 | A transcript of Edward Taylor's Metrical History of Christianity by Donald E. Stanford |  |
2. Patience Exercised under Errours and Heresies
While Errours vile and Heresies the SpauneOf Pride and Jars do all becloude the Lawn
Of milke white Truth, Patiences glorie wares
A long gray beard and head bright silver haires.
This Century stufft up herewith appears
Like to a bag of straw with empty eares.
Those Heresies in the last age that sprung
Do still abound, still Marcions errours run
In Persia: In Phrygia, yea at Rome
Montanus weaves i'th'Cataphrigians loom
At Rome, Constantinople, Ancyra
Nice, Alexandria, and else where they
Abound that rake Novatus from the dead
Novation Churches now lift up their head
The cursed Manecheans still abide
That all the Ancient Scriptures have deni'de
And doubt the truth of the New Testament
Wherein it doth cry out at their ill sent
They taught that God corrupted is, doth Change
Is Changeable, is indegent, doth range
The Soule is part of God: that was blinde
Before Light had a being, and they finde
Out many gods: and twelve more groate than others
Which threefold stand in four chief rancks (strange poather)
Surrounding him about whom they do call
The Greatest king of kings, the Chiefe of all
Having a scepter in his hand, and Crownd
With curious flowers, with ruddy face is found.
That God the Father dwells in Light, the son
Hath vertue dwelling in the sun in throng
And Wisdom in the Moon: The Holy Ghost
Doth hold the Airey region for his Coast
That Christ is but Phantastick in his birth
Conception, Passion, Death here on the earth
And fourty such blasphemous things are told
Of God, Christ, the Creation, and Sin, hold
These vile men and what follow doth from hence
By the necessity of Consequence.
Such dirty stuff upon the Gospell stall
Faustus the Affrican did vend Withall
The tribe of Manicheans in their plush
As Adamantus, Fortunatus flush
Sabellius still pours from his dust, his ly
Denies three persons in the Deity
Hieracis still doth walke though dead who cries
Not this flesh but another up shall rise.
Do still abound, still Marcions errours run
In Persia: In Phrygia, yea at Rome
Montanus weaves i'th'Cataphrigians loom
At Rome, Constantinople, Ancyra
Nice, Alexandria, and else where they
Abound that rake Novatus from the dead
Novation Churches now lift up their head
The cursed Manecheans still abide
That all the Ancient Scriptures have deni'de
And doubt the truth of the New Testament
Wherein it doth cry out at their ill sent
They taught that God corrupted is, doth Change
Is Changeable, is indegent, doth range
The Soule is part of God: that was blinde
Before Light had a being, and they finde
107
Which threefold stand in four chief rancks (strange poather)
Surrounding him about whom they do call
The Greatest king of kings, the Chiefe of all
Having a scepter in his hand, and Crownd
With curious flowers, with ruddy face is found.
That God the Father dwells in Light, the son
Hath vertue dwelling in the sun in throng
And Wisdom in the Moon: The Holy Ghost
Doth hold the Airey region for his Coast
That Christ is but Phantastick in his birth
Conception, Passion, Death here on the earth
And fourty such blasphemous things are told
Of God, Christ, the Creation, and Sin, hold
These vile men and what follow doth from hence
By the necessity of Consequence.
Such dirty stuff upon the Gospell stall
Faustus the Affrican did vend Withall
The tribe of Manicheans in their plush
As Adamantus, Fortunatus flush
Sabellius still pours from his dust, his ly
Denies three persons in the Deity
Hieracis still doth walke though dead who cries
Not this flesh but another up shall rise.
The Arian filth o're flows whose Errours ferret
Away the Godhead of the Son, and Spirit,
And all those Orient Pearls of truth they stroy
As will the swinesty of this Filth defy
These cursed brats now teem'd out (as were bred)
From Maximinus, and Felicians head.
The Macedonian Filth and filthy stuff
Apollinarius foists finde a pigs trough
Who fed his pigs with Christs fless mere and said
Christ had no Humane Soule: but mere flesh made.
Anthropomorphites greatly do abound
The old Priscillian slough (snake like) is found
Pelagius an Englishman up dresst
His diry Cookery in East and West
That man was born with nature pure from sin
Not Adams falt or stain was found in him,
And that his Will was free and also could
With offerd grace get glory, if he would.
His poyson to the world and souls out trips
When in Jerusalem out of his lips
He spit it out in Syria, in Thrace,
In Affrick, Sicill and in Rome apace
In France and England too his native soile
Which to the hurt of Grace he most did spoile
And many joynd with him, but Julian most
Bishop of Capua did like this tost
Nestorius and Anastase a paire
Bishop and Preist enthroned in the Chaire
Of greate Constantinople, tap their Cask
Of Errours now walking without a mask
Thus Ana'stasius vents it as its spoke
The Virgin Mary is no Theotoke
Nestorius in all Contempt this said
In two or three months space God is not made,
Reflecting hence as if Christs Deity
By Christs Conception smilde on such a Lie.
Away the Godhead of the Son, and Spirit,
And all those Orient Pearls of truth they stroy
As will the swinesty of this Filth defy
These cursed brats now teem'd out (as were bred)
From Maximinus, and Felicians head.
The Macedonian Filth and filthy stuff
Apollinarius foists finde a pigs trough
Who fed his pigs with Christs fless mere and said
Christ had no Humane Soule: but mere flesh made.
Anthropomorphites greatly do abound
The old Priscillian slough (snake like) is found
Pelagius an Englishman up dresst
His diry Cookery in East and West
That man was born with nature pure from sin
Not Adams falt or stain was found in him,
And that his Will was free and also could
With offerd grace get glory, if he would.
