sweetest consolation to the dull A quickning goad to weak a strong support Assurance to the fearful and a fort To tempted Christians to such as for sin cry An Handkerchief dipt in Christs blood to dry Their sorrow up a Cordial to the faint An heav'nly banquet to the humble Saint How few will sit themselves draw nigh and tast This soul refreshing mystical repast 'T was one effect of our late Reformation T' exile this Sacrament out of the Nation Almost some towns in twenty years had not Any Communion they had forgot Do this in remembrance of me and now They 've lost their stomacks by long fasting how To bring them to an appetite once more That the Lords Table may of guests have store We scarce do know they have been so affrighted From that wherewith their souls should be delighted Their Preachers sounding in their ears damnation To scare them from Communion profanation Which was indeed to rise 'mong some that durst Approach without due Preparation first But still forgetting equally to press Their duty to receive though in the dress Of Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie That in contempt did as much peril lie The poor deluded people did believe The only danger was if they receive Fly from their Souls food as their certain bane To whom Christs Institution is in vain So strangely Gods Commandements were then Made void by the Traditions of these men Now this luke-warmness to Gods worship we May both in Countrey and in City see For such contempt of Christs Authoritie Might justly some be sick some weak some die Mens coldness kindled wrath that fire anon To make them fervent in Religion You would not come to Church a while ago No Churches now you have to come unto The Gates of Sion mourn'd ' cause few or none Would enter there but now you make your mone And mourn for Sions gates ' cause they are burn'd With fire and to a heap of ashes turn'd Sion before in silence did lament Because so few her solemn Feasts frequent Now you may mourn in silence sigh and fast For that the places of her Feasts be wast Thus want of zeal hath sir'd the House of God Neglect of Worship Temples hath destroy'd Nor could you look but that which burned down God's Houses thus must needs consume your own Thus justly may the War Plague Fire and all For our neglect to serve God on us fall How many disobedient are to all Their Parents civil spiritual natural How rife's Rebellion while the People strive With Prince and Priest neither due reverence give Their Princes Laws the people think not right The Priests their Prelates admonition slight Servants rebel against their Masters and Wives disobey their Husbands sit command Children their loving Parents honour not Obedience among all sorts is forgot What swarms have we of stubborn Sectaries Who all Dominion boldly do despise Nor are afraid to speak of Dignities All kind of evil though most grievous lies The Ark had but one Cham our Church many Who glad their Fathers nakedness to spy With most reproachful mocks and taunts discover And blazon it abroad the Nation over Nay rather than Fathers in Church or State Shall want the ruder peoples scorn and hate Such whet their tongues to tell the smoothest lies Which these to pop'lar scorn may sacrifice Rebellion though as sin of witchcraft reigns Among this headstrong people whom no reins Of Law will rule no Power curb or awe From following their will their will 's a law To them alone who without fear or shame Publickly their perversness do proclaim Saying if they were not commanded to These and these things they would them freely do O stubborn people shall there ever rest Spirits of Contradiction in your brest Hath God stampt his Authority upon Your Governours and do you think they 've none Hath he said they are Gods and will ye then Give less respect to them than other men Counsels of whispering Seducers how Prone to observe and promptly follow you Are but how backwards to obey we see Lawful Commands of just Authoritie And is the lawfulness and duty less Because enjoyn'd nay more your stubbornness To disobey God is contemned sure And such contempt from men will not endure Yet when for peoples sins he Plagues hath sent They oft impute them to the Government So the rebellious mutineers of old VVhen the Earth strangely swallowed up those bold Conspirators of Corah's faction cry'd Ye the Lords people kill'd Gods hand denied Moses and Aaron with that slaughter charg'd Till God by his just judgment them discharg'd By a sad Plague sweeping these murmurers thence Brought the whole Camp into another sense Now when the like sins among us are spread Shall we not say for these are many dead Gods Judgments are a great deep if we dive Too far we drown all Charity alive