ouershot my selfe and if you can prooue it to me I shall gladly receiue it and will be redie to recant and cal backe all my wordes and aske mercie in like fourme as you haue prescribed but hitherto as I am persuaded and as my conscience beareth me witnesse I haue not in any point slandered you nor of malice spokeÌ„ any thing against you for if I did know any nerer way to saluatioÌ„ then y which our sauiour Christ hath taught in his Gospell I woulde with all gréedenesse imbrace it And if I can vnderstand that euer this your doctrin was taught publikly since christ our Lord his assention by any godly writer in Christs Church I will ceasse and subscribe vnto you otherwise blame me not though I continue in that minde which the Lorde in mercie by his Christ hath made manifest to me to my comforte The God of mercie and consolation giue you a right spirite to depend vpon the puritie of his worde written by the holy Ghoste and not to depend vpon the vncertainetie of man giuing testimonie to him selfe so shall both you and I bee brought to sée rightly into our weakenesse shall heare y ioyful voyce y Paule heard My grace is sufficient for thee For y Lords power loue is manifested made kno wen vnto the worlde through our weakenesse and all our righteousnesse is Sicut pannus menstrualis God in mercie giue vs all his grace that in séeking the true way that ledeth to life euerlasting we be not led into y by paths of errour but leade vs and guide vs O Lorde so shall we knowe thy ways aright imbrace our sauing health in Christ declared to all nations If it please you to reply I shall receiue it thankfully London the 12. of Februarie Your friend I. R. A Letter of the Familie to I. R. written by E. R. M. Rogers these are to signifie vntd you that I haue perused a booke wherof you are the authour In your preface you say you haue vsed this order to set downe the authors owne speach not adding or diminishing any thing with the name of the booke Chapter or folio I do wish that your word and deede had agreed therein I call to minde that I haue read many authours bookes within this 35. or 36. yeares and among them all I haue not found any writer that hath taken such an order as you haue done for who so euer will write to confute an Authour he should set downe the Authours owne wordes as they stande written in his bookes and so to confute them by the Scriptures orderly and not to take out here some and there some and of diuers sentences and part of diuers sentences to make one sentence You haue added and diminished in diuers places and to inlarge your booke withall you haue set downe the most part of the sentences in two places as y readers may perceiue if they do confer your booke with the Authours bookes wâ—y them with indifferencie I am fully persuaded that the sober discreet wise and godly learned do ne wil not allowe of it that any Authour should be so abused as you haue abused this Authour in wresting belying and peruerting his writings Salonton saith A false record wil make a lye A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished and hee that speaketh lyes shall not escape I pray God open the eyes of your heart that you may see your ignorance and repent You do ground one point of your matter vpon Adrian Gisling a man of credite as you say y he did read in a Duche booke intituled the Glasse of righteousnesse wherein the Authour doth certifie his Familie of Loue that they must passe foure most terrible castels full of combersome enimies before they come to the house of Loue the first is Iohn Caluine the second the Papistes the third Martine Luther the fourth the Anabaptistes howe good of credite so euer Adrian Gisling is of he hath not at any time read any such matter in any of that Authours bookes he might perhaps read of such matter in some other booke hauing that title I my self haue read ouer diuers of the bookes and also the booke called the Glasse of righteousnesse of that Authours writing that you take your occasion against and there is no such Castles written in any of his bookes therfore Adrian Gisling is therein vtterly deceiued and I do beleeue no lesse but those other thinges that you haue written vpon reporte against â— Author to make him odious vnto the people is as contrarie I suppose you should haue done well if you had not come in with a flourish to attempt battell and beginne a skirmish against those that haue no pleasure or delight in warre or battell but much rather doe desire peace vnitie It is not reckoned for a manly part that an armed souldier should take vp weapon and fight with a naked childe It is written Let not him that putteth on his harnesse boast him selfe as he that putteth it off If the little vnarmed childe Dauid doe come to battell with his sling and stones one of the stones may happen to hit Golias in the forhed be he neuer so well appointed for battell and trusteth in his owne strength But what you haue done you can not vndo it is too farre past your hands And where you call in doubt that the familie will carpe as you terme it at your booke and do offer if they do answere it a speedie replie will be performed I for my parte I giue GOD thankes am not ignoraunt of the Lande of strife and contention that ye walke in and as it appeareth ye haue a pleasure therein I haue wandered vppe and downe there ouerlong and consumed much time there about to my greate greefe and sorrowe for those that doe loue strife and contention would haue other like to them selues S. Paule saith The seruants of the Lord must not striue And Saint Iames saith If ye haue bitter enuying and strife in you hearts reioyce not neither be lyars against the trueth and then following where enuie and strife is there is vnstablenes all maner of euill workes In the Homilie for whitsunday the second part ye may read this sentence But to conclude and make an end ye shall briefly take this short lesson where so euer ye finde the spirit of arrogancie and pride the spirit of enuie hatred contention crueltie murther extortion witchcraft Necromancie c. assure your selues that there is the spirite of the diuell and not of GOD albeit they pretend outwardly to the worlde neuer so much holinesse I haue no desire pleasure nor delight to carpe at your booke nor to striue or contend with you or any one neyther is there any other who doe desire peace and vnitie that will haue any delight or pleasure in strife and contention but leaue euery one to the Lorde Salomon saith The sinne of the wicked is his owne snare Saint
that he would be euer with his to the end * of y world â–ª to what purpose haue so many notable men suffered Martyrdome both in the primatiue Church vnder heatheÌ„ Emperors daily do suffer vnder the persecuting and cruell Papists If these haue not suffered for the trueth where shall wee seeke for trueth at thâ— handes of H. N whose doctrine so farre disagreeth from truth as light from darknesse This is a true saying Truth loueth no corners if the doctrine of H. N. be a truth why is it taught in corners Why dare none sâ—ep forth to mainteine the doctrine of H. N. being euery wher spokeÌ„ against why dare none of y Illuâ—inâ—t Elders whiche can not erre nor sinne come before the simple ones in Christes schoole and proue their authours doctrine good by the holy Scripture Their answere is that feare of death doth cause them to bee silent Did Christe or his Apostles so If we perteine vnto Christe Iesus wee must * be like vnto him in suffering that wee may reigne with him beeing called to witnesse the trueth And this is a thing also to be wondred at amongest the Familie that if conference be vrged at their hands they denie it vtterly if disputation be offered they flee from it egerly the reason is their doctrine dareth not abide the light nor the triall of the touchstone If there were nothing else to proue their doctrine false this were sufficient I coulde declare of discentions that are amongst theÌ„ how many of their great Rabbines or Illuminate Elders haue beene plaine Arrians haue recanted at Paules Crosse Also how often they haue altered their opinions as well touching communitie of thinges as diuers other points But because they will lay to my charge that I seeke onely to make them odious to the world I ceasse to speake any further bycause I rest hoping in their conuersion which I beseech the Lorde our God to graunt for his Christes sake There is one other thing which as they affirm moueth them to be silent â–ª because there is no publique Magistrate that will mainteine their doctrine therefore they are constrayned to be still If this be a cause sufficient let the reader iudge Shall a trueth be hidden because no Magistrate will giue it maintenance Certainely if the Apostles had ceassed to preach Christe vntill they had warrant from the Magistrate I thinke many nations had bene yet vnconuerted But I will not let to put them in memorie where they had maintenance of a Magistrate Euen in Munster a citie of Westphalia where Iohn Leyden and Knipper Dolling shewed the fruites and effectes of their doctrine Nothing they taught nor published but that which they affirmed to receiue from God by reuelatioÌ„ What murders â–ª what abhominations they exercised during their reigne and gouernment Iohn Sleydan a man liuing at that time and of good credit hath manifestly published declared And these men were Hollanders and schollers of Dauid George whose disciple your authour H. N. was at that time although now he publish his doctrine in his owne name and saith y he hath receyued the same not by mans ministerie but at y mouth of God whose sound voice he saith he hath heard The Scriptures do teach vs to flie from such men as boast of such vanities that they are taught by reuelation For * Paul when he was conuerted was sent by Christ to Anâ—niâ—s to be instructed * Cornelius was seÌ„t to Peter Almightie God to teach his children vseth always the office ministery of man The Israelits had their Prophets men instructed by God I grant but they had their testimonie of their calling ioyned with their office as a seaâ— badge which was a bold