are sayd to be of that Fam shall most assuredly affirme my assertion to be true For diuers of theÌ„ haue priuely whispered abroad in the eares of the simple as also with some men of wealth who theÌ„selues haue tould it me and are ready to testifie the thing it selfe to be true that they of the Familye haue disuaded and dehorted some not to put their sonnes to schole or vniuersitye for that simple wrighting and reading say they is sufficient for a Christian without any further knowledge of the Latine or Greeke tongues or any other facultye of learning whatsoeuer So that by this meanes they seeke to discredit learning to deface the learned and to strengthen ignoraunce to be the hye way vnto true deuotion and to aduaunce the glory of God which is flat Poperye so that thereby they labour to put out the eyes of this land the Vniuersityes I meane the vtilitye whereof as it is vnspeakeable for that froÌ„ them come the most skilfull stearesmen to gouerne both the state ecclesiasticall and ciuill in this land so also is the antiquitie of such kinde of discipline and good nurture of youth most auntient and in sondrye places of Scripture commended and confirmed by the worde of God and so hauing troden vnderfote this most precious orchards of the Lord they might not onely runne vncontrouled but also bring the commen wealth vnto that estate that the Anabaptistes brought the frée Cityes of Germany vnto in the tyme of their seditious tumult and vnfaythfull rebellion But for a playner and euidenter profe I desire thée geÌ„tle reader But thée especially which art haplesly gratious with that graceles company to marke diligently thou shalt sée it to be true the very few of the Fami or none at all be furtherers of learning or fauorers of learned men much lesse doe they traine vp their children in the knowledge of the liberall sciences either in the commen scholes of this realme or in the vniuersities to the robbing both of Gods Church the common wealth of many a toward wit being also vtterly vnthankfull to the florishing state and peaceable gouernement of this noble realme wherein they might vse all meanes possible to further and promote the glorye of Ged and also discharge some part of the debt wherein they are bound to the countrye wherein they were bred and brought vp Furthermore it is to be vnderstode that if this first steine of the 8. Article concerning the renouncing of knowledge by the disciples of the Familye be thus to be expounded that no man ought to seeke neither can attaine vnto any knowledge but onely those which be spirituallye minded and regenerated standing wholye subiect vnto their Familye of Loue which is taught by the bookes of HN. then doth the Familye accuse all the churches in England the perticuler congregations of the faythfull I meane yea the generall and visible Church in EnglaÌ„d to be vnrenued in spirite and vnregenerate for that the visible and generall Church of England neither hath nor now doth allow the sect and schisme of the Fami of vnregeneration For that they affirme they know nothing before they new birth quoting for profe Iohn 3. a. Except ye be borne agayne of water and the holy ghost ye cannot enter into the kingdome of God. Thus couertly they affirme that there is no truth taught in the Church of England which is the second Article wherewith I charge HN. in this boke pag. 23. he auoucheth here to be true and that we haue nothing but a literall not hauing yet attained vnto the experimentall knowledge wherof he dreameth So that first they acknowledge no truth without their Fami secondly he that is not regenerate can not speake the trueth c Herein then was HN. much ouerséene that whilest he would faine haue his sect to be some singuler thing he put no difference at all betwixt the knowledge of the learned and the blindnes of the ignoraunt but either of them alike which came to be made frée of his sect and incorporated into his Fami and had a longing to be instructed by him must equally cast of and renounce all their learning and knowledge whatsoeuer albeit they had studied sore and swet not a little for it before they could obtaine it So that betwixt the well practised and expert man in the holy word and those which be simple and playne men which neuer hard if there were any such thing as men vse to call learning there is no great difference but all is one wherein a man of meane witte may easely perceiue that at the fist entring into HN. his schole HN. maketh all his schollers to be a lyke and equall towardnes placing theÌ„ all in one fourme to learne one lesson wherein it had ben well if for his credit sake he had vsed a further forecast and more sober discretion The reason and Argument wherby HN. would fayne perswade vs that we should know and vnderstand more then we do if we would suspect our knowledge and confesse it to be lesse and that beyng wholly naked of our owne skill whiche we haue learned out of the word of God we might be warmely clad with his excéeding learnyng and so stand single myndedly obedient vnto his documentable Sentences it is the same Sillogisme and seducyng fallations wherewith the Deuill beyng a subtill Sophister beguiled and blynded our graundmother Eue in Paradise That is if he would forgoe that measure of knowledge which God had bestowed vpoÌ„ her and if she would be indued with a more excellent knowledge of good and euill she might easely attayne thereunto by eatyng the forbidden fruite and breakyng the expresse commaundement which she confessed she had receaued from the mouth of God. This then is the iudgemeÌ„t of HN. that we should abiure recant all such knowledge of the word of God as we haue already learned out of the word take vnto vs such glosing ExpositioÌ„s as he would teach vs So that we should be alwayes learning but neuer attainyng vnto the truth contrary to the doctrine of S. Peter which sayth That we haue a most sure word of the Prophetes to the whiche if ye shall take heede ye shall doe well And S. Paule sayth we must not bee as children waueryng and caryed about with euery winde of doctrine nor as cloudes caryed about of wyndes nor as vnstable mynded men whiche are vnconstant in all their wayes but we should be grounded and rooted in the truth holdyng the mistery of fayth in a pure conscience knowyng that if the Heathen writer onely indued with the light which God gaue him naturally without the knowledge of his word could say Cognita iudicio constant incognita casu That is that which we know to be true it is vndoubtedly to be embraced but thynges vnknowne proue true but vpon aduenture therfore ought we not to forgoe the one to finde the other for if we waâ—e indifferent whether we kept
day of Iudgement was at hand Cap. 2. Of free brethren oâ— groâ—â—â— and impure Anabaptistes 1. They had as they theÌ„ selues affirmed fleshly knowledge either of other 2. They sayd Christ made them frée from all lawes 3. They might haue no landes nor pay tithes or obedience or subiection to any man. 4. They had communitie of all thinges Cap. 4. Of Libertine Anabaptistes 1. They grauÌ„ted that othes Magistracie and Baptisme might indifferently be vsed or not be vsed 2. They passed not for Scripture for say they we are all taught of God. 3. They sayd Sacramentes were néedeles for the fayth full hauyng the thyng signified vz. the holy Ghost néeded not the outward signe of water 4. They sayd it was frée for them in persecution either to confesse or dissemble their Religion 5. They sayd it is sufficieÌ„t for them to kéepe their harts cleane although they do cleane coÌ„trary in their déedes 6. No man say they ought to put him selfe in dauÌ„ger for his fayth for God is not pleasured by any maÌ„s death neither wil he haue any man leaue his wife childreÌ„ 7. For their quietnes sake they say they may coÌ„forme them selues to the Religion of any people among whom they lyue And of this iudgemeÌ„t said M. Bulling was the beast Dauid George and this is the most pestilent sect of all others Cap. 6. Of the sect of the Hutties They thought they were the Israelites bodely They had terrible dreames and visions They saw in their dreames that domes day was at hand therfore spent their goodes rioteously In continuaunce of tyme when all was wasted they professed wâ—â—full pouertie Cap. 7. Of the sect of the Augustines of Augustine a Bohemian THey sayd that heauen is was and shal be shut vntill the day of Iudgement They thought that neither the good were in heauen nor the wicked in hell vntill the day of Iudgement but they were put in seuerall places which places are vnto vs vnknowne Cap. 8. Of the Anabaptistes of Munster 1. THey inueyed agaynst all excellencie wealth and honour 2. They despised and spake agaynst the Magistrate 3. They despised the world and worldly thynges 4. Their talke was wholy of the mortifying of the old maÌ„ Cap. 13. Melchior HoffmaÌ„ an Archheretique and an Anabaptist and his sectaries affirmed 1. THat the Baptisme of infantes was of the deuill 2. That Christ tooke not flesh of the virgin Mary 3. That our saluation is of our selues 4. That there is no hope of pardon for those which fall away after they haue receiued the grace of God. Cap. 14. Of the heresie of Dauid George 1. DAuid George affirmed that all the doctrine giueÌ„ vs from godly Moses Christ and the Prophets and Apostles is vnperfect vnprofitable to saluation but sayd that his heresie is perfectly profitable vnto lyfe euerlastyng 2. Dauid George sayth he is Christ and the Messias the beloued sonne of God borne not of the flesh but of the spirite 3. Dauid George sayd he will restore the house or Israell and the tribe of Leuie 4. Dauid George sayth it is he that must forgeue sinnes 4. Libertines 1. THey sayd God made the sinne of Cain and Iudas 2. They denyed the Resurrection and sayd it was spirituall 3. They sayd the deuils all the wicked should be saued 4. They sayd the old Testament is abrogate 3. Booke 1. Chap. THe Anabaptistes withdraw themselues from their Churches and Ministers cap. 2. your Ministers line not well say the Anabaptistes therefore your Church is not the true Church The Anabaptistes in ioyning to the Churches where the Gospell hath with much labour bene preached