King Arthur An Heroick Poem. In Twelve Books. By Richard Blackmore. To which is Annexed, An Index, Explaining the Names of Countrys, Citys, and Rivers, &c |
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| II. |
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| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
 | King Arthur |  |
You that would still th'Almighty Being own,
And yet to Idols bow and Gods unknown,
Delude your selves with an absurd pretence,
That still your Minds preserve their Innocence.
We to th'Eternal Mind should Honour pay,
As he himself prescribes the Rule and Way.
No Modes of Adoration he'll admit,
Because our wanton Fancy thinks 'em sit.
No other Forms of Worship should be sought,
But those alone observ'd which he has taught.
He oft declares you shall no Image make,
Aud asks from whence you'll his Resemblance take.
This is his Will, this his commanding Word,
Shall Man contend and call his Law absurd?
Subjects are to obey, and not dispute
A Will so pure, a Power so absolute.
In vain alas deluding Priests pretend,
That they their Worship to th'Allmighty send.
That all the Honour to the Image paid
Is thro' the Marble up to Heav'n convey'd:
Then Dan's and Bethel's Calves would be excus'd,
Which by the Tribes were for Devotion us'd.
They mighty Zeal to Jacob's God exprest,
To honour him proclaim'd a solemn Feast,
And Worship by the Calves to Heav'n addrest.
When Aaron by the murm'ring Hebrews sway'd
A Golden God of molten Ear-rings made,
'Twas reer'd in Honour of th'Allmighty Hand,
That brought their Youth from Egypt's cruel Land.
Yet in the sacred History you read
How God incens'd condemn'd the impious Deed.
When you Devotion to an Idol show,
And on the Altar od'rous Incense throw,
You make the Heathen Worshiper believe
That you and he like Adoration give:
You thus confirm the Pagan Votary
And not asserting God, your God deny.
The Mind by Words and Actions is exprest,
And secret Reservations in the Breast
Whereby you think to save your Innocence
Make Hypocrites, and add a fresh Offence.
The jealous God will not his Honour part,
Nor share with Idols a divided Heart.
'Tis not enough to own him in your Breast,
He must in publick boldly be confest.
Th'eternal Mind no prudent Neutral knows,
We for his Cause declare, or are his Foes.
The Managers who cautious Measures use,
And fain would neither Sin nor Suff'ring chuse.
Who like a crafty Statesman to provide
For his own Safety fawns on either Side.
These most th'Eternal's Jealousy provoke,
At these his Vengeance aims the deadliest stroke.
The Hypocrite defeats his own Design,
Splits on the Rock he labours to decline.
He can't himself by base Complyance save
The Secret to be safe, is to be brave.
We are to fiery Tryals brought to prove
Our stedfast Faith, our Courage, and our Love.
To shew th'Heroic Confessors are fit
With Glory crown'd on Heav'nly Thrones to sit.
To draw amaz'd Spectators to believe
That Cause divine, that could such Courage give.
You know, if you in Heart a Christian are,
Our Heav'nly Founder often did declare
The Marks that must his faithful Friends approve
Are patient Suff'ring and their mutual Love.
His Precept, and Example form'd his Friends
For all the Sorrow that his Cause attends.
He oft foretold them their approaching Fate
And what they must expect from Tyrants Hate.
He set the price, and told what Heav'n would cost,
And what to gain that Kingdom must be lost.
And this the constant Martyrs understood
Who swam to Heav'n thro' a red tyde of Blood.
Some were with Wounds, and cruel Scourging try'd,
Some in the Flames with God-like Courage dy'd.
Some were on Racks and Wheels in pieces drawn,
Some ston'd to Death, and some asunder Sawn.
To some a Refuge from the Tyrant's Sword,
The Dens of milder Beasts did oft afford.
They oft Deliv'rance nobly did refuse,
And Vertue when 'twas least inviting chuse.
Conscious what Bliss and Life Eternal meant,
The blest Reward of hours divinely spent,
And what a Heaven 'tis, to be Innocent;
They could the World with brave Neglect despise,
And the vain Joys which charm deluded Eyes.
They with the just did rather Suff'rings bear,
Then guilty Pleasures with th'unrighteous share.
They laid down Life in Vertue's just Defence,
Dear Life, but not so dear as Innocence.
But Merula could these blest Saints have taught
Their Torments to escape without a Fault.
The specious Arguments which you advance
Will make them Martyrs to their Ignorance.
Had those blest Men your nice distinctions known,
They to the Idol might have Worship shown;
For if their inward Thought did not consent,
The Guilt no farther than the Body went;
And thus their Innocence had been secure,
And while the Knee had err'd, the Heart been pure.
Those who alledge we cannot form a Thought
But by some Image thro' our Senses brought;
And therefore we th'Almighty must conceive,
By some Idea which the Senses give,
Will soon th'erroneous Argument detect,
When on their own Conceptions they reflect.
Sense do's, 'tis true, it's Object first enjoy,
And that first Object do's our Thoughts employ.
All Knowledge previous to the acts of Sense
And in-born Notions, are a vain Pretence.
But then, 'tis true, that when our Minds embrace
Those Images which thro' our Senses pass,
They stop not there, but quickly higher go,
And on themselves reflecting Know they Know.
They their own Actions oft review, and thence
Conceptions form above the Sphear of Sense.
They by their Operations must conclude
They are with Life, and Thought, and Choice endu'd,
And hence the Intellectual World is known,
While we conceive their Nature by our own.
Then climbs the Mind to the first glorious Cause,
And his bright Image by this Model draws.
Freedom of Choice, pure Intellectual Light,
Power Independent, Goodness Infinite,
To form the great Idea we unite.
