The Arraignement of SVPERSTITION, OR A DISCOVERSE BEtweene a Protestant, a Glasier, and a Separatist.
Concerning The pulling downe of Church-Windowes.
Shewing, The good minde of the Protestant, the Indifferencie of the Glasier, and the puritie and zeale of the Seperatist.
London, Printed for T. B. and F. C. 1641.
A Dialogue or discourse betweene a Protestant, a Glasier, and a Separatist.
Separatist.
Come honist
Glasier, we must crave your ayde
To helpe us pull these popish windowes downe,
And set new glasse for which you shall be payd,
For sure the Lord on us for them doth frowne
And truely brethren should we let them stand,
I feare 'twill bring a terrour to this land.
Glasier.
I hope not so Sir, these are ancient things
That long have stood in former ages past
Since Churches were, at least, since Christian Kings
Had government, they still in Churches last,
Least by mishap some cracks or peeces shatter'd,
But now it seemes they all must downe be batter'd
Seperatist.
What should they else, they doe but barre the light
The Lord hath sent, and trouble much our sight
That scarce at noone day we can see to read
The holy Bible for the paint and lead,
'Tis like a popish tabernacle painted,
I doe not like a thing so much besainted.
Protestant.
When these old windowes were at first new painted
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'Twas to adorne, the Church in seemely way
Whereas you say they are so much befainted,
'Tis but the pictures of the saincts not they,
But yet I thinke if they were saints indeed,
You'd pull them downe, or else you'd make them bleed.
Glaster.
Sir, you say true, and truely in my minde,
A day will come, when some will pay for all,
For if old time, againe should turne the wind,
And papistry into our land recall,
Where they should come againe to say their masses,
They'd wish us hang'd, for pulling down their glasses.
Separatist.
'Tis no matter, what weigh we their wishes.
Floures will grow you know where serpents hisses,
And light will shine to us that truth doth handle,
While they in darknesse sit, and hold the candle;
Give us the light, let them in darkenesse masse it,
Tis now our right, when it's theirs, let them new glasse it.
Protestant.
This is even just according to this world,
What's min's, mine owne, and no man is the better,
But when I am dead, and in my grave is hurl'd,
Wher's then my right, or who is then my debter;
What in this world we doe unjustly graple,
I feare ith next, t'will make our bones to rattle.
Glasier.
Me thinkes 'tis pitty ancient monuments
Because they are popish; that's the harme they doe,
Should from the Churches thus be torne and rent,
Then pull downe Churches they are popish too;
For surely they were built in popish times,
And still are guilty of some popish signes.
Protestant.
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Glasiers be merry, golden dayes are come,
Drinke off old sherry, let your diamonds run
On white and greene, no yellowes, blewes, nor reds,
Shall dim your sights, or trouble more your heads;
'Tis better ordered till the day of doome,
We banish collours to the sea of Roome.
Separatist.
But yet not so I doe not like that way,
Fearing the Pope, a masse for us should say;
And we be guilty of their Idolatry,
Should so be dam'd to hell eternally;
Therefore to barre the dangers that may fall,
'Tis better breake them into peeces small.
Glasier.
Nay better then us glasiers them detaine,
For being broke, they will doe no man good,
They may perhaps in time come up againe,
And we may pitch them where before they stood,
For sure 'twil vex our heads thrice more to make thē
Then now it will your consciences to breake them.
Protestant.
Were I a Glasier, sure I now might live
With ruines of Church windowes, and might give
A yearely pention to those hungry soules
Th
[...]t dayly walke within the Church of P
[...]ules,
And make Saint
Peter from the painted gl sse,
Through cleare white day to see an English masse.
Glasier.
Were you a Glasier it would vex your minde,
To see such curious windowes broken heere,
Seeing they hurt no man in any kinde;
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And sure they cost our ancient fathers deare,
But were Saint
Peter heere set with Saint
Paule
You'd pull them downe, nay Crucifix and all.
Separatist.
What's
Paule or
Peter unto any heere,
Or what's the crucifix, or
Mary's peere;
Why should we suffer in our Church to stand,
Such fabulous Idolls made by mortall band
The Lord forbids it, and we must obey,
Fearing least people unto them should pray.
Protestant.
See heer's the picture of our Gracious Queene
Elizabeth of famous memory,
Which picture is in many Churches seene,
As a memoriall to eternitie:
It is no Idoll, yet by mortall hand,
'Tis marv'le your zeale will suffer it to stand.
Separatist.
Sir, that's a picture that may well deserve
(For that the Church she did so well preserve,
From popish errors, and from other crimes)
A lasting memory in all our times,
Should we that picture seeke for to deface,
We wrong our Church, likewise contemne his grace.
Glasier.
Sir, let me aske you one thing by the way,
Is not our saviour Christ head of his Church;
And doth not he preserve it night and day,
From all invading enemies, foule lurch
Yet we his picture from his Churches rase,
And thinke thereby we doe him no disgrace.
Protestant.
Me thinkes it is a comely desent thing,
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To see our Saviours picture in the Church
And Saints in every light or window seene;
The more to a dorne and beautifie this Church,
For in my minde, that place would best beseeme
A Saviours picture, then a pictured Queene,
Separist.
The Lord defend me, thou art one of hope,
And, an adopted son unto the Pope,
Thy faith is feeble, and thy state is weake,
Thou dost so fondly and prophanely speake,
Truely I feare the Lord hath thee forsaken,
Thou art so much with popish reliques taken.
Protestant.
It seemes all's popish that's not like to you,
Sir, we are protestants, Professors true,
Of Christian faith, though we seeme not to rase
These antient thinges, our Churches to deface;
For sure our fathers lived in Popish daies,
(Long before we) that first these things did raise.
Separist.
You saile too far upon the Popish sea,
Your ship is Cract, your ankor at decay,
Your sailes are faire, yet made of rotten Cloath,
Your mast is high, and for to stoope 'tis loath,
But it must bend, the Lord sayes, they that climbe
Vnlesse by faith, will fall in a short time.
Protestant.
Sir, your deceived we doe not love to climbe,
Though we have faith, but love not to presume,
And we have hope will bring us home in time,
Whilst you at rovers faile to meete the moone
Your faith's Eclipst your hope is fled 'tis strang
Your charitie and zeal should love to range
Glasier
Perhappes their gone to some Astronomer
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To trie the planntes or to meete their fate
Or else perchance they are gon to Amsterdamne
To
Ananias or some other mate,
If faith be sick and hopes weake stomake wamble,
Then charitie and Zeale may well goe ramble.
Separist.
Learned and prophane sonnes to iniquitie,
To Ieere a man of Zeall and pietie,
The Lord will cursse such superstitious fooles,
And cast them out from
Ananias Schooles:
I thinke you some of Romes impestuous store,
Who loves the paynted Glasse loves Idoles more.
Protestant
Proud Brother peace, the paint plac'd in Glasse,
Shewes better farr, then in your sisters face,
Which if upon themselves they did bestow,
You'le love them well, yea you will saint them too,
And if the spirit move, not think't a misse,
Vpon them to bestow a holy kisse.
Separist.
Blasphemous words from superstitious tongue,
Had ever pietie and Zeale such wronge
By superfluous and prophane report,
Thus to revile the annoynted of the Lord,
Trvely He leave such children of the Devill,
Fearing the Lord should curse me for your evill.
Glasier.
What need these ieers, you talke of prophanation,
Impiety, and thinges not now in fashion,
End your foule faction, heere amend
What is amisse on both sides, doe not spend
your Talents Idely, let an end be made,
Live by your Zeale, and I will by my trade.
FINIS.