there they stirre vp tumultes They say the Ministers are not rightly called Chap. 6. Anabaptistes reasons why they refuse to come to Church 1 THe Ministers refuse and depart from Christes doctrine 2 No man ought to be compelled to fayth 3 Ye resist euill and Moyses sword should not defend doctrine but Christes 4 Your Ministers liue not as they teach Ergo their doctrine is vntrue 4. Booke 3. Chapter THe Anabaptistes say we may fulfill the law They affirme they are not heard as they ought to be vz. openly and as the law requireth and Nichodemus Reason 1 counsaileth and yet not one of theÌ„ dare once professe their doctrine openly They quoted much scripture Wée ought not say they be compelled to Religion Reason 2 It is not lawfull to defeÌ„d Religion by the ciuill sword Reason 3 For Christ sayd resist not euill The preachers rayled on them and delt vncharitably Reason 4 with them yet were they the most scoffers of all others No man say they ought to be put to death for ReligioÌ„ Reason 5 but be excommunicated onely for excommunication is the last punishment of the holy Ghost They rayled on the Lordes supper and sayd it was Reason 6 no sacrament they sayd they might not companye with any but of their owne sect other they sayd are wicked They affirmed none ought to be baptized but they Reason 7 which are of age which can professe their fayth and yet for profe hereof they quote no scripture Yf any of the Gospellers lyue godly they call him an Anabaptist The reprochfull tauntes of the Anabaptistes Lutherans Fol. 254. False and carnall Gospellers 255. errors and vnskilfulnes of preachers 256. Succeders of the Pharesies 256. Hipocrites blind guides Fooles blind serpents Generations of vipers 257. fellowes of theues whome Dauid maketh mention of Psal. 50. They say we hate theÌ„ because they would lyue without sinne They say we may kéepe the law to the profe whereof they abuse much scripture The preachers say the Anabaptistes would haue vs professe openly because they would haue the Magistrate persecute vs. FINIS ex Bullingero Out of Caluin agaynst the Anabaptistes THey say that they ought not to receiue the Lordes Supper where there is no true excommunication They say they may not participate in the sacraments with any man whome they know to be wicked Catharistes Donatistes and Anabaptistes séeke a Church without spot The Anabaptistes say no man that is minister may haue a certayne charge alledging for profe the Apostles example Out of Caluin agaynst the Libertines THe sect of the Libertines is that sect which S. Peter and S. Iude foretould The whole speach of the Libertines is in such strauÌ„ge kinde of stile that those which heare them at the first doe wonder at them and so dealt Marcion in the hatching of his heresie The Libertines denied the resurrection The Libertines were deuided into orders of men The first sort were called blessed ones which wheÌ„ they vsed their office in purging their religion they were termed Puritanes Secondly there were ij kindes of their disciples the first they vnto whome they did reueale their misteries of their sect and them they termed Elected ones Others whome they a far of by little and litle made acquainted with their heresie they termed Hearers In the
founde whatsoeuer doth disquiet the buildyng vppe of Sion that we may keepe the spirit of vnitie in the bonde of peace and be but one folde vnder the shepheard Iesus Christ our Lord who blesse your Lordshyp with the fulnes of all spirituall blessinges to the honour of his name and profite of his Churche Amen Cambridge September 30. Anno. 1579. Your Lordshyps most humbly bounden William Wilkinson ¶ To the godly and Christian Reader Peace from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ THat which auncieÌ„t writers and learned men reporte to be the singular commendation and especiall prayse of a good Historiographer geÌ„tle Reader to coÌ„ceale nothyng of the truth for feare or to vtter any vntruth for for euill will neither yet to flatter or claw for fauour that same me thinkes is necessarily to be required of all those whiche take in hand to testifie of any matter whatsoeuer For els how should we possibly looke for truth of those men whose myndes are wedded to affections whose handes and pennes are let out for lucre and toungues let loose to testifie an vntruth who are wholy blinded with disdayne and beyng egged on with euill will haue set them selues to sale committyng whatsoeuer is vnhonest with vnsatiable greadines CoÌ„cernyng my selfe in simplicitie of hart I testifie and soleÌ„nely protest before the whole world calling God to witnesse whom I know to be a sharpe reuenger and seuere iudge agaynst those which abuse his blessed name to any vntruth agaynst myne owne soule if in this treatise I haue vttered ought for enuie or malice of those people against whose opinions my whole stile and writyng is especially directed I haue truely quoted rightly alledged and faythfully as I am hable reported whatsoeuer I haue either heard by word or read by writyng concernyng the errour of those men who terme themselues to be of the Familie of loue Whiche I haue the rather done beyng thereto required by that dutie that I owe vnto the Churche of Christ whiche is the felowshyp of the faythfull and societie of the Saintes of God â–ª as also beyng by a Christian Magistrate thereunto coÌ„maunded I could not chuse I say but I needes must testifie the truth of that whiche both I haue heard and sene which also I am ready at any tyme to auouch before any person beyng called thereunto either priuately or openly Wherein also I haue not sayd so much as I might truely and could iustly hauyng refrayned for their sakes especially which are my very frendes beyng somewhat ouertaken with the lime of that secte and are bewitched with the blyndnesse of those vnsauery opinions Concernyng my further knowledge in that Heresie I referre thee good reader vnto that which ensueth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse and further me with thy most feruent prayers as I hartly desire the promotion and furtheraunce of Gods true Religion the encrease of a true fayth in the feare of God the quietnesse of our English Church and the vtter ruine and abolishyng of all Papistry Atheisme and Hereticall sectes and Schismes whatsoeuer Cambridge Septemb. 30. Readyng certaine bookes of H.N. and conferring with certaine of that Louely Fam. I was by them requested to set downe vnto them in writyng for my further instruction those doubtes whiche either by meanes of the vnusualnesse of their Methode in writing the noueltie of their farre fetched phrases there wrong and wrested Allegories there Diuinitie not heard of or their rough â—ottyng stile I did not vnderstand I deliuered vnto them in the moneth of August 1578. those Articles which follow hereafter in this booke and desiryng earnestly to be fully satisfied in that behalfe I receiued the aunswere deliuered to the common carrier in London whiche beyng intercepted by my worshypfull frend came not into my handes vntill the third of Aprill last past Anno. 1579. The aunswere whiche I shall set downe if first I shall geue you to vnderstand what I can testifie concernyng them and their Fathers of their monstruous Hereticall opinions ¶ A brief view of the heresies and errours of HN. conteined and confuted in this treatise by pag. as herein they are to be found 1. Article HN. sayth we haue no Church 2. 2. Article HN. sayth we haue no truth 5. 3. Article HN. sayth we haue no Baptisme 11. 4. Article HN. sayth we haue no forgeuenes of sins 12. 5. Article HN. sayth we haue no Ministrie 13. 6. Article Of beyng vnited and Godded with God. 15. 7. Article What HN. sayth of him selfe and his extraordinary callyng Wherein is declared agaynst the Familie that first he was D. George his Scholer secondly he is one of the heretiques whereof Christ and his Apostles did foretell thirdly HN. agréeth with the old heretiques in sundry their heresies and opinions 20. 8. Article What is necessarily required in HN. his Disciple 34. 9. Article Of HN. his Reuelations 44. 10. Artic. Of shrift vsed in HN. his Familie 49. 11. Artic. HN. misliketh the Preachyng of the word and what he termeth it 51. 12. Artic. HN. his Iudgement of Preachers not admitted by his Familie 56. 13. Artic. HN. sayth it is lawfull for one of his Familie to dissemble 61. 14. Artic. HN. maketh God the Author of sinne and the sinner guiltes 63. 22. Articles of the Libertines 66. Theophilus Proofes confuted whereby he proueth HN. his doctrine is the truth 67. ¶ With a brief token how to know an Anabaptist gathered out of Zuinglius Bullinger and Caluin whiche declare the opinions and behauiour of Heretickes from tyme to tyme. ⧠A very brief and true description of the first springing vp of the Heresie termed The Familie of Loue which conteineth the places where and the parties by whom the sayd Heresie was broached WHoâ— as long tyme the singular mercy and leuitie of the Lorde in the happy dayes of good kyng Edward the vj. a Prince of blessed remembraunce was by the carnall profession of many and looâ—e lyfe of the greatest part abused in the end by Gods â—â—st scourge ouer England it came to passe which alwayes ensueth the contempt of so precious pearles that Amos long before Prophesied of the Epicures of Israell there followed a greuous famine not onely of bread for the comfortyng and susteinyng of the outward man but also the foode of the soule whereby our lyfe to Godward is prolonged was taken away And it was a very daungerous thyng to confesse Christ openly not onely for feare of Excommunication but for daunger of the losse of lyfe also And so farre had the Prince of darkenesse confirmed his kyngdome of ignoraunce in this worthy Iseland that the worshyppers which worshypped in spirite and truth durst not openly assemble themselues for feare of the TyraÌ„nous hatred of the Scribes and Pharisies the rest of the oiled broode of the Popishe Sinagogue They were compelled secretly to meete in priuate houses so fearefull a thyng was it for fleshe bloud to abyde the extreme fury of the Romish Baalamites which
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.
