THE CHARACTER OF A FANATIC in General, By what other Name however he may be more specially distinguished.  
HE is a person of a more exercised Faith, than Understanding; one governed by Instinct, nor Intellect; and who (like those of old) never thinks he has enough of the Deity, till beside himself. You may call him, if you please, a Perpetual Motion, or restless Whirligig, ever twirling from bad to worse; or the Ignis Fatuus of Divinity, carried about with every wind; lest considering, whence it cometh, or whither it goeth: as even such likewise, is every one that is born of him. It may be thought, the Prophet had somewhat like him in his eye, in that Wheel within a Wheel; for, of himself he never was, but ill turned off from another; like those imperfect, dough-baked Creatures, produced by the Sun, on the Banks of Nile; so that his Generation is founded in Corruption, and his Extraction of the same Parentage with Monsters; not created, nor intended, but produced: His Principles, are like the Chaos, a confused Lump of every thing, and nothing; or, a Gallimaufry of Negatives; nor this nor that, nor t'other, but what he is, no man knows, no not the Angels in Heaven, nor himself to boot; this only excepted, that he is more particoloured than Joseph's Coat, and patched together of more pieces, than a tailor's Cushion. Nor is his Practice, much unsuitable to his Principles: he puts on Religion, as a Cloak, not a Carment, and so makes his Impostures, with Holiness to the Lord: Thus Absalon pretends a Sacrifice, when his business is Rebellion; and Herod a Worship, when his design is Murder: Nor with much wonder, the Florentine hath taught him, He that would gain by Deceit, must first acquire a Credit, by (at least) a show of Integrity; and he that would practise, upon the People, must follow the old Rule, of Finge Deum: such influence have solemn looks, and Verily Verily, upon the Multitude, who have little other to pass them for Men, than Speech, and Figure: Hence is it, that he puts off his Tinsel, for Standard, and the Maggots of his own Fancy, for Divine Inspirations; That he obtrudes his Enthusiasms, for Visions, and justifies Homer, that even Dreams, are of God; That he takes a Holy Pride to himself, and says to the rest of the World, Stand off; That he calls the common Infirmities of Mankind, Crying sins, National sins, bow-dyed sins, black and blue sins; and his own Mormoes, mere Slips, and Failings; That he can see no sin in Jacob, nor iniquity in his Israel of God; That he calls them, the only Holy, only Chosen, only Godly, only Precious, only Spiritually-discerning people; puts a discriminating Shibboleth on others; as, Formalists, Carnalists, dry Moralists, withered Figtrees, Outside-men, Negative-Holiness-men, Opus operatum-men, Will-worshippers, Laodiceans, Lukewarm Professors, and what not! That he talks of nothing, but New Light, and Prophesy, Spiritual incomes, Indwellings, Emanations, Manifestations, Sealing, and the like Spiritual gibberish and canting; to which also, the zealous twang of the Nose, adds no small efficacy: that he runs counter to all things in Power, and treads the Antipodes to every thing commanded, though for no other reason perhaps, but, because commanded; for it may be observed, that the Lords prayer was not so absolutely thrown out of the Kirk, till recommended, by its own Directory: In short, that he calls subjection. in matters of Religion, a tying up the Spirit; and all Injunctions, even in things indifferent, a manifest invading the Sanctum Sanctorum: and now the great cry is, Persecution for Conscience! nothing in his mouth, but destitute, afflicted; and the common corollary, but not forsaken. Alas! alas! the habitations of Jacob are swallowed, and the places of the Assembly taken away; A bow is bend, against the daughter of Judah, and the breach of the Virgin of Zion, is like a great Sea: Whereas on the other hand, let him be as in the years past, and that Sun once more shine in his Tabernacle, this success, new models his Conscience, and (like Aaron's Rod) he swallows up every thing that lies in his way; even Princes, must lay their hands on their mouths, and the Nobles, not speak again to his words: The poor distressed, is become Hogen. Mogen; and the Servus Servorum, a Dominus Dominantium: The little Flock, claims a Kingdom ex condigno; and the Chosen generation, sets up for a Royal Priesthood: In short, this little Horn, takes a mouth to himself, speaking mighty things; and his language is, Overturn, Overturn, Overturn. And now, he makes his Doctrine suitable to his Text, and owns above-board, that Dominion is founded in Grace, not Nature; that the Goods of this World, are properly the Elects? that himself and his Knipperdolins, are the only Israelites, and all the rest Egyptians; that the New Jerusalem must be propagated, as the second Temple was built, with the Sword in one hand, and the Trowel in tother; or as the Abbot (in Henry the third's time) gave it in Absolution to the Earl of Leicester, Gladium Spiritualem sine Gladio Materiali nihil posse. What shall I add? He looks as terrible, as an Army with Banners, and declares, Quis suscitabit eum, was personally meant of