Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A54905
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A Pindarick-poem upon His Most Sacred Majestie's late gracious indulgence, in granting a toleration, and liberty of conscience in matters of religion
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1687
(1687)
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Wing P2260; ESTC R8550
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3,720
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15
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Pindarick Poem on the Indulgence of Liberty of Conscience 1687 A Pindarick-Poem UPON HIS Most Sacred Majestie 's LATE GRACIOUS INDULGENCE In Granting a Toleration and Liberty of Conscience in Matters of RELIGION Virgil O Meliboee Deus nobis haec otia fecit LONDON Printed for J. S. in the Year 1687. The Preface THE Occasion of this Poem has been a Subject sufficiently bandied about by all parties not an useless Pen in Town but has consumed both Ink and Paper in the Defence or Opposition of it which makes it not at all strange that a Poet should be concerned in a matter so vulgarly canvas'd since Custome looks upon such to be as really they are the greatest Busibodies of the Nation And since it is a Cause that has deserved all Men's assistance in its Defence I know not why it may not merit a Poet's Talent in its Praise For that which will admit an Argument to Maintain it may justly allow a Commendation to Illustrate it And if for the support of a bad Cause they are allowed to bring Arguments there is little reason why a good One should be barr'd of its glory For what has gain'd the advantage in Prose may justly claim its deserts in Verse If renson and equity will prevail there is the less to say If not 't is to no purpose to speak It s excuse is already pleaded and we commit its Defence to those who have written of this Subject For the Poem it self as there is no extraordinary matter in it so nothing more than ordinary ought to be expected in its behalf The Stile me suppose is grave suitable to the Design and if there be extravagancy in it let it go for an excursion of wit if you please if 't will not bear the force of a Subsidiary Argument The inequality of the verse can be no prejudice with those who understand Poetry and as for the Ignorant the Author thinks he has no need to give Bail that every Passage shall answer their strict Rules and comply with their Humour If any thing may seem to over-lash he is willing to believe he may justifie himself by the liberty of the best Authors who have wrote in this kind and till the Exceptions are made he shall forbear any further Vindication A Pindarick Poem Upon his Most Sacred c. I. WHAT Saint what Angel wilt thou Sing What Mortal God my Muse to equal Glories bring Swift with the wings of nimble Fancy fly Thorow the wide unbounded Sky And meet the noblest Monarch on his way That th' English Scepter e're did sway He 's now returning from the conquer'd West From trave'ling Countries to reform the State. Toyls and Cares have long opprest Our watchful Prince's anxious Breast Strange are the means propos'd by Fate To make a Nation in its Monarch great The People slumber and in peaceful ease Flowing with Plenty and Delight Plenty by Day and Charms by Night With calmest thoughts their quiet Souls do please Whil'st our Great Monarch to whose care Kingdoms and Laws committed are With watchful eyes and thoughts profound Next under Providence does guard our Land around And yet with trembling horrour we have seen Some with Ambition fir'd or mov'd with spleen Whil'st our Hesperian Dragon he With unclos'd eyes guarded our Lives and Liberty Like the bold Argonants of Greece Attempt to slay the Dragon and enjoy the Fleece II. Whatever be the real cause of Warrs Of our Rebellions and intestine Jarrs Religion still is the pretence This specious Name Kindles and blows the threatning flame Which up and down like Fire-Balls hurl'd Breaks out in distant places and inflames the World. Popery's marching in Arm Arm 'T is overcast there needs must be a Storm Let us not tamely die Nor yet ignobly fly These sounds do all the long-ear'd Mobile alarm This voice the active Rebels strait does charm Hence flow disordered Riots hence Of Christian Blood the vast expence Unhappy Nation that in thee Religion shou'd prove the deadly cause Of raising Factions violating Laws With popular and loud applause Alas that Christianity Should seldom in our Isle agree To dwell with Christian Love and Charity With our own Arms the Prince of Hell does slay And with a conquering hand Captivates our wretched Land And when he 's pleas'd with mortal Lives to play And with a word great Hosts by mutual wounds destroy He sends a Ghostly Fury out To scatter Fears and Jealousies about Who with her snaky Locks and Torch in hand Runs howling through our Land Now your Religion does on tip-toe stand Help my brave English Souls assist the falling Maid The word 's no sooner said But the mad Nation with a Feaver burns And all things into noise and raging Tempest turns III. But now no more shall that ill-boding sound Which us'd to scatter Jealousies around Our happy Isle confound No more shall the pretext of partial Laws Fram'd to uphold a single Cause Engross the publick Priviledge and Right In which all have an equal share And all alike