trueth they seeke but singularitye For although in other matters there be difference opinions yet in maâs election saluation redemption and regeneâation being the pillers and foundations of our fayth whosoeuer erreth herein cannot be saued I am also Christian reader to desire thee to amend and correct with thy pen certaine faultes escaped in this treaâise by the Printer and to amend the sence of some sentences being not rightly poynted which I refer vnto thy learned Iudgement The Lord our God blesse thee and grauÌt vs his holy spirite that we may persist and abide in the vnitye of his holy Church and patiently abide the Lord his leasure in rooting out errors and heresies which disquiet thy little flocke They are exercises of our fayth but yet blockes whereat the wicked stumble and hinderaunces of many a mans conuersion which the Lord our God foretold vs of that in the latter dayes such should come and such daungerous dayes should be that if it were possible the elect should be deceiued The complaint of a Regenerate man vnto God the Father shewing the sorrowfulnes of his haât O Lord God heauenly Father thoâ that art not only our God but the God of all the world we thy creatures the worke âf thy hands make our humble prayers and supplications bâfore thy excellent maiesty âeseeching thee O Lord not to consider vs as we aâe of our selues eaâth ashes and whatsoeuer is ãâã but as we are in Christ Iesus our Lord thy sanctified people whom thou hast chosen before all worlds to witnes thy âame in earth And to whom tâou hast made manifest thy Sonne ouâ Sauiour with an vncouered face to our great comfort âet alas we vnworthy wretches finde in our selues such heapes of sinnes and such lumpes and loades of impieties that were we not stayed in thy promyses wee should perish with mistrust in thy mercies For we know that thou art a iust God and doest visite the offences of thy childreÌ with rods and their sinnes with whips Yet thy mercy doth neuer faile vs Yea although we sinne yet are we thine We haue O Lord tasted greatly of thy mercies Many yeaâes we haue been fed with heauenly meate Long time we haue enioyed the benefite of thy gospel a blessiââ of blessinges our own conscience doth witnes yea our sinnes are so ripe and so outragious that they are ascended vp vnto the heauens and ãâã for thy iustice which we haue sore prouoked with multyplying sinne vpon since We haue not obayed thy voice We haue not harkened vnto thy seruants whom thou hast sâât We haue propbaned thy holy Sabaoth with vaine spectacles vngodly tragedies We professe thy name in our word but deny it in deedes Our vanity is too too manifest in our apparrail Our excesse appeareth in our banquets Our small reuerence towardes thy holy name in our vayne other Our merciles charitie towards thy meÌbers is too too manyfest Yea our whole life is nothing els but abuse of thy creatures with ingratitude for thy benefites So that we thy children are to expect and looke for nought els but thy heauy hand yea thy iudgements in displeasure We and our for fathers haue sinned Our Princes and Rulers our Priestes our Prophets and teachers Yea from the greatest to the least all haue followed the bypath of their own imagination deuice ⪠and haue not harkned vnto thy word to make it the lanthorne to our feete and the light to our steps Our own wayes and deuises haue preuayled We therfore O Lord our God prostrate our selues before thy maiesty beseeching thee for thy deere Sonne our Sauyour Christ Iesus sake turne not away thy face from vs in displeasure Bring not vpon vs wretches the due punishments our sinnes haue deserued Looke not vpon vs as we are of our selues but as we beloÌg to Christ Iesus for whose sake thou hast promised to deny vs nothing we aske in his name Looke vpon thy wonted mercies of old although the cry of our sinnes be great before thee yet the righteousnes of our Lord and Sauyour Christ Iesus is greater whom we interpose and put betweene thy iustice and our deserts Yea by him we appeare with boldnes before thee this day as childreÌ not as strangers saying O Our Father sanctified be thy holy name Let thy kingdome be inlarged in vs thy children Let thy will be performed in vs most obedieÌtly eueÌ as thy saints holy ones do fulfill the same before thee Geue vnto vs O Lord all earthly blessings this day that we may vse them to our comfort and not abuse them in pleasure Forgeue vs O Lord we beseech thee our dayly sinnes that we commit against thy diuine Maiesty And geue vs thy holy spirite that we may forgeue all such as by any degree ãâã trespas against vs Leade vs not not O Lord into tryall nor temptation aboue our strength for then our weakenes will appeare Delyuer vs O Lord from all those euils our sinnes dayly prouoke And froÌ all those plagues and punishments which thou hast threatned to bring vpon vs at this time Delyuer vs from the mouthes of cruell Lions which dayly gaâe to deuour vs From blondy Papistes which lye in wayte for vs and dâly conspire to bereaue vs of the most comfortable benefit of thy word and seeke to make our liues a pray vnto their greedy desires Bring O Lord their deuises to nought Let thâ liâle flock enioy the sweete comfort of thy gospell that we may praise thy holy name in our own land Roote out all secâes and heresies which are among vs which Sathan hath stirred vp to disquyet thy church And Lord if it be thy will either to conuert them or put them to silence for euermore Preserue O Lord God our gracious Queene Elizabeth in thine own bosome Deliuer her O Lord from all conspiracies tresoâs and trecheries which Sathan in his members shall deuise against her Make void their couâcels that consult against her and let vs O Lord enioy thy blessing in her long prosperous and happy dayes Geue O lord vnto her Councellors wisdome fortitude and courage to preuent all dangers and vnto our bishops and teachers geue truth in doâtrine boldnes to publish the same without ãâã And to vs thy people geue O lord humble hartes and obedyent minds that we thy children may now at the last be warned to reuerence and regard thy holy gospel and feare thy puââshmeÌtâ forsaking our vain delites in earthly things so that our whol life may be a dayly watch and looking for thy glorious coming So that in our hartes we may dayly saâ Come Lord Iesus come quikly that we maybe losed fâoÌ thâ woful vale wherein we doe nothing but prouoke thee with our sinnes ⪠Graunt O Lord we beseech thee that thy church may long enioy the liberty of thy word and geue constancy to thy members our bretheren which suffer any crosse or tribulatioÌââher in body or minde as witnesses of thy trueth Geue
now he beginneth to be knowen and by the great credit and admiration you haue him in the more detestable will he be reputed as a seducer of such men as cannot content themselues wiâh such trueth as the scriptures containe but must haue a Prophét raysed vp out of FlauÌders a banished man and one that dare not shew his face in any countrey openly and you had rather imbrace his noueltyes then the wholsome doctrine conteyned in the olde and new testament Vitell. NOw concerning his bookes they be of such Aucthoritye as he affirmeth them but where as you say that he sayth all is false and lyes whatsoeuer is taught c. marke wel what he writeth and adde nothing thereto and it shall be found true what he writeth more where as you say he commendeth the Pope and Cardenalls with the Masse and other ceremonyes there is none commended but in their right order if you marke the matter well Answere HIs bookes I affirmed that they were in crâdite amongest the familye of equall auâhoritye with the scriptures and that they were written with the same spirite to this you auÌswere that they are of such aucthoritye as he hath affirmed thereforâ note well what you say for neuer any since the Apostles tunes had so impudent a face as openly to publish such a detestable lye if this come not from the spirite of pride I know no proud bosting spirites all the Fathers in the primitiue Church euer reuerenced the holy scripture and submitted all their bookes thereunto Austen desired not to be credited or beleued but as his workes might agree with the holy scriptures all men in generall haue euer acknowledged themselues in their writinges to be subiect to error onely the scripture to be without blemish but this man will haue HN. and his bookes of equall aucthoritye with the scriptures written with the same spirite thus doe you runne from one impietye to an other and in the highest degree of blasphemye But I pray you looke vpon the matter better before you say he is a prophet now his bookes are of equal aucthoritye with the scripture whether will you lift vp your HN. aboue all condition of fraile man the higher he is exalted the more greuous will be his fall without repentaunce it is Luciferian pride thus to attribute vnto mortall man but you make HN to be a name of office and not of a creature such misteryes requireth falced where trueth and simplicitye imbraceth playne dealing Now you say that HN. doth auouch all to be false whatsoeuer is taught by any other therefore heare his owne wordes and then discerne and sée God his trueth and his godly and heauenly workes are vnknowen vnto all fleshe and vnto all fleshly and earthly men but it is geuen to the children of the kingdome the comminaltye of the Loue to vnderstand the secret misteryes thereof You say it will be found true what he writeth If none but the comminaltye or Familye of Loue doe vnderstaÌd the scripture then it was not rightly vnderstode before there was any mention of your Familye Now for commendatioÌ of the Pope Cardinals and Masse he sayth hee commendeth none buâ in his right order this speach is ambigâus in his right order For simply I thinke none of them haue any shaddow of right order neither is their callinges nor doctrine grounded vpon either right or good order Your Author belyke alloweth the Masse or els he would not haue taken such paynes as to explicat euery ceremonye therein in his booke called A declaratioÌ of the Masse but thus with subtiltye of speach you would faine say somewhat to defend your Author be his sayinges neuer so monstrous Vitell. FOr in that booke named a ioyfull message of the kingdome of God Christ though ye deâidingly call it his gospell is declared that âPapa signifieth an olde Father in the holy vndeâstanding Now althogh he be not indued with the holy vnderstaÌding yet is the name not the worse in it selfe For the Lord hath ordeined gouernours spirituall and temporall and they represent the maiestye of God although now certayne gouernours gouerne not according to the rule of righteousnes yet is not therefore the name euerthelesâe of reputation because it is an ordenance of God therefore let vs despise no name that belongeth to gouernours neither yet also any gouernour nor any man els for we haue all sinned haue neede of the grace or mercy of the Lord. Answere THe booke in lattin is called EuaÌgelium Regnâ gospell of the kingdome but this man is the translator thereof and hath qualified it calling it a ioyfull message of the kingdome the title is arrogant and presumptuous the doctrine therein worse as will appere in print ere it be long the pope hath found among manâ enemies one freÌd although his doctrine is spokeÌ against euery where yet this maÌ would gladly képe and retayne his bare name belonging to a gouernour in office we coÌdeme not the name his doctrine not agrââing with the word is by the same word condemned so is yours For significations of names ⪠wâe will not contend a part of your deuinity lyeth therein neither do wee despise any name but is euell doctrine be shadowed or vnder any name cloked then wee inuey agaynst the doctrine vsing the name as wheÌ inuectiues are made agaynst the Pope or HN. it is not ment of the persons but of the doctrine And surely the Pope did neuer exercise so great a Popedome in the West Church as your HN. a new Pope doth among you of his Familye and as the papistes which tooth and nayle seeke to maintayne euery absurd and senceles part of the popes doctrine with all their power witte and skill EueÌ so do ye of his Family maintayne your Nâ and whatsoeuer vnsauery doctrine he teacheth it maâ not be discredited nor he cannot therein erre or misse the right in such reputation haue you placed mortall man. You say we all haue sinned haue need of y grace or mercy of the Lord y all haue sinned you truely confes but that all doe dayely sinne you cannot beleue especially you the ââders of the holy vnderstandinâ but in humilitye of spirite you and wee ought to coÌfesse not onely that we haue sinned but dayely and hourely do sinne and haue neede not onely of his grace but his mercy also although you speake of grace or mercy but wee craue his grace and mercy his grace to guide vs and his mercy to deliuer vs. Vitell. MOreouâr you are greatly offended because hee sayeth that none shold take iâ haÌd to teach or preach but the illuminate elders whiâh arâ Godded with God or incoâpoâatâd to God and with whom also God in one being and power of his spirite is hominisied or become man And those you call proud speaches and because âN vseth them ye despise him althoughe they be no strange words or speches in thâ dutâh language ⪠therfore in so doing you despiâe the
