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Patience must beare the weight upon her back
Of Prelates Pride and Shisms till it crack
Whose Spirits fly like fire-Balls sulphurizde
And with an hellish blast so sublimisde
They 'to't go tooth and naile whose kiln dride ire
Breaks out in rapid flames and all enfire.

In Anastasius his rain, a grievous Rent
Was in the Churches West, and Orient.
Some stoode so stiffe to Chalcidons decree
No sylable therein must bated bee
With Leo's Tome. And on the other hand
Synod and Tome Anathemaes have damnd.
Another Cause hereof the Letters were
Henotick Zeno sent of peacefull geere
Which some approovde. Some deemd these buskins poore
And no way fit to shut Dissention's doore.
Hence East and West and Libya's Churches rise
And break off Fellowship like Enemies.

Another shism rose at Byzant who
Explode what Alexandria's Church did do
Which for Dioscorus upstood unwise
And Chalcedon did Anathematize.

Now Zeneas the Hieropolitan
Doth Flavian vex, the Antiochian,
Doth Charge him with Nestorian Heresy:
Which he anathemating prov'd a ly.
But Xeneaus, a man full turbulent
When this string faild, unto another went
And still unto another, (envies rich
Of wiliness) untill he'd got a squitch
That whipt into exile good Flavian
And John of Plate also that worthy man,
Constantinople's Macedonius
As we assert it from Evagrius.

At Antioch Severus who arose
From petifoging to a Monke, is chose
Their Bishop, who Chalcedons Faith destroyes
He all good men doth anathematize
Who held Christs nature Humane and Divine.
Some Bishops under him to him encline
Some he compells to yield who after Cry
Pecca vimus and others else where fly
Jerusalems grave bishop him withstands
Cosmas, Orontes, and Severian.

The Emprour Anastase causd in the Hymn
Trisegion the Quiristers to sing
Who for us Crucifide was as if thus
The Trinity was Crucifide for us
Which Macedonius full Orthodox
As strange to Christian Doctrine gave a box.
A Schism's made, the factious hire greate strength
Come in the Temple singing out in length
Trisagion who for's was Crucifide
The next Lords day they th'great Church thus annoy'de.
Now bloody noses grow, they take a monk
Chop off his head concluding that he stunk
Of all this mischiefe, thus the matter came
To fire and Sword, the Emperour a main
Came to the Hipodromy left his Crown
And by his Harauld sounds he doth lay down
His Empire, hence they sheath their swords and cease
And pray he would retain his Crown in peace.

Rome tore her Church to bits: a Senator
Namde Festus, bribes the Church whose silver bar
Thus pitcht, doth pitch the vote on Laurence who
Not pleasing some: Some Deacons votes bestow
On Symmac us, ordain him Bishop: and
Thus to't they go to boxing slaughter, stand
To't stoutly, Ravishings and rapine rage
Full three years going for the bishops stage
Peace Child: its Peters Chair and Heir, yet see
How Name and Nature in this Pope agree
True Child though all's as black as coals we trow
Peters Chair vertue whiteneth the Crow.
King Theodorick of an Arian Face
Is made the judge of Peter and his Case,
Who finding in his Quest the better part
For Symmachus, he easeth them their smart,
Stows Peters Chair with him. And doth assign
Laurence the Bishoprick of Nucerine.
This stills the broile a while, outs not the Coare
Which festers four years, then brake out a soare
Malignant now again, they Laurence bring
To Rome again, this did inrage the King,
To whom they Charge Pope Symmachus (Good Head)
As boasting that he licence had, he said
To sin with th'Charge of feeding of the Sheep
And other Crimes. Good Father Pope most sweet!
Theodorick offended layes him by
And Laurence too, and doth the popedome tie
On Peter Altins girdle, Cerberus
Finds here such scraps as make him leape up thus
Into thy Lap dear Mother. Pluto spares
His Dog awhile now to attend thy Cares.
Is Peters Chair thus metamorphosed
Into old Cerberus with's triple head?
But se these heads a fighting, Symmachus
Doth by a Synod pack the other crush
And while he worrid them much blood did fall
Both from the Clergy's veans, and Flocks withall.
And in the kings wide mouth these Collops trudge
There's none but God may to the Pope be judge.
That Peters Chair finds or refines the Bum
That in it sits, and of it makes a Drum.

This Symmachus his Predicessor rare
The second Anastasius did tare
Away from's Bishops, Priests and Clergie by
Admitting to Communion one whose dy
Was of Acace his dying that the stain
Did rend this head and members all atwain.

Pass we now to Justinians reign, and here
Anthimus of Constantinople shiere
Doth and Thedelze of Alexandria
The truth of Christs Natures distinct away,
Asserting he onely one nature had
Shisms here by all in those Churches gad.

The Monks at Nova Laura, like a web,
Bestained are with errours freckled.
Eustochy of Jerusalem did strive
Therewith, and cast them all out of their hive
Who flying all about did by their hum
Draw many after them by schisms drum.

Pope Felix dead, the Chair doth empty stand
While Senate, do with Clergie hand to hand
A squabbling fall and now they make it squeake
Thrusting two bums therein. Good Chair don't breake.
Some Choose and do ordain pope Boniface
Some give Dioscorus the selfe same grace.
Peter thy Chair a two-head monster lies
Nigh thirty dayes, then one picks up and dies.

Smaragd the Hexarch of Ravenna saw
The Roman pride to sprawle out of their Craw
To get the bravest Cushon and best place
In all the Church of God their Stooles to grace
Thought to prefer Ravenna and therefore
Joynd to their Bishop John, there others more
Of Aqua Grade and one Severus who
Bishop of Aquileia (Schisms grow)
Pelagius pope and's Romans swell and John
And's Sociats as Schismaticks trample on
The year scarce turnd about, but down they fall
Upon their knees and ask forgiveness all.
Good father pardon us this once and wee
Will do no more so, then he did them free.

John of Constantinople Maurice and
The Grecians bishop make up high to stand
An Universall Head ore Churches all
Gainst whom the Popes of Rome do lowdly ball,
And Gregory the greate this title sayes
Is Usher unto Antichrist and's ways.

Cato a Priest at Arvern, Bishop chose
Not yet ordain, did threaton to depose
Cautine, Archdeacon, who to shun the shower
Into Theodwalds Court went as his tower
And is himselfe ordaind the Bishop there.
Hence utter enmity did head up reare.
The Brethren torn a pieces are, some stand
For Cato, some for Cautine, and each hand
Do others Persecute. Patience we see
By Schisms sore, sore exercisd to bee.