A long-vvinded lay lecture. Wherein the licentiousnesse of this lewd and lying age, in perverting the sacred texts of Scripture, and the divine dictates of the Fathers, to the scandall of the church, and ruine of our nation, is poetically presented, to the view of all such as feare God and the King, and meddle not with those that are given to change. / By a lover of (and sufferer for) the truth.

A Long-winded Lay-LECTVRE. COme Chriſtian Brethren, now the time is fit, Round about our •• ale fire let's friendly ſit, And while • ou liſten cloſe (as we are cut,) I will lay open (whilſt the doore is ſhut) Unto you all, (in briefe) a ſum of what No man can juſtly ſum; ſo intricate Is our (Meandrian) faith, t'hath no beginning, Nor hath it other end, but th'end of ſinning; How? no beginning, ſaid I, then our profit Is now to be the Prima P • reus of it: And ſure enough, now it beginning hath, Time will i'th' end put end unto our faith; Prick up your eares my brethren, elevate Your eyes deare ſiſters whilſt I doe relate The comforts which peculiar are to us, Who (by the Spirit) are ſanctified thus, To be the Lords elected, if I ſaid, The Lords anointed, I' • not be afraid, Of contradiction: 〈◊〉 (for • s) ſaith, You are a Kingly Prieſt • oo • : though his faith We elſe reject, in this • ee'll take his word, And all be Kings and Prieſts unto the Lord. I, let's be free, let neither Priest nor King Controule nor governe us in any thing. But ſtay, me thinkes Paul ſeemeth to miſtake, Who bids us to oby for conſcience ſake, And therefore (ſilly man) he and the reſt Obey'd the Tyrant Nero, who oppreſt The Brethren and did take their lives away Tuſh, they deſerve death that will thus obey▪ Obey to Death, do ſo who li •• s for us, The ſpirit of freedome doth not reach us thus. So Solomon ('cauſe he would under bring His people) ſaith, feare God, honour the King Yet Solomon in this I'll ſend to ſchoole, For all his wiſdome he was but a foole In Chriſtian Libertie there's no ſuch thing, We can feare God, yet diſobey the King Yet (in one ſenſe) hee's not to blame that ſaid it, He was a King himſelfe, 'twas for his credit: So David ſpared Saul (as Gods anoynted) Becauſe the Kingdome was for him appoynted. But let not us (my brethren) be ſuch Calves, To take their words ſpoke in their own behalves, For we are free (in body and in ſoule) Our tongues are ours, what Lord ſhall us con •• oule? Yet one objection is, that Chriſt doth ſay, Give Caeſar's due that's Caeſar to obey But I an anſwer ready have for that Caeſar rul'd Rome, and every one known what Antipathy there is 〈◊〉 Rome and us Perhaps he might miſtake 〈…〉 • pake thus. But right or wrong 〈…〉 we hold. To rule our ſelve, rather than others ſhould. Let Patriarchs, Prophets, 〈◊〉 Fathers, nay, If God and Man ſay what they pleaſe to ſay, Unleſſe it, 〈◊〉 reſpond 〈…〉 mind, We in their wor • s and 〈◊〉 ſome fault will find; By Church no • 〈…〉 ruled bee, No more then wh ••… o •… fancy doth agree. What though the 〈◊〉 Prayer • y him ſpoken was, Yet ſince 〈…〉 ended in 〈◊〉 Maſſe, We ought▪ aboliſh it (and ſo we will) Uſing no For me (nor Chayre) but th'Bed-ſide ſtill. The Creed we cred • t not, 'tis not contain'd I'th' written Word; why may it not be fain'd? 'Tis ſaid th'Apoſtles made it, 'tmight be ſo▪ Wer't certaine true, we truſt reject it tho: For among other Articles it hath One, that obligeth (as a point of Faith) Upon a Church Catholique to conſide▪ Such chaynes as theſe our Freedome can't abide, To no ſuch Article muſt we give credit, Although beliefe i'th' holy Ghoſt precede it, For our pure Conſciences have given the Lurch Both to the Roman and the Engliſh Church. What tell they me of Faith Apostolique; If that were true, then 'm an Heretique: Thinke you th'Apoſtles had ſuch ſtrong ingages, To build a Church ſhould laſt ſo many Ages? My Faith to me can dictate no ſuch thing▪ Though they a Cloud of Witneſſes can bring, We muſt explode them all, • hey were but men, The Spirit's more aboundant now then then. Let none of us be ſubject to ſuch dotage, To ſtench our zealous hunger with that Potage, Wherein the Coloquintida is fed, Which is contaginat to the Babes of God: For 'tis moſt certaine, that this Hotch-potch was Turn'd into Engliſh from the Latine Maſſe. The Spirit taught the Prophets what to ſay, So did it teach th'Apoſtles how to pray: And ſhall we (which to them are not inferior) Be taught to pray (or preach) by •• les extende? No, Brethren, no • we the elected Seed, Not any Tutor but the Spirit neede Each Brother and each Siſter (I dare ſay) Are Churches in themſelves; then to ob • y. Another Church (beſide my private Fancie) Ile ſooner yeeld to ſtudie Necromancie. To croſſe the Papists, let's abhorre the Croſſe I proteſt (zealouſly) wer't not for th'loſſe Of all my Gold and Silver, I ſhould pine, Rather then uſe that (ſo much hated) Signe, And were I ſure my forhead ere were croſt. I'de flay the skin off (though my life it coſt.) Yet ſome who venerate Antiquitie, Affirme the Croſſe is uſed, that thereby Christians may be diſtinguiſhed from Jewes And Pagan Infidels which Christ refuſe. What? doth Antiquitie then ſtand ſo for it? That very thing doth make me moſt abhorre it, For any thing