Brethren and fellow Counsellors. I begin with an acknowledgement of thankes for your election of me to wagge my beard amongst you this day▪ for the good of the Common-wealth, I confesse my selfe as very a Woodcock as the best of you, yet (with your patience) I will expresse my simple affection to the Weale publick, to shew the spleene of my shallow capacity.

Be pleased first to consider the Liturgy of the Church, now generally spoken against by grave and Orthodox Coach-men, Weavers and Brewers Clarkes, and growne od [...]ous to our she divines, who looke asquint with the very thought of it, what this Liturgy is I know not, nor care not, yet as simple as I am, I beleeve it is a hard word, either Greeke or Latine, or both: whence I conclude if no hard word, no Greeke or Latine nor any that know them ought to come within the Discipline of the Church, but plaine Hebrew and English. Let us then avoyd t [...]is Liturgy, and if it concerne the Com­mon Prayer, (as my singular good wife saith) then questionlesse if the new Convocation be but as wise as himselfe they will doome it to be burnt, nay and consum'd as the loggs in Lin­colne in Feilds were, for it hath caused the Gospell to prosper so slowly under Preaching Trades-men, and Lay Clerg [...]-men, who have coupled in laborious conjunction to procreate young Saints in this new faith, making Barnes, Stables, Woods, Sawpits, old Ditches, Cel­lers open houses of Office their private Synagogues, where unseene of the wicked they may doe what I will not speake, but speake I will againe of and against this Liturgy, the Heathen word Liturgy, which if blotted out of the Church, they would encrease and multiply spirituall Children and make them sw [...]rme in Parishes. For having liberty and being strong of spirit, through high f [...]re, they are so zealously impudent that they would goe too't in the streetes; but I will conclude with good man Greenes Hebrew Exhortation, Quicquid liber cuquodli­bet▪ away with the Liturgy, and so say I.

For the Militia Brethren, I know not the words signification, yet I conceive it absolutely [Page 3] requisite, because the King doth absolutely oppose it. This Militia is a hard word too, and if not Hebrew (for then I could love it) it shewes that hard word words fit the Campe better than the Church, my observation holding it necessary, that Scholers who under­stand hard words should be military Officers, and those that understand nothing should be Church-men. This Militia affords a glorious sight in the Leaders, in their Gold and Silver, large Horses, Gorgets, leading Staves, being ornament in War, and a witty pol­licy in a case of surprisall by the enemy, to carry their Ransumes in their rich habi [...]e and 'tis a brave sight to see their Buffe and Scarlet flesh, and not stain'd with one drop of bloud, the new Drummes and Ensignes, peales of shot wounding the Ayre, more courigiously I verilly beleeve than if it were the enemy. I that neare discharg'd a peece before rejoyced to heare not to see my Gun crack, for indeed I winckt, yet in my consci­ence durst I have charg'd a Bullet I could have hit the great Tent twenty foot off. Well, the Militia is a brave invention to consume Powder, and furnish weekely employment for want of Trading as heart can wish, and fit in my opinion to be ordained Colonell of all hard City words since the Conquest of Wat Tyler and Iack Straw. This Militia leades me to my third Argument, which I hope to handle with as much discretion as for­merly, that is the extirpation of Papists.

