THE RANTERS LAST SERMON.
WITH The manner of their Meetings, Ceremonies and Actions; also their Damnable, Blasphemous and Diabolicall TENENTS; delivered in an EXERCISE neer Pissing-Conduit.
The third day of the Week, being the 2 of August. 1654. With their Mock-PSALME. ALSO GOD'S wonderfull JUDGEMENTS Shewed upon Ranters, Quakers and Shakers, and other wicked and Profane Persons at their Meetings and Exercises in London and other Places.
Written by J.M. (a deluded Brother) lately escaped out of their Snare.
LONDON, Printed by J. C. in the Year .1654.
THE RANTERS LAST SERMON.
ON Monday the second of this instant Aug. a Company of People (called Ranters) meeting in a House neer Pissing-Conduit in Cheap-side, taught many Diabolical & Blasphemous TENENTS; the very recital of which, makes both my Heart & Hand to tremble; Yet for the satisfaction of many Godly People, that know not the d [...]spositions of these men; and other simple Novices that they seek to draw in to be of their Atheistical Opininions (as once I was my self, though by Gods Gracious goodness to my soul, I am now reclaimed from their Errors) I have adventured to lay open to the World their licentious lives, and most blasphemous doctrines of Devils; which you may well perceive, if you cast but your eye upon their TENENTS which they hold and Teach.
1 They taught, That they could neither sce Evill, know Evil, nor Act Evill, and that whatever they did was Cood, and not Evil, there being no such thing as sin in the World: Whereupon [Page 4]Mistris E. B. striking fire at a Tinder-box lights up a Candle, seeks under the Bed, Table, and stooles, and at last comming to one of the men, shee offers to unbutton his Cod-piece; who demanding of her what she sought for? she answeth, For sin: whereupon he blows out her Candle, leads her to the Bed, where in the sight of all the rest, they commit Fornication.
2. They taught, That it was quite contrary to the end of the Creation, to Appropriate any thing to any Man or Woman; but that there ought to be a Community of all things.
3. That to Feast, Revell, Drinke, Sing, Roare, and to sweare great Oathes, and to lye with a Whore, though in the Market-place, was as good Actions, as to Pray, Preach, or perform other Duties of Christian Religion.
4. That there was neither God, nor Devill, Heaven nor Hell, Angel nor Feind; but that all things were by Providence.
5. That our Ever blessed Saviour, was a Bastard, and an Impostor and deceiver of the Christians, as Moses was of the Jews, and Mahumet of the Heathens.
6. That the Sacred BIBLE was but a meer Romance, and Contradictory to it self; only invented by the Witts of Former Ages, to keep People in subjection, and (as they term it) in Egyptian slavery; likewise, That there was as much truth in the History of Tom Thumb, or The Knight of the SUN, as there was in that Book.
¶ After they had discussed upon these Diabolicall Errors and Atheisticall Blasphemies for the space of two [Page 5]hours; in the mock and derision of singing of Psalmes, one of them read this lacivious, and Bawdy Sonnet following; all the rest singing after her.
Oh damnable Impieties! oh Monsterous Wickedness! oh cursed Blasphemies! How can the glorious Eye of heaven behold these miscreants without melting into tears, to cause a second Deluge over the face of the whole Earth? Must they needs (like flies) burn themselves in that flame that should light them? A sad race, to run through all Religions, into al wickedness, and consequently, into eternall destruction; Never, Never, Never, to behold the face of God: Tell mee O Atheist, Who made those gloriou [...] Lamps of Heaven, the Sun and Moon, the twinkling Starres, the Windes, the Hale, the Rain, the frost and snow, the Rain-bow, Thunder & Lightning, the Night & Day, Winter & Summer, the Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is? Certainly, none but the LORD GOD could do this?
But in vain do I seek to wash these Blackmores white, or to charm these deaf Adders; Therefore I shall here insert some few of God's direfull Judgements happening on some of these Renters, Quakers, Shakers, and the rest of their atheistical Crew, as it is instanced by that famous and Reverend Divine, Mr. Edward Cotton.
A Crew of Ranters meeting at Hammet in Germany, after many dayes spent in Riotting and Revelling, Drinking, [Page 7]Swearing & Blaspheming; saying, There was no God, no Devil, no Heaven, no Hell, but that the Soul was mortall, and the Scripturture a Fiction; As they were belshing out these Blasphemies, the Devil appeared amongst them in a very High, Terrible and Monsterous shape, like unto an invincible Gyant, carrying away a Hundred and Thirty of their Children in a great smoak, and fiery Flame; that they were never seen again to this day.
That at Boulton in Lancashire, the Devil apperred to one Mr Smith a Ranter, and bid him go to an Apothecaries to buy an Ounce of Arsnick, whereupon the said Smith presently went, but could not procure the sad Arsnick, unlesse he brought sufficient security. That he should do no injury with the same, either to himself or any other; so he said Smith departing, said He would fetch securrity, and the next day came again accompanyed by the Devil in the shape of a man, who ingaged he should do no harm to any one; but so soon as he had received the said Asnick, a great flash of Fire appeared, as if it had been Lightning from the highest Firmament, and carried away both the Ranter and the Apothecary; neither of them being seen ever after that time to this very day.
That constantly, at their Ranting-Meetings both in this City of London, and in the Countrey, the Devil oftentimes appeares amongst them, sometimes in the shape of a man, and other times in the shape of a Woman, and taking them by the hands very familiarly, he leaves the print of his fowl Paws behinde him; which the Ranters can never after get out, it remaining black and Blue, they being fearfully tormented thereat, that neither Chains nor cords can hold them in their beds. Others are pluck'd out of their beds, and crrried out of their Chambers by the Haire of their heads, and tossed up & down from one Room to another.
Many other dreadfull Examples of Gods heavy Judgements upon such Atheists and filthy unclean wretches, and their fleshly foolishness, might be shewn at large to dehort others from their evil Instigations; but this may suffice to shew that these filthy Dreamers are such, that having had some knowledge of the wayes of God, and his holy Word, turning his Grace into wantonness, wrest the sacred Scriptures to their own destruction, and like Apostate wretches, abandon God and all goodness, and being given over to all manner of filthiness and uncleanness, become the very seed and spring of the Serpent, consecrating a continual Hollyday to all licentiousness of Living, committing sin with grediness without the least sense thereof, which is most miserable: But if this be the perfection of new fancied Religions, to run through all into Atheisme, I praise God, that he hath given me grace to come out of Babylon, leave them in the broad way, and seek out the good old Way, the right Path, that leads to eternall felicity: And truly, when I was amongst them, I saw no Reverence, but much Impietie, Presumption Profanation, and secret wickednesse; which was the cause I left them; and since renouncing my own carnall wisedom, I rather desire to be rul'd by sound Reason, then carnall sense; look into my felf, and my own deceitful heart, and so lay my hand upon my mouth, strike upon my breast, and humble my self to the very dust, and according to Gods holy Word, Worke out my own salvation with fear and trembling, love GOD above all; my Neighbour as my self, and do as I would be done by; and in what I come short of this, to rely upon the Al-sufficient merits of my Lord and Saviour; To whose most holy NAME be ascribed al Power, Glory and Thanksgiving by Angels and Men in this World, and that which is to come, AMEN.