Lord. Answere I Am offended in zeale of Gods ãâã agaynst your generall doctrine wheâof this is a part that none may teach the truth but y illuminat âlders Your HN. further sayth Therefore it is assuredly all false and lyes seducing and deâeitfull what the vngodded or vnilluminate men out of the imagination or riches of theire own knowledge out âf their learnednes of the scriptures bâing forth institute prâach and teaâh c. Now looke wel and behold whether HN. condemne not all others but his illumined Elders who are Godded with God c. which in dâede I haue rightly tearmeâ proud speaches such as neuer any godly wryter in Christ his church durst euer speake or write âou would colour the wordes by the ducth tongue saying they be not straÌge speches in that language but certainly a strange and monsterous doctrine is therby taught and far disagreeing from the written word and far ânbeseeming any Christian. And here if I should dilate what a meaning you haue in these wordes Godded with God I should increase this treatise ouer much yet I will somewhat touch it as you and your Author haue expressed it in wryting I will vse your own speach as followeth See and marke my beloued in the beginning when God had made all things well thâ was the Lord one Lord of his kingdome and one God of his worke and there was also no more but one God and one man and they were one ⪠and had in all one ordeâ beinâ ⪠ând nature For God was all that the man was and the mâ was all that God wââ Thus monstrously and blasphemously you haue taught god and man to be one in nature now compare this godhead with God or incorporated to God and easily it is perceiued that you meane God and man to be one this were worthye to be buryed in silence but that now the patrons defeÌd such blasphemies it is tyme to cleare the Church of Christ that such proude and Luciferian voyces shoulde not bee heard or once named yet this man will proue that HN. cannot erre and none that know the truth can condeÌne HN. It is a pitiful thing that men hauing anye sence or feeling of God or godlines should so vaynely wryte or publish to y world such absurd horrible doctrine neuer heard of before and yet the Aucthor must needes be a prophet and his doctrine to proceede from the Lord nowe in despising thys and the like proud speach of HN of necessitie I am counted to despise y Lord thus still you drawe HN. hys matters that who so speaketh or wryteth agaynst hym be wryteth and speaketh agaynst God whether will you exalt your Auâthor ye vnbeleuers surely aboue all that is called God but wyth your father you will be cast headlong so low where to late you may bewaâl your contempt of God and godlinesse looke in tyme to this and the like part of your doctrine oh ye Ipocrites Vitell. FOr asmuch as the Lord hath seen it for good to bryng foorth hys most holy seruice of loue in the duch language although it seeme grosse and barbarous to you so shall it from henceforth be counted a language amoÌg those languages wherin the Lord hath erected his law and the priestes office thereof and the seruice of the beliefe with hys priests office Like maner shall the most holy seruice of loue be brought foorth through the Lorde hys elected minister HN. with his priests office where through the Lorde will receaue all men in mercy whiche humble them vnto hys word of grace according to the requiring of hys lawe and ordinaunces be erected and remayne from generation to generation for euermore for loue peace and righteousnesse shall remayne in eueâlalastingnes Aunswere THe Dutch language must nowe be accounted amongst those learned tongues wherein the law and gospell were written and this he auoucheth the Lord hath seene it for good that it shal be euen so you now take your authors office in hande For you Prophesye that from hencefourth this shall come to pas the law the seruice of the beliefe and the Priestes office must be brought forth in y Dutch Language I cannot but say notwithstanding your false Prophesye that the Dutch Language you vse especially in such straunge inuented wordes and confused compositioÌ is barbarous sith that âârtayne other of your bookes that haue learned to speake latine a toung by nature propriety plaine copious and eloquent are also new fangled in name and barbarous in phrase of purpose to be blasphemous in doctrine which you nor any of your Familyâ haue as yet as I thinke translated they want a certayn father and therefore haue no certayn names but borrowed as Theologica Germanica Augustinus Elutherius c. Their new deuised latin wordes are such as Aegoitas Ipsietas c. Their doctrine is that Adam is nothing els but vetus homo and Christus is nothing els but Nouus homo The history of Christ his birth hys miracles passion death resurrection c. they regard not but allegor is vppon euery part thereof most daungerously and vngodly teachingâ vncertayne significations without coÌâort making no accompt of the history Confidently to beleue the truth of the history they say is to abide in the letter which killeth Those bookes contaynâ playne doctrine which the Libertynes hold and also the doctrine of perfection whiche you hold to be in this life ⪠but especially this principle that when this perfection whiche you dreame of is come to the man then is he illuminate and deiffied and God in him hominified so that in all his actions wordes and thoughtes he can no more coÌmit sinne or anye euill then God or Christ can commit sinne or euill the reason is rendred because God or Christ dwelleth in the man and hath thâ gouernment of all hys actions thoughtes c. And when ye are pressed in conference to shewe that man thus hauing Christ dwelling in him if he at any tyme doe bring foorth any euill that in resemblaunce maâ appeare as sinnes they are not so to beâ accompted of say you because Christ dwelleth in the man which doctrine is wicked false and diuelish as I haue often tolde your fellowes in other places Christ dwelleth in vs by the participation of his holye spirite and guydeth our actions els should wee haue no strength to resiste sathan or flesh nor the intisements of the world but taketh not away thereby our humayne imperfections but he keepeth lustes and all wickednes that they raigne not ouer vs or rule in vs or haue dominion ouer vs yet wee ceasse not to be sinners or commit sinne that is your owne doctrine but hath no foundation or warrant in the worde Other bookes also are of such lyke name and doctrine as Elidad and Fidelitas whereof I fearâ me that you were the traÌslator The doctrin wherof I meane not to touch in this place onely this is to be noted that the parties
which only depende on reuelations And you which brag of your Author which is as he sayeâh taught froÌ god his own mouth hath hard y souÌd of his voice Thus miserably are you carâed away by illusioÌs herin you deceiue your selues and many others Out of the wisdome of the flesh sprange all Christopher Vitelles ârrors Note I pray thee Reader that this Libeller acknowledgeth to haue bin in him many errors comprehended in this word âall and anonâ thou shall finde him saying he was in no error In deede the church of Christ hath felt to much expeââence of your heretâcall head fraught full of heresies so that if any newer deuice should by Sathan be stirred vp you are as apte an instrument to broach the same as any that I know in England From no other mans bookes did this man sucke his errors and were you in error theÌ and by the same meanes may you not still remayne in error haue you any further priuiledge now then you had before Of necessity you must sly vnto your perfection that you cannot erre nor sinne there is no ether excuse to be had here is a mistery For you thinke it an absurde thing that your errors spâang from any other fountaine then the flesh of sinne No bookes no conference were meanes to bring you to this ârroâ Loâke well into your selfe and you shall fiâde in âou now more errors and heâ esiâs then euer you held heretofore âou imagined your selfe cleansed and your hâuse swept but now are sâuen morse spirites entered into you as appâareth by your doctrin and you are become ten solde the child of destruction more now thân beâârâ And except you repent your ende will be far worse then your beginning Vitell. NEither âan I blame any man for minâ own sinnes were gâeater and horribleâ in my sight ⪠then all other menneâ for although I had âed certayne bookes of sundry wryteâs yet was I moued to seaââh âhether they were grounded vpon the Loâds promyses or no and humbling my selfâ befoâe the Loâd aâ desiâous to doe his will âo gaue he me to vndeâstand that I knew nothing of all his wayeâ but the troble that I âas in whereout the Lord delyueâed me âs not to be expââssed And iâ the Loâd of his goodnes had not comfârted me with his holy spiâite through hiâ most holy seruice of his loue broght forth through HN. his elected minister I should haue remained without hope of life Answere NOw commeth this Vitell to declare a tragedy of himself which no man can gaânsay being a thing secret and vnknowen to the world For our secret conflictes are troublesome I graunt when our conscience shall pres vs with the greatenes of our sinnes but whether it were so or no who can controll him or els who will beleeue his own wordes speaking so many things contrary to truth already But I must certifie that this is a speciall point of practise in the Family that when any in conference doe require how they could so easily leaue the certainty of doctrine which once they earnestly imbraced then shall you heare them tell you of marueilous conflicts much trouble and veration of minde and could neuer attaine to any quietnes vntill by the doctrine of ââ they found rest vnto their soules But may not this be an illusion of Sathan as otherwise being rightly examined for Sathan is so suttle that if he may get possession of any setled mindes who instructed in godlynes by the scriptures resist his perswasions and so coÌmeth to conslict of minde in such troubles ⪠where Sathan ⪠by the Lord his permission preuayleth then worketh he in his a certayne security or peace and then they thinke all is well when indâde neuer in worse case then so captiued in Sathans tyranny Now this man when he hath set abroad some of his troubles you shall see how he was deliuered by which we may gather what marke he shootes at namely in all troubles and agonyes of minde all must resort to the seruice of Loue set forth by his elected Minister HN. For this man if he had not taken that course he had remained without hope of lyfe certaynly great is the honor wherewith they aduaunce this their priest and prophet aboue all that is called God but my hope is that with the blast of the Lord his mouth which he hath published in the scriptures he shall be confounded and ouerthrowne so low that the fall of him which so exalted himselfe shall be to the comfort of all the Lord his children for whose âake he now beginneth to maniâest this lying Prophet and will I hope rayse vp to his Church men of zelous mindes which will both write and speake agaynst this wicked man of sinne which is in such credit with deceaued people which the Lord in mercy spedely bring to passe to the glory of thy name the comfort of thy church and the spoyle of Sathan and his ympes Vitell. BVt he gaue me to vnderstande there through that he would be merâifull vnto all penitent sinners how horrible sinnes soeuer they had coÌmitted therefore I may say a medicine master getteth gretest prayâe by those that haue the filthâest and corruptest diseaâes as a leprous person and such like âuen so haue I the gretest cause to land the Lord and must confes that he whâch is mighty hath done great things on me and holy is his name Answere NOw after this man hath shewed his conflict of minde and how he was delyuered through the seruice of loue ministred by HN. Now he telleth that by that same he vnderstood that God would be mercifull to al sinners and I pray you did you not know of this mercy but by HN Were you ignoraunt âof the Scriptures before you came acquainted with him his bookes His mercy and compassion is plentifully declared in the gospell which it seemeth you were ignorant of This medicine mâster HN. hath wrought a great cure vpon this man For as one of your schollers haue written in his defence He teacheth with power and it may be the power of Sathan which leadeth men into errors and heresies Although you imagine that this is wrought by the mighty hand of the Lord abusing the words of the âanticle which the blessed virgine did set forth magnifying the name of y Lord thereby Touching your diseases which you count to be cured it is out of dout that you are more full of infirmities and desperate diseases then euer you were although you feele them not For a body that feeleth no sicknes yet infirme and weake is hard to be cured yea irrecuperable as Phisitions prescribe Looke therfore more rightly into your selfe and you that are so whole clene you shall finde matter of corruption in you whereupon the true Phisition of our soules Christ Iesus shall if you acknowledge your sicknes and infirmity worke therby such an alteration in you as heretofore you neuer had the lyke but if you stand
passion hath purchased freely for me and all others whome he chose before all worldes to be heyres and sonnes of the same inheritaunce by adoption and grace which promise or assuraÌce I holde âârmely by fayth Notwithstanding this his louing kindenes and mercy shewed towardes me if the Lord my God did not sâill protect me guide me and deâend me I should anihilat and make voyd this mine estate or assurauÌce therfore hath he geuen vnto me the participatioÌ of his holy spirite renewing me working in me regeneration which is a detestation lothing and hate of sinne and a minde will to serue the lord Yet so as there is a kinde of rebellion in me So that the good thinges I would doe I doe not but the euill I hate that doe I yet not I but sin that dwelleth in me I feele my flesh lusting agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesh continually so that I cannot doe the same thinges I would ⪠I fele the law of my members striuing and rebelling agaynst the law of my minde And further to make my state and condition more throughly knowen I feele often tymes sinne and the mostons thereof so strong in me that I am for a season led captiue therewith yea without remorse so that the spirite semeth in me vtterly quenched or as âire raked vnder ashes that is not seene and sometime I wallow and for a season as it were forget my God notwithstanding this my backslyding I feele agayne the goodnes of my God and the working of hys spirite renewing me agayne then in sorrowfulnes and teares I bewaile my selfe in prayer y I haue so long estraunged my self offended my God then doe I féele the coÌfort of his spirite which bringeth to my remeÌbraunce the promises of the Lord pronounced in his word videliz Though thy sinnes were as redde as scarelet yet will I make them as white as woole looke how far the heaueÌ is from the earth so farre haue I set thy sinnes froÌ thee Lyke as a Father hath compassioÌ on his children euen so the Lord will shew mercy on me for he dealeth not with vs after our sinnes noâ rewardeth vs after our iniquityes ⪠All the day long he standeth with stretched out armes ready to receaue those that turne vnto him c. Then when I feele this the Lord my God comforting me by his promises I am driuen by the working of the same his holy spirite to be partaker of the holy sacrament of his death which is to me a seale and pledge cognizaunce of my redemption which to my great