No for in his First exhortation he saith no man can rightly according to the truth of the holy scriptures nor according to the spiritual vnderstanding of the godly wisdome deal in or vse the true God-services nor the services of the holy word it becometh not likewise that any man should take in hand to busy himself therabout but onely the illuminated Elders in the godlie wisdom which walk in the house of Love But what if H. N. with his coelders be but deceivers of mens sowles seduced themselves and seducing others for be they not men as others are and subject to error He telleth vs no for they have received the word of life through the power of the most highest out of his holy heaven from the living God and are even so through the same word Godded with God Therfore in an other place of that book he saith men ought to beware that they distrust not the Eldest in the Familie of Love nor suspect any maner of evil or vnwisdom by him nor yet also in anywise perswade themselves y t the exercises documents instructions which ar taught or set forth before them by the Father of the Familie of Love or oldest elder are too slight too childish or too vnwise for them to follow after or to obey But with perfect harts humbly and single-mindedly even as good willing children vnto the Obedience to receive the same instructions proceeding out of the wisdom and counsel of the Eldest And must we needs put out our own eyes that H. N. may lead vs may we trust him that he himself is not a blind guide and false prophet such as Christ foretold should come in this last time For this matter he hath given vs his warrant thus My loving children and thou Familie of Love give ear to me your Father and live according to my doctrine that it may goe wel with you For the Lord wil have the Father honoured of the children and what the mother biddeth or commandeth the children to doe that wil he have kept Take heed to my doctrine and all what I out of Love do set forth teach and exhort you vnto that print to a seal of life or a witnes of the truth in your harts For it is your life By this we may see what a good ground H. N. hath layd for himself and his cause that men should receive his word and doctrines for Oracles of God He saw that his brother the Antichrist of Rome had much prevailed in the foolish world by making men beleev that he and his church could not err he minded also perhaps the glorie that Mahomet hath among Turks by perswading them that the Alchoran his law-book is without all falshood therfore H. N. wil sayl by that compas and make that the foundation of his work And coming as an enemy to warr against Christians he is much more malicious then Nachash the Ammonite who would have thrust out but one ey of the Israelites wheras this tyrann would thrust out both and that not of the body as Nachash would but of the mind and vnderstanding that having bereft men of their wits he might keep them prisoners vnder his heresies For in his Crying voice he hath proclaymed saying Let your selves now in all your Being nature mind and disposition become renued through the Love in her service and give al your vnderstanding captive vnder the obedience of the Love Thus H. N. wil be gaoler and keep in captivity the minds of al men til they bow vnto him and say as he hath taught his children or rather his sâ—laves in his First exhortation O my father in the Love I submit my self and al myne vnderstanding vnder the wisdome of thy doctrine And when he hath gotten mens minds thys captived he may lead them whither he lyst though it be into the deepest dungeon of hel We find in Christs Testament the Beraeans commended that tried the Apostles doctrines by the scriptures dayly Act. 17. 11. and other Christians also that took heed to the most sure word of the Prophets as to a light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1 19. Howsoever therfore H. N. would extinguish the seven lamps of the golden candlestick of Gods law that men might see by the smoke of the fyre which he hath kindled we mean not to trust his pretended light but to bring to the trial both his spirit and his gift For the serpent by his subtilty brought Evah vnto death whiles he took away Gods playn word and set his own in the place like may be our end if we submit our selves and all our vnderstanding vnder the foolishnes of this mans doctrine H. N. 2. See my beloved in the Love of Christ I must speak vnto you even like as Paul spake vnto the fleshly Israelites where he saith I bear Israel witnes that they stand fervently minded towards the lov of God but not according to knowledg for they seek to set up their own righteousnes Rom. 10. So is now the witnes of God in our spirit with the holy Paul towards you that yee likewise stand fervently minded towards the love of God but not according to knowledge because that the Christ of God is not yet declared vnto you according to the heavenly truth but wel according to mans wisdom or industrie which to the literal scripture add their own prudencie and even so goe forth withal or occupie their own righteousnes without the spirit of Christ which is a miserable doctrine being taught without the spirit of Christ. H. A. SOlomon warneth vs of an heretik vnder the figure of a foolish woman that calleth vnto her them that passe by the way yea such as go right on their way saying who so is simple let him come hither And in this her cal she counterfeiteth Wisdomes words for even so had her maidens spokeÌ„ before to the sons of men that went astray The Apostle Paul found fault with the Israelites that for want of knowledge did seek to set by their own righteousnes by the works of the Law neglecting the righteousnes of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ. H. N. here cometh like the troblesom woman and calleth these two daughters which went right on their way even in the true path beaten by Paul and the other Apostles And the more to allure them he vseth Pauls words and pretends his affection but his drift is to draw them quite awry from the true way of righteousnes which Paul did preach vnto a false righteousnes by the works of the law a miserable doctrine which H. N. in his writings hath taught without the spirit of Christ. These two daughters of Warwick did as I have heard so know and beleev in Christ and in God and seek the true righteousnes which is by faith as other true Christians of our English nation have done and doo But the Christ of God was not yet declared vnto them
