The doleful Lamentation of Cheapside Cross: Or old England sick of the Staggers.  
The dissenting, and disagreeing in matters of opinion, together with the sundry sorts of Sects now raving and reigning being the main causes of the disturbance and hindrance of the Commonwealth.   depiction of Cheapside Cross 
London, Printed for F. C. and T. B. 1641.   

The doleful lamentation Of Cheapside Cross. OR Old England sick of the Staggers.  
IT is a general and common complaint, that trading, employment, and commerce in the Commonwealth is so astonished and dead, that all Callings and Vocations, are feign to make a cessation from their usual ways and endeavours, which they attribute to the present doubtfulness and disturbance of the Times, which were never so full of faction, distraction, and contradiction, as at this present, men being only full of windy opinion, so that the world is grown into a new confused Chaos, or a Babel of bawling, and foolish disputing. First, the Papist he thinks there can be no salvation out of his Mother Church: and an old woman she mistakes her Mother's Church, for her mother's Church: then the poor Papists they cry up merits, because they had a dole of pudding at such a rich man's funeral: then your fine fellows, together with Dancers, Musicitians, Organists, and the like, they like well of Ceremonies and complementing with God: and some Countrymen like well of Popery, because Ignorance is the mother of Devotion: thus as every one abounds in his own sense, or in the sense of profit, so they will defend their owners in the blind popish Religion. Against this blind sort of ignorant people steps out a Hydra, or multitude of proud and precise Sects, who are all knowledge, and all eyes, loving nothing but their own silly fancies, accounting all things else profanation and superstition, they are full of new wine, and a new spirit, new revelations, new forms of prayer; they think the old ones are worn threadbare, and they are not tedious enough, nor full of tautologies of the Name of the Lord. This Sect can endure no cross but that on silver, and for Cheapside Cross it is the abomination of the City, and Surplesses are Smocks of the whore of Rome; and every thing, though never so laudable, and decent, and necessary, if contrary to their opinion, is by them accounted profane. They like none but sanctified & shuttle headed Weavers, longwinded Boxmakers, and thorow-stitching Cobblers, thumping Feltmakers, jerkin Coachmen, and round-headed Button makers, which spoil Bibles, while they thumb over the leaves with their greasy fingers, and sit by the fireside scumming their porridge-pot, while their zeal seethes over in applications and interpretations of Scriptures, delivered to their as ignorant wives and handmaids, with the name and title of dear brethren, and especially beloved sisters. But the world doth sufficiently know their Characters, and Description, and is sensible enough of the trouble and discord which they breed. But beside these, there are divers foolish Sects and Schismatics, whereof many partake, and are favourers thereof. Nay, most men in mat s of opinion are divided one against another. One will do no good works because the Papists do them: another thinks good works are good, but will do none, because they are chargeable: a third makes faith a matter of Discourse, but showeth none in his pious life an● conversation; for quantum habet in arca tantum h●bet & fidei, He hath so much faith as coin he hath in his Chest: A fourth will needs make himself wise in Gods eternal Counsels, and all his friends shall be of the Elect, but his foes, and those he bears any grudge unto, be accounts them Reprobates. Some again will talk themselves out of breath, in Scripture phrases, and cousin the world with an hypocritical sanctity. Another loves fasting well but his flesh better: and therefore he thinks feasting is very good and lawful, especially when our Laws commands fasting. Another imagines prayers a great help to Heaven, though they be never so brief and compendious, but then another spirit would know how fare it is to heaven, that he might frame a long Babel-like prayer, made up with hums and haws, that might reach up thither.  

Six of the purer, but of the weaker Sect,  
One day had conference to this effect,  
To change the old and ancient name of preaching  
And first, the first would have it called teaching.  
A second, that same vulgar name despising,  
Said she would have it called Catechising:  
A third, though not so learned, yet as wise,  
Thought it more fit to call it Exercise.  
The fourth, a most magnificent Corrector,  
Said she approved it best to call it Lector.  
Nay, quoth the fifth, our brethren, as I hear  
Do call it Speaking i● Northampton shire.  
Tush, quoth the sixth, then Standing were more fit,  
For Preachers seldom in the Pulpit sit,  
Then Standing let it be, cried all the rest,  
With one consent applauding standing best.   
It is easier to reckon up all the Species and kinds of nature, than to describe all the Sects, Divisions, and opinions in Religion, that is now in London; so that whereas there is but one truth, and one way l●ading thereunto, they cannot agree about this one way, but error and vice being multiplied manifold, they can all find out those ways to a hair; so that the times remain still as corrupt in manners as ever they did: for pride hath made them not only ambitious to excesses of apparel, but every woman getting a red Petticoat over their shoulders will mount into the chair of Divinity: what makes Artificers to be Preachers, by presuming on the assistance of the Spirit, is it not the Spirit of pride? what makes them so ready to censure another transgressions, is it not the pride of their profession? surely all their factions are but the distractions and madness of their pride, that delights to rave in Pulpits, and to have the liberty of talking blasphemous nonsense, saying, O good Lord, little dost thou know, how these sinful, proud, and lecherous Bishops, if they had not been suppressed, would have dealt with thy poor flock, such as we are, filly and harmless men and women: but dear brethren and sisters, whatsoever we do let it be with zeal.  
