speake sharply to them but consider the causes thereof They haue bene and are the greatest enemies of righteousnes that euer were faining a God and a Christ according to their owne fleshly hearts and haue more peruerted the straight way of the Lord then euer did any and therefore we hauing Christ and his Apostles for our example herein wee trust none will condemne vs but those that are touched for if any be offended at this our Discouery it is testimony sufficient what they are wee mention the names of none least they should haue colour to say we persecute them The wicked and hypocriticall Scribes and Pharises for whom was reserued the damnation of Hell Elimas the Sorcerer Mat. 23.33 Iannes and Iambres Hymeneus Philetus and all the rest whose fearefull iudgements are written are not so wicked in their blasphemies as these are as shall plainely appeare and therefore let all pronounce against them the iudgements that are written that others may heare and feare and doe no more such wickednes It is meerly for want of loue of the Truth that men are giuen vp to such fearefull delusions from which that we may be deliuered let vs follow the Truth and that in loue which truth is contained in the holy Scriptures and not in the Dreames of H.N. or any other Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes the Father hath spoken by his Son Iesus Christ who was faithfull as Moses Heb. 3.2 Act. 3.22 Mat. 17.5 Act. 3.23 Gal. 1.8 Moses sends vs to him The Father sends vs to him And hee that will not heare this Prophet shall be destroyed And cursed shall he be that teacheth otherwise then hee hath taught by himselfe his Apostles And his Name shall be taken out of the booke of Life that taketh from it Reuel 22.18.19 and the plagues which are writen shal be added to him that addeth to the wordes of this Sonne of God All which the Lords mouth hath spoken Thus haue we taken this paines for the sake of those that are ignorant of these things to the and that they seeing the Pit may be warned and saued from falling into it which God for his Christs sake Grant to euery soule Amen 〈…〉 A DISCOVERIE OF THE FAMILY OF LOVE THE wisedome of GOD not only forewarneth plentifully in the Scriptures To take heed of false Prophets Math. 7.15 and deceiuers in that many are gone out into the world 1. Ioh. 4.1 but also teacheth to make their madnes manifest to all men 2. Tim. 3.9 that their deceits and craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceiue being made known all may be preserued from their snare and bee able to denounce against them the Iudgements which are written Psal 149.9 Our Sauiour telleth vs that after the shortning of those dreadfull dayes of the abhomination of Desolation men shall say Loe heere is Christ loe there is Christ but beleeue them not Math. 24.22 c. goe not thither neither follow them And if any shall say he is in a Desert or in a secret place Goe not forth beleeue it not For as the Lightning commeth out of the East and is seene vnto the West so shall the comming of the Sonne of man bee euen that bright Comming spoken of 2. Thes 2.8 For the consuming of that man of Sinne. Where plainely wee are taught that the way of the Lord IESVS in the Gospell is plaine and manifest Esa 42.16 For he will leade the Blinde by the way that they knew not and will make darknes Light before them and crooked thinges straight and the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne Esa 30.26 and the light of the Sunne shall be 7. fold and as the light of 7. Dayes in the day that the Lord will binde vp the breach of his people and heale the stroake of their wound and thither must men goe that will finde Christ indeed For all his wayes are plaine to him that will vnderstand Pro. 8.9 and straight to them that would finde knowledge Pro. 14.6 and his Wisdome is easie to him that will vnderstand But where obscurity and darknesse is a people of a darke speach that thou canst not perceiue and of a stammering tongue that thou canst not vnderstand thither must wee not goe nor such must we not follow Pro. 5.5 c For the pathes of a strange woman are moueable thou canst not know them keepe thy way farre from her and come not neare the doore of her house for her feete goe downe to Death and her steps take holde on Hell shee waigheth not the way of Life This were sufficient if there were no more to diswade all that will not wilfully perish from harkening vnto beleeuing or following those most obscure intricate and tedious deceipts of that people followers of that oldest Elder or ancient deceiuer Henry Nicholas who tearme themselues the family of Loue whose execrable blasphemies are broached so obscurely both by words and writings as hath been alwayes obserued by those that haue had to do with them that the depth of Sathan in them is of many not easily discerned Most true it is they haue much more poysoned this Kingdome in former times then of late yeares at which times diuers discoueries and confutations hath