University of Virginia Library


205

THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE TWELFTH AGE,

From the yeere of our Lord 1100. untill the yeere 1200. At which Time King John raigned here in England, who to be absolved of the Popes Excommunications made himselfe Tributary to His Holinesse.

The Argument.

The Councell Lateran confirmes the Masse.
The Canon Lawes for Romes maine Profit passe.
The Pope mounts up on Cæsars humbled Back.
Schoole-men now rise. And Salem goes to wrack.
Those whom Rome styl'd the Berengarian Sect,
Because her Masse they ventur'd to correct,
Where censur'd at the Councell Lateran,
As at Vercelli the like Act prophane

206

Against them past that Politician Whore,
For her Trades sake, in the last Age before.
And here likewise such Labours went to Pot,
As Joachim a Latian Abbot wrot,
To prove: the Man of Sinne, the Antichrist,
And Babels Whore jumpt with the Romaine Priest,
O Valiant man! who for this Mystick Point
On Truths behalfe adventur'd his best Joint!
No better sorts the Churches Pilgrimage
In this obscure Eclipse, and Carnall Age:
Popes struggling still for Worldly Dignity
With Emperours, and for Priority.
Amidst these Broyles, although Eugenius storme,
Yet Bernard dar'd his Popedome to enforme,
How he in striving Both the Swords to hold,
Might lose them Both for his encroachment bold.

207

And sure if Popes had not on Princes play'd,
Nor warr'd with Worldly States, but onely Pray'd,
And sought the Health of Soules by Lenity,
They might have raign'd in long Prosperity,
And by their Doctrine linkt with Holy Life
Drawn wrangling States from Faction, Bloud & strife.
Whereas for Peace they rather Quarrels spun,
Not caring by what sleights they Places won.
So that some call him Pope a Yeare or two.
And that great Kings or Dukes doe kisse his shooe,
Old Adrian wreakes not how he came to mount,
Nor by what Meanes, so he his Peeres surmount.
And yet this Fate with a repenting Breath
This Pope perplext lamented at his Death,
And said, that he, who got the Papacy
By Murther, trac'd the Steps and Policie
Of Romulus, who slue his Brother Rheme,
Alone to weare Romes New-found Diademe.

208

When that Eleven Hundred Yeares and Ten
Had wheel'd from Christ his Birth, a Bishop then
Of Florence preacht, that the Proud Man of Sinne,
The Antichrist, who long conceal'd had been,
Was surely come, and in Gods Temple sate,
Pretending Right to sway the Christian State.
The Mystick Let of Cæsars Glorious Traine,
Which made him hide his head, and did restraine
His haughty Thoughts and Plots unlimited,
Was thrust away, and neere extinguished
By the Popes Tumults, Threats, and Stratagemes,
Subjecting Bodies, Soules, and Diademes.
Priests Ghostly Charge into an Earthly chang'd:
The Spirits Gifts Simoniously exchang'd:
The Words Eclipse: Idolatries encrease
And Sodomies: with want of Christian Peace:
These Hellish Crimes, or Deedes irregulare,
Demonstrate, who the Churches Foe-men are.
When Pope Paschalis Second of that Name
Had heard diuulg'd his Hierarchies shame,

209

Most Politick to stop the Bruit at first
Of such New Sparkes, by his Old wayes accurst,
He sent his Briefes at Florence to appoint
A Councell there to right things out of joint,
As he surmiz'd, where Coram nobis brought
The Bishop there was forc'd to be new taught,
With Babels Glosse to palliate what he knew,
The Cole-black for Snow white, the False for True,
And so to leave the Pope in Peters Chaire
Chaffring for Soules, till Saints disturbe the Faire.
But in the midst of all these brandling Cares,
Which rackt the Church, succeeded other Snares,
Soules to subject unto the Vultures Clawes,
Renewd with Glosse Voluminous of Lawes
By Azoes, Gratians, and Accursius Paines,
That so Mens Wits by such divertive Traines,
In hope of Worldly Fees toild might not pry
Into Sinnes deep concealed Mystery,

210

But nimbly helpe to execute the Bulls
And Briefes, wherewith his Thralls the Tyrant gulls,
Emptying their store, sacking their Substance dry,
That he might joy at Clients Misery.
And though the One the Elder Sister were,
The Younger yet and Canon Law did beare
The primest Sway, and Kings durst not gainesay
But must appeare at Rome on a set day.
For when the Pope enthrall'd the Emperour,
Romes Keyes then Cæsars Lawes did over-towre.
To fortifie the Canons glozing Glosse,
About that Time Our Schoole-men then arose,
Quaint Wits, who spun Divinity anew,
And by Distinctions would the Gospel mew.
Such Knots and Wiles did Curious Wits compose,
That they to Rome might all the World transpose,
And so heale up, and cloze the grievous Scarres,
Which she sustain'd deservedly for Jarres.

