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
THE DISplaying of an horrible secte of grosse and wicked Heretiques naming themselues the Family of Loue with the liues of their Authours and what doctrine they teach in corners Newly set foorth by I. R. Wherevnto is added certeine letters sent from the same Family mainteyning their opinions which Letters are aunswered by the same J. R. IMPRINTED AT London for George Bishop 1579. ¶ The Preface of the Authour to the Reader WHEN I began to write of this doctrine of the Familie of Loue I minded in deed to haue sent it to a friende of mine which is entered into that errour and so to haue made it as a priuate matter betweene vs But when I had shewed the same to certeine of my friendes to haue their iudgement in certeine pointes their importunate suite was that this small treatise might be published in print which request I was loth to grant for diuers causes The chiefe whereof was that Bookes whiche are set foorth vnto the eyes of all the world had need to be circumspectly and diligently examined before thei be made as á glasse for all men to looke vpon For when as there are many beholders there are also many fault finders And in this simple work there are many faultes through ignorance and want of skill committed which I coÌ„fesse not to be done of malice or negligence but in trueth my simple vnlearned capacitie could doe no better The faults are these The rough and harsh stile being rudely and without any good methode set downe because I want the help of those artes which comly aptly couch sentences together whereby the Reader might take the more delectatioÌ„ in reading and perusing of books The order shoud haue bene amended if time would haue suffred but since it is otherwise I beseech thee accept my good will. If any of the familie carpe at this booke because of the rudenesse thereof let them answer it and a reply will speedily be perfourmed wherin their expectation shal be satisfied I dout not by men of godly knowledge and learning In the meane time I wil declare the cause that made me more willing to satisfie my friendes request There are many diligent godly teachers whiche in places conuenient do inuey impugne the doctrine of y Family of Loue yet are not throughly acquainted therwith whereby many in the same family take occasion to exclame against them as slaunderers of their doctrine many also of Gods children hearing the Family of loue spoken against are desirous to know what opinions and doctrine they hold professe Therefore I thought it my dutie which I owe vnto Christes Church as a member thereof to vtter and make manifest vnto all persons what I know touching the Authours and doctrine of the same family And seeing that wee liue amongst so many enimies of Christs Gospell which obiect against vs varietie in opinions it is very requisite that euerie member in Christes Church put too his helping hand to cleanse and purge the Church from such errours and false doctrine as through the malice of Satan daily creepeth in For if we hearing Christe Iesus his death and passion which is our only comfort blemished and darkned by the subtile fetches and persuasions of erronious and wicked men possessed with fantasticall spirites shall not be moued with zeale howe appeareth any loue of God or Christ Iesus in vs or where is become the fruites that should shew a iustifying faith Many that are at case liue securely thinke that this errour will of it selfe vanish decay without stir or gainsaying which saying bewraieth too much their want of y true feare loue of god For if we shall daily heare but our friend euill spoken of and bee still and silent â—hereat what loue or friendship appeareth in vs How much more ought we to bee zealously affected when the glorie of our GOD and the office of Christe Iesus our Lord shal be shadowed and impaired wee sleeping securely without touch or motioÌ„ of true zeale or loue And if we looke into the daily increase of this errour we shall then behold our slouth negligence For in many shires of this our countrie there are meetings conuenticles of this familie of loue and into what number they are grown my heart reweth to speake that which one of the same societie did auouch to me for trueth Therfore it is time to withstand their impious opinions and euerie one according to his charge and office in the Church of Christ to purge and cleanse the same from the dregges and blasphemies of H. N. and his familie And although many errours much false doctrine is taught in the family more then is here expressed which to touch al would require a longer discouerie and a more learned author yet I haue set down for a tast or shew some of their doctrine that the children of God may be armed afore hande and take heede of such impious blasphemies as H. N. teacheth Many Bokes are abrode which I haue not seene and many I haue seene which I could not haue the vse off to reade For except one will be pliant to their doctrine and shew good will thereto he shal hardly get any of their bookes no nor they will not conferre nor talke of any points of their doctrine with any except it be to such as they finde inclined and as they tearme it willingly minded thereto And here I protest that what my pen shall vtter either touching the person of H. N. or his doctrine I