The Church Militant :: :: University of Virginia Library

The Glorious Church, which Constantine built up,
At his Decease, by Arrians vext doth droupe.
For Schooles Restraint of Julian she complaines,
Which Rise againe through Theodosius Paines.

Though I be slow the Strumpet to unmaske,
Yet I contend to blaze the New-mans Taske,
And to performe enough to satisfie
My Noble Friends, where the True Church did lye.

Since Christ his Time untill our present Age,
Mauger Hells spight during her Pilgrimage:
Because she did on no Foundation stand
But Christ, none shall her Name with Errour brand;
Because she built upon the Living Rocke,
Which Peter voucht, she shunn'd the Fatall shocke
Of the fierce Dragons Floud, in Darknesse shin'd,
Though to a Desart rude she seem'd confin'd.
Because she squar'd her Doctrine and her Rites
According to Gods Word, her Opposites
Can never blacke her Fame and Memory,
Nor need she feare Proud Babels Mystery,
That Errours Spirit can obliterate
The Gospels Text, which she enjoyes of late.

I will make good, that though some Curse & Ban her,
Yet by Gods Rayes, or his Saint Michaels Banner,
She spreads Christs Name, in Saints and Martyrs blest,
In Dangers oft, and seldome times at Rest;

One while in Tents, in Warres against her Foes:
Another time beleaguer'd, feeling woes,
When seeking Christ in time of superstition,
The Watchmen smote her in the Inquisition,
As Salomon sung in his Canticles;
As Christ himselfe by Scribes Conventicles,
And Roman Doome in person felt what Grace
His Limmes with Men finde in their Holy Race.
By Martyrs Bloud and spoiles of the Old Man,
Our New man first his Sacrifice began,
Continues still his Feast, though some conspite
To marre the same, and Our Good Church to fire.

And yet for all Mens Hate, our Mother lives,
Yea, from her Flames the New Man buds and thrives,
Not much unlike the Phœnix, whom they say,
That being burnt her Like revives alway,
Though alway not so Vigourous or Faire,
By reason of the Climate, Food, or Aire,

Too high Conceit of her splendidious Worth,
Or of the Keyes to shut the stubborne forth;
Or other Accidentall Lets she seeme
But vile, or lacking Tythes, in poore esteeme,
Nipt with hard Winters Frost, on scorcht with Heat;
Course Dyet, or with changing Soile or Seate.
Yet at the last the Bridegroome in extreames
Shewes her the way to his spirituall Streames,
To pray with Zeale, more cautiously to watch,
Least Fiend-like Pride her or her Brood attache,
To feed his Flocke, though they ungratefull be,
Combining to keepe backe his Tythes, her Fee.
For whether Poore or Sicke by dankish Aire,
She sleepes not, till she doth to Christ repaire
With contrite thoughts, and Lusts Mortification,
With the New-mans and Soules Resussitation,
Of whom she begs, and humbly sues for Grace,
Which on her Teares she gaines, then sees his Face,
The splendour of his Spirit working wonders;
With mildest Gales restraining Sinaies Thunders;

And thereupon is throned on a Hill,
With large Command, according to his Will.
To Bind or Loose her Childrens Sinnes, to keepe,
To watch, and Feed, but not to Flay his Sheepe,
Like her with Triple Crowne on seven Hills,
Who with false Fires now sits as God, and fills
Mens Consciences with Smoaky Pardons, Wares
Of the Beasts Marke, with Lies and Bugbeare Cares.

About three hundred Yeares the Gospels Light,
Had through our Saviours Bloud acquired Might
And rooting, when restrain'd it faster spred,
Enlightning Soules whom Forged Tales misled.
When he had foil'd Maxentias, Maximine,
And to a Nooke Licinius did confine,
The Christian Church was rear'd by Constantine,
Most Glorious on a Hill, with Rites Divine,

And decent States, as well from Foes Contempt,
As from home-scandalls to become exempt.
Soone as that Signe had meteour'd in the Aire,
Which Conquerour him styl'd, he did repaire
The Ruines of the Church, recalled home
Those whom late Tyrants had proscrib'd from Rome.

