An Epistle Unto Two Daughters of Warwick, Title page – Response to preface
AN EPISTLE SENT VNTOUNTO TVVO daughters of VVarwick from H. N. THE OLDEST Father of the Familie of Love.
VVith a refutation of the errors that are therin; by H. A.
Rescue me (Lord), and deliver me from the hand of strangers: whose mouth talketh vanity; and their right-hand is a right-hand of falshood. Psal. 144. 11.
Imprinted at Amsterdam by Giles Thorp. 1608.
To the Christian reader, wisdome & grace.
AS ther are many enimies of the truth of the gospel, and many that write to broach and spread their errors: so is it needful that some write against them, least troden truth be quite forsaken; and silly sowles be wrapped in error, vntounto perdition. It is not easy for al men to espie Satans subtilties, nor the deceitful sophismes of his ministers: both he & they, can trāsforme themselves like Angels of light. Such therfore as discern them through the grace of God, should give warning vntounto others; that as the foolish womā is†Pro 7. 11. & 9. 13. 18 troublesome, babling & lowd, inviting her ghests to the depth of hel: so the*Pro. 9. 3. maidens of wisdom, may lift vp also their voice; and make their crie be heard, on the highest places of the citie.
What wormwood and bitternes & even deadly poison, is sparsed abroad in Henry Nicholas his writings, (who caleth himself the |1 Exhort. cap. 11. See. 1.Father of the Family of Love;) the children of wisdome that do read the same, may by the light of Gods law soon perceive: yet with faire and flattering speeches, he hath beguiled many vnstable sowles; & such as have had no love to the truth, have been givē over vntounto his lies. And never had Satan a fitter time to work his malicious wil on the sons of Adam: then in these last evil dayes, when Atheisme and iniquity, doe so much abound. Never had he a fitter religion for Atheists and carnal hypocrites, then that which H. N. out of his corrupt and fleshly hart hath set abroach. It taketh away the crosse of Christ, & persecution for righteousnes sake: and teacheth men to cōmunicate with al religions, services and ceremonies; so as they cleave in hart to his feighned service of the Love; It maketh them pure and without al syn, in their own foolish imaginations; yea (more then which the Serpent himself did never teach,) it deifieth them with God. In a word, it bringeth a fretting leprosie vponupon al religion, & overthroweth the grounds of faith layd in holy scriptures, which H. N. by foolish allegories, perverteth to the destruction of himself and his Family. And for the principles of theologie, he hath written more blasphemously and absurdly then ever did Mahomet in his Alcoran. For this cause, in answering this his letter, (as I was requested by some that heard how much it was boasted of, among the Nicholaitans;) I have touched by the way some of the impious heresies that are in his other writings, without knowledge wherof, his frawd in this Epistle cannot easily be perceived. For as a child of darknes, he laboureth to be obscure in his words, yt men may admire the deepnes of Satan by which he speaketh; and himself when he is folowed, & can no other way escape, may have this for his last refuge, that men vnderstand him not. But*Ephe. 5. 13. al things when they are reproved of the light, are manifest: for the light is that which maketh al things manifest. Now the |Ps. 119. 105 Pro 6. 13.word of the Lord is a lantern, & his Law a light; by it therfore have I assayed to discover the snares of this seducer: not doubting but God, who causeth the Morning to know his place, that it may take hold of the corners of the earth, †Iob. 38. 13& that the wicked may be shaken out of it; wil, notwithstanding al the dark delphick speeches, and glozing allegories of these falsers, declare their works and manifest their impieties, and wil |Iob. 34. 25.turn the night, (in the darknes wherof they think to be shrowded) and they shalbe destroyed.
Let therfore the prudent reader, make trial of that which on both sides is said, by the word of truth: least, as the serpent beguiled Evah through his subtilty, so their harts be withdrawn from the sincerity of Christ. And the Lord give them vnderstanding in al things; and preserve them ‡Ps. 12. 7. 8.from this generation for ever; for the wicked walk on every side, whiles vilenes is extolled among the sons of Adam.
Henry Ainsworth.
The preface, made by some of H. N. his disciples.
THis Epistle was written by the author vntounto two maydens that were before purposed out of zele to have suffred death for the confession sake of the Christiā ceremonies, which as he saith in divers places of his works, are no more but outward meanes set forth by God & his ministers to direct people to the inward righteous life of Christ in the spirit;) supposing therin that they should rightly have obeyed & fulfilled the cōmandemēt of Christ, who willeth vsus to forsake our own lives for his sake. But vponupon better consideration therof, through the grace of God, and these distinct godly testimonies and reasons, (both touching that point and divers others) herein conteyned; their mindes as it hath bene reported by some of that followship wer altered herin to an other vnderstanding of the matter, and they did willingly indevour themselves afterwards, to follow his good counsel.
Answer.
THe drift of this Epistle / being (at the best) to disswade from the pacient and cōstant witnessing of the truth of Christ / especially in the outward ordinances of the gospel and open profession of the same, Under a colour of inward and spiritual confession / and service of God in the holy Ghost it shal not be amisse to look a little into the sleights of Satan / wherby (as it seemeth) he hath deceived / and would stil deceive the simple; and to shew the weaknes and insufficiencie of the reasons alleged in this Letter: as also to manifest / how the outward obedience of the body / must be conjoyned with the inward of the mind and spirit; and the external ordinances of Christs testament professed and practised; if we would have the spirit and life which is of God. And howsoever H. N. accounteth the ordinances of the gospel but ceremonies; yet in that he confesseth them to be outward meanes set forth by God, to direct people to the inward righteous life of Christ in the spirit, he manifesteth himself to be but a seducer / in perswading the two maydens not to suffer death for the confession sake of them: seing the outward meanes of mans salvation and of the righteous Christian life / is to be stood for vntounto the death / as in handling the particulars shal by Gods grace appear. And if by the authors counsel / those daughters were drawn (as here is insinuated) from their outward confession & suffring affliction for the ordinances of Christ / against the Romish Antichristian doctrines & ceremonies; their faith was but weak / they forsook the inward righteous life of Christ in the spirit / and their mindes were perverted to a very evil vnderstanding. If also they assented to other points of H. Ns. heresies / and folowed his corrupt counsel: then were they led*2 Tim. 3. 6. 7. captive / (as the Apostle sayth / ) being simple women / laden with synns and led with divers lusts. From which estate / God keep al his people / & direct their feet in the wayes of life & peace.
AN EPISTLE. Sent vntounto two daughters of Warwick.
From H. N.
THe wisdome of the Father, through the Love of Christ in the power of the holy Ghost, in the second birth out of the new life, of the heavenlie being, be vntounto every one which with an vnpartial hart seeketh the godlynes in Iesus Christ, to a harty salvation. Because that every one which seeketh God with hart, mought know the right diversitie betwixt the heavenly and the earthly, betwixt the spirit & the flesh, betwixt the light and the darknes, betwixt the death & the life, and betwixt the righteousnes of the spirit, and the righteousnes of the elementish things; and then to love the same. That grant vsus the Almightie God through his love, Amen.
1. Because ye mought through the spirit of Christ inherit the same gift and meere affection or goodwillingnes to the godly life: I do bear or cary the same gift, (God is my witnes) before al men. But now am I compelled through the love of Christ, severally to open the same gift vntounto two yong daughters of a certayn place named Warwick. The Lord give his prosperitie and grace thervnto; for that his righteousnes which is wrought through the Spirit of Christ, mought be knowen of them, and that the life of Christ which by many is sought after the flesh, might be knowen and inherited of them according to the spirit, even like as God which is blessed is a Spirit. Ioh. 4. 2 Cor. 3.