Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A63058
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A pastoral dialogue a poem.
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Tate, Nahum, 1652-1715.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing T202A; ESTC R28192
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12,358
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34
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and Peace by cutting Throats That Faith to plant does Charity disband And break for doubtful Truths a clear Command Since first this Pest the Christian World annoy'd Since Persecuting Pow'r the Church enjoy'd Zeal marr'd Religion Creeds the Faith destroy'd PALÆMON. Where Rome bears sway bid Laws Divine farewell And Human Rights t'assert is to Rebel Speak suffering Witness I appeal to Thee Thou First Apostle of our Liberty Condemn'd to Stripes Thy Crime Thou didst presum To write 'gainst Arbitrary Pow'r and Rome Didst Inferences of strange Treason draw And say 'T was Legal to defend the Law Thy envious Foes no other Crimes could urge And to confute thy Pen produc'd the Scourge PHILANDER You mention'd Constantine in whose mild Reign The harass'd Church did first her Freedom gain When Priests secure to Bishopricks aspir'd Without First-Fruits of Martyrdom requir'd Tell me How then could Cruelty intrude How came the Persecuting Plague renew'd PALÆMON. Lust Riot Avarice Ambition Strife Are Bastard-off-springs of too peaceful Life With nice Disputes the wanton Priests began To Envy next and wild Confusion ran Wou'd Mysteries too curiously enquire That first rais'd Smoke then set the Church on fire From brangling Arrius the first Fire-brand came PHILANDER But Constantine took care to quench the Flame PALÆMON. The Nicene Fathers summon'd to decide The Strife instead of Lenitives apply'd Too late convinc'd th'indulgent Emperour How fatal 't was to trust a Priest with Pow'r PHILANDER The pious Prince to do th' Assembly Grace Refus'd I 've heard Himself to take his place 'Till they were sat 'T was favour ill apply'd If such Behaviour taught the Doctors Pride PALÆMON. Then having as a Christian Monarch ought First burnt th'Invectives which the Fathers brought Against each Other and for Union press'd Thus to the Council he himself address'd God made you Priests and God alone can be Your Judge Rest therefore from my Censure free No Man shou'd judge of Gods and You are Gods to Me. PHILANDER When Princes yield the Prelate must prevail PALÆMON. When e'r did Priest to take Advantage fail Forthwith Church-Censures flew as thick as Hail The Arrian Systeme to just flames assign'd And Nicene Creed with Penalties enjoyn'd They fix'd not Here but for each trifling Cause The Mettal try'd of their new Penal Laws Think how each Victor went triumphant home With Titles swell'd too bulky for his Dome From Council Orthodox and Catholick Each Hare that cross'd him was an Heretick And if his Horse but stumbl'd in his way Th'erroneous Beast incurr'd th' Anathema PHILANDER Yet since they squar'd by Rules of Sacred Writ Their Symbol you to their Decrees submit PALÆMON. I own what e're the Sacred Books contain Can Mysteries believe though not explain Have none in Footsteps of first Martyrs trod And dy'd for Truth who ne'r conceiv'd the Mode Brand such as won't to Truths reveal'd agree But Penalties on such as cannot see What others can is Breach of Charity Had Charity in Synods interpos'd The Seamless Garments Breach had soon been clos'd Which to repair the wrangling Doctors try'd While Metaphysicks sacred Truths decide And by ill-botching made the Rent more wide But they had now learnt Sciences and must To their own Fame as well as Truth be Just. Would Mysteries not like Mechanicks know But both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 show Were subtle School-men grown and to agree Had Scandal been to their Philosophy PHILANDER But tell me did these Clouds the Faith invade When first whole Nations were its Converts made PALÆMON. The Faith shone clear till School-Terms rais'd like Mists Favour'd the Juggles of Imposing Priests And Councils having Scripture Bounds o're-past Advanc'd to forging of New Creeds at last Which by the Hocus of Infallible Went down so glib the Difference few could tell The Priest's Turn better serv'd and pleas'd the Crowd as well They heard how their Redeemer at his Death Did Sacred Legacies to all bequeath Which if they 'd now inspect and had the Skill The Church into her Hands had got the Will For now the Laity were left i' th' Lurch Th' Encroaching Clergy were become the Church Nor stood the Magistrate on higher Ground In vain to Scripture their Appeals they found While 't was the Churches Priv'ledge to