All other Images for him design'd
Debase the Glory of th'Eternal Mind;
Degrade his high Perfections, and infuse
Unworthy Thoughts, and Vulgar Minds abuse.
And yet to Idols bow and Gods unknown,
Delude your selves with an absurd pretence,
That still your Minds preserve their Innocence.
We to th'Eternal Mind should Honour pay,
As he himself prescribes the Rule and Way.
No Modes of Adoration he'll admit,
Because our wanton Fancy thinks 'em sit.
No other Forms of Worship should be sought,
But those alone observ'd which he has taught.
He oft declares you shall no Image make,
Aud asks from whence you'll his Resemblance take.
217
Shall Man contend and call his Law absurd?
Subjects are to obey, and not dispute
A Will so pure, a Power so absolute.
In vain alas deluding Priests pretend,
That they their Worship to th'Allmighty send.
That all the Honour to the Image paid
Is thro' the Marble up to Heav'n convey'd:
Then Dan's and Bethel's Calves would be excus'd,
Which by the Tribes were for Devotion us'd.
They mighty Zeal to Jacob's God exprest,
To honour him proclaim'd a solemn Feast,
And Worship by the Calves to Heav'n addrest.
When Aaron by the murm'ring Hebrews sway'd
A Golden God of molten Ear-rings made,
'Twas reer'd in Honour of th'Allmighty Hand,
That brought their Youth from Egypt's cruel Land.
Yet in the sacred History you read
How God incens'd condemn'd the impious Deed.
When you Devotion to an Idol show,
And on the Altar od'rous Incense throw,
You make the Heathen Worshiper believe
That you and he like Adoration give:
You thus confirm the Pagan Votary
And not asserting God, your God deny.
The Mind by Words and Actions is exprest,
And secret Reservations in the Breast
Whereby you think to save your Innocence
Make Hypocrites, and add a fresh Offence.
218
Nor share with Idols a divided Heart.
'Tis not enough to own him in your Breast,
He must in publick boldly be confest.
Th'eternal Mind no prudent Neutral knows,
We for his Cause declare, or are his Foes.
The Managers who cautious Measures use,
And fain would neither Sin nor Suff'ring chuse.
Who like a crafty Statesman to provide
For his own Safety fawns on either Side.
These most th'Eternal's Jealousy provoke,
At these his Vengeance aims the deadliest stroke.
The Hypocrite defeats his own Design,
Splits on the Rock he labours to decline.
He can't himself by base Complyance save
The Secret to be safe, is to be brave.
We are to fiery Tryals brought to prove
Our stedfast Faith, our Courage, and our Love.
To shew th'Heroic Confessors are fit
With Glory crown'd on Heav'nly Thrones to sit.
To draw amaz'd Spectators to believe
That Cause divine, that could such Courage give.
You know, if you in Heart a Christian are,
Our Heav'nly Founder often did declare
The Marks that must his faithful Friends approve
Are patient Suff'ring and their mutual Love.
His Precept, and Example form'd his Friends
For all the Sorrow that his Cause attends.
He oft foretold them their approaching Fate
And what they must expect from Tyrants Hate.
219
And what to gain that Kingdom must be lost.
And this the constant Martyrs understood
Who swam to Heav'n thro' a red tyde of Blood.
Some were with Wounds, and cruel Scourging try'd,
Some in the Flames with God-like Courage dy'd.
Some were on Racks and Wheels in pieces drawn,
Some ston'd to Death, and some asunder Sawn.
To some a Refuge from the Tyrant's Sword,
The Dens of milder Beasts did oft afford.
They oft Deliv'rance nobly did refuse,
And Vertue when 'twas least inviting chuse.
Conscious what Bliss and Life Eternal meant,
The blest Reward of hours divinely spent,
And what a Heaven 'tis, to be Innocent;
They could the World with brave Neglect despise,
And the vain Joys which charm deluded Eyes.
They with the just did rather Suff'rings bear,
Then guilty Pleasures with th'unrighteous share.
They laid down Life in Vertue's just Defence,
Dear Life, but not so dear as Innocence.
But Merula could these blest Saints have taught
Their Torments to escape without a Fault.
The specious Arguments which you advance
Will make them Martyrs to their Ignorance.
Had those blest Men your nice distinctions known,
They to the Idol might have Worship shown;
For if their inward Thought did not consent,
The Guilt no farther than the Body went;
220
And while the Knee had err'd, the Heart been pure.
Those who alledge we cannot form a Thought
But by some Image thro' our Senses brought;
And therefore we th'Almighty must conceive,
By some Idea which the Senses give,
Will soon th'erroneous Argument detect,
When on their own Conceptions they reflect.
Sense do's, 'tis true, it's Object first enjoy,
And that first Object do's our Thoughts employ.
All Knowledge previous to the acts of Sense
And in-born Notions, are a vain Pretence.
But then, 'tis true, that when our Minds embrace
Those Images which thro' our Senses pass,
They stop not there, but quickly higher go,
And on themselves reflecting Know they Know.
They their own Actions oft review, and thence
Conceptions form above the Sphear of Sense.
They by their Operations must conclude
They are with Life, and Thought, and Choice endu'd,
And hence the Intellectual World is known,
While we conceive their Nature by our own.
Then climbs the Mind to the first glorious Cause,
And his bright Image by this Model draws.
Freedom of Choice, pure Intellectual Light,
Power Independent, Goodness Infinite,
To form the great Idea we unite.
All other Images for him design'd
Debase the Glory of th'Eternal Mind;
221
Unworthy Thoughts, and Vulgar Minds abuse.
| King Arthur | |