A preter-plvperfect spick and span new nocturnall, or Mercuries weekly night-newes wherein the publique faith is published and the banquet of Oxford mice described.

Thursday Night.

THis Night much Time was spent in drinke, smoake, and talke, at the Signe of the Man in the Moon without Dow∣gate; where after some halfe a score rouses, every one began to talke of that which they had nothing to do withall, a∣mongst the rest one ignorant fellow was bold to aske what manner of thing the Publique Faith is, and what the reason is that it is laid to pawn for Money every where, but (that which made him most wonder was) wherefore any one man would be so mad as to adventure to lend any thing upon it, (except upon especiall good and lawfull grounded Reasons) therefore he desired to be satisfied ••••wne••, his kinde of Pub∣lique Faith is, and how farre 〈◊〉〈◊〉 powe•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it may extend. To which most sawcy and treacherous 〈…〉〈…〉 lea••ed

and worthy Welwisher to the Lowest Uppermost House re∣plied, as followeth:

My small Friend (quoth he) I will tell thee briefly what this new Publique Faith is, it is called Publique because it is common to all, and hath communitie in all, and to take away, waste, and consume all; it is Generall, Catholique, and Universall, not peculiar to any man, particular not private to any person, there is no man hath any proprietie in it, more than he hath in his goods and lands (as at this time the case is) so that it is neither Thine nor Mine, but every mans; it hath absolute power to borrow money, and to force unbe∣lieving people to be exceeding desperate Creditours; and whosoever is so wickedly minded as to presume to deny or delay what the Publique Faith demands, such refractory per∣sons must be robb'd (of all they have sometimes) some have been so bold as to call it plundering, but instead of the word stealing, there is a pretty nickname given to it, called Seasing; for this strange Faith hath that invisibilitie in it, not onely to tolerate Thiefts and Rapines, but to allow Burglaries, Fello∣nies, Murders, Rebellions, (and some parcels of Treasons) to be no breach of Lawes, and to lay all unruly persons in prison as will not be contented quietly (without grumbling) to be rifled and undone. It hath likewise power (with the fame extorted or stolne goods or monies taken) to raise War▪ to transforme Colliers into Captaines, Broken Merchants to Colonells, trade fallen Tapsters into Tyrannicall Rodo∣montadoes, and these brave Man-divells shall be the Leaders of such Troops of unresistable, unconquerable Mirmidones that shall inforce all men to the obedience of the Publike faith.

This Faith, is neither Protestant, Lutheran, Calvinist, Papist, or any kinde of Christian Faith, The Turke hath no faith to follow it, or the Moores to follow it, it is a faith that is full of workes, (whereby it is notoriously meritorius) and com∣monly

it doth no harme to bad men (for it leaves them to the judgement of another world) it onely by afflictions tries the vertuous strength of their patience, as do desire peace, and to be obedient to their Sovereigne, and would willingly live quietly in such manner as God and the Lawes of this Kingdome (grounded and derived on and from Gods Word) hath established for the government and tranquilitie both of Church and State, such men as these, and none else but such as these are opprest, rifled, ransacked, imprisoned, masacred, and beggered by the mightie meanes of the Pub∣lique Faith: for it all the Goales in England were searched (I mean such Goales as are under the high and mightie com∣mand of the Publique Faith) all those that lie in those Gaoles are laid there by that Faiths command for no other faults, but for being true Protestants and loyall Subjects to their Soveraigne, on the contrary there is not any Anabaptist, Brownist, Schismaticke, Seperatist, or Rebell in any trouble or prison under the command of the Publique Faith.