and folowed his corrupt counsel then were they led captive as the Apostle sayth being simple women laden with synns and led with divers lusts From which estate God keep al his people direct their feet in the wayes of life peace AN EPISTLE Sent vnto two daughters of Warwick From H. N. THe wisdome of the Father through the Love of Christ in the power of the holy Ghost in the second birth out of the new life of the heavenlie being be vnto every one which with an vnpartial hart seeketh the godlynes in Iesus Christ to a harty salvation Because that every one which seeketh God with hart mought know the right diversitie betwixt the heavenly and the earthly betwixt the spirit the flesh betwixt the light and the darknes betwixt the death the life and betwixt the righteousnes of the spirit and the righteousnes of the elementish things and then to love the same That grant vs the Almightie God through his love Amen 1. Because ye mought through the spirit of Christ inherit the same gift and meere affection or goodwillingnes to the godly life I do bear or cary the same gift God is my witnes before al men But now am I compelled through the love of Christ severally to open the same gift vnto two yong daughters of a certayn place named Warwick The Lord give his prosperitie and grace thervnto for that his righteousnes which is wrought through the Spirit of Christ mought be knowen of them and that the life of Christ which by many is sought after the flesh might be knowen and inherited of them according to the spirit even like as God which is blessed is a Spirit Ioh. 4. 2 Cor. 3. H. A. OUr saviour Christ the wisdome of the Father hath warned vs to beware of false prophets which come vnto vs in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves The Apostles through the love of Christ in the power of the holy Ghost have foretold vs that in the latter times some should depart from the faith and give heed vnto spirits of error and doctrines of Divils speaking lies through hypocrisie and having their consciences burned-with-a-hot-yron and therfore counselled vs not to beleev everie spirit but to trie the spirits whither they ar of God because many false prophets were even then gone out into the world The evil that they should enterprise is privilie to bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that hath bought them the maner of their cariage should be to vse feighned words fayr flattering and good speech swelling words of vanity promises of liberty and the like The effect of their doctrine should be deceiving of the harts of the simple even of many yea if it were possible of the verie elect and by those many that follow their damnable wayes the way of truth should be blasphemed The end of al which touching themselves is that because such reprobates receive not the love of the truth that they mought be saved therfore God sendeth them strong delusion that they should beleeve lies and they al may be damned which beleeve not the truth but hav pleasure in vnrighteousnes These things considered it standeth vs vpon to look wel to our selves least we be caried away with the error of the wicked This author H. N. beginneth as was foretold not onely with fayr and flattering speech but also with swelling words of the second birth out of the new life of the heavenly being and sondry the like He boasteth of the gift of the godly life which he beareth before al men and here severally openeth vnto two yong daughters and of this he taketh God to witnesse He telleth them in the 2. section folowing that the Christ of God was not yet declared vnto them according to the heavenly truth Thus promiseth he great matters and seemeth to be a setter forth of a new Christ and consequently of a new God Very needful therfore it is to attend vnto his doctrine and if it be true for to receive it if false for to abhorr it and to hold the author therof accursed And herevnto the Lord inable and guide vs by his grace 1. First where he vaunteth of the gift borne before al men in his other writings opened to these daughters in this Epistle let vs bring it to the trial by the word of God who he saith is his witnes For we read of some that have given gifts vnto their lovers that they might come vnto them on every side for fornication and whither this writing and other pamphlets of H. N. be not gifts sent abroad for such evil purpose let the godly reader judge If his gift have wytnes of God it hath witnes of his written word as the prophet saith to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because ther is no light in them Is H. N. willing to come to this trial it seemeth farr otherweise for in al his writings he much inveigheth against scripture-learning contrary to the true prophets and Apostles who highly commended this as being able to make men wise vnto salvation and profitable to teach to improve to correct to instruct in righteousnes and never did any of them entwite the learning or knowledge of the scriptures as the reader may see H. N. to doe in this Epistle and his other pamphlets Our saviour Christ willed al men even his adversaries to serch the scriptures for they testified of him If they testified likewise of H. N. and his doctrine doubtlesse he would not despise as his manner is the scripture-learning of others especially whiles he wil seem to rely vpon the testimonies of the same for himself But if we may not learn the truth of religion out of holy writt how then may we attayn it H. N. telleth vs in his First exhortation to his children thus My beloved children like as the true Communiality of holy ones and Elders of the house of Love confesse vnder the obedience of the Love the beleef in Iesu Christ and the Christian baptism and like as I expresse the same here vnto you and confesse or acknowledge it before al men to be the true faith and the vpright baptisme even so ground with fast beleef your harts likewise therin So then the doctrine of H. N. and his folowers must be the groūd of our faith as they confesse and beleev so must we And herein the Familists religion accordeth wel with the Turks whose great prophet Mahomet in his law or Alchoran to draw disciples after him saith thus They that worship God let them if they be good beleev his Messenger Mahomet and again O ye good men be followers of God and of his messenger never wittingly depart from them But may we not our selves by the light and grace that God giveth vs make trial of H. N. his religion by the word of the Lord