publicatioÌ„ of their message without feare because it was a truth and there was ioyned commonly therewith the working of myracles whiche seales your authour wanteth For neither H. N. nor any that followe that doctrine dare boldly speake what they beleeue * nor render a reason of their faith and hope as the apostle Peter hath written although H. N. calleth himselfe a Prophet and hath intituled a booke called The Prophefie of the spirite of loue in which booke his manifest follie is openly declared as by reading this small treatise thou shalt find The Lord God for his Christes sake open their eies and mollifie their hard and stonie hearts that they may beholde the suttleties conteined in the doctrine of the family and imbrace the ioyfull promises which Christ our Lorde hath set forth to vs in his Gospel and that his Gospel y his Church may be free from such deprauers of Christ Iesus his death and passion so shall we his children reioyce ouer their conuersion and magnifie the name of the Lord our God to whom be praise and dominion now and euer Stephan Bateman to the gentle Reader CHristian Reader consider I pray thee howe from the beginning there hath euer bene such discordaunce founde as hath bred great dissention among the creatures of the worlde for by the wicked the death of the godly hath euer bene hastened And I gather it to be for this cause onely that the absence of suche godly mighte seeme to the froward a peaceable being when not rebuked for their wicked and vngodly liuing they might as it seemed vnto them liue secure to doe what in their eyes and mindes seemed best This subtile engine had Sathan in the beginning when hee stirred Caine to sâ—ay his brother Abell And why because his brothers sacrifice was good and his euill c. Likewise as from a corrupt tree there hath sprong foorth suche sappe by the instigation of Sathan in the members of the vngodly as ambition hypocrisie false religion and suche like that to haue a place of gouernement according to their natures they haue driuen the Churche of Christe by many extremities into out Isles of the world and when by Gods mightie assistaunce they haue for a time inioyed quietnesse yet suchâ— hath bene the malicâ— of the olâ— serâ—â—â—t and his members to beginne againe with â—ew deuised torments to disqviet the peaceable seruice of Christes Church which notwithstanding in spite of that furie hath euer hâ—d stay in one place or other And for the yet hoped time after many attempts they migâ—t get the victorie the diuell to the intent that bâ— domesticall discorde the church of Christ might be throughly shaken as a lâ—ing spirit begate errour errour begate heresie hoâ— euen vnder the visard of hypocrisie to feigne the pure religion by outward resemblance and so in time to bring in his maâ—e Idolatrie that then betwixt theÌ„ both they might in short space hatch superstition practising the Church insteade of the creator to worship not onely the creatures but also idolâ— made by themselues which as soone as euer the true Churche espied beganne to separate themselues from that sâ—lthie broode then came discorde and with him diuision which
diuision increased a worse heresie then before so that the sonnes of the Diuell gate names â–ª as Phariseis Saduceis Esseis Basilides Cerdonistes Valentianistes Marcionistes Appelles Montanus Sabellius Manes Arius Donatus Macedonius Eunomius Pelagius Eutiches which ingeÌ„dered the Pope and Papistes when â—esus Christ his Church was banishâ—â— by the tyrannie of the great murders from Nero to Domitianus and other through persecution After which time yet to vexe the Church a new came in Menandrians Cherinthus Ebionites Nicholaites Saturninus Taâ—â—anus Messaliani Nâ—scoâ—ians Anabaptistes Libertines aâ—d diuers others whose nature not vnlike to Turdus Syluestris by whose â—yling on the Okâ— or fruite trees the Misâ—le groweth so of the doung of these silthie sâ—â—â—es haue proceeded a nâ—wâ— Mergus a cormorant foule the familie of loue an hereticall sect that hath to bring forth a new puritie in religion supped vp the moste part of former errours which except it plâ—ase the Almightie God in the mercies of his Christe our Lorde and Sauiour the sufferance thereof will giue occasion to a newe persecution It behâ—ueth therefore all reuereâ—d Elders Bishoppes and Preachers to seeke at the handes of our souereigne authoritie to redresse the same or else will assuredly followe the like plâ—gue on vs as was at Munster in Germanie by Dauid George Iohn a Leede Kâ—ipper Dolling and others the seede whereof is H. N. Henrie Nicholas nowe of Colone His disciple here in England Christopher Vittel lotner and many moe whom God turn from this and al other errours if it be his wil or else hasten their ouerthrowe from poysoning the simple as yet to be accounted traitours to God hipocrites to the Prince and false Prophetes in seducing the people Thus gentle Reader I haue presumed to enter into this authours booke these fewe wordes to none other ende then to incourage thee to accept his paines that seeketh by his studie and laborious toile thine ease in bringing to lighte that whiche might else haue longer bene hid to the great hurt of this common wealth And now being brought to light giue God the praise to whom he honour and glorie for euer Amen Stephan Bateman professour of diuinitie The life of Dauid George testified by the Magistrates of Basil which was the founder of the heresie of H. N. and the Familie of loue DAVID GEORGE borne in Delphe a towne of Holland taught his errours in the lowe countrie where he dwelled fourtie yeares and fearing to bée espied by the Magistrates departed out of his countrie Anno. 1544. and iournied towards Basil in Zuitzerland with his familie and kinsfolke named himselfe Iohn of bridges When he was come to Basil he made his complaint to diuers of the Magistrats that he was banished out of his natiue countrie for the word of God and was faine to flée from place to place They tooke compassion of him and made petition vnto the Lordes of the towne for him that it would please them to take him and his for poore subiects and inhabiters of their citie They receiued this answere that they would not denie their citie to any honest stranger being of a good true religion His graue yeares sober speach and modest behauiour with his ancient and comely apparell did not a little preuaile that his petition tooke place so that he and al his companie were made frée men of Basil was in good reputation among the people He was liberall in giuing of almes and full of hospitalitie he maried his daughters very worshipfully he was serued in plate and spent liberally for his scholers in the lowe countries made collections for him so that he wanted nothing Eleuen yeres he dwelt in Basil and it was not espied what doctrine he taught Then he built two houses the one for pleasure in a garden the other in the towne one of the houses was by lightening and thunder consumed with fire also in his own dwelling house one loft fel downe and did much harme al these were warnings of Gods displeasure In processe of time one that married his daughter beganne to mistrust his doctrine and when Dauid George vnderstoode thereof he sent for his sonne in lawe and with many persuasions endeuoured to confirme his sonne to beleeue that he was that right Dauid that was sent from God and should restore againe the kingdome of Israel and build the tabernacle of Iacob in the latter dayes whereunto his sonne answered that the restoring of the kingdome of Israel and al other prophesies of Dauid was fulfilled by Christe With which answere Dauid George was veriâ— angrie notwithstanding with gentle wordes he beganne againe to persuade him y if any thing were too high in his bookes that he could not vnderstand he should commit it vnto God from whom such high wisedome did come He writ diuers bookes especially â—â—â— called The wonder booke wherein he taught his damnable errours He dyed the 16. of August 1556. and was buried in the parish Church of S. Leonardes Many of his disciples tooke great thought after he was dead for that he promised vnto them that he should not die but if he did he would rise again within thrée yeares and fulfil all his former promises Diuerse of his disciples and schollers forsooke his heresies after his death and confessed themselues deceiued and acknowledged Dauid George to be a very blasphemer of our sauiour Christ. But certaine would not but conueyed them selues away and infected others The Magistrates of Basil when they vnderstoode of his doctrine and manners they called before them all such as they suspected to holde of Dauid George and searched their houses founde the bookes and letters which he had written and when the Lordes of Basil had all they caused them to recant solemnely in the chiefe Church all such articles as Dauid George had taught them They founde also in Dauid Georges house a picture of Dauid Georges person veriâ— curiously cunningly couÌ„terfet which together with the carcase of Dauid George his bookes letters c. were burned in the Market place his goodes and landes seised to the vse of the town All the rest that were knowne to holâ—e that errour did willingly abiure the same and so were receiued as members of Christes Church Yet did not his heresies cease for diuerse were in Holland that stifly did maintain Dauid Georges heresies and peruerted many among which number was Henrie Nicholas thought to bee chiefe who after the death of Dauid George tooke vpon him to mainteine the same doctrine not in the name of Dauid but in his owne name as a Prophet sent to rebuke the world of sin and iniquitie hath written many books in the Dutch tong in a rude stile which many of his schollers fellowes haue translated into diuers languages his Euangelium Râ—gni is in Latin many also are in a Dutch letter in English translated as is supposed by Christopher Vittell a ioyner dwelling somtime in Southwark who hath by his trudging about
