as the vilest Schismaticks But that 's not all my Children more refin'd From those corruptions do afflict my mind Oh depths of sorrow that disturb my rest Oh racking grief that rends my woful Breast Some are so carnal some so swiftly hurl'd Into the Lab'â—inths of th' inticing World That in the hurries of that crouded Road They find small leisure to attend their God Preferring filthy gain and ill-got wealth Before the means of their Eternal health Some that in words respect me I behold In that sad posture betwixt hot and cold Sometimes they seem for sanctity sometimes Slide with the current of prevailing crimes Their Pulses beat with an alternate motion Now foâ— the world then for some faint devotion Some â—hat unto my Tabernacle were Admitted left me for Egyptians fare These not content with my Celestial Diet Do run with others to excess of Riot Some to be popular away would give Those Gospel-duties that are positive From such as these my sorrows do increase That sell Gods order for a seeming peace Allow such gaps as do pervert the Laws Of my just Right and well-defended Cause But O! how many easy Christians take Their rest in forms and no distinction make 'Twixt shell and kernel that rely on Duty As if it were the sole adorning Beauty Such give the Lord the more invalid part Present their Bodies but deny their Heart Are not some Pastors careless to provide A Word in Season for the Flocks they guide Some are too backward to supply the need Of painful Lab'rers that their Souls do feed Discourag'd by close-fisted Avarice Despis'd neglected through this Hellish Vice. My Workmen languish and have cause of moan To see their toyl so ineffectual grown The most pathetick Preaching scarce can move Some Rocky hearers to the Grace of Love. Must hag-fac'd Envy and foul-tongu'd Detraction Invenom'd Malice and unfaithful Action Ill grounded Slander and uncertain Rumors Backbiting Quarrels and the worst of Humors Be practic'd thus Ah grief of griefs to see Professing people act iniquity To such a pitch some Husbands and some Wives Do lead such shameful such unsavoury Lives Whilst mutually at strife they do impeach That name that should be very dear to each â—uch pride such churlish reprehension For every toy such sharpness and contention As does disgrace Religion and does lay Blocks and offences in a Converts way Ah! why can 't we in Families eschew That which meer Heathens are asham'd to do Their Houses are the Scene of Civil Wars Of Brawls of Discord and Domestick Jars In Grace or Comfort can they find increase Or Heavenly Blessings who are void of peace How oft do Parents ill Example draw Their tender Children to infringe the Law And Sanctions of the Everlasting God Do they not spoil them when they spare the Rod To strange Extreams some Parents do adhere Check not at all or else are too severe On Back and Belly they bestow much cost But care not if their precious Souls be lost Are they not guilty of prodigious folly That teach them Courtship and neglect what 's holy A Child untutor'd a meer lump of sin May justly curse its cause of having been Such as instruct do doubly them beget By timely Lessons lab'ring to defeat Their growth in ill such cure their better part By wise prevention of a canker'd Heart Oh! then 's the time to give 'em Form and Mold For Trees admit no bending that are old Who timely sow such Seed they would have grow Will surely reap according as they sow Some like the Ape that does by hugging kill Prompt on a Child to tip his Tongue with ill In his first prattle but it is less pain To form good habits than reform the vain On th' other hand how many Children do Prove vain rebellious disobedient to Their godly Parents slight their careful teaching Make sport of Prayer and a mock of Preaching Contempt of Parents of what kind so e're Contracts a bitter curse which every where Will find them out But Oh my akeing Soul Beats sad Alarms of grief I must condole The dismal Fate of Youth alas how few The ways of God and holiness pursue But very eager to obey the Devil In quickly Learning every reigning evil Here you may see if you survey the Nation Our youth grown old in vile Abomination Such early Graduates in the Hellish Science Setting both Heaven and Hell at loud defiance Let Grace and Vertue grovel in the dust Their Youth and Strength they 'l Sacrifice to Lust That Sacred Precept in the Word of Truth To mind their Maker in the days of