The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth | Page 8

faith
alone. In his Preface the author bewails "the daily increase of this
error," declaring that "in many shires of this our country there are
meetings and conventicles of this Family of Love." Amongst those who
have been converted, he tells us, were many who had hitherto been
"professors of Christ Jesus' gospel according to the brightness thereof."
He denounces Christopher Vittel, the joiner, as "the only man that hath
brought our simple people out of the plain ways of the Lord our God,"
and complains how "he driveth the true sense of the Holy Ghost into
allegories," and contendeth that "otherwise to interpret the Holy
Scriptures is to stick to the letter." To the Family of Love, he tells us,
"Christ signifieth anointed." He continues, "I pray you mark but this
one thing in their teachings, how they drive the true sense of the Holy
Ghost into allegories. And when any text of Holy Scriptures is alleged
by any of God's children, they answer that we little understand what is
meant thereby; and then if they be pressed to expound the place, by and
by it is drawn into an allegory. For they take not the creation of man at
the first to be historical (according to the letter), but mere allegorical:
alleging that Adam signifieth the earthly man ... the Serpent to be

within man; applying still the allegory, they destroy the truth of the
history."
The writer's greatest grievance, however, is their rejection of the
Lutheran dogma of justification by faith, and their agreement "with the
Papists in extolling works as efficient causes of salvation." "Amongst
the rest, indeed," he exclaims, "they insinuate a good life, as which they
pretend to follow, which is as the vizard and cloak to hide all the rest of
their gross and absurd doctrines, and the hook and bait whereby the
simple are altogether deceived." He is greatly concerned that "none but
those who are willingly minded to their doctrines can get a sight of
their books";[17:1] and that "they are disinclined to disputations and
conferences with those not inclined to their opinions." He informs his
readers that "it is a maxim in the Family to deny before men all their
doctrines, so that they keep the same secret in their hearts"; that though
they may inwardly reject, yet they will outwardly conform to the forms
of the Church as by law established; that "they have certain sleights
amongst them to answer any question that may be demanded of them."
Thus "they do decree all men to be infants who are under the age of
thirty years. So that if they be demanded whether infants ought to be
baptized, they answer yea; meaning thereby that he is an infant until he
attain to those years at which time they ought to be baptized, and not
before." However, it may be well to mention here that the writer speaks
of the Anabaptists and of the Family of Love as if he recognised them
to be distinct heresies.
From their doctrines as formulated in this pamphlet, based on "A
Confession made by two of the Family of Love before a worthy and
worshipful Justice of the Peace, May 28th, 1561," we take the
following:
(_a_) "When any person shall be received into their congregation, they
cause all their brethren to assemble, the Bishop or Elder doth declare
unto the newly-elected brother, that if he will be content that all his
goods shall be in common amongst the rest of all his brethren, he shall
be received."
(_b_) "They may not say God save anything. For they affirm that all

things are ruled by Nature, and not directed by God."
(_c_) "They did prohibit bearing of weapons, but at the length,
perceiving themselves to be noted and marked for the same, they have
allowed the bearing of staves."
(_d_) "When a question is demanded of any of them, they do of order
stay a great while ere they answer, and commonly their words shall be
Surely or So."
(_e_) "They hold that no man should be baptized before he is of the age
of thirty years."
(_f_) "They hold that heaven and hell are present in this world amongst
us, and that there is none other."[18:1]
(_g_) "They hold the Pope's service and this service now used in the
Churches to be naught."
(_h_) "They hold that all men that are not of their congregation, or that
are revolted from them, to be dead."
(_i_) "They hold that they ought to keep silence amongst themselves,
that the liberty they have in the Lord may not be espied of others."
(_k_) "They hold that no man should be put to death for his opinion:
therefore they condemn Master Cranmer and Master Ridley for burning
Joan of Kent."