An Epistle Unto Two Daughters of Warwick, Response to letter · Response 17 – Excerpt from letter 18
H. A.
HEre H. N. crieth out of their grosse comprehension, that say / the Pope of Rome is the man of syn, the Antichrist; in the meā time / he sheweth himself to be most grosse / and carnal in his comprehension / that expoundeth that man of syn spoken of 2 Thes. 2. to be The wisdome of the flesh; the wicked nature of the Divil &c. The vanity and falshood wherof / every babe in Christ / that looketh into that scripture / may easily perceiv. For th'Apostle speaking there of †Vers. 2.the day of Christs comming, teacheth them not to exspect that / vntil |Vers. 3.the departing (from the fayth) were first come, and the man of syn, the Son of perdition were first disclosed. But the wisdome of the flesh and wicked nature of the Divil, was come already / for Adam and his children had brought it forth and nourished it in the world / even from the beginning Gen 3. Rom. 5. 12. 14. 17. 18. &c. and it was disclosed both by the Law / Rom. 3. 20. and by the Gospel already preached / 1 Cor. 1. 18. 19. 21. 27. and 2. 6. 7. &c. 1 Iohn 3. 8. &c. Wherfore it is but deceiving of mens sowles / to teach them to wayt and look for that thing to come / which is already come; and H. N. sheweth how farr he is from vnderstanding the scriptures / which yet so insolently vaunteth himself over al men. As for vsus / we have learned of the Apostles / to vnderstand generally every false prophet to be an Antichrist, 1 Ioh. 2. 18 19. 22. But specially one great Antichrist to come after the Apostles times / whose mystery began even*2. Thes. 2 7. then to work whiles they lived; but somthing ther was which then‡Vers 6. withheld his reveling / (namely the hethen monarchie of the Romane empire / ) which at that time†Vers. 7. withheld and hindred (the doctrine of the Gospel) by open tyrannie and persecution; and should let the working and disclosing of that great Antichrist in the Papacie / vntil himself (that hethen Empire) were taken out of the way. Then after him should arise an other|Rev. 13. Beast or Monarchie / with hornes like the Lamb (Christ / ) pretending his faith and Religion / (as doe the Papists / ) though his speech be like the Dragons / in al damnable doctrines and idolatries. And this Antichrist, should seat himself *2. Thes. 2. 4in the Temple or howse of God / (which is the‡1. Tim. 3. 15 Church;) and in the consciences of men / by his errors wherwith he should deceiv mens sowles. A large and lively description of which Beast and great whore / that reigneth in the†Rome. city built on 7. hills / we have in the book of Revelation / the light wherof H. N. would darken by the foggs and mists / of his own fleshly and allegorical interpretations.
Now that the reader may see how good a proctour H. N. is for the Pope / and wherfore he is so neerly affected to him / and denyeth him to be Antichrist; it shal not be amisse / to shew what paynes he hath taken / to compare himself and his societie with the Pope / and his clergie: that al mē may discern them to be both sworn brothers against Christ.
In his new Gospel / caled Evangelium regni, H. N. hath thus applied things / †Cha. …. ….….This same foregoing (sayth he) of the Elders of the holy vnderstanding, and their anoynting of the holy Ghost, to Priests Elders and Fathers, hath the catholik church of Rome, til vntounto this day, ministred and observed in figures, as is abovesayd. For to a token of remembrance of the holy anoynting of Christ with the holy spirit, they have vsed the anoynting with oyl, & it is a sacramēt of the holy church of Christ, which signifyeth vntounto vsus the anoynting of the Priests or Elders, with the holy Ghost.
5. Of which anoynted Elders or foregoers of the cōminalty of the catholik church of Rome, the cheefest anoynted is named Papa, & signifieth vntounto vsus an old Father in the holy vnderstanding: also the chief Bishop or high priest which hath his being or conversation in the most holy of the true and perfect sanctuary, & ministreth his office of the holy word therout, and for that cause is also named The most holy Father. &c.
|sect. 8.Those now that are next to the forenamed Papa, are named Cardinals, which signify vntounto vsus the principallest, which are neerest in the most holy vnderstanding of the godlines, vntounto the Eldest or holyest Father; and have their communion with him in the most holy of the true and perfect being &c.