211

And for her Breach of Faith at Christ his Spring
Vow'd, that to him she 'gainst the World would cling.
But in the next Ensuing Age shall rise
Bald Friers Sects to help Baals Sacrifice.
To temper, or to stint these Busie Braines,
There shall start up Men of unwearied Paines,
Who seeme to raise Devotion at a pinch:
'Mong which I ranke Poore Francis Sainted since,
Who innocent in Life, by Poverty
Would faine restore the Old Integrity,
To imitate, as much as in him lay,
The Ancient Monks, or the Essences way,
Or rather Benets Rules; but afterward
The Dragon brib'd his Mates to be his Guard;
His Sect soone stray'd, and his Fraternity
With Merits boast corrupted Purity,
Pestring the Church and Christian Common-weale,
With Dreames adverse unto the Founders Zeale.

212

Out of their Dung did other Orders grow,
Austere in Life, of Sanctimonious show,
Pretending Holinesse in Outward Sight,
But inwardly in Melancholick plight,
Now spending Dayes and Nights neere in dispaire,
Anon blowne up, like Bladders in the Aire,
With Meritorious Wind, Pelagian Worth,
And Humane Workes they set their Doctrine forth,
They lash'd their Flesh to keep the Old man downe,
And, like that Sect from craz'd Montanus flowne,
They stupifi'd through Fasts their Brawny Sides
In hope of Grace, and Worldly Fame besides.
Meane while the Bloud of Christ they frustrate made,
And by such blasted Buds Faiths Tree did fade.
Yet by their Deedes, and seeming Sacrifice
The Scarlet Whore thought to redeeme her vice;
And that their Workes of Supererogation
Suffis'd at least to win a Prorogation

213

Of Vengeance due for her high Pamperd Pride,
If not to purge what Christ had lest untri'd:
Like those who bought, to ransome Iudas Sinne,
Blouds Hire, a Field to bury Strangers in.
O what a Rabble doth my Muse descry
Of Croakers from the Dragons mouth to slye
Within the space of the Next Ages Rowle!
All bent the Praise of Babel to enrowle!
The Dominicks, Carthusians, Augustines,
The Carmelites, Capouchins, Iacobines,
Besides the Order of the Ierome Crowd,
To whom of late Castiles great Monarch vow'd
His Marbled Palace of th' Escuriall Mount,
Whose Structure cost him many Millions Count.
These Orders, though of despicable Forme,
In Beggers Rags, yet holp they to reforme
Some things amisse at their first shooting up,
Or else the Whores Abominations Cup

214

Had quickly been by Kings descri'd and spilt;
Her Flock had flinch'd, and soone espi'd her Guilt.
But the Conceit of these Mens Sanctity,
And manner of their Lives Austerity
Gain'd them Repute of Wiss Propheticall,
Whose Vowes would shrowd Sinnes ne'r so Capitall.
Yea, though a man had both his Parents slaine,
Romes Pardons and their Vowes salv'd all againe.
This blindnesse lasted long, till Christ his Spouse
Returned from the Desart Soules to rowze
From Superstitious sleep, and Ignorance,
To brighter Light, and a more Lively Trance.
Like Ravens, Frogs, Scritchowles, and Dismall Fowle,
Whose Auguries type Weather Faire or Foule,
So did those Flying Spirits of that Age
Seale up Dark Minds a Prey for Satans rage,
And on th' Elect betoken Calmer Gales
To blow, when tir'd with Old fanatique Tales,

215

They should in Time to come Gods Spirit see,
The Martyrs slaine reviv'd, from Sodome free.
While Canonists, the School-men, and those Swarmes
Of Lawyers rose, the Romaine Popes with Armes
And Curses still, leaving the Lawes dispute
To spurre their League, did Cæsars persecute.
No Treaties, Wars, nor Spoiles the Popes could tame,
Till One of them of Alexanders Name
On Cæsars humbled backe got on his Mule,
As Foot-stoole to a a Lord of mad Mis-rule,
Detracting from Christs Power: Thou shalt tread
On Basiliskes, and bruize the Serpents Head.
I doe to Peter this, and not to thee,
Said Cæsar: Both to Peter and to me,
Repli'd the Mounted Priest; for Peters Throne
On Earth I hold, and he and I are One.
O where was then Romes Boast of Innocence?
Of Catholick Consent, and Penitence?

