[...]nglands Miraculous Preservation Emblematically Described, Erected for a perpetuall MONVMENT to Posterity.
Though Englands Ark haue furios storms jndurd By Plotts of foes and power of the sword Yet to this day by Gods almighty hand The Ark's preserud and almost safe at land
THis Ark cal'd Union hath not her Peer
On Earth, & 's laden with a fraught so dear
To her Almighty Pilo
[...], that no waves
Of might or malice rais'd b' infernal slaves
Of human shape and lofty high estate,
Nor yet their father that inveterate
Old Serpent raging 'gainst this blessed Bark
The
Antitype of righteous
Noahs Ark
Can make to sink or split upon the rocks
Of ruine, maugre all their furious knocks
Of powdered bals, and force of armed steel
By violence to make this
Ark to feel
Their wrathful open rage, when neither plots
Nor treacheries fast tyed with the knots
Of vows, and Sacraments of miracles,
Impostures, fachinations, and spels,
Espoused interests of Potentates
Forraign and home-bred Soldiers, and Prelates;
Threats, Promises, and Protestations,
Aulick Libels, Lyes, and Defamations,
Nor all the cunning, study, pains, and sweat
Of all Malignant Foxes smal, and great;
In Court, and Campe, City, and Countrie,
Nor in this
Ark (if any lurking lie)
Can break this Churches Trinity of State
Described here, nor make them violate
That pious Covenant, which holds them fast,
And is indeed that Vessels mainest Mast,
By which she saileth through the troubled seas
Of her affairs; and now hath found some case,
Thanks be unto that heavenly Cynosure
Above the Stars, which gives a light t' allure
Her Mariners, and yet wil give light more
T' unfold the secrets of the
Romish Whore,
The hellish darkness of those mists and foggs
Of blasphemies, and errors, which those froggs
Or unclean Spirits from the Beast proceeding
(Whose thoughts upon Reformers blood are feeding)
Have now unbowelled, and spread about
To put the light of
Reformation out,
And with new
Hydra-headed heresies
(Like to that smoke) t' obscure the clearest skies
Of sacred Truth (a devillish designe
More dangerous, then was the Powder-Myne)
And raise tempestuous storms about this
Ark,
And now they cannot beat by force, they
bark
Belch, and disgorge their
Stygian despight
'Gainst the Protector of this
Ark outright;
And stil their horrid rage doth more abound
Because this
Ark of Union is not drown'd;
But wait a while, and see this cursed crew
Pertake of that reward, that's here in view:
For fix your eyes upon these Seas of ire
Involving those, that did 'gainst th'
Ark conspire:
See here some headlesse floating in the waves
Of direful death, some dead, and wanting graves:
See all their warlike Engines, and their Forces,
Now as feeble as their liveless Corses;
See these bloody men and their Commission
To kil Innocents brought to perdition;
And they that living yet thought it no sin
To leave this
Ark, now wish they had kept in;
But now they are the scorn of time, and fate,
Who did this tossed Bark despise, and hate,
Augmented more in that they did remove
The Royal Steers-man, whom our
Ark doth love.
But see these noble Champions (lately six)
Guarding th' assaulted Union, and fix
Themselves to courage, valor, care, and love
To bring to rest this tossed
Turtle-dove.
Their brave atchievements
Chronicles shal speak,
And learned Volumes; but my pen's too weak
To tel their worth, or their due praises spread,
Whom great
JEHOVAH hath so honored.
Draw neer, kind Reader, do but view this peece,
'Tis not of
Jason, nor of his Golden fleece
That here is
Emblem'd, nor the high renown
Of
Hectors Acts ere
Troy was battered down,
That here we shew you, but it doth presage
A watry Landskip of a weeping Age.
The
Ark that rideth here whose tender
wals
Contains in her our
English Admirals,
For
Reformation swimming on the Main,
'Gainst Superstition which so much did raign:
Charge on, charge on, the guard of
Pluto al,
The
Pope, the
Bishop, and the
Cardinal:
But you had best retire, 'tis all but vain,
For
truth hath gotten higher, and she wil raign.
Here Reader pause, and judge our Land is free,
A Chronicle for our posteritie;
For
God hath brought them, lo their pride doth swage
And we made happy in a peaceful Age.
Had not the
LORD bin for us, they had won,
And cloth'd this Land with red confusion;
But now sail on you worthies through the Ocean
Of sad distempers, let your winged Motion
Out pace the flight of Eagles, that aspire
Go take your Sensers fil'd with zealous fire:
Let
truth cōmand the way, by her the
Ark is guided,
And let the
Gospel sway, and
Errors be avoyded:
Great
God of wind & sea, who searchest thro' the dark
Who didst command old
Noah to enter in the Ark,
Direct this
ARK unto the Key of peace,
Command deliverance that our Wars may cease.
An Apostrophe to the Church.
THen woman thou whose clothing is the Sun,
Cease to complain, nor say thou art undone
For thou hast suffered harder things of yore,
Than now; weigh with the present times before.
Seest thou not how thy sad and heavy night
Of fears and sorrows now are vanisht quite:
Triumphing days thy late griefs do beguile,
And
Halcyon times begin again to smile.
Behold how rugged
Mars is posting hence,
Seeing thee armed so with heav'ns defence:
Outward enmity shal not hurt a jot,
If thine intestine Errors hurt thee not.
Then wipe thy blubbered face, and lay aside
Thy mourning weeds, and like a loving Bride
With spirit mounted on a heav'nly flame
Spread abroad thy Bridegrooms glorious fame;
What tongue of mortal, men or
Seraphim
Can tel sufficiently the praise of
him.
LONDON, Printed for John Hancock, and are to be sold at his shop, at the entrance into Popes-head Ally. 1646.