the houshold of Fayth permitting them what religion they will. But hereby ye thought to stretch your Familye from sea to sea and from one end of the world to another So that here you shewe what kindred acquaintaūce your Heresie hath with the Anabaptistes who affirme that for their quietnesse sake they may confirme them selues to any Religion of the people amongest whō they dwell How neare you and these mē iumpe I leaue to the discrete Reader to discerne M. Bullinger his censure on them is this Of this iudgement was that beast Dauid George sayth he and this sect is the most pestilent of all others Thus much sayth M. Bullinger who was acquainted with thē as hee him selfe testifieth I did put truth for true belief thinkyng them to be all one neither as yet haue ye shewed any difference betwixt them I haue looked on HN. his text sufficiently God geue you grace to looke better on the Testament and to come backe to the truth whence ye haue slydden and kéepe me in that which I doe and haue professed HN. THe true light hath not bene declared by any of them all that haue taken on set forth and taught before the same and without the same Familie of loue Heb. 9. b. 10. Theophilus YOu shuld do wel to alledge the text as it is and not your owne imagination which is that there is hath bene or can be any more thā one true light vz. Christ or the loue whiche presently is appeared to his chosen in the house of loue or of god For before and without the Church and his seruice there cā be no truth taught W. Wilkinson THat our blynde southsayer told vs there is not any truth to be foūd without his fond Familie although it hath by me bene handled in that part of this Article which immediately goeth before yet this learned Elder of this Louely Familie barketh and brauleth stil against vs and will not suffer playne and manifest truth to stop his mouth And although the place by me alledged out of HN. be verbatim and word for word as I alledged it yet will he not be satisfied but as it were facyng me out with a carde of x. he séeketh to ouerrunne me with his eloquēce sayth to blanke me withall that I haue mistaken and falsified the author But because he taketh me vp for an Imaginer of the text vouchsafe gentle and curteous Reader to way myne Imagination as he pleaseth to terme it The place by me rised out of the 1. Exhort of HN. Cap. 16. sent 9. fol. 42. is in the very first line thus Therefore the holy nor the most holy the true nor the most true light which the most highest hath presently in his most holy seruice vnder the obedience of the loue geuen vnto vs for to be declared forth hath not Heb. 9. b. 10. a. bene declared by any of thē all that haue taken on set forth and taught any thyng before this same or without this same our seruice of the loue Are not these my very wordes sauyng that for breuities sake I pretermitted your long and vnnecessary Parenthesis Haue I not delt truly with your houshold-father in that I truly and faythfully as from his owne mouth did report his wordes Am I not vniustly charged and falsely blamed for my Imagination in the text of so worthy an Author But seyng it is not expedient that I be myne owne iudge of myne innocencie I refer me to the sentence of the indifferēt Reader whom also I desire to be aduertised that he hath heard me take an Elder halting in his word whē as the fayth of their Familie HN. I meane in the booke by him intituled Dictata per HN. or documentable sentences sayth nothing can come from the true perfection but all humilitie and meeke vertues and righteousnes floweth from all perfection Now if to slaunder and misreport be a worke of righteousnesse and worthy of their perfection let them glory therein I had rather in that sort be vnperfect As for me and those that desire not hand ouer head to receiue all that comes from euery mā it is sufficient and shal be that if they lauish out any vntruth that I be pardoned for not sealyng vnto it before I way it in Gods ballance least it proue light and try it at the touchstone least it be counterfeite The places of Scripture by HN. quoted are very impertinent and absurdely alledged hauyng not any thrée wordes that sounde toward such a sense as he would father on them Theophilus THere hath not bene is ne can be any more thā one light which is presently appeared vnto his chosen in the house of loue or as HN. sayth our house of loue W. Wilkinson WHy then haue ye left the Churche into the which ye were Baptised why did ye promise ye would manfully fight vnder Christes banner and continue his faythfull souldiour and seruaunt to your liues end and now lyke a runnagate Apostata a cowardly souldiour or rather a traiterous Iudas ye betray his Saints to Sathā breake truce with the son of God into whose obedience ye were sworne Why do ye like children past grace insolently taunt and checke your mother and impudently tread vnder your féete the Lordes pearles as most filthy swine why come you not to the light that your workes may be sene how they are wrought in God what meane you to frame and imagine to your selfe a new Churche For whereas so oftē you affirme that you haue no church but ours no assemblies but ours why doth HN. terme it our Familie or seruice doth not this word our Familie note a particular secte or faction in the possession of a few Ye say very truely there can not bee any truth without the Churche If this be true then your doctrine is false for there is but one Lord one fayth one redeemer one spirite of sanctification one Abrahā the father of the faithful one Isaac one Iacob one body wherof we all are mēbers The Churche hath but one head and one body As for deridyng and scoffing Ismaell he shall be cast out with the bondmayd his mother prophane Esau shall haue no part in the Lordes inheritaunce neither your Schismaticall Familie vnles ye repent hartely for that which is past They Iewes cryed the Temple of the Lord yet were they a stiffenecked peopel you cry the schoole of grace the mercy seate the Familie of the Lord and yet all is but hypocrisie For the Iewes had an externall tabernacle instituted of god Therfore they might boast better thā you You haue coined and inuented a Schisme yet very cōfidently you affirme your conuēticle is the Church without the which is no truth to be looked for An Addition of HN. vnto the 2. Article NO mā sayth HN. how wise soeuer he be in the knowledge of the Scriptures can by any meane vnderstand or comprehend the wisedome of God but onely they
our first creation wherein first we were created vnto holynes of lyfe c. to be heauenly affected to sauour spirituall and goastly thinges that belong vnto the soule Briefely I say M. Peter Mart. whos 's great iudgement I know how much the learned esteame we are one spirite with god when we are ioyned vnto him by the operation of his spirite and the inward working of the holy Ghost Yet doth not this vniting of vs with God availe vs so far that we thereby should be equall with him onely Iesus Christ the sonne of God according to the deuine nature is so vnited with God that he is one in spirite with his father and wholely equall with him wherein we of right and worthely are far vnequal inferior vnto him And thus much out of him concerning the meaning of this place of S. Paule whome ye wrest to approue your errour and yet in the iudgement of the best interpretours your blinde exposition and forced minde of that place is cleane ouerthrowne and confuted for we are sayth he farre inferiour vnto God and our vniting vnto him is that in the preaching of the word and ministration of sacramentes he stoupeth and lispeth with vs that we may vnderstand him Now concerning that last place by you alledged out of S. Peter which is this we are made partakers of the heauenly nature therefore say you your Elders are illuminated from God Godded with god c. Truely yf ye had read any learned wrighter vpon this place or if ye had but waighed with your selfe the purpose of S. Peter in that place comparing the place you cited with that which goeth before and that which euen in the next wordes follow after I trust ye would haue bin better aduised before ye had wrested the place so violently to the purpose that ye haue applied it For in the very wordes following doth he expound his owne meaning in this sort To be made partaker of the deuine nature is nothing els but to flee the corruption which is in the world through lust which S. Paule calleth oftentimes in his Epistles to be dead to sinne and not to be in the flesh and agayne let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodyes that ye should obey the lust of it but euen as the Lord is holye so must we be holy for we are the temples of the holy Ghost and the Lord God through Christ doth dwell within vs. But let me demaund this one question of you to the which if ye will directly aunswere ye shall sée all this controuersie betwixt vs about this place of S. Peter sone discussed tell me but this What is the nature of God which we are partakers of is it not his euerlasting trueth his righteousnes his wisedome c. Is it not peace of soule ioy of conscience and all goodnes which cannot be imagined is not he thē which is made partaker of these good graces of God both in body and soule rightly sayd to be made partaker of the heauenly nature yes verely Then may ye very playnely sée and easely discerne that by these wordes the nature of God We are not sayd to be partakers of his substance or essence but of the deuine and heauenly qualityes which are in god Of this place read Caluins institutions 3. boke I know in déede the heathen Poet Aratus out of whome S. Paule doth alledge a verse in the Actes of the Apostles fayneth that we spring out of the generation of god But what haue we to stand to his fond fantasie and idle dreame True it is the Manicheis held the same errour that we were sprong of the same ofspring and séede of God and after we haue run the race of our lyfe we shall returne to our fist original And I know that in the former times of our fore fathers there were some frantick men which imagined that Gods nature is so powred into vs that it wholy causeth our nature being to lose the force thereof Right so dreameth your Fam. and as they quoted for profe God must be all in all Therfore are we wholy resolued and turned into the nature of god To the selfe same purpose haue ye as fondly as they alledged in this place this text out of Saint Peter but right so may it be affirmed of you which is sayd of them such a dotage as this neuer once entred into the minds of the Apostles Foolish therefore and vngodly are they whosoeuer they be which out of this place imagine that the essentiall nature or being of God is poured into vs our owne being there vtterly vanishing away And thus much for the meaning of these wordes of S. Peter We are made partakers of the heauenly nature And for a further exposition hereof reade the Byshop of Salisburyes reply agaynst harding pag. 331. 