of the man from the true fayth in Christ the light of lyfe to the addictyng of him selfe to the lye or darcknes or euer such tyme as they become conuerted to their God and are regenerated in the spirite of their mynde is the greatest Antichrist which also frō the very begynnyng as likewise in the very corporall appearaunce of Christ in the flesh like as S. Iohn also expresseth impugne it and persecute it in the truth of God and that in the inwardnesse of the man to the establishyng of all vnrighteousnesse in him and not onely a certaine disordred or abused Papistrie yea or euer the Papistrie was thought of which no Pope also or such outward fleshly creature could or can euer worke or bryng to passe And therefore deceiue not your selfe in the point to iudge the Author to be a maintainer of any fleshly or creature like Pope with his adherentes in their abusion of Ceremoniall seruices Ceremonies but he driueth his matter onely as in his worke beyng well noted you may sée to this point to wit that after the entraunce of the darknesse once chaunced the manly generations beyng falne away from the fayth towardes God which was established by Christ in his Apostles and Disciples the old Fathers grew out of a zealousnes of the mynde towardes God and his righteousnesse to institute certaine Ceremonies and seruices so neare as they could out of their insight and comprehendyng that they by their diligent study and searchyng of the Scriptures had attained vnto concerning Gods truth hit the same that resembled or were conformablest to the holy and diuine Scriptures to a commemoration of the thyngs wrought and brought to passe before with Christ and his holynes in the very true beyng to the susteinyng and staying vp of the ignoraunt people in the tyme of darknes from fallyng into any greater absurdities enormities and errours that might haue happened vnto thē and which also did happen vnto many such as maliciously and obstinately not rightly seyng but rather in meanyng to set vp some better degressed and winded of them selues there from and maliciously blasphemed and continewed the same tell that the light of Gods truth might spryng foorth agayne or be erected in the seruice of the loue accordyng to the promises and goeth not about to establish the same in and of their ceremoniall much lesse abused seruice and Ceremonies where about men presently so greatly striue and varie now in this present tyme of the light of loue whiche he affirmeth to be the day of the cleare righteous iudgemēt of God wherein god will restore all thynges to their right to wit bryng or set the lye in his lying beyng to be condemned in the hellish caue and the truth likewise in his right fourme or degrée to wit to preuayle florish and beare sway ouer the vnrighteousnes for euer more Whereby that the will of God might euē so be accomplished in earth as in heauen Wherefore me thinkes that should be very small discernyng in such as can not distinct the shadowes figures or image of a thyng from the body it selfe or the very true beyng either substaunce of the same And that he speaketh of mens ignoraunce in that place and touchyng their slender knowledge vnderstandyng in Gods worde that layeth he forth flatly to the effectuall word and not the imagelike or written word wherein the right Christians are not iniuried but the conceited Christians detected Rochester THe rest of the booke from the 34. Chapter vnto the end is of the callyng of the Gentiles and of the grace of God offred to the world in the last age of the world which seemeth to be the best part of that booke Familie of Loue. IT is well that ye like some part of the booke and if ye could therewithall note that there were a defectiō frō the truth and that there were also by that meanes no difference to bee had betwixt a ceremoniall either letter doctour Christian and an vncircumcised Heathen so had ye then somewhat for your part Rochester THus haue you a tast of this booke gathered as the tyme would serue whereby it appeareth to be no such precious price of worke as of some it is supposed to be Such fayre shewes and glorious titles may soone deceiue the simple to haue such bookes in more admiration then the holy Scriptures But we haue Moses and the Prophetes let vs heare them and iudge all others by them Family of Loue. I do not so collect by the authors wrighting that he would prefer his writing aboue the scriptures geuen by inspiration of God and brought forth and written by the holy Fathers in times past But if you had well marked or considered the same he witnesseth as by a concordable and vniforme testimonye either by record of the same their writynges what the Lord will now accomplish in these last dayes wishing euery one in the same booke to search the Scriptures whether that they also mētion and record not the very same affirmyng also therewith that God is not ne cannot be a God of contentatiō but of peace vnitie And that God moreouer hath stirred him vp to bee a seruiceable instrument or as his elect minister to bryng downe accordyng to his promises written in the Scriptures all controuersies growne among men about their misunderstanding of the scriptures to bryng the same to an end And doth also in the same booke vncouer sundry secret thinges which they that haue seing eyes may by ententiue reading of the same together with the Lordes assistaunce well perceiue and vnderstand that no selfewise or enuious scripture learned could or can euer attaine vnto it agayne What iniurie were it seing that it procedeth by the same spirite to valew it equall with those same sacred scriptures that were tofore written by the holy one of God. Also ye may remember that the fleshly Iewes had also for their aunswere to Christ enuying agaynst him being the truth it selfe the same testimonye that ye alledge to wéete that they had Moses and the Prophets c But who were in the meane time greater persecutours of him then they Rochester WE are sure that the holy Scriptures were wrighten by the spirite of Loue and truth the holy ghost And conteine all true and necessary and sufficient doctrine for our saluation let vs not hould vpon men proue all thinges hould that which is good beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites Family of Loue. I Graunt that right discerning is good and commeth from the Lord and through him from them whome he and not themselues placeth and by them that are set in the right place of iudgement by the Lord himselfe and not by those that sitt on their owne stoole for it is to be doubted that so many as take vpon them that office of iudgemēt or medling with gods matters or euer Christ be come vnto them or haue a liuing shape in them that they all will
reason or knowledge For then should they right wel vnderstand it for the world can vnderstand her owne whose wisedome maketh all men in their manly wisedome meere fooles compassing the wise in their wisedome and prouyng their thoughtes to be but vayne will therfore as S. Paule and likewise the Prophet affirmeth destroy the wisedome of the wise and reiect the vnderstandyng of the prudent For it hath ben euermore an order with the holy on s of God in the bringyng forth of the holy thynges to expresse it more out of the authoritie of the spirite and with power I meane out of the efficacie of the Lord had by their essential operation in their inwardnes thē with the entising wordes of manly wisedome that our fayth might not stand or rest grounded in the wisedome of man but in the power of God by which meanes the naturall man perceiueth not any thyng of the spirite of god Yea the thynges of God and his wisedome are mere foolishnesse vnto him And therefore he shal be founde happyer that becommeth deceiued with such a godly deceit then shall those which are borne in hand to be in a right way and a good case beyng yet in the meane tyme directed with the dreames of mans fantasie in steade of cleare truth c. Rochester THe greatest part of this boke is nothyng but a brief discourse either a rehearsall of the story of the Bible as appeareth frō the .5 chapter to the .27 .28 chapters And his collectiō is none other but such as any meanly learned may gather by diligēt readyng of the Scriptures The Familie of Loue. HOw well soeuer the greatest part of the booke bee iudged by you to be nothyng but a bare brief discours or rehearsall of the histories of the Bible whiche any meanly learned as you say might do the like yet séemeth it to me to be of greater force neither haue I euer in my tyme heard or by readyng perceiued that the greatest learned among the prudent wisenesse which rest grounded more on the litterall knowledge of the Christiā verifie then on the beyng of the same haue atchiued the like or brought the match therof to light all thyngs considered For it is not onely an euident declaration of the singular good will and operations of God towardes his creatures in respectyng and tenderyng their saluation darckly figured foorth in the Bible but also and expresse manifestation of the approchyng of tyme wherein the purpose of the Lord drawen a long and begon as the tyme state and age of the worlde would permit the same touchyng the disposing of the wicked world with her ministers and adherentes the erectyng of the righteous world to florish there ouer in vigour for euermore becōmeth as he there testifieth Full accomplished through the same seruice of God or ministrations of his loue expressed or mencioned in the same booke accordyng to the promises To the which ministration God hath chosen the Authour as he there alledgeth to be a right minister and prepared him thereto in the fourme and sorte mencioned in the head of his booke vnto which like function and holy annoyntyng no conceited Scripture learned or Doctour of the letter that I can any way marke or perceiue hath in these dayes attained or reached And whether that be a pretendyng of the Ghost or no that will well appeare and be séene in his tyme by the sequele thereof to wéete in the perseueraunce and foorth goyng of the same among and with all such as shall endure to sée the triall therof c. Rochester THe Authour doth much pretend the holy Ghost and entituleth his booke An Epistle written from the holy Ghost which is to be suspect of hygh Reuelations daungerous to deceiue the simple Familie of Loue. THis is aunswered in the Section before Rochester INtreatyng of Antichrist in the 28. chapter he teacheth no certaine doctrine who he is or where to be founde that we may know him beware of his doctrine but it seemeth altogether doubtfull in so much that the Note in the margēt sayth O that this Antechrist were knowen Whereas if the Authour would haue dealt plainly and according to the scriptures he might easly haue shewed that Rome is the seate of Antechrist And that the succession of Popes and that body and kingdome is the very Antichrist mencioned and described in the .2 Thessal 2. Apocal. 13.17 c. ¶ In the Chapter 31. 32. the Authour HN. bewrayeth him selfe to be a Papist 1. FIrst he calleth the Church of Rome the communion of all Christiās whereas it is but a particular Church fallen away from the vniuersall Church of Christ 2. Although he seemeth to cōfesse that the Church of Rome hath not that perfection of Religion whiche it had in tymes past which the Papistes do and must graunt yet he seemeth to allow and speake reuerently of all Popishe orders as they be now The Pope hee calleth the chief annoynted the chief Byshop or high Priest who hath his heyng in the most holy sanctuarie of true and perfect holynes most holy Father Next vnto him he placeth the Cardinals whom he calleth most holy and famous and hee sayth that they are next the most auncientest and holy Father the Pope in most holy Religion and vnderstandyng Next vnto Cardinals he reconeth Byshops whom he calleth chief Priestes After Byshops he nameth Curates Deacons c. After those he maketh mencion of Monkes whom he commendeth as men addicted to holynesse and separated from the world and all carnall desires But most playnly the Authour sheweth him selfe a frend to the Church of Rome saying that many through contention and discorde did cast of the Church of Rome and dyd blaspheme her with her ministeries and of their own braynes pretendyng the Scriptures haue brought in other ministeries and Religion they spoke much of the word of god Who doubteth that this is the voyce and iudgement of Papistes agaynst Protestauntes and true Christians Familie of Loue. WHere as you furthermore complayne of the insufficiencie of the expressing of Antechrist as to say who he is and where to be founde because the Authour applyeth him not to the Pope and his succession in the Church of Rome it séemeth if the matter were well looked vnto that mē should finde that Antechrist euen in the very selfe same place from whence you gather your exception flatly detected although he is not so employed to mēs contētations for if men could sée what Christ accordyng to the spirite is as he is a liuyng power of God were whereas his whole scope drift of writyng stretcheth they should then right well perceiue thereout that the man of sinne and child or broode of the Deuill and cōdemnation beyng a right aduersarie or an expresse contrary beyng vnto Christ the righteousnes of God the father and raignyng in all states of men generally Beyng fleshly Popes or other from the tyme of the declinyng
