ON Lords day, May the fifteenth, &c.] In Nomine Domini this Wretch begins to insinuate, that an impudent and ignorant Cobler, whom he calls Preacher, might be occasioned from the discourse of a Magistrate, to call the Church of England Antichri­stian, &c. although he afterwards insolently repeated the same words at a publick Session, for which he is bound over, at which time all sensible persons (with­out a Comment) will judge that he would have set a stricter watch upon his tongue, had not his over­boiling ignorance and malice, and the hopes both of Maintenance, and prevalency from the numbers of his Party, infatuated this thin-soul'd Wight at once to discover the common Vogue of them all.

Page 4. The only truth in this page is, that Batti­son hath manifested himself, in the Execution of this Act, to be as honest and dutiful a Subject to the King, in his degree, as any in the Nation; and if when he hired a Chamber to lay up Grain, the Li­beller will not allow the Saints Mault to be included under that title; it must be by some quirk of the spi­rit; for he will find no distinction, either in the Lo­gick or Philosophy of ordinary Taunters. By such an­other Sophism in the Law, he averrs a fair sale and delivery of the Mault and the Mault-house, although the first Owner at this day continues the possession of both. But one thing more in this case is appa­rent enough (without Annotations) that notwith­standing the illegal and barbarous behaviour of the vulgar people (as it is stated by the Scribler himself) yet we hear of no arbitrary Outrages committed, be­yond the bounds of the Act, by the inhumane Justices.

The next complaint is, that (at a dead lift) the Officers did charge some Gentlemen of the Town to aid and assist them: But setting aside the Scribes be­loved Antiphrasis, they were both ordinary, and fa­ctious Tradesmen: And thus they can dub one ano­ther Gentlemen without Arms, Saints without Righ­teousness, Preachers without Orders, Lawyers without Learning; for by the magnifying Glass of the Spirit they did ever make their Mole-hills Mountains, and their Geese Swans.

The next design this Pamphleter hath, is to intimate to the World, how much the sufferings of their Disci­ples are against the grain of the people; as if they [Page 8] had shut up Shops as in a Pest, and let the Shire-Town dwindle to a Countrey-Village: Here something, like truth, hath unawares dropt from his pen, for it fall­ing out upon a Holy-day, the Conforming Party had shut up their Shops, and those only were opened, whose factious Owners are too well known to be the Plague both of Church and State.

The most remarkable passages in the sixth page are these, first, his Pharisaical dubbing a pitiful Ped­ler into a Dealer in Linnen-Drapery, for indeed they should not be called like other Men.

And secondly, The Libellers own monstrous Con­version into a Distreiner; no other Distress being made in this case, besides what is in the Libel; for the Father-in-law of the Grocer did immediately lay down his Sons Fine, expressing much indignation a­gainst the actions of him, and sorrow for his Daugh­ter.

The last remark in this page, is the Libellers ge­nuine imitation of those Artists in Filching; who had rather steal, than have any thing given them, to keep their Fingers in ure; so he, to no other pur­pose, but to preserve his faculty bright, hath fathered upon Mr. F. a Warrant against a Tanner, which was under the Hands and Seals of all the Justices.

Page 7. Now for the great re-incounter of a silly Widow, seduced from her youth until this day (whose Father indeed was a very honest Gentleman, and detested these Juglers;) but she used her natural Parent then, as she hath since served her heavenly; for being ripe for Conjunction, she stole out of his [Page 9] house to Marry her self to an ordinary Tradesman, as she now leaves the Church to be espoused to Con­venticles; whose Fine was inhansed by her own in­discretion to herd her self amongst a pack of beg­garly Canary-birds: She bore their burthen at two Meetings, until her Fine amounted to Twenty pounds, for which this spiritual Romancer, by his Scotch Ac­compt, where Thirteen pence half peny is a Mark, hath set down Forty upon Distress; although the Justices have often offered, that either she or her Friends might redeem the Goods at the Fine. But take his own stating, and the Sum of his Evidence will amount to a clear justification of all those who acted in this matter; for the good Woman being first seduced by the Brotherhood to disobey the Kings Laws, and then to cheat him of his Penalty (which they call passive obedience) by a prudential securing the best of her Goods; the Officers were reduced to take what she her self thought was not worth removing.

