loue raised-up the gracious word according to his promises and elected H.N. thereto for to minister the same c. (c) H. N Prouerbs c. 1. §. 6. And in this Prouerbs againe Through which gracious word and N.N. God reuealed sayth he the appearing of the comming of Christ and the newe day of his righteous iudgement as also the flowing foorth of his holy Spirit of loue to the awaking and raising vp of all his holy-ones out of sleepe to their glorious Lordliness with Iesus Christ and to an euerlasting fast-standing Kingdome of the godly Maiestie vpon earth according to his promises (d) Ibid. §. 17. And afterward Thus hath God declared with H.N. the eight thorough-breaking of his true light vpoÌ„ the earth wherein the Lord the God of heauen restered the former Kingdome with his garnishing together with all that which God hath spoken from the beginning of the World through the mouth of his holy Prophets c. (e) Ibid. §. 18. In his exhortation God hath illuminated him he saith with his light for to illuminate or giue light to them that dwell yet in darknesse vpon the earth (f) 1. Exhor c. 19 §. 8. And finally in his first Epistle All people are called and friendly bidden through H. N. to the repentance for their sinne c. Not alone with his calling but also with all the Scriptures heauenly Testimonies and spirituall voyces of the Eternall Truth which are gone forth from the holy spirit of loue and brought to light through H. N. (g) 1. Epist or Cri. vâ—â—ce c. 1. § 1. And why all this but to the ende that as himselfe aduiseth the young ones in the Family should not distrust nor suspect any manner of euill or vnwisedome by him nor yet in any wise perswade themselues that the Exercises Documents and instructions which are taught or set forth before them by him the Father of the Family of Loue or oldest elder are too childish or too vnwise for the to follow after (h) 1. Exhort c. 13. §. 11. But the childe of God must alwaies haue in remembrance that many false Prophets are gone into the world and therfore is not to belieue whatsoeuer is affirmed but trie the spirits whether they are of God Because men receiue not the loue of the truth that they may be saued God will send them strong delusion that they shall belieue lies that they may be daÌ„ned which belieued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse (i) 2. Thes 2. V. 10.11 The more H. N. boasteth of himself that he is illuminated from aboue the lesse is he to be credited the more to be suspected Let him proue his preparation his election vocation and generall Apostleship from Gods word which he shall neuer doe or let him be accursed yet a because he arrogateth to himselfe the diuine nature and most heretically and blasphemously auoucheth that whatsoeuer the Prophets haue foretold are fulfilled in him and the like and all this to the end that his idle reuelations cloaked vnder his Loue-seruice may the more slily enter into the mindes of wel willing and good meaning people hold him and all that hold with and applaud him and his fanaticall speculations euermore accursed The Family of Loue. O Out of which Seruice or writings we be taught all dutiful obedience * Vntrue towards God and Magistrates The seruice of Loue. and to liue a godly and honest life and to loue God aboue all things and our neighbours as our selues agreeing therein with all the holy Scriptures as wee vnderstand them The Examination ALL this tendeth to the raising vp of credit to H. N. his writings which sheweth of what spirit these men are In their Courtly deuise inscribed vnto the last Earle of Lecester they let not to say that were all the books of H. N. rightly considered of with indifferencie so should they be found Assistants in all to the Religion established in the Church of England and no hinderers Here I take which they grant that the holy Scriptures teach all these things next that the religion established in the Church of England is sound and euery way good and true But that the Seruice of Loue the writings of H. N. truly indeed so teach as they would beare his Maiestie in hand I cannot thinke for diuers reasons 1. They hold That neither before nor without their most holy Seruice of Loue c. the true light hath not been set forth ministred nor taught that there shal likewise no other light nor cleerenes that can be true appeare nor yet come hereafter but the light of loue (a) H. N. 1. â—r doct c. 16. §. 10 which is the new doctrine deuised by H. N. that we so condemne 2. They teach that it is assuredly al false lies seducing deceitful that the vngodly or vnilluminated Men out of the imaginatioÌ„ or riches of their own knowledge out of their learnednesse of the Scriptures bring forth institute and teach (b) Ibid. §. 17. Then is not H. N. his doctrine Seruice of Loue grouÌ„ded vpon the written word of God but vpon I know not what visions Anabaptisticall reuelations and therefore to be held most execrable Thirdly they say There is nothing more needfull to the man at the first where-to enter into life then that he humble himself vnder the obedience of loue meaning the instructions of H. N. so become taught in the Seruice of Loue for to vnlearne againe al what he hath taken on and learned to himselfe (c) Spir. land c. 56 §. 