of that resort VVho after Christ's Ascent made Holy Court A Consistory of Votaries still staying For the Descent o' th' Holy Ghost in praying Initiate first in Iohns repentance then Consorting still with Apostollick men It was capacity enough they erre VVho think one may shoot up a Presbyter As Slips and Grafts are wont whose secret growth Not their own selves nor yet the Gard'ner know'th Unlearn'd undisciplin'd from shop or stall And start to Callings Apostolicall Fishers indeed were call'd the meanest trade But did not teach till they were able made God-taught for many yeares yet then not fit Untill inspir'd by Tongues their open'd wit Call'd to their memories those Doctrines which Their Master taught in Parabolick speech Then so enlightned gifted by the God Of VVisdome who on their obtuse braines rode As at the First Creation Formes were struck Out of Opacous Chaos and that Muck. VVhat could they not unfold what Mysteries Of deepest Knowledge could not these Twelve Keys Unlock which could Heaven-doores or shut or loose So with new gifts their old names they did lose But now a Cobler in existency And not translated to Divinity Nor able to translate 'cause of a trade Mean as was Peter's will a Priest be made And venture at a Pulpit very blew Not from Saint Peters Chaire but from Saint Hugh Preparatory knowledge was requir'd Ev'n in those Twelve which after were inspir'd VVhen first sent forth with neither Scrip nor Shooes They did but onely carry the good newes Of a Redeemer come and blesse the place VVith peace not yet accomplisht with full Grace Time did produce that Consummation And in the interim this great thing done A new Apostle chosen Iudas Seat VVas this day fill'd the number made compleat Not all alike in order then no need Of this high day's solemnizating deed One from inferiour order is promoted And to succeed by holy lot is voted If equall all th' election had been vain Seventy as good as Twelve no Chorah's train Are amongst these nor no Church-Leveller No self-exalting filthy Presbyter And yet the Congregation is all Holy But Priests and Deacons under these rule solely The Forms of Iew-Church-government remaine The Offices not Names they doe retain Then welcome to thy high Investiture Sacred Matthias may thy Rites endure May a succession of such Pastors be For ever in thy Churches Hierarchie And though the Apostles Names ceas'd with their Gifts For time and custome names of Orders shifts And changeth as it pleaseth yet their pow'r Of Order-giving lasteth to this houre Corrective and directive right and all The ordinary power 's Episcopall Making of Presbyters by laying Hands Is the continu'd practice of all Lands Unless since Calvin did get up and ride And set on Bishops his foul foot of pride E're since Rebellion in the Minor flocks Hath sprung and One hath caused many Knocks Yet the abused world doth plainly see There is no peace but in this Prelacy Geneva's platformes and new fangled stuffe Will end in its long Beard and little Ruffe Whil'st the Apostolick Successors shall As did their Predecessors Martyrs fall And like Matthias Pastor of the Jews Be ruin'd by false men hir'd to accuse And sweare that blasphemy which all accord A truth that Christ was Son o' th' Living Lord. Upon the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin NOw Israel's bereft of both her Kings And an Usurper hath command of things The promis'd Shilo comes the Sceptre rent From Iudah then is Iudah's Lion sent It is a good exchange i' th' vacancy Of a good King to have a Deity When humane Helps and God's known Deputies Are snatch'd away Himself is our supplies He does resume his Sceptres lent but then Woe to persidious and rebellious men 'T is not the breaking Seals or batt'ring Crowns Subdues the Donor he 's above the Lowns And lets them act a while to their own wills That they may see from whence spring all their Ills Injustice Murder Liberty that Word And pure Religion that can draw the sword Upon their right Protectors suffer'd are To shew the mischief of Religious war When did a pious Rebel e're come off But with his own disgrace and peoples scoff These Soveraigns Hail's and Ave's now set by Let us with Angels Mary gratify Though this great Salutation so divine Is not allow'd so much as in a Sign The Day indeed as it referres to Rent Is not put down by Mayor nor Parliament Let 's keep it as we may for Mary's Son This day proclaim'd was the Redemption