that's old my Conſcience loathes, I'de have Religion newer then my Cloathes. The Surplice white's an embleme of the ſtate O'th' Miniſterie, pure and immaculate; The uſe on't ſome count decencie, but wee Reject it as a Rag of Poperie. Verily Siſters, when I ſee that Smock O'th' Whore of Babylon, O what a rock Of ſpirituall force it rayſeth in my hoſe! You know my zealous meaning (I ſuppoſe) The Corner'd-Cap (ſquare dealings perfect Trope) 'Cauſe its originall is from the Pope, It fits not our Round-heads, full of deceit, Sweare not at all but content pole and cheat, And lye with any body: Siſters heare me, I feele ſtrong motives through ſuch objects neare me. Becauſe the Wedding Ring's a fa •• on old, And ſignifies by th' 〈◊〉 of God. The puritie requir'd th'marry'd payre, And by th' rotunditie the union fayre Which ought to be betwixt them endleſſe; for No other reaſon wee that uſe abhor: Wee love no union nor perfection in Religion wee are alwayes to begin. Faſting's a meanes proud fleſh to ſubjugate, And to the Spirit it humilitate, Thoſe hainous ſinners earne ſuch puniſhment, But wee unſpotted are, (and innocent,) Let them faſt (and give almes) whilſt we do feaſt: (And ſtarve the poor,) both fruit, fowle, fiſh, & beaſt, Are onely made for us that godly bee, The wicked live in awe, but wee are free. Wee'll have no Antichristian Prelats, that Shall dominiere o're us, nor knee, nor hat, We to the greateſt Biſhop will allow, No, nor at th'Name of Jeſus will we bow: Though Paul (o're-ſeene) in humble ſenſe doth ſay, All knees muſt bow at it, wee'll not obay: If any aske a reaſon, tell them plaine, 'Tis us'd in Popery, which we muſt refraine. Let Peter, Paul, James, Jude, (with all the reſt,) Whoſe writings are to th'world made manifeſt, Expreſly ſay, do this, abſtaine from that, Rather then wee'll with Rome participaet, We'll utterly the Text it ſelfe diſclaime, Or without ſenſe adulterate the ſame. Although the Scripture ſtrong appeares to be▪ For the maintaining of Presbyterie, What's that to us? who muſt be ever bent Againſt that or what ever government: By th'Biſhops fall theſe their up-riſing gather, As Rehoboam did ſucceed his Father. What difference reſts 'twixt theſe and them before? Though th'title's lef • , the power's retain'd, & more: For whereas but a few of them did flouriſh▪ Now here's a Biſhop over every Pariſh Thoſe Biſhops did by proxie exerciſe, Theſe by their Elders rule, and their owne eyes, Then let us for our free •• me ſtill conteſt, And by no mortall power be over-preſt: Why ſhould we put our necks into the Collar Of any ſuch proud (Babylonian) Schollar? Let's rather bid defiance to all the Rabbie, Learning to us muſt be abhominable. What's Latin, but the Language of the Beast! Hebrew, or Greeke: is not enough a feaſt? Han't we the Word in Engliſh, (which at eaſe) We can convert to any ſen • e we pleaſe▪ Let them urge the Originall, if we Say 'twas firſt writ in Engliſh, ſo't ſhall be, For wee'll have our owne way be't wrong or right. And ſay (by ſtrength of faith) the Cross is white, Scorning by any to be contradicted, Though they of ignorance have oft convicted Our (rarely gifted) brethren, Coblers, Weavers, Taylors, and other tradeſ-men, whoſe endeavers Even in their very Steeple-Houſes durſt (As the boy counſelds mother) call Whore firſt. Theſe are ſtout Champions (O let's all do ſo) That (in deſpight of Diſcipline) dare do ••… cotten) Such bold attempts (ah how doth this geere doth This zealous valour (when they 't dead and rotten) Shall be recorded to their high renowne▪ Follow this courſe, all Government goe downe, That Jdoll (Grandam) Pauls, with all the reſt O'th' Steeple Houſes we will have ſuppreſt. But ſith I've ſpoke 'gainſt Schollerſhip, I grant, There is one errour which Ile now recant, And that is this, (in truth I'm ſorry for't, You (brethren) may (amongſt the Saints) report, (Unto my great Confuſion) that I did Doe that my ſelfe which I to you forbid, For at my firſt beginning I ſpake two Words in plaine Latin, which nor I nor you (I hope) do underſtand (the fault's the leſſe▪) Brethren forgive me, now I doe confeſſe, Yet in confeſſion lie not play the foole, To bring mine Ars upon the Scotiſh Stoole: No, Ile not ſubject be to ſuch an Order, Which will ere long invade our Engliſh-Border: Then they who will be ſlav'd (after the ſentence) Muſt ſit upon the Stoole of their Repentance: But no ſike Scotiſh (Presbyterian) trick Shall make my (free-borne) heart with ſorrow ſick; Let thoſe who have a mind to't moſt commend one, On that (and all the reſt) I'm independant. Briefely deare Brethren and Siſters kind, Let's doe (or not doe) what contents our mind, And not be rul'd by any: that were baſe; What, in ſubjection bring the Babes of Grace▪ Why 'twere a thing prepoſterous to reaſon: What ere we doe, our actions are no Treaſon, For all our words (and workes) are ſanctify'd: What's in us meekneſſe, is i'th' wicked Pride; Luſt is but holy Love, and burning Zeale: When we diſſemble, flatter, lye, or ſteale, Alas 'tis onely frayltie; fleſh is frayle, Witneſſe my ſelfe, for now my breath doth fayle. Thus having prov'd words, works, and faith, all fickle, Ile now conclude this preſent Conventicle. FINIS.