comfort I receaue as a token of his loue and kindenes shewed to me and so more and more I feele sinne and Sathan weaker and by resisting him dayly I finde him and his baytes Idle my fleshe and âhe aâlurementes of the world lesse able to hurt me or to preuaile agaynst me And â feele in my selââ through the working of the same spirite a redynes to all good exercises of pietie as hearinâ of the word Prayer Aâstinence Charitie towards Christes members Loue Peace Ioâ c. But yet still I féel finne with her motions neuer ceâsing a fresh to assay me and try me with new assaults and sifting me euery way againe and agayne charging me ofteÌ with the dexterity of the law with the greatnes of my sinnes laying them particularly before me with great horror preparing such bookes and baites for me that if I were not preserued by the great goodnes of my God I should vtterly dispaire and fal away but the Lord doth comfort me still saying My grace is sufficient for thee My grace is made strong through thy weaknes Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world In such case I am and such is my battaile continually and alwaies fighting this vnder my graund captayne I preuayle and am not vaÌquished nor vtterly ouercomed yet agayne I prepare for a newe skirmish place my selfe in y formost raÌk to abyde the brunt of the next incouÌter so that I neuer looke for any rest nor peace whilst I am in this vale of misery for my lyfe is a coÌtinuall warfare Yet in this exercise or continuall skirmish I am at peace in minde and conscience knowing and firmely beleeuing that my redeemer liueth who hath trod the wine presse alone and hath offered me the cup of Saluation and sealed in my hart the pledge of hyâ loue so that with confidence and boldnes I haue accesse vnto my God and by the mediation of my Lord and Sauiour Christ I obtaine what soeuer is necessary or behouâfull for me for I beyng thus knit vnto my God do boldly make my prayers vnto hym yet in tremâling and feare I acknowledge my offences say O Lord my God I dayly confesse mine offences my sins are euer before me Enter not into IudgemeÌt with thy seruaunt for no flesh is righteous in thy sight âf thou O Lorde obserueât myne iniquities who is able âo abide it For thy holy name sake O Lord be mercifull vnto myne iniquitie for it is greaâ Remember not the faults of my youth Shew vnto me thy mercy and graunt me thy salvatioÌ Thus dayly and nightly I bewaile my misery confesse my âânnes vnto the Lord my God and acknowledge that âf the Lord should conâond with me in iustice I were not able to answere For what is man that he should be cleane or he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust For he founde no stedâastnes in his saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more man which is abhominable and filthy and drinketh iniquitie like water Whose very righteousnes is like a cloth defiled with the vnââmely bââth of a woman Thus considering my state and condition I rest quâet in mind and by faith in the sonne of God Christ Iesus I dout nothing of my saluation but accept gladly the battaile warfare I haue with sinne and SathaÌ continually as tokens of his great mercy and plâdges of his loue in fâeling the redy help and speedy deliuery of y lord who in time to me vnknowen will visite mine offences in this life with whips and my sinnâs with scourges but his mercy he wilâ neuer take from me And thus being chosen callâd and prepared he sanctifieth me by death maketh a waâ and entrance vnto an happy life where I shall behold that ioyfull sight euen the Lamb that was ãâã for me And shall follow him whâresoeâer he goeth Singing praise and thankes to him for euer and euer Amen The state and condition of a Regeneraââ man afâer the doctrine and âeaching of HN. in the pretended âamily of Loue. BEloued in the beginning when God made all things well then was âhe Lord one Lord of his kingdoâe and one God of his workes There was also no more but one
your wordes arâ no warrantes ⪠you say I dispise him because he aâfirmeth that he is a Prophet sent of God his person I hate not onely his doctrine and vaine prophesyes I vtterly mislyke and most of all because many of this our natiue countrye of ângland are by him and his vayne prophesies deluded and deceaued and being moued with zeale for my brethren and countreymen I haue bent my selfe with such poore sâill as I haue to vtter his follyes and vaintyes there be many learned in Christ his Church farre better ab e to haue written hereof to whose office it properly belongeth to clense the Church being defiled with heresies yet I take y man to be none ⪠of the Church of Christ that thinketh he hath no office in his Church Yf I dislyke him because hââarth he is a Prophet c. I haue great reason and good warrant so to doe Iere. chap. 23. verse 16. sayth Heare âot the wordes of the Prophetes which prophesie vnto you vaâitye they speake the ãâã of their owne âart and not the ãâã of the Lord we are also warned by Christ and his Apostles not to geue credit to such vaine Prophets and false teachers Peter Epistle 2. chap. 12. There shall be false teachers among you which priuily shall bring iâ damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought theÌ with infinite places more Since Christ our Lord asceÌded into heauâââ office of prophesing ⪠and foretelling of thingeâ haue ceased in the Church onely the Apostles were ãâã with the spirite of God and by the power of the same spirite foretold of many thinges that should happenâ but it ceased ãâã many haue risen vp and haue prowdly prophessed but they ãâã ben conââned as false Prophetes euen as your HN. ãâã âou say the tyme may come thaâ I shall âinde his prophesies true you put the tyme vncertaine but you haue told your Familye in corners as I am ãâã informed that many of your prophets sayinges should eare thiâ haue bin fulââlled touching the publick receiuing of your âoctrine which are proued false and vntrue although I ãâã beleue it yet I ought not to dispise it you say why I ought to beleue it you render no reason we are forbidden to credite any such as I haue proued In y I ought not to dispise it I pray you shew some cause â tho vanitye tâat be âttereth touching ⪠hiââââference with almighty God ⪠how the power of God coÌpassed him âbout with a ãâ¦ã c. and agayne hâ sayth thâ being of God gaue forth his sound ãâã and spake vnto âe HN. through the spirite of his Loue all thesâ wordes and sayd ãâã there was neâeââny that writ in Christes Church that euer vsed any such vayne and prowde speach I hauâ sayd y it is requisitâ that HN. if he will needeâ haue his new office of a Prophet to be credited that he must worke miracles ⪠which it semeth he doeth as some in your Familye in sadnâs haue tould amongest other matters this is auouched that NH is not ignoraunt in any language no not the learned tongues he hath written an âpistle vnto the Byshops here in ângland in latin I thinke he hath his knowledge and learning by some bequest as a legacy also it was affirmed to me of credit that some of the Familye going ouer into Flaunders to him be tould them of all their message and instructions before they spake such markes and notes you geue out to your Familye to establishe your blinde Prophet You say I ought not to dispise the Dutch language wherein the Lord hath broughâ forth his most holy seruice of Loue. To dispise any language I may not onely in coÌparison of other learned tongues I haue sayd it is rude And was there no seruice of God before among other nations but now brought forth in the Dutch tongue I would that there were no more heresies brought forth in the Dutch tongue but onely this of Nâ but it is knowen to many learned y sundry heresies are written and published in that language to the griefe of God his children You further say that I neuer councelled with the Lord therefore know nothing of his secreates You sat vpon your iudgement seat when you writ this how know you that I neuer couÌelled with the Lord to councell with God wée may as we are taught that is in praying and hearing of his most holy word which I hope in the Lord that euer he will guide me with his holy spirite to doe and performe all the dayes of my lyfe as for your secret Reuelations and Prophesyes I am vtterly ignoraunt of they are things proper to your Familye but not to the Church of Christ. Vitel. MOreouer you writ not right where as you call it his Euangeliâum Râgnâ yet doth Saint Paule say âf ouâ Gospell be âid it is from them that be lost whole minde the God of this world hath blinded c. For it iâ not writteÌ his and you finde fault with the pooâe Family of Loue as though thây dâny it âiâh theiâ mouth keepe it ãâã in their haâtâ but you confesse the Lord ⪠ãâã your mouth and your hart is fâll of bitternes and euen so you deny him with your hart and mouth Aunswere I Haue called a booke which H N. hath published his gospel because it is another and not agreeing with Christ his gospel therfore rightly termed his You would excuse it by saint Paule as though HN. had as good right to wryte and publish a gospel as that shining vessel S. Paul. Whether will you lift vp your prophet so high that with Lucifer he may be cast down as low we are warned not to credite any bringing another gospell he is accursed as sayth the holy ghost there was neuer any godly man since the Apostles time that durst be so presumptuous as intitle any broke and call it a gospell ' therefore your Author hath dealt therin presumptuously and wickedly Now whereas I find fault with the poore Family in affirming denying I would I had not some cause so to doo but where you ad this word poore if it be so you are the cause therof for with your manyfold collections to set out the Authors works you haue in dâede made many an honest wealthy housholder poore as I can testifie and name the parties and you haue beene charged herewith before this time You say moreouer that I confesse the Lord with my mouth deny him with my hart If this be true then am I worthy great reprehention but if it be false then are you worthy the reward of a lyar and slaunderer In deede it is somewhat gréenous vnto you and your patience can scarce beere it that I haue so openly manifested you and your Author yet therin I confesse I haue done nothing but my duety which I owe vnto the church of Christ that the simple may be warned of your suttle snares and deceits wher with
will not ioy nor rest in peace vntill all your errors be disclosed and âou and your fellowes be brought to âumble your selues before the Lord without your HN. which the Lord bring spedely to passe Amen Vitell. NOw must I for want of tyme passe ouer and omit many thinges and submit my cause vnto the almighty desiring him of his goodnes for to try our cause in his ballaunâe of equitye euen with the Loue and trueth for so shall there then be expressed and testified by the light or Christ that Gods honour is declared with the Loues seruice most sincerely Aunswere THis Libel was not long enough but he muââ oâât much matter and so as he sayth submit his cause vnto the almighty c. âut if you did as becoÌmeth a true Christian you should not onely submit your cause vnto the Lord who in patience suâfreth Ipocrites to trouble his Church but also submit your doctrine to be tryed and iudged by his holy word which is a iust iudge in all causes of controuersy For if your protestation shall be admitted without exception theÌ euill doers and blasphemers of God and Christ may haue liberty to referre their cause vnto the Lord but since almighty God hath in earth a knowen Church it is requisite that euery one being required should geue account of his fayth and hope as the scriptures doe teach you would haue your cause tryed in the ballaunce of equitye a truer ballance is not then his law which is without blot or wrinkle if you would abide the tryall thereof your doctrine and your patrone HN. should be found lighter then vanitye it selfe Where you adde with the Loue trueth the Loue you so often confound that you know not your selues the meaning thereof sometyme you wil signifie Christ by that name loue sometime a vertue procéeding sometyme a qualitye of the minde sometyme for the exercise which you priuately vse where to finde the exposition of this word Loue you leue it as vncertaine then it shall be expressed you say by the light or Christ that by you God his honor is declared with the Loues seruice sincerely here is Loue agayne ioyned with seruice which cannot meane as I thinke any thing âlls but God his seruice I take it in the best part if you haue any other more secret misterye therein I leaue to your selues but touching any seruice you doe to God it is Ipocrysye so long as you serue him without Christ or with any other and Christ for he will admit no other to haue place in mens hartes but himselfe he made all he requireth all Vitell. OH what a dauÌgerous tyme is it presently in these last dayes and how vnrightly haue many vnregenerated men set vp themselues to geue iudgement with their good thinking For whatsoeuer euery one mindeth thinketh good and electeth âther falleth to that same prayseth and iudgeth he for the most best and for a righteousnes thereto also he wresteth the scripture according to his will for the scripture is seruiceable vnto euery one euen as he is minded be it whatsoeuer to be high minded in pleasant lustes either to be debased in misery to be merây or sorowfull with sighing either with thankes to be despised and persecuted or to persecute and despise one an other and many such lyke c. Answere OF the dauÌgerous tyme we are not ignorant of and more we tell you that you and your fellowes make the tyme much more daungerous and troublesome with your errors which HN. and you haue raysed vp Now you complayne that vnregenerat men haue set vp themselues you meane by vnregenerat men all others which are not illuminat nor deifâed as your Elders are The children of God for whome Christ dyed whose names are written in the booke of lyfe are regenerate although as I haue sayd before you account none to be regenerat but such as haue no motions of sinne or sinne not but you say that the same vnregenerat men with their good thinking ⪠that same he prayseth and iudgeth for righteousnes but who might worse alledge the same then you who câmmând without reason or cause your Auâhor and his moÌstrous doâtrinâ which hath in it such grosse absurdââyes and most contrary to God and his word and you are they that