[Page] THE CHVRCH MILITANT, HISTORICALLY Continued from the Yeare of Our SAVIOVRS Incarnation 33. untill this present, 1640.
BY WILLIAM VAUGHAN, Knight.
LONDON: Printed by Tho. Paine for Humfrey Blunden, at the Castle in Corn-hill. 1640.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE RICHARD, EARLE OF CARBERY.
The Argument.
The
Authour here my
Noble Lord acquaints
What
Paths they tread who lead the lives of
Saints,
What
Comforts he shall finde, what good successe,
While he walks in the
New-mans Diocesse.
I
Sound not forth Old Souldours
turn'd to Swine
By Harlots
Charmes, by fulsome Cheere or Wine;
But the New-borne
(a Theame to Worldlings strange)
[...] sing the Minds
more then the Bodies
Change;
[Page]
I sing the Churches Change, Eclipse, Decrease,
Her East, and West, with her Full Moones Encrease.
Such Newes
I blaze, which no good Protestant
Shall justly taxe for Sparkes
exorbitant,
Like to those Brats
expos'd to Brambles Flame
By Midwives
Doome to hide the Parents
shame,
Or those, for which of late our Pauls Church-yard
And Smith-field
in the Spoiles with Vulcan
shar'd.
Truth
smites the Chast:
while Wantons
long to heare
False Tales,
at which they Nod, or fondly Ieere,
Fooling away the Time, their pretious Time,
Lent them for better use in Prose
or Rime,
To win some Strayes
by meanes of Vertuous Books,
Not Soules
to tempt with Fornications
Hookes.
There, with much Gall Gulls
one another flout:
Hoere for Mistakes, the Lie, or Toyes they pout,
Forgetting Satans
Ambush for Good Wits,
Tongues trip, Pens blur, None free from Passions Fits,
They persecute their Christian Mates
with stings,
[...]ill tir'd at last with Conscience-griping Cares,
Both Parties howle within the Divels
Snares.
Others by Lines
and Cubes
aspire to know
The Higher Orbes,
or in the Globe
below
They levell Spires,
the Climates,
or the Lawes,
[...]nto whose Depth they pry no more then Dawes;
And yet to gaine applause, or Golden Fees,
They hope for Swans
to chop their gaggling Geese.
Some Court Faire Dames
with Fancies Madrigalls,
Chaulking the way to Paphian Lupercalls,
Which they frequent with uncontrouled Lust
Till Honour, Wealth, and Health lye in the Dust.
Sometimes Pelagian-wise they ruminate
On Mans Free-will,
and the Predestinate,
Till they from Grace
quite excommunicate
Doe pitch on Hell,
and on the Reprobate.
[...]
[...]
Anon, their slips or Fall they personate
With Satyres
sting, untill themselves are stung;
Or else they sooth Great men
with glozing Tongue,
Untill they feele worse Racks with Conscience sear'd,
Then Poets
faign'd for stroaking of Joves Beard.
Some other whiles they dare more Curious peepe
Into the Concaves of th' Infernall Deepe,
Of Limboes Vault,
or Purgatories
Paine
Redeem'd for Gold
the long-white Robe
to staine.
With such Bald Stuffe
most Writers
doe oppresse,
In hope to purchase Fame, the Printers Presse.
Which shewes, that Soules,
like Seas
tost with unrest,
Wave, till they set into Gods
Port of Rest;
Or else that they, like Swine,
fall to worse Seas
Then Gaderens
for their prodigious Pleas,
Remonstrances,
and Problems,
which they pend,
Of Rampant Zeale the Churches Peace
to rend▪
SO busie is Mans Braine:
It alwayes workes
And seekes to know what from the Sences
lurkes,
Abstruse and hid, like Planets
moving still;
But in default of Objects good or ill,
Because it findes no businesse from without,
Turnes Monke
within, an Ideot,
or a Lout;
Or on it selfe with Atomes
and Chymeres
Playes Whirligig,
untill it ends in Feares,
Distractions, Lies, and Schismes,
just Penalties
Due for the Search of Knotty Novelties.
For want of Grace,
and of Celestiall
Armes,
Sighes, Teares, & Vowes,
thus by the Serpents
charmes
Are Men seduc'd Old Adams Tree
to tast,
And with vaine Fruit
to break their needlesse Fast.
Because Gods Word,
whereby they might be sav'd,
They slighted, 'tis no marvell though they rav'd.
By Truths
calme Breath, the Flaming Paraclete,
With Drier Braine holds a Cleere Intellect,
So solid, that he others can direct
A safer Course of knowledge to affect
Then what the Wind-mill
grinds of Satans Sect.
Though Natures sting
in our Originall
Hath made us prone into the Snare to fall:
Yet we New-borne
fight with the Spirits Sword,
And triumph by the Second Adams Word
Over the Dragons
false enchanting Arts,
With constant Faith
repelling all his Darts,
Those sober Cates
contenting our repast,
Which lawfull are for tender Soules to tast.
We would seeme Inward
more then Outward
wise,
Yet Both addresse with Saints
to sympathize.
For carnall Samians transubstantiate Change,
(The Old Mans Quirk)
the New man
we exchange.
[...]e Tophets Paine
sing due to Babylon.
For Limbus Patrum,
or th' Elizian Camp.
Gods Paradise
for Saints
renewes our Lamp.
A Dolphin
bore Arion
from the Seas;
[...]mphions Harp,
they say, did Thebes
appease:
But Jesus Christ
the Third day to have rose
From Josephs Tombe,
we really disclose,
Or by a Whale
we Jonas
bring to Land,
Who Niniveh
converted out of hand.
For Cerberus,
we blaze proud Satans Losse;
For Hercules
his Club,
our Saviours Crosse.
For Triviall Tales,
and sence-alluring Toyes,
We read on Bookes
Soule-ravishing to joyes.
For Thalmuds
we the Scriptures
native sence;
And for Nice Schoole-mens
Glosse, in our Defence,
We can produce by Truths
Prerogative
The Chiefest Starres
of the Church Primitive,
[...]
[...]
[Page]
Or those, who in the Last and Present Age
With Volumes
rare repair'd our New mans
Stage.
To banish Humane Lies,
and Brain-sick Dreames,
What Tree
more full? what Field
yeelds riper Theames
Then Christ his Life,
and the New Testament?
Or in her Swathes
the Churches
fragrant scent?
This Lady
here my New man
warbles forth,
Though fully not according to her worth,
Yet so, My Lord,
that you may cleerely see:
Though she was long obscur'd, she now raignes free,
Cloath'd with the Sunne,
Crown'd with a dozen Starres,
And no Eclipse
you from her Influence barres.
But out alasse! how many boast of Faith?
Who never markt what Christian Scripture
saith:
For what is Faith
without Good works,
or Fruit,
But a dead Stock? not worth a Moores
pursuit?
Or Millenairs
to snare Voluptuous Wights?
Or of vaine works
of Supererogation,
Soules to bewitch with Babels Fornication?
Our Saint
is not with such Conceits defil'd,
Nor turnes with such Extravagances wild,
For he well knowes, that as good Trees will bud,
And beare good Fruit, so Saints
doe alwayes Good,
And never scorne to greet the Simplest Man;
To call home Strayes they labour what they c
[...].
Such is our Saint
the Naked he actires,
And helps to warme their Soules with zealous Fires.
According to his Power great or small,
He saves distressed Saints from Tyrants Thr
[...].
He sues for Peaoe, and grieves to see debate.
And daily prayes Lawes Rigour
to abate.
If he be forc't to Law
in his defence.
He doth it without spl
[...]n, or Saints
offence.
Before Sun-set
he growes more Calme and mild;
Or if that Filmy Piece
in others blabbs
His shame, he counts it like the Noise of Drabbs.
He sets not out his Lipps to Farme, nor slander,
Nor lets his Tongue
before his Wits
to wander.
He holds his Word
as pretious as his Seale,
And scornes False Cards
unto the Least to deale.
He dares not plot Revenge, nor scoffe, nor raile,
But beares with Knaves and Fooles for Saints
availe.
He covets no mans Goods, but if at Play
He winnes, He gives it to the Poore
away.
He spends his vacant Howres in thrifty Course,
Lest Idlenesse
corrupt him worse and worse.
He prizeth Coine
but excrementall Drosse,
And toiles for Others Good, though with his Losse.
He doth his Best to curbe Promooting Scribes,
Lest God
require of him their winkt-at Bribes.
[Page]
At Night he scores the Deedes he did that Day,
And the next Morning scowres their rust away.
The Sabbath,
like the Puritan,
he waighes,
And, like the Papist,
keepes the Fasting dayes:
The Former
mindes him of the Spirits
Mart,
The Latter
helpes to stint the Sensuall Part.
He daily strives so to compose his Minde,
That seldome him doe Idoll-passions
blinde,
Nor cause him long to doat on Pleasures
shape,
Be it a Horse,
or Hawke,
a Dog,
or Ape,
He kindly speakes, meanes well, doth good to all,
But most to Saints,
and helpes up them that fall.
God
root these Works
in me, lest whilst his Way
I others teach, my selfe a Cast-a-way
Become, like him, anothers Floore that sweepes,
And yet his owne New house most nasty keepes.
THe Heart
still moves: It Loves
and spreads with Joy
Or wrung with Gall
and Griefe
it feeles Annoy.
The Former
flow, because Gods Flames
inspire it,
The Latter
chance in absence of his Spirit.
Of these Affects
our Inward Man
partakes,
Amidst his Joyes
sometimes his Spirit
akes:
Yet his Griefes
smart spring not for worldly Cause,
But for mens Breach of the Creators Lawes,
For the Encrease of Idols, Avarice,
Of Drunken Healths,
or the like Heath'nish vice,
For Concords Breach, for Christian Blouds
effusion,
For losse of Time,
our Talents
vaine profusion;
Or else because he sees the Church
of Christ
Opprest by Fiends,
and Saints
by Antichrist.
Sometimes he feeles strange Qualmes,
neer destitute
Of zeale-bred heat, till entring to dispute
Threats him with Thumps, to make his Pride decline:
He calls him Monster, Belly god,
and Slave,
And vowes his Fare to shorten, if be ra
[...]e:
With Davids Sling
he knocks Gollahs
down
[...],
For standing out against his Masters Crowne.
Though he enjoyes an outward faire Estate,
And seemes to some to be most fortunate;
[...]et in his Mind he waighes the Cause, th'Event,
Mens Frailty, and his owne coincident,
Whereat he Lion-like for braver Prey
His Courage lifts at full, not giving way
To poore Conceits, but to the Noblest End▪
His Cares, his Thoughts, and his designements bonds;
Which he Effects by a New Sacrifice
To God,
who gave those undeserv'd Supplies
With knowledge of his Mysteries Divine,
And Prudent Rules
Old Passions to confine,
[Page]
When Thousands of his Brethren want that store,
Who would perhaps have glorifi'd him more,
And never ceas'd, like Angels
here on Earth,
To praise those helpes, since Others dye of Dearth.
His Spirit
scornes that which the Body
joyes;
And checks that Lump,
because it did rejoyce
In Aiery Toyes,
in things meere transitory,
Which draw the Sence
from the bright Sun of Glory,
And like to Golden Clouds
may passe away
By Humane Plots,
or by Death
in a day.
HE reapes Content to see his Neighbours
thrive,
And their Amendment
doth his Soule revive,
For he the Poorest Saint
in Christ
preferre
[...]
Before the Greatest Potentate
that erres.
He Ioyes, that he breathes of the Common Aire;
Which is allotted for the Saints
repaire,
[Page]
With whom he sings, grieves, and Communicates,
Swell for Sacred Rites,
as Needfull Rates.
[...] Joyes,
that he had learned from his Youth,
[...]ke Timothy,
the Word of Sacred Truth,
[...]at taught to serve One God, One Advocate,
[...]
could not brooke of Balaams Snares
to prate.
Joyes,
that he no raking Money owes,
[...]en what to pay he on short warning knowes,
Without grim Sergeants
Threats, or Suerties
Thrall,
[...]
without Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
[...] glories more of Soules
and Bodies Health,
[...]en in the Blaze of Honour, Fame,
or Wealth.
[...]
cheere his Noblest Part
he soares aloft,
And viewes the Starres
of Holy Stories
oft;
He Courts the Of-Spring of faire Memory,
Aswell Divine
as Humane History;
By which true Glasse he findes how short and vaine
Those Pleasures are, which Worldlings
hold for Gaine,
[Page]
Though Cause of Paine eternall after Deuth;
If not before of Dolour-racking Breath.
Another while Wraths Cornet
to prevent,
Which he observes with burning Arrowes
[...]t
To aime at change,
by Learned Art
he strives
To blunt their Shafts, and into Physick
dives
Aswell by Prayer
as by Galens Quill,
With Zealous Heart, as by Arabian Skill,
Like Good Saint Luke,
for the Foure Humours
foule
He studies Cure, as Solace for the Soule.
For which I
[...]t, and the Complexions
Good
He for
[...] F
[...]d, which might insta
[...] the Bloud:
For what exceedes the Temper Oily warme,
Or Mayes mild Heat
he knowes breeds after-harme.
Lest Nature
dro
[...]p
[...], he breathes his Park-horse oft,
Not on the Rheumy Vale,
or Marish
soft,
But on dry Hills
to suck most wholesome Aire,
There, with Pure Gales the Spirits
to repaire.
[...]
lives at home content with Fortunes lesse,
[...]t daring by Anothers Idoll-store
[...]
mete his wants, where Saints
do languish more:
[...]d if he should lash out in Pompe like those,
[...] Pompe and Store would cause him after-woes,
[...]en the Great Judge
requires his Talents
use,
[...]th strict Account of Stocks and Times abuse.
Drinks
no more then doth a Saint
befit,
[...]d ever riseth with an Appetite,
[...]r, as a Type of Blessed Abstimence,
Joyes
to sing of Diets Excellence▪
[...]d to relate, when Girald
liv'd, that they
[...]f Cambriaes Soile
did feed but once a day;
[...]s how the Greekes
thought Platoes Tale
a Lye,
That twice a day they meal'd in Sicily.
No Beauty, Wine,
nor Musicks
Harmony
[...]ontents our Saint
more then Good Company,
Availe him more then Worldlings
Blandishment.
To end his Joyes,
on this he sets his Rest:
That a Good Conscience is his daily Feast.
THese harmelesse steps
a Christian
ought to tread
And the same Life I strive and hope to lead.
And if these Rules My hopefull Nephew
scan,
He then shall passe for a Right Noble Man,
Excelling vulgar Wits as Porcellan,
Course vessels, as the New
the Outward Man,
By Vertue
rankt within True Honours
File
Among the brave Heroes
of this Ile,
Crown'd with a faire and brighter Coronet,
Then One with Gold
and Pretious Stones
beset,
And be so skill'd in Both the Fortunes Cures,
That Poore mens Cries
tend not to You
nor Yours.
And his Proud Race
with Fates two-edged Sword,
[...]ke Mordecai,
unwearied in your wayes,
[...]u shall we are out on Earth most happy Dayes;
And after Death when they feele endlesse Paine,
[...]u shall with Christ
in Peace
for ever Raigne.
[...]ch blisse pursues a Pious-minded Peere,
And such I hope attends you there and heere,
Which to seale up, and to set forth Your Traine,
[...]eere take your Choise of Posies
various Straine:
Without the New-mans Robes
none are indeed
True Noble-men,
but borne of Mongrell Seed.
To be borne Great,
great Honour
some esteeme it:
But to doe Good I greater Honour
deeme it.
Vertue
so farre excells Sires Heraldry,
As doth Day-light
the Darke, the Sap the Dry.
A Noble Minde
surmounts a Noble Birth;
But who hath Both-shines like Sunne
on Earth.
[Page] Magnus honor nasci praelustri stemmate, Major Stemma
Piis Factis nobilitare suum.
"Quantò
Lux Tenebras, Siccum vel
Succidus Hum
[...] Tanto depictos
Mens Pia vincit Avos.
"Virtus Naturam superat, sed amictus utrisque Dotibus ut
Lumen Solis in orbe nitet.
THE CHVRCH MILITANT HERE ON EARTH FOVNDED AND RENEWED BY OVR SAVIOVR CHRIST.
‘
Who is this that comes from Edom,
with red Garments from Bozrah?
Esay. 63.’
The Argument.
The Church is built on Christ, who under-went
The Curse, Rose up, and then to Heaven went.
This wonder-rapt some Angels
of that Spheare,
That they with Ioyes speake of his comming there.
IN Paradise the Church of Christ began,
Whē after Breach God opened unto Man
The hopefull meanes, whereby he might deface
The Sting of Sinne, and bee restor'd to Grace;
[Page 2] If on
the promise of the Womans Seed
Man would rely, he might redeme his Deed.
But
Bloody Cain with his accursed
Race
Went Whoring after
Satan, sleighting
Grace.
And then the
Church in
Seth, Methusalem,
In
Noe and his Arke, in
Godly Sem
And
Iaphet fix't: from whence no liking
Cham
She downeward past to
Iob, and
Abraham,
And settled in the
Circumcized Ligne,
Vntill
the Promis'd Seed with
Light Divine
And
Gospels Sound arriu'd, graft things anew,
And by his
Crosse our
Charter did renew.
The
Gentiles then by his
Apostles blest
From
Heaven gain'd
the Holy Ghost for Guest,
To cheere their
Church, within her to reside,
And evermore her
Christian Broode to guide,
As long as they
Him for their
Rock protest,
Whome
Peter thrice for all his
Mates Confest.
So
Thousands did with
Angels Gifts encrease
From
Age to
Age, and found in
Conscience Ease,
Which holp our
Church to bloome with good successe.
Others, since
the Word late came in vse,
[...]pir'd have wrot and Preacht of
Faiths Abuse.
[...] so likewise we see, that in our Dayes
[...] feele
the Heate of that bright Spirits Rayes.
[...] them
our New man reapes the
Fruits of Truth,
[...]nsformes
Old wily Age to
Saintlike Youth,
[...]y for
Eve, for
Adam Christ he sings,
[...]ose
Blood then
Abels speakes forth better things,
[...]rancing Soules with
Gifts Propheticall,
[...]d otherwhiles with
Numbers Sphericall,
[...]at by those
Meanes and sweet enchanting
Layes
[...]ey might confirme themselves, as call home
strayes.
[...]irst like
Babes with Bells, smiles mixt with threats,
[...]weanes the weake before their Sence he bea
[...]es
[...]th
Zealous Charmes from worldly vanities,
[...]apting them for purer Qualities,
[...]hich our
Good Sire with
Metaplastick Mould
[...]nds ready to infuse more fine then
Gold.
THis Prudent course Some take in
Verse as
Prose
For stilling Swarming Bees, or Stubborne Foes,
To winne Applause to their more waighty work,
Which in their Braine, like ember'd Fire, did Lork.
They tickle first with smooth Conceptions
Youth,
Laurell their Name▪ and then gaine Roome for
Tru
[...]
To spread without Repulse, or sowre Distast,
Before they dresse rare
Manna for their Tast,
Clozing their Feast with Healths from
Sions Fount
Like
Petrarch, Beza, and
M
[...]randols Count,
Who with ripe Fruite by good mens Suffrages
Ransom'd their Froth, and greener passages.
Such Wits I wish with Lines of Sacred Truth
From Carnall Dreames to scare our Straggling Youth
And such I hope by Grace here to produce,
As Types of Vertue drawne for Holy use.
[...]N the
Lords Day, though not with full content,
[...]ate sung
Christs from
Olives Mount ascnt
[...] to that
Orbe, whose height no Earthly Scribe
[...] by the Booke, or Astrolabe describe.
Though
Galilees new Glasse a World espies
Within the Moone, yet Moone-sick are the Spies,
While clog'd with flesh, not Spirit-rapt, they pry
[...]o Gods Thrones Transcendent Mystery.
[...]
Heav'n I glaunc'd, wherein his Man-hood rests,
[...]eparing Roome for his
Beleeving Guests,
Who su'd to Christ, Mens Advocate alone,
[...]ot parcelling his Worship into halves,
[...]
Iewes for
Moloch, Baal, and
Golden Calves;
[...]hat so the Sabaoths change at Pentecost
[...]ucceede with Gifts sign'd by the
Holy Ghost,
The Comforter, which should the
Church renew,
And grace thenceforth the Gentile and the Jew,
Till the Returnes, as
Man-Emanuell
Within the Cloudes to Iudge the World and Hell▪
HEre now againe with
Fiery Flights I horer,
And his
Ascent more spaciously runne over
Then I did late, because our
Church hath drest
And cookt upon
another Day this
Feast.
The way of
Christs up to
Gods Orbe Ascention
Transcends above fraile
Natures Apprehention.
I dare not wrest,
Christs Body, nor confine
His
God-head. There,
He Raignes a Man-Divine,
As
Man He s
[...]es for Men. As
God he sends
The Holy Ghost to gratifie his Friends,
And by
Infusion heere
his Church to grace,
If we
Beleeve, and Love and Pray for Grace.
Although as
God his
Presence never
[...]ayles us,
His
Bodies Absence heere yet more availes us,
As he is
Man, or else his
Bodi
[...]s Sight
Had made us Carelesse of
the Spirits Light.
His
Manhood by his owne Experience saw
Our Natures weakenesse, & how
Fiends would draw
Whereby none could avoid Hells Pestilence.
Unlesse himselfe did stand within the Gap
[...]etwixt our Sinnes and
Wraths fierce Thunderclap;
[...]nd that made him remove his
Person hence
[...]o
Heaven, there to ease our Punishments,
[...]y suing to
Gods Grace, as
Advocate,
[...]hat for his sake he would repayre our State.
GReat were
the Angels Ioyes, when
Iesus came
[...]n humane shape with such
Imperiall Fame
Vp to th'
Empyrean Sphere, where none before
Of that
New Forme could like a
Phaenix soare.
[...]s by his
Crosse lay husht
Hells damned Crowd,
So wondring heere Some
Angels sung alowd:
Whats He that mounts, and sits on
Gods right hand,
With
Bozraes Robes, come from red
Edoms Land?
Clad like to One, who hath the
Winepresse trod,
Yet looking like unto the
Sonne of God,
[Page 8] Who did ride on the Cherubins and fly,
Yea, fly upon the wings of winds most High?
Perhaps He is a New
Melchisedeck,
Gods Spouse to grace, or her with Gemmes to deck?
Or else the Cause of this New Mans Ascent
Might be her
Vowes and
Offrings to presert;
Or for her Strayes to sue as Advocate,
Those whom the
Gospels Light reclaimes of late.
His comming here with such Triumphant Port
Doubtlesse to Men Salvation doth import.
This
Mystery and Ioyfull Spectacle
Above all Wonders prove a
Miracle
Vnparalell'd, that by Divinity
Infus'd in Flesh, men gaine Eternity;
And that the
Gentiles, as the
Iewish Tribes,
In
Truths rare Secrets grow most learned Scribes,
Pertaking Grace without disparity,
Made onely Iust by
Faiths dependency,
Not by their Owne, but by Anothers Deedes,
Tis strange how they are clear'd of their misdeedes.
[Page 9] What sparkling Eyes more beautifull then Wine?
[...]ose Teeth like Milke? whose Body lookes Divine?
[...] mild Aspect, yet of S.
Michaels strength
[...]epard, to Plague and foile our Foes at length?
[...]hose
Haires more white thē Wooll, or the full moone
[...]d whose bright Face outshines the
Sun at Noone?
[...]hose voyces Tunes like silver Brookes resounds?
[...]d whose faire
Feet like finest Brasse doe sound?
[...]hat is He? a Prophet? Prince? or Peere?
[...]ho in mans shape climb'd up our Highest Sphere?
[...]d there instal'd with the Divinest Light
[...]eares now a Crowne more bright then Chrysolite?
WHat can he be
then said Others, the Lord,
[...]ho to save men became th'
Incarnate word?
[...]nd having led on Earth an Humble life?
[...]e hath trod on the Dragons Crowne of strife?
Who Preacht to Soules with hideous Mists perplext,
[...]et for his Love by his owne Nation vext,
[Page 10] Who slaine at last by
Romes Authority,
Yet spite of
Hell Rose up with Majesty?
This
New man God the Third day rais'd from Dead
To be our King, and Comforts more to breath;
Who made Light things, or
Spirits, to descend,
Now upwards holp
Christs Body to ascend;
Whose
Body now we see Incorruptible,
Most Glorious, New, of strength Invincible,
Divine aswell as
Humane, not with hands
Of Mortalls wrest, as
Errour understands.
Yet his long
Hands, I meane, his
Spirits Armes,
Extend to shield his
Church from deadly
Harmes.
His clearest
Eyes all Penitents behold,
And his white
Teeth doe Temperance infold.
His
Silver Haires his knowledge Ripe declare,
And his bright
Face foretells his Favours rare.
Out of his Mouth flowes
Truths melodious Word,
But his just Wrath darts forth a Lightning Sword.
From Heaven He survayes each Holy Place,
And raps with mystick Trance Men chang'd by
Grace
Spirit matcht with
Hypostaticke League
[...] really, as in One Horoscope
[...]wo
Soules that plight with hands their mutual
Hope,
[...]hilst up to
Him with Thankes she lifts and heaves
[...] Ravisht Thoughts, like Wheates ripe eared sheaves,
[...]
Captive He hath led Captivity,
[...] Gifts to Men, and doth their Chaines unty,
[...]solving quite lewd Passions Linkes a sunder,
[...] knots of
Eeles, or Swarmes of
Waspes by thunder
[...]preme there He all Creatures overswayes,
[...]d there in his high
Manhoods Person stayes,
[...]ill All th'
Elect, the
Gentile as the
Iew,
[...]al'd up for
Grace come in, and till they rue
[...]th shamefull Guilt their Rancour, Guile, & Pri
[...] ▪
[...]ho his pure
Word and
Deity still deride.
[...]is
Garments red shew, that He trod alone
[...]he
Winepresse, how in
Need him succour'd None.
[...]is
Robes likewise resembling
Bozraes Graine
[...] Crimsondipt, imply, that Men againe
[Page 12] Will in his Members him oppresse and gore,
As they their Head and Master did before,
With Aspicke Tongues hir'd to empoyson Fame
With strife and Losse, or Plots surmizing Blame
Whereby weake Natures Brood torne by Dissention
Might lose the hopefull use of
Christs Ascention;
Or with Crosse Flames more fiercely violent,
Them in their lives last Period to torment,
Because
false Christ's they would not every where
Kisse, and adore
Christs Body heere, and there.
BVt leaving them for
Antichristians Limbs,
Let us applaud, and greet with Ioyfull Hymnes
The Reall Forme and
Body of the Lord
From mangling now to Lasting Life restor'd;
This
Crowned Lambe, the first Fruits of the Dead,
Whom God ordain'd to be our Prince and Head:
Great Iesus Christ borne on Sinnes necke to tread,
And to divide the Right from the Misse-led:
[Page 13] The Sonne of our
Iehovah Elohim,
[...]om Saints their
Saviour call, and None but Him;
[...] unto Him
our Maker hath resign'd
[...] Creatures sway with Power unconfin'd,
[...] whose dread Name all Angels, Saints, and Men
[...]ust bow, and at his Praise vent forth
Amen,
[...]ot onely with loude sounding Tunes expression,
[...]t likewise with
Loves Inward Flames impression.
The New mans Cloze of Thankesgiving for our Saviours Ascending up into Heaven.
[...]ll Glory be to
God for evermore,
[...]ho with New Layes hath multiplied our store,
[...]nd taught us by
the Holy Gholy to finde
Where
Christ remaynes rais'd in his Humaine kind.
That the
New man put downe our Carnall Sence,
'Twas well therefore that he departed hence,
[...]is
Body rapt till
Doomesday from our fight,
[...]et by his
great Victory infusing Light
And ever since on the
Church Catholik,
Or more or lesse, as
She with
Zealous Hope
Dayes Turret climb'd, or in
Nights vale did grope.
For these high
Flames more bright then Sunny Rayes
We sing to
Three in One, New Songs of Prayse.
THE MOST MEMORABLE OCCVRRENCES, WHICH [...]apned in Our Christian Church, from The Thirtieth Three yeere of Our Saviours [...]carnation; and from the Eighteenth yeere [...]f Tiberius Caesars Raigne the Roman Emperour, untill the yeere of Our Lord 100. at which time Trajan the Emperour began his Raigne.
The Argument.
Behold what Thanks from Worldlings worse then Mad
For Preaching Truth,
the chiefe Apostles had.
[...]ot One escapes a sad Tormenting Fate,
Which holpe to build at first the Churches
state.
VVHat better
Fruit can a
New Sparkling Muse
Produce then
Holy Odes for
Christians use?
[...]hen by th'
Apostles Glasse of Peace to chime?
[...] from late
Iarres to scare the
World with Rime?
[Page 16] O would I could, like
Roman Arato,
In
English Tune such Labours undergoe,
As might display
th' Apostles Acts and Lives,
Gladding our
Age with their
Pure Honey-Hives!
Which spite of
Drones, False Brethren, stormy Blast
And tortures stood through
watchings, vows & Fa
[...]
Forear'd against
the Foemen of the Crosse,
As to prevent from
Hell ensuing Losse.
Although our
Latter be not built as well,
Nor may that
Church in
Glory paralell,
Yet our
Good Will availes in stead of Spice,
And our
New man helps us to
Sacrifice;
For we have had our
Martys, like
the First,
Yea, and
the Living Rocke to quench our Thirst;
We have beheld
the Spirits Lightning Sword;
Onely, I feare, we want the
Flames of Love,
Which
Primer Saints with mutuall Heate did move.
This want Some may with their
Ambrosian Food
Supply, sound forth, and publish for our good,
If, as they have begunne, they warble out
[Page 17]
[...]hat I to bring about do stand in doubt.
[...]his
Taske Pauls Faithfull Mate in Physicke sk
[...]ll'd,
Though more for
Soules then
Bodies Cure, fulfill'd
[...]cring
two Workes to
Greeke Theophilus,
[...]
Monuments, and by his
Lamps to us;
[...] left them us to shew what
Legacies
[...]e Heavens lent for
Christian Sacrifice.
[...]ence, as his
Ape, by
Imitations straine
[...]ope some
Light for
Brittaines Church to gaine,
[...] least to serve as
Sparkes, Babes to revive,
[...]ho faile for want of
Torches store to thrive.
[...]Hen that
our New-mans Sire, the Holy Ghost▪
[...]h Cloven Tongues, like Fire, at Pentecost
[...] lighted on
th' Apostles visible,
[...]he some times inspir'd invisible
[...]s Prophets: then Faith, Love, and
Christian Ioye
[...]
[...]ighd Delphick Dreames, and
Babels
[...]arring Noise;
[Page 18] Then, Men that learnd no language save their owne
Amid' strange Folkes rung fo
[...]th
the Lords Renowne
And blaz'd his deedes in every
Forraigne Tongue,
Like
Angels Quire, with sweet harmonious song
As perfectly, as they their
Natives were,
So that those
Aliens stood entranc'd with Feare,
For how could they but be agast to heare
Iewes speake with
Tongs peculiar to their Eare.
Some Others deem'd them Mad, or Drunk with Win
[...]
Till
Peter prov'd them rapt with Joyes
Divine.
He prov'd them rapt by Gods
immediate Rayes,
With
Ectasies above all Humane wayes.
And not alone
the gifts of Tongues, but
Zeale
To Preach they had, and without Drugs to heale.
Some
Prophesi
[...]d, some
Sung, whil'st others told
What wondrous Acts
the Lord performd of Old.
Those
Mystick sparkes, which by Degrees we learne
God then infus'd, as of more Blessings Earne,
To paralell
Iob, Abraham, Salomon,
For
Patience, Faith, and
Wisedome thereupon.
[...]e more I muse on them, the more Dismay
[...] spend my Sence,
Lord, rayse up my desires,
[...] sing th'. Event of that Dayes Glorious
Fires,
[...]hich comforted the
Gentile as the
Iew,
[...]rich'd the Barren
Will, made Old things New.
[...] such rare Signes came first the
Mystèry
Three in One, the sacred Trinity
[...] be more knowne unto
the Church on Earth,
[...]d since
Old Rites were past at our
New Birth,
[...]at she might name at her solemnities
[...]e Holy Ghost Colleaged
to Baptize.
[...] working we agnize, feele, and admire,
[...] who but He could
stony Hearts inspire?
Done as with
Gifts this
Holy Flame appear'd,
[...]uls Chaos melt, and their dull wits had clear'd,
[...]ds Word then from
Melchisedechs choice Towne,
[...] from the Earths fixt
Meditullium blowne,
[Page 20] Pierst
Egypt, Greece, Damascus, Babilon,
The
Temperate, yea, and the
Torrid Zone,
Where
Negroes, though of
Circumcised Race,
Converted by an
Eunuch looke for
Grace.
The Gospell pierc'd each
Countrey and each
Towne,
Truths Sound went forth to all the world then know
Whereby no
Nation might excuses pleade,
But that they might be linkt with
Christ their Head.
WIth like successe the
Christian Faith did bloome,
And flourish there where brave
Triumphant Rome
Prepard the way by
Morall Arts and Aw,
That
Grace Mens Hearts might so the sooner draw.
While tatling Newes fond
Athens itch'd to tell,
The
Romans dri'd her
Aristotles Well.
These
Second Meanes for
Planting Christian Rites,
In those dayes much avayld
Romes Proselites.
Arts usher Faith. Faith quick by
Hearing growes,
But most of all when
the Good Spirit blowes.
[Page 21] There wanted none of these in
Ancient Rome,
Where vowes & teares for
Grace had purcha
[...]'d roome.
Rome was the
Empires Head, Great Caesars Seat,
The
Westernes Mother Church, where then complete
From
Salem s
[...]one the
Crosses radiant
Starre,
Which in
Pauls time enlightning neere and farre
Transferr'd on
Linus, Clemens, Anaclete,
The
Martyrs Crowne with
Flaming stones beset,
And thence bespred
Truthes universall
Course,
[...]or then all Men to
Tiber had recourse.
[...]ut though I much commend
Old Christian Rome,
[...] should forget my selfe and
Christendome,
[...] that faire Towne of memorized
Fame
Which first profest to beare the
Christian Name,
[...] chance to passe by vnsaluted now,
Not doing
Homage which all
Christians ow.
Had I rich
Tassoes veine to set her forth,
Or
Godfreyes strength to vindicate he
[...]worth,
[...] would possesse all
Christians Catholicke,
That
Antioch was S,
Peters Bishopricke.
[Page 22] And that it well becomes
a Christian Knight,
Who first bore
Christian Badge to doe her
Right.
I would redeeme her from proud
Ottoman
From
Muffties sway, and
Mechaes Alcoran.
In
Iowry Land arose the
Gentiles Light,
From
Antioch came the
Name, which
Fiends doth frig
[...]
And shall out last all Names, untill
our Head,
As
God and Man shall judge both
Quick and Dead,
Till
Christ resignes to the
Supremest Mace,
To
All in All, his
Intercessors Place.
THis
Light and
Name the
Sire of Antichrist,
In Envie unto
Man, and spite to
Christ:
With his
Blacke-Guard that were depriv'd of
Light,
And for their Pride enwrapt in
Errours Night:
They all conspir'd, and strove to prejudice
With all their Might,
the New-mans Sacrifice.
For this designe, their
Malice to effect,
They seiz'd the wits of
Annas and his sect.
[Page 23] They first plaid on the soules of
Saducees,
[...]nd gull'd such Braines as idolld
Golden Fees:
[...]hrist in his Limmes to Crucifie againe;
And all for Pomps support and worldly Gaine.
THe Creeple rais'd in Iesus Christ his Name,
[...]y Fishermen, that wonder put to shame
The Iewish Scribes, so that they burn'd for Ire,
And fear'd least
Christ might di
[...] their
Levites Fire,
Or quite abate their
Old Traditions Gaine,
Which holpe their present Glory to maintaine.
At first they silenc'd them, and then with Gall
They thundred out big words
ses
[...]uipedall:
That if thenceforth they acted
Miracles
In Iesus Name, they would as Spectacles
Of Infamy their Bodies publickely
Afflict, or make them in Iaile-Shackles ly.
But since th'
Apostles them regarded not,
Nor car'd for Threats, nor scourging, then they shot
Till a
Law Doctour calm'd their
Combinations.
By this Advice, that
no Devise of Man
Might stop the Will of God, do what they can.
ON this the
Levites rested for a while,
And ceas'd their hande with
Murther to defile.
The which Advise if
Romes late Catholikes,
Had
[...]aigh'd for them whom they call'd
Here tickes,
Rome might have held a
Reverend Mothers Sway,
She had ere this turn'd
Easterne Nights to
Day:
Where ministring now scandall to the
Turkes,
Both they and we detest their
Bloudy workes.
For
Ten Yeares space, till
Claudius Casar raignd,
The Scribes lay still, their spleene a while restrain'd,
And seem'd to winke at
the Apostles Fame,
Whilst in that breathing Truce the
Christian Name,
The Church encreas'd, had all her wants reliev'd,
Antioch receiv'd,
S
[...]maritans Believ'd,
[...]d many
Iewes joyd of the
Christian Race;
[...]well the
Gentiles, as the
Circumtiz'd;
[...]n'd in
One League for
Christ to be
Baptiz'd.
[...]hat
Good Time Saints gaped not for
Gold,
[...]liv'd in
Common, their
Possessions sold,
[...]d without Guile the Price did distribute,
[...]hereby they barr'd the Cause of wrangling suite,
[...]
Mine and Thine. Their Care was
Bread and Wine
[...] sacred use, and for
the Heavenly Vine;
[...] build
Christs Church upon the
New-Mans Rock,
[...] on the
Sand, False Keyes, or
stumbling Block.
[...]at
Wonders wrought they of stupendious sort
[...]ove fraile Sence?
Or Carnall wits Report?
[...] Words they made the
Cripled wight to walke,
[...]he
Dead to
Rise, Blinde see, the
Dumbe to talke.
[...]
Words they strooke a
Lying Couple Dead,
[...]nd
Blinded One, who men by
Charmes misseled.
And freed themselves from
Tyrants Manacles.
The Fame of such faire deedes in
Salem rung,
As Nettle prickes the Envious
Clergy stung.
That
Gentiles should partake with
Israels Tribes
Of
Gods good Grace, they brookt not without
[...]i
[...]es
They flouted that the
New-mans Troupes aswell,
As their Old
Scribes should
[...]ame the
Fiends of Hell
And the most part, like unto snarling Curres
In Manger lay'd, found fault with Others Cures.
Repining thus at Progresse of
the Word,
Since that no Trickes could stop it, by the
Sword.
[...]ebedees sonne they caus'd to lose his breath,
As they by
stoning wrought the
Deacons death;
By
Caesars Minion King they weav'd their
Plot,
Who would have cast on
Peter the like
Lot,
But that
an Angel came to free his
Chaines,
To Plague with wormes
the Tyrant for his
Paines.
