THE ANSWER TO THE RATTLE-HEADS Concerning their fictionate Resolution OF THE ROUNDHEADS. WHEREIN Is explained every particular therein contained against them, with many godly counsels to Doctor Little-wit: the Composer of their former scurrilous and illiterate Pamphlet. LONDON, Printed for L. H. MDCXLJ. THE ANSWER TO The Rattle-Heads, Concerning their fictionate Resolution of The Roundheads. IF Truth and Peace, Zacharies two Companions, had met in you, aswell as us, this Controversy had never been. The severring of these two, hath caused this ill-composed aspersion upon us, which we could bear and put up, yea bury in oblivion, but that zeal for the truth of Religion and our own defence, commands the contrary. God knows how unwillingly we put our hands to this unkind quarrel. Nothing so much abates the courage of Christians, as to call their brethren in Christ, adversaries; yet we must do it as forced, W● be unto those who have been the occasion, and by whom this offence cometh: Yet by how much the insultation of a brotherly enemy are intolerable, being not only privately, but in public print: so much the more cause we see, to answer directly their fictionate (Resolution concerning us.) And since only for necessary defence and Religious cause, this task is undertaken, we crave nothing of the Readers but Patience and Justice; of God, victory to the Truth. As for favour, we wish for none more than an enemy against himself. And with this confidence, we enter the Lists, and turn my pen to an Adversary, God knows whether more proud, or weak. Whereas, you whose selfconceited witty expressions, without all conscience have branded us with the ignominious title of a seditious and malignant head (ignorance and obstinancy being your own phrases, and therefore best beseeming yourselves) show but the ardent flames of your cankered spleen towards us, intending to hang us up on the horns of the Altar of your Superstition, which you do well in conceiving them to be too weak in bearing so heavy a burden, or we too wise to be intercepted by them. To exhort and persuade in zealous manner is to no purpose, you being already by your own confession past edification, your varieties being Brothels in stead of Broths, and Curses instead of Custards, these being your luxurious fare, wherein you offend God to please the Devil, I could leave you in that case, but that my conscience moves me further. As for your learning and wits, for which you study long to little purpose, we affect it not, neither any way disparage: we resolve rather to embrace with sincerity of affection, what blessings shall be conferred upon us, through divine inspiration, that we may speak when the spirit moves, you may call us Roundheads, 'tis true, I must confess yours are a great deal more in fashion, being set upon the square block of flat simplicity, as for Prickears, I do not admire at your expression therein, your fortune being the Jackdaws, who envied the Peacocks for having such feathers as he wanted, I fear me 'tis too many of your cases, by this the Proverb is proved true, one Jack must imitate another. But dear Brethten, think you it is acceptable to God, to jeer us by Scripture: is it not the Apostles own expression concerning the adding to the Elect, that their bowels did earn to multiply the true church 'tis even our cases, we do the like by their example. I rather resolve out of zeal, to move you to repentance, then to touch too hard upon this your profaneness. As for Smell-feasts, I make no question, but you are very well skilled therein, being better nosed, than any Butcher's Dog in the City. As for your habit, it is correspondent to your person, and conditions, your hat that sits hollow like a beepot to receive the foggy vapours of bottle Ale and Tobacco, your doublet with a short waste, shows your thrift, who think (the truth) ●ll waste that is bestowed upon you: your goodly long breeches so narrow, and straight to your buttocks, like an Arse-case, may chance to make a pair of sleeves in the reversion. So that generally wherein we exceed in antiquity you go beyond us far in simplicity, and for our faith you do well to speak little of that, having none yourself. And forasmuch as you have composed out of your obstupufied and dulled fancy, certain tenants, we will likewise prescribe to you the like number, though differing in the matter, being rather good counsel, instead of your malevolent and invective aspersions. I. THat your Scribes or rather Deuces omnium malorum, in the next of their witty endeavours, composed according to Reason, Learning, Divinity, Order, Discipline, Morality, Piety, and humanity, a penitentiary Petition to God; as also to acknowledge the wrongs done unto us. II. That hereafter you be not so forward and ready to judge and pray into, to condemn faults in others, before the first perusal of your own. III. That whilst you are in this world, you provide by repentance, fasting, and prayer, to prepare for the world to come, and the Salvation of your souls. iv That you keep yourselves continent and chaste from the Cobbler and Feltmakers wives, unless the one make you pay too dear for selling your beaver on your blockhead, and the other cause your pride to have a fall by the loss of a Lunsfords heel. V That you change your name of Cavalier by altering your profession of evil into good, unless bravery and knavery bring on raggerie and beggary. VI That you fast and pray for your sins past, giving thanks unto God for moving us to be the Agents to persuade you to repentance. YOu come too late Sir 'Tis vain to prate Sir, we'll pull the Mitre from the Prelate's Crown: It is no boot Sir, Though you stand too't Sir, hang's too good for you, for they must down. Your tricks are found out, We have the ground out You cannot cheat the King, if we stand by. Your Plots descried out And Troasons pride out, Against the Honour of his Majesty. Though Roundheads wink at we'll make you stink at The hearing of your Bishops second Ditty: Though now you laugh at, And in Sack quaff at Us, than I fear me ye will all beshit ye. We shall confound ye, If we expound ye Although within the Circuit of a TUB. we'll cry have at ye, Though ne'er come at ye, A word will make such jades as you to s●rub. Let i'll cold take thy person, Gallows frieze, Earth take thy body Gug, thy his fees. FINIS.