to repeate I made out of them this Collection HN. sayth he is indued with the good nature of God and that he is raysed vp from the dead to iudge the earth with righteousnes also the day of Loue by him preached is the last day and there shall be no day of grace hereafter Neither was there any trueth before him or besides him or shal be after him To the fourme of wordes he hath framed a wrangle the matter he graunteth belike to be true Thirdly I affirme that HN. sayth he was prophecied of by Moses and all the Prophets and Apostles and the Euangelistes to proue this he alledgeth Deut. 18.6 Esay 60. a. Iohn 5. c. To the which Theophilus replieth thus Theophilus REade the place againe you shall finde he sayth that the light or lyfe is it which is prophecied of and not himselfe and leaue your lying for very shame William Wilkinson TO the which his reprochfull reply and childish cauill I thinke I shall aunswere fully and satisfy sufficiently Yf first I be able to iustifie which gods assistance I hope I shall that HN. presumptiously taketh on him that which is prophecied on and proper vnto Christ Secondly I will cōparing him with Dauie George and their heresies mutually with other proue that it is very like to be true which they deny and Maist Rogers doth charge him with HN. to be Dauie Georges scholler and that in impietye he goeth far beyond him Thirdly by comparing him and his opinions with Gods worde I will shew that he is not the perfect Prophet but the most pestilent Archheretique that euer was and that he was so prophecied of by the Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes In the which place to display all his wrestinges of the scriptures I neither am able they being infinit nor willing because I desire to be briefe onely I will by a few geue a tast what the rest are which I haue not touched HN. HN. Alledgeth ▪ Esay 60. a. to proue the light shewed by him was fore spoken of by Esay W. Wilkinson IT is manifestly ment of Christ his first comming HN. HN. Sayth that all the scriptures heauenly testimonyes and spirituall voyces of the eternall trueth which are gone forth from the holy spirite of Loue that is of God are brought to light through him William Wilkinson THis is blasphemous agaynst the Prophecy of Christ and agaynst the Scriptures Math. 17.5 Marc. 9.28 Iohn 1.18 Col. 23. HN. HN. Sayth yet once more he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the earth with righteousnes Act. 17. g. and this in the next sentence 3. he doth apply to his appearaunce in these wordes this day and now is the day fulfilled in the Loue and this once more sayth he is meant of himselfe for profe he quoteth Act. 17. g. 31. verse W. Wilkinson THis is particularly ment of Christes first comming in the flesh prophecied euen in the selfe same wordes Agge 2. cap. 7. verse and in Christ fulfilled Heb. 12. cap. 27. verse HN. HN. Quoteth Esay 2. a. 2. Miche 4. a 1. to be meant of the restoring of the decayed state of Gods Church which is redyfied by him William Wilkinson THis is manifestly meant of Christ HN. HN. Citeth Math. 24. verse 14. Esay 67.22 g. Psal. 95.7.8 Heb. 3.7 and the 4.7.8 Apoc. 14.6 to be spoken of his Euangelye by him published William Wilkinson WHich is vnderstode of the preaching of the gospell by Christ and his Apostles HN. HN. Sayth hee is an elected Minister of the gratious worde stirred vp in the last time according to the promises Ierem. 33. read the whole chap. W. Wilkinson IT is meant of Christ HN. HN. Sayth the testimonye of his Euangelie is not alone the Euang. of the kingdome promised to be published in all the world to all people but also all the testimonies which HN. hath set forth in the glasse of righteousnes William Wilkinson BLasphemous agaynst the gospell and a thing accursed Galla. 1. chap. 8. ver He taketh that vnto him which belongeth vnto Iohn Baptist Mallachi Math. 11.10 HN. HN. Sayth the misterye of the kingdome of God his righteous iudgements Math. 25. d. Actes 16.17 d. Iude. 1. and the comming of Christ now in the last tyme in the resurrection Ezech. 37 6. Iohn 5. c. Rom. 8.6 Phil. 3. b. 11. ver of the dead is declared vnto him as an elected vessel from the mouth of God himselfe God hath be gone a new miraculous worke now in this day of Loue whereof we witnes with vs his elected ones wherin the scripture is fulfilled Esay 43 6. c.a. Esay 57 b. HN. Sayth he will declare the secret misteries of God and make relation of thinges hidden before the beginning of the world Math. 13.11 b. Iohn 6. The day of Loue. Psal. 118. c. is the appearaunce and comming Math. 24. c. 30. ver Luk. 17.20 ver Actes 2. a. of Christ Iesu our Lord in the resurrection Esay 26. c. 1. Cor. 15. f. of the dead wherein the law the Prophetes and all that is written of Christ becommeth fulfilled Luk. 24. e. The day of Loue preached by HN. is the day of the last comming of Christ in iudgement with many thousandes of Saintes Esay 3. b. Math. 4.24 d. 37. 25. d. 31. Iude. 1. b. Whiche places manifestly proue beyng meant of the second comming of Christ that the resurrection of his comming is perfected past already HN. Sayth that this testimonie that is his Euang and publishing of the ioyfull message is the same comming and all seruices and prophecies which are gone out from God doe leade herevnto and cease herein HN. Sayth Behold ye dearely beloued presently euen from the selfe same day becommeth the scripture in all fulfilled of that which it mentioneth of Christ of his seede and of his glory and Lordlynes Therefore all scriptures was vntill now vnperfect and not fulfilled contrary to that which Iohn sayth 19.28 HN. Sayth that all the prophecies Esdr 4. d. Esay 3. c. 11. b. 12. Ezechi 39. d. 21. Zopha 3. b. 9. ver Zach. 2. b. 10. 11 Numb 24. a. 5. 6. are in this day of Loue presently fulfilled all the which places are particularly meant of Christ and applied blasphemously by HN. to him for to proue the day of his comming The Familye compare and make equall HN. his wrightinges with the holy scriptures because say they they are written with the same spirite William Wilkinson THus with as great breuitye as I could I haue set downe a few of his blasphemies for that his vayne and blinde idle and impertinēt alleadging of Scriptures is infinite and without number for almost he neuer citeth any scripture aright for the children of God it shall not be vnprofitable to consider that to leaue the Lordes hye way and the cleare sunne shine of his truth is to entangle our selues with
or nation and religion as Christians in their Mahomet or Turkes in theirs Heathen in theirs c. To whom after HN. hath geuen particuler titles immediatly he in the same section addeth And yet furthermore euery head properly for himselfe hauing then so diuers and many maners of groundes beliefes religions ceremonyes offices and administratiōs as they will wherein they loue Gods truth and their righteousnes Then the which wordes what may be sayd more Sathan like or what euen belched out of the bottomles pit more blasphemous if all the fiendes of hell would conspire together to afford a graceles and godles speach whereby the hartes of them that stagger in the way of the truth if not wholy they might be drawne away to superstition for as for the worde Religion I feare me I haue attributed it to their scisme to often albeit the Familye of Loue in their Confession would faine be counted religious yet might they enioy the heresie of HN. with their opinions and fauour whatsoeuer liketh them best So that certayne it is whereas this his Euangelye and the other of his bokes were nayled vpon euery post in the common shops of stationers in dutch land commōly sould vntill by the restraint of the maiestrate they were bridled and called in they drew some Catholickes also to his faction for whose cause and with whome to créepe into fauour to haue a shealter ready for any storme so notable he commendeth the popish Hierarchie which order of popishe pollicye to let passe that famous infamous booke the Declaration of the Masse I meane after step by step he had extolled it aboue the cloudes from the hyest to the lowest he falleth downe after this sort Section 4. he commendeth the Pope and expoundeth Papa to signifie an olde Father in the holy vnderstanding to whome he coupeleth his Colledge of Cardinals sent 8. thirdly Primates sent 9. Bishops sent 10. Priestes sent 14. who say their seruice in the formest part of the Church that is in the chauncell Parsons Curates Proctours sent 16 Deacons sent 17. Sextons or keepers of holy thinges that the same muy be occupied in due season and times conuenient sent 18. Monkes which for the loue of righteousnes as HN. sayth are consecrated and sequestred from the world from whome well it were if the world were seperated also and from all that is worldly and fleshly set 19. and lastly the commen people sent 21. To the which for a conclusion he addeth Behold all this hath bin euen so in tymes past in his very true being when as yet the light of lyfe had the clearenes and the beliefe her seruice in the holynes of God the renewed or Goddead men vpon the earth all which shall now in the sam day lykewise of the Loue through the comming of Christ in the light of lyfe and his holy spirite be reduced or restored to his vpright fourme in the very true being according to the Christian lyke ordinaunces and florish in vigor or become forcible according to the promises The which as I quake to wright so to marke the ripenes of sinne that HN. is come vnto must it needes enforce the godly Christian and tender childe of God to melt at the horrible outrage therein conteined To the which if the goodwilling in England which are named the Familye of Loue shall reply and alledge for I hope they are not so far gone to defend this so great blasphmie agaynst the kingdome of the sonne of God and his gloryous gospell that they will not defend neither lyke in all thinges of his opinions to this I aunswere as M. Bullenger doth vnto the lyke obiection Sometyme they are of this iudgement sometymes of that neither doe they all agree among themselues in the certaintye of their errour for as truth onely is lyke it selfe error must nedes iar and disagre But herein it had ben somewhat more tollerable for our Fam. if they had not set downe this in wrighting that herein they might shew themselues to be perfect schollers of a peruerse maister But he that neuer kepeth touch with his seruauntes hath here betrayed them by their owne wordes to the world ere they were aware For in their first Epistle which they make as an aunswere to M. Rogers boke fol. 71. pag. v. lin 30. they vtter these wordes You forget say they to M. Rogers many protestantes in Rome Spayne Italy and many other places vnder the Byshop of Romes inquisition which hould it good pollicie to defend thēselues their cōsciences from such tyranny Will not you allow to others which you gladly chalenge to your selfe c. Whereby it is clearely proued and manifestly affirmed that HN. and his scholers termed the Fam. of Loue in England draw all in one line and hould the same opinions with Dauid George that he doth whom because they affirme by the testimonye of learned writers to be an Anabaptist néedes must it necessarye by the same consequence be vrged that they are Anabaptistes by their owne confession and labour to bring Anabaptistrie into the church from the which and other heresies sectes and scismes the Lord deliuer both vs and all his chosen dispersed wheresoeuer Amen It remaineth that with the lyke breuitye or greater if so large a matter may be conteined in a lesser roome as I before promised so I compare HN. with those euident noates manifest tokens of an heretique set downe by the spirite of God in holy Scriptures For by that iudge both he and I must be tryed to be true meaning men in this lyfe before the Militaunt Church and receiue our dome thereafter before the triumphāt Churche in the world to come Tokens of an heretique out of Scripture 1. Tokē THe holy ghost in the Scriptures doth liken those heretiques which disturbe the peace of the Church vnto Foxes which priuily and by night are wont to spoile and rauine And in lyke manner our Sauiour Christ doth describe not onely the father of heretiques but his children also by the name of a enuious mā which soweth teares whilest men sléepe S. Paule termeth then false teachers crafty creepers in S. Peter sayth false teachers shall priuilye bring in damnable heresies S. Iude sayth certaine men haue crept in which turne the grace of God into wantones vpon all the which places it may very easely be gathered that whosoeuer intendeth to broach any new and straunge doctrine as false coiners vse to doe he counterfaiteth in secret That this hath bin the practise of heretiques from tyme to tyme nedeth no long profe onely it is to be considered who it was that renued Arius heresie in Constantine the Emperours dayes was it not a priest which priuilye bare Constantia the Emperours sister in hād that the Counsell of Nice had done Arius wrong who thought not of Christes deuinitye as the Counsel supposed and the rumour was spread abroad of him c. And haue not the Familye of Loue
