XVIII. “duty in this behalf. And not only to have care to put in CHAP. "execution her majesty's said proclamation, and such or❝ders as have been heretofore appointed against the killing, Anno 1579. "dressing, and eating of flesh in those times, and in such "common houses of assembly; but also to devise, by all "other good means, how the offenders in this "restrained and punished for such disorders. 66 66 case may be And in that part we think you should do very well to appoint spe"cial persons, being thereto well disposed, to use searches weekly, or oftener, in the towns and thoroughfares, where ❝inns, and such common houses for eating and drinking, are "kept; at such times as there shall be any suspicion that "there is any offence committed in the case aforesaid.” 66 ment. [All this that follows is the lord Burghley's own hand.] "And upon knowledge of the breach of good order in The punish"this case, to cause open punishment, not only of such as "shall eat meats so prohibited, but of the housekeepers ❝and utterers. And for more punishment, if they be vic"tuallers, besides imprisonment, to discharge them from 606 victualling; and there to bind them for more terror. "And where you shall think it also convenient, upon any “ probable suspicion, either of butchers or victuallers, to "bind them in some good sums of money to her majesty's use, not to offend in this behalf: and in the rest to follow "the orders prescribed in the former proclamations and "letters sent for that purpose." CHAP. XIX. Books published this year. A Confutation of the principles of the family of love; by William Wilkinson: and another by J. Knewstubs. A book in answer to the assertion, that the church of Rome is the true and catholic church. The Gaping Gulph; by J. Stubbs. His letters wrote with his left hand. Some further account of him and his abilities. Plutarch's Lives set forth in English by sir Thomas North. Catalogue of the bishops of Exon. A book of Simples and Surgery, by William BOOK Bullein. Egyptians and Jews pretending to do cures by palmistry and charms in these times. Richard BulAnno 1579. lein, a divine and physician. Hugh Broughton, fellow of Christ's college, Cambridge; outed of his fellowship (founded by king Edward) wrongfully. His remarkable case. The decision of a college statute; being the ground of this contention. One undertakes to make saltpetre. One offers to fortify the seaports of England and Ireland. The names of the queen's privycounsellors. A Confutation writ against the love. Now I proceed to the mention of divers books that came forth this year: and some accounts thereof, and their authors; with some other private matters incident. : One was writ against the sect of the family of love; of which several things have been said already. It bore this family of title, A confutation of certain articles, delivered unto the family of love with the exposition of Theophilus, a supposed elder of the said family, upon the same articles. By William Wilkinson, M. A. and student in divinity. Printed by John Day, dwelling under Aldersgate, 1579. The bishop To this book the bishop of Ely gave his own testimonial in of Ely's re- these words: "Perusing over this little treatise of Mr. Wil"kinson, I could not but allow his diligence and painful "travel in this heretical and schismatical world. And I "would heartily wish of God, that our church of England might be well weeded from those two great errors. "it is high time. commendation of it. dedicates "Richard Ely." For 607 To this bishop he makes the dedication of his book. And To him he the rather, because, he said, within the Isle of Ely, and his book: otherwhere within his lordship's diocese, divers did suspect and why. that to be true which common fame reported, that daily those increased: which in the end, he feared, might wonderfully disquiet (as it had already began in divers places) and molest the church of God. The writer's In the epistle to the reader, he tells him of what principle principles. he was; viz. " One that heartily desired the promotion and XIX. "furtherance of God's true religion; the increase of a true CHAP. "faith, the fear of God, the quietness of our English "church, and the utter ruin and abolishing of all papistry, Anno 1579. "atheism, and heretical sects and schisms whatsoever." And that which gave occasion to his writing this book was, that he reading certain books of H. N. and conferring with certain of that lovely family in the Isle of Ely, was by them requested to set down unto them in writing, for his further instruction, those doubts, which he did not understand, either by the means of the unusualness of their method in writing, or the novelty of their far-fetched phrases, or their wrong and wrested allegories, or their divinity not heard of; all in an affected rough-trotting style. articles of heresies and them His method was this. In the beginning of his book he Fourteen set down, A brief view of the heresies and errors of H. N. under fourteen articles; which he confutes in his ensuing errors by treatise. First, That we have no church. Secondly, That taught. we have no truth. Thirdly, We have no baptism. Fourthly, We have no forgiveness of sins. Fifthly, We have no ministry. Sixthly, Concerning being united and godded with God. Seventh, What he saith of himself, and his extraordinary calling. Other articles were concerning