Epistolæ HN. The principall epistles of HN, which he hath set-foorth through the holy Spirit of Loue and written and sent them most-cheefly; vnto the Louers of ye trueth and his acquaintance. And are by him newly perused, and more-playnly declared. Translated out of Base-Almaine.

The II. Chap.

[ A] O Thou Beloued, Consider effec∣tually of this Mattier: and beleeue not euery Spirit, or Imagination of the Knowledg / that presenteth itself vnto thee. For many false Spirits and deceit∣full Knowledges / a 1.1 do now go-foorth / for to deceaue all Hearts of Men / that stande mynded on the earthly and fleshly Things.

2. For-that-cause haue a Discerning heerin. For if the Spirit, or the Imaginacion of the Knowledg which is borne or brought-foorth in thee / be spirituall, and that thesame do proceede out of the godly Wisdom of the true Light / b 1.2 Then wil it veryly be altogether against the Flesh and the Workes of the Flesh. and wil chasten, crucify, and kill the Flesh c 1.3 with his Lusts and Desyres.

[ B] 3. But if the Spirit and Fruit or the Imagi∣nacion of the Knowledg / be fleshly, and that it proceede out of the Wisdom of the Flesh / then wil thesame likewyse make-manifest itself with the Workes of the Flesh / to the Lusts of Er∣rour / d 1.4 that stretch to Destruction: also be vt∣terly e 1.5 against the Spirit of Godlynes, and the Counsayle of the Wisdom: and wil likewyse desyre to suppresse and to kill or destroye / all what cometh before her in her Heart and Thoughts / touching the godly Wisdom of the Seruice of Loue.

4. For whearsoeuer the Flesh with his Wis∣dom or Imaginacion of the Knowledg ؛that false Light{punctel} hath the Superyoryte / theare is the false Freedom / f 1.6 according to the Lusts and Desyres of the Fleshly Men, for to cause the Man to liue euenso in his perdicionable Lusts and Desyres.

5. But whearsoeuer the Spirit of the Wis∣dom of God ؛that true Light{punctel} getteth the Su∣peryorytee / theare is the vpright Freedom of the spirituall Men: vnder g 1.7 whose Power / the Flesh or the naturall Man is subiect, and is sustayned therin / to all Seemlynes and Reson∣ablnes.

6. BEholde {reversed ;}my Beloued; because I [ C] knowe not now how it may go with thee / whear thou dwellest / therfore haue I {reversed ;}out of harty Loue; written this little porcion vnto thee / to thend that thou shouldest alwayes be myndfull of the vpright Beeing of the Loue· and not {reversed ;}through any deceitfull Meanes / which may com before thee out of the Flesh and his Wisdom; neglect the godly Grace / which is com vnto vs in thissame h 1.8 perillous Tyme, nor estrainge thy self ther-from. but to haue the more-dilligent regard {reversed ;}with all Sub∣iection to the Loue; vnto the Seruice of the ho∣ly Woord / for to consider with Vnderstand∣ing what an vpright Beeing thesame Seruice requyreth: and in what maner, or to what an vpright▪ Effect of the godly Lyfe / all former Seruices {reversed ;}which are gon-out from God euen

hetherto; do leade i 1.9 to thissame Seruice of Loue. namely, for that we shoulde now in this Daye of Loue {reversed ;}with Fulnes of the holy Gost and with pure Hearts; liue vprightly in k 1.10 all Loue / according to the Trueth of Christ.

7. If wee now therfore do looke into thissame rightly / thē shall wee likewyse exercise ourselues therin / to all Sainctifycation l 1.11 in the Spirit, according to the Promyses of God the Father: and not m 1.12 touch or receaue anything / that mought make our Hearts vncleane· or drawe vs to any false n 1.13 or disordered Freedom.

[ D] 8. Therfore is also myne Exhortacion vnto thee / out of harty Loue / that thou wilt dayly exercise thyself in our mostholy Seruice of Loue {reversed ;}with all Humilitee o 1.14 and Obedience; in the Feare of the Lorde.

9. And if now thou indeuourest thyself heer∣unto / then shalt thou nodout p 1.15 grow-vp like∣wyse in all holy Vnderstanding, and be well preserued from the false Desyres of the Flesh, and from all inconstant Spirits and false Freedoms / which bring the Man to the Diso∣beying of the Loue, and to all Confusion.

10. The Lorde vouchsafe to strengthen q 1.16 thee in his Righteousnes, and to leade thee {reversed ;}with his Wisdom; into all Trueth and vpright Righteousnes. Amen.

11. Heerwith {reversed ;}my Beloued; I do hartely sa∣lute thee in the Loue / wherthrough God hath shewed Mercy on vs: and salute me also in the∣same Loue / vnto our good Freendes. name∣ly,

all the Acquayntance / that loue the vpright Beeing in Iesu Christ. The Loue of the supreame God / gett the Vic∣tory in all your Hearts. Amen.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Math 24 a. 1. Iohn. 4. a 2. Iohn. 1. a. 2. Pet. 2. a.
• b 1.2

  Rom. 8. a Gal 5. b.
• c 1.3

  Rom. 13. b. Gal. 5. c. Col. 3. a. 2 Pet. 2. b.
• d 1.4

  Gal. 6. b.
• e 1.5

  2. Timo. 3. a
• f 1.6

  Sap. 2.14. b. Cal. 5. b.
• g 1.7

  Rom 8. b.
• h 1.8

  1 Timo 4. b 2. Timo 3. a. 2 per. 2. a.
• i 1.9

  Math. 22. d. Mark. 12. d Rom 13 b. Gal. 5. b 1 Timo. 1. a.
• k 1.10

  Ephe. 1. a.
• l 1.11

  2. Tess▪ 2. b. 1. Pet. 3. b.
• m 1.12

  2. Cor. 6. b
• n 1.13

  S••p. 14. b. Rom. 1. c. 2. Pet. 2. b.
• o 1.14

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. b.
• p 1.15

  Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1. b. 1 Pet 2. a.
• q 1.16

  Col. 1. b. 2. Tess. 2 b. 1. Pet 5. b.