And now we come to another desolation, where the Libeller again cannot see Wood for Trees, not Men for People; and all in the behalf of two beg­garly Teachers (to say no worse) both which had not substance enough to pay one Fine (as the Widow can witness) and by his own calculation also of the number of Hats; which doth not amount to so many as a travelling Furbusher carrieth at his back.

The next remove is to his Cheats in Parchment, and indeed these deserve to be ingrossed; for here is a Deed maintained to be void of Fraudulency, which was really made and dated three days after the Con­viction [Page 10] of the Seller, and the Buyer was frankly told by all the Justices present, as well as Sir G. B. that his undertaking for other Mens Debts, over and a­bove his own satisfaction, did plainly evidence a de­sign to defraud the King of his Right. But the con­cerns of the Saints do so much transcend those of or­dinary Subjects (they being the first born of the peo­ple in all sorts of Cheats) that their Soveraign Inte­rest (although elder than theirs) must not stand in their way: Witness these new, and their old Trans­actions, so that by an inversion of sense they make good the Maxim, Nullum tempus occurret Regi: And however this Shark resolves still to play out his hand with false Dice, yet there was not any one person who was pretended to be concerned in the rest of the Debts, did ever offer to the Justices to aver his In­terest. But some time afterwards the most conside­rable amongst them, did upon an accidental dis­course to one of the Justices acknowledge, that al­though there might be some such engagement, yet the Deed was principally framed to secure the Ow­ner: Neither did Sir G. B. bind over Leyfield, any other ways than by being present whilst another took his Bond, as the other Justices were, who all owned the Act. For the rest of this Paragraph, it consists of speeches raised by the Libeller, and falsely impu­to Sir G. B. but are a most true remonstrance, both of the merits, and designs, of all the Party.

But to set him right a little, this I have heard Sir G. B. will own, that when a Secluded Alderman of the most considerable Fortune in Bedford did tell [Page 11] him before another Person, that he heard that the Phanaticks had said, They did expect another Day for it, He replied, The sooner the better, if it must be so: And considering how nearly related the person that spake it is to the Basest Transactor in the Late Rebel­lion, that ever served any Party; it seems most fit, that the Governors of the Kingdom should determine this Controversie.

The next Paragraph you will find fill'd with the old Leaven and stench of impudent Forgery; for here was no Distress taken when the Libel was composed, besides what he himself hath made, upon the Truth and Reputation of some persons, who are of too much Worth and Integrity to have their Actions menti­oned by so Ignominious a Scribler; forthe King's Officers (more out of the Principles of Kindness, than Discretion) did take the words of the Offen­ders mentioned, to render their goods when the Justices should demand them; but Ruffhead, one chiefly quoted in this part of the Libel, did, after a months Indulgence from the Officer, refuse to deliver up his goods according to his engagement: this is the Disciple of St Crispin, who came of himself, and was not brought as in the Libel to the Justice, and told him, he had refused to let Feckman come upon his ground, because not named in the warrant; who candidly let him know (to prevent danger) he could not deny him to enter as an assistant to the Constable.

