hath purged whose bloud hath cleÌ„sed whose death hath cured all your diseases and maladies c. So you confesse you neede not any more for you are clensed and cured of al your diseases wherefore do you then condemne HN. which doth teache none other doctrine where through men shal come to lyfe euerlasting but through the passioÌ„ death and bloud of Iesus Christ but you are clensed as you say and therefore haue you no more neede of Christ nor of hys safemaking oyle of the godly saluation for you affirme that ye are all cleane and I would ye were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde yee neither slaunder nor lye Aunswere I Haue sayd that all God his Children feele themselues wounded with â—hâ— vnto death c. the remedy I hauâ— also shewed as you haue set down but your conclusion is false and cannot bee collected of my wordes that I neede not anye more because I am clenseâ— and cured for we need his prouidencâ— still to protect vs and his grace to defend vs in all our actions for wee arâ— stil subiect to â—all into sinnes not withstanding in the purpose of God we bee hys elect and to our comfort do feele the Lorde worke in vs a hate of sinne which is a testimony to our conscience that we pertayne vnto the Lord Iesuâ— yet so as the dregges of sinne with the motions thereof lurke in our bodyeâ— although you deny it our battayle against â—inne is continuall and shal neuer haue end vntill our earthly tabernacle shal be turned to dust contrarâ— to your doctrine of perfection you askâ— why I blame HN. whiche teacheth no other doctrine I would be nor you did not but how contrary you speake vnto the truth doth maniâ—estly appeare You charge me agayne vntruely that because we are clensed wee neede no more of Christ this woulde you haue but our needâ— wee still acknowledge our wantes we vtter and yet doubt nothing of our deliuery from sin hell and death and although wee acknowledge this our redemption and forgeuenes of our sinnes yet so as the remembraunce thereof still worketh repentaunce in vs and also wee often feele the law to presse vs the iustice of God to terrefie vs our coÌ„science to accuse vs in such trouble are often the children of God but stil by grace giuen vs through fayth wee acknowledge Christe Iesus who hath interposed himselfe betweene vs and the law betwene vs and the Iustice of God c. with such conflictes doth the Lord still exercise hys ChildreÌ„ and so doth hereby schole vs that feeling our want or neede and our miseries we might flee to him for streÌ„gth for mercy for help but I doubt whether you in your Family with your presumtuous doctrine of perfectioÌ„ do féel any of these exercises the godly Christian is partaker of â–ª Now you wishe that I were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde I neither slaunder nor lye â—oe here appeareth vnawares that you when you are clensed can sinne no more but for my owne part I acknowledge and I doubt not but verely beleue through Christ that my sinnes by his death are clensed and yet subiect both to lye and slaunder Although I know not neither is it yet manifest vnto me that I haue wittingly either belyed or slaundered either you or your Aucthor or maliciously haue written any thing agaynst you yet it may be that I haue bin informed otherwise then trueth in
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 weâ—e 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 â—eedes slaunder vs we will in the patience of Christ beare thâ—t and hâ—pe â—pon 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 â–ª 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 â–ª 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 Vâ—tell of his aâ—t or his small skill in learning he knoweth it also neither doth he make any boast of any thing that he â—aÌ„ for he knoweth if he haue any goâ—d whether it be godly or maâ—ly that â—t commeth fâ—om aboue for all goâ—d coÌ„meth from the Father of light with â—home there is no variablnes â—eiâ—her is he chaunged into daâ—kenes but all what is neither gâ—dly â—oâ— manâ—y that commeth out oâ—â—he â—lâ—sh of 〈◊〉 or â—lâ—shfly wisedon◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 gâ—od thinking his 〈…〉 â—hiâ—h bringeth 〈…〉 holyâ—â—s a counterfaâ—te riâ—hteouâ—â—es as also many manner of religions or chosen God seruices sectes or errors c. Aunswere TOuching this Christopher Clitel in Latten Vitâ—lus or Vitulus I haue sayd he is a ioyner by occupation a wauering minde and vnconstaÌ„t 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 coÌ„meth 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 â—orkes of the Lord with his naturall wisdome or lernedenes And heâ—out namely out of the wisedome of the flesh sprang all Christopher Vitelles errors but not out of any other maÌ„s councell or bookes Answere ALl errors sectes and couÌ„terfaite righteousnes as this man saith come of this that man will iudge the worâ—es of the Lord with his naturall wisdome lewdnes Touching man simply which S. Paul calleth Ammalis homo the â—leshly 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 eâ—en the wisdom of the Father with an vncouered face shall we now in this light looke to be taught by reuelations or inspiratioÌ„s he hath by his wisdome established an ordinarye way of teachinge in his church wherunto we must stand obâ—dyent 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
