PHanatiques in generall are fancifull men whose tongues are tipped with Sanctity, and the name of the Spirit is this, that they know not indeed what spirit they are of as to profession. They are a people much given to dreames and to take fancies for revelations and eary pre­sumtions for serious examination of truth.

Their Religion consists much in externe modes and fashions, in adhering to some party or Faction, in popular and specious in­sinuations and pretensions, in admiration of some mens persons, gifts, piety, and sup­posed Zeale, in prevalencies of power, in Worldly successes, in verball assurances, in loose confidencies of being elected and predestinated to happinesse, of being cal­led Saints, Prohets, preachers in a new ex­traordinary [Page 2]way, in great Zealotries for some new forme or way of constituting discipline, in boldness to affirme or deny or doe any thing, presuming themselves able to doe whatsoever they fancy.

Owne nothing for religion in any man or any Church which appeares not just after that colour, figure and notion which they are taken withal. Many have little in them, they can fancy or call Religion, but onely a fiercenesse for that side which they take, a consoriousnesse to all they count not theirs, brand all they like not with the marke of Antichrist; some of them make every thing a sin and errour, to which they are not inclined; Others count nothing a sin to which they have an impulse and are free to, as they call it. Some dote much on select and covenanting congregations; others are onely for private illuminations, solitary seekings, raptures, prophetick accomplishments, &c. blown up with their own breath and other mens ap­plauses, set off all that is done in their way with Epithets of rare, holy, Spiritual, divine [Page 3]saint-like &c. they have such self conceits of their extraordinary gifts and abilityes that they call their presumtions inspira­tions, their darknesse light, their dessolute licentiousnesse, Christian liberty, their fiercenesse Zeals, selfe confidence a divine cal, novelties rarities, their opinions per­fections, distractions, raptures, their rave­nings, reasons, their dreames oracles; such specious and gilded idoles Teraphims of their owne imagination their fancy forg­eth in the shallow plasnes and fowl pud­dles of their owne invention, where their confused thoughts are oftentimes sooner out of their mouthes than in their minds.

They are meer slovens in their devotions, have no decent peculiar places set a part for holy uses, would have no heads bare in the Church but what in reverence to their Enthusiastick Spirit, imitate the unman­nerly Hugonots in France, and preach with their hats on, are content to have their re­ligion hatched under the wings and seath­ers of any uncleane birds, magnify what is most dishonest and uncomely in their [Page 4]foolish ringleaders even their ignorance set off meerly with impudence. Wise men find much of these mens religion de­formed with minicall affectations of words, with studied tones, antick gestures, apish tricks and grimasses scurrulous expresions, much in them is sulsome brutish tumul­tuary confusednesse in their duties, all their Zeale tending meerly to profaness, supi­nesse, fordidnesse and slovenlynesse.

Nothing pleaseth their clogged stom­acks that is old, though never so true no­thing comes amisse if it be dressed up with novelty, they think even religion it selfe is never well unlesse it be set forth in some new mode and fashion, or unwounted ex­pressions, silly delusions and babilike no­velties delighting more in things gay and new, then good and old; fansiing all re­formed, which is but changed though much to the worse, even old Christianity set on the new block of faction inplumed with the feathers of popular and passionate fan­cies, seek to divide and destroy all ancient formes of Churches that they may new [Page 5]modell them to their popular way of calling, to advance such opinions and practises as no holy men of old ever knew, acted or owned for Religious, as if no duties, ceremonies or Sacraments were heretofore holy, primitively or universally own'd, before these new coyners had set up their mints to print their Idol of new dressed Spirituality and sanctity, would seem wiser, more perfect in their words and fancies, than either pious antiquity, tradition or scripture; as if the private fancies, solitary dreames and single ima­ginations of filly men and women were now more holy than Oracles.

Believe no Church or religion is suf­ficiently reformed till they are most dia­metrically contrary to every use and cu­stome of the Roman, abhorring many things as Popish Superstitions, Antichrist because used by Papists, affecting singularities and choosing rather to fall by standing alone in Separation of opinion and government than to seem to have any support by the assosiation with any former Assemblies. [Page 6]You may sooner convert a Jew than make a Phanatique yeild to arguments that cross him: their fancy is the God they wor­ship, faction is their Heaven, peace their hell, and the Papist, the Divill, they hate; for all that helpe them not, they hold Po­pish. To be plaine, so much bran, filth and Drosse of pride, popularity, chisme, malapertnesse, and contempt of all men, differing in opinion from them, doe hith­erto generally appeare in the face, and manners of many of those who more af­fect the name of gifted men and Prophets than ever the Pharisees did the title of Rabby. They will hardly ever make such loves as will be sit for shew-bred the corne being ground in such a new beaten mill, proves full of grit and gravel.

These Histrionick players, and vaporing preachers, in many places, seeke to fill the world with meer noise and clamours, crying down all ancient Religion as Anti­christian, turning all into spiritual and new prophetick gifts, (to which they highly pretend) like as those cheats & wanderers [Page 7]do, who swear they have found out & can sell you the true Elixar, the Philosophers Stone which will turn baser mettalls into gold, while yet (poor men) their rags sords and beggery sufficiently confutes their rare skill proclaming to all, they more need others charity then they are any wayes a­ble to releive any man necessities.

