A Metrical History of Christianity

And though the twine is Coarser and more tan'd
The Chart less white where Graces Scutchons stand
Hence shine more dim, yet they this shine ware, and
Shine all about.

Pass over Asia, you'le finde how Grace
Beguilds with glorious Droughts its ancient face
With beames dropt from her stars fixt in place
These blanch the Day

Jerusalem lets fall such Rayes in store
Out darted from her stars as Nepos wore
And Pollychrone, with Juvenall and more
Did there display

Here shone that learn'd Hesychius here made
An Elder of this Church and many 't is said
Shone forth at Bethlehem at Gaza staid
At Ascalon

At Joppa, Lydda, and Antipatris
At Pella, at Tiberia, Archelais
At Jemnia, Segor, Capitolis
And Anthedon

In Phenice now Antiochus shone bright
Eustathius forth springd rich beams of light
And many other to refell the night
That staind the time

Such stars top shone out in Arabia
As Constantine, Malchus of Avara
Ganton and Caineus of Medina
In all their prime

In Syria glory did begrace her soile
At Antioch after Porphyry's guile
In Holy Alexanders Peacefull stile
That quencht the fire.

And did imbalm in spices Chrysostroms name
And Theodote did as a star there flame
And other such did spread the gospell fame,
Things thus Conspire.

At Hieropolis these stars arose
Brave Alexander and Panolby Foes
To Vice, and John and Stephen follows those
With Gospell Light

And at Apemea Agapit sprang
With Pollychrone a gospell Pious man
And other such successively there ran
Truths Cause to plight.

Theodoret like Samuel from the Womb
By fervent Pray're and Vowd to God in sum
At Cyrus rose like to the shining sun
Whose Rayes out fly.

In Celosyria Theodulus
His sacred Learning like a flaming bush
Did shew its light evangelizd to Crush
Iniquity.

Mesopotamia doth enjoy this grace
Marathus prayes the King int'healthy Case
Acacius at Amida did embrace
A gracious flame.

Who with the Churches Will the Churches Plates
Redeemd the Persian famish Captivates
O'th'Roman Souldiers, fed them and translates
Them home again.

And at Edessa Rabula did shine
Where Ibas shone (a much Disturbd Divine)
And Peter too the glory of his time
A Non-such Preacher

At Haran Daniel bishopt it, the brother
Of Ibas, and his People made a pother
Him to exclude that they might have another
To be their Teacher.

Now in Cilicia at Mopsuestia
One Theodore did Christs bright truth display
(Though envy him with heresy doth ray)
Chrysostoms friend.

At Tarsus too another Theodore
At Anazarbi Cyrus and before
Him, Maximus, arose and many more
Light to Commens

Pamphylia shone then with Eustathyiu's light
At Perga Bermian rose to plead aright
And at Aspenda shone Tribunian bright
With Gospell flame

Issuria brightly shone where truth did spring
Now at Seleucia Basil therein
And Athanasius too did Christ their king
Aloud proclaime

Pisidia now's adorn'd with Gospell Phrase
At Antioch Candidian did blaze
And Pergamus and Hemus wore thy praise
Olympius

Lycia did ware the Gospell shine for there
At Telmessus Savinian preacht who were
The Judge of Eutyches whose sentence Cleare
Might make him mush.

Caria too sat in this blissfull flame
At Aphrodisias Critonians name
Recorded is, and Daniel did mentain
At Cadus Christ.

Constantinoples Synod found him right
And so did that at Calcedon whose might
Did Eutyches Confound and squander quite
His Error splic'te.

Ionia in this shine is bath'd and blesst
At Ephesus Heraclides it spers't
And Memnon too that angry sir possest
The Candlestick.

Then Basil, Basla'an then, then Stephan, Paul
Then Cassianus, yet greate quarrells all
These found: were innd and outted. Hence light small
But smoake grew thick.

And Lydia wore the Gospell Ornament
At Trellis there Erodions shine out went
At Sardis Florence out a flowrish sent
Yet next with spots

At Philadelphia Theophany
At Straton shone. Euthenius full high
At Colophen Ealatius shiningly
Cri'de down all blots.

At Caryss Zealous Menecrates rose
And did Calcedon with Zeale oppose
Dioscorus i'th'Snyod to his nose
Thus sighing out

This one man hath the Whole world spoil'd indeed
And wee sit here attending him, a weed
These three months space. And thus his Zeale did bleed
And run about.