5. Article 7. diuision Now to satisfy your questions which ye aske of me What errour is this yf it were rightly sene vnto I aunswere Looke you rightly vnto it and ye shall see it is the errour of Manes of Seruetus a Spanish Arrian burnt at Geneua the errour of Osiander concerning the essentiall and substantiall iustice more largely expounded by HN. in his Euangelie 1. chapter and first sentence From the which heresie good Lord deliuer vs The which opiniōs because I feare they will more hurt the simple people by repeating then doe you good in confuting of purpose I let them passe reseruing you for a more fuller and perfect instruction to M. Caluins institutions by whom the heresies aforesayd so are clearely cōfuted that no godly Christian can or will desire a more absolute resolution Not meaning any further to busie my selfe with the confuting of the opinions of our Romish Catholiques who in this point agree with you affirming that our coniunction with Christ is carnally and bodely HN. CHrist himselfe is their light sayth HN. which becommeth administred vnto them Theophilus IT is true vnlesse ye will deny the scripture William Wilkinson YOw should first haue proued it by the Scriptures afterwardes haue affirmed it to be true bare affirmations beare no weight HN. his profe he quoteth Iohn 1.9 a. The light is the true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world is a rouing profe The meaning of the which place is this that all men are equally indued with the light of naturall reason to see God in his Creatures and thereby to acknowledge him to be their creator Which because they haue light other wheres and Christ hath light of and frō himselfe therefore Christ is God. But this place proueth not that onely the Children of God are lightned with the light of Gods spirit which assertion albeit it be true yet is this place by HN. quoted without discretion for it speaketh of a light generall to all that are borne not proper to the regenerate of this light Read. Esay 9.1.2 Mat. 4.15.16 Ioh. 9. a. 5.
vaine and endles Questions which engender strife of wordes more thē godly edifying of the which S. Paule geueth Timothy a straight charge to beware 1. Tim. 1.4 and 4. chap. Titus 1.14 2. Pe. 1.16 1. Tim. 6.4 The which watchword if our Familye had diligently taken hede vnto they had not so mightely ben deceiued with such strong illusions For this is the light vnto the which we must take héede as vnto a candle shining in a dark place so shal we not faile of the reward after lyfe nor in this lyfe make shipwrack of our owne saluation Now followeth the second part of the comparison of D. George his heresies with HN. whereby we shall see the one not to be any whit in impietye inferiour vnto the other THe Familye of Loue in their first Epistle to M. Rogers pag. 72. lin 7. c. very vehemently stomack as their maner is because M. Rogers enlinketh HN. with Iohn a Leyde and the Archheretique Dauid George to haue ben confederates in spreading the heresie of the Anabaptistes at Munster Anno 1533. And least that M. Rogers should scape vntarred with their opprobrious Eloquēce they very louingly as well becommeth their Familye brande him with his marke An egregious vntruth vttered by this new shameles wrighter Furthermore they affirme that many learned wrighters testify the matter vz. of Dauid c to be Anabaptisme and yet say they this man will haue it the Familye of Loue and here they triumph hauing taken M. R. tardye as though the Familye of Loue and the Anabaptistes were such great straungers that at no time they had bin acquainted nor euer yet talked or met together To remoue the which doubt if any shall happen to stand in doubt which I thinke he will not that knoweth throughly what both the opinions meane by laying of the schismaticall opinions of these two heretiques together the Fam. shall not neede to be so straunge with their kinne nor be so nice because their faction is more famous then the other of their Elder brethren I meane the Anabaptistes The first opinion of Dauid George as M. Rogers alledgeth and M. Bullinger in his booke agaynst the Anabaptistes auoucheth to be true was this The doctrine taught by Moses Christ the Prophetes Apostles is vnto saluation but his heresie is perfect as he sayth to saluatiō The reasons which do induce me to thinke the heresie of Dauid George and HN. is in effect all one are because they iumpe both in this They prefer their owne doctrine before the doctrine of Moses Christ the Apostles Prophetes and secondly affirme it is abler to saue those that heare their 's thē the other Now to proue they prefer their doctrine before Moses c. This shal be playne and an vndeniable reason The doctrine which in the Churche of England the Lordes most holy name be praysed for it is by Publike authorie commaunded by all that preache the same approued and by the Fam. of Loue confessed to be the doctrine of Moses c. But they say that this is not sufficient vnto saluation Therefore are they Anabaptistes and Dauid Georges Schollers For proofe of the first proposition that the doctrine by publique authoritie commaunded is the doctrine of Moses c. they will not deny it for so much as they haue in their Cōfession of their fayth published An. 1575. openly protested that they are not iustly to bee blamed accused detected or burthened as transgressors of the law agaynst any of the Queene her Maiesties proceedyng in causes Ecclesiasticall c. But all men know that it is an Ecclesiasticall cause concernyng the truth of doctrine Publiquely preached therfore they are likewise obedient to her therein If they shall here séeke to starte by affirmyng that they meane outward pollicie of the Church that is a thyng of lesse waight then the doctrine of the word of God openly professed for that the truth of the word is alwayes one and immutable it is the same vnto all nations and people of the world But the externall pollicie in gouerning the Church is mutable neither alwayes one but chaunged diuersly in diuers places accordyng to the state of the places tymes and people Therfore they shall aunswere here nakedly if they say that they agrée vnto the pollicie of gouernement not vnto the doctrine of the Churches of England they shall shewe very plainly and that they 1. deale doublely notwithstādyng they pretend in their foresayd Confession that they deale with all men vprightly faythfully and charitably Further more when as in their confession mēcionyng Religion they affirme that they obey our soueraigne Lady the Queene and the Magistrates our foregoers spirituall and temporall c. Whiche by the word of God they should not neither ought to do vnlesse the doctrine by the Prince commaunded were from God therefore secondly I conclude that they confesse the doctrine by vs professed publiquely to be the doctrine of Moses Christ and the Apostles and Prophetes and this is the proofe of my first proposition But cōcernyng the second proposition vz. that the doctrine of Moses is vnsufficiēt is apparaūt For no man in the choyse of two thyngs wherof he must néedes chuse the one will chuse that which is insufficient therefore is the particular Fam. whiche they fayne vnto them selues thought by thē more sufficiēt then the Publique doctrine assembly of our Church Christiā congregation Now least they should shift in saying that our Chruch theirs is all one as some times they do to dazell and deceiue the simple I aunswere that in the third Epistle that is Extant of theirs to M. Rogers they affirme that of such an houshold as we haue challenged to our selues they are straungers Therefore say I they thinke their Fam. to be more sufficient for to attaine saluation in then the open visible Church of Christ is England which doth impugne their Familie And to this purpose very naturally they Exhort such as be wise among vs to looke ouer the Scriptures agayne For if their Fam. of Loue haue founde the true or old way correspondent with all the doctrine of the Apostles of Iesus Christ and therfore s needfull that without it there shall no man finde mercy with God or els through Christ become saued Item read the second Article of HN. pag. 23. and there this is handled at large The places which further at large out of their bookes proue this matter are 1. Exhort cap. 12. sent 42. 20. sent 7. Dictata cap. 9. sent 3. Eu ā cap. 3. sent 3. cap. 23. sent 7. cap. 24. sent 25. in all the which they affirme as Dauid George doth in his heresie that onely their Familie is sufficient vnto saluation whereby is clearely auouched that their Fam. of Loue are guiltie in the first degrée Dauid George his second heresie was that he affirmed himselfe Christ and Messias the beloued sonne of God.
