SIR JOHN PRESBYTER Not Dead. As the malicious Author of that abusive Pamphlet, that nine-dayes-wonder lately Printed, entitled, The Last Will and testament of Sir John Presbyter, divulged. But was only bereft of his soul for a few days, and is now again revived. The wondrous things he saw, during his confinement to the lower parts. What Committee-men, Commanders, and Ministers, he saw there grievously tormented. Faithfully taken from his own mouth. Read and Wonder. Aug: 20 GEHENNA, Printed by Thomas Tantalus for Christopher Charon, and are to be sold at his shop in the shades of Dis, at the sign of the Gorgon's head. Sir JOHN PRESBYTER not Dead. ALas, alas, Independents, and am I again revived; I live again, and shall do so, till I behold the Babel you have builded, demolished by yourselves, and your Anarchy be reduced to Monarchy: The hireling you employed to publish my Death, is since dead himself; alas the fellow was smitten with the horror of his crime, and not able to endure the thoughts Pluto continually suggested; he, like one weary of his Fetters, leaping out at the prison window, breaketh his limbs, gave up the Ghost. My sweet friends, I have the coldest comfort for you, that your greatest enemies can wish, during my confinement to the shades below, for to me it was permitted, as once to the righteous Lazarus, to take a view of things there done, and thence once more to visit the Earth. I saw near the Lake called Phlegeton, an infinite number of Royalists, alias Episcoparians, Romish Catholics, Pimps, Panders and Parricides, kneeling before the brazen Gates of Plute's Palace, all with heaved up hands, invoking the Prince of hell, to further their design with his utmost aid, to send his spirits abroad to seduce the souls of men, that they might be persuaded, to create a hell on earth, (if it might be) to set up confusion, and countenance utter desolation, to wit, Independency, for which immunities, if it took effect, they jointly swore by the river Styx, to stuff hell with more souls, than the said river harboured Serpents, and with themselves, to draw the world after them to destruction: The principal sticklers in this business, my thoughts persuaded me represented the persons of a famous Apostate, now a house preacher, alias Tubist in Bell-Alley; and of another Apostle of the new Edition, a seducer, who daily giveth destruction, I mean instruction, near Finsbury; I had a sight of Saltmarsh, but he as a shadow flying away, fled from me; there were divers others, which for brevity I shall omit, who were uncessantly urgent on Lucifer, to lend them his aid, when Goodwin was allotted by the whole multitude to speak in the name of them all, who said: Thou know'st great Prince, how I with these my Brethren, have for many years opposed even the high Court of Parliament, assembled in the chief City of England, to abolish Episcopacy, and set up Presbytery, hath been their chief aim, and yet by us have hitherto been continually thwarted in their say, opposed in their actions, and frustrated of their desires, I am sure thou canst not forget, how we have hitherto used all means, and devised all ways to raise discords & divisions, which we know in the end cannot but prove the dissolution of Monarchy, and so consequently, the corner stone of Anarchy; to attain which our desires, we have hired our dear Brother, and indeed, ours and thine own Prop, John Lilburne, to persuade the people, that even their Lord K. Charles is now captive under their sovereign power; that he be forthwith Articled against, Impeached, Regal Tyranny, pag. 14 ●6. 53. Arraigned, Deposed, Executed, & his Posterity disinherited by the Parliament; that the Assembly of Divines be immediately dissolved, and impeached of high Treason, Presbyteries suppressed, the Directory, Nationall League, Parishes, Parish Church, Chapels, Tithes, Oblations, Ministers by Ordination, Universities, and all Schools, except only such as teach English, Writ, and cipher; all set forms of Prayer, the Lords Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commandments, Baptising of Infants, & singing of Psalms, utterly abolished: Therefore, on our part, great Prince, thou mayst guess, that there hath not, nor now is, any thing wanting that may further our Design, but only thy present Aid, in an especial manner, now in the nick of time we implore; for now, to our unspeakable grief, there is like to be a free and full Parliament, who have already Voted