Like the Gnosticks, they pretend to be as perfect as the Apostles, Like Comets Ex­alting themselves in high notions above the ordinary reach of reason, in spirituall manifestations beyond plain and ordinary Christians, that they are not easily calcu­lated by common accounts. Covet to be called spirituall who walk after the flesh, study to cover their follies and hipocrisies with the Shewes of the spirit of God, as if it were not enough to sinne against its ma­nifest rules and examples in Scripture ob­served by the Church; unlesse they im­pute also unto it their simplicities, fond­nesses, impudencies, filthy dreames, ex­travagancies and confusions, counting it no shame to ascribe those unreasonable [Page 8]absurd motions to Gods most wise holy Spirit, which any man of right reason, common ingenuity and modesty would be ashamed to owne. It had it been better for such not to have known the way of the Spirit in Scripture, far mor evenial to erre for want of the Spirits guidance and light, than to shut our eyes against it; and to impute it to our errors, dreames, darknesses and hipocrisies. Its better to have the heart wholy barren then to lay our adulterous bastards to the Spirits charge; when indeed they are issued of no­thing but pride joyned to ignorance, for­geries and glistring novelties set off with insolence, since neither the temper of their Spirits, nor their workes or words are like the rules, markes or fruites of the holy Spirit of Christ.

They challinge the spirit of Christ in such a plenary measure and power to themselves, that they justifie their want of ordinary abilites and endowments by their needing none Excusing their not stud­ing or preparing for what they utter by [Page 9]their being specially inspired, colouring over their well known idleness, illiterateness, ignorance and emptiness, by the Shews of special illuminations, sudden inspirations and spiritual inablements. You must not ask them where are their Miracles? where their Empire over Devills, where their gift of languages? where their Pro­phesies? these questions though just to be put where extraordinary Inspirati­ons are pretended, are too hard for them, be they never so godly, if you put them one pin above their pitch, they either crack, or sound like strings overstrained, harshly, and out of tune.

In their pretended Liberty and Level­ling Principles, they justifie the flagitious­nesse of their Villanies, as if the zeale they had for Religion provoked them to such Outrages; then the most crying In­justice must be thought the highest Iustice the most partiall Tolleration must be voi­ced for Christian Liberty; the grossest Anarchies good Government, and the most Novel and unjust Cause that ever [Page 10]was, must needs be cryed up for the Good Old Cause. The better to set off their O­pinions and Practises, their Retreat is (as Foxes when eagerly hunted) to earth themselves in This, the Spirit hath taught and dictated those things unto them, or interpreted or revealed the Scripture to them in this manner, or impulsed and dri­ven them upon such and such waies as are uncomely and unwonted. This is done with the same Falsity and Confidence as Mahomet perswaded the credulous vul­gar, that his fits of Falling-sicknesse, and the device of his Pigeon coming to his ear, where he had accustomed to feed it, were Monitions and Inspirations he had from God by his Blessed Spirit.

A vacuity with safety may be concluded in their Heads, whose bodies and Discourse are filled with too much affectation and vain glory, who like Atomes Volatle and un­setled, justle & whirle up & down without incorporating any thing but Air. Their Holinesse is meer titular and verball, like Montanists, Catharists, & Gnosticks of old, or [Page 11]the later cruel and rude Phanatiques in Germany who cryed Holy, Holy, Holy, to their parties and factions, as if there were holy seditions, holy ambitions, holy sacri­ledges, holy cruelties, holy ignorances, holy confusions, holy errors, holy Schismes, holy Hypocrisies in the hearts and spirits of spirituall men. Under these dis­guises of extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, Architophel, and Iehu, and Iudas, and Sy­mon Magus, and the Sons of Sheva and De­mus, and the selfe made Prophetesse Ieza­bel, and Diotrophes, all false Prophets (and Ministers of Satan) studied to appear.

If any praies publickly in matter, words, or method, approved by the practise & tra­dition of the Church, it is (they say) but a forme and stinting of the Spirit, if they preach with exactness and Preparation, it is not the Spirit but Study and Learning: If they read holy Bookes, tis but a dead Let­ter, and Lip-labour if they celebrate the Sacraments with Reverence and Decency, they quarrel at the Place, or Time, or Gest­ure or company, or Ceremonies used of old. [Page 12]If they use the ancient Doxology giving Glory to the Trinity as the Greekes and Latine Churches ever did, their Socinian and Arrian Eares are so offended, as if Christians should ask them leave to own the Blessed Trinity, if any explicateth the Rudiments for Instruction, the Princi­ples of Christian Religion, continuing summaries of things to be Believed, pra­ctised and Prayed for, as the Creed, the Ten Commandements, and Pater Noster, these men fancy them as the Recitation of some Charmes, and looke upon the Priest as some Exorcist confined to these Articles of stinted Spells and Formes. If they name any Apostle, Evangelist or other Christian of undoubted Sanctity with the Epithet of Saint, they are so scared with the Popes Canonizing Saints, that they start at the very name so used, as if it were an unsanctified Title not to be applyed to the memory of the Blessed, but only arrogated to some persons living, who ambitiously call themselves and their party Saints.

If any of these Gloriosoes and New-Illu­minates have any competent gifts of know­ledge, as to something of Religion; yet they have commonly something monstrous odd, extravagant, either vaine or Morose, de­fective or Superfluous, light or Tetricall, rude or proud, popular or affectated, and after all, the cry and noise, and glorying of these mens Inspirings, at the best, all amounts to no more then but a little Or­dinary Knowledge, new glossed and painted over; whose Ignorance, Weaknesse, and Confusions, will only serve to betray and destroy Religion and State, but never to defend it, being more offensive then de­fensive; fitter for seduction then redu­ction, to infect then cure. Their New-Nursery of gifted Brethren and Prophets, are so AEsopick and deformed, rather fit to scare men from, then to instruct them in Holinesse or Pyety, and by their meer Formalities, extemporary Pratings, and Contempt, to make wide Gaps and easie Inroads for Superstition and Atheisme.