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
lyes seducyng and deceitfull what soeuer c. The reason is framed out of HN. his owne wordes the which is both mere Anabaptisticall and also flat Donatisticall by Fulgentius obiected vnto S. Augustine My Church is spotles therfore the true Church sayth the Donatist to the which S. Augustin auÌ„swered Who can bring any cleane thyng out of filthynes Because that as long as the Church is visible in doctrine and lyfe euery part therof is attainted with the dregges of imperfection But the Donatist vrgeth Agge 2. cap. b. 13. for proofe S. August aunswereth Shew me where Agge departed from the middest of that people least he should be defiled amoÌ„gest them And a litle after in the same place followeth We must depart from the company of the wicked with our myndes not our fleshe with our workes not with our bodyes Communicate not sayth S. Paule with the vnfruiteful workes of darknes he forbiddeth them their workes not their exercises in Religion not their Sacramentes And in an other place most playnly to the point we haue in hand he sayth No maruaile it is if good wordes which are vttered for the people by the Byshop in prayers are heard for it is not because of waywardnes of the Prelate but for the deuotion of the people And as learnedly so truly sayth Nazienzen euen as the printed forme that is engrauen in any mettall be it lead or yron brasse or gold the thyng imprinted is still the same and is not empayred by the basenes of the mettall but alwayes it retaineth one fourme and as a sealed letter is not preiudiced by him that doth deliuer it if it be deliuered in such order as he receiueth it so the message and proclamatioÌ„ of Gods truth is alwayes the same to them that heare it what soeuer he be that vtter it neither is the excellency of the thyng adnihilated by the wickednes of the person For it were an incredible thyng that the abuse of any thyng should make the thyng it selfe to cease to be and the holy diuine Ministry of the Lordes word Sacramentes as first it was by him instituted so therfore is it the more glorious both for his sake that first founded it as also for our sakes and the safety of soules whom the Lord in that behalfe hath most graciously prouided for So that wee must beware that we defile not the Lordes Testament by our wantonnes nor carelesly contemne the ordinaunce of the Lord by our misdemeanour for he that thought in his secret counsaile these to be the sittest way for our welfare if we shall make accompt of it as worldlynges do as of some common trifle or meane benefite or with HN. rend them that deliuer the Lordes pearles vnto vs albeit they come but in earthen and tree vessels yet shall he inuent in his iustice such a plague to scourge vs with that both as many as heare it their eares shall tingle at it neither shall the starre therof be forgotten of all posteritie As for many that stumble at Christ for because they know him not or happlesly contemne him because the day starre as yet is not risen in them or thinke but basely of his bride because she is but browne of coullor yet they must know if allready they haue not learned it that the corne must not be contemned because it lyeth hidden in the chaffe that net must not be neglected for the fish that is vnprofitable the great house must not be slaundered because there are in it vessels of dishonour the ayre not to be refused nor the sunne thought lightly of because the wicked and the godly doe equally enioy them Diuers Churches haue bene the Lordes swéete shéepfoldes and yet haue had their wantes and he that will leaue the company of the godly because of the wicked would goe out of the world for the wickednes therof must tary yet a while that hee may haue his way streightned agaynst the tyme that the Lord shall come to call hym Euen as HN. in the former 3. Sections with great disdayne and despite hath slaundered the Preachers in affirmyng that they could not preach the truth because they are not regenerate wherein first he vttered an egregious vntruth agaynst their lyfe secondly agaynst their doctrine so in the 4. Sentence or Section he preuenteth an obiectioÌ„ that may be made by vs concernyng the thing that is preached which he in playne wordes affirmeth to be but the outward letter and therfore otherwhere he calleth vs Doctours of the letter The witnes whereby he thinketh to conuince vs and to proue the allegation to be true is taken out of Ieremy and it is the slaunder wherwith the Prophet was reproched by that people for they termed his doctrine which he did deliuer vnto them from the Lord a doctrine of wynde c. the which their slaunder the Lord threatneth in that place shall be mightly recompenced by the Babylonians As then Ieremy was slaundered by theÌ„ whom he calleth an adulterous people vers 7.8 so doth HN. slaunder the Gospell preached in these dayes without his Familie termyng it a letter so that herein he notably sheweth him selfe to be a shameles railer vsing euen the same accusation agaynst vs now that was vsed agaynst the Prophet then And if the people were scourged with the whippe of bondage then for vtteryng this graceles speach doth HN. and his Familie thinke for renuyng the same slaunder that he shall escape punishment As for the other places which follow Ieremy 6. and 8. there is no such thing in them to be found as HN. doth dreame of Ezech. 13. chap. vers 7.8.9 declareth nothyng but the shamefull abuse of the word by the false Prophets of Iudaea he calleth their prophecies vayne and lying visions The which if HN. do alledge generally to all Preachers it is a shameles accusatioÌ„ and he alledgeth his Scripture without discretion For whereas he often stumbleth vpon this terme the vnregenerate Scripture learned he that marketh HN. well shall finde that he quoteth most of his places for the phrase and maner of speach onely and not for any matter or note to be founde in the place by him quoted so that he whiche blameth other men vnworthely may herein most worthely be termed A Doctour of the letter Neither is HN. the first that reuileth the Gospell with this his most opprobrious reproch For he doth but renew the old slaunders whiche haue by heretiques bene hatâ—hed long heretofore Hosius an Archpapist vseth the like vnreuerent speach termyng the Scripture a bare and dead letter Lewes a Canon of Lateran in Rome calleth it dead ynck so doth Piggius wretchedly blaspheme saying it is a nose of wax a dumbe iudge Eckius very gracelesly sayth it is but a blacke Gospell and incken diuinitie Staphilus sayth it is a new Idoll set vp in the hart of man Zwinckfeild sayd it is but a bare and dead
letter not profitable say the Anabaptistes for we are all taught from god The Messalians sayd it was not necessary neither yet the Sacramentes and so sayd the Familie of Loue for in diuers places ye shall sée them make small accompt of Sermons so that some of them will sit in the streetes in the tyme that the word of God is preached Yet all these agréeyng amoÌ„g them selues are at iarre with the holy Ghost who in the whole course of the Scripture doth singularly commende the hearyng of the word but especially S. Paule to the Romaines whiche maketh it the mother of Fayth whiche fayth is the hand whereby all the promises of God are apprehended and taken hold of and without the whiche it is vnpossible to please god Hebrues 11. chapter 6. verse Much more might be sayd agaynst this horrible heresie but because euen the repeatyng of it doth strike a horrour and quakyng into the children of God to thinke how wicked a thyng it is for a mortall man to mislyke that which the Lord hath ordained as a meanes wherby he will haue the sparkles of his grace continually to to be kyndled in vs the onely remembraunce shall rest herein consideryng that the more myer is stirred the sauour is the noysomer and hurtefull to those that are standers by ARTICLE 13. of HN. Of dissemblyng and concealyng Religion HN Sayth it is lawfull for one of his Familie to dissemble and conceale his Religion contrary to his owne doctrine Euang. cap. 3. sent 8. cap. 25. sent 6. 