The Apolutrâ—sis the generall Pay Which solv'd the world of a smart reck'ning day Surety and Payment too is this day's boon Security and satisfaction For Surety's as in Lawes Municipall Are in chief Debtors and oblig'd for all Bound for what they ne're drank as we use say And yet the Judge enforceth them to pay Our summs of sin were high and not to be Discharg'd but by a Surety that was free God did engage in 's person to defray What all the world could not conjunctim pay Obedience for us which we could not do And Death too that we might not undergo The merit of his Person was above Our Debt he supererogates in love Then for his sake no single person hate Who beares Christ's name as you have done of late Nor suffer the memoriall of her day By beardless Ministers be swept away Who in a senseless zeale some years since run Down both our Lady's Day and her Great Son And got a name unto his action due By Common Council being styl'd a Jew On Saint Marks Day FIrst Bishop Mark of Alexandria And Patriarch of that ancient See this day Is dedicate unto thy memory Which doth confirm the sacred Hierarchy An argument invincible from whom And Antioch we derive and not from Rome Yet when the Latian Empire after ten Bloody Phlebotomies of martyr'd men Began to nauseate blood and being fill'd With such sad sights did honour what they kill'd And the Spread Eagle to the Cross gave way The Ensign which an Angel did display To fighting Constantine the Emperour Being then the sole most Christian Governour And Rome the Mistress of the World that See Above the rest had the precedencie Not so from the beginning 't was but meet The Seat o' th' Empire and the Churches Seat Or Chaire Apostolick should be together The sacred Power of calling Synods thither Over its subject Priests for unity And Order made the Roman chiefest See Thither appeales of grieved Churches came And thence the Fountain of that Bishops fame For bodies Oecumenicall without A head would be but monstrous without doubt Read the degrees and ranks the structure made By which Church-government in Saint Paul is laid Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors Some Preachers sub supra all not Masters That had confusion been 't was fit the best Of bodies should with the best form be blest Christ is the Head by Joynts and Sinews all
the joyfull matter you may guess Glory to God good will to men t' Earth peace When such a Song shall ever more be heard Or when such Choristers 't is to be fear'd The Saints are black and of another tone Hatred to men War and Destruction Upon the Sons o' th' Earth and yet they cry All 's done to the glory of God on High Away then Sheepherds to the humble place And kiss his feet view your sweet Saviours face What Glory shines about the Babe the Hay And Straw all on a fire make no such day The Beasts affrighted with such flames here gaze And run about the Infant as it blaze What need we care where us our Mothers lay A Manger is Gods Incunabula Mary incircled with a glorious Light Is in a cloud her self her thoughts in night Deliver'd of a Son but not of Doubt Her heart was joy'd but yet was pierc'd throughout Certain 't is hers uncertain how 't is hers Shee does believe 'fore Reason Faith preferrs The births of all men do depend upon Their Mothers here the Mother trusts the Son Whose Incarnation to himself was known And Mary Mothers it Father there 's none Upon S. Stephen the Proto-martyr HOw shall I write thy Legend who am all Extremely bad as bad as either Saul What though I threw no stones as Saul I had A hand in thy Lords Lords death and that 's as bad The Sins preceding present and to come Are all upon account the cursed summe And hand-writing against us which stood good Untill Christ had expung'd it with his Blood The Jewes cry'd Crucifie their voice prevailes But every Sin of mine was Goad and Nailes Mount Calvary the Stage the World the Cause And He condemn'd for our not keeping Lawes And every one that does profess that name Hath for his Badge Death Poverty and Shame While devout Stephen preaches him and spake A Poniard-Sermon made the heart to ake Like the smart penn'd Philippicks word and blow Th' eternal Life and Death of Cicero What is contriv'd his fate a Sermon friend Of truth doth th' utterer to th' Scaffold send But what should anger them Stephen you know Was no Apostle that 's no Bishop no He was a fervent Deacon had he been O' th' higher Form he 'd been the