malice him not nor his familie I rather pittie theÌ„ their case that so many simple people are by his doctrine seduced and deceiued neither will I auouch any thing which I haue not suffient warrant to proue As touching his person and behauiour I haue the testimonie of diuers ancient persons of good credite of the Dutch church who haue bene acquainted with y same H. N. and haue dwelt together in one citie and in one streete being neere neighbours familiar friendes who haue declared and testified the certeintie of his behauiour demeanour And touching his doctrine I haue vsed this order to set downe the authours owne speech not adding or diminishing any thing with the name of the Book Chapter or follio And whereas I haue directed much speech vnto the Familie the cause is this I haue ben familiar with some of them of long time haue had large discourses and conference with many of theÌ„ therfore if my simple speech vttred by pen may do any of them good I haue that I desire And this hath bene an other cause why more willingly I condescended vnto my friendes request And because H. N. and his family haue protested that the trueth hath no where beene taught in the worlde since the Apostles time but now by the family how vaine this their assertion is in it self appeareth For if truth hath ben hid and buried this 1500. yeares where is become Christes promise
slacke You once did abhorre the Pope as Antichrist and nowe doe imbrace an Authour a right chicken of the Church of Rome who hath opened the mysteries of the Masse and euery trifling toy therein at large in his booke intituled A declaration of the Masse Alas brethren is your faith which once you had in the mercifull promises of Christe Iesus come to this that an obscâ—re man whose person you knowe not and whose books you did neuer vnderstand aright hath stopped that liuely fountaine that did once flow in you Assuredly it is the malice of sathan that hath brought this to passe y you being led out of the way into the bypathes of mans deuices might perish in the same But my hope is that as many of you as pertaine vnto our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesus and are members of the holy communion of Saints shall at the last be brought to sée howe déepe you are fallen and how sore ye haue ben wounded eueÌ„ to death by that deceiuer Christopher Vittell a man borne as it were of purpose for that intent whose erronious spirit the Church of God hath tasted many ways And marke this thing well that man that once is entred into heresies not wel reclaynied is subiect to manifold temptatioÌ„s of our enimie which is well proued in your instructer Vittel who teaching the monstruous opinion of Arrius many yeares together now is possessed with infinite moe errours and is the childe of destruction tenne folde worse then before It is a wonder to sée that men hauing once knowne Christ Iesus do now notwithstanding denie the effect of his office which the doctrine of Henrie Nicholas doth in many pointes and yet is beléeued and imbraced very gréedily of you yea aboue measure It should appear that Christ was not surely fixed in your mindes for if he had no blast of H. N. Vittell nor any could haue separated you from the loue of Christ Iesus Such wandering errours are they subiect vnto that perfectly doe not imbrace our Lord Christ according to his promises manifested and declared in his worde but féede themselues with fantasies and deuices of men yea such men as neuer lerned Christ Iesus truly Such are verified in the scripture Exiére à nobis sed â—on erant de nobis They went out froÌ„ vs but they were not of vs. Euery errour that hath bene in the worlde hath had some patrones and defenders learned and skilfull men in science and arte but this errour of the Familâ—e hath neither Authour nor disciple which are indued with true knowledge or learning For H. N. doth despise such as bring foorth any doctrine out of the learnednesse of the Scripture he saith it is all seducing and lyes that such doe preach or teach yea and it is further auouched by H. N. that none of vs in the Church of God â—an teach the truth of Christ Iesus but only he and such Illuminate Elders as are brought vp in his Familie But as I haue before procéeded it is â—â—uenient that their Authour speak himselfe that the Familie may iudge that I deale indifferently His wordes be these In the prophesie Chap. 8. verse 6. Strangers which walke not with the Familie of Loue or deale falsly therwith tast not of the louely beeing for earthly are all their mindes and thoughtes The Scripturely learned man hath no knowledge of Gods matters hee can not vnderstand any tittle much lesse expounde or interprete the same to others All Scripture appeare to such couered secret in signes and parables neither comprehende they what the same according to the trueth is It is giuen onely to the Familie of Loue to vnderstande the sesecretes thereof Hereby it is manifest that H. N. doeth signifie vnto his Familie that none can speak the truth but he his Elders nor none can vnderstande the scripture but they Upon this persuasion it coÌ„meth to passe y few or none in the Familie doth credite or beléeue any other that teach except H. N. or his Elders How pernitious this matter is if you credite his speach shal appeare And if truth be tied