[...]His puts my
Muse in mind of
Phillips Queene,
[...]ho wreakd on
Saints her Gall with swelling spleene,
[...]ill with her
Gods, her
States, and
Calleis Losse,
[...]e felt the weight of a more heavie
Crosse;
[...]nd of the
Royall Brothers styl'd
Valois,
[...]ho di'd in
Blood for
Blood, and
Bloody Ioyes,
[...]riaes Rings can testifie likewise,
[...]hat they have got by
Belgiaes bloudy
Cries.
MOre mild yet dealt
Agrippa with Saint
Paul,
[...]ot barring him from
Romes Appeale at all,
[...]t would have join'd with
Feftus to enlarge,
[...]nd save for his
Appeale him to discharge.
Much lesse would once that sage
Praetorian Peere
[...]or
Words & Names the
Iewes mad Clamours heare.
HOw many Snares with Tumultes, spite, and Rage
Did they spread forth for
Christians in that Age?
By all the meanes, which
Satan could devise,
Men sought to stop the
New Mans Sacrifice.
But all in vaine, like trod on
Cammomell
It grew the more, and with a fragrant smell.
Not
Elimas, nor
Magus with
Hell Charmes,
Nor could
Dianaes Smith knock down their
Armes,
Or quench in them the
Holy Spirits Flame,
Which they conferr'd in
Jesus Christ his Name,
That like themselves at first
Enthusians rapt,
For
Holy Trances they made others apt.
VNwearied they in their Vocation went,
And acted Deedes to
Arts astonishment.
No by-respects to
Glory, Wealth, or
Ease,
No Emulations Sting could make them cease
No servile
Feares, Detraction, nor
surmize,
Could let their maine intent, and
Ghostly Race,
From setting forth
Gods Charter of free
Grace.
No
Chollers Heate, Debate, nor
Casuall Brawle.
As fell betwixt Saint
Peter and Saint
Paule
For
Iewish Rites, as likewise came to passe
For Chusing
Mark twixt
Paule and
Barnabas;
Or as it chanc'd to
Abraham and
Lot:
Their Passions sway'd not so, that they forgot
The Progresse of
the Word, the worke in hand,
But that they ranne, and toil'd by
Sea and
Land.
In Accidentalles, though as Men they err'd;
Yet, as Divines, the substance they preferr'd.
Their
Elder Man they stoupt in spite of vice,
And their
New-Man went on to
Sacrifice.
Here
Paule and
Silas Preach,
Apollos there,
While
Barnabas and
Marke, doe teach else where.
Mathias, Iude, and
Simon burn'd alike
To execute their Charge
Apostolicke.
[...]
[...]
[Page 30] With the like zeale all
the Apostles rapt
Transformed soules for
Mysticke Trances apt.
THey
Catechiz'd, and sought their
Saviours Praise,
Their
Soveraigne Ioyes were to reclaime some Strayt
With Constant
Faith the Gospel they did blaze,
And daily wrought great wonders of amaze;
Till by
Romes Mace the Type of
Antichrist,
Which slue their
Master Christ, they di'd for
Christ.
In all their Deeds they were so farre from Pride,
That when some
Gentiles would have
Deified
Good
Barnabas and
Paul with glorious shout
In stead of yeelding thankes they ranne about
With cloathes all rent among the wondring throng,
And beg'd of them the
Deity not to wrong,
Nor by detracting from their
Makers Grace
With
Sacrifice his servants to disgrace.
They vilified themselves, tooke up the
Crosse,
Contemning
Pompe and
Gold, like seumme or drosse.
They varnish'd not
Gods Word with
Glosse of schooles
But sought the
wholsome spring, not Muddy Pooles,
And spar'd their
New built Church to interrupt,
With knotty doubts of Phantasies Corrupt.
Now for a Type of their essentiall Gare,
[...] will produce this One Example rare,
When
Proselites of Pharisaicall sort,
Would
Gentiles to strict
Moses Lawes exhort:
[...]
Salems Councell the Apostles sate,
And in few lines resolv'd their Questions state:
Whereas by some ye were perplext with Feare
[...]bout Old Rites, we warne you to forbeare
From Meates Prophane at Idolles Sacrifice.
From beastly Lust, or Wives Pluralities,
From strangled Flesh, and shedding Humane Blood,
[...]f as your owne, yee Carke anothers Good:
And do abstaine from the said sinnes withall,
Yee shall doe well. By
Barnabas and
Paul.
[Page 33] And two of the Chiefe Brethren moe they sent
These Pithy
Actes the
Gentiles to Content.
Whereby I note on
Weaklings they impose
No heavier Yoake then what the
New-man chose.
They combred not
the Church with
Needlesse Lawes,
Nor with
Traditions Superstitious Flawes.
They could not brooke
Food drest with
Satans
[...]
Nor at
Christs Feasts to glut their hungry Mawes.
Thus we observe how easie is
Christs Yoak,
That to cleare doubts
Faith beares the Soveraign
[...]
Faith linkt with
Love requires us to forbeare,
And not for Toyes
Christs seamelesse Coate to teare.
HOw wondrously did
the Good Spirit breathe
The
New-Mans Gifts, from darkenesse & from death
To raise up soules? and Heathen Clouds to cleare?
Dispersing
Christs Disciples heere and there?
By visions
He Immediate lighted on
Cornelius and Saint
Peter, both for
One
[...]at
God tooke care within their Hearts to sow
[...]s seed of Grace, which stubborne
Iewes abus'd,
[...]d
Christ their Head, Gods husbandman refus'd:
[...]d that
without respect of high or low,
[...] loves all them, who to his Service bow▪
[...]Hat
Travels did
good Peter undergoe?
Sea and Land he did undaunted goe,
[...]ough wanting
meanes, unfurnished of
Money,
[...]t for himselfe to gaine a
Patrimony
[...] corruptible
mould, or brittle
Masse▪
[...]ich like fond
dreames in time away doe passe?
[...] for his Master
Christ soules wrapt with mists,
[...] Ignorance he made good
Catechists,
[...]od
Catholicks Apostolickes he made,
[...]tructing them in his Soule-fishing Trade.
[...]d as some write, when
Simon with his Whore.
[...]ene brag'd, hee like a
God would soare
[...]
[...]
[Page 32] Above the Clouds, by
Peters vowes he fell,
And brake his Necke, left by his Guard of Hell.
TO
Iewes and
Gentiles He
the Gospel taught,
But chiefly he the
Iewes conversion sought;
Deputed for the
Circumcisions Charge,
Unto
the Elect, dispenst hee shew'd at large
The
Patent of his
[...]eald
Apostleship;
Yea, and, if
Fame belies him not, his Ship
And
Fishing-nets hee left at
Tibers streame,
Where some then so journ'd of
Ierusalem,
As in the
Acts wee read; there he baptiz'd,
(If there he was) till
Nero tyranniz'd.
Now whether
Rome hath cause of him to boast,
As for his
seate more then
the Holy Ghost,
Which living
Peter gave to
men of Faith,
Some since have strove, not following
Peters path
[...]
'Tis certaint, that he w
[...]re no Triple
Crowne:
None kist his Foot, nor
[...]rod he
Princes downe.
[Page 33] 'Tis knowne, that
Gold and silver he hast none:
A
Tanners house was of his
Lodg
[...]ngs One.
'Tis credited, that to
the Crosse he bow'd,
A kind of
Death which onely
Rome allow'd,
Till:
Constantine in love to
Christ for bad
This cruell paine and spectacle most sad;
That being
Old against fraile
Natures will,
Others did
Peter lead his
Bloud to spill,
As
Christ foretold; but his
Crosse-fixed place
(Romes Empire lay so large) I dare not trace.
BUt sure I am
Saint Paul in bloudy
Rome,
When
Nero raign'd, endured
Martyrdome.
There, having twice before that
Tyrant stood,
His
Faiths Defence he sealed with his
Bloud
About the time when that mad
Bouteseu,
Had fir'd the
City with his wanton Crew,
Because he
[...]ong'd to sing
the sacke of Troy,
And by such Types would execute his Toy,
[Page 34] To cloake the Fact, and stop the Mutiny,
Yet not repenting of his villainy,
He authour'd
Christians of those
dismall cryes,
And butcher'd them to bleare the Peoples eyes.
Among that
guiltlesse Troupe then suffered
Paul,
Who had fore-wrote what should him there befall.
This chosen Saint hath left brave
Monuments
Unto the
Church, which
Satans Ambushments
Can never trap, nor Canker-fretting Age
Consume, but they stand firme in spight of Rage.
IN
Albions Orbe an arched stately
Roome,
The chiefest
Pile, I thinke, in
Christendome,
Of
Pauls sole
Name, revives his memory,
Till
Doomes-dayes blast the River
Thames shall dry;
In the meane time grave Saint-like
Ministers,
Accompanied with
Asaphs Quiristers,
Sing praise to
God for gracing of
Saint Paul,
Who once had beene a bloody-minded
Saul.
[Page 35] Of late repair'd it shines with zealous
Fire,
[...]s erst with
flames rag'd the stupendious
spite.
Blest be their Zeale, their Cares, and good Intent,
Which have re-built this famous
Monument,
Resembling that of
Salems Second one,
Renew'd by
Iewes, first built by
Salomon.
LIke these, so did all
Christs Apostles Fish,
And on some Coast or other never miste
To catch for
Christ some choise and dainty Prey,
Bartholomew and
Thomas knew the way
[...]nto the East, and there engrav'd their
Names.
[...]aint Mathewes Paines
sev'n flouded Nilus fames,
And
pretious Iohn the
Bel
[...]ll Abissine,
From him and
Philip claimes
Christ a Faith Divine.
Achaia vaunts of good
Saint Andrewes Cares,
With whom he pawn'd his Bones, till those rich wares,
Some
Scottish Saints by a
Greeke Monke redeem'd,
Them and their worth, like precious Gems, esteem'd.
To leave it her,
Niles Alexandria smiles,
Sea-spousing Venice too did sacrifice
Unto
Saint Mark a goodly Edifice.
The latter
James, Christs kinsm
[...]n by the flesh,
In
Salem liv'd, disorders to redresse,
Where hee, though stiled
just, as spectacle
Of shame, was throwne downe from the
P
[...]a
[...]le,
Which
Satan mov'd to
Christ. There he expir'd,
And
Roman Force the place soone after fir'd,
Yet hath his
Fame to after-Ages spred,
His
Bishops Seat with
Christians flourished,
By
Princes grac'd, and for
Antiquity
Puts
Antioch downe, and
Romes Priority.
At the First Councell
Iame
[...]
[...]a
[...] President.
There,
S
[...]in
[...]t cloz'd up the Circumcised Ren
[...].
In
Salem
[...]ate the
High Commission Court,
Where they decided doubts of most import.
At
Compostell, which
later Wits profane,
Adoring
[...]mes, as if
Humanity
Should offer
Vowes due to the
Trinity.
ABout the Time of
Iames his death, to
[...]
The Fatall Web for sinfull
Salem spunn
[...],
Upon the
Siege the Christian Iewes fore-warn'd
By
Oracle from
Christ, fled thence una
[...]'d
With Humane helpes, but guarded by
Divine
Supplica, themselves to
[...]ella they confine,
Where they on
I
[...]rdans B
[...]ks securely lay,
While
Rebell-Iewes were slaine, and fold away.
SO stood the
Church with them, who flourish'd first,
Next
Christs Ascent most pure, untill accurst,
The
Iewish Nation for their
Crying sinne,
And
hardned Hearts deep woes were plu
[...]ged in,
[Page 38] And then God pleas'd for
Iewries unbeliefe,
The
Gentiles to adopt to
Iewries griefe,
And our
Church seemes to them a stumbling sinne,
Till all th'
Elected Gentiles be come in:
As unto them of
Antichristian Race
She seemes, till
Babel feeles her last disgrace.
But why were
Saints, like
Christ, so foulely slaint:
Because the more they suff
[...]red here, more Gaine
They reape, the
Nobler Crowne in Heav'n they gai
[...];
And shall judge those, who put them hereto paine.
IF you would know by Times Gradation m
[...]c,
Domitius and
Domitian yeelds you store;
Read
Tacitus, when
Rome lay wast with
fire,
How
Christians felt the Formers Franticke Ire:
Some crucifi'd▪ some burnt, and some were
[...]as'd
In wild beasts skins, by
Mastives torne and chasd
So cruelly, that who did them contemne,
In hate to
N
[...]s spleene then pittied them.
[Page 39] Though
Christians were to manifolded paine,
Throughout the twelfe yeere put of
Neroes Raigne,
[...]et like to Palme supprest, the more they grew;
The
Church the more by
Martyrs did renew.
Athmos with
Romes whole Empire tells what paine,
The
Church endurd in the last
Flavians Raigne,
[...]ith greater Numbers
Martyrs Calendar
[...]anonizing then in mad
Neroes yeare:
[...]uring which Rage some Brethren false did rove,
The Deacons Sect, lewd Family of Love;
[...]nd hee that durst afore
Christs Darling bath,
[...]ut felt the Doome of his incensed wrath;
The Bath-walls fell, crushd
Cerinthe underneath,
As soone as
Iohn had menac'd him with death.
THE OCCVRRANCES OF THE SECOND AGE From the yeere of our Lord 100. untill the yeere 200. At which time Severus raigned Emperour of Rome.
The Argument.
Saint John
deceas'd, Fiends Seedes of Error sow,
Yet doth the Church,
though persecuted, grow,
And from her Wombe spring up a Learned Crew
Of Saints,
who with their bloud
do Truth
renew.
HE that desires a
Saint-like Life to lead,
Let him the steps of
ancient fathers tread,
Who neerest liv'd unto
th'Apostles times;
Thence I collect the Course in
Raptur'd Rimes,
What Pathes they trac'd, and wherein she excelld,
If wee mislike her Plainenesse, or their Marts,
Love bids us chastely gaze, and winke at Warts;
For like the
Moon at
full, sometimes the
Church,
Raignes knowne from her, who lives upon the lurch,
Dispersed through the World,
Apostolicke,
Yet, like
our God in Three, one Catholicke,
In sundry shapes repleat with
sacred Fire;
With many Tongues, in Spirit yet entire
And
Essence one; who, though
diversifi'd
For Rites or Forme,
[...] yet
[...]ustifi'd
By
Faith with Him, who tryes mens Consciences,
Beares with their
[...]ips, and heares her Grievances.
Returne, quoth hee, Ye
[...] people full of strife,
Who Me have wrong'd, like a rebellious Wife.
Alluding to which challenge in his
Word:
Before the
Lord and
Ange
[...]s I record,
That I beleeve no Church on Earth this day,
Then
Britaines Church goes a more
knowing
[...] ▪
[Page 43] In substance pure, and in her good intents,
Seal'd rightly with the
Newmans Sacraments.
And with the Best her
Elders I conferre,
Yet dare not say her
Troupes doe never erre,
Nor brag that shee hath neither
Mole nor
Wen,
While shee cohabits heere with
mortall men:
But pray, that she in Fruit more pregnant thrive,
As shee in shape is like the
Primitive;
And that with
flames of
mutuall Love wee glow,
As forward as in
height we seeme to grow.
One thing I adde against her
Foes in briefe,
And therewithall to ease our
Weaklings griefe;
Although I honour with my heart and Pen,
The
Couneclls, Fathers, and the
Ancient men,
Who wrote before the
seventh Century
Became bewitcht with
Babels Mystery,
Yet we no more give credit to their Lore,
Their Matter, Tropes, and Topick Maximes store
[Page 44] Derived from
Old Adams double Tree,
Nor further then wee finde them to agree
With
Gods owne
Word, or
Oracles Divine,
Dare wee consent with them in every Line,
For men may erre, yea,
Learned Countells erre
By Faction
[...] sway'd, as other whiles they were;
And, as
Eusebius markt, the
Church began
To be unchast, soone as
th' Apostles ranne
The
Hower-glasse out of their lives Pilgrim age,
By
Cerinths Toyles, and
Nicholaites Rage;
Or by those Fogges, which
Epiphanius brands
For
Heresies of
Antichristian Bands;
Or
Sects, whose
Augustine expells the mists,
Be they
Pelagians, or the
Donatists.
AT the
New Rising of the
Second Age,
In the First yeere came
Trajan on the Stage,
Adopted
Caesar by good
Nerv
[...]es choise,
Broiles to prevent, and Cares to counterpoise.
[Page 45] In his precedent Raigne
Domitians Act
Against the
Church in
Rome was somewhat slackt;
But otherwhere the
Praetours for their Gaine
By
Christians goods escbeat, renew'd againe
The
Old Decree, and in their Liberties
Practiz'd on
Saints their former Cruelties.
But leaving them a while to racke and rage,
I now glance on the
Wonder of that Age.
OF Him I sing, who would have kneeled downe,
But was forbod, unto an
Angel, knowne
Of all the
Apostles longest to have seene
The
Churches course eclips'd by Tyranis spleene.
One while assail'd, anon strong
Militant
Iohn saw her curbe Conetits exorbitant.
Thou haft,
O glorious Saint, beheld her Pure,
Like to the
[...]unne dispelling Clouds obscure.
When Shepheard
Pan deceas'd, then
Oracles
From that time ceas'd through
Christian Miracles;
[Page 46] For when
Tiberi
[...]t swayd, Fiends waild their losse,
While they
shipt Tam
[...] forc'd to bruite
[...]he Crosse,
And to proclaime in
Midland Seas with dread:
That
Pan, the great God Pan, was newly dead.
Thou hast survivd thy
Brethren, and thy
Mates,
Thou hast beheld strange Turnes of worldly
States,
The
Temple sackt,
Ierusalem destroyd,
Thy Native soile all harried and annoyd,
Thou liv'st to see weedes of blacke Heresies,
Amidst the
Church spring up,
Apostafies
Grownerife, the
Saints with
Persecutions flame
Scorcht every where, and put to open shame,
Thou hast out-dar'd a
dozen Emperours,
Since thy good
Lord triumphed over powrs,
When thou beganst to shine,
Tiberius raignd,
They saw thy Lifes sun-set, whom
Trajan paind.
What dangers, wrackes, and buffetings of Fiends,
Hast thou oft felt? What snares of glozing Friends?
Portents to make the
Patient
[...] Iob dismaid;
Thou hast out-liv'd thy Charge, the
Widow-Maid,
To thee his
Minion left, to ease thy losse,
When therehence out thou tookst her to thy house,
As a true
Nunne, to helpe thy
Christian vowes.
HOw long shee liv'd with thee, to calculate,
An
Angel must the certaine Time relate,
Or name the Place where her
Blest Body lyes,
Whether she was in Body
Enoch-wise,
Immediately to
Heaven assumed up?
Or dwelt with
Iohn till Age made her to stoup?
And payd her debt as other Mortalls doe
To
Nature, much it
skills not us to know?
Since now with
Christ her
Soule Triumphant rests,
And as her Life deserv'd with him she feasts:
Admitting no such
Mediatrix style,
Or
Goddesses, as some themselves beguile,
That she doth oftentimes command her
Sonne
To heare a
Sinners suite, or
Orison?
SAve that I might be into Whirle-pooles brought,
Or for my Guesse be too Sagacious thought,
I would Conjecture at the Time when
Iohn,
Before the Siege of
Salem undergone,
Departed into
Corinth, Ephesus,
Or other Coasts, where
Titus and
Timotheus,
Were by Saint
Paul ordain'd to Over-see,
There, to confirme each
Saint in his Degree,
As they by Him, who all those
Churches bare
Upon his shoulders first, were bred with Care.
There, he consum'd the Remnant of his Age,
Untill to
Pathmos by
Domitians Rage
Confin'd, he saw
in spirit Christ againe,
Who then and there by
Revelations plaine
To his Rapt Sence, though hid from
Carnall Braine,
Did prophesie the future Churches staine.
For Comfort of th'
Elect the
Lord appear'd
Unto this
Saint, and his Wits Sences clear'd,
To understand what plagues he will effect
In the last dayes for his true
Words Neglect.
Whom he reserv'd so long. And thereupon
I humbly glance by leave of
Holy Wits,
To whom my
Muse her
Raptures here submits:
That when One asked
Christ, what
Iohn should do?
Whether he should remaine behinde or go?
His Answer was unto this bold Assay.
If my will be to have him here to stay
Untill I come, what matters that to thee?
And long he staid, as all may cleerely see.
Before his Death he did so settle things,
That
Greece his Praise aswell as
Asia rings.
In
Norvaes Raigne he came with his Release
To
Ephesus, where he deceas'd in Peace,
While
Trajan sway'd, as
Graecian Clearks relate,
Having escap'd an
Oily scalding Fate,
Impos'd on him by fierce
Domitians Rage,
Who then exiled him to
Pathmos Cage,
Where, though cub'd up a while from
Christians sight,
He saw what cheer'd his
Soule, His Masters Light.
BOth in his time, and after, soone began
The Divels Plots to scare the
Christian man,
Which
Valentinian and
Menander spred,
And many moe, which Weaklings then misled:
For whose Mistakes
Saint Irenaeus griev'd,
Two hundred yeeres ere
Epiphanius liv'd,
To blazon them and other Heresies,
Which then obscur'd the
New Mans Sacrifice,
After
Saint Iohns decease, till
Adrian raign'd,
The
Roman Praetours still the
Christians Pain'd,
Who so confirm'd were for the
Fiery Crosse,
They fear'd not Death, nor Paine, nor Fortunes Losse.
The
Truth when rackt by
Inquisition strict,
That
Christians much were wrong'd by
Romes Edict,
Great Trajan then did unto
Pliny write,
To mitigate the Fiery Trialls Spight;
Yet not to spare them, if they were brought in.
(Damn'd policie so cloaking Bloody Sinne)
[Page 51] In which implicite Snare
Ignatius bound,
Like
Christs fine Corne, by Lions Teeth was ground.
NExt after this, the
Second Century
Points at some
Saints of Glorious Memory,
As Pillars of that
Age, with whom as Chiefe,
Succeeding those fore-nam'd I ranke in Briefe
A Martyr'd Sire of
Naples Palestine,
One that foretold his death to
Antonine,
When shortly after did a
Cynickes Hate
Conclude with Flames the
Swans Prognosticate,
Having first wrote, to calme the Emperours
Spleene his Defence, and to
Romes Senatours.
In
Iustines time, which by the yeeres account,
Since
Christs Ascention up from
Olives Mount,
One Hundred shone, good
Christians liv'd content
With simple Meanes, and scorn'd the Blandishment
Of Gaine or Pompe, with all false worldly Wares:
But fixt on
Christ, and Cure of
Soules their Cares.
Compar'd to them seemes but
Promethean stealth,
Phant asticke Dreames, or Speculations Flame,
Which being unpractiz'd breed the
Authours shame,
They taught and wrought with
Reall Charity,
As if that day they were arraign'd to dye;
Not like to
Stoicks dissembling Lookes austere;
But against
Sinne with
Discipline severe,
With Vowes and Fasts the
Outward man to tame;
Not for Repute, or Superficiall Fame,
But with intent
to keepe their Vessels pure,
And to seale up their
Christian Calling sure,
They promis'd not but what they did performe,
And squar'd their
Deedes to the
Apostles Forme,
Such
Pious Deedes with Zealous Sparkes beset,
As I for
Saints have in my
Preface set.
From
Justines Workes likewise I apprehend
The
Eucharists Religious Use and End:
We take no Common Bread nor Common Wine,
(Saith he) but like as
Christ by the
Divine
Tooke on him our
Attire of
Flesh and
Blood,
So we by Vertue of his
Word, Record
That
Food to be the
Body of the Lord;
Yet
Sacramentall Wine and
Sacred Bread,
Which have our
Soules by the
Remembrance fed.
With this short Course the
Presect of the
Feast,
Insinuates
Vowes into each
Sacred Breast;
They fed with
zeale: the Throng
Thanksgiving sing,
And
Deacons did unto the Absent bring
The
Consecrated Food, that they likewise
Might have a Taste of the
Soule-sacrifice:
Such was the
Ancients Forme, to distribute
The
Holy Food without
Quirkes or Dispute.
IN those Dayes Crosse to Food blest by the
Word,
Was
Sacrifice of Flesh at
Heathens Boord
To
Idoll-Gods, which
Christians did refuse,
By reason of the
Cursed End and
Vse,
[Page 54] (As we likewise that
Carnall Food despise,
Which some Create a
God at
Sacrifice)
And yet the
Food, ere it was so disgrac'd,
Could not pollute the honest
Takers taste.
So when
Gods Word hath blest Ours to record
Our
Saviours Crosse, it quickens by that
Word,
Which full of Life breathes
Spirit, Life, Reliefe,
If it be tane by
Soules firme of
Beliefe;
For otherwise the present
Ectasy
Doth uanish, and away those
Blessings fly:
They at their Feast
Emanuels Presence lose,
His
Presence, whose rare
Forme some Clearks appose.
Though they beleeve, that
Christ is
God and
Man,
And stiled
God with us, his
Forme they scan,
And question, how could
Paul and
Stephen see
Emanuel, while on Earth Men living be?
As to the
Pure this
Mysti
[...]ke Trance turnes Pure,
So tis
Damnations Bait to the Impure.
And when
Faiths Feast becomes a
Sacrifice
To
Idoll Gods, it tends to prejudice;
[Page 55] For this grave Cause good
Christians doe refuse
False
Altars Meate, where
Satan Poison scrues.
WHat shall I write of
Mark Aurelius Raigne?
When all his Campe distrest for want of Raine,
Were at the point to perish,
Christians then,
By
Miracle gain'd
showres to save his Men?
While hopelesse
Pagans dig'd, by
Prayers they
Gain'd in One Night what they had toyl'd by Day.
Such wondrous Deedes of the
Church Primitive,
Like those Blest Showrs, will cause our
M
[...]se to thrive,
If therewithall we moisten
Thirsty Soules,
Which long to taste of our
Nectarean Bowles,
In hope from
Bruites to be trasnform'd anew
To better shapes, then
Ovid could renew,
Or
Samian Forge. Our
New-Man sings more strange,
Of Manners, not of Bodies, the
Exchange.
WIthin this
Age liv'd
Irenaeus knowne
A
Bishop, where
France built her
Lions Towne.
He stoutly did the
Marriage-state defend,
Whose Foes, he writes, blame
God and
Natures End.
He taxed
Romish Victors Lightnings Flash,
And qualifi'd his Squibs denounced rash,
Which he presum'd against the
East to throw,
For
Easters Date with Supercilious Brow:
(Or did perhaps not excommunicate,
But barre with them
Rome to communicate.)
So likewise did Grave
Policrates blame
His Censure-causing Schisme, and
Christians shame.
This
Reverend Man, to win the more Applause
For his Defence of that propounded Cause,
Demonstrated, that his
seven Ancestours,
And he the
Eighth from those
Progenitours,
Were
Bishops all of
Ephesus, and held
Their yearely Course of
Easter unrepeal'd,
[Page 57] Implying, that his
Lineall Holy Race,
Confirm'd the
Truth to cleare that wrangling Case.
NExt unto those shone
Athenagor as,
Tatian, and
He, who with his
Sire would passe
To
Martyrdome, and but for
Mothers Teares
Partake, like
Adamant, not shrunke with Feares.
He gloss'd
Gods Word, & would have bin more priz'd,
If he had not too much allegoriz'd.
Severus sent for him (such was his Fame)
To
Antioch, where he stuck to
Christ his
Name,
And blaz'd his
Word with such rare Eloquence,
That he return'd by
Caesar grac'd from thence,
Dismiss'd with Gifts, and
Courtiers good report,
He came againe to the
sev'n Flouded Port,
Where he much
Oyle in
Alexanders Towne,
Consum'd, untill his Errour put him downe.
Where well he wrote, no better
Writer knowne:
Where ill, none worse then
Origen is showne.
[Page 58] Famous for this: he termes
Christs Flesh and Bl
[...]
The
Spirits Type, his
Word Soule-quickning Food;
Most infamous for this: that first he Gelt
Himselfe, and then for feare he should have felt
A
Buggering Rape by a
Black-hired Moore,
He Sacrific'd to
Idolls (a farre more
Scurfe-spreading
sinne) for which with Bolts accurst,
By
Alexandriaes Church, to Teares he burst,
Whenlighting on a
Text in
Salmes Towne,
And there desir'd to Preach, he found his owne
Unhappy Act by
Lot, nay by Divine
Appointment: How the
Precepts which are mine,
Dar'st thou presume within thy Mouth profane
To teach or read, O thou ungodly Man?
Upon which
Text poore
Origen abasht,
With Teares his Crime and his Presumption washt.
THE STATE OF THE BISHOPS OF ROME DURING THE TIME OF PERSECVTION, and while they were subject to the Emperours.
IT may be heere some Curious Wits expect,
That I their Lives and Deedes should recollect,
Whom Priestly Votes h
[...]ve voyc'd for
Roman Popes
In
Peters Chaire, on whom they sixt their Hope
[...]
To binde and loose their manifolded Cri
[...]e
[...]
Both then and now, and in ensuing Times.
But such a Taske I dare not undergoe,
Nor will I have with Fraudfull Styles to doe:
The Servant when of Servants One proclaimes
Himselfe, and yet a
Monarques Power claimes.
[Page 60] Let them who build on Flesh and Blouds Desires,
Entangling their
Beliefe with needlesse Fires
Of High Ambitious Thrones, not warranted
By
Gods deare Lambe, who for our sakes here led
An Humble Life: Let them I say bow downe
Before the
Gold-cross'd Shooe and
Triple Growne.
But I am sure they no
Record shall finde,
Nor
Chronicle, that mentions in that kinde
The least Reflexe of
Royall Majesty
Due to
Romes Popes with
Both Swords Soveraignty,
Untill the
French the
Lumbards overcame,
Till
Charlemaine did
Desiderius tame
Since
Phocas Time they Nine score yeeres before,
Above all
Priests the
Chiefest Mi
[...]er wore:
Since
Constantines, who
Phocas did precede
Three Hundred yeeres, a
Patriarchs sway I read
They had heere in our
West. But till that Time
They scarce found space to breath, much lesse to climb,
Or claime a
Mace, and to be called
Lord,
A Style, which
Christ forbad, and
Saints abhorr'd;
Thirty they were, which grac'd
Romes Pastours Seat,
And of those
Thirty Bishops there were None,
But they were slaine, or did through Troubles grone.
As
English Saints were in Queen
Maries dayes
By
Tyrants spleene distressed sundry wayes,
Imprison'd, rackt, and put to Open shame,
Depriv'd of all their Goods, and burnt in Flame:
So
Christs New Church, tho with rare Dowries blest,
Neere for
Three Hundred yeares was sore opprest.
Caefars without, and
Herteickes within,
Did persecute, and plunge her Members in
So many Toiles, that hardly they could meet
In Private Place, nor one another greet
With Common shewes of Neighbours Amity;
How then could they thinke on
Priority?
And stand on Points of
Prelates Primacie,
Without distrust of some Conspiracie?
THe Truth is this: who were styl'd
Bishops then,
They fish'd not for fraile Wealth, but
Soules of Men,
Not to enrich themselves with Private store,
But like Saint
Paul, the
Crosse they thought on m
[...]
From
Christian Caesars they got
Liberties,
But not so great to claime
Regalities,
About the Yeare
Sixe Hundred sixty sixe,
We finde that
Rome began to play more Tricks
Then she durst act within the
Ages past,
As
Paul and
John fore-told her
Breach at last)
And never left to lift her
Lofty Crest,
Till she
Gods Word had darkned in the
West,
And dar'd upon the
Caesars State to prey,
The maine great
Let to her Prodigious Sway.
She never ceas'd to stirre up raging Fires,
Till she at
Trent concluded her Desires,
[Page 63] Repugnant to the
Vow, which she profest
At her
First Rise, Sixe Hundred yeares at least,
At such wild Fits I onely glance, not carpe;
This Taske I leave for an
iambicks Warpe.
THE OCCVRRANCES OF THE THIRD AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 200. untill the yeere 300. At which time Dioclesian and Maximinus raigned Emperours of Rome.
The Argument
Next to the Greekes
the Latine Scribes
begin,
Idolaters unto Christs Church
to win▪
Romes Tyrants
fret, and Saints
they martirize.
Saint Anthony
into a Desart flyes.
WIthin this Age the
Church most Militant
And Cautious, strove to shun exorbitant
Attempts of Foes; one while to secret Caves
Constrained to retire; sometimes to tame the Braves
[Page 66] Of her owne Tribe, Domesticke Mutineers,
Shee us'd the Spirits
Sword;
[...] the Jeeres
And Flou
[...]ing Stuffes of
F
[...]rrainers to daunt,
Which did at her Poore Robes and
Altars taunt,
She fought against
Caetilius and his
Traine,
And prov'd their
Vaunt for
Outward Glories vaine.
Her State was then unsetled▪ New, and Poore,
But Time to come might make her flourish more.
A thousand of such Taunts and Fiery Darts,
A Thousand of great Dangers, Envious Arts,
By
Satans Plots she daily underwent,
While
Caesars sought their
Pagan-Gods Content.
The neerer that the
Church drew to her Time
Of Liberty, least that too high she climbe,
Satan suborn'd his Agents in this Age,
Against her Race to shew their utmost Rage.
He knew her
Thraldomes Date to
Iohn foretold,
Would shortly end. And that made him so bold.
AS otherwhiles a
Woman Chast and Faire.
Dishevel'd seemes, or with loose dangling Haire:
So without Art, and in her
Native Dresse
The
Church at first for want of Time to dresse,
And to compose her
Outward Ornament,
Came forth to spread her
Saviours Testament,
Not carking much for Superficiall Wea
[...]e,
But in the Heart the
New Mans Gifts to beare;
And yet both Chaste and Faire She comely shone,
With Constant
Faith built on the
Corner-stone.
And though she liv'd and raign'd of Men unseen
With
Carnall Eyes, yet of
Good Angels seen,
Heard in the
Quire, which to the
Lambe belongs,
Answer'd by
Saints with
Sympathizing Songs,
Nay, seene and knowne of Men Reborne anew
Both then and now, who never
kneel'd to
Baal,
But to
One Christ, the Saviour of us all,
Who by his
Word, and bright
Di
[...]rnall Light,
Hath late disperst the Tempests of the
Night,
From
Babels Powder-traine, for
Saints availe.
For which sweet
Grace, redintegracious
Love,
The
Saints on Earth with Those of
Heaven above,
United in One League shall ever sing
Melodious Songs to our
Triumphant King.
OUr
Latine West unto the
Church of
Greece,
Acknowledge must her selfe in some degrees
Inferiour and oblig'd, From her she had the Forme
Of
Christian Rites false Altars to reforme,
As she the
Substance from
Ierusalem,
More neere to
Greece then
Rome, the
Church Supreme,
From her she borrow'd her prime Words of Art,
Those
Second coin'd Intentions, to impart
From Man to Man by Termes, Discourse, and Tongue,
What otherwise would dormant lye unstrung.
Her Noblest Name of
Christian Catholick,
The Eucharist, the Faith Apostolick,
What be they but
Greeke words for
Christian Cause
Disguis'd in
Latine Robes
Faith to expresse?
And to worke on Mild Hearers more or lesse?
The
Sev'nty Soribes translated
Iewries Ioyes
To the
Greeke Tongue by
Philadephus Choise.
Saint
Paul and
Luke divulg'd in
Graecian Tone
Christs Mysteries, yea, and Saint
Iohn wrought on
His Auditours in
Graecian Vestiment,
Fit in that Age to further his Intent.
Greece more to praise, ere
Rome saw
Christ his Light,
Some
Greekes of
Philip cray'd his
Masters sight.
NO marvell then, that
Greeks, ere
Latinists
Did publish
Workes, fought in our
Christian Lists
With
Infidells against their Rites obsceane.
Towards the Period of the
Second Sceane,
To celebrate this Age,
Tertullian rose,
With
Tullian Phrase to daunt the
Churches Foes,
And but for
Dreaming Fasts his Part excells,
Whilst he, gainst
Marcion makes
Christs Body good,
Truths Figure, not
Imaginary Food,
Since
Figures shew not false, but things indeed.
And in another Place, quoth he,
We feed
By Hearing on the Word In
[...]arnate blest,
With Understanding chew, through Faith digest.
SAint
Cyprian him succeeds, who famous made
By
Monuments, which cannot faile nor fade,
The
Churches Union; and the
Martyrs Crowne,
Which since himselfe receiv'd in
Carthage Towne.
This
Saint bids us the
Holy Bread to part,
And breake by
Faith, not with sharpe Teeth nor Art,
While we confesse:
That, which is broke to Parts,
Divine-Humane both God and Man imparts.
Out of his Bookes we cull, at
Carthage Towne
How he did fr
[...]t, and all the
Councell frowne
[Page 71] To heare, that any should
Romes Pope install,
The
Bishop of all Bishops Generall.
NExt after him
Minucius Foelix came
In
Roman Robes, Caecilius overcame
With
Dialogues, and foil'd his
Heath'nish Dreames.
So did
Arnobius by the
Spirits Beames,
In the like Garbe the
Gentiles Rage abate;
And shewes the Cause, why
Christians Idolls hate.
By
Fabian Bath'd He grac'd this
Centers Age,
Who first of
Caesars wore the
Christian Badge.
LOng had the
Church been rackt with bitter woes,
In travell, like a
Woman tir'd with Throes,
To bring that faire
Light forth, and
Blessed Birth,
Which in th'
Elect shines with
Harmonious Mirth,
The
Inward Man, I meane, whose Praise we sing,
Grac'd to that end with Will by
Heavens King.
[Page 72] Through all the
Roman Empire tortured,
And by fierce
Tyrants hands sore Martyred
In every Age during her Pilgrimage
Heere in this World, untill
Maxentius Rage,
Became supprest by zealous
Constantine,
She felt what
Dioclesian, Maximine,
And what their
Praetours could impose of Force
Upon her
Limmes without their least remorce
She felt,
Christ in his Members felt againe,
What
Hangmen could inflict of Hellish Paine,
And what their Predecessors could inflict
Upon her
Lambes by
Proclamations strict,
(Prefiguring our late
New Christian Fry,
Whom men professing
Christ in Flames did fry)
And yet they fail'd by their
Decrees severe,
Or Wolvish
Decius them to daunt with feare,
But that in midst of Paine, by
Satan stung,
They to the
Lambe Allelujaes sung.
Slighting the
Gridiron through the
Holy Ghost:
Now chuse thy
Flesh, quoth
Lawrence, Raw or Rost.
[Page 73] Faire
Theodora to the Stewes confin'd,
[...]er Friend holp her to scape in Masked kind,
[...]ay'd in her place, He thrall'd, she came againe;
[...]et did the
Iudge for
Martyrs both arraigne,
MAuger all Rackes and Flames Saint
Alba
[...] here
[...]n
Brittaine first, and Noble
George appeare,
Who arm'd on Horse-backe with a
Sangaine Crosse
Leagu'd
Salems Knights, and oft fear'd
Englands Foes,
As Ancient Wits conceiv'd their Aiery Signe,
Like that, which meteour'd once to
Constantine.
Which
Signe they might more fitly to their
Head
Impute then with his
Members quartered.
Their
Crimson Gore transform'd to Robes of White,
By vertue of their
Faith Beames-darting-bright.