Man of Sin No Order scapes their malice no Degree Exempts the Clergie from their Tyranny If he speak truth and boldly reprehend Bishop or Deacon it shall be his end 'T is not thy Miracles or Wisdome Saint Though it convince them shall obtain a Grant They are o'recome convicted Guilt proves Rage Not onely then but now in this our Age. Look what a crew and crowd of Enemies Are rais'd against apparent Verities Which Libertines convene they will dispute And Sense and Wonders shan't a man confute Just like the enemies to David's Throne A line of wicked Combination Edom and Ishm'el Moab Hagarens Gebal and Ammon Tyre and Philistines Conspire 'gainst Iudah all so here a Nest Of Sectaries oppose the Truth profest And all in vain then to the old Designe Make a Malignant of the best Divine Blasphemer Innovator one that doth Act against God in words and the State both This will prevaile if that the people cry Iustice aloud good Stephen thou must die Thus do false cryers up o' th' Temple kill The truest Props and Churches Pillars still Upon S. John Evangelist and Apostle BElov'd Disciple pillow'd on the breast Of Christ which was a favour 'bove the rest From whence thou suck'dst sublime Divinity And soarst aloft with Eagles piercing eye Into the Mysteries of Faith To thee We owe the profound arguments whereby The Ebionites and Arrian Hereticks Socinians and their late invented tricks Are all confounded and whosoe're do fight Against Christs Incarnation or his Right In the Blest Trinity th' c Eternal Word As in a scabbard is inclos'd a sword Couch'd in the Flesh shewn thorow that shadowing veyle And 'bove the Hood the Glory did prevail It was not possible to shrowd him so But by his works his Father he must know He prov'd his Father by his wondrous Deeds Than those his Acts there need no other Creeds Believe me for my Works they 'r his own words These speak me God these speak me onely Lord. To make men eyes and legs were blind and lame It is as to create the very same To raise the dead to life redeem restore To raise himself from death what would you more More if he would have done his own self saith Could not if what he did would not gain Faith The reason of this Unbelief 't is this Men hated Light for its discoveries Mischiefs in Lanthorns lodge in Mists and clouds And flie whatsoe're their dark designs inshrowds Deluding Oracles are dumb when Truth Doth speak the Divel himself hath ne'r a mouth When that the Word Essential is in place Darkness and Light can't joyn Malice and Grace Forc'd and extort confessions may come From Devils themselves who would like men be dumb But when th' Effective Word exerts its pow'rs Both Devils and Men must then be Confessors But in his Umbrage of Divinity These combin'd parties dare affront him high Call him a VVine-bibber companion With Publicans and Sinners any one Harlots Samaritans he made no choice Rather with Poor then Pharisees rejoyce Christ was no Seperatist onely from Sin He liv'd up Love and preach'd Communion in So did his lov'd Apostle whose works show The Fountain whence those streames of love did flow How sweet his Trias of Epistles run And to his last he sang as he begun Love one another when his aged eyes By guides came to his Pulpit-offices Love one another his last text so prove Your selves to be of God to be in love So ended this Saints life for he alone Escap'd the Cross the Fire the Sword the Stone Of all the Twelve yet was the Caldron heat And the amanded Fires did streight retreat And could not hurt his Sacred Person for Long life was promis'd by his Saviour Not a No Death as was mistook so he In Patmos was an Exile then did die VVhere lies the Body of this Sacred Man Banish't to th' Isle by proud Domitian Upon the death of the Innocents LOe here a company of sucking Saints Suffring before the knowledge of their wants Their Saviours Proxies Vicar-Sacrifice Whilst He by Angels guide to Aegypt flies Aegypt the succour now of Israel Which did to its own cost them once expell Away false gods and Garden Deities No Superstition neer this cradle lies The Land is Goshen all and Light by thee And cursed Cham a greater Child doth see Then Moses or that fam'd Interpreter Made the chief Ruler from a prisonar Not so in Israel where the cruel King Slayes without mercy every sucking thing Nor spares his own young Infants but lets Rage Arm it self keen 'gainst that Innocent Age As if the Land were
