University of Virginia Library

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251

THE OCCVRRENCES OF THE FIFTEENTH AGE,

From the yeere of our Lord 1400. untill the yeere 1500. At which Time Henry the Seventh raigned King in England.

As I of late Old Rubbage diggd, I felt
(With Flaming Force my Perturbations melt,
My Passions curbd, my Outward Man of Might
Deprivd. And then I had a Ghostly Sight

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252

Of Robert Galls Parisian Iack-a-Lent,
Whereof the Pope by Carnall Mindes Consent
Is Supreme Head on Earth. But soone I saw
Both Head and Body burne away like straw;
For Both indeed wore brittle Ornaments,
And so dissolvd to the First Elements,
His Soule descending into Lower Spheares
Then those of Purging, which he farm'd for Yeares,
Anon I saw with Intellectuall Eyes,
From a Dark Iaile a comely Dame arise,
When seeing me She stopt her Modest Pace,
And like my Saviours Mother, full of Grace,
Thou Mortall Man, quoth She, dost wonder now,
Why on Poore Thralls my Favours I bestow,
And not on Scarlet Robes in midst of Plenty?
I dwell not with the Proud; Not one of Twenty,
That spends the time in Carnall Jollity,
Enjoyes my Love, Heat, or Society;
Which Caiphas-like, Pope Adrian true confest,

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253

He saw not how Romes Scepter could be blest,
Since He, to whom Christ left the Churches Care,
Shun'd worldly Rule, Pompe, and Simonious Ware.
The Consciences, where I frequent me most;
Are styl'd The Temple of the Holy Ghost.
And there, no Swine, no Beasts of prey, nor Curres
Dare enter once, nor any thing that blurres.
Notorious sinnes with Penance I commute,
But Common slips to Nature I impute.
I never sold the Holy Spirits Gifts,
But I receive Strayes gratis without shifts.
Though I enjoy the Keyes to bind or loose,
I seldome Curse, nor Yealding Reedes do bruize.
'Gainst Hereticks I warre, but not with Sword,
My Fence is Vowes and Teares, my Sword Gods Word.
For my Chast Faith to Christ I am belov'd,
And by his Fiery Crosse I am approv'd,
If thou desirest then to finde me out,
Looke, VAUGHAN, not for me among the Rout,

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254

But with my Babes, which beare a loving Mind,
Wise, Constant, sad. And there thou me shalt finde.
With such I liv'd in Superstitious Times,
And so proclaime me in thy New-mans Rimes.
With such I dwelt by Worldlings scorn'd, the while
My Beldame Foe Christs Altars did defile,
With Carnall Sence and Sacrilegious Rape
Moulding th' Immortall in fraile Mortall shape.

Thus stood Our Church, though not so faire of Face
As she seemes now, yet by Elections Grace,
Christs Merits, and his Blouds Prerogative
She breathed free from Sinnes imputative,
And though her Seed were not so pure as Our,
Nor Ours, as Saints, yet may the Man-Gods Pow'r
For their Faiths sake Old Passions purifie,
When Doomedayes Flames shall Bodies change or try
Or rather at Deaths Gaspe to Paradise
Convaigh them like the Theefe, with Saints to rise,

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255

The Iudge will cloth them with his Robes of Grace,
And them enroule with his True Churches Race.
Thus stood Our Church most visible to Saints,
Ere Lather broke into his Just Complaints.
Here in Our West she persecuted lay,
While Rome made sale of Soules and open Prey.
She in the House of Mourning at the Stake
Lay Patient, while Rome forg'd the Masses Cake.
How did they her with Racks and Tortures touze
Within their Jailes and Inquisition House?
How in Old Times did Berengurius fare,
For daring to controule corrupted Ware?
Nay, how in Spaine doe they speed at this day,
Who Christ alone for Advocate display?

A thousand Yeares the Dragon with Restraint
Of Bloudy Force lay Close. Till then a Saint
Possest his Conscience free from Torturos Fire,
Or Hells Constraint. No Synod full of Ire,

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256

Till the Fourth Henry raign'd, did signe a Law
By Massacres poore England to withdraw
From preaching Christ. No Councell Generall
Doom'd Saints to Flames to end Religious Brawle,
Till Sigismond at Constance suffred Husse
And Ierome to be burnt without discusse
Of their true Cause. Yet Sautre first
Of Martyrs did appease the Bloudy thirst
Of Antichristian Priests in the First Yeare
Of the said Henries Raigne. Next Badby here
Thorpe, Purvey, Taylour, White, and Hoveden,
With the Lord Cobham, Floure of Noblemen,
Who did before the Bishops of this Land,
With burning Zeale the Romish Church withstand,
For the Faiths sake, and the Wicklevian Sect
Did by their Bloud, and Martyrs Seales erect
An Altar up in honour of our Christ
As Members of their Head 'gainst Antichrist,
How many Soules were forced to abjure
And to recant! No Saint then liy'd secure

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257

In the Three Henries Sway of Lancaster,
Who preacht Gods Word, as He of Chichester
Grave Peacock felt, and many moe, that far'd
As bad because they Babels Whore out-dar'd,
Kent, Herefords, and Norwich Diocesse
Saw men styl'd Lollards then with like successe
Take up the Crosse, and yeeld for Christ their Breath.
(So Prelates Saints pursu'd with spite, and Death)
And not content the Living to torment,
They one Degree beyond the Pagans went,
For Wickliffs Bones from out the Grave they tore,
And burnt, which lay there Forty Yeares before.
With solemne Pomp and Degradations Maske,
Those Gotam-Scribes perform'd that Gothish Taske.