Let us with elevated Notes smell out their treacheries, and roote them out not swinish­ly with our Noses but let us like our Ancestors be horn'd beasts, that yoaking our selves together, we may Plough them up like the Earth. Let us crosse them till they feare to crosse the way of us least we account it superstitious; and let all that are not of my opinion, and wisedome, be reputed Papists. Let the honourer of the Name of Iesus be held a Iesuite, a Graduate, in the Universities a Seminary, and both be charitably hang'd, drawne, and quartered for high Treason. Let no woman weare beades unlesse it be Pearle-beades in a Hatband, because my wife (that peice of devout obstinacy) esteemes that a decent wearing, thereby expressing the haughty pride of a Citizens wife▪ Moreover lets draw the King (if we can) to favour no man for learning, wit, affability, or any perfection unlesse hee be a Round-head, that can pray foure houres more vehe­mently than the best Divine can pray a quarter, and loves none but English and Hebrew Sermons as I doe; though I understand not this Hebrew, yet I honour it, as being the Language of Amsterdam, and of Lay-Doctors; such Amsterdam godly men would make glorious Courtiers, the Kings Graces would be longer than morning and evening prayers are; the reversion of his Dyet not given away but swiftly devoured, &c. Em­bassadours without Audience would be answered by the instinct of the Spirit, long locks would be chang'd to large Eares, Maskes and Playes to Conventicles and Psalme sing­ing, and their very sight would affright Taffaty sinners from comming neare the Throne of Majesty, and they themselves become the prime sinners of the Kingdome. Would they not also be fit for States-men? would not How the Cobler make a speciall Lord Keeper? or Walker a Secretary of State? or the Lock-smith that Preached in Crooked Lane [...]n excellent Master of the Wards? the Taylor at Bride-well Dock might be Master of the Liveries, the Master of the Horse a Lords Preach [...]ng Groome, and Browne the Up-holsterer might be Groome of the Bed-chamber, and I that am Warden of the Company would be Warden of the Cinque-ports. If we could attai [...]e these preferments, (as I feare [Page 4] we shall not) how would we then firke the Popish any malignant Party, they should be made Traytors, and superstitious Innovators, and Latine in a Sermon should be flat damnation. We would be Divells incarnate to plague those Papists that stand upon a Philo [...]ophy, reason and sence; as if reason and sence and such fooleries pertained to Reli­gion and the spirit. But I must correct my rapture, now I thinke on 't in cooler bloud we [...] not have all the sway, the Kings part will beare halfe, and though wee are selfe conceited▪ the wiser sort hold us Round-heads to be but zealous silly, mad fooles, nay Cuckolds; yet I have shewed my affection to this happy change which you and I desire, and we would then call a perfect Reformation. And here my invective against Papists ends I will plunder my braines next with the designe for Ireland, belabouring the Sub­ject in such a manner as if I were a rayling Lecturer, that you may crowne mee Cob­warden of all Wardens in Europe or New England. In this designe two things are con­siderable Reparution of losses past, and Expectation of profit to come; the losses are more than Arithmetick can number, for many since the Rebellion in Ireland have witti­ly compounded their debts here under pretence of losses there, which I confesse I would my selfe have followed, but that it being contrary to City pride, I must have lost my Wardenship, and my wife must have given the wall which would breake her heart, or breede betweene us a heart-breaking dissention. But this was a trick to enrich Debt-b [...]okes, to trebble Estates, to cozen Creditors, and the Commission of Bankerouts I tickle with the conceite of this power of knavery, whereby they might have preserved money to buy Land after the Conquest of Ireland. By your Hum given to my Speech I doe discerne your liking thereof, and you shew that you will follow my advice be not pacified to returne againe. Secondly the mighty benefit thence accrewing makes me presse this designe; the purchases may be exceeding profitable to Money-mongers, as my man Iehosophat Singularity cast them up this morning; besides the souldiers shall get invisible benefit and treasure of honour, which they would be hindred to obtaine by having lands and estates, they may come home lame, maymed, and lowsie, and having got a Pen­sion keepe Ale-houses, or Tobacco-sconces, a Fortune fit for smoaking Souldiers. To conclude, for my speeches comming off with a a twange and pleasing tone, and to shew the Garland of my good will to the publick; concerning feares and jealousies now pos­sessing the Kingdome, I will onely grant you out a modicum, and end with as much modesty▪ gravity and wisedome as I began.