except he be sent If H. N. can proue vnto vs that he is sent of God as he boasteth then he is to be credited but we haue shewed that his voyces are not the voyce of God reuealed to vs by Christe Iesus but méere contrarie therefore by no meanes to be credited For none that is sent by God will teach any doctrine contrarie to that whiche is reuealed in the scripture For we are not to beléeue him although he be an Angel from heauen For H. N. teacheth not Christ but himself extolling him selfe his doctrine and his wisdome which is a token and marke that he is not led by the spirite of God but is puffed vp with the arrogant pride of his minde in boasting maner whiche Gods children did neuer follow For the holie spirite doeth promise to dwell in the man that hath a lowly and humble heart and not in the proud and arrogant person that boasteth himselfe The spirit of God is neuer boasting but in humilitie méekenesse and patience doth set foorth the glory of God christ And because we may better take a â—â—ll vewe of H. N. and his spirite I will set downe his owne words wherby it may be the better discerned of what spirit he is His wordes are these In the preface to his crying voyce Although our cause for a time bee condemned and dispised yet the iust and vpright vnderstanding ones doe prayse and commende our godlie wisedome In the first exhortation Chapter 16. My children and you Familie of Loue giue â—are to me your father liue according to my doctrine that it may goe wel with you take heede to my doctrine and what I doe set foorth and teach that it may be a seale of life a witnes of truth in our heartes For it is your life Eodem libro capitulo If you humble your selues vnto the schoole of grace wherevnto you are called by me H. N. in the house of life and forsake your ignorant knowledge and good thinking then shall yee liue and inherite the peace In the Prophesie Chapter 4. O Ye Caynish ceremonie ministers and ye persecuters murtherers of the Abellishe vpright heartes ye haue falsely iudged the vpright harts as men worthy to be rooted out of the earth If therefore thou ceasse not from thy wicked workes and from thy iudging of God his matters whiche doubtlesse thou vnderstandest not therefore iudgest falsely if thou repent not all the curses of the Lawe shall be executed against thee In the last time the glorious Lordlinesse of the Lorde God shall in vs become manifested and declared in vs fulfilled Here mayst thou discerne H. N. and his boasting spirite howe he commendeth his godly wisedome then how he extolleth his doctrine saying that his doctrine is their life then he promiseth that his Family shall if they giue eare vnto him and his doctrine liue
and inherite the peace He threateneth the ministers of God whome he calleth Caynish persecuters and murtherers that they haue falsely iudged his Family He commandeth them to cease from iudging God his matters saying they vnderstand it not He pronounceth the heauie curses of the lawe against them if they repent noâ— Last of all he telleth that the glorious Lordlinesse of GOD shall in him be manifested declared and fulfilled If H. N. do not shew him selfe naked bare in this his pride I report me to the indifferent view of the Family especially such as are not entred into that gulfe that no truth can be taught by any other then by H. N. and his Elders whether these spéeches procéede from the spirite of God or from the spirite of pride and presumtion Let them indifferently iudge and espie the deceipt where it lurketh namely to discredite all the children of God which teach the Gospel of Christe Iesus and to plant his doctrine and teaching in stead thereof and in déede it is the marke he shooteth at but I hope in vain to al y be Gods children What is this but to take away our comfort in Christes death and promises and to be deceiued with the subtilties of a seduced and erronious spirite and to discredite the Gospel that we might depend vppon H. N. and his doctrine O subtile Satan if thou couldest bring this to passe which thou goest about in thy members then haddest thou thy desire to set vp thy selfe and tread downe the bloud and death of the Lambe of God which hath taken away the sinnes of the worlde But our God hath promised to kéepe vs his children euen as the apple of his eye For as a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him Psalme 103. ver 13. So that Almightie GOD doeth prouide for his childreÌ„s safty from such poisoned infection and suffereth others that willingly will wander out of the plaine wayes of Christ which the Scriptures of God doe point vnto them Of all the errours that euer the diuell did sowe to disturbe the Church of Christ none is more subtile then this y no trueth can be taught by any other then by H. N. and his Illuminate Elders it is false seducing deceiuing what any other do teache Alas why should mortal man be thus lifted vp and take vpon him Christ his office calling for this prerogatiue onely hath Christ Iesus and none other to teache all truth for it is one of his speciall titles I am trueth Whither doth H. N. thrust himselfe by this proud challenge y al truth is only taught by him and his and caÌ„ not be taught by any other sure into Christ his seat office but with Lucifer the Prince of pride he shal be thrown down headlong all such