the countrie infected sundrie simple men with this poysoned doctrin snared their minds so corruptly therein that it is harde to plucke out of their heades those vainâ— toyes of H. N. which Vittel hath so déeply impressed in their minds y although they denie publikâ—ly before the worlde yea set their handes against the same doctrine yet they returne againe to their olde opinions as is well séene by many that I could name For it is a Maxima in the Familie to denie before men all their doctrine so that they kéepe the same secrete in their hearts which is impious and vngodly There haue béene many of our Englishe men in Flaunders to conferre with this H. N. their authour of whom in their returne they speake great good of his wisdome of his milde nature of his humilitie and of his patience yea and they vainely boast that he knewe of their secrete messages which they account to be miraculous And when he maketh any mention of the workes which he hath written he calleth them the workes of God and seldome or neuer his workes Certeine pamphlets are newly set foorth as his works The Lord bring such deuices of Sathan to naught preserue his church euermore The life and doings of H. N. testified by certeine of the Dutch Church yet liuing who knew the man were acquainted with him H N. otherwise called Henrie Nicholas borne in Amsterdam a towne in Holland of many was called Henrie of Amsterdam who with his brother Iohn departed from Amsterdam about the yeare of our Lord 1533. when a certeine sturre was in the towne tending to a tumult And these two brethren had prepared money with other furniture to ayd as they pretâ—ded their brethren in Munster a citie of Westphalia who were distressed by a siege of the noble men as you may read in the x. booke of Sleydanes Commentaries although he giue them to name Anabaptistes for they were rife in those dayes yet surely it is probable that Dauid Georges followers were there vnto whom these two brethren did send ayde who being espied by the Magistrates were imprisoned at the last they forsooke the citie and came to Emden a citie of Westfrize land Iohn Nicholas was a brewer by occupation but Henrie was a Mercer and called commonly Henrie of Amsterdam He was a man of a reasonable tall stature somewhat grosse of bodie Hée had a sonne who kept his shop called Iohn Nicholas This Henrie was very braue in his apparell he woulde goe in his crimsen satten doublet euery holy-day Henrie gaue himselfe to writing of bookes which he put in print especially one amongst the rest which was the chiefe called The glasse of righteousnes the lesse for he compiled two bookes of that title wherein he certifieth his Familie of loue that they must passe foure most terrible castels ful of combersome enemies before they come to the house of loue the first is Iohn Caluine the second the Papistes the third Martin Luther the fourth the Anabaptists and passing these daungers they may be of the familie else not this is testified by a man of credite one Adrian Gisling who did read the same in a Dutch booke intituled as afore said There was complaint made vnto the Magistrats wheÌ„ certein of his bookes came abrode that he despised al maner of religion especially those of Caluine and Luther affirming that of all other they were the worst He married his daughter Marie to a yonker when they should come to church Giles Faber minister of Emden did deny her marriage saying vnto Henrie Nicholas that he was a derider of their religion Also Henrie Nicholas had in his house thrée women which went all alike in their apparell the one he affirmed to be his wife the other his sister the thirde his cousin It happened his cousin to be verie sick doubtful of life the neighbours in such a case resorted vnto her and there before diuers of good report the confessed that Henrie Nicholas had abused her bodie and made her beleeue that she should neuer die The neighbours hearing this so odious a matter made complaint vnto maister Brames who was Drosserd of Emden or gouernour he according to his office came to the house to haue apprehended the party but Henrie was fled immediately before The Magistrate seised vpon his goodes and carried it away vnto the castell of Emden and this was in Anno. 1556. Henrie fled to Peusam to a yonker called Hycomanning one of his Familie of Loue and there remained about a yere He was 57. yeres old when these thinges happened It is thought that he went with Granuella to Naples the yere following and the most do verily think that he is dead but our Fami lie in England do beléeue y he is aliue doth still write if it be so by this collection he can not be lesse then 78. yeres old He doth call him selfe Restaurator omnium in the thirtéene Chapter of his Euangeli So did they at Munster intitle a booke and called it The booke of restauration In which booke are conteined diuers horrible heresies which thei held as may appeare by Sleidans Commentaries which I haue here placed that the reader may perceiue howe in many thinges their doctrine in Munster and the Familie in England do agrée Articles taken out of the Booke of restauration which they in Munster held as appeartth by Iohn Sleydan 1 THe time of Restauration is at hande 2 The seate of Dauid which is decaied shall be erected 3 The writings of the Prophets shal be now fulfilled 4 This restauration goeth before the world to come to the intent that all the vngodly being destroyed the house and seate of Iustice might be prepared and beautified 5 The marriage of such as are not lightened with true fayth is polluted and filthie and to be reputed for whoredome 6 Martin Luther and the Byshop of Rome be false prophets but of both Luther is the worse 7 Since the Apostles time the word of God was neuer preached truely nor any iustice vpon earth 8 There are foure prophets whereof two are iust Dauid and Iohn Leyden and two vniust the bishoppe of Rome and Luther Their teachers in Munster were all or the most part Hollanders and Dauid George did then teache his blasphemous doctrine at that time Although Iohn Sleydan doth generally call them Anabaptistes yet it is very probable y these and other of their articles are all one with the familie of Loue for the Anabaptistes doe holde none of these Articles gathered out of the Bookes of H. N. and which are taught by the Familie of Loue. 1 IN primis that H. N. can no more erre or misse the right then Moyses the prophets or Christe and his Apostles 2 Item the Elders are illuminate and Deâ—fied and God in them hominified or become man. 3 Item their illuminate Elders doe not sinne neither actually nor by cogitation 4 Item that they may ioyne with any congregation or Church
liue vnder the obedience of any magistrate be he neuer so wicked or vngodly the Turke the Pope or whosoeuer 5 Item that they allowe a kinde of shrifte worse then Popish For where the Pope requireth but confession of the act coÌ„mitted they will haue the thoughtes manifested and what our nature and inclination draweth vs vnto 6 Item they holde that the lawe of God is possible to be kept of euerie man that will indeuour himselfe thereto 7 Item that their authour H. N. is the true prophet of God sent to blowe the last trumpe of doctrine which shall be published vpon earth he only knoweth the true sence of the holie scripture 8 Item that his bookes are of equall authoritie with the holie scripture and are written with the same spirite 9 Item all is false and lyes whatsoeuer is taught or preached by any other then their Illuminate Elders in the Familie 10 Item they commend the Pope and Cardinals and allowe the Masse other their ceremonies The Bookes of H. N. which I haue seene 1 IN primis the first Epistle of H. N. 2 Item the first and second exhortation of H. N. 3 Item a diologue betweene the father and the sonne 4 Item the prophesie â—â— the spirite of loue 5 Item the published peace vppon earth 6 Item the declaration of the masse 7 Item their Euangelium Regni 8 Item the true and spirituall Tabernacle 9 Item the new and heauenly Ierusalem 10 Item a confession of their faith newly made 11 Item sundrie Epistles of H. N. Bookes which I heare of and haue not seene 1 ITem two bookes intituled the glasse of righteousnesse 2 Item a Booke called the holy Lamb. The displaying of the Familie of Loue. WHen I considered the duetie of a Christian to consist in the true profession of Christ Iesus his name diligently to walke in the pathes and wayes manifested in his word and to séeke to beautifie and inrich that beloued spouse the Church of Christ sanctified by his bloude I could not holde backe my penne to publish such matter as I sée daily to blemishe that beloued bride I meane the Church of Christ and to haue crept in by the subtiltie of Sathan our professed enimy Hauing therefore gathered diuers notes of that cankered error of H. N. taken out of his bookes which I haue to shewe I had thought to haue stayed my hande from further frauell but being vrged by diuers of Gods children to manifest this my labour to the end that some nouices of that errour might if it were possible be stayed from further plunging themselues into that gulfe of impietie How the wicked take occasion by these like errours to speake euil of Christs Church the eares of many godly doe heare Especially the Papists who speak and write â–ª and nothing is heard more common in their mouthes then these tearms Ye are at variaunce amongst your selues no vnitie of doctrine is obserued ye are of diuers opinions and sectes But how vntruely they impute these maters vnto the church of Christ to euerie member of the same Church it is euident For if we consider the wisedome of God in gouerning his we shal perceiue that in all ages when Christes Church did most flourish in perfectioÌ„ then was errour and heresies moste rife as may wel appéere euen in the Apostles times by the Nicolaitans Ebionites Cerinthus and others How busily did the fathers in the primitiue Church withstand such heresies as crept in euen in that happie time Tertullianus the Valentinians Augustine the Donatistes and Athanasâ—â—us the Arrians with infinit mâ— as by reading the Ecclesiasticall histories doeth well appeare Wherein what trauell hath béene taken what counsels