the Man whom we so extremely hate (the King) to Lond●n, there to remain with honour and safety: therefore, great Sir, as you tender the enlargement of your Territories, the Command of Souls, and the ruin of Mankind, devise some speedy remedy, that Independency may be tolerated, his Majesty prohibited from coming to London, this Parliament dissolved, and our Anaschy introduced; and this as you tender your own honour and our safety. This Speech was approved of by the whole multitude, who expressed their liking by a general shout; but what answer Pluto returned, I cannot relate, for I was transported with a desire to pry yet further into the secrets of that tenebrous place; so passing on from thence, I came into a large Plain, where fire continually ran along upon the ground, where were many men tormented with sundry torments; there I s●w a company of Furies, who were busily employed in preparing Wracks, Gibbets, and other various instruments of torture; upon a Gridiron I beheld one lie, whom at the sight I took to be Quaterman, but viewing him better, I found I was deceived, for it was Wansworth the Committee-man, who gathered together the wealth of a whole County, pretending for the public use, and then ran away over Sea: Near him I beheld swimming in a Lake of Sulphur, Townsen, whom once the Parliament of England so much confided in, and now so well know his falseness, who after he had cheated both the public wealth and the whole Parish wherein he lived, being by them complained against and prosecuted, fled into the North part of England, and turned Minister; Ah Townsen, said I, thou never wert in such a Tub before; and were all house-preachers allowed no better a Pulpit, they would have little joy to expound: Near these I beheld thrust through with swords of fire, divers Commanders, that through fear or falseness lately deserted the Army; Pluto had an it tention to make them of his own guard, for there he feared not their fleeting▪ and there they might without scruple, be as they would themselves, the more base, the more better; near these locked in iron collars, glowing hot, I saw one Levite, whom by my guess I took to be the Author of Hagio Mastix, he much repent he left Coleman-street for Bell-Alley, and earth for hell; the thought of the days he once enjoyed, when his Audience gathered him for one Sermon 20. l. doubly augmented his torments: Near him in the same posture, lay the simple author of Simplicities Defence, wall-eyed Gorton, who wanting money in old England, would needs be hired to go over into New England, to convert the Infidels, and after returned a perfect pagan, and engrossed an Audience to himself, and they forsooth were Gortons Congregation, the fat fool howled like a Lybian Lion taken in the Hunter's toil; and therefore Photo commanded his throat to be filled with moken Lead, to stop the passage of his cries; for he, as he did on earth, sought to disturb all Hell: But by this my time limited, was expired, and my soul returned to my body, and coming on earth, and passing to Westminster Hall, I heard a fellow sing this Ballad, called, What if the King, etc. Or, The Armyhath helped us. WHen as great matters were seemingly handling, yet order and Discipline pulled to the ground, And base Hypocrisy Rebellion dandling, fools walking at large, wise men in the Pound; Lo a hand was put forth, For to save those of worth, Hell shreikt, Knaves squeaked, Fearing to fall. When most men feared their meat would but bane them, and their own hands would wound them to death, When as the trusties in a net had ta'en them, and those sought their ruin to whom they gave breath, Then at that time when succour was scant, He that they relied on, Those they did confide on, Failed them, Assailed them, The truth for to try. And non the committee-men's arses make buttons, and the Excise-men begin for to hid, The City Churls, and paunch-bellyed Sluttons, begin for to pause where they may abide, Free from the ills that may on them fall; The Tub-men grow hoarse, And forget to discourse, The Sisters are silent, and wished They ne'er While e'er Had preached at all. Time-serving Priests that in Pulpits reviled, and dare to abuse their Sovereign Lord, Now with themselves t● him reconciled, altering their Orisons with one accord, Cheap-side-Crosse was seen, When before it had been, Charingcross was in hope, Without leave of the Pope, For to be new erected, Most men, Hoped then, To have the old way again. Finis.