17th Century Subgenii
MeisterPuck
Cults, I was researching the history of English Dissenters and made a
stunning discovery: There was a 17th Century Church of the Subgenius,
known as the Ranters. They held church services in taverns,
incorporated blasphemy and free love into their worship services and
engaged in public nudity. Their theology was mostly a jumble of
revenge fantasies against "the great ones of the earth" (The Con) and
"the reprobate professors" (Normals).
Their leader, Abiezer Coppe, may have been a prior incarnation of
Dobbs. His books sound like something "Bob" might have written in the
idiom of the time:
"A Fiery Flying Rolle, a Word from the Lord to all the Great Ones of
the Earth, whom this may concerne: Being the last Warning Piece at the
dreadfull day of Judgement."
"A Second Fiery Flying Rolle: to All the Inhabitants of the earth,
specially to the rich ones."
"A Rout, A Rout, Or some part of the Armies Quarters Beaten Up, By the
DAY of the Lord Stealing upon them."
"Heights in Depths and Depths in Heights or Truth no less Secretly
then Sweetly sparkling out its GLORY from under a Cloud of OBLOQUIE."
The Slack Rays emitted by the Ranters caused such alarm in Parliament
that they passed the Adultery Act and Blasphemy Act of 1650. The
enraged clergy published scandal sheets that might have been written
by an ancestor of Bob Larson:
"Smoke of the Bottomlesse Pit or, A More true and fuller Discovery of
the Doctrine of those men which call themselves Ranters: or, The Mad
Crew "
"The Rioting of the Ranters being a full relation of their uncivil
carriages, and blasphemous words and actions at their mad meetings"
"The Ranters creed being a true copie of the examinations of a
blasphemous sort of people, commonly called ranters, whose names are
herein particularised, together with the name of their pretended God
almighty, and their false prophet"
"The Ranters Religion, or, A faithfull and infallible Narrative of
their damnable and diobolical opinions"
Of course, the Ranters were forcibly crushed by the authorities, but
no doubt proto-Dobbs got away scot free, and with a goodly portion in
his purse.
Tater Gumfries
MeisterPuck
> http://kernsholler.net/KernsHollerContrarian/17thCentSubs.html
>
> Tater- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Hey, that's cool! Makes it look scholarly
Tater Gumfries
You want to update it or make it even more scholarly, you just sent it
to Tater at kernsholler dot net.
Tater
Popess Pantiara Evokovitch
> "Heights in Depths and Depths in Heights or Truth no less Secretly
> then Sweetly sparkling out its GLORY from under a Cloud of OBLOQUIE."
Pulleth thee the Wool over thine OWN EYES!
MeisterPuck
wrote:
Or would it be Pullest Thou?
Rev. Richard Skull
I'm sure they were hilarious when the "real" Church burned them all at
the stake
purple
Pulleth Thy.
purple
"A hot stake is better than cold chops." - Jerome Q. Howard