also because the sonne of God in the Actes geueth him the same title he is sayth he vnto me a chosen vessell c. now when HN. can iustifie his callyng to haue bene such as S. Paules was then he shall proue some what in the meane tyme our skill is not so meane as whensoeuer he vseth to alledge Scripture for the phrase that by and by it must materially be vnderstode as he will haue vs take it or els all is marred In the same sort he abuseth a place taken out of S. Paul to the Corinthes Cap. 3. vers But these his vayne payntynges of his margent shall hereafter make his cause more odious vnto them whiche will diligently labour to take him haltyng in the alledgyng of the Scriptures for to what purpose is it for an Archer to doe as HN. doth to set vp his markes and neuer commyng at them to raunge vp and downe the fieldes at rouers But of this somewhat before beyng spoken shall herein stay my labour concernyng that matter Vnto the which also HN. addeth where he heard these his Reuelatiōs videli From the mouth of God him selfe Wherein he doth open vnto the world his shameles and vayne boasting beleue him he that will. And if it be truth that the Israelites were so terrified with the voyce of God and that Christes voyce draue S. Paule to the grounde with the wonderfull maiestie therof and the brightnes of his countenaunce Which voyce also did smite the souldiours to groūd The force and the working wherof and how mighty the operation therof is holy Dauid declareth at large by many effectes in the 29. Psalme through out Now then if this be true that God in his law hath thus thundred thereby to kéepe vs in obediēce to be wholy subiect vnto him how can HN. auouch it to be true that he affirmeth hee hath heard these his Reuelations From the mouth of God him selfe We know very well as many I meane as are the beloued of the Lord that Reueilatiōs haue bene of old but they are not néedefull God in tymes past in diuers maners spake in the old tyme by the Prophetes vnto our Fathers but in these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his some Miracles serued the Church in her swadlyng clothes but now fayth is sealed by the death of Christ and to cry for further miracles were to crucifie the sonne of God a fresh and to make a mocke of the Sauiour of the world Hath the earthly father an inward care to leaue his sonne his will sealed with his owne seale and subscribed with his owne hand to auoyde contention and to cease strife and shal not Iesus Christ the sonne of the most wise God which sonne to testifie his loue towardes vs often calleth him selfe the sonne of man shall not the loue of his manhode and the vnspeakeable wisedome of his Godhead prouide for the safe and quyet gouernement of his owne house which so dearely with his hart bloud hee hath purged and made cleane Thus then we sée that HN. his bragges be but bables and triffles that he boasteth he will declare the secret Misteries of God and make relation of thynges hidden from the beginnyng of the world Sathan albeit he hath taken vpon him the shape of an Aungell of light yet if he in the likenesse of the most glorious Aungell in heauen will teach vs or shall preach vnto vs any other Gospell then we haue receaued be he ten thousand tymes accursed But this doctrine as it alwayes hath bene peculiar vnto the Papistes Libertines and especially the Anabaptistes for that they are mighty in such kynde of proofes as for the true Church it neither vseth nor alloweth any such doctrine of Reuelations as HN. in this place dreameth of onely it is sufficiently instructed in the truth of Gods word without any further search after fonde and curious visions which are expresly forbidden by the written word of God and holy Scripture which onely is the power of God vnto saluatiō to saue the soules of Gods people But of Reuelations and extraordinary declarations of Gods word hetherto for the 9. Article ARTICLE 10. of HN. Of Shrift ANd vnto their Elders priuately must they confesse all their sinnes and make their lyfe naked and bare before them Theophilus FOr how should they otherwise receiue counsell to auoyde the same and thereto it is spoken as reade forth the text and leaue your priuate addition as priuately William Wilkinson THe most conuenient method to deale with this as with all the rest of HN. his erroneous and absurd Paradoxes in my iudgement is first because the Famblers vse to cauil that they are falsly and vniustly burthened neither can that be proued by them wherewith they are charged by their owne wrightinges to conuince them to be guiltye of that which is layd agaynst them Secōdly to examine their groundes proofes whereby they labour to auouch their heresie to be the truth Thirdly to shew what parteners and fellowes they haue of other heretiques which haue either held the same heresie or hauyng held it haue maintained it by the same profes that they doe Lastly to shew wherein they in their opinions doe disagrée from the holy scriptures the iudgement of some wrighters cōcerning the same which order he that well considereth the former Articles shall sée hath by me ben obserued heretofore For the first pointe that HN. and the Familie hould an erroneous confession of sinnes and a kinde of shrift more then Popish shall not néede any long probation out of their wrightinges For that the Elder Theophilus confesseth the same boulstering vp his asseueration with this interrogatorye For how should they otherwise receiue counsell to auoyd the Fami c. Yet will I adde a place or twaine out of HN. to make the matter more cleare that hereafter it be not doubted of Let all your counsayles enterprises purposes will deeds whether they be then secret or manifest appeare at all tymes naked and bare before your Elders Eccle. 4. c. But if ye chaunce to offend in committing any misdeeds yet binde not in any case your hart thereon Eccle. 5. a. neither yet feare you to be ashamed Eccl. 4. c. to confesse the same before god Pro. 28. b. Esay 29. b. Ierem. 23. c. Esdras 16. g. and the priestes your Elders but let it appeare apparauntly before them c. sent 21. 22. 23. 30. Fourthly it is expedient that they should Prou. 28. b. Eccle 4. c. 17. b. Iam. 5. b. make manifest their whole harte with all their counsels mindes willes and thoughtes together with all their doinges dealinges and exercises naked and bare before the Eldest in the Familye of Loue are not couer Esay 29. b. 4. Esdr 16. g. or hide any thing be it what it is before him Also whereunto their inclination kinde and nature draweth them and
Church for his mother The Church is Noahs Arke out of the which he that is must néedes be drowned Christianus non est qui in Christi ecclesia non est sayth Cyprian He is not a Christiā which is not of the Church of Christ They be Antichristes which goe out of the Church and deale agaynst the Church The which Church of Christ if your Family be Shew me out of the scriptures these markes wherby the Church ought to be knowen this if you can truely doe I confesse that you haue the Church if ye cannot beware least the further ye wander from the shepfold the further ye goe astray from Christ and encrease you owne damnation Therefore loke well to your standing The doctrine is very true yet the place quoted by HN Fol 16. sent 38. out of S. Iude to proue it is very impertinent hauing no such proofe in it as he alledgeth it for For how hangeth this reason together God hath reserued vnto the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day which S. Peter calleth their damnation Therefore he that turneth away from the comminalty of Loue which as you tearme is the Church of God bringeth euen so ouer himselfe the iudgement of his condemnation But it were hartely to be wished that his fault in abusing Scripture were the least which in the eyes of God is damnable so should not his cancred and poysoned Heresies besides his owne guilt draw with them likewise the soules of those that stumble vpon him And thus much for HN his text Now to Theophilus exposition Theophilus YOu say that this clause It is the hill of the Lord is spoken of the loue it selfe and not of the familie W. Wilkinson THen belike you would haue me take your meanyng to be this The loue the is God ye say for so in the next clause ye expound it is the hill of the Lord whereon his Church is builded What a perplexitie of speach is this the ye can not vtter your mynde so the I may vnderstand ye If you meane the God is onely the foūdation of his Church I graunt yet hath not your Paraphrasis vpon HN. his wordes as yet forced thus much Ergo God is the foundation of your Loue Familie Ye take in hād to explicate HN. his meanyng but the old Prouerbe will still belike be true An euill expositor marreth the text For herein you do but rayse dust with your shufflyng tell vs there is a marke if we could sée it when ye haue dimmed it with a darke exposition so that it can not be sene For in my simple iudgement you leaue the wordes very doubtfull For whereas you make a circumloqution and say it may not bee denied for as much as God is loue and the other must consequently or necessarily follow I vnderstand HN. very well when he sayth God is loue it is very true and therefore I take it that in diuers places he vseth this diffuse terme the loue for the Lord our God as a worde that is equiualente of signification But whereas you say the other must consequently or necessarily follow I vnderstand not yet what you meane for it is as though ye bad me looke stedfastly and yet shut myne eyes For what is the other which you adde Is the sence this the Familie of Loue by you pretended is Gods Church that God is the grounde of that your Familie Geue me leaue to vse your own wordes neither is the consequent good nor doth it follow of necessitie for which you induce it For to let passe your learned and weightie Parenthesis for how is an house to be builded on an house with a sad interrogatorie ministred in the same what a necessarie consequēt is this God is the hill of the Lord or this God is the foundation of his Church Ergo your pretended Familie is the Church of god How this consequent doth halte in his followyng he that knoweth what a consequent meaneth can easely consider But it séemeth that you are no great gatherer of necessary consequentes albeit ye iumbling stumbled on these wordes To follow consequently or necessarily vnwares But if hereafter vppon a further deliberation by you had you shall enforce your consequent more necessarily I shall hit on your meanyng the better so shape you a fitter aunswere And thus much of the first Article An addition to the first Article out of HN. THe Familie and cōmunaltie of the same house vid. of the loue is Gods chosen people of Israell and he him selfe with them is Ierem. 24. a. 31. d. Ezech. 27. c. Apoc. 21. a. their God and will likewise bide their God from generation to generation euerlastingly And if they chaunce to transgresse in any thing God will then 1. Chron. 3. chastē teach and informe them but he will no more withdraw his grace and mercy frō them Psal. 89. c.d. For God hath chosen none other house nor Ierem. 7. b. Temple but 1. Cor. 3. b. c. 2. Cor. 6. b. c. the godly childrē or Communialtie of loue For the F. of L. is the mercy seate of the loue that is of the Lord the schole of grace Exhor Cap. 12.44 Heb. 5. a. The rest prepared from the beginnyng for the people of God and all repentaunt persons It is the Sion and Ierusalem from whence the law was prophesied Esay 2. Mich. 4. to come The Familie of Loue is the true tabernacle of God which shall in all perfection be euerlastingly vpon earth For so it hath pleased God to the end that his will and iudgemēt of his righteousnes may be done vpō earth as it is in heauen Math. 6. Luke 11. All prophesies ministratiōs which are gone from God doe tend or lead to the Familie of Loue as to an euerlasting very true perfect good most holy seruice of the loue that is the Lord which shall remaine in the same clearenes in his ministery euerlastingly to the end that the same most holy Prophet good frō henceforth might perpetually be declared vpon earth W. Wilkinson THese haue I good Reader put downe as a tast that thou mightest bee somewhat acquainted with their horrible blasphemies and thereby thou knowyng them mightest more carefully eschew and auoide them ARTICLE 2. HN. No truth HN sayth that he can not perceiue nor find the true belief in Iesus Christ amongest any people vpon earth that walke without the Communialtie of loue and liue vnto them selues and that same is appeared and manifested vnto the holy ones of God in the Communialtie 1. Iohn 1.3 a. of the loue through the appearyng Mat. 25.3 d. Act. 1.11 d. of the comming of Iesus Christ out of the most high heauen So can not likewise the same most holy belief become rightly witnessed or confessed by any other people nation or communialities but onely by the 1. Cor. 12. a.