With
Amphibale they live yet in our
West
And with those
Twaine, whom of her
Martyrs Best,
With sacred
Bayes at
Vsk Carleons Towne
Saint
Aaron, and Saint
Iulius still doth Crowne.
WIthin this
Age, like to th'
Essences Sect,
Good Men of Life austene did
Cells erect
Of
Christian Hermites or
Anachorites,
In
Aegypts Desarts, there, that Convertites
Might solitaty dwell, from Passions free,
And from those
Baites, wherewith we daily see
The greatest Part, ev'n of the
Churches Brood,
Ensnar'd (a Mystick Point not understood
By
Libertines in these our Carnall Dayes)
There, cloystred up from soule
Temptations stayes
Alone and farre from Mortalls Company
The
Holy Saint, the long-liv'd
Anthony,
His life sustaining onely by the Fruit
Of one
Palmitoe Tree, whose
Rind did suit
And cloath his Limmes, as did the Fruit him feed.
His Patterne then good Saint
Macarius trac'd,
Whose Presence since the
Nicen Councell grac'd,
O happy Types▪ If
Superstition since
For
Hypocrites Some came not to convince;
[Page 75] As
Savoyes Hermite through Confessions shrow'd,
Since Cuckolded the Best of all the Crowd.
ABout the end of this
Third Century,
When
Dioclesians Rage and Butchery
Did persecute the
Saints, God raised up
Lactantius to confirme them not to droup,
For now their Time of
Liberty drew neere,
Which by
Gods Grace did after soone appeare:
For saving
Philip, whom Pope
Fabian blest,
All
Caesars hitherto
Christs Flocke opprest.
The
Church as yet fixt on no
Constant Formes
Of
Government. So grievous were the
Stormes
Of
Persecution rais'd by Tytants Rage,
The
First three Ages of her Pilgrimage,
That she could not
Correct, but now and then,
Judge, nor with Tythes reward Industrious men.
As
Lollards were by our
Lancastrians curb'd,
And
Huguenots in
France by
Kings disturb'd,
[Page 76] So her aw'd
St
[...]rres durst scarce a Synod call
By stealth, much lesse a
Councell Generall,
Where her Chiefe
Watchmen of the
Christian Race,
Might Congregate in one convenient Place.
Popes stood not then on high Prerogatives,
Glad oft to flye, to lurke, and save their lives:
But
Christians now began to be more bold,
The Time in the
Apocalipse foretold,
The two and Forty Monthes being full expir'd
(Monthes counted for Yeares Sabbaths) they aspir'd▪
By the
Imperiall Leave to settle things
In Order without Gall, or Envious stings,
As shall appeare after
Licinius Death.
Meane while Ile rest, so to resume more breath.
THE OCCVRRANCES OF THE FOURTH AGE, From the Yeare of our Lord 300. untill the Yeare 400. being the Second Yeare of the Raigne of Arcadius and Honorius the Sonnes of Theodosius the Roman Emperour.
The Argument.
The Glorious Church,
which Constantine
[...]uil
[...] vp.
At his Decease, by Arrians
vext doth droupe.
For Schooles Restraint
of Julian
she complaines▪
Which Rise againe through Theodosius
Paines.
THough I be slow
the Strumpet to
[...],
Yet I contend to blaze the
New-man
[...] Taske,
And to performe enough to satisfie
My Noble Friends, where the
True Church did lye.
[Page 78] Since
Christ his Time untill our present Age,
Mauger
Hells spight during her Pilgrimage:
Because she did on no Foundation stand
But
Christ, none shall her Name with Errour brand;
Because she built upon the
Living Rocke,
Which
Peter voucht, she shunn'd the Fatall shocke
Of the fierce
Dragons Floud, in Darknesse shin'd,
Though to a
Desart rude she seem'd confin'd.
Because she squar'd her
Doctrine and her
Rites
According to
Gods Word, her
Opposites
Can never blacke her
Fame and
Memory,
Nor need she feare Proud
Babels Mystery,
That
Errours spirit can obliterate
The Gospels Text, which she enjoyes of late.
I Will make good, that though some Curse &
[...],
Yet by
Gods Rayes, or his Saint
Michaels Banner;
She spreads
Christs Name, in
Saints and
Martyrs blest,
In Dangers oft, and seldome times at Rest;
[Page 79] One while in Tents, in Warres against her Foes:
Another time beleaguer'd, feeling woes,
When seeking
Christ in time of
superstition,
The
Watchmen smote her in the
Inquisition,
As
Salomon sung in his
Canticles;
As
Christ himselfe by
Scribes Conven
[...]ic
[...]s,
And
Roman Doome in person felt what Grace
His
Limmes with Men finde in their
Holy Race.
By Martyrs Bloud and spoiles of the
Old Man,
Our
New man first his Sacrifice began,
Continues still his
Feast, though some conspire
To marre the same, and Our
Good Church to fire.
ANd yet for all Mens Hate, our
Mother lives,
Yea, from her
Flames the
New Man buds and thrives,
Not much unlike the
Phoenix, whom they say,
That being burnt her Like revives alway,
Though alway not so Vigourous or Faire,
By reason of the Climate, Food, or Aire,
[Page 80] Too high Conceit of her splendidious Worth,
Or of the
Keyes to shut the stubborne forth;
Or other
Accidentall Lets she seeme
But vile, or lacking
Tythes, in poore esteeme,
Nipt with hard
Winters Frost, or scorcht with Hear,
Course Dyet, or with changing Soile or Seate.
Yet at the last the
Bridegroome in extreames
Shewes her the way to his
spirituall Streames,
To pray with Zeale, more cautiously to watch,
Least Fiend-like Pride her or her Brood attache,
To feed his Flocke, though they ungratefull be,
Combining to keepe backe his
Tythes, her
Fee.
For whether Poore or Sicke by dankish Aire,
She sleepes not, till she doth to
Christ repaire
With contrite thoughts, and
Lusts Mortification,
With the
New-mans and Soules Resussitation,
Of whom she begs, and humbly sues for
Grace,
Which on her
Teares she gaines, then sees his Face,
The splendour of his
Spirit working wonders;
With mildest Gales restraining
Sinaies Thunders;
[Page 81] And thereupon is throned on a
Hill,
With large Command, according to his
Will.
To Bind or Loose her Childrens Sinnes to keepe,
To watch, and Feed, but not to Flay his Sheepe,
Like her with
Triple Crowne on seven Hills,
Who with false
Fires now
sits as God, and fills
Mens Consciences with Smoaky Pardons, Wares
Of the
Beasts Marke, with Lies and Bug
[...]e are Cares,
A Bout three hundred Yeares the
Gospels Light,
Had through our
Saviours Bloud acquired Might
And rooting, when restrain'd it faster spred,
Enlightning Soules whom Forged Tales missed.
When die had foil'd
Maxentius, Maximine,
And to a Nooke
Licinius did confine,
The
Christian Church was rear'd by
Constantine,
Most Glorious on a Hill, with
Rires Divine,
[Page 82] And decent States, as well from Foes Contempt,
As from home-scandalls to become exempt.
Soone as that
Signe had meteour'd in the Aire,
Which Conquerour him styl'd, he did repaire
The Ruines of the
Church, recalled home
Those whom late Tyrants had proscrib'd from Rome.
SUch Grace
she found: But soone her
Sonnes forgot
To thanks our
God the Author of their
Lot,
Who had inspir'd th'
Imperiall Majesty
With Zeale to serve
One God in Trinity,
And at the
Nic
[...]ne Councell to restore
By
Publick Acts what prostrate lay before,
To build up
Temples with large Liberties,
There, to serve
God with Vowes and Sacrifice,
To chuse
Grave Mitred Sires to over-see,
Least
Christ his Flocke by
Wolves should scared
[...]e,
And by
Decree to quashall
Idolls downe
At
Synod held in
Eliberi
[...] Towne.
[Page 83] This Course he tooke by his Good
Mothers Lore,
Whose
Birth much Fame to
Brittains did restore;
And
Helens Name deserves to be engilt,
For finding
Christ his
Crosse, for
Temples built.
Five Bishopricks he rais'd to mighty Height,
Whereof each One possest a Severall Right;
And None of these in one anothers Charge
To meddle, but their owne Taske to discharge,
O're-seeing their Proper Flockes. The Chiefest Roome
He gave the
Popes of New and Ancient Rome:
The
Third he granted to
Jerusalem:
Then
Antiochs fell and
Alexandriaes stem.
This stinted Course they long observ'd, and None
Swarv'd from the
Stem at Nice agreed upon,
But Brethren-like liv'd in true Amity,
Not striving for more
Seates Priority,
Then
Constantine out of his bounteous
Grace
Allotted them in their
distinguish'd Place.
Who at
Bizantiums Councell would become
The Chiefest Priest as of Old Rome the Pope,
Sometime the
Empires Head of spatious scope;
The which
the Pope of New-built Rome gaine-sayd,
And there to hold the
Prime Place he assayd;
At which
Vigilius did so powte and frowne,
He would not meet with them, though then in Town.
Thus they, who should a
Lowly Minde possesse,
Began to climbe to
Lordly Loftinesse,
Perverting to wrong Sence
the Living Rocke,
Gods Word, the Keyes, and Feeding of Christs Flocke.
That they might raigne here in this World a while,
For a few yeares pufft with a
Princely Stile:
When they know in their Consciences they Erre,
That after Death they fall, like
Lucifer.
But they for
Faith lean'd unto
Humane worth,
And scatt'red Doubts against
Gods Spirit forth.
They mutined against the
Holy Ghost;
Apostate Arrians raung'd through every Coast.
[Page 85] They soone forgot the
Mysticke Crosses sence,
The
New-mans Vewes, and the
Words Excellence.
Their
Plenty pufft them up, and the
Sunnes Light
Bedazzeled them, like
Gazing Birds of Night.
For the
True Substante, Shadowes they ador'd,
For the
Creator, Creatures they implor'd▪
The
late Baptiz'd enur'd to
Pagan Rites,
To
Saturnalian Feasts, and
Idoll sights,
Could not away with that
Religions Forme,
Which typing
Christs their Lives ought to reforme,
Their
Flamiues grudg'd, that the
New-
[...]lergy held
The Conquest over Soules, themselves expelld.
The
Lay-men wav'd betwixt the
Old and
New,
Like
Aethiops loath to change their pristine Hew.
To punish these, when
Constantine was urg'd,
Not so, said he, Mad men should rather purgd
By
Physicke be. We must, though
Curres do bark,
With Gentle Gales to Port bring
Christ his Ark.
This
Prince, when he
Paphnutius saw at
Ni
[...]e,
His
Hollowes kist, whom Focs depriv'd of Eyes.
[Page 86] The
Roman Empire was most fortunate
Under his Sway. He rais'd
Romes falling state
To such a Height, that never Kingdome since
His Paralell enjoy'd, nor any
Prince
Succeeded like to him in
Pieties
True
Practice, farre exempt from
Avarice
And
Crying sinnes. His
Palace with the Poore
Then with
Praetorian Bands abounded more.
He was not serv'd in Gold or Silver Plate,
Though he might set on all the World a rate,
But Earthen Vessels or of Wood he chose.
He curbd himselfe, because he would not lose
His wavering Subjects hearts. And what he spar'd
Above the Pensions of his
Souldiers, Guard,
The Publike Troup, and his owne Private Charge,
He yeerely did conferre the same at large
To Pious use, and
Temples up to build,
But more
Christs Living Temple to rebuild.
Blest was the
Church while▪ his good
Monarch raign
[...]
Having Peace, Freedome, Wealth, and Honour gain'd▪
[Page 87] But after his decease by
Arrians vext,
She like a
Widow stood long time perplext,
But not with Open Force, for
Satan then
Was for a Thousand Yeares from
Murthering Men,
For the
Faiths sake begun to be restrain'd,
Yet so, that
Saints for Tryall might be Pain'd.
SInce I my Taske for
Constantine have spun,
I must not leave
Constantiaes Web unspun.
This zealous
Princesse, whether
Fancies Flame,
Or to become Cortivall of her Fame▪
Who late had found the
Crosse in
Calvary,
Or
Satans Plot into her
Creed to pry,
Whether these
Tempting Baites wrought on her Will,
To shake her
Faith, and her Best Part to spill:
She sought the
Picture of our
Saviour Christ,
As if her
Creed did on the same consist
To bring to passe her Project frivolous,
She wrote unto
Euscbius Pamphilus,
[Page 88] Requiring him to send it her to
Greece,
To make her happy in that
Graven Peece.
The
Holy Father with disdainefull Eye
Perus'd her Lines; he feard
Idolatry,
Lest the Connivence at such Passages,
Might blurre the
New-mans Ghostly
Images.
He therefore answer'd her with
Piety,
In Zealous
Lines, not without
Majesty:
Your
Grace desires,
Christs Portraiture to have,
But which of his
Two Persons would you crave?
Which doe you meane (quoth he) His
Shape Divine,
That beares the
[...]kenesse of the
First in
Trine?
Or else the
Image of a
Servants Forme,
To which for us he did himselfe transforme?
If you aspire his
God-heads Shape to see,
Take heed you touch not on
Old Adams Tree;
None knowes the Father but the Sonne alone,
And none but by the
Father knowes the
Sonne.
But if that
Persons-Picture you demand,
Borne of our Flesh, you must then understand,
[Page 89] That none by Art and Oily Colours di'd,
Can limne
His Bodies Frame now Glorifi'd;
For since that his
Disciples could not see
His
shining Face at
Tabor, how shall wee
View his bright
Face and
Persons Lineaments,
Which till Doomes-day he hath removed hence?
On this Monition the Good
Empresse staid,
And of such Carnall Types became afraid.
WHile Luke-warme Thoughts contended much with Zeale,
False
Arrius crept into
Christs Common-weale,
Where
Six score yeares his
Sect Good Men so griev'd,
That in those dayes the Most part mis-believ'd.
Two Councels then the
Arrian side preferr'd,
The
Millaine stray'd, the
Ariminian err'd:
Yea,
Bishops both of
New and
Ancient Rome,
Subscribed, and to
Hereticks gave roome.
Against them all did
Athanafius warre,
And therefore may be stil'd
That Ages Starre.
[Page 90] By his true Zeale and Pen the
Arrians quail'd,
And
Truth at last with
Victory prevail'd.
During
Soules Time of Blindnesse,
Satans Warre
Began againe both neere at hand and farre.
Against false Hearts, not by Blouds violence,
But by fly Arts to try
Saints Innocence.
To dim the
Churches Splendour, he sent out
His slyest
Fiends to compasse them about▪
Mad
Iulian he stirr'd up, till he perforce
Did yeeld unto the
Galileans Force:
Where
Magick Spells, nor his
Deare
[...]orphiry,
Could stop
Gods Doome due for his Trechery,
Which unto
Christians interdicting Schooles,
Made Wits more ho
[...], his
Counsellors but Fooles.
As bad prov'd
Valens, since to
Arrians sold,
But
Gothes by Fire purg'd his Presumption bold.
WHat
Iulian spoild, did
Valentinian raise,
And
Gra
[...]ian grace. But
Theodosius Praise
[Page 91] Deserves much more. He by
Pope Damasus,
And
Millains starre did
Arrian Tumults crush.
Blest be his
Name, who barr'd for his
Amisse
From
Church refrain'd, till he gain'd
Ambrose blisse,
And though a
King of Kings, yet not withstood
Checks for rash Doome of
Thessalonians Blood.
O
Godly Prince! who when he might command
A
Pardon, yet most humbly demand.
Of him One sung: Each thing with him prevailes:
So Winds Conjurd descended to his Sailes:
For him the
Heavens fought, the Waves went backe,
And
Natures course for all his Foes ran slacke.
This
Claudian blazd with
Panegyrick straine,
And
Ambrose of his Death did much complaine:
I lov'd this Prince, quoth he,
because he car'd,
More for the Church then his owne Weale regard.
MUch owes the
Church unto his Memory,
For after he had chasd
Idolatry,
Content, he setled
Christian Bishopricks▪
And least the
Church for want of Meanes should
[...]ade,
Confirm'd the
Act which Good
Iovinian made
For
Tythes to
Pastours, which hath ever since
Reviv'd the Fame of this
Religious Prince.
What Good this
Act hath done in
Ages past,
Till
Mungrell Monkes the
Churches Hire defac't,
Encroaching on the
Clergy Seculare,
For their Support of Sloth and Private Care,
Let Godly
States observe, and waigh what Losse
Ensues of
Soules by such as doe ingrosse
Impropriate Tythes, while many Thousands pine
For want of Meanes to spread the
Seed Divine.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE FIFTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 400. untill the yeere 500. At which Time Anastasius Raigned Emperour of Rome.
The Argument.
Priests Marriages Confirm'd. Foule
Heresies
Burst out. False
Christians plagu'd by
Enemies.
What wondrous
Wits that
Age brought forth
Divine.
Now bloom'd the
Irish Church and
Abissine.
THat Parcell of false
Babels Mystery,
Broacht at the End of the
last Century
Inhibiting
Priests Marriage, in the
Rise
Of this
New Age returnes to
Hell, and dyes.
[Page 94] For while the
Arrians Heat began to slake,
Siricius made
Romes Clergies hearts to ake,
When he would them in the last
Age constraine,
To live without their
Wives in
Tantales Paine,
Without their
Plightd Mates, whom
Christ had joy'nd
As Type of his
Church-Mystery, injoyn'd
From
Strangers sheets, as well with
Holy Seed
To store his
Church, as to partake some Meed
For Solace of their
Lives anxiety,
While they soil'd not Chast Society,
Like
Heathen Men, with
Wives Pluralities,
Or haunted
Whores in surreptitious wise.
But quickly was this Cloud disperst and gone,
As not by
Mortalls to be undergone,
When Wiser Men condemned his
Decree,
And prov'd the
Marriage State for all men free,
Aswell by Lessons out of
Sacred Story,
As
Nicens Warrant to
Paphnutius Glory,
Who though himselfe had never married been,
Yet he to barre
Priests Marriage deem'd it Sinne.
The like
Decree for evermore to last,
That
Married Priests might safely Minister,
And who enacted otherwise did erre,
With thundring Doome accursing every Wight,
That dares maintaine that
Tenets Opposite.
Saint
Nazianzen sung that
he was borne,
The third Yeare since his
Si
[...]e a
Priest was sworne.
THough this and other
Fire-drakes choake in snuffe,
Yet did not Other Clouds leave off to puffe
And poison
Soules. Each One must have his Guard
Of
Angels two both Good and Bad, to ward
Or tempt his
Soule, that the
Sect Manicbee
Might conjure them, but not without a Fee.
To ayde them with
Free-will and
Merits Charmes,
Pelagius offers now to lend them Armes.
For these two
Sects together with the Mists
Breath'd forth by
Arrians and the
Donatists,
[Page 96] The World then suff'red condigne Punishments,
In Lives and Fortunes with distracted Rents.
THat
Ages Church was so with
Heresies
Beset, and from the
Truth seduc'd with
Lies,
That though she fled into a
Wildernesse,
To sojourne there safe from their Wickednesse,
And damned Plots, yet did the
Dragon spew
A Floud of
[...] in hope to
[...] he
[...]hew.
But missing her he persecutes her Seed,
And seekes by Open Force to slay her
Breed.
Which though he fail'd because of his restraint,
Yet he prevai'ld her Luke-warme
Race to taint.
For this great
Warre he rais'd up Bloudy Foes,
Gothes, Vandalls, Hunnes, all prest at his dispose,
By
Rhadagase, Alaricke, Totilas,
By Him, whom,
Aetius foil'd, proud
A
[...]tilas,
Who had proclaim'd himselfe the Scourge of God,
To chastise Mortalls with an
Iron Rod;
[Page 97] Besides the
Vandall Arrian Gensericke,
Who sackt at
Austines Death his
Bishopricke.
By these whom
Rome had sometimes kept in Thrall,
God suff'red Fiends for Sinne to worke
Romes Fall,
To let lewd
Worldlings know, that when they faile
In
Zeale and
Love, then
Satan will prevaile.
Before these Stormes, when as the
Church was like
To perish quite,
God grac'd her Catholike
Againe by Meanes of
Athanasius Creed,
By
Ambrose, Jerome, and good
Austines Deed.
BEsides those Foure, how many radiant
Lamps
Did the
Good Spirit raise against the Damps
Of Hellish Fiends in that fam'd
Century?
From
Gratians Time, till
Zenoes Empery?
No
Age before nor since hath ever seene
Such
Lights to Crowne
Theology a Queene,
No
Age more
wise, more
Learned Wits brought forth,
Since the
Apostles Time of better
Worth
[Page 98] Then those fore-nam'd, then famous
Hi
[...]ary,
Theodoret, Eusebius, Gregory,
And
Basil his deare Mate, then
Chrysost omes
Rare
Ho
[...]ties, whose fluent
Golden Tomes
Ravish the dullest sence, Or who can share
With
Epiphanius? Or for skill compare
With both the
Cyrills, or with
Emissene?
And Others, who renown'd that
Ages Scene?
Extirping
Arrians, and the
M
[...]ichees?
Daunting
Donatus, and his Complices?
And striving to keepe downe
Pelagians Pride?
Orfor a time to stint their swelling Tide,
Which but for them had sooner made the way
For sale of Soules, and
Antichristian Sway?
These shone as
Starres within the
Fir
[...]ament,
And did then
Satan in that
Age prevent
From his deep Reach. And we might doe as much,
If next
Gods Word upon their Stone we touch
Discreetly without Passion, or selfe-love,
Since Men are pro
[...]e the worst things to approve.
[Page 99] Tempted by Fiends, which wheele about the Braine,
To misconceive the Right for Worldly Gaine.
Such bred in Errour from their Infancie,
Will hardly see the
Truths resplendencie.
BUt soone relaps'd that
Ages Proselytes,
They whoor'd againe as did the
Israelites.
On which Relapse He that for
Abrams Seed
Could raise up
Stones, a Stony-hearted breed,
Stirr'd from the
North his Blessings to partake,
Which
Christians soil'd. These did in time forsake
Their
Pagan Gods, and the
True Faith embrac'd
In milder Climes, which
Hypocrites disgrac'd.
At last they fell likewise through pamp'
[...]ing Ease,
And with grosse Sinnes their
Saviour did displease.
SO stood where
Caesars raign'd the
Churches state:
But now I must looke backe where
Belul sate,
[Page 100] The
Southerne Queenes Successour, Sabaes Heire,
Who was Baptiz'd in the Fourth Hundred Yeare.
LOng had the
Church of th'
Equinoctiall Line,
Candaces Clime, since stil'd the
Abissine,
Been tost on
Nilus Lakes by Mungrell Windes,
Compos'd of
Iewish Rites and
Heath'nish Mindes.
But now those Stormes allay'd, att
[...]nements made,
That
Christians might through
Circumcision wade,
And each partake of Others Lawes and Love,
Both leagu'd, both vow'd
Baptized to approve
The
Christian Eunuches Faith by
Philip taught,
And long before to
Ethiopia brought.
Above Three Hundred Yeares the
Gospels Spring
Had cheer'd their parched
Zone, and every thing
Began to grow with various faire Encrease
Of Ghostly Gifts and Homilies of Peace
By their
Abunaes Care, and
Clergies Toyle,
Onely the Great Ones still did them embroyle
[Page 101] With
Carnall Snares to crosse their good Attempts.
Like as the
Romaine Caesars Saints intents
By Tyranny had interrupted long,
Till
Constantine redrest the
Churches wrong.
So likewise
Saints among the
Abissines
Were trod upon, or by sore Mulcts and Fines,
Opprest, that some kept close, some fled away,
Some as it were in hugger mugger lay:
Others for feare recanted from the Light,
Dissembling what they knew to be the Right,
As many here gloz'd in Queene
Maries dayes,
And some in
France with our Reformed wayes;
Untill their Foes were calm'd, and
Liberty
Of Conscience sign'd to the
New Christian Fry;
About which time
Hells Rage became allay'd,
Which for Three Hundred Yeares the
Saints oreswayd.
BUt now on the Approach of this
Fifth Age,
By his
Grave Counsaile and
Abunaes sage.
The
Gospel more began to understand,
And rais'd the
Christian Faith with Publike vowes,
Yet mixt with
Iewish Rites and
Levites showes,
And though their
Formes appeare extravagant,
In
Substance yet their
Faith is
Protestant,
And little diff'ring from the
Primitive
Which we professe. Like Ours their
Clergy Wive;
They Minister the
Cup unto the
Lay;
They honour
Saints with a Memoriall way,
But worship not
Shrines, nor
Imagery,
Lest they might fall to flat
Idolatry.
Sound
Christians, were it not that thēy too much
On
Moses Lawes the Observation touch:
Or else that they for their Dispense do plead,
That to eate
Bacon, Hares-flesh, or the like,
Might make them
Leprons, and their Bodies sicke,
Their
Climates Sunne diseasing Bloud and Braine:
That what agrees with us procures them Paine.
[Page 103] Perhaps they ranke their
Circumcisions use,
And shrowd it with
Indifferent things excuse.
DEvout they are, when in the
Church they meet,
They spit not there, nor come with durty feet.
Their
Lent is long, which by their Foes observ'd,
They oft surprize thē through their Feasts halfe starv'd.
Some Ancient Bookes among us lost they hold,
Which they esteeme as
Gemmes, more deare then
Gold,
The
Oracles of
Enoch, and the Booke
Of the
Apostles Canons they o're-looke,
And the lost
Acts of one of Calcedons
Old Councells they retaine like Precious Stones.
The
Patriarch still of
Alexandriaes Bay
Claymes from Saint
Marke their Sacerdotall Sway.
These
Negroes here for
Christians I assigne,
To shew that
Christ his
Church doth elsewhere shine,
And that she might grow strong within the
South,
When in our
West she seem'd a
Dwarfe in growth.
Fierce
Caesars for the
Faith some left their Homes,
And fled for shelter to
Remoter Climes,
In hope to shun the malice of the Times;
To shun the ten great Persecutions Rage,
Many were forc't their Fortunes to
[...]ngage,
Some past the
Bosphors Straights, som
Gibraltars,
Others reti
[...]'d themselves where Sunne-burnt
Carres,
Twice yearely touch on both the
Hemispere
[...],
That they might live secur'd from worldly Feares.
The like, whilst that mad
Dioclesian rav'd,
Our
Brittaines did, and Neighbours succour crav'd,
Who giving them Corporeall Nourishments,
Were by their
Guests with
Soule-Food recompenc'd.
A Saint-like Bounty, where both Parties Blest
Partake of
Love, the Greatest with the Least.)
Among these
Nations, now my
Muse invites
The
Reader to review some Neighbour Lights.
[Page 105] THat
Humid Westerne Ile, whose Soile resists twists,
Snakes, Toads, and Moules, whose Wood no Cob-web
Stor'd with true
Saints a
Saint-like Stile now gaines,
Trampling
Pelagians downe by
Patricks Paines.
For while they skream'd in
Brittain, France, & Rome,
He Preacht
free Grace to reeling
Christendome;
He Preacht sweet
Peace, dehorting men from Jarres,
From Crying Sinnes, from Murther, Spoiles & Warres;
Though some of late in
Printed Legends tell,
That by his
Word he Thousands packt to
Hell.
(A strange Narration, that a
Saint should act
So opposite to
Christ a Bloudy Fact.)
But after his Decease,
Hybernia lost
Within few Yeares the Style which grac'd her most:
And then mad Broils her Members prickt like Goads,
Worse than the Stings or Bane of Snakes and Toads.
Yea,
God with Wolves plagu'd her Back-sliding Fry,
Because they like
Samarians went awry:
In mingling with
Gods Worship, Idoll sights,
Traditions Flawes, and
Superstitious Rites.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE SIXTH AGE, Chiefly what hapned in the Ile of Brittaine after the Arrivall of the Saxons from the Yeare of our Lord 500. untill the Yeare 600. being the Sixteenth Yeare of the Raign of Maurice the Romaine Emperour.
The Argument.
The Christian Church,
which Greeks & Latins rear'd,
In Brittaine
lyes with Pagan Rites
besmear'd,
Trod on by Saxons Troupes,
and Wodens Brood,
But worse by her Owne Natives
sheading Blood.
FIve Hundred Yeares from
Christ not fully told,
When
Arrians stopt, then stept
Pelagians bold
With more sly Tricks of
Humans Worth to boast
Then tha
[...]
Dull Sect, which wrongd the
Holy Ghost.
[Page 108] Wherefore New Broiles infested
Christ endome,
To chastife men for
Schisme, as to make Roome
For
Antichrist the Head of
Heretickes,
Which Mystick wise from
Mungrell Catholickes
Deriv'd his Birth, and will a
Tyrant grow.
Because Men loved Lies, such Plagues did flow.
Great Plagues indeed; which since defil'd the
East
With
Carnall Baites by an
Arabian drest,
And with Soule-tainting Charmes by
Popes profest,
Cookt by
Pelagians first within the
West,
Confounding
Faith by Whimseyes of the Braine
With Flesh and Blouds Desires, and Merits staine,
So that Our
Ile her
Former Glory lost;
There was no Roome left for the
Holy Ghost,
Pelagi
[...]s had her
Motions so engrost
And then her
North to
Hu
[...]ler all was lost
By
Scots and
Ficts usurpt with dismall woes.
Because she
Grace blasphem'd,
God sent her Foes,
Which like a Del
[...]ge broke through
Adrians Wall,
Till Strangers came with Armes to end the Brawle.
Nor
Carnall Snares, where she involv'd had beene.
THe
Sunne had run One Hundrid Yeares at full,
Ere
Heathnish hands could all her Feathers pull,
Or part asunder her Old
Seamelesse Weare,
Which
Christ his
Font had dipt with
Reverend Feare,
In
Dies sent her from
Eleuthere in graine,
And by
Great Helens Sonne Confirm'd againe;
Plaine without staine, I meane, and free from Pride,
Or that foule
Schisme, which did her since betide
By her
Abortive Brood, Pelagian Crew,
The Sect that made Millions of Soules to rue.
Plaine Robes she wore without Embroidery,
Or Worldlings Garbe, when Antient
Hillary
Greeted his Brethren here in
Brittany▪
Those whom
Faith linkt to
Saints sweet Company.
So well had
Damian and
Fugatius bore
Christs Ensigne here two hundred yeares before,
[Page 110] That at the
Councell Grave Theodoret
Rejoyc'd to see our
Brittish Elders met.
WIth Purest Flowres
Our Brittain Church did bloom,
Till in
Honorius Raigne, Gothes ra
[...]sackt
Rome.
She flourish'd under
Romaine Legions long,
But those being gone, she
faded and went wrong;
And then
Fiends watcht the Time while
Heresie
Possest weake
Albions Braine with
Lunacie.
They saw how she cosseted her Child
Pelagius, how she was by him beguil
[...]d,
They loath to lose advantage, nurst the Hate
Betwixt her and her Aydes. Although of late
The Remnant which the
Romaine Caesars left
Of Souldiers here to guard this
Ile from Theft,
Were with the ablest
Brittish Youth to
France,
Transported there to lead a Warre-like Dance
Against
Romes Foes, where by Warres-casualties
Few liv'd to see their Home-Calamities:
Then to gaine Soules for their
Redeemer sought,
Or rather
Romaine Fry in
Brittaine borne,
Their
Factions made
Our Brittish Church a scorne:
Their
Church, which late with
Twenty eight did towre
Since counted
sev'n, and ebb'd to
Bishops foure.
Their
Temples and
Romes Legionary Townes,
Were quarter'd out for
Teutons Garrisons;
Before the
Sunne had
Forty yeeres his Race
Run through, since
Hengist rais'd
Old Wodens Mace,
Those
Germains then did them, like
Wolves, devoure,
Since Home and Forraigne
Saints did faile to scoure
Their Vessels cleane from Filth, since both did faile
Saint German and
Saint Lupus to prevaile.
AFter these
Starres declin'd to Natures Course,
For Thirty Yeares the
Church oft fared worse,
Some times aloft she mounted; other times
She stood amaz'd at Change of Worldly Climes;
[Page 112]
Peace setled her in a Calme Aire againe,
When
Dubrice did
Pelagian Blasts restraine,
About the time of
Great Justinians Raigne,
And then a while Our
Church renew'd againe,
When after home bred Jarres and Civill strife,
Our
Petty Kings chose
Val
[...]ant Arthur Chiefe
Over their Troupes in
Brittaines Westerne Lands
Against fierce
Wodens Race, and
Saxon Bands,
But soone relaps'd the
Brittaines, proud of spoiles,
Not caring for
Devotion, all for Broiles.
They one another strove more to supplant
For Elbow-roome, then
Christian Faith to plant.
SUch impious Blurres observ'd by
Hellish Fiends,
They sow'd Debate betwixt them and their Friends,
Made them so slight their
Patriarchs grave advise,
That in dispaire he from
Carleon flies;
Whence cause he brookt not the
Silures Crimes,
Demetia beg'd his
Crozier, Hapre, and
Chimes.
To smell of
Herrings, when thou mightst have
Musk
And
Frankincense to offer unto
God,
Neerer then where thou fixest thy Abode?
Amidst the
Craggy Hills and
Foaming Floud,
So farre remote to doe the
Saxons good?
Why mightst not thou beat downe
Idolatries,
As thou didst daunt
Pelagian Mysteries?
Which by
Free-will had strove
Gods Grace to rend,
And on Mans owne Poore
Merits to depend?
Feare caus'd thy Flight, or else thy
Clergies Hate
Brookt not the
Glory of a
Rising State;
Or
Discontent to finde the want of
Love,
Among thy Flocke procured thy Remove.
Meane while behold thy
Country-men at ods,
Struggling for brittle Sway, like
Demy-Gods.
AT the Decease of that brave
Martiall Prince,
Whose
Tombe was found in
Glastenbury since,
[Page 114] All went to wracke, like
Alexanders State,
They parted that which he had gain'd of late,
And by their Strife with fell intestine Rage
The
Victours lost the
Saxons Vassalage.
While they obey'd
One Soveraigne Generall,
Nor
Scots nor
Picts could work their finall Fall.
Their Foe-men paid them
Tribute, and the
East
Of
Wodens Brood cring'd to the
Brittaines West.
But
Sussex now out-braves proud
Constantine,
While
Vortipore South Cambria makes to whine,
Looke how the
Nymphes of
Dee and
Severne grone
To beare the yoak of
Conan and
Malgon;
How
Mone and
Man with the
Lancastrian Lasse
Cry out:
Alasse, that they serve
Cunoglasse,
Who, though the
Greatest of the Brittaine Kings,
Shames
Christians more then
Humbers Pagan stings.
THese leagu'd with
Arthur late for
States Defence
Against their Foes, now for Preheminence
[Page 115] Contend, and kill their
Kinne, like Sheep or Beeves,
And, which to blaze as yet my
Nation grieves,
More prone to smother
Truth with glozing Cardes
Then heare their
Twnysogs Fall by honest
Bardh's:
Two harmelesse Youths of
Arthurs Princely Ligne
Were slaine in
Wintons Church by
Constantine,
That
Cornish Wolfe, who had usurpt their Right,
He slew them there in their owne
Mothers sight,
Without regard unto that
Sacred Place,
To
Christ his Altar, or their
Noble Race.
And as their
Kings, so did their
Iudges rave.
Sheading Inferiours Bloud, whom
Christ forgave.
They sit on
Theeves, themselves the greatest Theeves,
Defloure the
Daughter, whilst the
Father grieves.
Their
Plighted Mates they murther or divorce,
And spare not
Altars to profane with Force.
THe Bruit of these Misdeeds inhumane strikes
Such Odiousnesse, such Horrour, and Dislikes,
[Page 116] That their
owne Bloud, whom Brinish Seas divide,
Gaules Britonants, disdaine with them to side;
And their
Old Friends of
Patricks Iland scorne
To ayde a wicked State through Discord torne;
Nay worse, instead of aide
Gurmundus came
From thence for Spoiles, and soone them overcame,
The
Brittaines thus forlorne,
Nort humbria gaines,
Mercia starts up, and the
West-Saxon Raignes,
Which
Last will last, and shall chalk out the way
In times to come for a
Monarchique Sway.
NO wonder that rude Strangers gained roome,
And banishd them from their best
Native Home,
Sith neither
Dubrice, David, nor such Starres
Could them reforme,
God sent them bloudy Jarres;
Not all at once, but by Degrees he sent
His whips of Wrath whereby some might repent;
But all in vaine. No Threats could
Brittaines tame,
They did those Sinnes which
Paini
[...]s blush to name.
And Thirty Lustres past ere
Angles Prease
Durst
Severne passe, and longer Yeares then tho
[...],
Ere
Offa could his
Marches Meeres enclose
During which Terme had
Brittaines tr
[...]
[...]he Path
Of Penitence, they might have calm'd
Gods Wrath,
Exchang'd with Foes the Chain of Thraldomes yoak,
And scap'd what since they felt,
Bellon
[...]es stroake.
SO sung a
Swan of
Claud us Caesars Towne,
Whose
Birth fell out that
Yeare, when
Brittaines won
The Day with
Trophees at the
[...],
And did their
Trench with
Saxon Coarses fill.
He not a Rush did for lewd
Tyrants passe,
But against
Five stood like a Wall of Brasse.
He shew'd what heavy Plagues would them befall,
How they and none but they caus'd
Brittaines Fall;
Their
Incests, Thefis, and their loud Crying Sinnes,
Which to commit they car'd no more then Pinnes,
He fear'd not of their Treasons ro complaine,
Who though but weake against the Common Foe,
Divided Kings, at home yet raged so
With Bloudy spoyles, that through their Tyranny,
They lost the most Part of
West Brittany,
For all, which they possest from
Winchester
To
Cornewall, Pagans got with
Glocester.
Now
Sussex, and the
Mercian Kings arise
On
Seve
[...]es shoare to plant
Dutch Colonies.
Such
Threnes of thine,
Good Gildas, proved true,
As
Christians felt
[...]q that which did ensue.
THeir
Champions then to
Woods & Mountains fled,
Where Savage bent, and with such Rancour led
For the
long Knives Complot, which like a Torch
From time to time did their gall'd Entrailes scorch,
Their
Clergy at no hand would joyne to Preach
The Gospel, not the
Saxon Rout to teach,
[Page 119] Unlesse they would to them againe restore
Their Country back, which they had snatch'd before:
Untill at length
Romes blessed
Gregery
Dispatcht a
Monke of Famous Memory
To
Englands Kent, where soone he did convert
Prepar'd by his
Faire Queene King Et
[...]el
[...]ert.
Whence thousands moe with all their
Kings became
By
Austines paines Baptiz'd, to
Brittaines shame.
For which neglect of theirs, and Neighbours scorne,
Their State all rent, and through Dissention torne,
Northumbers since did to
West-Chester rush,
Slay
Bangors Monkes, and
B
[...]o
[...]maels Forces crush
So deadly, that thenceforth they seldome dar'd
To try the Fields Event with
Foes prepar'd.
And this sore Blow in Judgement them befell,
As
Gildas first, and
Austine did foretell.
