Prelates for the most part did their business which made Aeneas Silvius who was afterwards Pope of Rome and wrote the Book of the Council of Basil in his Thirty eighth Epistle to Cardinal Iulian concerning these Cardinals who so magnified the Authority of the Cburch as if they would spend their lives for the same and yet slipt home from that Councel of Basil c. deridingly say that they had rather lose their faith then their preferment c. And Prosper ex Illirico saith That holy men did not challenge the Church-goods as their own but as given to the poor to be divided to all them that have nothing neither ought they to give any thing to those that have of their own enough for that is but to cast away things Concel Lateran Anno Domini 1179. held at Rome by Pope Alexander and 110 Bishops It is Decreed That none of the Clergy within Orders should meddle with any Temporal Business and that Priests should have but one Benefice and that Bishops should be charged to maintain such Priests as they did Ordain c. And not beggar surely those Priests Ordained and premoted already and swallow them up Which made Cardinal Aralatensis say in the said Council of Basil That all Bishops ought to understand that they come to have greater power than Priests onely by Custom and not by Dispensation of the truth of God and that they ought to rule the Church together for a Priest is the very same that a Bishop is by divine Institution for there is such a Concordance saith he between a Bishop and a Priest that Paul to Titus calleth Bishops Priests And Christ saith blessed are the poor in spirit neither was there any rich Bishop in the Primitive Church neither did the Antient Church reject Dionisius Bishop of Millan nor Eusehius Bishop of Vercellus Hillary Bishop of Pictavia although they were very poor but if we will grant the naked truth well spoke Cardinal The poor are more apt to give right judgment than the rich because riches causeth fear lest they should to be taken from them too true And Poverty causeth liberty for The poor fear no Tyranny as rich men do who are given over to all kind of vanity idleness and sloth and will deny Christ and Truth rather than lose their riches Not love to the Flock for that 's too big and numerous for them to feed but love to the Revenues makes them Bishops Iohn Gerson a Popish Chancellor of Paris and a great Civilian saith that the neglect to observe that ancient Canon namely that Bishops should have poor Apparel Lodging and Diet and should not strive for Transitory things but to imitate the Apostles Hence Hence the Root of all mischief in the Church Also he saith their making of Laws such as they have no Authority from God to make and their enjoyning men by Censures and Excommunications to observe their Laws their Courts c. Which is the cause of Division which he saith will never be appeas'd in France until the Heads spiritual be reformed When Episcopacy first crept into the Earth it was not so inconsistent with Gospel-rule and they were chosen by the people and Ministers who were to live under their inspection c. Yea Popes themselves were chosen by the People and the Priests and after confirmed by the Emperour and were not chosen by Cardinals and Curtesans as they now are c. By ancient Canons the Bishop ought not to Ordain any without the Councel of the Clergy and Testimony of the People Distinct. 70. Tit. Ordinationis Distinct. 29. quando And he shall be no Prince henceforth whom neither Clergy nor People of his own City hath Elected Distinct. 64. Tit. si forte according to Acts 1.23 24 25 26. Acts 6.3.4.6.7 See more of this Extravag de Institot cap. ex frequentibus Extravagant de Prescript Tit. 51. diligent c. cum omne Mr. Henry Stalbridg our Countreyman in his Exhortative Epist. printed at Basil hath these words I say yet once again and that in the zeal of the Lord as he is my Judg I wish if his gracious pleasure so were That first the King's Majesty and so all those to whom God hath given power and authority on Earth may throughly see and perceive how that not onely the bloudy Bear and Wolf of Rome but also the most part of other B and stout-sturdy Canons of Cathedral-Churches with other pretty Prowlers and prestigious Priests of Baal in all Realms of Christendom especially in do roar about like Lions fret like angry Bears and like cruel Wolves should enter not sparing the Flock Acts 20.29 These Spiritual man-hunters are the very off-spring of Cain children of Caiaphas and successors of Simon Magus as their Doctrine and living declare Most cruel Enemies have they been in all ages to the verity of God and most Fierce Persecutors of Christ and his Church marvel not ye Bishops and Prelates saith he though I thus in the zeal of Elias and Phineas stomach against your Sturdy stubbornness for never was any Tyranny ministred upon Christs members but by your procurement never did Christ send such bloudy Apostles and two horned Warriors