reade further Exod. 16.8.1 Sam. 8.7 Num. 16. chap. throughout I haue in this place gentle and indifferent reader to desire thée diligently to marke the sly and crafty dealing of this peuish Familye For in my Articles which I exhibited vnto them for my further satisfaction I added this clause of the outward calling of the minister which then I did suspect they denyed and since by their faythles demeanour of concealing that clause I am certainely perswaded to be true where also it shall not be amisse if besides their fond behauiour in ouerhipping that which they néedes must confesse to be truely reported of them by me to consider also how guilefully they protest that No man is able iustly to blame accuse detect or burthen them as transgressors of the lawe beīt agaynst any the Quéenes Maiesties proceadinges in causes Ecclesiasticall c. And yet in this place by me quoted out of the lamentable complaynt sent 34. They deny without their Familye their is no lawfull calling of Ministers Their wordes be these For to be a teacher or minister of the holy worde is not euery mans office but his only which is thereunto euen lyke as was Aaron called and elected of God whose rodde or staffe greeneth blossometh and beareth fruit as lykewise his which is a true disciple of the worde and louer of the truth hath receiued the learning and administration of his holy word with integritye of singlenes of hart of the Elders in the house of Loue obediently and euē so is growē vp vnder thobediēce of the loue in the holy vnderstādings till vnto the Elderdome of the man Christ and taught to the kingdome of God. And the same is by thē in playne wordes affirmed but more skoffingly and contemptuously in the same booke sent 34. But of that place more hereafter in the addition to the Article They with their cauill as it is common vnto them with their brethren the Papistes and Anabaptistes who alwayes not being able to criminate and blame the doctrine taught flye straight wayes to the persō of the preacher demaunded A Syr what auctoritye haue you to minister and who layd handes on your who called you c. as also their forefathers the old Pharisies which demaūded of S. Iehn the Baptist the same question with that learned man M. Musculus I aunswere Qui legitimé vocati non sunt quaestionem de vocatione mouent They which are not called lawfully first moue a controuersie about a lawfull calling which obiection M. Bullenger in his booke agaynst the Anabaptistes doth aunswere learnedly and at large Bullenger agaynst the Anabaptistes 3. booke 4. chap. 90. leafe An addition to the 5. Article of an outward calling SVch an one as in euen so with his vnderstanding and thoughtes become incorporate in all obediēce of the word to the truth of God and lyfe of Christ and euen so acknowledge the truth the same verily bideth rightly in the doctrine of Christ and is apt to minister the holy word of truth and to be a teacher of the people c. No man can teach the word of Christ and his doctrine but such as first haue bin obedient disciples of Loue. No man ought to busy himselfe about the word but the Elders in the Familye c. No man knoweth Christ nor the father nor yet also the seruices or Ceremonies of Christ but euen onely those which are euen so through Christ as we haue rehearsed renewed or regenerated in their spirite and mynde neither doth it also behoue or belong vnto any other to set forth any seruices of Ceremonies of Christ nor to preach or declare the Euangely but such are those whiche are sent of Christ himselfe for otherwise it is all false The Disciples of Christ could not vnderstand the clearenes of Christ before the fifty day taht the holy Ghost was poured vpon them much lesse then verely can now the Scripture learned which haue not kept the passeouer from death into lyfe and from flesh into spirite with Christ nor yet atteined through the power of the holy Ghost to the clearenes of Christ vnderstand out of the knowledge of the Scripture the clearenes of the word of Christ nor yet set forth or teach accordyng to the truth his ceremonies or seruices nor also preach or declare the Euangely of Christ ARTICLE 6. of HN. of vniting into God. ANd the Elders of the Familie sayth HN. are illuminated from God they are Godded with God they are incorporate into God with whō God also in one beyng is Hominified or become man. Theophilus WHat error is this if it were rightly sene vnto whilest the vine braunch is to be vined in the vine Iohn 15. he that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirite with him and are made partakers of the godly nature 2. Pet. 1.4 William Wilkinson TRue it is that a certaine godly and learned man affirmeth writyng vpon the fall of S. Peter When God leaueth vs to our selues their is not hope to stay from rūnyng headlong into sinne right so it fareth in Gods iudgement with this coale Prophet HN. and his dreamyng Disciple Theophilus For the maister on still fallyng from phantasie to phantasie and from one errour into an other and the scholer bringeth in stones and morter to build vp the confused heape of all impitie In the former clause was shewed that they vtterly cōdemne and mislike all Ordination and Election of Ministers with their Familie now if follweth to be handled what priuiledge and prerogatiue his Elders purchase vnto themselues by the admission they haue into that blynd societie HN. affirmeth very soberly as it séemeth that the Elders of his broode are illuminated and Godded with God or incorporated into god c. his scholer Theophilus laboureth to strengthen his Assertion with the testimony of Scripture to that ende by him wrested and wrongly alledged wherein seyng he cā not slippe the coller with me as erst he did in leauyng the former sentence now to outcountanaunce the truth with the impudencie of his forehead hee asketh What an errour is this if it were rightly seene vnto what errour do you aske truly an horrible palpable errour it is flat against the truth of the sacred scripture straungely saueryng of those dregges whiche you haue déeply dronke both at the hand of the Anabaptisticall Sinagogue and also of the Romish harlot sea of Antichrist But whereas you added a Caueat which is If it be rightly sene vnto I aunswere he that putteth on the Christall spectacles of Gods word and taketh in his hād the Lanthorne of holy write to looke diligently to your steppes shall straight trace out a théefe and a rebell agaynst the Lord. But first to procéede orderly let me aunswere your authorities and then in a word or two wil I set downe the horriblenes of that opinion You say The vine braunche is vined into the vine I finde no such wordes in the
that is to know to cary an instructiō in memory in memoria habere to Romēber or haue in remembraunce And to cary in vnderstanding intelligentia compraehendere to vnderstand from the which proprieties of speach if either HN. or Theophilus shall séeke to slip they shall straight declare how well they are ouersene in the tounges and common speach So that if vpon all these we shall gather this sentence The Familie must not know remember nor vnderstand the doctrine or instruction whiche the Eldest in the Familie deliuereth forth vnto them which Eldest sayth Theophilus is Christ him selfe and his holy worde How blasphemously and Papistically HN. and Theophilus do play the heretiques is manifest For what man is so blynd that he will not sée or so gracelesse that he will not confesse that The word of God must be knowne remembred and vnderstode of the simple if this be not Popery what is Popery And that First the simple ought to know Secondly vnderstand Thirdly remember these places quoted for proofe out of the Scripture shal be sufficient Furthermore HN. is contrary to his owne doctrine which he him selfe teacheth in his owne bookes whereas for his vsual Embleme he taketh 1. Exhort cap. 12. sent 10. b. this sentence or posie for his cōmon badge whereby his bookes are knowne frō others of his fellow Elders Take it to hart Which is according to the best translations Let thine hart hold fast my wordes Where it is ment that his wordes ought wholly and throughly to be knowne vnderstode and remembred contrary to his former doctrine in the place first alledged But to let passe these two former partes of contrarietie betwixt HN. and the written word of God secondly betwixt him selfe and his owne writynges if we diligently way and consider we shall assuredly finde that this thyrd clause concerning naturall reason and common experience it is as wholly agaynst HN. and impugneth his doctrine as truth is agaynst falsehode and light darknes And herein to vse the same example which the Scripture doth in like matter The wiseman doth very excellently commend the diligence of diuers men in their sundry occupations and seuerall handlabours As the Grauer in his Imagery the Smith at his anuill the Potter at his clay all these sayth the wiseman vse wisedome in their worke whiche they could not do vnlesse their common practise had taught them experience and vse makyng thē perfect they should by remembraunce renew the same from tyme to tyme which they before had learned And to vse yet more familiar example think you that it is lyke that when Vitels Maister instructed him in his Arte of Ioignerie was it not conuenient for him to instruct his Prentice Vitels often in those thynges whereby he might get his liuyng in time to come and was it not Vitels part to cary his maisters Arte and his instructions in his memory and vnderstandyng els if he had not remembred his maisters preceptes how should he hau◠compacted that great knowledge neither haue got the singular cōmendation for to be so skilfull a Ioyner as his Familie doth report of him that he is albeit for greater matters sake he hath lefte that his trade now professeth him selfe a teacher in that his Louely Familie What Schoolemaster vnto his Scholers would so oftē take paynes to inculcate and repeate the selfe same principles with great labour vnto the one and vnpleasauntnes vnto the other if he thought it not expedient that it should be of him remembred And blessed Esay saith Precept must be vpon precept and line vpon line here a litle and there a litle to the end that by often iteratyng the same thyng it might the better be remēbred But séekyng to conuince HN. by the ineuitable and most certaine rule of reason why doe I alledge Scripture seyng that the excellent Philosophers Themistocles Simonides Carneades Sceptius Metrodorus are singularly praysed in prophane writers for the worthy remembraunce which they had in Philosophy and other Sciences and shal we thinke that seyng by the kéepyng of Gods commaundements there is great reward ought we not to remember those thynges for the remēbraunce wherof we shal receaue a reward or how shal we kéepe them if we do not remember them True it is that is wisely remembred by a Heathē Oratour Memoria non modo Philosophiam sed omnē vitae vsum omnesque Artes vna maxime continet Remembraūce doth not onely conteine Philosophy but also the whole practise of mans lyfe yea she alone comprehendeth all other Artes and Sciences whatsoeuer But what should I oppose the iudgement of the wise agaynst him that is witles and the Scriptures diuine testimonies agaynst a prophane and godles Atheiste Whose scope iustly iūpeth with the Romanistes in this to forbyd a particular knowledge in matters of saluation and to teach that if men beleue as the Church beleueth they can not do amisse In the confutation wherof seing that by these thréefold testimonies I haue throughly conuinced HN. his Assertion for this 8. Article and all the partes therof let this be sufficient ARTICLE 9. HN. Of Reuelations FOr vnto the Elders and Fathers God hath reueled his word in this day of loue Publishyng of the peace cap. 1. sent 12. 6. The Lord hath reueled the true beyng vnto me out of Sion and Ierusalem Esay 2. a. Mich. 4. a. 2. Pet. 1. b. HN. sayth the mistery of the kingdome of god Math. 25. d. Actes 16.17 d. Iude. 1. b. his righteous iudgementes and the commyng of Christ now in the last time in the resurrection of the dead Ezech. 37. b. Iohn 5. e. Rom. 8. b. Phil. 3. b. is declared vnto him as vnto an elect vessell house or dwellyng of God from the mouth of God himselfe HN. sayth hee will declare the secret mysteries of God and make relation of thynges that are hidden from the beginnyng of the world William Wilkinson VNto many it may séeme straunge and scarse credible vnto some that there should lyue a people vpon the earth whiche not holdyng them selues content with the written word of God would adde vnto it some tricke of their own deuising which although they agréed as euill as a new péece of clothe vnto an old garment yet fayne would they their toyes were pewefellowes with the sacred truth of God not onely to match but some tymes to geue a checkemate vnto the same Yet vnto him that equally considereth all things with an vnpartiall eye it is easely to be sene that it was not onely the practise of the Popishe Prelacie so to outface the simplicity of the Scripture partly with the bringyng their blynd and vnsauery traditions partly with the burthenyng of the church with the intollerable yoke of their vnwritten verities but the dealyng of the Anabaptistes and Libertines and all other like Heretiques hath agréed in this accord that when the touchstone would not serue and a naked truth would not so much hide