THus stood the case with
Brittains Commonwealth,
Because they gave themselves to Rapines, Stealth,
[Page 120] To Fraud, Revenge, and chiefly to contemne
Those, whō they might have made good
Christian men
Without the helpe of more
Competitours,
Brought from proud
Rome to build up
Babels Tow
[...]es,
For
Austine, when he came, began to strive
With them for
Rule, and
Romes Prerogative,
Which compli'd not with
Saints of Christian sort,
As an old
Hermite guess'd by
Austines Port,
Who
Pope-like set disdain'd to rise and greet
Sev'n Christian Bishops with Love-congies meet.
Such harsh Salutes, or
Inhumanity,
So farre remote from sage
Urbanity,
What could they but distracted Rents produce?
Ending in
Schisme, and Holy things abuse?
Our
Saviour Christ was meek, all made of
Love:
The
Devill proud, and so his servants prove.
O what adoe they kept? what Coile? what sturres?
With
Synods Pleas, with Quillets, and Demurres?
Like
Turkes for Turbants,
Monkes for
[...]rizes Hew,
So
Christians then did one another sue.
[Page 121] The
Easters Time procur'd this Factious Brawle,
The
Romish Claim'd from
Peter and from
Paul,
The
Brittish by Prescription from Saint
Iohn,
And their
Feasts Date the
Greek Church grounded on.
But nothing could appease the Adverse side,
Till Force at last the Quarrell did decide,
Untill Saint
Colman and the
Scottish Clerkes
For Unions sake were faine to yeeld to Quirkes,
POpe Foelix now sign'd the
Last Unctions use,
Which did in time a
Sacra
[...]ent produce,
That by more
Fees Priests might enrich themselves
For sacring
Oiled Feet from
aiery Elves.
One thing of Note must not forgotten be,
How in the Yeare Five Hundred Fifty Three.
Then at a
Councell in
Bizantium held
The
Romaine Pope Vigilius was refell'd
For
Heresie, Judg'd Excommunicate,
And doom'd to be deprived of his State.
[Page 122] For which and murthers prov'd the
Emperour,
With slender diet starv'd him in a Tower,
A just reward for claiming all that Scope
Of Liberties due to the
Westerne Pope,
Which
Nicens Councell under
Constantine,
Did long before betwixt
Five Popes assigne,
Betwixt them of
both Romes, of
Salems Flocke,
Of
Antioch, and of
Alexandriaes stocke,
So that our
Popes in the
West Franchise watcht
The Soules, which
Peters Net for
Christ then catcht,
Not with
Hells Husks, Traditions, Dreames, and Lie
[...]
But them to feed with
Scriptures Homilies.
So wily was the
Serpent to begin
With our
Prime men and
Starres, to plunge them in
The Gulfe of Worldly Pride and Avarice,
That by their meanes they Others might entice,
For when the
Head feeles Pestilentiall Flame;
How soone puts it the
Members out of frame?
If, like Saint
Peter, He that claimes his Place,
Had liv'd,
Romes Church had stood in better Case.
[Page 123] But how should then the Prophesies of
Paul,
And of Saint
Iohn beene verifi'd at all?
[...]n vaine the
Man of sinne, Perditions Sonne,
Long time by
Caesars Pompe barr'd in that
Throne
To sit as God, and
in Gods Temple too,
The use of Meates and Marriage to undoe;
To wrong the
Church by Carnall Sacrifice,
Of Soules and Bodies making Marchandise;
In vaine
Great Babels Whore the Scripture hath
Describ'd, if
Rome had kept her Former Faith:
By thrall'd
Vigilius mark, that
Popes were then,
Ev'n for Six Hundred Yeares to Mighty Men,
Eaths Lords, enthrall'd aswell for Life as State;
Yea,
Christ our Head to
Caesar paid a Rate
Both for himselfe and
Peter from a
Fish
Without excuse, Grudge, or repining Pish,
As they did since, which challenge
Peters Chaire,
Under pretext
Romes ruines to repaire.
And herewithall let all true
Christians know:
"As long as men
are kept in aw and Low,
[Page 124]
"At some High Powers beck, whom they doe feare,
"So long they vertuous are, or so appeare.
This of the
Popes may well be verified,
"While they were by the
Caesars terrified,
"And subject to the
Lawes, so long they thriv'd
"In Goodnesse, Preacht the
Crosse, in order liv'd.
But when they once obtain'd the
Primacie
Above their
Peeres, and the
Supremacie
Above the
Caesars, then they wantoniz'd,
Grew
Avaricious, Proud, and ill adviz'd.
But this great
Flame will not breake throughly out,
Untill th'
Eleventh Age shall wheele about,
When with
False Christs, like
Capernaites Chymeres,
The
Dragon more will charme
Great Babels eares.
Thinke on these
Sparks, yee
States and
People all,
From the
Kings Bench to the poort
Coblers Awle.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE SEVENTH AGE, From the Yeare of our Lord 600. untill the Yeare 700. in which Tract of Time the Romaine Pope got the Style of the Universall Bishop, and Mahomets Sect began.
The Argument.
What Heresies
sprang up ere Antichrist
Broke from his Swathes
into the Church
of Christ.
He growes. but not to full maturity,
Till he hath got the Two-fold Soveraignty.
NExt to
Gods Word, or
Oracles Divine,
Contemplating on
Matyriz'd Iustine,
Tertullian, Irene, Tatian, Clementine,
Lactantius, Euphreme, Ierome, Origen,
Eusebius, Leo, Cyrill, Nazianzen,
[Page 126] On
Epiphanius, Basil, Hillary,
Theodoret, Ruffinus, Gregory,
And their more Ancients
Cyprian, Chrysostome,
With those of
Af
[...]rick, Asia, Greece or
Rome,
Whither they in th'
Abissines Libraries,
Or
Vaticans immur'd for
Antiquaries;
Whether in
Pri
[...], or
Manuscripts they be,
Musing, I say, on them with insight free,
Who wro
[...]e within the First Six Hundred Yeare,
Besides the
Synods of the
Sacred Peeres,
Chiefly at
Nice (to sort New things with Old)
I wish this
Post serit set in stamps of Gold:
Those Wits, who can
Grave Epiphanius scan,
May helpe to fan
Romes Church from the
Old Man,
Like Wheat from Chaffe, or Gold from dust and drosse.
I wish this done, but dare not it ingrosse,
Or undertake my wishing to fulfill
Or want of time, of Strength, of Levites skill.
THough while proud
Caesars rav'd, some
Christians pain'd,
Yet
Pliny shewes their state when
Trajan raign'd;
Nor could their
Rage, nor
Victors thundring
schisme,
For
Easters Rites impeach
Faiths Catechisme.
Curst were those
Weeds sprung of
Idolatries,
Which by
Truths Flame Good Epiphanius tries:
And Blest the
Flowres, or
Herballs of the
Fields,
For
Quintessence which
Epiphanius yeelds.
There,
Millenaires, and grosse
Monothelites,
With other Clouds dim the
First Churches Lights.
There, see wise men then
[...]ire Drakes more unsure,
Yet others there more sure then
Cynosure,
Though
Origen and
Cyprian in some things
Have err'd, yet
Saints by Union Calm'd their stings.
While
Arrians Rage Chiefe
Rulers of the Rost,
The
Orthodox proclaime the
Holy Ghost.
While
Capernaites Christs Flesh most grossely take,
True Saints by Faith that
Mystick Food partake.
Where
Ebionites and
Manichees taxe
Marriage,
There,
Gods Elect dissolves so strict a Carriage.
Where
Montanists for Merit
Fasts erect
At Times prefixt, there,
Saints a
snake suspect.
Priscillians teach men to Equivocate,
But
Christian Saints all Double-dealing hate.
Caianes Sect did
Angels Help implore,
And with fond Vowes their mystick Shapes adore:
As likewise did those doating
Heretickes,
Whom some in
Austines Time term'd
Angellicks.
But
Saints Christs Father serve, that Mighty One
In Persons Three, and three in One alone,
Not Creatures, nor the Members, but the Head
Of Creatures Life, the Iudge of Quick and Dead.
All others Help they utterly disclaime,
Save that, which they through
Christ his Merits claime.
Some to
Our Lady offer'd Sacrifice,
But
Epiphane blames them of
Heath'nish vice,
Suites
Womens Cakes for her Idolatriz'd
With Trash, which to
Heav'ns Queen were sacrifie'd,
[Page 129] Equalls their Deed to that which snared
Eve,
Yea, to the
Serpents which did
Eve deceave,
And likewise teares the
Vaile where
Christ was painted
Forbidding Dead Mens Pictures to be Sainted;
Wherewith by
Letter he upon this
Theame,
Acquaints the
Bishop of
Ierusalem,
Advising him not to endure the like
Scandall, or Crime within his
Bishopricke.
This of the
Veile at
Anablata hung
Was then from
Greek turn'd to the
Latin Tongue.
Novatus damn'd men after
Baptismes Breach,
But no Despairing Fate
Mild Christians teach;
They rather will raise up the
Br
[...]ized Reed,
Then Thunder out what is not in their
Creed.
SUch
Lamps this
Holy Worke of Ancient Date
Exemplifies for us to imitate
Such
Damps likewise expressed in that
Work
May warne th'
Elect, where doth the
Dragon lurk.
[Page 130] There,
Heretickes in sundry Formes appeare,
There,
Christ his Church you may discerne most cleare,
And how good
Christians liv'd in Dayes of Yore,
With what they taught before that
Rome turn'd whore,
Or which of Either
Church are growne of late
In
Faith, or
Manners more Adulterate,
There, with some Paines we might gaine knowledge more,
Which
Worke I wish, but want the
Lydian Lore
To touch,
to try the Spirits, and apply
The
Extracts to the
Moderne Policy.
Let some
Grave Elder with
Seraphick Love,
Indifferent, Just, and Mild,
the Spirits prove.
Let
Usher, Hall, or Learned
Montague,
My
Mate sometimes in
Eaton those renew,
Which, if my Mindes presaging Augury
Faile not, will yet to us more Newes discry;
Or if Affaires afford them not the leasure,
To levy, rate, and draw the hidden Treasure,
Some
Good Professour of Judicious Braine,
Which wants a Flocke, may undergoe the straine;
Start up blaze those sacred
Theoremes,
Which adding wings to our
Reformed Flights,
Would serve to guard our
New-born Lambs from
Kites
And shew them Gentle
Bathes, when to the Brim,
Old
Tiber fill'd cause
Elephants to swim;
While
Honest Swains them greet:
God blesse the weak,
And grant they not their
Christian vowes do breake,
While
Saints doe
Saints salute:
God speed the Plow,
And make us all content with what we sow.
So that their
Seed be pure, full well we know,
They with Increase and
Peace shall reap and Mow.
The
Harvest great, no doubt but
Christ enow
Of Workemen will provide, though I be slow.
I now review another
Century:
About the Sev'nth of
Christ, the
Mystery
Of
Ghostly Sinne began to domineere,
And here-hence-out a
Pilot false will steere
Who durst usurpe his
Lords Imperiall Place,
Bereaving Him, his
Wife, and
Babes of Life,
(An
Omen sure portending future Strife)
From
Phocas first receiv'd
Pope Boniface
Investiture of his
Supremest Place,
And to be styl'd,
The Churches Soveraigne Lord,
Which some have wrested since to
Peters Sword,
Which smote off
Malchus Eare. In the meane while
Hypocrisie did all the World beguile,
For from the Yeare since
Boniface began,
The
Dragon wrought upon the Braine of Man,
With more sly Trickes then in the Times before
On
Hereticks, or Wits of weaker Lore.
Pope Gregory fore-saw this Mystick Cloud,
And
New Romes Patriarch therefore warn'd aloud:
That
who aspir'd to be the Soveraigne Priest,
He was fore-runner of False Antichrist.
[Page 133] THis
Gregory fore-told, although himselfe
Had left his Ship on a suspected Shelfe;
When here in
England he gave
Austine leave
To winke at
Heathen Feasts, to interweave
Their Stuffe with
Faith, which some resemblance had
With
Christian Formes, to weane them form their Bad
And damned Garbes, that so by Easie steps
They might ascend, and not by sodaine Leapes.
These
Pagan Rites by
Saints conniv'd at first,
Like tainted Vessels savour'd of the Worst,
And long retain'd their mixt Religions Taint,
Till the
Last Age, on the
New mans Complaint,
Had purifi'd what the
Good Spirit knew
Expedient in the
Church Christ to renew.
THat
Monster, which since the
Apostles Age
Crept
Mysticke-wise, grew big, began to rage,
And Raigne soone after
Gregories Decease,
Under the
Keyes pretence disturbing
Peace,
To Thunder, Blesse, or Curse each Mortall wight;
For now henceforth a
Mixt Religion flowes,
To marre
Good Seed the
Tempter Darnell sowes.
With Dreggish Dreames, which here
Pelagians first,
And
Monkish Braines had brew'd, they quench their Thirst.
With
Reliques, Shrines, and
Lies, Monastick Cells
Abound, and
Darknesse now the
Light expells.
Foule
Sodomy instead of Lawfull Flames,
And now our
West Blacke Superstition shames.
As
Mungrells of
Samaria Sacrific'd
Some unto
God, some
Creatures Idoliz'd:
Some this besaint, that
Image they observe,
But really the Most Part
Mauzzim serve.
On Creatures they the
God-heads Right conferre,
And while they kneele to Shrines most grossely erre;
The
Sunne's Eclips'd, The
Gospel they misprise,
And slight the
Crosse, the
New-mans Sacrifice:
The Fiery
Crosse they slight, and hope by Deedes
And Humane Craft to blot out all Mis-deedes.
BOth
East and
West, since
Mahome
[...] began,
Since
Mecha roar'd the
Moorish Alcoran,
Find much adoe their Credit to excuse,
But must confesse the
New-man they abuse,
While the
Old Man with his
Voluptuous store,
Traditions, and his
Trident they adore;
While
Dust and
Ashes they extoll too much,
Gods Word concealing, where they inly grutch
At Him, who did Poore
Fishermen inspire
With sundry Tongues appearing then, like Fire,
Unlesse they will mad
Iulians cause support,
Restraining
Light from all the
Vulgar Sort,
Who burnt the
Scriptures, interdicted
Zeale,
And forbad Schooles to
Christians Common-weale:
As from the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Sixe,
Rome did obscure
Gods Word to raise her Pixe▪
And what more Signe of a
Tyrannick Sway
Could be, then with One Tongue to oversway
The
Christian Church compos'd of many Sounds?
The
Catholick of unrestrained Bounds?
Within this
Age likewise the
Agarens,
By changing of their Names to
Saracens,
Intruded on the
Right of
Abrams Heire,
On
Christs as
Moses Lawes, and on the Faire
Possessions of the
Church in
Siriaes Land,
With
Aegypt, which to his
Arabian strand
Now
Mahomet doth adde, that by those Three
The
Hornes in
Daniel might accomplishe be,
With Hodgepodge-Dreames Cookt for a
Fairy Feast.
And so himselfe of those
Three Realmes possest
Dar'd to spue out the most Presumptuous thing,
The
Alcoran, I meane, against our
Christ,
Whereby he grew
One of Great Antichrist
His Chiefest Limbs to
Lord it in the
East,
As
Popes already crept into the
West;
And save for
Christian Name, which they doe beare,
Shall over-match him in our
Worldly spheare,
So
Ours shall goe beyond him by lowd Words,
And
Thundring Bulls accursing men to
Hell,
Dethroning
Kings, and seating
Soules aswell
In
Heaven, as in
Purgatory-Cells:
In which Attempts the
Pope the
Turk excells.
BUt whether for
Pelagian Heresie,
Or for her Fraud
Romes great
Apostasie
Fell out? (For though
Pelagius she may blame,
Yet his Conceptions with implicite Flame
She hugges) Or when she turned
Courtezan?
Or when was
Satan curb'd? I leave to scan,
Loath to resolve such Questions Scrupulous,
Till Fresher Gales, for their more cleere discusse,
Shall quicken up my gravell'd
Intellect
From Ancient Scribes the
Truth to recollect.
I Had almost forgot here downe to quote
Among these Broiles one memorable Note;
About the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Foure,
When
Sarasens and
Popes began to rore,
A
Female-Saint of
Yorke did Prophetize,
And speake against
Romes New Enormities:
She stood against the
Shaving of the Crowne,
Which then the
Romish Church, to know her owne
False Prophets by, as Publike
Mark or
Seale,
Had forc'd on
Priests with a lowd thundring Peale.
Against the same, and
Easters Romaine Date
Good
Hilda spake, but
Popes said she did prate:
For since they durst the
New-mans Course exchange,
Why might not they all Ancient Orders change?
Adde to the
Church New Sacraments, as
Lights?
And alter Times aswell as
Outward Rites?
He, that presumes above all
Councells, Kings,
And
States, will do farre more
prodigious things.
[Page 139] Thus
Popes have done. Therefore I strongly fixe
Upon the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Sixe.
When
Gog with Force advanc'd the
Alcoran,
When
Magogs wiles set up the
Outward Man:
Then did those Foes, though diff
[...]ring in their wayes,
Begin with
Filth to soile the
Churches Rayes.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE EIGHTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 700. untill the yeere 800. At which Time Irene raigned Empresse of Constantinople, being the Mother of Constantine and Nicephorus. About which Time Ecbert began his Monarchy in England.
The Argument.
The Churches Brood
seduc'd with Monkish Lies
And Mechaes Dreames,
the Gospel
they misprize;
Mungrells themselves,
then Mixt Religions
flow,
Yet some reclaim'd, their Mothers Voyce
did know.
ABout the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Sixe,
Strife dimm'd the use of the true
Crucifixe.
For
Pictur'd Saints the
Greek Imperiallists
Began to taxe our
Westerne Latinists,
[Page 142] Whose Right or Wrong
Serenus, Gregory,
And
Epiphane did long afore descry.
Some priz'd those
Types, like Bookes, to edifie:
Some them defi'd, least
Gulls them
Deifie.
Some thought their
sight did quicken much the
sence,
Whilst others held they dull'd the
Conscience.
But to summe this: we must our Bodies yeeld
As Mindes to serve the
Lord, or lose the Field.
We outwardly must to
Gods Rites attend,
As inwardly on his
Good Gifts intend,
For what the
Heart adores, the
Tongue sounds out,
The
Knee bowes to, the
Sight puts out of doubt.
Then,
Agars seed prevail'd to Tyrannize,
Popes to usurpe, and both to Sympathize
With
Satans Genius, by false masked zeale
To over-sway
Christs Church and Common-weale,
Fraud taught them first to crouch and to dissemble,
Then
Fiends train'd thē to make their Foes to trēble.
Thus darkned stood our
Westerne Hemisphere,
Till She that's with the
Sun cloth'd did appeare.
Recalling home her Strayes from
P
[...]pery.
Among which Lutes harmoniously
Divine,
Would I could thrust this
Oaten Pipe of Mine.
BUt was
Our Church on Earth invisible
Till
Luthers Time? No sure. Most visible
She lay to
Saints, though to some
Romish hid,
Like
Diamonds in Mines, yet clearly did
She breath in
Christ, although not eminent
To Carnall Eyes, or on a
Hill transparent,
Yet
Catholick, and through the World diffus'd,
She sojourned with
Holy Rayes infus'd,
Like a Poore
Pilgrim, one while in the
East
She liv'd retir'd. Another while the
West,
She put in mind of
Jeremiaes Threnes:
Anon the
Northerne-Iles, and
Isters Fennes
She visited, and oftentimes the
South,
Or all at once she wakened from their
Sloth,
Could testifie with
Ethiopiaes Strand:
Which
C
[...]ms Tartaria and the
Moguls Ground
Could blaze how she
Nestorians did confound.
Which
Snow
[...] Mos
[...]ho
[...]s Clime could justifie;
Yea, many in our
West could verifie,
That she,
Good Soule, with Teares and Doctrine soun
[...]
Sought to red
[...]me them in
Hells Fetters bound,
And on
Christs Merits onely to rely
Without Distrust or Ambiguity,
Tendring her Glosse
Christs Gospel to expound,
But most were deafe, or would not heare her Sound,
For either in a Tongue unknowne, by roat,
Or
[...]arnally they would her
D
[...]ctates note.
Nay, when she would
indifferent things to use
P
[...]rmit her B
[...]bes, her Love they would abuse;
And for her Care, her
Champions they would raze
Out of their Files with
Curst Anathemaes.
Yet some of better Mould attentively
Ga
[...]e
[...]are; and these I praise deservedly▪
Shew us what Life a
Christian ought to lead.
He
d
[...]ing wisht, a
[...]
Cutber
[...] wrote, that Men
Would read
Gods Word, and humane dreams contemn
To which Good End himselfe in
English To
[...]e
Christs Gospel left according to Saint
Iohn.
Those
Holy Monks liv'd not on others sweat,
Nor idly did by
Strangers Tythes get Meat,
But earn'd repast in
Gardens by the Spade,
Or in foule weather by some Houshold Trade.
To keep their thoughts frō sensual Plots they wrought,
And on
High Dayes or Fest
[...]als they taught
Their
Auditours what sence
Christs Mystery
Beares to imprint his
Passions M
[...]mory;
Or Catechis'd the weake and tender Braine
With
Scriptures Text, and intelligible straine▪
But when the
Lumbards were by
Cha
[...]lemaine
Represt, then
Popes rais'd up their
Pe
[...]cocks Traine▪
With Carnall Sence and Carnall meanes support,
Transforming Rites ingrosse stupendio
[...]s sor
[...],
[Page 146] And by Degrees transferr'd to
Catholickes
Traditions hatcht by Former
Heretickes.
What Wheele is this? what strange Extravagance?
Religious Rome, like
Dina, gads to Daunce.
Nay more, she paints her Face, like
Jezabel,
Darkning those Gifts, wherein she did excell,
She that most Honour'd was next
Salems Church,
Spreads
Lying Dreames, and now lives by the lurch.
She, that was once the
Westernes sacred Dame,
Converting
Heathen Soules unto the
Lambe,
Usurps Saint
Peters Place with Lofty Style,
Depraves
Gods Gifts, and reares up
Babels Pile.
She, that was
Chast, delights to play the
Queane,
And more then Good to practize Deeds obsceane,
But these are Tri
[...]les in respect of those
Great Sinnes, to which she will henceforth dispose
Her
Wh
[...]rish will, for wicked
Sodo
[...]y
She will commit, cheat men with
Alchimy;
She will proud
Nembr
[...]d from
Damnation free,
And will besamt false
Magus for a Fee.
Mew up
Gods Word, and Vertue quite expell.
She
Christendome will topsie-turvie turne,
Dethrone her
Kings, and make their
Subjects mourne,
But here the Comfort lyes: though
Rome playes false,
And
Nero-like, debauch'd, yet all her Brawles,
Plots, Menaces, and Tortures cannot stop
The
Pens of Some the
Truth to underprop
With
Learned Workes, to blaze in every
Age
Her
Breach of Faith, and tyrannizing Rage.
THe strong Conceit of the
States Holinesse,
Saint
Peters Keyes, and Shrines did so possesse
Remoter Braines, that
Rome they did prefer
Before all Climes. Thither
Cadwallader
Our
Brittish King for Refuge in Distresse,
And sundry Others went for
Happinesse,
As they then dream'd: Some for
Monastick Rest:
Some to become there by such
Merits Blest.
Had not then blockt them in their
Pilgrims way,
With dangers by
Banditi in some Straight
About the
Alpes, where Theeves for Preyes awaite,
(Such was the Blindnesse of that
Ages Zeale)
Romes Mart had greater been; more lowd her Peale,
As sithence for her
Marchandize encreafe
Fell out, though to their Losse of Inward Peace.
WHile
Rome thus vaunted of
Imagery,
Greece seconded her Sinfull
Mystery.
And though
New Rome long struggled with the
Old,
Yet now her
Keyes then Ice become Cold:
And so prevail'd damn'd
Errour at the last,
That
Nicens second Councell made agast
Our
Christian Church, when that
Romes glorious Head
She saw Accurst, and yet themselves mis-led
Would set forth
Acts for
Images Adore,
Which their
Greek Church condemned had before.
[Page 149]
Honorius was most justly Censured,
But
Idolls use they ill determined.
For
Heresie the
Romaine Pope they quail'd,
Yet
Heresie within themselves prevail'd;
And what the
Former Age brookt as a Booke,
An
Image now like to a God they tooke,
And held an
Idoll in no l
[...]sse esteeme
Then
Pagans did to honour
Dagon seeme,
This
Ages Griefe I point at, that the
East
We may conclude as faulty as the
West.
None can excuse themselves. Aswell
New Rome,
As did the
Old, for
Antichrist made roome.
Because, like
Rome, a
Mungrell Faith they those;
The
Greeks their Fame of
Iconomaches lose.
Yet this stole in but like an
Ague Fit,
They soone recover'd, and confounded it.
THey did not since so Superstitious grow,
To vow that Service which to
Christ they owe,
As if their
Church to
Baal they had betray'd.
They minister the
Cup unto the
Lay;
Their
Clergy-men doe Marry to this day;
And in the
Mother-Tongue the
Gospel read,
Not like the
Westernes Rome so much misled.
ANd yet no doubt
their Church went much astray
In many points, though not so grosse away,
As
Rome. They held, and made apparant Boast
Of idle Quirkes about the
Holy Ghost,
That they might share, and be in tangled in
The Mystery of the Lewd
Man of Sinne.
For which Foule Crime, and D
[...]pravation,
Christ
Did then with-draw his
Grace, and in that Mist,
The
Dragon did worke on their Enemies,
As on their Wi
[...], their
Empire to surprize,
And to prey on their
Chiefe Metropolis,
As
Turkes still doe. And all for their amisse.
ERe I conclude this
Ages Century,
I must not over-slip, how
Zachary
The
Romaine Pope against
Gods Word gave way
From
Childerick the
Crowne to put away,
And to Depose the
French Mens Lawfull King
On
Pipins Plea, and for no other thing
Then for a slothfull Life, and that a
Bee
Was fitter then a
Drone to Over-see
And Rule a
Realme, that he tooke all the Care,
While
Childerick lay still in Pleasures Snare,
Or lull'd a sleep, not caring but for Ease,
Whereby he did the Common-wealth displease.
On this surmize; the
Pope gave his Assent,
That the Poore
King be to a
Cloister sent
And shorne a
Monke, that
Pipine weare the
Crowne,
The lawfull
Heires from
Native Right quite thrown.
For this good Turne the
Pope to gratifie,
The
Franks New King combin'd to fortifie
That he
Ravenna forc'd to yeeld at length.
The Yeare of
Christ Seven Hundred Fifty Sixe,
When men did much on
Outward Objects fixe,
Then
Constantine to
Pipine in the
West
Sent first the use use of
Organs from the
East,
In imitation of King
Davids Harpe,
A Godly Use, though Some thereat doe carpe,
Which though
Pope Paul the First did not abhorre,
Yet afterwards he dar'd that
Emperour
With
Curses for opposing
Images:
On these
Popes doated so with Passages
Of Glorious Shewes, that
Adrian Peter all
In Silver cloath'd, and
Paul with Golden Pall.
THus by Degrees
Rome that was fam'd for Chaste,
Began to paint her Face, and prove unchaste.
But though
Popes daub'd, & were more proud become,
Others went Plaine like
Old Religious Rome;
[Page 153] And in
Our West will so continue still,
Till to adore
False Christs, Fiends bane their Will.
All were not Bad; although the
Head was craz'd,
The
Lord yet some of
Romes poore Members grac'd.
No doubt, He blest some of the
Romain Brood;
Caiphas was Bad, but
Nichodemus Good.
When that
Elias thought the
Church downe reel'd,
Sev'n Thousand were to
Baal that never kneel'd.
As in the
East, so in the
West there were
Thousands which then from
Idolls did forbeare,
Fixing their onely
Faith on
Maries Seed,
The
Churches Head, which ransom'd
Evaes Deed.
Now the first use to
Christen Bells began,
Whereby (I thinke) they
Baptisme did profane,
When they deprav'd the
Rites of Sacred Font,
Wherewith to type the
New-man we are wont.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE NINTH AGE, From the Yeare of our Lord 800. (About which Time Charles the Great of France after his Conquest of the Lumbards, was Crowned by Pope Leo the Third Emperour of the West) untill the Yeare 900. About which time the Danes sore afflicted England.
The Argument.
Charles
builds New Schooles,
subjects the Westerne Broiles,
And with the Pope
shares Faire Ravennaes
Spoiles.
Though some rare Wits
renowned then that Age,
Two Monstrous Deeds
yet shame the Romaine Stage.
BRave Charlemaine, like
Romes bifronted Sire,
Whom
Pagans at the Former Yeares expire,
And at the Newes Approach renew'd with
Bayes:
So merited this
Prince redoubted Praise,
[Page 156] For clozing up in the Last falling Age
Our
Westerne wounds made by
Barbarian Rage.
No Fate of Worldly Wheeles, nor length of Yeares
Shall cancell
Martells Deedes, nor the Twelve Peeres
Dimme, nor expunge from
Honours Calendar,
For their Exploits and Memorable Warre
Against the
Moores, with whom they did so cope,
That they quite lost their proud Ambitious Hope
Of Conqu'ring
France, as they subjected
Spaine,
But left behinde Two hundred Thousand slaine
Of
Moorish Coarses for a Pawne or Signe,
That none shall
France but
Christians make to whine.
CHarles after Broiles in this
Ninth Age began
Three
Academes to found for the
New-man,
To propagate in
France and
Italy,
By whose faire
Patterne Moe did fructifie
In other
Christian Lands, from whence Some rose,
Some
Rome to ayd, and some her to oppose:
[Page 157] For though the Head of the
Vertigo wheel'd,
Some Members yet there were, which never reel'd.
ANd surely
Charles the Name of
Great deserves
Aswell as
Constantine, but that he serves
Too lavishly in my Conceit to prop
Rome with more
States, when she had need of stop.
He
Desiderius for her sake immur'd,
And her with him to share the Spoiles endur'd.
He did to her that
Patrimony signe,
Which since she falsely forg'd from
Constantine;
For which henceforth we must expect but Force,
Spirituall Rapes, and the
New-mans Divorce,
Truth crying out, that they the
Lumbards wrong'd,
And that the Fee to
Irens Sonne belong'd,
Great Constantines Successour, New Romes Lord.
But how should then proud
Babel be ador'd?
ALasse, that such Effects from
Kings did streame,
To taint the Springs of
New Ierusalem,
Since what they gave out of their
Love and
Zeale,
Redounded to corrupt
Christs Common-weale▪
The more
Rome had, the more she coveted,
(Ambition perkes with reines unlimited)
And never will the
Pope in quiet rest,
Till he rides on a
Scarlet colour'd Beast,
Till he Crown'd with a
Triple Diademe
Shall both his Mates and
Emperours contemne.
But the
Red Dragon yet workes covertly,
He spues not all his
Dr
[...]gges but lees them ly
At randome, whilst this
Age amaz'd doth passe
Like to a Dreame; and that the Next an
Asse
Shall turne, extinct of Light, and
Learnings Fruit,
Which
Charles had left for Honours faire pursuit:
Whereby more Roome shall for ambitious
Rome
Enlarged be for
Soules abroad to roame.
[Page 159] About the Yeare Eight Hundred Sixty Six,
Romes Church being growne of late a
Meretrix,
Chast Marriage more to bring into Decay,
And to promote the
Antichristian Sway
By
Sodomes Snares and
Brothelries accurst,
Consented that
Pope Nicholas the First,
With
Lucifers and all the
Monks applause
Should then enact these grosse
Tyrannicque Lawes:
That no
Lay-men receive the
Sacrament
By
Married Priests, though with devout intent;
As if
Gods Mysticks from
John Baptists Sire,
Or
Peter savour'd of Profaner Fire;
And that thenceforth no
Priest should celebrate
Within
Precincts of all the
Christian state
Gods Service in the
Vulgar Mother Tongue,
But in the
Latine, which did all belong,
As he surmiz'd, to
Peters Government,
And so to him by reason consequent,
Excepting onely the
Sclavonian Rout
And
Polanders, whom he of
Grace left out▪
And falsely on the
New-mans Right encroacht.
Where was
Christs Church the while? gone from that
Elsewhere (perhaps a Thousand Yeares) to chime,
That so
Rome being for her unthankfulnesse
Cut off, the
Gospels Sound might Others blesse.
But while this Eighth
Centurian Age did last,
Some
Wits barr'd Sinne from spreading too too fast.
OF these I praise good
Bertrams Unity
And
Haymons Cares, because the verity
Of our late Doubts about the
Sacrament
Of the
Lords Feast they quote, and what is meant
By that
Divine and
Mystick Ordinance,
Which
Carnall Clerkes by
Transubstantiate Trance
Broacht to confound our
Weaklings Apprehension
For his true Bodies Forme, Site, and Dimension:
Ae
[...]gera then gloss'd the
Sacrament
[...] them, from which our Moderne
Popes dissent.
Who held those Points, which
Bertram held before.
NO
Clarks then cloy'd
Christs Flock with heavy Mast
But drest his
Feast fit for the
New-mans tast:
They
Christ Receiv'd by Intellectuall Trance,
And upwards taught by
Faith Soules to advance.
They taught their
Flocke the
Old Man to deface,
And to embrace the
Holy Spirits Grace:
The Chaine 'twixt
Christ and us incorporate,
Christs Flesh and
Bloud with Ours Regenerate:
The
Sacrament not taken in One kinde.
(Who would bar
Wine from Guests but men unkind)
The
Reall Forme whereof unspeakable
If I describe, the
Saints will say I babble,
For
Carnall Reason knowes not to define,
How
Christ descends at our
Great Feast Divine.
Upon our
Faith the
Holy Ghost alights,
And He with
Christ our rapt-up Soules unites,
[Page 162] Makes us in Minde and Body Sympathize
With
Christ his Humane Nature Mystick-wise,
BUt then before this
Century expir'd,
The
Romish Church two Monstruous Meteours fn'd,
And by their Dampe gave warning to those Times,
That Vengeance was at hand, unlesse betimes
They would
New Babel shun with her false charmes,
And damned Plots po
[...]tencing after-harmes.
The One fell out when the
Whore Moguntine
In a Mans habit plaid the false Divine,
So blear'd the
Romaines Eyes, that they for
Pope
Elected her, to shew how they did grope,
And stumble in re-building
Babels Walls,
Which they should let, lest they become her Thralls.
A reall Signe, that
Rome then turned
Whore
With Carnall soil'd, with
Ghostly Traffick more.
THe Other Prodigy
Pope Sergius spred,
When he the Corps of
Pope Formosus dead
Dig'd from his Grave, beheaded him with shame,
And into
Tybers Streame then flung the same.
How well
Romes Head deserves the Name by
John
Fore-told of Old:
The Whore of Babylon?
BY these two Flaming Brands and Papall Jarres,
Good
Watch-men may dissever
Fiends from
Starres,
And by the Fruit proud
Antichrist discerne,
If foggy Mists impeacht them not to learne.
His
Empires wound which long since
Goths had made
By
Constantines Remove, had for his Trade
Of Soules beene soone recur'd, yea,
Antichrist
Been sooner knowne: But
God that Cloudy Mist
Permitted by degrees the
West to blinde,
Which grew of wild degenerated kinde,
Were mounted to the height the World to gull,
That so his
Word fulfill'd, her fearefull Fall
Amaze them more, who her a Queen install.
While she deferres her
Coron
[...]tion Day,
The Next farre duller Age prepares her way,
To climbe above all
Christian States and
Kings,
And to invert for
Gold Gods sacred things.
Marke,
Reader, but with Feare; and Glory not
In that
Old Churches Fall, lest that thy Lot
For thy proud
Peacocks vaunt of thine Owne Worth,
May hap, like her, from
Grace to be cast forth.
While thus the
Popes their Monarchy contrive,
Within the Yeare Eight Hundred Ninety Five:
In imitation of brave
Charlemaine,
Who founded
Schooles poore
Students to maintaine,
And likewise of the
Saxon Sigebert,
Who rear'd the like in
Cambridge to convert
[Page 165] Two Ages past rude
Wits from Ignorance:
King Alfred built for
Schollers Maintenance
An
Academe, or
Universitie
At
Oxford, which with Men of Pietie,
Men skilfull in the
Tongues and
Arts he stor'd,
Such as could well expound
Gods Sacred Word,
Whereof himselfe a present Patterne was,
And might be stil'd true
Vertues Looking-glass
[...];
Ev'n as our
Iames was
Learnings Oracle,
Styl'd
Faiths Defender, Brittaines Miracle;
For as the One clad Part of
Davids H
[...]mnes
In
Saxon Garbe, wrote Bookes, and
Carechismes:
So did Our
King of Famous Memory
New-clothe those
Psalmes in Verse, and
Popery
Convince with sundry Bookes, and
Babylon,
For which Our Age inscribes him
Salomon.
IN Turne of Time, as
Faith did ebbe and flow,
Or as the
Moone eclips'd, or
Winds did blow,
[Page 166]
Religion wav'd, sprung up another Fry,
Which grounding
Faith on vaine
Imagery,
And their owne
Merits puffe, for
Penance sake,
Or with
Great Rome to part
Vaine-glories stake,
Took up Good
Alfreds Taske, to build more Roomes
In the
Oxonian Towne, upon whose Tombes
Faire
Violets and
Roses sithence grew,
Because they living strove
Arts to renew.
This moved
Wainflet, Wickam, Chiches
[...]ey,
And Others with more
Fabrickes to supply
That
Nursery; Some brought in Wood, some Clay,
Some Stone, aswell the
Clergy as the
Lay.
Hence as from
Sinons Horse Minervaes Knights
Came forth, well skill'd in Fences and in Fights.
Hence as from
Saplings shot up
Goodly Trees,
Hence as from
Hives came up
Industrious Bees,
Whereof some did the
Conscience edifie,
The
Common-wealth some Others beautifie.
Hence
Wickli
[...]se rose,
Bale, and laborious
Foxe,
Who holp to build
Our Temple Orthodoxe,
Yet by such Good Mens Cares through
Grace wee
By
Martyrs Acts fetcht from
Old Registers
To stop the Mouthes of false Interpreters,
As by those
Wits nurst up with
Food Divine
On
Oxfords Paps, which now in
London shine,
And likewise by a Thousand Other
Starres,
Whose
Radiant Rayes excell the
Sunny Carres,
At whose rare Gifts and Voyce our
Brittains wonder,
When they strike Sinne, like to the
Sonnes of Thunder.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE TENTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 900. untill the yeere 1000. At which Time raigned Emperour Otho the Third, whom the Almaines call the Worlds Wonder. About which Time King Et heldred Raigned in England.
The Argument.
The Dulnesse of this Age. The Pope Supreme
In Rule unto the Latine Tongue binds them
Who are his Th [...]alles. Yet to the Truth some stand
Most firme. Th' Electours now grace Teutons Land.
O Who can count the
Churches dolefull Teare
[...],
Her Woes, Her Fits, and Manifolded Feare
[...]
By
Sarace
[...]s, the
Popes, and
Heat
[...]nish Bands,
Who forraged, and rackt all
Christian Lands?