Youth They scorn to heed Ah Fools that would begin Conversion when they can no longer Sin But know preposterous Souls the day of Doom That dreadful Audit of Accounts will come How dare you run this vile career till Death Like a grim Serjeant comes t arrest your Breath When your Tongues faulter and your Eye strings crack When stings of horror do your Conscience rack When Hells Abyss sets ope its spacious Gate And Troops of Devils round about you wait When nought but horror and confusion seizes Upon your Sences when those foul Diseases You got by vile Debauches have at length Destroy'd your Persons and subdu'd your Strength â—s this a Season to detest your Leudness To talk of Vertue or pretend to Goodness Egregious Fools how dare you to delay Your Souls Affairs to that uncertain day Oh! can you trust so grand a work to that Moment of anguish when you know not what When sound your end will be nor yet how soon Though brisk at Morning you may die ere Noon And if unchang'd your certain doom will be To lye in Hell to all Eternity Sion's Children O dismal state O miserable case Enough to daunt all that are void of grace And crush the bragging of the stoutest mind But are there still more grievances behind Sion Still more behind O that there were no more Since they 'r too many that I 've told before Masters and Servants Kings and Subjects err In their Relation does not each prefer Base selfish Ends to gratifie a Lust Before what 's honest and supreamly just Sion's Friend Thus thus I 'm sure it was that year when I Publisht that Book of Sion's Misery For King and People strangely were misled And the curst Popish Plot near smothered And many other horrid shameless crimes I' th' Land were perpetrated in those times But I 'll have done Dread Matron pray declare What th' other Motives of your sorrows are Sion Ah! how much time by Christians is spent In fruitless idle talk how negligent In holy conference strange to each other How dull is each to quicken up his Brother In Gospel-duties O! how few do nourish That Love and Zeal which heretofore did flourish A Love whose flaming heat and gen'rous rays Repleat with Spirit fam'd the former days Pious discourses may reclaim the vile But they are hardn'd in their sins the while Christians converse like
But save their Husbands lives for Jesus sake â—t being plain most of those who were there Designed well though taken in a snare But with what rage did he upon them fall Swearing He 'd make examples of 'um all Cry'd On that Sign-pâ—st take and hang them up The Rogues shall all taste of this bitter Cup Whereby this bloody Wretch destroyed more In a few Weeks than Bonner did before In full three years many as faithful men As suffered by Popish fury then He hang'd 'um up by two by three by seven Whose Blood aloud for vengeance cries to Heav'n Their Bodies likewise cut to pieces were Their Quarters hang'd o' th' Hedges here and there Their Flesh was given to be Meat for Crows And all because they Antichrist oppose And were resolv'd never to bend the Knee To Images nor turn to Popery Nor ever Slaves or Vassals to become Unto the Pope and Scarlet Whore of Rome Whom Christ commands his Saints so to reward As she has done to them in 's Holy Word Their ends were right but they mistook their call And therefore God did suffer them to fall They did disdain those Yokes with generous scorn Which were by other servile Spirits born ' They saw the threatning Storm approach from far ' Fearing a thousand mischiefs worse than War ' And therefore rushing on th' impetuous waves ' Would rather die like Men than live like Slaves 'To save Me and the Land they bravely try'd ' Fail'd in th' attempt and then as bravely dy'd ' In vain would envious Clouds their Fame obscure ' Which to Eternal Ages shall endure ' If ill designs some to the Battel drew ' Must all be scandalized for a few ' If fawning Traytors in their Councils sate ' 'T is base to mock rather lament their Fate ' Though Heav'n for England's Sins refuse to bless ' Their great Design with the desir'd success ' 'T is an unequal brutish Argument ' Always to judge the cause by the event ' Thus the unthinking giddy multitude ' An Innocent may Criminal conclude But woe to those who in cold Blood did kill And thereby did their own revenge fulfil The High-ways like a Slaughter-house became Or bloody Shambles to their Enemies shame What multitudes of men did they destroy And hang on Trees