peâuert the scripture to set vp your Prophet and his doctrine and what is spoken of Christ doe you not wickedly apply the same to your HN. doe you not apply this place of Malarhy chap. 3. which our Sauiour Christ verefied to be propesied of Iohn behold I will send my messenger which shall prepare the way before me Againe Math. 11. he shall turne the hart of the Fathers to the children and the hartes of the children c. doe you not I say apply these places to signifye your HN. and that it is ment by him therefore there are none found such wresters of the scriptures as you And where as you affirme that the scripture is seruiceable vnto euery one therein you shew what reuerence you haue vnto y same for although you such others do abuse the scripture contrary to y purpose of y holy ghost yet are the scriptures y wisedome of God reuealed to man and is a perfit law of righteousnes and not as you vngodly and vnreuerently tearme it seruiceable vnto euery one Your companions the Papistes haue as you doe called the scripture a nose of ware a shipmans hose c. but most wickedly and falsely to both your confusions it is the power of God vnto saluatioÌ Vnto them that beleue the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe but vnto such as you are which so vnreuerently speake thereof it is the sauor of death vnto death the scriptures doe not maintayne pleasant lustes nor high mindes as you vnreuerently suppose but they are to comfort and lift vp the sorrowfull and broken mindes and to beate downe and correa the hauty and proud stomackes If vngodly men such as you are abuse them to other purposes the fault is in the persons not in the word Vitell. WHereunto euery one wresteth the scripture and defendeth his cause therewith insomuch that euery one thinketh that he for his part hath the most best Behold with such a misery is the man plagued such manner of good thinking and vnprofitable burthen hath he taken vpon him oh that we left all such and gaue ouer our vnderstanding captiue ether suffred it to be pluâkt vnder the obedience of the loue of Iesu Christ and followed after the coÌmon brotherly loue innocently or vndeceitfully and continued concordably in prayer vnto God âl that God receiued vs to mercy released vs froÌ the sin of the ignorant knowledge and established his promise on vs to the laud prayse and honor of his holy name and to our saluation Aunswere YF euery one wrest the scripture where shall wee finde Christ his Church who is led by the spirite of trueth according to his promise thâ greatest wresters of
Fideliâas he would haue vs beleeue that Nâ pronounceth and declareth the right state of all what is in heauen and vpon earth what is Gods and mans spiritual and heauenly naturall right and reasonable c. Belike he thought his bookes should neuer haue been perused by any but of such as are drowned in the drowsie dremes oâ this fantastical doctrine One More of âuââer in âââng ââwardes dayes and one ãâ¦ã of Manchester in this our Quéenes dayes tolde of such vayne and friuoloâs matters but they were punished as Lunatikes And whereas your Fidelitas sayth that no such works could be wrought by anye vnlesse the Lord were with him this is as strongly affirmed as the other part is monstrous and vngodly For I praye you examine what are the works that HN. hath so notably brought forth which doth manifest y God is with him His bookes peraduenture you meanâ What his bookes are and out of what spirit they procéed is easely perceiued A simple wit hauing such a guide could deuise agaynst Christ his doctrine as fine riddles as HN. hath published should carry a more shew of truth then his bookes do For schollers and children are able to confute his follies sufficiently they cary such absurdities with them both against the Scriptures of God and against all common reason and nature The kingdome of Israell shal be set vp again the childreÌ of loue shall raigne therin you say but when shall this your prophesie take place you tell vs not In deede Dauid George tolde vs before the like propheây that the true house of Dauid should be erected and the children of loue should raigne therin Why delite you your selues with such speaches For in this worlâ these thinges according to the letter âhall not happen but they are spoken to assure vs of the resurrection and to shadow the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen whereby our harts should be lifted vp with expectation of his promise Vitell. BEhold these be the causes wherthrough the lord hath moued me to minister the seruice of loue vnto other wherein I haue sought only the honor of God and the saluation of al people which hope in god and long for his righteousnes Also I haue through the goodnesse of the lord met with certan good willingnons which haue submitted them obediently and faithfully vnto the lord and his gratious word which also haue followed the couÌcel of christ to the clensing of their hartes and therin doth their light shine before men wherin they seeke the laude of the lord and the saluation of all meÌ Answere WHen you had séene dissention vprores contentioÌ c. in the world then the Lord you say moued you to minister the seruice of loue vnto others you toke the aforesayd ârobles as a fit occasion geueÌ you to begin your doctrine surely you bewâay your selfe in your speach You thought it was good fishing when the waters were troubled and tooke occasion to teach false doctrine when you saw great broiles and tumults in the world But where you affirme that the Lord moued you to do this ⪠wherby shall we know that this your bare affirmation is true onely because you say so but the holy Ghost hath warned vs not to geue credit to such Ier. 14. ver 14. sayth The Prophetes prophesie lâes in my name I haue not sent them nether did I commaund them nether did I speake to them but they prophesie to you a falâe vision diuination vanity and deâeitfâlnes of their own harts Also Eze. 13. ver 3. Wo be to the foolish Prophets that follow their own spirit haue seene nothing We may not beleue euery spirit but try the spirit whether he be of God Iohn 4.1 The Lord moued you not to leue your arte calling and to minister a strange doctrine to the people but the spirit of pride and vaynglory and a desire of singularity puât vp your mind Like as in time past you did as eagerly maintayn other strange monsterous opinions The causes that moued you to spred your doctrine are not sufficient you haue thrust in your selfe into a function and calling nether allowed of god nor ordayned by mân and thiâ your ministery is disobedience to God and the publick magistrate neither hâue you herein fought the honor of God ⪠saluation of al people as you afâirmâ If you had sought God his honor your voice should publickly haue been heard and not in corners In that you haue met with certayn good willing ones which haue submitted themselues c. therin we beshrew you lament that any simple soules are deceiued by your perswasions and in deede it seemeth some such there are that geue eare to your sugred wordes For the poyson of aspes is vnder youre tongue Psal. 14. Why come you not âorth to mayntayn such doctrine as you haue taught why proue you not your doctrin by the holy Scripture Why suffer you your schollers to be troubled and imprysoned but for your selfe you are saâe inough and when they should render a reason of their hope and faith then they vtterly deny your doctrine It séemeth that such a principle you haue taught theÌ to affirme and to deny only keeping their conscience secret Now where you say that your good willing ones or schollers their light hath shone before men wherâby you would heare vs in hand that your pupilâ be men of excellent life as you set them out so do they your life as appeares by their letters so one of you commeÌdeth and prayseth another anâ so must you âéedes do when you want good neighborâ y best way iâ to praise your selues Vitell. ALso I haue geuen forth certayn bookes which are translated word for word as neare as we could out of the bokes of HN. and some of them haue come to the hands of enuyous persoÌs which are diuilâed with the deuill either diuelishly minded for they be slaunderers and liârs and also blasphemers whilest they haue âlaâphemed thâ holy Ghost and hiâ most holy seruice of loue Moreouer they hauââayled at âeuyled condemned despised and blasphemed the Lord his elected minister HN. If this come not out of enuy although they say nay then I know no enuyous spirites And although there be many enuiors of the loue and her most holy seruice yet are theâe two horryble blasphemers of late rysen vp whose bookes arâ come to my hands The one is named Steuen Batman the othâr I.R. But they might both be named with one name Tertullus if they coÌtânue in their lying wherof I must wryte although I haue no pleasure in such workers of wickednes Aunswere THat the bokes of HN. were translated out of Dutch by you we knew before but in distributing them to the Quéenes subiects without any allowance of the magistrate contrary to law therin we tel you you haue not dealt liâe a ârue subiect nor a christiaÌ you complayned of disobedience to magistrates but you your selfe are the most disobedient of
scarce credible But at âmden from that day to this opeÌly he durst not be séene therefore some other matter was layd to his charge then professing a strange doctrine For his credite sake it had beâ conuenient to haue geuen some reason to proue that he was accused for no other cause let the world iudge indifferently where is more probabilitye Vitell. ANd after there was iustice desired then they restored agayne his goodes vnto his children but there was much taking away by the vntrue officers for there was no inuitory taken therof but whether he went and where he had his abode that shall in tyme be manifest when as the Lord shall moue the hartes of the Magesââates to desâre to know the ground of the trueth then shall it all be declared to them but the trueth thereof is yet vnknowen vnto you therefore you may be content and not trouble your selfe therwiâh Answere THe Magâstrates you say redeâiuered hââ goodes to his children therfore they were men that imbraced Iustice and so would they haue ministred Iustice to HN. If he would â stayd but the safest way was to preuent the matter by flight you are very âriuye to HN. and his doingâs that can so redely tell what was missing now the Magestrates here shall know the trueth where he is and where he hath made his abode euer since but sure it is little to be regarded where he is and I thinke the Magestrates doe hartely wishe that he had neuer ben borne nor you neither he for deuising your new familye and you for publishing the same to our countrye and translating tâe bookes which certainly was not done lyke a godly ChristâaÌ nor a true ânglish harted man For in âeede as I am informed you are of the Dutch race your selfe and so appearâth by your vaine and curious hed salling froÌ one error to another as those countrymen are apt vnto âf the boâkâs had remained in dutch our quiet Country should neuer haue âin troubled with this new familye to the griefe oâ God his childreÌ whiâh bewaile y state that you haue brought many vnto at this day veye well assured that although ye lurke in corners and send fourth your Libels you cannot escape his handes who seeth euery corner of our hartes And as HN. by slight would not abide the triall of his matter euen so doe ye follow the same course sayle rightly by his compas for stand to your doctrine nor come to conference you dare not but priuily insinuat your doctrine where your wordes are taken for Oracles The Magestrates would gladly that you should geue a reason more agreable to truth of your dealinges and doctrine as for HN. where he became or where he is they little passe and wheâe you say that to me the trueth is vnknowen it may be as you say neither will I trouble my selfe much therein but that you of his Familye might imbrace trueth is my chiefe purpose which cannot be in my opinion holding your selues captiue to the illusions of HN. Vitell. FVrthermore you say that he doth cal himselfe Restorer of al things whereunto I aunswere that there is no suâh word written by him and yet hath thâ Lord accomplished according to his promises through the âpiriââ of Christ in him all that he hath spoken through the mouth of his seruauntâs the Prophets more where you say that HN. cannot erre or miââe the right c. I know not how hee or any one should erre whiâhâ is indewed with the holy Ghost led by the spiâite of Christ which leadeth into all trueth Aunswere THat he doth so call himselfe I haue written therein as I âinde it collected by the commissioners who delt specially in that matter but you affirme as much or more of him then I charged him with For you say that the Lorde âath accomplished through the spirite of Christ in him all that he hath spoaken through the mouth of his Prophetes and this we thinke to be very straingely auouched of you contrary to trueth the Prophecyes of such whome the Lord raysed vp to coÌfort the weake estate of his Church in the tyme of the law were fulfilled in their seasons especially such prophesyes as either touched the captiuitye of the Iewes or the destruction of their Citie also many of their prophesies concerned the comming of our merciful Messias the maner of his byrth passion death and resurrection Now to affirme that all these are fulfilled in ââ is very horââble and moÌstrous but such is your vanitye that so you may extoll the dignitye of your Aucthor you care not what vntruthes ioyned with blasphemye you vtter the lyke speach HN. auoucheth of himselfe saying what God hath spoken âhrough hâs holy Prophets what is written of Châist should also in vs and with vs beâome fâlâilled c. âow you are able by any shaddow of trueth to proue anâ of these two sayinges true it had bin requisite that you should a shewed for they carry great absurdityes both in trueth and reason Whether doe you lift vp your Aucthor by such vntrue speaches it doth appeare very lamentable to all God his children this is proude bosting and exaltation such as S. Paule did warne the Church to take heede of such I doe much maruell that Christian men with any face can write thus presumpteouslye of mortall man although you would qualisye your saying that this is brought to passe by the spirite of Christ in him but this helpeth not neither doth it stand with the will of God reueled that any mortall creature should be so exalted For if we should demaund of you how we shall know this to be true then you aunswere by his workes which I thinke you meane his bookes Yf otherwise you meane some miraculous dealing which you are priuy of and not knowen it were necessary for his credit and your honesty not to hide it any longer but simply to manifest the same Moreouer you say that none can erre which are indued with the holy ghost c. We know that the spirite leadeth into al trueth yet those vessels hauing by grace such priuiledge doe often in shew and countenaunce appeare as though the spirite were queÌâhed or as fire raked vp in ashes example here of Peter who hauing the spirite of God yet did thingâs contrary to trueth and therefore was rebuked by Paule and that worthely many in Christ his Church no dout haue bin guided by the spirite of God and yet sometymes haue shewed theÌselues humane creatures as wanting that excellent priuiledge appropriate to Christ which sayd I am trueth such is our condition we may not reach higher not to erre is a speciall title belonging to Christ our Lord and not to mortall man although lightened with the spirite we must rest conteÌt with such honor as it pleaseth him to graunt who is Lord of his creatures and not to reach so high as presumpteously to chalenge a title and dignity farre aboue our capacitye and not
