A LONGWINDED LAY-LECTURE.  
Wherein the Licentiousness of this Lewd and Lying Age, in perverting the Sacred Tents of Scripture, and the Divine Dictates of the Fathers, to the scandal of the Church, and Ruin of our Nation, is Poetically presented,  
To the view of all such as Fear God and the King, and meddle not with those that are given to change.  
By a Lover of (and Sufferer for) the TRUTH.  
Printed in the year 1647.   

A Longwinded Lay-LECTVRE.  
COme Christian Brethren, now the time is fit,  
Round about our ●●ale fire let's friendly sit,  
And while ●ou listen close (as we are cut,)  
I will lay open (whilst the door is shut)  
Unto you all, (in brief) a sum of what  
No man can justly sum; so intricate  
Is our (Meandrian) faith, t'hath no beginning,  
Nor hath it other end, but th'end of sinning;  
How? no beginning, said I, than our profit  
Is now to be the Prima P●reus of it:  
And sure enough, now it beginning hath,  
Time will i'th' end put end unto our faith;  
Prick up your ears my brethren, elevate  
Your eyes dear sisters whilst I do relate  
The comforts which peculiar are to us,  
Who (by the Spirit) are sanctified thus,  
To be the Lords elected, if I said,  
The Lords anointed, I'● not be afraid,  
Of contradiction: 〈◊〉 (for ●s) saith,  
You are a Kingly Priest ●oo●: though his faith  
We else reject, in this ●ee'll take his word,  
And all be Kings and Priests unto the Lord.  
I, let's be free, let neither Priest nor King  
Control nor govern us in any thing.  
But stay, me thinks Paul seemeth to mistake,  
Who bids us to obey for conscience sake,  
And therefore (silly man) he and the rest  
Obeyed the Tyrant Nero, who oppressed  
The Brethren and did take their lives away  
Tush, they deserve death that will thus obey▪  
Obey to Death, do so who li●●s for us,  
The spirit of freedom doth not reach us thus.  
So Solomon ('cause he would under bring  
His people) saith, fear God, honour the King  
Yet Solomon in this I'll send to school,  
For all his wisdom he was but a fool  
In Christian Liberty there's no such thing,  
We can fear God, yet disobey the King  
Yet (in one sense) he's not to blame that said it,  
He was a King himself, 'twas for his credit:  
So David spared Saul (as Gods anointed)  
Because the Kingdom was for him apppointed.  
But let not us (my brethren) be such Calves,  
To take their words spoke in their own behalves,  
For we are free (in body and in soul)  
Our tongues are ours, what Lord shall us control?  
Yet one objection is, that Christ doth say,  
Give Caesar's due thats Caesar to obey  
But I an answer ready have for that  
Caesar ruled Rome, and every one known what  
Antipathy there is 〈◊〉 Rome and us  
Perhaps he might mistake 〈…〉 ●pake thus.  
But right or wrong 〈…〉 we hold.  
To rule our self, rather than others should.  
Let Patriarches, Prophets, 〈◊〉 Fathers, nay,  
If God and Man say what they please to say,  
Unless it, 〈◊〉 respond 〈…〉 mind,  
We in their wor●s and 〈◊〉 some fault will find;  
By Church no● 〈…〉 ruled be,  
No more than wh●●… o●… fancy doth agree.  
What though the 〈◊〉 Prayer ●y him spoken was,  
Yet since 〈…〉 ended in 〈◊〉 Mass,  
We ought▪ abolish it (and so we will)  
Using not For me (nor Chair) but th'Bed-side still.  
The Creed we credit not, 'tis not contained  
I'th' written Word; why may it not be feigned?  
'Tis said th'Apostles made it, 'tmight be so▪  
Were't certain true, we trust reject it tho:  
For among other Articles it hath  
One, that obligeth (as a point of Faith)  
Upon a Church Catholic to conside▪  
Such chains as these our Freedom can't abide,  
To no such Article must we give credit,  
Although belief i'th' holy Ghost precede it,  
For our pure Consciences have given the Lurch  
Both to the Roman and the English Church.  
What tell they me of Faith Apostolic;  
If that were true, then them an Heretic:  
Think you th'Apostles had such strong engages,  
To build a Church should last so many Ages?  
My Faith to me can dictate no such thing▪  
Though they a Cloud of Witnesses can bring,  
We must explode them all, ●hey were but men,  
The Spirit's more abundant now then then.  
Let none of us be subject to such dotage,  
To stench our zealous hunger with that Pottage,  
Wherein the Coloquintida is fed,  
Which is contaginat to the Babes of God:  
For 'tis most certain, that this  was  
Turned into English from the Latin Mass.  
The Spirit taught the Prophets what to say,  
So did it teach th'Apostles how to pray:  
And shall we (which to them are not inferior)  
Be taught to pray (or preach) by ●●les extend?  
No, Brethren, no● we the elected Seed,  
Not any Tutor but the Spirit need  
Each Brother and each Sister (I dare say)  
Are Churches in themselves; then to ob●y.  
Another Church (beside my private Fancy)  
I'll sooner yield to study Necromancy.  
To cross the Papists, let's abhor the Cross  
I protest (zealously) were't not for th'loss  
Of all my Gold and Silver, I should pine,  
Rather than use that (so much hated) Sign,  
And were I sure my forehead ere were crossed.  
I'd flay the skin off (though my life it cost.)  
Yet some who venerate Antiquity,  
Affirm the Cross is used, that thereby  
Christians may be distinguished from Jews  
And Pagan Infidels which Christ refuse.  
