The English rogue continued in the life of Meriton Latroon, and other extravangants comprehending the most eminent cheats of most trades professions. The second part. Licensed Feb. 22. 1669

The Character of a Libertine Zealot.

TO describe him right, is a task like that of the Tay∣lor who took measure of the Devil; for there is nothing more like him upon Earth then he: He is li∣ned with Covetousness, and covered with Hypocrisie, the Root and Cloak of all evil. Although at this time he carries a Bible, yet upon occasion he wears a Sword; so that it is hard to say, whether he be of the Tribe of Simeon or Levi. He swallows contrary Oaths faster then the Eagles in the Tower do gobbets of flesh; for the way to Hell, and the Conscience of a Libertine, are two broad things. He condemns the lawful Rites and Ceremonies of the Church; and is more ravished with the squeaking of a Tythe-pig, then with the Mu∣sick of Organs.

He appears at his Preachment (like Aesops Crow) in a dress of borrowed feathers; for he preaches the works of other men, which are so much the worse for the coming out of his mouth, as Wares for being of the second hand. But it would grieve your heart to see how he racks the ancient Fathers, when he makes his own confession, and mangles the Modern Divines more barbarously then the Hang-man did the body of Hugh Peters: I am sure poor Priscian gets many a broken head.

His Eloquence consists altogether in rayling, as though he had got his education at Billinsgate. In his discourse he runs on like a Mad-dog, foaming and open mouth'd, yelping at the Reverend Bishops; and even accounts many of his own Brethren, the Sectaries,

as mad as himself. Yet sometimes he perceives that his stuff is too short for the hour-Glass; and then the wheels of his Rhetorick moove very heavily: he then spends much time in humming and spitting; and with the wiping of his Nose, makes many a filty Parenthesis.

As for his Text, he handles that as Moses did his Rod, when it was turned into a Serpent, he lays it down, and runs away from it: yet his Sermon lies all written before him, for the poor Copy holder in Di∣vinity can do nothing without his Notes. Thi•• his weakness he would have you think is his worth, for he chargeth men of abler parts with presumption: Yet when he prays, he shuts his Eyes, pr••f••ring Nonsense and Tautologies before the Divine Lytur∣gy. Vain Wretch, that dares not speak to men without Papers, and yet presumes to talk to God extempo e•• As for his Cong••egation, he Saints or reprobate th••••, according to what they give him; and like a Gypsie, tells good Fortune to none but those that cr••ss his hand with a piece of silver; and by him, as well as by the Pope, you may be Canonized for mony: Thu•• he is a meer Balaam▪ that blesseth and cu••seth ••or rew••••d: he that opposeth him, acts the part of an Angel; but he that submits to him is worse then an Ass If you consider his constancy, he is a kind of Religious Proteus, that is now ready to fawn upon that Power against which he hath so long bark'd. If therefore th••re be a Church in England which consists of men, surely, The Orthodox, faithful, constant Ministers, are the Doors, Windows, Pillars, Bells, and Candlesticks; and the rest serve only for Weathercocks.

It is confessed, that at the begining of the happy Reformation, he was a little stubborn; perhaps, ex∣pecting a second War; but now (poor heart) he hath

learned to pray for his Majesty: but (if you could hear the language of his Soul) it is so, as impatient heirs pray for their rich fathers. There are two sorts of men, who having escaped a deserved pair of Gal∣lows, prey for the King very strangly, that is, a Fe∣lon, whilst the Executioner burns his hand; and a Traytor, whilst the Devil sears his Conscience.

If you would know his name, you may find it sub∣scrib'd to an ugly Petition▪ for where Bradshaw was a Pilate that condemned, he was one of those Jews that cry'd Crucifie. He professes sorrow for the Martry∣dom of our late Soveraign; but believe him not, for his hand helped to hale him to the Block. In a word, he is (at best) but a State Crocodile, and one that is Maudlin-drunk with the Kings blood.

No more, but if you chance to meet with a Hue and Cry, you may tell them that he was lately in a Sequestred Parsonage.

This Character was hugely pleasing to the Drug∣ster, and indeed, he and his two Companions, the Scrivener and Gregory the Taylor, did all conclude that it was very ingeniously true, and gave much sa∣tisfaction to them in that particular; and they all a∣greed, That the Dissenters from the Church, were the Murtherers of their Prince.