Whilst we have thus ransackt the Libellers Cittadel, he hath gained an opportunity to make his escape out at a Postern; the old trick of such Combatants, who [Page 12] according to the Scotch Phrase are bashful before an Enemy: Therefore we must hunt the Purlews to re­new the reencounter; and the first intelligence we can get of him, is from a Country Village not far from Bedford; where (guided by his Spirit) he hath found out another Canton of the same Tribe. Here he rallies with very much noise, advancing more Colours, Drums and Trumpets, than the remnant of his Rasca­ty than pretend to manage, the Pedant Stratagem to a­muse an enemy, whilst he makes his retreat; the first slaunting pelt the Runnagate makes, is against the suf­ficiencie of the relation of a little Child, as he is plea­sed to call her; indeed I do not know by what ac­count he measures the growth of his Babes of Grace; but, by the report of the Neighbourhood, she is four­teen or fifteen years old; and it seems capable enough of false Doctrine; for she was an Auditor, but not of the Truth: especially in so difficult a passe to try her understanding, as at the next house amongst her neigh­bours, to know where she was, and whom she saw, which was all the use was made of her: But he makes bold to clip the Kings evidence, as well as His Patri­mony for a wife of one of the Gang confessed to two others, that she was at the Meeting, and the same day the Constable saw amongst the Brother­hood an Itinerant Bawler, who was Speaker at that Meeting; this and more was informed before any Warrant was issued, which I suppose in the judg­ment of sober persons will be allowed, is ground e­nough for a Summons; the Examination and Oath were both taken by several Justices as well as Sir G. B. [Page 13] as the Warrant under all their Hands and Seals makes appear; but cui bono if a single Justice had taken it, as the Libeller falsely affirms, the Action was warrant­able; so that all I know can be said to it is, that he gives you this great Lye gratis, out of the abundance of his store, but he tells you that none of them would confess either the Meeting or the Preacher, although they were pressed by the Justices with an engagement to acquit them in case they would do so.

Here you have him tottering upon his two rotten supporters, nonsense and falshood, for first, how can a confession procure a discharge, and then the Justi­ces acted more ingeniously a contrary way, for they offered, notwithstanding the accusation, if any could make it appear, or bona fide affirm, they were not at the Meeting, they should be acquitted; but the guilt of their Consciences (which never restrain­ed them before) disinabling them to do either, be­sides the confession of the first, it was collected from some others, that they had been there, and so were convicted by the notoriety both of the circumstance and evidence of the Fact, as it now stands recorded; and to convince the Reader there was no mistake in the Justices, after the parties found there was no re­lief in collusions, the Meeting and the Teacher were openly confessed.

The next Saint to be vindicated is as great a Villain (with Reverence be it spoken) both for base lan­guage and actions, as the Libeller himself, as he was made to understand when he assaulted Sir G. B. with provoking and scurrilous speeches, which according [Page 14] to the manners and stile of the Saints is suing for favour, and had both falsely and saucily traduced him to his fellow Justice, and his fellow Justice to him: But it is a shame to publish more of his Character in print, than what hath dropt from the Libellers own Pen, even in defence of the Saint; for you see he hath like a faithless wretch broke open the lock of an­other person, who was engaged for his Rent, and Cancelled a Deed, which he had passed under his own Hand and Seal, for his Counter security, without either the knowlege or consent of the party; nei­ther did he mention this Cancelling, until his Son was Convicted, who did after that also acknowledge to the Constable, that he was Owner of the Goods; which appears plain enough by his Agents taking the profit of the Cattle, after his Father-in-laws preten­ded Sale.

The remainder of this Paragraph, is a Declara­tion in base Language, that amongst this beggarly Rabble the King must lose his Right; which in truth is his Lot from all the Conventicles hitherto Con­victed: therefore to acquit the Informers, we may upon all accounts whatsoever justly stile the Libeller, and his crew, the scum of the People.

Thus against my inclinations, I have been forced to publish the most illegal, inhumane and ungodly be­haviour of the Libeller and his leaven, that I might strip Falshood out of the Covering of Truth, and justifie to the World the Magistrates Transactions, which they are willing to submit to the Censure of the Laws, and of all sober People. Neither had [Page 15] this Scribler the least ground to impute any peculiar or single action to Sir G. B. for it appears all along that he hath acted jointly with his Fellow Justices, who (in relation to the Countreys happiness) I de­clare are so well knowing, unanimous, and active in all parts of their Duty, that they need no Leader; therefore this is easily discovered to be but a stale stratagem of their old Mareschal de Camp, or if you had rather of their grand Muster-Master Satan; Di­vide & impera: Take off the old Cavaliers first (who can give warning of their Wiles) and then the young ones will become a luscious prey. But to pre­vent this, it is not to be questioned, but that our Governours will manifest a most signal kindness and protection to the former, which is the true means to confirm and give encouragement to the latter.