These Pharaohs Dreame of none but [Page 14]lean Cattle in the Field of the Church; the lesse wooll and flesh they have on their backs, the more spiritual they must needs be; fed by thredbare hunger-starv'd Teach­ers, necessitious & whining peices of impu­dent ignorance, crowch and fawne on eve­ry plausible Errour, on every powerfull Novelty, on every proud fancy and high imagination, prone to adorne by their gifts some odd opinion, and set it forth as a Divine Truth: Like Arelius a Painter in Iulius Caesars time, who when he was to paint any Goddesse, corrupted his art by alwaies making them like some of his Mistresses. They lick the Sores of any mens Conscience, or the Pollutions of a­ny mens hands, (as they did of Olivers and the Rumps) labour to turne all solidi­ty of Truth into nothing but Fantasticall Whimsies, empty Notions, and sublimity of Non-sence. Their Affections like the poor womans Wort, is often hot in the point of Zeale, when it is very small in point of judgement, and apt to run out in­to much disorder and consusion in rusticall [Page 15]impertinencies, and pittifull Rhapsodies of confused stuffe, spitting out their Poyson like the Racovian Catechisme, and such like Primers of the Devill, against all Christian Duties, extern Decency, and distinction of Order or Office; against all Holinesse, Morality, and Modesty in mens Lives.

None of these Rabbies can content themselves with Restraints of Humane or Divine Lawes, or Principles imbraced by their Ancestors, they must ever have some new fangle of Opinion and Practise to make themselves Remarkeable; for these so cryed up gifted men and Saints, if they should use the learned helpes of o­ther mens Labours, and adde nothing of the Rawness of their own Invention, or may not seem to say something of them­selves (being so full of the Spirit) like Bladders, would be forced to burst for want of vent. We finding now a brigh­ter Light, a warmer Heate, a sweeter Influence from these New Parelij, as Rivalls in brightnesse to our oldId est Seeming and mock sunnes, some­time ap­pearing with the true sun, as in Eng. 1640. sunne, [Page 16]and threatning now to ecclipse it, and uttely expell it out of its ancient Orbe and Sphere. O how should we emulate their blessednesse? How should we be ready as Saint Iohn to fall at their feet? To kisse their Footsteps, to attend their directions, imitate their Examples, par­ticipate of tehir Raptures, to pry into the third Heaven in Apocalyptick Revelations, to all which in word and fancy they pretend; imagining perhaps (as some say Turks do) of Blind and Mad-men, that they have speciall Visions because they want their Eyes, and extraordinary Revelations, be­cause they are destitute of common reason.

Of their Disciples.

Their Proselytes are rather perverted then converted, made theirs by a factious adherence, by a fiduciary obedience, or fallacious pretensions of the Spirits Special Motions; whose sillinesse makes them gen­tle Spectators, and obsequious Admirers of any thing that is new to them or above them, easily admire what they hardliest understand, and who rather may be said to be Spectators then Hearers of these mens affected gesticulations.

These Brazen Oratours venture to en­tertain their Leaden Auditors, their Cir­cumcised Proselytes and silly Disciples, (who like Callow Birds gape wide, and are greedy to swallow any thing which is brought to them) with stuffe of their own proper invention, impreparation, and discomposure. Nothing is commonly more weak & flashy (like Whites of Egs with­out Salt) nothing more loose, spungy, and unsubstantiall, then what ariseth from no higher Source then their owne Braine, their sudden and shallow Fan­cies which (like Rheume easily swims out of their Mouths, Lips,) pestilently er­roneous, nnd fanatically confused, most unwholesome and unsavory Medleyes of filthy Fashoods, desperate Doctrines tempered as the Rats-bane of Old He­reticks (which Tertullian tells us of) was wont with some mixtures of Scrip­ture Texts, some light Inspersions of truth to make them appetitious, passable, and toothsome, with their at first, may be, squeamish Disciples, who by little and [Page 18]little (as Mithridates) wonting them­selves to nibble and sip of Poysons, come to that confidence that they venture to quaff up any Draughts, who by these great Doses of Mercury, occasion rather Palsies then any Steadiness in the Under­standing, by rendring it more bold then Rational. And the only Antidote these wretched Hearers have against those or the like poysons of Soules, is no other, but their Custome of drinking of such horrid and abominable Liquors, whose Ve­nome hath so stupified their Consciences, that they are past all feeling and sense, either of sinn, shame, or sorrow.

The large Phylacteries of pretended preaching Gifts, of high Expressions of Zeale, which these men so Pharisaically set forth to the vulgar view, by which these cunning Quakers seek to lose the eyes of their Spectators in clouds of Obscurities and Uncertainties, and the Vulgar once dazeled with the glistering flashes of Pre­tended Inspirations, Enthusiasmes, and Seraphick Dictates; once in this maze [Page 19]in the wood of these strange Speculations, those unwonted Notions, those pretty Le­gerdemaines in Religion (which Fanatick juglers study more then solid-Piety) are not able to know where they are as to Religion, nor find out Truth to lead them out of that Fooles Paradise. Poor peo­ple being dosed with Novelties, (as Larkes with dazeling Glasses) picking up Curiosities, or gazing at Sublimities, or dubious in uncertainties, or intangled with Subtilties, (as Deere in acorne time, forget their food,) grow lean and fall into diverse Snares and Temptations, into many Lusts and Passions; many as leaves from Trees in Autumne, every day drop a­way and dye in their Mazes and Laby­rinths of Religion, wearying themselves in intricate Difficulties, as some vaine and Lunatick Christians, who busie them­selves more how to interpret the Reveala­tion, then to understand the clear Precepts of the Gospell, advancing no more in Re­ligion then Birds in a Cage, or blind Hor­ses in a Mill. Thus weake Proselites be­ing [Page 20]easily deluded and gulled, biassed and swerved with fair words, specious pretences, and partiall Interests; espe­cially if their Novel Paedagogues have any shew, smack, or tincture of more than ordinary godliness. The most serious en­deavours of these serious men being to cap­tivate the Ignorant beholders. So trade in nothing but Apes and Peacocks, Pageants of new opinions, like Pedlers of Religion vend their Toyes, Ribands, and Phana­tique Rattles, till the Countrey gaping be a little over, and the gloss of Novelty faded away.