But where is this pious life, and Religion so much talked of? Look into the world, and there is a general confusion or mixture of sin. Here you shall find Drunkenness eagerly disputing in an Alehouse, sitting upon the Bench, and condemning whom he pleases, and what Religion he doth disaffect: and then preciseness looks down with his eyes, as if he were only religious, when inwardly, a whore is not more deceitful.  
As for covetousness, rich men make that a part of their Religion, and adore gold as much as their God; Voluptous wantonness hath her Conventicles, where the Spirit enlightens the understanding to see a Sister in the dark; and to wench with policy is but a City courtesy and a civil humanity, yet there was never so much hatred of the Sinner, condemning themselves therein in loving the same sins, nay hatred of the reprobate is such a sign of a good estate, that some are accounted religious only for hating their Brethren. Then for hardness of heart, and contempt of God's word, the poor complain of the one, and the Priests of the other, for the world is troubled with the stone that lies in the heart; which makes their charity dead, sick and so feeble; that it cannot stir itself in any good actions, and it is so mad with a supposition of knowledge, that whereas heretofore there was the Priests and the people, now the common people will be Priests, and because they are ignorant they will despise Learning, Lastly for lying, falsehood, and hypocrisy, it is accounted nothing but a familiar expression, the gloss of trades, and the maintainer of life, Qui nescit dissimularae nescit vivere. 
How to live he cannot tell,  
That knows not to dissemble well.   
Now from these premises of discord and faction where truth is made the object of every contentious fancy, and so becomes opinion, needs must there proceed much tumult, much division, and much distraction to the great disgrace and scandal of the true Protestant Religion, and the glory and renown which hath been in this Kingdom and to the encouragement of wicked people, who seeing that there are so many Separatists and Sects, will therefore be of no religion; and another consequent is as was mentioned at the beginning, the hardness and deadness of the present times, there being no employment but a general doubtfulness making every one put confidence in their present Estates, for where there is no unity, there can be no peace or quietness, and where there is no peace there can be no plenty amongst the poor and inferior sort of people. Let us pray therefore unto God the Author of peace and lover of concord that he would please to establish unity in opinion, piety in profession, and a general conformity to the Protestant Religion, to the glory of God and the peace and tranquillity of the Commonwealth of England.  
The doleful Lamentation of Cheapside Cross, which was basely abused and wronged,  
IIasper Cross, situated in Cheapside, London, upon Monday night, being the 24 of januarie, the sign being in the head and face, which made me the more suffer; and in the year one thousand six hundred forty and one, when almost every man is to seek a new Religion; and being then high water at London Bridge, as their brains and heads were full of malice and envy: I the foresaid jasper Cross was assaulted and battered in the King's high way, by many violent and insolent minded people, or rather illaffected Brethren; and whether they were in their height of zeal, or else overcome with passion, or new wine lately come from New-England, I cannot be yet resolved; but this I am sure, and it may be plainly seen by all that pass by me, that I was much abused and defaced, by a sort of people which I cannot term better than a mad and giddy headed multitude, who were gathered together from all parts, to wrong my antiquity, and ancient renowned name, so much spoken of in foreign parts. Had I ever done these my Brethren the least offence, I should be sorry, and am still willing to submit and refer myself to the grave and most just Senators now assembled.  
Love and charity, those my brethren had none at all; for what benefit or credit did it bring to them to come by night like thiefs, to steal from me here a leg, there a head, here an arm, and there a nose; they did all go away from me the Cross with prefit: they have not done me so much dishonour as they have done themselves, and the honourable City, whose civil government is a pattern to all Nations: But I will tell you, my cross brethren, you both at that time wanted wit and money: wit to govern your hot and overboiling zeal, and cross money to pay your Landlords rend: that is a cross to you, not I: and so wanting such crosses as those, would be revenged of me, to satisfy your malicious cross humours; I am but your stocking horse, and colour for your future malice, your rage will not cease though you should pull me down, and make me levill with the ground: And when so done, than you will cry out that there be crosses in the goldsmith's shops; which is plate and jewels, standing upon cross shelves, those be the crosses you intent, though your pretence be other ways: Next the Mercer's shops whose Satin and Velvet lie a cross, and whose Counters are a cross their shops: Then the next crosses which you will find fault withal; will be with those rich moneyed men, whose bags lie cross in their chests; then with their wives if they be hand some which you will make to be crosses too, in a short space: I say dear brethren, if you be suffered to pull down all things that are across you will dare to pull a Magistrate of his horse, because he rides across his horse back, and pull his chain to pieces because it hangs across his shoulders, and if a miller's horse come to market with a sack of corn across his horse back, and if you say it is a cross, you then violently will run and pull it down, and share it as you have done part of me the cross: And at length then our Churches will prove crosses to you, specially if the have been builded in popish times, & so in process of time every thing will be a cross to you that you either love or hate: But I will conclude with this caution that as long as we have such cross people, cross every way, especially to Magistrates and men of Authority, and still go unpunished, we shall always have such cross do, and so I poor jeffery Cross leave you to your cross wives, and your own cross opinions.   
FINIS.