as in their puffed mindes doe exalte themselues aboue their state and condition For of all vice and sinne whiche man doth commit none is more odious in God his sight then pride especially the pride of the minde in the highest degrée as this is to place a vile man in Christ Iesus his office and calling Into suche errours doe they runne whiche content not them selues with the manifest and plaine testimonies of God to vs reuealed in his worde but curiously séeke for nouelties at the hands of mortall men yea vile men and of the worst condition and yet so close they sticke vnto this heresie by the persuasion aforesaide that no trueth can be taught but by H. N. that I feare me the disease is incurable â–ª except the Lord in mercie open their eyes that they may â—spie at the last into what miserable and vile errours and heresies they are snared which they shall neuer doe so long as they holde that principle aforesaide Yet we of the Lordes housholde will not let to do our dueties to admonishe you and shew you the greatnesse and daunger of your backslydinges in charitable manner And although this simple admonition will little preuaile to stirr vp your minds to acknowledge with vs the trueth of Christ Iesus his Gospell yet knowe this vndoubtedly that almighty God hath in his Church men of zealous minds that will not sée Christes glorie so defaced and his Gospel so despised but will in learned manner write against your Family and are able to declare your errours whiche my vnlearned head is not able to bring to passe Although thys will not moue your mindes yet my conscience is quieted in that I haue done my best for your conuersion and discharged my duetie which I owe vnto the Churche of Christ as a member thereof to open and detecte your leaders and teachers which abuse your simplicitie without measure and instruct you that conference is not good that you may professe the doctrin of Henrie Nicholas inwardly and be subiect to the doctrine of the Gospell outwardly whiche in plaine spéech is to dissemble with GOD. For you are obedient to such doctrine as is taught you communicate with vs in Christes sacramentes you heare our teachers expound the scriptures and yet you credite and beléeue onely H. N. and his doctrine taught by Vittell Is not this plaine hypocrisie will God be thus mocked If God be God followe him If Baal be he follow him In Gods trueth we must be of a single minde without halting hypocrites and dissemblers he vtterly abhorreth If Christes Gospell be a trueth as the diuels were driuen to confesse then assuredly H. N. by the same doctrine is manifested to be a lyer and hath not the spirite of God but the spirite of pride in a boasting minde Lift vp your heades and sée in time vnto your health and saluation searche the scripture more diligently and leaue the riddles of H. N. and you shal perceiue more contrariâ—tie in their teaching then I haue expressed you shal rest in the coÌ„fortable promises of Christ our Lord and as for H. N. and his promises what haue we to doe with them let them with their Authour perish in obliuion and be deceiued no more therwith then shall ye féele how swéete the Lorde is and what comfort we haue in Christ Iesus which none can expresse but such as taste thereof féele it working in them selues to immortalitie which comfort is not found in the writinges of any mortall man Knowe this for certaine Lex Domini immaculata conuertens animas The Lawe of the Lorde is a perfect Lawe and conuerteth soules â–ª The lawes preceptes and writings of men are all vnperfecte Why doe ye cleaue vnto H. N. and his Bookes and leaue this perfect lawe of righteousnes which leadeth to life euerlasting If this warning will not serue I shal sorrowe vntil God open your eyes that ye may sée your gréeâ—ous reuolte and into what grinnes and snares of the diuell you are wittingly ledde but my prayer shall not be wanting for you to desire the Lord in mercie for his Christes sake that he will at the last
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
and passion is impaired and lessened Looke therfore into Christes office with a right spirite and you shall sée plainely in him the Lawe to be fulfilled for vs so y what he hath fulfilled y haue we full filled for it is made ours by grace otherwise we caÌ„not kéep the law but by Christ neither are you able to shewe vs any example that any Patriarches Prophetes or Apostles that euer were did euer kéepe the lawe of God in euery point as good requireth Nowe touching the authoritie of S. Ierome I aunswere by Ierome who writing against Pellagius doth shew two maner of perfections the one to be agreable to the vertues of God whiche is voyde of all sinne and here one earth declared in the person of Christ the other which agreth with our frailtie is not pure froÌ„ sin which argueth an impossibilitie to fulfill the lawe otherwise then in the person of christ And in déed almightie God did not coÌ„mand impossible things for somuch as Christ being perfect maÌ„ fulfilled y law for vs which vtterly declareth our weakenes inhabilitie to perfourme the same For if by any other means y wrath of God could haue bene pacified or his lawe satisfied Christ his onely sonne our blessed sauiour and redemer had not neded to haue ben incarnat to become man to work this great effect for vs