The dangerous consequence of these feares and jealousies are not to be compared with any other time or Nation, but who can tell what they are, or from whence they arise, but cause there is for both, and much cause as may be discerned by the much talking of them▪ and your present snoring now so loud is the effect of this feare, feares and jealou­sies having kept you waking, and so consequently made you sleepy, and my selfe doe sus­pect and feare lest my man Iehosaphat should prove a carnall Boy, and get my Daugh­ter Dorcas with childe; for Iehosaphat hath said prayers at a Conventicle, and the Girle hath a straine both of Father and Mother in her, and such a Conjunction would to the griefe of our spirit, and compunction of our hearts disgrace all Protestations and Refor­mations by such a procreation, if Iehosophat should graft on my Daughter a young Warden that could not be bak'd in a Pye, but must be bred up with great disgrace [Page 5] and charges. Your neighbour Gripe doe feare least your wife should know that you keepe a whore at Putney, and your brother Brush feare hanging for speaking high trea­son against the King, this we are in feare. As for jealousies wee are all zealous of our crimes, and jealous of our servants, and thus wee have considerable grounds for feares and jealousies, though we know not how to prevent their effects; for neither the Mili­tia, he stopping of Ports, nor holding Garison Townes, can keepe our wives, daughters and servants honest if they will Cuckold us, no Italian locks can keepe a Theife or ene­my out of their private Boxes or long chests; your wife, neighbour Spider may bee vn­knowne to us all now doing the [...]eate, for I saw Greene the Felt-maker goe that way as I came to the Hall. O tremble no [...] neighbour, for no doubt she is spirituall and secret, and would thereby abate fleshly desires, which that act doth mortifie as much as the longest fast. There are other feares and jealousies though as I said I know not their Originall, yet feare we may least the Divill should take vengeance on us for our Extortions, and consenage in the sale of our commodities, yet feare is vaine in certainties, though still we will feare and be jealous; for when the danger comes we shall know the cause, untill then I will sit downe, sleepe, and be silent.

Mistris Wardens Observations upon her Husbands Reverend Speech, in the presence of certaine Gentlewomen of Ratliffe and Wapping.

MOst pure and chosen of the Times, my Daughters and Companions in Predestina­tion, whereas some prophane wretches have laugh'd and gibed at Mr. Warden him­selfe, and his thrice endowed Speech, and at our Petition concerning redresse of State mat­ters penned by as zealous a Brewers Clarke as ever pray'd in Hebrew, I know you will not doubt that truth, which a learned friend of ours hath ignorantly and impudently set forth, that Democracy, Aristocracy, &c. or Hypocracy are as much from God as Monarchy, which Position shewes his wisedome in his ignorance by proving nothing. It holds that a Stable or House of Office are places, and as ancient as Churches, therefore as proper to teach in; and as in this so in other matters we may confide and trust in our owne opinions before all things, which inference throwes me fitly on my Husbands Argument of the Malitia.

The Malitia (deare Daughters of the Pint) already faithfully handled by a great ob­servance, and learnedly by my husband afford, my fi [...]st observation, that as we are borne for our Country, and eve [...] [...]an is next to himselfe it followe [...] that if men be bound to hazzard their estates, wives and children to requite them for their security and protection, so that it appeares the Malitia is a mutuall bond of mens estates and affections, and a legall inven­tion to keep the City loyall to the King and to make the King confide in the City. Besides, the Militia is beneficiall to Feather-makers, Brokers, and other dutifull subjects, where­as the Commission of Array is another thing and if any presume to thinke it legall yet there [Page 6] is an equity in the Law beyond the Letter, by which we may dispence with our estates and consciences, beleeve what we list, and take up new Opinions and Armes, as we shall thinke fitting for Church or Common-wealth. Nor are we now bound to confide in the Exposition of Iudges and Lawyers before our own. But as my double-comb Husband hath often said, Oh what a flourishing Common-wealth should we see if it were contrived into Halls and Companies, and governed by Wardens and Masters? It would be very like that Modell of Church Government laid down by that seditious Fox of the Church, who begot the Prote­station protested. And now I am come so neare the Church, I will handle my Husbands point as it stands. The Language of the Liturgy is nothing, for 'tis confest the unlearned may know enough to be saved, ergo learning is needlesse; and if needlesse, why not prophane? nay if learning were either necessary or convenient the Scriptures would enjoyne it, but the most unlearned may be saved, nay are saved: ergo learning is neither necessary nor con­venient, and consequently if not Learning neither Reason nor sence. For as that man of Revalations Mr. Greene proves it fully, ignorance and noyse are sufficient markes of our Election, and sanctified Mr. Hunt in his Tale of a Tub, both maintaine that Learning is a trouble and vexation to Religion. Moreover it is as lawfull for women as men to be Bishops (if Bishops were lawfull) which we must deny, for 'tis Orthodoxly beleeved that Bishops are Antichristian, not because of their estates and honours, which are not to be de­spised if placed upon the right Saints, and resigned to us and our righteous seed, who ought to inherite the ea [...]th. And we give thanks that in despite of the prophane bridle of the Laws, the bowells of our hope is somewhat inlarged. The Anabapaists excellently deny all the Scrip­tures than make against them and we, and so do we calling them Apocriphall▪ A Barn, a Sta­ble or any hole are places proper to our Doctrine and conversation, for a Church makes not Religion, but our religion makes any place a Church, where we congregate in the spirit to feele as well as heare, and what Church can be more universall for Simplicisme, Dota­gisme, and Hypocrisis [...]e. The Antichristian Wardrop will serve the Kirke of Scotland and Amsterdam, wondring that our Brothers of Scotland could at their first comming hi­ther, over-looke this trumpery in the Church, when they begged the loades of it.