called what Books written it were a wonder to behold But when corruption began by litle and litle to spread her selfe and got the face of a Church O how were dissentions appeased no varietie séemed to be where as in déede nothing was taught nor published but dreams deuises of men who leauing the certein and knowen wayes of y Lord reuealed in his word betoke theÌ„selues to depend vpoÌ„ the doctrines of men But if we descend into these last times wherein we liue and marke the wisedome of God in gouerning his Churche how he hath manifested his sonne Christ Iesus with an vncouered face to the great comfort of his children how the doting dreams of men are vanished how nothing but Christ Iesus is lifted vp with prayses as the immediate and only cause of our saluation how the true vse of workes is placed not as any cause but as the fruites of our instification And yet to sée how busily sathan enuying the prosperitie of Christes spouse endeuoureth daily in his meÌ„bers to trouble and disquiet this peaceable Sion by raysing vp diuers strange and monstrous heresies as the Anabaptistes the Free will men the Arrians the Pelagians and the Familie of Loue with many others which heresies the Diuell more bufily soweth nowe to disquiet the Churche then heretofore in y time of ignorance when he lulled the most part of y world in errours and dreames of men And séeing that euerie errour doeth seeke his cloake defence by the holie scripture yet we haue great cause to reioyce that onely by the scripture they are all put to silence and their heresies made manifest to all men as by the learned treatises of many graue men in this our age doeth manifestly appeare Of this last errour of H. N. the cheefe piller and vpholder of these errours of the Familie of Loue whereof by the Lordes assistance I minde to leaue behinde me such notes and bréefes â–ª as of certeintie I haue learned bothe of the person and also of his doctrine no man hitherto that I can learne hath endeuoured to confute them in writing Whose Bookes as they haue come to my hande I haue with diligence perused and by much conference with diuers of that Familie learned the doctrine which they followe And whereas they haue béene charged with diuers articles before the highe commissioners yet by no argument that I can learne doe I finde that they holde all the errours conteined in the same Notwithstanding so many as either by the doctrine of Henrie Nicholas or by conference I haue learned I haue set downe to the ende that some good man might be incouraged to confute so impious an authour and such horrible errours and perfourme in some learned worke that whiche my want and capacitie is not able to supply neither would I haue ventured to committe to writing suche rude and ignorant labour the matter béeing in déede â—etter then the handling but in my opinion it is better to haue course bread then none at all And because diuerse with whome I am familiarly acquainted are fallen into this errour of Henrie Nicholas I haue the rather for their sakes bent my studie to doe them good if it be possible And if these simple notes may haue that successe that I wishe I trust it
stead and office in iudging the children of God saying My iealous conceiuing can not stande otherwise towards thee but that thou art a presumptuous whore and shalt be constrained to drinke the bitter cursed water of my ielousie If these be not Luciferian voyces I am much deceiued then he saith that what the Prophetes Christ haue written that must be fulfilled in him and with him and that all the generations of the earth must submit them selues vnto the mercy seat and godly maiestie which is in him Thus I suppose my coniecture standeth firme where I saide that Dauid George was the hatcher of this heresie and layde the egge but H. N. brought foorth the chickens How wel they agrée in vaunting them selues doth well appeare and that the sonne is farre worse then the father Surely I could well haue spared my penne in writing this and other their wicked opinions with their patrones haue buried it in silence had it not the zeale of the Lordes house carried me so farre that I could not stay vntill I had published suche matter as came to my handes whereby I sawe the glory of Christ Iesus to be so defaced séeing these wicked impes to place them selues so high in the mindes of many simple people here in England it pitieth me to sée them so snared in this bewitched errour A man would thinke that these things are so vaine absurd that none y were in their right wits would once bend their mindes to imbrace the same In déed if I did not know many of theÌ„ and am truely certified by some of the same fellowship that there are in Engand at the least 1000. in diuers partes of this realme which do hold this vain monstruous opinion of H. N. I would not haue traueled any further But eueÌ„ for their sakes who in déede are simply deceiued and not maliciously holde any thing doe I write and if this my labour may by the Lords will conuert any of that fellowship and bring them into the plaine and manifest way whiche Christ Iesus hath left in his word I haue my expected desire There is no one thing in my opinion that hath so much preuailed with this simple sorte which are members and professours of y Familie of Loue as a certeine shew outwarde face of a holy conuersation which some of their illuminate Elders do séeme to vse Wherein they followe the steppes of the Pelagians and Papists directly whose doctrine of works howe by them we are in the fauour of God and accepted doth in diuers treatises manifestly appeare destroying the worke wrought by Christe our Lorde â–ª by whose bloud we are cleansed and by whose stripes we are healed without this faith in Christ all our works be they neuer so godly are méere impietie If he woorke in vs the will and the déede what haue we to boast of workes If we haue nothing which we haue not receiued what fauor with God doth our works purchase If euerlasting life be the frée gift of God what haue our workes to do in that matter of our saluatioÌ„ It standeth not vpon so â—ickle a point as the vncertaintie of our workes but in suche errours they wander which leaue the wholesome precepts of the holy Ghoste reuealed by the scripture and imbrace the doctrins of men It séemeth that the simple truth which by the Scriptures we be taught and the promises of Christe our Lorde made vnto vs doeth not content their curious heads but vainly they wander in euery vncerteine way estéeming H. N. and his sayings expressed in his book to be of no lesse value and credite then the sacred Scripture written for our comforte not as the workes of men but by the finger of GOD euen the holy Ghoste And whereas H. N. doeth boast him self y he can not erre he saith that with the same lying spirite that is in the Pope affirming the selfe same thing As for the Pope it is manifest ynough without proofe But bycause some may thinke that I auouch that of H. N. that is not to be proued I will set downe his wordes as they are written in his booke intituled The prophesie of the spirit of Loue the 13. chapter where you shall perceiue y H. N. doth couple him self with Moses with y Prophets with Christ and his Apostles very presumptuously affirming that he him selfe can no more erre then they His wordes be these H. N. Chap. 13. verse Moyses the Prophetes Christe and his Apostles and his Minister H. N. they iudge to erre or misse the right rather then acknowledge themselues in their imagination to be ignorant and lying In my opinion H. N. in these words doth somewhat ouermatch the Pope for the Pope doth acknowledge that as he is a man he may erre but as he is Christes vicar or deputie vpon earth he can not erre but H. N. without any distinction doth affirme that he can no more erre then Christe or his Apostles And in déede his bookes are thought amongest his disciples to be of equall authoritie with the scripture and they do affirme that they are written with the same spirit But if their bare affirmation may stand for good proofe then indéed it is somwhat they say but the holy ghost hath taught vs another lesson saying beléeue not euery spirite but trie the spirite whether he be of god And that we may rightly discern this H. N. other wise called Henrie Nicholas which taketh vpon him to be that great prophet sent to rebuke the world of sinne hath written his bookes intituling one The prophesie of the spirite of Loue wherin he prophesieth of many thinges to happen to the Church of GOD before this time but God be thanked his wordes are no warrants he is proued a false prophet and since our Sauiour Christe published vnto the world y glad tidings of his glorious gospel to our great comfort the office of prophesying or foretelling of thinges to come hath ceased in Christes Church Many haue risen and taken vpon them to prophesie and foretell thinges to come â–ª but they haue ben counted false prophets euen as H. N. is Christ our Lord did forewarne vs that in the latter times such false prophetes should rise and false Christes and such daungerous dayes that if it were possible the very Elect should be deceiued Blessed be the Lorde our God which by the light he hath giuen his children in the holy scripture hath so instruct vs that the very childreÌ„ babes are able to confute these false techers false prophets And least the Papistes should imagine that this H. N. should be a professor of the Gospell I will declare manifest causes to proue that he is a right chickeÌ„ of the Church of Rome and harboured many yeares by Granuella a Cardinal Howe he extolleth the Pope to be that great Priest of the West howe he openeth the misteries of the Masse in a book intituled A declaration of the masse