After this he proceedeth to shew how the*sect. 1…. Bishops signified the pastors of the sheep and lambs of Christ;‡sect. 14. The Parish priests or curats, signified Levitical priests, or adjoyned Pastors and elders of the holy vnderstanding &c.†sect. 17. The Deacons, signified ministers or helpers of the parish priests in the holy Godservices;“sect. 18. The Sextons, signified conservers or keepers of the holy things.|sect. 1…. The many manner of orders, wherthrough many anoynted ones and zelous people sought the righteousnes and holynes, which are named Monks, signified such as dwel alone, & are through the love of the righteousnes Sanctified, & for that cause also separated from the world, and from al what is worldly and fleshly &c. And,*sect. …1. Next vntounto al these forenamed anoynted ones, are the common people, which beleev and cleave vntounto the services religions and ceremonies of the Anoynted, and which also humble them to the requiring of those same, &c.
Thus hath H. N. fetched the mysterie of his Family of Love / from the Popes forge; that al men may see it is no marvel that he denyeth the Pope to be Antichrist; for H. N. (the oldest Father of this Family / ) wil be the Papa and great Antichrist himself / and the Pope of Rome / was but his shadow and figure. Howbeit / herein he was overseen to gather his pedegree frō the Papacie / which he enought much better have fetched frō the holy scriptures; (but that he is an enimy to scripture learning: as he oftē bewrayeth.) For H. N. the greatest in the Family / who is (as himself sayth)†Evan. ch 1. sect. 1. Godded with God in the spirit of his Love; Because|Prov. of H. N. ch. 8. s. 3. The God of heaven as the Father himself, is come down, & bringeth in the service of his Love, himself with his Christ, & his holy Ghost, & with al that which with him is Gods, vntounto his obedient man H. N. & Godding the same with him, he hath manned him with the same; This new God of the Nicolaitans is described in scripture thus;|Rev. 9. 11. They have a king over them which is the Angel of the bottomlesse pitt, (for so also H. N. sayth / he was†Evang. reg. ch. 1. s. 1. raysed vp from the death;) whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is named Apollyon, [in al languages / The destroyer.] The doctrine taught by this H. N. corrupting and darkning al the holy scriptures / was figured out by the|Rev. 9. 2. smoke of the botomlesse pit, which darkned sun and aier. And the ylluminated Elders of this Family / ar pourtrahed out by‡Vers. 3. 10. Locusts that came out of the smoke of H. N. his heresies / with stings in their tayls like scorpions / to wound mens cōsciences by their deceivable doctrines. This had ben a directer and playner pourtrature of the Familists / then that figure fetched frō the Papists. And thus we may perceiv / it was not without cause that H. N. cried out / Oh, oh, no, the Antichrist is neerer vntounto vsus, wer it wel knowen; when in deed so great a monster of Antichristianity was hatched in his own bosome / who thus hath Deified hmself and blasphemed God? Neyther is he a friend to Popery onelyonly / and a Lover of the whore of Babylon; but of Judaisme also / that he may appear to be quite abolished from Christ. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes / †Chapters. 7. 8. 9. & 10.proveth at large the abrogating of the Levitical Priesthood and sacrifices / by the coming of our high priest Christ Jesus / and sacrifice of his own body / (according as was prophesied of him / that‡Dan. 9. 27. he should cause sacrifice and; oblation to cease;) and for the Jewes / that would stil continew their figurative worship / he sheweth them to have no part in Christ / when he sayth|Heb. 13. 10. &c. We have an altar, wherof they have no authority to eat which serv in the Tabernacle. But H. N. teacheth vsus that the services of Aarōs priesthood are yet necessary for some; in these words / †Evangel. regni. Chap. 13. s. 8.Oh alas, how grosly hav then certayn wise of the world, and scripture-learned overreached them herein, which have without diversity forsakē the law & the service of the Elders Testamēt, and of the Priests office after the ordinance of Aaron, and set back the same as a thing vnneedful: not once distincting vntounto whom the service after the ordinance of Aaron, is yet necessarie, nor yet with whom the same at th'appointed time ceaseth or leaveth off. Thus H. N. sheweth how good a friend he is to Jewes and Papists; But his enmity agaynst Christ and his Gospel / can not easily be opened / it is in so many particulars. He thrusteth himself into Christs throne / and maketh himself the Judge of al the world;|Evang. ch. 1. s. 9. For behold (sayth he) in this present day, the glorious coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with his many thowsands of his saincts, which hath set himself now vponupon the seat of his Majestie, for to judge in this same day which the Lord hath ordeyned or appoynted, the whol world with equitie &c. with many like speeches (as before is shewed) wherin the scriptures which foretel of Christs comming to judgement at the worlds end / H, N. applieth to himself; and so the playn doctrines of the gospel / are made but fabulous / by this blasphemers allegorie: and he sheweth himself to be the Father of those†2 Pet. 3. 