1. Exhort cap. 6. senten 8. where he biddeth them confesse it before all men amongest the adulterous and sinfull generation sent 1. Theophilus THe adulterous and sinfull generation of the ignoraunt world if they repent and turne may finde mercy but to the enemyes or enuious of the loue of Christ and to the obstinate which turne theÌ„ away there from There is no mercy promised looke the text W. Wilkinson THeophilus beyng demaunded of Onions aunswereth of Garlike for the question beyng whether a man may hide his Religion beyng demauÌ„ded of it either openly by the Magistrat or priuatly by his ChristiaÌ„ brother he aunswereth that there is no mercy without the Familie which is nothyng to the purpose Therefore it were to be wished that his wisedome would be ruled by his owne counsell videl looke better oâ— the text 2. sent Theophilus HE biddeth them confesse their beliefe among the sinfull generations and false hartes of the Scripture learned c. and not to reueile the secretes of God Math. 7. chap. 6. vers to the bloud thirstie ones and aduersaries to all truth whiche lye in wayte to deuoure theÌ„ more then a true man is bound to confesse his treasures to a theefe or a murtherer William Wilkinson FIrst I will aunswere vnto HN. his Article and secondly to Theophilus Exposition Concernyng the certaintie of this Article our Famblers will in no wise admit the same albeit Theophilus in this place acknowledge it to be true So that diuers that are sayd to be welwillers that way haue being openly called to accompt before a Magistrate set downe their haÌ„des in a certaine schedule the copy wherof I haue wherein they affirme it altogether vnlawfull to speake one thyng with the mouth and thinke the contrary with the hart So that herein they and their Prophet HN. are at variaunce for he as is before declared to auoyde trouble willeth them to conceale their fayth as also Theophilus proueth by his théeuish similitude This I know to to be true by the report of a worshipfull freind in Cambridge that whereas one Allen a weauer being committed for the opinions of the Fami and HN. he contrary to his promise made departed and fled away and being afterwardes mette by a iustice of peace which knew him by sight asked him his name and he sayd his name wrs Allen the iustice demaunded if he had about him no bookes of HN. he aunswered no the Iustice alighting from his horse searched him and found diuers bokes about him Now let the Famlers and Allen himselfe coâ—fesse whether that herein he did dissemble or not and whether by HN. his doctrine that art of his was lawful I could by many liuing witneses proue this to be true and shew wherein diuers of them haue dissembled but I cease And least the Familye should affirme that they are slaundered in this Article HN. his owne wordes shall speake for himselfe after this sorte Shew not your selues in any wise bare before the enemies let them not see you be now by them whilest that the wicked world beareth rule euen as though ye were dead and were not and had no speach in your mouth Psal 38. b. vers 13. and walke eueÌ„ so as inuisiblie and vnknowen before all such as are without the Familie of Loue and make manifest themselues as enemies there agaynst as also before them that turne theÌ„ away therefrom And in his documentall sentence HN. exhorteth his Fami to the same thing in the same wordes Thus haue not much prate or disputation with the straungers or with them that fall away from the seruice of Loue nor with the vnwilling ones and resisters The which places being throughly waied no man can be ignorant that HN. geueth leaue to his Familie to dissemble if to dissemble be as Salust doth define it Aliud in linqua aliud in pectore clausum habere that is to haue one thing in the tongue and another in the thought But the profe of the truth of this Article I leaue to the commen practise of the Fami and to the knowledge of those men that haue had to deale with them concerning their Louely doctrine albeit I must and will confesse that I haue mette with a few which haue delt more playnely herein then they are commenly wonte to doe wherein I doe geue them some better lyking in that they deale truely Now if any man be desirous to vnderstand further of this heresie let him reade the excellent learned man M. Lambert Daneus in his comentaries vpon S. Augustine de heresibus ad Quod vult Deum where the same is learnedly handled and art large who reporteth among all the opinions of the Priscilianistes this was not the least that they held a man must not open tâ—â— secresie of their sect as appeareth by this verse Iura perinra secretum prodere noli Swere and forswere hid thinges doe not declare Of this heretique did that monster of mankinde and wild heretick Dauid George learne this opinion of whome somewhat is sayd before and of him it is very like to be true that HN. learned it as he did diuers other pointes of this his louely doctrine and from HN. his filthy pit drew Vitels that poysoned water wherewith he infected diuers honest and godly men in the troublesome tyme of Q. Marye by perswading them that they might kéepe their consciences to themselues and be preseÌ„t at the masse
they are of my chosing out of HN. is truth but that they are my Articles that is vntrue for they are as I made the title in the inscriptiō of my Articles which I deliuered to the Familie Errours out of the bookes of HN. Agayne if they be true Articles and onely my additions vnto them be false how cōmeth it to passe that Theophilus in his notes vpon my title afore the Articles where I say that they are faythfully and truly gathered there he aūswereth they are vnfaythfully lyingly slaunderously maliciously or vncharitably gathered But let it be that HN. sayth truth as for my additions whiche he mentioneth I deny that I haue added any one word to the text of HN. whereby it might either be empared or his meaning and sence peruerted and herein I referre the whole determination therof to him which shall peruse this my labour with an vnparciall eye The place whereon I gathered the Articles is this But if they videl our old sinnes and paramoures which we loued sent 17. take or lay hold on vs with force and violence that thē although we cry there cōmeth not any power nor help vnto vs for to withstand them in their force and violence and euen so rauish vs agaynst our will so are we giltles of the transgressing for we haue cryed to be released from the Tyrāny of the euill and there is no helpe come vnto vs Of which guitltles transgressing the law likewise witnesseth where it sayth a womā which is violently taken in the field whereas there is not any helpe and so rauished and although she cry aloude yet gottē no helpe she shal be giltles of the trāsgressing Now the proposition which Theophilus gathered vpō these wordes of HN. is this When we cry c. and haue no helpe we shall be free from that transgression for beyng condēned for it The which interpretatiō of his is vtterly vntrue for God is not bound by duety to geue ought to any man his giftes are of his mercy not of our merite So that albeit being prayd vnto he yeld not vnto our requestes at the first yet is not his withholdyng of his grace a sufficient warrant to geue vs libertie to offend For who shall wryng from the Lord that whiche he will not geue or if presently he doe not enable vs to resist and preuayle agaynst sinne who I say shall accuse God to be accessary vnto our sinnes as HN. and his Scholler Theophilus in this place flatly affirme And be it true as it is most true that Christ sayd vnto his Apostles Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shal be opened vnto you c. and S. Iames sayth The prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent yet because our prayers are not so perfect no not in the iust man as they ought to be therfore cōmeth it to passe that we obtaine not at Gods hand because we aske amisse neither did Christ obtaine at his fathers hād that the cup of his death might passe from him for that it was not so agreable with Gods will nor expedient for the accomplishyng of our saluation So that when we accomplish not the