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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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Modern Religion AND Ancient Loyalty A DIALOGUE LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. Modern Religion AND Ancient Loyalty A DIALOGUE Loyalty WHAT black Decree of Over-ruling Fate Ordains me thus Unfortunate of Late Who once made Nations Happy and their Princes Great The People's Safety and the Throne 's Delight Religion's only Darling Favourite Whose holy Priests assisted at my Birth Nurs'd me as Vertue and proclaim'd my Worth Thro' all the Christian Kingdoms of the Earth Where long as Monarch of the Heart I Reign'd By all Approv'd and by the Church Maintain'd To me their Love I gratefully repaid And Nations where I dwelt I easie made Preserv'd the Subjects Duty to the Crown And made the People and the Prince but One. I all things in a happy Medium steer'd Clad in Bright Innocence unstain'd appear'd Beloy'd by all Good Mâ—â— by none but Râ—bels fear'd But now alas by some prevailing Chance That sprang from Int'rest Pride or Ignorance Or some Rebellious Seeds that Lurk unseen Within the Hearts of blind mistaken Men Am I Abandon'd Slighted and Despis'd And from my Milk-white Robes in Rags Disguis'd Thrust out of Country City Church and Court And Fooâ— Baâ—-like become the Publick Sport Corrupted thus they all conspire my Doom And raise inglorious Int'rest in my room Int'rest that oft Contaminates the Saint And makes the Knave in holy Language Cant. Int'rest that first taught Innocence to sin And bribes the Heart to let Corruption in Int'rest that over All bears Sov'reign Sway Makes the Friend faithful and the Rogue betray The Soldier hazzard Life and the Great Man Obey Tell me Religion Why do your Teachers suffer me to Fall Once so Upheld but now the Scorn of all Excluded from your Pulpits and betray'd By your Revolving Priests am Odious made What was your Doctrine once why do you now Evade Religion Faction Prevailes and does too Pow'rful grow You see I 'm brought by Tolleration Low How can You hope by Me to be Advanc'd Since I my Self am thus Discountenanc'd My spurning Foes on ev'ry side Aspire I Lose my Pow'r They Gain what they Desire How then can I Reduc'd by their Designs Promote Your Int'rest when my Own Declines No more can I Redress thy Present State Than Falling Princes make their Favourites Great The Growing Factions thy Obedience blame And call thee but an Empty Sound a Name They think thee Giddiness a Church-Disease And Tumble and Transfer thee as they please Thou canst expect no Favour in an Age Where Truth is hiss'd from off the Publick Stage And Vertue hides her Head whilst Pride and Envy rage Thy hateful Strictness would my Followers Fright Who brand thee with the Name of Jacobite Tho' known to all Opinions few apply thee right When Both Acknowledg'd One Supreme Command Like Faithfull Friends we then walk'd Hand in Hand But since the Pow'r of Heaven has chang'd the Scene By Notions False you have Misguided been And thro' Erroneous Principles Dissent From Me and Heav'ns Appointed Government In Your Behalf how can my Clergy Plead If you deny Submission to my Head And think your self Vnalterably Bound To the meer Name of King wherein no Pow'r is found Whilst you Refuse your stubborn Neck to Bow T' Authority both Church and Laws allow And like a Treacherous Gâ—ide betray the Blind To Grope for Treasure which they ne'er can find To all my Priesthood Odious wilt thou be And canst no Aid expect from Them or Me. We Yield Allegiance to the Sov'reign Sway Who heav'n Anoints Religion must Obey Till you Submit you can no Longer Bind The Free-born Subject won't be so confin'd And if they be when once they 've Broke the Chain Like Bears 't is hard to Fetter them again They 'll hazzard All to set their Minds but Free So highly do they prize their Liberty That darling Object of the Peoples Love The only Spring that does the Publick move The Peasant's Comfort and the Rich-man's Care The Crown of Peace and common Cause of War A Kingdom 's Pride Strength Safety and Delight The Monarch's Duty and the Subject's Right A Pleasing Bliss the dullest Lump desires The only Native Good that all Mankind Admires But You an Adamantine Yoke design'd Attempting by a Lawless Force to Bind And make Allegiance such a Fatal Chain That cannot must not be dissolv'd by Man How can such High-flown Loyalty agree With Bounded Pow'r and Native Libertie For if Obedience be the Subjects part When Kings an Arbitrary Pow'r exert What Lawful Fence or Bulwark can there be The People to secure from Slaverie What Rights or Freedoms can a Nation boast But what may be by Sov'reign Pow'r ingrost What Law can Hinder or what Curb Restrain The wild Ambition of a Vitious Man All at a Tyrants Mercy then must be Religion Life Estate and Libertie The People all are Slaves none but the Monarch Free Besides Submission of the Whole implies Consent And Absolute Confirms the Government If you Bear Wrongs and may Prevent the same Who but the Sufferers shall Deserve the Blame Such Passive Tameness when you 've Pow'r to Nil Concludes you as a Partner in the Ill. The Patient Bigot who Resigns his Rights In Duty to a Tyrants Will Submits Against the Publick Good and Safety Errs And basely Does more Injury than he Bears Thus by degrees Intails a Slavery And Gains the Curses of Posterity These are the sad Effects of too strict Loyalty From hence you 're term'd a musty Roman Cheat Allmost Exploded and grown Obsolete As far as You the Nations Rights Secure And Bind Allegiance to the King in Pow'r Such Loyalty I Hold and such Maintain Whose Chain 's no longer than a Prince's Reign But such Deny as cannot be Remov'd When Iust the Cause and by the States Approv'd If such Exploded Tenets you Defend I 'm no more Yours than You the Kingdom 's Friend Loyalty Too Well alas Grave Guide you know the Cause Made me Aspire and Tow'r Above the Laws Your Frenzy Rais'd me to a Heighth too Great From whence I Sunk to this Dejected State Unlawfull Greatness in Contempt oft Ends A sudden Fall too quick a Rise Attends And when Beneath the Publick Scorn I lay Thus left You Steer'd your Course another way So the Rich Churl from all Misfortunes free Proudly Shuns Others in Adversitie First by your Priesthood was I made too Great Preach'd up as the Main Prop of Church and Sate Enjoyn'd on all as Monarchies best Friend On whom the Throne and Nation 's Peace depend As spotless Vertue in the Church receiv'd Taught as sound Doctrine and as such Believ'd Thus did your Clergy blaze my Fame 'T was I first Tam'd the Brutal Rage of Man In me alone Obedience first began I was the Reins to which the Curb is ty'd By which Great Men their Lesser Agents guide The Soldier I with Noble Warmth Inspire True Loyalty the Chillest Thoughts could Fire And turn by force of Duty Fear into Desire I taught the Subject
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