Distressed Sion Relieved Or, The Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness. Wherein are Discovered the Grand Causes of the Churches Trouble and Misery under the late Dismal Dispensation. With a Compleat History of, and Lamentation for those Renowned Worthies that fell in England by Popish Rage and Cruelty, from the Year 1680 to 1688. Together with an Account of the late Admirable and Stupendious Providence which hath wrought such a sudden and Wonderful Deliverance for this Nation, and Gods Sion therein. Humbly Dedicated to their Present Majesties. By Benjamin Keach |
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1684. |
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 | Distressed Sion Relieved |  |
1684.
By Popish Arts many more ruin'd were,
Poor Holloway likewise fell into the snare;
B'ing from th' Western World a Prisoner brought,
By those who fiercely his destruction sought;
Who at the place of Execution
Delivered his Bible unto one
Of his Relations, wherein he had writ
The following lines, which I do here transmit.
Poor Holloway likewise fell into the snare;
B'ing from th' Western World a Prisoner brought,
By those who fiercely his destruction sought;
Who at the place of Execution
Delivered his Bible unto one
Of his Relations, wherein he had writ
The following lines, which I do here transmit.
‘Owner hereof prize this, and bless the Lord
‘That yet to England doth his Word afford;
‘Had I liv'd longer, hopes I should have had
‘T'have seen times mend, but now expect them bad
‘Truth will not do, for much of it I wrote,
‘And for't I die much rather than the Plot.
‘Did you know all, you'd say I did my part
‘To free you from designed Popish smart.
‘That yet to England doth his Word afford;
‘Had I liv'd longer, hopes I should have had
‘T'have seen times mend, but now expect them bad
‘Truth will not do, for much of it I wrote,
‘And for't I die much rather than the Plot.
‘Did you know all, you'd say I did my part
‘To free you from designed Popish smart.
And now alas! behold my dismal case,
Great Flouds of sorrow follow on apace.
Many Religious, Pious Men of worth
Are rendred vile, not fit to live on Earth.
Observe Rome's policy, who contriv'd it so
That Protestants should Protestants undo.
Conscience must now be basely shackled
Against its Light impos'd on, and misled,
And truckle like a Slave unto all those
Who did Christ's Regal power in man oppose:
Either their Consciences must wounded lye
Under despair for their Apostacy;
Or if they were resolved, and sincere,
They loss of Goods, Contempt and Scorn must bear;
Be sent to noisom Jayls, or to Exile,
Which many chose, rather than to defile
Their precious Souls, and treacherously dis-own,
Or yield the power of Christs righteous Throne
Great Flouds of sorrow follow on apace.
Many Religious, Pious Men of worth
Are rendred vile, not fit to live on Earth.
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That Protestants should Protestants undo.
Conscience must now be basely shackled
Against its Light impos'd on, and misled,
And truckle like a Slave unto all those
Who did Christ's Regal power in man oppose:
Either their Consciences must wounded lye
Under despair for their Apostacy;
Or if they were resolved, and sincere,
They loss of Goods, Contempt and Scorn must bear;
Be sent to noisom Jayls, or to Exile,
Which many chose, rather than to defile
Their precious Souls, and treacherously dis-own,
Or yield the power of Christs righteous Throne
Up to Usurpers, who audaciously
Cry, All is Cæsar's due, and so deny
God over Conscience has the Soveraignty.
Cry, All is Cæsar's due, and so deny
God over Conscience has the Soveraignty.
No wonder they Laws violently break down;
That all our Civil Rights are overthrown.
That our Just Properties they take away,
And our most Ancient Liberties betray.
Since they the Glorious Monarchy of Heav'n
Do now Invade, and strive to have it given
Into their hands that they may tread it down,
And impudently cry, All is their own.
Grand Rebels! what, attempt the Right of God?
Do you not fear his dreadful Iron Rod?
Would you Dethrone him? would your hellish spite
Deprive both God and Man of their just Right?
This you design'd (although in vain) to do,
And Christ's blest Kingdom fain would overthrow.
That all our Civil Rights are overthrown.
That our Just Properties they take away,
And our most Ancient Liberties betray.
Since they the Glorious Monarchy of Heav'n
Do now Invade, and strive to have it given
Into their hands that they may tread it down,
And impudently cry, All is their own.