And now when I hop'd that my task was over, up starts a long-ear'd Foal of the braying Dam, or ra­ther a Calf slinkt by the last Mate to the Geneva Bull, which some few years since Mooted Wonders from several parts of this Nation, but however it was dropt into the World, I can assure you it stinks like a Sooterken after a Dutch Frows Delivery, and there­fore presently must be destroyed to preserve the Neighbourhood. Its ill-look'd front bears a scanda­lous comparison, between one Prior, and Feckman; but as to the former he had never any application to the Justices; except (heretofore) to reclaim his dis­orders, neither are any Distresses placed at his house, notwithstanding the Libellers impudent forgery: And as for the Death of the latter, his Wife is depo­sed [Page 16] that he was seized about eight years since with the like sudden Distemper, to the great hazzard of his life; neither could it be expected that by the strength of Nature, so great a violence should be twice withstood by any constitution. And for his behaviour in the time of his Visitation, to his Wifes, you may have the Oath of Mr. Bradshaw, a very Reverend and Learned Divine, whose practice suits (as much as humanity permits) to his Orthodox Do­ctrine; that during the time of his weakness, his behaviour was sedate, and correspondent to the con­dition of a dying person, and as for the employ­ment he had taken from the Justices, he stedfastly declared, that he was satisfied in Conscience that he had done the Church and State good service, as having been instrumental in Executing the Act. And that if he was to begin again he would willingly take upon him the same engagement. Thus this Libellers Won­ders, as well as his other Relations, are but the fruits of Sodom; unexamined, and at a distance, they bear a deluding out-side, but at the approaches of truth, they prove but dust and ashes.

And here again I would gladly have been acquitted of the Libeller and his Crew, having driven them not into their proper Herd; amongst Satan and Witches; for they also were stiled from the beginning of Times (as old Languages tell us) Forgers of Miracles; but this long-winded Bawler, hath learn'd of his Tu­tor Hugh Peters to turn the other glass, for behold a Postscript behind, their Kirk in a Cloak-bag, or rather a great tayl fixt by the Libeller himself to the [Page 17] back of his Pamphlet, that it may out-mode Battison; it hath a praeter-natural discent, from a Calf and a Fox; for they ever delighted in monstrous productions, wit­ness the Coitions of the Elders Maid, and the Quaker, with their four-footed Loves.

But he uses this Train as a Squirrel doth hers, to pal­liate and cover all the Cheats and Abuses contained in his Libel, which, notwithstanding the small part of the Fox, are easily discerned.

The first Attempt he makes in this Postcript is, with most opprobrious and injurious terms, to state a pa­rallel betwixt the proceedings of Bedfordshire and those of other Countreys; in which he publishes to the World, that all that have to deal with them must expect dung in the Ballance.

In the next place, by their old Trayterous Sophism in a new Dress, he maintains, that reviling the Kings Magistrates; and reproaching his Agents, is no Disobe­dience to their Soveraign, nor Reflection upon the Government.

And again, I am astonish'd to see with what a pro­fligated Impudence he averres themselves peaceable, and their Actions harmless, when the Prince is hardly warm in his Throne, nor his party in the Remnants of their shattered Estates, since by the very same Me­thods and Principles this sort of people did reduce three Nations into one Aceldama, and then also, as now, (at the beginning) the people heard the voi [...]e of jacob, and afterwards felt, both upon thei [...] Lives and Fortunes, the rough hands of Esau.

In the last place he gives notice of three plain Ends, [Page 18] as he calls them of publishing this Libel; and in this he saith well; for the first is to prepare the whole par­ty of Non-conformists to be as refractory in their Dis­obedience to the Kings Laws as the Sectaries of Bed­fored; which he,, in this place, by his Old Figure, calls a patient, quiet and peaceable bearing their provocations and trials; forgetting, good man, that in the beginning of his Libel, he hath boasted of their unmalleableness to any Conformity with the prescriptions of this Act, and of the most barbarous usage of the Kings Agents by them and their Accomplices.

