THE DISplaying of an horrible sect of gross and wicked Heretics, naming themselves the Family of Love, with the lives of their Authors and what doctrine they teach in corners.  
Newly set forth by I R. Whereunto is added certain letters sent from the same Family maintaining their opinions, which Letters are answered by the same J. R.  
IMPRINTED AT London for George Bishop. 1579.   

¶ The Preface of the Author to the Reader.  
WHEN I began to writ of this doctrine of the Family of Love, I minded in deed, to have sent it to a friend of mine which is entered into that error, and so to have made it as a private matter between us. But when I had showed the same to certain of my friends, to have their judgement in certain points, their importunate suit was, that this small treatise might be published in print: which request I was loath to grant, for divers causes. The chief whereof was, that Books which are set forth unto the eyes of all the world, had need to be circumspectly and diligently examined, before they be made as á glass for all men to look upon. For, when as there are many beholders, there are also many fault finders. And in this simple work there are many faults, through ignorance and want of skill committed: which I confess, not to be done of malice or negligence, but in truth my simple & unlearned capacity could do no better. The faults are these. The rough and harsh style, being rudely and without any good method set down, because I want the help of those arts which comely & aptly couch sentences together, whereby the Reader might take the more delectation in reading and perusing of books. The order should have been amended if time would have suffered, but since it is otherwise, I beseech thee accept my good will. If any of the family carp at this book, because of the rudeness thereof, let them answer it, and a reply will speedily be performed, wherein their expectation shall be satisfied (I doubt not) by men of godly knowledge and learning. In the mean time, I will declare the cause that made me more willing to satisfy my friends request. There are many diligent & godly teachers, which in places convenient do inveigh & impugn the doctrine of the Family of Love, & yet are not thoroughly acquainted therewith: whereby many in the same family, take occasion to exclaim against them, as slanderers of their doctrine: & many also of God's children, hearing the Family of love spoken against, are desirous to know what opinions and doctrine they hold & profess. Therefore I thought it my duty which I own unto Christ's Church (as a member thereof) to utter and make manifest unto all people what I know touching the Authors and doctrine of the same family. And seeing that we live among so many enemies of Christ's Gospel, which object against us variety in opinions, it is very requisite, that every member in Christ's Church, put too his helping hand, to cleanse and purge the Church from such errors and false doctrine, as through the malice of Satan daily creepeth in. For if we hearing Christ jesus his death and passion (which is our only comfort) blemished and darkened by the subtle fetches and persuasions of erroneous and wicked men, possessed with fantastical spirits, & shall not be moved with zeal: how appeareth any love of God or Christ jesus in us? or where is become the fruits that should show a justifying faith? Many that are at case & live securely, think that this error will of itself vanish & decay, without stir or gainsaying: which saying bewrayeth too much their want of the true fear & love of God. For, if we shall daily hear but our friend evil spoken of, and be still and silent ●hereat, what love or friendship appeareth in us? How much more aught we to be zealously affected, when the glory of our GOD, and the office of Christ jesus our Lord, shall be shadowed and impaired, we sleeping securely without touch or motion of true zeal or love? And if we look into the daily increase of this error, we shall then behold our sloth & negligence. For in many shires of this our country, there are meetings & conventicles of this family of love, and into what number they are grown, my heart reweth to speak that which one of the same society did avouch to me for truth. Therefore it is time to withstand their impious opinions, and every one according to his charge and office in the Church of Christ to purge and cleanse the same, from the dregs and blasphemies of H. N. and his family. And although many errors & much false doctrine is taught in the family, more than is here expressed, (which to touch all would require a longer discovery and a more learned author,) yet I have set down (for a taste or show) some of their doctrine, that the children of God may be armed afore hand, and take heed of such impious blasphemies as. H. N. teacheth. Many Books are abroad, which I have not seen, and many I have seen, which I could not have the use off to read. For except one will be pliant to their doctrine and show good will thereto, he shall hardly get any of their books, not, nor they will not confer, nor talk of any points of their doctrine with any, except it be to such as they find inclined, and (as they term it) willingly minded thereto.  
And here I protest, that what my pen shall utter, either touching the person of H. N. or his doctrine, I malice him not, nor his family, I rather pity than & their case, that so many simple people are by his doctrine seduced and deceived: neither will I avouch any thing which I have not suffient warrant to prove. As touching his person and behaviour, I have the testimony of divers ancient people, & of good credit of the Dutch church, who have been acquainted with the same H. N. and have dwelled together in one city, and in one street, being near neighbours & familiar friends, who have declared and testified the certainty of his behaviour, & demeanour. And touching his doctrine, I have used this order, to set down the authors own speech, not adding or diminishing any thing, with the name of the Book, Chapter, or follio. And whereas I have directed much speech unto the Family, the cause is this. I have been familiar with some of them of long time, & have had large discourses and conference with many of them: therefore if my simple speech, uttered by pen, may do any of them good, I have that I desire. And this hath been an other cause, why more willingly I condescended unto my friends request. And because H. N. and his family have protested, that the truth hath no where been taught in the world since the Apostles time, but now by the family: how vain this their assertion is, in itself appeareth. For if truth hath been hide and buried this 1500. years, where is become Christ's promise, that he would be ever with his to the end * of the world▪ to what purpose 
Matth. 28.  have so many notable men suffered Martyrdom, both in the primative Church under heathen Emperors, & daily do suffer under the persecuting and cruel Papists? If these have not suffered for the truth, where shall we seek for truth? at th● hands of H. N? whose doctrine so far disagreeth from truth, as light from darkness? This is a true saying, Truth loveth no corners, if the doctrine of H. N. be a truth, why is it taught in corners? Why dare none s●ep forth to maintain the doctrine of H. N. being every where spoken against? why dare none of the Illu●in●t Elders (which can not err nor sin) come before the simple one's in Christ's school, and prove their authors doctrine good by the holy Scripture? Their answer is, that fear of death doth 'cause them to be silent. Did Christ or his Apostles so? If we pertain unto Christ jesus, we must 
Rom. ●.  * be like unto him in suffering, that we may reign with him, (being called to witness the truth.) And this is a thing also to be wondered at amongst the Family, that if conference be urged at their hands, they deny it utterly: if disputation be offered, they flee from it eagerly: the reason is, their doctrine dareth not abide the light, nor the trial of the touchstone. If there were nothing else to prove their doctrine false, this were sufficient. I could declare of dissensions that are among them, & how many of their great Rabbins, or Illuminate Elders, have been plain Arrians, & have recanted at Paul's Cross: Also how often they have altered their opinions, as well touching community of things, as divers other points. But because they will lay to my charge, that I seek only to make them odious to the world, I cease to speak any further, because I rest, hoping in their conversion, which I beseech the Lord our God to grant for his Christ's sake. There is one other thing which (as they affirm) moveth them to be silent▪ because there is no public Magistrate that will maintain their doctrine: therefore they are constrained to be still. If this be a cause sufficient, let the reader judge. Shall a truth be hidden, because no Magistrate will give it maintenance? Certainly if the Apostles had ceased to preach Christ, until they had warrant from the Magistrate, I think many nations had been yet unconverted. But I will not let to put them in memory where they had maintenance of a Magistrate. Even in Munster a city of Westphalia where john Leyden, and Knipper Dolling showed the fruits and effects of their doctrine. Nothing they taught nor published, but that which they affirmed to receive from God by revelation. What murder's▪ what abominations they exercised during their reign and government, john Sleydan, (a man living at that time, and of good credit) hath manifestly published & declared. And these men were Hollanders, and scholars of David George, whose disciple your author H. N. was at that time, although now he publish his doctrine in his own name, and says that he hath received the same not by man's ministery, but at the mouth of God, whose sound & voice he says he hath herded. The Scriptures do teach us to fly from such men as boast of such vanities, that they are taught by revelation. For * Paul, when he was converted, 
Acts. 9 Acts. 10.  was sent by Christ to An●ni●s to be instructed, * Cornelius was sent to Peter. Almighty God to teach his children, useth always the office & ministry of man. The Israelits had their Prophets, men instructed by God, I grant: but they had their testimony of their calling joined with their office, as a sea●, & badge, which was, a bold publication of their message without fear, because it was a truth, and there was joined commonly therewith the working of miracles: which seals your author wanteth. For neither H. N. nor any that follow that doctrine, dare boldly speak what they believe, * nor tender 
●. Pea. 3.  a reason of their faith and hope, as the apostle Peter hath written: although H. N. calleth himself a Prophet, and hath entitled a book, called The Prophefie of the spirit of love: in which book his manifest folly is openly declared, as by reading this small treatise thou shalt found. The Lord God for his Christ's sake open their eyes, and mollify their hard and stony hearts, that they may behold the subtleties contained in the doctrine of the family, and embrace the joyful promises which Christ our Lord hath set forth to us in his Gospel, and that his Gospel, & that his Church may be free from such depravers of Christ jesus his death and passion: so shall we his children rejoice over their conversion, and magnify the name of the Lord our God, to whom be praise and dominion now and ever.   

Stephan Bateman to the gentle Reader.  
CHristian Reader, consider I pray thee, how from the beginning, there hath ever been such discordaunce found, as hath bread great dissension among the creatures of the world: for by the wicked, the death of the godly hath ever been hastened. And I gather it to be for this cause only, that the absence of such godly might seem to the froward a peaceable being, when (not rebuked for their wicked and ungodly living) they might (as it seemed unto them) live secure, to do what in their eyes and minds seemed best. This subtle engine had Satan in the beginning, when he stirred Cain to s●ay his brother Abel. And why? 
Gene. 4. 6. 7. 8. 9 19  because his brother's sacrifice was good, and his evil. etc. Likewise, as from a corrupt tree, there hath sprung forth such sap, by 
Exod. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 6. 7. 8. 9 10. 11. 12. 13. 14 1●. 20. 32.  the instigation of Satan, in the members of the ungodly: as ambition, hypocrisy, false religion, and such like: that to have a place of government according to their natures, they have driven the Church of Christ by 
Num. ●2. josu. 1 ●. 6 7. 10.  many extremities, into out Isles of the world: and when by God's mighty assistance they have for a time enjoyed quietness, yet such● 
judith. 1▪ 5 7. 1●. 1. Reg. 4. 5. 17. 31. 3. Reg. 18. 22. 4. Reg. 1. 2. 17. Psal 1  hath been the malic● of the ol● ser●●●t and his members, to begin again with ●ew devised torments, to disqviet the peaceable service of Christ's Church, which notwithstanding, in spite of that fury, hath ever h●d stay in one place or other. And for the yet hoped time, after many attempts they might get the victory, the devil, to the intent that b● domestical discord, the church of Christ might be thoroughly shaken, as a l●ing spirit, begat error, error begat heresy, & ho● even under the vizard of hypocrisy, to feign the pure religion by outward resemblance, and so in time to bring in his ma●e Idolatry: that then betwixt them both, they might in short space hatch superstition, 
Rom. 1. Ezech. 37. Dani. 5 3.  practising the Church, instead of the creator to worship not only the creatures but also idol● made by themselves, which as soon as ever the true Church espied, began to separate themselves from that filthy brood: then came discord, and with him division, which division increased a worse heresy than before, so that the sons of the Devil gate 
D. Cooper Cron.  names▪ as Pharisees. Saduceis. Esseis, Basilides, Cerdonistes, Valentianistes, Marcionistes, Appelles, Montanus, Sabellius, Manes, Arius, Donatus, Macedonius, Eunomius, Pelagius, Eutiches, which engendered the Pope and Papists, when ●esus Christ his Church was banish●●, by the tyranny 
Image of both churches. ●usebius.  of the great murders, from Nero, to Domitianus and other, through persecution. After which time yet to vex the Church a new, came in Menandrians, Cherinthus, Ebionites, Nicholaites, Saturninus, Ta●●anus, Messaliani, N●sco●ians. Anabaptistes, Libertines: a●d divers others, whose nature not unlike to Turdus Syluestris, by whose ●yling 
Gesuerus. The dung of t●e●●d ing●d●e●h the mistle. Mat●●●lus Ra●tholomens. Ortu●●anitatis.  on the Ok● or fruit trees, the Mis●le groweth: so of the dung of these filthy s●●●es have proceeded a n●w● Mergus, a cormorant foul, the family of love, an heretical sect, that hath to bring forth a new purity in religion, supped up the most part of former errors, which except it please the Almighty God in the mercies of his Christ our Lord and Saviour, the sufferance thereof will give occasion to a new persecution. It beh●ueth therefore all reverend Elders, Bishops, and Preachers, to seek at the hands of our sovereign, authority to redress the same, or else will assuredly follow the like plague on us, as was at Munster in Germany, by David George, john a Leede, K●ipper Dolling, and others, the seed whereof is. H. N. Henry Nicholas, now of Colone. His disciple here in England Christopher Vittel lotner, and many more, whom God turn from this and all other errors if it be his will, or else hasten their overthrow from poisoning the simple, as yet to be accounted traitors to God, hypocrites to the Prince, and false Prophets in seducing the people. Thus gentle Reader, I have presumed to enter into this authors book these few words, to none other end, then to encourage thee to accept his pains, that seeketh by his study and laborious toil thy ease, in bringing to light that which might else have longer been hide, to the great hurt of this common wealth. And now being brought to light give God the praise: to whom he honour and glory for ever. Amen.  
Stephan Bateman, professor of divinity.   

The life of David George testified by the Magistrates of Basil, which was the founder of the heresy of H. N. and the Family of love.  
DAVID GEORGE, born in Delphe a town of Holland, taught his errors in the low country, where he dwelled forty years: and fearing to be espied by the Magistrates, departed out of his country Anno. 1544. and journeyed towards Basil in Zuitzerland, with his family and kinsfolk, & named himself john of bridges. When he was come to Basil, he made his complaint to divers of the Magistrates, that he was banished out of his native country for the word of God, and was feign to flee from place to place. They took compassion of him, and made petition unto the Lords of the town for him, that it would please them to take him and his, for poor subjects and inhabiters of their city. They received this answer, that they would not deny their city to any honest stranger, being of a good & true religion. His, grave years, sober speech, and modest behaviour, with his ancient and comely apparel, did not a little prevail, that his petition took place: so that he and all his company were made free men of Basil, & was in good reputation among the people. He was liberal in giving of alms, and full of hospitality: he married his daughters very worshipfully: he was served in plate, and spent liberally: for his scholars in the low countries made collections for him, so that he wanted nothing. Eleven years he dwelled in Basil, and it was not espied what doctrine he taught.  
Then he built two houses, the one for pleasure in a garden, the other in the town: one of the houses was by lightning and thunder consumed with fire: also in his own dwelling house one fit fell down, and did much harm: all these were warnings of God's displeasure. In process of time, one that married his daughter began to mistrust his doctrine, and when David George understood thereof, he sent for his son in law, and with many persuasions, endeavoured to confirm his son, to believe that he was that right David that was sent from God, and should restore again the kingdom of Israel, and build the tabernacle of jacob in the latter days: whereunto his son answered, that the restoring of the kingdom of Israel, and all other prophecies of David, was fulfilled by Christ. With which answer David George was very angry: notwithstanding, with gentle words he began again to persuade him: that if any thing were too high in his books that he could not understand, he should commit it unto God, from whom such high wisdom did come.  
He written divers books, especially ●●● called The wonder book, wherein he taught his damnable errors. He died the 16. of August 1556. and was buried in the parish Church of S. Leonardes'. Many of his disciples took great thought after he was dead, for that he promised unto them that he should not die, but if he did, he would rise again within three years, and fulfil all his former promises.  
diverse of his disciples and scholars forsook his heresies after his death, and confessed themselves deceived, and acknowledged David George to be a very blasphemer of our saviour Christ. But certain would not, but conveyed themselves away, and infected others. The Magistrates of Basil, when they understood of his doctrine and manners, they called before them, all such as they suspected to hold of David George, and searched their houses, found the books and letters which he had written: and when the Lords of Basil had all, they caused them to recant solemnly in the chief Church, all such articles as David George had taught them. They found also in David George's house a picture of David George's person, very curiously & cunningly counterfeit, which together with the carcase: of David George, & his books, letters, etc. were burned in the Market place: his goods and lands seized to the use of the town. All the rest that were known to hol●e that error did willingly abjure the same, and so were received as members of Christ's Church. Yet did not his heresies cease, for diverse were in Holland that stiffly did maintain David George's heresies, and perverted many, among which number was Henry Nicholas thought to be chief: who after the death of David George took upon him to maintain the same doctrine, not in the name of David, but in his own name, as a Prophet, sent to rebuke the world of sin and iniquity, & hath written many books in the Dutch tongue in a rude style, which many of his scholars & fellows have translated into divers languages: his evangelium R●gni is in Latin, many also are in a Dutch letter in English, translated (as is supposed) by Christopher Victual a joiner, dwelling sometime in Southwark, who hath by his trudging about the country, infected sundry simple men with this poisoned doctrine, & snared their minds so corruptly therein, that it is hard to pluck out of their heads those vain toys of H. N. which Vittel hath so deeply impressed in their minds, that although they deny publicly before the world, yea & set their hands against the same doctrine, yet they return again to their old opinions, as is well seen by many that I could name. For it is a Maxima in the Family to deny before men all their doctrine, so that they keep the same secret in their hearts: which is impious and ungodly.  
There have been many of our English men in Flaunders, to confer with this. H. N. their author, of whom in their return they speak great good of his wisdom, of his mild nature, of his humility, and of his patience: yea, and they vainly boast, that he knew of their secret messages, which they accounted to be miraculous. And when he maketh any mention of the works which he hath written, he calleth them the works of God, and seldom or never his works. Certain pamphlets are newly set forth as his works. The Lord bring such devices of Satan to nought, & preserve his church evermore   

The life and doings of H. N. testified by certain of the Dutch Church yet living, who known the man, & were acquainted with him.  
H N. otherwise called Henry Nicholas, born in Amsterdam, a town in Holland, of many was called Henry of Amsterdam, who with his brother john, departed from Amsterdam, about the year of our Lord, 1533. when a certain stir was in the town tending to a tumult. And these two brethren had prepared money with other furniture, to aid (as they pret●ded) their brethren in Munster, a city of Westphalia, who were distressed by a siege of the noble men as you may read in the x. book of Sleydanes Commentaries: & although he give them to name Anabaptistes, (for they were rife in those days) yet surely it is probable that David George's followers were there, unto whom these two brethren did sand aid: who being espied by the Magistrates, were imprisoned: at the last they forsook the city, and came to Emden, a city of Westfrize, land. john Nicholas was a brewer by occupation, but Henry was a Mercer, and called commonly Henry of Amsterdam. He was a man of a reasonable tall stature, somewhat gross of body. He had a son who kept his shop, called john Nicholas. This Henry was very brave in his apparel, he would go in his crimson satin doublet every holiday. Henry gave himself to writing of books, which he put in print, especially one among the rest, which was the chief, called The glass of righteousness the less: for he compiled two books of that title, wherein he certifieth his Family of love, that they must pass four most terrible castles full of cumbersome enemies, before they come to the house of love: the first is john Caluine, the second the Papists, the third Martin Luther, the fourth the Anabaptists: and passing these dangers they may be of the family, else not: this is testified by a man of credit, one Adrian Gisling, who did read the same in a Dutch book, entitled as afore said. There was complaint made unto the Magistrates, when certain of his books came abroad, that he despised all manner of religion, especially those of Caluine and Luther, affirming that of all other they were the worst. He married his daughter Marie to a younker, & when they should come to church, Giles Faber minister of Emden did deny her marriage, saying unto Henry Nicholas, that he was a derider of their religion. Also Henry Nicholas had in his house three women, which went all alike in their apparel: the one he affirmed to be his wife, the other his sister, the third his cousin. It happened his cousin to be very sick & doubtful of life: the neighbours in such a case resorted unto her, and there before divers of good report, the confessed that Henry Nicholas had abused her body, and made her believe that she should never die. The neighbours hearing this so odious a matter, made complaint unto master Brames, who was Drosserd of Emden, or governor: he according to his office, came to the house to have apprehended the party, but Henry was fled immediately before. The Magistrate seized upon his goods, and carried it away unto the castle of Emden, and this was in Anno. 1556. Henry fled to Peusam, to a younker called Hycomanning, one of his Family of Love, and there remained about a year. He was 57 years old when these things happened. It is thought that he went with Granuella to Naples the year following, and the most do verily think that he is dead, but our Fami lie in England do believe that he is alive, & doth still writ: if it be so, by this collection he can not be less than 78. years old. He doth call himself Restaurator omnium, in the thirtéene Chapter of his Euangeli. So did they at Munster entitle a book, and called it, The book of restoration. In which book are contained divers horrible heresies which they held, as may appear by Sleidans' Commentaries: which I have here placed, that the reader may perceive how in many things their doctrine in Munster and the Family in England do agree.  

Articles taken out of the Book of restoration which they in Munster held, as appeartth by john Sleydan.  
1 THe time of restoration is at hand.  
2 The seat of David which is decayed, shall be erected.  
3 The writings of the Prophets shall be now fulfilled.  
4 This restoration goeth before the world to come, to the intent that all the ungodly being destroyed, the house and seat of justice might be prepared and beautified.  
5 The marriage of such as are not lightened with true faith, is polluted and filthy, and to be reputed for whoredom.  
6 Martin Luther and the Bishop of Rome be false prophets, but of both, Luther is the worse.  
7 Since the Apostles time the word of God was never preached truly, nor any justice upon earth.  
8 There are four prophets, whereof two are just, David, and john Leyden, and two unjust, the bishop of Rome, and Luther.   
Their teachers in Munster, were all or the most part Hollanders, and David George did then teach his blasphemous doctrine at that time. Although john Sleydan doth generally call them Anabaptistes, yet it is very probable, that these and other of their articles are all one with the family of Love, for the Anabaptistes do hold none of these.  

Articles gathered out of the Books of H. N. and which are taught by the Family of Love.  
1 IN primis, that H. N. can no more err or miss the right, than Moses, the prophets, or Christ, and his Apostles.  
2 Item, the Elders are illuminate and Deified: and God in them hominified, or become man.  
3 Item, their illuminate Elders do not sin, neither actually, nor by cogitation.  
4 Item, that they may join with any congregation or Church, & live under the obedience of any magistrate, be he never so wicked or ungodly: the Turk, the Pope, or whosoever.  
5 Item, that they allow a kind of shrift worse than Popish, For where the Pope requireth but confession of the act committed: they will have the thoughts manifested, and what our nature and inclination draweth us unto.  
6 Item, they hold, that the law of God is possible to be kept, of every man that will endeavour himself thereto.  
7 Item, that their author H. N. is the true prophet of God sent to blow the last trump of doctrine which shall be published upon earth, & he only knoweth the true sense of the holy scripture.  
8 Item, that his books are of equal authority with the holy scripture, and are written with the same spirit.  
9 Item, all is false and lies, whatsoever is taught or preached by any other, than their Illuminate Elders in the Family.  
10 Item, they commend the Pope and Cardinals, and allow the Mass, & other their ceremonies.   

The Books of H. N. which I have seen.  
1 IN primis, the first Epistle of H. N.  
2 Item, the first and second exhortation of H. N.  
3 Item, a diologue between the father and the son.  
4 Item, the prophesy ●● the spirit of love.  
5 Item, the published peace upon earth.  
6 Item, the declaration of the mass.  
7 Item, their evangelium Regni.  
8 Item, the true and spiritual Tabernacle.  
9 Item, the new and heavenly jerusalem.  
10 Item, a confession of their faith newly made.  
11 Item, sundry Epistles of. H. N.   

Books which I hear of, and have not seen.  
1 ITem, two books entitled the glass of righteousness.  
2 Item, a Book called the holy Lamb.    