3. 4 mockers that wer foretold should come in the last dayes / which walking after their lusts / should say where is the promise of his comming? &c. Now because at Christs comming / must be the resurrection of the dead / therfore that one errour / necessarily draweth on another / namely that the resurrectiō is past already, which was the kanker wherby*2 Tim. 2. 17 18. Hymeneus and Philetus in the Apostles dayes / destroyed the fayth. This heresie hath H. N. published in his Gospel; saying / ‡Evang. reg. ch. 35: s, 8, 9.Behold in this present day is this scripture fulfilled and according to the testimony of the scripture, the raysing vp & the resurrection of the Lords dead cometh also to passe presently in this same day, through the appearing of the cōing of Christ in his majestie. Which resurrection of the dead, seing that the same is come vntounto vsus from Gods grace, we doe likewise in this present day, to an Evangelie or joyful message of the kingdome of God & Christ, publish in al the world, vnderunder the obedience of the Love. In which resurrection of the dead God sheweth vntounto vsus, that the tyme is now fulfilled that his dead, or the dead which ar fallen a sleep in the Lord, rise vp in this day of his judgment, & appear vntounto vsus in Godly glory, which shal also from henceforth live in vsus everlastingly with Christ, and reign vponupon the earth. Thus hath this Sadducee overturned that mayn groūd and principle of Christian religion / without which our fayth were but‡1 Cor. 15. 16. 17. vayn / and we were of al men the⸪ver. 19. most miserable; And that his religion might be even a sink of synful errors / he hath taught / that in their Lovely societie / they†Spir. land. ch. 37. sect. 7. do not vow or bind themselves in the matrimony of men, nor yet suffer themselves to be boūd therin, but are like the Angels of heaven: to verify the Apostles words / that|1 Tim. 4. 1. 3. in the latter times some should teach and give heed vntounto doctrines of Divils / forbidding to marry &c. Now seeing he sayth in another place / *Spirit. land. ch, 36. sec. 6.that they commit not any adultery, for they are honest & chast of life, and clean or pure of hart; what may we think is among them / but a cōmunity of al men and women / yet without syn (as they suppose / ) so long as it is not with them of the World / especially seing he sayth also further / †Ibid. ch. 35. sect. 4, & 5.There is no man that claimeth any thing to be his own, as to possesse the same to his own private vse. For no man (& that out of every ones good disposition) can desire any thing to be his own, or yet to make any thing proper to himself from an other, but also whatsoever is there is free, & is there left free in his vpright form. Ther is also no man denyed to vse any thing in freedom, of al what is profitable and needful for him; for they stand all in the equitie as one in the Love; and again / ‡Ibid ch. 39. se…. 8.That they know not of any other religion or God-service, then of the service of Love, and to love one an other, and so to keep themselves pure and vnspotted of the world; Which writing of H. N. may give al wise men occasion to suppose / that he teacheth in secret commune filthynes; even the doctrine“Rev. 2. 1…. of the old Nicolaitans, which God doth hate. In secret / I say / for his lothsome carnal abominations he wil not openly publish / (though he hath published too much / ) eyther to the world or to his yong disciples; but this caveat he hath given to his fautors / †Pro. of H. N cha. 22. s. 16.ye shal not talk of your secrets, eyther yet vtter your mysteries opēly or nakedly in the hearing of your yong children and disciples: but spare not the same in the ears or hearing of the Elders which can vnderstand the same, and are able to bear or away with the sound therof. For it is given to the Elders to vnderstand the privy mysteries of the wise, and to expound their parables. This is the counsell of H. N. touching the secrets of his religion; quite contrary to the counsel and practise of Christ / his prophets and Apostles; for Christ sayd to his Disciples / |Mat. 1…. 27.what I tel yow in darknes, that speak ye in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the howses; and when the Prophets*Psal. 78. 2. opened their mouthes in parables / and declared high sentences of old / they would‡ver. 4. 6. not hide them from their children / but shew thē that posterity might know it / and children which should be born / might declare vntounto their children &c. But the deep mysteries of H. N. must not be disclosed / because as it is writtē / ‡Ioh. 3. 2….every mā that doth evil hateth the light, and / †Iob …4. 17.the morning, is to thē as the shadow of death: wherfore his doctrine is like the|Pro. 9. 13. …7. foolish womans which sayd / Stollen waters are sweet, & hid bread is pleasant; but let al Gods people know / that‡vers. 18. the dead are there / and that her ghests are in the depth of hell.
