The true COPY Of a ſeditious PAPER Delivered In the Pulpit to the Miniſter of Chriſt-Church vpon Sunday, being the 19. of December, 1641. and afterwards preſented to the Lord Major, by Mr. Mamsbridge, Reader of Chriſt-church.
COmfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith the Lord: but where is that comfort to be had; for there be traytors in the houſe of Iſrael, and Iudah is poſſeſſed with a region of Divels, Truth is baniſhed, and Piety is not to be found, Error is made an Emperous, and diſtraction his beloved Minion.
There is daily halting between opinions, Diviſions are diſpearſed throughout the whole Land, the ſpouſe o Chriſt is in her mourning habit, her weeds bee deſolution and anguiſh of heart: why? becauſe the Sonr of men forſake her, and run a whoring after their owne inventions, and are covered with deceit, & yet have t•ey a pretenc•of goodneſſe, Religion is made their ſtalking horſe, which every Ploughman in thoſe dayes doth ride, ſhould J ſay almoſt to the death J ſhould not lye. If they perceive any way of ſetling and bringing of it to a uniformity, out of zeale they ſind a hole in religions coat, which every Tradeſman forſooth, muſt have a hand in mending, or elſe it cannot bee well concerning what ſort of people my meaning is may eaſily be underſtood, J know you will ſay they bee Browniſts, who tooke their name from one Browne of Corpus Chriſti Colledge in Cambridg, this ſort of people were once but a handfull, and then they creeped in corners, for fear they ſhuld be diſcovered, but now they are like to the Egyptian leaſt they overthrow the whole Land.
They are now growne to that height of impudencie, that it is a common thing for them to command the preacher what he ſhall lay, and no more.
A company upon the Sabbath day ſeeing the Miniſter have a ſurplice on, they moſt prophane miſcreants plucked it off from him, and in the Church raiſed war againſt the King of heaven, and every one tryumphed, as if they had got a greater victory than ever Alexand••the Great could attaine unto, nay an old woman which could ſcarce ſee, like a young Amazonian boaſted, ſaying, that with this hand did I plucke the babyloniſh garment from off his backe.
More villany hath bin by them lately acted, conſiſting of ſuch matter, as is ſufficient to make a good Chriſtians haire to ſtand upright.
Upon ſunday being the 19. day of Decemb. the Miniſter at Chriſt-church, London, going to pray for the ſicke, and to deſire the Congregation to joyne with him: hee had a Note delivered unto him, inſtead of the name and place of ſome viſited body, to this effect.
Sir be pleaſed to direct your prayers to God, and move the Congregation of Saints here met, to joyne with you, that hee would be pleaſed to aſſiſt the Apprentices and others with ſtrength and powre & to bleſſe their undertakings, which, are ſpeedily to root out ſuperſtition out of this and all other Churches, and to extirpate all Innovations of the Biſhops, and Clergie.
This paper after Sermon was finiſhed, and was carryed by Mr. Mamsbridge, Reader of Chriſt-Church, and Petti canon of the Church of St. Pauls, unto the Lord Major.
Concerning St. Sepulchres Church,Decemb. 19.
Diſturbance alſo upon the ſame day was in the Church of St. Sepulchres, London; for Sermon being finiſhed in the Afternoone, there ſtood up a fellow in the Maſters gallery, who ſpake after this manner.
Men and Brethren give attenſion unto me; for you ſhall find it thus written, in the 2. of the Revelations, and the 14 verſe, But I have a few things againſt you all, &c.
Add after he had read the words of his text, he went about to goe on, but the people being religiouſly bent, ſtopped his mouth with a ne plus ultra, carrying him out of the Church, who afterwards was committed, and he made no Sermon at all.
A great tumult in Fleet-ſtreet.
Vpon the ſame day alſo, there was a Congregation of ſedition ſowers gathered together at the ſigne of the Locke in Fleet-ſtreet, who being diſcovered, the Conſtable was fetched, who was accompanied with ſome watch-men, went up to the place whereas their Teacher was prating, his Pulpit was made of a halfe tub, hauing a blacke velvet cloath hanging downe: the Conſtable ſpake ſome certaine words to their Parrot, who as wiſely as he could, made anſwer againe, the Conſtable bid him pr•ceed, and for a ſpace left them,
But about evening a great company was gathered together, as in an uproare, before the houſe where the Browniſts were, ſome of whom ran into one roome, ſome into another: but the Conſtable comming, all thoſe which he tooke hee committed. I pray that all of the ſame faction may be ſerved ſo, that they may daily have whipping cheere at Chriſtmas.
A ſtory of a cheating Puritanicall, or rather hypocriticall Cut-purſe.
At the Church in Milke-ſtreet was a very great Aſſembly: it is the uſuall church where Mr. Caſe uſeth to preach: whither came a ſeeming religious man, with a bible under his arm, but ſeeing the perſon which ſometimes preacheth, there hee made bold to borrow 9 ▪ pounds ten ſhillings, and a watch out of his pocket ▪ but was taken doing the deed, and he gave the money and watch to a boy, his confederate, who carryed it away: but for his part, hee was committed to the Poultry Counter, it being about dinner time, where I will leave him.
An Order from the High Court of Parliament.
THere was alſo an order read in every church the ſame day from the Parliament houſe, for a Faſt to be kept next Wedneſday,