STand! who approacheth there so néer the walls of our Government, lurking in the dark like a ravening wolf in shéeps cloathing?

Behold O man and see! for lo it is I, even thy fellow creature, and one of the faithful,

Ha, ha, say you so indéed; are you one of the faithfull? in good faith by and by I shall try your fidelity.

Then take me and try me, for thou shalt not find me to be even as other men are!

Why truly it is very likely so, and I shall take your bare word for't, wherein I took you at first to be an honest man, now I doubt I shall find you to be a knave.

Why, even as thou findest me, so mayst thou leave me.

No don't you believe that I will part with you so soon, untill you have decla­red unto me the secrets of your brest.

What knowest thou not O man what the word says, that a revealer of secrets is no less then a fool

Gad it is to be feared that you are more knave then fool, therefore demonstrate unto me what you are!

I shall answer unto thee O man, That I am one of the Tribe of Ephraim who now am come to advance the Cause of the righ­teous, and to seek after the rest of my bre­thren.

I, so it seems you are a brood with a pox to ye, but we shall be as careful to look after them as you shall.

Nay, but I tell thee O man, they are a people elected.

I believe so, for Dan has a great suspition of it.

Of their innocency he may, for they have done nothing but what they must answer for

I, answer for't) without dispute, ei­ther guilty or not guilty they must say.

Verily, verily they thought no more harm, but to search out all that were not of their Sect, and smite them to the ground with the edg of the sword, which as we counted was the work of the just

Why then justly they shall have their reward for't Ile warrant ye, even to a tittle of what they deserve.

Why indeed as the labourer is worthy of his hire, even according to the Word so let it be.

But were there not a great many hirelings amongst them, think you?

Yes, there were many that came out by hands even to advance the cause of th faith­full, being a people cal'd and led by the spirit.

I, but others do imagine they were led by the Divel else humane nature would have blush't at their boldness.

No no, alas they were of undaunted spirits in the fancy they took to, that they fear­ed neither God nor Divel.

Why, so the people report indéed they were of such magnanimous spirits, men far more flitter for the Gallows then a Garrison.

Yea, in the City do I imagine so, but truly, truly they were so zealous in all their ways, that whatsoever idle fancy they took to, they would stand it out to the last.

So it séems indéed, but now I doubt they'l be hang'd fort at last, poor harmless Athists, 'tis a thousand pitties that ever one of them should dye in their beds.

Nay, but hearken unto the words of my mouth O man, and I shall speak unto thee. For as I lay in my bed my thoughts troubled me, and I heard a voyce say unto me, arise and girt on thy sword, and fight the bat­tel of the faithfull, then I awaked out of my sleep and did as I was commanded, for the spi­rit did move me.

No, the Divel did move you, that evill spirit, on purpose to raise up the throne of Antichrist, and so crown your selves with the horn of Rebellion.

Nay but O man our meaning was not so, nor our intentions, no more but to abollish all Laws, and subdue all Satutes, O what an ease would it have brought to the Lawyers. Secondly, to have cast off both King and Government, then what a liberty had we given to the Nation. Third­ly, to have puld down all Churches, and [Page 7] Chappels, O then what a trouble had we quitted the Clergy of. Fourthly, to have brought all things under our power, O then what a government had the people then li­ved under?

Yes, and I believe you would have massacred in houses too, before you would have fall'd in your wicked Enterprises

O man, the Spirit did call us thereunto, and bid us fight valiantly, and spare not one alive contrary to our Sect, which thing must be done before we could accomplish this mighty work that the spi­rit hath moved us to take in hand.

Why truly you may sée what the Spirit hath done for you and how it hath led you, first to Newgate, then shortly to Tyburn, where he will leave you to your deserved merits.

Verily, verily I shall answer un­to thee again and say, That our host were numerous had they béen but together, and our power innumerable, but there came o­thers more mightier then they, and smote them back and side, and slew them, where-now they remain for the sins of their bre­tren, and cannot obtain this mighty work.

Yes, I believe it is too mighty for [Page 8] for you to accomplish.

Hear thou me and I will answer thee again, we were a people of the faithful, and did not intend to do it with the hands of men.

What did ye intend to do it with the hands of Divels?

Not we did intend to do it by prayer, and though our hearts did pray, yet our hands should fight, and though we flew as many in number as the sand on the Sea shore, yet would we leave a Remnant alive to wonder at the deeds we should do.

No marvel indéed to wonder at the déeds you should do, when so many thou­sand do wonder at the déeds you have done already, but you know what the Word says, The trée that bringeth not forth good fruit, wall be cut down and cast into the fire.

Nay fellow creature I must tell thee.

Nay don't tearm me thy fellow crea­ture, for I am none of thy fellows.

Why then I shall thee O man the pru­dency of our Counsels are turned into foolishness and the hand of the City has bin upon us.

Have a care the hands of the hung doth not fall on you.

Why, shall the faithful dye for the sins of the people?

No, but they shall dye for their divellish Rebellion.

Nay then I will sit down and complain of my misery, that my brethren doth suffer, and none regardeth them.

No not many thou mayst be sure.

Alas alas our brethren were saintly divine creatures, and as innocent as the beast of the field, they loved all flesh alike.

They hated not each others wives, but loved them as they loved their own.

They lid'd so charitable one with ano­ther, that rather then they would part they would go to Newgate together.

They would wrong no man sacretly, but in the streets kill them openly.

They were the judicious persons in the world,

There was few men of more constancy then they were, but 'twas among themselvs.

They were the learnedst Schollers that ever was, For they would coyn such new sence for Scripture words, that never was heard nor known before.