And surely they the acknowledge our habilitie in perfourming the law do mightilie shake the office death of Christ our Lord leaue in our conscience such a clog as is hardly remoued Dauid demandeth Who can say my hart is cleane again God looked down froÌ„ heauen amoÌ„g the sons of men and ther was not one righteous no not one Many of the fathers did sée our impossibilitie in perfourming the lawe therfore Austen saith al the commauÌ„dements of God are accoÌ„pted to be don when y is pardoned which is vndone To coÌ„clude almighti god neuer giueth such grace to any his childreÌ„ absolutely to fulfill his law but only to Christ by him is that performed It is no derogation to our God in giuing a lawe which we cannot performe but coÌ„mendation in sauing deliuering vs from y law notwithstaÌ„ding our weakenes in performing y same And if we did right ly examine our selues our own conscience doth wel verifie the same but sathaÌ„ is an enemy heretoo the he might by pride puffe vp our minds with a vain imagination the we are able to do performe y which God in his law requireth so to perswade our minds thereby the Christs death doth smally auaile or help vs here in But of this argument this is sufficient y Godly learned are able to say much more if you require herein to be satisfied The Lord direct our minds into the way of truth let thy people O-Lord not be ledde into error by sathans practise Then Lord giue vs al humble minds Amen This aunswere is to E. R. Your friend I. R. An other letter of the familie conteyning a Reply to the aunswer of I. R. to their first letter WE haue receiued a Letter from you maister Rogers dated the 29 of Ianuarie as an aunswer to a former letter which came to your handes wherein you say was manie inuectiues against your booke as also verie manie contumelious and slaunderous speches touching your honestie c. wherevnto wee aunswere breefely he is honest that honestly doth But wee vse no disdainfull speeches sauouring of enuie and not of loue like as you vnrightly report of vs we charge you not but we saye your allegation concerning Christopher Vittell is vntrue as my lord of Caunterburie that now is can witnesse and therefore say wee looke well to your weightes measures and wares from henceforth The contents of your booke disquieteth not our moode your cause is surely dishonest then what honestie wee aske can proceede thereout but yet wee hope you haue done it all out of ignorance and therefore worthie of lesse reprehention And in that you haue reprehended the loue of God and Christ we haue not therein mystaken you at all for were the loue of God and Christ manifested in you like as you saye it is vnto you then could you not verely haue so impudently in the face of all the worlde â–ª belyed and slaundered your poore neighbours as you haue done who neuer did you harme You say if we were of God and Christes houshold you and we were fellowes and you would embrace vs but you call vs strangers of the housholde and as straungers lurke in corners c. we aunswere of such an houshold as you haue challenged to your selues wee are straungers and the feare of your rigorous dealings hath in deede made some of vs to flye lurke in corners we say still your foundation is against one H. N. whome you neuer knewe nor rightly vnderstood of and you answer that his doctrine is not vnknowen vnto you whose bookes ye haue to shewe Wee wish it were euen so And whereas the name of Christ is shadowed by two carecters A. O. euen so we haue heard that there is some meaning more then you or wee can well tell in these two carecters H. N. Notwithstanding if any man become so captious as to gather and report therevpon that we should therefore denye any outward man or creature he doth not onely mistake vs but also in reporting the same againe to others slaunder vs therein verie much You say you haue truely set downe the same mans life not hear-sayes but the trueth c. whome yet you confesse you neuer knewe then it can be nothing but hearesayes that you write And you saye that the reporters are honest and of Christes church To which we say againe that those of Christes church occupie not their mouthes with vntruethes albeit then they stand neuer so well liked of you or any other for wee knowe that they say not truely And wheras wee haue set downe the true principles of our faith and religion in a breefe rehersall which ye confesse to be sound and good yet because that agreeth not to your minde in that we confesse not somwhat therein whereby ye might haue your slaunders verified against vs which ye looke for by our own confession it is you say plaâ—sible and mockerie See into your disposition if we would accuse our selues albeit falsly with any matter that you accept gladly but if we in trueth simplenesse aunswere for our selues that ye reieâ—t vtterly Oh what nature that good is would so seeke to hurt his brethren And further ye saye that the auctor of those bookes termeth you a diuellish Sinagogâ—e or scoole and that you are not the churche but an harlot and if you and wee say you professe one baptisme one Christ one faith c. why are we scuered in Comunion Of this matter we will speake here following And where you saye that certeine of our familie haue been conuinced subscribed and recanted and haue promised neuermore to professe H.