the loue of God and Christ farre be that from me it is selfe loue that I discommende in your author and in you all of this family For the loue of God is manifested to vs by Christ our Lorde which is our onely comfort So God loued the worlde c. You loue your authour so wel that this loue of God little appeareth 2 Could any man you say rew the prosperitie of the householde of God except he were of the diuell no verelye If you were of Christs householde we as fellowes woulde imbrace you but straungers from that household ye are and as straungers lurke in corners 3 My foundation you say is against H. N. whom I neuer knewe nor vnderstode off True it is touching his person but by his doctrine he is not vnknowne to me whose bookes I haue to shewe 4 You say as Christ in the reuelation is shadowed by two caracters A. and O. so none can knowe his name except he ouercome in the spirite therefore we must be scilent hereafter for H. N. is not the signification of any mans name This is a great mistery in déede for if H. N. be not a man then haue I vtterly mistaken my selfe but sure the bookes were not written by Angels man was the minister and the man that write them his name is Henrye Nicholas the same mans life I haue truely set downe not hearesayes but the trueth not of enimies but of his neighbours familiers not one man but many they will not onely speake the trueth but are ready vppon their othes to testifie the same 5 Where you iudge that you are suer they are not of the Church of Christ it is very rash Iudgement I coulde testifie of their honest life and manners but it shal be here impertinent You make your comparisons vnequall because Christ by two letters did testifie his maiestie power as god will you admit H. N. by like reason to vse two letters significant In déede I haue â—en aunswered y H. N. signifieth Homo nouus but such follyes will not serue you must of necessitie acknowledge H. N. to be a man as one of our Family at Farnam before the Bishop of Winchester did acknowledge confes him that is to say H. N. not only to be a maÌ„ but also a sinner least you shuld burden me with vntruth as you haue done I will giue you his name R. W. 6 You put me in minde of my impudent dealing in that I haue saide that none of your family dare set forth your doctrine in principles that all men may sée wherein you and we differ you referre me to a little booke called The confession of the Family which booke I haue read but that is very plausible nothing differing from vs If you helde no worse pointes then that booke doth vtter suerly I would come before you al acknowledg my fault and craue pardon but this is a méere mockery of the people to set down your faith common with vs and nothing contrary to vs where as your authour in sundrie places tearmeth vs a diuellish Sinagogue or schoolâ— and that we are not the Church but a harloâ—t If you and we professe one Christ one baptisme one faith why are we seuered in communion but it is a worlde to sée your doings in this matter When any of your family are conueÌ„ted before any officer in Christes Church then you subscribe to any forme you recant in your owne churches you promise neuer to professe H. N. nor his doctrine and yet still after so sollemne protestations you reteine your secrete doctrine which in fewe wordes is not plaine dealing If your doctrine be a trueth why doe you still deny it if the power of God hath shone through H. N. so mightely why doe you not in principles drawe your doctrine that the people of God may sée vppon what groundes and stayes you haue seuered your selfe from vs but you vse the pollicy of the cuttle a fish whose property is to trouble the water that she may not be séene so with your darke speaches misteries you would cast a myst that no man should sée your meaning and then stande vppon your tiptoes and say that your sentences haue such profounde maiestie that our simple grosse capacities cannot comprehend the same Plaine dealing is euer best If we be in error shewe it to vs in what points and for my owne part I wil if you can conuince me by the testimonies of holy scripture yeald vnto you or any 7 What conference I haue had with your family dyuers of your family can tell you 8 You say my disorderly dealing shall appeare in the aunswere to my booke which for my part I shal long looke for for hitherto you haue not set down any one place where in I haue mistaken your author In déede I tooke not vpon me to write against any one booke but to display what absurdities I finde in your authors Doctrine you shall finde that performid or it be long by Maister Knewstubs who hath written a book to confute your Euangelium Regni You apply this text of holy scripture very fondly Christ saith my kingdome is not of this world 9 You aske howe the trueth can be taught where his kingdome is not If you meane by this worde kingdome power maiestie dominion then it is shewed in y world manifested to hys Church But by kingdome the Euangelist doth vnderstande as I take it an outwarde shewe of principalitie which the Iewes looked for to be in their deliuerer or Messias which he denied to be in him which may better appeare in that which followeth For then would my ministers surely fight for me 11. I knowe that Christ chiefly reigneth in his Churche but who are the Church is the question Euery heresie seeketh to shadowe it selfe with the title of the Church but by the life of Gods holy worde they haue béen found heretikes and seducers and yet I neuer hearde of any errour but drewe their doctrine into principles and durst disspute with any in their opinions except one Basilides whiche Eusebius in his 4. booke Chap. 7. maketh mention of who feining sundrie titles of vnknown names of Prophetes to amaze their hearers depending vpon Reuelations and visions amongest other thinges taught this that in time of persecution their faith with periury might bee denied saying Iura periura fideÌ„ prodere noli Now surely if I might without offence compare your dealings with Basilides it shoulde be founde little differing 12 You say that the same doctrine which the Martyrs taught in the primitiue Church H. N. teacheth nowe but wee plainely denie that euer any taught a perfection to bee atteyned vnto in this life to liue not daily committing sinne or that our battell is ended when we be re generat or that any H. N. hath receiued such power of teaching extraordinarie as you imagine For we denie that he hath the spirite of god and say that he teacheth
sufficient to answer for him were they weyed in the balance of equitie You terme the saide Familie simple howe much are they bound to laude the Lorde and to giue him most high thankes and praise that they are simple Moses saith Would God that all the Lordes people could prophesie and that the Lord would put his spirite vpon them So doe I wish from the bottome of my heart that all the Lordes people were simple concerning euill and malice then strife contention enuying backbiting lying persecuting for coÌ„scieÌ„ce cause theft â–ª murder whoredome dronkennesse Idolatrie and such like should not beare so great dominioÌ„ as it doth Is it an odious matter in your eyes to be simple I pray you peruse well these few sentences of Scripture here following The testimonie of the Lorde is pure and giueth wisedome to the simple God thou knowest my simplenesse my faultes are not hid from thee He taketh vp the simple out of the dust lifteth the poore out of the mire The Lorde preserueth the simple When thy worde goeth foorth it giueth light and vnderstanding euen vnto the simple A simple mans wisdome is despised and his wordes are not heard Timely in the morning do they arise to murder the simple and poore Reioyce thou greatly O daughter Sion be glad O daughter Hierusalem for loe thy King commeth vnto thee euen the righteous and Sauiour lowly and simple is he The poore simple sheepe that had a respect vnto me knewe thereby that it was the word of the Lord. You say the zeale of the Lordes house carried you so farre that you could not stay till you had published suche matter as came to your handes I for my part can not so conceiue that it was the Lordes zeale for there coulde not any one deale in such sort vse such spenches in writing as you haue done if he were carried by the zeale that the lord doth require It may rather be gathered that you had such a zeale as Iesus the sonne of Syrach writeth of where he saith Zeale and anger shorten the dayes of life and also There is nothing but wrath zeale fearefulnesse vnquietnesse feare of death ' rigours anger and strife c. But my desire is of the Lorde that he would plant the true zeale in vs all and then the loue v3 to loue God aboue all and our neighbour as our selues shoulde not be so despised and had in contempt with many as it is nowe in these dayes You say that Syr William Moore a worthy Iustice in Surrie had the examination of one or two of the Familie who vttered much matter which you are loth to write and yet in the end of your booke you haue set downe the Articles that were confessed before Syr William Moore the 28. of May 1561. by two of the Familie of loue You would haue it appeare to the readers as though there wer two at one time before a worshipfull Iustice of Peace and one or two at an other time before Syr William Moore and all those confessours were but two parties and one matter as you well knowe for you haue or haue had the written copie of the Articles with the names of those two parties that as it is said were the confessours of the saide Articles before Syr William Moore who was not at that time v3 the 28 of May. 1561. knowne or called by the name of Syr William Moore for he was but an Esquire What false and forged matter is set downe in the saide Articles and that the confessours of them are nor neuer were of the Familie of Loue I leaue to the iudgement of the same two parties and of all those that haue had haue or shall haue the cause in question and will consider of it with indifferencie Concerning the citizen your neighbour whome you doe so often name in your booke to discredit him as much as in you lyeth although you haue nâ— iust cause so to doe I leaue to the iudgement of all those discreet wise sober and honest citizens his neighbors who haue had at any time to deale with him there or else where and also to the discreete wise sober vertuous and godly learned that haue had at any time conference with him I hope you will from hence foorth take heede how you mâ—ke any such