(1.) "H.N. (i.e. Henry Nicholas) saith, It is lawfull for one of his Familie to dissemble," (i.e., to conceal his religion when questioned by the magistrate); and (2.) "H.N. maketh God the Author of sinne, and the sinner guiltless," (but no proof is alleged that this speculative impiety was carried out into actual life).
The title of the second treatise to which I alluded is—
"A Confutation of monstrous and horrible Heresies, taught by H.N., and embraced of a number who call themselves the Familie of Love, by I. Knewstub. Imprinted in London, at the Three Cranes in the Vinctree, by Thomas Dawson, for Richard Sergies. 1579."
He characterises the doctrine of the "Familists" as—
"A masse or packe of Poperie, Arianisme, Anabaptisme, and Libertinisme. Respecting their morals we are told, that although for their loosenesse of life, they are from the toppe to the toe nothing but blottes, yet bragge they of all perfection, euen vnto a verie deifying of themselues."
Some further light is thrown upon this point by a letter sent to Knewstub from a "godly learned man, W.C." He says,—
"Howsoeuer, they seduce some goodly and zealous men and women of honest and godly conuersation, placing them at the porch of their synagogue to make a shewe of holinesse, and to stand there as baites and stalles to deceiue others; yet, alas! who can without blushing vtter the shame that is committed in the inwarde roomes, and as it were in the heart of that synagogue of Satan."
Appended to Knewstub's book is a further—
"Confutation of the doctrine of Dauid George, and H.N., the father of the Familie of Loue, by M. Martyn Micronius, minister of the woorde in the Dutche Churche, at London."
It was originally written in Latin during the reign of Edward VI. The author charges the "Familists" with maintaining that—