with all to deceaue all How do you obserue the politik ordinaunce of the Maiestrate in printing your bookes and publishing them to the Queenes subiectes contrary to the law made in that behalf your obedience cânsisteth in wordes but not in ãâã âhârefore with more truth you might saye we will not be obedient to Maiâstrates In that you coÌdescend âoâ iâ anye thing contrary to God c. Therin you say well but I would you were found herein true of your promise for then your HN. and hys doctrine with hys prophesies should not haue such credit amoÌg you as appeareth if his doctrine be not directly agaynst the Lorde our God and hys commaundementes I apeale vnto the iudgement of all God his Children that shall reade these conferences You accompt none vngodly but such as blaspheme the Lord and despise his most holy seruice of loue Whome you accompt blasphemers before is declared iâ any speake aagaynst your HN. or your Family of loue Ipso faâto he is a blasphemer then all the worlde which doe despise your Familye are blasphemers your conclusion must needes fall out euen so whereby appeareth what reuerent opinion you haue of any and of al that are not of your Family if you learned this of HN. consider better of it for very shame of y worldâ if no reuereÌce nor feare of God can moue you You confesse that there is no man righteous vntill the Lord deliuer him froÌ hys vnrighteousnes but howe we are deliuered you wee greatly vary we according vnto the holy Scripture do acknowledge Christ to be our righteousnes which he hath wrought perfectly in him selse which by fayth wee apply to our vnrighteousnes hys obedieÌce his loue his pacience c. we by fayth apply to our disobedience to our hatred to our impacience c. all what was in Christ is made ours by grace yet still wee in our earthen vessels are coârupt sinâull and vâyde oâ anye suche vertues as the law requireth But âou on the contrarye affirme that by Christ working in vs by hys spirite we are made righteous and so clensed from our vnrighteousnes that we are chaunged into hys perfection so that in all our actions wordes and thoughts nothing can âlow oâ pâocâede from vs but sucâe as procâede ârom Christ because we are guyded by the same spirite but whether you or wee speake truth let the holy Scriptures beare witnesse then may be say that the Lord is his righteousnes it is very true but how and in what manner the Lord may be sayd to be our righteousnes is to be vnderstoode we acknowledge y hee in hys owne person is our righteousnes and sanctificatioÌ but you will haue hys righteousnes wrought in you by his spirtie the difference coÌsisteth in the maâer we acknowledge in him all strength all piety all obedience and in our selues all weakenes all vngodlinesse and all disobedience but you will needes haue all in all to be in vs whiche to much blemisheth hys glory and triumph if we shoulde also in our persons triumph our triumph standeth not in doing but in beleeuing in him which did Therefore as you haue charged vs wrongfully to be aduocats for sinne so may we rightly call yâu Patrons for our corrupt rotten and earthen vessels Vitell. MOre you are offended at the confession of the Familye of Loue vnderstand the matter well that there is no man coÌpelled therevnto but if any one be wounded or trobled in his coÌscience then he may to his coÌfort make his euel thoughts or els what manifest vnto a priest or Elder aâcording vnto the counsell of the holy scripture Also I thinke it is an ordinauÌce in the Church of England that if any one be troubled in minde he shall come and aske counsell of the person or minister and I thinke he must then make manifest his thoughtes c. And the Catholiâk ReligioÌ holdeth thought word and deede but there are many that will compell men to deâlare their thoughts ⪠whiâh ãâã nââther pâiestes nor Ministers of the âord Aunswere TOuching your coÌfessioÌ which âou acknowledge to be voluntary and not coaâted I haue signified my dislyking your Auâthor HN. doâh say it is expedient that they of his Familye make maniâest all that hath bin coÌmitted both what it is wherevnto our nature draweth vs vnto here it apppeareth ⪠if you follow your Author directly he leueth the matter not so voluntary as of necessitye And this must be done as you say vnto a pâiest or Elder to please the Papitles I thinke you haue added this worde priest but we tell you that such manner of confession the scriptures allow not of if any be wounded in conscieÌce he may to his comfort repayre to any godly or learned preacher âo shew his griefe and to receaue counsell and comfort to his consolation by the scripture agaynst the prick of conscience or the law which troubleth many miÌs mindes but that of necessitye he must make manifest all thoughts all what our nature doth incline vnto there is no warrant what ordinaunce is in the Church of England you haue not shewed but that he must of necessitye make manifest his thoughts it is vntrue it is left frââ onely by way of perswasion men are moued to repaire in such extremitye to their learned and godly pastors and by no ordinaunce but this appeareth that you accompt not your selfe as any member of this Church of England no maruell for you holde it more safe to professe HN. his Familye then to be an obedient child of Christ his Church Whereof England is a speciall part What the Catholick religion holdeth touching confession is no cloke to shaddow your dealinges with all for we tell both you and them that such a confession as both you and they hold is not agrâeing with trueth The Papistes vrge men and accompt them heretickes that deny it and you hold it as an expedient thinge neither haue you both any warrant so to doe Some doe compell men to declare their thoughtes which are neither priestes nor ministers as you affirme who they are you tell vs not yet I suppose you meane the coÌmissioners who âxamining your Familye touching their fayth and doctrine found them so suttle by your instructioÌs that in y end they required theÌ to declare their knowledge what they thought of their Author HN. and I thinke the Magistrate authorised by the Prince may in such cases require vs to maniâest what opinion we haue of any Author or what we thinke of him but you haue taught them to say we know him not and therefore to commend him or discommend him wee may not such sleightes you deuise wheÌ the Magistrats requireth a trueth at your handes and here is also declared your obedieÌce to rulers your Elders are safe when the poore country people are brought before the Magistrates but when will any of you the âlders come voluntarily and defend your doctrine and proue it good by souÌd argumeÌt it
acknowledge themselues to be felow Elders with the Elder HN. and magnifie his office and calling abouâ measure and protest with great vehemency that such wonderfull workes as are brought forth through the same HN. could not be wrought unles the Lord God were with him And these strange names of their Elders do maruelously astonish our English people Elidad as I haue learned is an Hebruâ word and signyfieth dilecâus Dei. the beloued of God which is a proper title belonging to our Sauiour Christ. This is my beloued sonne c. And that we generally are in him and by him beloued there is no dout so is be still the beloued And that some of their Elders name themselues Fidelitas so others that belike are not come to so high degree name theÌselueâ Amatores Charitatis It is a world to see how these men delite in such vayne shewes of piety and thinke to get credite by these coloured meanes which to the godly seemeth ridiculous and too too fond And thus much coÌcerning the bokes in latin by occasioÌ of the Dutch wherin note this Christian Reader that wheras the Italian Pope would haue all in latin this other Pope and dutch Antichrist would haue all in Dutch as a predestinate tongue to open his prophesies and misteries of that Lord. All the quotations of holy scripture that HN. vseth to proue that he is rysen from the dead to iudge the world do proue in deede that Iesus Christ hath rysen from the dead must they therfore auouch HN. his resurrection See good Reader the presumptuous spirite of Sathan so setled in these for âorne âdames ⪠that through the eating of that forbidden fruite wherethrough they would become as god that is deiââed they are wholy become sathanified or diuilyfied Strange names I confesse but very significant propeâ for such strange Christians Was not Christ Iesus mightely declared to be God by the resurrection from y dead If this resurrection were the mightyest declaration or argument proofe that Christ was God iudge Christian Reader ⪠if HN. maketh not himself not only God but Christ and so the promised séede And in deede you your selfe Vitell haue affirmed him to be a Prophet before in thiâ place you cal him a priest geue him also the name of a king and then is he Christ a new Messiaâ for by his resurrection he maketh him selfe god Such an Antichâist â thinke should neuer haue beene heard of if that the Children of God had not beene warned in the gospell that many false Christes should come into the world and such dangerous dayâs that if it were possible the elect of God should be deceaued But blessed be God whâ euer is ready to preserue his electe by Christ sâ that perish in âecoiuable wayeâ they shall not such a care hath the Lord ouer his Now HN. and his ââistes office shall appeare where through the Lord will receaue all men O impudent wretâhes haue we not a deliuerer euen the Lord Iesus who doth not onely receaue vs but continually protect vs and minister to vs all thinges both heauenly and earthly which are expedient for vs but will you blasphemously open your mouthes that wee shall be receiued by the Priestes office of your HN. No godly Christian can heare this without griefe What âerogatioÌ is this to our merciful Lord and Sauiour that now a wretched man possessed with a lamentable spirite shall take vpon him his office and calling where through we shall be receaued Oh manisefâst impietye Oh exeârable iniquitye which no patience can beare Seing you publishe âuch doctrine in writing with deliberation what doctrine doe you teâch in corners to your Family where no maÌâare open hiâ mouth agaynst any blasphemy that you doe vtter ⪠In such credââ are you ââept but wo worth y hed that seekes to ãâã the simple with such horrible doctrine Your ãâã âayd that I know not HN. but as it was sayd to Serinthus the heretique I know him to be the first begotten sonne of SathaÌ But the Lord hath geuen his Church the spirite of trueth to direââ them from all such vâyne boastes of iniquitye So lykewise O Lord geue thy holy spirit to the simple seduced in y Familye ⪠that they may behold the blasphemyes which their Elders in wickednes doe teach agaynst the son of God Christ Iesus Vitell. FVrthermore you write very vntruly of HN. where you say that no man be he neuer so learned or godly can vnderstand or interpreat the scriptureâ for I am sure there are no such wordes written by him therfore I must needes say they are lyes and false iudgementes with wrong interpretatioÌs almost all what you write of him and of his workes and euen so are most of your interpretationâ which you alledge of Christ and his Apostles doctrine For if so be they I meane HN. his bookes might be perused of vnparciall Iudges then your iudgement would be found euen lyke their iudgement which coÌdemned Susanna but the Lord raysed vp Daniell which is the iudgement of God and deliuered the giltles vnto whome we commit our cause For he will iudge vprightly and reward euery one according to his deedes Aunsweâe WHat HN. hath pronouÌced of all other mens vnderstaÌding of the scripture I will here agayne set down that the reader may iudge who is in the lye Therefore it is assuredly all false and lyes seducing and deceitfull what the vngodded or vnilluminated men out of the imagination or of their owne knowledge and out of the learnednes of the scriptures bring forth institute preach and teach they preach in deede the letâer and the imagination of their knowledges but not the word of the liuing God. And in an oâher place âo diuâ ⪠codem cap. ãâã theÌ esteme themselues so holy as they will they are a false Christianitye and Diuells sinagogue or schole c. with many other places to lyke effect so that HN. still teacheth his Familye that it is geueÌ to the Familye of Loue to vnderstand the secretes thereof Now let the indiffereÌt reader iudge whether HN. exempt not all but him and his from the true vnderstanding of the scriptures all men which are not godded with God he tearmeth fleshly minded and earthly in cogitations and intreateth whole chapters of such men he sayth That a fleshly and earthly man out of his naturall and scripture learned vnderstaÌding hath not any sight or knowledge at all thereof he iâ so vtterly voyd of the same that he cannot vnderstand the smallest title thereof much lesse expound the same according to the trueth to an other c. So that it appeareth pâayne that nono but HN. and his illuminat Elders can vnderstand the samâ ⪠ââccording to trueth You say if HN. his bookes might be perused of vnpartiall Iudges then should his case be found as innocent as Susanna Those vnparcial Iudgeâ that you would haue are you and your fellow Elders in the Familye For I doe truely affirme that no