Of their Calling and Or­dination.

They pretend and fancy to be stamped with the mark of Popular Ordination, ob­trude themselves in crowds, in illiterate heaps, without a Call from God or man, but rather from the Countreymans Whi­stle, or armed mans Trumpet; think it all one power enables them to make a Mi­nister or Priest, which makes a Mayor, Bayliff, or Constable. They take the li­berty to separate themselves from the Clergie, and by a mutual Call of one ano­ther [Page 21]to jugge themselves like Partridges into small Coveys, which they call Bo­dies or Churches, even before they have any Minister, whom they resolve to have out of their own choosing and ordaining, that they may be sure to have him after their own humour. They may be as well their own Preachers and Baptizers one af­ter another, as ordain of themselves any one to be, and exercise that power which they presume to give to another; which they cannot do, if they have not the po­wer themselves. What sorry choice do you think they make? How weakly do they examine Sufficiencies? how wildly ordain him? what sad and slovenly hands do they impose upon them? what croo­ked blocks do they hew to be their Mer­curies? what I dols do they set up to be their Shepherds, who can neither see nor hear, or rightly understand any Mysteries of Religion?

They are a People rather taken with a familiar rusticity in a Minister, than with the learned Abilities; prefer a Mechanick [Page 22]before a Divine; judge not what is wor­thiest, but what is fittest to their fancies) receiving more willingly one that comes in his own name as gifted, or in their name as chosen and ordained by them, than if he come in Christs Name, sent by his Vicegerents.

Such tumours and inflamed swellings they have of their abilities and self-con­ceited sufficiencies, that they think them­selves at the first instant fitted for every work of the Sanctuary: their gifts, know­ledge, and utterance are qualifications suf­ficient for them to challenge the right of ordination or publick Ministry, they need no other patent or Commission. So they will be ploughing and sowing when they are not apted to break the clods, and harrow the seed, and this self-sowing comes like to that which springs on the house top, wher­of the mower shall never fill his hand, nor he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom. Like Apes in the Fable, fancy they can build as brave houses, Cities, or Churches, as the ablest men; but when they come to [Page 23]the Wood, they have not so much as Saws or Axes, or any tools to begin the work withall.

Alass those poore, but proudly gifted men, these serious people (as they term themselves) who spread so large sailes, hang out such faire streamers; and seek to make so good a shew to the vulgar sim­plicity, as if they were strong built, well rigged, and richly loaden Vessels, fit to endure those rough Seas and stormes to which truth is frequently exposed; are easily judged by all wise and learned Christians to be but light keels and flat bottomed boats, by their floating so lof­tily, by their running so boldly over any shelves and rocks of opinion; which shews they have not the due Ballast, weighty Knowledge, and sound Judegment, the want of which makes them so fool-hardy, apt to be tossed to and fro with every winde of Doctrine,; so prone to grow leaky, either letting in under water se­cretly corrupt and brackish opinions, or shipping in above deck openly and boldly [Page 24]whole Seas of any finister and worldly in­terests that are abroad the stormes, and waves and confusions of civil affairs. And so by popular precipitances and licentious extravagancies, are the likeliest to over­throw and bring all Christianity, by Ca­tholick and Mahometan Methods, in Athe­ism, illiterature, confusion and barbarity: for as they have the least skill, so have they the most passion and unbridled vio­lence, and least able to distinguish be­tween the Use and Abuse of things. Whence I gather that saying of a wise man to be most true, That it is better in Churches, as well as in places of Civil Power, to prefer corrupt men, than weak and foolish men; the one is as a thief in a Vineyard, who will onely take ripe Grapes till he is satisfied; the other is as an Asse, eats ripe and green, crops the Vines, treads down much with his heels, and when his belly is full tumbles amongst them.

To Civil Affairs its likely their spirit prompts them as much to be medling: [Page 25]but there they know how to keep their spirit in better order, being over-awed with evident danger attending tumultua­ry motions. None of those fiery Zealots are powerfully enough moved to usurp any place in the Privie-Council, to arro­gate the Office or Authority of an Agent or Embassador, or set himself in the Seat of Justice uncommissioned; or to intrude into any place Military or Civil, without warrant from other than their own spirits: though their pride and ambition may whisper them in the ear, they better dis­patch businesses, do exacter Justice and speedier, than any in Authority; yet the danger of penalty of intrusion cows their Zeal, curbs their heady spirits, and cuts their combs: nor are they often so vali­ant as to act by their pretended impulses in any way but where they think there may be safety.

Of their Learning.

To speak of their Learning, or rather ignorance, I am ashamed to shame them so much, if I should shew the world their emptiness, shallowness, penury, nothingness, [Page 26]as to Reason, Religion, Learning, or com­mon Sense: how gross, confused, flat, insi­pid, affected they are in speaking or wri­ting? how dark in Doctrine? how disor­derly in Disputes? how impatient in re­proof? what perfect Battologists they are, what circles they make, and rounds they daunce in prayings and sermonings, strong onely in railing, cavilling, and ca­lumniating. How do their pamphlets cheat the buyers with the decoy of some very specious and spiritual Title, and amuse the Readers with shews of rare notions, as all were Manna and Aarons Rod in their Ark, when there is nothing but Mice and Emrods, spurious, hypocritical, and dam­nable dogmata, strangely mutilating and deforming antient Theology in its Morals, Mysteries, and Speculations.