will not ioy nor rest in peace vntill all your errors be disclosed and â—ou and your fellowes be brought to â—umble your selues before the Lord without your HN. which the Lord bring spedely to passe Amen Vitell. NOw must I for want of tyme passe ouer and omit many thinges and submit my cause vnto the almighty desiring him of his goodnes for to try our cause in his ballaunâ—e of equitye euen with the Loue and trueth for so shall there then be expressed and testified by the light or Christ that Gods honour is declared with the Loues seruice most sincerely Aunswere THis Libel was not long enough but he muâ—â— oâ—â—t much matter and so as he sayth submit his cause vnto the almighty c. â—ut if you did as becoÌ„meth a true Christian you should not onely submit your cause vnto the Lord who in patience suâ—freth Ipocrites to trouble his Church but also submit your doctrine to be tryed and iudged by his holy word which is a iust iudge in all causes of controuersy For if your protestation shall be admitted without exception theÌ„ euill doers and blasphemers of God and Christ may haue liberty to referre their cause vnto the Lord but since almighty God hath in earth a knowen Church it is requisite that euery one being required should geue account of his fayth and hope as the scriptures doe teach you would haue your cause tryed in the ballaunce of equitye a truer ballance is not then his law which is without blot or wrinkle if you would abide the tryall thereof your doctrine and your patrone HN. should be found lighter then vanitye it selfe Where you adde with the Loue trueth the Loue you so often confound that you know not your selues the meaning thereof sometyme you wil signifie Christ by that name loue sometime a vertue procéeding sometyme a qualitye of the minde sometyme for the exercise which you priuately vse where to finde the exposition of this word Loue you leue it as vncertaine then it shall be expressed you say by the light or Christ that by you God his honor is declared with the Loues seruice sincerely here is Loue agayne ioyned with seruice which cannot meane as I thinke any thing â—lls but God his seruice I take it in the best part if you haue any other more secret misterye therein I leaue to your selues but touching any seruice you doe to God it is Ipocrysye so long as you serue him without Christ or with any other and Christ for he will admit no other to haue place in mens hartes but himselfe he made all he requireth all Vitell. OH what a dauÌ„gerous tyme is it presently in these last dayes and how vnrightly haue many vnregenerated men set vp themselues to geue iudgement with their good thinking For whatsoeuer euery one mindeth thinketh good and electeth â—ther falleth to that same prayseth and iudgeth he for the most best and for a righteousnes thereto also he wresteth the scripture according to his will for the scripture is seruiceable vnto euery one euen as he is minded be it whatsoeuer to be high minded in pleasant lustes either to be debased in misery to be merâ—y or sorowfull with sighing either with thankes to be despised and persecuted or to persecute and despise one an other and many such lyke c. Answere OF the dauÌ„gerous tyme we are not ignorant of and more we tell you that you and your fellowes make the tyme much more daungerous and troublesome with your errors which HN. and you haue raysed vp Now you complayne that vnregenerat men haue set vp themselues you meane by vnregenerat men all others which are not illuminat nor deifâ—ed as your Elders are The children of God for whome Christ dyed whose names are written in the booke of lyfe are regenerate although as I haue sayd before you account none to be regenerat but such as haue no motions of sinne or sinne not but you say that the same vnregenerat men with their good thinking â–ª that same he prayseth and iudgeth for righteousnes but who might worse alledge the same then you who câ—mmâ—nd without reason or cause your Auâ—hor and his moÌ„strous doâ—trinâ— which hath in it such grosse absurdâ—â—yes and most contrary to God and his word and you are they that peâ—uert the scripture to set vp your Prophet and his doctrine and what is spoken of Christ doe you not wickedly apply the same to your HN. doe you not apply this place of Malarhy chap. 3. which our Sauiour Christ verefied to be