as H. N. sayth according to the heavenly truth Wheras that which he meaneth by heavenly truth wil be found indeed to be hellish error he teaching such things of God and of Christ and of mans righteousnes as the prophets and Apostles have every wher condemned which anon will appear H. N. 3. Because that the same miserable doctrine and false wisdom of the flesh which gendreth her own righteousnes mought be made known and even so then to be forsaken therfore hath God now in the same last day showed his grace mercifulnes on vs poor wretched ones and hath declared vnto vs through his holy spirit his service of Love for to declare vnto al good willing ones through the self same service which is the true way to the everlasting life Therfore let everie one now through the same service of love be warned that he look wel hereto that he boast not himself in any of the works of righteousnes or take on the same to salvation neyther to condemnation before that he in the spirit of Christ through the love of the Father be renewed in al righteousnes of life Not that I mean in the elementish ceremonial righteousnes which the man setteth forth or occupieth out of his owne prudencie but I mean in that righteousnes which according to the heavenly truth is in the being of Christ and is set forth through the spirit of God For the Father is not honoured but through the Son that is no man may know eyther serve God but that he must be born out of the spirit of Christ even like as ther standeth written Ther availeth before God neyther circumcision nor vncircumcision but onely a new creature in Christ Iesus wrought through the Love Gal. 6. Therfore shal Christ in the day of judgements accuse and find faultie a flesh in their righteousnes even like as he saith I shal reprove or rebuke the world of their righteousnes Ioh. 16. That this is al what the man out of his first birth hath set vp for a righteousnes which is an enimy vnto God even like as he sayth Ioh. 10. They are al theeves and murtherers which are come before me that is whosover letteth himself think that he is a Christian before the spirit of Christ be born in him that same is a theef and a murderer For whosoever hath not the spirit of Christ the same belongeth not vnto him Rom. 8. Even like as Paul hath witnessed wher he saith I durst not speak any word vnlesse that Christ had spoken the same in me or through me Rom. 15. yea no man sayth he in an other place can name Iesus to be the Lord but through the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. A natural man sayth he testeth not the spirit of God 1 Corinth 2. My children saith Paul to the Galathians with whom I travel agayn in birth vntil that Christ be fashioned in you 1 Gal. 4. Here may we mark that without the Spirit of Christ ther is no knowledge of God And vvher God is not knovvn ther can ther not any doctrine be occupied to the mans salvation It is verie true H. A. THe author pretending to deal against that which he would faynest establish to weet the miserable doctrine and false wisdome of the flesh which gendreth her own righteousnes first draweth the readers to himself and his familie and the service of Love as being the declarers of the true way to the everlasting life now in the same last day But this is like the cariage of the whorish woman who caught the yong man and kyssed him and with an impudent face sayd vnto him I have peace offrings this day have I paid my vowes therfore came I forth to meet thee c. and H. N. hath no better warrant then his predecessor Mahomet who before him boasted himself to be the Teacher of the nations That the reader may discern the frawd of this falser I wil first briefly shew what doctrine he hath taught cōcerning God and Christ And then I wil proceed in answering this his Letter The God which H. N. treacheth to the world is not as the scriptures declare the true God vnto vs One eternal everliving infinite incomprehensible almighty vnserchable and vnchangeable Being who onely hath immortality and dwelleth in the light that none can attayn vnto whom never man saw neither can see vnto whome be honour and power everlasting Amen 1 Tim. 6. 16 Exod. 3. 14. Rev. 1. 4. Iob. 11. 7. 8. 9. 36. 26. Psal. 90. 2. 93. 2. 102. 26. 27. 145. 3. Act. 17. 25. Iam. 1. 17. But H. N. telleth vs of a God that was in the beginning as a light af life of one substance with the manly creatures For as he saith after in this letter God had created the man that he should be of one life one Being one Spirit and of one nature with God Now the manly creature we know was finite comprehensible not from eternity but had his beginning in the sixt day of this world and soon was changed from his estate and became like to the beasts that perish How then can it without highest blasphemie and dishonour of God be sayd or thought that God was of one substance with the man yet H. N. to bring his blasphemie to a higher degree if he may hath further manifested his mind thus See and mark ye beloved in the beginning when God made al things wel then was the Lord one Lord of his kingdom one God of his works ther was also no more but one God and one man and they were one and had in al one order being and nature for God was al that the man was and man was al that God was The Divil when he had the Serpent for his instrument the subtilest beast of the field durst not vtter such abomination vnto Evah as to say she should be of one substance with God or al that God was but only that she should be like vnto God knowing good and evil but here having gotten a new instrument H. N. which mystical letters may rightly be read Ha Nachash that is The Serpent who now is weren more old in evil more bold in falshood he shameth not to teach that God and man were one substance and being God al that man and man al that God was By this doctrine H. N. leadeth men at once from God to the Divil and deifieth the Serpent For the Serpent was too subtile for the manly creature the Divil deceived and overcame the man with al that he was his body sowl and spirit Now seing God the creator and man the creature had al one substance and being and the one was al that the other was it wil folow vpon this blasphemers doctrine that the man had as much power wisdom wil and ability everie way to withstand the Divil as God himself had but the Divil was too strōg and too wise for the man therfore also he was