Not a dumb spirit, but a silly, prating, illiterate one possesses them. They would be counted Apostolical, yet are so far from the gift of tongues, miracles, knowledge, &c. that they are scarce masters of their own mother Tongue, neither knowing for the [Page 27]most part what they say, nor whereof they affirm, nor able with modesty, charity, gravity and humility, to bridle or use their tongues. They cry out against all humane Learning and Studies, all Liberal Arts and Sciences, against all Books but the Bible, against the Schools and Univer­sities, as heathenish and Antichristian, marks of the Beast, as deformities and im­pertinencies (where we have Scripture-light) prejudicial to that immediate Di­vine teaching to which they pretend, and by which they learn and teach all true Religion, which needs not any of those rags and additional tatters of humane learning.

These witlesse Lack-Latine Zealots, tell their Proselytes and silly Auditors, that Latine and Greek are the Languages of the Beast, perswade Christians to burne all Books, that they better understand the Bi­ble, and the Bible too, that they may better understand the mind of God; which is all one as if the Israelites should have been perswaded to have rid themselves of [Page 28]the cumber of their Swords, Spears and Shields, that so they better defend them­selves.

Christ did not disdain to converse with the Learned Doctors and Rabbies of his time, amongst whom he was found after his parents had sought him sorrowing: yet our wanderers and seekers are loth to seek him, affraid to finde him, disdain to own him among the Learned, lest in so doing, they should seem to confess they had lost Christ and true Religion in their illiterate Conventicles and ignorant pre­sumptions.

These great sticklers against Learning confute their own Principles, their folly falls on themselves, for their despair of learning, makes them despise it in others; Lucifer-like they pretend light and intend darkness; cry up the spirit, which is easily done, that they may cry down learning, which is hardlier attained. But O how do they seriously triumph and rejoyce when any man that is but a smatterer of Lear­ning, and smells a little of the pen and [Page 29]inkhorn, seems to adhere and lean to them, and stickles for their party and faction, deceived with their shews of godliness and inspirations. O how do they prick up their ears, and march then with greater courage (as the Hares did when they had got a Fox to lead them, in whom they thought was more strength and cunning than their own fearfull feebleness could be guilty of:) even so these bunglers in reason, wresters of Scripture, and hucksters of Religion, do finde fault with those tools which they have no skill to use, and like cowards quar­rel with those Weapons as unlawfull, which they most fear and least resist. As Apes, who knowing their own uncomely want of tailes, would be glad if they could bring it in fashion for all Beasts to have none, or perswade them to cut off (as burthens and deformities) those po­stern ornaments of the body wherewith na­ture hath furnished the nobler, comelier, and stronger creatures.

What would these illiterate furies give to have indeed such an Illumination as [Page 30]might in one night make them as learned and able in all points as the Scotists, Tho­mists, Sorbonists, and other learned men are, who detect these Mountebancks, dis­cover these deceitful workers, and set these cheats in the Pillory of publick infamy, to lose their ears, at tandem male audi­unt qui male dicunt & agunt, paring their under nails, and muzling the bolder jawes of this ferine faction of these desperate and degenerate Christians, who like Balaams beast, or as horse and Mule being without understanding, are ready to fall upon those that are fit to be their Masters and rulers both in Church and State. Who instead of sound learning, have confident igno­rance, or fraudulent and flattering errors or factious semblances of truth to usher in damnable and Heterodox Doctrines, and in lieu of excellent literature, have onely the three distempers at height which Sir Francis Bacon (in his advancement of lear­ning) observed to be in most men fan­tastickness, contention and curiosity, by ima­gination, altercation, and affectation.

First, Comparing themselves with themselves, they fancy they grow holier, as they grow bolder in their opinions and actions: hence they are easily flatered into high imaginations, and cheated with strong presumptions, as if some common gifts of knowledge, some sceptical quickness, some volubility of utterance, some scriptural ex­pressions which they have attained be­yond their former selves or equals, were rare, immediate, and special gifts of the spi­rit. Then because they should seem no body if they carry their small wares in an old pack, they invent some new fashi­on of Religion, or model of Church-way they fancy most. Then follow those quick Emotions and stirrings upon their spirits (which have the quickning only of self in them) these are presently cried up for motions, manifestations, excitations, and impulses of Gods Spirit on them. Then they are moved to extraordinary heats, and irregular vehemencies, and illegal irregularities, as counterfeit possessed are. These fond conceits of their improvements [Page 32]and perfections, makes them, like care­less children, forsake the lap of their mo­ther before they can stand by themselves, and think themselves Sophies before they arrive to be Sophisters; or fit Pilots to steer the Ship of the Church, when they are very mean Skippers and Skullers.

The varity of their conceits, mixtures and inventions, first kindle with modest sparks, as if they would enlighten, warm, and refine Religion; but after they have got to them vulgar fewel, they arise to such dreadfull flames and conflagrations, as threaten to consume all that was ever built before them. Poor men, thus once puffed up with their timpanies and self-conceptions, having once over-looked their first errors, they never after have leisure, patience or humility, to discern the gross yet secret distempers which are in their spirits, the many distinctions, disguises and windings, by which worldly passions and interests slily creep in, and concealedly work in their hearts, even then most se­cretly (and so most dangerously) when [Page 33]under this blind of Gods Spirit, when the Lord shall be intitled to their whole plot and project of their follies and furies.

Doct.

Trace them a little farther in their Do­ctrine, and you will finde them to tread much awry. They are a People taught to be tumultuary against you, and imperi­ous upon you. Teach that evil of sin may be done, that publick good may come thereby.