At Smyrna Cyrus shone who when he new
Made Bizants Walls demolisht, and thence flew
To th'Church for Refuge, the Emperour he knew
His blood did seeke.

Stood as a Light in that bright Candlestick
Proterius followed him, then Etherick
Valerian in Lycaonias Bishoprick
Iconicum keeps.

Meonia hath her Candle light that flames
Magnesia on Meander much obtains
Much glory now her Daphnus there explains
Christs truth full cleare

Now Phrygia ware her Garlands. Pergamus
Lighthed's with Phillip and Eutropius
Laodicea with Numechius
Who blinckt for feare

At Synnadens the sounder part do Choose
Them Theodosius for their Pastor those
Not sound Agapatus, And so proove foes
And hence the first

Stirs up Autority these to Expell
The town and Contry, and while told this bell
Agapatus perswaded his part well
From what was worst.

Thus Theodosius while he plide his blame
Both parts are reconcild in truth, Proclaim
This Agapat their Pastor on the same
They do Reject

Thus Theodosius, and off he's Cast
Poor man his Zeale or lucre ran so fast
Do what he Can he cant avert the blast
Of Disrespect

Albertus preacheth at Hierapolis
And Paul at Derbe and Strategius is
At Polydorum. Doryleum hath this bliss
Which flourisht in

Eusebius who openly displayde
Nestorius' Errour and Eutyches trade
Erronius by his friendly speech first made
Alone to him

At Troas brave Sylvanus, nipt with Cold
At Philippople, and through want its told
In Spartane Sandalls went doth tend Christ fold
In this warm place

Where by his prayer a loaden ship which he
Which strength of men could not, did easly free
(Thought by some Demon firmly fixt to bee)
Here shone his grace

Dalmatius glorious grows at Cyzicum
On whom the People choice resolvd did run
In stead of Proclus t'whom the place did come
To him assignd

By the Bishop of Constantinople nam'd
Sisinius but yet it was detaind
For this good man, who clearly here mentaind
The Truth refin'd

Bythynia's glory grows now in her Town

454

Of Calcedon where of full bright Renown
Six hundred thirty Bishops did Cast down
Nestorianism

Eulalius scattered the Gospell Rayes
And after him there Elutherius stayes
That Christ might be adored with their Praise
Unto him given

At Nicomedia Pansophius clears
The Gospell Cause and after him appears
Himerius, Eunomius then who steers
A rougher Sea.

At Nice that famous town the Gospell's taught
By Anastasius, who would be thought
Their Metropolitan, then Peter sought
Christ to display

Heracleas is grac'de with Theodore
Amastris with Themistius and more
And Paul at Apollonias did glore
And after him

Faustus who strove Christs garden much to weed
Of all the Darnell and the springing seed
Which Peter Knave of Antioch did bleed
And sow therein

Now Hellespont is glazed with this shine
For at Abydos now that Choice Divine
Pamphillus waild the Errour of the time
Did grace begrace

And at Amalia shone Palladius
Seleuctis: at Po--- Etius
At Hellespontine Troy Timotheus
In Pious Case

Galatia still the Gospell shine keeps on
Leontius at Anoyra and when gone
Came Theodate and many a worthy one
The fold to keep.

At Juliople Meliphthongus, and
At Claudiople Aloger did stand
And Peter did at Gangra hold his hand
To feed Christs sheep.

Still Cappadocia doth Christs Colours ware
Where at Cesaria Firmus up did beare
And then Thessalius, whose Call was rare
Did labour here

At Nazianzum Theodosius
And Daniel at Colona. Atarbus
At Trapezum at Neocesar's thus
Patricius were

Armenia still doth spring with Gospell Flowers
At Theodosiople out there poures
Eunomias his sweet perfumed showres
And Peters flow.

At Melitene Acacius as a Rose
Arose and Gospell light there from him flows
And many other which did sin oppose
Which fain would grow.

Sarmatia too lives in this bleaming Sun
Peter disperst Christ's raise here and here run
Such beams from John and others who did shun
To walke in sin.

Hircania too doth thus enjoy these beams
Whose Bishop John did give his gospell gleams
Against Vile Eutyches, whose nausious streams
Did mischiefe bring.

University of Virginia Library

The Shine of Divine Grace.