creator who is blessed for ever Amen To al then that H. N. can say for his own Godhed or his disciples let al true Christians answer as Jeremy taught the Jewes to answer the men of Babel The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shal perish from the earth and from vnder these heavens Ier. 10. 11. By this the reader may perceive what a poysoned religion this Nachash H. N. hath brought into the world concerning God Now for his Christ H. N. teacheth vs not according to the scriptures of one particular man of the stock and generation of the Jewes born about xvi hundred yeres agoe in Bethlehem who himself alone being God equal with the Father before the world was and in that fulnes of time took vnto him our humane nature bare in his own body the syns of al his elect and by that once offring of himself vpon the crosse hath purged them al from al their syns c. No H. N regardeth not as after in this Letter sect 11. he sheweth this knowledge that in times past ther was one Christ in Israel which was born amongst his own c. but telleth vs of a Lovely being and a holy life this is his Christ. For in his First exhortation he sayth walk with your spirit in the Lovely and vertuous Being Fasten your mind therto and build your righteousnes theron For that is an eternal and fast standing foundation wheron al Gods prophets and holy ones have builded and is Christ himself Agayn in the same book he sayth After a little time of your distresse and anguish or heavines the Lord wil bring his Christ that is his best beloved and most holy being in power and glory vnto you In this his Epistle to the two daughters he expoundeth Pauls words 1 Cor. 13. though I had al faith c. if I had not love it were nothing that is sayth H. N. whosoever hath not Christ he is with uâ— God thâ—rfâ—re also in an other place he caleth Love the vpright Being of Christ himself And because this Lovely life and being appeareth dayly fresh and new in those that come to the family of Love therfore they professe to beleeve not that Christ was but that he Iâ—â—â—â—â—eived of the holy Ghost through the power of the most highest born of the H. virgin Mary And wheras the scriptures teach that Christ suffred for vs and for our syns H. N. 〈…〉 Christ beareth in vs our syns The scriptures teach that by the obedience of one meaning Christ many are made righteous he hath washed vs from our syns in his blood he was once offred to take away the syns of many and with one offring hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified H. N. teacheth vs that Christ vnder the obedience of the Love of his Father is gone before vs therin for that we should in like manner follow after him vnder the obedience of his Love in his death of the crosse to the safemaking of vs from our syns Thus must we save our selves by our own suffrings and Christ set forth vnto vs in the scriptures is but an example to teach vs what we must doe But what should I stand longer vpon this point for the Familists hold and professe that an obedient and godly life is Christ Iesus and so their doctrine of Christ agreeth with their former doctrine of God both being wretched and blasphemous Having thus opened the groundwork of H. Ns. religion it shal be the easyer to discerne his frawd in this Letter which I now wil particularly answer Let every one now through the same service of Love sayth this author be warned that he boast not himself in any of the works of righteousnes or take on the same to salvation neyther to condemnation before that he in the spirit of Christ though the love of the Father be renewed in al righteousnes of life In that H. N. sayth before he be renewed he playnly intimateth that his deadly error that after men are renewed they may boast in and take on their works to salvation contrarie to Pauls doctrine who sheweth that not onely the vncircumcision the vnrenewed Gentiles but also the circumcision the renewed Jewes should be justified of God by faith which faith excludeth mans rejoycing or boasting and al works of the Law He confirmeth it also by Abrahams example who though he were renewed in righteousnes of life had nothing to rejoyce of with God but was justified by faith alone and as he so we al shal have faith not works imputed to vs for righteousnes But H. N. speaking of the 10. commandements given on mount Sina caleth that law God 's eternal true living righteousnes that he would have to be erected through his people Israel vpon the earth and wherin al the children of men generations and heathen should live Wherin his doctrine is quite contrary vnto Pauls who sayth if ther had been a law given which could have given life suerly righteousnes should have been by the Law but the scripture hath concluded al vnder syn that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be given to them that beleeve Now the way of life the Apostle had before shewed in the same chapter saying it is evident that no man is justifyed by the Law in the sight of God for the just shal live by faith and the Law is not of faith but the man that shal do thoâ—e things shal live in them H. N. therfore teaching contrary to the Apostle as we have seen even a miserable doctrine and false wisdome of the flesh which gendreth her own righteousnes is by th' Apostles commandement to be holden accursed Gal. 1. 8. And this gift of his hath no witnesse of the holy prophets or Apostles to confirm the same but by his predecessor Mahomet is wel approved for eveÌ„ so did he teach the Turks That the Law of God is not impossible and intollerable howsoever the Apostles say the contrary Rom. 8. 3. Act. 15. 10. and that they which keep the the Law are joyned with God saved After this H. N. sheweth that he meanes not the elemetish ceremonial righteousnes but that which according to the heavenly truth is in the Being of Christ for this we had heard is his heaveÌ„ly truth that every man should have the Being of Christ or be Christ himself His proof herof is The Father is not honoured but through the Son that is sayth H. N. no man may knowe or serve God but that he must be born out of the spirit of Christ. And thus he leadeth the daughters by degrees to their own new birth for their righteousnes and salvation and to maynteyn this heresie he corrupteth and abuseth the scripture Gal. 6. 15. wher Paul sayth against such as vrged Christians to be circumcised