7. which counsayle of vnlearning is rife and euery where as it were the first thing deliuered to the Nouices in the Loues seruice (d) H. N. exhort c. 13. §. 9. Cri. voice c. 1. §. 7. which manifesteth their religion to be newe and singular when the doctrine in our Churches taught and embraced must all be vnlearned and abhominable and corrupt for the entertaining of theirs which they vaunt to be celestiall Fourthly because they may not talke of their secrets either yet vtter their mysteries opeÌ„ly or nakedly in the hearing of their young children disciples (e) H. N. Prouerbs c. 22. §. 15. that is as H. N. sayth til they haue attained the age of 30 yeares and are come to their manly age and haue beardes (f) Ibid. c. 21. §. 1. They might and would talke of their secrets might their exercises and mysteries abide the hearing of godly modest persons as Gods holy word and our doctrine deriued from the sacred Scriptures will Last of al because the Seruice of Loue and books of H. N. so and none otherwise make to the aduancement of godlinesse and furtherance of virtue then they vnderstand the Scriptures And indeed the make od interpretations of Gods word turning light into darkenesse truth into falsehood histories into allegories and sound religion into fancies of men But as others
GOD and man in one person but commonly with him hee is an allegoricall CHRIST meant either by the Sabbaoth day which the Lord commaunded to be alwayes had in remembrance (h) H. N. Enang cap. 13. §. 2. 2 Document-sent c. 3. §. 4. or by the Seruice or doctrine of H. N. which also is CHRIST after the flesh (i) Exhort c. 14. §. 1. as hee vnderstandeth the Scriptures or by the vertuous qualities and Being in godly men (k) Enang c. 13. §. 16. 1. Exhort c. 1 §. 24.25 ca. 20. §. 5. or by the oldest Elder in the Familie which sometimes was H. N. and is now one man now another (l) Euang. c. 31. §. 12.14.16 An obedient and godly life is Christ Iesus saith the Exile (m) Patterne of pres Temps And so are men saued by the doctrine of this Familie either by their owne workes or vertues or by their Oldest Elders or by the doctrine of H N or Seruice of Loue or by the holie Rest but neuer by our Christ acknowledged in the Church of England Thus haue yee the ende of H. N. his writinges suitable certes vnto his method and doctrine for which he is so renowned but to their small comfort and credit among the Familistes The Familie of Loue. NOtwithstanding deare Soueraigne yet hath the said Author and his doctrine a lone time and stillis The Families complaint most shamefully and falsely slandered by our foresaide aduersaries both in this Land and in diuers others as to be replenished with all manner of damnable errors and filthie libertie of the flesh The Examination AFter a long and lothsome narration they come now to a new complaint and that still on the behalfe of their H. N. and his disciples It is not yet an hundred yeares since the said author was borne nor 60. yeares since his doctrine came first to light and was broched nor 50. yeares yet since it arriued in this realme a blessed thing had it beene for many a Christian soule had either H. N. neuer breathed or his doctrine neuer beene hatched But how many yeares soeuer haue passed since his opinions and mysteries came to light if hitherto they bee all knowen through the goodnesse of God yet there is not one of al the Churches Protestant and reformed that fauoureth but all bid open and vtter defiance to H. N. his bookes and errors H. N. himselfe in his life time much complained that all degrees in all Lands abhorred his writings (a) H.N. 1. refrein §. 4. In this Land both H.N. and his lothsome which he calleth Louely Familie of Loue haue beene displaied once confuted often resisted alwayes but shamefully and falsely slandered either by forraine or home-writers it was neuer that hetherto I could heare and so must I thinke till I see the extant writings against them conuicted of vntruthes and disproued as slanderous That H.N. his bookes are replenished with damnable errors it will be iustified and hath alreadie in this examination and else where beene manifested The Familie of Loue. AND wee his wel-willers and fauourers in the vpright drift of his doctrine as aforesaid haue also been by them complained on and accused vnto our late gracious Soueraigne the Magistrates of this Land both long time past and nowe lately againe as to bee a people so infected and stained with all manner of detestable wickednesse and errors that are not worthie to liue vpon the earth but yet would neuer present any of his bookes vnto his Maiestie to peruse nor yet set them forth in any indifferent or true manner to the viewe of the world least their malitious and slanderous reportes and accusations against the same and vs should thereby haue beene reuealed and disproued to their great shame The Examniation NOw complaine they of iniuries offered to themselues The verie drift of H.N. is to thwart or discredit rather whatsoeuer is taught in the Church of England and else-where from the letter of the holy Scriptures and to bring in another Gospell viz. after H. N. Such as are the wil-willers and fauourers of H.N. in the said his drift as the Familists here confesse themselues to be not only deserue to bee complained vppon and accused vnto authoritie but to bee accursed of God and man if they persist in their