Such Grace she found: But soone her Sonnes forgot
To thanke our God the Author of their Lot,
Who had inspir'd th' Imperiall Majesty
With Zeale to serve One God in Trinity,
And at the Nicene Councell to restore
By Publick Acts what prostrate lay before,
To build up Temples with large Liberties,
There, to serve God with Vowes and Sacrifice,
To chuse Grave Mitred Sires to over-see,
Least Christ his Flocke by Wolves should scared be,
And by Decree to quash all Idolls downe
At Synod held in Eliberis Towne.

This Course he tooke by his Good Mothers Lore,
Whose Birth much Fame to Brittaine did restore;
And Helens Name deserves to be engilt,
For finding Christ his Crosse, for Temples built.

Five Bishopricks he rais'd to mighty Height,
Whereof each One possest a Severall Right;
And None of these in one anothers Charge
To meddle, but their owne Taske to discharge,
O're-seeing their Proper Flockes. The Chiefest Roome
He gave the Popes of New and Ancient Rome:
The Third he granted to Jerusalem:
Then Antiochs fell and Alexandriaes stem.
This stinted Course they long observ'd, and None
Swarv'd from the Stem at Nice agreed upon,
But Brethren-like liv'd in true Amity,
Not striving for more Seates Priority,
Then Constantine out of his bounteous Grace
Allotted them in their distinguish'd Place.

The First, that sithence kickt, was He of Rome,
Who at Bizantiums Councell would become
The Chiefest Priest as of Old Rome the Pope,
Sometime the Empires Head of spatious scope;
The which the Pope of New-built Rome gaine-sayd,
And there to hold the Prime Place he assayd;
At which Vigilius did so powre and frowne,
He would not meet with them, though then in Town.
Thus they, who should a Lowly Minde possesse,
Began to climbe to Lordly Loftinesse,
Perverting to wrong Sence the Living Rocke,
Gods Word, the Keyes, and Feeding of Christs Flocke.
That they might raigne here in this World a while,
For a few yeares pufft with a Princely Stile:
When they know in their Consciences they Erre,
That after Death they fall, like Lucifer.
But they for Faith lean'd unto Humane worth,
And scatt'red Doubts against Gods Spirit forth.
They mutined against the Holy Ghost;
Apostate Arrians raung'd through every Coast.

They soone forgot the Mysticke Crosses sence,
The New-mans Vewes, and the Words Excellence.
Their Plenty pufft them up, and the Sunnes Light
Bedazzeled them, like Gazing Birds of Night.
For the True Substance, Shadowes they ador'd,
For the Creator, Creatures they implor'd.
The late Baptiz'd enur'd to Pagan Rites,
To Saturnalian Feasts, and Idoll sights,
Could not away with that Religions Forme,
Which typing Christs their Lives ought to reforme,
Their Flamines grudg'd, that the New-Clergy held
The Conquest over Soules, themselves expelld.
The Lay-men wav'd betwixt the Old and New,
Like Æthiops loath to change their pristine Hew.
To punish these, when Constantine was urg'd,
Not so, said he, Mad men should rather purgd
By Physicke be. We must, though Curres do bark,
With Gentle Gales to Port bring Christ his Ark.
This Prince, when he Paphnutius saw at Nice,
His Hollowes kist, whom Foes depriv'd of Eyes.

The Roman Empire was most fortunate
Under his Sway. He rais'd Romes falling state
To such a Height, that never Kingdome since
His Paralell enjoy'd, nor any Prince
Succeeded like to him in Pieties
True Practice, farre exempt from Avarice
And Crying sinnes. His Palace with the Poore
Then with Prætorian Bands abounded more.
He was not serv'd in Gold or Silver Plate,
Though he might set on all the World a rate,
But Earthen Vessels or of Wood he chose.
He curbd himselfe, because he would not lose
His wavering Subjects hearts. And what he spar'd
Above the Pensions of his Souldiers, Guard,
The Publike Troup, and his owne Private Charge,
He yeerely did conferre the fame at large
To Pious use, and Temples up to build,
But more Christs Living Temple to rebuild.
Blest was the Church while, his good Monarch raignd
Having Peace, Freedome, Wealth, and Honour gain'd.

But after his decease by Arrians vext,
She like a Widow stood long time perplext,
But not with Open Force, for Satan then
Was for a Thousand Yeares from Murthering Men,
For the Faiths sake begun to be restrain'd,
Yet so, that Saints for Tryall might be Pain'd.