concerned are To make their Native and Inherent Title clear The interposing hedges now are waste Now all the luscious Honey taste Lo their enlivened Spirits rise And dart new vigour thro' their eyes The free and open day we see at last And the Whole Isle's become but one inclosed Paradise No more those direful Sounds we hear The vanish'd Fantoms now no more appear No more we 're frightned with their Spells Their nasty horns are shrunk into their shells No more they dare appear in sight To their detested Beds They silently withdraw their heads Like Birds obscene they fly before the conquering light IV. In all the Realms that constituted be By the Eternal Word Divine Decree None is more Great more Absolute and Free Than the old English Monarchy Tyrants may use more Power but none by Heaven More large and unconfin'd to any Prince is given To Laws he does submit but Laws in vain may strive And grapple with his great Prerogative If he the force of 's Royal Power would show And like Apollo draw his silver Bow Which never never will he draw For he has spake the word a word that 's firmer than a Law. Great is a British Prince and James as great Tho' we the Chronicles should rowl To find a Monarch of a braver Soul As any Prince that ever Rul'd the State. Great as he is yet does he not presume To rule the Conscience force the mind That heavenly Spark that 's ever unconfin'd This is a power supream which God alone Reserves to his Almighty Throne Not God himself does forcibly compel Nor with strong violence reduce the will But with his gentle Spirit does influence And softly glide into our yielding sense Does not as once of old descend In Fire and rustling Winds to gain his end But like a gentle Dove does always come A welcome Ghest perswading Friend And in our Body's Temple finds a Room V. Go bid the Poles my Muse together
meet Bid East and West each other greet Command the Stars from their fixt Orbs to fly Bid the dull Earth ascend and kiss the Sky As soon you may the Course of Nature change As force the mind from steady Faith to range Force may provoke a tim'rous Soul to sin Prest she may own that black is white And play the juggling Hypocrite But prithee wash the Aethiop's Skin Rather than strive a free assent to gain By dint of Cudgel-Arguments and Syllogisms of pain That Church that labours to compell the Will Our Breasts with sudden Jealousies does fill That 't is a desperate and tottering Cause Whose Basis is not Reason but the Penal Laws The man that labours to perswade Does not the Body with rough force invade But in soft Rhetorick does wind Himself into the Mind Since Faith is free the Turk as well may hope By his false Reasons to convert the Pope As our mistaken Land expect to see An universal Unity Establish'd by the breach of Peace and Charity VI. When first our Mighty Prince began to sway The British Scepter and dispence O're all his Realm a warm and gentle Influence Thus to the English Church was heard to say Pardon most Loyal Maid for thou art she Didst always pray and fight for Monarchy Stood'st firm when 't was a Crime to own Any branch o' th' English Throne Pardon for 't is no Life to live in pain If I free Liberty do give That all Religions may live Let others live and thou alone shalt Reign Since Heaven doth cause his rain to fall And Sun to shine alike on all And does to me this God-like favour show To be his Representative below Why shou'd you thus unjustly strive To intercept alone this influence of mine Wou'd it not justly think you move My Anger and convert your Love Into the highest flames of rage If in this loose unquiet Age Any shou'd vouch himself to be The rightful Monarch to this Realm but me And can you think that Heaven won't Resent the unparal'd affront Shou'd he me like an Adversary find Dethroning his Vicegerent of the Mind VII Illustrious Prince what wonders hast thou done By this one single Act alone What various Natures dost thou joyn How sweetly do they all combine How many different Stars in different lustres shine Adorning this bright Sphere of thine As various Instruments do all conspire Grave Organs with the warbling Lute Viols with Cornets and the Flute To joyn in one harmonious Quire So we at length Great James compos'd by thee Like different Notes agree To make up one melodious Harmony Thus when the great Dictatour had in vain Assay'd to cultivate a stubborn Land And much expence of time and blood had spent And many dangers underwent To make the restless people understand The mighty blessings which they might obtain Beneath the shadow of his pow'rful Reign At length the kind Augustus came And gently dissipates the flame With a soft touch compos'd affairs of State Dissolv'd the curs'd Triumvirate Wild Anthony's rebellious pow'rs o'recome And fixt a lasting peace in Rome To a sweet calm reduc'd the quiet Earth Fit for the Prince of Peace his glorious birth If there be any that repine At this excessive Grant of thine Let them before thy Justice fall And grace thy Triumphs with their Funeral Thy goodness is almost too great for to be prais'd Thy glory on magnifick Pillars rais'd On its own Center firmly stands And needs not the Assistance of our hands Enlightned with its own increasing rays Conspicuously around it self displays The gawdy lustre does amaze And with an overwhelming light Exhausts and drowns the beams of our unable sight FINIS