His poyson to the world and souls out trips
When in Jerusalem out of his lips
He spit it out in Syria, in Thrace,
In Affrick, Sicill and in Rome apace
In France and England too his native soile
Which to the hurt of Grace he most did spoile
And many joynd with him, but Julian most
Bishop of Capua did like this tost
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Bishop and Preist enthroned in the Chaire
Of greate Constantinople, tap their Cask
Of Errours now walking without a mask
Thus Ana'stasius vents it as its spoke
The Virgin Mary is no Theotoke
Nestorius in all Contempt this said
In two or three months space God is not made,
Reflecting hence as if Christs Deity
By Christs Conception smilde on such a Lie.
Here in this place old Eutyches the monke
I'th Valantinian well sets his new pump
That Christs flesh was not true nor ours but made
Anew in which through th'Virgins womb he'd wade
And of this Liquour dranke did, and supple
Acasius Bishop of Constantinople
And Peter Gnoph the Antiochean
Who with his mates five hundred such do damn
The Councill brave of Calcedon which when
It sat was of six hundred thirty men
At Alexandria bibd of this Cup
(Besides all Egypts ragged Monks that sup
Three rammish Bishops first Dioscorus
A Vile Blasphemer who at Ephesus
In'ts second Counsill Proditorian calld
For damning Eutychean tenets, bauld
And flew like Mastive dog on Flavian
Constantinoples bishop, spurnd the man
And fisted him in such a furious guise
That of it the good man the third day dies
A Murderer a Whoremonger, Forsworn
A wretched Liar, Life with sins all torn
A botch of man kinde, sacrolegious Thiefe
Who gave the gift, given to make reliefe
For Poor and Pious persons unto those
That strumpets were and Varlets, Gods great foes
This surly Don did Excommunicate
The Roman Bishop though of better shape.
I'th Valantinian well sets his new pump
That Christs flesh was not true nor ours but made
Anew in which through th'Virgins womb he'd wade
And of this Liquour dranke did, and supple
Acasius Bishop of Constantinople
And Peter Gnoph the Antiochean
Who with his mates five hundred such do damn
The Councill brave of Calcedon which when
It sat was of six hundred thirty men
At Alexandria bibd of this Cup
(Besides all Egypts ragged Monks that sup
Three rammish Bishops first Dioscorus
A Vile Blasphemer who at Ephesus
In'ts second Counsill Proditorian calld
For damning Eutychean tenets, bauld
And flew like Mastive dog on Flavian
Constantinoples bishop, spurnd the man
And fisted him in such a furious guise
That of it the good man the third day dies
A Murderer a Whoremonger, Forsworn
A wretched Liar, Life with sins all torn
A botch of man kinde, sacrolegious Thiefe
Who gave the gift, given to make reliefe
For Poor and Pious persons unto those
That strumpets were and Varlets, Gods great foes
This surly Don did Excommunicate
The Roman Bishop though of better shape.
The second was Tim Elurus who drunke
His belly full of water at this pump
Ordain'd by faction and deposed sirs:
And raisd at Alexandria bloody stirs
Doth stooe his Curs upon Proterius
Who run him through and drag his body, thus
Slain, through the town and knaw his bowles like
To Curs or Swine, who bishop was and right
He banisht was, and by a joynt Consent
Of worthy men, Grave, Learned, and intent
Upon Christ truth about a thousand hee
Exauthorizd and outed was wee see
And judged that the Name of Christian should
Be clipt all off from him, so vile they hold.
His belly full of water at this pump
Ordain'd by faction and deposed sirs:
And raisd at Alexandria bloody stirs
Doth stooe his Curs upon Proterius
Who run him through and drag his body, thus
Slain, through the town and knaw his bowles like
To Curs or Swine, who bishop was and right
109
Of worthy men, Grave, Learned, and intent
Upon Christ truth about a thousand hee
Exauthorizd and outed was wee see
And judged that the Name of Christian should
Be clipt all off from him, so vile they hold.
Last Peter Mog Drunke with the foresaid drams
Drops in this Chair (alas Poore Chair). Hee damns
The Calcidonian Councill, stain'd with blood
Of such as fell: When Elurus up stood
Severus Antiochs Bishop wore this beard
Chrysaphicus too, a gentleman o'th'Guard.
Thirteen plump bishops such of Egypts were
Three hundred Crabbed monks all of such geere
Five hundred of the Headless sirs in sight
Are such: and them we Monophysits write.
Drops in this Chair (alas Poore Chair). Hee damns
The Calcidonian Councill, stain'd with blood
Of such as fell: When Elurus up stood
Severus Antiochs Bishop wore this beard
Chrysaphicus too, a gentleman o'th'Guard.
Thirteen plump bishops such of Egypts were
Three hundred Crabbed monks all of such geere
Five hundred of the Headless sirs in sight
Are such: and them we Monophysits write.
But Vincent Victors low bell thus did tole
That out of God himselfe God made mans soule.
That out of God himselfe God made mans soule.
Old Donatus now all new vamped ore
Is grown as budge as ever heretofore
And thus while Heretick under the Mask
Of sacred truth do tap the Hellish cask
Of Filthy lies, that do becloud the sun
The silken twine of Patience fine doth run.
Is grown as budge as ever heretofore
And thus while Heretick under the Mask
Of sacred truth do tap the Hellish cask
Of Filthy lies, that do becloud the sun
The silken twine of Patience fine doth run.
| A transcript of Edward Taylor's Metrical History of Christianity by Donald E. Stanford | |