propesied of Iohn behold I will send my messenger which shall prepare the way before me Againe Math. 11. he shall turne the hart of the Fathers to the children and the hartes of the children c. doe you not I say apply these places to signifye your HN. and that it is ment by him therefore there are none found such wresters of the scriptures as you And where as you affirme that the scripture is seruiceable vnto euery one therein you shew what reuerence you haue vnto y same for although you such others do abuse the scripture contrary to y purpose of y holy ghost yet are the scriptures y wisedome of God reuealed to man and is a perfit law of righteousnes and not as you vngodly and vnreuerently tearme it seruiceable vnto euery one Your companions the Papistes haue as you doe called the scripture a nose of ware a shipmans hose c. but most wickedly and falsely to both your confusions it is the power of God vnto saluatioÌ„ Vnto them that beleue the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe but vnto such as you are which so vnreuerently speake thereof it is the sauor of death vnto death the scriptures doe not maintayne pleasant lustes nor high mindes as you vnreuerently suppose but they are to comfort and lift vp the sorrowfull and broken mindes and to beate downe and correa the hauty and proud stomackes If vngodly men such as you are abuse them to other purposes the fault is in the persons not in the word Vitell. WHereunto euery one wresteth the scripture and defendeth his cause therewith insomuch that euery one thinketh that he for his part hath the most best Behold with such a misery is the man plagued such manner of good thinking and vnprofitable burthen hath he taken vpon him oh that we left all such and gaue ouer our vnderstanding captiue ether suffred it to be pluâ—kt vnder the obedience of the loue of Iesu Christ and followed after the coÌ„mon brotherly loue innocently or vndeceitfully and continued concordably in prayer vnto God â—l that God receiued vs to mercy released vs froÌ„ the sin of the ignorant knowledge and established his promise on vs to the laud prayse and honor of his holy name and to our saluation Aunswere YF euery one wrest the scripture where shall wee finde Christ his Church who is led by the spirite of trueth according to his promise thâ— greatest wresters of
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 Scrutâ—tor 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 coÌ„fort 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 â—ith 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 bâ—longeth 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 â–ª vnder preâ—ence 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 â—omfort of the holy scriptures which sheweth how mercy is offred to all penitent sinnâ—rs 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 Zacâ—ary 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 sâ—â—angers and poore And let no man imagine any euill against his brother in his haâ—t but alas they will not haue â—â—gard hereupon but â—uâ—ne theâ— backs saith the Lord vnto me and stop their eares that they heare not and harden their haâ—â—es as hard as a diamont For that they should not be obediâ—t to the law the word which the lord sendeth in his spirite through his prophets Aunswere TOuching the saying of â—achary 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 â—nes Libertiâ—es and wicked blasphemers c. Who turnes their backs who stoppes their â—ares 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 suâ—pose it belongeth not to them to take waâ—ning thereby in so perfecte a state do they remaine Vitell. O God prepare the harts of the people to the lowlynâ—ssâ— that they might stand mindeâ— in humility to the Loue and loue the comming of thy Christ in his lordlâ—nes through whom the whol earth shal be â—udged 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 sinâ—es cause cease and haue an end Answere THis part coÌ„taineth a prayer which this man maketh for all that they might staâ—d 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 tâ—ke it in y best part to signifie God to whom we craue continually his grace to huÌ„â—le our harts that we may euer standâ— obedyent to his will and that we may look for that ioyfull coÌ„ming 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 sâ—t vp in their harts any other besides him or follow any other but him or delite in any other sauing hâ—m No violence can resist him no strength preuail with him but as you say all shall be brought vnâ—er his obâ—dâ—ence â—here as you pray that all kings princes c. may â—eaâ—e thy holy name and stand submitted to thy loue â—ere 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 â—s you teach which you wiâ—h all princes were partakers of if your doctrine were a truth in dâ—â—de then were your prayer