They all so well approving of what had been said of these Varlets, I told them that I could likewise relate somewhat else of the same Gentlemans composure, who writ the Character; and which I did conclude to be altogether as ingenious, and that it was a great novelty, having never as yet been in Print: they be∣ing earnest in their desires to hear me, I told them it was only the fifth Fable of Aesop Moralized; and there∣upon I began as follows:

The Brutes would once go hunt: a nimble Crew Of those that dwell in Dens and Caves pursue And take a goodly Stag, who in his fall Proclaims sufficient booties unto all. Each Beast being troubled with their hungry maws, Were urging Clyents to their panting Iaws: Divide, says one; another cries, cast lots; With that, the Lyon Roars, Away ye Sots; Who's that who says divide? pray be content, The first part's mine, because most excellent; And but one part! nay, then you do me wrong, A second part is mine, because most strong; And if you dare give credit to my word, Our pain and sweat have meritted a third. Now there remains a fourth, which is but small, And scarce worth speaking of amongst you all; Which you may give me willingly; and thus, Renew the friendship betwixt you and us. Be wise therefore; is it more safe to move A Lyons anger, or confirm his Love? For if you shew the least unwillingness, I'll make you know the Senior of your Mess. This said, the Hunters were amaz'd thereat; They knew their distance, and they durst not prate, But hung their tail betwixt their Leggs for shame, And went away more hungry then they came.

This, said I, was the Fable, which though it had already admitted of many Paraphrases and Morals, yet was never yet in my opinion so fit and aptly mor∣alized, as in what I shall here recite, which I did thus:

But take away the brutes and clear the Stage; Enter those mighty Nimrods of the Age:

That cursed Crew that hunted for a Throne, And made a Babel in Religion. Lo here they come, that England did express To be more bruitish than a Wilderness: A wide-mouth'd yelping-cur, with a long ear, Of a Scotch brood, they call'd him —: Cerberus was his Syre, and for his dam, A Beast to whom Adam never gave Name. The solemn Covenant which he did take, Hun•• like a pair of Couples on his Neck, The which he soon shook of; nay more, the Dog Threw by his Conscience, 'twas a tedious Clog. And then began the game: Actaeons hounds Ne're gave their Master half so many wounds, As these their King: it was a Hellish brood That took the sent of none but Royal blood. Loud was their cry, and nimble was their Race, A sadder hunting far then Chevy Chase. But at the length, the Royal Hart they take, Nor would they spare his life for Caesars sake; But he must die, yet Noble—scorns His share,— onely got the Horns. But like the Lyon, Cromwel, that great man, Made of Behemoth and Leviathan, Thus speaks; And do you think, my friends, to share That Prize in Peace, which I obtain'd in War? Divide the spoil, and then as General, I Claim the first part due for my Excellency. A second part our able strength demands; A third is mine, 'cause these victorious hands In all those Fights wherein we had to do, Were the most painful and most prosperous too. Thus our activity, and strength, and worth, Have wone three parts, there only rests a fourth;

Which we'll with Love accept, but if deny'd, Our Sword shall teach you better to divide. Thus, as our Saviours Vesture, which might not Be cut in pieces, was obtain'd by lot: So our great Charles his power, which could not be Dissolv'd into an Aristocracie, Was Tyrant Cromwels share; and now our whips Were turn'd to Scorpions: Now the grand Eclipse Began; we saw no Sun for twice seven years, Onely two fatal Stars by turns appears: Protectorship, and Rumpish did prevail; Nol was the Dragons-head, and they the Tail. But welcome Charles the Second, happy are we, That Britain's Monarchy's restor'd in thee; If Cromwels life had put a period to't, I'd both begun and ended in a Brute.

If they were pleas'd with the foregoing Chara∣cters, this Fable thus moralized, gave them much more satisfaction, and highly contented them; for the truth contained in it, was undeniable, and it was expressed with much ingenuity, and they told m••, that certainly he that composed these two things, the Cha∣racter and Fable, was a person very ingenious▪ and able to convert any that were seduced in that Faction, unless they were very obstinate, as most of that Fa∣ction were: for having been Rebellious to their Prince, they made that saying true, That Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft, not to be repented of.

In this discourse of the several Factions in Religion we spent some time; and the Drugster being best ac∣quainted with all of them, made a discourse of every one in particular from top to bottom: and when he came to speak of them, he told us, that he supposed

there would now in a short time be some end of these growing Factions; because, said he, that Quakerism is the last that is risen up, and it is now above twelve years since it began to be famous; and though hitherto it encreases, yet they have not found any other novelty from that, as at first there was out of the first Religi∣ous faction: but there is not one that is produced by the Quaker; so that it is hoped that will be the last of the Factions. I have heard of one small Faction that contradicts the Quakers, and that is one Muggle∣tons Sect, who together with one Reeve, does pretend to be the two last Witnesses that are to come upon earth. Reeve is some time since dead, but Muggleton surviving him, is a great enemy to the Quakers, and their chief Opponent: for they questioning his Call, he for that cause Damns them; and so absolute he is, that he says, after he hath Damn'd them, they cannot be saved, not by Providence it self. He professes in one of his writings, being an Interpretation of the 11 Chapter of the Revelations, That he, and he alone can give a true Interpretation of the Scripture, and un∣fold the whole Counsel of God, concerning himself, the Devil, and all Mankind from the foundation of the world to all Eternity; and this was never revealed by any of the Sons of Men, untill now: Thus subscribing his Papers, By Lodowick Muggleton, one of the two last Commissionated Witnesses and Prophets of the only High, Immortal, Glorious God, Christ Iesus.