The displaying of the Family of Love.  
WHen I considered the duty of a Christian, to consist in the true profession of Christ jesus his name, & diligently to walk in the paths and ways manifested in his word, and to seek to beautify and enrich that beloved spouse, the Church of Christ, sanctified by his blood: I could not hold back my pen, to publish such matter, as I see daily to blemish that beloved bride: (I mean the Church of Christ:) and to have crept in by the subtlety of Satan, our professed enemy. Having therefore gathered divers notes of that cankered error of H. N. taken out of his books, which I have to show, I had thought to have stayed my hand from further fravell: but being urged by divers of God's children, to manifest this my labour, to the end, that some novices of that error might, (if it were possible) be stayed from further plunging themselves into that gulf of impiety. How the wicked take occasion by these & like errors, to speak evil of Christ's Church, the ears of many godly do hear, Especially the Papists: who speak and writ▪ and nothing is herded more common in their mouths, than these terms. You are at variance among yourselves: no unity of doctrine is observed: you are of divers opinions and sects. But how untruly they impute these matters unto the church of Christ, to every member of the same Church it is evident.  
For if we consider the wisdom of God in governing his, we shall perceive that in all ages, when Christ's Church did most flourish in perfection, than was error and heresies most rife, as may well appear even in the Apostles times, by the Nicolaitans, Ebionites, Cerinthus and others. How busily did the fathers in the primitive Church withstand such heresies, as crept in, even in that happy time? Tertullianus, the Valentinians: Augustine, the Donatists: and Athanas●●us, the Arrians, with infinite m●, as by reading the Ecclesiastical histories doth well appear. Wherein, what travel hath been taken, what counsels called, what Books written, it were a wonder to behold. But when corruption began by little and little to spread herself, and got the face of a Church: O how were dissensions appeased, & no variety seemed to be? where as in deed, nothing was taught nor published but dreams & devices of men: who leaving the certain and known ways of the Lord revealed in his word, betook themselves to depend upon the doctrines of men. But if we descend into these last times, wherein we live, and mark the wisdom of God in governing his Church, how he hath manifested his son Christ jesus with an uncovered face, to the great comfort of his children, how the doting dreams of men are vanished, how nothing but Christ jesus is lifted up with praises, as the immediate and only cause of our salvation, how the true use of works is placed, not as any cause, but as the fruits of our justification. And yet to see how busily sathan (envying the prosperity of Christ's spouse) endeavoureth daily in his members, to trouble and disquiet this peaceable Zion, by raising up divers strange and monstrous heresies, as the Anabaptistes, the Free will men, the Arrians, the Pelagians, and the Family of Love, with many others, which heresies the Devil more bufily soweth now to disquiet the Church, than heretofore in the time of ignorance, when he lulled the most part of the world in errors and dreams of men. And seeing that every error doth seek his cloak & defence by the holy scripture, yet we have great cause to rejoice, that only by the scripture they are all put to silence, and their heresies made manifest to all men: as by the learned treatises of many grave men in this our age doth manifestly appear. Of this last error of. H. N. the chief pillar and upholder of these errors of the Family of Love, whereof (by the lords assistance, I mind to leave behind me such notes and bréefes▪ as of certainty I have learned, both of the person, and also of his doctrine) no man hitherto (that I can learn) hath endeavoured to confute them in writing.  
Whose Books as they have come to my hand, I have with diligence perused, and by much conference with divers of that Family, learned the doctrine which they follow. And whereas they have been charged with divers articles before the high commissioners, yet by no argument that I can learn, do I find that they hold all the errors contained in the same.  
Notwithstanding, so many as either by the doctrine of Henry Nicholas, or by conference I have learned, I have set down, to the end that some good man might be encouraged to confute so impious an author, and such horrible errors, and perform in some learned work that which my want and capacity is not able to supply: neither would I have ventured to commit to writing such rude and ignorant labour, the matter being in deed ●etter than the handling: but in my opinion, it is better to have course bread, than none at all.  
And because diverse with whom I am familiarly acquainted are fallen into this error of Henry Nicholas, I have the rather for their sakes bend my study to do them good, if it be possible. And if these simple notes may have that success that I wish: I trust it will stay some of GOD'S children, from running headlong into that bewitched snare. And also such matter, as by disputation, and conference with some of the same family, I have bolted out, I will declare. For in deed, the Author in his Books doth not deal so plainly, as one being led by the spirit of GOD, whereof he boasteth: but very subtly, and darkly, and so as the judgement of many godly and learned men, to whom I have delivered his Books, upon the reading of the same, have testified, that there is no matter in the Author, that may be drawn into argument, but that it seemeth to be as a riddle, or dark speech, and therefore more intricate to be followed.  
And as his terms and phrases are geyson and unwonted, so they do dazzle the simple, with an admiration of a prudent spirit to be in the Author, which of mean wits can neither be comprehended nor understood.  
And when the Kabbynes of that Family, whom they term Illuminate Elders, have been pressed by me and others, to give a reason, why the Author hath so cunningly and subtly dealt, not expressing his mind in plain terms and speech: the best answer that hath been made, is, that the Author hath written in the Dutch tongue, which wanteth his grace and eloquence, being turned into our rude English. But if I might be bold to reply without offence, his rude style being written in the Dutch tongue, is rather beautified by translation, then impaired: for I have some copies in Dutche, some in Latin, and some in English: wherein the Authors barbarous style, and his ignorance, is very much manifested, although some of his scholars have put too their helping hands, to garnish this their barbarous▪ Author: especially the book entitled, evangelium Regni, which is translated into Latin exactly. I would to GOD the matter did answer the goodness of the tongue.  
And if I should diligently seek out of what forge the Author Henry Nicholas hath filed his heresies, I am certainly persuaded, that one David George was the founder, hatcher, and bréeder of all this mischief, and Henry Nicholas, but a disciple or scholar of the same David. What this David was, you may perceive by that which is set down before: whose errors also for a taste I will set down in part as they are collected by the governor of the university of Basill, that all men may see, that an evil author hath bread a worse scholar: And thereby shall be perceived that David George his opinions differ nothing from H. N. but are so like in wicked boasting that they have the spirit of God, that a man may thereby say, an evil father hath begotten a worse son.   

Articles taken out of David George.  
ALL doctrine taught by Moses, the Prophets, and Christ himself, are not sufficient to salvation: but only to keep the people in good order, till the coming of me David George: but my doctrine is able to save all those that put their trust therein.  
2 David George doth further say, that he is the right Mes●ias, the beloved son of the Father, not born of the flesh, but of the holy Ghost: and when Christ was dead, according to the flesh, the spirit of Christ was kept at the father's appointment, until the coming of David George, and given to him.  
3 He says, that he will set up the true house of David, & the children of Le●●●, and he will raise the tabernacle of God, through the spirit of Christ, not by the cross and suffering, but▪ through me●knesse and love.  
4 He says, that whosoever speaketh against his doctrine, shall never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.  
These I have set down as the doctrine of David George, found in his books. And because their doctrine may be better viewed and seen, how they agree in wicked & devilish fantasies of their own device, set on by the father of lies, our ancient enemy, to be a stumbling block unto the simple, and to darken and blemish the joyful proceeding of the glorious Gospel of Christ jesus, which almighty God hath in mercy revealed to nations & kingdoms most plentifully, maugre the malice of the devil and all his children: I have therefore here placed certain sayings of H. N. which are word for word taken out of his books, that the diligent reader may see how in wicked boasting they agree, & what vile doctrine they publish.   