godly or learned man in all ChristeÌdome will allow your HN. and his bookes for true doctrine you for your part haue trauelled the most part of this 10. yeares and yet I cannot vnderstaÌd of any godly âr learned man that imbraceth your doctrine onely some erroneus spirites whose heddes haue bin intoxââated with other horrible heresies doe ioyne with you in these your wicked attempes also certayââ vnlearned country people with whom by your sugred speaches and fayre wordes you haue not a little preuailed to the destructioÌ of their soules If you would choose any godly and learned men to heare your reasons and argumentes thâ matter might quietly be debated you doe but in wordes make a shew aâ though you would stand to indifferent and vnpârciall iudgement But when it commeth to tryall you will be iudged onely by your selues which is the safest way to cloke your impietyes Vitel. THerefore consider what you haue done for I am sure you are not appoynted a iudge by the Lord but Christ will come with his Saintes and iudge the world and all nations with righteousnes and he will send his Aungells for to kepe and to gather the corne together and they shall bring the corne into the Barne but the weedes shall be cast into the vnquenâhable fire therefore iudge you nothing before the Lord come whilest you cannot as yet discerne the hearbes from the weedes nor the corne from the chaffe for with the same iudgement that you iudge shall you be iudged in asmuch as you are guilty ⪠in the same which you falsely iudge ouer others Aunswere I Am not appoynted a Iudge but Christians must not be lyke Horse and Moyle that haue no vnderstanding I onely admonish you as is euery maÌs duty of such doctrine as you teach to the poore people which is corrupt and therefore knowing the same I haue manifested it to the world that your cause might sooner if you be disposed come to tryall and that trueth might appeare where it is You further discourse of the second comming of Christ I hope you meane it not otherwise but in the resurrection of all fleââ I writ this because HN. in the preface of his booke called a good Instruction of the vpright sayth the 2. division sayth these wordes For as much theiâ as that now in this same newest day the comming of Iesus Christ as a Lord in his maiestye from the right hand of God his Father appearâth and becommeth manifested vnto ãâã with full clearenes of his heauânly illumination âccording to the scripâââe c. Here HN. telleth that Iesus Christ is come and is manefest to you of his Familye and that he is come from the right hand of God his father Our fayth is that he shall come from theÌce in the end of the world but HN. telleth his Familye that he is come therefore your wordes and your Authors agree not this is very suspitious doctrine touching the resurrection and this augmenteth more suspition that one of your Family being asked before many witnesses touching Christes comming to iudgement did aunswere playne that he was already come meaning his second comming I could name the partye yet my hope is that you teach not so heathnishly of our resurrection and of Christ his glorious comming to Iudgement Vitell. MOreouer you affirme in your wrighting that you and all that are as your are whome you âall God his children doe feele your selues wounded with sin vnto death but by grace geuen from aboue that wholesome medecine Christe Iesus whose passion hath purged whose bloud hath cleÌsed whose death hath cured all your diseases and maladies c. So you confesse you neede not any more for you are clensed and cured of al your diseases wherefore do you then condemne HN. which doth teache none other doctrine where through men shal come to lyfe euerlasting but through the passioÌ death and bloud of Iesus Christ but you are clensed as you say and therefore haue you no more neede of Christ nor of hys safemaking oyle of the godly saluation for you affirme that ye are all cleane and I would ye were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde yee neither slaunder nor lye Aunswere I Haue sayd that all God his Children feele themselues wounded with âhâ vnto death c. the remedy I hauâ also shewed as you haue set down but your conclusion is false and cannot bee collected of my wordes that I neede not anye more because I am clenseâ and cured for we need his prouidencâ still to protect vs and his grace to defend vs in all our actions for wee arâ stil subiect to âall into sinnes not withstanding in the purpose of God we bee hys elect and to our comfort do feele the Lorde worke in vs a hate of sinne which is a testimony to our conscience that we pertayne vnto the Lord Iesuâ yet so as the dregges of sinne with the motions thereof lurke in our bodyeâ although you deny it our battayle against âinne is continuall and shal neuer haue end vntill our earthly tabernacle shal be turned to dust contrarâ to your doctrine of perfection you askâ why I blame HN. whiche teacheth no other doctrine I would be nor you did not but how contrary you speake vnto the truth doth maniâestly appeare You charge me agayne vntruely that because we are clensed wee neede no more of Christ this woulde you haue but our needâ wee still acknowledge our wantes we vtter and yet doubt nothing of our deliuery from sin hell and death and although wee acknowledge this our redemption and forgeuenes of our sinnes yet so as the remembraunce thereof still worketh repentaunce in vs and also wee often feele the law to presse vs the iustice of God to terrefie vs our coÌscience to accuse vs in such trouble are often the children of God but stil by grace giuen vs through fayth wee acknowledge Christe Iesus who hath interposed himselfe betweene vs and the law betwene vs and the Iustice of God c. with such conflictes doth the Lord still exercise hys ChildreÌ and so doth hereby schole vs that feeling our want or neede and our miseries we might flee to him for streÌgth for mercy for help but I doubt whether you in your Family with your presumtuous doctrine of perfectioÌ do féel any of these exercises the godly Christian is partaker of ⪠Now you wishe that I were clensed through Iesus Christ for then coulde I neither slaunder nor lye âoe here appeareth vnawares that you when you are clensed can sinne no more but for my owne part I acknowledge and I doubt not but verely beleue through Christ that my sinnes by his death are clensed and yet subiect both to lye and slaunder Although I know not neither is it yet manifest vnto me that I haue wittingly either belyed or slaundered either you or your Aucthor or maliciously haue written any thing agaynst you yet it may be that I haue bin informed otherwise then trueth in
some thinges yet so as hitherto vntouched of you except we should take your bare word agaynst many witnesses Vitell. FVrther you write of two men which weâe before a worshipfull Iustice Anno 1561. which you affirm to be of the Fam. of loue what they were that is that but of HN. his doctrine at that time they knew not also you affirme you knowe what but seeing you will âeedes slaunder vs we will in the patience of Christ beare thât and hâpe âpon the goodnes and mercifulnesse of the Lord desiring him to geue you a better minde Aunswere TOuching two meÌ examyned before a worshipfull Iustice I haue collected that they were of the Family of loue you answere the doctrine of HN. at that time they knew not but this is certain one of them is liuing knoweth you but to well and is a welwiller to your Family and scoller of Allin but what they were you aunswere that is that Such suttle aunsweres are fittest for men of your profession you know what they were it seemeth and in deed they were of your hatching although for further increase of knowledge ⪠Allin their neare neighbor did more instructe them and lead them forward into your error Plain dealing would haue put men out of doute seeing you know what they were But since they haue bewrayed your doings ⪠in secret you regard them not For some of your Familye haue aunswered that by compulcion and threates they made their confession others say playne they were not of our Family you are ashamed of them now that they haue disclosed your secret conference You say I affirme I know what I thinke you meane touching your owne person wherein I haue vttered you to be y onely man y hath brought this wicked doctrine of HN. which lay hidden in the Dutch tongue among our simple English people to their euerlasting destruction except the Lord in mercy open their eyes that they may see into the wicked monstrous drift of your Author HN. and repent theÌ and so turn vnto the Lord Iesus from whome they haue departed following a stranger an enemy to Christ and his gospell set vp by Sathan who enuieth the prosperitye thereof The Lord geue you hartes to vnderstand and also geue euery one of you a better minde Vitell. COncerning Christopher Vâtell of his aât or his small skill in learning he knoweth it also neither doth he make any boast of any thing that he âaÌ for he knoweth if he haue any goâd whether it be godly or maâly that ât commeth fâom aboue for all goâd coÌmeth from the Father of light with âhome there is no variablnes âeiâher is he chaunged into daâkenes but all what is neither gâdly âoâ manây that commeth out oââhe âlâsh of ãâã or âlâshfly wisedonâ ãâã the ãâã gâod thinking his ãâ¦ã âhiâh bringeth ãâ¦ã holyââs a counterfaâte riâhteouââes as also many manner of religions or chosen God seruices sectes or errors c. Aunswere TOuching this Christopher Clitel in Latten Vitâlus or Vitulus I haue sayd he is a ioyner by occupation a wauering minde and vnconstaÌt delighting in singularitys alwayes held hereticall opinions almost this 36. yeares wise men haue noted 3. euills being once rooted in man are seldome or neuer voyd of some spice of y same disease that is Lunasy Ieolously and heresye and it so falleth out by this mans example who in king Henryes raigne was vnconstant in king Cowardes raigne a dissembler and in Queenes Maryes raigne a playne Arryan and now in this our Princes raigne a chiefe teacher of the Familye of Loue now he hosteth of nothing surely there is no cause but rather to sorrow that many poore people by you are deceiued and abused and their simplicitye caryed away by your suttle speaches You say what so is godly or manly that is from aboue the phrase is somewhat difficult I think you mean spirituall and earthly But where you adde what is neither godly nor manly y coÌmeth of the flesh of sinne c. Here is a distinction more scholasticall then meane wittes can attaine to if by godly and manly you place manly as contrary to godly then is manly taken in the euill part and so not from aboue excepte you will haue euell thinges from aboue which cannot be The thirde distinction is ambiguous for of our corrupt nature wee bring forth fleshly wisdome imaginations c. And herevnto are we by nature subiect if the Lord by his grace doe not guide vs and lead vs and deliuer vs yea and so deliuered if he still doe not protect and gouerne vs we shall be ready to fall agayne and agayne therefore we dayly craue at his handes saying deliuer vs Lord from such euels as by our owne corrupt nature we are subiect vnto Here are also 2. phrases I thought not good to let pas vntouched the one the mans good thinking and this is taken in the Family in the euill parte If his thought be good it is from aboue why despise ye it The other is chosen God seruices If it be a seruice of God then you doe not well to place this phrase with sects and errors But these men haue a delite to publishe strange Religion and to set it forth with strange phrases also For so they may speake like their Author they care not how vnlike the holy scripture they write Vitell. ANd all these come hereout because the man will iudge the âorkes of the Lord with his naturall wisdome or lernedenes And heâout namely out of the wisedome of the flesh sprang all Christopher Vitelles errors but not out of any other maÌs councell or bookes Answere ALl errors sectes and couÌterfaite righteousnes as this man saith come of this that man will iudge the worâes of the Lord with his naturall wisdome lewdnes Touching man simply which S. Paul calleth Ammalis homo the âleshly minded man knoweth not the things that are of God yet it is also affirmed that no man can say Abba Father without the spirite of god This man would perswade that there is now some secret teaching froÌ God by reuelation which is proper to this Family and therein they haue a speciall gifte they litle regard the ordinary way and meane to attayne knowledge and the true sence of the holy scripture It is not to be denyed that almighty God hath taught his children by his holy spirite in reuelations extraordenary but that now the sonne of God is come into the world eâen the wisdom of the Father with an vncouered face shall we now in this light looke to be taught by reuelations or inspiratioÌs he hath by his wisdome established an ordinarye way of teachinge in his church wherunto we must stand obâdyent except we will deny his ordynance Faith commeth by hearing of the word of God If we haue faith we shal not want other excellent vertues she is neuer alone but loue charitiâ humilitie patience c. waite vpoÌ her as handmaydes Hath not the Deuill deluded many