Preserve censoriousness believe I do All sorts have sin'd all sorts have suffer'd too Yet all may hear what some observe and dread Most factious places are most visited Have we not murmurers among us too Like to rebellious Corah and his crew VVill what is Moses and what Aaron say Are we not all holy as well as they To rule and sacrifice all would have pow'r Might not for this a fire from God devour The City which as eminent in sin Hath exemplary now in judgment been That whilome was rebellions spring and nurse And seem'd back-sliding to the former course Is now of England's woe and sorrow source Sin no more so lest you are plagued worse What murthers in this Land committed were For Civil Wars on one side murthers are And God doth know to whose charge shall be laid That blood which in our Civil Wars was shed Blood is a crying sin so much was spilt This Nation cannot but be deep in guilt Especially when Royal blood hath been Profanely shed no doubt a roaring sin And who doth know but the just God doth make Now Inquisition for that blood and take Due Vengeance on us for that barbarous fact The like whereto no Nation ere did act Unless those cursed Jews who crucified Their Saviour for which they still abide The wrath of God and shame of men as we For that through all the world reproached be Nor need we wonder judgment was delaid That this same Vengeance was no sooner paid If it should be for this For God is wont To call men to Repentance first he don't Suddenly punish but gives means and time That men may see and sorrow for their crime And so prevent the Plague now all the while Usurpers rul'd Our King was in exile None openly of this might speak a word Which to deluded people could afford Due Information of these hainous crimes Which past for Vertues in those cheating times But since the Throne and Pulpit too were free From Gulls Impostors and their knavery Since all men saw what ever such pretended In Self-advancement their Religion ended Since the Saints coat was pulled o're their
gladly homewards hye London is quickly fill'd Trading returns No miss or thought of those are in their urns And with the People sin returned too Unmortified by all the Plague could do This foster'd in their flight brought home again In their return bred their ensuing bane They come the same men home take the old course Whom judgments do not mend they oft make worse The Beasts God sav'd in Noah's Ark came out Beasts as they went in and some Men no doubt Have no more sense of mercy when they live While God doth others to destruction give C ham scapt among the eight in Noah's flood Yet this deliverance did not make him good He 's sav'd the World destroy'd yet when all 's done Wicked comes forth and proves a cursed son So when the Plague like to a deluge swept In London and God there a remnant kept Alive and such as to the Countrey fled A life in mercy here in safety led London replenisht once the Plagues forgot And God that sent it too the folk no jot Amended by it but the Plague is still Most in their Hearts when lest 't is in their Bill Therefore as when the Plague of Leprosie Among the Jews could no way purged be Out of their houses Gods Law did require Such houses should be burned down with fire So when the Plague of Sin could not be purg'd From out that sinful City sharply scourg'd By that of Sickness God himself in ire Burnt down their Houses with consuming fire Upon September's second day i' th' year Much talkt of Sixty six did there appear By two i' th' morning these consuming Flames Which did break out first in the Street of Thames And then blown on by a strong wind into The City what e're Art or strength could do Of men to stop or slack its fury by The Friday morning did in ruines lie The greatest part of that within the Wall And much beside of that we Suburbs call For it broke thorough Newgate and went on To Holborn-bridge and had through Ludgate gone Up Fleetstreet unto Temple-bar before Its fury stopt and did burn down no more If what without the Walls is burnt you count For that which stands within as tant'amount Even the whole City in a manner lies A ruinous heap to all spectators eyes To quench this fire men labour'd all in vain It wasting run like wild-fire in a train Then you might hear at first the doleful sound Fire fire cryed all about the City round And there you might behold with weeping eye By fire a whole Street quickly ruin'd lye Th' increasing flame mounting its spire to Heav'n Laid th' aspiring buildings with earth even There might you see the Water-Engines ply'd With toilsome hands but God success denyed They quickly broke and peoples hearts while they Behold their Houses to the flames a prey Thousands did strive to quench