The errors of H. N. taken out of his own books translated into English.  
1 For, the being of God, or essence, gave forth his sound and voice, and 
Proph. cap ●. diuis. 5.  spoke unto me H. N. through his spirit of love all these words, he said.  
Speaking against the Church, he says:  
2 For that cause if thou now accounted not thyself for an whore, but esteemest thee for the faithful espoused wise of Christ, my jealous conceiving cannot stand otherwise towards thee, but that thou art a presumptuous whore, which dissemblest and playest the hypocrite with Christ, and covertly committest whoredom, and nevertheless, will't be judged as a faithful espoused wife of Christ. So Shalt thou presently be constrained to drink the bitter cursed water of my jealousy.  
3 All that God hath spoken through his holy Prophets, and what is written of Christ, should also in us, and with us, become fulfilled, to the honour and glory of God, and to our joy.  Out of a Dialogue between the father and the son. Chap. 17. the son concludeth with these words. 
SEeing now that I (my Father) have found out in deed, that our Lord the most highest hath revealed his mercy seat, the possession of his most excellent Majesty, and heavenly riches in thee, and with the same being of the perfect Godhead, made a godly dwelling with thee: so were it meet that all the generations of the ●arth submit themselves under the same mercy seat and Godly Majesty, and assemble them thereunto.  
Here mayest thou see these two men boasting themselves in their presumption and pride of mind, to have the spirit of God: the one saying, that the same spirit which was in Christ jesus when he lived on earth, is now in David George, (which is horrible blasphemies) and abaseth Moses, the Prophets, and Christ himself, in whose doctrine the certainty of our faith is firmly fixed, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail: & promises to bring the house of David and the children of Levy into great prosperity, and to set▪ them up: not with painful suffering, as Christ our Lord in himself hath performed, & left to us his children example to follow his steps in suffering misery, that we might reign with him in glory: but he promises to bring his disciples into that glory through meekness and love, which in deed is the pleasanter way to be followed, if we consider flesh and blood.  
H. N. he following his father in like blasphemy, avoucheth, that he hath talked with God, not by inspiration or revelation, but by giving forth his sound & voice. Then placeth himself in Christ's stead and office, in judging the children of God, saying: My jealous conceiving can not stand otherwise towards thee, but that thou art a presumptuous whore: and shalt be constrained to drink the bitter cursed water of my jealousy. If these be not Luciferian voices, I am much deceived: then he says, that what the Prophets & Christ have written, that must be fulfilled in him and with him: and that all the generations of the earth must submit them selves unto the mercy seat, and godly majesty, which is in him. Thus I suppose my conjecture standeth firm, where I said, that David George was the hatcher of this heresy, and laid the egg, but H. N. brought forth the chickens. How well they agree in vaunting themselves, doth well appear: and that the son is far worse than the father. Surely I could well have spared my pen in writing this and other their wicked opinions, & with their patrons have buried it in silence, had it not the zeal of the lords house carried me so far, that I could not stay, until I had published such matter as came to my hands, whereby I saw the glory of Christ jesus to be so defaced: & seeing these wicked imps to place them selves so high in the minds of many simple people here in England, it pitieth me to see them so snared in this bewitched error. A man would think that these things are so vain & absurd, that none that were in their right wits, would once bend their minds to embrace the same. In deed, if I did not know many of them, and am truly certified by some of the same fellowship, that there are in Engand, at the lest 1000 in divers parts of this realm, which do hold this vain & monstrous opinion of H. N. I would not have traveled any further. But even for their sakes, who in deed are simply deceived, and not maliciously hold any thing, do I writ: and if this my labour may (by the Lords will) convert any of that fellowship, and bring them into the plain and manifest way, which Christ jesus hath left in his word, I have my expected desire. There is no one thing in my opinion that hath so much prevailed with this simple sort, which are members and professors of the Family of Love, as a certain show & outward face of a holy conversation, which some of their illuminate Elders do seem to use. Wherein they follow the steps of the Pelagians and Papists directly, whose doctrine of works, how by them we are in the favour of God, and accepted, doth in divers treatises manifestly appear, destroying the work wrought by Christ our Lord,▪ by whose blood we are cleansed, and 
Esai. 53.  by whose stripes we are healed: & without this faith in Christ, all our works, be they never so godly, are mere impiety. If he work in us the will and the deed, what have we to boast of works? If we have nothing which we have not received, what favour with 
Rom. 4.  God doth our works purchase? If everlasting life be the free gift of God, what have our works to do in that matter of our salvation? It standeth not upon so ●ickle a point as the uncertainty of our works: but in such errors they wander, which leave the wholesome precepts of the holy Ghost revealed by the scripture, and embrace the doctrines of men. It seemeth that the simple truth which by the Scriptures we be taught, and the promises of Christ our Lord made unto us, doth not content their curious heads, but vainly they wander in every uncertain way, esteeming H. N. and his sayings expressed in his book, to be of no less value and credit, than the sacred Scripture written for our comfort, not as the works of men, but by the finger of GOD, even the holy Ghost. And whereas H. N. doth boast himself that he can not err, he says that with the same lying spirit that is in the Pope, affirming the self same thing. As for the Pope, it is manifest enough without proof. But because some may think that I avouch that of H. N. that is not to be proved, I will set down his words as they are written in his book entitled, The prophesy of the spirit of Love, the 13. chapter, where you shall perceive, y● H. N. doth couple himself with Moses, with the Prophet's, with Christ and his Apostles, very presumptuously affirming, that he himself can no more err than they. His words be these.  H. N. Chap. 13. verse. 
Moses, the Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles, and his Minister H. N. they judge to err, or miss the right, rather than acknowledge themselves in their imagination to be ignorant and lying.  
In my opinion H. N. in these words doth somewhat overmatch the Pope, for the Pope doth acknowledge, that as he is a man he may err, but as he is Christ's vicar or deputy upon earth, he can not err: but H. N. without any distinction doth affirm, that he can no more err then Christ or his Apostles. And in deed his books are thought amongst his disciples to be of equal authority with the scripture, and they do affirm that they are written with the same spirit. But if their bore affirmation may stand for good proof, than indeed it is somewhat they say: but the holy ghost hath taught us another lesson, saying, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit whether he be of God. And that we may rightly discern this H. N. other wise called Henry Nicholas, which taketh upon him to be that great prophet, sent to rebuke the world of sin, & hath written his books, intituling one, The prophesy of the spirit of Love: wherein he prophesieth of many things to happen to the Church of GOD before this time, but God be thanked, his words are no warrants, & he is proved a false prophet: and since our Saviour Christ published unto the world the glad tidings of his glorious gospel to our great comfort, the office of prophesying or foretelling of things to come, hath ceased in Christ's Church. Many have risen and taken upon them to prophesy and foretell things to come▪ but they have been counted false prophets, even as H. N. is. Christ our Lord did forewarn us that in the latter times such false prophets should rise, and false Christ's, and such dangerous days, that if it were possible, the very Elect should be deceived. Blessed be the Lord our God, which by the light he hath given his children in the holy scripture, hath so instruct us, that the very children & babes are able to confute these false teachers & false prophets.  
And lest the Papists should imagine that this H. N. should be a professor of the Gospel, I will declare manifest causes, to prove that he is a right chicken of the Church of Rome, and harboured many years by Granuella a Cardinal. How he extolleth the Pope to be that great Priest of the West, how he openeth the mysteries of the Mass, in a book entitled, A declaration of the mass: How he commends every trifling toy in the Mass, by the book may at large appear. How he allowed confession worse than auricular, may appear by divers his own words, which, lest any should carp at me, I will set down: How he agreeth with the Papists, in extolling works as efficient causes of our salvation, I have before touche● All which do prove, that he is no professor, but an enemy to the Gospel of Christ our Lord.  H. N. in the first exhortation. Chapter. 13. Division. 12. 
IT is expedient that they should make manifest their whole heart, with all their counsels, minds, wills, and thoughts, together with all their doings, dealings, and exercises, naked and bore before the elder in the Family of Love, and not to cover or hide any thing (be it what it is) before him, & what their inclination & nature draweth them unto.  
By this it doth appear, that nothing must be kept untolde or unrevealed to the elder Elder in every their several conventicles: for else it can not be understood, that one man in one country should hear all the rest particularly. And here they step one foot before the Papists in my opinion: For where the Pope requireth but a confession of the act committed, H. N. requireth a declaration of the thought, and what the inclination of our nature draweth us unto. And yet in more special points they agree with the Papists, namely, in the possibility of the Law, to be kept of every one that will seek to perform the same. And whereas I showed before, that. H. N. and the Pope do both boast that they can not err, I think it not amiss, to let H. N. tell his own tale touching this matter, that his scholars may behold, that I slander him not, neither do make his doctrine worse than it is.  In the first exhortation, Chapter. 13. Division. 11. Fol. 31. 
They aught to beware that they distrust not the elder in the family of Love, nor suspect any manner of evil or unwisdome by him, nor yet in any wise persuade themselves, that the exercises; documents, and instructions which are taught or set forth before them, by the father of the Family of Love, or oldest Elder, are too sleight, too childish, or too unwise for them to follow after, or to obey: but with perfect hearts, humbly and singly minded, as good willing children, to receive the same instructions, proceeding out of the wisdom and counsel of the elder, and to stand even so submitted, till they come unto the manly oldness in the Love.  
Here is showed, that none must suspect the oldest Elder touching any false Doctrine that he might utter▪ nor to think any unwisdome to be in him: in which affirmation, how arrogantly doth he challenge that unto him, which is only due to Christ our Lord, and to the holy scripture, written by the spirit of God. And although he boast that he hath the spirit of God, and that he is Godded with God, & God in him Hominified or made man, yet are not we to believe such lying spirits, which utter such absurd and blasphemous doctrine, contrary to the Scriptures of God. And because I am entered into that high point of Divinity, which among the Family is counted a mystery, I think it not impertinent, to set before the eyes of all the professors of H. N. and his doctrine, what the meaning of those terms are, to be Godded with God: for as they be strange, unwonted, and unaccustomed speeches, so the doctrine taught in the same, is more strange and absurd.  
It were convenient that we that profess Christ, should be content with such phrases as the holy Ghost doth utter in the sacred Scriptures, and not to seek curiously strange terms, which are not in the holy history, nor consequently can not be gathered out of the same: of which number this is one, to be Godded with God, and ungodded with man, the meaning of all such terms is this, as it is taught by H. N. and embraced of the Family.  
They hold as a principle in the school, that after regeneration we sin not, fortifying this their assertion with this place of the Evangelist S. john: He that is born of God sinneth not, & he that committeth sin is a servant of sin. Again, God heareth not sinners. All which places are very truly said and alleged, but to a wrong purpose, for the places do not prove that the regenerate man sinneth not, but showeth the sins are not imputed to a regenerate man, to condemnation and death. He that is born of God or regenerate, sinneth not: That is, to his destruction everlastingly. The Scriptures do teach us to distinguish sins in this sort: to commit sin, is one thing, but to abide in sin, or to devil in sin, or sin to have dominion in us, (as S. Paul says: Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies: and in the epistle to the Romans. Commit not wickedness with greediness,) is another thing. The last pertaineth not to the elect of God: For as the children of God do daily fall through frailty and human imperfections, so they are daily renewed by the spirit of God, which driveth them to repentance. But with the wicked the case is otherwise: For they sit down in the seat of the scornful, they commit wickedness with greediness, saying, tush, God seeth us not: such sinners God heareth not, and such be servants unto sin. Now in the Family it is otherwise taught, and otherwise believed: For they affirm that after we be regenerated, which they term, The upright freedom, we actually sin not, neither in thought nor deed. And that we may hear the Author H. N. utter his own speech, I will set down what he writeth touching this matter.  In the Dialogue, division 26. follio. 40. 
The true freedom is this, that the man in his heart, mind, and spirit, be wholly released, purged, and purified from all wicked nature and sin, which hath reigned over him, and that there dwell, live; nor rule, any other thing in him, namely in all his spirits, thoughts, mind and soul, but alone the true Godhead, with the lovely being of the upright love, and wholly to be replenished with all the virtues of God, and that there ●●owe nothing else in him but spiritual and heavenly waters.  
Hereby it may appear what the Author H. N. thinketh touching regeneration, which they call The upright Freedom. And as I have conferred with divers of the same family, to understand these mysteries, which in the end with much a do, I have found out to be, that after we be regenerate, we sin not. And when I have required somewhat out of the holy scripture to prove this, in the end I have received this for answer. God doth promise to devil with the man that is of a lowly mind & humble heart. Also, you are the Temples of the holy Ghost. And again, the father and I will make our habitation in man. Now where Christ dwelleth, there also is the father and the holy Ghost: where or in what man soever God thus dwelleth, it may be well verified, God dwelleth in him: if God devil in him, than the contrary can not remain in the same body. God is pure, and will not devil in a corrupt vessel. Two contraries can not be in one place. Christ and Beliall can not devil in one temple. Light and darkness can not be together. That man that hath God thus dwelling in him, may be called Godded, or god dwelling in him: so that by this reason man is God dead with God, and God Hominified in man. This their Rabbynes or Illuminat Elders do teach, and whatsoever this Godded man doth speak, think, or do, it cannot be evil, neither may be so judged by any.  
What vain doctrine this is, may well appear even in itself, & yet I was long acquainted, & much traveled in the matter, before I could get this great mystery opened unto me, which the young one's in the Family can not explicat, except he come unto the state of an illuminate Elder. And as I have before proceeded, so you shall see the author H. N. utter his own words, whereby no suspicion shall arise, that I have spoken that I can not prove.  H. N. in the dialogue, Chapter 16. division. 16. 
It becometh not that any should take in hand to teach, but only the illuminat Elders in the Family of Love, which have received the word of life from the living GOD, and are even so through the same Godded with God, or incorporated to God, with whom also God in one being and power of his spirit is hominified, or become man. Therefore it is assuredly all false and lies, seducing and deceitful, what the ungodded or unilluminat men out of the imagination of their knowledge, and out of their learnednesse of the scriptures bring forth, institute, preach, or teach. They preach in deed the letter, but no● the word of the living God. Let them esteem themselves as holy as they will, they are a false Christianity, and devilish Synagogue, or school▪,  
Now mayst thou perceive, how this H. N. esteemeth all preachers and teachers that are not thus Godded, or thus illuminate. In deed I confess, that without the spirit of GOD, which his children be partakers of, we can not see, nor perceive the mysteries contained in his word, much less declare the same to others. But that we must be Godded with God, because the scriptures use no such phrases, neither hath any writer before us in God's church used any such proud speeches, I think, with the Author they are to be rejected in that sense that he means. For being thus Godded or illuminate, he standeth upon his tiptoes and says.  H. N. out of the prophesy, Chap. 3. 
Although you dissemble with me, and how craftily so ever you cover you before me, yet are nevertheless all the counsels and falsehoods of your hearts manifest before me, and so much the more naked and bore before the eyes of my heart and spitite.  
If these words do not prove H. N. to be a wicked deceiver, let the indifferent Reader judge. He affirmeth that the secrets of our hearts are known unto him, which knowledge pertaineth only unto the Lord our God: For he is witnessed by the holy scripture, to be the searcher of the heart and reigns of man.  
Thus how H. N. teacheth his family, that he is Godded with God, I have described: the rather because it is one of the chief mysteries & secrets of their school, which very few do understand, except the illuminate Elders, who also are Deified or Godded, till they do grow unto the manly oldenesse in the love, as they use to speak. These blasphemies, do require a longer discourse than my simplicity is able to attain unto, but I hope Almighty GOD will raise up unto his Church some good man: who will take some pains learnedly to confute this horrible doctrine. In the mean season, these briefs I have set down, minding to let some of the Family see the vanity of their Authourand his doctrine, how contrary to the Scriptures of God they be.  
In the Book of. H. N. entitled Euangenlium Regni, The Gospel of the kingdom, which is a title that none of God's children dared ever give unto any of their Books: and in deed it is another Gospel, then that which is contained in the New Testament of our Saviour Christ. How▪ H. N. advaimceth the Pope and his Cardinals doth manifestly appear in the 13. Chapter of the same Book▪  
The Apostle Paul did arm God's children a forehand, to beware of such as should bring unto us another gospel, yea, although he were an Angel: & it is also unstifled, that our adversary doth transform himself into an Angel of light to deceive God's children, if it were possible▪ Even so H. N. in all his writings, how doth he transform himself to be deified with God, & God in him to be Hominified. Which in plain 〈◊〉 are, that he is made even as God, & God in him is become man▪ which is horti●●e blasphemy. For we have the spirit of God by participation, and not Deified: For that belonged to Christ our Lord, who, as S. Paul witnesseth, thought it no robbery to be equal with God. No man would suppose that in this great light, where Christ jesus and his glorious Gospel doth shine, that such dotinges and dreams of men possessed with a fantastical spirit, could take any deep root in the hearts of men: but alas, we see that there is no error be it never so absurd & senseless, that hath not many favourers: & this hath the more, for that the Author H. N. teacheth, that an outward show of a holy life doth chiefly please God: when as without faith, our life and works are impiety and wickedness: and you shall never in all the writings of H. N. (that I have read) hear him advance, or once speak of our faith in Christ jesus: but he doth range from matter to matter, in his writings so obscurely and darkly, that he thinketh never to be espied, what his scope of doctrine is: which in deed is not so plainly set forth in his small treatises, as they are in a book entitled, Speculum justitiae, The glass of righteousness: unto which book the author doth still refer his reader to be fully certified: of which book they make such brags, that all the world is not able to control the doctrine contained in the same: and still their Elders do bear their pupils in hand, that the book shall be published. From day to day great collections have been made and sent into Flanders there about, but hitherto all in vain. Yet I have talked with some of the Family that hath read certain fragments of the same book, and they say no man can resist the spirit which the author doth show forth in that book. They think it is long lacking, but I suppose it will never be missing. How vainly they boast of such books, is well verified in one of the Family, who speaking unto a man of good calling in London, which is ready to testify the same, and both the parties are living, when the one did expostulate very earnestly, why the other once professing the Gospel of Christ jesus, was now turned unto the error of H. N. The other answered. It is a wise Gospel which I professed then, I know an other manner of Gospel far better than that: in such reputation have the Family the books and doctrine of. H. N. But why H. N. entituleth his followers, A family of Love, I think it to be a mystery not to be explicated Every error hath supposed themselves to be the true Church, but H. N. is contented that his be counted a Family. Why he addeth this word Love, I could never perfectly learn, but as some have interpreted to me, this word Love, in many places of the author, doth signify the Majesty of God▪ as in these three phrases: The lovely being of the Love: or, The manly oldness in the Love: Here Love is taken in both places for God, according to this s●●ying, Deus ●st Charita●, God is Love: but why they use this 〈◊〉 the, so much, I cannot well understand. It is true, that God is Love, or Charity, so is he justice, so is he Mercy, and all other like virtues: ● but they are not in him as qualities, one extelling another, as they reign in man: but he is Love▪ without measure, even Love itself, even so justice itself, even so Mercy itself: he is all Love, he is all Mercy, he is all justice. But when we speak of any of these which proceed from the Majesty of God, we understand not by any one of these God himself. For as his ●one is exceeding great, so his mercy also: therefore by as good right may an other bring forth a doctrine or Family of Mercy, as H. N. a Family of Love: For mercy is our great comfort, & mercy is the fairest flower of our garland. We read in the holy scriptures of divers sorts of love, of which three be principal. The first is, the love of God towards his children, set forth in 
john. 3. 16.  these words. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that none that believe in him should perish, but have life everlasting: which love how perfect it is, and how excellent, it passeth the capacity of man to conceive, much less to utter or describe. It caused that beloved and elect vessel Saint Paul, to exclaim and cry out, O the exceeding greatness and depth of the love of God, which loved us first, 1. joh. 4. Chap. vers. 19: this love is perfect in deed. The second love that is expressed, is the love of us again towards God, appearing in these words: If you love me, keep my commandements. And again, The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. Ro. 5. Chap. vers. 5. which love in us, how unperfect it is, every one feeleth in himself, and is a witness. The third is, the love that one of us should show towards an other which properly is called Charity, appearing in these words. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye love one an other. And again, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one an other. joh. 13. Chap. 14. vers. Now, if I might be so bold as to demand this question of H. N. or any of their Illuminate Elders, of which of these three loves is their fellowship? If they say of the first, which is the love of God towards man, they deceive themselves: for of that fellowship none is partaker but Christ jesus our Lord. If they be of the second, which is the love of man towards our God, it is so imperfect and corrupt in us, that I think they will not acknowledge themselves to be members of such imperfection. If they will be of the third, which is of the love we own one towards an other, I think if they enter in, to see how weak and feeble it is in us, and in every one of God's children, they shall easily judge how far off they are from that they should be: as if you look into S. Paul's first Epistle 13. Chapter, verse 4. there shall you see the properties of love rightly described: how love boasteth not, envieth not, seeketh not her own, rejoiceth not in iniquity, suffereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. But how these shall be found in any, yea even in the best of gods children, (if we rightly judge ourselves) I cannot discern. Of this last love, if they will have their fellowship, then let them behold how unperfect their Family is, & contrary to that they vainly brag. Where H. N. hath written these words. We the Elders of the holy understanding shall reign upon the earth in righteousness, & under the obedience of love, judge thee world with equity. When these things shall come to pass, this dreamer which would be taken for a Prophet, doth not tell us. Here thou mayest see this Prophet persuading his Family, that the Elders shall reign upon the earth in judgement and equity. Who would not follow this author ●hat so plentifully will reward his scholars, to make them upon earth Kings and judges? I doubt his words be no warrants, nor his promise any payment: for it is 28. years ago since he made this solemn protestation, and yet none of the Family do enjoy any part of the promise: but contrary it doth appear, that none of his Elders neither in England, Flaunders, or else where, dare once be so bold as to defend their dreaming prophet, but subtly in corners insinuate unto the simple sort, & feed them with many outward promises: but to argue or dispute their cause with any of God's children, therein they kéeye silence, and prefend ignorance, affirming their elders to be able to defend their Author and his doctrine, but they are but partakers of the holy understanding. And when you happen to meet any of their Elders, you shall find them as far without sense or feeling of the spirit of God, as the younger sort: although they can set a show of greater gravity▪ And because I have often made mention of their Illuminate Elders, I think it not amiss to name one, and the same notoriously known. His name is Christopher Victual, a joiner by occupation, a man that all the days of Queen Marie was a teacher of those famous heretics the Arrians, and at Paul's Cross did solemnly in the first year of our soverein Lady Queen Elizabeth, recant the same errors, as by the register of the bishop of London doth manifestly appear. And now, as th● old proverb is, he is go, A malo in peius, from evil to worse▪ Such men as can not be content with the simple truth taught in the holy scripture, but curiously seek for singularity, do easily fall into such by-paths, as our enemy by his subtlety can lead them unto. And to speak truly, this is the only man that hath brought our simple people out of the plame ways of the Lord our God, and hath put so many toys of this author H. N. into their heads, that I fear me they will not easily be removed. What travel he hath taken, how he hath trudged from country to country, and how he will not once move his speech, if any learned or godly people, that hath any true knowledge of the word be present, is very well known: but among the simple he is peerless, and in deed, the oldest Elder of our English Family; among whom he hath his maintenance. His wife is resident in London, with whom (as is supposed) he hath not been these two-yeares. In corners doth this man creep, and dare not show his head, nor maintain that doctrine which he hath taught: but certain of his pupils have been imprisoned, who in the end have subscribed against th● doctrine of H. N. which Vittel doth teach. Every doctrine which is true dare abide the light, but the doctrine of H. N is kept in corners, & dare not abide the light: a certain Argument that it is a counterfeit doctrine. For no one man dare once open his mouth, or put pen to paper to defend their Author in England: but among the simple, whose capacity is like unto wax, which will easily receive every seal or print, among such will he sound his trump. He says the last trump shall blow, by which he understandeth the last doctrine which shallbe published upon earth▪ which is (as he says) this doctrine of H. N. How he miserably doth expound the holy scripture unto the simple people in corners, my heart doth lament: how he driveth the true sense of the holy Ghost into allegories, it pitieth me to hear: and other wise to interpret the holy scripture, is to stick in the letter, as he untruly affirmeth. But woe be unto those simple people which do give ear unto such false teachers, they can not with the Lord our God, plead simplicity, and ignorance by no means can excuse them. If the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch. The greatest grief that I conceive against the Novices of the Family, is, that some of them have been prosessours of Christ jesus Gospel according to the brightness thereof, which by his good will and pleasure he hath revealed in this latter age most plenteously: and now by the doctrine of this Victual are declined so far, that the true sense of the Gospel they despise; and follow the bane and fantastical humour of Victuals allegories, a man utterly unlearned, more fit to be a scholar in Christ's school, than an Illuminat Elder in the Family, and so a teacher. He that never learned Christ jesus truly▪ how can he teach Christ jesus to others? And in deed, if he taught Christ jesus he were to be born withal, but that is not the mark they shoot at: To set up H. N. as a Prophet, to advance his precepts, to credit his speech, to believe that he is Godded with God and cannot err, is their whole inde●our. But among the rest in deed they insinuate a good life, which they pretend to follow: which is as the vizard and cloak to hide all the rest of their gross and absurd doctrine, and the hook and bait whereby the simple are altogether deceived. And this is the subtlety of Satan, who otherwise could not prevail with such bewitched doctrine, except it were shadowed under the cloak of outward holiness. For there is no sound argument, a good life is all that is required for us to do, & with this the Family do seem to press God's children often in conference. For if y● will serve to salvation, I see not how the jew or Turk can be excluded, whose works outwardly (if they be viewed) shall condemn us.  
How close unto the letter of the law doth the jew stick? How willingly do they abide as vagrant and banished men in every country? How pitifully do they relieve their brethren which want? so that none is found to want that, which another is not ready to supply: which are notes & marks of charity, or love, and truly in my opinion we come not near the jew in this point.  
But I pray you, what doth all this avail without a true and a right faith in Christ jesus the son of God? The Turk likewise is a great & diligent observer of his Koran, a great faster or absteiner, a great giver of alms, diligent in prayer, severe in keeping his word and promise, very chary in keeping his Sabbathes, very obedient to Princes and Magistrates: and to speak truth, in many outward virtues doth far excel us Christians, (to our shame it may be spoken,) but what doth all this avail? For so much as they blaspheme Christ the son of God, and deny his Godhead, and resurrection, they have no part nor fellowship with us of the promise of God, touching Christ our Lord, neither are partakers of his mercy, which through Christ we feel in our hearts, to our great consolation & comfort. Without faith it is unpossible to please God.  
Therefore, aright faith in Christ our Lord, is chiefly to be required and sought after, and then our works will of necessity follow. For it is the proper fruit of that excellent tree: a true faith can never be without his works, which stick so close together, that they are inseparable. A faithful man can never be without good-workes, no more than fire can be without heat: and yet a faithful man is not without sin, as H. N. doth avouch of his regenerate man. We have many examples to prove, that a faithful man or a regenerate man, doth sin often, and to use the words of the Prophet David; Septies in die cadit justus, seven times a day doth the righteous fall. This cannot be understood, but of a faithful and regenerate man. David was regenerate when he fallen into whoredom and murder Peter was regenerate when he denied with cursing Christ our Lord Paul was regenerate when he solemnly pronounced those words, Christ jesus came into the world to save sinners, of the which number I am the greatest. And I am persuaded that we are never so near unto God our Lord, as when we feel sin most heavy. God calleth not such as be empty, or feel not the load of sin: but Come unto me all you that are loaden with sin, I will refresh you. I speak not of the reprobate, who in deed feel in this life a hell in their conscience, and do despair: but GOD'S children do feel themselves wounded with sin, even to death, but by grace given from above, they do apply that sovereign salve, that wholesome medicine, Christ jesus, whose passion hath purchased, whose blood hath cleansed, whose death hath cured all our diseases and maladies. This comfort doth H. N. take away from his Family, and placeth in steed thereof his own precepts, without comfort to a troubled mind. For his doctrine is, That we must grow up unto the manly oldness in the love, which in plain terms, is to grow to perfection, and to be without sin, which they affirm in this life to be brought to pass. If this be good doctrine, than the holy Scripture is contrary. 1. john first Chapter If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. Likewise Paul Rom. 8. verse 20. The creature is subject to vanity, not of his own will, but by reason of him that subdued it under sin. To the Galathi Chapter. 5. verse 17. The flesh justeth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh continually. These are contraries the one to the other, so that you cannot do the same things that you would. And Almighty God did pronounce upon man at the beginning, this saying, God saw that the wickedness of man's heart was great, and all the imaginations and thoughts of his heart were evil continually. Gen. Chapter 6. verse 5. The whole scope of the holy Scripture doth prove, that God hath shut up all under sin. Now if H. N. or his Ill luminate Elders will still avouch that they are without sin, then may I as truly allege that they are without Christ. Let the terrible example of Sharp and Allin move you to consider, how desperate a doctrine you embrace, whose souden deaths, without any comfort in Christ, may remain as an example to all posterity. For the Author of this error is Satan, who in a desperate state leaveth his pupils. For it was pride that caused almighty GOD to execute his judgement upon him, his state being angelical: so likewise he seeketh to bring man into the same destruction by the same means, through pride and presumption, that we are pure & without sin, and so exalting ourselves, we might have the swifter damnation. For Almighty God hath cast our condition & state so low, that without his mercy set forth by Christ, we all perish: as is witnessed by Paul, * God hath included 
Rom. 7. Rom. 3.  us under sin. * Also both jews and Gentiles are under sin, (as it is written,) There is none righteous, not not 
Psal. 14.  one, etc. We are never so near unto our God, as when we feel our sin as a burden or heavy load lying upon our conscience, nor never further of, then when we feel or testify that we are without sin: which persuasion Satan doth feed our humours withal, contrary to the holy Scripture.  
Therefore, I conclude that this principle, to live in this life without sin, is merely the suggestion of Satan, and not of the spirit of God. Christ jesus came into the world to save sinners. And again, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If Henry Nicholas, and his Illuminate Elders be now without sin, 
Acts. 4.  Christ came not for to save them. * For there is none other name under heaven given to men by which we shallbe saved, but Christ jesus: Therefore manifestly it appeareth, that H. N. and his Illuminat Elders are clean excluded, and have no need of Christ: for his office and death doth properly belong to sinners, then consequently not to them.  
Therefore you novices of the Family, which see not into what danger Christopher Victual, & H. N. doth miserably bring your troubled minds, look well betimes, espy their subtlety, leave the doctrine which is without comfort, and hath no warrant in the holy scripture: forsake those peevish and dark riddles of H. N. and cleave unto the holy scripture: leave the fantasies of H. N. and his scholar Victual, and by little and little you shall espy their craft and subtlety, how they set up themselves and not Christ jesus: how they teach false doctrine, which dare not abide the light, nor they are not able to defend: and yet persuade you in corners, that it is the spirit of God, by which they speak. How grievous you are unto the Church of GOD, may appear by the travel which is taken for your sakes: what offence you give, what stumbling blocks you are unto the simple whom you aught not to offend, not not the lest, let your conscience bear witness. * It is necessary 
Mat. 18.  that offences come, but woe be unto them by whom they come. Know this for certain, without the Ark there is no salvation: except you abide in the vine Christ, you bring forth no fruit: you cannot serve two masters, being so contrary.  
If you cleave to H. N. and his doctrine, you have no part nor fellowship with Christ jesus, for H. N. destroyeth the office of Christ our Lord, and taketh away the comfort of his Gospel, in steed whereof he placeth his upright freedom, with a perfection in this life, such as the holy Scripture alloweth not.  
For our battle is continual, and shall never have end, until our flesh be dissolved: and we at rest in Christ. If we must attain to such perfection in this life as H. N. showeth, than our Saviour Christ did in vain teach us to pray continually, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive, etc. Also Lead us not into temptation. Which petitions are without effect if his doctrine be true. Therefore as you love your own souls, beware of his doctrine, examine it better, acknowledge Christ jesus and his Gospel, and leave the drowsy dreams of a doting Dutchman, and the erroneous spirit of Christopher Victual arude and unlearned joiner. And although they boast never so much of the spirit, yet use the counsel of the holy Ghost. Believe not every spirit, but try the spirit, whether he be of God. Think not within yourselves that they cannot err, it is a privilege not given to mortal man, but only to our immortal God.  
God is true, and all men are liars. Believe not that his Books are written by the spirit of God: for God is not contrary to himself: the doctrine of H. N. is manifest contrary to God, & the doctrine published by Christ in his gospel. If you continued in the Family of H. N.. you deny Christ. We may not hold of Paul or Apollo, for they were not crucified for us: we are counted Christ's friends, if we do those things that he commaundth. What have we to d●e with H. N. or his commandments▪ Deceive not ●our selves with your pretenced the we of a holy life, but confess with the Prophet David, Psalm. 130. If thou Lord shouldst look straightly upon sins, Lord, who should abide it▪ Even the hol●est that ever were, (being earthly men) have need to call upon God, in this manner, with the beloved Prophet David. If you imagine that your works do help or profit you to salvation, you are with the Pelagians and Papists, demers of the grace of God in Christ our Lord: in which doctrine of merit, there is no comfort nor consolation. If you continued still in the Family of H. N. there is neither hope nor: help for you. Christ's sacraments you conte●ine, which are to us the seals and cognisances of our redemption, and tokens of his covenant and promise. You have forsaken the faith which Christ jesus planted in you, and have digged up puddels of corupte waters unto yourselves. Consider I pray you, front whence you are departed, and whether you are come: you are go from the comfortable promises in Christ jesus, touching the forgiveness of our sins, our consolation, & redemption, & are driven too & fro with many vain persuasions of H. N. that first you shall be made partakers of the holy understanding, then enjoy the upright freedom, to be free from sinning, and lastly come to be an Illuminate Elder, to be Deified with God: with such fantasies are you fed, and such doctrine are you taught, but how these things agree with the holy Scripture is partly showed before. Miserably is your simplicity deceived through these false teachers, and yet how unwilling you are to see this your nakedness made manifest, by proof I can testify. Have a regard at the last unto your own souls which Christ hath dearly bought, (if you pertain unto him) & let them not be snared in such doctrines of men: (yea men of the worst sort.) But if there be any love of GOD in you, love the Lord jesus, and be of his Church: which you can not be, embracing H. N. and his doctrine. Consider his love, his mercy, and his patience in suffering us to fall into many temptations, that our return might be the more joyful to him. I pray you mark but this one thing in their teaching, how they drive the true sense of the holy Ghost into allegories: And when so ever any text of the holy Scriptures is alleged by any of God's children, they answer that we little understand what is meant thereby: and then if they be pressed to expound the place, by and by it is drawn into an allegory. For they take not the creation of man at the first to be historical, (according to the letter,) but mere allegorical: alluding, that Adam signifieth, the Earthly man, the Garden, the Woman, the Serpent to be within man: and applying still the allegory, they destroy the truth of the history.  H. N. in the first Epistle, division. 19 
For. H, N. biddeth his Family, Come eat of the tree of life that standeth in the midst of the paradise of the Lord, Come, eat, and taste of the hidden bread of the Love, and live eternally.  
And as they expound this place thus: even so do they all the whole course of the scripture, leaving nothing certain to our faith: for by as good right may they make an allegory of Christ's death and Passion, and say that CHRIST signifieth anointed, and so alluding and following that sense, deny that the man Christ jesus died, and so by application of the Allegory diminish our faith and hope. And in deed, when I was earnestly solicited by some of the Family to embrace that way, which the mercy of the Lord kept me from, the first step that I should have entered into the depth of their divinity, was, to learn the signification of the Hebrew names of the Scripture, and thereby to expound the same.  
What a miserable case is this to see the holy Scriptures thus drawn from the true sense, into Allegories, which may be taken many ways, even as the vain imagination of man can devise? And surely it is very pernicious and hurtful thus to expound the holy Scripture: and yet the simple people (not seeing the deceit hereof) do think that these be notable men, and have the spirit of GOD, and that they teach them such things thereby, as they never herded of before. I deny not, but sometimes the allegory may be well applied, and to good purpose, but when we apply the allegory to destroy the true sense of the holy ghost, it is by no means to be admitted. For if we take such true histories as the holy Ghost hath left to his Church, whereby he showeth what his will is, and draw the same into an allegory, what do we leave certain, that our faith may depend upon? and where is our hope, if allegories may have place? For as I said before, they expound this place of Saint Paul. 1. Cor. The last trump shall blow, and the dead shall rise, etc. The last trump is the last doctrine which shall be blown upon the earth, which is this of H. N. And the dead shall rise, that is▪ such as were dead in sin, shall be raised up by the same trump of doctrine. What a horrible matter is this, to see the holy Scripture thus drawn like wax unto every purpose? A man would think, that no man having his senses, would ever credit such fantasies and vanities, but I know too many, that have a special liking of this teaching, & do unbrace it as the truth of God. Many parts of this our country is pitifully snared by such vain teachers as Christopher Victual is: yea, not a few ministers of the simple sort are her with entangled, (with sorrow I speak it,) and I would to God that the chiefest place in this realm were free of these men. If we should examine what is the cause of this error: surely our sins is the chief, which doth provoke the justice of GOD, to afflict us with such false teachers, and the negligence of our ministers, which either can not, or will not impugn their error in country towns where it is embraced. The malice of Satan is not behind, who seeing the joyful succeeding of the Gospel of Christ the son of God, doth stir his stumps in his members, to impugn the same. There is no Apothecary in the world able to qualify the bitterness of his potion or medicine, as our enemy is to qualify the bitter and poisoned doctrine of H. N. & Victual, with such sweet pretences of a holy life and upright conversation, which in deed are but mere visars & cloaks to shadow horrible blasphemy. Such subtlety hath Satan, that now envying Christ▪ jesus & his gospel, doth stir up his members to disquiet the Church of God with this absurd & senseless error. And surely we were forewarned of such seducers, that in the latter times would deceive the simple: the holy Ghost doth set them forth what kind of men they should be, proud boasters, that they have the spirit of God, as is witnessed: 1. Tim. 4. vers. 1. In the latter days some shall departed from the faith, and shall give heed unto the spirits of error, & doctrines of devils. And again, the 2. Epist. 3. chap. vers. 5. Having a show of godliness, but have denied the power thereof: turn away therefore from such. Also Peter 2. Epist. 2. Chap. vers. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, which privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, & bring upon themselves swift damnation, and many shall follow their damnable ways, by whom the way of truth shallbe evil spoken of.  
The same Chapter, verse. 21. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, then after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them. Also the Epistle of Jude, verse. 4. For there are certain men crept in, which were of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men they are, which turn the grace of GOD into wantonness, which deny God the only Lord, and our Lord jesus Christ. Thus hath the holy Ghost deciphered all false teachers, and given warning to his children to beware of them. It is necessary that heresies be (says S. Paul) that those that are perfect may be manifested. And surely Gods children have thereby great trial and exercise of their faith, and the Lord our God can make such heretics to serve his purpose, even to his own glory: that his children being strengthened by him, may not be over taken in the sleights and subtleties of Satan, nor his imps, but in the great temptation and seas of errors, may abide steadfast in the Lord jesus, and in his promises, maugre the malice of the devil. If ever there were disturbers of the Church, whereby these scriptures and prophecies may be fulfilled, I think that now is the time: For what with the bloody Papists with their fire and faggot, continual war, with horrible murders on the one side, and the Anabaptistes, Free will men, Arrians, Pelagians, and the Family of Love on the other side, Christ's Church hath little rest, and small favour in the sight of man, but spurned at on every side.  
But blessed be the Lord our God, who in the midst of all calamity and misery which his children daily suffer, yet can not be driven back by any torment, to deny the Lord jesus, nor his known truth, manifested to all the world: and the Lord raiseth up still some of his children to withstand Satan and all his rabble, which strive against grace. And surely these and like errors are great exercises of our says, how constant we will abide in the day of trial. Therefore though the world rage never so much, yet our grand captain biddeth us to be of good cheer, saying, Ego vici mundum. I have overcome the world. In whose comfortable promises we stay ourselves, and assuredly believe, that although the ship of Christ be tossed up & down with boisterous winds, yet perish it cannot, nor the jest that pertain to him. No doubt, many of God's dear children fall into many snares of errors, but they by grace are called back again, if not willingly, yet forcibly, so that they can not perish in those ways. For as our saviour says, that such times should come, that if it were possible, the elect should be deceived. But it is not possible to be deceived and perish, though our God doth many ways try us, and maketh us examples and patterns one of us to an other, that his loving kindness might appear more notable in our preservation, & we be provoked thereby to show a thankful heart in obedience to his will, & also be occasioned to crave at his hands continually, a perfect perseverance of our faith in him, even to the end: Which we shall be sure to obtain, so that no false doctrine of H. N. Vittel, nor any other, shall prevail once to touch us, because our hope rests in the Lord jesus. And I verily believe, that although some of Christ's household be entered into those steps of H. N. yet I doubt not but the Lord in mercy will call them, & if they will not come, he will forcibly compel them, if they be his. Therefore, you that are entered into the Family, through the sweet & sugared persuasions of Victual or any others, I beseech you, even for the Lord Christ's sake, consider from whom you are departed, even from our Lord jesus, who hath bought you, whose arms are stretched abroad, ready to receive you again, with the rejoicing of Angels over your conversion. How acceptable you should be unto Christ his Church, by proof shall be perceived, but especially how beneficial you shall be thereby to your own souls, and what rest to your conscience, none can express, but such as taste the same, & are partakers of the same grace of God in Christ jesus. For this is undoubtedly true, that to wander astray, is a property belonging as well unto God's children as unto others, and their often falling is by many examples of the Scriptures made manifest, but that they continued streying, and never return home, or that by falling, they willingly wallow in the mire, is a certain note and mark that they pertain not unto the Lord jesus, nor are partakers of his death. Therefore if you willingly persevere and continued followers of H. N. Victual, or any such, you are strangers in Christ's school, and it will be said unto you, Departed, I know you not. Avoid therefore the danger you be in, acknowledge that your teachers may err, and are mortal men. For since the Apostles times, there have been none so privileged, but that he might err. The old writers did ever give that title unto the holy Scripture, and desired to be believed no further, than they agreed with the same: but your teachers will needs have their doctrine to be credited and believed, without examination or trial. Assuredly if you did discern them aright by the holy history, you should easily perceive them deceivers, and yourself deceived. For if it be a truth they teach unto you, why teach they in corners, which truth loveth not. Every truth is able to defend itself, especially the truth of God: and it is of that courage & boldness, that there is no power, (be it never so mighty) but it dare stand fast and abide the trial, so invincible a virtue is truth. Did Christ or his Apostles, being threatened not to publish a truth, c●●ceale the same for fear of life? Not verily: to the loss of life and limb, they stood in the quarrel of God, against the tyrants of the world, and prevailed. But Christopher Victual your teacher, thinketh it sufficient to seduce you in corners, and suffer you to be imprisoned: but for himself he is safe enough. A good shepherd (says Christ) will give his life for his sheep, but your shepherds will not hurt their fingers for their Family, but lurk in corners, and delude and deceive greatly your simplicity. Alas, why are you so bewitched, or so bearest of sense, so to imagine, that a mortal man, an obscure Author, whom you never saw nor knew, hath only the truth, and all the world else seduced and deceived: for so he himself confesseth: and that any other truth then the scriptures teach, is of necessity to be believed: or that his Glass of righteousness, which you never saw, hath in it the wisdom▪ of God fully made known: or his evangelium regni, Gospel of th● kingdom, is that testament sealed by Christ's blood. Surely beware, I advise you betimes, provoke not the Lord our God so vengeance with these absi●rde blasphemies. For it is witnessed, He will hasten his coming, and will not be slack. You once did abhor the Pope as Antichrist, and now do embrace an Author; a right chicken of the Church of Rome, who hath opened the mysteries of the Mass, and every trifling toy therein, at large, in his book entitled. A declaration of the Mass. Alas brethren, is your faith which once you had in the merciful promises of Christ jesus come to this, that an obscure man, whose person you know not, and whose books you did never understand aright, hath stopped that lively fountain that did once flow in you? Assuredly, it is the malice of sathan that hath brought this to pass, that you being led out of the way, into the bypathes of man's devices, might perish in the same. But my hope is, that as many of you as pertain unto our Lord and saviour Christ jesus, and are members of the holy communion of Saints, shall at the last be brought to see how deep you are fallen, and how sore you have been wounded, even to death, by that deceiver Christopher Victual: a man born (as it were of purpose) for that intent: whose erroneous spirit the Church of God hath tasted many ways. And mark this thing well: that man that once is entered into heresies, & not well reclaynied, is subject to manifold temptations of our enemy: which is well proved in your instructor Vittel, who teaching the monstrous opinion of Arrius many years together, now is possessed with infinite more errors, and is the child of destruction ten fold worse than before. It is a wonder to see, that men having once known Christ jesus, do now notwithstanding deny the effect of his office, which the doctrine of Henry Nicholas doth in many points, and yet is believed and embraced very greedily of you, yea, above measure. It should appear that Christ was not surely fixed in your minds, for if he had, no blast of H. N. Victual, nor any, could have separated you from the love of Christ jesus. Such wandering errors are they subject unto, that perfectly do not embrace our Lord Christ, according to his promises manifested and declared in his word: but feed themselves with fantasies and devices of men, yea, such men as never learned Christ jesus truly. Such are verified in the scripture, Exiére à nobis, sed ●on erant de nobis: They went out from us but they were not of us. Every error that hath been in the world, hath had some patrons and defenders, learned and skilful men in science and art: but this error of the Famil●e hath neither Author nor disciple, which are endued with true knowledge or learning. For H. N. doth despise such as bring forth any doctrine out of the learnednesse of the Scripture, he says, it is all seducing and lies that such do preach or teach, yea, and it is further avouched by H. N. that none of us in the Church of God, ●an teach the truth of Christ jesus, but only he, and such Illuminate Elders as are brought up in his Family. But as I have before proceeded, it is advenient that their Author speak himself, that the Family may judge that I deal indifferently. His words be these.  In the prophesy. Chap. 8. verse. 6. 
Strangers which walk not with the Family of Love, or deal falsely therewith, taste not of the lovely being, for earthly are all their minds and thoughts. The Scripturely learned man hath no knowledge of God's matters, he can not understand any tittle, much less expound or interpret the same to others. All Scripture appear to such, covered, secret, in signs and parables: neither comprehend they what the same (according to the truth) is. It is given only to the Family of Love to understand the sesecretes thereof.  
Hereby it is manifest, that H. N. doth signify unto his Family, that none can speak the truth but he & his Elders, nor none can understand the scripture but they. Upon this persuasion it cometh to pass, the few or none in the Family doth credit or believe any other that teach, except H. N. or his Elders. How pernicious this matter is, if you credit his speech, shall appear. And if truth be tied except he be sent. If H. N. can prove unto us that he is sent of God, (as he boasteth) than he is to be credited: but we have showed that his voices are not the voice of God, revealed to us by Christ jesus, but mere contrary: therefore by no means to be credited. For none that is sent by God, will teach any doctrine contrary to that which is revealed in the scripture. For we are not to believe him, although he be an Angel from heaven. For H. N. teacheth not Christ, but himself, extolling himself, his doctrine, and his wisdom: which is a token and mark, that he is not led by the spirit of God, but is puffed up with the arrogant pride of his mind, in boasting manner, which Gods children did never follow. For the holy spirit doth promise' to devil in the man that hath a lowly and humble heart, and not in the proud and arrogant person that boasteth himself. The spirit of God is never boasting, but in humility, meekness, and patience, doth set forth the glory of God & Christ. And because we may better take a ●●ll view of H. N. and his spirit, I will set down his own words, whereby it may be the better discerned, of what spirit he is. His words are these.  In the preface to his crying voice. 
Although our cause for a time be condemned and despised, yet the just and upright understanding once, do praise and commend our godly wisdom.  In the first exhortation. Chapter. 16. 
My children, and you Family of Love, give ●are to me your father, live according to my doctrine, that it may go well with you, take heed to my doctrine, and what I do set forth, and teach: that it may be a seal of life, & a witness of truth in our hearts: For it is your life.  Eodem libro & capitulo. 
If you humble yourselves unto the school of grace, whereunto you are called by me H. N. in the house of life, and forsake your ignorant knowledge and good thinking: then shall ye live and inherit the peace.  In the prophesy, Chapter 4. 
O You Caynish ceremony ministers, and you persecutors & murderers of the Abellishe upright hearts: you have falsely judged the upright hearts, as men worthy to be rooted out of the earth.  
If therefore thou cease not from thy wicked works, and from thy judging of God his matters, (which doubtless thou understandest not, therefore judgest falsely) if thou repent not, all the curses of the Law shall be executed against thee.  
In the last time, the glorious lordliness of the Lord God shall in us become manifested and declared, & in us fulfilled.  
Here mayst thou discern H. N. and his boasting spirit: how he commends his godly wisdom, then how he extolleth his doctrine, saying, that his doctrine is their life: then he promises, that his Family shall, if they give ear unto him, and his doctrine, live and inherit the peace. He threateneth the ministers of God (whom he calleth Caynish persecutors and murderers,) that they have falsely judged his Family. He commands them to cease from judging God his matters, saying, they understand it not. He pronounceth the heavy curses of the law against them; if they repent no●. Last of all, he telleth, that the glorious lordliness of GOD, shall in him be manifested, declared and fulfilled.  
If H. N. do not show himself naked & bore in this his pride, I report me to the indifferent view of the Family: (especially such as are not entered into that gulf, that no truth can be taught by any other then by H. N. and his Elders) whether these speeches proceed from the spirit of God, or from the spirit of pride and presumption. Let them indifferently judge and espy the deceit where it lurketh: namely, to discredit all the children of God which teach the Gospel of Christ jesus, and to plant his doctrine and teaching in stead thereof, and in deed it is the mark he shooteth at, but I hope in vain, to all that be God's children. What is this but to take away our comfort in Christ's death and promises, and to be deceived with the subtleties of a seduced, and erroneous spirit, and to discredit the Gospel, that we might depend upon H. N. and his doctrine: O subtle Satan, if thou couldst bring this to pass, which thou goest about in thy members, than hadst thou thy desire, to set up thyself, and tread down the blood and death of the Lamb of God which hath taken away the sins of the world. But our God hath promised to keep us his children even as the apple of his eye. For as a Father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him. Psalm. 103. ver. 13. So that Almighty GOD doth provide for his children's safety, from such poisoned infection, and suffereth others, that willingly will wander out of the plain ways of Christ, which the Scriptures of God do point unto them. Of all the errors that ever the devil did sow to disturb the Church of Christ, none is more subtle than this, that no truth can be taught by any other then by H. N. and his Illuminate Elders: it is false, seducing, & deceiving, what any other do teach. Alas, why should mortal man be thus lifted up, and take upon him Christ his office & calling: for this prerogative only hath Christ jesus, and none other, to teach all truth, for it is one of his special titles, I am truth. Wither doth H. N. thrust himself by this proud challenge, that all truth is only taught by him, and his, and can not be taught by any other? sure into Christ his seat & office: but with Lucifer the Prince of pride, he shallbe thrown down headlong, & all such as in their puffed minds do exalt themselves above their state and condition. For of all vice and sin which man doth commit, none is more odious in God his sight, than pride, especially the pride of the mind in the highest degree, as this is, to place a vile man in Christ jesus his office and calling.  
Into such errors do they run which content not themselves with the manifest and plain testimonies of God, to us revealed in his word: but curiously seek for novelties at the hands of mortal men, yea vile men, and of the worst condition: and yet, so close they stick unto this heresy, by the persuasion aforesaid, (that no truth can be taught but by H. N.) that I fear me the disease is incurable▪ except the Lord in mercy open their eyes, that they may aspie at the last, into what miserable and vile errors and heresies they are snared: which they shall never do, so long as they hold that principle aforesaid. Yet we of the lords household, will not let to do our duties to admonish you, and show you the greatness and danger of your backslydinges, in charitable manner. And although this simple admonition will little prevail to stir up your minds to acknowledge (with us) the truth of Christ jesus his Gospel, yet know this undoubtedly, that almighty God hath in his Church, men of zealous minds, that will not see Christ's glory so defaced, and his Gospel so despised, but will in learned manner writ against your Family, and are able to declare your errors, which my unlearned head is not able to bring to pass. Although this will not move your minds, yet my conscience is quieted, in that I have done my best for your conversion, and discharged my duty, which I own unto the Church of Christ, (as a member thereof) to open and detect your leaders and teachers which abuse your simplicity without measure, and instruct you, that conference is not good, that you may profess the doctrine of Henry Nicholas inwardly, and be subject to the doctrine of the Gospel outwardly: which in plain speech is, to dissemble with God.  
For you are obedient to such doctrine as is taught, you communicate with us in Christ's sacraments, you hear our teachers expound the scriptures, and yet you credit and believe only H. N. and his doctrine taught by Victual. Is not this plain hypocrisy? will God be thus mocked? If God be God, follow him: If Baal be he, follow him. In God's truth we must be of a single mind without halting, hypocrites and dissemblers he utterly abhorreth. If Christ's Gospel be a truth, as the devils were driven to confess, then assuredly H. N. by the same doctrine is manifested to be a liar, and hath not the spirit of God, but the spirit of pride in a boasting mind. Lift up your heads, and see in time unto your health and salvation, search the scripture more diligently, and leave the riddles of H. N. and you shall perceive more contrariety in their teaching then I have expressed: you shall rest in the comfortable promises of Christ our Lord, and as for H. N. and his promises, what have we to do with them? let them with their Author perish in oblivion, and be deceived no more therewith: then shall you feel how sweet the Lord is, and what comfort we have in Christ jesus, which none can express but such as taste thereof, & feel it working in themselves to immortality: which comfort is not found in the writings of any mortal man. Know this for certain Lex Domini immaculata convertens animas, The Law of the Lord is a perfect Law, and converteth soul's▪ The laws, precepts, and writings of men, are all unperfect. Why do you cleave unto H. N. and his Books, and leave this perfect law of righteousness, which leadeth to life everlasting?  
If this warning will not serve, I shall sorrow until God open your eyes, that you may see your grievous revolt, and into what grins and snares of the devil you are wittingly led, but my prayer shall not be wanting for you, to desire the Lord in mercy, for his Christ's sake, that he will at the last mollify your stony hearts, and renew a right spirit within every one of you, that your conversion may be to God's glory, and the rejoicing of his Church.  
If it please you to read these simple instructions which I have written for your sake, hurt thereby you can not have: if any good happen, and that the Lord do hereby open your eyes to behold your error, give glory to the Lord our GOD, whose mercy is over all his creatures, and imagine, (as truth is) that I have not so contumeliosly used your Author H. N. as he hath bitterly dealt with us, in judging the Church of Christ, and all others that are not of his Family. I will use his own speech.  In the first exhortation Chapter. 7. 
1 All such as believe not the Love, nor 
By baptism he meaneth not the sacrament of Baptism.  are baptized in the name of the Father, it is not meet to accounted such unbelievers, and unbaptised one's, for Christians, at whose hands we should look to find any word of truth.  Capitulo eodem. 
2 The day of the Lord, and righteous judgement of God shall burn in wrath and fury, over all ungoldly which have despised the Love and her service, and shall consume them as a fire to everlasting condemnation in the fire of hell, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.  Article. 10. 
3 We confess that no man shall obtain grace nor forgiveness of sins at God's hands without the same commonalty of holy one's in the Love.  In the sixt Chapter. 
4 But seeing we can not perceive or find the true belief of Christ, among any people upon earth, that walk without the commonalty of the love, but the same is manifested unto the holy one's of GOD in the commonalty of the Love, nor can be witnessed by any other people or nation, but only the commonalty of the holy one's in the Love.  In the prophesy, Chap. 18. verse. 38. 
5 You shall through the requiring of the gracious word in the service of love, become incorporated to the lovely nature of God.  