vpon your perfection integrity he commeth to such a as terrible Iudge to your confusion where on the contrary we reioyce in his mercy still acknowledging our sinnes our wantes crying calling vpon him all the dayes of our lyâes with the Prophet Dauid and saying if thou O Lord looke straightly vpon our sinnes Lord Lord who shall abide it c. Correct vs O Lord but yet in thy mercy not in thy fury least we should be consumed c. thus we still call vpoÌ the Lord for our deliuery acknowledge our continuall transgressions which are euer before vs as prickes to prouoke vs forward to doe therein our duety that is to aske mercy of the Lord our God who willeth vs to call vpon him in the day of our trouble Vitell. FVrthermore coÌcerning Christophers being at Paules Crosse and the cause why he came there that can my Lord Byshop doctor Grindall declare best For he knoweth he found me in no error and so he there sayd neither had he any law to compell me to come theâher but he desired me to come coÌfesse that I held no such opinioÌ or error wherby the false brute might be stayed which went of me so I accomplished his request therein albeit I coÌfessed that I had in some poyntes bin deceiued by certayne straungers c. now I wish that you would inquire of my Lord doctor Grindall for I thinke he will testify the matter euen as it was Answere COncerning Christopher Vitells being and recanting at Paules Crosse there are many yet liuing that were preseÌt doe verefy what I haue sayd touching my L. of Cant. whom you appeale vnto if y case be so as you haue affirmed then is he worthy great blame to desire any maÌ to recaÌt which is in no error â come to such a famous place as Paules Crosse is Before in the 35. section you confesse that out of the wisedome of the flesh sprang all Christoffer âitells errors and now you affirme that you were in no error agayne in this tractation you confesse that in some poyntes you had bin deceaued by certayne straungers and in an other place you aâouch that by no other mens counsell or bookes you were deceiued such a gift you haue to say ⪠and vnsay to affirme and to deny but the trueth is that you were prisoner in the counter in woodstret by commaundement of the Byshop that then was and there is your name regestred and your comming was not voluntary as you vntruely affirme but coacted by the law Magesârates vse not to desire men to come to publick place to confesse their heresies but the law it selfe doth vrge it and you according to the law for your releasement out of prison did recant at the Crosse and named your error to be Arrianisme whether you did it from the hart that the Lord God knoweth Now consider this man for his credit sake among his deceaued Familye would perswade that such a péece of iniustice was shewed vnto him as he sayth but he is proued a lyer not onely in this but in many other matters verefying the olde prouerb mendâcem memorem esse oporteâ a lyer had neede to haue a good memory And where as you so confideÌtly affirme that you were in no error wheÌ you were at the Crosse the contrarye whereof is manifest I will put you in minde of the disputations and confereÌce that diuers meÌ had with you in Queene Maryes dayes M. Ro. Crowley a reuerent and godly preacher yet liuing who affirmeth that seueral times he disputed with you concerning the blasphemy of Arryus and you coÌtinually denyed Christ Iesus to be God equall with his Father and immoueably you remained all her raigne of that minde and this M. Crowley is redy to auouch agaynst you whensoeuer you or any for you will require to be certafied Also one Ione Agar an olde mayde which wayted on those in office for the Cittye as Mayors and shrieffes did declare to M. Fulkes the Elder and others that you Christopher Vitell whome she named to be hyr cosin had taught her playnely that Christ was not God but onely a good man and a Prophet and that there were men that shee did know liuing that were as good and as holy men as he was and further that Maister Latimer Maister Ridley and others which gaue their lyfâ for Christes cause were starke fooles and did not well in suffering death such wickednes haue you bin the Aucthor of yet now to hould your credit with your Familye you would haue the world beleue that you were in no error but you are worthy the reward of a lyer which is that when he speaketh trueth he is not beleued This man is chosen and found to be the aptest person to be an illuminat Elder in HN. his Family of greatest credit among those deceiued soules a fitter instrument to beare record of HN. and his doctrine then to declare the ioyfull message of Christ our redeemer whome he hath blasphemed denying his diuinitye worthely are they deluded that follow such a deceiuer That man that once hath made shipwrack of fayth good conscience and is possessed with error it is hard to reclayme him but that some spice of that maladye will lurke in him or a worse as is proued true by you you confessed then you were deceaued by certayne straungers and haue you not as great cause to suspect your selfe deceaued now by HN. a straunger in nation and estraunged from God and Christ in his doctrine published contrary to his will reuealed in the holy scriptures if you would consider with indifferency you were neuer so notably deceiued then as you are now for looke into all the workes of HN. what doe they tend to but that he is a prophet raysed vp by God and an elected minister a priest in office by whome God wil receiue all men in mercy With such lyke testimonyes doth he vtter of himselfe and his Familye doe beleue the same I would his credit were not so great with you but that you could coÌpare his saâings with the scriptures and haue an eye vnto âs collections of the same and how he followeth the grossest âraslation of the Bible delighting in that most specially and his allegations applyed so farre from the sence of the holy ghost that a man meanely exercised ân the scripture may playnely see his corruption Many brutes haue bin of you touching your erronious spirite and in deede they that haue truely noted your disposition doe affirme that you could neuer lyke of any publick doctrine which was taught but had alwayes a desire of singularitye such a troubler of Christ his Church haue you bin but blessed be the name of y Lord who hath made manifest your herâsies although you will not scarcely acknowledge theÌ so that the simplest among many thowsandes is sufficieÌtly assâsted by the Lord to bewray and display your manifest impietye and the Lord hath in store of his Church that
good but forasmuch as your doctrine is false wicked and fantasticall therfore your prayer is corrupte and abhominable and to be despised and all princes that fear the Lord wil become vtter enemies to you â your doctrine and seek diligently to amend if it be possible your corruptions and I doute not but the Lord hath in his Church men of zealous mindes who will not see the glory of our immortall God nor the death passion and resurrection of Christ Iesus our Lord so defaced darâkned and shadowed And that his Church may be purged of such corrupt weedes which spring vp séeking to destroy that good corn which is sowed already O Lord God we humble sinners abiding in the vnity of thy holy Church doe most humbly hartely pray thee eueÌ for thy sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus sake that thou wilt in mârcy looke vpon thy poore afflicted Church and the members thereof that by no malice of Sathan no pretence of collored speach nor no vanity of minde any of thy children be caryed away as straying from thy fould but that O Lord they may agayne be ioyned to thy flock so that so many as pertayne vnto that good shepherd of our soules Christ Iesus may laud and prayse thy name with one voyce and O Lord we most humbly beseech thee to clense thy Church from the filthy dregges of doctrine which wicked meÌ through the malice of Sathan haue deuised to disquiet thy peaceable Sion conuert thou them O Lord wée beseech thee mollify their stony hartes which haue set vp a Prophet whome thou O Lord hast not sent let them O Lord behold how farre they haue declyned from thy wayes and followed the doctrine of deceaueable men let them see from whome they haue departed to whom they cleaâe fast And although we O Lord by our offences and the manyfold transgressions wherwith we prouoke thy merciâull goodnes who doe know thy will and yet are so slow performerâ therof wherby thou O Lord doest punish our offences so that wicked men now set vp theÌselues against vs accusing vs and that worthely of the breaking of thy holy lawes So O Lord although we haue thus sore prouoked thy goodnes by our offences yet we beseech thee consider thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour whose obedience righteousnes to thy will ⪠thou hast by promise made it ours so that beloÌging to thy sonne we are shadowed vnder his righteousnes and couered vnder his winges in safety from eternall destrucâion But such is thy goodnesse O mercifull God to try thy children here in earth how stedfast we will bid battaâle against Sathan and his impes and how constant we will abide therein so that no blast nor inuation of enemies shall I hope shake that foundation of faith that thou hast plânted in vs which we most humbly desire thy maiesty to increase and that we may perseuâre and continue in the vnity of thy holy church in this life and after we may inioy tâe fruition of thy godly maiâstye and sing prâyses vnto thee world without end Vitell. O Lord let vs finde grace before thine eyes and heare ouâ humble sâpplication which we make vnto thee in the sorrowfulnesse of our haâts For a broaken hart and a sorrowfull spââite wilt thou O Lord not despise ⪠for euen there wilt thou enter ãâã and therby mââe thine habitation and sanctifie thy name from genâration tââenâââtioâ ãâã in euerlastingnes It is very true Answere O Lord we bâseech thée turne the harts of thesâ deceaueâ people and graunt them thy holâ sâirit y they may discern thy truth tauâht in thy holy word and not geue eaâe vnto anâe which teach coÌtrary therto ouerthrow their deuices brig to light their deâââts for thy holy names sake That we thy childreÌ may reiâyce ouer their tâ uersioÌ so together with one voice magnifie praise thy glorious name ⪠and that those straying shââp may be brought in to thy fold again ãâã it be thy blesââd wil Reueale vnto them O Lord we beseech thee the office and death of thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour that they tasting the swetenes thereof may âorsake the confidence they haue in their perfection and that we may all acknowledge onely Christ Iesus to be perâite and we our selues dust and dung and whatsoeuer is vile let nât Sathan lead theÌ captiue but O Lord we besech thee pull them out of the Lyons mouth and conioyne them to thy holy Church out of which they haue wandred ouer long in doctrines of men Let thy strength appeare O Lord and let our weakenes be made open to them let the effect of thy Gospell breake into their hartes of stone that they may tast féele how swâete the Lord is in mercy towardes sinners and how seuere to such as iustify theÌselues And if it stand with thy good will pleasure thus to coÌuert theÌ at the sute of our earnest prayers we shall for the same geue thankes in thy Church euermore But if thy Churche shall haue thereby their tryall made knoweÌ to the world herein O Lord kéepe thy children and such as loue thâ Lord Iesus embrace the ioyfull tidinges of the Gospell in thine owne bosome that they be not led away with any pretences of pietye into error or corruption but defend them as thou hast promised that what pittye a Father hath ouer his childreÌ lyke pittye thou O Lord wilt shew vnto theÌ which we besech thee graunt vs for thy sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whome with the holy ghost be honor land prayse power and dominion from euerlasting to euerlasting So be it The state and condition of a regenerate man by the rule of holy scripture compared with the state of a regenerat man by the doctrine of HN. in the Familye of Loue. I Being in my creation at the first in most excellent state and happines hauing by diuine prouideÌce in my selfe frée choyse will to choose the good and refuse the euill described by fire and water I willingly and of mine owne accord gaue place to euill and so worthely by iustice brought vpon my selfe the heauy hand of my God and the dexteritye of his law ⪠with maledirioÌ cursse where in â had remained euerlastingly had not the Lord my God in mercy and of his speciall grace beholding my woeâââl âase without any desert of mine prouided and promised a deliuerer a Sauiour eueÌ the Lord Iesus which in âulnes of time came whome the Patriarches hoped after whome the Prophets foretold of which died for my sinnes and rose agayne for my iustification who put out the hand writing of the law pronounced agaynst me âastened it to his crosse who suffered for me y I might raigne with him who left me an example that I should âollow his steppes And which is more without coÌdition promisâd me eternall lyfe which by the onely sacrifice of his death he hath obtayned and by his paynefull
God ând one man and they were one and had in al one order being and nature For God was all that the man wâs and the man was âl that God was c. Thus man became God at the beginning For God looking vpon man looked vpon him self as the same cleerânes of his liuing Godhead Also the man looked vpon his God his gentle cleane and vnspotted manhode in all fulcomenes in all honesty and fairenes in all fashion and being according to the same Godhead And this was also all one God and the man c. God gaue the man in the beginning none other Lawes Institutions Iudgements nor Commaundements but to liue with ioy naked or vncouered before him and to looke vpon all the works of God for good and not for euil should neuer tast or féele euill death or condemnation But as the man turned âway the eyes of his flesh from his âod saw vpon him selfe that he was not the hyest Godhed it selfe but that he was also man ⪠then was he vndersought or tempted to the knowledge of good and euill to be therethrough as God. Then came a blindnes ouer man and estranged him or seperated him from his God wherethrough he could not beare the word or voice of his god nor shine before him with his naked manhoode Man did acknowledge none other God saluation nor kingdome of heauen but through the knowledge that the man had takeÌ on to him self which was nothing els but the deuill hell and condemnation Through this knowledge of AdaÌ the generations of men haue inherited a consumeable inheritaunce wherethrough men that were made or shaped to be one with God and ought to be one with another are fallen into many contrarieties and hinderlike knowledges Thus man being fallen away altogether destroyed in his vnderstanding and from the liuing Godhed and from the kingdome of heauen straunged might be brought agayne to his vpright estate in his God through his loue according as he had promysed to the saluation of the manly generation he made one new man after the same likenes or similitude of his Godhead and named him Iesus Christus which doeth signifie vnto vs the safemaking oyle of God sauing being the same is gone out from God and hath shewed himselfe vpon earth He is gone into the knowledge of men and found all their man knowledges and their scripture