But the Devil-vicar Antichrist sent them who is deadly destroyer of faithful believers c. And so on at a great rate which see at large then Consider your beginning never came you in with your Miters Robes and Rings c. at the door as did the poor Apostles but by the window unrequired like Robbers thieves and Manquellers with Simon Magus Marcion and Menander never was your Pontifical-Power of our heavenly fathers planting and therefore must be routed up Mat. 15.13 If any thing under Heaven need reformation let them that mind any Godliness Ay ay but where shall we find such think this to be one for if these be not Spiritual Thieves Soul Murtherers Hereticks Schismaticks Church robbers Rebels and Traytors to God and Man where are any to be looked for in the world 't is strange that this holy man was not bound to the good behaviour as some common rogue for this Naked Truth and plain-dealing for nothing can they do saith he but daily mischief c. And may as well be spared in the Common-wealth saith he as Kites Crows Buzzards Polcats Bless us Rats Weasels Otters where Was the Proctors Doctors and Promoters and Affidavit-men in those dayes to plague him with their Lawsuites and Actions and Scandal Magnat's Articles old Statutes Libels Oathes and Writs Capiasses Bums Iaylors Supplicavits Silencings Suspensions Deprivations Excommunications Apparitors Hangmen Promoters c. But listen he goes on Wolves and Foxes bodily Fleas or flesh-Flyes or other devouring noisome vermin For so long as they sat in the Par having before said I reckon it high time for all Christian-Princes which pretend to receive the Gospel of Salvation and to live in peace and tranquillity for ever to cast the Bishops out of Privy-Councels and utterly to seclude you from all Administrations
Marks is one foul spot Upon her Loyns which I had quite forgot But to write Satyrs thou art now unfit Satyrs too brisk for thy drawing on wit And though it merits not a look of mine I 'll treat it fair because they say 't is thine Thus Brats found in rich linnen at mens doors As being thought to come of no poor Whores Though Parish-Charge yet gentler usage meet Then other Brats worse mantled left i' th' Street Muses like Women cannot lovely be When they divest themselves of Modesty How fair and beautiful so e'r they were Wickedness is not wit for Rhyme that 's clear Should All the Nine Court me at once and say But one lewd thing I 'd kick the VVhores away Whores that have lost all shame whose shame is cheat Yet to allure some shame they 'll counterfeit But thou old Bawdy-Bard quite spoils the sport With Prophane Lewdness sure thou lives at Court Say Is the Air infectious what 's the matter Thou thus Burlesques all good and sin dost flatter And ridicules all sober pious Sense And Loyalty except it come from thence As if Whiggs could not to their King be true Except they Traytors be to God like you And with their Prayers Curses interlace Base Mungrel-Loyalty with a Ianus-face One looks with Smiles upon the King How odd The other facing braving the great God One singing Psalms the other Curses sing Damme ye Dog Huzzah God bless the King For Praying for the King that will not do 't Except Whiggs also curse themselves to boot Prizing God and their Souls what harm above him And loath to damn themselves although they love him And therefore though the high-flown Torys be Now at the desperate push of Loyalty Willing to shew they love their Prince How far More than their God or Souls or Christ they dare Bold Torys march boldly go on in ill Whiggs will not stir a foot say what you will Call it Sedition or what next does come We 'll damn for ne'r a Prince in Christendom No get you gone together go be gone Better be singled by our selves alone Then march with you to Hell for company Call it Sedition Schism Haeresy To the late woes by which the Land did groan Did only th' Sins of Whiggs Contribute None None of the Torys-sins clubb'd nor conferr'd Yet Charles the First confest both sides had err'd And these Incendiaries are too blame To heat the Kingdom thus into a flame Must Men fairly acquit by Law Agen Be thus Arraign'd by every Hackney Pen When Teagues O Divelly together Plot Though in their Evidence of Truth no Jot When damn'd Suborners yet unpunisht go Alas may we not joy we have 'scap't so And when they got their fingers in they tore The wounds wide-ope were almost heal'd before Behold the ghastly Cicatrizes still To rend and tear them ope again is ill How does the Market fail when Lawreats With Pimping Rhymes are glad to turn Make-bates And for to earn his Pension when he gets it Writes Scoundrel-like without or fear or wit Pox who made Poets Polititians now Good Polititians sure are scarce I trow Go-Pack after her Pack Poets are poor So is th' Exchequer as I said before And ne'r the Richer sure for a French Whore But the French King can pay his debts go eat With him your Meales he can pay for his Meat Before