Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A67513
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Modern religion and ancient loyalty a dialogue.
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Ward, Edward, 1667-1731.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing W747; ESTC R15113
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5,591
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18
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by an Inward Voice T' Obey his King not by Constraint but Choice And wade thro' Dangers to Protect the Throne Bent on his Prince's Safety heedless of his Own If you to Kings are such a Faithful Friend As your Learn'd Clergy to their Flocks pretend Why do they not my Exc'lent Use Proclaim And to the World define me what I am To some known Rules why am I not Confin'd Or why thus tost with ev'ry change of wind Tutor'd by you from Vertues School I came So place me I may always be the same For if I 'm no where fix'd I next to nothing am Religion In Times of Old when Man forsook his God And Pride and Envy scatter'd were abroad When those Iust Moralls that preserv'd our Peace Ere Kings were chose began at first to cease Ambition did the Heart of Man possess Taught him t' Insult to Conquer and Oppress And magnifie Himself by making Others Less The World encreas'd worse Quarrells still began No Beasts such Enemies as Man to Man Small were their Comforts great was their Diâ—â—ress Like Fish the Mighter pray'd upon the Less These Cruel Ills and sad Disorders brought Desire of Kings into the People's Thought That by his prudent Rule might be Appeas'd Those dire Confusions which Themselves had Rais'd To Laws most fit they both Subscrib'd Consent To preserve Iustice and Abuse prevent And on this Basis built their Regal Government Thus did the Suff'rings of Vâ—polish'd Man Make the Wild Heard for Kingly-Pow'r complain From their own Ills they might proteâ—ted be And dread no more each others Enmity Thus chang'd for Humane Safety Savage Liberty With glad Submission they the Laws Obey'd The Laws their Ruler and Themselves had made Then Prince and Priest in Friendly Vnion joyn'd The Crowd with Ioy some Native Rights resign'd By crafty Dreams and Inspiration led What 's first their Choice was then their Duty made The Lord Commands you now to bow your Stubborn Head Then was that Bond call'd Loyalty contriv'd From hence your Ancient Pedigree's deriv'd At first the People did on Terms agree Protect Vs we 'll Your Faithful Subjects be But if you like the Crane exert your Power Make us your Slaves and us poor Frogs Devour The King 's Dissolv'd when you our Lives Betray And we are bound no longer to Obey If he Destroys those Rights he should preserve Subjects may Iustly from their Duty swerve If he 's a Tyrant Faithless and Vnjust He Forfeits when he Falsifies his Trust. All Obligations on the Peoples side Are by his breach of Covenant made void When led by Vice he ceases to maintain Iustice the Law of Heaven has made it plain He has no longer any Right to Reign Then what is Loyalty that hide-bound thing That does to Misery all such Bigots bring Who when the Pow'r is lost pursue the Name of King So the fond Cur when his kind Master Dies Pines o'er the Grave where his dead Sov'reign Lies Expecting ev'ry Moment he again will Rise Into like Errours you your Friends betray And lead them as a Will i' th' Wisp astray To wander in great Danger from the beaten Way You ought to bind the Subject to the Throne With due respect to Him who iustly Rules thereon If you direct t'wards Persons wrong 's your Aim For they may Change But still the Pow'rs the same Which is from Heav'n deriv'd and Pow'r alone Confirms the Right of him that Guides the Throne And when that Pow'r by want of Conduct's lost The King 's Dissolv'd that can't Maintain his Post. Thus if the the Prince beyond the Laws has Err'd Subjects Allegiance may be then Transfer'd To that Great Mind whose Wise Capacious Soul Hath rais'd him to be next most fit to Rule Or if thro' Weakness or Imprudence grown Too Tame to do the Iustice of the Throne How can the People rest on his Protection Then who so e'er intrudes with Greater Might And shall divest him of his Sov'reign Right If to his Government the Land agree By greater Pow'r has greater Right than he If so than you are False and should Comply With him that bears the Soveraignity And Teach your Misled Followers to bring Obedient Hearts as the best Offering Not to the Person only