which did so much annoy The People round about it made them cry O Lord defend us from Rome ' s cruelty But this Relation gives me little ease I must some other way seek to appease My overflowing Passion therefore I Some of those Hero's Names cannot pass by Until I drop some tears upon their Hearse That the next Age may mourn for them in Verse Brave Colonel Holmes Wise Valiant and Sincere Who didst to Sion true affection bear Thy worthy Name shall not forgotten be But shall recorded be in History To after Ages nor can thy Arrears Be duly paid without a Flood of tears Great Soul thy Life thou seemedst to despise Rather than ask it of thine Enemies Much less didst thou in any sort incline Others to charge to save that Life of thine How didst thou grieve and publickly bewail Thy undertaking should so strangely fail But yet Prophetically didst Divine It would revive again in little time Though by what means it brought about should be It was impossible thou couldst then fore-see And thy Prediction now is come to pass Though by thy Foes it then contemned was And now the sad Spectators wondring saw The Horses long refuse the Sledge to draw The poor dumb Beasts by Heavens Instinct are Made sharp Reprovers whilst the lash they bear And seem to say These men are innocent They must not die God will not give consent And therefore he doth strangely us restrain From drawing them though lasht and lasht again What other voice there was I cannot see In this amazing wondrous Prodigy Yet all these warnings from the Foe are hid For dye they must and dye they also did Although on foot to slaughter they must drudge To gratifie a most Tyrannical Judge Nor did the Gallant Father fall alone He in the Cause lost a Religious Son. Poor Captain Holmes few young men like to thee Did hazard all to set their Countrey free From Rome's curst Yoke and cruel Slavery The next Great Worthy 'mongst the vanquisht Host Which in that hour of darkness I have lost A Preacher was indu'd with Holy Art Who did dissolve the Stone in many a Heart His name was Lark O come my Children now Pay him those tears which he laid out for you Ah! must he fall by Fate Ah! must he yield His Life up too but why not in the Field Must Sampson fall by the Philistines hand Who from their Bondage strove to save the Land Well! by thy death thou hast prevailed so Thou hastenedst their utter overthrow And yet I cannot but lament to think Of what a bitter Cup thy Flock do drink My loss of thee is more than loss of Ten Though they might be sober Religious men When Death thus with his hands lays hold upon The Pillars of the House the Building 's gone Unless God in his Mercy instantly Raise others up their places to supply But Ah! how many dye how few appear Them to succeed and their great weight to bear In Jesus Christ's own Harvest in this Nation which now seems white there 's cause of Lamentation A Chariot and an Horseman I have lost But he 's above incampt i' th' Heavenly Host. Have you not seen an early rising Lark Mounting aloft making the Sun her mark Lo here 's a Lark that soar'd up higher higher Till he had sung himself into Heav'ns Quire. From Earth to Heaven he went and in a trice His Soul ascended into Paradice Now stop mine Eyes for fear your Floods should fail And I want tears for all I must bewail But yet I need not doubt Springs I espy Yea Fountains which will give a fresh supply For two young Plants who both sprang from one Stem Belov'd of God I hope as well as men Dear Hewlins of what use might you have been If you to spare th' Almighty good had seen What cruel Tyrants had we lately here That two such tender Branches would not spare But when I think of Grace that they had store And with what patience they their Sufferings bore It gives such comfort I can weep no more What Testimony did they leave behind Of that sweet joy which they in Christ did find When wicked men all pity do deny Our Saviour to compassion's moâ—'d thereby And doubtless they are plac't in that High Sphere Where th' Spirits of Just Men Triumphant are Ah me Alas what means this Sea of Blood Oh! See see see it breaks forth like a Flood Must Walcot Bateman Ayliff Ansly too Be all forgot are no sighs to them due No no that must not be I 'm drencht in tears To hear this cry of Blood sound in mine Ears But lo another Stream issues amain My sinking