the Paradise of your Lord and God c. Come in now all hither to the Paradise of the Love and pluck in her garden the tender Olives Become drunken with the wine of her soon-ripe grapes and embrace her to al concordable friendlynes Thus like an harlot he allureth men to his religion and imitateth the whore of Babylon which made the inhabitants of the earth drunken with the wine of her fornications For his vaine conceyted Lovely Being with the toyes and pleasures that men imagine in that estate is a fooles paradise wher men become drunken and besotted in syn and drowned in perdition This is H. Ns. heaven and they that are not here he thinks they are in hel yea playnly sayth in his new gospel that the second death is come and beareth dominion over the world and all vnbeleevers By this the discreet reader may see what a Christ and salvation H. N. doth teach and what a Death Divil and Hel the Nicholaitans or Familists doe subdue This wretched man seemeth to have written his books in scorn of al true religiō that Atheisme and Epicurisme vnder shew of religiō mought reign in the earth H. N. 13. Herevpon mought some men say ye would have the man perfect No my beloved no I speak not of the perfection of the man but I speak of the perfectnes which Christ ought to have with the man before he can be confessed or acknowledged The man in his vnregenerated spirit is vnperfect I speak not thereof but what he is that is he out of grace without cause of boasting 14. Therfore let every one look wel vnto it that he be not self-minded in his vncertayn forecasts or preconceiving but that he take heed or be wel advised whither he be worthy to receive the same grace of God H. A. THat which David sayth of the wicked man that his mouth is ful of deceit and frawd vnder his tongue is mischief and iniquitie is verifyed of H. N. in his deceitful writings He seemeth here at first as if he would not have the man perfect no my beloved crieth he at it no but presently from vnder his tongue floweth out mischief and iniquitie when he speaks of the perfectnes which Christ ought to have with the man before he can be confessed This is a depth of Satan to bring men into misery vnder colour of perfection and to abolish them from Christ whiles they may imagine he is perfectly with them Though Christ I mean the true Christ whom we professe not the idol which H. N. feighneth of the Lovely Being be in himself perfect yea perfectiou it self and though the work that he hath done for vs be also perfect because with one offring he hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified and his blood hath clensed vs from all syn yet his work in vs is yet vnperfect even in the best men that ever confessed Christ whiles they lived on earth who therfore were taught every day to pray that their syns might be forgiven them and the Apostle Paul after he had long confessed and preached Christ truly sayth of himself Not as though I were already perfect and agayn I do not the good thing which I would but the evil which I would not that do I and agayn we know in part and we prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shal be abolished now wee see through a glasse darkly but then shal we see face to face c. But H. N. by an other spirit which perswadeth him that he is like God yea Godded with God writeth of his citie or communialtie and those that are come vnto it that as then there is no more evil nor evil suspition nor yet sight of evil in them for within the same one doth neyther see nor think any thing els but all good joy rest and peace in the everlasting life Such a societie hath yet never been heard of on earth since Adams fall neyther doth the historie of the bible shew vs any such church onely it telleth vs ther is a generatiō y t at pure in their own eyes which yet ar not washed from their filthines Pro. 30 12. If the Familists be this generation they may rejoyce in the sparks of the fyre that they hav kindled til they shal lie down in sorow As for vs we have learned of a better teacher that there is no man iust in the earth that doeth good and synneth not but in many things we syn all for syn yet dwelleth in vs and if we should say we have no syn we should but deceive our selves and the truth were not in vs. Yet know we that our confession of Christ is acceptable vnto him because he pardoneth all our iniquities and healeth al our infirmities hath washed vs from our syns in his blood and wil not impute them vnto vs. Wheras H. N. to help the matter sayth The man in his vnregenerated spirit is vnperfect he followeth but his wonted course to deceive the readers for none are so grosse as to think the vnregenerated man is perfect neyther is this the question between him and vs but whither the regenerated be perfect or no which H. N. erroneously holdeth but cannot prove we contraryweise have proved that the Apostles and other Christians were regenerated but not perfect whiles they lived here on earth among men Phil. 3. Rom. 7. 1 Cor. 13. Iam. 3. H. N. 15. Now mought ye say we encline or endevour our selves therafter so much as we may for we have given our selves to the Christian-like baptismey and supper of the Lord. 16. Oh my beloved that were very wel if it were even so in the truth for ther ar many that boast themselves of the baptismey of Christ and they have not known him in any world For were they baptised in Christ then should they have put on Christ even like as Paul sayth to the Galathians 3. so many of you as are baptised have put on Christ. 17. I would gladly now ask of al those which say they have received the Christianlike baptismey how or after what maner Christ hath a shape or fashion in them I am verie sure that they all for the most part should be deceived and should find themselves vnmighty or weak in that Being of Christ wherin many should make manifest themselves that they have not received the baptismey of Christ but their own baptismey 18 Everie one therfore that is vpright of hart and seeketh the truth in Christ vnpartially let him prove himself how he hath put on Christ according to the spirit And if he then finde not the stirring of the holy spirit of Christ in him then let him advisedly look sharply yea sharply herevnto that he boast not himself of the Christianity but let him humble himself before the might of the Lord and trust vpon his grace H. A. THe
