An answere vnto a wicked & infamous libel made by Christopher Vitel, one of the chiefe English elders of the pretended Family of Loue maintaining their doctrine, & carpingly answeringe to certaine pointes of a boke called the displaing of the Fam. Aunswered by I. Rogers.

Aunswere.

[ 19] THat he doth so call himselfe: I haue written therein, as I ••inde it collected by the commissioners, who delt specially in that matter: but you affirme as much, or more of him, then I charged him with. For you say that the Lorde ••ath accomplished through the spirite of Christ in him, all that he hath spoaken through the mouth of his Prophetes: and this we thinke to be very straingely auouched of you,

contrary to trueth: the Prophecyes of such whome the Lord raysed vp to cō∣fort the weake estate of his Church, in the tyme of the law, were fulfilled in their seasons, especially such pro∣phesyes, as either touched the capti∣uitye of the Iewes, or the destructi∣on of their Citie: also many of their prophesies concerned the comming of our merciful Messias, the maner of his byrth, passion, death, and resurrection. Now, to affirme that all these are ful∣filled in ••••. is very hor••••ble, and mō∣strous: but such is your vanitye, that so you may extoll the dignitye of your Aucthor, you care not what vntruthes ioyned with blasphemye you vtter: the lyke speach HN. auoucheth of him∣selfe, saying, what God hath spoken ••hrough h••s holy Prophets, & what is written of Ch••ist, should also in vs, and with vs be••ome f••l••illed &c.

••ow you are able by any shaddow of trueth, to proue an•• of these two sayinges true, it had bin requisite, that you should a shewed: for they carry

great absurdityes, both in trueth, and reason: Whether doe you lift vp your Aucthor, by such vntrue speaches? it doth appeare very lamentable, to all God his children: this is proude bo∣sting, and exaltation, such as S. Paule did warne the Church, to take heede of such.

I doe much maruell that Christian men, with any face can write thus presumpteouslye of mortall man, al∣though you would qualisye your say∣ing, that this is brought to passe, by the spirite of Christ in him: but this helpeth not, neither doth it stand with the will of God reueled: that any mor∣tall creature should be so exalted.

For if we should demaund of you, how we shall know this to be true: then you aunswere, by his workes, which I thinke you meane his bookes: Yf otherwise you meane, some mira∣culous dealing which you are priuy of and not knowen: it were necessary for his credit, and your honesty not to hide it any longer: but simply to manifest the same.

Moreouer you say, that none can erre which are indued with the holy ghost &c. We know that the spirite leadeth into al trueth: yet those vessels hauing by grace such priuiledge: doe often, in shew, and countenaunce ap∣peare as though the spirite were quē∣••hed, or as fire raked vp in ashes: ex∣ample here of Peter, who hauing the spirite of God, yet did thing••s contra¦ry to trueth, and therefore was rebu∣ked by Paule, and that worthely: ma∣ny in Christ his Church, no dout haue bin guided by the spirite of God, and yet sometymes haue shewed thēselues humane creatures: as wanting that excellent priuiledge appropriate to Christ, which sayd, I am trueth: such is our condition, (we may not reach higher,) not to erre is a speciall title belonging to Christ our Lord: and not to mortall man, although lightened with the spirite: we must rest contēt with such honor as it plea∣seth him to graunt, who is Lord of his creatures, and not to reach so high,

as presumpteously to chalenge a title, and dignity, farre aboue our capacitye and not agreing with our frayle condi∣tion, and nature. But such is our va∣nitye not guided by the spirite of God to aduaunce our state, and calling a∣boue our degree, and condition, by the setting on of our enemy Sathan.

Notes

• Proph 〈…〉〈…〉
• Gal. 2.11.