more some less As was their Pride Rebellion Wickedness Judge Thou graceless Wretch thou art berest of shame How dar'st thou thus deny thy proper name Christ's Church his Members never did annoy Nor Persecute and Millions thus destroy 'T is to no purpose for thee to dispute For all thy Forgeries I can confute I am thy Judge and never will pass by Thy horrid acts and Bloody Villany The time 's at hand when I 'le fullfil my word And in just fury draw my glittering Sword My frown shall make thy proud foundation quake And all the Pillars of thy House I 'le shake Dost think because I did forbear so long That I will not revenge my Childrens wrong What I resolve to do or will command No Pope nor Devil ever can withstand He that presum'd great Monarchs to depose Shall soon be tumbled down by some of those Whom he so crusht from Hell he did ascend And thither shall be flung down in the end He 'l surely fall and never rise again The hope thou hast of him is therefore vain There 's no recalling of the Sentence gone Thy Execution day approaches on Truth Most glorious Judge since this bold Whore denies Her filthy lewdness and Adulteries Let me but prove it and proclaim her shame 'T is known that I a faithful VVitness am It has been Evidenc'd by Vision clear That some strange Monster should on Earth appear Which by imperfect views did first amaze Sagacious minds when they on it did gaze Which made mens Judgments to divide asunder To see an object of unusual wonder A Woman City And a Scarlet Whore The like on Earth was never seen before A VVoman in her pompous glory drest And sitting on a monstrous horned Bâ—ast Who is decyphered by Prodigious things His very Horns explain'd are Crowned Kings And then this mighty VVonder to compleat She 's placed on a seven hilled Seat She 's stil'd a VVoman and a VVhore because She once submitted to Enacted Laws As other VVomen do when they do wed A Husband and enjoy a Marriage Bed And who this Woman is shall now be known Her proper title is Great Babylon VVho in great Pomp and Royal State doth ride Excelling haughty Jezebel in pride VVho in our Modern times hath boasting been That she rules all Men as a Mighty Queen Trampling on Kings and Crowned Potentates Commanding Kingdoms Common-wealths and States Requiring Subjects blindly to obey Pressing the Beast and Horns to Kill and Slay At such a rate as that all Christendom Like Butchers bloudy Shambles are become If by this mark she is not understood Neither by Garb Beast Actions or by Blood To other ways of proof I 'le quickly come And shew this Whore to be the Church of Rome The Woman which th' Apostle John beheld Arayed in Purple and in Pomp upheld By that Blasphemous Scarlet-colour'd Beast That was with Gold and Stones of value drest Holding a cup full of abominations And black pollutions of her fornications That with great Kings Adultery commits And on a sev'n-hill'd Habitation sits The holy Angel of the Lord explains That 't is the City which so proudly reigns Over the Kings of th' Earth but all these notes And what besides the blessed Spirit quotes With Papal Rome exactly do agree She therefore must this bloudy Strumpet be If all the marks of this great Whore are given Will not meet any where so plain and even As on the Church and People I did name Then certainly she is the very same For it is evident that there is none May be so fitly stiled Babylon 'T was she that took the Word of God away And by a string of Beads taught men to pray She rob'd the Laity of the blessed Cup And spoil'd the Feast where Children came to sup At the Lords Table where they us'd to mind The blessed things their Saviour left behind She did set up her superstitious Mass As rank an Idol as yet ever was Commanding adoration to be given Of equal honour with the God of Heaven Imposing Vows unwarranted Traditions Implicit Faith and thousand superstitions Pretended Miracles apparent Lies Damnable Errors and fond Fopperies She clogs the Conscience and to make all well Boasts all her dictates are infallible Did Babylon the burning work begin Make a hot furnace Thrust Gods Worthies in This Church herein hath driven such a trade That thousands broiling Martyrs she hath made She sets the Pope above the Holy One The great Jehovah and his blessed Son. T is she declares him Universal Head 'T is she forbids the Bible to be read 'T is she that first did from the Faith depart 'T is she that wounded Sion to the Heart 'T is she hath been the occasion of all evil 'T is she advanc'd the Doctrine