1 Here I have repeated certain sentences taken out of H. N. whereby first is showed, that none can have the truth which believe not in the love, that is, which believe not as they do, nor are baptized in the name of the father, which they take not to be the sacrament of baptism, but a mystery exceeding my capacity to utter, of incorporating us into God.  
2 Then such as despise the Love, & her service, shallbe consumed with fire ever lasting, that is, their teaching and service.  
3 No man can obtain grace nor forgiveness, except they join with their commonalty.  
4 No people upon earth can truly believe in Christ, but their Family, and such as walk with them.  
5 Last of all they shall become incorporated to the nature of God, through their service of Love.   
Here you may see the sum of that godly wisdom that is in your Author, & his deep divinity. And surely in my mind it requireth no large discourse to confute the same: the speech of itself doth sufficiently bewray the mind of their Author: the effect whereof is, he and his Family have only the truth, and all the world else are deceived. But I may boldly say, and more truly, that no people in the world that have any religion, but they hearing H. N. and his doctrine, will judge him to be a false Prophet, a vain boaster, and a deceiver of such as put any confidence in him: whose doctrine is so absurd, senseless, & without comfort, that none but idiots, or men without true religion, will embrace the same. And although many simple people do embrace this vain way, by the subtlety of Christopher Vittel and others, yet I have no doubt, but the Lord in mercy will behold their simplicity, and give unto them a right spirit, to discern truth from falsehood.  
If I were disposed to lay abroad every odious matter, and every Tragedy that I have intelligence of in the Family, I should but infert the ears of God's children with much vile matter: which I had rather bury in silence, then by naming the people, to make them abhorred of the multitude. I think it convenient therefore, to cover their turpitude, rather than by manifesting the same, to publish such odious stuff, as would even defile my pen to writ.  
Sir William Moor, a worthy justice in Surrey, had the examination of one or two of the Family, who uttered much matter, which I am loath to writ. I do gather it upon this ground, that forsomuch as their Illuminat Elders do not sin, and what so ever they commit, it cannot be sin, (therefore if they fall into any act, be it never so ungodly) it can not be counted sin, as it proceedeth from them, because they are Deified. And what act so ever they do, it can not be sin, no more than the Prophet Osees, which was commanded to take a Harlot to his wife, and to beget children in fornication, and he did so. Upon such false and vain persuasions, what vile doctrine doth follow, the very simple may perceive. I do abstain therefore from further declaring, or dylating of any such matter as this is, lest I should even infect the air therewith.  
And if any of the Family do suppose that I writ maliciously, & without proof, let them signify their minds unto me, and I shall satisfy them privately of all such matter as I have intelligence: with the process, wholly and particularly. And if they deny that Henry Nicholas doth boast himself to have the Spirit of GOD, (as I have affirmed) and not by participation, but Godded with God, or incorporated into GOD, as he useth to speak: for my discharge, I will let H. N. tell how and in what manner he hath it, that you the Family, and all other may perceive what he is, rightly. His words be these.  The first Chapter of the prophesy, the 2. division. 
The Lord God of heaven moved me, 
* which is in him.  in his mind or spirit, his power compassed me with a rushing noise, and the glory of the same God, become great in my spirit of his love, in such wise, that the clearness of God wholly environed me, and shined round about me, wherethorough the sight of mine eyes become clearer than the crystal, and mine understanding more brighter than the Sun.  
He doth not let to utter unto the Family, how mightily and gloriously the God of heaven is in him: so that his sight and understanding become clearer than the crystal, or the sun: which if it be true, than it is meet that all generations of the earth submit themselves thereunto, as he says in his dialogue. And surely this his boasting doth darken the glory of Christ jesus with his Family, exceedingly. And this is believed & credited among them, (the more pity) and the simple are deluded and mocked with such vain boasting spirits, and it increaseth daily in the country, and créepeth as a canker every where, through the smooth speech of their Elders. But how close they keep themselves, and will not utter their minds to any other that is not of their company, I can be both an eye witness, and ear witness: which is a very subtle persuasion of sathan. For that man that will not utter his grief or sickness, and where the pain is, how or when can he be healed? it is an unpossible cure. Even so, in the Family, they are so close and so wary in their speech, that they will not utter their grief to any that can ease them. Therefore so long as they continued in that mind, they are remediless. I shall not need to confute their doctrine by the testimonies of holy scripture (which in deed is easy to be done) I do reserve the same to some zealous pastor in Christ's school, which I doubt not, but as occasion serveth, they will be willing to perform. It is enough for me to begin the skirmish, to display the Family, to make ready the way, & to descry their force, that others may come after and overthrow their camp, and put them to silence for evermore. He that will rightly consider the original of this heresy, with the Authors, what people taught it first, and when it did increase and grow: shall see, that even when the Gospel began to shine again, being covered with clouds, and darkened with dreams of men, than began Satan in David George to envy the prosperity of the Gospel. David died An. 1556. and then Henry Nicholas supplied his turn, and followed his steps, not in David's name, but in his own name, as a Prophet sent of God to rebuke the world, and to bring them (as he says,) to the right ways. But more truly may it be affirmed, that they pervert the simple, which were entered into the right and plain ways of Christ our Lord, and have brought them from the pure waters, which are drawn out of the fountain which the holy Ghost by the scriptures doth offer unto us, and do give them dregs and puddle, which ungodly men have digged out of the mire of their own imagination, and do deliver it as drink sent of God to quench their thirst: but they deceive them most shamefully.  
For to all our senses it doth appear to be rank poison, and doth slay the souls of every one that doth usually drink thereof. If these simple admonitions may do the lest of you good, give glory and praise unto the Lord our God: if not, I have discharged my duty which I own unto Christ jesus and his Church, in letting you see the beginners of your bewitched folly. And I shall not let to make my humble prayers unto the Lord our GOD, even for his son Christ jesus sake, that he will open your eyes, and mollify your stony hearts, that you may behold the Lord jesus, which was crucified for you, who with his blood hath cleansed & washed your sins, be they never so great, that in his goodness and mercy he will take away this erroneous spirit wherewith you are possessed, and created in you a right spirit, to be obedient to his will, and not to the will of mortal men, which seduce you, and lead you headlong to destruction: and that he will bestow upon you his grace, to see rightly into his word, without the vain shadows of allegories which deceive you, and leave to us nothing certain: and that you may ●leaue unto the Gospel of Christ jesus, and forsake the vain trust you have in your Deifying, and to live without sin: which I instantly desire our Lord God to bring to pass, for his son Christ jesus sake. Amen.   

Certain absurd speeches taken out of the books of H. N. as errors of the Family of Love.  
1 How and in what manner the Lord God hath appeared to H. N.  
THE Lord God of heaven moved me 
Proph. cap 1. diui. 2.  in his mind or spirit, his power compassed me with a rushing noise: and the glory of the same God of heaven become great in my spirit, in such wise, that the clearness of God wholly environed me, and shone round about me, where through the sight of mine eyes become clearrer than the crystal, and mine understanding brighter than the sun.  
When I then perceived or understood 
Cap. cod●. diui. 5.  it so, the lord's meaning and will unto me, even such as his being or essence spoke unto me.  
For the being of God gave forth his sound and voice, and spoke unto me. H. N. through the spirit of his love all these words.  
2. The secrets of our hearts are known to H. N.  
For although you dissemble with me, 
Cap. 3. divisi. 2.  and how craftily so ever you cover you before me: yet are nevertheless, all the counsels and falsehoods of your hearts manifest before me, and so much the more naked and bore before the eyes of my heart and spirit.  
For, not (beloved) no, you can not bide 
Divi. 3.  covered before me, nor before the face of my God.  
3 H. N. can no more err then Christ and his Apostles.  
They do judge Moses, the Prophets, 
Cap. 13. diui. 8.  Christ, and his Apostles, and his Minister H▪ N. to err, and miss the right: rather than to acknowledge themselves in their imagination to be ignorant and lying.  
4. The scriptures are fulfilled in H. N. and his Family.  
To the end now in the very last, the Scripture and all what God hath spoken 
Cap. 19 diui. 3.  by his holy Prophets, and what is written of Christ, should in us and with us become fulfilled, to the honour and glory of God, and to our joy: like as it standeth written, Luke 1. ca 24. vers. 44.  
This is assuredly the hearty mercifulness 
Divi. 11.  of God over us, now in the last time, to the end the glorious Lordlynesse of GOD should in us become manifested and declared, and the Scripture fulfilled.  
5 No man must mistrust H. N. in doctrine, nor any evil to be in him.  
They aught to beware that they distrust 
Exhort. 1. cap.▪ 13. divisi. 11.  not the elder in the Family of Love▪ nor suspect any manner of evil or unwisdom by him: nor yet also in any wise persuade themselves, that the exercises, documents, and instructions, which are taught or set forth before them, by the Father of the Family of Love, (or oldest Elder) are too slight, too childish, or too unwise for them to follow after, or to obey: but with perfect hearts, humbly and singly minded, even as good willing children unto obedience, to receive the same instructions, proceeding out of the wisdom & counsel of the Elder: and to stand even so submitted always, unto the manly oldness in the love.  
6 The manner of shrift used in the Family.  
It is expedient, that they make maninifest 
Ibi. di. 12.  their whole heart, with all their counsels, minds, wills, and thoughts: together with all their doings, dealings, and exercises, naked and bore before the Elder in the Family: and not to hide any thing, (be it what it is) and all what their inclination and nature draweth them unto, and all things wherewith they become tempted in their heatrs.  
If you chance to offend or commit sin, confess the same before the priests and Elders: and let all appear nakedly and apparently before them.  
7 That we must live without sin.  
The upright freedom is this, that the 
Exhor. 1. cap. 15. di. 26. fol. 40  heart, mind, and spirit is wholly released, purged, or purified, from all wicked nature which hath reigned over him, and that there devil, live, nor rule, any other thing in him, namely, in all his spirit, thought, mind, & soul, but alone the true godhead, with his lovely being of the upright love: yea, to be so wholly replenished with all the virtues of God: and that there flow nothing else in him, namely in this spirit and mind, but the spiritual, heavenly, and living waters.  
8 How H. N. judgeth of us, because we acknowledge ourselves to be of the Church of Christ.  
For that cause, if thou now accounted 
Proph. cap 11. fol. 27.  not thyself for an whore, but esteemest thyself for the faithful espoused wife of Christ, my jealous conceiving can not stand otherwise, but that thou art a presumptuous whore, which playest the hypocrite with Christ, and covertly committest whoredom: thou shalt be constrained to drink the bitter cursed water of my jealousy.  
9 No man be he never so learned or godly, can understand or interpret the scripture, but only the Elders in the Family.  
The Scripturely learned man hath no 
Proph. cap. 13. fol. 27.  knowledge of God's matters, he can not understand any tittle, much less expound or interpret the same to others: all Scripture appear to such covered, secret, in signs, and parables: nor can comprehend what the same (according to the truth) is. What such conceiveth or speaketh, is false and lies. It is assuredly given to the family of Love to understand the secrets thereof.  
It is assuredly all false lies, seducing 
Exhor. cap 11. fol. 44  and deceitful, what the ungodded or unilluminate men, out of the imagination of their knowledge, and out of the learnednes of the scripture, bring forth, preach and teach: they preach in deed the letter, and the imagination of their knowledge, but not the word of the living God. Let them esteem themselves as holy as they will: they are a false Christianity, a devilish synagogue, or school.  
10 That all men must submit themselves unto the godly wisdom in. H. N.  
Seeing now that I (my father) find 
Dia. cap. 7 fol. 45.  out in deed, that the Lord the most highest, hath revealed his mercy seat, the possession of his most excellent Majesty and heavenly riches in thee, and with the same being of the perfect Godhead, made a godly dwelling with thee: so were it meet and convenient, that all the generations of the earth submitted themselves unto the same mercy seat and godly Majesty, & assembled them thereunto.  
11 How the Elders are Godded with God.  
It becometh not that any should 
Exhort. fol 43. cap. 16.  take in hand to teach, but only the Illuminate Elders in the Family: which also have received the word of life from the living God, and are even through the same, Godded with God, or incorporated to God, with whom also God in on● being and power of his spirit, is Hominified, or become man.   