What? doth Antiquity then stand so for it?  
That very thing doth make me most abhor it,  
For any thing that's old my Conscience loathes,  
I'd have Religion newer than my .  
The Surplice white's an emblem of the state  
O'th' Ministry, pure and immaculate;  
The use on't some count decency, but we  
Reject it as a Rag of Popery.  
Verily Sisters, when I see that Smock  
O'th' Whore of Babylon, O what a rock  
Of spiritual force it raiseth in my hose!  
You know my zealous meaning (I suppose)  
The Corner'd-Cap (square deal perfect Trope)  
'Cause its original is from the Pope,  
It fits not our Roundheads, full of deceit,  
Swear not at all but content pole and cheat,  
And lie with any body: Sisters hear me,  
I feel strong motives through such objects near me.  
Because the Wedding Ring's a fa●● on old,  
And signifies by th' 〈◊〉 of God.  
The purity required th'married pair,  
And by th' rotundity the union fair  
Which ought to be betwixt them endless; for  
No other reason we that use abhor:  
We love no union nor perfection in  
Religion we are always to begin.  
Fasting's a means proud flesh to subjugate,  
And to the Spirit it humilitate,  
Those heinous sinners earn such punishment,  
But we unspotted are, (and innocent,)  
Let them fast (and give alms) whilst we do feast:  
(And starve the poor,) both fruit, fowl, fish, & beast,  
Are only made for us that godly be,  
The wicked live in awe, but we are free.  
we'll have no Antichristian Prelates, that  
Shall domineer o'er us, nor knee, nor hat,  
We to the greatest Bishop will allow,  
No, nor at th'Name of Jesus will we bow:  
Though Paul (o'erseen) in humble sense doth say,  
All knees must bow at it, we'll not obey:  
If any ask a reason, tell them plain,  
'Tis used in Popery, which we must refrain.  
Let Peter, Paul, James, Judas, (with all the rest,)  
Whose writings are to th'world made manifest,  
Expressly say, do this, abstain from that,  
Rather than we'll with Rome participaet,  
We'll utterly the Text itself disclaim,  
Or without sense adulterate the same.  
Although the Scripture strong appears to be▪  
For the maintaining of Presbytery,  
What's that to us? who must be ever bend  
Against that or what ever government:  
By th' Bishops fall these their uprising gather,  
As Rehoboam did succeed his Father.  
What difference rests 'twixt these and them before?  
Though th'title's lef●, the power's retained, & more:  
For whereas but a few of them did flourish▪  
Now here's a Bishop over every Parish  
Those Bishops did by proxy exercise,  
These by their Elders rule, and their own eyes,  
Then let us for our freedom still contest,  
And by no mortal power be overpress:  
Why should we put our necks into the Collar  
Of any such proud (Babylonian) Scholar?  
Let's rather bid defiance to all the Rabbie,  
Learning to us must be abominable.  
What's Latin, but the Language of the Beast!  
Hebrew, or Greek: is not enough a feast?  
Han't we the Word in English, (which at ease)  
We can convert to any sen●e we please▪  
Let them urge the Original, if we  
Say 'twas first writ in English, so't shall be,  
For we'll have our own way be't wrong or right.  
And say (by strength of faith) the Cross is white,  
Scorning by any to be contradicted,  
Though they of ignorance have oft convicted  
Our (rarely gifted) brethren, Cobblers, Weavers,  
Tailors, and other tradesmen, whose endeavers  
Even in their very Steeple-Houses durst  
(As the boy counselds mother) call Whore first.  
These are stout Champions (O let's all do so)  
That (in despite of Discipline) dare do ●●…cotten)  
Such bold attempts (ah how doth this gear doth  
This zealous valour (when they it dead and rotten)  
Shall be recorded to their high renown▪  
Fellow this course, all Government go down,  
That jdol (Grandam) Paul's, with all the rest  
O'th' Steeple Houses we will have suppressed.  
But sigh I've spoke 'gainst Scholarship, I grant,  
There is one error which I'll now recant,  
And that is this, (in truth I'm sorry for't,  
You (brethren) may (amongst the Saints) report,  
(Unto my great Confusion) that I did  
Do that myself which I to you forbidden,  
For at my first beginning I spoke two  
Words in plain Latin, which nor I nor you  
(I hope) do understand (the fault's the less▪)  
Brethren forgive me, now I do confess,  
Yet in confession lie not play the fool,  
To bring mine Ars upon the Scotish Stool:  
No, I'll not subject be to such an Order,  
Which will ere long invade our English-Border:  
Then they who will be slaved (after the sentence)  
Must sit upon the Stool of their Repentance:  
But no sike Scotish (Presbyterian) trick  
Shall make my (freeborn) heart with sorrow sick;  
Let those who have a mind to't most commend one,  
On that (and all the rest) I'm independent.  
Briefly dear Brethren and Sisters kind,  
Let's do (or not do) what contents our mind,  
And not be ruled by any: that were base;  
What, in subjection bring the Babes of Grace▪  
Why 'twere a thing preposterous to reason:  
What ere we do, our actions are no Treason,  
For all our words (and works) are sanctified:  
What's in us meekness, is i'th' wicked Pride;  
Lust is but holy Love, and burning Zeal:  
When we dissemble, flatter, lie, or steal,  
Alas 'tis only frailty; flesh is frail,  
Witness myself, for now my breath doth fail.  
Thus having proved words, works, and faith, all fickle,  
I'll now conclude this present Conventicle.  
FINIS.