They were likewise the valiantest Soul­diers that ever was, confessing they were alwayes led by a sp'rit.

They were also accounted for the [Page 10] bouldest men that ever I knew, for they could look through the grandest piece of im­pudence, without being a whit ashamed: they were the greatest lovers of Churches that ever was, for they would willingly have pul'd them down to have paved their yards with the stones thereof. Nay, they knew that amongst all these vertues if they were taken they should be hang'd.

Why truly it is the general report of the City, especially for these thrée v v v, Vice, Villany, and Vaniy, and for thrée b b b, Bloody, Base, and Busie, and for thrée t t t, Troubles, Treason, and Treachery, whereby you may search Bedlam, Bridewell and Newgate, and hardly find any to exceed them.

Verily I answer and say unto thee that these are the latter days my brethren do live in.

Why truly Dun has a great suspi­tion of it, that 'tis their latter days they live in now.

Why, so I mean, but will ye believe me?

'Tis a question whether I shall or no for times are dangerous.

Why indeed it is a tottering age we live in, for the word says we are here to day and gon to morrow.

Your brethren at Newgate cannot say so except it be the day before their Ex­ecution.

Why verily I answer thee accord­ing to the word, we live in a very uncer­tain time, for a man does not know the day he shall dye on.

Yes in good saith, when your bre­thren are going up Holbuern they have a shrew'd guess what day they are to dye on.

Alas, they were innocent and harmless creatures, they never do no hurt but what they do willingly.

Why, so the report is, but Monday and Wednesday they could do but little or nothing.

Alas they could do no more then what they were able, though they endea­voured as much as any men alive.

Yes I believe they did, but they should have march't in order, and have chose some honest religious men to command ye.

Indeed there was thee honest men to have come which was Hewson, Okey and Ludlow, but had they come and been taken, you would surely have hang'd them.

Yes truly and not only them, for they have got such a use of hanging, that [Page 12] that they do not care to hang the greatest Traytor in England.

I but our people did not intend to be hang'd when they came out.

Very likely so indéed! but how did you come to joyn with the Righteous to ad­vance the cause of the faithful?

Why truly I shall tell thee O man, from the uprightness of my heart, how accord­ing to my belief the spirit did move me.

Yes I warrant thée the spirit did move thée, more likely the Divel did move thée, therefore declare to me the very truth.

Why then behold O man, on Wednes­day morning Ian. 9. as I lay in my bed I was troubled, and I heard a voice say, come away, for the day of the faithful appeareth: then I arose and took my woollen vestment also with me: and the woman that was given to be with me, said, O man whether departest thou? I said to her, I go to seek the faithful: she answered me again, go and prosper. No sooner was I come out at the North door, but I espyed, and beheld afar off a band of men, and I drew neer unto them, and they drew near unto me, and said unto me who art thou,

I answered and said, I am one of the faithful.

[Page 13] Then they answered and said draw near, and be it unto thee even as thou hast said.

Then we communed and walked toge­ther, and sought counsel by prayer; and be­ing come into Cheapside we met with our E­nemies, who assaulted us and smote us, both back and side, and cast us into bonds, so this was the overthrow of the righteous, and if there is ought done against thee, 'tis I a servant of the Lord, testifie thou against me.

I testify against thee, that thou and the rest of thy brethren did seek to maintain Kingly Government, to keep up the Cler­gy, and to continue the Laws both for the preservation of Prince and peasant.

I tell thee O man that thy testimo­ny is not according to truth, for we never in­tended any of these things, but as we were led by the spirit, our intention was to pull down all Government, to subvert the Laws, destroy the Clergy, to set up Bell and Dragon, and live under the means and sweat of other mens la­bours.

Nay but you did intend to raise ano­ther great Tax, and to repaire and beau­tifie the Church of Saint Pauls, and to re­ctifie the Altar.

Nay but O man I shall answer again, [Page 14] and say thou art in an Error, for the spirit did move us to pull it down, and to remove the Altars from their places.

And again you did intend to erect more new Colledges in both Vniversities, and make the Nation mad with learning.

I tell thee again O man as I am bound to answer to my charge that it is false also: for we were to confound learn­ing, and destroy they universities with the three Original tongues, Latine, Greek, and Hebrew, because our opinion should never be confuted:

Nay but you would have made such an Order in the City, as to have Elected two Lord Mayors, four Sheriffs, and twice as many Aldermen.

I answer thee again O man, 'tis very false, for we did never intend any such thing, for our intention was to have had no Lord Mayor, Sheriff, nor Alderman, but every one to be Governor, and Teacher of his own house.

And again it is plainly made appa­rent that you did intend for to erect more Printing houses, because all the Presses in town could not Print off so fast as your Authours did write.

Verily I say unto thee, That a flight of snow on May day is more welcom­er to us then either Printing or learning, nay we did so much disaffect it, that we in­tended to have taught each other without Bell, Book, or Candle, and so to have béen as innocent as the beast in the field, that knows neither good nor evil.

Nay, its further laid to your charge that you had such inclination to Languages that you kept Translators in your houses.

I shall answer unto thee O man, that we were not inclined to Languages, but was content with the same we was born withall, and for Translators we never had any but our Shoo-repairers.

But did ye not intend to teach when you came into Cheap-side to the Standard.

No no, we did intend to meet and assemble our selves together, and put our host in order for the mighty work we were cal'd to.

Yes a mighty work you had to do be­fore we met with you, at Woodstreet, Colledg-hill, and Cornwall.

O man our enemies met with us too soon which makes me add the lamentation of a bad market, for the hands of the City have been up­on us.