216

Their Actions shew what Spirit raignes in them,
Who durst assume the Triple Diademe,
And manage both the Swords with more disdaine
Then Bajazeth complain'd of Tamberlaine.
But had not Cæsars Sonne in Navall Fight
By the Venetians been Captiv'd, such spite
He could not have endur'd so patiently,
Nor let such wrongs long unrevenged lye.
Now for this Age to winde up Babels height,
One Thousand, and one Hundred Eighty Eight,
About that Yeare the Machiavellian Pope,
To settle surer his Imperious Hope,
And to confirme his proud Investiture,
Found out a Plot his Rapines to assure,
And to employ his Neighbours farre from Rome,
Lest they more pry into his Arts at home,
By his Croisadoes Charmes Cri'd Sanctifi'd
In Christ his Name, but by his Word untri'd,

217

He packt from hence many a Valiant Band,
Under pretence to Conquer Iewries Land,
And there to build Jerusalem againe,
Like Iericho sometime not Curst in vaine,
And to regaine it back from Saladine,
Who late had won the Land of Palestine.
But as no Good flowes from a Tainted Spring.
So hence then Losse ensu'd no other thing.
Cæsar Romes Curses thinking to compound,
Took up the Crosse, and by the way was drown'd.
Yet could not so the Fathers Death appease;
The Popes his Sonnes by Curses barre from Peace.
And to redeeme their Bloudy Spoiles with Deedes
Of Merit, they spread Meritorious Seedes,
As that Fond Age then dream'd, they prostitute
To Moloch first, and then they institute
The Orders of the Begging Friers, so
To calme Gods Wrath, which kept such lowd adoe

218

At Rich mens Doores, that Superstition more
And more confirm'd Baals Power then before.
About this Time my Learned Country-man
Archdeacon Girald wrot, by whom I can
Disprove out of his Bookes of Pilgrimage
Which he set forth of Cambria in that Age,
The Wonders of the Well of Winifride;
Which Friers Braines in After-times discri'd,
When the Fourth Henry raign'd, that then, ev'n then
They coin'd those Tales to gull poore Simple men,
To haunt their Cells, and impious Sacrifice
Grac'd from the Pope with Novell Liberties,
And Leave to build a Chappell or a Fane,
As Men were wont for the like use profane;
And as they did in this Fond Age erect
Most Stately Shrines to Becket and his Sect.
Because some Monkes Night Apparitions saw,
Which Knaves or Fiends invented there to draw

219

Concourse of Pilgrims, and Oblations store,
They built such Shrines, and nois'd their Dreames the more.
But Our New-man slights all such Miracles,
As derogate from Scriptures Oracles,
Not ignorant of the Old Serpents sleight,
That he may seeme an Angel of the Light.
Because Men loved Lies more then Gods Word,
And tri'd them not by the Spirituall Sword,
He suff'red Satan to pervert their Will,
That they believ'd what did the Spirit kill.
To let our Blinded Strayes to know their Crimes,
Derived from the Course of faultring Times,
I warne them to looke back into this Age,
And there to waigh what Cunning mixt with Rage
Popes practiz'd then by more of Councels store
To raise their Crest then in the Times before,
How many Councels did the Romish Clerks
Assemble in our West for their vaine Quirkes
Support? what Age before hath ever seene
Of Councels held One Hundred and Fifteene?

220

(For just so many did this Century
Produce) Some to confirme Sinnes Mystery
With Attributes of the Divinest Style:
That as the Head conspired to enstyle
A Wafer Cake a God, so they likewise,
As Members would a God him solemnize
With Power rais'd above the Cæsars farre,
Since he could Soules from Purgatory barre.
Some Councells leagu'd to send Croisadoes out
To Palestine against the Persian Rout.
Others were call'd the Married Priests to curbe;
And some were held the Cæsars to disturbe,
Exempting from their Lawes the Clergies Crew,
Though nere so faulty, whence great scandalls grew.
Some Councells did against all Kings contest
Of Bishops their Investiture to wrest
Unto the Popes. And some Pluralities,
Of Popes restrain'd and their Enormities.
And which seemes most uncharitable, foule,
And Schismatick, some Councells did controule,

221

Nay, put to silence the Reformed Flock,
Who built their Faith upon the New-mans Rock,
I meane, that Flock, which Lions Waldus won
From Darknesse to look on the Gospels Sun.
Such Acts above One Hundred Councells Tomes
Contain'd to please the Popes, like Hecatombs,
Within the space of the Twelfe Century;
And all to prop Great Babels Empery.