[Page 180] No sooner had Victorious
Charlemaine
Parted with
Popes the
Scepter Soveraigne,
Adding unto the
Keyes a
Diademe,
But
Rome grew proud of that brave
State Supreme,
Although as then it was a single
Crownc,
And not, as since, like
Gerions, Triple growne;
So seem'd to have her former wound heal'd up,
Which
Caesars gave by their Remove; her
Cup
O're-flow'd, her
Mac
[...] renewe'd, which
Gorhes had rent.
She frolicks now, forgets her Banishment;
She hopes, that the like Blow shall never light
Upon her Limbs, nor work her more despight.
She stands secure, and builds up
Babels Walls,
And by
New Kings, her Tributary Thralls,
Whom she hath train'd with Fetches into serve
Her Turne, and as their
God, her to observe,
She stores her
Palace with the price of Bloud,
With Sinnefull Spoiles vail'd with an
Angels Hood.
While thus she vaunts of Carnall Dignities,
And slights the
Serpent, which concealed lies,
[Page 181]
Religion goes to wrack: and few there be,
Which will, or dare the
Gospels Splendour see.
Dumbe are her
Priests, and mu
[...]fled are the
Flock;
Both Honour Stocks more then the Living
Rocke.
Instead of
Scriptures now, Traditions strange,
The
Divels Huskes, disperst. Lord! how those range!
Which th
[...]ugh but light at first in Wise mens Eyes,
None fannes them, lest they might disgrace the
Keyes
Usurping Lord, who, whilst he grac'd those Toyes,
Stopt Strangers murmure at the
Latine Noise.
O Tyranny, worse than Our
Norman Kings!
Such was Great
Henries Spleen, and such his stings
Towards the
Welsh or
Brittish Nation bent,
Because they had by their Troupes Ambushment
Neere
Snowdon Hills defeated in their Woods
And Straights his
Forces, in his angry Moods
He meant, if hesped in a Victours way
Old
Cambers Tone quite to exile away,
[...]
[...]
[Page 172] And force the Vanquisht from their
Native Tongue
To learne the
English Tone. But of this wrong
Consulting with an
Hermite, when he heard
How hard that Plot would prove, he seem'd afear'd:
That though their Persons he might subjugate,
Yet he could not that
Tongue obliterate,
Which was so Ancient, but it should endure
Till
Doomesday came, the Pure from the Impure
To separate, and that this
Sound among
The Chiefe should vent
Allelujaes Song.
MUch then hath
Rome to answer for this wrong,
And they have Cause to waile, who were so long
Barr'd from
Soules-Comfort in the
Mother-Tongue
By Rapsodies unknowne, or
Parrats Song.
Before this
Ninth Centurian Age began,
Although the
Head turn'd giddy, the
New-man
Forsooke not to reclaime the Chiefest Parts
Of the
Church-Body from the
Serpents Arts.
[Page 573] In all the Course of the
Church-Pilgrimage,
From the
Apostles Time untill this Age,
I apprehend no Pleas in that long
Tract
Of Time, nor reall
Motives to substract,
(Some
Schismaticques excepted, and some Few,
Who seiz'd on Rights to their
Creator due)
From her
Essentiall Worth, and
Purity
[...]
But that
Romes Church leagu'd in
Integrity
With
Cyprian, Ambrose, Ierome, Augustine,
For the Resolve of
Mysteries Divine;
And that with those, whom I have named last,
We hold
True Faith in spight of
Babels Blast,
The
Faith, which they did
Catholicke professe;
Yea, and the very same untowardnesse
Of
Factious Spirits, which they scorn'd, we scorne,
Hating to see our
Masters Rayment torne.
DId any Farnous
Writers from
Christs Age?
Or in Eight Hundred Yeares since
Christ engage
[Page 184] Their Auditors to credit those lewd Points,
Which with lewd threats
Trents Councel late appoints
Did either
Popes, or
Councels then ordaine
From
Wedlock Bonds the
Clergy to refraine?
Did they compell their
Flockes Gods Word to heare
In a strange Tongue, as if they sencelesse were?
Did they without their Troupe Communicate?
Or let them without
Wine participate
The
Holy Bread alone? with curst intent
So maiming halfe our
Christian Sacrament?
Did they kneele downe to
Images or
Shrines?
Or offer Bribing Gifts? Or pay them Fines?
Did they believe the
Pope dispenc'd with
Oathes?
Or could dispose of
Realmes to
Franks or
Gothes?
Did
Popes within sev'n Hundred Yeares exempt
States from their
Kings, or
Kings hold in contempt?
Did they beleeve that
Popes could Pardons sell?
And ransome
Soules from Purgings Flames of
Hell?
Or do the
Greeks, the
East, or
Abissine
Hold to this day, like
Rome, their
Rites Divine?
[Page 175] But rather joyne with us in most of these▪
Holding her Sick of
Schismaticques Disease?
Did they before the
Councell Popes preferre?
As though, like Other Men, they could not erre?
No
Romainist, although he loves the
Pope,
Unlesse he rackes too much, will prove I hope,
That any
Doctours broacht that
Dostrine out
Untill the
Sunne the
Ninth Age brought about;
Or till indeed long after by degrees
Popes thundring
Spells forc'd
Monarques on their knees
Against
Christs Rule, who never grud
[...]'d to pay
Caesarean Toll, nor
Pilate did gaine-say.
And if they should by
Romes Type patronize
Those Errours, which the
True Church doth despise,
Let them looke backe upon the
Word Divine,
And see if there they can such Points define;
Or if before, or after
Constantine,
Till this
Tenth Age from Purenesse did decline,
They apprehend that
Saints did Sympathize
With those grosse
dreams, which now they dearly prize.
ONely some
Shrines in
Austins Time began
To be in some request, by their
Old Man
Devis'd to soile the
New, but not, as since,
That they might from
Gods Adoration flinch,
With an
All Haile to the
Triumphall Wood,
To
Martyrs Ashes, or Saint
Benets Hood.
Though in our
West Some us'd thus to comply,
The
East remembred yet Saint
Anthony,
Who at his Lives last gaspe, Sinne to prevent,
Requir'd his
Friends, that not with Monument
They would enclose his Corps, but secretly
Conceale the same, lest men might foolishly
It
Idolize in Zeale to doe him grace,
Which would redound at last to their disgrace.
To
Iohn the Twelfe now
Caesar Homage swore,
And that the Mid-time of this
Age did gore.
OF all the
Ages since the
Word made
Flesh
First rose on Earth none for the
Church had lesse
Of
Learnings Light then this
Tenth Century,
Dull'd through the Damps of
Hells great
Mystery.
Full Fourescore yeares os Ignorance prevail'd,
That
Knowledge seem'd extinct, the
Gospel fail'd.
Who could repeat the
Pater-Noster, Creed,
And
Ave Maries oft, though with small heed,
Or gloss'd on
Shrines, or mumbled
Latine Masse,
In
Schooles he did for a good
Graduate passe.
But if he made
Monastick Legends knowne,
A
Doctours Cap became his
shaven Crowne.
Whether this chanc'd by
Romes deep
Policie,
That none might dive to her
Supremacie,
Which she had newly
Crown'd, or that the
Warres,
Anxiety embroyling Soules with Cares
Prevented
Learnings Growth, we find small Signes
In that tempestuous Time of Vertuous Lines,
[Page 178] Or Monuments to move Posterity
Not to accuse them of Impiety.
Such was the Blindnesse of this darkned Age,
That none scarce acted on the
Muses Stage
Parts to be seene of
Gotams Auditours;
So busie were
Old Fooles in building Towres
And strong
Monastick Cells, where they found Peace,
Or to defend their
Reliques from the Prease
Of
Souldiers stormes, which from the
North did fall,
Norwegians, Danes, and
Pirates robbing all.
Onely some Foppish Tales they left behinde,
Thereby to cheat, not edifie the Minde:
What Miracles were wrought in such a Place,
Which they conceiv'd their
Monkish Haunt to grace,
How
Dunstan hookt, catcht
Satan by the Nose,
With many moe absurder Lyes then those;
Like
Oberons imagin'd
Fairy Dance,
Or
Arthurs Knights, or the Twelve Peeres of
France;
How
Patrick kill
[...]d Five Hundred Yeares before
Thousands of
Irish Kernes by Charmed Lore;
[Page 179] How
David did a mighty Mountaine move,
And by his Word the Massy Earth remove.
With such Fond Tales they gull'd the Multitude,
That 'tis no marvell we account them rude.
YEt o're his
Church the
Spirit vigilant
Neglected not their Dreames extravagant
To interrupt, by raising up the Wit
Of
Aelfrick to reforme their raving Fit,
Which worke perhaps not usefull for that Age,
But for our Doubts we doe conceive them sage,
I meane for
Christ his Body in suspence
With Some, which till this Age in
Ghostly Sence,
I dare be bold to say,
Saints ever tooke,
Not Carnall-wise, but by the
New-mans Booke.
This Reverend
Clerk in ancient
Saxon Style
Describes what Blots the
Sacrament defile,
And proves the Sence and Manner of the Feast
To suit with None, but with the
Spirits Guest.
[Page 180] From the tenth Chapter of the
Corinths First
He thus compares: The
Israelites a thirst
Dranke of
Christs Rock with a
Spirituall Tast,
And on his
Flesh, though Clouded, brake their Fast.
As our
New-man, or zealous
Catechist
Admires
Christs Body in the
Eucharist:
So they prais'd God for
Manna and
Rock-water,
Types of the
Churches Twinnes, how he begat her.
OUt of the Forrest of this
Century,
Excepting, Rudenesse, Broiles, and Butchery,
I apprehend no memorable Course
To beautifie my Lines; But worse and worse
All things decline. This onely I conclude
Imperiall Otho to extinguish Fiend,
And mortall Jarres for Chusing
Emperours
On
Sev'n conferr'd the first
Elective Pow'res,
Eternizing the Period of this
Sceane,
Whose
Former Acts we count
Rude and
obsceane.
Did to assure the
Almaines Government,
And to content the
Rhines Count Palatine,
Because he next of
Charlemaine his Ligne
Deserv'd that
Honour, which his Race hath held,
Till Force of late the
Golden Bull expell'd.
For this brave
Act the
Authour got the Praise,
To be enstil'd the
Wonder of those Dayes,
As they, who do that
Order violate,
Shall be proclaim'd
Usurpers of the State.
FOr an
Appendix to my
Register,
I must not over-passe
Pope Sylvester,
Who by
Hell-Charmes, Spells, Negromantick Lies,
And
Magick Arts defam'd the
Papall Keyes,
Preparing roome by that
Catastrophe
To the Next Age tost with a Sinnefull Sea.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE ELEVENTH AGE, From the Yeare of our Lord 1000. untill the Yeare 1100. About which time Godfrey of Lorraine became King of Ierusalem, and Henry the First Raigned King of England.
The Argument.
Hells
Highest sleights a Thousand Yeares restrain'd,
Breake out, when Priests
the Searlet Hat
had gain'd.
The Clergy
barr'd of Wives.
The Masses Cake
Turnes Flesh. The Holy Land
now Christians
take.
NOw to glance on the
Churches Darken'd wane,
Who can deny but
Rome became profane?
When
Satan was let loose a Thousand Yeares
After St.
Iohns Prediction, as appeares
And secret Slights to martyrize
Gods Word?
Both
Sun and
Moone stood then eclips'd of
Light,
And
Starre-like Men from
Grace declined quite.
The
Heav'ns were mov'd,
Strange Meteors scar'd the
East,
But
Earth-quakes most appall'd the troubled
West.
Mens
Consciences o're-clouded were with
Mists,
When
Satan rang'd from his
Confined Lists,
With leave to prey upon those
Romanists,
Who had forsooke
Christs Word for
Antichrists,
In giving heed unto
Erroneous Spirits,
Cashiering
Marriage, and their
Saviours Merits:
Yoaking their
Flockes, not of Necessity,
But to subvert true
Christian Liberty,
(I meane the
Spirits Freedome, and
Gods Word,
Not that which
Fooles do to the
Flesh afford)
By
Pilgrimage to
Saints, Idolatry,
With wonders wrought by
Fiends their
Faith to try,
By Lies and Dreames bred in
Scholastick Braine
For
Belly-work, Ambitious Ends, or Gaine:
[Page 185] With Carnall Sence advancing
Superstitions,
And spotting
Faith with needlesse
Mens Traditions.
With such
Flim-Flams, since
Satan was let loose,
And since
Romes Clergy Christ his Rivall chose,
Were there
False Church possest; and to this day
Some goe in those strange
Labyrinths astray,
Not willing to be won; nor to decide
By
Scriptures Light the Quarrells of their Side.
ABout this Time the
Cardinalls arose
Unto their Sway, till then a Secret Close,
For though the
Name were knowne of
Cardinalls,
Yet were they rankt but
Deacons, Principalls,
Or
Parsons of Romes Parishes to serve
The severall
Cures, not
Prelates to conserve
The Papacies Resplendent Majesty,
As since they grew by
Satans Subtilty.
On each of these his
Holinesse conferres
A Scarlet Hat, to Higher Place preferres,
[Page 186] And amplifies with
Bishopricks their State,
Whereby they might live eminent, from Hate
And Envy safe, the better to support
Their
Princely Pompe, and his Magnifique Port.
At their Install he so much
scarlet shares
To cloth their
Mules, that by those Scarlet Wares
Saints may divine where
Babels Whore abides,
Which on a
Beast of scarlet Colour rides.
THese Men shut up within the
Conclave close,
And having by most Suff
[...]ages him chose,
Who stands for
Pope, they then his usuall weare
Pluck off, and in their stead bring glorious Geare:
A Scarlet suit, Red stockings, and Red shooes,
On which, because he claimes that he can loose
Or bind mens Sinnes, a
Golden Crosse they place,
That some might
kisse the same whom he would grace
A Girdle red then they about him clap
With
Buckles all of Gold, and a
Red Cap
[Page 187] Present to him with
Band of Gold and Pearle,
Wrought and engirt fit for a
King or
Earle.
Thus trimm'd, they put him on a
Scarlet Cloak;
And to puffe up him more with
Glories Smoak,
Upon his
Head the
Triple Crowne they set
With
Carbuncles and
Diamonds beset.
At last they mount him, though a mortall Clod,
And on an Altar Throne him, like a
God,
The
Holy Place, where their
Masse-God remaines:
There none of them to
kisse his Foot disdaines.
His
Chaplaines now turne
Politick Divines,
More prone to spoile then prop up
Sions Vines.
THus every
Age hath added
Royalties,
Since first the
Pope affected
Soveraignties
In
Ghostly things above his
Ghostly Mates,
To scandalize the
Church. This animates
The
Turks and
Moores to counterpoize his
Crowne
With the like
Tares by their
Arabian sowne.
[Page 188] For when they saw
Religion mixt with Theames
Of
Humane stampe, they forged idler Dreames,
That by such
Carnall Baites their Sect like those
Of
Christian Name, might with such Wordlings glo
[...]e
As loved Pompe, and by their
Muffry hope
The like
Soule-blisse as
Christians from the
Pope,
Whereby both
Sects make up the
Antichrist,
Turkes openly,
Popes sl
[...]ly crossing
Christ.
The Former rav'd, and quickly were reveal'd,
The Latter grew by stealth, so lay conceal'd
In
Mystick sort from Carnall Drowzie Braines,
Because
Gods Word was hid, none took the Paines,
Or durst indeed proclaime with open Lippes
The Pope Christs Foe, or by th'
Apocalipse
Depaint him out in Coulours, least that Hire,
Which
Saints reapt since, they should have felt by Fire.
BUt who would once suspect within the
Church
A
Grave Divine to live so by the lurch,
[Page 189] As to deprave the
Holy Spirits Gifts?
And in a
Saint-like shape with
Satans shifts,
Wherewith he tempted in the Desart
Christ,
To take the place of a
Monarchique Priest?
And by the
Keyes pretence for
Gold to sell
Mens Soules? and to dispose of
Realmes, aswell
As to encroach upon the
Churches Ark,
That None should preach of
Christ without his Mark?
Not onely in the
Westerne Enpery,
But o're the World he claimed Soveraignety;
And not alone he claim'd this
Massy Round,
But Other Worlds, and the
Abisse profound,
To order there, like
Heathens Rhadamant,
Soules Torment due for Deedes extravagant.
How on the
Psalmists Clause have
School-men gloss
[...]d?
Thou hast all things under his Feet dispos'd?
As Cattell Living men, as Fish pain'd Soules,
As Aiery Foule High
Saints the
Pope controules.
AMong the rest of
Antichristian Blots,
I may not overpasse
Romes damned Plots
About th'inhibiting of
Nuptiall Rites
Unto the
Clergies Ranke by
Romish Kites;
That
Divellish Doctrine of the
Latter Dayes
By
Paul fore-warn'd now
Babels Strumpet waighes
In a false Ballance by
Hells Oracle,
Slighting the Type of
Cana
[...]s Miracle;
And, as from
Christ by
Revelations New
Authentick firm'd, she doth the same renew,
Although that Plea Three Hundred Yeares before,
Had ordred been against the
Remaine Whore
By the Sixth
Councell in
Bizantium held,
And by th'
Apostles Canons there upheld:
That Deacons, Priests, or
Clergy-men might marry,
And if they should from this Position vary,
The
Priest not with his
Wife cohabiting,
They censur'd him with
Deprivations sting;
[Page 191] And if he should his
Wife repudiate,
They then judg'd him for
Excommunicate.
But notwithstanding all the
Councells Three
At
Gangren, Nice, and This, they would decree
Suborn'd by peevish
Monks to lay that Yoak,
Which they in Younger Yeares could hardly brook.
For quenching of this
Sodomiticque Flame,
We finde two Workes under
Volusians Name,
To prove the Weaknesse of that
Canons worth,
By
Ausburgs Bishop Huld erick set forth.
Pope Nicholas the Second of that Name
By this and other
Acts quite out of frame
Set
Romes weake
Church. Ev'n he by
Hildebrands
Lewd Counsel scorcht the
Church with burning Brāds
And
coram nobis brought good
Berengare,
That
Babels Masse might prove as
Market Ware.
ABout that Time
Rome fram'd a
God of Bread
Turn'd into
Flesh, like
Him, whom she had read
[Page 192] In
Genesis Created of Red Earth,
Unto which
Wight she Motion gave and Birth.
To this
New God with supercilious Brow
She strictly charg'd her Subjects all to bow.
Her
Courtiers, and the Multitude confus'd
Obey'd the Charge, but
Gods Elect refus'd.
Good Men refus'd, and
Berengarius sought
With
Monkes support and
Prelates underwrought,
To contradict the
Transubstantiate Masse,
Or not to leave it unreformed passe.
But
Factious Wits with Worldly Policie,
Tooke that to clinch and pinch
Romes Primacie.
Yet this Good Soule, though since for feare of death
Enforced to recant, consum'd his Breath
With Reasons sound, and Arguments profound,
Till
Tyranny his
Patience did confound,
In opposition to their
Sacrament,
Which derogates from the
Man Christs Ascent;
And left behind what
Hell can never blot,
The Sence of that, which seemes to Some a knot.
[Page 193] Nor wanted he Applauses in that Age
Of
Abbots, Monkes, and
Prelates wise and sage;
And
Hildebert a
Norman Bishop wrot
His praise at large, which Time shall never rot.
TIs strange to me how
Faction then prevail'd,
That they had not in Disputations quail'd,
Ashamed of their
Ghostly Mans relapse,
Having been nurst upon the
Churches Paps,
As they suppos'd, and of the
Spirit borne,
Yet they the Sence did
Intellectuall scorne
Of that
Blest Food, which
Christ himselfe fed on
Before his Death, and gave thereof Construction
Spirituall plaine, as all the
Fathers did,
That
Saints might finde with ease the Treasure hid.
But what they spake by
Oratories Trope
Rome wrested since her
Masse to underprop.
Sometimes the
Fathers by
Syne
[...]doche,
By
Metonymy, or
Hyperbole
[Page 194] Spake to advance the
Sacred Mystery,
Thereby to print in ravisht Memory
Soules healthfull Cure 'gainst Passions Insurrection
Typ'd by Our
Saviours Crosse and
Resurrection.
TOwards this Ages End
Pope Hildebrand
Attempted by maine Force and armed Hand,
To wrest from
Caesars Gift the
Papacies
Elections Grant, and Paramounting Sway,
Which
Popes receiv'd from them untill that Day.
At least they tooke their Confirmations Weale
Not sure without the High
Imperiall Seale,
And so did other
Bishops in his Land,
Assume their Worldly States from
Caesars Hand.
But now the
Pope by
Romes New Cardinalls
More pow'refull growne into his Party calls
Aswell the
Lay, as
Clergy-men to ayde
Him in his Warres, which
Caesar sore dismay'd;
For by his
Bulls he gave his
Realmes away,
And blockt from him and his the
Heavens way.
[Page 195] Thus he that tooke himselfe to be the
Head
Of
Christ his Flocke claim'd Rule unlimited
Aboue all
Kings, and Earthly
Potentates,
And by the
Keyes would alter worldly States.
The
Emperour accurst, he sends a
Crowne
To
Rodolfe with this
Posie written downe:
The Rock to Peter gave the Rule Supreme,
And he to
Rodolfe gives the Diademe.
Upon this Warrant of his
Ghostly Sire
Against his
Lord proud
Rodolfe did conspire.
The
Members rav'd, and turn'd irregulare,
As if they felt the
Cramp or
Riding Mare.
Then, Thousands rag'd with
Frenzies Calentures,
Till Thousands let them
Bloud, or tooke their Cures.
This Quarrell made all
Germany to quake;
With
Rodolfe Some, with
Henry more partake.
The
Crosse and
Eagle rear'd for Bloudy Signes,
Yet
Caesar foil'd Saint
Peters false Assignes;
And
Rodolfe in the last great Battell fought,
Lost his
Right Hand, which to him dying brought
[Page 196] He shew'd it to the
Bishops standing by,
Lo, here the Guerdon of disloyalty,
That Hand, quoth he, which did to
Caesar vow,
I lost by your Advise. Behold it now.
But notwithstanding all these cruell Broiles,
Proud
Hildebrand, late
Gregoriz'd, embroiles
Himselfe againe, will hazard Soule and Body,
But he will prove the
Emperour a Noddy,
His
Soveraigne Selfe comparing to the
Sun,
And
Caesars Person to his Vassall
Moone.
So long he play'd, till
Caesar sacked
Rome,
Doom'd him, and set another in his roome:
As Others his Successours
Herods Sword
Drew out so oft crosse to their
Masters Word,
That now of late
Popes odious in their place,
Twice
Burbon did and
Alva Rome deface.
ABout this time our
Rufus to enlarge
New Forrest, there to have a Chase more large,
[Page 197] Pull'd many
Churches downe. But while he plies
The Game, into his Heart an Arrow slies.
ER
[...] I proceed to the Next
Ages Stemme,
I must reflect upon
Ierusalem.
Our
Westernes now by
Romes Croisadoes spurr'd
Made a brave League; and like good Brethren stirrd
With
Christian Zeale, they having
Antioch won
To
Salem went, and took that Famous
Towne,
Mauger the Forces of the
Saracens,
Erected there the
Crosse for
Christian Mens
Encouragement then living in those dayes,
Wherewith the sight they might, as Star-like Rayes,
Behold a glimpse of some Pathetick
Love
Home-frozen there renew'd, of force to move
Compunction in their hearts on
Calvaries
And
Olivets survey, a
Sacrifice
Well pleasing unto
Christ, while they with Teares
Mus'd on his Griefes, his
Bloudy sweat, and Feares,
[Page 198] His
Passion undergone for their Amisse,
His
Fathers Wrath for Sinne appeas'd, and Blisse
Restor'd to them, and to the Penitent
By his Deserts alone and Punishment,
Who without help the
Bloudy Wine-presse trod,
And seal'd for us a New Contract with
God.
THis
Citty by victorious
Godfrey gain'd,
When all his
Host would have him there constrain'd
As
King to weare a Golden Crowne: Shall I
Most Sinnefull Man, quoth he, unworthily
Yeeld to be Crown'd with
Gold in that same
Towne,
Where
Christ was forc'd to weare a
Thorny Crowne?
Farre be that Thought from me, weak Mortall Clod,
To slight his
Crosse, my Duty unto
God.
Such Carnall Pomp I utterly contemne:
Pitch we our Thoughts on
New Ierusalem,
Where every
Saint the
Vassall as the
King,
Shall Crown'd with Blisse
Alleluiaes fing.
The New-mans Complaint in the Name of Our Saviour Christ for the Romaine Churches Apostasie and Adulterate Religion.
WHilst in thy
Name I vent this just Complaint,
Beare with my Song,
O Christ, my Soveraigne Saint.
But thou,
Romes Cause of Sinne, thou Dotards Clod,
Pack hence, or humbly waigh the
Word of God;
I am
Truths Light, yet None from
r
[...]aming cease:
I am
the Prince of Peace, yet None loves
Peace:
I am
the Hill, yet None climbes
Sions Mount:
I am
the Spring, yet None drinks of my
Font:
I am
the Shepheard, yet None heares my Call:
I am
Gods Priest, yet None heedes me at all.
I am
Sinnes Death, yet None from Sin will rise:
I am
Soules Health, yet None me gratifies.
[Page 200] I am
the Way, yet none will tract my Pace:
I am
Lifes Vine, yet none aff
[...]ords me Place:
I am
Faiths Quintessence, yet none partakes me:
I am
Soules Manna, yet aright none takes me.
I am
Most true to Man, None true to me:
I am
Rais'd up, yet None my Forme will see:
I am
Mans Baile, yet None doth con me Thankes:
I am
Hells scourge, yet None hates
Satans Prankes:
I am
the Golden Meane, None waighes my Center:
I am
Heavn's Doore, yet None the doore dares enter.
I am
Gods Word, yet None will heare his
Word:
I am
their Iudge, yet None regards the
sword:
I am
Heavens strength, yet None sticks to my
Fame:
I am
Zeales-Mover, yet None heedes the Flame.
I am
the Starre of the
New-Eastern Morne:
I am
the New-mans Head, yet None's new-borne.
I am
the Thundrer, yet None feares my stroake:
I am
Free-hearted, yet None beares my yoake.
I am
the Lambe, None will my Nature take:
I am
the Sunne, yet None Sinnes Cloudes forsake.
[Page 201] I am
Truths Rock, yet None will now believe me:
I am
Mens Hope, yet None will cease to grieve me;
But in these Times with coulour of my
Rock,
The
Dragons seed doth persecute my
Flock,
And all
Romes Clergy now doe listen more
Unto the
Popes Decrees then to my
Lore.
No wonder with
Hells Plague that
Soules are stung,
When such foule
Mists rise from the
Monsters Dung.
O wretched Man! whom neither
Christ his Path,
Nor
Gospel moves, nor yet his
Threatning Wrath!
[Nemo]
Yet if the
Romaine None thou backward spell,
[Omen]
I may to thee a
Converts LUCK fore-tell,
Thou soone shalt chase our Aiery Foes to
Hell,
If thou by
Faith seekst in the
Heavens to dwell,
And by the
Crosse the
Old Man to expell.
Here lyes our Task: think on it, and Farewell.
The same Complaint reiterated in Latine Measures.
DUm novus erumpo vates sub nomine Christi,
Da veniam justae, Rex Sacrosancte,
Querelae.
Sed, Romae Terrene Senex,
tu causa malorum,
I procul, aut humili pende haec Oracula
mente;
Sum Lux,
sed Nemo Tenebras Latebrasque relinquit:
Sum Rex Pacificus,
sed nemo est Pacis amicus.
Sum Mons,
sed Montem conscendit Nemo Sionis:
Sum Fons, sed potat Nemo de Fonte Pere
[...]i.
Sum Pastor,
sed Ovilis adest mihi Nemo vocanti:
Sum Mystes,
sed Nemo tenet mea Mystica mente.
Sum Mors Peccati,
Nemo expergiscitur insons:
Sum Rediviva Salus,
sed Nemo rependit amorem.
Sum Via,
sed Nemo sequitur vestigia nostra:
Sum Vitis vitae,
sed Nemo hanc Corde reponit.
Sum Liquor,
at Nemo me spiritualiter haurit:
Sum Panis Coelestis,
edit sed Pectore Nemo.
Sum Sursum positus,
sed me vult Nemo videre.
Sum Datus Obses,
agit mihi Grates Nemo libe
[...]ter:
Sum Satanae Domitor,
sed vitat Nemo Gehennam.
Sum Modus & Centrū,
tamen hac duo Nemo revolvit,
Sum Pia Porta Poli,
sed Nemo precatur, ut int
[...]et.
Sum Praeco,
sed Nemo sacris accommodat aures:
Sum Judex,
sed Nemo fugit modò vindicis Ensem.
Sum Coeli virtus,
sed adhaeret Nemo vigori:
Sum Zeli Motor,
sed flammis Nemo movetur.
Sum Matutinum Sidus,
vates que Diei:
Sum Restaurator Populi,
sed Nemo renat
[...].
Sum, Deus Altitonans,
melior sed Nemo fit
[...]ictu.
Sum Mitis,
sed molle jugum fert Nemo modernus.
Sum Patiens Agnus,
sed me vult Nemo Patronum.
Sum Sol exoriens,
sed nubila Nemo retractat:
Sum Rupes Fidei,
sed Nemo sideliter orat.
Sum Spes sola hominum,
sed Nemo lacessere probris
Me
(que) meum
(que) Gregem Petrae
sub imagine cessat.
Sic hodie Semen
solet insanire Draconis,
Iura Hominum non Iussa Dei bibit aure Sacerdes.
Nec mirum; Nubes
ortae de stercore Monstri
Inficiunt animas: Ecclesia
pestc laborat;
O vetule infoelix! qui Christi
Calle, nec Aris,
Nec sacris Monitis, nec moveare Minis!
Sin nomen NEMO
supplex inverteris, OMEN
Destinat, & Christo
sic Anagramma
placet.
Aëreos Hostes cit
[...] profligabis in Orcum,
Si modo rimaris Caelica Claustra Fide,
Proditor ille Senex
tunc evanescet in Auras,
Succumbit Christi
cum tu
[...] Massa Cruci.
Hoc Opus, hic labor est; Perlege, pende, Vale.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE TWELFTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 1100. untill the yeere 1200. At which Time King John raigned here in England, who to be absolved of the Popes Excommunications made himselfe Tributary to His Holinesse.
The Argument.
The Councell Lateran
confirmes the Masse.
The Canon Lawes
for Romes
maine Profit passe.
The Pope
mounts up on Caesars
humbled Back.
Schoole-men
new use. And Salem
goes to wrack.
THose whom
Rome styl'd the
Berengarian Sect,
Because her
Masse they ventur'd to correct,
Were censur'd at the
Councell Lateran,
As at
l'ercelli the like
Act prophane
[Page 206] Against them past that
Politician Wh
[...]re,
For her
Trades sake, in the last Age before.
And here likewise such
Labours went to Pot,
As
Joachim a
Latian Abbot wrot,
To prove: the
Man of Sinne, the
Antichrist,
And
Babels Whore jumpt with the
Romaine Priest,
O Valiant man! who for this Mystick Point
On
Truths behalfe adventur'd his best Joint!
NO better sorts the
Churches Pilgrimage
In this obscure
Eclipse, and
Carnall Age:
Popes struggling still for Worldly Dignity
With
Emperours, and for
Priority.
Amidst these Broyles, although
Eugenius storme,
Yet
Bernard dar'd his
Popedome to enforme,
How he in striving Both the
Swords to hold,
Might lose them Both for his encroachment bold.
ANd sure if
Popes had not on
Princes play'd,
Nor warr'd with Worldly States, but onely Pray'd,
And sought the Health of Soules by Lenity,
They might have raign'd in long Prosperity,
And by their
Doctrine linkt with Holy Life
Drawn wrangling States from Faction, Bloud & strife.
Whereas for
Peace they rather
Quarrels spun,
Not caring by what sleights they Places won.
So that some call him
Pope a Yeare or two,
And that great
Kings or
Dukes doe kisse his shooe,
Old
Adrian wreakes not how he came to mount,
Nor by what Meanes, so he his Peeres surmount.
And yet this Fate with a repenting Breath
This
Pope perplext lamented at his Death,
And said, that he, who got the
Papacy
By Murther, trac'd the Steps and Policie
Of
Romulus, who slue his Brother
Rheme,
Alone to weare
Romes New-found
Diademe.
[Page 208] When that Eleven Hundred Yeares and Ten
Had wheel'd from
Christ his Birth, a
Bishop then
Of
Florence preacht, that the Proud Man of Sinne,
The
Antichrist, who long conceal'd had been,
Was surely come, and in
Gods Temple sate,
Pretending Right to sway the
Christian State.
The
Mystick Let of Caesars Glorious Traine,
Which made him hide his head, and did restraine
His haughty Thoughts and Plots unlimited,
Was thrust away, and neere extinguished
By the
Popes Tumults, Threats, and Stratagemes,
Subjecting Bodies, Soules, and
Diademes.
Priests Ghostly Charge into an
Earthly chang'd:
The
Spirits Gifts Simoniously exchang'd:
The
Words Eclipse: Idolatries encrease
And
Sodomies: with want of
Christian Peace:
These
Hellish Crimes, or Deedes irregulare,
Demonstrate, who the
Churches Foe-men are.
When
Pope Paschalis Second of that Name
Had heard diuulg'd his
Hierarchies shame,
[Page 209] Most Politick to stop the Bruit at first
Of such
New Sparkes, by his Old wayes accurst,
He sent his
Briefes at
Florence to appoint
A
Councell there to right things out of joint,
As he surmiz'd, where
Coram nobis brought
The
Bishop there was fore'd to be new taught,
With
Babels Glosse to palliate what he knew,
The Cole-black for Snow white, the False for True,
And so to leave the
Pope in
Peters Chaire
Chaffring for Soules, till
Saints disturbe the Faire.
BUt in the midst of all these brandling Cares,
Which rackt the
Church, succeeded other Snares,
Soules to subject unto the
Vultures Clawes,
Renewd with
Glosse Voluminous of
Lawes
By
Azoes, Gratians, and
Accursius Paines,
That so Mens Wits by such divertive Traines,
In hope of Worldly Fees to
[...]ld might not pry
Into
Sinnes deep concealed Mystery,
[Page 210] But nimbly helpe to execute the
Bulls
And
Briefes, wherewith his Thralls the
Tyrant gulls,
Emptying their store, sacking their Substance dry,
That he might joy at
Clients Misery.
And though the One the
Elder Sister were,
The
Younger yet and
Canon Law did beare
The primest Sway, and
Kings durst not gainesay
But must appeare at
Rome on a set day.
For when the
Pope enthrall'd the
Emperour,
Romes Keyes then
Caesars Lawes did over-towre.
TO fortifie the
Canons glozing Glosse,
About that Time Our
Schoole-men then arose,
Quaint Wits, who spun
Divinity anew,
And by
Distinctions would the
Gospel mew.
Such Knots and Wiles did Curious Wits compose,
That they to
Rome might all the World transpose,
And so heale up, and cloze the grievous Scarres,
Which she sustain'd deservedly for Jarres.
Vow'd, that to him she 'gainst the
World would cling.
But in the next Ensuing Age shall rise
Bald
Friers Sects to help
Baals Sacrifice.
To temper, or to stint these Busie Braines,
There shall start up Men of unwearied Paines,
Who seeme to raise
Devotion at a pinch:
'Mong which I ranke Poore
Francis Sainted since,
Who innocent in Life, by Poverty
Would faine restore the
Old Integrity,
To imitate, as much as in him lay,
The Ancient
Monks, or the
Essences way,
Or rather
Benets Rules; but afterward
The
Dragon brib'd his Mates to be his Guard;
His Sect soone stray'd, and his Fraternity
With Merits boast corrupted Purity,
Pestring the
Church and
Christian Common-weale,
With Dreames adverse unto the Founders Zeale.
OUt of their Dung did other
Orders grow,
Austere in Life, of
Sanctimonious show,
Pretending Holinesse in Outward Sight,
But inwardly in Melancholick plight,
Now spending Dayes and Nights neere in dispaire,
Anon blowne up, like Bladders in the Aire,
With Meritorious Wind,
Pelagian Worth,
And
Humane Workes they set their
Doctrine forth,
They lash'd their
Flesh to keep the
Old man downe,
And, like that Sect from craz'd
Montanus flowne,
They stupifi'd through
Fasts their Brawny Sides
In hope of
Grace, and Worldly Fame besides.
Meane while the Bloud of
Christ they frustrate made,
And by such blasted Buds
Faiths Tree did fade.
Yet by their Deedes, and seeming Sacrifice
The
Scarlet Whore thought to redeeme her vice;
And that their
Workes of Supererogation
Suffis'd at least to win a Prorogation
[Page 213] Of Vengeance due for her high Pamperd Pride,
If not to purge what
Christ had left untri'd:
Like those who bought, to ransome
Iudas Sinne,
Blouds Hire, a Field to bury Strangers in.
O What a Rabble doth my
Muse descry
Of
Croakers from the
Dragons mouth to slye
Within the space of the Next Ages Rowle!
All bent the Praise of
Babel to enrowle!
The
Domini
[...]ks, Cartbusians, Augustines,
The
Carmelites, Capouchins, Iacobines,
Besides the
Order of the
Ierome Crowd,
To whom of late
Castiles great
Monarch vow'd
His
Marbled Palace of th'
Escuriall Mount,
Whose Structure cost him many Millions Count.
These
Orders, though of despicable Forme,
In
Beggers Rags, yet holp they to reforme
Some things amisse at their first shooting up,
Or else the
Wh
[...]res Abominations Cup
[Page 214] Had quickly been by
Kings descri'd and spilt;
Her
Flock had flinch'd, and soone espi'd her Guilt.
But the Conceit of these Mens Sanctity,
And manner of their Lives Austerity
Gain'd them Repute of
Wiss Propheticall,
Whose Vowes would shrowd Sinnes ne'r so Capitall.
Yea, though a man had both his Parents slaine,
Romes Pardons and their
Vowes salv'd all againe.
THis blindnesse lasted long, till
Christ his
Spouse
Returned from the Desart Soules to rowze
From Superstitious sleep, and Ignorance,
To brighter Light, and a more Lively Trance.
Like
Ravens, Frogs, Scritchowles, and Dismall Fowle,
Whose
Auguries type Weather Faire or Foule,
So did those
Flying Spirits of that Age
Seale up Dark Minds a Prey for
Satans rage,
And on th'
Elect betoken Calmer Gales
To blow, when tir'd with Old fanatique Tales,
[Page 215] They should in Time to come
Gods Spirit see,
The
Martyrs slaine reviv'd, from
Sodome free.
WHile
Canonists, the
School-men, and those Swarmes
Of
Lawyers rose, the
Romaine Popes with Armes
And Curses still, leaving the
Lawes dispute
To spurre their
League, did
Caesars persecute.