O would the Lines of this Epitome
Could move our Strayes, which haunt the Romish Sea,
To meditate on Times Old Monuments,
And there to marke what Savage Punishments

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258

One Hundred Yeares, ere Luther rose, were then
Inflicted by mad Priests on Christian Men,
For seeking to reforme Old things amisse,
And by Gods Word to win blind strayes to Blisse:
I might then hope some would relent and turne
To our New-man, and with New Zeale would burne,
Not heeding Dreames and Superstitious Mists,
Which spred abroad by false Masse-monging Priests,
And Idoliz'd by haughty Hildebrand,
Lay yet on Rome an Ignominious Brand;
But noting what the New-man put in ure
The first Six Hundred Yeares, they hold most pure.
For such our Martyrs di'd, and such I know
Great Brittaine now extolls, at least in show.

But to review the Churches History,
The Looking-Glasse of Sacred Memory:

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259

Whilst halfe this Age with doubtfull chance embroils,
Which France shall feel, or England Bloudier Broiles?
The Center of this Age melts into Teares,
And cryes out shame upon our Westerne Peeres,
For suffring Turkes Bizantium to possesse,
And by that meanes quite to subvert the Peace
Of all the Easterne Church, and there for Christ
To fiixe a mighty Limbe of Antichrist.
Had they in time but seconded the Duke
Of Burgundy when he Thralls a rebuke
With a Check-mate receiv'd in Hungary,
The Ottomans had not faire Bulgary
Subjected, nor the Græcian Iles since won
To Christians Losse, and Mahomets renowne,
But as with Cunning Plots the Dragon rac'd
Our Westernes Faith, so then he there defac'd
With Open Force the Easternes Primest Seat,
The City of New Rome; in which Defeat
He glories, that the same with Salems Towne,
And Antioch he from Servile Christians won.

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260

Their Sinnes them servile made, that so before
The Iudgement Day their Fall might Others more
Rowze up from Sloth and Dull Security
To Watch, least they feele more Indignity.

And then neere Thirty Yeares were past, since Popes
Branding each Other for false Antipopes
Copartners, at a Councell Generall
By Sigismonds good Cares they stint the Brawle.
At which I cannot in my Zealous Trance
Unnamed leave a Chancellour of France,
Grave Gerson, whom our Chronicles record,
That for Truths Rights to be againe restor'd
He motion'd to bring back the Light Divine,
As in the Dayes of Paul or Constantine.
This he crav'd in the Councell Generall
Most Zealous, but the State Pontisicall
Would not assent to heare of Reformation,
Lest they might clinch their Court of Augmentation,

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261

Like Politicks, who winke at Theeves or Stewes,
At Spoiles or Bribes, at Barrettours or Iewes,
Encreasing Sinne, and what to Vengeance tends
For Private Gaine, and their owne Idoll-ends.
This Motion made that Clerk Magnanimous
About the Time, when there they burned Husse,
That Husse, who sung, that tho they broil'd the Goose,
Within One Hundred Yeares should be let loose
A Swan out of those Flames, as white as Snow,
Whose pow'rful Tune wuld make more Eares to glow.
Which Prophesie fell true, for the Events
Gamaliels-like since answered the Contents.
Yet did that Councell doe one piece of Worth,
For they depos'd Three Popes, and chose a Fourth.

But afterwards the Cæsar Sigismond
For Breach of Faith by deare Experience conn'd,
That though, as Toyes, wrongs Mortalls over-passe,
Yet God will them not unrevenged passe,

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262

For of the Breach soone as Bohemia heard,
The Safe-conduct infring'd, the Cause unheard,
And that the Councell had condemned Husse
And Ierome to be burnt without discusse
Of the maine Points of Faith, for which they came
By Safe-conduct sign'd in th' Imperiall Name:
And now affronted with this fond Reply,
Or rather jeer'd with a Priscillian Lye:
That Promise, Faith, and Vowes to Horeticks
Were voyd in Law, if made by Catholicks;
The Taborites repin'd, faire Prague laments,
And all Bohemia moves with sodaine Rents,
For their late Prophets Death, and Guiltlesse Bloud
Shed for no cause, but that they Rome withstood.
Then Valiant Zisca, like the Sonne of Nun,
Heads against Cæsar, many Battels won,
And with small Numbers to all the Popists Wonder
Great Armies daunts, as strook with claps of Thunder,
The Bohemes so against their Foes prevail'd,
That they their Losse, and Breach of Faith bewail'd;

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263

And to this day those Rites in Boheme last,
Which first to Husse from English Wickliffe past.