the fire but all Labour'd in vain the stately Structures fall Before its fury Some do water bear Others pull down such houses as are near To stop its progress but aloft it flies O're th' interval and makes a Sacrifice Of the next Mansion thence again doth hast The rest with sweeping Vengeance to lay wast No Church no Hall no House no Hospitall Can stand before it but it ruines all What will not burn it breaks with piercing heat And tumbling down with rubbish fills the street As when a field of stubble's fired and It runs like flowing billows cross the Land Blown with the wind or as when torrents fall From some steep Hills they bear before them all Stands in their way E'ven so this fire runs on And in a little time a mile hath gone Buildings of all materials you can name As stubble were before the spreading flame Which like a falling torrent swiftly flows Through London streets it comes and down all goes Which while the tired people do behold With deep astonishment their hearts grow cold Within them by this fire when thus they view The fate of old Troy light upon the new Now might you poor distressed people meet With streams of tears lamenting in each Street Were these for sin they 'd sooner quench the flames Than all the water of the River Thames Some you might see there with extreamest passion Bewail their loss as nigh to desperation Now might you see our Soveraign Lord the King Water himself unto this fire to bring I mean in mournful eyes weeping to see His Cities ruines Subjects miserie Whose sorrow was their solace as compassion To those in woe 's a kind of Consolation Nor did his tears speak pity only but By comfortable words he solace put Into distressed hearts and night and day Rode up and down from place to place to stay By all means possible the running Flame Giving forth orders look't to see the same Effectually performed ventring where Inferior persons dar'd not to come near And with his hands to labour did not spare 'T is said and to expose his life through care To save the City for a rumor slew Abroad of treachery if that be true To think I tremble in what peril then Our Soveraign was among the rout of men When any foe had opportunitie To act a not to be thought of Tragedie But praised be the King of Kings alone No hand or tongue was mov'd by anyone Against our King all joy'd and blest him when They saw his care his grief his labour then But nothing would asswage this furious fire Which all attempts to quench did raise but higher As the Smiths forge by water grows more hot When fire of water mastery hath got All limbs and spirits tired were but yet Their hopes grew lesser and the Flames more great Now faint and weary and despairing quite E're to put out the fire all in a fright Giving o're the whole City to the will Of God and fury of the Flames which still Rage more and more too soon perhaps disperse Their several wayes to save stuffe and purse As when a Town 's besieged ta'ne and sackt Their Goods away like Plunder now are packt But many whom the Flame surpris'd before Out of their Houses they remov'd their store Lost all their Goods and in one hour were some Wealthy before mere beggars now become And those who most did save and bear away Much of their Goods left to the Flames a prey Th' excessive rates of Carrs made much not worth Removal though they safe could get it forth Some hurrying what they snatcht out of the fire To the first friends they thought of when that nigher Approacht those places now with speed they were Compell'd their things away from thence to bear And the fire still pursuing them as fast Forc't them soon to a third remove in hast Thus some to shift their place were oft compell'd Who still in hopes the fire would be quell'd Would not quite leave the Town until at last All thinking the whole City it would wast No other refuge sought but
open fields Man loth at last unto Gods Judgments yields Moore-fields with piles of Goods are fill'd and there Their Owners lie abroad in th' open air Thousands who lately went secure to bed Their dainty limbs on Doun or Feather spread In stately Mansions now abroad must lie The Earth their Bed and Heav'n their Canopie And after three days toil trouble and fright Having no ease by day nor rest by night Nor leisure all this time due food to eat Now in the fields may sleep but still want meat Many who late fed on delicious fare Would now skip at a crust though brown it were But hold with horror think I now upon What 's yet forgot the sad condition Of women then in travail and such there As in this time sick weak and dying were For scarce a day revolved but you might Here there of births and deaths each day and night How many sad Benoni's now were born While