handled more at large And though that those which know not Theophilus bringing vp may by vnséemely and vnciuile speach thinke it to haue ben very rude in that at the first stoppe he breatheth out into this homely phrase that is vntrue and ye vtterly shame your selfe yet being somewhat acquainted and hauing as his phrase is an experimentall knowledge of his modestie I toke him better then he meaneth not measuring him by his owne elwand For I wot well it alwayes will be truth that the ould Oratour sayth to his frend Qui semel vericundiae fines transiliuerit c. He that once hath raunged without the listes of honestye he without all hoe must néedes be impudent To proue that I haue vnderstode amisse and falsified HN. his meaning in my places which I haue set downe Theophilus referreth me to the Lamentable complaint to the same sect which I quoted before thinking belike the if I looked againe I should finde it otherwise in the section 6.7 The words that I misliked in that place are these Euen as partely that same is well knowen and become manifest vnto vs of certaine namely of those which are the auncientest in the scripturlearnednes or principallest in the Ceremonye seruice which haue made vp themselues agaynst the truth of Gods testimonies and his promises agaynst the holy spirite of Christ and agaynst the Loue c. This place whome HN. in playne wordes auoucheth that the Auncientest that is the Bishops and reuerend Fathers and preachers of the word in the Scripture learnednes the principallest in the Ceremonye seruice c. is that wherewith I charged him The same is more euidently also to be sene 1. Exhor cap. 15. sentence 8. and 10. c. which is a slaunderous and a blasphemous section which because it is tedious I refraine to set downe verbatim after HN. his copie And Chapt. 16. sent 3. For certaine take in hand vse out of the imagination of the knowledge whereon they set their hartes at peace false God seruices which they notwithstandyng institute or bryng in for true God seruices Religions Lawes and Commaundementes of God and plant the same knowledge into the people as though they ought of right to be obedient thereunto And sent 14. Dare any man teach or set forth any thyng through the imagination of the knowledge whether he then haue taken on the same out of the learnednesse of the Scriptures or out of his good thinking wisedome as a word or Commaundement of the Lord or yet to institute any seruices out of the letter of the Scripture accordyng to his good thinking and so to plucke or make subiect the hartes of men to dissention thereunder c. sent 15. 16. By all the which places it is manifest what opinion he hath of the preachyng of Gods word that it is but an institute knowledge inuented by mans wit to the bredyng of discord dissētion then the which I say not what Papist what Atheist or Macheuile in the world could write or inuent any thyng more vngodly Besides this I am able to auouch by myne own experiēce that some with whō I haue conferred which haue affirmed that the Scripture is to hard for a simple mā and therfore the bookes of HN. do make a more easie passage and geue a readyer way to the vnderstandyng therof In somuch as when that the Elders haue perswaded any man to become their sectarie they haue for a tyme taken all the bookes of holy Scriptures from him and all other bookes altogether and geue him the bookes of HN. to meditate and be exercised in and this is that which HN. him selfe exhorteth them after this sort Glasse your beyng and minde in the glasse of righteousnes Iam. 1. c. and behold therein how many spottes and wrinkles there are yet in you Wherein he sheweth that he preferreth his booke which he termeth the Glasse of righteousnesse before the word of God in referryng them thereunto for to espy the spottes of sinne cleane contrary to the word of God which teacheth vs that the knowledge of sinne commeth by the law And this he doth not in this place alone but also almost at the end of euery Chapter in his Euang. This horrible treason agaynst God and his word as it would make any Christian hart to melt so is it not for the manifest impietie therof by many argumentes or places so much to be confuted as by the losse of the lyues of such gracelesse Atheistes to be chastised which the sooner shall stay if those to whom the Lord hath committed the care of his Church and gouernaunce of this commō wealth shal by some waight of seuere and sharpe lawes kéepe vnder so horrible impietie and blasphemy agaynst the sonne of god For herein is the infection more pestilent that the bookes of HN. beyng made of equall countenaunce with the word of God the writynges of HN. are receiued as a playne and easie truth the word of God either wholy abandoned and set aside or els read by the ouersight and allowance of their Elders who often tyme dust the beames of the truth by their vayne Allegories and idle Expositions But this is the iudgement of God which is iustly in great measure come vpon vs that whilest diuers of the ministers of the word haue not preached the word as the word of God and the people haue heard it as the word of man it is come to passe I say that our eyes are blynded least we should sée and our eares waxed deafe least we should heare our hartes are waxed dull least we should beleue and so the secret though iust punishment of hardnes of hart is come vpon vs so that thereby euery day we are nearer hell then other For what wickednes can be compared with this or what blasphemie hath the world euer bene witnes of the like that the fonde nature of our flesh as a swift streame hath caryed vs to the depth of such impietie that we should loade and burthen the blessed word of the eternall God with such intemperate and graceles tauntes as to doubt whether the truth be the truth or no. Well I say no more but he that is filthy let him be filthy still And that Argument which S. Paule thinketh to be of such weight to proue his preachyng to haue bene the vndoubted truth of God the same would I vse to perswade all such as wauer in the truth therof Proue your selues whether ye are in the fayth examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be cast awayes c. Wherein S. Paule appealeth vnto their owne consciēce to approue the certaintie of his doctrine truth of his Apostleshyp Right so say I vnto the Familie of Loue that whereas they affirme we teach nothyng but our owne good thinkyng I demaunde of them when they heare the word of God preached and their consciences shaken with the terrour thereof
if all their glory in their perfection wherof they rather boast in worde then in déede are partakers of if all the figge leaues which they haue so fondly sewed together be able to garde them that they quake and quiuer not when the Lord out of the mouth of his Ministers begynneth to menace them If they tremble at the preachyng of the word of God why then do they make accompt of it but as a vocall word outward sounde Why acknowledge they not that the workyng thereof is mighty that it pearceth like a two edged sword and entreth into the deuidyng of the soule and the spirite If they haue no féelyng of the word when it is preached vnto theÌ„ then is the Gospell therfore hid vnto them because the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of their myndes that the brightnes of the sonne of God should shine vnto them but in this world in some measure the darknes of the world to come is begon in them wherein is wéepyng and gnashyng of téeth beyng farther gone in this lyfe in their impietie then Foelix the prophane Deputie of Iudaea which when he heard S. Paule preach of righteousnesse and temperaunce and the iudgementes of the world to come hee trembled and was affrayde Which tremblyng and quakyng of him which was an vnchristianed Heathen man shall condemne the lose hearyng of Gods word in them whiche count them selues Christians and yet performe nothyng worthy of the seruauntes of Christ Wel let vs learne hereafter to heare Gods word with a more hungry and thirsty soule to liue and dye thereafter and as many as rue vpon the state of the poore seduced soules made droncken with the dregges of this so fond a Familie let them desire God that as many amoÌ„g them as are appointed to be of Gods flocke may leaue to wander in the wearynes of their owne soules and laying the law of God to their hartes may by the candle of his truth sée from whence they are fallen and so at the last returne backe agayne to the Archshepheard and Byshop of their soules Amen HN. THey say the freedome which commeth by the preachyng of the Gospell there is not a more wickeder falser nor an absurder seducynger arroganter horribler agaynst God and his vpright seruice nor yet damagefuller nor destructionabler to the children of men then this c. Which freedome also he termeth a spirituall pride Apoc. 17. a. 18. a. 21. b. there is no such places that hath any such word as he doth alledge them for a presumption a great blasphemyng of God. Theophilus NOt so But that which is taken on presumptuously out of the learnednes of the letter or out of the imagination of the knowledge by the vnrenewed man for a word or coÌ„maundement of God to a breedyng of dissention and captiuatyng of mens hartes vnto mens good thinking or imagination is the worst or falsest fredome as true it is c. and blaze your selfe therein William Wilkinson HN. As in the former part of this Article very vngraciously hath reproched the Gospell by termyng it a ceremonie seruice inuented by man and a seruice of the letter So in the second part of the same Article he and his lewde Scholler Theophilus lay diuers accusations agaynst the same prouyng that it is not the true light which we preach neither the Gospell of the Lord first because it bringeth forth a most false absurde seducyng and arrogant fredome horrible agaynst God and his vpright seruice bringing daunger and destruction vnto the children of men Vnto the which Theophilus addeth a reason of his maister HN. his Assertion that therfore it is false c. because that we beyng vnrenewed or vnregenerate out of the learnednes of the letter and imagination of our owne knowledge take it vpon vs because it bréedeth dissention and captiuatyng of mens hartes vnto mens good thinking therfore also is it the falsest fredome or libertie and I must blase my selfe therein videl to be a false Libertine or Fréeman These be the chiefest notes of the second part of this 11. Article The first crime wherewith HN. chargeth