Grand Rebels! what, attempt the Right of God?
Do you not fear his dreadful Iron Rod?
Would you Dethrone him? would your hellish spite
Deprive both God and Man of their just Right?
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And Christ's blest Kingdom fain would overthrow.
One while they cry, Conscience to them must bend,
Another time, Christ's Right they did defend.
When it did seem to favour their design,
Conscience in all its rights they undermine,
But when they found 'twould with their Interest stand
And with th' Intrigues that they then had in hand,
They cry, Nought's juster than that all men do
To others as they would be done unto.
Another time, Christ's Right they did defend.
When it did seem to favour their design,
Conscience in all its rights they undermine,
But when they found 'twould with their Interest stand
And with th' Intrigues that they then had in hand,
They cry, Nought's juster than that all men do
To others as they would be done unto.
But to return; nothing for many years
Is seen but Persecution, Bloud and Tears.
No Liberty at all Conscience must have,
But the Dissenters Prison proves his Grave,
Where hundreds of them lay long buried,
Whilst others of their Goods were plundered.
Many in filthy Jayls so long did lye,
That poysoned with the stench they there did dye.
Law and Religion both were trampled down,
And most good men term'd Enemies to the Crown.
Charters of Towns and Cities ta'ne away,
That Popery and Slavery might bear sway.
No Stone was left unturn'd, whereby they might
Bring O poor England an Eternal Night
Of Popish darkness; many therefore fled,
Whilst others were strangely dis-spirited.
Divers good Magistrates were laid aside,
And wicked men for Judges they provide,
Void of all fear of God, who any thing
Would give for Law, they thought would please the King
Did a Dissenter Law or Justice crave?
He's branded for a Rascal, Rebel, Slave.
Is seen but Persecution, Bloud and Tears.
No Liberty at all Conscience must have,
But the Dissenters Prison proves his Grave,
Where hundreds of them lay long buried,
Whilst others of their Goods were plundered.
Many in filthy Jayls so long did lye,
That poysoned with the stench they there did dye.
Law and Religion both were trampled down,
And most good men term'd Enemies to the Crown.
Charters of Towns and Cities ta'ne away,
That Popery and Slavery might bear sway.
No Stone was left unturn'd, whereby they might
Bring O poor England an Eternal Night
Of Popish darkness; many therefore fled,
Whilst others were strangely dis-spirited.
Divers good Magistrates were laid aside,
And wicked men for Judges they provide,
Void of all fear of God, who any thing
Would give for Law, they thought would please the King
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He's branded for a Rascal, Rebel, Slave.
Yet many men so strangely blinded were,
They could not see, though things appear'd so clear,
Because that King a Protestant was thought,
Matters by him so cunningly were wrought,
And carried on; but when he came to fall,
All things were plain and bare-fac't unto all;
For the next King his Visage did lay down,
And publickly himself a Papist own;
And I likewise more clearly did espy
My dreadful danger then approaching nigh:
The Popish Plot under a Cloud was hid,
(And a Sham Plot contrived in its stead.)
Though own'd by three Successive Parliaments;
Yet all's denied by Romish Innocents.
Those Jesuits who hang'd for Treason were,
Themselves free from all guilt or crime declare,
As th' unborn Child; nor is this strange, since they
A Dispensation have, That they may say
Whatever will preserve their Cause from blame,
And Holy Church secure from her just shame.
They could not see, though things appear'd so clear,
Because that King a Protestant was thought,
Matters by him so cunningly were wrought,
And carried on; but when he came to fall,
All things were plain and bare-fac't unto all;
For the next King his Visage did lay down,
And publickly himself a Papist own;
And I likewise more clearly did espy
My dreadful danger then approaching nigh:
The Popish Plot under a Cloud was hid,
(And a Sham Plot contrived in its stead.)
Though own'd by three Successive Parliaments;
Yet all's denied by Romish Innocents.
Those Jesuits who hang'd for Treason were,
Themselves free from all guilt or crime declare,
As th' unborn Child; nor is this strange, since they
A Dispensation have, That they may say
Whatever will preserve their Cause from blame,
And Holy Church secure from her just shame.
| Distressed Sion Relieved | |