And whereas (of it selfe) it hath not power, except by dire∣ction of legal Statutes & Ordinances, joyned (and protected) by regal power and Authorietie, yet it assumes, (or presumes to take to it selfe, and make of it selfe what Power it list, either regal or legal, what shal most advance the selfe will of it selfe: it is so potent, as it can maintain it selfe in magnificent pompe, by forcible borrowing, and withall it is so just as to pay dou∣ble (with emptie promises) it can turne Orthodox prayer and preaching into pedlary prating, also Libels, Lyurnals, and scandalous railing Pamphlets are not onely tolerated by the Publique Faith, but all and (worse than all this) hath been countenanced and encouraged by exalting the insulting swarme of mechanicke or trencher Pulpiteers, that what be∣twixt the medley of their seditious gallimaufrey hotch∣potch doctrine, and the meer froathie inventions compiled and dispersed in great Volumes for pence a piece; it is most

certain, that God hath not escaped blasphemie, or the King calumnie, the people unspeakable miserie, the estate oblo∣quie, and the whole Kingdome infamie, to the most con∣temptible scorne of all Nations. The Publique Faith can frame and devise Navies of shippes, Armies of men and amunition, and Letters and Messages from the Kings of Den∣marke, France, and Spain, (of which Letters those Kings ne∣ver knew, and those Shippes, Armies, and Armes are invisi∣ble, or like Castles in the ayre) this Faith can also invent sup∣posed Battailes, Fights, and triumphant Victories, where ne∣ver stroke was strook or blow given, and it can command Bels to be rung, Bonefires to be inflamed, and publique Thankesgiving in Churches, and proclaim it selfe victo∣rious, when it is most miserably and bravely beaten, and that it killed seven hundred with the losse of two men and one boy, and halfe a Horse, whereby the credulous seduced peo∣ple have their giddy braines tost to and fro, from Jealousies to Feares, from Feares to Hopes, and from Hopes to lend and give Money as if they were mad, and in so laying out their Money, they deservedly purchase their miserie.

Moreover, this Faith cannot be perswaded by any meanes to endure or abide a King, especially if he be a good one, or will not be such an one as this Faith would make him, but if he do but claime his right, or stand upon lawfull termes for his Royall and just Priviledge and Prerogative; if he be so unruly, that he will not be ruled by this Publique Faith, he must then be robb'd and plundered of all that ever he hath, or at least of as much as this Faith can lay hold on, for it hath power with the Kings Amunition, Armes, Shippes, Money, Revenue, Townes, Houses, Castles, or any thing that is the Kings, in the Kings name to shoot bullets against the King, and fight against the King, for the preservation and service of the King. Thus the Publique Faith hath surpassed Pha∣raoh's Magicians in Legerdemain, it hath trasform'd our

Land into the Isle of Guls temporally, and old England into New England spiritually. It hath made mens wealths and alleageance, crimes and causes, of their losse of estates and lives; it hath put down all Spirituall Courts, so that there is no punishment for the sweet sin of Lecherie, whereby Forni∣cation, Adulterie, Bigamie, Poligamie, and Incest with bra∣sen uncontrolled fronts, make whores, knaves, cuckolds, bawdes, bastards, thieves, and beggars by the hundreds, so that if this world lasts and this geer go forward, we shall have Plato's Common-wealth here, and concerning our wives, we shall all turne to be Nicholaitans; by which brave unbridled Libertie, Hey down derry Downing, Roome for an Hackney Presbyterean, that whilest his wife lay sicke, got the Nurse and the Maidservant both with childe, but some satis∣faction was made, for the Wife died, he married the Nurse, concerning the other plumpe Girle, some course was taken, but all's one for that, the Parish is big enough to keep both the Cow and the Calfe. Thus can the Publique Faith taxe a reverend Clergie with corrupted Simonie, and yet it selfe can make money of all things, it can turne Obedience into Rebellion, and Loyaltie into Treason, it can molest a good King, disturbe and ruinate Kingdomes, and in conclusion to wear it selfe so thred-bare, that all the Cloath-workers in England will never be able to set a new nap upon it.

Thus have I declared the almightie and omnipotent sway of the Publique Faith, yet I have not related any things con∣cerning particulars, but onely touch'd at the generall Heads of the potencie, power, actions, force, and vertues of it, the Day breakes, and our Authour writes nothing but Night∣workes (or Deeds of Darkenesse) so, Good morrow my Masters.