Christs cause at any tyme which is a doctrine of the serpent he maketh a discourse of our spiritual life in synn and the old man corrupted with vices that we ought to lay down and forsake which we al acknowledge to be a truth And from this he gathereth a great overshooting and misunderstanding of such as say Christ meant the natural or elementish man which is a false and deceitful conclusion We know that these both are required at our hands the one which is the mortifying of lusts and synful affections of al men if they would be saved the other which is a suffering of natural death for Christs sake of so many as God calleth thervnto in times of persecution But H. N. vrgeth the one that he might abolish the other with as good reason as if one should perswade vs not to serv or worship God with body because Christ sayth we must worship him in spirit or as if to defend fleshly filthynes he should reason in this manner The wordome which God condemneth is the whoring with mens own inventions Psal. 106. 39. the fornication with stones and stocks Ier. 3. 9. the going a whoring after other Gods Deut. 31. 16. Is not this then a great overshooting or misunderstanding that the children of mē can say teach of that commandement Thou shalt not comit whordom Deut. 5. 18. that God meant hereby fleshly whordom done by the natural or elemētish man Loe this is the mould of H. Ns argument and may as truly be alleged for defence of carnal fornication as he allegeth it for defēce of carnal idolatry which he would perswade these two daughters to commit with the man of syn rather then to suffer bands or death for the witnesse of Christs truth Neyther is it to be thought but he thus vnderstandeth in deed the 7. commandement who so erroneously vnderstandeth and expoundeth the second for the maintenance of his fleshly ease But Oh he woulde have vs vnderstand advisedly what he doth write of the forsaking of our own life God sayth H. N. had created the man that he should be of one Life one Being one spirit and of one nature with God this he meaneth as before we have seen to be godded with God and that the man should be al that God was Which blasphemous error I have before by the scriptures refuted Neither doth H. N. confirm his cursed doctrine here by any scripture because in deed he cannot For al that the scripture sayth is that God created man in his own image and likenes Gen. 1 26. 5. 2. but that the man should be of one Being with him it sayth not but H. N. hath forged it out of his arrogant mind who would thrust himself into Gods throne The image of God is expounded by the Apostle to be in knowledge righteousnes and true holynes and H. N. addeth to be of one Being which if it had been true then could not man have fallen any more then God himself and if he had had the same life essentially with God then should he have ben immortal and incorruptible death could never hav seised on him 1. Tim. 6. 16. So H. N. must eyther deny the fal and corruption of man wherof not onely the word of God but nature it self and dayly experience wil convince him and himself yeeldeth or els he must hold a God subject to corruption and mortalitie Which if he doe then is he a monster among men and a wonderment to the very hethen For wheras the Stoiks of old esteemed their Gods subject to al humane changes and corruption a hethen man writing against them sayth It may be one may meet with some barbarous and savage men that think ther is no god but ther hath not been any one man found who thought their was a God and yet the same not free from corruption and eternal Let this errour therfore which draweth such hethenish and blasphemous consequences after it returne into H. Ns. bosome wher first the Serpent hatched it The next deceit wherwith he would beguile his reader lieth in this word Life wherby he meaneth mans cariage or conversation according as the Apostle speaketh of walking in newnes of Life Rom. 6. 4. wheras the Life which Christ telleth vs we must be ready to lay down for his sake is an other thing both for Name and signification For the Name is Psuche the sowl Luk. 17. 33. 9. 23. 24. which word howsoever we may translate Life because the sowl is the life of the body yet can we not take it for a Life or conversation whch the Apostle in Rom. 6. caleth Zoe Wheras therfore H. N. speaketh of the Life of God and then of mans own life and life of the Divil as if Christ spake or meant of it when he speaketh and meaneth of the Sowl and natural life herein he vseth fraud and not Christian simplicity or ells bewrayeth grosse ignorance Which may yet further be thus proved Our saviour speaketh of such a Life as himself layd-down for vs saying I lay down my life for my sheep now let H. N. say what life that was whither it were not his very natural and elementish life as he caleth it for I hope he wil not be so wretched as to say that Christ had any wicked synful life or life of the Divil in him to lay down seing we know that in Christ ther never was synn or if he should be so absurd as to say it yet Christ him self wil convince him saying I lay down my life that I might take it agayn for was he to take agayn a synful life far be it from Christian thoughts Now from this example of Christ the Apostle reasoneth thus Hereby have we perceived love that he layd down his Life for vs therfore we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren So then what Life or Sowl Christ layd down for vs the like ar we to lay down for our brethren and for Christ himself as Peter sayd he would but that was no synful life or conversation but the natural life which he did lay down therfore ours must be the like Agayn this is further confirmed by Christs words saying he that looseth his life or sowl for my sake shal find it meaning in the world or life to come but I hope we shal there find no synful life such as H. N. fansieth Christ here to mean Agayn the words folowing make it more playn Christ saying For what should it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he loose his own life or sowl But it is our greatest profit to loose our synful life Of that therfore Christ speaketh not as any reasonable man may perceiv So the Psyche sowl or life which we must be ready at Gods pleasure to lay down for Christs cause is not onely the synful life but also the natural life of the natural or elementish man and H.
