contayning an Enterlude of Myndes, witnessing the Mans Fall from God and Christ’ (British Museum, Britwell, and Cambridge), with the following: 15. ‘Terra Pacis. Wäre getügenisse van idt geistelick Landtschop des Fredes. Gedruckt to Cölln am Rein dorch Niclas Bohmbargen. Anno mdlxxx.,’ 4to (Cambridge). In English: ‘Terra Pacis. A True Testification of the Spirituall Lande of Peace; which is the Spirituall Lande of Promyse, and the holy Citee of Peace or the heauenly Ierusalem.’ It was reprinted, London, 1649. 16. ‘Epistolæ H. N. De Vornömpste Epistelen H. N. Anno 1577,’ 4to (Cambridge). This contains twenty epistles with different titles, all but one, ‘Eine hertelicke Vormaninge an de yferigeste Goedtwillige Herten,’ &c., given as separate works by Van der Aa in ‘Biographisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden,’ xiii. 181–3. In English: ‘Epistolæ H. N. The Principall Epistles of H. N., which he hath set-foorth through the Holy Spirit of Loue’ (British Museum, Britwell, and Cambridge without a title-page). 17. ‘De Openbaringe Godes, unde syne grote Prophetie,’ 4to (British Museum, without title-page). English version: ‘Revelatio Dei. The Reuelation of God, and his great Propheatie: which God now; in the last Daye; hath shewed unto his Elect;’ a later edition appeared in London in 1649. 18. ‘Proverbia H. N. De Spröken H. N.,’ 4to (British Museum). In English: ‘Proverbia H. N. The Prouerbes of H. N. Which Hee; in the Dayes of his olde-age; hath set-fourth as Similitudes and mysticall Sayinges.’ 19. ‘Dicta H. N. Leerafftige Rede,’ &c., 4to (Cambridge). Another copy, fragments of which are preserved at Cambridge and Utrecht, is dated 1573. In English: ‘Dicta H. N. Documentall Sentences: eaven-as those-same were spoken-fourth by H. N., and written-vp out of the Woordes of his Mouth,’ n.d. 20. ‘Dat uprechte Christen-gelove des Ghemein schoppes der Hilligen des Hüses der Lieften: Där oick de vprechte Christelicke döpe inne betüget vnde beleden wert.’ 21. ‘De Wet, offte de vornömpste Geboden Godes, vnde de twelf vornömpste Höuet-artyckelen des Christen-gheloues: Mith noch ethlicke goede Leringen vnde Gebeden.’ 22. ‘Van den rechtferdigen Gerichte Godes ouer de olde vordorvene Werlt, vnde von ere straffinge vnde vth rodinge’ (Amsterdam). 23. ‘Einen früntlicken Brief, vm hertelicker Liefte an Einen geschreuen vnde gesendt, där he to de Enicheit der Lieften, to de Eindrachticheit ofte Enicheit des herten, vnde to eines-sinnes ende Gehorsamheit der Lieften mede gelieuet wert.’ Of the four last no English version appears.
Other works ascribed to Niclaes (Strype, Annals, ii. i. 563–4; and Rogers) mainly prove portions of the above; but Nippold mentions six more alluded to by opponents which are not otherwise known (Zeitschrift, &c. p. 336). By his elders or followers were written: 1. ‘Mirabilia opera Dei. Etlicke Wunder-Wercken Godes, &c.’ 4to (British Museum), of which the English version is ‘Mirabilia Opera Dei. Certaine wonderfull Works of God which hapned to H. N. even from his youth. … Published by Tobias, a Fellow Elder with H. N. in the Houshold of Love,’ n.d. 4to. 2. ‘Fidelitas. Underscheidentlicke Vorklaringe der Forderinge des Heren. Anno 1576,’ 4to (British Museum). In English: ‘Fidelitas. A Distinct Declaratiō of the Requiring of the Lorde and of the godlie Testimonies of the holie Spirit of the Love of Jesu Christ. Set-fourth by Fidelitas, a Fellowe-Elder with HN. in the Familie of the Loue,’ n.d. 3. ‘Ein Klachreden, die de Geist der Lieften, vnde H. N. mith sampt Abia, Joacin, Daniel, Zacharias, Tobias, Haniel, Rasias, Banaias, Nehemias, Elidad, &c., de vornoempste Olderen vnde Anderenen des hillighen Wordes in dem Hüs der Lieften, ouer de blindtheit der Volckeren klagende … zynt.’ 4. ‘A good and fruitful Exhortation unto the Famelie of Loue … Testified and set-fourth by Elidad, a Fellow-Elder with the Elder H. N.’ 5. ‘A Reproofe spoken and geeuen-fourth by Abia Nazarenus against all false Christians. Translated out of Nether Saxon. Like as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses, euen so do These namely, the enemies of H. N. and of the Loue of Christ also resist the Trueth, &c. … mdlxxix.’
The principal writers against Niclaes and his doctrines were, in Germany, Caspar Grevinchoven, author of ‘Ontdeckinge van de monstreuse dwalingen des libertynschen vergodeden Vrygheestes Hendrie Nicolaessoon, eerste Vader van het huys der liefden,’ 1604, and Coornhert, who wrote ‘Spieghelken vande ongerechticheydt ofte menschelicheyt des vergodeden H. N.’ Haarlem, 1581. In England, John Rogers [q. v.] published ‘The Displaying of an horrible Secte of grosse and wicked Heretiques, naming themselves the Familie of Loue,’ London, 1578. The following year he republished the book with ‘certeine letters sent from the same Family mainteyning their opinions, which Letters are answered by the same J. R.’ These books contain a confession purporting to be made on 28 May 1561 by two of the Family, ‘before a worthy and worshipful Justice of Peace [Sir William Moore, in Surrey], touching the errors taught amongst them at the assemblies.’
