THE BROWNISTS SYNAGOGVE OR A LATE DISCOVERY Of their Conventicles, Assemblies; and places of meeting,  
Where they Preach, and the manner of their praying and preaching,  
With a Relation of the Names, places, and Doctrines of those which do commonly Preach.  
The chief of which are these.  
Greene, the Feltmaker.  
Marler, the Buttonmaker.  
Spencer, the Coachman.  
Rogers the Clover.  
Which Sect is much increased of late within this City.  
A kingdom divided cannot stand.  
Printed Anno Dom. 1641.   

The Brownists Synagogues. OR, A Discovery of their Conventicles and Assemblies,  
THe distractions of these times are not unknown to be caused by the copiousness of Sects, Religions I cannot term them lest I should disallow of that Axiomaticke of K. James of blessed Memory, for he acknowledged but two Religions, the good and the bad, and those were the Protestants and the Papists, the Protestant the true, and the Papists the false, but there are a Company of erroneous Sectarists, and Haeriticall opinions, crept in amongst us, like so many weeds in a pleasant Garden; what good counsel hath our Saviour given us, and how little use do we make of it, he bids us take heed lest we be led away with the Doctrine of false Prophets, Matth. 7. 15. yet how apt are we to believe the Traditions of men.  
How many Sects and schisms are lately sprung up here in this kingdom, that they (like to the Plagues of Egypt) have overrun the Land, but namely the Brownists, the Brothers of the Separation, bear the greatest sway, to what an height of impudence have they of late aspired unto, being upheld by too many of that Sect, they like the Philisti●●s bring their Goliath to fight their battles; But there is no doubt, but there will arise a David of truth to beat down their violent & fantastical Doctrine, by which so many simple Disciples are seduced, further these our Sectarists will abide no degrees in schools, all human Learning must be laid by, Academies are to them abominable, nay herein they comply with the Papists, whose Doctrine they pretend utterly to abhor, who hold that ignorance is the mother of Devotion, and of these opinions was How, that notorious Predicant cobbler, whose body was buried in the highway, and his funeral Sermon was preached by one of his Sect in a Brewars Cart, such an Anti-Bishop was Eton the famous Button-maker in St. martin's, but because they are translated from life to death: I leave them. Hence come those violent outrages, and Sacrilegious disorders committed in the Church, even in the time of Divine Service, and hubbubs and strange tumults raised, where reverend silence ought to be used, by laying violent hands upon the Minister, rending his Hood from his neck, and tearing the Surplice from his back, he hardly escaping in his own person, from being torn in pieces, and even when the psalm is singing, and the Preacher, ready to go into the Pulpit, to deliver his Sermon; as likewise rending the rails from before the Communion Table, chopping them in pieces, and burning them in the Church Yard, and this to be done without authority, commission, or order, in a riotous manner, taking upon them further power than justice requireth, I hope the Parliament will take into their wise and grave considerations and pious care, the peace of the Church, and not suffer it to be clouded or eclipsed by these mists and errors of darkness and ignorance, my prayer is, & let it be prayer of all good Christians, that these Egyptian Locusts, that swarm in every corner of this City and kingdom, may be expelled, that we may enjoy the light of the gospel.  
Let me gentle Reader not be prolixious, and I shall here relate unto thee the names, and places where these illiterate preachers live, and make their assemblies, with the unlearned Doctrines and opinions they hold.  
The first man that I begin with, shall be an Irreverend Glover, whose name is Richard Rogers, living nigh Whitecross-street in the Suburbs of London, in blue-anchor-alley, he oftentimes doth call a Congregation as he terms it, and at his own house tells them what they should do, which is to con●●●● the Church where the relics of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate themselves from it, and gather themselves to those which do feed the holy flocks, which do abhor that diabolical function of the Bishops, which are nothing but Altarwise, the spirit he tells them, moves him, and so proceeding he tells them what first comes into his mind, his apology is, that he speaks nothing, but that which the spirit gives him utterance for.  
Then there is one Jeremy Manwood, whose Doctrine is to be heard in goat Alley nigh the same street, who doth commend the opinion of those which being separatists, to abhor the Society of the wicked, once in a forrnight doth he teach.  
Also there is one Edward Gyles, whose holy Brothers meet together in Checker-Alley nigh the same place, his Doctrine is this, That the guilded cross in Cheapside, is an Idolatrous cross, for many adore and worship it as an idol, and that it is an eyesore to their uprightness, and aught to be abolished, he teacheth every first day of the month.  
There is also a Buttonmaker in Aldersgate-street, whose name is Marler, which doth seldom miss once in a week, and his opinion is, That every man should follow his own calling, why then doth he rob Levi of his due? Why doth he dare to reckon himself amongst the Children of the Prophets, his answer to which proposition is, because they prove drones, wherefore he to show himself a laborious Bee, doth supply their places.  
Also there is one John Tuck, whose Associates have their Convocation in Fleet-lane, and his opinion is, That the book of Common Prayer, had its first original from the mass.  