No Treaties, Wars, nor Spoiles the
Popes could tame'
Till One of them of
Alexanders Name
On
Caesars humbled backe got on his Mule,
As Foot-stoole to a a Lord of mad Mis-rule,
Detracting from
Christs Power: Thou shalt tread
On
Basiliskes, and bruize the
Serpents Head.
I doe to
Peter this, and not to thee,
Said
Caesar: Both to
Peter and to me,
Repli'd the Mounted
Priest; for
Peters Throne
On Earth I hold, and he and I are One.
O where was then
Romes Boast of Innocence?
Of
Catholick Consent, and Penitence?
[Page 216] Their Actions shew what
Spirit raignes in them,
Who durst assume the
Triple Diademe,
And manage both the Swords with more disdaine
Then
Bajazeth complain'd of
Tamberlaine.
But had not
Caesars Sonne in
Navall Fight
By the
Venetians been Captiv'd, such spite
He could not have endur'd so patiently,
Nor let such wrongs long unrevenged lye.
NOw for this Age to winde up
Babels height,
One Thousand, and one Hundred Eighty Eight,
About that Yeare the
Machiavellian Pope,
To settle surer his
Imperious Hope,
And to confirme his proud Investiture,
Found out a Plot his Rapines to assure,
And to employ his Neighbours farre from
Rome,
Lest they more pry into his Arts at home.
By his
Croisadoes Charmes Cri'd Sanctifi'd
In
Christ his Name, but by his
Word untri'd,
[Page 217] He packt from hence many a Valiant Band,
Under pretence to Conquer
Iewries Land,
And there to build
Jerusalem againe,
Like
Iericho sometime not Curst in vaine,
And to regaine it back from
Saladine,
Who late had won the Land of
Palestine.
But as no Good flowes from a Tainted Spring.
So hence then Losse ensu'd no other thing.
CAESAR
Romes Curses thinking to compound,
Took up the
Crosse, and by the way was drown'd.
Yet could not so the
Fathers Death appease;
The
Popes his Sonnes by Curses barre from Peace.
And to redeeme their Bloudy Spoiles with Deedes
Of Merit, they spread Meritorious Seedes,
As that Fond Age then dream'd, they prostitute
To
Meloch first, and then they institute
The Orders of the
Begging Friers, so
To calme
Gods Wrath, which kept such lowd adoe
[Page 218] At Rich mens Doores, that Superstition more
And more confirm'd
Baals Power then before.
About this Time my
Learned Country-man
Archdeacon Girald wrot, by whom I can
Disprove out of his Bookes of
Pilgrimage
Which he set forth of
Cambria in that Age,
The Wonders of the
Well of
Winifride;
Which
Friers Braines in After-times discri'd,
When the Fourth
Henry raign'd, that then, ev'n then
They coin'd those Tales to gull poore Simple men,
To haunt their Cells, and impious
Sacrifice
Grac'd from the
Pope with
Novell Liberties,
And Leave to build a
Chappell or a
Fane,
As Men were wont for the like use profane;
And as they did in this Fond Age erect
Most Stately
Shrines to
Becket and his
Sect.
BEcause some
Monkes Night Apparitious saw,
Which
K
[...]aves or
Fiends invented there to draw
[Page 219] Concourse of
Pilgrims, and Oblations store,
They built such
Shrines, and nois'd their
Dreames the more.
But Our
New-man slights all such
Miracles,
As derogate from
Scriptures Oracles,
Not ignorant of the
Old Serpents sleight,
That he may seeme an
Angel of the Light.
Because Men loved
Lies more then
Gods Word,
And tri'd them not by the
Spirituall Sword,
He suffered
Satan to pervert their Will,
That they believ'd what did the
Spirit kill.
To let our
Blinded Strayes to know their Crimes,
Derived from the Course of faultring Times,
I warne them to looke back into this
Age,
And there to waigh what Cunning mixt with Rage
Popes practiz'd then by more of
Councels store
To raise their Crest then in the Times before,
How many
Councels did the
Romish Clerks
Assemble in our
West for their vaine
Quirkes
Support? what Age before hath ever seene
Of
Councels held One Hundred and Fifteene?
[Page 220] (For just so many did this
Century
Produce) Some to confirme
Sinnes Mystery
With
Attributes of the
Divinest Style:
That as the
Head conspired to enstyle
A Wafer Cake a God, so they likewise,
As
Members would a
God him solemnize
With Power rais'd above the
Caesars farre,
Since he could
Soules from
Purgatory barre.
Some
Councells leagu'd to send
Croisadoes out
To
Palestine against the
Persian Rout.
Others were call'd the
Married Priests to curbe;
And some were held the
Caesars to disturbe,
Exempting from their
Lawes the
Clergies Crew,
Though nere so faulty, whence great scandalls grew.
Some
Councells did against all
Kings contest
Of
Bishops their
Investiture to wrest
Unto the
Popes. And some Pluralities,
Of
Popes restrain'd and their Enormities.
And which seemes most uncharitable, foule,
And
Schismatick, some
Councells did controule,
[Page 221] Nay, put to silence the
Reformed Flock,
Who built their Faith upon the New-mans Rock,
I meane, that
Flock, which
Lions Waldus won
From
Darknesse to look on the
Gospels Sun.
Such
Acts above One Hundred
Councells Tomes
Contain'd to please the
Popes, like
Hecatombs,
Within the space of the
Twelfe Century;
And all to prop
Great Babels Empery.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE THIRTEENTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 1200. untill the yeere 1300 At which Time King Edward the First raigned here in England.
The Argument.
The Waldois
and Albigians Rome
oppose,
Caesars
with Popes
for R
[...]le contesting lose.
The Gransire, Sire,
and Nephewes
feele the Smart.
Pope Celestine
is gull'd by Waly Art.
IN wofull Case remain'd the
Church of Christ,
Through Bloudy Broiles, that how she could subsist
On Earth, while this Age lasted, it might dull
A
Sparkling Muse, but that I learn'd at full
[Page 224] The Cause of her Retire, the Difference
Betwixt her
Wane, and her
Lights excellence,
Her
Catholick, and her
Subordinate
Commanion, which false
Rome would faine perswade
That she alone doth owne without respect
Unto her Mat
[...]s, or Betters growne by
Grace,
Where none can see her
Universall Face
Save
God himselfe. The
World is large, our skill
At stint: How then know we her Spatious Hill?
The
Waldo is and th'
Albigians in our
West,
The
A
[...]issines, and Others doe suggest,
That they partake her Influence, and her Head,
Ev'n Him that shall dispose of Quicke and Dead.
Peter and
Paul we know. But who are yee,
Who Meere the
Church of
Nembrods proud degree?
POpe Innocent in the last puddled Age
By
Canons strict, but neither wise nor sage,
Our
English Clergy now did here so gore,
As
Hildebrand and
Lanfrank did before.
[Page 225] That they without more Shifts, Delayes, Dispence,
Or hopes to calme
Romes Spleen through bribing pēce
Must turne away their Plighted
Mates to grasse,
Or be Accurst, and to refraine from
Masse;
A heavy Doome, and not to be recall'd.
This made our
Clergy winch, when they were gall'd,
And causelesly thus curb'd without remorce
Of that, which
Christ condemned the Divorce.
Against this Flash
Walter de Mapes wrot
Oxfords Archdeacon stout; he tax'd the Blot
And Scandall which the
Romaine Church encurr'd.
He shew'd the Flames, which her poore Guard endur'd
By such unlawfull Acts, those very Flames,
Which
Popes themselves not without branded Names
Could well avoid in their more youthfull Yeares,
Nor
Cardinalls, nor any of their
Peeres,
They did enjoyne for tolerable Paine.
This moved
Mapes in Old
Romaine Straine
To gird and nip the
Popes usurp'd
Decree,
And to prove
Marriage for the
Clergy free.
[Page 226] But now my
Muse more Bloudy Deedes must tell,
Which then the
Church endur'd from
Fiends of
Hell.
About the Yeare Twelve Hundred Thirty One,
The
Greek and
Latine Church could not attone
Their Diff'rence new sprung up for
Christian Rites,
But a sore
Schisme then chanc't, for
Romish Kites
Would rake ev'n to the bone all
Churches else.
They would yoake to
Romes Soveraignty excelse
The
Easterne Church, and force investiture
Of all their
Bishops, and their
Ghostly Cure
Under the
Keyes pretence to
Romes proud
Mace.
But they would not subject, nor so abase
Their
Pastours Staffe, alleadging
Old Decrees
Of
Synods made for ordring of their
Fleece
And
Liberties in their prefixed Spheare,
At
Chalcedon, at
Nice, and other where:
That every
Patriarch in their proper Charge,
Should onely deale, and their owne Place discharge,
Not medling with Anothers stinted
Cure,
But
watching still their owne
Flocks to secure,
[Page 227] Not striving for high Seates of
Prelacie,
As
Gregory then did for
Primacie.
To this Effect
Bizantiums Patriarch wrot
To
Gregory the Ninth, that he could not
Consent to thrall his
Church unto his Will,
Which, as a
Tyrants Law, might spill or kill.
At which Resolve
Romes Lofty Prelate frown'd
And by his lowing
Bulls accursed Sound
Anathemated him and all the
East,
Because they would not bow to his behest,
And there withall proclaim'd the
Crosse to fight,
And to deprive them of
Gods Blessings quite.
According to his Will false
Christians went,
And
Martyrs did with
Cypriots Bloud augment.
Before this Rupture both the
East and
West
Till then agreed, on Union fixt their Rest,
And though for
Clericks Wives, and
Masses Rites
They varied, yet
Romes Popes play'd not the
Kites
[Page 228] Till then on them, as in our
Westerne Spheare,
From whence they rak'd much
Treasure every yeare;
They Both agreed, acknowledging
One Head,
One Christ, One Faith, One Iudge of Quick and Dead,
One Universall Church, One Bond of Love,
And that One Spirit ought them all to move:
All Patriarchs linkt in mutuall Amity,
Coequalls grac't with Honours Parity.
But through this
Rent by
Babels Whore begun,
A
Bloudy Flag was for
Both Churches spun.
THis
Schisme 'twixt
East & West obscur'd the
Crosse
And to them both fore-doom'd a two-fold Losse,
Of
Worldly States to
Greece in time to come;
But Losse of
Ghostly Gifts to haughty
Rome,
Together with the Losse of Both the
Swords,
As
Bernard to
Eugenius well records;
When she shall see how many
Potentates
Will flinch from her, and free themselves and States;
[Page 229] When she shall heare
One with a Dreadfull Tone
Proclaime the Fall of
Whor
[...]sh Babylon.
WHen
Babel saw, that her
Croisadoes mist
Ierusalem to win againe for
Christ,
As she, but in Disguise, suggested then,
Now she proclaimes them against
Christian Men;
The
Waldois and
Alb gians feele her Spite,
For against them she is resolv'd to fight.
Some yeeld unto the
Fiery Crosse. Some stay,
Some stray, recant, and Others fly away
With all their Kinne into
Calabriaes Soile,
Where till of late they liv'd safe from
Romes Broile.
Nor could that Age, nor yet the Ages since
Extirpe their
Seed, nor cause their
Faith to fl
[...]nch.
Yee Darkned Ghosts of those inveagled Times,
Who merit well Damnation for your Crimes,
Doe what yee can, these New-sprung
Waldois shall
With their good Mates
Albigians you appall,
[Page 230] And shall out-last your Cursing Thunder-blasts
Till
Luther comes and gives you more distasts,
At which appointed Time with lowder Crack
Your
Camerades shall tremble, or fall back
From
Ralaams League unto a
Nobler Head,
Whose
Spirit them will into
Sion lead.
WEll neere 300. Yeares the
Popes have fought
With
Emperours and
Kings, their downefall sought,
Depos'd the
Sire, and rais'd a
Rebell Sonne
Unnaturall the
Father to dethrone.
They poyson'd some, and Others by degrees
They forc'd to cry
Peccavi on their knees;
And all for worldly Rule. Nay,
Kings durst not
Curbe
Homi
[...]ides (such was the
Clergies Lo
[...])
In those Dayes, that if they to
Rome appeal'd,
They were exempt, and had their Pardons seal'd.
While Rebell
Be
[...]ket for poore things withstood
His
King, the
Pope his Shield most firmely stood;
[Page 231] And Others of his Ranke hal'd to their Nets,
Two
English Kings of our
Plantagenets.
WHen
Milan rose against the
Emperour,
With other Townes, though not to
Babels Towre
Subject at all, yet did
Pope Gregory,
Because the
Rebels sought his Amity,
Accurse the Third Time
Caesars Majesty:
And though some pleaded then a Nullity,
Yet no submission served
Frederick,
But he stands barr'd from the
Church Catholick.
About the Yeare Two Hundred Thirty Eight
With the one Thousand past, for his owne Right
The
Emperour was then compell'd to Fight,
The while the
Pope all
Caesars League did smite
With
Thundring Darts pretended from Saint
Paul
And from Saint
Peter to affright them all.
But seeing that such
Blasts small terrour strooke,
He then proclaim'd the
Crosse, and thereby shooke
[Page 232] Th'
Imperiall League, yet not so fatally,
But that his
Gibellines stood really,
As with the
Pope remain'd the
Guelphian Side,
Which Two did long all
Italy divide.
HEere ends not all this
Centuries Complaint:
With farre more dismall Stirres the
Pope did taint
Those Cloudy Times. The
Father dead, he shootes
Upon the
Sonne his Bolts. It little bootes
Him to submit. The
Sonne alike must beare
His
Fathers Curse, and so to Sway forbeare.
Conradus dead, he doth for
Conradine
As much and more, for him he doth confine
Not onely from the
Empire; But his Owne
Of
Naples Realme with the
Sicilian Crowne
He gives away for Prey to
Charles of
France,
Whose
Banners there
Pope Clement did advance,
And never left (such was his Chollers Flame
To
Conradine for his dead
Grandsires Fame)
[Page 233] Till he and
Austriaes Prince by a sly way
Were taken and beheaded in One day▪
Judge,
Readers, now, if
Popes liv'd like to
Christ,
Or whether they resembled
Antichrist.
SO Sly and Cautious were this Ages
States,
That None for feare to have with
Popes Debates
For
Seventeene Yeares durst hazard on the
Mace
Imperiall, but the same lay for that Space
Still vacant. For
Alphonsus King of Spaine
Had flat refus'd the
Cumbers to sustaine,
Least of an ancient Friend, his
Ghostly Sire
Become his
Foe, and so his
Love expire;
He would not leave, he said,
Astronomy
Which he then studied, for all
Germany.
Th'
Electours then chose
Richard Cornewalls Duke,
The
Romaines King, but he with some rebuke
Was since put off, because his
Holidome
Expected more of Others for that Roome;
[Page 234] And thereupon he
Hasburgs Earle enthrones,
Since
Austriaes Head, with him the
Pope attones
In Old
Lausannaes Towne; but could not get
Him once to
Rome, lest that his footing set
In that unlucky Place, some Jealous Fit
Might nip the
Popes rash Braine and crazed Wit,
That he from thence should never more returne,
But perish there, except he serv'd his turne,
As
Caesars were before his time to doe
Constrain'd, or else his Wrath to undergoe.
And to that end the prudent
Emperour
Rehears'd the
Tale, how to the
Lions Bowre
Who fain'd him sicke, the
Fox saw many Beasts
To enter in as Complementall Guests,
But not the steps of any comming back.
And that made him to
Rome his Visit slacke.
NOw at this
Ages Period
Celestine
The
Romish Pope was cheated by a fine
[Page 235] And Cunning Sleight, the
Popedome to resigne
To
Boniface, himselfe and to confine
Into an
Hermites Cell, to end his Dayes
With Prayers, Fasts, and such Religious wayes.
This by a whispring Cane or hollow Reed
He acted, and his wish did so succeed.
Thus
Boniface began. But as such Plots
Thrive seldome, so entangled in those knots,
Which he for others warp'd, he waged Warres
In
Italy. In
France he moved Jarres
Against the
King, with
Fulminating Darts
Against his
Realme, till spite of all his Arts
His Holinesse Captiv'd, in Prison fast,
For very Griefe then he deceas'd at last,
With this Memoriall fixed on his Clog:
He came a Fox, Raign'd a Wolfe, di'd a Dog.
But to encrease
Romes Superstitious store,
Before his Death he coin'd one Custome more,
The
Jubilees great Teare, wherein all such,
Who came to
Rome, were
[...]as'd of
Sinne and
Pouch:
Eas'd of their
Gold as Ransome for the same.
This
Pope decreed it first with
Balaams Fire,
When that One Hundred Yeares did full expire;
But since to Fifty Yeares
Popes chang'd the Course,
That they might reap more Gaine by
Gulls recourse,
And
Pilgrim-Visits of the
Lateran,
And other
Sainted-Fanes late made profane,
Since Freedome was proclaim'd by
Romish Sires
For many Thousand Yeares from
Purging Fires.
So doth the
Mystick Whore entangle Soules
To credit
Dreames, which raise her
Market Tolles.
And now likewise for her
Gods Adoration
Popes first Decreed the
Messes Elevation.
Thus I winde up this
Popish Age, the while
I warne thy
Wits to greet,
O Patricks Ile,
Thy
Prelate Fitz-Raphe, Primate Armachan,
Who 'gainst the Upstart
Friers playd the Man,
And provd their
Begging Orders Vaine and False
Before the
Pope and all his
Cardinalls.
[Page 237] So shone that time this
Learned Mans Renowne,
That when his Death was through
Avinion knowne,
A
Cardinall was heard of Him to say:
The Church hath lost a Pillar strong this day.
ANd yet for all such
Good mens Prophes
[...]es,
Rome would not quit her
Pedlers Marchandise,
Which to her use those
Croaking Frie
[...]s truckt,
But by their
Li
[...]s she all our
Horey suckt.
(Their
Legends wrought such
Superstitious Feare.)
They saw
Our Lady here,
Our Lady there,
At
Mountserrat, Lorrette, Walsingham,
Whereby they got, as to th'
Ephesian Dame,
To
Isis, Baal, and
Moloch Temples built,
And
Images with Gold and Azure gilt,
By which false specious Showes, old
Satans Mists,
Rich Offrings they procur'd to
Romish Priests.
Then,
Miracles were rife, of Wise men knowne
For
Ghostly Wiles, now to a
Proverbe growne;
[Page 238] That to conclude Some for
Notorious Liers,
It is enough to say, that they are
Friers.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE FOURTEENTH AGE, From the Yeare of our Lord 1300. untill the Yeare 1400. At which time Henry the Fourth Ra [...]gned King of England.
The Argument.
The Fratricells
soone up, and quasht. At Masse
By Papall Plot then Caesar
pois
[...]ed was.
Pope John
maintaines, he can all Kings
depose.
Our Wickliffe
now Romes Doctrine
doth oppose.
ABout the Dawne of this
New Century,
The
Fratricells of
Anabaptists Fry
In
Germany disperst their Arguments,
That
Christians should not perk to
Governments;
[Page 240] But that all things lay Common to the Poore
As to the Rich. No Creature lesse or more
Then Others must possesse. Equallity
They taught of
States and
Lives Conformity,
Much like to that, which
Plato Chymeriz'd,
Or the
Utopian Weale, which
Moore devis'd.
But their Opinions vanish'd into Smoak,
And they themselves endur'd the
Churches stroak,
Censur'd for
Bedlems of Corrupted Zeale,
Offensive to the
Church and Common-weale,
Which without hope of Gaine would slothfull grow:
Yet by the Fruit a
Christians Faith we know.
I wish in Wealth a
Meane, from
Mizers store
A Miracle extended to the Poore.
O how my Heart doth grieve to see their Cures
Neglected, whilst our
Dr
[...]nish Epicures
Most idly waste what
Godly Families
Would save from Dearth, and serve as
Sacrifice
To cover Sinnes. We car
[...]y hence no
Gold
Nor
Land▪ Eight Foot alone a
Coarse will hold.
A
Friers Act yet hapned to his
Liege,
Great
Luxemb
[...]roughs Caesar, at the Siege
Of
Florence more prodigious by the
Popes
Procurement, which quasht sodainely the Hopes
And Life of the
Imperiall Majesty,
(Deciphring
Babels black Iniquity)
By a
Black Frier with a
Masses Cake
Envenomed, and taen his Heart-strings brake.
And so whom Force, nor Flashes could out-brave,
One hallowed Bit dispatcht him to his
Grave.
NOr did the Next succeeding
Emperour
Much better speed, for he likewise the sowre
And crabb'd aspect felt of proud
Anti br
[...]st.
He
Lewis dar'd out of the
Church of
Christ
By Thund
[...]ing
Bulls to shut, and made his Boast,
That he had Power through the
Holy Ghost
And at his Will their
Kingdomes to transpose.
Thus
John the Two and Twentieth of that Name
On
Caesar play'd, and
Scriptures did defame,
Untill some Grave and Learned Men arose
In that Tempestuous Age him to oppose.
AMong which
Occam started up with Quill
Of
Cherubs Wing, and prov'd that
Doctrine ill.
He prov'd the
Rule of all this
Earthly Ball
To appertaine unto
States Temporall,
And by the
Light transferr'd from
Holy Scrowles,
How
Truth exempts no priviledged
Soules,
No not the
Pope himselfe from
Caesars Doome,
Since
Peter felt by
Nero Martyrdome.
SO to the Glory of the
English Race,
Who with the First withstood the
Papall Mace,
[Page 243] He, whom the Godly for his
Learned Workes
Then styl'd,
The Hammer of the Romish Church,
On
Grosted I reflect,
Grave Lincolnes Sire:
He stoutly wrot against his
Forged Fire,
Which netled him so much, that out of hand
He would have cited him before his Band
Of
Pharisees at
Tiber to appeare,
But that admonish'd by his
Councell there,
Sage
Cardinalls, he was content to passe
Him over, lest the
Bishop might surpasse
Them by his rare incomparable
Lore,
And winde them in more Mazes then before.
Two Ages past had
Abbot Ioachim
Against
Romes Gaine a
Prophet been to grim.
O
Glorious Ile, most happy is thy Fate,
Which hadst the Luck first to descry thy State,
Thy
Churches dolefull state by
Babel torne,
And with the First to be in
Christ New-borne,
To shake her Yoak quite off, and to flye out
From her Dark Jaile, mauger her Guardians stour.
FRom time to time we read in
Antiquartes,
God rais'd up some to sound forth
Romes Vagaries.
Before that
Wickliffe stretcht his Lions Paw,
One
Robert Gall Soule-rapt in
Paris saw
The
Romish Church by Name with
Head like Death,
And with a
Body leane, and scant of Breath:
An
Angel then, while this sight did appeare,
Bad him the
Romish Church mark standing there.
SHe in our
West was then of small extent,
Perhaps retir'd else-where, like
Abrams Tent;
Or She far'd in that
Antichristian Age,
Like
Babels Jewes, or
Saints through
Neroes Rage.
Heav'ns Path is Narrow, Stiep.
Hells Broad, down hill,
Good men but Few, the Greatest part are Ill:
Yet of those Few 'tis hard to know their Scope:
Some sicke, some weake, or of
Potentiall Hope,
[Page 245] Yet of those Few the
True Church is compos'd,
And of those Few some were, like
Starres, dispos'd
By our
Good God of Dangers to fore-tell,
Whereby the Rest might save themselves from
Hell.
So
Petrarch sung in two-fold
Latian Style,
And others did in
Learned Workes compile
Glauncing, nay Striking at
Romes Antichrist,
And drawing Soules from darke
Cimmerian Mist.
So
Boccace had, although with Tales disguiz'd,
The
Friers wanton Thefts Epitomiz'd.
As likewise those Three
Nunnes Canoniz'd
Saints,
Like
Babels Iewes, or
Sybills made Complaints:
Good
Katharine, Bridget, and
Hildegard
Fore-told our
New-mans Armes of safest ward,
And that a
New Reform'd Presbytery
Their
Liturgy should quash and
Popery.
THus by
Records the
Churches Race I try,
And by
Faiths Light her
Orient Face descry,
And shine more bright in
Consciences Humane.
By which and by
Romes owne
Historian Platine,
I finde how liv'd the
Head of the
Church Latine,
By
Simony, and lewd
Magicians Spells,
By
Murthers, Fraud, and
Coining of
New Hells,
By setting all our
Christ endome at ods,
Because they kneel'd not to his
Maumet Gods.
With
Factious Guelphes, his hurliburles Assignes,
He warr'd against the
Imperiall Gibellines.
Amidst these Broiles and Crimes exorbitant,
Christ whistled home his
Flock extravagant.
Some knew his Sound, and to his
Fold return'd,
Some staid behinde, and
Refractaries turn'd.
The First he linkt with his
Church Catholick,
But left the Latter of the
Staggers Sick,
And for a Prey to
Fiends, because his
Call
They flighted, and his
Cures Angelicall.
Such to be gull'd he left by
Aiery Elves,
But his
True Ark he steered free from Shelves.
Now with faire
Light from famous
Oxford rose
Our
Wicklisse, Romes Foundations to oppose,
By certaine
Lords and
Londoners Support,
Which though some crost, yet gave a lowd Report,
So lowd, that
Husse and
Icrome heard from
Prague
The Noise, and learn'd to flye from
Babels Plague,
And left to After-times such Fruitfull Seed,
That the
True Church now glories in the Breed.
THen
Chaucer by the Freedome of his
Rimes
Unsilenc'd scan'd the
Darknesse of those
Times:
(Of such strange Force are
Tunes of
Raptur'd Wits,
That they have charm'd and still'd wild
Tyrants Fits)
He plainely pointed at
Romes Antichrist,
Admiring at the
Clergies stormy Mist,
Which did so long our
West exagitate.
Like them in
Zeale, though with unequall Fate,
And those Good Soules in
Brittaines Ile discusse
Religions state, those whom the
Papists then
Nick-named for their
Faith Just and Fast Men.
Whose Manner neere was such as
Pliny writ
To
Trajan earst. They, as did
Saints befit,
Assembled in the Night, sung
Psalmes, Receiv'd
The
Holy Food, and with sweet Trance conceiv'd
Christs Mystick Gifts, the New-mans Sacrifice,
The
Spirits Flame, which
Carnallists despise.
They liv'd as
Brethren, leagu'd in Unity
With mutuall Love, and Goods Community,
Relieving One anothers Need alwayes,
Their owne
Iust Fast Mens Need without delayes.
For
Pauls Epistles, or th'
Apocalipse
In
English pen'd, because there
Babels slips
Were prophesied, they grudg'd not to defray
Five Sterling Marks, a
Scriveners Royall Pay,
If we regard the scarcenesse then of Coine,
Before
Castile did
Perues Oare purloine.
[Page 249] And which is strange, they seldome mixt their
Seed,
But with their
Mates, lest they might taint their
Breed.
Fooles styl'd them then, as they now
Lutherans,
The
Knowne Men, or
Wicklevian Puritans,
The Iust and Fast, or with a Brow more sowre,
Them
Lollards markt, frō whence came
Lollaras Towre.
IN
Wales, About this Ages latter end,
Did Blasts from
Hell to
Friers Braine ascend;
False
Miracles these
Merit-
[...]onging Crew
Pretended done by
Winifride did brew
Neere to a
Well deriv'd from Rocky Lime,
Which
Holy they enstyld in that Dark Time,
Because the Bloud of that good
Virgin there,
As they surmizd, was shed, and not else-where:
Lord, how they roamd, like wild
Geese, on the Fame!
And unto
Baal with fat Oblations came!
All to enrich the Forgers of the
Bruit
With what they never toyld for,
Strangers Fruit!
[Page 250] Before which Feat for their
Monastick Weale,
Their
Beggars Wants they knew not how to heale.
'Tis strange to see how soon the
World turn'd Whore,
When
Girald past Two Hundred Yeares before
That very Place with an exact Survay,
Yet could not learne what men did since display.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE FIFTEENTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 1400. untill the yeere 1500 At which Time Henry the Seventh raigned King in England.
The Argument.
Our Churches
slighted state. Bizantium
lost.
The Papacie
in strife. The Hussites
crost
For Husse
raise War, with Ziscaes
Conquests crown'd.
Strange Lands by Gama
and Columbus
found.
AS I of late
Old Rubbage diggd, I felt
(With Flaming Force my
Perturbations melt,
My
Passions curbd, my Outward Man of Might
Deprivd. And then I had a
Ghostly Sight
[Page 252] Of
Robert Galls Parisian Iack-a-Lent,
Whereof the
Pope by Carnall Mindes Consent
Is
Supreme Head on Earth. But soone I saw
Both
Head and
Body burne away like straw;
For Both indeed wore brittle Ornaments,
And so dissolvd to the First Elements,
His Soule descending into
Lower Spheares
Then those of
Purging, which he farm'd for Yeares.
Anon I saw with
Intellectuall Eyes,
From a
Dark Iaile a comely Dame arise,
When seeing me
She stopt her Modest Pace,
And like my
Saviours Mother, full of
Grace,
Thou Mortall Man,
quoth She, dost wonder now,
Why on Poore Thralls my Favours I bestow,
And not on
Scarlet Robes in midst of
Plenty?
I dwell not with the Proud; Not one of Twenty,
That spends the time in Carnall Jollity,
Enjoyes my
Love, Heat, or
Society;
Which
Caiphas-like, Pope Adrian true confest,
[Page 253] He saw not how
Romes Scepter could be blest,
Since He, to whom
Christ left the
Churches Care,
Shun'd worldly Rule, Pompe, and
Simonious Ware.
The
Consciences, where I frequent me most;
Are styl'd
The Temple of the Holy Ghost.
And there, no Swine, no Beasts of prey, nor Curres
Dare enter once, nor any thing that blurres.
Notorious sinnes with
Penance I commute,
But Common slips to
Nature I impute.
I never sold the
Holy Spirits Gifts,
But I receive Strayes
gratis without shifts.
Though I enjoy the
Keyes to bind or loose,
I seldome
Curse, nor
Yealding Reedes do bruize.
'Gainst
Hereticks I warre, but not with
Sword,
My Fence is Vowes and Teares, my Sword Gods Word.
For my
Chast Faith to
Christ I am belov'd,
And by his
Fiery Crosse I am approv'd.
If thou desirest then to finde me out,
Looke,
VAUGHAN, not for me among the Rout,
[Page 254] But with my
Babes, which beare a loving Mind,
Wise, Constant, sad. And there thou me shalt finde.
With such I liv d in
Superstitious Times,
And so proclaime me in thy
New-mans Rimes.
With such I dwelt by Worldlings scorn'd, the while
My Beldame Foe
Christs Altars did defile,
With Carnall Sence and
Sacrilegious Rape
Moulding th'
Immortall in fraile Mortall shape.
THus stood Our
Church, though not so faire of Face
As she seemes now, yet by
Elections Grace,
Christs Merits, and his
Blouds Prerogative
She breathed free from Sinnes imputative,
And though her
Seed were not so pure as Our,
Nor Ours, as
Saints, yet may the
Man-Gods Pow'r
For their
Faiths sake
Old Passions purifie,
When
Doomedayes Flames shall Bodies change or try
Or rather at
Deaths Gaspe to
Paradise
Convaigh them like the
Theefe, with
Saints to rise,
And them enroule with his
True Churches Race.
Thus stood
Our Church most visible to
Saints,
Ere
Luther broke into his Just Complaints.
Here in Our
West she persecuted lay,
While
Rome made sale of Soules and open Prey.
She in the House of Mourning at the Stake
Lay Patient, while
Rome forg'd the
Masses Cake.
How did they her with Racks and Tortures touze
Within their Jail
[...] and
Inquisition House?
How in Old Times did
Berengariu
[...] fare,
For daring to controule cotrupted Ware?
Nay, how in
Spain
[...] doe they speed at this day,
Who
Christ alone for Advoca
[...]e display?
A Thousand Yeares the
Dragon with Restraint
Of Bloudy Force
[...]y Close. Till then a
Saint
Possest his
Conscience free from
Tortures Fi
[...]e,
Or
Hells Const
[...]aint. No
Synod f
[...]ll of
Ire,
By
Massacres poore
England to withdraw
From preaching
Christ. No
Councell Generall
Doom'd
Saints to Flames to end
Religions Bra
[...]le,
Till
Sigismond at
Constance suffred
Husse
And
Ierome to be burnt without discusse
Of their true Cause. Yet
Sautre first
Of
Martyrs did appease the Bloudy thirst
Of
Antichristian Priests in the First Yeare
Of the said
Henries Raigne. Next
Badby here
Thorpe, Purvey, Taylour, White, and
Hoveden,
With the
Lord Cobham, Floure of
Noblemen,
Who did before the
Bishops of this Land,
With
burning Zeale the
Romish Church withstand,
For the
Faiths sake, and the
Wicklevian Sect
Did by their Bloud, and
Martyrs Seales erect
An
Altar up in honour of our
Christ
As Members of their
Head 'gainst
Antichrist,
How many Soules were forced to abjure
And to recant▪ No
Saint then liy'd secure
Who preacht
Gods Word, as He of
Chichester
Grave Peacock felt, and many moe, that far'd
As bad because they
Babels Whore out-dar'd▪
Kent, Herefords, and
Norwich Diocesse
Saw men styl'd
Lollards then with like successe
Take up the
Crosse, and yeeld for
Christ their Breath.
(So
Prelates Saints pursu'd with spite, and Death)
And not content the
Living to torment,
They one Degree beyond the
Pagans went,
For
Wickliffs Bones from out the
Grave they tore,
And burnt, which lay there Forty Yeares before.
With solemne Pomp and Degradations Maske,
Those
Gotam-Scribes perform'd that
Gothish Taske.
O Would the
Lines of this
Epitome
Could move our Strayes, which haunt the
Romish Sea,
To meditate on
Times Old Monuments,
And there to marke what Savage Punishments
[Page 258] One Hundred Yeares, ere
Luther rose, were then
Inflicted by mad
Priests on
Christian Men,
For seeking to reforme Old things amisse,
And by
Gods Word to win blind strayes to Blisse:
I might then hope some would relent and turne
To our
New-man, and with
New Zeale would burne,
Not heeding Dreames and Superstitious Mists,
Which spred abroad by false
Masse-monging Priests,
And Idoliz'd by haughty
Hildebrand,
Lay yet on
Rome an Ignominious Brand;
But noting what the
New-man put in ure
The first Six Hundred Yeares, they hold most pure.
For such our
Martyrs did, and such I know
Great Brittaine now extolls, at least in show.
BUt to review the
Churches History,
The Looking-Glasse of
Sacred Memory:
[Page 259] Whilst halfe this
Age with doubtfull chance embroils,
Which
France shall feel, or
England Bloudier Broules?
The
Center of this
Age melts into Teares,
And cryes out shame upon
[...]
Westorne P
[...]res,
For suffring
Turkes Bizantium to possesse,
And by that meanes quite to subvert the Peace
Of all the
Easterne Church, and there for
Christ
To fiixe a mighty
Limbe of Antichrist.
Had they in time bu
[...] seconded the
Duke
Of
Burg
[...]ndy when he Thralls a rebuke
With a Check-mate receiv'd in
Hungary,
The
Ottomans had not faire
Bulgary
Subjected, nor the
Graecian Iles fince won
To
Christians Losse, and
Mahome
[...]s renowne.
But as with Cunning Plots the
Dragon rac'd
Our
Westernes Faith, so then he there defac'd
With Open Force the
Easternes Primest Seat,
The City of
New Rome; in which Defeat
He glories, that the same with
Salems Towne,
And
Antioch he from Servile
Christians won.
[Page 260] Their
Sinnes them servile made, that so before
The
Iudgement Day their Fall might Others more
Rowze up from Sloth and Dull Security
To Watch, least they feele more Indignity.
ANd then neere Thirty Yeares were past, since
Popes
Branding each Other for false
Antipopes
Copartners, at a
Councell Generall
By
Sigismonds good Cares they stint the Brawle.
At which I cannot in my
Zealous Trance
Unnamed leave a
Chancellour of
France,
Grave Gerson, whom our
Chronicles record,
That for
Truths Rights to be againe restor'd
He motion'd to bring back the
Light Divine,
As in the Dayes of
Paul or
Constantine.
This he crav'd in the
Councell Generall
Most Zealous, but the
State Pontisicall
Would not assent to heare of Reformation,
Lest they might clinch their
Court of
Augmentation,
At Spoiles or Bribes, at
Barrettours or
Iewes,
Encreasing Sinne, and what to Vengeance tends
For Private Gaine, and their owne Idoll-ends.
This Motion made that
Clerk Magnanimous
About the Time, when there they burned
Husse,
That
Husse, who sung, that tho they broil'd the
Goose,
Within One Hundred Yeares should be let loose
A Swan out of those Flames, as white as Snow,
Whose pow'rful Tune wuld make more Ear
[...] to glow.
Which
Prophesie fell true, for the Events
Gamaliels-like since answered the Contents▪
Yet did that
Councell doe one piece of Worth,
For they depos'd Three
Popes, and chose a Fourth.
BUt afterwards the
Caesar Sigismond
For Breach of
Faith by deare Experience conn'd,
That though, as Toyes, wrongs
Mortalls over-passe,
Yet
God will them not unrevenged passe,
[Page 262] For of the Breach soone as
Bohemia heard,
The Safe-conduct infring'd, the Cause unheard,
And that the
Councell had condemned
Husse
And
Ierome to be burnt without discusse
Of the maine Points of
Faith, for which they
[...]
By Safe-conduct sign'd in th'
Imperiall Name:
And now affronted with this fond Reply,
Or rather jeer'd with a
Priseillian Lye:
That
Promise, Faith, and
Vowes to
Hereticks
Were voyd in
Law, if made by
Catholicks;
The
Taborites repin'd, faire
Prague laments,
And all
Bohemia moves with sodaine Rent
[...],
For their late
Prophets Death, and Guil
[...]l
[...]
[...] Blo
[...]d
Shed for no cause, but that they
Rome withstood.
Then Valiant
Zisca, like the Sonne of
Nun,
Heads against
Caeser, many Battels won,
And with small Numbers to all the
Papists Wonder
Great
Armies daunts, as st
[...]ook with claps of Thunder.
The
Bohemes so against their Foes prevail'd,
That they their Losse, and Breach of
Faith bewail'd;
[Page 263] And to this day those Rites in
Boheme last,
Which first to
Husse from
English Wickli
[...]e past.
NOr was that
Doctrine in
Bohemia close,
And
England kept alone, but to oppose
The
Romish Sid
[...] by Vertue of the
Light
Deriv'd from thence there daily came more Might.
The
Bishop of
Cr
[...]atia then did rise
By
Wickliffes Lamp, and did
Romes Fall comprise
In Measur'd
Lines, which with
Prophetick Glosse
[...] did for that Dark Age disclose.
Cameracums Good
Cardinall then wrot,
And laid on
Rome an everlasting Blot,
As others in those Dayes the like reveal'd
What from Old muddy Pates stood long conceal'd.
So
M
[...]ntuan did and
Savonarola,
Clemangis, and the
Count Mirandola
Boldly declaime against
Great Babels Pride,
Ere
Luther rose to write against her Side.
[Page 264] For now had
God in his appointed Time
Refin'd more Wits the
Gospel out to chime.