his revelations of shrift used in his family: that he disliked the preaching of the word; and what he termed it. That it was lawful for those of the family to dissemble. He makes God the author of sin; and the sinner guiltless. This is in short the sum of those articles that Wilkinson gathered out of H. N.'s book; which he exhibited unto a friend of his to be conveyed unto the family of love, that he might be certified of the doubts in them contained. At length one who called himself Theophilus, sent him answers to them with a letter, and an exhortation annexed; beginning thus: "To Theophi"the collector of these after expressed articles, that out of face to his "his malicious mind perverted the sense and true mind of answer. "the author, and framed sundry of them into errors; and "to the rest of his assistants in these and such uncharitable dealings, wheresoever they be, greeting." Wilkinson replies to Theophilus paragraph by paragraph; and proves lus, his pre BOOK his assertions out of their own books. And concludes his II. book by a short tract, consisting of Notes to know an hereAnno 1579. tic, especially an anabaptist, [whose opinions this family espoused,] with the opinions and behaviour of them out of divers authors. And particularly Bullinger; who shewed the several sorts and sects of them: as anabaptists, apostolics; such used no weapon, staff, wallet, shoes, money, &c. They preached on housetops, &c. Anabaptists, spiritual, sinless anabaptists: anabaptists, that use to hold their peace, and pray: anabaptists enthusiasts; that boasted much of the Spirit and revelation. Gross and impure anabaptists, called free-brethren; libertine anabaptists. The anabaptists of Munster; that despised and spoke against magistrates. 608 Another book Knewstubs. Another book, in quarto, came forth this year against the same family, by J. Knewstubs: called, A confutation of against this certain monstrous and horrible heresies, taught by H.N. sect: by and embraced by a number who call themselves the family of love. Dedicated to the right honourable Ambrose earl of Warwick, master of her majesty's ordnance. In this epistle he commended unto his honourable care "the re"dress of a dangerous enormity, which of late had broken "out in this land: he meant this atheism, as he called it, 66 brought in by H. N. and that his household, who would "be called the family of love. And that this service, which "his honour might do unto God, would be great: and that "the cause so nearly touching the glory of God, he was in 66 good hope, that this which had been said by him would "sufficiently persuade his honour to enter into some speedy "care and consideration to suppress so great and grievous "a danger." Such were the apprehensions of this sect at this time. A book assertion, The same author set forth another book, against another against the sort of errors: being an answer to certain assertions, tending to maintain the church of Rome to be the true and cachurch of tholic church. It was dedicated to those gentlemen in that the Rome is the true church. Suffolk, whom the true worshipping of God had made right worshipful. This book was occasioned by one who had XIX. drawn up certain assertions, and required Knewstubs (in CHAP. way of challenge) to answer them. But after he had made his answer, the other, who gave him the said assertions, Anno 1579. would not vouchsafe the reading of them: perhaps lest he should be convinced. Whereupon he was advised by some of his friends to publish them. Of these assertions, the first was this: "It is an article of our faith, to believe the “ catholic church; whose schoolmaster is the Holy Ghost. "And therefore in the Creed that article is placed next to "the article of the belief of the Holy Ghost. By whose " continual instruction and assistance being directed, she "cannot err in matters of faith. For, as St. Paul saith, "she is columna et firmamentum veritatis. So that we "are all bound here to believe and obey: yea, however it seem to our sense and understanding." This is a taste of these assertions, which that learned man thought fit to 66 answer, and to make public his answers to. Gaping Now came forth also that famous book (mentioned be- The Discofore) of J. Stubbs against the French match, monsieur being very of the then come into England; which highly provoked the queen, Gulph. as well as reproached that prince. It was entitled, The discovery of a gaping gulph; wherein England is like to be swallowed by another French marriage, if the Lord forbid not the banns, by letting her see the sin and punishment thereof. Therein is this expression: "Her majesty's “ father, king Henry the Eighth, had a law passed by parlia"ment in his time, that whoso had unlawfully known that 66 woman with whom he was like to marry, and did not be"fore marriage come and bewray it, should, upon the mat"ter afterward detected, be holden little better than a "traitor. His care to have a good woman was Christian "and royal. He wist well, as the preamble of those sta"tutes purposed, besides the private contentation to him"self, that as well the sins of fathers and mothers, as the plague of their sins, descended to the children. And "considering the children were to be left governors of the "land, (which so also might have part in the punishment,) "his care was so much more to be approved, because it was 609 66 |