Confutation of Monstrous and Horrible Heresies, Letter
The iudgement of a godly learned man touching this matter, ſent mee in a Letter.
WHen I did firſt heare that you had taken in hand a confutation of the hereſie, or rather of the heape of hereſies, which ſome yeeres paſt comming out of Dutchland arriued in Englande, and receiued in many places ſecret, but dangerous and yet too too ſafe entertainment: I did rather feare an euil, then hope for a good iſſue of that your godly labour. For conſidering firſt the dark and deceauing words, the new phraſes, and blaſphemous allegoryes wherwith the Family of LoueLove, fill their bookes, which ſpeaches may be expounded thus if they will, and otherwiſe if they liſte, chaunging with eueryevery change of perſon in that family as he is more or leſſe vrged, or able to anſwere, or as may moſt deceiue or auoyde a miſchief: Secondarily noting that they deny principles, and groundes of Religion, ſcorning the ground of all grounds, the moſt holy Scriptures of God, & that in the moſt holy poyntes touching the perſon and offices of Chriſt Ieſus, our iuſtification and ſanctification: thirdly finding that they hauehave a double hart & a chaungeable tounge, renouncing and recanting before Magiſtrates, and vponupon their commaundement before the world that they maintained, and are reſolued notwithſtanding to maintaine ſtill in ſworne obedience to H.N. according to the like practiſe of counterfaiting Papiſts, who make ſhew of religion hauing ſworne hearts to the Pope, whoſe diſpenſation either they hauehave, or truſt in ſome reconciling reliques and ceremonyes from Rome: for theſe cauſes I thought it ſome danger to lay open ſuche blaſphemyes, ſuch eſcapes of an euill and erronious conſcience, which beginning long agoe in the ancient heretiques, the Priſcillaniſtes, Montaniſts, Pelagians, Anabaptiſts and Cathariſts &c. and hauing been long time buried in the botome of Hell, are not thence to be raked any more. Alſo I thought it almoſt impoſſible to meet with ſuch an inconſtant and ſlippery ſerpent, that hath ſo obſcure wordes now to hide, and now to conuay her poyſon, thereby to auoyde the wholeſome remedy by the worde, and iuſt puniſhment by the magiſtrate. But, my good brother, theſe my doubts grew from the eye I had to their will and way: finding the Serpent ſo ſubtile to charme others, & yet him ſelfe to ſhut his care ſo againſt the trueth, that he will not heare the voyce of the charmer, charme hee neuer ſo wiſely: and that it is as hard to finde out his way, as the way of a Ship that hath ſayled through the ſea.
For afterwarde conſidering that Antichriſt did bring (as he thought) to perfection the myſtery of iniquitie in the working force of Satan, in all powers and ſignes and lying woonders, and in all deceit of vnrighteouſneſſe, as S. Paul propheſied, & we in theſe laſt ages, hauehave clerely ſeene: and that notwithſtanding God hath already, almoſt altogither conſumed that man of ſin with the ſpirit of his mouth, which is his word preached in the Goſpel. I acknowledge with praiſe to God the father in Ieſus Chriſt for that ſword of the ſpirit, that two edged ſwoord, that it is able either to heale, or to wounde to death all aduerſary power, be it either in al impietie of hereſie, or in all corruption of maners. Yea if H.N. were freed from all his ſinne, and waſhed from all corruption: If he in deede were, as he is in the fancie of his familie an angell from heauen, or by an other tranſubſtantiation more then an archangell, or that which they affirme and I dare not write: yet teaching otherwiſe then we hauehave receiued from the holy Prophets and Apoſtles, he is to be holden accurſſed, and his Goſpell of the kingdom with all other his doctrine to be had in abhomination. They that pray, are thus to pray againſt ſuch hereſies: they that write, are ſo, vponupon occaſion to write, and Magiſtrates are in a zeale of Gods houſe to put on that minde, that the holy trueth may bee exalted, and all hereſies rooted out to the glory of GOD, and the preſeruation of his Churche from thoſe damnable waies, wherein many, not eſteeming nor ſeeking