“Godded with God”

This is a print on demand publication. The Family of Love, the name by which the disciples of Hendrik Niclaes were known in England, must certainly pique the curiosity of almost anyone. The name together with the reputation for loose living and absurd theological pretensions that attached to the sect throughout its existence on the continent and England in the 16th and 17th centuries, makes it surprising that the group was never studied in its entirety. This study of the Family of Love begins with an account of the life and teachings of Niclaes, his organization of the House of Love, and its growth on the Continent. The first chapter treats also the causes of schism within the group and the differences expressed by the rival leaders. Successive chapters focus on the development of Familism in England, describing its earliest stirrings in Queen Mary’s day, the effect of Niclaes’s teachings as they appeared in the English eds. of his books, and the rising opposition of the Crown to the movement. The final chapters treat the gradual disappearance of the sect and reflect upon the ultimate influence of their views on the colony at Massachusetts Bay. Illus.