Mr Crofton being spi­ritually adverti­sed to invite Mr. Withers to din­ner, and especial­ly to give him thanks (on the behalf on his Church-Common­ers) for remaining so constant to his Principles of sedition, and expressing himself so freely in Print for the Covenant, where­by [Page 4]by Mr. Crofton thought his own spurious pamphlets the more strengthened and secured, and his Lungs the better clarified, and preserved, by that powder of Brimstone, to hold out belch­ing against all those who would not fall down and worship the Calf-Covenant with the white face. It happen'd that an honest Scottish Parson (Rara avis &c.) having read some of Croftons Pulpit Pasquils, and poysonous Papers against the Primitive power, and Basis of Church-Go­vernernment, Episcopacy; and conceiving himself able enough to enter the List against so Ig­norant and Weak a Disputant, enquired for Croftons house, to [Page 5]which he was directed by a Boy where like an unwelcome or un-sent-for person, he waited till after Dinner; and then Mr. Crofton, setting his Beard, (as much as there was of it) in Print, ordering his Band, draw­ing his Month together, (as you have seen a Milk Wench pictur'd in a Land-skip) and putting his Countenance into the precise Model of a vizard, accosts the Scotch man in these words; What is your will with me? The Parson somewhat a­mazed at his State and Forma­lity, answered; Geod feath Mon, I ken no whot ta speke toll thee, gif tow tekst sike Stat upon thee, Crofton discovering him by [Page 6]his Tongue to be a Scottish-man, thought he was sent to him upon some Designe from the Kirk; cryed him Mercy, took him by the hand, and requested him to walk with him up staires, where they had dined; Mr. Crofton desiring Mr. Withers (his Brother in iniquity) to salute the Parson, as a reverend Mem­ber, and Pillar of their Church: which to do, Mr. Withers like­wise sets his face on the skrewes, and then enquires what newes in Scotland: I ken noot sir, quoth the Parson, and laughed heartily: Mr. Withers (repre­hending his error) said, I mean, in, from, or out of Scot­land; they are all one by a [Page 7]Trope; but pray. Sir, what Newes out of Scotland, if you will have it so?

I Here ne mare than ye aw her, gif yee ha eny luggs.

But how does the Parlia­ment proceed there?

Marry, mickle weele, thay ha brunt the Coov'nant, sir, beth­hond o the Comon Hong mon.

Oh horrid!

Oh horrid! Monstra mo­rendum.

I'le justifie it was an act of sacriledge, a work of the Divel.

And his damme, a sin 'gainst God and man.

Nay, a plain sin against the Holy Ghost; for as I sind it, and can prove it, it is a sin against know­ledge, Ergo, a sin against the Holy Ghost, as I said before.

A sin unpardonable, and therefore damnable.

Haud, haud, sirs, haud, ne mere Blesfemy, wha med the Coov­nant?

The select people of God.

The Righteous of three Nations; like as a three-fold cord is the strongest, so the Covenant was strengthened, and made up with the most undefiled hands of three Na­tions.

Haud, haud, sirs, haud, yee gang ta fest: A me saw, the thrads o that Coord was wop'd in Hell, an yar Coovnant med up o the Deele himsell; I ken it reit weele sirs, gif ye ha eny gress curss an ban it fro yar hoose an yar saws sirs, an faw to the tra service o Goad sirs; mind yee me; let noot Prid an siller damm ye sirs, ye ha a gretious King sirs, an a geod Kirk Government noow sirs, I up­hold ye sirs, the lick i ne plece i the Wardd sirs.

Yes at Rome sir.

Fi, fi, geod feath yare mickle oout sirs.

Where the Whore of Ba­bylon commits daily fornication with the Kings of the earth.

And hides all her iniquities in Lawn Sleeves, the Marke of the Beast is upon her.

she drinks the blood of the Faithful, and devours the livings of the Godly; she is more Insatiate then the Sea or the Grave.

Or Hell fire, and choakes worse then brimston.

Yare mickle wise sirs, ye ha roab'd a feole latly sirs, mind yee me an herke yee toll me be avisd sirrs I speke fur aw yere geods. yare Coovnant has med ye aw woud sirrs, be avised sirs.

The Covenant was a sa­cred thing, framed to maintain the Church in its Primitive whitenesse and purity.

Against the pride of the Prelates and the Innovations of Antichrist.

