The Church of the Seperatists is governed by Pastors, Elders and Deacons, and there is not {173} any of these, though hee be but a Cow keeper, but is allowed to exercise his guifts in the publik assembly on the Lords day,[537] so as hee doe not make use of any notes for the helpe of his memory:[538] for such things, they say, smell of Lampe oyle, and there must be no such unsavery perfume admitted to come into the congregation.

These are all publike preachers. There is amongst these people a Deakonesse, made of the sisters, that uses her guifts at home in an assembly of her sexe, by way of repetition or exhortation:[539] such is their practise.

The Pastor, (before hee is allowed of,) must disclaime his former calling to the Ministry, as hereticall; and take a new calling after their fantasticall inventions: and then hee is admitted to bee their Pastor.

The manner of disclaimeing is, to renounce his calling with bitter execrations, for the time that hee hath heretofore lived in it: and after his new election, there is great joy conceaved at his commission.[540]

And theire Pastors have this preheminence above the Civile Magistrate: Hee must first consider of the complaint made against a member: and if hee be disposed to give the partie complained of an admonition, there is no more to be said: if not; Hee delivers him over to the Magistrate to deale with him in a course of Iustice, according to theire practise in cases of that nature.[541]

{174} Of these pastors I have not knowne many:[542] some I have observed together with theire carriage in New Canaan, and can informe you what opinion hath bin conceaved of theire conditions in the perticuler. There is one who, (as they give it out there that thinke they speake it to advaunce his worth,) has bin expected to exercise his gifts in an assembly that stayed his comming, in the middest of his Iorney falls into a fitt, (which they terme a zealous meditation,) and was 4. miles past the place appointed before hee came to himselfe, or did remember where abouts hee went. And how much these things are different from the actions of mazed men, I leave to any indifferent man to judge; and if I should say they are all much alike, they that have seene and heard what I have done, will not condemne mee altogether.

Now, for as much as by the practise of theire Church every Elder or Deacon may preach, it is not amisse to discover their practise in that perticuler, before I part with them.[543]

It has bin an old saying, and a true, what is bred in the bone will not out of the flesh, nor the stepping into the pulpit that can make the person fitt for the imployment. The unfitnes of the person undertaking to be the Messenger Lewes the II. sent a Barber Embassador. has brought a blemish upon the message, as in the time of Lewes the Eleventh, King of France, who, (having advaunced his Barber to place of Honor, and graced him with eminent titles), made him so presumptuous to undertake an Embassage to treat with forraine princes of Civile affaires.

But what was the issue? Hee behaved himselfe so {175} unworthily, (yet as well as his breeding would give The Embassage despised. him leave,) that both the Messenger and the message were despised; and had not hee, (being discovered,) conveyed himselfe out of their territories, they had made him pay for his barbarous presumption.[544]

Socrates sayes, loquere ut te videam. If a man observe these people in the exercise of their gifts, hee may thereby discerne the tincture of their proper calling, the asses eares will peepe through the lyons hide. I am sorry they cannot discerne their owne infirmities. I will deale fairely with them, for I will draw their pictures cap a pe, that you may discerne them plainely from head to foote in their postures, that so much bewitch, (as I may speake with modesty,) these illiterate people to be so fantasticall, to take Ionas taske[545] upon them without sufficient warrant.

One steps up like the Minister of Iustice with the ballance onely, not the sword for feare of affrighting his auditory. Hee poynts at a text, and handles it as evenly as hee can; and teaches the auditory, that the thing hee has to deliver must be well waied, for it is a very pretious thing, yes, much more pretious then gold or pearle: and hee will teach them the meanes how to way things of that excellent worth; that a man would suppose hee and his auditory were to part stakes by the scale; and the like distribution they have used about a bag pudding.

Another, (of a more cutting disposition,) steps in his steed; and hee takes a text, which hee divides into many parts: (to speake truly) as many as hee list. The fag end of it hee pares away, as a superfluous remnant.

