THE Brothers of the Separation. OR A true Relation of a company of Brownists which kept their Conventicle at one Mr. Porters in Goat Alley in Whitecrosse-street, where they were apprehended on Sunday, Aug. 14. 1641. As also, A Sermon preached afterwards in the same house by john Rogers a Glover, wherein is showed their wicked rancorous minds at full. This was justified by above twenty men of good life and conversation. Mark 13.30. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Printed at London by Tho: Harper, 1641. The Brothers of the Separation. WHat good counsel hath our Saviour given us, and how little use we make of it? he bids us take heed in Mark 10. lest we be led away with the doctrine of false Prophets, and yet how apt are we to believe the traditions of every frothy brained coxcomb? To this intent I speak, here are so many Sects and Schisms lately sprung up here in this Kingdom, that they (like to the plagues of Egypt) have overrun the Land: but the Brownists, the brothers of the separation, bear the greatest sway, being upheld by too many of that Sect, they like to the Philistines bring their Goliath to fight their battles, but there is no doubt but there will arise a David of truth to beat down their soaring impudent thoughts. I have reasons founded upon such deep grounds, that I doubt not but that the Reader will easily grant what I shall here propound, to which purpose read as followeth. In Goat alley in Whitecrosse-street here in London, dwelleth one Mr. Porter, one who is not ashamed to confess himself to be of the separation: nay he is grown so foolish in his opinions, that he keepeth weekly Conventicles in his house. These were held so covertly, that they there had meetings Sunday after Sunday for a great while together undiscerned, but the house was so continually troubled with Crows and Magpyes, that they could scarce hear what was spoken in the house: at last it pleased God to make their weakness known: and one Sunday the 14. of August last they were apprehended, and the chief of them committed to prison, but they stayed not there long till they were delivered, and every one at liberty again, this was not enough though to make them desist from their wickedness, for they went on again in their old frailty, like the dog to his vomit, or the sow to her wallow, putting the poor senseless birds in all the fault for betraying them, as they termed it, which the contents of the next Sermon which a Glover taught will manifest, for I had the chief notes from a friend which was at the relation thereof. He began first with an ex tempore prayer about an hour long, and then thus he proceeded. The text is the first Chapter of the third book of Moses, called Leviticus, at the 14. verse, the latter part of the verse, Then he shall bring his offering of Turtle Doves, and of young Pigeons. Dear beloved brethren, if you have not forgotten yourselves, we were lately betrayed by two unclean birds, the Crow and the Magpie; be not dismayed, for sure it was rather an enchantment of the wicked, than any thing sent from God, for I will prove them to be birds which are unclean and fit for no use, as you may re●de in the el●venth of Leviticus, the 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, verses, where there is the Raven mentioned, which is cousin german to the Crow, for they are birds of a feather; and by the little Owl in the 17. verse, is meant the Magpie, which is also a very unclean bird; I shall also prove them to be utterly unlawful by circumstance. First, the Crow is black, being adorned with the very same colour which our Clergy wears, which signifies his black wickedness, and that he is not worthy to keep company with the just. Secondly, he never cries but he bows his head, as our late superstitious Clergy have done, in so much that in the conclusion of this circumstance I utterly abjure the Crow, for thou art a favourer of the Romish Religion. Thirdly, the Crow is always feeding on the dead carcases, for the old Proverb tells, that on a dead carcase you shall always find Crows, therefore I compare the dead carcases to sinners, and Crows to the Devils, for I say they can be no better than D●vils. To prove which, mark I pray you, the Crow is the last bird that goeth to roost, and the first bird that com●s from his roost, having just the properties of the Devil, for he is up early, and down late, seeking all he can how to devour. I rests now that I prove the Magpie also to be unlawful for the company of man. F●●st, he is streaked with white on both sides, which should be ●n emblem of righteousness, but it doth resemble the Bishop's lawn sleeves so nearly, that I cannot endure the sight of it. Secondly, he hath a cross on his back of black and white, which fully denotes him to be one of the Pope's disciples, whom I love as the devil loves holy water. Thirdly, in his chattering still I can understand him when he says & caetera, and that is the language of the beast, which is most abominable: he also gets his living among dead carcases, which makes me resolve myself of it, that he is marked out for no good end. Now I have observed this also, that they will sit on the heads of swine, a stinking ditty creature, and I persuade myself, should the evil spirits enter into those swine, they would sit f●st whilst they were hurried headlong into the sea. Thus much for to prove these birds not fit for the society of man. Now must I a little vindicate our religion, because that many black mouthed persons envying our happiness, are never well but when they are spitting f●rth venomous words against our honest doing; these says one will not keep company with the wicked, when God knows themselves are as whoring rogues, and whores, as ever lived under the cope of heaven; to whom I answer. If the spirit of the flesh do move a brother of the separation so strongly that he cannot resist it, I persuade myself that he is not to be faulted, always provided that he doth not pollute himself with the wicked, but make use of a sister of the separation. Then they will say again that we preach in barns and stables and the like, which say they is most abominable, for is it fit that they should make ● barn, o● a stable, or the like, the house of God, it 〈◊〉 not to be endured. To that argument I answer, that the sparrows build their nests about the roof of the house of God, and the swallows on the top thereof, now where do either sparrows, or swallows more often build then in the roof and on the top of a barn, a stable or the like; and again our Saviour chose a homely stable to be borne in, and I dare avouch that his word is never the worse for being taught in a barn, a stable, or any such like pl●ce. Dear beloved brethren, who are only Gods elect here from forth a multitude of people, consider what a happy estate ye now are in, and into what a most damnable estate ye fall if ye slide: but I h●ve not done with the unclean birds and beasts as yet, for I will prove them worse as yet by showing their contraries. The turtle doves, and the pigeons which are intimated in my text, are such harmless and loving birds, that the one will pine away for the loss of the other, and again they are as it were an Emblem of us, for they always keep company with none but with turtles and pigeons, and again they fly always in fear of their lives by reason of the ravenous crows, hawks and, buzzards. This age gives the crows leave to prey upon the poor silly doves; and that you might understand it the better, I would have you know that these crows here divinely spoken of are our high soaring clergy, who have lately risen early, and went to bed late that they might persecute the Saints of God. Wi●h these and such like base railing terms, he a mechanic simple gull must offer to profane the name of our great God, who is the alpha, and omega, the beginning and the end: His discourse was not so short, he that gathered the notes was more weary of hearing and writing, by much, than the other of speaking; for he went on in a confused manner, without either division of his text, or any such matter. Here reader hast thou presented to thy view the whole force of what he spoke. FINIS.