As it is not generally known that the "Agapemone" had a prototype in the
celebrated _Family of Love_, some account of this "wicked sect" may not at
this moment be without interest to your readers:--
"Henry Nicholas, a Westphalian, born at Munster, but who had lived a
great while at Amsterdam, and some time likewise at Embden, was the
father of this family. He appeared upon the stage about the year 1540,
styled himself the _deified man_, boasted of great matters, and seemed
to exalt himself above the condition of a human creature. He was, as he
pretended, greater than Moses and Christ, because Moses had taught
mankind to _hope_, Christ to _believe_, but he to _love_; which last
being of more worth than both the former, he was consequently greater
than both those prophets."--See Brandt's _Hist. of the Reform, &c., in
the Low Countries_, vol. i. p. 105, ed. 1720.
According to some writers, however, the sect was not founded by Henry
Nicholas, but by David George, an Anabaptist enthusiast of Delft, who died
in 1556; and indeed there is some reason to believe that the _Family of
Love_ grew out of the heresies of the said George, with whom Nicholas had
been on friendly terms.
"'Not content,' says Fuller, speaking of Nicholas, 'to confine his
errors to his own country, over he comes into England, and in the
latter end of the reign of Edward the Sixth, joyned himself to the
Dutch congregation in London, where he seduced a number of artificers
and silly women.'"--_Church. Hist._, p. 112, ed. 1655.
On the 12th of June, 1575, according to the historian Hollinshed,
"Stood at Paule's Crosse five persons, Englishmen, of the sect termed
the Familie of Love, who there confessed themselves utterlie to detest
as well the author of that sect, H. N., as all his damnable errors and
heresies."
A curious little volume on the history and doctrines of this sect appeared
in the year 1572, from the pen of John Rogers, entitled _The Displaying of
an horrible Secte of grosse and wicked Heretiques, naming themselves the
Family of Love, with the Lives of their Authors, and what Doctrine they
teach in Corners. Imprinted at London for George Bishop._ 1579. 12mo.
Christopher Vittall, a joiner of Southwark, who had been infected with the
doctrine of Arius some twenty years before, and whose credit was great
amongst the _Family of Love_, was at this period actively engaged in
teaching their doctrines. He travelled about the country to disseminate
them; and was likewise author of a little book, in reply to Roger's
_Displaying_ of the sect, printed in the same year.
At the close of the year 1580 the sect was increasing so rapidly in
England, that the government took active measures for its suppression, and
the Queen issued a proclamation to search for the "teachers or professors
of the foresaid damnable sect," and to "proceed severelie against them."
{50} This proclamation may be seen in Hollinshed and in Camden's
_Annals_.[1]