They permit divorces in sleight causes, affect parity and reject Tithes as supersti­tious and judaical; they admit private men to administer the Sacraments; and in some places commit the power of the keys to women; in preaching they will not be tied to any Text, nor in praying to any Form; in communicating they sit at Ta­ble, or have no Table at all; and because they would not seem too superstitious in the time of administration, they are covered. They love not the old names of Churches (which they sleightly call Steeple-hou­ses,) of the daies of the week, of the moneths of the year, of Christmas, Mi­chaelmas, [Page 34]Candlemas, &c. in their Alma­nacks all Saints daies must be obliterated, alias their pious (but mendacious Progno­sticator) William Lilly had not so long kept sanctity with them.

They are affraid to meddle with any thing that ever passed the Popes fingers, except onely the Lands and Revenues of the Clergie; leave nothing to maintain Religion or its Ministry, but the scraps of arbitrary and grudging Contributions: Like Don Quixots and Knights-Errant, have so many Romances, forms, and idaea's of Religion in their heads, which makes them admirable but not imitable; have such ferocious spirits like pampered horses whom no ground will hold, neighing after novelties, and give way to long-winded extemporary specious nonsense above the common capacity. If any wise man comes to hear them, he soon finds them as dark and dusky as if they had been begotten in the eclipse of the Sun, and born in the last quarter of the Moon. The heat of these Rotomontadoes by their over-charged and [Page 35]ill-discharged zeal, usually breaks it self in sunder in its abettors, assistants and spe­ctators, with such inchanting Opinions that they make God the Patronizer of their Villanies, Murders, Tyrannies and Trea­sons, and boast how clearly it might ap­pear God owned their Cause and disown­ed their Adversaries, urging Gods per­missions against his Precepts and Instituti­ons, as though Gods toleration of evil, he­resies, schisms, disorders, &c. did justifie them against his Word and Church that forbids them. Pretend the Spirit to be Pa­tron of their most extravagant fancies, the deviser of their most incredible opinions, and dictator of their most indemonstrable dreams and new revelations.

They like no humble, sober, and exact ties of conscience, and duties of true Re­ligion, by which holy men in all ages have given diligence to make sure their calling and election, to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, by repenting, fast­ing, watching, prayer, by judging and [Page 36]condemning their sinfull self, by mortifi­cation and self-denial, coming to the Cross of Christ, taking it up, and bear­ing it to all patient sufferings. These are harder disciplines, rougher severities, stri­cter Doctrines of piety, than our delicate Novelists, our gentle Enthusiasts, our tri­umphing Libertines, our softer Saints, can endure, who contrary to the examples of good old Christians and Martyrs, glory not in crosses but in Crowns, not in buffets but in raptures, not in being counted sinners, but Saints, not in self-denyings, but in self-interesses, not crucified to the world, but crucifiers of the world, not suffering from the world, but triumphing in the world.

They are in fancy as the Argonautae brin­gers of the golden Fleece, the Riches of Righteousness of Christ, the Treasures of Heaven, the true Gold of Ophir, pretend­ing that God is their Father, that they are Saints and spiritual inspired Prophets, sent of God to call the world to repentance, to reign with Christ, &c. in such conceited confidencies, proud hypocrisies, soft fal­lacies, [Page 37]rotten sensualities, libidinous ex­crescencies, like Estrike birds, set forth their soft and gay feathers (having but little bodies but less brains) by wandring from their nests, their Shops and Looms, Thimbles and Bodkins (the stations wherein most of them have been bred up) and from which they have no sufficient rule from God or man to move them, having at the best but very moderate gifts, not tried or approved by any wise men, but onely blown up by the pittifull applauses of some silly men and women, with levi­ty, gapings, swellings, hollowness, crooked­ness, and weakness.

These curious Speculatists recite may be by rote some raw and fejume Notions and disorderly Meditations (which weak men call prophecying) with much error, froth, and vanity, incident to these self-ostenta­tions of Gifts, which have more of the tongue than heart or head, and oft times resemble more the Player than the Prea­cher. Narcissus-like, they are so deluded with the flattering echo's of their silly ad­mirers, [Page 38]and so taken with their own fa­shion in such false glasses, that they are like to doat till they die, and starve them­selves as to all real sufficiencies, by the fond imaginations of how great they have, and their ignorance of how much indeed they want.

Much of these mens temper and opi­nion, and after the same riotous fashion, was that ignorant and abominable rabble of the Circumcelliones (a subsection of the Donatists) who were wont to ramble idly up and down like squibs with fire and force, till after great ostentations of piety and devotion, and zeal for martyrdome, calling themselves duces Sanctorum, Cap­tains of the Saints, and Contenders for the Faith: they fell at length to pilfering, then to plundering and wasting whole Countreys, opposing in an hostile manner the Vicegerents of the Emperour Honori­us; at length were by him destroyed.

Religion, Perjury, innocent bloodshed and Sacriledge, are drawn on by them like streight and pinching shooes at first, [Page 39]with the shooing-horn of Religion and Re­formation, with antipathies against Idolatry and abhorrencies of Superstition: and the better to set off their skill, they make, as Herod, most artificial Speeches, mixed with preaching and praying; and sprink­ling of Scripture, and Gods Cause; or as Mountebanks, make large haranges, spe­cious and popular Orations, as gilded bitter pills to give the better Gusto. In this wise these Hucksters and Cheats of Religion (as the Magicians of Egypt) sometimes so enchant and delude poor credulous souls, that they believe all that comes from them to be miraculous; abusing or changing glow­worms for Stars, counterfeit with cropt opinions, and round-headed Tenents with full weight of Christian Doctrine, still cogging with religious dice, and cheating with plausible Fallacies (seemingly brought out of Scripture) until poor Be­lievers, like the bewitched Galatians, Gal. 3. have lost all or most of their true faith and be­lief. Yea some of these Impostors do not leave poor Christians whom they have [Page 40]cozened with fair shews of the Spirits reve­lations and new Gospels, so much true faith as to believe the Articles of Christian Do­ctrine. And for the better colour, some of them pretend to set up (as Iohn of Leyden did) the Kingdom of righteousness, the Throne and Scepter of King Iesus: Yet this is but a decoy to intrap the vulgar; for who will not seem willing to submit to Christs Kingdom? But we are better taught than to expect his Kingdom to be of this world.Joh. 18.16. — But afterwards when their phanatick power comes to be Para­mount, you will finde no such lenities and gentle salves, then in popular Proposals and levelling Principles with Goliabs of un­circumcised enormities, they are much for a new Paracelsian practice, unexperienced Applications, and Chymical Extractions; then with the Sword of blood they can be merry in peoples miseries, with, Populus vult decipi decipiatur, like Muncer and Knipperdoling, Hacket and Arthington.