Nor was that Doctrine in Bohemia close,
And England kept alone, but to oppose
The Romish Side by Vertue of the Light
Deriv'd from thence there daily came more Might.
The Bishop of Croatia then did rise
By Wickliffes Lamp, and did Romes Fall comprise
In Measur'd Lines, which with Prophetick Glosse
Vicelius did sort that Dark Age disclose.
Cameracums Good Cardinall then wrot,
And laid on Rome an everlasting Blot,
As others in those Dayes the like reveal'd
What from Old muddy Pates stood long conceal'd.
So Montuan did and Savonarola,
Clemangis, and the Count Mirandola
Boldly declaime against Great Babels Pride,
Ere Luther rose to write against her Side.

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264

For now had God in his appointed Time
Refin'd more Wits the Gospel out to chime.

For like Effect God sent the Printers Presse,
That with Good Bookes we might his Truth confesse,
For till this Age faire Printing lay unknowne,
And so for want of Workes Truth was prest downe.
Gunnes likewise came within this Ages List,
Invented by by a Frier Alchymist,

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265

Now Beades came up, where Sixtus was not wary
For Penance sake to linke the Ave-Mary.
And after him, by the next raving Pope,
Who for his Fact was worthy of a Rope,
Romes Stewes came up, for whom he builded Roomes,
And got the Whores to pay him Yearely Summes,
Under pretence to keep some Women Chaste,
But more for Gaine, and for his Priests unchaste,
As though the Brothels could Knaves temptings let,
By suffring Ill, Sinne Hidraes to beget.

What now hath Rome to plead? what Colour? Shift?
Or false Demurre to cloak her wanton drift?
That she be not indited hereupon
A Baud? and styl'd the Whore of Babylon,
Not onely Ghostly, but a Carnall Whore
She stands arraign'd; for, as yee heard before,
A Whore indeed, a Woman Moguntine
Sate Pope in Rome, and acted Rites Divine.

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266

If this be not sufficient Evidence,
Examine well their Lives and Fraudulence,
What Paramours Popes kept? what Bloudy Dance
They led? what Plots their Bastards to advance?
That very Pope, which shall cloze up this Age,
Can restifie with what tumultuous Rage
He rais'd his Sonne and Daughter to great States:
Cæsar made Duke, a Duke Lucretia mates.
About the Yeare Six Hundred Sixty Six,
The Antichristian Fiend began his Tricks
And Lullabies to act through Carnall Ease,
That men might fall to Scorbuts Foule disease,
Or to some Frantick Fits. Nor was it long
But at the Time foretold, who did belong
To the Great Cities Dame, by Sea and Land
Playd the fond Bedlems at their Heads command.
Her huge Impostume broke out at the last,
That in Five Hundred Yeares she made such wast
Of Ragges for Tents to keep her Issues running,
To serve her still it past our Westernes cunning.

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267

The Prince of Fiends such Humours, Spleen, and Gall
Envenom'd had this Mystery withall,
That for Guaiacam she must India riste,
For Europes Drugges seem'd to her Lims a Trifle.
Who durst oppose her what she went about?
She had the Keyes of Heaven and Hell to boot:
Of all the World she was Chiefe Governesse,
And of what Christ scorn'd in the Wildernesse.
Only there wanted to supply her State
The Genoaes Map, and Isabellaes Fate.

Before her Wane Gods Glory to extend,
It chanc'd about this Ages Latter End,
That Gama first from Lisbon tri'd the Course,
To passe by Sea to the East-Indian Shores,
Where having found the Load-stone since in use,
He Pilots did from the Pole-starre reduce;
By which and Printing was the Gospels sound
Dispers'd, and Both within this Age New-found.

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268

West-India then was was by Columbus seene,
At the Expence of that Castilian Queene;
Who pawn'd her Jewels for the finding out
Of those New Lands, whose Gold made Spain so stout,
That aiming at the Westerne Monarchy.
She Musters, Fights, holds Kings in Jealousie:
And Babels Whore hopes in that New-found Soile
By Mart of Soules to keep more revell Coile,
And what She here hath by the Gospel lost,
That to repaire in Indiaes Sun-burnt Coast.
Our Seventh Henry might have made his Boast,
Had he but been as prone as Ferdinand
To take the tendred Map of that New Land.
But though the Tract was large, yet Portingall
And Castiles King contended, till the Brawle
By the High Priests Imaginary Lines
Umpir'd, they claim'd more then their Right confines,
And so Romes Rites erected in that Coast,
Satan repaires what he in Europe lost,
Unlesse our Ile, to countepoise his Craft,

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269

Had lately aim'd into that North a Shaft,
Which may perhaps some Consciences so wound,
That Savages may heare the Gospels Sound,
Which others Damps with Superstitious Fire
Have there conceal'd, and hindred to inspire.