the ministry of the Gospel is that it engendreth a false freedome or libertie The which his accusation albeit it is slauÌ„derous and Godles yet had it bene more glorious in the sight of men if in the approuing therof as he otherwhiles doth so in the confirmation also he had pretended some cloke of Scripture that thereby also his meanyng might the playnlier haue bene vnderstode But seyng that neither in 14. or 15. sentences he citeth no proofe for any such matters let vs examine his wordes to sée if his bare word be sufficieÌ„t with proofe to be our warrant that his saying is true The string that he harpeth on is the same that all heretiques and schismatiques haue ben busie withall therby to draw by a plausible doctrine many Disciples after them videl libertie fréedome c. And least HN. should séeme as grosse as his brethren the impure Anabaptistes in protestyng to the world an open and carnall libertie by a cunnyng conueighauÌ„ce he couereth the same shewyng vs in two dishes one meat and onely telleth vs that they be twayne because he sauceth and setteth them forth after a diuers fashion The liberty which he broacheth he defineth after this sort when through the ministration of the gracious word vnder the obedience of the loue man forgoeth or vnbindeth all taken on knowledge with the purging of hart spirite mynd is purged or purified from all wicked nature Rom. 6. c. 8. a. whiche hath reigned ouer hym that there dwell nothyng in man but the true Godhead with his Louely beyng of the vpright loue this he termeth a definition the which he darkneth with many varying diffuse termes but how like a deffinition it is beyng a hotch potch without forme or matter to him that knoweth what a deffinition is may easely be discâ—â—â—ed The partes whereof HN. his definition principally doth consist are in number 2. In the first he requireth an vnbyndyng and forgoyng or as in an other place more fitly he termeth it an vnlearnyng of all knowledge The which clause of this definition is flatly a Papisticall dotage which teacheth Ignoraunce is the mother of deuotion already coÌ„futed in this booke 8. Article The second part of his definition videl a purging of the spirite from all wicked nature is also playne Anabaptisticall which dreameth that it is possible in this life to come to that perfection that meÌ„ should not sinne whiche also our Familie mightly do maintaine by their open letters to M. Rogers in the quarell they moue against his display The last clause which doth after a sorte expounde this purging of the spirite c. conteineth this palpable absurditie that the true Godhead doth dwell in vs. Which was the hereticall fantasie of the Manichies wherof I haue spoken somewhat before of the which his
definition sith already euery part is confuted it shal in this place spare me a further labour In the definition as he termeth it there are cōtained diuers out-roades extrauagant varying of phrases altogether repugnyng vnto Arte which willeth that euery deffinition be as brief and playne as possible may be yet is HN. his definition so compacted together as if the one part of it stode at Collen and the other at Amsterdam but herein rather pitie we his folly then enuy his learning and dexteritie in formyng a fit definition But seyng we haue founde fault with HN. his definition of the vpright fredome let vs sée if there may a more playne and pithy definition be drawne then erst he hath set downe Christian libertie is the forgiuenesse of sinnes Psal. 32.1 a Rom. 4.8 Purchased by the death of Christ Rom. 4.25 d. Ephes 1.7 b. Preached vnto vs by the Gospell Ioh. 8.32.2 Tim. 1.10 c. sealed by the vse of the word Actes 13.26 d. Rom. 1.16 b. and Sacramentes Rom. 4.11 1. Cor. 11.26 The which definition I reale to amplifie or to prosecute the partes therof because the testimonies of the holy Scriptures shal be my sufficient warrant in that behalf The second crime that HN. burtheneth our Ministry withall is that those that preach are vnregenerate vnrenewed which that it hindreth not the truth of doctrine in that it is taught by a wicked person is apparaunt by the testimonie of our Sauiour who biddeth the Disciples and the people obey the doctrine of the Scribes and pharisies which sit in Moses chaire but do not after their lyfe which he would not haue done if the Pharisies euill lyfe had made voyde the truth of their doctrine But this is touched more in the 5. Article where it is impugned by HN. that a man lewde in lyfe can not speake the truth in doctrine The thyrd crime of preachyng out of the learnednes of the letter we shall haue a fitter place to touch it afterward in the next Article The fourth crime which HN obiecteth is coalewortes more then tenne times sodden and yet being refused by vs eftsone is in the next seruice set downe For how often doth he in his wofull exhortation still heate vpon this a ceremonie seruice that maintayneth dissention and agayne which stretcheth no further but to the breding of schisme partialitye and sedition among the people quoting Math. 24. a. 5. ve and b. 24. v. Where Christ sayth Many false Christes shall arise and deceiue many HN. expoundeth it of those which professe religion without his loathsom and schismaticall Familye and in the same place he quoteth 1. Cor. 3. a. 3. Iam. 3. b. which conteineth a discription of the intemperancie of the tongue being abused he vilanously doth aply it to those preachers which reuerētly handle the pure word of God without his hereticall secresie and frentique conuenticle and in the same 15. Chap. of HN The simple and vnlighted people Ierem. 23. c. d. Ezech. 13. b. ver 8.9.10 c. become therewith seduced and beguiled Math. 24. c. 2. Tim. 3.4 2. Pet. 2. a. Iude. 1. b. still HN. applieth those places to the preachers of Gods worde which are ment of him and such lyke bedlem heretiques as he is as also captiued with many diuises and sectes the which knowledge of the worde that the same preachers haue HN. termeth in the same blasphemous and schismaticall chap. Variaunce renting or diuision bringing forth discordable disputations about vnprofitable argumentes Rom. 1. d. Galla. 5. c. 1. Tim. 6. a. Titus 3. a. Iam. 3. b. then the which what can be vttered with more malice or set abroach with more cancred hatred and yet will HN. néedes be counted the Father of the Familye that in it hath nothing but loue and méeke mindednes The which accusation of his as it is most pestilent and full fraught with an hart wholy resolued to raile and backbite vnder the cloake of calmenes so is it a thing that continually hath ben obiected agaynst the Church to infring the trueth thereof after this sort There are in such and such particuler Churches disagreementes in some pointes of doctrine varietye of iudgemētes ergo there is no truth in those Churches This I say is an ould Argument framed first by heretiques vsed by the Papistes as an Iron flayle and now againe furbushed and being new fethered is shotte againe cleane besides the white and the butt also For the auncient Fathers hauing it often obiected to them frier Hosias and the graceles runnagate Staphilus and M. Harding himselfe hath often turned this stone which so is fastened by the Father of blessed remembraunce the Byshop of Salisburye that if all the Famblers of Loue and heretiques in the world shall set their shoulders vnto it therewith to ouerwhelme the truth they neuer shall be able so much as once to stir it and yet if they should they must take héede that in the rembling therof they crush not all their bones in sunder to their vtter confusion But that this gappe may finally be stopped that hereafter HN. neuer with his fellow hereticks breake in to disturbe the peace of Sion let it be remembred that is written Gen. 13.7 b. 27.11 Luke 22.24 c. Actes 15.39 f. 1. Cor. 1.11 b. Gal. 2.11 c. that alwayes in the Church of God there hath ben iarres aswell in maners as also in religion And thus much brieflye for this second part of HN. his doctrine of the dignitye of the word and the opinion of the truth thereof As for Theophilus who frendly geueth me counsell to blaze my selfe in the former definition of a Libertine I doe him to know that such libertye as is to be claymed by mercye and imputation of the death of Christ that libertie from sinne I loke for and none other and this is that which in my poore iudgment all the children of God doe loke for Rom. 8.20.21 both in this lyfe as also in the lyfe to come As for his Rhetoricall terme of blazing and Blazonrie I wish him to spare it tell he come in place where he may haue occasion to vse it for vnto me if he be that party whome some that wishe well to the Familye report to me that he is he should not haue needed to haue shadowed him selfe by a terme of heraultrie but if I were disposed to blase his coate perhaps if I should say that he were like to be that E. R. which ouershot himselfe in his Epistle to I. R. I might so dissipher his personage that the vizard of Theophilus should not be sufficient to saue him that he be not knowne by blushing but it is good for him to kéepe him to that which he is called and rather to learne the principles of the Catechisme and the first groundes of Gods feare then to busie bimselfe in that which he hath no skill of to the hurt of the Church the offence of the weake and endamaging of
be reduced into these two partes the first conteineth his aunswere to the 22. Articles of the Libertines where after his manner he is very eloquent in heaping vp phrases to what end he wotteth best if it be to describe a Libertine he did very vnwisely in that for breuityes sake he referred vs not to the 1. Epistle of the Fami written to M. Rogers pag. 73. b. lin 15. where very artificially he defineth a Libertine in few wordes after this sort He that knoweth not the doctrine of HN. is a fre one or Libertine thus if he had done in few wordes theÌ„ should his wit and his wordes haue ben equal wheras now running the furthest way about it may be verified of him that was sayd in the lyke case of a person not far vnlyke Theophilus satis loquentiae sapieÌ„tiae parum many wordes but small wisedome And thus much with the notes in the margeÌ„t vnto the first part of his diuisioÌ„ Theophi first reason to approue that the doctrine of HN. is a true doctrine is taken from the effect thus The effect is good Therefore the efficient in the which argumeÌ„t drawne from that profe it is failed when that is put for the effect which is not the effect as thus The knowledge of the scripture is cause of heresie Ergo it is not good that scripture should be knowne Agayne The reading the histories of Lots incest and drunkennes of Lia and Rachell the wiues of Iacob of Iudas and Thamar c. be euell examples and yet to be read in the olde Testament Ergo to read in the ould Testament is vnlawfull for hurting of honestye This Argument is false from the effect for it putteth the reading of the Scripture to be the cause of whoredome whereas that is not such a cause as Staphilus dreameth of so that herein then ye sée the fault of this Argument wherein it ceasseth to be so strong as HN. would haue it Theophilus reasoneth thus the effect of the doctrine of the Familie is good therfore the doctrine it selfe To this I aunswere that Theophilus supposeth that whereas diuers liue honestly in the Familie that is brought to passe by HN. his doctrine that is to be denyed for whereas they now liue and honest vpright and Christian life this they learned of the preachyng of the Gospell before euer they were infected with HN. his heresie so that thereby they rather bewtifie it then are bewtified by it And for proofe hereof it is manifestly apparaunt that the younger nouices meÌ„ be in HN. his hereticall doctrine the honester they are in life and conuersation but when they leaue once their singlemyndednes and grow vp to the manly oldnes in the Loue and come as they thinke nearer to the perfection of the vpright beyng then the wicked