Oout oout faw sham, the [Page 10]faw deele has gin yee a lift, fro Goad Sirs an noow ye lick Lymmer loones spet at his servants gif yee had ane, fer O the Loord yee wold noot de as yee de Sirs.

Why, What doe we doe Sir?

I, What doe we doe Sir?

Did not the Covenant re­ceive its Birth in your Countrey? and were not your Countreymen the law­ful and rightful Fathers of it? and were not we advertised by Henderson, that man of God;

O the dele mon

And many other precious Saints by Letters; I say advertised by Letters, with holy and powerful san­ctifying Reasons that Bishops were not Jure Divino, that their Calling & Power in the Church was but mere Usurpa­tion, promoted by the Pope to intro­duce his Power, and make the Sea of Rome more glorious; and to that end to [Page 11]second their Brotherly Engagements with us (who were tender Conscien­ces) made an Inrode into England with the Bible in one hand, and Sword in the other the very Sword of the Spirit which carried all before it and punished all from Dan to Bar­sheba; do you not know this?

Ne be Goad noow yee mack me swer, for aw the tim, the Coove­nant ers wern up i Erms, they wern beten mest bestly i ery plece, an the geod King ded prosper tol Crumwall (the faw deele splits Crag for't) cam wi his Independent riff raff ragged rogs thaut fooght for the Kirk, but plunder'd the Quire oout o hoilly roth the dele a bit ded yar thar Coovenant threve Sirs, tall than Sirs.

You are mistaken sir, Out intentions were geod, Our Cause was geod, and our successe in every place geod.

Ded yee fitt foor Goad oor the Deele sirs, oor foor siller sirs, foor Mammon sirs, the Deels none Cousin [Page 12]sios, ans Damms Munion sirs

We fought for the Cove­nant sir.

Wha the Deele shod yee fitt foor that yee had befer sirs?

We fought for the keep­ing and maintaining it.

And for the Church in generall, and against Bishops and Pre­lates as we said before.

Ne Ne geod feath, I ken wee'l enoow what yee foot for firs; Ye foote een'e anenst the Kirke an foor the Beshops Lands sirs, an foorne yere none pert Master Copton Wrethers yee durst nere leoke a ti­ny Kitlin ith fece, yat lick Seint Thefe in the Legend; Yee ha threv'e brawly; wi a murren toll yee a [...] Noll grazd a fett Soow i the brech, whan he ga you the Statute Office, [Page 13]whilke yee sauld i the Deeles nam to Master thats o the Duck, Drake Drack, Master Drake Drack for a powr o poonds geod an mickle sterlin siller be the Masse, an ded yee noot ater yee had plunder­ed the Bishops o thar hoorses and siller bi thar Londs an sa roobd the Kirke i the faw Deels nem an noow de yee complan o yar paverte i prent; wi a hoorse pox toll yee aw me saw ye pratend lyolty, an hoow muckle yee ha loov'd the King and Kirke, whan yee ha wrot an speke anenst um lick a ralling rat­ling rag as towart an enderst emong yee toll ris a new warr sirs anenst the pece othe King an Countre.

The Man's mad sure, have you a minde to bee beaten Priest?

Wha sall dot, noot sike a limmer Loone, a rabbell rab­bell o rim an noone sense as tou art.

I professe you are very uncivil sir.

Ne Ne noot sa, un­sele as tow art toll pip, i the Las­ses breches an see aw foor noaught, their very noock an aw, geod feath yee Presbyters are pintell proud Jacks, yee loove to be pepin in hools an vant your Leachery at yare fingers ends sirs.

You base unworthy man, doe you abuse me in my own howse?

Nee Nee yee ha a­based yar nan sell sir, in yar non hoose an a brod ta sir, bi bringing yar tiny Lasse tool the stol o Re­pentance, gif ya stend se muckle and mayn on yar Covenant, an your San­tete, whot med ye sham et se bestli, but yar loost lick a fawse Loone gis yee are.

Get you out of my doores, I professe my fingers tingle at him.

Ne, Ne, tes at an­other Lass Mon, gang yar waies foor a coople of Dunces, yee cannoot hald despute worth a Crack.

And so the Scottish parson left them, fuming and fretting that their knave­ries should be so discovered to the world, and gave order to the person aforesaid to publish this passage, that his Credit might receive no pre­judice by their Quarrelling.