wicked course as a people infected with most detestable wickednesse and errors and the verie plague and bane of sound religion And those men which haue acquainted authoritie with their errors and impieties haue done good seruice therin and their bounden duties both vnto God his Church and the State Whether any of H. H. his bookes haue beene presented vnto our late most gratious Soueraigne of aie blessed memorie I cannot say but I surely coniecture that shee could not be ignorant of the contents of his writinges when the Lords of her Counsaile as afore hath beene declared censured some of her house-hold seruants for abbetting H. N. and his detestable heresies They which againe doe say that their aduersaries would neuer present any of H. N. his bookes vnto her Maiestie to peruse say more then they can affirme yea which is palpably vntrue For who abhorreth H. N. his bookes or H.N. rather for his hereticall blasphemies but euer were desirous that his said errors contained in his books might in his said bookes be read of her Maiestie that by her authoritie the better they and al such as fauour those bookes containing such errors might condignely be censured When these Familistes dare tell his Maiestie that their aduersaries would neuer present H. N. his bookes nor any of them vnto her Highnesse it appeareth they herein saying true that she had alwayes about her some Familistes or fauourers of that Sect who alwaies related or bare tidinges what was donne or intended against them It is wished that his nowe Maiesties Court were purged from such well willers and fauourers of H. N. in the maine drift of his hellish hereticall doctrine where-with her Maiesties was but too-much replenished How H. N. his bookes by their aduersaries haue beene set-forth the worlde may iudge 26. yeares haue they beene extant a sufficient time for the Familie both to iustifie their H. N. and to discouer the malice slanderous reports of their accusers if there were iust cause Hitherto haue the Familistes beene silent and yet are both confident in their wicked courses not ashamed to expresse so much before his most-Christian and royall Maiestie The Familie of Loue. THrough which their most-odious false complaints against vs the Magistrates did then A new and odious narration and also haue now lately cast diuers of vs into prison to our great hinderance and discredite but yet haue neuer proued against vs by sufficient and true testimonie any one of their many foule accusations as the records in such cases and the magistrates that haue dealt therein can testific but are so vtterly voide of due and lawfull proofe thereof that they
the word the square of their conscience I protest before the great God and since I am here as vpon my Testament it is no place for me to lye in that ye shall neuer find with any Hie-land or border theeues greater ingratitude and moe vile lies and periuries then with these Phanatick spirits And suffer not the principals of them to brooke your land if you like to sit at rest except ye would keepe them for trying your patience as Socrates did an euill wife And for preseruatiue against their poison entertaine and aduance the godly learned and modest men of the Ministrie whom of God be praysed there lacketh not a sufficient nomber and by their promotion to Bishoprickes and benefices annulling that vile acte of Annexation if ye finde it not done to your hand ye shal not only bannish their conceited paritie whereof I haue spoken and their other imaginary groundes which can neither stand with the order of the Church nor the peace of a Common-weale and well ruled monarchie but also shall ye reestablish the old institution of the three Estates in parliament which can no otherwise be done But in this I hope if God spare me dayes to make you a faire entrie alwayes where I leaue followe you my steps And to end my aduise anent the Church estate cherish no man more then a good Pastor hate no man more then a proude Puritane c. These and the like wordes describing the humours of Puritanes and rash headie Preachers which thinke it their honour as his sayd Maiestie in his preface to the sayde booke doth say to contend with Kings and perturbe whole Kingdomes were verie offensiuely taken of the Puritan faction in Scotland against which they were vttered made them to suspect or at least in reuenge of the censure to call his Highnesse profession into question among themselues and to make others doubtfull whether his Maiestie so sincerely fauoured the religion in Scotland established as he did pretend And albeit the whole instruction especially the first booke therof and these words of his Maiesty aboue mentioned in the second booke Entertaine and aduance the godly learned and modest men of the Ministerie whom-of God be praysed there lacketh not a sufficient number And againe Cherish no man more then a good Pastor reuealeth sufficiently the sound and zealous affection that his Maiestie beareth vnto true Religion and may and do satisfie all indifferent men yet if possible it were that no scruple might rest in the minde of any men his Highnesse voluntarily and in ample wordes and fully further explaned his very inwarde conceites of the faction mentioned First then sayth his Maiestie as to the name of Puritans Who Puritans I am not ignorant that the