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 Fourtenth Epistle. A breefe Exhortacion vnto a Dis∣ciple in the Seruice of Loue: Wherwith he is exhorted {reversed ;}in the Lande where he dwelt; to keepe a sharpe watch towards the Spi∣rits that make-vp themselues in him, or that be borne in him. (Book 14)

And also that he shoulde learne to descerne with good Vnderstanding / the euell Hearbe {reversed ;}which is destroying and deadly; from the good Hearbe of Lyfe: and the false Spirits {reversed ;}which aryse out of the Flesh; from the good Spirits / that are of God / to thend that he mought therby growe-vp in the good Beeing of the Loue / without any Harme.

Ye Beloued: Beleeue not euery Spirit: but proue the Spirits / Whether they be of God or no

1. Iohn. 4.

Health and Saluacion be vnto Him / who {reversed ;}in his Spirit; hath inten∣ded Loue and Peace / with our Spirit.

The First Chapter.

THE God of Hea∣uen [ A] [who out of his bountefull Mercy / hath herited mee in the a 1.1 Olde-age of the holy Vnderstan∣ding of Christ, and in the spirituall b 1.2 Ritches of his heauenly Goodes / for a good Confession c 1.3 be∣fore all Men / that in the Loue / is an vpright Beeing] be vnto thee {reversed ;}my Beloued; a Light vnto thy Waye, a Lyfe vnto thy Spirit and Mynde, and a Cleernes vnto thy Vnderstand∣ing / That thou mayest {reversed ;}in thissame Daye of his Loue; vnderstande {reversed ;}according to his hea∣uenly Trueth, and not according to the Mynde of the Flesh; the ouerflowing Vertues and godly Wisdoms / which He hath declared d 1.4 and brought vnto vs· also giue-ouer thyself with all thy Heart / to thosame and their Requyring / for to liue therin· and laude and thanke the∣same God / in an vpright Beeing. Amen.

2. O my Beloued, I haue a long tyme {reversed ;}out of a fatherly Heart that I beare towards thee; had a greate longing to knowe how it may go with thee / in the Lande where thou dwellest: and that for because thou hast neuer written vn∣to me / how it standeth with thee: or wherin

thou hast thy Mayntenance, or wherby thou liuest.

[ B] 3. For if thou hadst written anything heerof vnto mee / then mought I haue vnderstoode or perceaued therby / Whether that thy young e 1.5 Manhod / did yet liue or no: Whether it were succoured or nourished-vp with the vpright f 1.6 Foode of Lyfe: and whether that thou also didst in-like-maner growe-vp to the manly Age g 1.7 in the godly Vnderstanding: or-els / whether thou hadst bin choked with any Poyson or deadly Hearbes / that do growe out of thesame Earth where thou dwellest, or bin weakened, or vtter∣ly dead / in the Lyfe which proceedeth out of God. For it is certaynly well knowen vnto mee / that the Earth and all Countryes of the Kingdom-of-the-earth / are h 1.8 of themselues {reversed ;}for the Vnrighteousnes cause; full of Poyson, deadly Hearbes, and naughty Fruites.

4. SEing then that all Disciples of the Loue (that be nourished-vp in the holy Vnderstanding of the Spirit of Loue) must passe-thorow many Perills vppon the Earth / which is i 1.9 curssed for the Wickednes cause of her Inhabitours / So do I therfore beare so-much-the-more a greate Care for tho∣same Disciples / thewhyles they are yet young, and cannot discerne the deadly Hearbes / k 1.10 from the right Foode of Lyfe.

[ C] 5. Wherby nodout {reversed ;}if they shoulde be suffer∣ed to go-on in their Youngnes / according to their owne Goodthinking; they woulde rashly

or vnforesightfully {reversed ;}out of their owne Affection or Lust of their Hearts; receaue the one or the other of the deadly Hearbes· and swallow them in / in steade of the Foode of Lyfe: wher∣through then likewyse / the precious Manhod mought be strangled, and such Disciples of the Woord / which {reversed ;}following their owne Coun∣sayle; are vnexpert heerin / mought most la∣mentably betraye, spoyle, or kill themselues / and disenherit themselues of the Lyfe that pro∣ceedeth out of God.