drinks such Healths Even now in their reformed Common-wealths Mark how Ierusalem runs forth to see This prodigie of new sobriety VVhich Noah though i' th' Flood preserv'd did lose And Moses bred o' th' waters did not choose But as at first Creation on the waves The Plastick Spirit mov'd so here it saves VVhat cannot water do weaknesse is lost VVhen that the Inmate is the Holy Ghost VVater inflames inspires blowes up warms Grace And washes souls but us'd to clense the face Besprinkled with such Holy Water Jew Thou art re-born and circumcis'd anew The Sacerdotal Knife cuts not the Evil These drops drive out the VVorld the Flesh the Devil How highly ought this Sacrament be priz'd Be then baptiz'd but be not re-baptiz'd Iohn was no Anabaptist people came But once to th' Font and Christ did just the same A seven-times washing was for Naaman One dipping will suffice a Christian Preparatory Graces bring in God He fits a lodging for his own abode First Iohn and then a Iesus Penance hath The happinesse to usher saving Faith Safe in thy Desart hadst thou there remain'd Prophet thy vertues to the Court 's proclaim'd Where thy rough Doctrines thy Destructions are So did our Court dispatch a long-liv'd Parr His by a change of diet no excesse Kill'd thee the Court was a fine wildernesse Herod the Beast o' th' Forest whet his sword And did behead our Prophet for a word For a non licet to his lawlesse lust First to the prison then the Axe thou must Methinks in these our later dayes I see Great Saint thy now re-acted Tragedie Onely our age out-strips that horrid thing And does behead not onely Priest but King Thou that but once and that i' th' womb didst dance For joy thy Saviour to thee did advance Art at a dancing Ladies loose request Depriv'd of life but by it higher blest So that thy triple Baptisme standeth good By VVater first next Spirit then by Blood On the Feast of Saint Peter WHat honour Great Apostle is not due To thy renown'd Confession first you I am no Thover started that great word Which made that Article Lord from the Lord And God of very God no Flesh can tell Unlesse inspir'd whence that great Issue fell Th' Eternal Generation was too high For mortal reach and is a Mysterie Reveal'd not understood the motions know Of Divine actions in thick darknesse go Or cloth'd in light that 's inaccessible Hid by their brightness Angels cannot tell Though they desire to peep into it and Shall our unequal souls hope t' understand Not Peter while he spake did comprehend Himself if so he 'd not deny'd it 'fore his end Yet worthily thy name was chang'd a Stone A Rock sirnam'd for this Confession And upon it not thee the Churches Faith Is laid may I believe as Peter saith I do believe by the same Grace not boast My self but give the praise to th' Holy Ghost Peter did so the honest Fisherman Nere dreamt of what the Petropolitan And Denizens of Rome have since contriv'd Nor would have worn three Coronets had he liv'd The Chaire Infallible perchance that he Might well have wish'd before's Apostacie How weak was the Man Peter for to lay A Basis on should last untill this day When that a wave and something weaker too A pitifull wench made him his faith forego But weakness is made strong when Teares precede And high Repentance wash'd away that deed I don't upbraid thy known Apostacy But balance it with their new Primacy VVhich Roman Catholicks kinde souls bestow On thee insensible of things below VVe all allow thee the First Confessour VVhere Iames was President in Chaire and Pow'r VVe all confesse thee prais'd by Christ when one VVas more belov'd the Eagle-ey'd Saint Iohn VVe ne're deny to thee the Keyes of Heaven But of those Keyes there were beside Eleven VVe all applaud thy Heaven-dropt sheet whereby The Faith broke forth into Community VVe all confesse thee Apostle of the Iewes Though now the Roman thee their Primate choose Unkind repulse when Paul to th' Romans wrote Alone and to their Faith such honour got VVe allow thee Bishop of Christs Flock Twelve equall Pastors a most Royall stock Feed then successive Angels that 's your care Feed the poor Lambs they 'r Wolves that do them tear The Legend of Saint James called Major one of the Sons of Zebedee and Apostle of Spaine ARt thou Red Letter'd Yes the Almanack Preserves thee though the Holy-day we lack VVe keep the Fair 't had been good policy If that the Church could it these times foresee Had made the Twelve Apostles Marts then they Might all