beene made but seeing now they spring afresh and that they haue destroyed the Faith of certain neare deare vnto vs as also that they haue challenged some of vs with great boasts and brags to combat with them and haue in Writing vnder their hands testified that we walke in so many euils the particulars whereof are hereafter named and answered that none fearing God may haue any fellowship with vs. In consideration of all which and to testifie our vnfained detestation of their profession as also to cleare our selues of their vniust accusations we trust no indifferent person will judge of vs otherwise thē wel for thus publickly dealing with them Therfore in the feare of God with reuerence of his Sacred mysteries with vnfained humiliation of our vnworthines with loue to Gods truth and a harty detestatiō of that which is euil we will proceed only to deale in such things as we haue by the now Family or their fauorites beene prouoked vnto And first of their Christ That they holde another Christ then the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a Ransome for all men not onely H. N. hath published but also the present Family in England doe with stifnes iustifie H. N. and the Familyes Christ First H.N. their oldest Elder or rather their God as shall plainly appeare hath thus written This same true light is the Annoynted with the Holy Ghost Euang. Reg. Cap. 13. sect 2. which annoynted in Hebrew is named Messias and in Greeke Christus he was also in times past called of certain Rabbins among the Iewes H. N. Christ the perfection the Lord his Saboth And they say that the same Annoynted is
mysterie so cloaked that few perceiue it Why should it be strange to any Godly man 2. Cor. 11.14 that seeing the Deuill transformeth himselfe into an Angell of Light and that so doe his ministers and perceiuing that by falshood onely he cannot continue his hellish courses of deceiuings that he should suffer many or diuers truthes to passe that vnder them he might colour all his falshood neuer false Prophet of whom we read of in the Scriptures but they had some truths mixed with their falshoods to make them more passable but let Gods people be wise to try them that say make such great shew that they are Prophets and are not but doe lye and let them declare vnto them that their end shall be according to their worke Vers 15. And whosoeuer will not receiue the loue of the truth by those meanes that God hath appointed but will goe to enquire for God and his Truth at the mouth of false Prophets because of some truth they teach It is iust with the Lord 2. Thes 2.51.12 to giue such vp to strong delusions that they may beleeue their lyes and be damned And again none can heare or receiue any truth from them but therein they heare and receiue the Deuill by whose power they teach as before is proued Besides they must also swallow vp all their falshood and be silent when they heare the Lord Iesus in his holy Truthes blasphemed Thus it is apparant neither hearing nor any other Spirituall action may be performed with the Body in which the heart and affections is not present contrary to this execrable and hypocriticall Doctrine of the Familists Hauing now clearely refelled all the obiections of the hatefull courses of these Baalamites and Nicholaitans of prostrating the body at any Worship although it be the Gentiles that sacrifice to Deuils not to God or any other that although in words they professe God yet in workes they deny him We may now proceed to other of their taxations of vs. Fourthly yee submit not to Christs ministery namely those which liue and teach according to Gods word and the Booke of Cōmon prayer IN answering of which First let it be obserued who they account Christs Ministers concerning which thus they speake To bee called of God is to be raised vp to the worke of the Ministery replenished with guifts necessary thereunto and to goe out vnder that outward forme which God in that age wherein hee liueth hath ordamed viz. That outward forme which the Magistrate appointeth in Turkie Rome or elsewhere So that with these Elimasses they are called of God to the worke of the Ministery that haue ability to Preach and goe out vnder the outward forme of Turkie Rome c. Which to submit vnto or haue fellowship with in any of their Spirituall seruices so much as in hearing them to receiue any Spirituall good from them or any other lying Prophets that runne and God sends them not is vtterly forbidden as plentifully hath beene proued But the Ministery of Christ which is appointed in his perfect Testament to wit the Ministery of Pastors and Deacons Phil. 1.1 1. Tim. 3. c. we doe submit vnto with all reuerence in all things according to the word of God And for their mentioning the Booke of Common Prayer this is but to colour their hypocrisre that they might haue respect with authority for they might aswell haue mentioned the Romish mass-Masse-booke or the Turkish Alchoran as it For they affirme that all Religions are