A true relation of a company of Brownists, separatists, and nonconformists, in Monmouthshire in Wales. With the manner of their doctrine, christnings, vveddings, and burialls. Together vvith a relation of the knavery that some of their teachers practised to enrich themselves withall. The truth whereof will be justified by sundry people of good quality inhabiting in the said county. / By Edward Harris.

A true relation of a company of Brownists, separatists, and nonconformists, in Monmouthshire in Wales. With the manner of their doctrine, christnings, vveddings, and burialls. Together vvith a relation of the knavery that some of their teachers practised to enrich themselves withall. The truth whereof will be justified by sundry people of good quality inhabiting in the said county. / By Edward Harris.

Table of contents

Title page

A TRVE RELATION OF A company of Brownists, Separatists, and Non-conformists in Monmouth shire in WALES.

§

And first of Christenings;

The manner of their Mariages

Of Burialls.

Of a Pavier (being one of the zealous Brothers, seeing one of the Pastors of that sect get 20. l’. under colour of cancelling of sins) that by his owne practice in the like nature got 3. Cheeses and 9. l’ and by an accident escapt hanging in the earning therof, as followeth.

How the Pavier taking this president of the holy man of God his practice, cozened three women of their cheeses.

What meanes the Pavier prescribed to have the Womens sinnes forgiven, and how he cozned them of 9. l’. by promising to die for their sinnes and how be was like to be hanged by a boy in earning the mony.

§

§

[Page]

A TRVE RELATION OF A Company of Brownists, Separatists, and Non-Conformists, In Monmouthshire in Wales. With the manner of their Doctrine, Christnings, VVeddings, and Burialls. TOGETHER VVith a Relation of the knavery that some of their Teachers practised to enrich themselves withall. The truth whereof will be justified by sundry people of good quality inhabiting in the said County.

By Edward Harris.

Printed in the yeare 1641.

A TRVE RELATION OF A company of Brownists, Separatists, and Non-conformists in Monmouth shire in WALES.

[Page]

IN the County of Monmouth in Wales, in divers parts a number of Non-conformists being assembled together, not regarding in what place they meet, whether in field, garden, orchard, barne, kitchin, or high waies, being (as they teach) as available to their devotion as the Church: where by their doctrine they perswade their auditory to contemne the prayers of the Church, and the Preachers of the Gospell; also avowing their owne zealous prayers to have such power with God, as that they dare chalenge him extempore. By which leud perswasion of theirs they have drawne divers honest mens wives in the night times to frequent their Assemblies, and to become of most loose and wicked conversation, and likewise many chast Virgins to become harlots, and the mothers of bastards; holding it no sinne for a brother to lye with a brothers wife; as also a virgin gotten with childe by a brother not to be the worse, but by another, then by the wicked, and so consequently a sinne.

§

[Page]

And first of Christenings;

Which is that the Father shall bring his child to such of that sect as shall professe himselfe to be a minister, who shall take the child into his hands and wish the Father to name him, and being named, the Minister useth to cut the child in the eare untill it shall bleed, and then after (delivering the child to the Father) saith, by such a name thou child shall be called; in which action they use neither the sprinkling of water, signe of the crosse, God fathers nor God mothers, nor any of the prayers in the Common prayer booke appointed to be used for that purpose; and they will allow of no churching of women by any meanes.

The manner of their Mariages

Is, that he that taketh upon him the place of a Minister, shall aske the man that is to be married, if he wil have such a maide or woman to be his wedded wife, who saying that he will, hee also usually asketh the woman that is to bee married if that she will have that man to be her husband, who saying that she will; then their Minister will usuall say, goe together and multiply; in which action they never use the plighting of troth, ring, praiers, or ceremonies whatsoever.

Of Burialls.

They wil allow of no praiers or ceremonies at all at the burying of the dead, but give directions that the body be throwne into a pit, much like a thing nothing worth: And being that these sects in all things are inclined to maintaine contradictions as is before said, touching the points of salvation, so they will in all other things; And (inter alia) command the dead to bee [Page]laid in the ground acrosse the Church or Churchyard, or with their heads toward the East, but never with their feete Eastward, as the ancient custome was.

Of a Pavier (being one of the zealous Brothers, seeing one of the Pastors of that sect get 20. l’. under colour of cancelling of sins) that by his owne practice in the like nature got 3. Cheeses and 9. l’ and by an accident escapt hanging in the earning therof, as followeth.

The Pavier or zealous brother, being very intimate with the grand Doctors of that unsanctified discipline, and being privy to most of their waies and secrets, and hearing it taught at one of their Coventicles or meetings, that it was a great sinne for a woman to conceale any mony from her husband (which exercise being finished) one of the women of that auditory acquainted the Teacher, that she was guilty of that sinne, in regard that she concealed 20. l’. from her husband, & demanded what she should doe to be forgiven of that sinne, who commanded her to bring the mony to him, promising so to dispose thereof amongst the people, that her offence in that behalfe should be pardoned, which the simple woman did, whereby she and the poore were cosened by a knave.

How the Pavier taking this president of the holy man of God his practice, cozened three women of their cheeses.

