The true COPY Of a seditious PAPER Delivered In the Pulpit to the Minister of Christ-Church vpon Sunday, being the 19. of December, 1641. and afterwards presented to the Lord Major, by Mr. Mamsbridge, Reader of Christ-church.
COmfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord: but where is that comfort to be had; for there be traytors in the house [Page] of Israel, and Iudah is possessed with a region of Divels, Truth is banished, and Piety is not to be found, Error is made an Emperous, and distraction his beloved Minion.
There is daily halting between opinions, Divisions are dispearsed throughout the whole Land, the spouse o Christ is in her mourning habit, her weeds bee desolution and anguish of heart: why? because the Sonr of men forsake her, and run a whoring after their owne inventions, and are covered with deceit, & yet have t [...]ey a pretenc [...] of goodnesse, Religion is made their stalking horse, which every Ploughman in those dayes doth ride, should J say almost to the death J should not lye. If they perceive any way of setling and bringing of it to a uniformity, out of zeale they sind a hole in religions coat, which every Tradesman forsooth, must have a hand in mending, or else it cannot bee well concerning what sort of people my meaning is may easily be understood, J know you will say they bee Brownists, who tooke their name from one Browne of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridg, this sort of people were once but a handfull, and then they creeped in corners, for fear they shuld be discovered, but now they are like to the Egyptian least they overthrow the whole Land.
They are now growne to that height of impudencie, that it is a common thing for them to command the preacher what he shall lay, and no more.
[Page] A company upon the Sabbath day seeing the Minister have a surplice on, they most prophane miscreants plucked it off from him, and in the Church raised war against the King of heaven, and every one tryumphed, as if they had got a greater victory than ever Alexand [...] the Great could attaine unto, nay an old woman which could scarce see, like a young Amazonian boasted, saying, that with this hand did I plucke the babylonish garment from off his backe.
More villany hath bin by them lately acted, consisting of such matter, as is sufficient to make a good Christians haire to stand upright.
Upon sunday being the 19. day of Decemb. the Minister at Christ-church, London, going to pray for the sicke, and to desire the Congregation to joyne with him: hee had a Note delivered unto him, instead of the name and place of some visited body, to this effect.
Sir be pleased to direct your prayers to God, and move the Congregation of Saints here met, to joyne with you, that hee would be pleased to assist the Apprentices and others with strength and powre & to blesse their undertakings, which, are speedily to root out superstition out of this and all other Churches, and to extirpate all Innovations of the Bishops, and Clergie.
This paper after Sermon was finished, and was carryed by Mr. Mamsbridge, Reader of Christ-Church, and Petti canon of the Church of St. Pauls, unto the Lord Major.
Concerning St. Sepulchres Church, Decemb. 19.
Disturbance also upon the same day was in the Church of St. Sepulchres, London; for Sermon being finished in the Afternoone, there stood up a fellow in the Masters gallery, who spake after this manner.
Men and Brethren give attension unto me; for you shall find it thus written, in the 2. of the Revelations, and the 14 verse, But I have a few things against you all, &c.
Add after he had read the words of his text, he went about to goe on, but the people being religiously bent, stopped his mouth with a ne plus ultra, carrying him out of the Church, who afterwards was committed, and he made no Sermon at all.
A great tumult in Fleet-street.
Vpon the same day also, there was a Congregation of sedition sowers gathered together at the signe of the Locke in Fleet-street, who being discovered, the Constable was fetched, who was accompanied with some watch-men, went up to [Page] the place whereas their Teacher was prating, his Pulpit was made of a halfe tub, hauing a blacke velvet cloath hanging downe: the Constable spake some certaine words to their Parrot, who as wisely as he could, made answer againe, the Constable bid him pr [...]ceed, and for a space left them,
But about evening a great company was gathered together, as in an uproare, before the house where the Brownists were, some of whom ran into one roome, some into another: but the Constable comming, all those which he tooke hee committed. I pray that all of the same faction may be served so, that they may daily have whipping cheere at Christmas.
A story of a cheating Puritanicall, or rather hypocriticall Cut-purse.
At the Church in Milke-street was a very great Assembly: it is the usuall church where Mr. Case useth to preach: whither came a seeming religious man, with a bible under his arm, but seeing the person which sometimes preacheth, there hee made bold to borrow 9▪ pounds ten shillings, and a watch out of his pocket▪ but was taken doing the deed, and he gave the money and watch to a boy, his confederate, who carryed it away: but for his part, hee was committed to the Poultry Counter, it being about dinner time, where I will leave him.
An Order from the High Court of Parliament.
THere was also an order read in every church the same day from the Parliament house, for a Fast to be kept next Wednesday,