"I finde not what effect this their petition produced, whether it was
slighted and the petitioners looked upon as inconsiderable, or beheld
as a few frantick folk out of their wits, which consideration alone
often melted their adversaries' anger into pity unto them. The main
design driven on in the petition is, to separate themselves from the
Puritans (as persons odious to King James), that they might not fare
the worse for their vicinity unto them; though these Familists could
not be so desirous to leave them as the others were glad to be left by
them. For if their opinions were so senseless, and the lives of these
Familists so sensuall as is reported, no _purity_ at all belonged unto
them."
The _Family of Love_, after being exposed and ridiculed both in "prose and
rime," finally "gave up the ghost," and was succeeded by another "wicked
sect" denominated the _Ranters_.