expound Thus through Indulgence Fond of such as Reign'd And through the People's Sloth th' Ascendent gain'd Romes Prelate topp'd upon her Temp'ral Pow'r And from her Priest became her Emperor With artful Baits the Fisher long had sought And Empire was the Fish at last he caught But Time and Breath and Patience too wou'd fail To count the Steps of this prodigious Scale Suffice it that at first th' Impostor gain'd By Frauds his height and by worse Frauds maintain'd Sloth Ignorance blind Zeal and blinder Fear Combin'd to level Thrones and mount the Chair PHILANDER 'T was then th' aspiring Clergy Crown'd their Hope And form'd their Church-Leviathan a Pope In whom they still possess the Pow'r they give Earth's Tyrant but their Representative PALÆMON. 'T is Done the Ambitious Priest has got the Day The Prelate Rules and Princes must Obey The Spiritual Lord exalted to the Skies Looks down and all the Subject World defies Does safe his Empyraean Height possess His only Care to manage his Success How to dispense his Beams to whom be kind And who shall his Malignant Aspects find To whom large Territories he shall give To whom sell Crowns and whom of Crowns deprive To Judge who best to Merit does pretend And Merit is to be the Church's Friend PHILANDER For Crimes so black that Humane Nature shockt Unpeopled Earth and Hell's Plantations stockt Th' Indulgence-Shop was ope'd with Pardons stor'd And to a Friend good pen'orths cou'd afford At th' old fixt Rates the rest their Ware must take PALÆMON. But if y' are impious for the Churches sake Ev'n with their Office-Fees they can dispense They con you Thanks and Consecrate th' Offence A Cut-Throat Priest of Murder cou'd make sport From Laws protected by the Spiritual Court Kings let him Kill and blackest Treasons Act His Judges still were Parties in the Fact PHILANDER What if a Lay-Man did the Priest Offend PALÆMON. An injur'd Priest or who could Wrong pretend Cry'd Burn the Heretick the ready Stake Forthwith did Pious Reparation make PHILANDER To hurt his Person made the Sentence Just What the Priest said 't was Death but to mistrust PALÆMON. Fear more than Wit this Tyranny enjoin'd Lest the dull Crowd at last the Cheat should find And to requite their gross pernicious Pranks Pull down their Stage and stone the Mountebanks Dull Souls with Ease are of their Rights bereav'd But none Revenge like Fools when undeceiv'd And strongest Stomachs with large Draughts opprest The last Disgusts and throws up all the rest Heap Crime on Crime to keep the Frauds from Air The last of Course must lie expos'd and bare And too much weight o're-throw the Guilty Chair Now Monster Triple-Crown'd expect thy
cheat 'em of their Paradise PHILANDER But Man methinks his Reason shou'd recal Not let frail Woman work his second Fall PALÆMON. The Sex to censure were unjust and rude The Foe has few to boast beside the Lewd To spiritual Whore-mongers let Whores be kind Their carnal Harlotry were too confin'd Without the Fornication of the Mind Rank next the giddy Thoughtless Lawless Rout The Atheist and mistakenly Devout Bigots whose cross-grain'd Piety loose-rid Starts Flounces Kicks Tame Asses when by Tyrants th' are bestrid PHILANDER Ah! when did Mischief in the State begin Where Conscience did not for her share come in PALÆMON. Mark the whole Chain of Publick Woes you 'll find The last Link still to the Priest's Girdle join'd Pan prosper me as I the Function hold Most Sacred and the Watchmen of the Fold But hate the Shepherds who their Labour spare To Hirelings leave their Flocks their only Care To call at Sheering-time for an ungodly Share Fleece-warm and with an Amaryllis sped They Pipe and Feast and jocund Measures tread While their lean Sheep look up and are not fed Nor care which way make but the stipend large Through Door or Breach they climb into the Charge Profit with them is Grace's loudest Call Preferment 's Sacred let the Blessing fall From a Court-Mistress or a Priest of Baal PHILANDER From hence from this corrupted Fountain's Head The poyson'd Stream of Passive Nonsense spread Divines of Fortune to deserve their Pay From Court the People to the Prince betray With Fire and Lough-Bells for his Service set To awe the Partridge while he spreads his Net To honest Self-Defence Damnation give And ring their constant Peal PREROGATIVE PALÆMON. While elder Chanticleers and more inspir'd To sound the Spiritual Watch alone aspir'd Our young and dapper Brood of forward Chicks No sooner Perch but scream out POLITICKS Grown Parish-Cocks each in his Barn can crow Against tame Fowl but Cravens to the Foe Plump richly-plum'd and of the Treading Strain They strut amongst their Hens and spread their pompous Train PHILANDER Ah! had the Passive Systeme no support Beside