THough for their Sinnes he
Pius tooke away
The Best of
Popes, who whilst he liv'd, gave way
Some Errours to reforme, and meant that
Wives
Should licenc'd be to
Priests, yet still he lives
For his Good Will enrowl'd in Lines of
Fame,
That
Silvius thought to cover
Babels shame.
FOr like Effect
God sent the
Printers Presse,
That with
Good Bookes we might his
Truth confesse,
For till this Age faire
Printing lay unknowne,
And so for want of Workes
Truth was prest downe.
Gunnes likewise came within this Ages List,
Invented by by a
Frier Alchymist▪
For
Penance sake to linke the
Ave-Mary.
And after him, by the next raving
Pope,
Who for his Fact was worthy of a Rope,
Romes Stewes came up, for whom he builded Roomes,
And got the
Whores to pay him Yearely Summes,
Under pretence
to keep some Women Chaste,
But more for Gaine, and for his
Priests unchaste,
As though the
Brothels could
Knaves temptings let,
By suffring
Ill, Sinne Hidraes to beget.
WHat now hath
Rome to plead? what Colour? Shift?
Or false Demurre to cloak her wanton drift?
That she be not indited hereupon
A
Baud? and styl'd the
Whore of Babylon,
Not onely
Ghostly, but a
Carnall Whore
She stands arraign'd; for, as yee heard before,
A
Whore indeed, a
Woman Moguntine
Sate
Pope in
Rome, and acted
Rites Divine.
[Page 266] If this be not sufficient
Evidence,
Examine well their
Lives and
Fr
[...]dulence,
What
Paramours Popes keptd what Bloudy Da
[...]ce
They led? what Plut
[...] their
Bastards to advance?
That very
Pope, which shall cloze up this Age,
Can restifie with what tumul
[...]uous Rage
He rais'd his Sonne and Daughter to great States
Caesar made
Duke, a
Duke Lucreti
[...] mates.
About the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Six,
The
Antichristian Fiend began his Tricks
And Lullabies to act through
Carnall Ease,
That men might fall to
Scorbuts Foul
[...] disease,
Or to some Prantick Fits. Nor was it long
But at the Time foretold, who did belong
To the
Great Cities D
[...], by Sea and Land
Playd the fond
Bed
[...]ems at their
Heads command.
Her huge Impostume broke out at the last,
That is Five Hundred Yeares she made
[...]uch wast
Of Ragges for Tenes to keep her
Issuer running,
To serve her still it past our
Westernes cunning.
Envenom'd had this
Mystery withall,
That for
Gu
[...]iat
[...]m she must
India riste,
For
Europes Drugges seem'd to her Lims a Trifle.
Who durst oppose her what she went about?
She had the
Keyes of
Heaven and
Hell to boot:
Of all the
World she was
Chiefe Governesse,
And of what
Christ scorn'd in the
Wildernesse.
Only there wanted to supply her State
The
Gen
[...]es Map, and
Isabellaes Fate.
BEfore her
Wane Gods Glory to extend,
It chanc'd about this Ages Latter End,
That
Gama first from
Lisbon tri'd the Course,
To passe by
Sea to the
East-Indian Shores,
Where having found the
Load-stone since in use,
He
Pilots did from the
Pole-starre reduce;
By which and
Printing was the
Gospels sound
Dispers'd, and
Both within this
Age New-found.
At the Expence of that
Castilian Queene;
Who pawn'd her
Jewels for the finding out
Of those
New Lands, whose
Gold made
Spain so stout,
That aiming at the
Westerne Monarchy.
She Musters, Fights, holds
Kings in Jealousies
And
Babels Whore hopes in that
New-found Soilo
By
Mart of Soules to keep more revell Coile,
And what She here hath by the
Gospel lost,
That to repaire in
Indiaes Sun-burnt Coast.
Our Seventh
Henry might have made his Boast,
Had he but been as prone as
Ferdinand
To take the tendred
Map of that
New Land.
But though the
Tract was large, yet
Portingall
And
Castiles King contended, till the Brawle
By the
High Priests Imaginary Lines
Umpir'd, they claim'd more then their Right confin
[...].
And so
Romes Rites erected in that
Coast.
Satan repaires what he in
Europe lost,
Unlesse our
Ile, to countepoise his Craft,
[Page 269] Had lately aim'd into that
North a Shaft,
Which may perhaps some
Consciences so wound,
That
Savages may heare the
Gospels Sound,
Which others Damps with Superstitious Fire
Have there conceal'd, and hindred to inspire.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE SIXTEENTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 1500. untill the yeere 1600.
The Argument.
Where lay Our Church
[...]re Wickliffe
first arose:
By Prodigies Rome
warn'd ere Luther
rose.
No Tyrants Plots
could let Our Churches
Sound,
But Englands Queens
did all her Foes confound.
FRom Age to Age I shew'd the
Churches race,
Her Wane, her Wens, & her
rèfulgent Fa
[...]e;
And some I nam'd for
Prophetizing Wits
Times against our
Beli
[...]ls Fit
[...],
[Page 272]
[...]
[...]
[...]
Who labour'd to suppresse what
Christ prescribes?
Besides th
[...]
Abissines under
Pret
[...]ous Iohn,
Th'
Armenians, Greekes, and Some in
Babylon,
Or otherwhere (For who dares bound our
Guest?
Since we are ti'd likewise to Judge the
Best?)
And not to bind
Gods free unbounded Grace
To any certaine
Climate, Time, or
Place?)
Christ had his
Church, a
Remnant sav'd by
Grace
Alwayes inspir'd in some or Other Place;
Whether our
Scribes pretend them
Coloieros,
Nesto
[...]n
[...], M
[...]nkes, or
Saint Iohns Cavoll
[...]res;
Whether they hold of
Persian Iacobites,
The
Hi
[...]ies Forme, or of
Georgiaes Rites;
Of
Maronites, or
Coftics of the
East,
Or
Catbelicks so craking in the
West,
Or
Hermites, Nunnes, and
l'olyntaries
[...],
Whose humbled
hearts then Pomp
Saints honor more
Though much in Blame, yet I will spare their Fame;
And let our
Weaklings know, that some were Wise,
And did of
Old in
Babel Sybillize;
By speciall
Signes and
Symptomes generall,
But most by Sacred
Starres Authenticall,
Denouncing for her
Slips Gods Wrath, her Fall,
Unlesse she would Repent her at their Call.
And so things came to passe, as they Divin'd,
Her
Spires for
Rookes we now demolisht find,
Some by the Force of furious
Ottoman,
Some forfeited for what the
Lawes did scan:
Her
Chappels turn'd to
Barnes, or Nests for
Owles,
Her
Nunneries first built for harmelesse
Soules
Lye wast with her Rich Temporalls and Rents;
Yea, and
Gods Tythes, Our
Church-emoluments,
By what just Warrant let the
Lawes dispute,
Some keepe away as yet; and I am Mute,
Because I see sometimes that
Innocence,
Aswell as
Vice, dies of the
Pestilence,
An Order laid
Pope Alexander downe
For the
New World. But shortly of his Owne
Most wretched States and Life shall be bereft,
And for
Usurpers an Example left.
For after this usurpt
Partition made,
His
Bastard Sonne to try his Former Trade
Of Pois
[...]ning Those, whom he suppos'd would barre
The Proud Designes of his complotted warre,
His
Motto blaz'd, the
Hazards Die is cast,
Caesar, or Nothing, now by Poisons Tast
He meant to rid Suspected
Cardinalls
Out of the way, but hereby both their Falls,
His
Fathers and his Owne, he sodaine wrought,
For he soone as the
Fat all Wine was brought,
Charged his
Page, that he the
Bottle watch,
And when he call'd for
Wine that he should reach
It for his
Guests; the
Pope came in the while,
And thirsty call'd for
Wine: the
Page the
Wil
[...]
[Page 275] Not knowing, thought the
Wine reserv'd was Choise,
And without more adoe, or Answers Noise,
Fill'd him a Cup of the Empoisned
Wine,
And by just Doome, as writeth
Gui
[...]ciardine,
Came in the
Authour, his accursed Sonne
All thirsty too, and tasted thereupon
The
Cup which he for Others brew'd, and lost
His
Father out of hand, himselfe almost
Ran the same Fate, but that by
Nature strong,
He for that time escap'd to doe more wrong,
Still quarrelling, till he was thrall'd and slaine.
So
Caesar Borgias liv'd and di'd a
Caine.
Pope Julius now to
Tiber slung his
Koyes,
Then fought, and lost by
French his Enemies.
A Token that
Romes Church to wrack began
To fall, as you may by the sequele scan.
THe
Ourward Crosse in
Teutons Soile appear'd
Of
Martyrs Forme, and with that
Signe besmear'd
[Page 276] Their Palaces, and Houshold Ornaments,
Their Windowes, Doores, and Bodies Vestiments;
A signe to shew the
Fiery Trialls Doome
By Factious
Gogs and
Magogs Force to come,
Veil'd with the
Crosse, the
Keyes, with
Peters Net,
With
Iesus, with the
Lawes, or
Mahomet.
This
Miracle in
Maximilians Time
Fell out, not long before the
Gospels Chime
At
Wittemberge with Motions life began
By
Luthers Zeale, that good
Samaritan,
Who, when most shunn'd to helpe the
wounded Man,
Cheer'd up, and Bath'd
Christs Members pale and wan.
ANd after this another
Prodigy
Befell to
Rome, which no Apology
Of
Idolists can cover the mis-hap;
When little
Iesus from his
Mothers Lap
Was in the
Church remov'd, and
Peters Keyes
Throwne from his Pictures hand, Both in a trice
[Page 277] VVithout respect of Persons by the stroke
Of Thunders Crack and sacred Sulphures Smoake
Just in that
Church, where One and Thirty
Priests
VVith the
Red Hat that Day, like
Minstre
[...]ists,
Installed were by
Leo there with state
In the same Yeare, when
Lutber to abate
His Loftinesse began with greater
Fame
Then
Cardinalls support, in
Christ his Name.
OUr
Kings and
States of
Westerne Christendome
Complain'd and sought for some Redresse to come
Of
Faiths abuse, and
Romes Impiety,
But still the
Head was deafe to
Piety,
He would no
Member be, but the
Church whole,
Himselfe sole
Iudge, and
Church, without one
Mole,
Or Sinfull Spot, by which Prerogative
He tyrannized so, that none could thrive;
He watcht with
Vultures Clawes all Stakes to sweep:
He watcht to flay, but not to feed the
Sheep,
Who under Maske of
Law cease not to grind
Christs Members, till they feele
Hells measures heapt,
Or till they reape what
Old Masse-mongers reap
[...].
So blinded were the
Popes by Doome Divine,
Till
a Poore Man, a
Frier Augustine,
Since started up to doe that Glorious Deed,
Which
Gregories, and
Austines doth exceed,
Which
Kings af
[...]ay'd, but failed to performe:
Nay,
Kings durst not what
Luther did reforme.
Would
God that some like
Prophet took the Paines
To bring back
Love for which our
Church complains.
This Wonder
God wrought in our Latter Dayes,
That before
Doome he might recall some Strayes,
That
Satans Pride he might by
Sucklings tame,
And by the
Weak the Worldly
Wizz and shame.
WEll neere upon our
Luthers Sacrifice,
Grave
Reuclin did and
Valla breake the Ice,
And
Dutch-land by the
Clerk of Rotter da
[...];
As
Swizzer Land, when
Luther first began,
By
Zuinglius was stirr'd up
Romes zeale to scan.
But none then our
Iust Fast Men triumph'd more,
Whose Race had held full Sixscore Yeares before
VVith
Faggots Fire, and
Lollards branded Paine
Pursu'd till now, and now rejoyc'd againe,
To see that
Faith, which with the
Hussites they
Had long maintain'd, found out an open way
By
Luthers Zeale,
Stigelius ravish
[...]
Mus
[...],
And by
Melancthons Flowres with blooming Newes.
BAbel her Fall in
Henries Time foresaw,
VVhen
Premunire Englands ancient Law
Her
Clergy rackt. But most the quakt for Dread
To heare him styl'd the
Churches Supreme Head:
For by that Style what
Rome usurped heere
Of
Aunates, Far
[...]s, and Duties every Yeare,
To aide him in his Warres. These Spoiles transferr'd
From Forraigne use to help the
Natives want:
'Tis strange to mark how soone men did recant
Their
Carnall Dreames; and blind Idolatries,
To celebrate the
New-mans Sacrifice.
BLest be Young
Edward, Our
Iosiaes Name,
Who next commenc'd this Work of
Pio
[...] Fame.
But as the Former
Brood, when
Constantine
Deceas'd, then prou'd ingratefull, the Next
Lig
[...]e
Of
Caesars fell to
Arrian Heresie,
And their Old Vomits with
Apostasie:
So wavering
England in the
Marian Raigne
Quickly return'd to
Babels yoak againe,
Untill some
Martyrs Blood, the
Churches Seed,
True
Members of their
Head in time of Need
Had through
Gods Grace behind them left a Fire,
As
Latimer foretold, which would inspire,
[Page 281] And never be extinct in
Albions Ile,
Whilst that Our
Kings beare
Faiths Defenders Stile.
This by our
Virgin Queene of
Tydirs Race,
Great Debora, was since made good to raze,
And quite demollish here
Romes strongest Fort,
And chiefest
Nerves, which did her Pride support.
And surely, if
Romes Tributary Thralls
Would take that Course, she on a sodaine falls.
Her
Lofty Towres would yeeld so loud a Crack
That they, which Court her now, would soon go ba
[...]k,
When slartled up at the New wondrous Sight,
They see a
Church more
Catholick of Light:
They would
[...]vouch no
Advocate but One,
And build their
Faith upon the
Corner Stone,
That was hewne from the Mountaine without hand,
Male-borne without
Male-Sire in
Iewry Land.
They would exalt Our
Church Apostolick
Above their Owne, the
Car
[...]all Catholick,
They would conclude what now they
[...]on by roat.
ABout the midst of this strange
Century,
Iniquities prodigious Mystery
Began at
Trent, or
City Tridentine,
Againe to play upon the
Word Divine
By
Canons propt with
Iulians Tyranny,
More fit for
Moores then
Councells harmony.
Least that the
Gospel should
Romes Captives free
From their Old doating Dreames, they did decree,
That all such
Bookes, which
Protestants had pen'd
To blaze
Gods Word, they should in pieces rend;
Or if they toucht her
Carnall Copy-hold,
To
Martyr them, since
Babel aimes at
Gold;
And that who did gaine-say in Word or Deed,
Or tooke it not as Parcell of their
Creed,
That the whole
Masse both for the Dead and Quick
Suffic'd, those Men they doom'd no
Catholick;
[Page 283] That, who beleev'd not all the
Romish Crewes
Traditions, they were worse then
Turks or
Iewes.
Such
Acts at
Trent were last determined
By the
Fourth Pi
[...]s, Romes most impious Head,
With
Thundring Threats. Frō whence arose those Jars,
Combustions,
Powder-plots, and Bloudy Warres,
Which ever since embroiled
Christendome,
And will (I feare) untill the Day of
Doome
Endure, unlesse our head-strong
Strayes afford,
While
Time remaines, more Passage to
Gods Word.
NOne can deny, but that this
Councell gave
More Liberty for
Papists to out-brave
The
Church Reform'd by
Inquisitions strict
To rack poore Soules, and by severe Edict
On Forfeiture of Life and Goods Escheat,
If they would not adore the
Papall Seat.
From hence began the
Civill Warres in
France,
Which ended not but by most Bloudy Dance.
[Page 284] And various sort of
Massacres and Spoiles.
They ended not for all their
Leaguers Broiles,
Untill their
Kings, the
Guisians, and their
Chiefes,
Who sided in the Quarrell, di'd in Griefes,
In Anguishes and Bloud. And this the
Starre
In Seventy Two, which past all
Comets
[...]
For strange Portent and
Blazing-hearded Rayes,
Did then denounce with woes to stubborne Strayes,
For
Belgiaes injur'd States did thereupon
Incenc'd by
Alv
[...]es Duke, and
Austria
[...] Iohn,
Who would have forc'd to
Masse mens Consciences,
Breake into warres against
Spaines Out-r
[...]es;
Which last as yet. So likewise
Portingall,
With her
Sebastian did in
Affrick fall.
Enduc'd to fight with
Moores by
Iesuites Traine,
That
Philip by his Death might ceaze all
Spaine,
Excluding
Don Antonio and his Race
Quite from the Sway of
Lis
[...]ons Royall Mace.
But to retire to our
French Leaguers back,
How Fatall prov'd their Plots? They thought to sack
For their Defence then held. But in their wants
God aided these, and on their
Foes return'd
The Tragick Flames, wherwith they would have burn'd
Their Neighbors Roofes.
Guise arm'd agaist his
King,
The
King 'gainst him, till Both felt Judgments sting,
Both di'd in
Bloud, yea, which appear'd most rare,
The
King was caught in the same Bloudy Snare,
Where he in time fore-past had leagu'd the Death
Of
Saints, whereby
Catillion off his
[...]tea
[...]h,
For in that very Roome the
King was slaine
By
Friers hands, where first was laid that Traine.
LOng liv'd Our
Queen to build things out of square
A
Virgin v
[...]w'd to
Christ, of
Dowries rare,
Excelling in the Gifts of
Tongues and
Arts;
But more then all
[...]one her
Diviner Parts.
Church-Elders She propt up, when Some their Fall,
As if their State toucht not the
Temporall,
[Page 286] For Lucre sake had plotted to deface
Our
Churches Forme, her
Frame, and Outward Face,
Whereby her
Sway had prov'd an
An
[...]rchy,
Of scorned stemme, the House of
God a Sty,
And
Learning held in vile Contempt for lack
Of
Wages due; yea, all had gone to wrack,
If this Good
Queene had not supported them,
Who holp to build our
New Ierusalem.
IN her Buddes-time, to counterpoize, or let
Our
Churches Growth, or in her
Te
[...]ts beset
To ruin
[...] some of our good
Souldi
[...]rs, sp
[...]g
The
Iesuites Sect with the
False Serpents Tongue
Disguis'd with Zeale, and promising to Youth
Mountaines of Rules, New
Documents for
Truth.
Upon which
Newes, and Newne
[...] of their
Name,
Degrading
Antioch, and the
Christi
[...] Fame,
They wan Repute in
Babel. But of
[...]are
Discreeter States their
Bloudy Doctrine hate.
Against all
Kings, who were by
Popes Accurst,
And by Blacke Rules deriv'd from
Hells Abysse,
Dethron'd them of their States for their Amisse.
Yea, and their Lives subjected unto
Slaves.
With such lewd Points, wherein this
Jesuite raves,
He
Campians Braine so stuff'd, that
Irelands Realme
And
Desmonds Crew he poisned with the streame;
For which his Plots and false Conspiracies,
Himselfe became a Damned
Sacrifice;
As well deserv'd the
Authour for his Bookes
Entangling
Christians with such
Hellish Hookes▪
But all their Plots of
Pi
[...]olls, Poison, Swords,
Nor
Romish Bulls, nor
Briefes lowd thundring words,
Could shorten or impeach
Elizaes Raigne,
But that she thriv'd in spight of
Rome and
Spaine,
While they prevail'd with Fatall wound to sting
One whom they tooke for the most
Christian King;
Which Deed so pleas'd
Pope Six
[...], that he durst
With
Iudith ranke the
Malefactour C
[...]rst.
[Page 288] THis
Sixtus dar'd to Excommunicate
Our Famous
Queene, her
Empire to translate,
As much as in him lay, and Leave to gore
Her Person gave, as
Pius did before.
But all their roaring
Bulls and
Thunderclaps
With
Interest return'd, with heavy Raps
Upon themselves, their Faction, and on those,
To whom they dream'd her
Kingdomes to transpose
Under his shrowd, who from a
Fishes Craw
Did Toll for
Christ and his owne Person draw.
IN the meane time faire
Englands Zealo
[...]s Queene,
Like
Char-coale sparks, contemn'd their flashing spleen.
And for her Zeale
God blest her brave Attempts,
That she cri'd Quittance for his slight Contempts
Of
Neighbours Love with the Great
King of
Spaine,
Who suff
[...]ed still his
Inquisitions Traine,
Under pretext of their
Religions Lawes,
To prey upon her
Merchants without Cause,
[Page 289] And on their Goods: or sheading of their Bloud;
Or
Galley-slav'd; or to weare
Benets Hood.
These wrongs by
Drake and
Candish she redrest,
And fear'd not to encounter him at Best
With all his
Navall Force in Eighty Eight,
And afterwards at
Cales she shew'd her Might.
Nor went his
Indies free from her Revenge,
Nor
Belgiaes Soile, but that she did avenge
Her Quarrell full, by Force of Armes transverse
The
Belgian State, and free the
Hollanders
From th'
Inquisitions Yoake by
Alva laid,
And sithence train'd their
Milk-sops by her Aide
To turne brave
Souldiers both on Sea and Land,
To weary
Spaine, and on their Guard to stand.
AFter that
Bloudy Feast in Seventy Two,
When
Sions Church French Herods would undo,
Besieged
Rochell with
Munitions store
By Sea she furnish
[...], and Reliev'd her Poore.
[Page 290] Againe,
France tasted of her Lenity,
As
Burbon tri'd and his
Posterity,
Which but for her good Cares, and Troupes Supply,
Had stoupt unto
Iberiaes Tyranny;
And
Lorra
[...]nes League then mammo
[...]kt into Parts
Had thrall'd all
France to
Spaines Superiour Darts.
SHe planted
Ireland, civilliz'd the Rude,
Rebellious, Wild, and Kernish Multitude;
And neere her
Set by
Valiant Mountjoyes Cares,
With Triumph there o're
Spaine she cloz'd her Warres.
So stood out State of
Church and
Common-weal
[...],
In spight of
Romish Bulls, Spaine, and
Oneale,
Secur'd frō
Schismes, Home-broyles, and
Hostile Traine,
As long as
Great Elizabeth did Raigne.
HEreby Our
Strayes, who taxe the
Gospels Sound,
May feare how they
Gods Church do meore and bound
As if our
Faith were pinn'd unto his Sleeve.
Here they may see what ignominious Spoiles
Romes Champions reapt for all their Bloudy Broiles;
Whilst that Our
Princes in set Peace have stretcht
Their Limmes, in
Bloud their latest Gasp they fetcht.
Not
Austria, France, nor
Rome with steely dint,
Nor
Marian Fire could
Christ his
Gospel stint,
Nor could they raze the Name of
Hugueno
[...]s,
Or
Protestants for all their Bloudy Plots.
Much lesse could their
School-Doctors plead her Cause
Against the Brightnesse of the
Spirits Clause,
Which by Saint
Iohn had prophesied her Fall,
And likewise her forewarned by Saint
Paul,
That
she, whom for her
Faith Renowned Fame
Then blaz'd, should be at last cut off with shame,
If she continued not, as she begun,
Chast to her
Spouse the Great
Iehovahs Sonne.
Gods Charter still goes with a whilest, or If
Thou honour me, I will remove thy Griefe.
[Page 292] Not her Decline could all her
Clergy stop,
Nor
Canonists her
Doctrine underprop;
Not
Gratian, nor her Best,
Panormitan,
Nor all her Routes of
Thalmudists prophane;
Not
Wolsey, Poole, nor learned
Cajetan,
Kings-mating Cardinalls in Pomp Humane,
The
Mystick Remnant of the
Dragons Band,
Could vengeance stay, nor
Iudgements Lees withstand.
Their
Martyrs Urnes can no way paralell
Our
Holy Ones, nor can their
Legends tell
Five Bishops burnt for their
Religions sake,
Where we can name consumed at the
Stake
Great
Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, Latimer,
And
Ferrar Sainted in our
Register,
With many moe, whom the
Force Secular,
Hells Magogs, hois'd to
Martyrs Calendar,
Though them they knew to be the
Churches Seed,
By hearing at their Death their
Christian Creed:
Which
Creed, lest it might move a
Conscience soft,
Their Torturers have interrupted oft
[Page 293] In midst of Flames, by hurling Staves or Stones,
To wound the more their
Heads and broiling
Bones.
O Valiant Men, true Members of our Head!
Who like to
Him for
Him to Death have bled!
O Glorious Saints, who left such
Monuments
Surpassing farre the
Seven-fold Wonderments!
Who to prevent
Soules Dearth built
Granaries,
Like
Josephs store, inough for
Sacrifice!
Whose
Martyrdomes refulgent Memory
Puts downe
Romes Palles, and Shrines Imagery!
Who have, like Starres deriv'd from
Heavens Light,
Left Spectacles and Torches for our Sight!
God grant they may increase
Devotions Flame,
And dul those
Schismes, which the next Age wil shame.
In Briefe, no Age since
Christ saw greater Change
Of
Manners, Knowledge, States, and which is strange,
Great
Rome twice sackt. The Cōmon Foe more bold,
Whilst our
Chiefe West wav'd with the
Spanish Gold.
THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE SEVENTEENTH AGE, From the yeere of our Lord 1600. untill this present yeere 1640. Being the 16. of King Charles his Raigne over Great Brittaine.
The Argument.
Our Church
escapes the Dragons Powder-traine;
And is confirm'd in James,
and Charles
his Raigne.
Abroad the Bloudy
Crosse her Members s
[...]ites;
In Brittaine
some blame Types,
and Outward Rites.
THe third Yeare past of this our present Age,
Our
Sun-set Queen expir'd her Pilgrimag
[...]
A Virgin on our Virgin Ladi
[...]s Eve▪
To see her Starre
Death did her hence b
[...]av
[...].
[Page 296]
Elizabeth then folding up her Raigne
Of
Forty Foure, Triumphant over
Spaine,
The
Popish Side, Tirone, and
Irish Kernes;
Faire
Englands Crowne to Him whom it concernes
By Right of Bloud descends, to
Salomon,
Our
Phoenix Iames, who like the radiant
Sunne
Shot forth his Rayes, of
Kings the Paragon;
A
Writer most acute, for
Natives Tone
Unparalell'd by any
Regall Scribe,
Next to that
Starre, the Honour of his Tribe.
Whether in
Prose or
Measur'd Lines he steeres,
The
Loadstone of his Labours still appeares
Directly aim'd unto the
New mans White.
His
Davids Psalmes our
Belials so appall,
None dare them now
Geneva-jigges mis-call.
This Posthume Fruit hath
Learned Sterline late
Set forth, the Fainting Soule to recreate.
His Workes endure the
Light, his
Lamp the
Night
Of
Ignorance repells, and None our
Iames,
His
Bockes, his
Life, or
Raigne, save Envie blames.
[Page 297] He
Vorstius foil'd, restrain'd Superfluous Doubts,
And by his Pen convinc'd Scholastick
Routs.
While here he liv'd, O how did
Knowledge shine!
The
Church renew her Hopes, the
Grave Divine
Affoord us daily
Manna for Soule-Food,
And by his
Royall Rayes all things did Bud,
Yea, his
Rayes made the Wildest
Red-shanks tame,
Dri'd
Irish Bogges, and spred
Virginiaes Fame.
NOr lackt this
King the Gift of
Prophesie,
To pry into the
Jesuites Secrecie,
Whereby they thought to blow up
Albions State
With Powder-Traine
Hells next obnoxious Fate.
For though that
Tressams Lines seem'd intricate,
Flowing from
Sphynx, or
Coedipus his Pate,
A
Riddle, darke, and scorn'd by Other Men,
Yet this Wise
Prince the same did not contemne,
But pointed at the
Mine, and their Intent,
Which they kept close sworne on the
Sacrament.
THis
Peacefull King upon the least disgust
Among his
Neighbour States, or
Warres mistrust,
Spar'd for no Paines nor Charge to mediate
A
Christian End, their
Passions to abate.
How many Treaties hath
Vienna seene?
What
Embassies to calme fierce
Austriaes Spleen?
That without Bloud the
Palatine might gaine
His Owne, he sent his onely
Sonne to
Spaine.
In hope to shunne th'Events, which hapned since,
To Dangers he expos'd our Darling
Prince,
That by that gentle Course or
Sacrifice,
He might prevent ensuing Prejudice.
No Age paints out, nor points at the like Type
Of
Princely Love, Offence away to wipe.
LIke
Iames in Zeale came Young
Iehosaphat,
Our
Royall Charles, whose sweet and moderate
[Page 299] Condition yeeld us Hopes, that, like his
Sire,
He will retaine unquencht the
Sacred Fire,
Which in his
Soule burnes calmely by the Heat
Of
Heavens Flame, the
Holy Paraclete.
Now in his
Raigne we plant
Virgini
[...]es North
With
Colontes, and hope by setting forth
The
Gospel there the
Savages to winne
In
Christ his Name from Lust and Bloudy Sinne:
Our
Dr
[...]nes turne
Bees in his Auspicious Raigne,
Remov'd to
Forraigne Iles in hope of Gaine,
And by his Famous
Glasse, who built of Old,
For
Tharsus Ships to fetch thence
Ophirs Gold,
This
Prudent Prince preparts a Warre-like Flees
To scowre the Seas, and Force with Force to mees,
As testifie of late his
Admiralls,
Which forced
Moores to yeeld home
English Thralls.
But more then all, the
New man he doth grace,
And the
Divine holds in his
Counsaile Place.
While
M
[...]s went on the
Electours wings to pull,
Against the
Charter of the
Golden Bull,
[Page 300] Distressed
Teutons Limmes found both reliefe
And Succour of our
Charles, to ease their Griefe.
And while their
Church with Tortures lay opprest,
Her Babes exil'd: our
Brittaine Mother blest
Thrives by the Cares of our
Religious Charles,
Secur'd from Schisme, and Superstitious Snarles.
O Happy
Brittaine, couldst thou know thy Good
Where Neighbor-states ore-flow with Spoiles & Bloud!
To calculate who were by Warres extinct
In
Belgia, France, and
Germanies Precinct,
Or the late Troubles of the
Valroline,
The
Grisons Griefes, or
Rochels to define,
A
Buskin craves more then
Poeticall,
Or
Algebraes Points
Mathematicall.
Nay, he that counts the Scarres in
Christian Lands,
On
Christian Folkes late made by Tyrants hands,
Shall sooner tell the Names of
Magogs Bands,
Which
Iohn compares unto the
Ocean Sands.
[Page 301] All which the
Saints, though in their Tents beset
By Fiends, yet them from
Vowes no Crosses let.
All which
Gods Church, though oftentimes she feares,
And vents forth
Angels Mones, with Patience beares.
Our
King bewailes their Case, stands on Defence;
He Armes, and yet not ministers Offence.
We feele their Griefes, with them we sympathize,
And pray for Cure, which
Passion mollifies.
WHen
Austriaes Caesar had with
Eagles Wings
Aspir'd, and lift against the
King of Kings
His lofty Head, and muster'd all his Force
To trample on
Christs Flocke without remorce,
Having begun the
Electours Plumes to pull
Against the
Germane Lawes and
Golden Bull:
Ev'n then (O Wonder!) unexpected Aide
Was by the
Lord from
Swethens Land convai'd,
From the farre
North brave
King Gustav
[...]s came,
Who came like Thunder, fought, and overcame.
[Page 302] And though this
Heros perish'd for our Sinnes
In
Battell late, yet to the
Philistines,
Like
Sampson, he full dearely sold his Breath,
Confounded them, and
Triumph'd by his Death;
Yea, from his
Cinders since sprung up a
Flame,
Which
Tyrants Threats, and
Turncoats puts to shame.
Long may thy
Trophees last,
Great Macchabee,
All Terrour to our Foes, untill they see,
That they who wittingly shead
Christians Bloud,
Like
Romaine Pilate, and the
Iewish Croud,
Stand guilty all of
Christ his
Death againe,
And cannot
Purge, or wash away the staine
With Bribes, or Ransome of
Sophistick kind,
Besides the Scandall which they leave behind,
That Tearing Bonds of
Christian Unity
Confirmes the
Turke by their Hostility
To flout, and them with faigned Leagues to wind,
As shortly his
Confederates may find.
Meane while they wast a
Christian Monarchy,
And
Teutons Land becomes an
Anarchy.
BUt leaving them with
Fire and
Sword to skuffle,
I saw Our
Churches F
[...]es begin to shu
[...]e
Strange Cards, in hope by
Arts Legier-de-maine
To win. The
Stake is
Soule prodigi
[...] Gain
[...],
Which
God avert, and grant that we take heed
Of
Sheep-skin'd Wolves, who sacrifice their
Seed
To
Moloch, and expect for
Ioviall Nunnes
To be
Confest by
Romes unmarried So
[...]s.
This
Women styld the
Iesuitrices,
Did lately presse, that they by their Accesse
To
Ladies might for their
Conversion speed,
And work upon their Owne fraile
Sexes Creed
With greater sleight, and with more fervency
Then
Priests oft blurr
[...]d for
Carnell Privacie.
This
Femall Sect, before it grew to height,
Was by the present
Pope, Urben
[...] the Eight,
Dasht in the
Spring. A prudent Actinde
[...]d,
To stine the Growth of
Antichristian S
[...].
Of Poems bruites his skill, so he the
Hook
And
Fishers Ner convert to better use
Then Other
Popes have done to
Faiths abuse,
The which he may, like
Peter or Saint
Paul,
Soone bring to passe by
Counsell Generall;
Yea, and perhaps he may there Reconcile
Thòse
Worldly Jarres, which blur Old
Antiochs stile.
FOr what poor things wuld some disguiz'd with zeale
Disturbe the
Peace of
Christ his Common-weale?
Some startle at the
Altars Ancient Name;
Others our setled Forme of
Vowes defame.
Because they want some businesse from without,
To make their
Badies sweat, or smart, they pour,
And peevish grow, not knowing what they aile
Within their
Sickly Braine, till Eits prevaile;
Like
idle Maias with the
Greene-sicknesse vext,
They loath what's good, and in ward are perplext
And
Longings oft from
Reason discrepant.
Because they cannot have their owne
Chymeres
And whimseyes of their Will, they wast with Feares,
Repining at their Neighbours store of
Grace,
And yet their
Crazed selves will not embrace
The
tendred Forme, nor joine in the
Soule-Cure,
As Others do, and with sweet
Sauce procure,
Whereby they may with
Understanding Pray,
And not by roat, nor rashly Vowes rep
[...].
Glutted with
Quailes, and
Ma
[...]maes precious Fare,
Their
stomacks long for
Onions, homely ware,
And Simple Trash, which may the
Bloud iuflame
More then that wholesome Food, which they defame.
Have we not seene more
Pride in
Course Attire
Then in
Rich Robes? Yea, some, who did aspire
Under the
Mask of plaine Sincerity,
Yet afterwards strove for
Priority?
LEt him, that blames the
Surplice comely weare,
Looke how the
Saints in
long-white Robes appeare
Before the
Highest Throne, and then no doubt
At such a Sight he will no longer pout.
And who is he so frowardly severe,
That rayles at
Graduates Hood of Minnivere?
The
Scarlet Robe? or at the
Corner'd Cap
In
Academes Matriculated Lap,
Like
Laureate Wreathes, borne and produc'd to grace
Industrious Wits, the
Churches hopefull Race?
That with such Types and Tokens garnished
The
Bees from
Drones might be distinguished?
And that by
Vertues Hire, faire
Honours Crowne,
Some might, as
Starres, from
Lesser Lights be known!
Much more distinct the
Sacred Ranke had need
From
Vulgar Garbes of Grave and
Reverend Weed,
Aswell to move regard by Outward Hew
Of
Surplices and
Miters, as to shew
[Page 307] To hardned
Romaine Strayes, that without stings
We joyne with them in all Indifferent Things,
And that to shun Offence,
Faiths Essence say'd,
We can for beare, and yeeld to them that rav'd
In clozing Rents, for some
Traditions, Rites,
And Outward Formes, so to renew their
Lights.
The
Iewes lost not by
Aaro
[...] Bells their Hopes:
And what lose we by
Miters Sight, or
Copes?
THus stands our
Church be
[...]et with Schismaticks,
And
Romish Routes pretended
Catholiks:
The Former raising Jarres for Triuiall things,
The Latter seemes to taint the
New mans Springs.
And yet she shines most bright, while like a Storme,
The Formers Faction quailes, and may reforme
Their
slips with Ease, at least, when mellow Age
Shall by Degrees compose their Passions Rage.
And there is Hope the Other will renounce
Dependencies on
Saints, and so pronounce:
And
Christ his Bloud alone doth us suffice
Without our Owne, or other
Merits Boast,
To gaine
Salvation through the
Holy Ghost.
For want of Tythes the One a
Sect contrives:
And
Discontent tempts
Babels Fugitives.
THus hath our
Christ
[...]an Church by
Grace Divine,
Past through the
Seventeenth Age till Thirty Nine,
And Sixteen Hundred Yeares from
Christ his
Birth
Are fif
[...]ly told by Mortalls here on Earth;
In spight of
Tyrants, Schismes, Idolatry,
The
Dragons Floud, and
Babels Butchery.
O would my
Muse knew wayes to
[...]oncil
[...]
The stubborne
Straye
[...] and
Hot-spurs of this
[...]
That, as We all ex
[...]oll
One Christian Creed,
And what wer
[...] in Six Hundred Yeares decreed
By the First
Synods of the
East and
West,
So we might meet at our
Communion Feast
To pay our Vowes untō the
King of Kings,
Like
Brethren with Harmonious Ravishment
In
Spirit, with One
Will, and One
Consent.
Accounting
Copes, Bells, Organs, Surplices,
Or
shaven Grownes, a
[...]
Rites, not
[...]ances
To barre the
Faith or
Conscience of a
Saint,
As Some with such Conceits the
Church would
[...]aint.
"A
Christian should be mild in
Temporall Things,
"Which breeds not Sin, nor Soul-
[...]ick Scandall brings.
"So that
Gods Word be preacht and
Faith encrease,
"I will accept what
Outward G
[...]rbes they please.
"Il
[...]kneele, sit, stand, or else in
Sack-cloth Fast;
"So that I may win Soules, no
Flesh Ile taste,
"Ile weare the
Sa
[...]t
[...] Robe, Saint
Be
[...]s Hood,
"Or
Friers Cow
[...]e, to doe our Weaklings good.
"Such shapes I take for
harmelesse Policie,
"As
Adi
[...]p
[...]ors with
[...]
"Expedient for some Persons more then Other,
"So to shake hands, and wrangling Quillets smother;
[Page 310] Not like Old
[...] of corrupted Zeale,
Who rackt sometime the
Romish Common-weale,
And wanting Wit to chuse
Frige Black, or
Grey,
Or
White, at last they made a Bloudy Fray.
ABout such Outward Formes the
Fiend of late
With Bloudy Broiles thought to enwrap our
State.
But He, that left at his Departure hence
Against
M
[...]ll.
[...]l
[...]t
[...] Gods Spirit for Defence,
Inspir'd our King with
Mercy, to forgiv
[...]
Them for whose Faul
[...]s he more th
[...]n they did griev
[...].
When Some for
Fam
[...], and Others for their
Hir
[...],
When some for Spoiles glad of
Cambustions Fir
[...]