We told the Drugster that this Sect of Mugletons we had not heard of; and I being very desirous to be further acquainted with this opinion, asked him if he had read his Writings, Yes, said he, and there is as extraordinary matters and opinions handled and trea∣ted of therein, as any Sect that this last age hath pro∣duced:

nay, and more absolute he would make him∣self then all others; but he more especially writes against the Quakers, in a manner condemning them all in general. I desiring to be more particularly in∣formed of his writings, he granted my request, and proceeded as followeth:

This Book of his writing, said he, falling into the hands of one Edward Bourn a Quaker, is by him despi∣sed and cavilled at; for, he said that he had perused it till he was weary with looking into it, for it was one of the dirtiest and confusedest pieces of work that ever he saw: and many other particular cavils had he against it; which Muggleton hearing of, is so much offended, that he writes a Letter to him, dated in August 1662. and there he concludes:

I write these Lines unto you Edward Bourn, knowing you to be of the seed of the Serpent, and appointed to eternal Damnation before you were born; though you know it not, I do know it, by your speaking evil of that Doctrine which is declared by us the Witnesses of the Spirit, by calling it deceit, confusion and lies, with many more wicked speeches against the purest truth that ever was declared by Prophet or Apostle, be∣cause this is the Commission of the Spirit, and the last Witness of God on Earth.

Therefore for these your hard sayings against the Doctrine of this Commission of the Spirit; In obedi∣ence unto my Commission, I pronounce you cursed and damned, both Soul and Body, from the presence of God, elect men and Angels, to Eternity: neither shall that light within you, nor any God deliver you from this curse, but according to my word it shall be upon you, because you shall know, that God hath gi∣ven power unto Man to curse you to eternity, and

there is a Prophet of the Lord now in England.

This Letter being thus subscribed, was Printed and sent to the said Edward Bourn. Also another to one Samuel Hooker and W. S. both Quakers, wherein a∣mongst other things, he thus writes:

First I decla••e as I am a Prophet and Messenger of the true God, that the people called Quakers, are not the ch••ldren of the most high God, but for the g••nerality o•• them, th••y are children of the Devil, and are the very Seed of the Devil, and were begot∣ten by him; and I (as I am an Ambassador ordained o•• God by voi••e of Words) can as truly say, that they a••e the Seed of the Serpent, and so the children of the Devil, as Ch••ist did to the Iews, when he said, that they were Serpents, yea Devils, and the Devil wa•• their Father. So can I say by you Quakers, a••d ma••y thousands more as well as you, that you w••••e the children of the D••vil, that were begotten by him, and not begotten by Adam, who never came ••h••ou••h the loyns of Adam, though they came through the Womb of Eve. For this I know, Cain was the first born of the Devil, and Adam had no part in the begetting of him. And from this Cain cam•• the Jews that Christ called Serpents and Devils.

Much more he writ••s against the Quakers, and is as absol••te i•• his sentence of Damnation against these t••o being almost in the same words as the former. H••s w••itings in general are filled with many strange Op••ni••n•• a••d h••••i now the greatest Enemy of the Q••a••••rs, t••ll••ng th••m that they are but some of the m••l••ncho••ly o••t o•• Ra••t••rs, and by ••alling from Ran∣ti••g t•• Quaking▪ ar•• ••ow worse than before; for be∣••••re ••hey were in ••he Wild••••••es••▪ bu•• are now retur∣n••d ba••k into Egypt, and so the ••u••ther off from en∣tring

into the Land of Canaan: and in one place he is pretty pleasant with the Quakers, for saith he, The greatest things that ever I heard the Quakers do, is to find fault with a piece of Ribbon, Gold-button, or a Bandstring, and such like, and to possess themselves with a melancholly spirit of Witchcraft, and so ••all into Witchcraft-fits, to lie humming and groaning, which doth fright the beholders; so instead of those merry Devils which they had upon the Ranting score, where all was good, lying with their Neighbours wife, deflowring Virgins, coz••ning and cheating, and destroying every one in their outward Estate which did ente••tain them, and now that Devil is cast out, now they are grown in as much extream on the other side; for now they are grown so precise and exact for Apparel and for words, no words must be placed out of joynt, so that no man can almost tell how to deal with them; and this melancholly Devil hath cast out the Ranting Devil, which makes them so proud and stiff necked, thinking themselves that they are better than other people, when they are worse; for they are possessed with the Spirit of Witchcraft, which makes them two-sold more the children of the Devil then they were before; which none can disco∣ver but this Commission of the Spirit; neither did I ever hear by any which heard the Quakers speak, that they did ever Preach any sound Doctrine, but only exhort people to hearken to the light within them▪ which is a very low and easie thing for every ordinary understanding to comprehend; and this is the cause there is such a multitude of men and women fall into it, &c. And thus did he proceed, his whole writing being to pull them down, and set himself up.