his Tribe. And yet, this man has followers! and those of the honourable Women too, not a few; for (to say truth) his Conversation is much after the rate of that, before the Flood, the sons of God, among the daughters of men; Devotion in all places, whether true, or false, being most natural to that Sex: 'twas the Devil's policy to our first Parents, for well he knew, to beguile Eve, was the ready way to hook in Adam: And thus, he proves a Stumbling-block to the Wives, and a Rock of offence to the Husbands. In brief, like the Dragon in the Apocalypse, his Tail draws a third part of the Stars, and casts them to the Earth; the reason is obvious, Fortitudo ejus in Lumbis ejus & virtus in umbilico Ventris. But to proceed; His Profession, is like, his Allegiance, a mere Fucus, yet so laid on, one (at first sight) could not but judge it natural: His Common-place, Polyanthea, and Concordance, and the height of his School-Divinity, the Assemblies Catechism: His Prayer, a Rhapsody of holy Hickups, sanctified Barkings, illuminated Goggles, sighs, sobs, yea, clocks, gasps, and groans, not more unintelligible, then nauseous: However (to give him his due) he prays hearty for the King, but with more distinctions, and mental reservations, than an honest man would have taken the Covenant: From hence as out of a third Heaven) he falls by head and shoulders into his Preachment; which, what other is it, than a wild career, over Hill and Dale, till the Afternoon Chimes stop him: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Thump upon Thump, Yelp upon Yelp, Doctrine upon Doctrine, Rule upon Rule, Reason upon Reason, Text upon Text, Proof upon Proof, Direction upon Direction, Motive upon Motive, Sign upon Sign, Token upon Token, Effect upon Effect, and Uses more than innumerable. And here likewise, he cries up Obedience to Magistrates; but, with such a Becketism of Salva Gloria Dei, at the end of it, ●that he might have better let it alone; As also, that they ought to be defended by their Subjects, in defence nevertheless, of the true Religion, of which himself must be Judge: And for his Grace at Meat, what can I better compare it to, than a Canterbury-rack; half Pace, half Gallop? So his, an odd hobbling shuffle, between a Grace and a Prayer, and a Prayer and a Grace: Lastly, as to his Virtues, (for it cannot be denied, but he has somewhat of that which Tully calls, Adumbrata virtutum specimina) I wish it might be said of them, that they were other, than masked Hypocrisy. The Poet hit it, Da justum sanctumque videri; Noctem Peccatis, Et fraudibus objice Nubem: And like an apt Scholar, he has gotteen his Lesson by heart, and can now wrap the Philistin's Sword in an holy Ephod. Whence else is it, That he shall crave a Blessing to the Design, be it never so ungodly; and give thanks for the success, be it never so wicked: That he will not Swear, but can dispense with the profitable sin of Lying: That he will not be drunk (to be seen of men) but yet can take a Brotherly Rouse in a Corner: That he walks, as he had made a Covenant with his Eyes; and yet, Si uxor non Vult, aut non possit, Veniat ancilla, is wholesome Doctrine with him: That he is a zealous Observer of the Sabbath; and yet can make less conscience of Schism, than a Surplice: That he cries, Vae mihi si non Evangelizavero; and yet allows no imposition of Hands, but broken Pates. That he abhors Idols, and yet can commit Sacrilege; which, what other is it, than to burn the Idol with a Coal from the Altar? That he exhorts (his Beloved) to Constancy under Persecution; and yet come what will, can lick himself whole, it will be hard to tell where he had been hurt: In short, That he is a perfect Samaritan; For, let the Gentiles prevail, he is of the Race of Ishmael, and let the Jews get the upperhand, he had Abraham to his Father. To conclude; He is a Glow-worm, that shines best in the night of Ignorance: One, whose Faith has eaten up his Charity: One, that has torn the seamless Coat into Rags, and tacked them together to cover his Nakedness: One, that having forsaken the Fountain, has he wen to himself but broken Cisterns: One, that swallows all things unchewed, and brings them up again, as raw, and undigested: One, whose Eyes are at the end of the Earth, and yet would be thought not to mistake his way: In short; One, that has an excuse for every thing he should not do; and a salvo against every thing he should do; and all this by Scripture; Adeo nihil est, quod SS. Scripture extorqueri non possit, modo torqueatur. In a word, he is one of whom it may be said, as Heraclius of the Bow, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: And, but that I find him so well cut out by Horace, I had not yet taken my hand from so everlasting an Argument.  
Mala quem scabies, aut Morbus Regius  
Vrget, aut Fanaticus error, aut Iracunda Diana,  
Vesanum tetigisse timent, fugiuntque  
Qui sapiunt, incautique sequuntur.  
And as to the former, not without reason; for though his distemper lies not in too much Learning, yet to my unenlightned understanding, he speaks not the words, either of Soberness, or Truth; but darkneth counsel, by words without knowledge.   

LONDON: Printed for N. T. 1681.