whereas now some have a Saints day Dame Zebedee so full of zeal ne're thought His Honour should to so low ebb be brought The right hand and the left was her bold boon And that in Heaven her sons both Iames and Iohn Might be advanc'd how would the woman pout If she had known on earth they were put out And that he is deny'd the pay by some Of honour to his glorious Martyrdome Herod thy person murder'd Holy Saint Our mighty men of VVar thy Day why mayn't We hope to see as in those dayes befell Our Herods as that Herod fall as well It was not long before Revenge did seize That Deify'd Orator struck in a trice Pimme had not all the worms it once may please Vengeance to smite not only Conscience But their Apostate body's with close Lice Who onely spoyle and murder solemnize But these and Herod differ in some things Herod kills Prophets These both Them and Kings Herod imprisons for popular applause How many have been coop'd upon that cause But by a finer word Imprisoning Securing's call'd Robbing is Sequestring But Herod speeches it and gives no praise To God O but these do in our good dayes There 's not a Murder not a Plund'ring but They do the Pulpits with Thanksgivings glut Had you now liv'd you Sons sirnam'd of Thunder Then fire from Heaven you could not have ask'd under Nor would have been deny'd but 't is as well Their fire is sure if not Above from Hell Upon the Legend of Saint Bartholomew THe Gospel's sound though the whole world is run Now hear it preach'd where Inmate is the Sun On India's parched ground the East the West Wealth that few Merchants get and yet the best Who dare upbraid the Lord at latter day And say this newes did never come in 's way Shall he be damn'd for what he could not know No Arguer thou shalt not if 't be so No Gospel slighted no Apostle slain No Faith rejected no eternall pain God by no absolute Decree does list Men to damnation maugre Calvin's Twist Conditional are his Decrees and they Mulcted alone who gainsay disobey We fondly therefore to Iamaica sent To convert Indians when for Gold'twas meant Saint Bartholomew full sixteen hundred years Ago as in Eusebius Chronicon appears Preach'd to those Heathen Folk who did
chaste and firm defy'd his suit Then Lust turn'd Rage and he did cast about How to confound whom he could not perswade All Stratagems in vain he will invade Her and her children this pursuer drives Into the Wildernesse yet there she thrives Short grass is sweet afflictions smooth the face Nothing so fair as persecuted Grace The blubber'd eyes of Saints their Ceruse proves The choicest Unguent which their High God loves See how her children pretty Lambkins run Not a whole skin their plunder'd backs upon Some worry'd by fierce Wolves and Dogs of prey As in the wildernesse they passe away Nor heeds the Serpent though he knowes full well And his curs'd Emissaries too can tell They should not hurt nor wrong these Little Ones Because that Angels are their Guardians And intimate their sufferings in God's eare Who 's slow to wrath but will not long forbeare 'T is for a time and times but then come woes To this poor persecuted woman's Foes Amen say Heavens Angels fill the Quire Triumphant be the Church that 's purg'd by Fire That through the Wildernesse and bloody Sea Shall with her Bridegroom keep long Iubilee Upon Saint Lukes Day Physitian and Evangelist NO Calling is exempt from Grace why Priest Do'st thou exclude when an Evangelist Of a Physitian 's made who can deny This to be true Religio Medici See our decry'd profession here is purg'd Let Atheisme never 'gainst us more be urg'd Cleans'd and baptiz'd in thee most eloquent Saint VVe bid those foul aspersions avaunt Then for our lives who ever liv'd with lesse Then Gallen and renown'd Hypocrates VVho not by Lessius or Cornarus weight Measures of abstinence deviz'd of late Did scale out Diet that is tyranny These were the standards of sobriety And as a Prince in Physick should they both Oblig'd their willing Patients by an oath A voluntary Sacrament and why Is not this too Religio Medici Fasting and abstinence are Harbingers To Divine Gifts the one the other infers No Devil with his tricks can circumvent A fasting Iohn or Iesus in his Lent And those fast alwayes who do sparing feed Then are Physitians a most sacred Seed It is the staple Doctrine of my Art VVhich to our losse to th' world we do impart Be temperate and live be temperate And be an Hercules be wise be