BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS OR, A true Relation of the examination, and confession, of Roalond Bateman, of St. Mary's at Newington in Southwark, who was apprehended and now lie in prison for saying if a Peace were not between this and Whitsonday he would pluck some of the Lord in Parliament, out by the ears and stabbed them, also that he said he is the Son of God, and if they put him to death he should and would rise again the third day, and that for a certain he hath fasted from the 13 of May, till the 7 of june, and so continues in New prison at Clarkenwell.  
If to believe your faith be weak,  
Come see the man and hear him speak.   printer's or publisher's device 
June 12th 1644 LONDON, Printed by John Hammond.   

THE Description of the MAN, etc.  
THIS Roalond Bateman was borne at Pearet near rocester, in the County Northampton, Anno. Dom. 1601. by profesion aday Labourer; having (at this present) a Wife and a Child in the Pari●h of Saint mary's Newington in Southwark, his Complexion ruddy, Beard red, his statude indifferent between short and tall, his Apparill (at this present,) showing him to be a man of no exraordinary quality; his behaviour is extreme rude, Silv estrick and barborus Steeled, as it wear, with a stupid impudence (and self conceit,) as appears plainly to all that discorces with him for it is clear (to the industrious hearer) that if he can read (at all,) it is but every little yet two men of great Literature and Quality both of the Clergy and the Latin, (that examine him about his Blasphemyus opinions,) he will fastudiously, with unparaled Petulency say, that it is lost Labour for him to tell them of the Scripture, for none but himself in the World knows the sense and meaning of it but the relation of this belongs to the next divinition (concerning his opinions) to which I will briefly hasting concluding this, first (according to my promise) with the cause of his commitment to prison which is onorable to speak, for he says (with great a severity a beholding) that he would kill good LORD I beceech thee protect them from danger.  
Some certain Lords of the PARLIAMENT, when he came into Prison (which was on Monday May the 13. he seemed to be drunk, (by all there present,) and therefore to prevent, misdemeanours, he was set (with both his feet) in the stocks, thinking that by that puninshment he would return to his wits retract his wicked words (though) the hopfull expection of Clemency and pardon, but he on the next day, (and even sense) in stead of sorrow for his words did (and still doth) audatiously and obtinatly defended his damnable intention, persevering still in speaking detestable and vilinous speeches, not fit by any Christian to be related no more of this but (to proceed in his description,) it is to humon reason a most miraclous and all together impossible things that a man should as he hath (by most certain Testimonies, and if need require dopositions) of seven or eight men who are (and have been) not only daily nightly, and hourly, but also monthly, with him. He hath lived from the 13 of May afforesaid to this present june. 7. (the date of this present wrighting) and GOD knows how long he may live so (for he saith he doth not without the eateing of any manner of food, and yet is at this instant every way it lusty strong & cheerful as before saying he fe●t no hunger) as he did the same or (rather the next) day after he came into the Prison, thus much concerning the first d●vinition of the Man.  
Second divinition his Blasphemyus opinions which are so many and several, (he quotidialy or raither almost howery adding and changing that to set down all exactly were to make a Diurnal of one and twenty day's Fantasies, therefore to show some thing of a story scarce possible to be puntually ●elared. I will coarsely epitonure what I can remember, and most in the house will just●f●e for me of his stolid impudince and most abominable blasphemyus opinions such as I have at sundry times anciqurarily collected from his examination before persons of good Learning & Q●al●●y,  
1 Imprimiis in one examination (〈…〉 to still) which was that he said he is Abel the rightonal and the● was slain from the beginning of the World, and shall he slain again (for he says that he knoweth he shall be hanged very shortly) and then there shallbe peace in England (if he speak true I would he were hanged quickly as a good Woman answered him) but he says that on the third day, he shall rise again and walk about at Liberty never to die again a Gentleman a●ked him how he knew that was of his opinion; he answered? none in the world but himself and King Charles who are both spiret only this difference that (saith he) I am as was Abraham, and the Kin● Charles is my son Isaac he was further asked another time, how long he did think he should continue this fast, he answered? forty days and forty nights, and it may be more, but at the end of his fasting he should be hanged (as afore said) trancelated and then there would be peace in the Land, another demanded of him whence he drew his opinions, (out of the Scripture quoth he?) what part (said the oponent) in the twenty first Chapter of the Book of Genises quoth he? and from thence he wen● on with a d●bolicall naration of john the Baptist and of Christ which (oh honorable blasphemius) he said is not come in substance but is shadow of all which unchristian a se●ti●●s being required pariation he told the Gentleman that if he should show him Scripture for ●t, they could not understand it nor any man but himself who alone had the Holy Ghost with him, one thing, let me not omit to tell you (whilst it is in my memory and which I will l●nd you my ●udgmen●s hearaf●er in the due Place,) when p●●p●e ●●me to see (and hear) him, he will presently before he speaks any thing (as they would have him) have recourse to the Words of his o●d Partion Judas what will you give me, for he is not ashamed most inselent●y being related in the confidence's of vox populy to say I●e not s●y any thing for nothing pay and I'll say▪ (O w●se Prophet or raither Prophet gatherer but I must judge of him hearafter; it were both tedious and impossible to tell you all be to! to so ma y several sorts of People that hourly flock unto him, for as I said before, he doth so change and so add (from his first pr●ncipales that he hath almost a new saying for every new C●mp●ny an● so abom●nable●y impudent he is grown,) in his stupidity that whatsoever he s●ith you must not co●troduct, if you do he being unable to de●●nd his Argument retreats to his common posture you cannot understand me if I should tell you, and thi● is al● that you shall get out of him; (whatsoever is objected against him,) Counsel h●● (as many good people have done,) to serve God and leave this life, and show for pardon upon recantation of his errors, than you do (as it were) use oil to quench fire for he s●ornes your advice and says, ●●u are no● capable of that which he means and knows ●he best learned men in the Land no● expected he is so fool h●●dy confident in these deirsion that he seems to defi●e nothing sooner than hanging the sooner the better say I quoth a Woman to him, if then we might have Peace now I remember this was mentioned before, but it is no great matte● for he talks of it so oft that he seems at have more mind to it then heaven bless him from  fortunes, on Sat●day last in the afternone some of his fellow prisoners in the hearing were talking with him about this Arguments, viz.  