{176} Hee puts his auditory in comfort, that hee will make a garment for them, and teach them how they shall put it on; and incourages them to be in love with it, for it is of such a fashion as doth best become a Christian man. Hee will assuer them that it shall be armor of proffe against all assaults of Satan. This garment, (sayes hee,) is not composed as the garments made by a carnall man, that are sowed with a hot needle and a burning thread; but it is a garment that shall out last all the garments: and, if they will make use of it as hee shall direct them, they shall be able, (like saint George,) to terrifie the greate Dragon, error; and defend truth, which error with her wide chaps would devoure: whose mouth shall be filled with the shredds and parings, which hee continually gapes for under the cutting bourd.

A third, hee supplies the rome: and in the exercise of his guifts begins with a text that is drawne out of a fountaine that has in it no dreggs of popery. This shall proove unto you, (says hee,) the Cup of repentance: it is not like unto the Cup of the Whore of Babilon, who will make men drunk with the dreggs thereof: It is filled up to the brim with comfortable joyce, and will proove a comfortable cordiall to a sick soule, sayes hee. And so hee handles the matter as if hee dealt by the pinte and the quarte, with Nic and Froth.[546]

An other, (a very learned man indeed,) goes another way to worke with his auditory; and exhorts them to walke upright, in the way of their calling, and not, (like carnall men,) tread awry. And if they should {177} fayle in the performance of that duety, yet they should seeke for amendement whiles it was time; and tells them it would bee to late to seek for help when the shop windowes were shutt up: and pricks them forward with a freindly admonition not to place theire delight in worldly pleasures, which will not last, but in time will come to an end; but so to handle the matter that they may be found to wax better and better, and then they shall be doublely rewarded for theire worke: and so closes up the matter in a comfortable manner.

But stay: Here is one stept up in haste, and, (being not minded to hold his auditory in expectation of any long discourse,) hee takes a text; and, (for brevities sake,) divides it into one part: and then runnes so fast a fore with the matter, that his auditory cannot follow him. Doubtles his Father was some Irish footeman;[547] by his speede it seemes A very patorick. so. And it may be at the howre of death, the sonne, being present, did participat of his Fathers nature, (according to Pithagoras,)[548] and so the vertue of his Fathers nimble feete being infused into his braines, might make his tongue out-runne his wit.

Well, if you marke it, these are speciall gifts indeede: which the vulgar people are so taken with, that there is no perswading them that it is so ridiculous.

This is the meanes, (O the meanes,) that they pursue: This that comes without premeditation; This is the Suparlative: and hee that does not approove of this, they say is a very reprobate.

{178} Many vnwarrantable Tenents they have likewise: some of which being come to my knowledge I wil here set downe: one wherof, being in publicke practise maintained, is more notorious then the rest. I will therefore beginne with that, and convince them of manifest error by the maintenance of it, which is this:

That it is the Magistrates office absolutely, (and not the Minsters,) to joyne the people in lawfull matrimony.[549] And for this they vouch the History of Ruth, saying Boas was married to Ruth in presence of the Elders of the people. Herein they mistake the scope of the text.

2. That it is a relique of popery to make use of a ring in marriage: and that it is a diabolicall circle for the Divell to daunce in.[550]

3. That the purification used for weomen after delivery is not to be used.[551]

4. That no child shall be baptised whose parents are not receaved into their Church first.[552]

5. That no person shall be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords supper that is without.[553]

6. That the booke of Common prayer is an idoll: and all that use it, Idolaters.[554]

7. That every man is bound to beleeve a professor upon his bare affirmation onely, before a Protestant upon oath.

8. That no person hath any right to Gods creatures, but Gods children onely, who are themselves: and that all others are but usurpers of the Creatures.

9. And that, for the generall good of their Church and commonwealth, they are to neglect father, mother and all freindship.

{179} 10. Much a doe they keepe about their Church discipline, as if that were the most essentiall part of their Religion. Tythes are banished from thence, all except the tyth of Mint and Commin.[555]

11. They differ from us something in the creede too, for if they get the goods of one, that is without, into their hands, hee shall be kept without remedy for any satisfaction: and they beleeve that this is not cosenage.[556]

12. And lastly they differ from us in the manner of praying; for they winke[557] when they pray, because they thinke themselves so perfect in the highe way to heaven that they can find it blindfould: so doe not I.[558]