An admonition to Christopher Uittell.  
THe cause that moved me to set forth this little piece of work, hath not been (as I doubt you will imagine) of a malicious mind towards your Family, the Lord is my witness, I lament you, and malice you not: but of a sincere affection I own unto all God's children▪ who by you are deceived with the doctrine of H. N. whom I have manifested and made thoroughly known unto the world. And I would to GOD that you could have contented yourself with the Authors books, and not have published them to our brethren, the simple one's in the country: who are led easily into any new doctrine which they never herded, by your subtle persuasion. And for as much as I know your person, and what capacity is in you, I do verily think, that the drift of H. N. is not unknown to you, namely, to set up himself as a Prophet, to tread down Christ jesus our Lord, and to destroy the effect of his office. These things you see well enough in H. N. and yet you cease not still to ertall your Author, and his books, and miserably seduc● the simple. Do you think to escape the heavy stroke of God's hand? Not: he cometh, and will not be slack to take vengeance of such as lead the simple and blind out of the ways of the Lord our GOD, and make them partakers of doctrines of men possessed with Satanical spirits. It is necessary that offences come, but woe be to them by whom they come: it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the Sea. If this doctrine be not offensive to God's children, judge it yourself. Consider that the blood of those simple one's will be required at your hands, which perish by deceit. Cursed is he that leadeth the blind out of the way. Woe be unto him that says, sweet is sour, and sour sweet. Your erroneous spirit is well known to God's Church, I herded you at Paul's Cross recant the blasphemies of Arrius doctrine, the copy of which is forth coming: and now Satan hath possessed your mind with infinite more blasphemies of H. N. Is this no sin, thus to deceive the simple? You are one of those Elders that keep all the Commandments of our GOD, and yet are a blasphemer and a sinner in the highest degree. Your deceit is known, your treachery is manifest, some of your own Family can testify, that you are an hypocrite, and a dissembler, and live of the spoil of the poor, and have left your art and calling to live mere idlely, by sowing heresies, (as it were of purpose) to the destruction of many simple people. Alas, have you a pleasure in their destruction? Doth it delight you to lead them headlong to perdition? Will not a day come when the Lord our God will charge you with this matter most sharply? Remember in time, & mortal man, that thou shalt answer for every soul that is perverted. Although they perish, thou shalt not escape the lords hands. The more thou leadest into error, the more grievous shall be thy destruction and damnation. Think not that thy counterfeit show of a holy life, can any thing avail. Now thy vizard & cloak is pulled off, I doubt not but the simplest will espy thy deceit, and be no more deceived with thy pretences, to gather their money daily, to set forth the works of H. N. and enrich thyself, as will be proved. If thou fear not the vengeance of God, yet let the shame of the world drive thee to confess thy fault, and as thou didst before recant the error of Arrius, so now come forth out of thy den, and recant the blasphemy of H. N. that the poor and simple may be brought into the ways of Christ our Lord, out of which they have wandered over long. Then shall the Church of Christ rejoice over your conversion, and Satan and his ministers shall be put to flight: the poor straying sheep shallbe brought to the fold of Christ jesus, and you shall be willingly received into the communion of Saintes, where the faithful rejoice in nothing but in the Lamb of God, who was crucified for us: singing praises and thanks to him for evermore. O Lord in mercy, grant that this may come to pass, for thy son our Saviour Christ jesus sake.  
Amen.   

¶ A confession made by two of the Family of Love, before a worthy & worshipful justice of peace, the 28. of May, 1961. touching the errors taught among them at their assemblies, and also their behaviours. And although they have reform some of these gross matters since that time, yet I have thought good to manifest their wa●ering heads & unconstant minds, that God's children may beware of their impious dealings.  
1 FIrst, they be generally all unlearned, saving that some of them can read English, and that not very perfectly, and of them that can so read they have choose Bishops, Elders, and Deacons.  
2 Their Bishops, Elders, or Deacons, do call those that be of their sect together, by the name of a congregation, into one of their disciples houses, which they call also a Raab: where they commonly meet, to the number of thirty, or above, and their Bishop or Deacon doth read unto the congregation the Scriptures, expounding the same according to his own fancy.  
3 When any person shallbe received into their congregation, they 'cause all their brethren to assemble, & the Bishop or Elder doth declare unto the new Elected brother, that if he will be content that all his goods shallbe in common among the rest of all his brethren, he shallbe received: whereunto he answering, yea, than he is admitted, with a kiss. uz. All the company both men and women kiss him, one after another.  
4 At their meeting, either to receive a new brother, or to read the scripture, they all have meat, drink, & lodging at the cost and charges of the owner of the house, whom they call a Raab: and there they do remain as long as he hath good victuals for them, whereby sometimes they do lose their Raab, seeing himself so far overcharged with them.  
5 They are called together ever in the night time: and commonly to such houses as be far from neighbours, one of them doth always warn an other: and when they come to the house of meeting, they knock at the door, saying: here is a Brother in Christ, or a Sister in Christ.  
6 When they be altogether, before their Bishop, or Elder, or Deacon will read the Scripture unto them, he says these words. All you that are but weak, and not come to perfection, withdraw yourselves a while, and pray that you may be made worthy thereof. Whereupon those weaklings do repair into an other place, and be not partakers of the doctrine that then shallbe taught, but afterwards, as the Bishop, Elder, or Deacon seeth them frame themselves, they shall be received to hear the doctrine.  
7 The Elder must not speak, the Bishop being present: nor the Deacon in the presence of either of them.  
8 The Byshopp or Elder doth always tell his congregation, that he hath more to teach them: so that he doth continually feed them with expectations of new matters.  
9 Every one of the congregation is inhibited to speak, or declare any thing that he learneth, until he be admitted so to do: and if he do, he shallbe excommunicated, and, with great repentance again received.  
10 In the beginning of Queen Mary's time, they would not come to the Church, thinking it damnable so to do▪ but within a year after, they were changed from that opinion, openly declaring unto their brethren, that they were all bond to come unto the church, and to do outwardly, there, all such things as the Law required then at their hands, upon pain of damnation, although inwardly they did profess the contrary.  
11 They can not abide, any of their sect to pray, but those that be new received brethren, whom they call weaklings: thinking it a great fault to the rest, whom they affirm to be perfect, to pray unto God, as though they were importunate troublers, and ve●ers of him, having no need to do so.  
12 They s●orne all those the say, Good Lord have mercy upon us miserable sinners: saying, they that so say, declare themselves never to amend, but still to be miserable sinners, whereas we do live perfectly and sin not.  
13 They may not say, God speed, God morrow, or God even, but to those that be of their sect: and to others, they say, Speed, Morrow, Deven.  
14 They may not say, God save any thing. For they affirm that all things are ruled by nature, and not directed by God.  
15 They did prohibit bearing of weapons, but at the length, perceiving themselves to be noted and marked for the same, they have allowed the bearing of staves.  
16 When a question is demanded of any of them, they do of order stay a great while, ere they do answer: and commonly, their word shallbe, Surely, or, So.  
17 They may answer to every demaundant (not being one of their sect) in such sort as they think best shall please him. For they say, they are bond to deal truly with no man in word or deed, that is not of their congregation: alleging, that he is no neighbour, and that therefore they may abuse him at their pleasure.  
18 When their wives are to be delivered of child, they must use the help of none other, but of those, that be of their sect: so that sometime the women are delivered in the fields, for that they would eschew the coming of others unto them: as one of them was, having no woman with her at her travel.  
19 If any of their sect do die, the wife or husband that overliveth, must marry again with one of their congregation, or else the offence is great: the marriage is made by the brethren, who bring them together sometime, that devil above a hundredth miles a sunder: as for example, Thomas Chandler of Wonerse, in the county of Surrey, had his wife fetched out of the Isle of Ely by two of the congregation: the man and the woman being utter strangers, before they came together to be married.  
20 They do divorce again themselves asunder if they can not agree, before certain of the congregation: as the said Chandeler. and his wife did, upon a mistyking, after they had been one year married together.  
21 Whosoever is not of their sect they account him as a beast, that hath no soul, and shall yield no account for his doing: but as a beast shall dye and not rise again, in body or soul. And to prove it, they allege a place out of Esdras that, Who so is not of God, shall be as a drop of water that falls from the house, and cometh to nothing.  
22 They hold, that he which is one of their congregation, is either as perfect as CHRIST, or else a very diveti.  
23 They hold, it is lawful to do what so ever the higher powers command to be done, though it be against the commandments of God: and for that they allege the words of S. Peter. Submit you selves to the ordinances of the higher powers.  
24 They deny that Christ is equal with God the Father in his Godhead: upon this place of Scripture, My Father is greater than I  
25 It is odious for them to say, God the Son: for they deny him to be God as is aforesaid.  
26 They deny the Trinity, scorning them that say, God the Father, God the son, & God the holy Ghost: as though by saying these words, they should affirm to be three Gods.  
27 They hold, that no man should be baptized, before he be of the age of thirty. years. And therefore have divers of them been baptized at those years and upwards.  
28 They hold, that every man aught first to be in an error before he can come to the knowledge of the truth.  
29 They say, that as Christ raised the dead, cleansed the lepre, gave sight to the blind, and walked on the waters, so do they.  
30 They hold, that heaven, and hell are present in this world among us, and that there is none other: & for proof thereof, they allege the xvij. of Matthew, of Christ's transfiguration: that as the cloud removed, Peter did see Elias, and Moses: so if the cloud were removed away, both heaven & hell should be visible unto us.  
31 They hold, that they are bond to give alms to none other people, but to those of their sect: and if they do, they give their alms to the devil.  
32 They hold, that they aught not to bury the dead, upon this place of Scripture: Let the dead bury the dead.  
33 They hold, that they▪ should so provide, that if any perish, all should perish: so that every one of them should relieve him with his goods, that decayeth.  
34 They hold, that none aught to receive the sacraments before he receiveth their whole ordinances: as first, he must be admitted with a kiss, than his feet must be washed, than hands laid on him, and so received.  
35 They hold, the Pope's service, & this service now used in the Church, to be nought, & yet to be by them used as free in the Lord, to whom nothing is unclean.  
36 They hold, that all men that are not of their congregation, or that are revolted from them, to be dead.  
37 They hold, that no Bishop, or Minister should remain still in one place, but that they aught always to be wandering from country to country.  
38 They hold, that the Angels Raphael & Gabriel and others, were born of a Woman.  
39 They hold, that they aught not to say David's Psalms as prayers: for they are righteous and without sin.  
40 They hold, there aught to be no Sabbath day, but that all should be like: and for that they allege. The Son of of man is Lord over the Sabbath day.  
41 They hold, that as God made heaven and earth by jesus Christ: uz. the word: so did he it by them.  
42 They hold themselves to be Maries: and say, that Christ is come forth in their flesh, even as he came forth of the virgin Marie.  
43 They hold, that there was aworlde before Adam's time, as there is now.  
44 They hold, that they aught to keep silence amongst themselves that the bertie they have in the Lord, may not be espied of others.  
45 They hold, that no man should be put to death for his opinion: & therefore they condemn Master Cranmer, and Master Ridley, for burning joane of Kent.  
46 They can not abide any exposition of Scriptures, but their own, conferring one place of Scripture with an other, and so to say their minds of it, without any other body's exposition.  
47 If any of them be convented for his opinion, and doth deny the same by open recantation: he taketh that to be a glory unto him, as though he had suffered persecution in this doing: and yet still inwardly maintaining these opinions.  
48 They brag very much of their own sincere lives, justifying themselves, saying, Mark, how purely we live.  
49 If they have any thing to do, touching the ordering of their temporal things, they must do it by advise: as to ask counsel of the Lord, uz. they must go to one of their Bishops, or Elders, and to ask of him counsel, what he shall do, and he must follow it.  
50 When they give their alms, there is a hat set by the Bishop or Elders upon a table, and then every one of the congregation doth put under the hat, that he is disposed to give: all which money cometh to the Bishops or Elders hands, and so the same is by him or them distributed, as they will: but to whom, none of the congregation knoweth.  
51 They have certain sleights amongst them, to answer any questions that shall be demanded of them, with deceiving the demaundant: as for example: if one of them be demanded how he believeth in the Trinity, he will answer, I am to learn of you: & so provoketh the demandant to show his opinion therein: which done, he will say then: I do believe so: by the which words he means, that he believeth the demaundant says as he thinketh: but not that he thinketh so.  
52 They do decree, all men to be infants that are under the age of thirty years: so that if they be demanded, whither Infants aught to be baptized, they answer, yea, meaning thereby, that he is an infant, until he attain to those years, at which time ●e aught to be baptized, and not afore.  
53 Their Bishops, Elders, and Deacons, do increase in riches, and become wealth, but their disciples become poor and fall to beggary.   

I R. To the reader.  
SInce the imprinting of this book of the displaying of the Family of Love, I have been answered by diverse letters, but from whom they were sent, it is not expedient that I declare, for as much as I do but guess at the matter. by the reading whereof, you shall perceive, that some in the same Family are touched so nearly, that they begin to kick and spurn against the truth, and stir up themselves with all the poor skill they have (which God knoweth is but a little) to defend both their Author and his doctrine. Many are the causes that have moved me to publish these their private letters with my answers there unto. Especially ij. the one is, that the Godly learned seeing wherein these of the Family are grieved touching our doctrine, may plentifully in places convenient confute their opinions and defend the purity of doctrine, which is taught. another cause is, the books have come into divers man's hands, who never herded of the family of love, which do imagine that I have devised this myself, their errors are so gross: having no occasion so to do. Therefore I have for my discharge let the world see, that such there are as I have manifested. And some there are you may perceive, that can say somewhat to defend their author and his doctrine. Some will not think it well done to make that common which was written privately for conscience sake, to whom I wholly agreed in all things saving heresies, (and especially those that are secret) therefore for my excuse I protest I could very well have kept these private conferences secret, had not some Godly and learned, earnestly moved me to the contrary. And if I had thought that these rude answers should have come abroad. I would have used some more diligence in penning them: but since the family have copies hereof, I mind not to add any thing lest they exclaim against me as you see they do. What part of our doctrine they find fault with, by perusing these letters thou shalt perceive. The Lord in mercy open their eyes that they may at the last behold their backsliding from the right ways of the Lord our God manifested, and bring them O Lord again into thy fold, that we all may reverence that good shepherd of our souls Christ jesus.  
Amen.   

A Letter of the Family to I R.  
I Have bestowed diligence (M. Rogers) in perusing the Book which you set out, entitled, The displaying of an horrible sect of gross and wicked heretics, naming themselves the Family of Love, with the lives of their Authors, and what doctrine they ●each in corners: with yet certain Articles confessed by two of the Family before Sir William Moor. which when I went about to peruse, I found it so frivolous and void of good, argument, that I much marveled what might be the cause, why the author devised such untruths, and chief, because he put it in print at the instance of his friends, (nay rather enemies): for friends persuade honest things, and enemies dishonest. You writ that the pains you took, was for a private friend, fallen into that error, and though you were moved to put it in print, yet you were loathe for divers causes: but chief because your conscience told you, that the eyes of the world should by that means see your manifest untrue reports, for falsehood would have corners, and fears the light. If it were only ignorance, it were the better to be born withal: but indeed (as it seemeth) it is come out of malicious envy: Many goodly shows can not colour the matter: for it is a custom for men for good manners sake, to allege great wants to perform their intents, and yet will adventure their follies, with hazard of good or evil success. A rude style is never hurt to an honest cause, for the honesty beautifieth all deformities of rudeness. But for the brag to have some other of more judgement to reply, I verily think that no honest man of any wit, will assay to defend so unhonest attempts, lest he be drawn in by that means with this Author [I R.] to be found foolhardy, or rashhastie, performing therein (as well by writing as by deed) uncharitable i●ueighings & impugning o● that which you confess you are not acquainted withal: and for that cause you are rightly termed of some, for slaundrers. For in deed many (knowing the people slandered, to be honester than the slanderers) call in doubt whether those sayings might be true which are vitered against them. Now you shall see this good child's care, as out of duty to God's Church [even as blind as bold] steps in first, to reprehend and condemn the love of God and Christ (which is the holy Ghost) even out of a zeal to advance his purpose, whereby he might show the fruits of a justifying faith: and (because he hath long time looked about, and yet finds none that will be so maddas to enter with him) see now, how he can (according to his blindness) reprove others: not seeing that they out of more modesty for certain causes, forbear to writ, lest that they with like rashness, should enter into like folly. This Family of Love (says he) is much increased within many Shires of this realm, which he ruth much. who s●eth not this his great blindness and follic? Can any man (I am bold herein with you M. Rogers) r●e the prosperity of the household of God, unless he himself were of the household of the devil? and who would speak so shamefully [or rather shamelessly] against God's Ministers (as you do) were he not one of the Ministers of the devil? I pray you consider: the ground whereon you lay your foundation; is against one H. N: whom you never knew nor understood of. For that I have herded thereof, truly it is not the signification of any man's name: But as Christ gave out his name by two Characters or letters A. and ●▪ so I see not 〈…〉 he [that is to say Christ.] may be as well all the other letters between them two, in as much as he is the first and the last. But it is very far from M. Roger's mind, to look▪ so narrowly into the matter. I remember in the Apo. 2. it is written. To him that overcometh will I give to eat Manna that is hid, and will give him a white stone: and in that stone ● new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth i●: Now if he that hath inveighed against H. N▪) hath (in the omnipotent power of the most highest) overcome in that manner as is aforesaid, then can he know this name: Otherwise let him & all his adherents for ever hereafter be silent, lest they (seeming to teach GOD what he hath to do) perish according to the witnessing of the Prophet. Behold you despisers, wonder and be confounded: for I do a work in your days, which you shall 
Aba. 1. a Acts. 13. f  not believe, albeit any one should tell it you. I must also a little put you in mind of your impudent dealings. You say you have read a confession of their faith newly made, which neither you nor any of your adherents can in any word justly reprove: why should you then (unless it were out of cankered envy, & according to your forefather's nature and accustomed manner) so standerously report of us, as that we are ashamed to acknowledge our belief? You affirm also, that much more false doctrine than you have set out in that book, is taught among the people, which (to confute) you complain yourself to be unable to perform for the lack of learning, nevertheless, you will give us a taste of this doctrine, to give the children of God to beware thereof, yet many books (you say) are abroad which you have not seen, and again, some you have seen, but yet had no leisure to peruse: for the use of the people is not to let any but their own company, to see their books, neither will they confer or talk in any points of doctrine, but with such as themselves. Now I pray you ●ee what a Caveat you put in to excuse your malice (in that you have not seen some of the books, and yet those some which you have seen, you had no time to peruse sufficiently, neither could you confer with the people for their subtleties cause). Lo, here is like to proceed some good stuff I warrant you! For how can you say, but at adventure, of the things which you nevenr herded ne saw? I would you had played an honest man's part, and had used but equal weight and measure, & not have (contrary to your promise, where you said you will allege the Author's words, and neither add ne diminish) taken here three or four lin●s, and then pass over ten or twelve, and then again take two lines, and again pass over six lines, & take half a line, etc. and so make a sentence thereof. Thus is your doings found out of so many as have compared your allegations with the books of the Author: Notwithstanding all this, you protest that you are void of malice in your untrue book, seeming rather to pity the poor seduced people, than otherwise intending envy. You promise' likewise to put down nothing whereof you have not sufficient warrant by certain in the Duche Church, [but sure I am, not of Christ's Church, for as much as they exercise not their mouthe● with jyes]: but you have herded so, and therefore it is so, men of good credit say so: I had rather hear an honest poor man's report truly spoken, than a rich credible mans that is a liar, and it is well known to some of the Duche Church, that your credible men are liars, yet can you be content to favour their reports. And as touching the citing of H. N. his own words, without adding or diminishing (I am ashamed of your disorderly dealings therein) that shall so appear in the answer to the book, as you shall be proved therein as in the rest, a falsister of both. The speech which you pretend to have had with many of the company, I dare affirm it to be a great untruth, & is but a vizard (as you have said of them) to cover your malice withal. I would shame would let you tell the truth, then should you say as it is, that your mate E. L. (one of your own family) hath prompt you forward in these matters, especially against Christopher Vital [a man whose honest life and conversation, you were never able to come near●, nor shall, unless you mend your words, deeds, weights, measures, and waxes]. But will you see one notable matter which you have gathered out of this Author's words more: that is, The truth hath not been taught in the world since the Apostles time, but now by the Family: the Scripture affirmeth 
Scripture evil applied.  that Christ (the only truth): hath said: My kingdom is no● of this world, and how can the truth be taught, where the kingdom is not? for it hath been ever hide from the world and her wise, but yet always manifested among the outsevered one's from this world. And even as the enemies of the same truth have always martyred Gods holy one's, even so now would such worldlings as you are, do, had you power thereto. And this I assure you, that the very same doctrine which those Martyrs have taught, the same doth H. N. teach: but you say, truth seeketh no corners, (see your appliment herein) Christ commands his disciples, saying: When they persecute you in one city, flee unto an other, & we read that Christ also many times went from place to place, to avoid such your forefathers, the Scribes and Pharisees, who sought his life. And I pray you, did not jacob flee from his brother Esau, No from the whole world, Lot from the Sodomites, Elias from all men, David from Saul, with infinite more examples? Then how do you approve your matter? It can (belike) be no truth, except you allow it to be true, a sound consequent. Likewise, you say, untruly citing the words, that the Illuminate Elders can not err nor sin, nor dare before the simple one's in Christ's Church, approve their Authors doctrine: you have (I am sure) good warrant, to sever the Illuminate Elders in the godly wisdom and holy understanding, out of the Church of Christ. But I have better to prove that you are not thereof. You disallow others of boasting, because you might boast alone: is the suffering with Christ to rail upon his true members? or else in patience to take up our cross, and so suffer, till (by his suffering in us) we be delivered & justified (but I dare say you understand me not now) from sin, death, devil, and hell? but your words are no slanders as you think, else would you season them with truth, for very shame. For were it permitted that company (with indifferency) to avouch the truth of their cause, as it is permitted you and your company slanderously to blaspheme, you should then be showed in your right colours. You say also that their Rabbis or Elders have recanted Arianisme at Paul's cross: as well might you be charged with other matter, etc. But your objection is false, witness my Lord of Canterbury that now is: and yet more were to be said, but the company hopeth your conuertion, although at this present your brethren in Christ (for their good faiths cause they have in your licentious doctrine of predestination and free election) fill all the prisons 
The opinion of the Family of Love concerning predestination.  almost in England: but what reason have I to charge you therewith, but forsooth to put you in mind, that you look to yourself and yours, before you reprove others, which (me thinketh) is but reason. You give a glance also at the greatest house in this realm, which you wish were clear of such errors, but (put up your bolt I advise you) whether that house hath authority to overlook you and your adherents, that may you know hereafter. Moreover, you say you could (if you listed to be a blab) tell out many dissensions among them, who yet (you confess) will not in their best things make you or any other acquainted, much less in things against themselves: but it is true like the rest: all this is but to make your speeches wonderful, and your modesty greater than it is. You forget thereby many Protestant's (I think excelling you in understanding) in Rome, Spain, Italy, and other places under the Bishop of Rome's inquisition, which hold it good policy to defend themselves & their consciences in keeping them from such Tyranny. Will you not allow to others, as you gladly challenge to yourself▪ then we must say you are unequal in your doings. But will you see the most egregious untruth that can be spoken by this new shameless writer. He allegeth john Leydon and Snypper Dolling at Munster in Westfalia, which were duly punished for Anabaptisme by the governors and Lords of that time and place, as appeareth by many writers, as john Sleydon and others. And because these men were Hollanders, and as he affirmeth, scholars of David George, therefore H. N. must be belike (by that reason) one of that confederatie. For although many learned writers do affirm their matter to be Anabaptisme, yet this man will have it the Family of Love. Fulwell do you open your malice herein as in the rest, with your forefathers, who said that Christ had the devil, and was a wine bibber, a companion of sinners, etc. but repent lest that chance to you that came upon them. And again, look I pray you, how you stumble in your own tale. You would prove that none hath received their ministery from the mouth of God (you'speake of Paul) did not Christ speak to him after his ascension from heaven? and I pray you tell me, what ministration (that ever was true) came from other than Gods own mouth? you are taught to flee such boasters: like enough, for so Satan hath always taught his children. And as concerning the badge whereby you would know them, is (as you set down) by public declaration, which is utterly false. For Moses only showed his ministration to the Israelites: Abraham, to his children: Not, to his family: lot, to his household: and all the Prophets, to Gods peculiar children: the Apostles, in private houses, etc. And now (to be short) the disciples of Christ▪ or his word, which are taught by the doctrine of Christ our saviour out of the mouth of H. N. do confess freely before all men, the ground of their faith and religion: and though you will not credit it, yet it doth not follow that it is not so: except this reason (as God forbidden) should always hold, like as it hath held of late: Because men say I am a thief, therefore no proof of law: the testimony of my neighbours with whom I live, nor mine own words (against so simple an alligation) must be permitted: but all is untrue now except it be to prove your false words & slanderous brutes true. Here we find will and unjustice, on your part, to have more rule, than equity or good reason. And now therefore (master Rogers) will I (even out of love to an admonition of you to your preservation) display unto you a little of the difference betwixt the doctrine of H. N. & yours. He exhorteth (according to the doctrine of jesus Christ mentioned in the Scriptures) to true repentance: godly love: an upright faith: and dutiful obedience, etc. (even like as many of you at this day, in words do,) but yet he with more power: for he manifesteth according to the truth, that none among all the children of men shallbe found meet (in the sight of the Lord) to bear the names of Christians (boast they never so much of their Christianity, freedom, or justification by Christ in their unregenerated life as they will) which hath not submitted themselves in true repentance, under the obedience of God's holy law, which is administered unto them in the service of Love: for to become first disciples of the same word, to a reformation of their own ways: and not to go presently forth with the knowledge, and teach others (as you do) before they be come taught and reform thereby: neither yet to judge others therewith (as you now do) before they be come first judged thereby: which he calleth the true baptism, in the name of the father. And then (being so taught unto jesus Christ in the holy law) to take up (in the belief) their cross daily on them, with Christ against the sin (which he calleth, the true baptism in the name of the Son) until that Christ (which is the way, the truth, and the life itself) have got a living shape or form in them by faith: and that they (through the Spirit of love or Christ) be raised up again in a new life (which he calleth the true baptism in the name of the holy Ghost.) whereunto all the Family of Love or of God, at this day are lovingly called: and do mean (by God's assistance) most earnestly to endeavour themselves, (: but yet with much more quietness) might they have rest by such enemies to all godliness as you are. Although you be unaquainted with this doctrine▪ or rather true baptism, here following: yet would we not therefore have you belie us (according to your accustomed manner) and say, that we deny the holy sacrament thereof. And although this infallible Christian doctrine, of Love, Faith, Obedience, and Life, which is taught by H. N. in the service of Love, & accordeth with all Scriptures, remains yet unknown (much less practised) among you free one's or Libertines, and this true repentance which is taught (under the obedience of the holy law of God the Father): this true cross of jesus Christ (which is taught under the obedience of the belief of God the Son) and this true resurrection or newenesse of life (which is taught under the obedience of the love of God the holy Ghost) is 
Rom. 6. a. b. c. etc Ephc. 4. ●. Collos. 2. b 2. Timo. 2 c. d. Gall. 3. d  now blasphemed, despised, and resisted, as an unneedful thing of you: yet is the same nevertheless (by the Family of Love or of God) found to be the old and true way, corespondent with all the doctrine of the Apostles of jesus Christ, and therefore so needful, that without it (look over the Scriptures again so m●ny as be wise among you) there shall no man find mercy with God, or else (through jesus Christ) become saved. Then (Alas master Rogers▪ alas) what have you done: (I hope nothing yet but out of ignorance) I would then you would look better into the matter: for if H. N. be a minister of the Lord, than you have much overshot yourself. I leave Stephan Bateman to the righteous judgement of the Lord, as one in whom there is small hope of any goodness. Wherefore, the Lord God for his Christ's sake, grant you eyes of understanding, and a repentant heart to ask forgiveness, for so maliciously blaspheming God's love and truth extended towards us (out of mercy undeserved) and to ask mercy for depraving such a gracious work of God, published forth now in the last time to all man's preservation that desire to walk▪ therein: whereof we shallbe right glad: and then shall you be delivered from that lying spirit, which now seeketh (like as in times past) with most horrible slanders & lies to deface all good, & all such as endeavour themselves thereunto. So shall it come to pass, to God's glory, your salvation, & our comfort. Amen.  
Your unknown friend.   