cōdition in our prayers that God hath prescribed in his word we are not to bynde or charge God with his promise for that he knoweth better what to geue vs thē we know what or how to aske of him So that now we sée that it is but a vayne kyndnes which Theophilus in this place threapeth on God when as either hee will haue God to bow vnto him at euery becke or els by and by he will make him the authour of sinne For what is this that Theophilus doth els burthen him withall that if we pray not helpe come thē are we guiltles of the transgression But to accuse God to be accessory to our misbehauiour which thyng be far frō him Now if Theophilus cā not comprehēd this what is it not truth because he can not conceiue it Gods iudgementes are alwayes true and iust though often secret and those thynges whiche we vnderstand not at the first let vs rather reuerence and worshyp them then wonder at them God when he leaueth vs to our selues and punisheth one sinne with an other doth that most righteously in him selfe that sinfull flesh doth sée no reason in Shall the pot reason with the potter because he made him not a vessell vnto honor shall the axe extoll it selfe agaynst him that heweth therewith may God make his creatures as séemeth best to his singular wisedome and shall he not dispose them as he will when he hath created them God geueth his children pardon in his mercy yet he that flyeth to his mercy not first fully hauing satisfied his iustice deceaueth his owne soule ere he be aware So that when any man shall presume vpon repentaunce fall in hope to rise true it is he that hath promised pardon vpō repētaunce hath not promised that we shall liue till to morrow that we may haue leysure to repēt he that is not fit to day the Lord knoweth how fit he wil be to morrow Now it is also most assuredly true that albeit God in respect of him selfe for Christes sake doth fréely forgeue both the fault and the punishment yet because he will not haue men dally with his iustice vpon the opē sinnes of the godly committed before men hee taketh open punishment least the enemy should haue a cause to rayle This is manifest by kyng Dauids example he sinned openly in the sight of God and before Israell God freely forgaue him both the punishment and the fault yet before men because the enemyes of God had openly a cause to blaspheme therfore the Lord tooke away the child that was borne in adultery Furthermore when he numbred the people and had continued in the same sinne without any notable repentaunce 9. monethes and 20. dayes after albeit he prayed hartly yet was his sinne punished by a great and seuere scourge as is manifestly to be sene in the place of that History By which places it is to be vnderstode that we ought not to offend in hope of pardon neither that God is faultie who will not boulster vs in our faultes nor so easly be satisfied in his iustice as we imagine of But if Theophilus déeme that herein he is not fully satisfied for that this question is of him that prayeth before sinne committed and both these examples are not sufficiently playne I further aunswere him that before Iudas honge him selfe he was sory and made a shewe of outward repentaunce as by his restitution may easly be perceiued yet God stayed him not here but because hee should be a notable spectacle of Gods vengeaūce to them that were then vnborne that no man be so hardy to sinne agaynst his conscience he ranne so farre that he caste himselfe willingly and wittyngly away and yet albeit God
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
1. Cor. 8.1.2 a. Rom. 12.6 Reuelat. 22.15 Stapleton controuer 2. 5. boke cap. 2. 3. 4. 5. pag. 161. 162. Math. 7.15 Math. 2.4.5 a. Iohn 5.39 Act. 17.11 1. Cor. 11.13 1. Thes 5.21 d. 1. Ioh. 4.1 1. Cor. 14.32 1. Cor. 12.10 Psal. 119. ver 98 99.100.104 Psal. 19.6 Gen. 3.5 Iohn 10.27 Vitels in his reply to M. Rogers his display HN. agreeth vvith the Papistes 1. HN. his doctrine contrary to Gods vvord 2. To himselfe 3. To naturall reason and common sense 1. Exhort cap. 13 fol. 30. b. line 25 Theop. Exposition Ierem. 31.33.34 Deut. 4.9 11.19 Prou. 8.9 Esay 11.9 52.6 Col. 1.9 Rom. 15.4 Math. 11.23 Luke 10.21 Esay 54.13 Prou. 2.2 Psal. 119.104 Dan. 2.21 8.17 10.11.12 Math. 15.10 Mar. 7.14 2. Tim. 3.16 Deut. 6.6.8.9 11.18 Numb 10.10 15.39 Psal. 119.52.55 Actes 11.16 20.31 Rom. 15.15 2. Pet. 1.15 3.2 Iude. 17. Prou. 4.4 d. 1. Exhor cap. 13 fol. 30. line 25. Ecclesi cap. 38. v. 27. 28. 29. 30. Esa. 30. v. 10. Psal. 19.11 Cicero 2. Acad. HN. svvarueth to poperye HN. 9. Errour 1. Exhor cap. 6. sent 21. f. cap. 14. sent 54. h. Euang. cap. 2. sent 1. HN. speaketh with god mouth to mouth sent 8. Sent. 11. Bullinger 2. booke 1. cap. leafe 35. 36. Bullinger 1. booke 1. chap. 2. booke 1. chap. Zuing. pag. 35. 77. 89. 100. Gen. 28. Exod. 3.12.3 Ios 5.13 Iudg. 6.37 Esay 1.1.2.10 Ezech. 1.1.3 Math. 17.5 a. Euang. cap. 1. sent 1. Esay 59. v. 21 d. Ose 12. v. 10. Iohn 16.13 Act. 10.6 1. Thes 5.19.20 1. Sam. 28.15 1. King. 13.18 2. Cor. 12.1 Exhort cap. 16. sent 21. August de pastoribus cap. 8. Euang. cap. 1. sent 4. Exhor cap. 14. sent 54. HN. Euang. cap. 2. sent 1. fol. 6. Ierem 31. vers 31. Psal. 110.1 a. Luke 24.47 Math. 15.24 c. Ephes 2.17 c. Scripture falsefied by HN. Thynges reueiled Math. 25. vers 31. d. Act. 16.17 d. Fol. 2. b. Fol. 61. b. Psal. 119.164 Vnto whome reueiled Vz. vnto HN. Rom. 1.1 Actes 9. v. 15. 1. Cor. 3.15 Euan. cap. 1. sent 1. 3. From whence it was reueiled Exod. 20.19 Act. 9.4.5 22.1.2.26.14 Iohn 18.6 Psal. 29. Heb. 1.1 Gal. 1.8 Deut. 13.1.2 a. 30.12 Esay 8.19 Actes 10.5 Luke 16.30 Gallat 1.8 Apoc. 2.25 Rom. 1.16 2. Tim. 3.17 d. Iam. 1.21 1. Exhort cap. 13. sent 12. Brief rehearsall of the Familie pag. 2. lin 3. 1. Guiltie by their ovvn vvritynges 2. Proofe of groundes quoted by the Fam. 3. Fellowes to the Fam. in their heresie who The Fa. vvherein they svvarue from the Scripture 1. Exhort cap. 11 sent 7. b. Ibid. cap. 11. sent 20. d. Esay 29. falsefied Ierem. 23. Ibid. cap. 13. sent 12. c. fol. 31 Profes Apocripha 2. Mach. 12.44 14. cap. ve 41. Eccle. 4.26 d. Ephe. 5. Iohn 9.34 Math. 14.4 2. place aunswered Eccle. 17.18 b. Lib. 4. distinct 17. a. 4. Esdr 16.57.58 g. Vers 58. HN. his Canonicall proofes Prou. 28.13 b. 1. Iohn 1.8.9 Prou. 20.9 Eccl. 7.20 2. Chron. 6.36 1. Kyng 8.46 2. epist. to M. Rogers pag. 86. HN. borroweth of Poperie M. Sentences 4. booke Dist 16. a Ibid. Distinct 17 Scotus quaest 1. De Poenitendis 1. quamuis plenitudo M. Hardyng fol. 71. a. HN. falsefieth the Scripture Cap. 2. diuis 2. Bysh of Salisbury defenc of the Apollog pag. 167. 168. 174. 175. 180. 181. 187. 188. Lam. com s 7. 1. Exhor cap. 16 sent 17. sent 3.4 Ceremonie seruice False God seruice HN. 1. exhort cap. 16. sent 3. Col. 2. b. HN. maketh the Gospell cause of discention 1. Exhort cap. 1. sent 39. HN. preferreth his own bookes before the Scriptures Rom. 7.7 2. Cor. 13.5 4. Heb. 12. 1. Corin. 4.3.4 Act. 24.26 1. Exhort cap. 16. sent 14. Ibid. sent 13. HN. quoteth scripture in vaine The Gospell engendreth a false freedome sayth HN. HN. rayleth without proofe Bulling 2. book 2. 3. chap. 1. Exhort cap. 15. sent 26. HN. his libertie vvhat it is Sent. 28. HN. HN. definition of libertie discussed Bulling 1. book 21. cap. leafe 26. b. epist. of E. R. The difinitiō of Christian libertie by the Scriptures Second crime layd to the Gospell Math. 23.3 1. Exhor cap. 15. sent 8. 10. Sent. 12. Sent. 10. Staphilus 3. treatise from pag. 78. c. to 115. Defence of the Apol. 3. Chap. 1. diuisi pag. 378 379. 380. Replie 15. Artic. 12 diuision pag. 536. 537. HN. his 12. Assertion 11. epist. of HN cap. 5. sent 13. 34. 1. Exhort 15. sent 7. 1. epist. cap. 2. sent 8. 5. 1. Exhort cap. 15. sent 8. Euang. cap. 4. sent 4.5.6 Pub. of the Peace cap. 1. sent 2. sent 6. 20. 24. 27. 1. Exhort cap. 15. sent 17. fol. 38. D. 1. Exhort cap. 16 sent 17. Scripture prophanely quoted 1. Exhort cap. 16 sent 18. Iam. 3. ver 11. Docum sent cap. 1. sent 7. HN. his perfection and the fruites Bulleng fol. 260. Anabaptistes fulfilling of the lavv and the fruites thereof Papistes good wordes and vvorkes and a patterne of thē Actes 9 5. Math. 13.25 Esdr 4.38 Math. 24.35 Psal. 119.89 1. Pet 1.25 1. Exhort cap. 16 sent 16. fol. 34. * This perticuler standeth for any generall propositiō though HN. expoundyng the .1 Cor. 15. vers 53. sayth that it is not ment of any creature of earthly fleshe and bloud Docum sent cap. 6. sent 3. fol. 13. b. line 15. 