Concerning my Pearle Hatband which my Husband mentions in his Speech, I never wore it with any pride since he compared it to Popish Beades, though there be some whol­some principles, which we scorne to owne from the Iesuites, but from our owne inventi­ons, being the rule of all our Faith Hope and Charity. That Church holdeth Ignorance the Mother of Devotion, so doe we: They have Revelations, Visions, Dissentions, so have we: they have shrifts, veniall sins with Sisters, or with a Neighbours wife, so have wee: they allow deposing and regulating of Princes and ruling over Church and State, so would we doe: Lastly they hatch Faction., deny all this inwords, but grant it in deeds, and so doe wee. And though we cannot endure a Surplisse or Crosse, the Popish Bulls, nor Iesu­ites▪ yet we hold it lawfull by the same vertue of Equivocations and mentall reservations to cheate, sweare, and lye in a holy Cause. So that whether the Iesuite or we were the best or most honest Sub [...]ect, would be a hard question, if we were suffered to make our owne Lawes. And [...]herea [...] my Husband speakes out of his good will concerning the advance­ment of [...]he holy Brethren, methinkes it would be a more heavenly sight to see Mr. How, [...] grave observator himselfe in his Barre Gowne, mounted on the steps at the Ban­quetting [Page 7] house in White-hall, expounding Chapters to the Courtiers and Cavalliers, and to have all the Privy Counsell chosen out of the Elect, the Pentioners Lay-Dostors, and the Guard devout Elders, then for the Lord Chamberlaine, Groome of the Stoole, and Bed-chamber (places most fitting for women) some of the holy Sisters, taught to resist the world of flesh, and the Divell in the Zion of New England, that both the King and State might the more securely confide in their continence and purity. Let us all fling up the whites of our eyes in an holy hope, that the strong breathing of the Spirit may stir up some worthy instrument to say amen to the worke. But to draw to a conclusion, because I perceive by your twinckling eyes, and licking of your lips that you would faine be at your Devotions, I shall but wag my Petticoate at the first of his two last Reasons concerning Ireland. And I observe that the Spirit doth alwaies helpe us to overcome our Adversa­ries the Protestants, for if we breake in knavery or begary wee may still have a Land of Promise to sly to. Yet sincerely though living in Ireland might be very advantagious, I know not what to say, since no venemous beast will live there as they doe in New England, therefore I will speake little of that designe, for I had rather all the Souldiers were in Hull than in Ireland; for if the King take it, it will put the Brethren to many hard Texts, and tedious prayers, and even breake the heart of the Conventicle. And therefore let any reverend Round-head that is not a Cuckold, judge what feare or jealousie can be like that? Therefore it is high time to best [...]r [...]us (Mistris Sprit-sayle pray lend the Chamber­pot) and so I will conclude all with another quart, and with this application.

A Speech made by Mistris VVardens Chamber-maid.