But now for the Second End; and the First End of that is, humbly to ask our Legislators a nonsensical Question, Whether this be the Garment of their Off­spring? O the Mystical Metaphors of Illumina­tion!

The Second End of the Second is to return to his Vomit of rayling against the Justices, when they may seek for redress from the Laws of the Nation; but he is too much vers'd in his business to hazard that; for he knows, his Witnesses, like Terriers, will never claw well but under-ground, being alwayes trained up in private Accusations.

The Third End of the Second, is to perswade our Governours to manifest to the people that they have imposed upon them an Inconsiderate Act, by a speedy revising it; but in this I ought to refer him to our Le­gislators themselves to try for an Answer.

And thus he hath given you three Ends in one, to avoid the censure of having no End at all: If you please you may properly call them a nest of Boxes, for [Page 19] those trinkets are very Emblems both of himself and his Libel, as they are filled with emptiness. And al­though some Criticks may quarrel this Method, yet I can assure them, that this is the old way of branching out Points of Treason and Rebellion to their Vipe­rous brood; for their inventions are ever swell'd with so great a Plethory, upon this Subject, that they never fail to produce superfaetations, often exceeding the Low Countrey Ladies Conceptions, more treasonable Points than there are days in the year.

And now (if ever he is to be trusted) he is come to his last End, which is a tazled Repetition of a most untrue, scandalous and formless Babble. The Sub­ject he hath made so bold with, are the Actions of all the Magistrates and Officers in the Nation (as him­self owns) from the highest to those which act in the most inferiour degrees; that by traducing them to be void of reason, humanity, and righteousness, he might make the same reflections upon the Laws them­selves. He also hath made it apparent enough, that he uses the expressions of Peace but to usher in War; for his first admonitions to, and professions of Pa­tience, Peace, and Quietness, are now turned to an Alarm of Suspitions, Heats, Animosities, Di­stractions, and Confusions; (to run over no more of his Rebellious Rosary;) which, to use his own words, have filled the minds, and do exercise the thoughts of all sorts of Men. And, that he may render a clear testimony of this, he tells you of great numbers of persons who have withdrawn themselves both from their Habitations and Callings, that they [Page 20] may not contribute any assistance to the Execution of this Act. A symptom of Rebellion (I confess) un­heard of before, and higher than any of those which preceded the last unnatural War. For, as to the lower sort of people, what other cause can in­duce them to leave their Relations and Abodes, than by the instigation of their Leaders to plant themselves conveniently for a Rendesvouz. And for those of bet­ter quality, I will appeal even to their own Consci­ences (if there is any thing more than the Name of it left) to give their Prince an accompt, why (upon their own accord) they should lay down that Com­mission for the Peace, which (not long since) they look'd upon as the most blessed Magna Charta, to esta­blish them free, both in their Lives and Fortunes, except it be upon the first opportunity to take up ano­ther for War; and if they shall scape unconcern'd, it cannot but be an example hereafter to all faithless persons, upon the least uncertainty of State, to pre­pare for a change.

A Wight of this sort was in the Commission for Bedford, who employed one that had been a Rebel in Arms as well as his Worship (and equally noted with himself for a small parcel of Honesty) to get the Com­mission transcribed without his Name in the Catalogue, and in the Transaction his Agent (well vers'd in small Arts) made use of the inadvertency of the Transcri­ber, to insert two Gentlemens Names with wrong Ti­tles, to disinable them to Act, but the Sum is mispent, and the Commission corrected, yet however there remains a plain Demonstration, that the old leaven will [Page 21] never fail to play at any sort of Game to abuse the Government. Much more might be said to alarm the Magistrates, but by this time I suppose the Reader, as well as my self, is sick of the Libeller; therefore I shall conclude with a Request to our Governours, that the Presses may be examined to find out the Author; that (according to the Rules of Retaliation) he may be stigmatized himself for branding Paper.