These presumptious Phaetons never think they enlighten the Church enough, unless they [Page 41]set Kingdoms and States on fire. Accor­ing to the method of those rare cures they sometimes wrought in Germany about the year 1530. by the slaughter of an hun­dred thousand people, in the Anabaptist and phanatique ways of mutiny and re­bellion. To be short, in the first broach­ings, and after drawings forth of their new Doctrine, projects and inventions, the Authors of them more look upon men than God, how it may suit with secular aimes and interests, than the practice of Antiquity. Like the Hantons of the Swisse become willing upon the least apprehensi­on of advantage to plant the same Engines and weapons against the wrong side as the right. And their late minted Doctrinals verminly bred out of the putrefactions of mens brains, and the corruptions of the times, serve in some sort to scratch itch­ing ears to some tune of liberty, pleasures, profit or preferment; while they clamour like Demetrius and his Complices, in his pan­nick fears for his silver and Diana, where he considered more his gain than his God­dess.

Some, though fiery, yet are orderly and patient in Government; though they excell in gifts, yet are not swelled with tumours; but these are as unsavoury salt, that is good for nothing, unless it be new boiled in an Independent or levelling Caul­dron, over a Socinian furnace with a popu­lar fire: they are proud, forward and presumptuous, like the Giant who pre­sumed of his vast limbs and extraordinary number of his fingers and toes, sc. 24. have such extraordinary excrescencies, which exceed mens noses, or blind their eyes; sometimes swelling bigger than their heads. Being drunk with their own fan­cies, sometimes reel and stumble upon no­tions metaphysical, which vainly puffe them up, while they are still Wells without Water, deep, but dark and dry in their profound follies and profane nicities. Or clouds without moist exhalations, carried with the tempests of passion and high pre­sumptions, above the plain and practical way of true Christians, and indeed above the proportion and sphere of their Gifts and Parts.

A little goes a great way with these il­literates in their supposed inspirations, and where they cannot go far on, they go round in circling tautologies, snarled repe­titions, intricate confusions, which are still the same skains of thread which other men have handsomely spun and wound up in better method and order, which these men have neither skill nor patience to un­fold, but pull out here a thread and there an end, which they break off abrubtly, to the confounding of all method, order, and proportion, Divine or Moral.

In their new Models of Independent, le­velling, quaking, and anabaptistick scabious Congregations, they fold up the curtains of the true Church so short and narrow, to such small figures, and obsure Conven­ticles and Paucities, that they will scarce allow the whole company of true Christi­ans in the world to be so great as would fill one Iewish Synagogue; being (as Pygmali­on with his Image) enamoured with their corpusculoes, the little Flock and new Bo­dies of their Churches, or rather meeting-places, [Page 44]shutting themselves up into some blind corners, and confining Christian Re­ligion to obscure Cells and silly Assem­blies where in stead of the Suns faire light of true Reason, good Learning, and sound Religion, men should like Owls and Bats, and Moles, onely howl, chat­ter, and foratch one another in the dark. They are the kind of Animals which curse the day, cannot abide the light, because their eyes are weak, their works are dark, and both minds and manners are depra­ved.

Having presented them to you in gross, I will now give you them in their Anato­my. They are a fond and fraudulent, pu­sillanimous and frothy Generation of va­perers; Plagiaries who infect the common air of Christian Charity, Order and Peace; bring forth out of the rude mould of their own invention, nothing but disorder: they are the left Band of Babels Builders, fit Instruments to divide, confound, and de­stroy, but never to plant and cultivate; whose lips never yet dropped like Hermon [Page 45]so much as a dew of sweet and wholsome knowledge on any place. They are a riot­ous, promiscuous and incomposed rabble, a swarm of ignorant Quacks, preaching Mountebanks of the rude and vulgar, of no value, Mahometan Juglers, religious Mo­nopolizers, pious Impostors, devout De­vils, angelized Satans, sanctified Demons, Bells and Dragons of phanatique Divinity, as the cheating Pontifs of the heathen gods and Oracles, sit still in their lazie and un­learned ignorance, expecting miraculous illuminations and assistancies, like seiled Pigeons, the less they see, the higher they soar in airy, light, and high-flying fan­cies, as moon-ey'd horses, whose light follows the flux of reflux of the mad Pla­net, blaunch and start more by day than night.