And some for Doubts with swelling Spleen did hope
In Savage Fight with
Martiall
[...] & to cop
[...]
Our
Charles, though strongly
[...] extended the
[...]
In
Christian Love Grace unto
[...]ing Men.
Like Him, who
[...] chose O
[...]e
Citizen
Tus
[...]e then S
[...]y
[...] Thousand
H
[...]stise Men.
[Page 311] By this rare Act of
sacred Clemencie
He paralells, nay, gets
Precedencie
Above all
Kings that sway this
Worldly Spheare,
Whose
Subjects more their Frownes and Rigour fe
[...]
Then honour them for Ballanc'd
Equity,
Or Reall Deedes surmounting
Quality.
Had
Theodosim so his
Passions squar'd,
He surely had the
The ssalonians spar'd,
And not been warn'd by
Ambrose to refraine
Erō
[...]illains Church, til
conscience wrought some Pain
O
Happy Prince, that knew'st thy
S
[...]viours Will
O
Happy Land where
sover
[...]
[...] to Kill
Now, yee that vaunt of
Al
[...]ious Al
[...]nact,
Or of
Fergusim Sway, appla
[...]d' this Act
With thankfull Layes set forth in
Charles his pr
[...]ise,
VVho when he might destroy forgave your S
[...]yes.
But O what dolefull
Newes
[...] in my B
[...]es
That Discords Flame, late quencht, againe appeares?
VVe shall, they say,
Have War
[...]s, and bl
[...]dy
[...],
New M
[...]sters, Taxes, Toile. Ou
[...]
Wizzards starres,
In Luke-warme Breasts effeminated Feares.
My Censure now of our late
Vulgars Bruit,
Who blinded in their Owne would seeme acute
In
Heavens Affaires, is this: that if Our
God
Smite them or us, who can resist his Rod▪
Some Ranke of Ease-require
Pblebotomy:
Some Craz'd: Some Leane, like an
Anoatmy:
Their Sinnes are great, and we excuse not Our.
Our Feasts, Rich Rob
[...]s, Law-suites, and Humors flore
Bloud-letting need, and purge of
Hellebore.
But, if as oft as Me
[...] offend,
God powre
The Vialls of his Wrath and Vengeance downe,
Who now had liv'd to have his
Mercies knowne?
Whether we dye at Sea, or on the Land
By
[...], Pl
[...]gues, or
Blowes from Butchers hand,
That
[...]-string'd Whip, which doth us here attend
For
Temporall Revenge, or
Trialls End,
Gods Will be done. Yet whilst his
Church on
Earth
Stands
[...]me, I feare
[...]o Wars, no
Pl
[...]g
[...]e nor
D
[...]rt
[...];
[Page 313] For Worldly things (so
Fates have weav'd the Plot)
Rowle, reele, and squierme like
Eeles within a Pot.
HOw shall we then weare out these Worldly Broiles?
So voluble of Course, so full of Toiles?
Just as some deal
[...] with a cumultuous Crew
Of Leaguer'd God
[...]s. When first the Quatre
[...] grew,
And
Shepheards met with mind to trounce them all,
A
Swains did thus their so daine Doome recall:
What shall we do
[...] with these bold
Animalls:
Which pill our
Ple
[...]ts, and spile our
Vegetalls?
Which gathering into
W
[...]ords ca
[...]e not for words?
Nor with their
[...]aliant Tappe
[...] doe feare our
Swords.
As if they would out-bear'd, they threaten us,
That
Cats enrag'd may turne as perilous
As greater Beasts. Some thi
[...]de them to immure,
Lest other Beasts to Follies they i
[...]ure.
They
Custo
[...] claime, and
Native Li
[...]erties,
To pill our
B
[...]k, and brouze on
Grafts of price,
(Not in their
R
[...]tring time, for then to erre
VVas
Frenzies Fit) the
Peace to violate?
With Skreames to seare our
Melt
[...] State,
VVhen
Prudent P
[...] with Councehance severe
Assay'd by
Law the
Mutineers to feare▪
What shall we doe with this
long bearded Kind
Of Castell, which presume to read the
Ri
[...]
And Beauty of our Woods without to
[...]roule?
Slighting our
W
[...]s like a vain Blank or Serowle?
These Out-
[...]ages are great. Yet
[...]
With
Pitty mixt warnes our
Pi
[...]gerency
Over
Gods Crea
[...]nes to provid
[...]some Course,
That
Beasts of
Gaine may thrive, no
[...] fare the worse.
Fire and Blood-latting are the last of Cures:
So, to be Mild hurts not, but u
[...]secures;
And though it seemes
[...] while, like to a
Block
Contemn'd of
Frogs, yet lasts it like the
Rock.
The
Oxe must not he muzzled, no
[...] these
Goates
Depriv'd of Food,
[...]or
Horses tob'd of
O
[...]tes.
Which retribute small Profit in the Yeare?
We foster greedy
Hounds and swilling
Swine:
And shall we now lesse hurtfull Beasts confine?
What Cares take we for
Drones more then for
Bees?
And yet to
Kiddes grutch a few
Sapling Trees?
If we hemme in their
Dammes, Both dye of Dearth,
And so we lose some of the Best on Earth
For Profits Breed. They rough and hardy are
In
Aires Extremes, content with simple Fare:
(A Gift which many Beasts, nay men do want,
A Gift which lessens Crimes exorb
[...]tant.)
A little them sustaines. And yet their
Does
Yeeld store of
Milk to countervaile some
Cowes.
They doe bring forth two or three
Kiddes a piece
Within the Yeare; their
Milk doth cordialize,
Natur'd like what they eate. Feed them with
Spurge
Or
Lettice, then their
Milk doth Humours purge.
The
Male-Goats Bloud refines the
Diamond;
It breakes the
Stone, and makes the
Gravell'd sound.
[Page 316] When it is bakt, or into Powder done,
And strew'd on
Liquid Food, it Cures the Stone
Sooner then
Leeks, or
Alisanders Broth,
Which seemes with it compar'd but skummy Froth.
A
Hivers Pasty tasts like
Venison;
The
Buffe defends from Frost as from the
Sunne.
I skip the Stuffe wrought of
Goats stately Beard,
Lest not a
Goats-haires worth be what I heard;
Nor mention I
Borrachoes Spanish Case,
Which
Pilgrims vow with
Healths to
Bacc
[...]us Grace;
Nor yet their
Flesh, which
Portingalls do dresse
And lay with Salt for
Indiaes Voyages.
So usefull are these
Goats that none for want
Of them in wild and New-found Lands can plant:
Which is the Cause that
Brittaines Colonies
Thrive not there like the
Spaniards Progenies.
Now for my
Vote or Cloze particulare,
Which I submit to your more
Silver Haire:
It is not safe the moody to constraine;
Tread on a
Worme, and it will turne againe.
Divide their Troupes, and Cure in time the
Mad.
If we permit the
Weanelings of their
Flocks,
Their tender
Kiddes, which cannot shift on Rocks
For stronger
Food, to champ on weaker
Boughes;
And their
Moone-sick on
Plants sometimes to brouze:
Both these will, when their Constitution growes
To abler
Nerves, eat
Hay in time of Snowes,
And be right glad to taste of stronger Food
Aswell to our Content, as for their Good.
And let the rest live in their Craggy Soile,
In hope they will no more keepe revell Coile;
Lest if we thence provoke their
Wilder Whelpes,
They may turne mad with Tupping and with Yelpes,
Unlesse in the
Mid-Summers Moone we chaine
Those whom we finde most
Crazed in the Braine.
'Twere well we could their Teeth with safety file,
And not our hands with Streames of Bloud defile
If they disband, and of their Crimes repent,
And will with
Griefe redeeme their
Punishment,
[Page 318] Let's suffer them to spend their windy Breath
Upon the Rocky Hills and Barren Heath,
That it may be ingross'd in After-Rowles:
We left them there, where bustling
Boreas cooles
The hottest Spleen, in hope that they would grow
More usefull farre then we doe finde them now.
When Riper Time shall Humours purifie,
They will conforme themselves, at least their Fry.
Since
Forraigne Coasts to
Beares &
Wolves submit,
I thinke we may lesse harmefull
Goats admit
To their Old Haunts our
Dai
[...]es to encrease,
So that henceforth their
Buckes from Tupping cease.
Let us not then root out these
Beasts with Beards,
Weakning our Stock (an Honour to our
Heards)
Lest we give Cause of Jeering to our Foes,
Who, if our Stock decayes, may worke us woes.
They pill our Barke: that's it you now will says
So did our
Iron-men and
Tanners play:
So Others have by causelesse Brawles and Fees,
And
H
[...]athnish Spoiles, forc'd men to sell good
Trees.
[Page 319] But here one whisperd him: Touch not that Noat,
Lest you be term'd a
rash-promoting Goat,
Incurring Scorne with hoobubsand out-cries,
For glancing at our
Modernes Robberies.
The
Swaine sbash'd, his Face to
Crimson di'd;
And the
Goats Cause lies in suspense untri
[...]:
Where though Great
Pan an Higher skill relies,
Yet scornes he not a
Rusticks poor
[...] Supplies,
In all Extreames on this I set my Rest.
Of Ills to
[...]use the Least, of Good the Best,
And if I misse the
Latter to attaine,
Yet I will hope the
Golden Me
[...]ne to gaine.
COncerning other Points of
Faiths abuse,
As
Purgatories Paine, false
Idolls use,
Courting of Saints, to
Christs apparant wrong,
Gods Sacred Word kept from the Vulgar Tongue,
Additions to the
Masse, the
Papall Keyes,
And
Priests debarr'd of
Wives: Let him that waight
[...]
[Page 320] The Dreames of
Balaams Priests, this Passage know:
Pride made the
Pope a
Simon Magus grow,
And then he chang'd the
Spirits Gifts for Gaine.
For after the Decease of
Charlemaine,
Who Sceptred
Popes, in the ensuing Yeares,
They to maintaine their Pomp, the
Christian Meere
[...]
Of Modesty transcended, got elbow roome
To spread the
Divels Huskes in rampant
Rome.
Which to reforme, as we of late have done
In
Brittaines Orbe, by
Wickliffs Cares begun
About three Ages past, so let all them,
Who hope to see the
New Ierusalem,
Looke backe upon the first Sixe
Centuries;
Or if that seeme too tedious to revise,
Let them the next Sixe Ages well review,
And they shall finde
Romes Faith then patcht anew,
That by Degrees the
Popes by
Phocas first,
And by Great
Charles since rais'd, became accurst;
And that Our
Church the very same of Old,
Which was at
Nice, and
Chalcedon enroll'd
Onely, because new-scour'd, enstiled New.
LOhere,
Deare Countrey-men, in
Pithy Phraze,
What some have whirl'd about with winding Maze,
And some, I hope, these short
Analyses,
Will rellish more then long Remonstrances,
Since
Substances yee like, I simply shew
Where lay our
Church Pure, Catholick and
True,
Before we tooke the Name of
Protestants
At
Auspurg late, which Our
Extravagants
By
Transmarine and false exotick
Glo
[...]e
Would soile, like
Pitch, with
Appellations grosse
Of
Hugueno
[...]s, or
Luthers Hereticks;
While they usurpe the Name of
Catholicks,
Like
Hagars Brood, which
Moores terme
Saracen;
Like
Hypocrites; who passe for
Godly Men.
For why should they alone be in our
West
Call'd
Catholicks, when Thousands in the
East,
[Page 322] The
Abissines and Others doe contend
For the like Name in Substance, Use, and End?
Why should the Parts above the Whole presume?
One
Sister Church the
Mothers Stile assume?
The
Catholick, which spreads in every Coast
With Mutuall Gifts powr'd by the
Holy Ghost?
Why should the
Beames against the
Sunne compact?
The
Branches from the
Oakes Good Name detract?
Our
Churches are (waigh the Comparison)
As Boughes or Beames:
Christs Spouse the
Oak or
Sun.
And for Our
Church, more yet I could relate,
To manifest her
Wane, Eclipse, and
Fate
In
Popish Times, but that each
Novice knowes
What meanes the
Desert, where
she powr'd her vowes
During the
Raigne of that great
Mystick Whore,
Which preacht
False Christs by the
red Dragons Lore.
But mauger
Constance, Trent, and
Lateran,
The
Night is past of Skreeching Ignorance,
And we embrace the
Spirits Countenance,
Which at this day shines bright in
Brittaines Ile,
Not
Ecchius, Moore, Poole, Fisher, Posstvine,
Not
Dowayes Fry, nor Copious
Bellarmine
Can match our
Calvin, Zanchius, Bullinger,
Frith, Jewell, Foxe, Fulkes, Raynolds, Whitaker,
Andrewes, Usher, and those whose
Melodies
Mount up to
Christ, like a
New Sacrifice,
With many moe in our
Great Brittaines Orbe,
Surviving yet, and able them to curbe:
Whose Praises
Web more Curious if I spun,
I should then
light a Candle in the Sunne;
Or undertake
Saint Michaels Warre to pen,
A Taske more fit for
Angels then for
Men.
Yet by that
Mystick Type Saints may discry
The
Battels Issue, and our
Victory:
For such a
Palme the Fiery Crosses Signe
Hath gain'd, as in the Dayes of
Constantine.
But now in Embers clozing up my Fire,
I silently into my Thoughts retire,
Oft looking backe to
Babels Mystery,
[Page 324] Oft musing on Faire
Stons Victory,
Where first Six Hundred Sixty Six I fixe,
One Thousand then Six Hundred Fifty Sixe,
Times Pedegree from
Mans Creation cast,
Till
Fatall Showres for
Sinne the
Earth defac't,
I ruminate in Mind, least sodainly
While I deferre my Duty to supply,
The last great
Trumpets Sound concludes the Day
To
Worldlings woe, and Sinners sore Dismay.
Warres in Faiths House proclaim'd, and Babylon
Discover'd shew great Doomes-dayes signs neer gone:
From which Extreames,
Lord, save our
Church as well
As thou
Elias didst from
Iezabel,
That with the
Spirits streame she quench her Thirst
Untill that
Day, while
Babel lies accurst.
As long as
Sun and
Moone, or
Raine-bowes signe
Shall last, preserve our
King like
Constantine,
Assigning us from
Stewarts Regall Ligne
Good
Stwards still to over-see what's Thine.
Remove not hence our
Churches Candlestick,
[Page 325] While firmely we to
Thy Sonnes Pledges stick,
But for his Sake who paid the
Costly Price
In Judgement due for our Enormities,
Whereas some led by
Fiends as yet do stray,
If they
Repent, reduce them to thy way,
That
Ismaels Brood henceforth no
Christians flout
For
Lutherans, or the
Wicklevian Rout,
For
Huguenots, Novatians, Schismaticks,
For
Puritans, or Mungrell
Catholicks.
When these with
Peter vouch
Gods Living Sonne,
With
Paul One God, One Advocate alone
Exploding
School-mens Dreames, Hypocrisies,
Soules-Marchandize, and winding Fallacies,
We then shall soone for Other Points agree,
Without recourse to
Edens curious Tree.
This Fruit the
Church reapes by her
Childrens Peace:
When they from
jarres, then
Foes from
jeering cease.
THE PICTVRE OF THE TRVE CATHOLICK AND APOSTOLICK CHURCH Represented in English and Latine Numbers.
The Argument.
The Authour
last this Corollary
knits,
To help Our Church
against mad wrangling Wits:
Till the Sixth Age the Spouse
of Christ
[...] Pure;
So doth our Church.
And here's her Portraiture.
THe
Spouse of
Christ shone in her Prime
[...] liv'd neere th'
Apostles Time.
But afterwards Ecclips'd of
Light,
She lay Obscure from most mens Sight ▪
[Page 328] For while her
Watch hugg'd Carnall Ease,
And loath'd the
Crosse, she felt Disease.
Because they did
Gods Rayes contemne,
And
Maumets serv'd,
Grace fled from them.
Then
Starres fell downe,
Fiends blackt the Aire,
And
Mungrells held the
Churches Chaire.
But now dispelling
Errours Night,
By
Christ his Might, our
New-mans Light,
She may compare for
Faith alike
With famous
Romes first
Catholick,
And Paragons for
Vertue bright
The
Royall Scribes sweet
Sulamite,
Who train'd to Zeale, yet without Traps,
Her poore Young Sister wanting Paps;
Without
Traditions she train'd her,
Or Quillets, which make Soules to Erre.
SO feedes our
Church her Tender Brood
With
Milk, the Strong with stronger Food.
[Page 329] She doth contend in
Grace to thrive,
Reformed, like the Primitive.
She hates the Darke, yet walkes the Round,
And joyes to heare the
Gospels Sound.
She hates their Mind in Judgement blind,
Who swell with Merits out of kind.
In
Christ alone lies all her Hope,
Not craving Help of
Saint or
Pope.
Poore
Saints, to shew her
Faith by Deedes,
She fills their Soules, their Bodies feedes.
She grants no Weapons for Offence;
Save
Vowes and
Fasting for Defence;
And yet she strikes. But with what
Sword?
The
Spirits Sword, Gods Lightning Word.
Indiff'rent Toyes, and Childish Slips
She slights, but checks grosse Sinnes with
stripes.
Yet soone the
Strayes her Favour winne,
When they Repent them of the Sinne.
So mild is she, still loathing Ill,
And yet most loath the Soule to kill.
SUch is the
Lady, whom I serve;
Her Goodnesse such, whom I observe,
And for whosee Love I beg'd these
Layes
Borne from the
Spheares with
Flaming Rayes.
But who can paint the
Dowries forth
Of this
New Mary to the Worth?
O let us for her Gifts restor'd
Then Sacrifice to
Heavens Lord
Our
Hearts with
Psalmes, like Trumpets lowd,
For sending her to curbe the Proud,
And to beare downe
Romes Antichrist,
As she types her that brought forth
Christ,
The Object of our
Second Birth,
And the Prime cause of all our Mirth.
Thus is Our
Church in
Essence like
The
Ancient True Apostolick.
GOD grant this
Dame, our
Brittaines long to sway,
Whereby they may to
Christ new Vowes repay;
And blesse thee,
Reader, with like Happinesse,
To hold his pledges firme with
Godlinesse.
CAndidore Fides lustrabat Lumine Mund
[...]m,
[...] propi
[...]s tetigit Saecula Prima
[...] ▪
Lumen at Ecclipsin
[...] labenti
[...]
[...]
Reddidit obscuram, quae fuit
[...],
[...]
Nec mirum Turbans tantas senfisse
[...],
Carnem plus Vigiles quam sap
[...]ere
[...];
Seria cum nugis miscentes Sacra prof
[...] ▪
Idolis Flame
[...]
post posuere Dei.
Stellarum Laps
[...]s,
[...] Fra
[...], Nubil
[...]
[...],
Haec t
[...]ia Corrupti Causa fuers Thro
[...]i.
Sed
[...]d
[...] dispers
[...] Tene
[...] is No
[...] De
[...]uit A
[...],
Spo
[...]sa
[...]dit Christi, Cr
[...]scit & Altar Home.
[Page 332]
Crescit sponsaredux Hominis fulgore Novati,
Dum legitur Christi Pagina Sacra Choro.
Nec minùs est sponsa Salomonis
Nostra pudica,
Vel Grege Primaevo quem pia Roma
tulit.
Uberibus vacuam Parvam Prior illa Sororem
Allexit zeli Lacte; sed absque dolo,
Absque venena
[...]is Prudens allexit Elenchis
Gentes quae tenebris delituere diu.
Quin & Nostra Greges solet enutrire tenellos
Lacte, magis Fortes sed refovere Cibo.
Odit Nostra nigrà Mentis Caligine Captos
Coetus, qui Meritis intumuere suis▪
Non Carnale sapit, nec Papae Numen adorat,
Horret enim Christi commaculare Thorum.
Pectora Con
[...]i
[...]is, Sanctorum Corpora victa
Pascit, ne fieret Fabula vana Fides.
Arm
[...] virago gerit: sed Qualia? Flaminis Arma
Enthea, nempe Dei Mystica, Metra, Preces.
[Page 333] Condonat facili leviuscula Crimina v
[...]ltu,
F
[...]eda sed Orbilii vindicat Acta Minis.
Non animam jugulat (tanta est Clementia Divae)
Sed resipiscentes Laeta reducit Oves.
Talis Imago Dei sponsae, nostrae
(que) Magistrae,
In cujus Laudes Aetheris
igne feror.
Tanta Novae fulget virtus Divina Mariae;
Sed sua quis Calamo pingere Dona potest?
Sat
[...]ihi pro Donis tantum si Psalmata dentur,
Dum placet Aethereo
Cor Holocauma Patri,
Qui nuper sponsam naevis maculisque solutam
Transtulit, ut Fidei Roma nitore ruat,
Utque Novi Dotes Hominis Caelo
(que) renati
Liberiore canam Pectore, voce, Tubâ.
Sic & Nostra viget similis jam Sponsa Priori,
Quae visit quondam Tempora prisca Patrum.
Det Deus, ut longum regat haec Sulamitha Britannos,
Que possint alacres nova vota rependere Christe,
Concedat que purem ribi, Lector Candide, Sortem,
Ut pi
[...] Christigene conserves Pignora Sponse.
Another Hymne to the same Effect, as how to discerne the True Catholick Church.
THe
Crosse, on which our
Saviour di'd,
For many Yeares lay undiscri'd
With Rubbage soil'd in
Calvary,
Till, to renew
Christs Memory,
The Mother of Great Constantine
Searcht, found, and left it for a
Signe,
That
Converts then might understand,
Christ di'd for them in
Jewries Land.
In the like sort the
Church of Christ,
Lay long Eclips'd through
Carnall Mist,
[Page 336] Resembling
Gold obscur'd with drosse,
As was with Earth that
Woodden Crosse.
And though some wisht to find her out,
They could not bring their wish about,
(So strong of Might, so full of sleight
Was
Babels Whore to bleare their Sight)
Untill
Gods Word perform'd the Deed
With
Martyrs Bloud, the
Churches Seed;
Till
Wickl
[...]e first, and
Luther next
Stept up, her
Babes stood sore perplext.
NOw (O looke up) this
Gracious Queene
On
Sions Hill is to be seene,
With her
New man, Gods hopefull Sonne,
Rayes darting like the
Glorious Sunne.
But they, who would descry her right,
Must her descry with
Inward Sight,
Not like the Old
Brasse-Serpent, which
Idolaters did earst bewich,
Ere Some to that since found did stoup.
Thus stands the
Church seen and unseen,
Unseen of
Sots, of
Saints well seen.
These by
Gods Word her Presence waigh,
Those by false
Dreames and
Worldly Sway.
Now,
Brother, mark, which of these Crew
Of
Christ his Church are Children true?
The One kneele to the
New mans Rock,
The Other to an Outward Stock,
Like
Manichees, which they doe paint
For
Angellick, or
Guardian Saint.
There, they meet men, who live by Lurch,
But never
Saints of the True Church.
THE CONCLVSION TO THE READERS.
The Argument.
The Authour
here from the New-man
derives
The Churches Web,
condemnes the Dronish Hives,
Blames Labans Saints,
and false Poetick Dreames,
Which he reformes, and so concludes his Theames.
I Blunder forth no
Quirkes, nor
Captious Theames,
No
triviall Toyes, nor fond
Lascivious Dreames.
While
Carnall Wits were pleas'd to weave such
Tales,
Of late I found the
New-mans Wormes in
Wales,
Whose
Entrailes spun in my retired
Home
For me some Silk, which suits with
Englands Loome,
[Page 339] Without engagement to a
[...] shore,
For
[...], Romes, or the
Hesp
[...]rian
[...].
And now my
Silk-wormes store Domestick spun
I have divulg'd before the
Fates have run
Their
Period out for my poore
[...] of Life,
Before strong
Passions wave my Thoughts with strife,
My Sences with more Griefe, or what might
[...]et
The s
[...]rious Task which
Christ on me had set.
Though
Hydr
[...]es hiss'd, and
[...] bray'd,
Yet could not all their Coile
[...] the
[...],
Nor daunt my
Free-borne Muse from setting forth
To publick view some usefull w
[...]res of worth;
Nor could
Romes Canons Noise
[...]oa
[...]'d out from
Trent
Deterre my
Zeale, nor seare my faire intent;
Where they have doom'd the
Books of Protestants,
The New-mans Fruit, for wild
Extrav
[...]g
[...]ts.
Such
[...]ick Goblin Feares I leave to them,
Who slighting
Truth the Spirits Rayes contemne.
Not tempting
Wine, nor
Feasts delition; Bait
Could make me sound a
Cowards base retrait;
[Page 340] Nor could the
Stormes of our late Adverse Times
Disturbe, or shake my Forme of
Sacred Rimes,
Where I have limm'd in a
two-folded Frame
Our Saviours Life, and his
True Churches Flame,
Whereof the
Latter here I first produce
To usher that of the
Divinest Use.
No pamper'd
Sloth, nor
Housholds netled Care,
Nor
Natures Nets could my Resolves ensnare
To hide from you her
Tents, and
War-fares Wayes
From Christs Ascent untill our present Dayes,
But that I would to yeeld you some Content,
Strow her good
Tents with
Leaves of Rosy scent,
And to recure the
Saulish Moone-sick Braine,
I would enchant the Sence with
Musuks Straine.
I lock not up my Use of
Labour'd Houres,
Nor poast it o're unto
Executours,
Like
Miser-Churles, who worldly Goods conceale,
And wrong thereby the
Christian Common-weale,
Who at their death the same most madly leave
To such as may their hoped Trust deceave.
No
Step-Dame well to
Orphans Breeding lookes.
No
Nurse respects a tender
Suckling Wight
Like
Her, who claimes the
Native proper Right,
As
Iudaes wisest King long since descri'd,
When he gave Doome on the
True Mothers Side.
Unhappy are those
Scribes, who catch no
Soules
For
Christ, if so they may, by
Holy Scroules;
And much too blame are those of
Carnall Brood,
Who loath to taste of
Intellectuall Food,
Yet surfeit on
Old Tales of Robin Hood,
Of Friers Cowles, or of
Saint Benets Hood,
Of Patricks Broiles, or of
Saint Georges Launce,
Of Errant Knights, or of the
Fairy Daunce.
But
Yee, who are borne of
Immortall Seed,
Scorne your
Best Part with
Honey'd-Gall to feed.
Fly,
Readers, fly, and shunne such
Baites as these,
Which though they for a time the Sences please,
At last they breed a Soule-sick ravery,
Which will from
Truth distast your Memory.
And from their
Sauce, though by a
Prophet drest,
Like that,
which on the may the Man of God
From
Bethel tooke, although by him for bod.
Read
vertuous Bookes, which
Manners rectifie,
And may help up the
Soule to edifie;
For even as the
Spirits cleere and fresh
Excell in worth the
massy Pulpe of Flesh:
Much more
essentiall Joy and true Delight,
We must conceive, spring from the
New-mans Light,
Where we by
Grace may hap to be like
Paul
In Spirit rapt above this
Earthly Ball,
To
Paradise, or the
Third Fleaven, where
He learn'd more
Nemes then he away could beare.
O doe not then the
Spirits Gifts suppresse,
Since they beare up the
Soule, beat down the Flesh.
THey mount the
Soule tho
[...]e the
Chris
[...]dlli
[...]
And
Starry Orbes to view with Sight
Div
[...]
Unlesse
[...] imes he stoupts, gropes in the
[...],
And never shall attaine to that brare Pi
[...]ch,
Because his wings are soil'd with clammy Pitch,
Or borrow'd of the
Peacocks
[...]ately Traine,
Which either lead him to
Despai
[...]e and
P
[...]e,
Or to
Presumptuous s
[...]e,
[...]
L
[...]ers,
And then, as
Lampes, false Mereours he preferres
Before the
Light of Gods Etarnal Word.
And the
Soules Bauquet, at his Sa
[...]ed
[...].
Then, Humane
shrines, and
Monks Mythology
He more be
[...]ints then true
Theology.
For as the
Greeks Plurality of
Gods
Devis'd, whom they confest to live at ods
Among themselves: so
Superstition since
Cr
[...]pt in
[...]ng the
[...],
[...] at a
[...],
To further
Hells
[...] like to fall,
When
Romes Great
Empire won'd, if
[...] shall
Had not been
[...] with
Fait
[...] Resterati
[...]
By
Satans-Craft, to
[...] the
[...]
[Page 344] With Calendars of
Canonized Saints,
To whom they fram'd instead of
Christ Complaints,
As in Old time those
Poets did approve
The
Lesser Gods, as
Advocates to
Iove.
And by the like
Distinctions in the
Schooles
VVould them Create Subordinated Fooles,
Or
Courtiers of th'
Olympian Majesty
To intercede, or ay
[...]
Mortality.
To which they kneel'd in various
Idol-shapes,
Like
Babels Head of Gold, Calves, Cats, or Apes.
SO
Babels babling Dawes Saints Help exact:
Saint
Margaret Lucin
[...] Part must Act,
Saint
Anthony relieves them of the
Po
[...]
With
Reliques Charmes fetcht from Old
[...]la
[...]ms Box.
For the
Twin-Brother Gods they consecrate
Saint Nic
[...]s at Sea their
Advocate▪
Saint Eu
[...]ace must uphold the
Forrest Game,
For which
Old Pagans us'd
Dian
[...]es Name.
As with the like those painted
Hercules.
Yea, every Soile possessed
Teutelares,
Small Gods, to ease them of their heavy Cares.
Iun o holp Carthage,
Mars Rome,
Pallas Greece,
Ceres blest Corne,
Pan sheep,
Pomona Trees.
So
Denis France,
George England,
Iago Spaine,
And the like
Saints to guard their Coast they faigne,
The
Scottish Folkes were of
Saint Andrewes ward,
Ireland of
Patricks, Wales of
Davids Guard.
Unto
Saint Mark the Rich
Venetian bends,
And he that
Venice wrongs with
Mark contends.
But above all
Saint Peter beares the Bell:
He
Rome protects, and
Rome must all excell.
Nùm
[...]es Aegeria Peter hath supprest,
VVith
Romul
[...] Saint Peter doth contest.
Nay,
Peters Keyes the
Eagle bruiz'd, out mist
Ian
[...] his Peacefull Do ores to shut for
Christ.
BUt we, which are of
Gods Spirit borne
Lament to see
Christs seamelesse Rayment torne,
Or parted from the
Fashion Primitive,
But joine, like
Saints, in
Sacred Love to thrive.
We fly vai
[...]e Dreames, which oft enchant the Sence
From worshipping the
God-heads Excellence.
We slight the
Tales of
Poets ranke Vaga
[...]ies,
As Vowes to
Saints with needlesse
Ave-Maties.
While Others steale to Paths unknowne, or
[...]ay
To Stranger Coasts, we goe the surest way
For feare of
Wolues, or what may else
[...]tide
A man that loseth
Christ, his Chiefest Guide.
While some in Tongue unknowne, like
[...],
[...]h
[...],
And aske of
God by
[...]oat they know nor what:
Our
Churches, Ba
[...]s doe pray in
Christ his Name
For what they want,
[...] He doth grant the same
For his deare sake, who pleades for Humane Race,
While they with understanding crave his
Grace;
[Page 347] And having gain'd their Suit they sing his Praise
With cheerfull hearts, new Tongues, & thankful Layes:
Not grounding
Faith on
Saints Pluralities,
On
Angels, Pow'res, or
Principalities.
AS for the Garbes of
Poets Antick Fables,
They are but vaine, though
Moralized Bables,
Vaine like themselves, who pip'd for Hire, or Fame,
While
Saints of Zeale set out their
[...] Name.
So
David rap
[...] with Bliffe compos'd his Layes:
But
Horace broacht for need
M
[...]cen
[...]s Praise.
So
Ieremy Ierusalems Annoy
Bewail'd of Zeale; when
Homer beg'd for
Tr
[...]y.
Our Straines therefore sprung from
Celestiall Light
Shal Scur
[...]ile Songs scourge hence, like works of night;
Our
Truth shall soile their Dreames; our
[...]
Their Ap
[...]s, our
Faith their
Heat
[...]ish Consciences.
And in their stead, to help
Devotions Heat,
Our
New man here cookes various sorts of Mea
[...],
[Page 348] VVith
Musick apt thy Spirits to refresh,
If thou suppresse the Motions of the Flesh.
Our
Adam first shall hurle
Prometheus downe;
Then,
Noes Floud shall their
Deucalions drowne,
With
Titans Brood, whom they for Giants hatch;
And
Babels Towre will
Pelions Mount o're-match.
By
Hemors Sonne our gadding
Dinaes Rape
Doth unto
Sires a faire Example shape
What foule Effects by Cock'ring
Love ensue,
Since
Indulgence both Parties then did rue;
More true then
Helens Rape, by
Theseus first,
And last by
Paris of old
Trojans curst.
Our
Moses shall convince their faign'd mistakes,
As did his Rod th'
Aegyptians charmed Snakes.
For
Niobe into a Stone estrang'd,
We sounds
Lots Wife to a Salt-Pillar chang'd.
For
Ioves descent to be
Philemons Guest,
Our
Abram for Three Angels made a Feast;
And for the
Formers Gift from
Iupiter,
Our
Salomon did Wisdomes choise preferre.
Doth
Hercules and his Twelve Labours passe.
Our
Iepthes vow for his Maid-Child too grim,
Doth the
Grek Prince his
Iphigenia dim.
Our zealous
Davids Sling doth farre exceed
Their
Persem Shield, and
Ariadnes Threed.
If
Hylas they and
Hercules object:
Or
Theseus and
Pirithous Loves select;
Our
David lov'd his
Ionathan more deare,
As may yet by his
Epitaph appeare.
If they fetch Rites from
Babel, Rome, or
Creet:
Gods Lawes from
Sinai we and
Salem greet.
If
Midas they with
Asses Eares bewray:
We Humane Speech in
Balaams Asse display.
If they gaze on the
Coach of
Phaebus Sonne,
We
Iosuah sing Commander of the
Sunne;
Ot else we can the
Sunnes Degrees produce,
Backward to goe for
Hezechi
[...]es use.
But while they lift the
Creatures Excellence,
We glory bring to our
Creatour thence.
[Page 350] Thence we derive a Subject to commend
Gods Friendship showne
[...]o Man as to his Friend.
If they
[...]ne Odes in
Aes
[...]lapius praise,
Because from Death He
These
[...]s Sonne did raise:
From
Holy Writ we many can transferre,
Who really to Life restored were.
If they insist on
Delphick Ora
[...]les;
True
Prophesi
[...]s confirm'd with
Miracles
We can from
Gods choise
Servants more rehearse,
Then may be coucht, or s
[...]ng in stinted Verse.
And if they chaunt
Loves Rapes by Carnall
Jave:
We
Canticles sing of
Divinest Love:
And with our Vowes prevent
Asmode
[...]s Craft,
Mauger
Loves Golden Wings and
Poisned Shaft.
Let
Halcion grieve for
C
[...]ix her Husbands death,
Till fabled for a
Bird Sobs stop her Breath:
We for slaine
Bethlems Babes count
Rachels Teares.
Or the sad
Badge we sing, which
Salem weares?
Or else our
Churches Threnes for her late Losse
Of
Christian Bloud spilt causelesse at the
Crosse.
[Page 351] Whilst that they bath in
Aganippes Spring,
Of
Jordan we and of
Bethesda sing.
And while they climbe
Parnassus forked Hill,
On
Sions Mount we shew our sacred skill.
Instead of
Pagan Baites with
Calvary,
And
Olives Fruit we sauce our
Poetry
According to
Christs Gifts infused new,
We leave those
Dregges, which the
Old man did brew.
As
Oracles ceas'd after
Christ his Death
Among the
Gentiles by the
Apostles Breath:
So faile those
Lees, which
Satan since did brew,
By our
Religion, of some termed New.
So that for their false
Metamorphosis
Of men to Earthly Formes, our
Purpose is,
Soules to convert into
Immortall shapes
By our
New man, that foiles their Apes and Rapes.
And for that
Dame Ephesian Idoliz'd,
We
Christ his
Mother-Maid Evangeli
[...]'d
Doe bl
[...]sse and praise, but worship not of lat
[...]
As
Goddesse, least from
God we derogate.
We crave the
Holy Ghost to blesse our store,
For
Tantalus in
Hell, or
lxions Wheele,
We
Dives Preach their racking aine to feele.
Soules Iudges they serv'd
Minos, R
[...]adamant,
And
Aeacus: But
Christ our
Iudge we chant,
Christ we looke for to Doome both Dead and Quick,
The Dead in
Faith and the
Church Catholick:
Meane while his
Spirit raignes in every Place,
Yet craves as Man for men his
Fathers Grace.
With this
Prime Saint we satisfie our selves,
And for him scorne all
Shrines, and
Labans Elves;
Whom with the
Father and the
Holy Ghost,
One
God in Three, we found through
Brittains Coast,
As we were bound at our New
Second Birth,
Gods Angels all applanding us with Mirth.
NOw,
Eies, pack hence, whether
Elizian Greece,
Th'
Hesperides yee faig
[...]e, or
Colches Flecce:
[Page 353] Whether yee gull weake Soules, or them controule
With
Benets Hood, or the
Franciscans Cowle;
Whether yee
[...]low spring
Pooles Poeticull,
From
Tophets Lake, or
Streames Papisticall;
And Farewell Dreames, whether from
Ch
[...]llers stea
[...],
From
Dragons Gull yee
[...]low, or
Bloud and
Fleame.
And in their stead, come
Truth, thy Name we bla
[...]e,
For thy Bright
Lampe doth Men and
Fiends ama
[...]e.
Thou art the
Life of a True
Prophets Song,
And they who slight thy Sound,
Gods Spirit wrong.
Then come,
O Blessed Truth, Correct our Ods,
As thou long since hast quail'd the
Pagans Gods;
And suffer not the
Dragons Sorteries
To be commixt with
Christian Mysteries,
Nor Legends of vaine Men to prejudice
The
Gospels Light, or Our New
Sacrifice.
On thee I built the
Churches History;
By thee I found, that
Babels Mystery
Eclips'd the
Church from the
seventh Century,
And by his
Pen that
Subject more dilate,
Which Thousands now as copiously relate,
Which I among the rest, as they began,
Have warbled forth to daunt the
Outward man,
Who by Nick-names doth taxe
Our Church for
New,
And to her
Spouse out-face to be untrue.
Now to wind up my Task, I adde this
Ode,
In hope no
Saint will my intent explode:
Lest I the
Doome of Wrath encurre,
Which
Slugges doth for bad
Stewards blurre,
I looke about with watchfull Cares
To see who wants some
Holy Wares.
My
Talents use I freely give
To cloath some Soules, whilst yet I live.
Divide the
Web, Friends, as yee please;
The
Weare is light producing Ease.
The
Hew not ga
[...]dy, nor yet base,
But like
White Robes, which
Temples grace.
Let none then take the
Gift in Snuffe,
Or taxe the
Matter for the
Forme,
Since what I could I did performe,
They came from
Love, the
Spirits Dove,
Let that suffice Good Mindes to move.
FINIS.
Imprimatur,
Tho. Wykes.
Decemb. 20. 1639.