Since I my Taske for Constantine have spun,
I must not leave Constantiaes Web unspun.
This zealous Princesse, whether Fancies Flame,
Or to become Corrivall of her Fame
Who late had found the Crosse in Calvary,
Or Satans Plot into her Creed to pry,
Whether these Tempting Baites wrought on her Will,
To shake her Faith, and her Best Part to spill:
She sought the Picture of our Saviour Christ,
As if her Creed did on the same consist.
To bring to passe her Project frivolous,
She wrote unto Euschius Pamphilus,

Requiring him to send it her to Greece,
To make her happy in that Graven Peece.
The Holy Father with disdainefull Eye
Perus'd her Lines; he feard Idolatry,
Lest the Connivence at such Passages,
Might blurre the New-mans Ghostly Images.
He therefore answer'd her with Piety,
In Zealous Lines, not without Majesty:
Your Grace desires, Christs Portraiture to have,
But which of his Two Persons would you crave?
Which doe you meane (quoth he) His Shape Divine,
That beares the likenesse of the First in Trine?
Or else the Image of a Servants Forme,
To which for us he did himselfe transforme?
If you aspire his God-heads Shape to see,
Take heed you touch not on Old Adams Tree;
None knowes the Father but the Sonne alone,
And none but by the Father knowes the Sonne.
But if that Persons Picture you demand,
Borne of our Flesh, you must then understand,

That none by Art and Oily Colours di'd,
Can limne His Bodies Frame now Glorifi'd;
For since that his Disciples could not see
His shining Face at Tabor, how shall wee
View his bright Face and Persons Lineaments,
Which till Doomes-day he hath removed hence?
On this Monition the Good Empresse staid,
And of such Carnall Types became afraid.

While Luke-warme Thoughts contended much with Zeale,
False Arrius crept into Christs Common-weale,
Where Six score yeares his Sect Good Men so griev'd,
That in those dayes the Most part mis-believ'd.
Two Councels then the Arrian side preferr'd,
The Millaine stray'd, the Ariminian err'd:
Yea, Bishops both of New and Ancient Rome,
Subcribed, and to Hereticks gave roome.
Against them all did Athanasius warre,
And therefore may be stil'd That Ages Starre.

By his true Zeale and Pen the Arrians quail'd,
And Truth at last with Victory prevail'd.
During Soules Time of Blindnesse, Satans Warre
Began againe both neere at hand and farre.
Against false Hearts, not by Blouds violence,
But by fly Arts to try Saints Innocence.
To dim the Churches Splendour, he sent out
His flyest Fiends to compasse them about
Mad Iulian he stirr'd up, till he perforce
Did yeeld unto the Galileans Force:
Where Magick Spells, nor his Deare Porphiry,
Could stop Gods Doome due for his Trechery,
Which unto Christians interdicting Schooles,
Made Wits more hot, his Counsellors but Fooles,
As bad prov'd Valens, since to Arrians sold,
But Gothes by Fire purg'd his Presumption bold.

What Iulian spoild, did Valentinian raise,
And Gratian grace, But Theodosius Praise

Deserves much more. He by Pope Damasus,
And Millains starre did Arrian Tumults truth.
Blest be his Name, who barr'd for his Amisse
From Church refrain'd, till he gain'd Ambrose blisse,
And though a King of Kings, yet not withstood
Checks for rash Doome of Thessalonians Blood.
O Godly Prince! who when he might command
A Pardon, yet most humbly demand.
Of him One sung: Each thing with him prevailes:
So Winds Conjurd descended to his Sailes:
For him the Heavens fought, the Waves went backe,
And Natures course for all his Foes ran slacke.
This Claudian blazd with Panegyrick straine,
And Ambrose of his Death did much complaine:
I lov'd this Prince, quoth he, because he car'd,
More for the Church then his owne Weale regard.

Much owes the Church unto his Memory,
For after he had chasd Idolatry,

And calm'd the Arrians Rage to Catholicks
Content, he setled Christian Bishopricks,
And least the Church for want of Meanes should fade,
Confirm'd the Act which Good Iovinian made
For Tythes to Pastours, which hath ever since
Reviv'd the Fame of this Religious Prince.
What Good this Act hath done in Ages past,
Till Mungrell Monkes the Churches Hire defac't,
Encroaching on the Clergy Seculare
For their Support of Sloth and Private Care,
Let Godly States observe, and waigh what Losse
Ensues of Soules by such as doe ingrosse
Impropriate Tythes, while many Thousands pine
For want of Meanes to spread the Seed Divine.