There are (saith Plato in Timaeo) two dis­eases of the soul, Madness and Ignorance: madness is from the abounding with pride and passion; ignorance, from the want of knowledge and instruction; those men are infected with both distempers. For [Page 46]they are a People given over to dementation and astonishment, blindness and madness, to seek after and trust in lying vanities and desperate hypocrisies, to rest in the flattery of vulgar successes; who think every one that prospers a Saint or good Angel, and every one that is unfortunate a Devil or great Offender, as the Barba­rians did S. Paul when the Viper seized up­on his hand and he shook it off unhurt. They judge of Spiritual Gifts by bare and barren forms, by soft insinuations and ex­pressions, by melancholy sowreness, pha­risaical frowns, bold assertions, audacious adventures, and successefull insolencies. Fly to their enchantments, by using much Scri­pture expression, by following popular ser­monings, hasty assurances, uncharitable despisings, by affecting an odde kinde of canting way of writing and speaking: Pretending to Sanctity, thorow Reforma­tion, and advancing the Kingdom of Je­sus Christ; to Raptures, Enthusiasmes, holy Convulsions, and Revelations, and such like quaking and quacking tricks: con­juring [Page 47]up strange hopes, fears and jealou­sies, like so many Ghosts and Goblins to scare and amaze the common people.

Like Ambulatory Arabs and wandring Scythians, they must every week or month change their quarters, to vend their tran­scendent and damnable Doctrines, trans­ferring diseases like the running gout from one part to another, more dangerous than the plague or epidemical malady, breathing out nothing but ashes and cinders, like Vi­suvius and Aetna, whose eruptions are va­stutions to all near them. They are fit to be followers of Goths and Vandals, or list­ed with Iack Cade or Watt Tyler, or Sub­jects to Iohn Bowld a Tayler of Leyden, who assumed the Title of Rex justitiae hu­jus mundi, King of Justice of this world. Or to Iohn Williams the last King of Sion and of this mad tribe, who had at once twen­ty wives; and wore by his side the great Gideons Sword sent him from Heaven, as he gave out: who exhorted his Subjects and Brethren the Phanatique Anabaptists to look upon all other Nations and Reli­gions, [Page 48]as the Israelites did upon the Cana­neans and others of the Land of Promise: but at length he was burnt at Clave, Anno 1580.

You may finde these modern Knipper­dolings amongst the Hierarchy of handy­craftsmen, in the Kingdome of the fifth Monarchy men, at the meeting-places of Iames Naylor the late Separatist, amongst the Rumps mourners, or the scattered sepa­rate bodies of the late decimo sexto edition, or in the Court of Justice they lately ere­cted in Ireland, from whence they have driven the Gentry and Nobility, and ex­tirpated the Natives. They were a Pha­natique livery composed of self-confidence, intolerable boastings, of sequaciousness, of feminine softnesse, of lying Prophecies, of violent Zealotries, of swelling excrescen­cies, and loud clamours and empty noises of reformation. They have a head compo­sed of the threads of Faction, and wear a long sword of destruction; you may easily know them by the gogle of their eye, by their pale and wan looks, by the queint de­vice [Page 49]of their groaning devotion, by the counterfeit current of their sanctified tears, by their godly way and zeal, which late­ly made them aspire to the Pulpit, and renounce the awle and the anvill, and set up a new Exchange for Religion at the charges of the honest party. To conclude my Anatomy, I will epitomise them in a line or two more.

They are mothy and moungril Predi­cants, Centaures in the Church, half Cler­icks and half Laicks, the by-blows of the Clergie, gifted hypocrites, severe Mo­masses, a whineing people, tribolary Christians, new dwindling Divines, the prophetical Pigmies of this age; unordain­ed, unblest, untried, unclean spirits, whose calling, commission, and tenure depends on popularity, flattery and beggery; their excellency consists in tautologising, in praying ex tempore, that is, out of all time, without order or method; being eminent in nothing above the Plebeian pitch and vulgar proportion. They spin out their Sermons at their wheels, or weave them [Page 50]up at their looms, or dig them out with their spades, weigh or measure them in their shops, or stitch and cobble them with their Thimble and Lasts; or thrash them out with their Flayles, and after­ward preach them in some Barn to their dusty disciples; who the better to set off the oddness of their silly Teachers, fancy themselves into some imaginary persecu­tion, as if they were thus driven into dens and caves, and woods. Their holy and learned Academies, where they first con­ned this chymical new Divinity, and are since come to so great proficiency, were Munsters Revelations, Geneva's Calvinism, Amsterdams Toleration, and New-Englands Precisenesse.

Their Plantation sprung first from the putrified part of Iohn Calvin, who being branded with Heresie and Sodomy in his own Countrey of Picardy, retired to An­golesme, where he went by the name of Deparcan; there he copied his Instituti­ons, stealing the greatest part out of the Works of Melancton and Hiperius Sarce­rius; [Page 51]or as Westphally the Lutheran saith, he stole all from Oeclampadius. Thence he went to Germany, and came at length as in regression to Geneva. Where this our headless (yet fancifull) Monster by Sir Iohn was begotten on an Elders Maid, and afterwards impt upon the stocken of Schisme by Knox and Buchanan, and brought up after the reformed fashion of the Scotch Kirk, for propagation of the Gospel and better reformation, creeping into this Nation, and thus multiplied and increased by the phanatique lechery of the lascivious Rump-Parliament and Olivers Redcoats.

They are crafty enough to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge or honesty; they have hands active enough, but corrupt and base ends; secular inte­rests wrapped up under specious pretensi­ons of piety. Like Water-men, while they look one way they row another. They abuse Learning to abett Errors; and Re­ligion, to colour hypocrisie; and the name of the Spirit, to indulge the flesh; and [Page 52]Heaven, to carry on earthly designs. They mistake anger for zeal, dreams for reve­lations, memory for conscience, Enthusi­asms for Prophesies; to wave flattery they fall into incivility; and to avoid pride, into baseness. They are worthy of themselves, and wiser mens pity. If they have truth enough to save any man, they have uncharitableness enough to damne any Angels.

These Lines perfectly describing all or most of our Fantasticks in general, I re­mit their particular opinions to more par­ticular Remonstrances, this very Relation being a sufficient Confutation.