1. Exho cap. 16. sent 17. pag. 2. lin 5 Bullin 3. booke 3. chap. D. August contra Fulgentium Donatist Iob. 14.4 Ephes 5. August agaynst the letters of Parmenianus 2. booke 8. chap. Exod. 3.10 Ierem. 1.10 Esay 6.9 Amos. 7.15 Math. 18.18 Exod. 20.12 Galath 4.19 1. Sam. 8.7 2. King. 1.11 2.23 Cant. 1.4 Math. 3.12 Math. 13.48 2. Tim. 2.20 1. Corin. 2.2 Galath 1.2 Ephe. 11. Apoc. 2. The Church there spotted in euery chapter 1. Corin. Gal. 3.1 Apoc. 2.6 Apoc. 14.15 HN. Iam. comp in the title of the boke Ierem. 5.13 Vers 15.16.17 HN. a doctour of the letter Hosius de verbo Dei expresso Illiricus in norma concilij 3. booke of the Hierarch 3. cap. leafe 103. and controuer de Eccle. 3. Kemnitius exā of the Trident counsell pag. 32 Staphilus Apol. fol. 65. b. Bulling 1. book chap. 3. and 2. booke cap. 4.5 Luke 5.1 Luke 10.39 g. and 15. 1. Math. 7.24 d. 13.20 c. Mar. 6.20 c. Rom. 10.14.17 c. 1. Tim. 3.15 d. Col. 1.6 a. Theophilus aūswereth not to the poynt Famblers dissemble 11. epist. cap. 6. sent 3. gag 24. lin 3. Docum sent cap. 16. sent 18. fol. 40. a. To dissemble vvhat it is Eusebius historie lib. 4. cap. 7. cap. 70. Familie may be presēt at Masse M. Bradfordes treatise agaynst goyng to Masse Iob. 13.7 Dan. 3. Math. 10.33 Mar. 8.38 Luke 9.26 12.8 1. Cor. 10.21 Ephes 5.11 1. Cor. 15.51 Ephes 5.32 Caluin agaynst the Libertines Fol. 76. 77. Bulling 6. book cap.
merueile at all for such a fountayne such water men gather not grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles And true it is that our Sauiour sayth out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh ARTICLE 1. No Church THe house of Loue sayth HN is the Church of God. 1. Exhor cap. 7. s 37. Theophilus his exposition FIrst note that it is all one to say the house of Loue and the house of God the familye of Loue and the family of God and then proceede William Wilkinson DArke wordes double speaches haue bin alwayes the starting holes of heretiques playne meaning men walke openly at noone lewd and euill disposed persons vage and wander abroad at midnight For he that euill doth hateth the light neyther commeth to the light least his déedes should be reproued Yée speake in a riddle neither doth your reason follow Because it is framed A petitione principij You take that to be graunted which is in controuersie or rather cleane false For what proprietye of speach is this or how doth this reason follow The house of God is the Church of God therefore the good willing ones in England which are named the Familye of Loue are the Church of god But if you will in playne wordes affirme that you onely which are of that familye and no man els which is not of that societye is of the Church First I aunswere that the Anabaptistes did lykewise of their conuenticles affirme that they were the true Church Next I say that when I shall vnderstād your meaning better I will tell you more In the meane time I would you knew that you are not of the Church but yée haue made a Schisme from the Church Christes coate without seame ye haue rent in péeces Truely sayth a learned father whosoeuer doth cut a sunder the vnitye and disturbe the peace of the Church whereby the fellowship of the faythfull is torne into diuers partes he is a Schismatique Such were Chorah Dathan and Abiram agaynst Moyses such were they which disquieted the church of Corinth by holding some of Paule some of Peter some of Appollos some of Christ Such are they whome S. Paule bad the Elders of Ephesus take héede of for they should be greuous wolues not sparing the flock who speaking perverse thinges should drawe disciples after them Of such S. Paule sayth I beseech you brethren marke those which cause dissention amongest you contrary to the doctrine which you haue receiued and auoid them c. As for you of that Familie neither were ye of vs nor went from vs So ye haue choked the word in many weake brethren laying stumbling blocks in the wayes of the simple Ye haue led the blinde out of their way therefore are ye by Gods mouth accursed And albeit that offences must néedes come yet woe be to him by whome they come it were better a millestone were hanged about his neck then to offend one of the litle ones There must be heresies in the Church to try the faythfull and happy is he that holdeth fast least another take his crowne When ye can shew me by the scripture that your Familie is the house of God the piller of the truth I shall confesse my selfe to be in an error Christ hath geuen vs warning to take héede that no man deceiue vs for many shall come in his name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue many and there shall arise false Christes and false Prophets c. but he hath told vs before that we should not beleue them nor goe after thē Beleue not euery spirite sayth S. Iohn many false Prophets are gone out into the world Thus are wee warned in the mouth of the sonne of God if the sword come and take vs away our bloud shall be vpon our owne head HN. His assertion IT is the hill of the Lorde whereon his house is builded to the which he that subiecteth not himselfe is a false hart and standeth minded agaynst God and his Church Theophilus exposition THat is spoken of the loue it selfe and not of the Family For how is an house to be builded on an house which thing also may not be denyed for so much as God is loue and the other must consequently or necessarily follow William Wilkinson FIrst to the text of HN. and to Theophilus his exposition The familye sayth HN. is the hill of the Lorde whereon his house is builded for proofe hee quoteth Esa. 2.2 a. Mich. 4.1 a. It shall come to passe in the last day the mountaine of the Lordes house shall be prepared in the toppe of the moūtaines c. The sence of the which places of the prophets is that in the last day vz. in the first comming of the sonne of God the Church shall by him be restored to her glorious beauty the which places in HN. his new gospell 3. chap. 3. sent are applyed to HN. himselfe and to the time of his appearaunce in these wordes Now shall the law be taught out of Sion and in the 4. sent for this is the day of promise Psal. and ver 24. c. which the Lord hath made which first place is directly vnderstode of Christ and the building agayne of the Church by him The other place of the psal declared that Dauid being appointed by God to be king ouer Israell should deliuer the Arke out of the handes of the Philistines wherein he foreshewed that by a figure which was true in Christ Ephe. 4. verses 4.8.11.12.13 the which HN. presumptuously taking vnto himselfe grossly erreth in applying the scripture gracelesly blasphemeth the sonne of god First making Christ lesse carefull of his Church than he is in déede Secondly he is openly impious in this that whereas Christ sayth All is finished meaning all types and figures HN. maketh all vnperfect affirming that in him and his appearaunce all becommeth fulfilled His wordes be these The day of Loue Psal. 118. ver 24. c. is the appearing and comming Mat. 24. c. Luk. 17. c. Actes 24. of our Lorde Iesus Christ in the resurrection of the dead Esa. 26. c. 1. Cor. 15. f. Wherein the law of the Prophets and all that is written of Christ becommeth fulfilled All which places by him quoted are very playnely ment of the resurrection that is the second resurrection from death the secōd comming of Christ to iudgemēt whereby HN seemeth to emply the resurrection of the body and the second comming of Christ to iudgement to be past already which is heresie or els quoting those places for his first comming he alledgeth them amisse which is ignoraunce HN. TO the which he that subiecteth not himselfe is a false hart William Wilkinson IT is very true he that submitteth not himselfe to the Church of God is a false hart c. For he shall neuer haue God for his Father which hath not the