but the Pow'r of king Loyalty From my old Friend what Doctrine do I hear In what strange Monstrous Shapes do you appear In a few Years how you have chang'd your Text And show'd your self too Fickle to be Fix't The Ancient Purity you once might Boast In Int'rest Pride and Flatt'ry now is Lost. And all your Glories which appear'd so bright And Dazling Shone by Faith and Reasons Light Look Dim as if Eclips'd by Sinful Pleasures Night When Priests were nearer much to Heav'n Allied And Grace and Truth their Doctrines Beautified Teaching in gross with Pains the Peoples Good And they the same with Innocence pursu'd Then was I Great in each Goods Mans Esteem And only then Shin'd Bright the Diadem When Kings as Gods Vicegerents were Allow'd Not Chosen by the Blind and Partial Crowd But held too Sacred to be Bound in Bands Or be Defil'd by th' Multitudes Rude Hands But by a Right Divine the Scepter Swai'd And all thus Taught the God-like Man Obey'd Then Led by Grace your Sable Tribe were bent To lengthen out the Reins of Government Passive Obedience was the Prophets Dream And Non Resistance was the Preachers Theme Into these Yoakes the People you Betray'd Till Gall'd them with the Rig'rous Chains you made Who but your selves Advanc'd this Airy Thought Call'd Duty Then tho' Now as Slav'ry Taught Thus what you once Upheld you now Crush down To Faiths Contempt and Scandal to the Gown If they are Useful Truths which once you Teach Why not continue still the same to Preach And if false Principles why then Maintain What now you hold so Dangerously Vain T' Assert what 's False or Truth Condemn's a Crime For Each are still the same at every Time Be 't Right or Wrong you still incur a Blame Yours was the Errour and to You the Shame No Various Constitutions can excuse Such Shists and Turns your Unfix'd Clergy use To Heav'ns Dishonour and the Worlds Abuse If they like Shuttle-cocks Fly too and fro How shall Mankind their Faith or Duty Know If the True Light must Kindle and Expire As th' Int'rest of the Prince or Priest require Who then would Rashly with the Church Believe Or Pin his Faith upon the Prophets Sleeve Religion sure the Wise would lay aside And choose Dim Reason as the Surer Guide Since fatal Turns and Changes now Devide Those happy Links in which we once were ty'd And we in Sov'reign Pow'r thus disagree Thro' our old Christial Law I 'll let you see What you once Taught and I now hold a King to be In Chearful Straines these Joyful Truths I Sing Sacred's the Royal Person of the King By th' Laws allow'd to be alone Supreme And holds of his Own Right the Diadem A Monarch and Subordinate to none Accountable on Earth to God alone Immovably United to the Throne As Heav'n it self whose only Law is Will Head of all Pow'r can therefore do no Ill. So Kings in their own Kingdoms are the same Can do no Wrong and so Incur no Blame Judges and Counsellors being chosen free T' Advise Determine and if Faults their be Thay skreen the Prince from all Rebellious Calumny The Laws by the Three States in Union made Joyn'd or apart the Sov'reign's still the Head Have rendred Plainly and beyond Dispute The Throne from all Coercion Absolute The Laws Divine with Humane Laws accord For Touch not my Anointed says the Lord Which proves that whatsoever Princes do It 's still the Subjects Duty to be True And Render unto Caesar what 's his Due These Pious Doctrines Long did you Maintain These Truths first bred me in the Heart of Man Then was I Doted on by ev'ry Priest Tho'now become each Cocks-comb common Jest Over Smooth Tongues from Pulpit did I Glide And in each Subjects Mind Triumphant Ride Became the Christians Duty and the States-mans Pride The Soldiers Honour and the Clergies Fame The Kingdoms Safety and the Rebells Shame The Lawyers Argument the Poet's Theme The Young Mans Glory and the Old Mans Dream The Prince's Pleasure and the Peoples Joy God Save the King the Pray'r of ev'ry Boy These Epethites your Clergy once could give And Preach'd and Pray'd I might for ever Live Approv'd me as a Virtue fit to Reign And bear Dominion in the Hearts of Men. But that Church Wind that Aided in my flight And rais'd me up to such a Tott'ring hight By Saints strong Bellows from the Pulpit-blown Be'ng turn'd against me brought me tumbling down Where Buri'd in Contempt my Fate I Mourn Till Rais'd again to serve some Holy Turn So the Lame Patient when he 's eas'd of Pain Slights his old Wounds and does the Salve disdain But when it Smarts is glad to use the like again FINIS