Digested and can buy thee clothes Not eaten e'r they 'r paid for up with Mothes Our King will little thank such Lawreats That think to deck a Crown by being Make-bates Judging it wit in Masquerade to tell How Absalom and wise Achitophel Were wicked once two thousand years ago And therefore whom they hate must still be so Poor witless Sophister Do but turn the Tables And play them I know where thou 'lt call them Fables And yet the Coxcomb did admire his wit And Tories call it still a Lucky-Hit And why for Gods sake why where ars men's brains Fool'd by Romance and by Poetick-Strains And whiffled by a dull old Quixot Fy-on't The VVind-mill of his Brains he thought a Gyant Thou shows't what true-bred Valour Courtiers have Is this Heroick Hector-like to brave A man thou sayst is Crippled hand and foot Bound to the Peace Hard Hap by the fell-Gout His Brains tho' are not Gouty Iohn like thine And for a helping-hand behold here 's mine Courtiers have from my Naked-weapon run The women not what e'er the men have done Follow French-Miss Be wise like Rat and Mouse That do by Instinct fly a Rotten House I 'le take thy Lawrels from thee If I list An Honour to my fairer Brow when mist. 'T is a day thrown away no more think I Nor more it was yet diem perdidi Unless it be to make thy Satyr sell And Tonson Begg'd this Boon some may think well Thy Satyr three months Birth a Cripple came This day to hand now I return it lame London March 17. 1681. POST-SCRIPT GOD grant that this Mushrom be not like Ionas his Goard that sprung up in a night and perished in a night Mushroom's though they spring up in a night yet well drest and Cook'd are served up for Daintyes and last long notwithstanding their hasty Birth like this far from the Authors Library his Notes and his Books And if any man think or say that it is a wonder if this Book and Verses were compos'd and writ in One Day and sent to the Press since it would employ the Pen of a ready Writer or nimble Scrivener to Coppy this Book in a Day it may be so But it is a Truth as certain and stable as the Sun in the Firmament and which if need be the Bookseller Printer and others Worthy Citizens that are privy to it can avouch for an Infallible Truth Deo soli Gloria When a Divine Hand assists one of Despicable dull and inconsiderable Parts and Learning may do wonders which God usually performs by most weak and unlikely Instruments Take the advice if you be wise of the great Privy Counsellor Acts 5.34 35 36.37 38 39 40. But some may say why was not more time and more Pains bestowed upon so excellent an Argument I answer That this is enough in answer to a foolish Libel and besides my Pen is better employed upon the like Subject and Argument upon another occasion as the world will perceive very speedily I had much adoe to perswade my fancy to throw away or spare a Day upon such an Idle occasion and with such a Trifler But Poetry like a Miss is pleasant and delicious now and then in some mens wanton Fancy but as nauseous as a Wife is to their liquorish Humours when made a practise a Trade and of constant use Thus Aiery Poetry interlac't here and there with weightier matter in Prose does with the diversity and Lard willingly charm and bewitch the Readers Eye like Landskips of Hills and Dales Woods and Plains lovely through variety But 't is dull when made a
The Mushroom OR A SATYR AGAINST Libelling TORIES and Prelatical TANTIVIES In Answer to A Satyr against Sedition CALLED The Meddal By the Author of Absalom and Achitophel AND HERE ANSWERED By the AVTHOR of the Black Nonconformist The Next Day after the Publication of the MEDDAL To Help the SALE thereof Nitimur in vetitum Quousque LONDON Printed for Fra Smith Jun. at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhill M DC LXXXII EPISTLE TO THE Tories and Tantivies Instead of an Epistle to You TORIES I 'le onely Preface here with some old Stories ABOUT the Year of Our Lord 1218. at Paris in a Synod or Convocation of the Clergy one that was appointed to Clerum or preach the Convocation-Sermon was put to his Trumps and much troubled in his Guizard what to say or what Subject to insist upon Whereupon the Devil who always watches to take Men napping and observing the Preacher to be melancholly and perplext in mind appears to him as he sat in a brown-study and ask'd him why he was so careful what to preach say thus quoth the Devil The Princes of Hell salute You Oh the Princes and Prelates of the Church and gladly give you thanks because that through your default and negligence all Souls go to Hell c. And Preacher added he was inforced by the Command of God to declare the same yea and a certain Token was given him for a sign whereby the Convocation might evidently see that he did not lye Ex. Catal. Illyr fol. 546. This is somewhat like that Story that Mr. Fox mentions in his Acts and Monuments of a Letter in the Name of Lucifer for so were the first words of the Letter Lucifer