of the Devil 'T is she that taught her Sons to swear and lie To vouch great falshoods and plain truths deny 'T is she that did forbid the Marriage Bed Whilst her vile Clergy such ill Lives have led Was it not she that Canon did create Commanding People to abstain from Meat Which God gave licence unto all to eat That all may know we do to Rome no wrong A little Book will publish'd be ere long That will make it most evident and clear That only Papal Rome's intended here If from this charge she can her self defend Then may she make the Judg and Law her friend Or if she can produce another Tribe To whom we may this Character ascribe VVith greater clearness than we do to her VVe will consent her sentence to defer Judge Rome since thou canst not make a fair Defence And shew to all the VVorld thine Innocence 'T is very evident that all these things Have been fulfilled on Kingdoms and their Kings And now if there no other people be That did the like then thou alone art she Let thy denials trouble men no more Thou only art the bloudy Scarlet Whore Therefore in Justice I at length am come Being Long provokt to pass thy final Doom The Sentence ROME Thou hast been indicted by the Name of Mystery Babylon Mother of Harlots Scarlet-coloured Whore False Church and Pretended Spouse of Jesus Christ and thou art found Guilty of all the Horrid and Prodigious Crimes following That thou didst Apostatize from the Holy Religion of God and his Son Jesus Christ and didst advance the Pope or Man of Sin and hast Sacrilegiously attributed and given to him those Names and Titles which belong only to God and the Great Erâ—aâ—â—el magnifying his Decrees in wicked Council above the Laws of God and hast made void the Laws and Constitutions of the Gospel making the Church National and forming whole Kingdoms into one Universal Church Thou hast insinuated thy self into the Courts of the Emperors Kings and Princes of the Earth perswading them to commâ—t Fornication and Idolatry with thâ—e to the utter Râ—in and Destruction of many of them as well as of several Peers Noblemen others of all Ranks and Degrees
them and rather learn Their vicious tricks than teach them to discern The dismal snares and perils that do lurk In sinful words and every evil work Some are so covetous that they would grasp The World in Arm-fulls till their latest gasp â—ome full of Envy others do express Their Lust on dainties feeding to Excess 〈◊〉 nice and delicate in choice of Meat Whilst their poor Brethren scarce have Bread to eat Merchants and Traders have a nimble Art â—o sum their Shop-books but neglect the He art â—or that they think there 's time enough and look But seldom to the Reck'nings of that Book How many come for fashion sake to hear What one receives goes out at t'other Ear How many loyter in their Christian Race â—rofusely squandering the day of Grace Many like Drones on others toyl do live Though ' t is less honour to receive than give What Lying Cheating Couz'ning and Deceit Do Traders use Oh! how they over-rate What they would sell but if they be to buy They under-value each commodity But why should Pride that vile Abomination Be found in Christians must each Apish Fashion Bewitch their Minds when God is so Express In strict forbidding of so vile a Dress Prayer that sacred Ordinance that holds An intercourse with Heaven which beholds The Fathers Glory and on high does mount Is made by many but of small account 'T is that which carries our desires to God And comes down fraighted with a blessed load Of sweet returns yet 't is much disrespected And Closet Prayer too too much neglected Scriptures themselves are slighted and disus'd And oft when read perverted or abus'd Helping the weak is turn'd into its slighting Gospel-reproofs perverted to Backbiting Many that do of God his Mercy crave Yet on the needy little Mercy have They own they 've Blessings from the God of Love Yet too too many do unthankful prove Some follow whimsies that do nearly border Upon confusion and despise all order Such on all sacred Institutions trample Though fortify'd by Precept and Example As if 't were low for an exalted mind To be to Gods declared will confin'd But can these men of Rapture make pretence That they have more Divine intelligence Than all th' illustrious Saints as Prophets Priests Apostles Martyrs and Evangelists That were the Scribes and Messengers of Heaven And strictly practic'd all the