the Cock'ril-Clergy of the Court The Church long since had lent the Cause her Hand But awful Names and such as bore Command Too far too long indulg'd the sickly Dream Peace springs but while reserv'd those Leaders seem The Herd gaze on and dare not taste the Stream PALÆMON. Enough If Great Examples may prevail Our brightest Stars have scap'd the Dragon's Tail Have own'd Heav'ns Cause and took their Michael's Part Nor e'r from Free-born Truth 's Defence did start Whose sense no Gorgons no Chimaera's charm To hang dead Weights on their Restorer's Arm Who ne'r to slavish Principles gave way That would Religion Church and State betray From Ancient Sanctions still their Measures drew And tho they soar'd not with the Modern Crew EUSEBIA ne'r cou'd boast of Sons more True In this bright List let that Learn'd Champion come EUSEBIA'S Glory and the Scourge of Rome Whose piercing Wit to all her Frauds gave light The deep-engender'd Births of Papal Night The Fiends who long secure in Darkness lay Shrunk from his Beams and yell'd at sight of Day Of num'rous Champions can EUSEBIA boast But This the Leader of the Sacred Host. PHILANDER Yet equal Praise to that Learn'd Pastor give Of Modern Skill and Meekness Primitive But bold in Fight with Arguments concise He lightens in the Eyes of Rome and Vice With Wonder Men with Triumph Angels see His blameless Life from Pride and Passion free No Priest more frank the Ghostly Counsel gives No Lay-man with more lib'ral Hand relieves Unpractis'd in the worldly Shepherds Guile His Life 's whole business is to Reconcile His very Aspect breaths an Air of Grace So mild he carries Gospel in his Face PALÆMON. How shall EUSEBIA then her self excuse Whose Builders cou'd this Corner-stone refuse PHILANDER Yet ev'n th'unjust Repulse his Worth confess'd Rejected by the Many not the Best PALÆMON. Ah! without Envy let the Truth be told Such as ne'r knew the Shepherds Staff to hold Fear'd MODERATION wou'd set ope the Fold PHILANDER Oft have I found while I my Sheep did guide To Pastures sweet the friendly Gate set wide They freely enter'd and my Crook obey'd But still of narrow Inlets were afraid Or if a Bridge too streight they spy'd afore Wou'd rather take the Stream than venture o'r But say What prejudice had thence ensu'd Had they receiv'd the separate Multitude Was ever Shepherd yet a Foe to Peace Or e'r repin'd to see his Flock increase PALÆMON. The Fold set ope had gain'd more Sheep 't is true But had withal receiv'd more Shepherds too Who with new Stewards diligence at first If not for Conscience-sake their Flocks had nurs'd Our Loiterers from hence foresaw their Doom When none but painful Pastors cou'd have room This made 'em rave like Men on Ruin's brink And cry The Deluge comes stop ev'ry Chink Shut fast the Door or else the Ark will sink To lose one useless Peg did Shipwreck seem And ev'ry rotten Rafter was a Beam PHILANDER Let question'd Beauties owe their Charms to Dress EUSEBIA'S Frame does all that 's Fair possess Too gawdy Tire but makes a Matron scorn'd Let mild EUSEBIA shine A Firmament by her own Stars adorn'd PALÆMON. Yet Meteors to the Firmament may rise And Comets Pestilent invade the Skies 'T was so of old Their Influence in first Ages did appear Bright and untroubled shone the Church's Sphere Till Sons of Vengeance got th'Ascendent there In petty Factions first her Stars engag'd Till War broke out and Persecution rag'd This Pest by Constantine's warm Summer bred At once through all th' infected Clergy spread The bloody Paths had long in vain been trod Till Heathen Princes tir'd threw down the Rod Ambitious Priests the Utensil to burn Thought pity till themselves had took their turn And persecuting by more dextrous Rules Prov'd Maximine and Dioclesian Fools 'T was Rooting up God's Heritage before While Magistrates the Iron Scepter bore In Them the Exercise tho more severe Was Discipline and Ecclesiastick Care PHILANDER For Church or State on Conscience to impose Must wider make the Breach they think to close And he that Fetters wou'd for Reason find May shackle the Sun-beams and grasp the Wind Which no restraints of Human Laws will know But where and when they please will shine or blow But Truth should bind And your Opinion's true And erring Judgments should submit to you I grant But first you must convince by Reason's Light That They mistake and You are in the right Where You mistake and They the Truth may hit Will you to your own Rule of Force submit You 'll plead the Privilege They urg'd before Conviction crave and They demand no more Conviction clear the Soul can only win With Club or Hammer try to force the Pin The Brains you may beat out ne'r drive the Notion in Absurd the Zeal that Gospel's Pow'r promotes 'Gainst Gospel Laws