the trueth, are ſooner deſtroyed, then they can feare deſtruction. Therfore you hauehave doone wel in the Lord, drawing out that ſworde of the worde of God, to make a ſeparation betweene thought and thought, betweene practiſe and practiſe, betweene ſecret & open paths of errour and contempt, betwene ioynts and marrow, betwene ſoule and ſpirit, that all the outgoings & eſcapes and dennes wherein theſe hereſies either lye in waite and worke againſt the trueth, or hide themſelues from diſcouery, may be diſcouered, and the bright face of the trueth appeare to the great glory of God, ouerthrowing of al error, cōuerting thoſe of that family of LoueLove, whom he hath loued and in merciemercy will conuert, deliuering their eyes from blindeneſſe and feete frō falling: and to ſtay thoſe that might, for want of the voice of the trumpet, ſodenly fal into the enemies hand, to be caried away into the miſerable captiuitie of thoſe hereſies, and to the ſecond death that followeth thē as their iuſt reward. Alſo the Magiſtrate by ſuch a manifeſt diſcouery of thoſe blaſphemies againſt God, againſt his Chriſt, againſt his worde, ſhall more & more ſee into the great danger of their horrible ſect, and find neceſſary cauſe to ioyne with the worde to cut it off, leſt in the end they with their brethrē the Anabaptiſts, exalt themſelues aſmuch againſt the holy and neceſſary authoritte of magiſtrates, as they doe already againſt God and his word, by whome Princes raigne & receiue their bleſſed peace and ſafetie. Againſt which Magiſtrates this practiſe they hauehave vſed and ſtill doe vſe, abuſing their holy place of Iuſtice: they recant in woordes, without recantation in heart (as I noted before) holding it for a rule, that they ought not to deſtroy the Temple of GOD (whiche is ſay they in a groſſe and abſurde interpretation) our body: and therefore we will not be brought to perſecution and death. Making a rule againſt the rule of Chriſt, and againſt the moſt wonderfull practiſe thereof in him ſelfe, and his holy Martyres: who looſing their life heere hauehave found it in heauen: and hauing their bodies burnt to aſhes in hope they looke for the ioyful reſurrection of the ſame bodyes at the comming of Ieſus Chriſt. Therfore, my very good brother, I thanke God for your labours praying his maieſtie to bleſſe them, that the offenders may ſee and repent their offence: that others yet free, may remaine by ſuch inſtruction free for euer from thoſe and ſuch hereſies: and may be more & more armed againſt error with the trueth, and comforted therein to their ſaluation.
Praying alſo that God would continue with increaſe that ſpirit of zeale and wiſdome in the heart of our moſt excellent ſoueraine the Queene & other in authoritie vnderunder her, to repreſſe thoſe fantaſticall and erronious ſpirits, being indeed the true ſucceſſion of thoſe ancient Cathariſts & Puritans, who thought themſelues not to ſinne, but actually to bee poſſeſſed with abſolute holineſſe and pureneſſe. For ſo thoſe thinke of themſelues, and plainly affirme it of their illuminate elders. But howſoeuer they ſeduce ſome goodly and zealous men & women of honeſt and godly conuerſation, placing them at the porch of their Synagogue, to make a ſhewe of holineſſe, and to ſtand there as baites and ſtalles to deceiue others: yet alas who can without bluſhing vtter the ſhame that is committed in the inwarde roomes, and as it were in the heart of that Synagogue of Satan. Theſe are the things I hauehave thought touching the booke, and a teſtimonie of my greate ioy touching the ſame. And beſides the good I hauehave already noted this confutation ſhal teſtifie to all ages at large that the bleſſed gouernment of our gratious ſoueraigne the Queenes maieſtie ſuffereth neither Papiſts nor other heretiques to goe vncōfuted or vnpuniſhed, howſoeuer firſt in great abundance of ſingular clemencie it pleaſeth her to ſeeke their ſaluation & draw on their effectuall conuerſation. Which bleſſed fruite of that ſingular clemencie the Lord God graunt in Chriſt Ieſus, and a perfect peace to this Church for euer. Amen.
Yours aſſuredly in the Lorde W. C.