Soon after the Printing of these Letters, I met with

a Quaker, an acquaintance of mine, and asked of him whether he had seen these Letters of Muggletons, which went by the Name of The Neck of the Quakers broken, or cut in sunder by the two-edged sword of the Spirit, which is put into my mouth. He replyed, Yea, he had. What thinke••t thou, said I, of those of your perswasion in general, and more particularly of those persons whom he hath damn'd? I think him to be a deluded person, said he, for I have known him long, and also his fellow Prophet Reeve, who is since dead: and I remember this one passage, that one of our per∣swasion did calmly discourse with Reeve about many principal things of his Judgment and Opinion: and though they did not agree to every thing, yet Reeve said he, believed he would be converted, for that he was confident he was of the seed of Faith, and not of that of the Devil; only that his eyes were not yet opened, but in time they would. And thus they parted.

Soon after Muggleton (who was always more vigi∣lant than Reeve) being affronted by some Quakers, according to his custome, pronounced the sentance of damnation against them; which the Quaker, who had discoursed with Reeve hearing, and meeting with Muggleton, told him he had done very ill in being so rash as to damn them: And further, charged him with wandring up and down to make Sects. To this Muggleton replyed, It is not I, it is those of the Quakers that wander up and down; as those that went to New England, and Iohn Perrot unto Rome, to get the Pope and his Bishops to be Disciples of Christ; and there to be puni••hed in his Body: and when he came home again, to be damn'd to Eternity by me for his pains; because he went by the light

within him, and was not sent by the voice of God without him: Therefore eternal damnation will be his reward for going without a Commission from God; and so will all the Ministers of the Quakers. And whereas you say that my mouth is full of cursing, and that I shall reap of the same: Likewise you say, that I am out of Christs and the Apostles Doctrine, that said, Bless, and Curse not; with many other sayings: As for my Mouth being full of Cursing, that is my Commission; neither do I curse any but Devils, which are appointed for it of God; and there is ne∣ver a one that I have cursed, that shall escape that Curse which I have denounced upon them; neither will any God deliver them from it: for I do curse none but the Seed of the Serpent, who had his Curse de∣nounced upon him and his Seed, at the beginning by God himself.

To this discour••e of Muggletons, our Brother the Quaker making some angry reply, in contradicting what he had said, Muggleton did for that cause pre∣sently pronounce the sentence of Damnation, alledg∣ing that he was of the Seed of the Devil. Thus, said the Quaker, though Reeve said he was not of the Seed of the Devil; yet Muggleton his fellow Prophet said he was, and therefore proceeded against him to damnation. Now, whether he be damned or saved, judge you: And therefore, said he, I think it mat∣ters not much what he says, because they thus con∣tradict one another.

And thus we parted, and I concluded, that as it was no great matter what Muggleton said or did; so there was no great heed to be taken with what was, or should be said or done by the Quakers: I believing and knowing that what Muggleton had said of them as

to their humours, and falling from Ranting to Quak∣ing, and such like particulars, to be true; though I believed him, and all other Factions to be alike de∣luded and mistaken in the general.

And, continued he, though this Muggletons opi∣nions and Doctrine be thus strange, and he a very in∣considerable unlearned fellow, being by Profession a Taylor, yet he hath gained many to his belief, who give him much respect; but he takes no money of them, only he gets hi•• writings Printed, and distri∣buting them among his people, they pay him for them; but in the main, he works at his Trade for a lively-hood: and he hath, as well as the Quakers, su••fered Imprisonment, but hath been released and savoured, as I have heard by some persons of Honour, who are well willers to him.

Thus did the Drugster discourse of the Factions, and we with him did hope and conclude, that since there was no greater a growth in Faction, there hav∣ing been no new ones for some years last past, that it was more than probable that they would consume and moulder away of themselves.

The forenoon being spent wholly in the large Nar∣rative of the Adventures of my now fellow Compa∣nions and Guests, and the most of the Afternoon in this Discourse, it was time now to think of parting; and they being mindful of the Entertainment they were to give me the next day on board of their Ship, being out of my house, furnished with some neces∣sary provisions, all parted from me.