A DISCOVERY OF Six women preachers, in Middlesex, Kent, Cambridgshire, and Salisbury.  
With a relation of their names, manners, life, and doctrine, pleasant to be read, but horrid to be judged of  
Their Names are these.  

Anne Hempstall.  
Marry Bilbrow.  
joane Bauford.  
Susan May.  
Elizab. Bancroft.  
Arabella Thomas.   1 Cor. 14. 34, 35. 
Let your women keep silence in the Churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the Law.  
And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the Church.  
Printed, 1641.   

The six women Preachers.  


Anne Hempstall,  
Joan Bauford  
Elizabeth Bancroft,   and 

Mary Bilbrowe,  
Susan May,  
Arabella Thomas.    
IN ancient times have I read of Prophetesses, but not until of late heard of women Preachers, their only reason or cause of preaching was, that there was a deficiency of good men, wherefore it was but fit, that virtuous women should supply their places, they were (men they did mean) good for nothing, but to make their texts good by expounding the language of the Beast, but they themselves would preach nothing, but such things as the spirit should move them.  
The first and chief of this female and Sacerdoticall function, was one Anne Hempstall, living in the Parish of Saint Andrews Holborn, near London, and in the County of Middlesex, upon a certain time, she having a mind, said she was moved to be zealously affected, called an assembly of her bibbing Gossips together, whose thoughts were bend more upon the strong water bottle, then upon the uses or doctrines which their holy sister intended to expound unto them, but being come to the house of this Anne Hempstall, zealous Nan spoke to them after this manner.  
Beloved sisters, this last night I dreamt a strange Dream, moreover me thought I saw a vision, in which Anna the Prohetesse was presented unto my view, the splendour of whose countenance did cast me into a trance, wherein I lay until the next morning, and the morning being come, I could conceive no interpretation of my Dream but this, that I should imitate godly Anna, by preaching unto you, as she prophesied to others, her speech struck them all into an astonishment, at which, this profane Anne cried out, Now doth the holy Ghost descend down upon you, Wherefore give ear unto me, than did she begin to talk, and speak unto them that which first came into her mind, but the chief matter of her Text was this, That woman's hair was an adorning to her, but for a man to have long hair, it was a shame unto him, which the Scripture itself cried fie upon; long did she preach, and longer I dare avouch then some of the audience were willing, for some of them had as far home as White Chapel, wherefore her longitude might cause a brevitude of her sucking the Aquavitae bottle; two hours being expired, and the bottom of the stool beginning to look openmouth with her furious stamps, she gave them as much peace as in her lay, and so concluded.  
Marry Bilbrowe, one of the audience, being of the Parish of Saint Giles in the Fields, desired them to be all with her the next morning, and after Sermon, they should have a good fat pig to breakfast, besides a cup of Sack or Claret to wash it down, they all agreed unto it, and making use of all the Rhetoric which they were borne unto, they gave her thanks, and so for that time a Bottle of Ale or two being devoured, they departed every one to their own houses. The next morning, they met altogether at the house of Mary Bilbrow, whose husband was a good honest Bricklayer, and so soon as they came within the doors of her house, she brought them all into her Parlour as she called it, and instead of stools and cushions, she had provided before hand, three bricks a piece for them to sit upon, her reason was this, she thought they would not fit much, because women to good instructions love standing, her Pulpit was framed very substantially of brick, so high, that scarce any thing, but her standing up tippet could be seen, she began there very devoutly to make an ex tempore prayer, but before she had scarce spoke twenty words, her daughter came running in very hastily, telling her a Gentleman at Bloomsbury stayed to speak with her about urgent occasions, which hearing, she leapt out of her prayer into this serious meditation, I think it be the Gentleman I was withal at Salisbury Court, whom I promised this day to meet with all, whereupon she left her Pulpit, spread the cloth, ●nd brought her Gossips in a pig according to her promise, who fed hearty, and so departed, so much at this time for Middlesex female Teachers.  
Now give me leave to take water, and go to Gravesend, and so further into Kent, where I shall tell you of one Joan Bauford in the Town of Feversham, who taught in Feversham, that husbands being such as crossed their wife's wills might lawfully be forsaken.  
Then was there one Susan May of Ashford in the County of Kent also which preached in a Barn there, that the Devil was the father of the Pope, The Pope the father of those which did wear Surplices, wherefore consequently the Devil was the Father of all those which did not love Puritan.  
There was likewise one Elizabeth Bancroft in Ely in Cambridgshire, where Bishop Wren first going to place Altars there, preached behind the minister upon a Saturday, that it was fit upon Sunday to Sacrifice the Pope's Bird upon his own Altar.  
Then lastly there was one Arabella Thomas a Welsh woman, which lived in the City of Salisbury, which preached, and in her Sermon said that none but such painful creatures as herself should go to Heaven, fo● those Ministers which did not preach twice upon every Sabbath day, she said that very shortly the black Raven by day, and the white Owl by night should scratch out their eyes.  
Thus have I declared some of the female Academyes, but where their University is I cannot tell, but I suppose that Bedlam or Bridewell would be two convenient places for them, is it not sufficient that they may have the Gospel truly and sincerely Preached unto them, but that they must take their Minister's office from them? if there had been such a dearth of the Gospel as there was in the Reign of Queen Mary it had been an occasion some what urgent, But God be praised it was not so, but that they seemed to be ambitious, and because they would have superiority, they would get upon a stool, or in a tub instead of a pulpit. At this time I have described but six of them, ere long I fear I shall relate more, I pray God I have no cause, and so for this time I conclude.  
FINIS.