A DISCOVERY Of 29. Sects here in London. all of which, except the first, are most Devilish and Damnable, being these which follow. Protestants. Puritans. Papists. Brownists. Calvinists. Lutherans. Fam. of love. Mahometans. Adamites. Brightanists. Armenians. Sosinians. Thessalonians. Anabaptists. Separatists. Chaldaeans. Electrians. Donatists. Persians. Antinomeans. Assyrians. Macedonians. Heathens. Panonians Saturnians. Junonians. Bacchanalians. Damassians. The Brotherhood. My house is called a house of Prayer, but ye have made it a den of thiefs, Mat. 21.13. Printed Anno, 1641. PRINTED. 1641. To the Reader. GEntle Reader, I have descried within this City of London, no less than 29 Sects, all which thou mayst read in the Title, of which there is but one, which are not most damnable and wicked. This have I undertaken, that the good might see and hate, and the wicked seeing their errors despise. But I shall only give a touch of each, because my intention is only for a Pamphlet. The Protestant, THis Religion which you see here placed first, is not unknown unto you in the true badge of a Christian, neither can the placing of it among these corrupted Sects, any whit diminish its lustre: it is like to a Diamond, which, though it be cast to the Dunghill, loseth not a jot of its splendour, or like to a Glow-worm which shineth most brightly in the night: judge favourably of the Author, for his intentions are good towards the Protestant Religion, he hath placed it here to this intent, that the ignorant Professors of the rest may see the light, which seems more glorious to those who have walked so long in darkness. The Puritans. Here is one which is fluttered from the Cage of Amsterdam, striving to poison, as near as he can, the truth with his true-lyes, he holds with Conventicles, and private meetings, he speaks through the nose, holding that it was made for the same purpose. The Papist. This is an old Recusant to the truth, decked with his Beads, Crosses, & Crucifixes, Cheap-side-crosse cannot stand in quiet for him, being troubled with his daily adorations: he is ashamed to pray to God himself his prayers are so full of Idolatry, but he must have Saints to interceded from him. The Brownist. This is a fellow which is all wit but the head, he had rather hear a Cobbler, or a Feltmaker preach, so he doth it extempore, then hear a premeditated Sermon, penned, and preached by a Scholar who can distinguish, and unloke the secrets of the Scripture. The Callvianist. Now followeth one which holds his Antiquity from Calvin whose opinion was as far distant one way, as the Papists is the other way, they will not allow of that which bears but the name of a Ceremony. The Lutheran. This Luther from whom they take their name was at first a great Recusant, till it pleased God to enlighten his eyes, and fled hither into England for Religion sake, now you may imagine that he returned a great main point which were erroneous, and they yet practise them. The Family of love. Her's a loving sect presented to you they think that a man may gain salvation by showing himself loving, especially to his neighbour's wife; For by their Law it is allowed for one man to lie with another man's wife whilst he sleepeth. The Mahometans. This sect is led along with a certain foolish belief of Mahomet, which professed himself to be a Prophet, and this was his manner of deceiving: He taught a pigeon to peck a pease from forth his ear, bearing the ignorant in hand that the Holy Ghost brought him news from Heaven. The Adamites. Here is a shameless sect, they ground their religion from our Father Adam (and yet they go naked when they hear prayers or prophesying, when he did himself) from the presence of God because he was naked. The Britanists. This sect is not of very long standing, they hold with Conventicles, are enemies to the very name of a Bishop, holding with civil government, having no Ministers but Prophets, according as the Spirit shall move them. The Armenians. Armenius was the first of this Sect, they hold many unhallowed things, as liberum arbitrium, Penances, Fasts, and such like, nay I think I most nearest express them, when I call them Cousin Germane to the Papist. The Sosinians. Sosinus, the wrangling Disputant was the Father of this Sect; They hold no true point at all with the Protestant, but wrangle in every Article. The Thessalonians. These men hold only the new Testament to be Canonical, they will not allow of any thing of the old Testament; They also set a prefixed time for the day of judgement, saying that before hand they know who shall be saved, and who shall be damned. The Anabaptists. These men set themselves wholly against the Doctrine of John the Baptist, except only in this that they will baptise with Water, but they will not do it whilst they are children, till they be able to answer for themselves. They writ themselves Members and Children of God, and certain inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Separatists. The Latin word Separo, doth fully denote their foolish opinions, they will not keep company with the wicked (as they term them) for fear they be taken, as Aesop's speaking daw was. The Chaldeans. Chaldeus a notable Necromancer, was the first which brought up this new Religion, they hold it fit to go to the Devil to know any secret. Just like Medea's charms who then durst tell, If heaven did fail, she would command all hell. The Electrians. They say themselves to be Gods chosen, they gather two from a house, and one of a family. The Donatists. Now here comes our charitable Sect, who though they have been Whore-mongers, Adulterers, Thiefs or murderers, yet if they give of their store to the poor for that good deed, they merit everlasting life. The Persians. This Sect hath just as much Religion as a Beast, and no more; for they bow in adoration to the rising Sun, and I have read as much, that the Elephants adore the Moon. The Antinomeons. The derivation of their name is from the Greek words, anti nomos, which signifies as much as Law-breakers, men that will live after their own Laws, nay, they will not yield that any one of their own Sect shall command another. The Assyrians. Syrus of Syria in Chalcidea, was the first that ever brought up this Sect, for he being in love with a Maid knew not how to enjoy her company without the invention of this conventicle, where there is no talk, but must savour of love. The Macedonians. These hold themselves only subjects to the King of Macedon, who is their God and King of the whole World. The Heathens. These hold that there is a God, and they fear that God, but they hold that he is so Majestical and proud, that he will not meddle with men; Therefore they live very Beastlike. The Panonians. These men do all go like Shepherds, and they worship the Heathen God Pan, whom they feign to be the God of Sheep. The Saturnians. The Saturnians worship one Saturn, whom they say was King of Heaven, but he was banished from thence by his Son jupiter, who they say reigns now in Heaven. The junonians. Contrary are these to the opinions of the Saturnians, for they say that Saturn died, and left his Daughter juno Queen of heaven, who married with this Jupiter, and made him God, and from their loins have proceeded the rest of the Gods. The Bacchanalians. These men are more mad, ignorant, or impious than the rest, for they think, nay they certainly believe, that they shall gain Heaven by drinking healths, and he which can drink most is worshipped among them, saying that he is chosen a Priest to Bacchus. The Damascians. From Damas' they are called Damascians, and this Damas' is a Mountain in Persia, where they say, that our Saviour preached unto the people of that Country; for which cause, they will hear no preaching at all, but what shall be delivered on that Mount. The Brotherhood. Now I am come to a Period, for here is the Brotherhood, which is our last sect, yet one too many, as are all the rest which are Sects. It is unlawful among them to call any one, by any other name then Brother, or Sister, and they are as Whoring rogues, as ever breathed, but it is Religion among them, when it is done in zeal, you must pronounce the same terms which they do, or else you are profane, as he taught well not preached, etc. Here Reader, mayst thou see, how I have briefly run over these 29. Sects: read it over, and the Lord give thee grace to make the best use of it, that is, to apply thyself to the first, and hate and eschew all the rest. FINIS.