may give al wise men occasion to suppose that he teacheth in secret commune filthynes even the doctrine of the old Nicolaitans which God doth hate In secret I say for his lothsome carnal abominations he wil not openly publish though he hath published too much eyther to the world or to his yong disciples but this caveat he hath given to his fautors ye shal not talk of your secrets eyther yet vtter your mysteries opēly or nakedly in the hearing of your yong children and disciples but spare not the same in the ears or hearing of the Elders which can vnderstand the same and are able to bear or away with the sound therof For it is given to the Elders to vnderstand the privy mysteries of the wise and to expound their parables This is the counsell of H. N. touching the secrets of his religion quite contrary to the counsel and practise of Christ his prophets and Apostles for Christ sayd to his Disciples what I tel yow in darknes that speak ye in light and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye on the howses and when the Prophets opened their mouthes in parables and declared high sentences of old they would not hide them from their children but shew thē that posterity might know it and children which should be born might declare vnto their children c. But the deep mysteries of H. N. must not be disclosed because as it is writtē every mā that doth evil hateth the light and the morning is to thē as the shadow of death wherfore his doctrine is like the foolish womans which sayd Stollen waters are sweet hid bread is pleasant but let al Gods people know that the dead are there and that her ghests are in the depth of hell Now though he wil not let his yong-anes know his secrets yet he wil be so bold as to know their secrets and hath taught them to shrive them vnto him with farr greater spiritual slavery then the Antichrist of Some hath done For H. N. in his First exhortation after he had warned his children not to distrust the Eldest in the Family of Love nor suspect any manner of evill or vnwisdom by him sayth Fourthly it is expedient that they should make manifest their whol hart with al their counsels minds wils and thoughts togither with al their doings dealings exercises naked and bare before the Eldest in the Family of Love and not cover or hide any thing be it what it is before him Also al whervnto their inclination kind and nature draweth them and al wherwith they become tempted or assaulted in their harts The Pope requireth but confession of mortal not of venial syns But this tyrann H. N. wil know al be it what it is yea even mens natural inclinatiōs Now be it his wisdome was much overseē to make such a law for this may cal his Godhed into questiō make mē think he is but a Liar whiles he would be a God for our Lord Jesus knew the thoughts of men and had no need that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man If H. N. be godded with God what needeth he that men should thus make known their inclinations and actions vnto him But his disciples are wel ynough served that wheras the Romish priests did whip thē with rods these their Godded Priests should scourge them with scorpions Finally this H. N. teacheth almost every where in his abominable books the doctrine of that old Serpent ye shal be as Gods saying that his people have their inhabiting in Gods vnderstanding stand cōprehended in the light of life being vnited in Gods true being that they are one being with ech other namely God his people of peace that God the Father through his onely born son Christ is become of one substance agayn with the manly creatures and to that end also because that al manly creatures should through Christ be one substance with God the Father is Christ preached that when as we are renewed in Jesus Christ through faith also come to the same age of the man Christ so is God the Father thē likewise one substance or māned with vs through Christ is al in al that it is Gods wil that now in the last tyme through his service of love al people or generations of men which are goodwilling to his righteousnes should assemble them vnto him and his godded man H. N. and even so likewise with them al that which is manly to the end that they all should become of one being with him and his godded man and so be al named Gods and children of the most highest These and many the like blasphemies wherby he quite overthroweth the Being of God as before is proved ar often to be found in his writings For which also that he might the more imitate the first serpent which sayd God doth know he allegeth and corrupteth the holy scriptures that if he be Antichrist which should sit in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God as Paul warneth this H. N. may be known to be a great Antichrist and al the world may see Caiaphas prophesied not righter of Christ and of his death for the nation then H. N. hath spoken when he cried out of the Antichrist to be so neer vnto him It is very true H. N. 28. Oh what a slight and earthly vnderstanding is this that God should be appeased with an elementish body even like as though that God were fleshly even as an vnregenerate man 29. I say on Gods behalf that God is not in that manner of sort with the man but rather the vngodly being or nature which all vnregenerated men do cary in their harts wherout al wickednes is ingendred and brought forth Read Mark. 7. Mat. 23. and in more other places in the scriptures wher the same is rcited or mentioned 30. Therfore my beloved this is the counsel of God towards yow both that yow should not boast yourselves in such an vncertayn confessing but for the love of Christs sake take it for the best which I hav here witnessed vnto yow namely that yow have not confessed Christ according to the truth but the elementish ceremonies even as they out of the darknes without the Spirit of Christ wer taught vnto yow Not that I therin do accuse or blame any man as one that doth evil of a set purpose O no for they know not any other then that they doe vse the doctrine of Christ. But my harty desire is towards every one which say that they seek Christ that they mought seek and find him aright H. A. OH what a slight and serpentlike subtilty is this that H. N. should abuse and deprave the words and actions of Gods servants in this manner as if by their meek and patient suffrings for Christs sake they thought to appease God w th