attempts to speake or write vpon report nor belye wrest ne peruert any authours writings for lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone What Authour hath written any booke if one shoulde deale therewith as you haue done with this Authours writing but there might be founde many faultes c. To me as I suppose you are vnknown but if I should write what I haue heard of you and of Maister Bateman your furtherer in this your attempt vpon report happily you nor he wold scarse take it in good part It were good and according to the rule of the holy Scripture that all fault finders wold first looke into them selues that it be not saide Hypocrite first cast out the beame out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearely to plucke out the moâ—e that is in thy brothers eye c. I haue presumed to be so bolde as to certifie you my minde touching a fewe pointes of your booke hoping not lesse but you will take this my simple plaine and rude hand writing in good part although it lacke good Methode and doe wish that my time of leasure woulde haue permitted me to certifie you my minde in many other paintes of your booke but for as much as my time wil not serue thereto I am constrained to hold my self coÌ„tented Thus M. Rogers I bid you farwel wishing to you as to my self althogh there be many ways paths walked in of those that do trauell in religion â—reuer the right pathway be found which is to followe Christe Iesus our Sauiour in his footsteps yet I hope our God will in the end bring vs all into the same right path and that our sinnes shall be by and through the death passion and bloudsheading of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ done away and be of the number of those that shall be set on the right hand to whoÌ„ our sauiour Iesus Christ when he coÌ„meth in his glory al the holy Angels with him shal say vnto Com ye blessed childreÌ„ of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world c. to the end I might through the power of the lord be one of the number of the elect haue I had my exercise in the Scriptures And to the end that I might be furtherer in the vnderstanding of the Scriptures I haue read diuers Authors who haue set too their helping hand to the opening of the Scripture so farre foorth as the Lorde gaue them vnderstanding thereof and although some haue in diuers pointes varied in iudgement Salomon saith
Diuers men haue diuers heartes that is Gods woorke to reuenge or redresse the same according to his owne will and pleasure and not to mans To the which kingdome the Lorde bring vs all for his sonne our Lorde Iesus Christes sake Amen Dat. decimo quinto die Decembris An. Domi. 1578. Per me E. R. The aunswere of I. R. to the letter of the Familie of loue written by E. R. I Receiued a letter from you touching my booke wherein you séeme to bée offended for diuers matters For aunswere wherof I refer your in many thinges to my letter sent ad amatorem charitatis You say that I take vp weapon to fight with a naked childe and so sporte your selfe in amplifying the example of Dauid and Goliath but to any article of doctrin which I haue charged you with all there is no mention It were conuenient that you would proue vnto vs such points of doctrine as you hold contrary to vs and not to dally in friuolus and néedelesse matter I haue saide that your author H. N. doth not speake nor write by the spirite of God that your illumined elders are not without sinne that the lawe of God is not possible to be kept c. Unto these matters you aunswere nothing but blott much paper in néedeles probations You giue vs a note that wher the spirite of enuy pride contention crueltie murther c is there is the diuell and not god If I should nowe inlarge this matter and put it ouer vnto you you would thinke me vncharitable For I graunt it to be true and the holy scripture is our grounde our lyne our square without any mans mixture and if H. N. had neuer writ the scriptures are sufficient to vs and the church of Christ hath tasted sufficiently his mercy without him and you had béene in much better case if he had neuer beene borne For alas what doctrine do you hold but that which many heretikes haue helde and haue béene condempned by the Church for the same It is not Christianlike that one man should persecute an other for conscience sake you say but doth it followe that heresies and blasphemyes may be mainteined and no man manifest the same Let vs leaue wrangling and come to the trueth if you holde a truth as I haue often saide why is it hidden and kept secrete If we be in error why do you not through loue charitie manifest the same plainly vnto vs your authors darke and ranging stile which you estéeme misticall doth not sufficiently declare any false doctrine we teach If you striue for a godly and regenerate life certeinly we will with our whole hearts ioyne with you For we acknowledge y our bare confession of Christ with our mouthes is not sufficient Not euery one that saith Lorde Lord c. Yet may the diuell vnder the outwarde cloke of holynesse nourish in our harts many false suggestions there fore the Godly euermore haue had an eye to sathans deceite and in humilitie of spirite haue still bewayled the greatnesse of their sinnes and acknowledged the same which H. N. doth not in any bookes that I haue reade For many standing vppon the securitie of kéeping Gods lawes haue vtterly deceiued themselues The Pharisies boasted of their holynesse and the obseruation of the lawe but Christ reproued them as ypocrits the Manachits the Donatists the Marcionits the Montanists c haue outwardly sought and prescribed to them selues straict rules and seuere obseruances of pietie but yet mainteyned vnder the same blasphemous doctrine and euery heresie set out their holynesse commended their patrons as men hauing the spirit of God mightely working with power And doe not you in like sort affirme H. N. to haue the spirite of God and to haue published his doctrine with much more power then any in these latter dayes Let vs not striue for vaine glory heaping applications of holy scripture without conclusion and so farre from the purpose Let vs content our selues with the glorious name to be called christians and let this tearme Family of Loue goe as a new deuised thing without warrant in holy scripture The householde of faith is mencioned of but not loue Touching this point of doctrine of the possiblitie of kéeping the commaundements I knowe those places of scripture very well and what God requireth but our weakenesse in performing the same appeareth Gen. 6. chapter verse 5. Iob. 25. chapt 5. vers 4. Romanes 4. chapter 20 verse but I delight not in many cotations but how to purpose the holy scriptures are applyed therefore onely I will giue you to consider two places the one of saint Paule in 11. Romaines 32. verse For God hath shutte vp all in vnbeliefe that he might haue mercie on all Galathians 3. chapt verse 22. but the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that belieue But before faith came we were vnder the lawe vntill the faith shoulde after be reuealed Wherefore y lawe was our schoolemaister to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith but after that faith is come we are no longer vnder a schoolemaister I pray you note howe the holy Ghoste teacheth vs not to trust in the perfourmaunce of the lawe For it is such a burthen as wenor our fathers were euer able to beare but includeth vs vnder sinne and the curse of the lawe that the blessinges which by Christes death we obteine through faith we might notably become heires by promise and not by the lawe The Lawe therefore doeth shewe our weakenesse and sendeth vs to Christe who fulfilled it for vs and all his obedience and righteousnesse is ours by imputation we by grace through faith are made heires and not by the déedes of the law yet we reiect it not but with reuerence and feare indeuour our selues to perfourme in euerie pointe what it requireth but still we féele our weakenesse in perfourming the same and therefore flée vnto Christe Iesus in whome we finde rest to our conscience confessing our vnablenesse and infirmitie finding in him strength and habilitie whiche still by faith we apply to our troubled mindes when the iustice of God or the lawe doth by any meanes threaten vs And this is our anchor hold of faith manifested to vs by the scriptures of God to our euerlasting comforte We are taught to say when wee haue done our best Luk. 17. That we are vnprofitable seruaunts Christ is said Act. 13. vers 3. to deliuer vs from all thinges which we could not be iustified by the lawe of Moyses By him euery one that beléeueth is iustified for if saluatiō come by the law Christe died in vaine For it standeth not with the glorie of Christ Iesus that any such perfection shoulde be giuen vs to kéepe the lawe For if by our infirmitie the strength of Christe be made perfecte Cor. Chap. 12. so contrary wise by our perfection Christes death