That about nine years hence he said all men and women must first fast as he do●h now and after that they shall die and scone after r●se again and live some an hundred and twenty years without eating of and sustiance and that some others should neve● die but ●ive everlastingly on the earth as he shall three days After he is hanged than it was demanded of him what he thouh●t of of the general judgement day he answered? it would come in the intrum of those nine years for do you not see quoth he that it is coming near to this present, when the Father fights against the Son and Son against the Father, etc. thus persumeth this ignorant fellow to talk of these mysteries which the eternal wisdom of the father (as he was man) nor the Angels in Heaven neither can not could set down the time when I think it is high time to leave him and his blasphemyus follies to the mercy any judgements of GOD and our superiowes and according to my promise and capasity I will spend my judgement upon him in the ensuing third and last divition and make and end of the story.  
The third upon him etc. with this in brief alluding to what you have heard of his say & do, that he is an absolute imposture and as far to be credited as a true prophet or servant of COD, as were immediate four Fathers Hacket, Atherington and Copinger Buell, with his Brother Farnum who were both Weavers, about some five or six year's sense be that in not with me is against me saith Christ but this man is not perfectly with Christ but rather a fore ru●●er of Antichrist who shall deny Christ to be come in the flesh and he said as I told you before that Christ is not come in substance but in shadow therefore he can neither be true prophet not true Christian moreover by the fru t you may judge the tree, and the Man by his words and works he is easily discerned to be a false Prophet, if he will be cal●ed a Prophet being by nature extreme proud and averissious as well appears by the promise and concerning ●ust of womem which was a point which I forget to tell you before he saith that no woman that commits adultery commits sin against GOD out an offence against man and divers erelidgious and unchristian words he utters to his audi nce: that I will not marulat pure paper with all by which it is evedent that he is not a man inspired with the Holy Ghost, as he most aregantly saith, but raither a Monster possessed with an unclean lying spiret, for briefly to avoid all further contruercies in this point, we are promised are the end of the World, no true prophet for we ought to cheer and stick close to ●he Doctrine of faith already received, but on the contrary we ●re warned to beware of false Prophets, therefore if any man or Angel from Heaven (and the Devil can by God's permition tranceforme himself into an Angel of light, should teach us any other Doctrine then what we have been taught from the beginning of our faith let him be an Athemy, therefore this permitious imposture holding and devolging such opinions afore mentioned qiute repugnant to Christ and his true Gospel judge not Christian Reader amiss of me if I judge and condemn him and all such brave like humores for psudo▪ prophet's who forsaking the true Spiret which from the beginning hath been the Instructor of the true Church to teach and to lead her unto all truth by Gods highly provocted judgement are given over unto a Reprobate sense, to believe all manner of Lies, Dreams, Delusions and Fantasies, which the Devil that arch Liar shall direct unto them. now concerning his maruilose substaining from food without impayring strength changing of eyes or countenance, and not as yet feeling hunger as he saith. I confess it is beyond my Capasety, or the most learned Philosepher or Physician in the Kingdom, to render and natural ●eason of it. But a French Gentleman said that in his Country he hath known the like and he said it is a particular humour in a man whi●h in our languish we call P●p●nderiaco which is a self-conceite, some upon one humour some upon another, some obstaning from food some from sleep, a third from coming not near the fire in the coldest weather, all this to wine admitation and poppuler wonder, the enemy of mankind, lending them force to do it, as he is said to be God Ape, so his desiple in such things will seem to imitate the dearest and nearest Servants of God see the south says of Egypt counterfeited the supernatural marcies of Moses, so long as Divine power would suffer it. So Simon Magous contended with Simon Peter till his charm with his ncke were broken. so this Theasonic●ll imposture makes no question but as the holy Prophet Elias our blessed Saviour fasted forty days and forty nights he would presume by his wicked Spiters' assistance to do the like unless the Hangman which the seems so earnestly to wish for to break his neck in the intrume this gentle Christian Reader I have according to promise sent thee from this house of care a short and brevi are epitamy of a Subject requiring a longer exponsion but now I think on a little of a bad matter is enough if not to much I confess the multitude of people coming hourly to him was the sp●re of ●yt● much leisure to be employed in this taskê rail.   

A Postscript of some things more than was promised.  
IT is to you fond People whom I wright,  
Whose iching ears, and hungry appetite,  
After n●w fangles, new opinions and;  
The new (invented) Sests (bane of the Land:  
Who come to see, hear, and aplade this knave;  
Whose fasting feasts your fancies, as I have;  
(With wonder) hears chiefly the famale Sects.  
And many simple men to these Annex,  
Unto his self conceits such Prophets that he;  
(For Money) seems what they would have him he,  
They'll swallow down his blasphemyus descorces  
And higher him with expense of their one purses:  
And what an age is this which we now live in,  
Are we true chiistians, raither jews or Heathen,  
When Christ his Word, and Doctrine is deparaved  
Shall we hope by Christ ere to be saved;  
Countenance such a man, nay pay him for't,  
As though his blasphemy to us were sport,  
All those which nothing give ●elle surce and bane,  
judge Reader is this not a Holy man,   
FINIS,