the soul with darkness, fears, frightful thoughts of apparitions;
now they sweat, pant, and struggle for life. The angels now come
(Psa 107) down to behold the sight, and rejoice to see a bit of
dust and ashes to overcome principalities, and powers, and might,
and dominion.'[66] His mind was fixed on eternity, and out of the
abundance of his heart he spoke to one of his former companions;
his language was that of reproof--'Harry, why do you swear and curse
thus? what will become of you if you die in this condition?'[67]
His sermon, probably the first he had preached, was like throwing
pearls before swine--'He answered in a great chafe, what would the
devil do for company, if it were not for such as I am.'[68]

By this time he had recovered the art of reading, and its use a
little perplexed him, for he became much puzzled with the opinions
of the Ranters, as set forth in their books. It is extremely
difficult to delineate their sentiments; they were despised by all
the sects which had been connected with the government, because,
with the Quakers and Baptists, they denied any magisterial or state
authority over conscience, and refused maintenance to ministers;
but from the testimony of Bunyan, and that of the early Quakers,
they appear to have been practical Antinomians, or at least very
nearly allied to the new sect called Mormonites. Ross, who copied
from Pagitt, describes them with much bitterness--'The Ranters are
unclean beasts--their maxim is that there is nothing sin but what
a man thinks to be so--they reject the Bible--they are the merriest
of all devils--they deny all obedience to magistrates.'[69]

This temptation must have been severe. The Ranters were like the
black man with the white robe, named Flatterer, who led the pilgrims
into a net,[70] under the pretence of showing them the way to the