Prince of Darkness c. To the persecuting Prelates of England c. But the true words of the Letter verbatim as it was transcribed out of the Register of the Bishop of Hereford as some think by William Swinderby a Protestant Martyr in Rich. 2ds Time has these very words namely LUCIFER Prince of Darkness c. TO all our Children of Pride and Companions of our Kingdom and especially to our Princes of the Church of this latter Age and time c. send Greeting c. Know yee that in time past certain Vicegerents of Christ following his steps c. in a beggarly Life Converted in a manner all the world from the Yoke of our Tyranny c. But we seeking remedy for time to come instead of those Apostles we have caused ye to be their Successors which be Prelates of the Church by our great might and subtlety as Christ said of you They have reigned but not by me c. once I promised him all the Kingdoms of the world c. but he would not but to you who are fallen from grace and serve us in the Earth is that my promise fulfilled therefore fill your selves full and be contrary to those Fathers in your Life and conditions and exalt your selves above all other men c fight our quarrel â—ntangle your selves in worldly matters c. And climb up from the miserable state of poverty to the highest Seat of Honour and Princely Places of Dignity by wyles and subtlety flattery lying and perjury Treason deceit and sâ—â—ony c. And after you are advanced thither where you would he then either by Violence Ravening or by Ambition subtlely Pelfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false Titles possess those goods which should be for the sustentation of the Poor c. Nay The Devil was in the right on t there for Tythes were given by the Doners as much to the Poor as to the Ministers only the Priests and Deacons were the overseers to distribute it as need required but instead of distributing they laid hold and laid hold and laid hold on the Tythes that instead of distributing like bishops and Overseers they bought Coaches and fared deliciously every day and he was counted a Special Bishop that gave the poor after his dogs were served the remaining Pottage and the scraps to the poor waiting a morsel at the door but I 'le show when I have leisure the bottom of this Mystery of Iniquity I 'le turn it Topsy-turvy and show you how Covetuousness Ambition and Popish Prelacy crept into the Church which made the Devil so grateful to them in this letter of thanks saying for so the letter goes on Consume these goods Namely Tythes and Glebs that partly belong to the poor who need no Poor-rates if they had their Primitive-Rights I mean as the Doners first gave it to them Consume these goods as your selves list c. I would have you to build Palaces fare like Princes to eat the daintiest meat and drink the pleasantest wines and hoard up Treasure Devil this advice is needless it might have been spared they can do all these things without thy bidding of their own Inclination without thy Temptation And be not like Peter and Paul never fear it Devil who said Silver and Gold have I none ye fight for us c. when Christ called you the Synagogue of Satan we loved you c. For your deserts which contemn the Laws of Simon Peter and embrace the laws of Simon Magus c. Ye have made the House of God a Den of Thieves ye make Laws and keep not the feme c Ye justifie the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the Righteous from him c. We would also you should do our commendations to our entirely beloved daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belly-chear Lechery especially to Lady Simony who hath made you men and given you such c. And if any man will Preach or teach otherwise then you will have him oppress ye him violently with Excommunications and Censures c. this was impertinent Devil he might have spared this advice also they can do these things without the Devils temptations fast enough heaped one upon another And let him be condemned as a Heretick or Shismatick and kept in Prison 'till he dye for an Example to all such c. As you Dear Tories may see the same more at large in Foxes Act and Monuments and at large in the last Pacquet of Advice last week by the ingenuous Mr. Care Reynold Peacock Bishop of Chichester said that the riches of Bishops are the goods of the poor and that spiritual persons by the Law of God ought not to have temporal possessions and that personal Tythes is not due by Gods Law that the Universal Church of Rome may err in matters of faith and that it is not necessary to Salvation to believe what general-Councels ordain and determine These poynts and others to this purpose he confessed he held and taught the space of twenty years and after the Bishop of Canterbury and other Bishops set themselves against him and he was imprisoned during his life Which shews their cruelty to the Naked Tauth men to smother them in all ages for God has raised up some such in all ages but the