The answer of I R. to▪ the letter of the Family.  
I Received a letter from you as from an unknown friend, containing matter invective against my book, as also very many contumelious & slanderous speeches touching my honesty: both which to answer you shall find me ready and willing, although not with like speech of disdain, savouring of the spirit of envy and not of love. To all which speech touching my honesty this shall serve for answer: the Lord deal so and so between us, as you unjustly charge me with weights, measures, wares, etc: but the contents of my book disquieteth your mood, the which you shall find more large in answering.  
1 The first matter: you tell me that no honest man would assay to defend so unhonest attempts: to defend my honesty I will not in this place, my protestation shall serve: but if the cause be dishonest than I am worthy great reprehension: but you mistake me utterly that I reprehend the love of God and Christ: far be that from me: it is self love that I discommend in your author, and in you all of this family. For the love of God is manifested to us by Christ our Lord, which is our only comfort. So God loved the world etc. 
john.  You love your author so well that this love of God little appeareth.  
2 Can any man, (you say) rue the prosperity of the household of God, except he were of the devil? no verily. If you were of Christ's household, we as fellows would embrace you, but strangers from that household you are, and as strangers lurk in corners.  
3 My foundation you say is against H. N. whom I never knew, nor understood off: True it is touching his person, but by his doctrine he is not unknown to me, whose books I have to show.  
4 You say, as Christ in the revelation is shadowed by two characters A. and O. so none can know his name except he overcome in the spirit, therefore we must be silent hereafter, for H. N. is not the signification of any man's name. This is a great mystery in deed, for if H. N. be not a man, then have I utterly mistaken myself: but sure the books were not written by Angels, man was the minister, and the man that writ them, his name is Henrye Nicholas, & the same man's life I have truly set down: not hearesayes, but the truth: not of enemies, but of his neighbours & familiars: not one man, but many: they will not only speak the truth, but are ready upon their oaths to testify the same.  
5 Where you judge that you are sure they are not of the Church of Christ, it is very rash judgement: I could testify of their honest life and manners, but it shallbe here impertinent. You make your comparisons unequal, because Christ by two letters did testify his majesty & power as god: will you admit H. N. by like reason to use two letters significant. In deed I have ●en answered y● H. N. signifieth Homo novus, but such follies will not serve: you must of necessity acknowledge H. N. to be a man: as one of our Family at Farnam, before the Bishop of Winchester did acknowledge & confess him, that is to say, H. N. not only to be a man, but also a sinner: & lest you should burden me with untruth as you have done, I will give you his name: R. W.  
6 You put me in mind of my impudent dealing, in that I have said that none of your family dare set forth your doctrine in principles, that all men may see wherein you and we differ, & you refer me to a little book called The confession of the Family, which book I have read: but that is very plausible, nothing differing from us. If you held no worse points than that book doth utter, surely I would come before you all, acknowledge my fault, and crave pardon: but this is a mere mockery of the people, to set down your faith common with us, and nothing contrary to us, where as your author in sundry places termeth us a devilish Synagogue or school●, and that we are not the Church, but a harlo●t. If you and we profess one Christ, one baptism, one faith: why are we severed in communion? but it is a world to see your doings in this matter. When any of your family are convented before any officer in Christ's Church, than you subscribe to any form, you recant in your own churches, you promise' never to profess H. N. nor his doctrine: and yet still after so solemn protestations you retain your secret doctrine, which in few words is not plain dealing. If your doctrine be a truth, why do you still deny it? if the power of God hath shone through H. N. so mightily, why do you not in principles draw your doctrine, that the people of God may see upon what grounds and stays you have severed yourself from us? but you use the policy of the cuttle, a fish, whose property is to trouble the water, that she may not be seen: so with your dark speeches & mysteries, you would cast a mist that no man should see your meaning: and then stand upon your tiptoes and say, that your sentences have such profound majesty, that our simple & gross capacities cannot comprehend the same. Plain dealing is ever best. If we be in error, show it to us in what points, and for my own part I will (if you can convince me by the testimonies of holy scripture,) yield unto you or any.  
7 What conference I have had with your family, divers of your family can tell you.  
8 You say my disorderly dealing shall appear in the answer to my book, which for my part I shall long look for: for hitherto you have not set down any one place where in I have mistaken your author. In deed I took not upon me to writ against any one book, but to display what absurdities I find in your author's Doctrine: you shall find that performid or it be long by Master Knewstubs, who hath written a book to confute your evangelium Regni. You apply this text of holy scripture very fond: Christ says, my kingdom is not of this world.  
9 You ask how the truth can be taught where his kingdom is not? If you mean by this word kingdom, power majesty, & dominion, than it is showed in the world, & manifested to his Church: But by kingdom the Evangelist doth understand (as I take it) an outward show of principality, which the jews looked for to be in their deliverer or Messiah, which he denied to be in him: which may better appear in that which followeth. For than would my ministers surely fight for me.  
11. I know that Christ chief reigneth in his Church: but who are the Church is the question. Every heresy seeketh to shadow itself with the title of the Church, but by the life of God's holy word they have been found heretics and seducers: and yet I never heard of any error but drew their doctrine into principles, and dared disspute with any in their opinions, except one Basilides which Eusebius in his 4. book Chap. 7. maketh mention of: who feigning sundry titles of unknown names of Prophets, to amaze their hearers, depending upon Revelations, and visions: amongst other things taught this, that in time of persecution their faith with perjury might be denied: saying. jura periura fidem prodere noli. Now surely if I might without offence compare your dealings with Basilides, it should be found little differing.  
12 You say that the same doctrine which the Martyrs taught in the primitive Church. H. N. teacheth now: but we plainly deny that ever any taught a perfection to be attained unto in this life, to live not daily committing sin: or that our battle is ended when we be regenerate: or that any H. N. hath received such power of teaching extraordinary, as you imagine. For we deny that he hath the spirit of god, and say that he teacheth méerè contrary doctrine unto the scriptures. It is therefore convenient that you show us where in you & we differ, in what points, & in what doctrine: and then we shall think that there is some show of good meaning in you: otherwise if you continued disslikers of our profession, and show us not wherein, but refer us to your author's books, we shall never found out the difference between us.  
13 In deed in your long discourse you have showed your disliking in one part of our doctrine, to wit, of predestination, which you impute to be the cause of the fullness of prisons in England, but before the doctrine was set forth, prisons have been full of lewd people, & such as regard no religion. Therefore you do not well to charge the doctrine of predestination with so foul a fault. Which doctrine standeth upon the omnipotency of God: so that they that acknowledge his almightiness, must of force grant his power in predestination and election. And although some stumble at the same yet the fault is not in the doctrine but in the people, who take it by that part which it is not to be held by. For as a sharp two edged sword being taken by the blade or point to defend a man, may as soon hurt himself as his enemy, even so who taketh the doctrine by such part as the holy scriptures have appointed, it will be to their comfort: otherwise it may hurt them. Many have written largely in that argument, whereunto hitherto few have replied. And if no other matter grieve your minds but this doctrine, I doubt not but reconciliation may easily be bad: but I am afraid our justification in Christ, our acknowledging ourselves to be sinners, our weakness in performing the law, is also some cause of dissension between you and us: which I would be glad to understand for my erudition.  
14 You say that H. N. exhorteth to true repentance, godly love, & upright faith, etc. If we did not the like we were impions hypocrites: but he you say doth it with power: which we would gladly feel.  
15 Our justification and redemption brag we never so much thereof (say you) helpeth not, except a regenerate life follow. We agree with you, that a regenerate life doth show a justified man, but maketh not a man just: For it is the fruit and not the root of our justification.  
16 But that you term our repentance, obedience, faith, love, etc. the upright baptism of the father, your meaning I am ignorant of. To take up in the belief our cross daily against sin, and this to be the true baptism of the son, as you say. And when Christ hath got in us a living form or shape by faith, and so be raised up in newness of life, this you call the true baptism in the holy ghost. All which I do acknowledge may have very apt application, so long as we imagine not a perfection to be wrought in us, as to be without sin. For to be like to Christ, or have his image, is to be understood, to be like minded to him who did not sin, but that privilege only pertaineth to him and not to us. For he is like to us in all thing, sin except: but this bar, sin, is the badge whereby his death and office worketh upon us to our salvation. And except we with all the Prophets, patriarchs, Apostles & other God's children (doing our best) still acknowledge ourselves sinners, I cannot see how Christ's death doth by any means pertain unto us. Gladly would I be resolved in this point.  
17 And now at this day we are called as you say, and might find much more rest if such enemies to all godliness as I am were not. This is very sharp judgement. Because I manifest your family, doth it follow that I am enemy to all godliness? Is there no godliness upon earth but among men of your profession only? Christ's household were very small then: and yet as I am an enemy to your doctrine, so your people I have not hated: For whom in their trouble I have sought delivery, and have known of your meetings if I had been enviously minded: but far be that from me.  
18 As for E. L. I protest unto you, even by the Lord, that he is utterly ignorant of any my doings, neither did I see him this year and half: yet did he participate to me of Christopher Vittals behaviour long ago. Now touching your free confession before all men out of the mouth of H. N. of your doctrine: certainly it is shadowed with such phrases and circumstances, that few can found any sense in his books, but many good words without conclusion, which should not be in the purity of a good cause.  
19 As for those prophetical speeches in the Apocalypse, of the white stone with a new name written therein, which none knoweth saving he that receiveth it, if this be H. N. as you would slily insinuate, tell us in plain terms. For your hidden mysteries will not longer serve.  
20 You ask what ministration was ever true which came not from God his own mouth, I answer as before, that there must be both an inward calling which is from God, & an outward calling from men. Now if H. N. or you will show us that he is called from God his own testimony is not sufficient, neither do his books manifest his calling. Therefore for the credit of his new doctrine, it is required that he work miracles: or else prove unto us that his doctrine is not disagréeing from the holy scriptures, and that substantially. If you would go plainly to work, and show unto us your authors doctrine by principles, & prove the same by holy scripture, surely I and others would conceive that upon some ground of good conscience you were severed in judgement from us. For so long as the matter remains hidden: men construe your doings worse peraduenthen it is: & it augmenteth suspicion, that being called to witness forth your doctrine, you are found so fearful and faint, that it showeth not a testimony of the spirit of God: For where the spirte of God rests, there is joined wisdom, audacity, constancy, truth and plain dealing.  
21 And where you hold it good policy to flee from one city to an other being sought for, I grant it to be reason: yet being called & brought before the magistrates, then fearfully or cowardly to faint, is mere impiety in a just cause. He that denieth me before men, I will etc. For either you utter such a confession as is held of us, and believed among us, or else veny your author and his doctrine utterly. Did the Martyrs in the primitive Church so? Did our brethren in Queen Mary's days so? Nay clean contrary: being called, they did boldly publish the truth of Christ with open and plain speeches, & did set down their faith in principles to the eyes of all men, and not keep it secret in corners.  
22 Assuredly if H. N. be a minister of the Lord, then have I much overshot myself, and if you can prove it to me, I shall gladly receive it, and will be ready to recant and call back all my words and ask mercy, in like form as you have prescribed: but hitherto as I am persuaded, and as my conscience beareth me witness, I have not in any point slandered you, nor of malice spoken any thing against you: for if I did know any nearer way to salvation then the which our saviour Christ hath taught in his Gospel, I would with all gréedenesse embrace it. And if I can understand that ever this your doctrine was taught publicly since christ our Lord his ascension, by any godly writer in Christ's Church, I will cease and subscribe unto you: otherwise blame me not though I continued in that mind, which the Lord in mercy by his Christ hath made manifest to me to my comfort. The God of mercy and consolation give you a right spirit to depend upon the purity of his word written by the holy Ghost, and not to depend upon the uncertainetie of man, giving testimony to himself: so shall both you and I be brought to see rightly into our weakness, & shall hear the joyful voice that Paul herded. My grace is sufficient for thee. For the Lords power & love is manifested & made known unto the world through our weakness, and all our righteousness is Sicut pannus menstrualis. God in mercy give us all his grace, that in seeking the true way that leadeth to life everlasting, we be not led into that by paths of error: but lead us and guide us O Lord, so shall we know thy ways aright, & embrace our saving health in Christ, declared to all nations. If it please you to reply I shall receive it thankfully.  
London the 12. of February. Your friend I R.   