stile therof doth properly belong onely to that vile secte amongst the Anchaptisus called the Family of Loue because they thinke themselus onely pure and in a manner without sinne the onely true Church and onely worthy to bee participant of the Sacraments and all the rest of the World to be but abhomination in the sight of God Of this speciall Secte I principally meane where I speake of Puritanes diuers of them as Browne Penry and others hauing at sundrie times come in Scotland to sowe their popple amongst vs and from my heart I wish they had lefte no schollers behinde them who by their fruits will in the owne time be manifested and partly indeed I giue this stile to such braine-sicke and headie Preachers their disciples and followers as refusing to be called of that Secte yet participate too much with their humours in maintaining the aboue mentioned errors not onely agreeing with the generall rule of Anabaptists in contempt of the ciuill Magistrate and in leaning to their owne dreames and reuelations and particularly with this Secte in accounting all men prophane that sweares not to all their fantasies in making for euery particular question of the policie of the Church as great commotion as if the article of the Trinitie were called in controuersie in making the Scripture to be ruled by their conscience and not their conscience by the Scripture and he that denies the lest iot of their grounds Sit tibi tanquā Ethnicus Publicanus not worthy to enioy the benefit of breathing much lesse to participate with them of the Sacraments and before that any of their grounds be impugned let King people law and all be trode vnder foot Such holy warres are to be preferred to an vngodly peace no in such cases Christian Princes are not onely to be resisted vnto but not to be prayed for For Prayer must come of Fayth and it is reueiled to their conscience that God will heare no prayer for such a Prince Iudge then Christian Reader sayth his Highnesse if I wrong this sort of people in giuing them the stile of that Secte whose errors they imitate and since they are contented to weare their liuerie let them not be ashamed to borrow also their name Whō his Masty meaneth by Puritans in his Booke It is only of this kind of men that in this booke I write so sharpely and whome I wish my Son to punish in case they refuse to obey the lawe and will not cease to stir vp a rebellion whom against I haue writtē the more bitterly in respect of diuers famous Libels and iniurious speeches spread by some of them not onely dishonorably inuectiue against all Christian Princes but euen reproachfull to our profession Religiō in respect they are come out vnder colour therof c. So more to his Maiestie which I would the Family had fully and at large set downe For then it would appeare that his Maiestie most iudiciously speaketh of Puritanes The kindes of Puritanes distinguishing them into two ranks Sects sorts principal lesse principal the principall he sayth properly called Puritans are a vile Sect of the Anabaptists called the Family of Loue with whom in certain main points both Browne Peury and others do conioyne the lesse principall are certaine brain-sicke heady Preachers the disciples followers of Browne Penry and others in their fantasticall conceipts and rebellious complottings I dare say affirm his Maiesty taketh not the Family of Loue to be simply Anabaptists nor the Brownists such like to be simply Familists nor the brain-sicke Preachers and their dependants to be simply Brownists but insome respects wherin they do all concur It is onely of this later kind of men viz. the disciples of Brown Penry such like that in his booke his Maiesty writeth so sharpely and whome he wisheth his Son to punish in case they refuse to obey the law will not cease to stir vp rebellion And yet his Maiesty taketh the Family of Loue to be Puritanes and the chiefest Puritanes and properly though not the only Puritans and a vile Sect among the Annabaptists albeit happily they do vtterly disclaime and detest both the rebellious actions of the braine-sicke Preachers
which with Him is Gods vnto his obedient Man H. N. And Godding the same with Him He hath manned him with the same and his will is that nowe in the last time through the seruice of Loue all people or generations of Men which are good-Willing to his Righteousnesse should assemble them vnto Him and his godded Man and euen so likewise with them all that is manly To the ende that they all should become of one Being with him and his Godded man and so bee all named Gods and Children of the most-highest Here is hee deified and made a God Is this fellowe and his writings to bee commended and that vnto a most religious King or not rather to bee abhorred and all that praise him both of Prince and people The Family of Loue. BVt doth * The conteÌ„ts H. N. his writings onely shewe in particular in his sayd wrightings as sayth he the vnpartiall Seruice of Loue requireth what is good or euill for euery one and wherein the man hath right or wrong in any point whether it be in the state of his soule towards God Most false Vide responsum or in the state of his body towardes the Magistrates of the world and towardes one another The Examination AS earst for the manner so heere haue we H. N. extolled for the doctrine and matter by