lawfull if Authority commaund them Seruant of M.P. in his natural wise man 2. Booke sect 14. In these wordes Euen so because of Gods peace yee shall submit your selues vnto all manner of Religion set vp by Lawes wherein there is a pretence of Godlinesse for all sortes of people cannot attaine vnto the true God seruice at the first Therefore yee shall not onely obey all Religions not dispising the Turkes because of their vnbeliefe but also yee shall submit your selues vnto all Lawes and Authority of the Prince from time to time like obedient peaceable people Considering we are not appointed of God as Law-makers and wee must be no Law-breakers but Lawkeepers for if we breake the Law and dye therefore are we not guilty of our owne Blood yes verily Againe thus There are many vanityes vsed in the world The same in 2. Reformation sect 10. and it is both needfull and necessary for vs sometimes to vse our selues after their manner to liue in peace with them c. Fiftly yee deny the Distinct degrees of Christs Ministery Answ YEe lyers are of your Father the Deuill wee acknowledge the distinct degrees of Christs Ministery as before but we deny the degrees of the Ministery of Mahomet and the Anti-christ Rome-and all other that are not heard of in Christs Testament Sixtly some of you take in hand Ministeriall workes whereas not any one of you is called of God thereunto Answ VVHat it is to be called of God with these Familists we haue formerly shewed to wit to be raised vp to be guifted and to haue that outward forme of calling which the Magistrates in Turkie or else where ordaineth Wee acknowledge that whosoeuer doth take in hand any Ministeriall worke and is not raised vp of God thereunto and replenished with necessary guiftes to the same they doe most fearefully transgresse Our Consciences are cleare herein that none can iustly taxe vs but for going out vnder that outward forme the Familists speake of we doe detest it as the Deuill whose reuelation it is vnto H. N. and his cursed followers The true Ministers of the Gospell are not Ministers of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ Gal. 1.1 neither by his immediate voyce from Heauen or by that way which he hath ordained in his Testament * 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. and other outward formes for any Minister of Christ know we none Seauenthly some of you take in hand to Prophesie whereas yee are all without the testimony of Iesus Answ THat wee are all without the testimony of H. Ns Iesus or Sauiour which is the estate of perfection in the louely being or vpright righteousnes as he calleth his Doctrine vnto which onely his illuminate Elders doe attaine which he calleth Iesus Christ as before is proued we freely acknowledge and doe much loath and detest that deuillish fiction but the testimony of the true Iesus Christ God ouer all and true man like vs in all thinges excepting sinne we blesse his Name we haue and purpose to holde fast vnto the Death of which besides what heere we haue said we are ready to render a reason to any that shall require it Eightly yee are totally ignorant of the 6. Principles Heb. 6. Answ VVEE freely confesse if H. Ns. knowledge of the 6. Principles Heb. 6. be true we are totally ignorant of them Therefore we will in short set downe from their owne mouthes and Pens what they vnderstand of diuers
peruert Heb. 6. and other holy Scriptures to their owne destruction Hauing now discouered some of H. Ns. principles The summe of the true Faith wee will in short set downe our Faith concerning these 6. Principles Heb. 6. First of Repentance from dead workes we doe beleeue that euery transgression of any Law of God is sinne 1. Ioh. 3.4 Rom. 6.23 and the wages of euery sinne is Death and so a dead worke That no man by reason of weake Flesh can keepe the Law Rom. 8.3 and therefore by transgression becommeth dead in Sinne Ephe. 2.1.3 and so by weake Nature the Childe of wrath For the Law causeth wrath Rom. 4.15 for where no Law is there is no transgression but the power of Gods word contained in the holy Scriptures 1. Cor. 15.34 Ephes 5.14 and not the Reuelations or Dreames of H.N. nor any others awaking man and setting his sinnes in order before him and the fearefull terror of Gods wrath against him Act. 2.37 16.30 Act. 2.38 3.19 causeth man to be pricked in his heart and to cry out what shall wee doe to be saued To which God answereth Repent of thy sinnes confesse them sorrow for them and reforme them But man seeing by the same holy Scripture that this his repentance or any other thing that he can doe cannot appease Gods wrath nor satisfie his Iustice for his sinne he is inuited hereupon to flye vnto Gods Grace by the Redemptiō purchased through the blood of his Sonne who is God ouer all and tooke our Nature vpon him and became Man Dyed for vs and is risen againe in his Body ascended into Heauen sitting at the right hand of his Father making intercession for his seruants euen for all that obey