lab'ring mothers through the streets are born How many frighted Parents now miscarry And travail must at home they may not tarry How many while they in the fields do lie Have pangs of Child-birth and deliverie How many dying persons now expire Breathing their last like Martyrs in the fire Their Souls like Manoah's Angel soaring on The mounting Flames to Heav'ns blest Mansion How many dead have Roman buryal there Their Houses funeral piles wherein they were Now burned and lie buried underneath The ruines of the place where seiz'd by death As when our Saviour in Judea wrought His powerful Miracles they sick folk brought On Beds and Couches to him Even so you Might see them carried forth the City now But with this diff'rence then to him they came For life and health but fly hence for the same These were the sad disasters which the ire Of Heav'n did punish sinners with by fire The Rampant Flames went on victorious still On both hands levelling up to Tower-Hill Approach't as if 't would offer an assault But there receiv'd a blow and made an halt Houses blown up by which a breach was made Prov'd the best Rampart now whereby was staid The fury of this foe and in one hour Gunpowder cool'd his courage sav'd the Tower Is Powder then the way to quench a Flame Strangely begun went on went out this same Stranger Experiment sure ne're hath bin Thus by a blast to save the Magazin But had the fire came on the Tower ta'ne How had that strong and ancient Structure lain Great Britains strength and glory in the dust For want of Ammunition then we must Yield to our foes But God blest be his Name Would not commit the Tower to the Flame Which elsewhere forward went Newgate can't hold This fire it broke the Prison and as bold As ever unto Holborn-Bridge it straid But there through mercy was its fury staid Yet still in Fleetstreet did it wander far E'ven to the Temple but God put a barre There to this lawless fire and here supprest This Tyrants raging force and sav'd the rest For which we ought with thankful hearts to raise To him some Trophies of immortal praise Now he that once gave forth his Law in Flame Would not at once destroy ours by the same Now he that saith from Truth he will not vary Gods mercy was the Temples Sanctuary Had not his mercy now a remnant spar'd Like Sodom and Gomorrah we had far'd The City for the most part ruin'd lies To Gods just vengeance a due Sacrifice But through his mercy just like a fire-brand Out of the burning pluckt the Suburbs stand Their Goods for the most part too and lives he saves Who in their houses might have found their graves But now when I reflect on what 's consum'd How many Churches are themselves inhum'd How many Hospitals are Cripples made How many lofty publick Halls are laid E'ven with the ground my quill in tears I steep My Muse sits down in dropping Verse to weep Now stately Churches in their Graves are laid Altars themselves are Sacrifices made And now old Paul a Martyr is once more And that in England which we must deplore His Temple in the firie Ocean stood Like to some Island but the raging flood Of Flames hath drown'd its glory over-turn'd This wondrous Fabrick wonder how it burn'd The School it self Ignis could not decline The Pulpit could not its own fall divine Yet falling preacht Earths glory is a trance The Organs could not pipe though the Stones dance Paul falls away in 's old age the Saint hath By strange Apostacy now broke his Faith Yet he who when he liv'd wrought many fell Not now 't is said without a Miracle His Altar Clothing Canopie remain'd Untouch't and unconsum'd when the sire reign'd O're all the rest lest some Phanaticks shall Report the bowing that way made him fall But since he now lies buried in Faith My heart hope of his Resurrection hath Where could the Doctor of the Gentiles have Than among learned Books a fitter grave Now some obscure Authors Profane Divine Are brought to light and their names made to shine Some of them said Tempus est edax rerum But this fire proves it self so and doth jeer ' um Were I Poet only no Divine I chiefly might lament the loss of Wine But I care not if it were burned all Too much of this hath made the City fall See how this fire did worldly glory jeere View the Exchange O what a change is here Now from the Steeple of the stately Bow The Bells are shot and run indeed but so That scarcely one of twelve well cast is found All are like water spilt upon the ground You that were wont to make the Ringers sweat Now are your selves in a far greater heat Ringers keep up your bells so we would man But they will fall too fast do what we can Now for the bells men wring their hands to see How the sweet Ring of Cornhil melted bee The Town 's on fire ring the