6. Wherfore {reversed ;}my Beloued; inasmuch as it is now a perillous Tyme / to nourish-vp the Youngnes of Vnderstanding / to the vpright * 1.11 Agednes of the holy Vnderstanding / so is this my Exhortation and Counsayle out of the liue∣ing God / vnto thee, to thy Preseruacion: that thou wilt dayly vse Foresightfulnes m 1.12 or dilli∣gent Heede, and haue a sharp regarde vnto the Spirit or inwarde Manhod of thy Mynde: Consider or search out what is ingendered or borne thear within thee / as Spirit, and spi∣rituall / n 1.13 or as Knowledg: and o 1.14 prooue or trye whether y^e Spirits and Birthes of the Know∣ledges {reversed ;}which be borne in thee; be of God or no, and do bring the heauenly Powers of the holy Gost and godly Vnderstanding / with them: p 1.15 or-els / whether they be false Spirits, and de∣ceitfull Knowledges, which proceede out of the Flesh / and so do kindle, prouoke, or mooue thee / with earthly and fleshly Desyres.

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 1.16 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 1.17 Then wil it veryly be altogether against the Flesh and the Workes of the Flesh. and wil chasten, crucify, and kill the Flesh c 1.18 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 1.19 that stretch to Destruction: also be vt∣terly e 1.20 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 1.21 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 1.22 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 1.23 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 1.24 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 1.25 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 1.26 in the Spirit, according to the Promyses of God the Father: and not m 1.27 touch or receaue anything / that mought make our Hearts vncleane· or drawe vs to any false n 1.28 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 1.29 and Obedience; in the Feare of the Lorde.

9. And if now thou indeuourest thyself heer∣unto / then shalt thou nodout p 1.30 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 1.31 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.

The Ende of the Fourtenth Epistle.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ephe 4. b
• b 1.2

  Ephe. 1. b. 2. a. 3. a Col. 1. c 2. a
• c 1.3

  Math. 10. d. Luk. 12. a.
• d 1.4

  2. Cor. 4. a. Ephe 1. b. 3 a. Col. 1. c.
• e 1.5

  1. Cor. 3. a. Heb. 5. d.
• f 1.6

  Math 24. c. Iohn. 6. f.
• g 1.7

  Ephe 4. b.
• h 1.8

  Gen. 3. b. Heb. 6. a.
• i 1.9

  Gen. 3. b. 5. c
• k 1.10

  4 Reg. 4. Math 13 d
• * 1.11

  Ephe 4. b.
• m 1.12

  Ephe. 5. b.
• n 1.13

  Rom 8. a. Gal. 5. b.
• o 1.14

  1. Iohn. 4. a
• p 1.15

  Rom 8. a. Gal. 5. b. Ephe 5. b.
• a 1.16

  Math 24 a. 1. Iohn. 4. a 2. Iohn. 1. a. 2. Pet. 2. a.
• b 1.17

  Rom. 8. a Gal 5. b.
• c 1.18

  Rom. 13. b. Gal. 5. c. Col. 3. a. 2 Pet. 2. b.
• d 1.19

  Gal. 6. b.
• e 1.20

  2. Timo. 3. a
• f 1.21

  Sap. 2.14. b. Cal. 5. b.
• g 1.22

  Rom 8. b.
• h 1.23

  1 Timo 4. b 2. Timo 3. a. 2 per. 2. a.
• i 1.24

  Math. 22. d. Mark. 12. d Rom 13 b. Gal. 5. b 1 Timo. 1. a.
• k 1.25

  Ephe. 1. a.
• l 1.26

  2. Tess▪ 2. b. 1. Pet. 3. b.
• m 1.27

  2. Cor. 6. b
• n 1.28

  S••p. 14. b. Rom. 1. c. 2. Pet. 2. b.
• o 1.29

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. b.
• p 1.30

  Ephe. 4. b. Col. 1. b. 1 Pet 2. a.
• q 1.31

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