spirite beginneth to Lord ouer them and sinne to haue a liuyng and dayly shape in them So that the déeper they wade in this mighty streame of the louely ministration the nearer they come to the hiest pitch of being altogether Godded with the nature of their new fouÌ„d Idoll which in stede of the true God they haue set vp vnto them the greater rule and sway doth the wicked nature of sinne beare in them And why so truly because that in their childish yongnes of the loue the worde of the Lord is of some credite with them So that thereby they are bridled from sinnyng but when they shall leaue that candle and light vpon false lightes as the perfect do when they come toward this perfectnesse then their lyues are euery day more vngodly then other That this is true in HN. his Dictatis or Documentall sentences is manifest where he sayth As long as the beleuers of the word are yet young or childish in the procreation of the seede of the promise that becoÌ„meth borne in them out of the belief of the world And are not yet groweÌ„ vp to the Elderdome of the perfect beyng Ephes 4. b. of the word which is the appointed tyme of the father ouer all beleuers of the world so stand they yet although they beleue vnder the ordinauÌ„ce of the Lord or his word not therfore that they should alwayes remaine as subiect there vnder But vnto the appointed tyme to wit till vnto the manly old age in the godly vnderstandyng of the holy word as there is sayd that is till that the Sinnes be subdued c. The which wordes of HN. as they haue bene the roote of all Anabaptistrie and Libertinisme For that these sectaries haue boasted they could not sinne in their perfection and therfore néeded neither the word nor the Sacramentes so doe they playnly confirme thâ—â— whereunto I haue alledged them videl So long men liue vpright as the doctrine of HN. is not knowen vnto them and that HN. his Elders are more corrupt in lyfe then the simplest in the Familie Secondly it is offended in this Argument because it is drawne from the second table of the CoÌ„maundements vnto the first that he liueth honestly before men therfore he is good in ReligioÌ„ before God. Whereas the reason should be cleane otherwise froÌ„ the first table vnto the second this is an vsuall maner in Scripture wherby the holy Ghost laboureth to discry an hypocrite In Esay the holy Ghost reasoneth thus Ye seeke me dayly and will know my wayes eueÌ„ as a nation that did righteously and had not forsaken the statutes of their God they aske of me ordinaunces of iustice they will draw neare vnto their God saying wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Thus they reason as the Familie do we fast c. Ergo we are Religious and godly men but God turneth the Argument cleane otherwise thus Ye are oppressours vers 34. ye are vnmercyfull to the poore vers 7. ye are oppressours vers 3.4 ye are vnmercyfull to the poore vers 7. ye are extortioners and ingraters vers 6. Therfore are not honest men in Religion neither feare God aright The selfe same reason is vsed by S. Iames to reproue the dispersed Iewes which boasted of their vpright ReligioÌ„ they are proued to be hipocrites and dissemblers before God from the same table as before You refrayne your toungues but deceiue your owne hartes therfore your Religion is in vayne And agayne Ye visite not the fatherles and widowes in aduersitie Therfore your ReligioÌ„ is not pure and vndefiled before God. And thus still we sée that the Familie reasoneth not aright for that they frame their Argument amisse as also doth Theophilus in this place But this is not Theophilus reasoÌ„ in this place alone but in the Brief rehearsall the same is likewise vsed as an inuincible Argument to proue the professed Religion by the Familie is the truth where he likewise argueth thus The voyce of the countrey where we dwell approueth we are honest before
meÌ„ Ergo our Religion is good before God. Where if the voyce of the countrey did iustifie them for honest men as farre as they know them by trading with them so farre I will confesse with them that I know some few of them to be of an honest life yet this proueth not the doctrine of HN. which they professe to be true for that I know that some honest men of them in lyfe haue confessed vnto me diuers heresies in Religion Agayne it is extreme follie to be iudged by those simple men amongest whom they liue that are truly religious for that some of those whom they desire to haue their Iudges haue no skill in those pointes that the Familie are charged with all so that in vayne it were to bryng these men beyng blynd in this case to iudge of coullors not being expert in the knowledge of the Scriptures whiche is the light whereby these coullors must be sene By this then we vnderstand that the Familie is not so learned in vsing so vnlearned a reason as they beare men in hand they are for that hereby they deceiue the simple in makyng their liues before men to be Argumentes to proue their Religion to be true For that in Scripture the Pharisies liued very vprightly before men vsing many glorious ceremonies as washyng of cuppes and beds c. and yet Christ called them hypocrites and sayd often woe be vnto them Many false Prophetes shall come in sheepes clothing sayth Christ and they are rauenyng Wolues within Staphilus a Papist handleth this Argument at large in his Apollogie where he also confuteth this Argument of HN. and his Familiers 1. the doctrine may be good sayth he and yet the lyfe euill Math. 23. and many in the Romish Church liue not Catholiquely For they lead their liues clene contrary and repugnant to their owne Canons and Constitâ—â—â—â—â—s sayth he 2. the doctrine may be euill and the lyfe good Math. 7. beware of false Prophetes Yea heretiques are of great vertue in apparaunce as he proueth by sondry examples So that sayth Staphilus the lyfe both must be iudged to be true by the doctrine as also the doctrine by the lyfe both must agrée together therfore it is not inough vnlesse both trée and frute be good And our Sauiour sayth that his workes therfore ought to be beleued because the doctrine the lyfe in him went ioyntly together And to this purpose very fitly sayth he out of S. Augustin The Argument that proueth mens doctrine by their lyfe is false Thus in the iudgement of the Families best frendes the Papistes whom they magnifie so much this their Argument is not true Furthermore as it is vnreasonable to finde fault with good séede because it is sowed by an euill husbandman so is not therfore euill séede the better to be liked of because that a good husbandman shall haue euill seruauntes that sowe it Very aptly therfore sayth Origen concernyng this matter In myne opinion sayth he an Heretique of good lyfe is much more hurtfull and hath more authoritie in his wordes then he that doth discredit his doctrine with his lyfe therfore must we take heede of heretiques which seeme to be of godly conuersation God graunt all his children may be ruled by the ghostly counsell of this godly and learned father To all the which that hetherto hath ben sayd coÌ„cerning this matter if the Famblers will obiect that euery man doth defend and maintayne that he lyketh best and that here I shew my selfe a proctour of sinne as oftentimes they obiect to this I aunswere that this obiection is HN. and Anabaptisticall neuerthelesse I lyke not to smother sinnes or to boulster vp impietye in any person whatsoeuer albeit this accusatioÌ„ in some part be true that many which professe theÌ„selues to be Gospellers can talke gloriously of religion and regeneration have â—â—â—e list to lyue thereafter abusing the pretence of the Gospell as a stalking horse to leuell at others by therefore I counsaile that no man be accompted an honest man in religion what countenaunce soeuer he would beare vnlesse he in lyfe expresse that in outward dealings which his tongue so often runneth of so that to walke after not to talke of the Gospell doth make a Protestant and a gospeller otherwise when God shall in iudgement plucke of our Lyons skinnes we shall be openly séene who we are to our owne shame and confusion Neither are the Papistes to boast that the gospellers is but a schisme from the Romish Church for otherwise it would yeald other fruites I aunswere that no land albeit sowen with neuer so good wheat bringeth out onely wheat but sometymes wéedes also And as for the Church of Antechrist the Romish harlot I meane Staphilus in his Apologie shall tell her tale and M. Harding which defendeth her open whoredome and commen stewes shall beare him witnes that though some gospellers sinne yet many Papistes sinck in impietye and thus much for Theop. first reason Vnto Theop. secoÌ„d reason conteining a request concerning an vpright arbiter in this matter as it is very equal vz. That his doctrine and the heresie of HN. be tried by the rule of Scripture so do I in this behalfe thereto most willingly consent and agrée wherein also I haue as I am able satisfied his request wholy herein aunswering him as S. Augustine in the lyke case aunswered Donatus a man in doctrine not vnlike to Theophilus Whether they hould the truth or no let them shew me none otherwise but by the canonical books of holy scripture And good reason it is that euery maÌ„ be heard by him to whome hâ— dâ—â—h make his appeale seing therfore he hath appeald to the Scripture to the Scripture shall he go Wherin also I promes him very trulye that I am rather desirous of the defending the truth then to contend with him in â—â—â—ugning his errour In the confirmation wherof if he shall deale soundly and set downe chapter and verse for his profe I will as fully satisfie him as I am able being euer ready to performe either priuately or openly that which in priuate letters I long since did offer him wherein also if at any tyme or in any matter I shall by him be thought not rightly to haue conceaued his meaning if by any meanes I shall haue intelligence thereof and if he shall vouchsafe to deale by any reasonable profe I offer my selfe to doe nothing out of euill will being as ready to confesse mine ouersightes as he shall be able to conuince me of them onely mine earnest desire out of harty loue is if hee meane to deale heareafter with me any further that he keepe him to the true gramaticall sence of scripture expounding the same according to the proportion of fayth this if he doe I shall be hartely glad otherwise if he doe in quoting scripture for the phrase and in Allegorizing the text depraue the sence thereof