bells backwards all Alas they cannot for they backwards fall For help to save themselves they cannot call How sits the City solitary who Was full of People only full of woe How like a Cottage in a Garden shows Or a storm'd Garrison sack't burnt by foes This ancient City which as stories tell Brute built when Samuel judged Israel And call'd it Troy-novant 't was ominous sure And signified Troy's fate it must endure Lud afterward rebuilt more ample made This City unto Ludgate which 't is said Deriv'd its name from his nay some averre He his name to the City did transferre And changed Troy-novant into Luds-Town Which time hath chang'd to London of renown For age yet beauty strength wealth glory scarce To be paralel'd in the Universe The ancient fear of Kings and royal place Of British Saxon Norman Scottish race And which hath hitherto by age and time Grown but more beautiful than in its prime But not without some alteration true It hath oft
like a Snake chang'd skin and hew Nor did it alwayes scape the fire before But in the Conquerours twentieth year it bore Such marks of wasting Flames as at this day The greatest part in ruines then did lay Saint Paul's which Ethelbert of Saxon men First Christian King did build was burnt down then This Erkenwald its Bishop had enlarg'd Adorn'd Enricht all which this fire discharg'd But the next year Mauritius piouslie Another Prelate of this Ancient See Laid the foundation of a far more fair Magnificent and stately Structure there Which in process of time by bounteous hand Of pious Benefactors late did stand This Nations glory others envy and Not to be paralel'd in Christian Land The boasted of fair Church of Nostre Dame In Paris might be Handmaid to this same When our St. Paul was in his pomp I trow Their Lady set by him would make no show Until the Steeples Heav'n assaulting Spire By Lightning sent from Heav'n was set on fire As if this seem'd to imitate the pride Of Babel builders whom God did deride This lofty Pyramis he burned down Which fire seis'd on Paul's roof sing'd his crown And with its smutty beams scorched his head Black't and defac't the whole Structure and made Paul look more like to such as did him mark An Ethiopian than an English Clark The marks of which he for a long time bore Nor could regain his beauty as before Till to the Land of God and his own praise The Reverend Archbishop Land did raise Paul's to its pristine glory till late times When Sacriledge Rebellion no crimes But Vertues were accounted Some mens zeal Could devour whole Cathedrals at a meal Christ's zeal for Gods House eat him up more odd Was this their zeal eat up the House of God The holy Tribe and service they cast out Brought Horses in the more beasts they no doubt Thus these Phanaticks O abominable Turned the House of God into a Stable And Reformation was there never stranger Where Altars stood to set up Rack and Manger Temple profaners must on the sacred sloore Your Horses dung What could the Turks do more The Jews indeed did less they to a Den Turned Gods Temple but it was of men Though thieves but these more brutish for the nonce Make it a den of thieves and beasts at once And by such usage Paul declin'd a pace The Souldiers gave him deep scars on his face His Walls lookt sadly and his Gates did mourn Until the late miraculous return Of King and Bishops who remov'd th' abuse And Paul's restor'd unto its pristine use And daily did re-edifie repair All parts about it which lately ruin'd were But by this raging fire which now befell The City sparing neither Church nor Cell Paul 'mong the rest into his Grave is thrown Whence we expect his Resurrection In King and Bishops to good works inclin'd We Ethelbert and Erkenwalds to find And generous Mauritus too do trust Who will redeem Paul's once more from its dust Nor do I doubt did we but lay to heart The causes of our woes by which we smart Or would this stubborn Nation but endure The means of their Recovery and Cure Th' Almighty would in mercy soon restore The City to its beauty or to more It should not long as now in ruines lie Nor noise of War our borders terrifie The killing Plague should in all places cease Our Land enjoy Prosperity and Peace Let us consider then of all our woe The Cause the Cure we shall the better know The Cause of our Calamities THE Cause of all in highest Heav'ns I seek And in our sinful bosomes which do reek With boiling lust whence sinful deeds do rise As vapours from the Earth above the Skies Ascend and make those clouds of Gods just ire Which thunder'd forth the War lightned the Fire And did on this provoking people pour Of mortal sickness a contagious showr Not for the causes meerly natural Of all these woes or means instrumental