Duties given Unto the Church which are without repeal But if they 're disanul'd who did reveal Their Abrogation to these bold pretenders Gods Laws are sound and need no humane menders But Oh! that dismal evil that 's behind Disturbs my Reason and distracts my Mind It is Division that unhappy word Has done more mischief than a Popish Sword Could ever do Oh! that a sweet Communion At least of Love did but compleat our Union Why should licentious heat my Childern hurry To those Extreams must they each other worry For trivial things do they not all agree In fundamentals of Divinity Is there no room for Love or must that grace Among my Children have no proper place Why is one Christian angry with his Brother If not so tall as he or with another Because his face is not so white as his Or that his habit not so gawdy is Alas no folly can be more absurd Nor more exploded in Gods holy word All should to Gospel-purity adhere But to calumniate vilifie and jeer All such as are not of their very pitch Is Anti-gospel and a practice which The Lord abhors If causes of Dissent Evert not Truth nor shake the Fundament Of true Religion why such angry bawling Suck odious nick-names and such vile miscalling Who dares intrude into the Judgment-seat Of God Almighty who is only great And only judgment gives to him belongs To pass the sentence and to punish wrongs Why cannot Christians with each other bear Among Apostles some dissentions were But did they therefore Persecute each other These Mortal conflicts Brother against Brother Destroy our safety for they set a gap Open for Rome that would us all intrap In fatal snares their Maxim is we know Divide and rule distract and overthrow Their crafty Agents do creep in among Our heedless parties and divide the throng That with more ease they may us all devour Destroy our Nation and subvert our Power Why therefore do not Protestants agree As one against the common Enemy Who waits with bloody hand t' involve 'em all In one destruction Epidemical Sion's Children Ah Mother who can remedy your grief For this Disease admits of no relief Sion Of no relief O then my Heart must break Unless my Sons their Mothers counsel take Which will those fatal flaming heats allay Obstruct their growth and take 'em clear away Oh! can a Mothers tears and woful cries Be disregarded in her Childrens Eyes Can English Protestants who do profess To serve one God in truth and holiness Slight all my wishes and requests despise Oh! hearken to my counsel and be wise Let wrathful Pride and foolish Self-conceit Let Quibbles and Sophistical Deceit Be quite exploded let a cool debate All Fundamentals of Religion state 〈◊〉 such you all will certainly agree Oh happy Model of sweet Unity Let none that to those Principles do stick Be branded with the name of Heretick It glads my Heart to hear 'em treat each other By that sweet title of a Christian Brother Next if you would not Charity explode Abuse the guiltless and affront your God Judge not your Brethren at a distance neither Give easy Credit to the Tales of either Hot-headed Scriblers or Licentious tongues That often load the Innocent with wrongs So hellish Monks did serve Wald ensian Saints With horrid Clamour and unjust Complaints So Popish Impudence spews out its Gall To make us odious and bespatter all The Reformation Sure that cause is bad Whose chief support from Railing must be had If giddy Rumour or uncertain Fame Should raise a slander on your brothers name Repair to him and in converse you 'll see Whether he guilty or not guilty be If he be faulty tell him of his sin Be Mild and Secret and you may him win Admonish Gently let your whole discourse Be full of Savour love and Scripture force This is the way to bring him to a sence And Gods prescribed Method to convince But if you fail then leave him to his God Who can reform or punish with a Rod. Your work is done you have discharg'd the part Of Friend of Brother of a Christian heart Before Belief examine what is vented Good men by Malice may be represented In Monstrous Shapes Some that to God are dear Hatred will paint like a Mishapen Bear Believe not therefore distant imputation No censure 's just before Examination In all Debate 's be sure to lay aside All prejudice and let the Scriptures guide Your calm sedate disputes let truth be scan'd VVith cool resolves O! Let that great Command Of Love take place for that should moderate All Eager Sallies in