learnednes in all in all that they wist false and lying This false knowledge siting she vnderstandeth not Gods truth aright through her wisdome and Scripture learnednes hath Christ rebuked and taken captiue the knowledge of men and made it through Christ foolishnes to make them frée and deliuer them in this to coÌming day of his Lordlines from all their foolish knowledge Euen so hath Christ done by y sin and the righteousnes of men He is also gone into the death of men and hath borne therby one death namely his death of the crosse and so through his death hath taken captiue the death of men because that he in y last day in his comming againe may set vp the man from death through the death of the cros and make him aliue that he may bring him in his vpright estate to his God. But now hath Iesus Christ the might and Lordship ouer all destroyed things which burthened the men and the destructions which were takeÌ captiue and through the death of the cros had brought all vnder him Euen so is he with his might and Lordship risân agayne from death ouer the destruction and through the declaration of his resurrection hath he shewed to his frends and disciples which belâeued in him and hath made it knowen vnto them the might home to get y ouer winning against al y destroyed things wherewith the maÌ was incaptiued God hath ordayned a day which is the day of loue in which he will iudge the earth with righteousnes through one man he hath concluded it which holdeth beliefe before euery man seing that God hath awaked him againe from the death Hetherto the doctrine of HN. taken out of a booke called Mans falling away his Lordlines and comming agayne THe heauenly being of God and God his vpright righteousnes is become mortall in vs but yet not for euer but for a certaine season till the man shew forth vpright fruites of repentaunce The man in his youngnes is subiect to sinne vntill he haue attayned the manly oldnes in the Loue and the vpright fréedome then is the new couenaunt of perfection ereââed and all is fulfilled which is written by Moyses or that God requireth through his Prophets or what is euangelised of Christ. And if there chaunce any temptations by our Paramours which we in tymes past haue loued to come and assault vs c. but if they lay hould on vs with force and violence and that then although we cry there commeth not any power or helpe vnto vs for to withstand them in their force and violence and that they euen so rauish vs agaynst our will so are we guiltles of the transgressinges for wee haue cryed for to be released from the tyranny of the euill and there is no helpe come vnto vs of which guiltles transgressinges the law witnesseth where it sayth a woman that is violently taken in the field c. The regenerat man from his new byrth is exercised in all well doing and for that cause also he cannot bring fourth any thing els but all good and Loue. The true or vpright fredome is this that the man through the ministration of the gracious word c. his hart spirite and minde is wholy released purged and purified from all wicked nature which hath raigned ouer him that there dwell liue nor rule any other thing in him namely in all his spirite thoughtes minde soule but alone the true Godhed with his louely being of the vpright Loue and so to be wholy replenished with all y vertues of God that there flowe nothing els in him namely in all his spirite and minde but the spirituall heauenly ⪠and liuing waters Man regenerat doth veare costly treasure in earthen veâsels is of one minde with the thrée godly witnesses that heare witnes in heauen Of which thâee godly witnesses the onâ is the Loue which is God the Father himselfe The second witnes is the trueth which is the word of God the Father Iesus Christ himselfe And the third witâes is the holy spirite of Loue or of God of the truâth of Iesus Christ which is the euerlasting lyfe and the inheritaunce of all spirituall and heauenly goodes Consider where God with his Christ and spirite hath his dwelling iâ any one and bringeth forth ãâã secret treasures of the heauenly goodes thereout euen there is then truely his wisedome to be found and also the couÌcell of God according to the trueth
Gather ye now altogether into my house of Loue and to my holy tabernacle or man of God wherein I as a glorious God with my perfite Godhed as with my Christ at my right hand and with my holy spirit of Loue my true being doe liue dwell and walke and wherein wee as one true deity haue reuealed and glorified vs to the end that ye all now may become consubstantiated or coÌformably vnited as one mân of God in me and inherite my rest with all the children of God. For when all that which the Lord requireth through his word through the seruice of his Loue is fulfilled with vs all and in vs all so is then also verely with vs all namely by those with whome the same is fulfilled the end of the sinne and the death of the same come to passe or atteyned vnto the end of the sinne her death is the beginning of y eternall immortaâitye is also the vpright freedome in Iesu Christ whereunto all men Iewes and Greekes circumsized and vncircumsized wise and vnwise are called ⪠and bidden by the grace of God. Man being thus illuminate regenerat Godded with God in whom god in one power being of his spirit is hominiâied or become man cannot sinne misse the right nor commit any euill but doth Lorde preuaile with God and Christ ouer the sinne nothing can flow from him but heuenly liuing and safe making waters Christ his shape is required to be perfite in vs while we are in this lyfe the shape is perfection without sinne which shape cannot be in vs if we be sinners therefore requisite that we be pertakers of the new couenaunt of perfection spoken of by Fidelitas chap. 1. deui 8. Let euery one take this effectually to hart and let no man refuse the good being whereunto God hath created the man and called him through Iesus Christ his holy ones and wherevnto he is also presenly loued by the comminaltye of the loue c. FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno. Dom. 1579. The âhâninâing of HN. into a holy nâââ and C. Vitell ⪠into an oueâ ãâã ⪠is a pâââe ãâã tâ ãâã so ãâ¦ã of ãâ¦ã The Deuâls dâââst neâeâââthe theâ fall of Lucifer eââhâânge theââ names into the dâuine eââenâe tâll now Onely ãâã I waâ thâ Cârist the Caâpenter ãâã called was yet better ãâ¦ã then Vitell the ioyneââ that so peâeshly hath framed wood and clay together ãâ¦ã Proph ãâ¦ã Gal. 2.11 Iohn 4.1 2. Thes. 2.1 Rom. 6.12 24. 1. Cor. 3.11 Psal. 130. â Tim. 1.15 Luke 17.10 Cor. 2. cha 12. v. 9. Tim. 1. châ Iohn 3.16 Prophesi Chapter 13 verse ãâ¦ã A ãâã callâd mânnes fâlling away Thessâ 2. châp â Prophesie âol 1. In the preââcâ of the Prophesie Fol. 1. Iohn 10. Psâlme 1. Gen. â 7 âââans ââatâ in innoceâcy Mans ãâã in âis âall ãâ¦ã 15. Gal. 4.4 Esaâ â 14 ãâ¦ã Rom. 13.14 Ephe. 1.3 ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã Râm â 24 Râm â 9 Rom. 7.3 Gal. 5.17 â Cor. 1â 7 2. Sam. 12. âsay 57 â7 âeuââ0 1 ãâã â 18 Psalme 103 Psâl 116.13 Deut. 2â 26 ãâã 3.10 2. Cor. 12.8 Iob. 7.1 âsay ââ 9 Psal. 19. Ioh. 9.3 Ioâ 15. câa 14. â 15 1â âsa 25.11 Reuâ â This worâ ãâã worde ãâã of a ãâã called Man ⪠falling awây an ãâ¦ã 1. 2. âla 9. ââ Sexion 2. Sexion 6. Seâion â Man his innocency Sexion 10. Sexion 11. Sexion 14. Sexion 15. Sexion 1â Thâ opiâion thât thâ ãâã hauâ of Chriât Sexiân 17. Mâth 15. Lukâ â3 Sexion 10. Sexion 2â Sâxâoâ 24. Which man iâ HN. Published peace chap. 1. deui 16. Documentall sentenceâ HN. châp â deââ 4. âidâlitas Chap. 1. ââui â Documentâll sântenceâ chap. 3. dâui 7. â Libertinisme Deut. 22. Document chap. 2. deâi 1. Deut. 26. Maâ hâs stâte râgenârat Documentâll sântâncâs ⪠chap. 2 Dâuâ â Prophesie ⪠châp 6. Dâui 9. Pâophesie ⪠chap 7. Diui. 19. âidelitas Chap. 3. dâui 15. Vitel ⪠Libell Sexion And is their genâââl doctrine A principle in thââamilye collectâd by the doctrine Fidelitas Chap. 5. deui 15.
the word are you your selues as is before shewed that euery one thinketh that he hath the best part as you say For mens thoughtes we referre to his knowledge that is Scrutâtor cordium remum Also you affirme that man is plaged with such a miserye and burthen but we rather say oh miserable man out of whose corrupt nature springeth such presumption and wickednes to be vnder the obedience of the Loue of Christ Iesus is our whole care and studyâ to him onely we cleaue on him we call vpon his mercy we depend and carefully seeke indeuour to be obedient to his will for he is our hope our anker hold our mercy seate our only coÌfort in all distresse of mind our phisitioÌ in sicknes our gouernour in health our peacemaker the onely purchaser of our health and saluatioÌ he is all in all with vs and wée enioy all in all by him and through him and if this sayth were also planted in you then would your HN. be banished out of your hartes and your perfection would soone quaile and in humilitye of spirite you would âith vâ fall downe before this méeke Lambe Christ Iesus and say peccauimus cum patribus nostris c. We haue sinned with our Fathers without which Christ no flesh that is no creature liuing is iustified in his fathers sight and Christ his death is proper to none nor bâlongeth to none but sinners and such aâ feele sinne or are laden with sinnes What shall then become of you Iusticiaryes with your perfite state which sinne not to follow brotherly loue is also to be wished both in you and vs and I pray you doe euen the same theÌ shall you not séeke out y simple people whose capaciti is lyke vnto ware which will easely receiue any print or marke seek not with your fly and suttle perswasions to seduce theÌ with your corrupt doctrine ⪠vnder preâence that you seeke onely the godly lyfe which Christians should follow whereas in déede you séeke to leade theÌ from Christ to HN. from the âomfort of the holy scriptures which sheweth how mercy is offred to all penitent sinnârs vnto a perfite state of lyfe which must be attained in this world which neuer any Christ Iesus except could attayne vnto and so you corruptly leade them away from all comfort in Christ Therefore we will not let to desire the Lord in mercy to preserue his childreÌ from your infected poyson Vitel. THerfore speketh the lord through his Prophet Zacâary Iudge righteously and let euery one shew goodnes and mercifulnes vnto his brother and let no man deale vnrightly with another nor with the widowes fatherles sââangers and poore And let no man imagine any euill against his brother in his haât but alas they will not haue ââgard hereupon but âuâne theâ backs saith the Lord vnto me and stop their eares that they heare not and harden their haââes as hard as a diamont For that they should not be obediât to the law the word which the lord sendeth in his spirite through his prophets Aunswere TOuching the saying of âachary we wish the very same that euery one shew mercy and deale rightly with his brother with the widow and fatherles strangers and poore c. But can you alleadge these places haue no regard to folow the exhortatioÌ your selues how rightly do you deale with your brethren that being required to vtter your faith which you hold you deal suttelly and deceitfully with such as with well vnto you and seeke your health and delyuery from error Now regard you that no man imagine euill in his hart against his brother when as you call vs free ânes Libertiâes and wicked blasphemers c. Who turnes their backs who stoppes their âares who harden their harts Haue not you turned from Christ to HN Haue not you stopt your eares against all holesome admonition which the holy Ghost hath plentifully in the holy scriptures set forth and only bent your harts vpon the bookes and wrytyngs of HN Haue you not hardened your harts and bent your faces against a manifest truth and placed HN. a prophet priest by whoÌ God wil receiue all vnto mercy On whom may this propheticall speach or exhortation be better applyed then vpon your selues and yet will not I goe about to excuse my selfe and others that we do therein what is required but only let y world see that these men of the Family cry out and apply the sayings of the Prophets against vs and for themselues they suâpose it belongeth not to them to take waâning thereby in so perfecte a state do they remaine Vitell. O God prepare the harts of the people to the lowlynâssâ that they might stand mindeâ in humility to the Loue and loue the comming of thy Christ in his lordlânes through whom the whol earth shal be âudged with righteousnes which shall moue all might and violence and bring it vnder his obedience and render vnto thee O almighty God the kingdom all power and glory to the end that thou mayest be all in all O god geue this into the harts of the gouernors that they may see it And illuminate all kinges princes Lords and potentates with thy godly wisdome that they may feare thy holy name stand submitted vnto thy Loue and her seruice and might turne them from all violence and misuse and that the world may be inhabited to thy praise in the Loue and in all righteousnes and that all men in true repentance for their sinnes might be turned vnto thee And the horrible plagues of vngodlynes which are come ouer the world for their sinâes cause cease and haue an end Answere THis part coÌtaineth a prayer which this man maketh for all that they might staâd minded in humility to the loue as I haue often complayned of the confounding this word Loue and the signification therof so here I will tâke it in y best part to signifie God to whom we craue continually his grace to huÌâle our harts that we may euer standâ obedyent to his will and that we may look for that ioyfull coÌming of Christ Iesus whose appearing shal be to the comfort of his elect to their surpassing ioy but as a terrible iudge to the wicked despisers of his mercy offered and to such as haue sât vp in their harts any other besides him or follow any other but him or delite in any other sauing hâm No violence can resist him no strength preuail with him but as you say all shall be brought vnâer his obâdâence âhere as you pray that all kings princes c. may âeaâe thy holy name and stand submitted to thy loue âere is loue takeÌ in another sence therfore you intricatly vse this word Loue wherby your meaning can not easily be found out For here loue and her seruice is meant such doctrine and seruice âs you teach which you wiâh all princes were partakers of if your doctrine were a truth in dââde then were your prayer