Now though he wil not let his yong-anes know his secrets; yet he wil be so bold as to know their secrets; and hath taught them to shrive them vntounto him / with farr greater spiritual slavery / then the Antichrist of Some hath done. For H. N. in his|chap. 13. First exhortation (after he had warned his children*sect. 11. not to distrust the Eldest in the Family of Love, nor suspect any manner of evill or vnwisdom by him) sayth;‡sect. 12. Fourthly it is expedient, that they should make manifest their whol hart, with al their counsels, minds, wils and thoughts, togither with al their doings dealings & exercises, naked and bare before the Eldest in the Family of Love, and not cover or hide any thing, (be it what it is,) before him. Also al whervnto their inclination, kind, and nature draweth them, and al wherwith they become tempted or assaulted in their harts. The Pope requireth but confession of|Concil. Trid. soss. 14, ch. 5. mortal, not of venial syns; But this tyrann H. N. wil know al / be it what it is; yea even mens natural inclinatiōs. Now be it his wisdome was much overseē to make such a law: for this may cal his Godhed into questiō / & make mē think / he is but a Liar / whiles he would be a God▪ for our Lord Jesus knew the|Mat. 9. … Iohn 2. 25. thoughts of men / and had no need that any should testify of man / for he knew what was in man. If H. N. be godded with God / what needeth he that men should thus make known their inclinations and actions vntounto him. But his disciples are wel ynough served; that wheras the Romish priests did whip thē with rods / these their Godded Priests should scourge them with scorpions.
Finally this H. N. teacheth almost every where in his abominable books / the doctrine of that old Serpent / ‡Gen. 3. 5.ye shal be as Gods: saying that his people ⸪Spirit. land ch. 38. sect. 7.have their inhabiting in Gods vnderstanding, & stand cōprehended in the light of life, being vnited in Gods true being: that †ibid. cha. 40. sect. 18.they are one being with ech other, namely God & his people of peace: that |Epis. of. H. N 3. ch. 4. se. 5.God the Father through his onelyonly born son Christ, is become of one substance agayn with the manly creatures; and to that end also, because that al manly creatures should through Christ be one substance with God the Father, is Christ preached; that ‡Epis. 4. c. 5. sect. 18.when as we are renewed in Jesus Christ through faith / also come to the same age of the man Christ / so is God the Father thē likewise one substance or māned with vsus through Christ, & is al in al: that it is“Prov. of H. N. ch. 8. s. …. Gods wil, that now in the last tyme, through his service of love, al people or generations of men, which are goodwilling to his righteousnes, should assemble them vntounto him and his godded man (H. N.) and even so likewise with them al that which is manly, to the end that they all should become of one being with him and his godded man, and so be al named Gods, and children of the most highest. These and many the like blasphemies (wherby he quite overthroweth the Being of God / as before is proved / ) ar often to be found in his writings. For which also / (that he might the more imitate the first serpent / which sayd †Gen. 3. 9.God doth know,) he allegeth and corrupteth the holy scriptures; that if he be Antichrist, which should sit in the temple of God / |2 Thes. 2. 4.shewing himself that he is God / (as Paul warneth:) this H. N. may be known to be a great Antichrist; and al the world may see / *Iohn 11. 4…. 50. 51.Caiaphas prophesied not righter of Christ and of his death for the nation; then H. N. hath spoken / when he cried out of the Antichrist to be so neer vntounto him. It is very true.
H. N.
28. Oh, what a slight and earthly vnderstanding is this, that God should be appeased with an elementish body: even like as though that God were fleshly, even as an vnregenerate man.
29. I say on Gods behalf, that God is not in that manner of sort with the man; but rather the vngodly being or nature, which all vnregenerated men do cary in their harts, wherout al wickednes is ingendred and brought forth. Read Mark. 7. Mat. 23. and in more other places in the scriptures, wher the same is rcited or mentioned.
30. Therfore my beloved, this is the counsel of God towards yow both, that yow should not boast yourselves in such an vncertayn confessing; but for the love of Christs sake, take it for the best, which I hav here witnessed vntounto yow; namely that yow have not confessed Christ according to the truth, but the elementish ceremonies, even as they out of the darknes, without the Spirit of Christ, wer taught vntounto yow. Not that I therin do accuse or blame any man, as one that doth evil of a set purpose. O no; for they know not any other, then that they doe vse the doctrine of Christ. But my harty desire is towards every one, which say that they seek Christ, that they mought seek and find him aright.