MIstris VVardens Chamber-maid called Abigaile, was a pretty white-fac'd thing, of a right Puritane complexion, and thought (as other maids doe) to get a Hus­band by a simpring shew of Religion. She had offended her Mistris in bringing up her cleane warme s [...]k too late one morning when she was to goe very early to a Conven­ticle, and being c [...]dden for this delinquency, to vindicate her diligence, and confirme her words, through passion she said 'twas true by the Masse. Her Mistris presently ta­king notice of the abhominable word Masse, grew exceeding angry with Abigaile, and called her Reprobate, and baggage Papist. The colour in Abigailes cheekes rose at her words, scorning the word, much more the name of a Papist; biting the lip a while and powting, at last her zealous anger for being called Papist flew out in this Speech, con­sisting of many parts starched together.

I must tell you forlooth good Mistris, that though I was brought up in the Country, yet my Father being [...]exton of the Church in the Market Towne would after Evening Prayer was done make his house ring with singing of Psalmes, and though I say't, I was bred as well as any of the elect Maids here in London, so that I had rather you had called me a zealous dislembler (as some of our Sisters be) than a Papist. For I am so absolutely against them, that if all Papists heads were on one neck I would cut them off with one blow, that so in Country Townes I might be drawne in the painted cloath like [Page 8] Iudeth cutting off Holofernes head. A Papist is in my conceit an abhominable creature, and holds damnable Opinions, some bad and some good, whereof I was never guilty; I count fasting to be but a foolish thing, for our Cupboard at home stood alwaies open, and on fridaies or fasting-daies I could goe to it, and take what I list without any resistance of the Spirit, for Religion must lye in a maids heart, though her fortune doth sometimes lye in her belly, and for good workes, I never lov'd them since I left my Sampler, and then I was out of Charity with them because they were wrought in Crostich: and ano­ther Reason was, because (as you know forsooth) embrodery was much us'd in times of Popery, for Copes and other Idolatrous apparrell; so that not onely their opinions, which I naturally detested, being as I said, a Sextons Daughter of the reformed Religion, but also their Persons have bin odious in my sight, and if I were as my Master, and you good Mistris, (for you are wise learned, and can be as Religiously angry as he) I would [...]faith tickle these Papists, and firke them out of the Parishes in London, my Mr. talkes of yoaking themselves like horne-beasts to plow them up, but now let us rather with Hey-forkes taken out of Barnes, where we exercise zealously, prick them forward, till for very feare they leape over Sea and utterly forsake the Land. If Master VVarden would but play the Divells part in punishing and plundering, and plaguing these Papists, I my selfe when I come amongst any of them am fully resolved to scratch out their eyes, for it is a proper signe of an elect young man or maid to condemne that wee understand not, and to be furiously obstinate in our zealous anger. Therefore good Mistris I wish in your presence, that are a great spirituall observer (as appeares by your learned observati­ons on my Masters wise Speech) that I may never see Conventicle more, but that if I had the power I would be worse then all the Divells in Hell, Haggs, Furies, Witches, and instruments of Damnation whatsoever to punish these Papists.

O Mistris! you know not how stiffe maids are in their opinion, and if they once get a thing by the end they will hold it fast; and I will ever hold that Papists are in a certain state of Damnation, as certaine as the Elect and the Brethren and Sisters of Predestina­tion are sure of salvation. Thus have I prov'd my selfe no Papist, now I will tell you (good Mistris) my opinions, which jumpe just with yours as a Chamber-maid should doe; I like Hypocrisie as well as Monarchy; and that a Barne, or Stable may be a Church: our old Church in the Country being decayed, was like a Barne or Stable, I never lov'd Learning nor learned men, sir Roger our Curate deceived me in a deepe point, therefore learning is no Religion nor learned men are not alwaies zealously religi­ous, and learning Mistris (as you say) is prophane, and sence and reason in Religion are unnecessary, for though we can have feeling other waies, yet we can have no sence of Religion▪ and feeling I hope is a sence respected much of us the Elect, and therefore though you banish sence and reason, yet let there be al­waies a religious feeling in and amongst us. This said, shee finished the dressing of Mistris Warden, and so ended her speech.