HArk! how loud the Citizens murmur! how rigidly the Countreyes complaine! how deeply the Seamen threaten! how resolutely the Scots resolve! how wretchedly Fairfax and his Saints bemoane themselves! and how desperately the Junto at Westminster ingage, blasphe­ming their God, and cursing their King! what denotes all this?

Those shallow Sciolists, who like Materia prima, comprehend in their minds all variety of impressions, willingly part with their Ideas; those Nomalists who taught we erred except wee went astray, now preach there can be no tranquility without Or­der and Discipline: those that had their hands chiefly in the setting up of the Dagon of Presbytery, now put to their whole strength to break it to pieces on the threshold of Ashod: those that were for a Parliament without a King, are now on fire to have a King without a Parliament; those that worshipped Democracy, now adore Monarchy; those that toare and rent the Booke of Com­mon Prayer, now grow weary of praying, Ex tempore; those that tearmed the Surplice the Whore of Babylons smock, now esteem it as the embleme of purity: those that would fly from a May­pole adorned with Garlands as from the droppings of an Alder-tree, now censure their own folly for condemning such indifferent objects; those that taxed David of heresie for extolling the musick of the Church, now confesse the Organs yeeld a heaven­ly melody, and inspire the mind with celestiall Rhapsodies, those that formerly esteemed it no lesse then the highest Superstition, to kneel when they received the Sacrament of the Lords Body, now will not deny, but there ought to be reverence given, as well ex­ternall as internall: those that divulged it for horrible sinne to bow at the name of their dear Saviour, now will acknowledge, that is no more then is requisite: those that before preach'd it impiety to signe Infants with the seale of the Crosse, and were of opinion that they might baptize them themselves, even in their Chimney-corners, now cry out, that the Crosse is the Christians Badge, and that they have incurred the pains of hell for their hor­rid prophanation of that holy Sacrament, as even at this present, A Weaver in London, whose name I shall not divulge, because I hope the man (if desperation do not too much get the upper-hand) may yet be a faithfull and conformable member of the Church: this man a fiery Zealor of the Anabaptisticall Sect, of great reverence and esteem amongst them as one of their prime Prophets, whether out of a desire of glory, and to be of singular estimation amongst those of his fraternity, or whether the Devill [Page] (which is most probbable) forced him forwards to do an act which might confirme those erring Sectaries in their erroneous princi­ples, and so to noose them yet faster: however it was, this fellow one night having invited at least 12. or 14. of those of his owne tribe, whom he thought were the most simple, and would the soo­nest be deluded with a falacy, to a supper, which they celebrated in an upper room, after all his guests were all seated, and began to fall to their meat, suddenly he begun to be in a wonderfull exta­sie, he writhed his face, roled his eyes, foamed at mouth, and see­med to be as one transported beyond himself to the great terrour & amazement of his simple friends whom he beckned with hands (seeming) not able to speak signifying they should kneel down to prayers the credulous coxcombs did so, trembling so extremely that their knees knockt one against another, suddenly beneath them they heard a rumbling terrible noise and withall many fa­tall shrieks and dreadfull groanes which almost put them beside their w [...]ts, (as since they have confest) their haire stood an end on their heads and they lookt each minute to be swallow­ed, the noise still continued, when the Weaver seemed a little to recover himselfe, after a while returning to his wanted temper he began to speak comfortably to his aguish brethren, exhorting them not to be daunted, this knowing, that none could come to any evill beneath his roofe, he having no lesse then an whole legion of An­gells to wait upon him, and therefore he desired them to sit still (if it were possible) untroubled, au [...] he would presently make a discovery according as God had revealed un- to him: all which his comfortable sayings very little or nothing abated the feare of his quivering brethren, then he proceeded to read a chapter, which he told them was of sufficient efficacy to quell the furie of Devills and Ser­pents, after that he gave out a Psalme, requesting them to sing af­ter him, which allas they were altogether unable to do, their jawes being almost torne in sunder by the hand of feare, at last after a most solemn invocation he stooped down, & in the name of God made inquirie, what Spirit or Angell of darknesse it was; that cau­sed that terrible tumult, after which words the noise and yellings greatly increased, and then on the sudden quite taken away, the murmuring sound of a drum was heard, the Weaver still plying his demands, received this answer.