him Heb. 5.9 through whom alone wee haue Redemption euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes 2. Thus by Faith in the Blood of Christ is this Sinner sprinckled in his heart from an euill Conscience Heb. 10.22 and must also be washed in his Body with pure water 3. This is the Baptisme that saueth not onely the washing away the filth of the Flesh but in that a good Conscience maketh request vnto God 1. Pet. 3.21 by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Yet not onely the good Conscience is Baptisme but also washing with materiall water into the Name of the Father c. For to enter into the Kingdome of Heauen which is the estate of Grace or true Christianity in this life called the Kingdome of Heauen Ioh. 3.5 Ephes 4.5 Wee must haue Water and Spirit Christ hath coupled them together as his one Baptisme and let no man seperate them 4. By laying on of handes wee conceiue is meant the whole ministery of the Church which consisteth of those Offices mentioned in Christs Testament All which are to be entred into by laying on of hands as these Scriptures teach * Act. 6.6 13.3 For other laying on of hands by which extraordinary guiftes were communicated vnto men wee vnderstand they were myracles giuen of God in the primitiue Church for the confirmation of the Apostles authority who taught thinges that neuer before were taught Heb. 2.5 which that they might be credited they did such thinges as neuer men did And if any Familist can doe Myracles as did th Apostles thē might they haue had some colour to write and bring into the world new Gospels as they are not ashamed to doe 5. Concerning the Resurrection from the Dead We beleeue that our soules shall be seperated from our bodies by naturall Death That the Body returnes to earth whence it came and the Spirit to God that gaue it Eccles 12.7 1. Cor. 15. vntill the day that Iesus Christ shall come againe to Iudge quicke and dead Then shall our Bodies rise againe euen these bodies Ioh. 19.25 c. and with these eyes shall wee see our Redeemer Lastly we doe beleeue and looke for to our great reioycing the blessed appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ to that Eternall iudgement wherein hee shall Iudge both quicke and dead according to their works done in this Flesh 2 Cor. 5.10 whether they be good or euill Reuel 20.12 to an Eternall being to wit Them that by continuance in wel-doing seeke glory and Immortality Rō 2.7 c. 1. Thes 4.17 Rom. 2.8 they shall come to Eternall Life where they shall bee euer with the Lord. But those that are contentious and disobey the Truth and obeyes vnrighteousnes haue done euill and haue not repented thereof They shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation Ioh. 5.29 indignation and wrath shall bee vpon them burning in the Lake for euermore with the Deuill and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Now let all Iudge whether wee be totally ignorant of the 6. Principles Heb. 6. as these accusers doe suggest or rather that themselues are not only ignorant of them for if they were their sinne were the lesse but they deny them and that after their enlightning The 9. transgression they accuse vs of is Ninthly you will not bee reformed by the Light which God hath manifested in these latter times and whereof much is in the Booke of Common Prayer and in the Homilies and in the Booke of Ordering of Bishops Priests and Deacons Answ VVEE hauing asked some of them what Light this is that in these latter times God hath manifested for we conceiue God neuer spake nor euer will after his speaking by his Sonne in these last dayes who by himselfe and his Apostles hath deliuered all the Counsell of God sealing it vp with these sentences If wee or an Angell from Heauen teach any otherwise then we haue Preached Gal. 1.8 9. let him bee accursed And if any adde to what they haue done Reuel 22.18.19 God will adde the plagues written by them or if any take away any of those their wordes God will take away their names out of the Booke of Life we say we hauing asked them concerning these thinges they haue answered vs God hath spoken to the world at three seuerall times First by Moses and the Fathers 2. By Christ and the Apostles And thirdly by an euerlasting Gospell in these last dayes alledging Reuel 14. Which what Gospell should it bee but the Gospell of the Kingdome which H. N. hath published to the world in which many of his poysoned Doctrines is broached concerning which hee hath giuen himselfe a stately stile farre exceeding the Apostles in all their writings full of blasphemies which is this H. N. through the Grace and mercy of God Euang. Peg. Cap. 1. and through the holy Spirit of the loue of Iesu Christ raised vp by the highest God from the Death according to the prouidence of God and his Promises annoynted with the Holy Ghost in the olde age of the holy vnderstanding of Iesu Christ Godded with God in the Spirit of his loue made heyre with Christ in the heauenly goods of