that And be a Saint Angels will be our guests If we do treat them with such frugal Feasts Physicians Diet is like Angels Food A very little but 't is very good Now for our Acts Saint Luke his Book of Acts Shall be our Aera and our first Epacts To thee Divine Historian we owe VVhat of our Saviours Life and Death we know None hath so fully wrote and learn'd Saint Paul Calls thine his Gospel as if that were all Saint Paul had not been known but that for thee To thee we owe the Church-Chronologie Not such a History doth Livy write Compar'd with thee deep Tacitus is light VVhere such a piece can any Annals boast As the Descending of the Holy Ghost VVhen all the sacred Apostolick Quire Spake all Tongues with Tongues out of Mouth in Fire Not Iupiters escapes nor the Iliads Nor he who wrote of wandring Trojan Lads Comes neere Saint Paul's escapes and voyages Aenea's Stormes in famous Virgil's dress Sounds not so high as thy Saint Paul's dire wrack VVhen his wind-beaten Barque did bulge and crack Into a thousand pieces when Heaven powers Another Sea into the Main in showers VVhen Lightning was instead of Sun and th' aire In sheets of flashes had its lights repaire VVhen Thunder did with noyse of high winds vie And did all voyces but Saint Paul's out-cry Then in that Storm the greatest Light was he He like a Rock in all that tyranny Of winds and Sea stood unremov'd and brought Each soul to Land each splinter was a Boat And his all-shatter'd Ship came safe to bank Each passenger was shipt but on a plank So floated this great Navy of one Bark And Paul the Pilot of that swimming Park VVhen such an Orator as thy Saint Paul Or such Oration as from him did fall The fam'd Philippicks of Demosthenes And Cicero's Catalines and Anthony's Gallant but fatall speeches have â—o name With his Oration of eternall fame Whose killing words and language Spirit-shook The gaudy Governour that bribes had took And made a King his Convert These Saint Luke Are the great subjects of thy worthy Book Physician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let me In Physick and in Gospel follow thee E'ne unto Roman Martyrdome when all But thee alone forsook th'Apostle Paul On Simon and Jude's Day BRothers in Blood and Blood a double Die For Martyrdome is a Nativitie Justly in Church-account Thaddaean Race Of meanest Parentage of meaner Grace We shall not blazon now your Fishing-coates Your Church-Nobility's not from your Boats But Pulpits not unlike your Trades before Fish-nets for souls almost in every shoare How many at a Cast Saint Peter caught Five thousand from a Sermon mighty draught Simon no lesse adventure didst thou make In Aegypt where thy holy baits did take That superstitious people won by thee To leave their manifold Idolatry Thence to Ierusalem thou art recall'd And Iames thy brother stoned there install'd Bishop in 's place remain in Persia Or come unto the Jews the same 's your pay This is the wages this good Bishops fate That on the Altar not on the Trencher wait To hang like Simon or like 's brother Iude Be murder'd by a Pagan multitude Old Crucifie in vulgar mouths is loud Still and as high as for our Saviours blood Whom in his Priests they daily crucifie And till he come last will this tyrannie Then in that Monarchie be it call'd the Fift He that was first lift up will these up-lift Unto Tribunals seats of Glory where All their accusers naked shall appear In thousand horrours of confused mind Looking for shelter-mountains but none find Wishing the Seas vast entrailes would receive Their souls or that they are at all they grieve Annihilation were a kindnesse all Twisse's distinctions metaphysicall Give not a grain of comfort Not to be Is better then to be in miserie Better be never born then born for Hell And for God'sglory in pains lasting dwell The Milstone in the Sea if it could hold The swallow'd captive that wretch rather would Then for 's Apostacy and hating Light Lie in the blacknesse of the darks of Night Upon All-Saints Day WIll you behold this glorious company In Earth or Heaven first there cannot be Take all Imperial pomp so rare a shew Whether the Scene above be or below Let then their first Representation be As they stood here i' th' vale of misery In the Church-Militant how they appear With cheerfull looks but ragged every where Poor in Apparel but in Spirit more You 'l meet him in the streets and at your doore In Teares in Sighs in many dolefull tone