That the shade or Ghost of John Reinolds, that worthy man of God was come beneath his roofe, where he met with great opposition [Page] by divers damned soules, who inclosed him about with yelling noise whom he had now dissipated, they being the soules of such and such (naming the party) who had been greatly opposite against their way, and he was sent to tell him, that there was a great persecution shortly to be expected, against which he ought to arme himselfe, as also to advertize the whole Society, that it was the pleasure of the Lord that they should fight for the maintenance of their religion, which was sig­nified by that drum, the noise whereof he heard; after this was said, the spirit departed; the Weaver turning him about to his guests, began to say unto them, brethren, you all see how acceptable my ser­vices are in the eyes of the Lord, that he is pleased to signifie his mind so largely unto me, all which you may declare unto our brethren, as you shall have occasion? And so after some other talk the man de­parted home, and the next day they declared the wondrous things that had been and heard, which was occasioned thus, the Waver bound one of his Servants, by an oath of secresie never to reveal (though since he hath broake it) the stratagem, and with many gifts and faire promises hired him to place himselfe at that houre of the night between the boards, and the sealing, taking with him a cat whose leggs he had tied together with sharp pricks between, who upon his pulling of a string made a strange and horrid noise, with extremity of paine &c. Upon the rumor of this miraculous Revelation, the Weaver grew greatly to be esteemed of amongst those of his Society, till on a time his man betrayed the secret, which yet those pestilent Sectaries seek to hide for their credit sake, this fellow lately confessed of his owne accord, that he hath baptised many children by the fire side, for which his conscience now so much upbraids him, that he remaines distraught, crying out he is damnd, he is damnd, and must go to hell for ever and ever; I hope the Reader will pardon this large digression, it being so pertinent to our discourse: I say this fellow finds how wretchedly he hath fooled himselfe even unto the brink of hell, and I hope he may yet live to be a peni­tent convert; but to our matter, 'tis very strange and wonderful to see how of late mens minds are come about, like mill horses; they have gone round this seaven years, and are now arrived at the same station where first they set out.

And to speake truth, having primarily placed the cause in Gods Almighty & excellent providence, the Rebels have brought these calamities upon their perjured pates by their own greedy desire of Dominion, by their palpable treachery to his Majesty, and by their trampling upon, and squeezing the purses both of Peers and people to inrich their own paivate coffers, they could not be con­tented to keep their King in prison, contrary to all Laws both di­vine and humane, except they also murthered him, they could not be contented to thrust out all those their fellow-Members, that refused to joyn with them in their treasonable, perfidious, disloyal, bloody barbarous and unparallelled undertakings, unlesse they also sequestred their estates to a penny, exposing them to all man­ner of wants and miseries, yea somtimes to such penury, that they have been compelled to beg their means of life, they esteemed it not sufficient to draw in the people by a State-trick, to gull them into rebellion by faire and specious pretences, & buzzing in their ears false & needlesse jealousies, to the involving of them in a long & bloodie war, unlesse they also put bits in their mouths, & saddles on their backs, & getting astride upon them to ride them to death, they could not be contented to have abrogated all Law and equi­ty, all judgment & justice, unlesse they also introducted all manner of illegall Impositions corrupted all Courts of Iudicature, perver­ted the course of Justice, & left the people (in case of never so grie­vous an outrage) without hope of any redresse, til the resurrection.

It would astonish a man almost beyond belief, to cogitate from what an height those bloody Rebels are falne within the space al­most of a month, in so little a time to forfeit what they had got together for the space of 7. years with infinite expence of blood and coine, is very strange & remarkable; yea such a metamorpho­sis as could not have been wrought by any humane power, with­out Gods immediate providence, those that were Masters of a Kingdome some daies since, are now great in nothing but ther feares; the Navies revolted (as they call it) or rather returned to the Allegiance they owe unto their King, that they sink not [Page] in that sea of blood in which they swam to their hopes, during the long and cruell warre, now have quite deserted them and wait but an opportunity to shew their teeth, the generallitie of the Kingdome, who for many years lookt upon them as Gods, now behold them as Devills, their brethren who have all along, kept a faire correspondency with them, and joyntly prosecuted the warre, now are come against them with their swords in their hands, resolving to take vengeance upon them as perfiddious Traytors, and trayterous miscreants, the reasons and grounds of this wonderfull change are these.

First, when they (being puft up with pride and over-weening thoughts) i­magined all was their owne by sea, as well as by land, would needs new mod­dell the Navie, put forth and put in whom they listed, issuing out all orders and signing all their mandates in their owne name (a villanie never attempted by any but them, not so much as naming his Majesties Person or Power, the Masters Captaines and Marriners of Ships took it in extream dungeon now perceiving their intents were in all things to make themselves a free state, first they murmurred in private after they took sides, and lastly openly declared themselves against the treachery of the Rebells, turned the Skippers boy Rainsbro [...]ugh their mock admirall on shore set saile for Holand to proffer their service to their true Admiral the Duke of York, protesting to live and die for his Majesty, in which condition they now remaine at present.

Secondly, the Citizens of London having a long season like Fooles and Knaves hazzarded their lives and drained their Estates, for defending and u­surped greatnesse perceiving now at last that they have but nourished Serpents in their bosomes who vallew them no longer then they may prey upon them, and have left them in the lurch without performance o [...] the least thing they romised, leaving them open to the outrages of a plundering bloodie Sectari­an Army, they resolve no longer to be the protectors of such villanies, but to repent of what they have done restraine their aid for the future, and to pull downe the aspiring Nimrods, from the top of their greatnesse.