N. nor his doctrine and yet haue turned to the same againe we do not denye but that some haue beene constrained so to doe and that it is no plaine dealing And I pray you tel mee hath the like matter euer beene heard of ere this tune that simple men who can scarcely reade Englishe because they haue read a booke or heard it read should be compelled to yelde an accompt of the spirite of the author that wrote the same I thinke not except you will allowe by like reason that euery simple man that heareth a doctor preache should be compelled to deliuer forth all his diuinitie or els to be committed to straight prison Learned men dispute with the learned it hath euer yet suffised amongst Gods ministers a simple person to yelde an accompt of his beleefe simply c. were not thinke you playner dealing better you say that wee vse the propertie of the Cuttell c. Do you not remember that the fleshly minded Iewes could not see their Sauiour when he was dayly amongst them yet they boasted verie stoutly of their sight and would not in any case confesse their blindnesse Wee stand not vpon our tiptoes as you say but we dayly acknowlege our blindnesse and waite vpon the Lord for our sight Wee say not that you are in errour but wee say that we haue through that sinfull nature of the fleshe that earthly lying being which hath wrought that disobedience in Adam where through we are all fallen beene bewrapped in all ignorance and blindnesse and for that cause are not ashamed to confesse our errour Wee will not go about to conuince you by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures for that lyeth not in our power neither were wee so dealt withall It is the Lorde by his grace that hath conuinced vs and brought vs vnder his crosse ▪ if he also conuince you then are ye rightly conuinced and so the praise thereof appertayneth onely vnto him And whereas you desire to knowe wherein you haue mistaken the author to that we saye that you haue not set downe any whole sentence but patched peeced the same without all order contrarie to your promise For you say you will not adde nor diminish but set downe the authors wordes worde for worde which you haue done euen as one may take the tenne commaundements and leaue out some wordes thereby say that God commaunded such things as for example Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not committ adulterie c. Leaue out none not and then what is the commaundement If this be good dealing then you haue dealt well let all men iudge You say moreouer you tooke not vppon you to write against any one booke but to display the absurdities you found in the auctors doctrine which wee shall fynde perfourmed ere it be long by master Knewstub who as we suppose shall displaye him selfe therein euen like as you haue in your booke displayed your selfe and your adherents You say we apply this text My kingdome is not of this world c. verie fondly we take his kingdome not to be outward but inward vz. peace righteousnesse and ioy in the spirit which things the world is ignorant of you may expound it at your pleasure though we expressed our minde therein in plaine dealing mought it please you so to take it You say moreouer you knowe that Christ raigneth in his Church but who are the church is the question In deede master Rogers you say verie well and nowe giue vs leaue to vse plaine dealing with you least otherwise we mought happe to slaunder or belye you In your book one leafe before your admonitiō to Christopher Vittell these be your owne wordes Howe H. N. iudgeth of vs because wee acknowledge our selues to be of the Church of Christ. For that cause if thou nowe accompt not thy selfe for an whoore but esteemest thy selfe for the faithfull espowsed wife of Christ c. And nowe for as much as we vse not neither are so taught in the seruice of loue to iudge rashly or vnaduisedly of any people to their reproche like as you haue done of vs let vs intreat you to read in the booke called The prophesie of the spirite of loue the tenth Chapter sect 12. 13. 14. and in the 11. 12. Chapters throughout and then see with an vnparciall eye what manner of Churche that it is which he doth there reproue you shall finde it in deede to be that fleshly wicked nature that lying being which spareth not with his earthly knowledge to set it selfe to iudgement and to giue sentence of the godly matters which he calleth a false seede an adulterous generation of the earthly man which hath inhabited the earth with vnrighteousnesse iudged it falsely with her lyes seduced the simple oppressed the little ones murdered the holy ones of God and spylt the innocent bloud on the earth He calles it moreouer a bronde of the venomous Dragon yea of the diuell and of the earthly lying generation which is begotten of the seede of the Serpent and viperous generation which hath alwayes beene a false and a wicked whoore vppon the earth c. which church you nowe do challenge to your selues and acknowledge your selues as members of the same euen like as wee in times past haue also done Which thing so soone as the Lorde let vs see into then fell wee down before the Lorde and shamed not to confesse our faultes before him as that wee had ouerlong taken parte with that whoorishe nature of the earthly fleshly and sinfull being whome wee do nowe by Gods grace vtterly abhorre hoping dailye by the might of Christe Iesus our Lorde to see her filthie nakednesse in vs and in manye disclosed abhorred and reiected for euer more You desire to knowe of vs the difference betwixt you and vs Could any man tell it more plainly then you in your wordes haue here manifested the same Consider aduisedly of it so shall you not neede henceforth to demaunde of vs any further resolution in that point but must of necessitie if you doe well fall downe before the Lorde and crye with vs Peccauimus cum patribus nostris iniuste egimus iniquitatem fecimus You charge vs vniustly with the errour of Basilides as though wee were forswearers of our selues whereas yet notwithstanding there hath neuer beene proued any such matter against any of that companie or in any of all that authors workes which may well suffise to stop your mouth if trueth will serue to aunswer you And yet I remember that Tindall a learned man and writer in his booke of Obedience writeth these wordes Breake not vp into the consciences of men after the example of Antichristes disciples which compell them eyther to forsweare themselues by the Almightie God and by the holie Gospell of his mercifull promises or to testifie against them selues which abhomination our prelates learned of Caypha◠Math. 26.
dominion in vs it raigneth not in vs we are not seruauntes to sinne this the scripturs teach in many places but that we shall quench it vtterly or subdue if with all the motions thereof the scriptures teach vs no such doctrine being rightly vnderstoode Looke I pray you what that holy vessell saint Paul spake of himselfe after he was regenerate Romaines 7. verse 14. I am carnal sold vnder sinne for I allowe not that which I doe For what I would that doe I not but what I hate that do I. It is not I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me Againe verse 23. I delight in the law of God concerning the inwarde man but I see an other law in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading mee captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members When he entred farre into the consideratiō of this his frailtie he exclaymed said verse 24. A wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me frō the body of this death And in these extreame considerations and battell which we haue with sinne cōtinually euen vntil death make an end saint Paul by the spirite of God doth plainely arme Gods children and sheweth the remedie in like cōflicts saying I thank god through Iesus Christ our Lord c this is brought to passe by him that sinne is not imputed vnto vs But as Dauid saide Blessed is the man whose sinnes are couered And this is wrought only without vs not in vs as you imagine So y our battell is continual and neuer ended in vs vntill we be dissolued and at rest with Christ Iesus contrary to your assertion You sée no cause you say that we shoulde be enimies to so good a doctrine as you professe If your doctrine were good and agréeable to the holy scriptures we woulde embrace it but because it is contrarie there vnto we reiect it To forsake that false sinfull nature with you we simply agrée but with the Poet we say Naturam expellas furca tamen vsque recurret To be at defiance there with and bidde battell against it we agrée but to conquer it to kill it or subdue it vtterly in this life that we deny That God can doe this by his powre in vs we denie not but that he will do it in vs as you affirme the scriptures allowe not of For it standeth not with the glorious office of Christ Iesus that such perfection and such a conquest of sinne should be wrought in vs but that we féeling our miseries our wants our weakenesse◠might sue by peticion in earnest prayer for strength for mercy for deliuery which all the Godly in Christ his church haue euer done For we are neuer nearer vnto our God nor neuer more accepted with him then when we feele sinne as a burthen or loade lye heauely vpon vs nor neuer further of then when by illusion of sathans persuasion we imagin sinne to be quenched or conquered All such as ouercome in the battell you say shall knowe the name written in the white stone mencioned by Iohn You say further that such as haue no lust to ouercome that earthly sinfull nature but haue more lust to take part therewith knowe nothing thereof although they boast of their knowledge or fréedome neuer so much This knowledge therefore you would conclude to be in you and not in vs Your knoweledge we enuie not nor your séeking to serue the Lord vprightly For our whole care studie minde is bent to do the same and we pray you hartely to ioyne your selues to vs that you and we may serue the Lorde our God as he hath commaunded and not H. N. and his precepts Looke into the holy bookes of our God and deale not with the darke riddles of H. N. Set not vp his bookes in your mindes so highly The Scriptures are our comfort and our stay without H. N. He exerciseth a greate Popedome among you You had rather speake and vse his phrases not found in holy scripture then content your selfe with the phrases of the holy Ghost You often mencion these tearmes the lying being the vpright fréedome Godded with God the newest day the louely being of the loue c. Are these to be founde in the holy Scripture or are they not deuised by H. N. to bring admiration to his doctrine by straunge and vnaccustomed speach If the loue of God be in you as you woulde haue vs beléeue it is loue the Lorde Iesus and his holy worde and let H. N. with new tearmes and phrases goe Belieue not that God hath wrought in him any such a worke as you pretend examine his doings and sayings better you wil credit nothing that is spoken against him be it neuer so true you except it as lyes and heresies what soeuer testimony his neighbours famyliers who knewe him long vppon their oth shall affirme but according to your conceiued opinion you like him you imbrace him you onely credit his