him deliuered But as afore Against the doctrine of H. N. speaking to the purpose which heere they do they say the seruice writings of H. N. taught them all dutiful obedience towards God Magistrates c. agreeing therin with the holy Scriptures as they vnderstaÌ„d theÌ„ that is in that sense and meaning none otherwise which they giue of the Scriptures so in this place they say of H. N. that hee doth onely shew in generall in his writings what is good or euill for euery one and wherein the man hath right or wrong in any point c. but it is not as the holy Scripture in the natiue sense thereof without the Families partiall interpretations and glosses but as the vnpartiall than which nothing is more partiall seruice of Loue requireth Wee cannot therefore well vnderstand what is the godlinesse and iustice which H. N. in his writings dooth promote vnlesse we first know what this their Seruice of Loue heere mentioned is The vnpartial Seruice of Loue in this place mentioned is the religion principles and spirituall exercises of H. N. or his illuminate Elders in the Family of Loue. For the right conceiuing whereof we are to obserue how according to H. N. his doctrine there be eight thorough-breakings which is H. N. his word or Reuelations of Goods true light vnto mankindes H.N. Prouerbs Ch. §. 3.12 the first was to Adam held till Noe the second from Noe till Abraham the third from Abraham till Moses the fourth from Moses till Samuel Dauid and Salomon the first form them till Zorobabel the sixt from Zorobabel till CHRIST the seuenth from CHRIST till H. N. in whose dayes the Lord out of his mercifull loue raised vp the gracious word according to his promises and elected H. N. thereto if you will beliue him for to minister the same vnder the obedience of his loue to the erecting or restoring of his true sanctuarie and of the true offering and God seruice in the same Through which gracious word H. N. God reuealed sayth H. N. the appearing of the comming of his Christ and the newe day of his righteous iudgement ☞ as also the Flowing forth of his holy Spirit of loue to the awaking Rising vp of all his Holy-ones out of the sleep to the glorious Lordlinesse with Iesus Christ to an euerlasting fast-standing kingdome of the godly Maiestie vpon the eaâ—â— according to his promises Euen thus hath God declared sayth H. N. with H. N. the eight thorough-breaking of his true light vpon the earth wheein the Lord the God of Heauen restored the former kingdome with his garnishing together with all that which God hath spoken froÌ„ the beginning of the world through the mouth of his holy Prophets ☜ and of the Euangelistes of his Christ and the same eight thorough-breaking of the true light of God vpon the earth is the newe day to therenewing of the life which God hath tofore appointed to reueile the same in the last time for to iudge in the same the vniuersall Earth with righteousnesse to the condemnation of all the enimies of God and Christ together with all the enemies of the godly life and blasphemers of his holy Spirit and seruice of Loue and to the erecting of his vpright Sanctuarie the seat of his Maiestie and the vpright gouernment of his holy ones vnder the obedience of his loue vpon the earth and also for to declare euen so vpon the earth in the same true light of the newe or eight day the mysteries of God and Christ euen from the beginning of the world till vnto the end All these bee the verie words of H. N. touching his mysteries (b) Ibid. §. 16.17.18 the reuelation whereof by him vnto the elders and by them vnto the yong ones in the Family is by him called The seruice or ministration of the Loue. Of which light and seruice wonderfull things are beleeued by the Family I will onely cite a place shewing their conceipt of the seruice here mentioned I foretell you assuredly sayth Fidelitas that the abhominations of the wicked world haue therefore a circumspect consideration hereon O ye children of men shall break in among you and ye shall likewise be vehemently assaulted therewith Neuerthelesse if you holde you firmely to the requiring of the gracious word and his Seruice of Loue ye shall then be deliuered from the wicked assaultings which come against you out of the Abhominations of the wicked world and out of the falsehood of our Resisters and inherit the Crowne of the eternall life and the true anointing of the ioifull oyle of the holy Spirit of the Loue of Iesu Christ and euen so find by experience that our God of Loue is the true God and that we his obedient CoÌ„munaltie of the Loue are his acceptable people and that they also which bide estranged from the same God as also remaine without vs and our CoÌ„munaltie and without the requiring of the gracious word and his Serurce of Loue or withdraw themselues therefrom haue no liuing God nor yet true God seruice but are without God and without God seruice in this world For our God of Loue 〈◊〉 the true liuing God and besides him there is no God more and his God seruice of Loue which we minister vnder the obedience of his Loue is the true safe-making God seruice and besides the same there is not any God seruice more neither in heauen nor yet in earth Hitherto Fidelitas (c) Distinct. declar §. 1 c. 11. From which place of H. N. and Fidelitas note Christian Reader that their words vnto his