A Letter of the Family to I R. written by E. R.  
M. Rogers, these are to signify untd you, that I have perused a book, whereof you are the author. In your preface you say, you have used this order, to set down the authors own speech, not adding or diminishing any thing, with the name of the book, Chapter, or folio. I do wish that your word and deed had agreed therein. I call to mind, that I have read many authors books within this 35. or 36. years, and among them all, I have not found any writer that hath taken such an order as you have done: for who so ever will writ, to confute an Author, he should set down the Authors own words, as they stand written in his books, and so to confute them by the Scriptures orderly, and not to take out, here some, and there some, and of divers sentences, and part of divers sentences, to make one sentence. You have added and diminished in divers places, (and to enlarge your book withal, you have set down the most part of the sentences in two places) as the reader's may perceive, if they do confer your book, with the Authors books, & w●y them with indifferency. I am fully persuaded, that the sober, discreet, wise, and godly learned, do, ne will not allow of it, that any Author should be so abused, as you have abused this Author, in wresting, belying, and perverting his writings. Salonton says. 
a Prou. 14 a  A false record will make a lie. 
b Prou. 19 a  A false witness shall not remain unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. I pray God open the eyes of your heart, that you may see your ignorance, and repent. You do ground one point of your matter upon Adrian Gisling, a man of credit (as you say) that he did read in a Duche book, entitled the Glass of righteousness, wherein the Author doth certify his Family of Love, that they must pass four most terrible castles, full of cumbersome enemies, before they come to the house of Love, the first is john Caluine, the second the Papists, the third Martin Luther, the fourth the Anabaptistes: how good of credit so ever Adrian Gisling is of, he hath not at any time read any such matter in any of that Authors books, (he might perhaps read of such matter, in some other book having that title.) I myself have read over divers of the books, and also the book called, the Glass of righteousness, of that Authors writing that you take your occasion against, and there is no such Castles written in any of his books, therefore Adrian Gisling is therein utterly deceived, and I do believe no less, but those other things that you have written upon report, against ● Author, to make him odious unto the people, is as contrary. I suppose you should have done well, if you had not come in with a flourish to attempt battle, and begin a skirmish against those that have no pleasure or delight in war or battle, but much rather do desire peace & unity. It is not reckoned for a manly part, that an armed soldier should take up weapon, and fight with a naked child. It is written, 
c 3. Reg. 20. b.  Let not him that putteth on his harness, boast himself, as he that putteth it off. If the little 
d 1. Reg. 17. f.  unarmed child David, do come to battle with his sling, and stones, one of the stones may happen to hit Golias in the forehead, be he never so well appointed for battle, and trusteth in his own strength. But what you have done, you can not undo, it is too far past your hands. And where you call in doubt that the family will carp (as you term it) at your book, and do offer, if they do answer it, a speedy reply will be performed, I for my part (I give GOD thanks) am not ignorant of the Land of strife and contention that you walk in (and as it appeareth, you have a pleasure therein) I have wandered up and down there overlong, and consumed much time there about, to my great grief and sorrow: for those that do love strife and contention, would have other like to themselves. S. Paul says, 
e 2. Tim. 2. d  The servants of the Lord must not strive. And Saint james says, 
f jam. 3. c.  If you have bitter envying and strife in you hearts, rejoice not, neither be liars against the truth: and then following, where envy and strife is, there is unstableness & all manner of evil works. In the Homily for whitsunday the second part, you may read this sentence. But to conclude and make an end, you shall briefly take this short lesson: where so ever you find the spirit of arrogancy and pride, the spirit of envy, hatred, contention, cruelty, murder, extortion, witchcraft, Necromancy, etc. assure yourselves, that there is the spirit of the devil, and not of GOD, albeit they pretend outwardly to the world never so much holiness. I have no desire, pleasure, nor delight, to carp at your book, nor to strive or contend with you, or any one, neither is there any other (who do desire peace and unity) that will have any delight or pleasure in strife and contention, but leave every one to the Lord. Solomon says, 
g Prou. 29. ●  The sin of the wicked is his own snare. Saint Paul says, 
h Gala. 6. ●.  Every man shall bear his own burden. And 
i Rom. 12. d.  Vengeance is mine, and I will recompense says the Lord, My hearty desire is of the Lord, that he will for his son jesus Christ's sake, be merciful unto us all, and forgive us all our sins, and pour into us his holy spirit, that we may learn of him, where he saith, 
k Matt. 11. d  Learn of me. for I am meek and lowly in heart. Saint Peter saith. 
l 1. Pet. 2. d.  Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an ensample. that we should follow his steps. And Christ saith, 
m Matt. 5. ●.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Again, 
n Luke. 6. c  Be ye merciful as your heavenly father is merciful. And further, 
o Matt. 7. b.  What so ever ye would that men should do to you, even so do to them, This is the laws and the Prophets. etc. Many other such fruitful and comfortable documents, we may read in the holy and sacred Scriptures▪ which being well considered of, we could not strive, contend, envy, belie, nor persecute one an other of us, for as much as we are all creatures of one Gods creation. It is written Malachi. 2. c. Have we not all one Father, hath not one God made us? Why doth every one of us then despise his own brother? S. Paul says, 
p Gala. 5. c.  Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. If you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be consumed one of an other. If any do err for a time, let every one whom God hath delivered out of error, do his best (according to the rule set down to us in the holy scriptures) to help the 
q Gala. 6. a. Ephes. 4. a.  burdened, 
Thess. 5. b.  
r Rom. 15. a.  frail, weak, and erring man, 
s jam. 5. d.  hoping upon the goodness of the Lord, and wait when the Lord of his mere goodness and mercy, will open the heart of the erring man: for those causes are between God and his creature, and God will be avenged on all such as wilfully & willingly do err, and have a pleasure to remain therein: but he will be merciful unto all those that have a desire to reture and seek him in true repentance. It is not Christian like, that one man should envy, bely, and persecute an other, for any cause touching conscience. William Tindale compareth them to Antichrists disciples, that do break up into the consciences of men, & compel them either to forswear themselves by the Almighty God, and by the holy Gospel of his merciful promises, or to testify against themselves. Again, he says, secret sins pertain to GOD to punish, and open sins, to the king. He says also, A Christian man hath Christ's spirit. Now is Christ a merciful king: if therefore thou be not merciful after the example of Christ, than hast thou not his spirit. If thou have not Christ's spirit, than art thou none of his. Romans 8. nor hast any part with him. If any man do willingly err, he shall have everlasting damnation for his reward at God's hand, unless he do earnestly repent. Is not that punishment sufficient which God hath ordained, but that one Christian must vex, torment, belie, and persecute an other? Solomon says, 
t Prou. 14. ●.  Without doubt they do err that imagine wickedness, the envious man, the liar, the persecuter of his poor brother, imagineth wickedness, & therefore he is not void of error. I have not read in any of the author's books, that he hath strived, envied, railed at, slandered, belied, or wished per secution to any man, or hath named contumeliously any man: but his writing & striving is against the nature of the sin, which hath born so long dominion in the man, etc. And where you take exception, as though the Author were against the learned in the Scripture, because he useth in divers places of his writings the false Scripture-learned. Answer. There is not any true meaning man, which readeth the scripture, that can of right take any exception thereat. Can any true, honest, or plain hearted man, be offended with any godly and learned Preacher, to hear him speak against, and rebuke murder, theft, adultery, covetousness, Idolatry, and such like? Are we not all scripture learned, that do read & talk of the scripture? Doth not every man approve his sect or opinion (as much as in him lieth) by the scripture? Doth not this author also approve the testimony of his writing by record of the scripture? He speaketh not against those that do desire to walk according to the counsel of the scripture, but against the false hearts of the scripture learned, that have more desire to be talkers thereof, then to do what the scripture requireth. An example: The Merchant that useth his trade in balance, weight, and measure, etc. according to the rule of the scripture (as you may read, Levi. 19 g. Deu. 25. c. Pro. 11. a. 16. b. 20. b. Eze. 45. c. and Miche. 6. c.) may well be taken for a true Merchant, but he that useth deceit, fraud, guile, etc. may be taken for a false Merchant, yet both are merchants. Our saviour Christ says, 
u Matt. 7. c.  Not all they that say Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth my father's will which is in heaven. 
x Luke. 11. c  Happy are they that hear the word of God and keep it. 
y john. 14. b  If you love me, keep my commandments. 
z Rom. 2. b.  Before God, they are not righteous which hear the law, but the doers of the law shall be justified. S. james accounteth him 
a james. 1. d  happy that is a doer of the work, and not a forgetful hearer: and see that you be doers of the word, and not hearers only. S. john says, 
b Apo. 22. d  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that their power may be in the tree of life, and may enter in through the gate into the city. The Preacher says, 
c Eccle. 12. ●  Let us hear the conclusion of all things: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that toucheth all men. Happily you may object (as some have done that I have communed with) and say, it is unpossible to do and keep the commandments. Answer. What the scriptures last before recited doth require, you have herded, and many more there might be alleged to the like effect, whereof I have here set down some for an ensample (if you please, you may examine them by the Scripture) as Exodus. 20. a. Leuit. 22. d. 26. a. Deut. 5. b. 10. c. 11. b. josu. 22. a. 3. Reg. 8. f. Psalm. 78. a. Proverb. 2. a. 3. a. 4. a. 7. a. 19 b. Ezech. 18. Ecclesiast. 2. c. Matth. 19 b. john. 15. b. 1. Corinth 7. d. 1. Timothy. 6. c. 1. joh. 3. d. 5. n. Apoca 12 d. etc. And S. Hierome says, Accursed be he which says, God commanded unpossible things. And again, he which says, that we can fulfil the commandments of God wout the grace of God, accursed be he. You say, no one man dare once open his mouth, or put pen to paper, to defend the author in England, but you are therein deceived, there be that hath done both, as some of your own familiar friends can testify: Nevertheless, the authors own writings are sufficient to answer for him, were they weighed in the balance of equity. You term the said Family simple: how much are they bond to laud the Lord, and to give him most high thanks and praise, that they are simple. Moses says, Num. 
d 11. g  Would God that all the lords people could prophesy, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them. So do I wish from the bottom of my heart, that all the lords people were simple, (concerning evil and malice) than strife, contention, envying, backbiting, lying, persecuting for conscience cause, theft▪ murder, whoredom, drunkenness, Idolatry, and such like, should not bear so great dominion as it doth. Is it an odious matter in your eyes to be simple? I pray you peruse well these few sentences of Scripture here following. 
e Psal. 19 b.  The testimony of the Lord is pure, and giveth wisdom to the simple. 
f Psal. 69. a.  God thou knowest my simpleness, my faults are not hide from thee. 
g Psa. 113. b  He taketh up the simple out of the dust, & lifteth the poor out of the mire. 
h Psal. 116. b  The Lord preserveth the simple. 
i Psal. 119. c  When thy word goeth forth, it giveth light and understanding even unto the simple. 
k Eccle. 9 d.  A simple man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not herded. 
l job. 24. c.  Timely in the morning do they arise to murder the simple and poor. 
m Zach. 9 b  Rejoice thou greatly O daughter Zion, be glad O daughter Jerusalem, for lo, thy King cometh unto thee, even the righteous and Saviour, lowly and simple is he. 
n Zach. 11. c.  The poor simple sheep, that had a respect unto me, knew thereby that it was the word of the Lord You say, the zeal of the lords house carried you so far, that you could not stay till you had published such matter as came to your hands, I for my part can not so conceive, that it was the lords zeal, for there could not any one deal in such sort, & use such spenches in writing as you have done, if he were carried by the zeal that the lord doth require. It may rather be gathered, that you had such a zeal as jesus the son of Syrach writeth of, where he says: 
o Eccl. 30. d  Zeal and anger shorten the days of life, and also, 
p Eccl. 40. ●  There is nothing but wrath, zeal, fearfulness, unquietness, fear of death, ' rigours, anger, and strife, etc. But my desire is of the Lord, that he would plant the true zeal in us all, and then the love (u3. to love God above all, and our neighbour as ourselves) should not be so despised and had in contempt with many as it is now in these days. You say that Sir William Moor, a worthy justice in Surrie, had the examination of one or two of the Family, who uttered much matter which you are loath to writ, and yet in the end of your book, you have set down the Articles that were confessed before Sir William Moor, the 28. of May, 1561. by two of the Family of Love. You would have it appear to the readers, as though there were two at one time before a worshipful justice of Peace, and one or two at an other time before Sir William Moor, and all those confessors were but two parties, and one matter as you well know, for you have, or have had, the written copy of the Articles, with the names of those two parties, that (as it is said) were the confessors of the said Articles before Sir William Moor, who was not at that time (u3. the 28, of May. 1561.) known or called by the name of Sir William Moor, for he was but an Esquire. What false and forged matter is set down in the said Articles, and that the confessors of them, are, nor never were of the Family of Love, I leave to the judgement of the same two parties, and of all those that have had, have, or shall have, the cause in question, and will consider of it with indifferency. Concerning the citizen your neighbour, whom you do so often name in your book, to discredit him as much as in you lieth (although you have n● just cause so to do, I leave to the judgement of all those discreet, wise, sober, and honest citizens his neighbours, who have had at any time to deal with him, there, or else where, and also to the discreet, wise, sober, virtuous, and godly learned, that have had at any time conference with him. I hope you will from hence forth, take heed how you m●ke any such attempts. to speak, or writ upon report, nor belie, wrist, ne pervert any authors writings, for 
q Apo. 21. c  liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. What Author hath written any book (if one should deal therewith as you have done with this Authors writing) but there might be found many faults etc. To me, as I suppose you are unknown, but if I should writ what I have herded of you, (and of Master Bateman your furtherer in this your attempt) upon report, happily you, nor he, would scarce take it in good part. It were good, and according to the rule of the holy Scripture, that all fault finders would first look into themselves, that it be not said, 
r Matt. 7. ●.  Hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thy own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pluck out the mo●e that is in thy brother's eye. etc. I have presumed to be so bold as to certify you my mind, touching a few points of your book, hoping not less but you will take this my simple, plain, and rude hand writing in good part (although it lack good Method) and do wish that my time of leisure would have permitted me, to certify you my mind in many other paints of your book, but for as much as my time will not serve thereto, I am constrained to hold myself contented. Thus M. Rogers I bid you farewell, wishing to you as to myself: & although there be many ways & paths walked in (of those that do travel in religion) ●reuer the right pathway be found, which is to follow Christ jesus our Saviour in his footsteps: yet I hope, our God will in the end, bring us all into the same right path, and that our sins shall be (by and through the death, passion, and bloodshedding of our Lord and saviour jesus Christ) done away, and be of the number of those that shall be set on the right hand, to whom our saviour jesus Christ, when he cometh in his glory, & all the holy Angels with him, shall say unto 
s Matt. 25. ●  Come you blessed children of my father inherit the kingdom, prepared for you from the beginning of the world etc. & to the end I might through the power of the lord, be one of the number of the elect, have I had my exercise in the Scriptures. And to the end that I might be furtherer in the understanding of the Scriptures, I have read divers Authors, who have set too their helping hand to the opening of the Scripture, so far forth as the Lord gave them understanding thereof, and although some have in divers points varied in judgement, (Solomon says, 
t Prou. ●7. c  divers men have divers hearts) that is God's work to revenge, or redress the same (according to his own will and pleasure) and not to man's. To the which kingdom the Lord bring us all, for his son our Lord jesus Christ's sake. Amen.  
Dat. decimo quinto die Decembris. An. Domi. 1578. Per me E. R.   

The answer of I R. to the letter of the Family of love written by E. R.  
I Received a letter from you touching my book, wherein you seem to be offended for divers matters: For answer whereof, I refer your in many things to my letter sent ad amatorem charitatis. You say that I take up weapon to fight with a naked child, and so sport yourself in amplifying the example of David and Goliath, but to any article of doctrine which I have charged you with all, there is no mention. It were convenient that you would prove unto us such points of doctrine as you hold contrary to us, and not to dally in frivolous and peerless matter. I have said that your author H. N. doth not speak nor writ by the spirit of God, that your illumined elders are not without sin, that the law of God is not possible to be kept, etc. Unto these matters you answer nothing, but blot much paper in néedeles probations. You give us a note that where the spirit of envy, pride, contention, cruelty, murder etc, is: there is the devil and not God. If I should now enlarge this matter and put it over unto you, you would think me uncharitable. For I grant it to be true, and the holy scripture is our ground, our line, our square, without any man's mixture, and if H. N. had never written, the scriptures are sufficient to us, and the church of Christ hath tasted sufficiently his mercy, without him: and you had been in much better case if he had never been born. For alas what doctrine do you hold, but that which many heretics have held, and have been condemned by the Church for the same? It is not Christianlike that one man should persecute an other for conscience sake you say: but doth it follow that heresies and blasphemies may be maintained and no man manifest the same? Let us leave wrangling and come to the truth: if you hold a truth (as I have often said) why is it hidden and kept secret? If we be in error, why do you not through love & charity manifest the same plainly unto us? your author's dark and ranging style (which you esteem mystical) doth not sufficiently declare any false doctrine we teach. If you strive for a godly and regenerate life, certainly we will with our whole hearts join with you: For we acknowledge that our bore confession of Christ with our mouths is not sufficient. Not every one that says Lord, Lord, etc. Yet may the devil under the outward cloak of holiness nourish in our hearts many false suggestions: there fore the Godly evermore have had an eye to satans deceit, and in humility of spirit have still bewailed the greatness of their sins, and acknowledged the same: which H. N. doth not in any books that I have read. For many standing upon the security of keeping Gods laws, have utterly deceived themselves. The Pharisies boasted of their holiness and the observation of the law, but Christ reproved them as ypocrits, the Manachits, the Donatists', the Marcionits, the Montanists, etc, have outwardly sought and prescribed to themselves straight rules and severe observances of piety, but yet maintained under the same blasphemous doctrine: and every heresy set out their holiness, & commended their patrons as men having the spirit of God mightily working with power. And do not you in like sort affirm H. N. to have the spirit of God, and to have published his doctrine with much more power than any in these latter days? Let us not strive for vain glory, heaping applications of holy scripture without conclusion, and so far from the purpose. Let us content ourselves with the glorious name to be called christians, and let this term Family of Love go as a new devised thing without warrant in holy scripture. The household of faith is mentioned of, but not love. Touching this point of doctrine, of the possiblitie of keeping the commandments, I know those places of scripture very well, and what God requireth: but our weakness in performing the same, appeareth Gen. 6. chapter, verse 5. job. 25. chapt. 5. vers. 4. Romans 4. chapter, 20 verse: but I delight not in many cotations, but how to purpose the holy scriptures are applied: therefore only I will give you to consider two places, the one of saint Paul in 11. Romans 32. verse. For God hath shut up all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all. Galathians 3. chapped. verse 22. but the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of jesus Christ should be given to them that believe. But before faith came we were under the law, until the faith should after be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith, but after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  
I pray you note how the holy Ghost teacheth us not to trust in the performance of the law: For it is such a burden as wenor our fathers were ever able to bear, but includeth us under sin and the curse of the law, that the blessings which by Christ's death we obtain through faith, we might notably become heirs by promise and not by the law. The Law therefore doth show our weakness, and sendeth us to Christ, who fulfilled it for us, and all his obedience and righteousness is ours, by imputation: & we by grace through faith are made heirs, and not by the deeds of the law: yet we reject it not, but with reverence and fear endeavour ourselves to perform in every point what it requireth, but still we feel our weakness in performing the same, and therefore flee unto Christ jesus in whom we find rest to our conscience, confessing our unableness and infirmity, finding in him strength and ability, which still by faith we apply to our troubled minds, when the justice of God or the law doth by any means threaten us. And this is our anchor hold of faith, manifested to us by the scriptures of God to our everlasting comfort. We are taught to say when we have done our best, Luk. 17. That we are unprofitable servants. Christ is said Act. 13. vers. 3. to deliver us from all things which we could not be justified by the law of Moses. By him every one that believeth is justified: for if salvation come by the law, Christ died in vain. For it standeth not with the glory of Christ jesus, that any such perfection should be given us, to keep the law. For if by our infirmity the strength of Christ be made perfect. Cor. Chap. 12. so contrary wise by our perfection Christ's death and passion is impaired and lessened. Look therefore into Christ's office with a right spirit, and you shall see plainly in him the Law to be fulfilled for us, so that what he hath fulfilled, that have we full filled: for it is made ours by grace, otherwise we cannot keep the law but by Christ, neither are you able to show us any example that any patriarchs, Prophets, or Apostles that ever were, did ever keep the law of God in every point as good requireth.  
Now touching the authority of S. jerome: I answer by jerome: who writing against Pellagius, doth show two manner of perfections, the one to be agreeable to the virtues of God which is void of all sin, and here one earth declared in the person of Christ: the other which agreth with our frailty & is not pure from sin: which argueth an impossibility to fulfil the law, otherwise then in the person of Christ. And in deed almighty God did not command impossible things, for somuch as Christ being perfect man, fulfilled the law for us, which utterly declareth our weakness & inability to perform the same. For if by any other means the wrath of God could have been pacified, or his law satisfied, Christ his only son our blessed saviour and redeemer had not needed to have been incarnate & to become man, to work this great effect for us. And surely they the acknowledge our ability in performing the law, do mightily shake the office & death of Christ our Lord, & leave in our conscience such a clog as is hardly removed. David demandeth Who can say my heart is clean? again, God looked down from heaven among the sons of men: and there was not one righteous, not not one. Many of the fathers did see our impossibility in performing the law, & therefore Austen says, all the commandments of God are accounted to be done, when that is pardoned which is undone. To conclude, almighty god never giveth such grace to any his children absolutely to fulfil his law, but only to Christ: & by him is that performed. It is no derogation to our God in giving a law which we cannot perform, but commendation in saving & delivering us from the law, notwithstanding our weakness in performing the same. And if we did right lie examine ourselves, our own conscience doth well verify the same: but sathan is an enemy heretoo, the he might by pride puff up our minds with a vain imagination the we are able to do & perform the which God in his law requireth, & so to persuade our minds thereby the Christ's death doth smally avail or help us here in. But of this argument this is sufficient, the Godly & learned are able to say much more, if you require herein to be satisfied. The Lord direct our minds into the way of truth, & let thy people Olord not be led into error by satans practice. Then Lord give us all humble minds. Amen. This answer is to E. R.  
Your friend I R.   

another letter of the family, containing a Reply to the answer of I R. to their first letter.  
WE have received a Letter from you (master Rogers) dated the 29 of januarie, as an answer to a former letter which came to your hands, wherein you say, was many invectives against your book, as also very many contumelious and slanderous speeches, touching your honesty, etc. whereunto we answer briefly: he is honest that honestly doth. But we use no disdainful speeches savouring of envy and not of love, like as you unrightly report of us. we charge you not, but we say your allegation concerning Christopher Victual is untrue, as my lord of Caunterburie that now is can witness: and therefore (say we) look well to your weights, measures and wares, from henceforth. The contents of your book disquieteth not our mood: your cause is surely dishonest, then what honesty (we ask) can proceed thereout? but yet (we hope) you have done it all out of ignorance, and therefore worthy of less reprehension. And in that you have reprehended the love of God and Christ, we have not therein mystaken you at all: for were the love of God and Christ manifested in you (like as you say it is unto you) then could you not verily have (so impudently in the face of all the world▪) belied and slandered your poor neighbours, as you have done, who never did you harm. You say, if we were of God and Christ's household, you and we were fellows, and you would embrace us: but you call us strangers of the household, and as strangers lurk in corners, etc. we answer, of such an household as you have challenged to yourselves we are strangers, and the fear of your rigorous dealings, hath in deed made some of us to fly & lurk in corners. we say still your foundation is against one H. N. whom you never knew nor rightly understood of: and you answer that his doctrine is not unknown unto you, whose books you have to show. We wish it were even so. And whereas the name of Christ is shadowed by two carecters A. O. even so we have herded, that there is some meaning, more than you or we can well tell, in these two carecters H. N. Notwithstanding if any man become so captious, as to gather and report thereupon, that we should therefore deny any outward man or creature, he doth not only mistake us, but also (in reporting the same again to others) slander us therein very much. You say, you have truly set down the same man's life, not hear-sayes, but the truth, etc. whom yet you confess you never knew, than it can be nothing but hearesayes that you writ. And you say that the reporters are honest and of Christ's church. To which we say again, that those of Christ's church occupy not their mouths with untruths, albeit then they stand never so well liked of you or any other, for we know that they say not truly. And whereas we have set down the true principles of our faith and religion in a brief rehearsal, (which you confess to be sound and good:) yet (because that agreeth not to your mind, in that we confess not somewhat therein whereby you might have your slanders verified against us, which you look for, by our own confession) it is you say plausible and mockery. See into your disposition, if we would accuse ourselves (albeit falsely) with any matter, that you accept gladly: but if we in truth & simpleness answer for ourselves, that you reject utterly. O what nature (that good is) would so seek to hurt his brethren. And further you say, that the auctor of those books termeth you a devilish Synagogue or school, and that you are not the church, but an harlot, and if you and we (say you) profess one baptism, one Christ, one faith, etc. why are we scuered in communion? Of this matter, we will speak here following. And where you say that certain of our family have been convinced, subscribed, and recanted, and have promised nevermore to profess H. N. nor his doctrine, and yet have turned to the same again: we do not deny but that some have been constrained so to do, and that it is no plain dealing. And I pray you tell me, hath the like matter ever been herded of ere this tune, that simple men, who can scarcely read English, because they have read a book, or herded it read, should be compelled to yield an account of the spirit of the author that written the same? I think not: except you will allow by like reason, that every simple man that heareth a doctor preach, should be compelled to deliver forth all his divinity, or else to be committed to strait prison. Learned men dispute with the learned: & it hath ever yet sufficed among God's ministers, a simple person to yield an account of his belief simply etc. were not think you plainer dealing better? you say that we use the property of the Cuttell etc. Do you not remember that the fleshly minded jews, could not see their Saviour when he was daily among them, & yet they boasted very stoutly of their sight, and would not in any case confess their blindness? We stand not upon our tiptoes, (as you say) but we daily acknowledge our blindness, and wait upon the Lord for our sight. We say not that you are in error, but we say, that we have (through that sinful nature of the flesh, that earthly lying being, which hath wrought that disobedience in Adam, where through we are all fallen) been bewrapped in all ignorance and blindness, and for that cause are not ashamed to confess our error. We will not go about to convince you by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures, for that lieth not in our power, neither were we so dealt withal. It is the Lord (by his grace) that hath convinced us, and brought us under his cross▪ if he also convince you, then are you rightly convinced, and so the praise thereof appertaineth only unto him. And whereas you desire to know wherein you have mistaken the author, to that we say, that you have not set down any whole sentence, but patched & peeced the same without all order, contrary to your promise. For you say, you will not add nor diminish, but set down the author's words word for word: which you have done, even as one may take the ten commandments and leave out some words, & thereby say that God commanded such things: as for example. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery, etc. Leave out none & not, and then what is the commandment? If this be good dealing, than you have dealt well: let all men judge. You say moreover, you took not upon you to writ against any one book, but to display the absurdities you found in the authors doctrine, which we shall find performed ere it be long by master Knewstub: who (as we suppose) shall display himself therein, even like as you have in your book displayed yourself and your adherents. You say we apply this text, My kingdom is not of this world, etc. very fond: we take his kingdom not to be outward, but inward, uz. peace, righteousness, and joy in the spirit, which things the world is ignorant of (you may expound it at your pleasure) though we expressed our mind therein in plain dealing, might it please you so to take it. You say moreover, you know that Christ reigneth in his Church, but who are the church is the question. In deed master Rogers, you say very well: and now give us leave to use plain dealing with you, lest otherwise we might hap to slander or belie you. In your book, one leaf before your admonition to Christopher Victual, these be your own words.  
How H. N. judgeth of us, because we acknowledge ourselves to be of the Church of Christ.  
For that cause, if thou now account not thy 
prophesy. 11. fol. 27.  self for an whore, but esteemest thyself for the faithful espoused wife of Christ, etc.  
And now (for as much as we use not, neither are so taught, in the service of love to judge rashly or unadvisedly of any people, to their reproach, like as you have done of us) let us entreat you, to read in the book (called The prophesy of the spirit of love) the tenth Chapter, sect. 12. 13. 14. and in the 11. & 12. Chapters throughout, and then see (with an unpartial eye) what manner of Church that it is which he doth there reprove, & you shall find it in deed to be that fleshly & wicked nature, that lying being, which spareth not (with his earthly knowledge) to set itself to judgement, and to give sentence of the godly matters: which he calleth a false seed, an adulterous generation of the earthly man, which hath inhabited the earth with unrighteousness, judged it falsely with her lies, seduced the simple, oppressed the little one's, murdered the holy one's of God, and spylt the innocent blood on the earth. He calls it moreover, a bronde of the venomous Dragon (yea, of the devil, and of the earthly lying generation) which is begotten of the seed of the Serpent and viperous generation, which hath always been a false and a wicked whore upon the earth, etc. which church you now do challenge to yourselves, and acknowledge yourselves as members of the same, even like as we (in times past) have also done. Which thing (so soon as the Lord let us see into, then fallen we down before the Lord, and shamed not to confess our faults before him, as that we had overlong taken part with that whoorishe nature of the earthly, fleshly, and sinful being, whom we do now (by God's grace) utterly abhor, hoping daily (by the might of Christ jesus our Lord) to see her filthy nakedness (in us, and in many) disclosed, abhorred, and rejected for ever more.  
You desire to know of us, the difference betwixt you and us: Can any man tell it more plainly, than you (in your words) have here manifested the same? Consider advisedly of it: so shall you not need (henceforth) to demand of us any further resolution in that point, but must of necessity (if you do well) fall down before the Lord, and cry with us: Peccavimus cum patribus nostris, injust egimus, iniquitatem fecimus. You charge us unjustly with the error of Basilides, as though we were forswearers of ourselves, whereas yet (notwithstanding) there hath never been proved any such matter against any of that company, or in any of all that author's works: which may well suffice to stop your mouth, if truth will serve to answer you. And yet I remember that Tindall a learned man, and writer, in his book of Obedience writeth these words: Break not up into the consciences of men, after the example of Antichristes disciples, which compel them, either to forswear themselves, by the Almighty God, and by the holy Gospel of his merciful promises, or to testify against themselves, which abomination our prelate's learned of Caypha●. Math. 26. saying: I adjure and charge thee in the name of the living God, whether thou be Christ the son of God, etc. Let that which is secret to God only, whereof no proof can be made, nor lawful witness brought, abide to the coming of the Lord, which shall open all the secrets etc. which council, if you now followed, poor men might enjoy liberty of good conscience without such stretching and straining as is now used. You also deny that ever any in the primitive Church taught a perfection to be attained in this life: whereat we much marvel: for that we know assuredly, that the Apostles taught the perfection to be attained in this life, of all, and among all, that could believe, and stood good willing thereto: and so have all that hath since taught Christ jesus, who is the perfection of all the works of God.  
Is not this much ignorance, that we who acknowledge (as we say) Christ jesus▪ should deny his perfection? But it seemeth we look not for his shape to be wrought in us, as the Scriptures require. Paul to the Corinthians. 1. 13. Chapter. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is unperfect shallbe done away, etc. You must agreed with us, that all the holy one's from the beginning have taught us to leave sin, and surely that doctrine liketh us best. But all your citations are to defend and maintain the sin, which seemeth to like you best. For surely it were well that all true Christians should rather take part with righteousness, then be such advocates for the sin, as most men be at these days. Now further it seemeth most strange unto us, where you also say you know not what we mean concerning our confession, made in our said letters, as concerning our true baptism, In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and of God the holy Ghost, which is the taking up of our cross, and right direction unto Christ: who having then got in us a living shape, confirmeth us, through his holy spirit, in an assured hope of his promises, in the resurrection, and in the everlasting life, (yet as you grant, it may have an apt application) we see not any other way to possess the kingdom of heaven: & the whole new & estament is full giving witness there unto. But if you have found out any easier way thereto, so are not we therein against you: which till you can let ds perceive and feel, we pray you to suffer us in rest by you, in this our foolishness (as we do you) unhindered, unmolested, and unslaundered etc. we also say not (as you imagine) that our battle is ended when we are regenerate: but we say, that Christ jesus (that man of God from heaven, which is born of God, and in whom the seed of God remains, and therefore sinneth not) he hath the power to subdue his enemies & end the battle in us. Where you also say that H. N. hath not the spirit of God, & say moreover, that he teacheth mere contrary doctrine to the Scriptures, you have therein (think we) entered very far into God's secrets, judging also greatly of yourself therein: for it is now adays a common thing that every man can say, show me a good man, when as in deed in their beholding none is better than themselves, & therefore cannot believe that god hath such work with any man, as to bring any goodness more (than they have) to any other. And further we know, that with what mind a man beholdeth another, in such form he appeareth whom he beholdeth: for a mind of envy cannot discern any pattern of Love, no more than a black Moor looking in a glass, can see his face altered into white colour, etc. And as for difference which you demand to know between you and us, we have fully answered you before, by your own words. Now for our mind concerning God's predestination, take us not therein so short, for we allow of it simply and reverently, in his kind: and yet further also, even as the holy Scriptures allow the same: but we like not to contend therein, nor desperately to seek liberty of life thereby, neither foolishly to search for things therein above our capacities. It seemeth also in your letters that you fear our minds stand not to agreed with you, in your justification by Christ: in your acknowledging yourselves to be sinners: in your weakness in performing the law: and that we sever us from you therein: wherein you are too much deceived: for we acknowledge our justification to be had by none other means, but alone in, by, and through the death, passion, & resurrection of jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour: we daily confess ourselves to he most miserable sinners, and of ourselves altogether unable to perform the law: and therefore we acknowledge and steadfastly believe the only possibility to consist in the Lord our God, through jesus Christ our righteousness, and wait for the same: whatsoever you or any other say of us to the contrary. You say further, to be like unto Christ, or to have his Image, is to be understood, to be like minded unto him, who did not sin, but that privilege (say you) only appertaineth to him, and not to us: then in vain (as it seemeth by your words) was this written unto the congregations: Let the same mind be in you, that was in Christ jesus, etc. But as we have said, the power thereto is not in us, but in him. But you take part overmuch with the sin (as we think) and we overmuch with the righteousness (as you think.) And because we are enemies to our uttermost through the might of Christ against the sin, you unjustly imagine therefore of us, as that we (of our own power, without Christ) meaned to subdue the same: but far be that from our thoughts: and surely, who so sayeth so of us, slandereth us much. Now further you say you are not enemy to our people, which we would be glad to see, (for we are taught to forsake that false sinful nature of the devil, that contrary nature to God, and to grow into that good lovely being of God and Christ in the spirit) whereby we see no cause you should be enemy to so good doctrine neither. And as for Edmund L. you confess as much of him as we charged you with. Further you say, we slily mean H. N. by the white stone spoken of in the apocalypse. But understand, we mean (as the text importeth) by all such as overcome in that battle, and not by any one particularly. But thus much for certain note well, such as have no lust to overcome (in the cross of Christ) that earthly sinful nature, but have much more lust to take part therewith, and yet notwithstanding do claim a freedom with Gods holy one's, in jesus Christ, in an vnrenewed mind, know nothing thereof: for it is written, no man knoweth that new name save alone he that receiveth it, boast he never so much of his knowledge.  
Therefore to conclude, for our true principles we refer you to the brief rehearsal, and for any other difference to these premises and all other doubts, we have sufficiently resolved you (as we think) in plain speech out of hearty love. Let this therefore suffice for an answer at this time. The Lord for his mercy grant you and us all, inclined hearts to do his will (but first to leave our own will) and to endeavour us (with all the elect of God and Christ) to the renovation in the spirit. uz. that we all (in one heart of godly love) might, as living stones, be fast couched, or coupled together in jesus Christ, to an holy house, temple, or family of Love or of God, in as much as God is Love: and not any longer to strive, but much rather, as servants of the Lord, in all meekemindednesse, to humble our souls under this his great grace, love, and mercy, whereunto we all are so lovingly called, and warned by him and his holy Gospel, in the ministration of the love, in the last time. Amen.  
This answer is to your first Letter.  
Your lovers and friends. F. L.   