an elementish body It is far from the harts of al the faithfull to imagine that any thing which themselves can eyther doe or suffer in body or sowl is able to appease God They have otherweise learned to know the guilt and wages of syn the infinitenes of Gods majesty who is angry with the world for their misdeeds the weaknes and vnworthynes of al mens works and suffrings To that therfore which H. N. pretendeth to say on Gods behalf I answer with Job and ask him if he wil speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for his cause For we esteem our suffrings nothing and all our righteousnes as dung It is the body of our Lord Jesus that was hanged on the tree which is the onely sacrifice for our synns and appeaseth the wrath of his Father and the things that we doe or suffer benifit not him but our selves for the chastisements of God whither on our bodies or sowles are as the Apostle teacheth vs for our profit that we might be partakers of his holynes Wherfore H. N. hath conceived mischief and brought forth a lie whiles labouring to abolish the outward confessing and suffring of Christians he falsly imputeth vnto thē this error to beleev they appease God with an elementish body yea the frawd of this falser is manifestly discovered as the reader may observ for the error which he would lay vpon others is found to be in himself whose doctrine is such as teacheth men to be their own saviours By the Apostles Gospel we have our redemption and forgivenes of syns through the blood of Christ once offred to him also give al the prophets witnesse that through his name al that beleev in him shal receiv remission of syns sayth Peter but by H. Ns. Gospel we obteyn it by our own imitation of Christ in his death and taking vp of our crosse And many such like deadly venimous doctrines are sparsed in his writings to disanull the true Christ with his suffrings and merits and to set vp a false and imaginary Christ bred and born in his corrupt hart as I have before proved Now though we hold not God to be appeased with our suffrings as this man cavilleth yet hold we vpon ground frō the scriptures that we must serve and glorify God both with our bodyes and with our spirits because both ar Gods and therfore are we willed to give vp our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable serving of God And if by bonds and prisonment by racking scourging stoning hewing asundex or other the like torments of body as others before vs have suffred God also try vs we ought with patience to bear them and not to go from the confessing of Christ and his truth for avoyding them as this deceiver would perswade vs. His conclusion therfore which he maketh agaynst these two daughters namely that they have not confessed Christ according to the truth c. is yet to be proved for asmuch as he hath not by any ground from Gods word overthrowen their faith or confessiō in any poynt but onely sought to vndermine it by falshood and deceyt abusing the readers ād perverting the holy scriptures his desire being to draw others into the same destruction with himself who in sted of confessing Christ according to the truth hath like an Antichristian overthrown the whol Gospel of Christ denyed him to be come in the flesh and set vp an Idol in his place even the Lovely Being out of his own fleshly hart H. N. 31. God is my witnes that it is true which I here write vnto you the occasion of my writing is chanced for that I bear a sorrowfull hart with you both But this is my hope over you that ye will take it at my hands as out of the Love of Christ and not to be in any case obstinate in your selves for to wind away your selves from the reading of these Letters with humble harts 32. And when ye have deliberately read the same witnesses and the Lord added his wisdome therto wherby the eyes of your harts mought be a little opened then spare me not to be your servant and give me to vnderstand by the bringe therof ther shal yet more be brought vnto yow then that which yow have presently 33. And if yow cannot acknowledge this for the truth yet look well alwayes hereto that ye do not blaspheme the same which ye know not And I likewise shal not blame yow although that yow cannot comprehend the same For the godly gifts cannot be brought to any one by violence or compulsion for they are the gifts of God 34. Herewith I salute yow both whose names I know not very hartily through the love of Christ wish vnto yow out of the ground of my sowl the knowledge of the very true Spirit of Christ that ye mought learn to know aright your caling in Christ. That grant vs the Almighty God through his Love Amen By your vnknown friend H. N. H. A. IF God were witnes that it is true which H. N. here hath written the scriptures which are Gods witnesses or testimonies would approve of the same but by holy writ his errors are disproved and the evils which he vnjustly layeth vpon others are justly returned vpon his own head and found to be in himself and his bewitched folowers whom I leav to the doon of him which hath sayd I wil come neer to yow to judgement and I wil be a swift witnes against sorcerers against adulterers and against false swearers c. And for al that shal read these writings as they ought to be farr from blaspheming the truth which they know not so should they be far also from approving or hearkning to a knowen deceiver and blasphemer of God such as this Henry Nicolas by this Epistle and his other vngodly writings is proved for to be His fawning words and submissive cariage with promise of more matters after are but the behaviour of the Lewd woman that vseth to entise with flattering lips when her howse is the way vnto the grave which goeth down to the chambers of death What thank or reward then remaynes for H. N. for al his paynes and proffered kindnes but that which the wise man hath appointed saying He that blesseth his friend with a lowd voice rising early in the morning it shal be counted to him as a curse Pro. 27. 14. FINIS In pag. 47. lin 5. before the end for love read live◠†Pro 7. 11. 9. 13. 18 * Pro. 9. 3. | 1 Exhort cap. 11. See 1. * Ephe. 5. 13. | Ps. 119. 105 Pro 6. 13. †Iob. 38. 13 | Iob. 34. 25. ‡ Ps. 12. 7. 8. * 2 Tim. 3. 6. 7. ‡ 1 Cor. 1. 24. | Math. 7. 15. | Tim. 4. 1. †1 Ioh. 4. 1. * 2 Pet. 2. 1. | vers 3. ‡ Rom. 16. 18 * 2 Pet. 2. 18.