Search I but for the prime efficient And inward moving cause were our hearts rent With due contrition this we soon might spy Deep in our brests for that we must look high God is the Author and our Sins the Spring Which on us all these dreadful Plagues do bring How many Atheists in this Land do dwell Even Owles at Athens blind in Israel There is no God say some fools in their heart VVhom war nor Plague would from their Atheism start Sure by the light of the late dreadful fire They 'le see their folly and the light that 's higher How many with corporeal fancies serve That God who is all Spirit others swerve From his prescription after their own will Do worship him and are devoutly ill Many a swearing cursing miscreant As Devils upon Earth each place doth haunt And do blaspheme Gods sacred Name in spight Of all Plagues wish a Plague and take delight To tear Christs wounds afresh make him bleed Pray to be damn'd but sure they shall not need When neither war nor plague would these affright God fir'd their Houses 'bout their ears to light Them to Repentance and thus let them see An Embleme of the Worlds Catastrophe And an Epitome of that Hell Infernal In which the wicked after death must burn all How many do neglect contemn profane All holy times consecrate to God's Name And service now How is the zeal grown cold Which thronged Christian Churches so of old Scarce the tenth part will in some places come To Church but most do idley stay at home Or to Schismatical Assemblies run Or make an halt until the Pray'rs be done Of those who in our Churches do appear How few with reverence and godly fear Behave themselves some do in Taverns wast Those precious hours when here their souls should feast And one would think when such a Plague God sent All Christians now would fast pray and repent But on the Fasting days Good Lord how few Will come before thee and for mercy sue All Holy-days are mere Play-days now are made Or consecrate to drunken Baechus trade Church doors are open'd bells ring for fashion But th' Alehouse hath the greater Congregation Gods House indeed is styl'd the House of Pray'r But if no Preaching be few will come there They think 't not worth the while to call on God Even when they groan under his scourging Rod They hear and hear but never learn to do Those duties which all Preaching tendeth to Others whose lusts and sins the Word controuls Nauseate all Preaching Physick for their Souls And the seduced people whose blind eyes See not of Christ the saving mysteries Yet wholesome Chatechizing wont endure For their Souls blindness though the only cure Thus is Gods Service crucified between Two thieves like him and in his House is seen A den of thieves one sort rob of him of Pray'r The other rob their souls of his Word there And for the blessed Sacrament so full Of
ears Who for a Cloak of Villany it wears Since that vile murther hath been quite disclaim'd By a free Parliament a Fast proclaim'd Wherein the Nation annually may Humble themselves before their God and pray The guilt hereof may not lie on their head To them nor their posterity be laid Since Orthodox Divines have soundly shown How sins of others may become our own And so how many ways men guilty stand Of Royal blood before Gods bar whose hand Or heart ne're toucht it not by commission Covnsel or by abetting the transgression Only or by allowing it for good But by our not resisting it to blood Or by not mourning for 't enough or by Those sins which did provoke the Deitie So far to suffer villany to reign For woe to us to kill our Sovereign Since means and opportunities have thus Of true Repentance been afforded us The only reason of Gods Patience Yet so few shew a hearty Penitence Even among those most deeply guilty were Who where the Fast is kept will not come there But have such seared Consciences that they Keep a Thanksgiving on that Fasting-day Dwell we not stil with those whose fine tongues are More soft than Oyl yet in their hearts have War Who smoother are than Butter in their words Yet in design and wish are drawing Swords Such as pretended ever to abhorre Charles the first death and seemed zealous for The Seconds Restauration missing what In Church or State they hoped for by that Seem in their discontent to lay the train Of th' old Rebellion venturing again A second Charles his ruine rather then Their will shall not be law and they the men Shall not God visit such a Generation And be avenged on a bloody Nation And since that sinful City cannot be Excus'd from guilt of blood which was too free In contributing to the war and killing And to the Royal bloods inhumane spilling Not to the shedding of their own resisting To that which came to this too much