I promise him lykewise that hereafter I will not further medle with him or his for I like not to spend good leasure wherof I haue not such plenty that in speaking in the ayre I both may mispend my tyme and abuse the reader with emptines The last and least reason whereby Theoph. would proue that no man ought to deale agaynst the Fam. is taken from the counsell of Gamaliell in the Actes of the Apostles This reason is as it were by common consent receiued and alledged by all those that are any thing at all sene in the Fam. euer in their mouthes if it be of God it will stand c. The which reason the Anabaptistes vsed very often and is by a learned expositor termed a reason not fit for any man of wisedome First concerning Gamaliels wordes that they are not alwayes to be taken for a law it is manifest neither are they a right rule or conteine a generall doctrine how at all tymes false teachers are to be delt withall neither were the holy Apostles false teachers as Theophilus comparison doth afford but he onely vpon that present occasion because of that imminent perill that hangeth ouer the heads of the Appostles at that instant vttered that speach as a worldly wise and politique man to stay the fury of the priestes and set frée the Apostles in so great a daunger Wherefore he that shall stretch Gamaliels wordes further then he ment them and of one priuate politique action by and by publish a principle in Diuinitye and thereupon ground a generall doctrine without an especiall precept to the warrant thereof shall of the lyke examples in the scriptures gather many and marueilous inconueniences Concerning the doctrine of the first table if this example were generall by this gapp many heretickes would stirre coles in the Church and in the second tables many theues harlots and godles persons would swarue to the vtter ouerthrow of the common weale The first will not haue any man compelled to religigion therefore much lesse to be put death for the same The second is a plausible doctrine to fill the world full of theues and harlots to the confirmation whereof no honest man will once breath to the confutation euery man both by the law of nature and much more by the written word of God is bound to agrée with all possible resistaunce if he meane to kéepe a good consciēce towards God or maintayne the dutye of Charitye towardes his neighbour But because the oportunitye and the instance of this place doth séeme to enforce a word or two concerning this question by sound and straunge reasons out of holy Scripturres I will approue that a Christian magistrate both may and ought to punnish by death and otherwise those that are heretiques agaynst the fayth and blasphemers against religion 1 The Manachies Donatistes and ould Heretiques were of the opinion that all heretiques ought fréely and without punnishment professe what they listed and not be compelled to fayth but they might embrace what religion best they lyked without controulement whome S. Augustine in many places confuted shewing that a magistrate might lawfully compell heretiques to the fayth and sharpely punnish false teachers for broaching of their opinions And therefore speaking to the heretiques he sayth very well Recte faciunt imperatores Catholici qui eos cogūt ad vnitatem the Catholique Emperours doe very well when they compel heretiques to come to vnitye The first reason is taken from S. Paule who reasoneth Reason 1 from the end of the institution of the magistrate That he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the minister of God to take vengeaunce on him that doth euill Séeing then heretiques and false teachers doe euill in blaspheming the holy name of Christ after the which we are named in making a schisme amongest the people in disturbing the commē quietnes of the land wherein they liue and the state of priuate men also therefore it is not to be doubted but they may and ought to be punnished of him not onely in their wealth and goodes but in their bodyes with the losse of lyfe also Secondly God by manifest precept and commaundement Reason 2 hath prescribed how heretiques ought to be dealt withall for when they stirre vp tumultes amōg the people and drawe them from the doctrine deliuered out of the word of God which teacheth that we should haue but one God one fayth one Baptisme c. And séeing I say there be perticuler preceptes of this matter and God in his word hath commaunded that they should be slayne It can not neither is it to be thought that God hath commaunded that he hath not allowed of heretiques Therfore lawfullye may by the commaundement of God be put to death by the ciuill Magistrate Reason 3 Thirdly the Lord hath not left this vnto vs by precept onely or as a thing indifferent in the pleasure of the magistrate to chuse whether he will punnish them by death or no but he hath also hedged in this his law by example that whosoeuer shall transgresse in this behalfe shall be guiltye of a heinous transgression The man that gathered stickes on the Saboth day was slayne Godly kinges by their example haue approued the same by their continuall practise Asa put downe his owne mother from her estate because she made an Idole in a groue and he destroyed her Idols and burnt them by the brooke Kidron Iosias put downe the Chemerims he defiled Tophet he brake downe the Images and put downe the alters sacrificing the priestes of the hye places vpon them Iehoiada destroyed Baals temple brake his altar and his Images and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars Elias put to death all Baals prophets and would not let one of them escape Iehue put all Baals priestes to death Neither was this onely in the tyme of the law of Moses but after Christes assention when there was not a Christian Magistrate S. Paule made Elimas blinde S. Peter slew Ananias and Saphira because they lyed agaynst the holy ghost Lastly in the tyme of Christian Emperours namely Constantine Gratiā Valentinian Theodosius Archadius Honorius Valentinus and Martianus And many others which by waight of lawes did forbid all wicked sectes and factions contrarye to the word of god And therefore did they commaunde to all their Liuetenants Proconsuls and Presidents in all their Empires that Idolatrye should be forbiddē the temples of Idols should be shut that they should not be permitted to sacrifice in them that all the heretiques as the Manichies the Donatistes the Arians Apollinaristes and Euchians with their doctrine should not be suffered their Churches should be spared and their conuenticles forbidden That their heretical bookes should be openly burned that those which fostered them or receiued them to house should be greeuously punished and the heretiques themselues should be depriued of honours goods
beginning the Libertines bouldly reiected the scriptures they tauntingly scoffing at either of the Apostles sought to weaken their credite that thereby they might the more magnifie their owne authoritye they termed S. Paule a broken vessell S. Peter a forswearer of his Maister S. Iohn a sely young man S. Mathew an vsurer neither were they ashamed to blaspheme them openly But afterwardes when the Libertines perceiued that all men abhorred them for those their vncomely speaches they deuised more slyly and iustly to behaue themselues and saying then that they reiected no scripture they did writh it into allegories and wrested it into wonderfull straunge interpretations In the ordering of their discples they folow altogether the Manichies neither come they commonly abroad that they may the better be knowen nor tell any man what they thinke but kéepe them lōg in doubt by farre fetched circūstaunces they winde in them whome they desire to make their disciples neither doe they tell the watchworde of their mighty assemblies to any man before they perceiue they haue so bewitched him that they may easely perswade them whatsoeuer they list Their secrets they open onely vnto those which first are sworne vnto them the chiefe Rabbies doe alwayes kéepe backe some especial pointes of their doctrine wherby they may the better maintaine the opinion that their hangbyes haue of them Quintinus the Archlibertine and other of his fellowes of botchers were made doctors and so chaunged their calling the reason was they faine would liue daintely and idlely neither thought they that they were fit to labour The Libertines bookes were written in such a lofty stile that hardly they could be vnderstode One of the chefest pointes of their doctrine was that they ought to vse a certaine crafty kinde of dissembling coūterfeiting that they may easely deceiue the simple They think they may lawfully runne to Idol seruice They are not content with the simple sence of the Scripture but they writh it vnto Allegories neither will they kéepe them to the letter for they say the letler killeth They affirmed that euery one of the children of God are Christes and Quintinus the chiefe heretique being asked how he did aunswered how can Christ doe amisse They say that regeneration is the restoring of the estate wherein Adam was placed before his fall They make an Allego of the history of Adam Gen. 3. Adams innocencie say they is nothing els but this not to be able to iudge betwene black and white ▪ Yf they sée any mā stroock with a feare of Gods iudgement oh hast thou yet say they a tast of the Apple They surely hold these 3. principles the first there is no Arte in the world which they do not allow of although God haue condemned it in his word as for example They thinke that the Popish priesthode is good Quintinus being at the Masse of a certaine Cardinall affirmed that he saw the glory of God there Secondly they affirme that the abuses and corruptiōs wherewith the world is infected is no harme Thirdly they affirmed that all mans inclinatiō whēcsoeuer it come be it from corrupt nature or euil custome is it is euery mans calling The bookes which M. Caluin sawe of the Libertines 1. AN instruction and wholesome admonition how we should liue in this world and be patient in aduersitye 2. The Glasse of Christians ¶ Out of M. Zuinglius agaynst the Catabaptistes THe Catabaptistes cry God the truth the word the light the spirit holynes c. not onely mighty but if hypocrisie were not worthy and excellent were their speaches In what vice soeuer they are takē be it adulterie māslaughter theft c. they aunswere I haue not sinned for I am not any more in the flesh but in the spirite I am dead vnto the flesh and the flesh vnto me Those that take part with the Gospell they rayle worse on them then on the Papistes They spread abroad their bookes in the hāds of their disciples boasting euery where that they could so cōfute Zuinglius that they would make him haue neuer a word to say Their Captaines beyng franticke and brainesick men complained to the Ministers that they could not lyue among the wicked and therfore would they separate thēselues frō the Church because that in their cōmon assēbly and Church there were many that were openly wicked They rayled vpō the Baptisme of infants sayd that it is a great abhominatiō come frō the deuill the Pope They say they will proue their doctrine by sheddyng their bloud whē as they cā not proue it by the scriptures They rayled on the Ministers and sayd that the Ministers hated them because they founde fault with their euill lyfe They sayd no man was Gods child but they which fulfilled the law and wrought righteousnes They boasted much of the spirite when they had no Scripture and vnder the pretence of the spirite they wrought much filthynes They prophecied domes day should be on the Ascention day two yeares after They held fréewill They reiect the authoritie of the old Testament They bragge of the certainety of knowledge in doctrine without the word and say We are thus certified from God. They say there is no Sacrament of the Lordes Supper without their congregation Those which are not of their sect are abhominable before God neither can they doe any thyng that is not abbomination They must in this lyfe depart from all euill and those that be vngodly for proofe they quote Apo. ¶ They make three sectes videl Romanistes Papistes Protestauntes halfe Papistes Anabaptistes perfect Christians When they haue drawne any mā vnto their sect they straitly charge him not to come at the table with him that is not of their faction neither at the Sermons of any man that is an enemy to their sect They boast perfection They haue aunsweres reueiled vnto them All that are not of their owne sect they say that they are infidels They say that the dead sléepe both in soule and body till the day of Iudgement They affirme that both the deuil and the wicked shal be saued They deny that Christ is Gods sonne by nature ¶ Out of Zuinglius THe reason wherefore gentle Reader I haue out of these thrée excellent learned men gathered the particular opinions of these heretiques was not that I thinke the Familie of Loue to be culpable in all those pointes which I haue set down although I dare auouch the most of these errours out of HN. his writynges and other the letters writynges of the Familie but this especially moued me that when any either of the ministry which know not neither haue read and also the simple which are acquainted by conference with the opinions of the Familie may hereby hereafter haue some light and skil both of the short propositiōs by me gathered