The answer of I R. to the reply of the Family of Love.  
BY perusing of your reply to my first answer, I perceive that our conference is to small purpose, for that you continued still of the same mind you were, and your crabbed & slanderous words towards me is nothing impaired, with your smooth answer, saying, we charge you not with weights, wares, etc. If you of purpose had not charged me here with, what needed any mention of such slanders? but as in other things, so in this you bewray your stomachs and of what spirit you are. You take witness My Lord of Canterbury, whose mind concerning your great Rabbi Victual, is known to many. You affirm the cause I take in hand is surely dishonest. The cause is Christ's, whose office and death is impaired and made of no effect by your doctrine of perfection, and shadowed by H. N. so darkly, that the children of GOD abiding in the unity of his Church, do greatly lament your folly. You say I have belied and slandered my poor neighbours impudently, and yet you show no matter wherein: only you find fault with unorderly setting down your Authors speech. No man can keep order with him that is without order. Of adding & diminishing you often charge me and show not in what place nor in what sentence. I will not use your unhonest terms of impudency: but surely you deal in this case as the Papists are wont to charge the doctrine of Christ's Gospel, which we profess: that it breedeth sedition, that it pulleth Princes out of their seats, openeth a gap to liberty, etc. which how truly these are imputed, the eyes of all do at the last behold. The fear of our rigorous dealing forceth you to lurk in corners, you say: what rigour I pray you was ever showed either to you or your companions the Papists for their conscience? Imprisonment you would say, upon submission, which is no rigour. Of such an household as we have challenged to ourselves (you say) you are strangers: we confess ourselves to be of no other household then of Christ's, staying upon the purity of his word: if you will be strangers from the same willingly, it is great pity. You had rather follow H. N. then Christ, and yet confess that H. N. signifieth not any man's name, but hath some other meaning which you ne we can tell. What a lamentable case is this, that men having any sense or understanding, would credit such uncertain ways, to follow an Author & doctrine so eagerly: and yet confess you are ignorant who he is, or what he is. As for your confession published, (as I said) it is a mockery: for it is sound and agreeing to us. Why halt you so cunningly? Why will you dance in a net and not be seen? Do you in your confession impugn the doctrine of predestination, or the possibility of the law, etc. or do you once mention the same therein, and yet in your letters you show your disliking of such doctrine, terming it licentious? Is not this deep dissembling, and yet call it plain dealing? I would not have you accuse yourselves as you unjustly charge me, but use a simple and plain truth, and show your minds truly, and not hide it craftily, and set down points of doctrine agreeable with us, and say it is your confession of faith, where you conceal the chief matters in variance between us. O when will you deal plainly? a wicked doctrine requireth shifts and delays, but truth openeth herself plainly to all in the day light. And for your weaklings which have recanted, you say they were such as could scarcely read English. You forget yourself very much: was Sharp and his company which recanted at the cross, were they such (as you would bear us in hand) simple? Sharp was a teacher, and others that I could name were not of the lest account among you: yet to help their weakness you call them simple men, etc. I know that some of them have followed the doctrine, of H. N. these 18. years: I take you not to be so old a scholar in the Family. You say you will not convince us by the testimonies of the scriptures, for it lieth not in your power, neither were you so dealt withal. Surely this is very strange. It is the Lord that hath convinced you, and brought you under his Cross: but I pray you came this to pass by revelation or by man's ministry? If man was the minister, you would have us believe that H. N. was he: but it appeareth not that you are under Christ's Cross: for in patience he suffered all wrongs, and there was no deceit nor guile found in his mouth. He commanded his doctrine to be published to all the world, not in corners, but on the house top: not faintly and fearfully, but boldly and courageously: he suffered contumelious speech and slanderous, but you do use speech of slander and disdain as appeareth: so that you have not learned Christ's cross, but H. N. his cross. As for Master Knewstubs doings, (as yet not exstant) you rashly and foolishly cavil at him before you hear him, and condemn his doings before you see them, and say that he will display himself even as I have done. This is impudency in the highest degree, to judge and condemn a man before he be herded what he can say: this doth bewray of what mind and spirit you are. What conference can do you good? It seemeth your heart is hardened with the riddles of H. N. that so make yourselves known to all God's children: it had been more agreeable to the spirit of God, to have suspended judgement until the work had been seen. My adherentes in diriston you often name, I tell you truly that the church of Christ jesus are those adherents: for I maintain no other doctrine then the which in Christ's Church by public authority is taught and preached: put up your deriding terms, for they best become yourselves.  
Now touching the Church, you allege H. N. in diverse places of his prophesy, to say that that fleshly and wicked nature, that lying being, that hath oppressed the little one's, murdered the holyones, and spilled innocent blood on the earth, which hath been a wicked whore upon earth etc: who would ever judge H. N. by these words to mean our corrupt & wicked nature, & not rather a congregation or society of men, persecuting the just: for how can our wicked nature be said to persecute, to murder, & to spill blood, when this is done by the whole power, knowledge, and consent of men? The wicked nature of man can never be properly termed or called a whore. And as I have collected it, to be spoken against the Church of Christ which we profess, and you to be those holiones persecuted: So in my judgement herein I have not falsified, corrupted, nor maliciously slandered your Author as you have collected of me. You say we challenge ourselves to be of the persecuting Church, and so yourselves have been in times past: but now the Lord hath made you see, and you are ashamed of that whorish nature, and you abhor her, & hope by Christ's might not only in you to be disclosed, but abhorred & rejected for evermore. If this be spoken of our wicked nature, can you reject it? can you cast it of for ever? We rather by the scriptures affirm that we may keep it under, & not to reign in us or bear rule in us, or have dominion over us: but utterly to quench sin, or reject it for ever, the holy Ghost teacheth us not. Whosoever hath been rightly schooled in Christ's Church, can by experience tell you, that to keep under sin, by grace we may: but to extinguish the motions we can not: and all those places of holy scripture which tend to the abolishing of sin, are rather as marks to aim at or level at, then to hit the prick of perfection, which shall never be in this life▪ You marvel notwithstanding.  
Touching Christ's perfection we doubt not, but steadfastly believe he was and is perfect and hath fulfilled for us all the law which God required of us, perfectly, but we utterly deny this to be wrought as you affirm in us: For neither doth he work this perfection in us, nor by us, but merely without us: & in deed this is a principal difference between you and us, and I doubt not but touching this argument you shall hear more hereafter. It blemisheth over much Christ's triumph over death and hell, if we shall also triumph by strength in him. Our triumph standeth not in doing, but in believing in him which did. The glory of Christ jesus his office and death is by this doctrines impaired, darkened and shadowed, (as I have often said) therefore better consider of it, it savoureth to much of presumption and pride, attributing that to be wrought in us which is not: and mightily herein you deceive yourselves and others. His shape to be wrought in us, you affirm Paul Cor. 1. 13. When that which is perfect is come, than that which is unperfect shall be done away. but this shall not be until mortality shall put on immortality, and corruption incorruption. In the same chapter 4. lines after the place recited there shall you found S. Paul opening his meaning more fully when that perfection shallbe wrought. Saying Cor. 1 Cha▪ 13. ver. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then shall we see face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know as I am known etc. doth not S. Paul plainly mean that this perfection shall not be brought to pass in this life, but in the life to come? Who hath eyes to see and beholdeth not these things? You affirm us to maintain sin, and that we are advocates for sin, & you take part with righteousness: but with more modesty you might say, that we acknowledge with the Scriptures, that sin is still lurking in us, against which we have daily fight and combat, notwithstanding our election and redemption, and you affirm a perfection to be wrought in us by Christ which the scriptures allow not. That christ is able to work such a work in us we deny not: for all things are to him possible, but it is said, Omnia quod voluit fecit in celo & in terra: He doth all things that he will in heaven & in earth: but that it standeth with his will revealed in the scriptures, we deny. We are no mainteners' of sin, we are humble acknowlegers of our sins & imperfections. You mention often that Christ must have in us a living shape: by shape, if you mean a perfect form, than we deny any such shape or form to be in us: but if you mean, by shape, to be like minded to him, therein we agree with you, as the scriptures teach. But herein we affirm, that as it standeth with the weak condition of a mortal creature to be like that excellent creator of heaven and earth, or like minded, so our humane frailty must strive to attain as near the prick as standeth with his good will and pleasure to grant us. You pray us to suffer you in rest with your foolishness. I would you thought as you speak: but your words are Ironia: for you account it high wisdom, although you term it foolishness. Your disquietness I never sought, it is your amendment: it is your conversion from H. N. to Christ jesus that I seek to bring you to.  
In the matter of predestination you desire not to be taken so short, for you say you allow it simply and reverently in his kind: you like not to contend therein, nor desperately to seek liberty thereby: yet I will put you in mind what you yourself have spoken thereof in your first letter, saying: your licentious doctrine of predestination and free election, which is the cause of the fullness of prisons in England this day. Now see how you agree with yourself: if you have better considered the matter, I would be glad, and give the Lord hearty thanks, but if herein you speak (as your manner is) sometime affirming, sometime denying, than we say you are unstable and wavering in your ways. Now, whereas I affirmed to be without sin is a privilege belonging only to Christ jesus our Lord: you say if the case be so, then in vain was this written unto the congregations. Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ jesus, etc. You further say we charge you that by your own power without Christ this is brought to pass, that sin is subdued in you: but we tell you plainly, that this perfection that you speak of, nor such a subduing of sin as you mean, is not wrought in us, neither standeth it with Christ's good will to work the same so effectually as you imagine.  
Sin is kept under, and hath not dominion in us, it reigneth not in us, we are not servants to sin, this the scriptures teach in many places: but that we shall quench it utterly or subdue if, with all the motions thereof, the scriptures teach us no such doctrine, being rightly understood. Look I pray you, what that holy vessel saint Paul spoke of himself after he was regenerate, Romans 7. verse 14. I am carnal sold under sin, for I allow not that which I do. For what I would that do I not, but what I hate that do I It is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Again verse 23. I delight in the law of God concerning the inward man, but I see an other law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me captive unto the law of sin which is in my members.  
When he entered far into the consideration of this his frailty he exclaimed & said, verse 24. A wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And in these extreme considerations and battle which we have with sin continually (even until death make an end) saint Paul by the spirit of God doth plainly arm God's children, and showeth the remedy in like conflicts, saying: I thank god through jesus Christ our Lord etc, this is brought to pass by him that sin is not imputed unto us. But as David said: Blessed is the man whose sins are covered: And this is wrought only without us, & not in us, as you imagine. So that our battle is continual and never ended in us, until we be dissolved and at rest with Christ jesus, contrary to your assertion. You see no cause (you say) that we should be enemies to so good a doctrine as you profess. If your doctrine were good and agreeable to the holy scriptures, we would embrace it: but because it is contrary there unto, we reject it. To forsake that false sinful nature, with you we simply agree: but with the Poet we say, Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret. To be at defiance there with, and bid battle against it we agree: but to conquer it, to kill it, or subdue it utterly in this life, that we deny. That God can do this by his power in us we deny not, but that he will do it in us, (as you affirm) the scriptures allow not of. For it standeth not with the glorious office of Christ jesus, that such perfection and such a conquest of sin should be wrought in us, but that we feeling our miseries, our wants, our weaknesses, might sue by petition in earnest prayer, for strength, for mercy, for delivery: which all the Godly in Christ his church have ever done. For we are never nearer unto our God, nor never more accepted with him, then when we feel sin as a burden or load lie heavily upon us: nor never further of, then when by illusion of satans persuasion, we imagine sin to be quenched or conquered. All such as overcome in the battle (you say) shall know the name written in the white stone mentioned by john. You say further that such as have no lust to overcome that earthly sinful nature, but have more lust to take part therewith, know nothing thereof: although they boast of their knowledge or freedom never so much. This knowledge therefore you would conclude to be in you and not in us. Your knowledge we envy not, nor your seeking to serve the Lord uprightly: For our whole care, study, & mind is bend to do the same: and we pray you heartily to join yourselves to us, that you and we may serve the Lord our God as he hath commanded, and not H. N. and his precepts. Look into the holy books of our God, and deal not with the dark riddles of H. N. Set not up his books in your minds so highly. The Scriptures are our comfort and our stay, without H. N. He exerciseth a great Popedom among you. You had rather speak and use his phrases, not found in holy scripture, then content yourself with the phrases of the holy Ghost. You often mention these terms, the lying being, the upright freedom, Godded with God, the newest day, the lovely being of the love, etc. Are these to be found in the holy Scripture? or are they not devised by H. N. to bring admiration to his doctrine, by strange and unaccustomed speech? If the love of God be in you, (as you would have us believe it is) love the Lord jesus and his holy word, and let H. N. with new terms and phrases go? Believe not that God hath wrought in him any such a work as you pretend: examine his doings and sayings better: you will credit nothing that is spoken against him be it never so true, you except it as lies and heresies, what soever testimony his neighbours & famyliers who knew him long, upon their oath shall affirm: but according to your conceived opinion, you like him, you embrace him, you only credit his testimonies, disliking others: which if you continued, as you begin, there is neither hope, nor help, nor conference that can do you good, until the Lord shake away the mist of darkness which over shadoweth your eyes, through the doctrine of H. N. that you cannot behold the bright beams of Christ his glorious gospel.  
Your author's doctrine is not sufficiently known unto some of you, the fragments whereof you are but meanly acquitted with: the secret part of his purpose I doubt as yet is not extant, and more of his works are abroad then are come to your hands: therefore for the love of God look better into his mind, and credit not his bore sayings without warrant of holy scripture, neither believe that almighty God hath wrought in him any such extraordinary power as is imagined. The cause the moved me to writ these things is, a little book came to my hands of late, called Man's falling away, his coming again and Lordlynesse. In the first section you shall find this written word for word: H. N. his words. 
Sect. 1   
See and mark you beloved, in the beginning when god made all things well, then was the Lord one Lord of his kingdom, and one God of his works: there was also no more but one God and one man, and they were one, and had in all one order, being, and nature: for God was all that the man was, and man was all that God was.  
Beloved, when God looked on the 
Sect. 2.  man which he had made according to the like being of his godhead, than looked he upon himself, as the same clearness of his living godhead.  
Likewise when the man looked upon 
Sect. 6.  his God, his ientle, clean, & unspotted manhood, in all full comeliness, in all honesty, & fairness, in all fashion and being, according to the same Godhead, so this was all one God & the man. I pray you look into this doctrine which your Author H. N. teacheth: examine it by thy holy scriptures, and judge rightly therein, whether this can by any colour of speech be qualified or expoundedsoundly, or christianly: if you have not this book among you, I shall be content to send you either the book or the copy thereof, that you may examine your Authors doctrine better. For in my opinion this is blasphemy. And where you say that the world shall know ere it belong, what your meaning is therein I am uncertain: except you would that these our conferences should be published, which if it be your mind, sand me word, for I am not ashamed of any thing that I have written, and then let the children of God in the world judge where truth and plain dealing is: then shall appear the difference of doctrine between us. The Lord work his will in us, that in all our actions we seek his glory and not our own praise. Amen.  
The 16. of March. 1578. Your friend. I R.   

A brief Apology to the displaying of the Family.  
IT doth appear by reading of these discourses, that in the family there are some, who to defend their author and his doctrine have used some diligence: what clamours they have uttered against me doth appear: how often they have charged me with falcifying their Authors sayings is manifest: how they do discredit such testimony as is produced against H. N. (of such as known the man long, and were his familiars) is showed. What untruths, what slanderous speeches, what raylinge words, what caviling, what wrangling, which doth bewray the family of what spirit they are, and with what spirit they are guided. Many frivolous matters I have not touched, as not worth answer: and many things are but slenderly handled, as the nature of a private letter, (which requireth briefenes) will permit. Of all which falsefying and perverting of their author, only they show one place, wherein I collect that H. N. speaketh against the Church, which he termeth a whore: which they affirm is spoken against the wicked nature of man. But whither of us more truly have showed the true sense of the words, judge I pray thee. How they term us free one's & libertines: how they call the doctrine of predestination licentious: how they impunge the confidence we have in Christ's death, calling it our brag: how they affirm the Law possible to be kept: and many other such matters, doth manifestly by reding these letters appear. Whereby the godly Christian, may as time & occasion shall serve (having conference with any in the family) see in what matters these men are captived, & so to endeavour to heal the sore, now the wound is opened.  
And where as I protested in my preface that I have dealt truly and faithfully, not maliciously and corruptly, as I am accused: For further proof hereof I will briefly declare my evidence, that the world may see the exclamations they make are frivolous cavils. Touching the story of David George▪ it is published by the university of Basill, in print, out of which I have collected the story truly. For H. N. as before I have showed, the testimony of his neighbours I have to show, being a live, and of honest credit in the Dutch Church. For their doings in Munster, I have showed my opinion, and the reasons that moved me so to think. Also the articles which they published, what coherence & agreement they have with the Family, and how the Anabaptistes hold none of the same. Although I know that Martin Luther, john Sleydan, and others do call them generally Anabaptists, I have declared the reasons that moved me to think the contrary. Let every man credit these things as God shall move, only I clear myself, that of malice I have done herein nothing. The other matters are produced 〈…〉 the books of H. N. and gathered b● 〈…〉 ference with the family. Now tou 〈…〉 〈…〉 the confession which I say two 〈…〉 〈…〉 Family made before a worshipful justice of peace, they deny that they were of their Family: but this is certain, the parties are living and followers of one Allyne of Woneherst, a great companion of Christopher Vittells, which Allin died soudenly by the high way, going to Farnam to be examined before the bishop of winchester. Thus have I briefly touched the stories which the family do discredit.  
Now if I might utter my simple conjecture touching the said Family with out offence. For as much as their beginning was in Englang about the latter end of Queen Maries range, when many of our brethren were entered into that gulf of free-will, teaching that common grace reserved in Adam was appropriate to us also: and likewise certain Arrians, with Pellagians joining together, found an author for their purpose, under a new devised name of Family of Love. What do they teach but the old 〈…〉 ry leaven, of such heretics as were long ago known and condemned? and in deed take from them the weapons of the foresaid heretics, and you shall find them unarmed and naked: and yet (under a new visor) they would not be noted as any touched with their doctrine, but that they are new matters broached by H. N. only, and not known in the world until now. Surely the papists do not magnify their pope as the Family do H. N. whose books and doctrine may not be discredited, neither can he err. For by no means can they be brought to acknowledge that H. N. may err. Therefore this new Pope deludeth the poor Family with his dark speeches and ranging style without conclusion, where in they imagine that very divinely and with such majesty their authou 〈…〉 written, that we simple one's 〈…〉 understand: and no mavell, for su 〈…〉 doubt he understandeth not him 〈…〉 For if a man will follow his cue 〈…〉 on's of Scriptures which he 〈…〉 down, so thick and so close in the 〈…〉 give of his books and epistles, a 〈…〉 meanly exercised in the holy scrip 〈…〉 may well perceive how far from the purpose of the holy ghost H. N. hath applied them.  
The Lord of mercy & consolation give them the true understanding of thy holy word, & let not sathan lead the simple sheep out of the ways of the Lord our god, but give thy people O lord the wit of serpents to beware of satans sutilties, who envying the prosperity of thy gospel, setteth himself against the same, by raising up old sects under new cloaks: so that thy people being preserved under thy defence, may evermore extol and magnify thy glorious name, and rejoice over the conversion of our brethren, that they being brought home again into thy fold, we may all praise thy ●●orious name, and with one voice a●●●inde may cry. Veni domine jesu 〈◊〉 Amen.  
I R.   

●●printed at London by Henry Middleton for George Bishop.