Humphrey Gosnold doth teach nigh Tower-hill, who doth keep his hair long, because he would not be known to be a Precisi●n, he telleth his holy assembly, that those Pipes, or Organs, which are set up in Paul's Church, and other places, makes more noise with their roaring, than all the Bulls of Basan did, when Ogg their King passed by them in triumph.  
Jonas Hawkins a Fisherman is a provoker to separation, and liveth in Chick-lane.  
John Brumley in Chancery Lane is another zealot, which doth exhort his Brethren to follow him, twice in a week he teacheth, the women his holy & zealous sisters, well affect him.  
Roger Kennet, a Yorkshire man, doth draw a company to him, nigh the royal Exchange, his opinion is, none can be saved, but those which are of their Elect.  
Edward Johnson a Chandlor, is the teacher to the Society which Assemble together in More-lane, and holdeth these tenants, that the house, field, or Wood wherein their Congregation meets, is the Church of God, and not the Churches we meet in, because the good and bad come both thither, neither is it lawful to have any Society with the wicked.  
John Bennet, is he which teacheth nigh Love lane in Westmin. he disalloweth of human Learning, his reason is this, some of Christ's Apostles were Fishermen, when he called them.  
George Dunny is the man which doth teach in the Minories, he termeth his holy Brothers and Sisters the separated Saints, from the profane Church, wherein Idols have been worshipped, and where Copes and Surplices, the Garments of the Babylonish Whore, is still worn.  
Charles Thomas a Welshman, doth teach in Warwick-lane, once in a fortnight, as he holds none lawful to be amongst the Prophets, but those who were inspired by the Spirit, so no man is fit for their holy service, but devout men, and who is familiar with the Spirit.  
Alexander Smith, doth teach in the Congregation which gather themselves together in Shoreditch, whose opinion is, no man ought to teach but whom the spirit moves, and for this one reason, may we set ourselves against those scholars, as Bishops, Deans and Deacons, which strive to construe the Scriptures according to the translation of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which last language, stinks like a piece of beef a twelve month old, yet new salted.  
Edmund Nicholson teacheth in an Alley in seacoal-lane, he says they are the Elect and pure in Spirit, chosen vessels of honour, and not of this world.  
But now I come to the two Arch Separatists, green and Spencer, both which are accounted as demigods, they keep no constant place, but are here, and everywhere, the one of them is a Feltmaker, which is green, the other a Coachman, both which called an Assembly upon Tuesday being the 28. of Septemb. in Hounds-ditch, the tenor of his Doctrine was this, That the Bishop's function is an Antichristian calling, and the Deans and Prebends, are the Frogs and Locusts mentioned in the Revelation, there is none of these Bishops (saith he) but hath a Pope in their bellies, yea they are Papists in grain, they are all of them unleavened souls, & we have turned them over to be buffeted by Satan, and such like shismatical Phrases, as the evil Spirit moves him.  
But let all judge, was not this an excellent simile of the Reverend Coachman, which having an occasion to make use of a place, which says, ye shall be like unto Kings and Queens, which he did apply to those which were gathered together to his Sermon, he called the men there Kings, the women Queens, saying, that it was an absurd thing for a King to keep company with a slave, or one of the black guard, or for a Queen to keep company with a kitchen-stuff wench, so was it an unseemly part for any of that holy Assembly, to keep company with a Reprobate, one of the wicked, or one which did accord with the late Innovations raised by the Corporation of Prelacy, which similitude, whether it were Religious, let all good men judge, for the whole needs no physician, wherefore it is requisite in some cases, that those which are piously affected, should keep company with those that are in a wrong way, that by their Admonitions, the wicked might learn to tread the paths of the Righteous, but I forbear to speak any more of his Doctrine.  
But to proceed to show the manner of their assembling, or rather dissembling.  
In that house where they intend to meet, there is one appointed to keep the door, for the intent, to give notice if there should be any insurrection, warning may be given them.  
They do not flock all together, but come 2. or 3. in a company, any man may be admitted thither, and all being gathered together, the man appointed to teach, stands in the midst of the room, and his audience gather about him.  
He prayeth about the space of half an hour, and part of his prayer is, that those which come thither to scoff and laugh, God would be pleased to turn their hearts, by which means they think to escape undiscovered.  
His Sermon is about the space of an hour, and then doth another stand up to make the text more plain, and at the latter end, he entreats them all to go home severally, lest the next meeting they should be interrupted by those which are of the opinion of the wicked, they seem very steadfast in their opinions, and say rather than they will turn, they will burn.  
Now have I discovered their Teachers, their meetings, and the manner of their meetings, I conclude, praying to God, that he would put it into the minds of some well affected Christians, to complain of them to the higher powers, the Honourable and High Court of Parliament, for unless they be prevented and suppressed, it is to be feared, that this kingdom will never be free from Divisions, disturbances, and distractions, which, God of his great mercy ever defend.  
FINIS.