assisting The Bodkins which the City Dames did give Our Caesar of his life help't to deprive The tumults raised there were Prologue to This tragick Act which other hands did do Since they could see their King before his Doore Murther'd by miscreants and weep no more Since blood of loyal Subjects too was shed I' th' midst of them and they scarce shook their head Since they so long supported and maintained Usurping Powers who in Rebellion raigned Under the Kingly power unruly were Yet Tyrants force so long could tamely heauen Might not for this Gods Justice lately call For those Judgments did on the City fall In David's time a Plague on Israel For what Saul did to th' Gibeonites befel How with uncleanness of all sorts defil'd Is this our sinful Land the people wild In their unbridled lusts like Horses they Are ranck each for his neighbours wife do neigh Sodomy Incest Fornication and Adultery Nay of heart tongue and hand All kind of filthiness is sadly found To be too fruitful in our English ground In Court and Camp City and Countrey we This kind of sin grown impudent do see The Nation hath the forehead of an Whore Declares her sin as Sodom and doth more When such as should in others punish it The same themselves without shame do commit Sinners are bold and do not seek to hide Their shame but all reproof thereof deride We read by Plague did many thousands die When Israel did with Moab's Daughters lie How Sodom and Gomorrah when they burn'd In lustful heat God into ashes turn'd By fire from heav'n since first our guilt and blame Hath been well might our suff'ring be the same And that same filthy City which doth lie In ruines How full of Adulterie And all uncleaness was it and as some Observ'd the Plague did most in places come And rage where this sin reign'd yet health return'd To them afresh they in their old lusts burn'd In filthiness they drove on Sodom's trade And now by fire are like Gomorrah made Yet have a remnant scap't like little Zoar For shelter unto Lot let such beware More Plagues in store for sinners still there are Thou shalt not steal saith God but O my soul How doth our Peoples practice this controul Will they not rob Yes God himself they will In Tithes and Offerings they do it still In ev'ry Parish Vicar you may see A witness of the old Church robberie Nor can we yet forget the later time When Sacriledge accounted was no crime When from the Church her Rights Revenues Lands Were pluck't away by Sacrilegious hands When some mens zeal the very Bells did melt Bullets to make their Enemies to pelt When heat of Reformation our Church Plate Coin'd into current money for the State And some mens feud with Superstition rent Each peice of Brass from dustie monument When greedy Cormorants stood gaping still For gleab and tithes even to the Goose whose quill Thanks be to God is left us yet to write The shame of those who in such theft delight And was it not Commission of transgression Against this Law to Plunder by Commission Besides their Sequestration Decimation Was there not cunning stealing in this Nation Whatever some do reckon of their sin Far lesser theives I doubt have hanged bin Now when I Fraud and Cosenage think upon Extortion Bribery and Oppression I fear almost in ev'ry way and street Go where you will each man 's a theif you meet Some on the Bench are greater theives by far Than such as stand before them at the bar Too often Law and Livings too are sold For bribes and simony now very bold Such as do sell or lend to court must stay And some years hence for expedition pay In ev'ry shop a cheating thief doth stand To cosen with fine words while by the hand He friendly shakes you In each Market Fair Each buyer finds thieves are not very rare Each brother will supplant and falsely deal Each neighbour over-reach which is to steal And I believe even to the Countreys cost The King of all men now is cheated most Whom may we trust whose word now dare we take Why do we Bonds to one another make There are we see more thieves among us then House-breakers Cut-purses and High-way men Now may I be of Jeremiah's mind And wish some quiet lodging-place to find In solitary Wilderness that so I might from such a treach'rous people go Who bend their tongues as bows for cosening lies Deceitful men whom none will trust that tries Whose tongues are arrows shot out speak deceit Utt'ring fine words to cheat they lie in wait Of such God saith Behold I 'le melt and try them Reprobate silver then to be he 'l spy them Shall I not visit for these things saith he And on such people now avenged be And as the City hath notorious been For sins of this sort justly now 't is seen Low in the dust sunk under its own weight Of Cosenage and Oppression from