The confession and publike recantation of thirteene learned personages, lately conuerted in France, Germanie, and the Lowe-Countreys, from poperie, to the Churches reformed: wherein they haue zealously and learnedly set dovvne the reasons that moued them therevnto. The names and degrees of the conuerts. 1. Godefrid Rabin ... 2. Simon Palory ... 3. Iohn Colleij ... 4. Melchior Roman ... 5. Iohn Norman ... 6. Father Abraham ... 7. Antony Ginestet ... 8. Signeur Lewis ... 9. Father Edmon ... 10. Leonard Theuenot ... 11. Sir Francis ... 12. Francis Goupil Angeuin ... 13. Lewys du Boys ... Translated out of the French and Dutch printed copies, by I.M.

I Am heere before God the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy-ghost, and the elect Angels, & this Christiā assembly summarily to declare, what I haue been in time past, in what minde I am at this present, & wherto by the meanes of my God, I aspire in time to come: I am borne and was bred vp vntill this present in the Church which is called Romane, where I sucked from the vn∣cleane dugs of the impudent Babel, and was one of her fauoured Nurse children, euen to the obteyning the marke of the beast, to be aduanced to the Priest-hood, and sacrifizing of humane inuē∣tion, which I haue vsed for the space of fiue yeares; I was soothed vp (and I beleeued it) that I was in Bethell, that is to say, in the house of God, which is the Church, the which, he which hath not for his Mother, cannot haue God for his Father, as S. Cyprian and S. Augustin apostolically doe teach. But some dayes since, that it hath pleased God by his holy Spirit, to awaken, and with-drawe my soule from the letarge wherewith it was possessed, working inwardly in me, and there stirring vp and executing a great desire to reade the holy Scriptures, & to conferre of that which concer∣neth eternall saluation, especially with the pastour of this church▪ I perceiued and acknowledged that I was in Bethauen, that is to say, in the house of Iniquitie, of corruption, and of abhominati∣on: where the puritie of the word of God is defiled, the sinceri∣tie and truth of the Sacraments corrupted, and the holy comman∣dements of God, by mens traditions are brought to nothing; and haue euer since continually heard a voyce soūding in the eares of my conscience, saying vnto me; Depart frō Babilon, get thee out of the middest of her, for feare that continuing in participating in her sinnes, thou receiue of her punishment: Now to obey this

voyce: which the holy scriptures teach me, to be of the Spirit of God, I am retired into this place to you, which I acknowledge to be of the sheepfolde of our Lord Iesus Christ, for as you heare his voyce, and will not giue eare to strangers, and mercenaries, & I protest, that I do abhorre and detest the Romish Idolatries and Superstitions, and do renounce the Pope, whome I acknowledge to be the sonne of perdition, the man of sinne, described by Saint Paul. 2. to the Thessaloni. 2. and the papacie; which is the great whore described in the Apocalips: And that I desire to liue and to dye in the confession and profession of the faith of the reformed churches of this kingdom, forasmuch as in them, men are contēt for the feeding of their soules, with the Milke which distilleth from the pure brests of the chaste Spouse of our Lorde Iesus Christ, to wit, the canonicall writ of the old and new Testament, wherein is not admitted any article of Faith, which is not groun∣ded in the expresse text, or by necessary consequence of the holy Scriptures: and this is the true and essentiall marke of the church, to be a sound piller and faithfull keeper of the worde of God, which is truth. O father of light, and fountaine of all goodnesse, to thee I now lift vp my hands, my eyes, and my hart, and beseech thee in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde, that thou pardon me my faults, of the time of my youth & ignorance past, and I yeeld thee thankes for the knowledge which thou hast gi∣uen me of thy truth: and I pray thee that thou continue, fortifie, and encrease me therein, and also that thou communicate the same to those which yet are plunged in the sinke of Popish Ido∣latrie and Superstition, to the end, that they speedely forsake the great Riuers of Babylon, which will turne into a Sea of fire and Brimstone, to burne eternally those which perseuer in the seruice and the worshipping of the beast, and that they may retire them∣selues into Sion, vnto the Brookes of Siloe which runne gentilly, which are made a fountaine of water springing to life euerlasting to those which drinke thereof. And you which are hearers and beholders of this my declaration, I beseech you by the intrailes of the Christian charitie which is in you, that you will ioyne your prayers with mine, to the eternall, to the end that he defende me with constancie and perseuerance in the holye conuersion and

resolution which he hath giuen me, for it is he which worketh in vs the desire and perfection (according to his good pleasure) as he to whome the creation, preseruation, and the conducting of all things doe eternally appertaine. Amen.

Signed: Theuenot.

Notes

• Pope is Antichrist.