A confutation of certaine articles deliuered vnto the Familye of Loue with the exposition of Theophilus, a supposed elder in the sayd Familye vpon the same articles. By William Wilkinson Maister of Artes and student of diuinitye. Hereunto are prefixed by the right reuerend Father in God I.Y. Byshop of Rochester, certaine notes collected out of their Gospell, and aunswered by the Fam. By the author, a description of the tyme, places, authors, and manner of spreading the same: of their liues, and wrestyng of Scriptures: with notes in the end how to know an heretique.

Familie of Loue.

WHere as you furthermore complayne of the insuf∣ficiencie of the expressing of Antechrist (as to say who he is and where to be founde) because the Authour applyeth him not to the Pope and his succession in the Church of Rome, it séemeth if the matter were well loo∣ked vnto, that mē should finde that Antechrist euen in the very selfe same place from whence you gather your ex∣ception flatly detected: (although he is not so employed to mēs contētations) for if men could sée what Christ accor∣dyng to the spirite is, as he is a liuyng power of God, were whereas his whole scope & drift of writyng stret∣cheth) they should then right well perceiue thereout that the man of sinne and child or broode of the Deuill and cō∣demnation (beyng a right aduersarie or an expresse con∣trary beyng vnto Christ, the righteousnes of God the fa∣ther) and raignyng in all states of men generally. Beyng fleshly Popes or other, from the tyme of the declinyng of the man from the true fayth in Christ the light of lyfe to the addictyng of him selfe to the lye or darcknes or euer such tyme as they become conuerted to their God and are regenerated in the spirite of their mynde, is the grea∣test Antichrist which also frō the very begynnyng as like∣wise in the very corporall appearaunce, of Christ in the flesh (like as S. Iohn also expresseth) impugne it and per∣secute it in the truth of God (and that in the inwardnesse of the man to the establishyng of all vnrighteousnesse in him, and not onely a certaine disordred or abused Papi∣strie (yea or euer the Papistrie was thought of) which no

Pope also (or such outward fleshly creature) could or can euer worke or bryng to passe. And therefore deceiue not your selfe in the point, to iudge the Author to be a main∣tainer of any fleshly or creature like Pope with his adhe∣rentes in their abusion of Ceremoniall seruices & Cere∣monies: but he driueth his matter onely (as in his worke beyng well noted you may sée) to this point (to wit) that after the entraunce of the darknesse once chaunced (the manly generations beyng falne away from the fayth to∣wardes God, which was established by Christ in his A∣postles and Disciples) the old Fathers grew out of a zea∣lousnes of the mynde towardes God and his righteous∣nesse, to institute certaine Ceremonies and seruices (so neare as they could out of their insight and comprehen∣dyng, that they by their diligent study and searchyng of the Scriptures had attained vnto concerning Gods truth hit the same) that resembled or were conformablest to the holy and diuine Scriptures to a commemoration of the thyngs wrought and brought to passe before with Christ and his holynes in the very true beyng to the susteinyng and staying vp of the ignoraunt people in the tyme of darknes from fallyng into any greater absurdities, enor∣mities and errours, that might haue happened vnto thē and which also did happen vnto many such as malicious∣ly and obstinately, not rightly seyng but rather in mea∣nyng to set vp some better, degressed and winded of them selues there from and maliciously blasphemed and con∣tinewed the same, tell that the light of Gods truth might spryng foorth agayne or be erected in the seruice of the loue, accordyng to the promises and goeth not about to establish the same in, and of their ceremoniall (much lesse abused) seruice and Ceremonies (where about men pre∣sently so greatly striue and varie) now in this present tyme of the light of loue) whiche he affirmeth to be y^e day of the cleare & righteous iudgemēt of God: wherein god will restore all thynges to their right (to wit) bryng or set the lye in his lying beyng to be condemned in the hel∣lish

caue, and the truth likewise in his right fourme or degrée, to wit to preuayle florish and beare sway ouer the vnrighteousnes for euer more.) Whereby that the will of God might euē so be accomplished in earth as in heauen. Wherefore me thinkes that should be very small discer∣nyng in such as can not distinct the shadowes figures or image of a thyng from the body it selfe, or the very true beyng either substaunce of the same. And that he speaketh of mens ignoraunce in that place, and touchyng their slender knowledge & vnderstandyng in Gods worde that layeth he forth flatly to the effectuall word and not the i∣magelike or written word wherein the right Christians are not iniuried but the conceited Christians detected.

Notes

• Christ what he is according to the Familie.
• Antichrist no∣thing but sinne according to the Fam.
• Two kyndes of Gods worde af∣ter HN. his Fa∣milie.