Who speedily repaired unto three rich women of his neighbours (that he knew to be well stored with good cheese which he wanted) and made them believe that they were such heynous sinners against God, that if speedy meanes should not be made for the remission thereof, they were in the state of damnation; whereat the poore women being put into a great fright [Page]earnestly besought the Pavier (who they conceived to be a learned man full of sanctitie and a detester of vice) to find out how Gods wrath might be appeased, and their sinnes remitted; who (after much intreatie and promises of rewards) told the women that first they should confesse their sinnes, and that according to the quantity thereof, meanes should be made for the remission therof: and being demanded how and to whom their transgressions should bee acknowledged whereby the quality therof might be evident, wished each of them to fetch him down a cheese of the biggest they had, and scales to weigh them in, which being weighed and notice taken of the weight thereof; the Pavier did cut a round circle in the middle of every one of the cheeses, and tooke out the cheese within those circles in lumps unbroken; insomuch that there was a round hole in the middle of every of the said cheeses almost through; and thereupon the Pavier delivered every woman her owne cheese againe charging every of them by the next morning to confesse all their sinnes in those holes and that he would then come to them, and in the meane time would goe home and pray for them, and study meanes for the remitting of their iniquities, and did take home with him the lumps taken out of the cheese, and cut off all the cheese thereof neere from the rine, and made round lumps of lead fit for the filling of them holes, which he took in his pocket the next morning, and comming to the women, they brought their cheeses to him, saying that they had confessed all their misdeeds that they could remember that ever they did, whereupon the Pavier wished them to fetch scales thither to weigh the cheeses, and in the meane time cunningly clapt the lead into the holes which he covered with the rine of cheese that he had in his pocket, which (being weighed) fame exceeded the weight they were of the day before, whereby the Pavier expressed unto them, that the quality of their sinnes appeared to be so great, that if speedy meanes wore not eftsoones observed for the remitting thereof, doubtlesse they should prese [Page]them downe to hell, and therefore the Pavier for to banish the multitude of their confessed sinnes from off the face of the earth, tooke the cheeses and threw them over a great bridge into a great river called Eboy, wherehence the Paviers wife and children by his directions tooke them up and feasted upon them a goodwhiles after.

What meanes the Pavier prescribed to have the Womens sinnes forgiven, and how he cozned them of 9. l’. by promising to die for their sinnes and how be was like to be hanged by a boy in earning the mony.

Vpon a serious conference betwene the Pavier and the women, he made it appeare unto them that every sinne was mortall and that therefore there ought to be a death before those sinnes could be blotted out of the sight of God; whereat the women being in a perplexity not knowing what to say, desired him to invent some other way whereby they might save their lives, and promised to give any content; wherupon the Pavier standing stedfast upon his former words, told them that there must be a death had before God would bee satisfied for their transgressions, and that he loved them so well that he for a reasonanable reward would die for them rather then they should remaine in the state of damnation for their misdeeds, whereat the women became very joyfull, giving him many thanks, brought three pound a peece, which he received, and was the only thing he aimed at, and presently thereupon tooke a little stoole and a rope with him into an upper room in one of the womens houses where spying a crosse beame tyed the rope about it, making it ready for to be hanged therein, for to puchase a pardon for the womens transgressions.

Whereupon he (together with the women, having joyned in fervent prayers) stood upon the stoole, and telling them that the spirit was then strong with him, did put the rope about his [Page]necke, and wished the women to goe into the next roome, and pray for his happinesse in so great a taske. And when as they should heare him groane, they should helpe him downe, for that by that time satisfaction would bee made, and their sinnes absolutely forgiven. And so away the women went as he had bid them, leaving him upon the stoole with the rope about his necke; instantly thereupon a sonne of the woman of the house (being a pretty big youth, in regard of much whispering that he spied up and downe the house, stealing up staires to see the mystery thereof) saw the Pavier standing upon the top of a stoole, with his backe towards him, and his necke in a rope, and in a manner playing therewith: at the sight whereof the youth calling to minde that the Pavier had been a meanes to procure him to be whipt at schoole divers times for playing at Tennis and Cat upon the Sunday, intended to be revenged upon him then, and suddenly shifted the stoole from under the Paviers feet, and runne away, leaving him there swinging, in a way indeed to performe what he had undertaken. But the women being near unto him, and hearing him schreech, speedily runne to him, and by much adoe made a shift to save his life. Now for the womens paines in hindring the Pavier to performe what hee had undertaken, I could finde in my heart in a manner to wish them the successe that the Pavier should have, had hee beene left alone, and not by them hindred in his proceedings.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

A true relation of a company of Brownists, separatists, and nonconformists, in Monmouthshire in Wales. With the manner of their doctrine, christnings, vveddings, and burialls. Together vvith a relation of the knavery that some of their teachers practised to enrich themselves withall. The truth whereof will be justified by sundry people of good quality inhabiting in the said county. / By Edward Harris.

Harris, Edward, 17th cent.

Edition statement

1641

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A87141

ID [STC]

Wing H843

ID [STC]

Thomason E172_31

ID [STC]

ESTC R16250

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99859998

ID [PROQUEST]

99859998

ID [VID]

112103

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A87141)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 112103)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 30:E172[31])

Source

— A true relation of a company of Brownists, separatists, and nonconformists, in Monmouthshire in Wales. With the manner of their doctrine, christnings, vveddings, and burialls. Together vvith a relation of the knavery that some of their teachers practised to enrich themselves withall. The truth whereof will be justified by sundry people of good quality inhabiting in the said county. / By Edward Harris., Harris, Edward, 17th cent..

Extent

[8] p.

s.n.],. [London :: Printed in the yeare 1641.. (Place of publication from Wing.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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