testimonies dislyking others which if you continue as you begin there is neither hope nor helpe nor conference that can doe you good vntill the Lorde shake away the mist of darknesse which ouer shadoweth your eyes through the doctrine of H. N. that you cannot beholde the bright beames of Christ his glorious gospell Your authors doctrine is not sufficiently knowen vnto some of you the fragments whereof you are but meanly acquited with the secreat part of his purpose I doubt as yet is not extant and more of his works are abroad then are come to your handes therefore for the loue of God looke better into his minde and credite not his bare sayings without warrant of holy scripture neither beléeue that almightie God hath wrought in him any such extraordinary power as is imagined The cause the moued me to write these thinges is a little booke came to my handes of late called Mans falling away his comming againe and Lordlynesse In the first section you shall finde this written worde for word H. N. his words See and marke ye beloued in the beginning when god made al things wel then was the Lorde one Lorde of his kingdome and one God of his workes there was also no more but one God and one man and they were one and had in all one order being and nature for God was all that the man was and man was all that God was Beloued when God looked on the man which he had made according to the like being of his godhed then looked he vpon him selfe as the same clerenesse of his liuing godhed Likewise when the man looked vpon his God his ientle clene vnspotted manhode in all full comlinesse in all honestie fayrenesse in all fashion and being according to the same Godhed so this was al one God the man. I pray you loke into this doctrin whiche your Authour H. N. teacheth examine it by thy holy scriptures and iudge rightly therein whether this can by any colour of
speach be qualified or expoundedsoundly or christianly if you haue not this booke among you I shall be content to sende you either the book or the coppie therof that you may examine your Authours doctrine better For in my opinion this is blasphemie And where you say that the world shall knowe ere it belong what your meaning is therin I am vncertain except you would that these our conferences should be published whiche if it be your mind send me word for I am not ashamed of any thing that I haue written and then lette the children of God in the world iudge where trueth and plaine dealing is then shall appeare the difference of doctrin betwéen vs The Lorde worke his will in vs that in all our actions wee seeke his glory and not our owne praise Amen The 16. of March. 1578. Your friend I. R. A briefe Apologie to the displaying of the Familie IT doth appeare by reading of these discourses that in the familie there are some who to defende their author and his doctrine haue vsed some diligence what clamors they haue vttered against me doth appeare how often they haue charged me with falcifying their Authors sayinges is manifeste howe they doe discredite such testimonie as is produced against H. N. of such as knew the man longe and were his familiers is shewed What vntruethes what slaunderous speaches what raylinge wordes what caueling what wrangling which doeth bewray the familie of what spirite they are and with what spirite they are guided Many friuolous matters I haue not touched as not worth aunswere and many things are but slenderly handled as the nature of a priuate letter which requireth briefenes will permit Of all whiche falsefying and peruerting of their author only they shew one place wherin I collect that H. N. speaketh against the Church which he tearmeth a whore which they affirme is spoken againste the wicked nature of man But whither of vs more truly haue shewed the true sence of the wordes iudge I pray thée Howe they tearme vs frée ones libertines howe they call the doctrine of predestination licencious how they impunge the confidence we haue in Christes death calling it our bragge how they affirme the Lawe possible to be kept and many other such matters doth manifestly by reding these letters appeare Wherby the godly Christian may as time occasion shal serue hauing conference w any in the family sée in what matters these men are captiued so to indeuour to heale y sore now the wound is opened And where as I protested in my preface that I haue dealt truely and faithfully not maliciously and corruptly as I am accused For further proofe hereof I will briefely declare my euidence that the worlde may sée the exclamations they make are friuolous cauilles Touching the storie of Dauid George â–ª it is published by the vniuersitie of Basill in print out of which I haue collected the story truely For H. N. as before I haue shewed the testimony of his neighbours I haue to shewe being a liue and of honest credite in the Duch Church For their doings in Munster I haue shewed my opinion and the reasons that moued me so to thinke Also the articles which they published what coherence agréement they haue with the Family and how the Anabaptistes hold none of the same Althogh I know that Martin Luther Iohn Sleydan and others do call them generally Anabaptists I haue declared the reasons that moued me to thinke the contrary Let euery man credite these things as God shall moue only I cleare my selfe that of malice I haue done herein nothing The other matters are produced 〈…〉 the bookes of H. N. and gathered b◠〈…〉 ference with the family Now tou 〈…〉 〈…〉 the confession which I say two 〈…〉 〈…〉 Familie made before a worshipful Iustice of peace they deny that they were of their Familie but this is certaine the parties are liuing and followers of one Allyne of Woneherst a great companion of Christopher Vittells which Allin died soudenly by the high way going to Farnam to be examined before y bishop of winchester Thus haue I briefly touched the stories which the familie doe discredit Nowe if I mighte vtter my simple coniecture touching the saide Familie with out offence For as much as their beginning was in Englang about the latter end of Quéene Maries rainge when many of our brethren were entred into that gulfe of fréewill teaching that common grace reserued in Adam was appropriate to vs also and likewise certeine Arrians with Pellagians ioyning together found an author for their purpose vnder a newe deuised name of Familie of Loue. What do they teach but the old 〈…〉 ry leuin of such heretiques as were long agoe knowne and condemned and in déede take from them the weapons of the foresayd heretikes and you shall finde them vnarmed and naked and yet vnder a newe visor they woulde not bee noted as any touched with their doctrine but that they are newe matters broched by H. N. onely and not knowen in the worlde vntill now Surely the papistes do not magnifie their pope as the Family do H. N. whose bookes and doctrine may not be discredited neither can he erre For by no meanes can they be brought to acknowledge that H. N. may erre Therfore this newe Pope deludeth the pore Family with his darke spéeches and ranging stile without conclusion wher in they imagine that very diuinely and with such maiestie their authou 〈…〉 written that we simple ones 〈…〉 vnderstand and no mauell for su 〈…〉 doubte he vnderstandeth not him 〈…〉 For if a man will followe his qu 〈…〉 on s of Scriptures whiche hee 〈…〉 downe so thick and so close in the 〈…〉 giue of his bookes and epistles a 〈…〉 meanly excercised in the holy scrip 〈…〉 may well perceiue how farre from the purpose of the holy ghost H. N. hath applied them The Lord of mercie consolatioÌ„ giue theÌ„ the true vnderstanding of thy holy word let not sathan leade the simple shéep out of the waies of the Lorde our god but giue thy people O lord the wit of serpeÌ„ts to beware of sathaÌ„s sutilties who enuying the prosperity of thy gospell setteth himselfe against the same by raysing vp olde sectes vnder newe cloaks so that thy people being preserued vnder thy defence may euermore extol and magnifie thy glorious name and reioyce ouer the conuersion of our brethreÌ„ that they being brought home again into thy folde we may all praise thy â—â—orious name and with one voyce aâ—â—â—inde may cry Veni domine Iesu 〈◊〉 Amen I. R. Matth. 28. Rom. â— â–ª Acts. 9. Actes 10. â— Pee 3. Gene. 4. 6. 7. 8. 9 19. Exod. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14 1â— 20. 32. Num. â—2 Iosu. 1 â— 6 7. 10. Iudith 1 â–ª 5 7. 1â— 1. Reg. 4. 5. 17. 31. 3. Reg. 18. 22. 4. Reg. 1. 2. 17. Psal 1. Rom. 1. Ezech. 37. Dani. 5 3. D. Cooper Cron. Image of both chur ches â—usebius Gesuerus The dung of tâ—eâ—â—d ingâ—dâ—eâ—h the mistle Matâ—â—â—lus Raâ—tholomens Ortuâ—â—anitatis Proph. cap â— diuis 5. Esai 53. Rom. 4. Iohn 3. 16. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. Psal. 14. Actes 4. Mat. 18. By baptisme he mea â–ª neth not the sacrament of Baptisme * which is in him Proph. cap 1. diui 2. Cap. codâ— diui 5. Cap. 3. diuisi 2. Diui. 3. Cap. 13. diui 8. Cap. 19. diui 3 â–ª Diui. 11. Exhort 1. cap â–ª 13. diuisi 11. Ibi. di 12. Exhor 1. cap. 15. di 26. fol. 40 Proph. cap 11. fol. 27. Proph. cap. 13. fol. 27. Exhor cap 11. fol. 44 Dia. cap. 7 fol. 45. Exhort fol 43. cap. 16. Aba 1. a Acts. 13. f Scripture euil applied The opinioÌ„ of the Familie of Loue concerning predestination Rom. 6. a. b. c. c Ephc. 4. â— Collos. 2. b 2. Timo. 2 c. d. Gall. 3. d Iohn a Prou. 14 a b Prou. 19. a c 3. Reg. 20. b. d 1. Reg. 17. f. e 2. Tim. 2. d f Iam. 3. c. g Prou. 29. â— h Gala. 6. â— i Rom. 12. d. k Matt. 11. d l 1. Pet. 2. d. m Matt. 5. â— n Luke 6. c o Matt. 7. b. p Gala. 5. c. q Gala. 6. a. Ephes. 4. a. Thess. 5. b. r Rom. 15. a. s Iam. 5. d. t Prou. 14. â— u Matt. 7. c. x Luke 11. c y Iohn 14. b z Rom. 2. b. a Iames. 1. d b Apo. 22. d c Eccle. 12. â— d Num. 11. g e Psal. 19. b. f Psal. 69. a. g Psa. 113. b h Psal. 116. b i Psal. 119. c k Eccle. 9. d. l Iob. 24. c. m Zach. 9. b n Zach. 11. c. o Eccl. 30. d p Eccl. 40. â— q Apo. 21. c r Matt. 7. â— â–ª s Matt. 25. â— t Prou. â—7 c Prophesie 11. fol. 27. Sect. 1 Sect. 2. Sect. 6. â—â—printed at London by Henrie Middleton for George Byshop